#the moment I learned this I immediately imagined them speaking each others lines

[go-go-devil]

So who else knew that Count Dracula and Harry Mason share the same voice actor?

[obliviouscxnt]

Control Azriel x Reader

a/n: I'm so lost, i don't know what I'm doing. Still learning how to use tumblr but in the meantime, welcome to the first fic i feel like posting.

synopsis: feyre's growing curiosity about you sparks some personal questions.

Warnings: mentioned SA, fluff, hints of sexual activities

pt.2 | pt.3

One of the first friends Feyre made in the Night Court was you. You reminded her of the twin wraiths in a way. Never saying much, if anything at all. Maybe that was one of the reasons she liked you so much. 

You didn’t need to talk to enjoy each other’s presence. Feyre had as much fun sitting in silence with you as she did on a night out with Mor. 

But as time passed, as Feyre became a constant in the Night Court, she had grown curious. She wanted to know more about you like she did the others. 

So she started asking you questions, and to her surprise, you would answer her. Your answers weren’t clipped, or vague. You never sounded annoyed with her, you were completely open and honest with her. 

“How long have you known everyone?” Feyre had asked while you gently played with her hair, her scalp tingling at your touch. 

You thought about it for a moment. “Over two hundred years now.” 

She tilts her head, so apart from her you were the newest member of the inner circle. “How did you meet?” She asks, shivering as the tingles travel down her spine.

You start braiding a few small strands from the front of her face as you speak. “My kind are far different from other Fae.” Feyre practically perks up at the words. She knew you weren’t high fae but she never bothered saying anything about it, she barely even noticed it most of the time not nearly enough to warrant a discussion. “They hail from no court, and bow to no lord, not even the Mother is with their thoughts.”

Feyre tried to imagine what that would be like, how they would act, what traditions they’d carry. She thought of your features, the ones that stood out among other high fae. Your ears didn’t point, your nails were like claws, and your teeth bore long sharp canines on both the top and bottom of your mouth, but the features that stood out the most were the ones you kept hidden. 

Feyre saw them once, your wings. The first time she met you. Like they were just there for a formal introduction. They were big, beautiful, and intricate. They looked like moth wings, and fluttered like them too. Opening and closing slowly when you were lax.

Immediately when Feyre saw them, she felt like painting again, she could barely keep her eyes off them, barely keep herself from reaching out a hand to touch them. Maybe that was the reason for their absence in the next visit; all that remained of the glorious appendages was precise ink that lined the whole of your back, a tattoo of folded wings. 

From the way they folded, they almost formed a natural cape. She wondered how far your tattoo ran, the extravagant fabrics of the dresses you wore only showed so much. 

She pictured a whole colony of people that looked like you and immediately felt like painting again.

“It’s why nobody can do anything about their backward ways, they listen to nobody but themselves. Believe no one but themselves.” All preconceived thoughts of your people turn sour with your words. 

“The things they’ve done, they still do…” You release a shaky breath as you finish the small braids and set them aside.

Feyre turns to look at you when your delicate hands part with her hair. She finds you sorting through a box of hair ornaments, but your eyes are clouded. Not even the most glorious of diamonds could shine through that fog. “You don’t have to...“ 

You blink out of your daze and wave her off as you pull out a few gem-encrusted pins and show them to her. Waiting for her to give you a nod of approval before pulling out a stunning bejeweled silver comb and repeating the same process. Your collection was truly marvelous. 

“When I was saved, it was my first Flowering Night.” You spoke the words with barely concealed bitterness. “A night where all mature unpaired females are sent into the woods for any participating males to hunt down and take as they please.” 

You tuck back the small braids with the sparkling pins. Feyre listened as you continued, she wanted to say something but what would she say?

“No one could run very far from our community, the woods of the Middle hold no mercy. It was either hide and hope you make it till dawn without being spotted by a male. Or die to the other horrid creatures that live in those woods.” 

Feyre’s heart ached for you, her sorrow a tangible thing able to be smelt in the air. And you squeezed her shoulder, you comforted her. Her sorrow only increased. You never deserved any of it.

“I chose the latter.” You carefully place the comb into her hair, finding it in yourself to smile at the final product. You still fiddle with a few strands until you feel pleased. “A close encounter with death led to the discovery of my gift,” 

Dreamwalker, Rhys had called you.  An ability so rare even Helion’s exquisite library had very little information on it. 

Feyre loosely understood that you could enter another person's dream. Could manipulate it as you wish, to serenity or to a blood-curdling nightmare. But what made you so powerful, what made you such a valuable asset to the Night Court was your ability to bring dreams to life. All manner of dreams. 

However, your ability was sparsely used for court matters, and only necessary people knew of it. You were their trump card. Something nobody would see coming. 

Feyre would never forget the time you had a nightmare, sending half the court in preparation for battle. She’d also never forget the way Azriel had fought off the nightmare incarnate to get to you. How he charged forward without an ounce of hesitation. While Rhys had stood protectively in front of Feyre, and Cassian’s siphons flared from beside her, providing a shield around them.

Feyre had realized then that Azriel would go to hell and back for you. 

Feyre turns to face you, to look you in your enchanting eyes now that you are finished playing with her hair. “I was barely a woman, I didn’t know the first thing about defending myself. I didn’t know what this gift was.” She watched you raise a hand, small stars forming and trailing your fingers, blinking and shimmering as you played with them. “What good is a gift this powerful if you don’t know what to do with it? It’s as good as a broken blade.” 

Feyre’s breath leaves her body when you pull down the shoulder of your elegant emerald gown, revealing a long jagged scar running diagonally across your chest. The skin puffed up from how deep the gash was. “I would’ve died if it weren’t for Azriel.” 

The high fae’s eyebrows raise ever so slightly. 

“He heard me screaming. And he came for me.” You pull the shoulder back up and smile. Actually, smile. Feyre had never known someone like you, someone able to flip such a horrid memory around. Someone so able to pick out the good amongst the bad. “It wasn’t until a century later that I finally accepted his invitation to the Night Court and met everyone else.”

Feyre found herself grabbing your hand and squeezing. So grateful you had accepted his invitation. 

You squeeze back. 

“You’re so strong.” Feyre says, furrowing her brows when you laugh like she had told a joke. 

“It wasn’t strength that led me here, Feyre.” You tell her. Once again she wanted to paint you, but she felt like she wouldn’t be able to do you justice. “It was fate.”

A knock sounds at the door. 

“Come in.” Feyre calls and you both look to the opening door. Two incredibly attractive Illyrian men stand at the doorway. 

Rhys smiles at the sight of you two, eyes raking over the hairstyle you’d given Feyre. “You look lovely, Feyre darling.” Her face heats as you smile in triumph. 

“Say goodnight.” Comes Azriel’s voice in that tone he only used on you. 

You obey his command without a second thought, giving Feyre a light hug and giving Rhys a small bow before scurrying toward Azriel’s waiting arm. 

You fall into step with him as his hand lands on your lower back. But before the two of you could disappear you tug on his shirt, prompting him to stop only long enough for you to turn back toward Feyre and say a final goodnight. “Dream well Feyre!” Then he continued leading you away to your shared chambers. 

The mated pair watch you two travel away. Rhys with a look of content for you and his brother. Feyre with a new curiosity. 

She couldn’t help but be curious about the dynamic you and Azriel had. The way that dynamic bled into the interactions you had with your friends. How you always asked for permission before doing something and always jumped up whenever anyone asked you to do something. Rhys seemed to catch on to that curiosity. 

He decided to save you the embarrassment of Feyre asking you herself. He had enough of an understanding of you to know when something would make you uncomfortable, no matter how much you said otherwise. 

You’d always answer any questions asked of you openly and honestly, whether you wanted to or not. It was one of the reasons many were at first against your visits with Feyre, himself included. The newly turned fae was far too oblivious to your situation to recognize when she was taking advantage of your obedience. But you assured Rhysand repeatedly that Feyre never bothered you with her questions. That you enjoyed her presence just as much as she, hopefully, enjoyed yours. 

Much to everyone’s delight, Feyre regarded you with gentleness and awe from the very start. It was the effect you had on people. It was the reason Azriel didn’t put up a fight about leaving your visits unsupervised.

“[name] was raised by cruel people, they taught her that in a relationship the male's word is law. Her people think a female is expected to give up any and all control to her male. It’s one of the few things she never was able to condition herself out of, Azriel helps her by providing that control she needs.” 

Feyre thinks about that, face heating at the images it created. She wondered what that would be like, to surrender herself completely. “So if he told her to jump off the nearest bridge…?” 

“She’d do it, with zero hesitation.” 

Rhys smirks, knowing glint in his eyes as his gaze runs over the blush that coated her face. 

“But he’d never ask something like that of her. He knows her inside out, knows when something is too much or not enough.” He steps closer to her, delighting in the way her breathing picks up. “If I didn’t know any better I’d think your interest in this topic was more than innocent curiosity.” 

“Well, do you?” Feyre asks, making his eyes narrow. “Know any better?” 

Rhys’s gaze becomes dark. “Nope.” 

****

“Did you enjoy your time with Feyre?” You sigh at his voice, the comfort it brings you. You find yourself leaning into him, and he allows it. 

“It was nice.” You say truly. It felt like it was easier to breathe now that Feyre had more of an understanding. “She asked about how we met.” 

The hand on your back pulls you closer to him as if he were remembering that day. Remembering what you looked like as that hideous creature held you down, slicing into you. The way you flinched away from him after he’d slayed the creature. The sheer dress that you wore, If it could even be called that. He could still picture everything so vividly. 

How you eventually submitted to him, and how that made him sick. How he carried you out of the Middle and into the lands of the Night Court, never taking you into the cities. How for the next century after that he would visit you at the little private cabin only he and his brothers knew about, how he took care of you, and how he grew to love you. How you grew to love him in return.

He shoves those thoughts into the back of his mind as he opens the door to your shared chambers, walking you inside before shutting the door behind you. 

His hands move to your shoulders while he guides you to sit on the edge of the large bed, big enough to fit at least three winged beings. Hands brushing down your body as he kneels before you, settling on your ankle. He brings your foot up and rests it on his thigh before slowly unraveling the straps of your heel. Once finished he continued with the right heel, his touch nothing but confident from years and years of practice. 

A hand pats your thigh, letting you know he’s finished. Your eyes trail him as he heads toward the bathroom, you’d be happy to just look at him for the rest of your immortal life. 

You help Azriel, though he had no problem doing it for you, by taking off your jewelry one by one, setting each extravagant piece on the nightstand. By the time you're done Azriel’s waiting for you next to a full bath.

“Come.” He beckons from beside the large clawfoot tub. Hand outstretched and waiting for you. 

You saunter toward him, sighing as you let your brain just rest. Let him do everything for you. 

His hands are strong, and gentle, and secure all in one as they guide you out of your gown, his clothes following not long after. You sigh as he brings you into the tub. Positioning you so you sat between his legs, back to his front. 

Your eyelids slowly fall shut, coaxed by his soothing touch. Feeling nothing but content when he pushed your head back to lay on his shoulder, a gentle kiss pressed against your temple.

You were soon in a state of barely there, just teetering on the side of sleep but awake enough to move when he told you to. 

“Lean forward.”

His hands rub up and down your back, cleaning and massaging the skin there. You shudder in pleasure and he hums soothingly. Like cooing at a pet. You straighten up a bit when he taps the marked skin a few times, moving forward just enough for your wings to slowly peel away from your back. What was once ink on your skin, now real moving wings. 

