#orion threads

[gravesung]

▲ lounging in the living room go ( to orion <3 )

send ▲ to pull my muse into your muse’s lap! ACCEPTING.

SHOUTA HAS NEVER BEEN EASY TO READ. couple that with orion being chemically terrible at reading people and you have a crush that never quite progresses beyond agonizing pining. in this case, it's a crush that has lasted for years, so many years that it's worn a groove in him. even now, lounging with shouta on the couch, orion's heartbeat flutters just the same as it did when they were in high school. he still loses the ability to speak when shou compliments him, and he still feels himself melt like a burning candle under the attention of those eyes.

something is different tonight. it starts with a conversation, a shared snack bowl, orion doodling in his sketchbook while they watch a show together. orion finds his eye wandering: the stubble, the knife-sharp line of his jaw, the wild hair, the corners of his mouth. all traits that have graced the pages of orion's sketchbooks and easels many, many more times than he'd be comfortable sharing.

it's when orion returns from the kitchen now, fresh off of chugging a glass of water (after, yes, forgetting for most of the day again.) that their called-from-another-room conversation falls into a lull of silence. a long look. in the silence, in the stare, shouta leans forward and takes orion's long and pallid hand in his.

even that small touch is enough to turn off every single thought in his brain. gone. a white screen, 404 error. is — ? is? at first he's not fully sure of the intent: there's a tug at his hand, down and toward. closer, it says, and he obeys wordlessly, every nerve in his body alight as he follows the other's gentle guiding until his long, spidery body is folded in shouta's lap. the hum, the sing of the blood in his veins.

❝ shou — ❞ just barely, the tremor in his hands flares. it's a side effect not of anxiety, but of adrenaline, a decade of yearning with no end in sight being acknowledged — accepted? — for the first time. worse in the left, the one shou's holding. despite it, he presses forward just a bit. those pale and uncalloused fingers, shaking fingers, brush over the stubble he'd been staring at earlier before coming to rest on his jaw. a smile, then. hopeful, a little afraid. there is still a chance he's reading all of this wrong. ❝ ... hi. ❞

[humblemooncat]

"I don't have any favorites among the main cast, I swear- Ignore the red and green cat hair all over my clothes."

I am nothing if not a sucker for nerdy catboys, so Orion gets some catboy kisses. :3c

[aroaessidhe]

Aromantic adult books (part 2)

ARO WEEK 2023

WERECOCKROACH / contemporary sff novella / aroace agender MC

SAILING BY ORION’S STAR / historical fiction / multiple aroace MCs

THE WORLD WE MAKE / contemporary lovecraftian sci-fi/fantasy / one of the many MCs is aroace coded 

BAKER THIEF / urban/high fantasy / one of the two MCs is aro bi

BLOODY SPADE / urban/high fantasy / one of the major characters/MC’s brother is aro bi

THE THREAD THAT BINDS / urban/high fantasy / one of the 3 MCs is aroace, other aro-spec side chars

*as a note, some of these only briefly explore aromanticism, and/or explore the ace part of the aroace character more. If you want more details on how much things are explored, see my database!

[omnificent-orion]

Something is holding you here -- refusing to let you go.

Patreon | Ko-Fi | Commissions | Print Store

[laertesthelocalstranger]

Orion waits patiently for Laertes to show. He figures if he wants long enough, she’ll pop up.

They don’t have to wait long.

Laertes stumbles through a portal the size of a thumbtack. Her hair looks different- like he’s gotten fairy hair, if the colors of fairy hair swirled in the light and hurt to look at for more than a few moments. It seems stronger where her braids meet their head, and the odd shape of the brighter presence implies that someone had grabbed it, and hard.

[catherine-bisset]

Starter for @orioncarnell

Location: Scouting out the Daybreakers base

Daybreakers.

Reavers and Daybreakers always circled one another, never really engaging. You'd hear them shouting sometimes, but mostly it was the night screaming that echoed furthest. Catherine tried not to hew loyalty to Reavers; they'd been a means to an end, but compared to Daybreakers? The mad pack had been saints.

So, when she'd heard about the Redwood community setup at the ranch and what had happened after, Catherine approved. You couldn't hope for the best with a group like Daybreakers. Being unpredictable and proactive had kept the Reavers safe, and it worked for Redwood, too.

For now.

But the Daybreakers could still be at their base. Regrouping, planning. Someone had to take initiative and investigate.

Catherine and Orion - having been the two Raiders chosen - left the ranch behind two miles back. Cat was impressed by Orion so far; Isaac had chosen well.

