#li galli

[dixt]

li galli, italy ⋅ ph. luciana ferraioli

[jojoseames]

Italian Adventure travelogue paintings!

56: Sorrento Peninsula, the Amalfi Coast, and Li Galli, as seen from the tippy-top of Monte Tiberio, on the Isle of Capri.

57: Villa Jovis, Monte Tiberio, Capri.

58: The Blue Grotto on the coast of Capri. The color of the water was truly astonishing!

59: The mighty Mediterranean. In my head I was just chanting, "The wine dark sea! The wine dark sea…!" over and over. 🤣

And that's it! That's the last of my Italy travelogue pieces! I filled up this entire mini sketchbook, and also that's the end of the trip!

[2t2r]

Li Galli - archipel en forme de dauphin

Nouvel article publié sur https://www.2tout2rien.fr/li-galli-archipel-en-forme-de-dauphin/

Li Galli - archipel en forme de dauphin

[annon-guy2]

Mortal Kombat Guest Kharacter Poll (Manga/Light Novel Guests)

[mae-gi-writes]

Finders Keepers | Gally [TMR] - Part 1

In which Gally gets soft for one of the boys in the Glade, only…is it a boy? alternatively; In which Mai disguises herself into a boy to fit in the Glade, only to be suspected by the keen eyes of the Builder's Keeper.

NEXT >>

-------

"Enjoying life, Greenie?" 

Dark eyes framed by thick lashes look up with a scowl at the said Builder's voice. And here Mai had hoped for some peace and tranquility after having spent all day out in the sun pulling out weeds and listening to Zart talk incessantly about his love of plants and whatever. 

Gally stands ahead of the new boy, leaning against one of Homestead's supporting structures with the kind of grin that makes Mai want to run for it. No wonder so many new Greenies decide that the Maze is a fair chance. When Gally's out here storming through the grounds, Mai isn't quite sure that the Glade is as safe as they all make it out to be. His temper is something to be reckoned with. 

Mai's been here for only over a week and to say that it's comfortable would be a lie. It feels suffocating, all the more because of the number of people cramped into the Glade. 

Gally takes a step towards the Greenie and the latter freezes up for a second, inwardly screaming at him to go back where he comes from because god knows Mai does not want the peace created undisturbed. But seems that Gally doesn't read faces well, for he plonks himself down next to the new boy while pushing up his shirt sleeves currently caked with mud from all the hard work he's been doing around the Glade. 

The words fall from Mai's mouth without warning, "aren't you supposed to be with your Builders?" 

For a minute, Gally's eyebrows quirk up in surprise. Not a lot of people dare to stand up to him and yet, this new recruit has the kind of fire in his eyes that makes Gally smirk. Little smartass, he thinks to himself. 

"I'm their Keeper, I can do whatever I want." 

"Slacking off is also part of that job title?" 

"You've got quite a mouth on you for a Greenie." 

Mai's scowl merely deepens before he looks away. Gally's right. That's not the right way to keep a low profile here. In the Glade, hierarchy was everything and Mai is stupid to believe that Gally's interest in him excuses Mai from any sort of punishment he might have to offer. 

"Sorry," Mai mutters. 

Gally doesn't seem to mind, clapping a hand on the younger boy's back before he pulls himself back up, "Gotta go back to work Greenie. You coming?" 

Mai grumbles but does as told, already feeling the scars on his hands where he'd been pulling out weeds all morning. He just hopes that his phase with the Garden people is just what it is - a phase. There are far more fun things to be done around the Glade and unwillingly, the Greenie casts a glance back at Gally's broad back as the latter makes his way to his newest architectural invention.

Mai feels his face flush and quickly averts his gaze, knowing full well that he needs to get a hold of himself if he wants to survive in this place.

Well, she needs to get a hold of herself. 

----

Lie.

Lie to them. And to yourself.

Lie, Mai.

Those were the first few words that Mai heard echoing in the back of her brain the moment she'd stepped out of the metal box. The crowd of boys around her hadn't suspected a thing, considering that she was dressed as a boy, had close-cropped hair and was so scrawny one could barely believe a female's body laid underneath. The words were so poignant, dripping with venom of instructions, that Mai had done as told. She'd lied to them all, for the sake of safety.

And maybe that was what had saved her, in the long run.

It's complicated living in a Glade full of horny boys. Mai has to be careful because every second counts. When she goes to the toilet, for example, making up the excuse that she needs to do "a big one" as she'd mutter out to the other boys while averting her gaze elsewhere. Or when she's changing, always volunteering to go pick out weeds and quickly dropping into the Runner's chambers so she could get into fresh clothes. The biggest challenge had been the showers. It was communal and most boys didn't care at all for privacy. So Mai had to wait out in the dark. No boys enjoyed bathing in utter darkness, so night time was her best opportunity. She'd wait until everyone was drowsy enough not to realize that she was gone, scrubbing down her body in milliseconds before shoving on her new clothes.

Thankfully, the boys are either too dumb or too preoccupied with dealing with what the Maze has to offer to give her attention, and for that Mai is grateful.

"So have you decided?"

She looks up from her bowl of soup freshly made by Frypan and herself -- they'd decided to put her with the said young man for the day to see how she would fare and in all honesty, Mai thinks that this is probably the first time she's felt at ease with something -- into Alby's dark eyes.

Their leader is not one that speaks for nothing, and so everything that does come out of his mouth is of some importance.

"I definitely don't want to be a Slicer," she responds with a shrug, and takes another gulp of her soup. The leader takes a seat across from hers with an amused smile, "why not? I think it's fitting."

"Shut up Alby," she scowls at him.

"Alright alright," he lifts his hands in surrender, "considering your frame, I say we make you a Cook. Frypan needs all the help he can get anyway."

"That's offensive," Mai states, "what's wrong with my size?"

"C'mon Greenie, you're like four feet tall. You can't hold or build nothing, you suck at gardening, you've got no shuck stamina. I think the kitchen's where you belong."

"Thanks Alby, really shucking inspirational."

"You're welcome." Alby grins. Someone cries out his name then, something to do with the Runners, and he hits you lightly on the arm as he stands, "right. Off to work, shank."

Mai watches as his back shrinks with more distance, and wonders whether Alby suspects something off about her — or him. She's so careful, always double or triple checking, but she can never be too sure. Is that why he's sticking her into the kitchen where he thinks girls belong?

No, you're thinking too much into it, Mai thinks to herself. It's fine, you're doing fine.

Obviously, it's not just fine.

She busies herself all afternoon working as Frypan's assistant in the kitchen. He is easy-going and makes her feel a lot better, something about his presence reassures her, even though the close cooking quarters makes moving about impossible without touching one another. That's not something that Mai feels comfortable with, so she does try her best to avoid moving in the same direction.

Tonight is pork curry from the Slicer's last batch, paired with flavored rice and some green beans from the Track-Hoes gardens. The boys are hungry by the time evening falls and Mai busies herself by serving them one another another, until the familiar clamour of metal causes the entire Glade to freeze.

It's been a week, and yet Mai is still not comfortable hearing the gates close them in every night. The same gates keeping them from the outside. The same gates trapping them in, in a world that they can't even control.

Mai's fury burns as she thinks of it.

"Hey," she turns to see the blonde, the one that looks like an elf with features so delicate that she might swoon at the look of him. He's the next in line, amused by the fact that she seems distracted.

"O—Oh. Sorry," she quickly shoves a few pieces of Pork into his plate and loads it up with the greenbeans, "here you go."

"Thanks Greenie," he cocks his head st her curiously, "how you holding up?"

Mai shrugs, embarrassed that she can't seem to recall his name even though she knows he's second-in-command, "doing alright I suppose. Alby finally figured out what to do with me."

"Yeah I think you're better suited for it than picking out weeds. Zart wasn't impressed."

"It's not my fault your weeds seem to be ten meters long." Mai protests as a flush creeps up her neck.

Newt laughs, "I'm joking Greenie. Relax. Anyway," he lifts his plate in mock salute, "thanks for this. Hope I don't choke on it."

"Well I hope you do!" Mai yells out after him, only to add after some minor reflection, "—a little bit."

After having served all Gladers, Mai takes her own plate and tries to find a seat. Alas, the task proves itself hard upon noticing that all tables are already full. There's only one place open — and that one place is by the Runner's table.

Now, it's not that Mai wants to be rude and ignore them altogether. But the Runners only bring out the particular memory of her pathetic wheeze after having run merely a mile, deeming her not fit for the said job. That embarrassment had only made Mai want to avoid the Runners altogether if she could.

But alas, fate is not on her side today. She spots the asian boy called Minho, whose eyebrows quirk up when their eyes meet. He casts a quick glance at her tray, has a look around, before he grins and beckons her over.

"Hey Greenie," he says as soon as her butt hits her seat. His dimpled smile paired with his pretty crescent moon eyes doesn't help with her heart, "thought you'd never wanna show your shuck face around us after that run."

"Some people aren't Runners. Get over it," you say it more in a mutter but loud enough that it gets the entire table into chuckles.

"Well I think you might just be the next Frypan," another Runner says, "I'm Ben by the way."

"Mai," she responds, not enjoying the way his eyes seem to flicker over her face in thought, as if he's trying to figure out what's off with her.

Because there is something off, just not the kind that they'd expect.

"Huh, Mai." Ben tries it out on his tongue. He takes another bite of his curry, "how are you liking the glade?"

"S'alright. I just wish the Builders could maybe build us actual beds instead of having hammocks."

"Oh he said it," Minho claps Mai's back so hard she almost spits out her food, thankful he hasn't noticed when he only slings an arm around her shoulder to pull her closer, "hey Gally! Greenie here has a problem with your hammocks!"

Uh oh. Mai's horror triples as she watches the said Builder stand from his seat. Numerous eyes have swayed across tables to land on her now. Gally strides towards them slowly, a predator confident in his skin, she can't help but squirm back.

He's intimidating and scary. And yet, her stomach squeezed with an unfamiliar feeling altogether.

"You got a problem with the hammocks?"

Gally's voice brings her back to reality. Mai blinks, "uhm—no, not at all—"

"That's not what you said a few seconds ago Greenie," Minho grins, "come on. Tell him. He doesn't bite."

"He might," mutters Ben from your other side.

"Uh— I was saying how comfortable the hammocks were," Mai responds with a nervous laugh, "so yeah— good job Gally."

Gally doesn't seem convinced, but a call from Alby stating that he wishes to see the Keepers thankfully breaks the attention from Mai.

"Right," Minho quickly clears the plates  away, but not before ruffling Mai's hair as he does so, "I'll see you guys tomorrow. Try not to die Greenie."

Mai lets out a soft sigh as the asian boy makes a run for it, followed by Gally after having thrown her another glance. He doesn't say anything though and as the Glade slowly starts to die out — boys settling into their hammocks and others taking their turns in the showers — Mai is glad when no one seems to pay her attention in favor of sleep. No surprise there, considering how tiring they are after all this hard work.

She settles into her own hammock, tied up close to the elfin-looking blonde, and tries to get comfortable. The Maze walls look even larger as she stares up at them, her breath catching in her throat as she thinks of all the boys that have lived here for months without hope.

Mai falls asleep that night, dreaming of the what ifs and the endless possibilities of what the future might hold.

She just hopes that they'll make it out one day, hopes that the echoing voices at the back of her head are just that — voices.

-----

A/N: AAANd that's a wrap for the first chapter! Like I said, I'm in a TMR brainrot so don't mind me or my obsessive behaviour towards Gally in these series. And can I just say that Will Poulter has aged like fine wine. See you in the next chapter! Do let me know if you wanna be added to the taglist <3

[nomoreusername]

A Bittersweet Reunion

Pairing:Gally x female reader

Summary:Despite the way reuniting with Gally should be only happy, you both end up going through every kind of emotion.

You didn't know you had missed the official reunion of your dead boyfriend. To be fair, being stabbed by some random person because you got a little too close to someone in a crowd probably does require some medical attention. Still, you had gone more than half a year grieving over him and swore you were every other second. You were just one stage away from acceptance that he was actually dead.

Apparently, you never even had to. While that would admittedly be quite an annoyance when you found out, it would be a happy one.

Gally had been pretty anxious about seeing you all day. While he still listened with full attention to the more than dangerous reason everyone had traveled all the way to the very last city (Denver), the back of his mind was filled with you. Were you okay? Were you safe? Had anything extreme happened to you while he was gone? Did you hate him with every part of you? Did you move on?

So many questions and no answers. Not until he was able to get back to the Right Arm base and see you. Would you punch him in the face the way Thomas had? Would you want to see him? Who knows? Certainly not him.

You were waiting on a bench, your arm wrapped in fresh bandages. While it was now a numb hurt, it was definitely painful. Any idiot would know be able to tell.

It was getting late. You didn't know exactly what time it was since there weren't any clocks or windows near you, but you were certain of that. Nobody had given you any information about anything. You weren't informed of why or where your friends had vanished off the face of the earth. Nobody was aware that you're Gally's lover so they didn't bother to tell you about that. As far as they knew, you were less than a stranger on the street to him.

He wasn't sure if Thomas had only said you were here to hurt him more. He wasn't sure if Thomas had lied to make sure he would have hope torn away from him. He wasn't sure if Newt had confirmed it because he wanted to cover for him. He wasn't sure if Fry had said it too out of frustration at all his actions the last time they had seen each other.

Apparently, you're right behind the door standing in front him. That's what everyone told him before they left to eat.

He couldn't eat. If he did, he was sure he would vomit. His stomach was twisted in knots, threatening to suffocate his organs.

Taking a deep breath, he told himself to be strong and get it over with before he opened the door.

You looked up from the floor you had fixated on for almost an hour. When you found yourself staring at your love that you thought you lost forever, you froze.

He didn't know what to do. He didn't know what your reaction meant. He didn't know if you were shocked, afraid, angry, or any type of emotion.

You hadn't found your voice, but you were able to stand.

He was still your Gally though. He had to be. If he moved on while you were staying loyal to someone you thought was dead, that would be a new kind of betrayal.

He had grown almost an inch taller, making the height difference just a little more obvious. His brown hair was now completely buzzed. His coffee eyes held this certain softness that you had never seen from him before.

He was still here.

