#ive no clue if someone already did this

[kaisumisucreations]

[angelamontoo]

I received The animated Peter Lorre as an early birthday present and I absolutely love it! Its an enthralling read as a fan of both Peter Lorre and animation history(I'm still surprised by how many characters I grew up with, who I didn't know were Peter parodies till I read the book) and I'm thrilled to own it for myself.....but I do have an issue with it(cause god forbid I enjoy anything without finding something to later complain on tumblr about)

OK so this is the epilogue

And I just.....

[cupidlovesastro]

𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒕𝒐 𝒍𝒖𝒄𝒊𝒅 𝒅𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒎

this is very different from my regular post, but i thought i’d do a post about this because i have a good understanding of this topic and i like doing it😭

the only things that your really going to need to do this is dreaming often and willpower. you don’t need to be super experienced at ANYTHING or do all these “methods” that people tell you to follow. just utilize the power of your brain !

for context, i started doing this around 13-14. i never had a bad experience with it and i very very rarely have nightmares. maybe 3 once a year, and i dream every single night. also, this is about how i did it and accomplished it !

1. gain consciousness in your dream

instead of mindlessly dreaming like you may do at times, try to gain consciousness in your dream. by that i mean, look at your dream and really pay attention to what’s going on. what do you see, hear, taste, feel? where are you? who are you with? start to pay attention to your dreams because then, you will teach yourself how to understand and actually remember your dreams when you wake up instead of waking up and having no clue what you dreamed of. do this for about a week or so before proceeding to the next step

my experience

when i do this, usually i realize im in a dream because im somewhere ive never been before, or im with people i never see, or something is somewhere it isn’t supposed to be. so when i realize im dreaming, i often tell myself “oh im in a dream”

2. explore a little

so now that you’ve realized your dream, walk around, start thinking of what you may want to say to someone in your dream, music you want to hear, food you want to, etc

my experience

this part is one of the fun parts. you can now start to control yourself and what you do in that realm. so i’ve talked to people i know in real life in my dreams, even people i don’t know. i’ve walked around places i’ve never been as well

3. start controlling things that are already in your dream

so before we get to the part where we control our entire dream, let’s start controlling things our brain has already created. so if you see a person try to control that person to talk to you, if you see a cat try to get that cat to come to you, change the color of the room your in, etc. this will help with your control over your subconscious mind, and is a little more difficult than step 2 because instead of controlling yourself, your controlling the outside world now

my experience

this for me is a little difficult for the main reason being that you have to put a lot of focus and control in it. with step 2 it’s pretty easy to do because you already are aware of yourself in your dream, you just have to control yourself. but with this part you have to control other things, which i’ve done. get someone to talk to me, or changed rooms i was in.

4. create things and / or make things disappear

now we want to sort of form our reality. so you want to start thinking of what you want to see, touch, experience, etc. if you want to see a celebrity, then do it, or if your into manifesting, view your manifestation(s). as for the disappearing part, let’s say you see something that you dislike, try to make it disappear.

my experience

i’ve done this a lotttt but usually it’s unintentional. like i’ll thinking about how i want to see someone, and they’ll appear in my dream. but in the very few nightmares ive had, ive also had to make this disappear 😭

5. create your reality

similar to what i mentioned earlier about what you want in your reality, now you want to completely create that reality. if you want to be at the beach with your friend then create that, or if you want to see your crush/ lover then create them !

my experience

this is the funnest part ofc, and i don’t usually need to create entire realities, but i have created people and things i’ve wanted to see, hear, touch, taste, etc

[valenli]

Baldwin IV x Reader

Imagine you meet the king as a foreign princess, and you two are to be wed? But to your surprise. The king is all for it

(warnings: mention of skin disease, stitches, detailed explanations for violent scenes)

(this fic is in no way tied to the real figure, this is only for the movie interpretation. As I do not write for real figures (dead or alive))

For the longest time, I never thought I'd find love a man who was not only a man of God, but would too love me. My mother, after all, was nothing more than a concubine. So I didn't quite have a good example from her nor father who couldn't set his eyes on one. But that all changed when Jerusalem called to many kingdoms, many were there to feel the presence of God, and so was I. I were to travel on my own but it seemed as though father had other plans. Every night that got closer to Jerusalem, whether by ship or horse, I could hear him speak with the advisers and other higher ups of a wedding, mine. I did not wish to get upset just yet, for I prayed heavily that the man I meet is someone with a wise, excellent, and beautiful heart, for faces did not matter once one was in heaven. But on the 7th night, something had happened. While we rested round a campfire in order to rest from the morning heat waves, we heard horses of at least 9 or so men rushing are way, father said these may be pilgrims, and that we need not to worry. But as they came closer it seemed they were none other than knights, dressed in pure white and red cross at the center of the chest. Father got up and waved at them, but a horse man swang his sword straight into his hand, cutting a chunk of skin out. I couldn't hold but the scream I let out as the blood hit my dress, I curled up against my horse when I felt a second horseman strike against my leg, only a cut but it no less hurt. They were ready to strike a final blow but I could see a blue clothed horseman arrive, he stood before us and looked at the white clothed horseman.

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

"do these look like locals, Guy? Have you any clue the harm you have caused against your king?" said the blue clothed horseman

"I have not a clue of what your talking about Tiberias. These people are in the boarders of our enemies, are they not are enemies?" the white clothed horseman who's name seemed to be Guy seemed all smug, or at least arrogant at best, in his answer. He seemed to not care that I had been cut, nor my father who held to his injury.

"these people, Guy, are the bride to be and her father. Had you have asked, they'd already been at the castle discussing matters beyond your small minded arrogance!" the man in blue, Tiberias, seemed familiar to father, as father tried to reach out to him. Soon the white clothed men who hurt us got us up and carried our things, by dawn we were at the castle. What a shame it was nighttime, for the city, and castle, were beautiful. Some physicians stitched my father's injuries and mine, and I were to meet his highness, my groom to be. In the bright morning I headed to his quarters, I felt at ease once opening the door, For it was just him, and me.

---------

Baldwin moved the headwrap away from his face, seeing that my groom to be was masked. I could only wonder why, had he committed a crime? Was he afraid of being spied on? It was common for the women to hide their face before marriage, but I'd never seen a man do it.

"ah, Y/N. You have arrived, I have hoped in one piece, but you were harmed. For which the man who laid hands upon you will be harmed, no doubt in that" he said as he rose up from his chair and gestured for me to follow, we reached the balcony and I looked over at him, then at the city.

"your highness.. It's unnecessary for you to punish him" I said as I turned my head back to the man I stood with, "he did not purposely harm me". I felt the king shake his head and hold my hand, "no, my dear Y/N. But he would have harmed another's life, innocent or not. As a knight, it is his only duty, as demanded by God, to never lay a finger on a innocent". Listening to him speak, it moved something in my heart I had not felt for anyone I had ever known, Yes, I was his soon to be bride, but I couldn't help but feel something. "Y/N. Just as it is the duty of a king to protect his people, it is my duty as your husband to protect you. I promise, even with my condition" he said, I could see his eyes looking away as though he felt ashamed, but of what?

"what condition your highness?" I held his hand more firmly, to which he did not respond, not even a finger moved on his hand

"i am a lepper king, my dear, that is the matter. My body is weak, yes, but I won't let it stop me" he looked back at me. He noticed I held his hand firmly when he looked down at mine, I saw his eyes smile at the sight

"your highness, you love me so even though we have no knowledge of one another, why?"

"for you see Y/N, a marriage is bond between man and woman, a bond of flesh to flesh, it is God's blessing to the people, and if God has blessed me with such a bride as you, Y/N, then who am I to deny it?" he spoke with such a heartfelt tone, I knew in that moment that this was the man of my prayers. I couldn't help but feel tears run down my face. I knew that his condition could bring his end, but I wanted to love him to the day we depart from the earth. I placed my hand on his mask and wanted to lay a kiss on his lips, but he gently stopped me.

"you need to know the lips you lay your kiss upon, as you are my wife, I want you to be sure" He said as he pulled down the mask. A cut through his lips and right cheek was the first thing I saw, his missing nose, and his small blonde hairs coming down from the headwrap. He held my hand as though he asked of what I thought. "my Baldwin.. Your a beautiful man, why you are afraid I can understand, but I love you not for your looks, but the heart" i said as I leaned to him, I felt his lips touch mine. I closed my eyes and placed my hands upon his cheeks, i knew in that moment that all my days of waiting, my prayers, my journeys, were worth having him. We soon left one another's lips

"I love you till the day we part, Baldwin"

"I love you, for everyday I live in your name, Y/N"

[rescuebabiesau]

"By the Primes, Knockout."

Ratchet overlooked the readings on his scanner's screen, "You were barely getting by with the amount of energon you were consuming."

The Aston Martin rested on the medical berth, optics closed as an IV pumped their fuel and lifeblood into his systems. "He needed it more..." He whispered.

His optics opened a little, already brightening from their dulled state and looking to his son, who was presently sitting up on Bulkhead's shoulders and marveling at the new perspective.

"Well, I can say that he is quite healthy, so I guess a congratulations is in order. How old is he?"

"Who knows... It's hard to keep track of time down there..."

"No offense, but you never seemed like the one to starve yourself of fuel or finer things, Knockout." Bulkhead mumbled.

"It was the strangest thing... I have to... I haven't felt like my old self since... He's all I can focus on..." Knockout tried to sit up a bit, ignoring Ratchet's warning glare. "...I couldn't let them know... They'd try to take him from me."

"That seems a bit doubtful, but a protective parental instinct is understandable, I suppose..." Ratchet sighed, "...Did you know when you were arrested?"

"Do you think I would have let myself get caught if I had?" Knockout shook his helm, "No sparkling should have their first moments be in a cell... I'm just glad someone got through to the council to let us loose."

"Uh... Yeah, about that..." Bulkhead chuckled, "...It's a long story."

"Which can be saved for later." Ratchet gently pushed his fellow medic back down onto his back, "You are going to rest and get some color back in your metal. We can keep an optic on your sparkling for a little while."

"Speaking of which..." Bulkhead pulled the sparkling down from his shoulders to look him over, "Any idea why he looks like a little version of Breakdown?"

"Not a clue... Maybe it was subconscious, I miss that big bruiser sometimes... Wildbreak's not him, though. He's his own bot."

"Well, he seems to like me, that's proof enough." Bulkhead grinned, "Come on, Tiny! Uncle Bulkhead's gonna show you how to lob."

Knockout's optics widened as the wrecker started to leave the medical bay with his son, and he fought Ratchet's arms keeping him down on his back. "Bulkhead, don't you dare-"

"I'm kidding!"

[amiactuallydoingthisblog]

Ok. Ive finished what we have for cantripped, and so here are mine and Rev @itsafablefolks thoughts/theories. Small disclaimer, I’m bad with spelling on a good day and this is an audio medium. Things will probably be spelled wrong. Long post with Spoilers and theories for cantripped below!

1. We know a lot about Kerian’s deal already. My main question in that area is about Eudora. I don’t know if they’re a god or just a powerful entity or if it really matters, but she’s trapped, presumably in the pendant. Our initial thought is that whatever this Fae magic nonsense that’s on the dagger (and Neph is also related to) is related to how (why??) she got trapped, but that’s us taking shots in the dark.

2. Dan’s scared of fire, has survived one before, referred to his sister in the past tense (in the three fun facts), and is hunting the forsindicated. Connor also mentioned that Dan’s having a bit of an identity crisis (in the downtime ep), and so my thought is that he lost someone/thing in a fire, and then became this Daniel Thorns folk hero to a)make sure that other people don’t go through what he did and b)get the people who did it in the first place (mayhaps? I’m spitballing here), but got caught up in the persona and now is having a Time about it.

3. Rowan’s the person whose backstory is gonna cause us the least like…physical problems. We don’t know a ton right now, but here are my thoughts. I think Rowan while growing up probably had an affinity for magic. Maybe she was really curious about it, and learned a couple of easy wizard spells (in the downtime ep, Beck said she wasn’t really learning the new spells, but remembering them). Then, maybe her parents, people in her village, start seeing this and being like oh, you’re gonna go and be a wizard, you’re gonna do big things, and she hates it. She left the hayloft conversation as they were talking about learning to become a leader and like…following what you’re supposed to do, and Rowan seems like she hates being constrained in any sort of way. So she packs up and leaves, teaches herself how to play the lute, and becomes a bard.

3b. Also, I have no clue why the dagger immediately attuned to her. Maybe she’s immortal. Maybe there’s other magic fuckery. Who knows.

4. In contrast to Rowan, Neph’s backstory is gonna absolutely cause us Problems. We know that he grew up with a family of orc rangers, and then somehow got roped into the Estalera (spelling??? The fae kingdom) palace with this prince Zanden, and persumably learned how to be Fancy^tm then. He also at one point got unfairly arrested because of the forsindicated. It’s unclear whether the forsindicated are connected to the Estalera royal family, but it’s a possibility? Either way, he’s running, and we don’t think for very long, because he’s just now started having these hide and seek dreams. If the forsindicated and the Estalera are connected, it could be because of the whole breaking Dan out of prison thing, but again, we can’t make any solid judgments on that yet. But about the spell, our thought is that every time he loses a game, he gets more runes, and eventually something bad happens. Zanden can track him now? Neph gets possessed? Who knows. But something bad, definitely.

Those are our thoughts! This is what happens when you listen to all of it in like…three days and have all the info in your brain at once. They’re just theories, and we’re probably Way off the mark on some points. But we’re having fun, and I cannot wait to listen to more.

[whatitsdecending]

Chokehold: Pt. IV

Vessel x Reader x Noah Sebastian

Things have already become a little messy as you spend more time in the UK. Lies being made and overwhelming thoughts are occupying your mind, despite the need for that to not even exist.

