#voy: thirty days

[grissomesque]

Any consequences of this decision will be my responsibility.

STAR TREK: VOYAGER 5.01 Night / 5.08 Nothing Human / 5.09 Thirty Days / 5.10 Counterpoint / 5.11 Latent Image / 6.01 Equinox Pt. II

[nonepizzawithleftglitter]

Imagine if your boss could just fucking arrest you if you piss them off enough. No trial, no independent judge, no nothing, not even a lawyer, they just put you in Corporation Jail.

Just like that.

What a bonkers and completely non-existent scenario I have cooked up here.

[justanotherkathrynjanewayblog]

me at the gym working out watching voyager: yay so fun!

thirty days comes on

me : AGHHHH OOOPPPP YASSSSS

[muiromem]

You Know What Time It Is!

[ladykailitha]

Staking My Claim Part 3

Hey, guys! We're back!

Part 1 Part 2

We finally get the lowdown on what happened. Otherwise known as don't mess with Jeff.

Robin freaks out.

And Gareth is loaded. Or at least his parents are. ;)

I'm also going to try tagging the untaggables separate and see if you can't get you lovelies tagged.

@redfreckledwolf, @mira-jadeamethyst, @itsall-taken, @emly03, @rozzieroos

***

He hurried over to the phone and called Family Video.

“Hello, thank you for calling Family Video,” the soft female voice said. “How can I help you?”

“Robin!” he cried again. “I’m so sorry!”

“Steve!” Robin shrieked. “Where have you been? Are you okay? You’re not in the hospital or jail are you? What happened?”

“I’m not in jail or the hospital,” he assured her. Eddie huffed out a laugh. He whirled around to stick his tongue out at him. “I’m okay. I’m still in Indy. I just landed at some friendly metalheads’ apartment.”

“Wait...” Robin said. “Those friendly metalheads wouldn’t happen to include one Eddie Munson, would it?”

Steve looked over at said metalhead and turned away to hide his blush. “Maybe,” he mumbled into the phone.

“Hell yeah!” she crowed. “Now tell me what happened now!”

Steve pressed his lips together. “Um...to be honest...I’m not one hundred percent sure I know what happened last night. Like I remember bits and pieces, but it all kinda blurs together.”

Eddie walked over and pointed to the phone. “May I?”

Steve nodded and hand it to him.

“Robin?” Eddie asked. “This is Eddie Munson.”

“Hello, Eddie,” she said coolly. “Would you like to explain why my best friend isn’t, I don’t know, home?”

“I would love you to tell you that story if it’s okay with Steve finding out by me telling you?” Eddie questioned, looking over at Steve.

He shrugged and waved his hand for him to go ahead.

“He’s says it’s fine,” Eddie said.

“Noted,” Robin said. “Now spill.”

So Eddie did. He told her about the sleazeball at the bar who wouldn’t take no for an answer. About his daring rescue of pretending to be his boyfriend.

Steve blushed when he heard Robin go, “Awww,” at that.

Eddie grinned at him. Then he launched into the actual fucking rescue. It turned out that Mr. Persistent bumped into Steve to lace his drink with a drug to knock him out.

Steve’s eyes went wide. “He did what now?”

Eddie hummed. “Yeah...it was this whole thing. Jeff even got to punch the guy in the nose. I think the bartender has a crush on him now.”

Steve’s eyebrows went up. The bartender was a thirty something Asian dude with tattoos and piercings. But he supposed it made sense, considering the bar’s general attitude toward that specific portion of the population.

“At least he’ll get free drinks for life, right?” Robin said with a chuckle.

“That’s certainly one way to look at it,” Eddie agreed. “So yeah, this dude bumps into Steve and suddenly our friend is getting tipsy, fast. And I’ve been at many a rager to ply my wares, there was no way Keg King Steve was drunk after two beers, a margarita, and a half of a Cosmo.” The half a Cosmo was from sharing with Gareth.

Steve blushed. He wasn’t proud of those wild days in high school, but it probably saved his life in this case.

“Yeah...” Robin agreed. “I’ve seen him drink men under the table who were bigger and had been drinking longer.”

Eddie nodded even though she couldn’t seen him, but Steve could.

“Then the asshole comes over and starts flirting with Steve again, trying to draw him away,” he continued. “That’s when we really got that Steve wasn’t acting normal. So Brian steps in and tells asshole to leave him alone. But this guy has gone past persistent and into full creep territory.”

“Eww...” Robin hissed. “How did Jeff get his punch in?”

Eddie chuckled. “That’s honestly the best part, so Brian and Gareth take Steve out to my van and I go and get the bouncer. We come back and asshole is trying to get past Jeff to make his escape. So he takes a swing at Jeffy.”

“Bad idea, I’m guessing?” she said with a hint of laughter in her voice.

Steve tilted his head in interest and Eddie fought down a smile.

“Jeff’s dad is a former boxer who taught him how to fight to make the bullies leave him alone.”

Steve’s eyes go wide and Robin said, “Oooh. Please tell me he laid this asshole out! Please!”

“Dude stiffened like a board and went straight down,” Eddie confirmed. “The only downside is that they couldn’t prove anything, so he just got tossed out, but make no mistake, they’ll make sure spread the word around the other gay bars about this guy.”

“That’s good,” Robin agreed.

Steve wandered back over to his food, safe in the knowledge that he was in safe hands.

Jeff and Brian were at the counter grabbing their breakfast so Steve joined them. Coffee was was doled out by Eddie a few moments later.

Creamer, milk, and sugar were placed next to the coffee pot.

“Robin says not worry about coming into work,” Eddie murmured to Steve. “She said she would tell Keith you have the stomach flu. Which according to her will get you at least three days off.”

“That’s pretty impressive,” Brian said. “I don’t think there is anything I could tell my boss short of being in the hospital that would get me even a couple of hours off.”

Steve laughed. “Keith has a weak stomach. You just mention vomiting and the dude turns green.”

“Handy that,” Eddie said with a smile.

“It’s very handy when you’re out drinking and drink too much,” Steve said with a shrug.

“I’ll say,” Jeff said. “I’m just glad we were there, man.”

Steve blushed. “Yeah, me too.”

He dug into his food and was happy to note that while it didn’t necessarily ease the queasiness in his stomach, it didn’t make him want to throw it all back up, either.

He cleared his plate.

“So this is what’s going to happen, Stevie,” Eddie said as he cleaned up the pans from breakfast, “you are going to stay here until I am sure one hundred percent that you won’t throw up on the three hour journey back to Hawkins.”

Steve opened his mouth to argue, but he couldn’t. Right now nothing was coming up, but put him in a moving vehicle and he couldn’t say for sure that breakfast wouldn’t come right back up.

He nodded.

“I gave Robin the address so she’ll be stopping by after she gets off work,” Eddie continued. “I recommend that you get so actual rest, she seems like she’s a lot without her worrying about you, I can only imagine what she’s like when she is.”

Steve blushed.

“We’re going to all stay here,” Gareth said. “At least for one more day. I talked to my mom about it and she would rather pay more for utilities this month then worry about Steve getting worse.”

The other boys nodded their agreement, while Steve blinked at him in confusion.

“What now?”

“You do realize I live in Loch Nora, right?” Gareth asked, raising an eyebrow.

Steve shook his head. “My parents were very much exclusionists, dude. I only got to hang out with people that they deemed acceptable. Nicole, Carol, Tommy H. If they thought they weren’t in the right trade or held more liberal views, they weren’t worthy to interact with their son.”

Gareth blinked. “Fuck, that must have been lonely.”

He ducked his head and half shrugged.

“Anyway,” Gareth continued into the now deafening silence. “They pay for this apartment in the city for when we play gigs or need a place to crash after a night of drinking.”

Steve frowned. “You’re not eighteen yet, though, right?”

“No,” Gareth said with a laugh. “But my parents trust these guys to keep me safe.”

Steve thought about Dustin and his mom. That despite all the things that Steve had gotten up to in his high school career that she still trusted him to take care of her baby.

“Yeah,” he said fondly. “I can see that.”

Eddie came over to the other side of the counter. “Come on, up you get. You’ll be sleeping in my room.”

Steve’s eyes widened. “How many rooms does this place have?”

“Three,” Jeff said. “Brian shares with Gareth, but Eddie and I get our own rooms.”

“That’s because you’re both sluts,” Brian said rolling his eyes, “and me and Gareth don’t want to be kicked out of our rooms when you bring someone home.”

Steve laughed. “Yeah, okay. That’s fair.”

“I’ll give you the tour when I steer you back to my room,” Eddie promised.

Steve nodded and allowed himself to be lead back through the apartment and back to the bedroom.

Eddie tucked him back in and put a garbage can next to the bed. “I’ll be out in the front room, holler if you need me.”

Steve nodded and let himself drift off to sleep.

***

Part 4 Part 5 Part 6

Yeah, I'm sorry, I doubt even a middle class family would buy their very young son (if we hold to the belief that Gareth is OG drummer and was in the talent show with Eddie and Chrissy, putting Eddie in 8th grade, Chrissy in 6th, that would make Gareth in 5th grade) a drum kit.

Tag List: @spectrum-spectre @estrellami-1 @zerokrox-blog @artiststarme @swimmingbirdrunningrock @gregre369 ​@a-little-unsteddie @chaosgremlinmunson @chaoticlovingdreamer @maya-custodios-dionach @goodolefashionedloverboi @messrs-weasley @val-from-lawrence @i-must-potato @danili666 @carlyv @rozzieroos @wonderland-girl143-blog @justforthedead89 @emly03 @bookworm0690 @itsall-taken @vecnuthy @bookbinderbitch @redfreckledwolf @littlewildflowerkitten @yikes-a-bee @awkwardgravity1 @scheodingers-muppet @mira-jadeamethyst @cinnamon-mushroomabomination @genderless-spoon @anne-bennett-cosplayer @irregular-child @lololol-1234 @r0binscript @monsterloverforhire @mugloversonly @live-the-fangirl-life @f0xxyb0xxes @lublix @breealtair @croatoan-like-its-hot @confuseddisastertm @dissociatingdemon @sleepdeprivedflower @thedragonsaunt @jamieweasley13 @hellfireone @dragonmama76

[callsigndragon]

Dawn

Pairing: Jake 'Hangman’ Seresin x Wife!reader

Word count: 1054

Warnings: pregnancy, labor... and all the fluffs.

Summary: A new member of the Seresin family.

A/N: this can be considered the second part of Sunshine or be read as a stand alone 🤍

FOREVER TGM TAGLIST: @tayrae515 @alexxavicry @xoxabs88xox @mercurio23 @shrimping-for-all @abaker74 @smells-like-perfect-senses @djs8891 @purplevortexx

(if you want to be tagged, leave a comment!)

When you were in your fourth month, Jake found out he was going to be a father. You were so occupied with work and worried about his well-being while he was deployed that you didn't notice that the missing periods, the nausea, the cravings, and all that were more than just a random succession of events. 

Telling him on a phone call was not ideal, but there was no other way of informing him that by the time he came back, you would be bigger than when he left. The line fell silent after the news was delivered, and you thought that he wasn't happy. Then you heard a distant "I am going to be a father" yelled from the top of his lungs, and you knew that he was not only happy but excited to see his baby.

Months went by at a slow pace. He hated not being there for you, but he assured you that once the baby was ready to be born, he'd be there. That was the only promise he made to you during the pregnancy. 

