#never mind the carpal tunnel

[double-u-qed]

kind of became important at both of my jobs and it is ruining my life!!!!!

[redyarns]

snippet (undertow, ch. 6)

IM TIRED OF THIS GRANDPA

[fishareglorious]

every time i call hofmann old and someone comes up to me and goes "erm 🤓☝️ actually she's 38 from the official merch and that's not old" i know. i fucking know. but have you considered my mind palace is what the paradise blue epoch thinks they are. that woman is pushing fifty to ME.

[luxrayz64]

spent my whole night uv unwrapping now my fingers hurt from using a mouse for too long

[iketunes]

oh yeah, i suffer immensely for my craft, totally

*it cuts to me cackling like a freak while drawing anything even a little gay or horny*

[cacodaemonia]

I've had this in my drafts for months, and I just saw a post complaining about fan artists (while having the nerve to start out with, "I love fan artists so much but...") who draw characters this way or don't draw them that way, so I figured it was about time to share this.

You know that unwritten rule in fandom that says you shouldn't demand that fic writers cater to your tastes? "Don't like, don't read"? Here's a reminder that the same goes for fanart.

Sometimes, I see complaints that fan artists don't draw character A exactly how they look in canon/in a particular slice of canon/according to someone's specific headcanons. Sometimes, I see complaints that character A is being depicted, say, without enough body hair, or with the wrong body type, or as a different age than they appear in canon.

If you find yourself getting upset with fan artists over things like this, I hope you'll take a moment to:

mind your own business

consider how fucking hard art is

I think a lot of people who haven't spent time in the art trenches have absolutely no clue how difficult it can be to draw a human, period—let alone human features you haven't already practiced a million times.

This can be especially true for artists who don't have a lot of drawing experience. When I was a kid, I mostly drew women, so learning to draw more typically masculine features was a challenge, and it took me many years to even get okay at it. It takes a lot of practice to figure out how to draw a variety of facial structures, body types, hair styles, ages, etc.

For a example, I have never known an artist who doesn't think drawing children is a bitch and a half, and wrinkle placement can mean the difference between drawing something that looks like an elderly human versus a shriveled apple.

Simply drawing body hair can be very time consuming. You also have to understand hair growth patterns and direction and take into account if the person's body hair is very curly or more straight, etc. If I just want to do a really quick sketch, maybe I don't feel like spending 10-20 minutes adding body hair. Maybe some people don't like body hair so they don't want to draw it. Maybe some people have carpal tunnel syndrome or medial epicondylitis and the extremely repetitive motion of adding body hair to characters is physically painful. You don't know. And it's not your place to tell them they're wrong.

Fanart, just like fanfiction, is about drawing the things we like—NOT catering to what other people want or think we should be making.

So feel free to talk about how much you love it when fan artists draw characters in ways you like! But don't be a jerk by demanding people draw what you want, and don't put down those who don't cater to you. You can have all the personal preferences you want in fanart, but it's rude and entitled to force those preferences on others fans or act like you're a better person because of your tastes in the appearances of fictional characters.

[thexsilentxwordsmith]

Dom!Simon "Ghost" Riley x sub!reader, John "Soap" Mactavish x reader

Fandom: Call of Duty

Characters: Simon "Ghost" Riley, John "Soap" Mactavish, reader

Summary: When a one time sexual encounter leaves you wanting more, but the rules were set the moment he entered you and now he does his best to avoid you, what is a girl to do to get what she wants? That's right, make him jealous. And if it works a little too well maybe he will give you the night of your life. Good thing you have a flirty Scotsman to mess with, perhaps if you can't get your way, you can still have fun. Only time and a bit of effort on your part will tell what goes down.

Word Count: 12.7 k

Warnings:

Part 2: What's Mine You'll Never Have

You knew what you were getting yourself into before it even started. The rule was simple enough: this was a one time thing, a no strings attached fuck that would end and never be spoken of again because it just so happened to be with a man in a higher rank than you who had a reputation to uphold. Agreeing was the easy part; honestly, you would have done whatever was asked of you in that moment for a ride  as the heat between you both rose, his touch sending shocks down your limbs, and if one and done was all you got you were going to jump on it with complete pun intended. It wasn’t as if you care for him; really you could barely stand him on a good day, though you would have been a liar to deny there wasn’t something erotically toxic about him.

Your superior office was a fucking beastly specimen of masculinity: broad, full chest, arms big enough that they looked like they could bend steel, thighs so fucking thick and juicy you could comfortably ride his massive cock for hours. Though you had never fully seen the face of this quiet and serious man nor knew more than the most basic information about him it did not matter, you knew before you ever saw it that what was rubbing against your thigh as he pinned you to that wall was mouth-filling enough that you needed to get your hands on it and by god you loved when were absolutely right.

That one random night had found you at the right place and the right time, when tensions were high along with his aggression and a good screwing would help take the edge off of an otherwise frustrating and fruitless mission. Things went fairly quick from when he had grabbed you by the waist and before you knew it you found yourself naked in his bed, filling the room with your whimpers as muscles pumped, bodies writhed and bucked, and sweat stained the sheets along with the rest of your combined fluids. You were made to come several times as your lieutenant unleashed himself upon you with a voracious appetite for your body that didn’t let up until your poor little cunt couldn’t take another orgasm. Exhausted and satisfied, you left him in bed with a cigarette pressed to his smirking lips set free from his mask and that was that; you’d go about your merry way a little more satisfied than usual, but otherwise not putting up a fight about the arrangement.

…Or so you thought.

It was only a couple of weeks later that the ache really set in, that one deep inside you that no matter how many times you touched yourself with those sore fingers stroking away for what felt like hours, you simply could not satisfy. Shit, you were feral with desperation for Ghost's fat fucking cock and thick tongue to make your pussy their property once more and you needed to rectify the situation fast before you developed carpal tunnel. Since your lieutenant was avoiding you like the plague ever since that night, only being near when absolutely necessary and nothing more, you would have to take matters into your own hands. 

There was so much you did not know about Ghost when it came to more personal matters, but he was a man after all and though they came in different flavors, they all could be manipulated in the same ways. You owned all you needed to bring them to their knees and with your devious little mind always working overtime you were easily able to concoct your plan to make that hulking man jealous enough to hopefully break the terms of his agreement. These were indeed desperate times and that is when desperate measures are called for. Nothing is more desperate than using jealousy as a weapon and that meant pitting two men against each other to get what you wanted, but you would deal with the moral ramifications of your actions later.

You first needed someone to use in your quest of jealousy and it was completely obvious from the moment the thought entered your mind the exact person you wanted to use to get Ghost’s attention, one that the sting of seeing you with him would hopefully cause him to act  irrationally and that person was none other than Sargent MacTavish. The two officers were close, well as close as anyone could get to Ghost, at least you were certain it would be enough that if you pulled out all the stops and put all your effort into flirting with the Scotsman, it would surely light a fire in your target. And if not, maybe if you started to give him the extra attention he seemed to want, Soap would be down to help you alleviate your little ‘problem.’ It wouldn’t be exactly what you wanted, but if you couldn’t have your first choice, then you wouldn’t be picky.

It wasn’t a huge secret around the base that the mohawked pretty boy had a bit of flirtatious nature when it came to you and so it would be nearly effortless to play into that to get the effect you wanted. Briefly you had the thought to actually tell Soap what it was you were up to, but you concluded that that left too much up to chance; what if he didn’t agree to helping you or what if knowing that you were intentionally flirting with him to get to Ghost made his reactions not as sincere or worse yet he actually tried to sabotage you? No, this had to seem spontaneous and so you kept everything tight lipped. Settling on your victim, now all you needed was a place for this little show to happen. It had to be public, preferably somewhere that alcohol was involved; liquor always heightened emotions and made for bad decisions to magically come true. If that’s what it took for Ghost to give in to you, then that was absolutely fine. 

There were times when the entire task force would venture out into the night for a bit of fun, usually after a successful mission when the mood seemed just right to let loose, so all you had to do was wait for something to happen that would be a cause for a trip to the local bar and that was the part in all of this that nearly broke you. Nothing you had done up to this point had ever been harder; your poor vibrator was begging you for a damned break and you were sure the thing would fall apart before you got the chance to implement your plan.

Finally though, you had your sinful prayers answered and you seized the opportunity with both of your devious hands. The mission you had just returned from had not been easy in the slightest, but in the end it was a success and after all the preparation and execution that had happened over the course of a few weeks, the whole team was ready to let off a little steam. The minute you heard Soap suggest the usual group outing, your filthy heart skipped a beat.

Soap was the one to ask you himself if you were going to be joining on this little rendezvous as he caught up to you right after debriefing. The way he made sure to specifically invite you stuck out as odd, as he had not done anything like this before now, but you let the thought slip to the back of your mind as the timing was just too perfect not to take full advantage of as a certain someone just so happened to be within range when he asked. 

“C'moan, lassie,” he picked, giving you a playful shove and plastering that sad puppy dog look over his face. “Please. Wilnae be na fun witoot ye.”

Just out of the very corner of your vision, you could see that brooding tower of man watching this conversation like a hawk stalking a mouse through the grass. You wondered if he could hear everything being said as well as he could see what was happening and just in case you laid it on thick; can’t waste him being around to see you getting a bit more friendly with the Sargent, given how you usually interact. 

“And what’s in it for me?” you picked back.

“Th' chance tae git wit a charmer who’s guid at chattin,” he was quick to shoot back as if the response had been rehearsed. 

You smirked. “Oh, and when will I meet this good conversationalist? Will he be joining us there?” God you were laying it on with a paint roller.

Soap shook his head with a chuckle. “Ye know as well as ah that a nicht oot wi' me is yin tae rememer,” he met you with the same energy. “ 'sides, it’ll be lonely 'ere a' by yersel' sin a' body is goin'.”

“Everyone?” you repeated, pretending to give the idea some serious thought. Waiting a few more seconds you finally gave Soap your brightest smile with a firm nod of your head as if you had just decided right then and there and hadn’t been plotting all this time like the devil you were. “Alright, I’m in. A night off base sounds like just what I need anyway. It’s about time we go out.”

“That’s whit ah lik' tae hear,” he beamed, glad you had accepted the personal invitation. 

You gave him a playful nudge from your elbow. “I just can’t say no to you, ya know? Not when you look at me like that. Just makes me fold every time.”

He chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck nervously. Try as he might to hide it, there was no stopping the physical signs that triggered whenever you were around to give away the thoughts inside. “I’ll come grab ye at 8 'n' we kin head ower th'gither, if that’s a'right. Don’t want ye aff goin' after dark a' by yer lonesome.”

“My protector,” you gave his bulking bicep a short hug. “I’ll be waiting for you.” With a nod you parted ways and headed back to your barracks to get ready as a certain skulking member of 141 went stomping off back in the opposite direction to his own quarters in a rush.

And just as promised, right on the dot Soap was there knocking, ready to escort you off into the night. The moment you opened the door to your barracks he was stopped dead in his tracks at your appearance; it wasn’t often you got the chance to wear something other than the tactical gear that covered you from head to toe and you definitely put in the effort tonight to look your best. Your light blue crop top hugged your tits just right and matched the way your jeans clung to the curves of your hips and down the lines of your toned legs. You opted to wear your hair down with a loose curl to it and you had put on just the hint of makeup to play up your eyes and make them sparkle. It wasn’t over-the-top, but it was enough to make Soap pause and that meant you had done a good job.

“What?” you asked with a light-hearted laugh at his reaction, even though you knew exactly what it was that had left him speechless.

“Nothing,” he said while diverting his gaze. “Ye just look nice is all.”

“Don’t I always?” you sassily replied.

 Nodding his head with a raise of his eyebrows, he agreed. “Weel, can’t argie wit' that. Ye could mak' a garbage bag look guid.” 

“That’s what I thought,” you shot him a playful smile, making his temperature rise. 

Soap had to clear his throat before he could respond, already getting flustered before anything had actually happened. “Ready a' go?” he asked.

“Let’s do this,” you said as you both went off, ready to let the liquor take your cares away.

There was already a gathering at the bar when you both arrived, others getting there, grabbing a table large enough for the entire group, and diving in to the drink to get the night started. Luck, or a very well timed conversation, was on your side tonight as surprise, surprise, you found Ghost himself in tow with the gang. What made him break his streak of isolation was of no consequence, all you cared about was that this had the best potential to work and you were confident that what transpired here would make your tight hole soon be filled to the brim with him.

He sat at the opposite end of the table from you, though opting to sit on the side that gave him the best vantage point to keep his eyes on you if he wanted. His usual over-the-top skull mask had been exchanged tonight for a simple black balaclava with a white painted jaw bone structure on the bottom of it. It was interesting to actually see more of those autumn-colored iris’, though he still had his customary eye black rimming them to keep them dark and mysterious. He had also opted for jeans and a black shirt with matching jacket, something that showed off more of his body and especially that spectacular ass; fuck, you had to remember not to salivate.

The moment you and Soap walked in Ghost’s sight was drawn to you, making him freeze with his glass half raised to his lips as he took in what exactly it was you were wearing. It had been a hot fucking minute since he had the pleasure of seeing more of your curves being accentuated by something other than bulky tactical gear that hid away all this delicious full figure from his gaze. It wasn’t very hot inside the bar, but a cold sweat began to spread out across Ghost’s body as you joined the group with a playful smile on your lips, effortlessly falling into the light-hearted conversation happening around him.

It had stayed pretty innocent through the first part of the evening until you began enjoying a rousing game of Never Have I Ever that included Captain Price nearly having an aneurysm and Ghost choking on his drink when you gleefully lifted your glass to your lips for the statement “never have I ever masturbated while on night patrol”, but you weren’t bothered. There was no room to be shy when your teammates were mostly comprised of men and especially when you needed to make one squirm.

“Are you serious?!” Gaz asked astonished that you had been bold enough to admit such a thing.

You nodded your head and you downed the last of your beer. “Look, you gotta do what you gotta do when you’re bored,” you smirked and you were sure Soap was going to pass out from all the blood gathering in one particular area from the image being conjured in his imagination. The night really got fun after that with mini raucous arguments exploding over who was the better at accents, with contest to match, and which song was the best to get you pumped for a raid and soon you realized you had downed another couple drinks as the laughter flowed as good as the liquor.

“Anither round boys?” Soap joyfully asked around at all present as the night had continued on. This was about round three or four, you couldn’t rightly remember at this point. He turned his attention to you sitting at his side, wanting to ask you personally with an inebriated smile spread across his lips. “How aboot it, ye up fur annur? Don’t tell me you’re gonnae tap oot noo, th' nicht is aye young.”

His eagerness to be in your close company all evening was indeed charming and if you didn’t have your eyes focused on the man who could use you like a rag doll and not even break a sweat, you might have liked to see where this would lead, but the heart wants what it wants. Or rather you should say the cunt, as that was the organ calling all the shots now. 

Shaking your head, you shot him a smile back. “Never,” you stated firmly. “I’m still in it as long as you are, pretty boy.”

“Atta lassie,” he praised enthusiastically as he got to his feet to go order another round with the bartender, hoping you wouldn’t notice how strong he was coming on; the liquor was hitting a bit harder than he realized and it was becoming increasingly obvious that he was struggling to hold it together, but you didn’t mind; in fact, you kind of liked the way it sounded. If Ghost didn’t do anything by the end of the night then you were sure you could easily get Soap to take you back to his private quarters.

You watched him go, letting your eyes linger on his objectively fine looking taut ass, before you managed a sideways glance over towards the other end of the table where he sat. Your eyes hadn’t even fully clocked Ghost yet and you could already feel that grumpy, silent, mask-clad man’s eyes boring holes into you as if he were trying to set you ablaze. There was no seeing any of his features other than his eyes through the mask, but his agitated body posture alone was evident enough that he had taken notice of your closeness with his colleague.   

Time to turn up the heat and really stick it to him; Ghost was going to regret ever taking away the pleasure of his body from your immediate access by being forced to watch you give away your own to someone else. The night was still young and you had ample opportunity to make sure he knew just how far you were willing to go to get his attention. 

Soap returned moments later with a slew of beers in hand, distributing them around those still partaking, but saving the last for you specifically just to give you that bit of extra attention. You gratefully accepted it from him, your fingers lingering over the backside of his hand as you took the glass into your grip. 

Across the way you noticed one of the two pool tables had suddenly become free as the two older gentlemen playing had called it a night. Now that’s one game that can get two people close real quick, especially if one of them pretended they didn’t know how to play at all and would need a lot of help. Soap had tried to get you to join a game with him and Gaz or Price on several occasions, but you had always said you enjoyed being a spectator more than a player, so you never took him up on it… until now.

Soap’s attention was still on you as he took a swig off his glass and you used that opportunity to nod over towards the now empty table. “Seems we’re in luck,” you pointed out and he followed your eyeline over. “Maybe it’s a full moon or some shit, but I’m in the mood to try something new and I know how many times you’ve tried to get me to have a go. Feel up to finally giving me a free lesson?”

“Ye don’t hae tae ask me twice, lassie,” he smiled. There wasn’t a chance in hell he wasn’t going to jump at the opportunity and jump he did, setting down his drink with a slosh and pushing out of his chair quick before grabbing your hand to drag you over so that another group couldn’t claim it for themselves first.

Back across the room your eyes locked on to Ghost’s and you raised a seductive eyebrow menacingly at him. It was obvious the way his upper body bristled as Soap came back with your cues and stood close beside you; it was about to get even more intimate when he showed you how to hit the billiard balls and both of you currently eye-locked knew it. Don’t like it, do something about it bitch, the look in your eyes challenged, but sadly he still sat there nursing his whiskey, though with more aggression than he had previously.

You were handed the wooden stick and you held it uncertain in your grip. “You are gonna have to start at the very beginning with me,” you chuckled, “I have no idea what I’m doing and the liquor isn’t helping.”

Soap chuckled and gave you a look. “I’ve git ye, don’t ye worry.” 

And got you he indeed did. After quickly explaining the scant amount of rules in excited and quick fashion, he demonstrated the stance you would need to take as he broke up the balls to start. Now it was your turn and you would have to be convincing. 

“Like this?” you questioned as you leaned over the table; you left plenty of room for improvement by not fully getting it right.

“Almost,” Soap said as he walked back over to where you stood in front of the shot you wanted to take. “'ere, let me hulp.”

Leaning against you to marionette your body where he wanted it to go, he maneuvered you around until you were in better form. Your back was pressed to his chest and you could feel the muscles brace against you through his t-shirt. He fit perfectly against the curve of your spine as you both tilted your bodies lower over the table and the warmth that hit your back half felt nice. Those bulked out arms covering your own definitely didn’t feel bad either. 

Not too shabby, Sargent, you silently praised. 

“Lik' this,” he said. “Ye juist pull back 'n'…”

Just as he was about make your cue strike the ball, you pretended to accidentally step back so that your ass got firmly pressed up against his crotch, making him twitch and completely butcher the hit. The stick made contact with the cue ball and sent it flying just off the edge of the table to roll across the floor away from you both. 

“Sorry,” you feigned innocence. “I fucked that up royally.”

“Nah,” he laughed with a wink as he went to grab the ball and return it to the table, “just git a unique technique is a'. We kin wirk oan that, bit ah think yu''ll need tae let me hulp ye a bit mair.” 

You both devolved into flirty laughter before continuing on with the game, Soap taking every available opportunity to correct your form just to be close to you as much as possible. And you didn’t shy away from ‘accidentally’ grinding against him from time to time just to watch him get flustered all over again. For a moment it felt nice for someone just to enjoy the pleasure of your company along with your body. 

It wasn’t until nature called that you said that you had enough for one night with a promise that you’d pick this up another time before you headed off to the bathroom to relieve yourself. It gave you a good chance to check and make sure you looked as good as you did when you got here. Although the rose had bloomed in your cheeks from the heat and the drink, you still looked just as you hoped and giving yourself a satisfied smile in the mirror, you left.

Stepping out of the bathroom, you began to head back to the table when you noticed that all the seats seemed to be filled suddenly. You counted heads, but there was one that you hadn’t seen before. Some tart had decided to take the moment to chat up Gaz and so you had no place to sit… or did you? Honestly this could not have gone better if you had written it out because now you had an excuse to do what you did next, not that you needed one, but damn was it too perfect not to take advantage of.

Ghost’s eyes were already on you again as you made your way across the bar floor and for the second time tonight you pointedly locked eyes with him, raising your eyebrow cockily, before stepping up next to Soap. As soon as he looked up to see who it was, you swung a leg over him and then the other until you were sitting in his empty lap. You could feel him freeze beneath your ass as he was surprised by this sudden change of events, but he didn’t protest this new development. Instead, one of his strong arms scooped itself around your back to your hip, making sure that you were secure on his lap so you wouldn’t think about leaving it too soon. 

“Hi,” you mischievously flashed him a smile, your faces close together.

He cleared his throat, trying to calm himself from your contact and the perky breasts near his face he was currently trying not to stare at. “Hi back,” he stammered out.

In a smooth motion, you laced one of your arms around his shoulders. “I hope this seat wasn’t taken, seems mine was though. Can’t expect me to stand the rest of the night, right?” 

“I’m nae complaining,” he admitted, giving the exposed small of your back a rub with his thumb; he felt weak at how soft your skin was beneath his touch.

“Good, that’s what I like to hear,” you gave him a subtle wink as you situated yourself better on his lap. “It’s a pretty good seat anyway, very comfortable. Plus it doesn’t hurt to being this close to you, get a better look at the scruffy mug.”

“Och is it?” he smirked, watching you struggle to grab your now half-empty glass and reaching across, handed it back. “Well, it's aye open tae ye, bonnie, as lang as ye lik'.”

“I bet you say that to all the girls,” you said, taking a sip. 

You swallowed fast as you felt him risk more of a touch as he slipped his fingers just inside the back waistband of your jeans. “Nah, that’s reserved juist fur ye.”

That was it; without warning, Ghost slammed down his drink so that it splashes liquid onto the surface of the table and he quickly stood from his chair. He didn’t address anyone that had turned towards him at the outburst or even give some bullshit excuse for his departure, instead just storming out into the night without a sound. You weren’t entirely sure, but you could swear his fists were clinched tight down at his sides and nothing made you more ecstatic; that was exactly the sign you had been looking for that gave you hope that all this had not been in vain.

After another lengthy round you feigned exhaustion and made your excuses to the group to leave, commenting about how your bed was calling your name as you could barely keep your eyes open. Soap was definitely the most visibly saddened by your decision to call it a night already; he wanted to ask you to stay with him longer, but ultimately decided to keep quiet about it. Perhaps he didn’t want to rock the boat and ruin an otherwise spectacular evening spent in your company by complicating things or maybe he had gotten the vibe that there was something more to Ghost’s sudden outburst and exit, but whatever it was he gave you a smile and a wish that you get back to base safely and sent you on your merry way.

All the way back to your barracks you had a smirk plaster across your inebriated face, certain that your little ruse had achieved the outcome you had been plotting for and now all you would have to do was wait for your lieutenant to get riled up enough to come crawling back to you. Your wicked little mind wondered if his hand was already down his pants, frantically stroking his cock in an attempt to rid his mind of you or if he had already taken several ice cold showers to stop his body from burning for your own.

It filled you with a malicious glee to have this effect on such a stoic and impassible man and as you reentered your quarters, inebriated and full of yourself, you found your bed and fell back against the surface with a slew of delightful images concerning your lieutenant’s neediness floating around your head to keep you company as the alcohol wore off. 

You weren’t sure how long you’d been daydreaming for when you heard the door to your barracks open. That wasn’t uncommon as it was a shared room, but what happened next absolutely was. 

*SLAM*

The force with which the door was shut rang through the room loud enough to shake the walls. The noise startled you, though you could probably take one single guess as to what the reason for such an intrusion could be and you’d be correct. Turning your head you could see all 6’4” of your superior standing there, taking up the entire doorway with his impressive form. Seems that your little ruse had worked to perfection and you could not help feeling smug about making him crack.

Ghost clocked you in your bed and could plainly see you had noticed his entry and yet you had not moved from your spot, even though decorum dictated you get to attention since he was a superior officer. Fine, you weren’t going to do as you should then you were going to be given orders and be forced to.

“Come here,” he demanded shortly, those intense brown eyes staring back at you unblinking from behind his balaclava. 

That devilish grin spread out all across your entire face as you sat up and crossed your arms over your chest. “Or what?” you pushed back to your masked superior. “It’s late, after hours in fact. Right now we are off the clock and I believe that means I don’t have to.”

One low, gravely chuckle was released from him. “Keep this up, luv, and you will find out what it means to disobey,” he threatened, his voice metered and firm. “I’ll give you one more chance before the consequences of your actions get you in fucking deep water. Come here, that’s an order.”

Doe-eyed and playing dumb you stared back before rotating your body until your legs were hanging off the side, but still you stayed seated. “What did I do, hmm?” you asked with a tilt of your head, playing pretend, but not exactly trying hard to hide the fact that you knew what it was you were being accused of. 

“Don’t you sit there and act like you don’t know, you little bitch,” he snapped, his scolding tone harsh and biting. “Everyone there tonight could see what you were doing clear as day, so there is no use in denying it. Making a spectacle of yourself and disrespecting your place on this task force.”

