#ly seem to control it. So it's basically like just.. being gradually pushed out of every place that won't accomodate people with different

[icewindandboringhorror]

Everytime I face a new character limit on a website that didn't have them before/used to have really long ones... AUGHHhhh the modern social media world was not made for people like me (lovers of details, rambling, elaboration, thorough explanation, and nuance)

[tu-sugar-mami]

So @alcinassugarbby asked for another part of my previous music drabble, where R teaches Alci how to perrear to latino music. And if you want to get the vibe you can listen to the Spotify playlist i made specifically for this.

Also, just to let you know, this was written with latino people in mind.

I took my time with this one, but please enjoy ;)

------

The castle was huge af, you yourself had gotten lost in its infinity many times, mostly when you have the late night cravings and sneakily you manouver you way out of Alcina's hold and have to find your way through the darkness of the hallways in order to find the kitchen. It was like a neverending maze, but just as it was great for parties and hide and seek games, it was a pain in the ass to keep clean.

Maids had stopped roaming the castle's halls a long time ago (more like, the family outlived them), and Alcina never bothered to hire new ones, so the chore of cleaning the place fell upon the daughters.

Your mom raised you right, you were not going to let the girls struggle with the the chores when you could do something about it, and so, you being in your right age to put music to clean but not old enough to put Juan Gabriel, you pulled out your phone, connecting it to the speaker you made Alcina buy for you, and you started to sweep and mop, with your sleep shorts on clinging to you like a second skin and an oversized shirt (courtesy of Alcina's wardrobe) hanging on your body.

You were the only one currently in the castle, as the rest of the family went out for some business stuff with MM, leaving you the entire place to do as you pleased, so you didn't hesitate to blast the music through the whole east wing while dancing around the room you were cleaning. Though you lost track of time, and when you felt a hand on your shoulder just when you were crouching throwing it back, lost in the music, you jumped 3ft in the air with a surprised yelp, only to run to the nearest couch to grab a deadly weapon, a decorative cushion, and wield it with assertive determination towards whoever had dared to put a foot inside your home.

"Whatever are you doing, dear?" You heard your lover's amused voice and you blushed, letting out a squeak of surprise at being caught while dancing like that. You didn't even hear her arrive, but then again, the music was too loud.

You quickly turned the music down, so it wouldn't hurt her ears and so you could hear her better.

"I uh, was cleaning?" You said, unsure of your answer. You went to her, giving her a welcoming hug, though it was mostly to hide your face.

Alcina, the ever teasing woman, looked at a flustered you and a smirk formed on her face. "What an interesting way of cleaning. I'm sure the floors will be sparkling when you're done." And if it wasn't enough, she added: "You're really good, my love, you should teach me sometime." Alcina could say stuff like that all day, but in reality she loved the cute way your butt bounced up and down and as cool and composed as she looked in the outside, she was having a hard time keeping her eyes (and hands) off of your lower back. Because she's a gentlewoman, and a lady, and not because her daughters are wildly unpredictable and no one could assure her they wouldn't barge through the door at any moment effectively interrupting and testing her self control.

Though what she said gave you an idea, and now it was your turn to smirk mischievously. "Oh, i can definitely teach you. I would love to, even."

Her expression went blank and her face went pale, or well, even paler if it was even possible. "No." She said without a pause.

You giggled, and she giggled too because she cherished your laugh.

"No, but really. I could teach you. I mean, i'm no master myself but i know my moves." To prove your point you smoothly swinged your hips left and right, while holding Alcina's hands to make her follow your dance.

"I don't think i can do that, dearest. Maybe is best if i refrain from doing such dance." The smile on her face was small but it made the whole room brighter and you wanted to kiss her right there, although at that exact moment one of your favorite songs, and a classic at that, could be heard from the speaker and you didn't waste a second to dance along with it.

"Watch this, Alci." You said as you started to move at the rhythm of Yo Perreo Sola. Your left leg bouncing against the floor, then you started to move your hips in a rhythmical circle with a little pause and bounce of your butt at the end of every lap. It was really simple, yet Alcina looked mesmerized. And when you bent over, with your hands on your knees, and started going up and down, Alcina's eyes were definitely glued to you.

"See something you like?" You asked, smugly.

Alcina was speechless. But her gaze fixed on your behind let you know that in fact she did like it, she did like it a lot.

You stopped and you could have sworn you heard Alcina whine. "Why did you stop?" She asked, with a tint of disappoinment in her voice.

"You didn't say anything, so i thought you might not like it." You turned away from her to hide your smirk, because it was all bs, you knew she was enthralled.

"No, no. I like it. Although i must admit, i'd rather wish you'd dance for me like this more often." When you faced her again ahe was watching you intently.

"Tell you what, you dance for me first and i'll dance for you tonight in our chambers, how's that sound?" You were struggling to keep your grin under control as Alcina seemed to seriously think about it.

"You really want to see me dance like that, don't you? You little devil."

"There's nothing else i'd wish for right now."

Alcina sighed. "Fine, i am willing to do it." She held your face with her hand and leaned to kiss you. "Just because i really like that butt of yours."

You blushed but went to choose a song nonetheless.

"Let's start with something easy." You said as you browsed through the Colores album, looking for a song that you thought fitted her perfectly and 'Negro' started to play.

Alcina had listened to your songs before, but it never ceased to amaze her how different each song was, the rhythm and lyrics, not to mention the many different languages, and seeing you so excited to share part of your culture with her– it just made her heart soar.

"Alright, how should i start?"

Your huge bright smile made it impossibe to hide how much you were enjoying this. "You see, my dear apprentice, perrear is an art where your hips are the brush and the room is your canvas. Now, with me, stand like this and try to move you butt up and down along with the beat."

Alcina was hesitant. How a lady such as herself would allow her body to move in such an... aggravating... manner? Well, the answer was that she loved you. She would do anything for you and if it was your wish to see her dance, then she'd swallow her pride and try her best.

With awe you witnessed how your lady attempted to perform the basic step of perreo, though you could clearly see she was being shy, and you didn't blame her. The first time you tried to learn in front of your full body mirror was like that too.

"How's this? Am i doing it right?" She asked, unsure.

Her posture was a bit awkward, and you placed your hands on her to correct it. "Yes, now try to lean down a bit, like this. You can put your hands above the knee for support." She did. "Now, the tricky part. Try and arch your back a bit, just a bit, while you throw it back."

"I'm not throwing anything back, dear." Alcina said, confused, and even glanced behind her to confirm.

You giggled. "Baby, i meant your butt. Like this."

Alcina followed your example, and she being an extremely smart, talented and observing woman, picked up the move real quick.

"Now try to draw a circle with your hips. Yes, just like that. You're doing great, babe!"

"I sure hope so, my love. I'm really looking forward to you dancing for me tonight." She smirked, stopping her moves and pulling you close to her, her hands on your back pressing you against her front. "I putting a lot of effort and i require praise and kisses." You were more than happy to comply to her wishes, climbing on a chair and proceeding to kiss her hungrily. Wet kisses could be heard in the room, and Alcina's hands under your shirt gently scrapping the bare skin of your back were driving you crazy. But you knew you were getting too lost in the moment, and as much as you wanted to keep drawing those delicious groans from her you still had a goal to accomplish.

With a last bite to her bottom lip you pushed yourself back and jumped to the floor, ignoring Alcina's whine of disappoinment.

"Let's move to something a little more difficult." You say, a little bit out of breath, as you change the song to Gasolina. It started with a rapid beat and you wasted no time following it.

"Oh god..."

"Now you do it."

You'd be lying if you said seeing Alcina try that specific step didn't stir something in you. Definitely her leaning down, moving her hips side to side, slightly rotating her waist, in a rapid pace was a sight to behold.

"My love, you're drooling." Her amused voice reached your ears and you got out of your trance.

"I guess i'm really good teacher." You day, the back of your hand hiding your mouth.

"Mmh, well i think so too." She laughed. A beautiful laughter indeed. "Do you happen to have more knowledge you'd like to share?"

You lit up as a new song came into mind.

"I do!" Wait a sec!"

You quickly change the song and run back to Alcina's side.

"Third step! Should be easy enough." You squat and thrust your hips forward in a repetitive smooth motion while gradually rising with every 'Tra' of the song, slowly, tempting, alluring. "What do you think?"

Alcina is staring again, and you can almost hear the Microsoft startup sound as her brain reboots.

"Would you look at that! It's already night time." She said, pointing to a half covered window that lets in a faint but clear ray of sunlight. You opened your mouth to deny it but Alcina was already hoisting you up and wrapping your legs around her waist. "And i believe we made a deal." Her husky voice and hungry eyes left no room for arguing, though you wouldn't complain.

-----

I think i should put links to videos so you can get a reference.

If you love my work, buy me a coffee?

[shinescape]

tw: Poly relationship. Character being blindfolded and tied up. No smut just a lot of tension, teasing and suggestive content.

note: 2.3k of i don't know how to put it but it happened.

Play time

It was Saturday, resting day for most and laundry day for you and the boys. The fact that their clothes piled more than yours had you sighing loudly as you placed all the dried clothes in a basket.

It was almost lunch time but the other two were still sound asleep. You went into your room and spotted Seonghwa lying down on the bed, busy on his phone. You stepped closer to the bed and tilted the basket, all the garments falling on the bed and some hit his chest.

You didn’t say a word and sat down on the bed, starting to fold the clothes. “I’m finishing this round then I’ll help, okay?” You hummed back in response and continue on with the folding. Their clothes were bigger than yours so even after a few shirts, you were starting to get tired. You heard Seonghwa clicked his phone off and he started to sit down properly before taking a piece to fold.

The both of you worked in silence and the once pile of clothes started to disappear gradually. “Why are we even folding their clothes as well?” Seonghwa asked out of nowhere. “You’ve already folded more than ten shirts and decided to ask that, Hwa? You know how both of us hate it when they just put their clothes on the sofa so might as well just do this.” He looked at you and pouted, agreeing to the fact that both of you can’t handle the amount of clothes around the house scattered by the other two.

He looked at you long enough and decided to ask, “Is there anything you want to tell me, sweetheart?” You paused at his sudden endearment. What is going on all of a sudden, you thought. “Like what?” “Is there anything you want to try besides the usual things we do? You know like se-” Before he could finish his words, you threw a boxer at his face.

“Hey, I was asking nicely you know. But seriously, I saw the way you look at me sometimes. It’s like you have something you want to say but you shrug it off afterwards.” At this point, your whole body heated up yet you still fold the clothes like it’s nothing. “Come on, don’t ignore me, babe. Just tell me what it is that you want to try. Hurm?”

The first thing you should do was avoid his eyes or his pouting lips, basically his whole face but you looked up and everything just jumbled up in your head. Telling him your unspoken fantasies would embarrass you to death and it’s Park Seonghwa we’re talking here. He’s like a switch, sometimes he’s kind and soft and other times he’s dangerous and rough.

He was still staring at you intently, the boxer still in his hand. “I...I’ve always wanted to try blindfolding you,” Your lips feel dry all of a sudden and you licked them before continuing, “and tying your hands up.” You literally covered your face and slammed down to the covers, as if it would change anything.

Seonghwa could not believe what he just heard and the fact that you said it nervously made his stomach churned weirdly. He pushed away whatever that was between you two and pulled you back up by the shoulder. He watched how you were avoiding from looking at him, as if you might just lose control and pushed him down that instant.

“Is that all?” You shivered at the low tone of his voice and took the courage to look at him in the eyes. “I kinda like seeing you in blue jeans and a white shirt too.” You said cautiously.

He was processing everything that you said as his fingers slowly let go of you without realising. Felt as if you were going to be sucked into his gaze, you clumsily get off the bed and leave the room.

Leaving Seonghwa in his own thoughts, questioning why he asked in the first place if he himself can’t handle the fact that his lover has this side that was kept hidden all this time. It’s like he unlocked a part of you and was trying to wrap the idea around his head.

A week passed by after that seemingly heart to heart talk, it was Saturday again but no laundry to wash just a normal weekend breakfast.

You were having breakfast with Wooyoung since the other two went out early in the morning to god knows where. He wanted to cook you breakfast but you declined saying he should just rest and both of you ended up eating cold milk with cereal.

“Is everything okay? You seemed out of it these days.” He ruffled your hair and pulled you closer, planting a kiss on your temple. “Everything’s fine.” You smiled at him and hoped that he let it pass.

He narrowed his eyes at you and you can’t help but pinched his cheeks. “Any plans for today?” “None, I’m just going to laze around and play games. Unless, you have something else in mind.” He smirked to which you rolled your eyes at him. “Nothing, I’m just gonna go take a nap.” You kissed him on the lips and stood up with the bowl in your hand.

You heard movements as you were washing the bowl, an arm snaked its way around your waist. “You woke up an hour ago, let’s play a bit hmm?” You were controlling every fiber in your body to not react to his advances.

You turned around and hugged him back, “Imagine Seonghwa finding out we had fun without him, he’ll get upset.” You tried to reason. Wooyoung pulled back from the hug and gave you an annoyed look.

“You’re always so obedient to him.” He suddenly went straight to your neck and bit it. You were taken aback by his actions but he pulled away before you could scold him. He went away sulking and you sighed as you rubbed the skin he just bit. It hurts but the moist of his lips lingered and odd thoughts were getting to your head.

Afterwards, you were playing with your phone on the sofa that after some time you actually fell asleep. A couple hours later, you woke up to someone entering one of the doors in the house. You rubbed your eyes and stood up to stretch your limbs.

The house was still quiet and you assumed that Wooyoung was just in his room. You walked to your room and was about to twist the knob when it burst open, surprising you in the process. “Are you going out again, Seonghwa?” You took in his outfit and noticed that it was different than earlier in the morning.

He walked up closer to you and held you by the shoulders, “You want to do it now?” You had to blink a few times and looked at him confused. “I just woke up...and why all of a sudden?” That’s when you realised his outfit. He’s wearing a white cotton shirt and a pair of blue jeans.

You placed a palm on his chest and turned your head to the side. What the hell, is he serious about this? You felt his fingers wrapped around your hand that was on his torso and was pulling you inside the room. It was safe to say you were wide awake the moment you saw him but what’s about to happen doesn’t look safe at all.

You were sitting on the bed and he was standing right in front of you, looking fine as ever. He looked down at you and gave you something. “Is this yours?” You examine the two materials that he passed. One was a lace and the other was a tie. He hummed and crawled on the bed, leaning at the backrest.

You were contemplating as usual. As much as it was exciting, you were still somewhat intimidated by him. You made your way and sat in front of him. “I can’t believe you want to do this.” You said and tried to read his face, his eyes were staring directly at you yet the tips of his ears were red.

“This is going to be the first and last.” He said and ushered you to go on with it. You went closer and took both his hands behind him, tying it up with the necktie he gave earlier. The both of you were looking into each other's eyes as you made sure the tie was secured properly around his wrists.

“Is it too tight?” You whispered shyly. This was a first for you thus you wanted to make sure he was absolutely fine with it. He shook his head and smiled at you. You wondered how he was able to smile when you can tell deep down he’s about to lose it, the fact that he agreed to this was enough of a shocker to you.

Your eyes were leveled now and you just had to confirm, “Are you really sure about this, Hwa?” “Just do it, sweetheart.” You gulped at his reply and slowly covered his eyes with the lace.

His eyes were your favourites, just staring into them always made you weak but seeing him in this state sparked something in you like never before. You made sure he can’t see and even waved your hand in front of his blinded eyes to confirm.

You told him to lie down comfortably even though his hands were behind his back which made it hard to move around. “I can’t believe I did this to you.” You took in the sight of the never before seen Seonghwa and felt heat rushed throughout your body.

He was nervous since he couldn't see and his hands were tied so the only thing he could do was licked his lips. You got up from the bed slowly and looked at him again. He doesn’t seem as intimidating as he always was and it surely excites you yet you didn’t know what to do next. “You’re still there right?” He questioned and you hummed at him in response.

Without thinking much, you left the room and went to find Wooyoung. You had your fair share of experience but you never took the lead and realise how embarrassing that sounded. It was always Seonghwa, he does everything to make you feel loved and satisfied.

“Woo, I need your help.” You found him in his room, on his phone. He sat up and gave you a questioning look. “What is it?” You didn’t reply and rushed to his side and dragged him to where Seonghwa was.

When he saw the state Seonghwa was in, he gasped so loud you had to put a hand over his mouth. “You did this to him?” He asked quietly and you nodded in embarrassment.

Wooyoung cleared his throat loudly and saw Seonghwa froze. “Did you call him here?” “I’m sorry Hwa. To be honest I don’t know what to do and Woo seemed like he can help out a bit.” You heard him groan from the bed. “I’m going to have so much fun right now.” He smirked at the older male who was now trying to untie himself.

“You should go sit on him. For a start.” You gawked at his directness and he only pushed you to the bed as a support. You could not believe what was going on yet both your legs were now wrapped on either side of Seonghwa’s body.

Wooyoung who was now on the swivel chair with crossed legs watched the sight unfold in front of him. He told you to move up to his stomach and you heard the man under you hissed. “Stop...moving too much.” You had to admit Seonghwa was looking hot and bothered right under you and that lace made him look even hotter if that was even possible.

You couldn’t help but kiss him and felt that he wanted more as he tried to hold on to your lips longer yet you pulled away. Of course you felt bad but you have all the time to kiss on later so what’s the rush right?

“Shouldn’t we get that shirt off from him, babe?” You turned to watch Wooyoung taking something from your table and coming back to you with a playful smile. “Jung Wooyoung, I’m going to kill you once this is over.” Seonghwa growled which Wooyoung found it even more fun to tease him. You were torn between whether to stop everything or listen to Wooyoung and just do whatever he told you to. But was stopping even an option anymore?

He came closer to Seonghwa and kissed his cheek before grabbing the hem of his shirt and starting to snip its way up to the collar. The shirt now split up and you're just sitting there staring at his bare torso. “I just bought this shirt, you idiot!”

“Aww, that’s so cute of you to actually go buy one just for this.” Wooyoung chuckled, clearly enjoying the fact that he’s in control of Seonghwa at the moment. This was like a one of a lifetime chance might as well make it worthwhile before it ends, Wooyoung thought.

Although you were the one on top of Seonghwa right now, it felt like you were third wheeling instead. Your mind went totally blank and at this point whatever instructions Wooyoung gave, you would follow it willingly like a lost child.

