#so i'm particularly cranky today

[seekingthestars]

i feel like such a shit employee so often bc they keep being like "more responsibilities! leadership roles! here take this thing! here be in these meetings! here be in charge of all these things and stuff!" and i have absolutely no desire for any of that, i just want to sit quietly in a corner and do my designs and clock out when my day is over and not think about it any more

tired of everyone having to be a leader, i don't want to be a leader, i'm a good worker bee and that's fine with me, i'm tired and burnt out and i just don't want to be in charge of all this shit

[saltpepperbeard]

you ever feel trapped? like you’re just treading water, waiting to drown?

[touchtheinvisiblestars]

Imagine going through relationship issues with Spencer and a scare at works sets you both back on the right path

This had been the eighth night in a row you'd slept alone. Opting to sleep in the spare bedroom of the place you and Spencer had bought together. Waking up hurt and sad with your partner was an exhausting way to live, and it was getting to you. The team had been back at the main office for the same amount of time. Having a big bust up on the aftermath of a case meant the journey back on the jet was awkward for everyone involved.

When he hadn't agreed with the way you dealt with the unsub, on top of you both disagreeing on when to start trying for a family. Had left you feeling put down and attacked both in work and in your personal life. Feeling like you couldn't do anything right, and that you were holding him back.

It was made worse by his lack of enthusiasm when you attempted to make amends. Wanting to talk about the issue, but finding it difficult when your boyfriend was a stubborn lump. Shrugging his shoulders and seeming totally disinterested.

After the fourth day of you trying to get through to him. You gave in. Telling yourself that if he wanted to make amends he would. Or he'd realise once it was too late.

Today though, you had a meeting with Garcia, she was going to show you an easier way of accessing some files. The way she does it. Getting yourself up and ready. The house sounded eerily quiet. Spencer did have a habit of impersonating the invisible man when he was home. But still, it was cold and felt empty.

Making your way downstairs, you called out for him, but got no answer.

Realising he wasn't even home. You felt another pang in your chest. Maybe he was done? The thought made your eyes sting. But on checking the time, you would be late to meet Garcia. You grabbed your breakfast out the fridge and grabbed your bag and keys.

Once in the office, you passed the bullring to see Spencer at his desk. Nose deep in some files.

"Hey, what time did you come in? We could have come together." You asked, approaching his desk.

"Early. Didn't want to wake you."

Nodding, you still wanted to push for you both to make up, "did you want to grab lunch somewhere? Would be nice to spend some time with you."

"I'm busy."

"Well I didn't mean right now. Later. When you're free? I'm in Garcias office if you-"

"Y/N, you're here!" Garcia squeaked, "for a moment I thought you were standing me up."

Realising he still wasn't ready to have a decent conversation with you. You gave up, again.

"Never." You smiled at her, before giving Spencer a sad look as he continued to read his papers.

You sat down in Garcias office and fully immersed yourself in the training. Pushing Spencer to the back of your mind.

Around lunchtime you saw Spencer walk past the room and you felt another wave of sadness wash over you.

"So, what's up with you and Sir Smarts-a-lot?" Garcia asked you while you were taking a break.

"There's not really much to tell. We fell out over some serious and not so serious things. I've tried to patch things up. He doesn't want to know. Been trying for like 4 days now."

"I'm sorry. He does seem particularly cranky since you came back from that last case."

"Yeah. Happened while we were out there. I don't even-"

You were interrupted by the sound of shouting from out in the main office. Both you and Garcia looked at each other and wondered who the hell fell out with each other so bad they had to have a screaming match.

Both getting up and wandering down the hall. You just about turned the corner first. But froze in your tracks seeing two people, one with a gun, the other with a briefcase. The woman, with the gun, had the few people that were in the bullring huddled together.

"Shit Garcia go back to your office and lock the door. Call Spence and tell him to stay away. Now!" You whisper shout at her.

"Hey! Put your hands on your head. Get in here Miss now." one of them shouted at you. Not having noticed Garcia as she backed away to her office.

When you didn't move. The seemingly unarmed intruder marched towards you and attempted to grab onto you. As you went to defend yourself. He pulled out a knife and threatened you with it.

"Think very carefully about what you do next." He said lowly.

"What do you guys want. I can help you."

"No you won't. You'll just try and talk me down and I won't let them down again. Get in here or I'm going to make you. And it will hurt."

"What's your name? I'm Y/N. Why are you here? There's no weapons or money stored here. Are you looking for someone?"

"Shut up!" He yelled, you let out a gasp at the sharp pain in your side.

Looking down the blade he was holding embedded in your side. Crumpling down to the floor, you watched as the deep red soaked into your blouse. Spreading across your side.

"What the fuck Darren. You weren't supposed to hurt anyone." A woman came up to the guy and yanked him by his shoulder. "We need to set these charges now and go. Now!"

Charges, that meant explosives.

The pair rushed off and left you bleeding on the floor. Giving you the opportunity to make an escape.

Making it back to Garcias office. You burst through the door, scaring the life out of her.

"Y/N! Oh my god why is there blood. There's a knife hanging out of you."

"Did you speak to Spence?" You asked locking the door behind you.

"Yeah he's in the armory now. They-"

"Call him back! Tell them to abort. Do not come up here!"

"OK, what-why?" She spluttered while calling him back.

"Garcia? Is everything okay. We're just planning how we're going to do this." He answered. You could hear the sound of kevlar being secured. You managed to stumble your way across the room to Garcias desk before your legs gave out.

"Spence, where are you? Do not come up here. And keep people out of the lifts. Do not use them." You panted.

"Y/N are you okay? We haven't left yet. What's going on?"

"I'm fine. I just met the intruders. They're setting charges. Evacuate the rest of the building."

"What? They're going to blow up the building?" Garcia asked, her face paling.

"How big are the explosives?"

"I didn't see. I just managed to get away from them. I did see it was only a small briefcase though."

"That could still be enough to wipe out the whole floor. You need to leave now. Use the far stairwell."

"Garcia, you should go."

"What? I'm not leaving you."

"Both of you go. Now!" Spencer raised his voice.

You shared a look with Garcia, knowing you weren't moving anywhere fast enough.

"We should be okay here," Garcia nodded, "I'll stay with her."

"You're hurt aren't you." Spencer spoke quietly.

"A little bit yeah. Spence, I love you."

"Don't do that. I'm coming to get you."

"No do-" and then the call rang off.

Garcia came and sat next to you. You rested your head on her shoulder.

"I don't get what they were talking about. They said about setting charges. But when the woman saw I'd been stabbed she said they weren't supposed to hurt anyone. How does that make sense." You mutter, starting to feel woozy from the blood loss.

"Unless what they're trying to destroy is paperwork not people," Garcia mused.

"Hotchs office, he keeps loads of important documents in there." You guessed.

"That makes sense. He always takes Sunday's off. So he wouldn't be in there to get hurt."

"Garcia you really should go. Maybe you can get some help." You said quietly. Feeling very lightheaded.

Garcias phone started ringing, answering it she put it on loudspeaker.

"Go ahead. We're just sitting here awaiting our handsome prince's to rescue us."

"Garcia." Spencer answered, "how badly is she hurt? They won't let us get in yet. Not if there's a bomb threat. The whole buildings on lock down. They aren't holding hostages. The other guys from the office have run out already. Are they still there?"

"Woah, woah, woah. One question at a time. Y/N isn't doing great. I don't know what to do Reid. I'm not a doctor. But she's still bleeding."

"What? What happened."

"She got stabbed by one of them. It's still in there but it's-"

"We have to get in there Y/Ns been stabbed. Please. I volunteer to go in. Come on Hotch." He sounded desperate, it made you smile slightly. The irony that it took a near death situation to get him to act like he cared again.

A deafening boom shook the office, jolting you awake.

"Shit was that the-?" You asked.

"I think so." Garcia nodded. "We're okay. Spencer can you hear me?"

You slumped down against Garcias shoulder a bit more. Fighting the urge to fall asleep.

"We saw it. Blown the windows out of Hotch's office as well."

"Tell him..." You trailed off falling into unconsciousness.

Garcia looked at you, panic washing over her. "Y/N? Spencer she's passed out. I don't know what to do- I know I shouldn't take the knife out."

"Is she sat up or laying down?"

"She's sat up, do I lie her down?"

"Yes, don't knock the knife though- I need EMTs with me right now- Garcia, I need you to check if she's breathing." Spencer sounded out of breath, "I'm coming to you as fast as I can."

"Okay, she's laying down. And yes she's breathing."

"You're doing well Garcia. We're seconds away now."

Garcia still let out a scream when the paramedics burst through the door. Stumbling away from your figure, she bumped shoulders with Spencer as the experts dealt with you.

"Do you think she's going to be okay?" Garcia asked him.

"I don't know. But I feel like a prized jackass now. What if she's not? She will have died thinking I was mad at her."

"I don't know what to say Reid. She was trying. She thought you'd stopped trying."

"The argument was stupid. I was more annoyed us arguing had ruined some plans I had."

"Plans? What do you-ohhh." Garcia cut herself off as she clocked onto what Spencer meant.

He quickly pocketed the small jewellery box as the EMT turned to the pair of them.

[bradshawsbaby]

If you're still taking those late-night prompts, how about "I'm cold. Cuddle with me" + Rhett because I'm having feelings.

Always having feelings about that cowboy!

One of the worst parts about traveling on the rodeo circuit was the accommodations. You never knew what town you were going to end up passing through, or what crummy motel you’d have to spend the night in. Some were better than others, but tonight, you and Rhett had ended up in a particularly crappy one.

