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alexanderlightweight · 2 years ago

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A group of downworlders choosing to trust in Alec over Clary, Izzy, and Jace. Alec getting recognition for 'his people' slowly but consistently improving relations, making compromises, and keeping promises vs pretty talk that promises the world but will strike you in the back for speaking against them.

Okay so like this went in such a different direction than I thought it would. I really don’t plan out the fics before I write them. Plots have never worked for me.

I see where the veins of the fic are going and try to flow along with them. So I’m not really sure how this ended up over 4k words of unplanned randomness but i hope you enjoy it

Like half of this fic was a complete accident.

—

Izzy seems shocked, the first time a seelie informant ignores her red lipped and heated smile.

Instead they head to Alec, and then stick by him. Watching the rest of the shadowhunters warily until Alec escorts them out of the institute and thanks them for their information.

“What was that?” She hisses and Alec doesn’t understand what is confusing for her.

“My job?” He asks, flatly but he offers the benefit of the doubt and when she sends him a glare and flounces her hair before stalking off, he squints in her direction. “I thought Izzy was still with Simon, is she looking for something new?”

“No idea, buddy.” Jace says but he also is looking a little putout and so Alec ignores it.

If he paid attention to every alarming thing his siblings and their entanglements did, he wouldn’t have time to breathe.

—

It happens again and again until even Clary is getting upset and Alec doesn’t get it.

“I’m more approachable! I have a better personality!” He hears Jace complaining at one point as Alec escorts a werewolf to Cat’s hospital so he can show her to the magical ward.

Alec once again ignores them as Izzy gestures to herself, “have you seen my outfit today?”

And Alec rolls his eyes because his siblings are ridiculous, thinking that people who are scared or in danger are going to focus on appearances.

And Alec knows he’s the least approachable looking, but that’s never been why he’s becoming the preferrence.

“Tell Magnus thank you.” The werewolf tells him, like it was Magnus who escorted her pregnant body to the hospital rather than Alec.

“I will.” Alec promises, because in all honesty, this has nothing to do with him and everything to do with Magnus.

He’s not being picked because he’s the most approachable or the strongest looking shadowhunter, or because of his personality. And he’s certainly not chosen for his position of authority.

Alec is picked because he’s Magnus’.

And Magnus will never allow what belongs to him to hurt what he protects.

And Alec works hard.

Not to be trustworthy himself, because it’s not his place to be.

He strives to never break the trust Magnus’ people have in Magnus.

The trust that Magnus put on the line when he declared Alexander a safe haven for his people.

And Alec will do whatever he needs to never, ever take this honor for granted, or to hurt Magnus by damaging it.

Because it isn’t that Magnus was declaring that Alec is friendly to downworlder.

He is declaring that he trusted Alec — Magnus’ Alexander — to never purposefully harm anything that was under Magnus' authority.

It’s not about Alec as a person.

It’s about what he means to Magnus.

And Alec is going to protect this, the strongest of Magnus’ declarations of devotion.

And if that means showing up at three in the afternoon to a traffic accident—

— half asleep and with pillow creases on his cheek from how quickly he got there —

— because when he’s being asked for specifically, by a very frantic werewolf who unsuspectingly went into labor in a cab, accidentally causing a crash and risking the exposure of the shadowworld.

Alec goes.

He leaves Magnus sleeping because Magnus has his own job and he trusts Alec to this.

Because a great deal of Magnus’ authority relies on his reputation and Magnus is not someone easily reached.

So Alec goes and he gets her there safely while his team covers up what caused the crash and then he activates his iratze so his fingers can heal as they’re broken and rebroken and he’s honestly relieved.

He’d rather have dozens of his bones broken over and over again than have to catch a baby from a stranger's vagina, but he would do it.

If he had to.

For Magnus.

“Oh thank fuck.” Alec barely manages to get out. He’s kneeling next to the werewolf, holding her hand with his jacket on the floor in case he needs something soft and cleanish.

Apparently they ‘had to wait’ which Alec thinks is hardly fair when her water broke while he was carrying her spasming and forcefully transforming body.

He is burning every article of clothing he’s wearing as soon as he gets home.

Alec gets to his feet and launches across the room, trying not to be too queasy.

“It’s not that bad.” Cat mocks him after the werewolf is magicked calm and wheeled away, and she is smirking at him.

“I wouldn’t touch a woman even if she had a dick.” Alec says dryly, because seelies have no shame and think threesomes should be offered like candy, “but it’s always so much worse when it’s that.” And Alec gestures with a grimace, “magical babies are so much less gross.” He mutters and Cat laughs, smooth and light and comforting after his trauma.

“Babies born from cannibalism, murder and soul destroying power are less gross?” She asks and Alec nods empathically.

“Cat, I have vaginal fluid over most of my body.” And Alec grimaces, “unless Magnus ever got bored of his genitals again, this was never going to be an issue I ever had to deal with. It’s part of our private vows.”

“Oh?” Cat asks like she’s humoring but Alec can tell by the sudden gleam in her tired eyes that she is thriving on his trauma.

“No traumatizing Alec with baby launching parts.” Alec paraphrases and he still feels a little lightheaded. “When Magnus asked me if I was willing to take vows that might set me against the clave, we spent months on it. Going over everything. Every pro and con. And Magnus promised me that while I might have to commit treason, I would never, ever have to deal with stuff like that.” Alec nods decisively, “I’m telling Magnus you kept his promise for him. And that you deserve a day away at the spa. Just the two of you, I’ll watch Madzie if you want.”

And Cat smiles at him, real and warm.

“You know, I didn’t think it would work. Magnus telling people you’d protect them in his stead if they could reach you.” Cat admits and Alec nods, just quietly pleased that she’s recently given permission for him to use her nickname. “But it seems that he’s getting wiser in his old years. Maybe it’s your youth that brings it out in him.”

“I’m going to tell Magnus you implied he is a cradle robber, again.” Alec says, but he’s fighting his own growing smile and Cat is grinning at him.

She reaches out slowly and Alec pretends to duck, butting into her hand like it’s an accident and she gets in a quick ruffle.

“I’d like that.” Cat admits, “if you remind him to bring the good stuff. Even magical spas have weak drinks.” She pauses and looks at him considerably and then adds, “Madzie would love to go to the aquarium again. She threw a fit—“ and when Alec raises a pointed brow Cat laughs and adds, “a very quiet fit, but still a fit. Apparently riding my shoulders isn’t the same as riding yours. She wants you to lift her so she can be up near the sharks and fish.”

And Alec nods, a soft smile on his own face even if his shirt is growing tacky and cold from the… disgusting evidence of new life.

It’s a slow thing, their friendship.

They’re always polite for Magnus’ sake but they both love him too much for it to be enough.

And they all love Madzie and she loves all of them, so they need a genial if not warm relationship.

But Alec is terrible at these things so he gratefully lets Cat lead the path of their friendship and he simply follows.

It’s a big deal for a downworlder. Letting a shadowhunter touch them or touching one. It’s a big deal, Cat letting Alec watch her daughter without Magnus.

Shadowhunters are born to be weapons.

Alec’s body, right down to his bone and blood, is designed and trained and tempered into pure danger.

And the clave doesn’t suffer their warriors to be sympathetic, or empathetic.

Alec’s bare hand is just as dangerous as any blade and unlike shadowhunters, who get to live and die and inflict more pain and trauma in a vicious cycle without consequences.

Warlocks have to live and remember and adapt to never getting justice and always watching the shadows for another glowing blade.

And Alec will never forget the pain in Magnus’ eyes when he explained why some nights, he has to ask Alec to wear a long sleeve turtleneck or a glamour over his runes.

The bad nights, where Magnus is troubled by memories and worried he’ll wake and see runes and think ‘enemy’ instead of ‘mine’.

And Alec stays still and pliable those nights. Covered up with fabric or magic and lets Magnus direct how much they touch and how far they go.

Magnus always marvels at his willingness to adapt to his needs.

And it only makes Alec want to do better, to be better and help heal every single hurt that life has carved into Magnus.

But he keeps his hands where Magnus tells him and he kisses as softly and adoringly as he can when he’s kissed and in the mornings, it’s a little better.

Alec stays still if he wakes first, letting Magnus set the pace for their day and canceling plans if needed.

And he waits to see if Magnus will go to the shower first or sit and slowly strip Alec.

They both always know Alec’s awake at that point, but Alec keeps his eyes closed and his breath even.

And Magnus slowly uses his magic or hands or both to bare Alec’s runes.

And Alec aches to hold Magnus, to thank him for loving Alec inspite of how painful it sometimes is, but Magnus doesn’t want to hear that.

It won’t help.

So Alec bites his lip and lets fingers trace over his runes as Magnus makes sure every rune is in its proper place.

Because even though they sometimes bring up old unhealed hurts, Alec knows that Magnus loves every part of him. Has proven it with mouth and words and kisses as he’s decorated and claimed each angelic mark.

So Alec doesn’t press, doesn’t promise.

He just nods, because this is supposed to be something nice, not stressful.

“I have several days where I'm allowed to be disconnected from the Institute.” Alec shrugs as he talks, “even my phone goes off and Magnus typically hits me with a spell that redirects fire messages. It’s rare but we worked out protocols for it after they almost ruined our anniversary. I can use one, for this.”

It’s a promise that Alec will ensure Madzie never has to see or meet or look at any shadowhunter Cat hasn’t personally vetted.

“You’re very accommodating about this.” Cat says instead of answering and Alec sighs and grimaces when he goes to rub his face and remembers what’s tackily drying on his hands.

“Not really. I mean, the institute isn’t what I would consider a vetted and safe place for her yet.” Alec sighs and closes his eyes, ignoring the hiss of magic and giving Cat a grateful smile as he feels the grime disappear.

