#they're gonna have their hands full trying to rein in these two

[kringletheelf04]

Boo-hooing

(Chapter 13 of two souls entwined in the North Pole)

"What's all this boo-hooing going on here?" Bernard asks, magically coming from somewhere in the kitchen, pita sandwich half eaten in his hand.

"Hey, how ya doin?" He nods to Neal, mouth half full of food.

"It's nothing Bernard. We're just saying goodbye to Charlie." I explain.

"What goodbye? Charlie, you still got the glass ball, right?" He asks, swinging his free arm around my waist.

"Yeah." Charlie nods, brushing tears away.

"Well, all you gotta do is shake it whenever you want to see your dad or sibling." Bernard explains.

"Really?" Charlie asks in awe.

"They can come back to see you anytime of day or night." Bernard reassures.

"Hey, have I ever steered ya wrong?" He asks.

Charlie shakes his head as Neil and Laura approach us.

"Nice sweater. Did we make this?" Bernard asks, trying to check Neil for a tag as he shakes him away.

I chuckle. I don't know if he's genuine or not, either way it's funny. He turns and looks at me with a love struck look. Walking over to me he caresses my face.

"Your laugh is the most mirthful noise I have ever heard in my sixteen hundred and twenty two years of living." He says as I stare into his captivating chestnut eyes.

I snap out of it hearing Neil's distressed voice. Bernard's hand drops from my face to entwined with mine. Turning, I see Neil approaching Laura.

"Laura! They're sucking us into his delusions. Look at the elaborate measures they've taken. " Neil tries to reason.

"Neil, relax." I say.

Stepping into the chimney, Bernard gives me a kiss and poofs into glitter. Dad follows me. Placing a finger on the tip of my nose, we shoot up the chimney. On the roof sits our sleigh and we load into it. From down below on the street we hear voices.

"Chief! Look up there!" I hear a police officer shout.

The voices of children ring out through the quiet night. Hushed whispers of parents are also hears. All of them talking about us.

"Merry Christmas to all! And to all a good night!" Dad calls out and cracks the reins.

The reindeer take off and we are gone in the blink of an eye, soaring through the black night sky. We place presents under every tree from Illinois to Ohio. Suddenly a light with Charlie's face on it starts rapidly blinking. Pressing on the button beside it, we are teleported to Laura's living room.

"Hey sport!" I call to Charlie.

"Dad! (Y/n)!" He runs to us with his arms open.

"You miss us already? We've been gone, what? Ten minutes." Dad asks checking his watch.

"We were on our way to Cleveland when we got your call, sport." I ruffle his hair.

"Do you wanna go for a quick ride?" Dad asks him.

"Yeah!" Charlie jumps up and down in excitement.

"Of course, it's up to your mom." I chime in.

"Please mom?" He gives her his signature puppy dog eyes.

"Go on. Get outta here." Laura jokes.

"All right. Hold on." I say grabbing ahold of dad as he boops his nose.

Back in the sleigh we continue to deliver all the presents, this time with Charlie with us. Landing back in front of Laura's house, I give Charlie a quick hug.

"Now, I know I'm only a shake away, but I'm gonna be packing for the pole. So if you need me again, just call my cell." I tell Charlie.

"Sport, I love you so much. I couldn't have done this without you." Dad gives him a kiss on the cheek.

We take back off and land on our roof.

"Dad, just fly back without me for now. I've got to pack our things, and a big, green sleigh shouldn't be on our roof in the morning when people wake up." I hug dad goodbye and open up our house.

Going upstairs, I open my room. Taking out my suitcase, I start packing all of my belongings. I had all of my clothes already folded, so this goes by pretty quickly. I go into Charlie's room and pick up his stuffed bear dressed like Santa. I can't help but think, how often will I get to see him. I guess he could always FaceTime me, if there actually is wifi in the pole. I decide to take it with me, a souvenir of my little brother.

"What's wrong snowbird?" I hear a voice I've grown to love ask me.

"Just thinking about Charlie." I say turning around to face Bernard.

"You know, your dad isn't the only one who can teleport." He grins.

"What do you mean?" I ask, quirking my eyebrow.

"Since you're technically the spirit of Christmas, all you gotta do is picture where you are and wiggle your ears, and you'll be there." Bernard swings his arms around my shoulders.

"That would have been nice to know, ya know!" I playfully smack his hand off me.

"I'm sorry!" He feigns a hurt look. "But just to let you know, the rest of the elves can get your stuff. You didn't have to come here."

"I figured, but I wanted to make sure I got my bag and Charlie's bear." I smile down at the bear.

"Well, now that I'm here, I can take that for you." He says taking my suitcase from me.

I grab a hold of his hand and entwine our fingers together.

"Would you like to do the honors of taking us home, snowbird?" Bernard asks, a gentle smile gracing his face.

"I'd love to." I grin back.

Wiggling my ears and thinking of my dad, we appear in the workshop. He's standing in front of all the elves when we appear in front of him. He stops mid sentence and gapes at us.

"Sorry, dad. I'm new to this." I apologize and drag Bernard off the stage and down the hall to my room.

"This is new, but as long as you're here with me, I think I can manage." I say smiling at him.

"I'll always be here snowbird."

[sea-owl]

Your honor I'm in love with Raine and Eda's relationship but also I adore the idea of Stan and Eda being besties who commit crimes together.

Picture this:

Eda and Stan meet while doing a heist they both just happened to be on. For said heist they have to get married to infiltrate a couples only event.

They enter the event as the newlyweds Hal and Marilyn Forrester. They then to proceed to rob every rich person blind.

Eda and Stan are just best friends who sometimes pretend to be married for heists they go on. And sometimes they try to rob eqch other too. It's always back and forth on who robs who.

For liability reasons they never tell one another their real names. They always affectionately call each other their ex-husband/wife. It honestly just becomes a joke between the two of them.

Stan does know Eda is a witch. Woman does out right magic in front of him.

Eda knows about Ford. She's from another dimension and had promised Stan she could keep an eye out for his brother.

Well years down the line, when the Emperor is defeated, Raine and Eda have worked on their issues. Meanwhile on Earth the Stan twins are traveling the world on their boat, Ford needs to consult with an old friend.

Using a modified dimension hopper the Stans travel to the Boiling Isles to meet up with Ford's old friend Lilith. Who just so happens to be at the Owl House. Ford is excited to finally meet the infamous Owl Lady.

Lilith walks inside. "Hey Eda I have an old friend who wants-"

"Hal!"

