#lmao it’s not that hard to figure out what I mean

[the-unexplained-council]

Pillow; Gideon Coal

Legends of Avantris; Once Upon a Witchlight

Summary: Gideon is a lot more soft-hearted than you originally thought. You never would have imagined that the genasi would start letting more and more of his walls down the more the both of you seem to grow together. After he thrones himself as your personal pillow, you can’t help but fall for him as the days go on.

CW: Slight OOC Gideon(? I’ve never actually written him before, even as a side character, so please lmk if this is OOC or Canon leaning 🙏), Alcohol/Booze (no drunkenness; tipsiness), slowburn(?), slight Kremy x reader/poly coalecroux x reader but it’s mostly Gideon, kinda ass lmao.

Word Count: 7.9k

A/N: Thank you Anon for giving me this idea! I usually feel weird writing Gideon without Kremy or vice versa, and I’m not sure proud of this fic overall but I think I figured it out. <33 Again, thank you for the idea and hope you all enjoy!

-~-~-~-

The sounds of empty glasses clinking together, echoed laughter, and chatting about kept your ears stimulated. It wasn’t loud by any means, but it kept your senses busy. The whiff of whiskey and other booze wafted your way, filling your nose. You could almost taste it. It was a comfortable and relaxing setting.

You leaned into the soft corner of the bar couch, a glass of booze loosely in your hand. You watched as Frost sipped his drink at the bar counter, his goblin companion shotgunning some random alcohol someone gave him. Torbek and Twig were messing with the game machines in the corner, trying to figure out how to play without the coins required. Kremy was nowhere to be seen, the designated sober one of the group off doing god knows what for the time being.

Gideon sat beside you on the other end of the couch, laughing with the glass of whiskey and coke perked against his lips as a girl told him a joke. The little ember sparks erupted from his hair and beard from the tipsy joy, his ears wiggling at the ends. He took up a third of the couch just on his own, though the flirting girl sitting on the arm of it definitely made him look a bit bigger.

You listened to their conversation loosely, used to the shenanigans that often came with being with the group when alcohol was involved. You had only been traveling with them for a few months, four at most, and in that time you all had only had drinks together a handful of times. The tipsiness lightened the mood, coaxed muscles to relax and brains to muddle. It was nice when the group didn’t overdo it.

You felt a nudge and blinked, glancing towards Gideon who was empty of a girl glued to his side. His whiskey glass was gone, though the smell of it wasn’t gone. “Hm?”

“I was askin’ what you were starin’ so hard at,” Gideon lightheartedly inquired, nudging you once more in a joking tone. “Alcohol isn’t fryin’ ya is it?”

You smiled, shaking your head as you sat your beverage on the side table. “Of course not, I was just listening to everything going on.”

Gideon nodded, leaning back in his spot and looking out to the group like you had. At this point, Gricko was starting to get pretty drunk and Frost was pushing the goblin back to his seat with the other hand holding up the tabaxi’s salt rimmed margarita, gulping it whole. You thought it was amusing, smiling as you adjusted your position on the couch. You brought your legs up to your chest, feet dangling off barely, as you relaxed into the cushioning.

Gideon looked at you again, a small tipsy grin on his lips. “Hey, I’ve been wonderin’ what your favorite drink is,” he spoke randomly. You gave him a quizzical look and he shrugged, gesturing towards the bar with his head. “I was gonna get another one and thought I’d be nice and getcha one too.”

You playfully scoffed, rolling your eyes as you lifted your half-full beverage and rattled it around for him to see. “If you want to offer me a drink I have to be done with the one I have.”

He rolled his eyes playfully, a “psh” sound erupting from his lips when you held your drink up. “What, I can’t be generous for once in my life? C’mon, what’s your favorite drink? Even if it’s for future reference.”

“You first,” you toyed, smiling as you took a swig of your beverage. “I wanna know if you like that whiskey as much as you drink it.”

Gideon chuckled a bit, shrugging once more. “Whiskey’s a’right, but I prefer some fireball whiskey.”

“That’s literally just whiskey,” you chuckled out, watching as the genasi smirked at your response. “So your favorite is whiskey? I thought you’d surprise me and say strawberry daiquiris or something.”

“Fireball whiskey is better ‘cuz it’s cinnamon whiskey, it makes it better!” He insisted, crossing his arms in a playful defense. “Now you gotta tell me your favorite.”

You rolled your eyes, finishing your current drink with a refreshed sigh. Telling him your favorite, he hopped up and strode his way towards the bar. You couldn’t help but smile to yourself as you watched the genasi walk farther and farther away.

Over the months, you came to the conclusion that he was just a magnet for the ladies specifically. When in town he always had one around him, it was his thing. He seemed to enjoy it, it boosted his ego. While they were after his body more than anything, you found yourself always magnetizing to his personality. You wanted to know more about him more than anything. You grew more and more curious as the weeks went on, why? You never knew.

You’d noticed his observant eyes wonder group settings when he thought no one was watching. You’d notice his body flinching with sudden loud noises like metal on metal or glass on glass. You’d notice how the corners of his lips climbed his cheeks in your peripheral vision when you’d go back to your own tasks. You noticed how he’d always attempt to cheer the group up his own ways when Gricko wouldn’t. You wanted to know more about Gideon Coal. He was so interesting to you, yet to everyone else he was just an average brawn.

You found yourself watching Torbek and Twig play an equivalent to a pinball game, the sounds of bells chiming and bright lights flashing about. With Torbek in control (with a high amount of concerned and anxious groans and whines), Twig cheered him on.

“Here,” your attention was drawn back to see the genasi with your drink. You hummed with a smile and sipped it happily, sighing in refreshment. You thanked the genasi, who waved it off and sat in his spot with his new glass of what appeared to be rum. “Taste good?”

You nodded, sipping your drink again before setting it down. “Tastes like the best one I’ve had in a while,” you relaxed once more into the couch, watching the genasi swig a drunk of his rum without reaction. He sat his drink down on his own side table, draping his arm over the middle of the couch back. “Are you having fun?”

Gideon shrugged a little, nonchalant. “Eh, it’s nice and relaxin’ after a long ass day that's for sure. I guess it’s fun,” you laid your head against the back of the couch section, watching him. The heat of the alcohol grew on your cheeks and currently began growing to your head, making you a bit tired. “There sure ain’t many people though, that’s for sure. Not much of a party.”