Shaking your head, you glared him down. “And why, sir, do you care? Didn’t like the show?” again you boldly fought back. “There is nothing saying that I can’t have a bit of extracurricular excitement with those on this team. Did Price send you to reprimand me? Cause if not I don’t see what problem you have. Or is there more to it than that that I’m just not getting? Wanna come clean about anything, sir? Was it really about what I was doing or was it more who I was doing it with. You jealous of MacTavish getting a little action?”

What had gotten in you today? You hadn’t had this much fight in you in quite a while and though he secretly enjoyed your fire as it was what drew him to you in the first place, you had disrespected him and that came with consequences. The way you used ol’ Johnny boy for your sick fucking attempt at clearly making him jealous had worked and he was not pleased with the amount of control you seemed to hold over him because of it. His cock had been hard as a rock since he left the bar and he could do nothing to ease the ache; you were going to pay for that by the end of the night.  

“Get. Up.” he growled with enough power behind it to send a shiver down your spine. “Now.”

The authority in his voice boomed through the room, intimidating enough to make you follow orders as you knew he had reached his limit and you could do nothing except genuinely fold and comply out of sheer intimidation alone. He meant business.

“You want to act a brat and sass me, then you get punished as one. Or did you forget I am still your superior?” he seethed as he gripped your wrist and yanked you towards him once you were within range. His grip around your arm was strong; there was no way you were getting out of his grasp even if you fought it. “You’re coming with me and I don’t want to hear any arguing, so don’t try it. Fight me and you will regret it.”

“And just where are we going?” you asked. If this was really a reprimand for your behavior, wouldn't your barracks be just fine? No, this was something more.

He whetted his lips under his mask, but ultimately kept quiet. Talk could come later once you had gotten to the destination, right now he had to focus on not loosing his mind before he had a chance to let you have it for what you did. You watched wide eyed and silent as he dragged you out of your barracks and through the facility back to his own private quarters, not caring who saw what, and once there he was pulling you inside and bolting the door behind the both of you. No one would be hindering his disciplining now, nor what he planned to do to you afterward. 

Satisfied that the entrance to his room was secured, he threw your back against the door, the sound from the hit ringing through the silence. Another bang sounded from his tattooed forearm also hitting the door just above your head as he rested it there so that he could lean down enough to get into your face. His chest was almost pressed to you and you could feel the heat radiating off of him along with a strong scent of whiskey and cigarette smoke on his breath and gunpowder on his fingers that all mixed together to drive you mad. 

“What the fuck do you think you are doing, hmm?” he spat angrily in your face, the outline of his lips just visible through the fabric of his skull-painted balaclava. “Throwing yourself at Johnny like a fucking trashy whore. The whole bar could see you being a pathetic mess and for what? I knew I was right in going tonight to keep an eye on you because you just can’t help yourself, can you? How fucking dare you pull that shit in front of everyone.”

You kept your eyes on his, never letting his gaze drift from your own. “So what if I did? Like I already said, it shouldn’t matter because you don’t own me. I didn’t make you come keep an eye on me, you did it all on your own and now you have to suffer the consequences.”

Being this close to you again was agony, your body within his reach that all he had to do was take what he wanted, and the ache in his cock that started in the bar was too much to ignore anymore; goddamn the pressure was enough that he felt himself about to explode. There was no more waiting if he wanted this interaction to last longer than a few minutes, and he definitely wasn’t going to be letting you go anytime soon, so reaching down the front of him he undid his pants with his free hand. 

Buckle jingling and the audible zip of a fly lowering hit your ears and he was able to release that thick, fat cock of his. He looked back up into your eyes with a predator’s gaze and groaned low and guttural as he gave his phallus several drawn out strokes, wetting his length with the bit of precum that had dripped out of the uncut tip.

“What the fuck did you just say to me?” he snapped as he seethed at your audacity. “You are on thin ice so I suggest you stop while you are ahead.”

His anger only confirmed it for you that you had gotten under his skin. A short, quick breath was pushed out of your nose as you shook your head. “With full disrespect sir,” you breathed, “why don’t you make me.”

Oh you had done it now. “You wanna tease me like the dirty slag you are, deliberately misbehaving clearly just to get my attention, then you have to accept the consequences when you get it the way that you did,” his words were sharp and firm, punctuated with grunts as he worked himself. 

“Let me guess, sir, I’m gonna have to suck it to make up for my act,” you balked with a sassy roll of your eyes, still a bit of fire in you that he had yet to quell. “How creative.”

Ghost shook his head with a low, malicious laugh. “You that greedy for me, princess? Gonna take whatever you can get your lips around? You are pathetic.” 

He knew just how to take care of a bratty little bitch like yourself; he was a true master at knowing exactly how to make bad girls fold and come to heel for him. “Don’t stand there and act like I don’t know how much you would enjoy that, choking on this fat dick until your eyes are watering. I remember how your makeup ran down your cheeks that night and how it felt like you’d rather suck me off then breathe. If you think I’m about to give you exactly what you want, you’re fucking mistaken baby. No, I have something worse in store for you.”

Tucking his throbbing cock back into his pants, he grabbed both of your bare wrists in one of his large hands while the other went to his belt. With a sharp tug, he wrenched it free from the belt loops and quickly wrapped it around your wrists to bind your hands together before opening the door just enough to place the tail end in between the top of the door and the door frame, shutting and locking it again once he had it secure. A sharp jerk as he pulled it tighter around your wrists made the leather dig into your flesh and you gasped at the feeling.

Once he was sure you weren’t going anywhere, Ghost slid himself off of you so that he would have full unbridled access. Nothing could stop him now from taking the hem of your jeans and yanking them down without undoing the button and off your legs, leaving you exposed to him in nothing but your delicate panties, the same ones he remembered from that damned night that sealed his fate now. 

“You want to come clean about what you were doing at the bar or will I be forced to fuck the confession out of you?” he asked. “Say that you did all that just to make me jealous and I may go easier on you.”

Slowly you opened your eyelids to him, tilting your head upward with a devious smirk. “I don’t have to admit to shit,” you returned with bite to your tone, “not when whatever the answer could be is irrelevant; all that is important is that it worked.”

He shook his head side to side; he should have known you were still too spicy to come to heel yet, but you would. By God you would bend to him. “ Suit yourself, sweetheart. You are about to be taught a good, hard lesson; brats like you need to be disciplined well or else they get too full of themselves. You should have never made me watch that disgusting display of you throwing yourself at another man,” he growled angrily. 

He wasted no time in collecting the crotch of your delicate panties with his fingertips and wrenching them to the side. He didn’t stop until he had ripped them from your body and tossed the delicate shreds away behind him. “I could smell the desire leaking off Soap like goddamn cologne, just as much as I smell the scent of your arousal for me now. I was so close to caving his skull in to see him put his hands you on like that and you just fucking let him. Baby girl, you need to learn who it is you belong to right here and fucking now.”

Shit, you may have just bratted yourself too close to the sun on this one, but there was no turning back now. You knew the consequences were going to be dire as that primal side of your lieutenant took over and you would simply have to accept every single delicious bit of his wrath that he gave you. Oh no, how horrible it would be to get exactly what you wanted. 

There was no warning about what he was plotting until you felt his hand slip down between your thighs, parting them easily as a knife in warm butter, and one of those thick fingers sliding between the petals of your sex towards your entrance, gathering as much of your slick as he could on his digit before inserting it fully into your core up to the knuckle. “Greedy bitch, I can feel you taking in my finger like it’s nothing,” the backhanded praise sent shivers down your spine as he began to work feverishly at your G spot, with rough and intense movements; there would be no easing into this, you did not deserve that luxury. 

Rhythmically he pumped that finger in and out of you as his opposite hand held your pelvis in place while you writhed and arched your back against the door. Instinctively, your hips bucked against his hand, trying to make as much contact with him as possible as you struggled with your hands above your head; you needed more, you needed it all. You had waited too long for this.

“Does my greedy girl need another?” he asked slyly, though not waiting long enough for your reply before slipping in another digit into your already dripping cunt.

��God,” you groaned, head back and mouth open as you were deliciously stretched out even further.

Ghost chuckled at how easy you were breaking for him. “God isn’t here sweetheart. You’ll have to deal with me right now.”

His pace was relentless and even with those tough, calloused fingers he knew how to use them better than any toy. It was too much to handle and your body responded in kind, your back arching wildly each time he struck that lovely little bean over and over again, the sweat clinging to your forehead as your body took every bit of his relentless assault on your sanity while your toes curled against the hard floor. Minute after minute, his full attention focused solely on you, each stroke along that incredibly sensitive bundle of nerve endings drawing you increasingly closer to that razors edge and threatening to violently throw you off. 

There was no need for you to speak it aloud first, Ghost knew you were close just by the way your body spoke to him: your head falling back against the surface of the door with eyes fluttering closed and your breathing quickening as that pressure built to the peak. It was in that moment where your orgasm was in sight that you whispered its arrival was near and he made his move; you were going to regret confirming it for him. Suddenly his fingers were ripped completely out of you, leaving you mewling for the feeling of him again as the sensation dissipated. 

“Goddammit, I was so close,” you snipped at him, shooting daggers through your irate glare.“I thought you liked me and then you pull this shit.”

The absurdity of your statement made him scoff. “And what would ever give you that idea? I don’t have to like you to fucking own you sweetheart.”

“Fuck you.” Your body shook as you squeezed your bare thighs together tightly, hoping that the friction would be enough to finish it, but the moment was gone and you were just left frustrated. 

Ghost’s knee found your thighs and slipped between them to kept them separated as your wetness soaked into his pants leg; you weren’t going to come yet until he was ready for you to and that would be some time as your penance had not been paid in full quite yet. “That is the goal, isn’t it babe? Why you went to all this fucking trouble? That’s why you’ll stand there and take what I give you like the good little whore you are and maybe when I’m finished I’ll give you what you crave most and stuff you completely full.”

From the moment you left him that night weeks ago, his cock still slathered in your cum as he sucked down cigarette after cigarette to calm himself from the intensity of that first encounter, he instantly regretted making you agree to this being a one time ordeal. No one had ever made his body come alive like that, nor had anyone been able to keep up with his incredible stamina like you could. The moment he buried himself in you he was addicted and desperately needed more and try as he might to keep himself sane by jacking off at a rate that would rival that of a teenage boy, it would never come close to the way your silky, tight walls felt clamped down around him. 

“And what if I don’t?” you shot back. “What if I continue to push you for making me go to all this trouble to get you to fuck me again? You were the one who set that fucking ridiculous rule about it being one time and yet the moment I try and get my fix somewhere else, here you come again.”

“I can bloody well change my mind,” he stated firmly, laying down his ruling to supersede everything else that had come before. “The way that watching Soap touch you made my blood boil, watching him take something away from me that I alone had, I cannot let that slide not even with him. I want to be the only one that knows that you feel like, what you taste like, what you fuck like. No one can have you, no one can touch you, ever again. I don’t give a fuck what I have to do, I will make sure that you belong to me and only me, little girl.”  

Pulling up his balaclava just above the tip of his nose as leaned over your body, his raw, yearning mouth latched on to the thick of your hip as he sucked and bit down at the place he had seen Soap’s hand touch, removing any trace of him from your body and replacing it with visible marks that belonged to him. There was no stopping there, though; he wanted markings across all parts of your body so that everyone could see where he had been, where you had been claimed by him, and he wanted you to be reminded each time you looked in the mirror. 

“This is mine and this and this,” he whispered desperately as he released your skin from his mouth intermittently to breathe as his handiwork continued along up and down your burning flesh. “No one can touch you like this ‘cept me.”

Already being stimulated and denied release, every single embrace of his mouth left you reeling in pleasure and the way those soft lips caressed your body mixed with the sharp pain from his bites left you a puddle in his hands. “Please,” the plea fell from your lips before you could clamp your mouth shut to keep it from escaping.

That whimper sent a trail of goosebumps across his skin, making Ghost moan deep in the back of his throat. Hearing you beg was the most beautiful music that had ever graced his ears and it only added fuel to the fire raging inside of him. All at once his shirt felt ungodly hot clinging to his body and so releasing you from his mouth he stood up and wrenched it off quickly over the top of his head to throw it away haphazardly to the floor. 

There it was, that fucking gorgeous broad chest lightly covered with a sparse amount of blonde hair amassed in the center of his pectorals that thinned out as it spread and continued in a line down his wide torso and into his pants, leading directly to that glorious appendage. His line of work made sure to keep him in top physical condition so that he exuded a virile energy that made your fucking knees buckle out from under you and even though his chest was a mix of scars and marks like a road map of the type of life he had lived, it did not matter; he was a god amongst men and you would do anything for even a single glimpse of that mouth-watering happy trail. You could not take your hungry eyes off of it. If your hands weren’t bound you would have already been running your fingers along it before your lips could follow.

“Turn around,” he order roughly, breaking you out of your stupor at his bare chest, “face the door and arch your back. Now, princess.”

It was a struggle to rotate yourself around with your hands locked above your head, but with the promise that he was about to fuck you senseless you got into position before him, rotating your body around and putting enough curve in your back that he could enter you easily. You waited not so patiently to have that feeling of his hands digging into your hips so that he could thrust into you, but what you found instead was the sharp sting of his palm connecting with your bare ass, making it vibrate. 

“Fuck, so beautiful the way it bounces like that,” he groaned as another smack was placed directly on top of the first. “You body was made for punishment. Isn’t that right, baby? Let’s get in a few more for good measure.”

Another smack, but the sting did nothing other than make you whine for more as that large mitt of his cupped the entirety of your backside. His intensity was obviously best when he was given free reign to do what he deemed necessary, even his discipline felt like ecstasy as the sting of it mixed with the pleasure coursing through your veins to make you delirious and ride that razors edge between pain and desire. A few more swift smacks and his handprint was a bright red sign upon your cheek; he couldn’t help but smile at his handiwork and knowing you’d have a glaring reminder tomorrow of him when you couldn’t sit down properly without wincing. 

You were ready to take as much as he was willing to give when you felt him pulling your hips forward a little more so your were on the balls of your feet before he  dropped down onto his knees. His face was now perfectly aligned with your as and  with a firm grip he spread your legs open as far as he could comfortably get them before he was leaning his face in; he needed a fucking taste. Those full lips placed a few quick kisses to your silky, bare petals before his wide tongue opened you up slowly and deliberately as he dragged it the length of your sex to collect as much of your juices as he could on his tongue. Goddamn you were so fucking sweet. 

“Mmm,” he hummed, his vocal chords vibrating against your entrance as the taste of you filled his mouth and tingled on his taste buds. The pad of his tongue hit your clit and your jolted into the door, the over-stimulation sending shock waves through your needy body. The lieutenant became no better than a dog lapping at you with reckless abandon, a man possessed and intoxicated by how the heat from your thighs felt against his face as he absolutely worshiped that sweet little pussy. Those fingertips digging into the meat of your hips tingled as his hunger for you consumed him; he would have been content to lap at your juices for hours until his face was smothered, until he couldn’t breathe and his mask had your scent fused into the fibers.

Even faster than before, the feeling of that beefy tongue playing around your clit with his nose nudging eagerly against your entrance brought you back to the edge of your orgasm. Tears streamed out from the corner of your eyes and onto your chest as your overstimulated sex yearned for completion, hoping that at least this time you would be allowed to come all over his mysterious face. You gripped your finger tighter in your bound hands to hold on for dear life.

“That tongue is gonna kill me,” you cried out, your legs shaking as they did their best to keep you upright. “Fuck, yes baby, make me come.”

That was the one thing that Ghost did not want to hear yet, as it meant that his feast would have to end even though he wasn’t done with his teasing yet. He meant every single word of the promise he made to discipline you for your disrespect and he intended to keep it; you weren’t going to leave his bed this time without being completely and utterly obsessed with him and all he could do for you. With a frustrated but ultimately satisfied sigh, he pulled his tongue away and locked your hips into place with his hands to keep you from backing up against him until he was clear of your cunt. 

You whimpered and whined so pathetically you did not even care about sounding tough anymore. This was too much for anyone to handle and all you wanted was for him to give you your deserved release. Burying your face against the hard surface of the door, you continued your barrage of annoyed and desperate sounds until a gentle touch helped you to turn over to face him once again.

As he came into view, you could see just how much damage had been done to the beast of a man before you. That mask of his was soaked from your juices and his saliva had rolled down to his chin making him look feral. The fabric was so stuck to the center of his face that it was gonna be a bitch to remove, but that twisted grin plastered on his face let you know that he had enjoyed every last second of being buried between your legs. 

“Are you going to behave for me from now on?” he growled as he wiped his exposed mouth with the back of his hand. Silently you nodded, but that wasn’t enough. “Use your words, baby girl,” he demanded. “Say ‘I will be a good girl for you’, say ‘I’ll never stray again’.”

You licked your parched lips. “I will be a good girl for you,” you whined. “So good, I’ll never stray again.”

“Say ‘I belong to you and only you’. Moan it, loud. I want them to hear it outside that fucking door.”

“I belong to you and only you, I promise baby,” you reassured as loudly as you could, not giving a fuck who heard it and secretly wanting someone to. “I don’t want anyone, but you.”

“You’re fucking right, luv. You are my property. Mine,” he growled and just like that it was over; you had served your time and now you both had earned that little death that would drown you in ecstasy.

Those lips that had touched everywhere except your own finally connected as Ghost leaned into your trembling naked body. You could taste yourself on his mouth as his lips danced aggressively with your own, pressing so hard you could feel a swelling from the pressure; another part for him to needlessly claim as it was already his. Reaching above your head he undid the restraints to let your wrists fall free, returning your arms back to you. Immediately you made your way to the waistband of his pants still loosely hanging on about his waist and hungrily tried to push them down off his hips; that cock was yours and you weren’t taking no for an answer anymore. 

“Ah, ah, ah,” he scolded as he held your hand against his hip, “you want me to fuck you good and proper, you know what I’m going to want.”

Fuck, your clit was so swollen you thought you would pass out, your body sweaty and aching something fierce. All you wanted was to relieve the pressure, have him to throw you onto his bed and open your legs so that he could rut into you like the absolute cum slut you were. You whimpered when you realized he still had enough sense to continued to torture you. 

Simon leaned in closer, his chest firm against your scant top so that your breasts were pressed to him. “Just start moving those beautiful lips for me,” he purred in that gravely tone that he played up for the effect of making you throb harder for him, “and beg. If you want me to get that fucking ache deep inside, I’m going to need a bit more from you.”

There was no more fight left in you to disobey him; whatever he wanted you would give in without question just to have him let you come. “P-please,” you said with agitation that you had been broken. 

His strong, rough grip found your jawline to hold still as he ran his large thumb across your lips before he leaned in forward. His warm breath hit your earlobe as he rested at the side of your head. “Please, what?” he pushed, his voice lowering into that register that made you wild. “Use your words and say my name; I need you to get used to using it. You’ll be screaming it often after tonight. Say: Fuck me Simon, please.”

Through gritted teeth you tried to remain sane. “Please, fuck me Simon,” you repeated the phrase he had given you to parrot. This was the first time you had ever used his real name and fuck did it feel perfect tumbling off your tongue. 

“Tsk, tsk, tsk,” his tongue clicked against the roof of his mouth, “that wasn’t good enough.”

He scooped you up in his arms and quickly moved you both over to his bed where to shoved you down onto the surface while pulling your crop top and bra up over your head in one move. Those pants that had somehow stayed put around his hips all this time were finally shoved off the curve of his ass and onto the ground, leaving him exposed in all his beautiful glory as he took his seat next to you on the mattress. 

Roughly you were pulled directly over his lap, his throbbing phallus waiting impatiently between your dripping thighs. He took one leg into each of his large hands to spread you wide and tilted you both back so that he could better position himself under your entrance and when he was aligned he situated his cock between your petals and rocked you back and forth to coat him as he teased your core. You squirmed in his grasp, trying to move your hips so that he would enter you, but it was no use; he had you in his grasp and at his mercy.

“Now,” he cleared his throat, breathing deeply to slow his rapid heartbeat as he stroked himself through you. “Repeat it again or you will have to wait longer, luv.”

Goddamn him for having so much fucking control. How could anyone be expected to be anything less than a fucking mess when a giant of a man is encompassing your entire body with his massive one as his cock was teasing your aching hole by being so close and yet so far from hitting the back of your cervix? Under those circumstances you were doing quite fucking well. 

“P-please, Simon, fuck me,” you said louder and more enthusiastically this time. “Fuck me until I can’t take it anymore. Until the walls know the sound of my moans, until the entire unit knows how well I scream your name. Fuck, please baby I need it.”

Those hands holding up your thighs dug in further to the supple flesh with strong fingertips enough to make you gasp. “Good girl,” he praised. “You’re such a fucking whore for me, aren’t you? And now I am going to ruin you for anyone else.”

He rocked you both back and then forward quickly to where you were pushed down over top of his cock as he thrust upward with his pelvis. The action made you take him in down to the hilt all at once and filled you completely until you could not take another centimeter. 

“Fuck,” he groaned forcefully as you took him all in… so tight, so wet, he could feel his muscles strain as he bottomed out inside you.

You mewled at the feeling of him stretching you out so quickly, his girth almost more than the walls of your pussy could handle. Fuck, you were so full of him that when he finally pulled out of you it would feel so goddamn empty it would physically hurt. A twitch of that ungodly thick appendage inside you made you whine. 

“That’s right,” he praised, “take it all, I know you can, you little bitch. Uuugh…goddamn.”

Those powerful arms locked themselves around your waist as he used your body as his own personal fleshlight, making you bounce with force up and down on him at his unyielding pace; you may have been the one to be punished, but making him wait was just as much torture and he had to reclaim every last second of time he was not inside of you by fucking you with a ferocity that left you completely destroyed. You could only sit and take every last delectable inch that he gave you as his massive girth stretched your walls with every thrust of his pelvis upward. The room was filled with the wet, sticky music of your bodies slapping against each other as he worked your hole as if this was the last chance he would get to fuck you and he needed to make it count. This wasn’t love, not something tender, but only pure animalistic lust and the more he stroked in and out of you the more he needed. Simon’s mind was consumed with only you and how you made him feel in that moment: powerful.

“I should call Soap in here and make him watch you get fucked like this by me,” the gravel in his thickly accented voice getting even deeper with the ungodly feeling of you wrapped so tight around him as he pounded slow and hard into you over and over again. “Would you like that, hmm? Making your little boy toy watch you get fucked by a real man, letting him know that what he got tonight is all he is ever going to get from you? You want him to hear you screaming my name while I fill this sweet pussy with all I got?”

Fucking hell he was voracious in his need to claim you and it made your body shiver from being overwhelmed with animalistic prowess. No one had ever wanted you this much, especially a man at the peak of his masculine power, and the exhilaration of being so completely desired beyond reason was overwhelmingly euphoric. 

“Yes,” your slack-jawed mouth breathed out. “I want everyone to know I’m yours. That they can’t touch me or else. I want to show everyone what a good girl I am for you and only you.” 

“Oh, fuck baby,” he whimpered as your words made your body respond by contracting around him as you bore down with the conviction of your statement, “I can feel you clenching around me. My little whore loves to think about everyone knowing our secret, doesn’t she?”

Goddammit, that was such an erotic thought, making Johnny or anyone really watch as he owned you. It was like the type of domination a dog feels when marking its territory; Simon would have loved for the whole damn team to see your tits bounce as you rode his cock, your cries of pleasure being the soundtrack to the show.  

Harder and faster, his frenzied pace drilled his cock into you relentlessly as those thoughts  filled his mind and made him ravenous for the sensation of your body. He had waited so long for this, dreampt of this, pleaded for this, and it felt just as exhilarating as that first time if not more because now he knew he could have this whenever the fuck he wanted. If he could have kicked his own ass for trying to deny you both from this bliss, he would have in an instant, but never again would he let this go.

Those strong arms wrapped around your middle to keep you steady as he held on so tightly you felt your torso being crushed, but it did not matter as the angle of his penetration hit its mark consistently each and every time. You leaned fully back into him, your arms wrapping backward around his shoulders so that you could rest your head on them while your ear was filled with the sound of his primal grunting. 

His view was instantly filled with your perky chest jiggling as each of his thrusts sent shock waves through you to make them dance and goddamn was it a delicious sight. Since your arms secured you more to him, he was able to release one of his from around your waist and it slithered up so that his hand could find it’s place around your neck; such a perfect necklace for his special girl, one befitting of your unique tastes. 

“Do you even know what I would do for you? Do you know how deep my lust for you goes? How much I want to possess you?” he growled as his hand tightened around your slender throat. 

Without warning he had pulled out of you only briefly so that he could aggressively flip you over onto your back, getting into position by kneeling in front of you as he threw your legs onto his broad, sculpted shoulders before he gripped your hips and instantly reentered you. The new position helped him to reach even deeper and you mewled loudly, your head flying back as your hands clenched his sheets in your fists at the sensation. You pulled your head up to look into his eyes as he again picked up his desperate pace, his abs glistening with sweat as they contracted and released after each thrust. Those brown eyes sparkled with a fire you had never seen before and you loved it. 

“I would burn this place to the fucking ground just to bury myself in that perfect cunt as much as I please,” he growled deep and primal. “Fucking hell baby, I won’t be able to ever get enough.” 