Now you're on your way to the hospital, holding hands with one of Jake's sisters after your water broke during lunch. Jake was on his way back to the States; the mission was over, and all the squad was coming back home for the holidays. It seemed like your baby was so excited to meet their father that they decided to come two weeks early, much to everyone's dismay. Jake was supposed to be home tomorrow, and you just wished your baby wasn't too eager to be born. 

Baby Seresin's labor is long. Apparently, contractions weren't strong enough for you to dilate 1 cm per hour, so it takes longer than any of you expect. Jake's sister, Jo, is there, offering you water and telling you how strong you were and how well you were doing it. And as much as you love her for helping you, you just want Jake at your side. 

Contractions get faster and stronger by the second, and you just want it to be over—to have your baby in your arms and hold them and see how much they look like Jake and how much they look like you.

"It's time to push, Mrs Seresin"

"But my husband isn't here." You whimper, not ready to do this without him.

"Mrs. Seresin, if we don't get this baby out right now, there can be consequences." 

"Y/n," Jo calls your name, moving your wet hair out of your forehead, "Jake will be here tomorrow, but we have to take care of this baby now, okay?" 

"But Jake-" 

"Jake's here," he says, entering the room while taking off his hat. "I'm here, sunshine. I'm here now." 

He kisses your forehead and your nose before looking at you. "H-how?"

"I got a feeling and asked to leave a day early. Cyclone owed me one," he says softly, caressing your cheek. "Now, Mama Seresin, we're gonna bring this baby home for Christmas, alright?" 

You nod, holding his hand in a strong grip while the nurses prepare you for the delivery. 

Thirty minutes later, Dawn Seresin is resting between your arms. Jake's on his knees next to the bed, observing his girls with the most proud look someone has ever had while looking at you. 

"When did you choose Dawn?" You ask him, moving your head in his direction, your free hand caressing his hair. 

"Well, you're my sunshine, the light of my life, and she's our first daughter, and Dawn means 'the first light before sunrise' so... It came to me one night but I didn't thought you'll like it" 

"Are you kidding? It's the cutest thing ever," you say, laughing and crying at the same time. 

"Too many emotions, mama," he jokes, kissing your hand. 

"Yes, too many," you agree, looking at your baby girl and smiling. She has Jake's nose. "Wanna hold her?" 

"I don't know how to," he whispers, a glimpse of fear in his voice. 

"Oh, come on, I've seen you with your niece and nephew; you're a natural!" 

You carefully move the small baby into his arms. Looking at the love of your life holding your baby in his arms, the softest smile in the world adorning his features, and tears welling up in his eyes, becomes the first core memory with your daughter. 

“Honey, you can sit down, you know” 

“What if I wake her? I can’t move an inch or she will wake up and she’ll cry, and then you won’t be able to rest.” He whisper-yells, already stressed. 

You cover your mouth to stop laughing, but it’s just so funny seeing the confident aviator with two confirmed air-to-air kills being completely overwhelmed by his own daughter. “You know she’s gonna cry for the next… 18 years of your life, right? When she’s hungry, sick, or sleepy... When she’s bored, when she’s sad. When a boy rejects her…” 

He looks at you with wide eyes. “I haven’t even processed that I’m a dad yet. Please don’t talk about B-O-Y-S, she won’t date until she’s 30” 

“Maybe she’ll like girls. What if she brings a girl home who you think is a friend but who’s actually her girlfriend?” 

“Now you’re just trying to kill me” 

"I'm just saying, you never know," you shrug as you adjust the blankets around your body. 

“Sunshine, you’re enjoying this a bit too much, don’t you think?” 

“Jake, I kept her safe for almost nine months, and now it is your turn to start worrying about her."

Jake sighs, sitting down in the rocking chair next to the bed. “I’m gonna get wrinkles all over my pretty face.” 

“You’ll still be the hottest dad around,” you state, making him wink at you. “Babe” 

“Yes?” 

“What would you have called the baby if it was a boy?” 

He smiles, tracing Dawn’s nose with his finger. “Meyer” 

“Meyer?” 

“It means ‘bringer of light’ in Hebrew,” he admits, his ears turning red in embarrassment. 

“Good name for the second child” 

“Already thinking about the second one?” he laughs. 

“It will happen eventually” 

Jake nods, looking at his daughter and thinking how beautiful and perfect Dawn is, and how excited he is to bring little Meyer into this world. Hopefully, he will have your nose. 

[gatheringbones]

[“Young people come into the juvenile system as witnesses to and victims of crimes. Detention, for example, is sometimes used to compel a child to participate in prosecution. Fourteen-year-old Miranda “spent a month in juvenile detention, even though she wasn’t charged with a crime. No, this time Miranda’s locked up because she agreed to testify against her pimp, and juvenile is where she must wait for the trial to start.”

Afraid that young people will run away rather than testify or return to their traffickers if released, prosecutors ask courts to issue material witness warrants (known in some jurisdictions as body attachments or courtesy holds) to detain them until they testify. Material witness warrants empower courts to detain young people indefinitely. Those being held on material witness warrants are generally not entitled to post bail to secure their release. In Miranda’s case, that meant being held for thirty-eight days in a secure facility. Miranda was released only because her trafficker pled guilty. Her testimony was no longer needed.

Legal system professionals recognize the damage caused by detaining young people as witnesses. But their determination to prosecute traffickers outweighs their concerns about placing young people in detention. As Judge William Voy said, “We need an alternative to the detention center . . . [but] we have responsibilities to keep the girls here to testify against pimps.” Some public defenders concur: “We want to hang onto them, to keep them from running, and sometimes the only way to do that is in a secure environment.”

Young people who come into the system as witnesses say they feel like little more than “a piece of evidence” against their traffickers. Che, for example, was subpoenaed to testify against her trafficker, “who had been the closest thing to family she had ever known.” To ensure that she appeared in court, Che was placed in a juvenile facility. She was later released to her mother in handcuffs and forced to testify, none of which gave her a “sense of justice.” Even when young people are willing to testify, the experience can be negative. At sixteen, Keiana Aldrich willingly testified against her twenty-six-year-old trafficker, believing that she had been promised counseling and safe housing in exchange for her testimony. But those services never materialized, her mother said: “She was treated like she did something wrong. . . . They didn’t offer her no counseling, no nothing. Here, come testify and that’s it, that’s the last I ever heard of from those people.”]

leigh goodmark, from imperfect victims: criminalized survivors and the promises of abolition feminism, 2023

[thegeminisage]

star trek update time. normally this is the section where i list what episodes we did on what day and it's actually been so long i almost couldn't remember. last tuesday we did voy's "nothing human" and "thirty days," thursday we did voy's "counterpoint" and ds9's "prodigal daughter," friday we did voy's "latent image" and "bridge of chaotica," sunday we did ds9's "the emperor's new cloak" and voy's "gravity," monday we did ds9's "field of fire" and voy's "bliss," and last night we did ds9's "chimera" and "badda-bing, badda-bang." whew! yes, it defeats the purpose if i do them after the fact. SORRRRRY i got out of the habit during the helene power outage. some of these, as a result, will be shorter than normal.

nothing human (voy):

THIS ONE FUCKED. it was like getting to watch ds9 in my voyager

my main problem here was that if the episode is About the doctor, then why is janeway making the call on whether or not to use the cardassian guy for the operation? on the flipside, if the hard calls are left to janeway, why make the doctor choose whether to delete the hologram or not?either she's got to make both decisions or he does. it wasn't a great look for her

i wish also we'd had more time to spend on b'elanna's anger at janeway...it seemed almost like an afterthought to have it be a single scene, and it also makes janeway look like an even bigger asshole to have her go "too bad don't care" rather than like. talk about how much she fought with herself over it and how much they all need b'elanna to get home

the moment where the cardassian was cutting into that holographic bug without caring if it felt pain...mwah. voyager could have said "not all cardassians" but yes, in fact, ALL cardassians.

like he was so nice at first he condemned the occupation but then when he said he had to experiment with what he had...you just Know. anyway, 10/10

thirty days (voy):

this one sucked. i get really annoyed with the prime directive in 90s trek because they only bring it up when it's convenient and sometimes they care a lot about sticking to it to the point where picard will watch an entire planet blow up and be like "thots and prayers :(" and sometimes they don't care at all like when picard saved wesley from getting executed by nudists bc if he didn't his gf would be mad. i'm using tng examples here because it would be DIFFERENT in voyager if janeway was lax on it all around given their circumstances but instead she locks tom in solitary for a really dumb reason even though solitary is cruel and unusual punishment even by today's standards AND she knows being in jail is like his trauma or whatever. dumb.

i don't even remember what else happened in this episode because i was too busy being mad about the idea of janeway actually imposing solitary on tom. i don't even care about tom i care that it makes her look like an asshole twice in a row. water planet was cool i guess

counterpoint (voy):

AAAUUUUR MY GOD

CAPTAIN JANEWAY...MA'AM

idk what she was on in this episode but i have never been more attracted to her. let her peg.

what a journey this one took us on. at first you think the inspector guy is lying, and then he starts acting nice and he and janeway get close, and you're like okay he's on their side but he's also a dipshit, like he just confessed to killing kids WHYYYY is she kissing him when she has a boyfriend and a girlfriend already

AND THEN HE BETRAYS HER. AFTER WE LET OUR GUARD DOWN. and it's like oh NO she's gonna be SAD

WRONG. SHE GOT HIS ASS. like

the fact that he tricked us but also SHE tricks us. and him. at the same time. is so unbelievably hot. it's HER BRIDGE, bitch!!!

prodigal daughter (ds9):

i don't want to talk about it.

gender jokes good though

latent image (voy):

THIS ONE MADE ME CRY......................

ethical dilemma GOOD!!! voyager has been coming for my LIFE in season 5

aside from being an EXCELLENT episode for the EMH, it's also a fantastic episode for janeway and seven, and janeway/seven. "how long before you abandon me too?" seven came for her LIFE. almost as good was janeway showing up in seven's little cargo bay to watch her sleep and then wake her with "im struggling with the nature of individuality" in the gayest reverse uno this show has had yet............

i think also it's such a kind touch to have the thing that gets the doctor out of his funk be janeway being under the weather. like, he's a healer. you know?

the poem at the end. waahhhhh

bride of chaotica (voy):

i was afraid for my life when this episode started but it was actually fine. not my favorite, because the 1930s superhero setting means nothing to me, but i like how everyone kind of m,ade fun of the setting and then lovingly bullied janeway into playing the bride. like, that wasn't nothing

like, tuvok's EXTREMELY wry and bitchy jokes at tom paris's expense for example. seven being judgy at harry. that sort of thing.

the emperor's new cloak (ds9):

also feared for my life during this one because i HATE nagus episodes. i didn't realize it would also be mirrorverse

90s mirrorverse is fucking insane to me, by the way. it's just edgelord territory instyead of like, Saying Stuff about the characters the way tos's mirrorverse did. like, i'm fine with that, but also, what the fuck?