As he was about to say something, the bedroom door creaked open. “Guys, I’m back! I brought dinner too.” You and Wooyoung turned to the door where Mingi stood there grinning, unaware of the situation.

Once he did, the expression on his face changed. “What is going on here?” He tried to take in the sight of what his lovers were up to while he was away.

You were sitting on a struggling Seonghwa and Wooyoung who sat next to both of you with the most mischievous look ever. It was indeed a sight to see.

“We’re planning to have dessert first. You wanna join us, Mingi?” At Wooyoung’s words he shut the door and made his way towards all of you.

“Why not. So where should we start?”

[ryuichirou]

Can you make your top 10 aot characters that have a good development? Like Eren and Reiner are considered to be the best characters as 'characters' themselves

Anon… dear Anon, you’ve been waiting for like a month I think, I’m so sorry. I took this ask waaay too seriously lol, but yeah, I can’t postpone it for any longer…

I know you asked for top 10, and this is a numbered list, but I wouldn’t call it a proper ranking, so the place doesn’t really matter all that much. Otherwise this list would’ve taken even longer, I’m very serious about lists, it seems lol

Before I start I want to mention (just in case): I feel like “character development” isn’t always about becoming better at something. Sometimes you can become “worse”; sometimes you can get “better” and then fall back to your old ways. It’s just how the character changes, and the trajectory of that change can be very different for different characters.

1. Eren. I can talk about Eren for hours and hours, and I have talked about him a lot, so I’ll try to be quick this time.

Eren’s journey is very interesting and enjoyable to read. He’s such an unusual main character. So aggressive at first, unlikable to some (not to us lol we adored him since day one), loud and stubborn. But it’s super cool to watch this hurricane of a person, especially as he gets calmer, starts controlling his emotions little by little, learns more stuff and understands the situation around him better.

I think I’ll talk about how perspective and knowing a bigger picture change the way character acts a lot in this post, but Eren is an ultimate example of this. He got every single thing: past, present, future, drilled in his head at one fucking moment. He didn’t get a bigger picture, he got the biggest 5d picture with special effects. And he had no one to share that with: he had to deal with it himself, knowing that he himself is the reason for everything that’s happening. It makes my head hurt to even think about that lol It’s cool and unnerving to watch Eren, who’s used to be such a fireball of a character, to just get… quiet and apathetic. We don’t know what he’s thinking about, we don’t know what’s going on anymore, even though his emotions were always the most obvious thing about him. It’s almost scary.

And the interesting thing about it is that nothing really changed about his feelings, at least I think so. Ultimately, the only thing he wanted is for his friends to be happy and live long lives, and who knows, maybe he saw that the “freedom” he was initially seeking for himself doesn’t really exist. This is up to debate and definitely not for this post though lol

2. Reiner. Ohh Reiner. He was one of the characters who wasn’t all that interesting to me personally at first, but as he got more and more complex and emotional, I fell in love with him more and more. This isn’t a numbered list, but he is definitely one of the best written characters. And what’s cool about him is that we see the reason for him being the way he is throughout the story: why he wanted to become a hero, why his mental state got so bad, why he was conflicted, why he got so depressed and why he was able to take responsibility for his actions. I love it when the story breaks its characters, and Reiner is certainly one of the most broken ones. His lower point (when he almost killed himself + cried and asked Eren to kill him) was very beautiful and painful to read, because we know why he feels that way and we know how smug and brave he was at the very beginning of the show/manga. And we know that it was all a lie, which makes everything even tastier.

And as much as I love broken characters, I’m kind of glad Reiner found strength to continue fighting and to take responsibility for his actions (to some degree, at least). Not only he saw a bigger picture, he actually learned how to live with it. I’m so happy they discussed the Marco incident with Jean, and that after Annie told that it was her who took his gear, Reiner stood up and said that Annie was following his orders. He also apologized to Annie for everything he did to her and Bert.

Basically, Reiner went from wanting to be a hero to acting like a hero, then to being an actual hero to Marley and feeling like shit anyways, then to just being a human being, something like that. And that scene with his mom hugging him and being happy for him being alive is actually a very sweet and satisfying moment. Especially considering how much Reiner wanted to die lol

3. Zeke. I’ve talked about it in one of the replies about ch137, but I love how Zeke went from “I shouldn’t have been born” to “maybe small moments of happiness make everything worth it” at the very end of his life (what a cruel irony to realise that just before you die). Not only the character develops and changes, our view of him changes as well: I think Zeke was universally hated when he first appeared, but then he became more fun (dude’s too charismatic), and then he became sympathetic and vulnerable. All of this was always inside Zeke, but it was hidden since Zeke is a lying snake. See, Zeke is smart, but he’s super sure that his views are the only valid ones and that his idea of freeing Eldians is the only solution. His views are surprisingly black and white: I suffered, Eren suffered and our dad is bad. And no one challenged his beliefs until they walk through Grisha’s memories with Eren in ch120-121, and then he realized that Eren didn’t suffer at all and their dad is actually just a person who really regretted being a horrible father to his first son. I love that he got some closure with Grisha because he held that grudge for his entire life.

4. Grisha. He has a rollercoaster ride of a development lol: at first he was an innocent boy, then he became an angry boy, and then he kind of calmed his anger down for some time? But after learning what actually happened to Faye, his emotional wounds got open and all that rage blinded him again. And then, after being outed by Zeke, he lost everything, but had a harsh realization that by being driven by his anger only, he completely forgot not to be a shitty dad. He basically had a second chance in life, with a much better perspective about what’s going on, but now he has his younger son’s ghost haunting him and telling him to do thing he never thought he’d do. At different points of the story Grisha feels both like a mastermind behind things and like a pawn who doesn’t have a choice even if he just wants to live a peaceful and happy life with his wife and kids. The irony of him killing a bunch innocent kids when this whole story started because he got his little sister killed? Delicious. Oh, and I really love the fact that he realised that he screwed up as dad and apologized to Zeke. He loved his kids a lot: Zeke, Eren and Mikasa too (he called her his daughter after all).

5. Erwin. Way more interesting than people give him credit for. He’s mostly adored for being a badass, but he also has his own flaws that he had to deal with. He’s like a moth that’s drawn to the light, but right after burning himself and dying he kind of did “the right thing” that he had to do as a commander. Now, for me it isn’t really about Erwin ending up doing “the right thing” to be honest: we would probably adored him is he ditched everyone and ran to the basement because his selfish desires ended up being more important to him. But that scene where he confessed to Levi that he really wanted to find that basement and just told him everything about his capricious and selfish childish desires, talked about how he lied to everyone including Levi basically just to prove his dad’s point… it was beautiful, because it was basically “I have to do it, haven’t I? But I really don’t want to”. His character development is interesting in a sense that at first he was getting gradually more and more psychotic about his dream, doing crazy things even when he knows it might not be the best choice possible (like him risking his life instead of staying behind), but at the very end he stopped to think and… well we know the rest lol

6.  Armin. I remember people saying that Armin is just a narrator-like character who is here to explain thing (I probably thought so too at first), but this is so unfair. It’s easy to make someone like Armin into this trope, and to leave him being a very one-dimensional dreamer who’s smart but naive. And Armin is so much more than that. Throughout the story he has a lot of “I should have been the one who died” moments, and I love that this is such a prominent issue for him, but he still got over it somehow. Armin was kind of lost at the beginning, but found his role. And wow, he had to go through it again after he was chosen instead of Erwin, because the burden on his shoulders just got 100 kg heavier lol He also got less naïve and more cunning with time and got much better at emotional manipulation, I think. While preferring a dialogue over violence, Armin still isn’t pure, and he acknowledges that constantly, especially after his first kill, and things got even worse since that point, which definitely changed him. But his violence-loathing (kind of…) core is still there.

Armin ended up playing a much bigger role in the story than I thought he would be, I really love it. He has his moments of weakness, but he still pushes forward and takes responsibility and does his best. Oh and let’s pretend that the Annie thing never happened, it doesn’t contribute anything to his character anyway.

7.  Jean. I think Jean is the first character who starts showing character growth, and I believe his development is the reason he was Isayama’s favourite for some time. Tbh, I don’t find Jean annoying even at the very beginning: yeah he’s selfish, but he’s self-aware about it, he’s a realist. And he’s still a realist, but his conscience wouldn’t let him just have an easy life while everyone else’s suffering. I always feel like Jean is a spoiled mamaboy, so it’s great to see him showing that he can put others before himself. He also had an inner conflict similar to Armin’s: is it right to kill innocent people if you have to? Is it ok to kill not-so-innocent people because they’re against you? I really like this theme in SnK just in general.

8.  Gabi. It’s no secret that I adore Gabi lol, and I think her character development is great. She was in her element when we first met her: she was confident, she was doing her best and succeeding, she knew the world around her so well, and then Eren took everything from her. People like to hate Gabi for killing Sasha and for being aggressive on Paradis, but I think it’s great that she didn’t have an overnight change of heart. It’s great that Isayama showed us her shock and her raw emotions, it’s more than natural for a child with her upbringing, even if it’s messed up. But I love it when stories take characters that are great at what they do, and they take them out of their element, to show them at their worst: lost, angry, broken and confused. I love that she understood everything herself and not because Falco told her “hey they’re people too” that one time. She had to go through this hell to figure everything out, and I think it’s great.

9.  Historia. Historia was one of the least interesting characters for me (and for a lot of people, Yams included) at the beginning, and tbh I think it’s brilliant: we never saw anything in her; she was just a waifu material who’s nice to others. It felt fake and boring, well, because it was indeed fake and boring, and to this day I cannot believe that that was the entire point. I love how Ymir made Historia realise that she needs to think for herself, but what’s interesting about all that is that after Ymir left, she almost came back to her old habits. Which is also a development, and a very interesting one. The end of S2 was a high point for her (when she told Ymir that she isn’t scared of anything when they’re together), and then there was a very low point (when Ymir left), and then a high point again (when she remembered Ymir and Frieda and decided to act upon her own desires). She’s one of my faves now because of all that… It’s sad she didn’t have a bigger role post-timeskip, but I still appreciate her story for what it is.

10.  Oh god this is so hard to pick one and this post is already so long… can I just give you a bunch of quick honorable mentions?

Annie (who was a loner that couldn’t really trust anyone but ended up showing her vulnerable and emotional side), Hange (started out enthusiastic and eager to learn more only to meet more pain and disappointment, crumbling under the pressure, but ultimately remembering her amusement with titans), Levi (granted it’s very subtle, but him going through Kenny’s death, Erwin’s death and his promise to him, realization that he’s been killing people all this time and other stuff fascinating and huge leaving a mark on him), Ymir (who got hurt and decided not to trust anyone anymore and to act selfishly, but ended up sacrificing herself anyway lol)…. God, these short description sucks, they can’t describe them properly. Also there are so much of them that I think have good development, and I’m 100% missing someone… but I think I’m done for now. Katsu I’m sorry for making you read all this.

That you for this ask, Anon <3 and sorry again for being so late

[mlm-writer]

Feel Good (Vernon x M!Reader)

Pairing: Choi Hansol/Vernon x Male Reader (NOT trans-friendly) Rating: Explicit Words: 1509 Summary: It’s the first time you have sex and Hansol is more than willing to show you the ropes.  Note: This is a repost. It was originally posted on @lgbt-kpopimagines​, but that blog died. Reposting to get everything properly in my masterlist. Tags: first time, fluff, communication, anal sex, topping from the bottom, riding, oral sex and protected sex (I’m a big fan of safe sex).

When I entered the bedroom, my heart was hammering in my chest. My hair still dripped onto my face, but I didn’t have the patience to properly dry it. Hansol and I have been talking a lot about our first time together and while I really wanted to have sex, the thought also terrified me. I saw my love playing on his phone when I came in, still half-clothed. I, too, had put on some boxers and a shirt, before coming in. Just prancing in naked seemed a little bit too much.

“All clean?” He asked with a gentle smile. His hair was still damp as he walked up to me with a towel. He threw it onto my head and started drying my hair casually. It was comforting, as if tonight was like any other night. I hummed and waited for him to be done. When the towel was off my head, I wanted to say something, but I found it hard to find words. “Hey, we can just postpone and cuddle tonight. I really don’t mind.”

I shook my head. “No! I am just…” Now was the best time to be honest and upfront. “I don’t want to disappoint you.” He smiled and took a gentle hold of my head, bringing our lips closer, but giving me enough time to pull away, if I wanted to. His soft lips moved eagerly against mine, tongue inviting me in. He was gentle with me, but also made it clear that I was in control of the situation. We kissed all the way back to the bed. He pulled me on top of him, let me take his shirt off and then took off mine.

I kissed him with eagerness, feeling the tension leave me each time our tongues brushed together. I didn’t notice we were grinding on each other, until his hips bucked up a little more violently and his bulge met mine. We moaned into each other’s mouths and I pushed myself up. “Can I take your underwear off?” I whispered, feeling breathless at the sight below me. Hansol nodded and lifted his hips as soon as I got off him. I slid his last garment off his legs and watched as his hard cock was revealed.

Hansol took my hand and wrapped it around his length. “I am all yours.” He guided my hand over his cock, letting go after a while and allowing me to decide for myself what I wanted to do. I bent down, nuzzling the hot flesh and sticking my tongue out to gingerly lick just below the head. “Need some guidance?” Hansol breathed out after a short while of me shyly getting small tastes of him. I looked up at him with a boyish smile and nodded. I felt like I knew what I wanted to do, but I was not sure what my boyfriend was okay with.

“Okay, just… please take me into your mouth. Not much, just… whatever you’re comfortable with.” I followed his instruction, wrapping my lips around him. It felt much bigger in my mouth than what it looked like. I didn’t know how much I was taking, but Hansol seemed to be enjoying it regardless. His hand rested on my shoulder. He squeezed from time to time, making sounds of pleasure in between his instructions. He told me when to suck, when to lick where to do it, until he could not take it anymore.

“Come on baby, I want to make you feel good too”, my boyfriend whined as he pushed at my shoulder. I lifted my head out of his lap and looked at him with saliva dripping out of the corner of my mouth. I watched as he sat up and patted the bed to make me lie down there.

“It would surprise you, how good it feels to have you in my mouth and hear you enjoy it too,” I mused, stealing a kiss before lying on my back. He rested his hands on my hips, waiting for a signal that he could go on. I lifted my ass off the bed and let him take my underwear off. I didn’t know I could get hard from just sucking someone off, but then again, that someone was the possibly cutest boy on earth. Said boy was now rolling a condom on me, eyes trained on my member like he was being presented a meal from the heavens, garnished by God himself.

When Hansol straddled my lap, my hands automatically ended up on his sides, caressing the soft skin as he rubbed his dry hole over my cock. “Don’t worry about prepping me; I did it while you were showering. Thought that would make you less anxious.” The soft look in his eyes brought tears to mine. I reached up to pull his face down to mine. I pushed myself up with my other arm, meeting him halfway. There were no words to express how thankful I was for his consideration, but the soft moans leaving his lips indicated that the kiss was portraying it perfectly.

We kissed like that, feverishly with mouths open, tasting one another. I had not noticed him reaching for the bedside table and pouring lube onto his hand. I assumed he did, when I felt his warm hand wrapping around my length and wetness covering the thin material around my cock. I moaned around his tongue in my mouth and bucked into his hand. I could no longer keep myself up when I felt him rubbing the head of my cock over his hole. I fell back, chest heaving. Hansol stared down at me with the most innocent upturn of the lips. “Are you ready baby?” I nodded, breathless, speechless. “I will make you feel really good,” he keened with a deep pink colour dusting over his nose and cheeks.

And he did. He pushed until the tip was inside and then lifted his hips up again. He kept teasing me like that until I could cry. “Feeling good?” He inquired with a playful tone, but I could hear the awe in his voice, the hint of admiration he always showed me. It made everything even better and I nodded. His lips connected with mine and I felt him sinking down on me completely. I gasped and grabbed his hips.

“Oh good Lord,” I whispered under my breath. Hansol paused, when he was basically sitting on my cock. I was glad he did. Never before had I been inside someone and the sensations were overwhelming. I looked up to see my boyfriend with his head thrown back and his mouth slightly open. At least I was not the only one having a good time. “Come on, babe, show me a good time,” I whines as I rubbed his sides, hoping it would encourage him to move. As good as it felt, I needed more to reach my climax.

Hansol started out slow, but gradually picked up pace. I just lied there moaning, until two hands grabbed mine and put them on slender hips. I opened my eyes, met with the sight of a sweaty boy, looking down at me in the most sensual and intense way. Hansol lifted his hips without losing me and rested his elbows next to my head. “Please fuck me,” he whimpered with hooded eyes.

I took a firm grip on his hips and bucked mine up. It took a little while, before I got the hang of it, but my boyfriend encouraged me with every moan and whimper leaving his lips. Soon enough I was fucking up into him with the same pace as he had been riding me. Our moans mixed, filled the room and echoed off the walls. I didn’t realise how close I was, until I found my whole body convulsing, orgasm shaking through every muscle. I reflexively pulled Hansol down on my spasming cock, groaning through every drip leaving my length. When I started coming down from my high, I felt wetness on my stomach.

I opened my eyes, seeing my boyfriend’s hand furiously flying over his own hard cock and spilling semen over my body. Hansol looked so perfectly ruined, his innocent face displaying pure pleasure, hair sticking up in some places. When he was down as well, he fell forwards onto my own damp body. The semen on my abdomen felt disgusting, but there was no room to focus on that with my lover leaving lazy kisses in my neck. “Thank you,” I sighed, head tilting to give him more room, but instead he just planted his face there, nuzzling my hot skin. He looked so cute, so happy. I could not help but say it. “I love you.”

I felt his breath hitting my skin, as he chuckled. “I love you too,” he murmured, hands finding a comfortable place. I wanted to tell him we needed to maybe clean up first, but I could already feel his breath slowing down. Guess we could get a nap first.

[getdownkyh]

Extra Credit (m) | Young K | smut, Professor!Kang

01 . 02 . 03 . 04 . 05 . 06 . 07

Show, Don't Tell

Just how could an academic discussion on retrospective studies of market trends led to you being trapped between him and the cold metal door of his car, you didn’t know. But there were definitely many things both of you didn’t expect would happen before your little arrangement took place either. 

