#i could switch out for another translation when i get home because i'm sure i have one of the better ones

[femmeleatherface]

rip me deciding to reread the phantom of the opera and then picking the translation with the WORST cuts from my hoard of poto editions

[sjsmith56]

More Than a Client - A Private Man, Chapter 3

Summary: Tracey admits that she has become emotionally involved with Bucky. Before she’s free to date him there is a two month cooling off period with no contact. While she is gone, an incident occurs.

Length: 4.3 K

Characters, Bucky, Rebecca, Tracey, Amina, Marie.

Warnings: Some angst from Bucky. Intervention in a crime.

Author notes: I’ve tried to show a “normal” sibling relationship between Bucky and Rebecca. She likes to tease him but she loves him dearly. He loves her just as much but doesn’t quite know how to respond to her teasing. Shukran lika – Arabic for thank you [from Google Translate].

<<Chapter 2

☕️ 🍪 🍕

On Tuesday Amina showed up at 1:30 to watch Rebecca, bringing some ingredients with her to do some more baking for them.  When Bucky offered to pay her for her efforts she put her hand out in opposition.

"No, Mr. Bucky," she stated.  "I bake because I like you and Mrs. Rebecca.  You are friends and it is my pleasure to bake for my friends."

"But you do so much already," he said.  "We were strangers 10 days ago."

"In my religion there is a saying," she replied.  "If you help someone, Allah helps you.  Someday my family will need help and I am ensuring that I will receive it."

"You're very kind," replied Bucky.  "Shukran lika."

"You're very welcome.  Now go to your meeting.  Say hello to Miss Tracey Harris."  He looked surprised at her.  "You think none of us noticed the looks between you?  She is a good woman and needs a good man.  You can be good for each other.  Go, don't be late."

Shaking his head Bucky left for the coffee shop, located a few blocks away.  He arrived first and ordered himself a regular coffee.  Nursing it, he waited patiently.  When Tracey arrived he stood up and pulled a chair out for her.

"What would you like?" he asked.  "My treat."

"Um, a caffè latte, please," she said.  "I wouldn't mind a snack.  I didn't get lunch today.  Just a muffin, perhaps."

Bucky nodded and ordered her coffee and a carrot muffin.  He waited for the coffee and brought it the table.  Sitting across from her he sipped his drink.

"Foggy Nelson came yesterday," he said.  "Rebecca really likes him.  He suggested a different way to make sure I get the house, joint tenancy with survivorship ... something like that.  It means my name goes on the deed and if anything happens to Rebecca then I'm her immediate survivor.  She is still doing a will for her personal possessions.  He's also going to look into my back pay claim.  I won't hold my breath on that."

"He is very passionate about his job," said Tracey.  "He and his partner have helped a lot of people who have lost faith in the system.  If he can get your back pay settled you could switch to day shift and live a more normal life.  That's your goal isn't it?  A normal life with your sister?"

"I guess," replied Bucky, trying not to stare too much.  "I haven't really had a normal life since the 40s.  Not sure I remember how to live one.  Although I guess if I switched to day shift I could start dating, if I met someone who would go out with me.  I tried the dating apps but ...."

He stopped, embarrassed at telling her what type of woman swiped right on his profile in the dating apps.  She smiled sympathetically.

"I can understand what you're going through," she said, "more than you think.  I've been divorced for four years and I think I've had maybe four dates in all that time.  Two of them wanted me to go home with them right away and were angry that they spent money on me and I didn't put out."  Bucky frowned at that admission.  "One was angry over his own divorce and spent the entire date complaining about women who were out to emasculate men."

She stopped and took a drink of her coffee.  "And the fourth one?" asked Bucky, gently.

She took another drink of her coffee before speaking.  "Was charming and sociable.  Then I woke up alone in a cheap motel and didn't remember how I got there .... You can guess the rest."

Bucky seethed inside, that someone would do such a thing.  He knew of guys who had done similar things before the war and had taken justice into his own hands a few times.  He swallowed his anger and looked at Tracey.

"I'm sorry," he said.  "It didn't happen often in my day but even once was too much.  It must have put you off of dating completely."

"It did," she admitted, then she sipped her coffee and looked at her cup.  "Then I met a kind, quiet, private man who faced his own challenges.  He asked me out and I had to turn him down because he was technically a client but as of yesterday he's not anymore."

She kept looking at her coffee for a moment then raised her eyes to his surprised look.  "Me?  You're talking about me?"

"I talked to my supervisor," she said.  "Told her I stayed the night at your house to watch your sister while you worked the night shift, and that I gave you both a ride to the newcomer centre for a social event on the weekend, then organized a Sunday meeting with the volunteers at your house.  She agreed that I've become emotionally involved with you and Rebecca.  Another nurse will take her on as a client."

"You're not in trouble, are you?" he asked, his face and voice full of concern.  "I never wanted you to get into trouble."

"No, it's a hazard of the profession," replied Tracey, with a slight smile.  "I reported it right away like I was supposed to.  After a cooling off period I'll be free to go out with you, if you're willing to wait a bit."

Bucky felt a warmth inside that he hadn't felt for a long time, not since the war when he thought he fell in love with an army secretary.  He never had the chance to find out about her because he fell from the train a week later.  Tracey's cheeks were coloured pink and she looked anxious, as if she had put herself out on a limb and was afraid to climb back to the safety of the tree trunk.

"How long is the cooling off period?" he asked, trying to keep his voice calm.

"Two months," she replied.  "No contact with each other.  The new nurse has been fully briefed on the situation and agrees that Rebecca needs to be at home with you.  The volunteers are doing a great job and if you get the funding to hire someone they can apply for the job and actually get paid for it."

Bucky took a big breath and sat back for a moment.  He never expected that Tracey would take the step of transferring Rebecca's case to someone else.  She still wasn't looking at him and he realized that he hadn't really said he would be there for her.

"I came here with the intention of asking you to give up Rebecca as a client," he admitted.  "I like you, a lot.  You're a kind woman and you've been very understanding with me.  I'll wait as long as it takes for your cooling off period.  You're worth it to me.  I just hope I'm worth it to you."

She smiled shyly and it was like a fountain began flowing inside of him at the sight of her lovely smile, that she was gifting to him.  They both took a drink of their coffees and Tracey finished her muffin.  When it was time to go Bucky walked her to her car, waiting patiently as she unlocked the door and opened it.  He looked intently at her, unable to take his eyes off of her lips.  Suddenly she put her hand on his cheek and he leaned down kissing her gently.  They each smiled self consciously then he stepped back while she got behind the wheel.  As she pulled away he watched until he couldn't see her car anymore.  Both of them had the same soft look on their faces.

When he walked in the door of the house both Amina and Rebecca noticed Bucky didn't have his normal stoic face on.  Instead he had what Amina thought was a hopeful face, as if he had seen something that made him feel good about his life.

"How did the coffee date go?" asked Rebecca.

"It wasn't a date," said Bucky, sounding positive.  "It was a meeting with your former nurse.  I say former because you'll have a new nurse starting Friday.  I forgot to ask for her name."

"What about Miss Tracey?" asked Amina, taking a tray of cookies out of the oven.  

"She asked to be removed as Rebecca's nurse," he said, stopping so that he was in between the kitchen and the living room, visible to both women.  "Apparently, if she is emotionally involved with a client it's not ethical for her to stay on as their nurse.  She'll be able to visit as a friend in two months."

"Two months is a long time," noted Rebecca.

"I'll manage," said Bucky.  "Amina, I need to take a nap.  Are you going to be here for a while?"

"For about another hour," she said, looking at the clock on the wall.  "Sweet dreams."

Rebecca snorted as Amina giggled.  Bucky’s face coloured up a bit but nothing was going to affect the good feeling he had since he kissed Tracey.  Kicking his shoes off, he laid on top of the bed.  The window was open and he could hear bird song outside.  Focussing on that he fell into an easy sleep quickly.

There's a song playing as he and Tracey are standing close to each other.  He's heard it on the radio before but he doesn't know the title or who sings it.  The lyrics include references to Rudolph Valentino and Greta Garbo but what he really likes is that he's in a suit, Tracey is in a dress and they begin dancing to this song.  They're in a garden, with fairy lights all around, and the moon is making everything glow in its silvery light.  The song ends with him falling in love with her and what is even better, her falling in love with him.  As the dream fades to darkness Bucky kisses Tracey passionately.

Bucky opened his eyes and sat up.  That song was in his head.  He could hear it but except for Valentino, Garbo and falling in love he couldn't discern the rest of the lyrics.  He got up and noticed Rebecca was asleep on her bed.  For a minute he watched her chest rise and fall as she rested, then he closed the door.  A note was on the kitchen counter.

I helped Mrs. Rebecca go to bed at 3:30 pm and left shortly after.  I'm happy for you and Miss Tracey.  She is worth waiting for.  I will see you Thursday for my regular shift.

Amina Nyok

He smiled then opened the fridge and took out the chicken breasts he defrosted.  He also took out mushrooms, baby spinach and three cloves of garlic.  He sliced the mushrooms, crushed the garlic and put them both in the frying pan with some olive oil, then added the baby spinach and some thyme.  While that cooked he sliced pockets in the chicken and seasoned them with salt and pepper.  He stuffed the mushroom filling in the pockets, added some mozzarella and sealed the pockets with toothpicks.  Adding some more butter to the frying pan he added the chicken breasts and browned them then transferred them to a baking dish.  For a moment he thought he heard something and he checked on Rebecca.

"Are you awake?" he asked quietly.

"Just," she said sleepily.  "You must have heard me stretching."

He chuckled and came to the side of the bed.  "Do you want to get up?" he asked.  "I can get you up now or continue to make supper and get you up later."

"Now is good," she said.  "Bathroom first."

He helped her sit up and transferred her into the bathroom.  As he lifted her up with one arm he helped her remove her pants and the diaper then lowered her onto the raised toilet seat.

"You good?" he asked.

She nodded and he went back to the kitchen to get the next set of ingredients out for the rice.  When she was done Rebecca called him for help then he carried her into the living room and placed her on the arm chair.  Turning on the TV he put it on the news and returned to the kitchen to continue making dinner.  Half an hour later it was all ready and he served her meal then went back for his.  They watched the news then Bucky watched Jeopardy with Rebecca, trying to guess the answers with her.  During a commercial break she looked at her brother.

"You usually read during these shows," she said.  "What's got you in a good mood?"

"I guess I feel good about Tracey," he said after a moment.  

"I'm glad for you," replied Rebecca.  "I just hope her replacement is as nice as she was."

"It'll be alright," said Bucky.

The commercial ended and they continued to watch Jeopardy.  By the time Kalyna came for her shift Rebecca was all ready for bed and Bucky read her another bed time story, this time a chapter from Tuesdays With Morrie.  He kissed her goodnight, said goodnight to Kalyna and ran to the docks.  The following morning Foggy was back with all the documents and they signed everything.

On Friday morning Bucky made sure the house was clean and he had coffee ready.  Amina had baked again, lovely almond cookies that he had a hard time not eating.  When the doorbell rang at 9:30 he went to the door, looked through the cutout window and saw an older woman waiting.  Her eyes grew big when she saw him.

"My goodness, it really is you," she said, then she offered her hand.  "Marie Peters.  I'm the public health nurse assigned to your sister, Rebecca Proctor.  You must be Bucky Barnes."

"I am," he said.  "Come in, please."

He introduced her to his sister and offered a coffee, bringing a small plate of the cookies which she smiled at.  She got right to business, checking Rebecca's blood pressure, pulse, heart, lungs, strength, and asking her several questions about her mental state.  When she was finished she sat back and looked at the two of them.

"Well, Tracey wasn't kidding," she said to Rebecca.  "You're lucky to have a brother who takes such good care of you.  The volunteers who look after her overnight must be good people.  As far as I can tell you're in excellent health.  As for you, Mr. Barnes ... well, most of us were wondering why Tracey would pull herself off this case but I get it now.  You're a handsome man for someone so old."

Bucky's face reddened and Rebecca smiled at this nurse.  "Even the volunteers could see there were sparks between them," she said.  "Tracey is a lovely lady.  How is she doing with her new cases?"

Marie looked at them blankly.  "She didn't tell you?" she asked.  "Tracey is on leave.  She's taken two months off to do some volunteer work in Central America."  Marie noticed Bucky's face.  "Oh dear, it looks like I let the cat out of the bag.  Look, don't see anything nefarious in this.  It was something that came up and she probably took it so that she wasn't tempted to make contact with you during the cooling off period.  If you care about her you'll accept that she'll be back in two months and you'll both be free to see each other."

Bucky nodded but both women could see the disappointment on his face.  When Marie left Bucky plopped himself down on the sofa and looked at Rebecca.

"Why would she leave and not tell me?" he asked.  "I can accept she would remove herself from temptation but to not even say goodbye?  What am I supposed to think?"

"Have faith in her Bucky," said Rebecca soothingly.  "It will be alright."

As happy as Bucky had been the previous few days once he heard Tracey was out of the country he seemed depressed to everyone who cared about him.  During the week the volunteers brought special baking to cheer him up.  While he was polite to them it was obvious their efforts were not enough to help him feel better.  After Marie's next visit the following Friday even she commented on his demeanour when he abruptly excused himself to go to the store while she was there.

"You'll have to excuse him," said Rebecca.  "Tracey really connected with him.  He's not happy she didn't say goodbye before leaving."

"I emailed her," replied Marie, lowering her voice even though they were the only ones there.  "She feels terrible about it, thinks she might have offended him."

Both women shook their heads over the couple.  Bucky returned shortly before Marie left, carrying a couple of bags of groceries in one hand and mail in the other.  He went straight to the kitchen to put things away then stood at the counter looking at the envelopes.  One of them caught his attention and he looked at it with his jaw set firmly.  Looking up as Marie said her goodbyes he waited until she left before he came into the living room and sat near Rebecca with the envelope.