A/N: I did not realize how quickly two weeks just flew by since I last updated… so here’s a longer part with some drama for all of you<3

Word Count: 6.3k

Content warning: instances of extreme anxiety and overthinking, distressing situations, sexual tendencies, harassment, violence

—————————

“Hey pretty girl, I’ve been waiting for you to call.” Hearing his voice on the other end nearly blindsided you. Although you were the one to initiate the call, him actually picking up is what had you nervous.

“Hey Noah.” You responded, running your hand under the water coming from the faucet to check the temperature. You heard the sound of him shuffling around, presumably in his bed due to what time it’d currently be in LA.

“Are you taking a bath right now?” He asked, you could hear the tone of his voice perk up. You roll your eyes, typical Noah. “What are you getting ready for?”

You sink into the warm water and sighed when it hit your sore cunt, knowing you’re going to be feeling all of that for the rest of the day and into tomorrow. “Nothing, I just needed to take a bath. So what’s up with the sudden urge to talk to me?” His chuckle echoed through your phone speakers and bounced around the bathroom walls, not even giving you a chance before you find yourself smiling at it.

“I miss you that’s why.” He eventually says. “How did that technology detox go? Feeling less whacked out on it?” You snorted as you remembered the excuse you told Noah yesterday after the plane landed, technology detox… how convincing.

“Yeah… feeling like I should read more now and empower my brain with that rather than a screen.” You cupped water in your hands and splashed it onto your shoulders, not wanting to fully sink into the tub because you know you’d never get out.

“Don’t you read enough already?” Noah’s serious tone wrapped around you like a glove. One of the many things that irked you a bit about him was how much he enjoyed poking fun at your hobby for reading. He’d never been the one to just sit down with one of the books you recommended and actually see why you liked it so much. “I think you need to get out of your apartment more. Maybe come spend some time out in LA with me?”

There it was.

You squeezed your eyes shut. He was so quick to say it too, he couldn’t at least ask how you’ve been first? You didn’t know how to respond and once again found yourself fumbling to put a sentence together. Your best choice would be to tell him the truth, every single piece of it too. But yet something nagged at you from the back of your mind, does he really deserve the truth?

“You’re a little late for that Noah.” You responded, taking the folded cloth on the edge of the tub and adding body wash to it and began to gently clean yourself.

“Of course I am, let me guess you’re away at your parents house?” Well, if you insist. The smile that tugged at your lips was devilish, knowing that this will become much easier without him having a clue.

“I am. I spent my technology detox catching up with them.” You hoped you were sounding convincing enough for Noah. He’s gotten pretty good at knowing when someone is lying to him, so you grit your teeth as you await his response.

A chuckle from the line filled the silence. “That’s good to hear, Y/N. I know you were missing them. Chicago is still looking nice this time of year?”

You laughed at his attempts to make such casual conversation with you, any kind of conversing the two of you did ended with him fucking you senseless. “It’s nice, a little cold. It’s snowing here too.” You looked out the window that was tucked away a bit in the bathroom, giving some form of privacy despite the fact that Vessel had no neighbors. The snow had stopped falling sometime ago but the white dust that covered every piece of nature outside was relaxing to stare at, especially now that Noah had brought up being home.

Home. You mentally punched yourself in the gut over the fact that you just hopped on a plane to go all the way to London to stay with a man you’d only seen in person once, but constantly forgot to make trips back home to see your parents. You didn't even tell them you were coming here… That’s going to have to be another phone call you make today.

“I’m sure the snow is nice right now.” Noah snickered a little over the line until you heard another voice that sounded like Jolly calling for him. “Ahh duty calls, I must help Jolly move some shit around.”

“Tell him I said hi please!” You say enthusiastically.

“I will, but I better go before he comes in here and drags me out of my bed. Talk later?” The hope in his voice at the end is what made you want to sink into the water and never return.

“Of course Noah. Now go help Jolly out before he kills you.” You laughed a bit at the end as you could hear the door opening to Noah’s room, Jolly’s voice ringing out as he grew impatient. There was a little bit of a scuffle and some mumbled arguing then the call ended. You stared at your phone that rested on the ledge next to the tub now that it's gone silent, leaving the distant sounds of Vessel cooking in the kitchen to bring you back to reality.

You rested your head back against the tub and took a deep breath. For some reason you could not shake the anxiety that racked your body after the call with Noah, it came out of nowhere and made your chest feel tight. You took long and deep breaths, knowing this method usually helped when it came to your anxiety. But this time it made you feel worse.

The thoughts you tried to hold back hit you all at once. What the hell are you doing here? Why did you say yes? You have feelings for Vessel, but were they really enough for you to come all the way here? And if Noah had asked you before he did, would this be a completely different situation? Most certainly it’d be very different, but you didn’t even want to think about that.

You stared blankly at the water that has gone from warm to a cooler temperature and left your fingers pruned. Your foot moved through the water and you watched how swiftly it moved through the liquid, it was easy. If only your life could be like that, an ease to move through. But at this point it feels like you're moving through setting concrete.

And what if Vessel only wanted you here because he was bored and wanted something to do until he went back on tour? What if all those small things he did for you was just a facade? The second he leaves for tour is the second he stops caring about you, the second that all this gets thrown away and you’re left struggling once again to find the type of affection he gave you. He could so easily walk out of your life like so many have done before, what could possibly make him any different?

Hands gripped your arms tightly, pulling you out from the trance you’d put yourself in. Your eyes burned underneath the water when you opened them and your lungs screamed at you for air. Your body was pulled up from the position it had sunk into, allowing for you to take a deep breath and wipe the water from your eyes. Vessel was yelling but it sounded muffled to you, his eyes were wide with fear as you watched his mouth to try to figure out what he was saying.

“…Y/N please just focus on me.” You perked up once your ears had unclogged themselves and his voice was finally audible. “Jesus Christ you gave me a fucking heart attack.” His hand gripped tightly on your forearm, seemingly holding you up from slipping back under.

“What happened?” You asked. The confusion you felt from how you even ended up like that in the first place was all that came to mind as you tried piecing everything together.

Vessel sighed and pushed your hair behind your ear. “I don’t know. I came up here to tell you dinner was ready, when you didn’t answer I got a bad feeling and walked in on you just under the water and not moving.” He sounded terrified and looked like it too, he had tears threatening to break from his eyes as he spoke. “Why? Why would you try to do this to yourself?”

“I-’’ You didn’t know how to answer that. “I didn't intend for that to happen.” The look on his face broke your heart. He looked like he was so afraid to lose you, and in that moment you hated yourself for all that had run through your mind just moments before. His eyes searched yours for more than what you were giving him, he eventually gave up and sighed, pulling you to him and kissing your forehead.

“We can talk about that whenever you're ready.” He says quietly, holding you as tightly as he could. “Let’s get you out before you start turning blue again.” He lightheartedly said, standing up with his hands still wrapped around your arms which brings you to stand with him. He guided you to step out of the tub and onto the mat on the floor, taking the towel that was set aside for you and wrapping it around your body. He had you sit down on the toilet so he could towel dry your hair, his torso was pushed against your back as he carefully ran the towel through the strands.

“I can do this myself, Ves.” You say as he searched for a comb.

“You’re a delicacy at the moment. Anyways, I don’t mind it one bit.” He rummaged through the drawers and cabinets, looking for where you put your comb.

“Middle drawer on the left, it’s purple.” He happily pulled the drawer open and grabbed the comb, admiring the shade of purple that it was. He came back to you and gently ran it through your hair, being careful not to tug too hard when it came to any knots that formed. He focused until each strand was pristine and knot free, placing a kiss on the back of your head as a way to appreciate his work.

“What drawer do you keep your pajamas in?” He asked as he went towards the bedroom.

“Oh Ves please, you do not need to do any more for me.” You stood to protest him, following him out of the bathroom and into the room. “I promise you I will not break in half if you don’t help me with everything. You’ve done a lot already.” Your hand wrapped around his arm, squeezing it gently to reassure him. His eyes focused on your fingers that rested on his skin. He took a deep shaky breath, then stepped away from the drawers to let you find your pajamas.

You found your favorite t-shirt to sleep in; a very large gray shirt with a dinosaur couple on it sharing a spaghetti noodle like in Lady and The Tramp. You threw the towel that was wrapped around you onto the floor, pulling the shirt over your head and searching for a pair of boxers you loved to wear.

Picking up the towel to put it back to hang up in the bathroom, you could feel him watching your every movement. As you walked back into the room his eyes were stuck on you and not leaving anytime soon. He was leaning against the wall, arms crossed against his chest as he watched.

“So what did you make for dinner?” You asked, ignoring the fact that he would not take his eyes off of you.

He stood up straight and cleared his throat, eyes finally moving elsewhere. “I made potato soup. I thought the weather today made it a perfect soup for dinner kind of day.”

A smile tugged at your lips. “Little do you know… I love potato soup.” His eyes lit up so bright when you said that, almost like a kid who just walked into a candy store. “But will yours be as good as my mom’s?”

“Guess we’ll have to find out.” Vessel motioned you to leave the room first, quickly following behind you. The aromas coming from the kitchen were enough to make your stomach grumble loudly. Perhaps not eating all day wasn’t the smartest idea, but that just meant you could savor this dinner as much as you wanted to.

You stepped into the kitchen and let out a gasp at the sight in front of you; Vessel had gone out of his way to make the little table in the corner look like you were about to dine in a fancy restaurant. He covered the wooden table with a white cloth, pulled out some china that looked like it’d never been used before. There was a bottle of wine on the table waiting to be poured into the glasses nearby. You glanced down at what you were wearing and felt a tad embarrassed, maybe that’s why he wanted to choose your pajamas…

“You like it?” He asks.

“I love it,” you respond, walking to one of the chairs to take a seat. Before you could even reach for the back of it, Vessel had pulled it out for you and waited for you to sit before pushing it back to the table. “Did you really do all of this for me?”

He smiled as he walked away to grab the pot of soup. “Maybe.” He filled a bowl for you and then for himself, settling down across from you with an expectant expression on his face. “Aren’t you going to try it?”

“I was waiting for you before I started, I never eat until whoever is in my company is ready to.” You say taking the spoon and picking up the thick liquid, taking a quick whiff of it before putting it in your mouth. His eyes were on you again as you let your tastebuds decide whether it was better than mom’s or not. “Hmm.”

Vessel raised a brow as you teased. “Did I beat your mum’s recipe or not?”

“Woah, slow down there pretty boy. Give me some time to decide.” You chuckled while taking another scoop of the soup to your mouth and tasting it again. It felt like you were a food critic and Vessel was the chef whose reputation depended on your word, you honestly found it adorable. “I’ll give it a 9.5/10.” His face lit up as he smiled wide, finally digging into the food himself.

The two of you sat in a comfortable silence as you ate. The slight tension that was between the two of you after the bathtub incident had gone away, at least you felt like it wouldn’t exactly be the main topic of conversation at the dinner table. But, you remained silent anyways, not wanting the word bath to come out of his mouth.

—————————

Two days have passed since then, no word about it has been spoken between you guys. Vessel seemed to not want to start that conversation and just leave it to you to bring it up whenever you're ready, if you’d ever be ready.

You spent a lot of time cooped up in his house, sitting in silence with a book in hand and enjoying each other's company. It was really nice. A refreshing feeling in your life compared to every other failed attempt at something you would even consider a “relationship”.

He’d cook for you and you’d watch, putting random songs on that made him laugh each time he’d turn around and notice you dancing around. You’d stand behind him and place your hands on his hips, moving them around to try and get him to dance along as he laughed even harder at your attempt.

That was one of the things you were really starting to like about him; his laugh. The way his nose scrunched up and how tight his eyes would close as he let out the most genuine, hearty laugh you’ve ever heard. The times where he’d just make absolutely no noise and stand there bent over with his hands on his knees after you did something stupid were your favorite.

It was something you knew you couldn’t deny for longer, how you felt for Vessel. It was becoming so obvious to yourself now and more than likely he picked up on it too, certainly he had feelings for you as well and he was not afraid to show you that he did. But there was that part of you that was slightly afraid to admit it and show him the same.

Your eyes flickered from the words on the pages in front of you when Vessel’s phone lit up on the table beside him, a sigh coming from him as it disrupted the focus he had on the book he read. You went back to yours, realizing that you’ve completely lost where you even remembered reading last.

You rested your head back against the couch and put the book in your lap, looking over at Vessel as he smirked at his phone while typing away. You watched curiously as he paused, seemingly waiting for a response, then quickly typing again. He glanced at you while you watched and a smile now sat on his face. “How do you feel about clubbing?”

You perked up in interest. “Did it a bit when I was younger, why?”

“Just got a text from III asking if we’d want to join him and the others at a club tonight.” He sat back on his side of the couch, mimicking how you were currently sitting. “He kinda wants to meet you. As does II and IV…”

“They know about me?” You ask in surprise.

He rolled his eyes. “Well duh, Y/N. They’re my closest friends, of course they know about the beautiful American girl staying in my house.” He ended his sentence with a wink that made you blush.

“As long as I get to meet your friends and spend time with you, I think clubbing sounds like fun.” You smiled and then laughed as the thought hit you. “And maybe I’ll be able to get your ass to dance with me.”

“I’m always in the middle of making food when you try, would you rather I let it burn so I could dance with you?” Vessel is quick to sass you as he stands up and stretches. “I’ll call an Uber at 9, does that give you enough time to get ready?”

You glanced at your phone to check the time, it was only 7 o’clock. “That gives me plenty.” You hopped up from your spot on the couch, walking past Vessel and giving him a kiss on the cheek that flushed immediately after your touch.

As you headed back to the room to get ready, you couldn’t remember if you packed any clothes you’d consider clubbing attire. When you used to go all the time as a teen with all your friends, you’d pick the sluttiest thing in your closet, which would always help you get into the club despite the bouncer’s suspicion on your fake ID.