And it wasn’t like the discussion was pointless or a sorry excuse for you to get his attention, you actually disagreed and were trying to prove him wrong. He was providing you data and facts but you argued that numbers can me manipulated and logic should always be prioritized. 

“Professor, I just think the chances of these studies only focusing on the profitable sections of the market is higher? But of course there are other factors you need to take into account like impact, target market, and maybe just sheer luck.”

“You can’t measure luck.”

“So you’re saying it’s not a deciding factor?”

It was a good discourse, but he would be lying if he said he didn’t feel slightly challenged. Only slightly of course.

So that was how you ended up in that situation, Younghyun somehow more worked up than he expected himself to be. If you were coming at him with logic over numbers, he was going to give you experience. 

When your back met the solid surface of his car, you giggled, before pushing his chest slightly, reminding him that if anyone happened to walk on the both of you, the consequences wouldn’t be pretty. He only chuckled in response, “Well you didn’t seem to have any problem when we were fucking in a literal lecture hall. And tell me, you enjoyed it, didn’t you?”

He pressed his mouth on your neck, sighing into your skin. When you felt his teeth nipping, you quickly tugged on his hair, “Not there.” 

He grumbled, but complied, his hands impatiently undressing you, moving to litter your chest with hickeys instead. 

You were lost in the feel of his lips on you, and the next thing you knew he was pushing you into the backseat of his car, loosening his tie before entering, closing the door behind him. The two of you adjusted your positions swiftly, him, leaning back into the leather seats and you, straddling him comfortably. Or as comfortable as you could be within the confined space and the quickly rising temperature of your bodies.

He watched you unlatch the buckle of his belt, his lips breaking into a smile involuntarily when he saw you furrowing your brows and biting your bottom lip as you struggled, his tightening pants making your task twice as hard, but not as hard as the bulge inside his pants. You palmed him through his briefs, before pulling his erection out, looking up to meet his eyes. 

Both your hands were around his member, stroking him slowly, feeling him gradually getting harder and harder. Younghyun traced the outlines of your breasts with his finger, occasionally brushing against the fresh marks he left on your skin through your half-done blouse. 

“You know..” he began, “I was thinking about what you said in class.”

You smiled lazily at him, “Really, about what?” 

“You were doubting my notes.” 

You laughed, “Is this about the case study? Were you thinking about what I said because what I said is right or were you just thinking about me?” 

He chuckled at your confidence, hands moving to unclasp your grasp around his member, pulling you closer towards him. His hand went around your waist, groping your butt, dipping lower, moving under your skirt, two fingers pressing onto your clothed core, drawing circles. You whined in response, your body leaning forward to kiss him, pushing your hips down so you could feel more of his fingers.

He pushed your underwear aside, sliding his fingers between your folds, before inserting one finger inside, causing you to push your hips deeper onto his hand. He nibbled your bottom lip, eyes on your face, watching your pleased expression at the feel of having something of him inside of you. He played around, pressing his finger at different angles, figuring out which ones got you knitting your eyebrows, and sinking your teeth into your bottom lip.

“You’re so needy.” he chuckled. 

Unthreatened, you ghosted your lips over his, “Says the one who dragged me out of class and can’t seem to get their hands off of me.” 

He laughed. “I’ll let you come first.” 

A proposal. A challenge. And you were sold.

You looked into his eyes, sealing your fate, “Try me.”

“As you wish.” 

You whined when you felt him pumping his fingers in and out of you, his arm caging you, causing you to squirm slightly in his hold, your boobs squished against his chest. You tucked your face into the crook of his neck, stifling your moans but also using the proximity to your advantage, knowing your whines tend to rile him up. 

The tip of his member was warm and wet, and you shivered, curling your fingers around his biceps when you felt him angling it in front of your opening. Both of you sucked in a breath as your bodies fused as one, with you tightening your walls around him almost immediately, clenching your muscles desperately as you straightened your body to face him, knowing it was only a matter of time before you gave in to the pleasure and let him do to you as he pleased. 

It was a futile attempt, but an attempt was made nonetheless.

Holding you by your waist, he moved you up and down, groaning at how he was sliding in and out of you with ease, your slick hole effectively lubricating him. His mouth was agape, gaze low as he watched the junction where both of you were connected, the blur of you taking him inside of you heightening his senses, coupled with your shaky whines, and some of your arousal already trailing down the side of your thighs. It was hot and he was lost in the heat of the moment, in the best way possible. 

The searing feeling of him stretching you open was enough of a stimulation, but the way he was in complete control of the pace caught you off guard. You tried to focus, gripping the side of his shoulders tighter as you looked at him through your half-lidded eyes. Your mind went blank as you swallowed thickly, feeling your throat becoming dry, but still maintaining eye contact with him. You were rapidly losing yourself but you were going to drag this out for as long as you could for your ego was bruising at how satisfied he looked. 

“Gone already?” he joked. 

“No, Professor.” you whined, gasping as he slammed you down onto him as you tried to answer. Whatever smart remark you came up with vanished into thin air. You bit your tongue, forcing yourself to keep quiet, not giving away the unhinged state of mind you were in. 

He gave you a lopsided smile, entertained by how hard you were trying to appear still in control when your entire body language gave you away already. He knew he already won but he was going to let you have your fun, he liked watching you anyway. 

“You wanna try asking me nicely?” he spoke, voice clear, cutting through the wet, dirty sounds of you bouncing on top of him. 

His question went over your head. Your ability to think was basically non-existent at this point, body pulsing at the delicious stretch between your legs, the power to properly converse long gone. 

You were sure you said something legible, but all he heard was delirious slurring of words. And when he slowly let go of one hand around your waist, moving to stroke your clit, you collapsed onto his body, forehead flat against his shoulder, breathing heavily against him.

Pressing two fingers flat against the nub, he rubbed them, fast and hard, only slowing down when your nails dug into his wrist as your body quivered uncontrollably on top of him, with you seeing only whites behind your closed eyes. There was a moment of silence as you recovered from your high, panting, chin digging into his shoulder, squeezing his wrist in your hand, softly whining when you felt his fingers brushing against your abused clit. 

When your consciousness kicked back in, that was when you felt it, his soft length inside of you and the familiar warm, thick liquid he released. You looked up to him, the ambiguity of who lost themselves first giving you another fighting chance. 

He curled a loose strand of your hair behind your ear, cutting you off, laughing, “Don’t bother.” 

[awhitehead17]

Whumptober 2020: Day 14 - Is something burning? 

Prompt: Fire

Summary: After being saved from fallen debris, it’s up to Tim to get Kon and himself out of the collapsing and burning building alive.

Enjoy! :D

“Look out!”

The sudden shout startles Tim, causing him to freeze in place and before he could react to it something slams into him, knocking him to the ground a couple feet away. Tim coughs and scrambles up to his knees to try and work out what happened, though it was becoming a challenge to see his surroundings.

All he could see was thick grey smoke that’s rising up from the flames surrounding the room. The flames were large and out of control to the point where he could barely see the door anymore. Thankfully his breathing would be fine for a moment because of his re-breather and his domino mask will keep the smoke from entering his eyes. 

The Titans had been called in to help with a building evacuation. One of the apartments had accidently caught fire and before the fire department could get in and contain it, it had gotten out of control and engulfed the whole building. The Titans were tasked with getting everyone out safely while the firemen do their jobs and try to stop the thing.

Tim and Kon had been paired together, the two of them covering the middle section of the building while Bart covers the lower section (with strict of using his speed) and Cassie taking the top.

Tim looks to where he had just been standing to find debris now piled there. Upon seeing the debris, he also notices that he doesn’t see Kon anywhere.

“Superboy? Kon? Conner!”

That only left one option. Kon had pushed him out of the way of the falling debris and it ended up covering him instead. Tim hurries to the pile and starts yanking pieces of it away, desperately trying to find where Kon was buried.

A few moments later when Tim moves a large chunk of concrete off the floor, a hand gets revealed. Tim gasps at the sight and starts removing the debris faster than before now he has a direction to go in.

Eventually he manages to dig out Kon’s top half and finds him lying there limp and unconscious. That small discovery spikes Tim’s initial panic. While there were no obvious wounds, (thanks to Kon’s invulnerability) it’s still a concerning matter.

A loud pop and crackle next to him makes him flinch. Right, there was still the raging fire that needed to be taken cared off. In his desperate dig for Kon, Tim kind of forgot about that.

Knowing he’s against the clock, as it’s only a matter of time until the building collapses, Tim grabs Kon by the under arms and heaves with his might to drag him out from the debris. With a whole lot of effort, Tim gets Kon free.

The first thing Tim does is checks his pulse and is thankful to find Kon’s heart still beating. What’s even better is that Kon decides it’s time to wake up, his eyes slowly blink open and Tim hovers above him, waiting for the recognition.

Kon dopily grins up at him. “Well, hey beautiful.”

Tim doesn’t know if he wants to laugh, cry or huff at that greeting. Another loud crackle gets his attention again and for the second time he’s reminded of the dangerous situation he’s currently in the middle of.

He gets to his feet and drags Kon up with him. He wraps one of his boyfriend’s arms around his shoulders and keeps a tight grip on him as he starts making his way towards a doorway. They need to get out of the building. It was extremely hot, the smoke was incredibly thick and Tim was worried for Kon and how much of it he was breathing in.

Tim guides them to the door, thankfully it being the right way, and out into the corridor the apartment was on. Gratefully it seems like the fire hasn’t struck this area too bad just yet, giving them a clear run to get to the stairway. Besides him, Kon drags his feet along the floor in sloppy and uncoordinated movements as he tries to keep himself balanced.

Staggering down the hallway was difficult. It was even harder when Tim had to basically carry Kon. He grunts and readjusts his grip on his boyfriend. “You’re heavy Kon,” he mutters irritably, “you need to lose some weight, man.”

Kon doesn’t answer him. Instead he lifts a hand and strokes the side of Tim’s face. “I love you Tim. Have I ever told you that? Because I really do. I do love you.”

Tim huffs. Great Kon is either concussed or going delirious from oxygen deprivation. “You have told me that yes. I Love you too Kon.”

“Let me show you how much I love you.”

“Not now Kon.” Tim grunts, once again adjusting his grip. “When we’re at home, safe and alone, then you can show me okay.”

Next to him Kon just makes a noise in response but doesn’t say anything else.

Finally Tim gets them down to the end of the corridor and to where the staircase is. Looking down, it doesn’t seem to be too bad. There was still smoke rising but it didn’t seem as thick. Looking up was a different story. Tim could see all the smoke rising up and near the top of the building the blazing flames where making themselves known.

“Come on Kon, down the stairs.” He tugs Kon towards the stairs and starts going down them. He grunts and staggers when all of Kon’s weight falls onto him and he struggles to stay up right.

They were doing well. Tim was gradually getting them down the staircase despite the threat of the building falling down on top of them. But of course, his good luck only goes so far.

A loud sound from above gets his attention. Pausing his movements, Tim glances up and stares as a large piece of what he thinks is concrete coming towards them. It smashes against the side of the walls, tumbling against all the rails and crushing them as it does.

Tim lets out a yelp and roughly shoves Kon down the rest of the stairs they were on. Together they tumble down to the next landing as the concrete piece sails past them and continues its journey downwards.

As he’s trying to catch his breath, Tim forces himself back up to his feet and grabs Kon again. Time is running out and they really need to get out of there.

Thankfully the rest of the journey to the bottom of the building is uneventful. Tim staggers out of the place and travels several feet away until he finds it too hard to stay upright anymore. From the moment he and Kon collapse to the ground they’re surrounded by different people who try and help them.

Tim waves them off muttering he’s fine and how he’s okay. None of them pay any attention to him as they remove his re-breather and replace it was an oxygen mask and start firing questions that go over his head.

He didn’t care about them, Kon’s the one they should be focussing on not him. Lifting his head up he looks around for his boyfriend, trying to find him in the sudden mass of people that’s gathered. He does find Kon in the end and he’s in a similar situation as Tim, people where surrounding him and placing an oxygen mask over him.

Knowing that Kon was being taken cared of Tim lets his eyes close in what feels like exhaustion and then just like that he’s drifts off into unconsciousness.

[goodnightyoongi]

Yoongi x fem!reader pt1

genre: hurt/comfort

rating: gen

word count: 2,8k

summary: you’ve been feeling down, and you’re choosing to isolate yourself because of it. You’ve almost forgotten all about Yoongi, but he hasn’t forgotten about you

warnings: implied depression

Part II: Flicker

Part III: Rise

Part IV: Release

You stared at the ceiling, vacantly counting the cracks in it. It was a good distraction, it kept you busy. One, two, three, four. You knew you probably should attempt to crawl out of bed for a few hours at least, but you were uncertain if you would even manage that much today.

It was one of those days. Those when you could detect a grey, looming cloud hovering over your head the moment your eyes fluttered open.

The sheets in your bed were unwashed, uncomfortably crumpled and sticky against your clammy back. Your t-shirt was bunched up around your midsection, straining against your ribs, but you didn’t even have enough energy to switch positions to smooth it out. Brushing teeth, showering, having breakfast, all things you should do right now, but the mere thought of even swinging one leg out to attempt standing caused a lump to form in your throat. Hard, it was much too hard.

When had it gotten to this?

It had crept up on you, a shadow lurking just behind you at first, but now it had devoured you whole. At the moment it acted like a crushing weight on top of you, effectively pushing you down into the mattress.

Your elbow was nicely cool when you lifted it to rest against your face, shielding you from everything, even though there was nothing to hide from here. But the unshed tears biding their time behind your eyelids, they were released, one by one, as you reflected over your situation and the impossibility of it. If only you had the strength to pick yourself up.

Maybe tomorrow?

A blissful sleep had almost grabbed you again when you zapped awake to a noise coming from the other end of your apartment. You attempted to rouse yourself and untangle your mind enough to figure out what the hell the sound even was. You pushed yourself into sitting, thoughts hazy but once you heard it again you realized what it was.

Doorbell. You weren’t expecting anyone.

"Y/N? Open up please."

The low-pitched, raspy timbre was easily recognizable. It usually filled your chest with warm cotton candy, but right now it was atypically sharp when calling you.

Your legs barely carried as you shot out of bed, stumbling in the direction of the front door. You stopped just in front of it, holding your breath. 

Maybe you should pretend not to be home.

No. It's Yoongi. You and Yoongi knew each other since you were kids.

A distant memory featuring mini versions of the two of you playing hopscotch together suddenly appeared inside your brain – and it was enough to lure a faint smile onto your lips.

You had cried like a baby when you fell, grazing your knee. The other boys laughed at you, but Yoongi didn't. Yoongi offered you a band-aid, a colorful one with Spider-Man on it.

It had been ages since you two had last seen each other.

A determined voice reminded you of that, but just as your hand made for the door you happened to catch a glimpse of yourself in the hallway mirror, and you froze.

Surely that couldn't be you?

You hadn't looked yourself in a mirror for so long, and surely they didn’t belong to you, those greasy strands, those cracked lips. Surely not.

But they did.

“Y/N! Please, open the door. I can hear you moving around.”

You couldn’t let Yoongi see you like this. It was such an insane contrast to last time you met.

You squinted, trying to recall it. It felt like a totally different you. One that wore a nice outfit matched with a neat, pink smile. One that served Yoongi cappuccino in your best italian cups while the aforementioned chatted about how much he wasn’t looking forward to touring.

And you had reassured him, promising to keep in touch, promising to work hard on your exams while Yoongi was away.

But you’d kept neither promise.

That was months ago, and now you were a far cry from that radiant and flowery-cheeked hostess. You quickly grabbed a tinted chapstick from the hallway table to force some color onto your lips, softening them up, but your face remained ghastly pale. This was the best you could do, though, there was no time.

“Y/N! For the love of god, open the door. I’m calling the cops soon, I'm serious. Or I can knock it off the hinges, that works too," came Yoongi's crabby voice. His patience was clearly running thin, and you knew him well enough to realize it wasn't just an empty threat.

"Jesus," you muttered to yourself. You hurried to unlock it, slapping on your most artificially sweet smile and an equally fake-sounding, chirpy voice as you pushed it open.  

“Hey Yoongi! I’m so sorry it took me so long, I was…busy. Was cleaning and didn’t hear you.”

You expected him to crack into a smile and greet you, but his face remained blank for a couple seconds, as if he saw a ghost. You shifted uncomfortably on your feet, hand trailing vacantly along the door frame.

“Yoongi…?”

“Why haven’t you answered my calls or texts?”

The question hung in the air, heavy and accusatory. Your phone lay buried somewhere under piles of clothes and other clutter, and you hadn’t spared it a single thought for days. You figured it was best that way, because your answers were becoming gradually shorter, less enthusiastic, until typing a single letter felt like too much effort. It had been the right thing to do, you shouldn’t bother him with your foul mood while he was stressed on tour. You lowered your gaze to his sneakers, forcing yourself to think of justifications nonetheless.

“Um…firstly I thought you were still on tour, and…”

“Y/N…tour ended weeks ago,” he reminded you softly, tilting his head to study you with curious eyes. You couldn’t get a word out. Weeks? You really had lost track of time completely. Your arm fell limply to your side and Yoongi took the opportunity to slip past you, swiftly removing his coat and chucking it to the side before fixing dark eyes on you again.

“And that doesn’t answer my question. Why didn’t you answer when I called or texted? I thought something had happened to you…I was so damn worried.”

You were overwhelmed with the onslaught of questions, the hurt expression on his face, and to be honest you couldn’t think of a satisfactory answer. You managed to shake your head and provide a mumbled “I’ve been busy and just not remembered to check my phone, I’m sorry,” but Yoongi didn’t seem calmed at all.

“We said we’d meet up once I was back home again…but I’ve been unable to reach you. I thought I’d done something wrong or that you were tired of me.” 

He forced a sad smile, a clear attempt to conceal the desolation bleeding into his voice. You witnessed it with a heavy heart, feeling remorse at being the culprit for it.

“No! No, not at all…that’s the farthest from the truth you can even…” you quitened, trying desperately to come up with some way of saving the situation, but your mind pushed you into dangerous territory, and the words just poured out of you before you could stop yourself. “…I’ve missed you, Yoongi, I have, but um…I’ve been so busy with my classes and schoolwork that I basically haven't had time for anything else and…yeah, but…it’s nothing you did at all. Now is just not a good time, so maybe we could just meet later in the week? Go for ice-cream or something? What do you say?”