"It's from Tracey," he said.  "Postmarked Belize."

"You going to read it?" asked Rebecca.

He glanced at her and opened the envelope, unfolded the letter and began reading it.  Rebecca watched as his face became more relaxed and soft.  Then he looked at his sister.

"She's sorry.  She wanted to tell me but was afraid of my reaction, that I would think she was abandoning me.  She did it so that she wasn't tempted to show up at the door."

"Does that make you feel better?" asked Rebecca.  

He flushed and nodded.  "I thought she changed her mind about me.  You know ... my issues were too much for her."

"Bucky, come here," ordered his sister.  He got up and kneeled before her as she took his hand.  "You are a good man.  You're kind, understanding, and you feel things deeply.  What you went through affected you.  Even I can see that.  What's important is that you keep on trying.  She obviously cares if she sent you this letter.  Even if you don't hear from her until she returns believe that she thinks about you.  Because you're worth it."

She placed her hand on his face and kissed his forehead.  He nodded his head in acknowledgement and hugged her.  Her words comforted him and he was glad to hear them.  Just at that moment his phone rang and he pulled it out of his pocket.

"It's Sam," he said, as he touched the Accept button and put it to his ear.  "Hey, how's it going?"

"So, did you talk to that nurse?" asked Sam's voice on speaker.  

Bucky blushed, forgetting he had it on speaker.  Rebecca grinned at him and sat back.  

"Yeah, we talked," said Bucky.  "She already asked to be released from Rebecca's case.  There's a two month cooling off period where we can't communicate so she's gone to Belize to do some volunteer nursing work there."

"That will go by fast," said Sam.  "Listen, I have some lobbying to do in Washington next week.  You up to having me sleep on your couch for next weekend?  Figured it was time to connect with my friend and his sister.  How you doing, Rebecca?  Did he leave the phone on speaker?"

"Yes, he did Sam," laughed Rebecca.  "You're more than welcome to spend the weekend.  Maybe you and I can go out for a night on the town.  Hit up a blues club or something."

"I like your style," said Sam.  "You're a lot more fun than your brother."

"I like the blues," said Bucky weakly.  "Rebecca's usually in bed by 9:30.  Those places don't even get going until then."  Rebecca punched him on the arm and Bucky recoiled, rubbing the spot where she hit.  "Thanks, Sam.  My sister just assaulted me."

Sam chuckled.  "You're the one calling your younger sister old.  I'll see you next weekend."

"Hey Sam," said Rebecca.  "Bring the suit.  Perhaps you can make an appearance at the agency that's been helping us out.  They're great people and I know they would love to have a visit from Captain America."

"I was bringing the suit and I think that's a great idea," replied Sam.  "See you both.”

Bucky put his phone back in his pocket and stood up.  "How do you feel about pizza for dinner?" he asked.  "It's been a while."

"Loaded but no onions," said Rebecca with a smile.

"You got it," he replied, and searched his phone for the nearest pizza place, ordering two large loaded pizzas, no onions.  "You want a beer with that?  I could run out quickly and get some before they deliver."

"Sure," she answered.  "Leave me some money in case they come early."

He pulled out enough cash for her and headed out to get some cold beer, a two block run.  Quickly grabbing a six pack he brought it up to the cash register, noticing the cashier's face was red with some tear tracks.  She didn't make eye contact with him and he could feel his senses go on full alert.  Calming himself he listened for her heartbeat realizing it was pounding away.  What was more, there was another heartbeat, from under the counter in front of her.

"Hey, do you have any of those, what do you call them, coolers?" he asked, then he pointed below the counter and gave her a thumbs down.  "I looked but I couldn't find what I wanted.  Do you think you have more in back?"

She nodded and moved to help him when he saw the tip of a sawed off shotgun coming up from below.  Quicker than anyone could react Bucky grabbed the muzzle, yanking it up and out of the robber's hands, pulling him up with it.  The man grabbed the girl while holding a knife in his other hand but Bucky cocked the shotgun and placed it against the man's neck, using his left hand so he didn't get his fingerprints on it.

"I can fire this before you take your next breath," said Bucky.  "Put the knife on the counter and let her go." The man did as he was told and Bucky looked at the woman.  "You okay?  Go ahead and call the police.  He's not going anywhere."

She phoned the police then came around to Bucky.  He put his arm around her shoulder as she began to cry.  Keeping his eye on the robber Bucky tried to calm her.

"You'll be okay," he said.  "I've dealt with assholes like this before.  They're cowards."

"Thank you," she said, as her sobs subsided.  "I thought he would kill me.  Three other people came in and said nothing.  Just bought their stuff and left."

"Well, I'm not them, am I," stated Bucky.  They could hear the sirens get closer.  "Police are almost here."  He looked at the guy.  "Get down on the floor and put your hands behind your head.  Do it, before my trigger finger twitches.”

The man did as he was told and Bucky put the gun on the counter beside the knife.  When the police arrived he pointed to the man on the ground.  Quickly he told them his name and what he did.

"Listen, I've left my sister alone at the house," he said.  "She's in a wheelchair and isn't supposed to be on her own for too long.  Can you come and take my statement there?  She's probably wondering where I am as I was only supposed to be here a few minutes."

Bucky showed them his driver's licence to confirm his address and the officer said he could go.  The girl hugged him then gave him his six pack in thanks.  He ran back home and found the pizza delivery guy sitting in the living room with Rebecca, chatting.

"Here he is," she said.  "What took you so long?  I didn't have enough money.  I need another eight dollars"

"Sorry," said Bucky, pulling out a ten dollar bill and handing it to the man.  "Would you believe the store was being robbed?  Poor kid at the till was terrified.  The police are coming here to take my statement."

The man looked at the ten dollars and pushed it back to Bucky.  "Keep it.  If you stopped a robbery I can cover the rest of bill."

"No, I couldn't ask that of you," said Bucky.  "Pay it forward.  I'm good."

The man nodded and left.  Bucky took the pizzas into the kitchen, getting some plates out.  He put two pieces on a plate for Rebecca and brought it out with a beer.  Then he put four pieces on his plate and opened a beer for himself.  Just as he sat down the doorbell rang and he opened it to the policeman who came to take his statement.  As Rebecca sat and beamed at her brother he told the officer what happened.  After Bucky signed off on his statement the officer stood up and offered Bucky his hand.

"I heard of you when you were the Winter Soldier," he said.  "I was on duty when you and Captain America took on those Flag Smashers.  You did good that night.  You did good today.  It's been an honour to meet you Mr. Barnes.  You're a good man."

Nodding at Rebecca the officer left and she ate her second piece of pizza, proud that her brother was Bucky Barnes.

Chapter 4>>

Series Masterlist

Please support the author by reblogging.

[jamisonwritestf2trash]

“I really just need to make an entire breakdown on Medic one of these days 😭” Well, do it. Umm, you coward —I'm so sorry for calling you a coward, Jamison :'(—.

Medic's Past Headcanons (Also Some Archimedes Content!)

————————————————————

No apology needed my friend, I am but a coward 😭

I lied a little bit, I changed my mind on doing a full breakdown, just changed it to some headcanons about his past and meeting Archimedes </3

But no, I've mainly not posted this because I've had other requests and also this one will probably get heavy. I wasn't sure if I wanted to post content with actual angst and upsetting themes.

But I'm here now because looking past all the jokes and my own personal love for doctors. I should also mention, written by an American and a person with know knowledge of the German education system, and medical practices in general!

ALSO, finally writing Medic with his accent and some actual German, please forgive me if you are a native speaker for using a mix of google translate and my very poor German skills 💖

————————————————————

ALSO ALSO mutual appreciation comment! Another thank you for letting me talk about Medic <3

————————————————————

TW: CHILD NEGELECT, SU!C1D@L IDIATIONS, FLUFF AT THE END!

————————————————————

He's been asked about his mother before, his answer has always been,

"Meine mutter? She vas good woman, she... she did her best." Said with a softer tone than anyone has ever heard him speak in.

He's lying. She severely neglected him as child. After his mother fell pregnant, his father left. His mother resented Medic for this, blaming him for his father leaving, refusing to realize how volatile their relationship had been before he was conceived. When Medic was born his mother refused to bond with him, holding him only when others gave her expecting looks. For the first years of his life his mother only tended to his basic needs to keep him from crying, his crying always annoyed her. It never got better with time, she never learned to love him like people had claimed when she started expressing her contempt for him. She would sometimes give him small bits of attention, then she would get a wicked smile on her face as he cried when she stopped paying attention to him for seemingly no reason. Always making him feel like he was responsible for the sudden lack of attention.

————————————————————

His younger years in school is also something he will lie about if asked. (I'm ignoring college because uh, I have no idea what to write for that 😭)

"I vas great, top of my classes, Natürlich. Ich war sehr beliebt."

(Of course. I was very popular)

When he was younger, he was top of his classes. He always excelled at whatever class he was put in, his favorites being science, he obviously loved medical textbooks, along with zoology textbooks, always had one of the other, he'd spend lunches just reading from his books, or hiding in the library, trying to learn everything he could about both. In a way you could say he was popular, but not in the good way. He always had his books on hand, always had the best grades, was always the teachers favorite student, and the other kids hated that. He took his fair share of beatings while he was in school.

————————————————————Medic had never thought about dying, sure he watched patients die, and he knew deep down his mother had died at some point, (He never heard from her after he left his home town, despite his attempts to contact her) but he never thought about the concept of him dying. It hit him like a ton of bricks when he had his first panic attack, and it clicked in his head that he just didn't want to be alive. He couldn't tell you why the switch flipped in his head that made him reach that low, but it did, and it was awful. He almost went insane, he couldn't breathe, he couldn't do anything besides sit in his room and feel years of emotions just hit him out of nowhere. He thought he would die, he wanted to die, dying would be preferable to whatever this was. In the midst of his panic attack, something hit his window with a loud thump. (Aren't I so clever for this transition? lmao 😭)

————————————————————

The day Medic and Archimedes met continues to be one of the best days of his life. A bird had hit his window, pulling him out of whatever spiral he was currently having. Medic just looked at the window for a minute, content to just assume the bird flew off after being dazed a bit. When he heard tiny coos and chirps outside. He pushed it open and saw a little dove huddled in a corner, cooing sadly, shaking as it tried to move its wing but chirping painfully when he moved his wing. Medic put his hand out and tried to scoop up the bird, and the bird ended up attacking his hand. Medic pulled his hand back, a tad shocked, but then tried again. The bird slowly eased up to him once he understood Medic wasn't going to hurt him. Medic took him inside and checked him out. His wing was broken, and it was nothing Medic couldn't fix. He fixed up the birds wing, then decided to get some things to keep the bird comfortable while he recovered. He ended up spoiling him without realizing it. He went to go buy a bird cage and ended up buying the nicest one, the best bird food, and even toys 😭 He came back and set it up all nice for the bird. They bonded pretty quickly after that. However, time passed, and Medic found himself growing attached to the little bird, even naming him, which he knew was a mistake the moment he did so. He knew it was a bad idea, and he did it anyway. After about a month of them living together, Archimedes wing was functional again, Medic enjoyed watching him fly from his cage to the door to great him when he came home from wherever he had gone. But after the third or fourth time, Archimedes greeted him at the door. He knew he was well enough to go back out into the world. That evening, before sunset, Medic opened his window and put Archimedes on the ledge, prompting him to fly off, totally not on the verge of tears, about to experience the worst pain of his life or anything. Archimedes just tilted his head, confused, turned around, and nestled up to Medics arm that he had been propping himself on. Audible sobbing could be heard from his house that night. Medic would later find a way to keep Archimedes to live forever with him, making sure that Archimedes was spoiled to death, and was told each day the value Medic put on their friendship.

"Wir werden für immer zusammen sein, mein Freund, das verspreche ich!"

"Coo"

(It'll be us forever my friend, I promise.)

(I'm counting on it)

————————————————————

Ough, im a sucker for a happy ending 😭or for some reason, I feel like this is super embarrassing, but I' going to ignore that feeling. Sorry for the angst dump, but it had to be done, and I'm sorry it's not very long! I hope you guys like this! Uh, a mini headcanons, then another Medic post, and then some new headcanons are in the works! There is so much Medic content, but I'm not complaining 💖

[ape-apocalypse]

Road To The Kingdom - Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes Film

I remember seeing the trailers for Rise of the Planet of the Apes, shaking my head at yet another remake of a long-ago franchise. In 2011, we were hearing rumors of a new Spider-Man coming to replace Tobey Maguire and now I was looking at Harry, son of the Green Goblin, becoming a scientist and creating a drug to make apes smarter. On the other hand, Andy Serkis was getting a main role, more screen time than Gollum in Lord of the Rings, where I adored him and was eager to see him again. I was going in with some hesitation but decided to just turn my brain off for a summer action movie. 

I was surprised with how much I enjoyed Rise. Many fans seem to put this as their least favorite of the reboot trilogy. I can understand why; it doesn't have nearly as much action as Dawn or War and runs at a slower pace. But what it did have was fantastic character building in Caesar, which is needed in this trilogy. I would not be as engaged with these movies if I didn't love Caesar. Seeing him start as a little baby with his human family living a carefree youth, and then grow into a mature ape questioning his place in the world really filled out his character. He could have easily just been a random lab chimp who got smarter but I think the slow-build really fleshes him out. You empathize with him when he protects James Franco's father to the point of biting a neighbor. The human world completely turns on him and Caesar is forced to realize his true nature as an ape. 

