#i love them both as individuals and together
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affogato-analysis · 3 days ago
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I love that take and I love disagreeing with it too! and i don't say that in a cynical ironic fashion, i genuinely love the train of thoughts we're having
don't get it wrong, my take isn't by any means in the history of forever better than yours or more valid or what not, it’s just different and i’d love to have this conversation!
I do agree that caitvi stepped away from the whole Piltover/Zaun plot as in they don’t represent it, but I don’t think they did in the first place. Cait always connected to Vi not in spite or because of her connection to Zaun but on a deep human (lesbian) level, kinda in a colorblind manner. Of course she was brought to see Zaunites living conditions but Vi never really got into the Pilt/Zaun conflict. After Vander’s loss, she wanted family and didn’t care for independence or what not. I don’t think she’d fight against it — that’s not why she joins the enforcers — but Vi, because she was in jail for 7 years and has since repeatedly lost her people over and over again, didn’t really get involved with that conflict to me. Like her mind was elsewhere (Powder, Milo, Claggor, Jinx, Cait, Isha, Vander)!
I also don’t think it’s Viktor and Jayce. Well, I don’t think it’s season 2 Viktor and Jayce, although it is clearly season 1. We see in their relationship the way they try and mostly fail to bridge the gap because of the Zaun/Piltover conflict: Viktor needs them to work fast because Zaunites are dying and they need fresh air, clean water, food, safety; while Jayce gets lost in politics and, per his privileged position, can afford prudence and experimenting and not putting things in application. Both are understandable positions, Jayce minds what his mentor tells him about being careful so that he doesn’t accidentally ends civilization (that’s what Heimerdinger warns him about) while Viktor needs things to move now or else he’s doomed and the Undercity stays miserable.
Season 2 Viktor and Jayce do bridge a gap together though, but not necessarily the Piltover/Zaun one although they clearly contribute to it. They basically pull Viktor back: enough of this robotic magical grand evolution, it is time to come home love. basically. This is Jayce opting for calling to Viktor and not fighting him, therefore putting forth the importance of humanity. This is more acceptance towards ‘imperfection’ and humanity than towards Viktor as a Zaunite. Same as Vi and Cait, this is love independent to who they are on the map. Which, yeah, is a way to bridge the gap between them but it doesn’t solve the Piltover/Zaun issue. Season 2 Jayvik is much more personal, it’s about them two as individual and not part of their groups, it’s not about Piltover and Zaun.
Thematically though, choosing togetherness instead of fighting to impose your will is clearly the way the show portrays Zaun and Piltover’s reconciliation (or at least the beginning of that attempt since the show is pretty open-ended on that point).
So, saying that they aren’t Pilt/Zaun coded isn’t wrong per say but their own arcs mirror the cities’. I don’t think they’re meant to be its representatives though.
No, for this I’d argue on other pairs!
Heimerdinger and Ekko for starters! Heimerdinger, after being fired and coming to the conclusion that he can not help the Undercity as is, meets Ekko. And then they work together and Heimerdinger is willing to bypass the law and there is genuinely mutual respect and an acknowledgment of Piltover’s oppression of Zaun. That’s generally what I think miss from that second season by the way, Piltover’s characters never really acknowledge Piltover’s responsibility in what happened with the Commune, Silco, Jinx.
Except Shoola! Her!
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This picture is (a part of) Piltover standing with Zaun. And yeah, it’s at the very end and it’s followed by the disgusted faces of the other councilors, but Arcane season 2 does not offer a conclusion to the Piltover/Zaun conflict. It offers seeds of resolutions that the characters will have to grow themselves, against all odds at time. Whether we like it or not, that’s essentially what the show is doing.
So, yeah: s1 Jayce/Viktor very much the Piltover/zaun situation; s2 Jayvik still yes but in a much more parallel way and not so intertwined with the actual events; Heimerdinger/Ekko yes until it can’t happen anymore because uh-oh Heimerdingain’t; and then Shoola/Sevika but we get one shot of it and then it’s gone.
Caitvi does give examples of reconciliation and mostly they support the show’s main theme: love is always how things happen (Singed, Cait, Vi, Jinx, Vander/Warwick, Isha, Powder, everyone).
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Does that make sense or am I going insane on the side?
dont kill me for saying this but i kinda think jayvik did the piltover-zaun relationship thing better than caitvi, especially in the second season. to me some of caitlyn's empathy towards zaunites seems to be linked to her relationship with vi. she's sympathetic towards them because she cares about vi and in season 2 we can see that this has its limits. when vi joins her squad she's more than comfortable with gassing undercity citizens to find jinx at all cost. and jayce also sometimes slips up and shows contempt for the people in zaun, mostly because of his lack of perspective on the issue and the pressure that the terrorist attacks place on him as a council member. but viktor calls him out on this in the bridge scene and jayce immediately apologizes
not only that, but jayce later takes care to include him in the council meeting when discussing zaun's independence and calls attention to him during that meeting. he's symbolically presenting zaun as equal to piltover by calling viktor his partner and a zaunite. given how often vi and vander did the forehead touch thing, it's possible that that's also a zaunite gesture which gives more meaning to jayce pulling viktor into it in the astral plane. he respects viktor's identity as a zaunite and makes sure that viktor knows it
during caitlyn and jayce's conversation in the garden when caitlyn thinks about getting revenge for her mother she says that she finds it easy to hate them, but that remembering vi is what pulls her back from that. and i think it says a lot about how much they dropped the ball with caitlyn's character that there was so much less lasting tension between her and vi in the second season even though caitlyn was so much more radicalized in her position. i just wish theyd really challenged caitlyn on her support for the people of zaun being conditional
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hwnglx · 1 day ago
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dating jungkook - q&a
physical ideal type, how to catch his attention, as a boyfriend, love languages (give and receive), favorite type of dates, jealousy, etc.
based on tarot. i do not know these idols personally. energies are always changing. what i say is NOT straight fact. pls take it with a grain of salt!
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what physical traits in a person is jungkook most attracted to?
well-balanced features
humble, effortless and natural beauty (i keep seeing bare faces in my mind's eye)
sophisticated, well-groomed and clean
takes good care of their appearance
curves! (especially the top area)
graceful movement
soft and pretty hands
elegance
❥ more specific traits could include:
red lips
baby face
sharp face
black hair
light hair
long hair
straight hair
white clothing
beauty marks
i keep seeing iu in my mind's eye, dressed in this long and beautiful white dress.
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she sums up his physical ideal type in many ways. i can see him feeling drawn to people who have this fairy-like aesthetic.
however! i do have to say, i can see him feeling attracted to several types of looks. he's not as specific in his preferences as others; more open-minded in that regard.
for example, i absolutely see him liking girls whose aesthetics are on the “baddie” side as well. someone with tattoos or piercings, and more casual but edgy clothing. he for sure really likes it when someone just has a lot of sex-appeal.
one thing i keep getting though, is that he likes people who are well-put together and look after themselves. he definitely likes people who put effort into maintaining their looks, but don't look like they try too hard; let's say someone who works out regulary, eats healthy, takes care of their skin. things like that.
he seems like the type to like it when his partner can do both; glamorous and fancy on special occasions (like going to the red carpet together all dolled and dressed up), and more casual, laidback and natural when alone with him.
❥ possible rising signs he could feel attracted to:
capricorn
scorpio
libra
leo
what does it take to catch jungkook's attention?
he finds it intriguing when a person is intelligent, bold and wellspoken. lets say both of you are in a group of people; if all of you get into a discussion, and you're the one standing out by the way you express yourself in an eloquent, impactful and strong manner, that can very much intrigue him. people whose words have depth; a voice that doesn't raise often but once it does, it makes everyone in the room shut up and listen.
he feels drawn to individuals who are independent, knowledgeable, fair-minded and self-sufficient. i also keep hearing “frank” .. someone who's direct and honest with him. jungkook likes it when people aren't too shy or afraid to talk back at him, and humble him. he definitely enjoys a challenge and feeling like he needs to prove himself to someone first.
he also likes it when someone doesn't put him on a pedestal due to his status, and doesn't approach him with starstruck eyes, and unrealistic expectations he can't reach. he likes it when a person isn't intimidated or burdened by his presence, and is capable of simply putting his fame to the side; just see him as a human being.
how does jungkook act when someone catches his attention?
basically, man loses all focus. once someone actually catches his eye, that person can quickly become all he sees. like tunnel vision, forget about everything and everyone else, you're all i see. he can lose his inner composure, and get kinda obsessive of the thought of them. it's likely he'll struggle looking away and find himself naturally observing them a lot.
i'm in his energy, and i keep feeling like.. “oh wow, i need to be with them and approach them before anyone else can”
i can feel his possessive vein coming out quite fast, and him being worried the person might possibly be snatched away by someone else. so, it's likely for him to act quickly.
if there's an opportunity for him to get to them, he will for sure take it. though i have to say, he's definitely the self-conscious type to overanalyse things; like the way they reacted, and worry about the things he said in the heat of the moment.
how does jungkook act in the beginning of a relationship?
okay, this went deeper than i expected. i will try to keep it as understandable as i can.
as i mentioned before, and i keep getting this (the four of cups comes up without fail), this man can feel empty, lacking and apathetic a lot.. big part of the reason as to why he can get so attached to his s/o, is because he naturally puts the entirety of himself into his romantic partners.
jungkook's lovers can quickly become his safe space; his main source of comfort. the first place he seeks if he needs some peace. once he feels like he finally (this can take a while!) found a person he can comfortably pour his heart and soul out to, he can have the tendency to overdo it a little.
i just see him latching onto the person he's with, in hopes of them being able to fill this emotional void he can experience when on his own. he naturally expects a lot from them for this reason. like “i need you to fill the things i lack.”
i keep seeing an image of a diamond in my hand. imagine you found this diamond made out glass. you feel like it's so precious, because it gives you everything you asked for in life. it makes things seem brighter, more beautiful, enriches you. you will hold onto it for dear life, not ever letting it go anywhere else, out of fear of it slipping out of your grip; but this could potentially lead to the diamond breaking in your hands, since you just can't expect glass to be as hard as steel.
this reflects his dynamic with his lovers quite well; he can often make his partners the centers of his life, “dump” a lot of his expectations on to them, be immensely and obsessively protective over them out of fear of them being damaged, or taken away from him. however, this has the potential to put a lot of weight on their shoulders, which some people might have problems dealing with.
he can be contradictory in a sense, because make no mistake; jungkook will want to do all the work for you in a physical realm. it's almost like he overcompensates in the areas he's comfortable with. (especially acts of service)
he's the type to be like “don't work, i will work, you shouldn't tire yourself out. don't carry that upstairs, i will do it for you. are you exhausted? is one pillow not enough? don't worry, i will buy you two.” i can sense this genuine desire to make his lovers feel good in their relationship, and take care of them.
but, he's this case of.. you can't love anyone else in a healthy manner, if you don't learn to love yourself first.
he wants to give his lovers everything they deserve, and to an extent he does; but he still has his emotionally needy tendencies, since a lot of his inner issues remain unresolved. this as a result, can lead to jk naturally putting a lot of the relationship on his partner's back, without even intending to.
what is jungkook's love language? how does he like to receive and give?
❥ give:
acts of service
whatever he can get done for you, he will. the type to try and cook your favourite meal because you said you craved it the other day, even if he's not the best chef in his eyes. he'd probably end up embarrassed, overanalyze your reaction and tell you he's sorry about the dish being so bad. the type to love helping you out with anything; e.g. give him the task of building a new shelf you bought, he will do it and put the entirety of his effort in. i can also see him loving to drive you around, or carry your heavy shopping bags.
physical touch
he'll love to just have you close to him. it's almost like everything's okay once you're near him and he can physically feel you with him. a lot of possessive hand holding, sneaky and subtle but electrifying touches. the type to beg for a kiss over and over because he can't get enough, even if you get annoyed at some point; that'd just rile him up even more. (he'd grin all smug and amused) also random insight i got, but he seems like the type to love carrying his partners around. whether that's in a playful manner, or during e.g. the foreplay of more intimate intercourses. (like carrying you upstairs)
quality time/physical intercourse
he has a very powerful drive, and is the type to bond and connect a lot over physical intercourse. confident, incredibly sensual, intense and passionate lover in bed. i do see him letting off steam this way as well.
❥ receive:
words of affirmation
i got the empress card, which is the mother figure.
jk likes receiving comfort, support and reassurance from his lovers. he wants them to give him this feeling of “this person accepts, and loves me for everything i am.”
think of a mothers love; it's pure, unconditional and forgiving.
he's someone who desires an intuitive, and emotionally intelligent person who can give him both; tough, and soft love.
someone who's tough and honest when he needs a reality check or fist on the table, as well as a sweet nurturer, who's able to attune themselves to him emotionally, and reassure him in a gently supportive manner when he's in need of it.
he just wants someone he can have that subconscious connection and natural understanding with; a person who can almost read his mind by just one look at his face.
what kind of dates does jungkook enjoy the most?
first of all, when it comes to dates; jk likes being the initiator. the one who plans it all and has the ideas. this seems to be another way in which he likes to flex and display his affection. planning romantic and beautiful dates. let me give you a few examples that popped into my head.
romantic dinner
high-end restaurant, roses, wine, live jazz music, candlelit, dim and warm lighting, kinda like the first scene in seven -> i can also see him liking to reserve the entire restaurant out in advance, so that you're the only people in there. or planning the dinner to be on a rooftop while the sun is setting. it just needs to feel intimate.. like there's no one, but the two of you.
night walks
i can see him loving to be in a calm and serene atmosphere with his partners. he's someone who would love sneaking out at night after a long stressful day, to unwind and comfortably walk along the hangkang together with his lover, and the beautiful night scenery surrounding them. just having deep conversations and enjoying each other's presence.
educating yourselves together
he'd love to learn something together. maybe take on a new hobby with his partner; like a cooking course, or learning a new language. engaging in some kind of sport, or gym dates.
one thing that keeps coming through, is him genuinely wanting to feel like they're a “normal” couple.
he's incredibly adamant on fiercely protecting his lover from all the negative attention or haters, and escaping crazy people who try to dig their nose into their business. but at the same time, he doesn't want the relationship or his partner to feel uncomfortable. he can often seek normalcy in his private life.
how does jungkook act when he's jealous?
cold. he distances himself. if not physically, emotionally. leaves you to figure out what's wrong on your own for a while. let's say jk caught you talking to some other guy across the room; he will hate the sight and it will trigger a switch in him.
he'll feel threatened by the guy. he just taps out of sweet and accommodating boyfriend mode, into his darker and resentful energy. jealousy is something which can trigger many of his inner fears and insecurities. he might silently take deep breaths to press down his frustration and try his best not to make it obvious in his facial expression, but his face can easily drop and grow increasingly serious.
i don't see him as the type to impulsively confront his partner or be very vocal about how he feels, but moreso internalize his negative emotions and try to process them by distracting himself with other things or withdrawing into his own space. a lot of that comes from him not wanting to explode in your face, honestly. you'll have to dig slowly and approach him in a very patient way for him to open up.
he will feel left alone, there's some sadness here. he'll feel wronged, and like his fears were validated. his judgement is likely to be very clouded in that moment; even if you want to explain it as a misunderstanding, it's likely he won't wanna hear any of it for a while. he might collect information on the guy you talked to though, like asking his friends who he is, etc.
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newkatzkafe2023 · 3 days ago
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Oooooo things got me wondering
If the Monkey Kings met an electric horror y/n? Who's in a disguise of an innocent looking woman only to know how dangerous she is when provoked? Oooo I wanna know!!!
A dangerous woman is like a Strom, unpredictable yet captivating leaving an indelible mark on everything she touches-Unknown
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(Lmk Wukong) He was heading for pigsy's to join Mk and his friends for lunch, when he saw a very pretty face, aka you. Wukong found your whole appearance breathtaking and beautiful, especially your pretty heterochromia eyes. Wukong immediately began chatting with you for a while and bought you to pigsy's. You both spent time together and bonded over the months until somebody had to come and challenge him to a fight. Wukong grew immediately annoyed As he was in the middle of playing video games with you and was going to step out and teach them a lesson, but you told him to let you handle it this time. Wukong grew Weary but agreed as he watched you leave his small house, after a while he heard screaming. Wukong quickly ran outside but I found that the screaming was not from you, it was the challenge as he was in the middle of getting eaten by a giant haunting monster AKA YOU!!! When you turned back to normal He wasn't sure what to think yet, But not like he's gonna tell you your other form had awakened many shameful things within him����
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(HIB Wukong) You were a new neighbor from the village he stayed in, and you immediately became very popular due to your kindness and social nature. Luier and Silly girl loved to hang out with you especially when you come up with the most fun activities, but Wukong had felt something strange about you. That proved to be true as a creeper had been eyeballing Luier and you didn't like it and stay close to protect him, but then the guy grabbed Luier in the arm making the poor boy scream and Wukong fly into action. Though you beat him to it as you turned into your Eldritch monster and mauled the guy into letting go of Luier. later Luier had so many questions about your form as Silly girl climbed on your tentacles, while Wukong looked on with a Deep blush😳
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(MKR Wukong) He met you at a Buddha temple. The monk was praying in, and found you to be a little unusual but you were very respectful and kind to him. Wukong would blush a bit, as you would flirt and tease him but you both genuinely enjoy your time together, but a few days later another blood thirsty demon had attacked the village and kidnapped the monk making Wukong fly into action. That's when you grew into a giant Eldritch creature and slaughtered all the invaders with your Sharp tentacles, teeth and haunting eyes, The pilgrims were most likely tramatized. Meanwhile Wukong started at your Sharp fangs drooling and blushing imagining bring you back to his home😏
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(NR Wukong) He wad hitting on you like crazy at a motorcycle race he met you at, though you didn't care much for him at first he was Interestingly eccentric and a hilarious Individual. So you freely met up with him Whether it be at the bar or at another race, until one night you both were walking home together, when a group of sleaze scurbs started bothering and cat calling you. Wukong was immediately pissed and was gonna teach these guys a lesson, when he watched you grow into a Eldritch creature with a murderous expression. To say those guys shat and pissed themselves was a Humongous understatement as they ran away screaming and crying. Meanwhile Wukong had never been so turned on in his life🤤
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(Netflix Wukong) He trys way to hard to impress you, with his achievements and skills but you just thought he was cute. Wukong at first felt odd about being around you especially when out of all the people in the village, you could befriend it had to be him but after continuously chatting and bonding For a few weeks you both become two piece in a pod, but one day some demons started harassing the two of you. Wukong was immediately pissed at their insults until he saw the group pale infront of him, as the look at something in horror he was immediately confused Until he turned around himself and looked in shock. It was you In the form of a giant creature clearly not from this world, and with your Sharp tentacles ripped those guys a new one. You had apologized Wukong about not being honest with him about your true form but It looks like Wukong was Too busy staring at your tentacles while have very dirty thoughts🫢
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(BMW Wukong) He was drooling over you for a good few weeks now, as you would strutted around the village minding your own business. Wukong had flew over and began to woo you over, and you would giggle and flirt back and then run off. Though one day he didn't find you at your usual spot and that's when he saw you being harassed by a demon, demanding for your money and other valuables and Wukong It was going to step in. That's when he saw you glitch out or something and turned into some kind of horror crypt reature infornt of your aggressor, The next thing anybody knew the guy was peeled inside out and eaten and you went on your marry way. Meanwhile Wukong stood there with heart eyes and Started to faintly hear wedding bells😆
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(Destined one) The destined one had developed a mini crush on you when you first met. You were the first friendly face that greeted him in the village. You gave D.O. and Bajie one a tour of the village, being all smiles and cheering to them, but something was off, especially about you. Now this is the most peaceful village he's ever been to, don't get him wrong It's great, but does it usually be a demon attack once or twice but that's not happening for some reason and enemies follow him all the time. One night, the destined one couldn't sleep and decided to get some fresh air, when he saw a demon invader running away from something. But he couldn't see what. Then he saw you just walking calmly in the same direction as the invaders. He quickly got a bad feeling and followed to protect you if anything went wrong, but he quickly learned that you don't need protection. The Destined one watched you grow and become a haunting and Disturbing creature savagely attacking the intruders, now he understood why the Village was so safe and he has a boner now😦
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FEEL FREE TO REBLOG🦑🐙
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127tko · 1 day ago
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art dump bc this account has kinda just been sitting here and I don’t think each of them individually deserve their own posts tbhh :}
They’ll be sectioned and labeled for easy viewing and comprehension. All transformers content!!