Those words were the catalyst for the warmth now spreading out from within your belly to making your limbs tingle as everything was focused on your orgasm. It was so close you could taste it and you felt confident that this was the time he would let you finally release; there was no way he could stop himself, not with the way his hips were pounding into you. 

“I am yours to use whenever you please,” you groaned as your body writhed wildly. “Use me, fucking use me.”

You keep talking like that and you wouldn’t be able to perform your duties for the 141 because you’d be kept far too exhausted to function by him making sure you stayed plastered around his dick constantly. That wasn’t a bad idea at all, having you at his beck and call whenever he needed it: after a stressful mission, during the middle of an uneventful one, at all hours whenever he needed a quick fix where he could simply pull you into any secluded space. This was the start of something destructive, but screw it this is what he wanted and god did that put him on the very edge of his own orgasm.

“Oh God, oh fucking God, Simon,” your husky breath carried the words upon it for the third and hopefully final time, breaking him from his thoughts as your cries to the heavens could only mean one this.  

And shit did that make Simon smile; after all the time he had edged you this night there was no chance in hell you wouldn’t come with fury. “That’s it, luv,” he praised as he kept the pace steady, “you going come for me? Your orgasm belongs to me and I demand it.”

“Fuck, Simon, just don’t stop,” you whined.

That is exactly what he did, not changing a single thing that would disrupt the gathering sensation of ecstasy inside your core. No, this train was barreling down the tracks faster by the minute and he craved above all else to be brought to his own end by your climax alone. To feel those silky walls flutter around him before you clamped down hard, squeezing him just right so that he would be forced to come; he wouldn’t settle for anything less.

“Come for me,” he demanded as he tried desperately to hold off from bursting, “let me feel that pussy clench.”

A few more pumps of him deep in your core and that was it, like a hot flash of white light you cried out in shaky whimpers as your orgasm tore through with such force you nearly shot off the bed as your back arched and your hips bucked harshly into him. “Goddammit Simon, fuck.”

Through your cries he picked up the pace and finally the warmth that had been building shot through his body, coursing like a burning river of fire through his veins as he ripped his cock out of you and through your thighs from your legs still perched on his shoulders to cover your stomach in his steaming hot semen. The roar he released as his body shook while he drained his cock dry over top of you until he had no more left in him to give sounded like a wild animal and you could not have enjoyed it more than you did; you were the one to make him come with such force he was reduced to his more basic instincts.

Simon’s head hung slack against your calves as his unsteady breath slowly returned to a more tolerable rhythm and only then did he remove your legs from his shoulders and rolled over to sit beside you, an exhausted sack of flesh completely sated for the moment. Leaning over he reached under the edge of the bed, producing an old t-shirt out from under it which he handed to you so that you could wipe his milky fluids off your torso.

He was already sitting back propped against his pillows with a cigarette in his mouth by the time you finished up and you moved back in the bed to join him. Holding out his fingers with the lit stick of tobacco between them, he offered you a hit and you graciously took it; this was an intense night worthy of a bit of nicotine to take the edge off. 

With a more relaxed gaze he looked upon  you, admiring the bright flush of your cheeks that was also spread across your chest and the contented glisten in your eyes, all evidence that he had done his job. Bringing his hand up he combed his fingers through your hair until he reached the back of your head where he held them wrapped in the strands a moment. “You did so well for me baby,” his stern praise soothed. “And are you going to continue to be my perfectly little slut?”

You nodded your head, just gazing back into those amber eyes that looked on your wrecked state as if you were a masterpiece. “Yes, sir.”

“Good,” the corners of his mouth upturned slightly as he took back his cig from you to take another lazy drag. “I suggest you rest up now sweetheart because once I can get it back up we are going to go at least one more round before I’m finished. We still got plenty of night left and we are going to take full fucking advantage of it.”

A main course and dessert? That was more  than agreeable, considering how long you had waited for this to happen in the first place. “Fine,” you said as you rolled onto your side, resting your arm on your hip with a sudden renewed sense of entitlement quickly coming back on, “but this time I will be the one on top. Otherwise you can kiss this sweet ass goodbye as I walk right out that door.”

Simon chuckled. “Oh you are a tough one to crack, sweetheart. Best be glad that precious little cunt you have resting between those legs is more than worth the trouble. And that I am a man that loves a challenge. This whole thing is just getting started and I am more than confident that by the end I will have broken this feral kitten into a perfectly docile house cat.”

You hoped he would fucking try cause what a ride that would be, but if anyone could break you it would be him. He handed the cig back to you one more time and you again accepted it. “We shall see, sir,” you breathed out the smoke from the side of your mouth. “We shall see.”

Challenge accepted. 

*** 

On the other side of the door, a set of unaware prying ears had caught wind of noise as they passed by. They had not meant to, but curiosity is a bitch of a temptress and soon they were within range enough to clearly hear the moans and whimpers, the groans and growls, currently reverberating off the walls of the room. The person had not realized where it was they found themselves as they had simply been taking a walk to clear their head, but soon it became apparent that this was the private quarters of that misanthrope of a lieutenant. 

At first they couldn’t help but snicker under their breath, congratulating the quiet man at getting some action because why not? It wasn’t until the voice of the female had actually began to speak instead of moan that their blood pressure rose and they could feel their heartbeat in their ears. It was you that Ghost was currently making come and that did not sit right with them, not at all. 

Who said he got to lay claims when they were the one putting in all the effort, when there had clearly been chemistry between you both? No, this wasn’t how it was going to be. He would not take this lying down, rolling over and showing his belly in intimidation by the much bigger officer as he stole you away all to himself. The eavesdropper had as much stake in you as him and if Ghost thought he could simply take you as easily as that, then he had another thing coming.

A mohawked head quickly turned about face and headed back to his own quarters, drunkenly promising himself that it did not matter what Ghost had made you promise or what you had just declared through your sated ecstasy, he would show you that he could be just as every bit as good as the old lieutenant himself.    

[mrcrawly]

Jayvik headcanons

hello jayvik nation im dumping these here bc im almost done with the second chapter of my fic and these have been stewing a while

Viktor

has the most beautiful curly calligraphy handwriting ever but it's so curly and fancy you genuinely can't read it

Ibuprofen allergy. source: my twisted mind

fidgeting with stuff all the time. paperclips, pencils, clips, rubber bands, the buttons on his vest

bonus to that one: he messes with his vest buttons so much that Jayce is constantly having to sew them back on when they come off

chronic nail biter

big sweet tooth

great cook but a shitty baker

"get even" kind of person; probably holds grudges from the second grade

doesn't cry very often but can be sensitive in the sense that he cares very much how his closest friends view him and internalizes their opinions

love languages are words of affirmation and acts of service

likes to be touched but not held (autism)

hates winter because it makes his joints hurt, summer is unbearably hot and he can't stand it, he has spring allergies; default fall enjoyer

animals really like him and strays tend to show up at the lab or follow him around

children like Viktor. Viktor doesn't like children back

kids will sometimes randomly talk to him and tell him things in public and he doesn't have the heart to be mean to them or ignore them so he just sits there like "mhm ☺️" while they talk until their parents apologize and walk off

probably has a pet reptile (a turtle or some kind of lizard methinks)

cold natured and wears seven hundred billion blankets to bed every night no matter the season

identifies as male in the sense that he was born a man and just never bothered to think much about it but doesn't fully grasp the concept or purpose of gender. could tell you what makes a man a man or what makes a woman a woman but doesn't understand why nor care

interested in jayce from the beginning but never felt as if he was in competition with Mel

sorry they can pry the JayMelVik love triangle out of my cold dead hands ♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️

not very affectionate because he doesn't know how to discuss his own feelings but very good at soothing other people

Jayce

dysgraphia (i think that's the term?) – not many issues with reading but not the best with writing

viktor is hyperlexic so it works out alright

AMAZING at drawing. like if he didn't have the passion for science he would be an artist. he draws out all their diagrams and blueprints and Viktor labels them

can cook pretty well but doesn't like to do it; if he stays at Viktor's place then Viktor always cooks for him

likes baking because he controls every single thing that goes in and it's very exact

both he and Viktor have chronic pain in their hands (carpal tunnel) from spending all their time taking notes and working with small delicate parts

he doesn't complain about his even when it bothers him because it feels silly knowing how bad Viktor's pain is every day 💔💔💔💔

10,000 step haircare routine but Viktor's looks better anyway

used to be prone to acne as a teen (if accutane existed in arcane he would have been an accutane kid)

(i was an accutane kid and im projecting)

shaved regularly pre-hexcore because his father had facial hair and he looks a lot like his dad anyway; he was always a little worried if he grew it out it would remind Ximena too much of his dad and make her sad

took entire days off of work and pushed deadlines back when Viktor got bad just so he could stay with him when Viktor was in too much pain to do practically anything

used to deliberately sleep in the lab because Viktor would stay late and he didn't want Viktor to be alone in case he passed out or something happened

love languages are physical touch, gift giving, and quality time

money doesn't exist to him when he's buying other people things. can't do secret santas at Christmas bc he constantly exceeds the budget

simultaneously one of those people who legitimately cannot accept gifts and feels bad when people give him things

was genuinely so in love with Mel; used to have dreams about marrying her and living somewhere quiet with her

most definitely forgave her for manipulating him on the council and understood her but it was just never the same

bottom. argue with the wall

OUGHHHH my shayla 💔💔💔💔💔💔💔

guess my favorite character challenge level impossible (it's so unbelievably obvious)

[yoonia]

Hello^^

This is your annual (monthly) psa from little old me.

I'm sorry for being MIA. I had a ton of fun with my birthday bash event on October and I love that I ended up writing a couple of new pieces at the end aside from giving you guys some lovely moodboards to enjoy, which was a blast.

Unfortunately, on the final days of October, I started getting an allergy reaction from some of my meds, which led to me getting a weird skin infection appearing on my right arm and with a terrible inflammation on my upper arm. I also experienced a symptom similar to carpal tunnel syndrome which I got from hours of designing and drawing for work during the day and playing with canva and photoshop and writing on my computer at night, so I had to take a long break as soon as I finished my event and November came around.

To top it all, I think I'm a bit burnt out. I've been releasing a ton of things since August, and my mind (and I guess, my body) is asking for a break. I've been taking some time off from the internet and Tumblr because of this and have been focusing on recovering (bc your girl has bills to pay and I can't draw anything with this arm *sobs*).

I'm still recovering right now, with my arm still sore and hurting, but I'm slowly getting back to writing and creating some stuff again as I'm doing NaNoWriMo independently (without the site). Here's where we are at so far:

— Nefarious, that was planned to be released at the end of October, is about halfway done. I'm currently focusing on this one to release as soon as I'm done with it (because this won't be the last instalment from In Motion and I want to get the other out on December). Thanks to my break, I was able to open the draft with fresh eyes and...hated at least most of the things I wrote last month lol. so I'm in the middle of rewriting this and I can say that I'm making better progress with this so far.

— Carousel is still on rewriting process, with its weekly update continuing on Wattpad starting this month.

— The Bedroom Hymns is also on progress. I can only write for an hour or two each day due to my condition, so progress has been slow, but we're getting somewhere. I think I can release the new chapter right after Nefarious is released.

— Ever A Never After is continuing. Again, it's a slow progress, and I might release it sooner on Wattpad as small chapters if it comes down to it.

— I have a surprise project to release soon. I'm not sure when it's coming, but I'll be announcing it when I'm ready :)

That's all for now. Thank you for your patience and for making things fun for me back in October that you've given my a lot of motivation to write some new fics. I have a couple of messages waiting for me in my inbox which I'll be answering as soon as I'm available (again).

Be back soon! Take care, lovelies <333

xoxo, Dia

[not-that-dillinger]

Ed rolled back onto his stomach, his face smushed into the pillow, and arms tucked into his chest, mentally trying to determine how long he could stay in bed before he actually had to get ready for work. His limbs felt leaden, and he had very little motivation to get up.

He hadn't had physical affection in years, but sharing a bed with Raye reminded him of the short period he'd dated Alex, Concordia, and Marlin, before he'd realized what he wanted was different from what they wanted and life got so busy they...drifted apart. He missed them. He missed a gentle touch and a warm greeting in the morning, but he couldn't stand the sound of his own voice in the morning; he doubted he could bear Raye touching him.

Granted, Raye had been nothing but accommodating, and Ed did appreciate that. He appreciated that he'd been given space, as much as their apartment allowed, and he appreciated the gesture when Raye cooked for him, even if it still made him anxious. None of that could make up for the fact that Raye was supposed to be monitoring him, and Ed still felt like anything he did would be used against him.

He lay still and focused on breathing until he heard Raye exit the bathroom before mustering the energy to haul himself out of bed. He silently picked out his own clothes, then shuffled into the bathroom to shower. He turned the heat up to near scalding before disrobing and stepping in. For a few minutes, he just stood under the hot water, letting it relax tense muscles and melt his depressing thoughts away.

Enough dwelling on his situation. There was nothing he could do about it, and he had work to do.

"We're married"

《 from Raye Penber @first-frost-fallen-snow because that would be the funniest route to me also sorry for like disappearing I was focusing on moving out and now my fatigue is killing me 》

Ed awoke for once not slumped over his keyboard, yet also not in the empty apartment he'd moved into when he first moved to Japan. Though he supposed technically, the apartment he was in belonged to him, as did the bed he lay in, though both truly belonged to the man laying next to him. He squinted at the clock on his nightstand, at red LED numbers so blurry, only years of practice allowed him to decipher the time without having to put his glasses on. He still had time before he had to get up, a couple of hours before he had to get to work.

A flash of gold on the nightstand drew his eyes from the clock to the ring next to his glasses. It was the only piece of jewelry he owned, and far more expensive than anything he would ever purchase for himself. There was a similar ring on the other nightstand on the opposite side of the bed that belonged to the other occupant--Raye Penber.

Ed... still didn't know what to make of his new situation, let alone the man he was now legally bound to. He didn't hate him, certainly, though whether he trusted him was yet to be decided. Their marriage hadn't been Ed's idea, nor had it been Raye's. A necessity to facilitate the Kira investigation, it had been called, and Ed had only begrudgingly agreed to it for fear of opposition somehow being used against him as evidence and landing him in prison.

Thought of their marriage left an uneasy feeling in his stomach. He'd sworn when he got his job at Encom, and finally escaped his father's control that he would never put himself in any sort relationship where there was a power imbalance and they were not equals. He wouldn't put himself in a situation where he could be abused again. And yet here he was, a foreigner, far from anyone he could call a friendly face, barely understanding the language and culture, and though their partnership was supposed to be one of equals, it didn't feel that way.

Not that he had anyone on the other side of the Pacific he could call for help if he was able, anyway. His therapist, maybe. Though he didn't trust that the call wouldn't be monitored. Or an old rival, if he was desperate.

He felt trapped. He was relying on a man he barely knew to keep him from being falsely accused of mass murder. He was at risk, not just from his partner, but from the people in charge of the investigation as well, People he felt like were treating the investigation as nothing more than a game, where both his and his partner's lives were nothing more than disposable pawns.

How strange it was, that such a tiny band of metal could hold so much meaning. To others, it would have been a symbol of joy as bright as it's polished surface, but to Ed it had just replaced the physical handcuffs that had bound him to his legal partner to with a symbolic one.

[ilovetheriddler]

The Carpal Tunnel Of Love.

(Gotham) Edward Nygma/The Riddler × F!Reader.

(Takes place in between seasons 1 and 2 of Gotham. Also, this is my first ever fanfic. So i hope it's okay!)

Word Count: Slightly over 700.

Contents: Unrequited Feelings, just a small bit of Angst.

You honestly couldn't begin to even act like you had any clue as to what Edward was currently up to. Hunched over his desk, scribbling away on numerous scraps of paper... Actually, a concerning amount of paper. You pondered to yourself about what he could be writing down in such a gleeful frenzy.

Originally, you assumed that it had to be some new Riddles he had just thought up. But... the look in his eyes made you think it was something else entirely... He glanced up, finally noticing that you were standing in the doorway. He jumped up slightly startled, unintentionally sending his papers flying everywhere.

He quickly tried to gather them all up while attempting to ramble out a greeting to you.

"A-ah! I'm so sorry that I didn't see you standing there!"

You couldn't help but chuckle to yourself, not in a mocking way like numerous other did when it came to Ed, no. In a more amused and friendly way.

"It's fine, Ed. What exactly are you working on there?"

"O-oh! Um.. It's a bit embarrassing to admit, but I'm currently writing a love letter. Well, attempting to that is."

You felt your pulse quicken upon hearing this, You could practically hear your heart beat pounding away in your ears. Is this really it? Is this finally the moment you've been hoping for? When he confesses his love for you? A genuinely large grin crosses your face in excitement.

"Really?! A love letter? That's quite an interesting thing to be working on... If you don't mind me asking, who's it for?"

An embarrassed and goofy grin rests on his face as he scratches his neck. A bit reluctant to actually admit who this letter is for. But ultimately, he concedes and does so.

"Well.... It's for Miss Kringle, I've had feelings for her awhile now and... I think I'm ready to tell her that!"

You felt your heart both briefly stop and shatter upon realizing what he's saying. The letter isn't for you. He doesn't love you. He's in love with Kristen Kringle.... Oh. Of course he is... you attempt to put up a front of being happy and supportive of him. A fake smile is present on your face.

"R-really? I'm... really happy for you, Ed. You deserve to have someone love you as much as you love them. I hope it goes well for you when you tell her..."

"Thank you... I um... sure hope it does. So anyway, what are you doing down here at the GCPD?"

You felt your face heat up slightly once he inquired about why you were here. You sigh and pull an envelope from your bag, Handing it to him. He looks a bit surprised and confused as to what it's meant to be.

"Open it.... I made it just for you."

"Hmm? Really? Well, alright then. Thank you!"

He tears open the envelope and pulls the card out. It was a clearly handmade card. He opens it and sees the writing on the inside that reads, "You may have a lot of me, but you'll never have enough. There will be no more after the last one arrives. What am i?". A soft chuckle escapes his lips.

"A... Riddle?.... Birthdays, the answer is Birthdays."

"That's right.... Happy birthday, Ed...."

His eyes go wide once he realizes what today is. It's his birthday. He'd been so caught up with preparing everything to be perfect when he confessed to Kristen that it had totally slipped his mind that it was today. After a few seconds, a genuine and wide grin crosses his face.

"You remembered my birthday? Wow um... I don't know what to say, Thank you..."

"We've been friends for two years now, Ed, i couldn't forget your birthday even if I tried."

"Well... Thank you! I really appreciate that you'd go through all the trouble of making me a card. It really means a lot to me that I have a friend who cares as much as you do!"

A friend. That's... unfortunately, all you'd ever be to Edward, you feared. But, a part of you honestly didn't mind. As long as you were able to be by his side and be a part of his life... then I'd be worth it to you. Even if it did tear you apart inside each night that he would never return your feelings, or at least that's what you believed and you weren't willing to risk telling him, especially not now that you knew about his feelings for Kristen Kringle.

[taxidermycanine]

DEAR DISABLED THERIANS.

a short positivity post to remind you all that you are loved, important and valued in not only the therian / alterhuman community, but in life. take care of yourselves.

to the therians who use canes and wheelchairs, you are no less of a mobile creature for needing an aid. whether your theriotype is a fish, a domestic cat or a wild canid — mobility aids are found in most, if not all, species out there due to the help from humans. if you had been born in the right body, you would be given the same sort of aid. i promise. it isn't shameful.

you have carpal tunnel and feel left out because you're a wolf who was born to run and hunt elk? that's great!! i bet you'd be great friends with this guy :0}

to the blind and / or deaf therians who are told that their theriotype simply wouldn't survive due to their blindness — this simply isn't true. there have been many cases of blind or deaf animals surviving, look at this wolf as an example! and bare in mind MOST cases of blindness are partial, but this old gal is pretty much FULLY blind, and she's doing fine. why wouldn't you?

to the therians who have some sort of learning disability, it does NOT make you an idiot. i tend to see a lot of critters with stereotypically intelligent animals (think elephants, border collies, etc) as their theriotypes and feel worried due to their disability. you aren't dumb, you aren't "mentally not there", you aren't any of the mean things you've been called throughout your life. there ARE animals with learning disabilities, you would not die in the wild for having one just the same as you would not die in a domestic household for having one (or many)

and to those who have any other disabilities that i didn't mention in this short post, you are enough. you don't have to prove your therianthropy to anyone. if someone ever insists that you can't possibly be your theriotype because you are disabled? ignore them, they're lying and just trying to make you feel terrible about yourself. it's hard being disabled, it's hard waking up in pain and never not being NOT in pain, it's hard knowing that there are folks out there that'd demean you just for being disabled, it's hard needing mobility aids and not being able to afford them, it's hard when people think that you're stupid or less deserving of respect because they don't deem you "all there".

i love you all, those hardships are something that you shouldn't ever have to experience.

take good care of yourself if you can, and if you can't? get yourself that sweet treat you've been wanting, eat your favorite candy before a savory meal, give yourself a well deserved hug and watch your favorite show.

[arctroopertinky]

Look Towards the Future Ch9: Trust

Captain Rex x Jedi!Reader

Words: 11.3k

Summary: A long mission for multiple battalions is in full swing. Both you and Rex fail to trust each other with your worrying thoughts. The two of you feel a disconnection your hearts yearn to correct. More confusion ensues.

Warnings: Reference to alcohol / a lot more half-truths / references to death / swearing / Fives being an idiot / Maybe the slightest sexual reference / But nothing all that explicit / Pining without realizing

A/N: Hello all! Thank you for your patience as I've been dealing with Carpal Tunnel and a new semester. As promised, here is the next chapter, please enjoy and leave any thoughts you might want to share <3

AO3 Link / Previous Chapter / Next Chapter / Master List

The forest was dense, covered in lush greens that ranged in all sorts of different tones and shades. The sky was a bright baby blue, unfortunately mostly covered by the thick forest that you found yourself in with the rest of your battalion. But, you didn’t mind, the mossy woodland you were surrounded by was nothing less than stunning.

Anakin and Ahsoka weren’t there yet. Right when everyone had to get to their own dropships, there wasn’t enough time to say goodbye, or at least bid each other good luck. You were all rushed to your ships to get down to the planet. At least you’d see them at the bottom, but somehow you got there first. And what’s worse, you were surrounded by hundreds of men you had never met before. And they weren’t just from your current battalion, multiple battalions were called on for this mission, and their presence made you that much more nervous.

You weren’t exactly sure how to act in front of all of these clones. You didn’t feel the need to run away and hide anymore (definitely an improvement). But, how were you supposed to act now? You weren’t very familiar with any of these clones, and unfortunately Rex took Anakin’s dropship, so you were without him for comfort or direction.

So, you utilized distraction as a tactic. You looked down to a patch of moss that was against the tree you were standing by, and you began to observe it deeply to pass time. The vibrant, but deep color was almost hypnotic, the way it looked as though it belonged in these woods, but looked almost unnatural at the same time kept you captivated. Without really thinking about it much, your foot began to press against the moss. It was only soft for a brief moment before your foot was stopped by the force of the tree it grew on. You did this a few more times, pressing against the moss, and releasing your strength from it over and over again, getting a sense of its depth without getting a closer look. Soon enough, the chatter of troopers around you slowly began to fade.

Then, you noticed a tear in the moss, revealing its brown and slightly yellowed underside. You took the edge of your foot, and began to peel, curiosity settling in as your source of comfort…

“General?”

You let in some air in the form of a light gasp, grasping the fabric at your chest as you looked up.

It was Echo.

You were quick to try to act natural, clearing your throat despite the fact nothing was blocking it, putting your fist against your lips to try to sell your amateur talent.

“Y-yes?” You prayed nothing was wrong, despite no indication that anything was awry.

“I just wanted to say hello before the mission began.” He explained. His face was hidden behind his helmet, forbidding you from seeing his expression, his intention. It made you feel more unsure, as though you were talking to nothing.

“Ah.” Was all you could think to say at the moment. “Hello, Echo.” He was one of the only clones of this battalion whose name you knew. You wished things were different.

You became confused after Echo did not walk away. You forced a slight smile upon your face to avoid giving your concern away.

“Is there something I can help you with, Echo?” You asked, finding it difficult to keep your eyes on the visor of his helmet, unable to discern where to place them against the black void of the reflective material.

“Well, you’ve been standing here by yourself the whole time we’ve been waiting for the others to arrive.” Echo started. He then shifted himself slightly after a brief moment of silence. “May I ask you a question, General?”

You stopped forcing your smile, allowing the corners of your mouth to fall into a slight frown. You didn’t know where this was going.

“Of course.” But, you didn’t want to be rude.

“Excuse me if I am being too forward here. But, how come you aren’t speaking to any of us?” Echo took off his helmet, you weren’t prepared for the platonic intimacy as his eyes pierced you. “Are you doing alright?”

“Y-yes…! I-I am fine.” Fuck, you were stuttering. You forced another smile upon your face. “I just, don’t know any of you yet, except for-”

“Except for Rex?” Echo finished for you. His interruption didn’t annoy you, but you were definitely surprised that he knew how to finish your thought despite him spotting you with the Captain just the day before...