ANYWAY, LESBIAN KISS. TEN OUT OF TEN. i'm so fucking mad she couldn't do that with jadzia >:(

also important: in this episode i realized brunt and weyoun were played by the same guy because mirror brunt talks differently. yes, it really took this long, but my ear won eventually

gravity (voy):

TUVOK'S OPEN SHIRT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i was never worried he would cheat on his wife. i know they had like a memo somewhere. and he's not that kind of guy

the lady is in free willy! i watched the fuck out of those movies as a kid.

as previously noted, it is hilarious that they invented new kinds of shirts for the sheer purpose of gradually undressing tuvok as the episode went on

to be stuck on a desert planet for two months with only tom paris as company: a fate worse than death

young tuvok!!!! i really loved those sections. he was such a little guy you know

this ep more than any other highlights how different tuvok and spock are...like obviously tim ross is copying leonard nimoy's homework re: The Eyebrow and other mannerisms because every vulcan on star trek does that, but tuvok is very at peace with the way he experiences love and what his relationship with his wife means to him, in a way that is very different from how spock finds peace living WITH his emotions in the tos films. like yeah i can see now why spock had trouble on vulcan and was noticeably different than everyone else. you know?

and while spock found it impossible to be exactly the same as the vulcans around him, and while his inability to do that hurt him greatly, you can see too that it isn't necessarily a BAD way to live or a harmful culture in and of itself. and it's nice to see that side of it! it's just sad that spock could never see that side of it.

anyway, great time, tuvok is my bestie

field of fire (ds9):

this one sucked again. lotta duds in ds9 lately. wild

firstly, there is no reason ezri should be able to deduce the guy is the killer just from standing next to him in the elevator for 5 seconds, joran or not. secondly, the vulcan's motive makes no goddamn sense. he's a VULCAN.

the one part of this episode i did really enjoy was ezri's very quiet conversation with worf. he's usually so uncertain about how to interact with her, his simple "you are dax" hit really hard. i wish it had been in a better episode, because while i'm still lukewarm on ezri, her greatest potential is as this shade of jadzia. it's a really interesting dynamic and they nailed the atmosphere in that scene

that said, what he did was essentially accidentally talk her into letting a psycho loose in her head, so like...pretty invalidating. and overall the episode sucked bad. but still!

bliss (voy):

BANGER AFTER BANGER FOR VOYAGER SEASON 5. holy shit have we come a long way!!

i love when they give seven a baby, first of all, so jot that down

i was really rooting for tuvok to see through the illusion and that he DIDN'T made it such a big deal when seven ultimately did

i loved also this captain ahab guy. in case we didn't know what literary work they were refercing they even gave him a vaguely pirate-like accent. he was fun though so i forgive him

as a side note, also, i LOVED how absolutely fucking skeptical janeway was when first hearing about this wormhole. we have GENUINELY come such a long way from season 1 where they got their hopes up all the time

chimera (ds9):

me during this episode: this rules! > this sucks! > this rules! etcetc.

fun to have odo meet another changeling. fun to have this guy be martok, also. i caught that shit. my ear never fails me. fun to have odo trying to balance his changeling life and human life

less fun when they did the shady melding. kira has every right to feel bad about this bc the last time he was doing it was with his mommy shifter who almost got him on her side

apparently this episode was meant to show us odo still struggles with his being a changeling and wanting to be with people, and it's too easy of a choice if all his people are evil. the problem with this is that this guy is also an asshole. evil, no, but he has the same superiority complex that the other changelings do. if they had made him like, "yeah humanoids are fine but we gotta find the rest of the hundred!" i would have been way more invested in odo being torn. they never really SHOW us odo wants to go back anyway, they TELL us. thats all this was. odo like wah i want to go to the link :( and it's that conflict which initially made him so interesting to me, too, and him choosing kira over his own people is a lot of what draws me to that ship. so it's a shame that the excution fell so flat in some places

also lol the reminder that the changelings are dying out...bro i literally forgot

THAT SAID. the arc where KIRA is the one who feels inadequate for ODO vs HIM feeling inadequate for HER (like when she mentioned wanting kids in a different episode) is a nice twist, and i LOVED the bit at the end where he went goop with her 😭😭😭

like, i wish the episode had been about THAT instead of like. what if the other changelings were also assholes

or like this guy could be an asshole and give odo a different kind of crisis. like if they're all bad and only i am different will i also be like that one day? will i not be that but always be alone? but they didn't do any of that.

also WHAT was with quark's random racism speech. hello???

at the end of this episode cathy asked me "are you sure odo is your favorite character?" bc every time he and kira have a problem i side with her. and. what if kira IS my favorite???? kira might be my favorite??????? #feminism

badda-bang, badda-bang (ds9):

SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSIGH.

vic is fine. but he'd be better as a non holodeck character

NONE of the holodeck logistics in this made ANY sense. they spent ten minutes trying to justify this stupid holodeck heist because they KNEW it didn't make sense. why not just do a regular heist episode!!! let's watch leverage!!!!!!

furthermore, the side plot about how sisko didn't like the 1960s setting because it magically forgot racism is maybe the only valid reason he had to be a wet blanket about that, but if we're going out of our way to engage with that kind of thing, why is the 1960s setting still sexist? also, why was odo staring at those stripper babes? HE DOESN'T EVEN LIKE HUMANOIDS. he's just cuckoo crazy bananas over kira

also, how does vic get INJURED and need time to HEAL? do they not control the fucking simulation enough to even heal up a bruise???

actually wait also WHY ARE JULIAN AND MILES INVITING VIC TO GO TO THE ALAMO? that poor little murder victim asked and he couldn't go but they're ASKING the hologram to go with them?? what the fuck???

i did like that guy calling odo stretch. that was pretty funny.

also, asheville north carolina mention. shoutout to everyone who lives in or has ever lived in asheville north carolina.

TONIGHT: voy's "dark frontier," parts i & ii.

[grissomesque]

You're lucky to be standing here right now. I would have destroyed your shuttle if necessary.

STAR TREK: VOYAGER 5.09. Thirty Days

[nonepizzawithleftglitter]

"Staying in shape?"

"Oh yeah. I do it every time I'm in jail."

Tom no-

[thetempleofthemasaigoddess]

The scent of your skin at night

Cadet!Elendil x reader

Please keep in mind Raumos is the name I gave to the Sail Master. 😏

This fic is dedicated to @sotwk, the best Boromir and Éomer writer on Tumblr!

*****

The shell-horn in the hands of the Sail Master gave a single, long note, that the salt-scented wind spread all around the beach.

Elendil, his tunic soaked with perspiration, felt that piercing sound reverberate inside him, matching the beat of his heart; he was the first in line, one of the eleven the cadets had quickly formed besides the boats they had just pushed ashore. Behind him, Raumos was gasping, his long dark hair tied in a braid to keep it from getting in the way; at Elendil's left, (name) met his eyes and smiled, the days-old wound on his left arm still bandaged. Elendil smiled back, a by now familiar warmth filling his heart at the mere sight of his friend's happy face, but both cadets were quick to school their features back to solemn attention as the Sail Master's deep voice reached them.

"The Sea is always right!" Soronto proclaimed, arms open wide as to embrace the blue vastness in front of him.

"The Sea is always right!" the thirty-two cadets repeated as one man, their voices rising for a moment above the roar of the waves. The Sea had been troubled since morning, but Elendil was determined not to interpret it as an ill omen, even though training had been hard that day: three cadets had been dismissed for mistakes a more lenient Sail Master would have overlooked, and even he and his friends, who Soronto himself had recognized as his most promising recruits, had struggled to live up to the Sail Master's expectations. The closer the Sea Trial got, the more demanding training became... which was to be expected, Elendil reasoned: the Sea Guard was the elite squad of the Númenorean army, and only the best would be chosen to join it.

Which meant that he and his friends were all but wearing the uniform already. Maybe.

Elendil and the rest of the cadets, especially those to the front of their respective lines, remained immobile, spine straight and breath held, as Soronto walked in front of them, meticulously inspecting each of the young men entrusted to his care. He was a good teacher, an experienced Sail Master and a capable seaman, but he was also stern, and fastidious, not to mention uncompromising in his personal opinions: it was well-known, for one, that he did not approve of female cadets, so much that not one of them had reached the Sea Trial in the five years he had been Sail Master, and he had formally ordered them to remain chaste until they had passed the Trial, since bodily pleasures would distract them from duty and lead them to waste energies they would need for training. Those who had dared to laugh, thinking the Sail Master was joking, had been ordered to swab the deck of the training ship for a month.

Raumos, who had just gotten engaged, had muttered that far from being concerned for their performance, Soronto wanted his subordinates to suffer just like him, since he was unmarried and probably bitter about it. Elendil had grinned, attempting to comfort his friend telling him that he and his intended could celebrate together once he had passed the Trial, and had privately avoided thinking about his own situation... and his desires and instincts, especially since a certain person had entered his life.

He could feel the object of his passion breathe beside him, the colour of his skin and hair recognizable even out of the corner of Elendil's eye; they were at least two steps apart, but Elendil would have sworn he could feel the warmth of (name)'s body on his, as if they were locked in an embrace, his naked flesh pressed against that of his friend, their hands wandering and caressing and stimulating, mouths dancing on each other, a sweet, melodious voice invoking his name...

Elendil...! Oh, Elendil, please, I need you, I need to feel you...

"You are all dismissed for the day."

The Sail Master's voice made Elendil wince, so deep he was in his thoughts. Had he been caught daydreaming during training, he told himself, he would have been lucky to be simply scolded in front of the other cadets, had Soronto not decided to make an example out of him; Elendil suspected the Sail Master liked him, since he was one of the only three cadets, together with Raumos and (name), he had ever complimented during training, but that did not mean he would be more lenient on them than with the others. The Sea Trial was only three weeks away, and with it, the fulfillment of Elendil's life aspirations... or the end of all of his dreams. At this point, even the least flaw or shortcoming would not be tolerated; to remain on Soronto's good side was not simply preferable... it was essential, and Elendil would not throw away eight months of excellent results for a simple distraction...

... even though he had come to realize that the feelings he had developed for his good friend and comrade went well beyond shallow passion and fleeting desire. And that knowledge scared him a little.

Even though they had been dismissed, the cadets waited for the Sail Master to be twenty paces away before standing down, and thirty-two mouths breathed a sigh of relief: they had survived another day. Some left as soon as they could, walking to the border of the beach in the direction of the city, while others sat on the sand, alone or close to their friends, to treat themselves to a moment of rest. A few went to retrieve the satchels and the capes they had left on the rocks behind the boats; (name) was one of them, moving with his usual grace as the wind played with his hair. Elendil's deep blue eyes followed his form, a wishful longing in his heart he could not name, but he recognized, until he felt safe the other man would not turn and see him.

When he averted his gaze, it was to meet Raumos' knowing, amused look. "It is sweet, you know."

Elendil moaned. "Please, do not."

"You are in love, Elendil. Deeply, desperately in love, like the protagonist of a ballad..."

"Raumos..."

"Now you only have to tell him; if you wait until after the Trial, you will have no vow of celibacy to keep..."

Elendil's answer was muffled by his hands, in which he had hidden his face. He was not ashamed of his feelings and if someone had to perceive them, he was happy it had been Raumos, a loyal friend who would keep his secret not matter what -even though he was not above teasing him- but the truth was, he had no idea what to do.

Unlike Elendil and Raumos, who had been childhood friends and had grown together, he and (name) had met each other on the first day of training; within three days they were friends, and a single, short week after they had first exchanged names, Elendil had felt the beat of his heart quicken every time the other man touched him -to help him on his feet after a moment of rest, or to join forces to haul a sheet during training- and his words fail him when (name)'s beautiful smile was directed to him. A month later, Elendil had had to face the truth: Raumos was right, he was infatuated... maybe even something more, even though he did not feel ready to give a name to his feelings. One thing was sure: what he felt for his friend was real, deep, and destined to last... especially if (name) accepted, and reciprocated, his feelings.

