#way too much time on flying companies to figure out the flights

[somethingsomethingwords]

Hello guys (gnc). Do any of you remember, or even care anymore, about these three bad boys? Yeah, this is the sequel. They are not really needed for you to understand this, but they do give context. As always, thanks to everyone who reads. Enjoy 💜

Ok, so maybe the distance thing wasn't as smart as initially thought.

It did give Lance the time to think clearly and the space to breathe. It also gave insomnia and the feeling of lack of warmth.

So, desperate times call for desperate measures. After that hellish race, 14 hours of travel and barely 36 of being in Canada, he was being driven to the airport, the sun already set and the lights on.

He was fidgeting with his phone, unlocking and relocking it, thinking about sending a quick message to the object of his thoughts.

Fernando had told him to let him know when he landed in Spain, but his thoughts were telling him it would have been a bother to the older man.

Logically, he knew he was going to Spain for the sole purpose of being with Nando, that Nando himself had invited him, but his brain stilled his hands.

So he took the time of the ride to calm himself.

A phone call wasn't exactly in his mind. Nando would have heard his distressed voice and the last thing Lance needed was to appear more pathetic than what he was already feeling.

So, after having passed the security line, he arrived at his gate. He still had half an hour before the flight, so he sat down, anonymous clothes and baseball cap firmly on his head, and started typing.

"hi, sorry if this is last minute, but I'm leaving Montreal, I'll be in Madrid in 12 hours"

Ok, that didn't sound horrible, nor too forward. Just informational enough. Good, safe.

Knowing Fernando, who was never apart for long from his phone, Lance expected him to answer in a few minutes.

When he stopped to think, he realised it was currently 2 in the morning in Spain.

Fuck, he'd already fucked up. He didn't want to wake up Fernando for something silly as his flight, but the thought of Fernando waking in the morning and finding his message and being exasperated, maybe even annoyed by it was just as bad.

He was spiralling so much that didn't notice both the ping from his phone and the last call for his flight. In fact he almost missed it, but was lucky enough to see the hostess almost closing it, and ran towards her, shoving his phone in the back pocket of his jeans.

She took pity of his sorry state, and made him board anyway.

Lance was so stressed by the situation that he only really settled when the plane was already flying.

Only then he took his phone out of his pocket and saw the message notification.

This is a nightmare he thought, as he read the message Fernando had sent him not even five minutes after his own.

"u 📗 the ✈️ for Asturias?"

The emoji were hilarious and helped calm him down.

Fernando could be silly, but most importantly, he understood Lance. He understood him better than Esteban, than his sister and sometimes even better than himself. He knew how hard words could be for him, how a mix of shyness and anxiety could hold him back.

He knew, and still accepted it. Still accepted him.

Despite the altitude and the locked doors, it seemed like a kaleidoscope of butterflies had taken residence inside Lance's stomach.

With a smile on his face, a little bit redder than before, he let himself doze off at the thoughts of bright days and warm arms.

-

Lance used his stopover in Paris to buy some sweets and wine for Nando. His mother had taught him well, and he was already invading Fernando's house, he wasn't going to show up empty-handed.

After finding and sitting at his gate, he quickly unlocked his phone.

On the screen appeared a new notification for a message sent 6 hours prior.

"Lancito? U ok?"

He giggled at his nickname, and quickly responded.

"yeah,sorry,just completely fell asleep on the plane, I'm in Paris, one hour and I'll leave"

Not even 5 seconds later, the phone started ringing. Did this man even have the time to read his text?

He settled in his seat, a smile spreading on his face while he brought the phone to his ear.

"Hola Nando. ¿Cómo estás?"

"Ahora mejor. Buenos días Lancito. How was the flight?"

"I slept the whole time. How is your morning going?"

"Well, stayed up too late. But woke up with your message, so is all good"

Lance could feel his cheeks growing redder and hotter.

Before he could even begin to find a reply, his flight was called.

"Ok, so I'm boarding right now, and I'll land in Madrid and then I'll take the plane for Asturias. I'll see you at the airport?" He asked, praying to see the other man as soon as possible.

"Of course, cariño. I'll see you there"

They said their goodbyes, both dying from the necessity to be near each other.

-

Fernando had always been impatient. With a personality like his, and a job where speed was the most important requirement, nobody could fault him if he didn't like to wait.

What the years had taught him, though, was that sometimes, there are some things that are worth waiting for.

Like that damned 33.

Like a long hot shower after a busy day spent in the mountains, surrounded by snow.

Like Lance.

He could admit to himself that, after the Qatar incident, he had been slowly losing his mind.

Lance had been so vulnerable and honest, it had pained him to leave as if nothing happened. But he understood and respected Lance and his choices.

And most importantly, he knew that even if they didn't see each other during the two weeks break, they would still find each other.

So he spent the first 36 hours being restless, then scolding himself for being so impatient, and then getting lost in his thoughts of soft brown hair and even softer brown eyes.

The cycle was getting to him. He found himself sleeping only a few hours the previous night, and even then he was easily woken up by the sound of the wind passing through the branches of the trees outside his window.

So it wasn't a surprise, when the light vibration of his phone on his night stand roused him.

After managing to not blind himself, he smiled when he saw the sweet update from Lance.

After sending one massage and not being responded to, he sent another one.

He was now fully awake, going back and forth between his bedroom and the kitchen.

When he started calculating how long the trip would be to the Madrid airport, and simply go and pick up Lance, he realised he was becoming insufferable even to himself.

So he forced his body to stop and inhale a deep breath.

There were a million reasons why Lance wasn't answering him. It didn't mean he was ignoring him (he was literally coming to his home to... hang out and stuff, question mark) or something bad happened (unknowable, but no news channel had reported any plane crush; he had checked multiple times, in at least 4 different languages).

Lance was probably sleeping. A bit early if his timezones calculations were right, but at least in this way he could avoid being jetlagged and too tired later on.

Smart boy he thought to himself, fond and proud in equal measure.

Reassured by these thoughts, he finally went back to his bed, and enjoyed the rather few but at least restful hours, before being woken up again by his phone.

When he read the message, he put together that Lance must have landed for his stopover and was now free.

So he didn't waste any time, and thanking his quick reflexes, he pressed the call button.

Lance's voice was like honey for his ears. He sounded well rested and impatient to see him, and Fernando couldn't help but feel the same.

He couldn't wait to have Lance in his arms again.

-

The two successive flights passed in a blur of nervousness and impatience.

When he finally landed to the Asturias airport, he could feel the vibrations running through his body.

He waited anxiously for his luggage on the baggage carousel and took it with shaky hands.

He really should calm himself, but he just couldn't.

The Spanish man was ecstatic to see him. Lance had to control the urge to run to him.

Then he stepped out of the doors, and the first face that he saw, already staring in his direction, was Fernando's.

Oh, was the only thought in his mind, now still and placid like the sea in a calm day at the beach.

He walked at a normal pace, but allowed himself to engulf the shorter man in a long and heartfelt hug.

With every second, he could feel his body relaxing more and more, the nerves leaving him with only the gentle flutter of wings in his stomach.

He disentangled his arms, and really looked at the man in front of him. He seemed to shine with the power of a thousand suns, his smile blinding and his eyes warm. Lance couldn't look away, taking long seconds to enjoy the view and the presence of the other.

They stayed quiet, until Lance's stomach grumbled, evidently empty apart from the butterflies.

As Lance blushed slightly, Fernando grinned but held out his hand.

"Come, lunch is ready. Let's go home" he said, smiling gently.

"Yeah, let's go home"

[radsoldier]

Runaway

Pairing: Jenna Ortega x fem!reader

Summary: you end up in a city you hate but maybe the company makes it worth the while.

Words: 1.3k

Warnings: none?

a/n: this is my first time writting for Jenna and english is not my first language so keep that in mind <3

It was 4am and you were stranded at the airport. your flight was delayed due to a raging storm and you decided to stay the night instead of booking a room. you were used to airports by now anyway.

Your job required you to travel a lot. You were a firefighter and you also worked as a volunteer with the IFRA (International Fire and Rescue Association) so yes, you spent a lot of time wandering around airports.

You were training some mexican units and the weather was horribly hot, so as soon as the job was finished you found yourself desperate to find a way back home. You knew there would be no direct flights from Mexico to Iceland in fucking November so you settled for a connecting flight via New York.

That's how you ended up slouched over a small table questioning every decision you ever made.

You knew the weather in Iceland, you weren't born there but it was the place you proudly called home. So you knew this storm could either be over in a few hours or block all the flights for at least a week. You didn't like that thought though.

You looked around and saw a large group of people walking towards some free seats near you so you made the smart decision of getting up and gathering your small suitcase and the book you were reading. You were not in the mood for chatting with strangers and you felt the need to move your legs anyway so you plugged your headphones in and started walking with no direction in mind. You found a much quieter and less crowded corner and you unconsciously sped up in hopes to get there before someone could spot the couple of empty chairs under some burnt lights. You were lost in your thoughts and inmersed in the music until someone bumped into your side, throwing you off balance and making you drop your book. You turned around to see a small figure crouching over and picking up your book.

"I'm sorry" it was a beautiful voice.

She looked at you and smiled and you just froze.

"Sylvia Plath, huh?" she smiled and your eyes became fixated in the small dimples on her cheeks.

You just nodded, somehow keeping a sense of calmness in your words when you spoke.

"Would say it's my toxic trait but I like to think it's more like my biggest flex."

She laughed and you found yourself unable to look away from her.

"I'm Jenna" she simply said, extending her hand.

"I know" you answered meeting her hand in a soft handshake. "I'm Y/N."

She just smiled, not breaking eye contact.

"It's a beautiful name" she said, disentangling your hands. "Now, Y/N, please tell me we can share that secluded corner for awhile?" she sounded a little desperate despite the playful tone and the lingering smile.

You motioned for her to go ahead and she took a couple steps forward before looking back at you.

"You coming?" her smile made you feel warm inside.

You followed her and sat in one of the chairs, ready to pull your phone out and go back to your playlist.

"There you go" Jenna said handing you the book. "Did you get here too soon too?"

You frowned at her shaking your head.

"My flight was delayed" you answered. "When's yours supposed to take off?"

"In a couple of hours" she said tiredly.

You couldn't help but laugh, earning a fierce glare from Jenna. "She looks cute" you thought.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry" you said, still laughing a little.