“Y-yes.” You began. “He’s the only one who I have really gotten to know so far.” You couldn’t help but allow your eyes to wander away from the trooper. “I hope that can change at some point.” That last sentence came out as almost a mumble, you heard yourself saying it before you even realized what you were admitting to the trooper. Such a simple phrase, but something you weren’t sure you wanted to burden a stranger with.

“I agree.” Was all that Echo said in reply. The words didn’t hit you as hard as you’d expected. You assumed that he was simply agreeing to make you happy, to avoid hurting you with a truth you had invented in your head without much proof. You eyed the trooper without much effort, allowing yourself to then look to the ground, expecting him to make his way back to his brothers within the moment.

But he didn’t.

Confusion bubbled within you more and more as the sight of Echo’s armor in the very corner of your eyes became more known to you as the seconds drew out into minutes. Was there something wrong? Should you say something? You turned your head to the trooper, mouth opened slightly in preparation to ask Echo a question you weren’t sure how to phrase.

“How do you like the battalion so far?” Echo was the first to speak, stopping you in your tracks, jaw slightly slacked open in surprise at his words. “I hope that everyone is treating you alright?”

“Uh, yes! Well…” A jumble of words began to spill from your mouth before you could logically put them together into a sentence. Your mind wandered to when you were trapped in the leveled village, after your attempt to locate the mines failed. You remembered how some clones reacted to your helplessness, how they sneered at your uselessness. But that wasn’t something for you to burden poor Echo with.

“Well enough.” Was all you said in reply, unable to put much emotion into your falsified response.

“Well enough?” Echo echoed, clearly taking note. He cocked his head to the side.

“Mhm.” You replied back, hastily nodding your head up and down as you forced a closed-lip smile upon your face. It hurt those muscles to keep it up for even another second.

Echo looked over to you, his eyes stared you down, threatening to swallow you whole. After a moment of uncomfortable silence, Echo relented and turned his head to face straight, looking away from you, and breaking the one-sided tension he likely never knew was even occurring. You forced yourself to not let out a sigh of relief as you felt your own head look forward.

You once again found yourself waiting for Echo to dismiss himself.

And yet… he never did.

“Echo!” You heard a clone shout excitedly in the distance. The two of you whipped your heads to the source of the noise to find Fives making his way towards you. A pep in his step revealed his excitement to see his dear brother before the mission. Once Fives was close enough to his brother, they clasped hands with a hardy grip, before they hit their foreheads together as they smiled wide, laughing away any nervousness they felt from the upcoming mission.

“Jesse was wondering where you were.” Fives said to his brother as they disconnected their foreheads. “What are you doing here by yourself?” He inquired.

Echo smiled as he lightly gestured towards you. “I was actually speaking with General y/n.” Fives’s eyes immediately found yours, prompting you to look away quickly as you felt your breath hitch in surprise.

“Oh yeah?” You heard Fives say. You had to prevent yourself from sulking, immediately expecting nothing good to come from this conversation.

“Yeah, I want to help her feel more welcome here.” Echo began. “We can’t let Rex be the only one of us who gets to get to know the new General.” It was clear to you that Echo was being truthful in his statement. But there was something else under his words, something you could only pick up subtly. But, the feeling was too quiet for you to take notice for long. You simply allowed it to roll off your back, to wait impatiently for the other trooper’s response. You then sensed the urge to look back to Fives, who was already staring back at you. He was smiling. Good sign.

“Do you want to hang out with us before everyone else gets here?” Fives asked you, tilting his head slightly backwards to indicate where his group was waiting. “I promised that I was going to drag Echo back there whether he liked it or not. But you shouldn’t have to stand here by yourself.”

“Umm…” You weren’t exactly sure how to respond as your fingers automatically began fidgeting with the fabric of your robe and your feet began favoring each other. Fives simply looked upon you as he awaited an answer, clearly not noticing your nervousness as a slight smile continued to lift his lips.

Huh. A lot of kindness today…

You were about to tell the two troopers to leave you here, until you heard multiple pairs of footsteps approaching you. Fives and Echo clearly had noticed this as well, as they both looked over to the source of the noise just as you did. Many clones were approaching you, with Jesse being the only one you were familiar with. All the other clones were men you KNEW you had seen before in the 501st. But of course, you didn’t know them like you knew the men from your old battalion. A pang of homesickness hit you for that realization.

“We were just about to come find you!” Fives stated with delight towards his brothers, opting instead now to face them instead of you.

“We got bored.” Jesse replied almost too matter-of-factly. “Both because we’ve been waiting for you, and for the last dropship.” He then spotted you, his eyes widening slightly as though he were fearful of his ignorance to your presence. “General.” He acknowledged as he nodded his head in your direction. The other unnamed troopers behind him noticed this formal interaction, and followed in his footsteps, all nodding and quietly stating your presence.

You wished that they could just say hello. Maybe they should take a page out of Rex’s book… or Echo’s, apparently.

Then the verbal chaos began. Half a dozen voices began to ring in one of your ears and out the other, all speaking a different menagerie of words, and all almost overwhelming you just the same. You wanted to become a part of the chaos at first. In fact, you were almost able to force yourself to speak up. But then the thought of your old battalion popped into your head once again. You remembered the informal and friendly greetings your men would effortlessly give to you. You remembered how they spoke to you. How you spoke to them. How you felt like one of them. And how you don’t feel like one of them now.

You looked around, witnessing the joy and brotherhood that the troopers in your presence experienced right before you. None looked at you, all dedicated to their own conversation, until your eyes caught Echo, who was looking right at you. He wasted no time to delicately wave you over to his small pod of brethren, to which you immediately shook your head as you forced a closed-lip smile upon your face. Echo smiled back to you in understanding, a pinch of uncertainty and pity clearly invading his face before he turned back to his group. You wanted to punch yourself for refusing access to potential friendships, but you were already too convinced that you weren’t completely wanted there. Despite your reasoning, you felt guilty and regretful for saying no. But you didn’t want that to be obvious.

- - -

Rex allowed the wind to wail in his ears as he felt it try and fail to disturb his short buzzed hair. Its rhythm was never consistent, seemingly only smacking Rex in the face when it thought the time was right. His body was positioned towards the sky, his eyes closed, deep in thought as the conversation his General and Commander were in was merely a muffle in the back of his mind.

If it wasn’t obvious already, he was thinking about you.

Despite his best efforts, his mind was still stuck on what he and Echo had discussed the night before, about how it feels to... like someone. At this point, Rex had put so much of the mental energy he should have been saving for the upcoming mission into re-reminding himself that he was not developing romantic feelings for you. Right when his mind began to consider the possibility, he quickly came up with an excuse as to why it wasn’t true. Honestly, sometimes Rex had to dig deep for a reason not to believe it, but he chose to ignore its occasional difficulty. It would’ve just been another fact to point towards something Rex didn’t want to believe. But Rex had a hard time ignoring an itch he felt in the back of his mind, urging him to give the possibility a chance. He felt the want to do so. It drove him crazy, no matter how hard he tried to ignore its existence.

Rex looked to his friendly superiors, he saw their smiles and their laughter, but he was so lost in thought that only a muffled portion of the sound hit his senses. The realization hit him hard. In reaction he cleared his throat and pushed his shoulders back to seem normal again, praying that Anakin and Ahoksa looked as clueless to Rex’s current state as they seemed at a glance.

Rex saw a change of scenery in the corner of his eye, and looked back out to the planet to see that his dropship was gently landing. Then the ship hit the ground with a thud, powerful enough to upset the balance of Rex’s boots against the floor. The wind finally stopped beating against his ears, allowing for Rex to hear the multitudes of conversation that were now occurring all around him. The soldiers from his battalion were mingling with those from the 212th and 104th.

They all seemed to really be enjoying themselves before the mission. That was good, this mission wasn’t going to be short. They’re going to get ample time to speak to each other for a while at first, but that’ll eventually change. Rex put one foot in front of the other to get off the drop ship, his back foot stuck in the dropship for quite a few seconds as Rex got a handle on the new earth he found himself on, hearing the blades of grass and long dead leaves beneath him crunch and fold under his weight. But, once his other foot hit the ground, his immediate thought was to find you.

His eyes looked around the crowd like a lost puppy as his fingers gripped his helmet that was at his side harder without him even realizing it. He left his two comrades behind without even relieving himself. He just knew that he had to find you, as though merely seeing you would help his mind find release from his agonizingly crowding thoughts. He walked through the crowd, sometimes pushing past his unaware brothers in an attempt to find you. The garbled speech that was occurring around him only sometimes made sense in his mind as his focus continued to be zeroed in on you.

Then Rex reached a part of the earth where no man stood, an eye of the storm of sorts. He relished in the para-social privacy he didn’t think he was going to achieve. But there was no time to enjoy the lone moment, his eyes spotted you on the other side of the empty space, standing with… some of his brothers?

His initial thought was a positive one, that maybe you were getting to know his brothers. But then he noticed the look of sadness that infected your face, and that thought quickly washed away, replaced by worried ones instead. Before Rex could fix himself up before approaching the group, he was unfortunate enough to have had Jesse notice him. He smiled and simply waved Rex over, the movement catching the attention of the other troopers in the group, who all looked over to their Captain, including you.

“Well, look at who finally decided to show up!” Fives joked, extending an arm out to the Captain. Rex rolled his eyes as he walked over, smirking at the trooper before clasping Fives, connecting their arms as his hand held onto Fives’s forearm, and Fives held onto his. The brotherly interaction took Rex away from the moment, but only for a short amount of time. Once his eyes found you again, the smile that he didn’t even realize was on his face melted back into a frown he couldn’t help but show. Hopefully no one would comment on it.

“Why the long face, Cap?”

Shit.

“Just thinking about the mission, is all. Don’t worry about me.” Rex replied, looking over to discover that Echo had asked the worrisome question. He then looked to you, who was already sneaking peeks. Once your eyes locked you averted yours quickly, acting as natural as possible, but your widened eyes gave you away. Something was wrong.

“Re-Captain.” You said, clearly trying to make yourself look composed. Your pupils twitched as they tried to look at Rex, another piece of proof for Rex that something was amiss.

“Y/n-...” Rex sighed, disappointed that he made the same mistake of referring to you by your first name during a mission, but also surprised at the same time…

“General.” Rex couldn’t help but let one of the corners of his mouth jerk into a smile for a short second. Despite everything, it felt nice to see you. Why?

Rex cleared his throat in an attempt to ignore his dizzying thoughts, covering his mouth with his free fist to make it seem all the more natural.

“Well…” Rex began, as he observed the lasting smiles that ruminated on his brothers. “You all seemed to have had an amazing time while you were waiting for me.”

“Just chatting our asses away until we’re given orders like we usually do.” Fives said sarcastically, followed by everyone in the small group chuckling, except for you. Rex noticed this and immediately acted.

“Well I hope my brothers didn’t make your ears bleed, General.” Rex joked nonchalantly to you. “They typically do that.”

That joke prompted a moderately harsh, but still playful punch hit into the side of Rex’s shoulder by Echo.

“Hey!” Fives exclaimed in between laughter. “If Echo didn’t get lost over here, we wouldn’t have had to ‘torture’ General y/n, as you would put it.”

“Oh yeah?” Rex responded automatically and without thought, a pang of anxiety hitting him as he remembered the conversation he had with the trooper just the night before. He looked to the trooper, whose hands were now held up defensively.

“Well excuse me for trying to get to know our new General.” Echo replied sarcastically, clearly not noticing the concerned look that Rex couldn’t help but give his brother. He didn’t even think to, but he looked to you next, only to see that you were already looking at him, with a confused face covered in even more concern than what Rex thought was possible in that moment. The realization hit him in the chest, prompting him to fix his expression, turning it into a smile that he hoped you couldn’t see through without your ability to use the force. His eyes told another story, however, as they looked into yours. They asked a question that no one else could hear but you.

‘How are you?’

Rex was extremely concerned with Echo’s intentions at that moment. But, he still wanted to check in. He cared too much not to.

You looked off to the side for a moment, a frown still infecting your lips. You looked back, a look of unsureness clear in your eyes. But then you smiled, it being big enough to crease the sides of your eyes without separating your lips, and you nodded slightly.

Rex kept up his fake smile, just as you were, and he nodded in pretend understanding. You both had demons you wanted to keep away that day. It was something Rex understood as a soldier, and as a man. But he wanted to know more. He wanted more of your trust.

Rex took one step towards you, his mouth opening with anticipation to see what words would come out of it. But right when he vocalized the first word, he heard your name being called from somewhere out of his sight.

You both looked towards the source of the sound, to see Anakin and Ahsoka waving you over.

“Sorry!” Ahsoka yelled. “We just need to talk to you about the mission before we head out!”

You quickly whipped your head back to face Rex, your eyes wide in surprise. Your head faced the General and Commander once more, but your eyes couldn’t decide where to look. You gave Rex one more glance before mouthing an apology, before you jogged over to the two superiors. Rex was left alone to his scrambled thoughts, almost confused about what had just occurred. He stared as you left him to join the others, observing the smile they gave you as they welcomed you to the trio, making sure they were making you feel at home as thoughts raced in the back of his head.

“Rex?”

He felt a hand push against his shoulder.

“W-what?” Rex jumped in reaction to his senses suddenly coming to life. He took a quick step to the side, and cocked his head quickly to see who it was, his eyes blinking rapidly for a moment.

It was just Echo.

Rex let out a huff of air loudly, his eyebrows raised in slight relief as he planted a palm over his heart.

“Echo… you scared the hell outta me.” He stated in between heaves.

Echo let out a chuckle. “Sorry Rex, but…” His expression soured a bit, before he leaned in close to Rex’s ear “You’re staring.”

Rex looked at Echo without moving his head. Echo slightly motioned his head towards you. Rex looked back at you, and swallowed.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Rex replied as he straightened his expression as much as possible. Echo pulled away from the side of Rex’s head.

“I think I understand more than you want me to, buddy.” Echo replied. There was a hint of care in his voice. Rex noticed that despite all of the chaos occurring in his head.

“What do you mean?” Rex probed, eyeing Echo quickly.

“Come on, Rex. Quit playing dumb. You know I’m talking about her.” Echo said plainly.

Rex opened his mouth, letting out a small noise as though he were going to begin defending himself. But before anything more than a peep could come out, his eyes caught onto you again, and all he found was silence once more.

But he had to say something, this train of thought that Echo had taken an apparent liking to was going too far already. Rex straightened his posture out, and looked Echo in the eyes.

“What do you remember of our… conversation, last night?” Rex asked as he kept his tone as unwavered as possible.

Echo let a small smile infect his lips. “Trust me, just because I was drinking, it doesn't mean that I can’t remember anything because of it.”

“Then you’d know that I was simply just curious about how… those kinds of feelings felt. That’s all.” Rex tried to get his commanding tone into those last two words.

“Yeah, you said you were ‘just curious’ last night too.” Echo echoed. Echo turned away from Rex for a moment, looking at something in the distance that was calling to him, but Rex didn’t want to break his eye contact with Echo in fear that he’d never be able to regain it if it were to be lost.

Echo looked back to Rex and sighed. “Look, Rex, Fives is unfortunately summoning me, probably to watch him do something stupid before the mission starts. But, can I tell you something before I go?”

Rex shrugged, trying to keep up the Captain act. “Go ahead.”

“I can see why you like her. And I can see why she’s comfortable around you. Your support has really been helping her crack out of her shell.”

“Hm.” Rex grunted in reply, resisting the urge to turn his head to look at you.

“And I hope that she can one day become more comfortable around us as well.” Echo continued, gesturing towards his brothers.

Rex looked at you, you had a smile on your face as you conversed with Anakin and Ahsoka, but Rex could see the sadness that infected you, causing a familiar slight furrow to be visible in your eyebrows.

“You just need to give her time.” Rex said, slowly turning his head back towards Echo. “She’s uh… she’s been through a lot.” Rex couldn’t help but rub the back of his neck with his free hand.

“Word certainly has been getting around.” Echo said regretfully. Rex’s eyes opened widely.

“What kind of words?” Rex couldn’t hide his concern from his brother as he peered over at you quickly, before looking back at Echo as he leaned his head closer towards the trooper.

Echo was careful to lower his volume. “An entire battalion getting wiped out was one thing. But when General y/n joined our battalion only a few weeks later, some of us began to put the pieces together…” Echo trailed off for a moment. “Maybe that’s why there was never an official statement about the brothers we lost. So she could recover without everyone knowing what had happened to her.”

“ECHO!” Fives yelled in the near distance. Prompting a sigh from Echo that contained a bit of joking frustration.

“I guess that’s my queue.” He said as he slowly turned away from his Captain. Echo took one step away from Rex, but then stopped in his tracks. “Just, one more thing, Rex?”

“Hm?” Rex’s eyes were on you now as he gave up his ocular focus on Echo.

“You’re not the first one of us to fall for a General.”

Rex's eyes grew wide in an instant as they stayed locked onto you. Luckily you didn’t seem to notice as you continued your conversation with Anakin and Ahsoka.

“It’s not like tha-” Rex looked over at Echo, just to find that he was long gone, already far enough away to direct attention towards himself if he were to call for the trooper.

The Captain was alone once again. All he could do was sigh as he desperately defended his beliefs to himself.

It wasn’t like that at all with you. He was sure of it.

- - -

You felt your feet almost drag behind as more emotional weight was added onto you by the second. First, you still couldn’t use the force, which was already causing you constant stress whether you were thinking about it or not. Secondly, you were really missing your old battalion, and having that close connection to the soldiers around you. And now? The mission was fresh in your head after discussing the specifics of it with Anakin and Ahsoka.

Now, it was time to debrief the rest of the squad, and finally head out.

You stood next to your fellow Generals as you waited for everyone to gather. You kept your arms crossed over each other in an attempt to seem more put together than you actually were. It took a lot of concentration to keep your face straight, but you were determined to maintain it.

Troopers gathered close to their respective Generals, with Rex joining in with the same behavior. But instead of standing with his brothers, Rex opted instead to stand next to you, with the four of you creating a half circle, facing your troopers who were standing close together. As the talking lowered, you felt a strange tension coming from Rex, one that anyone could feel if they were looking for it. You didn’t want to admit it was there, so you simply kept your thoughts to yourself. You kept your eyes forward to maintain your professional demeanor, trying to ignore the feeling of the pistol Rex gifted you as it squeezed against your waist and belt.

Eventually, the chatter quieted. Anakin was the first to speak from your battalion as the booming commands from other generals were heard in the near distance.

“Alright boys. If you did your homework, you should know why we landed in such a remote area of the planet, and so far away from our target for this mission…” Anakin’s voice faded to the back of your mind as you couldn’t help but go over the mission in your head as a distraction from your distressing thoughts.

This planet was quite populated and advanced, but it was decided to land in such a remote location to avoid detection. This planet was under extreme Separatist rule, and was home to one of the largest battle-droid construction factories that the Republic knew of. This planet was also one of the easiest to sneak onto, both due to the amount of uninhabited land, and lack of security in those areas. The planet had not been under separatist rule for too long, they clearly focused on production, rather than security first.

The factory was not in a habited town, but it was quite close to one. So, the plan was to get there on foot, without any mobile vehicles and without any communication devices activated to attract unwanted attention. Once the mission began, the battalion was going to be cut off from the rest of the Republic until it was completed. The thought made you gulp air, isolation wasn’t going to keep your mind at ease.

The sound of dozens of comms being shut off jumped you back into reality. You used only your slightly widened eyes to look around you, and you saw all of the men around you focused on the top of their wrists. You took a moment, but was quick to realize what you should be doing. You swiftly raised your wrist up to the same height as your chest. And you raised your other hand up to shut your comms off, trying hard to ignore the persistent shaking in both of your hands as the sound shut-off queue sounded off.

You immediately put your arms back to your sides in hopes to continue maintaining a put-together look as you opened your ears back up to the speech.

“For this mission; we need to be stealthy, we need to be quiet, and we need to be careful.” Anakin continued, followed by the collective groans of a concerning number of troopers. Ahsoka was quick to interject.

“But! Once we get to the factory, we’re going to rig it with explosives.”

Some agreeable murmurs immediately filled the crowd. You found this bunch of clones similarly humorous to the ones you once called yours.

“The explosives will be timed, so they will only go off once we escape the planet. They won’t even know we were here until it’s too late.”

You appreciated it that this time, you were the ones with the explosives, not the enemy. That was one less thing for you to worry about during this mission. But if only you could use the force in the first place… you wouldn’t have been having those thoughts at all.

You suddenly had the feeling that you were being watched. You turned your head slightly towards the suspicion without much thought, and your eyes were met with Rex’s, who were clearly looking at you for some time now.

A look of flustered panic set into his face and his eyes immediately whipped back to the crowd. His eyes stayed locked onto what was in front of him, his eyelids seemingly unable to relax as they stayed wide.

You looked at him for another moment, one eyebrow raised high in concerned confusion. He was clearly thinking about something that was worrying him, but what could it possibly be? Was he worried about the mission?

You hoped that it wasn’t about the mission. If Rex was concerned, it was just another aspect of the mission for you to worry about on top of your inability to use the force. You compelled yourself to look forward, just to see that the speech was over and clones were just starting to prepare themselves for the trek ahead. You looked to the Captain, who was already facing away from you, anxious to make his leave.

“Rex.” You said without thinking about it first. A twinge of regret hit you as Rex began to turn, not having a plan as to what to say next as his eyes hit you. He had a look of anticipation on his face. Patient, yet almost bursting with something more, something you could only almost recognize. It frustrated you a bit to not know, but the situation at hand helped you forget.

“Are you nervous about the mission?” You asked him, satisfied with your on-the-spot question.

“What?” Rex asked in return, a look of unsureness now infecting his face with a hint of inattention. Your satisfaction quickly faded away, an anxiety quickly filled the hole.

“Oh… w-well…” You paused for a short moment to think of what to say next. “You seem w-worried… and-”

“Oh!” Rex interrupted you, but didn’t seem to notice that you didn’t finish you thought as his eyed widened. “Y-yeah, just thinking about the mission, is all…”

“Are you sure…?” You asked him lightly, praying for a more truthful answer than what he was providing.

“Yeah… yes!” Rex’s lips curled up into a smile, one you recognized all too well to be fake. “Don’t worry about me, I just want everyone to get home safely, including you.” Rex took a quick look around, you couldn’t tell for what. “I need to go get some things put together before we head out.” He was already walking away at this point. “I’ll see you in a little while?” He asked as he barely looked back.

“Yeah, but…” That was all you could get out before you gave up, Rex was long gone with the wind, leaving you confused and troubled by his display.

- - -

You took your first steps besides Anakin and Ahsoka, the three of you leading the silent charge towards the droid factory after bidding the other battalions good luck as they set themselves on their own path to the factory. You felt Rex’s absence from the front of the parade heavily. He should have been up there with the three of you, but he lagged behind slightly, walking with a group of his brothers you understood that he was close with, but wasn’t engaging with them.

You would hear Echo ask Rex a question, to which he would barely reply with more than a few mumbled words. Fives or Jesse would crack a joke, to which Rex wouldn’t even reply at all. You kept your eyes forward to avoid attracting unwanted attention, but you couldn’t help but yearn for a connection with the Captain. You waited for any queue to allow you to naturally slip into conversation with him. But what was your in?

“Are you okay?” You heard Ahsoka ask your side. Your ears immediately perked up as you looked to the Commander, completely forgetting to wipe the concerned look off of your face.

“Oh, uh…” You struggled to come up with a good lie for a brief moment, Ahsoka kept a smile on her face, but you could tell that she sensed that something was wrong. “I’m just… nervous for the mission, that's all…” You looked back forward, a lump formed in your throat as you prayed that she bought your excuse.

“Ah, I get nervous before missions sometimes too.” Ahsoka said in response. “I find that it’s helpful to talk it out, do you want to try? I’m all ears!”

You looked to Ahsoka, debating on what to say next in your head. “Um, no, I-I’m okay. I think I just need a distraction…”

“Feel free to break off from formation. We’re not close enough to the factory yet for there to be any Separatists in this part of the forest.” Anakin chimed in, looking over to you. “Also, It’s pretty fucking boring being in front.” He smiled mischievously as he eyed you, prompting you to smile a bit in return for his kindness. “Enjoy yourself before things get too serious.” He ended with a wink before looking forward once more.

You nodded silently before allowing your pace to fall behind Anakin and Ahsoka. You left their charge slowly as you made your way to Rex’s group, praying that you’ll flow in naturally.

“I’m telling you Echo, the war rations don’t taste nearly as good as you think!” Fives exclaimed. “In fact, I’d go as far to say that they taste like shit.” Chuckles can be heard in the group that you tried to blend into, followed by a clump of arguments brought by clones you both knew and wished you did.

“As always, you’re being too dramatic Fives.” Echo replied with a tease in his voice. “I think they taste good.”

Fives let out a hardy laugh. “There’s no way you actually think that they taste good!” Fives quickly turned to another clone that you did not recognize. “What do you think, Tup?”

The trooper with a teardrop tattoo chuckled at being singled out by Fives. “Oh, I don’t know Fives. They taste good enough for me to eat them, isn’t that enough?”

“Absolutely not!” Fives whipped his head to Rex. “What about you, Cap? Do you agree with these idiots?”