All he could do was look at you. Your hair had grown a little since he last saw you but was still the same Y/H/C color. Your Y/E/C eyes still held this gentleness that he didn't think he could ever have. Everything about you just seemed better despite almost nothing having changed. Better than he ever had been. Better than he could ever be.

In his mind at least. In yours, your other half was right in front of you.

“Gally?”You whispered, eventually remembering how to speak.

“I’m sorry,”He whispered back, not knowing what exactly he was apologizing for. Killing Chuck? Waiting so long to go with you? You living your life believing he was dead? Every one of those and more?

Slowly walking over, you stared at him for a moment. Just as he was staring back you threw your arms around him, the tears pouring from your eyes no matter how much you squeezed them shut. Silently sobbing into his chest, you hugged him as tightly as you could, afraid that if you let go this would be another dream.

He was never a crier. He hated it. Nobody had ever seen him cry. Not even you.

He didn't care about that right now. The love of his life was sobbing at the realization that he was alive despite the way he had stayed up for nights thinking that you hate him now. The love of his life was breaking down with emotion.

Holding you back, he rested his chin on your head as the tears dripped down his cheeks. Shutting his eyes, he repeated apologies. Each one made you cry harder as you realized he thought he had something to be guilty for.

“I missed you,”You mumbled into his shirt, firmly gripping it in your hands.

“I missed you too. I missed you everyday,”He promised, his voice cracking. As he tried to pull away you shook your head and pulled him as close as possible. You didn't want him to disappear yet. Something like that had to be some sick dream. There was no way this was real. “I’m here. I’m right here,”He soothed, rubbing your back.

Knowing that the longer you stayed the more it would hurt when you awoke you quickly pulled away, wiping your eyes. With your face buried in your hands, you waited for your heart to ache again in a way that put you two steps back.

Instead, you felt his hands in yours. Slowly pulling your hands away, you kept them in your sides as he cupped your face.

Suddenly, a group of people ambushed you. While some of them tore Thomas away from Chuck others were grabbing you, forcing you from your lover's body. Shouting for them to leave you with him, you tried to hold on, reaching for him.

This was real.

“Gally.”

“Y/N.”

A small smile creeped onto your face despite the tears falling from your eyes. Wiping them with his thumbs, he smiled back as his own spilled.

Pressing his lips to your temple, he kissed your forehead. Feeling your heart flutter in your chest, you gazed at him with nothing less than love. Looking at you the same way, he thanked every higher power there may be that you had found your way to him.

♡ - - - ♡

It was wrong. Maybe. Maybe it was disgusting that as everyone else cried over Chuck as he slowly died you had run over to Gally. Clutching his shirt on your hands, you let out silent yet pained screams. Bowing your head, as you found your voice you demanded that he wake up. You had already had to run through the Maze thinking you would never see him again. It wasn't fair that he would leave just as you had him. It wasn't fair.

“Wake up!”You demanded, shaking him.

He wanted to. He wanted to say that he was just barely holding on. He wanted to say that this on top of the sting meant he was paralyzed.

He couldn't though. He just had to watch you sob as you believed it was over.

He couldn't. He didn't think his mouth would even allow him to say those words. He didn’t want to hurt you all over again.

There were more of them, and they were stronger than you. That meant that no matter how much adrenaline you had and how much of a fight you put up they were able to drag you out the door.

As he watched you leave a single tear dripped down his cheek.

Sitting straight up, you gasped for air as sweat ran down your entire body. Putting your hand over your chest, you tried to take deep breaths.

You had had that dream more times than you could remember. It had haunted you, had made you afraid to sleep for months. You avoided it until you were sick and passing out standing up.

You thought reuniting with him would surely fix that. It only made sense for you to feel okay again.

You don't. Not in the slightest.

Gally had heard you wake up. It was impossible not to since you had both fallen asleep on the floor right outside the medical room, you being held in his arms.

Leaning against the wall, you put your knees to your chest as you kept telling yourself that he’s right beside you.

It had been so long though that nothing seemed real. Absolutely nothing.

“It's okay,”He coaxed, sitting in front of you. Slowly pulling your hands away from your face, he pressed his palms to your cheeks as he looked at you. “It's okay,”He repeated, not knowing and not needing to know what was going on. All that mattered was that something made you cry.

“Please don't leave again?”You begged through shaky breaths.

He didn't know how to tell you that he had to stay here. Maybe. How could he possibly explain that he pledged his allegiance to Right Arm? How could he ever tell you that now that you're here he didn't know what was right? That he didn't know how he could explain it? That he didn't know if there was any getting out of this? That maybe your only chance of being together forever was you staying here instead of going back with your friends?

All he wanted was to savor this time with you. No matter how short or how long it was, he just wanted to take in every moment, to burn every second into his head.

“Thomas-”

He was worried that if he spoke he would spill everything he couldn't yet. That he would admit all the things he didn't want to.

Making sure no words could escape, he firmly pushed his lips against yours. Shutting your eyes, you wrapped your arms around his neck, letting yourself get lost in the kiss. Depending it, he let his hands travel down your waist and to your outer thighs, keeping you close to him. Not wanting to pull away anyway, you separated to breathe for only a second before crashing your lips back against his.

As you were falling into the other's touch, the door opened, making you both pull apart. Standing there and staring at you with wide eyes, was a dumbfounded Thomas.

“How could you?”He sputtered out.

“He’s a killer. You can make all the excuses you want-”

“He killed Chuck. How could you sit there and kiss a murderer? How?”

“It wasn't his fault,”You said firmly, standing up to be on his level.

“But he still did. He killed him. He pulled the trigger.”

“It's not an excuse. It's the reason. He would never, ever hurt Chuck. Ever.”

“Yeah. He was aiming for you.”

“Excuse me?!”

“How does that fix it?”He snapped, his glare turning sharper.

“If I was stung and remembered how much you hurt us, I would probably try to kill you too.”

You couldn't avoid it forever though. You both knew that.

“This was your fault, Thomas! You set it up! You made the Maze! You trapped your friends in there! You can pretend you didn't, but it doesn't change it! You! Are! Guilty!”

“I fixed it!”

“No you didn't! Minho is missing! People are dead! You didn't fix shit!”

“I never killed anyone!”He denied, ignoring the pang of hurt it put in his chest. The guilt of all the people he lost would still strike him out of nowhere. The fact that one of his friends would think the same only made it worse, though he covered it up with anger.

You didn't believe that, but you couldn't let him insult Gally. If that meant reminding him of the indirect blood on his own hands, so be it.

“Chuck jumped in front of you so you wouldn't die. You didn't move fast enough, and now he's dead. You didn't push him away, and now he's dead. You were a Runner, and you still weren't fast enough. He’s gone. He’s never coming back. He cared about you so much that he gave his life. If you didn't exist, he would still be here.”

With a scowl and tears pricking his eyes, he left, slamming the door so hard it shook the hinges.

With a frustrated groan, you slid down the wall behind you, running your hands through your hair. Sitting beside you, Gally let the silence fill the room as he ran out of things to say. He just placed his hand on your knee, promising that he was still here.

For now.

♡ - - - ♡

Thomas was still furious at you. He felt betrayed. He felt as though you genuinely hated him.

Gally was just supposed to be showing them Teresa. He was only supposed to be explaining the plan.

As Thomas’s coldness chilled the air though, it was obvious he would have to say something.

“I know that you don't like me. I know you hate me. I know you think I hurt you, that I hurt Chuck, out of anger,”He tried, leaning against the railing. Looking at him with a blank expression, Thomas let him speak. “The thing is you don't have to like me. You don't have to want anything to do with me. You don’t have to be my friend. I don't expect that from you,”He sighed.

Thomas was positive that was true. That he would never like him.

“If you care about Minho, if you want to rescue him, you do have to trust me though. If you don't, this won't work. It will only lead to arguing and no communication. It will ruin the entire thing.”

Pursing his lips, Thomas felt his stomach drop as he realized the truth to his words.

“So until this is over, can we be civil? Can you trust me? When it's done, you won't ever have to see me again. Until that happens though, can you do that?”

Sighing, Thomas leaned against the railing further away, nodding as he knew it was true.

“Okay. Until this is over,”He accepted.

“What do you mean we won't ever see you again? Aren't you going back to be with Y/N?”Newt asked slowly, picking up on the words.

With guilt flooding his chest, Gally bowed his head, looking at the concrete ground miles below him.

“Gally, she's been a wreck for months. This morning is the most fine she's looked since you were gone. You can't do this to her again.”

“I . . . I don't know what I’m going to do,”He confessed.

“Y/N needs you. You don't understand how hard it's been on her. You can't abandon her again,”Newt kept pushing.

“It's not that simple.”

“How is not that simple?”

“I have a job here.”

“You told her you would always be loyal to her. She had plenty of options to pick from. She had people she could have been with. She could have been with so many others, but she still chose you. She thought you were dead, and you still came first.”

At his words, Thomas felt remorse for the fight last night. He realized he had let his emotions overtake him. You loved Chuck too, but Gally had been your world. You couldn't just move on. It didn't work like that. No matter what he did, you two loved each other in a way most people would never understand.

If he could still love Teresa, why couldn't you love Gally? She had done it on purpose yet his heart still yearns for her. Why would it be fair to not let yours yearn for him?

“I know. I just don't know what I’m going to do yet. For now, just don't tell her? I need to figure out what comes next, and then I will. So please just don't say anything?”He pleaded.

Newt knew all about secrets. He was great at keeping those.

“Yeah. Okay.”

♡ - - - ♡

You and Thomas hadn't really spoken. Neither of you had the courage to talk about what had went down. Not yet.

“I’m sorry. For getting mad at you about being with Gally. And for calling him a murderer. I don't . . . I’m not really over it, but I know he means a lot to you. He makes you happy. You're my friend so I love you, and I want you to be happy.”

He was nervous and admittedly still a little hurt. At the same time, he knew he had hurt you too. He had essentially accused you of betrayal as if he didn't love someone on the other side.

Needless to say, you weren't the most excited when he had pulled you aside to speak to you.

Of all the things to leave his mouth, you didn't expect that.

“I know you didn't kill anyone. It's not your fault. It never was, and I shouldn't have thrown that in your face. I wasn't angry, but I was hurt. At the end of the day though, you are my friend too. You paid your debt so long ago, and you don't need to anymore. You shouldn't be reminded of it. Nobody's deaths were your fault, and I'm sorry.”

He thought about the promise last night. How Gally made them say they wouldn't tell you he didn't know why to do yet.

It was going to suck when he did, and it already sucked to keep the secret.

“So we're okay again?”He clarified.

You had all slowly left when Thomas followed him, trying to process it. None of you were stupid. No matter how in denial you were, you knew the truth deep down.

“Yeah. We are.”

Hopefully, you still will be when this is over. Or hopefully you never find out that he knows.

♡ - - - ♡

You had all watched Newt push Thomas against a wall. You had all watched him scream in his face. You had all watched the regret in his eyes when he pulled away. You had all watched him leave holding his arm.

You stared at the wall, your face blank as everything became too real. Gally was beside you, his hand on your knee as he took it in himself.

♡ - - - ♡

“This sucks,”You whispered, breaking the tense silence.

“Yeah. It does,”He nodded, not knowing what else to say. Then again, did anything need to be said? No words could change Newt becoming a Crank, and it did in fact suck.

“We fixed Brenda. Somehow. We can fix him,”You mumbled half to yourself and half to him.

“What do you mean?”

“Brenda got bit but a Crank a few months ago. Mary gave her some kind of shot, and it cured her,”You explained.

“So we need to get him to Mary.”

“Janson shot and killed her,”You said simply. There was no other way to put it. That was what happened.

“Oh.”

“Yeah.”

Going back to silence, you placed your hand on top of his. Both of you were still staring straight ahead, trying to decide what comes next.

“If you can't even decide-”

“Why would you keep this from me?!”

He should have known better than to think you wouldn't find out. He should have realized that somehow, someway, someone in Right Arm would spill everything. They didn't even mean to. They weren't aware that you weren't supposed to know yet here you are.

“I didn't know how to tell you,”He repeated, saying the same thing yet again. With that only frustrating you more, you tried to shove past only for him to grab your hand, desperately pulling you towards him.

“I don't want to talk to you!”

“I’m sorry. I just wanted to be with you.”

“Why the hell would I want to be with you when you were just going to leave again?!”

“I’m not leaving. I don't know what I’m doing yet.”

“Well, do it without me!”

“I don't want to do anything without you!”He yelled back.

“You clearly do! You can pick Right Arm! I won’t be a second choice! I will never let myself be that!”

“You're not a second choice!”

“I understand if you don't want to be with me anymore. I really-”

“I love you!”

Both of you froze at his words. For as long as he could remember, he has never told anyone that, even you.

This was a hell of a way to say it.

“What?”You whispered, your anger slowly fading into disbelief.

“I love you. I have loved you for almost as long as I can remember. I feel more for you than I ever have for anyone. You, it's always been you. For so long, it's been you. For so long, you have been my everything. I thought this would be hard. I thought I wouldn't know what to do. I thought I would be too focused on taking down WCKD to actually know, but it's so obvious now. You are the right decision. You are what matters to me. Not revenge, not forgiveness, not proving myself, not a cure. As long as you love me, as long as you still want to be with me, my life is complete. I know that now. I know what the only right choice is.”

Gawking at him, you tried to figure out where this soft-spoken boy came from.

“I love you too,”You promised through heavy breaths as you pulled away.

Cutting him off, you slipped your hand out of his to hold his face before smashing your lips against his. Freezing for a moment, he tried to comprehend that you still wanted to be with him. When it did sink in, he wrapped his arms around your waist, gently kissing you back. Pushing him against the wall behind him, you frantically deepen it, desperation practically radiating off of both of you. For as long as you were capable of, you put off oxygen, deciding that this was much more important. Not the kissing. Being so close to each other that you were practically one.

You kissed until you inevitably ran out of air.

Kidnapping Teresa and getting inside of WCKD had gone off without a hitch. To be honest, there wasn't a real reason for it not to. Everyone had gone over the plan more than enough times, and she had reacted exactly the way Thomas said she would.

“I love you. I love you, and I always will,”He repeated, the words easily rolling off his tongue as though he said them everyday.

This is good. Right now is okay.

How the people he works with will take it is a different story.

♡ - - - ♡

“No,”Lance said simply.