"Marilyn!"

Ford and Lilith look between their siblings. "THAT'S YOUR EX?!" The siblings groan because crap there's two of them.

Stan and Eda ignore them as the two starting talking about their kids and pulling out pictures. At the same time they're trying to figure out if they can pull one last heist for old times sake.

Poor Raine is trying to figure out if they should be jealous or continue the bisexual crisis because oh Titan there's two of them.

[animeangsteng]

Jack Howl with Little Red Riding Hood Reader

▂ ▃ ▄ ▅ ▆ ▇ █ █ ▇ ▆ ▅ ▄ ▃ ▂

ᴺᴼᵂ ᴾᴸᴬᵞᴵᴺᴳ :

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⋘ 𝑙𝑜𝑎𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑑𝑎𝑡𝑎... ⋙

Warnings: Light (very light) innuendos towards the end (last 3 sentences)

@super-mikisenapi-blog

.​

N.f.A:

Given that technically Twisted wonderland’s characters are mainly counterparts of characters, and not descendants (ex: in Ever After High they’re sons and daughters of the originals who will knowingly, and more or less willingly, reenact their story) I decided to make her Little Red Riding Hood, instead of her daughter.

.

Song: “L'il Red Riding Hood" - Amanda Seyfried

(originally by Sam The Sham And The Pharaohs)

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█ █ █ █ █ 100% *Tuning complete*

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The Big Bad Wolf and Little Red Hoodie

Little Red Riding Hood

Hey there little red riding hood

You sure are looking good

You're everything a big bad wolf could want

Jack was hooked by the moment he laid his eyes on you.

You stood in front of him, a red hoodie over your uniform, and asked him directions.

Mesmerised he offered to guide you there.

He doesn’t even remember what happened.

He just knows that he returned to the dorm and smiled like a fool, happy for who knows what.

Little red riding hood

I don't think little big girls should

Go walking in these spooky old woods alone

The next time you two met was in the woods.

You, once again, were lost and he, the big bad wolf of Savanaclaw, walked you out.

You two chatted, well... you did the chatting and he listened, and became friends.

He was without doubt an unlikely companion but you felt comfortable so that went into the background.

What big eyes you have

The kind of eyes that drive wolves mad

Just to see that you don't get chased

I think I oughta walk with you for a ways

He hadn’t seen you for a week, busy with his homework and studies, but your beautiful eyes didn’t leave his mind.

Together with the rest of you, of course.

Next time he had the pleasure to help you was when he found some thugs trying tu bully you.

Luckily you were not as fragile as you seemed and you were able to hold your own, with a bit of help from him.

What full lips you have

They're sure to lure someone bad

So until you get to Grandma's place

I think you oughta walk with me and be safe

And weeks after weeks, months after months, he started to realise his feelings for you, just when you began to develop them.

It began to be a common occurrence, for the NRC students, to see the tough delinquent, the “Big Bad Wolf”, walking with the petite and kind (although forgetful at times) “Red Hoodie”.

Gonna keep my sheep suit on

'Til I'm sure that you've been shown

That I can be trusted walking with you alone

He was well aware of his reputation and he didn’t want to ruin your friendship but his heart seemed to think differently.

His pining was not subtle at all, just like yours, but somehow you both missed the signals the other sent.

Little red riding hood

I'd like to hold you if I could

But you might think I'm a big bad wolf so I won't

Sometimes you hugged him, blush covering both your cheeks, and he wished to do more.

Scared of your reaction, though, he didn’t.

What a big heart I have

The better to love you with

Little red riding hood

Even bad wolves can be good

Therefore you had to take the reins.

You declared and you shared the first kiss.

One may think that was the beginning of your relationship but, unfortunately, you had to wait for a while.

I try to keep satisfied

Just to walk close by your side

Maybe you'll see things my way

'Fore we get to Grandma's place

The boy wanted to be with you as much as you did but he was worried about how the rumours and his reputation would affect you.

Yet it seemed that his worries didn’t reach you, as you walked down the halls, hand in hand.

Little red riding hood

You sure are looking good

You're everything a big bad wolf could want

So he let go of his doubts and loved you with all his might.

You were everything he needed and wanted.

And he was everything you needed and wanted.

So the Big Bad Wolf and Red Hoodie became one of the most renown couples of NRC.

Little red riding hood

I don't think little big girls should

Go walking in these spooky old woods alone

The two of them often spent time in the woods, having picnics and fun of al kinds.

So he though it was fitting for him to ask the big question there, after the graduation ceremony.

And you happily agreed.

What big eyes you have

The kind of eyes that drive wolves mad

Just to see that you don't get chased

I think I oughta walk with you for a ways

When he saw you walking down the aisle he almost howled, his tail shaking with happiness.

On your beautiful white dress was a red veil, ironic decoration of yours.

And once you two pronounced the vows a new chapter of your life began.

What full lips you have

They're sure to lure someone bad

So until you get to Grandma's place

I think you oughta walk with me and be safe

-Why, hello My Big Bad Wolf!- you smiled.

-Shut it, Red Hoodie- he jokingly growled.

-How was the day?-

-Good but exhausting. It made me hungry-

-I’ll cook you something right away-

-I think I know already what I want to eat- he smirked, looking hungrily at his wife.

Oh, how wild did the Big Bad Wolf get with his Little Red Hoodie.

[itsbenedict]

Two-Faced Jewel: Session 8

Welcome to the Hotel On-The-Floor, Yeah

A half-elf conwoman (and the moth tasked with keeping her out of trouble) travel the Jewel in search of, uh, whatever a fashionable accessory is pointing them at. [Campaign log]

Last time, the party identified the culprit behind the murders in Barley and Wheat, but... well, it's complicated. The culprit was apparently being coerced by a dragon, and they managed to talk him down rather than fight. If they want that to stick, though, they'll need some kind of plan to get rid of that dragon. And... is it really worth bailing this guy out, anyway?

Saelhen, Oyobi, and Vayen all start discussing their plans in Elvish, which it doesn't seem like Arnie understands. Oyobi advocates for just killing the guy, but is a little less keen on the idea once Vayen advocates for the same. Saelhen would rather give the guy a chance, and points out that there's not much point to killing him as long as the dragon is still around- they'll need an answer for that, and the answer to a dragon is probably just as good an answer to Arnie.

Looseleaf, oblivious to their Elvish chatter, describes the basic plan to Arnie.