You hummed in agreement, glancing around. The inn you all were staying in had a bar event going on tonight, free 2 drinks and the rest half off for the night only. There weren’t very many people staying in the inn anyways due to the storms outside and the inn being deep in the woods. Besides the group, there were only a handful of strangers that kept to their groups. You caught sight of the girl who had been all over Gideon talking to a human guy at the bar. It was nice nonetheless.

“Do you like parties?” You asked out of curiosity. You watched him, trying to imagine him dancing with a crowded room of people with loud music and people chanting for him to shotgun a cheap beer. You could see it, how he’d chug a beer and crush the can on his head frat boy style. You could imagine him being challenged to drink a lot of alcohol, but not so much the dancing after the loss of his groove.

Gideon shrugged, looking over to you. “The closest party I think I’ve been to I think was a full bar with a bard playing some type ‘ah music I didn’t pay attention to,” his eyes observed your face. “I went with Kremy years ago, we stayed enough to play a few rounds of Black Jack and Poker for some money then dipped out.”

You nodded, your head still against the cushion. You reached around for your drink and brought it to your lips, drinking. “Well, it’s better than the closest party you went to being some lame one.”

“Yea, I guess you’re right,” he looked towards the bar again, his face relaxing to a comfortable smile. After a moment of silence, you felt your eyes start to droop a bit. You hummed in content, trying to keep your eyes open as you listened to the environment around you. “Tired?”

Your eyes shot open, meeting the golden eyes of the fire genasi beside you. You nodded a little. “I think I’ve drank enough,” you admitted with a small laugh, rubbing your eyes from the strain they had. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to.”

Gideon laughed, shaking his head as he gently took your drink from your hands and sat it securely on the table. “Shit, I don’t care that you’re dozin’,” he nudged your arm gently. “We’ve got some walkin’ to do tomorrow an’ I don’t think you’d want a hangover for that.”

You groaned, realizing you forgot about that fact. You perked yourself up, rubbing your head and sighed. “I think I should get some water then, or some food.”

Gideon stood up, stretching his arms up into the air, his back and arms popping in release. “No problem, be right back.” and he walked off without another word.

You smiled, watching the genasi walk back to the bar. You never understood the kindness the genasi expressed to you. He seemed to accept you into the group pretty fast, though Gricko was by far the fastest. Gideon was a good second. You noticed his gestures towards you since the beginning, and you began to cherish them.

You began to admire him, and you weren’t complaining.

Gideon returned with water, giving you the cup (which was lidded and strawed) and made sure you held it with both hands. As you sipped it, your head started to pound in a dull manner. You laid your head back in the cushion of the couch back, watching Gideon adjust in his seat, then pat his lap.

You looked at him confused, furrowing an eyebrow before he patted his lap again. “Lay down,” he said, catching you off guard. “If you want to, I won’t force ya.”

“You want me to lay down on your lap?” You asked, letting the genasi carefully take your tipsy proof cup. Was he drunk? The imagery of his pillow-like thighs were comforting to you, and warm too, and you liked that. The fighter nodded, patting his lap for a third time. “Why?”

“Until you sober up a bit so I can help ya to your room,” he said. “That way you ain’t trippin over yourself and everything.”

Too tired to think of any other ideas, the idea of soft padded warmth sounded amazing. You happily rolled to your face, which Gideon laughed aloud. You laid on your side, your head laying on the fighter’s lap. He laid an arm over your shoulders, holding your shoulder that touched his outer thigh and rubbed it in a circle with his thumb. You hummed happily, closing your heavy lidded eyes.

“If you fall asleep do ya jus’ want me to carry you up?” Gideon asked, his voice calmer than before. All you could do was hum in acknowledgement, too sleepy and comfortable to give a proper response. You heard the genasi chuckle as he patted your shoulder and then returned to his circled motions. “A’right, don’t get too comfortable down there.” He joked with you innocently, making you smile tiredly.

The warmth of his body, and the alcohol, soothed your body completely into relaxation. Everything was drowned out as the sound of Gideon against your ear filled your ears, the smell of campfire charcoal with a dash of whiskey and rum filled your nose, and the feeling of warmth enveloped you.

You could get used to this.

-~-~-~-

Laughter erupted from your mouth as you attempted to escape the playful ambush of the fire genasi. He easily stopped the attempt, hands cupping your middle and lifting you up. He sat you on his shoulders, buckling you in place by holding your shins before spinning around.

You clutched his head, laughing hysterically as he sped up. “Gideon! You’re gonna make me throw up!” You cried with laughter, tucking yourself in as the genasi stopped spinning.

Gideon patted your shins, looking up the best he could against the cushion of your abdomen. You felt the shrugs of his shoulders, which made you giggle as you catch your breath.

“I don’t think you have that weak of a stomach, you’ve watched us do worse things to people,” he playfully retorted, starting his adventure forward with you hitched on his shoulders. “‘Sides, I bet you have a damn good view from up there.”

You rolled your eyes, adjusting against him and holding a grip on the genasi’s head. “I think this is what Torbek sees everyday, and I think the top of your head is balding.”

“What?” He let one leg go to reach up and feel his head immediately, which immediately started your episode of laughter again. Once Gideon caught on, he let out a huff and returned his grasp to your leg. “Ha ha, very funny.” He playfully retorted.

You smiled, letting your fingers run through his soft thick hair. The frizzed ends were crisp with warm ember glow, heating your hands. They lit up slightly, sparks popping through his head as you ran your fingers through. You brushed his hair back down, still giggling as Gideon continued his new found taxi service to the inn. You hummed happily, enjoying the texture of his hair.

“You don’t worry about split ends, do you?” You asked randomly, sure that they were burnt off constantly from the ignited ends. The ends of his hair were crisp from the burnings, but the heat kept it bendable and flexible with the rest of his hair as well. It was such an odd discovery, but made for a perfect hand heater.

“Not really,” he responded, readjusting his grip on you. He neared the inn door and reached up to hold you just above your hips. “A’right fun’s over, hold tight.”