He doesn’t like asking for favors and it would be awkward to make an official request for something so small to a newly budding friendship but the cleanliness is a relief.

“It could be years before I have enough respect and control and loyalty over every shadowhunter. It might never be completely safe. And I know you got her right after the event, you know what she was like. What she went through. What she was forced to do there. I don’t want her going there ever again unless we know that the worst she’ll get is a papercut because she tried to color my archives.” Because Alec still remembers how desperate Madzie was to save him, even being threatened and blackmailed and all because they’d shared a quiet smile.

“She’s been asking to visit you there.” Cat admits, “her therapist thinks she might need to walk through it. To process and get past that trauma. She’s not ready to talk about Rouse yet.”

And Alec sighs and he pinches his nose and is relieved when the pressure of his head ebbs a little.

“Okay.” He mutters, “okay I can work with this.”

Cat is giving him a weary but amused look, like she’s exhausted by reality but enjoying his attempts at fixing it.

“Okay. I need to have Magnus come check out the core. We never did a followup after the leylines. And it really is volatile, the clave has reports about it dating back months. I can order an official, clave sanctioned lockdown. It means only myself and my personal team are allowed out of our rooms. Everyone else is sealed into their own rooms with location monitors so sabotage can’t happen.”

Alec ignores the incredulous look he’s getting.

“A lot of shit happened because we didn’t have the right protocols and everyone ignored what we did have.” Alec admits roughly, “so I’ve changed a lot of things. The clave is tentatively letting me, since no one wants to outright argue after the last time they tried to sanction me.”

Magnus had been furious at the attempt and was Alec’s self-appointed advocate. Jia and Imogen both still wince when Alec mentions the love of his life.

“So, after your spa day. Because you’re definitely going to need one after whatever happens and she’ll need a good one before. We can do it. Issue a lockdown. Give Madzie enough time to process a walkthrough and then you’ll get her out of there so Magnus and I can actually do what we need.”

“And your team? Are they loyal? Do you trust them with her?”

And Alec looks at Cat and he grins, dark and feral and furious that he has to protect the child he loves from his own people.

“They know that if they so much as allow Madzie to be hurt in their presence, I’ll take the tripled equivalent of it out of their flesh.” And Alec grins even wider, his lips curling around his maw, “Mirai is my second-in-command and would sacrifice every member of our team and herself to preserve my life and authority. And they all know that I would sacrifice all of them for Magnus, for Madzie.” And he looks at Cat, whose loss would crush Magnus, “and for you.

“My team doesn’t love me, they respect me. They honor me. If they die they want it to be for my cause and in my stead. And it’s what I need, because love can be very fickle. You’ve never met any of them—“ because Alec knows that Cat is trying to ask if his siblings and Clary are a part of his personal team.

They are not.

“But they know the very basics of your identity and Madzie’s and why you’re so important to me. I’ll send you their files later. The unredacted ones.”

The ones even the clave doesn’t have.

“I’ll review it. But if I ask for it, will you be able to keep them away without tipping off anyone else?”

Alec nods, “they can stay in our war room if needed. It’s a new addition, Madzie won’t need to see it. Magnus can seal some of my energy to my tablet so you can use it and watch where each shadowhunter is. Will you need to bring her therapist with her? Magnus will have to trip the wards so their presence isn’t detected.”

The only other person who knows who Madzie’s therapist is, is actually Magnus.

Even Cat doesn’t know for sure.

Alec knows she vetted a group of shadowworld trauma specialists and then gave the only copy of the list to Magnus after they sealed a complicated geas that made her forget the contents.

There’s too much a risk of someone wanting the information Madzie has from Rouse and from Valentine.

So they keep it secret.

So that Madzie is safe.

“This is going to be so incredibly illegal.” Cat mutters but she looks relieved and a little less stressed despite how many clave rules they’ll be… bending.

“Even the portals from Idris go offline.” Alec tries to offer reassurance, “the risk of angelic power backlash is too much of a risk. If anyone catches on to your presence, we say we needed a healer on hand and you couldn’t get a babysitter. No one’s going to be stupid enough to press and not a single person is going to assume it’s happening because of Madzie or her therapy.”

And they wouldn’t because Cat had made her opinion clear on the subject of Madzie being any of the claves business.

Mainly that she was not in fact, their business.

And Magnus and Alec had backed her up.

“Okay. Let me talk to Magnus, and I think if we’re doing this, I'm going to change my mind. I don’t want to, but I think I will need to see all of your memories of her before she came to me.”

And Alec has to suck in a deep breath. Because he offered months ago and the option has been in limbo, Cat worried and unsure if it would help or make things worse.

The door to the maternity ward opens and Alec blinks, astonished that the baby is already born to interrupt their discussion.

Mother and child look thankfully clean, but Alec is still understandably wary as they’re wheeled over to him.

“Do you want to hold her?” The woman asks, eyes glowing as she smiles adoringly over her babe, “maybe Magnus Bane’s magic on you will bless her.”

“Is she—“ and Alec grimaces, “safe?”

And the new mother bares her teeth in offended disdain but Cat just snorts, “yes Alec, the baby is clean. You won’t have to touch ah, what was it you called it earlier, oh yes. ‘Baby launcher fluids?’ You won’t have to touch those again anytime soon.”

And Alec flushes because Cat is paraphrasing and then he’s being laughed at by two women and one of them got very intimate with him medically and the other emotionally.

He scoops up the baby, relieved that she’s clean and warm and healthy and he pets the soft downy hair.

“You’re going to grow up to be very strong.” He soothes as he rocks back and forth on his heels, “and maybe you’ll grow up to have a chocolate allergy but that’s okay. Unlike what Magnus insists, chocolate is not the superior flavor. And even if it was, you’re going to be able to taste sunshine on your tongue and see in the dark and—“ he watches the baby yawn and marvels as a little fist sleepily clutches his finger. “And Magnus is going to keep your home safe—“ he finishes, feeling a little lame because his brain is short circuiting at the strength in the little fist.

“Are all babies this strong or is it just werewolf and nephilim ones?” Alec asks before he can think better of it, he doesn’t see the amused looks pointed his way. He tries to wiggle his finger free but the baby’s face bunches up and Alec freezes.

“Cat—“ he whispers, “do magic. Quick. I can’t tell how much strength to use. What if I break her?.”

And Cat stares at him for a solid minute before she turns, leans against the wall and starts cackling.

Alec counts in his head, trying to keep his breathing as even and slow and possible. Babies are sensitive and if werewolf newborns are anything like nephilim ones, then they come with a set of instincts to protect them.

“Please take your baby back so I don’t wake her up or break her.” He whispers desperately and he gets instead a belly deep laugh and he pettily hopes she wakes up her own baby with all her damn howling.

He stands there, still as he can until Cat finally takes pity and rescues him.

However he’s still holding a grudge and he mutters to her, “you better remember to tell Magnus about what to bring yourself. I am going to conveniently forget.”

It doesn’t make him feel any better when Cat insists on opening a portal and then she shoves him through to the loft’s front door.

“Alexander?” Magnus asks sleepily when Alec finally gets into their room and Alec sighs, trudging over for a kiss before he remembers that magic aside, he’s not actually showered.

“I need sterilization.” He says and misses Magnus’ outstretched hand and startled gaze. Alec is too busy complaining to Cat via text that he can’t take a decontamination shower at Magnus’ and now he has to worry about infecting the loft.

She sends back twenty crying laughing emojis and a kissing heart and a middle finger emoji and Alec gives up.

“You're taking Cat out for a spa day.” He yells as he strips his clothes, still grumpy but sincere in his promises. “But if she asks you for the good stuff to drink, make her work for it!” Because Alec is learning to be petty right up there with Magnus, who is the best.

And Alec is a devoted student.

Alec is very content with himself as he uses his stele to draw a rune so his clothes begin to burn.

Magnus is standing in the doorway, staring at Alec in what he thinks might be shock when Alec finishes.

Which is fair.

Alec is still pretty shook himself.

“Clean first.” Alec promises, because in staying away he’s also denying himself kisses but he won’t subject Magnus to being equally infected.

And then Alec shuts the shower, draws a locking rune on the glass door for good measure and turns the water as hot as it can go.

Magnus is saying something muffled and Alec ignores the flare of his skin as it’s beaten by scalding angry water and just starts dumping bottles of soap over himself.

He manages to get what he feels is decently clean, and then Magnus is ignoring the locking rune, vanishing the entire shower door as he gets an arm around Alec’s waist and hauls him out of the lava masquerading as lava.

“What then actual fuck, Alexsnder?” His amazingly wonderful and incredibly magical Magnus is saying.

“Why is Cat sending me so many emojis? And what does she mean when she says you have occupational trauma?”

And Alec groans because he will forever be haunted.

“I love you.” He tells Magnus, “so much. But please, babe. I will literally happily go back to Edom or commit treason for you, but I cannot handle that again.”

Alec is too relieved at being clean to notice all the things he normally picks up.

So he doesn’t stop Magnus’ frantic call to Cat or Magnus’ horrified amusement at whatever she tells him.

“My poor, traumatized darling.” Magnus says and he presses his mouth to Alec’s forward.

Alec can feel his lips wobbling and he graciously ignores that it’s humor and not sympathy.

“I am.” Alec grumbles, tucking himself closer to Magnus, “traumatized. It was traumatic.” Alec lets out a little mournful sigh, “I really liked how much you liked me in those pants.”

“They could have been washed.” Magnus reminds him and Alec scoffs.

“They. Were. Contaminated. If I’d realized she was going to send me here, I would have refused. I wanted to decontaminate before I came home.”

“How about I draw us a bath?” Magnus asks and he kisses Alec’s shoulder. “

Alec nods and then sighs, “Magnus?” He asks and Magnus immediately makes a listening noise as he sets up the tub. “Can I have a full night's sleep before you never let me live this down?”