Andy Serkis is truly allowed to shine in this role. Gollum was fun and had the two different sides to play with but there is such a powerful subtlety to this performance. Though Caesar can sign, it's mostly not translated into subtitles; only in two conversations with Maurice does the audience get a translation. The majority of the film and Caesar's story is carried out entirely through his expressions, gestures, and body language. Look at the tall confident walk he has when directing Rocket to give cookies to the other apes. The heartbreak I felt as Caesar's expression falls when his human family says he can't go home. The wordless fury when Buck the gorilla sacrifices himself on the bridge to bring down the helicopter and save the escaping apes. Even when the story can get bogged down a bit in the constant science explanations, I immediately perk up when the focus switches back to Caesar and can soak in the incredible performance of Andy Serkis.

Rise is much less action filled than its sequel films because it has to cover a lot as set up for the apocalypse to come. That set up is good, but again the science is a lot and can be a bore. However I think the pay off works. The horror of a simple graphic of the Earth, where one line splits and becomes many more, spreading across the planet, was very effective for me. I've heard people who didn't like that the apocalypse that destroys the human race is done in the credits, that it feels more like an afterthought. But for me, I think it was a powerful hook. Halfway through watching the film for the first time, I'd forgotten that this was Rise of the PLANET of the Apes. So I was excited for Caesar and his apes to escape, just happy that they'd gotten their freedom. Then the sick pilot and the spreading sickness animation hit me like a ton of bricks like "Oh shit, I forgot the humans have to die for the ape world to happen!" This probably didn't happen for everyone, especially those familiar with the original movies, but I liked the ending, undercutting the triumph of the apes with the doom of humanity.

Other than Will and his father Charles, the rest of the human cast is mostly forgettable, servicing the story where needed. Tom Felton of Harry Potter fame is a bit fun in his over-the-top hatred of the apes. When he gets to say the iconic "get your stinking paws off me, you damn dirty ape", my movie theater laughed at how forced the line felt, which I'm sure was not the intention. The weirdness of the line was swallowed up by the excitement of Caesar speaking for the first time and leading the apes out of the shelter, but I still remember the laughter of the audience when rewatching this movie. 

Overall, I think it's a great start to the series. Not the most exciting of the films, definitely dragged down by a lot of science exposition and unremarkable human characters, but a good intro to the world, setting up the apocalypse and making you root for a bunch of apes over the humans. You probably could jump directly into Dawn and War if you wanted, just knowing that humanity was wiped out by an illness that made apes smarter and Caesar is the leader, but I think getting to know Caesar makes it worth a watch before the more exciting films.

(Note that this is the only movie in this trilogy that does not have a novelization, likely because it was the first film and they didn't know how well the trilogy would do. It's a shame because I would have loved to read the thoughts of Caesar finding his place among both humans and apes.)

Intro / Next

[televisionenjoyer]

why did you discontinue the turkish house project :(

that's actually a great questionnn because I loved the turkish house MD adaptation translation project and I think about it every other day

It wasn't one thing or the other but rather a combination of things, mainly:

Getting the episodes was a huge hustle: I had to pay for the Kanal D app subscription that would ONLY work on mobile, then screenrecord the episodes, making SURE that my notifications were completely off and that no pop ups would interrupt the 45 minute run of the episode. Goes without saying that I couldn't use my phone for anything during that period

Subbing takes sooo much time. It wasn't the first time I ever subbed but all my previous experience at work and independently was of videos no longer than 10 minutes. A 45 minute episode was huge, and they would take me several hours. Hours I didn't have because of my job (fortunately I got more home office days so I could potentially solve that issue)

Not only is subbing hard, but I DON'T SPEAK TURKISH. to translate the show I was relying on two things: the spanish dub that I got from my Kanal D subscription, and an english subtitled source that was not only of a bad quality but also clearly translated into english by someone who wasn't 100% fluent in English. Now, English is not my primary language either, but I tried to make things at least a bit more cohesive (in hindsight I realize now it was worth trying to run the turkish version through premiere's voice recognition and a reputable translator to cross reference with both the spanish dub and the dubiously subbed version, but it did not occur to me at the time)

The audio situation was HELL. I went above and beyond to try to offer you guys the SOURCE material in the best quality I could achieve. With this I mean, I didn't see any point in offering these episodes with the spanish dubbed audio, personally, as someone who enjoys watching live action in its original language. I made it my mission to switch the audio of my source to the turkish audio from the dubiously subbed version. Here's an issue: not only were there minor synchronization hiccups that I had to localize and fix, but also the turkish run was the two hour long run in opposition to my 45 minute run version so I had to kind of find my starting spot. Not as easy as it sounds when the videos are TWO HOURS LONG and you're working with two different episode numbering systems 😵‍💫

The storage situation was unmanageable since I was using Google Drive at the moment. In hindsight I should have invested my time on further research on other sharing options like uploading it to archive.org or even making my own torrents

But honestly, mainly? There just wasn't as much engagement as I was expecting. That was maybe the biggest thing. Knowing myself I would have kept pushing through for at least two or three more episodes if I knew enough people were interested. I felt like I was going above and beyond for this, working a lot of hours for free on something I was quickly losing passion on and I was doing it all for myself. So I just stopped.

I still have a special place for hekimoglu though, and a passion for rescuing lost media/abandonware that makes me want to give this another try, somewhere in the future. Also I was kinda hooked on the show and wanted y'all to get to the good bits so bad (I did way too much watching ahead). But who knows. At the moment I'm kinda disconnected from house md as a whole and also the fandom so it is possible that someone has found an easier way to access these episodes in good quality and I can just rest in peace. Maybe with house being on Netflix there's more interest from people that have a clue as to how to make the process less tedious. Maybe I could eventually figure out a way to make it work and bring it back. Maybe we could circulate a petition for Kanal D to offer these episodes with english subtitles once again.

[no-psi-nan]

20) part of canon you found tedious or boring

The crossover parts in the light novels... thog dont caare (minor bit of canon but I literally paid cash money to get it translated so... -_-U)

Also that one episode in the second season / later volumes that was basically a repeat. The one with Saiki being invisible while Teruhashi tries to find him. We've already scene this exact same sitch play out, there's no development to either their characters or relationship, everyone knows their deal at this point so it's not even funny.... The anime should've replaced this one with the YouTube episode SMH, 10000% more value.

21) part of canon you think is overhyped

Not necessarily overhyped but I personally would have never picked the domestic abuse chapters to be the first ones in the series hsfjdlshfks. Yeah it's funny but like. It's still domestic abuse. Let's save the terrible home life for when the audience is more invested yeah? Though I guess people also don't notice the domestic abuse as much since it's front-loaded maybe?? I would like to see some research on this sort of thing tbh!!

22) your favorite part of canon that everyone else ignores

All of the Aiura moments... She's always so so funny and sweet, and the way she and Saiki interact is wonderful, she's the person he's the most real around (Toritsuka doesn't count because he mostly gets Saiki's bad side for good reasons hsfjdlshfks).

When they work so well together at saving Yumehara's life despite being strangers... When Aiura shows so much kindness to Mera and is so determined to help her that Saiki ends up helping her even though he was originally against it... When Saiki saves Aiura from the gang and she still trusts him completely even though they'd fought and Saiki just did something violent, which most other people would consider monstrous... Her willingness to help out Saiki anytime, no questions asked, just because she cares about him... Their hilarious & effective co-performances against Imu and Yumehara (as Kaido)... When Aiura realizes "lucky feel" moments / her usual methods of seduction won't work and switches to just finding out when Saiki's free and hanging together eating dessert + talking... When Saiki clearly enjoys those dates so much that he immediately agrees to another in his tsundere way when she asks him... When Saiki chases her around for coffee jelly, so brain-empty and silly (see: my blog header)... Her faith that Saiki will fix things even when he has a death mark on him too... When Saiki trusts her with the fate of the world... When Saiki's clones carry her so closely when they could literally just levitate her completely physically apart and she never tries to cop a feel or get fresh... When she asks Saiki if he wants a kiss and respects his "no" but just has to share the physical comfort they both need in that moment...

And yet everyone always mischaracterizes her and cheapens her relationship with Saiki, especially when favoring another ship for him.

Or they think that she would be soooooo emo about it if Saiki rejected her. Hello?? She literally told him to fuck off because he tried to stop her from helping people, and did NOT look back or change her mind. Just because she's into bdsm doesn't mean she's going to compromise her morals for a dude, even if he's her soulmate. And she's clearly had no trouble pulling dudes before, so it's not like she'll be pining after him for long if he's being a dick.

On the other hand, she knows he's tsundere as fuck and that she'd have to play the long game with him, and she's clearly fine with it. She has confidence in her powers and has already seen how well they work & play together, so it's just a matter of time.

Anyways I get so so heated when people don't do my girl justice, as I'm sure you can tell hsfjdlshfks

Thanks for the ask @hillbilly---man 💜💜💜💜💜

[calperniabeithioch]

Code Cracking p2

((WARNING: Graphic talk about death, decay, and gore. And creepy little girls))

You know what I said about me cracking the code? It only worked for the first few pages. The assholes switched up their code every chunk, probably changing the code so people would be thrown a curveball. Like me. I'm the one who had the curve ball thrown at her.

I did get a small bit of information from the start of the book. There were no Client names. If there was a cipher for the names, it wasn't able to be cracked with the information I had from the book. The next thing I realized was just how old these records were. Many of the entries near the start of the book could be dated before Sil'dih fell if not when it was still thriving.

I spent a good day or two copying the passages I needed to be translated. Then I did the thing everyone at the house had warned me not to do. I left Ishgard, without another person with me. More other people they could see. I made sure to take two different aetherites before I went to my official destination. 

How I got home, I'm not going to explain that. As my hands grazed over the rough rock that would lead me home the heat of the island invaded the thick sweater I was wearing. Pulling it off I let out a long breath. Cold was a reminder of horrible days, but now on the island, I could let the heat of the tropical environment seep into my skin. 

A shadow raced past me as I left the boundary. The shadow transformed in front of me, the Miqo'te girl with sage green hair and pure white pupilless eyes ran forward her arms up. Anne could experiment with how she looked when she was here. I'm surprised she didn't pick something else, but maybe she liked having cat ears? No matter what she tried though, she couldn’t get eyes on people right.

"Can you tell Vaymond I'm here?" I called after her.

She stopped her dress forming, it looked far too pretty to belong to a being like her. Like a princess grown in sage green and gold. "Why can't you get him?"

A lump formed in the pit of my stomach. "Because he's probably at the house."

"Oh." She looked in the direction of the house and frowned. "He's going to ask you to join him in there."

"I know." But I couldn't tell him why. Since we refound each other, I had made excuse after excuse to not walk into the house. I know there is a large number of boons I could use to save me, but that meant going through the front door.

My guts twisted like someone had stuck a fork through me and was trying to twirl up my intestines like pasta. Would there be stains still? Would my father's blood have left a mark on this world? A world he didn't belong to but decided to join? Would my mother's sword marks still be left in the wood from her trying to defend us?

Anne poked my cheek with a warm finger. "You're thinking too much." She said and then grinned, her mouth stretching too much on the skull she had chosen. "You're in no real danger!"

"You can say that, but my mind won't believe that yet," I muttered and looked in the direction of the house. "Can you get Vaymond?"

She frowned and nodded. “Fine.” But she didn't say another word as she skipped ahead of me to get my brother out.

I took my time to get closer to the house. My feet found the well-walked trail, one that once had been dotted by stones my father had a hand placed. He wanted us to have a secure way back home. Though that didn't work out well for us in the end. Not when we couldn't run far enough to get to safety.

Our house was a sprawling one story building that had a thick thatched roof and open windows. I could see white draps blowing, and in a dark part of my mind, I thought I saw my father. His pale face looking out from the window.

Did our family have ghosts?

I shook the thought as my brother walked out of the front door. He looked more like our father, angular features and thin nose. Though he had the same coloration as our mother. Grey hair, blue eyes, and tan skin. Seeing me he grinned with white teeth.

"Cal!" He called and launched into our family dialect. "Why did you send Anne?"

"I wanted to go to the beach?" But I had used that excuse recently. Holding my breath I waited to see if he'd catch me in my bluff.

Vaymond strolled up closer, he was a tall man. I'm tall for a Hyur but he's even taller than me. "You always want to go to the beach. Let's get some drinks in the house then go to the beach?" He started to turn towards the house but I froze.

"Vay-" My voice sounded like someone had put a boot on my throat. 

He paused and maybe the sudden shift in my tone caught his attention. "Cal. You don't want to go inside, do you?"

If I admitted that, I would have to admit other things that were hard for me to accept. "It, it's complicated."

His lips shifted into a small frown as he took a few steps closer and pulled me in for a tight hug. At first, I wanted to hit him, to push him off. But then he spoke quietly. "It took me two years till I was able to stay inside for any length of time."

Why would he have such a problem? I looked to meet his eyes. "You weren't here when they died."

A bitter sound escaped his mouth. "No, I didn't get to see a fresh corps. I found them. Liquified, animals eating them, some of their limbs were never recovered. I smelled death in that house for months after I gave them a burial. And then I left. I didn't come back for years and finally, when I did, I knew I needed to, or you and the others wouldn't find me. Our tormentors don't deserve to destroy our family like that."

My heart had claws digging into it. I hadn't thought about how my parent's bodies had probably been left to rot. It was a horrible fate for them. In our culture, we believed death was another stage of life. That being with a dead body was an honor, a way to mourn the family we lost. We would bury them with all they needed in their next life, and we could always call on them if we needed them. They weren't gone. They simply weren't here to easily speak to them.

Tears rose up and stung my eyes. "I'm sorry Vaymond." My voice cracked as I realized I hadn't thought about what he had gone through.