You did as told, holding his arms as he lifted you up and sat you down in front of him. You spun around and reached up to fix the genasi’s hair after your ride. He kept his head tilted down slightly to let you, which made you smile happily.

“All fixed, big guy,” you patted his arm and he stood up straight again. “Now let’s get some dinner, I’m starving!”

Gideon cracked his knuckles and playfully pushed you aside, marching up to the door and opening it wide. “Ya don’t have to tell me twice!”

You giggled to yourself, following after the genasi. He left the door open for you as he waited inside, which you thanked him for. Gideon made his way towards the inn kitchen, leading the way with his mental mission commanding him. When you found the stairs, you turned towards them and started to hop up.

“Hey, where are you going?” Gideon asked, spinning around as soon as he heard the creak of the stairs. “I thought we were gonna eat dinner?”

You leaned over the stair railing, smiling as the fighter walked over and looked up at you. You reached over and playfully patted his head to tease him. “I will, I’ve gotta put things away first. Don’t wait up for me, but save me a plate at least.”

Gideon slumped, his arms falling and his shoulders arched. He was so cute, it made your chest flutter. He always grew so animated when he’d pout. “A’right, but don’t expect any dessert saved.”

You waved him off, laughing a little and hopping up the stairs again. “Fine by me!”

Reaching the top of the stairs, you turned the corner and saw a familiar lizardfolk leaning against the wall, cigarette in mouth as the lighter lit the end. He took a long drag, staring at the wall in front of him as he put his lighter away, exhaling smoke through his nostrils before taking the cigarette out of his mouth and loosely holding it between his pointer and middle fingers. You stopped, watching as the lizardfolk lazily blinked before turning to you and looking you up and down.

“Have fun in town?” He asked calmly, arm crossed over his chest while the one that held the cigarette was propped on the wrist. Legs crossed as his torso leaned against the wall, his body relaxed. He wasn’t wearing his tailcoat, just the undershirt and an untied bow tie with his dress pants.

Kremy was, and is, the very last person to accept you into the group. You notice how he always watches you closely whether you pretend to notice or not. He doesn’t let you stay too close to him, and he seems weary of you. He is by far much better than at the beginning, and you’ve gained his trust significantly over the year of travelling with the lizardfolk. He cooks your meals, you’ve slept in the group pile many times, you both have had your own moments together on your own time. If there’s one thing he hasn’t changed, however, is his protective manner towards his bodyguard. It was kind of funny, the one who had the bodyguard was guarding the bodyguard. It was much less funny when it was directed towards you, though.

You inspected him, a little nervous you might have done something wrong. You shifted your feet, playing with your fingers. “Um, yea, Gideon and I explored the town and went around some shops. We got some things while there. I got you something, hold on,” you turned to the satchel that hung over your torso. Kremy’s eyebrow quirked in curiosity as you dug in the bag, taking a drag of the cigarette and blowing smoke as you brought the item out. “It’s not much, but I wanted to give you something as a thank you for.. well.. letting me stay.”

Kremy’s golden eyes lit up a bit, placing the cigarette between his maws. He held his hands out as you sat a small amethyst carved unicorn into his claws. It was glossy, almost sparkling. You noticed the end of Kremy’s tail swish in joy, something you knew he couldn’t control. He began to inspect the unicorn, feeling the crevices and the smooth curves.

He held it in one hand, using the other to drag the cigarette again and blow smoke. He placed the carving into his pant pocket carefully, returning to his previous position before nodding.

“Thank you,” he said, a little softer. He didn’t say anything for a moment, staring at the wall ahead of him as his cigarette burned away. You weren’t sure if you could leave, feeling as though Kremy wanted to talk to you. You took a moment before you nodded and started to walk by him. You started to walk towards the room at the end of the corridor, the room the entire group was sharing for the night, before your stopped to the sound of Kremy’s voice again. “You two are talkin’ and stayin’ around each other an awful lot lately. More than with anyone else.”

You slowly turned back around, watching as Kremy’s eyes slowly turned from the wall to you. His eyes were half lidded, as if the things on his mind weighed them down. His eyes were baggy, looking tired. He stared into your eyes, the rusted gold digging into your skin.

“I guess we have,” you admitted, looking down in guilt. Over the course of the last month or two, Gideon and you both went everywhere more and more. Exploring the towns, Gideon claimed you needed a ‘professional’ bodyguard by your side. Whenever you’d enter a room, Gideon would find his way by your side to playfully mess with you. You sat beside each other for meals, and Gideon would offer an extra bread roll for you whenever they were made. And every night, without fail, the both of you ended up falling asleep in one or the other’s lap or stomach. You felt your breath hitch, realizing that it probably upset the warlock that you might indirectly be straying his best friend away from him. “I am sorry if it upsets you, I can talk to Gideon about it so that-“

“You don’t need to say a thing,” he stopped you, taking another drag of his cigarette before he crushed the end against the stair rail post to kill the burn. He stuffed the butt into the pocket opposite of the unicorn. He adjusted his rolled up shirt sleeves, walking towards you in precise strides. You gulped, intimidated by the warlock with his seriousness. Kremy stopped in front of you, crossing his arms. “I just want to make sure you ain’t fuckin’ around with Gideon just to break his heart.”

“Wha-?” You were so confused. You blinked a few times, Kremy’s muzzle inching closer as an attempt to intimidate you.

“Gideon has been my friend for a very long time, I’ve seen many people try to slip in and leave time and time again. I know when Gideon gets himself attached to people,” Kremy narrow his eyes on you, looking you up and down again before surrounding you. “He means.. a lot to me. I’d do a lot of crazy things for that man. Maybe even give up my life.”

He stopped in front of you, reaching into his pocket again for his cigarette holder and his lighter. You fumbled with your satchel as the warlock lit another cigarette, dragging it in, and exhaling through his nose. He held it between his fingers before continuing.

“But I ain’t his sitter, he’s a grown man,” his hard eyes soften, the snarl that built on his muzzle disappearing before he turns his head away. “I trust him with everything I have, he’s a great man. I see how the two of you look at each other, I know y’all ain’t messin’ around. It ain’t my business, but when it comes to Gideon it kinda is my business.” There was a small edge to his voice you couldn’t quite identify.