You rummaged through the closet, looking for your dresses you knew you’d packed. And nothing. Absolutely nothing. Instead of giving up hope on your past self for packing everything, you go to the dresser drawer where you had put away the skirts you took with you.

The gasp that escaped you when you realized you had packed the one skirt you’d been dying to wear came into view; it was a black leather mini skirt that zipped up on the side. You threw it onto the bed as you ran back to the closet, searching for the perfect top to go with it. You settled for a black lace bodysuit that was long sleeved and decided putting on your platform calf boots would complete the outfit well.

You never got the chance to dress up and look nice anymore, so you decided it was best to go all out. Even if you were going to be in a dark club where the only people who would be able to see your makeup would have to be standing nose to nose with you. At least you knew Vessel might like it.

You stood in front of the bathroom mirror and started your makeup, taking a little bit of time to try and make sure you didn’t fuck up the eyeliner and your eyebrows too much. It was refreshing getting ready like this and feeling like your younger self again. It didn’t take long for your makeup to come out the way you wanted it to, a good sign that tonight was going to be a great one.

Finding your phone, you check the time; 8:45, not bad for being rusty in your makeup abilities. You grabbed a small purse you like to use occasionally and put your wallet and phone inside.

“Ves?” You called out as you spritzed your perfume on.

“Yeah?” His voice echoed back from his room.

“I’m ready whenever you are.” You left your room and entered his room, eyes growing wide once you saw what he was wearing; black skinny jeans paired with a black t-shirt and leather jacket, his black boots completing the attire. “Are we that emo or what?” Despite the chuckle that came from you, it was hard to take your eyes off of him and how fucking attractive he looked. He turned around and did a double take at you, his eyes wandering over every part of your outfit and face.

“Funny thing is, we’re all just going to be a group of emos.” He smirked as his eyes glanced at the amount of your thighs that were exposed by the skirt for the millionth time. “I’ll order an Uber now since I’m all good to go, and also let III know that we’re heading out.” Vessel stepped closer to you as he tapped away on his phone, after a minute he put it back in his pocket and noticed how close he’d accidentally got to you. His eyes lingered on yours again as he pushed your hair behind your ears, his fingers trailing along your jawline and lifting your chin a bit to examine your makeup. “You look good, really good.”

Your cheeks heated up as he kept his fingers on your chin, his thumb ran over your bottom lip with a little force. “Are you trying to smudge my lipstick?” You asked, lightly swatting his hand away.

A smirk curled at his lips. “I’m just testing it to see if it’ll stay after a makeout or two.” He grinned cheekily as you shoved at his chest making him stumble back a tad. His phone buzzed in his pocket, the notification coming from the Uber informing you that they had arrived.

You followed Vessel downstairs, letting him lead the way to the car waiting outside for the two of you. The Uber rolled down the window and double checked that she was picking up the right people, after Vessel confirmed it was right he opened the back door for you to get inside, letting you settle before shutting it behind you.

The Uber turned in her seat and looked at your outfit. “My dear you are beautiful, I love the top.” You smiled wide at her compliment and thanked her, returning the compliment on her brighter hair color.

Vessel joined you in the backseat and the driver pulled off, putting on some music for you to listen to. Vessel’s hand rested on your thigh as he stared out the window, you watched him as the passing lamp posts illuminated his face ever so often and he would tap his fingers along with the beat of the song playing on the radio. You placed your hand on top of his, pushing your fingers between his and encasing his hand with yours. The size difference was a little silly, especially since yours was on top, but it didn’t matter to you.

The drive took only thirty minutes from his house to the club that was in the middle of London. It was pretty packed already, a line was extended out the door as a bouncer slowly let people in.

“You can drop us off here,” Vessel says. “Thank you for the ride.”

“Thank you honey!” You say as you got out of the car and waved to the sweet driver. Vessel’s hand rested on your hip as he guided you to the sidewalks, his eyes scanning around for the familiar sight of his friends. The brisk air hitting your bare thighs sent shivers up your spine as you found yourself trying to look for them too, but realizing you had no idea what they looked like.

You noticed the group of three guys standing together, one waving over at the two of you and the others in a conversation with one another. Vessel’s pace quickened a bit as you grew closer to the group, watching as the tallest of them was giving Vessel a thumbs up the entire time.

“Gentlemen.” Vessel says sarcastically, earning a glare from the one who stood more eye level with you. “This is Y/N.” He motioned to you. “Y/N, this is III, II and IV, my bandmates.” The tallest out of the four of them and the one giving Ves a thumbs up was III, a bright smile on his face as he reached to shake your hand. The shortest (and probably the one who looked the most innocent) was II, he took your hand in his and kissed it after saying a hello. IV is who you stood eye level with but only because of the shoes you were wearing. Instead of taking your hand in his, he opted for pulling you in for a hug.

“I’m a hugger, sorry.” He says as he felt you tense up a bit, not expecting a hug.

You just smiled and hugged him back. “That’s alright, hugs are never a bad thing.” IV pulled away with a grin on his face and turned his attention to your outfit, he gave you the “okay” symbol with his hand and a nod of approval.

“Let’s get inside as soon as possible before you freeze.” II pointed out the fact that you were shivering, leaving Vessel to swiftly put his jacket over your shoulders and wrap his arm around you to pull you into him. “I was waiting for you to do that for her.”

“Shut up.” Vessel said as he turned to the line. It had shortened quite a bit since you’d arrived, now only a couple of people stood waiting to be let in. Thank goodness because it was really cold out and you needed a drink.

Luckily the bouncer just glanced at all of your IDs and let you inside, he clearly had enough of dealing with people for the night and at this point did not care who he let in. III had taken over leading the group through the club as he had a clear path splayed out in front of him of where he wanted to go. He stopped at a larger booth towards the middle of the club that was pushed further away from where the dance floor was in comparison to some other booths. He flung himself in and sat in the middle, letting II and IV fill in next to him. Vessel motioned for you to sit and he followed, squishing you a bit against his shoulders and IV’s.

A waiter had come over and III was shouting an order for shots over the loud music, giving him a thumbs up as he walked away. You sat back and listened as the boys caught up with each other, constantly yelling back and forth with Vessel occasionally leaning against you in order to hear II a little better.

Once the first round of shots arrived, you had become part of the conversation as it moved onto concerts, a topic you were very familiar with. You all cheered each other with your shots, then threw it back into your mouth. The liquor burned at your esophagus as you did your best not to make any faces at it. After not drinking as much as you used to, you weren’t exactly that great at hiding the fact that you hated tequila.

“Are you not one that likes tequila?” III shouts to you.

“I’m not one to do tequila shots.” You laugh at yourself, the others join you. Vessel draped his arm over your shoulders, his fingers traced delicate patterns on the fabric of your body suit. His face was close to yours, as you felt his lips grazing against your cheek.

The boys cheered on the waiter as he brought two more rounds of shots for the table. Vessel laughed at them as they downed them with ease, you on the other hand watched in jealousy. You brought two shot glasses to sit in front of you, taking one in your hand and throwing it back. The burning wasn’t as bad as the first time, but it still made you make a face.

“You’re keeping them down at least, that’s a good sign.” II shouted from across the table. “Please do not throw up. I don't want to see that.”

You shook your head. “Oh I don’t throw up anymore. Too many years of partying has turned my stomach to steel when it comes to most alcohols.”

“Most.” IV teased. You gave him a good shove as you raised the next shot to your lips, this third one going down a lot easier. “See you just needed to warm up a bit, miss party girl.”

“That’s exactly right.” You said, leaning back to rest against Vessel’s chest. He held you close with one hand that pressed gently against your stomach, you both sat and listened to the conversation the others had. It was interesting to see how they interacted in a regular setting compared to on stage, their personalities were so different but yet at the same time, you could see their stage presences shine at some points.

The first notes of the song that you always had to dance to when you were in a club began to play: S&M by Rihanna. You were a basic woman, you hear Rihanna come on you have to dance along to it. You sat back up quickly, turning to push at Vessel to get him out the booth.

“Move I need to go dance.” You say, shoving him closer to the edge.

“You like this song?” He asks with a smug look on his face, leaving the booth and putting a hand out for you to take.

“I love it, actually.” You say as you stand up. “And you’re going to dance with me.” Your grip tightened on his hand and you pulled him to the dance floor, where many people crowded around and danced to the beat of the song. Pushing your way through a bit until you found a spot you liked, letting go of Vessel’s hand so you could move around. The alcohol in your system really had you feeling yourself and the confidence boost it had given you was like no other, allowing you to move your hips around like no one was watching.

Your eyes flickered up to meet with Vessel’s, noticing they were fixated on you as you danced around. You smirked as you took one step forward and pressed your body against his, taking his hands to rest on your hips. You wrapped your arms around his neck and pulled his face closer to yours, your nose brushing against his.

In one sudden gesture, Vessel had flipped you around and pressed his chest into your back. His one hand now resting on your lower stomach, and the other? He couldn’t help but place it around your neck. Your eyes closed at the light pressure he was applying on it, a new found butterfly fluttering around in your stomach from the sensation.

The song ended and transitioned into another one that wasn’t as fun to dance to. You pulled Vessel off the floor and back to the booth, noticing another round of shots on the table. You laughed at how pleased III looked with himself and choice of liquor.

“Are you ever going to order an actual drink?” You shout at him, noticing that II and IV had separate drinks they were sipping at.

“No! Those aren’t as fun.” He protested.

You shook your head. “Well you have fun with that, I’m going to find the restroom.” They all waved you off, except for Vessel who landed a smack on your ass as you walked away.

The restrooms weren’t too hard to find as the bright neon sign practically blinded you no matter where you stood in the club. You only went in there to check on your makeup, specifically because of Vessel choking you a bit as you danced. Your eyes teared up some and you couldn’t help but wonder if it messed up your eyeliner at all. Standing at the mirrors you checked your eyes closely, noticing nothing smudged. Perfect. Your hair got a little messed up though, but nothing that didn’t add to the intensity of your look already.

Your ears were ringing from being around the loud music and your throat felt a little scratchy, probably from the amount of yelling you’ve been doing trying to have a conversation with the group. Perhaps a club wasn’t the best choice for your first time meeting Vessel’s band… oh well you were having a great time and couldn’t really care about the practicality of it all.

Once you were satisfied with yourself, you left the bathroom and returned to the loud club. Squeezing past multiple people making out along the back wall and eyeing the small group of people doing lines, you accidentally bumped into someone while you weren’t paying attention.

“Oh! I’m sorry, I didn’t see you there.” You shout to the man, hoping you didn’t spill anything he was holding. He turned around and the expression on his face went from annoyed to elated.

“Is alrigh’ darlin’.” He slurred, patting your shoulder. You gave him a smile and went to head to the booth, when you realized he would not let you move from in front of him. “Where… do ya think you’re goin’? Come dance with me…” His hand gripped your shoulder tightly as he pulled you towards the dance floor.

“No, I’m not interested. I need to get back to my friends.” You pry at his hand that was seemingly glued to you, his grip was that strong. “Man let go of me!” That only spurred him to drag your body to be pressed uncomfortably tight against him, the smell of alcohol poisoning your airways as he breathed heavily on you.

A loud smack and a sharp pain rang from your ass as his hand came down hard against it, giving it a painful squeeze afterwards. You were quick to react; shoving him away as hard as you could muster and then landing a hard blow on his face with your fist. The people around you gasped as he fell to the floor covering his nose that was bleeding profusely. Your arm raised again as you stepped over him, about to give him another for good measure, until a hand wrapped around your fist. You turn around and see that Vessel was standing behind you, his eyes burning into you.

“Good god woman.” II said as he stood by Vessel’s side, analyzing the damage you did.

III and IV came over and pulled us away. “Security is coming, we gotta bounce.” Vessel kept you close as you followed the others out the back door of the club and into the freezing night. You walked a few blocks until it was decided security wouldn’t go that far looking for you.

“What the hell happened?” Vessel was the first to speak, his voice remaining calm as he could tell you were shaken up.

“Um-” You begin, but cut yourself off as you hissed at the pain that started to radiate from your fist. “I was coming back from the restroom when I accidentally bumped into that guy. I said sorry and tried to leave but he wouldn’t let me. He had such a tight grip on my shoulder and he wanted me to dance with him. He then held me super tight against his body and smacked my ass hard, I’m probably going to have a bruise.” You glanced at your hand that had a splatter of the man’s blood on it. “So I just punched him.”

Vessel held your hand gently as he examined it, careful to not press too hard against your bruising knuckles. “You okay?” He whispered.

“I’m sure I’ll be okay once I take some pain meds.” You shrug.

“Y/N.” His voice was stern and his eyes burrowed deep into yours. “I didn’t mean like that.” It clicked in your mind, he was asking about how you were mentally. You glanced at the others that stood around, clearly worried about you as well. All you could do was shrug in response, not exactly feeling like breaking down crying in the middle of a London alley right now.

Vessel nodded and glanced at the boys over his shoulder, giving some sort of unspoken message to them. “Let’s get you back home then, yeah?”

You smiled at him. “That would be wonderful.”

[accio-victuuri]

THE STORY OF THE 85 LOGO 🏍️

Since Yibo was spotted on the race track, the conversation around the logo is picking up again. This has been discussed so many times before & in bits and pieces but I want to give it a go and make my own version of it’s history. It’s a mix of the logo itself as well as the cpn speculation surrounding it’s origin. I’m not gonna talk about other related designer zz candies, this is only for the logo.

I used this video by R背靠大树好乘凉W as a guide on the timeline but i did my own fact checking and added a lot more points especially with Parts II-IV of this post.

I. THE ORIGIN

11/10/2018, Yamaha Racing Team weibo account posts the first look of the 85 logo. At this point, everyone already knew who this is supposed to be. It’s also cute how the time it was posted had the timestamp “28” which is Ai Bo, another clue.

