#literally lose my mind over those like light blue ones. how

[pig-wings]

Went to the farmers market this morning and wept over the piles and piles of beautiful squash that I simply do not enjoy eating

[witchthewriter]

𝐁𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐬/𝐨 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐝𝐞

⤷ gender neutral, ambiguous race, and any size reader. Requests are open, thank you for reading!  

a/n: all characters are over the age of 18! :)

ᴹᵃˢᵗᵉʳˡᶤˢᵗ      

ENTP

Ravenclaw

Chaotic Good

Gemini Sun, Aries Moon, Aquarius Rising

𝑺𝑭𝑾🌿

・You’re light in not only Stiles’ life, but the whole group. 

・They come to you when life feels too much. 

・You’re there with the kettle on, ready to hear their problems and read their tea leaves

・There’s always an animal worming their way around your legs, either a cat or one of your dogs

・You adopt as many animals as you can, usually from Alan Deaton, the vet. 

・Scott likes you because you bring a sense of calm to Stiles’ chaos

・And Stiles didn’t realise he had a crush on you until Scott pointed it out.

・You constantly have to bring Stiles back down to earth. His mind is constantly racing and thinking about the next problem

・Stiles couldn’t help but fall in love with you. You were always so kind to him. When everyone else thought he was ‘too much’, you couldn’t get enough

・ It was your smile that did it for Stiles. That sweet, sometimes mischievous smile. 

・You originally thought Stiles was one of those sceptics that brushed the existence of magic as mere fiction

・But Stiles was the first one to believe in your witchcraft:

     “We have werewolves, Banshees and god knows what else. A witch seems the most realistic.”

・When the group doesn’t have any leads, they come to you for help. It’s not easy being a witch. It uses a lot of energy. You can do locating spells, but it drains you a lot

・Stiles hates coming to you for help because he knows how much it physically costs you 

・Some teenagers like to graffiti your home - but they can only do it once. You’ve cast a spell so whoever tries to do it again loses their ability to talk normally

・It also means you know who’s been doing it

・Because parents panic and news always travels around town, the graffiti is next to non-existent now (also because Stiles makes sure to clean it off before you notice)

・He can be very, very stubborn. And often thinks he knows what is best. 

・But he’s also ... very honest. So you know when he’s lying (he’s so bad at it):

     “Stiles...tell me the truth.”

“The truth is ... that ... I ... am...- okay god stop looking at me like that.”

・Likes cuddling A LOT. But is fussy, and if he can’t get perfectly comfortable, then he wants to be the little spoon.

・Is a really heavy sleeper, and whenever he stays over at your place he’s the last to wake up

・LOVES when you make his favourite food. Literally falls in love, not even being dramatic. His mind is like ‘this is the one. I’m keeping them.’

・Loyal to. a. fault. Will die for you, will do everything in his power to keep you safe and out of danger. That’s another reason why he doesn’t like getting you involved in the supernatural stuff. 

・You know exactly what he’s thinking, because you can see it clearly on his face. 

・ “Stiles, do you tell my secrets to Scott?” 

“Ugh, not the really secretive ones?”

・Sheriff Stilinksi loves you, he thinks you’re great for Stiles. You make his chaos less ... chaotic. He was a bit apprehensive about your witchcraft at first, but then he had the same outlook as Stiles. “At least you’re not a ...hellhound or something.”

・Stiles NEVER fails to make you laugh 

・You find the most random things in his car. Ducktape, a metal baseball bat, keys to many, many buildings, rope. You asked him if he had a first aid kit, since he had everything else, and his eyes glazed over. 

   “I KNEW I was forgetting something. God!” 

・You make protection amulets for him, and give him crystals. He doesn’t understand but takes them wholeheartedly anyway

・His favourite crystals are labradorite (”because I like when it shines, duh”), malachite and blue tiger’s eye 

・Vending machines are his mortal enemy and if he sees one he forbids you from using it (you use it anyway)

・Having weekly meals at his father’s place 

・You were really really good friends with Allison, and her death was heavy for you. 

・Adores going to metaphysical stores with you. He picked out a deck of tarot cards (wants to pay but you never let him. So he tries to gift you as many things as you’ll need, so he can buy them)

𝑯𝒊𝒔 𝑷𝒆𝒕 𝑵𝒂𝒎𝒆 𝑭𝒐𝒓 𝒀𝒐𝒖: You’d think he would be very open with nicknames for you. But he’s very embarrassed by it. Not embarrassed of you, but of showing you verbal affection. After being in a stable relationship for a while, he would start calling you names like ‘sweetheart,’ or ‘honey’, especially when you weren’t listening to his warnings

𝑯𝒊𝒔 𝑳𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝑳𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒖𝒂𝒈𝒆: Physical Touch and Words of Affirmation. He’s always on the go and can feel like you aren’t a part of his world. But you always make sure to leave little trinkets in his pockets or in his car. 

𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒎𝒆 𝑺𝒐𝒏𝒈:

Romantic Flight by John Powell

𝑹𝒆𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒑 𝑻𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒔:

Chaotic Dumbass (Stiles) x Oh God That’s My Chaotic Dumbass (You)

Gifts Rocks As Gifts x Takes The Rocks Without Question

Talks A Lot (Stiles) x Likes To Listen (You)

 𝑹𝒐𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒄 𝑷𝒍𝒐𝒕 𝑻𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒆:

It’s Always Been You

[villainessprefect]

~Tell It to My Heart~

title: A Hero's Welcome is Waiting for Me

dialogue #1: “You mean a lot to me and I didn’t want to sit there and watch you get hurt.”

Idia x fem!reader

note: ch.6 spoilers!

Read on AO3

The moment you spot those beautiful blue flames, your eyes light up. Their absence isn't new knowing that Idia dislikes leaving his room, but after what happened on the Island of Woe, you feared that you may never see him again.

It takes everything in you to not shout his name. The last thing you want to do is scare him off. This is such a lucky encounter that you can't lose your chance now.

As you make your approach, his eyes meet with yours. Those golden eyes go wide and he visibly shrinks, yet his hair makes it seem like he hadn't with how it flickers. His gaze darts from yours to anything else, probably looking for an escape.

Did he not want to see you again? The thought hurt, but you wouldn't let it show.

"Hey, Idia!" You chirp. Despite the slight pain in your chest that he caused, he manages to heal it in an instant without doing a single thing. "Welcome back."

"H-Hey..." He mumbles out. "It's not like I wanted to be back...I'm only here cuz I have to be otherwise I'd be, you know...not here."

"I know. Are you heading back to your room? Mind if I come with you?"

Idia hesitates. A hand reaches for a stray strand of fire. He fiddles with the flame in between his fingers. The sight of flames being played with like nothing is fascinating. It makes you recall the few times you managed to touch the harmless flames without him knowing and longed to run your fingers through it.

"S-Sure...if you want. I won't stop you."

You flash him a smile and step to his side. There are so many things you want to ask him. If he's okay, if Ortho is okay, if things back home are okay. You want to ask about his games and if you can team up for the event coming up and if you could watch a new series together. It's just too much that you find yourself at a loss of what to say.

The trip to Ignihyde is silent, but neither of you mind. Although, you can't help but feel like something is off. Maybe it's the way he's avoiding your gaze, avoiding looking directly at you. He's a nervous guy, yes, but you thought that he was comfortable around you.

You'd manage to see that rare, fiery, passionate side that only ever comes up behind literal closed doors. His flames would flicker with life whenever it was just you two. His excitement was infectious and you mimicked his energy, hyping him up and holding your own with him. Yet, the fires seem so dull today.

"Ladies first," he says as he opens the door to his room. It lacks the usual teasing tone. With a silent thank you, you enter.

Nothing has changed here. His room was still a mess, miscellaneous pieces of technology scattered on the floor, blankets drooping from his bed and covering some of the mess. A fallen plush catches your eye, one of a pair that had separated. You reach to pick up the stuffed purple creature. Instead of returning it to its position, you keep it in your lap once you've taken your seat on his bed.

"So, what do you wana do?" You ask.

You wait for an answer that doesn't come. Idia still avoids looking at you. It makes you squeeze the plush against your chest.

"Did I do something wrong?"

"N-No!" He's quick to answer. Finally, his gaze settles on you, if only for a moment. It leaves as soon as your eyes meet. He grips onto his arm, squeezing it for support. The man bites down on his lips as he shuts his eyes.

"S-Sorry, I just...there's kind of a lot of things I should say, I think..."

You blink and tilt your head. Your heart races as a mixture of curiosity and fear settle into your soul. It's rare for either of you to share a serious conversation. It's almost unsettling to even think about it.

"What do you wana say?" You ask as you pat the bed. Idia glances over and takes the invitation. He sits beside you, careful to avoid your touch. His hands intertwine with each other, giving them a deathly squeeze. "We can talk later if you want...?"

Idia shakes his head. He's thankful you are patient and willing to give him an escape route. Part of him regrets not taking it.

"I promised Ortho I'd talk to you," he finally says. "I just wanted to know...why?" He glances at you and does his best not to stare. His flames help conceal his gaze, if only temporarily. "Why did you risk your life to fight a final boss? You know you're magicless, right? That makes you below under leveled for a fight. It's like fighting a god with a rat. It's beyond a noob mistake, especially in a game that you can't restart."

Oh. This is what he wanted to talk about. You didn't think that guilt might be eating at him for what he did. These events feel so common to you that you hardly register something like this happening. Then again, you were never close to those that Overblotted. Sure, you knew them beforehand but friendship never blossomed until afterwards.

It's different with Idia. You managed to strike up a friendship with the shut-in before getting swept up in that whole STYX mess. And you didn't expect him to end up in that state either.

Your heart aches just thinking about how that inky substance took a hold of him. You doubt there was anything you could have done to stop it from happening, but you like to think you could have. If you could have gotten him to open up more, to see the world, to help him-

No. Nothing would have changed.

You're a magicless being in a foreign world. You can't change his past nor any mistakes he makes. But you can make changes to the present.

It's hard to find the right words. You can tell him that you've done this before. Overblots are, unfortunately, nothing new to you. Although this one involved so much more than just one life. There were two. Then there was the fact the whole world was in danger.

Damn. It finally hits just how dangerous that situation had been. You really could have died then and there, consumed by a Phantom or worse. Your game would be over in an instant if you had to face him alone.

You take in a breath and release your death grip on the poor plush.

"I wanted to save you." You admit, voice barely above a whisper. "You mean a lot to me, Idia. I didn't want to just sit there and watch you get hurt."

It's almost funny to say that considering your side was the one doing the hurting. But he should know what you mean. He knows more about blot than you do, he's the one who let it consume him. And while you may not be an expert like him, you had experience in dealing with it. The euphoric power is only temporary and that can't keep the pain at bay forever.

"I don't have magic and I'm not the strongest person, but how could I just watch what happens? They told me it would be safer to wait in the room. I'd be protected there. It's obviously the smarter option, but it would mean leaving you alone. And...I wouldn't know what to do if I lost you."

While Idia stays silent, his hair speaks volumes. Those bold statements caught him off guard, his hair lighting up with an intense spark of pink. He can feel his heart pounding against his chest. Such sweet words were never meant for a character like him. Especially not after his villain arc!

He doesn't know how to deal with the fact that you truly cared for him, enough that you'd be willing to throw your life away for him despite your magicless disadvantage. How could you risk something so precious for someone so pathetic?! He doesn't get it. He never will.