You typically tried to look on the bright side of things—at least you and Rhett were together, and you were getting to watch the love of your life live out his dreams. But the broken radiator and the freezing water in the bathroom were enough to sour your mood, especially after a long and exhausting day at the rodeo grounds.

If you were a bit peeved about the situation, you knew Rhett was downright grumpy. He’d had a good ride today, but he’d tweaked a nerve in his shoulder and you knew all he wanted was a hot shower to relax and unwind.

“Stupid shithole,” he’d muttered in frustration when you returned to the motel and were met with ice water instead.

He was taking a quick shower now, trying to wash away the dirt and grime from the day, while you tried to make the room a little bit more comfortable. With no heat, you’d donned a pair of thick socks, sweatpants, a long-sleeve shirt, and one of Rhett’s hoodies to try to keep warm, managing to find an extra blanket in the closet and throwing it onto the bed. You fluffed the pillows as best you could, trying to make it as cozy as possible for when Rhett came out of the bathroom.

Just as you were settling down under the covers, the bathroom door opened and Rhett stepped out with a white towel slung low around his waist. Your mouth watered at the sight. But his handsome face was twisted into a scowl as he stomped over to his travel bag.

“Is a little hot water after a long damn day too much to ask for?” he grumbled, digging through his things for a pair of sweatpants and a T-shirt. Normally he liked to sleep with minimal clothing, or none at all, but you could see he was still visibly shaking from his frigid shower.

You bit your lower lip, leaning back against the headboard. “I know, but at least we’ll be checked out of here tomorrow,” you offered, trying to find a silver lining.

“Not fast enough,” Rhett grunted, dropping his towel and quickly getting dressed.

You knew he was just exhausted and in pain, and that was what was making him so cranky. So you held out a hand to him, your voice calm as you said, “I’m cold. Cuddle with me.”

If you had tried to offer to take care of him when he was in a mood like this, he would have just gotten more snappish, but when you turned the tables and made it seem like you needed him, he was quick to soften and come crawling into bed beside you.

“I’m sorry, darlin’,” he murmured, wrapping you in his arms and holding you against his chest. “I wish I could have taken you someplace better than this,” he said with a frown, glancing around your more than modest lodgings.

“Shh, I don’t care about that,” you assured him, draping yourself across his chest. “Just want to be with you.”

He chuckled quietly under his breath, running his fingers through your hair as your eyes grew heavier and heavier.

“I’m really glad you’re here with me,” he whispered against the top of your head, dropping a kiss on it. “It means the world to me, havin’ you in my corner.”

You smiled, cuddling closer to him. “I love you, Rhett.”

“I love you, too, baby. Now let’s get some sleep.”

late night prompts

[xstarkillerx]

Because I'm in procrastination mode today aperantly, you know what else I've been thinking about? My dear, sweet @anakincentric. Pretty Blade, this is for you because I love your version of anakin so much <3

Tw: dead dove do not eat

We've talked about this before but I honestly love the idea of being anakin's little baby and having a dirty blog where you reblog porn gifs and talk about all the ways you get fucked into oblivion by him. Anakin knows about it of course, but he isn't nosy, you never have to worry about him snifing around.

It's a rare bout of confidence (stupidity) that leads you to ask if he wants to see it, and he honestly wouldn't have paid it any mind if you didn't immediatly backtrack. All red in the face and turning away, looking like you just realized what a bad a idea that would be and well... now he's gotta see what's on there. So, he settles you in his lap while you log in and make a big fuss about hiding your password from him. As soon as you log in there's already a gif of some big brutish man shoving his cock into a girls tight asshole, and you're whining all over again about how you change your mind and "do i have toooooo." Anakin doesn't budge. You wanted to show him, and he knows all this fuss that came after is an ill attempt at reinserting shame where it has no business being, so you proceed to your blog, pretty and pink as expected.

See, it's not so much the gifs of pretty little girls like you getting passed around and wrecked, or the videos of pussies getting stuffed full by inhumanely large dildos that you reblog, it's the paragraphs upon paragraphs you post, they're fucking filthy, kind of gross, honestly. You can feel his eyes scanning the page, his little huffs of amusement, his gentle squeezes on you arm when something was particularly vulger. You're getting redder by the minute.

"I didn't even know you knew that word, Aivela-"

"Daddy, we can stop now." Your little hands are grasping tightly at his shirt sleeve, resisting the urge to tug his hand away from the computer, you've had enough.

"No, keep going, what's that? Oh, that's a long one, you wanna read it to me?" Your nails are close to ripping holes into his sleeve, you know this one, you know this one. You shake your head, craning your neck to look up at him and give your best pleading look, it only solidifies his interest. "Come on angel, I worked all day I'm tired. Read it."

And you do, quietly, full of shame, stuttering. "Today my... Today my d- dad caught me by suprise. Mom was doing laundry in the basement while he fucked me upstairs in the livingroom. I had my headphones on, music blasting when he pushed me over the arm of the sofa and pulled my..." you flail your arms, too flustered to continue.

"Come on, I wanna hear what your dad did to you."

All you can bring yourself to do is hide your face in the crook of his arm. "you know already it's you!" you stretch every vowel, whining and cranky, he can tell you've had enough. Anakin continues reading in his head, dropping the odd comment here and there and stroking your hair while your face remains hidden against his chest.

"Oh my," "no, baby that's fucking dirty, I don't remember it like that," "you slut, is that why you asked me to say that again? wanted to commit it to memory to tell are your perv followers about it?" Every one made you squirm, and when he finished he gave you a kiss on the head with a laugh. "You like telling them them I'm your dad? Look at me, is that what you post on your little blog all day?"

You nod, looking about close to tears when he pulls you in for a kiss. He laughs like it's the most amusing thing in the fucking world, endearing even, regardless of how fucked up it might be.

"They just eat it up huh? Bunch of fat old virgin fucks in your dms?" You nod, too shy, too overhwelmed to tell him about the wealth of unasnwered anonymous asks you have stockpiled you telling you yeah well if I was your dad I'd molest you too, and no wonder he touches you he's got a perfect slut for a daughter. Love the stories <3. Those are for a different day.

[that-one-odd-shipper]

🍉 . Fic Post . 🍉

This is a previously written fic! Right now I'm promoting my old fics just to let y'all know they exist.

🪭- A little Dazai fic! This is my first bsd agere fic I put out there, and I am pretty proud of it 🥺

🍄- This fic is inspired by the lovely Playrough's agency little fic! In which Dazai has a nap time set up for him by the agency since he tends to get cranky and fussy without sleep, but a meeting ends up making him miss it for the day. What Dazai didn't expect is how used to the naps his body had gotten.

🥀- Dazai is really small in all of my upcoming fics and this one, not even one year when he's regressed. Kunikida and Chuuya are co-caregivers to Dazai and it is mentioned how Dazai doesn't particularly like the concept of being little. This fic is pure fluff, a tiny bit of stress comes from the baby but not enough to be considered angst. It's a nice story to fall asleep to :)

❤- Now, I'll attach the first few paragraphs bellow for you to get a feel of the fic. Link to my ao3 and the fic itself will be at the end! Please enjoy, comment and like!

Ever since Kunikida and the Agency have found out about Dazai's regression, they've been pushing nap times. Something about him getting "Cranky, tired, and less productive" after a certain time in the day

Dazai kicked his legs under the table, trying to stay focused. There had been an important joint Mafia and Agency meeting today, which just so happened to fall at an inconvenient time.

...Stupid, he knows. Besides, Dazai is never productive so what difference would it make?!

These naps normally happen late at lunch. It's not like he could just slip out of the Agency to go home early, either! To ensure he got this nap in every day the Agency and the stupid slug, decided to pair up for this.

If he tried to escape and head home, Chuuya's stupid camera door sensor would catch it. Of course that was set up for him...the slug can't mind his business! He didn't even do anything before it was set up, the executive just assumed he would try! Rude...

And so, the little one had to accept that he would be caught either way. It was either walking around in the stuffy outdoors for the rest of the day every single day or taking a nap. His pride said the first option, but it's obvious what the best choice was.

'But Dazai, you're a genius! Why didn't you just deactivate the system or use another entrance?' Well, it's pretty hard to think clearly enough to sneakily turn off a system when you're admittedly very fuzzy and droopy.

From working so hard of course. Nothing else, totally.

He doesn't need an assigned nap! Not to mention, a person to watch over him. He knows when he needs to take a break... Totally. This is why in the first place he didn't want the agency to figure it out, but that all went down the drain...

Have they been nothing but accepting of him? Yes, that's the issue! They shouldn't be condoning this behavior, let alone enforcing it! Dazai doesn't deserve to act like a literal baby, "A healthy coping mechanism" be damned. He doesn't need one of those either.

Protesting that mindset to them only made it worse, however. That doesn't mean he wouldn't still attempt to be bratty and refuse, but it gets hard when all you feel is comfort and security in a Member's (or Chu's) arms.

How these naps played out was always the same. He would get fed a bottle of warm milk about 30 minutes before his nap, fed because he got the privilege of being able to feed himself taken away...

He only dropped it on his head like, once! It doesn't matter if it caused him to start crying, he can still do it like anyone else can feed themselves! He shouldn't have started crying anyway, it was a tiny little bump. God, why did little him have to be so sensitive?

When it was time for the nap, there were two main locations. With anyone besides Kunikida, Chuuya, Yosano, or Fukuzawa he was to be laid down on the couch smothered in blankets.

But when Kunikida had a chance, he would always volunteer to watch him first. It's like he has some attachment, the idealistic man always looks anxious when he's away from the embarrassing baby side.