“Spread.” And you do so, wings unfolding and stretching out completely. 

You shiver as his hands brush against them, making them twitch both away and toward him. As if they couldn’t decide whether the feeling it brought you was too much or not enough.

As always Azriel handled them with utmost care, humming when small noises of pleasure escaped you. When he was finished he tapped your shoulder to let you know, but you were too tired to summon the magic needed to conceal them.

Though, not tired enough to remember it was his turn. 

Slowly with lethargic movements, you turn to face him. Wings folding up again, forming a natural cape on your back. “Can I-“ You begin but catch yourself before you can finish. His narrowed eyes crinkled into a smile. Happy he no longer had to remind you of such a simple fact. 

Don’t ask to touch what is yours.

So instead you reach for the soap in his hands and begin to wash him. Taking satisfaction in the way his wound-up muscles, tense from hours of work, relaxed under your touch. The way his hands rested on your hips, squeezing every now and then appreciatively. The hums that left his mouth, no longer with the intent to soothe you but to let you know how pleased you made him. 

Your touches became increasingly distracted, sleep slowly leaving your system as your mind filled with nothing but him. 

He smirks, a mix of amusement and attraction. Allowing his own touches to become less innocent. His hands move to wrap around your wrists, dragging your hands down, down, and down his body. Soap long ago discarded. 

“Touch me.” He commands. 

And nothing could keep you from satisfying him. 

next→

[rwbyrg]

If it's alright, I'm just curious, do you have any thoughts of your own or theories about Oscar or Ruby or both of them in terms of v10? To add, do you have any theories for the merge and how it will end up for both Oscar and Ozpin? Like will it be a good or bad thing? Sorry if these questions seem vague lol

Of course it's alright to ask! I do have many thoughts and a handful of theories. I'll admit most of them are wishful thinking since there's truly no way to tell where the story will go until it actually happens. But if I were to distill it to the ones I'm most expecting and why, then I'd probably say:

Expansion on Ruby's solo arc that kicked off in V9

Acknowledging the setups (plural) between Ruby and Oscar's arcs

The merge-curse is eventually broken (blame the allusions)

I'll elaborate a bit below.

1. Expanding on Ruby's Arc

What we saw Ruby go through in V9 is very much not the end of that particular plot line, imo. We saw a bit of this in Justice League: Part 2 and the final ep of RWBY Beyond where she talks to Clark and Yang about her struggles a bit. Ruby needs to learn how to both ask for and accept help from those around her so the weight of everything she's carrying doesn't crush her. Especially now when they're down to the wire and she's come back as a resurrected martyr who's face has been used at the centre of the resistance movement she's now helping to lead. How will she live up to the expectations and pressures of that impossible pedestal when she's only a human girl with very normal knees who's barely keeping it together? Also, while I don't know exactly how they're going to address everything she experienced, and I struggle to imagine her speaking about Neo's Horror House to anyone directly... that sort of trauma doesn't just go away once it's over. So I would be very surprised if the effects of it didn't ripple throughout the remaining chapters of the show. Especially when every other member of RWBY has seemingly had the bulk of their main character arcs already. It's long overdue for Ruby to get that time in the spotlight. Which does sort of lead into my next point...

2. Acknowledging the Setups in Ruby and Oscar's Dynamic

For starters, we've got the merge and ascension parallels to address. Ruby and Oscar have always mirrored each other's issues around identity, choice, fear, responsibility, leadership, etc., and this buildup seems to be coming to a head following V9. From Oscar's "I'm just going to be another one of his lives, aren't I?" to Ruby's "What if you could be anyone?", and how the two of them will relate to each other in light of those contrasting - but similar - experiences. Especially with Ruby having just come back from the tree to find Oscar fighting against the merge harder than ever before. But we also have their attachments to each other to sort out as well. Ruby and Oscar have been watching each other's backs in different ways since V5, their reunion hug in V8 was interrupted where no other "pairing's" was, and they were the only "pairing" still to be split up between the Ever After and Remnant. Not to mention that, while they were separated, Ruby was pushed to a breaking point after being shown an illusion of losing Oscar, while Oscar was back in the real world eulogizing about how he lost Ruby. CRWBY doesn't setup relationship parallels and focuses as intensely and intentionally as this without pay off at some point.

Again, while the specifics are nearly impossible to predict, I'm expecting a bit of a Dojo Scene Reprise, heart-to-heart of sorts, and/or, something that puts those attachments to the test. My immediate thought is that this test will finally push Oscar to unlocking his semblance since getting shot, falling from Atlas, being kidnapped, and tortured were all not enough to make it happen. (Although my wishful thinking is that it unlocks in a happier moment, I think that's much less likely.)

If I were to engage in pure speculation on this, my easiest bet is that it will come at the hands of Tyrian. When our Little Prince was first introduced, it was almost as if he was waking from a nightmare of that villain laughing with glee at the opportunity to hunt down a certain rose. And with this being the Vacuo arc with Ruby and Oscar getting a lot of focus, and Tyrian already on the prowl within the kingdom, it would make a lot of sense. The little prince fated to have a confrontation with a venomous antagonist in the desert over his attachment to a rose is about as textbook as it gets. (I could also see it go to Cinder or being delayed until they follow through on the threat of Ruby being kidnapped by Salem, if that's the route they decide to take. But again we'll have to wait and see how it plays out.)

3. Oscar and the Merge

I'm not entirely sure where they're headed with this one between now and the resolution... but I do think the resolution itself will otherwise be a happy one, if not bittersweet. RWBY is a story about breaking cycles, and Oz has been part of one of the longest on Remnant since the very beginning. Pairing that with this show being, ultimately, a happy story, as well as a looking at two of Oscar and Oz's shared allusions, I can only imagine they will be separated by the end.

The first allusions to mention are from The Marvelous Land of Oz. Princess Ozma (aka Oscar) is the rightful heir to the kingdom and next in line to take over when it's time for the wizard to retire. It's very clear that - however this plays out - Oscar is the final incarnation. Typically, when one ruler leaves the throne that's it. They're gone. Oz has fiddled with Remnant's history for countless millennia now in his endless fight against Salem. When the dust settles and it's time for Remnant to rebuild, it should be up to the new generation to take charge without his influence from "the old world" in the mix.

From a Little Prince lens - for those unfamiliar with the book - the aviator (aka Oz) spends much of the story waffling about the little prince he is stranded with in the desert... only to be very sad when his new friend leaves him behind to go home to the stars. RWBY is already subverting this story a bit with Oscar being the one wanting to be rid of his pilot instead of the other way around. If I were to guess how the show will carry this further, it would be that Oz moves on, but perhaps with some lingering attachment on either (or both) sides. Maybe a bit of a "all this time I wanted it to end, but now that it's finally happening, I wish I (you) didn't have to go".

At least that's what seems to make sense to me, thematically speaking. Oscar will be irreversibly changed by these events even if he is freed from the curse, however. There is no question about it. Because that is what the Hero's Journey is all about.

The hero leaves their farm and they fall through a new world. It is both horrifying and exciting in equal measure. And throughout it all they are changed by the experiences they have and the people they meet - both good and bad, within their control and outside of it. And when the quest is finally over, there is grief. Because you are not the same person you were when you left home, and you can never truly return to what you had and who you were before it all happened.

This is also, coincidentally, just what it means to grow up. Which - while not the only one, and certainly not unique to Oscar's arc alone - has always been one of the loudest allegories hiding within the merge to me. We meet and know people, we don't always have a say in how long they can stay and how they change us... and then one day they are gone, but their influence and our memories of them stay with us. And then, as RWBY has taught us since the very beginning, we keep moving forward despite it all.

( @creatoriamari tagging you here just in case to make sure you get the notif because I don't know if it still works if I saved the ask as a draft. 🙇‍♀️)

[lovecolibri]

SaL anon here friend and, well, yay for low expectations indeed!!! The episode was a lot more fun than I was expecting (especially on the bee front, I really expected 10 minutes of bees then everyone moves on) and I admit to getting totally surprised by the final Buck saves Gerrard scene. It will definitely be interesting to see that play out. Maddie was actually pretty involved in the rescues, we got some HenRen and Madney family time (with tension, but still...), and the firefam (minus Bobby, poor guy 🥺) was in peak form. It was definitely way more balanced than I was expecting, its gonna be hard to tamp down on my optimism going forward.

So now for the the rage, which for once isn't directed at the show. May Helena get shoved into her brand new pool the moment its complete, and its debatable at this point if water should be in it or not when she does. I do love the idea that Helena is sort of a stand-in for Shannon that Eddie will eventually have to face and I hope he will. Eddie deserves to stand in front of the people who doubt him and say with his whole heart that he is a good father, that he's made mistakes but he's trying to do better (unlike Helena herself who just moved onto a substitute son), and he deserves to be Chris' dad. And when he does I do not want to see any hint of a redemption arc for her, we've done enough of that with shitty parents on this show and it needs to stop.

Speaking of irredeemable characters, let's talk about Tommy. So after reading the interviews I think I've convinced myself that Tommy Kinard really is Taylor Kelly 2.0, but this time its going to be done right. No, Tim hasn't earned this level of trust but hear me out. So its already been noted how similar the two are (being condescending to Buck, him having to chase after them, etc), but this "baggage" storyline I find intriguing because we all know about Tommy's past behavior and its seems like the most obvious issue. So not sure if you blocked it from memory but if you remember towards the end of 5a we had to endure an episode of TayKay backstory where we learn she basically wanted to become a reporter to "tell the truth" even though in fact she was doing the same harmful BS that was done to her. And Buck just accepted that, even though his adoptive Dad was a victim of it. What if he doesn't do that this time, doesn't just let Tommy off with the "I did it because it was done to me" excuse and it doesn't take the near death of one of his teammates to make him decide to walk away. For Buck to finally say, for himself, this person and I are not going to work, we value different things and I can't overlook that (no I'm not counting Natalia as him doing this because that was a barely there relationship and she was, in fact, creepy). That would probably be too narratively satisfying, but one can hope.

And as for Buddie, well, how many times do Oliver, Ryan, and the damn showrunner have to repeat how intertwined these two are before people get it?? They've certainly demonstrated that over and over again on screen (seriously how much more co-parent does it get than Eddie begging Buck to "do what he always does" regarding Chris in the final episode of the last season??!!) and we've already said that of course Tim is never going to take that back, he planned it that way!! And I know I shouldn't get my hopes up but honestly, if its been spelled out by all involved that these men are never going to be separated, that they will always have priority in each others lives including over other, new relationships (the only ones these men ever have 🤨), its really not a stretch to imagine that turning romantic, and I'd argue makes a hell of a lot of sense. As for my crack theory for today, I saw the one interview line about there being a brief moment between Buck and Eddie that demonstrates the depth of their relationship and my brain immediately went to "oooh, but what if they have a nice supportive hug in 8x06 but as they pull away look briefly like they're going to kiss....but back away instead as Buck walks away shaking his head like he's being silly while Eddie just quietly stares out a window" moment?? I would like to see it. Not looking forward to seeing at what point in the season the wine in my fridge becomes necessary to get through an episode, but I'm happy this episode wasn't it (cheers anyway though 🥂)!!

Hiiiiiii bestie! I had family in this weekend and had fully convinced myself they would show up late Friday with sleepy kids, drop them off, and go on their anniversary get-away and I could come answer this once everyone was in bed. Cut to people being in my home until after midnight and then non-stop toddler and newborn and 8 year-old shenanigans. But it's all quieted down so I'm here now!