“I’m sorry, I’m confused,” you shifted, blinking at the ringleader as he turned to meet your eyes again. “I know you and Gideon are close, I don’t want to take that away from either of you at all. Did I do something wrong?”

Kremy lifted his head, another drag of a cigarette, another exhale. “No, you didn’t do anything wrong,” his voice was soft again. “Gideon cares a lot about ‘cha, I see it in his eyes every day. I trust his judgement of people. I trust that you won’t use him. You make him happy, and I can see he makes you happy too. I jus’ don’t want the person closest to me to get hurt. Do we understand each other?”

You blinked again, slowly nodding at his quiet request. Kremy cared for Gideon more than anything, that was clear for everyone to see. He was worried that Gideon would get hurt through your mutual shenanigans, physical or emotional, and you understood all Kremy wanted was for Gideon to have someone other than Kremy to feel that security with. Kremy didn’t dislike you, he was only weary of the situation.

Kremy, who was already half way through the new cigarette, nodded and closed his eyes to let the situation sink in. You felt the fabric of your satchel, thinking about how to approach this from here on.

“I care about you too,” you said softly. The lizardfolk turned his eyes towards you again. “Maybe not in the way that I care for Gideon, but I do. I trust you to have my back, and I trust you to lead me. I trust you with my food,” you both chuckled a little at that. “No matter what, Kremy, I respect you.”

Kremy observed your eyes, searching for any signs of insincerity, though found none. He took another long drag, taking the cigarette away as he swallowed the smoke down to his lungs, then exhaled again slowly. “I think I can say the same.”

Dinner went smoothly, as usual. While there wasn’t any dessert (as expected), you were saved a plate and a half of food for dinner. Gideon saved you some bread rolls, plopping one on your plate when you thought he gave you the last one. Kremy sat on the other side of Gideon, at the end of the table. He would catch your eye a few times, a soft smile on his mouth.

With the start and fall of dinner, the day in the town caught up to you easily with the full stomach. Everyone had decided it was time for sleep, talking about the room arrangement. Nibbling on your last bread roll, you listened to the group.

“Well I think Hootsie should at least have the bed tonight with me! We don’t mind someone else in the bed, but she’s a growin’ girl! She needs some cushion sometimes,” Gricko insisted, petting his daughter behind the ear who cooed.

“I think that whoever didn’t have the bed last time should have it this time,” Frost nodded in partial agreement. “That way it is fair for all of us. So, who all had the bed last time?”

“Torbek believes it was Mister Kremy, Gideon, {y/n} and Twig,” Torbek pointed out, looking at the ones he mentioned. “So Torbek thinks that Torbek and Frost, Gricko and Hootsie should have the bed this time! Just like Frost suggested.”

Everyone seemed to agree with one another, chattering about how the bed arrangement would work. You didn’t mind either way, the couch that was in the room as well made up for the situation. It was rather comfortable from when you sat on it previously, as well.

You stayed in your seat as the group of four marched upstairs, all tired and ready for bed. Twig stayed behind, cleaning up from the dinner since she was the one who cooked it tonight. You didn’t say anything, listening to Gideon and Kremy chat for a bit together.

The conversation with Kremy lingered in your mind. You seemed to have been given his approval. At least, that’s how you interpreted it. You were sure that was what Kremy meant by the conversation. You respected the warlock, however, and felt like it would be better to wait for a good time.

Gideon was important to you. He lit up the room, figuratively and literally, whenever you were gloomy. He always cheered you up, gave you butterflies with his simple gestures towards you. You felt pure joy and happiness every night as the genasi let you huddle up to his side for warmth, Kremy on the other.

“Ya ready?”

You blinked from your state, looking up to the now standing Gideon Coal. You nodded and stood, finishing your roll before yawning. Gideon led the way towards the stairs, hands on his head for his full stomach. Kremy joined your side, gently nudging you to go up and join the genasi.

You smiled at the lizardfolk, who returned it back.

You skipped a step to meet Gideon’s side, who greeted you with a pat on the back.

It didn’t take any time at all before everyone was ready for bed. The four were all cuddled in bed, Torbek on the very edge and half hanging off, Hootsie laying on the foot of the bed in Gricko’s area, and Frost and Gricko comfortably nestled. They all fell asleep rather quickly, soft snores filling the room.

The couch was a pull out, which Twig securely made for the four of you to lay on. Gideon laid in the middle, taking the most space. His arms were spread to the sides, Kremy on his right side on the edge of the bed while you were tucked into the middle with Twig on your other side. It was comfortable, but mostly because of Gideon being your pillow.

You were having a hard time sleeping, however. You were overcome with loud snores throughout the room, and the mattress below you was very uneven. You kept tossing and turning, unable to fully relax like you wanted. Once you did find a position, your back was towards the genasi and you were sprawled out in an odd position.

You hummed in tiredness, sleepy from all of the events of the day. You let your eyes droop, relaxing your body to finally fall asleep, as hard as it was.

Right before you did, you jerked up at the touch of a small rattle of your shoulder. You tiredly opened your eyes and blinked, sleepily yawning before turning to look over your shoulder. Kremy’s head laid on Gideon’s chest, looking at you while Gideon’s half lidded eyes looked at you too.

Gideon smiled at you and gently patted his stomach, murmuring to you just loud enough to be heard over the snores. “C’mere,” he pet his belly in a tired daze, clearly previously asleep at some point. You slowly sat up, blinking in slight confusion before the genasi patted his belly once more. “Pillow time.”

You giggled a little at his sleepy talk, slowly shifting over as he yawned. You climbed over his leg, adjusting on the genasi as he sleepily held your shoulder to balance you. Once you found a comfortable position, you laid on his warm stomach happily. Kremy readjusted on Gideon’s chest, shifting more into his side. Now you were all warm and cozy.

Twig took this chance while she slept, sprawling herself out like a starfish and snoring louder as if it was a sigh of relief, then returning to her soft snores before. You giggled at it, yawning as you relaxed into the body of Gideon Coal.

You felt the familiar hand of Gideon run to your upper back, gently rubbing it in a sleepy massage. He muttered something before falling right back asleep, his gentle grip holding you with him. You felt an unfamiliar hand wrap around your middle back, which made your lazy eyes peel open just slightly to see Kremy holding you as well.