“No? What do you mean no?”

“I mean no. You can't quit to be with some girl.”

“This isn't some girl. This is my girl,”He said firmly, putting both his hands on the table as he looked him in the eye. Literally.

“You made a deal. Your loyalties are here now.”

“I was loyal to her first. I can't not be.”

“You can, and you will be,”He argued.

“No. This is my Y/N. This is my girl, and she comes first. Nothing you do will stop me. Nothing,”He spat, turning around to walk out.

“If you leave, we’ll take her instead.”

Stopping in his tracks, Gally slowly turned around. Lance simply nodded, his hands behind his back.

“What?”

“We’ll take her and not to take your spot. If you leave, we’ll kill your girl.”

“That's not fair. You can't do that.”

“Life isn't fair.”

“No. You don't get to touch her,”He scowled, storming up to him. With the coldest eyes a person has ever had, he glared at him.

“But we will. You know very well we can get to anyone we want.”

“You're a monster.”

“Of course I am.”

“No. You can still think. You're an actual monster. You're heartless.”

“Yes. I am.”

“I won't let you take her.”

“I will.”

“No. Nobody will put a hand on her. You understand? Not while I’m around.”

“Then, I guess we’ll make sure you aren't around.”

Going completely speechless, his heart dropped to his stomach.

“You can make a choice. You either break it off with her tonight or we’ll take her tomorrow. Your choice.”

With that, he went back to tending to his roses as though he hadn't just ruined Gally's only chance of happiness.

♡ - - - ♡

“I don't actually love you.”

The words were simple yet somehow the cruel ones your ears had ever heard.

“What?”

“I lied. I don't love you. I barely even liked you,”He deadpanned, keeping his face expressionless as he looked into your eyes.

“What the hell are you talking about? We’ve been together for years. Now all of a sudden it meant nothing?”

“It never meant anything.”

Looking at him, at his calm demeanor, at his emotionless face, at the empty shell of a person, you swore this was a stranger.

“How? How could you be with me since the Glade, wait for me, kiss me like I’m everything, call me your first choice, and tell me you love me, only to not mean it?”You asked in disbelief.

“I was hoping you would have given it up, but you're taking too long. I never felt anything for you.”

It was the most despicable excuse he could think of. It was the coldest, most humiliating reason he could come up with.

That's what he wanted. If he made himself look like the worst person to exist, you wouldn't miss him. You wouldn't want anything to do with him. You would hate him instead of being hurt by him. You wouldn't blame yourself.

The more it stung now, the sooner you could heal. You could move on and find someone better, someone that isn't him. You could be happy.

All he wanted was for you to be safe and happy, even if that means losing you.

“Are you fucking kidding with me? We had four damn years together just because you wanted me to give it up? Are you fucking serious, Gally?”

“Why wouldn't I be?”

With nothing less than hatred burning in your eyes, you shoved past him. As you were in the doorway though, you said something that may as well kneed him in the gut.

“I wish you actually died.”

With that, you turned out, wiping the tears streaming down your cheeks.

With a devastated sigh, he shut the door before leaning against it. Putting his head in his hands, he felt the regrets of everything he had ever done in life hit him all at once.

♡ - - - ♡

Taking slow steps forward, the others dropped to their knees as well, the shock of it all hitting them like a gunshot. Gripping the cure, you held it to your chest, to your heart, the once light object now being the heaviest thing you had ever held. It was his one shot at life, now nothing but a worthless liquid.

You hadn't spoken a direct word to him. You hadn't even spoken about him. You just pretended he was some random stranger on a mission with you and silently cried yourself to sleep only to repeat the cycle the next day.

He wanted to say something when he heard you covering your mouth as salty tears flowed down your face. He wanted to tell you that he had only hurt you so you wouldn't be killed. He wanted to come clean. He wanted to be with you after months of separation.

He knew he can't though. Not yet. Not until he can fully get out of the city.

The plan was organized before the break up, and you didn't want anyone to know what you currently believed was the truth. That meant you had accepted your original position of being amongst the WCKD guards for longer than the others the way Gally was.

You debated shooting him with the weapon in your hand. Watching him go down and struggle seemed worth it right now. It seemed deserved. Even if you missed him, you’d get to shoot an actual WCKD guard, though you’d admittedly prefer for your shot to be right on point. You had never hated anyone with this kind of fiery passion until now.

In the end, you held back. When this was over, you would never have to see him again. You could go back to pretending he was dead.

You both watched as Thomas, Newt, and Minho jumped through a window. Under your mask, you grinned at the way he had been rescued. It has taken almost forever, but it happened. He was basically officially out of WCKD. As soon as you all left the city, that would be it. Everything could go back to normal.

You looked as they landed in the swimming pool under them. With that same wide smile, you came out of your position with the other WCKD workers and Gally. Making sure your gun was drawn and out, you allowed one of them to talk so you wouldn't blow your cover. As they were in the middle of demanding your three friends to surrender, you turned and shot him. At the same time, Gally took down others, being sure to avoid you. He had already caused you enough pain. Your heart would physically ache, and you had still barely been able to stomach anything. The last thing you needed, that you deserved, was more hurt.

When they were all unconscious you and Gally jumped down the small steps. When he pulled his mask off, he simply nodded and made a remark about them being nuts. You on the other hand ran straight up to Minho.

You didn't throw your arms around him. The last thing you wanted was to hurt him. Instead, you carefully hugged him, keeping your grip loose. Tightly hugging you back anyway, he stared at Gally with wide eyes as he did. This was definitely something he didn't expect.

Keeping his face neutral, he pushed down the lump in his throat at how close you two seemed again. He had already been worried about your relationship before, but now that he had to break your heart there was no guarantee that you two wouldn't be more. Even after he explained, you taking him back felt like a dream that he would spend the rest of his life chasing.

Shaking his head, he started walking away. Everyone else followed, prepared for the next step of the plan. Even if Minho didn't know what that was, he knew it was better than getting caught again.

♡ - - - ♡

You were all so close. You had run straight through bombs and gunfire for Newt. You had kept the cure in your hand, ready to save his life.

You didn't.

As you sprinted up, your heart shattered yet again in a brand new way as you looked at one of your best friends, dead on the floor, a knife penetrating his chest. Your body locked up as you met Thomas’s eyes that were full of something you couldn't decipher. There was some kind of guilt and maybe even blame. They were numbed over, done with everything.

Tears streamed down your face as he got up and walked away. Still focused on your best friend, you didn't even notice that the others had arrived beside you.

You couldn't meet their gaze. Not when you had the cure that would never be used, the cure that could have saved him, the cure that you hadn't gotten to him quick enough in your hand. Not even able to walk, you fell to your knees in that spot, the needle still tightly clutched between your fingers.

The Safe Haven didn't feel the way you had imagined, the way you thought it should. You didn't feel thankful to be there. You didn't feel happy. You just felt tired, drained, like a shell of a person.

You all stayed in that position, mourning not only Newt, but everybody that you had all lost. Ben, Alby, Chuck, Jack, Winston, and all your friends you hadn't had the time or energy to while in the Glade. It wasn't until Jorge had come with his Berg that you had been forced to get up.

You couldn't. You still felt trapped, as if you were watching from someone else's eyes. Knowing that you had to go, Gally laid a hand on your shoulder. Looking up at him with tears in your eyes, you shook your head and silently begged to stay here and die in the city. Shaking his head back, he reminded you that even now it wasn't over. In far too much distress to argue, you shakily got up. When your legs almost gave out, he caught you. Letting you lean against him, he led you to the Berg with everyone else and now Vince as well. When he got here, none of you knew, but none of you cared either. It would never change anything.

It would never bring Newt or anybody else back.

It would never get rid of your guilt.

♡ - - - ♡

You didn't cry. You couldn't find it in yourself to. You just sat by the shore, writing all their names in the sand over and over until you couldn't even feel your fingers.

You didn't celebrate being alive and well at the bonfire. How could you when you didn't even feel alive? How could you when so many people weren't? How could you when almost everyone you knew would never make it here?

You thought back to the moment he had broken your heart, and something clicked in your head. You hadn't noticed it at the time, too drunk on fury, but his voice has cracked. He was close to tears, and he had dark bags under his eyes.

You thought about everything. Not just the people that were gone but the people that were here. Thomas who you had made up with. Frypan who you had never fought with. Minho who you had helped rescue.

Gally.

“Y/N, I’m sorry. I know what I said was messed up. I know that I hurt you, but I didn't want to. I never would. I-”

His words had been lies. You were sure of it now.

Gally hadn't gone to the celebration either. He was too busy looking for you. Somehow, he had to fix it. Now that Lance was dead and you weren't in danger, he had to make it right. He had to explain it so at the very least you would understand that you were and had always been his world.

It took him an hour to find you, in which he had rehearsed what he wanted to say. He had to get the words exactly right. He couldn't afford to mess it up any more than he already has. He couldn't afford to destroy your feelings and heart all over again.

Time seemed to freeze as he saw you by the ocean, your back turned to everyone.

Taking deep breaths, he took slow steps towards you, each one having a new kind of purpose. He made sure his shoes crunched on the sand so you wouldn't be caught off guard.

You heard, but you didn't turn around. You didn't need to. You already knew who it was, you knew why he was here, and you knew that he would sit by you. You knew that even though you were in shambles, you two had time to be fixed. After losing everybody, how could you bear to lose someone alive? How could you make yourself grieve for someone who was breathing? How could you ignore one of the only people in your life who was actually in it?

He took a spot beside you. Staring out into the abyss, you allowed the silence to fill between you two as he stared at you, pleading for you to look at him. While you wanted to, you couldn't find it in yourself to actually move. You just sat there, gathering your own jumbled thoughts.

It was enough though. You were both just barely okay to know that you would be strong enough to survive the rest of your lives here, side by side.

“I don't want to know what happened. I don’t want to know why. I just know that you didn't mean your words, and I just want you back,”You whispered.

Taking another breath, he nodded in understanding despite the way you weren't looking at him. While that wasn't what he expected, it was something good. It was one of the only good things actually. Even though he had a feeling you would want to know later, that was all he needed to hear to be quiet now.

When he faced the open sea the way you were, you took his hand, gripping it the way you had the cure. Tightly holding your hand as well, he ran his thumb over your knuckles as you both sat there, trying to figure out what the journey would be from here.

You both didn't know. None of you ever had, and it was likely none of you ever would.

Right now was bittersweet though. It wasn't happy. It wasn't alright.

[genderkoolaid]

Hello, I have a question. I have been feeling down recently and I know you've posted about a few trans people in history who were loved and accepted in their communities or by their friends and family. Do you have a list of people like that? It is very encouraging for me to read about trans people in history being loved for who they are

A few I know of off the top of my head:

Alan L. Hart: His grandparents supported his gender expression despite his parent's transphobia. His grandfather would make him boy's toys, and both their obituaries listed him as their grandson. He went on to be a pioneer of tuberculosis medicine by using X-rays to catch the disease early.

Lucy Hicks Anderson: Expressed her female identity at a young age. Her parents were advised by a doctor to raise her as a girl, and they did. She became a skilled chef, a madame, and a bootlegger during Prohibition. She was publicly outed as part of a trial in which her and the sex workers she employed were required to have a medical exam. During the trial, she told the court: "I defy any doctor in the world to prove that I am not a woman. I have lived, dressed, acted just what I am, a woman." I imagine that part of her defiance comes from having had the support of her parents and doctor from such a young age.

Berel-Beyle: Born in a Ukrainian shtetl and known to be GNC, when he was 21 he found a doctor who provided him transition care. When he returned, his community welcomed him back in his new male role. He took part in men's-only prayers and married to his girlfriend. The man who told his story wrote that "In our shtetl, Berel-Beyle always had a good name as a fine, upstanding Jew."

Trygonion: Described in an epitaph, she was a priest/ess of Rhea in the same tradition as the galli, the eunuch priest/esses of Cybele. The English translation starts "Here lies the tender body of a tender being." Philodemus describes them as darling, devout, and compares her to the famously beautiful sex worker Lais. The ending is also beautiful: "Give birth, you holy soil, round the grave-stone of the maenad not to brambles but to the soft petals of white violets."

[m30wk1ttycat]

gally's runner

pairing: gally x gn!reader

tw: none

summary: you got into an argument with gally, and everytime you try to talk to him, you get too nervous to actually do so. (requested.)

I'M SO SORRY Y'ALL HAD TO WAIT FOR SO LONG TO GET SUCH A SHORT FIC 🙏

it was, quite frankly, stupid. the argument, the unnecessary yelling, everything.

and all because you decided to volunteer to be a runner, since one of the runners had gone through the changing and was banished recently.

"y/n, did you really think it was a good idea to just volunteer?" gally scolded, pacing back and forth. "to volunteer to be a shucking runner?" he added.

"but it's my choice, you don't get to just tell me what i can and can't do!" you shouted.

"i'm trying to look out for you!" he yelled back.

"then don't!"

he stopped pacing, turning to look at you with a scowl. he was just about to say something, but you spoke up as soon as he opened his mouth.

"listen, i can take care of myself. i don't need this bullshit about how i shouldn't have done this and that, just because you don't think i'm capable of being a runner."

you weren't done yet.

"i'm sick of you underestimating me. i'm sick of everyone thinking i'm not smart enough, strong enough, fast enough. but i know that i can -- and i will -- do this," you said, slamming the door shut behind you.

as much as you wanted to apologize to him, being a runner was draining. you had to wake up, eat if you didn't sleep in, run, get back safely, map the maze, take a shower, eat if you had enough strength to even get up, sleep, and repeat. even if you had the time and energy to do something other than exercise and massage your legs to soothe the pain, everytime you walked by where the builders usually were, you could never bring yourself to actually talk to him.

you wanted to, you really did. but at this point, avoiding him seemed like a much better choice than to awkwardly attempt to talk things out with him.

so, gally took matters into his own hands. oh my, what a gentleman.

a knock sounded at the door, making everyone in the map room stare blankly at the door as if that would open it.

minho decided to open the door, revealing a rather exhausted looking gally standing there with his arms crossed.

"yeah?" minho asked.

"alby's looking for y/n," he lied. the look of confusion on your face was priceless, in his opinion. maybe minho's, too.

"what does he need?" you asked skeptically.