"No, you're not" she retorted with a smile. "So… Where are you flying, Y/N?" She asked curious.

"Iceland" you said with a happy sigh. " But seems like the weather doesn't like my plans."

"Sure" she snorted. "Iceland seems like an amazing destination, though. Business or pleasure?"

"Neither" you said "well, for pleasure I guess."

She looked at you with a weird look, like she was trying to decipher some kind of mystery.

You cleared your throat and tried to explain.

"I live there. Well, at least when I'm not working or on a mission. I usually go visit whenever I have a few days off."

"A mission?" she said, as if it was the only thing she heard.

"Yeah, well" you touched the back of your neck, unsure. "I'm a firefighter so sometimes we volunteer to go on training or rescue missions."

"Really?" she said, her eyes shinning with a strange glimmer in them.

You nodded, not knowing what to say.

"And you live in Iceland? Whoah" she gestured with her hands while mouting the word "mindblowing".

You had to laugh at that.

"Yeah, but I spend most of the year working on England or traveling, you know" you explained.

She nodded at that.

"Seems like your full of surprises, Y/N" she smiled at you.

You checked the time on your phone only to be met with a notification saying "CANCELLED FLIGHT 18-705".

"Fuck" you cursed under your breath. "They cancelled my flight."

Jenna looked at you serious but didn't say anything until she saw you getting up from the chair.

"Where are you going?" she asked scrunching her face.

"It's almost 6am, I'm getting you to your boarding gate and then I'm calling a friend to see if I can crash at her place" you explained with a smile.

Without saying anything she got up aswell and checked her phone for the info she needed then she started walking toward the gate without much thought.

Until some guy grabbed her arm and started screaming about how he got so lucky to run into THE Jenna Ortega. Her face was showing clear signs of discomfort and… pain? Was the guy hurting her? You inmediately stepped toward them and took his wrist in your hand and with just enough force you made him let go of her.

He wasn't happy, the looks he was giving you made it clear but he wouldn't try anything by the slight fear in his eyes.

"Maybe you should try asking first next time" you said coldly before leading Jenna away from him.

She was quiet and wouldn't look at you and you wondered if she was maybe angry because of what you did?

"I'm sorry, I was out of place but he seemed like a bit too much" you started, smiling tentatively. "I'm really so…"

"Don't be" she cut you off, still not looking at you. "He took me by surprise" she admitted. "Thank you" she continued lifting her face to look at you with some sense of… fondness?

She seemed genuinely grateful and you couldn't shake the feeling that accompained the thought of this kind of situation happening to her everyday.

"It was nothing" you said shrugging it off.

You continued walking toward her boarding gate in a comfortable silence.

"This is me" she said with a nervous smile.

"Be safe" you said. "Have a nice flight, Jenna."

You turned to leave but her voice made you stop.

"Wait" you turned again, now facing her. "Thank you, Y/N."

You smiled at her starting to walk backwards as people you assumed wanted to board the very same plane started filling the space and when you could no longer see her you turned fully determined to find the exit and then call Gio to ask for a ride and a couch to crash on.

Meanwhile, Jenna got seated on the plane when a thought came into her mind.

She forgot to ask for your phone number!!

[cloudraker]

heyo! I saw ur post and wanted to ask for tfp decepticons with a winged! S/o

preferably with megatron, soundwave or shockwave and knockout! Like how they would react and act around them, or like how they would use reader to their advantage? (Not in a bad way)

Reader has a long wingspan (18 ft) and is bigger than a normal human? Like smaller than Arcee but bigger than average.

Please tell me if that’s too much for you! And ty! <3 stay safe

Ofc!! And no worries, it's not too much at all :) Thank you sm for requesting <3

TFP Megatron, Soundwave, Shockwave, and Knock Out with a Winged S/o

Under the cut :)

Megatron

Honestly probably doesn't even notice you're any different at first until you start zipping around

I would say that of the four he's the one that cares the least

That isn't to say he doesn't care at all, far from it! He's got more than a handful of schemes, plots, ploys, etc ready to use when the need should arise

Depending on how you fly and such, he might take your movements into consideration when it comes to his own flight or when training troops. The information gets passed on to Starscream for the latter, but he's still aware of it

He doesn't expect you to be able to keep up with him when he's flying, but he will commend the effort

He does expect your wings to be in peak condition; they're one of your defining features and something that he see as putting you above the rest of your species

If you're at all self conscious about your wings, he scoffs and tells you to take pride in what sets you apart. It's not great advice, but it's something

Soundwave

Enjoys running his fingers through your feathers if you'll let him

Despite being in a relationship, he's still got a job to do. If you're up for it, he'll ask you to do recon or survey areas that need to be scouted in a more subtle way

He's not above using your humanity for the benefit of the Decepticons, but he wouldn't knowingly put you in harms way

Of the four, he's got the easiest time helping you groom your wings due to how thin his digits are

He draws comparisons between you and Laserbeak at times, though he does keep those thoughts to himself

Shockwave

Dude has got plans and ploys in place to test things and ideas

At times it might feel like you're more an experiment than a partner

He's always more than happy to run tests on how far you can fly and how fast, how much weight you can carry and for how long/far

He's also rather interested in your biology, pulling up diagrams of a typical human body and comparing it to yours, trying to figure out why you're different

It might be hard to notice, but he's more careful when it comes to tests. It's one of the few ways he has to show he does actually care about you, and doesn't want to see you hurt if it can be avoided

If there's something you want to train towards physically, you can count on him to come up with the most optimal training program possible

He finds it helpful to have you in the lab and having you zip around and collecting tools for him so he doesn't have to step away from his work

He understands the concept of keeping muscles strong, and makes sure you exercise enough if you're keeping him company in the lab

Knock Out

Dude makes sure you know how pretty your wings are

Makes sure you've got every product you'd ever need to keep them in top condition. Don't ask where he got them from tho

Schedules regular sessions where the two of you just preen and gossip

Also finds it super helpful that you can just fly up and reach the spots he can't and buff them out for him

Absolutely admires the strength you have in your wings. The idea that you have to actually flap them and have enough strength to get yourself off the ground is foreign to him as it's super different for Cybertronians

Not a fan of molting tbh. There's feathers everywhere and guh they're everywhere

Will still (reluctantly) help you deal with it tho

Knock Out makes sure you know he thinks that your wings make you much cooler than other people, and is not above making fun of the Autobots for having 'inferior' humans on their side

[unicyclehippo]

flew for the first time in a very long time, since well before covid started, & oh i missed it so much. first, how remarkable an invention a plane is, how clever, how world changing!! it can seem so normal but actually we are FLYING. i looked down on the clouds that look down on me. the sun rose & everything was brilliantly incandescently white. i stared out the window for the entirety of the admittedly too-short flight & cloud spotted—i saw lions & palaces of cloud & a fleet of dolphins breaking out of the waves. mostly it looked like quilting wadding. i love to fly. i love to people watch, i love to cloud watch, i love the clouds, i love the captains & the cabin crew. when i fly i feel like i will never run out of things to love about humans

a short list of things i loved about the two flights i took:

- special shoutout to the cabin crew, ground crew, they’re incredible. literally all the crew i interacted with had the biggest smiles & were so so friendly & helpful. if ur a crew member out there, i love you. huge shout out to the mid 50s (?) hostess on my first flight—short, super sharply put together in the “im a modern witch” kinda way—who had a quip for almost every comment directed her way. the only one i rmbr was when an elderly passenger called her love she replied “how’d you know my name is love? you must be a psychic!”

- all the passengers i saw were calm & unruffled at the least & sometimes very nice! all around me i could hear people meeting & passing with those small human courtesies repeated & repeated—pardon me, d’you mind if i duck past, hey do you need help with your bag, oh mind their head there, where are you headed, can you get by do you need some room, thank you, thank you, thank you, can i help you, can i help you, can i help you

- special shoutout to the passenger w the crying baby. he was such an upset baby & the only thing that calmed him was being walked up & down the aisle over & over. every time he came down the aisle, i saw heads turn toward him & people smiling their baby smiles—exaggerated, kind, often accompanied by a scrunch of the nose or a tiny wave. ‘he doesn’t sound happy poor thing,’ i heard a lot, or things like it, as his dad bounced him in his arms, & then, invariably, help was offered. ‘my mother swears by this trick‘ — ‘my husband does this to calm our kids” — ‘my wife always does this’. the flight was delayed by nearly fifty minutes. no one was allowed out of their seat as we idled on the tarmac except for this unhappy baby & his dad, walking up & down the aisle.

- special shoutout to my seat buddy, who had a wonderful bright yellow backpack with rainbow straps. i have a matching one & told her so. she said it was a whim, on account of the yellow & rainbow. i told her it’s a very durable bag & one of my favourites. there’s a softening that comes with a compliment, a small comment when we meet—it’s an invitation from then on to say whatever little something pops into our heads. are you listening to music? what book are you reading - oh it’s a library book! good on you mate! we gotta use them more. do you know how to get the headphones working—ooh i figured it out. mind if i use your charger, mines not working. hey the refreshments are headed this way did you want anything? are you headed home? my family is in the row in front & she smiles every time they twist uncomfortably to chat through the gaps in the seats. later, as we are waiting to disembark, she confesses she was on the flight before but it was cancelled . you mean i could’ve had more space, i teased. she laughed, apologises. i could have had far worse company…but not by much, i teased a little more, & she laughed harder. get home safe, we say to each other—i don’t know her name, she knows mine just because my mother whispered it through the seats (are you too hot back there? do you have enough leg room? i can’t move the seat but - oh your sister wants me to recline my seat onto you, im going to squish you!). get home safe, i hear echoed by ten more people to their seat buddies as i hurry off the plane. the last is from a smiling crew member (refer back to my first point. i love you crew members).

- a turbaned man held his baby up at the huge windows looking out to the planes. she clung to him for a minute then tried to dive out of his arms, her own spread wide like the wings of a plane, laughing.

- the women having dinner in the food court as we waited for our plane. i was facing away from them & somewhat half heartedly eavesdropping but every now & again they said something so familiar that it may as well have been my own sisters sitting behind me. ‘—don’t hate her but some of the things she says-‘ ‘i know, i know. can she even hear herself? it’s like. so self-centred.’ ‘and she THINKS she’s being the nice one or she wants us to think it? i don’t even KNOW anymore. like, either she’s so conceited she thinks we love everything she does or she knows she’s behaved badly & is enjoying, i don’t know, us not knowing what to say?’ ‘i KNOW. and, like, we have to be honest,’ ‘absolutely,’ ‘but at the same time it’s like. she should know.’ ‘she should KNOW.’ ‘but she doesn’t or she’s pretending not to and im so done.’ i don’t know who you ladies were, i never saw your faces, i wish you all the best with your friend.