"D-Do you mean all of that?" His voice comes out terribly shaky. "Y-You can't, can you? Like no one would ever care that much for someone like me. I bet you're just saying that to not let me feel guilty about-"

"Idia," you cut him off and he yelps. You look at him, forcing yourself to meet his gaze. "If it meant being able to stay with you, I would dive into the underworld and drag you out of it."

Some type of squeal escapes from his lips. His hair turns into a mess, blue and pink swirling as he straightens and fidgets with his hands. That declaration has his mind beyond fried. It's a miracle that he hasn't fainted.

Your touch brings him back to reality, although not after sending a shock throughout his entire body. A delicate hand placed upon his is a blessing he doesn't deserve, especially coming from you.

Idia tries to process your feelings. Could any of it be true? You did come over of your free will and did so continuously. Whether it be for fun or schoolwork, you made his darkened school days a little brighter. It was hard to admit that he came to look forward to your visits and actually enjoyed your presence. And you made him do the one thing he never wanted to do.

Hope.

Tears begin to well up in his eyes. He really doesn't deserve someone like you.

"I-I almost k-killed you..." He breathes out before taking in a sharp breath. "H-How could you say that to me...?"

Your grip over his hand tightens. The sight of tears makes your chest ache, yet calls you to action. If words wouldn't work, then you would just have to show him. So, you move your body towards him, the plush that once sat on your lap returns to the floor. With your free hand, you raise it to his cheek to keep him still. You place your lips against his. They're cold and you catch the taste of that cheap ramen you two share. It's nothing romantic like you envisioned your first kiss to be. Honestly, you weren't sure how it would be, definitely nothing like this. But those worries are gone now. You enjoy the way your lips meet and the closeness of your bodies. You hope and pray that this is enough to get him to understand your feelings.

Parting is painful. You've already stolen his lips for longer than expected. Idia's face is painted red and his hair has gone full on pink. He seems frozen in place as if your kiss had done the final blow to his remaining HP.

When his system is back online, his body moves before he even realizes it. He's quick to embrace you and bury his face in the nook of your neck. He craves your touch more than he wants to admit. Like this, he can hide his blushing face and indulge a little.

"I don't deserve you..."

"You do. I think you do."

You carefully wrap your arms around him. You don't give him your death grip like you did with the plush, but you hold him against your body. You hear him sniffle and begin to rub his back. You know he needs his time to gather his thoughts and feelings. You don't mind waiting for him.

"If you ever need the reminder, I'll say it as many times as needed."

[echantedtoon]

Return Of The Heart

If you fall in love again after meeting someone especially after losing the first love, that doesn't get rid of nor replaces that love for the first. It just means the heart has more room to store all the love you have..So that's why does it pang with every beat with hope that the second love doesn't become lost too.

(This is inspired by the works of @sindysugar      Please check out their own works involving The Cat Returns. It's really good I promise.)

The night was young. Not even midnight yet..Yet the occupant of the home thought it'd be a good idea to get late work done with nothing to see by but a single lit candle and the silvery moonlight wafting in from the windows.

Scribble. Scribble. Scribble. 

The sounds of a feather pen against paper sounded out quietly from the middle of the small house. Literally working away as the clock ticked away from the wall. The ticks and tocks being the only sounds being heard other than the soft scribbling against paper.

"Baron, it's getting late. You should sleep." His friend had told him before also retiring for the night. "You look tired."

"I will. I just want to finish up the report on our latest case. The child was successfully returned to her parents."

"Yes. I can't believe such an well behaved little girl would just wonder off like that. Then again she was very young and didn't know better. Good thing she liked Muta enough to not let go of him until we figured out how to get her back." He chuckled at the memory. "It was rather funny to see him being made to play Teddy Bear...Baron?"

"Hm?"

"You seem to be spacing out. Are you sure you're not too tired? Surely measly paperwork can wait until morning."

"No, Toto. Im quite alright. You go ahead and head to sleep."

".. Alright, Baron. Just promise me you won't stay up all night."

"I promise."

Scribble. Scribble. Scrib-

The silvery light collided with the dancing gold of the flame in a beautiful glow making shadows dance against the walls and furniture. Reflection beaming off magnificent green eyes unblinking within the strange alluring mixture of darkness and lights. The motions of writing ceasing in their motions completely and the emotions taking over. The one whom was working stopping to set the feather back onto it's rightful pedestal and sitting there unblinking. The one who had the emotions stirring around from his mind and down to his heart. Those gorgeous eyes turned slowly, head turning to the darkened wall behind him as he sat as his desk. The area behind him was dark, and almost hard to see but he saw what the eyes were searching for.

A rectangular painting, portrait specifically, hanging upon the wall just behind him. The features hard to make out in the darkness and limited light but the figure's features unmistakable. White fur painted to look as soft as he remembered she felt. The most beautiful blue eyes that he could've sworn would look at him at any moment. A beautiful blue hat on her head and the prettiest of pink dresses adorning her frame and the quaintest of polite smiles on her lips. Frankly he didn't think the painting did the real person justice but it was a beautiful rendition. 

"Louise."

His first love. The one made for him. The one who was SUPPOSED TO BE his one and only. His ONLY one and only. They were made to compliment one another and he thanked their creator every day for gifting him not only life but the second most precious gift of all. His love. His life. His Louise. His heart broke every day since the day he realized that she wouldn't return to him. 

"I miss you very much. You know that. .. Don't you?" The painting did not answer. Honestly he didn't expect it too but talking to it... sometimes it felt like he was talking to her again and relieved some of that loneliness in his heart. "I love you still very very much, My Dear."

He had searched for so long..even before creating the bearuo and his own business. His old creator eventually passing and he ended up in the ownership of a quant little shop owned by a kind older man, a friend of said creator. It was a humble home for a while, and he met Nuts through there. A nice young lady even found inspiration for a story through him to which he was flattered but eventually he did leave the place of his own accord to search.

To search for her. He spent years searching high and low for his dear Louise very hard but nothing ever turned up. Eventually he stopped to create his own helping service but he was always open to the idea that someday she would come back into his life and they'd be complete again. He'd show her all of his accomplishments and have her meet his friends and show her the home they could live in together for the rest of their lives. A perfect little life. At least that was his ideal idea for a happy life...

Until-

"You know that. I loved you and I will always love you. I'll never stop loving you and if you were to walk into my life now I'll happily do nothing but love you more. But ...I must confess, my dear. I have grown to feel guilty."

The painting did nothing but smile at him patiently for an answer making him take in a shaking breath.

"I fear that I have come to love someone else... I'm sorry. I'm sure you probably wouldn't be angry with me. You were always so understanding of everyone even when that someone was screaming in your face you'd never get angry, but I can not help but feel guilty." Green eyes turned away from the painted blue ones too guilty to gaze at them any longer. "I'm so sorry, Louise."

If the painting could talk it would say that it was alright and she didn't blame him after so long. He knew that's what she would say with a smile on her face. 

"Is that where you are right now?" He looked at his clasped hands, ears pinned back against his head. "Are you settled down somewhere else with a new love? Maybe that's why I haven't seen you? Because you already moved on?...I would not fault you for doing that if you did." Those eyes closed. "It has been so long. I wouldn't even be angry. I'd love nothing more than to know that you were happy with someone you love even if it wasn't me, perhaps you even have a family now too. Perhaps you prefer not to go searching for the past when your present is so much happier. Not that I would fault you for doing that too. I'd still love you regardless if that did happen."

Again the house was quiet and nothing but the clock's ticks and his own tired sigh filled the space as a hand rubbed his face 

"Regardless I still can't help but feel guilty for how I feel now even if I couldn't stop it from happening. ...I think you would've liked her." Green eyes finally looked up at the blue eyes again. "Her name is Haru. She's quite a radiant young lady. She came back to visit us earlier this week even." A sad chuckle escaped his lips. "She baked Muta this very nice pumpkin bread and brought me a full inkwell the size of the chair I sit in. I won't be out of ink for quite some time now."

If it could the painting would've chuckled at him and asked him to elaborate more about the funny girl.

"Did I ever tell you how I met her? No I haven't. I don't think. It started last year when she happened to encounter the cat kingdom's Prince. Prince Lune himself. You see he was gathering a gift for his bride to be-"

He could've imagined how the painting would've responded if it could. Giggling at some parts of the recounted long tale while humming in interest at other parts until his story was long since completed. 

"She's doing fine now," he reassured. "She's having a very good time at a new internship and she even mentioned learning to play the violin. I haven't heard her play yet but she promised to bring her instrument next time she came back. You quite loved the instrument yourself I recall...I wish you both could've met each other. I'm sure you would've been such good friends. You two are similar but yet...so different from one another. Each one having your own beauty. ... Haru has grown so much as a person since that incident, I'm very proud of her self growth."

The painting still said nothing but the reassurance of the smile brought some comfort in the heart of his. Knowing that she would've been very happy for him regardless of everything.

"I know that I still love you and for what it's worth I always will. But the return of my heart does belong to another. I'm just happy to know that you would've been nothing but understanding, my Dear Louise."

[tortugatalks]

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗪𝗞 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝘄 𝗗𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗦/𝗢𝘀!|ᴴᶜˢ

a.n. the birds of paradise episode has become one of my all time favs! new comfort ep unlocked. like?!?! its seriously so wholesome :')

𓆉 gender neutral reader

𓆉 established romantic relationship

𓆉 no warnings! just fluff

Martin Kratt

━ literally dances every dance known to man more like attempts to and when i say he goes ham, he goes HAM.

━ his confidence is super contagious, so even if you're not that strong of a dancer, it will. not. MATTER. he will pull you in for a funky dance and you'll both lose yourselves in it, music booming. you guys receive some noise complaints here and there, but it's not like you can actually hear the rest of the gang sooo (unless the crew turns off the music to get your guys' attention, but more often than not, they cave in and end up joining you two instead <3)

━ ever seen those movie bits where ppl dance in their pjs and slide across the floor? yeah, thats the vibe! doesn't matter where you two are, if you're itching for a good dance, consider it done! many moments of you two trying to crack each other up included. it always involves some form of laughter and lots of tugging each other by the arms.

━ very affectionate in the way he dances and loves picking you up and and swinging you around to the rhythm. try to break free all you want, mans gets all chuckly and squeezes you tight!

━ dancing with him is an experience and he'll do anything to have you enjoy yourself!! won't hesitate to be overly cheesy in his advances if it means he gets to see you have fun.

Chris Kratt

━ gets so so sooo into it! he busts some moves so earnestly that he ends up tripping over his own feet more than 90% of the time and drags you down to the ground with him.

━ encourages you to let loose and does this thing where he tries to imitate your own dance moves. you've impressed him with your own moves that he can't help but want to replicate em! it derails into a competition of who can do the most impressive dance.

━ if there's room for it, mans will swing, leap and do all these flips that have him crashing literally everywhere. he gets a little shy about it—he was trying to stun you with his super cool moves after all—but he's quick to pick himself up and get back on his feet!

━ the nerd just adores it when you two dance similarly to creatures you've encountered in your adventures. blue footed boobies? peacock spiders? grebes? you've done it all!

