#they had those great moments in TOS

[maeraevokaya]

*long sigh*

[filmsmakkari]

the tale of a princess and her fair lady

rhaenyra targaryen x velaryon!reader

Summary: The daughter of House Velaryon makes a promise to her princess

CW: None!

A/N- I have not written and published a fanfiction since I was 14... bare with and pray for me.

The chamber was silent as a young girl with silver hair knelt before hundreds of candles beneath the stained-glass windows of the starry sept. Though she had never been a believer in gods and myths before, her love and worry filled her so deeply at present that she was brought to her knees in prayer.

Lady (Y/N) of House Velaryon had been in love with Princess Rhaenyra of House Targaryen for the better half of a year. They’d known each other since childhood and had always been quite close. Being the only two daughters of the great Valyrian houses in the Red Keep, they’d always felt that no one could understand them as well as each other. Their relationship, which had always toed the line between platonic and romantic, had turned into an unadulterated love affair the day Rhaenyra realized that her disdain for marriage to a man had never truly been about marriage, but more so the man.

Ever since, (Y/N) and Rhaenyra had been living in pure bliss, catching each other’s eye, walking with linked arms in public, and worshiping each other’s bodies during those private moments brought on by the cover of night. In recent days, however, the girls have been slightly at odds with each other, as (Y/N)’s parents have posed a potential marriage between Lady (Y/N) and King Viserys to strengthen the realm. Rhaenyra had hardly been able to look at her lover as she could soon become her stepmother, and she didn’t want it to be more painful by prolonging their relationship until the moment (Y/N) stood at the altar.

On this day, the 13th of the eighth moon, the princess had taken a most dangerous risk in flying to her family’s seat of power, Dragonstone, to subdue her wretched uncle Daemon, who had been squatting there for a year and who had just stolen a dragon egg for his unborn bastard child. (Y/N) had gotten wind of these plans and miraculously arrived at the dragonpit just before Rhaenyra took flight. (Y/N) had implored her princess to be safe, telling her that she would not know what to do if anything happened to her. Rhaenyra, overcome by the love and emotion she had been repressing, could not think of anything else to do but cup (Y/N)'s cheeks and pull her into a kiss. (Y/N)'s eyes widened in shock for a moment, but she quickly got over it, placing her hand on Rhaenyra’s cheek and wrapping her free arm around her waist.

How lovely that kiss was, (Y/N) sighed, remembering it. Rhaenyra had left after their lips broke, and (Y/N) had been in the sept worrying ever since. Eyes closed, she murmured promises to the seven that she would never sin again if Rhaenyra was protected.

Upon hearing a familiar voice softly calling her name, (Y/N)’s eyes fluttered open. She quickly turned her head to see none other than Rhaenyra Targaryen. Her princess. The purest love in her life. Her everything.

(Y/N) ran to her lover, immediately cupping her face and kissing her fiercely. Rhaenyra met (Y/N) with the same passion, grabbing her tightly by her waist and pulling her closer. 

Two dragons burning together under the midnight sky. 

The kiss communicated everything they had been too afraid to say. “I’m sorry.” “I miss you.” “I need you.” “I love you.”

The two girls finally broke apart for air, giggling shyly in the throes of their young love. 

Suddenly serious, Rhaenyra looked deeply into (Y/N)’s eyes. A pure shade of violet only found in those with the true blood of Old Valyria, with little flecks of blue- a trait passed down from her seafaring ancestors. She then scanned (Y/N)’s entire body, her shimmering silver hair, braided at the top, loosening into long coils past her backside—the curves of her breasts and hips, the softness of her hands, and the way her brown skin shone in the moonlight.

“A true Valyrian goddess, you are,” she said.

(Y/N) looked down shyly at the compliment. Rhaenyra lifted (Y/N)’s chin with her finger and stepped closer, leaning her forehead against hers. A moment of sweetness and intimacy. 

“Kivio naejot sagon rūsīr issa va moriot,” Rhaenyra said quietly. “Dōrī jorrāelagon mirre tolie hae ao jorrāelagon issa.”

Swear to be with me always. Never love any other as you love me.

(Y/N) exhaled. “Oh, issa dārilaros. Nyke kivio, jaehossi uēpossi arlȳssī."

Oh, my princess. I swear, by the old gods and the new.

[dduane]

I just read the part where Kirk experiences the Enterprise's point of view in The Wounded Sky to someone else, where she sees the crew as children she is training up to the Great Desire of exploration for exploration's sake, especially Jim. His reaction, essentially: "That was really pretty. ....And then he blows her up."

I hadn't thought about that before! I checked the copyright date, and it looks like The Wounded Sky came out a year before The Search for Spock, so you were writing without knowing that sacrifice would eventually happen.

How did you feel about that? Do you wish that writing decision had been made differently? (If, as a Trek writer, you're allowed to comment on other Trek writers' choices!)

You know, I tend not to think a whole lot about such issues. First of all, because (in the long run) it gets you nowhere in particular that's useful. And secondly, because it's not a thing that, as a Trek writer in any medium except film, you have the slightest power to change.

Now, at this end of time I think we can safely say that no one's going to hire me on to write a Trek film. And also that no one at that end of the creative spectrum is going to pay the slightest attention to anything I say, either. Both of those situations are just What's So, and neither of them bothers me. (Since I have universes of my own to manage at the moment, and that's where my attention properly lies.) So as regards my opinions about other writers' work, I'm pretty much off the hook.

If I had been on screenwriting duty for that film, would there be things I'd have wanted to do differently? Hell yeah. From the premise up. But the important thing here is: would those things necessarily have worked better on the screen / with the audience? Impossible to tell. And speaking as someone repeatedly given permission to work in someone's universe, the main thing to be aware of is the expectation that your chief responsibility is to do what best serves the characters and the IP of which they're part. (There's a post over at Out of Ambit with a lot more of my thoughts on the subject:)

The other thing to remember is that, though I've worn the Canonical Hat in my time, novel work is by definition non-canonical. Doing it, you are at all times working with the understanding that the licensor rarely views your work as anything better than a corporate side hustle—a way for the IP to make some cash on the side—and will ignore you and the stuff you've created unless given pressing reasons to do otherwise. (Such as when they might make some unexpected money off it... at which point you remind yourself as forcibly as necessary that what you did is Work For Hire; they own it, lock, stock and barrel, and you should not realistically expect to be given any credit.)

And, if you understand the rules and enjoy the work enough, all of this is okay. The reward is not in making a lot of money doing it, or even in having aspects of your work openly assumed into canon. The reward lies in being allowed to contribute to a given universe in public (and, yeah, getting paid for it by the licensor). It's not payback: it's payforward. And you're left an astonishing amount of freedom to bring your vision to that universe. (Sometimes... as one colleague has McCoy say... you have to be "very, very careful" to get away with it. But it can be done.)

The truth is that even in the 1980s, I was sharing this level of playing-in-a-universe with a goodish cohort of editors and writers: a big roomful at least. Now I'm sharing it (retroactively speaking) with hundreds of them. With the best will in the world, even in the 80's the licensors (as regarded film) couldn't have realistically polled/listened to all of us regarding our creative opinions about the screenplay end of things. As for what that'd look like nowadays... I'll leave you to your own deductions. 😏

Anyway, thanks for the question. It's always nice to know that there are people who want to know what you think. 😊

[myfeetrcolddd]

Avoidance

She had a problem. A problem by the name of Theodore Nott.

The two had been friends for years, since they both met on the train in their first year, even after she had been sorted in Ravenclaw rather than Slytherin like him.

But for the last year or so things had shifted between the two. A tension had wrapped itself around the pair of friends, lingering gazes and touches, interactions that toed the line between friendly teasing and flirting.

It was confusing to say the least, because while she had been sure of her feelings for her friend she was unsure of how he felt towards her.

Theo would be borderline flirting with her one moment, being far more touchy than a best friend ought to be and being far more protective, then the next moment he was chatting up a new girl before disappearing into a broom closest or his dorm.

Confused and hurt over what was happening she decided to put up boundaries, close herself off a little, maybe then she'd rid herself of these new found feelings for her best friend.

Though this was all easier said than done.

Walking into the great hall she made her way over to the Slytherin table, but instead of taking her usual seat pressed up against Theos side she sat between Enzo and Pansy, who welcomed her confused smiles but smiles nonetheless.

"Morning." She smiled to the group and they all greeted her back.

Theo had brushed this off, he couldn't expect her to sit beside him for every meal. But he found himself hating the way she had decided not to sit beside him anyway.

When she had finished her breakfast she excused herself from the table, and Theo did too, because they always left together and would walk around together before actually getting to class.

When he was finally beside her he reached for her hand to hold, something they always did, no matter what. But she evaded the touch, clasping her hands together in front of her.

He looked at her confused once again, but shrugged it off, because everyone has their off days.

They talked like they always did, conversation flowing easily between the both of them but Theo couldn't stop his hand from twitching with the need to grasp something, but since she wasn't going to hold his hand he decided standing as close as possible would have to suffice.

This she had allowed, because despite trying with all her might she couldn't deny that she missed his closeness. It was weird not to have him so close, but she had to do this because whenever he was so close she found herself pretending they were dating.

She almost forgot they were only friends a few times, almost because every time someone would say they looked like a "lovely couple" or anything along those lines Theodore would spend the next ten minutes explaining how they were only friends and how he basically saw her as a sister.

In class Theo had scooted his chair as close to her as possible, because that's just what he always did, and then he tried to put his arm around her chair like he always did, but instead of meeting his chair in the middle she stayed put, and instead of leaning back into his arm she sat as straight as possible, making sure her back wouldn't touch his arm. And their thighs that were normally pressed together seemed an ocean apart to him.

Theo frowned once more, even more confused as to what was happening to his best friend.

The rest of the day had went like this. With her avoiding any physical contact that wasn't needed and not flirting back with him, or not doing what she considered flirting back with him. She wasn't sure if Theo even knew he was flirting with her at this point.

After the last class of the day ended they had to split, Theodore went off to Quidditch practice while she had gone with Pansy down to the Slytherin common room.

While the two girls had sat on one of the many sofas in front of one fo the many fireplaces Y/N filled Pansy in on how she had been feeling, and her plan.

Pansy laughed loudly at what Y/N had said, covering her mouth to muffle it slightly, "I-I'm sorry, but is that why he's had this small frown on his face all day?" She asks and the Ravenclaw girl rolls her eyes fondly but nods her head. "You, Y/N L/N, are a mastermind."

"I know." She grinned, shrugging, earning another laugh from Pansy.

As if summoned Theodore showed up, standing behind the couch, "Ladies." He said smoothly as the two girls turned around to face him, though he greeted them both he kept his eyes on the one who was avoiding his touch.

"Hi Theodore." Pansy said with a slight smirk, not missing the way he hadn't taken his eyes off of the Ravenclaw girl once. Though that wasn't anything new. It seemed as though Theo could never quite taker her eyes off the girl, it was a surprise said girl hadn't noticed that.

"Hey Teddy." She smiled up at him, using the nickname for the first time today.

Theo felt something swell in his chest at the sound, he couldn't help it. Like he couldn't help the grin that spread across his face at the word.

He hoped over the back of the couch and slid into the seat right next to the girl. Wrapping one arm around her shoulder and the other around her middle in an effort to pull her impossibly closer to him.

While Pansy tried not to laugh out loud at Y/N flustered and startled face Theo had successfully sat his best friend practically on his lap.

Y/N cleared her throat and peeled Theos hands off her then stood, "Well-" She started, avoiding eye contact with Theo who had such a deep set frown Pansy was sure his face would freeze that way, "I think I'll get going now. I'll see you two at dinner!"

Then she scurried out of the snake pit as fast as she could and up to her own dorm.

Theodore sat there, frozen and confused. "What the fuck." He said, then he turned to Pansy, "D'you know what that was about?"

Pansy, who had a poorly hidden grin on her face, shrugged feigning ignorance. "Nope!" Theo glared at her but her resolve kept up so he huffed in annoyance before storming up to his dorm.

He endured three days of what he now considers his personal hell and it's be a lie if anyone at Hogwarts said they didn't notice.

Actually, it was hard not to notice. Things had changed for Theo, because sometimes Y/N wouldn't even eat at the Slytherin table anymore, and if she did she sat beside Pansy and someone-anyone- other than him. She no longer walked with him to class and he barely sat beside her in class.

Theo would walk to class like he wanted to set the whole castle on fire, and if he saw that his usual seat beside his beloved best friend was taken he'd sit behind them and glare lasers into the back of the poor students head.

And while almost every other student was scarred to even breathe the wrong way around the boy his friends found the entire thing incredibly amusing. Especially since Pansy had filled them all in on Y/N's behalf.

The Ravenclaw girl was sitting outside on the fourth day, enjoying the sun by herself as she sat on a bench and read her new book. The spot had nothing blocking the sun from her, not even clouds.

But then a large shadow came over her. She looked up to see a fuming Theodore with dark circles under his eyes and his normally messy hair was messier than usual, as though he had been tossing and turning all night then running his hand through it countless times.

Seeing him like this was no good. It just made her feel bad for putting a distance between them. Worst part was that it didn't work. She still had feelings for him and she was still longing for something more with him.

She opens her mouth to greet him but doesn't get the chance to get the first syllable out when he interrupts her, "Why've you been avoiding me?" He demands, his voice rougher and raspier than usual.

"I-" she huffed out a breath, she supposed there was no time like the present, and maybe confessing and rejection would help her get over him, "Because I like you Theo, and with you being all touchy then hooking up or flirty with some other girl. It confused me and I thought putting some space between us would help me get over you."

Theo went silent. He didn't know what to say, he didn't want to reject her, but he didn't know if he liked her back. She took his silence as an answer and sucked in a breath.

She had known being rejected would hurt, but she didn't think it would hurt that badly. She smiled up at him and tried her best not to cry. Closing her book she stood, "Nice talking to you Theo." She said before walking away and letting the tears fall.

She didn't go to breakfast the following morning, she didn't go to any classes, or any meals. Theo missed her presence entirely, because even though while she had put distance between the he could still see her, but now she wasn't there.

That night Theo realized something.

He realized he was an oblivious idiot. Because he hadn't treated Y/N as a best friend in years, instead he's been treating her like she was his girlfriend. And he'd seen her as his girlfriend, which was probably why he always thought of her when she wasn't around. Why when he was with another girl it was her he was thinking of, her he found himself wishing he were doing these things to.

Immediately he jumped out of bed, putting on shoes before he ran out of the Slytherin common room and up to Ravenclaw tower.

Answering the riddle with ease he bounded up the stairs to her dorm three at a time. By the time he was at her door he was breathless and red cheeked. He knocked gently and she answered right away.

She frowned looking up at the brown haired boy who lacked a shirt and was only wearing a pair of sweat pants and runner, "Teddy what are you-"

Theo pulled her by the waist and held her flush against him. Leaning down he kissed her, she froze, not sure what to do before she realized she was kissing him back.

uh don't really like this, go lazy with the ending.

sorry

[misteria247]

Okay but like Timmy clinging to his friends whenever he's uneasy, Danny being one of his major go tos. Like-

The first time Timmy does it is when he's still 10 and Danny's 14. Things aren't looking great, Cosmo and Wanda are out of commission from using all their magic to protect the two boys. Danny's lost in his head. Trying not to crack under pressure because the adults can't take the lead at the moment. And as his thoughts are going a mile a minute he suddenly feels it.

A tiny, trembling hand gripping the sleeve of his ghost suit.