"Thank you." He then gave me one last squeeze of the hug before he took a step back. "Will you retake this with me? This is our haven. Our Forest. They were hunters who got lucky with a pack of wolves. Don't let them take our heritage from us."

That house, it was more than a place where my family had lived. My family had been on this island since we came here. All of my ancestors were buried here. My parents were buried here. I might be buried here with them one day. Our blood was a part of this island as much as it was a part of us. The house carried our inheritance. 

"I'm scared," I whispered.

Vaymond nodded and pulled my hand to follow. I did this time and we got closer to the stairs that lead up to the wrap-around porch. He didn’t push me forward. We instead stood looking at the stairs, waiting for me to choose my next move. “What does fear teach us?"

It was an old lesson. Fear, chaos, instability, and horror were not things we should suffer for long. What separates us from others that look like us is fear was a reaction. Chaos cannot be controlled but accepted as it is gives you boons. Instability like chaos must be met at face value. Horror... Horror is all the other things combined and should not be feared, but accepted as it is.

"That we suffered something we were not ready for," I said and slowly I put my hand on the wood railing, it was soft, butter-like in how worn the wood was. "Did their blood stain the wood?"

Vaymond stood beside me and I watched his jaw tense and intense. "They left their mark, and they would be proud. Predators took their fill of their bodies."

At least that was good. If we couldn't be buried properly, at least a fellow predator took their fill of any calories they could get. "Good." I could barely say a word as my foot found the first step.

Each step felt like it took a life time. Would I see them? Would their memories stain this home?

As I came up the step I looked to where my father had been split open in front of me. His last moments he had tried to fight off the men who attacked him. But he fell to the ground, his guts spilt and his blood everywhere. I could see myself, wearing my sleep clothes, may hair braided and in a scarf for while I slept. 

"Deep breaths," Vaymond whispered and I found I had stopped breathing the moment I had gotten to the top step.

"He fought till the end you know? For being married into the family, he took on being a Beast well." I whispered. "He told me once that he would kill anyone who'd touch us. He took out two of their men before he fell."

"He wasn't a trained fighter." Vaymond crossed his arms and looked at the spot I was looking at. "I know being away saved me, but if I was there I might have-"

"Been killed along with them. You weren't able to be manipulated like the rest of us were." I shook my head. "I'm glad you're here."

Taking a few steps towards the house I walked over the spot my father died and felt. Nothing. There was no shiver, no sense of dread. It was a spot. Every inch of the world had someone or something die on it. There is no great difference.

On the wood there was an impression, but I didn’t feel anything. His spirit did not stain the ground. It was only his blood that had perminately stained the wood. Vaymond’s children will know their grandfather died there to keep the family safe.

Letting out a breath I took in the first room, the walls had painted murals of the island. To an outsider there would be no way to know we were anything but some island dwellers. I reached up and touched a drawing of a palm tree and tried to breath. My mind told me I could still smell blood, but it wasn't there.

"Cal." Vaymond took a step closer. "I got a room ready for you. You know you can always be here."

Even if I could walk into the house, I listened to the window blowing through the windows from the sea. I knew this wasn't the safe haven Raymond saw. At least it wasn't for me. Not anymore.

"Can I get some Chai?" I asked and then reached into my pouch and held up my notebook I had copied some passages in. "I also need your eyes on something."

Vaymond frowned, but it was small, barely a twitch of his lips. He must be catching on to how I deflect now. One day he'll call me out for it, but he waved a hand to follow him to the kitchen. "I'll make some stew, you're staying for dinner."

I wanted to protest, but refusing to eat with him would be rude after I took the chance to walk into the house. And I know he had a lot of food he was working through and it would be wrong to not help him.

-

Dinner was made and laid out between the three of us. Vaymond, Anne, and I sat at the table that was tucked into the corner of the kitchen, an open window blowing in the smell of tropical flowers and the brine of the sea. A thick stew of savory spices was to be shared between us. A tower of flat bread, and a portion of rice between us made our meal.

I ripped up some of the flatbread and dipped it deeply in the stew before fishing out a good amount with a long strip of meat. Popping it into my mouth I nodded to the open book beside Vaymond. "See, the code goes to a number cipher."

Vaymond had pulled out a separate book for him to take some notes. He took some rice with his right hand and then scooped up some stew as well. "Yup, interesting in construction."

"It's been nothing but annoying." I admitted.

“I told her if you couldn’t do it, I could call my Auntie.” Anne said her tone peppy. I only knew a limited amount about her ‘Auntie’, the woman or entity was not something I wanted to invite into my life.

"But you got the first round of ciphers done," Vaymond smirked and winked at Anne. Her disturbing eyes didn’t affect him. "You know, when we were kids you would go off with Rumple and figure out our riddles. I always wondered if you would take to it or not."

I wanted to roll my eyes, but I ate more of the stew with some rice this time. The meat fell apart in my mouth and I gratefully swallowed it. Being able to eat meant I was able to have this chance with my brother. "Thanks, but what do I do now?"

"There are only so many things that can be done. You made copies of the pages?" He said as he nodded to my book.

"I did." I leaned closer to him to see if I could see anything from upside down. "Why?"

He turned a page and pointed. One of the pages that baffled me was a long string of numbers that then had a grid at the end. "Why is there a grid," He asked and a thick eyebrow quirked up as if he had unlocked what was happening. What I had missed.

"I don't know," I said though that couldn't be right.

“It’s for tic-tac-toe,” Anne said nodding though there were too many squares for it.

"Do you remember the Playfair Cypher?" He drew it out on his notebook and gestured to the grid. "Focus on this here." He pointed to the chain of numbers and started to write them down. "There are two repeating numbers. Thirty, three, zero. Why do you think that's important?"

I blinked a few times before it became too clear to me. "They're spaces."

"Bingo. Did you make a cipher for each variation of the Ceaser Cypher?" He asked and took another large portion of stew as I flipped through the pages.

"Of course." I then started to shake my head. "Why didn't I see that?"

"You're good at following you're gut, also we never played too much with the Playfair cipher, mom told me it was unfair to use it on all of you when you were so much younger than me." He shrugged and kept eating.

I started to translate the block of numbers into letters. It was the Playfair cypher with a devious twist. The letters were not placed in alphabetical order, but at random, via the code written in a standard Ceascar cypher, or replacement cypher. Putting the next bit down I gleefully did my translations again.

“See!” Anne pointed at my translation. “Tic-Tac-Toe.” She grinned and for one of many times, I had no idea if she actually knew what was happening or not.

“Good job,” Vaymond said his smile far fonder of her. “You’re Auntie is going to be proud.”

“Mom is going to be proud.” Anne nodded and watched me continue my work.

For a long moment, my work became my focus until Vaymond coughed and got my attention. "Your stew is getting cooler by the minute. And you don't want it to go cold again." He smirked and nodded to the stew.

Part of me wanted to kick him under the table for the horrible joke, but I chose not to as he did mean well. I kept eating and read out the translation until a passage hit me.

'Captain Cornilius Harborn'

My heart lurched. "Vay." I suddenly lost my appetite.

Looking at the translation my brother had no context for the man who was named in this book. He hadn't been hunting for our brothers. His job was to look after the estate, the island, the vault, and the way home. I'm the one who knew who this man was.

"This was the Captain I'd been looking for. Rumple, was once on his ship. From what I learned our attackers sold him…” I shook my head and closed the book. "He's not mentioned in any of the human trafficking sections. The client number isn't the same. Why would they be going after him?"

"A person who sells and ships people is being hunted." Vaymond shook his head his eyes unblinking. "Why is this a problem? Other than we can't kill him."

"I need him alive to know where Rumple is," I said and pointed to the name. "What if I lose my lead?"

Vaymond then frowned and nodded, the dots connecting. "He must have angered someone. Is there any way to intercept?"

It wasn't like cutting through a path in the wood. Finding a sailor on the open ocean was like finding a wave before it crashed back into the sea. "No." I admitted and leaned back in my seat. "If I lose this, I'll find another lead. Rumple's been the easiest to track."

"His stupid nickname really makes him stand out." Vaymond groaned and shook his head. "I never should have told him that story."

I took the bread, and my appitite returned, though for a new reason. If Black Fall was dealing with my brother's captor, then I would need to find out what happened to the man. If he's captured, then we can still get justice.

"I need to leave here early in the morning." I took a large bite of the stew-covered bread. "I need to tell the others I cracked most of the book."

"Will you tell them about this?" He nodded to the passage about our brother's captor. Human trafficking had been one of my fears for my siblings. I know I had been kept as a doll for nobles to mold and corrupt. But my brothers could have worse fates.

I shook my head. "I'll tell them about the kind of people they are acquiring for jobs but," I shook my head. "I can't tell them about Rumple. It means explaining too much about who I am. “

Vaymond picked up another round of flatbread and ripped off a piece. Fishing out some of the stew he looked at it, like the stew would answer a question that’s been simmering in his mind. “What if we told them? Everything? Where I've been, people are accepting.”

My hand gripped the edge of the table as I watched him. “You’re joking.”

“If we are open about our situation, maybe they can help locate the others?” Vaymond then looked to Anne. Like she would be a good person to ask. “Do you think they would accept us?”

Anne opened her mouth then closed it as if she could sense my anger rising.

Vaymond was sheltered in his island. He never had to deal with the outside world. He got to walk in places we were safe. If he said something out of place, people understood what he meant. I knew what my group was like. I had seen them look at me like I had lost my mind.

“They recently released a prisoner. Because one person made an agreement with said prisoner, they let them go. I don’t know if the person even remembers who we are, what we do, what the inside of the house looks like. I don’t know… And I’m too low in the group to point out these things.” I licked my lips, some of the gravy had lingered there and the salt and spices fueled my mind. “From what I know right now. They are all nice people. Good people. Not heroes. But not Beasts. I’ve met only two Beasts and one has begged to not know what’s going on. The other, I still need to prove myself to.”

“You don’t have to prove you’re a monster to a monster,” Anne muttered before she fished out a piece of stewed meat and gleefully took a bite and hummed happily.

My brother let out a small understanding ‘ah’ sound. “I thought they were more like the people…” He paused and waved a hand. “You’re the one who knows outsiders. I’m sorry. If you think they’d ever understand?”

“I think they’ll be good allies, but nothing closer than that. I don't know if I'd ever trust them to come here. Traveling here.” I knew it was harsh for me to say it. That I had to clinically look at the people who swore to stand beside me and know if monsters came to their door, I would stand with them. But if I went out to seek my own vengeance, I wouldn’t want them there. They didn’t need to see my true self. They needed the bard, the kind smile, the person who could dance at a club, and the extra face in a crowd. 

They didn’t need what I really was. 

Vaymond looked at the nearly empty bowl of stew seeing the last bit of meat and potato left he pushed it forward for me. “I trust you. You’ll Find the Path, you’re better at it than the rest of us.”

[natsumesakasaki666]

TSUMUGI BIRTHDAY 2023

Translation of mini talks, birthday story, and phone call

Mini talk 1

Tsumugi: Wow, are all those presents for me?! Thank you so much~♪

Could it be that these gifts were went by fans?

Well then, let’s leave it here in this spot for now.

Anzu: That’s a large pile of presents…

Tsumugi: ah, Anzu-chan . Thanks for helping me♪

So all of these were sent by fans. To think I’d received this many… I would have never imagined it

Mini talk 2

Tsumugi: The project proposal that I’ve been working on with Anzu-chan is complete!

I've sent it via “hold hands” not too long ago, it’d be great if you could take a look at it

…huh? Is that not why you came to NewDi?

Anzu: I came for another matter…

Tsumugi: Hmm, I wonder if I can make some time to chat with you in the common room…

Aha! It looks like I’ll have some free time later in the evening, if that’s okay with you♪

Mini talk 3

Sora: HaHa~♪ Senpai, Anzu, hello☆! Sora came to get you because the party is about to start~

Tsumugi: Hello Sora-kun. So it’s that time already…

Sora: woah, that large pile of presents next to Senpai is amazing. But it looks like it’s about to collapse

Anzu: Shall I place them in bags?

Tsumugi: That’s a good idea. I’m pretty sure I have some paper bags seomwhere around here…

Sora: Sora will help too! These presents are filled with feelings for Senpai, so Sora will handle each one carefully♪

—————story—————

Prologue

Tsumugi: Sorry for making you wait~

Good work today Anzu-san♪

Sorry but is it alright if I put these down here? It’s more presents I got from the party….

Well then, please excuse me. Oof ♪

Anzu: It’s very colorful

Tsumugi: Yes♪ Just by looking at it like this makes my heart flutter.

Some are from Natsume-kun and Sora-kun, and I also got gifts from Tsukinaga-kun and Saegusa-kun♪

Part 1

Tsumugi: Oh and everyone in the circle I’m in also gave me a present♪

Everyone in biblion gave me a cushion that looks perfect for reading books with!

Here it is! It has a nice soft squishy feel to it~♪ Anzu-Chan, you can go ahead and try touching it too!

Anzu: it feels nice

Tsumugi: Right♪ Reading a book while leaning against this cushion… it sounds nice doesn’t it?

Eichi-kun gave me some tea leaves as a gift, I'm sure if I brewed some to accompany my reading, it'll be an even better experience!

Part 2

Tsumugi: Phew, it’s nice to have a day where I can take it easy~

I’d never thought I’d receive so many gifts in one day

It’s possible that I may have received the most gifts ever

Anzu: you are adored

Tsumugi: Fufu, I’m so thankful for that…♪

Each and every one of them chose a gift with me in mind. That alone is more than enough to make me happy.

Part 3

Tsumugi: Um, Anzu-chan, what’s with the box you pulled out…?

“Sorry for adding to the pile” you say, it’s not a problem at all!

Thank you for the gift. Is it alright if I open it now?