━ makes jokes about "courting" you despite already being in a relationship with you, but c'mon, nobody can resist playing along with his shenanigans! it's not everyday you get to see him shimmy like this, so take full advantage of it!

Aviva Corcovado

━ admits with a light chortle that she isn't the most confident or talented dancer and to not expect much from her in the field of choreography, but literally no one cares about how "good" she can dance—she deserves to let her hair down and have herself a jammy jam!

━ if you're like her, prepare for lots of giggles as you two try to learn how to dance. eventually, the aspect of actually "learning" some moves is long gone as you two end up doing whatever comes to mind and just roll with it!

━ she feels very comfortable in her skin around you, so if you do happen to know how to dance, encourage her maximum level! it makes her feel so relieved that you wholeheartedly accept this quirk of hers that she gradually learns to not take herself so seriously! she loves showing off, so there'll definitely be moments where she'll exclaim "watch this!" before performing her own little dance move.

━ put on music like cumbias, urbano latino, tropipop or pop romanticona and she gets all giddy inside! she absolutely loves spinning, so please do take her by the hand and give her as many twirls as she'd like!

━ once shes reached the point where she's become sure of herself, she does this cute little thing where she pretends she's only met you now for the first time in forever as she asks for your hand to dance <3

Koki

━ the ultimate dancing queen!! enjoys making up her own dance moves on the spot and it's always the most sensational thing ever. the execution is so smooth that all her moves seem legit!

━ if you two were to dance a song made for two, you better believe she'll be the one taking the lead! very cheeky in the way she dips you out of nowhere. she thrives off being spontaneous on the dance floor and shaking her groove thing!

━ cheers you on as you dance to the sound of your own beat. she claps, whistles, woo's—the whole shabang! she's extremely adamant on making you feel goated with the sauce <3

━ the type to get a hold of absolutely anything, use it as a microphone and belt out the lyrics with you. she goes full throttle with it as if it were a real performance and for a while you two believe it to be true!

━ it's a heavy workout every time that whenever you're both done with dancing, you two just lean on each other's backs as you slowly fall to the ground, heavy breaths and all. compliment her; tease her about how she's got quite the happy feet and she'll chuckle out an airy "shut up" <3

Jimmy Z

━ chair dancing! chair dancing!! chair dancing!!!

━ it usually starts out with him listening to some bops on his headphones and telling you to take a listen. all it takes is you tapping your feet or bopping your head for him to disconnect his headset and blast the music out loud for the both of you to hear!

━ before you know it, you two are swirling in your own chairs—hovering literally everywhere and anywhere. a mixture of "whoas!" and laughter boom from wall to wall as you shimmy and wiggle in your respective seats.

━ loves doing this thing where you meet each other half way, outstretch your hands to each other and lunge yourselves around hq! sometimes your hands slip from each other and you're practically squealing like little kids, excitedly trying to come into contact again.

━ sure, you may bump into some walls and tech, but it's never enough to actually hurt you. mercy to anyone who happens to need something 'cause they'll literally have to zoom in zig zags to avoid a collision with either of you.

[mistresslrigtar]

Chapter Four - Blush (written for @zelinktines24 day 4 prompt)

Read below or HERE

The savory aroma of meat sautéing in goat butter draws Zelda from her study. A flush warms her cheeks when she walks downstairs and sees a vase of colorful wildflowers in the middle of the table.

“They’re beautiful, Link.”

He looks up from his work in the kitchen and gives her a tender smile that she’s learned means he thinks she’s beautiful. Cheeks burning, Zelda offers a silent one of her own and goes to set the table.

When Link returns his focus to finishing up their dinner, Zelda steals glances when she knows he’s not looking. He’s different than she remembers him being before she left. Shy and distant, like he’d been so long ago. When she looks into his bright blue eyes she sees an old soul who has seen too much and still finds the strength to persevere. She also sees his undying adoration, which she knows is for her alone.

She wonders if she opens up more, perhaps he will, too. Her mind screams at her to tell him she still feels the same, but every time Zelda opens her mouth the words refuse to come. She doesn’t know what’s holding her back and hates herself a little more each day for withholding her feelings. Every morning she wakes up hoping to find herself in their shared bed in Hateno and that it was all a dream. They’d been close to something before she fell. What that something was she couldn’t say, only that her heart beat a little faster with nervous anticipation when she thought of where they’d been headed.

Now, it’s like starting all over again, getting to know the new person each of them has become. Link keeps a respectful distance and she doesn’t press for more. He doesn’t touch her except when she loses herself to the vague memories that plague her. She’ll return from a waking dream to concerned blue eyes and her hand clasped tightly in his. A bitter laugh escapes her, thinking it a cruel twist of fate that their roles have been reversed.

How many times do they have to be made over before Hylia will leave well enough alone and just let them be? Is it too much to ask to be happy and just live? Zelda can’t help but wonder if Hylia has some hidden agenda to keep them apart.

“Zelda.”

Blinking, Zelda looks up from where she’s paused placing their chopsticks to find Link has set steaming bowls of rice and creamy curry on the table. He stands opposite her watching and waiting, as always. Her cheeks flush again, and a knot twists in her belly. What has she ever done to deserve his love and loyalty? She thought she’d laid those demons to rest long ago, but since her return, they’ve reared their ugly heads.

“I’m sorry, I was lost in my thoughts again.” She sinks to the cushion before her place setting and waits for him to do the same.

“How many times have I told you to stop apologizing?” Link’s tone is light, teasing, but she sees the concern in his eyes.

“Too many to count.” Zelda attempts a smile and isn’t certain she’s entirely successful. However, it must be enough because she observes the subtle shift in Link’s shoulders as tension is released. “How is Hudson?”

Taking her bowl, Link spoons rice and curry for her as he speaks. “He made something called roller skates and wanted me to test them out. It’s like ice skating. I think you’d like it.”

Zelda hears his unspoken question in the statement. “I haven’t been ice skating in ages. Literally.”

Link’s quiet huff and bright blue eyes widening in surprise stir something warm and familiar to bubble within Zelda and she smiles again. Small steps are better than no steps.

Many thanks to @floraunderground for looking this over! 🥹

[orangechickenpillow]

Hello, fellow enjoyer of BG3/Prospect/Arcane/The Ghoul Boys/TAD/WWDITS/probably other things I've yet to discover because you clearly have stellar taste in media! ✨

I wanted to throw an idea at you that has been rotting my brain: TAD songs for BG3 characters.

"Inkpot Gods" simply IS Wyll and Karlach. "The Old Witch Sleep and The Good Man Grace" might seem the obvious choice for Astarion but I would like to make an argument that "Farewell Wanderlust" is even better. "The Horror and The Wild" is Karlach's all on her own. "Elsa's Song" is giving Gale for some reason? Unsure why.

Anyway, sorry for the random long-ish ask. But what do you think? :D

Ahhhh thank you so much. I've seen you in my notifs and am happy to report that we're officially best friends now <3

Thank you so much for throwing this idea at me holy shit???? I went back and listened to all three TAD albums specifically to answer this, so.... yeah, we're definitely best friends.

I'm loving what you've got so far -- Inkpot Gods works so perfectly for the Avernus duo, and honestly could be the theme song for bg3 in general. Jesus christ, what a song, am I right. Farewell wanderlust is sooooo Astarion I'm going to lose my mind about it I mean be totally normal. Also I feel like it fits Lae'zel really well too. I actually found that a lot of songs I liked for Astarion worked for Lae just as well. Interesting. Anyway, during my trillionth re-listen to the TAD albums here are the notes I took on my phone lmao:

Love Run for Wyll. The wholesome, strong, hopefulness this song radiates fits him so well. It's also really fucking romantic, and so is he.

I also think that Two Minutes is fitting for him. That whole vibe of an abandoned child, of someone who is so tired and beaten down by life but still manages to keep going despite it all. I really adore Wyll, and the more romantic TAD songs fit him perfectly.

I love Wild Blue Yonder for Karlach. It's silly but heartfelt, and so full of yearning. It has a light approach to life while still acknowledging how hard things can be, and that's just so Karlach. Also, "We don't know what's out there -- could be ghosts or monsters, or a robot vampire, I don't know" sounds like something she would say lol

You're so right about The Horror and the Wild. That's just. Karlach and Gortash. "Give me back my heart you wingless thing" are you fucking kidding me right now, I'm going to pull a Karlach and explode.

Also I think The Horror and the Wild fits Astarion equally well. I'll always yammer on about how Astarion and Karlach are two sides of the same coin, and this song is a great representation of that. "You passed your fingers through my hair and called me child -- witness me, old man, I am the wild" -- Astarion and Cazador. Please send help, I am ill over this and will not be recovering.

"Think of all the horrors that I promised you I'd bring" Karlach. Astarion. Shadowheart. Lae'zel. Literally help me.

Blossoms for Gale. It's a very intense song, but it's also weary. It's strong but desperate, yet determined. I also think it fits him as the one who would be leading the group if Tav wasn't around. It's a somber and dramatic song, but it's ultimately fueled by tender love. Sound like anyone else we know?

Similarly to you pairing him with Elsa's Song (which I love btw), I think The Rockrose and the Thistle is VERY Gale (and, dare I say, bloodweave? The singer begging to die and the other person "sewing" them back together??? Hello?????) Just like the more romantic songs fit Wyll, the quieter, more subdued songs fit Gale. I think those songs really capture desperation in its most potent form, and Gale is kind of like the human version of that (sorry Gale)

Okay, New York Torch Song could be any of the ladies. Literally any of them. It's perfect. This one also makes me think of Karlach and Wyll.

I adore That Unwanted Animal for Astarion. The helplessness paired with the subtle sense of revenge and violence. The sexual tones throughout. The lack of romance.

I like The Old Witch Sleep and the Good Man Grace for Astarion, and I also really like it for Lae'zel. Her whole being raised by a cult thing really aligns with the vibe of the song -- being told that you're one thing and having to fight to be anything else, the desperation of feeling like you have no purpose. Fighting it all and coming out on top anyway. The steady increase in the intensity of the song representing getting your power back. It's so herrrrrr

King fits her well too. This song is so badass. I think it represents the soldier archetype well. It's cool, she's cool, it's perfect.

Pray makes me think of Shadowheart. Obviously the religious tone of the song fits her well, but also its pure spite. It's really giving "abandoned daughter" vibes, which is perfect for her. Also, "honey I'm no man, I'm what's left when children go to war" are you fucking kidding me.

Anywayyyyy, this was long, yikes. I have a lot of Thoughts as you can see. Thank you SO much for letting me yap about two of the things I love very much and might be obsessed with, who knows. I'll end by officially asking for your hand in marriage <3

[piningintrovert]

Ramblings on Only Friends Ep. 2

Part 1/4

Again, public declarations/proposals my be-loathed

Cheum is really just here for the vibes and her friends' happiness and I love her for that

JENNY!! I mean P'YO!!! AND HER MAN!!!