"didn't say."

you looked at minho as if looking for a confirmation that you could leave. the only response you got from him was a gesture for you to just go outside as he continued holding the door open for you. alby was the first-in-command, after all -- whatever it was that he need, surely, it had to be something important, and minho understood that.

the moment the door closed behind you, you turned to look at gally, asking, "where is he?"

"he didn't need anything from you, i just wanted to talk to you," he confessed.

"aren't you supposed to be fixing the med-hut's roof?" you questioned.

you could basically see him wanting to facepalm right then and there.

"i'm on my break, y/n," he explained.

"and why do you-"

he took your arm and led you away from the map room. this was not something that the runners needed to hear.

"what's going on with you?" he asked as soon as you were away from most of the gladers.

"nothing."

"don't lie to me, we both know that it's not 'nothing'." he looked at you with an expectant look on his face, awaiting an answer. he wasn't mad at you. if he was, then he was doing a really good job at hiding it -- which was something that gally wasn't very good at. if he was angry, he'd have probably screamed his head off. just like those two weeks ago.

holy shit, you've been avoiding him for two weeks.

your eyes widened in realization, but then you answered. this time, you were truthful.

"i'm sorry i acted the way i did. i wanted to tell you that i'm sorry, but i just.. i didn't know how," you said, "so, i started to avoid you, because i was too nervous to talk to you." he nodded, letting you continue. "i'm sorry -- not just for avoiding you, but for everything. i know you meant well, and i know that you were just looking out me. i didn't mean to snap at you like that. i know this isn't an excuse, but i just wanted to help out in some way."

"i know you did, and that's okay," he promised, his tone much softer now. "i'm also sorry. for making you feel like you weren't enough."

you hugged him, and the second your head hit his chest, you felt his burly arms wrap around your waist.

"i love you, i hope you know that," you heard him murmur, "even if you don't make the smartest decisions sometimes."

"i love you, too."

"does this mean you're not mad at me anymore?"

"yes, gally."

and with that, you pecked his cheek, and he kissed your forehead in return.

[blasphemecel]

Michael Kaiser, Alexis Ness — Food Analogy

PAIRING: Michael Kaiser/Reader/Alexis Ness WORD COUNT: 3.3k TYPE: Humor, Bad Flirting (it's never been worse), Rivalry WARNING(S): Canon-typical football derangement, tw Kaiser, tw Ness, tw Y/n 💀 NOTE: This is the Dog Walking origin story does anyone remember me hi?

Believe it or not, Isagi never took you for a nutcase. Can your words sometimes be a bit absurd in nature? Over the top, maybe? Yes, but the environment you’re in is easy to blame. Otherwise, you’re a respectable individual, if not aloof, always keeping a certain distance from everyone else.

This is all to say, there is no way Isagi could’ve anticipated the utter nightmare he is in the middle of right now. If there was, he would’ve ran away the moment he heard your footsteps approaching after Kaiser blocked his shot and gave him that shitty speech.

You seem to have witnessed the whole thing, and with Kaiser gone, you wrap an arm around Isagi’s shoulders. “Do you know what he said to you?”

“In German?” asks Isagi, confused. “No.”

“What’s so special about you that one of the New Gen World XI players is picking a fight with you, huh? Because it was the last goal? He didn’t even glance at me and I finished the course before you.” Your eyes narrow at him with easy, second-nature condescension. It’s the first time you’ve hurled such provocations his way. “You’re always hogging the spotlight, you know?”

Isagi huffs, annoyed by your attitude. “Try harder in the next match, then. I don’t know what you want me to do. I’ll devour you either way.”

“Stop telling people you’re gonna devour them, you cannibal. It’s so tasteless.” You click your tongue, bemused by his lack of style — no wonder you get along with Aryu — and then you gesture at Ness and Kaiser in the distance. “Look at him. He even has a servant. It’s not fair. I want someone to do my bidding!”

“Why are you acting so childish right now?”

You push him off of you like you weren’t the one who got so close to him in the first place, then stalk up to Kaiser and Ness with the confidence of someone on a mission. At this point, Isagi knows he should look away, and yet his attention is glued to whatever is about to ensue like he’s a spectator of a car crash.

Ness offers you a fake smile and reaches out to hand you the same translation gadget he’d given Isagi earlier, but, of course, because you’re insane, you decide the most appropriate course of action is to take out one of his and shove it in your ear. He blinks.

“You seem vulnerable and easy to boss around,” you say. Wow, what a first impression. Ness’s smile slips. “I’m looking for a henchman or a goon or something similar. Are you interested?” Then you address Kaiser. “That was a cute little show you put on for Isagi. For how long did you practice it?”

“It was improvised,” he lies.

“Sure it was.”

“Who the hell are you?” Kaiser shoos you away with a wave of his hand. “Third rate actor trying to intrude on my stage. Bo-ring.”

Isagi cannot discern if Kaiser doesn’t recognize you from the U-20 match for real or if he’s just pretending in order to insult you, but his best guess is that you’re going to make him… very aware of your identity after this.

___

This is, perhaps, the most insulting thing to ever happen to Isagi.

The field falls into a conclusive silence, everyone still lingering by whatever spot they’d been in during the game before it finished. Isagi knows he’s staring at you like a serial killer, eyes drilling holes into your side profile with utmost offense. The football-induced neurosis he usually gets lost in while playing is yet to wear off, which is probably why he’s taking this to heart.

Without a doubt, you were ahead of him at least in the final moment, despite failing to stand out for the rest of the match. You’d predicted he wouldn’t cave in and pass to Kaiser and got in range, jumping in between them out of nowhere, stealing what was supposed to be Kunigami’s goal.

Though what made your outplaying him so galling is that it was all a way of picking a fight with fucking Kaiser. Not even with him, but with Kaiser. His act of relenting — of not trying to score on his own because of concepts like rationality and recognizing limits — became an instrument in this stupid fight you’ve been picking.

Then Isagi watches you figuratively spit in Kaiser’s face because, of course, your obnoxious ass can’t just win and leave it at that. No, unnecessary amounts of gloating seem to be what you run on, and now you grab Kaiser by the chin and mock his introduction, “On your knees, Bastard München.”

This is the worst transgression of Kaiser’s life. You’ve addressed him like he is a dull, unnoteworthy part of a collective, not even bothering to say his name while sporting the shittiest sneer he has ever seen. He’s pissed, and all he can do is stare in confusion. Despite his long going career as an instigator, this response (to his general existence and demeanor) is still somehow unique and, worse, effective.

When you let go of him, you withdraw your fingers from his face like he’s dirty. You shrug, then raise your hands in the air in a victorious manner, and you look happier than Isagi has ever seen you before. “Ta da. All eyes on me.”

But the shitshow doesn’t appear to be anywhere near over because while everyone else is frozen, you’re approaching him now, unperturbed by the attention you’re receiving as if it’s your birthright. Like you were made for the spotlight.

“Isagi, didn’t you say you were going to ‘devour’ me?” you ask once you’re right in front of him, your exterior growing more complacent by the minute. “Didn’t you challenge me? Seems to me like I’m too big for you to chew.”

If nothing else, though, unbeknownst to himself, Isagi, too, is insane. He has unreasonable amounts of determination and loves when things get difficult just so he can chase the satisfaction of overcoming them, among his other eccentricities. “This was just one match. We’re one for one now. I’ll defeat all of-”

“What are you two doing?!” Ness asks through a tight, passive aggressive smile. You hadn’t noticed him closing in on you, too high on your own power trip. He grabs you both, one shoulder in each hand, and squeezes with a death grip. “Do you think this is your show? This is Kaiser’s team, not the figure-out-which-good-for-nothing-is-slightly-better team. Either behave and follow the rules, or face the consequences.”

“Good for nothing? Shut up, little midfielder, you’re too scared to stand on your own feet, so you have to degrade yourself as Kaiser’s boytoy instead. I guess his shadow is a comfortable spot to hide in with how enormous his head is,” Isagi says. His tone is so matter of fact, it leaves minimal room for argument.

“He’s good, though. I can see potential in him to be almost as good as Sae. I want you to pass to me, too, Ness. Right? You can emphasize my star qualities with yours, can’t you, Ness? I can shine on you. It’s fine by me.”

It’s like two predatory animals are staring him down, trying to gauge his taste through smell alone — you with your fake innocent, curious expression, and Isagi, who doesn’t seem to realize he spewed vitriolic insults with the nonchalance of a weather cast announcement.

For sure both of you would’ve gotten a broken ankle each the way Ness is gritting his teeth right now, but emerging out of his stupor, Kaiser intervenes. And when Kaiser speaks, he commands Ness’s full attention, rendering him speechless. He pushes Ness out of the way, deeming this a fitting way to insert himself in the conversation. Then he looks you in the eyes with a… smirk? Isagi was hoping his dolour would last a little longer. “I figured out what your role is.”

“I’m not interested in starring in movies made by incompetent directors.”

“You’re going to be my love interest,” declares Kaiser, not at all fazed by your dismissal. “I’m not that bad,” he continues, because naturally, nice people always have to declare themselves as such. “I can recognize when someone has skills. You’re my darling in distress, and I need to save you from the peasantry of Blue Lock, so your talent can flourish. That’s your role.”

You continue observing him with mild amusement like what he told you was normal. Meanwhile, Isagi is wondering if your stunt earlier gave Kaiser whiplash or vertigo or something. Maybe he went and snapped. Clearly, these aren’t words coming from a sound mind.

Even Ness, who at this point should to some degree expect Kaiser to be deranged, gasps. Whether at his audacity or lack of shame, it’s not clear.

“How unoriginal. Think of a better one.” You shoo him to decline the proposal. “Besides, you already know I’m more interested in your lapdog.”

“What?!” Ness calls out, now moving onto being offended. “Are you rejecting Kaiser? And you- me?! What?!”

Isagi’s entire face scrunches. Did this man seriously not even flinch after getting called a lapdog?

Apparently no longer finding this conversation a proper source of entertainment, you wave them off dismissively and walk away without sparing them a second glance. Isagi watches as Kaiser stares creepily at your retreating silhouette with this little infatuated(?) smile on his face.

What is this lunatic so happy about, anyway? Does he even realize he was the perpetrator of his own public humiliation ritual? Leave it to Kaiser not to understand that he embarrassed himself.

Ness runs after you, yelling objections, but at this point Isagi isn’t even listening. He doesn’t want to listen. Neither are you, if the way you’re picking your ear and not responding to him while ducking out of his way is anything to go by.

After everything cools down a little and everyone has scattered about, Bachira inches towards Isagi. Easy-going as ever, hands interlocked behind his head, he says, “You’re all psychos on your team, huh? Must be fun.”

Oh… Yes, Bachira witnessed all that… Everyone did. Isagi almost forgot. The vortex of the utter absurdity of this situation sucked him in for a second there.

___

Isagi doesn’t even bother removing his sweaty uniform before he approaches you, looking all determined. He can’t get it out of his head… Did you read him? Or was it a guess? You got there too fast, as if you foresaw what he was about to do before he even decided it. “How did you know I was going to pass to Kunigami?”

“Isagi, don’t ask me narrow-minded questions. We just had a match and I need to revitalize myself,” you tell him as if what you’re saying makes perfect sense. It’s like you make it a point to phrase everything in the oddest way possible.

“Narrow-minded? Could you stop being a pain in the ass and answer me?”

“Well, you weren’t about to pass to Kaiser, and you used to be buddies with the ginger. So, pray tell, where else could the ball go?”

Surely, it wasn’t as predictable as you’re making it out to be?

“You could’ve collided with them, lost your starter spot and cost us the game without even touching the ball. It wasn’t worth the risk.” Isagi isn’t really sure why he’s even saying this. It paid off for you, but he needs to understand the intricacies of all the ways his rivals are ahead of him just so he can overthrow them. You’re another mark on his football hit list.

“Since when are you so trifling? You’re losing me more and more by the minute here.”

“What are you even on about?”

“I’m a striker. I’m sublime. I score. And you’re asking me why I chose to score?”

Isagi tries to glean some hidden wisdom from this statement — there is none — but before he can at least offer a response, Yukimiya intrudes on your conversation by talking about something wholly irrelevant.

Yukimiya berates him. You fade into the background of this conflict, observing, while everyone else makes an attempt to de-escalate the argument. To make matters worse, Kaiser makes an obnoxious entrance and delivers a useless speech about how you all better follow him and blah, blah, blah.

“What a stupid thing to say,” you point out, taking a step forward as if to challenge him. Isagi doesn’t like that he has to bear witness to you and Kaiser making eye contact again. “We’re in Blue Lock. Would the world’s best settle for just surviving?”

“None of you will be the world’s best and I’m here to show you. By the way, I meant what I told you earlier. Don’t go fading into obscurity following the wrong king. I really can’t stand it when someone doesn’t know how to use their talent, and your talent would make a good accessory to mine.”

“The only king I obey is my desire.”

“You say that now, but I’ll get you in the end.”

“Did you walk in here half naked to try and seduce me? You jezebel…”

Isagi makes the wise decision to tune out the rest of your bickering with Kaiser for the sake of his ears and mental clarity. Still, he can tell there is something here which is evading him. If he can identify everyone’s priorities — Kaiser’s need to live out his emperor fantasy, and your hedonism, and Yukimiya’s dedication to his ideals — can he use this knowledge to his advantage and come out on top?

___

You’re fighting with Kaiser again. It’s not real fighting, though, is it? Isagi has become well-acquainted with all sorts of depravity since the beginning of his stay at Blue Lock — most often had been the victim of it, even — so he can recognize it with ease. Because of this, he pays you minimal attention during the unfortunate moment when he needs to waltz by.

But the next display of obscenity, he truly does not anticipate. He turns around the corner of the hallway on the way back to his room, and what does he realize he’s seeing? Ness peeking his head out from behind the corner to watch you go at it from a distance, that’s what. Why is he even doing this? He’s always doting on Kaiser, so it’s not like it’d be weird if he was there, up close and personal. He’s literally making it stranger than it needs to be.

“What are you doing?” Isagi blurts out, before he can think better of asking.

Ness startles. Apparently he’s been focusing so intensely on… observing you and Kaiser, he didn’t register someone passing by a few inches away from him. He opens and closes his mouth a few times before eventually coming up with, “I, uh… Um, I- I… Uh.”