“I would never torment you with such a horrific experience.” Magnus lies, like the liar he enjoys being.

Alec gives a deep sigh and Magnus chuckles and kisses his forehead. “For your heroic actions in the face of such dangers, I will give you a full forty-eight hours and I won’t share Cat’s delightful puns until then.”

“How luxurious.” Alec mumbles and he’s falling back asleep, against Magnus and in the water.

Safe and clean.

#shadowhunters #magnus bane #alec lightwood #malec #immortal husbands #writing wednesdays #writing wednesday #lumine writes #prompt fic #prompt fill #my fics #my fanfics #my ficlets #shadowhunter au

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ratasum · 7 months ago

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Regarding everything with Leyya and her parents: Leyya was a very strangely lonely kid, and you wouldn't have expected that from her. Her parents had a whirlwind romance in college, contracted IMMEDIATELY once they were of age, had Leyya… and realized they were the worst POSSIBLE fit in a relationship and split while Leyya was about a year old.

So she bounced between her parents a lot as they moved on to other relationships. She is the oldest of a collective thirteen kids.

She never had a lot of the stability her younger siblings would come to know because her parents don't… talk anymore, really. It wasn't a good or healthy relationship OR break up. But Pruri, her mother, was a progeny instructor specifically tasked with instructing "wards of the council." Orphans. And at this point, Leyya didn't really have anyone.

She acted out, loud and boisterous and happy because it felt better than being sad about it (except it really didn't). But then she saw this angry little bald girl with big pale blue eyes sitting alone in class and was like "That's gonna be my best friend" and annoyed Zojja into friendship. Basically the class clown and the teacher's pet.

Then they got older, and Snaff took in Zojja, and now Leyya's watching this older guy who's already Snaff's apprentice just get angrier and she's just sitting there thinking "Buddy she's like twelve?" But also sort of seeing the similarities.

Sitting there as a 13-14 year old, especially after Kudu fucked off (was talking to @system-architect about how it makes the drama so much more juicy if Snaff took in Zojja BEFORE Kudu left and tbh I like that SOOO), just like "I could see how my bestie could turn out JUST LIKE THAT." But Zojja had the benefit of being very good at learning from mistakes. To a point.

(And then, again, Leyya came out as a trans woman to this, her best friend slash long time crush, and COMPLETELY forgot to ask the most important question this started with.)

But Zojja really was her ONLY friend. And she liked Snaff better than her own father, Daxx.

Also I realize there has to be a certain loneliness and like… ostracization factor? At your mother deciding yeah you're the same age as the other kids so I'm going to take you with me instead of enrolling you in a traditional progeny school, and all of a sudden you're the lone kid in the room who has a mother.

(This also ties into how Daxx is kind of a flake of a parent to Leyya. Forgets to send her a birthday present for two months. Calls her Hann for a year after she came out not because he's transphobic but because he interacts with her so rarely sometimes that he genuinely forgot she'd transed her gender. Then LATER he still has forgotten she's trans but in the opposite direction... he becomes fully convinced Leyya is a cis woman, has always been a cis woman, and that's just perfectly normal. He is the flakiest flake in existence.)

But yeah. The smartass, the jovial, affable, friendly rogue? She's seriously a little fucked up.

#bunny rambles #infiltrator leyya

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nichestartrekkie0-0 · 8 months ago

Text

Another fic! La'an and Hemmer (Friend-fic ofc)

Timeline: between ep 4-5

Words: 2.1k

Summary: La’an and Hemmer get kidnapped for ransom and must work together to escape. (Again, they're buddies...work acquaintances)

TW: KIDNAP, ALMOST DEATH, mentions of trauma and suicide. Water/drowning (No one dies, but they do get close) (TEEN and UP)

Words: *Eshra’oo = a songchord that the Aenar use to remember life events. Each individual earns or is given beads at stages in their life, everyone composes a song to accompany the beads and lyrics that go with them. The dead are not buried with them, but the chords go into a temple so that they can be sung by family members after the person has died. Married couples often carry each other’s chords after their partner has passed, and their chords will be given to the temple as a set.

Singing is personal

Hemmer was minding his own business when he heard it. A humming noise, soft and melodic floating down from the pipes.

Someone was singing in the pipes?

Hemmer shrugged.

Fair enough. I guess the cadets can’t sing in the communal showers.

Then, something felt off. He recognized the voice singing, he just couldn’t believe it.

Noonien-Singh?

He scoffed, then remembered an incident a while back when the crew was turned into children. The only thing tiny Noonien-Singh did besides cry was sing. She didn’t stop singing throughout her time in Medbay.

That, of course, drove Chapel crazy, but he didn’t mind. Actually, he thought it was kind of cute despite the situation.

His eyes drifted up to look at the pipe. Despite his eyes being mostly useless, they could sense light fairly well. Pausing to listen, it dawned on him that she had no idea there was an echo.

Oh. That’s going to be an ugly surprise.

…Unless it wasn’t.

Pulling out his comm, he dialed the Security chief.

“Noonien-Singh!" He barked, trying not to smile, "I have someone in the pipes, I think they’re singing? Did you send one of your officers in there? They’re disturbing the peace! No one on my team would ever sing in there with the echo-”

“-Oh!” Lieutenant Noonien-Singh paused.

“Yes…I did. It’s one of my officers. I’ll fix that right away.”

Hemmer smiled.

“Good.” Flipping his comm shut, he chuckled a bit at the sounds of scrambling coming from the pipe.

She must have gotten a complaint about an item lost in the pipes, someone probably dropped their key card, or their wallet, or something stupid.

Huffing to himself, he continued with his day.

Unfortunately, his day ended somewhere in a bar on a seedy planet they had stopped at to give a short break to the crew. It was sorely needed. They had run into the Gorn only a bit ago, and there were still some things wonky with the system on the Enterprise.

Even more unlucky, the bar was owned by some characters who seemed to dislike Una for her aptitude for pool.

“Oh.” Hemmer leaned in, “Una. It’s rigged. I can see the magnets.”

She scoffed. “I could have told you that.”

Then, gunfire.

Hemmer had Una to the ground in less than a second, only for her to be ripped from him as she scrambled towards the door.

“La’an!” She cried, desperately making her way to the open hole in the wall. The door was blown off its hinges.

Pike, grabbed his first officer.

“What are you doing!? Wait for two seconds before we can clear the-”

Hemmer was already out the door.

Lieutenant Noonien-Singh wasn't his friend. She was alright, but she wasn’t anything like Una.

As he ran down the steps he saw her slung over the shoulders of some rugged street lord. With a quick extension of his abilities, Hemmer could see the man’s intentions. A bounty, of course. He needed some members of Starfleet alive to sell them back to the Federation– a simple hostage situation for easy money.

“Hey!” He called, “If you want more money, you might as well take me too!”

The man turned, eyeing the Starfleet uniform suspiciously.

“What the-”

“That’s my ward.” Hemmer lied, “Aenar are very protective of our charges– as you know– so if I could substitute for her, I’d be happy to-”

A gun was placed on his forehead.

“Stop. Talking.”

Hemmer raised his hands expecting handcuffs.

He didn’t expect the blow to the head.

…

“Finally.” Noonien-Singh sighed, “You’re up.”

Hemmer groaned and instinctively reached for something he knew wasn’t there. Or, well, someone, but that’s beside the point.

Someone descended the stairs to whatever hellhole they were locked in.

“Alright.” The man drawled, “Who’s going home first? Starfleet paid one of your ransoms.”

Noonien-Singh and Hemmer nodded and spoke in tandem.

“Her.” He snapped.

She sighed, “Him.”

They both froze, looking at each other.

“Her.” Hemmer growled, “She’s younger and has a medical condition for stress. Let. Her. Go.”

The well-dressed man shrugged, “Whatever you say.”

As Noonien-Singh protested, he picked her up. She started to grow frantic, just like she had been when she was transformed into a child.

“Wait!” She cried, “Wait- I-”

“Don’t look back!” Hemmer called, “It’s ok.”

Whatever those three words meant- it unlocked something deep in her mind. Something even Hemmer, with all his psychic abilities, couldn’t understand.

“Wait, no!” She screamed, thrashing in the man’s grip, “No!”

He threw her back onto the ground, “Fine!” Looking at Hemmer, he spat, “What about it, pops?”

Hemmer looked at the shivering woman on the floor next to him. Like fuck he was leaving her behind.

“Oh,” he sighed humorously, “if you pick me up I’ll bite you.”

The man’s face twisted in disgust. “Whatever. Guess I’ll have to figure out something-”

He stormed up the steps and slammed the door, thrusting the room into darkness. Not that darkness bothered Hemmer. He could see in the dark, underwater, and up to a 1000-foot radius.

Hemmer turned to his crewmate.

“What was that?” He asked, schooching towards her. His wrists and ankles were bound, but not for long. He had been in much worse situations.

Noonien-Singh just lay there, breathing heavily.

Hemmer took a single peek into her mind. Incredibly invasive, rude, and a large taboo, but he wanted to make sure she wasn’t brain-dead.

Images of blood and horror surged through his mind, with the backdrop of burning skies and a starship on fire.

He paused, stopping his attempts to reach her momentarily.

“Holy shit.”

Noonien-Singh laughed a dark and terrible sound. “Nothing ‘holy’ about it.” She spat, curling herself into a more compressed position.

He continued to move towards her.

“What was that?” He asked again, “You could have easily gone with him.”

“I couldn't…leave you. I won’t.”

“Why? You most definitely can-”

The door creaked open.

“Good news ladies. Today’s your lucky day.” The man trod down the steps, a jovial expression that could raise the wraiths of hell plastered across his face.