With Kunikida, he was either laid on a tiny futon that was unrolled from the closet next to Kunikida's desk but rarely. Most of the time he's on someone's lap being rocked to sleep since motion puts him out like a light.

Others that were offered were Atsushi, Ranpo, Naomi, Junichiro, and with supervision of another adult, Kenji. However, with Ranpo and Atsushi, it gets... Complicated.

Atsushi and Ranpo are also little, but they are at least big kids! Most of the time, at least. They don't need naps or bottles, but they are also set off easily in the presence of another little.

That was learned the hard way when Kunikida ended up with 3 giggly and squeamish littles after coming back from break. From that day on all three of them couldn't be alone caring together, unless there was time for some sort of play date after nap time.

Dazai would rather live than have to regress more times than needed, so he's never had a play date with the two, though he's heard they do it decently often.

And of course, there was Chuuya. Sometimes, when he was free during lunch break he would come to pick Dazai up for his nap. Normally he'd get taken home, but occasionally he was taken to Chu's office where he got to sit on the rolly chairs!

However he always preferred going home because of the risk of someone walking into him, the genius Dazai Osamu...giggling as Chuuya Nakahara bounces him on his lap or gently spins the rolling chair around. Yea no.

Originally the nap thing was set to every other day, or just not required every day. Dazai ruined that for himself though very easily. Once he had gotten used to the napping, apparently his body went 'oo! Time for sleep!!!? ;?! ' around the scheduled time automatically now.

He ended up struggling to stay awake as he did work with Kunikida one day and got nothing done, per usual. Dazai eventually drifted off on his shoulder from the exhaust, not very grown-ass 22-year-old of him.

But back to the current situation, it's the dreaded nap time. Well, way past nap time. Currently, there is a meeting going on between the Agency and the port mafia, that's all fine. The fine part was that the meeting had gone at least an hour off schedule.

It was planned so as not to bump into the time he gets put down, but stupid Mori couldn't agree on the originally proposed terms, so now they've been stuck!

______________________________________

Another thing is that Dazai hadn't quite realized how his body had gotten used to the nap times. Now that's come to bite him in the ass because he can't stop rubbing his eyes and yawning.

The work is called Cranky Baby! Here's the preview, Links to the full story and my ao3 page bellow.

Work: https://archiveofourown.org/works/56113351

My ao3 acc: https://archiveofourown.org/users/That_One_Odd_Shipper/pseuds/That_One_Odd_Shipper

[tarisilmarwen]

Sabezra Day 2024 - "Speak My Language"

Title: Speak My Language

Fandom: Star Wars Rebels, Ahsoka

Rating: K+

Pairing/Relationships: Ezra/Sabine

Character(s): Ezra Bridger, Sabine Wren, Garazeb "Zeb" Orrelios

Genre: Romance/Drama/Comfort/Fluff

Summary: All the little ways Ezra and Sabine tell each other "I love you."

AO3, FFNet

@sabezraweek

---

Physical Touch

For all his skittish avoidance of them, Sabine observed, there was a part of Ezra that seemed to crave touch.

She saw it in the way he gradually stopped flinching at Zeb's shoulder thumps, once he realized the gesture was affectionate, once he realized he wasn't being hit. She saw it more readily in the way he lit up whenever Kanan or Hera put a hand on his arm or shoulder, how light would practically beam out of him.

She even saw it in how he would pat Chopper's dome at odd moments—ostensibly to annoy the droid, who would slap him off and screech in binary and chase him around with his shock prod as Ezra ran away laughing, but aside from her and Hera no one else had dared to touch the cranky C1 unit with any kind of affection, and Sabine could only conclude that Ezra must, on some level, enjoy it. No matter how badly Chopper bullied him on the regular.

Sabine herself? Was not a particularly "huggy" person. She kept people at arm's length, both literally and figuratively, but understood the paradox of not wanting to let her walls and guard down and yet longing for intimacy and affection. She related to Ezra in that fashion. Sympathized with him.

She was looking for him now, actually. He was doing that thing where he would pretend he wanted to be alone to mope but he really wanted someone to keep him company and seek him out to comfort him—another painful similarity between them she understood. Today's Jedi lesson had not apparently gone well. There'd been some yelling. Kanan had walked into the living room where she'd been painting, radiating frustration.

Sabine had quietly put down her paints and gone out to check on Ezra.

She found him sitting curled up on a little hillock, staring out towards the waving grasses. His shoulders were hitched, and his bangs were falling into his face.

Sabine plastered on a smile and came to sit next to him.

"Rough day, I'm guessing?" she quipped lightly, as she plopped down.

He gave a noncommittal sound and a shrug, curling up tighter.

Heart panging, Sabine lifted a hand, then hesitated. She remembered a bit of holovideo from the disk she'd cleaned up for Ezra—just a fragment really, too corrupted to be any good-of Mira gently stroking Ezra's hair.

The blue-black strands shifted with the breeze now, fluttering around Ezra's head. It looked soft and fluffy and she found her hand drawing towards it.

Carefully, she let her fingers slide into his hair, tenderly combing up through the strands.

Ezra gasped softly, eyes widening, stiffening with a bit of shock.

Smiling more genuinely this time, Sabine used the hand in his hair to tug his head gently into her shoulder, again, like she'd seen Mira do in the brief holo clip.

Ezra melted, leaning into the touch with a kind of shuddering sigh.

Sabine let her fingers keep brushing through Ezra's hair, almost hugging him to her side as she played with the ends.

"Thanks," she heard him whisper, so quietly she almost missed it.

***

Gift Giving

After seeing how Sabine's eyes had popped with delight when he showed her the TIE fighter, Ezra had tried very hard to recreate that reaction.

And it turned out Sabine liked getting things.

It took a bit of experimentation to figure out what things, specifically, Sabine liked getting the most. Despite all that he'd managed to learn about girls from trashy holofilms and the drunken advice of his fellow homeless vagrants, Sabine wasn't particularly into flowers or jewelry. Sweets were slightly better, but Sabine had an allergic reaction once to a bit of kopa nut Ezra hadn't realized was in the chocolates he'd bought her and he'd avoided repeating that mistake since.

Art supplies were an obvious choice, but being in the Rebellion meant he was only slightly less broke than he'd been on the streets, so getting Sabine anything of actual quality, that suited her standards, took a bit of saving and scrimping.

It was so worth it, though, when he presented her with the fancy pastels kit she'd been eying in that Garel shop window for forever.

She gasped, almost snatching the box from him in her eagerness. Ezra watched her read and re-read the brand name across the front several times.

"Ezra..." she breathed, and Force how he loved when she said his name like that. Her eyes lifted, joy tugging at every corner and wrinkle of her face. "Is this—?" She couldn't even finish.

Ezra ducked his head, bashful, hiding a grin. He tried to play it cool, rubbing a hand behind his head. "I know you've been wanting them for a while and I had a little extra so..." he trailed.

Sabine flung arms around him, almost bowling him over. Her teal and blue hair was tickling in his face and Ezra forgot how to breathe for a moment as he tried not to freak out about the fact that Sabine was hugging him—hugging him—and ruin things by making it all weird.

She had finally gotten used to him, she let him in her room without turning him away at the door with a mumbled comment about wanting to be alone, she joked with him on missions now and even sometimes laughed at his bad jokes, he didn't want to spoil things by making this about his lingering crush on her.

He was just being nice to a friend. That was all.

He still liked how good she smelled as she pulled back out of the hug, though.

Sabine was grinning from ear to ear, mischievous twinkle in her amber eyes. "You realize I'm going to have to test these out right away?" she quipped, tone implying something conspiratorial.

"Guess I should make a point to steal another TIE fighter for you," he joked back.

She was shaking her head. "Pastels wouldn't stick to the titanium alloy, would be a wasted effort."

"Then it's a good thing I also swiped this," he said, producing a clean white Bike Trooper helmet and presenting it with a 'ta da!' gesture.

"Oh ho, you do know how to treat a girl," she laughed, reaching for the helmet and balancing it atop her box of pastels. "Well c'mon, who knows how long we've got before Zeb and Kanan get back." She tilted her head towards the hanger doors, through which the mostly-empty Ghost could be seen parked, and Ezra followed her eagerly, heart warming at the praise.

The two of them tramped up the ramp like quick shadows.

***

Words of Affirmation

"Sabine said I should wear the Scout Trooper armor more often, makes me look mature and grown-up," she heard Ezra bragging to Zeb from the hallway.

Her door was cracked open just a bit—for both ventilation and privacy—and Sabine heard his preening, and chuckled a bit at how annoyed Zeb sounded when he countered back, "Don't let it go to yer head, kid."

Ezra just laughed in response. Sabine knew he'd be riding the high from her compliment for days.

In fact, she should probably go fluff his ego a bit more, keep his spirits up. He was still bummed out about not getting Hera's kalikori back. Hera had dismissed the loss with relative ease but Ezra was taking it like some kind of personal failure.

He took everything so personally, now...

Shaking off that somber thought, Sabine picked up her cloth and wiped her paintbrush off, setting it down on her easel.

Pretending she hadn't just been eavesdropping she stood up from her stool and walked to the door, cracking it open a bit more and leaning on both edges of the frame.

"What are you giving him grief about this time, Zeb?" she said, teasing, grinning wide.

Zeb rolled his eyes, but Ezra turned towards her.

"I was just telling Zeb about how much you loved the Scout Trooper uniform," he said.

She shrugged. "Well, they say clothing makes the man, but I think it was the other way around this time. That armor definitely wouldn't have looked as good without you in it."