Isagi almost lets it go, but then Ness says,

“Everyone has their… interests and passions, so… You can’t judge me.”

“Wait, this is an interest and a passion to you?”

“Um, I, uh.” Ness’s face contorts into that reflexive creepy smile Isagi has come to expect of him. “Yes. Now go away, you’re interrupting me.” Oh no, he’s becoming confident in his… Whatever this is.

Isagi exits the vicinity with an unnecessary amount of caution. He can’t tell if the feeling of someone’s gaze burning his back is just paranoia on his part.

___

Today’s bullshit: another one of your arguments is unfolding, and this time, Isagi doesn’t have the choice to feign ignorance. You’re supposed to be splitting up in two for a practice match. Obviously this devolved into an inane dispute about who the biggest hotshot is. Isagi, holding the glorious title of ‘captain of Team B,’ tries to follow the plot of this whole thing. Mainly to figure out a way to make you and Kaiser shut up and get on with the game already because your voices now automatically register as a cacophony in his head.

“I’m not going on your team unless I get to be the captain,” you say. “And Ness passes to me.”

“I won’t play midfielder if you’re center forward!” Ness protests.

“Come on. We’d be a hit together. Stop pretending.”

“You’re putting yourself on quite the high pedestal there,” Kaiser says. “Is the altitude messing with your head? Don’t give yourself vertigo now.”

“If you died on the field, I’d do a penalty kick while standing on your corpse.”

Leave it to you to escalate things for the sake of getting a reaction out of Ness. He shakes you by the shoulders back and forth while yelling something unintelligible as Kaiser snickers, maybe finding this to be an amusing or god forbid romantic mental image.

Why are they acting like children? Isagi holds back an audible groan or perhaps an onslaught of derogatory words. He’s not sure how to solve this, though. You’ve been going in circles for a few minutes now, and Kaiser got mad when you said you’d be on Isagi’s team, and Isagi got mad when you tried to steal his aforementioned prestigious title, too.

The debate of who the superior striker is — objectively it’s Kaiser, but Isagi admires your dedication to your delusions in the face of Ness’s sectarian wrath — continues. Then, it happens. Something awful to honor your skills.

“What did you call it, Yoichi? Devouring?” asks Kaiser, before turning his attention back to you, sly smile on his annoying face and all. Then he puts his stupid hand over your loony head and pushes it aside, giving a good view of your neck. “I think in that case, I might want to take a bite out of you.”

What…

Oh my god, Isagi thinks, stomach churning, and truly, he might vomit. The state of affairs has never been more dire than this. No way that demented freak just did this without any shame?!

You open your dumb mouth, probably to respond with a snarky remark (which will inevitably somehow make this ten times more inappropriate). Isagi won’t stand for this.

Interrupting you before you’ve even begun speaking, he points an accusatory finger at Kaiser first. “You’re a pervert. Not only are you a pervert, but you’re doing it right in front of everyone. All the time! What’s wrong with you?”

He stares at Isagi incredulously. “What?”

Next, you enter the line of fire. “And you try to provoke him into doing things like this on purpose! Just so you can embarrass him! You’re a pervert in a much more pretentious and obnoxious way. You’re enjoying this!”

“What the fuck,” you blurt out. This is the first time he’s heard you sound defensive. “No, I’m not. We aren’t doing anything.”

“Yeah, we aren’t doing anything,” Kaiser agrees. “Fuck off, Yoichi.”

Isagi ignores these protests. They’re futile, anyway. He knows he’s right. Even if he isn’t, all of you deserve this slander in his opinion. For a moment, Ness makes the mistake of assuming he’s been spared, but, “You’re the worst, though. You like it when they fight over you. You have no self-respect.”

“Wh- What?! But I didn’t even do anything!”

“Yeah, that’s the thing, suck-off.” Isagi grabs him by the wrist and tugs him over to his side, apparently having decided this is the answer. “You’re going to be on my team.” Then he glances at the two of you, and that part of his brain which he tries to ignore when he’s not on the field sends a spark of joy and satisfaction coursing through his veins at the unadulterated indignation on your faces. “Deal with each other, yeah? Since you’re so inseparable.”

Noa tells everyone to hurry up, and the rest of the spectators mutter in agreement before Ness can even regain his senses and put up a fight. His eyes are wide and glossy, his jaw is hanging, and he is looking at Kaiser and then at you and then back at Kaiser with the sadness of a character in a Shakespearean play.

Kaiser looks like he is about to pop several blood vessels.

You huff, cross your arms, and pout. Why does Isagi always win?!

___

Thyere so embarrassing omfg im laugihing so hard

[johnnieguilbertsgirlfriend]

shower situation (smut) part 2

Part 1 --- Part 2 --- Part 3

word count: 0.8k - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - fluff, eventual smut

you guys had made it to Gally's hut, which was decently spaced with little decorations. there was a bed, nightstand and a lamp, but the area itself was as spacious as it could be for a hut.

"Alright greenie, here's your pillow." he throws it to you, "You take the bed, I'll sleep on the floor." the floor was wooden, so at least it wasn't just grass. however, you still felt bad for him. "Are you sure? I can sleep on the floor, I don't mind at all." he scoffed a little, "No, its fine." you sat on the bed and watched as he lied down on the floor. he looked at you, making you pat the bed, telling him it was okay to sleep there. Gally has a skeptical look on his face, but he knew that sleeping on the ground would make everything hurt like hell, so he decided to go with you. he made himself comfortable with the blankets and with his side of the full sized bed, leaving little room for the both of you. you turned away, "Goodnight, Gally." he couldn't see the tint on your cheeks nor the smile on your face. "Night, Y/N." there were so many butterflies in your stomach at this point, making you like him even more...as a friend, right? (wrong)

the two of you couldn't stay away from eachother the whole night though. when you woke up, you were faced away from him, his arms were wrapped around you with his head tucked in the crook of your neck. you didn't dare move, almost as if a bomb would explode if you did. you were too tired to do anything anyways. it stayed like that for a while until you heard him grunt and wake up. "Are you awake?" he muttered quietly. you didn't know whether to respond or stay quiet. you went with the safer option and closed your eyes, not saying anything. while you pretended to still be asleep, he actually hugged you tighter, whispering a 'phew'. this position made you actually doze off, sleeping a little longer.

the light came through the hut walls, and the bed felt a little colder. you opened your eyes, seeing that Gally had left, presumably to head off with the builders. you heard a knock and someone was standing in the doorway, Newt. "Alright Y/N, rise and shine, you have to help the glade out someway." he had explained this the night before, how you had to choose a job to do. hoping that it was easy, you picked to be a track-hoe with Newt. "Okay, okay." you sighed, getting out of the bed.

after getting ready, you headed over to the gardens and were instructed to dig out the weeds. you didn't think there would be a lot, but apparently no one likes to dig out weeds. so there you were, you had spent almost the entire day shoveling those suckers out. someone taps you on the shoulder, Zart. "Hey I think you've done enough today." he says sincerely. you get up from your squat, "Thanks Zart." you say, lucky that someone had your back. just as he said that, the dinner bell rang. you groan as you walk away from the plants.

you were dirty, being covered in mud wasn't that pleasant and your whole body was aching. not to mention, you had also missed breakfast from sleeping in, with Gally. you start to smile at the thought as someone runs up to you. "Oh, hey Gally, what's up?" he joins you on your walk to the kitchen area. "You look like you've seen better days, greenbean." he laughs at the sight of you covered with dirt. "Wow, thanks. You know I could say the same for you." you say, spotting some flecks of wood on his shirt. he shuts up, raising his eyebrows. he walks you to the line for food. "Do you think I could eat with you?" you look up into Gally's eyes. "Uh, sure Y/N." he stutters a little. you join his group that consists of some other builders. you sat right next to him, laughing occasionally at his jokes, and putting your hand on his leg. it went unnoticed by everyone except for him. after eating, you wait for him to finish, it was already getting dark again. all you wanted to do was have a shower to remove all of the grime from yourself. you whisper to Gally, your hand still on his leg, "Can you take me to the showers, please?" he grabs your hand on his thigh, "Alright boys, I'll see you later." he stands up from the table, helping you get out of the bench.

as you walk to the bathroom area, your hands still stay interlocked with one another.

[five-hxrgreeves]

Two Positives Equal a Negative (Or Something Like That)

PAIRING: adam warlock & fem! quill’s sister!reader

WC: 2.8k (again, a long one. I just can’t seem to write anything short!) 

SUMMARY: you’ve always had trouble sleeping thanks your numerous (unfortunate) life experiences. While he hasn’t lived as long as you have, Adam has a similar problem. Fortunately, a Terran phrase that your brother taught you might have the solution that you seek.

WARNINGS: slight gotg three spoilers, fluff, angst if you squint.

AUTHOR’S NOTE: okay, so I accidentally lied and I realized that my last one-shot wasn’t my first official one; I wrote a Natasha x reader several years ago. I just don’t post on here that often so I forgot about it, lol. Anyway, Adam Warlock currently has a chokehold on me so here’s another one-shot for him- the sequel that I mentioned on the last one. I’m tempted to write a Gally one/two-shot, but I’m not familiar with the TMR universe so I’m worried that I’d mess it up.

Also, I know that the phrase is actually ‘two negatives equal a positive,’ but I was drawing on the fact that non-Terrans wouldn’t really remember/understand Peter’s references, and since ‘you’ had only been to Earth during Endgame, you it mixed up.

Part 0 , Part 1

You’d always had trouble sleeping, especially on your father’s planet. There had just been a sense of. . . wrongness that you didn’t need Mantis’ empath powers to feel. It had made you on edge most of the time, alert for the unseen danger that you felt. While this might’ve just been your role as Ego’s protector speaking, you knew that your sister felt similarly. Mantis had once offered to put you to sleep using her powers, which you’d agreed to. Although it had worked, you hadn’t liked the feeling of your emotions being messed with, or the vulnerability that came with sleep. Even though you trusted that your sister wouldn’t hurt you, Ego was a different story entirely.

So, that meant that you were up most of the time with only catnaps and snatches of sleep when absolutely necessary. (Luckily your enhanced stamina helped in this case so it wasn’t terribly detrimental to your wellbeing.) It was hard to hide your unusual sleep patterns on the Milano with your new friends since there wasn’t space to walk around like there had been on Ego’s planet. But the Guardians all had various traumas of their own, so they understood the difficulty of getting peaceful rest. Some nights had even been better than others as Peter would teach you how to play Terran card games, which would then include the rest of the Guardians once you’d learned.

You also liked to sit in the pilot’s chair late at night and watch the darkness of space light up around you. It was funny, really; everyone expected space to be a dark, black vacuum of nothing when it was actually just the opposite. Sure, there was no physical form of life, but space was alive in its own way. As the Milano sailed aimlessly through the stars, you’d pass the orange-red clouds of dust and gas— nebulas. Or the brilliant white-blue of a dying star, or the different hues of blue-black that surrounded you. Space was truly beautiful, which was something that you never tried to take for granted.

But now you were stuck on Knowhere. There were no brilliant colors of space to distract you or friends to play card games with. Mantis was gone— your only source of comfort on those long nights when you’d served your father. You were alone, with nothing but a Zune to distract you as you sat, bored, in the kitchen late into the night. You’d decided on some calmer tunes and were currently listening to the Frank Sinatra playlist you’d curated. A warm mug of tea— which Peter had also introduced you to— sat between your hands as your eyes glazed over, getting lost in your music.

--

As it turned out, Adam wasn’t that great of a sleeper, either. It always felt like there was too much energy running through him to be properly restful— not to mention that, whenever he closed his eyes, he saw his mother waiting for him as he flew desperately towards her. And then the explosion would come, jolting him out of sleep as a reminder of his failure.

With a sigh, he pushed back his covers and stood. Since he was already dressed (his mother had always told him to be ready for anything), he made his way to the kitchen where he’d baked cookies with you. It hadn’t been that long ago, but he already missed the comfortable, homey feeling he’d gotten as he formed the batter into spheres with you standing at his side. You had yet to talk to Rocket about how his comments made you feel, but he knew it was because you respected your teammate and didn’t like making a big deal out of things. Thinking about you now, he sort of hoped that he would see you in the kitchen when he got there— but that was a crazy thought; it was the middle of the night! Any normal person would be in a deep sleep by now.

So, it was definitely a pleasant surprise when he came upon you, sitting at the head of the table. Your earbuds were in your ears, as usual, and you seemed to be deep in thought as you absentmindedly traced the rim of your mug with your finger. He was comfortable enough with you to approach you without hesitation, so he took the chair next to yours and nudged you gently to get your attention.

You jumped, startled by the unexpected presence of someone else in the room. At first you had a wild thought that it might be Peter, who came to keep you company as he often had. You were only mildly disappointed to see that it was Adam instead (and this was just because you missed your brother; you were actually quite happy to see the golden boy.) You took out your earbuds and paused your music. “You’re up late. Or early.”

His golden eyes met yours— something you noticed that he did often; it seemed that eye contact was his way of showing that he was listening to you, which always made your stomach flutter pleasantly. “So are you,” he replied. “Can’t sleep?”

“Nah,” you said with a shrug. “You?”

“Me either,” he agreed.

You sat in a comfortable silence together, one so long that you were almost tempted to  put your earbuds back in. Maybe this was a one-off thing; you’d never seen him before on your sleepless nights. Maybe he wasn’t used to being up at this hour and just wasn’t as talkative as he normally was with you. But you were also curious; what could a supposedly perfect being be troubled with at night? So, you sighed, and against your better judgement (as you hated to talk about your feelings), you asked, “wanna talk about it?”

But Adam also knew how you were, and he shook his head. “No, it’s okay. I don’t mind just sitting here.” He got to enjoy your company, after all, so he considered tonight to be better than most.

You let out another sigh. As much as you hated getting touchy-feely, the night was already very boring; sitting and not talking would only make it worse. “I don’t mind, actually. I’m used to being around other people when I’m up like this. Talking would make the time pass faster.” You studied his expression for a moment, which was unusually unreadable; it always seemed like he had a kind smile or glance to send your way. “We can start off easy, if you want. Are you up like this every night?”

His expression softened at your willingness to go outside your comfort zone, so he answered honestly. (He had nothing that he wanted to hide from you, anyway.) “Most nights, yeah. What about you?”