Presently they'd come across what looked like a Daybreaker who'd died post-Ranch, lying face-up and half covered in snow. The freshest fall was sticking to unblinking eyes and the remains of a jaw that worked the air slowly in a familiar holding pattern. Cat's attention, however, was more on Orion and his reaction. His choice. Approach or avoid? Mercy or necessity?

[thisgusting]

"you know what ??" oh no. "we cannot keep seeing eachother like that !!" where was she going with that ?? to be completely honest, orion had no idea, either. did that stop her from saying what's on her mind ?? never. "i mean... — yeah, i will still need your help from time to time, but... you see... how about we just... go out somewhere ?? i'll try not to injure myself, you know." that part was still up in the air, though. even a pebble could be dangerous !! "an arcade place... some cotton candy ?? hmm...??"

@wcvensouls — closed starter !!

[johnnyxwagner]

starter for @orionxblakewood

location: uptown books

"Sorry, I'm late," Johnny apologized, running a hand through his hair as he approached Orion at the check out desk. "School hasn't even started yet and I'm already getting carried away at my desk with all the prep work." He laughed softly, "You about ready to grab a bite to eat or still need to finish some things up?" The younger man had become a friend to Johnny in all the times that he had requested his help in finding a book.

[formorethananame]

@mere-lullaby, continued from here

Orion sighed softly as Sirena pulled away, eyes warm. Silver bled into the dark brown of his irises. With her, he could be himself - his true self, a creature from the depths of the ocean, made of broken bits of coral and magic the world couldn’t comprehend. 

Her touch still lingered on his skin, and Orion couldn’t help but move closer to Sirena. He could sense the playfulness in her voice, but they both knew that she wasn’t exactly the most honest being on the planet.

Still, Orion reached up to fix Sirena’s hair, an absent habit of is. “I know, I know,” he sighed. “I’ve been busy. People further up the state have been offering me gigs.” He smiled just so. “I’m in high demand right now, but I’m back home. Promise.”

[bethyyoung]

Inventory

Featuring @orioncarnell - In which questions are ping-ponged and carvings are discussed.

Orion

Hello. I brought clothing. -*Orion's greeting is as minimalistic as usual as he greets Beth and lowers the filled backpack onto the ground next to him. He'd been trying to find antibiotics, but those had been harder to find, so after a few days of being out of Redwood, Orion had opted for a nearby somewhat intact clothing store. They could use it in the winter months.*- I packed as much as I could. If we need more, I can head out again. -*he looked like the days he'd spent outside, grime and dirt and sweat and some dried blood clinging to him*- Or is there anything else we currently need?

Beth

She tuts. Immediately. It can't be helped, no matter how often he appeared in this state. Instinct was to take a hose to the man like a muddy dog. "Thanks," she smiles instead of lecturing. Hunkering down and hooking one finger through a backpack strap, Beth pulls it closer. "That blood on you yours?" Beth's way of asking if he had gotten hurt, eyes on the bag of clothing all the while.

Orion

Some of it. Most of it is from walkers. -*Orion answers truthfully, not picking up on Beth's intent in the slightest, the way he usually did with indirect questions and comments. He watched her intently as she pulled the backpack closer, resisting the urge to hold it in place, as if Beth was taking it away*- I will need the backpack back. The clothes are on top. I got jackets, but they require a lot of space, so I could not bring a lot. If we need more, I will go out again.

Beth

The honesty was appreciated, but her smile was polite. "Need me to patch anything up on ya?" He didn't strike her as coy or prideful enough to hide an injury in need of tending - but Orion did seem task-oriented enough to prioritize delivering recovered goods before seeing to himself. "Then back you shall have it, Orion." Scooping the clothing out and into her arms carefully, Beth stood and found a spot to set and sort."You did well, thank you. Was there anything from this delivery you'd like given to anyone specific?"

Orion

"No. Thank you." Orion added that last part after some thought, before he continued. "I cut myself on some glass. I bandaged it on the road. I can stitch it up back in my apartment." That was how he did it for the most part. He had learned young to tend to his own wounds. Unless necessary, he didn't go to the clinic. With a grateful nod he took the backpack back, though he didn't leave as Beth began sorting, watching her. Most of their interactions had been Orion dropping off what he'd found, and then leaving. What they had talked about had been limited, but their conversations were not unfriendly.

"No. Whoever needs it. I grabbed bigger sizes, because we have a few of those, and I overheard some say that the jackets don't fit them." Orion tilted his head while he observed her work. "Is there something you need?"

Beth

"As you like," Beth allowed, trusting Orion to know his limitations.

Already splitting the clothing into stacks by size, each was shook open and held at arms length in turn. "The kids will always need bigger sizes to grow into. Keep the too-smalls for the next kid down the line. Doesn't work as well when you reach adulthood."

