#i want to draw everyone interacting with each other so expect some more drawings within the next month

[lookitsgrim]

Dragon by Night! (wwbn au)

Part 1: designs!!

Okay so, my friend has been subjected to so many ramblings and updates on these drawings and i think she’s sick of it by now lol so i’m putting all of it here as a starting point for everything else i’m gonna post eventually (bloodstone manor stuff, the bloodstone, jacks curse, etc)

for reference, this au focuses on how things would work if Jack, Elsa, and Ted were a part of the Wings of Fire universe (really great fantasy book series!! i’d recommend it if you’re okay with reading something meant for 11-15 [???] year olds).

To start things off, let’s look at how the trio would look on Pyrrhia!

——

I decided to make Ted half mudwing and half leafwing. In the books, a group of mudwings aka ‘sibs’ has a role called a ‘bigwings’, which is assigned to the largest of the unit. They protect their siblings in battle and in life, and i thought that was fitting for Ted. Leafwings are very entwined with the plant life in the poison jungle on Pantala (aka the lost continent). They have control over the way things grow and also have extensive knowledge on the local flora, which just screamed Ted to me. I kept most of the mudwing traits while including a few leafwing details such as the speckled scales and webbed back scales, along with the twisted horns.

——

Elsa is a skywing. In the books, they’re characterised by their immense combat knowledge and skill, and are theorised to be the original dragon tribe. they are also very headstrong and their loyalty can sway away from their family, which i thought fit her fairly well. Also i feel like monster hunters in general fit the theme, and i have some ideas for bloodstone manor involving the sky kingdom!! I made Elsa look like a typical skywing - deep red scales, slim face, pale wings. And I also gave her the bloodstone, which i’ll mention later.

——

Jack was a tough one for me. Originally, i wanted to make him fully nightwing or maybe even a silkwing to symbolise his change from man to wolf, but silkwings change permanently, so i feel like that wouldn’t work properly. Instead, i opted to make him half nightwing and half rainwing. In the books, nightwings are known as highly mysterious, rarely interacting with the other tribes - supposedly to keep their magic and power for themselves (until like… the fourth book, then it all goes to hell. but that’s unrelated), and are linked to both animus dragons and mind readers. I thought this fit well for jack with his ‘creature of the night’ vibe, and also nightwings have starry skies on their wings and i thought that was neat. Rainwings are also rare outside of their territory - the jungle next to the secret nightwing kingdom (also until the fourth book - yay dragon wars!!). they have the ability to change the colour of their scales to show their emotions, camouflage, and also to try and look pretty in some cases. I thought this wouod be nice for Jack in the case of his werewolf form. If rainwings don’t get enough sun their colours are dull and ‘boring’, and since the wolf wouldn’t technically see the sun he’d change to a duller, darker dragon. ALSO!! they can spit venom, which i just thought was neat. imagine walking through the jungle one night and a mostly camouflaged rainwing swings down from a tree branch and unhinges it’s jaw, spitting venom at you until your skin burns and melts. Anyway, I made jacks resting colour to be green and gave him mostly rainwing traits - the frills on his jaw, the prehensile tail, the longer talons; and then gave him nightwing horns and back spikes, the stars on his wings, and the head shape. i also made his smaller scales a similar colour to his makeup in the special since that’s not really a dragon thing?? like at all?? ALSO (AGAIN) rainwing was a whole aren’t huge on fighting, they spend most of their time relaxing in the sun and the thought of using their venom to harm other dragons is completely horrifying to them, this of course seemed very jack-esque to me so yeah! here’s both of his colours (normal and cursed form, which is really just altered colours and different behavior like i mentioned previously)

anyway i hope you guys like this so far and i hope it’s making at least a little sense, but if it’s not i am happy to explain and there will be more posts about this in the future!! i have a bunch of ideas, like my notes app is full of dot points to expand on eventually 😗‼️‼️

[demaparbat-hp]

Hi Dema!! Your art is fantastic and even the lineart is awesome! Solid and confident in where it's thick and where thin. I really like how your style has characters look more realistic and they have specific consistent features. Your blog has a pleasant atmosphere, and you're skilled in weaving AUs! There's a lot of details and structure, and I'd like to ask if any of them have a full story arc? Could you do a list of all of the AUs? Is there a motif that you especially like that repeats in any of the AUs? And whenever you add comments to my stuff in the tags I literally smile, it makes me want to keep at my plan to create everything I have in mind. So I'd like to spread this joy! I hope you have a nice day! (from late-draft ^^)

Hello, Late-Draft! I wasn't expecting this ask at all but I'm so glad to have received it!

First of all—I'll try to hold myself back from giggling like a schoolgirl. I'm having a sempai noticed me moment over here and that's just embarrassing. So give me a second to compose myself, if that's alright?

Okay, I'm back.

Now, on to business.

Character design, especially when it comes to facial features and how they're unique to each person, has always been a passion of mine. I always try to have a solid design for each character. I choose which features feel like the character in question, which face feels natural to draw, and go along with it. I love drawing Katara as much as I love drawing Zuko. Meanwhile, I seem to be on a never-ending battle against Sokka's features. Woes of an artist, I suppose.

Character design is actually one of the reasons I love your work so much, in case you hadn't noticed. I'm currently experimenting a bit with a different style... Hopefully it won't be long before the artwork is done and I can share it over here. I'm so excited for everyone to see it!

Now it's time for the reason we're all here.

I have said it before and shall say it once more: AUs are my lifeblood.

I love them so much! Building them, daydreaming the scenes, thinking of the characters and how they differ from their canon versions. The arcs and the themes and the worldbuilding. Building AUs is my passion, and I have so many of them!

There are a lot of motifs and themes that tend to repeat themselves in several of my AUs, I believe.

You'll notice that most of my stories are Zuko-centric, with a heavy emphasis on grief and humanity. There's the question of what makes us human and how to move forward when the whole world seems to push you back. I put a lot of stock in metaphors and symbolism within the narrative itself. I'm especially interested in the nuance of war and how it affects people emotionally, physically, and psychologically

I also tend to reutilize some elements of the lore and/or worldbuilding! Such as the Painted Lady's backstory, or the existence of War Children within the ATLA universe.

Now, the list!

I think I'll start with my current project, if that's okay :)

For the Spirits (New Gods AU)

Zuko was a child when he met Agni. Then, the spirits started coming to him. Eyes hidden in the hallways, voices pleading for help, for recognition, for remembrance.

Zuko could see Agni. He could see the broken remains of a Great Spirit and the empty smiles of amnesiac ghosts.

And they could see him in return.

I've been working on this AU for a long time, but only now did I get the chance to start writing the fic (linked up there!). I'm extremely excited about FTS and where the story will lead us in the future, but I'll try not to spoil too much.

It's a Zuko-centric story, with a heavy emphasis on Spirits and humanity. I'd like to add a warning for depression/mental health issues.

To Hesitate (Lee & Kya AU)

As she watches Lee and Kya avoid each other's eyes from across the room, the phrase comes back to her, swift and silent:

"To hesitate is to lose."

.

As Song treats the victim of an unfortunate interaction with a rare poisonous flower, her day takes an unexpected turn when it becomes apparent that the old man's nephew and her assistant have history.

A vivid history.

The Lee & Kya AU is a vibe, a feeling. It's probably one of my oldest AUs out there as well as one of my dearest.

A classical Lee and Kya From The Tea Shop AU, full with wholesome fandom tropes such as: fake (but not really) dating, fake identities, Ba Sing Se shenanigans, vigilante stuff, White Lotus missions, Iroh is a great Uncle, Zuko is an awkward turtleduck, and, of course, the fluffiest fluff you'll ever see.

Other than that, Lee & Kya is probably one of the less plot-focused AUs I have. However, that doesn't mean that there aren't scenes I can't wait to write or a canon divergence or two where Zuko is concerned.

(I have another fic posted but I'll leave that one to the end. You asked for a full story arc and, oh boy, does Soundless deliver.)

Kintsugi AU

Closer to being canon-adjacent than canon-divergent, Kintsugi is yet another Zuko-centric AU (and are we not noticing a pattern over here?).

I'd love to explain it in depth, but I believe the caption of the artwork linked above does a better job at explaining than I ever will.

Kintsugi is the art of decorating your scars with pieces of Agni.

In the Fire Nation, the amount of golden marks are a sign of status. Only the Royal Family can afford to seal every single wound with Kintsugi. Such is the weight of this tradition that, among the ones with Agni's blood, it is the highest mark of dishonor to have a natural scar, for it proves you aren't worthy of the privilege.

After the Agni Kai, Ozai forbid Zuko's scar to be sealed with Kintsugi. The boy wasn't worth his title, his traditions or his pride. Zuko would be broken, but he wouldn't be beautiful. Not anymore.

(And sometimes it's easier to pretend he never was)

Kyoshi Warriors AU

One of my absolute favorites!

In this AU, Ursa took Zuko and Azula with her when she was banished, so they could start anew. With help from Iroh and the White Lotus, she managed to relocate her freshly burned eight-year-old child and her crying daughter to Kyoshi Island.

Years later, when Avatar Aang and his companions first arrive at Kyoshi Island, they're met by the Kyoshi Warriors and their leader, Noriko of pale skin and warm brown eyes.

The Gaang leave Kyoshi Island many weeks later with a new companion. And if Jian Li, with his war paint and his scar and his dual dao, gives the island that he has called home for so long one final, longing glance as they fly away on Appa, they pretend not to notice.

Hunters AU

We're starting to dwelve deep into dangerous waters!

This is a Katara Joins Zuko In His Quest To Find The Avatar AU, with a twist!

This AU was born as a writing experiment. What if we take Katara's character, and change one of her core characteristics? Katara, who looked up to the Avatar as a saviour figure, now blames him for leaving and allowing the Fire Nation to wage war on the world.

Then comes Zuko, a banished Prince with a crew full of traitors and his own agenda. Zuko wishes for nothing more than to dethrone his father and end the war. He is a White Lotus member, an honorable, driven young man, and he has a plan.

The catch? He needs to take the Avatar to his father if he wishes to regain his title and be able to rightfully take the throne. Oh, and he will deliver the Avatar to the Fire Lord—but nobody said it had to be in chains.

Halfblood AU

I watched Blue Eye Samurai a few months ago and it destroyed me. The idea of a half-blooded child dead set on getting revenge for their very existence stuck with me, and this AU was born.

Kanna made a life for herself in the Earth Kingdom after leaving the North. Katara was raised by her grandmother in a small village, being taught to hide her bending if she wanted to live peacefully in a place she was only half of. Her mother had died in childbirth. Her father, a nameless warrior from the Southern Water Tribe who had loved Kya and left her behind, didn't know of Katara's existence.

Katara took over Kanna's clinic after she passed away. Always taking care of others. Always suppressing her need to bend. Always wishing for more.

One day, he arrived. A half-child, just like her. But while she was of Water, he was a son of Agni. He was searching for the man who brought him to this world. The man who scarred him. The man whose face he couldn't recall, whose name he did not know. The man whose specter had chased his mother to her grave. The man who would die at his hand.

The answers were hidden in a small teashop deep within Ba Sing Se. Lee offered her a way out, and Katara took it.

Soundless (Uiscefhuaraithe)

Katara of the Southern Water Tribe has hands scarred by fire and great talent, though no teacher.

Zuko is a mute War Child, a herbalist and healer, and the Blue Spirit. He bears the mark of fire, and the scar of the blade that took away his voice.

The first time they met, the Blue Spirit had just saved her, tough not before her hands got burned. The second time they met, his name was Lee, and he was healing her.

They live in war and they will fight, if not for the world, then for themselves.

You asked for a full storyline, and I shall deliver!

Soundless is probably the only AU I have fully planned. Three-books, Azula redemption arc, role-reversals and all.

This AU has everything. From travelling through the Earth Kingdom together, to odd character team-ups that somehow manage to work, and a major goal/conflict to resolve.

Zuko and Katara must find their way to Omashu in an Earth Kingdom ravaged by war as they also grow to understand each other, themselves, and the world around them. They meet with new and old alliances, keep their ears open for rumors of the Avatar (They say he is an airbender, Lee. Do you truly belive that?), and do their best to always be two steps ahead of their pasts.