…and I’m deeply sorry if the formatting ends up being hard to scroll through anyways im not quite versed in anything related to tumblr, this is my third post ever orz
First ever Optimus and Bee human designs I ever did (made after my first time watching TFPrime episodes 1 through like 9 with my friend)
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Doodle ft the first ever (and I’m pretty sure only) Megatron concept
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A small redesign after I made it farther into the series (around like the middle of season 2)
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First ever Breakdown and Knockout!! They make me sick (it’s a mess I know - in my head Breakdown has just a giant braid it is very important to me. Think Osceola Redarm(the goat) from AoEx) (also important, if not for the fact that it would’ve been completely covered and incomprehensible, BDs shirt would’ve said Hello Nurse with a Red Cross on it - it’s KOs shirt)
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New KO concepts and the start of a potential Starscream (im smirking)
Are they giving vampire bc I lowk wanted to channel vampire but I can’t tell if I failed or not
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And finally… from out of the blue it’s StarBee. Sorry they’re both individually my favorite characters so I just… I put them together because I love them. There’s an entire au in my head and everything, hopefully I’ll find it in me to expand and share. It involves a death loop if anyone was curious :3
Plus a humanized bee that I put through the works because I love him, it’s a crime of passion
(Fun fact this was the first Mech I ever drew and you can tell becaus it’s not very Mech-esque ;*})
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…I am still unaware on what constitutes effective tagging so sorry if it’s lackluster. I’m tying my best o7
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kathlare · 2 days ago
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The One Where They Get Back Together
Welcome to the masterlist for this phase of Amelie and Lando’s story, set in 2024—a year where they’ve finally found their way back to each other. After years of missed chances, misunderstandings, and unresolved feelings, they are now in a serious and committed relationship. This timeline explores their growth, both individually and together, as they navigate the challenges and joys of being in each other’s lives again.
previous year / next year
Their journey hasn’t been easy—far from it—but it’s exactly what makes this year so meaningful. It’s a story of second chances, healing, and the realization that sometimes, the right person comes back at just the right time.
Thank you so much for reading and being a part of this journey! Your support and love for these two means everything to me, and I hope you enjoy watching them figure it all out (with plenty of laughs, love, and maybe a bit of drama along the way). 💕
full masterlist // request over here!
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electric nights
behind the scenes
northern scapes
caught in the silence
fractures in the glass
across the world, for us
between us
taking the leap
fanboy - Eras Tour Melbourne
just us
the sushi test - Bahrain Grand Prix
sneaking glances - Saudi Arabian Grand Prix
caught in th glow - Oscars
tease and temptation
behind the grin - Austalian Grand Prix
reckless realizations
through the storm - Japanese Grand Prix
when the lights fade - Coachella
shifting tides
burning midnight - Chinese Grand Prix
orange chaos
into the spotlight - Miami Grand Prix
golden hour - Met Gala
bed chem
out off the bag - Emilia Romagna Grand Prix
stages of success - Saturday Night Live
virtual connection
drunk words, sober hearts - Monaco Grand Prix
please please please
inked in love - Canadian Grand Prix
surprise in the spotlight - Governor's Ball
between the quite moments
sweet distraction - Spanish Grand Prix
shattered moments - Austrian Grand Prix
balancing act
it's so romantic in paris - British Grand Prix
stage lights & stolen glances - Summertime Ball
echoes of sacrifice - Hungarian Grand Prix
drunk calls
shifting focus - Belgian Grand Prix
homecoming haven
sunsets & sparks
sun, fun and a whole lotta you
mullet madness - Outside Lands Festival
short n' sweet - Short n' Sweet Release Day
even miles apart - Dutch Grand Prix
surprise, baby
fuck papaya rules - Italian Grand Prix
unspoken tension
shattered sparks - Video Music Awards (VMAs)
unspoken words - Azerbaijan Grand Prix
electric feel - Singapore Grand Prix
showtime - Short n' Sweet Opening Night
call it what you want - Amelie's Birthday especial
shit show - United States Grand Prix
a night to remeber - Mexico City Grand Prix
you are enough - Sao Paulo Grand Prix
tears of triumph - Grammy nominations
juno - Lando's Birthday especial
everything as it should be - Short n' Sweet Closing Night
under the neon lights - Las Vegas Grand Prix
thankful for you - Thanksgiving Special
quiet respite - Qatar Grand Prix
tangled in love
papaya on top - Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
shining bright
feeling snowflakes
a symphony of lights
goodbye for now
just six more days
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tillsfan · 16 hours ago
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“hate is easier than a word as vague as love” cards analysis
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seeing sua's card, i immediately got the impression of her putting up a facade. her keeping her mouth SHUT, and holding her throat. i feel this represents sua’s dishonesty towards mizi, her deliberately hiding the truth of alien stage, yet slowly losing her composure because she knows she can't hide the truth forever. she knew her death was coming, yet she continued to force stability.
i also view her covering her neck as her actively hiding the reality, since her neck was where she got shot. she actively hid the truth of death until the end, with her forced expression and hiding the crack. she's also sweating, showing guilt towards her own actions. but sua's selfish. so she continued with her facade to make mizi happy. her extensive blush compared to the others, her lack of tears, the severity of her cracks.. does this make sense. this whole card symbolizes both her dishonesty and her selfish nature
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mizi's card is interesting. first of all, her crack is where sua's blood splattered on her. as sua died, she was still smiling, like it took her a second to process what was going on. you can tell she's suffering, she's literally holding herself together, yet she puts on a smile. i feel her card shows that she is processing things later than others, possibly continuing to avoid the reality of sua's death, because ignorance is all she knows. it's as if she's trying to remain positive, to remain that false light of hope, instead of grieving like a normal person. maybe not outwardly, because we know mizi was pretty closed off after sua’s death—but maybe she’s trying to convince herself. convince herself that she can save everyone, giving herself that false hope. sua's deciet did stunt mizi's growth after all.
mizi’s color scheme here is pink, and while it could be said that it’s just because it’s her signature color, i feel it’s something deeper. it can symbolize the “rose-tinted glasses” she had on, as her perception of anakt and alien stage was an idealized/perfected version. we know she never knew the reality of alien stage before it was forced to hit her like a truck. though, her eyes and tears are a very noticeable blue, which i perceive as the reality and grief finally seeping through her perfect world.
i am posting an individual mizisua analysis tomorrow. i want to delve deeper into them outside of just these cards.. so sorry that theirs is quite short
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ivan's card is a great contrast to mizi's and sua's. ivan is very visually suffering, he's in severe distress. ivan's card represents his overflowing of inner emotions, as he kept them in all his life. he hid them, let them bubble up inside until they boiled over. we know ivan has learned to keep up a facade, hiding his true childish, selfish and intense nature. he kept his intense emotions for till hidden all his life, and when he was finally about to die, he went all out. his final actions were almost like he was venting, letting everything pour out at once because he never made them prevalent. he let out his affection and hatred he's held for till all his life in the span of a few seconds.
his color scheme is also pure red. colors in alien stage hold great meaning, and red is often associated with intensity and rebellion. the colors here can represent both his intense overwhelming emotions, and his hidden resentment towards till. you can also piece that together with his expression, he seems very clearly frustrated. all in all, ivan's card represents many things. how he hid his emotions until they became overwhelming, and his overall conflicting feelings towards till.
ivan's crack is also across his face, furthering the idea of him holding up a false persona. the hearts are pooling out from both ends, representing the burdening amount of emotion he's had to keep inside. he felt his emotions were different, shallow, therefore he chose to hold them in until it killed him. he's also actively holding himself together, showing the struggle he felt hiding himself.
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the first most noticeable thing is the crack placement. his crack is where ivan has always touched him, ivan had a habit of caressing till's cheek, which was the most gentle gesture he ever gave. till is very clearly mourning ivan here, and was well aware of ivan's presence throughout his life. ivan was his stability, in a way. now that ivan isn't there to hold him, he's falling apart. it almost feels like a missed opportunity on till's end, his feelings finally being recognized only after ivan left him.
till's expression is very conflicting, his eyes being unevenly opened and his mouth tilting in difierent ways. this can represent how lost he feels without ivan. this could also represent how he doesn't know how to feel at ALL, seeing as how he had such a small amount of time to even grieve ivan's death, and how he never properly confronted his feelings towards ivan. he has shielded himself from the reality of ivan all his life. this can also be seen with how his hands are LITERALLY shielding his head. till's coping mechanism is avoidance, he deeply fears intimacy, so he chased after someone he knew he could never obtain (mizi). he avoided ever confronting how he truly felt about ivan, because if he did, he knew he had the chance of losing someone close to him again. but avoiding ivan's reality didn't change the fact they were really close. till cares. till cared so much that it led to his demise.
till's color scheme is blue, visualizing the deep sorrow engulfing till. throughout round 7, till was heavily distressed and upset, his feelings overpowering his ability to properly perform, leading to his loss. till does not know how to confront sadness, seeing as how he let it submerge him in round 6 as well. he's very mentally weak DUE to his avoidance + fear of vulnerability in both relationships and his own emotions. he never allowed himself to properly get close to anyone, he couldn't develop the mental strength needed to survive.
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taldigi · 3 days ago
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For Retransmission, I was curious about a few things and wanted to ask some questions, I hope you don't mind,
1. whats the dynamic between Teddie and rise? Mostly curious because they have a combo move together, but individually they seem super interesting to!
2. Speaking of, what are the combo moves between everyone like?
3. I was also reading some of your other posts and was curious about the 'fake romance route' for rise?
4. What's teddie like in general? From the way you've described him before, he sounds vastly different from the naive bear in canon.
Sorry if that's a lot of questions o> Retransmission is so cool, and the way you describe things is super fun to read :D
1) If Yu is busy being a mascot, then someone else has to be Sensei-
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2) Thats a bit further ahead than I've thought! LMAO! Uhh, Naoto - Yukiko's is them both going for the same shadow, butting heads, and fighting each other while the shadow that got targeted gets swept up in the fight cloud. The others? Not sure yet.
3) Ai Ebihara has a fake romance route, where getting together too early ends in a breakup. Same for RT!Rise.
4) Ted's a tough one. Ted's lonliness and immaturity are cornerstones of his personality- and while in canon it's due to him being a shadow- this is a human teddie who's had plenty of socialization. So those two cornerstones need to come from his role as a child star and his his loss of "self" to his myriad of roles he's fulfilled as an actor.
All good! I love questions, it's fun and lets me stretch and explore my AUs more than I would on my own LOL!
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darksigns-exe · 2 days ago
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a prayer to venus - noah sebastian x ofc
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warnings: panic attacks, questioning of gender, dysphoria, swearing, handjobs (m receiving), oral sex (f receiving), unprotected intercourse
word count: 21k
note: hi! this is a big boy so i'll keep things brief. special thanks to @deathblacksmoke, @circle-with-me, @sitkowski and @baddestomens <3 thank you for your help with this one.
as this is a very long fic there is a chance that i may have missed a warning. if you do find something that you think should be added please let me know <3
masterlist | taglist sign-up
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Watching Maya get ready even though they have nowhere to go quickly becomes Noah’s favourite pastime. She’s humming along to the song playing in the background, not really paying attention to him. He knows that she likes the routine of it. Having a little bit of structure would probably do him good too. Noah’s had so much time to think that he’s starting to get sick of the inside of his own head. 
And it’s only been two weeks with no end in sight. 
The one good thing about this is that he gets to spend as much time with his girlfriend as he wants. Although, he’s sure that Maya will eventually get a little tired of him hanging around like this all the time. Sure, he’s doing his own things. But this will be the most time they’ll have together without a break since they’ve gotten together about two years ago, and he really doesn’t want her to get tired of him. 
He’s been so distracted that he hasn't noticed that Maya had long finished getting ready. 
“We have a problem.” she says, sounding so very displeased. 
Noah snaps out of his thoughts then, “What’s up?”
“Does the internet work on your phone?” 
He checks and – nothing. 
“Again?” 
Noah tries not to sound as frustrated as he feels. This is maybe the fourth time this week that their internet connection just stopped working. According to the provider, there’s nothing they can do about it. A lot of people online or something like that. 
“Let me just text Ellie that I can’t make it to the meeting today, and then we can see what we’ll do.”
Noah watches intently as she types the message into her phone.
As much as this all is going to suck, he’ll get to wake up to her every morning and that makes it a little bit better. 
The day drags by so tortuously slowly. They’ve watched two movies, had lunch and watched another three episodes of a show when the boredom really sets in. 
Maya lies with her head in his lap. The show playing in the background is long forgotten as they both do their own little things. 
“You should let me put make-up on you some time.” It sounds like a desperate attempt to keep herself busy. 
Noah has historically been rather bad at saying no to her, so it’s no surprise that he finds himself sat in front of her little vanity just a little while later. He’s happy to entertain Maya, and the upside of this is that he gets to be so very close to her. Having this time together will be good for them. Not that they’ve been struggling before, but actually getting to be a real couple for a little bit without having to deal with the distance will be nice. 
Maya tilts his chin up just a little. 
“Close your eyes for a moment.”
He has no idea what she’s doing. No amount of watching her do this will make him understand what the individual products she uses are. Whatever she’s doing feels nice, though. 
Maya’s fingers brush across the tops of his cheeks, before he feels the tickling of a brush follow in their path. 
“If you’re not careful, I’m going to force you to wear sunscreen.” Maya says then, and he knows that she’s smiling. 
“Is that a promise?” 
She smacks his shoulder playfully, “It’s a threat.” 
He loves what they have. 
They’d met at a friends’ show, literally bumping into each other at the bar. Noah had been hooked from that first moment. Maya had been the reluctant one. But he’d persevered. Noah had “played” best friend for a year before she’d eventually asked him if he’d like to be her date to her brother's wedding. Maya had caught the bouquet that day. He doesn’t remember how the kiss happened, they’d both had plenty to drink at that point. All Noah remembers is that after that day, everything had changed between them. Sure, he’d slept over at her place before and sure, he’d slept in her bed. But when Noah had woken up that morning, it had all felt so different. They’d never really cuddled, but then he’d woken up to Maya curled against his front, arm slung across his body. They’d sort of stumbled into this relationship, and it had taken Noah a whole month to build up the courage to ask her if they were a thing now. He’ll never forget how Maya had smiled at him then. How she’d asked him if he kisses all of his friends like he kisses her. It hadn’t been long until he’d moved into her place to maximise the time they’d have between tours. 
Two years later, Noah still feels all warm inside when she looks at him like that. 
“Alright.” Maya says finally, “All done. Have to admit, I think I’ve outdone myself.” 
What he sees in the mirror doesn’t immediately reach his brain. 
Noah has always been somewhat sure about himself, albeit a little insecure and unsatisfied when it comes to his height and weight. So really, he can’t explain the feeling that barrels through his brain like a freight train at that moment. He can’t tear his eyes away. Narcissus has nothing on him.
It’s almost as if he’s had a minor problem with his vision and has tried on glasses for the first time. It had never seemed off, but now that something has changed – 
He shoves the thought to the back of his mind. 
Nothing has changed. 
Maya put a little bit of stuff on his face and he can admit that it’s aesthetically pleasing. Nothing more. 
Nothing has changed. 
Noah can pick up on the similarities to how Maya does her own make up. And it feels a little like recognising her handwriting between countless others. Not that he knows a lot about this, but he’s watched her do it for long enough now to have at least a little bit of an idea. 
He finds Maya’s eyes in the mirror. 
She’s plotting something. 
“Can I take a couple of pictures, for reference?” she asks a moment later. 
Noah tries to give an indifferent shrug, “Sure.” 
He’s never worried about that before, and he won’t start now. Maya takes plenty of pictures of him for reference. 
He trots after her into the room she uses as a studio. Noah knows this routine by now. He stands in front of the white backdrop waiting for Maya to get her camera out and ready. No matter how hard he tries, he can’t deny the little pit that still sits in his chest. There’s a tightness there that he hadn’t felt an hour ago. 
Half an hour later, Noah finds himself under the burning hot stream of their shower. Maybe blasting himself with scalding water will make this go away. Surely, anyone would have a brief moment of questioning for lack of a better word if they saw themselves like that. He reasons it’s a normal thing. If you see yourself looking entirely different for the first time, it has to do something to your brain. But it doesn’t have to mean anything. 
When he steps out of the shower some twenty minutes later, he’s managed to quiet his mind somewhat. Noah’s sure that this was just a combination of the make-up and the absolute havoc this lockdown has already caused in his brain. 
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It’s a little jarring. 
It’s been a little over a week, and he's still thinking about this. 
Noah shakes the thought from his brain — or tries to at least. The thing is that it’s very persistent. A nagging little thing at the stem of his brain that refuses to leave him alone. 
And worst of all, he can’t even really name it. He can’t pinpoint what it exactly is, and maybe that makes it so much worse. Can’t fight a thing you can’t name and all that. Then again, he doesn’t even know if this is a thing he can fight. 
Noah shakes the mouse to wake his pc up again. He scrolls past countless of unread messages until he finds Nick's contact. 
Are you busy?
His message doesn’t stay unanswered for long, and before long, Nick’s reply pops up on his screen. 
Looking to get your ass beat again? Give me five minutes need to feed the cats
The familiarity of Nick will take his mind off this. It isn’t that Maya didn’t, but every time he looks at her, his chest feels tight with this fucking feeling. Noah feels terrible about it. He hates that this thing has tinged the way he looks at his girlfriend. 
It’s seven when Maya knocks at the door of his little studio space. 
“Dinner?” she asks, poking her head through the crack in the door. 
A quick goodbye to Nick later, they’re seated in the living room, with a spread of styrofoam containers on the coffee table in front of them. 
He’s sure that Maya has ordered about every possible option on the menu of their go-to Filipino place. They’ll have enough leftovers for the next few days. 
Noah ends up with his head in her lap. He loves the attention she showers him with. The manicured tips of her fingers scratch against his scalp, just the way he likes it. He’s long stopped paying attention to the documentary they’re watching. The mix of her touch and the warmth of her body lulls him into a comfortable pre-sleep state. And in this drowsy state, he feels a little bit of peace for the first time in a week. Maybe tearing himself away from Maya like this was the wrong way to go about it after all. 