“ driver number 85 is coming soon! “

1/19/2019, The same account officially shared that Yibo will be joining the MLT YAMAHA team for 2019 and Tracer 85 was born. Yibo also reposted this and replied with :

Happy New Year to all! ! ! ! ! racing career has begun! ! ! ! ☺️☺️☺️Please call me driver Wang Yibo! ! ! ! ～～～～～

1/29/2019, the draft for Yibo’s Tracer 85 racing suit was released by the weibo account. It prominently features “85”.

Now a key player in this whole designing mystery is DAINESE a company that describes themselves as: Dedicated to producing the most effective safety solutions in every arena where athletes continually push the human body and mind to surpass their prior achievements. From our motorcycle racing origins to alpine skiing, mountain biking, competitive sailing and outer space. So they posted about the racing suit itself as well as the helmet. Again, both things featured the 85 logo, along with other symbols that is an entirely different cpn on it’s own.

It’s so obvious that a professional company will make this for WYB. Even if we CPN that the logo was made by XZ, or even a rough sketch of it and passed on to Yibo, down to this company’s team to refine. There is just no way that XZ will write his name down as the owner of it, if we didn’t have that BTS video of their conversation about it then we won’t have a confirmation. Even if we have that video, there is still the probability that XZ didn’t follow through.

Then someone asked the company itself about the origin of the logo and they said WYB brought it himself.

The logo of No. 85 is not designed by us, it is brought by Yibo himself

Thank you for your support

If you look at the original post for the racing suit, the comments are all wf being so prissy about who designed it. I know that this post is supposedly about the 85 logo but the suit is a huge part of that. Also I think it’s about time to clear up the fact that cpfs are not trying to discredit anyone who made WYB’s gear. Why can’t we just be happy that he has a cool moto suit with the 85 on it? We are. We really are. It’s just that analyzing the elements within it is something that CPFs love to do. Not even for the relationship part of it but just to understand him better. The thing is, I don’t look at it and think only about how “handsome” yibo is. I also wanna know what it means. The details. This is something that represents him as a racer so I will naturally be curious about what’s on it. Not to say that so/os are shallow or anything, It’s just that we are two different kinds of fans. Our brains don’t work the same way. That’s fine. I wish people will one day accept that we all approach fandom in different ways. If you don’t like something— then ignore it.

So the conclusion here is, 85 was not an idea/logo made by the company DAINESE. Yes, they produced the gear and finalized everything. They were hired by YAMAHA to do so. However the one who drew that logo on a piece of paper is unknown.

Our best guess is Xiao Zhan. 🫶🏼

II. IMPORTANCE OF 85 TO YIBO

85 represents Yibo’s birthday, August 5. But it’s really became his “identity” when Tracer 85 was born. Even if he wasn’t racing, this number became a recurring theme & design with his endorsements. For example when he did a collab with Miniso, the goods had 85 on them.

He has moved to the “Panther” more recently but 85 and 0805 is still very much a Yibo’s thing. There are even endorsements that have 85 on the price they sell his items for ( example is Richora ).

So using 85 is not a spur of the moment thing and goes beyond his racing career.

III. OTHER SIGHTINGS ( of the logo )

Aside from the race track, the most important way the logo was incorporated was through merchandise. Whether it’s the custom phone case that only Yibo has —

or the infamous 85 cap which was repped by yinzheng. the sus part here is yibo commenting, only acknowledging the post but then yz had to reply back with : lemons grow on lemon trees, under the lemon tree there’s me. which means he is jealous and then yibo had to reply back with a series of emojis that makes things more suspicious.

sure, yinzheng can mean that he is jealous of the merch. that yibo has his own now and that the whole tracer 85 now goes beyond being a racer. but the cpf explanation to this is that he is jealous that wyb has someone that made this amazing logo for him too. it's really so cool to have your own designer at home.

a fan favorite would be this cap, released by Day Day Up in their WYB goods line back in 2020. What’s interesting is, the number of pieces available for it’s initial presale was 1005. LOL. 1005 is October 5, of course, XZ’s birthday. I think the number of pieces for a presale though not entirely up to yibo, may still be influenced by him. It could easily be 8500 pieces just to be meta but no. Why 1005? Is it a nod to the guy who made the 85 design? Plus if this logo was owned by Yamaha or Dainese, then why was it allowed to be used commercial by a completely different entity. Our answer is that it’s Yibo.

It’s curious that the cap received this special treatment, because out of all the merch sold in that line, it is the one that had the 85 logo in it’s original form. The rest had their own iteration of 85 but the cap is the closest to the “logo”. This is why a lot of fans, and CPFs specifically wanted to get it.

My favorite memory from when this line came out was the loud speculation about the logo and it’s connection to XZ. There were even talks of 🍤 buying something cause if XZ is the designer, then it’s also a XZ merch. This is the same year when 🍤 was going around SDC3 filming cause XZ was supposedly there. So yeah. This cannot be confirmed and no shrimp will ever admit but it was definitely a rumor going around that time. Looking back, that CPN was beneficial ( in a way ) to shrimps because it casts XZ in a good light. They know XZ’s capability so they can sort of agree to it. Not that we need so/o fans validating our opinions/speculations, but it’s a possible explanation to their reaction. Compared to motos who were angry with the association and insulted XZ. Implying that he isn’t capable, they can say that cause they don’t know XZ.

IV. Connection to Xiao Zhan “the designer” and candies

Turtles pointing to XZ as the designer is not only rooted in CPN, but the fact that making logos was his previous job. Even before the leaked video, it made sense to the community because after all, this is what XZ is good at. He’d done it for years in school and as a professional. There were photos of his previous work that leaked and he also talked about logo-making when he visited the bilibili office. Where he shared how frustrating it was to work with clients. More recently, in one his vlogs, we could see him explaining his thoughts on a visual logo for XZ Studio.

( video is about xz the designer, mostly talking about it during xfire / xnine days )

So his capability, closeness & familiarity with WYB at the time of the logo’s conception is key. CPFs are very familiar with how XZ makes art and logos for himself so to us it’s a rational speculation to think XZ had some influence on this.

There is another talk about Yuehua being the one who made it. They do have people who can make those right? However it was pointed out that with how they make logos for their other artists, it’s unlikely. They did claim the rights to the Panther, but the identity of the artist was left blank on the application. No one ever did claim ownership of this Logo or the Panther in public. Why wouldn’t they? It’s free promotion.

CPN Clues:

• 85 read as 28. Ai Bo + the Z.

• The Z is really my favorite clue 🥺🥺🥺🥺

• How it looks very similar to the M skateboarding logo. Which can also look like a 85.

• Some other explanation on what the 85 could mean. It’s XZ’s style to have hidden meanings aside from what you actually see.

• The minimalist design that screams XZ.

The 85 logo talk and cpn have really been in full swing when EVISU released those photos and I hope BXGs ( especially big accounts on the bird app and beyond ) will rein it in with the Xiao Zhan association. We already know how hostile the environment is so it’s best to not use his full name. It’s actually a common CPF way of doing things, not using their full names in our posts. As excited as we all were, the whole point was that tracer 85 is back, not the CPN. I know it’s tricky to find a balance with how our brains are wired, but you will learn. It should always be them as individuals first.

85 logo and all other “designer GG” is one of those CPN that is very popular and widely circulated in the bxg community — and with good reason. However, it is in no way to take away 85 from Yibo. It’s him. It is his brand and it will always be his.

This is one in a couple of “yizhan mysteries” out there that keeps the BXG flame alive 🔥. These (alleged) silent collaboration/s between them are so great because it shows how well they work together as a team.

-END.

[wolveria]

On Frozen Wings - Ch 2

Pairing: Crosshair x Hunter

Rating: 18+ only, Explicit

A close-call with the clone assassin forces Hunter to confront whatever the hell is going on with Crosshair. Neither of them are interested in talking for long.

AO3

Hunter’s uncanny ability to perceive Crosshair no matter where he was on the Remora seemed to have fled and left him altogether. Hunter might be good at tracking, but Crosshair was good at hiding.

And in the end, Hunter gave up trying to find him. He didn’t want to force the issue, not when it was so obvious that Crosshair was purposefully avoiding him.

Hunter still wasn’t sure why. Obviously, he’d screwed up, but he couldn’t fathom as to how. He replayed the scene over and over (to the point he had to stop if the others were around), but Hunter couldn’t pinpoint the problem. Everything had been fine, right up until it hadn’t.

He still didn’t have a clue when Echo told him about the new course to Teth.

Hunter had acknowledged his agreement—if Rex wanted to talk to them, then it was important—but he didn’t add more than that. His mind was elsewhere, thoughts wandering, refusing to stay put. He couldn’t keep letting his focus drift. He needed to get his head right before they touched down.

Hard to do when Echo kept giving him side-eyed looks, gaze curiously drifting to a point on his neck. When he turned his attention back on the navicomputer, Hunter quickly tugged on the neckline of his body suit in what was probably a futile attempt. Crosshair had left his marks a little too high, Hunter had discovered in the refresher mirror.

More than once Hunter felt Crosshair’s sharp gaze on the back of his head, but whenever he glanced back, the sniper’s attention was somewhere else. Namely, on the little game Hunter was all too familiar with, one that involved Omega copying the patterns of someone she was watching. Generally, she only did this with someone she wanted to emulate. Someone she admired.

She hadn’t done that with Hunter in a long time.

Hunter shook it off. If Omega bonded with Crosshair, it would be good for both of them. Hunter could see the connection already, formed back on Kamino despite Crosshair’s best efforts, and reconnected during their escape from Tantiss.

It was good they bonded. It’s what he’d wanted.

Hunter crossed his arms and stared through the viewport, nothing to see but hyperspace, and he strived to make his mind as blank as the landscape outside.

It was good, yeah. It would have been better if Hunter knew what the hell had happened and if Crosshair would talk to him.

He didn’t, and Hunter worried their visit to Rex’s secret base would be as awkward and tense as the trip to Barton IV. But as soon as they touched down and met the captains, Crosshair was there by his side, as if nothing had changed. He even let Hunter step in, place himself between the sniper and Howzer’s accusations, forcing the captain to back down.

Crosshair had let Hunter protect him. And when the explosions started, Crosshair had stepped in front of Hunter, the movement so immediate and fluid that Hunter wondered if he’d even noticed.

They had each other’s backs again. And that was good.

But as things always did with their squad, it all went to hell. Hunter still didn’t know how. He’d sensed nothing, no intruder or nearby danger. The hound hadn’t either, and that spoke to the skill and efficiency of the assassin.

They’d almost lost Crosshair. Hunter had almost lost Crosshair. Which was why Hunter now stood on the other side of the doorway, listening to the small, frustrated noises that came from within.

Hunter took a breath and palmed open the door. The medbay on the Remora was little more than an alcove, barely larger than a refresher, and it seemed even smaller when filled with an agitated sniper.

Crosshair sat on the examination board that folded from the wall, his back to the doorway, and his eyes darted over his shoulder at the intruder, narrow and guarded. But when he saw Hunter, his shoulders lost their tension, the harsh lines of his face smoothing.

But he didn’t say anything. Hunter swallowed to find his voice.

“Thought you could use a hand.”

Hunter phrased it carefully; he couldn’t make it sound like Crosshair needed help, even though he clearly did. Battered ribs, a dislocated shoulder he’d stubbornly popped back in himself before anyone could stop him.

And the bruises. Hunter hadn’t been able to see them under the body glove, but he saw them now with Crosshair stripped down to the waist. They were an ugly collar around his neck, blotted and dark. A testament to how viciously the assassin had held him under the water.

Crosshair eyed him and whatever face Hunter was making.

“I’m fine. I don’t need—”

Hunter moved forward and took the bacta bandages from Crosshair’s trembling fingers.

Crosshair growled, and then immediately winced, briefly closing his eyes. The assassin had nearly crushed his voice box. It was the hoarse ruin of Crosshair’s voice that had made Hunter ignore his rejection for help and grab the bandages.

Crosshair didn’t put up much of a fight after that, not with Hunter’s face almost angry in concentration, his gentle movements in direct opposition to his harsh expression. As each pass of the bandage encompassed Crosshair’s ribs, he couldn’t stop thinking about it. How his heart had almost stopped as he’d been helpless to watch the dark figure kneeling in the fast-moving waters, Crosshair nowhere to be seen.

At first, Hunter had thought Crosshair had gone over the last waterfall. And then he’d realized where he was, trapped under his assailant. Drowning. Dying.

Captain Howzer had gotten there first. Hunter would always be grateful for that, always, but it still hadn’t stopped the strange, territorial instinct that ripped through him as the other clone had helped Crosshair to his feet.

Hunter hadn’t been able to help himself; he’d put his hands all over Crosshair afterwards, making sure he was all right. He wasn’t, because he let Hunter touch him, right there in front of everyone, and didn’t push him away or call him a fussing hen.

It had been close then. Too close. Hunter should be even more grateful to Howzer, and not harbor the desire to bare his teeth whenever he saw the captain. So what if Hunter had overheard him softly asking if Crosshair needed help treating his injuries? It was what any brother would do.

“Keep making that face and you’re going to scare away the regs.”

Crosshair’s eyes danced with delight as Hunter’s expression soured, but that was all right. He’d much rather see Crosshair looking like this than the wide-eyed fear he’d seen back at the base. The same fear after he’d crawled out of the water.

“Doubtful,” Hunter muttered. He cut through the bandage and fastened it in place. “Seems they don’t spook easy.”

They really didn’t. Rex’s men had lost brothers, their base of operations, and still they kept going with a dogged determination that Hunter himself had been lacking for a long time. At least, when it came to fighting against the Empire.

“Oh, I don’t know. If it was between you and a bull rancor, the beast would look much cuddlier in comparison—”

 Crosshair’s purr turned into a strangled cough. Hunter immediately grabbed a clean rinsing cup from the shelf and filled it in the sink. Crosshair took the cup without comment, his face a grimace as he swallowed the liquid.