I was pleasantly surprised as well!! (Which is the point of low expectations! Either I'm right (which I was about some things) or I'm pleasantly surprised! All wins except when they tunnel under the bar I set in hell.) The Athena stuff took a bit of a different turn than I was expecting before the episode started and I'm cautiously optimistic about all that, and the bees managed to give us a couple different emergencies, all scary in different ways, with lots of good Encyclopedia Buck! We had Maddie working her end of the emergency with some delicious tension and a happy ending, plus the brief Bobby and Henren/Madney stuff which while brief, set up for a lot more to come on those fronts and I'm excited for it! Despite my best efforts, I feel the excitement rising!

I am fully stretched, gloved up, and ready to fight Helena in a Denny's parking lot!! At least in the cases of Toni and Ramon we got some kind of acknowledgement that their actions hurt their kids and they felt bad about that (vs the Buckley parent's "I'm sorry you felt that way" kinda vibe where the play the victim), but Helena's actions have NEVER been brought up by anyone and i NEED it to be addressed!! I have also seen the posts about her being a Shannon stand-in for Eddie to confront which is about a million times better than some doppelganger plot no one wanted, needed, or asked for and that did not actually address the thing they kept teasing that it would, namely, that Eddie was looking at that relationship with rose colored glasses and not actually talking with his son about the reality they all lived now that Chris is old enough to start putting some pieces together and addressing his own hurt and abandonment. ANYWAY. i need Eddie to realize he IS a good dad, and go get his kid, even if Chris is still mad because what the FUCK they can't just keep him for months? What about his special school he had to fight to get Chris into? What about fucking TAXES because THAT can become an issue if given enough time. What about established doctors and insurance networks outside of the state? Like, this has made so many plot holes that it had better be fucking WORTH IT with some good Eddie scenes, taking Helena DOWN, and some good Diaz boys scenes of actually talking and addressing the Shannon of it all. Bonus points if we get Buck having his boy's backs!

I'm actually cackling quite often about the BT parallels because they are just SO many and SO loud like, ???? what are we even doing here? Especially after that fucking "hamster wheel" comment last season (when Oliver still had light and hope in his eyes because they were filming karaoke stuff) only for him to be in literally a mirror to his longest and worst relationship. SO, it actually would be so satisfying, as well as on brand for petty Tim, to do the story he wanted to do, and do it right this time when he found out it was going to be Buck not Eddie doing this storyline (people make me laugh believing Tim that L was supposed to come back when we know Eddie was the planned story at first and also 911 got canceled for the show AK is on right now so she was never available and after that marketing flop they were never going to bring her back but I digress). At this point I'm just hoping for SOMETHING narratively satisfying, and at LEAST hearing from Hen and Chim because GOOD GOD. No one in the firefam has ever once minded their own business and kept their mouths shut except when the show is trying to push a shitty LI and hope the audience forgot their actions, or when trying to redeem shitty parents without putting in the work. So I need the gag order to be lifted! I need them to be allowed to speak!

The Buddie stuff is...well....it's....sure a lot of very interesting things happening! Some interesting trends, and attitudes, and choices being made. And knowing that FOX was the thing standing in the way....Well. Where is my Night Vale Quote I use for these situations?

I'm all on board for your crack theory, or literally anything that gives us some delicious pining Buddie!! I'm not gonna lie friend, I'm feeling hopeful! In that way where I feel a little sick? But hopeful! So cheers, and here's hoping Eddie (and consequently Ryan, and Buck, and Oliver, and Buddie) finally gets out and we can all be insufferable forever and ever together! Yay!

I haven't been writing because, life, but I got a tiny tablet and keyboard to sneak into work so we'll see! Also, I was supposed to be out of the state on vacation this week but my mom messed up her back so we might not be going in which case I will try and do some writing enough to share a little something! If we do go, I'll likely be late watching the episode so we'll see! But I have *goals* to actually work on this fic because the 12.5k words I have are good and I want to share!!! May the show continue to provide good vibes instead of sucking the life out of my creative soul, amen!

[pixelkip]

Aight. It's Annello time.

SO my interpretation of Annello has a slightly different backstory from the semi-official one given by Rageminer. They still fuse the same way, with Annie showing up after Garcello dies but is still hanging around as a ghost, she runs up and reaches out for him and. Yea.

A big difference in mine though is that the fusion isn't as much physically painful as it is uh,, mentally. Once they fuse both.. I guess sides?? of them are terrified and confused. Once they even realize what happened they're understandably fuckin horrified. Mostly because.. it technically means the 2 won't really see each other ever again

I say this cause.. while I might refer to them acting more like Annie or garcy, it's not a situation of 2 consciousnesses (is that even a word hell if I know) existing simultaneously, but just one with personality traits and memories of both. Sure, they can recognize what parts of them come from who, but they still are just one.

It also takes them a while to really be able to function again. Their highly conflicting personality traits can make it really hard for them to make decisions and the energetic-ness from Annie and anxiety from Garcello don't exactly mix nicely. They are simultaneously not used to being so energetic and highly emotional from Garcy's side, and not used to being so anxious and tired from Annie's side. They have a lot of moments where Annie's impulsivity kicks in, they do something kind of foolish and immediately wonder wait why the hell did I do that??

They also probably talk to themself a lot. Both cause they sometimes need to do that to get their thoughts in order and cause they're lonely :[

They eventually start sorting themself out though (but also with my version of them they at least have lil Rascal with them, since for me she and Annie would've had a sibling-rivalry type relationship that would carry over to annello, but that's probably a post for another day)

So. I imagine their actual personality being a slightly ominous goofball. I say ominous because come the fuck on they have both the Annie chaos and the garcy calm chill guy demeanor. Do u see what I'm going for here. They're gonna take Garcy's mysterious dude in the alleyway thing and take it to the next level by actually seeming like theyre totally up to something. They can go from tired bastard to bouncy ball of mischief within seconds. I think they'd start to lean into how they seem weird and unpredictable, since it's something about them they really can't change, might as well embrace it.

I imagine them kind of speaking with kind of a sweet but sly tone while also sounding very calm and quiet. Unlike their 1 official voice line, I hc that their voice can shift between sounding more like Annie or garcello, with it naturally changing depending on how they feel or what they're trying to convey. They could also consciously change it but they can't perfectly mimick one or the other. If they're excited or shouting though, that's how you get then speaking with both voices at the same time.

Ok that's mostly it for their character but there's a few more lil details that didn't really fit in this whole explanation so here's a few more things I came up with, sometimes with inspo from people on discord:

- since they're a fusion of a very much alive Annie and a ghost garcy, annello is half-ghost. For a while they'd randomly phase through things accidentally before they learned to get it under control. Might also allow them to dissappear at will. Because fuck you I think that's fun and cool

- said half-ghost thing also lead to an agreement that Hiroari Shoots A Strange Bird ~ Till When? is annello boss fight theme. Though, I also heavily associate them with Hartmann's Youkai Girl too. Fuck I can't avoid bringing up touhou every chance I get god dAMMIT FU

- oh on the topic of songs that fit my version of them. Deathbody by Ghost and Pals and The Ballad of Jane Doe from Ride the Cyclone

- I'm not sure if I'm keeping this now but i feel like it's worth adding, I had an old liquid form design for annello where they were more of a vapor-y ghost monster instead

- they have a bit of claustrophobia, both cause of their memory of dying in a small alley but also because they are significantly taller than the 2 goobers were, everything they're familiar with like their apartment and such feels smaller to them.

-oh yea. They're taller than even garcello was. I imagine them at like 6'5-7 ft tall

- they are the epitome of 2 idiots does not make a smart person. It makes an ominous but awkward airheaded dingus

- despite them being all weird and shit they're a complete fucking softie. I don't need to explain why with these 2 goobers it should be obvious

- for a good while after they fused they dressed like a complete fucking mess since they didn't know how the fuck they wanted to dress. This is what happens when u have the fashion taste of an emo furry and a man who'd wear pajamas 24/7 if it was socially acceptable

- they have fangs, but unlike Annie that's the only part of their teeth that are still sharp. Even so, garcys influence means they still feel awkward having them, so the fangs cause them to sometimes speak with a bit of a lisp

- still kibby just a really fuckin weird one

That's all. Have some doobles of the silly and uhh stan annello or perish

[silverefflux]

Hearing Bells

Sova x Fem!Reader angst Really doing everything lately except the smut huh?

A gentle breeze circled the chapel on a sunny afternoon. It was almost as if today was destined for the wedding taking place discreetly within its domes. Two brides knelt before a modest altar, donning immense pride and love for each other—your fellow agents, who were given the rare opportunity to exchange vows and have the entire protocol celebrate their love with them. You watched somewhat drowsily in a long flowing dress that cascaded down the wooden pew you sat on. The intricacies of ceremonies like these weren’t all familiar to you, but there was a joy to seeing your loved ones swear their undying commitment in front of something said to be bigger than yourselves.

The priest walked to the podium and began his homily. He was humorous and quite the storyteller—pretty helpful during a time when your body craves a siesta. He complimented the weather and talked about things he adored about Tayane and Klara’s story. It’s sweet how he gets to know the couples he weds and remembers their stories.

You took it all in, daydreaming of the time when you’ll find someone special, go through ups and downs together, tell a pastor or some other officiator your story, and vow for love before an altar like this. It was so simple yet so good. Like the stuff of fairy tales, but maybe because of your line of work it will always remain a fairy tale. Your heartbeat cantered as you silently repressed that somber yearning.

You weren’t the only one, though.

Beside you, Sova sat upright in a black suit, also trying to hide his longing. But alas, his was more agonizing, as he knew that every night he imagined creating a future with particularly the woman he was sitting with.

The organ played and everyone was instructed to stand and join hands as a hymn played. Sova took his hand in yours. Your hands were roughed up over the years, but he held it like it was made of glass. Or silk. Or gold. All combined. Everything that conveys how precious and delicate he sees you.

The two of you just stood there hand in hand, not really knowing the words of the hymn, but embracing the solemnity of the moment and the warmth you gave each other. You raised your brows as you felt his grip tighten for a split-second. You eyed from the side, and he echoed a silent apology by returning your gaze and loosening his grip immediately.

Yebat, he thought. You’ll make it obvious. Don’t grip too much—well not too little either. Wait, am I sweating?

The hymn finished and you all sat back down. It was the longest two minutes of his life. There was a touch of emptiness as Sova felt your hand slip away from his as you returned to your seat.

The priest continued speaking, going on about the meaning of marriage. How it is not just a mere declaration of combined properties and shared obligation, but also a profound spiritual bond. A promise to give adoration and support that overcomes one’s human flaws. One that endures amidst the occasional difficulties of human things like paying attention, sacrificing, and forgiving.

Sova’s heart beat so fast that he needed air to make up for it, but sighing after the priest theatrically said “eternal love” seemed suspicious.

Breathe deep—but slowly. Don’t make it obvious.

With the air that entered his lungs, the priest’s words pierced into his heart, along with the fear of things going wrong should you find out about his feelings, or the pain he could put you both through should you—by some lucky chance—decide to love him back.

“There are four things you need in a marriage,” the priest set forth, “The first one is communication.”

Agreed. I can do that. I can communicate. Regardless of what it may entail—even vulnerability, Sova thought to himself as he listened on to the priest’s list.

Compassion? Of course.

Comfort? I can learn.

Commitment? No sweat. Even if it costs me.

If only he could stand and ask the priest to spare him time to confess and offer his promises too, but today was about his friends. He has one job and that is to sit—or stand, or kneel, whatever is instructed during the mass. Just not interrupt.