His question earned a genuine laugh from Beth. "Sorry, that wasn't at you. Just that everyone here is in need all the time." Beth stretched across the counter to get her clip board. "But - let's see..."

Beth hummed tunelessly, flipping pages. "Metal for the forge, yarn for socks and winter gear..." She felt like the worst Santa. Not one request for a toy.

Orion

Orion didn't take offense to it, but he made a mental note of it. Of course, children would grow out of the jackets easily, but perhaps, if he had the space to spare, he could take some of those with him the next time he had the chance. He could roll them up tight. If they didn't need them, perhaps Bea could use the fabric. He just gave a small nod of acknowledgement, took his notes, only pausing when it got to Lucien's cane.

"I see. Ike and Zack brought back some wooden canes a while back. Were they too short?" He might have to look in a hospital, which was always risky. Or go further out, to find a specialty store. "I will see what I can find." He regarded her thoughtfully for a moment, before he said. "You are very helpful. It is practical to have someone who keeps an overview of requests." Then, after a short pause, he asked. "Why do you do it?"

Beth

"And it was great that they did," Beth nodded. "But Lucien is taller than most folk a mobility device is made for." Setting another coat down, Beth held one hand to her side, near the hip. "See about here? Supposed to hold the cane here and still be standing, no hunching over."

Her smile was reflexively polite. People treated her like some goody two shoes sometimes, because she employed common courtesy and was friendly enough until given reason to behave otherwise. Left a body to wonder what everyone else thought was baseline behavior. "Why?" Beth exhaled slowly, looking around. "Well, I suppose because it's something I'm capable of, and it needed doing."

Smiling up at Orion, Beth returned the question. "Why do you raid?"

Orion

He took both note of the explanation and visual demonstration regarding Lucien's cane, and made a mental note to perhaps see if he could find a medical equipment store. Or rather a hospital? Similarly to her quick explanation, her answer as to why she was working as an inventory manager was similarly practical.

"I see." Orion responded, thoughtful, before he answered in turn. "I raid because it is what I am good at, and what I like doing most." He could have as easily been a hunter, or a farmer. He had experience of doing things because they needed to be done. "Do you like what you are doing? Or would you rather do something else?"

Beth

Gosh, what it'd be like to hear his internal dialogue, instead of waiting out his thoughts. His answer made her smile - practical. "I'm glad you enjoy the work, Orion. Redwood's lucky to have you here."

Folding again, she considered, smoothly fabric idly. "Well, I like parts of it. It feels nice to know I'm helping. Pulling my weight and all." Would she rather be doing something else? Orion very likely meant in Redwood, in present circumstance, but it fell on Beth more contemplative. "I don't suppose there's much point in thinking about what I'd rather do. This suits me well enough just now."

As before, she returned the question. "Anything else *you'd* prefer to spend your time on?"

Orion

"Thank you." Orion gave the appropriate response to her kind words. He noticed that she seemed to think over her words carefully, not responding in the spur of a moment, or just on instinct.

"I see." She didn't seem resentful of what she was doing, and she recognized the necessity of it. A practical way of looking at things. "No. I like raiding as it is. If I want to do something else, I do it in my free time." Reading took up quite a lot of his time, as did working out, but they were not things he preferred overall. He needed raiding, in a way he didn't need reading or working out. "I read a lot. I am starting to learn how to whittle." Their rhythm seemed to be pointing and turning back questions at each other. "What do you like to do when you are not here?"

Beth

"You whittle?" Beth perked up. "What inspired that?" Lacking much in the way of artistic discipline, Beth always appreciated it in others. "Have you made much?"

And the question returned again. "Ooh, depends on the day - although..." She trailed off, considering the man before her. "You know Lucien? I'm looking to get a handrail for his stairs, and secure the shelves so they can't get knocked to tumbling. I could do with a hand. If you're of a mind to help."

Orion

"I have not made much. There were a few animal shapes in the book I borrowed from the library. I have been making dogs." Four he had been accumulating on a small table in his apartment. The book had declared them as a simple shape, perfect for beginneres and Orion thought he was getting better. Cat kept knocking them down.

He saw the pause in Beth's demeanor at the returned question, thinking. Orion waited. "I see. I can help. I know Lucien." A handrail made sense for him. Orion thought about it. "Do you already have a handrail? Or does it still need to be made?" His own woodworking skills were purely practical, fixing table and chair legs and other wooden items. It was limited, but it would work. "I could help with making it. Isaac also knows how to woodwork as well."