Noah walks down the hallway. This feels familiar – he knows this venue. They’ve played this venue before. His feet lead him into the last restroom before the stage. The lights are still on. Right, he just saw Folio exit the door. His eyes find the mirror – the softer features, the painted skin. Sometimes it still slips her mind. Maya had helped her again, her hands got too shaky to do her make-up on her own.  This is their first show back.  New album, new everything.  It doesn’t feel as scary as it probably should.  She rights her shirt, tugs on the belt until the buckle is properly centred. Noah hears them outside. She’s sure that she can hear Matt and Nick talking about something in front of the door. Something about the last few shows of the tour selling out too.  They huddle up. Jolly says something about how they’ll be better than ever tonight. She feels Nick squeezing her shoulder. Folio’s excitement bubbles over into her. 
Noah feels incredibly disoriented when he wakes up. He doesn’t usually remember his dreams, and this one was especially odd. He tries to shake it off, tries to remember what had happened before he fell asleep. 
Maya should be here. 
He doesn’t immediately see or hear her. The take out containers are gone too. Noah pulls the blanket she had draped over him up a little higher. He tries to listen for her in the silence of their home. 
Nothing. 
Noah turns over onto his back. 
He stares up at the ceiling for a long while. 
It’s a dream, he tells himself, Nothing more.
Eventually, Noah pushes himself off the sofa. 
His body feels so awfully heavy. The clock on his phone reveals that it’s only been forty-five minutes. He could have sworn that he slept through the night. Although he knows that Maya would never let him sleep on the couch like that. 
Noah decides to go looking for her. She can’t have gone far, not this late in the day. There’s no sign of her in the kitchen or their bedroom. He briefly checks the bathroom too, only to find it empty as well. Which leaves him with one more option. 
The door to her studio is ajar, and he suddenly feels a little foolish for having missed it when he passed by it just a few minutes ago. 
Just for a moment, he allows himself to watch her. The pink of her hair is starting to fade again, and he wonders what colour she’ll dye it next. Since he’s known her, her hair has been about every colour of the rainbow. The pink has been the most permanent colour so far. He likes it on her, it suits her. Noah’s sure that she could show up in the most plain and unexciting thing possible and would still have all eyes on her. Maya has a draw to her – one that he’d experienced first hand. 
Noah slips into the room. Maya doesn’t immediately notice him and continues to do whatever she’s been doing. As he comes closer, Noah sees that she’s looking through a stack of photos. He wraps himself around her, and Maya jumps a little in surprise. 
He rests his chin on her shoulder to see exactly what she’s looking at. 
“I got the last film back.” she explains. 
She pauses on a picture of the Nicks. Folio’s grimace makes both of them laugh. Maya continues to cycle through the photos. She slows when she reaches the ones she took of him the week prior. Almost instantly, Noah’s chest tightens. 
Getting a visual refresher of that day brings that unsettling feeling back. He’d tried to push it so far back into his mind, but now that he’s faced with himself again, it slowly crawls back up his spine. 
“Noah?” Maya’s voice seeps into his brain, “Noah – you’re squeezing me.” 
The edge of panic in her voice snaps him out of it. He hadn’t even realised how tight his hold on her had become. 
“I’m sorry – I completely zoned out.” Noah sputters out quickly. 
“Everything okay, baby?” Maya wriggles out of his hold, turning around so that she can look at him, “You know you can tell me everything, right? If something’s up, please don’t lock me out again.” 
He wishes that he could. But how can he talk about this when he doesn’t even know what to call the thing that is bothering him? Noah knows that Maya won’t dig for an answer, they both know that it’ll only make him close up more. And he knows what she’s trying to do with this, he knows that she’s trying to get him to open up a little further, but it feels so awfully impossible. 
When they go to bed that night, Noah lies awake for what feels like hours. When he checks the clock on his phone again, he once more finds out that it’s barely been over an hour. His mind is racing at a thousand miles an hour, unable to settle on anything for long. Eventually, Noah drags himself out of bed. Phone clutched in his hand, he tip-toes to the living room again. If he can’t fall asleep, he might as well keep himself occupied. 
He sinks onto the sofa, the blanket still draped over the arm where he’d left it just a little bit earlier. For a while, he scrolls mindlessly through different feeds. Noah lets himself be dragged into the endless stream – whatever will take his mind away from this. Noah really doesn’t know where this is going to take him. He’s been sleeping so poorly recently, and maybe it’s good that this is happening now that he’s at home and doesn’t have to stick to a strict schedule. Noah doesn’t want to think about how awful this would be if they were on tour. 
Maybe it’s morbid curiosity that leads him to type his somewhat clumsy question into Google. The first searches don’t really give any suitable answers. Noah can objectively say that he looked good with what Maya put on his face, that isn’t his issue, and he isn’t afraid to admit that either. 
The issue lies deeper. 
Appearance doesn’t match what I have in mind
His hands tremble an awful lot for a thing like this.
Noah taps on the first result.
Most of the answers talk about a thing called Body Dysmorphic Disorder. And while it ticks some of his boxes, he doesn’t think it’s the right thing yet. He doesn’t feel detached from himself either, so those options fly out of the window too. 
Surely, not – 
Noah taps out of the browser on his phone as soon as he reads the word gender. Whatever is wreaking havoc on his mind is not that. He digs his fingers into his thighs. 
The silence of the room is deafening. It rings in his ears. 
Noah knows what a panic attack feels like, and this one is barrelling towards him at full speed. 
His lungs haven’t felt this tight in years. 
It all circles back to this one image – one singular what if. 
The doubt creeps over him like sludge, sticky and viscous. 
Noah staggers into the kitchen, barely feeling stable enough to make the trek. He feels dizzy, disoriented. His vision is narrowed to a small pinpoint, and he knows that he’s bumping into all sorts of things on the way to the sink. He blindly pats around the counter until his fingers curl around the edge of the sink.
The cold water shocks him out of the state of blind panic he’s been in. His hands still shake uncontrollably, but at least he doesn’t feel as if he’s about to empty his stomach out in the next few moments. 
Noah slumps down in front of the counter. 
It can’t be that. 
He’s never questioned himself like that before. 
The light in the hallway flickers on, pulling his attention towards it. 
“Noah?” her voice rings through dimly lit space and finds its way into the centre of his chest. 
He can’t bring himself to reply. The words won’t come. 
He hears Maya’s bare feet on the wooden floors. 
She eventually finds him cowering in the middle of their kitchen. Maya comes to kneel in front of him, hands immediately finding the sides of his face. 
Her words rush right past his ears. Noah lets her wrap him up in her arms. He doesn’t know for how long they sit like this, but eventually, his mind returns to him. 
“Noah, honey.” she speaks softly, fingers still combing through his hair, “What’s going on?”
He swallows the lump in his throat. 
“It’s just a lot.” he says instead of the thousand other things he could say. 
It’s not really a lie, but he still feels impossibly bad. 
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For the next five weeks, Noah finds himself spiralling further down this seemingly endless tunnel. For the most part, he sequesters himself to the second bedroom he uses as a studio. All under the guise of feeling so productive. In reality, he sits staring at the monitor for hours and maybe gets a fraction of the work he had planned done. 
There’s no rush to finish the album anyway. 
Who knows when or if they’ll be able to tour again. 
Everything feels as if it's collapsing around him. Every time he thinks that he’s ready to tell Maya that he’s digging himself deeper and deeper into this crisis, Noah feels himself shrinking back into his shell. 
And so he sits in silence, listening to the tormenting thoughts that course through his mind. It’s almost as if they’re taunting him. 
Noah hasn’t dared to look further into the possibilities of what this could be. That one shock of reading  gender and dysphoria had been enough for him. It’s not that he doesn’t agree with that, people can and should do whatever they want with their bodies. 
But he? 
Noah has never questioned his identity like that, he’s never looked at himself and thought what if? And now it’s all he can think about. 
What if he isn’t what he thought he was?
Sure, he’s had moments of insecurity. 
One or the other high school bully had thrown the odd you dress like a girl at him, but that had never really worried him. Before that day, Noah had never looked at himself and felt this disconnect. 
In a desperate attempt to end this day of self-flagellation, Noah finds his way into the bathroom. Maya had once told him that a bath could fix most of her problems, and at this point he’s willing to try everything. 
Running himself a bath like this in the middle of the day does feel a little odd, but he’s done stranger things in recent weeks. 
The hot water does help to ease the ache from his bones. If this does nothing else, he’ll at least feel a little less tense. 
Noah lets himself sink into the water and suds. 
His world is crumbling around him, and he doesn’t know how to stop it. Then again, Noah doesn’t even know if he can or should stop this. 
It’s an odd thing. 
Because when he lets himself glimpse past the denial, something about this feels right. When he lets himself consider it clearly and without judgement, he knows that what he saw in the mirror, the made up feminine face, looked so deeply familiar. 
A long-lost friend.  
In the sanctity and security of this space, Noah lets himself consider this. He lets himself sink under the water. 
What’s the worst that could come of this?
There are the consequences this would have for himself. If he lets himself explore this, he’ll have to deal with a plethora of questions that he doesn’t even know about yet. Deep down, he knows that Maya will be with him no matter what. She won’t judge him for this questioning, they’ve talked plenty about her explorations with sexuality. 
The band is a different thing entirely. He’s sure that none of them will treat him differently, but the fear is still there. There’s no real knowing. 
He doesn’t even want to think about their audience. That’s a bridge he won’t even think about until it comes into view. 
A knock on the door and the call of his name draw Noah out of his thoughts. 
“Honey, are you in there?” Maya’s voice is laced with concern. 
“Yes.” he answers quietly. 
“Can I come in?” 
When he doesn’t answer immediately, she cracks open the door just a little, “Noah?” 
He musters all of his strength to answer, “Come in.” 
Maya slips into the room, the worry on her face breaks his heart a little. 
“I was looking for you all over the place.” she says, as she sits on the edge of the tub, “Everything okay?” 
She reaches for the hand that is nearest to her, carefully tangling their fingers together. 
For a moment, Noah thinks that he should tell her.
In the end, he gives another vague everything is bad, and I don’t know what to do answer. He doesn’t know if Maya actually buys it, but she doesn’t press him further. 
“Do you want to be alone or do you want me to stay here?” she asks eventually. 
“Can you stay?” Noah asks, despite her offering to do so. 
With a little more hot water added to the tub, Maya slips into the tub behind him. Noah lets the mess in his brain float away from him, when he rests his body against hers. Her arms curl around his middle, hands splayed out across his tummy. They sit like this for a while, silence wrapped around them. It’s comfortable, and Noah thinks that maybe he shouldn’t isolate himself as much. 
His breath hitches when her hand drifts a little lower. 
“Is this okay?” Maya sounds so careful and hesitant. 
Intimacy has been tricky.
The anxiety that has settled in his body has made him so tired that he falls asleep before Maya. It’s not that he hasn’t wanted this, and he knows that he’s been neglecting her quite a bit. 
The tips of her fingers skate across his hip, and that breaks his resolve. 
“Please, baby.” he sighs out shakily. 
Noah’s eyes fall shut when Maya wraps her hand around him. He lets himself get lost in the slow movements of her hand. 
She always treats him so well. 
Her lips follow the curve of his neck, leaving a trail of kisses in their wake. Noah sighs when she reaches that one extra sensitive spot on his neck. 
“I missed you.” Maya sounds almost mournful when she speaks, “You’ve been so far away from me.” 
The words burn in his chest. 
He knows it’s true. 
Noah let himself drift away from her, he allowed them to become distant like this. He doesn’t know if he has it in him to tell her about this yet, but he can’t lose her. 
Consciously, this time, he brings himself back to the present moment – to Maya. 
It takes Noah a moment to catch up, and he feels his breath catch in his throat when he really allows himself to feel all of this. His head drops back against her shoulder as she continues to work him towards his climax. He knows that she enjoys this just as much as he does. Noah doesn’t hold back on his moans, not that he has much choice with how good her hand feels on him. 
“Please don’t stop.” He sighs out between laboured breaths. 
Her name is a prayer on his lips. 
The only thing that circles in his mind is her, the way she makes him feel, the way she feels behind him. Noah allows the feeling to swallow him entirely. It drowns out the anxiety, the fear, and instead gives him a soft warmth. The comfort he has been missing slowly creeps back into his body. 
Maya doesn’t let him get back to work after that. He’s glad that she insists that he needs a break — he wouldn’t have allowed himself one. 
Noah lets her pull him into their bedroom, into their bed. For the first time in weeks, he allows himself comfort, a brief respite from the cold he has let himself fall into. 
He doesn’t really register what they watch, and it doesn’t matter that much, either. Maya is curled up in front of him, her back warm against his chest. He buries his face in the side of her neck, lets the soft scent of her shampoo and perfume fill his senses. 
Noah knows that he needs to tell her.
She deserves to know, she deserves to make a decision of her own. 
He almost tells her in that moment. 
But Maya falls asleep before he does, and he shelves the plan just for a while longer. 
He will tell her. 
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Noah doesn’t tell her for another few weeks. 
Instead, he crawls back into the dark – willingly this time. 
The more he looks into this thing, the more it darkens his mood. He’d hoped that understanding this would let him open himself to Maya again, but instead they’re just quietly drifting away from each other. 
The thing hangs over them like an oppressive shadow, and he can feel her slipping away. 
Maya is out of bed before he gets up on most mornings. She stays in her studio and only steps out for lunch and dinner. Noah thinks that she looks awfully tired. 
He knows what the right thing is, he knows how he could make this stop, and yet – he feels immobilised by the fear that still clings to him. 
Lately, he’s been pulling away more and more from his friends, too. The last message Nick has sent him has gone unanswered for a few days now. He can’t bring himself to type out whatever lame excuse flits through his mind at that moment. He can’t lie to Nick too. He’s already lying to the most important person in his life. 
Noah knows that he’s letting both of them down with this, and still, the words remain unspoken. 
It’s nearing midnight when he crawls out of bed again. Maya is asleep next to him, but he can tell that she isn’t sleeping well. 
Neither of them has in recent weeks. 
He slips out of their bedroom as quietly as he can and hides himself away in his studio. 
Almost as if pre-programmed, Noah finds his way back to the forums he’s been studying. He’s been reading up on experiences, trying to piece together what this feeling means for him. He knows that this isn’t a black and white thing. It’s awfully complicated and – 
He just manages to slam his phone onto the table when the door flies open. 
“We’re either going to talk this out now or I’m going to Ellie’s for a bit. I cannot deal with you sneaking out of bed every fucking night.” she doesn’t sound angry, and Noah doesn’t need to look up to know that she’s been crying. 
The thought of Maya quietly crying to herself breaks his heart even further. 
“I feel like you’re – drifting away from me, Noah. I don’t know what’s happening. If you – if you don’t want this any more, that’s okay, but please have the decency to tell me and don’t string me along like this.” 
The words hit him like a wall of bricks. 
He knows that he’s been horrible, not just as a partner but as a friend too. But hearing how truly painful his actions – or rather lack thereof – have been feels like the final nail in his coffin. 
“Maya I’m –”
“Don’t say you’re sorry. Just tell me what is going on, please.” 
Even from this distance he can see the furrow in her brow, the quivering of her lip. One hand grips the other so tightly. He only notices now, that she has pulled one of his sweatshirts over her body. 
Noah draws in a deep breath, “I – I don’t know how to explain it really. I have to apologise, though – I need to. You didn’t deserve this.”
Maya slowly comes closer to him, still so very hesitant. 
“Do you remember when you put make-up on me that one day?” she nods, “I don’t know – something about seeing myself like that fucked with my head a little.” 
The concern on her face becomes even more evident then, “How so? I don’t know if I understand.” 
Noah rubs a hand across his face. He can barely stop his knee from bouncing now. The nerves bite at him, gnaw at his resolve. He swallows down the beginnings of tears. 
“It – made me feel – fuck, this is already difficult to make sense of in my head – seeing myself like that felt like I was seeing myself for the first time. I don’t know – I still don’t know what that means for me. I’ve been trying to figure it out and in doing so, I’ve let this happen, and I’m so fucking sorry.” 
Noah can’t stop the tears then. 
A moment passes before he feels hands grasping his. The warmth doesn’t quite reach him yet. 
“Why haven’t you talked to me, Noah?” 
A sob breaks from him, “I wanted to.” 
He feels her forehead dropping against his knees. 
Damp stains his skin. 
Maya kneels at his feet, barely clinging on to his form. There’s something so devastating about that sight. Hearing her quiet sniffles breaks his heart just a little more. Every shake of her shoulders drives the thorn further into his chest. 
He can’t tell how much time passes until she looks up at him again. Her cheeks are red and splotchy, skin stained with tears. 
“I’m sorry that you felt as if you couldn’t talk to me about this. I – feel like I’ve let you down.” she says quietly, “I’m so sorry.” He watches helplessly as rises to her feet once again. 
“You didn’t – I made myself believe that I couldn’t talk to you.” He doesn't know if his words actually help, he hopes that they do, “You’ve always been there for me. This just – I could barely wrap my head around it. And when I figured out what I was even feeling, it fucked with me so much.” 
“I think I need a moment to think and sort my head out. Can we – we should finish this in the morning? It’s late.” 
Noah thinks that he hears a sliver of regret in her voice. It’s hidden behind the obvious pain that colours her features. Knowing that he caused this pain makes his chest tighten up again. 
He nods, fully knowing that nothing he has to say right now will change this. 
Noah doesn’t question when Maya doesn’t follow him into their bedroom. The sting of it still stays with him when he crawls back under the duvet. He can’t shake the look on her face from his mind. 
He’s never seen Maya look this hurt. 
Noah hates that it has taken him this long to realise that he cannot let things go on like he has. They both deserve better than this. He won’t let himself sit in this silence, and he won’t let her suffer at his hands any more. 
Tomorrow he’ll put his cards on the table, no matter how terrifying it is. It’s not just about being honest to her any more, it's about being honest to himself. 
He lasts maybe thirty minutes on his own, before he finds his way back into the living room. He finds Maya cradling a cup of tea in her hands. The skin below her eyes is still damp with tears. 
Silently, he holds his hand out to her. 
Maya hesitates for just a moment, before she sets her cup down on the coffee table. As soon as her hand is in his, he pulls her in. Maya wraps herself around him, face buried against his chest. Her hold on him should feel suffocating, but in this moment it’s exactly what he needs. 
“I don’t know what’s going on in your head, but we’ll figure this out. I’m here for you no matter what, okay?” 
Noah has to choke back a new wave of tears. 
“I know.” 
“I love you and nothing will change that.” her words sink into his chest. 
It’s been too long since he heard her say it – or said it himself. 
“Promise?” Her arms tighten around him just a little bit more, “I promise, Noah.” 
“I love you too.” he says finally, and he feels Maya relax a little against him, “Let’s go back to bed, okay?”
He wakes with Maya still wrapped around him. 
Her hand is warm on his chest, and for the first time in weeks, he doesn’t wake up with an ache in his jaw. 
The morning continues slow. 
He exits the bathroom to the sight of Maya getting the rest of their breakfast ready. They eat outside in their little garden, the silence is for once comfortable. 
The weight on his shoulders feels a little bit lighter. 
But the prospect of the conversation they still have to hold still lingers over him. Noah can’t deny that it terrifies him. Knowing that he’ll have to voice this thing out loud shakes him to the core. He still isn’t sure how he’s supposed to put all of this into words. 
He feels a hand on top of his. 
“Noah?” she asks softly, “You’re getting awfully quiet again.” 
Might as well rip off the band-aid now. 
“I don’t really know how to say this. I’m still trying to figure out what this means for me. I never really questioned how I see myself before that day. And seeing myself like that, it – scared me a lot. It still does to be honest.”
“When you say question – just so we’re both on the same page – what do you mean?”
He draws in a shaky breath, “I don’t know if guy is the right way to describe myself. I don’t know what the right thing is, but I know that it’s not that.” 