Hunter was drawn to the bob of his throat and the brutal lines the assassin had branded into his skin. Just there, under one side of his jaw, Hunter could even spot the bruised imprint of a thumb.

He moved in close, his full focus on the bruises as he slipped between Crosshair’s legs.

The sniper’s eyes went wide.

“What are you—”

“Don’t talk.”

Crosshair’s mouth snapped shut. He still carried a mild scowl, but it wasn’t a steady one as Hunter’s hands rose to his neck. Careful, barely touching skin, Hunter traced the bruises.

He could have said he was looking for structural damage, injury that was more than the bruises, but none of it would have been the whole truth.

Hunter reached for the smaller bacta pads. He would use those instead of wrapping an entire bandage around his neck. Crosshair had been prone to fits of panic in tight spaces when they were cadets, and he didn’t know if the snug pressure of a bandage around his throat would trigger the same response, but Hunter wouldn’t risk it.

Crosshair watched his face since he couldn’t watch Hunter’s work, his expression focused but not as harsh as it could have been. Not as harsh as Hunter expected, given Crosshair had been avoiding him only a few hours before.

Hunter placed the first bandage down, one that was in a relatively safe location at nape of Crosshair’s neck. He fingered the spot to make sure the bandage wouldn’t fall off, and noted Crosshair’s small, accompanying shudder.

He picked up the next bandage, also ignoring how the tips of his fingers tingled with warmth as he touched Crosshair’s bare skin. His mind inevitably wandered to another time their skin had been pressed together, hot and slick.

“You know,” Crosshair rasped, “glaring at the bruises won’t make them go away.”

Hunter gave a small huff, an acknowledgement that he knew he was glaring. He’d been agitated, restless, almost angry ever since the fight in the water. He wanted to pace and snarl at things that weren’t there. The only reason he wasn’t was because he was here, making sure Crosshair’s wounds were treated.

But the anger was better than what had come before. Ice cold fear as he’d watched from a distance, helpless, unable to get there fast enough as Crosshair disappeared under the shallow water.

And it was better than what waited for him when he finally slept. It would creep in, a trickle that he wouldn’t notice at first, until Hunter’s thoughts drowned in all the ways he failed, and continued to fail, his squad.

Hunter placed the next bandage, and the next, trying to be careful but his hands were beginning to shake, and Crosshair’s eyes were going wide again—

The next bandage slipped from his fingers, and Hunter let it fall. His arms went around Crosshair’s waist, and Hunter buried his face in his shoulder. Mindful of the bandages and bruises, he pulled him close, breathing in as deep as he could.

Only when Hunter had filled his lungs with Crosshair’s scent did he finally feel on solid ground.

Crosshair was here. He was alive, and he was with them. That’s all that mattered, that they were all together.

Almost all together.

Crosshair was stiff against him at first, but the rigidity melted quickly, and Hunter shivered when long fingers brushed over his hair.

“Can’t lose you again,” Hunter croaked out, his own voice hoarse. “Not… not like that. Not when we just got you back.”

Crosshair didn’t respond, didn’t so much as make a sound, but his thighs bracketed Hunter’s hips warmly, his feather-light touches beacons on his skin.

Hunter did it without thought—Crosshair’s neck was inches from his lips, and they found themselves connected without any input from him. The skin was warm, faintly salty, but it was the taste of pure Crosshair flooding his tastebuds, tempting Hunter with promises of more, if only he would take it.

Crosshair didn’t move, his back ramrod straight, his hands frozen. Hunter sighed and backed away. The expression on Crosshair’s face spoke of a need to find a hasty exit.

“Look,” Hunter began, his words hard as if that would keep Crosshair fixed in place, “I know I screwed up. I’m not sure how, exactly, but whatever it is can’t be avoided forever. You can’t avoid me forever.”

Crosshair was staring at him as if he’d suddenly sprouted Wookiee fur and started singing in Shyriiwook.

“You… screwed… up?”

The words grit out of Crosshair’s clenched teeth, and Hunter nearly retreated at the venom in the words.

“Uh…” Hunter blinked. “Yeah?”

The muscles in Crosshair’s jaw flexed from the force of his grinding teeth that Hunter could actually hear.

“I mean, I must have, what with the way you…”

The murderous glare almost convinced Hunter to stop talking. Almost.

“What did I do, Cross?”

The nickname softened the hard lines of Crosshair’s angles better than anything else could have, and he let out a strained sigh.

“Nothing.”

“Nothing?”

Hunter floundered at Crosshair’s flat expression.

“But… clearly I did something.”

“You.” Crosshair ground out the word like a toothpick he was trying to snap in half. “Didn’t. Do anything.”

Hunter frowned. He hadn’t done anything. He hadn’t done anything…

…but Crosshair had?

“I don’t get it,” Hunter finally admitted. Having deciphered what Crosshair was actually saying wasn’t all that helpful, it turned out.

The eyeroll was almost funny in its exaggeration, but the tightness of his mouth and the odd expression in Crosshair’s eyes weren’t comforting. A pit was starting to grow in Hunter’s stomach. Crosshair wasn’t the chattiest person, but he was perfectly fine at explaining his thoughts when he wanted to. But something seemed to be blocking him.

Hunter would just have to unblock him, no matter his own discomfort. This was important. It wouldn’t bother Crosshair so much if it wasn’t.

Hunter drew in a breath.

“Did you not want to do it?”

Hunter’s question came out soft, gentle. Crosshair’s answering glare was hard, and oddly brittle.

“Did you?”

“What?”

Crosshair leaned in, his tight expression both raw and deeply upset.

“Don’t play dumb, Hunter. You know what I’m talking about.”

“I really don’t.”

He was truly bewildered, unable to reconcile the heat in Crosshair’s words with the undeniably wounded gaze. Hunter almost wanted to look around, as if he could find the source of his pain elsewhere.

“You…” Crosshair drew in an unsteady breath, and finally said, “You… cried.”

Hunter blinked.

“I didn’t cry.”

Crosshair’s glare was exactly the kind he would give Hunter right before he smacked him on the back of the head for saying or doing something he thought especially stupid.

“I didn’t cry over anything bad!” Hunter rushed out.

“Oh, so it was a good kind of crying?”

“…Kinda?”

Hunter frowned at Crosshair’s scoff. Fine. If Crosshair didn’t believe him, he would just have to prove him wrong.

“To be honest, I don’t know what happened. It was like, like it got too much. Like I was overwhelmed, but not in a bad way. Remembered when we got these?” Hunter indicated the tattooed side of his face, along with a look towards the inked mark over Crosshair’s eye.

The question seemed to temporarily knock him off-balance, and Hunter figured the back of his head was safe for now.

“What about it?” Crosshair drawled, slow. Suspicious.

“Well… yours was simpler, so maybe it wasn’t like that for you,” Hunter said. “But when you finished with mine, my legs wouldn’t work, and I shook too hard to move?”

The amused tilt to his lips told Hunter yes, he remembered, with great delight.

“It was like that, sort of. Like I’d lost control, but it felt… nice.”

“Nice,” Crosshair repeated, trying out the word as if he’d never heard it before and wasn’t sure he liked it.

“Yeah.” Hunter smiled a little. “It was nice.”

He didn’t mean the tattoo.

Crosshair studied his face, but Hunter couldn’t read him. He didn’t like that, not when the sniper had been easy to gauge for most of the conversation.

“Was that the first time you had sex?” Crosshair drawled. The question was like a punch to the gut.

“We… had sex?”

Crosshair’s eyes went wide. And wide. And wider still.

And then he covered his face with one hand and pinched the bridge of his nose.

“Hunter.”

“I know what sex is!” he growled, indignant, his fists clenched at his thighs. “I just… thought it involved more- more moving parts, than… than what we… employed.”

Hunter’s face progressively grew hotter with every word. Crosshair leveled him with a look that was so unimpressed that Hunter wanted to find the darkest corner of the ship he could find and wither away in it.

“That was the first time you had sex,” Crosshair said in a flat, colorless tone, “and I made you cry.”

“…Yes?”

Crosshair’s expression was so pinched, Hunter was half-afraid he might cry himself. He hadn’t realized this was something Crosshair found important, let alone had gotten upset over. His sudden, panicked departure made a lot more sense.

“Crosshair.”

The sniper wouldn’t meet his eye. Hunter stepped between his still-spread legs, and he took his face in his hands, forcing him to look. Crosshair did, his eyes wary, but Hunter just gave him a tiny, warm smile.

“I liked it.”

Crosshair just stared at him, his expression a little more open now and oddly sweet in its confusion.

“Liked it.”

Hunter’s lips twitched, but he refrained from making a joke about there being an Echo Two aboard.

“Yeah. I did.”

Hunter released his gentle hold on Crosshair’s face, difficult to do when his expression was so unbearably… cute? Now there was a word Hunter never would have attached to Crosshair. Not until recently, anyway.

He returned to the bacta bandages—they weren’t going to apply themselves, after all.

Hunter continued attaching the bandages one at a time, enjoying having Crosshair at his mercy. It wasn’t often he got the sniper to sit in one spot for so long under this kind of scrutiny. It was intoxicating to be surrounded by Crosshair’s scent, a much more pleasant odor compared to the too-sweet scent of bacta.

Once he finished with the last bandage, Hunter leaned in under the pretense of inspecting his work. Instead, he hovered close to the spot just under Crosshair’s ear, the spot on his neck that held the strongest scent—and breathed in without a hint of subtlety.

“Don’t think I didn’t notice that you left before you could finish.” Hunter nosed that same delicious spot, not unlike the way he’d seen the hound sniff out something tasty in the sand. “I can smell it on you.”

Crosshair shivered—from the words, or Hunter dragging his tongue along his jaw, or both.

“I’m fine,” he rasped, his scent flooded with the pent-up frustration that had plagued him since he’d left Hunter on that cargo hold floor.

“I’m sure you are,” Hunter said, and then he pulled Crosshair flat against him by his hips, Crosshair’s bare chest against Hunter’s full clothed torso. He made a noise of complaint at the manhandling, quickly cut off when Hunter mouthed at a point above his bandages.

He sucked harder, determined to leave his own series of marks that Crosshair would have difficulty hiding.

When Hunter traced his hands up Crosshair’s back, exploring the expanse of warm skin, Crosshair shuddered and relaxed the tiniest amount, though he was still a bundle of rigid muscles.

“Hunter…”

His voice was soft enough to make him pause.

“You don’t… have to do this.”

Hunter let out a huff. Crosshair knew damn well if he didn’t want to do something, he wouldn’t. This was about something else. This was about Crosshair.

He once against looped his arms around Crosshair’s legs, and this time forced them around his hips. And to make it absolutely clear what he wanted, Hunter reached between them and detached Crosshair’s codpiece, still leaving on his pelvic plate.

Crosshair’s erection strained against the body suit, and Hunter freed him before the sniper let his guilt at what happened with Hunter turn into anything worse.

He wrapped a hand around his long length and experimentally tugged.

“Fuck,” Crosshair bit out. “Hunter.”

“Hmm?”

Hunter lazily licked any spot he could reach, his grip firm around the cock in his hand, the other hand lowered to Crosshair’s ass to hold him in place, practically grinding against Hunter’s stomach.

Crosshair didn’t speak, but he seethed through his teeth, a sound like an angry tooka even as his legs twitched tighter around Hunter’s waist.

“C’mon, Cross.” Hunter gave another lick, punctuating it with a nip that made Crosshair jump. “Let me take care of you.”

That’s what they did, take care of each other. If this was a new way of doing that, well… it was certainly effective, if a little unorthodox. Just like how they did everything else.

Crosshair gave another frustrated noise.

“Do you even know what you’re doing?”

Hunter stroked to the top of his length and rubbed his thumb over the head, smearing the precum built up there, and Crosshair gave anther full-body twitch.

“Think I’ll figure it out,” Hunter said.

He dragged his lips in what were almost kisses. He wasn’t sure if Crosshair groaned from the words, the attention to his neck, or Hunter giving his cock a gentle twist with his hand. Probably the latter.

“Hunter,” Crosshair tried again, his name hoarse and strained. It made Hunter want to take him apart just to hear it again, but he paid close attention to Crosshair’s scent, and there was no fear or distress.

He might not be able to say aloud what he wanted, but he didn’t need to. Hunter knew. He would always know.

Hunter set a faster pace, holding Crosshair close, grounding him as he shuddered and dug his fingers into his back. It was unfortunate there were layers between them, but there was something appealing to being fully clothed with Crosshair half-stripped and gasping.

It wasn’t long before Hunter could smell the sharp note of Crosshair’s need, indicating he was close. A scent he only knew from the quiet nights in their old barracks when Crosshair believed everyone else was asleep.

Hunter’d tried so hard not to listen, not to smell or taste Crosshair on the air. He always failed.

So he did the things he thought Crosshair would do, secret and hidden under the covers in his bunk. Stroked with an even rhythm, until he gave a slight twist, a pull. Where his imagination fell short, he relied on his senses to make up the difference, and Crosshair was a quivering mess.

At the end, Crosshair tried to pull away, but Hunter wouldn’t let him.

“Don’t care if you make a mess on me,” Hunter said, adding another sucked bruise above the bandages. If he could, he would leave new bruises over the others, marking Crosshair as his, and only his.

That last thought burrowed in his head and planted an idea he wasn’t fast enough to stop.

Hunter lowered his mouth, right over the muscle between Crosshair’s shoulder and neck, and bit hard.

Crosshair’s snarl curled into a needy whine at the same moment he spilled into Hunter’s hand. He shuddered and throbbed, but Hunter had already released Crosshair’s shoulders, his eyes wide at the bruise he’d left. It was already darkening into the shape of Hunter’s teeth.

Hunter’s hand slowed in his distraction, which was just as well as Crosshair lightly slapped his hand aside, grabbing some gauze to clean himself up before tucking himself away.