Meanwhile, both the Northern and Southern Water Tribes are searching for the runaway heiress, Aang must find his way alone on this new, hostile world, and Azula must face the revelation that, despite what her father has stated for the last two years (liar, he lied at her! Her! He lied he liedliedliedlied), her brother might just be alive.

I'm sorry for making this such a long answer! I just get very excited about these subjects and don't know when to stop. If you made it all the way down here: thank you again.

I hope you have a good day ❤️

[yourmidnightlover]

experimental

pairing: xavier thorpe x fem!reader

summary: due to an influx of female students, you are roomed with xavier thorpe as a sort of experiment. what happens when you become plagued with a frightening nightmare?

warnings: kinda enemies to sorta lovers, cuddling bc duh, there are some things that aren't answered or brought back up so i guess there's a possibility for a part 2 that gets... intimate??

a/n: it’s a cliche and i’m a sucker for it. we're gonna pretend weems never died bc that was a disgrace.

when you found out you would be paired with a guy you thought maybe that meant more storage space for yourself, maybe even you’d get some nice eye candy to look at. but nope. you got xavier thorpe. respectively, he is nice to look at, but he’s also a total jerk.

it started when you first got to nevermore a year ago, before the murders happened. you had been partnered with him on a few projects and he consistently ignored you when you tried to spark a conversation. each opinion you asked him for, he always gave you the shortest answer possible.

you don't think he knows of your involvement with the hyde. you knew of his involvements and interactions, the accusations. you were best friends with enid before wednesday came along. admiring the way wednesday and enid had some sort of magnetic connection, you gave them some space for whatever they had.

what you didn't expect was for her to call for your help the night of the attack. with your ability to manipulate nature, you would be quite a big help in a forest. neither you nor enid could anticipate the ricochet of a tree ripped from its roots being thrown at enid. luckily, you got there in time to knock enid out of the way. unfortunately that meant that you got hit by the tree, rendering you unconscious and in a coma for weeks until weems announced the early ending of the semester.

that night still haunts you in dreams, somtimes while you're still awake when it's been a long day.

regardless, you thought he was petty and maybe just a douche but what tipped you over the edge was when you heard him making fun of you with a few of his friends.

“she just keeps trying to talk to me!” there was no emotion other than frustration that you could detect in his voice. the people surrounding him began laughing. “is it not completely obvious as to why i’ve been ignoring her?” you heard the venom in his scoff, and you became happy his back was turned to you, sure that the look on his face was nothing but smug and smiley.

“dude, you’re screwed,” another person piped in with a laugh. you had heard enough. you swiftly walked away, sure not to disturb anything so you wouldn’t grab any attention.

as a result, you treated him as he first treated you. you gave him attitude, short answers, and on occasion some nasty looks.

when you saw xavier thorpe’s unwelcoming face as weems led you to your new room, you were beyond disappointed. you could tell he was too as his eyes widened before his brows rose in an obvious look of discomfort.

“welcome to your new home for the next semester, ms. y/l/n,” she pat your shoulder before leaving abruptly, allowing you to settle into the room.

“look,” you sighed as you heard her heels step down the hall. “i know this’ll be more than difficult for the both of us, so let’s just stay out of each others way as much as possible?”

he rose his hands in defense before nodding, “whatever you want,” he pressed his lips into a fine line.

you rolled your eyes before plopping your bags down beside the bed, letting yourself lay down on it. you could get through this. sure, you wouldn’t have a safe place to go to when you needed it. you wouldn’t have a quiet place to do homework. but you had a place to sleep and to shower and that was fine.

within a couple of weeks, you had made a schedule. you took into consideration his tendency to sleep in and stay out late. in spite of his best efforts, you did know about the art shed.

everyone knows he loves to draw and he doesn’t do it as often in his own room nor in an art room. sometimes he wouldn’t even come back at night, which meant he had to have another place to sleep.

one day, you may have gotten a bit worried as to where he was and simply watched which way he went into the woods. after searching for a short amount of time, you found the shed.

bathroom time:

AM

6:00-7:00 ~ y/n

7:00-8:00 ~ xavier

PM

7:00-8:00 ~ y/n

8:00-whenever ~ xavier

you proudly posted the schedule on the window where he often tapes up a few of his pieces, that way he was sure to see it. it wasn't you trying to be snooty and righteous, it was merely just so you could avoid any awkward interactions.

"seriously?" he scoffed late at night, or more in the morning. you sat up in your bed with a roan, making a noise to ask what he was talking about. "you made a fucking bathroom schedule?"

"it's-it's," you took a sip of water that sat by your bed before rubbing your eyes and checking the clock. 3:53. "it's just so we don't accidentally walk in while the other is showering and shit. basically, i can shower from those times and you can do the same."

"so you just want to dictate my life now?" he scoffed as you heard the rustling of clothes, probably his jacket being discarded.

"no, thorpe," you sighed as you threw your head back on the bed. this boy just wasn't getting it. "look, i took into consideration the fact that you like to sleep in. classes start at 8, so you can shower at 7:30 or whenever because you never wake up earlier than that," you sat back up once more and threw your blanket off of you. "and you stay out all night at that art shed of yours, which is fine! but since you're not even in here at 7 i figured it would be fine to just say that the bathroom is reserved during that time, alright?" you were angry now. it's been a while since you've gotten enough sleep, or uninterrupted sleep. and now he's ruined it.

"i didn't know you thought about that," you were able to make out his figure sitting down on the bed. "sorry," he said it so quietly it was almost as if he didn't want you to hear.

"just turn on the light," you instructed him. "i'm not gonna get any sleep tonight anyway," you huffed before grabbing a book from your nightstand, flipping your lamp on to illuminate the room.

"look, i am sorry," he turned towards you with a soft face. "i know how hard it can be to actually get a good nights' sleep," when you made eye contact you didn't see a face of pity, but of understanding.

"it's fine," you turned to your bookmarked page and began reading, although you weren't really taking in any of the words on the page.

"i uhm-i visited you," he added as he now walked over to his desk, rummaging through his sketchbook. you looked up at him with a questioning face. "when you were hospitalized after everything. enid did too, but i just wanted to make sure that someone was there when you woke up."

"you weren't," you shook your head, your focus on the book now dead. "you weren't there when i woke up. nobody was there."

"i went to get something to eat," you heard the smile on his face. "it's so stupid. i missed you waking up because of food. but you hadn't woken up in weeks and nobody knew when you would. i figured i'd grab something and come back and just keep drawing or something while you sleep. but you were awake."

"i didn't think anyone really cared," you shrugged, looking down where your book lay closed.

"i'm sorry you were alone when you woke up, nobody should have to go through that," when you looked back up, he was at the foot of your bed with a sheet of paper. "this is one of the many drawings i made when you were asleep. you should have it."

it was one of you in a coma, but instead of a hospital bed you were in a field of flowers. the nose cannula was replaced with vines, flowers growing from each tendril. you even had a bouquet of flowers in your hand, a crown of them on your head. you didn't even look like you were dying, or close to it. you looked ethereal.

"wow."

"if it's too much, i-"

"no, no," you interrupted with a smile growing on your face. "i-i don't think i would have ever described myself as beautiful, but somehow that's the only word that comes to my mind when looking at this. thank you."

"thank you," he grasped the end of your bedframe before walking back to his own. "i think i'm gonna shower, keeping with the schedule and all."

you nodded, "alright," you were glad he walked away. he couldn't see the tears form or fall from your eyes.

-

you never went to sleep that night. you set the drawing beside your bed and attempted to continue your book, even when xavier got out of the shower. the last thing you wanted was to start to even remotely like the guy you've sworn to hate. if you can't protect your mind, all you can protect is your dignity at this point.

now, three weeks later, everything is going rather smoothly. the bathroom schedule is being kept and respected, your grades are looking good, no nightmares. the thing with your nightmares is that the longer you don't have one, the worse the next one might be. last time you went four weeks without a nightmare, you woke up screaming in a hot sweat. it had now been around six.

not even to mention the horror that would happen if xavier were actually in the room when it happened. you would be humiliated. he would probably yell it to the whole school, how scared you are.

you had been readying yourself. now supplied with essential oils, doing yoga, meditation, and many other fail-safes, you thought you were almost exempt from any sort of nightmare creeping up on you.

another thing you had started doing to help calm yourself was to go on runs. through a distinct path in the woods, the smell of pine and slight floral would calm you.

though, this run felt different. at a certain point, your body felt rigid. the stiffness in your muscles told you something was off on this run. the crunching of the leaves felt less like a welcome home and more like a warning.

after feeling like you were being followed, you turned around to see xavier walking out of his shed. you hadn't realized you were out that far. you stopped abruptly, laughing at yourself for being so afraid.

"god, you scraed me, thorpe," you held your hand over your heart as you took a deep breath.

"oh, sorry," he smiled as he made his way over to you. "what're you doing out here? i thought you'd be in the shower by now."

"wanted to clear my head, so... went on a run," he nodded in understanding. "you planning on coming back to the room to sleep tonight?"

"i guess we'll see," he smiled as he took a step closer to you. his hands found your waist, holding you softly as if you were fragile. maybe you were.

"i guess so," your arms were thrown over his shoulders as he began to lean down, his lips almost connecting with yours before you heard something behind him.

you stopped in the motions, looking behind him to see the hyde making angry steps towards you. you pushed xavier to the side and told him to run. as stupid as guys are, he decided to look behind him to see what was happening.

"xavier, go!" you urged him as you threw a gust of wind towards te hyde, one that would normally knock an army over. "it's not safe!"

"i'm not leaving you!" he stood by your side as the hyde began to launch objects towards you. he had terrible aim.

then, the moment came. a tree that had been uprooted, that would have knocked the hyde down, was now being hurtled your way. with the way it was travelling, it would hit you dead center.

xavier got in front of you, holding your shoulders, "you're alright, y/n! i'm here!"

"xavier!" your body jolted upwards in a panic, your limbs shaking.

when you finally regained your vision, you were met with a frantic xavier. his eyes were looking at you panicked, his hands cradling your waist and face.

"hey, you're okay," he was holding you so soft. you felt safe. "i'm right here, y/n," you realized you were sitting in your bed, him sitting where your legs weren't tangled.

you didn't realize the hot tears trailing down your face until xavier wiped them for you, "you were... you were gonna die. you stood in front of the-in front of me and it was-and we were," he guided your face into his neck as he brought you into a hug.

"it was a nightmare; you're safe now," he pressed a kiss to your hairline as you sobbed into his chest. arms wrapping around his middle, his own arms tightened on your body to make you feel more secure.

you sat there until the sobs subsided. xavier's hands began to trace your back. at some point, your legs became wrapped around his body with you in his lap. it wasn't in a sexual way. it was in a comforting, needing to be near to him kind of moment.

his smell was oddly comforting. it was a mix of the woods he was always in, paint, and sage. you were scared to close your eyes again, to see him being killed. maybe spending so much time with him has made you a bit fond of the guy. maybe more than fond...

"i'm scared, xavier," you sighed into his chest, clutching tighter to his shirt.

"i know you are," he pulled back to look at your disheveled state. "you wanna try to sleep together? i mean like-like in my bed with me. not like sleep together with like... yea. i wouldn't take advantage of you like that. i'm gonna shut up now," a blush washed over his face, turning it as red as you could see in the dim light.

"i would like to," you nodded as a smile creeped up on your face. "if that's alright?"

"of course, of course," his hands raked through your hair, smoothing it down from a probably incredibly messy state. "here, hold on tight," he gripped your thighs as he rose to his feet, walking over to his bedand sitting down.

you rolled over to the side of him and let him get underneath the covers before you followed suit. "can i-can we like... cuddle?"

"why else would i carry you all the way over here?" he opened his arms for you to roll into. you rested your head on his chest, your hands wrapping around his middle once again as his went around your shoulders.

you waited a beat before you fell asleep before admitting, "i think i like you," almost immediately succumbing to the frightful state of sleep

xavier waited until he heard your breath even out, "i've always liked you."

[necrotic-nephilim]

For the ask game: AU where during Tim's search for Bruce, Ra's agrees to help him on one condition: Tim will sleep with him. (It's probably some kind of scheme on Ra's part.) How their dynamic would change with more overt sexual undertone underlying their interactions...

for the ask game!