- the Intensely Cheerful & Organised Mother who was my seat buddy on flight 1. you were corralling three teen daughters &, from the glimpses of your notebook i caught, were studying for a test on medicine or maybe nursing. i know you were all on your way to see taylor & you were Determined that it was going to be the perfect trip. i have never seen someone work so hard at getting their luggage to fit in the overhead compartments but you managed to find a space for all of it & i applaud you now

i know there’s more but im for bed. basically i love to fly & im so happy to have done it again

[have-you-seen-my-sanity]

FinnPoe headcanons (plus tiny bit nsfw)

A/N: Yes, I am a FinnPoe shipper (just like Oscar Isaac himself) and I had a little idea in mind. :>

You were friends with Finn before, and he was best friends with Poe. You all three became best friends and at some point... more than that...

At first Finn and Poe were a little shy with you, but they very quickly began to love and appreciate you.

While Finn was the more 'slow but safe' kind of guy, Poe was the hot-headed risk taker, which resulted in more than one close calls.

They loved flying around in the Millennium Falcon with you. Poe even brought BB-8 to give you company on long flights while he and Finn were in the cockpit.

Those two were happy to take you anywhere in the Galaxy. Wanna go check out Coruscant? Naboo? Kashyyyk? Tatooine?Heck they would even fly to The Maw if you just wanted to take a look.

Finn and Poe wouldn't be mad at you for getting souvenirs from other planets and stuffing them into the Falcon.

It's safe to say Finn and Poe will get attracted to you as the time passes, so I hope you don't mind them wanting to do more with you.

It all started with you hearing them talk in the cockpit of the Falcon, they thought you were sleeping. You heard them talking about you, how they like you, how much you mean to them. And the first one to drop something dirty was of course Poe. But hearing Finn talking dirty didn't made it any better...

While you knew what they thought about you, you shook off the dirty part. Until one night the heating system of the Falcon broke down and the boys had to repair it. You were freezing and they noticed. So both of them decided to share body warmth with you. :)

That night while you were literally squished between those two heating figures you decided to bite it and ask them about what you heard. You felt both of them heating up even more after they had realized you heard everything...

Of course one day your boys were getting a little needy and they asked what you would think about if they would try something with you.

You quickly learned Poe was the more kinky one of the two while Finn was the vanilla kind of type. Well, but that quickly changed...

Did you have a stressful day? Your boys will gladly be there to help you out. They were always ready for some fun if you were up to it. The boys would happily take turns on you or double team you straight away. <3

Their aftercare would include lots and lots of love, especially towards spots they were particularly rough with.

"Did we get a little rough with you, baby? Don't worry, we will take care of your body."

"Yeah, get prepared to be treated like a princess/prince!"

I hope you're okay with love bites and hickeys, because with those two you will get covered in them.

Sometimes Finn and Poe fight on who has the pleasure of going down on you...

Finn is a more submissive guy and Poe is the dominant one, so you have your fair share of those two sides. :)

Finn and Poe also like to spoil you - in and out of bed.

They also want you to be safe. If they were in a hostile system, they will tell you to stay close with BB-8. If pirates attack the Falcon, Finn will be by your side while Poe deals with the enemies. At the end they will make sure you're okay. <3

The more you spend time with making love, the more you notice the preferences Finn and Poe have.

Both of them love going down on you, sometimes they would even wake you up like that. Poe and Finn both like to sandwich you. But they prefer to have one part of you for themselves, for example: Finn likes to have his dick down your throat and Poe likes to ravage your hole.

Either way, all three get satisfied at the end.

Poe is also the more possessive one, but Finn liked the idea of possessing you too and now they both are. Especially in bed...

"You're taking us so well, honey. When we're done with you, you'll get cherished by us."

"Bet no one else can make you feel so good like us, yeah? But guess what, nobody else will get you because you're ours."

God forbid if you tease them...

At first they will tell you to stop. If you don't stop after that, they will warn you once. After that you're done if you didn't stop.

If you somehow tease them while you three are in public they will make out their mind to make you pay.

If you tease them while in the Falcon you're pinned down faster than you can say X-Wing.

They will take their time with you, making sure you're not off the hook that easy.

"That's what you wanted, hm? To tease me and Poe so we can teach you a lesson?"

"We're not done with you yet, honey, not by a long shot. And after this round? We will take turns on teaching you."

Being in a relationship with Finn and Poe won't get you bored. The boys are always up for an adventure. :D

Finn and Poe are also your protectors, you won't be alone with them. You're always with either Finn or Poe if you can't be with both, you're never alone. They can't bear the thought of you getting hurt. You're their precious darling. :)

[mitamicah]

Gig report: Käärijä at Böle Arena and Club 05.04.24

It has now been five days since my first Käärijä gig in Finland and my first stadium gig with him as well. In short it was an amazing experience and one of those concerts I probably will keep with me forever. However, there were both great and less great parts of the whole thing.

TLDR; I loved the shows especially because we were able to see Jere live out his Rammstein fanboy dreams and that we got Paidaton Riehuja during the spontaneous DJ booth set which made me cry. However, I was more than once annoyed about security and their lack of communication to the fans.

Disclaimer: this report is written from my point of view. Keep in mind that this is just the opinion of one kääryle and some of these experiences are very much subjective to my unique situation.

My trip to Helsinki was far from ideal. The flight I was meant to take on Friday May 3 2024 was cancelled and so I have to wander around in Copenhagen Airport for eight hours before flying to Stockholm then Helsinki and landing around dinner time instead of the originally plan 9.20 in the morning. For this reason I had to cancel the tattoo appointment I just made and mentally cancel my plans to explore the inner city of Helsinki. Luckily I wasn’t alone since another fan had been scheduled to take the same flight so we hung out together. Our luck didn’t improve however so we caught the Joker Out travelling curse in Helsinki when our bags were missing for half an hour to an hour. Because of this we were only arriving to Pasila station around 8-9 o’clock in the evening.

I blame me having been up very early (2 am), the annoyance of all we’ve gone through and my autism making me like clear cut rules that people actually following for my feelings about the next part. The thing is that we were a group of four going to Böle just to see the venue after eating some Korean/Japanese food to be met by a big group of campers outside the venue. This confused me since the venue had informed on more than one occasion that queuing before 8 am Saturday was prohibited. From what I gather from Elmi (ehaapasalo on ig) that talked to some of the campers the security personnel had given into the campers to be allowed to camp at the venue although NOT at the main entrance. Yet they (the venue) had not make an official statement about this making it so half or more of the fans would not have known about this chance of plans. I was way too tired and it was way too late for me mentally to change my plans so I went to my hotel where I slept horribly given I worried about the queue the entire night.

Next morning I woke up as I’d planned at 5.30 (would’ve been more than enough time had the queue started at 8 am) to be informed through IG group message that there were already 60+ numbers given in the unofficial queue. Already slightly sleep deprived I went to the queue a little past 7 am with a big, lurking cloud (figuratively) over my head. I got number 99.

At 8 am the second big change of plans where announced: Instead of starting giving out official numbers at 11 the security would now ask people to line up so the numbers could be given at 8 am. This change didn’t bother me as much as the previous one but it was still not a great feeling I was left with since this was not clearly communicated before now. We got our numbers (mine was 95) and pretty much 85-90% if not more went home to sleep and/or eat. That meant me that had looked forward to hang out and meet people in the queue felt I was getting even more punished for following the rules.

Because of this and my foolish hope of getting Käärijä to notice my sign asking for a tattoo, when a fan told me there were still tickets to the day show I ended up buying one for myself. (and so I ended up with yet another number being 38). More people slowly starting to arrive after that, and with the company the anxiety and sour taste in my mouth subsided slightly.

The dayshow would start at 3 pm, so we had been asked to be back at 1. The line however only started to form because we (the fans) got impatient at 1.30. Other than that the personnel did alright when double checking our numbers and I’d say getting inside seemed to go smooth and easy so cookie points for that at least.

The day event would be the first (and so far only) time I’ve gotten barricade (however I wouldn’t have it for long since I allowed two squeaks fourth of my height to stand in front of me – it was an all-ages show after all). I was standing next to @duekko a bit to the right of the stage yet still somewhat close to the middle and we had a lovely time waiting (and enjoying the concert) together I’d say.

The show itself was amazing- I loved seeing Jere fulfill all his Rammstein fanboy dreams with amazing outfits, outfit changes, pyro, smoke and silly gags. I especially enjoyed hearing People’s Champion (laughed my ass off seeing häärijä in the mushroom hat) live for the first time and the Tequila interlude and having the dancers around for Huhhahhei, Kot Kot (although in chicken costumes) and of course Cha Cha Cha was a treat.

The one thing that might have slightly made the experience less enjoyable for me was definitely my own fault. The barricade seemed miles away from the stage (to make space for pyro) and it was so dark that you could not see anything from the stage (I believe). That meant that no matter how much I tried it was definitely not going to work out with having Jere notice my sign. I did try both here and at the evening event yet I felt much more in the way and self conscious about it than I had hoped. So that slightly coloured my experience since I personally like to be as little aware of myself when I’m at a concert as possible. It also seemed that Jere were a bit nervous (understandably so) inbetween songs having to keep to a schedule yet as soon as the songs started he was back in performance mode and seemed to have a great time so that was lovely to see.

After the day show I got about an hour of queuing with people again which was lovely yet far from enough to speak to everybody I wanted to. A third little annoyance with the security arrived when we were lining up for the evening and then got the message to go inside 15 min before but just stay inside awkwardly in our queue until the doors opened for real. That truly was a strange experience and I have no idea what the security was thinking. Of course somebody in front started running as soon as we was allowed to move so to not getting stampeded everybody had to move. This whole chaos ended with me getting a way better spot than I’d imagined (third row a bit to the right yet still closer to the middle than in the day show). In some ways I think this spot was better than the day show at least in terms of the angle I was looking at the stage from.

