#i truly wonder if he's ever gotten people who stop him and point it out

[vampyfrnk]

i find it so funny when someone who doesn't know frank points out that one of his hands says ween like yes that man did get ween so he can have halloween across his knuckles

[vivwritesfics]

Hooked On A Feeling

Chapter Ten - Milo's Hot Momma

Daniel is a Formula One driver, but, more importantly, he was a single dad to a wonderful little girl. He wants her to be a normal little girl, to have a normal social life, so he sends her to daycare. That was where she met Milo, her future best friend.

Milo's mother was incredibly stressed. She worked so hard to provide a good life for her son. But then he makes a new friend, a friend who has a hot dad (ofc they fall in love)

1.8K

Single Dad!Daniel x Single Mum!Reader

Series Masterlist

It was a relief when Milo climbed back into his mother's lap before they began their descent. She sat in her own seat and allowed Milo to take his place in her lap as Olivia sat opposite them. She was a big girl; she didn't need her daddy.

"The tattoos," Y/N began as she held Milo. "I feel like you've got them to appear all terrifying and intimidating, but you're secretly a loser," she said to Daniel.

"A loser?" He asked, but he was unable to contain his smile.

Y/N laughed, her chest shaking slightly. "Don't worry, Danny. All the best people are."

"Are you a loser?" Daniel couldn't stop himself from asking. When Y/N nodded her head, he decided he didn't mind being a loser.

***

"Keep a hold of my hand, Munchkin," said Y/N as she and Milo entered the paddock.

Milo began skipping as he walked beside his mother. "Do you think we'll get to meet any of the drivers, Momma?" He asked as they walked forward.

Y/N truly didn't know. Daniel had gotten to the circuit much before they had and she had no idea where they were meant to be going. There must be somebody she could ask.

Everybody was far too busy. Every time she approached someone they hurried away, unaware that she and Milo were even there, asking for help.

Finally, she found a man in a navy blue shirt with RED BULL printed on the back of it. Red Bull, that was Daniels old team, she recognised. "Come on, Munchkin," she said and placed Milo on her hip.

She kept a tight hold of him as they walked towards the man with the short blonde hair and blue eyes. "Excuse me," Y/N said before the man had the chance to walk away. The man turned, wearing an ever so kind smile on his face. "Could you help me? We're trying to find the AlphaTauri garage and we're a little lost."

"Of course," the guy said and pointed them in the right direction. He began walking, falling into step beside Y/N as he took her towards where she needed to go. "Are you an AlphaTauri fan?" He asked, noticing the hat on Milo's head.

"I am!" Milo answered and wriggled out of his mother's grip. She put him down and grasped his hand.

Y/N straightened up his hat on his head. "We're friends with Daniel Ricciardo," she answered. "Do you work in Formula One?"

Max couldn't stop himself from laughing at that. "You're not a Formula One fan, are you?" He asked. When she shook her head signalling no, he held out his hand. "I'm Max, I drive for Red Bull," he said.

"Oh!" Y/N suddenly cried. "Your team won last time, didn't you? Congratulations!'

"Thanks," Max said, somewhat bashful. "You said you're friends with Daniel?"

"Our kids are friends from daycare," she answered.

They chatted idly as Max led them to them to the AlphaTauri garage. The conversation was easy, enjoyable, friendly. Milo was happy to talk to Max, tell him everything he had learnt about Formula One so far (most of which Olivia had taught him).

At the AlphaTauri garage, Max left them there. He waved them a goodbye and disappeared, making his way back to the Red Bull garage.

Even though they were now where they were supposed to be, Y/N was lost. "Where do you think we go now, Milo?" She asked, not quite expecting an answer.

But she did get an answer, just not from Milo. "MILO!" Came a loud, familiar voice. Suddenly Olivia was running towards them. She quickly threw her arms around Milo, knocking his hat off in the process.

Her father walked up behind her, greeting Y/N in a much calmer way than Olivia greeted Milo. He still wrapped his arms around her and squeezed, just not as aggressively as Olivia did Milo.

Pulling away, Daniel picked the hat up from the floor and placed it on Milo's head. "Hey Loser," Y/N couldn't stop herself from saying as he pulled the hat down.

"Hey Loser," he mimicked like a parrot. Olivia pulled away from Milo and returned to her fathers side, a proud smile on her face. "We were beginning to think you weren't going to make it," Daniel said as he placed his hands on her head, messing up his neat braids. "And Olivia wanted to introduce Milo to everybody."

That didn't surprise Y/N one bit. "Milo would love to be introduced to all of Livvy's uncles," she said.

Suddenly Olivia grabbed a hold of Milo's hand. She pulled him away, running back through the paddock. "Milo!" Y/N shouted, trying to reach for her son.

"Livvy!" Daniel shouted at the same time as he attempted to grab her, but she was already gone, already taking off down the paddock.

Y/N looked at Daniel. Daniel looked at Y/N. "Shit," they both said and took off, following their children down the paddock.

The first place Olivia wanted Milo to see was the Red Bull garage. "You need to meet my uncle Max, uncle Christian and my uncle Checo," she said as she pulled him around the RB20 with the number 1 on it.

Rather abruptly, Olivia was no longer holding Milo's hand. She was no longer on the ground, instead hoisted into somebodies arms. "Livvy!" The familiar man cried as he held Olivia on his hip.

"Uncle Maxy!" She screamed as she wrapped her arms around him.

At first Max didn't recognise the little boy Olivia was dragging around the paddock. He hadn't learnt his name, but he still recognised him from the AlphaTauri hat on his head. "Who's your friend?" He still asked her.

"This is Milo," she said. "He's my best friend from daycare."

Suddenly Y/N and Daniel were behind them. "Milo!" Y/N shouted, her voice scolding as she picked him up. "Don't you ever run away like that again! You scared me half to death!"

Daniel took Olivia from Max's hands. "What were you thinking, Badger? You know you can't just run off like that," he said, his voice a lot calmer than hers.

Blushing red, Olivia tucked her face in against Daniels chest. "Daddy you're embarrassing me in front of uncle Maxy," she muttered.

"If you're gonna take Milo around the paddock, you need to make sure you have me or his momma with you, okay?"

"Okay," she replied quietly and Daniel placed Olivia back on the ground.

He watched as she walked back to her Uncle Max, who took her and Milo's hands and walked them further into the garage. Daniel checked the watch on his wrist. "Listen, I've got to go and get ready for free practice. Think you can get the kids back to the garage in twenty minutes?" He asked.

"Definitely," Y/N said as she checked the time on her phone.

Daniel kissed her cheek before he took off. Goddamn, she was never going to wash that cheek again.

***

On Saturday it was a little easy to navigate the paddock. Y/N and Milo found themselves in the AlphaTauri garage with Daniel, Olivia, and Daniels teammate, Yuki.

Olivia and Milo were passionately defending McDonalds to Yuki. He was acting as babysitter while Daniel took Y/N into his drivers room. "I'm pretty sure I have an AlphaTauri shirt somewhere in here," he said as he went through the little wardrobe he had in his drivers room.

At last, he found one. "Aha," he said, wearing a grin as he pulled it from his wardrobe and passed it to her.

She took it gratefully. "Well, turn around then," she said, her smile somewhat daring. Daniel made a big show of shutting his eyes and turning around so that Y/N could get changed into his AlphaTauri shirt. "There," she said and Daniel turned around.

He placed his arm over her shoulders and walked her out of the drivers room, back to where the kids were still talking to Yuki. It was impressive enough that Yuki had managed to keep the swearing to a minimum, but Daniel supposed he'd had enough practice in front of Olivia after the last year of them being teammates.

"Now everybody knows who the hot single momma is supporting," he said as they joined his teammate.

This didn't go unnoticed by anybody in the AlphaTauri garage. Even those in Red Bull could see it, the fond looks they shared, the way Daniel was always standing close to her, the way he so clearly wanted to kiss her.

"You think I'm hot?" Y/N replied, but her tone was teasing.

Daniel spluttered like he had just been caught out. "Y-yeah, sure," he answered like he was unsure of himself. "You're Milo's hot momma."

"Well, if Olivia's hot papa thinking I'm hot, then it must be true," she said as she picked Milo up and placed him on her hip. They looked like quite a pair, with Milo in his AlphaTauri cap and Y/N in her shirt.

They watched the qualifying from the garage, with Olivia holding Y/N's hand and Milo sat in her lap. The qualifying felt incredibly long, but not boring. It was nerve wracking and, if she wasn't holding onto the kids, Y/N's nails would have been chewed down to nothing.

After Q1 was over, Y/N thought that was it. Daniel had finished in the top fifteen, top ten actually. He had made it through to Q2 but she didn't realise that, not until it was happening. "Livvy, what's going on?" She tried to ask, but Olivia had AlphaTauri ear defenders on and couldn't hear a thing.

Again, Daniel finished in the top ten. "Must be my lucky charms," he'd said down over the radio. It didn't take a genius to figure out what he meant, who he meant.

Daniel made it through Q3. He was doing better than his teammate, who had finished just outside of the top ten in Q2. He didn't finish as high as he wanted in Q3, not considering he wanted to go back to his glory days in Red Bull, but it was still good.

Starting P6 wasn't bad for an AlphaTauri, he decided as he climbed out of his car. He went through all of the usual procedures before making his way back to Olivia, Y/N and Milo.

A sweaty Daniel was... something else. Y/N couldn't tear her eyes away from him as he walked past them. She almost let out a low whistle, but she held back, remained her composure in front of the children.

If watching Formula One meant seeing a sweaty Daniel, she could live with that.

Taglist (CLOSED): @biancathecool @rewmuslupin @prettiest-at-the-party @hellowgoodbye @cassie0sstuff @spideybv28 @andydrysdalerogers @aundercover @lou-bean28 @landossainz @purplephantomwolf @ggaslyp1 @layazul @phantomxoxo @minkyungseokie @gills-lounge @hollie911 @annispamz @lillians-world-is-f1 @cixrosie @notyouraveragemochii @charli123456789 @amalialeclerc @teamnovalak @tallrock35 @teenwolf01 @chiliwhore @darleneslane @sava207 @thatsusbitch @formulaal @leptitlu @angiesw0rld @yunakynn @landosgirlxoxo @msolbesg @cherry-piee @catmouseggy @bathedinheat @chanshintien @ilove-tswizzle @woozarts @evie-119 @trouble-sistar @mysticalnightenthusiast @lewisvinga @spilled-coffee-cup @starkeyellow @fxrmuladaydreams @viennakarma @radiator101 @lightdragonrayne @angelxxrose @millinorrizz @xemiefx @ellies-world61 @the-depressed-fellow

[blogfullofemos]

Miguel on Supportive Husband Duties

Okay, me 🤝 lactation kink and Miguel O'Hara breathing the same air. This man has every right to be a Daddy in me 😲 (I meant to write in my eyes but as you can see, the mind never lies at night). But enough about me, enjoy this depravity of mind. It's really not THAT filthy. Also give your girl some feedback, let me know how you truly feel lmaoo.

Pairing: Miguel O'Hara x fem!reader

Summary: A heated debate becomes the prime example of what not to do when you're expecting.

Warnings: Lactation, a lot of descriptive words to explain how lactation works, oral fixation on it.

Word Count: 1836

Enjoy you filthy scalawags. I love it though. 😈

   Miguel sat back with crossed arms as he watches the scene play out before him. Calling, for yet another, group meeting to better the team on catching anomalies. Something he much rather have done himself. “But Miguel you have to see the broader picture....”, “Miguel just hear me out…”, “Miggyy can you just give it a chance…” your voice echoes within his tension headache. Intentionally staring at you from across the table while you were deep in the throes of passionate word spar about tree branches with the group. He wondered why you were getting so aggravated by such a small thing that Peter, of all people, would bring up. Putting all the spiders in the room (Jessica, Gwen, you, Hobie, Pavitr, and Peter) into a whirlpool of sassy remarks and quick rebuttals. Even Mayday had her say in it; loudly babbling and blowing wet raspberries as she sat on the middle of the table. 

    He silently seethed in annoyance as he continued to observe. Jessica, Gwen, Hobie, and Pavitr in one ring. You and Peter in the other. Mayday just being her usual chaotic evil to even out the playing the field. He saw as your face slowly redden and eyes watered over time, constantly having to adjust something about yourself while you tried to catch your bearings. Miguel’s brow rose at your odd composure, “ALRIGHT, EVERYONE CALLATE!!” he roars slamming his hands on the table while lurching forward. He did it on your behalf, not too sure if you were becoming too uncomfortable by the situation. But he could definitely tell you were overwhelmed. Shockingly everybody’s incessant yelling dwindled down into sly laughs and a few sucking of the teeth. Mayday just simply turning her back to him. “NOW LET’S FOCUS ON SOMETHING MORE IMPORTANT!! LIKE CATCHING ANOMALIES!! THE REASON THAT WE CAME FOR!!” he continues to yell, as his hands gave a theatrical display to his words.

    Miguel sits back down and sighs in relief, “Now I know tree branches be whacking us off our game, but it just shows that we need to be more vigilant.” He says pinching the bridge of his nose. Albeit he lost a few anomalies because of those hellish whips of leaves, its why he much prefers a city landscape. Like mostly all the spiders do. “It’s all about timing and-.”. Jessica clears her throat.

“The velocity of the swing guys. I don’t have it fully down myself, but I’ve gotten better. Now to the anomalies.”

“Uh Mig-.”

“Shut. Up. Peter. The anomalies are only getting stronger and wiser. Wiser. That’s what-.”

“MIG!!” Mayday babbles clear enough to shock Miguel out of his technical rant. Stopping him from massaging his nose to ease the tension headache still beating at his temples. He looks at Mayday, who’s now in her dad’s arms, and points at you with furrowed brows. Making everyone’s eyes slowly travel from her to you, as you bring your eyes down to where she was pointing. Two apparent dark spots rest on your green shirt, making you and Miguel realize the reason why Mayday tried to say her first ever word. In seconds you stood up and covered your chest, your face turning back a brighter shade of red as you rushed out a “I need to go to the bathroom.”, before awkwardly stumbling away from your seat and running out the door. “Now Mayday, what did I say about pointing.” Peter says as Miguel gets off his seat to follow behind your trails.

     As he enters his private bathroom, he can hear your sniffles bounce from the walls. It didn’t take him long to see you wiping your eyes with tissues as you looked at yourself in the mirror. “This is so embarrassing!” you sob, throwing the tissue into the sink. 

“It’s only natural bebita.” he goes behind you and rests his chin on your head looking at you through the reflection; “S’nothing to beat yourself up over.” He finishes as he wraps his arms around you. But before he could fully pull you into an embrace, you hiss and push his arms away instantly making him drop them. You whine as you spin to rest your head on his chest, “It hurts Miguel.” You inform him quietly as he brushes the back of your head. Miguel closes his eyes as he racks his brain from jumbled lewd thoughts to more empathetic solutions. Giving the top of your head a peck, he simply states “Take off your shirt.”. You look up at him with watery doe-full eyes, making every state of his being fight to stay as innocent and professional as ever. He gives you a reassuring smirk before giving you a peck to your lips, “Trust me carino.” He soothes.

   You move away from him once more to take off your shirt, following your now soaked bra. Exposing your full breasts before him, and god did it awaken the urge he always had for you. You sniffled as you wiped your eyes with your hands, slowly calming down knowing it’s just you two. Miguel looks at you “You okay?” he asks touching base once more.

“Yeah.”. Miguel looks at your heavy breast, seeing as your veins became more apparent under your skin. This wasn’t his first rodeo helping his lover through the milestones of childbearing, but he could tell it was yours. “Alright bebita, so all you have to do is massage your breasts.” he instructs, keeping his distance between you two. He didn’t want to fully take charge of the situation, not knowing if it would make you uncomfortable and also wanting you to learn by your own. So he just decided to guide you. You place your hands on your breasts and make a stuttered side to side motion, “Like this?” you say looking at yourself. Miguel bites his bottom lip as he shakes his head, with an unapproving hum. The size difference between your hands and breasts just so treacherously sinful that his cock has something to say about it. “More of a circular motion around your areola, and you must make sure you apply enough pressure to help the milk flow out. As you do try to pinch your nipple throughout the process.” he instructs.