If.

"Do you intend to tell him?" Raumos wondered, and Elendil shrugged; it would have been impossible to forget, or even just to put aside, his feelings for (name) when they spent the best part of each day together, but he had been so focused on his training to decide he could not concentrate on anything else until after the Trial.

"Maybe I will. The truth is... I have no idea what he feels about me; he has never spoken about having feelings for someone else, but who knows..." he sighed; his father would have told him it was unbecoming for a man, and a future officer of the Sea Guard at that, to care so much about feelings and romance, but the truth was, Elendil had never felt so unsure of himself "What if he does not feel the same? What if he is so mortified and embarrassed he decides not to speak to me ever again? The three of us had hoped to serve on the same ship..."

Raumos noted that since the two were such good friends, even in the event that Elendil's feelings were not reciprocated, there would be no embarrassment or bitterness between them; (name) was an honest, sincere soul, and would perhaps be saddened to disappoint his friend, but he would not renounce everything they had shared in those months. "Would you still be (name)'s friend, if that was everything you could hope to receive from him?"

Elendil's answer was quick. "Of course."

"And I am sure he would say the same for you. And then, who knows." Raumos added with a smile, nodding in the direction of the object of their conversation, who was walking back to them, a water bottle in his hand "You might be pleasantly surprised."

"What are you discussing about?" (name) wondered as he sat between his two friends; he offered the bottle to Elendil, who declined with a smile and a shake of his head, and then to Raumos, who instead accepted it gratefully.

"Simply... about the Sail Master."

"Ah, to the Abyss with him." (name) muttered, which surprised Elendil; it was unlike his friend to sound so harsh when judging someone.

"Why do you say so?"

"I... I simply do not like him."

"Soronto is a good man." Raumos said; it was not a secret for his friends that the dark-skinned man aspired one day to become Sail Master himself, which had led him to take Soronto as a model "He is strict, but only because he wants to make sure his cadets are well-trained; they would not be able to pass the Sea Trial otherwise."

"He dismissed two cadets last week because he did not like the way they tied a bowline knot, even though it held all the same. And another who had been five minutes later for training for the first time in eight months."

"Well, he did say on the first day that he would not tolerate tardiness..."

"I know, I know..."

(name) was frowning; he passed an hand in his hair, and Elendil, sitting by his side, found himself following the movement, wishing he could be the one making that very simple, only apparently chaste gesture. (name)'s hair was shorter than his, but thick and lucid, tossed by the gentle wind blowing from the east; how would it feel, to run his hand through it? How would it feel, to brush his fingers against the other man's cheek, feel his beloved's warmth on his skin...?

(name) was attractive; that was certain, surely more than any other man -or woman- he had ever laid eyes on, but there was more than that. Elendil admired his intelligence, his kindness, his willingness to help anyone who needed it, including his fellow cadets, and even though refraining from it would have made him get noticed by the Sail Master. (name) had a beautiful laugh, expressive eyes, and had put himself between a woman and the man who was threatening her -much bigger than (name) himself, and armed- to defend her, once that he and Elendil had come across the couple on the way to training.

Ulmo preserve him, how could he not fall in love straight away?

"What do you think, Elendil?" (name) asked; he seemed at ease, eager to hear his friend's opinion but otherwise content, completely unaware of the turmoil his very presence elicited in Elendil. One day I will tell him, the young man swore to himself; the very idea scared him, but Raumos was right, he had to have faith in his friend... and if their bond was destined to remain that, a friendship, he would be happy nonetheless; one day, soon, I will tell him what I feel. But not now; not today.

Elendil shrugged; he knew neither of his friends would get upset to be contradicted, and the truth was, his position was sort of midway between theirs.

"He is strict; and I do believe he is trying to prepare us for the Trial, and to be the best seamen we can be." he admitted; he did not dislike the Sail Master, but he was sure other officers would disagree with many of his choices "But I do believe he sometimes dismisses cadets too easily, and for trivial reasons; the Trial is only once a year, after all, and some of us moved from the other side of the kingdom to train. It is... as if he wanted us to fear him. A capable commander should not need to be feared in order to be respected."

"Hear, hear. Not to mention his personal convictions..."

Elendil looked at him. "What do you mean?"

"What?" (name) blinked, and then he smiled... a forced smile, Elendil thought, for the first time since they had met "Nothing important."

A few of the cadets who had stayed to rest on the beach gathered their things to head to a nearby tavern; Raumos stood to join them.

"Are you two coming?"

(name) shook his head. "It is my uncle's birthday today; I should go home and help my aunt with... I should spend some time with him." he explained as he stood as well and cleaned his clothes from the sand. Elendil knew (name) hailed from Forostar, and he had moved to live with his paternal aunt and uncle in Armenelos to enroll in the Sea Guard training. "I will be seeing you both tomorrow?"

"Wait." Elendil found himself saying; he stood quickly enough that for a moment he thought he would fall "I need to go home as well. I will come with you."

(name) smiled, as if the prospect of enjoying the company of a friend -or maybe only mine?- for a few minutes made him happy; behind him, Raumos winked, and Elendil forced himself not to react, even though he was already feeling himself blushing. Soon. Not today, but soon. How long could three weeks actually be?

They said their goodbyes and set out towards the city, the sand under their sandals giving way to the cobblestones of Armenelos' streets; they walked side by side, two young men in the Sea-blue uniform of the cadets, their shoulders barely brushing against each other... close, Elendil reflected, because they were friends and comrades and that sort of chaste intimacy was natural, but at the same time they -he- could not go beyond that... not hold hands, or walk arm in arm, as was natural for couples of all ages... not to mention even more intimate types of contact, not unless he wanted to embarrass (name) or, worse, made him doubt the goodness of his intentions. That was the last thing Elendil wanted, and because of this, he had ordered himself not to take advantage of that innocent closeness... not yet, at least.

"Three weeks." he sighed after a few minutes the two friends had spent walking in silence, content in each other's company; they had decided to cut through the city's marketplace, and (name) had stopped to buy some fruit for his aunt "Sometimes I cannot believe it. It seems yesterday we began training, does it not?"

"It does; and sometimes, I feel as if Soronto has been barking at us for years." (name) sighed, and then he smiled "It is amazing; this time next month, we will be soldiers of the Sea Guard. I cannot wait! Do you think the three of us will be allowed to serve together, as we wish?"

"I hope so; my father said the best cadets are given a choice of commissions, and we could ask to be assaigned to the same ship. A few years from now, we will all be officers..."

"Raumos will become the next Sail Master -an exceptionally capable at that, better than his predecessor by a great deal- you will be the commander of the largest fleet..."

"... and you will be the Sea Guard's representant in the King's Council." Elendil finished for him, and the two friends shared a grin, full of hope and excitement. How many cadets had spoken like them, discussing of their ambitions as if their realization was within reach? Thousands, undoubtedly; and how many had actually seen those dreams come true? Far fewer, Elendil was ready to bet, even when it did not appear that the man tasked with preparing the cadets to the admission to the corps wanted them to fail - before the Trial itself, even; but it was pleasant, and thrilling, to pretend they were already what they hoped to become, experienced navigators, successful officers, masters of the Sea and winners of a thousand battles...

That night -that mild, clear night- it felt good to dream.

They kept discussing of the adventures the three of them would face, until they left the marketplace behind them and reached the neighborhood (name) lived in, mostly inhabited by merchants and palace officials. Elendil had walked him home, not out of fear for his friend's safety but simply because he enjoyed spending time with him; it was not the first time it had happened in the course of those eight months and nor him nor (name), who had returned the favor equally often, had ever spoken about it. There was no need.

"Give my regards to your uncle for this birthday." Elendil said once they had reached (name)'s family's house; the other man smiled - a smile Elendil hoped he would make his, one day.

"I will; he has waited for tonight for weeks, since all my cousins have returned home to celebrate." he explained. (name)'s uncle and aunt had five children, even though only the two youngest still lived at home, and the abundance of space had not been the only reason the young man had been invited to live with them during his training "So... I will see you tomorrow, Elendil."

"Yes; until tomorrow."

Even after saying their goodbyes neither moved; they were face to face, alone in the empty street as the stars started to appear in the dark archway above them. When (name)'s hand was raised towards him, Elendil's heart skipped a beat or two, but the gesture he received was not a caress.

"You had a leaf in your hair." (name) explained, after his fingertips had barely brushed against Elendil's temple; it was too dark to be sure, but he would have sworn his friend had blushed, and for a moment it seemed as if he was about to say something important... "Well... goodnight."

He turned, but Elendil looked at him until (name) had disappeared inside the house. He took a long breath; the cool night air was vivifying, and despite the disappointment, he felt content. Soon, he promised to himself. Very soon.

*****

He was not thinking about (name), when it happened; his friend was the last thing on his mind, Elendil could have sworn it, and that made him feel... he did not have the words to describe that peculiar sensation that had taken root in his heart; it had felt less as a sign of fate and more like what it had actually been, a complete coincidence, but of one thing he had been sure: he had never been so surprised, so completely and utterly astonished, in his life.

But it had been a pleasant surprise - at least, such it would turn out to be, in time.

Elendil spent the evening as usual, at home with his parents; after dinner, his mother begged him to bring a basket with some food and medicines to a friend of hers, who had been sick for a few days. It was late already and Elendil had meant to go to bed early, since he would have to also wake soon after dawn for training, but he did not have the heart to refuse: after all his mother was a healer, and her patient an older woman who lived alone, and who needed to be assisted.

The streets were less crowded than during the day, few people who hastened to return home or walked leisurely enjoying the cool air of the night. Elendil's heart was in peace as he reached his destination, his thoughts lost in the memories of his early years, when he was the patient his mother had to take care of, among childhood ailments and the occasional accident, like that time he had tried to climb a tree on a dare and had fallen and broken his arm...

He was pleased to discover his mother's friend was recovering from her illness, and even more that her neighbours were assisting her, visiting many times a day. The woman gave Elendil back the empty basket, and asked him to give his mother her gratitude; he bowed his head, and was free to leave.

He found himself whistling an old sailor shanty as he walked on the fastest way home, the empty basket hanging from his hand; he was only a few minutes from home when, crossing a lively street he had not visited often, he walked past a tavern... and something caught his eye.

He stopped, as if he had walked into a wall.

Two large men were standing on the tavern's doorway, engrossed in a conversation; next to them, a woman with a bottle in her hands was patiently waiting for them to notice her, and move to let her pass.

There was nothing peculiar about the scene, nothing that should have made it memorable in Elendil's eyes, especially since he was lost in his thoughts... but he did see something, something that made him almost stumble on his feet.

The woman's face was partially hidden, since she was standing in profile, but one thing he could see clearly... a bandage on her left arm, another particular that should have been not worthy of mention -a small accident could happen to anyone, and there was no need of an healer to bind a wound with a strip of fabric- but at the same time... a bandage in that colour, on that position... and the height, and the length of the hair, and that way of resting one's weight on one feet when the back was pressed against a wall...

It was impossible. Ludicrous. And at the same time when, in a split second, the name -a name that was common enough for a man, but that it had once been fashionable to give to girls- rose to his lips, Elendil uttered it with less disbelief than he should have.

"... (name)?"

Just as he was speaking, the two men on the doorway -until then busy discussing the odds of their favourite horses winning an upcoming race- moved, finally giving the woman with the bandage the chance to do the same; she took a single step, then she heard Elendil speak, she turned...