Arnie: "So you're, what... you're gonna get the church involved somehow? What're you gonna tell 'em?" Looseleaf: "Well, probably also Deathseekers," Looseleaf thinks, out loud. "We'll tell them there's a dragon conducting sacrificial rituals at the site of an altar to the god of pain. We'll get the church involved by virtue of proving to them that there's a dragon fucking around with divine shit, and we'll get the deathseekers involved by convincing them that there's a dragon stacked to the gills with cool magic items, which we'll prove by bringing them one of said items." "The important thing is to get going as soon as possible, right? There's a time-limit here measured in, uh... human... corpses..." Arnie: "Wait, how are you gonna get one of its magic items?" Looseleaf: "How do you think, mister 'I work for the dragon so he gave me a bunch of magic items to serve his dread will'?" "We'll bring the deathseekers that magic cloak you said you had." Arnie: "Uh, that's..." "Mine, though."

Eventually, after a persuasion roll or two, Arnie agrees to loan them the cloak, as long as it comes back in one piece. He also tells them how to safely retrieve it from the laundry room- as long as they exchange some dirty laundry for the clean cloak, they'll be happy and won't attack. He's got plenty lying around downstairs, which he heads down to grab.

While he's downstairs, the party confers, and decides to all go together to the nearest city- Cauterdale- to ask the local Deathseekers for aid. They figure Arnie's not a flight risk, since he doesn't have anywhere to run and a draconic boss who'll hunt him down if he tries.

(As they prepare to leave, a natural 20 on a perception roll alerts Looseleaf that Vayen has ransacked Lumiere's personal library, stealing- specifically- Lumiere's books on gods and divine magic, for some reason. She doesn't make any objection to this, though- Vayen's a creep, but it's not like they weren't all on board with looting the dead guy's tower.)

With Arnie's bloodstained laundry in hand, Looseleaf heads upstairs and retrieves the cloak without incident. She tries it out, and...

The result of her crit failing her Wisdom saving throw on the magic item is... nothing, apparently. That's always good to hear! The cloak appears to work exactly as intended! She's wearing a very fancy outfit.

Further experimentation reveals a few limitations- first, the cloak's shape is illusory, so it can't become armor or anything with particular utility. Second, it can get overly literal if you ask it to copy an outfit outright- you have to use your imagination properly. Third, it seems to get tired the more you ask it to change, so there's some limit on how often you can update your wardrobe. Those appear to be the only drawbacks!

So, with Arnie temporarily kept from murdering people, the party gets back on the road.

Saelhen du Fishercrown: For caution's sake, Saelhen calligraphs a piece of paper to say WE HAVE NOT BEEN TORTURED TO DEATH, and sticks it on the door on the way out.

As they make their way northeast, they make some Animal Handling checks to keep hold of their giraffes, as something seems to spook them. Looseleaf gets a critical success and is able to calm her giraffe right away... but the party ranger, who is proficient in neither Animal Handling nor Nature nor even Survival, because what kind of monster hunter needs to know that boring crap, has no idea how to handle an overexcited giraffe and is thrown from her mount with a critical failure.

Benedict I. (GM):There's a small sign by the road, heading off west towards what appears to be an actual forest. The prairie is giving way to a somewhat hillier and more forested terrain here, but the forest is thicker than anything you've seen on your way there. And as you're approaching the crossroads marked by that sign, your giraffes all try to bolt for it. Looseleaf is able to realize that they've been forced to graze on grass for miles, and when they see the trees, they get overexcited. Vayen and Oyobi get completely thrown from their mounts, and you have to follow them down the road a bit to catch up with them and rein them in. Looseleaf: Haha, oh, well, hopefully they don't try and spend the rest of the whole day grazing a pit-stop is within tolerances but we really do have to make it to Cauterdale sooner rather than later. Many lives are on the line! Saelhen du Fishercrown: Good thing Looseleaf can radiate peace at them! Benedict I. (GM): Looseleaf is able to beckon them back before they completely get out of reach, and pretty soon you've got them calmed down- but you've lost some time. There's a choice to make here, now: continue on to Cauterdale, but make the last hour or so of the journey in the dark- or rest at the location marked on the map near here.

On the map, where the sign marked "Umbrella Village" points (shut up, I don't even play Resident Evil, don't worry about it), is simply a warning that reads "EVIL WITCHES- AVOID!!!"

Oyobi and Orluthe inform the others that "witches" usually means "druids"- and Zero cashes in something from character creation. Looseleaf's background as an academic provided her with a book on some historical topic, which was never allocated because at character creation he didn't know enough about the world to decide on something interesting. Here he declares it's a book on the history of druids!

Benedict I. (GM): Druids, from what you've read, are sort of like clerics. They channel a divinity of some sort- which is typically revered as Mother Nature, or Gaia, or... every druid you meet is going to have a different name for it, because while it needs to have a thing to call it by, it is emphatically not a god. Druids have a complicated relationship with Ccorde, who's ostensibly the goddess of environmentalism and hippy communing with nature type stuff- but most druidic traditions regard this as a false claim on a divine domain. Nature is untamed and wild and exists on its own terms, a vital force that is not to be tamed with rules- people must forge their own relationships with Nature. The author of the tome you acquired was herself a cleric of Ccorde, and the tone of the book is defensive on that subject. The author's curiosity outweighed that defensiveness, though, and there's a long section dedicated to the theoretical differences between the channeling of Nature and the channeling of Ccorde- in particular, there's no common dispositional element with druids. Whatever Nature is, it's willing to act through anyone who puts in the effort. The author didn't seem to know anything about animism, but you suspect druidic practice might be related in some way- that their nature-spirit-channeling abilities may be a form of animism. The book is unfortunately light on the practical details of druidcraft, as the author prefers that the reader eschew the practice in favor of fealty to Ccorde.

Okay! So, they head down the road to stay at the druid village for the night- and notice something odd on the way, after some Nature checks. They notice that the dirt road they're going down seems to divide the forest in two- between a sparse, ivy-choked pine forest to the northeast, and a dense, healthy-looking deciduous forest to the southwest. You usually don't get such a sharp delineation between forests like that.

And Looseleaf notices... that their map doesn't show a forest on the southwest side of the road. The road is supposed to just go along the edge of the pine forest. Also, Looseleaf can see the trees' spirits there, and there's something... not quite right.