“Same,” you agreed. You played with the rubber protective tip on your earbud. “Can’t get to sleep or bad dreams?”

“Both,” Adam admitted. “Although it’s usually the first one.”

You nodded. “Same, again, but for me it’s mostly the latter. You remember when I said that you weren’t the first person to try and kill me?” At his confirmation (because how could he have forgotten that?), you continued, “yeah. It’s mostly that. My father was a great parent,” you finished sarcastically.

When you’d first become friends, you’d shared stories about the Guardians’ adventures— even the ones that had happened before you’d joined the team— although they’d mostly been lighthearted in tone. You’d acted like they hadn’t really affected you and had laughed at the fact that your father’s planet had tried to swallow you whole. Adam sort of wished that your father was still alive so he could fight him for you. While his mother had had her moments of parenting issues, he’d never doubted that she did love him; it was clear that this wasn’t the case with your father.

“I’m sorry,” he said, not really sure what else he could say. Despite everything that had happened to you, you were still a good person; you hadn’t fought the Guardians on your first meeting like he had, which already made you better than him. He wished that there was something he could do (such as getting revenge for you) to help ease whatever burden you were feeling as you often had for him, but there didn’t seem like there was anything that he could do.

“Don’t worry about it,” you replied in a blasé tone, already moving on from your heavy things. “Want to talk about your stuff?”

He shifted in his seat, a little uncomfortable to admit his failure to you. He wanted to prove that he was just as capable as you were, and this was one of his worst moments. “I. . . keep thinking about my mother.” His gaze dropped to where his hands were folded on the table, unable to watch your reaction in case you thought worse of him. “How I. . . wasn’t able to save her. I was so close, too. If only I’d been faster—”

You reached out a hand to put it on top of both of his, cutting him off. Yours was much smaller in comparison, barely covering even one of his hands. He looked up at you with surprise, feeling his face heat up at the contact. Your usually jovial expression was uncharacteristically serious as you chided him gently, “stop. Thinking like that never helps, you know. You’ll drive yourself mad if you keep wondering ‘what if.’ I should know.”

While he was relieved that his fears about your reaction were unfounded, he frowned at your last words. “What do you mean?”

You pretended not to notice that your hands were still holding his as you answered, “remember what I told you about the Snap?” At his nod, you continued, “Peter and I were the only ones who weren’t trying to subdue Thanos. My powers are mostly defensive, so they would only anger him, which was the opposite of what we were trying to do. Peter got— understandably— distraught at the news of Gamora’s death and he was practically solely responsible for the Snap.” You sighed heavily, dropping your gaze from him. “As the only other person not doing anything on that planet, I could’ve stopped him, but he was my brother; I couldn’t hurt him. But if I had. . . everything could’ve been so much different. In a way, I was responsible for the Snap, too.”

While he understood your reasoning, he didn’t completely agree with it. You’d filled him in with great detail about the Infinity War, which you’d only learned the missing parts after you’d been brought back. So, he insisted quietly, “Thor could’ve also gone for Thanos’ head, but he didn’t.”

“But Thanos wouldn’t have even gotten to the Terran planet if we’d stopped him on Titan. You see what I mean? These what-ifs really messed with my head— still do. You eventually just have to accept the fact that the situation can’t be changed and learn from your mistakes.” In a lighter tone you added, “I promised myself that the next time I needed to sock it to Peter, I wouldn’t hesitate. Maybe a good hit to the head would knock some common sense back into him.”

Adam chuckled at this, his serious expression lifting. Sensing that you didn’t want to talk about such emotional topics anymore, he changed the subject slightly. “So you’re up every night because of these thoughts? Don’t you need sleep?”

“Yeah, but I’ve got enhanced stamina, so not as much as a regular person,” you said, relieved that he picked up on your hint. “What about you? You’re practically a god yourself.”

He felt his face flush with (pleased) embarrassment at your indirect compliment, even if it was truthful. “That’s part of the problem, I think,” he explained. “All this power. . . it gives me too much energy and. . . I can’t sleep.”

You frowned thoughtfully at your similar predicaments, an idea (admittedly, a stupid enough one that Peter could’ve come up with it) forming in your mind. “Y’know,” you began slowly, “Peter taught me a Terran phrase awhile back. I can’t exactly remember how it goes— it’s like two positives equal a negative, or something like that— and it means that when there’s two good things, it cancels out the bad one. We could try and apply it here.”

He gave you a curious look. “Really? How?”

“Well, since we both can’t sleep— that’s the negative— maybe. . . maybe if we slept. . .” You felt your face burning at your suggestion. “If we slept. . . tog— well, not together-together, I mean— with each— does that sound worse? I—” you struggled to find the right wording that wouldn’t come off as suggestive. “You don’t have to if you don’t want to,” you added hastily, misunderstanding his bemused expression.

“Little Quill,” he teased you lightly, “you haven’t even gotten the question out.”

Oh. You only felt even more embarrassed. “Do you want to sleep in my room?” you finally managed to blurt out, burying your face in your hands, unable to look at the boy across from you.

Instead of taking offense or making fun of you as you’d expected, Adam seemed to actually consider your offer. “Do you think it would work?”

At his question, you dropped your hands to your lap and shrugged, though your face was still very red. He seemed remarkably unflustered, not that you could tell if he was (damn his beautiful golden skin— wait, what?) “I don’t know,” you mumbled, still refusing to look at him. “I can only sleep if I feel safe, and there’s only one person I ever felt that way with— Mantis. But. . . now I think that includes you, too.”

Adam couldn’t help the bright smile that formed on his face at your words, the thought that you felt safe with him (especially after everything that he’d done to you and your friends) meant more than he could say. The thought that you would willingly be vulnerable in his presence made his stomach feel enjoyably— and inexplicably— nauseous. “I feel safe around you too,” he replied without hesitation. “And. . . I wouldn’t mind trying it.”

--

Not long after, the two of you returned to the room you were renting in the dorm-style building. Since neither you nor Adam had family to speak of (and were also short on funds), you’d both found rooms in a tenant building that had lots of other people, many of whom had lost their homes during the Guardians’ most recent adventures. Luckily you’d gotten a room to yourself, though you had to share basic facilities with everyone else.

“You can sleep in the bed since this was my idea,” you offered. You were still in what you considered your pajamas, so you just had to gather some spare blankets and pillows.

Adam shook his head, against the thought of you making accommodations for him. “I can sleep on the floor. You shouldn’t have to give up your bed.”

“It’s not like I use it much anyway,” you joke, pulling the covers back. “But if you’re seriously against me sleeping on the floor, I guess we could. . . share?”

He seemed not to mind your proposal as he agreed readily, and after taking off his shoes, he made to get in when you spoke again with a confused look on your face. “You. . . sleep in your clothes? No wonder why you can’t get comfortable!”

Adam seemed to not understand your comment. “You sleep in your clothes.”

You laughed a little at his observation. “These are sleep clothes, not everyday clothes. At least take off your jacket,” you reasoned.

But as he did so, you realized why he hadn’t gotten more comfortable: there was nothing except chiseled chest under his clothes. You blushed and tried (but failed) not to stare as he got into bed next to you, admiring the way his muscles flexed with his movement. Luckily he seemed to not notice your attention as he settled next to you. There was a sizeable gap between you two despite the bed not being very big, one that you wished you had the guts to close. (Wait— again, what?)

You wondered how you’d ever get to sleep with all that muscle right behind you (okay, this one you could admit freely), but somehow, in the quiet stillness of your dark room, the safe, peaceful feeling lulled you into the first restful slumber that you’d had since your siblings had left months ago.

--

And if you woke up the next morning, curled up against Adam’s chest with his arm wrapped around you protectively, neither of you bothered to say anything about it.

[baldurs-writers-3]

Astarion: A Baldur's Gate 3 Fanfic Rec List

This week, we have Astarion Centric fics! Check under the cut for a whopping seventeen fics all about our favorite vampire spawn, and as always, give them a comment and kudos if you like them!

The stars began to burn by peregrinefeathers (87k, Mature) Warnings: None Pairings: Astarion/Gale

An AU where instead of having an orb lodged in his chest Gale got stuck in a book. Then when a vampire spawn opened that book he got stuck in that vampire spawn's head. This is the best thing that has ever happened to Astarion; within 15 minutes he's running out of the Szarr palace into the sunlight. Then adventures begin!

Reccer says: a slow burn, like bloodweave is obvious endgame but it takes a while to get there, and Astarion is written /so/ well

Uncrossed Lines by Asidian (1209, Teen) Warnings: None Pairings: Astarion & Wyll, Astarion & Halsin, Astarion & Karlach

Friends don't let friends get hurt and/or pressured into doing things they don't want to do

Reccer says: Just an incredibly sweet depiction of people recognizing Astarion's boundaries and helping to enforce them, whether he's expecting them to or not. I love it

Hydnellum Peckii by OctolingO (4403, General) Warnings: talks of Astarion's past but no gruesome details Pairings: none

Astarion is doing a great job hiding what he is from the party, until they reach the Underdark and he has nothing to feed on.

Reccer says: this is so angsty! i loved Gale being too curious for his own good and trying to help and be supportive, and all of Astarion's fears of getting kicked out or killed, bc nobody could ever be in his corner, and having anyone in a position of power apologizing *to him* like that's so foreign - this gave me so many feels!

caught between the dark and the dreaming by Raayide (18925, Teen) Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Pairings: Astarion & Friends

Marcus wants answers, and no one is going to give them to him, unless he forces them to. Astarion is the unlucky target forced to drink a truth serum.

Reccer says: Absolutely delicious whump and found family comfort afterwards

of death potential and death absolute by Raayide (39119, Teen) Warnings: Derealization Pairings: Astarion & Gale, pre-relationship

Astarion is never quite sure, until the moment Cazador lies dead before him, whether this entire adventure is anything more than an extremely vivid hallucination.

Reccer says: this story takes Astarion and twists him up into a little heartbreaking ball of a premise that makes him think everything is just a dream, and how desperate he is to stay in the dream rather than waking up. it retells most of the game with a tight focus and some lovely lovely characters scenes, everyone gets a moment in the spotlight!

Those left behind by Gally (73949, Mature) Warnings: None Pairings: Past Astarion/Karlach

What's Astarion to do after the Absolute is destroyed and the love of his life is now dead?

Reccer says: Lots of funny. Lots of sad. Lots of excellent characterization and slow but steady healing

All it Cost Me by HydieMurderBabe (38529, Explicit) Warnings: Ite explicit, very raunchy and Durge elements of rougher kinds Pairings: Durge X Astarion

Two traumatized nubbins heal from their pasts. Lots of sex and violence ensues.

Reccer says: Its funny, its raunchy, its detailed and most of all I feel like Im invested in the pairing

Collision Course by VakarianSyndrome (123444, Explicit) Warnings: No warnings. Tropes: Modern Girl in Baldur's Gate, found family Pairings: Astarion/F!OC

Set in Baldur’s Gate, this series follows Adelaide, a human woman from Earth, and her somewhat clumsy attempts at navigating this new and fantastical realm. In the process, she falls for Astarion, the pale elf, vampire spawn with level 100 rizz.

Reccer says: It starts out really funny, but then gradually gets serious where needed. The buildup between Astarion and the OC is spicy and sweet, and the smut delivers! And it's completed!

No Good End in View by not_whelmed_yet (60,797, ongoing, Mature) Warnings: Character death (temporary), torture Pairings: Astarion/Wyll/Karlach

Astarion doesn't get time to be terrified of the party, because Wyll cuts off what he sees as a feral vampire spawn's head long before he can try to seduce them. The only problem is that this doesn't kill him. And it continues to not kill him.

Reccer says: this is an achingly beautiful exploration of a team that gets off not so much on the wrong foot but on a freefall - each doing horrible things to each other in ways that all read perfectly understandable from their point of views, but have wretched lasting consequences. the author writes them so in character that I want to throttle them and fall in love all over again

What Could Have Been by Bella1433 (70000, Explicit) Warnings: There is mention of past sexual trauma, its Explicit, and goes into dark territory but not dead dove. Pairings: Named Tav X Astarion

Astarion's transformation into a vampire lord and Sima's fight to reclaim their lost love thrust them into a perilous dance of power, obsession, and redemption.

Reccer says: Its dark, rich, has a different tone and some of the most immersive writing I've read

the ghost of elturel by Raayide (4452, General) Warnings: None Pairings: Astarion and Zevlor

Astarion and Zevlor meet, talk, hate each other, and hate themselves. There is nothing particularly of note about any of it.

Reccer says: Recognition of self in the other tied with some amazing introspection and metaphor

Circus of the dead by Ineadhyn (5995, Explicit) Warnings: Rape/Non-con, graphic violence, self-harm Pairings:

A dark horror circus AU with Astarion, Cazador, and his other spawns.

Reccer says: This is so beautiful, tragic, gripping, and I'm utterly obsessed with everything about it.

No Good Deeds by Garnett Gibson (39715, Explicit) Warnings: None Pairings: Astarion/Tav

A young woman trying to be a good person gets corrupted by Astarion as they navigate the tadpole issue.

Reccer says: Delicious slow burn and creative deviations from canon.

The Lord and his new ways by FartasticDurge (26459, Explicit) Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con, Coercion, Manipulation, Abusive Relationships, Dissociation Pairings: Astarion/Tav

Ascended Astarion and Spawn Tav's post-game turbulent relationship from Tav's POV.

Reccer says: She struggles between doing what she thinks is right and obeying him, and seeing her process is interesting. In the latest chapter, they go to therapy, a unique twist for Ascended Astarion.

In Time by FartasticDurge (16927, Explicit) Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence Pairings: Astarion/Tav, Astarion & Gale

Post-canon fic where Astarion is looking for a Tav who died and reincarnated into another person. Gale helps him find her, but things take an unexpected turn when they find her.

Reccer says: Astarion POV, a lot of D&D lore, the friendship between Gale and Astarion is interesting and supportive. Tav and Astarion's roles are reversed; he is being nice and she is suspicious of him, which is a nice twist with funny moments.

How Far You've Come by Garnett Gibson (5481, Explicit) Warnings: None Pairings: Astarion/Tav

Astarion's obedient consort has come a long way, but sometimes she still steps out of line.