This confessional is giving Reality TV vibes and I'm here for it. Although the series is fiction, it is depicting the very real lifestyles of many people in the world and it's honestly so refreshing

See? Sand gets it ... so lame

Aww, Ray ... sweetie

I'm just properly looking at the intro and god everyone looks so hot

You are so right Cheum — there is nothing hotter than someone doing or talking about something within their area of expertise

Not Mew and Top being different sides of the same coin — they both like the challenge; let's see who gives in first

Seriously, can we get Ray some help :(

Mew putting that emphasis on "my friend" oof

Ah, so Top definitely knows that Ray likes Mew

The start of Sand and Nick's bestie era; we love to see it

Mew, you're really after my heart — to tell the guy who's everyone's type that he's not YOUR type *chef's kiss*

Yes, getting Mew is about the chase and conquest BUT Top is a little out of his element bc Mew stimulates his mind AND his lions; he really ain't gonna know what hit him lol

Ray, sweetie ... why are you following this man? At this rate, you're never gonna beat the stray cat allegations

Yo 10,000 Baht is 281.21 USD???! — I would do it too for a check lol

Part 2/4

Can't even focus on the heated make out etc. bc those horns/antlers behind Nick's head were a terrible accident waiting to happen *shudders*

Nick is already so gooooone I just-

With the level of game Boston is spitting, Nick really didn't stand a chance

I want Sand's messenger bag; wonder if it'll be merch

Oooo I love the way they filmed Sand walking into Ray's sitting room; nothing like a good one-take scene

Ray's mom ... that explains so much :(

I guess this wakeboarding park is the new BL spot; first Wedding Plan and now OF lol

GO APRIL!!

Oh no Cheum :(

I'm sorry but Top diving into the water was ... LMAOOO

Gdi Boston! STAND TF UP!!! Top's not gonna pick you and no dick is worth losing a friendship over

Part 3/4

Did Boston climb the shower wall bc how the hell???

Gotta find that post that talks about red (stop), yellow (slow), and green/blue (go) being prominent colors in Mew and Top's relationship because it's really evident in this episode, ESPECIALLY in this cookie scene

Look at my boi Mew setting those boundaries iktr

Mutual mast rep? We love to see it!

But seriously Nick, I'm gonna need you to run baby

Yooo Neo's body is insane; I'm looking respectfully

Can WE see the monstera? We love a good plant tour on this side of the internet

Leaving a hot girl to go home with a hot guy; Sand is winning either way esp considering this super playful vibe Ray is putting on

Part 4/4

Sleeping pills? AND a tragic backstory?

Ngl I thought he was lying too lol ... still kinda think he's lying, but I'll let it go for now

Okay maybe he isn't lying; look at the way he's holding Mew :'(

Is that Ray and Mew in the picture? And what's with the tense, sinister bg music? Whatchu plottin' Boston?

Pansexual rep? We love to see it!

As I said last week, lighting cigarettes as a form of foreplay

Who knew a cigarette smoke kiss could be so life-changing; I am a new person

That little voice in First's head must've been going crazy during this scene lol

AND YOU'RE GONNA KEEP WANTING ME??? IKTR

At this rate, Khaotung's tattoo needs to get a separate check for it's role in this series

Oh Sand, sweetie ... the fire started when you lit that cigarette and you started playing with it the moment you accepted that smoke-filled kiss *deep sigh* you're in too deep now baby (both literally AND figuratively)

Next week is gonna be insane; see you then :)

[barclaysangel]

A Siren’s Embrace; Chapter 1: Rescue of the Sea

Hi everyone! Welcome to my very first posted original story, “A Siren’s Embrace”! I don’t think a lot of people will read it since only my dear friend (love ya Lucy) is the only one who commented on wanting to read this story and my bff irl (you're literally the best Jay) has been following this story for a while. So I’m posting it for them. I still hope the rest of you like it too. I’ll be posting every Saturday unless I run out or ideas or something, I’m currently writing chapter 6. If you want to be tagged in future chapters, please comment and let me know. Also please comment in general, comments help fuel my motivation.

Thank you and enjoy :)

Word count: 1.1K

Tags: @streets-in-paradise @king-of-wicked

Nika Vincent was stuck. 

Not physically, really. More just in life. Stuck in an endless cycle, the same routine, over and over and over again. 

Now, she knows that that could change. She just needs to wait, be patient, follow the rules and she’d finally be free. 

But she was tired. 

Nika was tired and frustrated and stuck. She wanted so badly to break free, to disobey, to scream, “No, I’m not going to do that, I’m going to do whatever the hell that I want for once in my life because it’s my life, not yours, and you can’t stop me!”

But no. She couldn’t. No matter how upset she got, those words would never dare to leave her lips. 

Besides, it was not like her parents would ever understand. They just wanted to shove her into their perfect little box and be what they wanted her to be. So it just wasn’t worth it to push back and cause fights. 

The ocean was the only place Nika could be herself. It was the one time where she could let her guard down, feel the sand beneath her toes or the cold ocean water touching her body. She could stay there for hours if she could because of the connection that she felt towards the ocean. 

The sea would never judge her, never try to change her to fit the norm, never try to force her to make a decision or else she’ll end up going nowhere in life. The sea was there to just calm and soothe her, silently letting her know that she wasn’t alone. 

That’s why Nika chose to go to the beach as often as she could, in her little hometown of Neptune Bay. It was a beautiful beach, the water blue and filled with tranquility. She loved swimming in the ocean and recently picked up surfing, a new hobby that would bring her to the ocean even longer than before. 

But, since she was new to it, she wasn’t as cautious as she should have been. 

Nika should have known better. 

Of course she should have known, she should have checked the weather, known just how wild the waves would be at the beach today when she decided to go surfing. She was feeling too trapped and frustrated, she wanted to be alone so she could clear her mind and breathe. 

Well, not like she could breathe now underwater. 

The waves were too rough and Nika couldn’t bring herself back to the surface. She struggled, kicked, clawed, did everything she could but just as her face was above the water, she would go right back under. 

Please, gods, I’m not a religious person. Not even a little bit. But please, don’t let me die. Don’t let me die like this. Please, sea gods, spare me, please! 

Eventually, she was unable to keep fighting. She was losing her oxygen and slowly, her world turned black. 

But then there was light. A strange form of light. Was this heaven? She thought to herself. That was all Nika could think of as it felt like she was floating through the water before her body was placed somewhere and she began expelling water from her lungs, finally able to take a few deep breaths after the water was gone. 

The more she became aware of her surroundings, the more she realized that she was on top of sand. She recognized the coarse feeling on her skin, irritating her but she didn’t find it in her to care. How could she, when she could hear a voice humming. 

The voice was beautiful. There was something elegant yet strong about it and she now realized that there were arms around her, as if she was being held by something with cold yet soft arms. 

Maybe it was an angel. It had to be, there was no other logical explanation. For the beautiful voice, comforting her into her final moments before death finally took her. 

While the voice that continued humming was so lovely, there was almost something haunting about it as well. However, that didn’t scare Nika. In fact, it seemed to soothe a part of her that she was never able to explain. The part that craved chaos and mischief and the desire to be free. A form of independence that she never thought she would have in her life but through that voice, she felt like there was maybe a chance. 

As much as Nika wanted to wake up and find out who the voice belonged to, it was hard for her to do so. It was like there was another voice in her mind, telling her to keep her eyes closed, to sleep for now and everything would be okay when she woke up. That she would be safe and sound. She just needed to sleep. 

She almost did, starting to doze off but she forced herself to gather as much strength as she possibly had left, and opened her eyes…

…to find a pair of the brightest sea green eyes she had ever seen staring back at her. 

Before Nika could blink or even process what she was seeing, the person–the woman–had thrown herself off of her, flinging herself back into the ocean. But before she could fully disappear from Nika’s eyes, she spotted the shimmer of vivid blue scales. 

Scales? 

Nika gasped and struggled to sit up, her legs feeling like jelly as she forced herself to her feet. She stumbled toward the ocean, trying to find a glimpse of the woman with scales, but there was nothing. She was completely gone, no sign left that there was ever someone there. 

All she could do was stand there, the waves hitting her legs as if nothing had happened, and her heart racing. Did Nika imagine it? Was the voice, the woman with scales, all in her head? 

It had to be. There was no way that all of that was real. She had been dreaming. She almost died after all, so of course Nika just imagined everything and she should just be thankful that she was even alive. 

But no, it just couldn’t be. This couldn’t be some moment of a near death experience. And even if it was, she should have died. But something plucked her from the ocean like a ragdoll, without a mark and without her surfboard. 

God, how was she going to explain that to her parents? 

Well, that was something Nika would figure out later. But for now, she had only one thing reeling in her mind. 

She had to find that mysterious woman again or lose her mind doing so. 

[flamingfuzzydice]

‼️NSFW‼️

CAN I GET AWN MY LUKE SKYWALKER HIGH HORSE FOR A MIN

☆NSFW/ 18+, defending luke skywalker being bby grl but not a baby AND a dom w my life☆

some of us, at least what i have seen on tiktok, has gotten into the habit of infantilizing luke. not to say one can’t have their indulgent baby gyal luke hc’s and preferences, but i feel like we’ve almost come to this luke=baby conclusion. this man, admittedly with his soft baby blue eyes, has come a long way from being a whiny farm boy from the first movie. he’s been through the death of his aunt and uncle, the death of uncle ben, and then the death of his father after suffering in his war—where many of his peers DIED— and yet luke was able to guide anakin back to the light anyway. not to mention yoda and how hard he worked to become a jedi !! and not to say you can’t have all this and be a mess in the sheets IM !!JUST SAYIN the fit he absolutely kills in return of the jedi shows a confident, controlled, collected jedi. he’s rather removed from who he was several years ago just joining the resistance and calling ✨the millennium falcon✨ a piece of junk. he’s not that same luke, i even think the de babyfication began when he saw his dead fam just smokin outside their house.

FURTHER MORE it is my fervent belief that while luke is very respectful and polite because he wants to be, i also believe he knows what he wants and he is very good at jedi mind tricks(i wonder why he learned those 🫣🤭🐱🫦). and luke doesn’t need anyone to protect him for sure not physically but emotionally too. he stands up to han all the time and even the emperor of the galaxy !! this mf in his all black ensemble and knee high boots is gonna sweep me awf my feet FR !! he is so assured in himself and i’m swooned

i would also like to state if anyone’s their daddy’s child it’s luke. anakin also very powerful but possessive, over protective, and willing to do literally anything for those he loved(and whiny). they are literally so much alike, luke is like padme’s grace and etiquette with anakin’s need to protect and control(“if it works” head ahh). (i also see this is leia as well but this post is abt luke) but i feel like luke is much more emotionally regulated than anakin, so

also i dabble in the occasional din x luke which is a popular ship and if ANYONE is baby girl even slightly in that relationship it’s din. i swear yall gotta SEE in that show! you gotta focus or you’ll miss it, you gotta see the way those beautiful brown eyes be beggin for someone to grab his waist i can feel it through the mask too i would not lie to y’all TRUST !! ME !!

also this is mainly just purely indulgent preference pls understand but i just can’t buy the totally submissive luke. like y’all do me a favor imagine, theatre of the mind if you will, that kind, controlled jedi but you just make him lose his mind and he has to fight not to go feral around you and just take you for him self like just LISTEN TO ME !! like imagine that gorgeous smile dropping a moment and he just glares at you and a gloved finger motions for you to come where he is, like just a hand gesture with the GLOVE!! y’all gotta think 4th dimensionally with me PLS😭😭

this is all its midnight thirty i gotta go to be but pls understand dom luke is something near and dear to my heart FR !!! also if we could not infantilize him pls (,:

[actual-changeling]

needed to share this with someone, so: my Spotify played Life According To Raechel by Madison Cunningham on shuffle and the lyrics are so Joel and Ellie coded I felt like it was a personal attack towards me, who was just trying to listen to my silly little songs and have a good time.