She might have struck him speechless with that one. Was he blushing? He looked dumbfounded and Sabine swore she saw his cheeks reddening.

He was adorable.

With a small cough she cleared her throat. "Hey, glad you made it out okay," she said, changing the subject. "I was really worried when I heard that you and Hera were captured."

He glanced away, eyes lowering. "Wasn't anything to worry about," he dismissed. "Just the usual kind of danger we get into."

"Still would have kicked myself if anything had happened to you," she argued, reaching across to grab a pinch of his sleeve, draw his eyes and attention back. "You mean a lot to me, all right? I care about you." Her eyes squeezed earnestly as she tried to make him understand. "I just don't want you to get hurt."

Their gaze held a long moment, blue looking wonderingly into amber, as Ezra took her words in, something in the depths of his irises seeming to glow brighter.

"Err... should I give you two a moment?"

Both teens broke eye contact immediately at Zeb's awkward comment. Sabine brushed her bangs back, hiding her face, her own cheeks flushing now.

Ezra coughed heavily into his fist, very deliberately looking forward and not at her. "I'll uh, see you tomorrow then?" he said.

"Right," Sabine blurted, fleeing at once back into her room and sliding the door all the way closed.

She could still hear Zeb's voice, muffled behind the door, making teasing comments that Ezra replied to with inaudible muttering.

***

Acts of Service

Mandalorian history was full of heroes who performed great deeds. Feats of strength, of valor, of honor. Fulfilled oaths. Last stands.

They weren't all that different from Jedi, honestly. A life of service to others was a Jedi's calling and goal, requiring much of them, demanding the fullness of their dedication even to the point of ultimate sacrifice.

So this, his last great act, his wild ploy to upend the chessboard and sweep away the Seventh Fleet, leaving her his lightsaber as a token, might as well have been a blaring love letter to Sabine's Mandalorian sensibilities.

I love you, I love you, repeated sadly in his head, as her last words—begging him to get off the ship—echoed in his ears. I'm sorry. I have to do this.

She was going to be so angry at him. When she found him she would probably kick and scream and cry.

But he knew she'd understand. After all, she was a warrior herself. She would know the kind of personal sacrifice he was making, giving up everything he'd ever known and loved for the chance that she and everyone else could live free.

It was the kind of noble, larger-than-life task that defined so many Mandalorian epics.

Ezra steeled his jaw and held his head high, diving deeper into the Force as purrgil song filled his ears and hyperspace began stretching out white through the atmosphere. Thrawn cursed and spat but nothing could stop the young Jedi now.

He would do the task that only he could. Ezra Bridger, son of Lothal, Jedi apprentice...

...The boy who loved Sabine Wren.

***

Quality Time

She needed to be next to him like she needed to breathe.

Sabine still couldn't believe it, that she finally had her lost Jedi back, that he was alive and real and whole and he wouldn't leave her side.

They had barely spent a moment apart since she and Ahsoka had rescued him from Peridea.

The journey home had been full of drinks and laughter, so many drinks and laughing so hard her sides hurt. The ship lights spun and twinkled in their eyes and when they finally retired for the night she just latched onto his wrist and pulled him onto the blankets on the floor.

They were out almost immediately, tangled up in each other, but woke up sometime in the wee early hours and just whispered more stories to each other, getting caught up, telling each other everything that had happened in the gap between then and now.

Sabine curled a hand around his, marveling at the strength in the rough brown fingers. Stars how she'd missed this! Just sitting and talking, being in each other's company. It made her think of movie nights and sleepovers in the living room on the Ghost, talking long walks around the perimeter of Chopper Base, sparring in the cargo bay, that one night they'd stayed up watching a meteor shower on a blanket just like this.

"What is it?" he asked her, noticing she'd gone quiet.

She sighed happily, bringing his hand up to kiss the back softly.

"Just happy we're together again," she told him. The empty space left unoccupied, where he should have been all these years, was full again. "I missed this," she said aloud.

"Missed you," he whispered, leaning in for a stolen kiss against her cheek, beard tickling her skin.

She giggled, happy tears threatening at her eyes. "Stay with me a little longer?" she begged.

"Of course," he assured her.

It was a long trip home, but she got to spend it with the man she loved.

Nothing else could have made her more content.

[eldritchsurveys]

1251.

Do you know anybody who is ambidextrous? >> I don't think so, but possibly.

Have you ever been 4-wheeling? >> I have not.

What’s the weather been like today? >> Clear and sunny, on the milder side.

What was the last exam you sat for? .

Will you be attending any weddings in the near future? >> I will not.

Do you currently have any unread text messages, and who from? .

Speaking of text messages, what colour is your cell phone? >> Black.

Do you live anywhere near the woods? >> There are plenty of woodsy areas around, but not a proper forest or anything.

Would you ever consider a career in the tourism industry? >> I would not.

Do you have any important anniversaries you celebrate? >> I do not. When was the last time you used q-tips? >> Yesterday, I think.

How does your hair react to humid weather or rain? >> It doesn't.

What’s your favourite flavour of iced tea? .

Do you understand music theory? >> The only time I studied it was in high school choir and it frustrated me so badly because I just couldn't grasp it despite really wanting to. I'd think that I'd gotten it, and it would just all slide out of my brain like water off a duck. I don't know if I'd be any better at understanding it now, but I'm not interested in learning it now so it doesn't matter.

How many hours of sleep did you get last night? >> I don't know, seven or so. I'm not tracking that sort of thing these days.

Are you expected to act professionally at your job? .

Infomercials: entertaining or stupid? >> I am uninterested in them.

What’s your favourite brand of energy drink? .

Do you have (or have you ever had) acne? >> I had it as a teenager and then it promptly cleared up when I hit adulthood.

When was the last time you got pins-and-needles? >> I don't remember, but it happens fairly often.

Why did you click to take this survey? >> It was the first one I saw that I hadn't already taken recently.

If you have glasses, have you ever smashed them? .

How do you get new music? Buy or download or what? >> Neither, I find random things to listen to on Spotify.

Have you ever sent someone an abusive text message? >> Possibly, but I doubt it.

Do you require a lot of time to do things or are you quick? >> I don't think I'm particularly one way or the other, innately, but I do prefer to do things at a slower pace.

What will be the next concert you attend? >> I have no idea.

Turn the nearest television on, what’s on? .

How often do you “wake up on the wrong side of the bed”? >> I don't wake up cranky very often. I think it helps that I don't have to wake up at a certain time so I'm not getting my sleep pattern interrupted by an alarm or anything.

Can you rap? >> I cannot. I'm always impressed by rappers' skill, that shit is amazing to me.

What do you usually order when you’re at McDonald’s? .

Are there any textbooks near where you are right now? >> Not by me. There are some in the house in general, because Sparrow is a student.

What’s the time? >> 14:09. Do you know how to use a DSLR camera? >> I don't.

How’s your body temperature right now? >> Comfortably warm; my space heater is running, I'm wearing a hoodie with the hood up, and my lower half is under a duvet.

Do you use Celsius or Fahrenheit? >> Fahrenheit.

What was the last thing you got a really good deal on? >> The space heater, incidentally. I opted for the Used/Like New one on Amazon and got it for $20 less than a new one.

Have you ever studied any ancient societies? >> Not seriously.

Do you like to wear long, dangling earrings? >> I do, but not often or for a long time. I like the look of them but I don't like stressing my earlobes out.

What was the last reason you took medicine? >> A bit of sinusitis.

Do you exercise regularly? >> I try to do something with my body every day. Been trying out Hybrid Calisthenics lately but it's difficult for me to keep up with it because it's so repetitive and boring to me.

What is your coffee of choice? (flat white, cappuccino, etc.) >> My default when I'm at a place that doesn't have any fun concoctions that catch my eye is a vanilla latte.

Do you pay any attention to your country’s politics? >> Well, more than I used to, now, but still not nearly as much as the average person. Are you feeling worried about anything right now? >> I am not, which is a godsend. Are you a gossipy type of person? >> I enjoy being nosy and listening to (or eavesdropping on, lol) other people's gossip. I'm not much of a contributor, though. I don't even like venting about interpersonal stuff to third parties, it just don't feel right.

When will your next meal be, and do you know what it will consist of? >> I don't know what I'm going to eat next. I'll probably just wait for my mind to latch onto something.

Tell me about the sickest you’ve ever felt. >> I've had food poisoning a few times and that's definitely the sickest I've ever felt.

What’s your opinion on your in-laws, if you have any? . Do you make excuses often, or do you just get things done? >> A secret third thing -- I acknowledge the various handicaps I have to getting things done and I work with them instead of trying to fight against or dismiss them. Have you seen your best friend today? .

What can you smell right now? >> Nothing, considering my sinuses are acting up.

Any important birthdays coming up? >> Sparrow's is in a few days.

Fireworks: yay or nay? >> I'm sensory-defensive and I have the misfortune of living in a state where they're legal for the average joe to purchase and set off in their backyard, so... big, big nay.

Do you have any plans for the rest of the day? >> I haven't decided yet. I might play a bit of some game or another after this to get a dopamine hit before I do the dishes.

How about tomorrow? Any plans? >> No plans.

Do you know how to do your own laundry or does someone else do it? >> I have been doing my own laundry since I was in middle school.

If you could eat or drink anything right now, what would it be? >> I don't know, man. What colour are your headphones? >> Black. My earbuds are navy blue.

Think of the last long car trip you had, where did you go? >> Indianapolis. Do you have a Twitter account that you use regularly? >> I have a Twitter account so I can look at NSFW artwork from tumblr users who have stopped trying to post it to tumblr. That's literally all I use it for, I am extremely uninterested in actually using Twitter.