The support band from the evening show was decent yet I am not sure they’d be added to my spotify playlist anytime soon. The evening show felt a lot like the day show just turned up to eleven with Erika joining for Rouska (as expected yet still very much appreciated) and songs like Rock Rock (the original version) and Menestynyt Yksilö being added to the setlist. Before Urheilujätkä (that was also being played at the day show) we held a little memorial for Hanna which made me teary eyed. We also got Cha Cha Cha twice this time which gave me big flash backs to the Europe tour which is only a good thing. (but yeah again my sign quest was a dud).

After the concert I was able to meet Aarni which was really cool (I went into big golden retriever puppy mode so by the off chance you are reading this Aarni, I am sorry for being so in your face x’D). I got a picture with him and gave him three stickers so he could give some to Jere and Häärijä (later in the evening I met him again and he confirmed that the boy had indeed gotten the stickers). My sidequest did cost me a setlist however but that is okay because Anniina (@formulalakana) got it instead which I am more than happy about (you may have seen it going around since it is the one with the Bojan picture at the bottom).

Joining the afterparty the first I did was finally buying that green hoodie I’d wanted since the Stockholm gig and then I went to buy water since I hadn’t really drunk anything since that morning. Sonny was the DJ of the evening and he played Käärijä songs – new, old, known and unknown – all evening. It was great hearing studio versions of People’s Champion and Ihan Sama yet also just hearing Morgan and Kovis being played on speakers at a club healed my soul.

I ended up joining the dancers just at the right time because 3-4 songs later Käärijä and crew joined the DJ booth to play a very spontaneous extra set for us. This was by far my favourite part of the evening because unlike the stadium shows the vibe was way more personal and intimate and heat of the moment. We bullied Jere into performing Kovis, we got the demo version of Cha Cha Cha, we got Ihan Sama and Punainen Marli. Heck, we even got to hear the new collab between him and Joost called Traffik! Everything seemed to go too well when suddenly a person behind me fainted and we immediately called for the show to stop. While it took a bit for the people on stage and security around to notice we were able to help the person (I really hope they are okay). I will give a few cookies to the security there as well – they seemed to react pretty quickly and professionally in this situation (they’d also actually been taking us seriously during the concert when asking for water unlike at Joker Out at Kulttuuritalo day 2 where we had to almost have people fainting before we were allowed water).

The DJ set ended in the most magical way because Jere decided to end with Paidaton Riehuja. Now I am a transmasculine person who like many transmasc kääryleet probably have a very strong connection to this song. Because of that I had been daydreaming about one day being lucky enough to be at a käärijä show where this song would play (preferably after my top surgery) so I could confidently and comfortably throw my shirt off and join Jere being shirtless and just feel the relief of not caring about my looks together with the wind on my chest. I had never imagined this would actually happen and definitely not here at Böle not even half a year into my hrt journey and pre op. Because of the rarity of the moment however I without thinking struggled my way through four layers of shirts to by the half way point of the song stand in only my sports bra howling with the little bit of the voice I had left. When the song was finished it hit me what I’d just done (for context: this is the first and only time I’ve willfully stripped down shirtless in public after coming out and the first time as long as I can remember I’ve been this unclothed and felt completely safe about it). I cried. And that is a first. I have never cried at a concert like that- always after the fact. So this is the one moment that make it so I think I will remember Böle forever. (I also cried at least two more times after exiting the dancefloor). Before exiting the danceflor however somebody next to me found a flower pin that they thought was mine (it wasn't) that I ended up taking with me home - so if anybody lost a flower that day (you can see it in the picture below) and what it back feel free to let me know :'D xD.

I stayed till the end of the evening chatting with new and old friends and dancing with strangers. I at one point saw Jesse yet was not fast enough to get over to meet him. I didn’t managed to meet everybody else yet heard about others having amazing moments with the guys which made me very happy for them (even if I myself also felt a bit sad that it hadn’t been me but you cannot get everything).

In the end I’d say Käärijä was a good first gig for the venue yet there are things they can definitely approve such as their ability to communicate and stick to what they have put out there as the official rules to make it the fairest for everybody involved.

As always I thank all of you for the amazing stickers, bracelets and other gifts I got this evening!!! (I got 23 bracelets which has definitely broken the last record which was held by Joker Out in Helsinki day 2). It was amazing meeting you all, taking pictures with you, getting excited with you, dancing and laughing with you and just overall sharing this amazing time together.

For the ones that are curious I did manage to get my tattoo appointment rescheduled for Sunday (that will probably be its own post) and because of that I also had time to add in a spontaneous tattoo to celebrate the milestone that is me being comfortable enough to take off my shirt first time in public. The rest of the trip in Helsinki was spend going on a Käärijä related solo tourist tour that you may-may not have seen me post about already.

Thank you for reading this gig report and I hope to see some of you again in July.  

[rearranging-deck-chairs]

still thinking about yaz travelling with 10 so heres what i have so far:

she runs into him in london coming out of an interview for unit or smth, a couple of months after potd. for him it's in the gap between waters of mars and end of time. hes So Messed Up and yaz is like oh i know this. this is familiar. this might not be my doctor but,,,,this is my doctor

hes like oh what year is this? i was aiming for- and shes like dont ask me i keep getting it mixed up too. and hes like thats a bit of a strange thing to say, do we know each other? you seem familiar. shes like yes we've met

she surmises he doesnt have company bc hes all high on ginger and not trying to hide it. then shes like youre not flying like this, can i take you anywhere bc this is a fucking tardis and a fucking doctor available to her and how many more times is she gonna get this opportunity? never? once, and she has to wait for it 40 more years? no way is she just gonna walk past and go home. shes gonna do what shes always done and buy herself a little more time

she lets herself into the tardis, too sure of herself for him to really do anything abt it, as she asks "where did you say you were going?" he closes the doors "eternity"

"eternity?" she looks at him "is that a euphemism"

"it's a planet. in the larger magellanic cloud. thought maybe i should check up. sorry but who are you, exactly?"

shes like yes. um. yasmin khan. im a friend. as she stares at the tardis in wonder like the first time she walked in. and the tardis lights up bc she doesnt care about linear time and she loves yaz. so yaz starts putting in coordinates. she has to search for some of the controls bc the console is different but it's not too bad

"well thats great to hear, yasmin khan. can never have enough of those"

"larger magellanic cloud" she says looking at the navigation on one of the screens. "dyou ever think it's maybe a bit weird to name things in space after colonists?"

"well depends whos doing the naming. we dont call it that"

"no? what do timelords call it"

"and seeing as it were human colonists who settled there, maybe the name fits"

"there goes my faith in humanity" and she pulls the takeoff lever

the flight is bumpy as ever and when muscle memory fails her three times in a row shes like oh my god WHERE is your conceptual geometer and instead of pointing it out to her he just walks over and adjusts it and the way he does it is so familiar she has to blink hard a couple times

they might or might not end up on eternity but they certainly run promptly into trouble. yaz is a bit mysterious to him, a bit suspicious maybe because she wont answer any question directly but shes able to anticipate him so well that teamwork is pretty much seamless and theyre both running away from something so their motives line up and their need for something fun and exciting and distracting to happen too and also hes lonely and despite the way she basically hijacked his tardis he likes yaz bc of course he does

they match up timelines while hiding from guards, whispering about 1969 and weeping angels and "oh THATS why i dont remember, two doctors in the same place same time" and he figures out yaz travelled with future him

yaz drops a "she" and hes like "she??" and shes like oh shit should i not have said that and hes like no it's fine. and then hes like "does it suit me?" and she does Not manage to blink the tears away at that one

"is it something i said?" and then the guards spot them and hes like "RUN"

the ease with which he takes her hand as they run is lovely and horrible at the same time. she lets herself be dragged along while she thinks about the way 13 shook them off almost any time any of them touched her

a week & 8 planets in and shes been held by him more than shes been held by 13

they become buddies in like the way that you can sometimes become buddies with the younger sibling of your best friend or something. hes probably too heartbroken and messed up to develop a real crush but it's still yaz right? you know the way 10 kisses claras hand in the day of the doctor? that vibe. and yaz, with the benefit of.........foresight? hindforesight? picks up that vibe here that she couldnt with 13. bc 10 is young and a fountain of emotion compared to 13

my yaz is pretty firmly a lesbian so even if she was gonna get over the like very recent heartbreak and younger sibling vibes then still nothing was gonna happen here but theyre also both not in a place where they could cope with another heartbreak like that so like,,,,,,they both know, and they both know that they both know, but they dont need anything more so it just kinda makes them better buddies. sometimes youre a little bit in love with your friend in a way you dont want to act on. just another thing to bond over

and for yaz it's maybe a little bit healing to get 10s adoration like that

at some point the fact of meeting in the wrong order also comes up of course. yaz is like it's a little bit complicated, i dont know what i can say and 10 is like meh follow your instincts, youve got good ones i can tell. and if theres really something you shouldnt say i'll stop you

yaz is like does that happen a lot, as a time traveller i mean, meeting people in the wrong order? and 10 is like [THINKING ABOUT RIVER] "from time to time"

i just think theres a lot of potential for fun with the two of them. both of them running from the inevitable. not wanting to lose who they are, wanting more time as this version of themselves

yaz will learn so much about the doctor that retroactively contextualises a lot of 13, which i think could help in getting a little bit of closure. and theres so much river echoes sort of going in both ways. yaz flying the tardis with 10 because she learnt with 13, river later flying with 11

i also think seeing the way 10 is about his principles compared to how 13 was would be interesting. she would see a lot of the ways the doctor has grown up. yaz got to see so much of 12 in 13s trauma but she never got to see how 12 learnt and grew to become the 13 she loved. i think it would be special to see 10. see how they used to be. and also slap him on the fingers sometimes when he needs it

i dont know how to end it yet because that will just be more tragedy. 10 still ends up in end of time. yaz still ends up home. but maybe they can help each other a little bit in the time inbetween, even if the end theyre running from still comes to them both

[zdbztumble]

Yet Another Kingdom Hearts Revisit, Part VII

I can't speak to what the Japanese version of Kingdom Hearts is like, but the English version has always done a brilliant job capturing Jack Skellington's voice. His dialogue reflects every facet of his character: elegant, theatrical, polite, delusional, and just a little pompous. Ooogie Boogie's always been on point too, speaking like the bullying but jazzy slob that he is. And this spot-on character writing is used in an original story! As far as adapting the flavor of a particular Disney movie in the writing - this Disney movie, at a time when the company still treated it like the ugly stepchild - Halloweentown is one of the best.