I know that experience too well, anon, Spotify has thrown so many songs at me that had me almost sobbing over Joel and Ellie.

Literally losing my mind. I wrote a ficlet this morning about Ellie and grief (kinda?) and I never intended to let it see the light of day but now I will put it under the cut for those who are interested in pain. Unofficial title is stairs leaning dusk til dawn.

There is a small house painted blue with worn floorboards and creaky stairs, with dark wooden counters and mismatched furniture, a house she knows every single inch of, a house she can find her way through with closed eyes and hands covering her ears.

It has two bedrooms with matching patterned comforters and an array of books scattered through both of them, there are two toothbrushes in a cup next to the bathroom sinks, shoes in two sizes piling into falling hazards in the hallway.

A blanket is slung over the back of a couch that can fit them both if they try, a collection of movies sorted by how much they liked them, hated them, how much the other hates them; there are enough hair ties covering every surface and pocket of space to last a lifetime.

There is a dirty set of dishes in the sink, a mug saying worlds best grandpa next to another one with a hand-drawn dinosaur in the cupboard, cold coffee drowning the bottom of the can, staining it brown.

Fresh flowers on the kitchen table and two pillows in one bed because it's winter, because they were cold, because there is only one thing she wants after fire and blood and metal. Laundry set aside to be folded later, a half-read comic on the nightstand, sheets unmade, messy, waiting.

Sunlight breaking through the blinds, opened to let in the warmth, snow a layer of white powder frosting plants and flowers they know will come back in the spring like they do every year; two badly wrapped gifts hidden away in the bottom drawer of the living room cabinet, Ellie scrawled on one of them, Joel on the other. They always chose the same hiding place.

She picks up the sweatshirt left behind on her bed and presses it to her face, inhaling deeply enough to let the scent coat her lungs, deeply enough to make it stay. The fabric is soft against her cheeks, soft like his palms, soft like his lips when he kisses her temple, soft and warm and alive, and there is an unfinished drawing on her desk and a half-carved guitar on his and a song written by both their hands.

Their home has stilled and the rooms are a collection of their lives, a museum she walks through without having to think because it is her, it is him, and now she leaves her fingerprints on the mirror for the last time, for evidence, next to eyes she knows aren't his but might as well be.

His voice is in every scuff mark she kicked into the floor, every bruise she got from bumping into the door frame, every stain they left while laughing, while living, and she wraps her arms around herself and lays her fingers into the spaces between her ribs, emptiness where it shouldn't be.

Someone will dust off their strawberries when the sun melts the snow and turns their yard into green grass and mud, they will return, resilient in bloom, and Joel was waiting for that, for them to be reborn in the way they were, and the house is waiting for him to come back, too.

Ellie pulls on his shirt, sleeves too long, one last embrace, and there are so many memories she could take but the only one she picks up is the gun he left in his jacket, wearing nothing but trust instead. She locks the door behind her, breaths dissipating into the cold, turning it into a time capsule never to be buried while they will be.

There is a small house painted blue with worn floorboards and silent stairs, with empty wooden counters and lonely furniture, a house she knows every single inch of because they turned it into home, a home Joel expected to come back to.

He never did.

Neither will she.

[pertinax--loculos]

Word Find Tag

I was tagged by @ls-daydreams to find night, page, metal, blue and truth, and because I’m putting off doing anything productive (work, writing, exercise), I figured I’d have a look and see what pops up! ^_^ Fair warning: I’m probably gonna be taking from a variety of WIPs because that’s how I roll atm.

I’m gonna tag @winterandwords, @artdecosupernova-writing, @kaiusvnoir, @frostedlemonwriter, @words-after-midnight, @inkovert and @catchingbigfish (no pressure!) to find hand, yell, deal, wait and lose. Also gonna make this an OPEN TAG if you wanna search your WIP for those words and lemme know what you find! ^_^

Without further ado:

night (from AAH - Maddie POV)

Maddie woke to screaming alarms.

Nightmare scenario. Literally enough that it took her a few moments to realise that she wasn’t dreaming, that this was actually happening, that she was waking to red flashing lights and mechanical wailing filling her head.

The cryo chamber pulsed with the light, red, dark, red, dark. Even still locked inside Maddie could feel vibration under her feet. Her ship felt like it was being shaken apart. She blinked, trying to parse the heads-up display on the door to the chamber. Glowing words her brain wasn’t awake enough to understand. All-caps. Red like the light suffusing her chamber. Not a good sign.

Something pinched the side of her neck and a wash of cool flooded from the site. Emergency protocols. Drugs flushing her system to wake her up faster, to prepare her to deal with whatever was going on.

Her brain rebooted just in time for her to process the corridor in front of her sloughing away.

The shriek of the alarms redoubled. Maddie had a dizzying, terrifying moment of staring straight forward into the empty, star-spangled abyss before the bulkhead door snapped shut. Detritus torn free by the sudden depressurization dropped to the ground. The gravity drives were on.

page (___RISK IT)

My mind nattered at me as I did so. Why the fuck had Caden decided to run? In all of our dealings with him he’d never bothered. He’d dragged it out, yes, forced Ilya to the point of properly threatening actual bodily harm, but he’d always come through in the end. A combination of threats and bribery normally got us on the same page.

This case was really beginning to piss me off.

I rounded the corner of the building from the main street and nearly ran into Ilya. He looked at me, I looked at him, and he smacked a fist to his forehead.

“Not my fault,” I said quickly. “The fire escape was locked.”

“You are,” Ilya said, “The worst.”

metal (AAH - Haydyn POV)

Officer Flack took a step forward.

“You keep a civil tongue in that mouth or I’ll fucking remove it,” he said.

Verreynne spun back, and that sick smile was even more pronounced. “G’wan then. Give it yer best shot, Officer.”

Flack stepped forward again, then glanced down at Aaron and Haydyn. Something in the line of his jaw tightened. “Verreynne, I’m warning you—”

“Warn all you fucking like, you fucking crack, but why don’t you shut up about it til you grow the balls to actually fucking do it.”

Flack’s hand went to the bolter strapped to his leg. Haydyn clutched at Aaron’s arm with both hands. And Verreynne, back to running his hands over the consoles, murmured in a completely different voice, “Ah. There we go, gorgeous.”

A light switched on above the monitors that covered the front wall.

A moment later another flickered on to the left. Then the right, and again, and again, until a string of glowing green lights encircled the room, throwing colour onto the greys of metal and machinery.

blue (ATN) blame @inkovert for this im back on my bullshit ooops

Ronan's gaze snapped up to him, his blue eyes matching the iciness in Latrell's voice. "You say you were working late? On this... this Nox case?"

The derision and dismissiveness with which he spoke the name rankled Latrell -- another fact he would not examine at a later date -- and he bit back, "The one I'm not allowed to talk about? Yeah."

"Well, maybe we should start talking about it again," Ronan snapped.

"Given this is the way you always react, I--"

"The way I always react? This is not the way I always react, christ Brishan. I think I'm doing pretty well with my reaction."

Latrell opened his mouth to refute that obvious lie, but Ronan raised his voice, speaking across him.

"This is the criminal that's obsessed with you, right? The one who keeps calling you, who for all we know is staking out my fucking house to keep an eye on you?"

Latrell kept his mouth shut. The questions were rhetorical. It didn't matter that he now had a reason to offer regarding Nox's fixation. It didn't matter that he seriously doubted Nox was taking time away from his criminal enterprise to keep an eye on him. It was the first time in a long time Ronan had referred to the apartment as his and not ours.

He nodded, once, jerkily.

truth (ATN)

“I know the lead didn’t end up panning out,” he said, knowing he shouldn’t be speaking, that for him to speak first was out of character, but perhaps it could be forgiven in this circumstance and if he pretended to know nothing about what this meeting was really about that would benefit him, “But there was a good reason to believe—”

“We don’t give a fuck about whatever leads you were following.” Briggs’s voice cut across him effortlessly, measured and cold and abrupt. “We wanna know what you were doing last night.”

Latrell opened his mouth to say I was with my boyfriend, and closed it a heartbeat later.

Because he wasn’t.

Because Briggs was asking about an alibi.

And he didn’t fucking have one.

That was why they’d called in Albie first. They’d already predicted that he’d attempt to use her. And Albie, lord love and loathe her in equal amounts, would not have lied. If the thought had even crossed her mind, she would have pushed it aside, and she would have told the truth. Even if she thought Latrell’s ass was on the line. Compromising procedure was a step too far for her. One she would never take. Under any circumstances.

So at least he hadn’t shot himself in the foot by not bringing her into the loop. Even if he’d asked — even if the thought had occurred to him he’d need to — she wouldn’t have done it. Another cold comfort.

“Not much,” Latrell said, far too many beats too late. “My boyfriend was working late, so I just chilled at the apartment.”

“By yourself?”

Briggs’s implication was so obvious Latrell knew he couldn’t ignore it, no matter how much he wanted to.

[eurydicees]

I WAS JUST ABOUT TO RECOMMEND 'BLUE LOCK' TO YOUUUU!!! IT'S SO GOOD!! PLEASE TALK TO ME ABOUT YOUR FAVORITE CHARACTERS!!

OH MY GOD YES OKAY I AM SOOOOO GLAD TO HEAR YOU ASK ABT THIS BECAUSE I AM LITERALLY INSANE OVER ALL OF IT. I AM UNWELL. I AM NOT ACTING NORMAL ABOUT THIS STORY.

okay anyways now that i've gotten that out of the way. oh my god okay favorite characters lets do this

tbh i am soooo in love with, like, 99% of them. the only character i am actually annoyed by is barou but i also feel like he could grow on me with a few more chapters, yk? oh! just to clarify, i've read up to chp 71!! so some spoilers up until then incoming :) i'm a little insane as i get ready to keep reading. i skipped out on a party to do this LMAO. so favorites! but not in any order because i can't do that!

bachiraaaaa!!! oh my god he is my boy. he is everything to me. just,,, you expect me to read the words "there is a monster inside of me" and expect me to NOT go insane abt it? he plays because it's fun and he's at blue lock to find someone who has the same monster, the same desire and passion, he is SO much and i am obsessed with it. literally the moment he stole the ball from isagi in the tag game they played, i KNEW. he's my type of character fr. rin telling him that "you're searching for someone with your soccer" i'm gonna fucking scream. oh and also he's the sleepy boy representation that i need, so.

^^things i'm not !!! ok !!!!!! about !!!!!

reo.... i just think he has sooooo many issues and they are so so so interesting. like, this is a character who gets everything he wants and then the one thing he really desires is just out of his reach. he is so broken up about nagi, too, and i loooove to see that in my pathetic little men. top ten things that had made me insane so far: reo saying "have you forgotten our promise" in reference to him saying they're going to be the best in the world, followed immediately by nagi saying that he's the one who's forgotten their promise, in reference to reo saying "let's play soccer." i'm literally howling at the moon. screeching at the sun like a bat. i am going crazy over this.