Reccer says: I liked it!

If Only For One Night by Terrormisu (682, Teen) Warnings: None Pairings: Astarion/Tav

With their party always busy, Astarion finds himself longing for his little love.

Reccer says: It's a short sweet one shot that made me feel all warm and squishy inside. Hehe. But even the implied intimacy was steamy.

The above fanfic recommendations were pulled from our community for this weekly event. Have any questions about what this is? Check out the FAQ!

Next week, we’ll be back with another character rec list, this time focusing on Family!

[chlorinetrip]

I'm back on my autism induced monster/cryptid hyperfixation bullshit so have TMR characters as creatures

Thomas: Nixie (Nixy, Nix, Näcken, Naiad, Nicor, Nøkk, or Nøkken) – Guardians of freshwater streams and lakes, they are bound to the body of water they dwell in. Commonly spotted alone and are identified by the water continously streaming from their hair and clothes as well as the greenish sheen of their skin. They are amphibious and have legs as opposed to a tail. They are incredibly curious about land dwellers and much like dryads cannot venture far from their pools.

Newt: Dryad – (Because of the straying from the original mythos treefolk is more of an apt name) Originates from Greek Mythos, originally only female however some stories in the modern age allow for them to be male, this is where the term treefolk arises. Very few are sentient, these treefolk can take on a humanoid form and move a short distance from their tree. Treefolk will vary in appearance and personality based on the tree species.

Minho: Dokkaebi – legendary creatures from Korean mythology and folklore. Also known as "Korean goblins", are nature deities or spirits possessing extraordinary powers and abilities that are used to interact with humans, at times playing tricks on them and at times helping them.Legends describe different dokkaebi in many forms and beings with a thousand faces, and dokkaebi often wear hanbok.

Gally: Wraith – Evil spirit who is said to haunt people through negative emotions.

Ben: Púca (or pookha, puck) – Mischievous shape-changing creatures which can take human form. Known for its cunning and wile as well as lies and deception, Pooka's are known tricksters. Considered to be bringers both of good and bad fortune, they could help or hinder rural and marine communities.

Teresa: Harpy – A monster originating from Greek mythology said to have the face of a woman and body of a bird. Currently depicted with a more human body covered in feathers with wings and talons.

Brenda: Gorgon – Snake headed women able to turn men to stone with a gaze. In mythology women are unable to be harmed by Medusa, the most famous of the gorgons.

Winston: Ghoul – Monstrous flesh-eating spirits associated with graveyards. In popular legend, a demonic being believed to inhabit burial grounds and other deserted places.

Chuck: Faun – Humanoid beings with the horns and lower bodies of goats, however similar to Satyr a Faun is more childlike and innocent.

Alby: Satyr – Originating from Greek mythology, a nature spirit with the upper body of a man and the lower body of a bipedal goat with goat horns atop their heads. Typically depicted as a musical spirit closely associated with Dionysus

(I know I didn't add frypan but I have no earthly idea what he would be so if you have any ideas lmk plz)

(also I may be incorrect on some of my descriptions if so lmk so I can fix it)

[mariee-luvs-u]

maze runner incorrect quotes

newtmas:

thomas: I truly go into housewife mode when I'm someone's soulmate- like, I'll make you pancakes and bacon every morning. newt: This is a lie. newt: I'm literally dating them. This is a lie. newt: THEY DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW TO COOK A PANCAKE, WHAT IS THIS.

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

thomas: Do you want to know your gay name? newt: My... my gay name? thomas: Yeah, it's your first name- newt: Haha. Very funny thomas- thomas: *gets down on one knee* And my last name. newt: Oh- oh my god.

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

thomas: As top in this relationship, I think we should- newt: I can't believe you're pulling rank on me.

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

*newt comes home absolutely drunk, undresses, and stands in thomas’s bedroom.* thomas: Babe, are you.. coming to bed? newt: No thank you, I’m sure you’re lovely but I have a boyfriend. newt: *Lies on the ground and falls asleep* thomas: ...

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

thomas: Can I have 2 straws with that milkshake? newt: Aww- thomas: With 2 straws, I can drink it double as fast!

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

newt: *seductively takes off glasses* newt: Wow... thomas: *blushes* Haha... what? newt: You're really fucking blurry.

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

newt: I want to kiss you. thomas, not paying attention: What? newt: I said if you die, I wont miss you.

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

*newt and thomas are in Paris.* newt: I'm...moved. I...I don't know what it is I'm feeling right now. I feel...destiny? thomas: But... newt: I don't know what it is. I feel like... I just never thought I'd see it with my own two eyes. And here it is. It's just there. It's right in front of me, and... thomas: This is what you wanted to see? The bridge from Inception? newt: Yeah. thomas: But the Eiffel Tower is behind us, babe. newt: Yeah, but this is the bridge FROM INCEPTION. thomas: Okay, alright.

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

thomas: Hey, random question, what are your favorite flowers? newt: Peonies, why? thomas: newt: Were you going to get me flowers? thomas: newt: thomas: ᶦᵗ’ˢ ᵃ ᵖᵒˢˢᶦᵇᶦˡᶦᵗʸ

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

thomas: Do you love me? newt: We’re literally married. thomas: Yeah, but as friends or—

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

newt: Are you ready to commit? thomas: Like, a crime or a relationship?

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

newt: Fight me! thomas: *gets on one knee and pulls out a ring* thomas: Fight me for the rest of our lives.

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

newt, texting thomas: Hey do you like anyone? thomas: Yeah you newt: Oh, I'm sorry we're just friends thomas: *Yeah, you? thomas: Oh haha sorry lol newt: *dies inside*

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

newt: You got a date yet thomas? thomas: No... newt: Well you do now! Get your arse up and hold my hand!

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

newt: Pros and cons of dating me. newt: Pros. You'll be the cute one. newt: Cons. Holy shit, where do I begin-

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

thomas: I was going to suggest we do Marilyn Monroe and JFK roleplay, but I’d get way too into it. newt: What- how? thomas: You’d be like “come to bed … Mr. President” and I’d be like, “I need to increase the amount of American military advisors in South Vietnam by a factor of 18.”

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

thomas: Sleep is the body’s best safety mechanism. newt: How so? thomas: It keeps you from screwing up for 8 hours.

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

thomas: Father, I have sinned. newt: Daddy, I’ve been naughty.

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

newt: thomas, remember when you said you weren’t going to interfere with my love life? thomas: No, that doesn’t sound like me at all.

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

gladers:

gally: Clownery. Tomfoolery. Absolute fuckery, I am going to revoke your life privileges.

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

minho: Did you like the food I made? thomas: No, not really. minho: But I put my heart and soul into it! thomas: No wonder it tastes so cold and dead.

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

gally: Protip is you do not feel good about yourself after eating tomato sauce on iceberg lettuce. minho: What's wrong with you?? gally: I literally JUST said I ate tomato sauce on iceberg lettuce?? Pay attention. newt: No, they mean other than that. gally: Ohhhhhh. gally: I haven't slept in 4 days.

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

minho: New year, same me. Because I'm perfect

-----------------.

minho: I love the term 'partners'. Are we dating? Are we robbing a bank? Are we the dedicated detectives who investigate these vicious felonies and are members of an elite squad known as the special victims unit? Who knows.

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

newt: Raisins. It's nature's candy.

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

minho, laying in bed: Get out of my room. gally, standing just outside of the door frame: I’m not in your room.

HEYYYY STRAWBERRIESSSS IM BACKKKK!!!!!!!!!!!

i have not posted in a while bc i've been suppa busssyyyy but here's something and i might post more later on

love ya'llll!!!!!

[mdhwrites]

Eda's Requiem: The Embodiment of Why TOH's Found Family Sucks

Here are the two plot lines for this episode, with no frills or judgements, and you try to figure out the problems with them: Plot A: Eda, while running from having an actual conversation with King and/or Luz, runs into an old flame who lets her in on a secret criminal group they're a part of that can use her skills. She proceeds to spend the entire episode away from Luz and King, besides small exchanges where she refuses to talk to them due to misunderstandings, until she almost sacrifices herself for her beliefs and the good of the Isles. Raine stops her because of a photo of King, Luz and Eda together showing she has kids. Then she runs off to finally watch the thing that Luz and King have been working on the entire episode. However, she's missed it entirely but she makes up for it by helping King with his goal anyways.

Plot B: King and Luz are preparing for a race together so as to get a chance to broadcast to the entire Isles a message about how King wants to find his family. They also keep talking about a topic that will potentially upset Eda, with heavy implications due to the dialogue that it is him wanting to leave, and keep getting cut off from actually talking to her due to Eda blowing them off because of overhearing parts of these conversations. We then don't get to see the race but find out they lose because King threw up while they were flying. King then makes an impassioned speech to his father about his interests, things he'd like to do as a parent and child and about the symbol on him. He then calls Eda cranky before then saying because she was the one to raise him, he is LEEEEeee-gally changing his name to King Clawthorne, officially making him adopted by Eda so long as she'll have him.

So besides the painful voice acting direction that is the writers admitting to just having straight up lied with their implications as to what King's problem was *eye twitch* Did you see it?

What about this episode is actually about their found family? The relationship between these characters? Especially Eda and King's? Because the two practically do not interact this episode until the very end. Eda spends the entire episode neglecting Luz and King due to her own fears while King's goal ISN'T about Eda. It's about finding his real parents. He even outlines what he thinks a parent/child dynamic should be, what he wants out of it and it's NOT anything we've seen him do with Eda.

In fact, you might expect me to compare this episode to Amphibia's Aquarium episode, which is effectively when the found family there is finalized but there's literally no comparison. TOH doesn't reflect on the relationship or memories that this family has with each other because there's almost nothing there. What, is King going to wax nostalgic about how Eda manipulates him into no win bets and mocks him for his desires and goals in Teenage Abomination? Or how about how Eda, despite living with him since he was an infant, doesn't even try to understand his struggles until body swapping with him? OH! How about when she threatened the eight year old with rent in the second episode? There's the first episode's statement about the two being all they have but there's actually not much else they have done together that ever has them growing genuinely closer.

Then there's simply the emotional focuses of the episode. The things as an audience we are actually told are the stakes of the episode are if Eda and Raine are going to get back together/succeed in their plans and if King is going to win so he can get a message out to his genetic parents. Their goals that they have to overcome don't actually have anything to do with each other or them being a family. Anything about that is just side angst that isn't as important. Even King's speech at the end FAR more heavily weighs on his desire to find his genetic parent than it does Eda. He describes with so much care about what he wants before saying the he's asking to be adopted is because Eda raised him and then stating ZERO other reasons for why he's doing this. That's not a reason to change your name, that's what your mom says to guilt trip when you try to not do what she says.

Found Family is NOT transactional. In fact, one of the big reasons Found Family is so treasured is because you choose it, not because it was forced upon you like, I dunno, some random stranger deciding to take you home from your birthplace because she assumes you've been abandoned. It's because you have such a bond with another person that you would rather them be your own family. It doesn't matter what part or the legalness of it, it never did for Anne, but... When you don't actually show that bond as part of your story, all you have left are labels you can use to tell the audience they have this bond.

And so of course King gets officially adopted because otherwise, why would you ever call Eda King's mom? Because it needs to do SOMETHING to actually sell these people as a found family so people can praise it for having that trope but it also doesn't want to put in the actual time or effort. So... I guess this is all we get alongside King calling Luz his sister.

That's just not enough, not for me at least.

======+++++======

What's rough with this blog is that I actually still like Eda's Requiem. It's not a bad episode as Eda and Raine's dynamic is good with some good stakes to the action which is a rarity for TOH. It's just that thematically it doesn't function which isn't anything new.

I have a public Discord for any and all who want to join!

I also have an Amazon page for all of my original works in various forms of character focused romances from cute, teenage romance to erotica series of my past. I have an Ao3 for my fanfiction projects as well if that catches your fancy instead. If you want to hang out with me, I stream from time to time and love to chat with chat.

A Twitter you can follow too

And a Kofi if you like what I do and want to help out with the fact that disability doesn’t pay much.

[mae-gi-writes]

Finders Keepers | Gally [TMR] - Part 6

In which Gally gets soft for one of the boys in the Glade, only…is it a boy? alternatively; In which Mai disguises herself into a boy to fit in the Glade, only to be suspected by the keen eyes of the Builder's Keeper.

taglist: @edynmeyer1 @ss28 @kurowvie @vaugarkel @marikittt @angelfrombeneth @undeniableadrenaline @persiar9 @ss28

Also available on Wattpad.

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"She needs to be banished."

"I say we banish her!"

"She doesn't belong here!"

"She's a liar!"

The Homestead is filled with angry shouts and protests as Mai sits fingering the hem of her shirt nervously. There's no doubt that there is outrage at the prospect of her lying, but it's definitely the fact that she's a girl that's getting her into this big mess. But what could she have done when the voices in her head are so strong that she has no choice but to obey?

Last night had been terrible. She had nightmares, flashbacks of the night before, the look of Henry's face plaguing her mind until she woke up with a heaving chest. So fearful she'd been that she'd crawled from her mattress to the edge of Gally's bed, wishing to feel him close at her side.

Gally, who had still been sleepy when his eyes had blinked open at her, merely grunted before flipping his blanket open for her. The girl took this chance to burrow herself into his side. She hadn't cared about personal space or about the fact that the Builder would make fun of her for this. She'd only wanted to feel safe, and it's with Gally that she could have a peace of mind.

Which is how she found herself cooped up into Gally's arms in the morning, opening her eyes to see none other than his peaceful features. She'd spent some time admiring him alright, tracing them with her eyes and realizing that Gally looked years younger when he didn't have that permanent frown on his face. And when the Builder had slowly come out of sleep, the girl had quickly squeezed her eyes shut in an attempt to feign sleep.

She'd felt him take a surprised breath, the arm around her waist tensing underneath her, before he'd gently tugged his limb out and moved away from the bed with the kind of surprising gentleness that she hadn't suspected he had. What he hadn't known however, was the way Mai's heart had been beating erratically against her chest this entire time she'd forced herself to stay still.

If she closes her eyes now, she can almost feel the sensation of his hands along her waist. It makes her shiver.