Have you ever seen a horseshoe crab? They’re scary, right?! >> I've seen photos of them and I think they're spiffy. :3

What was the last movie you saw at the theatres? >> Longlegs.

Are there any new movies that you’d really like to see? >> Man, so many. I just love movies.

If you could play one instrument flawlessly, what would it be? >> Hmm...... theremin. Talk about a party trick!

Do you overthink a lot of things? >> I am an expert ruminator.

Is there anybody you miss but can’t see again? >> Sure.

[malamai]

Today I absolutley sucked. ✌️

Last night I could not sleep (common issue in my world, I know.) No matter what sleep aid I took, what I did, last night was a bad night for me, it was particularly awful because it was my management shift today. YIPEE... so I ended up FINALLY managing to get myself to sleep for a light nap, I got up at 6am, threw on my work clothes and while I was looking in my drawer for socks, I literally fell asleep The sims 4 style from exhaustion while trying to find the socks. Then slept through two alarms that I set for work and suddenly I opened my eyes and realised it was light outside and instantly knew I was late as fuck because it was 9am and I wasn't meant to be on the floor, I was meant to be at my desk about 30 minutes previous to that moment. So I jump up and like any normal person, naturally I scream "SHIT" and I ran, SOCKLESS BY THE WAY, I ran so fast from my house to work I got to the other part of town in less than seven minutes and now I have blisters from my vans. JOY...

I get to work and a customer is pulling up and hops out of his car, he's like "do you open later now?" And I'm like frantic and out of breath telling him "no. I slept in, ill tell you more when I can breathe again." Because I ran RELENTLESSLY to the point where I was coughing and coughing and I'm trying to call admin and I can't even speak to admin because I can't catch my breath, she's like "imma call you back", I'm trying to set everything up in the shop, the dude who caught me outside decided to help put things up on display (which I really REALLY fucking appreciated) and I eventually got the shop together and made myself a coffee. I then popped to to toilets and l caught a glimps of myself in the mirror AND FUCK ME, I looked like I had been on a week long bender! My hair was all over, bags under my eyes, pale (probably from the lack of oxygen in my body) I looked dishevelled and ridiculous! 😂

Luckily for me because of how open I have been with the admin and higher up colleagues about what is going on in my life I was instantly given a decision of "no further action" because as it was said on the phone, they are aware of how much I have going on at the moment and they think it's a wonder that I power on through and haven't taken time off, which I appreciate. I also spoke to admin about everything new going on and found myself laughing at points and it was weird but nice, because she was laughing with me and i said "sorry I know I shouldnt laugh but I do just find myself laughing at that now. Like it's really not funny HA!" and she said "Misty, that's trauma, you've had a lot of trauma lately, sometimes when we process that we find ourselves looking back and laughing." While also laughing with me and she's very right.

Towards the end of my shift I was 30 minutes late out because people wouldn't leave and then some random guy decided to walk into my life and put £57 worth of coins made up of various small change into one of the machines and then turn to me and say "well that's one way to get rid of my shrapnel!" And smile. LITERALLY. It made me wish there was shrapnel in my brain because he could of just brought me the money and I would have changed it for him and not had to count it at stupid o'clock and TO TOP IT OFF. I HAD TO COIN EVERY PENNY AND THE MONEY WAS FUUUUCKING STICKY!!!! 🤮🤮🤮 I was too exhausted and cranky to be dealing with sticky dirty money!

In all seriousness I am not surprised I was so tired that I just flopped because at the moment I find myself feeling like a forgotten part of society. As a mother I have been in many situations in my life, I have been the teenage mother, I have been the workaholic motherand I have been the judged tattooed mother but weirdly I find this most recent one the toughest, and I can respect the fact that I have clawed my way to making it to a place where some people who didn't have kids as a teen would struggle to get to but there is literally no fucking help for a 30 year old woman who owns her own house who's relationship ended. Right now I am on antidepressants, sleep aid, iron, folic acid beause of b12 anemia, I'm working my ass off, not using childcare so it doesn't gobble up my wage. The other parent moved 40 minutes away and the only help I am getting is from my parents, for a day and a night a week, I'm still hosting the sleepovers, I'm still playing the games, I'm still making ends meet and on top of all that I am fixing up this house! It's like when your kids are over the age of 5 years old you are just expected to juggle on a unicycle with flaming wheels and keep the shit show going and smile til you drop and I don't get it! We just have to get though it! It seems to me eveytime you find a helping hand you can't reach for it because it will risk fuck up something else and its not fair. Nobody wants to end up a single parent at 30 but it seems like as a woman of this age, in this position in society you are pushed to your limit and backed into a corner.

On a lighter note, I have 2 days holiday now and I am taking the kids to their first gig tomorrow with my best friend! I am going to let my hair down and embarrass the life out of my kids! 😁

[atlasarcana]

ATLAS HI

one out-of-context sentence from a scene you're particularly excited about people getting to read or really enjoyed writing! (or a few scenes, or a lot of scenes, or just post the entire thing, I'm nor complaining!)

here's the opening passage to fic 2 of echo bren which i really enjoy re-reading, because i'm weirdly affectionate about hobbyist fishing when it's done by people who aren't good at it

The house itself is not much larger than the average family home in the center of the Candles, but it is made massive by the optical illusion of being set in the middle of the forest instead. Fifteen minutes’ walk away, a sizeable lake of foaming teal water froths and stills and froths again under the beating wind, all of the suds scumming on the surface from the soapbark trees around. On a lucky day, they have caught fish in that lake: iridescent-scaled, cranky little things that pop out of the water with a temper, snapping and cracking around on the soil until Caleb throws them in the bin to make a lethally good sashimi out of later. 

Today, they stand in front of the lake, Caleb in his unflattering fisherman’s hat, Essek in his massive swathe of an injurious-looking suncape, and together they fish and fish and catch absolutely nothing.

“We’re fools,” huffs Caleb. “It’s Da’leysen.”

“The fish are not any less active on the weekend, Caleb.”

“No,” says Caleb. He turns to Essek in the eye-sizzling sunlight, shaded so sharply by the hat that his face looks small and dark as a hole underneath a dome of yellow. “We told him Da’leysen. We should have told him that we would summon him Miresen. I have an outing later today to chaperone. I won’t be getting home in time.”

[aprincessofthevoid]

I think the only time I really justify any kind of smacking a kid is on reflex if they're gonna touch/do anything that will hurt them. Like... my brain isn't fast enough to gently tell them not to touch a hot stove. I'm probably just gonna slap their hands or grab them in some way. Or if they're running into traffic I will 100% kick a toddler ngl. Won't even be a conscious thought cus that initial shock is for better than the alternative option.

But kids having tantrums is NORMAL... their brain is still figuring shit out. Slapping them around for processing their emotions isn't helping them process those emotions. And it's annoying, yes, you might just need to walk away n let them scream if you get overwhelmed so you DONT hit them if you were hit as a kid.

Whenever I see a parent struggling in public, especially one who just seems stressed out or embarrassed by their kid doing unruly kid thing, I usually just try to give an amused sorta, exaggerated shock you give to a kid doing their "cool trick". and and then smile n comment something like "well SOMEOMES cranky today" to the parent and laugh about it. Usually, they seem a little relieved the closest person understands and isn't annoyed by their kids.

I've worked in a theme park, and in multiple customer service jobs, kids are usually pretty alright if you just fuckin TALK to them... like??? If I as a stranger can politely ask your kid I met 30sec ago to please not do something because *insert general safety rule or polite social norm here* and they LISTEN with very little prompting... why the FUCK do you as your parent need them to be afraid of you to get them to even pretend to listen??

Kids are curious... just give them an actual reason, explain its to keep them safe, that you're trying to teach then manners, or how to function as an adult in advance. I will admit my mother on the odd occasion did spank me but it was very very rare and usually no more than one swat if I did something particularly upsetting (usually just something dangerous as I stated prior). She did yell tho, not usually pointless yelling she was just struggling with her own shit, but she's also the one who talked to me like a person as a kid, because she was trying to do her best.

Which is another situation here as well, because ppl who have a specific upbringing that was less than ideal, will likely make some mistakes. Especially if they also happen to have some additional disability be it physical or mental that lowers their daily tolerance for additional stimulation or struggle. It's hard enough parenting yourself thru life when you realize you now have another human who needs you 24/7. Mistakes will happen, apologize to your kids, it helps I promise, you WILL fuck up, everybody does. What decides if you undo all the generational trauma is if you check yourself snd own up to your mistakes.

Problem #1 regarding child abuse is that a lot of people seem to struggle to imagine normal, respectable-looking parents and other authority figures ever doing it despite the statistics so instead they do the stranger danger panic and completely overlook some of the greatest threats.

Problem #2 is that even when people understand, even if in an abstract way, that parents can be abusive they just... don't seem to actually register that as something that can apply to real life. It's just hypothetical to them and doesn't actually guide their ideas of how to prevent child abuse.

Problem #3 is that even after overcoming the above biases a lot of people have a very narrow image of what abusive parenting is where they imagine like... people doing violent things basically out of sadism and without provocation. They don't seem to think it's "real" abuse if the victim did something that "justifies" punitive violence, like disobeying the parents.

In fact, most people think parents have a right to do a whole lot of awful things to their children beyond just hitting them, like violating their privacy, controlling their access to information, and deciding what/when/if they eat, among other things.