... and the bottle fell from her hands as an expression of complete horror blossomed on her face as she saw him. "Elendil...!"

Her face. His face. (name)'s face, (name) who he thought he knew well after eight months of friendship, but who he was discovering now had kept an important secret from him, about his identity... or at least about his preferences in matters of clothing.

He was about to question him, to cross the street to join (name) in front of the tavern, but the look on his friend's face was enough to silence him, and even to make him ashamed of his curiosity. The liquid spilled from the broken bottle -red wine, it seemed- was spreading around his -her?- feet, but (name) did not seem to notice; he was looking at Elendil, a friend he had every reason to trust, as if Melkor himself were threatening him. He seemed terrified... and worse, resigned; Elendil noticed he was wearing a very nice dress, the sort of thing a woman might choose for a special occasion - a birthday celebration, for example.

"I am sorry." he said; it was barely more than a whisper, and the bustle in the street ought to have covered it, but Elendil heard; before he could react, even just to reassure his friend that he would keep his secret -a secret he had not yet fully understood himself; but he would not betray (name), on that he could have bet his life- the other had run away, soon disappearing behind a corner and paying no heed to Elendil's pleas to stay.

*****

Elendil did not know what to expect when he joined the other cadets for training on the next morning; he breathed a sigh of relief when he saw (name) arrive on time as usual, but when they found each other face to face his friend quickly averted his gaze, and a few minutes later, when the cadets were ordered to form a line to receive their orders from the Sail Master as usual, (name) was quick to move so as to be as far from Elendil as he could.

"What has happened? Did the two of you have a fight?" Raumos whispered in Elendil's ear as they followed their comrades on board the training ship; Soronto had announced that day they would practice a series of complex naval maneuvers, and he demanded his apprentices' full attention and effort. He had no need to mention what would happen to those who displeased him.

"No. Not at all."

"But what is wrong, them? He looks at you as if he feared to be stabbed in the back."

Elendil had no answer to give.

(name) avoided him throughout the day; he seemed to make his utmost to stay away from Raumos as well, as if he feared that Elendil had told their mutual friend about their brief, surprising meeting on the previous night. Elendil, on his part, was determined to face (name), confident that talking was all that was needed to mend things between them; had that brief incident ruined their friendship -not to mention, his hopes that bond might evolve in something different- or even just forced (name) to live in fear for the rest of his days, Elendil would have never forgiven himself.

Focusing on training had never been so hard, especially with the eagle-eyed Sail Master ready -almost eager- to spot every little mistake. Elendil saw the desperate determination (name) attended to his duties with that day, and decided he would not be outdone.

In the end, he breathed a sigh of relief when Soronto declared training over for the day; his arms hurt after what had felt like hours spent pulling the ropes to stretch the sails, and a new bruise was blossoming on his hip after he had lost his balance -behind the back of the Sail Master, fortunately- and slammed against the side of the ship. (name) had been close to him when it had happened, and Elendil had seen his friend's eyes widen in alarm; he had winked to him in reassurance, and (name) had smiled shyly and hurried to leave, before Elendil could reach him and forced him to talk.

It was frustrating; even more, it was scary, the feeling of their friendship slipping from his fingers while he could do nothing to prevent it. Elendil knew (name)'s actions arose from fear, not from a desire to hurt him, but nevertheless, he could not stand it - he could not allow their bond to end because of an accident.

This was why, when (name) left as soon as the cadets were finally dismissed for the day, Elendil followed him. "(name)! Wait!" he called, trying his best to run on the damp sand, and then, since his friend was ignoring him "Confound it... stop! I only want to talk!"

In the end Elendil reached him, and grabbed his shoulder to force (name) to turn and face him; he did, his gaze both defiant and scary. He looked handsome in his cadet uniform, Elendil thought, not for the first time.

"What do you want, Elendil?"

"To talk; that is all." he made clear; his heart was pounding, and maybe, Elendil thought, that brief run was not the only reason "Please, do not run from me as you would run from an enemy; are we not friends?"

(name) sighed; he seemed tired, as if he had not slept well the previous night. "Of course we are. On my part, at least."

"And on mine. I... I apologize if I saw something I was not meant to see; I was not looking for you, merely returning home from an errand for my mother. I will keep your secret as long as you need me to, I swear on my life and my honour, but..."

"But?"

"Nothing; I have no right to demand you confide in me, but I must admit I am curious." Elendil acknowledged with a sigh "I... I only want to be your friend, as we have been since we met."

"Really?" (name) tilted his head on one side; it was as if he were trying to look in his heart - something he was actually able to do, Elendil suspected "Nothing has changed, since you saw... that?"

"Of course not. You are my friend, and my comrade. That for me is enough."

(name) sighed; he ran an hand in his hair, and now he looked more than tired - he seemed exhausted. He looked nervously around him, as if fearing the other cadets -or, worst of all, Soronto himself- could approach and listen to their conversation, and then returned his gaze on Elendil.

"Let us meet here tonight, after the tenth bell toll. And then, I will tell you everything." he proposed, and Elendil was quick to nod, relief filling his heart.

"Until tonight, then." he promised; (name) nodded, with another of those shy, hopeful smiles that could break even Mandos' heart.

"Until tonight."

He was alone once more when Raumos approached, his long dark hair swept by the wind. "Is everything all right?" he asked, soft-spoken as he always was, when something important was at stake.

Elendil shrugged. "I think so." he answered, turning to face his friend and wondering if that was actually true, or just wishful thinking "Or at least it will be soon."

*****

He had thought about lighting a fire -something his father had taught him to do when he was ten- but there was no need, since so many stars were in the sky that night, and so luminous, he could have read a scroll on the beach without the need to light a lantern.

A few minutes had passed after the tenth bell toll, and Elendil sat on a large, flat rock only a few paces away from the point where he and (name) had arranged to meet, surrounded by the murmuring of the waves on the empty beach, an arm around his knees; he was gazing at the stars, as he sometimes did when he was deep in his thoughts, and especially at the brightest of them all, the one that all mariners could recognize, and use to find their course...

"He is an ancestor of yours, is he not?"

Elendil's start was brief, and followed by a happy smile; (name) was approaching from the direction of the city, a line of footprints on the sand following him. "The evening star." he clarified as he came close "Is he not Eärendil the Mariner, whose ship was placed in the sky by the Valar?"

"He is." Elendil admitted; it was humbling, sometimes, to have such an illustrious forefather to prove himself worthy of, but he had always loved the story of Eärendil and his plea to the Valar, as his father had recounted to him... and that he would, perhaps, repeat to his own children, some day "Well, actually the star is the Silmaril Eärendil is wearing on his forehead, not him."

"It is a beautiful story, nonetheless."

"It is." Elendil agreed, and then (name) reached him, and he found words had failed him.

His friend was wearing a dress, just like he had during their brief encounter on the previous night, but this time Elendil had plenty of time to observe him -her?- and he found himself unable to look away from his friend... and from the shape of his body under the close-fitting fabric.

(name) smiled softly, amused; he was wearing a pair of earrings, and his hair was styled like many young women in the city wore theirs. "You better close your mouth, or flies will fly in."

"Yes... yes, I am sorry..."

Elendil remained silent until they were sitting side by side on the rock, that he had chosen specifically because it was wide enough. "I am glad you came."

"And I am glad you proposed to meet. I am sorry if I avoided you today... I was afraid, but I should have had more faith in you. You have always been a loyal friend, Elendil, and willing to help those who needed; I should have never thought you would betray my secret."

Elendil reassured him that he was not offended. "So..." he began again, feeling vaguely unsure on how to express his doubts, out of fear of offending (name)'s feelings... and because they were sitting so close their knees were touching "What I saw last night... was the real you?"

"It was." (name) smiled; the anxiety had not left him completely, but he was now at ease enough to joke "Or do you think I enjoy wearing feminine clothes once in a while?"

"There would be nothing wrong with it."

"I know there would not; but it is not my case. I... I am a woman, my mind and my body are feminine. I have just been hiding."

Elendil looked at him - at her; Eru preserve him, even with all the expedients she had to have used to disguise herself, how could he not realize what she was hiding, in all the time they had spent together in those eight months? There was nothing unfeminine about her, quite the opposite actually....

"Are you really called (name)?" he inquired; he moved on the rock, in search of a more comfortable position, and for a moment his tight pressed against hers.

"I am."

(name)'s shy smile widened in a grin, betraying her amusement, and deep affection for the young man next to her. "You are really amazing." she said "You are not going to ask me anything, are you? You must have so many questions, but you are determined to keep them to yourself. "

"I am curious." Elendil admitted "But this matter is clearly important to you, since being discovered, even just from a friend you had any reason to trust, terrified you. I do not think I have the right to pry."

"Maybe you do not; but I will tell you everything, because I know I can trust you with my life, and more importantly, my dream." (name) agreed, and smiled once more; she had a beautiful smile, Elendil thought, that had not changed with the revelation about her sex... and other things had not, either.

Joining the Sea Guard had been (name)'s ambition since early childhood; she had dreamt of sailing towards far away lands, feeling the wind on her face and the salt of the water on her lips as she travelled on the ship she would one day lead as captain, and serve Númenor as both a mariner and a soldier. Her father's dearest friend was the captain of a merchant ship, and after the young girl had begged him for months, and her parents had given their blessing, the man had let her join his crew as a cabin's boy. She had sailed for three years, and she had to work herself to the bone, swabbing the deck, carrying messages to and fro and helping the cook in the galley, to say nothing of the two times the ship had been spotted by pirates, but she had loved every moment, and the experience had taught her much about Sea life that would later prove useful during the Sea Guard training. Her determination to wear one day the blue uniform was stronger than ever, and fortunately her uncle and aunt had offered to host her as long as she needed; once she had reached the required age, (name) had moved to Armenelos to enlist...

... and the dream of her life had clashed with the Sail Master's personal convictions.

"Women have served in the Sea Guard since its inception; there have been female cadets in the Trial every year, and three women have reached the rank of Lord Commander." she said, voice heavy with pride and helplessness at the same time "Women have proved to be as strong, clever and capable as men, regarding Sea life as well as any other vocation or craft. Soronto has no right to exclude them, us, from the Guard, since its statute explicitly says both sexes can enlist...but he is one of those men who deem women unworthy of the same rights and opportunities men are afforded, or maybe he hates and dislikes them, for whatever personal reason. Ever since he has become the Sail Master, not a single female cadet has been admitted to the Trial; he makes sure to exclude them earlier than then, since he is not part of the commission that judges the admission to the Guard. I have met some of those female cadets, they are as capable as you or Raumos if not more; but Soronto has made sure none of them had even just a chance to join, finding a pretext to exclude them or judging them much more harshly than with males cadets - which is saying something. I do not know the reason for such sourness, if he had a personal quarrel with some female cadets when he was younger, if it is a matter of physical strength or if this is what he was raised to believe... the truth is, no woman has ever joined the Sea Guard ever since Soronto became the Sail Master, nor, unless Ulmo himself comes to order him to do otherwise, any ever will until he is replaced."

Nothing of that was new to him, but that night was the first time Elendil found himself seriously reflecting on the matter, and on what it meant for all the young women who had desired to join the Guard, just like him, and would have deserved to be judged fairly, and given all the necessary support to achieve their full potential and be ready for the Trial. Instead, all those poor women, some of which would have probably reached better results than him, had been denied, their aspirations callously dismissed, simply because of their sex.