Danny's glowing green eyes snap downwards to see who's grabbing him only to see the top of a pink hat and fluffy brown hair. Timmy hasn't looked up at Danny, his blue eyes flickering around for a possible threat. A gleam of unease shining in them. His hand is clinging so tightly to Danny's sleeve it's almost like it's attached. His frame which is usually so full of confidence and mischief and bravery is now small like. And it's this sight that makes it really obvious to Danny Fenton that Timmy Turner, the boy with the childlike wonder and care free spirit, is in reality a child.

And it hits him hard, the reality of this 10 year old fighting in battles like this. Timmy's not supposed to be apart of something like this. To fight in a fight that could end up killing him. He's a kid, who's still afraid of stuff like the boogeyman and who believes in Santa Clause and the Easter Bunny and all that shit. And yet here he was, next to Danny in a fight to save their worlds, giving it his all like a grown adult and fooling everyone with how well he does it. But now with his fairies down and his back against the wall his act has begun to crack and like any child whose becoming overwhelmed he unintentionally latched onto Danny.

It's this fact and the sight of it that puts Danny back into action. That clears his thoughts and makes him focus more on the situation rather than the other factors. He doesn't mention Timmy's tight grip, instead using his other hand to grip Timmy's shoulder and give it a firm but gentle squeeze. An effort to help ground the boy. He keeps his voice low when he talks to Timmy. Asking him questions about the place their in which is apart of Timmy's dimension. All the while keeping that reassuring grip on his tiny shoulder. Before Danny knows it, Timmy's grip slowly loosens, not completely letting go but giving him enough wiggle room to get the blood flowing back into his arm. Once Timmy's back with him, it's glaringly obvious that the boy's embarrassed. His stance tense as he waits for the teen to make a sarcastic comment or nasty jab at him.

But to Timmy's surprise, Danny doesn't say anything. The ghost acts completely naturally, pretending that the moment of Timmy giving into the feelings he's felt beneath the usual front had never happened. He doesn't mention that Timmy's hand is still holding his suit sleeve, nor does he mention how close Timmy's gotten to him. Instead opting to make a plan for attack, including Timmy in them to help him focus. Once things are settled and the teams reunited and everything's saved, Danny thinks that's the last of it.

But he's wrong.

For the next several years, in moments where things are bleak and terrifying or when emotions are strung high or rubbed raw, Danny finds himself becoming the anchor for Timmy. It's almost as if that one moment had been a silent okay for Timmy to rely on him. To let the ghost see past the first barrier that the magic user keeps up. And every time Danny never says a thing, never grows annoyed with Timmy's touches or closeness in those moments. Having learned from watching the youngest member interact with his parents that him doing this was a natural thing when he was overwhelmed by everything. Even as Timmy, now 16 and Danny a grown adult in his 20s, Danny just doesn't have the heart or will or want to stop Timmy from seeking him out for comfort.

Perhaps it's a bit selfish, but Danny likes being a safe space for Timmy to go to. He likes that Timmy's comfortable enough to trust Danny, the boy who's half alive and half dead. Likes that instead of unease or fear or mistrust that there's someone out there who doesn't feel that around him. So he never probes, afraid of shattering this trust between them. So when Timmy one day tells him-

"You know.....out of everyone here, you're the I feel the most secure and safe around. I mean I love the others and trust them with my life and my parents are one of the best things in my life. But......with you it's different. It's like.....you get me in a way that no one else can."

And Danny he's just........stunned when he hears this and he completely understands exactly where Timmy's coming from. He completely gets what the buck tooth teenager is trying to express. Because Danny feels the exact same way. In a single moment, they'd become the other's safe space. The sibling that the other didn't even realize they needed till a small 10 year old boy gripped a 14 year old boy's sleeve all those years ago. And Danny he just gives Timmy this knowing stare, before playfully messing up the boy's hair. Making him squawk in displeasure and swat at the older man and as they settle into their normal quips and sarcastic remarks towards one another, there's an air of contentment and peace between them. Both of them reassured that they'd always have each other.

[semisgroupie]

KUNIGAMI + MATING PRESS

kunigami rensuke x fem. reader

wc: 1.4k

warnings: jealous kunigami, possessive kunigami, rough sex, breeding, unprotected sex, creampie, biting, clothes ripping (he’s an impatient man, what can I say?), size kink (kinda), mating press, hints at babytrapping, light choking, hint at multiple rounds

synopsis: he just wants everyone to know you’re his

a/n: part of the bllk boys and their favorite position anthology (will make a masterlist soon)

Kunigami would never refer to himself as the jealous type. No, not jealous at all.

He just hates the way other people eye you whenever you two are out. He hates the way people want what’s his. It’s as if the necklace adorning your neck with his initials never really existed or if people couldn’t see how his arm was always around you. It’s not like he could always pull you in to have an intense makeout session (even though he had done it plenty of times). There was just something more that he needed to do, he needed the coup de grâce.

As he sat to really think it over, it finally struck him.

Breeding.

If he fucked you full of his cum and bred you then he wouldn’t have to worry about the lingering eyes, the stupid muttered comments, everything that pissed him off. But after some more thought he had to think of something more.

He had to think of the perfect position where he could breed you. Every time you two had sex, he would fill you with cum but it wasn’t enough. In every position he tried, his cum would just end up on the bed sheets as it leaked out. So he just had to find the perfect position. He looked through all the positions that could be good, missionary was perfect but you leaked out so much cum. Riding him was really good too but by the time you both woke up, there was a puddle of all the cum that ended up leaking out on the sheets. Doggy was one of his go-tos but it posed the same problems as all the other positions.

Then he stumbled upon a position that caught his eye. “Mating press?” He thought it was just a position popularized by all those hentai clips he caught Raichi watching when they used to live together. That would be a great position. He could keep you up and make sure all of his potent seed filled you up. Fuck, he could feel himself getting hard at the thought of it.

You two had just come back from a skillfully planned date night. He decided to wine and dine you and while you two were out he could feel the pit of his stomach churn whenever someone stared at you for too long. It just made him want to ravage you right then and there, make everyone watch as he fucked you full of cum and bred you like you deserved. But he had to wait, just wait until you were in the privacy of your bedroom.

Once you two were inside he pulled you into your shared bedroom and his hands were all over you, almost ripping off the dress you wore for date night. “Ren baby, the zipper is in the back. This is my favorite dress, you don’t want to ruin it do you?” You brought his hand to your back where the zipper was and he quickly brought it down so your dress could pool at your ankles.

He quickly took your bra off and pushed you onto the bed, “takin’ too long.” He mumbled as his hands went to undo his belt and he dropped his slacks so they looked at his ankles then turned his attention to you. He forced your legs open and his hands went straight to your panties, tearing the flimsy fabric in one swift movement. Just as you opened your mouth to protest the air was taken right out of your lungs.

He forced your knees to your chest and lined his cock with your entrance, he dropped his head and spit on it then pushed it inside you. “Fuck!” That was all that could leave you at the moment, not the complaint you quickly pushed to the darkest corners of your mind. He leaned down and kept a bruising grip on the backs of your knees as he bottomed out. “I don’t need you to say a fucking thing besides my name and how good you feel. I want my name to be imprinted in your brain, you don’t need to think of a single thing but that. Hell, I don’t even think you’ll be able to form a coherent thought by the time I’m done with you but you can try.”

He tightened his grip just a little more as he put more of his weight on you, then he started thrusting. His thrusts felt so heavy, his hips snapped into yours and you felt like you could feel the tip of his cock in your throat. You could barely gather your thoughts as he pounded you with animalistic thrusts. He dropped his head and his mouth explored your chest, licking, sucking and biting whatever piece of flesh he could get his mouth on.

The wet and loud smacks of his hips against yours filled your ears, practically animalistic growls and groans left your boyfriend’s mouth. “You’re all mine got that? I’m gonna breed you to prove it. You don’t even understand what builds in my chest whenever I see someone eyeing what’s mine. Once you’re round and full with my seed, no one will question if you’re mine, there will be no second doubts or second guesses. They’ll know I’m the one who fucked you full of cum and if it doesn’t work this time, then I’ll put you right into this position every single day and fuck you full of my cum over and over again. I won’t fucking stop until you’re all round and swollen with my child, whether you like it or not. Got that?”

He moved one hand from the back of your knee to grip your face and forced you to make eye contact with him when he didn’t get the response he wanted. “Answer me.” He snapped his hips into yours harder, the faint jingling of your anklet could be heard with the wet sounds of his cock filling your pussy. You tried to gather your thoughts, trying to understand what he wanted to hear from you so you just did what you thought would be the right thing and nodded. “Good girl.” He loosened his grip on your face and moved his hand down to rub your clit while he thrusted.

“I’ll make sure you’ll never forget who you belong to, you’ll never forget that you’re mine. You’re mine, all fucking mine.” He continued thrusting and soon he felt all the telltale signs that your orgasm was nearing, you gripped his cock in a vice grip and your legs twitched and trembled. “Cmon my love, tell me who you belong to and you can cum. You can make a mess all over my cock and I’ll breed this fertile cunt. Just say who you belong to.”

Your heartbeat was pounding in your ears as the coil in your stomach tightened and tightened, getting closer and closer to the point where it was going to snap. “I’m yours Rensuke! I’m all yours! Please breed me!” He rubbed your clit faster which finally let the coil snap inside your belly. You cried out his name and your hands flew to his shoulders, digging your nails into the flesh and leaving your mark on him. He thrusted a few more times but your words were just enough to send him over that blissful edge. He bit down on the plush flesh of your tit and his hot cum flooded your pussy.

He kept his hips pressed against yours as he kept pumping more and more cum into you. His hands moved to under your hips to hold them up as his cock stopped twitching. He slowly pulled out and was very satisfied with the sight in front of him. As his eyes moved to your pussy, he saw how most of his cum stayed inside you while your pussy clenched around nothing, like your body wanted this just as much as he did.

“Fuck baby, you look perfect like this. You’ll need to get used to staying in this position because this is the only way I’ll be fucking you from here on out but for now, catch your breath. I haven’t emptied my balls in you yet and I don’t plan on stopping until I’m 100% sure you’ll be bred.”

Kunigami just reassured himself that he wasn’t a possessive or jealous guy, he just needed to make sure that no one would eye what’s his.

taglist: @litepowee @satmitsuplanet @benkeibear

[hanjisungs-bigtittyg0thgf]

Kinktober Day 23: Somnophilia with Mingi

Trigger warnings: n/a

Content warnings: names (baby), oral (f receiving), somnophilia (well yeah)

Summary: Your boyfriend just can’t help himself when he comes home to you napping in nothing more than his oversized hoodie.

Word count: 1k

A/N: hi all 🥰 after much consideration, i’ve decided to repost my kinktober 2022 stories. i had a great time writing these a couple years ago and want to share them again now that it’s been a while and i’ve had time to fall in love with them again. i hope you all enjoy! and by all means, feel free to send a message or comment here if you’d like to be part of the new tag list!

Tags: @bahng-chrizz

Smut below the cut

You’d always found it endearing how much Mingi seemed to enjoy watching over you as you slept. He was big and warm and strong and you felt protected so you weren’t going to complain when you woke up to him looking at you with hearts in his eyes, telling you how pretty and peaceful you looked. You often woke up to soft touches as he fixed your hair or showered you with kisses.

He was embarrassed the first time you woke up and caught him staring but the way your eyes crinkled when you smiled up at him put his mind at ease. After that, he stopped trying to hide his fascination with your sleeping form, though he’d yet to admit it went beyond the desire to admire you. Something about you drove him mad and every time he saw you sleeping in those comfy little shorts you loved so much, he had to fight to keep his hands to himself.

He’d lose that battle this time though.

When you didn’t meet him at the door, your boyfriend figured you were taking a nap. If he had to guess your three favorite things, he would say naps, him, and fluffy blankets - in no particular order, of course. He was far from surprised to see you sprawled out on the couch, throw pillow clutched to your chest while one leg rested on the back of the couch. You'd be self conscious if you could see yourself but he found it endearing. No, what surprised him was what you were wearing.

He toed his shoes off and made his way across the room, half-hard almost instantly at the sight of you in your favorite hoodie of his and a light pink pair of panties and nothing more. He wasn’t sure if he could contain himself any longer. He’d thought far too many times about the things he could do to you while you slept. To him, your resting state was breathtaking and inherently erotic and he wanted to ruin you.

He carefully knelt between your legs and placed his large hands on your knees, sliding them up your thighs and giving a gentle squeeze. He watched your face as he began to knead the supple flesh of your thighs, warm hands against your cool skin causing chill bumps to raise across your entire body. You turned your head to face the back of the sofa and made a small sound as he disturbed your sleep but didn’t wake.

He let out a soft huff of laughter, his expression fond as he turned to press his lips to your calf that rested on the back of the couch. His lips trailed higher, peppering chaste kisses up the length of your leg until he was forced to settle in an awkward position so his face was level with your sex. He glanced back up at your face, making sure he wasn’t truly disturbing you, and placed a kiss on the front of your panties.

He began to plant kisses all over your clothed pussy, looking back up at your face after each one. He was always tender like that, treating you with great care even when you wanted him to ruin you. His eyelids fluttered as he leaned in and inhaled your scent, a low groan rumbling in his chest. His long, slender fingers tugged your panties to the side and his mouth watered at the sight. His teasing touches had worked you up in your sleep and your panties were moments away from being flooded with your arousal.

He wanted to dive right in but took a moment to run a finger along your slit, pausing when you whined and shifted. Your body instinctively chased after the stimulation and your hips wiggled slightly when the tip of his tongue ghosted over your clit. He continued teasing you like this despite how torturous it was to him, determined to have you writhing even in your slumber.

It didn’t take long for him to get his way. You couldn’t seem to hold still and eventually he had to pin you down so he could properly eat you out. His tongue worked wonders on you, occasionally plunging deep inside you and rhythmically flicking back and forth over your clit whenever he sucked on your pussy. You’d always loved his enthusiasm when going down on you and had even given him the playful title Certified Pussy Addict - a name he was very proud of despite knowing you weren’t actually going to call him that except in a mocking way.

Your face screwed up with pleasure as his perfect fingers slid into you and immediately curled, pressing against your g-spot. Had you been awake, you would’ve offered up a pathetic cry intended to be praise. Instead, you made another noise and turned your head to the side. You got louder as you got closer to the edge - and to regaining consciousness - until you could take no more and your back arched from the couch as your boyfriend roused you from your slumber.

The pillow slipped out of your grasp and toppled onto the floor as one hand flew to your mouth. “Mingi, what the fuck?” You whimpered, finally waking up as waves of liquid bliss crashed over you. You had no control over the way your muscles contracted and instinctively closed your legs around his head as he helped you ride out your orgasm.

He didn’t stop lapping at your dripping cunt until your legs relaxed around his head. When you did release him, he removed his fingers from you so excruciatingly slowly and teasingly that you found yourself wanting more despite having just come down from your high. He made a show of sucking his fingers clean of your sweet release and grinned up at you as he fixed your panties.

“I couldn’t help myself, baby. You looked so good, all relaxed and vulnerable in nothing but my hoodie.” He smirked, shrugging as he sat up between your legs. You couldn’t formulate a proper response and opted instead to pull him down for a desperate kiss, rocking your hips against his.

“So fuck me like this then.” You whispered, knowing he wouldn’t refuse. You both needed it after what you just woke up to and he was happy to give it to you.

“Gladly, baby.” He whispered back before attacking your neck with kisses.