UGH i love this type of thing so much. in my heart, this is canon. to me. Ra'sTim my fucked up beloveds you two are so terrible for each other.

so what i think is fun and often misunderstood in fanon is that Tim didn't go to Ra's, Ra's went to Tim. so it's even more fun if Ra's goes to Tim, and has that condition he holds over Tim's head. offering all of Ra's' resources, full access to his computers, someone just genuinely believing Tim and working with him. i think, a lot of it would be a mind game for Ra's. sure he wants to fuck Tim, but more than that, he wants to see Tim's reaction. he expects an immediate no, in the way Tim is so hesitant to work with Ra's in the first place. he's pushing Tim's buttons and basically treating Tim like a rat in a maze. so when Tim says yes, and doesn't seem to hesitate too much. *that's* intriguing. because in a perfect world for Ra's, Tim says yes because of a genuine returned attraction. but Ra's isn't quite sure if that's the reason. it could just be because of Tim's search for Bruce. so Ra's would really push it, see how far he could take the sex. it's simple sex first, but Ra's gets more and more interesting each time. slowly working in kinks just to see where Tim draws the line in the sand, and if Ra's can convince Tim to cross that line.

on Tim's side, i think it's fun if you play with Tim being so deep in the closet he doesn't even realize he's bisexual, yet. so to him, sex with Ra's doesn't *really* count as sex. he knows Ra's is weirdly obsessed with him, and Tim wants to play that to his advantage. he likes the power that obsession gives him, within the League. so, if it takes some sex to satiate Ra's, Tim mentally views it as like, a training session. no worse than those unpleasant endurance trainings Bruce used to make them all do. and i like the accidental catch-22 of it. where at first, the sex does very little for Tim. but the more Ra's gets creative and kinky about it, the more Tim *actually* starts to enjoy it. Tim's bisexual crisis except it's over a centuries-old man showing him the joys of sadomasochism in an agreement that was supposed to be totally normal for Tim bc he just gets himself into these situations.

i think one of the biggest changes would be Tim's sheer amount of power and immunity in the League would be even higher. *everyone* can tell Ra's is fucking Tim, he's not really trying to hide it with the way he looks at Tim and touches him in front of everyone. Tim tries to stay clinical and professional, but you can only look so respected working when Ra's is basically stroking your chest as you work. there are whispers, people keep tellin Ra's not to trust this random son of the Bat, but no one will say it to Tim's face. it'd give Tim more power over Ra's' operation outside of the Bruce search. sure, Tim can't change the nature of the League of Assassins, but he can. tip the scales a bit. pull Ra's back from being lethal in certain situations, convince Ra's not to engage in other places. Tim is careful not to overextend this power so he doesn't lose it, but everyone else sees just how much power Tim has. he even start working on taking people out from under Ra's, when Tim goes nuclear and leaves. like how Tim basically steals Prudence, he steals some other younger Assassins he thinks he can convince to come to his side. because he's with Ra's, he starts to command a level of respect so it's not a difficult thing to do. sure, Tim's just the kid keeping Ra's' bed warm. but also, he's the kid *Ra's* deemed worthy enough to be involved with, so it's a double-edged sword of both disgust and respect held for Tim.

it's so funny to me if Tim starts to catch feelings. Ra's of course has feelings, but Tim has never noticed his feelings for a man before so he's fucking panicking internally. and worse, he's not doing a good job of hiding it. Ra's is perceptive and has centuries of experience on Tim. so he can tell. he sees the look on Tim's face when Ra's does a genuine romantic gesture with no strings attached. and that's when Ra's really leans into it. the sex is one thing, but now it's courting. gifts, pet names, kisses, praise, the whole nine yards. and Tim doesn't outwardly deny any of it because he just... doesn't know what to do with it. he could handle stupidly good sex. but this?? this is new territory. he's constantly reminding himself Ra's isn't a good person. which isn't hard to do but still, Tim's just a little torn internally. also. i think Ra's would at least try to kill Captain Boomerang, if not outright succeed, as a courting present for Tim. and Tim is *horrified*, but then again, in canon, he almost personally killed Boomerang. so maybe. there's something nice about having Boomerang dead, while escaping culpability. Ra's thinks his corruption crusade is working on Tim and is absolutely gloating about it. they even go on a proper date.

but, in the end, Tim still backstab Ra's. i think Ra's would still try to go for control of WI, but would be convinced Tim would be totally okay with it and offers to share control with Tim. that's how Tim betrays him, he's allowed to handle so much of the paperwork, Ra's has no idea until it all goes through that he actually has no control. it's The betrayal. because Tim will always betray his love for what he thinks is the right thing to do. the infamous scene, where Ra's kicks Tim out of a window would go a lot differently. instead of a dramatic fight, it's deeply wounded betrayal. in canon Ra's always knew Tim was never in his pocket, but in this AU, he was naive enough to fall for it. and he's angry. he's angry at Tim, angry at himself. i think he'd straight up try to kidnap Tim. less "kick Tim out a window" and more "intimately hold a knife to Tim's throat" vibes. they part ways, but there's still. something lingering. the bridge isn't fully burned and Ra's is still going to seek out Tim when he needs help, and Tim will seek out Ra's. they'll never trust each other again. but they also can't seem to stop loving each other. Tim hides it from the Batfamily and Ra's never gives Tim that level of control in the League again but. the "i didn't know who else to got to." moments are inevitable and there are whispers in the villain community about how you better be careful around Red Robin because if you're not, you'll piss off the Demon Head. unspoken, deadly protection while still sort of trying to kill each other.

[muthaz-rapapa]

Hirogaru Sky Impressions (4/5)

Keeping this short since I’m still tired from my trip and have stuff to do before going back to work tomorrow.

Thankfully, the past 10 eps only consisted of Majesty’s debut and some (really great) fillers.

Starting with Majesty then. I’m honestly surprised I was correct about them keeping her a toddler despite aging her up when transforming. And as I guessed as much, this means she doesn’t really have a full-fledged character arc of her own.

Not that it’s a bad thing since Ellee-chan still gets a good amount of development cuz she’s a growing child, after all. Which is mainly shown through things like her speech improving significantly each day, learning how to better express herself and her wants. And of course, the heartwarming interactions with her friends who also have their moments in finding the best ways they can to support her (like how Ageha readily believed Ellee-chan who was frustrated when she had trouble transforming into Majesty).

These are all within range of what is expected for a child her age so a whole arc isn’t really needed and therefore, more time and focus can be dedicated to the older Cures, too. So I’m quite pleased with that.

But I also can’t lie that it’s a shame we won’t see what a preteen Ellee-chan is like outside her alter ego.

That and considering her VA is Aoi Koga (of Kaguya-sama fame), we won’t get to hear a further extent of her acting in this role either.

Don’t get me wrong, Aoi Koga absolutely nailed the part of a baby, able to bring out Ellee-chan’s cuteness without making her sound annoying but…the potential is already a loss at this point.

Additionally, for a midseason Cure, Majesty has the least going for her in other departments compared to those before her.

Up till now, they’ve barely scraped at the lore associated with her identity. So when she’s not fighting, she’s limited to being slightly better than the average mascot.

The only attack in her arsenal is simultaneously a group attack so she has to share it with the others. Not to mention half the stock footage doesn’t have her at the center but Sky instead. Despite the attack bearing her name.

With only 8 eps left in the season, it seems the writers brought Majesty out as part of Precure’s yearly formula schedule more than anything. Her purpose is mainly to renew viewers’ excitment in the show (and generate desire to buy the newest toy) since her debut brings a little something new to the table…but she is not allowed to outshine this season’s real star, the lead Cure.

Personally, I think the pros outweigh the cons so it doesn’t bother me too much but it’s also too noticeably flawed and biased for me to really accept it as okay.

Moving on, the fillers.

They were all amazing, definitely better than the previous 10 eps.

Mashiro continuing to pursue the path towards becoming a picture book author and coming to terms with the fact that not everyone will receive her work with good reviews yet still choosing to draw because she’s doing it for herself and those who do enjoy her books was something that resonated with me deeply.

Then more time was devoted to her childhood friendship with Ageha which was super wonderful. We really needed that ep of how they became friends and the writers delivered so excellent job 👍

Ageha finally encountering struggles in her job and learning that it was okay to show sadness in front of her students was something I’ve been waiting a long time to see as well. It was especially good because it corresponded splendidly with the first ep of Otona Precure within the same week (which is also great so far) as the intro of that dealt with Nozomi trying to help her own student.

Portraying adults as realistic adults instead of perfect caricatures who can do anything. Showing hardships by not sweeping them under the rug but acknowleding them with the screentime they deserve so the characters can actually process their own feelings and work out a solution. Displaying a healthy level of idealism, not based on generic platitudes but actual belief. I really appreciate that.

Yoyo cleverly getting Tsubasa a promotion to a sage in Skyland’s royal court was also 10,000 meters of screaming joy for me cuz yea, that boy is way too smart and talented to just settle for flying around. He clearly treasures his homeland and wants to make it a better place for all its inhabitants, including the Dragon Tribe that had been cut off from the rest of the country for decades. He obviously has what it takes to become a diplomat.

He acquired a new dream to devote himself and his skills to and that’s what anyone who’s as wholesome as Tsubasa should get. So it was fulfilling to see that come true for him.

Lastly, Sora. She only had one ep to herself this time but it was a good ep with a good topic (probably one of the best of the Sora eps). Honestly, I think I liked it more because it was only one ep, lol

So yea, with this, I think I’m all set for the rest of the show as far as Tsubasa and Ageha’s arcs are concerned. There will still be more fillers until ep 45 at least, plenty of time to close out the Mashiro and Sora’s as well as the lore surrounding Ellee-chan so it’s just a matter of concluding the story in a satisfying manner.

Other than that, I’m also wondering if we’ll get any super forms for HiroSky since it’s already this late in the season…

…but you never know as it can happen in the finale. Not sure if HiroSky will get its standalone movie in Mar either but if so, we might see something there, too.

Ok, that is all. The season will pass by in a flash so enjoy the rest of HiroSky with a full heart and let’s begin to look forward to next Precure in the new year. Bye for now!

[fala-alfredo-pasta]

Rare pair stuff, if you’re still open that. Got three pairs actually.

Sayaka and Mahiru. (I’m planning to pair them in a fic I’m working on)

Chihiro and Miu. (See above reason)

Kiyotaka and Nagito. (They have a friendly rivalry in the aforementioned fic.)

Idk, would love to see your thoughts on any and all of these pairs.

oh man i went long with these but les go!

Sayaka/Mahiru: Girlboss 4 Girlboss lol. Okay but these two are one of them duos that were just BOUND to meet. A literal popstar is in fact going to have/need a lot of photo shoots and who better to do that than the Ultimate Photographer? And y’know Mahiru would have a lot of enjoyment photographing Sayaka considering how much Sayaka genuinely loves being an idol and how she did it originally to bring a smile to people's faces (the way the idols she watched growing up would make her feel less alone with their smiles). Mahiru enjoys capturing people at their happiest and watching Sayaka on stage, surrounded by her team members (who are more family than anything else), inspiring others like she always dreamed of—well I think the sight would be breathtaking and sweep Mahiru off her feet. But it’s not like everything is rainbows and sunshine with Sayaka—she’s done things she’s not happy about to achieve her dream, but if there’s someone who can be sympathetic towards good intentions through questionable means, Mahiru would be one of them. I mean she was willing to not only forgive her friend for actual murder, but also help cover it up—yeah I think Mahiru is the type to really stick by someone even at their lowest if she knows that they really just wanted the best and didn’t intend for it to go that far. Honestly I think these two would be such a comfort to each other. 