He had always known it was unfair, and cruel, but he did not really reflect on that state of affairs until he found out it closely concerned someone he cared for; Elendil felt ashamed of himself.

"No one, not even the Sail Master, can act in violation of the Sea Guard statute." he remarked after a while "Did none of the female cadets argue that Soronto had judged them unfairly?"

"A few of them have tried, but it easier said than done; they should have demonstrated that the Sail Master had dismissed them because of their sex and not because they did not have the necessary skill and determination to join the Guard, or because they had made some grave mistake. Furthermore, Soronto and the Lord Commander are old friends: even if a hundred cadets complained against him, there is no realistic possibility he would ever be dismissed. As long as Soronto remains at his post, I would have had no chance to join the Sea Guard, not even if I were the best cadet ever since this kingdom was founded; and like me, so many other women who are not less brave or skilled than you or Raumos. Do you understand what I am saying?"

Elendil understood, and that state of affairs made him sick, and sad. "I am sorry." he murmured; he rested his hand on (name)'s shoulder -a friendly, sincere gesture, chaste in the friendship and the understanding it hoped to express- and his friend smiled, as if Elendil's sympathy did actually make a difference.

"Thank you. You understand now? Why I had to do this." she added, gesturing vaguely to her body; Elendil smiled.

"I believe I did; and thank Eru your name can be used by both men and women."

(name) grinned. "Exactly! It must be destiny, do you not think? Well, either that, or my parents had unconsciously known I would have to pretend to be a man, one day."

Once she had decided to invent a new identity to make sure the Sail Master would judge her according to her skills and not her gender, getting used to pretend to be a man had been easier than expected. Her male cousins had lent her appropriate clothes, and taught her to talk and act like men do: to grasp arms when being introduced to someone instead than bowing her head, to ride a horse astride instead than side-saddle -something she was still unable to do properly, but she practiced every time she could, and fortunately she aimed to join the Sea Guard, not the cavalry- to walk with longer strides... without moving her hips, but rather as if she had something occupying the space between her thighs. She had binded her chest, and cut her hair short; an unnecessary precaution, perhaps, since many men in Númenor wore their hair long, but the more masculine she could appear, the better.

"I never told anyone. My aunt and uncle and cousins know, obviously, but I have kept even my parents in the dark; they would have worried too much. I have always lived as a man since I arrived here in the city, even when I was safe at home with my family. But last night... it was my uncle's birthday, and my aunt begged me to wear a dress, for once, because she had forgotten how I looked as myself. Then, she realized she had forgotten to buy my uncle's favourite wine for his birthday dinner, and she begged me to go to the tavern to buy a bottle; I did not have the time to change and bind myself, but it would take me maybe fifteen minutes in all, and it was dark, I thought I would be safe... but Eru has decided to play a trick on me."

"You are safe." Elendil insisted "I will never tell anyone, you have my word."

"Thank you; I know I can trust you." (name) answered; she smiled, and looking at that smile Elendil felt his heartbeat quicken, as it had ever since he and his friend had first exchanged names "In any case, I will not have to pretend long; in three weeks I will pass the Trial, and then I will be free to reveal I am a woman. I cannot wait to see Soronto's face!"

"You do not think he will try to have you expelled?"

"How could he? The Sail Master has power of life and death over the cadets, but once they have passed the Trial, the matter is out of his responsibility, there is nothing he can do. (name) is a perfectly acceptable name for a man, and the cadets of both sexes wear the same uniform; he has no way to prove I deliberately tried to hide I am a woman, and if he did, he would have to admit why that represents a problem for him. If I can keep appearances for three more weeks, I am safe."

Privately, Elendil thought she was being way too optimistic: once realized he had been outsmarted, that a female cadet had slipped through his fingers and successfully passed the Trial -as one of his best trainees, not less!- Soronto's rage would be felt in the whole city, but (name) was right, she had never been required to declare her sex, and therefore she could not be accused of lying. Soronto could curse her name until his last breath, but once she had passed the Sea Trial she would be responsibility of her commanding officer, not of the Sail Master.

"I cannot wait to see our comrades' reaction once they see you as you are." he laughed "Raumos would probably be disappointed he did not notice, he is so proud of his power of observation."

"He will! But I hope it will change nothing between us. You - I mean, he, and all the friends I have made in these eight months..." (name) sighed; suddenly she looked younger, and more fragile, than Elendil had ever seen her "I did not want to deceive you all; it is still me, you understand? Still (name). That I normally wear a skirt, and bleed four days every moon cycle, changes nothing."

"I know. Fear not, it will not be a problem for the people who care for you... and especially not for me."

It really did not, he realized in his heart, he still cared for her as he had done for him, he trusted and respected her... and was still desperately attracted to her, so much his heart was beating like a drum for the simple, chaste contact of his leg next to hers.

(name) smiled, not afraid to show how much those words -the last five especially- meant to her. She stood and took a few steps on the sand, raising her gaze to offer her face to the cool night air.

"It feels... strange, you know? To wear a dress, and walk as if I had nothing... I mean, like women do." she confided "I have gotten used to be a man; I do not look... strange, do I?"

"You do not; you look..."

"Yes?"

"N-nice." Elendil stuttered; suddenly the conversation was veering in a direction he had not foreseen "I-I mean, you are very beautiful. As a woman."

"But not as a man?"

"No. I mean, you are also a very beautiful man. Handsome. An handsome man."

"That is nice to hear." (name) said, and turned back to join him on the rock once more. She smiled - an open, sincere smile, without an hint of slyness or malice; it was the smile Elendil had fallen in love with, whoever the person who wore it was, and suddenly well, he thought, he had promised himself he would do it soon, had he not?

He took a deep breath, feeling even more nervous than on the first day of training, but when he turned to (name), he realized he had nothing to fear... at least as far the declaration itself was concerned.

"You know what I feel, do you not?" he quietly asked, feeling foolish and relieved at the same time; his mother did say women had a special instinct when it came to feelings...

"I... Let us say I hoped I knew." she admitted; she had blushed, so hard the pink on her cheek was visible even in the dark of the night "But at the same time I was afraid that I was seeing affection where there was simple friendship... or that everything would change when you discovered that I was a woman. I... I do understand if you cannot see me as you have done until now anymore, and I will still be grateful to be your friend; but the truth is... simply being with you, makes me feel happy. If you just touch me my heart beats twice as fast, and I wake up in the morning happy knowing I will see you. I... I have never felt anything so intense before; I know this is all very new for you, and I understand if my sex is... I mean, if it makes a difference, but... "

She seemed shy, even nervous, once again, not daring to hope what they had shared in the last eight months might still exist, after the revelation of the previous night; (name) was ready to defy the Sail Master, but confessing her feelings to a friend appeared to terrify her.

Elendil smiled, touched; he took her hand and "We could be friends." he agreed "And I would be content with that. What would make me happy -deliriously happy, even- is to know you share my feelings... which means that you care about me more than anyone else, man or woman."

"Elendil..."

"(name). My beautiful (name). I would really like to kiss you, because I have not thought about anything else for months."

It was quite a bold proposal to make, before they had even discussed about beginning a courtship, but he only had to look in her eyes to understand she wanted the same, and she felt the same, and Elendil saw stars in her eyes a moment before they moved towards each other.

Her lips were chapped, and she tasted like honey; holding her in his arms was the most glorious sensation Elendil had ever experienced, the warmth of her body captivating. They kissed long enough to forget where they were, and to lose themselves in each other; when finally they parted, for a while they were unable to do more than smile, breathe, and delight in what was blossoming between the two of them.

"I cannot wait for us to join the Guard together." (name) said in the end; for the first time since Elendil met her she was wearing perfume, and the alluring sweetness of her scent was enough to make him lose himself in it "It will be marvelous."

"It will." Elendil agreed "Everything will be, as long as we are together."

He kissed her again; (name) moaned and circled his shoulders with her arms. The night was flourishing around them.

*****

TAGGING @starlady66. Hope you like this!

[charlottedabookworm]

i love the fact that i'm watching the new star trek picard with my grandad and aunt. i don't even care that I have to wait two days to watch every episode because my grandad started this - decades ago my grandad fell in love with scifi, with trek, and he raised my mum and my aunt on it when they were growing up, he shared his love of it with them and they loved it too and then when I was growing up, nearly thirty years after my mum, mum raised me and my brothers on it, she shared her love of it with us, showed us her favourite episodes and her favourite series, and we loved it too

i've loved trek for as long as i can remember. i grew up watching the first four seasons of VOY on the VCR, the final three seasons on DVD, playing bridge crew with my brother and pirating DS9 on my shitty laptop my parents got me for Christmas in secondary school. i grew up debating the ending of VOY - a series that ended when I was three - for hours with my aunt and watching TOS and TNG and ENT side by side with my brother and going to see 09 twice in the cinemas so we could watch it with mum and with our aunt

we screamed over DSC and i've had hour long text convos with my bro about Seven of Nine and i watched all of PIC season two with my mum and I love it

i loved trek since i was born because my mum loves it, my aunt loves it, my grandad loves it, my baby brother loves it, and I love that I can share this series of PIC with family like I've shared all of trek so far

i just really wish they'd turn the fucking subtitles on

[cryptconstellation]

Y’know what. I’ve only posted art here but! I put a little bit of this fic on a drawing last month and I might as well post the only other bit of it I’m willing to share. This au genuinely just exists for variations on this joke.

“Mmn.” PARIAH whined, feeder tendrils flailing out of the sling keeping it pressed to Alex’s chest. It turned itself outward, toward the remains of the patrol instead of staying halfway buried in Alex’s biomass.

“Yes, you can have the last one.” Alex agreed easily, one tendril flicking out to grab the fleeing human by the back of his collar. Void dragged the prey close enough for PARIAH’s littler tendrils to reach. It pleased Alex that PARIAH learned so quickly, letting it consume more of Alex’s biomass converted to protein slurry while they were in the relief camp was a good idea. Void felt proud of vois… child. Still a strange concept, even with four days to acclimate.

“What the hell is- ZEUS can breed?! It’s only been a month since the outbreak!” The prey shrieked, fear briefly overwhelmed by incredulity at the sight of the human-shaped infant strapped to Alex’s chest. The smaller, clumsier feeder tendrils sprouting from its shoulders immediately crushed any idea that it might just be an unfortunate snack for later.

“This is ours, yes.” Alex said, bemused. “Ah, here, let us get the mask off. Go for the face, armor doesn’t taste good.” Vois tendrils tore the human’s gas mask off as void instructed PARIAH, leaving the face underneath exposed and within reach.

“Aa!!” PARIAH squealed, tendrils lashing forward and suddenly perfectly coordinated. The human did manage to scream once, but then he was being torn apart and consumed, converted directly into more biomass for PARIAH. Alex patted the baby’s approximate stomach, unbothered by there suddenly being two hundred pounds of biomass supported against vois front rather than a scant thirty five. The empty uniform hit the ground with a clatter. PARIAH cheered, little arms flailing their way free of the sling.

“Good, you’re getting faster. Now we’re going to go get Dana. You remember what we said about infecting our pets?” Alex asked, eliciting grumbles from PARIAH. It subsided anyway, dissolving and reforming with its face petulantly pressed to the crook of Alex’s neck. Void stroked PARIAH’s mimicry of hair- dark now, like Alex’s own, just like PARIAH’s eyes were the same silver-blue void saw in the mirror- in comfort. It would be a trial for both of them to be around prey and not consume, as it always was.