Visually, it's much less successful. I've never liked the look of Halloweentown in KH I, with its harsh reds and purples and copious amounts of ugly brown. On playing the game again, it might be my least favorite world aesthetically in the game, and the only reason it's not dead last for the entire series is because Port Royal in KH II looked even worse. Port Royal also doesn't have the saving grace that is Oogie's house, which I do think is well-designed. I wish it stuck around even after you defeat him, but I appreciate how that works out story-wise, and it's a fun area to climb and explore while it lasts. The gambling den is the highlight of the house, and the more fun and engaging stage of the fight with Oogie.

And you better believe that I fight him with Jack in my party. His movement and combat suit him just as well as his dialogue, and like Aladdin in KH I's Agrabah, Jack makes the Top 3 for my favorite party members in the series (Ariel's the other, for all the reasons I gave for appreciating Atlantica last time). Having Oogie fight you through gambling first, then a runaway possession by the powers of darkness, is a nice break from the more direct villains that precede him (Hades excepted).

Storywise, Halloweentown is the closest a non-Pooh world comes to being "filler." It's not - it's a world on the brink of destruction that needs saving just like the rest, and Oogie's in the League of Disney Villains - but none of the cutscenes build on the larger story or the lore the way every previous world does. It's the most self-contained adventure within the larger framework of "we must rescue Disney from darkness." I don't raise that as a complaint, though. It's rather nice to have a lighter world at this point in the game.

Neverland is much more embedded into the larger story, and it's an extremely well-written one. And yet I don't have too much to say about it; its virtues so far as driving Riku along the path to darkness, taking another step toward explaining what's up with Kairi, and giving Sora another step up in his hero's journey, are self-evident. And it's another world where the voice of a particular Disney character (Captain Hook in this case) is captured flawlessly. I don't think I fully appreciated how well he's handled before, but as far as lines and facial animation go, he may now be my favorite of the Disney villains used in this game.

Gameplay-wise, my biggest frustration with Neverland is that there's really one one combat area where you can really take off with flight. I'm sure the claustrophobia of the ship was by design, and I don't mind so much of the action taking place within the Jolly Roger, but it would be great to have a second open space where you can fly around unencumbered for regular combat.

Of course, you can fight Phantom in an open space, and I really love this boss. It was a nightmare fighting him the fist time I ever picked up this game, but as soon as you figure out his orb, it's easy (in principle, at least) to know what to do. It's not even that hard to beat him with a full party as long as you're willing to be generous with Stop magic. But he is still a challenge, and like with Kurt Zisa, I like that he demands a good mix of magic and physical attacks. I get why later games opted for more elaborate fights with main villains in lieu of these kinds of one-off Heartless fights, but I do miss them.

[jazzpostsrandomthings]

Journey Retold: The First Dungeons and Trials

<< Previous Entry

Sorry for cutting the last entry a bit short, I ran out of time and space and then got busy with the next exam. But I have time now so let's pick up from where we left off!

After Pi took flight, the scene transitioned to a different airship flying through the air and landing in a fortress on a... space rock of some kindAt first I was very confused and thought for a second that it was the same ship my character had boarded… But it still was a nice transition.

From the airship came four figures dressed in metal garb, looking quite alien to the rest of the people we've seen so far. They also looked very "Star Wars" in addition to their own theme music, which is probably why I thought we were on a completely different planet now.

And who is that guy, Gaius van Baelsar? He sounds quite fami--

OH YOU--

I didn't check his voice immediately after hearing it for the first time (I did do it near the end of ARR), I had my doubts about it since I am known for confusing voice actors a lot, but man, I did manage to hear the guy's voice right and he still sounds incredible after so many years since Rockman X7 came out. But if someone didn't know, he is also the Japanese voice of Solid Snake and Big Boss. I am just more familiar with his role as Red.

Anyways, we have an evil Empire trying to conquer Eorzea and who are quite ruthless to others. Most definitely they are our antagonists, at least for this expansion. Note taken.

After that scene, Pi finally arrives to one of the city-states Admiral Merlwyb had sent him to, the liveliest and the largest settlement of The Black Shroud -- Gridania. It's the least confusing city to traverse through by far which is a plus, but I wasn't too interested in it because it was looking like a normal fantasy forest village, but I still don't think it's bad, don't get me wrong, I just think Limsa and the next city we'll visit after that were more memorable.

Here we meet up with the Elder Seedseer, the local governor of sorts -- Kan-E-Senna, who I, for a moment, thought was a weird kind of Au Ra lady because of the horns, but it's actually a really rare subrace of hyurs that only lives here which I found interesting. She signed some documents after reminising about the days prior ot Calamity and what happened after (mostly latter) and Pi moved on to the other city-state on the list, the richest city of Thanalan -- Ul'dah.

Now, I really liked the whole look of Ul'dah. Its West Asian aesthetic and the way it's structured like a big palace with rich-looking buildings and bazaars around it was just so memorable and unique to me, and I absolutely loved looking around Ul'dah for the first time… even though it was the worst city for me so far in terms of actually exploring it because of the amount of layers it had. I was getting lost even more than I did in Limsa...... ;w;

We go talk to the guy here who isn't the ruler of the city-state but instead is the leader of the local Grand Company called "Immortal Flames" -- Raubahn Aldynn. He didn't talk to me much because everything has already been explained to Pi by Kan-E, so he quickly signed the papers and let me go.

OK, what did I do next, I genuenly don't remember, let me look at the fold--

Oh. I went to unlock a few dances instead of MSQ. That's hilarious.

But after that, I unlocked the first dungeon! I made sure to tell my friends about it because they wanted to take me through it so I wouldn't be afraid to do the next ones. I had to wait for one of them to come back from a raid they happened to be doing at the time though.

It was... fun! Although the fact that my friend was a level 90 tank who knew how to pull enemies quickly made me sweat because I was falling behind and doing shit damage due to my equipment being very low-level in comparison. But I was told to ask others to slow down in the next dungeons if I happened to have troubles catching up. However, I wasn't afraid anymore. I wasn't playing as Tank or Healer so I didn't need to take note of everything at the same time, I just needed to maximize my damage output and stay alive -- simple enough.

Next day, I did a few sidequests before proceeding to the next dungeon, this time in The Black Shroud... and I actually couldn't find the entrance to it for a while because I somehow missed the fact it was under the ground.

I also asked my friend how to do a character portrait (and by extension the Adventure Plate) and it took me nearly an hour to make, if not more, but this was the result:

The variation of this portrait is still on my Adventure Plate to this day actually. I think it just shows the character of Pi quite nicely (at least when he isn't out exploring the world).

After I came back from university (and I remember that because I actually wrote to my friend about finishing the portrait as I was going outside to catch a bus), I actually went to the second dungeon. And then to the third one. None of them gave me troubles fortunately.

At this point, according to the screenshots at least, I seemed to have drifted off into Arcanist questline for some reason. Either because I wanted to unlock Scholar and Summoner (and hitting a brick wall because of Sylth-management quest) or because its story was just more interesting than MSQ itself to me at the moment, or maybe even both. So yeah, I ended up picking the MSQ back only a few days after, on September 7th.

And also have a funny excerpt from a conversation we had in Discord before that point:

Me: Probably we won't be able to play together until Saturday, my University classes are held until 8PM for four days straight. The player of the self-proclaimed Emo Catboy: Das fine... miss 20 hours in THREE DAYS.

Me: You two are so fun to play with though... but do you have a problem with my progress?

The player of the self-proclaimed Emo Catboy: YOU ARE ALREADY LIKE A SIXTH OF THE WAY THROUGH THE FREE TRIAL. At the pace you are going, you'll outrun me when we hit StormBlood. Me: :D Skill issue.

(You are allowed to give me shit for this, Emo Catboy :) )

But I did have a problem of playing too much Final Fantasy XIV in a span of three days at that time, I won't deny that. I too had (and still have) a bit of a skill issue in this regard if you can say so.

OK, let's continue. So, some thugs attacked a defenseless woman because they thought she was stealing food, my little baby defeated them, and then Y'shtola showed up again and told Pi that it must be fate that they have been bumping into each other so often and that he does actually have a gift that her good friend also has. This gift is called "Echo" and it's the reason why we can look into other people's memories, along with a few other powers we will learn of later. The miqo'te woman also invited us to visit her organisation's headquarters in Waking Sands at the Vesper Bay. But before I actually visited the Scions of the Seventh Dawn (that's what the group was called), I made sure to unlock Glamour, which also allowed me to obtain a beret, which I dyed blue and proudly put on Pi's head. Now he could finally have his most recognizable design feature and stop wearing ugly wizard hats and mismatched robes. After that, his appearance remained largely unchanged until the start of the next expansion.

But let's go back to the story.

This is the receptionist at the Waking Sands. And I think I was more buffled with her unironically singing "Trololo" than her standing on a chair because she was too short to reach the table. But yeah, her name is Tataru. She lets my lalafell boy in after finding his name on the list and here we are finally introduced to the full cast of main protagonists.

(Sorry I actually never made a screenshot with them all in one frame...)

Their leader, a young woman by the name of Minfilia (voiced by Milla Maxwell of all people lmao) who also had Echo, told us that they have been working on protecting the peace on Eorzea after the Seventh Umbral Calamity (hence "Scions of the Seventh Dawn") and how they are searching for people that too have the gift of Echo because it helps with resisting the tempering of the primals, gods summoned by the beast tribes, which can brainwash people without such gift into serving them for the rest of their lives so there could be even more bloodshed. Minfilia politely asks if the lalafell boy of mine even wants to join the team, but of course he wants to save the world and be as cool as them so he answers with a nod. Now Pi too is a scion!

At this point, I had already formed a group of friends to get to the first trial as quickly as possible. And then something absolutely hilarious happened, which I unfortunately did not capture in a screenshot. So I was in a cutscene and all, and when I finished it, I saw a giant fucking level 50 lizard thing that my friends were fighting. I panicked, tried to run away while I heard one of my friends scream, and then this thing killed me in one hit, scoring me my first death in the game. Even though I was swearing and typing in caps in the part chat at that moment (couldn't use the mic), I was actually laughing my ass off. I don't think I could have had a moment like that in any single player game, or even if I was playing FFXIV alone because I think my friends accidentally got the monster too close to me, so it was another moment that made this game worth it for me.