Kiyotaka/Nagito: I’ve actually talked about this combo before! I dubbed them the “Law Abiding Citizens* (exceptions apply)” duo because yeah they both do seem to like upholding the rules! Of course, Nagito is the “exceptions apply”—Komaeda “murder and arson is okay but I draw the line at underage drinking” Nagito. To touch back on what the anon from before mentioned about them: both Nagi and Taka have a very “humbled” view of themselves but for widely different perspectives—Taka values hardwork first and foremost and discredits natural talent, Nagito views natural talent as the best indicator of worth, thus both viewpoints resulting in Nagi and Taka feeling like their respective talents aren't much to talk about for different reasons. Then there’s the pride they both have in Hope’s Peak and wanting to be the very best of an upstanding student for their school. There’s enough common ground for these two to simultaneously agree on one thing and then completely disagree on another within one sentence, which I think makes for some great interactions! A sort of agree to disagree mentality. So I can totally see how a friendly rivalry can spark between these two with Taka potentially trying to prove that hardwork is the best indicator of one’s purpose and Nagito inadvertently pushing his buttons by saying things like “just what you’d expect to hear from the Ultimate Moral Compass! Your talent to come to the defense of even lesser beings is truly inspiring. And to humble yourself to such an extent as belittling your own natural talent to give hope to the less fortunate—while I don’t agree in such a practice—is still quite admirable!” and the cycle continues.

Chihiro/Miu: Another ship I’ve (somewhat) talked about in a previous ask! Oooooo these two would be the nerdiest of nerd power couple. I just love that what would connect these two is a no brainer and everyone can automatically see how they’d wind up interacting (much like Sayaka and Mahiru)—Ultimate Programmer and Ultimate Inventor? OBVIOUSLY they're bound to talk at SOME point how can they not?? They’re talents are so complimentary it would be an absolute mistake not to get them to combine their forces! But with that being said, their personalities are just polar opposites in every way besides their mutual anxiety lol. But maybe it can be that type of relationship where one helps there other in an area they’re lacking in—Miu helps Chihiro become more confident with speaking their mind and Chihiro helps Miu learns how to keep her temperament to an extent (or least when Miu is around Chihiro). I also like to think that Miu—who’s quite comfortable in her skin, would help Chihiro become more comfortable in theirs too. While you’d think Chihiro would be the more positive influence between the two, funnily enough, I honestly think Miu’s influence would do Chihiro a world of great good.

[beneathsilverstars]

Refs for Naiakiir for art fight! Here's her page. I'm SilverSilverStars and she's #913180.

Character info and permissions under the cut!

Naiakiir ∙ Half-elf ∙ Bard ∙ 21 yrs old ∙ 5'2" ∙ She/her ∙ Cis girl ∙ Ace bi

Interests: Music, cats, sweet fruit, nature, helping others, soft colors, ruffles, making friends

Dislikes: Cruelty, selfishness, unclear expectations, pranks, people who aren't team players

Naiakiir is a total sweetheart! She just wants everybody to get along, to the point where she can't see an interpersonal conflict without trying to fix it. The one way to get on her bad side is to mess things up when she's trying to be diplomatic! Other than that, she's forgiving to a fault; she sees the best in everyone, and finds it much more difficult to stand up for herself than to mediate for other people.

She tries her very best to get along with everybody and make friends. She's naturally quite outgoing! Many people find her sweet and easy to talk to, but sometimes she comes off as annoying or try-hard instead. If she notices someone doesn't like her, though, she'll try to adjust her behavior to be less off-putting. The idea of someone not liking her is pretty scary! Her unthreatening friendliness is how she protects herself, after all - though sometimes that need to please gets her in more trouble than it prevents.

Her main instrument is the harp, though she also plays the violin and flute, sings, and dances. Music is the area where she truly excels! She's also fairly coordinated and athletic, as a dancer needs to be, but not exceptionally so outside of that context. In other areas, she tries to work hard when she needs to, but she just doesn't have a head for facts and figures and logic. She follows her feelings!

She loves flowers and kittens and strawberries and all sorts of soft cutesy things. Sometimes it's hard to tell how much of it is because she genuinely adores them, and how much is because she's trying to stick to her sweet and lovable aesthetic, but it's likely some combination of both feeding into each other. At the very least, cats really are her favorite animal!

Naiakiir is my go-to character for a lot of different games and universes, and I first made her up a solid dozen years ago, so she exists in many different forms! Even within the standard AU, I'm constantly changing her exact outfit and designing new iterations. The most important/recognizable parts of her design are the braid and the general color scheme / silhouette of her outfits, so if you've got those, you can totally change up the specifics! I love seeing different artists' takes and AUs.

Permissions:

Feel free to modify or combine outfits or design new outfits entirely. AUs are fine too (e.g. furry version of a human character, modern version of a medieval fantasy character, etc). I love to see other peoples' ideas and takes on my OCs!

Feel free to draw them interacting with different characters. (For Naiakiir, no sexual content, but romantic shipping is okay.)

Maturity filters: Moderate "fake" gore or cartoony blood ok, otherwise no moderate or extreme gore. Body horror ok. Nonsexual nudity ok. No sexual content for Naiakiir. Eyestrain ok. No realistic bugs or vomit, otherwise sensitive content ok.

[lifebyyounews]

May 14, 2024 Ask the Team Q&A

Below the cut you can find all of the questions and answers from the ask the team Q&A:

Q: Will we be able to change the wall height in build mode at the start of early access? A: Yes, you will

Q: For jobs uniform, are the same uniforms applied to everyone or can we set different uniforms per job title? Example a chef having a chef outfit and wait staff having their own black outfits. A: Yes Uniforms can be set for different roles within a job and per title!

Q: Can we have the ability own more than one lot (Primary, Vacation, Business, etc) A: Not at the start of Early Access. We're definitely exploring 'real estate management' part of the game. We recognize builders are a huge part of the life sim community and tying in building to gameplay is a key goal.

Q: I would like to return to past question about attraction as I didn't fully understand it - is there plan for separated sexual and romantic orientation? A: At the start of Early Access, we do seperate gender from body type. We currently do not separate sexual from romantic but this is a good suggestion we will look at during Early Access. Thank you!

Q: What kinds of social events can we expect on the launch of early access? A: Through the in-game mobile phone, you can set up Birthday Parties, Weddings, House Parties, Housewarming, Beach Party, etc. You can also arrange to go on Dates.

Q: adding on to @ Simday1 question. Will LBY support terrain editors like Atlas or Gaia for world making? A: We will be evaluating even more region-editing during Early Access. That decision will be informed by the roll out of region-to-region travel.

Q: I asked this last time, but I thought I'd try asking again. I noticed in a video that lots can overlap to some extent. How far can we push this? Can we make it look like buildings are touching each other? Can we put lots on different Z levels above/below other lots? A: Yes, we have some experiments internally with terrace housing. Much more on this during Early Access.

Q: Would be possible to have different wall thickness in a build mode? I don't know if you considered it or not. I can see it being hard to implement from technical sides of things A: You can add objects or trim to the walls, but the wall thickness is a great suggestion. Pls add that to ⁠requests

Q: Are there plans for a fleshed-out criminal career? A: Potentially. This is under discussion.

Q: Will it be possible to increase multiple skills at once, either through quests or performing activities? A: Yes , you can easily script additional skill gains for any interaction.

Q: With painting/drawing skill do will characters be able to draw and paint images that you put in the game(asking if we are able to add png or jpg images in)? A: At the start of Early Access, you can have a character take a picture (using the in-game phone camera) and then have them paint that picture using an easel and hang that painting on your wall. RE: Ability for you to add png / jpg images - this is likely possible via mods.

Q: Can we change the Delivery Van? I want that retro black van I saw on the car dealership video. A: Currently, no. But that should be an easy thing for us to add to the modding list during Early Access. Good suggestion, thank you!

Q: Can the character we are currently playing, be invited to a wedding by a character we are currently not playing, so that we can attend as a guest? A: Yes! You can even setup a wedding for a story and play each character by right clicking on them any time if you wish. Combine this will entering your own dialog live as you play and you can make an entire unique wedding experience/ story.

Q: In regards to the demographic creator, will it be possible to set a demographic as joinable or not joinable? What I mean is, if you have a demographic of say goths or vampires (or some kind of social group), it would make sense for it to be possible for a character to become part of that demographic through gameplay....on the other hand if the demographic is say a Latino demographic, it wouldn't make sense for characters to be able to join that demographic through gameplay. A: It's not currently possible, though that may be possible through "Traits" which you can set as rewards for quests. This wouldn't change their appearance, but it would be able to add other things like Needs adjustments.

Q: Is the team thinking of adding free placement for tattoos, beauty marks,piercings,etc.? A: You can freely move a tattoo placement within their specific "body region" like torso = all over the torso, arms = all over the arms, beauty marks all over the face.

[radstagriley]

Welcome! A Little Bit About My Fursona's New Home And The Mun Behind The Muse!

Hello everyone! Just want to welcome you to this wonderful place where I hope to have fun exploring, creating, and interacting with you as my fursona; a radstag named Riley. I can't draw but I can write so expect to see Riley in stories, random musings, and the like. I just want to have fun with a fursona I finally feel connected to, and to reconnect with some other furries because this community can be so wonderful! Hell I'd even be up to some RP as Riley if the opportunity presents itself. I really just want to have fun. Given how random people seem to find the idea of a radstag fursona I also thought I'd explain my choice a little.

Why A Radstag? Why of all the things real and fiction have I latched onto this poor creature? Well I have always been fluttering between antlered critters but none of them ever stuck. Also I am a huge fan of horror and cryptids, so finding myself a fursona that is within that wheelhouse is a wonderful bonus! The main reason though is also the simplest, because it resonates with me. I can see myself in this creature.

How can that be? Have I too mutated due to years of exposure to high amounts of radiation? Well, no but as time goes on my health declines and where I live the healthcare system has been under constant attack by bought, corrupt, Conservative governments.

Yes I have had a doctor tell me that it is very evident that my eyes are not currently working but since he can't figure out why perhaps I should go home till things either fix themselves or get worse at which point I come back. I have had breathing issues and doctors tell me that again they can't figure it out so I should go home and only come back if I stop breathing for three or more minutes; and for those in the know not breathing for three minutes is dying.

Tomorrow I go and take some tests to find out what is happening with my hands, why there is so much pain and loss of functionality. The tests tomorrow will determine which of the three most likely scenarios are the cause. So maybe, maybe I will get answers tomorrow. Me being an idiot asked what the treatment plan for each of the three most likely culprits it is and was told “Oh there aren't any treatments really but at least we'll know.”

Starting to see how I can look at this guy and be all “I feel ya buddy.”?

But that's enough of the negative! I've already written out quite a bit about Riley and can't wait to share it with you all soon! Also I have a couple of story ideas I want to work on. Things like clothing choices for Riley have proven interesting even the extra limbs and while I know in theory I could just handwave a solution and pretend the issues don't exist. I like the challenge of trying to solve them in creative yet reasonable ways. Hopefully this can be a place where I can make some new friends, write some entertaining things, and just be happy exploring a fursona I feel so connected with! I also hope you end up enjoying Riley as much as I do.

[sleeplesslark]

May I also send an ask for the character game: Kakashi, 9 and 21. 😊

Of course! You may always send me an ask.

Hehe mr. Kakashi! Good choice

Once again under a cut cuz I'm wordy

9. Could I be roommates with this character?

Personality wise we'd probably be fine but not close. He'd be off doing his thing. I'd do mine. He doesn't seem the sort to approach people or open up to them unless he has to. His approach with team 7 comes to mind.

I could maybe see him pulling small pranks on me depending on how he sees me, I'm very jumpy irl and I feel like that would amuse him. That might be the most of it, though.

There is something that is outside Kakashi that would cause us a few issues. I'm not really a dog person. I've had bad experiences with poorly behaved dogs who were off leashes. I don't hate dogs or anything, but if I don't know the dog or it's jumpy, I get pretty nervous.

This isn't unworkable, but I definitely feel like it would be a short roommate situation with one of us moving.

21: if you're a fic writer and have written for this character, what do you enjoy doing? What do you dislike?

Hmmmm, he's one of the characters where I didn't have as many issues with his voice or thought process. I like being able to tug on his shared history with Kabuto. Both having been in the ANBU and not having had the best time of it. It's something that can draw them together, but also makes them suspicious of each other.

His care for his students is also fun to portray. He cares a lot for his original trio in a bit of an understated way, though it's present in a lot of his interactions with them. He's stern, wants them to succeed, and can be jeering or cruel to make that happen (see his teasing Naruto and Sasuke about not being immediately good at tree climbing, chapter 18. Or his entering them into the chunin exam at all). This is constantly contrasted by all his affectionate little gestures, though. It's fun to try and catch that energy.