In short, he looked fucking diabolical. Whatever he was excited about, Hemmer knew in his gut it wasn't ‘lucky’ at all.

…

Hemmer sneered, looking down at the dock. “Seriously? Making us walk the plank?”

Noonien-Singh– tied to him and hating every second of it– snapped, “Would you shut up?”

Their captor smiled. “Ah, I have my money, I don’t need you two. You really should have taken his offer, little missy-”

He reached out a finger only for her to bite the air around it.

“Oh!” He snorted, “Feisty!”

“Watch yourself, sir.” Hemmer warned, “I may be tied up, but I can and will use lethal force if you make it necessary.”

Noonien-Singh looked up at him. “What part of ‘we’re going to be dropped into the ocean’ are you not getting?”

He internally cursed and broadcast his thoughts to her.

Relax. I have a plan.

She sighed in relief. Oh. Amazing. What is it?

Hemmer winced.

…I have half of a plan.

She groaned, “Jesus Christ.”

“Would you like to be the plan maker here?” He hissed, “Do you have half of a plan?”

“I can’t believe I’m going to die…like this.” She chuckled, “This is so-”

“Don’t. You’re not going to die.”

“You sound awfully sure of that.”

“Yeah, well, that’s my half of the plan.” He snorted.

The weights. They move.

Her face twisted in confusion. Yeah, so?

He grunted, shifting her slightly. I can move your weights to my side, therefore making me sink, and if you can take your binds off, then you can float up.

What about you?

Looking down at the water, he shrugged, “It’s not a bad way to go.”

Her jaw dropping, she turned to look at him. “No. Absolutely not. We’re getting out of this together or not at all.”

“What is it with humans and pack bonding?” He sighed, pressing his head against the last wooden pole before the end of the pier.

Wait.

He nudged her.

The pole.

She looked up at him in confusion, with a hint of disappointment in her eyes. What?

The pole! The new installments are all concrete. Wood poles often had metal in them-

The point? Quickly.

Hemmer sighed. A- Our bonds are rope. B- if there’s a metal hook we can catch the weights on-

“-Then we could stall the sinking long enough to get out.”

“Exactly.”

They didn’t get any more time to discuss as they were roughly pushed into the water.

Hemmer expected the cold shock, what he didn’t expect was for Noonien-Singh to get over it faster than him.

The plan of catching the ropes on a hook failed miserably. As it does when both participants can’t breathe and are entangled together.

As they hit the seafloor, Singh managed to shift the weights around so they were crushing her. She pushed him upwards.

Go!

Her mind screamed the word at him. He kind of wanted to spite her and drown.

That doesn’t fix anything.

Growling in anger, he rose to the surface, took one gulp of air, and dived back down.

She was already unconscious when he made it to her. Frantically, he ripped the weights off, then managed to pull her through the ropes.

He couldn’t go back to the docks, obviously, so he dragged her out to a cove along the shore. It was mostly rock, but it was covered and protected.

CPR mostly revived her, but she was slipping. He had to do something.

“Humans and suicidal pack bonding bullshit!” He groaned, pressing his forehead to hers.

…

He was somewhere else. Not on the burning starship, and not in the death fields, but in…

A raft?

Before he could ask what was going on, he was hit with it all. Every single second of fear, agony, pain, humiliation- all of it. Every bloody moment.

Before he could come up for air, La’an pulled them out.

Hemmer gasped, turning around and immediately throwing up what little he had in his stomach.

The things he had seen in the last few seconds– which felt like years– were too much. Too much for anybody, much less an eight-year-old.

Rinsing his mouth with salt water, he rasped, “You protect people because you couldn’t protect him. Your brother- or yourself.” He scoffed, “That’s why you tried to save me.”

On the nearby rocks, with her legs pulled up to her chest, La’an sat, waiting. Probably kicking herself for falling into the same bad habit of taking the bullet.

“Stop looking at me like that.” She snapped, “I don’t need your pity.”

“It’s not pity.” Hemmer sighed, “It’s understanding. I couldn’t save my wife either.”

Her face widened in surprise as she looked up from the ground.

“… now you’re the one who's looking at me with pity.” He sneered, “I’m fine.”

“Oh?” She stood, “My trauma happened years ago. It hasn’t been that long for you.”

“I’m an adult.”

“And? So am I.”

“La’an.” He sighed, “We need to get back to the ship.”

“How do you propose we do that?”

He groaned. “I…happen to be a good swimmer. I can carry you back. I carried you here after all.”

She smiled a bit.

“...You called me La’an. Don’t the Aenar guard their first names?”

“Yes, and you are not an Aenar. Also, I saw a lot of horrific things in the past two minutes. I think I get a pass.”

“Fine.” She rolled her eyes.

“You get a tentative pass.”

…

One week later:

Hemmer threw his hands in the air, cursing.

“La’an! Jesus-”

“You’re the one who can’t bluff.” She snickered, grabbing the rest of his chips. “Go cry to Una.”

“I will not snitch to Una if you give me back five chips.”

Her eyebrow raised. “Only five?”

“And I'll throw in keeping your singing habit a secret- for free.”

Her face dropped. “How did you-”

“I can hear you in the pipes, La’an. You have a nice voice-”

“What?” She snorted, “Like you sing?”

His hand instinctively reached for his wrist. “I do, actually. It’s…”

He smiled, rubbing one of the beads on his wife’s Eshra’oo*.

“...It’s an Aenar thing.”

#star trek #star trek headcanon #star trek strange new worlds #star trek snw #aenar #star trek andorian #una chin riley #lieutenant hemmer #la'an noonien singh #my fic

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jerzwriter · 9 months ago

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Merida, Olivia, & Casey World

Open Heart

Dr. Merida Rhys x Ethan Ramsey - @lilyoffandoms Dr. Olivia Hadley x Bryce Lahela - @storyofmychoices Dr. Casey MacTavish x Tobias Carrick - @jerzwriter

Updated 08.24.2024

It all started with this little fic, and from that, all of this grew 🪴. I know I speak for me and Dani when I say we're forever grateful to you for creating this amazing little world where Merida, Olivia & Casey are best buddies who drive the poor guys insane (in the best way).

I really thought we needed a place where we could keep our creations about them together - where they belong! :)

A Little Holiday Cheer [art/fic] - The friends gather at Ethan & Merida's to celebrate the holidays. art - @/artbyainna commission & fic - @jerzwriter

Contrast [fic] - Follow up to Friendly Kidnapping. Merida, Olivia & Casey have a little getaway; what did they get into while they were gone, and how did the guys cope back in Boston. - @jerzwriter

Countdown to 2024 [art] - @/artbyainna commissioned by @lilyoffandoms

Elmo's Special Visit [edit/fic] - @storyofmychoices Olivia has two special guests join her in the Peds Ward!

Friendly Kidnapping [moodboard/fic] - Merida & Olivia have to resort to desperate measures to get Casey away. - @lilyoffandoms

Friendsgiving [fic] - Ethan's grumpy, Merida's excited... and someone is late. - @lilyoffandoms

Friendship & Fashion [fic] - Merida and Tobias are having a blast as they jet off to Paris for Fashion Week, but Merida needs to keep him in check. [Takes place after New Discoveries.]

Harmony of Hearts [fic] - Tobias, Ethan, and Bryce surprise the ladies with a song they wrote for them. - @storyofmychoices

Holiday Cheer [art/fic] - Olivia, Merida, and Casey decide to decorate the Diagnostic Office. art - @weetlebeetle commission & fic - @storyofmychoices

International Day of Women and Girls in Science [art] - @/artbyainna commissioned by @storyofmychoices

Matching [fic] - Merida, Olivia & Casey entertain themselves at a party by finding the perfect pairing for their partner. But Tobias takes it to another level. - @lilyoffandoms

Medical Science [interview/cover] Celebrating three of the loveliest ladies: Olivia Hadley, Merida Rhys on International Day of Women in Science. - @storyofmychoices

Mystery Unlocked [fic] - Ethan keeps skipping out on their Escape the Room group date nights, so they bring the mystery to him. - @storyofmychoices

New Discoveries [fic] - A boy's weekend camping takes a few different turns (literally and figuratively), but they endure and make some new discoveries along the way. @jerzwriter

A Shot of Reality [fic] - Tobias Carrick & Merida Rhys - Merida belongs to @lilyoffandoms. When Merida receives startling news, she hunts down the source to get answers. And he better hope he has the right ones.

Snugglin' Inn [fic] - Merida, Olivia, and Casey's weekend adventure is off to a rainy start, but they always manage to find their own sunshine. - @jerzwriter

Something Sweet [art/fic] Olivia x Bryce, Merida x Ethan, Casey x Tobias - It's Olivia's birthday, and her friends are determined to make it a special day, even if they can't be there. Happy Birthday to Dani! 🥳🥳🥳

Spawn of Tobias [fic] - Ethan comes home to find Merida agreed to babysit (and he's reminded why he doesn't have kids.) - @lilyoffandoms

Sweet Stuff [fic] - Merida, Casey & Olivia have a special day at an amusement park, and one of them is quite amusing. - @jerzwriter

A Text of Reassurance [text fic] - Olivia is feeling a little insecure so she texts Casey hoping to get some reassurance. @storyofmychoices

Texting Gone Wrong [text fic] - Olivia accidentally sends a picture meant for Bryce to Tobias. - @storyofmychoices

Valentine's Day Dinner [fic] - The three couples meet up for dinner, and one couple is late... again. @lilyoffandoms

When Husbands Become Prey [fic] - The women have a plan... and the guys don't know what they're in for. @lilyoffandoms

When Husbands Become Prey 2 [fic] - The plan is put into action, who is the big winner? @jerzwriter

#merida olivia casey #ethan ramsey #bryce lahela #tobias carrick #ethan x merida #bryce x olivia #tobias x casey #open heart #merida olivia casey masterlist

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darkx-the-dragon-kn1ght · 5 months ago

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Chapter 22- Part 2

Alright, Kirin can’t really deal with a partial Dark-type…but Prong most certainly can!