^^^reo you literally have so many problems and i NEED to see you self-destruct

isagi!! tbh idk if i'm really usually a main character person, but i'm a little in love with isagi. he's just. SO interesting. every time he talks about devouring other players' skills and making them his own....i am literally losing my mind. in the game against chigiri, kunigami, and reo, when isagi talks about devouring barou's darkness and turning it into light....catch me literally screaming out loud about him. his growth and "leveling up" is SO much fun to watch/read and i AM dying over it. every time he learns a new weapon or figures out how to better use one, i AM in my bed pumping my fist and screaming go best friend you go best friend!!! i believe the next chp is the game against bachira, rin, aryu, and tokimitsu, and i can already feel myself losing it a little bit.

^^^HELLO?????? I'M NOT OKAY ??????

chigiri! i'm not as insane about him as i am about the others, but i do love him very very much. the "i play for that joy i felt the first time i outran someone" and the "for as long as my legs work i want to play soccer" moments genuinely had me crying no joke. and his whole deal at the very start with "i was looking for a way to give up" versus his growth to wanting to beat isagi and become the best in the world... i am sooo unwell about it. in, like, fifty chapters he's grown SO much and i am so excited to see where he goes from here. and i think the match up between him and aryu is gonna be reeeaaalllyyyy interesting, too!! super excited to see how that pulls through. ahhh. he's just soooo.

^^literally trembling as i read this again

ahhhh. yeah ok extensive list oops. i think those are all the main faves right now !!! i am so broken about them and it has literally been 13 episodes and 70 chapters. that's so fucked up.

the thing is just that this show was, like, TAILOR MADE to all of my interests. it's sooo high stakes and for what. it's my favorite sport in real life. it has characters who need therapy for real. god. yeah.

[elizaellwrites]

Legacy of the Fallen- Chapter 5

THREE chapters in one day! You must be imagining things. That is impossible.

Prologue

Chapter 1

Last Chapter

Table of Contents

Allenesaia Ophelie

Dear Mother,

I don’t know what to say. These last few days have made me begin to question everything I’ve ever known. Strange things are happening that have no explanation, and I’m going to lose my mind if I don’t find some answers. Though I’m not fully convinced that I’m not currently going mad. I just can’t shake this feeling, and it’s only growing with more happening every day. I can’t stay in this place of pretending everything’s normal anymore, I tried that and it worked as well as trying to walk through a wall. Father has been dodging my questions more than he usually does, either pretending he’s busy or changing the topic to school or my friends.

Do you know why Father doesn’t talk about his past? Of course you do, you were probably there for at least a good portion of it. The more I think about it, the more I begin to realise how little I know about him. I know less about you and the rest of our family. I have no explanation as to why I’ve been feeling different lately, and Father only writes it off as me turning fifteen and finishing middle school soon. Not that I’m not happy with those, but it’s really not what’s on my mind right now. I ruined Father and Joseph speaking in person again after all these years, and my eyes lit up gold. Literally. I think the blue light I saw with the dagger was similar, but I’m not sure.

I feel like nothing good will come of me not knowing anything, if this isn’t just me overreacting… no, Jacob was acting like something was weird too, but he’s always a bit strange so I don’t know if he counts. But I’ve also specifically heard his voice in my head on more than one occasion, one being before we were even introduced. That has to mean something. I also figured out why his accent sounds so familiar. It's not identical, but it’s very similar to the way that Father talks and Joseph and Charlotte’s accents. That has to mean something, right?

Maybe I’m just going mad. Is it common to lose your mind before you turn fifteen? Or is it just me? I feel like I should wake up from this dream and find that none of this was real, but at the same time, it feels so real every time. I felt the dagger in my hand, I heard Jacob’s voice, I saw the light in my own eyes… I need to know.

Annamarie Rose Olson

____________________________

Ben settled himself beside Rachel, the quiet buzz of the small library comforting. She hadn’t said a word about the bruises that she had spotted on his arm when his sleeve shifted far enough, but the burning rage in her eyes told him exactly what her thoughts were.

Now, she had her face stuck in one of her favorite books, her teeth gnawing absently at her lower lip as she read. He watched her for a second, once again envious of her ability to lose herself so easily to a fictional life, one where magic and miracles happened. She had tried to get him to read so many stories over the years, her excitement contagious when she tried to explain them.

They sat at one of the generically empty tables that were never regularly inhabited by students outside of a class visit.

He nudged her foot lightly with his own, a smile growing on his face as she immediately tapped his back, her eyes still locked on the page. “Rachel,” he tried.

She murmured something under her breath, flipping to the next page. She pulled the book ever so closer to her face, off in her own universe.

“Rachel,” his smile grew, prodding her foot again.

She let out a quiet sigh, shifting in her seat. She still didn’t look at him, but the light touch of the toe of her shoe against his let him know she wasn’t totally gone.

He reached out, waving his hand in front of her face, just above the book. “Rachel, you alive?”

Her eyelids fluttered as she was quickly brought back to reality, looking back at him innocently. “Hmm?”

“Hi,” he couldn’t help the grin.

She snorted, placing her mark in the book before softly closing it. “I was at a good part,” she whined, though they both know that she didn’t mean any harm.

“Too bad,” he deadpanned, a humorous spark in his dark blue eyes.

“Boo, you!” She rolled her eyes.

He laughed a muffled chuckle rather than a guffaw.

“What are you doing here?” She finally realized that this was not usually a class that they shared.

“Research stuff for a project,” he shrugged. “I’ll go over there in a minute,” he had time; his teacher liked him enough to let him go off on his own for a few minutes. “You?”

“Swim unit in gym,” she said as an explanation. He understood immediately; her allergy to one of the chemicals in the pool water was something she had complained about in the past. One year they had shared a class; the teacher forced her to go in anyway. She lasted about ten seconds before breaking out into hives.

“Gross,” he scrunched up his face. He was glad his was over with, being one of the first classes to go through it in the year. The pool in their school wasn’t known to be the nicest, not even bringing students into the picture.

“At least Mr. Smith let me come up here rather than have me sit to watch,” she amended.

He nodded, the follow-up of the allergy incident rising in his memory. She had been queasy from the fumes, and then one of their classmates, a rowdy hockey player, naturally, had decided it would be a good idea to splash her with water.

“Are you doing okay?” She switched topics, his face falling slightly at the question.

“No worse than usual,” he met her eyes, letting her know he was telling the truth. After all, it wasn’t like he hadn’t lied to her before.

“Will you be okay?” She watched him, her brown eyes more serious and caring than anyone gave her enough credit for. It meant the world to him that she knew his normal was bad, though he could do without her almost daily check-ins.

He hesitated in answering, the night before had been… rough to say the least. That morning, he had hardly been able to motivate himself to get out of bed. His mom had screamed at him until her voice went hoarse and then some, her feet beating into him as she loomed above.

“Stay at my house tonight,” Rachel interrupted his thoughts. “Please.”

He shook his head automatically, knowing that his mom would never allow that, especially with what had happened.

“What even happened this time?” Her voice was quiet, and he knew that some part of her didn’t want to know. He also knew that she was going to imagine the worst if he didn’t say anything, letting her imagination run wild.

“The usual,” he told her. He wasn’t going to tell her any more; he didn’t want to say more.

She bit down on her lip, her eyes growing stormy with the reddish haze she got when angry.

“I was the bigger person; literally and figuratively,” he gestured to his six-foot-tall self, trying to lighten the mood even a bit.

She just stared at him blankly, though a slight glimmer of disappointment showed in her eyes. “I can message my mom and see if you can stay with us,” she pushed again. “It’s not a big deal, and all of them miss you.” Somewhere along the line, her family had all adopted him, unofficially, of course. They did honestly feel more like the idea of family to him, but it felt wrong to invade their space and their love for each other.

“You know I can’t do that,” he felt sick to his stomach every time he said it.

She watched him for a few seconds before picking up her book and bopped him on the top of the head with an eye roll. “Dork,” she told him affectionately. “The door is always open for you,” she reinforced. “Literally, you don’t even have to ring the bell, just walk in and my mom will feed you. She says you’re too skinny.”

He let out a laugh, it sounded a lot like her mom, who had once threatened to have Rachel put him on a feeding schedule throughout the day. “I’ll keep it in mind.” He would, but it didn’t mean he would go through with it. He also knew that she was well aware of that fact. How his mom could ever claim that Rachel and her family were bad influences on him, he didn’t know.

“Now, go find your research you came for,” she scolded him with a small smile. “Before you get in trouble.”

He stood slowly, watching as she reopened her book. “See you later,” he told her, though she had already been sucked back into the other world.

He walked over to join his classmates, and while he searched through mind-numbing titles, his mind couldn’t help but replay the night and the many others before it. Rachel’s offers would go nowhere, he knew there was no escape from his mom. His life would continue to be the same, repeating until the cycle spiraled lower and lower. He knew what his fate was. He pulled out a biography on Earnest Hemmingway, flipping through it before continuing to find more.

He knew his fate.

____________________________

Cameron glanced around the council chamber as he entered, his pine-green eyes wary. Slowly, he made his way down the low-leveled steps, finding his seat in the fifth row and taking his seat. He looked to the front of the room, an eyebrow quirked at the fact that the headmaster hadn’t arrived yet, his large empty desk waiting. He straightened his white button-down, his bronze skin dark against the material.

The chamber rose high above his head, the entire structure immaculately carved with old symbols and historical events of the homeland. Wrapping around the walls, carved into the pale gray stone, was a huge mural following the creation of their old nation to the terrible image of the castle half demolished. Depictions of prominent leaders, from Lietasae, their first queen, to Oravinkas, their last king. It reflected them as a people, once strong, now clinging to every bit of their history to keep it from being forgotten.

He heard Amber slide into the seat beside him, her harsh sigh cutting through the polite murmurs of the other members. He turned to his former superior, an amused tick on his lips at her disheveled appearance. Her normally neat, straight, nearly black hair was a tangled mess as it hung around her face, her moonstone-encrusted daeis haphazardly placed on top of her head rather than braided in place. Her dark brown eyes still blurred from sleep without any sign of the traditional black markings she usually displayed. She was slouching back in her chair, dressed in a t-shirt and jean jacket rather than the formal wear that was desired. Her arms were crossed as she glared at him. “It’s too early for this,” she grumbled.

He watched her, not saying anything. Conversation had been difficult between the two of them since Amber had left their observance, stating that she could no longer hold a position of authority in a system she didn’t agree with. She had made it clear that it wasn’t the real reason, the memory of her holding her younger brother, his new commander, against the wall by the throat with flames licking her hand was burned into his memory.

Her eyes narrowed at his extended attention. “What?” She asked dryly.

“Nothing,” Cameron shook his head, redirecting his attention back to the front.

He could tell she was giving him a look, knowing her, it was probably somewhere between exasperation and disgust. A minute passed before he heard her grumble. “I hate council meetings.”

“You don’t have to come to these you know,” he told her, raising his eyebrows as he turned back to face her. “Only family representatives are required to attend.”

“I’m aware,” she stared blankly back at him. “But it bothers him so much for me to just sit here. It’s hilarious.”

He rolled his eyes at that. He didn’t know much about the situation between her and her father, the headmaster, but it was severe enough to have her thrown out from under her family representation. They had become members at roughly the same time, her fallout occurring only a few weeks before the death of his mother, leading him to take her place. Together, the two of them became the youngest members of the council at nineteen.