Dislikes...I'd say his overall role in the fic can be fun but hard to balance. He does his best by these kids which is great but in canon itself, with Naruto and Sasuke especially, it wasn't enough at a point.

Due, in part, to Kabuto being there this point is coming a lot quicker and it's coming in Sakura too. She's realized she was left out of some important discussions and information and that this is normal, part of the system Kakashi is trying to train her to exist within.

In a way Sasuke leaving in the fic caused everyone problems. Kakashi bringing Kabuto into the team caused a rift as well that's still affecting things in small ways. Kabuto himself telling Sakura and Naruto that mission reports can be fabricated, the village might lie to them, Kakashi has kept things from them.

This balance is fun to strike but can also be pretty hard while keeping everyone in character properly. Especially with Sakura striking out on her own more. She's the responsible member of the team so her acting out more, not keeping to the background when it's dangerous, it poses a different kind of challenge.

Dislike might be too strong a word, but there are definitely moments I'm not sure I'm hitting the marks characterization wise. I haven't had any complaints, so it's probably on me expecting something higher than I can achieve, but balancing Kakashi’s role can cause headaches. He has to be their mentor still, the one everyone can come to when things get bad, but slowly the team just, is moving on before their power levels are really ready for it. We'll see if I can stick the landing.

I hope this covers it. Thank you so much for the ask!

[dalleyan]

Elfwine Chronicles (new LoTR stories, Home, ch 2 posted, 8-5-23)

Esgalmir discovers far more on her trip to Rohan than she ever imagined.  (Family, Drama, Insecurity, Romance, Friendship, Angst, Humor) (2 chapter story)

Chapter 2 

In the aftermath of the wedding, the guests began to trickle out of Edoras, anxious to return to their homes before bad weather was upon them, and life at Meduseld resumed some semblance of normalcy.

As they began to settle in, Theodred recommenced his work interviewing townspeople, which left Esgalmir with more free time on her hands.  After having worked for virtually her entire life, albeit without a choice in doing so, it felt strange to be a lady of leisure now.  With winter drawing near, she could not miss the hustle and bustle of Meduseld, and Theodred had mentioned how it was common in Rohan for all to pitch in to get the work done.

She wrestled with the matter for two days and finally determined to broach the subject with the queen.  After dinner one day, when only she, Lothiriel and Dariel had been in attendance, she lingered when Dariel excused herself.  Before Lothiriel could leave the table, Esgalmir cleared her throat and ventured, “My lady, I wonder if I might have a word with you?”

Lothiriel’s eyes lifted to chastizingly gaze upon the woman next to her, saying gently, “Esgalmir, please, call me Lothiriel.  You need not be so formal unless we are in public.  I already think of you as my daughter.”

Esgalmir swallowed hard, still finding it difficult, even after all this time, to comprehend the love and acceptance she had found among Theodred’s family and friends.  No one she had met here had been anything less than kind to her, far different than the way she had been treated even in her brother’s home.  Taking a steadying breath, she smiled gratefully in response and nodded, “Thank you.  I will try to remember.  It is difficult to become accustomed to such informality.”

The queen reached out and stroked her cheek lovingly.  “Then we will persist until it is second nature to you!  Now, what did you wish to speak with me about?”

“I...I would wish for an occupation.  I want to contribute in some fashion.  I have been used to working all my life and I know that there is much to be done.  Theodred has told me that everyone contributes here, and I would like to do my part.”

Lothiriel eyed her carefully, then said, “You do understand that we do not expect you to earn your keep?”

“Yes.  I know it is not like it was in Gondor.  Please do not think I consider you anything like my brother.  But all of you contribute, and as part of the family, I wish to do so also.”

A smile slid over the queen’s face and she nodded in approval.  “Very well, then I would ask you to observe.”

Esgalmir’s brow knit perplexedly.  “Observe?  How is that helpful, if I may ask?”

“It may not seem so at first, but you have little experience outside of Gondor, and I am certain you have already seen how different Rohan is.  I want you to spend time carefully observing the fabric of Rohan’s society.  Come to understand how the people interact – the various classes between each other and between themselves, families, men and women, lords and servants.  All of it.  Come to understand the hierarchy of servants within the royal household, and what we as royals are allowed to do and not do within that structure.  It is a bit more complicated than it might first appear, though certainly far simpler than the complex drama of Gondor, I assure you!  Then once you have a better understanding of it, you will better know how you might be able to contribute to it, and what your talents and skills can offer.  We have bakers and seamstresses, but still our abilities in cooking and sewing can be useful.  And there are other things as well.  Watch and learn, and then we will find you occupations to fill your time.”

Esgalmir nodded slowly, considering all this.  She had not thought it such a complicated request, but now she could see that perhaps there was a great deal more involved than she had taken into account.

continue reading on AO3:

               (https://archiveofourown.org/works/49066210/chapters/123976852)

[happysmilebtr]

(1/2) hi anna! just wanted to drop by and (sort of) introduce myself - i'm your caratblr gift exchange person! i hope you're doing well and that you've had a good weekend so far. :) to get some ideas on my end, i wanted to ask you about a few things: when it comes to "vibes," are you interested in something more "visual" (think: photoshoots, mvs, stages) or would you prefer a focus on some of the friendships you listed, like member dynamics? (!! one more question incoming!!)

(2/2) my other question, which might be kind of broad; what do you like about the members you listed as biases? what draws you to scoups, mingyu, seungkwan, and jun (visually, personality-wise, etc) and the same question for the relationship dynamics: what do you like about mingyu & seungkwan's friendship, or hoshi & woozi's, or the group's? sorry if it sounds like i want you to write an essay - i'm just really curious and would love to hear what makes them special to you. :')

Hi, hi my secret carat bean!! Sorry for the lateness of this ask, I just got home from work!

Such a very curious one you are fnsjdjs but vibes can mean really anything! It could be the simple mv aesthetics or from photoshoots or whatever you wanna come up with! I love seeing peoples perspective on stuff like this ya know? As for what draws to me to each member welpPPp

-scoups because I just adore how one minute he can be just pouty over the fact someone used his full name before then you see him body throwing some of the members and going "yepp i felt that" lmao. Jokes aside. Cheol is really just a lovely soul! I love his lil giggles or his smile. The way he dotes and truly cares of his members despite it all. He truly made sure the members were taken care well, that they weren't screwed over from pledis (he went to meetings ALWAYS. Idk if he still does that though) and despite he is the youngest of his family and we do see that "maknae" side as he interacts with the members, he is a wonderful leader and makes sure each member is heard. Like he takes the back seat in interviews and just eyes the group before popping up and sometimes letting the more quiet members speak. He's a noob as well but he's cute

-seungkwan oh my lordy that is my signature crossiant boy. That is my emotional support boy if I need a pick me up. He was a creeper bias as I dub them. Ones that you DO NOT expect to become a bias but suddenly do lmao. I was of course aware of him but next thing I knew, he popped up as a bias out of the blue and it was nice getting to know him more. Knowing how much he values and loves his sisters and mom. How he went to producers for variety shows to ask them to invite svt (which worked out bc homeboy is friends with everyone in the industry lmao). How yes he is the super funny memeber but he is more than just that. An artist that wants to improve his craft, we won't talk about his vocal talents because I can be here all day.

-mingyu is the classic member that im like "yeah maybe I can be delulu for a bit xD" he is legit a person I feel like I would enjoy being friends with if I ever met him. Very much can see him bugging me and making fun of my shrot height but tis fine. That means he could be my irl stepping stool so I can reach high places haha. He is attractive sure but the fact he has more left feet than my clumsy butt does is hilarious to me. Outside of that, while he isn't the strongest say rapper within svt I like his lyrics like in game boi he ain't a video game player but the lyrics sound so natural it doesn't make you question it if you are someone who plays video games. I love his personality as well like how can you not fall for this giant 6 foot tall doggo boy fjsjdj.

-jun is a recent addition and idk why but here he is. I wanna keep him in my pocket at all times (despite him being like close in height with mingyu) like I think we all need a personal mini jun to keep our life happy ya know? From his chaotic wild self with his hot dog machine or his big brain 1 + 1 moments to his beautiful song writing lyrics or watching him dance. He isn't the smoothest dancer per se but he is hypnotizing for a reason (limbo is a perfect song for this or watch a wave performance!)

And as for those dynamics. Mingyu x seungkwan just make me laugh so much idk why, it reminds me of a friendship I have with my guy friend at times and it feels familiar. Its always fun to see seungkwan about to throw a shoe at hoshi and mingyu is there to hold him back while woozi and hoshi are wholesome. Sure, woozi may LOOK annoyed and done with him (see his anti tiger agenda or him being ??? At the studio one time when hoshi asked to make him a song beat and help with autotune) but he happily still does it. He will.mumble and complain but he will still do it. He loves all of his members (circles anyone?) That is a fact but him and hoshi have this kind of bond that is akin to friendship that has lasted for 50 years at least to me

I hope that answered your questions ^_^

[wannabemurdock]

for filthy friday:

i dead ass want nothing more than for fred weasley to fuck me in the shower of the boys locker room, wanting no more than to stuff me with his children, his hand over my mouth to keep me from screaming while i teasingly clench my walls around his cock, only making him thrust harder and harder into me until i nearly combust.

So full of me, Fred Weasley

masterlist

Pairing: Fred Weasley x fem!reader

Summary: Steamy locker room sex with Fred

Word count: 621

Contains: smut. unprotected sex.

Notes: idk how I’m writing so many blurbs for filthy friday. Who am I??

Minors do not interact

Requests are closed

not my gif

Another match won by Gryffindor. What did you expect with Fred on the team? No bias there at all. Excited to see him and congratulate him, you make your way down to the changing rooms. Watching as each member of the team leaves, one after the other, you wait patiently for Fred.

“What’s taking so long? Everyone’s already gone?” You make your way into the changing rooms. Looking for Fred, you find him in the shower, standing under the running hot water, hand moving slowly along the length of his cock. He was a picture to behold. Water running down his abs as steam swirls around him. Head thrown back, mouth open like one long, silent moan.

Fuck.

Before you know it, your shirts over your head and you’re pulling your jeans off at a rapid speed. Underwear and bra thrown on your growing pile of clothes. Kicking off your shoes and socks, you finally step into the shower. Running your hands down his soaked abs, his eyes shoot open. His hand falls away leaving his cock standing proud, tip red and weeping. Begging for release.

“B-babe, I need you.” His words shaky and breathing uneven.

“You seemed to have been doing pretty well without me.” You trace the thick vein on the underside of his cock with the tip of your finger.

“Fuck, please.” You could never say no when he sounds so desperate. Wrapping your hand around his cock you begin to slow jerk him off, you look up at him through your lashes.

“You wanna fuck me? I need you to fill me up, Freddie.” Your words flip a switch within him. You blink and suddenly you're in Fred’s arms, legs wrapped around his waist, back against the wall of shower. It’s a kiss filled with a clashing of teeth and tongues. So primal and desperate. You reach your hand between you two to line him up with your entrance before sinking down slowly. Your eyes roll back in your head as he fills you up. Your hands grip his shoulders trying to give yourself some sense of stability.

“Freddie. Fuck. I need you to move.” The desperation in your voice is motivation enough, how pretty you look on his cock is just a bonus. Pinning you to the wall, he starts to fuck you slowly. The delicious dragging of his cock sends your mind hazy. His lips trail down to your neck, sucking and biting. Leaving marks that will only drive him wild later.

“Fuck you feel so good, babe, So perfect, just for me. I wanna fill you up. Fuck you full of my cum, yeah?” His words make you dizzy, the knot in your belly tightening. His hips speed up, each thrust feeling like it’s somehow deeper than the last. He feels your walls start to flutter around him. Pulling back to look in your eyes.

“You gonna come? Come for me. Come on my cock and i’ll fill you so fucking good, babe.” One of his hands move to your clit, drawing tight circles, pushing you over the edge. Your eyes shut as you throw your head onto Fred’s shoulder, your thighs tighten around his waist as the waves of your euphoria was over you. Your loud moan barely muffled pushes Fred over the edge. He fills you with hot, white ropes of his cum, thrusting through his high. Pulling out of you, he places you back on the ground with shaking legs before dropping to his knees and lifting your legs on his shoulder. He watches as his come starts to spill out of you before pushing it back in with his fingers.