You watched as Rex turned his head to Fives, the back of his head now the only thing visible to you as the other troopers stood in the background. You watched as he shrugged his shoulders a single time.

“They get the job done, don’t they?” He replied without any humor in his voice. Fives’s nose crinkled in response to Rex’s comment.

“Yes, but-” Fives threw his free arm up into the air in joking defeat. “Considering that we are going to have to eat this slop for the next while, all I’m saying is that they should make them taste better! I’d rather eat my own shit sometimes!” His comment was followed by an uproar.

“You don’t actually mean that!” Jesse said with a laugh. A wide smile grew onto Fives’s face as he couldn’t hold in his laughter anymore.

“I do! And I might do just that to prove a point!” More laughter ensued, you couldn’t help but shake your head in response to the bothers’ silly antics, and a small smile invaded your face.

Fives’s eyes then caught onto your movement, finally noticing you.

“What about you, General?” Fives asked, prompting every participating clone to look over to you. Rex included, a confused and worried expression now littering his face as surprise raised his eyelids slightly. “Do you actually like how our rations taste?” You didn’t like how many eyes were on you, but there was no slipping in unnoticed now. You had to say something.

“W-well.” You began with a stammer. “I think they’re pretty alright.” You shrugged your shoulders as an awkward smile strained your face. There was silence for a brief moment. A length of time that would have been perceived as normal by anyone else. But for you? It felt like an eternity, especially with Rex’s eyes in your peripheral vision calling for your attention.

But then Fives broke out into a brief laughing fit.

“There’s no way that I’m the only one who hates them!” Fives pleaded as he looked around at his brothers in defeat. “Am I the crazy one here?”

“Maybe you are!” You replied jokingly. Once you had realized what you said, you almost gasped. What you said came out so naturally, but if you had given yourself the chance to reconsider, you doubt you would have said anything at all just to remain under the radar…

“Yeah Fives, you're outnumbered here!” You heard Echo tease. “Get with the program!” Laughter erupted the group once more, causing you to join in with a quiet chuckle. “Maybe actually try to enjoy your meals, instead of shoving food down your throat at every chance you get! More laughter from the clones, and your chuckles got louder too.

“Yeah, maybe you’ll actually taste the food this time!” You found yourself joking again, followed by more laughter from the clones, the hardest of which luckily coming from Fives himself. You enjoyed the feeling this gave you. You felt as though you were actually fitting in with a battalion again.

But then you realized that Rex was still staring, his existence entering your conscious awareness once more. Your eyes bounced back to his, meeting instantly. He wasn’t smiling at first, a concern still burned in his eyes, still too far from your grasp for you to understand it. The wide smile on your face shrunk a bit, but still lingered as the humorous conversation was still fresh in your mind.

You looked at each other for a brief moment, your expressions unchanging. But then a warm smile crept onto the Captain’s lips, crows feet forming in the corner of his eyes.

“Having fun?” He asked smoothly, not breaking eye contact. It almost made you too nervous to speak. You nodded quickly in return.

“Yeah…!” You looked back at Rex’s brothers for only a small moment, finding that you didn’t want to break eye contact for long as you brought them back to Rex with no problem at all. “They actually seem pretty funny to be around. They remind me of my old battalion…” You trailed off as sadness took you over, your eye contact wavering as you took turns favoring Rex’s eyes and the ground. You finally settled on looking at the ground, turning your head back forward to watch as your feet took one step in front of the other.

“I’m sorry…” You heard Rex say. You looked back to him to see a look of pity, the last thing you could have wanted. His pupils dance slightly, making microscopic movements every second, but never leaving your eyes. It was at this moment you realized that Rex had brown eyes. Why did this surprise you? You weren’t sure, you have seen thousands of these eyes thousands of times, and you’ve had many chances before to study them at a close proximity. But at that moment, you realized that Rex’s eyes were different compared to the pair you had descriptively known before. Unlike Rory’s, the bottom of Rex’s irises had a darker shade of brown. The specks of both darker and lighter color in Rex’s eyes were different as well. You found studying Rex’s eyes just as hypnotizing as when you would look at Rory’s. Now, you knew another way the clones were different, a fact that you would keep to yourself, a fact that comforted you strangely enough.

“Do you want to talk about it?” The words were muffled against your distracted mind.

“Hm?” Was all you could say in response, you were completely swept into his bronze world.

“Your battalion?” Rex asked once more. You refocused almost immediately, finding Rex’s eyes still on you, full of the same care and pity that he had before you lost yourself, but he seemed just as relaxed as you were just a moment ago.

“Oh…! Um…” You looked away from Rex, now looking in front of you as your eyes danced around and your fingers fiddled with each other nervously.

But, something urged you to share… you felt a WANT to share.

“Sure.” You said as plainly as you could, shrugging your shoulders to add to the facade. You took a brief but deep breath in, and let it out louder than you intended to.

“Well…” You rolled your eyes in thought, thinking of what you wanted to share first as you felt Rex’s unwavering eyes still on you as you walked forward. Then you felt the words bubbling up your throat like beautiful word vomit. “Saks and Gamble were always an interesting pair. They were both troublemakers in their own right, but Saks always knew how to efficiently cut through the enemy. Gamble was a fantastic fighter too, but…” You chuckled to yourself as your eyelids softly closed, the smile never fading completely from your face once you were done. “I guess you could say that at times… his success on the battlefield was a ‘gamble.’ Hah!” You heard Rex laugh along softly next to you. You looked at him and were met with a slight smile, and his eyes still on you.

“Yeah? What else?” Rex asked. You felt more words pour out of you smoothly.

“I mean, then there’s Freak, he always found the most unconventional ways to get through battle, and honestly everyday life. He was a strange guy, but I loved him for who he was. I loved everyone for who they were. If only they were here now…” Your heart was met with another push of sadness, Rex clearly noticed this, his eyebrows furrowed together and his lips parted slightly, as though he knew what he wanted to say in the moment but hesitated for a reason unknown to you. You looked at each other in silence once more.

“But it doesn’t matter!” You were quick to say to smother the silence as you looked forward once more. “Where was I…” You continued, wanting nothing more than to change the topic back to something more positive. But you couldn’t think of anything to say. Too many clones swam through your mind all at once, all calling for your attention. Especially one, but you weren’t sure how to talk about him.

“What about the trooper who led your battalion? He was called Rory, right? What was he like?” Rex lightly probed, as though he knew that Rory was the trooper you had stuck in your mind. You sighed again as sadness struck even harder than before.

“Well, he…” Your eyes stuck to the ground as you thought hard of what to say next, of what you were willing to admit. “I was definitely the closest with him- naturally! And, uh… he was the right man to lead his brothers into battle, right up until the end.” You paused, Rex’s eyes burned into the side of your head relentlessly.

Pleasant memories flashed through your mind. You let out a long sigh as you let them stay.

“He was kind, and considerate, and always put the safety of everyone else above his own, even if that meant that he wasn’t going to get home.” Your eyes lost focus as you honed in on your thoughts. “But he always ended up fine. He knew his way around a blaster like it was nobody’s business, he was relentlessly talented on the battlefield, definitely one of the most capable soldiers I have ever met. But he was an even better friend…” You stopped to think once more, that last word almost felt unnatural as it left your lips.

“He sounded like he was important to you.” Rex interjected before you could think of anything else to say. You looked to the Captain once more, welcoming the warm feeling his attention provided you.

“You have no idea.” You replied with a whisper, understanding that you knew way more than Rex likely ever would. You really missed Rory. Your shoulders sagged as your posture sank into yourself, sadness was taking hold and you didn’t have the energy to stop it. All you could do was think about your last moments with your old Captain before he…

Then you felt a hand lightly grasp your shoulder. You almost gasped at the contact before looking up with slightly widened eyes to meet Rex’s gaze once more. Just as soft, just as caring.

You almost forgot about Rory at that moment.

“You know that you can talk to me about anything, right?” Rex asked softly. You were slow to respond as you drowned in his eyes once more, observing the colors and how they differed from who you knew before.

“Really…?” You asked absent-mindedly.

“Really.” Rex echoed in response.

“REX.”

Speaking of Echo.

Rex turned his head slightly back towards his brothers, you did the same to see Echo looking frustrated, and Jesse and Fives playfully strangling each other with their free arms.

“I’ve called for you three times!” He quietly yelled to the Captain. “Help me get these two off of each other! They’re being ridiculous!” Rex groaned and rolled his eyes before he readjusted his head to look back at you.

“Thanks for opening up to me.” Rex said to you. You nodded slowly as a response struggled to find you.

“Yeah…”

But then you realized that Rex was leaned in slightly closer to you, more than what was normal for the two of you. You cleared your throat upon the realization, covering your mouth with your fist and taking a slight step away from the Captain to give yourself space, the contact that his hand has with your shoulder ending abruptly. Rex was slow to realize what had happened, but he finally did. It also seemed that his throat was clogged as his head returned to its natural position on his shoulders, his eyes struggled to stay on you from that moment on as his free hand suddenly had to scratch his cheek. You didn’t notice any movement from him in some time as you spoke, he must have been like that for a while.

Rex took one more look at you, awkwardness now infecting his pity, but you could still see the care in his eyes despite how distracted he looked now, his eyes darted between you and the chaos that ensued behind you.

“I should uh, go take care of that…” He said as he used his head to signal towards his brothers. You nodded quickly.

“Yeah, no problem! Go help Echo.” You said with a manufactured smile. Rex nodded back, before quickly turning around to intervene.

You looked forward as you heard Rex’s commanding tone take over as he scolded his troopers. His voice faded into the background of your attention as you thought of what just transpired. You once again found yourself feeling appreciative of his care and attention. Well… maybe you felt a bit more than just that. It was strange, that feeling was still so familiar, still on the tip of your tongue, it almost reminded you of when-

You suddenly felt a large force pushing against your back, causing you to take multiple uneasy steps forward. Luckily, you were barely able to stop yourself from falling over. Once you had regained your balance, you were quick to look behind you, confusion completely riddling your face, and making you forget what you were pondering before.

Of course, when you looked behind you, you saw an energetic Fives next to an apologetic Echo and a furious Rex. Fives back was facing you as he smiled a idiotic smile. But he eventually noticed the looks on his brothers’ faces, before his head whipped to you, and his smile was quick to drop halfway.

“Sorry General!” He yelled way too loud to you with a wave that was asking for forgiveness. Due to your surprise, all you could think to do was give Fives a thumbs up with an awkward smile on your face. But once again, it wasn’t forced. You honestly enjoyed Fives's stupid antics enough to find them humorous. However, what you found even funnier was Echo punching Fives in the stomach immediately after. Echo clearly punched hard enough for Fives’s armor to do little to muddle the pain, causing Fives to double over for a moment, spouting incoherent complaints to his brother as everyone around him laughed, including you.

- - -

The day set into night way faster than you’d expected. Honestly, you thought that you’d simply be putting one step in front of the other, not able to find many opportunities to speak with Rex, Anakin, or Ahsoka. But against your educated guess, all of those things ended up not being true. Thanks to the lack of security in your current area, the formation was allowed to be more liquid than any of you expected, troopers swapped from group to group with ease, without much worry of catching unwanted attention from the Separatists forces. What you least expected to occur was that you would find yourself talking to Rex and his brothers, CONSISTENTLY. After Echo and Rex were able to calm Fives down, you found yourself in a group that wasn’t able to keep their mouths shut. Words ran like water as you found out more about the battalion you had found yourself shoved into by the Republic. And you loved it. You learned names you had never learned before, you heard hilarious and horrifying stories alike about these men. You felt like you were making friends out of these clones again, and you loved it.

Eventually everyone had to set up camp for the night. No matter if there were Separatist forces patrolling the area or not, it wasn’t safe to travel in the dark, especially while you had to keep any use of light to a minimum.

But, luckily for you, you found yourself sitting around a campfire with the same clones you had gotten to know, including Rex, who was sitting by your side. A bit more unfortunately for you? Fives was sitting next to you, as rowdy as ever. But, he made it entertaining enough.

“And then-! He threw up all over the floor…! Right next to some stripper’s shoes…!” Fives barely managed to yell out between heaves of laughter as his hand clutched his chest. You looked at Echo, whose face was beet red.

“IT WAS ONE FUCKING TIME!” Echo yelled back defensively, throwing his arms up into the air before crossing them together, hugging himself like a child.

You chuckled along with everyone else at Echo’s expense, who was desperately coming up with embarrassing drinking stories about Fives to get back at him. Unfortunately for Echo, everyone seemed to already know about Fives’s embarrassing drinking stories. He wore them like a damn badge of honor.

“What about you, General y/n?” Jesse asked you. The laughter died down as the focus was removed from Fives and Echo’s antics.

“Hm?’ You sounded in response, honestly unsure of what the trooper was referencing.

“Have you ever had a drink before?” He asked. Innocent enough question to ask a trooper, but it was a bit more complicated when the question was targeted towards a Jedi. Drinking wasn't banned, per say, but it definitely wasn’t encouraged, enough to the point to which it was frowned upon to do so. You could say that you were… experienced, due to your time with your old battalion, but do you tell that truth to these men here? Do you provide them with another half-lie?

“Hey, we won’t tell the other Jedi here.” Fives reassured you mischievously. You guessed you took too long to respond. Everyone silently looked to Anakin and Ahsoka, both of whom were sitting not too far from where you were. Anakin looked up from his preserved meal, blinked a few times, then shrugged his shoulders before looking back down at his food.

“If it makes you feel any better, I don’t really care for that rule, on top of many others…” Anakin mumbled that last part in frustration before focusing on his meal once more. Then all eyes were back on you again, you could feel Rex’s more than anyone else’s.

“Well…” You dragged that word out slowly as you looked at your food. “I have drank before. But-!” You cut yourself off when you caught everyone’s eyes on you, prompting you to quickly look down at the floor. “Nothing too crazy.” You finished quickly.

“Ah.” Fives responded simply. “We need to fix that.”

“Don’t make her do anything she doesn’t want to do.” Rex was quick to interject, his commanding tone proudly displayed for all to hear. Fives put his hands up in sarcastic defense.

“Hey man, she’s her own woman. I’m just offering her a night of fun with the best drinker this battalion has ever known!” He stated proudly as he pointed his thumbs at himself. Rex simply rolled his eyes and grunted in response, turning back to his preserved meal in clear frustration. What did he care?

You eyed Rex for just a moment, him too focused on his meal to notice you were looking. His eyebrows were furrowed together and worry lines spread across his face. You wish you could use the force to understand what he was thinking. You hadn’t known Rex for that long, but you never expected him to be this unreadable. Clearly so stressed and in thought about something, but not letting it be known to you. Strangely enough, you wished he trusted you with that information more than you expected to.

You turned back to your own food as the conversation ensued, changing to another topic entirely. You listened as much as you needed to, trying to only allow your worries about your Captain poison the back of your mind. Of course, the thoughts overtook you at times, but jokes and comments from the troopers helped you pop back into reality periodically, forcing those thoughts to retreat temporarily.

Eventually, each fire was doused out to signal that it was lights out for the battalion. Usually, campfires would be burning all night, keeping those around it warm while they slept. But the risk of catching the attention of the enemy was too important to maintain maximum comfort. While it was extremely unlikely for anyone unexpected to be this deep in the forest, it was imperative for the battalion to remain secretive at all costs. So, everyone had to bundle deeper into their sleeping bags for the time being.

You slid into yours with ease, sighing as the fluffy texture of the bag’s interior comforted you, the sensation taking you away from your thoughts about Rex as your eyes closed in brief delight. You laid your head against your pillow, and immediately turned to your most comfortable position. As long as you were close enough to the battalion, you were allowed to set up your sleeping back wherever you liked. Obviously, you felt unease at the endless possibilities. You only felt close enough to Rex, but he set up his sleeping arrangements too close to his brothers for you to be comfortable with setting up close to him. A-and of course, offering to keep him company at night would be a strange thing to do… So, you set yourself up in a bit of an isolated spot. But were you close enough to Rex, Anakin, and Ahsoka in case something were to arise.

You looked back out to your surroundings once more, immediately catching Rex in your eyes. He was getting comfortable in his sleeping arrangements as well, chatting with his brothers when a conversation was brought to him. You observed the crease in between his eyebrows and the worry lines on his face. His brothers couldn’t see his mind was racing, but you could.

Then Rex laid down after bidding his brothers a good night. He sunk deeper into his sleeping bag, before turning himself to face your direction, luckily too focused on the fluffiness of his pillow to notice you staring. You took that as your cue to focus on getting some sleep yourself, closing your eyes in hopes of it taking you sooner rather than later. There was too much on your mind, Rex, the force, your old battalion… You just wanted the chance to finally relax after a long day, and sleep was most likely your only way out.

But you could feel the two of you facing each other. So close, but yet so far at the same time. You felt this connection too intensely to simply ignore it, it was haunting every corner of your mind as you tried to quiet it desperately. You hoped that this second instance of sudden disconnection wasn’t going to become a trend, especially after the progress the two of you had made together. But, why did you care anyway? He could have been worried about anything, especially considering the eventual danger that the current mission would bring. But still… you had this nagging thought that whatever Rex was thinking so intensely about, you were somehow involved. And that scared you. You didn’t want to lose the first friend you’ve gained since…

Well, you didn’t see a point in going over what happened in your head again. At that rate? You’d get no sleep at all. You tried to distract yourself, but Rex was once again the only thing your spinning mind could think about. But, you managed to drift off as you thought of the pleasant interaction you had with him earlier that day. The fuzzy feeling he gave you in that moment returned to you to push you towards unconsciousness, its existence barely bothering you in that moment. That was something for future you to ponder about.

- - -

Rex tossed and turned in his sleeping bag for what felt like an eternity. Every time he opened his eyes in frustration, the large moon of this planet was in a completely different position, its pastel-yellow face almost mocking the Captain, a cruel reminder that he was losing time, time he needed to get a good night’s rest, necessary for him to function as the Captain of his brothers and comrades.

His mind was still racing ever since his talk with Echo at 79s. Every little thing that Echo brought up about how it felt to… like someone, kept repeating in his head over and over again. The mere thought that those feelings were possible for Rex to feel filled his mind was frenzying thoughts. And it didn’t help that you were still on his mind as well, parallel to those dizzying thoughts he tried so hard to silence. He found himself thinking about the interaction the two of you had only hours before, when you were speaking to him about your old battalion. The memories filled him with a warm knot, one that Rex didn't want to end, one that drove Rex crazy.

Rex was well aware that he was acting strange around you. No matter how much he had hoped that you didn’t notice, he knew for a fact that he was acting that way for a reason and couldn’t help himself. He hated understanding that, and he hated the fact that he had to fight with himself the entire day to maintain the confidence that he wasn’t falling for you to the point of exhaustion. Once everyone was settled in for dinner, Rex had a hard time thinking of anything at all; his brain was completely fried. But, of course, the one time you’re brought into focus, he knew exactly what he wanted to say in an instant. Why was he so short with Fives anyway? Yeah, he can be obnoxious at times, but it’s not like he’s the type to actually hurt anyone. And besides, you could make your own choices about who you spent your free time with. If anything, it should have made Rex happy to see you befriending his brothers. But it didn’t at that moment, and it made Rex worried.

Was he… jealous?

Rex’s eyes opened wide at the thought. He was quick to sit up, his legs crossing over each other as the tips of his fingers rubbed his temples. He resisted the urge to let out a frustrated groan as his mind began its sprint to a nonexistent finish line.

Jealous? There was no way Rex was jealous. You were just making some new friends- which is great! Rex was only upset because Fives brought up alcohol, and there’s no way anything involving Fives and alcohol would ever end well. That was it. It had to be.

Rex took a shallow deep breath in, before letting it out impatiently with a quiet huff. He dropped his head back down to his pillow, covering the top of his face with the palms of his hands, before letting them drop back down as he turned to his side. He was facing you once more.

You were clearly asleep, but your eyebrows were furrowed together slightly, showing remnants of unpleasant thinking as you drifted off to sleep. Rex felt guilt rise in his gut, he silently hoped that your stress wasn’t due to his inability to keep his head straight.

He watched your shoulders rise and fall once more, the breath leaving through your gently parted lips in the form of a cloud that he could only see through his mind’s eye. He then turned away from you, opting instead to lay on his back, hoping that the position change would distract him enough to let him finally rest. He looked back up to the stars once more. But, instead of thinking about the far, far away objects of light, you were still on his mind. He resisted the urge to look at you again, fearing he’d never get his eyes off of you long enough to sleep. But the sudden desire to connect was not something he could as easily control. He wanted to reach out to you, to discuss all that has happened and has been happening. He wanted to explain everything, from the weird knot he had begun feeling in his gut, to his sudden desires and anxious thoughts that surrounded the concept of you.

Rex thought he could trust you with his scrambling thoughts, but he knew that he didn’t trust himself enough to present it to you correctly. He feared that any small misunderstanding could blow his whole friendship with you up in an instant. It felt terrible to keep those thoughts a secret, but he couldn’t risk anything going south with you. He only just got you.

At that moment, Rex decided that figuring out his new feelings on his own was the best option. He wasn’t going to ask his brothers, he wasn’t going to ask Anakin and Ahsoka, and he definitely wasn’t going to ask you for help. He wasn’t going to allow anyone to think that his feelings were anything inappropriate. They weren’t, he just had to do some digging…

The stars disappeared from his sight as Rex tried once more to sleep. He retreated back into the darkness, images of you flashing through his head as he took another pathetic deep breath in, letting it out as quietly as possible to avoid waking anyone.

‘I’m sorry, Y/n.’ Rex thought to himself, hoping that you somehow knew he was thinking of you. ‘I just need to understand what’s going on with me.’

Rex opened himself up to the darkness, hoping that sleep would take him soon.

[dreaming-of-mossballs]

Bamboo for a Bashful Captain - (Gepard x Reader) - FULL POST

Summary: You’ve recently moved from Belobog’s Underworld and gotten a job as a florist. One day, a man wearing a full suit of armor stops by, and you, (fearing for the safety of the flowerpots) decide to approach him.

You never suspected that he would fall head-over-heels so quickly. Or so hard.

▸ Genre(s): Fluff, a sprinkling of angst

▸ Word Count: 15k in total

▸ Tags: Gepard x reader

▸ Warnings: Food mention, possible ooc, reader is shorter than Gepard and slightly fem coded, explicit pronouns aren’t used but Serval calls you a doll,

A/N: This has been in the works for a month. It was actually going to be released earlier, but I had to take a three day break because I was about to give myself carpal tunnel— also, the beginning is choppy but bear with me!

IMPORTANT NOTE: This is available in shorter chapters for those of you whose devices keep crashing (like me). They will be posted every Saturday at 12:00 PST. Use the link post below!

I also have a few additional one-shots, so stay tuned!

I’m so sorry to be rambling but I want to provide the best experience possible.

MASTERLIST (MORE GEPARD HERE)

The Belobog sunlight was warm on the captain of the Silvermane Guards’ face. Gepard was covered in what could only be described as a mountain of blankets, hastily tossed over his sleeping form after returning from an extended mission on the front lines. 

The Fragmentum had never taken a break until recently, when the source of the corrosion was discovered and disposed of. There was still work to be done, of course, but Gepard’s workload had been significantly reduced. This left him feeling a strange mix of relief and confusion due to his regular routine being interrupted. 

Hearing some commotion from the hallway of the Landau Estate, Gepard stirred and sat up, a weary expression on his face. He raised a hand to rub his eyes but was unpleasantly surprised by stiff metal coming into contact with his cheek. 

He looked in the full-length mirror, realizing he had forgotten to take most of his armor off before going to bed, as unflattering red indentations remained on his face and neck from metal pressing into his skin. 

Swinging his feet over the side of the bed, he bent down to put on his home-appropriate loafers. It honestly felt like eons had passed since the Captain had woken up in his own home. He smiled to himself. How he had missed the smell of old books, wood, and leather. 

Gepard suddenly stood up with newfound energy to start the day, but the back of his head collided with the wooden shelf next to his bed. He doubled over, grunted in pain, and gingerly ran a hand through his blond hair.

That’s gonna leave a mark, he groaned inwardly. He looked back up at the shelf to see the flowerpot he began taking care of several weeks ago teetering on the edge. Too groggy to react, he watched it tip over and fall onto the hardwood floor, letting out a loud crash. Ceramic shards and dirt went everywhere. 

Gepard gave it an exasperated stare.

It was long dead anyways, He sighed. I forgot to ask Pela to take care of it again,

Rapid knocking could be heard at his door, and a housekeeper barged in. He was breathing as if he had leapt up the stairs four-at-a-time. 

“Young Master Gepard, is everything all right? I heard a crash,” he said, clutching his duster nervously.

The Captain looked at the broken pot on the floor wistfully.

“I’m fine, thanks,” he said monotonously. “What’s for breakfast?”

———

Gepard had long gotten used to heads turning as he walked through the streets of Belobog. 

He didn’t necessarily mind it, though. Someone of his position would be bound to catch a few glances. If it meant he could keep protecting the city, then so be it. Being able to hear the carefree chatter of citizens made his chest swell with pride. Parents and grandparents alike would wave to him, and of course he would wave back. (Although Serval would always chide him for not smiling enough.)