With a quad weakness to Bug, X-Scissor should be really good here.

Aha, wrong barrier, buddy! Prong’s not using any special moves this time!

And as for Misdreavus, I think it’s safe to use Glare again, like we did with Shedinja.

Now, this Misdreavus does have Confusion, but that’s not gonna stop Glare from Crunching down on this ghost!

Alright, and with the bridge cleared yet again, we can finally arrive at Grand Hall! And with that, we can do some final leveling, and then we should be good!

(One surprisingly painless leveling session later…)

And there we go! Man, after all that time we spent between the second and third Badges, I forgot that level grinding could be convenient and less tedious. Anyways, here’s what the team looks like now:

And yes, I gave the Rose Incense back to Bloom. Now then, back to Lapis Ward we go!

Alright Cain, here we go, I am so much better-equipped to deal with your Poison-types than before! I have a Ground-type, even!

Oh, he’s opening with Brionne! Okay, well- it probably still has Icy Wind or some other Ice-type move, so I’ll send in Prong instead of Bloom for this.

Well, Bubble Beam is a bit hindering, but after Charge...

Yeah, I’ll heal Prong with a Super Potion real fast, then we’ll actually attack- at that point, Bubble Beam shouldn’t be doing too much.

And now, it’s heckin’ Charge Beam time!

Now, normally that amount of damage wouldn’t be ideal, I mean it didn’t even take off half of Brionne’s HP. However, with the +1 to Sp. Attack, I think that slight boost will be enough for a second Charge Beam to finish it off.

And I was right! Now, Marowak…but which Marowak is he gonna use? The Kantonian or the Alolan Forme? Well- actually, no matter which one he uses, Riptide can deal with either. If it’s normal Marowak, he’s got Ice Fang; if it’s Alolan Marowak, he’s got Crunch.

Aha, it’s the Ghost-type variant! Crunch it is, then! Which…doesn’t actually kill!

And it’s using Will-O-Wisp too! Okay, well…maybe this isn’t such an issue. Riptide still has Water Gun, which isn’t affected by the Burn status, and even though it’s a weak move, Marowak is at such low HP…I think it’ll work.

There’s that Grimer that used to give me a bit of trouble! Luckily, we’ve got Crater this time to definitively deal with it!

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useless-sfw-fanfictions · 2 years ago

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MHA Littles and Their Caregivers! - SHOUTO TODOROKI (feat. SERO)

This is all a matter of opinion, as to who I think is a little and who I think would be their caregiver/babysitter. Some characters are both/flips! These are also little stories of how they learned about regression or found out about their classmates, etc. These are just bare minimum scenes and little headcanons. If someone would like a full fic of it, feel free to prompt me! My ask box is always open <3 *.·:·.✧ Masterlist of Characters ✧.·:·.*

CW: uncontrollable wetting, bed wetting

Shouto had no idea what age regression was before moving into the dorms.

He just spaces out sometimes, cries himself to sleep, and that is that. He's had a traumatized childhood and so of course he would have some weird moments in his life. There is nothing wrong.

Following the events of Kamino Ward, Shouto starts to have worse and worse nightmares that usually result in him waking up crying (as well as falling asleep crying) and having wet himself while sleeping.

Unsure of what to do, he just cleans his sheets (sitting down in the laundry room by himself and spacing out entirely while he waits for the buzz of the machine) and just thinks that it is... normal. He thinks that it is a one-time thing and that it won't happen again so it is fine.

It happens again. It happens a lot, actually.

Sero is the one that ends up explaining age regression to Shouto.

He is up one night after playing video games with Kirishima for too long and when he goes down for a midnight snack he runs into Shouto carrying his bedding down to the laundry room.

"What's up, buddy?" Sero asks too cheerfully for someone who is awake at 4am.

"Uh," Shouto stops in the hallway and stares awkwardly at the floor. He is holding his wet bedding, his hair is a mess, and he's not wearing any pants (only underwear) and no shirt (he'd just hastily thrown on the new underwear after wetting his other clothes). He doesn't have any sort of an excuse so he doesn't give one, "I need to wash some stuff."

Sero watches him walk away and stops him again, "Roki! Do you need any help?"

"Uh... no."

"Hmm."

That night just so happens to be the night that Shouto forgot he ran out of detergent. When he realizes, the clothes and blankets are in the machine already, he turns around and chases after Sero. And then the boy gets to stay down with Shouto while he waits for his bedding to wash and dry.

Of course, he asks questions, he even runs up to his own room to grab a pillow and blanket to make Shouto a little more comfortable down there. The boy gets really quiet and accepts the cuddles without complaint.

It becomes a regular thing between them, Sero never judging or making Shouto feel bad for needing to wash his bed. He just lets Shouto sit close to him and they don't really talk because Shouto never responds when they are like this.

After a few times, Sero starts to put the pieces together and explains what he knows about age regression from going through all of this with his best friend Denki. Shouto is confused at first, but he thinks that maybe it is what has been going on with him.

Shouto uses these late nights to experiment with his regression.

They start really small and let Shouto suck his thumb one night and that changes everything. The moment he wakes up two nights later in wet bedding, he sends his friend a single text and then he is following a sleepy Sero who is carrying his bedding down the hallway with his thumb secured in his mouth.

The two of them begin to navigate a regressor-caregiver relationship quite quickly after that.

Eventually, staying up in the middle of the night like they have been starts taking a toll on their student lives, and staying awake is getting to be more difficult. So Sero, now comfortable being called Shouto's caregiver at this point, suggests a solution that will prevent Shouto's bed from facing his bladder so Shouto can sleep through the night.

Shouto becomes one of the only littles from class 1-A to use diapers, but it is something that just Sero and Shouto know about. Even once all of the littles come out and it becomes a common occurrence with the class, Shouto still doesn't tell them about his diapers. Not that he is necessarily embarrassed by them, it is just something that only Sero is reserved for.

Sero is Shouto's main caregiver.

Shouto will accept care from other people if he needs, but the times that he regresses without Sero is few and far in between. And he really only regresses during the day if the class is lounging together and he has the chance to cuddle up to his caregiver, then he will pop his thumb in his mouth and close his eyes.

Sero learns fairly quickly when he has to interrupt a sleeping regressed Shouto and when the boy is merely dozing lightly. When his body starts to relax further and further into his side, Sero will pause whatever conversation he is having, or videogame he is playing, to gently nudge the dual-haired boy awake and lead him stumbling up towards his dorm room.

Once they get there, he will change Shouto into a pair of pull-ups (so that if he does remember to use the bathroom he can but doesn't need to) and a comfy pair of baggy sweatpants so no one can see the outline of them. Then they will wander back down to the common room, sometimes Sero will carry the boy on his hip and other times they will just walk together, and no one else questions it really.

Each little has their own special needs and having so many people willing to take care of them has not only brought the class closer, but pretty much guarentees that all needs are met.

They've been a big happy family since first year, nothing is going to change that.

#mha #bnha #agere #my hero academia agere #my hero academia headcanons #useless.headcanons #useless.fandom thoughts #useless.fanfics #little shoto todoroki #little!todoroki #caregiver sero hanta #caregiver!sero

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lsdunesarchive · 2 years ago

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L.S. Dunes Is The Post-Hardcore Anti-Supergroup Born Out Of Memes And Friendship

The band features members of Thursday, My Chemical Romance, Circa Survive and Coheed and Cambria

September 28, 2022

Photos by Jose Arvizu

Written by Josh Chesler

L.S. Dunes is wholly uninterested in the word "supergroup."

L.S. Dunes don’t sound like a supergroup, and they certainly don’t want to be called a supergroup. But when they took to the Rise Stage early on a Friday afternoon to effectively kick off Riot Fest, one could be forgiven for mistaking them for that.

While other stages saw audiences in the dozens under the midday Chicago sun, the debuting quintet amassed thousands of onlookers.

As vocalist Anthony Green pointed out from the stage, it was a bigger crowd than just about any other band would have for their first show (including all of his so far), but that’s to be expected when the Circa Survive/Saosin/The Sound of Animals Fighting frontman joined forces with guitarists Frank Iero (My Chemical Romance) and Travis Stever (Coheed and Cambria) and the rhythm section from Thursday (drummer Tucker Rule and bassist Tim Payne).

Hundreds in the audience wore their My Chemical Romance gear, while a smattering of Circa Survive, Thursday, and Coheed and Cambria shirts could be found throughout the crowd.

On the stage and their upcoming album, Past Lives, L.S. Dunes sound like they’ve been playing together for far longer than they have been. While they might not have been in the same bands together (except for Rule and Payne), the groupmembers have been friends for longer than many other acts have been around. Rather than focusing on being a “supergroup,” they’re content to exist as a bunch of buddies who people just happen to be interested in seeing perform music.

“During the pandemic, we had a lot of time on our hands,” Green tells SPIN a couple of hours after the set. “It was tough for everybody, but this was just something that I needed so badly. I was looking for people to make music with and to start something that I can put my energy into. This just came to me when I needed it the most.”

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“The pandemic was just so rough because music is all we know how to do,” Iero adds (a handful of hours before he’s scheduled to be on stage with My Chemical Romance). “That’s all we’ve ever done. To have that be fucking yanked from you — granted, in the grand scheme of things, it was the least awful thing that happened during the pandemic — but for us, our whole worlds crumbled. This was our lifeline of getting to make music from home, send it back and forth, and immediately get an email response back with another part to work on. It kept us creative and kept our minds off the idea that our world was falling apart.”