Benedict I. (GM):The left side of the woods- there does seem to be some ambient magic. Your Sight Unseen ability doesn't exactly detect magic, so much as it lets you see spirits, including the spirits of spells- but what's going on here isn't a spell effect. It's just that the spirits of these healthy-looking deciduous trees don't quite match their physical forms. Their spirits seem... sickly? Frail? Like they're not full trees, not trees that grew in their places from fallen seeds. There's something false about them.

Looseleaf: When you said 'the left side of the road is full of healthy-looking deciduous trees and the right side is full of misshaped thorny things' you know what the first thing i thought was it was, 'the left side is the dangerous side.' i didn't say it out loud but i was totally thinking that, and i am glad to have been vindicated.

The weird forest doesn't seem to be attacking them, though, so they head onward towards Umbrella Village, which seems to be built entirely on the pine side of the road. It's kind of cool-looking- every inch of available space, on the lawns, roofs, and walls, is covered in fruiting vines and various plants. The whole village is a carefully-cultivated ecosystem.

The villagers seem surprised to have visitors- apparently it's not a common occurrence. They seem normal enough, though- while they don't have an inn, they direct the party to visit the village elder, who might know where the best place for them to spend the night is.

(Oyobi once again crit-fails her Animal Handling check, and is unable to prevent her giraffe from ripping a tomato plant off the side of someone's house, which gets her scolded. Why are you a ranger, Oyobi?)

They head down to the village elder's house, which is unique in not being overgrown with crops- and knock on the door.

The door is answered by a little lizardfolk girl, who doesn't have any idea what she's supposed to do about there being... people... here? People she's never seen before? Who don't live in the village? What???

Benedict I. (GM): "...Who...?" "GRANDMAAAAA," she calls back into the room. Which she didn't really need to do so loudly, because there's an elderly lizardfolk woman sitting right there next to a small fire.

Looseleaf: Oh, and Looseleaf was about to ask if the little girl was the elder. Never let external appearances color your preconceptions, and all that. Benedict I. (GM): "Eh?" "Gramma there's Mysterious People!" "They don't exist!" The old woman gets up. "Who's... oh, visitors?" The little girl looks confused. "Vizza-what?" Looseleaf:"Indeed, we are emissaries from the Faraway Phantom Lands of Nonexistence," Looseleaf says in deadpan to the girl. "Behold as my incorporeal voice from out of the thin air astonishes you!" To the old lady, Looseleaf says. "Excuse us. You must be the elder?"

They inquire about a place to stay for the night, and the elder... checks the weather. Looseleaf, who has Druidcraft as a racial ability, also checks the weather, using a fancy little snowglobe spell!

Looseleaf: "I'unno, does this help?" Benedict I. (GM): "Oh, goodness. I thought you were from outside- do they..." "That's very well-done, really, and you smell delicious, but..." Saelhen du Fishercrown: uh Benedict I. (GM): "Well, it ought to be fine." Saelhen du Fishercrown: "...hmm," says Saelhen. Benedict I. (GM): "Just put your bedrolls out anywhere- we're not doing rain tonight." "Well, anywhere in town, anyway." "You shouldn't set foot in the Mysterious Woods." Saelhen du Fishercrown: "Ma'am, rest assured that we have less than no interest in Mysterious Woods."

So the party beds down in some soft pine needles, making use of Looseleaf's recently-acquired Extremely Comfy Pillow and a few bedrolls. They have a druid elder's assurance that the elements won't be a problem, so... nothing wrong with camping!

And as they're going to bed, Looseleaf rolls a 21 on Perception.

Luckily, Looseleaf fails her unarmed strike roll, which would do no damage even if it hit because her strength mod is -1. So she does not do any damage to...

Benedict I. (GM): So, you kick out at the mouth full of sharp teeth. Saelhen du Fishercrown: Fwff, goes Looseleaf's puffy moth footsie. Benedict I. (GM): The mouth full of sharp teeth goes "Eeek!" and recoils before you make impact, and you see the little lizardfolk girl scamper away into the darkness. Looseleaf: "What." "Wh- how dare you bite me! I am an emissary of the Phantom Lands and all that or whatever." "Come back here and explain yourself to My Imperial Nonexistingness!"

The little girl, affronted, explains that if she's not real, then it's not bad if she bites her!

Vayen: Vayen stirs. "...Shouldn't kill a child," he mumbles. Saelhen du Fishercrown: "...this is a new dream," remarks Saelhen. "Better than the dreams about dad." "Vayen's even deciding not to kill someone. This is super neat, subconscious, keep going."

Saelhen argues that maybe Gramma doesn't know what things taste good, because sometimes grammas think things that taste bad taste good, like bell peppers! The child has no defense against this devastating logic bomb, and scampers off into the darkness, indignant.

Next time: the journey to Cauterdale, and the menace of the bobbledragon.

[silver-wield]

Okay, as requested a few days ago, a Cloud and Aerith analysis. I feel like I've spent a lot of time in chapter 8/9 today lol 

Ok, spoiler warning for ppl who haven’t played – do I still need to do this? Eh ok, (I tag FF7R spoilers as final fantasy 7 remake spoilers) and it’s gonna be reasonably long.

Also, this is one person’s interpretation of the scene, so if you disagree that’s cool and we’ll agree to disagree.

You’re also gonna have to excuse the janky quality on some of the screens, I’m grabbing them from Youtube and it’s frustrating af trying to get the exact moment I want.

Other analyses if anyone’s interested.

Shinra HQ vision scene (Cloti/plot analysis) 

Chapter 3 (Cloti reblog) 

Tifa character analysis 

Aerith Resolution (plot analysis/theory – I should probably update this since I’ve had other ideas since then) 

Train graveyard (not really an analysis, but I got some sweet screenshots of Cloti) 

Clotiscrew tunnel analysis 

Cloti reunion analysis 

The Promise Analysis 

Andrea’s approval (Cloti ask response) 

Leslie analysis (not mine, but a good read) 

Cloti action touching 

Aerti friendship analysis 

Cloti body language chapter 3 

Cloti healthy disagreement 

Cloti post heliboss battle (chapter 15) 

Clerith playground scene 

Cloti body language plate fall 

Cloud and Barret friendship 

Resolution scene analysis (A) 

Barret character analysis (chapter 13) 

Cloud character analysis (Honey Bee Inn) 

Cloud character analysis (Barret's death) 

Now, strap in and enjoy the ride.

Recap time!

Okay, our delightful heroine (I will rein in the sarcasm, but Aerith aggs me when Cloud says no and she ignores him. No means no.) and our moody af hero have finally got done with the flowery side quests, kiddos, Rude and the giant hands of crash crash boom oops there's an invisible wall there minigame trip through sector 6 to reach sector 7.