[cleoselene]

did LFR today on my mage and my warlock, and I had forgotten.. well, how much i love LFR as a raid option. I get to see all the endgame content without the DRAMA of raiding with a guild lol. Look I have fond memories, particularly of BC and WotLK raiding, but mostly I remember people getting cranky, wiping a million times, and ultimately realizing me and my friends would never be hardcore enough to do this in a fun way.

also for my first raid in 8 years.. I felt good. Didn't fall on my face. Had my Deadly Boss Mods installed and did fine. Got some shoulders on my lock and a dagger on my mage.

delves tho... ugh. it's where literally all the gear is it seems and they're so tedious. Brann is such a dumb dungeon partner. STILL NOT PLEASED AT HOW THIS GAME HAS REALLY GONE HARDCORE ALLIANCE WHILE I WAS GONE. Like. This whole xpac is just a bunch of Alliance bitches with a random Thrall or Lillian Voss sighting to remind Horde players they exist. I feel personally aggrieved that I have to deal with Anduin's angst after they massacred Sylvanas' character. I ALWAYS WANTED TO BE ABLE TO KILL THE BOY KING WHEN WE RAIDED STORMWIND AND WAS MAD IT WASN'T AN OPTION BACK IN THE DAY.

in hindsight I feel really sad I wasn't around for Legion when it was live endgame. it seems like that's just the best all-around content. The world is stunning, the plot is dope, the tier sets are amazing, the class identity stuff is AWESOME.

anyway the Earthen are fun, I like Brinthe. I like that they're not a bunch of drunken celtic sounding types like the Dwarves lol. Look, I just don't like the Alliance that much. I'm here for Alleria, though. I'm always here for a Windrunner sister. Or high elves/blood elves they're the bomb

[anonymityisfunwriter]

Two Sides of The Same Coin - Chapter 4: "Holy Ground"

"And darling, it was good never looking down. And right there where we stood was holy ground..."

Pairing: Grumpy!Bucky Barnes x Sunshine!Reader

And then things got better. Your frame of reference for these things admittedly wasn't great, but you couldn't have imagined a better time over the next few months. It was absolutely perfect.

Mission after mission - day in, day out, now that you and Bucky were getting along, or more accurately now that Bucky stopped reading so much into Sam's words, you three actually made a pretty good team.

-

The playful dynamic between the three of you:

"This is a bad idea, right?" Sam murmurs, looking down at the overpass as you wait for the semi-truck to pass.

"Terrible idea," Bucky agrees.

"Too late, I've committed," you quip, stepping over the barricade. 

"But you haven't done anything yet!" Sam calls after you. 

-

"That's like a 20 foot drop, no way," Bucky says, his tone slightly playful but still sticking his arm out to stop you from dropping off the ledge of the rooftop the three of you were on. 

"That sounds like a challenge to me," you playfully remark. 

"It's not," Bucky deadpans.

You shrug, moving around Bucky's arm and leaping off the ledge.

“And I stick the landing!” you exclaim as your feet touch the ground, a well timed burst of air breaking your fall. As you land you turn around and stick your arms out much like a gymnast would at the end of their routine. You look up to find Bucky and Sam watching you in equal parts horror and awe. “Well come on!”

“How did-”

“I’m going to try that,” Sam decidedly mumbles.

“I wouldn’t-” But Sam’s already leaping off the ledge, mimicking your exact technique, at least without the mystical powers to further break his fall. 

“Sam, wait-” you start when you see him drop down without his wings extended.

Both you and Bucky wince as Sam lands on the lower rooftop. At first he remains standing, his knees awkwardly straight as he hits the gravel, only for him to audibly groan. “That’s going to hurt tomorrow.”

Bucky’s the next one to leap, this time with a much smoother landing. “That’s what you get for trying to copy a twenty-something year old with weird powers.”

“Hey!” you defend. “My powers aren’t weird.”

“I hate to side with Bucky,” Sam groans, rubbing at one of his knees. “But it’s definitely not normal.”

-

Or on Bucky's birthday: 

“James? What are you doing here?” you ask, wiping your hands on the dishtowel as he walks in the door.

He smirks, putting his jacket on one of the kitchen chairs. “Am I not supposed to be here?”

“You shouldn’t be working- it’s your birthday.”

“Crime doesn’t stop because of a birthday. How did you even know that it's my birthday?”

You coyly shrug. “I have my sources.”

“So Sam?” You shrug again, leaving Bucky once again without any answers. “Where is he anyway?”

“Upstairs having a very intense conversation with Nick Fury.”

“About?”

“I’ll give you one guess.”

“Oh…”

"Yeah... but back to your birthday," you smile. "No big plans? It's not everyday you turn 106."

He noncommittally grunts in response. Truthfully, this was his plan for the day. Sam had texted him earlier in the day inviting him over, and considering that most of the team was out doing their own things, it was a clear choice. Steve was out on a mission, though Bucky knew that Steve would probably call him later to wish him a happy birthday. The empty compound just felt particularly depressing today. And there was possibly a small, tiny part of him that wanted to see you.

"Well, this was supposed to be for later, but since we're waiting for Sam," you say, pulling out the cake that had been cooling in the fridge. "Happy Birthday, James."

“You didn’t have to do that," he says, though his heart swells at the thoughtfulness of the gesture.

“That’s what friends are for, right? Unless you’ve decided to go back to hating me.”

Bucky chuckles. “Not today. But you never know, I'm a cranky old man at heart.”

“Was that a joke?" you tease. "It’s truly a birthday miracle.”

He laughs again, a wry grin forming on his face, "They did exist back in my day."

"You know, you've got a really nice smile," you idly comment. 

A blush forms on Bucky's face and he's not quite sure how to respond, but you turn around to grab plates and utensils completely oblivious to how your compliment had thrown Bucky for a loop. “Well, what about you?" he asks after finally composing himself. "You know, since we’re friends and all.”

“What about me?”

“When’s your birthday?” 

Your smile drops slightly, which Bucky immediately notices.“I, uh, I don’t have a birthday.”

“What do you mean? Everyone has a birthday.”

“I mean, I’m sure I do- probably. I just don’t know it. I don’t even know how old I am.”

“I thought Sam said you were in your twenties?”

“I am, well at least that’s what they think. Somewhere in my mid-twenties, but we don’t actually know.”

"We're cutting cake!" Sam exclaims, walking into the room and effectively cutting your conversation with Bucky much to his frustration. It felt like for every question he had answered, a dozen new ones appeared, each answer more complicated than the last. 

-

Even the tense parts like when you had to be the buffer between Sam and Bucky's endless bickering.

"Move your seat up," Bucky demands, the three of you sitting in Sam's car. Him in the backseat, you in the front passenger seat. 

"No," Sam grunts.

"Move your seat up."

"Why do you insist I sit in the front if you don't have enough leg room in the back?" you ask, turning around to face Bucky, who remains glaring at Sam.

"Because I have manners."

"You know as well as I do that social cues are lost on me. We can just switch and I promise I won't be offended."

"Or Sam can move his seat up."

"You two are insufferable," you huff, facing forward until you can feel them both questioningly staring at you. "What? That was my word of the day a few days ago. Did I not use it right?"

"I am not insufferable," Bucky mutters, crossing his arms and sitting further back in his seat. "Pick a better word."

"Grumpy?" you suggest, mostly teasing.

"No."

"A crotchety old man," Sam offers.

Bucky rolls his eyes, then turns his gaze back to you waiting for you to come up with a better word. "Okay, well considering I’ve learned most of my vocabulary in the last six months, I'm still pretty limited in word choice, so we'll go with grumpy for you, and Sam will be the insufferable one."

Bucky huffs without saying another word, but you're pretty sure you see the corner of his lip twitch up through your sideview mirror.

-

On a few occasions, Bucky was regrettably the buffer between you and Sam.

"You're being ridiculous!" Bucky hears you say through the door to your's and Sam's apartment. He quietly opens the door to find Sam clutching several DVDs to his chest.

"I can't believe you!" Sam shouts. 

"It's not that big of a deal, Sam," you sigh, sitting on the couch with your arms folded watching Sam pace the length of the living room.

"Er...what's going on?" Bucky asks, eyes flickering to the two of you. 

Sam slaps the DVD cases down onto the coffee table. "You know what we did today? We finished the original Star Wars trilogy."

"Okay?" Bucky questions.

"And she didn't like them!"

"I didn't say that!" you vehemently object. "I said they were fine."

"Fine!" Sam rants. "Can you believe that? Just fine- these movies defined a generation! And you think they're just fine!"

You pinch the bridge of your nose, a habit you picked up from Bucky, and sigh,"It's not that big of a deal."

"Not a big deal," Sam scoffs. "Tell her, Bucky! Tell her that it is a big deal!"

Sam eye's remain narrowed at you as he waits for Bucky to back him up, only turning away from you when Bucky remains completely silent. Sam's face drops as he sees Bucky's awkward grimace, "Not you too. Please tell me not you too."

"No," Bucky immediately replies, quickly shaking his head. "I didn't say that. I just, I never watched them."

Your head drops in resignation, knowing exactly where this is headed.

"Well then I know what we're doing today," Sam announces, then turns to you with a pointed glare, "Pay attention this time."

-

And sometimes there was no buffer at all.

"You got to be the distraction last time!"

"So what?" Bucky argues, the three of you standing around the kitchen island. 

"Being the distraction is the best part and you know that!" Sam retorts.

"Alright, alright!" you interrupt, also wanting to be the one to create the distraction on this mission. "There's only one way to make this fair- rock, paper, scissors."

"Fine," Bucky and Sam grunt, each glaring at each other. You roll your eyes as the three of you stick your hands out. 

And much to their dismay, you get to be the distraction this time. “Can I set something on fire?”