You finished your rambling with the smallest of smiles, but it felt as artificial to you as it probably looked to Yoongi. You could only hope that he’d settle for this, to agree to meet up with you later, when you weren’t falling apart. You'd be better then, hopefully by then you would have cleaned up your act, managed to pick yourself up and be a friend...or whatever it is you were...to him again.

“I’m really sorry,” you repeated, like a drone, wishing he’d just accept it and turn to leave, but the opposite happened. He gave you a look you couldn’t decode before stepping further into your apartment, scanning over the piles of clothes and half-drunken mugs of tea scattered everywhere.

“Busy with classes huh,” he parroted back at you, running a hand through the black locks and exposing his forehead. Right now it was settled in a deep frown, and you nodded hesitantly. “Okay. That’s interesting because I texted one of your friends when you didn’t answer, to ask if she knew anything about where you were.”

Your mouth was stuck ajar, and Yoongi surveyed you with skeptical, narrowed eyes. You wanted to just sink right through the ground and disappear, right now.

“Uh…did you…really…” you managed, voice small and close to breaking. Yoongi gave a downhearted sigh, eyes signaling clear disappointment.

“Yeah. She said she didn’t. She also said that you haven’t gone to class for weeks.”

There was a long silence. Your eyes were glued to the floor while you did your best to try to control your breathing, keep it nice and even, and figure out something to say, anything. Yoongi took a step closer to you, bringing with him the warmth, the solace you didn’t feel you deserved right now.

“Why are you lying to me?”

“I don’t know,” you wheezed, honestly. Because it came naturally to you, to pretend everything was okay, so naturally you were prepared to tangle yourself into a web of lies because of it. Now the opposite had happened, and you had broken his trust him further.

“Can you go please,” you choked, hating that you had to ask. But the tears, they burnt behind your eyelids and you couldn’t let yourself appear so weak, not in front of Yoongi.

“You want me to leave?”

“Yes…no…but… I’m sorry… please, just…I can’t deal with this right now.” You knew it didn’t sound logical at all, but you were panicking at the thought of him seeing you unravel, he couldn’t. “Please go,” you begged, louder and more urgently. It bounced off the walls of the living room, but Yoongi didn’t move a limb to accommodate your request.

“I have a feeling I shouldn’t,” he pondered, inching closer to you. Your hands were all over your face, kneading your cheeks in an attempt to hide from his gaze, because you were sure it was scrutinizing, you couldn’t see it was filled with nothing but concern.

“Stop it … you’re hurting yourself,” he murmured, restraining you carefully. His hands, delicate, but strong, closed around your wrists, pulling them down. You had nothing to cover yourself with, and you felt exposed.. Your eyes were stubbornly resting on his chest, on the letters supreme written across his black t-shirt, and there they remained as you uttered the next words with indifference.

“I’m fine and yes you should leave. I’m just not feeling my best today. We’ll meet up some other day.”

“Y/N…” your wrists were released, and a finger positioned underneath your chin gently pressured you to look up. “…this isn’t fine, okay. Look at you, look at this place. When was the last time you showered? Ate? What is going on with you? You look absolutely -”

“Absolutely horrible, yes I know, no need to point that out!” you finished the sentence for him, your sudden shriek jarring him and turning his features from worried to frowning.

“No, sweetheart, that’s not it. I was going to say absolutely spent, okay? You always look beautiful, but you also look…exhausted, to be frank, so won’t you tell me what’s wrong?”

“You should go. I’m a mess, and you can’t help me. I don’t deserve it,” you informed him impassively, not caring about how irrational you sounded, because your senses were telling you to push him away. You had backed off without even realizing it but now you bumped into the bathroom door, exhaling heavily as he followed you, slowly as if approaching a startled animal.

“What are you even talking about, Y/N? Of course you deserve it… I don’t know what’s going on but… whatever it is, I can help you. I want to help. Okay?”

“No, Yoongi. Just leave.”

“I’m not going to leave-”

“Yes, because I’m fine!”

Your own voice pierced your ear as the sentence escaped you, much more shrill than you had planned. Hot, fat tears instantly pooled in the corners of your eyes, blurring your vision. They started streaming down your cheeks the second after, when you witnessed Yoongi’s expression in front of you, shocked and pained through the thin curtain of water.

“Oh god, I’m sorry…” your voice didn’t carry your words anymore, cracking as amplifying sobs racked your body. The weight of the entire world crushed you, but tender hands were there as well, preventing you when you attempted to scratch at your cheeks in frustration.

“Stop, calm down… it’s okay, honey. Don’t hide from me.”

“It’s not okay…nothing is okay…and I don’t want you to see me like this,” you pleaded, doing your best to wipe the snot off your nose with the palm of your hand, but it didn’t help much and only made you keen louder. “…I can’t even…take care of myself, let alone anything else…”

Yoongi shushed you, using his calming, dulcet tones, but you pressed yourself against the door, sobbing, wailing uncontrollably, and soon he took matters into his own hands. Your thighs were grabbed, gently, your lower body hoisted up like you were a koala on his hip.

“Put your arms around my neck…uhuh, that’s it.”

You stuttered some half-hearted protests as you clung to him, but he released you before you could wiggle free, lowering you down and flanking you on the couch. You immediately attempted to escape to the far corner of it, but nimble arms found you, snaking their way around your waist and shoulders and hauling you in again.

“Schhh. You have to calm down, hear me? Calm down. You've known me for years, Y/N, don't have to be scared of me. Don’t have to be scared. Just tell me what’s wrong, please. Can you do that?"

“That’s the thing…I don’t even know what’s wrong…I just feel like… everything is so difficult. Even getting out of bed...it's hard... and...it feels like...there's no point,” you sniffled, scared of your own words. You turned to him for comfort, finally allowing yourself to burrow into his chest, feeling it rise and fall underneath your heated cheek as you inhaled the familiar scent of his t-shirt.

“It’s okay. These things can creep up on you slowly, sweetie,” Yoongi’s voice cascaded down on you from above, his fingers vacantly stroking down the side of your arm. "But if you were struggling…you should have told me…I hate knowing you’ve been here all by yourself feeling like this. You don’t have to go through it alone, I’m always here for you.”

You soaked up his assuring words, reveling in his touch, his broad shoulders wrapped all around you. You still felt scared, ashamed, but a chunk of it was washed away with the help of the familiar caress, the soothing timbre of his voice, promising you that things might be okay.

“I’m sorry I ignored you,” you lamented, feeling the regret bubbling in your stomach again and escaping in yet another outpouring of tears.

“This won’t do,” Yoongi sighed melancholically, briefly leaving the couch, and you instantly felt empty, cold without him. He was back in the matter of seconds, bringing with him a stack of tissues he used to gently dab all over your face. Once he was done he cupped your cheek, stroking over your jawline with his thumb and smiling comfortingly at you. “That’s better. Not drowning in your own tears now.”

“This is all my fault…” you mumbled, leaning into his touch and averting your eyes, because you couldn’t look into his sympathetic ones, witness that adoring smile when you had wronged him so. “I didn’t even reply to you…I didn’t want to burden you with my issues and…I didn’t realize it only made it worse. I’m sorry-”

“No, schhh,” he interjected, grabbing your thighs and settling them across his lap. You let it happen, nuzzling into his neck when he sneaked his arms around your torso, pressing you against him as tightly as he could manage. “No need to be sorry, I understand it’s hard. But I’ve missed you so much, pretty baby, I was so worried about you.”

He breathed into your hair, gentle tones coated with sadness. “And if I knew this was going on with you…I would have come sooner.”

“I don’t even know what’s going on, though, Yoongi,” you confessed, feeling defeated, but his steady hands anchoring you and keeping you safe caused your chest to sprout with a tiny seed of hope. Maybe it all could be alright, just maybe.

“I know. I know baby. But things will get better, you’ll see, we’ll figure it out. I’ll help you, don’t have to do it alone anymore.”

[capricornus-rex]

The Longing For A Familiar Feeling

Cal Kestis x Reader

Summary: Cal sustains a grave injury while going against a Jotaz in the chambers of the tomb. You obliged to tend to his wounds and nurse him back to health.

A/N: This basically counts as a backlog because I eventually ended up getting requests on the fly. The outline has been in my notes since April lmao so here I am fulfilling my compulsiveness to have everything ticked off the list.

Though, I hope you guys will enjoy this fic as you enjoy my other stuff! Your support has been an awesome impact ever since I came back here just to write a single oneshot last January ;;w;; I’m emotional again, I should stop now. Please enjoy the fic! ^w^

Also posted in AO3

Other reference: This one

Tags: Soft! Cal Kestis, Affection Starved! Cal Kestis, Intimate! Cal Kestis

Masterlist

The Tomb of Miktrull was unexpectedly more crowded than either of you expected.

Not only did the Tomb Guardian preoccupied you and Cal, but so did the Stormtroopers, Purge Troopers, and Probe Droids!

This day just can’t get any worse, can it? You thought, imagining yourself saying it out loud through clenched teeth.

The now-malfunctioning probe droid closed in on you and you timed the exact second before it self-destructs and Force-pushed it towards that trio of scout troopers coming at you. They instantly die in the explosion.

Cal rushed to back you up after defeating the Guardian. The Purge Trooper may be dead, but there were still two more scout troopers remaining. The odds are even—which may not be so bad, at least for you.

“I hit her! W-Why did I do that?!” the scout seemed to have regretted his action for pommeling you in the stomach.

You sent a clean streak of lunges at the scout trooper, your strikes were strong enough to break his defenses—after all, what good’s an electro-baton if your enemy’s a Jedi?

Cal easily took down the scout commander, he winced when he tried to stand up straight but he hid his pain from you when he gestured on taking on the lead.

“Look, there’s the gate,” he pointed out, Force-pulling the rope and then latching it onto the mechanism.

“Be careful, there’s that Jotaz,”

“It seems to be too busy with the Stormtroopers,”

“There’s the Jedi!” a Stormtrooper pointed out and signaled some of his men to fire at you.

“Not anymore!” you blurted, immediately deflecting the blaster fire and sending it back to their direction, leading some of the projectiles to the Jotaz—however, the mindless animal thought that it was still those soldiers who were still hurting it.

All that’s left was you and Cal against the Jotaz. The fat creature roared and lumbered towards the both of you, springing itself with its feet positioned for a flatfooted kick at either of you. Luckily, the two of you were quick and then dodged in opposite directions. Cal attacked it from behind while you drew its attention in the front, dodging its backhanded swipes by sliding against the flooded floor and searing its fleshy legs in the process.

While hunched and still coming at you, Cal took the opportunity to run up on its back and pith his lightsaber into its skull. Just when the moment seemed right, the Jotaz suddenly retaliated, feeling for Cal’s next movement and smacked him hard with its claws when the creature spun to face him.

The boy was sent flying across the other side of the chamber, lying flat on his back and partially submerged in the water. You were taken aback about how suddenly this animal became perceptive—at least, just this particular one—and had to up your game. While the Jotaz asserted its dominance against Cal, you afforded that moment to finish it off; it was close to dying and so you had to do the deed, sending a flurry of attacks, denying it as chance to attack you, and a succeeding Force-push made it stagger—finally allowing you to use your finishing move against it.

“Cal!” you ran up to him, kneeling down and ignoring the water seeping onto the legs of your pants. “Cal, open your eyes!”

A metallic smell wafted in the water, even though the chamber was quite dim, there was a noticeable red tint swirling over the back of your hand underwater. The source was from Cal’s body, but you searched for the actual wound—the Jotaz had cut Cal’s back and he’s bleeding out fast.

Promptly, BD-1 popped a stim for you, you caught the green syringe and injected it into the flesh of Cal’s bicep. His eyelids shot open when the viscous green substance packed a punch in his bloodstreams. You helped him sit up and searched for something—anything—in your person to press against the wound to clot the bleeding.

Lying right next to you is the corpse of a Stormtrooper, underneath the armor plates the dead soldier wore a black, cotton undershirt; you scrambled towards the body, tore the arm plates off until the entire sleeve showed—you gave it a good, harsh tug for the seams to pop until you’ve torn a considerable length of cloth for a compress. You dipped it in the water before putting it on Cal’s wound.

“Here, just keep pressuring on this, okay?”

The ancient elevator was there at your disposal, you supported Cal on your shoulders, hobbling towards the large cylinder and used your joint weight to trigger the pressure plate. The tube rumbled and felt it rising back up to the surface.

“[y/n], I can… I can walk,”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

There wasn’t any harshness in his tone, but the firmness of his voice made his point clear. The two of you managed to get out of the Imperial base and made it to the part of the cliffside where there’s a pack of Stormtroopers waiting.

Cal pushed himself, still being able to fight but only utilizing half of his power; due to his growing weakness, the most he can do in combat in banking the shots, barely engaging in melee, and he couldn’t even use much of his Force abilities even if he wanted to.

“Bleeding’s stopped,” Cal mumbled under his breath.

“Keep it wrapped then,”

The healing stim could only do so much for the wounded Jedi. Cal’s pace was slow, traversing the obstacles suddenly became strenuous for him, but he pulled himself together until both of you came out of the mouth of the cave and caught sight of the abandoned village from the top of the slope. His body felt heavy and every muscle around his wound felt like tearing, he still thinks he’s doing a good job putting up a brave face.

“Come on,” he led on, walking ahead of you.

The trooper standing by the edge was startled by Cal’s entrance, barely having a second to stance himself, the soldier was easily subdued by the boy. The trooper’s companion eventually appeared and defeated him in less than a minute.

“This way, the path’s shorter,”

The two of you circled that house and climbed up the metal bridge where two more scouts are waiting on the other side. The commander was evidently more powerful and stronger than his subordinate, but that didn’t faze either of the Jedi, another Stormtrooper heard the din of the skirmish and pulled the trigger—to which Cal had skillfully deflected and sent back to the soldier.

Cal’s deflection became a window of opportunity for the scout commander and made an underhand swipe of his baton against the redhead’s torso—submitting the boy to his knees—and when the commander was about to finish him off with an overhead swing, the Stormtrooper’s body jerked at the impact of a lightsaber lobbed his way and fell limp to the soil.

“You okay?” you extended your hand in front of Cal, he gladly takes it and you pull him up carefully.

“Yeah, I’m good,”

The sluggishness in his body was apparent, his legs dragged to the direction he wanted them to go but it’s obvious that he cannot carry himself anymore. He stumbled back on his knees again seconds after he planted his feet on the ground.

It’s not plausible, you thought. What stood between you and the Mantis is a hangar that’s probably guarded by Stormtroopers and their KX droid or Haxion Brood hunters waiting to jump on you. The only solution you can find around you is take shelter in one of the houses. You became Cal’s crutch as you led him into the bigger house in this section of the village, BD-1 spliced the door controls and the door hissed open.

The little droid spotted the fusebox and overcharged it so all of the lights in the cottage flickered to life, revealing that the house is only one, large furnished space; you settled Cal on the couch to let him relax and catch his breath, while you searched for medical supplies. For ever cabinet you rummaged, you muttered an apology—supposedly for the absent residents in the home—you’re only apologizing to the wind. You came back to the common room, dropping all the supplies you’ve collected on the table.

“It’s not much but I think it’ll be enough to get you patched up,”

Cal proceeded to undo the top of his jumpsuit, color flushed in his cheeks when he saw your eyes counting the cuts and bruises on his body. Droplets plopped back into the bowl as you wrung the towel tight, he winced occasionally whenever you carefully dabbed the towel on and around the wound.

At first, you dismissed the occasional spasms of his body as pain reactions whenever the water from the towel seeped into the wound.

“I’m gonna have to put some Bacta gel on everything, okay?”

He nodded and you proceeded to scoop a pea-sized dollop of the healing gel for each injury you see. The translucent mint green gel partially obscured the redness of the cuts and the bruises—both old and fresh. Cal flinches whenever your finger presses onto his skin, rubbing the cool substance in circling motions on his injuries, but his muscles gradually soften a few seconds later.

Her hands are so gentle… He cooed in his mind. Secretly, he wanted you to find more of the wounds just so he can continue feeling your touch.

“I’m sorry, I…” Cal stammered.

You blinked, taken aback by the apology, “What are you sorry for?”

His head hung low, his eyes jumping from one bruise to the next, his lips parted to say something.

“I’m too much trouble to bring with,” he murmured.

A somber smile curled along the line of your lips, Cal’s shoulders jolted when he felt the center of your palm press against his jaw, the muscles of his face twitched when you ran your thumb across his cheek.

“No, you’re not,” you cooed lovingly. “Besides, I like taking care of you.”

Your words somehow made all the tension in his muscles disappear, his eyebrows furrowed, and he released a big sigh as he placed his forehead against your shoulder. Initially, he hesitated but he still gave it a try—his arms snaked around your waist, locking his hold on you by clutching his wrist with his free hand, and allowing himself to savor this feeling. He buried his face on the crook of your neck and his eyelids fell when your fingernails massaged and raked his hair—this prompted him to pull you in closer to him until your thighs sat over his lap.

It was a pleasant feeling for the young redhead. All of a sudden, his courageous Jedi demeanor morphed into that of an innocent child. This was something he lacked for a long time and he was glad to find it in you—the person who cares so much about him, the same way he does for you.

[ihaspoorgrammer]

Legend of Korra: Alternate Season 2

In honor of LoK coming to Netflix, I’ve decided to vomit all my feelings towards that show the best way I can - creative writing - In a “What I think Should’ve Happened” essay for your reading pleasure. For those who don’t have the time, I’ll just come out and say it -- Legend of Korra was created with one season in mind, and that’s how it should've stayed.

All the concepts and ideas they introduced in the first season (and The Last Airbender) were more-or-less abandoned by the sequel so they could flounder and come to a deflating end.