“G’night, {y/n}.” The lizardfolk whispered, sleep overtaking him.

You hummed in acknowledgement, eyes closing completely. “G’night.”

-~-~-~-

The cool breeze blew around you all. The damp ground squashed beneath every step. You huddled next to Gideon, rubbing your arms as an attempt to keep yourself warm from the winds. It was silent as everyone traveled, only the sounds of wet leaves and mud and the whistle of the wind. The trees above swayed, dancing along with one another in unison.

You looked up, looking past the leaves to study the greyed skies. You frowned, realizing that this was most likely more than a dull day. You knew a storm was coming, though not knowing if it was snow or rain, you looked forward to look at Kremy.

Kremy had been leading the way, Gideon just slightly behind the lizardfolk as always, guarding him from the mystery of the woods. You looked slightly back from the genasi, thinking about the day so far.

Behind you, Torbek slumped in slow yet large strides. His arms hung low, his claws tracing the wet ground now and again. If it wasn’t for the almost constant state of sadness on his face, he’d easily make for a terrifying body guard to anyone. Twig sat on his shoulder, happily knitting away on a new project she was determined to finish. Frost, Gricko and Hootsie were in the back, Gricko riding on Hootsie’s back as the tabaxi and goblin quietly conversed amongst themselves.

You felt a gentle tug on your shirt, which made you look behind your shoulder to meet the bugbear who consistently looked over you. He bent down, much more than usual, trying to meet your height more comfortably without accidentally throwing Twig off. He tucked his arms in, crossing them loosely.

“What is it Torbek?” You asked quietly, slowing your pace a bit to leave the vicinity of Gideon and Kremy. Torbek tapped his fingers together in a nervous motion. You noticed Gideon glancing back at the loss of your presence, though paid no mind once he noticed you and Torbek conversing.

Torbek’s ears flattened against his head slightly, as if slightly ashamed. “Um, well Torbek was wondering if Mx. {y/n} knew how long it would be until the next town?”

You smiled softly at the bugbear, attempting to ease his worry. “Oh, well Kremy said that about an hour ago that we should be there before sundown.”

Torbek nodded, glancing up towards where Kremy was. “Okay,” Torbek’s eyes wavered to the surrounding woods, which you followed absentmindedly. “Torbek doesn’t want to be stormed on is all.”

You nodded in agreement, gently patting his hand. “I don’t think Kremy would let us, I trust he’ll make the call on that.”

Torbek nodded again, smiling slightly before standing back up to his usual slouch. You skipped back up to Gideon’s side, careful not to step on Kremy’s evenly swaying tail. Gideon looked down at you, quirking an eyebrow in quiet inquiry.

“Torbek was just wondering when we’d be at the next town,” you told him with a shrug, laying your head onto his bicep as you walked. Gideon reached an arm around and patted your shoulder in acknowledgement. He gave a small squeeze of a side hug, which gave you a boost of warmth.

Suddenly, Kremy stopped in his tracks. You and Gideon almost ran into his back, stopping just in time before you did. Torbek, however, fumbled and bumped into both you and Gideon before catching himself. You consequently bumped into Kremy, who turned around and crossed his arms. You gave a small guilty smile, comedically wiggling your fingers as hello.

Kremy paid no mind, looking up to the sky and taking his pocket watch from his tailcoat pocket and opened it to look at the time. Without looking up, he hummed. “We’re gonna have to camp here tonight,” Kremy said as he clicked his pocket watch closed. “We’re about two hours from town, but the storm is about to hit. We will set back out in the morning when the storm is gone.”

Torbek whined a little, which he stopped as Gricko immediately cheered him up with positivity. You nodded, escaping Gideon’s side hug to properly stand beside him. “Should we set up the big tent? Or prepare a shelter?”

Kremy put his pocket watch away, tapping his claws along the skull of his cane. “This storm might be a doozy, I think we should have a quick roof built between these trees here to keep the area we’ll be sleeping on drier.”

Gricko and Hootsie bounced about, Gricko jumping onto Torbek’s arm and pulling the poor bugbear towards the trees. “C’mon Torbek! Let’s make that platform! Hootsie and I will teach you how to do it!”

With a groan of slight defiance, Torbek followed his goblin companion and his daughter into the woods. Twig flew off of Torbek’s shoulder and joined Frost. Frost dropped his bag, rummaging through his items and setting the usual camp supplies down. Everyone always had their designated chores when it came to camping, which was never necessarily assigned, but willingly done due to the skills the groups had.

Torbek was tall and could reach the thick, large branches or small yet tall and thick trees that he could tear out of the ground. He could also carry a lot of things in his arms, even if they were quite hefty. Along with this, Gricko was the carpenter of the group. While it wasn’t like his wood widdling, he still grew to learn the right woods that worked best in shelter and learned to make efficient mini shelters with just the environment around them. Hootsie loved helping her father, doing anything she can to help out when she wanted.

Frost was the ‘architect’ when it came to the shelters, calculating the best and proficient ways to structure the shelters for the night. He made the guidelines and Gricko and his group did the rest. Frost would then set up other shelter things after that, such as the cooking ware. Once the cooking ware came in, either Kremy or Twig got to work. They’d start the food while the others all worked, having the food ready by the time the shelter was finished.

Kremy looked at you and the genasi, beginning to take his tailcoat off. “Gid, can you go and get some firewood please? If ya find some berries along the way please pick some. Oh, and {y/n} better go with you, the more firewood the better.”

Kremy smiled at you softly, folding up his tailcoat neatly and setting it on an elevated rock. Gideon nodded and nudged you, grunting out an “on it” to the lizardfolk before walking into the woods. You followed in tow, looking back towards Kremy who was rolling up his sleeves then turning to talk with Twig.

You caught up to the genasi, looking around for good wood that didn’t appear as damp as the ground. Gideon did the same, reaching up to yank on an already dead branch.

“Is it just me or is Kremy in a weird mood?” You asked suddenly, mostly out of curiosity than anything. You saw the genasi shrug, inspecting the branch he just tore off before tucking it under his arm.