[j-onedrabbles]

Just a heads up this is kinda sad (unfortunately a friend of mine was in a similar situation). It's alright if you don't wanna write it, I just thought l'd ask be of how talented you are🤭🩵. Poly skz + reader, or just Minsung or Hyunlix if you want, totally up to you. Reader relatively new to the relationship and is trying their best to be the best partner to all parties, but doesn't feel like it's being returned. They feel like skz (or whichever ship you choose is) too into each other and not them, like the shiny new toy isn't exciting anymore. One night, after everyone goes to sleep, reader gets their things and leaves without saying anything. If you're not comfortable with writing it, that's ok!🩵

✧   PAIRING: HYUNJIN X GN!READER X FELIX ✧   CW: ANGST, FLUFF IF YOU SQUINT, FEELINGS OF NOT BEING LOVED, THIRD WHEEL MENTIONS, SHORT BLURB, OPEN ENDING ✧   WC: 0.5K ✧   NOTE: you think im talented 🥹🩵🩵 and im so sorry your friend went through that. i had an old cosplay friend who was in a situation like that as well so i’d hear about it a bit

     Y/n tried. They tried as hard as they could in the relationship. But entering an already established relationship was hard. Starting to date two people who already had a history together felt, weird? Almost like, sometimes you were intruding on the other two in the relaetionship.

     The start of it was great. Y/n had met Hyunjin first and the two hit it off and he had mentioned them to Felix. Meeting Felix was a nice warm fuzzy feeling the moment he smiled at them. After a few months, the two boys asked Y/n out. Promising equal love. But three-way love was difficult.

     Because of work, Hyunjin and Felix both spent a lot more time together than Y/n with just one of them. It was a little unfair, maybe a lot.They still showed Y/n the same amount of love they gave each other, good morning kisses, cuddling all the time, sleeping together, etc. But that didn’t stop those thoughts from coming in.

      Maybe it was just all just one-sided to begin with. The two men were happy well before Y/n entered the picture; even though they both tried their hardest to wash the worries they had away. But all they did was give them words. Words that started to barely mean anything. Yeah, they were busy, but it just felt like Y/n was left out. Kisses, hugs, and cuddles weren’t enough anymore.

     The two didn’t really need them, right? Would they even notice if Y/n left? Would they even care?

     The thoughts swirled in their head for a week. It was when the two came home from a rough day at the company and just said good night Y/n figured it was time to go. They didn’t say anything, just texted a friend asking to stay with them for a few days. Once they agreed, she quietly grabbed as much as she could fit in a small bag while the two were passed out in each others arms.

     It hurt to look at the couple laying in the threes shared bed all by themselves, but when you don’t feel the same love you put out, you get out before you hurt yourself more. Y/n wiped a stray tear from under their eye and tip-toed out of the room. They closed the door and headed out of the home. Y/n took one look around the living area, not praying that one of them wakes up and walks out of the room asking where they were going, but making sure they had everything.

     Y/n sighed and closed the door, locking it and heading down to their car. The realization came once they got to their friends place. Crying on their coach till almost two or three in the morning. There weren’t enough words to describe that pain of being promised shared love and only receiving it when it was new and fun— if there was even words to describe that pain.

M. LIST ✧ TIP JAR

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© 2023 jonedrabbles. Please do not copy, translate, or republish my works anywhere.

[lizzy019]

𝐼'𝓁𝓁 𝐵𝑒 𝐻𝑜𝓂𝑒, 𝑀𝒶𝓂𝒶.

David “Hesh” Walker x Fem!Reader [Reader is engaged with David]

cw -> slightest breeding kink, fluffy otherwise, some sad stuff to start

Word Count -> 1.4K

Ovulating for David, the manliest man <3

Home alone, 12 at night, and only the sounds of rain and cars were keeping you awake. How pitiful it must’ve looked to see a woman crying just because she’s lonely.

The burn in your heart and the ache in your head made you cry hard, what if David didn’t come home like he promised? You’d told him so many times over, “Don’t promise me things you’re not certain you can keep.”

Sniffing quietly in the empty room asides yourself, you find solace in wearing his shirt and resting on his side of the bed. Months have gone by without him, and you were worried another soldier would come to visit instead of David with a belonging of his like an arm or his helmet.

You’d spent hours crying, and eventually you’d fallen asleep from all the fears nagging and clawing at your already exhausted mind.

Everything dulled to silence and darkness once your mind shut off in exhaustion.

All while David and Riley tip-toed into the shared condo of yours to greet you as usual. Oblivious to the fact that you were sleeping, Riley sniffed his way to your bedroom door, rattled it open and bolted to your mattress only to jump and shower you in licks.

Upon the moist feeling and kicks being shoved to your body, you inevitably wake up and realize that it’s Riley who’s licking all your skincare off.

This has you wake up almost instantly, hands rubbing Riley’s back in greeting as you chuckled softly. 

“Stop bombarding me in kisses, Riley. I’m tired.. Where’s David?” You ask the pup drowsily, watching as he runs off to retrieve his owner.

You waited only a few minutes before the thudding of David’s work boots alerted you of his closeness. You were giddy.

And as soon as you could’ve thought it, he was shooing Riley to bed in front of your bedroom’s door as handsome as ever. Regardless of the dirt and grime collected on his clothes and skin.

Maybe it was the way his eyes fell on you, or maybe it was how he looked so handsome as he chucked his duffel bag to the side and took the softest steps forward to greet you.

There he was.

In all his great glory.

You didn’t hesitate to jump up from your seat on the bed and rush into his arms, your own holding his body so tightly you were sure his head would pop off like a champagne cork.

David’s muscular arms were clasped to your body as well, holding you just as tight as he almost shivered out a heavy breath. He was home, with you and his pup safely.

The urge to have you here and now after so many months away was clawing at him, he wanted to get you both bare bodied, to collide skin to skin and to make the love you both missed for so much time.

But David waited for you to escape the hug, smiling down at you when you finally did. 

His lips mashed against yours instantly, shoving you onto the bed behind you as his hands were quick to slide off your pajama pants and his own uniform’s pants.

“Missed you mama, missed you so much..” He murmured between kisses and breaths, pulling away only for a moment for you to take off your top and for him to take off his.

Soon, it was just how he liked it. Skin on skin collisions.

Your hands tangled in his chest hair, smiling at the cute brown curls before your hands came back to pull him in for a kiss again. More tongue action was added however.

Light moans were escaping you both, his fingers working your clit like you had all those nights he wasn’t with you. You were moaning just as you were when you thought of him.

You prepared yourself for his arrival to your entrance, moving to fix your position to grab a condom for him.

The urge to have you raw, put his baby into your fertile womb and grow a child together immediately took over, any sense of want for protection dissipate.

“Mama.. mama, I don’t want a condom. Please?” David asked so politely, hands shaking as they came to meet your waist.

You hesitated for a moment, really? He wanted to feel you raw for once? This new information gave you a small smile, putting the condom back in the bedside table’s droor before you nodded happily.

“Sure, baby. But if you get me pregnant, this damn baby’s yours.” You smiled, getting into the usual missionary position and teasingly wiggling your hips.

“That’s the point, mama. Wanna have a baby.” He smiled at your sweet hip wiggle, giving his cock a soft stroke before pressing up against your entrance.

The feeling of his tip just pressing in was congenial, almost heavenly before he fully thrusted his length deep into your achy core. Like a sword in a pedestal, he sheathed his weapon into your safety.

Moans reached new highs when the flat of his thumb came to massage at your clit, hands grasping his shoulders in an attempt to ground yourself. Walls clenching around him had him whining out too.

It was almost mind numbing how much pleasure you were receiving, even more than just physically. It was amazing knowing he was home and craving you as much as you did him.

Ecstasy was climbing up, lines of sweat building at your hairline as the room got warmer from all the movement. Regardless, the amount of pleasure being given to you was incredible.

“David- David, I’m gonna cum!” You cried out, legs moving to wrap around his hips as he smashed his mouth against yours.

Fingers moving to rub his overgrown military cut, you felt the cord in your stomach tightening and tightening. You were close, and you knew he could feel it. His lips pulled away for a second to capture your neck’s skin.

“Can feel it mama, you gonna bust?” He asked, smirking against your skin as he sped up a bit.

The gentlemanly part of him was forcing himself to hold on for you to release first, but he was close to letting go too.

“Come on, come on mama, I gotchu, you’re almost there.” His words were soft, hands finding anywhere to touch you to satisfy his urges.

His praising words had you almost edging, hands seizing his biceps as you held them tighter than your pussy could clench onto his cock.

Before you knew it, he placed one last kiss to your neck before you finished in totality just like he urged you to. Body tensing as release and pleasure swooped your body up to cloud nine, walls clenching sporadically before everything finally eased down.

Soon after, the warmth of David’s release filled you as well before he flopped on top of you to rest temporarily.

“...Wanna have a baby with me, mama?” He asked pleasantly, a soft chuckle escaping his lips as he gently pressed a kiss to your forehead in praise.

You couldn't help but smile as he said it, that pretty, toothy and happy grin coming across your lips had David’s heart doing spins.

“Yeah, I’d like a mini-us running around with Riley.” You smiled, gently scratching his scalp.

After your lovely reunion and the quick shower you two took to clean off the residue, you both were now in the comfort of your bed while David began explaining everything that he could tell you about on his mission.

“It was a bit nerve-wracking, that mission, I mean. Running from straight death itself and losing some good soldiers.. I mean, I see it often, but it doesn't get easier.” He vented very softly, moving to lay on his side and chuck an arm around you.

“But I’m home with my lovely fiancée, I think it was worth it. I just feel bad that my fellow deceased teammates’ families, friends and partners won’t ever see them again like how I come home and see you, yeah?”

The words were understandable, his concern was laudable, but his pain didn't stop there and you knew that.

To shut him up temporarily, you flipped onto your side as well and pressed the softest and sweetest kiss to his lips before rubbing the muscle of his neck.

“You’ve made it home, David. Reward yourself with some sleep, mh?” You smiled, hugging him close before whispering a “goodnight” and closing your eyes.

David looked at your peaceful expression and nodded, kissing the crown of your head before letting himself drift off too.

“G’night, mama.”

[leafs-lover]

Too Far Gone - Part Fifty Six

Warnings: Swearing, fluff, smut - fingering, cum play, dirty talk, maybe a slight voyeurism kink, interrupted sex, inadvertent orgasm deprivation, light degradation? I think that's it, let me know if I missed anything

Series Masterlist

Word Count: 6,000

Auston didn’t know when they went to bed. The curtains had been left open and the faint glow from the moon was filtering in, but he had to make good on that promise from the roof. And even then, he wasn’t done because they were both drenched in sweat, and there is something about warm beads of water cascading over his girlfriend’s chest that always ended with Auston on his knees.

Sure, it could be considered reckless to stay up that late given they have a three-year-old who has been known to barge in before the sun broke the horizon looking for breakfast. But what was Auston supposed to do, not celebrate the fact Tia finally admitted she loved him? They had talked about getting a puppy, having more kids, getting married, they planned their future, but hearing those words roll off her tongue cemented to him that it was real. As if those four years were nothing more than a long and hazy nightmare he finally awoke from.

When Auston did wake up around 9:20, he planned on quietly crawling out of bed, finding Taylour (he knew one of his friends was keeping him entertained for the time being) and wrangling his help to make her breakfast in bed. A simple gesture, one he had been deprived of for so long. It was his plan, and it was a great plan, then he saw the faint marks on her shoulders, the marks he left, and everything changed. All reason was long gone, and his primal instinct took over. If he could keep her there all day, he would.

“Aus.”

Her nails scratch along his broad shoulder and her body arches into him. Even though she is pulsing with oversensitivity, she doesn’t know if she’s had enough, if she ever will have enough.

“Babe –“ She gasps, sharply.

“What?” He grins, moustache tickling her ear.

“We gotta to get up.” He can tell she wants there to be weight behind the words, but her body is saying something completely different. “So much to do…”

“How am I supposed to get anything done when you’re naked in our bed?” Auston murmurs thickly against her jaw.

“I could ask you the same thing.”

The sheets are a mess. Pillows are on the floor. The stench of sex is heavy in the room.

“So...” His hands roam all over her body. He cups her breast, which somehow overflows in his big hands. “What’s on your list this morning?”

“Yoga.”

“Pretty sure we already did that.” Satisfaction curls on his lips.

“I want to finish up something I’ve been working on…” She trails off for a moment as he licks up her neck, tongue following the bite marks left the night before. “Have to check in with Becks…” Auston grins, the heat flaring behind her cheeks says that won’t happen anytime soon.

“What about fucking your boyfriend?” Auston’s fingers carve into the swollen flesh of her ass.

“I believe I did that already.” He moves his fingers around to her pussy lips and the inside of her thighs, and they are wet, absolutely drenched in their hot sticky mess. “That’s why we’re still in bed.”

“You should put it back on the list, maybe twice.” Auston’s mouth slowly begins to work its way down, first to her collarbone, then her breasts. As his warm tongue swirls around her sensitive nipple, her slick grazes over his member and a deep guttural groan erupts.

“Is that so?” She breathes out a laugh while tugging harshly on his curls.

“Yeah.” Two fingers once again find their way inside. Her body arks toward him and within a few seconds they begin to move. The disgusting slurp of her cunt fills the room as he thrusts them faster and faster. Her walls greedily grasp and hug his digits, never wanting to let him go. Her elbows give out and her body collapses into the bed, quickly and desperately clawing at the sheets.

Auston smirks and applies more pressure. His left hand grabs at her knee and tosses it over his shoulder, earning him a shriek from the deepest part of her diaphragm. Auston fucks his fingers back inside. Every stroke is precise, his knuckles crooked at the knuckle to create the perfect angle. “Can’t decide if I want to eat the cum out of you before I fill you back up.” Auston licks his bottom lip, his fingers massaging her g-spot. “Or if I should bury myself inside and make ya overflow…what do you think?”

“Fuck me.” Tia whispers to herself.

Auston chuckles, a little breathless. “I’m going to.” He circles his thumb around her clit, fingers rhythmically seeking her high. “You taste so good, can only dream of what we taste like together.”

Tia whimpers at the emptiness as Auston pulls his fingers out. He brings them up to her mouth, and without instruction Tia drops her jaw and wraps her lips around them. They both moan as she swirls her tongue around his digits, working to clean the mess. Quickly, he snaps his wrist and runs the saliva and cum coated fingers along her jaw. With a cocky brow raise, he shoves his tongue into her mouth.

“Better than I imagined.”

His hand moves to her hair, and she bites at her lower lip. He knows she washed her hair yesterday. He also knows she will scold him for this later. He just doesn’t care. He moves the head of his shaft down through her folds, allowing it to rest at the opening for just a second, then he buries himself deep inside her warmth.

He messily kisses her once again, taking the time to embrace the wetness that oozes out around his cock. He pulls his hips back, and right before he is about to drive back inside, her hands are on his shoulder trying to push him away.

“Stop.” Her eyes snap open, wide with fear. His brows contort with confusion, then he hears it. Little feet pattering down the hall, his playful giggle getting louder and louder with every step. They both knew they were pushing their luck going for round two, but like a moth to a flame, Auston couldn’t pull himself away.

“Taylour, come on bud, let’s go.” Fred’s voice calls, louder than normal trying to warn those on the other side.

The doorknob begins to jiggle. Tia’s breathing becomes frantic . The slow creak gets louder and louder, and Taylour’s voice enters the room. “I want to show them my trick.”

The more the door opens the more Tia’s face whitens. Auston scrambles off her and scours the floor for a shirt, pants, some piece of clothing to toss on before Taylour barrels in. But everything is everywhere, all he can find is the sheet which he tosses toward Tia.