[zaenight]

Ch 3 read all about it.

PRESENT TIME AGE 16:

They say that lyrics come from the heart , so I guess these are mine from start to finish.

*Ring,Ring,Ringggg,SMASH* Was the only noise that Carlo ''Rico'' Galindo Del'gado could hear throughout his bedroom as he let out a groan , his hand pushing the alarm clock of his dresser , as a small smash could be heard.

"CARLO DEL'GADO THAT BETTER NOT HAVE BEEN ANOTHER ALARM CLOCK!" Luisa Galindo , his mother yelled from her room down the hall. 'Oops.' the teen thought before yelling back , "SORRY MA!" he said back , he felt like he was forgetting something important.

"CRAP THE COURT!" He exclaimed , as he scurried out of bed , however he fell face first , stupid blanket . As he got dressed in a tank top and put on his mis-matched socks , it still felt like he was missing something , as he made his three slices of toast he was trying to remember.

"Riri your pants are gone!, did the pants monster get them!" , Sirena Mendoza , his now four year old half-sister , exclaimed from their mothers arms ,Carlo almost laughed at how sincere her fear was , until he processed what was said.

"MY PANTS!" Carlo exclaimed as he looked down , sure enough he was only in boxers , his tank top , and his socks , no pants or shoes insight. As he ran to get himself together , Luisa shook her head. "¿Qué voy a hacer con tu hermano?" Luisa said to Sirena as her son raced back down the stairs.

"BYE MA , BYE RENA!" Yelled Carlo as he raced out the door of their house that resided in the compound where Los Segadores De Calaveras members and their families resided , each day you could hear the shouts of good mornings and be careful Rico every time he stumbled , one thing about Carlo Rico Galindo Del'gado , god that's a mouthful, was that he was clumsy , very clumsy

........

"Still feel like I forgot something." Carlo mumbled as he sat by Mouth and Jimmy. "And here he is , ladies and gentlemen , Lucas Scott." Mouth said into his recorder for the podcast. "That's what I forgot , I forgot Lucas!" he exclaimed , as he gave his bestfriend a sheepish smile , whoops.Carlo also happened to be very forgetful if you hadn't noticed.

"Next time I'm putting a damn reminder on your phone." Lucas Scott , his bestfriend stated as Carlo let out a sheepish laugh. "My bad amigo." he said raising hands up in defense.

"One thirty seven and three going into tonight's contest." Mouth stated.

"He sucks!" Junk said jokingly .

"And as a special bonus, we're joined in the booth by Junk Moreti and Carlo "Rico" Del'gado ." Mouth said into the microphone like recorder.

"You don't have a booth." said Junk as Carlo yawned.

"Actually mouth, he's 138 and 3 - Lucas." Jimmy corrected.

"Jeez, Edwards, but you can't remember to run a bar of soap under your pits?" Junk stated.

"What?" he said offended.

"You smell bad, man,You're ripe." Junk explained as Jimmy smelled himself.

"Least I don't smell like cinnamon rolls and coconut." Jimmy said as Carlo felt eyes on him , he was offended .

"¡No me mires así! , I just like the scent that's all , least I smell good." Carlo grumbled as he raised his brow. [Don't look at me like that!]

"Whatever you say dude." Mouth said with a chuckle.

...

"Lucas Scott with the ball and you know Jimmy ,Carlo , he currently nurses a big winning streak." Mouth stated as Carlo nodded , sleep sound good right now.

"For those of you at home, Lucas wears his black shorts tonight with his traditional white high-tops." Mouth said as Carlo snapped out of his sleepy daze.

"Uh , He is currently playing without a shoe contract, Mouth." Jimmy stated as Carlo got up and stretched.

Carlo's stomach broke the silence as Mouth and Jimmy looked at him with deadpanned stares ,the sixteen year old magically pulled out everything you need to make sandwiches from his bag.

"What!" Carlo exclaimed , mouth full , as the other two boy's shook their heads , he was like a puppy.

...

"Luke flashes in the paint, Fergie finds one on the wings." Mouth started to say loudly as Carlo launched up.

"Scott for the game!" Carlo exclaimed and cheered , then it happened , Lucas made the shot , they cheered for their friend, not knowing that at the school ,the same thing was happening with Nathan Scott , who also scored the winning shot.

...

THE NEXT DAY:

Apparently Lucas almost got ran over by a girl , lucky him.

Carlo however , was trying to get out of Junk's headlock , not lucky.

"You guys remember Tom Dugan from grade school?" questioned Junk.

"Oh yeah , He used to live next door to you, right?" Lucas asked , Carlo finally managed to get out of the headlock , stepping besides Lucas.

"Some guy snapped him with a wet towel, and he lost one of his testicles." Junk said sincerely.

" Come on." skills said shaking his head as the group laughed.

"I call bullshit man." Carlo said smirking as Lucas agreed.

"Okay, Junk." Jimmy said as Carlo sat on the table.

"Just saying what I heard." Junk said shrugging.

"Anyway, man, what you reading these days?" Skills said to Lucas.

"Steinbeck -- "The Winter of Our Discontent."" he replied.

"Let me hear some." Skills said to him.

"Nah." Lucas said shaking his head as Carlo got up , making his way over to them and shaking his head.

"Come on dog , You know I be reading vicariously through you, like Rico when he cheats on you in math." Skills said before getting wacked by Carlo.

"Cabrón , He lyin' , I don't know what he's talking about." said Carlo shaking his head.

Suddenly Peyton Sawyer drove by , had the guys stop what they were doing , except Carlo , he can't stand cheerleaders , they were bitches , well not all of them , but in his experience , they were.

" Peyton Sawyer,You seen her webcam? In her bedroom -- I hear she's naked on it, like, all the time ... What? I hear things." Junk said as they laughed , Carlo shook his head , guys , wait he is a guy , whoops.

"You know, I saw her the other night, She almost ran me over, of course." Lucas said raising his brows with a small laugh.

"La maldita chica blanca tiene sus ganchos tan profundamente en ti, y ni siquiera lo sabes todavía." Carlo said laughing.[Damn white girl has her hooks so deep into you , and you don't even know it yet.]

"I have no idea what your saying bro." Lucas said , however he know it was something teasing by the sly smile and cheeky laugh.

"Cause I don't want you to know what im sayin' " Carlo said smirking.

...

"Sup Mrs. K , hi Ma , nugget." Carlo said to Karen , Lucas's mom , his mom , and his sister.

Lucas turned the sign to closed saying his hello's.

"Hey hon, Carlo." said Karen with a hum , as Luisa cleaned up the tables with the help of Sirena.

"Alright Karen we'll be on our way." said Luisa as Carlo came back into the main area after speaking to Hayley , nodding his head towards Lucas , saying his goodbye's as Sirena jumped on his back, then they where on their way.

...

"Luke is on fire tonight,How do you say "hot" in French?" mouth asked.

"Flambé." Jimmy said.

" Luke is flambé, Fergie finds Luke, who takes out Junk again." Mouth said into the recorder.

" They never learn." said Carlo, as he noticed two familiar figures watching them , he snuck away , sneaking over behind the two, by their ears.

"Boo!" Carlo said in a deep demon like voice , he swears Whitey and Keith clutched their pearls.

" Now what the hell is wrong with you boy!, are you trying to give me a heart attack." Whitey exclaimed as Keith laughed.

"Pretty sure you already had one in your pant's , pe yew , hediondo." Said Carlo holding his nose.

"Man Keith your over hear looking like a creeper , gotta get back." Carlo said running back , did he cause the two men to facepalm because he tripped , yes , yes he did.

"That's Marcelo's boy ain't it?" Whitey questioned.

"Yeah he is , but I know what your thinking , and I gotta tell you Whitey don't even bother, that boy won't play basket ball unless its for fun." Keith stated as Whitey nodded.

"Yeah Yeah , we'll see." Whitey said to him.

...

"Scott." Whitey said as they were in their classroom the next day.

" What's up, coach?" Nathan asked.

" Not you, You, and Del'gado to as a matter of a fact." Whitey said, pointing to Lucas, oh drama , wait him too , crap .

" You, read a book or something." he continued as he pointed at Nathan as they made their way to the gym.

...

"Nice, isn't it? A lot of people like their gyms loud, I like mine like this -- quiet, clean... Kind of like a church,A lot of praying done here, anyway, You two played ball in grade school,Why'd ya'll quit?" asked whitey.

"I didn't." said Lucas.

"My dad loved it , I hate him , so I'm going off his script and writing my own, can I go now cause I have a feeling that I know what your gonna ask and im not -." Carlo said cutting himself off by yawning.

"Get the hell out of my gym." Whitey said shaking his head.

"Absolutely." Carlo said rushing out the door , falling , with a yell of 'Im okay' sounding the area.

"How the hell do you deal with him?" Whitey Questioned.

"He's my bestfriend , that's how." Lucas said Shaking his head with a smirk.

...

"RIRI YOU HAVE A PAMKAGE!" Sirena yelled as Carlo went into the living room.

"Package not pamkage Nugget." Carlo said shaking his head at his sisters mispronunciation.

"I'm not a nugget silly!" Sirena laughed as their mother, Old man Nero,Spook,Cookie, and matches walked in a sat down on the couches laughing.

"¿Qué es ese niño?"asked Nero , his step grandfather.[What's that kid]

"Sirena me lo acaba de dar, no había nadie en la puerta, ni idea de lo que había dentro." Carlo replied shrugging.[Sirena just gave it to me , no one was at the door, no idea what's inside.]

Carlo tore open the package making a terrified face when he opened it.

" Mom it's terrible , look ." Carlo said holding up a Ravens jersey.

"Whitey can't take no for an answer Ma ." he continued.

Although one thing he noticed was that instead of Del'gado it said Galindo , nice try, can't change his mind that easily.

The gang and his mother spent the rest of the day laughing and asking Carlo questions about the jersey , Carlo didn't really have any answers , just that he would never play on a basketball team for sport instead of fun ever again.

Him and Sirena than had their own little karaoke night before he went off to meet up with Lucas and Hayley.

...

"So, Nathan challenged you,Are you gonna play him?, and you , heard a little birdie say you have a jersey with your name on it. " Hayley James said to them , elbowing Carlo.

"I don't know, It's not like I have anything to prove." Lucas said.

"Whitey can't take no for an answer." Carlo shrugged.

"But don't you just want to show him sometimes -- oh, damn! ,What is up?! I was attacked by a flock of crows last week! I'm totally serious!" Hayley replied before jumping as a flock of birds flew past them.

"By the way, it's a murder." Lucas said as the other two looked at him in confusion.

"What?" Hayley questioned.

"More than one crow is a murder" Lucas said with a raised brow.

"Okay you lost us, what the hell are you talking about?" Carlo questioned.

"A parliament of owls, an exultation of larks, a murder of crows." Lucas stated.

" I think that is why people think you're weird, right there." Hayley said as Carlo agreed until his phone rang.

"Sí mamá, no, no hay problema, iré a buscarla y la cuidaré hasta que llegues a casa, sí mamá, está bien, te amo." Carlo said on the phone before hanging up.

"Yo I gotta go pick up Sirena from daycare , threw up , has a fervor, you get it , call me if the game of happens!" Carlo said before sprinting off.

...

"Can you sing me the lullaby song?" Sirena asked as she coughed , she was laying down with a wet rag across her for head as Carlo sat in the small rocking chair in her room , plushies and galaxy themed.