Noah doesn’t dare to open his eyes. 
Her hand squeezes his. 
“Noah, honey.” Maya says softly, “Can you look at me?” 
He forces his eyes open and slowly turns to look at her. 
“This is okay. It’s okay that you’re questioning this. And I wish that I could have been there for you.” she looks at him with so much genuine honesty, “Whatever you decide doesn’t change how I feel about you.”
He whispers a quiet thank-you. 
“What do you need from me right now? How can I help?” 
“Just be you. I think I need that constant.” Noah feels a little silly saying it, putting it like that, but the comfort of her is exactly what he needs. 
“I can do that.” Maya says with a nod, “But Noah, please talk to me. Don’t shut me out like that. I don’t want you to be alone with this.” 
He squeezes her hand in response, “I’m sorry for how I treated you these last few weeks. That wasn’t fair, and I’m very sorry.” 
“It’s okay. We just won’t let it get that far again. Promise me that.” 
He gives a nod in reply, “Promise.” 
“I’m going to hold you to that.”
“I know you will.” 
Maya pulls him in for a kiss, “Good. Let’s get this inside. I still have to finish the piece I’m working on.” 
“What are you working on anyway?” 
For a moment, everything feels normal. They’re cleaning up the remnants of their shared breakfast, talking about what they’re working on. Noah has missed hearing about her work. He loves the pretty animated look she gets when she talks about her current project. 
“I thought we could go for a little drive? Get out of the house for a little bit, maybe get something to snack on?” Maya proposes as she hops up on the counter, “What do you think?”
Noah comes to stand in front of her, hands naturally finding their way to the tops of her thighs, “Think that would be nice. I’m getting kinda sick of being inside all the time.” 
Maya drapes her arms over his shoulder, fingers lacing together behind his neck, “Tell me about it. Getting out of the house for a little bit will be good for us.” 
An hour later, Noah pulls out of their spot on the side of the street. In the corner of his vision, he can see Maya scrolling through her phone, most likely trying to decide which playlist she wants to put on. 
She eventually settles on her go-to, and the familiar intro of some Arctic Monkeys song warbles through the speakers. 
They drive for maybe ten minutes before Maya speaks up again.
“Please tell me if I’m touching on something you’re not ready to talk about. But I have a few questions, if that’s okay?” She sounds so hesitant, carefully dancing around the topic. 
Maybe if he’d done this all differently, things would feel so stilted now. 
“Sure. I don’t know if I can answer them, though. It’s all — I don’t know if I really know what this all means for me, you know?”
“Was it really the makeup that set this all off?” 
He nods, “I think seeing myself like that dug something up that I managed to hide so well that I didn’t even know about it.” 
“You never questioned it before that day?”
“Not that I can remember.” Noah replies, he’s thought about it often enough in the last few weeks to at least be sure of this. 
He tries his best to answer the questions Maya throws at him. Many of them still feel unclear to him. But openly talking about it for the first time helps – maybe if he’d felt a little bit braver, this would have been so much easier. He’s always found solace in her, and maybe he should have known that speaking to someone about this would help. 
They end up in a car park overlooking the ocean. It’s quiet – everything is at the moment. But for once, his mind is also quiet. They sit on a low wall, quietly talking for a little while longer. Noah lets his head drop to her shoulder, as they watch the slow ebb and flow of the water before them. 
Maya’s hand is warm on his thigh, it rests high on his leg in that comforting way. She does it when they’re out together and the clutch of anxiety is wrought tightly around him. Once in a while, he feels her fingers pulse against the inside of his thigh, like a friendly reminder that she’s still beside him. 
“I got everything for flatbread pizzas when I ordered groceries yesterday. Before you ask, I got the nice tomatoes.” 
For the first time in weeks, Noah hears himself genuinely laugh out loud. 
Getting out of the house for a while, even if it’s just to sit and talk, makes his chest feel a little less tight. The anxiety is still there, but it’s not quite as strangling any more. 
“Come with me for a minute, will you?” Maya asks when she unlocks their front door.
Naturally, Noah follows her into her studio. 
He hasn’t been into her space in weeks. The familiar scent of her paints and inks filters into his senses. Noah wonders what she’s been working on. 
The easel is still covered by an old duvet cover. He remembers it from Maya’s old apartment, the little one bedroom with the leaking faucet in the kitchen that would drive them absolutely insane at night. 
“It’s a little funny – I didn’t know what that moment did for you. I just thought that you looked so –” she gesticulates trying to find the right word before settling on something, “Beautiful. I had to do something with it.” 
She steps away from the easel, motioning for him to remove the cover. 
Noah doesn’t know why he’s suddenly so nervous. Maya has shown him plenty of her work before, but something about this feels different. 
His hands tremble a little when he reaches for the fabric. He’s learnt the hard way that he can’t just yank it off. Noah lifts the duvet over off the canvas, gathering it up in his hands. 
What he sees on the canvas makes his breath catch in his throat. 
The inspiration is clearly visible, but Maya’s mark is what makes it truly special. He can recognise himself, the way he looked that day, but there’s something otherworldly about the way Maya has portrayed him. He’s never understood how she makes her work look as if it’s shiny like this. 
Once again, Noah is transfixed by his own appearance. 
His eyes race across the canvas, unable to find a point to focus on. There’s something soft and — feminine to it. His heart thumps in his chest. 
Noah feels Maya coming up next to him. Her hand wraps around his, as she presses up next to him. 
“What do you think?” she asks quietly, and Noah doesn’t miss the hint of insecurity in her voice. 
“That’s how you saw it?” 
He sees her nod in the corner of his vision. 
“I don’t know what to say. This – this is amazing. Thank you, my love.”
Maya pulls their joined hands up, pressing a kiss to the back of his, “Of course. I’ll do whatever I can to help you with this. Doesn’t matter what it is.”
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It takes him a few more days to build up the courage to ask her again. Last time, Maya had been the one who brought it up, but Noah knows that he’ll have to ask for it. She had said that she’d help him with whatever, and he knows that Maya will not judge him for it. She’s made that very clear. Noah repeats the words in his head like a mantra, trying to cement them there.
Things had normalised somewhat in the last few days. They’d had a few more very honest conversations, tears had been shed, but at the end of the day, one thing became clear. Actually, speaking about this was more helpful than it was scary. Maya had offered him some much-needed perspective and comfort, and all things considered, things weren’t looking too bad. 
With this new-found confidence, Noah pushes his way into the bathroom, where Maya is still going through her morning routine. He wraps his arms around her middle, placing his chin on top of her shoulder. 
“What are you doing?” he asks, finding her eyes in the mirror. 
She meets his glance, giving him a soft smile.
“You wanna try?” she asks. 
Noah gives a hesitant nod. 
“Let me finish up, and then I’ll walk you through it.” 
He stays, watching her move through the surprisingly intricate routine. Eventually, Maya hops up onto the counter, urging Noah to come closer. He steps between her thighs, placing his hands on top of hers. 
“Step one.” Maya picks up her face wash, holding it out to him, “Don’t think I have to explain this bit to you.” 
She walks him through the steps, patiently explaining what each product does. Her little tinctures and creams leave the skin of his face feeling as soft as ever before. 
Maya picks up the tube of sunscreen, squirting some of it onto her fingers. She dabs it all over his face, placing the final dot onto the tip of his nose with a giggle. 
“I know we’re inside a lot at the moment, but you have to wear sunscreen.” There's still humour in her words, but he knows that she’s serious, “I can’t believe that Nick hasn’t gotten on your ass about it yet. With how many tattoos you have, I would have expected that someone would have told you that you need sunscreen at some point.”
He spreads it across his skin, occasionally​​ checking the mirror behind Maya. 
“What now?” he asks finally. 
“All done.” 
He hesitates for a long moment, eyes flitting between his reflection and Maya. 
“Do you – if you have the time – could you do my make-up again?” Noah asks quietly. 
Maya breaks into a smile, “Sure. I could also just show you how to do it yourself?” 
Once again, Noah finds himself sitting in front of her vanity. The items on the table in front of him seem endlessly confusing. Despite how much time he has spent watching Maya do this, he feels so very clueless right now. But Maya is patient and slowly walks him through it this time. 
It’s by no means perfect, but the routine Maya proposes is simple enough for him to recreate on his own. 
And at the end of it, Noah finds himself once again faced with this version of himself. It’s a little different from the last time, but he still finds comfort in what he sees. 
Maya drops her head to his shoulder, looking at him in her mirror. 
“I stand by what I said, you look so beautiful like this.” Her voice is so soft. 
Noah can barely contain the smirk that forces its way onto his face, “And not without it?” 
She smacks his thigh, “Beautiful either way.”
“I’m still not sure about what this all means for me, but – I think I want to try they.” his voice wavers just a little towards the end. 
“In addition to he?” Maya asks then. 
Noah nods, “Just he doesn’t feel like it’s – enough?”
Maya gives a squeeze to their thigh. It’s comforting, reassuring. 
“I’m glad that you’re allowing yourself to explore this, love. It’s a big thing, but I’m so proud of you for letting yourself do this.” The genuine warmth in her voice wraps around his mind like a warm blanket. 
Noah turns as best as he can with how they’re positioned. They press a kiss to Maya’s temple, lingering there for just a moment. 
“Thank you. Really.” Noah whispers. 
The moment feels too tender for anything else. 
Noah lets himself sit in the feeling for a while. They feel Maya’s eyes on their face, quietly observing – admiring, perhaps. 
Maya lifts her head, forcing Noah to do the same. She shifts, now sitting sideways on the little bench. 
“Look at me, will you?” 
She gently guides him towards her, hand soft on his cheek. 
“I love you so much.” her thumb drifts across their cheek, “Don’t forget that.” 
“I love you too.”   
She pulls them in for a kiss. A soft little thing that makes them feel so very loved. Noah drops his forehead to hers when they part. 
Having her at his side for this will make it so much better. 
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Somehow, Noah hadn’t thought that things would be so normal. They’d expected that everything would feel just a little different, but in reality, life just goes on. But then again, things are still very far from being normal. 
He’s actually managed to get some real work done. 
His shoulders feel a little bit lighter now that he’s not bearing this alone any more. 
They’ve adapted a version of Maya’s skincare routine for themself. Maya has helped him find things that work even better than her products do. He’s dipped his fingers into Maya’s makeup, too, trying to get a feel for it. Noah thinks that they’re starting to get the hang of it. 
Fingers tap on his shoulder, making him jump. 
Maya looks at him expectantly. 
“Something up?”
“I love that you’re doing this, but you’ve used up some pretty expensive products. I think it’s time that we’ll get you your own stuff.” 
Noah finds a smile on her face, despite the stern words. 
“I didn’t even realise.” Noah replies feebly, “I’m sorry.” She squeezes their shoulder, “I’m not mad. But having your own things might be nice for you, too.” 
“Can we do that online?” 
Noah doesn’t know if he’s quite ready to do this in public yet. Maya seems to pick up on his hesitance, though, and nods quickly. 
“Of course.” she presses a kiss to their cheek, “Why don’t you wrap this up so that Jolly can stop badgering me about when you’re going to send him that demo, and then we can do a little shopping?” 
He joins her in the living room a good thirty minutes later. Maya has already pulled up a variety of sites on her laptop when they sit down next to her. It takes Noah a moment to really feel comfortable picking something out, but with a little bit of nudging from Maya, they end up making increasingly braver choices. 
Noah picks out some things that he knows from Maya, others he selects just because they look interesting. If he’s experimenting with things, he might as well do it properly. 
By the end of their little digital shopping trip, the cart is filled with all sorts of things. Everything from the basic things to a variety of highlighters, glitters, and things Noah doesn't even know the name of. There are doubles of some items, things that Maya had found interesting, too. He doesn’t want to think about the total, but at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter that much. Having this additional thing that they can share feels good. 
There’s something intimate about this. 
Noah has never been good at letting his walls down, and this whole experience has been a struggle from the start. But they’re glad that they have the option to do this in a moment like this. They’re safe in their home with the person they love. There’s not much more they could ask for. 
Noah lets his head drop to her shoulder. 
With the laptop forgotten on the coffee table, Maya quickly finds her way into Noah’s lap. Her lips trail up the side of their neck. Their hands rest on Maya’s waist, slowly skating upwards under her shirt. 
It feels like it’s been ages since they’ve been together like this. It’s been a few weeks since Maya had gotten them off in the bathtub. But since then, so much has changed. 
Maya kisses her way along Noah’s jaw, before she finally brings her lips to theirs. 
One of her hands rests against the side of their face, while the other threads into the hair at the back of their neck. 
Maya grinds down against them, and Noah can’t hold back the whine that bubbles up in their throat. Her body is so soft under their hands, and they want nothing more than to give themself to her. Noah wants to melt into her touch, fall apart at her hands. The warmth that radiates off her body seeps into his. 
Maya moans against their lips when Noah pulls her closer. 
They feel Maya bringing a hand between their bodies. Noah knows what her destination is, they know where she is headed. And when her hand presses against their crotch, it’s as if a switch is flipped in their head. 
Cold fear washes over their body. 
Noah rears his head back, trying to draw much needed air into his lungs. It takes Maya a moment to catch up, but as soon as she does, her hands leave their body, and she moves back just enough. 
“I can’t.” Noah says quietly, shame slowly creeping up his back.
He doesn’t quite know where this sudden fear is coming from, but he can’t bear the thought of being touched like this right now. Noah feels his hands trembling against her skin and quickly pulls them away. 
Maya remains where she is, quietly watching them for a moment. 
“Baby it’s okay.” she says after a long while, “We don’t have to do anything. If you don’t feel comfortable with this at the moment, that’s okay.”
Noah runs a clammy hand across his face. This is not how he’d wanted this to go. The panic spiral is slippery, and trying to keep himself from sliding is turning out to be quite tricky. 
“Noah.” Maya’s voice barely manages to break through the fog in his brain, “Honey, can you look at me for a moment?” 
Noah draws in a shaky breath before they look up and at her. 
“It’s okay. I understand that things are difficult right now. I should have asked if you’re okay with me touching you, and I’m sorry that I didn’t.” Maya says softly. 
Noah drops his head for a moment. This whole thing makes everything so much more complicated. 
“I didn’t think that I’d react like that, either.” Noah shoots back quickly, “I don’t want you to feel bad. This is not because of you. It’s – just there’s this disconnect, you know?”
Maya looks at him with that same worried expression he’s been faced with more times than he dares to count in recent weeks. 
“It feels a little as if what’s in my head doesn’t really match up with this any more.” They gesture towards themself, “It’s good most of the time, but just now it felt like everything is wrong.” 
Maya wraps herself around them. 
She doesn’t have to say a word for Noah to know what she feels. It’s comfort in its purest form. An unspoken I may not understand entirely, but I’m here. 
She’s warm and soft, and Noah feels terrible for neglecting her like this. They can’t imagine that any of this is easy for her, too. 
They stay like this for a long while, eventually moving over into the bedroom to watch a few episodes of a show they’d started a while ago. Noah lets themself sink into Maya’s embrace, allowing the worries on their mind to drift away for just a moment. 
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Some things will never change – Noah hates doing laundry. It’s tedious, it’s annoying, but they’d agreed to split chores when this lockdown started, and they’re not about to let Maya down. 
They drop the freshly tumble-dried garments into the basket before picking it up. He’ll fold everything as he’s putting it away. 
Things have settled a little bit more. 
Another evening of research, this time with moral support from Maya, had revealed that the thing they’d experienced a few days earlier had, in fact, been a bout of gender dysphoria. It had rattled them a little bit more than they’d liked to admit, but Maya had assured them that they’d be able to manoeuvre this together. 
They’re inclined to believe her. 
And really it made sense.
Throughout all of this, Noah has felt as if something didn’t match up. And if they’re honest with themself, they’ve known what it is since that first day. 
Coming to terms with it is a different thing. 
Maya hadn’t said anything about it, but they’re sure that she knows by now. Noah’s glad that she’s allowing them to do this on their own terms. They’re still not sure where this’ll take them, but one thing’s for sure they’re not going back where they’ve been before. 
Noah plucks one of Maya’s skirts from the laundry basket. 
It’s the one they love seeing on her. A pretty little thing that they’ve shoved their hand under on more than one occasion. 
An idea springs into their head then. 
Trying it on can’t hurt. 
And if they’re already exploring make-up, why not expand to clothing too. 
Their hands tremble when they hold the skirt out in front of their body. It should fit, the fabric is just elastic enough. Noah pushes their sweats down. It takes them a few moments to build up the courage to pull the skirt up and over their waist. 
Their eyes remain low, unable to look at their reflection. 
Noah draws in a deep breath. 
Their chest fills with an odd warmth. 
The hem of the skirt hits just above the middle of their thighs. 
They can’t stop looking. 
Noah pulls their shirt up, pulling it back so that it fits a little tighter around where the waistband of the skirt sits, in an attempt to emulate how Maya would wear it. 
Their heart pounds so incredibly fast.
The shape of their body still feels too boxy, too much like guy, but something about this itches a very specific spot in their brain. 
Their hands drift across their body, trying to imagine a softer, less angular shape. It feels good. 
Another thought pops into their head then. 
They open Maya’s side of the closet. 
Maya won’t judge them for this. She’s said multiple times that she’ll support whatever they need. 
For the first time, they allow their fingers to pass over the pretty dresses Maya wears with the intention of picking something for themself. 
They don’t want to risk stretching out any of her clothes. Maya has a few more loose fitting dresses, one of those will be just fine. 
They pluck a little black number from the rail. They know what it looks like on Maya. The deep v neckline looks gorgeous on Maya, and suddenly Noah has to know what it will look like on their body. 
Their hands don’t shake as much any more when they unzip the skirt and take off their shirt. Slipping the garment over their head is so easy. And they’re not as scared of looking at themself this time around. 
The sleeves are a little too short on them, and it all feels a little uncomfortable at first, but Noah is willing to blame that on them not being used to dresses. 
The fabric feels good on their body. It’s soft and light and the longer they look at their reflection, the more they get used to it. 
Pulling their hair up with the claw clip they’d borrowed from Maya a while ago settles the nerves in their belly even more. For a moment, Noah considers the additional box of make-up that now sits on Maya’s vanity, and eventually decides that just a little bit will be enough. Their hand rifles through the box until they pluck a tube of lightly tinted lip gloss from it. 
Noah feels quite secure with this by now. Applying the gloss is no issue at all. The colour is fairly sheer, and they don’t have to be super precise with it. 
When Noah steps back in front of the mirror, their breath catches in their throat. It feels as if things have clicked into place. Their eyes flicker across their reflection. 
When seeing themself in make-up felt good, this feels – euphoric. 
The small edge of panic that tries to make itself known is drowned out by how good it feels to see themself like this.  
Noah curses themself for forgetting their phone in the living room.
They can always recreate this moment. 
Noah takes a few more moments like this, finishing the laundry they have to fold while still wearing the dress. 
Taking it off again feels a little sad. It’s not like Maya would be judgemental of it, but they don’t feel quite ready to share this yet. 
Maya will understand. 
With everything returned to normal, Noah quickly wipes the gloss from their lips. When they return to the bedroom, they find the door just slightly ajar. Noah is sure that they’ve closed the door before they had tried on the skirt. 
Maybe they had left it open after all. 
Noah finds Maya in the kitchen, working on their lunch. They wrap their arms around her middle, pressing a kiss to her shoulder. 
“What are you making?” 