“I said distraction not destruction," Sam grumbles.

“I’m pretty sure a fire would be pretty distracting," you wryly remark.

"You've been spending way too much time with Bucky."

"What does that mean?" Bucky scoffs in indignation. 

"You know exactly what it means."

-

And somewhere in those short few months, you noticed your relationship to Bucky changing, taking a turn in a way that your friendship to Sam hadn't. You constantly looked forward to the next time you'd see Bucky. Your smile would grow just a little wider when he was near. You immediately noticed when he walked in or out of a room. You just couldn't get him out of your head. You reconciled that it was probably nothing, just a blossoming friendship. But unbeknownst to you, Sam also noticed the changes in your relationship with Bucky.

"Hey, Doll," Bucky greets, warmly smiling at you before even acknowledging Sam.

You return the warm smile, "Hi."

"Oh my goodness. I forgot my phone upstairs, do you mind grabbing it?" Sam stiltedly asks you.

"Oh, sure," you reply, standing up to go retrieve Sam's phone.

“Don’t flirt with her," Sam hisses, swiftly elbowing Bucky in the ribs the second you're out of earshot.

Bucky’s eyebrows furrow in disbelief. “I literally just said hi!”

“You smiled.”

“I’m not allowed to smile?”

“Not when you’re flirting with my asset.”

“I wasn’t flirting!”

“You were totally flirting. Stop it," he warns, sounding like an older brother warning his friend about his sister being off limits.

“I can’t stop doing something that I didn’t do in the first place.”

"You can and you will."

You walk back into the room before Bucky and Sam can exchange anymore words. "I couldn't find your phone. Where did you leave it?"

"Oh, silly me! I've got it right in my pocket. My bad," he chuckles, dramatically slapping his forehead.

"Okay..." you trail off, definitely noting the strange atmosphere you just walked back into.

-

You could've stayed like that forever...

Previous Chapter ⏐ Next Chapter

"Two Sides Of The Same Coin" Chapter List AnonymityIsFun Masterlist

[millenialfanfictionaddiction]

🦊 Being Inarizaki's Manager 🦊

🥺The Foxes Make Miss Manager Cry🥺

Inarizaki x Female Manager

What happens when the foxes take our their anger out on their precious YN?

Warnings: angst to fluff

A/N: This is a lovely request from @loevngyuno! I do love me some angst to fluff 😏 more to come soon!

You should have known today wouldn't end well

Everything from the start just seemed to be going wrong 😕

You woke up late thus making you late for school

You dropped you lunch

Seriously, is dropped food just not a nail in the coffin 😭

You totally bombed a surprise math quiz

Today just wasn't your day

But you know your luck was about to change 🙌🏻

Mainly in the form of a team of chaotic boys you loved so dearly

Unfortunately and unbeknownst to you, Mercury was in major retrograde 😐

Because the bad mood and lack of luck didn't only extent to you

Oh no no no

You walk onto the gym and instantly notice a heaviness in the air

Everyone is cranky 😠

You walk over to Kita and ask if he needs anything

"Why are you asking YN you know what to do"

Then he walks away

Ok then 🥺

It's ok YN dont cry, maybe he's having a bad day too?

You begin doing your daily tasks

Trying to ignore the literal tension in the air

Filling water bottles, gathering towels, filling up volleyballs

When you were filling up volleyball, you must have accidently missed one

There is only 100 of them YN how dare you miss one 🙄

Aran comes up to you and hands it back to you

"Yn can you please do your job and fill up the volleyball? I missed a spike because this one was near empty"

Ok 🥺🥺

Breath YN it's ok, obviously everyone is having a bad day

You go to grab the mop inbetween sets and accidently run into Suna on your way out of the closet

"Will you watch out YN!" He huffs as he practically walks straight through you

Ok... no big deal 🥺🥺🥺

You go to grab towels for the team inbetween training and accidently drop Osamu's towel

"Jesus YN you really are clumsy"

They are really digging on you hard today 🥺🥺🥺🥺

But it's ok YN, soon practice will be over and you can go home

You return from one last time filling up the teams water bottles

You hand them out, knowing you only have a fee minutes of practice left

Unfortunately for you, a certain someone's water bottle top wasn't screwed on just right 😵

👀👀 you notice it when he lifts it up to drink but *SPLASH*

It's too late 😬

Atsumu is completely soaked from head to toe

"WHAT THE HELL YN?? CAN'T YA EVER DO ANYTHING RIGHT?"

You freeze

It's the final straw that throws your horrible day over the already overflowing edge

Tears fill your eyes as you begin to cry

"I'm sorry" 😭😭😭😭

You literally run from the gym as tears stream down your perfect face 😥

The boys watch in horror as you run from them

Inarizaki isn't a stupid team

They fully are aware of how crappy they all treated you

Kita's actions replay in his mind as Suna and Osamu vividly remember how they yelled at you

Aran feels the worst

He's an absolute angel and he totally knows he messed up

The rest of the team hasn't been particularly nice either

Atsumu signs as he sits down, upset that he lashed out on you

Yep the universe is DEFINITELY screwed up of even Atsumu is feeling bad 👀

By this point, you've gone to the club room and you are full on bawling

Like ugly crying YN 😫

But seriously it's ok

It's been a day and sometimes you need a good cry

We've ALL been there 🫂

A small knock at the door snaps you from your pity party

It's Michinari, Inarizaki's Libero

Now hear me out here 🤚🏻

This man is an amazing listener and he can defuse situations so well

He just has a charm about him

Omimi comes with

He's a giant man but like he's got a sweet spot for Inarizaki's Manager

He's like your silent body guard but like you totally sit with him on the bus

Besides Aran, he's the only one who will let you nap on him

"YN are you ok?" Michinari asks

Look up at him YN with your tear filled eyes and it's all over 🥺

You've broken these men's hearts

"I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to screw up. Today has just been one thing after another"

You are legit blubbering now YN and like your breath is hicupping

You know, like when you get really worked up and breathing is hard 🥺

Yeah that's you bby 😭

Michinari and Omimi don't know what to do

I'd say besides Kita and Aran, these two are the most mature emotionally

It has nothing to do with them being third years and everything to do with them having to deal with Atsumu on a daily bases 😑

"YN, everyone is really sorry about everything! We all had bad days too and it wasn't fair for us to take it out on you."

Deep down inside, you know this is true

These boys would never intentionally hurt your feelings

Not even Atsumu could do that to you YN

"I Know, I- I think I just need to go home"

You can't confront them right now

After a day like today, everyone just needs to clear their head 😕

You silently get up and leave as Michinari and Omini look at each other

They know they all messed up royally

You leave and the two men go back to the gym

Kita and the rest of the team and sulking

Like I think these guys really can get discouraged

They are super confident but like they get really sad when things don't go how they planned

"Yn left for the night, she's really upset"

Now, hear me out... they won't go after you

I know I know ✋️

But seriously I think these boys realize they won't be able to fix things with you right away

Or at least Kita and Suna know this

The other ones want to go to you asap

Literally 🏃‍♂️ to you

But they are persuaded to wait

Kita calls a team meeting and they all make plans to apologize tomorrow

However 👀 when you don't ahow up at school or practice the next day, all plans go out the window

Like common sense? We don't know her 💅

These boys ✨panic✨

They haven't had practice without you since, well like FOREVER

How do you expect them to function YN? 🤔

Who will fill water bottles? Who will grab towels?

WHO WILL PRAISE ATSUMU???

They don't even bother to start practice

Kita says they are all running to your house to get you

Suna suggests they take the train

Kita is not completely willing to give up all of practice

Please, these boys will run around the world for you YN

So when you are in bed, downing your sorrows in sweets and trashy TV, a literally skulk of foxes pulls up

Side note: a group of foxes is called skulk 🦊

Look at me out here educating today's youth 😌

NE WAYS Atsumu and Osamu start shouting for you while Kita takes a much calmer approach and knocks on the door

Suna texts you

When you open the door, they immediately bombard you

"YN FORGIVE US AND PLEASE COME BACK" 😭😭😭😭

Please they are begging YN

Like Aran is hugging you 😫

Take pity YN

"Umm hey guys-"

"We are so very sorry for how we treated you yesterday YN. Please forgive us and come back?"

You stare in stunned silence

Finally you laugh 😃

They thought you were leaving them 🤣

"You guys! I could never leave you!"

Seriously YN, it's group hug time!

Cuddle puddle 🥺

There is a visual sigh of relief and a moment of silence

It doesn't last long 😌

Atsumu can't stand silence for more than 5 seconds 🙄

"Ok well that's too much emotions for me, let's get back to practice!"

They all agree, except Suna

"Umm guys I'm in my pajamas. I can't go to practice"

They all stare 👁👄👁

YN in pajamas??

Oof ok that's enough

That's a topic for a different set of headcannons 👀

"How about I get dressed and we all hang out?"

The team agrees

Hug them all again YN

Because no matter how much these guys drive you insane, you know they will always love you ❤️

[favoure]

Coffee shop au where Scar gets this personally interesting group of friends as regulars during his shift, and they always take turns in ordering. They frequent the shop so much that Scar has their antics committed to memory.

The friendly, wide man likes giving him a high-five or a fist bump before reciting the group's order.

The calm, cheerful girl greets him 'Good morning!' everytime without fail, /except/ when she's having a particularly bad day. That's when Scar comes in to give her an extra cookie, free of charge.

The lad with a fancy moustache has his friends' orders memorized, but he always pauses for a moment to switch up his order. Sometimes he asks Scar for recommendations, and sometimes he ends up with the same old order.