    “Okay.” you affirm, trying to find your rhythm with the session. After a few minutes of you focusing on yourself, Miguel quickly sees your frustrations build up as only small spurts left your swell mounds. In seconds you let out an exasperated sigh as you throw your hands down, “Miguel don’t just stand there!! Help me!!” you yell and that’s all he needed to hear. In seconds his broad hands takes a firm hold of your breasts, making you let out a quiet “Oh.” As you move back. The bathroom sink stopping your in an instant, “Watch me carino.” He coos, making your cheeks flare with unabashed lust. You loved when his voice instinctually sung to you, warm and enticing. “Yeah okay.” you say breathless, looking down at your hand covered breasts. You watch as Miguel meticulously massaged your breasts with a firm circular motion, hissing as you grip the edge of the sink. “I know bebita. It only hurts the first few times you do it, promise.” He says lovingly. After a few more moments, your milk starts flowing freely easing your pain drip by drip. You throw your head back as you close your eyes, breathing out in content, lavishing at the feel. As you bring your head back, you look up at Miguel and smile. Flashing reddish/brown eyes looking back at you with shaky restraint, “You’re making a mess bebita.” He taunts as his hands deepen the massage. You bite your bottom lip, stifling a moan “Yeah… W-well where else is the milk going to go?” you quip. Suddenly you watch as his eyes stay its reddish hue as he pinches one of your nipples to go at even level to the other.

    “Where it truly belongs.” he coos once more, before wrapping his lips around your budding nipple. In an instant your washed with an intense feeling of overwhelm as you feel him suckle you. Your legs trembling to stay still while you take hold of his head. You throw your head back again, unable to watch the man you love before you drink your milk with such fervor. You moan as you feel his teeth slightly pinch while his tongue prodded and lapped at your nipple. Hearing him audibly take in every gulp. As he finished his job on that breast, he popped his mouth off and you looked back to him. His hair becoming a sweaty mess as his dress pants were making his desires more apparent to you. His eyes lull like he’s already milk drunk. If only you knew how drunk he was on the prospect of fucking you right on the bathroom sink. Nice and quick, but he didn’t want to ruin anymore of your clothes. Evening out his breaths he looks at you, “Last one.” He says with a smirk. Suddenly you watch as Miguel licks the milk from the back of his hand before latching onto you again. Your body naturally rutting out for some friction as the lewd display ignited the dam to crack within you. You try to look away and distract yourself with something in the space, but Miguel pops off and tells you “Keep your eyes on me bebita.”. And you obey, god do you obey when you see him kneel in front of you. He nips your nipple making you hiss and tug his hair, earning a roll of his eyes and a grunt as he drank. You realize his other free hand is now between his legs, squeezing himself when he gets too flustered. 

      He lets milk seep out the corners of his mouth, making you thoughtlessly say “I want a taste.”. He moans as he squeezes himself again, his cock aching treat his baby right. After a few more swallows, he gathers as much milk as he could from your diminishing supply and pops off. In seconds he takes your lips with his in a bruising kiss, making you lean over the sink so the back of your head rest on the mirror. You taste your milk as he swaps it from his mouth to yours and swallow, gripping his shirt sleeve as you feel his hand cup your covered sex. After a few more tongue dances and rubs to your sensitive bundle of nerves, you break the messy make out. “Not here.” You say catching your breath.

“Need you.” Miguel pleads rubbing his head with yours like a cat.

“I know baby.” You give his lips a peck “But we need to get back before they truly suspect what we were doing was right. I’m in their heads enough today.” You conclude pushing him off and away from you.

“Now give me your shirt and lets go end this meeting, if they haven’t gotten the hint yet.”

[heesdreamer]

SILENCED (2)

MASTERLIST

GENRE ➩ enhypen zombie apocalypse au!

SUMMARY ➩ navigating life 1 year post end of the world was already difficult as you avoided rotting corpses with hefty appetites and groups with various bad intentions. things get harder when you run into a group of survivors, 7 boys who make it impossible to run away.

WC ➩ 5k

WARNINGS ➩ everything the zombie apocalypse could bring lol, gore, mentions of death and injuries and lots of talk abt starvation and hunger this time around

AUTHORS NOTE ➩ this is a really short update but it was starting to bug me the longer it sat in my notes so i hope short is better than nothing. not proofread as always

Even small trips weren’t easy in the apocalypse. Runs to grocery stores could be the last thing you ever do and getting a few hours away could take weeks as you navigated rocky terrains and avoided uncrossable areas.

Transportation was something you’d taken for granted back then before the world had fallen apart.

You can remember tapping your foot impatiently against the subway station floor, arms crossed as you huffed and checked your watch for the umpteenth time. Maybe you were running late for school or you had just gotten off of work and wanted to get home fast so you could eat something.

Thinking about this now you felt utterly ridiculous, spoiled and sheltered from how good you truly had things.

But it wasn’t you alone who had these trivial problems and you considered that too as you walked with the group of boys, trailing behind a few feet but never left unattended considering they kept looking back to make sure you hadn’t disappeared into the woods at some point.

You wondered if you’d ever been somewhere at the same time as them. Seoul was big but it wasn’t spacious enough that this was totally an impossible thing to have happened. Maybe they’d been on the same train as you at some point, leaving school together and crowding around each other as they pulled playing cards.

It wasn’t a complete far fetched idea that you could have passed Jungwon on a crowded street when you went to get lunch or narrowly missed Heeseung as he rushed to an appointment he was late too.

You didn’t like to think about them like this, as people who all had lives and families before this all happened. You didn’t even like to think of yourself this way, chest tightening with the reminder of how much you’ve lost as this world changed.

It’d been days now since the camp had gotten overrun and you’d practically spent the last 72 hours straight doing nothing but walking. The straightest route to your destination hadn’t been safe enough to travel through, adding even more time onto the walk.

Most of it had been quiet, only hearing the boys speak in hushed whispers to each other every so often. It was hard to hold a conversation when you were all exhausted and hungry, running on autopilot and the fear filled adrenaline that built up every time the sun started to set.

Heeseung had been the quietest of everybody and he barely looked at the rest of you, his gaze sharp and focused as he continually scanned the surrounding areas. You thought back to your talk, the responsibility he held on his shoulders and you felt troubled for him now that such a major setback had occurred, now that their only home was gone.

He was closest to you as you lagged behind the group, keeping his eye on the boys ahead of him as the trudged along.

You were picking up your pace to catch up to him before you even confirmed within yourself it was a good idea, slowing back to a casual pace once you were side by side and reaching your hand out to gently tug on the sleeve of his long shirt. His eyes were shooting down to the point of contact and then back up at you with a frown.

“Hey.” You breathed out, trying to calm him down before you made your request. His eyes softened just slightly at the sound of your voice and he raised an eyebrow. “If we find somewhere safe to stop and rest for a few hours I can go try to get us something to eat.”

He watched you as you spoke and you knew he didn’t like your suggestion judging by the way his face hardened again, his jaw tensing as he scoffed and looked away from you. You figured he thought this was you finally putting your plan into action, leading them into the wilderness just to ditch them.

“I’m serious.” You had kept your hand on his sleeve still as you spoke and only now moved it, wrapping it fully around his arm so he could understand your earnest words. “They can’t go on like this much longer.”

He looked back over at you as you said that and you felt guilty at the sad expression on his face, knowing he had been thinking the same thing.

It must’ve been impossible for him to deal with the past few days, watching his family and the boys he was meant to lead barely make it through the day. The younger boys were stumbling as they walked, holding each others shoulders occasionally in an attempt to keep steady under their own crippling weight.

“Where’s safe?” He was genuinely asking but his voice broke around the word, already hoarse from not using it or having anything to drink. He sounded disbelieving that it was a possibility and he staggered slightly, knocking into your side.

Sunghoon had been lurking a few feet ahead and hearing this conversation he slowed a bit, letting you and Heeseung catch up as he leaned towards the two of you. “There’s a neighborhood or something up the ways a bit.” His tone was low so the other boys couldn’t pick it up.

You gave him a questioning look and he glared at you, eyes shooting down to your hand on Heeseung’s arm and your close proximity. “I saw it on the map.”

Heeseung nodded at his explanation and pat his back a few times in thanks, walking away from the two of you to alert the others you’d be stopping soon for a bit.

You had expected Sunghoon to follow him or at least drift back to his previous position, furthering himself away from you. It surprised you a bit when he continued to stand next to you but the look on his face didn’t, a suspicious glare as he watched you with no sign of care at your uncomfortable shifting.

“Something on your mind Sunghoon?” You were mumbling in irritation. You didn’t expect to become best friends but you hadn’t done anything to warrant him treating you like a criminal.

“Why are you still here?” He was saying it quickly like it had been on the tip of his tongue and you looked at him from the corner of your eye. “What are you planning?”

“I’m not planning anything.” You scoffed and took an offended step away from him, stopping in your slow pace. “And in case you forgot, I wasn’t given a choice in being here.”

He was stopping too and turning to look at you, sparing a glance behind him at the other boys who had continued walking. They weren’t going fast enough to leave you behind and the road was a straight shot surrounded by trees and no connected off paths so you wouldn’t lose them by stopping.

When he was facing you again he looked more angry and if you didn’t know any better you’d consider him a threat right now, a danger to you. However you’d seen the way he interacted with the group, with the dead even, and he wasn’t any issue. He was more gentle than he appeared regardless if he disliked you and was frustrated.

“Don’t bullshit me. You could’ve left if you wanted to, don’t be stupid.” He was shaking his head and you gave him a confused look so he explained further. “You didn’t even try to get away from them, no tears no questions. I can tell you’re smart and good at this world so I know you can tell the difference between a good person and a bad one.”

“Then what’s your problem with me?” You spat at him and cut him off, not wanting him to say more.

You could tell he was the most observant of the group but you didn’t like what he was implying. Your stomach turned at the thought of him seeing how much you didn’t necessarily want to be alone again, despite knowing it was the best option in the long run.

If you were alone you wouldn’t need to worry about things like this. You wouldn’t have to think about feeding them before you fed yourself because there would be no ache in your heart at the thought of them going hungry.

“My problem?” He was sneering but his voice was desperate like he wanted you to understand his point. “My problem is how excited Riki is to have a friend to talk to. My problem is that Sunoo basically thinks he owes you his life for getting you into this situation in the first place and my problem is that you aren’t going to stay.”

You both fell silent after that and he looked away from you, visibly upset and frustrated at the idea of you disappearing before you got to the place you’d showed them.

He flinched when he looked at you and saw your lips opening and closing, parting as you tried to think of something you could tell him that wouldn’t give him false hope but you also didn’t want to lie to him. Despite his wincing he waited patiently to hear what you had to say.

“Tell Heeseung I’ll catch up with you guys.” You muttered back and he watched in bewilderment as you turned and disappeared into the woods.

——

It took you an hour to stop replaying the conversation in your mind and you were glad considering you hadn’t managed to catch anything since leaving the boys on the road.

Part of you was laughing at the fact that, here you were. In the woods with full freedom and capability to disappear and never come back and yet you were sat crouching behind a log as you attempted to get them all something to eat. You quieted the voice with the reminder you could leave whenever you wanted and you would, you just didn’t want to leave them hungry and lost.

That’s all this was, you kept telling yourself over and over as you continued to track whatever animal was leaving small footprints in the dry dirt.

This was simply you being a decent person, not letting the apocalypse shred you of your morals and humanity. It wasn’t because you were starting to grow used to the boys, starting to care about them and their safety as individuals and a whole.

You’d finally caught sight of the animal as you slowed to a stop, a hefty raccoon shifting over some sticks and rocks just off in the distance. It hadn’t noticed you yet and you were glad for this considering you only had a knife to work with.

Before you could make any attempt at approaching in, steadily planning out the right angle to pounce forward, it was falling on its side and hitting the floor with a cry and a thud.

Your eyes widened in surprise, rushing forward to see what had happened to it. It’s face was bloody and you quickly realized it had been shot in the head by something, more accurately someone. You knew who it was before you turned around to check.

“You’re a good shot.” You sighed as you spoke and glanced over your shoulder to see Jungwon stepping out from behind the tree.

He was definitely the most skilled when it came to weapons, especially in accuracy and you’d quickly noted a few days ago that he was the only boy to have a silencer on his gun of choice. You knew it was him considering the fact there’d been little noise as he killed the animal.

“Took archery in highschool.” He shrugged like it was a casual skill to have as he approached you and the raccoon. “Guess I don’t have to tell you about that though do I?”

For a second you weren’t sure what he was referring to before you realized he was alluding to the fact you also shot with a bow typically, looking up at him with widened eyes which caused him to give you a half smile as he shrugged again.

“Can tell by the way you carry yourself I guess. Plus you’re a hunter, can’t imagine your weapon of choice is a knife.” He was explaining and he crouched down next to you, examining the animal for any bites or signs of disease.

“If you see any bow shops around here feel free to let me know.” You were mumbling back and he chuckled a small laugh. “They send you out here to follow me?”

He was shaking his head and you were slightly surprised at this considering you assumed he had been tasked with making sure you didn’t run away, potentially bringing you back if you made any attempt to. You were reminded of what Sunghoon had said about being able to leave whenever you wanted.

“I was looking for food just incase.” He didn’t finish his sentence but it was obvious what he was implying. Incase you didn’t return and they still needed to eat something.

Jungwon offered you a hand so he could pull you up off the ground where you were still crouching, you eyed him hesitantly but took it with an appreciative nod and stood slowly after you grabbed the animal by it’s tail in your free hand.

You followed behind him in silence as you made your way back to the road, back to where the boys had set up camp for the night. You tried not to think about what this meant and how you coming back willingly was going to come across to them. They were going to find out what you’d been trying to deny since running into them and your stomach was turning.

By the time you got there, the sun had nearly finished setting and it was almost too dark to see in front of you.

The fire the boys were sat around made you nervous considering how exposed you were and how near the woods lingered, the light and crackle of the flames potentially drawing the undead out of the woods and giving you all a replay of what had happened earlier this week. Four sets of eyes turned towards you when you and Jungwon popped out from the woods.

Heeseung was standing up and coming over to the two of you, patting Jungwon affectionately when he spotted the animal you’d handed to him at some point during your walk back.

“You okay?” Then he was turning to you and your face flushed as he grabbed you, his hands holding onto both your arms directly underneath your shoulders as he scanned your face for any sign of distress.

You were nodding awkwardly but your hands were instinctively coming up to cup around his elbows, leaving you both holding each other at an awkward distance. The other boys must have thought you were crazy as you touched their friend and leader but a large part of you felt connected to him after the auto shop, him having saved your life so directly.

When you both made your way over to the fire, Heeseung was clearing his throat and catching the attention of the older boys and Jungwon, who began to shake Riki and Sunoo awake at the signal for directions.

“We’re going to clear the house on the corner.” Heeseung was speaking in a low voice and you took the opportunity to observe where you were sitting.

The neighborhood, if you could call it that, was only a few run down houses neatly tucked away outside the main road. You imagined it had homed one or two families of rednecks in its prime, roofs titled and covered in roots and leaves. The boys had set up the fire in the middle of the three buildings, seemingly waiting for you all to be here before they entered.

“Shouldn’t we clear them all? Eliminate any potential surprises?” You were shocking yourself and the others as you voiced your suggestion casually.

Heeseung was looking at you with a bewildered look for a few seconds before glancing back towards the houses and nodding in agreement, realizing your idea was better than his.

It wasn’t the most grueling task and you’d cleared areas must bigger than this with much more active dead, yet you still had a sick feeling in your stomach as Heeseung leaned his shoulder against the first door and prepared to ram into. It only took one corpse to end everything and you tried not to think about this as he was pulling back and slamming forward against the decaying wood.

He was stumbling forward into the house and again, you could smell them before you saw or heard them. There was three inside and it looked to be a family, one significantly smaller than the other as it attempted to get closer to Heeseung and take a bit out of him. Jake was moving forward in a rush and taking out the biggest one, axe swinging over his shoulder and landing directly between its eyes with a loud crack.

The second was on its knees before you even processed it and you knew it must’ve been Jungwon from the doorway judging by the way it simply crumbled onto the floor without any fight or noise.

Riki was inside the house and tasked on the third walker, the smallest one that was clearly just barely older than him if at all. She had a large blood stain on the front of his pajama sweater and you tried not to wonder what had happened here that left them all like this, what measures were mistakenly taken to try and prevent them from turning. You didn’t like to think about the walkers being people similarly to the way you didn’t like to think about survivors in the old world, easier to make the separation and get it over with.

You could immediately tell Riki was struggling with doing this judging by the way he was frozen in the middle of the room, watching the corpse approach him.

He was facing away from you so you couldn’t see his expression but you didn’t need to anyways, knowing from his stiff back and hands fidgeting around his crowbar that he was hesitating and hesitating was one of the deadliest things you could possibly do. He had told you before that he didn’t kill as much as the other boys, being kept away from it all the best they could manage up until more recently when they started to take him out to practice in small intervals.

You were moving before you thought about it, circling in front of him and taking out the small corpse as cleanly as you could. You cupped your back of her head as she dropped, motionless now, and you tried to help lower her body onto the floor so the impact wasn’t as upsetting.