Anzu: Of course

Tsumugi: Wow…! It’s an elaborate brooch! Fufu, it’s sparkling all over

Since it’s from Anzu-Chan, shall I put it on now♪

Part 4

Tsumugi: How is it? It gives off an elegant impression when wearing it♪

Hmm. If you look closely, the color of the stone in the middle is slightly different from the one swaying below...?

The stone below looks like the unit color of "Switch"….

Anzu: and the stone in the middle is…

Tsumugi: So that’s what it is, the color is based on Peridot which is August’s birthstone.

Come to think of it, Peridot symbolizes “hope” and “happiness”. It seems that happiness comes just by wearing this♪

Part 5

Tsumugi: Now then, shall we start heading home? We don’t want to get back too late.

Thanks for today. I’m so happy to receive such a lovely gift at the end of the day.

I’ll savor the happiness I felt today and give it my all tomorrow

Anzu: Let’s do our best together!

Tsumugi: That’s right♪ and I’ll give Anzu-chan more joy and happiness than what I received today!

After all, I am a magician who brings happiness to others♪

Phone call

Tsumugi: Hello?

Thank you so much for today!

The photos you sent were the ones you were taking with your phone right?

Everyone in each photo looks like they’re having fun, it makes me so happy

I look forward to working with you tomorrow!

[ijwrff]

Sorry if it's kinda personal, but what's college like?

Oh I don't mind, hun! I feel like a lot of it will depend on the college, and your interests! Most colleges have a ton of clubs and teams for sports and hobbies! It's not 100% about school, even though (obviously) that's the main reason everyone goes. Finding the right college for you is always the most important, so visiting any in the area and asking questions about what benefits they have there is really important!

For me, I went for the language degree. So there were things for German after class as a club called Kaffestunde, which is basically just a club where you all drink coffee and practice your German with a tutor or grad student! There's stuff like that for most majors I think :0 for example a friend went for programming and game design, and there was a video game club (not exclusive to the program majors though).

I kind of had a love hate relationship with college? I was forced to go. I'm glad it's over, but I could have saved myself thousands of dollars by doing my major from home and taking the fluency exam when I was ready (you do have to pay for that particular exam but thats fine). My mom was huge on forcing her kids to go to college, and I personally think that's the wrong approach.

You can meet amazing people there, but college shouldn't be forced. Especially when kids are just out of highschool, because how are they supposed to know the career path and degree they want to shape the rest of their lives XD some do know, but most don't. One of the good parts about college though, is you can experiment. If you don't wanna pick a major right off the bat, or you're unsure of which degree you want to choose from the ones you like, you can still go to college and take the required courses and dabble in an intro class for each of the degrees you might want to choose.

There's some people who take 3 years of course for a major and decide to switch it last minute. It's ALMOST never too late to change your major, so if you decided you really didn't like what you were taking courses for, you just talk to an advisor and get something else worked out!

But as I said, be sure that you want to try college because it's expeeeeeeeeensive. I know people who owe over $100,000. If you want to go, get a little more settled in a job or apartment that you want! Because going into college without having a job and hoping financial aid will cover everything is hit or miss. Saving up can save YOU a lot of trouble later. I'm not telling you, or anyone DON'T GO TO COLLEGE, I'm saying "Be PREPARED for college and the struggles you'll need to overcome."

It's tough, I won't lie. I was in college for 6 years, when it was supposed to be 4, because I kept failing classes. My health (mental and physical) made it hard for me to do anything, and I spent a lot of that time jobless because of it. College is a time to learn about yourself and what you want to do later in life, so experiment! If the standard 4 classes is too many, try 2-3. If 2-3 isn't enough and you think you can handle another, add it to the schedule! Your advisors? Your best fucking friends. They'll help (or they should) when you need to add or drop classes and help get you the degree you worked so hard for!

I feel like this was a very long ramble, I am so sorry XD all this is fresh in my mind cause I JUST finished. I'm proud of what I've done, but personally I regret going to college. If it wasn't for the pressure from my mom, I wouldn't have gone because I WANT to be a writer and translator. You don't necessarily NEED college for that. It could be fun to take a class for it here and there, but I just feel like I wasted a lot of time that could have been spent catering to my mental and physical needs without having tens of thousands of dollars in debt because it was hard to hold a job when I was so sick.

Overall, do what you want to do. College courses? Sure! Full time courses or part time? Go for what you can handle! Don't need a degree for the job you want? Save some money, and get the degree if you want to and have time to do so!

Be kind to yourself, and do what's best for you!

[pinselluchs]

Some Personal Life Updates

The year is not even over but it sure feels like I've done more than a years worth of activity.

When I first "joined the workforce" I ended up in a rather depressing position where I was mandated to be in the office for 40 hours a week without any practical work to do. I could neither sleep in my office nor do anything besides my "actual" work. I was in a constant state of bullshitting myself through. Having to do functionally nothing at your job really takes a toll on your psyche. Too much work is bad, but too little work is worse. Especially if you're in this situation for two years or potentially forever.

This spring, I switched my positions to a favorable but more stressful field... at the same pay. Helped me to honestly find purpose back in my line of work, something I can achieve and work towards. It's a lot of work and I'm very content for every hour of having to do nothing right now.

And you know what? I am on track! This is the right way. I did well!

Suffice to say, I've officially become technical team lead for two critical IT services at the same time. Things and people have become dependent on me, which is a feeling extremely hard to fathom. What does it mean that my existence and my work could potentially impact hundreds if not thousands of people? This is the first time in my life that I have true responsibility for more than just myself now.

Not only have I grown at and through work (and I am still continue to grow; more or less, I have finally started to grow again!), I can and do also grow through my private life, especially due to the furry fandom. This year alone, I went to the NordicFuzzCon for the first time and thought I'd need to volunteer the next NFC. It truly was quite the experience; something I need to treasure.

Shortly after that, I went to Amsterdam on my own accord, to Furry Weekend Holland, to Waldcon, Tropical Furry Islands, and to Vienna just because I could. And soon, I'll be heading to the USA for BLFC! All in one single year. I need to cut back on that so that I don't burn out. This is probably one of two weekends this year I've been "just at home". Let's just say I was forced to spend some paid-time off that I accrued... and I did well with it.

I have no clue what the future holds. I'm aiming for an important promotion (way more important than just being technical team lead). I am aiming for more cons, more photoshoots, more personal progression. Who knows, I got good aim, maybe I should do some military service. Me as a lieutenant, ha, it shouldn't have been - which is a story for a different time.

There is a word I've been hearing and using a lot recently. "Rotieren." "To be rotating", translated, is a phrase for being more than "just busy". It's having all your hands constantly active with no real opportunity to rest. As soon as you finish one project, another appears at the same urgency as the last one. You get things done, but those things take energy and effort, but are most certainly rewarding. I have not felt boredom in a long time. What even is boredom? There are always things to do, and they're certainly not getting less. What's important is to carry on, because what I am carrying is not only important to myself but seems to be more important to others as well, which is a rejuvenating feeling.

What I do starts to finally matter; it's a feeling I always wanted to achieve and now that I do achieve it, it's hard to realize that I have reached my goal. My work matters, my hobbies matter. I do things, they get noticed. Not on a global scale, that would be too much to ask for, but most certainly in my vicinity.

It starts to fill me with pride despite still having the "autistic onlooker" in me. More so, I feel like this gives me a sleight of hand in comparison to others. I can choose to play the game everyone else is playing because I can now know what game is played when. If I want to be noticed, I will be noticed. If I do not want to be noticed, I will be below all radars. I fear that luck may not be on my side but fate still feeds my arrogance so that I shall continue my ways.

What is there more to say other than I just wish to have more time? What I am currently doing is sufficient, it's more than enough for one human and it creates value. I want to do more, I feel like I need to do more. But I'm just one human, I only have two hands and one brain. If only I had the chance to clone myself, I would be unstoppable. For now, I still try to do everything at once so I won't progress fast in one field but slowly in all fields and I won't see that changing anytime soon. I'm still young, I got the energy, I just can't split myself. All I know is that I am rotating. I have improved drastically, I will continue to improve.

I do not know what my true fate is, but I feel like fate has led me to this exact point and I am right where I should be... for now!

I do not know where I will end up, but I did well, and I will do well. Pinsel - out.

[avatar-of-procrastination]

How do you think the moonboyz would react to a teen reader being kicked out from her house because she was a lesbian/bi?

Oh this was a.... ride to write. This fic is personal to me because as a closeted bi, this is a scenario that plays in my head a lot. It's scary knowing that there is a posibility that your family won't accept you for who you are.

Hope you like this fic, anon!

Warnings: mentions of homophobic characters, self depriciating thoughts, mentions of death, violence and physical abuse.

I know very little about DID. All that i have written in this fic is through my limited knowledge of DID through the show and through some websites.

I also used google translate for the Spanish dialogues. If the grammar is incorrect, please send me a message and i’ll correct it asap. I don’t mean to disrespect anyone

(English is not my first language. Please pardon any grammatical errors. Gifs not mine)

After the incident in Cairo, Marc patched things up with Layla and the group shifted and settled down in London.

They had moved into a quiet little neighbourhood. The neighbours were friendly but Marc insisted on not befriending anyone, considering his line of work (lets just say he started taking up hitman jobs, okay)

Most people steered clear of the duo except you. You found comfort and solace in their home. You quickly warmed up to Layla and Steven

With your warm and bubbly nature, you basically had Steven wrapped around your finger.

He adored you, and was pretty sure no one would have the heart to hurt such a pure soul

Which is why it was a big surprise to find you on his doorstep, visibly shaking and crying, unable to form words. You had a bruise forming on your face.

He quickly pulled you inside and looked around for Layla becasue he was getting increasingly flustered looking at your face lined with tears.

You simply huged him and sobbed into his shirt. After you'd calm down, you'd explain eveeything. How you were caught on a date with your best friend, how your family flipped out when you said you weren't straight, how things got a little physical and how they kicked you out in the middle of the night, not wanting anything to do with you.

Steven was absolutely shocked at the revelation. He would want to give your family a piece of his mind right then but you were more important at that time.

You were tired from all the crying and asked Steven to cuddle with you. He nodded eagerly.

He brought all the snacks he had in his cupboard and switched on the TV and held you in his arms.

You felt him shift a bit and realized that it was Marc who was sitting next to you.

Marc understood how you felt. To be abused and thrown out by your own family. He pulled you closer and circled his palm on your back. The gesture made you tear up once again and Marc let you let out all the emotions. Once you calmed down once more, he kissed the top of your head abnd whispered, "No one will hurt you here, kiddo. I promise."

Jake had never formally met you. He'd always observe the other two fawn over you. He felt that they were capable enough to take care of you so he never truly felt a need to front.

You had fallen asleep, pressed next to Marc after he camled you down from yet another breakdown.

You were turning around in your sleep, whispering under your breath. You woke up with a start, screaming and covered in cold sweat. The nightmare you had was too real. You saw the dead body of your girlfirend surrounded by your family members, who were chanting, "This is all your fault."

You could still see the cold and lifeless eyes of your lover on the ground, and you thought it really was your fault. If only you never existed, none of this would've happened.

You started sobbing once again, whispering, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

A hand wrapped around your shoulders and pulled you closer. You turned and immediately knew it wasnt Marc or Steven. But you felt safe in his embrace.

"You're alright, niña (kid). I swear to protect you always. No one will ever harm you for as long as I'm alive, my little flor."(flower)

[sincerelyasomebody]

Two Became Three || Johnny "Coco" Cruz & Leticia "Letty" Cruz

(GIF: @angels-reyes)

A/N: With the awesome response for Mama, I decided to write up a "pre-Mama" setting. I hope you all enjoy it! If I'm being honest this Cruz family dynamic is likely to become a series of sorts👀. Because these two deserve so much more😭😫. Coco and Johnny are used interchangeably. If the Spanish translations are incorrect, please let me know. 

Characters/Pairings: Coco x Reader (romantic partnership) ▪︎ Letty x Gabby (friendship) ▪︎ Gabby x EZ (mentioned) ☆ Bishop (mentioned) ▪︎ Chucky (mentioned) ▪︎ Mayans MC (mentioned)

Summary: The start to a wonderful, dysfunctional yet endearing family. 

Warnings: angst, fluff, language 

Word Count: 1829

- ♤ - ♡ - ◇ - ♧ -

The living room was becoming (Y/N)'s personal race track as she continuously walked around the coffee table in the centre. Her eyes would dart between the landline and her phone. She tried to calm herself down, but the 'what ifs' going off in her mind wouldn't allow her to do so. The familiar rumble of Cocos truck stopped her pacing as she jumped onto the couch. Pulling the edge of the curtain up, she was momentarily blinded by the headlights flashing at her. 

Once she spotted the teenager in the passenger side, she let out a sigh of relief. (Y/N) readjusted her body on the couch and waited for the pair to walk inside. She braced herself for the argument. 

The front door and screen door opened up with Coco leaning against them, "what the fuck were you thinking, Leticia?" 

"You're overreacting," she replied and headed straight for the kitchen. 

"You were at a college party!" Coco yelled as he slammed both doors, "how the fuck did you even get there?" 

She opened up a cabinet and grabbed a muesli bar, "I… just got there," shrugging her shoulders she tore the bar open, "nothing was gonna happen." 

Coco walked over and stood at the entrance of the kitchen, "carajo! The only reason nothing fucking happened was because I showed up!"

Letty turned her attention to (Y/N), "anything you'd like to add?" When she wasn't given a response, she scoffed, "as if I give a fuck what you think."

She brushed past Coco and walked down the hallway. The slamming of a door let the adults know she was in her bedroom. (Y/N) took a deep breath as she got to her feet and stood in front of her man.