Of course, L.S. Dunes wasn’t the only COVID project for virtually any of its members. Iero released a solo EP, Green formed a psychedelic vocal group with members of Taking Back Sunday and Grouplove called Fuckin Whatever, and everyone else’s bands put an emphasis on livestreams and other forms of pandemic entertainment. But no one was busier than Rule, who (in addition to Thursday duties celebrating the 20th anniversary of Full Collapse) ended up drumming on a multitude of other releases, including Iero’s EP and Jim Ward’s solo album.

“We didn’t know how we were going to make a living for our families or if I was ever going to play music for anybody again without being on a screen,” Rule says. “So I bought a whole recording thing for my house and built a studio in my garage to record drums. Then these dudes just kept sending these thirsty riffs, so it was very easy to bounce ideas back and forth. We would go to bed thinking about parts and wondering who was going to send something in the morning. It became almost like an addiction. I was addicted to writing music with these dudes.”

“I think all five of us got to that point where we were just really itching to do something,” Payne adds. “We had all this energy pent up and, miraculously, all of the people that we wanted to work with were having that same experience.”

“And we were all super prone to collaborating, which is rare,” Stever adds. “In other positions, it’s not as easy to just collaborate the way we have. We just started communicating, and there was no expectation of what it was. It was just like ‘Hey, here’s a fucking blank canvas. Let’s all throw paint at the wall and bring the best out of each other.’”

Beyond their shared musical sensibilities, the five members get a child-like thrill from playing with friends outside of their day jobs. Standing between the trees in Riot Fest’s lush press area, L.S. Dunes looks like a t-shirt-clad group of dads excited for a boys’ trip together compared to the heavy makeup and elaborate outfits of the younger acts around them. While plenty of bands might say that playing the nation’s biggest punk rock festival was “the time of their lives” or something along those lines, the guys in L.S. Dunes look like they’re having a blast just cracking jokes and comfortably hanging out with their friends.

L.S. Dunes performing on Friday afternoon at Riot Fest.

“It felt a lot like when you’re in high school and you start a band with just the people that play instruments in your school who you’re friends with,” Iero says.

“We were all fucking texting each other memes and bullshit anyway, so we might as well start a band, right?” Rule laughs.

“I used to dream about how cool it would be to have time to play with Tucker, Frank, Tim and Travis,” Green adds. “I’ve worked with all these guys, and I just admire them so much. To be asked to be a part of a group with them was a no-brainer. It was the most confidence-boosting thing for me.”

While L.S. Dunes may be a dream come true for Green, the singer didn’t even know who was in the band when he began recording the vocals for Past Lives. The band had fully formed and individually recorded their parts before they’d landed on a vocalist, and Rule sent Green some instrumental tracks. But instead of revealing the lineup of the mysterious group, Rule told him that they were just “from some guys in my neighborhood” who needed his voice.

“I was like ‘Dude, your neighbors are good!’” Green exclaims to an outburst of laughter. “If you would have told me that it was all of our friends, I probably would have freaked out.”

“I was doing what was best for you,” Rule deadpans.

In all likelihood, L.S. Dunes will never be a full-time thing. There are just too many moving parts, primary bands and familial obligations that would need to be pushed aside for the anti-supergroup to hit a six-week tour across the States and a month to cover Europe. But it’s equally clear that L.S. Dunes isn’t just intended to be a one-off that people won’t be able to see in concert.

In support of Past Lives’ release on Nov. 11, L.S. Dunes is touring on both coasts, Canada and Mexico as part of their dozen scheduled live shows. While nine headlining dates isn’t exactly a full tour for the career musicians, it does show the value that they put on performing live whenever possible. Hell, even for their debut at Riot Fest (which was only the band’s fifth time physically playing together), Stever and Payne flew to Chicago exclusively for the show, while Iero was happy to essentially open the same show he was headlining.

“Just being up on a stage again and playing music for people, that’s the dream,” Iero says. “I don’t know if I speak for everybody, but that’s all I ever wanted to do in life. I always felt like if I can’t be in a band, then I want to make monster movies. But if I can’t make monster movies, then I have to be in a band. Those are the only things I’ve ever wanted to do, and I don’t know how to do anything else. I played my first show at 13 and went on my first tour at 17. I’ve never not done this. To finally be back in your element, it feels like that weight is lifted off your chest, like ‘Alright, thank God. Things are going to be OK. We can do this.”

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All of the live shows and friendship in the world wouldn’t be enough if there wasn’t a legitimate musical connection between the bandmembers. On the first tracks released from Past Lives, like “Permanent Rebellion” and “2022,” there’s cohesion among the five players that flows as well as any of their other bands. While the classic “supergroups” out there often sound like an unbudging mashup of its members’ sounds, Green’s signature post-hardcore combination of melodies and screams fits perfectly over Stever’s shredding leads and Rule’s pounding rhythm — and no one is trying to force the sound of another act where it doesn’t belong.

For Green (who’s been in no shortage of various bands and collaborative projects), working with collaborative partners who gel right off the bat is arguably more important than simply being able to play in a band with friends.

“Finding like-minded people who work so well together is just really rare,” Green says. “I’ve tried to collaborate with people — and I’ve had some good experiences — but it’s tough enough finding one person that you vibe with so much that you make something magical together. So the fact that it’s five of us and we just happened to be in this whirlwind where it was like ‘Oh my God, that’s so sick! Holy shit!’ That’s just how it’s been going since the beginning. I can compare it to when you start dating somebody, and you just start falling in love with everything they do in the beginning. Everything that happens is just this serendipitous fucking magical thing that’s just there to bond you to them.”

Every member of L.S. Dunes contributes their unique world-class abilities to the melting pot of the band, all pushing each other to new heights in the process. As fans saw at Riot Fest and the world can soon hear on Past Lives, the five members make for a musical act as tight as their friendship. But no matter how superb the group may be, none of them will ever be comfortable with calling L.S. Dunes a “supergroup.”

“The word ‘supergroup’ gets thrown around a lot, but we don’t look at it like that,” Rule says. “It’s a real rock band, and it just so happens that we’re all friends from different bands. We weren’t trying to take people from the biggest bands…”

At this point, Green quickly interrupts with a smile. “People like Frank.”

#ls dunes #l.s. dunes #anthony green #frank iero #tim payne #travis stever #tucker rule #m: anthony green #m: frank iero #m: tim payne #m: travis stever #m: tucker rule #lsd: 2022 #t: photo #t: text #p: spin #ph: jose arvizu #misc: interview #in: sept/22

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lookingforhappy · 2 years ago

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really dont want to see him in a gang, juvie, school, or a foster home.. just makes me feel uncomfy dunno why tho. those fics just stress me out.

i do think it would be fun to see him in a psych ward tho. as a driect parallel to diego, and also to turn the focus back on the mental health issues. also, he deserves a full blown breakdown. seems like itd be cathartic.

otherwise? itd be cool to see him with any of the siblings tbh.

diego & lila & the dilila baby + five would be an interesting angle. five gets to be a part of a somewhat nuclear family, he gets to have that physical proof that his actions had a benefit (yup this post specifically).

viktor + five would be a nice payoff to their earlier set up in all 3 seasons. build off of their current relationship, bring back delving into their pasts etc.

luther & klaus + five has some cute possibilities. honestly would much rather see this develop into a five + sloane buddy adventure tbh. they seem cool together, pls mr blackman bring my girl back.

allison & claire & ray + five would be super cool. finally put the allison & five dynamic in the spotlight and send them off to save the family. for gods sake put them all in the same house again s1 i miss u.

#rambling #poll

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caswlw · 3 years ago

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simply wish i could just talk and have people understand what i mean*

*both in the content and incomprehensible topic jumping ways

#i want to talk abt risa ward n comparisons to other shusterman female protagonist citra terranova #and spec what their names mean as a whole for their individual characters 🤧#or what dude lit is to Me !! or my feelings on TiU as a whole bc GOD i could talk abt it for ages #or just :) crocheting or smth #buddie vs deancas type shit is Easy i want to talk about books sometimes 😔#or idk the resident during s4 ? i just !! it’s a much better show than the good doctor and i want to speak my piece #or on older ones like royal pains or the night shift #or just like !! how my stomach hurts like a bitch #anyway these tags have been v helpful #i’m just trying not to be crushed by the weight of this sad feeling #and the fact that i don’t have therapy again until like. 5/29 #mm. send anons if u have insight on these topics 🤔#notes from the prime minister

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ezeywolf · 3 years ago

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Make you sin. [Kate Bishop x Reader]

Based on this request. hope you enjoy it buddy!

Summary: Even if she has a halo in her head, that won't stop you making her sin.

Warning(s): pure smut, legal age gap, implied cheating, slight degradation, use of sex toys. Apologies for wrong grammars, English is not my first language. MINORS UNDER +18 DNI.

Please refrain from copying and publishing my stories as your own, there would be an indication about where/what platforms my stories are currently published. reblogs, commenting, and liking is highly appreciated.

Thin, long wood carved into small cylinder shapes clatter and lay messy all around the floor. While the loud dragging of a heavy desk reverberated in the room, Kate's feet rose to its tiptoes, the side of her face pressed against the surface of the mahogany, cheek squished that the side of her lips in a half pout, in which a small whimper escaped from them.

Bending her over on the desk in her mother's office, away from the ongoing party downstairs, Kate feels the weight of your body pressing her more, your cold hand left goosebumps on its wake as it trailed along upwards her skin of the curve of her ass, tugging her silk dress to her waist. Her bare thighs were pushed open, wedging yourself on the center.Bending her over on the desk in her mother's office, away from the ongoing party downstairs, Kate feels the weight of your body pressing her more, your cold hand left goosebumps on its wake as it trailed along upwards her skin of the curve of her ass, tugging her silk dress to her waist. Her bare thighs were pushed open, wedging yourself on the center.