“I could’ve done it.” Riki’s voice was sounding behind you and you turned your head to look at him, standing back to your full height and giving him a confused glance once you noticed how agitated his expression was.

Before you could ask him what was wrong, if you’d done something or if maybe he was just upset you’d stepped in on his kill, he was turning on his heel and leaving the small house. You were fearful for a second watching him leave and then you remembered Sunoo, Sunghoon and Jay were just a few feet away at the other house over.

You almost followed him out the door in confusion, wanting to understand what exactly had made him look at you like that just to storm off but you were stopped by Heeseung stepping in front of you, bringing a hand up to your chest to stop your advances completely as he looked down at you with an apologetic glance.

“What happened?” You whispered to him, eyes wide slightly with confusion. The look the youngest boy had given you was deadly and the energy in the house had shifted drastically now. “What did I do wrong?”

“He’s just sensitive about that stuff.” Heeseung mumbled back, keeping his voice low in case the boy was still able to hear just off in the distance. The other boys in the house with you weren’t saying anything and eventually filed out once they realized your conversation was taking a private turn.

“Because I took his kill?” Your voice was cracking with disbelief, not able to understand what he was attempting to get across to you. Riki didn’t seem like the type to have an ego so large it would be damaged by you stepping in for an assisted kill. “It was about to grab him.”

Heeseung was sighing softly like you were poking a bear, glancing over his shoulder out the open door for a second before taking another step closer to you. You didn’t lose your confused expression, eyebrows furrowing further when he was bringing a hand up to gently touch your cheek before pushing a few loose strands of hair behind your ear.

He was clearly trying to soothe you and help you calm down but if anything it upset you further, solidifying it in your mind that you had done something wrong.

“You’ll have to talk to him about it. It’s not my place.” He was eventually continuing on when he realized what he was doing wasn’t working in taking your mind off of it.

You nodded softly and made a mental note to bring it up after things calmed down and you were certain things were safe for the night, vaguely hearing a sharp whistle outside that you’d learned to understand meant things were clear for now. The other boys must’ve cleared the other two houses while you were talking to Heeseung and now you were able to eat and get some rest finally before talking to Riki.

——

The food wasn’t a lot but it was enough to help everybody feel a bit better, passing each other small portions around the fire before retiring into one of the houses to rest.

You all decided to sleep together on the living room floor to minimize the risk that being spread out would being, somebody always staying awake in different shifts to keep watch outside on the porch. You laid in silence while you waited for your turn, knowing you wouldn’t be able to sleep in such a foreign place.

When it was the youngest turn to take watch, you sat and tracked his shadow as he left the dark room and slipped out the front door, mumbling a small greeting to Sunghoon who was finally coming in and joining the rest of the boys who were already asleep. You got up as slowly as you could and gently stepped over the bodies on the floor so you didn’t wake them up from their much needed rest, following Riki outside.

He whipped his head over when the door creaked up and sighed when he saw it was only you slowly closing it behind you. You glanced at him awkwardly and tried to decide wether to stand weirdly or to take the seat next to him on the small outside porch couch and risk upsetting him further.

“Just sit down.” He was mumbling once he noticed your dilemma and you hesitantly took the offer, sitting as far away from him as you could.

The two of you sat in silence for a while, listening to the sounds of the night and the woods while you ignored each other. You weren’t sure if you should speak first but he clearly knew why you followed him out here in the first place so you bit the bullet and started to talk before his shift ended.

“I have a brother around your age.” He picked his head up when you started to speak but you avoided looking at him for now. “You actually remind me of him sometimes, just the way you joke around. You’re a bit braver than him though but I’m sure he would’ve grown out of that eventually, you know? I didn’t mind it though… it came easy to me to take care of him.”

Riki wasn’t saying anything just yet but you could hear his breathing increase and you didn’t feel him looking at you anymore and he slowly understood what point you were trying to get across by opening up to him about this. You wanted him to understand why you did what you had for him and why it was second nature for you to step in like that once you thought he was in danger.

“I never though he was childish or a coward for needing my help sometimes, that’s what big sisters are for.” You took a pause so you could breathe, playing with your hands nervously. “It took him a long time to want to ever ask for it though… just too long I guess.”

You didn’t need to finish or directly say out loud what had happened to your brother, he picked it up as soon as you started talking about him.

He was scooting closer to you on the bench and you felt him grab your hand that was in your lap, stopping you from picking at your skin anxiously. You turned your head to look at him with a sad smile, biting your lip to try and stop from crying when you noticed how equally teary his expression was.

“You could’ve killed that walker.” You stated firmly and he nodded along with you, now fully understanding why you had. “Maybe I just didn’t want you to have to.”

Riki was still nodding and you felt slightly guilty now as you watched tears run down his face, avoiding looking at you again out of embarrassment. You wanted to tell him that it was okay if he wanted to cry, it was okay to still feel things in this world that weren’t fear and hunger but you weren’t sure that was even true so you didn’t dare voice it.

You stayed with him for the rest of his shift and when he eventually started to yawn and lose focus on your surroundings, you reassured him it was okay to go to bed and that you weren’t tired.

He hesitantly was leaving you out there and you although you were glad things were patched up between the two of you for the most part, you also felt a wave of relief over having a moment alone. It wasn’t lost on you that you were being trusted as part of the watch shift cycles, despite the fact you could easily disappear in the night and leave them with no warning if something stumbled upon the sleeping boys.

It was getting harder to deny what you were feeling more and more every passing hour the eight of you survived together.

It had bothered you when Riki was upset with you, deeply bothered you to the point of your skin crawling in nerves that you had done something wrong. You were distraught watching them all face hunger earlier this week and you felt deep sadness when they lost their camp and their home.

You especially didn’t want to consider what it meant that you liked listening to their stories around the fire. You thought Sunghoon was funny even when he didn’t seem like he realized he was telling a joke and it made your heart warm when Sunoo and Jungwon covered the sleeping older boys with blankets.

Heeseung was the worst of all, the most confusing part to all of this. You’d been most fearful of him at the beginning but the more you thought about him and his resolve, his brave heart taking leadership and treating the boys like they were more important than his own safety and survival, the more you liked being in his company.

He made you feel seen and human whenever he turned to ask for your opinion on something and he was surprisingly gentle whenever he spoke to you in hushed whispers or helped you over bits of debris in your pathway.

You liked these boys and you liked their hearts and love for each other that this world was slowly running out of.

Yet you couldn’t stop hearing the screams of your family and others you’d encountered, people you knew for months all the way to people you’d simply passed by on one of your runs. People didn’t last long in this world and it was a miracle that all seven of these boys were still together, still without major injury or setbacks.

Maybe that was the secret trick to it all, maybe their care and love for each other above all else was helping them survive and manage without facing the reality of your loved ones being tore away from you and ripped apart limb by limb.

It still made your stomach hurt to think about any of it though, it was never apart of your plan to care about somebody again after everything you’d lost and you were only feeling more and more certain in your decision to leave as fast as you could.

No matter what it takes.

[joanofexys]

also 🔴 for anyone/everyone thank u

- @ninyard <333

🔴 Red- What is a trait your OC has that those around them don't see very often? Is it seen by a rare few or completely overlooked?

Florian - Flor is truly so emotional. He’s very tender and he loves easily and falls so hard. And most people don’t see it because he acts like a raging, apathetic, bitch 90% of the time. Mara and Jean are the two people who see it the most. Kevin gets to see it sometimes. And eventually Ilya gets it pretty much all the time. It’s warm breathe against Jean’s jaw and a murmured “I think I’m a little bit in love with you”. A barely there brush of lips against Jean’s forehead and a “I’m glad you’re getting the chance you deserved, I’m sorry I wasn’t the one to give it to you”. It’s Mara thrown over his shoulder and loud laughter in their first apartment and a “I’m glad that out of everyone it was you”. It’s sitting on soft carpet, dozing with his head on Ilya’s thigh, and “thank you for loving me back”. It’s flying out for one of Kevin’s games, waiting for him in the hallway and squeezing his hand before he goes to talk to the press, “I can’t wait to be on the court with you again”. He’s a little bit in love with all the people in his life and he doesn’t often show it.

Ilya - Ilya’s incredibly patient but it often gets overlooked due to his stubbornness. He’ll wait as long as he needs to for someone. His relationship with Florian is a great example. He’ll wait as long as it takes. But he doesn’t give up so a lot of his patience gets viewed as just him being a stubborn asshole. I think Florian notices it once he stops being pissed at Ilya for being Like That. Ilya’s the only one who has the patience to implement the partner system with Florian after Mara says she doesn’t want to do it anymore. The patience of a saint despite being a little shit about everything.

Mara -Mara’s incredibly sentimental. And she gets nostalgic very easily. She thinks about her family a lot. Everything before the Ravens. She doesn’t even really talk to Florian about it. How she misses her dad, how she writes her mom cards she doesn’t send every mother’s day. Her memories of her childhood are precious to her when she doesn’t have any items to hang onto it. However, that also transfers to the nest. After graduating she clings to those memories, to everything she has of the ravens. The good and the bad.

Emiko - She has godawful imposter syndrome. I mean imagining spending most of your life trying to be the best, actually being the best. You’re captain of your team, you make olympic court immediately because you’re just that good. And it’s never acknowledged because your little brother is just handed it all while you had to earn it. When Riko is praised for all the same things and she’s never praised for any of it it makes her wonder if she’s as good as she thinks she is. She wonders a lot if her name has gotten her where she is. She spends a lot of time thinking about how she must’ve tricked everyone into thinking she’s this good, that she deserves Court, because if she was really this good her family would’ve admitted it by now. Nothing she does will ever be good enough. For Tetsuji and for herself.

Jude - He can actually be so difficult to get to know and incredibly aloof and distant. Jude spends so much of his time caring about other people and being focused on giving them his time and energy that oftentimes there's very little of him left. He's very dedicated to his relationships and his friends and family but its to a point where he can know your deepest, darkest secrets and you'll realize you don't even know his favorite color or if he drinks coffee every morning or what he did over the weekend. He really has forgotten, in ways, how to even talk about himself. So much of what he shares about himself is attached to someone else that people struggle learning things about him outside of that. They know he loves his team and he loves his dog and he loves his moms. They don't know that he goes to the record shop on main street in the city he and Merrick live in every Sunday morning. They don't know that his favorite movie is The Mummy and he'll never choose anything else if he's allowed to pick the film on movie night. They don't know that his favorite color isn't red, it's green or blue (and you can't make him decide). They don't know that he started little league exy as a goalie and promptly burst into tears the first time he got a ball to the face. They don't know that he can quote the majority of the star wars films and that he buys every copy of lord of the rings he can get his hands on and that he's obsessed with the dinosaurs in jurassic park. They don't know that he did photography on the side to help pay for college. That he wants be a journalist and sports commentator after he retires, and only coach little league. Jude as an individual is very hard to know. He's so focused on giving to other people that he can often forget that they just want him as he is.

Merrick - I think it's really something only Jude, and maybe the foxes, see. It's how hard he tries. For everything. Most people think Merrick is incredibly uncaring and doesn't put effort into healing or forming healthy relationships. But only Wymack saw the late nights where he called his parents, attempting to mend their relationship. And only Jude sees the frustration over a lost game and letting down his team. Only he knows about the flowers left on his sisters grave, that they're the only ones regularly replaced, that he'll always fresh ones before the last bouquet can go bad. It obviously took so much effort for him to get clean. And he relapsed multiple times. And I think people overlook how hard he tries to stay clean. How determined he is to be better than his parents, to be better than who he was.

Angel - It's either his temper or the fact that he exists on the entire concept of "you never stop missing your mom". He's so angry, so often. And in high school that became very internal and after having Phoebe it's something he's very determined to work on and change. But the weirdest things will set him off. He got into fights all the time as a kid. And once with the foxes it was easy enough to piss him to the point of nearly taking a swing (though he for the most part he just tells the person that if they don't stop he will fucking deck them). He's got a pretty good grasp on it now, but because he doesn't express it often his temper definitely gets missed. And then there's the fact that he just constantly wants his mom. And that's something he's so so scared to admit. Cause bringing up his mom in his house as a kid was not allowed. His dad would get so upset about it and it only ended in pain for him. It's only during full blown meltdowns or panic attacks that he'll ask for his mom and it really slips out. But it's truly something that'll never leave him. Anytime Phoebe won't go to sleep he wants his mom. They win a game, he wants his mom. He got a 100 on his exam for the first time ever, he wants his mom. He has to book an appointment, he wants his mom. He can't fall asleep, he wants his mom. It is the littlest things. And he hates it because he can barely even remember who it is he's missing. He was so young that whenever he ends up begging for his mom he doesn't even have a clear picture of who he's asking for. She might as well be a stranger to him. Yet despite it she'll always be the first person he thinks of whenever he needs someone.

Emeryk - Emeryk clings to guilt like it's a lifeline. He has so many regrets. And it's absolutely not something anyone is allowed to know. He holds onto guilt that isn't his. He feels guilt for people who refuse to feel it themselves. He feels the guilt of his father, of his mother too, and of the man he currently serves. He feels the guilt of pain he couldn't prevent and the pain he, himself, endured. He is not a good person and that will never change and he feels terrible about it. He knows in every universe he chooses his own survival first and in every universe he feels guilt for all the people he chose to let suffer in doing so.

[youreallyshouldtalkmore]

A Boon to Boot

A.N: Same artistReader as in the series Once upon a Time when can be found on my Genshin Impact MasterList.  While you don’t need to read them to understand this, there is background info that’s expanded on in those one shots. 

P.S: I truly love the Sumeru fam! 

_____________________________

It was really just a coincidence that you ran into your fiancé having a boy's night, with Tighnari, Kaveh and Cyno at Puspa Cafe. You secretly wondered how they got Alhaitham to agree to this get together, but upon seeing you, they quickly pulled you to the table. 

“Y/N, can you please talk to this big lug?!” Kaveh started not two seconds after you sat next to Alhaitham. 

You smiled indulgently, “About what?” 

Kaveh looked around before leaning in to whisper urgently,  “I request permission to continue living at our house!” 

You had finally been added to the list of people who knew that Kaveh was living at Alhaitham’s house. 

Which the list tallied to those at the table. 

Alhaitham snorted,“What part of that is your house in the first place? Once Y/N and I are married, you will have to go!” 

Kaveh practically whined, “Y/N please, I am asking for mercy here!” 

You shrugged, “Well, Alhaitham has decided. Like he said, it is his house.” 

Kaveh batted his eyes in a sad attempt at puppy dogs. Alhaitham snorted in disgust, but Kaveh was undeterred, “But you will be his wife. Can’t you help me out?!” 

“How shameless can you be?” Cyno asked. 

Tighnari added with a sigh,“Yes, this has been the topic for most of the time we’ve been here!” 

“We haven’t even gotten a good round of TCG in because of this foolishness!” griped Cyno. 

Alhaitham spoked up, “And I never came here to play a card game to begin with, so I’m leaving!” 

Kaveh was fast loosing track of the conversation as he leaned in your direction with big eyes, “Y/N..!” 

“Look, can I be honest with you? Never mind, I’m gonna be honest with you anyway.” You waved away, “I admit, it’s kinda funny seeing the two of you fight like cats and dogs. I like to pull out some popcorn and just watch this show. I still don’t get why and how you managed to live together when it’s clear you can’t stand each other, but that’s not the issue here.” 

You continued, “In two months, Alhaitham and I will be married, and I’ll be moving into his house. That’s what we agreed on. How ever funny your fights are, there are only so because of moderation.” 

Kaveh wrinkled his nose, “What?” 

“Kaveh, if I had to live with the two of you fighting every single day, it will cease to be funny. Then it’ll become a headache I got to deal with. I try to live a stress-free life, monitoring grown men, ain’t on the agenda!” 

Kaveh slammed a flat palm on the table, “Then I won’t fight anymore!!” 

“HA!!” You purposely leaned in his direction, “HA!! Boy, please…don’t just dry lie!” You turned to Cyno and Tighnari who were snickering, “Did you boys hear this? He said he’ll magically stop fighting. Can you believe it!?” 

Tighnari leaned his head in his hand as he looked on in mirth as Kaveh, “Even you don’t believe that! I give it five minutes!” 

Cyon shook his head, “Why give them that much time? I give in three.” 

“Seconds….” 

Everyone looked at Alhaitham who clarified, “I’d give three seconds not minutes.” 

“You…” Kaveh stopped himself, eyes widening at his own folly. He almost fell into the trap.  

He could feel the judgmental stares from the table, making him clamped his mouth down in order to try not to say anything in this delicate moment. He needed you on his side! 