While on his way to buy a new flowerpot, Gepard spotted an elderly woman carrying a bag of groceries. She turned around to face him quickly, startled by the sound of heavy boots clanking behind her. 

“Can I give you a hand with that, ma’am?” He inquired, offering his hands out to take it from her. 

“Oh, you’re too kind. Thank you so, so much,” she smiled up at him. The woman carefully gave him the paper bag that was filled with miscellaneous vegetables. 

“All in a day’s work,” Gepard replied. He hoisted the bag onto his shoulder and walked her to the entrance of a building, all the while a leek poked him in the face. 

“I’m so glad we have you as the Captain of the Silvermane Guards,” she said sweetly as she unlocked the door to her home. “Such a handsome and nice fellow,” 

Gepard shook his head humbly, trying to squash the dusting of pink that spread across his face. “Please, you flatter me too much,” 

The woman raised an eyebrow at him behind her wire-framed glasses, humming in response. 

“Well, I’m sure one day…” she mused. “You’ll meet someone who thinks so too,” He kept his face blank, neither agreeing or disagreeing with her. 

“On your way now, miss. Be careful.” Gepard gave her a polite wave goodbye as she entered the building, and continued on his way.

———

You knew people on the surface could be weird, but not this weird. 

You were just about to join your co-worker, Vaska, on break when you heard the shopkeeper’s bell ring. A man with blonde hair stepped through the entrance, practically armed to the teeth. He wore a spotless soldier’s coat decorated with blue and gold accents, along with an unusual looking metal gauntlet on his right arm. He took care not to bump anything on the way in.

It would be a disaster if he did. 

What’s a soldier doing in a flower shop? You pondered as you fidgeted with your pen absentmindedly. Natasha would’ve strangled someone with that much metal on if she caught them in her clinic,

He walked over to the corner and began browsing the selection of ceramic pots you had to offer. The other customers seemed to acknowledge him and respectfully step aside so he could make his way around easier. 

You realized you were staring a hole into the back of his head and tore your gaze away from him, embarrassed. 

He looks confused, you thought. Maybe he’s buying a gift for someone? I guess I could give him some advice.

You ventured out from behind the desk and approached him, right as he picked up a pot with his heavily armored hand.

Please don’t crush it, so help me Qlipoth!! The voice inside your head shrieked. You clutched at your notepad so hard you thought it might rip in half. It’ll be on MY payroll!!

“Hi there! Can I help you?” You interjected, with the friendliest smile you could muster. The man swiveled his head towards you in surprise. His eyes were startlingly blue. 

“Oh… Yes, I could use some help,” he said. “I’ve been trying my hand at growing flowers for a while now, but it never really seems to work out,” He sighed. “Would you happen to have any advice?”

Your expression became one of pity. Oh! This poor soul! You lamented. Of course you’d help him chase his flower-growing dreams!

“Well, you could start by taking off the gauntlet when you garden,” you teased. “Flowers can get scared easily,”

“Are you serious?” He glanced worriedly at the hand that held the pot. 

For a follower of the Preservation, I can't seem to keep anything alive, he thought.

“No! No, no, of course not! I’m sorry.” You shook your hands as if to clear up the misunderstanding while holding back a giggle. He seemed sweet. 

He let out a relieved sigh. 

“It’s just that you don't see a man covered head to toe in metal come into the store every day. I’m sorry for teasing you about it.” You grinned at him and he cleared his throat sheepishly. “Anyways, what have you been trying to grow?” 

“Well, I had a pot of Solarflowers but I’ve been rather occupied as of late. I’ve had people take care of my plants before, but I would like something that I can handle by myself,” he replied. You hummed.

“If you don’t have too much free time, caring for something routinely may be difficult,” you rattled off. “I admire your perseverance though! Flowers just take a lot of nurturing.” You rested your chin on your hand deliberately.

“Wait a minute… I have just the thing for you! Be right back!” 

You darted into the back room, quick to push apart the piles of boxes filled with flowers. 

Aha! There it is! You almost jumped for joy as you spotted a small plant in a burlap sack. You practically ran back out while holding it up for him to see. 

“Is that… a tree?”

He stared down at it with a peculiar expression. The small, woody plant with only three leaves to call its own said nothing. 

“Nope! It’s a Summershade Bamboo,” you responded cheerily. “I know flowers are your main goal, but you should give this one a try!” He took it from you and examined it, tilting it every which way with his eyebrows furrowed.

“These are tougher than flowers. As long as it has water, it’ll be fine,” you were quick to add. 

“That sounds promising,” he nodded down at you. “I think I’ll buy it,” 

You two made your way to the counter, imaginary confetti poppers going off in your head triumphantly. 

My first real recommendation! You had to physically stop yourself from pumping your fists into the air as you walked behind the counter.

He set down the plant, you fastened a string around it to keep the sack from falling off, and then whipped out your notepad from the front pouch in your uniform. 

“How exactly did you become so good with flowers, anyways?” The man asked, tilting his head. You barked out a laugh while scribbling something down on the paper, remembering just how lucky you were to get this job.

“Oh, believe me, I have killed my fair share of flowers.” You nodded towards the door to the back room, where your co-workers were lounging and drinking the latest tea. “We all have. It’s something that comes with a LOT of trial and error— in fact, a couple months ago I had never even seen one!” 

“Is that so?” He was taken aback. 

“Yep! I’d just moved here from the Underworld, and was fresh out of a job,” you reminisced. “ I had been looking for weeks on end, finally I stumbled across this place! It was so beautiful, I just HAD to apply,” 

You glanced around quickly and leaned in to whisper, “The owner is sort of strict, but she offered me a place to stay. I couldn’t be more grateful,” 

“Is that so? Well then, Belobog is happy to have you,” he said, offering out his right hand for you to shake. “I’m Gepard. Pleased to make your acquaintance,” 

Realizing he had his gauntlet on, he began to retract his hand. You stopped him, almost tipping over the desk to shake it heartily. 

“And I’m (Y/N). No need to be so stiff, it’s a pleasure to meet you too!” A bright smile spread across your cheeks. Gepard felt his breath catch in his throat, much to his surprise.

“Your total comes to 15 Shield,” you said, handing him a yellow square of paper along with the bamboo. “I wrote a list of tips on how to take care of it too! This one will survive. I'm sure of it,”

You beamed at him. “Come back anytime if you need any more advice!” 

Gepard felt the corners of his mouth rise into a smile. 

“I’m sure I will,” 

———

As the Captain was watering his bamboo plant that night, the moons of Jarilo-VI caught his attention through the window. They were shining brightly tonight. His mind wandered back to just how bright your smile was.

Gepard shook himself out of his thoughts, ignoring his heart beating faster than usual, and placed the newly potted bamboo on his bookshelf.

So it couldn’t be knocked over by a clumsy captain like himself, of course.

He sighed. The Captain opened an old, tattered book for a while before turning off the lamp and tucking into the covers for the night. 

———

A few days later, you were pleased to see that your new guard friend decided to show up again. 

He sure took his sweet while staring at the flowers this time. You couldn't blame him for his indecisiveness though, because choosing something as special as flowers could be a challenge.

Gepard eventually gave up and walked over to the counter. You gave him a friendly wave.

“Hey there again! How’s the new plant doing?” You inquired, shifting your weight onto your toes with a happy grin.

“Fairly well, surprisingly. I'm very happy with it,” he said with a relaxed expression.

“I’m glad! That’s the first time I've ever recommended somethin’ to someone!” You exclaimed. He blinked in surprise. 

“So, what are you in here for this time?” You asked.

“I'd like to buy some flowers for my older sister. She could use something to liven up her workshop. I'm not sure which ones to get for her though.” He paused, looking off to the side at the plants hanging by the windows. 

“Aww, that’s really sweet! What’s her favorite color?” You said.

“Purple,” he replied.

You glanced at the rows of purple flowers on the shelves and bit your lip. “Um, well, What's she like?” 

“She’s definitely something,” Gepard murmured to himself. “Between running the workshop and her rock gigs, she practically has an infinite amount of energy.” He shook his head lightly. 

“Rock gigs?” You questioned. “What’s that?”

He pinched the bridge of his nose in exasperation. “Rock is a genre of music she’s fascinated by. She does concerts sometimes… Although she’s somehow coerced one of my co-workers into performing with her,”

“No way… She’s a musician AND she runs a workshop? She sounds incredible!” Your eyes went wide with awe. 

Gepard stifled a chuckle.

“She can be, sometimes,” He sighed, tapping the desk with an armored finger. “If we ignore the numerous crazy things she’s done in the past,” 

“Sisters, am I right?” You chirped. “Anyways, what about you? What’s being a guard like?” 

“I suppose—,” 

He cut off as your boss shoved past you with some large boxes in hand, almost tipping you onto the desk, but your fall was stopped by his hands, which caught your shoulders and helped steady you. 

“Sorry about that! (Y/N),” she called, not bothering to look back as she rushed into the storeroom. “A new shipment came in today. We could use your help sorting it out if you could hurry it up a bit!” 

“Oops,” You turned back to him. “I’m sorry, I got carried away,” you said sheepishly.

“Don’t be. I don’t mind small talk,” Gepard responded, fiddling with one of the clasps on his uniform.

“Really? Phew.” You wiped fake sweat from your brow. “Anyways, I think she would enjoy a pot of Indigos.” You pointed to a flowerpot on the leftmost side of the shop. “They’re a nice bold color, and pretty hardy too!”

You swore Gepard’s eyes lit up as he picked up the pot of purple flowers. 

“These are perfect. Your recommendations truly are the best,” Gepard said when he returned to the counter. You thought you heard a bit more warmth beginning to creepinto his voice.

You smiled at him, and for a split second, his heart threatened to burst out of his chest. And with that, you checked him out and handed him a blank thank-you card to write on, bowing politely.

“Thank you, come again!” You called, and squeaked in surprise as you were promptly yanked by the collar into the storage room. Gepard could only blink in confusion as he watched you disappear into the back. 

———

A few weeks passed, and Gepard had become a regular at the flower shop. You started to look forward to when he came in so you could chat about how his new bamboo plant was faring. 

I wonder if he has a name for it, you mused to yourself. Probably not,

It was kind of unusual how much he stopped by, though. 

You were in the middle of putting a case full of seed packets on the shelf when you heard the door creak open, nothing out of the ordinary.

“Be right there!” You shouted. You peeked your head out from behind the door frame, only to spot Gepard’s familiar blond hair once more. He was looking very intently at a dresser filled with a variety of multicolored plants. The soldier caught your gaze, but quickly broke eye contact with you, much to your confusion.

“Isn’t this the third time he’s come in this week?” You whispered to your boss, Meg, who was writing labels for the different jars on the shelves. She shrugged.

Meg put her hands on her hips. “I've got no problem with it. It’s good for business, after all. He always seems to be looking for something or someone in particular… He gets awfully sad when you aren't there, y’know,” 

You squinted at her, confused, and then shook your head in disbelief. You headed back to the counter where Gepard was waiting with a small sack in his hands. 

“Good afternoon, Gepard. What can I do for ya this time?” You stared at his face harder than normal, analyzing his expression. It didn't change much.

“Just the usual, please.” He placed the bag of plant fertilizer on the desk while he dug in his pockets for the change. He was dead serious, like usual.

Ugh. Why was he so impossible to read?? 

“You do know we sell these in larger sizes, right?” You questioned while pointing at the bag. Gepard nodded, shuffling his feet a little. 

“Yes, I am aware, but I have a very inquisitive little sister. I'm afraid one of her pets might get into it while I'm not there and get sick,” he answered. “It's easier if there's less of it for them to get into,” 

Gepard ran his gloved hand through his hair while you stood nodding thoughtfully.

“Ohhh, I see!” You let out a gasp of realization. “Phew! I was worried you were coming in here just to see me!” 

“No, of… course not,” he said, mouth agape. The soldier closed his eyes in embarrassment as he felt his face heat up. “Although, seeing you does improve my day greatly,” 

Your face morphed into a scowl, much to his surprise. “You oughta be spending your time better, you know. Guard duty sounds very demanding.” You folded your arms with a huff. “You know, delivery IS an option if you want to save some effort,”

“O-oh? Could you elucidate to me how it works?” He stuttered, expression changing to one of nervous curiosity. 

“Yeah! Delivery works with almost anything. We understand how hard it is to drag an entire plant or package to your residence,”

You shook your finger matter-of-factly as you went off on your sales pitch. “You can place an order in-store and we can bring it to you, even on the same day you place it!” 

“AND, we can do regularly scheduled deliveries, that way, you don't have to come in every two days. Instead, one of our very capable workers will get it to you!” 

He merely stared at you quizzically. You huffed. 

“Believe me, we’re stronger than we look.” You raised your arm, curling it into a fist. “I used to work in the mines, so I'm used to heavy lifting,” you said, putting your hands back on your hips proudly. 

Gepard exhaled through his nose. He knew you weren’t going to let this one go.

“So… Would you be interested? I’d hate for you to have to go on a wild Mole chase every time you want to buy fertilizer,” you said slyly. 

“Well—” He raised his hand to protest. “It’s really not an issue—,”

“Nonsense! I'm sure your schedule is super busy, so let me help you out!” You slid a purple notecard and a pen with a floral print across the counter to him. 

“I guess it couldn’t hurt,” The guard sighed in defeat.

Gepard waited until he got a safe distance away from the shop, and facepalmed with a weak groan. As he drew his hand away, a new look of determination flickered across his face. 

He was going to need new excuses to keep seeing you. 

———

Is this really the place?? You thought, boxes in hand. The sun was setting on the fancy buildings in the modern district of the city, painting them a brilliant orange. You adjusted your beret, determined not to let it fall off, and prepared yourself to venture up the stairs to the massive mansion located on the uppermost level of the city. 

When you reached the entrance at the top, you realized that the unfamiliar building made the shop you called home seem almost microscopic. Two guards were standing at the sides of the heavy-looking wooden door, complete with ornately carved bronze handles. 

The doors opened, and out walked a group of housekeepers. You gave them a feeble wave hello and trotted over to them.

“Hi there! I have a delivery for the—,” You narrowed your eyes at the card on top of the boxes—, “Landau Estate?” 

You hoped you didn’t just butcher the name. One of the guards and a maid sauntered over to you. 

“That’s unusual,” the maid said, taking the card and inspecting it closely. “We weren't expecting a package. This is for fertilizer, you say?” You nodded in agreement. 

“Do you know if anyone here ordered fertilizer?” She turned back to the group of servants, who all murmured among themselves. “Hmm… doesn’t look like it,”

“Oh jeez. I'm sorry, a man named Gepard ordered it. Maybe he put down the wrong address by mistake?” You shrugged. 

Who on Jarilo-VI would live in a house this big, anyways? You wondered. 

“Oh! The young master!” A lightbulb seemed to go off in her head. “I wasn't aware he had ordered something. I'm sorry, but we aren't allowed to accept packages on his behalf unless he clears it with us first.” She clasped her hands together. “I apologize for the misunderstanding,” 

You shook your head reassuringly. “That’s all right, I can just find him myself. Does anyone know where he might be?” 

That earned you a few quizzical looks. One of the aides, a woman with chestnut hair, piped up. 

“I heard he was heading to Serval’s workshop today. Maybe if you're lucky, you could catch him on his way out!” 

“Great! Thanks!” 

You adjusted the boxes under your arm once again and flew down the stairs two at a time. 

They called him “Young Master”? You furrowed your brow.

This was getting weirder and weirder.

———

Rapidly flipping through your map of Belobog, you pinpointed an eccentric looking building on the easternmost side of the plaza. When you reached the workshop indicated on your map, you stood still in amazement.

It was covered in the coolest metal fixtures and gave off a mature aura you couldn’t quite put your finger on. If something like this had existed in the Underworld, you wouldn't have been able to see it in full detail anyways.

Not right now! I have a delivery to make! You snapped at yourself. You pried the door open with your hand and used the weight of your back to push your way inside. 

The inside of the building was just as interesting as the outside. Metal cogs spun with no aim in particular, more tools than you had ever seen in your lifetime adorned the walls, and old manuscripts were sprawled out all over the various surfaces. You wanted to explore it all already.

You spotted Gepard talking to a boldly dressed woman at the front desk. Another blue-haired woman was working on a blueprint off to the side, too absorbed in her work to notice the commotion at the door. 

“Aha! There you are!” You exclaimed. “I've got your delivery for this week. Some housekeepers told me I could find you here.” You bounded up to him with the boxes curled under your arm, smiling as he thanked you. 

“I apologize you had to go through all that trouble to find me.” He rubbed his temples. “I should have cleared the whole thing with them first. Here, let me take that for you,” 

The tall woman stepped out from behind the counter, looking you up and down with great interest. She had stunning lip gloss and blond hair with a lone blue streak on her right side. You wondered where she got her style from, as everyone on the surface dressed the same, for the most part.

“And who might you be?” She inquired. 

“I’m (Y/N), from the flower shop across the street.” You curtsied with a smile.

“What a cute little doll!” The woman tilted her head at you, her eyes sparkling with adoration. “Gepard, where on Jarilo-VI did you find them? I know everyone’s face, and I've never seen theirs,” 

You saw Gepard shift from side to side in the corner of your eye. 

“I started working there just a few weeks ago, actually! I’m from the Underworld,” you chirped. 

“No way! Well then, it’s a pleasure to be meeting you!” She offered her hand for you to shake, which you took graciously. She was so easygoing, it was easy to be drawn to her. 

“I'm Serval, this clumsy oaf’s sister.” She wrapped her arm around Gepard and poked him in the side. “The one over there is Molly, my assistant!” She pointed at the worker with blue hair in the corner, who gave you a quick thumbs-up. “It seems you know my brother?”

“Well—,” you started. 

“We don't need to go into detail now, I'm sure you have places to be,” Gepard interrupted, placing a hand on your shoulder. He hoped you couldn’t feel his palms sweating.

“No, no, no!” Serval pouted, “I'm invested now, can't you see?” She said, circling around you like a carnivore would. 

“Um. It’s fine, actually! That was the last of the deliveries scheduled for today,” you chimed in.

“Perfect! Molly, could you get our guest some tea?” Serval called. She led you to a small table with an oil lamp resting on it, pulling out your chair before she sat in her own. She rested her arm on the tabletop while leaning forward with a thrilled expression. 

Gepard stayed where he was, rubbing his forehead. The poor man’s cheeks were bright red. 

“So! How are you liking the city so far?” Molly set down two cups of steaming hot tea. You thanked her, then took a sip as you paused to think. It was fragrant and had just the right amount of sweetness.

“It’s honestly gorgeous. The air up here is so clean compared to the mines!” You replied energetically. 

“My thoughts exactly!” The woman across from you nodded. “There’s nothing like the cold Belobog air to wake you up in the mornings too. Have you visited the Everwinter Monument yet?” 

You took in a sharp breath. “No, I haven’t! Not for real, at least. I see it through the window of my apartment sometimes. Since I live and work in the same building, I haven’t really felt the need to explore the city yet,” you murmured. “Although, I'm being put on delivery more often, so I guess there’s that,” 

You gazed around the room curiously, taking another sip of your tea. 

“I've never been in a workshop this fancy before. What kind of work do you do here?” You asked.

“Well, we do a lot of mechanical repairs and research. Although, my brother might have mentioned that we hold Rock gigs here sometimes,” she responded. 

Said brother was looking at the delivery card with incredible concentration. 

I still don't know what a gig is, you sighed inwardly. 

“That's incredible! What instrument do you play?” You said, voice dripping with enthusiasm to make up for the confusion.

“Electric guitar,” Serval said. “I can go grab it for you if you'd like to see it,”

“Would I EVER???” You practically bounced out of your seat. She got up from the table and opened the door to a side room, snapping her fingers and humming to herself. 

Noticing a pot of purple flowers, your rose from your seat to inspect them. They were healthy and had enough sunlight. You gave a happy bounce of approval, then sauntered over to Gepard, who was still standing stiffly. 

“So that’s the sister you told me about, huh?” You smiled cheerfully. 

“Indeed. That’s her,” Gepard nodded in agreement. 

“I can't believe you have a MUSICIAN for a sister. She's so energetic!”

“I guess the only thing we have in common are our looks,” he mused. His eyes locked onto yours and you giggled.

“Pfft. You got that right,” 

“Miss Serval really is the epitome of exciting!” Molly called from her desk. You pumped a fist in silent agreement. 

“I guess you could say that. Although she can be a little overbearing sometimes.” Gepard sighed and looked off into the distance. “I'm really sorry to be dragging you out here on a work night,” 

“It’s okay, really. I could use a bit more excitement. My life doesn't need to revolve around the flower shop, after all,” you reassured him. 

———

When Serval came out of the side room with her guitar, everything clicked into place. 

No wonder her adorable little brother was being so sheepish! (Albeit, only a little more than usual.)

It’s because he was feeling shy, Serval deduced. Every time you looked him in the eyes, he looked away and his ears turned pink. She almost cooed out loud, giving him a pitying glance. This was TOO CUTE. 

A raucous grin spread across her face, which she quickly squashed before deciding her next move.

You turned to face the sound of heels clicking on the tile floor. 

“And here—,” she announced with a grand gesture—, “Is my magnum opus!” She laid her guitar on the table proudly.

You could not, for the life of you, see how the machine in front of you resembled a guitar in any way. It was large and avant garde, with a long black handle and tubes sticking off the side of the body.

It was still the coolest thing you had ever seen, though. 

“Wow. wow wow wow WOW!!” You gasped in amazement. “Can I-- can I touch it?!”

“Go ahead! Who am I to stop someone from admiring fine craftsmanship?” Serval chuckled lightly. You inspected the guitar with so much excitement, she could have sworn your head was about to explode.

“Anyhow, I need to check something in the back just for a quiiick second,” she said offhandedly, fishing through her pockets and pulling out a key made of brass. “C’mon Molly!”

Serval yanked the startled girl by the hand unceremoniously causing her pen to drop on the floor. She turned backwards for a split second and gave Gepard a wink.

Gepard gulped. He’s seen that look before. 

His rebellious sister was DEFINITELY planning something. 

When she returned, the smile on her face was even brighter. Blinding, even. Molly was nowhere to be seen.

“The mechanics are really well done!” You said excitedly. “I've never seen anything like it. Repairing minecarts and robots wasn’t anywhere near this level of intricacy,”

“Whoa! You really know what you're talking about, new friend! You know, if you're ever interested in working with us, we could always use an extra pair of hands in the workshop,” 

“I would LOVE that,” you replied. “I’ll have to adjust my work schedule first, though. I took on a few too many hours this week and tomorrow is my only free day. I was planning on using it to see the city,”

“It's no sweat! Come in anytime it strikes your fancy. Actually, the workshop happens to be closed that day too, would you be up to touring the city together?” 

You nodded vigorously. 

Serval grinned and clasped your hands with her own. You exchanged contacts, while Gepard pulled her aside to whisper something in her ear. She then promptly elbowed him in the gut, causing him to grunt in pain, Then out of the blue, your phone started dinging incessantly.

“Um, I don't think that's ME doing that—,” Serval said nervously. You furrowed your eyebrows, raising the screen closer to your face to get a better look. 

It was Vaska. They must have wanted you to come back to help close up shop. The sky outside had shifted from an orange to a deep blue, dotted sparsely with stars. You sighed and accepted the fact that you had to return to your ordinary flower-filled life.

Your disappointment was abruptly interrupted by a huge crash coming from the back room. Your phone almost flew into the air as everyone scrambled to check for the source of the noise. 

There Molly stood, covered head to toe in soot, coughing up a storm, with bits of machinery scattered everywhere. A few stray pieces rolled off the table the machine was sitting on. 

You made sure to watch your step as you clung to the walls to keep your balance.

“Oh, by Qlipoth,” Serval covered her face with her hand, closing her eyes. “I forgot we had an experiment running! Molly, are you all right?” She bent down, picking up some stray papers and rushed over to the girl. Serval dusted her assistant off worriedly.

You began to reach for some of the stray parts scattered on the floor, but Gepard held out a hand to stop you. 

“That's not a good idea. It's hard to see sharp edges with everything covered in soot right now. Let me take care of it,”

You blinked at him in surprise. 

“Well then, I guess it's a good thing I carry these around with me then!” You pulled out a pair of thick gloves from your apron triumphantly, and proceeded to carry on picking up the shrapnel. When Molly had been sufficiently cleaned up, Serval groaned. 

“The Department of Education wants these results in three days,” she spoke. “It'll take me all night to get this baby up and running again— I'm sorry, but I can't make it to our little outing tomorrow,”

You shook your head frantically. “I'm so sorry this happened!” You sighed. “If I hadn't distracted you—,”

“That's not it at all!” Serval interjected. “I can be a little scatterbrained sometimes. This kind of stuff happens all the time.” She gave a small laugh. “Geppie can attest to that,” 

He blanched, almost dropping an armful of tubes.

“I'm really, really sorry.” She bowed her head. “Gepard, could you take them instead? Please? I know you have this week off.” She placed her hands together in a praying motion and closed her eyes. He let out a small sound of surprise.

“It’s… not an issue,”

Serval’s eyes flew back open.

“Great! I’ll leave you two to it then!” Her old enthusiasm was back in the blink of an eye and she resumed sweeping up the room. Gepard led you back to the main entrance.