Hunter wanted to help, wanted to drag Crosshair close and hold him just a little longer, but he got the sense if he tried, he’d earn another slap to his hands.

“Did I… hurt you?” he asked instead.

Crosshair snorted.

“You’re acting like this is the first time you’ve bit me.”

Hunter’s face heated.

“You know what I mean. I’ve never bitten you like… like that before.”

“Or that hard,” Crosshair noted airily, and before Hunter could feel guilty about that, Crosshair took another piece of gauze and hopped off the examination board. He approached Hunter, and without any input from him, began to clean the front of his vest and the mess there.

Hunter’s glad one of them had noticed. If he’d left the refresher like that and someone saw… Echo would never let him live it down. Rex would at least have the good grace not to laugh in his face about it.

He wondered if they’d be surprised.

Crosshair must have taken pity on whatever was going on with Hunter’s expression, because he sighed and tossed away the soiled gauze.

“It hurt. And I liked it.”

Oh. Oh.

“Oh,” Hunter said blankly.

“Mmhmm.”

Crosshair fussed with the front of his undershirt, tugging at the strip of it exposed around his waist.

“Are you going to clean this thing? Your entire outfit is… filthy.”

“What?” Hunter had the same ringing-in-his-ears feeling he got after a thermo detonated too close. “Oh, yeah. I’ll clean up.”

“You better.” Crosshair wrinkled his nose. “You and Wrecker both. Living on the ship is one thing, but you surely have access to showers and cleaning machines on the island.”

Hunter frowned. Showers?

“I don’t smell.”

Crosshair stepped closer, and Hunter was acutely aware how little space there was between him and the wall. The sniper ran a hand up the front of his chest, a small tug on his lips.

“You smell like something now.”

Hunter flushed, but when Crosshair closed on his belt buckle, he stopped him. Hands gentle around Crosshair’s, he slowly pulled him away, meeting the sniper’s frown evenly.

“This wasn’t about me.”

Crosshair rolled his eyes.

“How noble of you.”

It really wasn’t. Hunter was so hard it hurt, but Crosshair had gone through something horrible, even if he wouldn’t talk about it, and this was about making him feel good.

Okay, maybe it was a little bit about Hunter and the itch under his skin whenever he saw Captain Howzer, but that wasn’t the point.

“I just… wanted to take care of you.”

“And what if I want to take care of you,” Crosshair shot back, but he had stopped trying to go for Hunter’s belt, instead letting Hunter hold him there. It was almost… nice.

Hunter smiled a little.

“I’m sure you’ll get your chance.”

“I do not mean patching you up in the infirmary.”

Now Hunter grinned wide enough to show teeth.

“Not what I meant, either.”

Crosshair fixed him with a scrutinizing gaze, but Hunter didn’t clarify, and he released Crosshair’s hands before it could go any further—because it would if he insisted on taking off that belt. Hunter had only so much restraint when it came to his sniper.

Hunter left without another word, and he didn’t look back. Crosshair’s stare on his back was magnetic enough, tugging at him to go back and finish what he’d started. What Crosshair had started.

Oh, he wanted to, but Crosshair needed to rest, and Hunter needed to focus. At least they were headed back to Pabu after Echo dropped off the others at their backup camp. They would be safe there, Omega out of reach from her pursuers, but that was only a stopgap measure.

At least the Empire wasn’t actively seeking out Crosshair too. Hunter didn’t know what he would do if he fell into Imperial hands again.

He forced the thought out of his mind. Crosshair was fine. He had to be.

Hunter couldn’t live with the alternative.

Next Chapter

[iloveslllycatss]

## "𝐖𝐀𝐓𝐓𝐏𝐀𝐃 𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘"

𝘱𝘢𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 ! 𝘳𝘰𝘣𝘣𝘺 𝘬𝘦𝘦𝘯𝘦 𝘹 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘴 ! 𝘍𝘖𝘙 𝘔𝘓 𝘏𝘈𝘉𝘐𝘉𝘛𝘐 𝘕𝘈𝘋𝘖𝘖𝘕 @sttarzxx 𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘢𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘧𝘧 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘬, the paraghraph text and response to it was copy and pasted from me and the dude this happened to me withs chat......... 𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 ! 𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘴𝘵 2 𝘧𝘭𝘶𝘧𝘧, 𝘋𝘠𝘐𝘕𝘎 𝘐𝘕𝘚𝘐𝘋𝘌 (𝘫𝘬)

"im gonna do it. im gonna text him."

you were on vc with your best friend. for context, you had a crush. a MASSIVE crush on a boy named robby. you had liked him for 2 years now, the only bad thing? you guys were barely friends. you guys had a class together, and he would always talk to you (hed call u weird when u declared you were spiderman.).. all until you left school for second semester. you hadnt seen robby in about 6 months, but you still liked him (attachment issues go hard). u guys used to text, too. itd mostly be u texting with double chats and him replying in a dry way... but u still liked him AHAHA, so 2 days ago.. you asked your friend for his number...

"hey"

you texted, and he replied right away

"hi"

after that, you guys had texted for 5 minutes, asking things like "hru" or "wyd" until he finally said

"who even are u?"

your eyes widened seeing this, and you were a pussy, so you said

"im f/n (fake name)"

you guys, for another day kept texting back and fourth.. the only thing is, you acted like u didnt have a clue who he was, what he liked, and what he did.

"i do karate, i think its cool to have balance in your life and karate gave me that."

..... you already knew that, but you couldnt help but act like u didnt.

it was like u two havent met eachother. but little did u know, he was observant as fuck.

"you know u remind me of someone, u text the same as her. her name is y/n"

he said, and ur eyes widened. u couldnt believe that he had memorized your texting style. but you were a pussy, so u denied it.

a couple days go by and u guys still text, you overthink everything he says and you were starting to think your friends were getting tired of you ranting ab it to them all the time. there was this one time where u two had been talking, and the convo? it wasnt good. at all.

"k"

he said, and you furrowed ur eyebrows...

"WYM K?? THATS LIKE THE DRIEST MESSAGE EVER"

....

"yeah ik"

...... what? you couldnt believe it. was he bored of u already? were u being too annoying? were u just a bother?

your heart sunk, and u felt ur knees go weak. not weak in a "i just folded" typa way, but in a "im gonna kms" typa way.

your thoughts kept flooding with things like "i just annoyed him" or "he doesnt want to talk to me anymore." and you wanted to cry.

you start to rant ab it to your friends, balling ur eyes out as u do, you were in ur head about it, letting it get to you. your hands trembled as u typed about it to your friends. you had always been insecure about your personality, not wanting ppl to see u as too much or crazy. so u finally replied to him.

"ok"

its been 15 since youve been on delivered (or read, he didnt have read recipts on)

u desperately wanted to talk to him so u sent anotyher message

"hihii"

when he replied, you got so happy u forgot about the fact that you were crying about him the night before. but the thing is, he would leave u on read the whole day, and it stressed u out.

everyone had been telling u to just tell him who u were, and to stop being a pussy. hell, even snap ai wasnt on your side. so u write a paragraph, wanting to send it to him

"hi robby, so ive been feeling kinda bad recently for this and i hope u forgive me and that this doesnt ruin our 'friendship' kinda thing going on, basically i lied ab like a couple things and i feel bad IFDJNEJN so uh im y/n (u guessed right kinda craz) and IK I LIED AB NOT KNOWING B/F/N BUT I FELT LIKE ITD BECOME AWKS and stuff, f/n is my online name since ion give my real name out (and its a nickname my freinds call me), im sorry for acting like i didnt know who u were i was just being a pussy difjejfn but the truth is i asked b/f/n to send me a bunch of (school name) numbers and u was like the only person (other than 2 girls) who texted me back and I DIDNT KNWO IT WASS U AT FIRST but when u told me who u were i didnt know how to keep the 'friendship' going (r we friends??? idek atp) nd ik this is gonna make everything awkward and stuff but uh yeah im really really sorry for lying 2 u and i hope we can still b friends lol (ts up 2 u//im coming back next year too so idk if that helps EKJFNEIJNF)"

SENT !

... you were stressing atp, would he block u? would he be dry? would he ghost u? say "oh ok"? call u weird and tell everyone?

you didnt know how to feel, you wanted to cry. you were in ur head about this whole situation and u couldnt help but overthink. so u turn to your best friends, wanting-- no, needing reassurance. they continue to tell u its okay and that he wont break your heart. but you cant help it, that feeling. that feeling of your heart sinking, the feeling of the lump that forms in your throat, the feeling where you just want to feel better. but you cant. you were paranoid. you were tearing up. but you forced yourself not to cry, u didnt wnat to be a crybaby, but u couldnt help it. the tears had already formed and started to fall, your vision fogging up and your eyelashes wet. you couldnt believe u thought ur lifew could be like a wattpad love story. you were cracking your knuckles and picking at the skin around your cuticles, something u did when u were stressed. you then went to bed, hoping everything would be okay.

the next morning u wake up. the first thing u do is check every other social media and dm before his, you had a feeling he was gonna make u cry (again).

when u finally open the text, your whole expression lights up.

"I mean I suspected it and I am personally fine with the lie you told and yea I can forgive u but as you know I am a dry texter"

you were so happy. u couldnt believe it. you quickly change his contact name back from "oh" to "ROBBYYY! <33" and you smiled so big your jaw started to hurt

maybe there was a chance.

@/ilovesillycats

plz dont copy my work 😞

[demdems]

sorry for being a little hater while watching the new natlan trailer and coughing up blood everywhere, that was a bit dramatic of me

mind the blood tho, we're still talking

a very not cohesive list of grievences i have with natlan [and genshin], I'm writing as i go so if its too long the rest is under read more

I mean truth be told i opened youtube, saw the trailer first thing, noticed the thumbnail, and kinda just immediately knew it was joever

we can start w the archon i guess [I'm assuming the red haired lady is the archon by using context clues] uh ive seen people argue that its fine/makes sense that she's white since the assumption that's been made is that she's based on himeko from hi3 but uh like, himeko murata is japanese, she's not white, if the name didn't make that obvious [this is similarly why i don't like the argument that nahida being white is fine due to her being based on theresa hi3, theresa is a clone of a white german woman im not sure why mhy based the archon of a nation based on swana cultures on her but i digress] i think its at least good that she beat the conquistador allegations, left a bad taste in my mouth when that was being speculated

The confirmation of names means people have been honing in on the cultures natlan is taking inspiration from, ive seen a lot. i made my best guess when talking with a friend but i believe theres polynesian, west african, indigenous american [mexico and central america? specifically based on the name citlali] [[feel free to correct me on anything]] honestly wasn't expecting much based on sumeru

Tbh i have like zero energy to hate on the natlan debut cast cuz i already did it w a friend but I'll do it anyways, its a lifestyle

the argument of, why look for dark skin rep in a game made by a company who's colorist [either by choice or due to pressure from the government since genshin has incredibly insane cultural impact in China], is legit since its like me looking for clothes at the soup store and getting upset

But genuinely even if mhy had a vision with genshin and wanted to show a diverse world in its game, its kinda weak to be almost so blatantly colorist outside their playable characters. I don't think that making npcs dark skinned and playable characters light skinned is a good look, especially when it's the second time that that the human enemies of the region for the most part are darker skinned than the characters used to fight them

And i don't like how parts of the community jumps on people who critique genshin for this. Like, if its a non issue to you why get upset with people yk. Plus never speaking up on stuff is bad like fine, the multi billion dollar company won't listen to you, but id like to think that other people would learn from this to some degree and understand why people get upset. And idk maybe its overstepping and silly but id like to thing that outrage reaches people who can see that yea maybe there's people who Will listen to the stories you wanna tell but idk

I just don't like that people are making it okay to just be racist and colorist like, that's just gonna eventually bounce back and then great everyones seeing how mad ur getting over someone wanting a character w a skin tone darker than #FFFFFF, i cant vocalize my thoughts right tho but you get me ig

aeugh anyways on the characters specifically, the darkest skinned character in the trailer looks almost gray thats not great, and then the girls w darker skin tones [there's so few men in genshin lately] are dressed very much not at all which is a reoccurrence, sumeru dressed its darker skinned characters in not a lot clothing which like if you've ever been to a country that's hot and sunny, people don't dress in swimwear they dress in pants and sleeved shirts because hi sun damage exists and too much exposure is unhealthy and people tend to get used to the climate

Also a lot of animal themed characters this time, do correct me if I'm wrong but i kinda see an overuse in the women of color in genshin being animal themed but if im looking too much into it then uh idk maybe genshin should release a catboy

The modern theming in the outfits isn't egregious but i think too much streetwear might bog down the overall look, like latin america cultures just by themselves have amazing fashion and god id kill to see something like a dancer based on mexico's traditional dances since those are the prettiest dresses, like modernizing is fine [i believe i saw somewhere that chongyun's outfit is based on chinese streetwear and i think it fits great in with the more traditional outfits in liyue] but stuff like the hoodies around the waist and the weird half shorts half pants of one of the characters kinda weakens the overall vision [but I'm not well versed in fashion so I'm not sure what direction wouldve been best for natlan to take to both respect the fashion of the cultures inspo is taken from and also fit in with genshins vibes overall]

Natlan the region itself is the best thing of the trailer tbh, it's very nice looking and yea there isn't a yellow orange filter over it like this were american tv or something, and the music is great i think the one part of the team who does good is the music

Personal expectations, i just hope the characters are good, like i hope good personality saves these guys and my soul while i play the natlan quest getting flashbanged everywhere i look

wegh, drip marketing Monday, and 5.0 in like 7 weeks, let's get this bread gamers

[awriterlivinginaconstantdream]

IV A New World

Here you go guys. This is part one of chapter 2 only because there is so much to set up. Part two should be ready on about two weeks.