You stabbed a finger at him, “My point exactly! I’m sorry, but you have two months to make the necessary arrangements!” 

“Would you really toss me out into the streets, cold and hungry?” 

You were fast losing your patience, and it was beginning to show. You breathed loudly through your nose,  “Kaveh, I don’t know what to tell you, okay! I came from another world with nothing. No connections, no job, no money, no place to stay. Within a year, I had a job, a place, friends, connection and money!! Why is a grown man, who has lived here his entire life, finding this a difficult subject?” 

“Because he got in debt.” Alhaitham supplied. 

“Pipe down!!” Kaveh hissed looking around shifty eyed before stating, “Exactly!!” 

Alhaitham rolled his eyes,“That was not said for your benefit! 

“But that is a point! I got into debt! That is not my fault!!” 

By now, your right eye was beginning to twitch. Cyno and Tighnari exchanged glances as Kaveh got into another fight with Alhaitham. 

“YA!!!” 

Some of the other patrons turned their heads before going back to their business. Kaveh stopped talking at Alhaitham, his head whipping towards you.  

“Look, if Alhaitham agrees to let you stay, then I’ll keep my mouth shut….” 

Alhaitham interjected, “Not happening!” 

You continued without missing a beat, “If he doesn’t, you have two months. Two months for your behind to find someplace else. But you know what, I am generous….” 

Kaveh’s eyes lit up with hope. 

“You are kind indeed to be so given these circumstances.” Cyno injected as Tighnari added, “Anything you offer in his condition would be generous.” 

Kaveh pouted, “Condition? Ya’ll make me sound like a rabid dog!” 

You turned back to Kaveh, “I’m moving out of my apartment, but perhaps I can set you up with the manager and maybe you two can hash out a deal. I don’t know. But your broke behind better be trying your hardest to move out. Maybe, just mayyyyybe, if you're still having problems, Alhaitham will be nice enough to let you stay on another week, weeks-ish….” 

Kaveh almost shot out of his seat, “That would be fabulous!!” 

Cyno sighed, “Missing the forest for the trees.” 

Tighnari shook his head. 

You thumped a hand on the table, “That is not an invitation to do nothing, Kaveh!! Even if you earn an extra week-ish, if I find out you’ve been doing nothing, even that will be retracted. I promise you, you will not be here for a whole year or even six months! You better get it together!”

Kaveh clapped his hands together, “I will try my best!! Ha-ha!” 

“You need more than your best!” Tighnari stated.  

Kaveh was hopeless. 

Kaveh glared at him, “Shouldn’t you be rooting for me?” 

“Whatever! You know what’s what. Now, if you excuse me, this one is out!” You began standing up. 

“Don’t want to join us for a game?” Cyno asked as he began to eagerly shuffle his deck. 

Tighnari just gave a silent sigh as he pushed his own deck into place for the start of the game. If they don’t get in at least a round or two of TCG in, he knew that Cyno will be pouting about it for the next couple of days. 

You shook your head, “Nah, I was just passing through. Kinda loud in here.” 

Alhaitham looked up at you, his eyes boring holes. Even Tighnari looked up at you sharply. Cyno looked on curiously, while Kaveh was just happy to have what he thought was a boon as he began looking over his own deck. 

It wasn’t but whatever made him feel better. 

You blinked before smiling at them, “I’m fine! Not that kind of loud. I’m just tired and I wanna go home. Ya’ll enjoy yourselves.” 

Tighnari began to relax at your words. Your eyes were focused and sharp, unlike the times when sounds began to overwhelm you. Either way, you were due to come to Avidya Forest for a break. Collei was beginning to miss you. 

Alhaitham began standing up regardless, “I wasn’t, actually. I’ll go with you.” He shot a glare at Kaveh, “It’ll give a reprieve, at least.” 

Tighnari laughed, “So the answer to your reprieve is to sic him on us?” 

It took a moment but Kaveh finally caught on and snapped, “Hey!!” 

Cyno gave a small smile, “Well, if you both don’t want to. Have a good evening!”

—

Both you and Alhaitham walked in silence as you went back to your house. You were halfway there when Alhaitham finally spoke, “Is it quieter now?” 

You smiled up at him, “Yeah, it’s fine. Don’t worry so much.” 

Alhaitham just looked at you for a long moment before facing forward. 

“I hope I didn’t overstep any boundaries.”

Alhaitham stopped a few seconds after your statement, making you stop as well. You looked up curiously at him, “Explain your meaning.” 

Your eyes cut away from him, “Like you said, it’s your house. If you want to have Kaveh continue to stay, I will keep my mouth shut.” 

“I don’t want him there now.” 

You couldn’t help to giggle at his deadpanned voice. But then you felt something very close to you and looked up to see Alhaitham looking down at you.

When he had your attention he spoke, “Besides, you will be my wife, so naturally my house will become our house. Had you wanted to move elsewhere, we could have done that as well. Having a quiet area to live is important to both of us. If it is unsatisfactory, I’d have you say something.” 

His green-red eyes bore into you as you shook your head, “Your house is in a pretty quiet area with not a lot of foot traffic save for the people that live there. I think it’s an acceptable place.” 

Then to your surprise, he leaned forward, making you instinctively lean back. Your eyes darted around, “Alhaitham, we are still in public.” 

“I’m aware. Look at me.” 

Your eyes snapped to his, “It makes sense to have that freeloader move out. I do not want to start our newlywed life with weighted baggage. Now, if you wanted to keep him around, perhaps I would consider it. It was nice of you to offer the little bit you did. I was not offend. Having you deal with it, meant that I did not have to; quite a great bargain, no?” 

You pushed at his chest, making him stand up straight. You straightened as well, “So you just wanted to do less work on the situation?” 

“I told him multiple times, but he has selective hearing right now. And besides, as my future wife, shouldn’t I depend on you in moments like this?” Here a smirk began forming. 

You swatted at his chest, becoming warm at his words, “You're lucky, I’m nice.” 

Alhaitham caught your hand, holding it in his, “Now, let’s get you home. Maybe you’ll let me stay an extra hour before I gotta deal with my roommate.” 

The two of you continued to walk. 

You smiled mischievously, “You could throw him out now, just saying. Don’t tell him I said that, though. Let him think he has my support. The poor boy is on a lifeline.” 

“I would never sacrifice my future wife in such a manner. But, truthfully, I’ve already thought about that….” 

You just giggled. 

[pastelsapphy]

Inferno

"I wanted to bring here everyone that should get on their knees for Saeran. Me, that woman, and V..." Saeyoung Choi is not a man of mercy. He is a hellbound force of retribution with nothing left to lose. Those who hurt his brother will pay for it in blood. What if Saeyoung had brought V to the cabin too? Warnings: Major character death, murder, suicide, arson, death by fire, unhinged Saeyoung. Read on AO3 A/N: "Hey Luc, didn't you post this already?" Yes. And then I edited the post fifty times and added an AO3 link, so I wanted to make a neater post. Anyway, I wrote this at midnight because the thought wouldn't leave me alone. I wonder what Saeyoung's plan was if he'd gotten all three of them to the cabin like he'd wanted in VAE. Whatever it was, it wouldn't be pretty. And I think seeing both of the people he blamed Saeran's death in front of him... the thought that Saeran wouldn't want revenge wouldn't stop him. Not this time. The world needs more unhinged Saeyoung. Let him be angry and terrifying. I'm normally not a fan of unhappy endings, so maybe a miracle happens. Maybe Saeyoung ends up with a cool scar to match his brother's. Maybe not. Who knows.

There is an old clock in the cabin. Saeyoung isn't sure how it still works--it's not like anyone who comes out here is about to change the batteries or anything. Yet it works, filling the tiny wooden building with a steady tick, tick, tick as the seconds go by.

It's fitting, really. It's as if the universe is counting down the minutes. How many more does he have? Maybe it's only a few. Perhaps as much as an hour. Certainly not much more than that.

Tick, tick, tick.

He had already sent Vanderwood outside. Well, forced them out might be more accurate--they could tell something was wrong with Saeyoung. Of course, they knew about his brother by this point; they knew he was going to grieve, and grieving people do weird shit to cope. And Saeyoung is a weird guy to begin with. But something was just... off. It was a feeling in their gut. Something snapped in that kid's brain and Vanderwood wasn't keen on leaving him to his own devices.

"I'm not leaving you by yourself so you can do something stupid," Vanderwood had said.

"I know exactly what I'm doing, Vanderwood." Saeyoung did not shift his gaze away from the cabin's other two occupants. "It's in everyone's best interest if you wait outside."

"I told you I'm--"

"Get the fuck out!" Saeyoung snapped, briefly looking away to shoot a glare at the other agent.

Vanderwood had been momentarily stunned into silence. They yelled at Saeyoung on a regular basis--the kid had caused them so many headaches over the years--but never had Saeyoung snapped back like that. He would make smartass remarks, god knows he was full of them, but he never yelled. If he had ever been truly angry with Vanderwood, he had never shown it.

There was a long silence, broken only by the ever-present tick, tick, tick of the old clock. Then, Vanderwood had sighed and stood from their chair. "Fine. But if I think you're about to do something that will endanger both our lives, I'm coming back."

"You don't have to worry about that. Just wait outside, Agent."

Something about the way he said that sent a chill down their spine. Maybe it was his tone, now constantly laced with barely-restrained rage. Maybe it was the fact that he called them Agent. Maybe it was instinct. But after another moment's pause, they stepped outside the cabin. They reached into their pocket for their cigarettes, only to find them gone, along with their lighter. Must have left them in the cabin. By the time they turned around to check, Saeyoung had already latched the door behind them.

So now it's just the three of them, three people tied together by one unbreakable thread. Three people who weren't human anymore. Three monsters. Three killers with blood on their hands. The worst kind of scum, all responsible for taking the life of an innocent--someone too kind and pure for this world.

Saeran may have been the one to detonate the bomb that destroyed Magenta, but the three who sit in the cabin--Saeyoung Choi, Jihyun Kim, Rika Kim--are the ones responsible. They all killed Saeran. Saeran's blood coats their hands and would never, could never, be washed away.

Tick, tick, tick.

V, ever the mediator, is the first to break the silence. "Luciel--"

"Why?" The word tears itself from Saeyoung's throat, finally pushing past the lump of rage and guilt that threatens to strangle him.

"I'm sorry, Saeyoung," Rika says. "I'm so sorry for everything that happened. If I could go back, if I could trade my life for his--"

"You have no right to say that." Saeyoung spits, standing abruptly. "You have no! Right!"

Rika falls silent, her hollow-eyed gaze dropping to the floor. Saeyoung hates it. Her demeanor only angers him further. How dare she play the victim? Maybe the 'it's all my fault, I'm the worst, I deserve retribution' thing would garner sympathy from other people, but not Saeyoung. He, in fact, wholeheartedly agrees. It is all her fault. She is the worst person in the world. She does deserve retribution. The same goes for V and himself.

"Luciel--" V tries again.

"And neither do you!" Saeyoung's venom now turns to him. "Don't you dare say anything about sacrifice. It means nothing. It won't bring him back. It won't change what you did to him."

Tick, tick, tick.

"I trusted you," Saeyoung says. "I. Trusted. You. You promised me--you swore to me that you would protect him! How could you--" his voice cracks. "How could you do that to him? Saeran was good. Saeran was innocent. Saeran was kind, and gentle, and he deserved to be loved. But you--you--"

He lets out a frustrated noise, unable to turn his thoughts into words. His mind is nothing but a loop of rage, rage, rage. Rage and vengeance and shame and guilt.

"You killed him," he finally growls. "Both of you killed him. And... so did I. Every one of us is responsible for what happened to him."

"Luciel," V tries again. "We--" he sighs. "Please, Luciel... if anything, do not blame yourself--"

"How?" He snaps. "How?! I trusted you both to look after him. To care for him. To treasure him. And instead, you manipulated and brainwashed him. You tortured him just like our mother did." He feels a twisted sense of satisfaction at the pained gasp Rika lets out, as if she's been stabbed through the heart.

Saeyoung decides to twist the knife further. "Actually, you were even worse than our mother. At least she never lied to us. We knew from the beginning that she only wanted us to get money from our father, that she never loved either of us. But you? You lied. You promised to protect us, to help us. But in the end you were just the same. You gave us hope only for your own selfish needs.

"Saeran spent every day of his life living in fear while you beat all the kindness and gentleness out of him.

"And you--" Now he speaks directly to V. "You did nothing to stop her. Fuck all your excuses. I don't care about your sacrifice. You were only ever concerned with her. You were only ever protecting her. If you had really wanted to protect Saeran then you would have saved him from her. You can martyr yourself all you want, it won't make you any better than her."

Tick, tick, tick.

The air in the room shifts abruptly. It's charged, thrumming like a livewire. The explosive anger evaporates in an instant; it's replaced by something far more terrifying.

"All of Saeran's killers must be held responsible for what happened," Saeyoung says. His anger is no longer a raging inferno. Now, his anger is like ice. It's calm, now. No less intense, but calm. As if he had long ago decided a course of action.

Tick, tick, tick.

Saeyoung crosses the room and reaches for something behind one of the chairs. He wonders, briefly, what his brother's last moments were like. How did the bomb detonate? Had Saeran simply pressed a button and ended it, or was he forced to sit there and listen as a timer counted down his last minutes on Earth?

Tick, tick, tick.

Rika does not react, but V's eyes widen when Saeyoung lifts a large, red plastic canister from behind the chair. "Luciel, what are you--"

Saeyoung unceremoniously upends the container in the middle of the cabin's main room. The liquid quickly soaks into the carpet and the wood flooring, and the heavy smell of gasoline fills the room.

Tick, tick, tick.

"Luciel! Wait, let's talk about this--" V has risen to his feet, but freezes when Saeyoung pulls a beat-up zippo from his pocket.

"Talk?" Saeyoung says, laughing. "Talk?! You had years to talk, V, but you stayed silent and let Saeran suffer. The time for talking has long since passed."

Tick, tick, tick.

He flicks the lighter open with a small metallic clink.

"Saeran wouldn't want this," V tries. His half-blind, once-honest eyes are wide and desperate.

"Don't you dare speak his name!" Saeyoung shouts. "You don't deserve to say his name."

"Please--"

"It doesn't matter anymore what he would have wanted."

It's then that V notices the tears running down Saeyoung's cheeks, the tremble in his voice. Had he ever seen Saeyoung cry before?

"He's gone. And he's never coming back. And those responsible need to pay for it.

"Heh... you know, this is the first time I wished I could get into Heaven," Saeyoung continues, voice breaking. "Just for a few minutes. Just long enough to apologize to Saeran. For everything. For not being able to protect him. For leaving him. For being a terrible brother. For betraying him. For failing him. Beg for his forgiveness. All of us should."

Tick, tick, tick.

Saeyoung lets out a low chuckle. "Knowing Saeran... he would probably forgive us. Not that any of us deserve it. So perhaps it's better this way."

Tick, tick, tick.

"Take your revenge, Saeyoung." Rika's voice is hardly above a whisper, yet it seems so loud in such a small space.

Tick, tick, tick.

Saeyoung lowers himself to the ground, thumb on the wheel of the zippo. The gasoline soaks into the legs of his jeans. His head feels light, and he's not sure if it's from the fumes or if it's a weight lifting off his shoulders.

Tick, tick, tick.

"You wanted us all to be a family, right?" He says.

Tick, tick, tick.

"Then let's go to Hell together."

Tick, tick,

Click

Tick--

BOOM.

[captainx-camino]

I got to Experience Los Angeles Comic Con with my best friends in the entire world over my birthday weekend

We hit the road early in the morning on Thursday the 30th to form the Cross Guild (and Luffy) trip of a lifetime.

We picked up our bestie Fate (Mihawk) first and then headed out to Yeti's house to load up Mama Croc's Minivan.

I wore all the hats before loading them into the car, where we finally started the drive to Cali around 7-8am.

At some point we stopped at Eddie World, where my partner and I bought new friends, bat and platypus plushies we respectively named Jeff and Kiki.

On the 30th as a special gift for my birthday weekend, we stopped at Forest Lawn Cemetery to visit Dwight Frye.

This was an extremely emotional experience for me. I got to tell him how much me and my friends all appreciate his work and how much we all still love him and three little grass spiders crawled out onto the grave to say hello.

I also gave him a rose for everyone I know who wanted to pay their respects, which I truly believe made him happy.

I also cried like a bitch, but that's beside the point. It was incredibly special, the man is one of my heroes.

After that absolute emotional break mb, it still wasn't yet time to check into the hotel, so we swung by Little Tokyo for an early dinner (we each paid for dinner one of the four nights we were there, which was so much fun) I could not have asked for better people to spend my con weekend with.