The priest goes on about things Sova knows in himself that he is more than willing to do, at all costs. Because it was you. For you, he’d change himself, keep himself the same, care for himself, sacrifice himself. Anything. It tore him apart, this most unfortunate feeling of being at someone’s mercy without them even knowing about it.

I can do that for her, he thought.

Meanwhile, your mind skipped a few of the preacher’s sentences, up to the part where he directed his words at the couple he was marrying together and implored them to consciously choose each other each day.

“Look at the person beside you!” the priest exclaimed.

Sova looked to his left, straight into your eyes, wordlessly confessing how he feels—

—but only in his head. In reality, all he could manage was to look down then slightly at your feet.

The priest continued, “That person is the one you’ll stand beside in sickness and in health. Easier said than done, but through this, you promise each other that you will do the same.”

Sova, you idiot, he called himself out. Not even committed yet and here you are wanting to just announce your promises already. Might as well yell it over to the priest while you’re at it. It’s not every day you get to be in a church.

A little later, the couple face each other as they are questioned by the priest.

“Klara, do you take Tayane to be your lawfully wedded wife? To have and to hold, in sickness and in health, in good times and in bad, for richer or poorer, keeping yourself unto her for as long as you both shall live?”

“I do.”

Sasha, do you take Y/N to be your lawfully wedded wife? To have and to hold, in sickness and in health, in good times and in bad, for richer or poorer, keeping yourself unto her for as long as you both shall live?”

I do.

But will she?

[hephaestuscrew]

Assorted Thoughts about the Greater Boston Season 4 finale

I'd assumed that Leon would 'move on' at the end of Season 5, the end of the podcast as a whole. But now we're going to have a whole season of the podcast without him. It's strange to imagine. There's never been a Greater Boston podcast without Leon Stamatis. There's never been a city of Red Line without Leon Stamatis. We began Season 1 confronting the gap that Leon left behind. We learned that he wasn't quite as gone as we might have thought, but there was still the loss, the grief, the consequences of his death. In an interesting narrative symmetry, at the beginning of Season 5 we'll have to confront him being more fully, completely gone. But I think we'll continue to see the ways in which his life and afterlife have rippled outwards.

~~

Immediately after Nica said Leon had brought people together "like a family", Louisa exclaimed that she needed to call Michael. I can't help wondering if it was Nica's comment that triggered that thought for Louisa. I'm emotional about Michael being family for Leon, Michael being family for Louisa, Michael being someone who was brought into Louisa's life by Leon…

~~

There were two moments of Nica and Dimitri sitting with Gemma in the middle of them holding the crystal ball. First, in the back of Lucia's car, when Nica reached out to touch the ball and Dimitri took her hand instead. Second, on the Ferris wheel as they prepared to say goodbye to Leon. Leon was in the middle between his two siblings - he is what divides them and he is what unites them. They held hands over him, finding awkward togetherness in the presence of their loss, stopping each from succumbing to that loss. Leon was in the middle between his two siblings, but he also wasn't; it was Gemma occupying that space for him.

On a related note, I can't help but wonder whether the Stamatis siblings had habitual positions when they'd sit in the back of a car together as children. I think that's a fairly common sibling thing, and it seems likely that it would appeal to the order-loving Leon. I can't decide if it makes me more emotional to imagine that they usually sat with Leon in the middle like that, or to imagine how they sat on that ferris wheel wasn't their typical childhood order.

~~

The lack of narration and the high number of monologues from a range of characters this episode meant that sometimes I wasn't initially sure whether a scene was an interview snippet from a real person or a monologue from a character. I think there's something significant in that blurring of reality and fiction, in real stories of loss mixed with the fictional. Those interviewees are a part of this story, or this story is a part of our world too.

~~

I loved Michael's mantra being spoken by the group, with each person taking one word. For Michael, that sequence of numbers was a way of asserting his own agency in spite of circumstances and his ideas about his nature. It was a way of saying 'my choices matter, even if I can't change the outcome'. And this moment showed how that idea can be upheld within through community and togetherness.

Michael spoke the word "Eight". And perhaps he wanted other people to take over, trusting that the people around him would complete his mantra, believing that they'd understand what he needed in that moment. Or perhaps he was intending to speak the mantra by himself until Louisa interrupted to support him. Either way there's a uniquely powerful kind of choice made against an indifferent world - the choice for people to stand against that world together. It's a contrast with Michael's often self-isolating tendencies for that mantra to become a shared thing.

[fuckmeyer]

My favorite thing about the Jasper/Maria ship, dynamic, or whatever is how complicated and mysterious they are, like we don’t know much about them but what we DO know speaks to something deeper going on that isn’t quite explored. Like they make each other worse but they also make each other BETTER! It’s insane to think about really. Everyone’s usually like “they make each other worse!” but you’re like the only person to point out just how much they also make each other better and your points are so solid it got me thinking!

Like it’s honestly crazy to think about how they’re both in such bad circumstances and they’ve done bad things together; but there’s also the fact that they’re so tender and forgiving towards each other, how much they’ve learned from each other (especially from Confederate!Jasper’s side considering he had a LOT to learn/unlearn), and how they made each other stronger, smarter, etc.. while being from two completely different worlds yet they met and bonded through a similar core experience: War.

They became winners together after having lost so much before and they both chose each other naturally. Jasper could have chosen to follow Lucy or Nettie at any time but he chose Maria and he knew from the moment he met them that she was the special one, the leader. “It was immediately clear that the brunette was somehow in charge of the others. If they'd been military, I would have said that she outranked them.”

Maria was able to pick apart his compelling nature and knew he would be special/useful to her too, that’s why she chose to keep him and changed him herself bc one of the others said they were more likely to kill him. She probably didn’t expect to develop feelings for him later down the line but that’s for another conversation lol. They met by chance and they chose each other. They saw something.

I think both characters know this deep down and that’s why they still have some leftover feelings for each other. To me it’s the only thing that explains their out-of-character behavior towards each other. Like come on there’s no way Jasper is just thinking and talking about Maria like that if she didn’t still have an impact on him and there’s no way Maria’s just randomly thinking of him enough to want to find and visit him if he didn’t have some sort of impact on her too.

That speaks to so much potential between them. If they were so powerful and successful and hung-up on each other in the unfortunate situations they were in, imagine how powerful and strong they’d have been if they were in better circumstances. It gives me such a “right person, wrong time” feeling with them. Idk just my thoughts. You seem like the only person I can share these with lol.

- same anon btw

ANON it's wonderful to see you in my inbox again!!! you know i'm always here for Loving María Hours 🥰

you're right, there's so much deeper shit going on between Jasper & María, it's kinda crazy that all these other characters/ships get so much more attention when Jasper/María literally have a built-in story! (no hate to those who create content on minor characters ofc — we're all out here doing the lord's work LMAO)

you really hit it on the head. like the fact that their story is so "evil" and their characters are so "bad" speaks to the gentleness and goodness that obviously came out of their relationship considering Jasper is now a vegetarian Cullen freak. & the idea that the external conflict (war) is used as a vehicle AND as a symbol for their own internal conflicts & the thematic discussion at hand?!?!?! THE STORY 👏 WRITES👏 ITSELF👏👏👏

bro ofc Jasper followed María!! bad bitches only. & at the end of it all Lucy & Nettie AINT SHIT! they betrayed their covenmate! smh. tbh it spoke volumes that she had no problem killing them YET took so long (& ultimately did not) kill Jasper. girl can sniff betrayal from a mile away & even though she let the paranoia get the best of her, in the end she didn't let it control her 😇 it's not a perfect cutesy HEA, but dammit if it's not GROWTH

only semi-related, but the fact that Jasper mentions she had a good judge of character, and the fact that she seemed to look specifically for humans who would be gifted/powerful, makes me wonder if she didn't have some sort of gift herself. i like to think that Nettie & Lucy didn't betray her bc of something she did but rather bc they simply couldn't cope with the way María always chose Jasper & her country above all. María's gift is that she sees the good & the strength & value in people. even when they don't see it in themselves. war is simply not a good medium for people to reach their full potential...& once María draws it out of them, they discover want more for themselves than what death & violence can give them. in Nettie & Lucy's case, they lash out bc they assume they will never live up to María's vision. in Jasper's case, he defects so he can live up to the person she sees in him ❤️ María's weakness is she gets so focused on her mission she gets tunnel vision, so these are all seen to her as betrayals

but i imagine María realizes this down the road & works on healing herself instead of her country. obviously the Southern Wars haven't gotten out of control, & wtf does Jasper know about the South's situation after his 150-year absence? maybe the fact that she hasn't gotten herself in trouble lets him know that she's more focused these days on looking out for herself, finding potential within instead of working in vain to fix something that can realistically never be repaired in the way she always dreamed. & that's ok :)

all he knows is she's got a softer side & that he's rooting for her on her own journey to healing, & he will always wish her well 😌

TLDR TRUE TRUE, ANON. right person, wrong time.

all hail María ❤️

[clericofshadows]

big place!

Description: Kaidan, Ashley, and Regis take in the Ctiadel's sights, and Ashley ends up gaining some interesting information about her new crew.

Paring: Regis Shepard/Kaidan Alenko

“Big place!” Kaidan exclaimed, looking out over the nebula view of the Citadel.

Regis smiled, standing behind him and Williams, watching the traffic go by.  Never change, Kaidan.

Williams turned her head to look over at Kaidan.  “That your… professional opinion, sir?”

Regis coughed to hide his snort, but given the glance Kaidan gave him, he didn’t do a very good job of it.  “I don’t see how they can keep tabs on all this.  The Presidium might as well be on another planet.”

“There is definitely a gap between their presentation and what’s here,” Kaidan observed.  “Tracking arrivals must be a nightmare.”

“This makes Jump Zero look like a porta-john, and it’s the largest deep space station the Alliance has,” Williams chimed in, looking around.

“Jump Zero was big, but this is a whole nother scale. Look at those ward arms!  How do they keep all that mass from flying apart?” Kaidan leaned in closer against the railing.

“I’d love to find out, honestly,” Regis said, crossing his arms behind his back.  “But you won’t catch me living here anytime soon.  I imagine they’re careful with newcomers.”

“I don’t think it’s for me, either, but you can’t deny the allure.  They probably just want to keep everything running,” Kaidan replied.  “It has to be hard keeping all these cultures working together.”

“Or maybe they just don’t like humans,” Williams muttered.  Ah, interesting.

He knew there was a reason he liked her, but now he had a more tangible reason.  Someone more skeptical of the council, willing to speak up against the common opinion, not immediately staying quiet.  Good.

But Regis had to play with her a bit.  “Why not?  We’ve got oceans, beautiful men, this emotion called love…” He glanced at Kaidan.  “According to the old vids, we have everything they want.”

“Wait, beautiful men?” Williams turned around so she was facing him, leaning against the barrier.  “Well damn, I didn’t expect you to be so open out in the field.”

Regis shrugged.  “Not really a secret to me.  Couldn’t resist.”

“And when you put it that way, there’s no reason why they wouldn’t like you,” Kaidan said, moving to stand closer to Regis.  Not quite touching, but not exactly far enough apart to call it friendly.  Testing the waters. 

A bold move from Kaidan, but also not unlike him. Kaidan wasn't afraid to be open about their relationship, but it still surprised Regis a bit to see him toe the fraternization line.

Williams tilted her head to the side, looking at the two of them with narrowed eyes.  “Hold on, I’m missing something here.”