“Any idea on what this meeting is about anyway?” He asked her. They had all been woken up in a rush, the headmaster’s messenger going door to door announcing the meeting. It was concerning, just how out of character the call had been. It hadn’t even been such a rush when the notorious serial killer that had murdered his mother and one of his teammates had been caught. He couldn’t help the slight edge of satisfaction at the memory of the sword cutting through the man he had thought of as his friend. He glanced at Amber after that thought, remembering her screams as she cried over her friend whom she had thought innocent of the horrifying crimes.

“I have no idea,” she shrugged. “No one’s reported anything suspicious lately. Kesritae says the borders have been pretty secure, besides that one drunk incident last month. Maybe they’re announcing that Maishear’s finally lost it.”

Cameron ran a hand through his coarse black hair, trimmed short, his shoulders shrugging loosely. He had gotten over her calling her father by his name, but he didn’t want to fight her for what she saw the man to be.

He redirected his attention to the other members, most of the seats now full, but many still coming in. He recognized all of them, their small community leading to familiarity he hadn’t seen while living beside humans years before. He could see Kesritae in her seat in the front row, her curly auburn hair making her easy to find. Though he couldn’t see her face, the tight way she was holding her shoulders, her chin up in defiance, did not help the unease he felt about this situation.

Many saw the young woman as their rightful queen, though her father’s abdication from the royal line back in the homeland made that impossible. She had still managed to work her way to being their military tactician, their general to look to. Many had doubted her, as only one other royal had held such a position. The years had hardened her soft soul, the attack leaving scars on her as it had all of them, but it was the murder of her sister, Roselle, another victim to the killer, that had finally turned her turquoise eyes cold enough to cut through stone.

Finally, all members were seated, only a low murmuring filling the space as they waited. No less than ten seconds later, the headmaster closed the chamber doors with an echoing slam, his large figure making his way calmly down the steps. He could hear Amber’s snort beside him at her father’s obvious show of a relaxed state. Even he could see, from the way he clenched his hands together behind his back, that he wasn’t nearly as composed as he was attempting to portray.

He moved to his desk without a word, his golden eyes scanning across the small crowd that had gathered in front of him. Maishear, their leader in the darkest times. Former right-hand man to the hero Seniar Ocoltha, one of the most recognized and heroic generals, and royals, in recent history. No matter what Amber thought of her father, he couldn’t help but admire the man’s accomplishments. He had gone to such lengths to protect their remaining people and cultures, his telepathic abilities allowing him to understand his followers' challenges better than anyone.

“Thank you for coming in today,” he spoke smoothly in their traditional tongue, the language of the old capital. “As you are aware, I do not make it a habit of mine to gather you in such haste, but I assure you that this is justified.” He stood, barely moving as he spoke. “This morning, I received an urgent message from my son.”

Cameron heard Amber stiffen in her seat, while he sat forward, waiting to hear the news of his commander and friend.

“It appears,” the headmaster continued. “That in his… gallivanting, he has discovered something we had thought to have been long gone. His reports describe a man matching the description of Seniar Ocoltha in- '' He was cut off by voices erupting from around the room, Cameron froze in his seat at this news. “In the company,” Maishear raised his voice, persisting as the noise died back down. “Of a teenage girl that matches his daughter Allenesaia Ophelie.”

Silence.

Cameron didn’t immediately recognize the name, but he had already begun piecing together whom he was speaking of. He remembered his mother telling him of the shame of the royal family, and rumors of a monster among their ranks. It was thought that every member of Seniar’s branch had been wiped out in the attack, though no bodies had ever been found.

“I have called upon you now to determine our course of action on this matter,” the headmaster leaned forward over his desk, palms flat against the dark wood. “Especially with the girl at that age, we must decide quickly to avoid potentially disastrous consequences. I immediately open the floor by proposing we follow the old council’s verdict. The girl is too dangerous and should be taken care of per this judgment.”

“I place the opposition.”

The entire chamber leaned forward in anticipation at who had stood up to Maishear, the woman’s black hair and deep tan complexion making her identity clear, Amber let out a gasp at her mother’s action.

Maishear’s eyes were sharp as he looked at his sunairan, his sworn companion. “What is your stance?” His voice was measured, though his hands curled into fists on the desktop.

“I say we need more information in this situation,” Mesaiad proclaimed, her contradicting icy white, and reddish-brown eyes flashing. “We don’t have any idea of the nature of this girl, or exactly how powerful she is becoming. I refuse to give a death sentence to a child we know nothing about.”

“She was determined to be dangerous when she was an infant,” the headmaster raised an eyebrow, pushing off the desk to stand straight. “How is the situation any different now?”

“I must point out that she has been raised under the guidance of Seniar Ocoltha,” Mesaiad reminded them all. “I would go to argue that if anyone would tame such a ‘danger’ as you call her, it would be him. The man that we,” she shot a look at Maishear. “And many others knew, would never allow for such a volatile nature in anyone, much less his own daughter.”

“Maybe not purposefully,” Maishear opposed, golden eyes narrowed. “Yet, we also can’t assume that Seniar is the same man we knew then. None of us are the same as we were before, along with thirteen years unaccounted for. As he would be our rightful king, he has gone against his responsibility and sworn duties already.”

That point caused ripples to spread through the council, all eyes daring to look at Kesritae, who had continued to sit in silence. It was as though they weren’t discussing the fate of one of her only living relatives; the conversation had nothing to do with her.

“It is only reasonable to answer these questions by getting a better hold of this situation,” Mesaiad hardly seemed fazed. “I would go to say that Seniar staying away is strictly for his daughter’s safety, as he would know this is our first response to her survival.”

The headmaster didn’t have a comeback, instead standing with a stony expression on his face. “Please discuss among yourselves and prepare to bring forward your judgment.”

Cameron pulled his paper for the vote from the table before him, his decision written out in his bold, unmistakable handwriting. He had made his choice before the arguments had even started, the idea that one’s fate can be chosen in this manner was abhorrent. The girl had no specific charge or threat to her name, only the vague possibility of such a thing. He turned to Amber to tell her so, stopping when he saw the pale look on her face.

“Are you okay?” He furrowed his eyebrows in concern.

She nodded, wordlessly, her eyes locked on her mother. “I am,” her voice wasn’t much louder than a whisper. Her hand shook as she reached for her paper, quickly scribbling her answer in a smaller, messier print.

He watched her with narrowed eyes, curious about her change in behavior. Amber was always strange, in fact, all three of the headmaster’s children had some level of strangeness to them, but this was different from what he had seen before. She looked like she had just seen a ghost, and for the life of him, Cameron couldn’t figure out why.

Yes, the topic was much grimmer than most of the council’s decisions, but the setup and tone were no different. The only reason he could begin to see affecting her was the fact that it was her parents going against each other, though he wasn’t sure if she even saw them as her parents anymore.

“Which way are you voting?” She didn’t look at him even as she asked the question, her dark eyes unfocused. Her voice was softer than he was used to from her, a distant quality to it that picked at his nerves.

“I’m opposed,” he murmured, his gaze trying to find more clues to her sudden distress.

“Me too,” she lowered her face, swallowing. “Either way, I guess it means that he’ll be coming back then.”

“Yeah,” Cameron couldn’t help the image of the siblings’ last meeting from returning. “Elaine should be happy about that.”

The humorless laugh she let out chilled his blood, the telltale reddish tone to her brown eyes present when she finally looked at him. “I hope so,” the tone held none of the warmth Cameron knew she had for her sister. “And you’ll finally be set free from your extra responsibilities?”

“Yes,” he said simply. As the most senior member of their observance, it had been his responsibility to step up in their leader’s absence, a position he had turned down after Amber had left. It wasn’t that he couldn’t do the job, but that he held no desire to be in such a position. His actions had been in vain, as it was only a few weeks later that he had taken his place on the council, followed by his temporary leadership not long after.

“That will be nice for you,” she had begun to grind her teeth, her fingers flexing in and out of a fist at her side. He recognized the gesture, the sudden urge to find a fire extinguisher rising in his gut.

“Amber,” the warning was clear in his voice as he met her intense gaze. “Maybe you should take a break.”

He was surprised to see that there was no anger in her eyes when she stared back, instead, there was only fear and despair he could barely understand. “I’m fine,” she assured him.

He raised an eyebrow at that, while his thoughts were lost in trying to figure out why she was acting like this.

“What do you think of the king still being alive?” She redirected the conversation, her eyes darting to look back to the front.

“I don’t know,” he said honestly, humoring her. “I can hardly remember what it was like before.”

She hummed in agreement. Both of them had only been five or six at the time of the attack, blurs of memories and stories were all that remained. He would never forget the suffocating aura of death he had on that night, the memory of the muddled gold and silver eyes of a woman staring down at him. He had been in the Wotakouran capital with his family when the screams had started, his father and a few other teleporters opening gateways for them to escape. It was the last he had seen of him; he could only assume that he had died along with the millions of others that populated the homeland.

“A Hecathian with more power than any other,” She mused. “One would think she would be celebrated.”

“It’s only natural that one fears what they cannot control,” Cameron pointed out. “And if she’s as powerful as the rumors say, it could get ugly fast.”

“But to kill a baby?” She turned back to him, doubtful.

“She’s not a baby anymore.”

“Not the point,” she huffed. “But can you imagine if she hadn’t been born into the Verairacur family? She would have died straight out of the womb.”

“I don’t think it would have made too much of a difference since she was assigned to be destroyed anyway.” He shrugged, lifting the pen off the desk to hold it between his fingers.

“I guess,” the frown was back on her face, her eyes darting to where her mother was seated in the front. “She was lucky the attack happened when it did, huh.”

The signature bang from the headmaster’s desk sent the room back into silence. Cameron looked at the man, unease stirring in his stomach at the stiff way he was holding himself. Maishear already had the determination of the council, his telepathic ability allowing him to see the members’ opinions. It was only tradition that led the members in the front to stand and bring their votes forward to place in one of the two boxes: one for, one against.

Cameron waited for his turn to stand, holding his vote tightly in his hand. He watched as the row in front of him rose to their feet, solemn in their path to the front. All too soon, they stood, his feet heavy on the steps down.

As he placed his vote, he tried to see the leaning of judgment, but the levels were too even to tell. He returned to his seat; his hands folded in front of him on the desk as he waited for the rows behind him to complete their journey.

Amber sank back into the chair next to him with a grim look returning on her face. She was deep in thought about something, though not the decision that was being made. 

The two members appointed to the responsibility of counting were quick in their work, conversing for only a few moments before one nodded.

“With a close margin, the final decision on this matter will be delayed as the opposed have requested. The girl is to be observed here before her fate is chosen.” Maishear’s voice held hardly any inflection as he spoke the words, his golden eyes narrowed and focused on the front row. “Kenesul Roiel.”

Cameron sat up at his native name, his heart jolting in his chest. “Yes sir,” he projected loud enough for his voice to echo slightly in the chamber.

“As you are currently covering my son’s responsibilities, it is your responsibility to retrieve him and the others he has discovered along with your… observance.” The headmaster’s eyes burned into him expectantly.

“Yes sir,” Cameron bowed his head, holding back a wince at the subtle jab at the state of their team.

“In my son’s company, you will find the girl, as well as three others. You have until next midweek to bring them here, along with any family who is willing to return to our ways. Seniar will be dealt with separately from this matter.”