So, I wrote this as a way to actually make use of them in a meaningful way that the creators so casually disregarded:

A few months after the battle with Amon, the Equalists have splintered into different cells throughout Republic City. Amon being revealed as a Waterbender weakened them, but that doesn’t take away from the larger points they championed about Bender/Non-Bender inequality. As a consequence, the United Forces soldiers are still a presence in the city, and Chief Biefong has made use of them as additional keepers of the peace, working with the Metalbending police to help rebuild and establish order, and has benefited greatly from the leadership of General Iroh and Commander Bumi.Korra is still airbending training with Tenzin as well as learning about the Avatar State, and she seems to have done a complete 180 in terms of her training; now dedicating herself to it full time to it. Tenzin is naturally happy about this development, but cautions her that the training will have to come naturally and it’s not something she can force, and is wary of how deeply her fight with Amon affected her.   The Fire Ferrets are preparing for their first match since last season against the Polar Leopards, Mako and Bolin steel their nerves while their new waterbender - Tahno - tells them to "relax" and "prepare to be amazed." After putting up a spirited fight, the Fire Ferrets and their opponents are tied. After ganging up on Tahno - who is at a disadvantage, being more accustomed to cheating - is saved by Mako. With seconds left, Tahno subtly bends the water on the opposing team’s side, and creates an ice-patch, causing an opponent to slip. Tahno takes advantage of this, and wins the match with a “Korra Special.” Only Mako notices the cheat.  After the match, Mako approaches Tahno about the cheating, but lets it slide. At Bolin’s suggestion, the two brothers go out to celebrate and invite Tahno along, but he opts out for "training” (after this, we see that Tahno has a picture of Korra in his locker, hinting that he only joined the Ferrets to make it up to her for restoring his bending).Asami has taken full control of Future Industries and personally oversees the production of new satomobiles and has saved Future Industries from bankruptcy with new airplanes designs. However, the company can't shake the black-eye her father gave it and her name, so business contacts have become scarce and shareholders have started pulling out. Worse, the board of directors have begun flexing their muscles to try and squeeze her out. She needs to come up with something good and fast.Mako, Bolin, and Tahno are in the middle of free-for-all sparring, when Tahno accidentally makes ice and headshots Bolin (which makes his vision comically go double). Mako scolds Tahno about it, causing Tahno to storm off.   Later that night on Air Temple Island, Mako brings Korra a meat dinner (Tenzin has put her on a vegetarian diet), but she declines. They begin to discuss Tahno’s participation in the team, which Mako believes was a bad idea, but Korra reminds him that Tahno has cut back on cheating, worked hard, and overall been a good addition (or stand-in for Korra). They share a nice couple-moment and laugh. We see Asami in the distance looking at them longingly, showing that she is still hurt over Mako leaving her for Korra. She starts to walk back to her room when she hears a strange noise in the distance. The source is Commander Bumi throwing his boomerang back and forth. After talking for a bit (and Bumi revealing that the boomerang once belonged to his uncle, Sokka), Bumi allows Asami to give it a throw. After a successful first try, she accidentally throws it through Tenzin's window. Bumi tells her "I didn't see anything if you didn't see anything." As he hops in the bushes to hide and Asami runs away. Laughing.  Meanwhile, a group of once-small time Triad gangs (they were "little people" before Amon "de-bended" the major families), are attacked by members of the Triple Threat. After a small battle, the Triple Threats win, and take with them a powerful bloodbender (or they start interrogating someone), leaving behind a message: “Lightning strikes twice.” ------

After that, Season 2 is in full swing. The Triads are the major Big Bad of this season because the purpose of the show was to be the opposite of Airbender, narratively speaking. So, that means keeping Korra and the cast firmly in Republic City and no more globe trotting.

This puts a bigger emphasis on the characters and their interpersonal relationships (which was the big draw of the show to begin with), rather than having to build up and explain the geo-politics of a new setting.

If they did stay for at least one more season, it probably would have emphasized a larger untapped well; the city was designed to be a 1920’s New York-style “melting-pot”, a place where all cultures come together and mix (Mako and Bolin are a product of a Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom union, and Tahno seems to be the a product of a Fire Nation and Water Tribe union). So, essentially, it’s the architectural equivalent of the Avatar. Just as the Avatar is the synergy of the four nations, Republic City does the exact same thing, just on a larger scale. One more season would better emphasize this fact, and show that despite what people think, it is possible for the four nations to co-exist as long as it’s based on mutual respect and sharing of differences, not domination of differences. This imaginary second season could also be used to address multiculturalism in any number of ways. 

Maybe the new Big Bad could’ve been a terrorist group dedicated to keeping the nations separate and "pure," and see the City as an affront to the Avatar’s “true responsibility.” And maybe Korra can see that, despite its flaws, the city and what it represents is worth saving. It also would have emphasised the “super-hero” aspect of the show; Korra being a Superman-figure who constantly has to protect her Metropolis from ever-constant calamities.  Another aspect that could’ve been added, was that the people of Republic City could’ve helped the Krew. You see, the citizens of Rep. City are constantly infantilized to the point of helplessness until Korra and co. show up to help. The opposite approach would have emphasised the multicultural aspect of the city, and how when push comes to shove, they are all one big family.Maybe even having a scene like from the original Spider-Man movie where the citizens actually help the Krew out, saying “you mess with one of us, you mess with all of us!”

But I’m getting ahead of myself.

From my perspective, there’s no better way to kick this off than introducing this monkey-wrench into the Krew’s system -- the return of Lightning Bolt Zolt, Mako and Bolin’s adoptive father.

See, in the backstory that the show never did anything with, after their parents died, Mako and Bolin became part of the Triads. Though Mako stresses to Korra that he only "ran numbers" for them during his time there. . . So either Mako is a mathematical prodigy, or he's lying. Because I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say he probably received no formal education on the streets that would enable him to work for the Triads in that capacity. So that begs the question: why would he lie? What did he do during his time working for the Triads, that would make him leave and never speak of it again? It’s because he was specially trained by Zolt personally. Learning Lightningbending in the process.

Now, Zolt will use this connection to manipulate Mako for his own purposes, which involves getting his bending back, which will of course drive a wedge between him and Korra.

Zolt may be a bastard, but he was arguably more of a father to him than Mako’s actual father, and that kind of emotional connection is hard to ignore. In fact, it’s such a shock to his system that his Lightningbending stops working.

Which brings him in contact with General Iroh.

When we first meet Mako, he’s determined, blunt, stubborn, and reserved. Understandably so, seeing as how his parents were murdered in front of him Batman-style and was forced to basically raise his little brother on his own, on the streets. As a consequence, one of his most defining characteristics is his inability to relax. He’s constantly trying to fix everything, constantly trying to help everybody, and constantly trying to remain in control. So, Avatar-style development demands that he gradually realize that he can’t control everything and learn to relax, allowing Bolin to become his own person, and learning to go with the flow. Which is something they actually didn’t do in the fourth season. He was largely extraneous to the story and they actually took every opportunity they had to show how useless he was.

Meanwhile, Bolin starts being approached by Lin Biefong, who believes the young man has the potential to be part of the Metalbending police force, despite his claims that he can’t Metalbend. However, Lin eventually realizes why he never could; he’s never had to apply himself. You need to have an unrelenting drive to force the minerals within to move, and that’s not something Bolin has ever needed. In Season 4 of the actual show, I almost applauded it for having Bolin sign up for the army because I thought that’s exactly what he needed -- a place to apply himself. Mako being such a mother-hen accidentally stunted Bolin’s emotional growth, never allowing him to mature and become independent. Which could lead into a very Sokka-like confession:

B: “Do you want to know something really terrible; I don’t miss them. Mako was the one that really knew them. I remember bits of things, but … They’re just … People I didn’t get to know. Mako’s the one that’s always been there for me.”

So here, Lin takes it upon herself to be his teacher and actually show his true potential. They grow closer as a result, and she and Bolin start developing a mother-son relationship. When we first meet Bolin, he’s immature, a show-off, something of a womanizer, a shameless flirt, and a goof-off. The unifying detail with the Bending Brothers is that Mako was sort of holding them both back; Mako’s over-protectiveness never allowed him to choose what was best for himself, and stunted Bolin’s emotional growth into becoming a more independent adult. What they could’ve done - if they wanted to save time - was to have their character arcs work off of each other -- while Mako becomes more relaxed and free-spirited, Bolin becomes more responsible and goal-oriented.

The only other place that the phrase “wasted potential” belongs besides in association with Tahno we’ll get to in a minute, but for now let’s focus on him. The creators once said that they “care about all the characters … except Tahno,” which should show the lack of imagination that was rather systemic in the thinking process there (and what liars they are).

From the start, Tahno is clearly deeply affected by Amon stripping him of his bending, even if Korra gave it back to him. And while he still resorts to cheating now and then, it’s not entirely because he’s a natural cheater … it’s because his bending hasn’t completely come back, and neither has Korra’s for that matter.

They’re both so traumatized by Amon’s Bloodbending that they’re experiencing “hiccups” in their powers.

Korra has tried to deal with it by doubling-down on her Airbender training to “find inner peace,” while Tahno is just trying to ignore it.

Eventually, their arcs cross paths, and they bond of their attempts at healing, having to come to terms with the fact that the “body heals only after the mind heals.” Which further draws a wedge between her and Mako.

Now, there is still a love-triangle here, but it’s in service to why Mako and Korra were brought together in the first place: they aren't supposed to be like Katara and Aang, where it was love-at-first-sight. They’re supposed to be the more realistic couple that have problems and have to make compromises because they love each other.

Love isn’t something that just happens, you have to work hard at it and make the other person happy without looking for the advantage. Relationships - both platonic and romantic - need to be built on mutual trust and understanding, and with understanding means taking a person for both their good and bad qualities.

Infatuation is the kind of love that is more shallow and doesn’t last.

Under direct orders from Fire Lord Zuko himself, General Iroh has started staying at Air Temple Island to watch over the Avatar, which leads him to becoming an unofficial therapist to the people staying there, namely Korra, Tahno, and Mako.Iroh is unique among the cast because he’s inherited Uncle Iroh’s position of someone who already has everything figured out themselves.

He grew up with loving parents and loving grandparents, and we learn that he had the honor of being one of the first firebenders taught by the Sun Warriors, who Zuko spent most of his life helping reconstruct (where he gained the nickname, “The Young Dragon”).

This new living situation makes him a part of the Krew later on, and brings him closer contact with Asami, who he develops a rapport with. And finally, we come to Asami, who is still dealing with losing her father and potentially losing everything else.

You don’t have the founder of a company be linked to a terrorist organisation and expect that company to survive, no matter what financial magic you can conjure. Which is something Asami is learning all too well.But in this madness, she meets two people -- Commander Bumi and General Iroh (who’s under an official Fire Lord order to watch over the Avatar).

She soon becomes Bumi’s ward, eventually, Bumi will act as a surrogate father for Asami, and she will help him organize, and win, a blimp race. From then on, she starts exclusively referring to him with the honorific, "commander."

They become so close that he starts teaching her everything Sokka taught him. You see, because Aang spent more time with Tenzin and Katara more time with Kya, that meant that Bumi ended up bonding with his non-bending uncle, (who later in life became master Piandao’s best student).

That’s why Bumi carries around Sokka's boomerang; Sokka was probably more of a father to him than Aang was.

So Sokka, never having children of his own after Suki tragically died, taught Bumi everything he knew, including how to recreate Space Earth Metal.And, after they grow closer, he decides to trust Asami with this sacred technique. … 

Which she immediately tries to patent and market in order to save Future Industries. However, when she learns how deeply she hurt Bumi by doing this, she finally cuts her losses and sells the company. After that, she decides to pursue a different career, perhaps by joining the United Forces. 

And, while all of this is happening, Tenzin is informed by the White Lotus that global bending birth rates are going down with the modernization and mechanization of the world. Signifying that people's disconnection with nature and spirituality is robbing them of their bending.

Just like what happened to the Fire Nation.

And if this rate continues, in a few generations, bending might completely disappear.

------

Avatar: The Last Airbender was aimed primarily at children and early teens, because those are big transitional times in young people's lives. But late-teens and early 20's are also big transitional phases in young people's lives. Perhaps even more so, because those are the times where you have to learn how to be an adult. A very alien concept.

So, Legend of Korra seemed primed to tackle the challenges of this time, but for one reason or another, they never did.

Despite having a golden opportunity to say some meaningful things about interracial families and multiculturalism, they instead, did nothing.

This is a quote from a Tumblr post who I sadly can’t track down, but it speaks volumes to what AtLA represented to people:

“You need ALL these things to survive and grow, to hold up your community and push yourself forward. You need to unlearn myths and lies, reform them to fit new realities. You need to respect the past but mold it for the future. In short, you have to “draw wisdom from many different places” while keeping true to who you are and where you come from. IDK if the creators of AtLA thought about these things when crafting this story; I think when a story is well told, with authenticity and love, it has the potential to illuminate many perspectives and strike empathy in many different people. Diasporic consciousness is incredibly valuable because it teaches us a different way of being, a way of interconnectedness and mutual love. The Gaang symbolizes this perfectly: it took all of them with all their different skills, to end the War and restore peace and balance. A diasporic consciousness has the same power: to model a newer, more just, more empathetic way of life.”

Tying into this, I think all the Avatars were wrong in their assertion that the four nations needed to be separated. Think about it. Every single nation failed, in their own way, because they were isolated: the Fire Nation became too proud of its own accomplishments, and became a fascist regime. The Air Nomads' loose and "free" nature allowed the Fire Nation to easily wipe them out. The "go with the flow" attitude of the Southern Water Tribe - similar to the Air Nomads - made them easy targets for the Fire Nation; while the Northern Water Tribe "froze over," becoming rigid in their doctrine and tradition, and could never stand against the Fire Nation alone; and the Earth Kingdom fell too far into its "virtue" of endurance, and became a military dictatorship with a puppet king, cutting off any ties to the outside world. 

“It is important to draw wisdom from many different places. If we take it from only one place, it becomes rigid and stale. Understanding others, the other elements, and the other nations, will help you become whole.”

While the "separate, but equal" stance towards the Four Nations may have been a good idea in the past, in recent years, it's proven to be a recipe for disaster. Most, if not all, of these failings could've been avoided if there had been more open dialogue between the Nations. There is a saving grace in the form of the Order of the White Lotus, but seeing how they all kindly fucked off until the shit really started to hit the fan, I can hardly see how they were a solution to the problem. Now, I really don’t know what else to say. I wrote this entire thing as an exercise to show how Legend of Korra failed in its duties to be an equal to its predecessor, because I was a fan.

Not just of AtLA, but of Lok as well. I watched it, I invested in it, and I was disappointed by it.

Others may have had all their hopes answered by the ending, but I was left with a pit in my stomach over how far the mighty had fallen.

And I don’t look forward to the show being adapted into live action because I don’t think I can take seeing all the lapses in creativity and common sense all over again.

[pinkandgreenarepurpleandyellow]

My Personal Theory on TGWDLM, Black Friday, and Nerdy Prudes Must Die

Disclaimer: atm i can't put in screenshots for evidence (ill see if i can add them on later). Also, I know other people have lots of theories, but i have not seen any (haven’t searched for them either) so I'm sorry if this seems similar to anyone else. Note: At the time of writing this post NPMD has not been released (it is current March 22, 2020, mid Covid-19 quarantine), so i apologize if i get anything wrong, i’m basing all of this on the hypothetical i’ve constructed w/the first two.

My theory for how they are connected:

The three universes are actually all partially true, but none of them are the real universe. They’re divergences.

The real universe has this:

- Some kind of apocalypse

- Bloodthirsty cult who are all linked together in some level of thought

- PEIP unit

- General John McNamara

- Paul and Emma

Going theory on real universe: In the real universe, there is a sudden apocalypse brought on by people’s madness regarding something, and the PEIP unit is sent in only to find out it’s a horrifying something. With the unit’s efforts and the something’s weakness, there’s a massive reality-affecting explosion. Reality splits into parts, the 3 potential variations.

Every explosion has an epicenter, the thing that’s least affected. Things closer to the edge are less accurate, while things closer to the center are more on point. 

John McNamara, along with the something, is the epicenter. He stays the exact same in all three universes because he’s at the center. And because he’s the center, he affects the realities around him. Their inaccuracies are based on his impression of reality.

McNamara sees himself as a soldier loyal to a purpose greater than any manmade institution. He will be that soldier in any reality, self-sacrificing, brave, and trying to help. His impressions of other things are less accurate.

Basis of the universes:

Paul and Emma, along with various people, escape. They tell McNamara what they think happened. Paul runs into him first, then Emma at a later point. McNamara hears their stories, but details are muddled, little things forgotten. And these details affect the story massively.

Basis of the villain creatures:

The antagonist is always based off of something McNamara hates. Conformity for TGWDLM. Capitalist obsessions for Black Friday. Societal pressure regarding sex for NPMD. All of these he hates because they are man-made constructs oppressing people.

If he’s the hero of his story, these are the villains.

Basis for the other people involved:

TGWDLM is most likely the most accurate portrayal of Paul and Emma. These are probably the most “realistic” versions of them. That story is probably the most accurate to the people in it. That’s not to say the creature is an alien, just that these are characters from that story.

But McNamara messes up little details. And they shift all of reality.

He doesn’t know what Charlotte does for a living, just that she has an abusvie husband. What if she couldn’t get away? What if she could? Wouldn’t it be nice if she could get away, even if it was with murder?

He knows there’s a father trying to do good for his kid but having problems. So maybe teenage lesbian Alice is nine year-old Ethan, and maybe divorced dad is really a widower.

He knows there’s a creepy coworker who Paul hates. Maybe he’s a creep. Or maybe he's secretly with the evil thing.

So they change to fit the parts.

AND his pictures of Emma and Paul are skewed.

He sees Paul as a nervous, flighty person. Emma as a nihilist, rude, fed up with unfair crap gal. Maybe they tell him the truth and really Paul is good and Emma is tired. Or maybe they’re lying and Paul’s a dick and Emma would steal from her job given any opportunity.

So McNamara’s doubt in their stories leads to even the things he knows well changing in the other realities. Black Friday is the worst version of them he believes possible.

Emma’s bitchy barista boss or Lex’s capitalism-obsessed manager?

Dead older sister or “Dumb” little sister holding her back?

Nervous guy or dickhead?

Absent-minded boss turned converter or Demented maniac turned prophetess?

Paul being mostly okay but working with sleazy people, or Paul being a guy who is one of the sleazy people?

Emma being tired and wanting out but being held back by memories, or Emma wanting out and staying only to not kill her sister?