Regis pressed a finger to his lips and winked.  “You’re smart, Chief.  You can figure it out.”

“Damn!  Mighty bold of you two,” she said, giving them an appraising look.  Not one of judgment, but rather one of approval.  “With a mission like this, how the hell did you keep it under wraps?  The way you two fought together on Eden Prime, I figured you had years of service history.”

No words spoken between them on Eden Prime, a quiet colony turned battlefield in a blink of an eye.  A connection gained by years of learning each other through biotics, testing new mnemonics and stretching the limits of what the gravity well can do.    Combining skills to break through the walls of geth, tech hacks breaking down shields before blasting them away with a Throw.  Singularities formed by Kaidan’s strong control were wrecked apart by Regis’s powerful Warps.  Kaidan’s Pulls making perfect targets for Regis’s sniper. Williams was a great asset to have on the field, and her marksman skills blended well with their biotics.  But this was an opportunity that the lovers hadn’t had yet in their Alliance career beyond shore leaves and rare moments training together, choosing to forge their own paths apart in the service. Knowing each other beyond just years of understanding, beyond shared experiences and many intimate moments, exploring each other’s lives and bodies.  A connection only biotics can share.  The biotic corona burns brightly on the battlefield, and with it, it tells a story.   Kaidan and Regis wrote their own story within the mnemonics they share, an understanding of how the other moves, casts, and fights.   Regis’s violet and Kaidan’s blue, creating a beautifully brutal vision.   The trust they share is unbreakable. 

Kaidan and Regis shared a look.  “Actually,” Kaidan said, rubbing the back of his neck.  “This is the first time we’ve been able to serve together.  Shepard—” he nudged Regis in the shoulder— “prefers solo missions and spending his time teaching N recruits.”

After Torfan, he had the pick of any ship, any tour, any position by Captains and Admirals alike who wanted someone who could get the job done at any cost.  Regis willingly embraced the title the Alliance gave, the whispers at his presence, the worried and shocked looks from some green cadets who saw him appear as a biotic instructor.  

But that didn’t mean he wanted to give them what they wanted out of him. 

Choosing to teach and stay solo was his own form of rebellion.  These were his terms.

The Spectre nomination was a similar situation for him.  He didn’t necessarily like the idea of being their candidate knowing damn well what power the Spectres had and what they could get away with.  

Yet another title he has to embrace for the Allinace.  Turning it down would be a career suicide.

If this recent tribunal with the Council wasn’t already one…  He will find a way to pin Saren for what he did on Eden Prime.

Regis nodded.  “Yes, it’s true.  I call it biotic intuition.”

“Mmm hmm…” Williams didn’t seem convinced, rolling her eyes, but Regis wasn’t quite ready to spill his whole history to her yet. “Either way, I could definitely learn from the both of you.  I haven’t had the chance to work with many biotics.”

“We’d be happy to train with you,” Kaidan said.  “Show you how we prefer to fight and how you can adapt. And how we can adapt to you."

“I’ll take you up on that, LT.  Say, and you can tell me off for asking, but does the Captain know about… this?” She asked, gesturing between them.

“Anderson and I have history, and he reluctantly let the both of us on board knowing what Alenko and I share.  He couldn’t exactly pass up the chance to have two well decorated biotics at his disposal, and I’m picky who I work with.  I almost didn’t accept the Normandy position, but I figured it was about damn time I worked on a ship with a team again.”  Regis explained.

Not exactly true.  Anderson more or less told him that the Alliance wanted Regis on board the Normandy due to his Torfan history and that his talents were wasted otherwise, and that any objections of his were likely going to be ignored.  Regis personally disagreed with that assessment, as he was part of the key to getting more biotics into specialized positions in the N program and that many covert operations were successful because of his skills.

It was obviously a political move, and he wasn’t exactly fond of being the one they chose for that.  Knowing now that they wanted him to be the first Human Spectre didn’t exactly make him any happier about their move.

However, he wasn’t lying about Anderson’s reluctance to keep Kaidan as the head of marine detail.  Fraternization will always be an issue in the Alliance, and even if they had tied the knot, it was unlikely they would’ve been allowed to serve together on such a vessel.  

The only reason he let them both aboard was due to their biotic skills, and he knew Regis would make it part of his terms for accepting the position.  Anderson was well aware of their history at BAaT, which also meant he didn’t have to deal with Regis getting bitchy with a green L3 who wouldn’t be able to read his unique mnemonics or freak out about when Regis inevitably explodes his barrier on command.

Speaking from experience, of course.  

“Clearly it doesn’t stop you two from working well together.  Maybe if you do end up getting the Spectre position, you can make an authorization to allow your relationship on the Normandy.” She smiled.  “I’m joking, of course.”

Regis raised an eyebrow.  “I didn’t even think of that.  You’re a goddamn genius, Williams.”

“Wait, you’re serious?” She asked, breaking out into a laugh at the end of her question.  

Kaidan sighed.  “I’m afraid he is.”

“What do you mean, Alenko?  Think about it.” Regis said, egging him on.  

“I am.” Kaidan leaned against the railing.  “But unlike you, I can be professional about it.”

“So, you agree that it is a good idea?”

“All I’m saying is I wouldn’t stop you.  I’m just imagining what the response from the brass would be.”

“How the hell did I not notice something between the two of you sooner?” Williams asked, shaking her head, stopping what would easily become a long "argument" between them.  

“Trust me, we’ll be back to being good little Alliance soldiers once onboard the ship.  You just got a taste of what we’re really like,” Regis said.  “Let’s move out.  We’ve spent long enough here.” “What’s the plan, Shepard?” Kaidan asked, standing up straight, waiting for orders.  Williams mirrored him.

“Let’s check out the lead given by Barla Von first.  Seemed to be the most interesting to me,” Regis ordered.  

He could see Williams working well with his crew, with some time to get used to his style of command and combat.  She had great skills, but for whatever reason, her career in the Alliance seemed stagnant according to her files.  Multiple opportunities for advancement were denied for no apparent reason.

Something to look into after he gets more information about the Saren situation.  

Maybe also something he could use his Spectre authorization on, if it comes to it.

[blood-and-pizza]

omg i stumbled across ur au and i think its pretty neat :D the post with monty and the bonnie conflict made me wonder if there are any other notable conflicts or drama that has happened in the establishment of the where the animatronics live. also how did the Foxy's react to Roxy in ur au was it like monty's reception or different (sorry if my grammar is bad)

Ah, thank you! <3

Well, let's see... the family-friendly animatronics sometimes get into squabbles with the horror animatronics. This is because the family-friendly animatronics have mixed feelings about perceived as scary, so to meet versions of themselves who are intentionally scary makes them feel insecure... and it makes them lash out. The horror animatronics either try to ignore their family-friendly counterparts or troll the hell out of them.

The Toys and the Classics sometimes feud with each other, but that only happens when Toy Foxy and Classic Foxy are fighting. It gets messier every time. Otherwise, they're usually family to each other.

Any family-friendly animatronic that isn't from the Funtime line has some sort of beef with the Funtimes. Basically, they all think Funtime Freddy is a troublemaker, and that he was "made wrong". The other Funtimes - excluding Circus Baby - have been known to defend Funtime Freddy, and so they get judged as having something wrong with them, too. The horror animatronics side with Funtime Freddy and accept him and the other Funtimes. It's helped Funfred embrace his scary side more, and is part of the reason he loves terrifying people for fun.

And that's all the drama I know about for now!

To answer your question about the Foxys and their reaction to Roxanne... they learned about her before actually getting to meet her, which wouldn't happen for about a decade. When they first learned about her, they couldn't stand the fact they'd been replaced by a wolf. For a while, the Foxys hated wolves. But then Twisted Wolf came to the Estate and they were forced to change their minds.

Twisted Wolf was part of the Twisted line of animatronics, who were built specifically to promote the FNAF novels. She was big, monstrous... and absolutely terrified of Classic Foxy. No one could figure out why until Classic Foxy read the book Twisted Wolf came from... only to find out his book counterpart had killed Twisted Wolf.

Classic Foxy is a family-friendly animatronic, but he actually gets along nicely with most of the horror animatronics since being scary made him popular. Knowing Twisted Wolf was terrified of him because she was afraid he'd KILL her... it felt horrible. That was the moment Classic Foxy decided to swallow his pride and be nice to Twisted Wolf. He advised the other Foxys to do to the same, "or else".

Four years tick by, and the Foxys have actually grown rather fond of Twisted Wolf. She doesn't speak, only able to communicate with wolf noises and body language. Despite this, she manages to be very expressive and communicative, and she's accepted the Foxys as being part of her "pack". Just as this happens, a new Foxy arrives at the Estate: Big Bad Foxy, a fox who loves pretending to be a wolf. He and Twisted Wolf bond immediately. They're all a family now.

So, by the time Roxanne Wolf shows up at the Estate... she's nervous about meeting the Foxys. She knows she has Foxy's eyes. But... she's a wolf. Not a fox. She's nowhere near as legendary as Foxy. How will he react to her? Well, imagine her surprise when it turns out there's already wolves in Foxy's family!

Classic Foxy gets so excited when he actually sees Roxanne in person, especially when he sees her eyes are his color. It's like a dad meeting his long-lost daughter for the first time. He's happy. Roxanne is so confused but... her tail is wagging uncontrollably. Also, she might start crying because she wasn't expecting such a warm welcome.

I could have sworn Roxanne had a Funtime Foxy plushie in her green room in Security Breach (I could be wrong), so she bonds closely with Toy Foxy and Funtime Foxy in my AU. She's also pretty fond of Classic Foxy and might accidentally call him "dad" sometimes. She does tease him a lot for the whole pirate shtick, though.

And in case you're wondering how Roxanne gets along with Twisted Wolf and Big Bad Foxy... they're like siblings.

I would love to explore Roxanne's relationship with the Foxys further, so if anybody wants to ask me more specific questions about that, feel free!

[loversj0y]

Ohh boy ok

L’manbur my beloved. 

Here’s part two. Maybe the next part will be the angsty part

Can you imagine President Soot announcing the elections and learning that the reader immediately enrolled as a candidate. He’d be annoyed, but also a strange mixture of proud and exhilarated. 

This is another enemies AND lovers moment y’all. (want to hc that someone actually suggested impeachment or a vote of no-confidence against President Wilbur a couple times– which the reader actually refused to do, marking the one and only time that they defended wilbur on the political stage, saying that government should be run through debate and consideration and not mindless evictions, yada yada. Wilbur was looking at them like 😳). 

Anyway the day comes for the candidates to choose their running mates— I don't remember how that went down in canon, so I'll make some stuff up. Let’s assume that each candidate gives a short speech and then announces their future VP. It’s like a publicity stunt, getting their names out there for people to remember and hopefully vote for. 

There’s this one guy in L’manburg, let’s just call him Archibald or something (old man, dude in his 40s), who vehemently opposes everything the reader does. He doesn’t like Wilbur either

Despite all of this, A r c h i b a l d  is not a complete prick. He cares for L’Manburg in his own way, even if his tactics and views don’t align with his peers. He amassed quite a following, but wasn’t chosen as a political candidate, and resorted to glaring at the other contestants from his place in the audience. 

Back to the reader. Now, they know they are at an extreme disadvantage here. Public speaking is not their thing– shady, one-on-one contract deals are more their style. Talking to a crowd? Forget about it. They need to take a gamble. 

Wilbur chooses Tommy as his VP, Quacktiy chooses George, Fundy chooses Niki, and they choose…. Archibald.