“God, babe, you're just so full of me, aren't you?”

[badboyjuyeon]

mind reader

Pairing: Chanhee x Reader

Genre: Fluff

Word Count: 2.1k

Summary: “One day in class you decide to scream something in your head to catch mind readers. As you do you see your crush flinch.” 

prompt credits to writing.prompt.s

Eyes glued to the clock, you counted down the seconds before class would start. 

It’s not that you particularly enjoyed English or any of the books you were discussing. Your teacher constantly droned on and on and, with practice, you had finally mastered the art of tuning his voice out. 

So it wasn’t exactly the class that you looked forward to, but a special person within that class.

And that person was Choi Chanhee, who had just entered with his bag slung lazily across his shoulder. Though his hair was ruffled and he was sweaty from gym class, he still looked as radiant as ever. He flashed his signature smile, the one that melted your heart, and waved at Changmin who had saved a seat for him.

Pretty people “herd” together, so it’s not a surprise that he often hung out with Younghoon, Sunwoo, and Changmin, the other popular boys that stole the hearts of every person in the school, including yours. You accepted that this crush would not go far because of his popularity, and you were perfectly content with just enjoying his presence. 

Before seeing him fifth-period four days of the week, you had only ever seen him in the hallways. You never had any real reason to talk to him, and given the chance, you’re not sure you would even try to hold a conversation with him. You know you would just become a stuttering mess and embarrass yourself. So instead of making any real efforts to do something about your crush, you just made sure to come to class a few minutes early so you could secure the seat that gave you the best view of him. 

Your English class was currently doing student-led discussions and your teacher claimed arranging the seats in a circle would help the students interact more with each other. You hated student discussions but had no complaints sitting in a circle, as it allowed you the perfect excuse to steal glances at Chanhee from any angle. 

Currently seated within the circle that seemed more like an oval, all of the students tried their hardest not to unintentionally make eye contact with the person sitting across from them. Your teacher introduced the topic the class would be discussing and you doodled at the corner of your page, letting your hand move on its own accord. Your doodles often reflected whatever you were thinking of, so your page was filled with drawings of the pink-haired boy you were currently infatuated with. 

The person sitting next to you spoke up, reminding you that you were still in class and needed to contribute to the discussion. 

You spoke once to satisfy the participation requirements and tried to ignore the feeling of everyone’s eyes on you. That feeling was 10 times worse knowing that Chanhee was one of the people that was looking straight at you. You avoided looking in his direction, knowing that you would completely freeze up at the mere thought of him. His eyes were finally off of you when you finished speaking, but that didn’t stop your heart from racing. It would take another five minutes before your heart would return to its normal pace. 

Having participated, you were now free to be alone with your thoughts. 

Running out of creativity to doodle, you decided that you would play a game with yourself to pass the time. This game never failed to amuse you during all of the boring classes you’ve taken. You scanned the room to see what some of your peers were doing. Younghoon was currently speaking, Chanhee was dozing off into space, the girl from your biology class was very clearly trying to flirt with Sunwoo, who was ignoring her. 

You decided that Sunwoo would be the first person you tested. This game consisted of you trying to find out if anyone in the room could read your mind. 

Sunwoo if you can hear me, write down something in your notebook. 

You took notice of Sunwoo’s immediate actions, which would prove if he could listen to your thoughts. 

He picked up his pen. 

Your eyes widened as you waited to see what he would do next. 

He started fiddling with the pen mid-air, and it never ended up touching the paper. 

Sunwoo was not in fact a mind reader. You moved on to your next test subject. 

You shifted your undivided attention towards Younghoon, who had just finished speaking. He was staring at his notebook, the corner of the page curling underneath his fingers. 

If you can hear my thoughts, look at me within the next three seconds. 

You counted down and waited to see if he would prove himself to be a mind reader. Younghoon raised his head and his eyes scanned the circle. 

You sat up in your chair as you waited to see if he had heard you. 

Unfortunately, his eyes did not land on you as he chose to focus on the classmate that was currently speaking.

You slumped back down into your chair. This game was not as fun as it used to be. Either no one was a mind reader or they were too good at pretending not to hear you. 

I KNOW YOU CAN HEAR ME AND I’LL CATCH YOU. 

You screamed in your thoughts, looking around to see if anyone noticed. 

Chanhee, who was still staring into space, suddenly flinched. 

What the f-

And then Chanhee’s eyes met yours. 

You immediately shifted your gaze to focus on the notebook on your lap. He never looked at you if you weren’t speaking, the timing was all too suspicious. You made sure not to look up from your notebook for the rest of class or think about him, just in case.  

After the teacher dismissed the class, you hurriedly packed up your belongings and rushed out of class. But your shoelaces did not cooperate, and you knelt down to tie them. You heard a soft voice call your name from behind you. A voice that you knew all too well. 

Why was Chanhee trying to talk to you, today of all days? 

There was only one answer. Chanhee was actually a mind reader and he knew about your crush. He was coming to confront you. You quickly shoved your shoelaces in your shoe and ran out the school building, not looking back. 

Chanhee watched as you dashed out the school doors, the notebook that had fallen out of your backpack in his hands. He was sure he called your name loud enough but he reasoned that you probably hadn’t heard him with how hectic the hallway was. He placed your notebook in his locker and reminded himself to give it to you before the next class. 

You slammed your locker shut, startling the student next to you. You lost your notebook for English class that you’ve reused since freshman year. Sighing, you headed into English class with a substitute notebook and the motive to pay attention, since you didn’t have any of your notes. You searched for the one person that could instantly lift your spirits. 

“Chanhee?” Your teacher called out during attendance, waiting for his response. 

You quickly glanced around the room to see where Chanhee was seated, but to your dismay, he was nowhere to be found. 

On the bright side, you could think about Chanhee all you wanted without worrying about whether he could hear your thoughts. You breathed a sigh of relief and leaned back in your chair. 

“Present.” 

Hearing the familiar voice, you looked up to see Chanhee standing in the doorway, out of breath, as he rushed towards his seat. You dared not to make eye contact with him again.

You wondered why he stopped to call your name after the last time you had class. There was a chance that he wasn’t actually calling your name and that you might have just imagined it. 

But you were quick to dismiss the theory that it was all in your imagination when Chanhee called out to you again after class. The hallway was rather empty and you couldn’t use the chaos as an excuse to avoid him. You nervously turned around to face him. This was technically the first time you spoke to him. 

“Hi, (y,n) right? Is this your notebook?” He held out a notebook that looked a little too similar to your missing English notebook. “I think you dropped it after class yesterday.” 

You took the notebook from him and sure enough, it was yours. Finding your lost notebook should have filled you with satisfaction, but that was the last thing you were feeling. The doodles of him scattered throughout the pages flashed in your mind. You immediately snapped the notebook shut. 

“Thank you so much.” You managed to say, hoping that he hadn’t flipped through the notebook. 

He gave you a small smile, unaware of your internal panic. “No problem.” 

Not knowing whether to continue the conversation or not, you also smiled, before turning to walk away. 

“Oh, and by the way, I know what you’re thinking...” 

What- there’s no way. How would he know what I was thinking? Oh my god. Is he an actual mind re-

You stopped in your tracks, grateful that you were turned around so he couldn’t see the sheer look of horror on your face. 

You faced him and prepared yourself for what he would say next. 

“...You’re probably wondering how I knew it was your notebook.” He looked down at your notebook, which you held protectively against your chest. 

Not expecting the words that came out of his mouth, you giggled. The question hadn’t actually crossed your mind, so it was good to know that he was NOT an actual mind reader. Your name was not on the cover, so it was a valid question to wonder. 

“I wasn’t wondering but, now that you mention it, how did you know?“

“I recognized your art style from the doodles on the cover. You’re really talented.” He continued to speak comfortably as if you had known each other for years. Your art teacher often hung up your drawings in the art classroom for everyone to see, but you were surprised that he had recognized your art style. 

“Thanks, that means a lot to me.” You finally found the courage to hold eye contact with him. You were confused as to why he kept continuing this conversation when it could have ended much earlier with little-to-no words involved. 

The corner of his lips lifted into a smirk and a mischievous spark glinted in his eyes. He cleared his throat, “I like my eggs scrambled in the morning...if you were still wondering.” 

Eggs scrambled in the morning?

Your eyebrows knitted together in confusion as you tried to remember why that expression sounded so familiar. Or why he claimed you would be wondering that. 

Chanhee bit back a smile, as he saw your expression change from confused to panicked in a matter of seconds. Your cheeks turned as pink as his hair. 

You were just joking when you claimed that Chanhee was a mind reader, but now you were starting to think that it wasn’t a joke anymore. How do you like your eggs in the morning? That sounds exactly like something you would think.

 “What...how did you...“ You struggled to form a coherent sentence. 

Instead of answering, he just shrugged and backed away, before heading to his next class. He left you standing in the middle of the hallway unsure of what to believe.  

Remembering the notebook that was still pressed against your chest, suddenly it clicked. He had seen the last page of your notebook. 

The last page was where you wrote absolute nonsense to relieve your boredom during class. You used to write notes back and forth with your best friend back in freshman year. She would talk about her crush on Changmin and you would talk about yours on Chanhee. 

That means he read all about your crush on him. Of all the ways you imagined him finding out, this was the last and most embarrassing way ever. There was no way to save yourself in this situation. 

chanhee is so gorgeous

changmin is SO FINE 

i wonder how chanhee likes his eggs in the morning 

i want changmin’s number so bad

You cursed your younger, boy-obsessed self for setting you up like this. You groaned, any chance you had with Chanhee was officially out the window. 

Rereading the page, you noticed that there was a new addition to your conversation with your friend. The unfamiliar handwriting did not match yours or your best friend’s, and the ink seemed to be fresh. 

idk about changmin’s but i can give you mine: XXX-XXX-XXXX

p.s. i want you to draw me like one of your french girls

[djarrex]

Pretty please can we have something where Echo and TBB find out Rex and reader are expecting? Bonus points for Omega's reaction cause I wonder sometimes whether she knows much about the natural way babies are made? I figure she wouldn't have need of that information in the Kaminoans' eyes.

I wanna preface this by expressing the joy I feel and the appreciation I have when you guys come into my inbox asking or wanting to talk about Post-Order 66 Rex and fam. I love it SO MUCH you have no idea :’)

So, if you remember, Hunter was briefly in Insatiable and has a couple lines of dialogue - he even congratulates them on the pregnancy and wishes them well in case he doesn’t see them soon - which is shown during Rex + reader + Hunter’s short interaction. The squad is told the happy news before the events of that particular installment, and I’m thinking that it happens when Rex contacts them to ask if they would be able meet him on [planet] for a little help with [mission].

Find the rest of the series and related works in the Post-Order 66 Rex ML

Let’s go back in time when Rex makes contact with TBB, which preludes the events of Insatiable: (pregnant!reader, TBB + Omega finds out, about 1.6k words)

<<<>>>

"We’re being hailed.” 

All members on board the Marauder drop what they’re doing and turn their attention to Echo, who had just called out and is signaling for everyone to congregate in the cockpit. Hunter sheathes the knife he’d been twirling in his fingers and nods before stepping towards the rear of the ship and calling for Omega, while Wrecker sets down Gonky and waves her over. Tech and Echo are already sat in the cockpit, getting the signal steady for the incoming transmission to come through.

"What is it?" Omega jumps down from the gunner's nest - now her room thanks to Wrecker's kind heart and creativity - and joins her brothers in the cockpit. The pilot seats are swiveled around and facing the small space in the center of all of them - the bust of a familiar captain popping into view. "Oh, it's Rex! Hi Rex!" She waves at his translucent blue form with a giddy smile plastered on her face. “Where is-”

"Hello Omega," you chime in with a smile as your head pops into the perimeter of the holo. Her sweet face lights up even more, and her eyes move back and forth between you both, unsure of whom to focus on. From the room you’re still staying at in a high-rise located in Yerbana City, the two of you exchange quick greetings with the five who are currently traveling through hyperspace.