"Yeah I can." Carlo nodded , grabbing his guitar , knowing she was gonna ask regardless.

"Bajo el suave resplandor plateado de la luna, Cantaré una canción de cuna para ahuyentar tus miedos, cállate ahora hermanita, cierra los ojos, hasta que veas la luz de las estrellas bailando en los cielos, recuerda que siempre estoy a tu lado, mi amor no se desvanecerá en esta tierna canción de cuna,el mundo puede girar y pueden surgir problemas, pero dentro de estos muros, tu sano y salvo, como canto de castillos mágicos en los cielos, donde tu sueño vuela, oh calla ahora hermanita, cierra los ojos, hasta que veas la luz de las estrellas bailando en los cielos,recuerda que siempre estoy a tu lado, mi amor no se desvanecerá en esta tierna canción de cuna, así que descansa ahora hermanita, en el resplandor de la luna, protegido por más de lo que las palabras podrían evocar." Carlo sang until he heard Sirena's soft snores.

[Beneath the moon's soft silver glow , I'll sing a lullaby to chase away your fears , hush now little sister , close your eyes , until you see the starlight dancing in the skies , remember that I'm always by your side , my love won't fade in this tender lullaby ,the world may spin and troubles may arise , but within these walls , your safe and sound , as I sing of magic castles in the skies , where your dream take flight , oh hush now little sister , close your eyes , until you see the starlight dancing in the skies , remember that I'm always by your side , my love won't fade in this tender lullaby , so rest now little sister , in the moonlight's glow , protected by more than word's could ever evoke.]

"Beautiful , but if you don't wanna miss the battle of the Scott's." Luisa said with a raised brow and a smile .

"Bye ma , Te quiero." whispered Carlo.

"Te amo también, hijo." Luisa whispered back , her children are her world , and if anything were to happen to them , may god save them all.

...

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to an historic night of basketball. I'm Mouth McFadden, along with my gamey partner, Jimmy Edwards, and Carlo Del'gado , and boys , we're in for a treat tonight." said mouth.

"And who doesn't love a treat, Mouth? I know I do -- s'mores, ice cream, cake." Said Jimmy.

"Better yet , all three together ." Carlo said as the three laughed.

...

"Just moments before the stroke of 12:00, and still no Nathan Scott." said mouth as Carlo looked around.

"The natives are getting restless, Mouth, judging by the crowd that envelops our booth." Said Jimmy.

"You don't have a booth." Junk said scaring Carlo , who gave him a glare , just came out of nowhere.

"Junk Moretti joins us now. Junk, you care to make a prediction?" asked mouth.

" I predict you guys will be the two biggest morons out here." he replied.

"And I predict that Junk is gonna have my fist in his mouth if he doesn't stop talking right in my ear , damn! " Carlo said as he pushed Junk's head away from his ear.

...

Nathan finally arrived , let the games begin.

"okay, folks, here we go -- 15 by ones. Make it, take it, win by one, and you can feel the intensity in the air." stated mouth , as Carlo cheered for lucas.

[Lucas shoots a basket.]

" Oh-ho! A 25-footer rips the silk like Jimmy Edwards in a size 3 dress." Mouth said as Carlo tried to imagine that.

...

[Nathan passes the ball to Lucas.]

[Lucas shoots again; cheers and applause was all that could be heard.]

[Nathan steals the ball.]

[Nathan scores.]

...

The game goes on with both boys making great shots , then Nathan elbows Lucas in the face, making a shot, what an asshole.

" No foul. Basket counts. Besides... You won't score again." said Lucas .

"Get him Luke!" Exclaimed Carlo.

"Oh, the basket counts, and it's 14-12, game point for Nathan. He could win it all right here. Nathan for the win ,Holy crap!" Said mouth as they all watched in shock as Lucas makes an unbelievable block.

"Did you see that?! Someday men will write stories about that block,Children will be named after it, Argentinean women will weep for it." Mouth stated as Lucas scores .

"Ok mouth we get it , and that last line is so random." stated Carlo as he then got up to cheer.

"Luke gets a basket, and he's down one." Mouth said as Carlo watched intently.

[Lucas makes another basket.]

" Another dagger, and it's all tied up! I think I'm gonna puke. This is it, folks -- no going back now. The next basket wins it." mouth said as Carlo noticed that Nathan was taunting Lucas.

"He's never mentioned you, man-- Not once in all these years." Said Nathan in a taunting voice.

"This is for my mom." Lucas said as he took the shot , and won .

Carlo got up and cheered for his bestfriend as they surrounded him .

"Luke for the win! It's good! It's good! Lucas Scott takes it 15-14, and there is bedlam and delirium and felicity for all!" Screamed mouth.

"I'll be seeing ya." Carlo heard Lucas say as he jumped on his back.

"Naughty , Naughty lucas , goin' after someone else's girl." Carlo smirked , as Lucas laughed.

"Yeah whatever man , now let's get something to eat !" Lucas exclaimed , as the two boys laughed and cheered.

And that folks , is only the beginning of Carlo's small tale , I'll see you soon guys and gals , non-binary pals.

[deepspacedukat]

Borrowed OC Masterlist

Master Post | ENT Masterlist | SNW Masterlist | TOS Masterlist | TNG Masterlist | DS9 Masterlist | VOY Masterlist | Non-ST Masterlist | Main OC Masterlist | Kinktober 2022 Masterlist | SoC 2023 Masterlist |

18+ ONLY BEYOND THIS POINT

Below you will find links to all my art and fics regarding OCs that friends have very graciously allowed me to write about/draw. I will also link the fics that those OCs originally appeared in so that you can read about their origins and see how they were intended to be portrayed by their awesome creators!

Fic Masterlist Key:

💛 = SFW, ❤️ = NSFW (18+ ONLY), 👀 = WIP/Coming Soon

~*~

✨S'Talon✨

**Created by @bigblissandlove1 and originally debuted in her fic "The Raptor's Descent" on AO3**

Art:

The Riov In Blue

Fics:

~ Before the Sun Rises ❤️:

Summary: For a millennium, S'Talon has roamed the galaxy, gorging himself on the pleasures of mortals. Now, in his new Romulan body, he's about to find something he never anticipated. - Dark!Tales Halloween series 2023 Week 4

~ Bliss After Bliss ❤️:

Summary: S’Talon shows his latest lover his prowess…repeatedly. - SoC 2023 Day 8

~ Conference ❤️:

Summary: A Section Thirty-One agent attends a briefing with her Tal Shiar partner, Riov S'Talon.

~ Incentive ❤️:

Summary: S'Talon is recognized while undercover.

~ Long Distance ❤️:

Summary: S'Talon misses his lover, so he sends her a message to reassure her that she's on his mind.

~ Pampered ❤️:

Summary: S'Talon allows his lover to take control.

~ Predictably Divine ❤️:

Summary: Riov S’Talon spots someone who piques his interest while sketching in Quark’s.

Part 1 ✨ Part 2 ✨ - COMPLETE

~ Recenter 💛:

Summary: S'Talon tries to relax after a hard mission but finds it difficult.

~ Safe Haven ❤️:

Summary: S'Talon is sent to a safehouse after a mission, but it’s not quite what he expects.

Part 1 ✨ Part 2 ✨ Part 3 ✨ - COMPLETE

~*~

✨Vaebn✨

**Created by @bigblissandlove1 and originally debuted in her fic "Trapped" on AO3**

~ The Truth About Rain ❤️:

Summary: Vaebn and his lover spend a rainy day together.

~ Trust Your Nurse 💛:

Summary: Vaebn takes care of his partner when she falls ill.

[yaretsblog]

Si tuviéramos suficiente mundo y tiempo,

Esta timidez, señor, no es ningún crimen.

Nos sentábamos y pensábamos en qué dirección

Para caminar y pasar nuestro largo día de amor.

Tú, al lado mi dulce amor y

¿Deberías estar conmigo ahora mismo a mí lado ya cariño? yo no puedo esperar ningun momento más mi vida

mi compañero de toda mi vida por favor ya llega . me gustaría estar contigo y

Te he amado por muchos años estar a mi lado ya

Y deberías estar ya mi amor , por favor, no debes de negarte.

tenemos que tener una conversación ya mi amor

Mi amor mi eterno amor y debería crecer.

Más nuestro amor cariño que los imperios sean más grandes nuestro amor y

Cien años puede crecer nuestro amor y deberían ser elogios.

Tus ojos y tu frente miran;

Doscientas para adorar cada pecho,

Pero treinta mil para el resto;

Una edad al menos para cada parte,

Y la última edad debería mostrar tu corazón.

Porque señor, usted merece este estado,

Tampoco me encantaría a un precio más bajo.

Pero a mi espalda siempre escucho

tú voz y tú corazón alado del tiempo se acerca rápidamente;

Y allá todo ante nosotros yacen

Desiertos de vasta eternidad.

Tu belleza nunca más se encontrará;

Ni en tu bóveda de mármol sonará

Mi canción que resuena; entonces nuestro amor cariño y voy a intentar amarte más y más largamente conservada,

Y tu pintoresco honor se convierta en polvo,

Y todo el amor que tengo por ti nuestro amor quiero estar contigo ya quiero estar a tu lado mi dulce amor para ser lo más hermoso es un lugar hermoso y privado,

Pero creo que ninguno se abraza.

Ahora pues, mientras el tono tú piel

Se posa sobre tu piel como el rocío de la mañana,

Y mientras tu alma dispuesta transpira

En cada poro con fuegos instantáneos,

Ahora divirtámonos mientras podamos,

Y ahora, como rapaces amorosas,

Más bien a la vez nuestro tiempo devora

Que languidecer en su lento poder.

Hagamos rodar todas nuestras fuerzas y todas

Nuestra dulzura en una sola persona eres tú

Y desgarrar nuestros placeres con duras luchas

A través de las puertas de hierro de la vida:💖

@hamdan-fazza @yaretsblog

If we had enough world and time,

This timidity, sir, is no crime.

We sat and thought which direction

To walk and spend our long day of love.

You, at my side my sweet love and

Should you be with me right now by my side now honey? I can't wait any longer in my life

My lifelong companion, please, is here. I would like to be with you and

I have loved you for many years, be by my side now

And you should be there now my love, please, you should not refuse.

We have to have a conversation now my love

My love my eternal love and it should grow.

More our love, darling, may the empires be greater, our love and

One hundred years our love can grow and it should be praise.

Your eyes and your forehead look;

Two hundred to worship each breast,

But thirty thousand for the rest;

At least one age for each part,

And the last age should show your heart.

Because sir, you deserve this status,

I wouldn't love it at a lower price either.

But behind my back I always listen

your voice and your winged heart of time is quickly approaching;

And there all before us lie

Deserts of vast eternity.

Your beauty will never be found again;

Not even in your marble vault will it sound

My song that resonates; then our love darling and I will try to love you more and longer preserved,

And your picturesque honor will turn to dust,

And all the love I have for you, our love, I want to be with you, I want to be by your side, my sweet love, to be the most beautiful, it is a beautiful and private place,

But I don't think any of them hug each other.

Now, while your skin tone

It settles on your skin like the morning dew,

And while your willing soul transpires

In every pore with instant fires,

Now let's have fun while we can,

And now, like amorous birds of prey,

Rather at the same time our time devours

Than languish in its slow power.

Let us roll all our strength and all

Our sweetness in one person is you

And tear our pleasures with hard struggles

Through the iron gates of life:💖