The stadium goes silent, flabbergasted, as they announce their pick. Some of the reader’s close constituents look offended, and Archibald looks flabbergasted. But he isn’t going to pass up this opportunity– not yet at least. He shakes their hand and joins them on stage. 

By drawing a truce with their worst political enemy and showing the citizens that they are willing to work with opposing ideals,  the reader has pulled what we call a pro gamer move. 

Wilbur is a little impressed? Maybe?

Just imagine him standing on the other end of the stage, elbows on the podium, head resting against his fist as he just grins. 

Imagine his vaguely flirty behavior with Quackity, but doubled.  

Man knows how to roll an insult, pick-up-line, and partially-backhanded/partially-genuine compliment into one. 

Still too cocky to think he’ll lose the elections though. 

I swear i had other ideas about this but they won't come to me.

Also: no romance/jealousy scene is implied with Archibald. he's just some old guy politician who becomes a coworker.

also also: completely (?) unrelated but IMAGINE BEING PRESIDENT SOOT'S TAILOR. CAN YOU IMAGINE THE TENSION THAT COMES WITH STANDING BEHIND SOMEONE AS YOU LOOP A MEASURING TAPE AROUND THEIR WAIST---

anyway i am normal about this skrunkly./.,,,, elegeeant absastard.

god the sexual tension between wilbur soot and political opponents…….

the idea of tommy as his vp in this scenario seems to funny to me bc of the clips where tntduo would be havijg an intense discussion and tommy would just go. “ARE U GUYS KISSING” because he’d definitely do that

post debates, coming off stage, both a little sweaty and worked up from nerves, and wilbur’s just standing there looking too hot for his own good, so the reader picks something absolutely stupid to just fucking yell at him about, and they’re getting in each other’s faces, literally lips seconds apart, arguing in fancy political and business terms, and then tommy turns the corner. pauses.

“wilbuh can you stop MAKING OUT with the ENEMY”

also love the pro gamer move on readers part. thats actually a genuinely smart political show (until it becomes time to pass legislation but theres a reason they changed the law about who the VP ends up being (thanks hamilton))

also I HAVE THOUGHT ABT THAT MANY TIMES MAN OH MY GOD

he’s standing there, stressed and tired, and theres a lot of tension as you wrap your arms around him to measure his waist and in his exhaustion, he thinks you’re trying to hug him, and he just. fully leans into it, exhausted and wanting affection <3 and as his personal tailor, you will gladly do so and then help walk him to his room to make sure he sleeps well (and doesnt get any of his fancy clothes that you just made messed up ffs he loves gis gunpowder but that shit stain’s permanently!!!! hold on. my knowledge of gunpowder just gave me a separate idea but i dont have enough there to share yet so im going to ignore it BUT STILL)

[ourlittledinosaur]

Dear Stranger...Please Don't Touch My Baby!

New Post has been published on http://ourlittledinosaur.com/dear-stranger-please-dont-touch-my-baby/

Dear Stranger...Please Don't Touch My Baby!

We’ve All Been There…

You’re in a public place with your little one and a kindly stranger approaches to express adoration over your baby. Whether you’re carrying a newborn just days old, or a giggling toddler, you probably don’t want a stranger to touch your child.

I had been warned about this from seasoned mothers, but still I wasn’t truly prepared for how I should react to this situation. This letter was written in response to this very situation. I’m not going to lie, I was a little fired up about this when I originally wrote it. Needless to say I sat on it a while before posting in the hopes that I could mellow it out. I don’t know how successful I was, but I’ve come to the conclusion, it’s ok to protect my child. It’s with that thought that I write this letter. (Keep in mind, my son was 12 months at the time of this scene, and I was still able to wear him.)

Don’t Touch My Baby!

First things, first!  A little humor:

“Dear Stranger,

I hope this letter finds you well. We’ve not met before today, but I was compelled to write to you because of something that bothered me about our encounter earlier.

Today, my sister and I went to the grocery store together to do some shopping. I was carrying my son as I always do in his infantino carrier facing towards me. I find that wearing him helps to keep him from getting antsy in the cart seat. Also, we’re learning that he’s a bit shy and he feels more safe and secure close to Mommy.  Let’s face it, all the people in the store can be a little overwhelming for us grown-ups, not to mention little ones.

I saw you smiling at us in the checkout line today, and I smiled in return. It’s always nice to see a friendly face, as that is so rare these days. Moments later, I was looking the other direction to say something to my sister. Within a few more seconds, I was facing forward again, and taken aback, when I suddenly realized that you had approached us and had your hand on my son’s face. Shocked, I immediately turned my body to move my son away from your touch.

Please understand, I am not trying to be rude. I think that if you were in my place, you might feel as dismayed as I did. You see ma’am, it’s flu season and although you seem nice, I don’t know you. I don’t know what germs you may carry. I’m not saying you’re dirty – you certainly seem nice enough, but not even you are aware of all the germs that may be on your hands after all the grocery items you handled just now. I also have been handling groceries, which is why I refrain from stroking my son’s cheek until after we return home and I have washed my hands. I realize some may consider this overprotective, and while I’m all about kids building immunity, I prefer them to do it playing in the dirt or petting our animals.

We grown-ups also have to realize that although he is small, (and absolutely adorable, I agree!), he is still a person. Let me explain what I am getting at. You and I, being strangers, would never imagine walking up and stroking each other’s faces, would we? I think it’s important for us to remember that these little ones still need the respect of personal space. He is young and cannot speak for himself just yet, but he is his own person. It’s my job to protect him and to be his voice while he is learning how to find his own and can communicate that he doesn’t like a stranger being so close to us. Stroking his cheek or his hair, or really any touching in general without permission, just isn’t appropriate.

I must admit, I was upset with you, although I didn’t say anything. Truth be told, I was more upset with myself because I didn’t say anything. So I’ve made up my mind that in the future, I’m going to allow myself to speak up, even at the cost of seeming rude.  This isn’t the first time a stranger has approached us this way, and in my opinion, I have erred on the side of “grin and bear it” too many times. It’s not fair to my son for me to do nothing and for you to think that this is ok.

In the future, I encourage you to refrain from touching children and babies you do not know. I don’t know of a any parent who doesn’t have a problem with this on some level, and you are putting people in a really awkward position of having to be direct with you, which may put yourself in a potentially unpleasant situation.

In closing, if you would like to chat with me and my child in the store, I am more than happy to do so. I actually love talking to strangers! And my son loves to smile at you too. We welcome the conversation. Just please. Please don’t touch my kid.

Sincerely,

Lil’ Dino Mommy a.k.a. Momma Bear”

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[arden-au]

── ✧ physical touch with jake

jakexgn!reader | 0.69k words | fluff

a/n: i swear i always imagine jake with just this golden retriever energy but its fine he's cute. and i never know how to properly end any writing i write >.> anyways i'm not sure how often i'd like to post each part of this series, maybe once a week or something along those lines. thank you for reading and enjoy!

read the others here: jungwon

it's been a long day, work was overwelming and all you wanted was to be home with your boyfriend (the show the two of you were watching had a new episode coming out tonight). you let out a relived sigh as you open the door to your shared apartment, slipping out of your shoes. you hear the sound of pattering, before your boyfriend appeared a few feet from you. his eyes gleam with excitement, finally being able with you after you regretfully left him home alone on his day off. he bounced on the balls of his feet, opening his mouth a a few times and closing them, the words he wanted to say coming up short.

you laugh, dropping your bag and opening your arms for his embrace which comes almost immediately. he pulls you close, enjoy the whiff of your perfume as he lifts you off your feet without realizing. he pulls back just enough to kiss you; your forehead, nose, cheeks and finally your lips. light peppered kisses met with your giggles and teasing remarks.

he leads you into the hallway, asking about your day was and if you missed him (which you did, of course). he rambles about the food he made and brings you to the kitchen where he has dinner lined on the island countertops. gestures for you to sit after you wash your hands and grab a glass of water, sitting beside you right after. pouts when you refuse to let him feed you, which turns into a bright grin when you compliment his cooking seconds later. he settles with his hand on your thigh, his free hand helping him eat while he observes you as you eat your own share. pauses from time to time to remove the small pieces of food on the corner of your mouth or just to kiss your cheek. he does without speaking, opting to just continue listening to you talk about your work stories without interrupting.

despite the familiar feeling of it all, you can't help but blush at his small affections. jake was always physically affectionate, though he was a bit tamed when you two started dating. though you wouldn't change it for the world.

you truly learned how much you enjoyed his affections whenever you weren't feeling the best, which always resulted in him sitting or just being with you and holding you close. no words, just you two in the moment. jake stayed with you until you wanted to speak or you felt better. jake enjoy any time he was able to be with you, regardless of what you were doing. babysitting your cousins? he's there playing with everyone and giving them piggyback rides. he genuinely enjoys being able to share your presence and the tender affections that come with it.

-

jake's favourite time of the day included your skin-care time, fresh from the shower and wearing a hairband to move your hair from your face. insists on getting a matching one, and you both doing the routine for the other. enjoys when he sits on counter top with you leaning between his legs, a concentrated look on your features as you meticulously clean his face.

he suppresses the urge to smile, especially when you scold him from moving around too much. "jake i'm going to get some of the moisturizer in your teeth if you don't stop smiling." he can't help it, his arms finding its place around your hips as he just silently observes you. snaps out of it when you're holding out your cleanser to him, which his obliges and does his part.

after washing up in the bathroom, he follows after you as you head for the bedroom. he waits for you to get comfy in the sheets, taking his place beside you and lays down on his side to face you. the two of you silent stare at one another, innocent loving gazes mirrored in both your eyes. he pulls you close as you're the first one to break eye contact, kissing your forehead. "good night jake" you whisper.

"goodnight my love" he replies.

taglist [open]: @hell1cy @wtfhyuck @wonielvr likes and reblogs are appreciated ♡

[caitimetravels]

she’s insignificant

chapter 1: we only see each other at weddings and funerals

the umbrella academy x (fem) reader

disclaimer: i do not own the plot/storyline of the netflix tv series and i do not own the umbrella academy characters. 

warnings: mentions of death (rip reggie), mentions of overdosing

masterlist

we start our story in a lonely house. it was never quite the normal childhood house for the family that occupied it but it was definitely more lively than it was at the moment. she missed that. the house felt too big, too quiet. 

most people get the chance to move out when they grow up and that’s what the children of this house did. they weren’t comfortable in this house. she thought it was unfair. she never got the chance to grow up. she was stuck, trapped in the stupid house she could barely call home. maybe she could have had a wonderful life. met a nice man or woman, started a family. 

he stripped that life from her. tore it out of her grasp and toyed with her again. she was so sick of this life, she wanted an escape. 

she hated him. so why? 

why wasn’t she happy he was gone?