“Mommy and Daddy are sleeping.” Fred tells him, pulling the door shut. “Why don’t we practice more, and you can show them when they wake up?”

“Because practice makes perfect,” Taylour agrees with a nod.

“Right.” Fred nods down the hall. “Let’s go.”

Auston waits a few seconds until Taylour’s feet are down the hall, then calls out, “Thanks Fred.”

“Yup,” Fred hollers through the door.

**

“I’m not sure about this.” Tia runs her finger along the strap, then smooths over her stomach.

Once they heard the footsteps fade down the hall and the stair boards creak, Auston and Tia were out of bed. Tia ran a comb through her hair while glaring at Auston for the ends that had fused together, then swiftly threw it up on the top of her head. Auston grabbed a bathing suit –because every day ends with them in the pool – and one of his t-shirts. The two of them went downstairs and Tia started making them smoothies, and Auston set out to get the avocado ready for their breakfast. After inhaling their food, Auston was outside, showing off his backflips – always a favourite with Taylour - and Tia was upstairs in her sewing room.

Once the workspace was mostly complete, she finished the couple orders that were outstanding, then set out designing a few new pieces to expand her line. She sketched out seven new pieces, three of them made it through the 3D rendering, then she began the process of cutting fabric, pinning it together and trying to bring her visions to life. One was easy, only needed a few minor tweaks but was now ready to go to the testing phase. The other two she has been stuck on. Nothing seemed to work, and Tia was about ready to scrap them both and start over, but before that she decided to reach out to the one person that might be able to help.

Celeste presses her glasses back up her nose and shuffles in her seat, as if trying to get a better view from Toronto.

“Yeah…” She hims through the speaker. “I see what you were talking about…I think the point near your underarm needs to go up a bit.” Tia turns toward the camera and lifts her arm, then points to the area she assumes Celeste is talking about. “Yeah,” she confirms. “It’s a little…” her face crinkles as she thinks over the next word.

“Aggressive?”

Celeste feigns a laugh. “That may not be the word I’d use…but yes.”

“The prototype looked so good.” Tia sighs. She thought the dress was going to be the easiest to bring to life. But when she tried the top on it sat low, dangerously low, to a point if Tia moved too much everything spilled out. Despite Auston’s objections, she added fabric to the bodice to bring the neckline up, only it came up too much. Next, she cut a bit out but then she didn’t like the neckline, it was too squared off and simple, so she tried to curve it but overcompensated as indents are being left in her skin.

“That’s why we test them out. I can’t tell you how many pieces I thought were good until I tried them on.” Celeste tries to reassure her with a faint laugh, but this part never gets easy. “It’s not that far off, dear.”

“Yeah.” Tia’s nose crinkles again, almost at her wits end with this one.

“What about the top you were working on.” Celeste steers the conversation away, hoping it has better results. “You decide on a sleeve?”

A few days ago, Tia sent Celeste a picture of a satin top with a simple square neck and subtle pleats in the bodice. The hem was unfinished and there were many pins, but what caught her attention was the two distinctly different sleeves styles. One was short and puffy, and the other was a simple and slender arm with a bell style sleeve. Tia said she was unsure of which one worked best. Celeste called it a copout, called her out to doubt herself and said she wasn’t going to help. It might have been tough, but Celeste knew she needed to make this decision on her own.

“Yay!” Celeste claps when she sees the long and flowy sleeve. This was always the right choice; she is glad Tia figured it out on her own.

“I love that one. Definitely the right pick”

“It’s playful but classic.” Tia smiles with her mentor’s reassurance.

“Completely elevates that top. Tia, I know I’ve said this before, but you have a bright future ahead of you, some people are years in the industry without the eye you have.”

“Thanks.” Tia softly laughs, a faint blush swarming her cheeks.

Now that the prototype is complete, it’s ready for Tia to make a few more and ship them back to the “testers” back in Toronto and get their feedback. Then there are the edits, photoshoots, uploading details to the website. Just when she thinks the finish line is near, she realizes just how far it is.

The two of them talked for a little while longer. Celeste told her about all the struggles she’d been facing as a store owner while in a global lockdown. Her store was forced closed, curbside pickup and online orders were slow, some days non-existent. It filled Tia with so many emotions but worry and regret were the ones she couldn’t shake. If someone who had been successful in the industry was struggling at the drop of a hat, what did it mean for her? Sales were slow, to be expected for a new line, but how long could they be slow before they stopped all together?

**

Tia put the finishing details on the shirt but left the dress on the mannequin. Normally putting it off wouldn’t be an option. It’d eat at her, knowing there was so much to do but  not knowing how to fix it. But today as she walked down the hall toward the stairs, she had zero hesitation walking away because something else had consumed her mind.

“Mommy! Mommy!” Taylour screeches when the patio doors open. “Mommy, help!” He giggles mid-air as Auston tosses him to the other end of the pool, a large splash erupts around him and a few seconds later his head pokes through the surface.

“I can’t help you.” Tia chuckles as she shuffled around the pool’s edge, her feet getting kissed by the exploding water.

“Why not?” Taylour flings his arm around and starts moving toward Auston.

“Because every time I help, your dad throws me in the water.”

“Not true.” Auston winks at her.

Tia shakes her head.

“Please mommy!” Taylour squeals as Auston grabs him by the waist and once again launches him in the air.

Tia flips her wrist and glances at the time on her watch - the very expensive watch Auston brought back from the California road trip because he “thought of her when he saw it.” “We actually have to go, Taylour.”

“Nooooo!” He emphatically shakes his head.

“Yup.” Auston moves toward the stairs. The water line slowly descends, more and more of his chest coming on display for Tia to gawk at. As he moves toward the steps, he grabs Taylour and tugs him. “You said you wanted In and Out for lunch, we have to go get it.”

“Why can’t I stay with Uncle Freddie, and you bring it here.” Taylour pouts. He stands on one of the pool steps, half in – half out of the water, hoping to convince Auston to let him stay.

“Because we’re your parents not Uncle Freddie. Uncle Freddie doesn’t have to spend his time watching you.”

“I want to stay with Fweddie.”

“Well, you’re not.” Auston bites sharply, letting his frustration poke through. “You’re coming with Mommy and I.”

“I don’t want to go with you and Mommy,” he huffs, angrily smacking his hands against the water.

“Taylour, you are coming. Get out of the pool and get dressed, now.” Auston demands, but Tia catches the inflection in his voice and the smirk curving his lips.

“But why?” He raises his voice, becoming more frustrated with Auston’s unusual stern nature. Tia knew it wasn’t going to be easy getting her son from the pool, it never was.

“Because I said so.” Auston barks. “Keep it up and you won’t get to swim for the rest of the week.”

Taylour releases a loud and dramatic groan, then once again smacks his hands against the water. He stomps past Auston, grumbling under his breath, and goes right to Tia who has a warm fluffy towel waiting for him. Having lost the battle with his father, Taylour sets his sights on Tia, hoping for a different response.

“I don’t want to go, Mommy.” Taylour whined softly while he nestled his head to the crook of her neck. She hears the broken exhale and knows tears are on the way – he doesn’t handle Auston’s frustrations well - she just doesn’t know if they are real or fake.

“I know.” Tia kneels and starts rubbing her hands over his back, drying him off while softly comforting him. She gently tilts his head, and swats at the tears clinging to the corner of his eyes. “You have to come with us, sweetie.”

“Why?” Taylour sniffles, barely choking back the lump in his throat.

“Because we have a surprise for you.” Auston cards his hand through Taylour’s drenched curls and grabs his own towel.

“A surprise?!” He immediately perks up, his eyes widen and dart up to Auston. “What is it?”

“Wouldn’t be a surprise if we told you, silly.” Tia playfully boops his nose.

As if the last thirty seconds never happened, Taylour immediately takes off toward the sliding door and gives it a firm tug to drag it open. He runs inside too excited to close the door behind him, then scurries across the hardwood.

“No running on the stairs!” Auston yells after him, but he is too late, Taylour is at the top of the stairs, slipping on the hardwood as he sprints past the railing that overlooks the living room.

“What did we get ourselves into?” Tia jokingly whines when Taylour lets out an “ooh” as he uses his palms to catch himself from falling.

Auston wraps his painted arm around Tia, over her shoulder. Tia brings her hand up and grabs his, then leans against his hard chest. Little drops of water land on her shoulder and in her hair. In an almost scarily still tone he whispers, “you’re going to miss this level of calm.” The worst part is, he is right.

**

Like most car rides, Taylour quickly became impatient. It wasn’t long after he finished his cheeseburger and shake before the “where are we going,” “how much longer” and “are we there yet” started. They knew the almost hour drive would be long, and planned for it, but no amount of movies, superhero action figures, colouring books would be enough, when all he wanted was to do was swim.

“Mommy, I’m bored.” He whines and dramatically throws his head back against the car seat. He tosses the tablet, and it lands on the floor, bouncing on impact.

Auston huffs out a dry laugh. Like Taylour, his patience is wearing thin. “Wouldn’t be if you watched the movie.”

“I don’t want to watch the movie anymore.” Taylour promptly informs him. His feet kick against the car seat and he dramatically sighs, again.

“We’re almost there, Tay.” Tia turns in her seat and silently laughs at his outfit choice. He insisted on getting ready himself and his shoes are on the wrong feet, his shirt must have come from the laundry given the ketchup stain on the chest, and his shorts are bright neon yellow. The fashion designer in her cringes but as a mom, she is thrilled that he is dressed, and understands that some battles aren’t worth it.

“How many minutes?”

“Less than five.” She picks up the tablet and pauses the movie, then puts it in her bag.

“That’s too long.” Taylour kicks his legs out in a frustrated fit.

“Of course, it is.” Auston mutters sarcastically, his knuckles whitening around the steering wheel.

Tia snaps her head to Auston, and she gives him a look, one he hasn’t seen often but immediately recognizes. “I promise, you’re going to love your surprise.”

They continue driving down the quiet rural road, slowly maneuvering turns. Whatever playlist Auston selected is quiet, so quiet the only sound is the air conditioning whirring through the vents and the rhythmic beeping of the blinker. Tia presses her head against the window and watches the dust kick out from under the tires.

“We’re here.” Auston announces once the vehicle is parked in front of a large farmhouse.

Taylour perks up and tries to sit up in his seat as much as possible. He takes in the surroundings, a blue house with a simple white fence, not distinguishing or exciting for an almost four-year old.

“What are we doing here?” He asks, not hiding the disgruntled look on his face.

“This is a boring surprise, Daddy.”

“You sure about that?” Taylour freed himself from the car seat, and when Auston opens the door, he is quick to leap out.

“Yeah.” He crinkles his nose and closes the car door behind him. “There is no slide or pool, nothing fun.”

Tia hears small overlapping barks and yips coming from inside the home, her heart flutters. She has been waiting for this day her entire life.

Gravel crunches under her feet as she strolled around the car. She crouches down and puts her hand on her knees, bringing herself to Taylour’s eye level. She adjusts his ball cap over his curls then smiles. “Would it still be a bad surprise if we told you there were puppies inside?”

His brown eyes glow. “I want to see the puppies!” He blurts out.

Auston crouches down and smiles, almost bigger than Taylour. “What if we told you; we’re going to bring one home?”

“MY OWN PUPPY!” Taylour screams while jumping in the air.

“A family puppy.” Auston corrects him.

“I’M GETTING A PUPPY!” He shrieks, unphased by what Auston told him.

Auston knew he would be excited when he found out. He assumed there would be jumping and screaming, thought there was the possibility of joyful tears. What he didn’t count on was Taylour being so excited he’d sprint past them toward the front door without another word.

Knock. Knock. Knock. Taylour pounds on the door as hard as he can. “I’m here for my puppy!” Knock. Knock. Knock.

Auston and Tia had barely made it two steps before the door creaks open, a middle-aged woman stands on the other side.

“Hello.” She smiles to Taylour, then to Auston and Tia.

Taylour bounces on his heels, even though they can’t see his face they know he is beaming from ear to ear. “Hi, my name’s Taylour. I’m here for my puppy.”

“Taylour, you can’t just – “

“It’s fine.” She laughs, Taylour isn’t the first child to react this way. She moves to the side to let him pass then waits for Tia and Auston to make their way up the porch.

“Sorry, he has wanted a puppy since before he could walk.”

The three of them hear Taylour squeal as an overlapping chorus of barks and whines echo down the hall.

“No apologies needed.” They all step inside and see Taylour standing on the outside of the fenced in area. He is leaning as far as he can without losing his balance, scratching the tops of the puppies’ heads, giggling the entire time. “I’m Sandra, and that,��� she eyes over to the full-size Bernese Mountain dog who is across from Taylour keeping a watchful eye on her pups, “is Stella the mom.” Shortly after a white poodle rounds the corner and walks right up to Auston, nudging his hand for some pets. “This suck is Teddy.”

“Hiya Teddy.” Auston bends down and is instantly met with a lick to the cheek.

“Which one is mine?” Taylour’s head is on a swivel. This puppy. That puppy. That puppy. He can barely keep up. 

“We have to pick it.” Auston tells him.

“You can go in.” Sandra offers, motioning to the pen.

Auston and Tia step over the gate, then Auston hooks his arms under Taylour’s armpits to hoist him over. The three of them fall to the floor, immediately being swarmed by the puppies.

“Mommy!” Taylour giggles as one with a pink ribbon licks his cheek. “Mommy, I want this one.”

“Yeah?” She grins, gently scratching behind the ear.

“Any with a ribbon have a home already,” Sandra tells them. “They’ve all had their first round of shots and will be ready for the next one in about two weeks.”

“Daddy, look!” Taylour nods to his foot, where one is gnawing on his sock, attempting to pull it off.

“This one’s trouble huh?” Auston scoops up the black and white ball of fur, taking Taylour’s sock with him, then cradles it in his arms.

“He’s silly.” Taylour broadcasts, trying to yank the sock out of its mouth.

When the puppy keeps his jaw tightly clenched around Taylour’s sock, he sets the puppy on his lap to the ground and crawls over to Auston. He pets along its side with one hand, his other tugging on the sock, laughing the entire time. Finally, the puppy releases the sock only to start chewing at Auston’s wrist.

“I want this one.” Taylour gives it a kiss.

“Really? What about this one?” Tia eyes to the one curled in her lap, eyes getting heavy.

Taylour takes a second to glance between the two dogs, pondering Tia’s suggestion. She obviously knows just because a dog is calm now doesn’t mean it always will be, but something, most likely her motherly instinct is telling her not to pick the one already biting.

“Uhmmm.” He ponders. Taylour scoots closer to Tia to look at the puppy in her lap. “Ohh, this one is cute too, Mommy!”

“Mhm.”

Taylour’s eyes rapidly dart between the two dogs, and he appears deep in thought, but they both know he has zero selection criteria. A twinkle catches his eye, and his entire face somehow lights up even more.

“Can I have both puppies?”

“No.” Tia is very fast to answer.

“Puh-lease!” He turns to Auston. His move always is to try the other parent with hopes for a better outcome. “Please can I get two puppies, Daddy?”

Auston looks to Taylour, then to the puppy curled up in Tia’s arms sleeping, then to the one nibling at his wrist, and sighs. “I don’t think –“

“Please, Daddy! They can play together.” He eagerly cuts him off, desperately trying to bring home two dogs.

“Then who will you play with?” Tia can see the way Auston’s face is softening and knows she will have to be the one to shut this down.

“I’ll play with them, we’ll be best friends, all three of us!”

“I think we only need one dog for now.” Auston says dimly, but Tia knows if she wasn’t here to supervise, Auston would be bringing two dog’s home.