TGWDLM: Based mostly off of their direct testimonies. Paul remembers everyone being crazy and lots of commercial music playing. Emma remembers people she thought she could trust going insane and making her freak out. This is what they think is happening, and in part it is.

Reality: Probably a society like the US would not die without some kind of music (probably commercials (see Cup of Roasted Coffee)) playing everywhere. Mass cults and crazies always want people to convert, and are more than okay with killing people who oppose. They’re probably some level of hive-mind.

Black Friday: Based on McNamara’s worst assumptions of them. Paul is nervous and neurotic, freakign out and asking “okay okay” like it’s the worlds most critical question. Emma is willing to be a bitch, willing to steal. Paul is irrelevant to the big true story. Emma’s mentor, whom she trusts, betrays her in this or that way.

Reality: Not unlikely that a leader figure forms some way or another. Sacrifices tend to be useful, and when push comes to shove, both Paul and Emma could end up like this. 

Current prediction for NPMD:

- Evil color:

In tgwdlm, the color is blue. Blue tends to be a digital color when it’s evil. The assimilated appear to be like computers, all sharing the exact same data for everything, capable of communicating what one knows to everyone else (see: Paul singing ‘Show Stopping Number’ and teen trio knowing who Paul is ). Everyone is assimilated into equals. No power structure amongst the assimilated.

In black friday, the color is green. Green is a life color, a color for evil stepping in.  The cult has all basic ideas, but no mutual sharing of thought and have to talk out loud to transfer ideas (see: no one noticing the ponies negation, the fact that they talk out loud and all say different things with no synchronicity, as opposed to tgwdlm). The assimilated have established rank of authority, like a family. Lesser, the children, and the prophetess, the mother.

NPMD will probably be red. Glowing, neon red. Red is a color for lust (see: Prudes) and violence (must die). Probably the assimilated will have no central leader or control. Full anarchy ensues. No form of mass communication. A central idea of either sex or violence or both implanted in people, but no further attempts at leadership or structure. Some level of teams will inevitably occur, but they will be individual pieces rather than being ordered by the inhuman thing.

- McNamara’s death:

tgwdlm, death in battle, details unknown. Converted.

black friday, death in black and white, gradual dissolving from lack of suit. Resistant till the end.

NPMD prediction: dead in battle, details seen. No conversion. No survival. Torn apart onstage.

- Paul and Emma:

tgwdlm, main characters, dead by conversion, only survivals of disaster.

black friday, side pieces, dead by nuke, part of gathering of survivors

NPMD prediction: smaller story arc, dead by emma killing paul when she is turned, ambush survivors.

- Misc:

Coffee guy and homeless dude will show up. So will the collectibles geek. McNamara will definitely say: “I'm authorizing you to use my firearm”.  Someone does the “smoking weed” moves. Someone says “wear a watch”. Paul mentions his iPhone. At least one dramatic scene will be all blood red lighting. 

[holidaywishes]

the song part 4

Part IV: Pieces of the Puzzle

  Summary: After what happened, you head home and try to understand why Lydia and everyone was trying to convince you that you were something more than human.

  Fandom: Teen Wolf

  Warning: Nothing? Maybe some angst because I love some angst but I don’t think there’s anything to warn this time

  Author’s Note: I haven’t added to this in forever, so I thought it was time! To be completely honest, I had a very clear idea originally of where I wanted to go with this series but, because it’s been so long, I’ve lost my train of thought for that. Hopefully, some of it will come back to me but until then I’m just gonna follow my stream of consciousness...

  masterlist

  the other masterlist

xx

Calli’s P.O.V

  You truly weren’t sure what to believe. You could see that Scott and Theo were... something, but werewolves weren’t real. They couldn’t be. And the rest of it just seemed like a cruel joke. A harbinger of death? Who wants that? But you couldn’t deny that those men knew something about you, something that you didn’t and something that you were clearly reluctant to learn.

  “Calli...” Scott said as you walked ahead of him and Theo, not paying attention to them, “Calli please, listen to us. We’re not lying to you. Not about this...”

  “But you’re lying to me about other things?” you scoffed

  “No, I just meant we wouldn’t lie to you about this” he corrected

  “I.. I just need a break Scott,” you sighed, finally turning to face the two boys, “it’s been a long night and I have no idea what happened. So, please, just stop. If you really need to talk about it, maybe tomorrow. But for now, just... don’t.” You continued back to your Uncle’s house, where you were met with a large crowd of concerned faces before they all asked questions but instead of answering them, you just walked right past, barricading yourself in your room before turning to the internet for answers.

  “In Greek mythology, the Sirens were dangerous creatures, who lured nearby sailors with their enchanting music and singing voices to shipwreck on the rocky coast of their island.”

  “Knew that, thanks for nothing, Wikipedia” you whispered to yourself

  “Although they lured mariners, for the Greeks, the Sirens in their ‘meadow starred with flowers’ were not sea deities. Roman writers linked the Sirens more closely to the sea, as daughters of Phorcys.”

  “Alright here’s something...” you continued

  “When the Sirens were given a name of their own, they were considered the daughters of the river god Achelous, fathered upon Gaia; making them both daughters of the water and the earth.” An article read, soon leading you to other myths, one stated that sirens were called to bring Persephone back to their father and, when they failed, they were cursed. With all your searching, you couldn’t find a clear depiction of what a siren should be -- bird, mermaid, hypnotic, seductive, dangerous, cursed, -- but there was also nothing that made you believe that you could be one.

  “This is absurd!” you said to yourself, closing your laptop and pushing it away from you, “they’re insane. This are just myths. Stories, that’s it. I’m just me...” As you laid in your bed, you stared at your computer, picking it up and dropping it a few times while you contemplated looking through more stories.

  “Calli?” Lydia whispered as she opened the door, letting herself in.

  “Hey...” you whispered back and she sat down on the foot of your bed

  “How are you doing?” she asked

  “How am I doing...” you scoffed, “well, let’s see. I was just attacked by a group of guys who kept telling me they ‘knew what I was,’ after being told by my cousin, and her friends, that I was a Siren. A mythological ancient Greek creature. And that they were Werewolves and Chimeras and Banshees... So, I think it’s fair to say that I’m a bit confused”

  “Can I explain?” she said and you nodded, “I know it’s hard to believe that it’s all true but it is. When I found out that I was a Banshee, it was under duress. Jordan, too. Scott had things happen gradually, Malia was born that way and Theo.. well, Theo was an experiment.”

  “An experiment?” you asked

  “It’s a long story”

  “Well... I think I need to know. If I’m going to believe any of this, I think I need to hear all of it.” Lydia sighed loudly before explaining everything from then until now and you sat there in awe.

  “So.. hold on. Peter, the guy who terrified me enough to leave this house, was in a coma for like six years but he was able to bite Scott and make him a werewolf. Malia thinks she’s a coyote but knows that she’s not responsible for her mom’s death. There was some weird witch lady who was sacrificing people for some reason and she tried to kill you and that’s how you found out you were a Banshee. Then, your friend, Kira, who was a Kitsune but then like sacrificed herself, and Jordan, the cop who you’re saying is a hellhound, was set on fire so a different cop could collect a bounty that someone named the ‘Benefactor’ had set up before sending out a big list of names with passwords that only you could know. Then, there were a bunch of wild experiments by a bunch of doctors who basically killed a bunch of kids but those kids came back to life because of a tree? And you’re telling me that Theo was one of the first experiments that these doctors created because he was evil to begin with? And after all of this, after everyone somehow survived, there was like a mega Werewolf who killed a bunch of people and then people started to forget that other people existed?”

  “Essentially, yes. I mean, you’re a bit mixed up but you get the gist of everything” Lydia said

  “And in all of this, even though things seemed to have settled down after you all fought a mob or something, I’m supposed to be a Siren?” you asked again

  “Yes”

  “How? Why?”

  “It’s genetic I guess. My Grandma was a Banshee, Peter seems to think that, because both our power comes from our voice, there’s probably someone in your family that--”

  “Was also a Siren?” you interrupted and she nodded in response, “I don’t even know.. how to.. begin to understand this. What am I supposed to do with this?”

  “Nothing...” she confessed before hanging her head and sighing before explaining her point, “I’m not saying you are responsible for saving the world. I’m not saying that we’re responsible for saving the world either. We’re not superheroes. We just are what we are and we have abilities that other people don’t and it’s our job, our responsibility, to use our abilities to help when and however we can.”

  “What if I can’t?” you asked sincerely

  “Maybe you need someone to help you, like I did. I, all of us, had Scott to help us figure out everything. Maybe you need to be able to learn your abilities without judgement or fear. But you don’t have to do anything, I just needed to make sure you were safe. That you weren’t in danger the way I thought you were. Then we got here and found out what you were and I got worried that the reason I thought you were in trouble was because of what you we-- because of what you are.” She explained and you took a deep breath before responding, trying to think of exactly what you felt and how to say it

  “What if I did want to learn my abilities?” you asked quietly, “what if I did want help?”

  “Scott would be ha--”

  “Not Scott,” you interrupted her, “Theo.”

  “Theo?” she scoffed, “No. Why? Did you not hear the part where I said he was evil to begin with?”

  “Lydia, people can change.”

  “Not him...”

  “Please, Lydia...” you sighed

  “Fine. I’ll... ask.”

xx

Theo’s P.O.V

  When Lydia asked you to help train Calli, help her understand her abilities, you were confused to say the least

  “I don’t know the first thing about Sirens...” you said

  “I DO!” Peter exclaimed, raising his hand gleefully

  “She asked for you” Lydia confessed

  “She asked for me?”

  “That’s what I said” she sneered

  “She asked for him?” Peter asked, clearly offended by the choice

  “Yes!” Lydia yelled, “She’s trying to understand everything and you,” she said, gesturing to Peter, “didn’t give the best first impression...”

  “But I can help her the most” Peter whined

  “It doesn’t matter. She asked for Theo, so that’s who she gets”

  “What if I say no?” you countered

  “You don’t get to say no” she challenged

  “Lydia”

  “Theo,” she scoffed, “I’m not arguing with you about this. There’s something about you that makes her feel... safe or something. You’re going to help her. That’s it. End of discussion.” Just like that, you waited for Lydia’s cousin in an old worn down boxing gym in Brooklyn Heights; she walked in, late, with her ponytail swinging behind her and a bag casually dangling off her shoulder as she popped her hip to the side

  “You actually showed up” she scoffed

  “What?”

  “I was half expecting Lydia to fail and not be able to convince you to help me. I thought I’d be seeing Scott here...” She spoke with a bite to her words as she made her way to the ring, staring up at you for a minute before you eventually scoffed at her

  “Well,” you huffed, raising your arms up to gesture to the old gym and dropping them quickly, “I’m here.”

  “I’m not getting in that ring” she snarled

  “Then what are we doing here?”

  “It’s private.” She admitted, dropping her bag to the floor and sitting on a bench adjacent to the box where you stood, “no one will interrupt us or bother us here.” Your eyes darted to the door before your tongue pushed against the inside of your cheek, annoyed at her roundabout conversation, before you finally hopped through the ropes and jumped down onto the concrete floor

  “What do you want?” you asked, creeping slowly toward Calli and you stood in front of her as her eyes trailed up your body before her eyes met yours, “what do you want me here for? I can’t help you. I’m on the outside in case you didn’t realize...”

  “That’s exactly why I want you to help me. I’m new, you were the last to be accepted; you weren’t bitten or born with the abilities you have, you had to learn how to use them, how to control them.” She explained and you turned your head before shaking it

  “I can’t help you” you scoffed, dropping the gloves that you had been holding onto, before storming away

  “Please,” she whispered and you stopped dead in your tracks, compelled to stay just from the cadence of her voice, “I’m terrified.”

  “What do you have to be terrified of?” you asked, turning your head enough for her to see the side of your face

  “What don’t I have to be terrified of?” she confessed, causing your body to turn back to her, “I keep telling people that I don’t know what I’m supposed to do with this information -- that I’m a Siren. I looked Sirens up you know. They’re not as magical or mystical as people think they are. People were terrified of them and they lured people to their death. Lydia says that we have a responsibility to help people but how do I help people when my only ability is to lead innocent people to their death?”

  “You think that’s all you’d be doing?” you asked calmly, finally finding yourself sitting next to her

  “Isn’t it?” she asked, “Lydia predicts death. You all fight it. I.. I’m supposedly the cause of it”

  “You don’t have to be. You have an incredible ability to connect with people in a way that none of us do. The calmness of your voice calms them -- stops them from overreacting, lets them know everything is going to be okay.” You explained, watching as her eyes darted across your face as she moved closer to you

  “How do you know?” she said softly as she seemed to moved into your touch

  “Because all I’ve felt since I met you was calm...”

  “Even when you were fighting those men?”

  “Didn’t even phase me... I just wanted to protect you. That’s your power.” You said

  “But isn’t that dangerous? Isn’t that what makes me the cause of death -- that people want to protect me?”

  “I would rather die for you than let you be killed” you admitted

  “I don’t want that!” she exclaimed as she moved away from you, standing up quickly to pace behind the bench, “My life isn’t more important than yours or anyone else’s. I’m just a person, I’m just a girl. I don’t deserve to live more than you, more than anyone. If I’m going to die, then that’s just what will be. I cannot, and will not, let anyone sacrifice themselves for me”

  “Calli...” you tried to calm her as you met her at the end of her pacing, “You’re as innocent as anyone I’ve ever met. More innocent than I’ve ever been and you deserve to be saved”

  “Not more than someone else” she argued again

  “If it were up to me, you would be.” Your words seem to catch her off guard and she furrowed her brow at you, “I don’t know anything about your abilities. I don’t know what you think I can teach you. I can help you fight, help you train, but learn? All I’d be doing was reading books with you -- trust me, I know just as much about Sirens as you do. I don’t know what the right thing to do here is. What I do know is when I see you, everything makes sense. The world quiets down and I can see things clearly. When I hear you speak, it’s like my heartbeat finds your rhythm and matches it. When you sing, I don’t need anything else...”

  “You’re hypnotized...” she whispered as her eyes watched your lips as you spoke before eventually clearing her throat so she could continue, “I wanted your help, Theo, but I can’t do this. I can’t let you...”

  “Let me what?” you said, moving even closer to her until there was almost no space left, “let me help you protect yourself? Let me learn about your abilities as you do? Let me--”

  “Let you risk your life for mine...” she sighed, pushing you away, “Given the chance, I know that’s exactly what you’d do.” She kissed your cheek, picked up her bag and began walking away from you

  “Let me help you train, at least.” You said, stopping her from leaving to quickly, “let me help you protect yourself so that I don’t end up risking my life for yours.” You watched as she stopped sharply, turning around and tilting her head at you before scoffing and shaking her head

  “You think you can handle it?” she chuckled, “you think you can handle training me?”

  “I’m sure I’ll be just fine.” You smirked as she made her way back to you, whispering once she was right in front of you

  “Even though your heartbeat matches my voice?” she mocked as she repeated your words, “Even though everything makes sense when you see me? Even though you’re obviously hypnotized by me?”

  “You won’t be singing, so I think I can manage...” you laughed until she circled around you and leaned against your back to whisper in your ear

  “What if I have to talk really close?”

  “I...” you stammered, your voice cracking as you continued, “I can handle it.”

  “What if you have to get real close?” she asked, as she circled back in front of you and forced your eyes to train themselves on hers, “and you have no choice but to look into my eyes?”

  “Are you sure you can handle me?” you asked, turning the tables on her but she didn’t seem to react

  “You don’t think I can handle you?” she smirked, “I’ll be okay. You don’t worry me...”

  “No?” you smiled, “Good. I wouldn’t want anything to get in the way of your very important lessons”

  “If you think you can handle it, then I can handle it” she replied, still close enough to you that you could feel her breath sweep across your skin

  “I can handle it” you smirked knowingly and she nodded before turning on her heels again

  “I’ll see you tomorrow, Theo.” She smiled and you felt your stomach fill with butterflies, which you just hoped didn’t show on your face

  “Tomorrow,” you added, “be on time, okay? I hate wasting my time and you need as much help as you can get.”

  “Watch it, Experiment Boy,” she teased, “or I’ll have to hurt you.”

  “I’d like to see you try” you teased back

  “Tomorrow.”

[fonulyn]

Chris and Leon, sick fic, with a twist??? (Whats the twist? You decide!)

for this! | read this on ao3!

I’m sorry anon it doesn’t really have a twist it’s just shameless cuddles :’D but I do hope you’ll find it satisfactory enough~

Grumpily Leon heaved himself upright, tossing the covers to the side. He could’ve sworn he ached all the way to the tips of his hair, with how utterly shitty he felt. The floor was cold under his feet but he didn’t have the energy to find himself socks, so he decided he’d deal with it.

Leon didn’t even remember the last time he’d been sick, much less with a cold that hit him like a freight train, hard enough to knock him off his feet for days on end. He’d been forced to stay at home and in bed, and it never did wonders to his mood as he wasn’t exactly good at this entire doing nothing -thing. The first two days went by in such a haze he didn’t even have the energy to get restless, and it was only by the fourth day that he felt good enough to go find something to eat after basically living off painkillers and water until then.

He only got as far as into the living room, though, before he heard the sound of a key being fumbled into the lock, despite the fever clogging his thoughts. Distantly he hoped it wouldn’t be anyone who wanted him dead, as he wasn’t exactly in the best fighting fit. Quickly he went through the possibilities in his mind, and eventually stepped closer to the bookshelf so he could grab the handgun hidden in there if he’d need to.

The door opened and Leon let himself relax as he immediately recognized who it was. In hindsight, he had given Chris the spare key to his apartment, so he probably should’ve seen this coming. Chris and Claire had both been in possession of a key to his place for long before this… whatever it was had started developing between him and Chris.

It was almost comical though how Chris’ eyes went wide in surprise, as he apparently hadn’t expected to come face to face with Leon the second he stepped inside. He held up his hands as if in a peace offering, flashing an awkward grin. “Hey there. Sorry for just… barging in,” he started, adding as an afterthought “Claire told me to check up on you.”

“Well then, you’ve fulfilled your duty,” Leon answered, more annoyed than he had aimed to be. He blamed the sickness, usually his self-control was much better but now every single little thing seemed to get on his nerves so badly he could barely keep his cool. “Consider me checked up on. I’m fine. You can go.” In a huffy movement he brushed his fingers through his hair, grimacing at how greasy it felt. When had he showered, again?