Chapter 2: The Hidden Puppet Strings

The thunder pushed its percussion against the wind as the rain smacked against the windows. The crackling rhythm, a chaotic song against the measured marches of the soldiers below. Soldiers moved like unwavering statues in the wind. Cacophonous symphony of demands and orders barked through the steely air as metal clanged against one another, the heavy bars of their weaponry pushed its weight into their hands. Every step calculated as they marched on to the sweet songs of honour. The puppet strings being pulled by their commanding officers as the rigid system continued.

“Sergeant!”, a gruff voice boomed through the concrete room, the voice punched its beckoning throughout the room. Three heads turned towards it, as the sound bounced off the grey walls and into their unwilling ears. One had a scar running along his chin, one had eyes of two distinct colours, the other had seemed to have forgotten his shirt. They stood and faced the voice, their boots scraping against the hard floor. “I need one of you for a mission.”, the voice added, “It’s infiltration, so I need the most natural pick.”, they continued. The three soldiers listened carefully to their instructions, the shirtless man looked at their commanding officer sleepily as the words hit his eardrums and bounced away from his brain. Two-colour-eyes listened intently as the voice rattled on about their tasks for tomorrow, chin-scar did what was required of him, he listened as the voice continued. He watched as the leaky ceiling dripped ten times since they were called to stand. The shirtless soldier started to yawn as their superior droned on and on. “Hey! Eyes on me, Sergeant Smith.”, the superior scolded. Tension filled the air and woke the soldiers out of their slumber before they even entered it. Chin-scar felt like nerves ran through his body like thousands of tiny needles were running through his veins. It wasn’t his first time hearing a higher rank yell at someone, but it sent chills down his spine every time. ‘Smith’ looked around the room in an attempt to remove attention from himself, keeping his head forward facing the higher rank. It was late, he though to himself. Two-colour-eyes was the least fidgety of the three, in this ten-minute conversation, he proved himself to not let external forces that weren’t affecting him, affect him. The other two gave very subtle clues they were distressed. It was all in their eyes, the way they darted around the room, the way two-colour-eyes remained fixed on the higher rank as if he were challenging him. A challenge not worth taking up. The superior kept following his orders of informing these three about their assignment because even he had superiors to please. That is always the catch in these things, everyone has a boss. Someone they need to obey.

Once their little gathering was over the higher rank left, leaving the three sergeants alone. “So, we have three weeks to show we can take on a mission of this scale.”, chin-scar spoke through his thick Scottish accent. “Yeah.”, Smith sleepily agreed. They both stared at the floor as their brains continued to mull over their own words. The air in the room was somber. They stood there curious about the whole ordeal, but they didn’t question it. Good soldiers. Following the strings of their puppet master. “We’re not going to fight for it, right?”, Two-colour-eyes asked. “I mean, it doesn’t matter who gets it. So, this is pointless. Why the testing?”, he added. The other two seemed amused by his words as they kicked their feet against the concrete floor. The atmosphere was boring, they knew nothing about the mission, and it was already late, yet for some reason they decided to stay awake as if the answers would show itself. Their beds creaked and groaned as they took their seats on them, dull grey sheets clashing against the green in their trousers. The light in the room flickered out as the sergeants sat in the darkness. 

Their boots squelched in the mud as they traversed along the ridges of the fields. ‘Why are we here? What are we doing?’, they thought pushing their way through the slippery slopes of their task. “You will be completely alone.”, their higher rank’s voice whispered along with the wind, the unnervingly tricking of their nature twisted its howling song as they pushed themselves towards a hill. MacTavish heard the squeaky laughs of the structures around him moved himself along the discreet path laid before him. Contorting his body to the barren wastelands stretching and groaning before him. The clouds slowed their fierce torment as the rain began to drizzle its way to the ground. He trudged along this journey as it stretched as far as the eye could see, as the sun peeked its glowing gaze out through the clouds and torched his way towards his goal. A goal set up for him by the ones pulling on his strings.

[brandonduhaimes]

What if (M.B.)

Credits to gif maker

Authors note: thank you for reading and i hope you enjoy! Sorry for any spelling/grammar errors im writing from my phone since i left my laptop at work.

Length: 3.8k

Saturday mornings on days Matt didn't have a game were simply the best. This morning he had you pinned under him as a way to keep you from getting up.

"Babe you have to get off your crushing me” you yell out as he whines before rolling over so you can breathe freely again. "You got me all wet with your dripping hair. Next time dry it before laying on me."

"What do you want to do this morning since you wont let me cuddle you?" He sighs with a pout on his lips.

"You are so dramatic sometimes you know that?" You giggle as he pulls you into his side and wraps his arms around your waist.

"I wouldn't have to be if you would just let me lay on you," he sighs dramatically "but no i can't suffocate you lovingly."

"Maybe in a couple years you can, but not today i still have a life to live," you add continuing your fake argument.

"Well Y/N, I hope I get to be a part of that life because you are the one constant I have. Hockey is changing everyday, especially since the trade deadline is coming up."

Boldy wasn't planning on leaving Minnesota but he knows that soon some of the people he cares about most could be gone. He definitely doesn't want you to leave too. "What if we just i don't know moved to Canada or something, escape it all."

"Ah yes canada where no hockey exists and you would be free." He smiles at your comment and kisses your forehead softly.

"You're right that might possibly be the worst place for me to go. One of the teams up there would find me and hold me hostage or something." You both laugh at that and he holds you a little bit tighter "but seriously I love you and I need you with me forever. I don't think that i could move on from you even if i tried."

"I love you too Matt I don't plan on leaving ever." You reach your arm across his stomach trying to pull him even closer.

"Well, then I know what we are doing today!" He says shooting up out of bed leaving you utterly confused.

"And what exactly do you have in mind?" You ask "for someone who didn't want to get up not even five minutes ago you sure did change your mind fast."

"I love you more than I've ever thought possible so with great advice from an icon i am in-fact going to put a ring on it." With that he grabs your arm and drags you out of bed. "Go get in the shower!"

"Matthew you are absolutely the goofiest person Ive ever met." You laugh as he drags you towards the shower.

What you didn't know was that Matt had already picked out the ring, talked to your parents (who were on their way over), and the boys who were all waiting in his front yard.

When you got out of the shower Matt was no where to be found. The only thing proving he was still in the house was the outfit he had placed on your bed. It seemed a little dressy for a Saturday morning but you slipped it on anyways.

You walked down the stairs to find mason brandon and connor in the hallway.

"What are you three doing in my house?" You ask and they just laugh as Connor grabs your hand and escorts you outside. Mason and Brandon follow behind you giggling like school boys.

"We have your first clue." Brandon says as Mason hands you a small handwritten note and your car keys.

You stopped and took a minute to read the note: "It was snowing on the day we met and the roads were horrible. What if you didnt come that day? Would fate have still brought us together if you never showed up?"

The first day you had met Matt was at a fan meeting. He had spent almost forty minutes signing autographs for people when all the sudden he couldn't speak. He was to stunned to talk to the person standing in front of him. He did however manage to write his number on the back of the puck you had brought for him to sign.

"Thanks boys," you say as you get in your car.

"No problem Y/N have fun!" Mason yells before shutting the door for you. As you drive to the X you wonder what you are getting yourself into.

(Matt's POV)

"Are you sure you aren't going to overboard?" Connor asked as he took the note and your car keys.

"I had so many memories with them in the x that it would be weird for me to not make this a part of it. My first hattrick was the night that we went on our first date. That was the best Valentine's day ever for me. I knew that day I had found the love of my life." He reminds him.

"You just wish you had thought of it first dew, let it be." Brandon chirps making everyone laugh quietly so you wouldn't hear them.

"Alright ill see you guys in like an hour for set up. Thank you so much."

With that I got in my car and headed to the florist to pick up the flowers.

(Your POV)

You park and make your way towards the supposed to be vacant building to find Jordan, Hartman, Dumba and Brodin inside the front doors. (the ones on the riverside with the hockey lodge next to it.)

They swing open the doors dramatically and Jordan gives you a hug before ushering you quickly inside and into the hockey lodge. Once inside they handed you bag of your favorite candy and a small note.

You opened the note to read: "what if you had just taken the free tickets and not came down to the locker room after? (Not that i think you are that kind of person though)"

Before you could make your way down Jordan held his arm out "Let me escort you." He says and you laugh at the goofy face he makes. The two of you had hung out with eachother often and were really close friends, so you took his arm.

As the two of you walked he spoke up. "You know Boldy is probably one of the best guys on the planet. You have no idea the difference you make in his life. I haven't seen him this happy in a while. So thank you for that."

"He makes me really happy too. I don't think I could have been more lucky. The schedule is hard but as long as he's happy i wouldn't want any if it to change. He's made me a better person by just being around." You respond and Jordan smiles.

"Thats the best part of finding the one you are meant to be with, it changes both of you for the better and it works no matter what."

You and Jordan finish the walk to locker room laughing and up to your usual antics. He stops outside of the doors "I believe this is your stop. Thank you for choosing big rig trucking."

"Thanks for the escort Greenie." You say before pushing the doors open. Jordan salutes you and you laugh as he walks away.

(Matt's POV)

While I was on my way to the flower shop I called Jordan.

"Remember they would probably walk through the arena so dont let them go alone I don't want the next parts to be ruined."

"You got it I'll make sure to walk them down through the outside offices." He responds.

"Jordan what if they say no? What if its too soon?" I ask starting to think I may have been too early.

"I think that you know when its time." He says, "you were pretty dead set on it last week when you were trying to get coach to approve the day off."

He was right, I knew that it was the right time and its the day of so of course I would be nervous. "You're right Greenie I just got nervous all the sudden, but I have to get to the florists so im gonna let you go."

"Drive safe bolds" he says and we say our goodbyes.

(Your POV)

As you walk through the door you are met with the smiling faces of Sam, Sammy, Adam, Marco and Calen.

"Welcome to the locker room, its not like you haven't been here before but y'know i didnt really know what else to say." Calen says making you laugh as they show you Matt's locker which had a small note on the bench.

It read: "What if you had decided not to go up to the press box with me while we waited for everyone to leave?" Next to the note was a beautiful silver locket with the picture you had taken of the two of you in the press box inside. On the other side it had the words "my happily ever after."

Adam then came up to you and help you put the locket around your neck.

After this Rossi escorted you to the press box. After a few moments, he asked you, "Y/n do you believe in love at first sight?"

"I do." You say, "I think that when you meet the one you are supposed to be with the world stops. Its just you and them in that moment."

"Boldy believes in it too. When he met you and came back down to the locker room after, all he could say was that he had just met the love of his life. We all thought he was crazy. Of course it was Connor and I that were down there and we just hadn't met the one yet." He smiles thinking of his girlfriend. "Now that we've both found them we agree with him."

"I'm glad you found yours Rossi and I'm glad I have mine too." You replied smiling.

You continued walking in a comfortable silence before finally reaching the doors to the press box.

"Well this is where I leave you." He smiles and walks away.

(Matt's POV)

As I leave the florists I call Y/N's dad.

"Hey Matt how are you coming along there? We are done with the set up here, we just need the flowers," he asks.

"I'm on my way now." I respond "Jordan texted me like ten minutes ago saying that he dropped them at the locker room so it should be like 45 minutes still."

"Perfect! It looks like it will all work out perfectly timing wise." He then adds, "I don't know how you came up with this idea but it's amazing. I wish i would have thought of something like this."

"Mr. Y/L/N they don't deserve anything less. They are my entire world and I want to remind them everyday. So if I can go big here it will make it easier for them to remember how much I love them."

"You're a great man Boldy don't ever forget that." Y/D/N says "I'm going to let you go since you are driving and we don't need you injured."

"I'll see you soon Mr. Y/L/N!" I respond and we say our goodbyes.

(Your POV)

As I made my way into the press box I was met by Ekkie, Middsy, Gus, Freddie, Jonny, and Moose.

"Welcome to the press box!" Moose yells making all of you laugh. He guides you over to the radio panel where a small note is waiting for you.

It read: "What if you didn't go skating with me? I was so excited to show you who I am that I didn't even think about how you might not have known how. Im glad you did." On the floor next to the note was a pair of skates. The ones you had worn during your first date and the many after them.

You look out over the ice to see some faces you recognize already waiting for you on the rink. "We thought you might need a couple of escorts to the rink. We wouldn't want you getting lost." Moose says and you laugh as the boys follow you down to the rink.

As you make your way down to the entrance you smile as you find more faces than before. All of the boys you had talked to already had made their way to the rink and were skating to their hearts content. "Y/N?" Moose questions "will you skate with us for a little while?"

"Of course!" You say and laugh as he helps you lace your skates up. As you make your way onto the ice you are ran into by a very happy Mason Shaw.

"Sorry Y/N! I didn't mean to I just wanted to say hi again!" He pulls you into a hug. "What do you think of all this?"

"Its really cool, he really worked hard on this." You reply as reavo also makes his way over. The rest of the boys follow and you stop to chat with Moose and Reavo while the others take turns racing up and down the rink trying to prove who the fastest one is.

"I think its nice to know that I have no chance in winning that. Not with Connor on the ice." Reavo says making both you and Moose laugh.

"I dont know Sammy has a pretty good chance too. I saw him play a lot at the U." You respond

"I agree but in all seriousness, you're probably the luckiest person on earth. Boldy can be sassy but he's so genuine that it almost makes up for it. When he knows something is important he gives 110 percent. Its my favorite quality of his," Moose responds.

"I don't think that they are the lucky one in this situation though, Boldy has found someone who has never given up on him and thats what he's always needed. I dont think most people could make it through the schedule. Y/N watching the two of you get close has been one of my favorite off ice moments. Even if we win the cup this year the whole team will remember today as a day worth celebrating." Reavo says hyping you up.

"I feel like I'm the lucky one here he has an amazing support system with you guys around. I'm just glad to be a part of it." You say as Reavo and Moose pull you into a hug. Mason Connor and Brandon notice and soon you are in a group hug with about 20 other guys.