Aerith says “let's take a break.”

Cloud says, “No.”

They take a break anyway.

(I've already done the slide analysis, link above)

Back down from the slide and it's time to go. Aerith opens up the underground link into sector 7 and we're venturing into awkward goodbyes.

So, we're starting with Aerith being chipper and cute with the quips. Standard stuff. It's possible she's feeling regretful they're parting, but I've said plenty of times that of everyone in this, Aerith has the best poker face. There's very few times she lets that mask slip and lets us see what she's really feeling and it's usually in times of intense stress. This isn't stressful, although she was feeling down a few moments ago while talking about Zack, so maybe that'll make her a little easier to read. For now, though, she's fronting like a boss.

Hmm interesting. He's definitely thoughtful here. So, I'm gonna have to put together some possibilities.

He's clearly mellowed his attitude towards her – he was proper stroppy at her house the day before, shouting and so on – so this isn't negative. We could say he started feeling more positive towards her through their interactions over the day or maybe when he saw the whole Rude bit and realised she's not quite what he first thought. Or it might have been when he saw her looking downcast about not high fiving or it could've been their chat on the slide that finally thawed him out towards her.

And Aerith's the same. Her smile falters just a bit and she can't meet his eye. Maybe she knows they have no reason to meet again or that her mother told him not to see her. We don't know for sure, but it's possible, otherwise why is she disappointed? She could expect to see him again. They could make plans. It could be meta!Aerith knowing that Cloud is probably better off not getting to know her.

Eugh dammit. Does anyone know how hard it is to analyse people's motives when you can't see their faces clearly? I bet this was on purpose, thanks Square.

I mean, having to go by the above data I've mentioned, they could both be feeling the same lingering regret intuitively. You know like how you just get the sense how someone's feeling? That.

Their poses are identical, and coupled with the slightly awkward intonation on “so” I'd look at this and say this comes across like a couple of teenagers who kinda like each other and don't know how to take the next step. You know, that kind of immature I have no idea what I'm doing with my life kinda deal. That's not to say it's romantic, especially not from Cloud. He's an awkward introvert. Aerith has no social skills. They're not friends and up until five minutes ago Cloud was annoyed af at her. That'd make for an awkward goodbye.

Aerith laughs, Cloud doesn't, and she moves aside so he can leave. Looks like the moment’s over.

Before going, Cloud turns back to ask if Aerith can get home ok. This looks like polite concern, which I'd expect considering they just came through an area full of monsters, mech and bandits. If Cloud wasn't concerned, I'd call him a douchebag. His eyes widen a little as he speaks, but it's not that same kind of expression he pulls whenever we're suspecting a visit from real!Cloud. This is SOLDIER!Cloud asking. 

(I've said that typically Cloud's eyes go very wide as a hint that his real self is reacting to things, but widening eyes on their own do not indicate real!Cloud. It's something about the way he does it that shows it's not quite right for the SOLDIER persona we usually see. I can't explain it properly, but it's likely something the devs have done to his microexpressions on purpose to differentiate between the two and without knowing exactly what I can't put a pin in it. All I can say is when it looks like real!Cloud is expressing himself and when it isn't because there’s a difference that I’ve picked up on.)

This is flirting. Plain and simple. Head tilted, little smile, crinkling eyes. She's amused and teasing him in a flirtatious manner and her dialogue backs that up, although at the same time the tone she puts it in also sounds quite matter of fact, like she's genuinely asking what if she wasn't ok? That likely does appeal to the protective SOLDIER side of Cloud. He wants to be known as the hero. Still not romantic.

That's what I like to call a shit-fuck-bollocks moment. The realisation he should take her back home and make sure she's safe, but then he's also got to get back to sector 7, and this is all SOLDIER!Cloud's debate. There's no sign of real!Cloud and there's a quick decisive result that he should do the right thing, which is why he says he’ll take her home.

This is nothing like in the honey bee inn later when you see the clear back and forth of his eyes darting around as he argues with real!Cloud about dancing to get Andrea's approval.

And Aerith laughs again because I think she's aware how ridiculous it is that he'll walk her back when he needs to get home. She was teasing the entire time, but it looks like it went over Cloud's head – colour me unsurprised.

I mean, there's no romantic undertone to her expression here. It's genuine amusement and I'd definitely say friendship towards Cloud.

Ah the image that certain people hang their hat on. Let's get this one done.

Aerith says she has a backup route for emergencies that's safer than the one they used. You can hear Cloud start to speak—- ask a question because the sound is a “W” -- then cuts himself off and smiles. That smile is a mix of bemused and amused. 

For anyone who doesn't have a stupidly large vocabulary and thinks those two are the same thing:

Bemused

adjective: puzzled, confused, or bewildered.

Amused

adjective: finding something funny or entertaining.

Cloud's bemused because back at the start of the collapsed expressway he literally asked if there was a better way and she avoided answering. So, he's caught her in a lie and what can he do about it? Nothing. That's why he's all "of course there's a safer route".

And then we're back in control and moving onto the next part of the game.

Conclusion:

Well, they're awkward. Both of them. Cloud is an introvert with mental issues and Aerith has no social skills and a terrible personality flaw in which she bosses everyone around and doesn't listen.

I wouldn't say they're friends, more like comrades. Cloud's still very resistant to her company even after she helps him save Tifa.

[swhurtcomfort]

Hey! I love your writing! You're so good at creating the perfect balance of hurt and comfort and how each character properly reacts to being sick/hurt. If your prompt are open, keep going. If they're not, just ignore this bit. Anakin!whump is my absolute favorite, and you do it so well. If I may, can I request a whatever length you desire on Anakin having a high fever in the field (whether it's from sickness or infection is up to you) and Obi-Wan taking care of him

“Do you really think we are getting anywhere with these people, Master?” Anakin asked, slouching back in his saddle. “If they’re really going to join the Republic, they’ll have to send representatives to Coruscant—and they’re gonna find out that the rest of the galaxy is full of big, scary speeders.”

“Jedi do not mock other peoples,” Obi-Wan corrected him. “We have been invited here to negotiate, the least we can do is respect the lands that they hold sacred.”

Anakin sighed petulantly. His guapa craned its head down to snatch a mouthful of the tall weeds and he responded by giving the rein a sharp jerk. The beasts had been lent to them by a local congressman, because aircraft and motorized vehicles were forbidden to cross this particular stretch of moorland.