“I’d say he kinda is, but he’s probably just tired more than anythin’. I think some things are weighing on his mind, but I don’t blame him at all after the whole Remy Garou shit.” Gideon grabbed some branches he saw, inspecting them and then tucking them under his arm again as he spoke.

“I guess that’s fair,” you nodded, grabbing some sticks and dried leaves that you figured would be good fire starters. “I hope he’s alright.”

Gideon snapped a long stick to break it down. “He’ll be a’right, if it gets to be too much I’ll help him out,” he turned to smile a bit at you. “How about you, eh? You’ve been actin’ strange too after the last town we were in. Somethin’ happen?”

You blinked in surprise, adjusting your grip on your bundle of small branches and sticks. “Well, not anything bad no,” you admitted, handing Gideon a broken branch for him to hold in his occupied hand and heat up. Gideon quirked an eyebrow, quietly asking what you meant by that. You gave a nervous smile. “Kremy and I talked a bit, it wasn’t anything bad, it was just a little confusing I guess?”

Gideon shrugged, taking your answer. The branch stud in his hand had burned to charcoal, which he stuffed in the small bag around his belt. “Well, as long as ya both don’t hate each other.”

You laughed a little, shaking your head and waving your hands. “No no, of course not!”

There seemed to be relief in his expression, the worry of the possibility no longer weighing heavy on him. Was he really worried that you and Kremy hated each other? Was there something that the both of you did to instill that worry into him?

“Good, I don’t want my two favorite people hatin’ each other. That would be pretty rough, haha!” He had a tinge of a hidden worry in his tone, though he sighed and released it. He grabbed some more items, not so much looking at them as in depth as he did before.

You paused your collecting, looking at the genasi as he continued forward. His back was turned towards you, bending down every now and then. You gripped your bundle just barely, watching his back for a moment.

“Hey, Gideon?” You asked cautiously, watching as the genasi carefully straightened up and partially turned to you. He watched you carefully, head slightly tilted in wonder. “What do you mean by that? Favorite people being me and Kremy, I mean.”

Gideon fully turned to you, only just realizing what he said. He took a minute to think before he stumbled over his words, trying to figure out what to say. He then sighed, his shoulder slouching a bit in semi-defeat.

He stepped towards you, keeping his grip nice and still on his own bundle. You opened your mouth to speak again, either in question or to take back your previous question, though Gideon started before you did.

“Kremy an’ I have been traveling together for years, about ten. We’ve gone through a lot of situations, thick and thin. We learned a lot about each other, and we learned that we can’t be without each other after it all. I wouldn’t want it any other way, I owe Kremy that,” Gideon’s smile softly appeared, his eyes half lidded as if something on his mind weighed them down once again. “An’ I’ll be honest, despite traveling with you for only a year, I’ve felt similar with you.”

You blinked in surprise, not expecting those words at all to come out of him. You knew that Kremy and Gideon were close, practically inseparable. You didn’t know just how important they meant to each other until now. You finally realized just how much they downplayed their relationship with one another to everyone. You shifted in your spot, glancing down at the realization. Everything made sense now.

Gideon sat his bundle down, noticing your face. He placed the side of his finger below your chin, making you look up at him. There was a sheepish look on his face, the other hand scratching the back of his head in embarrassment. “A’right, look, don’t get all sad on me now,” he tried. “I ain’t good with words, I’m sorry if that came out wrong. Look, uh,” he cleared his throat and awkwardly placed the hand that tilted your head up on your shoulder, patting it. “I care about you a lot, like I care about Kremy. Don’t get sad, c’mon, this ain’t some love triangle or nothin’ I promise.”

You blinked, trying to understand what he was trying to say despite the confusion of it all. “You like me though, don’t you?”

Gideon nodded, taking your pile from your arm and setting it with his own. He took your hands in his, slight embarrassment still on his face. “I like you, hell I think I love you,” he confessed, rubbing the tops of your hands with his thumbs in a soft massage. “I wanna be that warm pillow for ya every night, basically.”

You couldn’t help but laugh, snorting at the cute yet slightly awkward confession. You smiled up at him, squeezing his hands in content. “Mr. Coal, you’re the best pillow I’ve ever had,” you half joked, which made him snicker. “I really like you, I haven’t really been trying to hide it at all, so I’m surprised you’re just now confessing.”

“Me? Confess? You’ve got the wrong guy,” he joked, which you laughed softly to. You felt the softness in his tone, in his hands as he held you. “I usually wait for the one givin’ me the doe eyes to come up first.”

“Well that’s where this all got screwed up then,” you joked, laying your forehead on his chest. The genasi wrapped his arms around your back, holding you close. “But you can make it up to me if you give me extra dessert next time.”

Gideon laughed, his chest falling up and down in glee from your arrangement. He rubbed your upper back, patting it before leaning into you happily. “A’right, fine, extra dessert.”

You hummed in joy, relaxing completely into his warmth.

He’s so stupid. It’s all you could think of towards the genasi with a smitten smile on your face.

You heard the hiss of singed ember fill your ears. Then another. You felt Gideon sigh and pat your back again, the texture of his beard rough against your forehead as he pulled away to kiss your forehead. Your face heated up, listening to the singed hisses as rain drops began to fall from the sky, evaporating once they hit the embers on his head.

“Let’s get back to camp, we need some fire started before all of this firewood gets wet,” he said, quickly and easily scooping up the conjoined firewood you both had gathered. “We don’t wanna be late for dinner.”

You smiled up at him, taking some of the pile for yourself to carry.

-~-~-~-

The soothing massage on your abdomen lulled you awake, groaning in response. The hand that held you rubbed circles into your stomach now, the genasi’s face buried into your hair.

“Mornin sunshine,” he chuckled softly, which you hummed in response to. He kissed the back of your head before he sat up. He stretched, yawning. “Kremy made some breakfast in the inn kitchen.”

You turned to your back, watching the genasi get out of bed. You sleepily admired his bed head, chuckling at how disheveled he looked as he woke up. You were sure you were the same, but it was much funnier on Gideon.

“Didn’t he say he was making waffles?” You asked, sitting up and yawning just as your boyfriend had. He put on his clean shirt, looking around for his comb.

“Think so,” he replied, finding his comb and beginning to fix his hair. He sat back on the bed by your feet, itching his beard. “I want some chocolate chip ones if he did end up making them.”