“Understood,” he fought against the urge to sink back into his chair as the man looked away.

“You are all dismissed,” with that, Maishear stalked back up the stairs, all but throwing the chamber doors open when he passed through them.

Conversation immediately exploded in the room, some excited, while others reflected the obvious disappointment of the headmaster. Cameron sat in silence, the beginnings of a plan forming in his mind.

“So,” Amber’s voice was low when she spoke. “My brother’s coming back.”

Next Chapter

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[mozart-the-meerkitten]

Low-key losing my mind at how good the Battlestar Galactica characters are with kids. It’s like a requirement for the main characters.

Like, Apollo has Boxy, who is his kid by marriage/adoption and literally right after he married Boxy’s mother she died. You wouldn’t even know it, you would think this man had raised this little boy from infancy. He’s such a sweet dad, he loves his son SO MUCH. He’s very genuine and in tune with Boxy and understands and validates his son’s feelings. He gets frustrated with his kid sometimes but I don’t think he’s ever actually like, yelled and gotten angry at him. When he met his wife she told him he “seemed good with children” based on a 10 second interaction he’d had with Boxy. He’s one of those people who automatically knows how to talk to children, by not talking down to them like they’re stupid, but explaining things to them in ways they understand. When he meets a little boy and his single mom when he emergency lands on a planet he does the exact same thing and actually helps the kid grow up a little and understand his mom a bit better.

You would not look at Starbuck and think this man would be good with kids but wow he is. Like, yeah, he flirts with almost every woman he meets but I’m 99% sure that if he ever actually got one pregnant he’d drop everything to raise that kid. When Apollo was MIA and they didn’t want to worry Boxy, Starbuck, on the fly, told Boxy that his dad said he was going to be longer than expected but he wanted Boxy to spend the night with the Blue Squadron pilots. He sets up a whole card game with fruit juice instead of beer and jellybeans as bets to give the kid the full experience. He crash-landed on a planet and was rescued by a gang of kids who were trying to rescue their father from cylons by doing hit-and-run attacks. He doesn’t belittle them, or talk down to them (once he understands what’s going on) he just tries to advise them. When the leader of the siblings (a boy about 15) realizes that if he hadn’t listened to Starbuck he’d have made a horrible mistake, he relinquishes command to Starbuck, who agrees on the condition that the kid be his lieutenant. He leads the kids to rescue their dad and teaches them the plan to storm the castle THROUGH SONG. He MADE UP A SONG and taught it to them so, in the words of my mom “all the kids would know what was going on the whole time”. And that’s just SO SMART because that’s how kids LEARN.

And Boomer over here has just learned to roll with his friend’s shenanigans so hard that he totally went along with the aforementioned scenario with Starbuck and Boxy. Like, he went as far as to cue other pilots while Boxy was around so that they kept the atmosphere light for the kid. Also his voice gets so much softer when he’s talking to Boxy and I die.

And ADAMA, the commander of the fleet, who, when his little grandson Boxy comes up to him late one night on the bridge and tells him he can’t sleep, lets the kid climb up on his lap like, “You know, when your father was little and couldn’t sleep I’d tell him stories. Do you want me to tell you a story?” and then he just tells Boxy a bedtime story right then and there on the bridge of the Galactica. I MELT.

Cassiopeia moms Boxy sometimes too and it’s very cute. Back to that time Starbuck set it up so Boxy could stay with Blue Squadron, their card game was interrupted by Cassie showing up and yelling at them about teaching the six-year-old how to gamble and smoke (Boxy did not have a cigar xD) and drink (again, fruit juice). The boys indignantly defended themselves against these claims and added about the card game, “And (Boxy’s) winning!” Cassie gets through yelling at the boys and turns to Boxy with the softest voice, “you can come back once you’re ready for bed-” *turns and glares at the boys* “and they RECIRCULATE THE AIR IN HERE!” xDD

Also, I’d like to point out that all but one of these characters are men and I think that’s fantastic. Showing that the best of the best warriors in the fleet and the Commander himself can be so soft and gentle with children is just, it makes my heart happy. It’s such a needed message- that you can be brave and strong and fight for your home and your people but also be kind and compassionate and loving. They’re just such well done characters and I love them so much. ;-;

[fatummortem]

ㅤㅤBobby silently makes a note to comment on the singing when he can work it into the conversation. The moment Hank starts going on about things Bobby does not understand, well that's not true. He knows enough that Hanks talking about the plant life & pictures? Catalogue! Bird watching but when it's plants & not birds, whatever the name for that was. He really doesn't have enough attention span to keep up with it without his old visits with Hank. He'd just accepted the fact he's not that smart, that he isn't the type to think that hard about how things work on a molecular level when it's not water, ice or the ability his mind has to turn one into the other. Hank is.

ㅤㅤHe misses those random facts that Bobby has to literally be a student whenever he sits in the lab. The way Hank goes on about such things is refreshing. He's so vividly passionate about it like Bobby's passionate about ice puns.

ㅤㅤHe's definitely not this passionate about accounting, helping people work the system with numbers yes. That's easy to him. Once he figured out how to do it.

ㅤㅤ" Have you heard? Old habits are a refreshing cool breeze. " It's a light pun, punning in it's relaxed form if you will. He gives his friend a smile, it's a little bigger than it was before. Okay, not all of them are but this old habit is. He'll be oblivious about seventy percent of the time but it's surprising how much it brightens up Hank's face just going on about plant watching.

ㅤㅤGlancing down Bobby stirs his smoothie once more. " I'm not, " a pause, "...settled on Krakoa that is. Been too busy. " He is settling on the boat definitely. It's more of a pit stop than an actual settling depending on how long the team lasts & how long Chri stays in his life. Hopefully long term. He takes a sip of his smoothie to stop himself from talking about everything going on, from the feel of things that'll have to be something for later. His eyes do brighten as he peeks up at his long time friend. " Are your plans for plant watching a bonus to settling in? " If it isn't, it should be. It sounds like Hank would love every second of it.

ㅤㅤThere's so much tension in those moments, ice sickles could hit mass & fill it with holes. He goes back to focusing on his smoothie. Using it to distract himself from opening his mouth as he waits for Hank's decision. He even puts the straw into his mouth for a tiny sip, suddenly wishing he'd brought a larger container. He's going to run out of distractions for his mouth before they finish.

ㅤㅤ It does feel like Hank needs a vacation from the lab already, with just how deflated he looks, that exhale alone is enough for those blue eyes to travel upwards. No one should look like they're a gramps at Hank's age. It almost makes Bobby feel old himself.

ㅤㅤOh, the Iceman really shouldn't do the talking right now.

ㅤㅤ" Depends how many 'I'm sorry's can I fit into a conversation before they lose meaning? " His eyes twinkle up at his friend, making his completely serious question seem more light hearted.

ㅤㅤHe shifts back into his chair as his mind tries to grasp what to say that aren't jokes before shifting forward & resting his elbows on his thighs. " There is a lot to cover, Hank. Not sure where to start. I've thought about it for awhile. " Maybe putting more effort into not thinking about things than thinking about things. " Dealing with.... things isn't my strong suit. It's new for me... I've spent years packing it away just to be what other's needed me to be.

ㅤㅤIt's easier... Keeping it in a nice neat ice cube package. " A pile of ice cubes. That turn into a frozen layer covering the Earth but who stresses the small things. " I've done it for years... At a time.... it got to a point where I thought that's how everyone dealt with their issues. " Make yourself buy it first? He has no idea. " So when you came to me on the beach..." he pushes out a breath & looks up, blue eyes meeting Hanks as a small apologetic smile curves over his lips. " I tried-- I thought I was helping, but I failed you as a friend instead... So, do you think we can... talk about..." His hand waves to indicate everything, trying to silently indicate other things he hasn't mention too. " & get to a point where we feel close again? "

Bobby's quite correct, it has been a good long while since he's been treated to Hank singing while he worked - not just because Bobby's been spending less time around him, either, but just . . . in general. There really hasn't been much to sing about these past few years, it's felt like. Just a lot of awful things said to one another in the heat of a moment, a lot of even worse things done to one another, all because it all seemed so very important at the time . . . compulsively, he rubs at the little patch of scar tissue on his back where Ororo had nailed him with lightning. The fur on his back stands on end for a moment.

Hm.

"Yes, it is all rather idyllic, isn't it? I was out doing a survey of the local flora and fauna not too long ago, trying to construct a catalogue of some of the indigenous life here, and it really is quite remarkable. Just the sheer amount of biodiversity on dis . . ." He catches himself. He's rambling. In the past, the X-Men had indulged that habit, because who didn't have time for cuddly old Hank in his lab, but now he's a lot more aware of when he does it.

How charmless it probably actually is.

". . . Forgive me. Old habits." Hard not to fall into them when one of your oldest friends is around. What was the delightful term, that Keller had shared with him back at the school? Revertigo. He supposed there was some degree of truth to it - and it was hard not to give in, because, well, those had been better times. Not for mutantkind, of course, but for Hank, perhaps. Still. It didn't do to be too morose, not when he had company to entertain for once.

"I'm glad that you're enjoying the place - I'm still settling, obviously, but once I find my feet, hopefully I take to it all with as much aplomb as you."

Then comes the question, and there's a - very nasty, very tightly compressed, very loud voice in his brain that wants to seethe. How do you think I feel, Robert? How do you think I'm doing? Apocalypse gets a warmer reception than I do. I was startled to see you because you're the first person to turn up who seemingly doesn't just want something done for them. But he contains it, quashes it, ignores it.

Bobby seems to realise what an insensitive question it is, too, right before he can ask it, and Hank blows out a hot breath, averts his eyes. Crisis averted, I suppose. They stand in awkward silence for a long moment, and he feels - obligated, to do something. So he picks up the smoothie and takes a loud sip. A gesture that didn't require so much as a nod of the head or a word spoken, but welcoming, nonetheless. He was trying. Bobby was trying, so he could try, too.

He does, have time to talk, as it happens. He's technically well ahead of schedule, thanks to making a few mental connections that he hadn't expected to and being able to cajole the biotech more efficiently, so . . . yes, he can talk.

He can.

For a moment, that dark urge takes over again - and it's so childish, it's such a childish impulse, to be so utterly unable to let bygones be bygones and just forgive and forget, but he really is . . . struggling, to let it all go. They all are, despite the smiles they put on for Charles. It's a struggle to act like they aren't intensely bothered by one another. That dark urge whispers in his ear, to turn away and tell the other man he doesn't have time, another day, perhaps, which really just means never.

Which really just means I don't want to talk to you anymore.

And - it's spiteful. He wants Bobby to hurt like he hurt, during the intervention, like he did on the beach, but it's - not fair. It's not fair to Bobby, it just isn't. He's going to try to be fair.

He slumps into a chair like a ton of bricks and gives Bobby an honest smile - a tired smile, and it probably hits Bobby that for as young as everyone's seemed to get on this island (not even counting the resurrections, there's just something in the air, it seems), Hank feels. Old. He feels like he should have the little Reed Richards blotches of white or grey at the temples, the way he carries himself. All the energy and power and strength and bounciness of the Beast is still there, somewhere, but he just. Doesn't seem able to summon it.

"I have time to talk, and, it would appear, a smoothie to drink. So . . . lay it on me, Robert. What does the Iceman want to talk about?"