“All I’m saying is that we could be there by now,” he huffed.

“I know,” Obi-Wan conceded. They were both already saddle-sore from two days’ ride.

“This could’ve taken an hour instead of three days, if it weren’t for the stupid—”

“Padawan.” Obi-Wan shifted in his saddle and looked askance over his shoulder. “What has gotten into you today?”

Anakin ducked his head at the reprimand. Obi-Wan rarely called him that anymore, he was entering his third year as a senior padawan, and would be a knight candidate soon—if Obi-Wan ever decided to recommend him for the trials. But he realized that the way he was acting wasn’t exactly demonstrating his maturity.

“I’m sorry, Master,” Anakin said. “I’m just a little out of sorts.”

“And why is that?”

Anakin shrugged.

Obi-Wan turned around again to raise an eyebrow at him.

“My head just hurts,” he admitted. He pulled his guapa’s nose up from the weeds again.

Obi-Wan nodded in understanding.

“We still have a long way to go,” Obi-Wan said after a pause. He unclipped the canteen from the saddlebag that held his bedroll, and passed it over. “You should stay hydrated so it doesn’t get worse.”

Anakin accepted the canteen and took a drink, thankful that he hadn’t received a lecture.

They rode until the sun was low in the sky, then stopped to let the guapas drink from a small brook. Anakin slid off like a sack of potatoes.

“How’s your headache?” Obi-Wan asked, offering him a hand to steady himself, which he ignored.

“Ugh,” Anakin reported. He got to his feet and wiped the sweat from his brow with his sleeve.

“I’m going to stretch my legs for a bit,” Obi-Wan said.

“Whatever.” Anakin sat down to rest against scraggly tree.

Obi-Wan frowned in acknowledgement and left to wander further up the path, coaxing the stiffness from his limbs. When he returned, Anakin was resting his forehead on his knees.

“I found—”

“Could you possibly speak a little quieter?” Anakin groaned. He lifted his face from his knees, and Obi-Wan’s frown deepened. He was quite pale, with fevered blotches high on his cheeks.

“Are you coming down with something?” Obi-Wan asked, whispering for the sake of Anakin’s throbbing head.

Anakin ignored the question.

“There is a decent clearing up ahead,” Obi-Wan continued. “Why don’t we just make camp here?”

“There’s at least another hour of daylight,” said Anakin.

“Even so. We have plenty of time tomorrow to make up for it,” he said. “We should take the opportunity for some extra rest, we’ll need our strength for the last leg of the journey.”

Anakin got the sense that the decision had been made for his benefit, but he was too tired to act indignant. While Obi-Wan untacked the animals and hobbled them so they wouldn’t wander too far from the campsite as they grazed, Anakin just laid out his bedroll and curled up on it. Obi-Wan woke him once he had a fire going for dinner, but Anakin grumbled something about not being hungry and rolled back over.

The morning came too soon. Anakin was shivering in his sleep and clutching at the blankets. Obi-Wan woke him with a hand in his brow.

“Oh dear,” Obi-Wan whispered. His suspicion from the night before was confirmed - Anakin was burning up. “Come on, Anakin, we’ve slept in already.”

Anakin made an unhappy sound and pulled the sleeping bag up over his face. “I’m sure you feel dreadful,” Obi-Wan agreed. “But I’m sure you also want to sleep in a real bed tonight. And perhaps when we get to town, we can get some medicine for this flu you seem to be nursing.”

“’s just a headache,” Anakin protested.

“And a raging fever,” Obi-Wan countered. “We can wait a little while, you can eat something and take a painkiller. But then let’s go.” He tugged at the sleeping bag.

“Ow,” Anakin whined, squeezing his eyes shut against the daylight. Then a slightly more panicky, “Owww.”

Obi-Wan’s heart thudded in his chest. “What is it?”

“I can’t turn my head,” Anakin whispered. He inhaled and exhaled quickly “Why can’t I turn my head?”

Obi-Wan crouched down closer to his side. “Are you sure you don’t just have a crick in it from the way you slept? Can you try to straighten it out?”

Anakin moved his chin a fraction, but could go no further. “Ow,” he whimpered as he struggled.

“Alright, stop trying, it’s alright.” It occurred to Obi-Wan that this might be something more serious than a cold or flu.

“Can’t we just stay? Even just half the day?”

Obi-Wan almost said yes. They had enough supplies, certainly. He knew the ride would be a miserable one for Anakin in this state. But the illness had come on so quickly, and without warning. And it seemed like the pain and stiffness were spreading downwards from his head to his shoulders.

“Anakin,” he said apologetically. “I don’t want to be stranded out here if you get worse. I think we may need to get to a medcenter.”

Anakin was frightened—he tried to shield it, but Obi-Wan could tell. Awkwardly he got to his feet, working hard to avoid jostling his stiff neck.

He let Obi-Wan do most of the packing up and saddling the guapas. When he was finished, he handed Anakin the reins to his mount. Anakin took them, and shoved a foot into the stirrup. He tried to swing his other leg over, but his knee gave out beneath him.

“Alright?”

“Yeah,” Anakin grunted as he made another attempt, this one even less successful than the first. “Give me a boost?”

Obi-Wan moved in behind him as Anakin put his foot in the stirrup for the third time. Obi-Wan placed a hand near Anakin’s elbow to steady him.

Anakin nearly kicked Obi-Wan in the face as he swung up onto the animal’s back with a little too much momentum, and barely stopped himself from slipping down off the other side.

“Are you sure you’re alright?”

Anakin nodded as he swayed and nearly toppled over again. He was holding the reins slack and gripping the saddle with both hands for balance. “I’m trying,” he bit out.

He wasn’t going to manage it. That was clear. Obi-Wan stood silently for a moment, weighing their options.

“Sit tight there, Anakin,” he finally said when he made up his mind. “I’ve got an idea.”

Obi-Wan unloaded Anakin’s share of the gear and baggage from the saddle, and secured it all on the other guapa’s back. Then he brought the reins forward over the animal’s head, and gave them to Anakin to hold.

“Now take your foot out of the stirrup,” he instructed.

He put his own foot where Anakin’s had been and swung up behind him. The saddle was barely big enough for both of them, but at least this way he could keep Anakin from falling off. The guapas nickered to each other uneasily, and Obi-Wan gave the one carrying them an apologetic pat and clucked his tongue at them. Obi-Wan took the other guapa’s reins out of Anakin’s hands so they could lead her along behind.