“Okay, I know I said I could use some excitement, but not THAT much excitement,” you said quietly.

“I suppose that makes two of us,” he replied. 

“Do things really blow up around here that often?”

“They sure do. She says it's all part of the process,” he spoke. “I hope that doesn't scare you too much,” 

“Not at all, actually. I've seen my fair share of explosions,” You chuckled. 

“That's a relief,”

Your phone rang again, and this time you answered it. You put it to your ear only to be deafened by Vaska’s screaming.

“The heck is taking you so long???” She barked. You could hear the clamor of your co-workers in the background.

“Gahh! Sorry, sorry! I’ll be right over,” you said hurriedly. 

“You better be,” she huffed impatiently. You hung up with a groan. As much as you hated it, she was right. Your duties for the night were far from over. 

“Oh! That reminds me,” you piped up. “Gepard, did I get your number? Wait… do you have a phone?”

“That would be a no and a yes.” He ran a hand across his hip, only to realize he didn't have it with him.

“That's fine.” You grabbed a marker from your pocket, and scanned the room for anything to write on.

You decided you'd rather not risk a catastrophe by grabbing a random piece of paper. Instead, this would work just as well. 

“Crud. Gepard, could I see your hand for a second?” He held out his right arm, the one with the gauntlet on it.

“The other one, silly!” You giggled. He complied.

The soldier flinched in surprise as you rolled back the sleeve on his left arm, holding his wrist with your other hand so you could press the ink onto his skin.

“You have my number now! Don't worry, it'll wash off pretty easily. Anyways, I'm looking forward to our outing tomorrow. I’ll see you then!” You said cheerfully.

“You as well," he called out to you as you rushed out the door. “Travel safely,” 

But then he froze. 

Wait just a minute. 

Isn’t Serval still banned from the Education Committee?

He pondered this thought for a moment, and then chuckled to himself. Well, now I know what that look was for,

———

The sun was high in the sky the next day when you met Gepard in front of the Everwinter Monument. 

He was hard to miss, really. The light reflected off every possible inch of his uniform. When you turned to face him, you had to shield your eyes with a gasp.

Oh, this man was too brilliant for everyday life. 

“I hope you weren't waiting too long,” he said gently, blonde strands of hair waving in the breeze. 

“Not at all! I was just taking my time admiring the monument.” You gazed back up at the incredible sculpture. “That’s not real ice… is it? I feel stupid for asking,” You murmured. 

“Not exactly. It does look remarkably realistic, though. It was made as a tribute to Plamya, one of the many great architects of this city,”

“What did she do?” You looked at him, feeling intrigued but slightly uneducated.

“She's the one who led the charge in constructing the citadel in order to protect the city from the eternal freeze,” he responded, gazing up at the structure. 

“I can't believe one woman spearheaded that entire operation!” you commented. “You sure know a lot about the history of Belobog, Gepard,”

“You could say that. Now, why don't we get going? There’s a lot to see in Belobog’s administrative district,” 

———

To say there was “a lot to see” in the Administrative District was the understatement of the century. 

It was everything you had imagined it to be, pieced together from stories told by your upperclassmen, and more. Your first decision was to stop at various newspaper stands, ecstatically flipping through half of the available merchandise. 

There was so much to read up here! In the Underworld, the same 30 books were cycled between people over and over again. Most of them were medical records kept by Natasha, too. 

Gepard made sure to point out important buildings and historic facts to you as you walked. You had no idea there was so much history to the place! You started bouncing down the street so excitedly, he had to pull you out of the way of an oncoming street car. 

Next, you made sure to peer through the windows of all of the shops. At one particular clothing store, you bent down to get a closer look at the stitchwork on the pieces. There was not a seam to be found. Your guide noticed you staring particularly hard at a certain item of clothing.

“Is there anything that piqued your interest?” Gepard inquired. You sighed, scrunching your face up.

“Well, yes, but I'd rather not spend recklessly right now. I don't want to look like an upstart,” you scoffed. You stared at the article a little longer before turning away and standing up.

“That’s understandable.” He folded his arms and nodded. He took a step back to get a better look at the display window that belonged to the boutique you were so curious about. 

After successfully making every shop owner in a 3-block radius uncomfortable, you decided to check out the famous theater in the area. The building was more elegant than anything you had ever seen in your life, with square columns were detailed down to the centimeter. You figured a single chunk would fetch a pretty decent price. You did still have your old mining pickaxe—,

You squished your face with your hands suddenly to dispel your unholy thoughts. A confused expression flickered across Gepard’s face, but he thought nothing of it. He merely wasn’t accustomed to seeing people this excited, especially when he was present.

You decided to write down a reminder to buy tickets for your next day off.

By noon, you were ridiculously parched from scurrying around the city. You spotted your savior, a friendly vending machine, resting by the stone wall of the lower level of the city. You enthusiastically punched in the numbers for a Jim Roger Bread Soda, asking Gepard if he would like one too.

“Soda? I’ve only had the pleasure of trying it once,” he responded, 

“Ah, I see. We used to drink it a lot when the water wasn't safe,” you reminisced, meeting his gaze. “I wasn't sure if you guys indulged in that type of thing up here,”

“It wouldn't hurt to expand my view on beverages, I suppose.” He rested a hand on his chin thoughtfully.

You fed some more coins into the machine, and out popped a differently shaped bottle. It was rather small, especially for someone with hands like Gepard’s. 

“The carbonation in this one is a little weaker, so maybe you'll like it better. Who knows?” You said with a grin, handing it to him.

When he inspected the label, it read, “Strawberry Svarog”, complete with a curly straw and a cartoon of a laughing child. He deduced it must have been a children’s soda, popping the cap off and tilting his head back, but you stopped him before the bottle reached his lips.

“Nuh uh,” you shook your head disapprovingly. “You’ve gotta use the straw, or else you won't get the full experience!” 

He looked at you quizzically. “Do I really have to?”

You pursed your lips at him. He sighed, tearing open the straw and taking a sip. You had to admit, he did look a little silly, with a serious look on his face and his nose all scrunched up. Stifling a giggle, you screwed the cap off your own soda.

“How is it?” You asked. “I don't think I've ever had that flavor before— Strawberry Svarog? I wonder what he would think if he found out he was being used as a marketing gimmick,” you snickered. 

What on Jarilo-VI is a strawberry? Gepard wondered.

“Not too shabby. Here, try some.” He held it out to you, but instead of taking it in your hands to drink, you leaned forward and took a sip while he was still holding it.

The background chatter around you seemed to cease slightly. 

“I agree! A little on the lukewarm side, but—,”

Mortified, you realized what you had done. 

“Shoot—! I'm s-sorry. Must be gardener’s reflexes or something! I guess I thought I still had dirt on my hands or something… hahaha,” you trailed off.

Your face felt like it was burning as you flailed your arms about, so you spun around quickly to prevent him from seeing your frazzled expression. 

And it was a good thing you did, too, or else you would have seen his.

The soldier next to you resembled more so a “strawberry” than a man. His eyes darted around wildly as he turned the other way to give you some privacy, his hands falling to his side. 

“W-well, no matter.” He coughed. “Why don't we stop and get something to eat as well? You must be famished,”

“Yeah… definitely,”

———

Gepard took you to the cafe by Serval’s workshop, where she and Molly would often stop by on their lunch breaks. You grabbed a croquette sandwich, and him, a muffin. You sat down at the metal tables outside and began to enjoy your food. 

The guard made a noticeable clanking noise as he sat down. He was almost a head taller than you. It was a little embarrassing, frankly. 

“So, Gepard, do you always wear your uniform when you're out and about?” You questioned. 

“I do, yes.” He nodded.

“It has to be comfortable if you wear it all the time, then,” 

Gepard hummed thoughtfully. “Not exactly. But it is required of me, after all.” He took a bite of his muffin. 

You reached across the table and grasped the arm with the gauntlet, examining it closely.

“Whoa! It’s really warm!” You exclaimed, turning his hand over so his palm faced upwards. You curled each of his fingers almost instinctively. “This thing makes you look really tough, you know?” You added. 

Gepard could have died right then and there, and he would have been happy.

“R-really? You think so?” He closed his eyes bashfully. 

You hummed in response, still focused on his handguard.

Come to think of it, I don't think I've seen anyone around here that looks remotely close to him, you wondered. I figured there would be more, since he's a soldier and all, 

You took a bite of your food, determined to remain unbothered. Gepard finished his muffin quickly, so you offered him half your sandwich in your usual generous fashion. 

As you finished up, a commotion coming from the center of the plaza drew your attention. A crowd of around forty people had gathered by the monument, clapping their hands to a steady beat. They seemed to be arranged in a circle surrounding someone.

Your face lit up as you heard the tones of an instrument beneath the chatter of people. The metal chair, which you had been sitting in previously, was pushed away with a screech as you got up. 

Gepard reached out a hand to you as you sprinted towards the throes of people, but faltered and let out a defeated sigh. He gave in and rose to join you instead.

When you reached the center of the square, you spotted the musician you often saw practicing outside the shop, strumming her guitar as people smiled around her. (Although the only reason you knew of her was because Vaska had a huge crush on her and would NOT STOP TALKING ABOUT IT. “Ooh, (Y/N), do you think she likes reading? Do you think she likes Tale of the Winterlands???” It was actually kind of sweet, though.)

According to your sheepish co-worker, it was “just a passing fancy”. This “passing fancy” had been going on for about two months. 

I wonder if I should take a video to send to her, you wondered with an amused smile.

You began to tap your foot in sync with the downbeats of the song. You were taken aback by just how quickly the music ensnared you in its hold. It filled you with energy that coursed through your veins.

And it seemed like you weren't the only one, either. Several people in the crowd began to dance, children and couples alike twirling hand-in-hand. You feel a grin start to form on your face, and decided that now would be a great time to join the fray. 

You leapt into the center, right next to the musician, who gave you a wink. You swayed on your feet with the strums of the guitar, your dress whirling. You kicked your legs into the air, mirroring the person across from you with a giggle. 

Meanwhile, Gepard was politely making his way towards the front of the crowd. 

“Excuse me, apologies, coming through,” he muttered while tapping on people’s shoulders. The crowd parted when they spotted him coming. 

He strained his neck to look into the mass of dancers, spotting you at the center, dipping your arms and spinning on your feet with another girl your age. 

You caught a glimpse of Gepard’s iconic uniform in your line of sight, and immediately waltzed over to him in a rather dramatic fashion. 

You ran your fingers down his forearms lightly, and then interlaced your hands with his, yanking him backwards with all your might into the dancers. He yelped as he stumbled into your arms. For someone built like a tank, he sure came unbalanced easily. 

“Wait— ah, h-hold on, I don't know how to dance—,” Gepard stammered, glancing down at you. 

“That's fine, just hold on to me!” You winked at him, pulling him closer so he couldn't back out. You rested a hand on his shoulder, and wrapped the other around his gauntlet. You shuffled him into a silly looking box step, something that would resemble a dance a family might have in the kitchen.

Gepard’s breath was much heavier than usual, especially because he was in such close proximity to you. Your chests were pressed together, in order to take up the least amount of space as other people spun past you. 

His eyes were wide with surprise as you raised his arm and twirled under it. It took all of his concentration to keep his hands from shaking. He was worried about gripping you too tightly or too loosely, as one wrong move from a guard like him could squish you. 

He tried to dispel his worries, and instead focused on you. You were as radiant as the sun, with a smile brighter than the Belobog snow. 

You two wove through the crowd, stepping rowdily with the upbeat music, and he tried his best to keep up. Gepard felt his cheeks warming while you stared into his eyes, an elated expression paining your features. Unfortunately, it was cut short though. You stepped on your own foot and sent you both tumbling onto the pavement, the clatter of his armor dimming the laughter of children for a split second. 

The crowd stepped out of the way as you rolled on the stone ground, limbs tangling together. 

You burst into raucous laughter as you sat up, holding your stomach because it hurt so much and wiping tears from your eyes. Gepard was engaged in breathy laughter of his own. He looked just like a prince when he was happy, you realized.

“Wow, that was… incredible,” He coughed.

“I know right? I have the grace and beauty of a warp trotter.” You got up and curtseyed, flaring your jacket for extra impact and offering a hand to him.

“I don't see why that matters as long as you're having fun,” He took your hand and you pulled him up with a grunt.

You noticed the crowd was giving you some strange glances, some of them looking directly at you as they whispered under their breath. You clenched your jaw slightly. 

“I guess you're right. On the other hand, you got pretty into it too!” You turned your attention back to him, teasing him with a grin. He wiped his cheek with a distracted look.

Heading out of the crowd, you leaned on his shoulder like a wounded soldier. When you finally escaped, you realized the sun was setting with a start.

“My gosh, I'm sorry! I didn't mean for it to take this long,” you spoke, embarrassed. “I just got super caught up in the moment, s’all,” 

“No worries,” He said as he gestured reassuringly. “I enjoyed it. I can't remember the last time I spent some quality time in the city,”

“I guess there's always some fun to be had, even if you've lived here your whole life,” you commented. “Wait! I almost forgot— I wanted to get a picture in front of the monument,” you fished your phone out from your bag.

“Of course,” he said courteously, holding his hand out towards you. You looked at him, puzzled.

“Of us, I mean,”

“Oh, um… sure,” He swallowed a lump in his throat.

“It’s all right if you'd rather not,” you yammered, your face beginning to heat up. “It’s just that it's my first time on an outing with a friend! I wanted something to remember it by,” 

“It's fine, it’s not an inconvenience or anything,” he blurted out. 

You motioned for him to stand in front of the monument next to you and raised your phone up. No matter how hard you tried though, you could never catch more than half of his face in the frame, even on your tippy toes. You grumbled as you kept trying to adjust your position.

He took the phone from you gently, holding it up so it caught you both from above. The shutter clicked and he handed it back to you, and you raised your arms above your head with a cheer.

“It looks great! Thank you so, so much. I’ll send it to you once I get the chance,” you beamed. 

“I would enjoy that,” he responded with a soft smile. Fortunately for him, the sunset hid the blush on his face that stubbornly refused to go away. 

He walked you back to the florists, shoulder to shoulder. The streets were now quieter, with the trams having stopped for the day, and all that remained outside the shop was a group of kids and their caretakers. 

You stopped at the stairs, bowing your head when you turned around. 

“Thank you for accompanying me today,” you said gently, rocking from the balls of your feet to your heels. 

“My pleasure,” Gepard replied. He placed a hand on his chest and nodded back, just like a gentleman would. 

As corny as it seemed, your heart fluttered in your ribcage. Resting a hand on your hip, you used the other one to flick him in the forehead, sending a few strands of golden hair flying. You bit your lip to keep from laughing. 

His eyes sprung open, his hand going to his forehead in surprise. 

“It’s best you get going,” you said. “Soldiers need their beauty rest, after all. Get home safely!” 

He nodded with a silent smile before turning away and starting off towards the direction of Qlipoth Fort. While he was walking, he felt a vibration in his pocket. 

His phone had one new notification, which was from you. Gepard opened up the messaging app to see the photo you had taken. You were wearing a goofy grin, and he was bent down with his lips pressed together sheepishly.

Gepard felt something akin to happiness bubbling up from his chest. He looked up into the sky, allowing himself a single second to loosen up, and pumped his fists into his chest. He sauntered towards the estate, humming one of his sister’s songs as he went. 

Meanwhile, the kids playing nearby were dumbfounded. A little red-haired girl stopped and pointed at him.

“Mommy, what's that man doing?”

—

A few days later, you were sitting on the edge of your mattress, waiting for Vaska to reply to a text you sent earlier that morning. Two tickets to the Golden Theater laid on your bedside table. Your phone buzzed and your hand darted to pick it up nervously. 

From: Vaska

Vaska: Sorry, I can't come to the theater today! 

Vaska: I haven’t had time to reread Tale of the Winterlands lately. I wanted to get to that today.

You: That’s all right! The tickets were discounted, so I just figured I would get them! Enjoy your reading!

Vaska: Wait, I am available for lunch though. 

Vaska: It feels like forever since I’ve seen you! 

You: Vaska, we work together.

Vaska: Yes. And?

You: …

You: Ok, I’ll be there.

You sighed, shaking your head. It had been a bad idea to buy an extra ticket, even if they WERE discounted for the final day of thIs play they were showing. 

Well, worst case scenario, I have a fancy piece of paper I can hang up, but it’ll be a shame if this ticket gets wasted, you thought to yourself.

You chewed on your nails. Should I ask Serval? She might still be busy fixing her device. I’d better not… 

What about Gepard? Maybe I could pay him back for giving me that tour, You flicked the screen to Gepard’s contact info, but you noticed the name in the slot read “Gerard” instead. 

Oh shoot, better fix that,

You tapped the screen to edit his name, but hit the “call” button by mistake. 

“Nono wait no—,” you gasped. Your thumb darted to the red icon in the corner, but you heard someone on the other line pick up ridiculously quickly. 

“Hello? Gepard Landau speaking,” His voice was clear on the other end. Your nervous system threatened to wrangle its way out of your body that very second. 

“Hi! Hello! Um—, I’m really sorry,” you stuttered. “I clicked the call button by mistake,”

“Oh..? That’s all right,” There was no marked change in tone when he spoke again. He was standing in the office of the new Supreme Guardian, right next to some stacks of papers. Pela peeked her head out from behind one of them.

“I was meaning to ask you about something though,” you blurted out, grabbing your beret from the side table. “I happen to have an extra ticket to the Golden Theater. There’s a showing today at two o’clock. I'm sorry it’s on short notice, but would you like to come with me?” 

Gepard clasped his phone in a death grip.

“Ahem—, yes. That works for me. I don't have any urgent meetings today. Can I meet you on the steps outside the building?” He asked. 

“Yep! Sounds good! I’ll see you— YEOW!!!” Your foot smacked your dresser as you spun towards the door. You yelped as your phone flew out of your hands and landed on the ground a solid meter away. 

You groaned, rolling onto your back and sitting up, tears springing to your eyes. 

“Shit—! Aeons, that hurt,” you winced.

“(Y/N)? (Y/N)?? Is everything all right?” You heard Gepard say loudly. 

“Y-yeah. I tripped, s’all,” you grunted, placing a hand on the wall to keep yourself steady as you rose to your feet. “That definitely woke me up,”

“Take care of yourself,” he sighed, relieved.

“Yep, yep! I’ll see you— soon!” You choked out and hung up frantically. You placed both hands against the wall and hit your head against it repeatedly, groaning in shame. 

———

You were in the middle of fixing the broken cash register when a familiar blonde-haired woman walked through the door.

“Serval!” Your head shot up as you gave her an excited wave. “Good to see you! What brings you to our shop today?” 

She strolled over to the counter, where various pieces of equipment were sprawled out on the surface. 

“Mornin’ (Y/N)! Molly and I were just RAVING about how the flowers Gepard got us have livened up the place!” Serval tossed her silky hair over her shoulder. “We were thinking of buying some more, since we could really use some more color in our lives,”

“I'm sure flowers are better than soot,” you giggled. “What did the Ministry of Education say about the experiment you were running?”

“Huh?” Serval looked bewildered. 

“The research project? Y’know, the one that exploded??” A shadow of confusion flickered across your face.

“Oh! Yes, that one! They were gracious enough to give me an extension.” She shook her head up and down aggressively, her eyes rattling in her skull.

“I'm glad to hear it!” You wiped your forehead in relief, turning to some pots resting on a cabinet. “So… as for the flowers… I know you have the purple ones, so why not go with yellow? Purple can represent maturity and elegance, and yellow might round it out a bit.” You ran your fingers across the wood.

“Although, if you'd like to keep the place feeling more formal, you could go with these blue ones here,” you quipped. “They match Molly’s hair,” 

You lifted up the planter that held said flowers, which were white on the inside, but faded into a dark teal on the edges.

Serval reached out to touch them tentatively, her eyes flicking towards something behind you.

“Hmm… what’s that one over there?” She said inquisitively.

“Oh--!” You spun around to see what she was pointing at. It was a wooden window box, filled to the brim with flowers of every hue.

“That’s one of our clearance boxes! We had a mix up with the seed packets during planting time, so they’re 30% off. Pretty interesting looking, right?” You lifted up the box, your chest heaving with effort. 

“Definitely.” She peered over the walls of the box with an approving smile. “I'll take this one,”

“Really? Are you sure?” 

“One hundo percent. This one speaks to me,” she mused.

“Fair enough. Whatever pleases the Rock Star of Belobog.” You shook your head and shrugged.

“Oh please, you flatter me,” she chuckled. You pushed the components of the cash register into a neat pile to make way for the flowers. 

A ghost of a smile crossed your lips as you recalled how painstakingly long Gepard had spent picking up the flowers for his sister, and just how spontaneously she had chosen hers. 

I can’t believe I know people equally as incredible, but as different as night and day, you contemplated.

“So, (Y/N),” Serval piped up, snapping you out of your thoughts. “You seem awfully chipper today. Did something good happen?”

Maybe something involving a certain bashful captain? She thought with a sly smile. 

The air in the room seemed to turn pink as you swayed happily. 

“Well, business has been skyrocketing lately with the weather getting warmer.” You rested your head in the palm of your hand thoughtfully. “More people feel like they have the means to take care of flowers! In fact, there’s been a ton of people coming in today,”

“Awwh, that's wonderful!” She said joyfully. “...anything else?”

Her smile grew wider. Serval could almost sense there was something you weren’t telling her. You gulped. 

“Um— well, Gepard and I are heading to the theater today,” you said, a little quieter than the way you had talked previously. “I wanted to thank him for guiding me around the plaza a few days back,”

“What??? Why didn't you lead with that??” She slammed her hands on the desk, flabbergasted. You flinched and shook your head. 

“It’s not THAT big of a deal,” you brushed it off sheepishly. “Just a little outing, nothing more to it,”

Serval’s bottom lip quivered with something between joy and rage.

“It is too!” she argued. “My brother lives and breathes his work. I can't believe someone is finally helping him loosen up a bit,” She sniffled dramatically. “I think I'm getting teary-eyed!” 

You handed her the hefty window box with a smirk. “If you say so. Well then, it was great seeing you! Take good care of them,” 

“Of course! Have fun on your date!!!” Serval sang, pushing the door open.

“Wait—,”

She gave you a salute with her free hand and slipped through the crack in the door before it shut. 

Well, that was weird, to say the least,

———

“... and seventy-five grams high nutrient fertilizer,” Gepard murmured, reading off the slip of paper you had given him. He scooped some fine powder from the burlap sack, lowering himself to eye-level with the plant with the meticulousness of a scientist. 

His blue eyes were fixed on the measuring spoon, tilting it onto the plant when his sister barged in. She was carrying a box of flowers, almost slamming the door into the wall with how much foece she put in. Gepard flinched so hard he flung the spoon into the air and it hit the ceiling with a “thud”.

“Geppie!!!” Serval shouted affectionately as the spoon landed on the hardwood. “A little birdie told me that you have a date at the theater today!!” 

She sauntered in and set down the flower box on his desk. He looked on sadly as bits of soil fell onto his paperwork.

“A d-date? Where’d you get that from? And how did you even get in here!? I thought the Landau—,” he stumbled over his own words and she cut him off, too elated to notice how she was trampling his attempts to speak.

“I stopped by the flower shop this morning. You never mentioned anything of the sort!” She swayed excitedly.

“That’s because I found out today,” Gepard grumbled. “They merely had an extra ticket.” He bent down to gather some of the fertilizer into a pile on the floor.

Unless… they said it was a date..? He felt hope rising in his chest but he quickly squashed it. Hope? No, he wasn’t hoping. Of course not. 

Serval smirked, stepping closer to him. 

“Don't think I don't notice how utterly smitten you are.” She looked at her nails with a frivolous expression. “You know, how your face gets all rosy, your voice gets higher, and you listen extra hard when they speak?” 

Gepard’s lips pulled back into a thin line. He glanced at the bamboo plant one last time before spinning around and dropping onto the bed, the mattress straining with the sudden weight.

The Captain rested his head in his hands, heaving a sigh as his blue eyes stared onto the floor. 

“Is it… that obvious?” He said quietly.

Serval widened her eyes in surprise. Usually her brother stood his ground and brushed her off. She took a break from her teasing to plop down on the feather bed next to him. 

“Maybe just to me,” she answered. She leaned back and stared at the ceiling. 

“After all, I've known you long enough that I've never seen you care about anything this much. Your sister gets a little worried sometimes! You practically live and breathe your work.” Serval leaned slightly off the bed to get a closer look at his face, analyzing his features.

“And, as much as I love to tease you about it, I’m really happy my cute little brother has found someone he wants to offer his heart to,”

She rifled a hand through his hair teasingly, sending golden strands everywhere. Gepard’s hands shot up defensively with a grunt. They sat in silence for a bit, until she spoke up again.

“Also, I’ve noticed you've gotten pretty good at taking care of plants now too! Look at you, my little gardener!” Said Serval. “Well, I’ll get out of your hair now. I doubt the Landau Residence really wants me around anyways.” She shrugged, picking up her box. She kicked the door open unceremoniously and skipped out into the hallway, leaving a plethora of confused faces in her wake. 

Gepard sighed. She hadn’t let him get a single word in edgewise. It was the trademark Landau stubbornness, after all.