Maya leans back against them, and Noah can’t stop themself from pressing another kiss to her cheek. 
“Pasta. With all of the leftover veggies we still have. The cheese will save it.” she replies, letting herself sink further against Noah. 
If she saw something, Maya doesn’t let it on.
“Do you want to get ice cream later?” they ask, now fully resting their cheek against Maya’s. 
“Would love that.”
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It was a slow realisation. 
Noah doesn’t exactly know when it clicked. They had long realised that he was not only insufficient to describe themself but also plain wrong. They’d tried to look at themself in the mirror and think of it, only to feel a little nauseated. 
It had started to bleed into other spaces too. Hearing Nick call them dude made them cringe, but they bit through it, not feeling quite ready to share this with someone else yet. 
Noah is sure that Nick wouldn’t have a problem with this, but there’s still that lingering fear. They’ve read too many reports on best friends turning on people after any kind of coming out. And there’s simply too much at stake here. 
Noah wants to be absolutely sure of this before he tells anyone else. The first step to that is talking to Maya.
They splash another handful of ice-cold water into their face, in the hope that it’ll ease their nerves at least a little. 
The realisation had really hit them this morning. 
They don’t know what exactly triggered it, but somewhere between washing their face and brushing their teeth, things had started to make sense. 
Noah looks up at the mirror. 
Their fingers drift across their freshly shaved cheeks. Noah’s been keeping up with it a lot more. They have never had a lot of facial hair, but keeping their face smooth eased some of the ache in their chest. 
It’s still a little difficult to see anything but guy when they look in the mirror. On some days, it's easier for Noah to imagine their features a little softer, more feminine. Today is, thankfully, one of those days. 
They’ve managed to shed their fear of the word feminine, slowly realising that maybe it was a more accurate way to describe how they feel about themself. 
Noah swallows a breath. 
The thought reverberates around their brain. 
What if? 
Noah thinks about the moments that have made them feel most comfortable in recent weeks. They think back to the afternoon when they tried on one of Maya’s dresses. It stands in such a stark contrast to the times when they have to put on this masculine facade.
There really isn’t a lot to debate here any more. 
Noah goes to find Maya. 
She has to be the first one to hear about this. 
They find her working on a small illustration in her studio. 
They’ve been talking about the new album they’ve started to work on. Progress is slow, but it is progress. And Noah’s enthusiasm for the concept seems to have coloured off on her too. Noah has a few of her sketches taped to the wall behind their monitor. 
Noah knocks on the frame of the open door. 
Maya looks up at them with a soft smile, “Hi baby.” 
“You got a moment for me?” They hope that they don’t sound as nervous as they feel. 
She pushes away from her desk, pulling the second chair towards her. 
“For you, always.” 
Noah sits, wringing their hands together in their lap. 
“Everything okay?” Maya reaches out to place her hand over theirs. 
This feels like an awfully daunting thing.
In a way it is, even though they know that Maya will be with them. 
Noah nods, “I think I have to drop the he.” they choke the words out before they manage to get caught in their throat. 
Maya blinks at them for a moment, before she nods. 
For a brief second, Noah thinks that she isn’t impressed, but then her lips twist into a smile. 
“Just they?” she asks curiously. 
Noah thinks. 
They know their answer. 
“Doesn’t feel like it’s enough, you know?” they reply. 
There’s a little bit of hesitance in Maya’s face. Her brow furrows, in that way it does when she’s trying to make up her mind about something.  
“I mean, there’s always she. You have been leaning towards more feminine things.” she says quietly. 
Noah’s heart thumps a little.  
They feel their lips beginning to tremble. 
It’s not panic – this is relief. 
Hearing her say it first makes it less scary. 
“I think I like that.” 
Noah presses her lips together. 
“I am so proud of you, baby.” Maya squeezes their hands, “And I love you so much.” 
“Promise?”
“I promise. Pinky promise.” she gives another squeeze, “And I’ll tell you as often as I have to.” 
Noah feels herself smile. 
It feels so new, but thinking of themself like this feels good – right. 
“Do you want to keep using they?” Maya asks then. 
She nods, “I like it. Both feels right.” 
Maya’s free hand finds its way to the side of Noah’s face. She carefully guides her closer, until they finally meet. It’s just a soft little thing, but it eases some of the weight from their shoulders. 
Maya scoots a little closer, her hand still covering Noah’s. Her gaze is soft and warm, and can practically feel the love seeping into her own skin. This whole thing is scary and exciting in equal measures, and while she’s sure that it will stay scary for a good while longer, she feels hopeful. 
The heavy weight of the last months doesn’t feel quite as heavy any more. There are still a few things that terrify them, but the biggest hurdle seems to be behind them. 
Noah can’t stop the tears then. 
Not a second after the first tear has fallen, Maya wraps herself around them. She holds Noah while they cry. The weight of his realisation still feels heavy, it’s still so daunting and new and overwhelming. 
It feels good to let all of it out. 
At some point, Maya moves them over into the living room. Noah doesn’t know or care how much time passes. All they know is that they feel a little bit lighter when they untangle themself from Maya.
“Feeling a little better?” Maya asks softly, tracing her fingers across Noah’s cheek.  
Noah nods, “Thank you for being – so understanding with all of this. I don’t know what I’d do without you.” 
“Luckily, we don’t have to think about that.” Maya says with a smile, “I know this is a lot for you, and I’ll take whatever I can off your shoulders. And please tell me if I say something that doesn’t feel right for you.” 
Somehow, Noah had thought that everything would change now. And sure, things do feel a little different. But not in the way that Noah had thought. Maya doesn’t look at her differently, doesn’t treat her differently. Maybe she’s a little more affectionate at the moment, but Noah can’t complain about that. 
She loves waking up with Maya wrapped around her, loves feeling the kisses she presses against her skin when they’re still drowsy and barely roused from sleep. They’ve always been soft like this with each other. Maya has always showered them with so much affection and love. She’s always called her pretty, but now it scratches that spot in the back of Noah’s brain like little else does. 
“Have you thought about telling them yet?” Maya asks, carding her fingers through Noah’s hair. 
She looks up at Maya and finds nothing but that softness she’s grown to love so much. 
“I should probably do it sooner rather than later. Just in case, you know? I don’t think anyone’s going to be weird about it, but you can never know.”
“If someone is getting weird about it, they’re not worth your time or energy.” Maya says softly, “I’m sure it’ll be fine. I know it’s scary, though. Maybe you could start with Nick?”
“Can you stay with me when I call him?”
“Of course.” she taps her finger against the tip of Noah’s nose, “It’ll go fine, though. You know Nicky. He loves you.” 
Maybe that’s the scary thing about this. 
The dynamic between her and Nick never changed, they’ve grown up sure, but in their essence they’ve always been the same. Deep down, she knows that things with Nick will go fine, but she can’t deny the lingering fear. 
Noah decides to give herself the weekend to prepare. They’ll call Nick on Monday morning and just get it over with. 
As daunting as this is, they know that they’ll have to tell him eventually. The rest of the band needs to know at some point, although they’re really not looking forward to informing the label. Noah has already made up their mind about not wanting to address this more than necessary. They don’t want a big statement unless it is absolutely necessary. They’re sure that people will want to know more, but right now, Noah really doesn’t want to elaborate on how or why they came to this conclusion. 
As much as they know that they have benefitted from hearing other people's stories, they don’t quite feel prepared to elaborate on the mental agony of the past few months. 
Maya had brought up the rather touchy subject of therapy again, only this time Noah hadn’t protested it as much as she had before. 
It’s probably a good idea. 
Talking to Maya about this helps, but there’s only so much she can do before she reaches the end of her admittedly limited knowledge. And really, Noah doesn’t want to load even more onto her shoulders. 
Noah spoons another blob of hummus onto the plate. 
They have an afternoon of movies planned. Noah is happy to be away from band related things for a little bit. They’ve been working on the album with a lot more intention recently, but for the moment Noah needs to think about other things. 
A pair of arms wraps around her middle. 
“Is that the good hummus?”
Noah hums in response. 
“Do we have those caramelised onion crackers too?”
“I got a bag when I went to the store earlier.”
Maya doesn’t need to know yet that they got two just in case. 
“You are the best.” Maya presses a kiss to her cheek, “Thank you, sweet girl.” 
Noah tenses in her embrace. 
Sweet girl. 
They’d loved it when Maya had referred to them as sweet boy. Hearing the term like this feels – surprisingly good. 
Noah hadn’t put a lot of thought into that side of things. She’d been so busy figuring out that boy wasn’t for her that she hadn’t considered if girl was the right thing. 
“Noah?” Maya asks quietly, “I’m sorry if that wasn’t okay. I know we haven’t talked about that yet. It just – it just kinda slipped out.” 
They’re not opposed to it. 
Right now, it feels terrifying, but Noah has learnt that these things only feel scary because they’re new. 
“It’s okay.” they reply, still somewhat absent-minded, “I think I like it.” 
“You think?” 
“It doesn’t feel bad. It’s just new, and I’m not really used to it yet.” 
Maya kisses her cheek once again, “I know it’s a lot. You’re doing a lot of new things at once at the moment. I’m more than happy to keep reminding you that you’re the prettiest girl, if that’s what you need.” 
Noah wriggles her way out of Maya’s grasp, turning around so that they can look at her properly. 
“If I’m the prettiest girl, what does that make you?” 
“You tell me.” the little smirk on Maya’s lips makes her pulse speed up. 
“Can we settle on a tie?” Noah places her hand on Maya's waist, easing her closer. 
“I think we can arrange that.” 
Maya pushes up onto the tips of her toes to kiss Noah again. The kiss teeters on the edge of becoming more, but Maya pulls away before her hands have a chance to wander around Noah’s frame. 
“And now get that snack plate ready, I want to start our film.” 
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Monday eventually rolls around, and somehow Noah doesn’t feel less nervous. In fact, she thinks that she’s somehow even more nervous about the whole thing. 
She had texted Nick before breakfast to ask if he had time for a call later. 
They’d barely managed to get all of their breakfast down, but Maya had insisted that they should eat at least a little bit. 
“It’ll be okay. You’ve known Nick long enough to know that this won’t change how he sees you.” Maya gives their hand a little squeeze as she speaks, “I’m here as back up.” Noah draws in a deep breath before they tap on Nick’s name. 
It feels like forever until he finally picks up the call. 
There’s a little bit of talk about the album and Nick complains about being stuck on one song before he eventually remembers that Noah probably had something they wanted to discuss. 
“Did you want something specific?” 
Noah swallows a breath and Maya gives them a reassuring nod. 
“Actually, I did –” they pause, having suddenly forgotten everything they’d planned to say.
They find Maya’s eyes and the softness within them. She mouths a you got this at her, and Noah wants to believe her so desperately. 
“You know how I’ve always kinda struggled with how I look?” she starts, hoping that Nick remembers the times he had to talk them out of the spirals of self-hatred. 
“Sure do.” 
“So – I didn’t know what it was until recently. Maya helped me figure this out – or at least start to figure it out. I – fuck, this is a lot harder than I thought it would be.”
Nick speaks up after a long moment, “Whatever it is, I’m sure it’ll be okay. If whatever you’ve figured out makes you feel better about yourself, that’s good news for me.” It’s enough to make their chest feel a little lighter. 
Noah decides to bite the bullet then, rip off the band-aid. 
“I’ve been using they and she as pronouns for a little while now, and I don’t think that I’ve ever felt better about myself.”
Noah bites her lip so hard that she thinks that she’ll draw blood. 
She can hear Nick moving around in the background, and her heart almost sinks a little. 
“Sorry I had to find a tissue.” he sniffles, “I am – so proud of you. I don’t know what it took to get to that point, but I can’t imagine that it was easy.”
Hearing Nick’s support brings the tears right back. 
“Noah – is that still right or –?” 
“Name stays. Just a different label.” “I mean that. I’ve never been more proud of you. This — by the way — doesn’t change a thing between us. You’re still my best friend, and I’ll still tell you when you’re talking shit.”
Noah laughs between the tears that still run across their cheeks, “I’m counting on that.” 
They give Nick a little recap of the last few months. Nick apologises more than once for adding to the mess of feelings in their head, but Noah quickly waves him off. 
He couldn’t have known. 
They fall back into their usual banter fairly quickly. Maya leaves them alone soon after, pressing a quick kiss to Noah’s cheek before she excuses herself. 
It’s comfortable, familiar. 
Nick has always been a safe person, and in retrospect, Noah isn’t sure why she was so scared of this call. 
“Have you told the others yet?” Nick asks after a while. 
“You’re the first – well, second.” 
They can practically see the proud look on Nick’s face. 
“They’ll be good with it too, you know? We’ll figure out how to approach this with the public side of the band together. You’re not alone with that. And if someone is awful about it, we’ll sic Bryan on them.”
Knowing that Nick is on her side so unconditionally means the world to her. It means that she’ll have one more person to support her when she tells the next person. And that makes it less scary. 
An afternoon of gaming later, Noah feels decidedly more relaxed. Knowing that Nick is so very normal about it feels good. He does stumble a few times, but this is a change for him too. Nick has only known her as one thing, it’ll take him a moment to get used to it too. 
When Noah leaves their office later that day, Maya is nowhere to be seen. They check their phone, to find a message that she’d gone out with Ellie to do a little shopping. 
Noah’s fingers hover over the screen for a long moment before they decide to send the message. 
Can you bring me something? Just something you’d think I’d like?
Like a treat? I was going to do that anyway <3
To wear
There’s a long beat of silence that makes their heart rate spike. 
Sure! I’ll keep an eye open. Are you looking for something specific?
Not really. I have no idea what would suit me. 
I’ll get you something pretty <3 I’m bringing food on the way back. 
How did things with Nick go in the end? Everything good? 
Everything good 
Maya eventually returns with a few bags and a few styrofoam boxes of take out. Noah gets her usual kiss on the cheek before Maya even sets her things down. 
The reason for this surprise shopping trip apparently was that Ellie’s sure that her partner will propose over the weekend, and she wanted to have something to wear just in case. Hearing how many of their friends are moving towards that phase of life makes Noah wonder when they’ll take that step. They know that they can’t see themselves with anyone else but Maya, but there’s so much going on right now that adding a wedding to the mix wouldn’t be ideal. It’ll happen when the time is right. 
Noah’s already surprised that they’re thinking about a wedding in the first place. But that’s what being in love does, Noah supposes. 
After their late lunch, Maya sets to unpacking all of her bags. 
“I hope I guessed the sizes right. This might be a little trial and error.” She explains as she pulls a flimsy looking shirt out of one of the bags, “You’ll have to have a look on your own eventually. But I thought this might be a good place to start.” 
She hands Noah a stack of clothes. 
Maya had stuck to a simple black colour palette, which Noah is honestly thankful for. None of it looks too out there, although they don’t know how to feel about the see through shirt. 
“Give it a try.” 
Noah thinks she sounds a little nervous, and really she gets it. 
This is a big thing.
She feels awfully nervous too. 
“I’m gonna — be in the bedroom. I’ll — be back.” 
Noah feels a little awkward when she walks off to their bedroom. This isn’t as high-stakes as the skirt was. Maya had picked up a nice-looking pair of trousers for her. The shirt was the actually out there thing. She strips down to her underwear, the boxers are starting to feel a little uncomfortable. Maybe there’s an in-between option that they can go for instead. 
The trousers fit comfortably, although they are a little short at the legs – nothing new, though. As she picks up the shirt, something else tumbles from it. Noah recognises it as something Maya wears under similar shirts. The idea of having their chest on display like this doesn’t feel too appealing at the moment. 
They slip the thing over their head. It’s a little constricting at first, the fabric hasn’t really stretched yet, and it feels uncomfortably tight. Noah is willing to chalk that up to them just not being used to wearing these things. 
Their fingers tremble when they unbutton the shirt – blouse? — and pull it over their shoulders. The fabric is so soft. In a way, Noah is glad that Maya had removed all the tags beforehand. They don’t want to know how expensive this all was. 
Somehow this doesn’t look like a lot. 
Something is missing. 
Noah cracks open the door, poking their head through the gap, “Can you help me?” 
They hear her steps approaching from a different part of the house, quickly coming towards them. 
“Everything okay?” 
“I don’t know how to make this look good.” Noah says quietly. 
“If you let me in, I’m sure we can figure something out.” 
Noah steps back from the door, allowing her into the room. She suddenly feels a little shy about this. 
“Can I?” Maya asks. 
Noah gives a nod in response. 
She starts to tuck and adjust the shirt. She rolls up the sleeves a little, undoes a few buttons. Noah lets her work in peace, just quietly watching as the image in the mirror changes. Maya pulls a belt from their side of the closet. She has Noah put it on, while she digs through her jewellery box. 
“Sit down for me? You’re too tall.” Maya says with a soft smile, “Can’t reach you.” 
They slump down on the edge of their bed. Maya comes to stand in front of them. One of her hands finds Noah’s cheek, forcing her to look up. 
“How are you feeling, love?” 
“A lot in one day.” Noah replies, “But this is nice.” 
“Is it?” she leans down to kiss Noah, “I’m glad. How would you feel about a little jewellery? Just for a little flavour?”.
“Sure.” 
Maya moves back just a little, allowing her to clasp two of her necklaces around Noah’s neck. Once she’s done, she sits down next to them. Her head drops to Noah’s shoulder. 
They make a pretty picture together. 
Noah always thought that they look good together. Maya’s softness, mixed with their still rough edges, works so perfectly. They don’t think that they want to be quite as feminine as Maya, at least not right now. She did like wearing the dress, but for the moment, this feels safer. 
“I really do have the prettiest girlfriend.” Maya says after a while. 
Noah’s insides warm. 
She’s still not entirely used to it. 
“We’re not having this discussion again.” They reply quickly. 
Maya fixes their eyes in the mirror, “I stand by what I said.” 
Noah breaks into a smile that Maya quickly mirrors. 
They lean over to pull Maya in for a kiss. 
The kiss quickly devolves into more, with Noah leaning over her. She’s missed this. Feeling so detached from herself has made this side of their relationship so difficult. The added anxiety hadn’t helped either. 
Noah lets her hands wander up the sides of her body. It feels a little as if she’s never done this before. Her lips skate down the length of Maya’s neck, teeth grazing against the soft skin there. The perfume she put on this morning floods into Noah’s senses. They can’t tell exactly what it smells like, but it's soft and warm and comforting. 
Maya’s hands thread into her hair.
“Baby.” Maya’s voice barely breaks through the fog in their head. 
Noah peels themself away from her skin. 
“Are you sure about this?” she asks softly. 
“Gotta show you how thankful I am for everything you’ve done for me, don’t I?” Noah replies, feeling herself smile around the words, “You’ve done so much for me.”
She resumes her trail of kisses along Maya’s neck. Noah lets herself sink to the carpet in front of the bed. They’ve done this so often, but it still feels so new in this moment. 
They ease Maya out of her shorts, pulling her underwear down with them. 
They kiss their way up the inside of her thigh, just like they’ve always done. She leaves her pretty marks on Maya’s skin. 
It’s been too long since she got to do that. 
Noah savours the first kiss she places against her folds. She stays where she is for a moment, lingering in the feeling. It takes her a moment to find her rhythm again, but once she does, Maya quickly turns into a mess of moans. Her hand is tight in Noah’s hair, keeping them in place. 
“Noah.” She sighs, “Make me feel so good, my love.” 
Noah lets out a whine against her. 
They sink further against Maya, wrapping their lips around the little bud of nerves. The noises Maya makes only spur them on further. 