You chuckled, crawling out of bed to get ready for the day. For once, the group was able to have seperate rooms for pairs. You and Gideon shared a room, while Torbek and Twig shared another, Gricko and Hootsie in a third, and Frost and Kremy in the last. Everyone enjoyed each other's company, and it was very comfortable overall.

As you found your clothes to change into for the day, you felt muscular arms wrap around your middle from behind. You straightened up, leaning yourself into the chest of the fighter. He buried his face into your neck, humming as he swayed the both of you side to side. “We don’t have to rush, it’s pretty early still.” He murmured into your neck.

You hummed in agreement, swaying with the genasi. In an instant, you were lifted and playfully tossed onto the bed. You giggled, rolling onto your back as the genasi held you down by your shoulders gently. He then proceeded to try to tickle you, which made you erupt into squeals.

You struggled against his grip, his assault on your sides and neck too much to bare. Once you had an opening, you went to jab at his ribs, knowing he was ticklish there. He was caught by surprise, tucking himself in in defense at the attack. You continued to poke and prod, tickling him. You weren’t expecting his next attack on you, holding your wrists and pinning them to your sides.

You struggled against him, still laughing. “Hey! That’s no fair!” You whined, a fake frown on your lips. Gideon smiled wide at that, inching closer to your face.

“I think it is,” he pecked your nose, his grin widening. “I think I win.” He pecked your lips, which you huffed when he pulled away. He chuckled then kissed you, which you happily returned.

What a goofball.

[myfairkatiecat]

“people say this was a bad thing to do, but the person it was done to clearly isn’t torn up about it, which is relevant”

Wait that’s my line. When I’m arguing against you actually

[hinamie]

corvidae

[todayisafridaynight]

[dragzo]

oh Red Son no-

[ekingston]

Apart from show canon, at which point did u think it was too late for lena's immediate forgiveness to kara's identity reveal

oh boy. anon, here is where i come clean about my shoddy recollection of canon’s chronology. i’ve done so many fragmented rewatches and skipping back and forth—there’s a reason i rarely dabble with canon-adjacent stuff! and that even when i do, i create worlds where Lena figures it out herself! 

second road bump to answering this question is that i have a LOT of feelings about how things played out on the show, and most of them are incongruent with the tone of sgcw. i understand their narrative reasons for keeping the secret from Lena for so long! but the execution is so, so terrible! ignoring large swathes of canon and replacing them with my own is the only way i’m able to enjoy at least the last tiny handful of seasons!

here is where i spend an hour procrastinating from my WIPs, while not successfully answering your question at all:

to be perfectly clear: i adore most parts of canon Kara. and i think i may be hard on her in ways i wouldn't be if i didn’t relate to her so much. i think her backstory is extremely compelling and i admire her ability to hold on to her kindness and hope and joy even after losing everything that was important to her, even when she’s tired and lonely and mad. 

BUT. a healthy Lena—one who we were made to believe was finally freeing herself from Lex and Lillian, rising above the coping mechanisms she’d developed as an unwanted and emotionally neglected child? i don’t think that Lena would (should?) have forgiven canon Kara at all.

after the rift, canon Kara flitted between telling Lena she’d lied to her ‘to protect you’ to ‘one person who sees me only as Kara’ to ‘your last name’ to ‘didn’t want to lose you’ until she literally told Lena she was on her own, and she’d treat her like any other villain until Lena repented, even rejecting her apology at first, as if Kara’s own decisions had played no part in Lena’s downward spiral at all.

the Kara Lena would have forgiven is the much more cohesive and coherent Kara brought to us by our talented fix-it writers: a Kara who is willing to let herself be vulnerable and to second-guess her motivations, one who is able to put together a proper apology and actually listen to Lena's own. 

but, okay, lets table all of that. this is me trying really, really hard to entertain canon:

Kara and Lena’s friendship became painfully lopsided by season 3. i think that was, if i recall correctly, when the super-friends decided to trust Lena enough to regularly ask her for assistance—but not enough to let her be part of their in-group; it’s where they left Lena in the dark about the fact that her best friend had come close to plunging to her death right in front of Lena's eyes, and was actively still fighting for her life; where they tricked Lena into having an extremely personal conversation with J’onn, while he was wearing Kara’s features, only to make belly-laughing fun of her about it later. 

and even then, honestly, it might already have been too late. what about the aftermath of Jack’s death? was that season 2? Jack was Lena’s ex-everything, someone who genuinely loved her, who saw her through the fallout of Lex’s arrest. he was one of her last remaining friends, and Lena pressed the button to let him die in order to save Supergirl’s life. how would Lena knowing that Kara went through that with her, knowing Lena had chosen to save the life of her favorite person in addition to National City’s hero, have changed the way she felt about that horrible situation? that’s where that extremely wonderful heart-to-heart on the L-Corp couch happened, right? Kara swore she’d always be Lena’s friend—while keeping silent about the fact that she was there when Jack drew his last breath, that she had witnessed their final moments.

so—i really can’t tell you anon, i’m so sorry. the 100th episode already fabricated reasons why Kara couldn’t possibly come clean to Lena back when she made the conscious decision to be her friend (and not in a ‘keep your enemies close’ kind of way!), and i’m beginning to think that was the only moment Kara could have told Lena that would have kept her conscience completely clear. Kara should have made it part of her decision—either she was going to be Lena’s friend and give her the same trust Lena was giving her, or she would keep things professional, and keep her identity a secret from her. 

Kara tried to do both, and if i really think about it, i don’t believe that was ever fair.