“What’s goin’ on, Rex?” The gentle giant asks with a grin and hands placed on his hips. The captain straightens his stance and crosses his armored arms across his chest plate, and instead of directing his impending response to Wrecker, Rex’s attention turns to Hunter, who’s leaned against the frame at the threshold of the cockpit. A moment passes as the two share a nonverbal understanding before Rex opens his mouth - the focusing pairs of eyes on one another.

“I wanted to see if your squad would be available to help me out.” You quietly observe each individual who are all appearing on your end as full-body projections, landing on Omega to where she’s sitting on top of their Gonk droid - her hands folded neatly in her lap, legs swinging.

“Name it.” Echo is quick to respond with a affirmative nod as he meets the eyes of each member - cutting off Hunter before the sergeant can get a word in. Rex’s oldest friend found himself caught at the receiving end of a very slight glare coming from directly across from him, and begins to backtrack. “I-”

“What is it, Captain?” Hunter interjects.

You sort of tune out the rest, having already been given the spiel by Rex long before you’d suggested for him to contact Hunter for some much-needed assistance. It’s a simple mission: scouting out an abandoned base in hopes to obtain supposedly valuable information from the obsolete Republic database and perhaps to also restock on munitions if there’s anything left there. Normally this would be something Rex could manage on his own, though his thoughts have been a little busy since the start of your extended stay in Yerbana. The two of you ended up taking a little much-needed ‘vacation’ in the repopulating capitol city after receiving the incredible news, and you’re just now getting back into the swing of things. Well, for the most part. Rex doesn’t quite trust his focus as of late with far too many other important things swarming around in his mind, and is worried that he'd make a mistake doing the mission solo, no matter how simple the objective appears to be.

Hunter accepts without resistance, and confirms that they'll meet the two of you just outside the abandoned base immediately after they’ve finished their current objective for Cid, which will probably be in another eighteen hours or so. Rex transmits the coordinates, and it falls silent; the awkward clearing of the throat coming from Rex crackles through the air on their end.

“Somethin’ else, Rex?”

“Actually, yeah. We have some news.” Rex grins and rubs at his nape, and you can't help but to smile wide at him from your position at his side. The squad members all share a glance - a mixture of raised, inquisitive brows and narrowed, concerned eyes. Hunter steps closer to the projection, caution engrained within the features of his half-inked face as he crosses his arms.

“Tell them, love,” your sweet voice of reassurance crackles with the brief wavering signal - your hand laying to rest on his pauldron. Rex chuckles down at his feet and grabs your hand to bring it up to his chest, squeezing gently as he begins to acknowledge the others.

“Everything okay, you two?”

“Based on their lifted expressions and display of affection towards one another, it appears that this ‘news’ is of a positive, exuberant nature.”

You can’t help but laugh at Tech being Tech, which results in mixed reactions at the other end of the call. Rex inhales deep - the air quietly seeping through his nostrils on the exhale. “We’re, uh- we’re gonna have a baby.” His lit up eyes drop to his boots and he’s smirking at his feet as soon as the words leave his lips. You watch as the multiple pair of eyes widen with smiles creeping their way onto each member of the squad’s faces, but the first person to audibly respond is Tech - his focus not lifting from the device held in his hands.

“Are you certain?” All heads snap in Tech’s direction to where he’s leaned forward in the pilot’s seat, elbows resting on his thighs, continuing to tap away at the datapad. Smacking his bother’s knee, Echo squints at Tech and shakes his head.

“Yes, Tech,” you giggle as your hand releases from Rex’s and moves to rest against the beginnings of your baby bump, though you’re unsure if they are able to see either one of you from the chest down. “The bun has been confirmed as baking in the oven. We risked a brief visit to the local med center here, so, we’re certain.”

“Well then.” Tech’s brows lift above the rim of his goggles as he readjusts the spectacles with a finger pushing between them. “Felicitations to you both. That is quite extraordinary news. It seems that I was correct in-”

“That’s so wonderful!” Omega exclaims with the largest grin - hopping off the GNK and clapping her hands excitedly as she approaches you. “When are you getting the baby? Are we going to see the baby when we meet them at the rendezvous, Hunter?”

“Of course you're going to see the baby, Omega,” you answer softly for Hunter, giving him a quick smile and nod, saving him from having to explain. “It won’t be for quite a few months, though. Not until after the baby is born.” Omega’s brows pinch together in confusion, and you cautiously elaborate, unsure of what she already knows as far as what the natural-born process entails. “The baby has to grow inside of me first, and that takes a little while.”

"Inside of you?" Her curiosity is absolutely adorable. She turns to her brothers - soft eyes flickering to each one of them.

"You see, Omega, when-"

"Uh, Tech?" Rex clears his throat, and the intelligent trooper is quick to get the hint - closing his mouth and resuming to silently tap at the datapad. Echo is next to chime in, and he’s smiling like a fool, eyes wide.

“You’re gonna be a dad, eh? Wow... that’s- that’s just incredible, brother.”

“I’m gonna be an uncle!” Wrecker very loudly exclaims, and Omega and you share giggles at his enthusiasm.

“Technically, Wrecker, we are all going to be ‘uncles’ since Rex is our brother, genetically speaking. Therefore, any offspring he may produce would be considered as our nieces and nephews. That is how the nat-borns conduct their family trees.” Tech punctuates his statement with a sure nod - speaking with his finger raised in the air so as to draw attention to his point.

You’re so lost in the way Rex’s eyes continue to positively sparkle with pride and adoration as his brothers and Omega shower the two of you with congratulatory praises that you’re forgetting to respond to all of them.

“We appreciate it, everyone,” you say with an ear-to-ear grin - beaming at Rex. 

“We’ll see you all soon,” Rex concludes, “Stay safe out there.” 

The holo vanishes as the transmission disconnects, leaving the squad on board the Marauder to go over some more details of their next objective as well as to process the news.

“So...” Wrecker turns around and leads Gonky back to where he was benching the power droid before the call. “What do ya think Rex is gonna do?”

Hunter raises the brow bordered with dark ink. “What do you mean?”

“Are they going to keep this up, now that they’re going to have a kid? You know, the missions and stuff?”

“We have Omega,” Tech inputs matter-of-factly as he prepares the ship for exit from hyperspace. “And we are managing just fine, barring our dwindling ration supply.” Omega smiles sheepishly, but nods with confidence.

“Rex is a good man.” Echo swivels his seat around and sits up straight, meeting the four pair of eyes now gazing back at him. “Always tried to do what was best for his men, his brothers, and still does, even if it's beyond his control or out of his hands. Now that Rex is... free,” Echo puts the most stress into that word as it’s spoken - glancing down at his feet and chewing the inside of his cheek before continuing, “He’s in control of his life, and is able to choose his own path. And that path will lead to what’s best for his family.”

<<<>>> 

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[sunshineandaisies]

Dirty Paws & Wet Kisses

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Reader (Modern AU)

Words: ~3.7k

Warnings: language, floofs and fluff

Note: if you ever read anything written by me that includes dogs, their names will always be kinda extra or related to historical figures (i.e. my dog is actually named Theodore Roosevelt) and I will try my best to make their names increasingly extra with every fic that involves dogs

You’d argue that your four year old sheperd mix was the most well behaved dog in all of New York until your dying breath.

Most days.

During your weekly trips to the park on Sunday afternoons, she would sit at your feet, lounging in the sun as she watched joggers go by and playfully saying hello to anyone - be they human or dog - that stopped by to pet the pretty pup while you read whatever book you’d picked up from the bookstore earlier that week.

Sure, there were a few times that she would whine and stare down any squirrel that strayed too close to her, but she never left your side.

Maybe that’s why you had grown so complacent, why you’d stopped looping her leash around the bench to secure her to your side and simply kept the leash within your reach beside you on the seat of the bench.

And it was because of that complacency that you were sprinting across the park, chasing your naughty dog and drawing judgemental stares from other park-goers.

“Hazel!” you called after her. “Hazel, I swear to god I’m taking all your toys away when we get home!” Right after you took a nice long bath to soothe your aching muscles. When was the last time you’d run this much?

You lost sight of her when she disappeared around a hedge, and the internal panic that set in was almost worse than the time that you accidentally emailed your creative writing professor the Harry Potter fanfiction you’d written instead of your final paper. (You still got an A on the assignment, but that’s besides the point).

You see her as soon as you round the corner, happily licking at a stranger’s face as she sat between his legs, and-

Holy shit, your dog led you to the most attractive man you’ve ever seen.

The stranger took note of you before you had a chance to say anything, and he raised his brow at you while angling his face away from Hazel’s kisses. “Does this belong to you?” he asked, pinching the tags on Hazel’s collar between his thumb and two fingers. “Hazelnut Mocha.” He snorted. “Is that your dog’s name or your Starbucks order?”

You weren’t sure if it was the amused smile that curled his lips or the quirk of his brow, but his teasing made you feel personally attacked. You crossed your arms across your chest. “Maybe it’s both.”

He shrugged, scratching the spot behind Hazel’s ear. “I suppose that’s one way to never forget your dog’s name or your coffee order.”

You hummed noncommittally before approaching and tugging Hazel away from the handsome stranger. It took considerably more effort than you had thought it would. “I’m really sorry about her,” you apologized. “She’s never like this. I don’t really know what happened.”

He brushed your apology off with a smile. “Don’t worry about it. If a cute girl wants to give me kisses, I certainly won’t complain.” He winked at you, and you wanted to just melt on the spot.

“Well, uh, I should, um-” You cleared your throat, stepping away and dragging a disappointed Hazel along with you. “Again, I’m really sorry. Even if you didn’t mind.”

You turned and hurried away before his smile made your mind any more frazzled.

Two weeks passed before you decided to show your face at the park again, and this time, you were sure to secure Hazel’s leash to your bench, ensuring that there would be no chases across the park and embarrassing encounters with handsome strangers.

The pup resigned herself to her fate and laid at your feet in the grass, her tongue lolling out of her mouth and her golden eyes shining in the sunlight. She greeted the other dogs that passed, and you thought nothing of it until you heard someone call her name.

Well, shit. You knew that voice. That voice had haunted your dreams for three nights straight after the incident two weeks ago.

“How have you been, pretty girl?” he asked, and you hesitantly lifted your gaze from your book to see him knelt in front of you, patting Hazel’s head as she yipped happily and dragged her tongue over his face in sloppy kisses.

Despite your proclivity to stare at handsome men that showered your dog with attention, your eyes were dragged away from the pair when a wet nose nudged your leg. “Well hello there,” you greeted the brown and white dog that sought your attention. You quickly marked your page and returned your book to your bag before petting your newest furry companion. “What’s your name, handsome?”

“Bucky,” the stranger answered.

You glanced up at him briefly before turning your attention back to the brown and white dog. “Aren’t you a handsome boy, Bucky. Yes, you’re so handsome,” you cooed. The stranger chuckled, and you glanced up expecting to see Hazel mauling him with more sloppy kisses, but instead, he was staring at you, amusement dancing in his blue eyes. “What?”

“I’m Bucky,” he clarified before nodding towards the dog. “That’s Dodger.”

“And you just assumed that I was talking about you when I called him handsome?”

And in complete contrast to how he had acted in your previous interaction, he actually looked embarrassed, nervously scratching the back of his neck while fending off even more kisses from Hazel. “I seem like a complete asshole, don’t I?” he asked sheepishly.

You laughed. “Well, I mean… Don’t let this go to your head or anything, but I suppose you are kind of handsome, too. You know, in a handsome stranger kind of way.” You felt your cheeks flood with warmth, and you averted your gaze, hoping he didn’t see just how flustered you were after your admission. You tried to breeze past it altogether by giving all of your attention to Dodger once again, petting him and praising him for being such a sweet boy.

After a moment of you and Bucky speaking only to each other’s dogs, you cleared your throat and commented, “I didn’t realize you had a dog. Was he at the park with you the day that Hazel practically assaulted you?”

“He’s not my dog.”

You blinked. “Oh. Is he your girlfriend’s dog?”

And just like that, all hints of embarrassment disappeared from his face. He quirked a brow and smirked at you. “My girlfriend?”