Noah pours every bit of emotion that has gathered up over the last few months into this. Everything to show her love just how grateful she is for all the patience and grace. 
They curl a single finger into her, drawing another pretty sigh from Maya. One finger quickly becomes two. It’s been too long since they’ve felt Maya come undone at her hands. 
They can tell that Maya won’t last much longer. The pitch of her moans is already rising steadily, and they can feel her clenching around their fingers. Noah keeps up her tempo, working her closer and closer towards her climax. 
She can’t wait to feel her falling apart. 
Noah doesn’t have to wait much longer. Just a few passes of her fingers and tongue later, she feels Maya pulse around her. She keeps herself buried in her warmth, carefully lapping at her while she falls apart. 
The hand in Noah’s hair tightens almost painfully. 
They’re pulled away a few moments later. 
Noah drops their head against Maya’s thigh, drawing in a deep breath. They haven’t felt this breathless in a good while. But seeing Maya so blissed out above them makes it with worth it. 
Maya looks down at her with a barely there smile playing on her lips, “Thank you, my love.”
Noah presses a kiss to the skin of her thigh, “Thank you.”
“Do you – will you let me make you feel good too?”
Noah hates how hesitant she sounds. 
And they feel even worse when they shake their head, “I have no issue doing this for you, but anything to do with my – you know – makes me feel a little off right now. I’m sorry.” 
Maya’s hand combs through her hair so gently, “Don’t be sorry, love. It’s okay. I want you to feel good, and if you don’t want that right now, that’s okay.” 
Her hand settles on their cheek and Noah leans into her touch.  
“How about we get into something comfy and watch a movie or something?” she asks softly, “I think we still have a tub of the nice chocolate ice cream.” 
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They must have missed the text.
Jolly doesn’t usually show up unannounced like this. She can hear them talking in the living room, but the words don’t quite make it through the door. 
Noah feels the panic rising in their chest. 
This is not how they had planned it. 
They’d made a whole elaborate plan on how they wanted to tell the boys. She wanted to do it on her own terms, decide when and how she wanted to tell them. 
This isn’t what she wanted. 
Noah’s breathing picks up.  
Their chest feels so awfully tightly. It hasn’t felt this tight in weeks. 
She tries her hardest to keep herself centred. She still doesn’t have a fool-proof method to stop the panic. 
Maya helps the most. 
She can’t always have Maya with her, even if that’s what she wants. 
Their phone buzzes, catching her attention. 
She reaches for it with the shakiest hands. Their fingers tremble when they unlock their phone. 
Jolly’s here I told him you were in a meeting. Do you want me to tell him to come back later?
Just give me a moment. 
This wasn’t how Noah had planned to tell Jolly. They would have liked a bit more time to prepare, but maybe it can’t always be how they want it to be. 
Noah gives themself a quick once over on the webcam. She’d needed to feel a little more confident today. The subtle make-up she’d put on that morning had given her the boost she’d needed to make the day a little easier, but now she has to face the prospect of Jolly seeing her like this. 
They knew it would happen at some point, but maybe she would have liked a little more time to prepare. 
Maya will be there as a buffer. 
Jolly will be okay with it. He’ll be okay with it. 
She steels herself for it. 
It’ll be fine. 
It’ll be fine. 
It’ll be fine. 
They draw in another deep breath. 
Noah can hear their muffled conversation behind the door. 
It’s terrifying. 
But this is who they are and sooner or later, they’ll have to find out. Sooner or later, everyone will see them. 
And she wants them to see. 
Rip off the band-aid, Noah tells herself. 
They open the door. 
Jolly and Maya are so caught up in their conversation that they don’t immediately notice them entering. Noah decides to just find a spot next to Maya as if nothing at all has changed. 
Jolly stops mid-sentence and gives them a once over. 
“This is new.” He states. 
“Not that new.” Noah replies. 
Maya barely manages to contain her laughter. 
“Well, it’s new to me.” Jolly still looks a little perplexed, and Noah does feel a little bad for leaving him in the dark like this. 
He’s obviously trying to decide how to approach this, and he’s very clearly having a tough time with it. 
“I — this isn’t how I had planned to do this at all, but you’re here now, and I can’t be in control of this all the time. I had a little realisation a while back and —” Noah reaches for Maya’s hand for support, “I’ve been using she and they as pronouns, and it’s been really good for me.”
Maya squeezes their hand as if to say well done. 
They watch Jolly absorb the information. 
“Are you happy?” He asks then. 
Noah doesn’t have to think about it at all. 
“I don’t think that I’ve ever been happier.”
Jolly looks at them for a long moment before he smiles. 
“That’s the important thing. I’m happy for you.” The genuine warmth that comes from him ushers the last bits of panic from their shoulders, “Anything I need to keep in mind? Do I need to change your name in my phone?”
Noah shakes their head, “Name stays.” 
“You know the label is going to love this, right?” Jolly suddenly sounds rather serious, “There’s a non-zero chance that they’ll try to centre all the marketing for the album around it.”
Noah hadn’t exactly thought this far. In fact, they hadn’t thought about the label at all. 
“If you don’t want that, we’ll make that clear. You know we won’t leave you alone with this. We’re all with you.” 
Noah didn’t expect him to react differently, but just as it had been with Nick, it's good to have confirmation. 
The conversation goes on and eventually drifts off into the actual reason for Jolly’s visit. They eventually move over into the studio, getting lost in the track they’ve been working on. 
It’s been a good while since they’ve had the option to work together like this. With the lockdown and the move, they’ve done most of the work on the album remotely. Actually being in the same room is good. 
They’re bouncing around ideas as if nothing has changed at all, and Noah is honestly glad that Jolly isn’t making a big deal out of this. She thinks that she catches him looking at her with a somewhat contemplative look. 
And she gets it. 
This is a big thing – not just for her, but for all of them. 
All of their livelihoods depend on this band. 
This will, inevitably, affect all of them. 
“Noah?” 
They look up from where they’ve zoned out. 
“I know this is a big thing, but I promise you that it’ll be fine. The band will be fine. If someone has an issue with you figuring out who you are, they can get lost. We don’t need people like that.” Jolly places a hand on their shoulder, “You will always be one of us. Different pronouns and clothes won’t change that.”
Noah quickly finds herself wrapped up in a tight hug. 
She lets herself sag against Jolly. 
The tears come a moment later. 
Jolly lets them cry until their shoulders stop shaking. 
“We’ll be fine. This is scary, but it’ll be fine. You’re not alone. We’re all here for you. I imagine that Maya did most of the heavy lifting with you, but if you ever need to talk, I’m here. Doesn’t matter what time it is. I hope you know that was the case before this, too.”  
“Thank you. Really.” 
Jolly waves his hand dismissively, “Not for that. This is just being a good friend. Should we get this finished, or do you want to get back to it later?” 
“Do you want to stay for lunch? I think Maya’s making some baked thing.” 
Jolly naturally stays. 
And while the recipe Maya tried out didn’t work out like she had planned, they still get a good laugh out of it. It’s not entirely dreadful, Noah thinks, but they know that Maya will be a little disappointed by it. 
They’re cleaning up the dishes when Jolly leans into Noah’s space again. 
“Before I forget. Who else have you told? I don’t want to accidentally mention this to someone before you get a chance to tell them yourself.” 
“Just you and Nick.” Noah replies, “And Maya, of course.” 
Jolly nods, “Good. Just making sure. This is not my news to spread around. I’m sorry if this happened before you were ready for it. I just happened to be in the area, and it was easier to stop by then text you.” 
“It’s okay. I can’t control how it happens every time. Sometimes people are just going to find out and I have to deal with that.” 
“Remember that we have to start thinking about the album rollout soon. We can control how people find out to an extent, but eventually, it’ll be out of our grasp.” 
There are a lot of things Noah hasn’t really considered yet. 
In a way, it’s a clean break. 
They’re coming back with a new album and things will just be a little different. 
It’s like Jolly said. If people have an issue with this, they can stay away. The right people will stay, and maybe a few new ones will join them too. 
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Work on the album goes well. Jolly comes over a few more times to finish the last few tracks. Overall, Noah is more than happy with it. The album has turned out more introspective than they had planned, but then again, things have been rather tumultuous. 
With Davis clued in too, they’ve started working on merchandise and art.
Noah has decided to rip off another band-aid and sent a text to Matt letting him know.
Thankfully, Matt seems quite okay with it all and immediately returns to business after acknowledging the news. 
Folio is a different story. They’d called him about a week earlier and he’s still asking questions. 
It’s endearing. 
They all have their own ways of showing their support, and Noah appreciates all of it. 
Noah shifts where they’re settled against Maya’s side. They’re rewatching Avatar again, meaning that won’t miss anything if she allows herself to drift off into thought once in a while. 
She had felt so caged in and isolated before she had opened up about to Maya about how she felt, all of out of fear of being even more alone. And now she’s sure that she’s never felt more loved before. Even with this big change, their people still love them. 
Maya lets out a huff. 
Noah turns to look at her. 
“Nick’s calling. He’s so worried that he’ll say or do something wrong.” she says with a sigh, “Let me get up? I won’t be long.” 
As much as Noah doesn’t want to let her go, she reluctantly lets herself slump over to the other side of the sofa. 
Maya gives their hand a quick squeeze as she gets up. She answers the call just as she slips into her studio. Noah knows that she’s probably just going to reassure Nick that he can’t really do anything wrong, but her curiosity gets the better of her. 
They follow a moment later, just to listen in for a moment. 
“Nick – I promise you that you can’t do anything wrong. This is new for all of us. And I know that you don’t want to hurt her, but don’t you think that Noah knows that you won’t say something hurtful on purpose?” Maya asks with a hint of humour in her voice, “You've known them for how long now? — Exactly. It’ll be fine. I promise. — No, Nick, this is not annoying. It’s okay. I’d rather have you ask questions than make assumptions. And I know Noah feels the same way. You can’t imagine how much knowing that you’re all on their side means to them. They were so scared that somehow one of you wouldn’t be – I know – but I’m glad that it all worked out. Won’t lie, for a while, when I didn’t know what was going on yet, I didn’t know what she was doing to do. I’d never seen them like that and it really scared me. But, thankfully, everything worked out. We’ll see you next week, right? Good –” 
Noah quickly makes their way back to the sofa before Maya hangs up.  
They know that they’d worried her, but sometimes it slips their mind just how much anguish they put Maya through. 
She emerges a short while later and sinks down next to them again, “You wanna get comfy in bed? We have a big day planned for tomorrow.” 
They’re only going shopping tomorrow, but Noah has made the plan to at least try to buy something more feminine. They want what they’ll wear on stage to go with the vibe of the album, and that means new clothes. 
It’ll be a challenge. 
She’s stolen a few things from Maya, but it’s just not the same thing. Borrowing Maya’s clothes helped, but she wants to find her own style. 
“Early night sounds good.” Noah agrees. 
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Somehow this is more daunting than Noah had expected. This isn’t their first time going out since they’ve made the switch, but they’ll be out for a while and there’s very little space for them to hide away if they do get overwhelmed. Having Maya at their side does help, but even Maya can’t make all of their anxieties disappear. 
The fact that they’re here to buy more clothes for her doesn’t help either. They try to keep telling themselves that it's only clothing. 
It’s not that big of a deal. 
Noah follows Maya through the racks. They don’t really know what they’re looking for, which doesn’t make this easier. Maya keeps holding out random things to them, but so far, nothing has felt right. 
Noah plucks a shirt from one of the racks. It’s similar to the cropped ones that they’ve borrowed from Maya. 
“That’s cute.” Maya notes, “Could be fun with that one button up you’ve never worn and some shorts.”
Noah tries to imagine it. They know the shirt Maya is talking about. They’d wanted to try it, but it had never looked quite right. Maybe this could work. 
“You know – somehow didn’t think that shorts were an option.” 
Maya smiles so sweetly then, “We live in L.A. babe. When was the last time you’ve seen me in jeans?”
“So, where do we get shorts?” 
Somehow that seems to break the dam. 
They wander from store to store after that, and Noah tries her best to not feel self-conscious about how much money they’re spending or the fact that she’s carrying bags of clothes that will make her feel so much better about herself. 
To their surprise, people don’t seem to be too fussed even when Noah browses the racks of the women’s section on their own. 
Maya wants to make one final stop before they get lunch. As they approach the store, Noah realises where they’re going. They’ve accompanied Maya here before, so eager to get a peek into her dressing room. Everything Maya had bought from this shop had turned their brain into soup. 
Coming here now feels a little scary. 
Noah can’t quite picture what their body would look like in underwear like this. They’ve barely managed to graduate to things with less coverage than their usual boxers. The lacy little things Maya wears still feel very daunting. 
They reach for her hand, trying to find a little comfort for their frayed nerves. 
“You don’t have to get anything if you don’t want to. I just want to have a look at the new arrivals.”  
Noah is content to just watch while Maya browses. They watch her pick up a few things to try on and just out of curiosity, Noah decides to examine some of the items a little closer. 
The first thing that catches their eye is a deep red set. The panties are fairly high-waisted, something she likes seeing on Maya. There are two matching top options – a bra with cups and something she’s sure Maya has called a bralette before, but who really knows. 
She picks up the top. The fabric is so soft between their fingers. They don’t know if this would even fit them. 
“Found something you like?” Maya presses up behind them. 
Noah gives a nod, “I just don’t know if it’ll fit.” 
Maya eyes the garments, taking it from their hands, “Should be okay. Do you wanna get this?”
“I want to try it at least.” they say quietly. 
“We can buy it and if you decide that you don’t like it for whatever reason we’ll figure something out.” 
They watch as Maya pays for their items. 
Noah can’t quiet decide if she’s anxious or excited about this. 
The more they’ve been actively exploring this side of them, the more comfortable they’ve become with it. Some of the insecurities they’ve held before suddenly make a lot of sense. With the realisation that boy had never been the right thing for them, a few had simply disappeared. Sure, in turn they’d discovered new things to be insecure about, but in the grand scheme of thing Noah has never felt more comfortable in their body. 
Noah can hardly contain their excitement when they get back home. She’s only tried on a few things at the stores, but some of the more out there things were reserved for the safety of their home. They’ve stuck to trousers for the most part, but the shirt options they’ve picked are a little more bold. 
But there’s something Noah is particularly excited to try on. Throughout the drive home, Noah has come to the conclusion that their feelings towards underwear lean more towards excitement. Their hope is that it’ll make them feel a little bit better about their bare body. It won’t make everything disappear, but maybe it’ll give them a little bit more confidence. And maybe it’ll spark something else too. 
Noah pluck their bag from the lingerie store and disappear into the bathroom, while Maya is distracted by something else. 
She wants to try this on her own first – just in case. This is still a big thing, after all. Noah strips down to their underwear. They’ve taken to wearing soft, unlined sports bras just for the feeling. There’s nothing to cover, but the extra step makes them feel a little more feminine. 
So far, it has worked. 
They take a moment to look at themselves. Their body hasn’t changed much, there are things they wish were different, but they’ve come to realise that these things don’t happen overnight. Noah has considered her options and while she hasn’t settled on anything yet, she has brought some of it up to Maya for a second opinion.
Noah finally shimmies out of their underwear. 
The new stuff doesn’t look quite as scary now that they’re in the safety of their home. Their hands still shake a little when they pull the panties up their thighs. The material feels so different on their skin. Noah adjusts themselves, trying to get comfortable in this. It’s clear that this isn’t made for their anatomy, but it feels good regardless. The high-waisted fit of the panties gives their waist a little more definition, and with the way the legs are cut out they actually feel as if there’s shape to their form. Noah tugs on the bralette, this isn’t too different from the things they’ve been wearing for a couple of weeks now. The fabric makes a world of a difference, though. The colour looks beautiful against their skin, and they like how the see-through fabric shows off their tattoos. 
They hear Maya call their name from the bedroom. 
Noah gives herself a final once over in the mirror before she pulls her shirt back over her frame. She loves when Maya does this, and showing herself off like this feels right.  
She opens the door to the bedroom, stepping out into the room. 
“Have you seen the —” Maya stops as soon as she sees them. 
Her eyes drift across Noah’s frame. 
They feel brave today. It’s taken them a while to feel comfortable showing their body again, even just to Maya. But today they feel good about themselves. Seeing Maya so affected by them definitely helps. 
“Did you try on the underwear?” she asks softly. 
Noah nods. 
Maya meets them in the middle of the room. She pulls Noah in for a kiss. Her hand is so soft on the side of their face. Maya’s unoccupied hand plays with the hem of their shirt, and Noah knows exactly what she wants. They’ve done the same to her. 
“Can I see?” there’s a trace of hesitance in her voice, but the curiosity outweighs it easily. 
Noah has long made up her mind. She wants Maya to see – to touch. 
They reach for the bottom of the shirt and slowly pull it upwards. Maya’s hands practically fly to their waist as soon as it is revealed to her. They feel her eyes drifting across their body, trying to take all of them in. 
“Noah.” she sighs, “You – you look so beautiful.” 
They meet in another kiss. Noah feels herself being pulled in by her waist, as Maya’s hand shifts to the small of her back. They shove their hand under Maya’s shirt, suddenly desperate to feel skin too. 
It’s been a while since they’ve been close like this and admittedly, Noah has missed it. 
Maya carefully walks them back towards the bed. Noah lets herself fall onto the mattress with a laugh. Maya quickly straddles her waist, leaning down to kiss her again. 
“Are you okay with this?” she asks between the kisses they trade. 
Noah sighs out a yes. 
They need to feel her hands on their body, need the gentle affection Maya is so willing to give them. 
From their lips, Maya begins a trail of kisses down their neck. She leaves her marks there, sucking a pretty bruise just under the edge of their jaw. Noah’s brain is already so full of fuzz. They feel hands drifting across their body, fingers tracing along the lines of their tattoos. 
Maya’s hands come to cover their chest. There isn’t anything to cup there, but the idea of it alone is enough to make Noah sigh. A thumb drags across their nipple, before she tugs at it just a little. The sting of it pulls a sound from Noah’s throat. 
Noah tangles a hair into Maya’s hair as she continues to descend along her body. They can feel the excitement bubbling in the middle as she trails her kisses along their tummy. 
“Can I touch you?” Maya asks softly. 
“Please.” she chokes out, “Please – it’s been so long.” 
Maya lets out a quiet chuckle, before she lets her hand wander lower. For now, it stays above her underwear. She places her hand above Noah’s crotch. Her touch is light, giving Noah a moment to adjust to it. 
Maya continues to kiss across their chest and tummy while the pressure of her hand slowly increases. Noah’s already halfway to hard and they’ve barely done anything at all. 
“Tell me if something feels off, okay? I want you to feel good.” Maya looks up at her with such a devastating softness. 
Maya slowly works her hand into their panties. Noah sighs when her hand curls around their cock. 
“I almost don’t want to take these off you.” Maya muses, as her fingers trace across the waistband of the panties, “You look so pretty in them.” 
“I feel pretty.”  
“Good.” She presses a kiss against their tummy, “Now let me make you feel good.” 
She carefully tugs the panties down until Noah’s cock comes free. 
Noah makes a little high-pitched sound when it slaps up against her tummy. Maya’s hand immediately returns to her, setting a slow, but steady rhythm. She continues peppering Noah’s skin with the softest kisses. Noah doesn’t even try to stop herself from moaning. She knows that Maya loves to hear her sounds, and it all feels too good anyway. 
The brush of Maya’s tongue against the head of their cock makes their hips tip forward. It’s been months since they’ve felt anything except the occasional rushed touch of their own hand on their skin. 