He didn’t even fully know why he was acting up. Maybe he would’ve wanted Chris to actually care instead of just come here under orders, but admitting that would’ve meant admitting how hard he had fallen himself and that… wasn’t really an option right now. Especially not when he was standing there, downright filthy from days of not showering, dressed in only an old ratty t-shirt and a pair of pajama pants slung low on his hips. It was a wonder Chris hadn’t run off screaming already, after seeing his… whatever Leon was for him, in a state like this.

“Hey, c’mon,” Chris sighed, obviously detecting the not-at-all-concealed strain of irritation in the other man’s voice. He stepped closer, bringing his hand up to softly cup Leon’s cheek. Leon had half a mind to slap the touch away, but it felt kind of nice, and he might’ve even leaned a little bit into it. Just a little. Only barely. “I wanted to make sure you’re alright,” Chris went on in a mere whisper. Then he frowned, his voice firmer again. “Fuck, you’re really burning up.”

Leon sighed, allowing his eyes to fall shut. “I kind of really feel like shit.” He surprised even himself with the admission, not usually the first person to admit it when he wasn’t at his best. Damn cold, fucking with his mind, too. There went his resolutions of never showing weakness in front of anyone.

“Then let’s get you to bed.” Chris had always been a man of action and even now, he didn’t hesitate before unceremoniously wrapping an arm around Leon’s waist to walk him to the bedroom. He tucked him to bed, before disappearing into the kitchen only to return some time later with a heated bowl of soup that he told was from Claire. (‘She told me to tell you she made it. But don’t worry, it’s edible, she bought it.’) He even made tea, and shrugged off Leon’s “when did you become such a mother hen?” with a good-natured grin and nothing else.

Eventually Chris appeared back into the doorway of the bedroom, stopping there to lean against the doorframe. “I should get going.” Somehow the words were more a question, less a statement, as if he wasn’t sure if he could afford to leave Leon alone already. He’d literally spent a couple of hours in the apartment already, while Leon had been dozing off, dutifully staying under the covers after getting most of the soup down and finishing his tea.

“Thanks,” Leon managed, even offering a smile he hoped seemed genuine instead of just delirious from fever. “Appreciated.”

Chris didn’t answer, only fidgeted with his jacket a little, reluctant to leave even though he was basically already dressed and ready to step out. After a good moment he sighed. He kicked off his shoes, each landing on the floor with a thud that sounded oddly loud in the silent apartment. His jacket followed, thrown haphazardly onto the dresser. “C’mon, move.” First the words were accompanied by a soft nudge, but when that gained no reaction it was followed by a more demanding push.

Confused, Leon craned his neck to look over his shoulder. “What are you doing?”

There was no answer, not before Chris managed to make himself comfortable on the mattress. He took his time, too, wriggling in his place and shifting several times, until finally settling with a content sigh. He was so close they were almost touching, his breath warm against Leon’s neck when he finally answered. “Sleeping. What else.”

Leon huffed out a laugh. “If you sleep that restlessly, you might find yourself on the floor rather sooner than later.” He tried to play it off as a joke, but he was suddenly wide awake, all traces of sleepiness gone as if they were never there. It wasn’t like he had the best track record with relationships to begin with and this… whatever this was between them, was wildly different from anything he’d gone through.

But he craved. He yearned. He surprised even himself with how badly he didn’t want to screw this up. So he tried to relax, closed his eyes and hoped he could force himself to fall asleep. It wasn’t exactly the easiest thing to do, though, considering he’d been in life threatening situations that had gotten him less tense than this.

Leon almost jumped when suddenly Chris threw an arm around him, shamelessly pulling him closer as if it was the easiest thing in the world. “You think too much,” Chris murmured, apparently already almost asleep, even though he was still fully clothed and lying on top of the covers. That made Leon smile, and he didn’t argue. Instead he allowed himself to relax back against the other man’s solid chest, kind of hoping that the covers wouldn’t be there between them.

He’d probably never been held like this. Yet it’s definitely something he could get used to.

Sleep came surprisingly easily. And for the first time in ages, the night terrors stayed away.

*

The first thing Leon realized when he blinked his eyes open was that his headache was gone. The second thing was that he could actually breathe easier, and that he wasn’t hurting quite as much as he had when he’d fallen asleep. The third, coming slowly after the first ones, as his brain gradually kept crawling towards proper consciousness, was that there was an arm around him.

Automatically Leon tensed, but then the happenings of the previous evening came back to him and he slowly allowed the tension to seep off him, relaxing into the embrace. Chris was a warm, solid presence right there next to him, and if he was honest with himself he was afraid to even breathe for the fear of shattering the delicate moment.

“How’re you feeling?” Chris muttered in a low, sleepy voice, shifting until his lips were practically brushing against Leon’s ear with how close he was. “Want me to get you anything?”

“No,” Leon answered the latter question first, even gave the smallest of headshakes. He couldn’t help but smile. All of the irritation from the previous day was gone, vanished like it had never been there to begin with. Belatedly he realized he hadn’t answered the first question, and with a hum he went on. “I’m fine.” And this time? This time he actually meant it.

Chris shifted and patted Leon’s chest with his hand, leaving it there, his palm over Leon’s heart. “You mind if I stay?” he asked, and there was something… almost hesitant in his voice. Almost something nervous. As if he was expecting to be thrown out of bed any second.

And Leon couldn’t have any of that, not now. Even though he was wrapped in blankets he somehow managed to turn around, until they were face to face, and with Chris’ arm still around him. “You don’t need to even ask, Chris,” he said, as earnestly as he could, “You’re always welcome. I’m sorry I was so…”

“Unbearably grumpy?” Chris hazarded a guess as Leon trailed off instead of going on. He was smiling, though, obviously not holding any grudges. “It’s fine.”

“Still,” Leon sighed. They really hadn’t done this whole relationship thing for that long yet, and although they’d been friends forever before that they’d never really been ones for long heart-to-hearts. Talking about feelings was something they were learning. Slowly. Together. “Thanks for staying.”

Chris leaned in and pressed his lips against Leon’s forehead, the touch barely there but still enough to make Leon’s heart feel like bursting. When Chris pulled back he hummed thoughtfully, even wrinkled his nose a little theatrically. “You could use a shower, really.”

“Ouch,” Leon chuckled, pushing at Chris’ chest to get some space between them. Only a little, though. Never too much, not when he was enjoying his own personal space heater so very much. “Are you telling me I stink?”

“No,” Chris immediately denied, with even a quick headshake. Then a grin slowly spread on his face. “I just thought you might invite me to join you.”

“Isn’t that a little presumptuous of you?” Laughter was laced into Leon’s voice, clearly audible within every word he said. Chris didn’t even give him an answer, only looked at him with a raised brow, as if he was gracious enough to give him some time to realize the error in his question. So Leon gave in. “Yeah you’re right. Wanna take a shower with me?”

This time, Chris leaned in and stole a quick kiss, despite what was probably horrendous morning breath on Leon’s end. So much for the romance. Not that Chris seemed to mind, as he just smiled brightly. “Oh I thought you’d never ask!”

[mintjamsblog]

Just read the last chapter of Gold and it was amazing. I would LOVE to get Alfie's POV on that whole chapter. I mean if you had time.

Great idea! So this is basically an insight into Alfie’s head during Gold Part III. The morning after that first night together … 

When Alfie wakes up and looks over at Tommy’s back he has no expectations at all. Because last night was pretty amazing, but it didn’t exactly go according to plan. Getting fucked … that was definitely not what Alfie had had in mind. Still, he could hardly begrudge that little favour after Tommy had let himself go so beautifully now, could he? And yeah, Alfie’s gonna be feeling it all day, s’gonna be fuckin’ distracting innit? Being reminded of Tommy’s overwrought face every time he shifts in his chair. Hmmm. 

There’s no telling how this is gonna go, is there? Still, no point in putting it off, so he reaches over to rest a hand on Tommy’s shoulder. He can’t help but be disappointed when Tommy flinches like he’s been burned, all tough and rigid beneath Alfie’s fingers—like a piece of dough left out too long.  Which is a shame, because he softened up like a dream last night, let Alfie knead him until he was smooth and elastic and malleable as fuck.  But maybe that’s the problem. Because an over-kneaded dough makes a rock-hard loaf, don’t it? Alfie should bloody-well know. 

It’s little surprise when, after that, Tommy fucks off as quickly as possible. Not very original. And rude, quite frankly, but there are no rule-books for this type of encounter and it’s not like Alfie can remember the last time he fucked someone he hadn’t paid, so he tries not to take it to heart. Not to dwell on it.

But dwell on it he does. All day. He oscillates between extreme disgruntlement at the manners of some people and pathetic longing to repeat the encounter. He’s a cunt to Olly from the moment he arrives at the bakery until the moment he fucks off at four o’clock to go home and have a bath. Because on top of the obvious soreness there are other aches and pains niggling at him, and not just the sciatica. He has cramp in his right hand after only a few signatures, fingers tightening up like a claw (thank god they didn’t do that last night). He decides to leaves his desk to go intimidate some of the workers instead. Except that wandering the bakery soon alerts him to the tightness in his shoulders and the ache in his back. Problems he wouldn’t have if he’d paid a little more attention to his own pleasure and a little less to someone else’s. 

When the door opens that evening he’s reheating the soup Edna’s made and yeah, he’s surprised to see Tommy standing there. His stomach tightens in anticipation but he’s not quite ready to throw his arms out in greeting. When Tommy starts mumbling about kitchens and second courses he can’t resist the urge to be difficult, despite the childish pout on that pristine face. He’s pretty  sure that soup’ll be burning by now, but what’s one ruined supper compared to Tommy’s clear discomfort? He always was soft for pretty things.  

The loss of Edna’s oxtail pales quickly into insignificance when he feels Tommy’s lips on his neck. Now that was unexpected—Tommy initiating physical contact (without any razor-sharp comments)—and fuck if he’s going to let that go to waste.

By the time he has Tommy naked, beneath him, his mind is focused on one thing, and one thing only. He wants that look on Tommy’s face again, that soft, overwhelmed look that’s so at odds with his usual polished facade. He wants Tommy to want this. Which is why he makes him say it, say the words out loud, so that it’s not some sordid little secret, some threshold crossed by accident in the heat of the moment. 

“Fuck me,” Tommy says, with enough conviction to make Alfie growl. He knows there’s trepidation beneath the surface and he is going to expose it. He is gonna make Tommy open up and give in, admit to his own desires, take every bit of pleasure Alfie can give. He can’t help but stroke his fingers over one fine cheekbone; the defiant tilt of Tommy’s chin and the steely look in his eyes are so obviously for Alfie’s benefit and so obviously a front. It makes him feel tender and cruel at the same time. Tommy’s no timid virgin and yet just now, in this moment, Alfie can almost imagine he is. Which perhaps shouldn’t make him feel as predatory as it does, but who is he to care?

When Tommy lets him push his fingers back inside Alfie feels relieved as much as anything, relieved that he has been granted this privilege a second time. And aroused, fucking aroused, because don’t Tommy just feel soft down there? Because of Alfie. He’s clearly still feeling last night, even if he’s trying not to let it show, but gradually relaxes—with the help of more oil and a slower touch—until he is melting under Alfie’s hands. Soft sighs and stifled moans are fluttering into the sheets and Alfie can’t help but kiss the smooth white skin of Tommy’s back. God he wants to keep him like this—pliant and needy—wants to work him until he’s pleading. But it seems that Tommy’s read his mind, his voice just slightly panicked as he whines out, “don’t you dare … don't you dare do what you did last night ... I can’t.”  And that’s almost a challenge innit? Because of course, Alfie can if he wants. But there’s something else he wants far more that he won’t let evade him tonight. 

A warmth engulfs Alfie, like a strong wind spreading a fire, a physical reaction to the rare and precious gift of skin and muscle and sweat. He pulls Tommy closer, squeezes him hard and still it’s not close enough; he lines himself up to press in, to make their bodies one for a few short minutes at least. He pauses, briefly, pinching hard on Tommy’s nipple, not to be cruel (although that's what he'll claim if pushed) but to distract from the burn he knows is coming. Perhaps he’s going soft in his old age, or perhaps the memory of yesterday is making him unusually empathetic. It’s certainly not because he doesn’t think Tommy can take it, because Tommy's had far, far worse. But if Alfie was forced to be honest, then Tommy’s enjoyment is rather high up on his list of objectives for this evening. 

He needs to stop thinking about Tommy and start thinking about himself because otherwise this entire, delicious occasion will be nothing more than a memory (together with his pride).  

He stops again—conscious of the exaggerated stillness beneath him—and says something vaguely reassuring, (he’s not entirely sure what, because his mind is entirely focused on resisting the desire to bury himself to the hilt).  Tommy is struggling and trying to hide it, Alfie knows ‘cause he’s been there himself. It shouldn’t be as endearing as it is, Tommy’s attempt to mask his discomfort, to act as if this is nothing. And so, when Tommy urges him on, he doesn't question the order, rather buries himself in those forbidden depths even if he knows it’s perhaps a bit soon.  He’s only human afterall—and it feels too heavenly—although the scraped-raw expletive from Tommy’s lips might just send him straight to hell.

He pulls Tommy’s face round just to watch; to see if he looks as ravished as he sounds. Of course he fucking does, his cheeks are pink and his mouth is loose and Alfie wants to tell him so but instead he tightens his grip on Tommy’s jaw, one thumb pressed against his lips. And doesn’t Tommy just take it in, close his mouth around Alfie’s thumb and suck like a newborn babe? Two appendages wrapped in hot, wet heat is almost too much to bear. Tommy bites down hard, which is just as well, because the sudden pain is the only thing that holds Alfie’s resolve together. 

He wonders if Tommy’s doing it on purpose, if this elaborate display of submission is in fact an attempt at control. If it is then it’s fucking skilful, because if he asked right now then Alfie would give him the world. But no, he decides. This vulnerability isn't something Tommy gives it's something Alfie takes. And if this is indeed an honest moment then Alfie wants to savour it.

They lay like that, locked together, unmoving until Alfie tries to extract his thumb, to get this back on track. But when Tommy sucks at it desperately, with a panicked little moan, Alfie doesn’t have the heart to deny him such a simple comfort. It ignites a fiercely protective instinct too, makes Alfie’s insides squirm and swell alarmingly. He starts to move again, to turn his mind back to more carnal pleasures. He starts slow, but Tommy responds and it’s not long before they’re fucking, properly fucking, before Alfie is making him move and moan in ways that he has only dreamt of. And still Tommy sucks his thumb. Like a little suckling lamb, Alfie thinks, and then has to share that thought, has to whisper it into Tommy’s ear to see what reaction he gets. He knows enough to surmise that the words will shame Tommy, and that the shame will arouse him further. He isn’t disappointed. A flick of his wrist and a few careful strokes and he’s rewarded with Tommy spasming around him. Beautiful. Abandoned. It doesn’t take much until Alfie is joining him, silently spilling his seed. And Tommy takes it, doesn’t he, like a fucking gift, groans like he’s coming again. 

Afterwards, when they’re lying face-to-face and he’s ruthlessly teased Tommy and been thumped for his efforts, he wants to pull the man close. He settles for rearranging the pillows, for indulging an absurd inclination to make Tommy comfortable; to watch him doze and feed him sandwiches and grumble about the news. He wants to do it again. All of it. Wants to fuck him of course, but not only that, wants to lay side by side and listen to the shipping forecast and debate politics and just fucking … be with this man. And that way lies heartbreak don’t it? But it’s not like he has any choice. Not like he’s gonna kick him out or turn him away or not ask to do this again. The bread’s been baked and he’s gonna fucking well eat it until every last morsel is gone. Or it moulds. Or gets stolen. Only time will tell.

[defiant-firefly]

October Challenge Day 13

This is actually a rewritten version of yesterdays prompt but I hated what I wrote yesterday so I rewrote it again today.

The prompt was ‘Broken Down’ from the Whumptober prompts list. Given that it’s a Whumptober prompt, I feelI probably don’t need to say but uh... yeah I turned Labby into a punching bag again. It’s the third installment of the ‘zap Labby’ idea, taking place when she’s with the Shadow Ops and been with them for a little while. It’s basically, ‘Labby struggling with the associations between the maintenance chair and the hell she had to endure in the lab’. I’ve once again left the ending open so I guess this is getting another installment. Great.

Labby has officially taken over my October Challenge with this idea alone. Someone stop this rabid plot bunny please.

Anyway, the fic under cut!

The first time it happened, no one had been around. Her balancers had malfunctioned and she’d tripped and fallen hard.

Labrys had hissed at the awkward way her knee was forced to bend and at the awful way she’d landed on her wrist. She’d had to stay there for a few minutes as her balancers came back online and made the world stop spinning every time she to tried to move. When she did get back up, she’d considered going to see Fuuka to repair them but thought better of it at the time. It wasn’t that bad.

She’d carried on as normal, an ache in her knee and a soreness in her wrist that had gradually worn off by the end of the day.

The second time it happened, she’d been walking with Koromaru and Ken and her chain arm decided to unlatch itself at the same time as her visor decided to fall over her face mid-sentence. She’d scrambled to put her arm back before anyone had noticed, Ken helping out as pointless information started flying across the inside screen on her visor and obstructed her vision.

He’d asked if she was okay as she tugged at said visor as it jammed into place over her eyes and he’d had to help her with that as well before she broke it with a lack of patience. She’d insisted at the time that it was just a minor fault that got in the way sometimes and had taken some time to convince him it wasn’t worth bothering Fuuka over.

It was during the third time, she had to admit that maybe this was getting out of hand. Labrys had been alone thankfully when her mind went dark and she’d lost all external input for about a full minute. It’d scared her half to death to suddenly be numb with no ability to move or sense anything for even that short period of time and when everything came back, she’d had to sit down to keep herself grounded.

She didn’t ever want to be in that box again and that had just brought it all crashing back.

She should go to see Fuuka. She knows she should.

So she does.

Labrys entered the maintenance room where Fuuka often went to tinker with her engineering projects and hadn’t known what to say. She’d found herself asking about the projects she was working on and wondering what in the world all the dials and buttons were for. When asked why she’d come, she’d paused. She made to answer but had found the words wouldn’t come. Fuuka waited patiently as she made a few more attempts before her eyes had wandered and noticed something she probably shouldn’t have.