She could feel the intense pressure between her legs as you furiously drive your hips forward and sheathed your strap into her wet cunt, sinking it to the hilt that it draw a loud, shaky moan from her throat.

“Better keep quiet, baby.” Kate shivered when your warm breath hit the back of her ears, your airy voice hushing her stirred her more. “We don't want your mother to hear us, do we?”

Kate's attempt to shake her head failed due to being literally crushed on table. Your vigorous pump were close to sending her over the edge, her voice getting louder each passing second.

“I said quiet.” Your grumbles were laced with a hard grunt.

You lower yourself forward, bracing your weight on one hand while you shoved three of your fingers in Kate's mouth with the other to silence her. With that you abruptly thrust your hips and rammed your cock deep inside her, filling her to the brim. Kate's body retaliates, her lower back arching onto your front, hands shooting forward to grab anything she could put her hands on to bare the pleasure quickly building in her lower abdomen, only to end up with nothing that her finger nails scraped the table creating jagged lines.

The desk underneath the both of you shook and stagger forward from your hips drilling your cock mercilessly in Kate's pussy, her arousal displayed dripping down her inner thighs.

Your mouth that had bit into her shoulder released its hold when a deep chuckle rumble in your throat. “Mother's angel of a daughter isn't that innocent, is she?”

You licked the indents your teeth left on her skin, trailing it side-wards to hover her ears. “No matter how good everyone think you are or even of you have a halo on your head—”

One hard thrust Kate's body surrendered; her throaty cries were muffled by your finger in her mouth, fingernails aching against the hard wood, toes —the only thing that keeps her up— curled, because of that you take it upon yourself to support her limp body.

“—I'll make you sin again and again.” You utter breathlessly, gazing at Kate's trembling body before you. “You're mine. I own you. No one know's how much of a slut you are but me.”

#marvel fanfic #marvel fanfiction #anon request #buddy request #fanfic #kate bishop smut #kate bishop x reader #marvel smut #kate bishop #kate bishop x reader smut #ezeywolfworks

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jesusbutbetterrr · 1 year ago

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Ok I thought about this a little too much, and wrote a thing.

I don't have much to say about it, imma say Rain is like 8 in this, Swiss is maybe 7, Phantom, Aurora, Dewdrop, and Sunshine are all briefly mentioned, but they're kinda around the same age group.

So yea

-----

"But I don't want to play with Swiss."

"Rain you have to go out this time, Aurora and Phantom already went and you can't make them go out for you again," Cirrus said in an attempt to motivate the water ghoul. She looks to Cumulus in hopes she would further encourage the boy, but the ghoulette had taken to flipping through some magazine that was on the coffee table as an excuse to stay out of the conversation.

"The last time Phantom went to play with him, Swiss ripped up his favorite stuffie and tried to eat the insides," Rain starts back in. Rain was determined to avoid all interactions with the neighbor's kid. He's not quite sure how much nice people like Mountain and Aether could raise such a menace, but Rain wanted nothing to do with the boy. As did the rest of the town.

The minute he saw Swiss step out of the house across from theirs, Phantom bolted out of the room, Aurora making a b-line right after him. The young multi ghoul had a strong reputation for being a terrorist of a child. From lighting curtains on fire, to flooding out entire houses, to single handedly sending fully stable people to the psych ward.

Rain once made the mistake of leaving his nerf gun outside, only for Swiss to take it and shoot anyone who stepped within a twenty foot radius of his house.

Cirrus has accepted that there was nothing anyone could do about the kid, she knows how hard Mountain and Aether had tried to get that kid under control. The best they could do for the longest time was keep him on a leash with one of those monkey backpacks. That didn't last very long after the ghoul found that he could chew through the straps.

All Cumulus had to offer was, "Cir, he doesn't have to go out there, you know." Out of the corner of Cirrus's eye she could see Rain's eyes light up. "It's already bad enough that the other kiddos ran off after seeing him walk through the door, just let him sit this one out, it won't hurt to not be nice sometimes."

She knows what Cumulus is referencing. A few weeks back the two had a conversation about why she insists one of their kids go to play with the creature.

"I just feel bad. There's not a single kid out there that plays with him, even Dew and Sunny run away from him, and they're his siblings."

"Yeah Cir, there's a reason for that. Hell, he ate the flowers from our front yard, you know how much time I put into those?" She could see the distress on her lover's face as she recalls the memory.

"I know Lus, but you can't just raise a kid and deprive him of all basic human interaction. Aeth has talked about his concerns for the kid. Im gonna do something about it if I have the ability to."

Whatever Cumulus had to say wasn't gonna get to her, not today. She had a kid to help, if not for his sake, then his parents sake.

"Well that time is not now love. Rainy, get your shoes on and go play with Swiss." She could see his panic shine through the expression that took hold of the boys face. She knew she'd have to give him a bigger pep talk than usual.

"Come on buddy, you got this. Don't forget get to double knot your shoe laces, don't bring anything you care about, and make sure you don't leave anything behind. If he starts chasing you with a sharp object the door will be unlocked like always. Remember if he tries to eat anything non edible, theres some apples in your backpack you can give him, don't try to stop him from eating the apple core, that's how Aurora almost got her finger bit off last week."

As she goes on, his pout gets bigger and bigger.

"Don't look so gloomy buddy, you got this, me and mom got your back, right Lus?" she looks over at Cumulus with a pleading look, praying that her wife will go along with the plan.

With a sigh the ghoulette replies, "We're here for you hun, even if your mother insists on sending you out to the front lines." She shoots a look at Cirrus before going back to her magazine.

The poor water ghoul looks like he's about to sob when Cirrus looks back at her son. "Buddy she's just being dramatic it's not that bad. Remember this is for a good cause. If you stay out there for more than an hour, we'll have a pizza party, how's that sound?"

He stood a little straighter after he heard that.

"Can we watch Finding Nemo?"

"Of course we can, anything you want buddy," Cirrus responded, pulling Rain into a hug. "Now let's put you backpack on and get you on your way." She walks the boy to the door and helps him put the backpack on.

He looks at the door and reaches for the handle before he pauses. Cirrus watches as he stands still for a a few seconds. Whatever he was debating internally, he had made his mind about and ran across the living room to Cumulus. He hugs her and she instantly responds to his affection, enveloping him in a tighter hug.

"Try not to get rabies m'kay hun?"

He pulls back in horror and Cumulus is quick to reassure him. "It was just a joke hun, go out there and get em Rainy."

He walks back to the door and opens it, "I love you mom, love you ma."

The minute the door clicks shut, he screams.

swiss is so 'the neighbor's kid' coded

#can't write normal stuff #but the minute it comes to a crack fic i can write in less than an hour #i'm not letting this sit in google docs tho so it's gotta go somewhere #swiss the neighbor's kid #rain ghoul #cirrus ghoulette #cumulus ghoulette #swiss ghoul #nameless ghouls

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angellissy · 3 years ago

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Hey :) I’ve never requested anything before so I’m sorry if i do it wrong hahah

But could I request something where instead of ward faking his death it’s rafe who has to do it and none of the pouges know about your relationship until it’s you crying in the dock instead of Sarah. And when you and the piggies go on the “rescue” mission to get Sarah off of the boat you see rafe and eventually end up staying with him and leaving your friends

I’m sorry if this is really long xx thank you for taking the time to read my request

R E A C H I N G F O R T H E S U R F A C E

SEASON TWO SPOILERS!

rafe Cameron x Reader

warnings: angst with a big a, canon rafe (maybe a bit softer), toxic relationship, rafe playing the victim card, death and talks of suicide.

a/n: I feel like it is of importance that I tell you all that I have done everything in my power not to romanticize the rafe cameron character and if I have then please kindly let me know because sometimes it can be hard. However I still need to say that I am writing through the eyes of the “reader” who very much still cares for this boy, which also means that the way the reader deals with things might not have been your way. If any more warnings should be included in the beginning, feel free to let me know. I hope you enjoy this fic which I am actually very proud of. A big thanks to @snkkat who is my proof reading buddy. Also thanks for sending in the request, I LOVED writing it! <3

They say that when you die your life flashes before your eyes, but how about when you watch someone else die? For as you watched him die, the life and moments the two of you had shared flashed before your eyes like a string of reminders of a life and love lost. It felt as if there was no air for you to breathe, you weren’t even sure how long it had been since you managed to take a full breath. Your mind was running in circles, trying to grasp what had just occurred, replaying the scene over and over again until you were not even sure what reality you were in. With a hammering heart and a split soul, you were kneeling on the dock, just minutes after watching your first love take his own life. You could not even remember how you had gotten out here in the first place, you just wished that you would have stayed behind as all your friends rushed toward a disaster in waiting. Perhaps that would have spared you some of the heartbreak, spared you from hearing him scream that he loved you one last time, spared you from seeing his boat go up in flames. But no, you were sure that for as long as you lived, you would see that blazing inferno whenever you closed your eyes.