"Alright everyone calm down!" Alby's voice booms through the room and there's instant silence that prevails, leaving only suspicious eyes and reluctant looks at the Leader of the glade.

"Nobody is getting banished for anything," Alby continues despite the flurry of protests at his words. He raises his voice so that it booms across the room, "Mai is one of ours. She's a Glader just like the rest of you."

"She shuckin' lied to us!" One of the gladers spit out.

"And did that hurt you? No? Exactly," Alby points out, "as far as I know, she hasn't hurt anybody around here."

"I agree with him," Minho says from his spot, arms crossed and looking over at Mai with a wink, "if anything, she's the one that's helping to fees your stomachs, you stupid slintheads."

"But she still lied. Does that not count for anything?" another glader asks.

The choral of debates pick up and Mai can't help but cover her ears out of instinct. They're all too loud, so loud they make her ears hurt and she has half a mind to walk out of the room before Alby finally yells out for silence.

The noise ceases and everyone listens.

"Right," his voice rings out with authority, "this is what we're gonna do. It's true that Mai broke the rules by lying to us, but that does not mean she gets banished. She didn't hurt anyone. She's the one who almost got hurt." he turns to her then, a flash of sympathy swimming in his eyes. But she gives him a quiet nod, as if in understanding, "so one night in the Slammer is your punishment."

Mai will take it. It's not the best, but she'll survive.

So she doesn't protest or fight when Newt and Minho flank her sides, accompanying her to one of the Slammer cages. They help her inside before closing the door behind her with apologetic looks on their faces.

"Sorry Greenie," Newt says, "we'll get you out of here first thing in the morning."

"I'll come and slip you food," Minho reassures.

"Thanks," Mai's voice is weak and tiny as it echoes out of the cage. She doesn't say anything else as she settles down onto the hard muddy floor. Great, and now she'll have even more dirty clothes to wash.

The hours go by and time seems to lose meaning. Mai tries to occupy herself by counting how many roots she can find sticking out from the opposite mud wall but soon loses interest when the light of the sun slowly disappears and turns to a blanket of darkness. Soon, all the bustling and the clinking of tools, the shouts and the buzz of conversation still to a stop once the light of the day starts going out. And that's when the fear starts to crawl over her spine.

She tries not to think about what had happened with Henry but it's almost impossible to close her eyes without seeing all of him in display before her. Mai clenches her teeth together, arms wrapping protectively around her knees as she allows her face to bury into the small nook of comfort that it creates.

Crunch. The sound of footsteps cause Mai to jerk up, eyes flitting towards the black sky. Her breath catches in her throat as she waits, muscles tense. She's had enough adventure to last herself a lifetime and is in no need of more boys like Henry around. Especially right now.

But then, a voice slips through the silence and causes her to sigh out in relief.

"Hey Greenie."

Gally.

And there comes his face between the caged bars, frowning is usual frown as if everything displeases him. The familiar sight is one that is welcome by the said girl, whose chest fills with emotion upon seeing his figure standing a few meters away. She's never felt so safe with anyone but Gally and that simple fact brings back memories of them cooped up together in his bed. Heat flushes through her cheeks at the thought and she's glad it's night time, so that Gally doesn't have to see the embarrassment flooding her face.

"Hi Gally," she croaks out weakly.

He lets out a sigh. She hears him move about until she spots his figure as he takes a seat perched right atop the cage.

"Thought you'd be hungry," he proceeds to toss her a wrapped sandwich that Mai grabs without hesitation.

She unwraps it with barely restrained hunger and the first bite is amazing, flavours exploding onto her tongue and causing her to groan in delight. She hasn't eaten since morning and her stomach is practically growling itself to death at this point.

"You'll have to stay the night," Gally's voice echoes through the cell wall.

Mai bites down onto her lower lip, "I know." Her eyes flutter up to his. She's surprised by the gentleness she finds there. It's not something she's used to, "I'll be fine."

Gally doesn't respond for a while. Mai busies herself with the food in hopes that the awkward atmosphere will somehow dissipate. She's not quite sure how Gally takes it; the news about her being a girl. They haven't spoken about it since and something in her heart squeezes at the thought that he doesn't want anything else to do with her now that he knows her secret.

But then again, he wouldn't be here providing her with food right?

That is why she's surprised when he says:

"I'm sorry."

Mai blinks up, surprised.

"Why?" The words fall out of her mouth before she can stop them, "it's not your fault. If anything, it's mine."  The last few words trail off into a whisper, as though saying them aloud might bring back the memory of last night.

He takes a breath, exhales it out as one hand rubs at his hair. He has a very bad habit of doing that when something's on his mind.

"Gally," Mai calls out once she's done with her food and crumpled the wrapping paper up into a ball. When his blue orbs meet hers, dancing with the light of the lamp, she gives him a small smile, "thank you. For saving me."

He grunts as if to say you're welcome, and she swear she spots a blush crawling up his face. Grinning to herself, Mai settles back against the wall as she hears the soft chants of the cicadas signaling that the night will be long.

"You don't have to stay here with me, you know." she says suddenly, only to find Gally already looking back down with furrowed brows. The look on his face is somewhat endearing. She's learnt to love it, his grouchiness.

"It's either that or you're all alone, greenie."

"I can take care of myself."

"That's not what you said last night."

Mai flushes at his words. Well, he's not the greatest at softening blows now, is he? "Well, that was--it was just last night..." her words end in a mumble, causing a soft snicker from the said Builder.

"Try and get some sleep, Greenie." He settles himself more comfortably against the top so that he's lounging onto the edge, visible enough for Mai to see him without having to crane her neck or look about, "I don't need you being all cranky tomorrow morning. And--" he peers down at her with what looks to be a smirk, "--don't think I'll let you off the hook so easily just 'cause you're a girl."

"Slinthead," Mai mutters under her breath, but loud enough for him to hear as she nestles her head against the wall and curls up her legs underneath, "night Gally."

"Goodnight Greenie."

-----

The next few days are weird.

Weird, because Gally now has to re-train his brain into thinking that Mai's indeed, a girl, and that it's not just something that he's come up with as a theoretical explanation. No, she's actually a girl and she looks like one, even.

It's not just the fact that she's tiny and pale and looks like she could snap in two with just a huge gust of wind. It's not just the fact that she's always in the kitchens and is now able to tie her hair back with a bandana to keep it away from her face -- something that she'd avoided because it would make people talk back then -- not just the fact that Mai, he realizes, has soft and fine, delicate features akin to a doll, a complete contrast to the rough hands and the hardened faces of the boys in the Glade.

No. It's the fact that despite all of what he's just described as above, despite everything that he's listed out like a reason for him to blame upon, it's Mai's brown eyes -- those big, beautiful eyes framed by lashes and always looking at him like she's in a permanent state of surprise -- that has his heart skipping and his chest tightening for god knows what reason.

Maybe he's coming down with something. He surely is. He feels hot and cold and hot all at once, and that's proven to be signs of sickness.

But it's a harder face to ignore than most. Suddenly, Mai is the center of attention and all boys are basking, begging to be part of her circle. Some gladers are giving her a helping hand when carrying stuff to and from the kitchen, some are chatting her up whenever they find her alone and free, others are always asking whether she needs anything; someone to walk with her, someone to guard her showers, someone to help her pick up branches for firewood.

Gally's not too sure how he feels about that. So he decidedly puts a stop to all his feelings. And plus, the Greenie is now fine with everyone and seems to be getting along quite well. She doesn't look in need of his help any longer.

Nevertheless, a few days go by and finally it's time for the box to come up. They all crowd around it nervously, knowing exactly at what precise time the metal hinges will scream with effort as the box is dragged upwards. Gally is busy frowning down at the metal-clad hole in the ground with such intensity that he almost misses the soft tap on his shoulder.

He turns, eyes flickering over Mai's features as something in his heart tugs. A cold, he thinks to himself, he really needs to get himself checked out by the Med-Jacks.

"Gally," her eyes light up when she smiles. She has a pretty smile. How had he not noticed that before when she'd claimed to be a guy?

He nods to her, frown still in place as he turns back to the hole, "Greenie."

"I'm not going to be a Greenie anymore," Mai reminds him, "we'll get a new one today."

He glances back at her over his shoulder, "the name suits you."

She pouts and this particular expression on hers throws him off guard, heart suddenly clamoring in his chest and his hands suddenly aching to reach out and pinch her cheeks. God she's cute when she wants to be.

The familiar clanging of metal and the whirring of cogs steals his attention away. All Gladers turn to it expectantly as the box slowly crawls up to their level before finally coming to a stop with a screeching halt.

"Open it up!" Alby shouts as him and Newt grab both sides of the box. Gally leans over to help and they tug it out of the way to reveal a young, pudge-faced boy that looks no older than twelve.

"It's a boy!" one of the Gladers shout out in what sounds to be happiness and Mai can't help but scoff.

Since Mai is the greenie right before him, she has the responsibility of introducing the boy to the Glade. He's young and has a cherubic face, and almost bursts into tears the moment he is lifted from the box. Alby had had to calm him down and explain to him how the Glade works in the privacy of the Homestead as everyone resumed their work for the day, and after that the young boy was introduced to Mai as Chuck.

Chuck is nice and friendly once he gets comfortable with Mai's presence, and the two seem to hit it off once they get past the pleasantries of the Glade. He seems already a bit homesick and Mai is quick to reassure him that the Glade already feels like home to her.

"Don't worry," Mai says as she helps him tie up his hammock next to hers. Gally had previously forced her to move her hammock as close to his hut as possible in case of any inappropriate behavior from the boys now that her identity was out in the open, so she was now placed on the very edge of the Hammock space, right in front of the said Builder's front door. It's not a problem in the grand scheme of things. But it is an issue when Gally just has to glance at the new kid to make his eyes water.

"He's not that bad you know," Mai explains to Chuck as the younger boy settles himself into his hammock, "he's a bit grouchy sometimes. But he's got a good heart."

"Are you sure we're talking about the same dude?" Chuck asks, fingering the hem of the new t-shirt he's received from one of the Gladers.

Mai can't help but laugh, "yes, we are. I swear to you. His heart's in the right place," she pauses, hesitant to say the words that come next, "He was actually really sweet to me throughout my first month at the glade."

Chuck's eyes are gazing upon her with a childlike curiosity that has her squirming in place and Mai feels the heat of embarrassment crawling up her cheeks as she tries to blow out some air. That's when he drops the bomb:

"You like him?"

Her heart stops, head whipping up to his, "what?" she stammers out, "what do you mean?"

"You know," Chuck says with the calmness of her mature person despite the fact that he's two feet shorter than she is, "like when people like each other. Not just as friends. As something more. Do you like him that way?"

"I--" Mai's heart is pumping so loud she's surprised Chuck can't hear it. But if it's not her heart, it's her face flushing red that gives her away. She doesn't need to answer, for Chuck seems to have read it straight from her expression.

His face explodes into a mischievous grin, "you do like him!"

"No, I--"

"Yes you do. Look at your face, it's written all over it!"

"No no, not like that--"

"You do! You like him!"

"Who likes who?"

Mai turns, yelping in shock as Chuck almost falls from his hammock. The Keeper of the Builders is staring him down, eyebrows raised in suspicion before his blue eyes direct themselves towards Mai's face. He repeats his question, "you like someone?"

Somehow, the darkness in his tone is impossible to ignore.

Mai is quick to dispel his thoughts for fear that her red face is going to give it all away, "no of course not, I--"

"Yes she does, and guess what Gally? She--"

Mai's hand shoots out, slapping onto Chuck's mouth before she sends Gally an innocent grin. The latter doesn't seem quite as thrilled at the new statement, gaze flickering between Mai's uneasy smile and Chuck's struggling expression.

"She what?"

"Nothing at all!" Mai throws the younger boy a glare before shoving him back into his hammock and turning to Gally with a smile so huge it looks like it hurts, "what you up to, Gal?"

If he's noticed the nickname, he decides to ignore it in favor of crossing his arms and cocking his head at her. There's a ghost of a smile, just barely there, on his face, "I wanted to show you somethin'. " He then turns to walk away, glancing back at her over his shoulder expectantly like he wants her to follow him.

So Mai throws Chuck one last glance of disapproval, "don't go anywhere alone. I'll finish the tour this afternoon." before she's off skipping in Gally's direction all while whistling a soft tune under her breath.

They make their way to the Builder's section, looking more like a garden with an array of tools scattered about the place while others are poised dangerously over overgrown tree roots. Gally calls out for the mess to be cleaned up and Mai's stomach clenches with sudden admiration. It's not something she'd say out loud but seeing Gally in his natural element makes her insides turn to mush.

He ducks into a small hut designed to keep his floorplans and blueprints. Mai follows, only to stop dead in her tracks at the piece of furniture sitting at the centre of the room.

"What's that?" She cocks her head curiously.

One of his hands go up to rub the back of his neck. He seems embarrassed, eyes shying away from hers to gaze at the furniture instead.

"That's a bed," he says almost reluctantly, voice scratchy and rough and making Mai yearn for more, "I thought it might fit you."

Surprise flits across her face, "thank you, that's—really kind of you." She shakes her head then, "but I'm not sure I have space to fit that in the Homestead—"

But the words get stuck in her throat when the Builder turns to gaze her head-on, those cerulean eyes like aquamarine storms of emotions flickering across his pupils like words that he can't seem to find.

"It's yours. Alby and I— well," he hesitates, "we thought you might want a Hut."

Mai stares at him. A hut? Just for her?

Her heart skips a beat and suddenly the air around her feels warm. Surely he didn't do that just for her right?

"But that's not fair is it?" She murmurs out, "all the other gladers—"

"Have eyes on you," he cuts her off with a firm stare, "it's better if you have a place of your own."

"But my hammock's right next to your hut. Makes it safe enough doesn't it?"

"I'm not always gonna be there Mai, I—" he swallows thickly, as if he'd stopped himself from saying anything else in case he might say too much. Pressing his lips together instead, Gally continues in a grumble, "it's better this way Greenie."

"I'm not a greenie anymore."

A semblance of a smile ghosts past his lips, "I know. It still fits you though."

Mai can't help but grin before she shoves him playfully. Although Gally barely budges. He's built like a brick wall after all. It's impossible to move him.

"Well, thank you Gally," she looks back towards the bed, "I'll take care of it."

"Right you do, Greenie."

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