On the desk, right nearby sat a familiar little box shaped object with two familiar prongs jutting out one side.

Labrys had never been better at lying than in that one moment. As a notoriously bad liar, she’d even amazed herself at how convincing she’d sounded as she made up some random excuse to avoid what she’d come in for. She’d been scared enough as it was to ask for help but now…

Things were getting worse. The wear on her joints had started to ache nonstop, her visor got jammed what seemed like every five minutes and it was getting much harder to keep this to herself. This was nothing compared to what she would go through if she asked for help.

She’d had a few more momentary blackouts but had luckily managed to avoid having them in front of people. The malfunctions… not so much.

She’d nearly rocket punched Junpei when everything suddenly went off and the safety latches failed. Yeah… that had taken some convincing to keep that one from getting reported.

Thankfully she’d managed to almost completely avoid Mitsuru and Aigis most of the time. She knew there’d be no convincing either of them if something happened in front of them. The last thing she wanted was to be forced into that situation again…

Especially when she finally felt like she had some semblance of control over her life now. She wasn’t ready to let that go for even a moment.

“What’s your opinion on this, Labrys? You’ve been quiet.” Mitsuru spoke up, drawing her attention to the present. They were stood in her office for a meeting on some recent shadow activity, they being her, Aigis, Akihiko and Mitsuru herself. Looks like she’d zoned out again…

“Uh…” Mitsuru raised an eyebrow, seemingly already knowing why she hadn’t said anything. “Yeah, sorry. Ya lost me…” Labrys gave her an apologetic smile as she fidgeted with her hands awkwardly, a little embarrassed.

“It’s quite alright. Aigis can fill you in on the details of our discussion later.” She then offered out a file to her that she reached to take. She froze partway, flinching at the ache in her elbow that doubled with the loud grating noise that echoed from it. Mitsuru seemed to have a similar reaction, an awkward silence raining down on them.

“Was that-”

“It sounds worse than-” They both spoke at the same time before stopping themselves. A small bubble of panic started rising form within her and she quickly reached the rest of the way to take the file.

Hastily opening it up, she tried to ignore the red hot stares of the other three people in the room.

“Sister?” Aigis started hesitantly, earning an absent hum in response as ruby eyes scanned the words in front of her. “Have you been to see Fuuka-san recently?”

“Uh… yeah I saw her a little bit ago. Why?” She feigned ignorance as she flipped through the pages, narrowing her eyes on some of the details thoughtfully. She shook her head before Aigis could continue, “actually, never mind that. Did I miss the reason why we’re investigatin’ some ghost stuff?”

“Mitsuru thinks it might have something to do with shadows. It’s a bit of a long shot, but it can’t hurt to have a quick look, right?” Akihiko answered, crossing his arms as he leaned on the wall. Labrys nodded at what was probably repeated information from when she’d stopped listening.

She heard Aigis say something right as her sensors went fuzzy for a moment. She should probably get out of here before anything worse happens…

“W-well, um. Who’re ya sendin’ on a ghost hunt?” She asked, before realising she’d interrupted Aigis who gave her a funny look. “Ah, sorry. I musta spaced out again, heh…”

“You seem to be doing that a lot today, sister.” A blonde eyebrow raised and Labrys had to find a way to casually look back down at the files.

“Meh. It happens.” She gave a small shrug, ignoring the sting it caused. “Well, if ya don’t need me then-” Labrys made to hand the file to Akihiko as she approached the door to leave, only for everything to choose that moment to go wrong. Her eyes went dark for a moment as her hand lost its grip on the file and she lost her balance.

“Labrys!” She couldn’t tell who’d shouted that before the rest of her sensors shut off. A fear started pulsing through her at the lack of outside input and she scrambled to reboot everything. No sound, no sight, no smell, no touch… nothing. The only thing telling her she wasn’t completely unconscious being the fact her mind was racing.

Her hearing came back first and she clung to it, pushing the sensitivity up to maximum.

“So she’ll be fine?” Voices! She focused all of her attention on the sounds as the damage sensors came back online and started filling her head with the white noise of pain.

“Physically? Of course. Emotionally…” Fuuka’s soft voice answered the first. “Well there had to be a reason for this.” Reason for what? The feeling started returning to her body then, letting her know she wasn’t in a very comfortable place. The balancers on the back of her head shifted awkwardly as they came back online, her motor functions beginning to return as well.

“Hm? Is she awake?” Mitsuru asked, seemingly having noticed her small movements.

“Hmm…I don’t think she’s fully back online just yet. I think she can hear us though.” Fuuka answered sounding slightly more optimistic.

“How can you tell?” Akihiko followed by the sounds of footsteps by her left side.

“Oh it’s right here, see? The sensors are turned right up to maximum whereas when you got her here, they were only at about three quarters of the max.” The explanation made her worry a little. How were they seeing this…? “I can’t help but wonder where that damage came from though…” Damage?

A discomfort started building in her lower arms, an irritating, highly unwelcome feeling and after a few moments she realised why it was there. She felt the fans on either side of her head suddenly activate as her thoughts spiralled.

She was plugged in. They could see everything in her head. There was virtually nothing to stop them from doing anything. What were they doing? What had they done?

“Sister? Calm down.” Aigis suddenly spoke up, easing the panic slightly but not enough to stop the fans. Her optics came back online at that point, her eyes flying open to see something other than the pitch black. With her sight back, she found the cables attaching her to whatever computer Fuuka had linked them up to and immediately made to remove them.

When her hand met resistance, her heart sank further and the fear skyrocketed. Without a moment to think, she pulled on the restraints, pushing against them with increasing power despite the pain such strain caused her.

“Wait, Labrys stop!” Aigis was suddenly in her sight as she heard the restraints creak and begin to stretch under the sheer force she was pushing on them. “Sister! It’s okay! See? You’re in the maintenance bay! With me, Fuuka-san, Mitsuru-san and Akihiko-san!” She was promptly ignored as she struggled to free herself.

Gritting her teeth she briefly felt Aigis trying to hold her down. How could she try and stop her? Didn’t she see what they were gonna do to her?

“No! Lemme go!” She screamed at them the very moment her vocal systems finished rebooting. “I don’t wanna do it anymore!”

“Hey! Stop! You’re gonna hurt yourself!” Akihiko was at her side too, trying to stop her from causing any more damage to her already hurting limbs. She thrashed about on the chair as they continued to try and calm her down.

“Labrys, listen to me! It’s okay! You’re not at that lab anymore. You’re in my old maintenance chair, see?” Aigis kept trying but Labrys just doubled her efforts. This is the one place she didn’t want to be, why were they doing this to her?

Weren’t they supposed to be friends? Wasn’t Aigis supposed to be her sister? Then why would they force her to do this?!

“Stop it! Just lemme go!” She felt the tears start falling when they just held onto her tighter, their betrayal causing a wound bigger than any weapon possibly could in her heart.

Ruby eyes flitted about wildly, her gaze briefly finding Mitsuru’s. She didn’t seem to know what to do but she was the only one not stopping her from leaving. She took an instinctive step back at the look in her eyes and Labrys latched onto that.

“M-Mitsuru-san! Help!” She called out to her, desperation to get as far away from here as possible muddling any other thought process. Mitsuru’s eyes widened before a loud grating sound erupted from her right side.

“Sister!” Aigis cried in alarm as the restraint snapped and Labrys lost control of two fingers on that hand. She screeched at the searing pain the damage had caused and fought harder against her captors. She wanted out.

“Fuuka, do something!” Akihiko yelled as he struggled to prevent her from breaking the other restraints as well.

“I…” Pained ruby eyes found Fuuka’s round, hesitant ones. What was she gonna do? Aigis pulled back harder on her damaged arm and drew her attention away as she cry out at the amount of hurt that pulsed from the break.

“Fuuka, whatever you’re about to do, just do it.” Mitsuru commanded. “Somethings not right here.” Labrys found Fuuka again in dismay.

“No! I don’t wanna go through that again! Jus’ lemme go!” She pleaded, hoping her friend would listen to her but…

“I’m sorry, Labrys. It’ll be okay, I promise.” She said, never breaking eye contact as she pressed a button on the keyboard. Almost immediately a weight fell on her mind. What had she done?

Labrys felt more tears fall as it suddenly became difficult to move or even keep her eyes open. She was shutting down. Fuuka had started a shutdown.

“No…!” She tried to protest but the words had trouble leaving her lips as her body was forced to relax and she felt the energy quickly drain away from her. “Why…?” She managed to mumble right as her eyes lost focus and her head fell back against the chair. Labrys struggled to hold onto her consciousness, desperately trying to force her eyes to stay open as Aigis shifted from holding her down, to holding her close. She offered as much comfort as she could with small words she could barely make out in the fog covering her senses.

Labrys didn’t hold out long. Her eyes fell shut and she drifted away into nothingness…

[frostclawdragoon]

Prompt #3: “Lost Friend”

Gunblade in hand, R’ouros charged through the battlefield, passing by resistance fighters and clashing into the Garlean soldiers and magitek monstrosities that opposed them. With an intense roar of courage, he brought his blade down upon the enemies that threatened to invade and destroy all they had worked to save and build.

This… This was an enemy he knew how to fight. He knew their strengths, their weaknesses. He knew how they thought, strategized and moved. Each attack made toward him and every footstep to change stances was text-book typical. He didn’t need foresight to know how to dodge such basic swordsmanship and predictable artillery fire.

Studying the art of war. Studying Garlemald. He spent those four long agonizing years learning their history, their culture, their way of combat. Not out of curiosity, not out of searching for a weakness. But because he had to. And now their very idea of life and war had been turned against them in the form of a seemingly harmless miqo’te with a passion for knowledge.

Approaching a magitek armor that was stomping its way toward him, he narrowed his eyes and honed his focus. He quickly lept and rolled to the side, narrowly dodging a missile that impacted beside him. He bolted forward, cutting his way through two more soldiers before reaching the suit of armor. Like clockwork, he knowingly and effortlessly climbed his way up to the seat with the speed of an opo-opo, startling the driver. R’ouros slammed his blade into the control yoke, released the hilt, grabbed the soldier and yanked him out of the seat. He gripped onto his blade again and lept off the now sparking magitek suit and continued his path further into the warzone.

The faster he could end this battle, the faster he could end any further death. Eorzea had suffered enough. The world had suffered enough.

R’ouros shielded his face with his arm from a spattering of dirt and mud as some manner of explosion went off nearby. He didn’t let that deter him or distract him. He kept pushing forward, kept searching for whoever was leading this attack against Ala Mhigo. Could it be the Crowned Prince? He had heard rumors of his apparent survival after taking his own life… I don’t think I could fight him one-on-one, he thought. That might be a fight that is far out of my league--

He skidded around a muddy hill and immediately came face-to-face with another miqo’te. R’ouros stopped dead in his tracks, his breath hitching in his throat and his eyes went wide. That unmistakable stark-white hair against the blackened Garlean armor…

“Khito…!” R’ouros choked out in surprise.

“Ouros…?” Khito responded, sounding just as surprised as he looked. A second later, though, and his expression grimaced. “What the hells are you doing here?” He hissed.

There was a momentary pause, one defended by the sounds of war echoing around them. For R’ouros though, the seconds felt like an eternity as time seemed to slow. The sounds and smells of battle, smoke and death faded as his focus and guard dropped instantaneously. Khito was here… Alive and, despite the blood, sweat and mud smeared on him, he looked healthy, physically and mentally. It overwhelmed him with relief.

R’ouros tensed slightly at the faint tickling of tears forming in his eyes, and he stepped forward. In response, Khito stepped back.

“Come home…!” R’ouros exclaimed, the words bubbling out of him. “Stop fighting and come home!”

“You can’t be serious... ” Khito growled in annoyance. “We’re in the middle of a war, Ouros!”

“But we don’t have to be!” R’ouros retorted with another step forward. “We can just drop our weapons now and make a run for it!”

“And become a deserter? Like you?” Khito snapped, causing R’ouros to flinch. “I’m not going to run away from this. I’ve come too far and sacrificed too much to quit now, and I’m certainly no coward.”

“It’s not cowardice!” R’ouros said with a hard shake of his head. “Garlemald is wrong, Khito! I’ve seen what kind of horrors they can inflict! They hurt people, tear families apart and torture those who fight against them! They’re not heroes!”

“Yet it isn’t Garlemald that’s summoning Primals!” Khito spat. “We’re stopping the bad guys, the real bad guys. The ones that refuse to put a stop to the beasts and people who summon these creatures of mass destruction. We’re saving the world by doing you all a favor and getting rid of the lawlessness that plagues the world.”

R’ouros could feel, in the pit of his stomach, a growing frustration that was getting worse by the second. “Why won’t you listen to reason?!” He snapped. “Are you really that blind to the suffering of everyone around you?!”

“You’re the one who’s blind!” Khito snapped back. “Parading around with the resistance rats, acting like your some mighty hero when all you’re doing is helping the enemy further their goals!”

“I’m trying to save everyone! Even you! Can’t you see that?!” R’ouros tensed again as tears threatened his eyes again. “I miss you!”

R’ouros swore he saw a flicker in those sharp, intense eyes. Just for a moment, his eyes had softened, granting R’ouros a brief window to see the Khito he used to know. Somewhere, buried deep under the lies and poison the Garleans instilled in him, he was still himself. R’ouros just had to grab onto that flicker of light, of desperation, of longing for his home and family. He had to keep it from being snuffed out completely.

He couldn’t lose him.

“Please, Khito.” R’ouros begged. “Please just stop fighting and come home. We’ll put all of this behind us and forget it ever happened…!”

“I can’t.”

“Yes you can!” He took another step toward him. “I’ll help you, Kara will help you!” He smiled weakly. “We can go back to the way things used to be, before the Calamity, before Garlemald and wars and resistances…! We can be a family agai--!!”

A sharp pain shocked through R’ouros’ head, forcing him to drop his blade as his eyes went wide. No. Not now. Not here…! He stumbled backward, his hands clutching onto his head as the pain throbbing in his brain worsened. His heartbeat thumped loudly and wildly in his ears, making the sounds around him muffled as though he were being submerged in water. Through his vision, which began to double and blur, he watched Khito step back, a look of horror crossing his features.

“... No…” He heard him say, his tone was filled with disbelief. “No you--... You’re one of them, aren’t you...?”

R’ouros tried desperately to respond, to explain what was happening, but he couldn’t. He wasn’t allowed to. He was never allowed to do anything. His senses dulled and his eyes pinched closed tightly to the overwhelming pain… And when he opened his eyes, he no longer stood on a battlefield, but instead, he was on a beach. Warm, white sands. Crystal clear waters and a bright blue sky. The sun was warm on his face… He was home...

“... I’m leaving.” He heard Khito say.

He looked over, Khito stood beside him on the beach. He was younger, more inexperienced, but the fierce determination in his eyes was as it ever was. He stared out at the ocean, his mind already made up.

“Why?” R’ouros asked.

Khito looked back at him. “I want to make sure that another calamity never happens again.” He answered. “I want to fight to protect our home.”

“... How long will you be gone?”

He shrugged and looked out at the water. “I don’t know... I don’t know how bad it is out there or how many of those world-ending creatures are running free… But I’ll stop them. No matter what.”

R’ouros looked out at the water and frowned deeply. The thought of never getting to see Khito again weight heavy on him, and it made it hard for him to breathe. He took in a hard, shaking breath as he prepared to wish him luck.

“... Come with me.” Khito asked, unprompted.

“What?” R’ouros looked at him.

Khito returned his gaze with a confident smile. “You want to get away from this life, right? To be free? You can come with me, see the world and help me keep it safe.”

Gradually, an uncontrollable wide grin spread on R’ouros face as joy and excitement bubbled up inside him, replacing the earlier sorrow.

“YEAH! Of COURSE I wanna go with you!” He exclaimed. “I wanna see everything! Read everything! And help you save everyone! Oh man, we’ll take on the world and keep it safe together! Khito and Ouros, the world’s greatest heroes!”

Khito couldn’t help but bark out a laugh.

A flash, and R’ouros was flung back to the present as a sharp, hot and heavy pain crushed into his entire body. His eyes bulged wide as he struggled to gasp in air before hacking out blood. The sounds of war filled his ears again as his senses came about him. He was lying face first in a puddle of mud, his body unresponsive to movement and burning in agony. Lifting his shaking head, he glanced around slowly as he tried to make sense of what had happened. The vision he had seemed so brief… But how much time had actually passed?

From what he could tell, he was crushed under a pile of debris. Magitek in make, judging by the metal… Perhaps a piece from an airship that had been shot down? He couldn’t tell. He tried to push up off the ground or even shove the metal off him, but he couldn’t move. Sharp, broken edges of the debris were dug into his flesh, pinning him there.

He heard rustling and creaking of metal nearby. Shakily, he looked over and saw Khito crawling out of the same debris, coughing to the smoke. He was bloodied and wounded, but still somehow managed to stand.

“K… Khito--” R’ouros coughed out, catching his attention. “Khito h-help--!”

Khito stared down at him with laboring breaths, his eyes wide with adrenaline and… Fear? He didn’t move.

R’ouros weakly stretched his hand out as far as he could, despite the metal digging into his shoulder. He reached toward Khito with clenched teeth, his fingers and hand trembling with pain.

“H-help--...!” He called out again with a wheezing cough. “I-it hurts--! I can’t b-breathe--!”

Khito took a step back.

“... Khito…?”

He took another.

“Khito w-wait--!”

He turned and ran. Running as far and as fast as his wounded body would let him. R’ouros watched as he disappeared off into the ash-filled smoke, his blood-covered eyes wide as he stared at the now empty field of dirt in front of him. His chest, already stinging from the crushing pain and smoke, grew even heavier as his heart crumbled. The tears that had once more welled in his eyes began rolling down his cheeks, his gaze never leaving the smoky land where he had last seen Khito’s silhouette. He foolishly hoped, foolishly waited for him to come back. To save him… He would.. Right? They were best friends… Right...?

He’ll be back… He’ll be back… He kept telling himself.

… He never did.

His head struggled to remain lifted, and eventually, his neck could no longer support him. His face mashed down into the sticky mud below him, and not long after that, the pain, physically and emotionally, had become too much to bear and unconsciousness took him.

--

@sea-wolf-coast-to-coast