"Don't do it." 

He arched his eyebrow, "you think I'm gonna let her disrespect you like that?" he shook his head and pecked her forehead, "ain't fucking happening." 

Letty had moved in with the pair about two months ago and during that time she took full advantage of being away from the clutches of her grandmother. With her newfound freedom she had been disappearing (or "exploring" as she called it) different parts of Santo Padre whenever she felt like it. Sometimes she'd go off on her own and other times she'd take Gabby. 

Unfortunately, this particular night was different. Gabby was out on a date with her boyfriend Ez (the newest patch member of the Mayans) which meant she didn't join Letty on her excursion. Thankfully she was able to provide the details of where to find her when (Y/N) called her in a panic about the teenager not being home. Once she received the details, she thanked her and immediately rang up Coco to inform him of his daughter's whereabouts. 

Before he could make his way to the hallway Coco's burner buzzed. (Y/N) didn't need to read the message to know that he was most likely being told about some club business. Despite it nearing the early hours of the morning, she knew that sometimes Bishop would call an impromptu meeting. 

"At least you're already awake?" (Y/N) offered as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders, her hands played with his hair.

"I guess," his eyes darted towards the hallway and back at her, "if she ends up running off while I'm at the clubhouse–"

"I'll call you." 

He kissed her and savoured the moment before pulling away from her. Walking over to the front door, he glanced back at her and blew a kiss. (Y/N) chuckled, grabbing it and holding it to her chest, completing their goodbye routine. 

She turned around as he shut both doors and locked them. The moment she heard his bike start up she decided it was time to get to bed. She was due to go back to work in a few hours and wanted to sleep before having to do so. 

-- ♡ -- ◇ --

After Letty's eventful Friday night, Johnny decided he was done giving her chances. Her phone was taken away and the only times she could leave the house was for school and if Chucky needed an extra set of hands. At first the teenager continued to rebel until she realised another day would be added to her punishment. (Y/N) was proud of the way her man was stepping into the role of a parent. Letty was working into her third week of punishment (she had another week left) and (Y/N) could see the change in her. 

Whenever (Y/N) entered the house, she was greeted with a 'hello'. It may seem little, but Letty acknowledging her presence (in a positive manner) definitely kept a smile on her face. Letty was helping around the house more and started joining Coco and (Y/N) for dinner instead of eating in her room. Coco was also seeing changes in his daughter and hoped she would continue to make positive changes. He had left for a run a couple of days ago and would hopefully return soon.

The sound of drawers opening and closing was the reason (Y/N) woke up. Her eyebrows furrowed at realising she wasn't in her bed and then remembered she had fallen asleep while watching (television show). Looking to her left, she noticed the outline of the teen moving about. She smiled when she felt the softness of a blanket, realising Letty must've thrown it over her. Slowly getting to her feet, she stretched and reached for her phone. The numbers 04:22 blared on her screen.

(Y/N) got up and switched on the light, causing the teenager to jump, "are you looking for the chocolate chip cookies I baked?" Just like her dad, Letty had a sweet tooth. (Y/N) chuckled and pointed towards the top cabinet on her right, "it's in the tin at the back." 

Letty waited for (Y/N) to walk out of the kitchen, but instead the woman opened up the fridge and pulled out the carton of milk. She watched as she grabbed two glasses and poured the milk inside. The teenager grabbed the chair and climbed on top of it to reach the cabinet. She opened it up and pushed some items out of the way to grab the tin. Closing the cabinet, she stepped off the chair and dragged it back to the table.

(Y/N) was already sitting at the table and pushed a glass of milk across it for her. Letty took a seat and opened up the container and pushed it between them. She waited for (Y/N) to help herself to a cookie, before grabbing one of her own. 

"I'm sorry for waking you up," the teenager gave a sheepish grin, "I was trying my hardest not to be loud." 

(Y/N) smiled, "it's alright," she bit into her slightly soaked cookie, "now you know where to go… but, you've gotta make sure to put it back in the same cabinet you brought the container out of." 

"Why?" 

"Because then your dad'll know where all the extra cookies are." 

Letty laughed, "you hide the extra cookies because of my dad?" 

"Yes and that cabinet," (Y/N) pointed to it, "is the only one where I can cover the container without anything looking out of place." She dunked her cookie into her glass, "remember that for next time, okay?" 

"Okay." 

The pair continued to munch on their cookies (with the occasional dunking) and sip their milk. (Y/N) enjoyed the comfortable silence that fell among them. Her eyes drifted towards the living room and remembered the blanket. 

"Thank you." 

"For what?" Letty asked.

"Covering me with the blanket." 

"Oh… I… uh, didn't want you to get cold." 

(Y/N) smiled and was about to talk about something else when she heard the rumbling of Coco's motorcycle. Her eyes widened and she scrambled to drink what was left of her milk, closed the container and passed it to Letty. 

"Quick before he comes." 

Letty picked up the tin and dragged the chair to where it was moments ago. She jumped up onto it and pushed the container towards the back of the cabinet. Making sure it stayed hidden behind the assortment of items inside of it. She jumped off the chair and pushed it underneath the table just as Coco entered the living. His eyebrows rose when he took in his Old Lady and daughter standing in the kitchen. 

"What's going on here?" He asked as he walked towards the duo.

(Y/N) chuckled and brought him into a hug, she kissed him on the lips and cheek before stepping back, "just chatting, everyone okay?" 

He nodded, "we all made it back. Don't worry," his attention switched to Letty, "mija, everything okay?" 

Letty nodded, "yeah…" 

Coco slowly approached her and kissed the top of her head, "that's good to hear." 

Before he could move back, the teenager wrapped her arms around him and squeezed. (Y/N) smiled as she watched Coco gently rub her back and kiss her forehead. She loved seeing the father-daughter pair show affection to each other. Letty released her hold and took a step back.

With a blink of an eye, Letty pulled (Y/N) into a hug. (Y/N)'s eyes grew wide at the contact (so did Cocos) and before she could return the gesture, the teenager had let go. Letty smiled at the pair and then turned on her heel to leave the room. (Y/N) watched the teenager disappear around the corner, before she glanced at Coco with a bright smile. She did a little shimmy moving towards him and held onto his arms as she jumped up and down. 

"Coco… she – did you see that? She hugged me! And she smiled! Oh, she's got a beautiful smile," (Y/N) stopped jumping, "wow… I-I can't believe it. I got a hug and a smile, Coco!" 

He laughed as she danced around him, reaching out he pulled her into his chest and wrapped his arms around her. (Y/N) squealed when his fingers trailed up and down her hip. She wrapped her arms around his neck and tilted her head up. Her eyes sparkled with joy. 

Unbeknownst to the pair, Letty had done a U-turn at the end of the hallway. She decided at the last second to ask (Y/N) about something. However, at the sound of excitement she paused and peered around the doorframe. A smile stretched across her face, when she spotted Coco and (Y/N) embracing. She looked away when Coco reached down to grab (Y/N) by the ass and slip his tongue into her mouth.  

"Gross," she shook her head and made her way back down the hallway, "I didn't need to fucking see that." 

Despite the recent image in her mind that she was trying her best to get rid of, the teenager couldn't help but feel as though she finally belonged. 

This was home.

-♤ - ♡ - ◇ - ♧ -

Spanish Translations: 

Carajo - fuck

Mija - girl

[totiredtowrite]

"Ｔｈｅ Ｇｒａｖｅ Ｄｉｇｇｅｒ"

Warnings - Talks of death, blood

Note: plot didn't agree with me ig, if it sucks deal with it 🙄

FEM READERS DO NOT INTERACT (SHE/HER, SHE/THEY)

/̵͇̿̿/’̿’̿ ̿ ̿̿ ̿̿ ̿̿

There were only two people in this town who nobody seemed to see. Whether it be by their own choice or public displeasure, they hardly showed their faces. Town hall meetings, events, the occasional festival, never. Unsurprisingly, the two men who never showed up both worked with the dead.

The executioner, and the undertaker.

Matsukawa Issei, the undertaker, wasn't commonly known by his name. Or even his title, for that matter. Somewhere along the line he'd earned the nickname of 'The Grave Digger.'

He knew why, of course. Everyone knew why. The only time the bulk of the townsfolk saw him was when he was out digging graves at the edge of town. For those who lived near to the graveyard, it was a rather common sight.

Just as dusk fell they would see him out in the field, rusted copper spade in hand as he shoveled up dirt. Typically there was a body wrapped in linen laying somewhere near him, and on the nights where they weren't the people knew he would be back the next night with one.

At first, he'd struggled quite a bit.

Digging human sized holed in the ground, six feet deep, wasn't easy work by any means. Especially not for one man. At nineteen was when he'd started his work. If he wasn't well built before, he certainly was now. If it was possible, he was sure that his shovel would have dents in it from where he clutches it. It was his own little cycle. He obtained the body, he prepped it, (if the family could afford a funeral), he dug, he buried.

Only the reverend and the grifter who hung around these parts really had any continued conversation with him. Even still, he and the reverend had limited conversation. Their talks were short, concise, formal. And, even more so, that was only when a family could pay for a funeral and wanted it in the church.

Naturally that left little to no opportunity for relationships.

Though, it wasn't like people didn't want him. Unlike the executioner, people vied for his attention. The few times he goes into town, he can feel eyes on him. Women and men alike. The grave digger has earned the tag of 'tall, dark, and handsome.'

He sighed heavily, dropping his spade by the door of his home. He never liked burying children. He had two today, twins. It always made him feel remorseful. Like they could have done so much. All he really wanted to to was stare at the ceiling in the company of his phonograph.

It didn't help his mood that the grave robber situation was spiraling. Some sicko was taking bones from graves, keeping them. Maybe he was selling them. Issei opened the door, turning his back to the main room to close it. He let his head fall against the oak. He relished in the silence, though something didn't feel right.

He narrowed his eyes to the door, slowly taking his hand of the handle and turning around when–

"It's honestly about time. What was that six hours? You usually take less."

He stopped, eyes wide in your direction.

The shock prevented him from really saying or doing anything, so you took that as an invitation to continue. "Anyways, nice place! This is the first time I've actually seen the inside," you laughed a bit. From where you were sat, Matsukawa could make out a few things.

A shovel sat by your side, one similar to his. Similar, except it was very clearly made of silver. You were seated on a desk against the far wall, directly across from where he stood. Your legs, one crossed over the other, were clad in dirtied work pants. His expression turned defensive at the realization that there were little splatters of blood near your boot.

"Though you did have to bury kids today huh?" You continued. "I get it. S'not fun digging them up either." You sighed dramatically.

Your remark killed any words I'm previously in his throat. The grave robber.

His face quickly morphed into something threatening, something that most people would run far away from. "You're the–"

"Yep!" You didn't let him finish, pulling up a wanted poster from god knows where. There was no face on it, just a black silhouette with a white question mark in the head. "This is what you meant right? You're absolutely correct."

He moved to advance. "What the hell are you doing in my home," he snarled.

You held up a hand. "Woah there, tiger. You know these things can seriously hurt someone, right?" You tilted your head to the shovel at your side. Matsukawa stopped in his tracks, though his deadly glare didn't falter.

"Look," you sighed, "Can we please get off on the right foot? I'm (l/n) (y/n), the man who's been digging up bodies. Well, parts of bodies. It honestly depends on the price," you giggled. "I know exactly who you are, but why don't you tell me anyways?"

No words left his throat. Well, none that were very nice anyways.

"Right," you rolled your eyes at the obscenities that left his mouth in the place of his name. "But I'm not here to fight." You slid off of the table in a rather smooth manner, sweeping up the shovel at the same time. "In fact, I'm here to help!"

Matsukawa's lips pursed in thought. He should turn you right in to the sheriff. Yet, some part of him wanted to hear what you had to say. After all, if he didn't like it, you've simply engineered your own arrest. He didn't say another word, harshly grabbing your shoulders and steering you towards the small dining table. "Sit." he said gruffly, not giving you a chance to respond before he practically threw you into the chair.

Taking the seat across from you, his eyes locked on you expectantly. You took that as a sign to speak. "Ha, anyways, the other day I found this," you set a femur on the table. Matsukawa cringed slightly. Not because he was nervous by it, but because where did you even have that? "This belongs to a man that's easily six feet tall."

Matsukawa nodded. "And?"

"And," you scoffed, "I found it in the grave of a woman. A woman who was no more than five feet." Matsukawa decided to ignore how weird this conversation was getting. "Unless you're just really bad at your job, these bones aren't matching up. Not to mention the woman I dug up the other day," you let out a breathy laugh. "Can you believe it? Her jaw was far too large."

He shuddered, declaring to himself that he had a psychopath sat at his table.

"Anyways, handsome," you have him a predatory grin, "Wanna entertain me for a bit? Just how do you think those bones are being misplaced? It's messing with my business, you know. Making me less credible."

"Business? What business?" He couldn't stop himself from asking.

"Y'know, grave robbing? You think I just keep the bones I take? The bodies?" You laughed. "Gross, no. I sell them. Shady medical students who wanna get ahead, witches, people who do extremely innocent things with dead bodies." Matsukawa cringed again.

"I should turn you in," he said. He stood up to lean over the table, slamming his hands down right in front of you, eyes angled down his nose.

You, unfazed by this, shrugged. "If you turned me in, you'd get the money, but you'd never know what's going on with the bones switching place."

He let out a muted frustrated noise. "Come on," you tilted your head to let the candlelight illuminate your eyes, "What's the worst that could happen?"

~

Do not repost, translate, or copy my work on to other platforms.

[everafterkeiji]

undone ft. rintaro suna

Could this be ecstasy when it's just us two?