But just a few cutscenes after that, Pi got taken into some cave with other people by the lizard beastfolk tribe, Amalj'aa, that wanted to summon their god -- Ifrit. This was the first trial, the first actual boss fight, and--

The player of the stern-looking Auri man: Jazz? Where are you? The player of the self-proclaimed Emo Catboy: ...Actually, yeah, where ARE you?

I opened the map, saw that the location was called "???" and that there was no way out of it, and then I was told that you can actually start duties through a menu -- no need to approach the entry points to dungeons or trials once you unlock them. That was a relief because I was afraid my party leader won't be able to register for this duty and I would have to do it with a bunch of randoms.

I am sorry, I didn't screenshot Ifrit either. But the cutscene that showed how summons happen, with the whole demon-ass flame monster emerging while this musical theme of approaching disaster played, it all was quite great! As for Ifrit himself, though... he didn't stay alive for long, all because of my friend's equipment again, I am pretty sure.

We stopped the primal, sending the lizard folk running, and, oh! Ifrit left a crystal behind! Great, now its ours and we are 2/6th of the way to... whatever would actually happen once we collect all 6 crystals.

Damn, I do write quite a lot here, don't I? And I didn't even mention all the things that happened along the way, I had to skip a few (such as Golden Saucer and Aesthetician guy) since the post was too big already and I was diverding attention from MSQ a bit too much. But I assure you, once we get over the middle part of ARR, my writing will end up being more focused on MSQ itself, just bear with me here :'D

[the-firebird69]

Okay so they grounded the Jets because they can't fly that's actually why and they did it before the smaller jets are harder to fly and the idiots things are going to break whether it's just a more affected by turbulence and have to avoid turbulence if they're having it they go up or down instead they don't that's what's wrong with them this is a simple problem that they should figure out on a daily basis and they grounded huge fleets of Jets before so we're taking over Alaska there and we're going to have problems but really we have to and there's no jets flying up there and they've been grounded for a long time but we are taking over other airlines to have these Jets and completely and we did get a couple calls who want to set up a presale meeting their businesses are going flat they can't figure out what to do and we will weather the storm is what we do and repair all the Jets when they're down and we need to do it now and he says it's a good idea here and say that later and I said that's a great idea and the Jets are just sitting there and it really doesn't move enough people so we're going to be getting taking over the airlines and with this evacuation we evacuate people we have two airlines calling us and they're distinctly similar

We own about five airlines and we own 60 to 70% of the shares and the others are beginning to sell and John riverlord already sold his out of those particular companies

-discover airlines Hera and Zeus predicted they won't last long and people couldn't stand it and then they said why and they said oh that makes sense the name is terrible and you can be associated with the space shuttle so they are coming to us for pre-purchase agreement and they want to sell the whole thing believe it or not they bought the company JetBlue no they bought their own Jets and they sucked at it it's not employees a lot of them are just people who wanted to try and do it for one reason or the other mostly it's usually cocaine trafficking and they usually bring it in and stuff now they have to be rerouted but it works usually and we have to watch out for that planes get contaminated and they're dangerous they explode so we found a ton of those plans with some contamination no they have to do it at all now they're grew their fleet they built up and they bought a lot of plains. Going to sit down today in the house of the deal and they're located in the United States the Caymans and parts of South America and they only have a couple flights in the Atlantic and a couple in the Pacific and really they're lines but they're not that many flights they have a lot of jets they bought a lot of jets brand new and most of them are 747 they work very well they go fast and they're built better than they used to be and soon we're going to build them our way and they won't crash much at all and have safety equipment for it. It's a large number of jets okay there number 29 I think on the list but just to get there do you have to have millions of jets and they're closing the doors after about a week of business it's so chaotic at the airports so many flights are canceled so often and they can't survive and of course we can we can bear it and just sit there and it's not very hard to open some of our businesses and we have a captive audience and he says that things you can carry and things you need and during travel that break and a lot of it's essential he's at it too A lot of it is scary essential and that's how they speak and they mean cell phones and also there's certain clothing you can't do without Pepto-Bismol believe it or not it's the top seller at the airport and yeah they replace it millions of times since people just buy a ton of it some people buy everything that they have out. And those kind of ideas are great and he's saying things strange things like shoes people don't have time ever to buy shoes. Rain jackets and umbrella and things to get by with in other words food that you can eat it's warm if you don't have a place to go and you can buy preserve sausage and cheese and people do buy a lot of that it's because I have to go walking around and we're aware of that but there's a lot of stuff that you could get at the airport and the airport has some of it but not like you say he says they probably don't have cell phone there at all they don't and then it's because of the planes that you can have a designated area for the concept and set their phones up he says yeah right in the store outside edge they set it up away from the terminals there's other things you need in an airport all you need toiletries in basics toiletries and tons of it and they only sell a little and that stuff is the number one seller and we have a lot of it and we can put our stuff there so we're directing people to do it now and yeah the idiot is still next door and we're trying to get him out and we are working right now and tons of people are we're going to publish this is huge but there's another company he's right

-JetBlue is coming to us today they're huge they are very big and they're like 25 on the list and like I said will they have to have millions of jets to get there and they're pretty small compared to American airlines maybe about 1/200s the size and that's pretty small and people have to remember that's not big enough to be the do the job no it's big enough to do the job but it's not big enough to be an issue okay that's the point s today. They have airports all over just like discover and they're not new and they have about the same number. But our son and daughter are correct we need to take over their terminals and they have some airports not many but that's a lot of work. And we're going to be between foreigners and Max and they're fighting but we do know what it's like we are beginning our approach to these two companies and the presale agreements will be signed this weekend and for everything except for Genesis which is not a definite. There's a couple other companies that came to us but we're going to post this is huge and we have a lot of maintenance to do a lot of the areas are shut down and the flights are shut down and we're going to do a lot of maintenance if it opens up we might swap the planes out sometimes it opens up for a day and people fly everybody out which will probably do and then we'll fly back with plains that need service and all over the world with every airliner. It saves a ton of time and effort and we don't have to have excuses we have our planes ready it started now

Thor Freya

Olympus

Zues Hera

[majdalenaska]

Country road take me home to the place I belong…

I am thinking about my last trip with Vendy, driving down the American roads, while listening to country music , headed to Mount. Rainier. It only stays in my memories now.

One year without flying and how do I feel about it?

Is this the end of an era , should I accept that, I am asking myself.

I’d like to look back and reflect on my very last flight and previous year 2020, that rolled out to be one of the strangest year so far.

Flicking through my pictures from Seattle, Rio and Austin is making me upset, I want to cry and feel sorry for myself. Why did it happen to me, to us, my amazing colleagues from Norwegian family?

A lot of stuff has been going on lately with my Norwegian family and the management. We found out an ugly truth about them and the way they treated us at the end when shit hit the fan. It’s very unfortunate the way things turned out. But I choose to not feel bitter about it and let it go.   

I pick up and treasure the memories that keep my heart warm and reminiscence on my travel stories with my colleagues and friends.  Who actually creates a great company? The employees and their dedication, hard work, diligence and sharing and caring for one another. …

It’s been almost a year since my last flight to NYC, it was somewhat uncanny, I remember everything about the whole trip. When deadheading back, sitting in the premium cabin, I could feel deep down in my gut that this is probably my very last flight. How awfully sad that sounds. I am thankful I got to enjoy my very last trip with a great bunch of people, being able to wander around Brooklyn and to jog in the morning with my fellow colleague from Paris base, who I literally only met at a breakfast buffet.

It’s been also a year since my sleep worsened. Is my body still recovering from 3 years of flying or is it an impact of the stress and anxiety due to Covid 19. I blame both…But it’s getting better, slowly but better. My body needs routine. Why the hell did you choose to work as a flight attendant.? In fact sometimes the most chaotic jobs could be the most rewarding ones at the same time. How to navigate a balance  in my life I am still trying to figure out. I feel like I am always after a thrill and excitement, which is not obviously sustainable in a long run. I am open to an adventure and discomfort which pushes me forward. Many people around me must thing I am a nutter when it comes to my life choices. „Now it’s time to settle down and have children“ I can hear from my grandma….

I have decided to abandon my second home called Beckenham and move back to my home country, but it wouldn’t be me if I choose to do it the easy way. I opted for Prague, not Brno, my home town. Let’s the new adventure begin…but before let’s have a look at what I have been up to for the last year.

During the world pandemic I managed to spent 2 months in Czech Republic, meeting friends from all over the country, baking cakes and bread and ended up with IBS as a result of a Czech diet for 2 months straight. Luckily it wasn’t an IBS as I first thought, it went away once I flew back to London. How bizarre the English diet would be the cure.

 I had been eyeing Workaway website for years. A website, which enables you to travel a little bit differently. To volunteer in an exchange of food and shelter but sometimes with an offering of a small pay even. I never had the guts to travel somewhere by myself. Something was always holding me back. Mind you, when I firstly moved to the UK, I literally forced myself to go. Sometimes it is better not to think things over too much and rather act quickly and just go for it. And in a hindsight it was the best decision I could have ever made.

Anyway it takes a lot of courage to leave your comfort zone, your familiar environment, friends and family, especially someone with a social anxiety like me. But sometimes there is this inner voice that pushes me when the time is right.

We are in the midst of the global pandemic and you decide to go volunteering to a foreign country? Yeh , why not, I figured. But my first volunteering adventure was on the safe side. Picking up a place near Canterbury, which is about two hours from Beckenham, where I live, was a great compromise. „Helping out on a fruit farm with animals“? Yes girl…sign me up.

So I packed my little black Norwegian suitcase, pretending I am about to leave for 2 days Las Vegas layover, but this time it’s going to be stress free train journey to Canterbury in south east England. Mark picks me up in his Land Rover and blatantly asks me if I came to his place to de-stress since I seemed a little apprehensive…I was taken aback by his question and hesitated with my answer but me being usually quite frank , I came clean. „Yes Mark, I am looking for an escape from the city and I think your farm will be ideal for that.“

I wasn’t mistaken, the loveliest English farm house in Kent, surrounded by beautiful fields and country roads, I could think of. I stayed in a sweet looking cottage next door with my fellow workawayers. The whole property with a massive garden and woodlands near by was utterly magical and wonderful. Perfect place for anyone who wants to escape the hustle and bustle of a big city. I was greeted by sweet Labrador dog called Brandy, Cockerspaniel Lola and the third Cocker, whose name I cannot remember since she would always run away to the neighbours's house. My sweet pregnant Brandy, who was due to have puppies in several weeks. We spent a lot of time together and I miss her greatly up to this day. And what was I actually doing at this farm? Mainly walking doggies, but also taking care of little ducklings, chicks and also helping out with Mark’s Airbnb, the tree house, which was so out of the ordinary. The little getaway spot was a lover’s dream. An a escape into a magical garden and woodland, campfire and swing next by. Often also accompanied by Jess, the cat, who guarded the place …

I met lovely girls from Brazil, Hungary and China. We shared so many a laughable moments together, I never forget Jin’s Chinese cooking and the recipe I was given by her. But the most memorable and wholesome experience was Brandy’s puppies being born upon my stay. I had never seen anything more adorable and pure. I wish I could have stayed longer but I knew I wanted to see other places when I had the chance and time on my hands due to the fact I was on furlough for the whole year.