[en-chi-la-da]

What are your thoughts on Yuma x Vivia? I seem to be in the minority cause Vivia's mostly shipped with Yakou, but I personally see Yakou as more of a father figure to Vivia. Also amazing art as always.

short answer: they mean da world 2 me 💜

[brittlebutch]

it's actually so fascinating to me that Brennan has created a character that maintains a pretty relaxed and mild-mannered demeanor and has said multiple times that the absolute Core of her is "FEAR" and how often we see this Fear manifest specifically in Avoidance; it really nails a relationship to that mentality where your brain fully Stops recognizing the emotion properly out of like, sheer self-defense from the stress of having to carry it all the time

I think this is also perfectly showcased in the way we tend to see Tula swing so suddenly from 'level and steady' to 'snarling Panic' and then back again - Just because your brain has detached itself from the Conscious Recognition of the emotion doesn't mean it can Actually stop itself from experiencing it. So the Fear is always there and always acting as a stressor, but because of that inability to Identify it there's no way to recognize or address it before that final straw hits and your bodymind jumps Straight into Full Meltdown Mode; but then once again, once you drop even a Little bit below that Peak Terror your brain ceases to process the emotion; it's like the most exhausting form of Poor Object Permanence in the world

And even if Tula is aware of this happening to her, that doesn't really make it any easier to deal with / address. Even if you're able to spot the symptoms Around the emotion -- chest pain, irritation, nausea, whatever -- because the Emotion Itself is basically impossible to find, you can't really Successfully Pin Down what the problem is OR a way to cope with it. If you can't figure out That You Are Anxious, then figuring out What Is Making You Anxious is impossible, which makes Find A Way To Make Peace With That incomprehensible. That's where the Avoidance comes in: you can no longer identify what might be a Dangerous Situation, which means that Anything New has a big potential to be Really Bad in a variety of ways (ranging "I don't Feel Good" to "Fully Lashing Out bc you've entered Fight/Flight and can't get out of it" to "Actual Outside Danger This Time") and that means the Only Way you know how to be Safe is to just Avoid Doing Anything New and Only stick to Familiar Situations, because anything unfamiliar is a monster of a gamble you don't know how to prepare for or cope with

[keeps-ache]

think this is funny. anyway. the Thoughts are back at it again

[astranauticus]

oh lol i forgot to post this robit sketches! because i have one (1) bit and im sure as hell gonna commit to it apparently

[avalonlights]

I miss seeing you on my dash! I hope you’re okay!!

Aww, what a nice message to find in my inbox. <3 I am!! I've been less present for life-is-overwhelmingly-busy-at-the-moment reasons, which are mostly good, but I really miss time for drawing and fandom and am itching to re-engage soon lol! 💖

[br1ghtestlight]

this is so funny to me actually bcuz this is 100% how i talk abt my characters ages. i know what YEAR they were born and i know what rheir ages are supposed to be at the start of the story but i dont actually know when it takes place?? im really bad at math. There was a moment where rainbow was supposed to be 23 and i somehow accidentally made her 17 lmfao

[cheeseknives]

Instagram keeps showing me reels of someone with a handle named something like jamesmaythristtraps and like, they are truly doing gods work but I can't like or comment on these masterpieces because I know what kind of snitch of an app it is 😔

[thanatika]

low-coherency rambling in the tags

[novadreii]

i can hardly put into words how grateful i am to have regained the use of my brain in the past 6 months or so. before that, i struggled with terrible brain fog that persisted for years, making me feel i had a fishbowl popped on top of my head 24/7. i spent what limited brainpower i had trying to root out a cause from my diet. but it turns out that the culprit was a lethal combination of unhealed childhood trauma, as well as the stress and chronic insomnia from being in a relationship with a neglectful and inconsistent partner.

did you know that stress and trauma physically shrink your hippocampus (responsible for learning, memory) and increase the size of your amygdala (responsible for survival and fear responses)? my hippocampus must have been the size of a fucking pea, and my amygdala a baseball. i was basically a feral cat.

since quite literally fleeing that situation, i've been militant about therapy and taking care of myself: exercise, eating right, 8 hours of sleep per night without exception, and keeping my stress low. contrary to all the advice i've ever received before my current therapist, aside from occasional socializing with my extremely small circle of family and friends (whom i love dearly and who've all really rallied to support me through the shitstorm my life was earlier this year), i've fully indulged my love of solitude and being a homebody.

that, instead of shaming myself and pushing myself to be social when i don't feel like it, which is often. my mother used to do that plenty when i was a kid, because as a giant extrovert herself, it pained and disappointed her greatly to have a daughter who preferred to read in her room all day. i've finally learned how to decouple my inner voice from hers and it has brought me the freedom to just...be who i am.

throughout all this i started noticing that i'd wake up with a clear brain, once in a while. it'd come and go at first, but now, as long as i keep to the regimen of caring for myself like i am my first priority, a concept apparently completely foreign to me up until recently, the clarity is here most days. i'll have an occasionally foggy day, but it's usually easy to trace the cause to shit sleep or food.

the ability to not feel like i'm existing behind 2 inches of foggy glass day in and day out is everything to me. to understand people as they're talking to me. to not have to read a sentence 10 times over to glean its meaning. to enjoy learning again. this used to bring me so much pain and sadness, feeling like i'd lost the use of what i consider to be my greatest asset, feeling like i'm stupid when i know i'm not. i have a bachelor's degree in business with straight As to prove it!

having to go through it and knowing that certain people in my life were not taking me seriously and thinking that i was just being lazy and unambitious. it made me want to fucking scream. but i never lost hope that just like most problems, there was a solution. i was just not seeing it. i needed a different perspective.

i'm currently taking an online chemistry class just for fun. next up is going to be "astronomy: exploring time and space", then probably a cyber security intro class and some data science classes to refresh what i learned in university. i'm having fun learning again!!!! i am quite literally crying writing this, because while i always remained hopeful, there was a small part of me that was scared that this would just be my life from now on. i'm so fucking grateful.

[mabaris]

ok i’m listening to yesterday’s vows and vengeance episode and i had to pause immediately because harding swearing by the stone was so unexpected??? the idea that surfacer dwarves still believe in the stone as an actual religion is so interesting because unlike the other religions in thedas that believe they were abandoned by their respective deistic force(s), it is the individual who abandons the stone. the maker left the physical world and the creators were locked away against their will, but the stone is always there until you leave it, by choice or by force.

to have someone born and raised on the surface who still pays some importance to the stone introduces the idea of redemption to the philosophy of the stone. to me, being on the surface and still putting some kind of importance on it implies you left unwillingly right? because if you choose to walk away from it, you don’t care about preserving those ties. i wonder if she’s going to be something of a foil to varric—a child of exiles, born and raised on the surface, but she actually does have a desire to connect to that culture. and maybe that desire to reconnect is related to her weird new powers