The hotel was TINY. Like, you had to turn sideways to walk around the bed tiny, but we somehow managed to not kill each other despite sharing a room with no privacy or space (which is just a testament to our friendship tbh)

But, we all managed to make it work and we successfully got our room settled and sorted, picked up our badges Friday around noon (LACC did a fantastic job with their ADA stuff, despite a small hiccup with the stickers.)

We got to be Robin and Raven for the short day, did some shopping (I got some great birthday presents from everyone) and then my Rayray did a shoot in the room, which came out AMAZING.

ON THIS, THE DAY OF MY BIRTHDAY

December 2nd finally arrived! It's my birthday, I got to cosplay as my favorite character, my partner was my other favorite character, and my whole crew cosplayed One Piece with me!

My bestie Fate got to attend Thankmas in the morning, and then we all got back together to get a group photo with Jamie Campbell Bower (and I got a special solo one because it was my birthday)

He was so sweet and nice, and he almost killed me when he called me gorgeous. The picture was me freaking out a little, but it's fine. Lol He made my entire life.

The last day of con, I had also gotten the opportunity to get Jamie's signature - to which I decided to get my fanart of Henry and Eddie/Kas signed by him.

Not only did he specifically choose a pen that complimented the art (because he wanted it to look nice - I love him) but he asked if it was him and Joseph Quinn to which I said yes, it's Henry and Eddie, and he told me it was SEXY. He also wished me a happy birthday and told me I don't look a day over 19, which was wonderful since I'm 33. So, ya know...

Jamie Campbell Bower thinks my art is sexy and that I still look young and fresh. That's my accomplishment in life, I guess. Pretty good accomplishment, if you ask me...

And now Jamie also has a copy of this piece, which I hope he loves.

It truly has been the best birthday I've ever had and I couldn't have asked to spend it with better people.

I already miss my Cross Guild and I can't wait for the next event we attend together.

I never hoped to have friends as wonderful as I do in adult life. I love them so much and they love me just as much back. It's been so amazing having them in my life, I can't even begin to express how grateful I am.

[mire1li]

Put the Floating Jellyfish down!

Ever wondered how everything looks like from the eyes of a background character?

Recently, on the Xianzhou, a new species of animal had been discovered by the Vidyadhara in Scalegorge Waterscapes, they named it "Aurelia" for the female species and "Aureli" for male. 

A floating jellyfish, is all it was, really. You absolutely adored jellyfish though, so you HAD to get your hands on it! 

Of course, as a richer Xianzhou citizen, you could easily afford one, so, you happily went to a pet store and bought one! The keeper told you that they're very social creatures and love going on walks. 

A few weeks later, once you both had gotten used to each other, you were walking it in the Exalting Sanctum, only naturally though, you got a few looks considering not many people owned one. 

You passed by a group of... different looking individuals, two of which looked at your beloved Aureli(a) as if they'd just seen the most adorable thing ever... who could blame them, though? It truly was an adorable little creature!

The two ran up to you, shocking you, your jellyfish and even their own friend!

"OH MY GOD! ISN'T THAT THE NEW ANIMAL THEY DISCOVERED??" the pink haired one said to her friend. You heard about them from Madame Yukong, you two were on pretty friendly terms so you always either gossiped, or hung out somewhere. 

"IT IS!" The other one said... Stelle, was her name? You couldn't quite remember but just went with it. 

"March! Stelle! Don't just run up to random people." said an elder man with brown hair, whom you recognised as Welt, said. You usually saw him talking with Madame Yukong about Xianzhou matters. 

"BUT LOOK AT IT! IT'S SO CUTE!!" March exclaimed, jumping up and down, further scaring your poor Aureli(a).

"Excuse me... do you mind? You're scaring it..." You spoke up, grabbing the attention of the three.

"I'm very sorry about these two, they tend to be... chaotic." 

"Oh, no, that's alright! I just wish you don't scare it!" 

It seemed March and Stelle had... other plans... whilst you and Welt were talking, those two gremlins were petting your jellyfish, playing with it and then eventually... attempting theft. 

Of course, it didn't go unnoticed by Welt. 

"March, Stelle! Put it down." he exclaimed, making you look at them... they were attempting to hide your pet in Stelle's coat! Outrageous. But also kind of funny...

You burst out laughing at how ridiculous they looked, almost like deer caught in headlights! 

They gave you confused looks, as to be expected. 

"I apologise, you two just look... ridiculous?" you could hear Welt chuckling in the background, whilst the two feigned offence. 

"We do not!" March exclaimed, trying to save herself and Stelle, most likely. 

You looked at her with a raised eyebrow, before pointing at both of them, making her realise, that they do, in fact, look quite ridiculous trying to smuggle your Aureli(a). 

They let the jellyfish go, pouting. It returned to you, you putting your arms out for it to snuggle up. 

March and Stelle simply cried out in glee at the sight of you hugging your pet.

"I NEED PICTURES! WHERE'S MY CAMERA?!" March shouted, causing the people around you to look over. 

You could hear the two taking photos, Welt trying to get them to stop as they hadn't asked you if they could... 

"It's fine, they can have their pictures" you chuckled, letting your Aureli(a) go, it floating by your side now. 

The three of you continued to talk, really it was mostly you and Welt as March and Stelle were occupied playing with their new-found best friend: your pet Aureli(a).

[kanerallels]

I've been reading one of your Kanera writings prompt. My fave is It's The Way You're Smiling at Me 😘 It was so interesting to me. I love the part Kanan say a queen of godness, Ezra's doing kind of matchmaker of Kanan and Hera and told the others how much they like each other. Plus Sabine falsely accused Kanan as a theif and Ezra's in fencing club.

If you don't mind, would you like to write about Kanan and Hera watching Ezra's fencing club as they express their feelings each other ? I bet it would be wonderful 😘

Thanks for the ask!! I know you sent this like a million years ago but I finally finished the fic, and I hope you enjoy it! Happy Kanera Week!

Read on AO3!

@kaneraweek

There were many times in his life where Kanan had found himself in truly strange situations— in fact, he’d been told by more than a few people that he had something of a knack for it. 

He’d met his current housemate when they’d both wound up at the same Waffle House around midnight after getting into a brawl at the bar Kanan had worked at at the time. He’d gotten his job at Kasmiri Locks when one of the owners— who happened to be an old friend of his— had dared him to break into the other owner’s shed to show off his lock-picking skills. And he was currently on his way to a fencing match that he’d been invited to after being hit in the face with a frying pan while he was working.

At this point, he was learning to just accept these things.

More or less, anyways. He was still kind of recovering from the frying pan incident— and not because of the mild concussion.

No, the real thing Kanan couldn’t stop thinking about, the thing that had him driving to a high school on a Saturday afternoon when he would usually be staying in or working a shift at Okadiah’s bar, was Hera Syndulla.

She had been the person who’d called him, saying that she’d locked herself out of her house with a fairly normal hint of embarrassment. And from the moment she spoke, Kanan had been blown away.

Her voice— so unlike the usual irritated customers at Kasmiri Locks— had caught a hold of him, drawing his attention irresistibly. Before he’d known what he was doing, Kanan had started to flirt, the way he had when he was much younger and more foolish.

This hadn’t exactly changed when he got to the house and saw that she was the most stunningly gorgeous woman he’d ever met. And not just that— she’d handled his flirting with remarkable poise, and Kanan could tell that she cared deeply about her kids. 

She was lovely and smart and tough, and Kanan was still absolutely floored that he’d gotten her number. He’d fully expected to be shot down, even when her foster son made a point of telling him that she was single. Multiple times.

But somehow, against all odds, he had her number scribbled on his palm in fading blue ink— not that it mattered. He’d long since committed it to memory, which his housemate Dark had mocked him for relentlessly.

They’d texted back and forth a few times, just to confirm the location of the fencing match. Neither of them had said much of anything else just yet— Kanan wasn’t sure why. It almost felt like they were both trying to avoid talking about just why he was coming to this, like they were holding their breath, each waiting for the other to make the next move.

And whatever that next move was, Kanan really, really didn’t want to screw it up.

I guess here goes nothing, he thought as he pulled into the parking lot of Lothal High School. It took him a few minutes to find a parking spot— there were more cars than he would have expected for a high school fencing match. But he hadn’t been in town for long— maybe there was more hype around this than he thought.

It took him a few more minutes of searching before he finally found a parking spot. Pulling in, he switched off the truck and checked the time on his phone— he still had a few minutes before the match started. So I’m not late— yet, he thought, jumping out of the truck and slamming the door shut behind him.

He made his way through the parking lot, weaving between cars. Halfway to the school entrance Kanan caught sight of a familiar vehicle.

Hera’s car sat neatly parked in the middle of the lot. The silver minivan was an older model, but still clearly in good shape, and clearly recognizable thanks to the stickers on the back window. One of them was an artistic rendering of an orange bird with its wings outstretched, the tips like flickering flames.

Below them, painted onto the metal, was a tiny sketch that looked like it was inspired by those sticker figure families that Kanan had seen a hundred times on the back of client’s cars. This one, however, was a little different. For one, it was far more detailed, and Kanan came a little closer to look at it.

It was clear right away which one was Hera. She was standing behind the others, hands on her hips, an expression on her face that was definitely protective. Her green-tipped hair was swept up in a messy bun with a green bandana, and she had a wrench in one hand. At her feet sat an orange cat that glowered at Kanan with such malevolence that he almost took a step back.

In front of her were Sabine— brightly colored, both in hair and in garb. She was surrounded by a record player, a can of spray paint, and what looked like the logo from a nearby martial arts place Kanan recognized— and Ezra. The kid was wearing the same orange hoodie he’d worn when Kanan first met the family, had a fencing foil in one hand, and a sign that Kanan couldn’t quite read in his other hand.

Zeb stood a little off to the side, but still with the group. His arms were folded, but he was smiling, and wore a sleeveless U.S Marines hoodie that showed off the tattoos on his arms.

This is pretty cool, Kanan thought, studying it for a moment longer. And then he remembered what time it was, which galvanized him into action and towards the school.

The front door was locked, so Kanan had to loop around until he found an unlocked side door. From there, it was just a matter of finding the gym. Unfortunately, that wasn’t as easy as it looked.

He was in the middle of wandering the hallways, hoping against hope that he’d accidentally find his way to the right room, when he heard someone behind him.“Kanan! There you are, mate!”

Kanan turned at the sound of Zeb’s voice. The big man was strolling towards him, wearing a flannel shirt over a t-shirt emblazoned with the words “U.S. Marines”. Waving, he said, “About time you got here— Hera and the others were starting to get worried. Let me guess— you got lost?”

“In my defense, I didn’t go to school here,” Kanan said, following him as they started down the hall. “My school was less… big. And it didn’t have a gym.”

Sending him a sideways glance, Zeb asked, “What kind of school doesn’t have a gym?”

“The kind that’s actually your house.”

“Guess I can’t argue with that logic.”

Shoving open the door, Zeb led Kanan into the massive, arched shape of the high school’s gym. To either side of them were the bleachers, and Kanan spotted Hera right away.

It helped that the bleachers weren’t too crowded, but he had a feeling he would have picked her out anyways. Her curly hair was twisted back with a green bandana, and she had a bomber jacket folded across her knees. 

She didn’t see him and Zeb as they climbed the bleacher’s steps. Instead, her gaze was focused on the gym before her as she half leaned forward, intent on watching the scene in front of them.

“The kid start yet?” Zeb asked as they approached, and Hera’s gaze snapped back up to them— first to Zeb, and then to Kanan. A smile crossed  her face as she met his gaze, and Kanan felt his heart skip a beat. 

“Not yet,” she told Zeb. As the bigger man slid past her, sitting down on her other side, Hera said, “Good to see you made it.”

“Sorry I’m late,” Kanan said, sitting next to her. “Got a little lost.”

“I’m just glad you made it,” Hera told him. “Ezra’s been talking about this all week.”

“She says, like she hasn’t been thinking about it all week, too,” Sabine chipped in. Kanan followed the sound of her voice to where she was sitting on Zeb’s other side, paint splattered high tops propped up on the seat in front of her. He was also pretty sure she’d changed her hair color in the time since he’d first met her— the ombre blue-green looked fresh. Giving Kanan a half wave, she said, “Hey. How’s your head?”

Grinning, Kanan said, “Less sore, but still a little sensitive. You and your frying pan pack a wallop.”

Sabine looked distinctly pleased by that statement, and Hera sighed. “Please try and remember that he easily could have sued us for that.”

“Pretty sure I was justified,” Sabine said. “I mean, it looked like he was a stranger breaking into our house. It would probably hold up in court.”

“Not too sure about that,” Zeb said. “Looks like they’re finally getting started out there.”

Kanan turned, following his nod to the open gym before them. There were two small clusters of fencers, each already wearing their protective gear, and most wearing their masks. He spotted a familiar head of dark blue-black hair— Ezra was in the larger of the two groups, bouncing up and down on the tips of his toes.

“Where’s the other group from?” Kanan asked Hera, nodding to the smaller crowd. They wore red armbands, probably to distinguish them from the other group, who wore orange.

“Imperial Academy— a private school a few towns away,” Hera replied. “They’re one of the only schools that have fencers around Ezra’s age, so we go up against them pretty often. Which has resulted in… a few rivalries.”

“No, the fact they’re massive jerks caused the rivalries,” Sabine chipped in. “Well, some of them aren’t totally awful. But most of them are. Which is why it’s so satisfying to watch Ezra and the Skywalker kids wipe the floor with them.”

Lifting an eyebrow at Kanan, Hera said, “As you can see, it’s not just the fencers who get competitive.”

Kanan nearly snorted, and hastily turned into a cough. “I can imagine,” he said gravely. “How does he do?”

“Pretty well,” Hera said, a look of pride flashing across her face. “He’s one of the better ones in the school, and he spends a lot of time practicing. We’ve looked into finding him a private coach, but it’s never quite worked out.”

Rubbing at his chin thoughtfully, Kanan said, “In my experience, that helps, but it’s not the be all, end all of fencing. Does this team have a coach?”

Hera nodded, pointing towards a tall redhead standing on the sidelines of the gym. “Cal Kestis. He’s part time, though— he also teaches and coaches a few other sports. His wife and foster daughter should be in the stands somewhere— we’ve had them over for dinner a few times.”

“Merrin is awesome,” Sabine said. “She helped me pick out the throwing stars I bought.”

Lifting an eyebrow, Kanan said, “I see I was lucky it was just a frying pan. Kestis, you say? I think I knew a Kestis, back in my fencing days. He was good, too. If they’re the same, you’re lucky to have him.”

“Don’t we know it,” Hera said. “Oh— it looks like the pools are starting.”

Kanan pulled his attention back to where the two groups of fencers were being sorted, by a referee and two other others he assumed were judges, into groups. This was, he recalled, the first part of any fencing tournament. Each person in a group would have the chance to fence all of the others in three minute rounds, and the points they racked up would determine who they fenced in the next stage.

It had been a long time since he fenced. But he still remembered the surge of excitement he’d gotten at the starting of these matches, the thrill of adrenaline going through him.

He missed it. He probably always would. But for now, he pushed aside those feelings and turned his attention back to the match in front of him. 

Ezra was one of the first up, and Kanan watched intently as he fought, and cheered him on as he went. He heard Hera and the others doing the same, and at one point glanced over to see her watching him, her expression thoughtful.

“What?” he asked, lifting an eyebrow at her.

“Nothing,” she said. “Just… I guess I didn’t expect you to get this invested.”

“Fencing’s my sport, remember?” Kanan pointed out. “And he’s pretty good at it, too.”

“It’s not just that kind of invested,” Hera said. “It’s— I guess I didn’t expect to meet someone who cares this much, this quickly.”

The honesty in her voice caught Kanan off guard, and after a split second, he decided to match it. “It’s a bad habit of mine, apparently. And Ezra’s a good kid. I like seeing him succeed.”

“That makes two of us,” Hera said, and they exchanged a smile.

Next to her, Sabine cleared her throat pointedly. “Not that this isn’t adorable, but I have a couple questions for you, Kanan.”

“As long as I can watch and answer questions,” Kanan said wryly. “Let me guess— this is the part where you and Zeb grill me for information to make sure I’m not up to no good?”

“I mean, Hera’s helping too, but yes,” Sabine said.

Kanan shot Hera a surprised look, and she met his gaze calmly. “If you’re going to be around my kids, I want to make sure you’re safe.”

“Fair enough,” Kanan acknowledged. “Okay, hit me. Not literally.”