Noah whines when she takes the head between her lips. It’s almost overwhelming. The warmth of her mouth erases practically every thought in Noah’s head. Maya has always had that effect on them, but it’s so much more intense now. They drop their head back against the pillow, allowing themself to get lost in the sensation. 
Their hand tangles into Maya’s hair, less to direct her and more to keep her close. Noah decides then that she needs to feel more. While the mouth of her love feels good, she needs to feel all of her. 
“Maya.” she sighs, “I – fuck – let me feel you. Please. I wanna be inside –” the words come out broken up and breathy, but she can’t bring herself to worry, “Please baby.” she chokes out, “Please let me feel you. It’s been so long.” 
She hasn’t felt this desperate for her in a while.
Maya pulls away from them, but keeps her hand on their cock. 
“How do you want me?”
“Can you — on top of me.” Noah makes herself say between the soft sighs Maya pulls from her.
They watch as Maya undresses herself. She doesn’t make much of a show of it. And just a few moments later, she’s straddling Noah’s waist.
She reaches for their hand and guides it between her thighs. Noah dips her fingers between her folds. She’s soaked already. Maya sighs when their fingers sink into her. She’s so soft and warm, and Noah can’t wait to feel her wrapped around them again. It’s been far too long.
“Noah.” 
Hearing her sigh their name like that makes the warmth in their belly burn even hotter. They curl their fingers inside of her, pulling another moan from her. 
The need to feel her becomes too overwhelming then. 
“Think you’re ready?” She asks, finding herself sounding a little shaky. 
Maya nods, drawing in a stuttered breath. 
Noah slowly pulls their fingers from her. They guide the head of their cock towards her entrance. Their breath catches in their throat when they make contact, and Noah has to take a moment to stop themselves from coming undone then and there. Maya sinks down on her so, so slowly. 
She tangles their fingers together, holding on to Noah for dear life. Her eyes fall shut as she sinks lower. Noah thinks that she’s never been more beautiful. Her lips tremble, brows furrowed so slightly.
Maya pauses once she’s fully seated on top of Noah. She leans forward to meet kiss them. Her hand is so soft and warm against their cheek. It’s all so dizzying. 
“I love you so much, Noah.” she speaks against their lips, “My beautiful darling. My beautiful girl.” 
Their heart pounds in their chest. 
It still feels so novel, but god it feels good.
Noah pulls her back down for another kiss. 
“I love you.” Noah replies, lips spreading into a smile. 
Maya stays close for a moment longer, allowing both of them to settle just a little more. The soft kisses and words they exchange sear themselves into Noah’s mind. They know that Maya loves them, she shows it without shame. But in this moment, Noah feels so impossibly loved. 
Noah trails her fingers up the length of Maya’s back, pulling a little laugh from her. 
She grinds down against them, making both of them moan. 
The slow rhythm she sets makes Noah’s head swim. It’s a grind more than anything else, but it’s enough – more than enough, actually. 
Their hands are still interlaced, and Noah is glad to have that security. Their free hand roams across Maya’s thigh. Noah lets their eyes drift across her body from where they’re joined all the way up to her face. They find Maya already fixed on them, and they can’t possibly look away again. 
Noah doesn’t know how long they’ll last. 
Their constitution feels so worn and frayed already. Maya’s soft praise only pushes her further towards the edge.
“You feel so good.” she sighs, “Make me feel so good, my love.”
Noah wants to return the words and tell Maya how good she’s making her feel, but the words just won’t come. The only thing she can offer is a near wanton moan. 
Their hand grips into Maya’s thigh a little tighter as their hips pitch upwards. 
“You’re so close, aren’t you, baby?” she asks softly.
Noah gives another whine in response, “So close. You feel so good around me.”
Maya picks up her effort a little, now seemingly intent on bringing both of them to their climax. The warmth that spreads through them is unlike anything they’ve felt before. Feeling Maya clench around them makes their vision white out a little. 
They feel Maya tip forward against their chest at some point. They wrap their arms around her body, keeping her as close as possible to them. Their chests heave in unison. Noah is sure that they’ve never been more connected. 
Maya rests her head against their chest. With just a turn of their head, Noah can press their lips to her forehead. They stay like this for a long moment, just enjoying each other's warmth and presence. Noah hadn’t realised just how much they’ve missed this. Being close to Maya like this always made them feel more connected to her, and starving themself of this connection had impacted them more than they had previously thought. 
Half an hour later, they’re cuddled up in bed. 
Noah shuffles back against Maya’s chest. She wraps her arm around them, her hand settling on their tummy. Maya presses a kiss to their bare shoulder. 
Noah lets herself sink into the embrace, allowing it to envelop her entirely. Their nerves still buzz with the ecstasy of their high, but it's a pleasant, warm feeling. 
They doze off a little while later, entirely content and happy. 
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Noah paces along the length of their living room. 
The article and the related posts will drop any moment and god she’s never been more nervous. This is the first time they’ll be seen in public since they’ve gone down this road. The pictures Bryan has taken are genuinely some of their favourites. 
Maya had helped her assemble a good look for this shoot. The new clothes and a little bit of make-up had done a world of a difference. Noah had felt incredibly confident that day. 
Right now, all she wants to do is sink into the ground until all of this is over. 
“It’s up.” Nick announces. 
Noah swears that she’s going to throw up. 
At this point, the actual album release will be a breeze. 
Maya wraps an arm around their middle. 
“It’ll be okay, love. You know that the important people are on your side.” she says quietly, “We all love you so much. I love you so much.” 
Noah pulls their phone from the pocket of their sweats. The tremble of their hand makes it almost impossible to unlock their phone. They navigate towards Instagram, fully knowing that some of the words will sting. 
They scroll through the comments, anticipating the vitriol. 
The first comment that catches their eye is the exact opposite of what they’d expected. 
this is so cool! i’m proud of them <3
i love seeing someone living as themselves
this rocks, haters can get fucked 
whoa i didn’t know noah went by they/she that’s dope!
There are a few odd comments that follow the usual bigoted pattern. The overwhelming majority is either just really excited to see them release new music or offering their support for Noah. 
“I told you they’d be good.” Nick calls from the other side of the room. 
There’s a little commotion about someone commenting that they’re only going in this direction because of Cyberpunk, but the room quickly quiets down again. 
Noah is set to make an appearance on a podcast with Jolly later that day. They know the person they’re supposed to talk to, and Noah is surprisingly excited to get to talk about the new album. They’ve worked hard on this and Noah knows that they’re all very proud of what they’ve created. Being able to talk about it after all this time feels good. 
For the first time since they’ve been doing interviews, Matt has requested that they’re sent the questions ahead of time, just so they can have a bit of control over what they’re asked. Noah knows that they won’t be able to avoid the topic entirely, but they don’t want it to become the main focus of every interview they do from now on. Which pronouns they use shouldn’t have anything to do with the music the band they’re in makes. Thankfully, this interviewer had stuck to the more important things. 
“Now, this new cycle comes with a lot of changes for you as a band.” he starts and Noah steels themselves for the inevitable question, “It seems like you’ve changed up your sound quite a bit from the snippets we’ve heard so far. Will the whole album lean into that kind of sound or will there be some of the heavier sound that we’re used to from you?” 
Noah let’s out the breath they’ve been holding as Jolly gives his answer. They chime in eventually, adding that they want to keep evolving their sound, both for their and their audiences' sake. To keep things interesting. 
Noah marks this day as a good one. 
Things could have gone quite a lot worse, all things considered. She tries not to think about the mountain of unanswered e-mails that still waits for her. They’ll work their way through them in the coming days.
They spend what’s left of the day together as a group. 
They don’t get nearly enough days to just hang out together any more. Having time with their friends without the looming obligations biting at their ankles is nice. 
For the rest of the evening, the band doesn’t matter, and they’re just a group of friends spending good quality time together. 
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Watching the tickets for the tour sell out had been invigorating. It is just a small run of shows but knowing that they had sold out almost all of the shows had been a massive boost to their ego. 
The general reception of the new music had been good, and it had eased Noah’s nerves about the first show, at least a little bit. 
Now that the day has come, though, Noah feels impossibly nervous. They know that they’ve been a little irritable all day, but if anyone had been affected by it, they hadn’t made it known. 
Doors have opened by now, and Noah really should start to get ready. She’s kept herself busy with vocal warm-ups and administrative things. All that was left to do now was get dressed. 
Noah enters the dressing room, to find Maya sorting through their things. 
“There you are.” she says with a smile, “I was about to text you. Do you need help getting ready or do you want me to leave you alone?”
“Please stay?” Noah asks as they wrap their arms around her middle, “I think I might need a little help.” 
The outfit they’ve picked for this show is fairly neutral. With a few tricks, Maya had somehow managed to give their waist a little more definition. It’s not ideal yet, but it’s all in the works now. They’ve already made so much progress, and everything that is coming up now will only make things better. 
Noah sits down in front of the vanity. 
They’ve done this so often already, but right now, they can’t stop their hands from shaking. Maya pulls a chair up next to them, taking the brush out of their hand. 
“Let me help you, my love.” she says softly. 
Noah gladly turns their chair towards her. Maybe having this moment will make her feel a little calmer. 
“Didn’t get a chance to ask earlier, how did your last therapy session go?” Maya asks as she continues to work on their make-up. 
Noah had brought up a big question during the last session. They’d thought about it for a while. They had figured out very early on that the thing that had the biggest impact on their dysphoria was how boyish their body still felt. Noah has done what they could, and the logical next step is – as much as it scared them – hormones. 
They have brought it up with Maya before, but it had never been a firm decision. Maya had, naturally, been incredibly supportive of the idea. 
“I asked her about HRT.”
Maya stops moving then. She sets down the products in her hands. 
“You did? What did she say?” ​​
“She’s going to write me a note just in case. But she agrees that it’s the best option for me.” 
Maya breaks into a wide smile. She wraps them into a tight hug. Maya presses a plethora of kisses against the cheeks and lips. 
“That’s so good. I’m so happy for you.” 
Noah lets herself sink against Maya. Her support has been their biggest crutch during all of this. They don’t know what they would have done if they didn’t have Maya, or even worse if she hadn’t been supportive of them. Thankfully, Noah doesn’t have to worry about that. Somehow, she’s ended up with the best support system she could have asked for.
“Thank you, really.” Noah says finally, “I couldn’t have done any of this without you.” 
Maya pulls away from them just enough to look at them, “You’re my person, Noah. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you. With maybe a few exceptions – I draw the line at murder.”
Noah can’t help but laugh at that. 
“I mean that. Watching you be so sad and unlike yourself during those first few weeks – I never want that again. I’ll do whatever I can to help you.” 
Noah has to fight the tears. They’ve had this talk a few times, but it never fails to bring her to tears. 
“You don’t know how much that means to me.” Noah sniffles.
“I just need you to talk to me. Tell me when you need something. I can’t read your mind yet.” 
“I’ll do my best.” Noah leans in to steal a kiss from her, “I think we have to get going, though. Don’t wanna rush things. And Bryan will want to take a few more pictures.” 
Maya gives them another kiss before she continues to work on their make-up. 
Maya doesn’t do anything too out of the ordinary, but it’s enough to make them feel comfortable and confident. And mixed with the outfit, Noah feels more than ready to head out on stage again. 
As expected, Bryan snaps a few more pictures of all four of them. He has been taking candids all afternoon, and Noah is genuinely curious to see how Bryan has captured her. They all go about their own little routines in the last few moments before they go on stage. 
Noah stops by the last restroom before the stage, just to get a final glimpse at themself. So much, and at the same time so little, has changed. 
For the moment, the nerves outweigh any kind of excitement they feel. Noah’s sure that thing will settle once they’re actually one stage and the first song is underway. It’s always like that. 
They’re always impossibly nervous up until the moment they’re singing the first line. Noah finds her eyes in the mirror. 
She’ll be okay. 
Noah tugs at her shirt for a moment, makes sure that the buckle of her belt is centred. She fixes her hair, swipes a little speck of eyeshadow from her cheek. Noah wonders how long she can hide away here. 
They can hear them talking outside, they’re sure that they can hear Matt and Nick talking right in front of the door. Something about the last few shows selling out too. 
Noah decides that it’s time to stop stalling. 
She exits the restroom again and wriggles her way into their conversation. 
“What’s that about selling out?” they ask, draping their arm across Nicks shoulder. 
“Tour’s all sold out.” Matt announces, “Album’s selling like mad, too. At this point, we might even make a profit.”
Hearing that their coming out had no major negative impact on the band and their career takes a good chunk of weight off their shoulders. Nick pulls them into a half hug. 
A moment later, they’re all huddled up. Jolly says something about how they’ll be better than ever tonight, but Noah can barely hear him over the buzzing in their ears. They can hear the noise of the crowd, their excited cheers as the lights dim down. 
Folio’s excitement about getting back on stage bubbles over into her. 
This will be a good one. 
Just before they go on stage, they look back to see Maya coming up towards the side with Davis. 
All of her favourite people are here tonight. Everyone she loves is here to support them – to support her. 
As soon as they step foot on stage and the noise of the crowd fills their ears, they know that things will be okay. The show is unlike any they’ve played before. The energy in the room gives Noah drive to barrel through the setlist. 
And by the time the band takes their bows, Noah is sure of it all. 
Things will be okay. 
Noah is glad that they’ve decided against a big dinner with everyone after the show. Instead, they find themself curled up against Maya’s side while they devour their spread of takeout. The show flickering across the screen matters little, Noah is too lost in their own thoughts to pay attention to it. 
The night couldn’t have gone better. 
Being welcomed back with such open arms had superseded any expectation they’d had leading up to today. Sure, they’d hoped that people would be accepting or even welcoming, but the outpouring of love and support not just for her but for the whole band had meant the world to her. 
The thing that had really sealed it all was seeing Maya at the side of the stage. The pride and love they had found on her face had made it all worth it. 
Noah shifts against her, trying to get a little more comfortable. They’re exhausted beyond reason and here, with Maya so close, they’re about ready to clock out for the night. 
Maya presses an absent-minded kiss to the top of their head, as her arm tightens around their middle. 
This is all they need, Noah thinks. 
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wysteriaisapenguin · 1 day ago
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Sometimes I think about the Voice and Vessel ships that aren't their respective pairs. So I'm gonna ramble about the ones I really like
Hero and Thorn: I like to think that out of all the vessels, Hero would resonate with Thorn the most. Both of them start off as soft individuals who end up hurting each other after things go south and becoming hostile and cautious. But they eventually reach a point where they are so tired of all the pain and mistrust. Even so, they still want to believe they can make things right and leave together peacefully. Hero always believed in doing the right thing. His compassion is enough to let Thorn know that he truly wants to help her and she can trust him. She's scared of being hurt again and so is he. Now that they understand each other and the pain they've been through, they want to reassure each other that things will be ok between them now. And that's just very sweet to me.
Wraith and Opportunist OR Wraith and Cheated: Ok I might be cheating here since I choose two different voices to pair with Wraith. But I like them both for different reasons! The dynamic between Wraith and Opportunist is just so hilarious (Scary villainess and her loyal bumbling henchman LOL). I love how he tries to butter up to her and she isn't having it at first, but then she starts finding him amusing. And if you let her out, she's genuinely endeared by his support. It's a funny interaction and probably the one nice thing Oppy has ever done for a princess. It also makes sense too since they both have abandonment issues and will do anything it takes to not be hurt again, even if it means they have to hurt others. As for Wraith and Cheated, both are pissed off by the unfair circumstances that they are each placed in (Wraith being cruelly slain as a trapped prisoner and Cheated taking on the role as a slayer with a terrible reward). They take out their anger on each other because they both think that the other made things worse for them. But even so, I like to think this shared feeling might offer both of them to connect somehow. Even if these two aren't willing to empathize with each other, they both know that whatever game they're playing in is "rigged against them". So perhaps, if they were to put their hatred aside and work together, they can both fight for the freedom they've been longing for so long. It may never happen, but ideally it would be an endearing dynamic.
[The next few ships include Pristine Cut Spoilers]
Paranoid and Happily Ever After: We know that Paranoid is usually afraid of the princess, always expecting the worst possible thing she could do to her. But what happens when she meets a princess who just wants to make her happy and is clearly miserable because of it? Despite her initial caution, Paranoid realizes that HEA is just as trapped as she is and urges her to be honest so that the both of them can be free. Sure enough, that urge is what encourages HEA to finally speak up for herself. Perhaps she knows how anxious Paranoid is but still wants her to feel comfortable around her. So she tries to build trust with the voice by being patient and caring towards her. Thanks to this, Paranoid slowly feels less afraid of HEA. Both of these fragile souls know how much it hurts to have their will and freedom taken away, but they can seek comfort in each other now that they are finally free.
Cold and Fury: I really love how out of all the vessels, Cold is clearly amused by Fury (if you get him from Adversary). As a voice who claims to "feel nothing", it would be expected for him to be drawn to someone filled with raw emotion. (WHO'S READY FOR BURNED BRIDGES 2.0 BABYYYYYYYYYY) But then it turns out that he shares something in common with her. Both of them are desperate to feel something, anything. And for Fury in particular, she wants to feel the spark she once had so bad but can't anymore. Once she's taken out all of her anger, once she's done with her agonizing torment, she's left in a sad, lost, and empty state. But Cold is still there. Despite everything, he was able to withstand all the pain. And he too wants to feel something; he just didn't want to do the same thing over and over with Fury. Even if they have both have grown numb to their own feelings, they can still build something together. It's not too late for either of them.
Skeptic and Eye of the Needle: So this is mostly based on the updated ending for EOTN when you free her with Skeptic. Once she's finally out, she is left in a state of confusion. Violence is the only thing she ever cared about and everything outside of that is so new to her. She feels so lost and scared, as if she had long forgotten something important. And that's when Skeptic comes in. He'd be the best one to help her come to terms with her identity crisis. He also knows what it's like to feel lost with so many unanswered questions and he's sure EOTN has a lot of them. So he's willing to guide her towards the answers she is looking for, no violence required. And EOTN would be grateful for this...although this probably won't stop her from wanting to fight him too. (She'd still think he’s a weakling who needs to toughen up and be her equal.) The spark she once had isn't lost yet; she just needs a different approach.
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cryinhell · 22 hours ago
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No one asked, but here's my updated top ten hellaverse ships (both canon and not)
10) Stella x Striker
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What can I say? I love an evil couple. I think these two look pretty hot together, and it's interesting how Striker seems to respect Stella despite hating blue bloods. These two aren't canon, but I wouldn't mind if they were
9) RadioRose
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Despite having mixed feelings on Alastor, I think these two are just so cute. Either as a couple or just queer platonic partners, I don't care. Rosie seems to be the only person to make Alastor genuinely smile, and she's the only one who can touch him. There's a special bond there I really like
8) Verosika Mayday x Wally Wackford
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So this is the biggest crack ship on this list, but I think in theory, it's so cute. I really want Verosika to be happy, and Wally, despite being a bit of a scammer, is really sweet. I'm totally cool with Verosika ending up with Barbie as well, but I slightly prefer Wally. I wonder if they will have more interactions in future episodes.
7) Fizzmodeus
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Is this controversial? Probably. I know Fizzarolli and Asmodeus are so loved in this fandom, so putting them at number 7 is awful...but they aren't my favorite. I do like them, and I think they're really cute! I just have ships I like more, but that doesn't take away how sweet these two can be. Sometimes obnoxiously sweet heh. So yeah, no disrespect to these two
6) M&M
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So these two were at first kinda meh for me, but over time, I've grown to love them. They have a pretty healthy relationship, and I always hate when someone bothers Millie for marrying Moxxie or saying Moxxie isn't a good enough husband. These two clearly love and respect each other and clearly grow together with every episode.