There were arms around you, an attempt to soothe your shaking body, it only made you feel more trapped in a memory you would never escape. Those arms lifted you up and suddenly you were walking, mixed in all the anger and sadness there was a surprise that your body was even able to function. It felt as if you were outside of your body watching everything occur, you watched as Kiara and JJ helped you sit down on a sofa and as they draped a blanket over your shoulders. You watched it unfold, but you couldn’t feel it and there was no way that you would be able to respond to their worried questions. Instead, you were stuck in a mind that replayed everything Rafe had ever said or done to you as if that somehow could manifest him back to life. That stuck-up boy with the golden hair had been your first boyfriend, complicated as the relationship may have been, it had been the first time you ever experienced something close to love. Just days ago you had stood before him, tears in your eyes and heart in your throat as you called the relationship off. For a very long time, he had not been the boy you fell for, but rather a ghost of who he once was. Where he had once been sweet and tender with you, there had only been cold stares and words sharp enough to cut through ice. You were not oblivious to the fact that he struggled with issues you could never comprehend, but you refused to be an accomplice in his undoing. Time after time you had tried to be the person he could cling to when the world sat heavily upon his shoulders, but you soon realized that love and affection could not solve all problems. Oh, and you had loved him so much that you would have done anything for him to smile at you the way he had when he uttered those big three words for the first time. He had watched you with eyes that held so much adoration that you thought that they would never dim, that they would shine brighter for each time his eyes found yours. But eventually, they had dulled, and so you had realized that you would not sacrifice yourself no matter how much you cared for him. It did not matter that you had called things off with him or that you had decided to leave him in order to save yourself, for the knowledge that he was actually gone made it feel like someone was clawing at your heart and trying to rip it apart. It felt like no time in the world would be able to heal the pain in your chest or dry the tears falling from your eyes.

Time was indeed a funny thing, how seconds turned into minutes and how then those minutes became hours. Hours that you spent reminiscing over a life you thought you had given up before it was lost forever. You clung to the memories of him as if they were the lifebuoy keeping an anchor from pulling you down in a sea made up of your own sorrow. You knew that you were staying in your own made-up memories of a relationship with more bad times than good, but a part of you felt that you could not grieve the person he had become. For he had been vile and horrid, and if you acknowledged that, you would feel guilty for the sadness overwhelming you. So yes, you stayed in your made-up reality and wept for the boy that could have been. As hours turned into days, your friends made every effort to comfort you and try to get you out of the room that had become your place of mourning. Their tries aggravated you, for they did not understand the feelings rushing through your body at such speed it made you lightheaded. Each one of them had hated Rafe Cameron with at least one bone in their body and you knew how some of them had looked the day he died as if they were content that he was finally gone. Relieved that he could no longer plague them with taunts and threats that might have become reality was it not for his passing. You might have understood this, had it not been for the grief and guilt plaguing every bone in your body.

As days turned into weeks, you eventually came to appreciate their efforts to help you. It was like your vision was starting to clear and you could finally start trying to live your life again, and the first step to doing that was always to surround yourself with people that made you roar with laughter. Their ventures to try and find the Cross of Santo Domingo, were helpful, to say the least. Those adventures were as distracting as they were terrifying since the outcome was never given. Your mixed friend group of pogues and kooks had actually found that damn cross as well. Who would have thought that a bunch of high school kids would be able to find a historic relic? The answer would have been no one, and that is why you don’t underestimate kids with no limits. The cross had been in your grasp until a greedy and manipulative Ward Cameron came along and grabbed it. Ever since that particular happening, things started going south fast and it all ended up with Sarah being kidnapped by her own guardians. It also ended up with the rest of you stowed away like cargo on the ship she was on. While John B and Pope carried out their plan to find Sarah and the famous cross, you, JJ, and Kie sweated from every pore as you waited to hear from them. You had zoned out, staring mindlessly into one of the walls of the container, in the background you could hear your two friends talk about their dreams for the future. Something about going on several surfing trips at various destinations with each other, and that part made your heart ache. Sure, after everything he had done, a future with Rafe had not been one of your dreams. Still, as you listened to your friends talk, you could only remember a time where he had been everything you wanted in life. You pressed your palms upon your face as if you somehow could force every memory of him to remain in that little part of your brain where you were hoping they would become forgotten. A loud clank dragged you out of your thoughts and you looked up just in time to see Pope and John B climb in through that small window opening, followed by a woman you had never ever seen. Shortly after that, problems started to arise and soon all of you were scrambling out of the container in hopes of not being detected by the workers on the boat. They were in obvious search of all of you, which made you sweat even more than you had done inside the container. All of you received different plans on how to tackle the situation, yours was to act as a lookout for John B as he searched for Sarah.

You followed him down to what you could only assume was the boiler room since steam was thick in the air and you took your place by the door as he ventured further down. His desperate cries for Sarah echoed through the room and you dearly wished for a response to be heard, but there was nothing except the sound of his shoes against the floor. Thump, thump, thump and then utter silence until John B utters a name that made it feel as if the floor was pulled away from under your feet.

“Rafe.”

One of your hands finds the doorframe, a poor attempt to steady yourself as you try to figure out if this is a trick played by your grieving mind. You take a few breaths and as the silence is once again interrupted by two raised voices, you follow John B’s path down into the room. The heart in your chest is beating so hard that it feels like you are going to throw up, and it only gets worse the nearer you come. At first, you only see your friend, but then you look past him

and

your

heart

stops.

Rafe Cameron had died in front of your very eyes, so either the gods were playing a nasty cruel joke or you had lost the battle with your mind. You shut your eyes just to open them again, and no matter how many times you did it, he still remained. What happened next was a bit peculiar to you, for weeks you had drowned in grief where sadness was the constant emotion, but as you looked him in the eye and saw that he was very much alive, rage and anger crushed into you with the force of a thousand waves. You stepped toward him, only for an arm to shoot out to stop you, and John B added to his gesture by saying “Don’t”. Laughter bubbled in your throat, for who was he to tell you what you could or could not say to your “dead” ex-boyfriend who seemed to never stop causing you grief.

“Find Sarah.” John B hesitated for a few moments before following your unspoken order to leave you and Rafe alone. It wasn’t surprising considering that his worry for Sarah would always overpower anything else. Once again you looked into Rafe’s blue eyes, remembering a time when you used to stare in them for so long you would see specks of green and grey. Had you searched for those colors now, you would probably have found them. However, you were trying to decipher whatever feeling that was shining in them, was it anger? No, his other features were too soft for that and the hand holding his weapon had gone slack as he watched you. Maybe it was relief? No that was not it either, for why would he be relieved to see you? You were not the one who had died and left the other behind. You stepped even closer to him, the simmering anger inside of your veins made your hands shake and he looked at them briefly as if he wanted to take them in his. Your hands clenched into fists and you watched as his shoulders dropped the tiniest bit, and suddenly you knew exactly what was shining in his eyes.

Love, and sadness. Your heart started to speed up again, and you knew that once you opened your mouth, the anger and grief that had become part of you, would tumble out in words that you would never be able to take back. But he had done something much worse, so he would listen, you would make sure of it. Your lips parted slightly and he must have seen it for his words came first.

“I- fuck I am sorry okay? But I had to do it, you wouldn’t understand but I had to do it, it was the best for everyone.” As he says this you can’t help the sound that slips through your lips, it was supposed to be a laugh but it sounds more like a sob. His eyes flicker between you and everything else in the room as if there was anything in here that could save him for this conversation. You move your hands toward your chest and his eyes watch as you press them hard against your chest, against the heart that won’t stop breaking.

“Best for everyone?” Your voice is the combination of a whisper and a ragged breath “Did you have my best interest in mind when you let me believe you had blown yourself up?” He winces and makes an attempt to say something but you hold up a hand to stop him. “Did it ever occur to you how your little stunt would affect the one person who still, despite everything, loved you?” This time, your voice has started to rise towards something like a scream, and how could you not scream when there is so much sadness inside of you that it felt like just looking at him would turn your body into a pool of water.

“You broke up with me, so don’t start acting like a victim where you aren’t one.” His features are starting to morph into those he carries when anger overcomes him, but you will not back away from this. Your hands are in your hair, pulling at it as if that would help you make sense of this situation. “You broke my heart long before I broke yours.” You can’t help the way your voice breaks or the tears that start falling from your eyes.“You needed and still need help and until you receive that help, you are prone to hurt anyone in your vicinity.” Now it is his turn to drag his hands through his hair and his breaths come faster and faster until you realize that he is starting to hyperventilate. He sinks to the floor and you follow, not sure how to help when it feels like his state is mirroring your own. With cautious movements, you place your hands on his shoulders, and the shaking of his body sends trembles throughout yours. For a while nothing happens, you just sit there with your hands on his body and watch him fall apart. Perhaps you should have been glad that he was suffering, after everything he had done to you he deserved it. But you couldn’t feel anything other than anguish and as a sob escaped his body every restraint you had kept on yourself broke and you hugged him towards your chest. You could never save him, but he clung to you as if you had the power to undo every wrong he had ever done. After a while, he looks up at your tear-streaked face and one of his hands reaches up to cup it. You want to look away because you can see everything in those eyes of his, every regret and every wish he has ever had. His forehead leans towards you and you feel his hot breath against your skin. As you breathe in the scent of cologne and feel his skin against yours, you feel overwhelmed by the fact that he is actually here. You notice that his lips part and for a second you are scared that he is going to kiss you, but he must know that there is a limit to your patience with him so he just whispers words with the promise of what could have been. “I wanted to be good for you.” A small smile takes place on your lips and you close your eyes as you try to restrain the well of emotions inside of you. “I know Rafe, I know.” He breathes out a little, almost as if he is relieved that you are aware that he tried in a world and with a mind constantly working against him. You knew, but you also knew that there was someone else out there for you. Someone who would love you in a way that Rafe would never be able to, in a way that would not send the two of you to the bottom of the ocean. Whoever was out there would make you swim. For so long you had wanted to believe that Rafe was the one, despite all his flaws you would have given anything for him to be your future. It was a relief to know that you could and deserved to have more. But you also knew that you needed to do something before that could happen.

“I will stay-.” Before you could even finish your sentence he whipped his head up to look at you with such hope you never wanted to continue talking. You swallowed hard and forced yourself to go on. “I will stay with you just to make sure you receive the help you need.” His whole body deflated and you had to bite your lip in order not to cry again. Eventually, he nodded and you closed your eyes in relief. You knew that this had to be the right move, no one else would listen to him or make sure he got help, so you needed to be the one to did. Just enough so that you finally could start swimming towards the surface.