“No!” Taylour carefully climbs over the puppies and their toys to get to Auston and wraps his arms tightly around his neck. “We need two puppies, Daddy!”

Auston makes the mistake of looking at Taylour and sees the large pout and beady eyes, a cuteness barely rivalled by the puppy in his lap. Taylour falls to his knees and gets directly into Auston’s sightline. He puts his hands together as if he is praying, and desperately pleads with a croak in his voice. “Please can we get two, Daddy? Pleeeeease?”

Auston hates how his son knows exactly what to say and how to say it to make him forget all reason.

“Tay,” Auston sighs and prepares himself for the heartbreak, but he knows Taylour will get over it faster than Tia’s frustration if he gives in. “Just one.”

There is a groan that develops deep in his stomach as his shoulders drop. “No fair.”

“Look at how cute this little guy is though.”

Auston holds the wiggly puppy a little higher and hands it to Taylour. An excited yip comes from the puppy and a smile begins to creep its way back to Taylour’s face. “He is cute, Daddy.”

Auston reaches over and grabs a small stuffed pig and gives it to the puppy who wraps his mouth around it and starts whipping its head from side to side. “I want this one.” Taylour informs them without an ounce of hesitation.

Auston and Tia left Taylour with the puppies and found Sandra in the kitchen. They went over the paperwork and fine details. She gave them a bag with some food, a small blanket, along with a binder full of health information and veterinary records.

By the time they wandered back to the living room a few minutes later, Taylour had forgotten about his desire to bring home two. He was on his knees, heels digging into the back of his thighs, squeaking the pig in an attempt to engage the puppy.

“You two ready?” Tia walks to the edge of the puppy fencing, Auston’s hand on her back.

“Mhm.” Taylour enthusiastically nods. He stands up and Auston bends down to help him over then scoops up their puppy. “Thank you for my puppy!” Taylour addresses Sandra while making a beeline for the door.

Once Taylour was in the car, which was a task, he demanded the dog sit with him. Tia was a little uneasy about leaving them alone in the back, she had a feeling she should sit with them, just in case the puppy fell or wandered away and somehow found his way under a seat, but Auston assured her everything would be fine. He could tell she was anxious, so he reached over the console and laced his fingers with hers, then brought it to her lips and placed kisses on the back of her hand, knowing that would bring her to ease.

“What should we name him?” Auston asks as they sit at a red light, the steady sound of the blinker being drowned by the noise coming from the backseat.

“Rex.” Taylour proudly proclaims.

“Rex?” Auston probes with a laugh. The suggestion undoubtedly comes from the recent viewing of Toy Story. “I don’t know if that suits him.”

“Pickles!” He cheers from the back seat.”

“Pickles?” Tia shakes her head; she knew letting the almost-four-year-old name the dog would be a terrible idea. “What about Bernie?” She suggests in reference to its breed.

“No.” They simultaneously protest.

“How about Felix?” Auston pipes up. He doesn’t know why but the second he held him, that name felt right and it’s hard for him to imagine the dog as anything else.

“Yes!” Taylour promptly agrees. “I like that!”

Auston kept his hand linked with hers over the console as he drove the quiet Scottsdale streets. His eyes were mostly on the road, but he couldn’t help glancing in the rearview every chance he got, spending red lights turned around staring at Taylour and Felix.

The next few hours were somewhat of a blur. Taylour was eager to show Felix to Trevor and Fred. He had to FaceTime Mitch, Becks, Emily and Max,Sarah and Charlie, every person he knew. He never wanted to leave Felix, even tried getting him to come to the bathroom with him. He would lay on the floor beside him while he napped, pull him into his arms for pets, dangle a toy over his head, or run around in the yard, trying to get him to follow. Felix was a little overwhelmed at times, often quiet and reserved, unsure about the toys and people around him, but that didn’t stop Taylour. He was determined to be that pup’s best friend no matter what.

**

Auston found Tia in the kitchen checking her e-mail. Some Disney movie Taylour long ago lost interest in plays in the background, he uses the noise to sneak up in front of her. He presses himself into her and chuckles when she jumps.

Droplets of water fall from his hair and splatter on her shoulder, the towel that hangs loosely over his hips rubs against her thigh.

“He’s so happy.” Auston places a gentle kiss on her temple.

She peers out the glass doors to Taylour who is sitting on a lounger with Felix in his lap. She doesn’t know what he is saying, but he constantly laughs and places kisses to his head. Her heart is about to explode. She lets out a contentious sigh and rests her arms on his shoulders, aimlessly fiddling with the metal wrapped around his neck. “I’m so happy we did this.”

“Me too.” Auston tugs at her pony and tilts her head back, then places a kiss on her lips. “I love you, babe.”

“I love you, too.”

Tia is expecting another kiss on her lips, only Auston ducks down and starts sucking along her neck.

“Auston.” She tries to scold him, only to shriek when he grabs a handful of ass from under her damp bathing suit.

“I want to kiss my girlfriend without a little parrot announcing it.”

“I know.” Tia sighs, because he has been announcing it - six times so far. “But we should go to our boys.”

Our boys.

Auston loves the way that sounds and even though it’s only been a couple hours he can’t wait until their family grows even more.

“They’re fine, Fred and Trevor have it under control. “Besides, you have a boy here who needs you.” He rolls her hips over his slowly growing erection and carves his nails into her flesh.

“Auston.” She playfully swats at his chest, letting out a breathy laugh.

“I told you to add fucking me to your list of things to do today,” he growls.

His fingers trail over her skin, pricked with goosebumps, until they find the bows that are holding up the barely-there bikini bottoms. His fingers tangle in and he begins to tug, loosening the knot.

“It’s like 4 pm.” It’s a futile attempt. They both know it.

Having heard no reason to stop, Auston quickly hoists her onto the counter. The towel drops to the floor as he presses her knees apart. He gently teases his fingertips past the seam of her lips, sending a ripple of goosebumps up her spine.

She wants to give in.

She can’t help it.

She spent too much time without him, her heart (among other things) physically ached for him and his touch. She never wants to be without it again, never wants to crave his physical touch like she did.

Following the hitch in her breath, two fingers slide inside, and are greedily welcomed by her heat. She arches toward his electric touch and his mouth moves toward the sweet spot below her ear.

It barely takes two minutes before a slew of curse words roll off Tia’s tongue. The air between them gets sticky and Auston licks up her neck. She can see the bulge beneath his bathing suit, rapidly swelling as he continues to stroke her inner walls. Through the pleasureful haze Tia barely manages to get her fingers under the waist band.

“Such a good girl, aren’t you?” Auston purrs against her neck, teeth nipping at her warm skin. Pressure builds inside her – everywhere – as Auston pets her silky inner walls. “I’m gonna bend you over this counter.” Auston’s breath is hot and heavy against her skin, fanning over her in hypnotic waves. “Kitchen’s gonna be so dirty we’ll need a hazmat team.”

Tia shudders. Her cheeks colour pink.

She wraps a leg around his hip and pulls him close. His left hand immediately finds her thigh and runs up and down. Fingerprints are left on her hips; bright red scratch marks decorate his shoulders. He’s hungry and he won’t stop until he’s had his fill of her.

“That’s what you want, right?” All thoughts disappear from her mind when his thumb starts caressing her swollen clit. Every part of her is consumed by him, and she struggles to even breathe. “To use my cock to christen this place, huh?” Her breasts bounce following every thrust, threatening to spill out of the stringy bikini top any moment. Little butterflies dance in her belly. She is barely keeping it together and Auston can tell. “M’gonna fuck you so hard a black light will break in here.”

“Mngh.” Tia chokes out, as if her tongue is glued to the top of her mouth.

“Let my friends hear.” Auston encourages her. He spits in his hand then it disappears, slathering his cock in saliva. She shudders when his warm erection nudges against her throbbing clit. “Cum baby. Show them how good I make you feel.”

Auston kneads at her fraying nerve as his breath gets hotter and heavier against her skin. They are so absorbed by the coil tightening in her belly, her release building and building -

“AUSTON!” Ema howls, absolutely horrified.

Nothing would get Auston to stop. Nothing, except his mother would get him to stop.

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[calliethetrekkie]

Star Trek TOS S01E19: Arena

Original Thoughts

"Well now I know which episode those screenshots of Kirk fighting lizard men that are clearly guys in uper cheap costumes come from. So Kirk is forced into a battle to the death more or less against a vicious alien species by another alien species of greater power. Man, they’ve had bad luck with the latter thus far. Despite the cheapness making it hard to take seriously, it was cool to see Kirk get to fight full-on against something since episode 3. Shatner kinda overacted a bit with the dialogue, but was fine otherwise in a more action-oriented episode that had Kirk completely on his own with no help available to him. Kirk’s proven to be quick-witted in the past, such as in the previous episode, but he had nothing but wits and a communicator here, and he was awesome! The Gorn are also dangerous but also display intelligence and cunning like how the one came pretty close to killing Kirk and devising a way to trap him. The Enterprise’s helplessness in this situation is also very strong with even Spock unable to do anything but wait it out. A cheap episode for sure, but a good episode regardless."

Rewatch Thoughts

Wow Callie, way to not even pay attention to the moral of the episode, you dummy!

When going back to rewatch this one, I only remembered two things about it: the Gorn and the scene where McCoy tries to hold Spock's hand while they're watching Kirk struggle. The former cause of that legendary costume, the latter cause... well, me taking in every Spones moment that I can. Otherwise? I remembered virtually nothing else. It sucks that I forgot about most of it, but it's also kind of nice cause I got to experience it again, and DEAR GOD this is so much better than I had remembered!

The first part of the episode is great, from Kirk and McCoy being all giggly and cute in the transport room to them finding the base they were going to utterly obliterate. Only one guy was still alive and it was an active blast zone as well that only our three mains, the dying guy, and one Blue shirt survived. We're left wondering WTF happened and Kirk... well, he doesn't take the incident well. He declares it an invasion and goes after the ship of those responsible, fully intending to return the favor.

It was a little scary TBH to see Kirk so... I guess the word that works best is vengeful. I don't think I've ever seen him this willing to kill an enemy before, even in Conscience of the King he kept his cool overall. I guess given the amount of life lost, even compared to say Balance of Terror, it makes sense. It's not OOC either, we've seen Kirk flare up whenever any of his men are killed/threatened (The Man Trap, Balance of Terror, The Corbomite Maneuver to some extent) so what looks like a calculated attack on this level? And when he's the only one in a position to give pursuit? Yeah, Kirk ain't gonna let that go. He's going to find whoever/whatever did this and stop it before such a thing happens again.

This presents a problem, however, that being how irrational Kirk is being. I don't mean that in a bad way either, it's interesting to see this side of Kirk. He's so determined to pursue this enemy, to take them down, that he doesn't care about any possible explanations about why the Gorn did what they did. Spock tries to express that very concern, but it falls on deaf ears and he pretty timidly falls back into place. Spock's very much been willing to question Kirk before, we saw it in Conscience of the King, but in that instance, he had time to go over everything before choosing to confront Kirk and also discuss it with McCoy, who noticeably stays in Sickbay until Jim gets whisked away. Given McCoy's the one who would most likely speak back and try to talk Jim out of it/appeal to him emotionally, keeping him in Sickbay with the traumatized, nearly dead officer and thus unable to be Kirk's soundboard to vent his emotions to had to have been on purpose. That's not to say that Spock is a mindless follower, he isn't by any means. But at least at this stage of ST, I don't think he has the nerve to argue or defy Kirk without being prepared for it or without McCoy or someone else in his corner to back him up. Plus logically, what can he argue against Kirk when he's not gonna listen? He can't. This is why in cases like Conscience of the King and later in Obsession, you need Spock and McCoy both standing up to Kirk: alone they probably couldn't do much, but together? Jim doesn't stand a chance haha.

Even the crew is pretty mortified by Kirk's recklessness and... for lack of a better word, murderousness. Uhura gives him some mega side-eye when he and Spock are talking, and everyone looks mortified when Kirk keeps making them go up to more and more dangerous Warp levels. They don't go against the orders, but it's very clear that they're unsettled. Kirk is very much presented as in the wrong and dangerously reckless for everyone. He doesn't even really give a damn when Uhura tells him that they're being scanned nor questions why the Gorn are coming to a dead stop when entering the mysterious galaxy, only caring that they have the chance to shoot them down. He is laser-focused on shooting down the enemy, and this bites him in the ass hard as the Metrons, unhappy to have this quarrel brought to their end of the universe, forces Kirk and the Gorn Captian to settle the matter... one-on-one.

Kirk is in a bad position, but it's kind of cool to see him under conditions like this. He has no weapons, no way to communicate with he Enterprise, he has nothing but his own wits. He's against a Gorn, who is much stronger and as Kirk finds out, very much intelligent. That's one thing I enjoy about the Gorn, they are brutish and violent, but the Gorn Captian at least isn't stupid. Kirk mistakes the alien translator that the Metrons outright told him that they were giving him to talk directly to the Gorn. In other words, because Kirk didn't pay close enough attention to the Metrons words, he gave away EVERYTHING that he was thinking and doing to the Gorn, who took all of that, and countered. He even set up his own trap and Kirk survived by the skin of his teeth. Ironically the guy in the cheap lizard costume was the one being smart and calculative, while Kirk... well sorry honey, but you're kind of an idiot during most of this. But it's okay, I know it's cause your two brain cells aren't with you.

Speaking of said brain cells, the Spock and McCoy moments during all of this are so good! I mentioned the hand-chasing bit, which is still fantastic and I'll never get over the fact that De Kelley decided that was perfectly IC to do. But even disregarding that, this is a really good one to watch if you wanna see a good example of their relationship when they aren't bickering. You can REALLY tell that McCoy wants to when he gets to the Bridge and presses Spock for answers, but he actually holds it in. Likely due to the time-pressing circumstances, but still. I mean he even turns the Captain chair so Spock can sit in it properly (my hilarious theory is Nimoy somehow missed it when filming so they had to have De holding it so Nimoy wouldn't hurt himself), how anyone can look at them here and think they hate each other I'll never know. I also love how it's when McCoy appeals to the Metrons to let them see Jim that the Metrons decide to show some compassion and comply. It's an early sign to them that humans aren't just savage killers, and it's Leonard 'The Heart' McCoyt hat starts it.

Spock also doesn't even attempt to hide his emotions here, his uncertainly over what to do and how he doesn't know where Jim is, his fear and worry when seeing Kirk near death, his relief when Kirk starts piecing together what to do with the resources around him, and let's not forget earlier where he decided that going after Kirk in an active blast zone was a perfectly logical thing to do. Seriously, this is also a great episode to point to whenever Spock claims he has no emotions cause... yeah sorry Spock, all you've proven is how Vulcans are giant ass liars.

Honestly, this is such a good episode showing how devoted the Enterprise crew is to Kirk. When Kirk instructs Sulu to abandon the landing party if necessary and to protect his ship, Sulu very clearly does NOT want to do it. He knows he has to comply, but if he has the chance to save Kirk and the others, I don't doubt at all that he would do it. Despite the visible shock regarding Kirk's orders and actions, all of the Bridge are horrified and worried when he disappears and when they see how badly he's doing. Poor Uhura looks like she's about to cry I swear. Kirk has his bad moments, but ultimately he's a respected Captain for a reason and Uhura, Scotty, and Sulu especially know that (and Chekov but he ain't around yet). No one wants anything to happen to him and if anyone on that ship could do something to save him, they would. They're so devoted to Kirk, even when they disagree with him, and I love it.