I opened a Workaway website and I scrolled down to countries that I’d like to visit. For some reason I was tempted to go to Sweden. My first stay in Sweden happened, when I turned 12 year old , that time it was with my folk dance ensemble, performing at the local festival, but I couldn’t remember almost anything at all from that trip. There was also another reason why I was so keen on exploring Sweden but let’s just say love was concerned.

So Sweden it is, I am going in few weeks.  I did some research and found a Martin’s place, a typical Swedish summer house in Stockholm’s Archipelago, surrounded by a forest and a massive lake. Did I mention I am a lake enthusiast?

Martin was kind enough to pick me up from Arlanda’s airport and off we drove to Stockholm first, where he owned  a small flat in the city center.

Martin was a typical Nordic man, tall with blond hair, and definitely not a talker. Exactly how I imagined a proper Viking would be. I do have a soft spot for Scandinavian type though, I must admit.  I am strolling around the Vasastan neighborhood in Stockholm and I am impressed. The impeccable fashion sense of Swedish man, and women also. I think Czechs would benefit a quick visit to Sweden. Just an observation here.  Did I mention that the coffee was top notch? There is a coffee house on every corner, having it served it in a plastic free, recycled paper cups.

Martin is maybe not too eloquent but we are having a great time getting to know each other and chatting over some red wine and fresh local prawns. I am absolutely amazed by the freshness and quality of the local produce. It’s outrageously costly but the selection and quality of food is beyond this world.

Martin is taking me to his summer house in Archipelago in the countryside. The only way to get there is by ferry though, how cool is that. We are going to work on his renovating project, which his beloved father started many years ago, but unfortunately never finished it. Martin’s plan is to complete this house and hopefully to sell it one day. I am helping out with some wood work but politely decline when electric saw is involved. Thank you very much, I am not keen on loosing my finger the very first week being there. I opted for grass mowing with a tractor near by the lake and boat house. I drive the tractor 2 miles per hour, otherwise it won’t pick up the grass I was told. I am learning a new skill , how amazing, not sure about sharing it on my Resume though. This lake area, absolutely breathtaking views over the neighboring wooden cabins and small boats on the lake floating. The sun is glancing through the trees, making the lake looks like it’s glittering. How poetic, I sighed.. Considering it was September already, the weather was on point, warm and pleasant. I managed to lay down on the grass and catch some sunshine. How peaceful and quiet this place was. Couple of times I came down and performed my yoga session and also listened to some local Swedish music while soaking up the sun and fresh air. My favorite spot, being by myself, reflect and think about the future. I cannot forget my horsey friends near by, whom I talked to on several occasions and fed them with apples. Such majestic animals they were.  It felt like they knew, what I was talking to them about, sharing my secrets and struggles.

The first night at the summer house Martin prepared, as he said typical Swedish dinner, consisting of fresh crayfish, local cheese, bread, prawns, delicious spread and mayos. Dinner was accompanied by delicious wine and candles could not had been missed. I must had judged him wrong , Martin was the romantic type after all. But according to him candles are massive part of Swedish dining culture and there is nothing romantic about them. It was rather authentic experience then, especially when Martin poured a  typical Swedish fruit brandy and finished it off with some random Swedish song, well me being slightly tipsy, I couldn’t  let him down and joined in with a Czech folk song also.

This is what I meant by traveling via Workaway is about. Seeing and experiencing places from a local perspective, way different as opposed to the stereotypical sightseeing and playing a tourist. You can actually dive into the culture and observe it from local’s point. So next time you go places, think about, what you are actually wanting to experience and see. Maybe Couchsurfing and Workaway is the way, maybe not, but for me, the times of fancy hotels and swimming pools are over.

I stayed in Sweden for about a month and I had the best time I could have asked for.  I am really grateful to Martin that he accommodated me, took me on a  boat trip and showed me the spectacular houses on the island. I also met up with my friend from Norwegian Air, who was kind enough to take me on his private yacht and showed me Stockholm from a boat perspective. Have your ever ordered an Uber Eats on a boat? Yes, in Stockholm it was possible. I utterly fell in love with Stockholm and it’s surroundings. The nature, forests, Archipelago, the delicious local produce. ..Maybe it’s my luck but seeking discomfort and taking risks sometimes pay off. Sweden I’ll be back soon.

After my Swedish adventure I took a flight back to London. Struggled for few months to settle back in and decided to find a new job for the time being before I move back to Czech Republic. My current job is working as a Covid assistant in the NHS testing centre, 13 hours shift for 4 days in a row, in a bleak and rainy winter. After my first 4 days pattern it felt like I did four Buenos Aires flights in a row, and without the tasty steak and Malbec wine. But I am in the front lines now and I am proud of myself. At the beginning I was really scared to work at the „dangerous“ zone but now I am fine with it. I am happy I can contribute and help out and I am taking a bow in front of all the health and NHS workers who literally put their life at risk every single day. Well, no more glamorous life as a cabin crew, now it’s time to realize what my next step will be and when it’s the right time to leave this country. A country that was my second home for 7 years.

[i-am-too-sick]

Nov(emeto)ber 2022 Day 5: Away from home

@monthofsick

He'd done this enough times to pretty much have a system down. Little to no sleep from a night spent packing meant he could take one large sleeping pill to knock him out during the flight. He was left groggy upon landing, and his extended nap didn't always help combat the ensuing jet lag, but at least it saved him nearly 10 hours of bad company and even worse in-flight movies.

He closed his eyes again, trying to settle back into his seat. But something wasn't right. On top of the grogginess caused by the pill and waking too early, he also didn't really feel good.

Combating the pull of drowsiness, he tried to take inventory of his body. His skin felt clammy and sticky, and judging from the feel at the back of his shirt, he was starting to sweat through his clothes. That didn't quite compute with his sleep-addled mind because, now that he began to take notice, he actually felt a little cold.

His stomach chose that moment to make itself known, performing such an impressive somersault inside him that he let out a miserable groan. His gut was churning now, enough to make him nauseous.

He'd had a pretty big meal before boarding, knowing that a full belly would surely help him sleep better. He was starting to regret that decision now, figuring that something he'd eaten just wasn't agreeing with him.

It was only when his nausea came to a head that he realized he should probably spare the plane a spectacle.

He stood up quickly, a little unsteady as his head spun. "'Xcuse me," he muttered, forcing his way through two disgruntled passengers to make his way into the aisle.

He was already sitting near the back of the plane, so luckily he didn't have very far to go. But by the time he reached the lavatory door, his hand was already clamped against his mouth.

"Excuse me," he said again, this time to the flight attendant standing in front of the door.

She turned to face him and her expression morphed into one of sympathy. "Motion sickness or food poisoning?"

Alex shook his head. "I don't know yet," he replied, "but 'm gonna be sick."

She nodded, holding the door open for him. "I'll make sure no one bothers you."

Alex stumbled inside the tiny cubicle, leaning over the toilet to spit. Nausea swirled like the water in the bowl, his head spinning along with it, but nothing more came from it.

After what felt like hours and only a couple abortive heaves, Alex decided he wasn't going to throw up. He still felt horrible, but his stomach seemed intent on staying put for now.

Not wanting to hog the bathroom unnecessarily, he stepped out, almost losing his balance as the plane hit a spot of turbulence.

"Sir?"

"I'm okay," he intoned automatically, brushing past the flight attendant.

This time, he barely made it back to his seat. An announcement overhead said they were flying through a storm and that the flight was going to get a little bumpy.

Alex knew what that meant. Before he could sit down, he turned tail and headed back to the bathroom. He knew that "a little bumpy" was code for just the opposite, and he wanted to spare everyone the horrors of being near him when he started vomiting.

He was met with the same flight attendant about halfway down the aisle, though this time, she wasn't going to let him pass.

"I'm sorry, sir. All passengers need to report to their seats and fasten their seatbelts."

"I feel really sick," he moaned, hunching over as his stomach cramped. The remark drew the attention of several wary passengers, some leaning away from Alex in disgust.

"It's for everyone's safety." She leaned toward him, whispering. "There's a bag in the back of the seat in front of you."

Defeated, Alex had no choice but to go back to his seat. He didn't have the energy to argue, and the last thing he needed was to be bouncing around the inside of a plane, especially with his stomach the way it felt.

He made it back to his seat, offering up an apology to those he forced his way past earlier, and curled up in his seat.

He was absolutely freezing. He never remembered being on a flight this cold. He wrapped his arms around himself, listening to the same announcement coming over the loudspeaker.

"Sir?"

Alex looked up, staring across the row at the flight attendant. She reached out, handing him a blanket and a can of ginger ale.

He accepted the items, wondering deliriously if she was some kind of guardian angel.

"You need to put on your seatbelt now," she reminded gently. She handed him a packet of crackers and left to check on the rest of the airplane.

The first thing Alex did was bury himself beneath the blanket. The fabric was itchy and it chaffed his sensitive skin, but it was somewhat warm and he supposed that's all that mattered.

Next was the ginger ale. He was a little worried about that one, but maybe he just needed to put something (else) in his stomach. Planes did weird things to the human body after all.

He forced down about half the can before he just couldn't anymore. The drink made his stomach bloated, which only made him more uncomfortable. He burped, excusing himself.

"I'm sorry," he breathed, knowing the businessman next to him had to be disgusted. Alex knew he'd be if their positions were reversed.

All he received was a grunt in reply.

The forewarned turbulence started almost the moment Alex closed his eyes. Even with the sleeping pill still running through his system, he wasn't sure he'd been getting anymore rest until they'd landed.

Every bump and every jolt sent his stomach creeping further and further up into his throat. He swallowed down a rush of acid, coughing at the bitter taste.