“Ha, ha,” Sabine said, and Kanan could hear the eyeroll. Hopping to her feet, she vaulted over the seats in front of her and moved in front of him, her expression stern and serious. “Okay— full legal name?”

“Kanan Caleb Levi Jarrus,” Kanan told her. “I’ve gone by my birth parent’s surname before, but not for a while now.”

Beginning to pace back and forth, Sabine asked, “Current job?”

“Handyman and all purpose fix-it guy for Kasmiri Locks— which you already know, so why are you asking me?”

“I’ll ask the questions here,” Sabine told him coolly, and Kanan saw Hera cover a smile. “Have any siblings?”

“Biologically, I don’t think so, legally, one brother, and emotionally, sort of.” Kanan folded his arms. “How am I doing on your questions?”

Lifting her chin, Sabine said, “Fine. For now. Here’s a big one— criminal record?”

Kanan held back a wince. He’d had a feeling this one was going to come up. And while his mistakes might have been in the past for him, that wasn’t going to be true for everyone. So all he could do was be honest.

He directed his gaze and his response at Hera as he said, “I’ve been arrested twice. Once for being drunk and disorderly, and I was charged that time. The other time was resisting arrest and assault of an officer— also while drunk— and it’s a miracle that he let me go.”

Hera’s expression was unreadable as she asked, “Why did he?”

“Because he knew my family,” Kanan answered. “And because he knew that… I’d lost my mom a few months earlier. She died when I was nineteen, and I was kind of a mess for a while. Drank a little too much, picked some fights. Most of them didn’t land me in too much legal trouble. But those two did— or almost did.” Shaking his head, he said, “Gray didn’t arrest me, though. He just told me to get my crap together and drove me home. It was… weirdly helpful. Started  me on the path that got me into a less stupid and way more sober place, so there’s that.”

Sighing, he said, “I don’t drink any more— and I know that it all sounds bad. Because it was. Honestly, though, I usually just think about how it could have been a lot worse, and how lucky I am that it wasn’t.”

He fell silent, and looked at Sabine and Hera. The teenager was studying him with a frown— and then she let out a massive sigh. “Kriff. You were right, Hera.”

“I know,” Hera said, her expression serene. But Kanan caught a tiny smile pulling at the corner of her mouth.

“Hang on,” he said slowly, frowning at them. “Did you— you knew about my record?”

“I did,” Sabine said cheerfully. “And I told Hera and Zeb.”

“What— how? Did you google me?”

Rolling her eyes, Sabine said, “Obviously, but not much came up. My skip tracer found out about the jail thing.”

Kanan’s eyebrows shot up. “Your what?”

“I’m thinking about being a cop when I grow up,” Sabine told him. “I figured I should get started cultivating my sources early. Merrin recommended the guy, so he’s probably trustworthy.”

“I’m not sure whether I should feel like my privacy was invaded, or if I should be impressed,” Kanan said, shaking his head. “Find anything else interesting?”

Sabine shrugged. “Not too much. Your grandpa was a cop, which I respect. And apparently your mom was a professional fencer?”

“She was,” Kanan said. “One of the best. So, do I pass your test?”

“Well, you told us about the jail thing, so you passed mine,” Sabine said with a shrug. “Zeb?”

“He showed up, didn’t he?” Zeb pointed out. “I think I’m good. Hera?”

Kanan glanced at Hera, who let out a half laugh. “I’d say so, yes.”

“Good,” Sabine said. “Cause it looks like the pools are ending, which means Ezra is gonna want to see him in a minute. And it also means it’s time to go get snacks.”

“Is there a concession stand?” Kanan asked.

“Less a stand, and more some of the older students with a box of candy and a folding table,” Sabine said. “But we’ll take what we can get. Zeb?”

Standing up, Zeb said, “I’m with ya. Anyone else want anything?”

“I’m good,” Hera said. “Kanan?”

Nodding, Kanan said, “Actually, I’d take a Butterfingers if they’re selling them. You want some cash for it?”

“The day I can’t shell out a buck for some candy for a mate is the day I hand in my badge,” Zeb said, rolling his eyes. “See you in a bit.”

The two of them headed back down the bleachers, leaving Kanan and Hera alone. Kanan was surprised by just how nervous he wasn’t at the thought, frankly. He wanted to get this right, he knew that much. But somehow, being around Hera felt… easy. Like it was where he was supposed to be.

Neither of them spoke for a while— instead, they sat and watched Ezra fence his final opponent in companionable silence. Eventually, as the bout came to an end, Hera said, “I am sorry about the whole skip tracer incident.”

“You did tell me you wanted to make sure I was safe for your kids,” Kanan pointed out. “If it wasn’t for the fact that, you know, Sabine’s a teenager, I should have expected it.”

“Still— I should have realized we were prying into a potentially painful time in your life,” Hera said. She turned to look at him, her gaze apologetic. “I’m sorry. About that, and your mother.”

Kanan paused before speaking, surprised by the wave of emotion that swept through him at Hera’s words. “Thanks,” he finally said, clearing his throat. “And you’re forgiven, I promise. Please remember that I shamelessly flirted with you while I was supposed to be working.”

“As I recall, you managed to do both with some proficiency,” Hera said, and Kanan couldn’t hold back his grin.

“Are you saying the flirting worked?”

“You’re here, aren’t you?” Hera pointed out, looking distinctly unflustered. She paused, then added, “I’m glad you did come.”

“Me, too,” Kanan said. “I’m glad you still wanted me to come after learning about… everything.”

“It threw me for a minute,” Hera admitted. “But it’s not right to judge you based on your past. And clearly, based on the fact my teenager knocked you out with a frying pan, you’re not a master criminal. Despite the lockpicking.”

Kanan laughed. “Good point. And trust me, I was far from a master criminal back then, too.”

They fell into conversation— Kanan telling her stories about work, Hera responding with wry quips that made him laugh every time. He learned that she was a pilot, and worked as a school guidance counselor. She’d never thought about fostering kids before she met Ezra, but now she couldn’t imagine her life without him. Her life was busy and chaotic, and she loved it, no matter how hard it was.

Watching her talk about it, Kanan found himself loving it, too.

At the end of the pools, there was a brief timeout while the scores were tallied so that fencers could be matched with their opponents for the direct elimination round. At this point, Sabine and Zeb returned, carrying more candy than Kanan would have thought was possible.

“Did you leave anything for the others?” Hera asked, lifting an eyebrow at them as Sabine shuffled past her, her hands full of Skittles and Sour Patch Kids, and her pockets bulging with candy bars.

Taking his seat, Zeb opened a Snickers as he said, “Hey, someone had to support them financially. We’re here for them. Oh, almost forgot— here’s your candy, mate.”

Kanan accepted the three king-sized Butterfingers, struggling to keep a straight face. “That’s all? I was kind of hoping you’d get me a lot of these.”

“Rude,” Sabine said through a mouthful of Skittles. “Hera, they were selling those fruit snacks you liked, so we got you some. Want them?”

“Not yet,” Hera told her, getting to her feet. “I’m going to go talk to Ezra before his next match starts.” Glancing at Kanan, she said, “Do you want to come?”

“Me?” Kanan blinked, surprised. “I don’t want to intrude.”

“He’s the one who invited you,” Hera pointed out. “He’ll be happy to see you. Come on.”

Rising from his seat, Kanan followed her down the bleachers to the bench on the sidelines, where most of the fencers were resting. Ezra, on the other hand, was on his feet, bouncing on his toes with a water bottle on one hand. He spotted Hera almost immediately, and a second later his gaze landed on Kanan.

“You made it!” he said, sounding delighted.

“Wouldn’t have missed it,” Kanan assured him. “You’ve been doing pretty good, kid. Giving your opponents a run for their money, I see.”

“Especially the Imperials,” Ezra said, rolling his eyes. “They’re all the worst. Well, except that girl Luke has a crush on. Oh, and Zev, obviously.”

“Who could forget Zev?” Hera said wryly. “I just came down to check on you— you’re doing okay? Staying hydrated?”

“I’m good,” Ezra said. “Just ready to kick some butt! Leia said she was counting, and she’s pretty sure I’m gonna be in fourth or fifth.”

A flash of pride crossed Hera’s face. “You’re doing amazingly, Ezra. We should probably get back to our seats— play smart, okay?” Leaning over, she pressed a kiss against his forehead.

“Hera!” Ezra protested. “No one else’s mom is coming down to kiss them.”

“You should know better than to think that’s going to stop me,” Hera shot back. “We’ll be watching in the stands.” Glancing at Kanan, she said, “You ready?”

Pausing, Kanan said, “Can you give me a minute, actually? If that’s alright. I just want to offer some advice.”

Hera hesitated, then nodded. “Okay. I’ll see you back up there in a minute.”

“Be there soon,” Kanan promised as she headed back for the stairs. For just a minute, he watched her go, then turned back to Ezra. Who was grinning.

“So, is the date going well?”

“Does it count as a date if you’re the one who invited me?” Kanan pointed out.

Ezra rolled his eyes. “Oh, come on. Hera really likes you, you know. She doesn’t actually give people her number all that often, and it’s not like there are a small number of guys who hit on her.”

Kanan winced. “Hence the skip tracer, huh?”

“Oh, Sabine told you about that? Nice, that means you passed the test.” Ezra grinned. “Knew I liked you. So, what’s your advice?”

Kanan started to speak, but a voice behind him cut him off. “Hey, Bridger! Trying to find someone to fence in your place so you don’t have to face me?”

Turning, Kanan spotted a teenager boy with black hair and an unpleasant smirk striding towards them. He was from the Imperial Academy, as was clear by his armband, and Kanan saw a scowl crossing Ezra’s face at his approach.

“Get lost, Oleg,” he told the boy.

“Oh, like your real parents did?” Oleg said, and Kanan’s eyebrows shot up. Who the kark does this kid think he is? Next to him, he felt Ezra tense up, his shoulders hunching slightly.

Then he straightened and said, “Yeah, well, at least my family chose to have me around. Which is more than I can say for yours.”

Kanan couldn’t hold back a snort, and Oleg’s gaze was turned to him. “Who’s this? Let me guess— someone finally realized that we shouldn’t let trash fence with us, and this is the garbageman?”

Ezra started to take a step forward, his fists balling up, and Kanan put a hand on his shoulder. “Easy,” he said. “Don’t let him rattle you. He just wants you ejected from the game, because he knows you’re a threat.”

Oleg opened his mouth to respond to that, but one of his team mates called his name, and he was forced to stalk away, calling over his shoulder, “Good luck out there— you’re gonna need it.”

“Charming kid,” Kanan said.

“Yeah, the way a pit full of snakes is charming,” Ezra muttered, scowling after him. “I’m sorry about what he said.”

“He’s a greasy-looking twerp. I won’t take it personally.” Kanan paused, and felt a smile crossing his face. “Can I show you a trick? To be used only for showing off and for if you end up going against him.”

“Sure,” Ezra said. “What is it?”

One brief lesson and a few minutes later,  Kanan slipped back into his seat. Hera shot him a sideways glance. “That took a little longer than I expected.”

“Advice takes how long it takes,” Kanan said, giving her an innocent look.

“You do realize I have two kids? And that I can tell when I’m not being told the whole truth,” Hera said as the tournament started up again.

Unwrapping one of his candy bars, Kanan said, “Just a little advice on his footwork. And then one trick to be used only in case of emergency.”

“Should I be worried?”

“I’m gonna go with no,” Kanan said. “Trust me on this one.”

Hera looked dubious, but nodded. “Alright.”

The match moved onwards smoothly. Ezra turned out to be in fourth place— and sure enough, he was matched up against Oleg. This put him in fourth to last place, Kanan realized. For a kid who’s so bad at fencing, his attitude is pretty cocky.

A few matches happened before his— a blond kid that Hera identified as Ezra’s friend Luke, a red haired girl from the Imperials, and another girl, this one with white-blonde hair and a Scottish accent that he could hear from the stands as she taunted her opponent into defeat.

And then Ezra’s match came, and Kanan found himself paying closer attention. His earlier assessment had been right— the kid was good, although there were some details that could use some work. He was a little hasty, too quick to jump into the fight, and his footwork could have been better.

But one thing he didn’t rush was the move Kanan taught him. Halfway through the fight, Kanan saw Oleg— who, by his count, was losing badly— say something, sneering at Ezra. The boy didn’t flinch, just parried the next blow.

And then his next move was a quick flick of the wrist and a spin of the blade, and suddenly Oleg was yelping and scrambling backwards as his foil shot straight into the air.

It made it about halfway up to the ceiling before clattering back down onto the floor. At that point, Oleg was halfway across the gym and Ezra was grinning. Kanan felt a matching grin cross his face as Hera looked at him.

“Let me guess,” she said. “Your handiwork?”

“In my defense, I was hoping it would stick into the ceiling.”

“Bridger!” the referee barked. He was a tall man with dark blond hair, sideburns that outmatched even Zeb’s, and a crisp accent, and looked utterly unimpressed by Ezra’s move. “Stop fooling around!”

“Yes, sir,” Ezra called as one of the coaches nudged Oleg back to the match, handing him back his foil. His grin didn’t fade, though. And a few moves later, he’d won the match.

The rest of the competition only lasted about half an hour, and before long, Kanan was following Hera, Sabine, and Zeb to where they met Ezra outside the locker room. He was carrying a duffel bag full of equipment, and his already satisfied grin widened when he saw them.

“You were so right,” he told Kanan. “Did you hear Oleg squeal when his foil went flying? So worth getting chewed out by Kallus later.”

“Kallus did what?” Hera demanded. “Do I need to have words with that man again?”

“Or I could,” Zeb offered. “I’ve been wanting to punch his stupid face in.”

Shaking his head, Ezra said, “Nah, Leia yelled at him right back. It was pretty entertaining. Cal told me not to do it again, but he thought it was funny. Said it reminded him of a friend from back in the day.”

Hera looked at Kanan, who shrugged. “Like I said, I probably know him.”

“You’re nothing if not a troublemaker, aren’t you?” Hera said to him.

“It’s one of my many charms.”

“Uh-huh. I’m sure.”

Clearing her throat, Sabine said, “Not to interrupt this little love fest, but is Kanan coming to lunch with us?”

Ezra’s gaze immediately moved to Kanan. “Are you?”

Kanan hesitated, shooting a glance at Hera. “I don’t want to intrude—”

“You wouldn’t be,” Hera told him. “I— We’d love to have you, if you’re free.”

“In that case, how can I refuse?” Kanan said. “Where are we headed?”

As it turned out, they were heading to Pyloon’s Saloon, a diner in town that Kanan had seen, but never had the pleasure of going to. He followed Hera’s minivan over to the diner, parking a few spots over. Heading over to meet them, he caught Sabine’s eyes as she hopped out of the car. “Is the painting on the back your work?”

“It is,” she said.

“It’s good. I like your style.” As they headed for the door, Kanan asked, “Now, I can guess what most of it means— you take martial arts, and you’re into records?”

“Yup,” Sabine said, a pleased grin crossing her face.

“Nice. What’s the sign Ezra’s holding?”

Ezra let out a loud groan as Zeb laughed. Smirking, Sabine said, “Inside joke. You have to reach a level five friendship to learn it.”

“Guess I have some work to do,” Kanan said, grabbing the door handle and holding it open. As Hera passed, he leaned forward and asked, “Should I even bother asking you?”

“Oh, I’m sworn to secrecy,” she assured him. “You’ll just have to convince them.”

“Challenged accepted,” he joked, following her inside.

They settled into a booth together and ordered. It wasn’t long before their food came, and they filled the time easily— Ezra talking about his match, Zeb and Sabine teasing him or insulting his opponents. Hera played referee in a lighthearted fashion, and Kanan chimed in every now and then, too.

Mainly, he watched, and listened, and as lunch wound on, he realized he’d enjoyed himself more than he had in a long while.

It was Hera’s company, obviously— but it was more than that, too. It was the family she’d built for herself, and the warmth with which they’d chosen to accept him.

She’d been the one who captivated him, but the other three brought him an understanding of what this family was really like. And with it, he realized it was something he wanted to be a part of.

Eventually, their meal came to an end. Kanan managed to swipe the bill away from Hera before she could pay it, which resulted in a short argument that Hera eventually let go.

“I’ll have to pay next time,” she said as they headed for the door, the kids and Zeb already ahead of them.

“Will there be a next time?” Kanan asked. The words slipped out before he could help it, and he saw Hera hesitate, and internally cursed himself. The last thing he wanted to do was push her.

As he opened his mouth to say so, Ezra cut them off as he called, “Hey, Kanan! I think you should be my fencing coach, but Sabine and Zeb say I need to interview you for it. What do you think?”

Rolling his eyes, Kanan said, “How about this— you three look up Caleb Dume on YouTube. Consider what you find there my audition tape?”