--------------------------------------------------

october 1st, 1989.

on the 12th hour of this day 43 women around the world gave birth. this was unusual only in the fact that none of these women had been pregnant when the day began.

sir reginald hargreeves. eccentric billionaire and adventurer. he resolved to locate and adopt as many of the children as possible.

he got eight of them.

number 1 “luther”

the abnormally buff man steps out onto the moon, bouncing along to put his trash in the pile made before. he stares out at earth with a sad look. a beep on his arm breaks him out of his thoughts. he flips the material off his wrist, taking a look at the transmission sent to him.

number 2 “diego”

a masked man hurls the attacker into the wall, taking him out. he steps around the corner to help a scared family. “you’re family’s safe now” he goes to walk away, pausing at the tv. the news plays in front of him, stopping him short.

number 3 “allison”

a beautiful woman with curly highlighted hair steps onto the red carpet in an equally stunning red dress. she smiles and poses for the many cameras pointed her way. several reporters call out her name. it is then that one is whispered something. suddenly the questions change, they become more personal, asking about her father. a woman walks out and whispers something into her ear. her expression changes and they quickly walk away.

number 4 “klaus”

a man with short messy black hair jumps off a bed, saying his goodbyes to several other men in the room. he collects his things from a man through a window. he’s chucked a coin and he smiles giddily, looking rather happy to be out. immediately he goes back to buy drugs, consequently overdosing. he wakes up in an ambulance having been resuscitated. he notices the news, frowning.

number 7 “vanya”

the violinist beautifully playing to the empty theatre stops, taking deep breaths to calm herself down. she leaves, wandering down the street when she notices the news on a tv showing through the window. she whispers one word to herself, in disbelief. 

“dad..”

number 8 “y/n”

the h/c haired girl sat in an all too large library reading an anton chekhov play. she looks up at a small knock on the door. a chimpanzee dressed in a suit stands solemnly in the doorway. she raises and eyebrow, confused by his behaviour. he speaks softly, informing the girl of what her siblings were currently learning all over the city.

“oh..”

--------------------------------------------------

number eight. the demon. 

the same h/c girl stands in a line with her 7 other siblings. a younger vanya is asked to leave. they all avoid looking at her. she was different.. at least that’s what their father told them. eight didn’t understand it. she was different too and no one asked her to leave. 

as usual eight is pulled away from her siblings as they train together. she is taken to a separate room, one built for her. it’s plain and white, much like a cell in a mental asylum.. or at least what she imagined a mental asylum to look like from what she had read in stories.

she hates this room but she hides her emotions just like her father taught her to. 

“don’t let them control you, number eight” he scolded, “you should be in control”

--------------------------------------------------

the doors to the academy are slowly pushed open. vanya steps into the house, taking in how big the house was. it had been around 13 years since she’d been here. she took small steps through the large room, looking up at the chandelier. she turned towards the parlour where her mother sat by the fire. 

“hey mom” she called out softly. she received no answer. 

“she probably won’t answer” a new voice called out and vanya stepped further into the parlour to see her h/c haired sibling. she sat atop the bar, reading a book and not sparing her a glance. “she’s been lonely ever since you all left.. gone a bit weird i guess” 

vanya’s mouth fell open. how was she the same age? y/n hadn’t aged a day since they left. she was still in her 16 year old body. at her sister’s silence the h/c finally looked up.

“what?” she raised an eyebrow, “you look like you’ve seen a ghost” 

“vanya?” a voice sounded out from the stairs. the brown haired woman turned now spotting their other sister, allison. “you’re actually here..” she huffed, surprised but not at all disappointed.

“hey allison” vanya greeted carefully.

“hey sis” allison’s voice was soft as she walked over, offering a hug. their moment was ruined by diego.

“hah” he scoffed, “what is she doing here? you don’t belong here. not after what you did” he didn’t even look over at them, making his way towards the stairs.

“you’re seriously going to do this today?” allison asked in disbelief but diego only ignored her. “hmph, way to dress for the occasion by the way”

“at least i’m wearing black” he shot back, disappearing up the staircase.

“don’t mind him” the two girls turned towards y/n who now had her book tucked under her arm. “he’s just grumpy he had to come back”

“you know what.. no, um.. maybe he’s right” vanya shook her head, ready to leave. “i shouldn’t-”

“forget it” y/n stopped her, “he doesn’t matter.. i’m glad you came, all of you. even if you don’t want to be here.. i- i want you here” 

“i’m glad you’re here too” allison nodded, agreeing. y/n gave them a soft, small smile before moving away. the two older women shared a look as she disappeared. she had been lonely..

--------------------------------------------------

vanya stood near the bookcases, looking over the old umbrella academy comic books and articles. she looked through the books until she came across her own. gently pulling it from the shelf she eyed it over, hopeful. there were creases in the fold. she opened the cover, revealing her note to her father. 

pogo interrupted her, clearing his throat. she smiled, crossing the room to embrace him. he noticed the book she was holding.

“do you know um.. did he ever read it?” she seemed unsure, not wanting to know the answer she expected. slowly, pogo sighed,

“not that i’m aware of” he shook his head, “i’m afraid those creases are from ms y/n. she loved reading it when you first released it”

they both glanced over at the painting of number five. 

“how long has it been since five disappeared?” vanya asked, 

“it’s been 16 years-” pogo was interrupted.

“4 months and 14 days” they both turned to see y/n entering. she either didn’t notice or ignored their stares, moving across the room to grab a new book. 

“did you.. did you ever find him?” vanya breathed, waiting in suspense for the answer. y/n finally looked at them now, pausing. she had always told her father that she didn’t, that she couldn’t but maybe just maybe she did.

“..yeah”

[shujiology]

Playing House

You and Hanma had always loved playing house ever since you were young, and he played the role of a husband so well.

Warnings: afab!reader, minor violence, blood, slight himedere!reader

Imagine this, seven-year-old Hanma Shuji who towers over his peers due to his ridiculously imposing height, making it easier for him to intimidate kids his age, even if he didn’t intend to at first.

Seven-year-old Hanma Shuji would always stand in the middle of the playground alone, because everyone else basically avoided him like the plague, in fear that he might do something to hurt them just because he looked slightly different than everyone else.

Seven-year-old Hanma Shuji quickly learned to use this to his advantage, and he does so by bullying his classmates into doing things for him, like carrying his bag, or doing his assignments, etc.

He never brings his own lunch to school, and that was mostly caused by the absence of his mother and the lack of solicitude provided by his now single father, so he’d always steal his classmate’s lunches, and they’d always give it to him willingly without him having to put up too much of a fight.

He would also punch anyone’s teeth in if they dare to disobey him (though to be fair, he would do this for fun anyways).

Imagine seven-year-old Hanma Shuji, who after a while, got bored of getting whatever he wanted, so he starts to think that maybe he craved the company of other children his age after all.

He’d always watch the kids play with each other, and the one thing he notices often, is that children like to play house. Where one person, usually a boy, would pretend to be the husband, while a girl would pretend to be the wife, meanwhile the rest of the children would be their kids.

So he’s decided, if the other kids wouldn’t come over to befriend him, then he should bring the other kids to him, right? Yeah, that makes perfect sense.

There you were, sitting amongst your friends, eating lunch in peace when suddenly Hanma’s tall figure came looming over you as he starred at you blankly with a smile that has mischief written all over it.

“Can I help you?” you asked, failing to notice all the other girls around you practically shaking like a leaf upon his presence alone.

Without warning he picks you up over his shoulder like you were a bag of rice, ignoring your persistent complaints telling him to put you down.

Eventually he dropped you to the ground and knelt in front of you so he could level his face with yours before saying “We’re going to play house now” in the most nonchalant way possible. “I’ll be the husband, and you’ll be my wife~♡” he chirped happily with a Cheshire grin.

To his surprise, you didn’t start crying immediately, like all the other girls he’s approached thus far. Instead, you huffed and crosses your arms over your chest, acting like what he did had offended you greatly. “Husbands don’t treat their wives like a brute Shuji! If you want me to be your wife then you must treat me as such” you chastised.

“For starters… husbands usually give their wives rings” you say as you wiggle your tiny fingers in front of him, as if to emphasize your still ringless hand.

Hanma was too stunned to speak. Although after a while, he came back to his senses and when he does, the flabbergasted look on his face was quickly replaced by the wicked grin he was more known for. He really likes you, he decided at that very moment. ‘She’s interesting’ he thinks, before rushing off without saying a word.

Seven-year-old Hanma Shuji would walk over to a group of random girls and grab one of them by the wrist, before pulling her over to the neatly lined up potted plants in front of their classroom and force her to weave a ring out of the pretty pastel flowers, merely because you told him you wanted a ring.

When you requested a crown to go with the ring, he’d tell the same girl (or multiple girls) to go and make flower crowns especially for you. That, or he’d yank a headband from a random girl’s head before presenting it to you because that’s just what husbands do.

You’d always sit on one specific swing-set whilst you wait for him to retrieve whatever it is you'd asked for, and naturally the swing beside it belongs to him.

God forbid anyone dares to steal your swing from you.

He’d make sure right then and there just who that swing-set belongs to. He’d make someone carve your names on it with their fingernails if he had to.

Though of course, what is a perfect husband without his perfect wife?

He wasn’t the only one playing. You also played the role of the perfect wife so well for him.

Whenever he managed to successfully do your requests, you’d give him a bright smile before jumping at him to give him an embrace. He no longer has to steal lunches from other kids because now he has you to bring him lunch. That way you guys could eat together like a couple would!

And whenever someone snitched on him to the teachers, you’d always have his back and tell the teachers that it wasn’t his fault and that the other kid started it.

Hanma would do anything for you. All you have to do is say the words and whatever you want is yours. He’d remain playing the role of a husband for you, and when twenty-eight-year-old Hanma Shuji stood outside your door, face splattered with blood with some smearing on to his glasses, and a devilish smile adorning his face just like all those years ago with a diamond ring in hand (the one you'd specifically said you wanted but could never get, because apparently someone else had gotten it before you), you just can’t help but beam up at him and say “Yes”.

A.N: not me listening to High School Sweethearts by Melanie Martinez at the dead of night as I imagine Hanma treating me like the queen that I am. Kisaki you one lucky bastard, I also want Hanma to be my ride or die goddamit!

[from-a-reckless-writer]

here's me jumping into the bandwagon :D

(read on ao3)

It's just after sunset when Kara finally gives in. She veers off from her patrol down to a route she knows by heart.

The moment she lands, the first thing she notices is how the sliding doors are a fraction open. It’s a small thing, nothing to even be thrilled about, yet still, her drumming heart cannot be helped.

"Knock, knock," she says, stepping inside.

Her heart turning anxious when she takes in the sight in front of her. The room is a mess; books on the floor, drawers open, Lena’s frazzled appearance. She's standing over a suitcase thrown open in the middle of the bed, a mountain of clothes on top of it.

She was told that Lena was going on a trip, that it would probably take three weeks tops.

Packing for a trip doesn’t look like this, this looks a lot like... leaving.

Going on a trip, Kara remembers that’s what her family told her too.

You and Kal are going on a trip but you don’t have to worry, we’ll be with you the rest of the way, they told her.

A trip implies there would be a home to come back to. And Kara believed it. She believed it for a total of ten seconds before her planet exploded and a shard of her home knocked her off-course.

"Need some help?" Her voice doesn’t tremble. Kara considers that a miracle, really.

"I didn't know Supergirl helped poor hapless women pack suitcases,” Lena retorts, walking over to her and kissing her cheek in greeting. It doesn't go unnoticed by Kara how clingy Lena's been since she's been back.

"Well, I wouldn’t exactly consider you poor and hapless," Kara counters.

"I may have had a slight,” Lena pinches her thumb and forefinger together, “panic over which and what to pack earlier.”

Yeah, Kara can definitely see that.

"Good thing I’m here then?”

"It's always good whenever you're around,” Lena says in such a casual way and it’s like the past year didn’t happen. As if it has always been this good. And...is this even allowed? This much affection from Lena? All the sweet words, the gentle touches, and the constant close proximity? It shouldn’t be allowed, not if it will be taken from her almost immediately after.

Unfair, is what it is.

******

“Okay, so why don’t we just move this out here yeah?” Kara voices, leaning over and hugging the lump of clothes to her chest, dumps it out from the suitcase and onto Lena’s pillows.