After that you are met with a line of guys all waiting with a flower in hand. One by one each skates up and gives you a hug and the flower. A beautiful red rose just like the flowers Matt had gotten you on the night of your first date. At the end of the long line was the ever wonderful Jared Spurgeon. He handed you the last flower before you noticed that all of the boys except he, goose, Fleury, Kirill, and Mats had made their way out of the arena.

"We have one last note for you." Mats says, "the rest you have to do on your own."

You take the note from him and giggle as you read: "Hopefully this has been a fun little outing for you. I have one last question though. What if you hadn't agreed to move in with me this year? I spent a long time trying to figure out how I want to live my life and I hope you and I have similar plans. Maybe you can meet me at the house?"

"One last escort okay with you?" Jared asks, "I figured I would know the fastest way out of here since I've been here a while."

You smile and take his arm. He walks with you to the front doors before handing you one last thing. "Boldy asked me to give you this. He says its really important that you listen to it on the way back."

"Thanks Jared. I appreciate you walking me back." You respond taking the CD from his hands.

"My car was here so it worked out well." He smiles at you. As you turn to get into your car you hear "One final thing Y/N"

You turn around to look at him again "yes?"

"He really does love you. I think that you are one of the few things keeping him going these days. The season can be long but its easier when you have someone to come to. Remembering how I felt when I first started this job makes me really glad that he found you. He's matured since he met you and he fights for what he believes in now. His confidence is way better with you around so thank you."

"Thank you Jared, I think that we balance each other well. He's made me who I want to be and I plan on being around for a while," you respond.

"Well get on home! He's waiting." Jared says and you smile as you get into your car.

Jared was gone before you even had your seatbelt buckled but, before you left you turned on the CD that Matt made.

You laughed as Kid in Love by Shawn Mendes started playing. Matt had listened to you play it on your guitar many times and you smiled remembering the day you caught him singing it in the kitchen.

As you drove, more songs that you both loved played, making the drive seem way to quick. While you were excited to see what the rest of the day had in store you couldn't help but hope the drive continued.

As you made your way up the drive way you smiled to see the garage door already open. You parked and made your way inside to be greeted by your puppy Jax. Even with the crazy actions of the six month old puppy you didn't miss the note taped to his collar.

"Jax sit." The puppy stopped and sat waiting patiently for your next words. You grabbed the note from his collar and smiled as you read: "Can you let me outside please? Dad wouldn't let me go out with out you."

"Lets go outside Jax!" With that the little puppy went back to the jumping and overly excited animal you were used to. He lead you to the back door tail wagging and barking loudly.

(Matt's POV)

Jax alerted us that Y/N was inside which meant that my plan worked. I stood outside next to the tree that we had spent the night dancing under when we first moved here.

As Y/N walked out the back door I froze. They were perfect. Absolutely perfect.

I spent all morning getting this ready and I couldn't figure out what to do next. "Well hi Matt, how was your morning?" Y/N smiled at me as they came up to me.

"Mine was pretty busy." I say laughing, "how was yours?"

"Pretty crazy honestly. The love of my life set up the most beautiful morning for me and let me get to know his teammates who are wonderful escorts by the way."

"Im glad that they took care of you well." I responded smiling, "I hope that maybe I can do better than they did though."

(Your POV)

"How do you plan on doing that? Moose is a pretty smooth talker." You crack a smile and that seems to break the tension as he laughs as well.

"Will you go on a walk with me Y/N?" He whispers "I've got something to show you."

"Of course I will." You reply and with that he takes your hand and walks down to your dock. At the end is a beautiful set up with candles and flowers. Not to mention the roses leading all the way down the dock.

You smile as he leads you to the end. He stops and you can feel his hands shaking from nerves. You knew what was coming but waited, pretending not to notice your parents and siblings watching on the beach with his family and the rest of the team.

"Y/N I've spent the last few years getting to know you and I couldn't imagine spending any of the years ahead with out you." He takes a deep breath and continues. "I want to be there when you are sick and can't get out of bed. I want to be there on the days when the kids are being loud because they have friends over and the days after those when you are cranky in the morning because you didn't get any sleep. I want you to be there for me when I get another hattrick and I want you to be there for family skates and I want you to be with me forever."

He stops and gets down on one knee before finishing. "I want to be there on your wedding day. I want to take your hand after your dad walks you down the aisle. So with that being said, will you marry me?"

You smile as the tears start to fall slowly. "Matt I want to be there with you when our kids have their first day of school. I want to be there when you hit one thousand games. I want to be there to watch you break records. I want to be there when you can't find the back of the net. I want to be there when you are injured and when you go back to playing after injury." You take a deep breath as you feel the pressure in your chest release. "Yes I will marry you."

With those words said, cheers erupt from the beach as Matt picks you up and spins you around in a tight hug. He places his lips on yours and dips you backwards. You hold him tightly and smile through the kiss trying not to to chuckle as Connor Mason and Brandon make endless noise. Boldy then stood you up and placed the ring he had bought you on your finger before taking your hand. The rest of the younger boys joined in the cheering as you and Matt's parents sat quietly holding each other with tears in their eyes.

From the beach you hear Jared taking over dad role and yelling at all of them to stop rilling up the dog who had somehow managed to tackle Dumba. Both Jax and Dumba seemed to be okay with this though.

You make your way back up to shore and you notice that Dean Evason had also been standing on the beach. "The Minnesota Wild have one more gift for you." He states and hands you and Matt both a package. You opened them together to find matching Jerseys. Both with the name Boldy on them with the numbers 22-23 on the back.

In yours was a small note that said: congratulations to the two of you may this lead to many happy years ahead.

In yours was a small note that said: congratulations to the two of you may this lead to many happy years ahead.

[back2bluesidex]

Idk if this is something you’d want to read but after reading your post about being lonely, i definitely feel the same way 😅 albeit probably a little different. I dont really have anyone to talk to about this feeling so i thought maybe i’d share this. I just started a seasonal job in retail at 22, ive never had a “real job” because since i was 14 i was considered the “family babysitter” & once i turned 16 i kept applying for jobs so i didnt have to keep babysitting, nothing worked out because i was always met with “you need more experience “ & i kept getting that until i was 20 (when i just gave up & accepted I’ll probably be a babysitter for family/family friends forever 🥲). Ive only really been surrounded by kids & family, my mom took me out of highschool in my 1st year because she hated the public school system & decided to “homeschool” (which was go get my ged at 18), so i never got to experience the highschool life & friends, i was pretty isolated. Aside from getting rejected from jobs constantly, i wasnt able to go to college after either because it was too much money & that “nobody would be at home watching kids”. So ive just constantly felt very alone & whenever i would mention it i was met with things like “dont be selfish. you should be thankful youre not out there in the world, it’s evil” etc etc. Along with the fact i dont know how to drive, i had a huge fear whenever i was 15/16 so i never learned then but when i was 18 i didnt have that anymore & wanted to. I was constantly trying to get people to teach me, but no one would and driving school costs a ton which i didnt have bc no paying job. That added on to that feeling & i kept feeling behind

So fast forward to now at 22, i was finally able to get a seasonal job at victorias secret and nov 4 was my first training day. I still have that feeling & now im just stressed about everything. They immediately put me on cash register & very vaguely explained things to me, so i wasnt the best when trying to check people out & i know in retail you’ll get horrible customers sometimes and that’s literally all i got. I was so overwhelmed & i did accidentally mess up someone’s change (which was fixed!) so i had them screaming at me 2 hours in my first training day. And i cant stop thinking about how inadequate i felt during that & that whole day really. I would get judgmental looks from the other workers when i would ask questions, because ive never done anything like this before. I kept getting looked at like i was stupid for not knowing things & that messed with me (still is). I dont think itll be like that entire time im there, im hoping at least.

And i still dont know how to drive, i tried once this year from my older sister but she started grabbing the wheel when i was trying to drive because she panicked (i was going in a straight line in a empty parking lot) & stated she’s never trying to teach me again. My younger cousins learned how, have their license and new cars already & i hate that i feel jealous and angry about it because it is family, but everyone who helped them constantly told me they couldn’t with me year ago & still now. I get subtle remarks of “your cousins can drive already/youre 22 & relying on others to drive you” etc. (they also all have jobs already & not a seasonal one like me) But yeah, i feel so alone & inadequate at literally everything, have for years. Breakdown all the time because i have no clue on what to do & i have no one to talk to about it.

Rant over, sorry for how long it is, im probably being dramatic too, there are people who have it worse than i do 😅 but yeah, i get that feeling! I do hope you feel better better about it 🫶🏻🤎

Don't say sorry! It's alright. Rather I am glad that you found me and my blog safe enough to share your troubles with.

and let me tell you that you are just 22. You still have a whole lot of time ahead to make money, to learn driving, to make friends, to enjoy life and do everything you want to do.

Don't ever think you are late or that time is slipping away from your clutches! It's not.

I am 25 and I can't even cook. Can you believe it? a 25 year old woman who can't even fry an egg properly while cooking is a basic survival skill? my friends can make a whole feast if they want to and I only know how to boil some instant noodles. At times this made me feel like an inferior too but no, none of us are inferior to one another because what I can't do - you can and what you can't do - I can. we are all lacking and it's okay.

Also, if those people made you feel like a fool just because they didn't train you properly then it's their fault, not yours. when you start working you need to learn one thing that is to make you skin thick. It's only you who needs to know the truth - that it's not your fault - and the rest of the world can go fuck off.

and what if you did some mistakes? we all are allowed to do so. mistakes are the only way we get to learn, isn't it?

So, please, darling. Cheer up! You have a ton of time to buy that car or get that job or tell people to fuck off when they ask you to watch their kids. Things aren't over yet. You are doing good. You will do even better tomorrow and one day you will be the best! I believe in you and I am proud of you!

even though I know we are basically strangers but just know this person right here, an elder sister to you, will always be proud of you no matter what!

if you want to talk, slide into my inbox any time. I will always welcome you!

Love you!! 💕💕💕💕

P.S: You should have charged for those babysitting sessions.

P.S.S: I, too, don't know how to drive. LMAO!

[shooks-stupid-stuff]

one thing that's been bothering me for a few years now is how i basically have 2 types of ocs: ones that are pretty much entirely original, and ones that are very obviously inspired by media i like. it's that second category that's been bothering me, and i just... feel the need to finally put it into words.

it's no secret that i'm incredibly passionate about the media and characters i like, especially if you're someone that knows me closely and/or talks to me a lot. so sometimes when making ocs i just go 'ooh i should make one that's like this character i like', and i think that's normal. characters people like often have traits they find to be interesting, and those traits can easily be spun in many different ways.

however, there are quite a good chunk of my ocs that i think are a bit too... derivative. and i have no clue how to make them not feel that way, both because me and my friends who i do oc stuff with all already know what the inspirations were and because i feel way too attached to make any major changes.

it kinda started as a joke. a few years back when i was in an active rp community (a story for another time (never)), and thought 'hey it'd be funny if i made some ocs that were just bootleg touhou characters since all my friends know im obsessed with the series lol' (this was technically not the first time i had done something like this, but the previous characters had very rapidly separated themselves from their inspirations in all but general appearance and/or color scheme). and so i did. and it was great, i had a lot of fun taking them and spinning them in a different direction, trying to subvert the mold i had made them from.

however. i quickly began to feel just... really conflicted about these characters. i REALLY liked them, and i still do, i think some of them are some of my most fun characters, but... can i really call them my characters when they're so heavily inspired by something else? even if they're different enough, it didn't matter. you could still tell (or i could, at least). and i couldn't bring myself to massively change anything about them because... they were already cemented into my mind. it felt wrong.

even now, having redesigned basically all the characters i have that fit into this category at least once i just... can't help but feel conflicted about most of them. and i kind of can't escape doing this, even with new ocs (example: i recently made a character based off of a japanese mythological figure, and all i could think about when designing them was the touhou character also based off of that mythological figure... and it definitely shaped the design a lot).

i... don't know what point im trying to make here. or if this is even coherent, or something i should be all too concerned about at all, or something other people have even noticed.

i guess what im trying to say is i was gonna post some redesigns ive been working on for like two weeks but im kinda too scared to because i feel like all the characters are very obviously derivative and it's making me feel really... well, conflicted.

oh, and quick clarification because this just occurred to me as i was about to hit post: this has nothing to do with the thing i was doing around mid last year where i was making actual bootleg touhou/len'en characters. that's for something else, and those are supposed to be very obvious spoofs and are not actual ocs. i am still working on those i prommy, ill get around to the few in my ask box/commented on that post eventually.

[cookiekat-blogz]

so my English teacher wants us to do a tumblr blog as a project…

can someone explain why in ELA after reading about space travel to mars, our English teacher starts talking about blogging, and my Cinderella boy brainrotting brain goes:

“Like tumblr?”

and she goes

“exactly! How did you know that’s what I was going for?”

and gives me a high five.

like I’m supposed to post about why or why not we as humans should continue funding space travel?! On a public forum/blog?! WITH MY OWN ACCOUNT?! FOR A SCHOOL PROJECT?!! WHERE MY HOMEROOM TEACHER AND CLASSMATES COULD EASILY FIND OUT ABOUT WHAT IVE BEEN DOING THE PAST 4-5 DAYS???!!!?!?!?!?

I know why, but I CANT cause imagine someone sees my account, scrolls down and goes “oh… so you’re a gay trans man?” (I swear I’m not🙏)

like EXCUSEEEE?? I beg your pardon?!

I mean, I guess it’s not that bad, I’ll just have to delete my bio and private any post that mentions fanfiction (almost all btw). Not for the sake of my classmates finding out though—

(I was pretty surprised when they had no clue what it was so they wouldn’t know the works of it [,tumblr] for a while)

-but for the sake of my English teacher who already thinks I write and read fanfiction.

(spoiler alert, she’s right.)