It was hard, unforgiving terrain, and Anakin couldn’t help but cry out whenever the guapa stepped over a rock or made a jolting movement. Obi-Wan wasn’t sure if he was imagining things, or if Anakin was getting sicker as the hours plodded by.

“Are you okay?”

Anakin shrugged. He reached for the canteen and took another sip of water. He was still keeping a death grip on the horn of the saddle, and he’d been slouching further and further forward, still holding his shoulders rigid.

“Has your neck loosened up at all?”

“No,” Anakin said softly. “It feels really hot, and stiff.”

Obi-Wan thought privately that this was sounding less and less like the flu. He was grateful he had made the call to keep pressing on towards civilization.

“If you need to lean on me, it’s alright,” Obi-Wan suggested.

Anakin took him up on the offer, and shifted his weight backwards into Obi-Wan. His hands were cold and clammy, but Obi-Wan was pretty sure his fever had gotten higher.

“Your heartbeat is so fast,” Anakin observed from his position with his head resting on Obi-Wan’s chest.

“I’m worried about you,” Obi-Wan admitted.

Anakin’s groans of discomfort grew more and more frequent. Obi-Wan wondered if he was getting delirious. He urged the poor guapas to walk a little faster.

They rode into the town and to a farm belonging to a relative of the congressman’s, where they handed the beasts off to a stablehand. Anakin needed to be lifted off of the guapa’s back. He was drenched in cold sweat.

The local officials had sent a speeder to bring them to the next city over where the negotiations would be taking place, but Obi-Wan directed the driver to the nearest clinic instead. Anakin managed to stumble into the building without losing his feet, but once he was offered a bed he collapsed down onto it gratefully, breathing heavily. Obi-Wan sat with his hands in his sleeves while they waited to be seen.

A doctor pushed past the curtain and immediately began examining Anakin. “When did the symptoms start?” she asked without looking up. She placed the end of her stethoscope beneath the neckline of his tunic, pausing to listen.

“He started complaining of a headache about twenty-four hours ago,” said Obi-Wan softly. “Anakin—?”

Anakin gave the tiniest nod of confirmation. “Around then.”

“It all came on so fast,” Obi-Wan tried to say, but he was cut off.

“But no other flulike symptoms?” the doctor asked, now placing a thermometer in Anakin’s ear. “No cough, congestion, sneezing or anything?”

“No,” Anakin mouthed but no sound accompanied it. His hand found Obi-Wan’s on the railing of the bed.

The doctor called her assistant into the room and rattled off a long, incomprehensible string of orders. The sinking feeling in Obi-Wan’s stomach grew.

“Anakin, we’re going to give you some IV fluids and a mild pain reliever for now, but we need to admit you to the medcenter upstairs and run some tests.”

Anakin was looking too exhausted to advocate for himself, so Obi-Wan stepped in. “What kinds of tests?”

“Are you the legal guardian?” she asked without acknowledging the question. “If you’d be willing to come with me and take care of some of his intake paperwork, they can get started right away.”

Reluctantly Obi-Wan left Anakin in the hands of the assistant and a medical droid. He signed the documents he was given distractedly. “What kind of,” Obi-Wan cleared his throat. “Tests are they doing?”

The doctor met his eyes with a serious frown. “They’re going to draw blood and do some scans of his skull and his spinal cord, and we’re also going to do something called a spinal tap, if you’re familiar with that, to draw a sample of cerebrospinal fluid.”

Obi-Wan heard his own heart pounding erratically in his throat, and remembered Anakin’s comment about it earlier. He swallowed. “So you must think he has meningitis?”

A sharp nod. “We’ll know for sure soon.”

“But…but he’s been vaccinated. I made sure of that, years ago.” Obi-Wan had to make a concentrated effort not to tap his fingers on the desk nervously.

“The vaccine very effective, but only against certain strains of bacteria. A lot of things can cause meningitis. But in healthy young adults, it usually isn’t fatal.”

Obi-Wan got the sense that she intended the statement to be comforting, but it wasn’t in the slightest.

Obi-Wan finished the datapads and followed the doctor to another part of the medcenter where Anakin had been moved. The lights inside were dimmed. The assistant met them at the door, reporting that all had gone well.

“Is he awake?” Obi-Wan interrupted to ask.

“Sure,” the assistant said. “We did the procedure under local anesthetic, just to numb the area on his back.”

“Run those right now,” the doctor said, gesturing to the vials in her hands. “These things progress quickly.”

Anakin was curled up on his side within. Obi-Wan took a seat beside him wordlessly. Anakin blinked at him, but kept the silence. Obi-Wan reached out and freed an unruly lock of hair from beneath the nasal cannula, and tucked it behind Anakin’s ear.

Half an hour later, the doctor returned and announced, “Blood culture and imaging results came back. We’re not going to waste time waiting for the rest; the sooner we start antibiotics, the better chance he’s got.”

“It’s definitely meningitis, then?” Obi-Wan asked.

“Diagnosis is actually meningoencephalitis, which is a fancy way of saying that both the meninges and the brain are inflamed. The spinal tap results will give us a better idea of what bacteria is causing it, but a broad-spectrum antibiotic is better than nothing.”

“Oh, Anakin,” Obi-Wan whispered. Anakin didn’t look particularly awake, with his eyes glazed over.

“I’m also going to give him an anticonvulsant, otherwise I’m worried he’s going to seize at this point.”

Obi-Wan looked up at her, startled.

“The first 24 to 48 hours are often critical. That’s why we’re starting treatment now instead of in several hours when he have all the test results. We’re doing everything we can to give him an edge on this thing,” she reassured him.

Obi-Wan nodded, unsure of what to say.

“Obi-Wan?” Anakin asked in a low voice. For a moment Obi-Wan thought he might be regaining some alertness.

“We’re in a medcenter, Anakin.” Obi-Wan took his hand and squeezed it. “You’re very ill.”

Anakin returned the squeeze, but he still looked confused, whimpering deliriously.

“I know. I’m sorry,” Obi-Wan whispered back. “I know.”

The threat that Anakin could seize, or crash, or have a serious complication at any moment hung over Obi-Wan like a dark cloud. It was hard to believe that a day and a half ago, they’d been riding across the moor with no inkling that anything was wrong. He thought of where they would be if he had let Anakin try to sleep it off at their campsite, and he shuddered.