———

Vaska’s stream of praises for the cafe you had chosen today were endless. She had the expression of someone who had just won the lottery as she bit into a cinnamon strudel. 

“Mmm, thish ish sooo delicious...” She licked the sugary dust off her fingers in satisfaction, wiping her lips and picking up another one. “How’d you find this place?”

“A friend introduced me,” you replied as you sipped your raspberry mint tea. “I'm surprised you didn't know about it, actually,”

“Well, I'm trying to avoid spending money because I’m saving for the upcoming sequel of my favorite book!” She giggled. The air seemed to be filled with sparkles all of a sudden. 

“Is it to Tale of the Winterlands?” You asked, raising your eyebrows. 

“Bingo!”

“Aren't you afraid of it being confiscated?” 

“Not anymore,” Vaska crossed her arms with a smile. “It’s pending approval. Anyways, I didn't know you had friends outside of the flower shop. I'm glad you're finally branching out!” 

She rested her index finger on her cheek before continuing. “Although… Meg is gonna have your head if you keep coming back late after deliveries,”

“Gah, I know, I know. I just get so caught up talking to one of the clients. The friend I was just talking about,”

“Hmph. I'm just trying to keep you out of the fire, you know. On the other hand, she sounds delightful! What’s she like?”

“Um,” you paused. “He’s a guard,”

“A guard?” Her eyes glittered as she leaned across the table. “No way. An Underworlder and a guard, huh? What an interesting pair!” 

You chuckled. “I guess you're right. He can be a little awkward sometimes, but he's very genuine and diligent!” 

“As all good guards are, of course,” she nodded. A surprised expression flickered across your face.

“Vaska… Is there something you want to tell me?” You jested. “I didn't know you had a type. Besides the musician, of course,”

You've never seen someone’s expression go deadpan so quickly. 

“No. Nope. You've got it all wrong!!” She crossed her forearms in an “X”. 

“The idea of romance isn't half bad, but being in it sounds way too hard. If anything, my type would be more like Anna, from—,”

“Tale of the Winterlands,” you interjected again. She hummed in approval.

“That’s understandable,” you said. “You’re both very independent,”

“Aww, you think so?” A rosy blush spread across your co-worker’s face. “It's so nice to have a friend like you,”

She fiddled with the straw in her drink. “Anyways… what's the name of your guard friend?” You took a sip of your own before replying.

“Gepard,” 

Vaska’s jaw dropped through the floor.

“WHAT?!?” She stood up and slammed her hands onto the table. You recoiled in shock, her exclamation almost blowing your beret off. Heads turned towards your table as you panicked.

“Shh! Vaska, keep it down!” You hissed, placing your hands on her forearms in an attempt to soothe her. She sat back down and began to chew on her fingernails.

“Gepard… Gepard Landau??”

“Uh-huh,”

“Blonde hair, blue eyes, built like a tank?”

“Yeah, what about him? He’s not like a serial killer or something, right??”

Your mind flashed back to the times he directed you to the inside of the sidewalk or smiled tenderly at the flowers in the shop when he thought no one was looking.

No way—,

“No, goodness gracious no. Of course not! Gepard is the furthest thing from a serial killer you could get.” She shook her head vigorously, her beret flying off and drifting to the floor. She leaned down from her chair to grab it, her face still red from shouting.

“Then WHY is this such a big deal??” You inquired with an exasperated look on your face. 

“It’s because HE'S THE CAPTAIN OF THE SILVERMANE GUARDS,” she spat out in a single breath. She let out a wheeze as she dropped her head onto the table.

It was your turn for your jaw to drop. 

“Th--, Th-the Captain?!? Oh Aeons…” you stammered, biting on a mint leaf. You winced as the icy juices spread across your tongue. 

“Didn't you notice no other ‘guard’ in the area looked like him?”

“I mean, yes. But I thought the guards OUTSIDE the city wore stuff like that too,” you said, tucking a strand of hair behind your ear nervously.

“Oh by the PRESERVATION.” She ran a palm across her face. 

“And— and I did notice people gave us some weird looks when we danced in the square—,”

“You DANCED WITH HIM???”

Vaska was about to rip her hair out. You buried your face in your arms and nodded. 

“...Vaska, does this mean I have to stop hanging out with him?” You said quietly.

She grabbed you by the cheeks and pulled you close.

“NO. Of course not. It’s just that.. I’d hate for you to be involved in some high class squabble or something,” she snorted. “You know how easily agitated the nobles are,”

“Er—, Not really?”

“Well, they are! Who knows, you probably already have a bunch of jealous suitors!” 

You held your palms out to placate her. “I mean, Gepard is great and all, but it’s really not like that. He values his work more than anything,” 

“You can't ever be too safe.” She gave you a warning glance. “If rumors get spread, and you lose your job, who would I look forward to talking to every day??” 

“I’d still come and visit!” You protested. “And I hardly believe Meg would kick me out because of a bunch of silly rumors,” you said flatly.

“That is NOT the issue,” she groaned. You reached out and clasped her hands.

“Don't worry, Vaska. I'm gonna be careful, okay?” 

“I trust you, but just know I will be terrified. Forever. ‘Til the end of days,” she bemoaned. 

“I get where you’re coming from,” you reassured her. “Just remember, this is my decision. I’d never take on anything I couldn’t handle!”

She pouted, stretching her arm across the cafe table and snagging your tea. She took a sip and handed it back to you.

“Ugh. Too much milk,” she scowled before quickly returning to her normal self. “Now, Tell me what being friends with the Captain of the Silvermane Guards is like…” 

You laughed gently. 

“Of course. I'd be happy to,”

———

Later, after you had left the cafe, you opened up your phone and sent a text to Serval. 

To: Serval

You: Serval, why did no one bother telling me that your brother is the captain of the Silvermane Guards???

Serval: …belobog’s last bastion of hope?

You: Do NOT avoid the question

Serval: ahahaha

Serval: sorry, sorry

Serval: I thought you knew

You: I did not.

Serval: oops

Serval: don’t worry, it’s not like he's any less dorky when he's commanding platoons or anything

You: SERVAL

Read at 13:22 pm ✅

Seriously???

You just about threw your phone across the street. 

———

The wind was a little stronger than usual the day you met Gepard for your theater “date”. You had to bring along a pack of tissues to keep from sniffling the entire walk there. It almost felt like little ice crystals were lodging in your throat as you breathed.

The Captain was leaning up against a wall outside of the building. He was wearing less armor than usual, this time only dressed in a white military tunic with a black jacket underneath. His usual gauntlet was missing and had been replaced with black leather gloves, and a few blue and gold metals dotted his chest. 

Wow. That is a LOT of medals, you whispered internally. You felt a little weird in your traditional Belobogian attire. You suspected people would just assume he was escorting some poor pedestrian. 

Even without the uniform you were so used to seeing, he was no less noticeable.

Or dashing, you thought, glancing off to the side. Then you remembered the conversation you had with Serval earlier. You felt something tug at your heart.

I’m sure he has his reasons, you shook your head to clear the doubt. 

“There’s quite a sizable crowd today. Is it always like this?” You spoke up, trotting beside him towards the entrance stairs. 

The building was grand, it stood out like a gem amidst gravel alongside the other buildings. It had columns made of intricately carved stone, and brilliantly dyed banners hung from every surface possible. 

“Ah, yes. The Golden Theater is a magnet for people seeking a way to spend their leisure.” Gepard adjusted the collar of his jacket. “Take care not to get trampled,”

“I’ll try,” you said haphazardly. You pulled out the delicate silver tickets from your pocket and held them up into the sunlight, examining them energetically. 

His eyes rolled down to where your small form stood shivering in the cold, but still trying your best to keep the tremor out of your voice. A part of him wanted to reach down and pull you closer. He looked forward again to prevent himself from thinking too hard about it.

Gepard noticed that your eyes lingered on him a little longer than usual, especially on the medals. He felt a twinge of nervousness somewhere deep in his chest. 

I'm sure it's nothing, he sighed inwardly. 

You arrived at the mahogany doors to the theater, held open by rather formal-looking workers, and went in. You squinted in surprise at just how bright it was due to gaudy crystal chandeliers reflecting light across the walls. It smelled like velvet and old books, which wasn't necessarily a bad thing, just unfamiliar.

“You seem very excited,” he said, gazing down at you. You nodded. 

“Excited?? I’m thrilled! Yet another thing I can cross off the bucket list!” You said confidently, pressing your fist to your chest. “I'm sure you've seen these events a thousand times, right? It must be pretty weird seeing me get excited about these types of things.” You pulled at the fabric of your clothing to distract yourself. 

“This is the first time you’ve been able to take advantage of the activities offered on the Surface. It would be unreasonable of me to expect you not to be thrilled,” Gepard said, surprised. “And I haven’t, for the record. Serval was never one to enjoy formal events.” He shrugged. 

He gazed back at you as you stared at the paintings decorating the hallway. A lot of them were snowy and unforgiving landscapes, illustrating the devastation the Eternal Freeze had caused. 

“I guess you wouldnt’ve had too much time for it, either. Captain’s duties, right?” You chirped. 

Gepard froze. 

It was something about the way you said it, tinged with just a little too much enthusiasm. 

You continued to walk, seemingly unbothered while he frantically searched for something to bring up. You stopped at a display of a metal sculpture and “oohed” at it, then dodged a random passerby as more people began to stream in. It didn’t look like you were mad, at least. 

That feeling of nervousness from earlier resurfaced, making him feel like his insides were churning. Gepard was at a loss for words. He had assumed you knew at first, but it became clearer as time went on that you didn’t.

It was unusual for him NOT to mention it, but after your first meeting, he felt like he shouldn’t. He didn’t want to lose that strange feeling of being on equal footing with someone. 

You were so genuine and inquisitive, unlike the numerous businessmen and aristocrats of the city. The burden on his shoulders lessened the slightest bit when he talked to you. 

It’s not like he minded dedicating his life to his duties, but he didn’t want to let go of the warmth you offered him. 

Was he selfish for wanting that?

His eyebrows scrunched up as he mulled over what the right thing to say would be, but he couldn't drum up a solution before an usher gave you both a slip of paper and showed you to your seats. They were more towards the back of the chamber, next to a door covered in black fabric to minimize the amount of light getting in. You two sat down on the velvet cushions in silence, while the auditorium around you was bustling with chatter. 

You clenched your fists in your lap, beginning to get a little nervous at the silence as well. Gepard was a man of few words, but it was far too quiet for your liking. 

Was that the wrong thing to say? Your thoughts fired at a mile a minute. Maybe he thinks I’m snooping around… Does he think I only want to get closer to him because of his position??

I guess people of our standing wouldn’t normally hang out anyways. Vaska had a point. I do feel kind of weird now that I know,

I’m not afraid of the nobles, you realized. I’m afraid I’m going to bring him down, 

Scenarios started flashing into your head, making you squeeze your eyes shut as you tried to expel them from your brain. As the curtains rose and the lights dimmed, you tried to focus your mind on the story instead.

A show this grand had never graced the likes of the Underworld, you realized as it started. The play you had bought tickets to on a whim was called a “musical”, you believed they called it. 

I don't see why they need to sing to tell a story, you thought skeptically. The lead singer was gorgeous, though. Her name was Tamila, if you remembered correctly. You took a look at the pamphlet that the usher gave you, when blinding light filled your vision. 

Blinking like a warp trotter in the headlights of a streetcar, you realized one of the spotlights had turned your way, onto the door, to be exact. 

You saw the fabric swish open as a woman in a gilded mask whisked out, belting out a new musical number and leaping down the aisle. Several more dancers followed behind her, swooping their arms in synchrony. 

You had to admit, it was a cool idea, although you could use a little less light in your face. You figured it had to do with the fact you had only experienced the serene light of the geomarrow column most of your life, not whatever the heck this was. 

Even with the ridiculous amount of light in your eyes, you came to realize with a start that most of it wasn’t even hitting you. Gepard had it way worse, he was actually catching the majority of the spotlight. You could see how his blue eyes were squinting as he tried his best to focus on the scene. It was kind of cute, actually. 

Huh, so it’s just like in real life too, you thought, amused. You made up your mind at that very moment. 

If Gepard was the sun, it was only natural others would live in his shadow. It didn’t matter if he was the captain or not, as long as you still wanted to spend time together, everything was fine as it was.

Besides, if anyone ever gave you flack, you could just get out your old mining pickaxe. 

You turned your eyes back to the play, the troupe of people that had entered from the door had finally joined the main group onstage. The dance grew into a passionate frenzy, and then finished with the masked woman sweeping Tamila into the air, then catching her as the cast cheered. 

Clapping joyfully, you watched the actors bow while the audience showered them in bouquets. 

Wow. No wonder there were so many people coming in today, you realized. You wilted a bit as one of the actors stepped on a Rainbow and turned it to mush. 

Gepard couldn’t help but smile at your appreciation for the show as you left the theater, stopping outside the building to avoid the worst of the crowd.

The wind was even stronger than before. You tucked your face into the collar of your shirt miserably while shuffling behind Gepard in hopes he could block the wind for you. 

“Th-thank you for coming with me G-Gepard,” you shivered. “I know h-how you must have a limited amount of free time,”

“Of course,” he replied. “With the Fragmentum letting up, I’ve been able to be out and about more often,” 

The Captain noticed you shying behind him, so he stepped a little closer. You probably weren’t quite used to the cold yet. You thanked him silently.

“In fact,” he continued. “I’ve taken it upon myself to be a volunteer tour guide at the museum as of late,”

“The History and uh… whatever one?” You sniffled.

“History and Culture, yes.” He nodded wisely. He brushed a couple stray hairs out of his face but the wind immediately blew them back.

“Gepard, that’s incredible. You work as hard as ten men!” You giggled. He snorted gently.

“I should stop by sometime. Do you know when the hours are?”

“I’m afraid I don't,” Gepard said, placing a hand on his chin deliberately. “But there should be a sign outside the entrance,”

“If you want, we can stop by before we part ways,” he offered. The Captain pointed over to a faraway building as you walked down the stairs, the crowd having finally eased up.

“Only if you want to. I don't want to drag you by the ear or anything,” you grinned but immediately regretted it as your teeth chattered.

He shook his head. “I'd never offer to do anything I didn’t want to do,”

You gave him a skeptical look. 

“You offered to clean Serval’s workshop…”

———

You could hardly stop yourself from breaking into a run as you neared the museum entrance. A fountain with a large Geomarrow heater sat outside the building and you almost forgot what you were there for as you watched it, mesmerized. A museum employee was standing in front of a corkboard, which you took a quick picture of. Then you turned back to the fountain. 

“Whoa, running water,” you murmured, awestruck. You turned to Gepard, who was standing a few meters away, and called,

“Hey! Gepard! How much trouble would I be in if I drank some??”

“The plumbing system in this city goes back 700 years. I wouldn’t recommend it,” he responded flatly, folding his arms. 

You turned back to the fountain, humbled. You didn’t need any more iron in your system than you already had. 

Resting your arms on the rim of the base, a glint of bronze flickered in the corner of your vision. A small coin landed in the water with a plop. 

You turned to see where it came from, promptly spotting Gepard walking up to you. He tapped you on the shoulder and placed a coin in the palm of your hand. He made a flicking motion with his thumb, which you mimicked, closing your eyes. The coin flipped into the air and landed in the top level of the fountain.

“Nice job,” Gepard commented. You pumped a fist into the air. 

“So… what did you wish for?” You inquired. He sighed.

“I don’t think I’m liable to tell you that,” said the Captain with a serious glance at you. Too serious. You prodded him with your index finger.

Giving up, you looked back at the water but suddenly something large and made of metal crashed into you from behind. 

You toppled in headfirst, inadvertently inhaling a huge gulp of water. You sputtered as you panicked and tried to figure out which way was up, when you felt arms wrap around your legs and back, lifting you out of the basin. 

Clinging to the chest of your rescuer, you coughed harshly, the cold air scraping your lungs while water dripped out your mouth. You were lowered gently onto the ground, recognizing the medals on Gepard’s coat as he stood up and leaned over you. 

“(Y/N), are you alright?” 

Is this the face of God? You wondered, dazed as you stared into his blue eyes. He shouted something you were definitely not paying attention to.

“(Y/N)—,” 

You sat up, almost knocking him in the head. Your eyes traveled towards two guilty looking kids, standing behind a cart wearing museum worker IDs.

“That was quite the fall. Did you hit anything?” 

“I don’t think so.” You winced, struggling to your feet. The museum aide hurried over.

“I am so, so, so sorry. We had a new display coming in and I should have told them to be more careful—,” You blinked at her as she clutched at her head in worry.

“Hey, it’s all right, really. I was like that when I got my first job,” you reassured her. You placed your hands on your hips and faced them.

“Although, if you two aren’t careful from now on, the Supreme Guardian might eat you for lunch, got it?” You said, amused. 

They both bowed and hurried off with the cart. A sculpture labeled “The Galactic Baseballer” peeked out from the side of it. 

Interesting name, you thought.

“You handled that well,” Gepard said, bringing you back to reality. 

“Did I?” You tilted your head at him, lifting your sleeves to let the water drip off them. “Aeons above, I really took it upon myself to absorb every possible drop of water possible,” 

You crossed your arms over your soaked chest, feeling a chill beginning to seep into your bones.

Gepard’s shoulders tensed up. He swiveled his head around, scanning the city, while resting his hands on your forearms. You were left with no time to think before he swept you off your feet and hoisted you onto his shoulder. 

You were frazzled beyond belief. 

“Wait— wait, wait. Gepard what are you—,” Your eyes whisk across the pavement, surveying for any nosy onlookers. 

The Captain carried you to one of the many metal benches dotting the city with a geomarrow heater next to it. He set you down, before taking off his jacket and wrapping it around you gently.

‘Mind the wet sleeves, I’ll be right back,” he said before starting off towards some unknown destination. You basked in the newfound heat given off by the appliance, holding out your hands to gather as much of it as you could.

I feel like an abandoned pet, your inner voice said. You exhaled, your breath leaving a trail in the air. Thank Qlipoth for these heaters, 

Gepard’s coat was surprisingly comfortable. It was obviously made of durable materials meant to trap in heat. You pulled it closer around your shivering form, nuzzling into the collar contentedly. 

A couple minutes later, when you felt yourself beginning to drift off, you heard the familiar clanking of boots again. You opened your eyes, and lo and behold, it was Gepard!

“My apologies for taking so long. I grabbed you something to wear while your clothes dry.” He held out the item of clothing at arm's length for you to see better. 

You inhaled sharply as you realized it was the same piece of clothing you had been staring at so intently the day you toured the city together. It looked like it was exactly your size, too. 

He remembered?

You felt your heart start to race as he handed it to you. You took it gratefully, taking a moment to stare at the piece. Burying your face in it, you felt tears begin to prick at your eyes. 

It shouldn’t be possible for someone to be this kind,

It was honestly overwhelming.

“Don’t worry about it,” you said, your voice muffled. “I’m warming up just fine.” You finally raised your head, blinking the tears away, and rubbed your shoes together to get some of the feeling back into your feet.

“Let’s get you home,” he stated. “The windchill on the surface is nothing to joke about,” 

“You don’t have to tell me twice,” you replied. You got up, still wearing Gepard’s coat, and hung onto his arm for good measure while you walked. You did mourn the loss of the heater, but this time, your teeth didn’t chatter.

“I’m sorry for having to borrow your coat, even though it’s cold out,” you murmured. “You really are the perfect person to protect the city, you know that?” You smiled up at him gently. Gepard’s nerves buzzed with electricity. 

“It’s nothing extraordinary,” he sighed. “I merely take protecting the things I care about seriously. That’s what being a guard is about,”

He tried not to pay attention to how tenaciously you were gripping onto his sleeve.

“Well, I think you’re extraordinary.” You stuck your tongue out at him.

As cheesy as that is,

You handed Gepard his coat as you returned to your quaint little flower shop. How badly he wanted to tell you that you could borrow it, and return it to him later so he could see you again. He smiled to himself as you went back inside. 

This would do for now.

———

“Great heavens, (Y/N). Did you fall into the ocean or something?” Vaska exclaimed as you dragged yourself upstairs.

“No,” you grumbled, the tips of your coat still dripping. “We all know oceans are a myth,”

“Looking at you, I'd believe they were real,” she fired back as you retreated into your room. You hurriedly shed your wet coat and shoes, putting on the garment Gepard had bought you. 

You turned to look at it from every angle in the full-length mirror before deciding to collapse onto your bed. You combed your fingers through your hair, picking up your floral-patterned pillow and squeezing it tightly. 

Am I— am I in some kind of rom-com?? You groaned inwardly. Your face was flushed with something along the likes of happiness, embarrassment, or both.

Gepard had been nothing but kind during the time you spent together. After years of being a mere vagrant, you almost felt… special when he looked at you.

His blue eyes were so thoughtful and considerate and—,

No!!! I’ve got to keep it together! 

Rolling over, you pressed the pillow into your face and let a guttural shriek loose from your lungs. You chucked it across the room, your hair now a mess.

Meg’s voice rang from downstairs. “KEEP IT DOWN UP THERE!!” 

2023 - Dreaming-of-Mossballs - Do not repost/translate without my permission - NO AI

[cjoat-boost]

Mutual Aid List Post

With everything that’s going on with me, I have noticed folks I care about our interact(ed) with are in dire need of assistance or shares of the like. It’d ease my mind if even posting or sharing their posts would bring the eyes and assistance they each need. The list is numbered but the numbers have no standing on importance, it’s just a list. Please view under the cut.

Moosblossom (Fae/Moo/It/He/She) is once more opening up faer coms!! Moosblossom needs to save up to fix faer car, if you’re interested in helping ; https://moosbloomcoms.carrd.co/#ii

Hey guys, the Co-founder of BarPOC (18+ Community for Black, Indigenous, and other Furries of Color) server, Kandy, REALLY needs help right now, whatever you can donate please hand it over to them, they'll need it to overcome this. Thank you guys 🧡 https://bsky.app/profile/kandyelmo.com/post/3kd6gr4l43d2z

@annie-manga’s friend, @theawesomeadventurer (unsure why I’m unable to tag them but—Annie if you see this I hope sharing their posts will help them) is in financial need! https://www.tumblr.com/theawesomeadventurer/730798307796025344/i-am-still-in-need-of-financial-assistance-btw

Juutanart is an exhausted artist and wonderful mom; any help is appreciated.

This post is not made lightly, and Synne [Pronounced Sin] wanted to make sure that it is known that she wouldn't be sharing this if Synne didn't need the help. Synne’s never been wealthy, but having lost out on two paychecks due to their carpal tunnel putting her out of a job, they’ve been severely behind. Synne and their partner just spent the last of their money on groceries, and now only have two dollars between them to last until Friday. If anyone is able to help Synne and their partner at all, it will be greatly appreciated. We are also willing to do a little art in exchange, although we don't have the capability to do digital art at the moment. Synne’s Paypal: https://paypal.me/JessBiondo?country.x=US&locale.x=en_US | Synne’s partner's Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/puppyresidue

There’s my parental figures, as well; and trigger warnings are provided in the post. https://www.tumblr.com/cjoat-boost/731258299453997056/liv-webb-need-our-help

Finally me, as it’s November, (I’ll be homeless by the 12th…If allowed a week longer, the 19th; and I’m making it known that I’m trying to raise at minimum 500K to attempt to buy my first home before the end of November. My links and context provided are here: https://www.tumblr.com/cjoatprehn/731033172982300672/i-am-going-to-be-homeless-in-30-37-days

I can always add more folks in need, but my mana slots are running low, so i need to break for a moment. But it would mean so much if you were able to share this post.

[ponkydraws]

⚠️FLASHING LIGHTS & EYESTRAIN⚠️

I’m Ponky! I occasionally post stuff, and it’s usually just random BS. I’m Scandinavian although I never post in my native language.

I draw a lot (click #ponkydraws in the tags below if you wanna see my art only)

I’m in too many fandoms to count but currently I’m most active in Sherlock, Cult of the lamb, Invader Zim, musicals, Magnus Chase, Good Omens, Doctor Who, etc. also obsessed with my own ocs and just…whatever catches my attention. I hyperfixate on things so I might be quite insufferable about the same thing for weeks. Don’t expect a pattern LOL

History is my special interest so there might be some of that too!

I’m usually referred to as she/her but i genuinely do not care, i prefer to perceive myself as a genderless alien in a human disguise, thank you very much. I’m also bi🩷💜💙

I have diagnosed ADHD and autism, hence the username (moderate to severe ADHD combined type and low support needs autism, if you want me to narrow it down for you nerds, and yes, that’s quoting my medical journal) please be patient with me. On top of that I am a teenager, so you’re getting all the awkward contributions in one package!

I suffer from migraines and carpal tunnel syndrome (in both hands) so I’m likely in pain 95% of the time, don’t mind my whining, I’ve got practically no pain tolerance

(Ask me about my hyperfixations. Please.)

Cringe culture is dead, if that upsets you, kindly fuck right off<3

(Same goes for TERFs, bigots, proshippers n general haters. You are not welcome here.)

I’m constantly seeking stimuli so please do indulge me^^

I’m also on tiktok (commandersmileyyy) and Artfight (fineeeponky)!