All that said, in the final stretch the Gorn finally speaks and we find out why they obliterated the Base and everyone on it: because Starfleet were the invaders. The space was the Gorn's and Starfleet suddenly setting up a base there scared them and they concludedconclusion that it was an enemy attack waiting to happen. While they certainly jumped the gun... I don't blame the Gorn too much, to be honest. You see these people that look virtually alien to them settling in without any explanation about where they're form or what they intend, what other conclusion is there to make? I don't believe Starfleet was attempting to do anything malicious, at least in this case, but the fact that they just assumed the space was free for the taking... yeah, not one of your better moves guys. Did that justify the Gorn's actions? It's hard to say since they certainly had an understandable reason, but it still caused massive casualties that I think could have been avoided had the two sides just... talked and mediated things. Still, as McCoy points out, Starfleet was the one in the wrong first, and Kirk just about nearly caused even more unnecessary bloodshed because he didn't at all consider why this happened to begin with.

Given that, it makes sense why the Metrons would see us humans as primitive savages (poor Spock getting lumped in there too haha), especially with Kirk's behavior up to that point. It makes his decision to NOT kill the Gorn Captain, despite having blasted him to near death and having the perfect opportunity, all the more impactful. Throughout the episode, it's all he'd wanted to do, to the point of endangering the Enterprise and everyone on it to get the chance. But having now heard the Gorn's reasonings and being able to look at his own actions, he realizes how wrong he was. The Gorn aren't mindless monsters, they were afraid and were trying to protect themselves from what they saw as invaders, and it was a matter that Starfleet provoked first. He even refuses the Metrons offer to kill the Gorn and instead wants to properly mediate things over. It convinces the Metrons that there's hope for humanity before returning Kirk back to the ship safe and sound.

Given recent times, the moral honestly this a lot harder. The Gorn were motivated by fear, Kirk was motivated by vengeance, and had it kept going I could easily see things escalating into full-blown war. Ultimately though, Kirk decides to be the better man and not continue it. He's seen the destruction that the Gornc caused and likely people he knew got killed, he fought the Gorn Captian face-to-face and both of them were fighting to the death, and acted irrationally all throughout the episode. But Kirk learned and chose the diplomatic route instead. I wish that it were that simple, to realize all sides feelings and decide that there's been enough hatred, fear, and vengeance by everyone. I wish that more leaders chose to communicate and mediate things out, which si certainly more difficult than it sounds but it's still a better option than war and death. TOS is outdated in so many ways, but is also still incredibly relevant in others and I think that this is very much one of those kinds of episodes. It certainly hit me a LOT harder this time around than it did the first time.

This episode is so freakin' good. A great plot with a very well-handled message, great character moments for both our main trio and the Bridge crew, and very well-executed tension. I knew full well how this whole thing ended and I was still worried about if Kirk would make it out, that's how well this episode does in immersing you in it. Even Shatner's over-acting, which tbh wasn't even as over the top as I made it sound in the first viewing, didn't phase me. Also that Gorn suit is perfection and it needs to stay the Gorn's default look, I don't make the rules! I thoroughly enjoyed this one... and hopefully, the memory of it helps me survive the next episode, The Alternative Factor, cause if it's like I remember... yeah I'm not gonna be feeling much joy after it. But that's for then, for now? Arena is great~!

Original Rating: 4/5 Rewarch Rating: 9/10

[My TOS Reviews]

[TOS S1 Reviews]

[teapotteringabout]

Stingray Ep 1

It's me again, doing those reviews I promised. Episode 1, lets go:

Recently voted in @tv21pollshowdown / @room-on-broom 's Stingray Episode Tournament to be the absolute best of the bunch. Personally I don't agree, but we'll get to my favourites later. That said, you may have noticed I've popped it into Glorious GLORIOUS because it's definitely one of the best, and serves its First Episode job perfectly.

For starters, the start. Literally. It's the dramatic words "Stand by for action!", a literal explosion and Bob on the Battle Bongos earns his paycheque. The rest of the intro theme is trombone and bongo-heavy, very fast, very stirring, and a masterful weaving of two of the main musical motifs we hear throughout the show. It's Barry Gray, baby! You could argue that every episode has this in their favour but for episode 1, I think the theme hits especially hard.

We're also introduced to our main cast: Troy Tempest, Phones, Commander Shore, Atlanta Shore, Marina, X20, Titan and the Aquaphibians. And Fisher! Even Fisher is in episode 1. Good for him.

I do love the WAY some of these characters are introduced. Troy is an aquanaut who has a fascination with the sea (naturally), so we first see him through an aquarium. Phones is the chill one, so here he is, chilling out.

My favourite introduction is probably X20's, the very first non-human character we meet. The shot of the mysterious island, the eerie warble of the strings, the pan to the shuttered window, then BAM IT'S BRITNEY BITCH:

Then we get the precursor to TOS's Operation Cover-Up, only much fancier, and X-20's charming abode turns into charming evil lair.

(the gifs are fast because they were too chonky so I had to cut some frames haha)

It's during this scene that we're first introduced to Titan. Personally I think it's a shame our first look at him is on a black and white screen. You could argue that we still get the full impact of his majesty later, but I think I'd prefer it if we just heard his voice to start with. When we do meet him, he's a great villain, featuring the booming tones of Ray Barrett who 'curls' his voice just enough to differentiate it from Shore's. We meet him with the camera looking up at him, because he only looks down on people, you see. I love his design, particularly the Hellenistic swirls in his beard.

Speaking of Titan, I love how his throneroom isn't the typical evil lair. It was the first UK show to be filmed in colour, so the art team went all-in with bright colours everywhere (also because they were still learning about cinemtographic colour). Why should evil characters lurk in the dark all the time? Be like Titan. Bust out the glitter carpet and the ginormous pearls!

Finally, Marina's introduction. When I first saw her I was blown away by how beautifully-crafted this puppet was. She stands out. No other lady has such long hair, and every episode it's in an intricate coiffure. Pretty much all the other female puppets have a heart-shaped face, while her's is oval. She is an icon, she is the moment.

In terms of plot, it's simple but effective. We're sort of in media res, straight to the point with the aquaphibians blowing shit up, here are your cast, Stingray is attacked and the crew captured. Then we have the beautifully drawn out Trial by Teufel scene.

If Teufel looks away from Troy within a marine minute (about 1 and a half Terranean minutes it would seem), then Troy is guilty of 'crimes against the underwater nations' and will be executed. The timer is a vial of dripping water, coloured red for the camera, and the sound of the drip like the ticking of the clock, combined with the tense string notes makes for a very gripping marine minute. Of course, Troy almost makes it to the end before Teufel turns his back on him at the last moment, thus declaring him guilty.

Cut to the next scene, and Troy, Phones and Marina work together for the first time as a team to escape. The action is swift and effective, but I won't lie, it leaves me wanting more. The aquaphibians seem overtaken very quickly, I demand more blood! Obviously the puppets are limited in their range of movement, but it would have been cool to have a proper Stingray battle in the first episode. That's something that get's rectified in its 'sequel', but we'll get to that.

Finally, everyone's gathered round the Shore dining table (including Fisher!!) and Atlanta realises she's in a love triangle. Thankfully, it's not one that lasts long, but again, we'll get to that.

There's a couple of things in the plot that I don't really understand. When Stingray goes missing and an aerial search turns up nothing, Shore's next move is to nuke that area of the ocean. It never happens thankfully, but aren't there any other submarines that could investigate? You know, considering Stingray is a submarine and might be on the ocean floor? Now, in fairness, according to Stingray: Adventures in Videcolor (Andrew Pixley 2022), in the original version of the script, Shore had a few extra lines were he detailed that this mysterious underwater enemy (Titan) had sunk 5 ships already, killing hundreds (p244). So in his mind, with their ultimate submarine supposedly lost, an all-out retaliatory attack makes more sense. But that's not in the final episode, and I'd rather judge the series on its face value rather than using supplementary material to inform me. This will crop up again in the next one, believe me.

Now we get the first rendition of 'Aqua Marina' in the end credits, which I'm only talking about in this episode 1 review. It's a beautiful song, but it's perhaps the main reason why Troy has this love rat reputation. Oh, he'll have a few instances of 'love rat' behaviour in the episodes for real. But the slideshow of him hanging out with Marina while Atlanta looks wistfully at his photograph is pretty damning, regardless of the actual content of the episode. As we'll discover, most of the series doesn't actually contain the love triangle, with it mostly ending by episode 10 at the latest, but this end credits sequence alone makes you think it lasts all the way. It makes you wonder if there was more planned for the love triangle arc, but it was ultimately done away with?

Over all though, it's a terrific episode. Writing it out now, I realise how good it is so I can see why it won the poll. It's not my favourite, but it's a solid S tier all the same. Glorious, in fact.

[wakacreations]

Zevlor's Bizarre Cocoa Adventure (Ch. 4)

Author's Note:

I was planning on breaking this chapter into two after seeing the word count but as I read it multiple times, it needed to be read as one chapter. Thank you for your patience and it is a long treat for those who waited. There is a lot of things going on this chapter. If anyone has any questions I don't mind answering them.

@falcatamandarina The next chapter is out.

Prologue Ch1 Ch2 Ch3 Ch4 Ch5

Word Count: 2932

Summary:

Zevlor's interesting full day in the Underdark.

His eyes adjusted to the dimness of the Underdark. Though he did have dark vision, the absence of a sky overhead felt unnerving. Large stalactites hung overhead like a large maw of a great beast waiting to close. “To be trapped here would prove to be a disorienting nightmare,” he took note. Psionic murmurs radiate from this place. Mushroom-like beings hoveled around this encampment. A faint warm breeze brushed his temple. “Maybe not this place,” the hilt of his blade met his palm.

Zevlor’s stare not wavering from the fungi drawing near. Their pitch black eyes met his infernal orange gaze. The being’s psionic chatter became a whisper as they continued on their path. “Is that why my fellow Hellriders had worried about being sent into the Underdark?” Their words echoed into his mind, “there are far worse beings than devils and demons at least your mind can conjure them, but some things are ever more stranger and haunting than the things you see in the Underdark”. For what his Hellriders were referring to, he himself had experienced worse and far worse. If they are psionic in nature then he had much more experience than his now fallen comrades. 

Zevlor wandered for a ways assessing the inhabitants (of these spore creatures). From what he could gather from these sentient mushrooms, they may seem peaceful but they are not harmless. A singular fungus creature hunched over what appeared to be a small lifeless figure. He watched and observed in horror as the corpse of a duergar grew spores, mushrooms pocketed their skin. The corpse that laid lifelessly on the cold stone just moments before drew breath, their limbs writhing as if a fever consumed them. The body radiated with psionic hum soon sat up as if it had just arisen from slumber, limping over to the choir of other singing fungi. “Where was he truly! And in any case, staying here past necessarily was non-negotiable,” a slight tremor runs through him. The encampment was not large by any means but where would a hobgoblin and a mindflayer run off too? Zevlor quickened his pace. They should be close by. He made his way to one of the entrances of the encampment. 

A pair of five and two toed tracks laid in the soft dirt. “At least my hunch was correct. They won’t be too far outside the encampment,” Zevlor sighed with a bit of relief. A small twinkling light caught the corner of his vision. Soft blue petals danced in the air as the path of the tracks continued. Curious. “These petals are quite lovely. To think such beauty exists in such a dreary place.” The petals shimmered a faint blue glow as it illuminated the path. “These are much more beautiful than the fireflies of the surface,” touching the cool petal with a clawed finger, a cold shiver ran down his spine. The fluorescent light grew brighter the closer he neared the end of the trail. The air grew cooler as Zevlor was bathed in the blue aura. A small orchard came into view. There stood a tall dark figure floating idly as a much smaller figure darted about the tree line. As Zevlor drew near their voices were audible. “I am quite surprised these plants are growing so rapidly” said a deep raspy voice. “As am I, it is most curious. It shall be noted in our report.” said another. Crates upon crates filled to the brim with red fruits littered the pathway.

“Omeluum? Blurg?” Zevlor called out as he traversed the maze of crates. “Ah, it seems you've found your way. We were about to depart back to the encampment,” Omeluum floated around a tall pillar of crates. “Chocolate?” the mindflayer extended an open palm to him. Neatly placed in the center of their palm laid a wrapped silver foiled square. Zevlor popped the chocolate morsel into his mouth. It was rich with deep cocoa flavor with a sharp bitterness. The bitterness lingered on his tongue longer than he expected. Too strong of a dark chocolate for his liking. A kind gesture nevertheless. “We're still working on the recipe but we've been finding the denizens down here prefer a strong dark chocolate. It is very interesting to say the least” Blurg said, stacking the fruit crates. “These are the fruits of our labor,” the hobgoblin waved his arm gesturing around them. 

Zevlor took a moment to look up. Past the small canopy of the cocoa were magnificent silver sprawling branches. The blue leaves seem to shimmer as if they were fluttering butterfly wings. Large crystal blue flowers dotted the tree limbs. “Those would look beautiful on Tav,” Zevlor uttered aloud as the flower's blue light twinkled in his eyes as if the stars were just within reach. “You have a keen eye for beauty,” Omeluum chuckled. “They call this Underdark plant a Sussur tree. It is said to contain anti-magical properties. The bark is most coveted for its enchantment abilities. For whatever tool forged with the bark will grant the ability of silenced,” the mindflayer's claw traced the spiral bark of the tree. “It’s poetic in a sense. Something crafted with such beauty will leave you silent and later breathless,” Zevlor continued to stare with awe. 

“Indeed. The flowers emit an anti magic aura. To any magic users, their spellcasting abilities will slowly be drained into the flower,” Omeluum plucked the fragile bloom from the tree. The flower gently floated into his clawed grasp. “Observe.” In one palm flickered a fireball that wavered and danced but as the palm drew near the Sussur bloom, the flame grew dimmer and fainter till the flaming palm was left with only a smoldering ember, extinguished. “Are the effects of the flower permanent?” concern etched onto Zevlor’s face. “No, only in the vicinity of the Sussur bloom. The flower's magical property disappears in the presence of sunlight,” Omeluum grinned reassuringly. “Once in sunlight the flower will wither so does its brilliant blue color and glimmer. Do you intend to give one to your companion,” they eyed him with curiosity. “It seems he fully intended to Omeluum,” Blurg interrupts Zevlor’s stammering. The hobgoblin gave him a wink. Zevlor’s cheeks grew warm as did the tips of his ears. 

“For a friend,” he declared, his tail wrapping around his thigh. “One would be foolish to think otherwise,” his own thoughts nagged him, face growing warm. From within the arcanist's robes the mindflayer withdrew an intricately golden laced handkerchief. The mindflayer gently placed the handkerchief over the Sussur petals. The lace intertwined with the flower's petals as they melded together leaving the Sussur flowers seemingly undisturbed. Gold veins now lined the cool petals.

“The runes placed on this plant will keep the sunlight at bay but it is best for the bloom to avoid sunlight whenever possible. The runes do serve as a shield from the magical properties of the plant. Just remove the handkerchief if you intend to use its properties.” Omeluum gently places the flower in the palm of tiefling’s hand. “Thank you?” said Zevlor. The mindflayer resumed their work organizing the crates. He wasn't sure what to make of what just transpired. Such a strange mindflayer. “If you are feeling better, do you mind helping us carry a couple crates back to camp? Omeluum levitates most of them but we still have these eight boxes left,” as Blurg dabbed his brow with a handkerchief.