At some point in the night, they switched out Anakin’s antibiotics for a more targeted cocktail for the specific bacteria he was fighting. Anakin alternated between feverish mumbling and sleeping quietly. While he slept, Obi-Wan tried to sleep, but he couldn’t honestly say he caught more than brief snatches of rest.

“Hey,”

Obi-Wan was closing his eyes, resting his chin in his hand while his elbow balanced on the arm of the chair. The hoarse voice startled him.

“Hi,” Obi-Wan replied. Anakin’s eyes were clearer than before.

It was morning already. “Well, you made it through the night,” Obi-Wan remarked. “That’s a good sign.”

Anakin laughed, and Obi-Wan forced a smile. It hadn’t altogether been a joke, but if Anakin didn’t realize how dire the situation had been then there was no need to discuss that right now.

“How are you feeling?”

“Still hurts,” Anakin admitted.

Obi-Wan nodded in sympathy.

“Are we still going to the city?”

“I think you’re going to be laid up here for a few days at least. Don’t worry about it right now, just focus on getting better.”

Anakin nodded. Obi-Wan thought he saw his bottom lip wobble.

“I think they will postpone the membership negotiations until we can be there. If not, I’m sure the Council will send another team,” Obi-Wan continued.

Anakin raised his eyebrows, unguarded surprise replacing the sadness on his face. “You’re not going?”

“No,” said Obi-Wan, as if it should have been obvious.

“You’re going to stay?”

The look on Anakin’s face before suddenly made sense. “Of course,” he promised.

“I mean, I’m almost a knight now, I didn’t know if—”

“Anakin, I’ll always take care of you.” It was a reckless thing to promise, especially for two people in such a dangerous line of work. Obi-Wan promised it anyway. “That will never stop being my job. Of course I’ll stay.”

[nightwingwhatdidisay]

Anything Other Than This.

RobStar Week 2019, Day 3: Lost

Summary:

It’s a story about enabling weaknesses, and how they’ll consume us. Starfire should have known better than to think she could simply rein in her emotions whenever it came to Robin.

Chapter 1 -

It's the expression on Robin's face, when he enters the Common Room to see her and Speedy in their current positions, that embarrasses Starfire to no end.

She’s in a straddle. She swears she doesn’t remember the straddle. But minutes ago, when Speedy turned on a horror movie and lifted the remote high over his head in some flirtatious challenge, Starfire had to get to it before the suspenseful music started playing. So here she is now: remote victoriously in hand and her knees on either side of Speedy's lap. Starfire is frozen in embarrassment, her mind racing for all the wild assumptions Robin may be reaching in his head.

"Yeah, it's exactly what it looks like, Wonder Boy." There's something in the tone of Speedy's remark that worries Starfire; she can't tell if it’s simply a joke or something meant to cut deeper.

Robin doesn't miss a beat. "It looks like Star's gonna waste three minutes of her life she won't get back."

Speedy roars in laughter before sucking in air dramatically. "That's pretty harsh, man. As if Starfire minds the rush. She's got a thousand other hearts to break before the night's over."

The comment grazes Starfire unpleasantly, and if it bothers Robin, he's not letting it show. Instead, the mood of the room lightens and he's casually chatting it up with Speedy. Star slowly and sheepishly dismounts and faces herself back at the television.

They're talking about things far beyond the scope of her interests: expensive cars, sports, niches of the music scene she’s not really into. It’s a thing she never likes whenever Speedy or many of the honorary male titans come to stay at the Tower: the very predictable way they often use her as the punchline to a sexual joke (usually pointed at Robin) and then very promptly leaving her in the dust at their abrupt change of a conversation she can't follow. She wonders if they'll ever get passed the banality of objectifying her and then dismissing her altogether.

She's long gone from trying to listen in on their conversation, but Robin's laugh is of such distinction and warmth that it overwhelms her as she absently clicks away with the controller.

It's been a while, hearing his voice. Two weeks ago, Robin had sent in a request to Bumblebee and Aqualad for a temporary Titan transfer into Steel City in order to be closer to Gotham and Batman. In the exchange, Titans East sent over Speedy. And although Speedy brought in fun, the presence of Robin back is something else entirely. Even after all this time.

"Star."

The mere utterance of her name in his mouth whips Starfire right out of her thoughts. She realizes Speedy is no longer in the common room. Instead, Robin is here, leaning over the couch to meet her face and he's giving her an expression full of confusion and concern. "You haven't said anything since I got back. You alright?"

"I am just the Tired today," Starfire gives her best smile and he gives a light one back. But he gently pulls the remote out of her hand and points it at the screen.

"I can see that. You're either trying to fix the TV with your mind, or this is a new show I'm not understanding.”

The static clicks off and an actual television program starts playing, and Starfire can't beat herself up enough at how nonfunctional she is when Robin is around. When he pushes himself away from the couch and towards the kitchen, the sinking feeling in her heart shows her she's far from getting over him.

"How was your trip home?" Starfire tries. There's the sound of the fridge door opening and the rummaging of plastic containers.

"Steel City was fun, actually. Gotham's how I left it, but whatever. As for home..."

He hops over the couch and takes his place next to her. Not too far, not too close, what she assumes is the perfect distance for just friends. It's as if Robin has it all worked out, this line that separates their friendship from something more. A line that Starfire can't balance on for the life of her. He passes her a water bottle he grabbed from the fridge. "I haven't considered it home for a while," he says lightly. "You know that."

They end up watching a whole 30 minute drama in what she's surprised to be complete comfort. Not an ounce of awkwardness that usually comes with ex territory. It's the oddest feeling; once upon a time an hour alone on the couch was spent so differently between the two of them. But that's all Starfire allows herself to think before reining all her thoughts back in with a quick pull.

At the end credits, Robin wishes her goodnight before offering her the remote and retreating to his room. The ease of which he enters and leaves her always, always shocks her.

From the very beginning, Starfire invested her time with Robin with the hopes of being more than friends. And now, with the prospect of their relationship tried, tested, and completely over and done with, Starfire is a little lost, struggling to figure out what being just friends means.

[ First Look into Chapter 2 -

"You know," he says, leaning back in his seat and nursing his drink, "I have to be honest. The food issue used to bother me when we were dating."

Starfire already feels the turmoil inside her churn and crash against the mental guard she worked hard to put up. ]

“It's the oddest feeling; once upon a time an hour alone on the couch was spent so differently between the two of them. But that's all Starfire allows herself to think before reining all her thoughts back in with a quick pull.”

AO3 story~

Fanfiction story~