5) Staticmoth
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Like I said, I love an evil couple. Valentino is a monster, and Vox is deplorable. That doesn't stop me from loving them as a couple and thinking they are cute. I think they both should die, but also would be sad cause come on, they're cute together.
4) Cherrisnake
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I love Sir Pentious, I love Cherri Bomb, so obviously, them together is a fun pair. I shipped these two before the show came out and was so excited to see Pen having a crush on Cherri. They kinda remind me of the early versions of M&M, but they need a lot more time. Cherri isn't ready to accept love, and Sir Pentious is well...in a different world. I can't wait to see these two develop and become an actual couple.
3) Adamsapple
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So this and Lucilith could be here. Lucifer being happy is the main objective, and its Adamsapple is so fun. They clearly have a history, and there's a lot of feelings. If Adam comes back in season 2, I'd love to see this be fleshed out. I doubt they'd be a couple, but maybe friends? Who knows. I'm fine with this one not being canon, and just something fun in the fandom
2) Stolitz
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Stoltiz is pretty important to me because it really got me involved in the fandom. I've been watching Helluva Boss since the beginning, but episode one of season two had me from casual watcher to actual fan. Blitzø is one of the characters I really relate to, and Stolas is just a really well written character. I love the development of these two and they are worth waiting for. I really gotta draw some fanart of them because they are everything
1) Huskerdust
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Are you surprised? You must be new. These two are my everything and all time otp in the Hellaverse. I've talked so much about why I love them, and I will continue to do so until I can't any longer. Angel and Husk are not only my favorite characters individually, but their growing friendship and eventual relationship are just so ughhhh. I love these losers, and they will always be number one.
Thanks for reading my nonsense
Have a good one 💜💜
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loredrinker · 2 days ago
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Solas's choice
Thinking/mulling/reflecting on a piece currently in development. I'm sure this has been discussed...
Solas chose to take a body. Mythal did what she could to cajole and convince - but in the end, the choice was still his.
That choice braced himself for impact:
Cole: Is there a way to save more spirits, Solas?  Solas: Not until the Veil is healed. The rifts draw spirits through, and the shock makes demons of them.  Cole: Pushing through makes you be yourself. You can hold onto the you. Being pulled through means you don't have enough you. You become what batters you, bruises your being.  Solas: Yes, exactly. Deliberately crossing the Veil requires that a spirit form will, personality. That concept of self gives a spirit the chance to maintain its nature. 
Solas pushed through.
Cassandra: I knew demons and spirits were similar, but I did not know one could become the other so easily. Solas: Not similar, Seeker. The same. The Chantry sees black and white, but nature is, and always has been, grey. A spirit is a purpose. A demon is that purpose perverted.
Spirits have purpose - this implies an inherent core essence – an identity that they are defined by.
That choice...
It's what allows him to keep his core essence (purpose) - wisdom. It's what prevents him from becoming wholly pride.
He is both wisdom and pride - a man.
He is a duality - a beautiful, messy being of dualities dancing together. Balance - complementary contrasts - integration - not a division but sums that make up a whole.
What he says in Veilguard:
'I am not a god' - I AM - declaration of self-identity - not spirit, not demon. He is not them (the Evanuris) - he is not omnipotent, not infallible - rejection of godhood - but neither is he saviour - he is an individual shaped by his own choices.
'I am what I have always been - a man' - I AM - an immortal defining himself in the most human and 'mortal' term - not denying his humanity, not running from his flaws - always - his nature, his humanity - has remained consistent, constant - roles, choices, perspectives shift, but not who he is.
'...all too aware of his failings' - aware = wisdom, core essence - introspection, centuries of reflection - self-aware - but the 'all too' - it's too much awareness, he knows deeply, reflects deeply - failings - not mistakes but failings - an ongoing reckoning and reflection of his flaws/traits. Always reflecting - cause he's wisdom who's aware of his pride.
He accepts what he has always been - acceptance of duality leads to wholeness (complete in understanding).
I love this character.
Please feel free to link to any discussions already out there on this (or share your own thoughts) so I can read more and absorb and digest and think.
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*Bioware image
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seirei-bh · 1 day ago
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I need to talk about Sylphrena and Renarin as individuals and their evolution in Wind and Truth
Syl and Renarin are among my favorite Stormlight characters since the first book, but in WaT posts almost every mention I've seen of them has been in regards to ships, so I'm going to put that topic aside because I want to highlight here how much I've loved them in this book as well for their evolution and roles.
Warning! FULL SPOILERS Wind and Truth below!
Syl is -too often- a character VERY underrated both in the books and in the fandom, not being appreciated enough except just as a "cute pixie" or "Kaladin's spren", something that makes me sad since I think she doesn't get the recognition she deserves, but in WaT she really stands out as an individual woman. And I love that so much! We see her becoming more self-aware, wanting to not only live for Kaladin but live for herself, she becomes a scribe and learns to write by her own efforts, because it's something she really likes, she finds a hobby and a dream. She also actively helps Szeth in one of his tests and she is the one who discovers the hidden trap, where we get a chapter from her pov. This book shows us a Syl who is smart, funny, witty, strong-willed, and also shows us very healthy and positive interactions of Syl with Kaladin and other individuals like Adolin and Shallan at the beginning, and then with Nightblood, Szeth, Nale. And in the end… she becomes the Queen of the Sprens! why is NOBODY talking about this??! And she also gets a physical body properly (I was afraid she would do it suffering from an experiment by Ishar, but no, it was thanks to the 5th ideal), so she can live in the physical world as she wished. Syl matures, grows, figures out who she wants to be and helps people who need it, while also learning to be an individual with her own personality and dreams. It's true that the character developments in the Shinovar storyline that stand out are those of Kaladin and Szeth, but we can't forget that Syl has also had her own: we see Syl as a member of Bridge 4, as a scribe, as a co-therapist, as a warrior (in spirit), and as a queen. And I'm very happy for her.
I hope that after WaT more people start to value Syl, and that those who hate a certain ship and have feared/hated Syl -without her deserving it- for that possibility in past or future, can value how beautiful and healthy the dynamic and bond between Kaladin and Syl is regardless of that, and how amazing is Syl as individual character, since Syl's scenes in this book are beautiful and heartwarmings. And I can't wait to see her in future books, to know what her role as queen of the spren will be like and how she will also help the heralds alongside Kaladin. After seeing how Kaladin and Syl summoned the Honor-spear together in the Oath, I now wonder if it will be possible for both of them to be able to summon a spear individually, so could it be possible that we see them fight together side by side in battlefield?? That would be amazing.
Now Renarin, he was always a character that caught my attention, I found him mysterious and interesting, and I've been very happy seeing how in each book and especially in WaT, he has become a much more self-confident person, someone braver, stronger, smarter, and who has managed to find his place in the world, both within Bridge 4, and in his family and also, little by little, about what he wants in the future: a world of peace where singers/listeners and humans can live together in peace and understand each other. And also that he wants to be free to love whoever he wants, and to be radiant, erudite, and he has the courage to free Ba ​​Ado Misharan and to decline to be king at the end and instead opt for an egalitarian government and shared government (it seems that it will be a mix between a republic and a democracy, perhaps). His relationship with Rlain is beautiful (but I'll talk more about them in another post <3), and that bond between them has helped them grow too, I also really liked how his friendship with some members of Bridge 4 develops here, especially Drehy, and with Shallan as a family, who supports him in his decisions. I'm looking forward to seeing the future Renarin, wiser, more self-confident, as a ruler and how he will try to form a coexistence between singers and humans, and of course to see him married to Rlain! I want to see what will happen with Ba Ado Mishram and I want to see that Renarin who faces his visions with courage and reason, as he has done in this book.
In conclusion: I LOVE MY BABIES SYL AND RENARIN AND I'M VERY PROUD OF THEM!
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andre-and-cal · 2 days ago
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me when I want some.........pup headcanons....STOPP it can BE SO SHORT or actual request what would caldre do on a date heh.......
Finally getting to overdue requests !! ^_^
Also uh my headcanons r too long so I’ll try to make them shorter from now on so they’re easier to read HELP SORRY I be #yapping too much
Andre and Cal on a date,,
Most of the time, they don’t really call it a date— they don’t even acknowledge their relationship as dating. They say they love each other, call each other affectionate names in private, but they never made it official that they are a thing, even though they behave how couples do. They kiss, cuddle, fuck, do stuff together, argue, fight…
When they do say “date”, it’s mainly Cal who brings up if Andre wants to “go on a date” with him. However, they tend to prefer directly asking each other to go somewhere private. Especially Andre.
Admittedly, toward the beginning of their romantic companionship, they both felt too insecure about bringing up going on “dates” with each other. So eventually, Cal was the first one to ask Andre straight-up, having to fight back against his social apprehension. To which, Andre accepted. He generally is always up to going on tender outings with Cal unless his parents or cousin need him for something at that time.
Now, Andre no longer feels as awkward as he did before. A lot of the times he just expects Cal to bring up going out together. He’s a pretty laid back guy when it comes to that, not minding whenever Cal requests it, as long as it isn’t on one of their mission days. As a result, Cal is usually the one to initiate plans for outings together. In a way, it’s kind of like a routine.
Andre and Cal nearly always go to quiet places. They prefer less chaotic, more undisturbed atmospheres, mostly because they both get annoyed when too many people are around them or crowding them, so they don’t attend concerts too often. They aren’t very fond of parties either, but will go under difference circumstances. Not that they’d be invited to their classmates’ parties anyway.
Generally, Andre and Cal like to go out to the movies together. But they don’t kiss during the movie. Instead, they laugh at different scenes together, especially if it’s some campy, low-budget horror movie. Cal occasionally tries to sneak edibles into the movie theater, but Andre always makes him put it away, quietly scolding him about his carelessness toward getting high in public. During the movie, Andre tends to pat Cal’s thigh or knee, and Cal likes to place his hand over Andre’s hand or knee— even lean his head on his shoulder. You best believe they’re sharing a big bag of popcorn or candy, too.
Sometimes they’ll hang around at empty parking lots as well. Despite the blatantly unsettling vibes present with the dim streetlights being the only sources of light in the parking lot, with both boys being aware that the setting is like “something straight out of a horror movie”, the melancholic solitude of the late-night vacant buildings still draws the two in. However, Andre and Cal refuse to get out of Andre’s car, since he carries pocket knives in his car’s front compartment just in case LMAO. They’ll sit and get comfortable, maybe talk for a while, with their hands tightly locked together.
They’ll even just drive around town in Andre’s car aimlessly, listening to music on the radio and getting some snacks and slushies at the gas station, so their tongues will be purple by the end of the night. ;3
And they also like to head to the CD store to both seriously purchase music, and individually— yet jokingly— get pornographic movies. It was Cal’s idea initially, and now it became kind of like a stupid “game” where they both gauge each other’s reactions when they put it on.
Andre and Cal do enjoy spending time together when they can. I think it’s also worth mentioning that they leave their camcorder behind, so that they can stay in the moment, essentially. Their outings can serve as simple— yet temporary— distractions from their Zero Day plans.
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thwackk · 2 years ago
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my ass will be like “idc abt romance at all. shit sucks lmao” and then all i ever draw is romantical intimate shit for fictional couples i made up in my head
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ruporas · 2 years ago
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endless love!
[ID Two drawing collage pages of Vash and Wolfwood from Trigun Maximum. In the first collage, top corner, Wolfwood looks upwards disgruntled with a flushed expression, lying against a pillow, as his hair is being pet by Vash's hand. Next shows Vash and Wolfwood from behind, Wolfwood with his top bare and hickies covers around his nape area. Vash lifts hair away from his nape and asks, "More?" Wolfwood nervously says, "No." Next is a side profile of Vash, his arms around Wolfwood from behind while Wolfwood rests his hands against Vash's arms. Next to this are two smaller drawings; Vash turns to Wolfwood and says repetitively, "Wolfwood, Wolfwood..." Wolfwood, not looking at him, says "What?" He finally turns his head and looks shocked as he exclaims, "So close!" Vash says plainly, "You just noticed?" Below these is a drawing of Vash and Wolfwood sitting together as Vash kisses and hugs him from behind with his right arm around Wolfwood's neck and his left hand around his side. He also has his right leg propped against Wolfwood's knee. Bottom of the page has a comic. Wolfwood looks annoyed, speaking to himself, "Where is that idiot?! Need to get out of town before--" A chat bubble exclaims, "Wolfwood!" The next panel shows Vash running from the townspeople, small text saying "Get him! Vash the stampede!". Wolfwood, mad and about to pull the Punisher off his shoulder, says, "Argh, you fucking dumbass!" Vash exclaims, "Ah, don't!" before pulling Wolfwood into a quick kiss. He then tugs on Wolfwood's collar and says, "There's no need to shoot, just run!" Wolfwood stammers, "R-right..." with a flushed, dumbstruck expression.
Second collage; Top left, Wolfwood spoons Vash in bed, his arms around his chest and the other beneath Vash's head. Vash has his hand on top of Wolfwood's as he sleeps while Wolfwood lies awake. Behind this drawing is faint sketches of Vash's face. In a small panel, Wolfwood hides in Vash's neck as he mumbles to himself "Stop. Stop thinking embarrassing things, Wolfwood..." Beneath this drawing is another of them in bed, Vash now turned to Wolfwood and a hand on his cheek as he kisses him good morning. In a simpler style, Vash wraps an arm tightly around wolfwood with the text "snork mimimi" next to him while Wolfwood says, "We need to get up. Spikey! HEY!" In this corner, there are faint sketches of Vash and Wolfwood; one of them looking at each other; Vash kissing Wolfwood's forehead; Wolfwood saying, "Hand" with an outstretch hand and Vash says "ok" behind a drawing of them holding hands, both turned away from each other shyly. Next is a 4 panel comic. First shows Wolfwood's face getting squished by Vash's hands with the text "squish" around his face. Next, his cheeks are stretched with the text "Chee--" Wolfwood then hits Vash's face with his palm, exclaimining "That hurts!" The last shows Vash on Wolfwood's lap, smiling to himself as he continues to have Wolfwood's face in his hands. Next to this is another comic; A close up of their hands, Vash holding Wolfwood's with both of his. He then kisses the palm of Wolfwood's palm and says, "They're soft!" Wolfwood looks at him with flushed cheeks, "There's no way that's true..." END ID]
#vashwood#vash the stampede#nicholas d wolfwood#trigun#trigun maximum#just posting first for now!!! wanted to have these two spreads together grah#ive been weirdly selective when it comes to posting on tumblr but i really need to start dropping everything from twitter/insta onto here...#anyway what is there to say... i like to just draw them being in love and silly. there are so many flavors to vw#and i so happened to really enjoy the intimate sickeningly affectionate aspect of it... lays down...#give these two touch and loved starved selfless individuals the chance to pour their entire being into loving the other....#thoguh in particular i drew these both for wolfwood wednesday (which is everyday to me) so theyre wolfwood centric#i think for some time i was just seeing a lot of work of vash being loved by wolfwood and obviously that makes sense#ww loves that fool so much and will love him two times as much for the love vash refuses to give himself#but i also love wolfwood and desperately needed to see wolfwood being loved so i drew it#bc it goes both ways... i def believe that ww would be adamant about giving affection to vash at first bc vash would hesitate asking#but once he gets comfortable vash's love pours and he'd noticed too that ww avoids getting spoiled affectionately bc of his own issues#vash is. stubborn to me. more so than wolfwood. he will destroy him with love!!!!!!!!!!!#and wolfwood will adjust and get used to it. being loved. loving. steadily but slowly as his days are filled with soft touches and reminders#that he's being handled gently and with care for the first time in a long time#ruporas art
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starry-bi-sky · 2 months ago
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*points at bruce and danny in 'late at night when the nightingale sings'* THESE TWO MFERS MEAN SO MUCH TO MEEEE
no thoughts head empty just these two socially inept fools finding family in one another. like yes you go you funky little death omens stole that one from a comment on the fic, so if you see this you know who you are, discover that family isn't only tied in blood.
bUT onto less mushy stuff: these two being shenaniganizers; tomfools. Bruce realized that Danny didn't actually know he was Bruce Wayne and instead of going "oh actually im bruce wayne" he went; "hrm... how long can i keep this going until he realizes...."
like. i think they deserve to be the sillies. just utter goobers the both of them. like, danny makes the wittiest side comments, dry quips, under his breath towards Bruce while they're out in public (Danny covering his face with a face mask) and Bruce is trying not to laugh. Meanwhile if Bruce makes one sly comment about someone to Danny, Danny's gonna collapse with laughter.
Bruce plays straightman in most of their bits, he has the best fucking poker face. But also I firmly believe he does actually enjoy Danny's puns. Look me in the eyes- look me in the eyes. Try and tell me that a man that willingly agrees to call a car "the batmobile" even after his eight year old ward grows up (thus negating the need to go along with his antics) doesn't enjoy a good, well-placed pun. Look me in the eyes and try to tell me that. That's right you can't.
He's gonna spit out a well-placed pun in the driest, most boring Batman Voice Ever one day while he's getting ready for patrol, and Danny's gonna fucking die of laughter. He's gonna lose his mind. Bruce is going to have a half-dead sickly teenager laughing his lungs out in the chair. That's a new core memory right there, every time Danny thinks about that he's gonna start giggling.
just!!! these two making each other laugh! That's so important to me. So so much. I nEED Danny to get Bruce to smile and laugh and I need Bruce to make Danny do the same. Danny's all snark and sass and Bruce is all deadpan and dry quips. Do you all see my vision.
#dpxdc#danny fenton is not the ghost king#dp x dc#dpxdc crossover#dp x dc prompt#blood blossom au#firm believer of bruce having a sense of humor. batman being a troll is my favorite thing ever. mister 'i assaulted three [officers]'#they're banned from the kitchen but only when its the two of them unsupervised because they'll make a mess. Danny's not used to working wit#machinery that doesnt spontaneously come to life sometimes and Bruce is Bruce. They tried making a smoothie once and it ended in disaster#there was smushed frozen berries and milk all over the counter and cabinets. it got all over them. the floOR was a slipnslide. danny smelt#like rasp+blackberries all day and so did bruce. the last time they tried to make pancakes together it ended in an impromptu flour fight#flour EVERYWHERe. they both looked like ghosts. Danny started it. he took a glob of the batter and smushed it on Bruce's face.#bruce merely retaliated. that was the incident that got them officially banned from the kitchen without alfred's direct supervision#they can be there individually but not together. that's just spelling trouble#have the vivid mental image of Danny (masquerading as Jackson) looking around Bruce at some other rich socialite with just combination#baffled and deadpan look on his face. before looking up at Bruce and flatly going 'i think we're gonna have to kill this guy Buzz'#and Bruce just takes a sip from his champagne flute. He looks equally unimpressed. And quietly so that only Danny hears him. goes *'fuck'*#except he does it in the Batman Voice. and Danny has to hide his face in the back of Bruce's suit jacket to hide his laughter.#ALL OF THE INSIDE JOKES GUYS. ITS ABOUT THE DOMESTICITY. THE LAUGHTER THE JOY THE GOOD FEELS#*GRIPS YOU BY THE SHOULDERS WITH HEAVY BREATHING* DO YOU UNDERSTAND THE VISION. ITS THE RELEARNING TO LOVE AND BE LOVED
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