“So, those mushroom creatures at your encampment…” Zevlor began. “Ah, the myconids. They are interesting people aren’t they?” Blurg chimed as he grabbed his boxes. “That's one way of putting it,” Zevlor lifted his set. “Do you know about the corpses and their… transformation?” Being this far away from the creatures did bide his uneasiness but only slightly. “So, you have observed their sporeing process,” Omeluum floated near. “I. Well… Yes. How are you so sure they won’t pose a danger to others in the camp? If those who are deemed weaker or injured could they purposely turn them as well?” Zevlor pressed. The mindflayer hummed in deep contemplation. “How will we know if you pose a danger?” they answered. “What!? What are you insinuating?” a slight growl edged to his words. “I simply asked based on my observations.” they said calmly. “What are they if you will humbly enlighten us?” Zevlor's tail irritatedly waved. 

The hobgoblin glanced between his companions as they walked. “Umm… What they meant to say was this is just a hunch but what we don't know about others we deem them dangerous” shrugged the hobgoblin. Omeluum nodded in agreement. “Keen observation Blurg. We assess and hypothesize based on the behavior we observe. Though our perception can be clouded through experiences,” as the mindflayer swirled the boxes overhead. “I cannot pry into your thoughts unless willing but your mind is vocal. I can feel your mental anguish from a distance prior to your arrival at the orchard.” His infernal blood began to run cold, Zevlor’s grip on the crates slipped slightly. 

“There are many things you fear I have taken note of. For there to be peace among our Underdark denizens, we simply extend our trust. We the Society of Brilliance choose to understand and have faith in one another. Isn't that what you yearn for Hellrider?” they stroked their own chin. Zevlor attempted to refute but he remained tight-lipped, the words dying in his throat. “We are here. As for the myconids, Blurg and I have witnessed their sole interests are to commune among themselves. The vulnerable remain unharmed. For those who don't wish to live in peace, paladin. There will be order maintained by what is necessary” the mindflayer purred. Zevlor stood in silence as he watched the illithid slink back to the tent. “You alright?” Blurg nudged his arm with their elbow. “I am fine. Thank you.” his stare unwavering from the tent. “I'll get started on making dinner. It's about that time already. If you want, you could get started on making the fire.” The hobgoblin smiled apologetically and walked off in the direction of the mindflayer. 

Zevlor tossed himself upon the seat of a crate. He neatly piled the stack of logs onto the center of the campfire. “Was that a threat from them or is it my mind?” he thought. In the palm of his hands, he bundled twigs and wood shaving tightly wrapping in cloth. “Are my emotions that easy to read or am I just acting on instinct?” steel striking the flint catches the kindling alight. With a steady hand he cupped the bundle, blowing on the tender flame coaxing them to bloom. “Maybe I'm acting within my natural disposition.” he took a deep breath. “Maybe I'm living within the habits I've always known” tossing the flame onto the fire pit.

“Do we have to make a fire by hand Commander?” His private huffed as she slid her blade against a rock. Small sparks trickled at the bundle of dry brush, their eyes glowing bright in frustration against the moonless night. “Yes, Private Tilses we can't always rely on a firebolt to catch our fires ablaze.” Zevlor peered over their shoulder. “Less drunken wildfires at that as well,” he winced at the memory. “Hey Private Zevlor, come here for a second. Bet you can't cast a firebolt from there” his drunken superior beckoned him. “If you can backflip off there onto this stump while lighting the bonfire. You’ll get tomorrow off.” they slurred patting at the stump. Celebrations were in order as the last of the vampiric hellrider's legion was vanquished. Not one to avoid a challenge or lose his pride among his fellow peers. He stupidly but happily accepted. Zevlor took another swig from his bottle. The young Hellrider peered down from his perch among the tree canopy.

“Do you have the paper signed? You know how my challenges work. ” He eyed his commander. “Yeah, yeah Zev. It's an official order. Look, your fellow private got the report,” he pointed to his second private holding up the signed document. “Alright if it's a roaring fire you request,” Zevlor standing at full attention on top of the tree limb. His back facing away from the pit. “Then a roaring bonfire to the heavens it shall be.” he jumped. When he awoke half the camp was burnt to smoldering ash. Hellriders stumbled as they ran back and forth extinguishing what little flames remained. From the cheers at what’s left of the breakfast table, he did complete the task beautifully but with all the spilled alcohol about… things went up in flames... There needed to be a written report of the incident about the state of the outpost. Also the singed forest around the vicinity. He did not work that day due to being reprimanded instead along with his other fellow Hellriders.

“Commander Zevlor? Commander? Commander, sir?” Tilses called, snapping his attention to the present. “Umm… yes, Tilses very necessary. Whatever energy that would be reserved in casting a firebolt could be used to staying alert.” he coughed, clearing his throat. Even the darkness couldn't hide the side eye his new private gave him (though having shared abilities of dark vision did not help in this instance). He knelt beside her. "You're on the right track Tilly. Just flick your wrist and then” the kindling came a blaze. “I did it! It's finally over.” Tilly slumped down onto her bedroll.

“Mighty fine work there. Good job private” Zevlor chuckled, placing a couple of twigs onto the fire. A sniffle came from the bedroll. “Tilly, are you alright?” the older tiefling's ears perked up. His eyes fell upon his young private, back turned away. “No one has ever told me that Commander, sir,” she mumbled. “Told you what Hellrider?” he asked, straining to hear. “Said I did a good job or just cared… sir,” Tilly choked out between sniffles. “Not anyone at all or even your fellow Hellriders?” Zevlor turned to fully face them. “No one. Honestly, I thought I would quit after this private rotation. I am no Hellrider,” she whispered, clutching the pillow to her chest. He knew of that sentiment. “Whatever lies we tell ourselves are easier to listen to,” he began. The flames licked at the edges of the shadows. 

“You know you are impressive in your own right, Tilly. You try your hardest. You do what is right and just when the need arises. You strive to learn where you can. I would say that is something worthy of a Hellrider’s acknowledgement.” he said with utmost confidence. The night air began to chill. He raised a clawed finger. “First, you have arrived and found our meeting place. Second, you were able to successfully navigate and locate the targets. Third, you did complete today's mission of extinguishing the gnolls. Fourth, you set up a base camp with a roaring fire. Fifth, is yet to come to pass but it is to achieve a long rest.” Zevlor tossed Tilly a blanket. “When we awaken tomorrow, you will have confirmed your first completed field mission as a Hellrider.”

“But Commander I was late. I passed by their den multiple times, lost. You had to save me from being attacked and the fire, I only achieved it with your guidance.” his private stared at him wide-eyed as tears began anew. “And at the end of the day private Tilses, the mission was completed regardless. That is what matters in this line of work.” Zevlor said firmly. “Now, again it was a good and successful mission by my standards,” hands on his knees he stood to his full height. “Now, what would you like for dinner? I'll have you know with the chill in the air tonight, I am more partial with either a soup or stew.” 

“Stew, please sir. Thank you for the kind words” as her palms wiped away the tears. “If we are to be working together Private Tilses, you can address me by title and name. I only stated the truth so a thanks is not necessary but I'll accept it for only acting as a reminder of your potential.” Zevlor handed them a handkerchief with a nod. “You know Commander Zevlor, you are more kinder and gentler than the other commanders.” Tilly yawned. “Especially working with a new private. You have me worrying for my commanding officer. If you are so busy saving and helping everyone, when will you have time to live?” She said, tucked herself snug into her bedroll. “Well private's are still learning the ropes. Unnecessary fear of their commanders will lead to mistrust down the line. I live through my actions in service to others. It is rewarding work,” he took their finished dishes. 

“That sounds nice Commander Zevlor but will you still be living when you make mistakes? Like if you held regrets over your actions? I don't know if I would call that living. It sounds like a nightmare,” she mumbled. “I will assure you I will still be alive, Private Tilses. Even if the Hells were to come to Elturel, I won’t regret the lives that I have saved in the meantime,” as he wiped the dishes dry. “You didn't answer my question Commander Zevlor, sir. But you'll have to answer that question some day. Good night, sir,” she waved him off, turning over in her bed roll. “Good night, Private Tilses. See you at sunrise, Hellrider.” 

Tilses was right as always even in their early rider years. Some things never change. “I suppose these next couple of days are to answer that single question” he stared longingly at the campfire. 

[eqt-95]

a new kind of romance, pt 5

part 4 | frosting

🍄 | could we? wood we?

“Oh look, a mushr-ooph!”

And then what was a breathless morning became a breathless morning smeared in mud and leaf-tangled hair and a pout the size of Metropolis sitting on Kara’s lower lip.

“Aren’t you supposed to be the outdoorsy one?” Lena laughed, and sure, her rosy cheeks and amber scarf hung around her neck and loose curls tumbling over her shoulders helped temper Kara’s flare of frustration at another thing gone wrong. And sure, maybe Lena was extra glowy because of the warm fall colors and that fought Kara’s own annoyance of slipping and tripping and falling - again.

But only barely.

Because while Lena was being her perfect, soft, perfect, kind, perfect self, Kara was powerless and awkward and now inelegantly in those same fall colors and pouting.

It had been a great idea a week earlier; maybe even the best idea Kara Danvers had ever had: a Saturday-morning hike with her very best friend to an outlook of the city painted in an autumnal palette followed by a stop at an apple orchard for some cider and cinnamon sugar donuts with that same very best friend, all ending with a viewing party of David Attenbourough’s soothing narration back at Kara’s tucked in close to - you guessed it - Kara’s very - very - best friend. It was flawless. It was perfect. It was exactly how Kara wanted to spend every Saturday for the rest of her life. Heck, every Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and… well, every day.

Except when she planned it a week ago, Kara hadn’t expected it to drizzle or that a National City crisis would burn out her powers.

So pout she did while Lena cautiously toed down the steep hill, dressed in warm flannels and a deep green jacket and gosh, she looked so pretty. How did she always look so pretty?

“Come on, there’s still a whole hill to climb,” a pair of pretty, unpainted lips said and Kara blinked out of her dazed stupor.

“Or maybe we can just call it quits and get cocoa and a couple sticky buns at noonans?” Kara asked hopefully, tucking her pout away.

“I can’t believe my ears,” Lena huffed, offering an outstretched hand. “Is Kara Zor El quitting on me?”

“No,” Kara huffed like a petulant child, climbing to her feet. The lower lip threatened to perch again. “It’d just be nice if, you know-oah!”

Words were ripped out from under Kara with the same slipperiness that sent her sprawling moments earlier. Only this time, she was met with a very different set of tangled limbs and breathless huffs because this time there was a flannel-clad Lena to negotiate.

And that negotiation might have felt exactly like the Princess Bride tumble if the Princess Bride tumble had been Buttercup (Lena) and Westley (Kara) tumbling together down a smaller hill covered in damp leaves with Buttercup (Lena) landing on top of Westley (Kara). 

Except there were some key differences. The biggest, Kara would argue, was that Lena was way prettier than Robin Wright. The next biggest was that their tumble was objectively far more romantic because Lena was laughing and tucking her face into the crook of Kara’s neck and holding tight at her waist even after they’d rolled to a stop and maybe Kara wanted to stay like this forever and ever, wet ground be damned.

Not that Kara romanticized things about her friend - her best friend. The word had never crossed her Pulitzer-prize-winning mind. This was simple platonic adoration. 

Because how could she not adore the dimples blossoming across Lena’s cheeks, or admire her laughter reverberating through their entwined form, or cherish the freckle peeking out from her disheveled scarf, or revere the way her lips looked so soft and pink, or delight in the lock of hair that her own hand reached up and tucked behind Lena’s ear.

And yea, maybe since her hand was already there, Kara let the pad of her thumb brush the smudge of dirt that sat along Lena’s creamy cheekbone because how could she not? And sure, maybe that gesture - that platonic gesture made time slow and Lena quiet with a sudden eye-locking focus before letting out a quiet, breathy sigh that made Kara feel things in ways that were certainly not platonic but definitely not not good feeling. 

And maybe it wasn’t fair that Kara was friends with the most perfect person in the whole world because maybe, just maybe, she wanted to romanticize the idea of tumbling down a hill together and landing tangled and breathless and watching with slow, agonizing curiosity as Lena’s lips drew closer (or was it Kara’s that leaned nearer?) because then if she did that - if she romanticized that, it might mean that maybe, just maybe they could, maybe they would-

“My hero,” Lena grinned, her cheeks rosy and breath warm against the chilly air.

And then there was the crinkle of leaves.

And then there was a ghost of Lena’s warmth.

And then there was a hand extended toward her.

“Come on Supergirl, we’ve still got a mountain to climb.”

And maybe Kara didn’t know how to say what she wanted, because of course it would be silly to ask Lena to stay and to sit in the damp leaves and to feel the cold creep up while the sun rose and climbed and set on them. 

So she didn’t say any of that. Instead she accepted Lena’s offered hand and swallowed hard against the uncertainty in her throat and carefully climbed the thirty-seven steps back to the safety of the trail.

Kara’s feet wavered once there, her whole self unmoving except for the way her eyes glanced between where they came from and where they were meant to go. And then she glanced back down the hill to where they’d unexpectedly tumbled and wondered why they couldn’t just keep down that path.

“You ok?” came Lena’s voice, having closed the distance with her brow furrowed in concern. “Did you hurt anything?”

Kara shook her head and pressed her mouth into a smile. “No, just thinking.”

Lena eyed her, a silent ‘about?’ lobbed, and if Kara looked hard enough she might have seen the cautious hope in the way Lena watched her. And if Kara had looked hard enough, she might have seen that cautious hope flicker and dim when Kara patted her own stomach.

“Do you think there are snacks at the top?”

And, already well-practiced, Lena broke into a smile, a small eye-roll of affection bringing a smirk to Kara’s own face.

“It’s amazing that even without powers you’re still this hungry,” Lena replied, taking the lead along the battered, well-worn path.

“It’s a gift?”

“Or curse,” Lena said with a quick backwards wink that made Kara want to tumble all over again. 

Instead she followed.

“We’re still stopping for donuts though, right?” Kara called, hurrying to catch up. Always trying to catch up.

- - - - - - - - - part 6 | cuddles

[unhinged-summer-fun]

common grounds (oshamir) - chapter 4

Pairing: Osha Aniseya x Qimir "The Stranger" Warnings: None, there's some mild dissociation that could count as harmful tho. YMMV.

A/N: Dividers by @firefly-graphics

series masterlist

chapter 4: soundless echoes

NyyaaaAAAAAHHHHHH—

“Yes, good afternoon, Pip!” Osha scooped up the tiny orange kitten from the floor the moment she got inside. Satisfied with the greeting, Pip ceased yelling and switched into what Osha called ‘chainsaw mode,��� purring at full volume. For a kitten that could still fit inside her shoes, he was a loud one. “You are such a loud boy today, have you never been pet in your life? Not ever?”

Osha toed off her shoes and left them in the tray to drip off excess snow and salt. “I’m in here!” Mae called from the kitchen.

Good. Just who Osha was looking for.

Mae was chopping vegetables for tonight’s family dinner. Sol lived just a floor above their apartment but preferred to keep his distance instead of coming over as much as he’d like. 

“You’ll never guess who I saw at the gym.”

Mae froze, eyes flicking up to her sister. “Who.”

“Your little mystery guy.”

“What? Why was he at the Temple?”

“Huh? No. I mean the apartment gym.”

“Here? Did he follow you or something?” Mae asked. Osha tilted her head in thought; didn’t she know he lived there? Maybe they weren’t as close as Osha thought, even after two years.

“No, he didn’t follow me. He lives here. Had the access fob and everything.”

“That’s so weird…” Mae shuddered. “Oh my god, is he a stalker? Is he stalking us?”

“I really don’t think he is,” Osha said, cutting her off before she spiraled.