“Is it going to be about you?” Sabine said dubiously. “My skip tracer didn’t say anything about you having a fake name.”

“Like I said, I go by my bio family’s name sometimes,” Kanan told her. “Only one way for you to find out, right?”

As Sabine whipped out her phone, Kanan turned back to Hera. “As we were saying. I don’t want to push you—”

“I know,” Hera said, tucking a stray lock of her hair behind her ear. Kanan pretended not to follow the motion with his eyes, not to wonder what it would feel like to run his fingers through the silky strands as she said, “And… I’d like to give this a try. I really would. But you have to understand— Ezra and Sabine come first. If something comes up during a date, or if I have to cancel—”

“Then you go,” Kanan said. “They’re your kids. You should prioritize them. I completely understand that, Hera.”

Hera stared at him, and let out a half laugh, shaking her head. “I… you keep surprising me.”

“Good,” Kanan said, grinning at her. “I’d never want to bore you.”

“You could never,” she said wryly. Pausing, she said, “Then, can I take you to dinner next weekend? On a real date, without the kids interrogating you?”

“Yes,” Kanan said immediately. “Absolutely.” Smiling, he said, “I already can’t wait.”

Hera’s responding smile sent a flutter through his chest that he fully welcomed. “Neither can I.”

“WAIT A SECOND,” Sabine exploded from a few feet away. “YOU WERE A PROFESSIONAL FENCER AS A KID? HOW DID MY SKIP TRACER MISS THAT?”

“Oh, yeah, I knew I was forgetting something,” Kanan mused. Glancing at Hera, he said, “That’s not a deal breaker, is it?”

“I think I’ll get past it somehow,” she assured him. “You’re dealing with the kids and Chopper, after all.”

“Right, the cat,” Kanan said. “Well, with the exception of Chopper— who I haven’t met— I’d say that I’m pretty happy with this package deal.”

“DUDE DID YOU JUST KILL THAT REFEREE?”

Lifting an eyebrow at Kanan, Hera said, “That may not last.”

Somehow, even as Sabine and Ezra bolted towards him, peppering him with questions, Kanan doubted that.

(And it was true, as the months slipped on, and another figure joined the little group painted on the back of Hera’s van. He was happy, and he was where he was meant to be.)

[meat-pvppet]

Hiii hey helloooo really happy i found you! Im in love with your art, its so good! I wanted to learn about your ocs through that one post. Would love to get an answer for every single one, but to spare your time and fingers: alone, desire, future

I love Chasm and Tara so much you have no idea

YESSSS I GET TO TALK ABOUT MY GOOBERS HI HELLO ANON I LOVE YOU /plat

ok for this ill do both chasm and tara cuz theyre my little gabagoos and yes yes yes

ask game

CHASM

alone: How does your OC deal with loneliness? Have they ever been completely alone before? How do they act when there's no one around to see them?

Chasms alone most of the time so he's gotten kinda used to it, but he still has bouts of time where it gets to him, yknow?

Of course, hes never been truly truly alone cuz of Bridge, but generally speaking he gets really introspective about himself and how he interacts with others

how he wishes he could be more outgoing and expressive

hes tried that before though and its simply too draining to him

and it doesnt feel real cuz hes just acting and he knows it

so what would be the point?

he tries to distract himself as much as he can when he starts spiraling like this by doing maintenance on his guns, ship, sparrow, himself

read a little

do some organizing

anything to get him out of his own head

desire: What's one thing your OC wants more than anything in the world? Are they open with that desire? Why or why not? What would they do to fulfill it?

peace

whether that be peace in his own mind or across sol

he just wants all the fighting to stop

for the conflict to end

hes not even sure if he'll make it out of the next world-ending scenario that hes gonna get thrust into

or if his daughter will survive

he doesnt really talk about how he yearns for a day where a threat isnt looming over his shoulder every second of his existence

a day where he can freely relax with his daughter without wondering whether or not he'll get to see her again

or who will take care of her when hes gone

is that cuz he wants to keep up appearances? no

its cuz he knows everyone probably wants that too

no need to state the obvious

to fulfill it, to him, theres not much he can do than continue on as he is

continue on as a war machine

fight for his and all of humanity's peace

future: What's the worst possible future for your OC? Are they taking steps to avoid that outcome? Are they even aware it's a possibility?

i think itd be either he dies, leaving tara alone to fend for herself

or she dies

one he can try to avoid but he can never guarantee

the other is unfortunately inevitable

teehee mortal daughter immortal father moment

TARA

alone: How does your OC deal with loneliness? Have they ever been completely alone before? How do they act when there's no one around to see them?

tara isnt usually alone since she'll be online talking with friends or (on the rare occasion) out n about with them or playing gigs

when she is alone she ends up alot like chasm a little

quiet and stone faced

she gets pretty lonely whenever shes not around other people, but sometimes she just doesnt wanna be around other people at the same time

so she'll rot in bed for a while

or play guitar

or do whatever to entertain herself

she kinda suffers from chronic loneliness much like her dad so yeag

desire: What's one thing your OC wants more than anything in the world? Are they open with that desire? Why or why not? What would they do to fulfill it?

same with chasm id think

she could wish and pray and hope for this but theres not much she can do about it

other than spread peace and love through her music of course but she wishes she could be more proactive about it

like her dad

future: What's the worst possible future for your OC? Are they taking steps to avoid that outcome? Are they even aware it's a possibility?

probably also losing chasm tbh

she already had the wake up call that chasm isnt actually immortal fully from the red war and him losing his light

so she knows he can die

and by the nature of being a guardian, he could die

and it would be a very violent death

[hellcatinnc]

Ephemeral -Fantasy On Dark- Review

Spoilers Included

So got into playing this and although there is several endings and I have not played it all the way through however I have done the main story first of it and gotten a idea of how these fellas are so I wanted to review the game in whole as well as each love interest and my thoughts. There will be spoilers.

Ray

I did not see this coming what so ever this man blindsided me in away that brought me to tears. I went into this game for Shiba and Natsume and walked away with the most wonderful memories of Ray. He made the rest of the mens sacrifices seem pointless not only did he fight for her, not only was he willing to give his life for her, and not only did he pass up other women who were prettier and an arranged marriage but he really gave over 1000 of his lifespan for just 100 more years with her so that they could die alone. He stepped up past any others and even early on once he confessed his love to her he said we will find someway around you living longer and he kept his word.

No matter what they went up against no matter how much she got hurt he was there to pick her up and save her. She saved him as much as he did her in so many ways and let him be himself. His words of love and devotion for her were absolutely breath taking. I have always loved vampires and even though he is a Tsundere as most do he lets those walls down to her and is still nasty to everyone else but he is willing to give up the world and destroy it all for her. At one point someone hurts her and he bout kills them she is the reason he stopped. He showed what unconditional love was until the end. Ray by far is the best reason to play this game and even if you know things about how things might end trust me you still aren't prepared for how much this will emotionally effect you in some way. Even if Ray isn't the guy you would choose you should still feel the loyalty and connectiuon they have for yourself.

----------------------------------------------- Natsume

This man had me stumped at first because first off before playing it I found him severely attractive. Then going into it after hearing others talking about him being yandere I wasn't so sure I was going to like him. I'm not a huge fan of yandere per say however in my book not sure I feel like he is truly one. I say this because I feel like with him his issues with him mom growing up trying to kill him and fighting the way it feels to be a merman the need for beautiful things on top of abandonment issues I feel like he was more the less dealing with PTSD. I also feel like he was upfront with her when he started getting possessive of her he told her and he said he didn't want to see her due to that. He knew he would emotionally hurt her and she continued to come back because she loved him. I only say this because I have PTSD irl and I know sometimes you hurt the people closest to you even when your the one trying to shield them. I feel like he always loved her but wasn't always sure how to show it. I know he betrayed her but I also see from his end of things from a PTSD side of things he just didn't want to lose her so he felt if she had no way to leave him he would never worry about that. I will tell you from a PTSD mind set you would not believe how easy it is to make yourself believe something is the best way to prevent being betrayed and left.

On from that though in my past yandere's to me were scary like psycho scary I never felt that with Natsume and thats why he is my number 2. I feel like nothing compares to Ray's good ending and his lovingness however if you do Natsume's bad ending it broke my heart he stayed by her for 300 yrs even when she was bones promising her he wouldn't kill himself so he could one day hopefully be reunited with her. His love shined out past any wrongs he had done in the past to show he was genuine. I broke into tears when this man held her hand her nothing but bones hand and confessed his love, loyalty and devotion to her. Honestly I hope people push past to really see the core of this character because he is so worth it. To find out he isn't a mummy floored me yet at the same time around that time I saw it coming. Anyways I hope everyone enjoys him as much as I do and honestly when this man tears up it touches my very soul, and to think his mom wanted to kill him SMH.

----------------------------------------------- Shiba

I know he may not always be peoples favorites and yes he did hurt Cloe at one point but when he realized what he did wrong and knew he could lose her forever he fought for her. He may not seem smart to others but who cares about how smart he is when he does have so much love deep down for her. He decided being a bigger badder wolf wasn't worth it and we can't forget this man jumped out in front of a wolf that could kill him to save her life. This itself makes things different. He shows you sometimes in life the people we love may not be perfect but its the fact they know they make mistakes and want to better themselves because they can't see a world without you in it.

Even when he was under a love spell he chose to fight to get back to her and she was in a happy world that didn't hurt her yet still chose the real Shiba in the end. I feel like he has many layers from being funny, cute, and adorable as well as shy and even sometimes a bit arrogant. He tried to be this big puffed up wolf but I think he did it because he wanted to be the best for her. I also love his flirtiness at times and how he gets shy and bashful if he has to confess his love or that he was falling for her in the beginning. I don't know he is my feel good romance even though I felt her pain it was a believable pain but I also felt how sincere how he didn't want to live life without her and this is what makes me love him so much. Also can't forget that when he is a little wolf he likes to be cuddled and then the point where he likes the rubbing and petted when he is human I normally am not down for that but for him I would have done it too. Sweet Shiba you still know how to make my heart beat faster.

----------------------------------------------- Nagi

Oh sweet Nagi he looked so innocent from the start. He had such a soft and slowly moving romance but once he let that wall down and truly let Cloe in you could see he had a passion inside of him that would love her forever. You watch him grow as a person and learn to care about himself as long as he has her in his life he doesn't feel alone. They both have something in common one day he will no longer be seen and she will turn to bones and yet after Nagi meeting her grandmother he vowed right then he would never leave her side just like the grandmothers lost love never left hers even though he could longer be seen he was there beside her to the end and Nagi said he will do the same for Cloe. Honestly whole scene has me in tears and I was so moved by Nagi.

As everything fell into place I could see Nagi always had a good heart and he loved her so purely to the point it would make you cry when you saw him cry. I will say it is so sweet and tragic that even on the best ending he gives his life so that she can one day love again. (My opinion though that if it wasn't for Shiba yelling at him and practically confessing his own love for her on top of wanting to make it where she was happy and not reliving over and over this cycle I think Nagi would have sat in a corner and faded away for good.) That is honestly the part of Nagi I found more annoying because Shiba gets shit on by people the fact his prank went wrong and he left her for an amount of time but yet he saved her life and went into the dream world to bring her back, yet Nagi plans to fade away when he just couldn't change the original outcome cause the stupid doll and everyone's ok with it. Nagi is a good guy and honestly I think the world of him but now you know why he is a confliction for me at the same time.

I also loved the MC she was pretty cool probably one of my more favorite ones she wasn't an idiot but she loved completely with her heart. She wasn't overly naïve yet you could still see she was young. This has now made it to one of my favorite games and I finished the whole game all routes good and bad in 30 hours on Switch.

[mrs-evadne-cake]

Hey i think ive sent compliments about ur stranger things fic on here before too but skdhdk i recently reread it again (at this point i think i do come back to it once a year lmao) and i just had to come back here again because i feel like its only gotten better on the reread!!! Everytime i remember what a disappointment the recent seasons of the show have become i come back to ur fic and am always astounded by the amount of care you've put into the story and the affection you have for the characters and truly fleshing them out the way you did. Especially a big fan now of the way you tackled the question of "how do we decide something or someone is a monster" on the latest reading between neil hargrove tuning into his radio, james harrington deciding who were real people and who are the monsters who needed to be contained, and ofc the little girls who knew themselves to be monsters now because of things theyve gone through but still try their best to hang onto things they love. Something i didnt pay attention to on the first reading but now i cant stop thinking about it!!! Esp with how jonathan immediately forms a rapport with the abused children instantly because he knows what its like to inherit that monstrousness from violence thats been done to you and desperately wanting to rise above it + the sympathy w which you wrote kali genuinely put this above anything the show could put out at this point. Maybe ever because i dont think the show could truly ever commit to the political stance its first season demanded. Thank u so much!!!!! I liked how now that theres smth of a positive relationship bw hopper and kali, theres potential for a kali and sara hopper team up in the future and possibly how hopper can keep in touch if sara ever decided to reach out.

Optional question for u to respond to: in the story its constantly referenced that jonathan met steves dad at some point and that was probably when steve was told that he wasnt to hang out with the byers. Im guessing that was when joyce dropped him off that halloween cause thats when steve started finding loopholes to meet up with him? I just wanted to know if that would be a correct assumption, and i was wondering how that encounter went down lmao

(btw the choice of making jonathan and steve childhood friends + steve and nancy always being jonathans first loves and them eventually falling into that same configuration the two of them promised each other even when jonathan was the only careful custodian of that memory and never brought it up???? FUCKING INSPIRED. I've never gotten over it ever. Steve admitting in his "rewritten history" bits that jonathans smile made him feel like a bullet train????? God I'll never stop being lightheaded everytime i think about that.)

Hey i think ive sent compliments about ur stranger things fic on here before too but skdhdk i recently reread it again

You're Anon, so I don't know! But if you did I am delighted you decided to reread and tell me more! Sorry I didn't get back to you sooner! Haven't been on here a lot came back and was like...is that... a message?

the affection you have for the characters and truly fleshing them out the way you did.

I'm always so glad when this is what readers take away from it- I never wrote as a hobby before writing this (and haven't written since, unfortunately had the same ultimate feeling on s3/4 as you) but I really loved the show and characters after S2 and this was just an expression of that for sure. I'm so happy it comes through!

Esp with how jonathan immediately forms a rapport with the abused children instantly because he knows what its like to inherit that monstrousness from violence thats been done to you and desperately wanting to rise above it

Thank you! I really wanted a big part of the fic to be that no one's 'hero moment' has to be killing a monster with a bat- hell, I maintain to this day that Steve's was just apologizing in S1- and that it can just as well be empathy and kindness.

Maybe ever because i dont think the show could truly ever commit to the political stance its first season demanded.

Don't get me started.

Optional question for u to respond to: in the story its constantly referenced that jonathan met steves dad at some point and that was probably when steve was told that he wasnt to hang out with the byers. Im guessing that was when joyce dropped him off that halloween cause thats when steve started finding loopholes to meet up with him?

Yeeeeagh. I don't remember if I had a thing for this? It's been a few years. The Halloween thing is from The Wolves in the Walls which was the original first chapter of this when it was still gonna be a 5 chapter character study instead of a you know, novel. I think in the fic proper it was that his dad was just around more when he was in grade school and just started to have to leave constantly when the project really ramped up around when Terry Ives/Ken/Gloria/Alice joined and 11 was born?

I'm so happy you enjoyed it - thank you so much for the excellent take and the wonderful comment!

[g-on-ef]

Louder Than Bombs

A/N: Hello everyone ^^ as promised here is my villain Shouto x Izuku fic ^^ I am so excited to update this story and hear your guys thoughts and opinions on it ^^

Now fair warning this will this is gonna be a fucked up story Shouto will be a villain in the worst ways possible hell Imma be honest there is no redemption for Shouto if anything he's gonna try to bring Izuku down to his level and if not he will gladly lock him up for no one to have.

Will he love Izuku yes but he won't change he will still be the asshole till the end there is a happy ending well no really its more of a bittersweet ending you'll see when we get there and I hope you guys can stick with me to see this through ^^

There will be trigger warnings and i will include them in each chapter now enough of my babbling on with the show ^^

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Summary: Why should I apologize for the monster I've become, no one has ever apologized for making me this way.

Madness was a cursed he inherited from his parents and he was okay with that he, the most dangerous villain in the world, the one known as the Red Death has finally reached a breaking point with the heroes specifically Dynamite. Shouto Todoroki had to watched as his empire slowly crumbled at the hands of the infamous class 1-A with their piece of shit leader Dynamite taking the lead and he has had enough. After a failed attempt of trying to get information out of him and his league Shouto has had enough and plans his revenge.