The small, cranky man in the red sweater, however, has never ordered at the counter. Not that it bothers Scar, like, why would it bother him? It's not that Scar's particularly curious about him or whatever.

He sighs as he grabs his apron to get ready for another shift. "Yeah. Keep telling yourself that," he mumbles under his breath.

---

Sooner or later, the cafe door jingles to welcome a familiar group of regulars. Scar notes that everyone was more cheerful, save for the sweater-clad man whose scowl seems deeper than usual.

"Come on, it's about time you ordered for us too!"

"But—"

"You already know the list, and Mumbo's given you the money. You're good to go!"

"But I—"

"Thanks Grian! We'd be waiting at the usual table!"

"Damn it," the small man — Grian? — mutters under his breath. "Why'd I have to go today of all days..."

"Bad day?" Scar asks, hoping for an opening to a conversation. The other man nods, propping one of his arms atop the counter.

"Yes — /finally/ someone noticed!" He groaned. "My friends seem to be blind that I'm having a particularly bad morning today, what with the fact that I almost woke up late and instantly get greeted by my cats fighting. Or maybe they noticed and are just ignoring it. I don't really know," he sighs.

Curse Scar and his selective hearing because it's probably not the best thing to say, but he perks up, smiles, and immediately asks:

"You have cats?"

---

Pause.

Grian needs to take this in for a second.

Did this guy at the counter always have a contagious smile or did he simply never notice?

"Yeah, I have two. I love them, but /god/ it doesn't help when things like that happen on a bad day," he replies, exasperated. He doesn't know why he's ranting to a cafe counter worker at 9AM in the morning, but here he is.

The counter guy — Scar, Grian noted upon seeing his name tag — nods in understanding as he presses buttons on the counter terminal. "Yeah, I feel that. Jellie's wonderful, but cats can be a bit too much sometimes. It's alright to feel that way!"

He looks back up to Grian and smiles. "I hope your day gets better though!"

That smile.

Suddenly he wasn't so irritated anymore.

Grian isn't one to curse, but what the fuck.

"Did you just magic my bad day away?" He blurts out, baffled. He's very sure that he messed up the grammar there somewhere, but he can't get himself to care at the moment.

Scar laughs, and god, Grian hopes he never laughs again because there's no way someone can legally be this bright and contagious. "Did I? Man, I'm glad! I even snuck in an extra thing for you in case the talking didn't work."

He nods towards the counter in between them and Grian finds a receipt, already printed out and ripped off the register.

There's no way.

He scans the receipt and finds their orders listed out perfectly, save for an extra order at the end of the list.

Sticky toffee pudding.

There's no way this man is real.

"How'd you know I liked this pudding?" Grian asks in bewilderment as he hands Scar their payment. The man simply shrugs. "Lucky guess. I'll call you when your order's ready!"

---

As he watches Grian rejoin his group of friends, Scar finds himself chuckling.

"Yeah," he grins as he gives a little wave to a winking Pearl. "There's no way I'm telling him that it wasn't a lucky guess."

[🌻]

SUNFLOWER ANON MY BELOVED....... SO SORRY THIS TOOK A WHILE TO GET TO BUT MAN MANNNNN I LOVE THIS SM........... coffee shop aus......... one of my weaknesses fr they're so cute if done correctly n this is just MMMMWAH [CHEF'S KISS]

[innerchorus]

After hearing bad news about my device (gotta buy a new keyboard for it bc without the keyboard I can't charge the damn stylus what is this stupid design choice— and I can't even find the keyboard being sold anywhere despite looking for basically half the day) and coming home extremely cranky, I'm going to dump my brain vomit on you 😭

Forgive me if these are incoherent because I also got my booster shot today and my head is hella cloudy.

Where I'm from, in our traditional wedding ceremonies, there's a part of it where the bride and groom link hands, and placed over a gold/silver/glass basin half-filled with water, and then a white cloth is wrapped around the joined hands and perfumed water is poured over it. I really like this idea so maybe it could be part of clan wedding traditions?

And heck, since the clan wedding involves planting a tree together, why not have them hold a seed in their joined and wrapped hands, and as they say their vows they'd have to channel magical energy into it, to mirror the way Araya's healer had unintentionally brought forth the Moon Tree.

Somewhere during the ceremony the couple fastens the bracelets on each other's wrists. This would have to take place before the whole wrapping situation, I'm realizing 🤣

The couple would be facing the Heart Tree, also probably facing north? That would be the clan's favored direction. But they could be facing towards each other before the time comes that they must say their vows.

And maybe there could be a part where all the wedding guests would take turns blessing the couple, maybe with a specific spell, maybe some would even come up with their own poem for the occasion.

I envisioned the couple sharing the same... what's the word— veil? blanket? I don't even know— on their heads and shoulders? I'm supposed to be a writer and I can't describe it 😭 I think that part would probably come after the vows are said. The ones to place that cloth over their heads would be their family members, maybe preferably older family members or mentors or such. (In Kazai and Shapur's wedding, that should've been Ayunnen and Kashi, had they lived) Sharing that shawl or veil or whatever could symbolize the couple sharing their burdens and comfort with each other as they face the adversities of life.

The couple walks together, their hands still linked with the cloth around it, in search of a place to plant the seed. The guests would sing as they follow and look for a good place too.

The clan head would be the one officiating the ceremony. The placing of the seed in the couple's hands, the wrapping, those would be done by the clan head and they could also initiate the process of vows, maybe asking questions kinda situation?

Weddings wouldn't be set on winter solstice and the week (or ten days) surrounding it.

Not sure what time of day weddings should take place: I've already placed both the solstice celebration and the coming-of-age ceremonies at night but hmm... Dusk? Dawn?

In any case though, magic would be involved.

The planting of the seedling would be the closing act of the ceremony. I can't figure out what comes after. Oh oh oh the couple can decide beforehand what species of tree they want to plant.

And then there's the little things about Zoroastrian wedding customs that I found:

“During the service married female relatives hold a fine scarf (nowadays usually white) over the couple's heads. At the same time two crystallized sugar cones are rubbed together, to sweeten the couple's life.

Then two parts of the scarf are sewn together with needle and thread to symbolize the uniting of the couple for the rest of their lives.

Traditionally, both bride and the bridegroom dress in white. The colour white is a symbol of purity in Zoroastrianism.”

×

“During the service female relatives of the couple (mainly the bride) hold over the couple’s head a fine scarf or other delicate fabrics like silk. Till 19th century this was green, Zoroastrians favorite color, now other colors particularly white are used as well.”

“During the ceremony rice is often used as a good luck symbol, with the bride and groom sprinkling each other with cupfuls of rice. So as to remove any evil destined for the groom an egg is passed round his head three times then thrown to the ground and broken, destroying the evil with it. A similar ritual is then performed with a coconut, and then with a small tray of water which is thrown to the ground.”

×

“Two different actions take place at the same time. Two pieces of crystallized sugar (shaped like cones) are rubbed together, a symbolic act to sweeten the couple’s life together. In the second act two parts of the same fabric are symbolically sewn together with needle and thread. The ceremony is suggestive of the ancient traditions when the bride and groom’s ceremonial belts (koshti) were tied and sewn together. Zoroastrians today hold over the grooms head a tray on which two pieces of cloth are united together, with needle, thread, scissors, a raw egg, a pomegranate or apple, dried marjoram, and white sweetmeats, all covered by a green kerchief. Koshti are ceremonial belts that are given to all Zoroastrians to mark the passage from childhood to adulthood. This is a rite of passage and is a very significant ritual in their lives. The symbolic act of sewing the bride and groom’s koshti together is uniting the couple for the rest of their lives, a knot is tied that should not be broken or separated.”

×

“At a point during the evening the groom will dip his hand into a water-pot (var-behendoo) which was part of the dowry. Into this pot he drops a silver coin, as a mark of appreciation for the gift.”

I forgot to copy the texts but the groom is placed on the right-hand-side of the bride because the right side is considered a direction/position of respect. I read once that Zoroastrian weddings take place at dusk? I might be remembering wrong. Oh and also they face east.

So for Shapur and Kazai's wedding... I have a few rough ideas on mish-mashing certain aspects of both traditions. For example the cloth being held above the couple's head, could later on be the same cloth the couple has to share as they search to plant a tree. The thing with the silver coin, but instead of a pot it goes into the basin in which they'll have to place their joined hands in. And of course sugar is involved.

I feel like it still needs a whole lot more fleshing out and polishing, but right now my head is really foggy and I'm just gonna go take a nap 😭

Ooh there are so many good ideas in here (I only really skimmed the articles on Zoroastrian marriage customs before). The integration of the the joined/wrapped hands sounds great, especially linking it to the clan's own mythology/origin! And the tree seed, and that they get to choose themselves which type of tree they're going to plant! That's a lovely addition, the growing of something new to mark the start of their life together.

I kind of feel like, if you're aiming to pick a specific time of day for clan weddings to take place, dawn seems a good option? Both because you already have other events taking place at night, and because dawn signifies beginnings, as in the start of their joined lives after the wedding ceremony, I guess? Perhaps some kind of pre-wedding tradition could happen at dusk before the day of the wedding itself, if you like that idea.

Are you going to have Shapur and Kazai dress in white? Is that the norm for clan weddings? It's funny that the article mentioned green as a previously-favoured colour (for the scarf) because I always thought Shapur would look good in dark green. (In yet another fic that I never actually wrote, I was going to have him dress in it for a formal occasion.)

I'm sorry there was more bad news about your device, that really sucks. I hope you've managed to find the right keyboard for it by now!