I’ve known her two years and she didn’t trust me enough to hear the truth when I spoke it. Why would I let someone in if all they’d do is call my life a lie?

Mae really didn’t trust this guy. But she also didn’t know him—she wouldn’t have asked him the burning questions Osha had for him.

“Remember when you owed me a meal and explanations?”

“I was busy!”

“Bullshit, Mae, you were not. Yesterday was one of your night classes, and you never ditch those except when I ask you to. And yet, you ditched both. And I know you weren’t out with him, either.”

“Of course I wasn’t—wait, what? How do you know that I wasn’t with him?” Mae turned to look at her with a wary glare. “Osha.”

“Uh.”

“He came in again last night, didn’t he?”

“Who came in? I don’t know who you’re talking about. Actually, you’re right. Let’s forget I said anything at all. Great idea, Mae!”

“Osha…”

“He only comes in when I’m fixing the machine, okay? He saw me fall over yesterday when he walked by. He was worried.”

Her sister looked at her like she’d grown another head. “Worried.”

“Yes, is there an echo in here? I also told him he’s an asshole. Sorta.”

Mae blanched, looking distinctly uncomfortable. “You’re playing with fire, Osha.”

“What do you mean? Mae, who is this guy? How do you know him?”

She gestured for Osha to help with dinner prep. “Okay. You have to promise you won’t get mad, though.”

“I can’t promise you that,” Osha said, chopping a bell pepper in smooth, rhythmic movements. “I promise I will hear you out but I can’t promise I won’t be upset.”

It was enough for Mae. “Alright. So do you want the most important facts or the whole story from the beginning?”

Osha looked at the clock. Sol could be coming over at any minute. “Just tell me what you know about him. I’ll annoy you for the whole story when Sol leaves.”

“Great. So, uh, I’m not taking night classes. I haven’t for almost two years. I wasn’t dating or doing anything illegal. I was training with him.” It all came out in a rush, like a breath Mae had held for a very long time.

It took all of Osha’s willpower not to chop her hand off in surprise. She forced her voice into a calm imitation of herself, returning to dinner prep. “You’re training with him? Outside of the Temple?” Something in Osha’s mind was screaming at her to make some kind of logical connection, but the engine wouldn’t turn over.

“I was, until about two months ago. I was… The most important thing is that I’m not training with him anymore.”

“Nuh-uh, Mae. Why’d you suddenly stop? Did he hurt you?”

“No! No, it wasn’t like that. I just… I had been given more, well, more hours, kind of, at the gym, so between that and training every day of the week, I couldn’t keep it up.” Mae sounded contrite but still shifty. This wasn’t the full story. Osha circled back to another unanswered point.

“Who is he? What’s his name?”

“He used to be… oh god, this isn’t the right time for this conversation—”

Sure enough, Sol’s one-knock entrance interrupted her in the middle of her explanation. Osha wanted to push her dad back into the hall and get the rest of the story, but if what Mae said was true, getting Sol suspicious about this would be the worst idea.

Sol came in smiling, and Osha needed to hide in the fridge to school her expression a bit. “It is cold out there,” Sol said.

“Yeah, storm front’s blowing in soon; I can feel it.” Sol looked distinctly uncomfortable whenever Osha mentioned the effects of the weather on her ankle. She was 26, not 62.

Mae swept in to diffuse everything. “Well, at least it’s mulled wine season!” She pointed to the simmering pot on the stove.

The three fell into an easy routine: making dinner, talking about nothing, and weaving around one another in the kitchen. It was a dance they all knew, but it had become a nearly scripted endeavor in recent years.

“How’s Jecki doing? Is she excited to join the competition circuit this spring?” Osha asked Sol.

“She is progressing very well. And you know Jecki, she rarely shows excitement for anything. But she is ready. She has committed herself admirably to the program; I couldn’t be more proud.”

It’s not a slight on her, Osha knows. She’d been in Jecki’s position six years ago. Once upon a time, Osha wanted nothing more than to be just like her dad: a decorated competitive boxer, a trainer at the temple, and a force for good in the community. Before her injury, he’d been hinting at her shadowing him at the gym.

After Bestine, all talk of mentorship stopped.

At least the trainer job was still an option for her.

“You know, it’s okay to stop pushing yourself toward dreams of the past,” Sol said in that gratingly sweet and understanding voice that got on Osha’s nerves.

“Dad—” Mae tried to intervene.

“And it’s also okay to be a little pissed about the fact I can’t achieve them, too,” Osha took a drink of her beer. Maybe it was the burn of her calf and ankle still searing her to the bone, but she didn’t want to let this go. She was going off-script from their usual tiptoeing around reality.

“You should think about finding a different direction for yourself, Osha.”

“I like boxing. It’s the direction I have committed myself to. It’s what I’m good at. It’s probably the only thing I’m good at. Which is why I want to apply for the junior trainer job.”

A beat of silence passed. Osha didn’t miss the look Mae exchanged with Sol. A tightness in her chest began to twist, anxiety flooding her veins and leaving her lightheaded. 

“What.”

Sol rubbed his fingertips over his knuckles, a nervous tell he never bothered hiding. “The junior trainer position has already been filled.”

“Oshie, I—”

“Don’t.” Osha put her beer down and finished eating dinner with robotic focus. The inside of her skull felt like static. “Either of you.”

“It wasn’t my decision,” Sol said softly.

“I said don’t.”

Osha stood from the table then, cutlery clanking on her plate. She didn’t look at either of them as she left, going straight to her room after scooping up Pip. 

Absolutely nothing was going right today. Aside from working an entire shift at the cafe, she found out her sister had been lying to her for two years, and Vernestra thought Osha was being seen training somewhere else—now Mae had been given the position Osha had wanted and worked for since she was removed from competition pools. It wasn’t enough that nobody in the gym would spar with her for liability reasons. Now, she had to be content with being just a member: no way forward, no way up, no way out.

The only thing that had gone right today was seeing the stranger.

This brand of self-pity had Osha searching osha aniseya injury bestine open again. 

She opened the purple links in cascading tabs looming at the top of the browser window. As she read through the news reports of one of the worst days of her life, the tabs disappeared, having done their job of making her go from feeling bad to feeling worse.

Most children who train at the Temple never see their first competition until they’ve trained for two years. Verosha “Osha” Aniseya left her first tournament Saturday as the undisputed flyweight champion at just eleven years old—just a year after joining the gym after the car crash that orphaned her and her twin sister, Mae…

The video came last, like always.

“—Aniseya, the two-time junior champion, and favored winner tonight, has a huge lead over her opponent; this is her second time in the adult-ranked tournaments—” The crowd in the video gasped. “Aniseya is on the floor, it looks like she’s been injured—”

And there, in the center of the ring, was her. She looked so… small. She was only 20 but had as much muscle tone as anyone else in her weight class. But right now, right then, she looked like a little kid, scared and curled around herself on the mat. The pain had been so immense she’d blacked out, so the video was all Osha had to fill the gaps in her memory. The Sol from back then leaned over her body, trying to stabilize her knee—and there was her scream. It was so loud and sharp that the crowd went utterly silent.

The dislocation was only diagnosed when she’d gotten her X-ray results, but of course, the doctors only really cared about the ruptured tendon and the refractured bones in her ankle. The screws and other hardware she’d had in her foot since she was ten had to come out. Their replacements would account for the rest of her new injuries. The journalists only reported the ankle injury, at the very least. What a shame that the only dignity and privacy she had left from that nightmare was a left knee that ached constantly—but it was an ache that nobody knew about.

The announcers said some other things in the video, but all Osha heard was Vernestra’s disappointed voice, saying we can’t let you compete like this. Not anymore. Mae’s tearful offer to quit boxing in solidarity. Sol had held her hand while she cried and cried and cried.

She was twice a junior champion. Osha looked up at the two championship ribbons on her shelf, which were dirty from dust and neglect. She should have given them to Sol along with the trophies. He’d been more broken up about her being removed from the competition pool than she was, but Osha had become numb to everything those days—if she let herself feel one thing, she’d have to feel everything.

She looked away from the screen to look at her foot. Beneath that sock and her skin and scar tissue were six stainless steel pieces of surgical hardware and an Achilles tendon prone to inflammation at the slightest provocation. Such a small part of her body, all those delicate bones, but they’d ruined nearly every part of her life.

And now she wasn’t even being considered for the training position. It would have given her purpose and drive, something to get her up in the morning besides routine and an alarm clock.

Eventually, her aimless internet search turned to the Temple website photo gallery. Most were taken in the Temple, but many others were from competitions. When Osha hadn’t been injured, her face had been everywhere. She was the gym’s pride and joy, so she was on the front page of the website, she was on posters, she had a damn billboard. When she returned to the gym about two months after her surgery, she could only find her face in the photos on the walls, always in youth classes.

It was like she disappeared.

Her thoughts turned to the stranger’s story about seeing her and Mae in one of the children’s classes when they were very young. She went through the photo gallery online, searching for a particular shade of black hair, dark eyes, and a razor-sharp jawline. She found none.

She had one more idea to try and find the end of this rabbit hole.

The old guard around the gym didn’t gossip about other members. When a matter had passed, it had passed. If something distasteful happened among the ranks, it was handled personally and then forgotten. The fact that Vernestra put any stock in the rumor about Osha was distressing. She’d always been a woman who stood on principles like don’t talk behind other’s backs and don’t spread lies.

There was one rumor that never got squashed, however. When Osha had won her first champion title, there had been a very awkward stretch of weeks Sol had told her to ignore. She still didn’t know everyone there, and she was adjusting to a new school and the reality that her mothers would never return.

But still, the shadow of a rumor Osha never knew the shape of rippled and echoed through the gym for many years after. From Osha’s limited understanding, there was some abrupt incident that ended in Vernestra’s former protégé getting kicked out of the gym permanently, sometime shortly after Sol brought Osha and Mae to the Temple. Though the old guard liked to keep the competition pool free of drama, this story persisted.

I heard he went on some kind of smear campaign. Tried dragging Vernie’s name through the mud.

Wouldn’t you, if you had your back broken in four places?

I mean, I heard there were other circumstances…

Maybe she’s learned better. Kids these days could ruin us all.

It may have been enough to find any news reports. She searched Temple Gym back injury but only found posts from the gym’s blog going back ten years and more results about her own disaster. Broadening the search yielded more outside reporting, but all the pieces were fluff: charity outreach, competition results, and expansion efforts—but nothing about a former student with a back injury.

Weirdly, searching vernestra rwoh student, zero search results populated.

Osha didn’t know the shape of what she was looking at, but she knew she had a bad feeling about this.

“I’m taking my fifteen,” Osha said, casually folding her apron and noting the time. Jecki waved her off, still training Tasi at the register during a lull in service.

Osha wandered the gym. It seemed darker today, more menacing and bleak. Everyone here hid in the shadows. Maybe it was just how she felt about the news last night. None of this felt fair. Mae had admitted to training with some stranger, and Osha would bet anything that the rumors and reports Vernestra was so concerned with were actually about Mae. And they probably know it, too. They just wanted me to take the fall so they wouldn’t have the unbroken Aniseya embarrassing them.

Something had her feet stopping in front of one of the pictures beneath the stairs leading up to Vernestra’s office. It was dusty; she had most likely forgotten it was even down here. Osha took it off the nail and blew gently on the glass and frame before rubbing the dust away on her pants.

No way.

There he was. Like most other frames around the gym, it was a newspaper clipping. Even with the aged ink and black-and-white photo, Osha knew who it was. Black gloves concealed most of his face, but she knew those eyes, burning and focused even from—she checked the date—fifteen years ago. The heading said, TEMPLE GYM HOPEFUL SETS EYES ON JR. NATIONAL TITLE.

How had this photo survived?

“Osha?”

Her hands moved quickly, popping open the back of the frame to snatch the thin newspaper from behind the glass. She folded it, stuffed it in her pocket, and turned. “Mae.” Even though her expression was calm, her heart pounded. 

Her sister wrung her hands, unperturbed by finding Osha here. Maybe she didn’t know about the photo. Then again, Osha didn’t even know there was a photo here until today.

“I wanted to apologize for last night. You were gone too early for me to talk to you, and…” She trailed off, expecting Osha to finish the sentence. Usually, they could do that with uncanny accuracy. But now, maybe Osha needed to hear her say it all herself. Mae shifted her weight from foot to foot before finding her courage. “I should have told you about the job.”

“You should have told me many things, I think.”

Mae winced, crossing her arms. “I can’t talk about that here.”

“Why not? They already think—” Osha lowered her voice. “They already think I’m the one going outside the gym for training.”

“They what? Who said that?”

Osha nodded her head up at Vernestra’s office. “She told me that if I was going to go training outside the gym, to at least be discreet about it.” Something occurred to her. “Mae, when did they give you the training position?”

“Yesterday, wh—”

“Oh, this is unbelievable. At first, I thought it was because I was just a broken boxer who didn’t fight anymore, but it was really because they thought I had gone against the gym! Then I find out it’s my own sister not only compromising my place here but also taking the one job I ever wanted, and she’s been lying to me for two years. Thanks a lot, Mae. Yeah, you should have told me a lot of things.”

Osha brushed past her as she stomped back to the cafe. “Osha, please—”

“I have to get back to work. And I don’t want to hear it.”

With the counter between her and her sister, this was not the place to be having this—or any—conversation. “Can I get you something?” Osha asked when Mae hadn’t walked off.

The look on her face matched the way her heart felt: despairing. “I’ll talk to you when you get home,” she said.

Osha didn’t give her an answer, and eventually, Mae got the hint, leaving.

The rest of her shift passed in a fugue, her mind idly warring between keeping her sister’s secret and clearing her name. Objectively, a boxer with a bunch of orthopedic hardware in her ankle wasn’t the best candidate for longevity. Still, two of the trophies in the massive case at the front of the gym were only there because of her. She’d done her time and put in the work. She fought through her pain and dealt with it quietly, lest she complain too much and be seen as ungrateful. Perception was everything in the Temple. 

Didn’t she deserve better?

“Hey, Yord, can you make me three-shot red eye?” Osha asked.

“Absol—oops, I didn’t mean for—”

She smiled. “Thanks, Yord.”

CHAPTER FIVE

[frasier-crane-style]

Agree or disagree: Star Trek is in a better position at the moment than Star Wars

Legacy has potential and SNW is solid viewing that can hopefully become something great. I don't think it'll reach the heights of TOS/TNG/DS9 anytime soon (they're still beset with Abramsitis), but it truly is a universe, so you can basically zero in on an era you like and ignore whatever else. And the canon ending for most of the beloved characters is that they either die at a ripe old age, have gotten married and had kids, or are still adventuring.

Star Wars isn't really a universe, it's a saga, and the saga canonically dead-ends into an awful, pessimistic ending. The Sequels making it so the Sith can spring back to life and resurrect the Empire whenever they feel like means the whole conflict is pointless, because the good guys' victory can be undone at any time for no reason. The heroic characters mostly die horribly, and not even sacrificing themselves for the greater good, but just kinda... failing. Most of the new shows are set either during the Reign of the Empire or after Return of the Jedi, but both of those are pointless because it's all going to lead to the New Republic being destroyed and the Jedi going extinct again. And those ROTJ-to-TFA interquels are even worse, because it means that Luke and the others didn't even manage to put the Empire down for a little while, the war essentially kept raging the entire time with Thrawn and others managing to ensure the galaxy never knew any true peace or stability despite the Rebellion's best efforts.

Andor and the next Jedi game will hopefully be good, but it's pouring a cup of wine into a vat of sewage. The taste is just not going to improve.