Suna proceeds to caress his fingers down your cheek while the ticking of the clock on his wall was the only resonating sound in his apartment. You were sat in his lap, unusual for strangers to act this welcoming in a tense environment. Huddled in his jacket while the intimacy grows when words weren't needed to tell the tale of untouched emotions.

His eyes were only fixated on your lips while your eyes were half closed, the sudden heat of the moment causes your drunken state to collapse under his presence to the point where looking at his eyes grew to be difficult to do. There's a lazy hand to your waist while the other was on your cheek, a delicate motion he's been doing for a while.

"Soft." He whispers, making you smile seeing that his words were the outcome of his intoxication but you'd be in denial to say that a mere word didn't just sent an increase of a rate to your heartbeat.

At this point, anything could be said and it'll all be a step to temptation.

To be fair, you were Atsumu's new found friend. You met him at college and he was the best company you've had after transferring into a new school. It was frequent that he'd talk about his past teammates but you never met them because the setter was either busy or you were dead tired in your dorm to ever gain the energy to leave.

The celebration for another win had the blonde throw a party in honor of it which he invited his past friends from Inarizaki. You've heard of Suna but to be trapped in this dangerous distance was a stretch. At first, it was just a casual gathering. A few drinks and plays, introductions, several conversations—it was good to surrounded by people you feel that you could trust.

But there were a pair of green eyes that were stuck on you that never seem to let your heart ease off the feeling it gave.

You held his hand, said your name with a kind stare to him while he did the same back then. His name almost replaying in your mind being face to face with the man who Atsumu had been talking to him. God, he was tall—intimidating, and all of the words to ever describe how your eyes were blessed to see him.

Threatened with a good time, everyone seemed to leave after 11pm but the only ones left were the twins, Rintaro, and Bokuto. The past captain was already passed out on Atsumu's couch which frustrated him and Suna was also at the peak of losing his wits at the shouts of the two. Annoyed and drunk, Atsumu had to fight with his twin to figure out a way to clean up making him forget to take you home.

"I'll take you." Rin suggests while you hesitated to agree as fast but seeing that the two were neck and neck on each other, you sighed before accepting his offer.

"If you think I'm too drunk to drive, you can switch with me." You understood while you shouted your farewells before Suna handed you his sweater since the breeze had froze up your bare legs from the dress.

And what seemed to be the best decision in the night, your conversation in the car was the highlight of it. It was so casual to ever talk with him. He had offered you a few more drinks when traffic came since his alcohol tolerance was high which you accepted because you were comfortable of letting the talk drag long before you could even reach your apartment.

Reaching your door, Rin slips his balance like a sign that he's reached his limits which didn't help knowing you were in the same situation. Chuckling, you had opened the door as he drapes his arm around your shoulder to make sure he doesn't just collapse. He plops to your bed while he watches you remove your shoes as well your other accessories as he eyes your figure before averting his eyes realizing how odd it was that he had blushed.

"God, I'm beat." You said before taking the seat next to him while he responds with a laugh while you two stared at the view of the moon from your window. His body was heated due to the consumption so when he tugs on the collar of his shirt, he feels the cold material right above it.

"Can you remove my necklace?" He had his eyes closed, an effort to reach for the lock made him dizzy but for you, you couldn't even process what you had done before getting close to him and searched for it. Sighing at the difficulty in your position, it seemed as if placing yourself on his lap was the only not-so-sober decision.

Eyes wide as you removed his necklace, before you could hop yourself off, he resists as the moonlight behind you bring a stun to his eyes seeing your flawlessness this close.

"Too pretty." He whispers, turning your heart upside down with how effortless it was for him to be this honest.

Leading to your now state of silence as Rintaro savours the feel of you. It was comforting, a moment where it feels like you're both high off each other's lingering touch.

"What do you think of me?" He asks, while there's a thumb to your chin that he uses to tilt it so the gap between you and him can burn.

Running your hands to his hair, you could only pick point such words to escape your lips. You smiled at thought of being a fool for being this attached to him but there were no excuses when you knew it felt right.

"I don't think there are enough words for it." You said with a smile that he's grown to adore making him chuckle, the response you gave was as similar to him if he could describe you in a fit of words. You lean a little closer, a threat to his heartbeat while he closes his eyes before he places his forehead to yours.

"This feels—nice." You admitted, a considered fact that he was the only one able to make you crave this certain type of intimacy. It's as if no one else can compare to the amount of high you were getting from him, and there was no other way out of it.

A proud Rintaro smirks at your words while he softly places his lips on yours, the awaited moment of the tension breaking into pieces just by a single push of fate while you smile into the rhythm making him realize that you were the strongest drug that there is if you made him this weak just by smiling.

He subtly pulls away before placing his finger on your lips, knowing that he wanted nothing more than to be closer to you than anything else. Your eyes were on him so his heart takes a leap when stares back with his eyes translating every emotions he has for you before whispering,

"I need more of this."

You turn to him with questioning eyes but it didn't stop you from calming down at the tone of his voice.

"Of what?"

He pulls you in with his hands on your cheek, like the home that it's found for his touch to feel electric on your skin.

"Us."

A/N: pls i love brb. so this didn't help my love for suna

[artoni-arts]

sparks in the ashes; chapter 2

. previous . index . next .

what u should know;

@tiesthatbind-tf verse, quintesson-era [late 1920s]

last chapter victor got a couple new visitors and decided he'd deal with stuff in the morning because he was too tired for this shit (TM)

cw; I have no idea how to write French [aside from Google translate], or an ESL, short of what little I've seen/researched/attempted insomuch I can speak a bit of Spanish and tried to think how I'd talk if I was switching in to that. The speaker in question is fluent in both languages, at least. However, if someone wants to offer some editing in that regard, I would sincerely appreciate it! also there's a bit of child manhandling? not sure if considered abuse but better safe than sorry. she's not hurt, other than her feelings YOU SILENCE SADIE??? YOU DRAG HER OUT OF CONVERSATION?? SHAME!!!!

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

He awoke to a smell that was both strange and familiar; for a long few moments, he couldn't place it at all. But when he did, Victor pushed himself up in alarm, red eyes flaring in surprise.

A few feet away, another man startled with the makeshift tray he'd been carrying - not enough to drop it, but enough to jostle the contents just a bit. "Pardon," he murmured, clearly apologetic. "Je ne- I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you," he said a bit more slowly as he switched in to English.

"No, it's- it's all right," Victor said automatically, swinging his legs off the bed. He hadn't changed out of his clothing from last night, and felt an apology of his own bubbling up - manners died hard, it seemed - before he caught sight of what was on that tray. Eyes widened once more as he took in the spread, which almost looked...real, for lack of a better word.

The man must have seen his expression, because his voice took on an amused tone. "I have a talent with their technology," he explained, setting the tray down on the nearby table. "I thought a breakfast would be the least we could offer, after all your family has done for us."

Victor was already getting to his feet, momentarily pushing aside the 'family' comment. "'Us'?" he repeated, belatedly remembering the woman. Still, best to be sure. "How many are you?" he asked, already reaching for the - good lord, was that tea? He hadn't had a decent tea in what felt like ages, and as he took a sip, he couldn't help but half-close his eyes in a moment of appreciation. If the other was still amused, he hid it well. Now that he wasn't exhausted, though, Victor could get a better look at the man; French, obviously, sporting a full beard, Victor still judged them around the same age. His skin was a bit lighter than Victor's own, hair still what could pass as a natural brown. Slicked back, he didn't seem like much of a laborer, and Victor wondered just how he had gotten mixed up in the chaos of yesterday.

"Just two," came the answer. He brought a hand to his chest and bowed his head slightly, offering a slight smile. "Je m'appelle Aillard - the woman is Pravda, and she is content to remain in the other room until you are ready to speak. Shall I give you some time?" he continued, arching a brow just slightly - and Victor was reminded of just how disheveled he must look, a bit of color coming to his cheeks.

"Ah- yes, please. Make yourselves at home," he added, words sounding piddling even to his own words - but they must have been the right ones, for Aillard's face brightened.

"Merci, monsieur...?"

A clear enough prompt. "Victor." he said, offering his hand after another moment.

It was taken in a firm grip, surprisingly so given how the other man seemed more of a scholar than anything - but his smile remained warm. "Thank you, Victor." Another one of those tilt-of-the-head-nods - more of a pleasant acknowledgement rather than anything remotely subservient like the bows one gave to try and placate a Quintesson - and he quickly exited, closing the door behind him and leaving Victor to try and push the thought of the squiddies back out of his mind.

Not hard to do, looking over the food - were those eggs? He prodded them with a fork, realizing they couldn't be, but - the texture seemed almost identical, to say nothing of the sausage, the greens. And while, as he ate, he realized that no, they weren't quite the same, they were leagues beyond anything he'd ever gotten out of that bloody machine - apparently, he simply didn't know how to work it right.

By the time he'd finished, lingering over the tea for just a few more moments, he felt far more grounded than he had in...years, perhaps. Steady, stable, ready to take on whatever the day would throw at him - which was likely for the best, he solemnly thought to himself as he took in the final few sips of tea, considering what he was about to face. Two strangers brought in to his home, and if he had to guess, with ties to the Underground - which meant he either had to politely evict them and pretend he'd never seen them, or risk...

Actually, no, he didn't want to think about that right now, either. Instead, he cleaned himself up, dressed in some clean clothes (with the dirty ones set off to the side, the children had a habit of taking care of such things but he never expected it), and with a final breath to prepare himself - stepped in to the main room.

Aillard and - Pravda? - were in quiet conversation, a language neither English nor French that Victor didn't quite recognize. The woman was busy fussing over Aillard's upper arm, which Victor remembered seeing a bandage upon - right now, it had been stripped off, and the burns could be clearly seen. A near-hit with a weapon, Victor assumed, where Pravda...

Pravda seemed far, far better than she had been last night. He blinked, the lack of visible injury stunning to him - oh, there were some scratches and bruises, but for a woman who'd been passed out on his couch being tended to by Sadie, that seemed, well, inhuman to recover so fast. Which...made sense, if she was a worker. Her blue eyes abruptly pulled away from Aillard's, narrowing slightly as they spotted Victor; she offered a short nod of greeting, which Victor returned with his lips pressed in to a thin line as he looked around.

Speaking (well, thinking) of Sadie, where was she...?

"The young ones said something about scouting about," Aillard offered, looking over his shoulder at Victor. "They seem to be quite self-sufficient." He sounded impressed.

Victor, however, sighed as he looked towards the door. "They'd better be - only one of them is even 'mine'," he explained...before wondering if that was too much to share. A certain wariness was coming over him; trusting strange children in his home was one thing, but these two...

These two were different. Pravda, for her part, seemed to have a glint in her eye as she filed that away before clearing her throat to speak.

"They are good children," she slowly said, and Victor finally placed the accent - Russian. With how slowly she spoke, perhaps she didn't speak English all that well.

"We only asked for a place to shelter," Aillard elaborated, studying Victor. "When they brought us here, we could hardly say no. I am...very sorry for any inconvenience we've caused you." And, to his credit, he did sound quite contrite. Perhaps he did understand just what all this could mean.

Perhaps it made no difference. Victor made a gesture, not so much dismissing the apology as the inconvenience. "I would say 'teach me how to operate the food-maker and all is forgiven," he began, moving to take a seat at the small dining table. Aillard and Pravda took the cue and moved to join him, leaving but one seat empty. "But I must admit, I'd like to know just how you ended up needing shelter in the first place. Neither of you are from London," he continued, the words more a statement than a question; a statement Aillard nodded to confirm.

"Non. We were imported." As Aillard seemed the one more inclined to speak, Pravda seemed to be the one sizing up Victor and his reactions; she no doubt could tell the way he stiffened.

"Both of you? I had thought it only labor."

"For the most part." There was something in those words, something evasive - but Victor had no reason to push other than his own curiosity, and he supposed the two of them had more than enough reason to watch what they said. "There was an...ah...comment devrais-je dire cela?..." Aillard paused, briefly traded a few words with Pravda, and then went on- "A 'breakout', if you will, and we were caught up in it."

Perhaps even started it, Victor thought, keeping his face as blank as possible. "You weren't able to find a way to stay put?" he neutrally asked, evoking a snort of derision from Pravda. Or at least took advantage of it.

Aillard, for his own part, shrugged. "In the heat of the moment, you tend to act on instinct - ours was to run. And from what we saw, there were others involved, too, on the outside. A local cell?" He tilted his head in query.

"The Underground," Victor affirmed, dearly wishing for another cup of tea so he could at least occupy his hands. "They're the most organized around here, anyway. If I had to guess," he slowly continued, testing the waters, "they were working with whomever organized the escape. Perhaps even creating a diversion." Aillard's face remained neutral - but Pravda looked away. Ah, Victor thought, though he wasn't pleased by the 'affirmation'. So you do know more about it.

"Quoi qu’il en soit, it may be best for us to get in to contact with them, so we could shelter with them instead of imposing on you."

Now it was Victor's turn to look away - but this time, towards the opening door, where Sadie was peeking through before offering a sheepish smile for interrupting. Victor was quiet as he watched her enter, and when he did speak, his voice was a murmur. "I say this with all respect, Aillard - as much as I would love to see the last of you, I wonder what it means for the rest of London." He turned back just in time to catch sight of Pravda's fingers curling in to loose fists.

Aillard himself didn't seem bothered at all. "No offense taken," he assured. "I cannot see the future," and was it just Victor's imagination, or was there a hint of irony there? "but I can tell you we have no interest in making trouble for its people."

"Are you looking to leave the city?"

There was the briefest of hesitations, which said far more than the words that followed; "In time." But that, too, said much. Victor glanced back at Sadie, who was pulling out the fourth chair to seat herself- giving Victor himself a defiant look as if to dare him to shoo him off. He let out a breath, reaching up to rub his forehead in frustration.