Lena’s fabric conditioner filling Kara’s senses entirely. For a brief moment, she considers stealing one of Lena’s shirts then and there. Something to tide her through once Lena leaves.

“Great. You’re on folding duty then,” Lena declares, “I’ll just go sort my babies, quickly. I’ll be right back.”

(Her 'babies' being the thick books lining every inch of this place.)

Lena disappears through the door. The domesticity of it all pulling at Kara’s chest.

In another world, where life ran a little differently, Kara would be packing their suitcases for a trip to Argo, or maybe one of the planets she’s always wanted Lena to see, or maybe it’d be nothing that grand. Maybe, just a trip back to Midvale. Lena would read to her on the whole drive there, her hair whipping from the winds down coastal roads.

Maybe not even a trip. Maybe in this other world, she’s assigned on folding duty, while Lena tinkers around their house. Maybe, even a dog or a cat. Maybe, something small at first, just an aquarium of fishes.

She doesn’t notice how deep into the fantasy she’s gotten till Lena speaks up from the door.

"My, my, CatCo would pay a million dollars to see this."

"Uh-"

"Supergirl found in bed, folding Lena Luthor's undies."

Kara looks down at her hand. She’s holding a lacy purple panty, she spots the matching bra laying a few inches away. She drops it lightning quick, feels her face flush.

"Oh, Rao. Lena, I'm so sorry I didn't mean to- I wasn't- It was just there and I-"

"Relax, Kara. I was just teasing,” Lena reassures her, she’s got three books tucked in her arms, she lays them down on the bed, before picking up the underwear Kara’s dropped and folding it neatly.

The contrast of the dark fabric against Lena’s pale fingers makes Kara flush an even brighter red.

Kara tries hard to exclude Lena's lacy panties in her fantasy.

She fails.

******

They give up on packing entirely two hours later. An all out pillow fight breaks out somewhere between Kara fishing out her favorite hoodie from the pile--discovering t'was not in fact missing like she thought it was--and Lena denying that she stole it.

They’ve fallen right on top of Lena’s clothes. Laying opposite each other, Lena lying upside down, her feet propped up on the pillows, toes touching the headboard, whilst Kara’s legs dangle at the end of the bed. Their heads close together.

From this angle, she can see the defined slope of Lena’s nose; stares at the way her lashes curl every time she blinks.

“So, what do you think you’ll find there?” Kara breathes out into the silence.

“I don’t really know,” Lena whispers.

“Let me rephrase then; what do you want to find?”

“I- I don’t know either.”

She tries to crane her neck to take a better look at Lena. Her eyes are closed, and it takes every ounce of self-control for Kara not to lean over and just press a kiss to Lena’s lips. It would be so, so easy. She settles for shifting just a bit closer instead, their temples touching.

It’s good enough.

“That’s okay," Kara murmurs, "not knowing is part of the adventure, right?”

She tries not to think about how she isn’t really part of this adventure. It isn’t about her, really. Kara’s decided the next three days will be about Lena. Kara will have time for breaking down once Lena leaves. The three days pales in comparison to how much Lena’s sacrificed in getting her back.

“I guess so.” she hears Lena say.

On the ceiling, Kara sees two shadows dancing with each other, tries not to look too deep into it.

And then,

“I had Jess trace down a couple of documents for me,”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. There’s an orphanage that could help me, she thinks.”

Kara’s ears perk up at that, she imagines Lena as a small child crying for her mom and then being whisked away from everything she ever knew. Kara wishes she could hold that little girl’s hand. Why did nobody hold Lena’s hand through it all? Kara wonders if somebody did, would Lena even have met her? Would she have needed somebody like Kara in her life? She likes to believe that Lena would still have met her. A reality without Lena was too painful, Kara knows all too well.

“Is that where you’re going to visit first?”

“Yeah.”

A brief silence engulfs them.

“Hey, Kara,” Lena calls out. “Do you think-”

There’s a deep exhale and a sigh.

“Do I think what?”

“Do you think my mom would want me to find her again? Do you think she’s proud of me?”

The question was so full of uncertainty and insecurity and there's nothing that Kara wants more than to just wrap around Lena and tell her how goddamn amazing she is.

“Oh, Lena," Kara whispers, "your mom would be so happy if you found her. I’d even say she’s been waiting for you. And of course, she’s proud of you!” Kara sits up at this, can’t contain all her awe for Lena.

“You’re amazing! Have you met you? Your mom would be so proud of you. I just know it, Lena.”

Lena opens her eyes, smiles shyly at her, reaches up to cup Kara’s cheek. Even though the angle is awkward, Kara feels her entire being light up at the touch.

“Thank you. You always know just what to say.”

Kara's right hand comes up to keep Lena’s hand steady, before tilting slowly to press a kiss to her palm.

She registers the up-tick in her heartbeat before letting go and laying back down again.

Kara’s beginning to understand, now. Lena doesn’t want to wonder anymore, maybe if she knew where she came from, who she could’ve been, and what kind of life she could’ve led, existing wouldn’t be as hard as it is now. Maybe Lena wanted to know that a Luthor isn’t all that she is. Even though Kara has repeated again and again that she is so much more. Lena needs to figure that out for herself, Kara guesses.

Maybe, Lena finally needs a name other than what has been ingrained in her. Maybe Lena needs to name the parts of herself she never had before.

“Maybe you came from a family of thieves,” Kara murmurs, closing her eyes too.

“Kara.” she feels Lena shift, she opens one eye to see Lena propped on her elbows leaning over her. “Are you saying you think being a hoodie thief is genetic?”

“You never know, Lena you never know,” Kara manages to say, her brain a loop of, Lena’s eyes are so pretty, so pretty, so pretty, her hair smells so nice, please kiss me, please kiss-

Kara closes her eyes again to make the chanting stop.

“You do know I'm a scientist, right?”

“Mm. Doesn’t make you any less of a hoodie thief.”

That earns her a pillow on the face.

“Personally, I think you’re some lost princess though," Kara divulges.

Lena lets out a loud incredulous laugh at that.

“What?" Lena blurts out, "You think I’m a princess?”

There’s a cheesy pick-up line there somewhere that Kara chooses to ignore.

“Well, you have the whole Snow White look down to a T, after all. Pale skin, dark hair. The whole ensemble really.”

"I can't believe I'm agreeing to this," Lena groans, “but, I think you might be right. God, I even have the whole evil stepmother-stepbrother dynamic down. Does that make you one of my dwarfs?”

“Dwarf? Really? Lena, really?”

She’s glad to learn that Lena had picked up a thing or two from their Disney marathons. That doesn’t mean Kara appreciates being called a dwarf though. She sits up and leans back on her elbows too; their faces inches from each other now. Lena’s eyes gleaming with mischief.

“You turn into Grumpy when someone eats your ice cream.”

Kara gasps, clutches her heart as if wounded and falls down dramatically. Lena just laughs at her, lies down again before asking, “Think I’ll find Prince Charming there, then?”

“You don’t need Prince Charming.”

I’m right here.

“True,” Lena agrees. Lena doesn’t need anybody, although would it really hurt if she says that she needed Kara the way Kara needs her?

“Ireland seems like the best place to run off into the sunset though," Lena wonders aloud.

“Is that what you wanna do?” Kara asks, “Just run off into the sunset?”

Because, because, if it is, I can do something even better. I can fly you off into the sunset. All you have to do is ask. Her heart is galloping in her chest and she’s grateful that out of the two of them, she’s the only one with super hearing.

“No, I don’t think so,” Lena answers and Kara lets out a none too subtle breath of relief.

“You don’t have to search for a home, you know,” Kara whispers. She just- She just needs Lena to know this, okay?

“I know,” Lena answers. “I still need to do this though.”

Once Lena Luthor makes up her mind there’s no changing it, it’s something Kara’s come to know through the years.

“You’ll come back soon though?”

“Maybe. Honestly, Kara? I don’t really know about ‘soon’. How close is ‘soon’ anyway? Would there even be a good reason for me to come back?”

How Kara held her all screams in the moment Lena said that, she doesn’t know.

******

There are balloons and cake and confetti but it doesn’t feel anything remotely close to a party.

It feels more something along the lines of, train wreck and heartbreak and building on fire. In short, disaster.

She vaguely registers Kelly asking her to hover and hang the banner. Why would she want to hang a banner screaming “We”ll Miss You!” in glittering blue? Kara grabs the ends of it and hangs it up anyway.

We’ll Miss You doesn't even begin to cover Kara’s feelings about Lena’s departure and oncoming absence.

But then again, this isn’t about her.

The door buzzes before Kara can spiral down her blackhole again.

Andrea comes in through the door with a bottle of champagne, which she hands off to Kara along with her coat. Kara fumbles after Andrea.

This isn’t CatCo! I’m not your employee! And champagne? Really? What is there to celebrate?

Lena arrives shortly after and streamers are let out. They make in-jokes and everyone’s laughing and Alex keeps telling Lena to bring home ‘some of the good stuff’ and Brainy keeps asking if he’s allowed to tinker with Lena’s projects while she's away, and Nia’s handing Lena an old film camera, “Document everything for me? Alright?" and Kara’s trying, she really, really is.

Even though she can’t understand how all of them are happy and smiling at the thought of Lena leaving them.

She doesn’t even notice what she’s doing till she’s bracing herself for take-off out in Lena’s balcony, when a hand lands on her wrist.

“Hey.” Lena anchors her back to the ground. It’s a mistake to turn and meet Lena’s eyes.

“Stay? Please?” Lena asks.

Unfair, Kara thinks again. It’s unfair that she gets to ask that.

******

Kara stays.

She stays till the lights are off, the blankets drawn and Lena’s snoring in her arms.

She’s eyeing the suitcase at the corner of the room.

I forgive you, she thinks, I forgive you for taking my heart in the suitcase you packed.

She didn’t even know it was trapped inside till Lena’s zipping everything up and Kara couldn’t breathe.

“Please, please, don’t go,” she pleads into the dark. .

Lena shifts, mumbles incoherently and burrows deeper into Kara.

******

The runway is shimmering after the early morning drizzle, and Lena Luthor looks like someone from a magazine, standing there in her velvet coat and aviators. There’s only the two of them, and there’s a smug pride in Kara about the fact that Lena didn’t want anybody here but her.

She’s leaving today. In a few hours, they’ll be on different continents. Kara wouldn’t be able to trace her heartbeat anymore. Lena made her promise not to chase the plane. She’s still pretty bummed about that.

“You know I’m gonna call you everyday, right?” Kara mutters in her ear, arms wrapped tight around Lena.

“I wouldn’t expect anything less from Kara Danvers.” Lena squeezes back, before pulling away.

“G-good.”

“Well, this is my ride,” Lena tells her, gestures to the jet behind her. “This is goodbye then.”

“For now.” Kara insists.

“For now.” Lena confirms, “Goodbye, for now.”

She turns to go but Kara can’t-

“Lena, wait.”

She tugs on Lena’s hand and she comes back to her willingly. Before Kara loses the nerve, she presses into Lena’s lips. She cups her face gently, feels the warmth of the sun on her cheeks, feels the moment Lena’s brain catches up to what’s happening.

It doesn’t taste like goodbye, Kara realizes. It tastes like a promise of something more.

“What was that for?” Lena breathes out, Kara can hear their hearts hammering in sync.

“Your reason to come back home.”

[special shoutout to @mssirey who gave great writing advice to this poor hapless writer（〃｀ 3′〃）i kith u on the forehead. ]