Beth

It was an interesting subject, one she'd just discussed with someone else not too long ago. "Did you pick dogs for any specific reason?" Beth was fairly sure he had a pet cat, but perhaps the dog was easier to carve. "Could I trade you for one? When you think you're ready to show them off, I mean."

"Not yet. I reckoned I'd see if Vi had anything for it. If not..." Beth stood akimbo, thinking. "I still need to measure the staircase. But it doesn't need to be fancy, Orion - just sturdy and sanded." He was easy enough to talk to, unlike Ike's frequent carnival barker twists in conversation. "No call to answer this minute. Just wanted to put a feeler out while I had you here."

Orion

"They were the easiest for beginners. I am also making a dog for my pot of gold project. For Renee's children." The ask for a dog surprised him. Especially the offer to trade. It felt odd, exchanging an item with little practical use. "You can have one, we do not need to trade. I will bring it to you next time."

Beth needed to think, and Orion nodded, slightly confused at the last expression, but it wasn't hard to figure out what she meant. "I see. I can do that." He didn't know how to do much decoration, regardless. What he'd fixed on the farm had focused on practical, rather than aesthetic. "Let me know when you need it, so I can see if we need any more wood for it."

Beth

"You're making the gift for her children? Wonderful idea, Orion. Do you think you'll paint or stain them?" The trade rejection didn't deter Beth, she'd just have to find a way to repay him indirectly. "Well, now, thank you kindly, honey."

Returning to her folding, Beth beamed over the top of a jacket. "I'm glad you came by, Orion. These coats'll find a home. And I'll let you know about the railing soon."

Orion

"I'll leave them unpainted. The children might want to paint them." Orion responded. Should he paint the one he was giving to Beth? Though, maybe she would enjoy painting the one she would receive too. Regardless, he nodded and took a step back. "I am glad to hear that. Thank you. I will bring one of the dogs the next time I stop by." He looked at her for a few moments longer, before turning away and making his way off, shouldering the empty backpack.

[jockbrannigan]

Starter for @orioncarnell Setting: The woods outside of Redwood

Just put one foot in front of the other. One after the other. One after the other. Don't think about the dangers. So many dangers. Just think about your feet. One after the other. One after the other.

Jock had made it this far, right? He could make it even further because he had to. If he stopped now, that would be it for him. No more Jock and he was nowhere near ready for no more Jock. And he had managed a similar feat before. He had made it from Washington DC to the Hyland's farm in West Virginia, hadn't he? Sure, he had a truck that got him there back then and now he was walking but that should diminish his initial achievement!

He dared to look up from the ground to find he was still surrounded by trees, with no obvious sign of any nearby towns or landmarks to help guide him. He looked back down at his feet as he forced himself to trudge onwards. He just had to hold onto the hope that he'd find somewhere safe to live soon. Soon. Soon couldn't come soon enough.

Up ahead, there was some rustling in among the plant life. Jock froze to the spot. He listened carefully, trying to detect the tell-tale sounds of biters. No groans, no shambling footfalls. Even so, that didn't mean Jock was safe. Why wasn't he safe? Why did he leave the farm when he could've stayed there (he knew why but his panic wasn't letting him see it)?

He pressed himself against the nearest tree, the solid feeling of it grounding him just a little, just enough. A tall figure came through the overgrowth towards him. Jock raised up his hand.

"Woah, buddy, that's far enough, OK? You a friend or foe?"

[gravesung]

— seph-twin spiderverse fuckery, go!

@harerazor — charon.

A LONG, LONG, LONG PAUSE. loooooooooooooooong pause. he blinks, squints a singular eye, checks his fingers to make sure he's awake.

❝ is this a prank? there sure as hell aren't three of us. ❞

[theo--woods]

who: Theo & Orion.

where: Uptown Books.

when: sometime in late May.

Theo's eyes followed the rows of books lining the shelves, pulling out a number of titles and flicking through them, but feeling unimpressed with the summaries. Nothing was catching his eye and he was in desperate need of reading something new. Plus, it didn't help that he wasn't set on the genre he wanted to explore. Unsatisfied, he left the aisle in search for an employee of the bookstore. A smile graced his features when he saw a familiar face, a hand raising to catch the other's attention. "Hey! Didn't know you were working today. Do you think you have a minute to help me find something?" @orionxblakewood

[greedaeye-a]

@lcstinfantasy asked: ‘ why didn’t you tell me? ‘ - from junie @ anyone

⸻ "would it have changed anything if i did?"

[pinayelf]

Violetta writes a bring me to life-esque song at some point (the same message as the song) and its secretly abt orion I'm abt to throw up

[glimblshanks]

Is it just me, or has every main character in lower decks gotten an on screen emotional low point this season except for the one character who desperately needs to have one?