"We are wasting our time," Pravda abruptly said, voice tight as she got to her feet. "We will find our own way."

"Pravda." Aillard raised a hand to touch her arm, but she pulled it away, glaring at Victor.

"This man is one of the Quintesson's tools. He will not help us."

Now, it was Sadie's turn to pipe up; "He's not a tool! I'm sure he'll help, right?" Her eyes were shining gold just a bit in indignation as they looked towards Victor, who abruptly found every reason to study Aillard's own reactions to this. He was hard to read, well-guarded in face - but his eyes, a similar blue hue to Pravda's, moved to meet Victor's. Was that a hint of pleading in them?

Further thought was interrupted by Pravda placing a palm on the table, leaning over it aggressively. "Help the Кальмары, I think - you are one of their guards, are you not?"

His back stiffened, but before he could retort, Sadie was placing her own hands on the table - with enough force for a slap! to sound through the room, and even Pravda blinked at the fire in the girl. "So what!?" she demanded. "He's doing the best he can! Yeah, he knows a couple Underground blokes, but he hasn't turned them in, so there!"

"Sadie!" A quick hiss and a tug on her jacket to pull her back in to her seat. "Mind your mouth!"

"It's true, and they should know it!" She jutted out her chin at him. "You don't like the squiddies, you've said so yourself!"

"Are you telling us this man," Pravda jerked her chin at Victor, "would not turn us in if he thought it would save himself trouble?"

The thought hadn't even occurred to Victor, and part of that must have shown on his face, for Aillard's brow arched as tilted his head in curiosity. Nonetheless, Sadie stuck her tongue out at Pravda. "Nuh-uh! He- mmph!"

"That's more than enough," Victor didn't-quite-hiss, hand over her mouth as he pulled her out of her seat. "Sadie, you have no business at this table, and I will thank you to keep out of ours for the moment!" She glared up at him, fighting his grip, and he returned that glare with his own as he wrestled her to the door of the other room. The girl fought him, of course, but she also seemed surprised - never had Victor treated her this way, and there was no small amount of betrayal in her eyes as he pushed her past the door.

"Vic-" The door slammed in her face, and Victor pressed his back against it, exhaling heavily and trying, at least for the moment, to ignore both Pravda and Aillard. He was having only so much success, keenly aware of the awkwardness of the situation - and the realization that he'd more-or-less, for the first time since meeting her, laid hands upon Sadie. He'd even trapped her in his room for what? An attempt to save face?

Aillard cleared his throat, catching Victor's attention. "I think," he slowly said, "it would be best if Pravda and I left now. You have our thanks for the shelter - with luck, this will be the last you see of us."

Perhaps the man hadn't meant to throw the words back in Victor's face, but they felt like a slap that stole his breath. Unable to speak, he nodded dumbly, helpless to do anything but watch as Pravda reached to pick up a heavy knapsack, slinging it across her shoulder effortlessly as she nodded for Aillard to proceed. The man offered her a smile, offered Victor a nod, and without another word, strode for the door.

As they passed, Pravda met Victor's gaze; there was something in her own that Victor couldn't read, but that made him feel even smaller. Disappointment? No, but something similar, he thought, trying not to visibly wilt before she turned away to follow Aillard out.

When the door shut behind them, he let out the breath he'd been holding - then turned, fumbling briefly with the door to his own room before managing to open it, "Sadie, I'm sor-"

There was no one inside. Over his bed, the small window that led to the outside was cracked open, and Victor nearly fell to his knees in despair. It wasn't the first time Sadie had left - or entered - in such a manner, but knowing there was a lockdown in place and he'd more or less chased her in to it...

What have I done?

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

"Do you think he will keep our trust?"

Aillard considered Pravda's words for a moment, half-closing his eyes in thought. "...Je pense," he said after another moment, glancing back towards the building they'd left behind. They hadn't spoken in the halls, well aware of how voices carried, and even now, their voices were low. He was well aware of the lockdown that the Quintessons had put in to place, and so they stuck to the shadows, ensuring there was no movement on the streets (or those terrible cameras, though he had a feeling no sights of them from such would make it to a hostile observer) before moving to the next. "He seemed...stupéfait, I think, when you brought it up."

They could have spoken only in French - but Pravda had asked him to help her with English, as she understood more than she spoke. So, the more they spoke it together, the more comfortable she would be in it - he was just lucky she spoke French, he supposed, though not quite as well as he spoke Russian. There was something to be said about picking things up easily.

Pravda adjusted the knapsack over her shoulder, which Aillard couldn't so much as lift an inch off the ground had he given it a try. She scanned the roads, then let out a huff of air. "Perhaps. He did nothing to stop us leaving, but I cannot trust him," she admitted, and Aillard reached to squeeze her shoulder.

"I did not say I trusted him, my friend." She gave him a bit of a smile at that, before a low whistle cut through the air to catch their attention. The two looked about, Pravda making a sound of surprise as she apparently spotted whatever it was - as Aillard followed his gaze, he was somehow unsurprised to see it was the girl from before. Sadie, he recalled, as she beckoned them across the road. A final glance to ensure their safety, and Pravda led the way, ducking her head as she trotted to catch up with the fille.

"Were you not being punished?" she questioned, voice still low. Sadie scowled, crossing her arms as she jutted her chin in a familiar manner.

"He's not the boss of me," she shot back. "But're you going to cause problems for him?"

"So long as he does not for us."

Pravda was blunt as always, and Aillard sighed before kneeling before the girl to meet her gaze. "I hope not," he clarified, watching the shift in expression in her face. "All we want is to find our friend safe and sound."

"Your friend?" Sadie looked from Aillard to Pravda, her brow crinkling at their silence. But Aillard could tell she was clever; a moment later, she confirmed it by saying, "With the Underground, right? I can take you to some of them, if they haven't been found out."

Clever, and helpful. Aillard bowed his head. "I would be in your debt, my young friend. But is it safe for you to be outside?"

"No." That was certainly one of the flattest tones Aillard had heard, and Pravda snorted in what could have been amusement. Truth be told, it reminded him of some of the deadpans line she'd delivered. "But it never is," Sadie went on to explain, moving to the edge of the shadow to peek about. "So let's go and stop being outside as soon as we can."

A brief shared glance - are you sure about this? I think so, yes, and we also don't have much other options, and they were following their new guide through the labyrinth that was an occupied London.

[ignisnocturnalia]

Variks x Reader Relationship HC's

Gonna write you as a new light, apologies my God-slaying siblings

News of the Pyramids over Europa reaches far and wide, as does stasis

With this discovery, relayed by a veteran guardian, also reveals news of the Eliksni who instigated the riot at the Prison of Elders

Being freshly revived, there's not much you can make out of the hostility the other Guardians offer the alien

Curious about him, you make a bold request to be stationed on Europa to "monitor" him

Of course, Zavala denies your request and speaks of how important your guns would be here at home

While you say you understand, you're secretly trying to find your way around it

The Drifter

You heard about his escapades to the frozen planet, reasons unknown, but still able to slip through Vanguard sanctions

As usual, a Guardian siding with the Vanguard approaching you with a purpose usually isn't a good thing

"Somethin' you want, kid?"

His tone is carefully jovial, bordering neutral, but you're not foolish enough to think he actually trusts you

"I need to get to Europa."

He stares at you for a solid minute before sizing you up, an inquisitive glare settling on his face

"What's in it for me?"

Having been on Strike detail for months on end, you've got a sweet heap of glimmer and nothing to use it on; you know he doesn't care a lot for the currency, so you offer up your weapons alongside it

He gives you a lopsided grin as he takes the arsenal, waving off the glimmer and taking you to his ramshackle ship

Unsurprisingly, it's a quiet ride, your own Ghost unsure of your actions

Drifter gives you little warning before transmitting you off the ship, leaving you to fall flat on your ass in the deep snow

Despite being a little upset about this, you finally see your goal, the very Eliskni that brought new questions to the ice planet

Every step you take lands your foot in a fluffy sheet of snow, sounding out with a crunch you had never heard before

Soon enough, you've completely deviated from the reason you came to the planet, completely obsessed with the snow under you

The entire time, Variks has been watching you from the window of his base making a fool of yourself

Distantly, he realizes that he thinks you're cute like that

"Here to help, yes?"

You are COMPLETELY caught off guard, turning quickly on your heel before slipping on the ice and landing flat on your ass

A shadow falls over you as you look up to see the well spoken Eliksni towering over you, and you're immensely thankful for the helmet hiding your blush

He offers you one of his real hands, helping you up and you can't help but notice how his hunched form is hiding a solid 8" from his height

Bringing you inside, you slowly decompress from the outside chill and Variks formally introduces himself

You quickly take note of how each of his sentences are punctuated by insect noises, which are quite fun to hear

You explain your circumstances and even though you can only see his eyes, you can feel the confusion in the air

"You left the Tower.. to see me? Variks does not know who you are; you do not know Variks, yes?"

You're slightly disappointed but not surprised by his suspicious behavior, after seeing how other Guardians harped about him

You then remember something very important

"I don't have a ship to get back."

Your ship still sat in the Hangar, locked down until it was needed for use

Variks stood in front of you quietly before also noticing something unusual about you; your weapons were missing

"Stay. I will contact your Commander."

You immediately spring from your seated position, grabbing at his shoulder before he can reach the comms

He seems to understand your plead

You spend the next few days eating freeze dried food, along with MRE's supplied by another curious party on Europa

Variks doesn't join you until he's finished eating in another room, and the conversations you can strike up are limited

You ask him to teach you Eliksni

He appears shocked at first but eagerly obliges, now showing up to eat with you

It's been a good couple of weeks, and you've got a few phrases and words under your belt

Nothing translates directly, everything is interpreted based on the small word choice

Variks didn't know, but you had spent the last 3 days trying to figure out what the closest thing to "I love you" was in Eliksni

That night, when you both settle down to eat, you eye Variks with a renewed purpose

The fuzz in your brain dissipates as, astoundingly, he moves to take off his mouth cover

You can't help but stare at his revealed face not noticing how he fidgets a bit under your intense stare

"Apologies, (y/n). I did not mean to ruin your appetite."

It was now or never

Moving over to sit next to him, you shyly looked up to see he had yet to put the mask back on, instead looking at you with uncertainty

"Yu ne ze." You are my gift. I love you.

The Eliksni's eyes widen and his body stiffens and you worry for a second that you've made a mistake before he turns fully and leans into your face

"Ma yun ne."

His mandibles are often used to caress your face

You find yourself with gifts and trinkets waiting in your small room in the base

He has you spot check his weapons, testing them out and generally having a blast with them

Other Guardians have seen you on occasion, but very few have approached you to ask questions about the mysterious Eliksni

Variks loves it when you hold his hands, even more so when you pet his face

When you find out he can purr, it's one of the most sought after sounds during your intimate moments, and sometimes he will purr simply to indulge you

Even if you're an undead warrior, Variks still piles furs on to your shoulders to make sure you don't get cold during outings

You have had to fend off assassins, often at the cost of your life

This pushes you to accept the deceptive whispers of the Pyramid, carrying you all the way to the Exo Stranger's den

She reluctantly agrees to teach you because of your inexperience, and although neither of you say anything, you and Drifter make quick eye contact

Variks can smell the Darkness on you and is very disappointed, but he doesn't tip off that he knows

Instead, he uses it as an excuse to put you under house arrest

He catalogues every single symptom you have that could barely begin to resemble a sickness, encouraging you to stay inside until you're better

During the nights, you notice he holds you much more tightly against his body

You apologize for your zealousness regarding his safety

Your lessons in Eliksni continue, and soon enough you can hold your own in small conversations with him

Whenever you or Variks look at each other trying to figure something out, you both always ask about the question in your mind

Whoever is asked ends up sitting in the other's lap, but you've found that it's much more convenient to sit in his own

This exploration leads to daily petting or grooming sessions, giving way for more risque activity to take place

Nsfw 👁👄👁

Variks orients himself as a switch, but you can tell he enjoys being on the bottom a little more if his rapid breaths are anything to go by

Brushing and lightly scratching segments on his exoskeleton are immense green lights for him, especially adding just enough force to push into the seams between his limbs

He's very gentle with his teeth, but the red marks he leaves on your body are generous from the amount of fondling he carries out

He's perfectly fine with both of you being bare, so long as a heat source is nearby

This level of exposure allows you to feel every rumble, trill, and moan straight from his chest and you can't deny just how hot it is to have an entire alien making these noises because of you

He delivers plenty of foreplay, always giving you the option to back out of it

With your size difference, you have to work to move up and down his body when you're both laying down

One of his favorite things is when you drag your teeth along his neck or chest, no real threat of harm but an undeniable thrill for him

He may start slow, but towards the end? You're better off simply letting him take care of you the next day

Fluff

After particularly tedious days, you will pull him into your shared room and pepper his face with kisses

Whenever he wants to nap, he selectively chooses your lap so you can massage his back or his forehead

Following the official announcement of your relationship, Zavala finally submits and gives you full permission to stay stationed on Europa, at the price of lengthy field reports at the beginning of every month

Variks, of course, teases you while writing these papers

He'll correct a mistake you made way back in the paper, laughing quietly in the back of his throat as you fume at the obvious inaccuracy

Besides Vanguard papers, you've taken it upon yourself to make him a new arm

You decide to gift it to him once the Dawning starts

Note: I leave some of my handcanons open ended for more ideas, and yes, I am aware they are more like one shot/hc hybrids, but hey, take it as an invitation to ask me to actually write out the whole thing. I will not write out explicit nsfw unless asked, and if I am asked, it will always be gratuitous and extremely detailed ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) Finals are eating my timbs tho, so I'm currently attempting to study for these hellspawn