“Or boyfriend,” you added hastily.

He snorted and shook his head. “It depends on who you ask.”

You cocked your head to the side, and the action conjured up an image of Hazel doing the same whenever you would try to hold an actual conversation with her. “Uh, what?”

His gaze flitted to the ground as he smiled an amused little smile that had you biting your lip and shamelessly staring at the man. “It’s a bit of a joke among my friends,” he began. “Dodger is my buddy Steve’s dog. Some of our friends like to make it seem like we’re dating, but we definitely aren’t. We just know each other way too well.” His smile widened when he looked back up at you. “So to answer the question that you indirectly asked-”

You furrowed your brows in confusion. “What?”

“-I’m single, sweetheart.”

You gaped at him, trying to form an appropriate response. This man was frustrating - frustratingly handsome, frustratingly smug, frustratingly able to read you like a goddamn open book. How dare he correctly assume you were trying to figure out if he was single or not?

The sound of a phone ringing interrupted your thought process, and Bucky gave you an apologetic look after glancing down at his phone. “I gotta take this,” he told you. You heard him greet the other person on the other end of the call before calling for Dodger. As he turned to go, he paused for a moment, pressed the phone against the front of his shirt to muffle the receiver, and called over his shoulder. “See you around, Hazel and Hazel’s mom.”

Right. You never gave him your name.

You were cursing yourself for nearly a month for not getting his phone number before he disappeared, and you’d be lying if you didn’t admit that you had a smidge of hope that you’d run into him at the park again... But alas, no luck.

You were starting to think that you’d never see your handsome park stranger - although, he wasn’t really a stranger anymore, was he? - but exactly 37 days after your last encounter with Bucky (aka handsome park stranger), Hazel brought you back together in the most heart attack inducing way she could manage.

You’d been sitting on the patio of your favorite little cafe, catching up with Carol and Val over coffee and fluffy pastries, and Hazel had been behaving herself aside from the occasionally whining and begging when any of you would touch your food.

She was behaving until she wasn’t.

You still don’t really know what set her off, but one moment she was sitting prettily and staring up at you with her golden eyes and the next she was breaking free from her leash and sprinting down the street and out of your sight.

You posted on social media asking everyone to be on the lookout for your Hazel and called your friends to help you search for her. You spent hours walking up and down the city streets and through the park that you frequented with Hazel. You called all of the shelters and animal control to see if anyone had brought Hazel to them instead of calling you. You talked to anyone and everyone that you passed on the street, asking if they’d seen your girl.

You tried so much to get your girl back, but nothing panned out.

You were in tears and your feet were sore from walking all over the goddamn city by the time you and the others returned to your apartment, resigned to wait for someone to contact you. Just as you were about to say goodnight to everyone and turn in for the night (read: cry yourself to sleep), your phone rang, and an unfamiliar number flashed across the screen. You shushed your friends and answered the phone.

Please be someone who found Hazel. Please be someone who found Hazel. Please be someone who found Hazel.

“Hey, sweetheart.” Your heart leapt into your throat at the sound of his voice, and for a moment you forgot that you had just been on the verge of a panic attack. “Take a deep breath for me, okay. I can practically feel you panicking through the phone. I have Hazel. She’s okay.”

“Thank you,” you breathed, nodding at your friends in response to their questioning looks. “Thank you so much, Bucky. Is she okay? Where did you find her? Should I meet you somewhere?”

He chuckled. “She’s fine. A little dirty, but she’s fine. As for where I found here...Well, I think your dog has a little crush on me, sweetheart.”

You grabbed your jacket from the coat rack and slipped it on before grabbing your keys. “What does that mean?”

“I came home and found her wandering around the courtyard at my apartment.” He sounded far too amused with the situation, and you definitely weren’t feeling up to dealing with his smug attitude. “She certainly made herself at home here. I may need to fight for shared custody after this.”

You rolled your eyes. “Just tell me where I should meet you.”

“I’ll send you my address.”

And just as he had told you, as soon as you ended the call, he shared his location with you. You swiftly assured Carol and Val that Hazel was okay, and you asked them to lock up when they left before beginning your walk to Bucky’s apartment.

Ten minutes later, you were sat on the floor of his living room, holding Hazel close to you and alternating between scolding her and telling her how much you love her as you tried to hold your tears at bay. Bucky sat on the couch, arms rested on his knees as he watched the teary-eyed reunion with a small smile curling his lips.

“You know, sweetheart,” he spoke up, drawing your attention away from Hazel, and you finally noticed the muddy paw prints on the front of his white tee. “I’m not much of a dog-person but-”

You gasped, covering Hazel’s floppy ears. “How dare you say such nonsense in front of Hazel!” You pressed a kiss between her eyes, whispering, “It’s okay, girl. Bucky didn’t mean it.”

“I did,” he countered, chuckling when you glared at him. “I’m more of a cat-person, but I suppose I can make an exception for Hazel. After all, she seems pretty attached to me. Not that I can blame her.”

You snorted and rolled your eyes. “She has awful taste in men,” you teased.

“I don’t know,” he argued. “People say that dogs are impeccable judges of character.”

You stood, dusting your jeans off and turned to face Bucky. “Thank you,” you told him, the sincerity clear in your voice. “I don’t know what I would have done if I couldn’t find her. I- I seriously owe you. Whatever you want, just name it.”

His blue eyes twinkled with mischief, and you immediately regretted your offer. “What about shared custody of Hazel?”

“Whatever you want that’s not that, just name it,” you amended.

“What about a date?” he asked instead.

Your eyes widened in surprise and you gaped like a fish, mouth opening and closing, opening and closing, over and over again as you tried to form a response. You certainly hadn’t been expecting that. He watched you with curious eyes, waiting patiently for your answer. Finally, the gears in your brain began to turn again and you answered, “As flattered as I am, I’m not really looking to date right now.”

Disappointment flashed across his features, but he smiled and all trace of disappointment was gone in an instant. “Don’t worry about it, sweetheart. You don’t owe me anything for being a decent person and making sure Hazel got back to you.”

You smiled softly at him, your fingers carding through Hazel’s fur. “Thank you, Bucky. Really.”

“You’re welcome, sweetheart.”

After that night - and after you and Bucky officially had each other’s numbers - you and he would text throughout the week, and you often sent him pictures of Hazel being increasingly goofy as the days wore on. You’d even invited him to the park one Sunday to see Hazel again, but he’d quickly turned you down, asking for a rain check.

He had a date, after all.

So instead, you took Hazel to the park and sent him pictures of the pretty pup lounging in the sunshine, greeting other dogs that passed by, and even licking the camera lens on your phone when she finally noticed you holding your phone out towards her to get the perfect angle. A smile never failed to appear on your face every time he sent a heart eyes meme in response.

Despite the near constant texting, you didn’t see Bucky again for over three weeks, and you’d only seen him because you had run into his friend Steve at the dog park.

It took a moment for you to realize that the brown and white dog that Hazel had instantly greeted once she’d been released from her leash was Dodger, but as soon as the realization sunk in, you looked around for Bucky.

There weren’t many people present, but you couldn’t find Bucky among the dog parents that lingered around the edges of the dog park.

You crouched down to greet Dodger, scratching him behind the ears and happily accepting his greeting kisses. “Hello, handsome. Is your uncle Bucky here?”

“Y/N?”

You turned your head in the direction of the voice, and you furrowed your brows when you saw a tall blond man that you didn’t recognize. Holy shit, was Hazel a handsome stranger magnet? “Do I know you?” you asked, doing your absolute best to keep your voice steady.

“Right, sorry,” he laughed. “I’m Steve. Bucky’s mentioned you a few times.”

You put two and two together quickly. “You’re Dodger’s dad!”

You spent the better part of the next hour chatting with Steve as Dodger and Hazel chased one another around the enclosed area, and you sent a picture of you and Steve to Bucky, happily claiming that Steve was telling you all of Bucky’s most embarrassing stories. (Bucky had sent a text to Steve within seconds of reading your text, but Steve refused to tell you what Bucky had said all while laughing so hard he nearly cried).

By the time Hazel and Dodger were laying at yours and Steve’s feet, panting and entirely worn out from an afternoon of playing, you were ready to say your goodbyes, but Steve quickly caught your attention before you could go.

“I’m meeting Bucky and a few other friends at the bar in about an hour. Would you be interested in getting a drink?” he asked, smiling so widely at you that you just couldn’t say no.

And that was how, after dropping Hazel off at home and making sure she was fed and had a full bowl of water, you found yourself at a sports bar, slinking through the Friday night crowd towards a table in the back.

You spotted Bucky immediately, and you smiled widely when his eyes widened and he choked on his beer before promptly standing to greet you. “What are you doing here, sweetheart?”

“Sweetheart?” you heard one of the men you didn’t recognize ask the others.

“Y/N,” Steve explained, and as if that was all they needed to know, the other two nodded. Steve smiled up at you, greeting, “Glad you found the place okay.”

Bucky quickly ushered you into the booth, sticking you between him and the only other woman present. As he introduced you to the others - Clint, Sam, and Nat - his arm snaked around your shoulders casually.

“So you’re the famous Y/N,” Sam asked, a teasing smile on his face as his gaze flitted from you to Bucky, and Bucky groaned in response.

You chuckled. “I wouldn’t necessarily say ‘famous’.”

“Oh, trust me,” Sam said, “as much as this guy talks about you, I’d say you’re pretty damn famous in our circle.”

You glanced at Bucky, biting your lip in a futile attempt to hide your amused smile. “Is that right?”

He huffed. “Hazel’s the real famous one, sweetheart.”

“Liar,” Nat accused. She turned to you, one perfectly shaped brow raising. “For weeks, it was Hazel’s mom this and Hazel’s mom that, and after that it was Y/N sent me this picture and Y/N told me this joke. I feel like I already know you, and I just met you.”

“So how’s Hazel?” Bucky asked in a clear attempt to change the topic. “Did she have a fun day with Dodger?”

You spent your evening getting to know Bucky’s friends better, sharing stories about Hazel, and listening intently anytime one of them told you a story about Bucky that had your sides aching from laughter. At the end of the evening, you had four new contacts in your phone and plans to meet up with Nat for lunch the following week.

“Need me to walk you home, sweetheart?” Bucky asked when you walked out together, but you shook your head.

“Nah.” You held up your phone, showing him the screen. “I got an Uber.”

He shoved his hands in his pockets, nodding. “Okay. Text me when you get home?”

“Of course.” A red Toyota Camry pulled up to the curb, and after confirming it was the car that was supposed to pick you up, you stepped towards it. Ever the gentleman, Bucky opened the door for you, and you slid into the backseat. “Good night, Bucky.”

It was while you laid in bed that night, unable to sleep while Hazel snored beside you, that you realized that the handsome park stranger - the one that was more of a cat-person but would make an exception for Hazel; the one that was dating Steve depending on who you asked; the one that was constantly talking about you to his friends so much that they felt like they already knew you - had wormed his way into your heart.

Did that make Hazel your wing-woman? She certainly did have a proclivity for bringing you and Bucky together, even in indirect ways.

He was on your mind all night and throughout the following day, and by the time your customary trip to the park rolled around on Sunday afternoon, you were buzzing with anticipation. Would he be there again? Would Hazel inexplicably get loose from her leash and lead you straight to the man that had you feeling like a teenager with a crush again?

As romantic as it might have been, you didn’t want to leave those answers up to fate. Instead, you sent him a text not long after you woke up, letting him know where he could find you if he wanted to see Hazel that afternoon.

Unsurprisingly, it was Hazel that saw Bucky first that afternoon when he arrived at the park, and unsurprisingly, she tore her leash from your grip and sprinted towards him, nearly tackling him as he crouched closer to the ground to greet her.

Surprisingly, you were actually jealous of your dog as you watched her give him sloppy, wet kisses.

“What’s that look for, sweetheart?” Bucky asked, angling his face away from Hazel. “Everything okay?”

“Quick question,” you told him. “Is that date still on the table?”

He grinned at you with that smug grin that you had scoffed at the day you first met, that same smug grin that made your heart flutter in your chest and made your breath catch in your throat and made you want to press kisses to his face and-

“I was wondering when you’d take me up on the offer, sweetheart.”