Most people tell Izuku how he a quirkless person should be honored in dating the new number 1 hero, that he should take pride that a powerful man took notice to him and decided to settle for him. Ignoring the fact that if it wasn't for Izuku and his plans Kaachan and class 1-A wouldn't have gotten as far as they did with the villain Rouge. He's nothing to Kaachan but a stress reliever and he has no problems reminding him that every chance he gets.

After an accident in which Shouto saves Izuku the villain finds out that Dynamite has a secret lover one kept out of the public eye. Shouto sees this as an opportiunity to get revenge and what better way than to steal Bakugo's lover?

Little does Shouto know the more time he spends with Izuku the more he sees why Dynamite chose him to be his lover and SHouto is beginning to wonder if he can truly have Izuku or will he lose him when he not only discovers who Shouto is but of all the crimes he's committed as well.

Chapter 1: Prologue

Bakugo struggled to get back up on his feet the fight took a lot out of him, more than any of the fights he had with Icyhot, he wasn't holding back, not this time.

All this time Bakugo thought he was stronger than Icyhot that he was at least strong enough to stop him by himself, he was wrong...dead wrong.

Since the death of Dabi Rouge has not held back like he did in the past. Killing mercilessly, whether they were heroes or villains or cilvilians he didn't care they will either be burned alive or frozen to death. He no longer cared if there were people in the buildings or if an area has been evacuated he would not hesitate to destroy buildings and homes if it meant causing massed destruction.

A killing machine who no longer showed mercy to his victims.

Dabi's words rang clearly through his head.

I'm not afraid to die hero, see if I'm gone there won't be anyone to control my little brother, you'll see a side of him you've never seen before...so go ahead kill me.

"He wasn't lying, that fucking patch work was right...this bastard...is more powerful than we thought,"

A groan of pain was heard, he turned and saw Kirishima struggling to get up.

Bakugo rushed to his side.

"Enjiro!" he reached the read hair's side and helped him to his feet.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, you?"

"I'll live,"

He watched as this monster destroyed their old school U.A. High.

Trying to figure our a way to stop him hoping they could make it out alive.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

He watched as the love of his life destroyed the school where all the heroes once went to, watched as he killed heroes from both class 1-A and 1-B left and right.

Maybe he should send him a text to come home, call him and beg him to stop this carnage to return home and-

"Uncle?"

He turned his head and spotted the little angel that belonged to the late Dabi and Shigaraki.

she was wearing a star themed night gown and holding onto the teddy bear that her dads gave her before they passed away.

"Eri, what's wrong?" Izuku approached the little girl and scooped her in his arms not before turning off the tv so she wouldn't see the carnage unfold.

"the babies are awake,"

Babies as in his and Shouto's children, they must've woken up due to the loud sounds of the tv.

"Oh, than we should go and check on them and make sure they are resting,"

Izuku left the living room with his niece and knew that there was no point in trying to stop Shouto, his ex-husband will continue to kill, destroy, and ruin everything that associated itself with hero society.

Izuku entered the room that housed his children and attended to them he than asked Eri to get the bags ready knowing that once Shouto is done with his fun he will return to their family and force him and the children to go back to him

Just like he's done for the past three years...

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

A/N: Love it hate it tell me what you guys think ^^ again this story is gonna have a lot of dark themes and the ending won't be a fairy tale happy ending but I feel that the ending will be one that they all deserve anywhore till next time ^^

Next update will be Friday Jan. 20 ^^

[lovemesomesurveys]

1. What is something in your life that you feel hopeful about right now? Uhhh. Honestly, as much as I’d like to feel that way, it’s hard. I’m having a difficult time seeing past some of the stuff I’m going through and imagining anything changing. I’m scared it’s only going to stay the same. I mean, there’s been significant progress with some stuff, but I’m still bedridden and not where I’d like to be strength-wise, though that has gotten a little better. I’m lacking the motivation and energy that I need to work on things. And the hope. :/

2. What was the last thing you worried about that turned out better than expected? I mean like I said, I really have made significant progress with one of the major things I’d been dealing with for years. For so long I struggled with it and it seemed to only get worse without much chance at all in getting better, but now here we are. Even in the hospital it had actually gotten worse. However, once I had the feeding tube for awhile and was back home where it could be better managed and monitored by my mom, things really started improving. So, I need to remember that when I feel hopeless and down about other things. If something like that situation managed to really turn around, then the other stuff has a chance as well. 

3. Name somewhere you are planning on visiting in the near future? All I’m able to do right now is go to my doctor appointments. I have two in the next couple weeks. 

4. How often do you go grocery shopping and how much food do you usually get in one go? My mom goes twice a month for our big grocery trips and gets a lot. 

5. What is a meal you eat extremely often? Or do your meals & food choices vary a lot? I’ve just been eating the same few foods to be honest. Like, I have Cream of Wheat every morning and Taco Bell for dinner like 5 or 6 times a week. I’ve started having sandwiches most days for lunch. Other foods I throw in the mix sometimes are chicken wings, hot dogs, and pizza. Oh, and of course I eat a lot of Reese’s everyday. :X

6. When was the last time you felt unable or unwilling to speak your mind to someone? I’ve been struggling with something involving a couple family members since last year and I’m afraid to address it to them. I just don’t see that conversation going well. I don’t want to cause any issues or make things weird between us. I don’t want to hurt their feelings. But I am upset with some things that were said and how they went about some things and it’s caused me to be distant and bitter. I don’t want it to be that way, but I can’t seem to just let it go.

7. What was the last thing you changed your mind about?  Hm. I’m blanking at the moment. 

8. Who was the last friend you saw, and what did you do together? I don’t have any friends.

9. Who tends to show up in your dreams? Do you ever wonder if you appear in anyone else's dreams? I always have the most random dreams about the most random people. Like, people I went to elementary school with that weren’t even my friends will show up in my dreams and I’m like wtf??

10. What is something you wish you could say to someone who is no longer in your life, or something you wish they could know? I do miss Ty. He was a special part of my life for a time and he was there during a time I really needed him. It’s like he was put in my life for that time and then he served his purpose cause it’s like he literally just vanished. He stopped contacting me and deleted all his social media so I had no way of getting in touch. But the time we had together truly was a special time and I just miss him. I even thought at one point he was going to be “the one.” Anyway, I guess I’d just want to tell him what he meant to me and how much of an impact he had on me. I wish we could be in each other’s lives again. 

11. Instead of flat earth, what do you think of the simulated earth theory, that we're basically all just a giant computer program or virtual reality? No, we’re not Sims. 

12. What worries you most about your future? Like I always say, I’m scared I’ll never get better or get worse and that I won’t do anything with my life. I feel like I’m grandpa Joe from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory right now and I don’t want to spend my whole life this way.

13. What is something you do to feel better when you're scared? I mean, it depends what I’m scared about. I guess I typically talk about it with my mom and get comfort and reassurance from her and just try to distract myself with something like ASMR or a show.

14. Who do you feel you can count on the most in life? Is there anyone you wish you could count on more? I know I can always count on my mom. She is why I’m still here and keep going. 

15. What makes you trust someone? When was the last time someone broke your trust? If I feel comfortable talking to and sharing things with someone is a good indicator. I’d have to get to know them of course and establish a friendship. That takes a little time. And obviously if they don’t give me a reason to feel like I can’t trust them. I’ve met people who clearly like to gossip and I questioned whether I could trust them or not. I kind of just get a feeling, ya know? As for the last time someone broke my trust, it was last year with a couple of people. They did some things that made me feel uncomfortable sharing things with them.

16. When was the last time you shared a secret with someone, and how did they react? I don’t remember. 

17. Are you more likely to give advice or to ask for it? I used to be the one often giving advice. I don’t tend to ask for advice a lot, but I do try to look up stuff and figure things out on my own. Or I just dwell on stuff and not do anything. 

18. When was the last time you felt totally lost, figuratively speaking? How about literally? >> I constantly feel lost, figuratively speaking. I almost never feel lost, literally speaking. <<< Yeah, I feel that way as well. I’ve been in a place figuratively for quite some time where I don’t know what to do, what I’m doing, or what is going to happen. I just feel so unsure about everything. I don’t know how to get past this. I don’t even recall the last time I literally felt lost. 

19. In what ways are you emotionally strong? In what ways are you emotionally weak? I don’t feel I am emotionally strong. In fact, I feel very, very weak. I just feel like such a hopeless mess. I haven’t been handling things well. I don’t know how to get through this. I’ve just kept going and try to get through each day. 

20. What is the strangest book you have ever read? How did you find out about it? I can’t really think of a book I’ve read to be “the strangest.” Probably some book for school, ha. 

21. Do you prefer to watch movies or tv alone or with other people? Is there anything you refuse to watch alone? I love having shows to watch with my mom and/or brother. I just find it more enjoyable and it’s fun having someone to discuss the show or movie with and freak out together. I also like going on my personal Tumblr and seeing what other people are saying about it about it and reblogging a bunch of stuff. It’s just really fun to get involved in a fandom and share the experience with others. 

22. What was the last thing you broke? How about fixed? I haven’t broken something in quite awhile I don’t think. I’m not much of a fixer upper so I don’t know. 

23. Is there a sign or symbol that means a lot to you for whatever reason (eg. seeing certain animals or birds, 11:11 or other repeating numbers, syncs, butterflies, hearts in nature, etc)? Ever since I was a kid the number 8 has been my favorite number and it does have some significance to me. 

24. Do you have any personal ghost stories or paranormal experiences? No.

25. What do you get complimented on the most? I’m a total mess so I’m not getting complimented on anything regarding my physical appearance that’s for sure, ha. I also don’t have any skills or talents to be complimented on either. Sooo, nothing. 

26. What is something unusual that you find attractive? Men’s veiny hands are attractive to me for some reason. 

27. What time do you tend to eat your first meal of the day? And your last? I typically have my breakfast around 11AM and my dinner around 7 or 8PM.

28. What was the subject of the last video you watched? I’m watching Disney history and ride related videos.

29. When was the last time you traveled out of town, and where to? Last March. Feels like forever ago.

30. How would you describe your overall aesthetic? >> I wouldn't, really. I just wear and surround myself with what I like, what feels good (physically and emotionally). <<< Ha, I mean yeah same. 

[love-the-running]

Do you ever plan on finishing As Our Pain Interwined? I read it today and I loved it.

Oh and since we're at it, would you ever write more about Marie and Erwin's relationship in the world of your fic? I wish we'd gotten more of them in canon :(

I do plan on finishing it! It’s on my drafts, I just got busy with another story and then I graduated college and now I’m trying for post grad so it’s been chaos… and in not sure if I’d write more about Marie and Erwin but I did write a little flashback about them already ready for this story actually haha. Don’t know if it’s what you wanted but there you go (I might post it on Ao3 at some point)

“What are you doing out here?” Erwin asked, as he sat next to Marie on her garden.

She had been lost in thought staring at the stars in the night sky when he approached her and pulled her out of her fantasies.

Marie was throwing a small party at her house to celebrate Nile’s and Erwin’s fast approaching graduation despite the fact that she didn’t feel like celebrating at all. She wished they’d never graduate. Actually, she wished that Erwin would never graduate. That things could stay the same. That she’d get to keep him for a little longer.

So, as the boys and the other cadets talked about the future, she sneaked outside to mourn a future she had always known would never come to be and yet had foolish hoped she’d be enough to bring to fruition.

“You’re going to choose the Survey Corps.” Marie said softly after a few seconds. It wasn’t a question, just a blank statement. She handed Erwin a bottle of wine she’d brought with her to the garden.

“Yes.” Erwin replied quietly as he took a sip from the wine before putting it on the grass. She knew he had understood right away which conversation they’d be having that night.

Marie then laid her head on his shoulder and he put his arm around her. She closed her eyes for a second, enjoying the feeling of being pressed against Erwin, unsure if she’d have this opportunity again.

“It’s your lifelong dream.”

“It is.” He tightened his arm around her before continuing, both aware of what was going to happen next. “But I know it’s not yours.”

Marie felt tears form in her eyes. Why did it hurt so much? She always knew it was coming. Erwin was an uncontrollable flame that would light the way for humanity until it burnt out and there was nothing she could do to stop it. He wasn’t hers to cage and yet she couldn’t help but wonder if loving Erwin meant letting him go or trying to make him stay.

“It’s not.” Marie finally confirmed as a tear scrolled down her face.

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay.” She replied softly as she looked up to meet impossible blue eyes. “I always knew what I was getting into.”

“Did you?”

“Of course, you were very reluctant to let me in...” She said with a shy smile, remembering how Erwin kept pulling away from her every time she thought she was finally getting through his walls. “I knew there had to be a reason for you to push people away and then Nile told me you wanted to go to the Survey Corps and I understood why you were behaving like that.”

“So you decided the best course of action was to spend your time trying to get to know me? ”

“What can I say? You’re one of the very few people who don’t completely bore me. Couldn’t just let you go, despite your best efforts…” She said teasingly, slightly bumping him in the shoulder. “I guess it’s a good thing I’m persistent, though, to be fair, I did tell you I’d back out if you truly wanted me to.”

“I’m glad you didn’t.” Erwin replied earnestly as he looked at the stars and away from her. “Thank you for not giving up on me.” He added after a couple seconds.

“Never could.”

“So, you don’t regret it?”

“Regret what?”

“Wasting your time on me?”

“Do you really think it was a waste?” Marie felt indignant at the implication.

“For you, yes.”

“Fuck you.” She stood up angrily. “Don’t you dare call it a waste! I chose this, knowing full well how it would end.”

“But why? Why would you put yourself through this?”

“For someone as smart as you, you can be quite stupid at times.” She replied, annoyance clear in her tone. Erwin looked bewildered at her.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Marie just stared at him as his eyes searched for an answer. She could tell the exact moment Erwin had understood what she was trying to convey without her ever having to say it out loud. A deep sadness came over his features and then he looked down.

“I’m so sorry.”

“Stop saying that! I can decide what’s best for me.” She had always hated his martyr complex. Erwin looked up, he appeared almost scared, something he never was. “What’s wrong?”

“For basically all my life, I’ve worked towards going into the Survey Corps and finding out the truth about this world.” Marie appreciated that Erwin felt comfortable talking to her about his dreams, she knew he often held back with others as not many believed in his ideas about the outside world. As for her, as insane as his theories sounded, some part of her believed him to be right.

“But?” She asked softly as she kneeled back down and took his face in her hands, sensing his hesitancy.

“Its just- I never thought that anything could ever make me question where my dream was leading me.”

Marie inhaled sharply, not trusting her ears, but once she met Erwin’s eyes she could see the truthfulness behind his words. She kissed him before she even realized what she was doing.

The kiss was brief and not filled with passion as some of their previous kissed had been, but rather filled with something akin to desperation.

“But it’s not enough, is it?” She said quietly once she broke the kiss and brought their foreheads together. His lack of a reply was enough of an answer for her. She wanted to run away, to break free from this moment. Instead, she hugged him, in part, to hide her tears. “It’s okay. I understand.” Marie whispered in his ear, feeling Erwin relax in her embrace. “As much as I wish I didn’t, I do. You need to do this. There’s no future that I could offer you that would compare to your vision for humanity.”

“And I could never give you the life you want and deserve.” He took a deep breath before continuing “Though there were times I did think about how a quiet life could look life for me… It’s just-”

“You’d never forgive yourself if you didn’t pursue your dreams?”

“Yes.” Erwin replied, almost shamefully.

“Just promise me that if you ever do find something you love as much as your dreams, you’ll fight for it.”

“I promise.” He replied after a while. She wasn’t sure if he was being truthful or just saying it for her sake, but it would suffice for now. It had to. “I do love you, you know?” He added. Marie felt heart skip a beat as she held back a sob.

“And I you.” There it was, she said it and he said it and it still wasn’t enough. It still wouldn’t change anything. All cards on the table and the end result remained unchanged. Love just wasn’t enough. Not in this world.

She ended the hug and then they went back to just sitting next to each other in the garden, his arm around her as they allowed the silence of the night to fall between them.

“So what now?” Erwin finally asked after what could’ve been seconds or minutes. For the first since they met, he seemed lost as to what to do next.

“I don’t want you to walk out of my life. But I think it’s time we go back to being just friends.” Marie replied, her voice trembling slightly.

“That’s more than I hoped for.” He said quietly. “I thought you’d tell me to leave you and never see you again.”

“I’d never ask that of you. I’ll always want you in my life.”

They offered sad understating smiles to each other. This time it was Erwin who laid his head on her shoulder.

They stayed like that until the first rays of light shone down on them and the night left with the bittersweet end of Marie’s first love.