He groaned, stomach cramping. Looking up, he saw the seatbelt sign was still on, but he really needed to get to the bathroom. The ginger ale bubbled and churned in his stomach, another burp burst from his lips.

Without an apology this time, he simply doubled forward, resting his head against the seat in front of him.

"Oh, I don't feel good..."

From out of the corner of his eye, Alex saw his neighbor stiffen. The man was probably just as eager to get off the plane now as Alex was.

His shoulders jolted with a nauseous hiccup that he muffled into his fist. It felt like the plane dipped slightly, Alex's stomach moving in the opposite direction. He groaned, knowing he had no other choice as he reached out for the sick bag in front of him.

The turbulence and his body's betrayal made his fingers clumsy and for several tremulous seconds, he struggled to get the bag open. His breathing was ragged as he fought through the nausea, the heat of fever burning him from the inside out.

Alex brought the long, tube-shaped bag up closer, saliva dripping down as he parted his lips over the opening.

A sudden jolt of turbulence finally had him heaving, a gush of sick spraying past his lips, splattering into the bag below.

A few startled gasps and noises of displeasure echoed through the seats around him, but Alex paid them no mind as he gagged again sharply, another rush of vomit cascading from his mouth.

He couldn't remember what he'd had to eat, or even when he'd consumed something last, but whatever it was, it tasted awful. Acid splashed the back of his throat and he coughed, trying to hold back his next heave.

"Sir, can I get you some water?"

Alex turned his head just slightly, though his vision swam anyway, and he bit back a groan. It was a flight attendant, a different one from before. They were saying something, their mouth moving as they frowned, but Alex couldn't hear over the roar in his ears.

His head felt like it was full of cotton, and he was shaking, though he didn't know if it was fever chills or exertion from vomiting. A cramp ripped through his abdomen, and Alex snapped his head back over the barf bag just in time to catch the next wave that erupted from him.

The seatbelt, draped across his lap, wasn't tight in the slightest, but it was an added pressure against his bloated stomach and made him all the more uncomfortable. His body was sticky and drenched with sweat, his head pounding now that dehydration was a real threat.

He was allowed a brief reprieve from vomiting, his breathing ragged as bitter-tasting saliva dripped and dangled from his chin. He didn't dare look out the window, worried the view would set off his stomach once again.

"Are you done yet?"

Alex didn't even have to look to recognize the voice of the uptight businessman beside him. While insensitive, Alex couldn't really blame the guy, not with his puking out his brains and their whole aisle smelling rancid.

"Sorry��" he started, belching up a stream of vomit before he could finish his thought. It was fine; he wasn't really sorry anyway.

Despite how much time he actually had left in the air, Alex knew the last leg of his flight was bound to be a long one.

[the-marshals-wife]

Having A Child With Tech Would Include

A/N: First fic of 2022! I’m back from my unplanned hiatus (with a new, functioning laptop) with another entry into The Dad Batch series! I super appreciate the love y’all gave the Wrecker one [the original post unfortunately got deleted, but I just reuploaded it], and I hope this pleases my fellow Tech girls! As before, there’s some story (mainly the number of children + the genders that I envisioned each having), but otherwise this is a reader | Y/N insert.

(I know clones are canonically sterile, just pretend with me that our favorite genetically modified squad is not)

Description: Tech x Fem!Reader | Rating: General audiences. No warnings: just indulgent, domestic fluff! | Gif credit: user sergeant-hunter

─ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─ 𝐌𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓 ─ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─

“Parenting is a science that can be understood and mastered like any other.”

That’s the stance Tech confidently took at first, anyway

It didn’t take long after for him to figure out that it wasn’t quite so precise

He was surprisingly calm when you told him that you were pregnant, even when you questioned him about it

“Well, why wouldn’t I be? There is no one else I would have as my partner and the mother of my child. I have no reason to worry.”

His words, methodic as they were, were all the assurance you needed

You knew he was overjoyed in his own, logical way

In the days following, he continually mentioned your pregnancy and his enthusiasm for fatherhood every chance he got; Hunter eventually had to order him to stop bringing it up while they were “on duty”

He is a Book Parent™

If there was a file, book, pamphlet, or database about pregnancy and child rearing, you can bet he had them all read and memorized before your second trimester even arrived

Tech has never been exceedingly verbose about his affection, but he more than proves the depths of his care for you with his actions

Although you were often sick during the early months of your pregnancy, you couldn’t have been in better hands

Tech is an excellent caretaker

There’s no ailment this man doesn’t have a fix for, and even if there were, he would have a cure invented in two shakes of a gundark’s tail

“You require additional rest and nutrition when you are with child. It is my duty and my honor to provide it to you, along with anything else you may desire.”

Whatever you wanted, he would either retrieve it or make it himself - the reclining chair he fashioned for your aching back was, in your opinion, his greatest invention ever

Often your greatest need was simply his company, which he gladly provided, reading to you many nights until you fell asleep with your head on his shoulder

Your child would never, ever want for knowledge

Tech ensured that your baby’s nursery was stocked with the galaxy’s greatest works on every subject imaginable

You were going to explain to him that it would be several years before they would be able to read any of it, and several more to understand even half of it, but you couldn’t bring yourself to do it after seeing how much pride it gave him to supply his child with the knowledge he treasures so much

He loved rubbing your pregnant belly and sharing with you the endless facts he’d learned about motherhood

“Infants establish a familiar bond with their mother in the womb simply through the sound of her voice,” he informed proudly

“Does it work for fathers too?” you asked with a smile

“The data is inconclusive. I am, however, willing to test that theory.”

When the time came to fly to the hospital, he was as level-headed as ever, and it was probably the smoothest flight you’d ever been on with him at the helm

His enduring calm soothed your nerves and helped you focus during labor

He never let go of your hand, reminding you of your breathing techniques and constantly reassuring you

You gave birth to a healthy baby boy, and in the moment that Tech first laid eyes on his son, he was struck speechless

Dad Mode Activated

Thanks to his extensive research, he knew instantly how to cradle an infant, bringing him to your side when the doctors were finished

“Hello, little one,” he smiled, tears in his eyes, “We are your parents, and we’re delighted to meet you. Officially.”

The excitement of that day never faded - if there was a code for parenting, Tech was determined to crack it

He is a master at changing - you didn’t know it was possible to switch a diaper that fast, but Dank Ferrik, were you grateful he could

When your son is fussy, Tech loves to sing lullabies to him, especially ones in other languages

His favorite is a traditional Mandalorian song that your little one loves so much, every time he sings it, it puts your baby to sleep without fail

Tech was eager to introduce his adorable offspring to his brothers and Omega

Matching Father + Son goggles

It only took a few months to realize that your son inherited his father’s challenged eyesight, but Tech was more than happy to make a special pair of goggles for his little face

He continued to craft new ones as your baby grew, always thinking of ways to improve them

Omega finds their matching eyewear endlessly amusing (as do you)

“It’s like they’re twins!”

There’s nothing he can’t fix

He has every broken toy repaired before the tears can even dry

He also often find ways to “improve” certain playthings to make your little one that much happier - the Bantha and Reek toys he modified to have “authentic vocal patterns” are your son’s absolute favorite

You did have to draw the line at your tinkerer’s idea for a model starfighter with functioning, to-scale boosters

Everything is a learning moment

Although you couldn’t be more grateful for his dedication to all things dad, sometimes you have gently remind Tech that some concepts, like the ecological impact of modified hyperspeed engines, don’t need to be explained to a three-year-old

Luckily, your son also inherited his father’s inquisitive nature

As limitless as the questions of a toddler are, Tech’s thoughtful answers seem to be just as infinite; it warms your heart to see how closely Tech listens to your little one’s half-babbled inquiries

Fieldtrips

Tech saw to it that his son would grow up with an appreciation for all cultures- it seemed like your kid had been to every museum, library, and gallery Coruscant had to offer by age five

After encouraging your beau to also include playgrounds, zoos, and a few sugary snacks on the itinerary, he soon achieved a healthy balance of educational incursions and “necessary adolescent antics”

Wrecker is a huge help with fun times as well, more than happy to take his favorite nephew and “Aunt Omega” out for a flight around the city to get sweet treats

Although between the two of you, Tech was more inclined to be the disciplinarian, the occasion rarely calls for it - logical discussions are usually sufficient for your already well-mannered child, as opposed methods like time outs and groundings which Tech insists are “unpredictable and unpleasant for both child and parent”

You weren’t so sure at first, but the results were undeniable as your boy grew up almost always choosing reason over impulse, getting top marks in all his classes at academy and never once needing discipline

Tech never misses an opportunity to boast about this, incredibly proud of his son in all his pursuits

The family that hacks together, stays together

As soon as your son was old enough, Tech began teaching him everything he knew about technology, communications, engineering, and most importantly, how to hack it all

Mini-Me

While your boy definitely takes after you in temperament, and is a bit more inclined to hands-on solutions over data and calculation, he is the spitting image of his daddy, goggles and all

When they stand beside each other (especially since your son hit a growth spurt), you often have to do a double take

Flying lessons

Tech was thrilled when your son showed an interest in learning how to fly, and perhaps to the detriment of pilots and their ships everywhere, he turned out to be a natural

Just like his father, he’s a risk-taker in the pilot’s seat, occasionally pulling maneuvers that even Tech admits are “decidedly dubious”

After that first time, you never forgot again to fly with an empty stomach

Your boys are your entire world, and there is no one you would rather run the risks of life with than your brainy beloved and your precocious progeny

[ragnarlothcat]

I’m trying to do writing warm-ups now, so here’s a tiny bit from that flight attendant Anakin/traveller Obi-Wan thing from a few weeks ago! I’m not sure how I feel about it, but I’m liking warm-ups!

Obi-Wan sips at his dismal tea and frowns at his laptop. When he first started this job business class felt like a ridiculous extravagance. But now that he’s expected to work on these flights he sees the value. If he’s annoyed now, he can only imagine how much worse it would be if some stranger was elbowing him in the ribs the whole time.

And speaking of annoyed—

“I know, sir, I’m sorry.”

Obi-Wan perks up at that low, harried apology, and cranes his head to search for the source.

It’s the same flight attendant as his last flight, the tall, pretty boy with the messy hair. He’s just as handsome as he was three days earlier, and his hair has gotten worse. Obi-Wan aches to spend a few minutes tugging those golden-brown curls apart until they frame his handsome face.

But the boy (Anakin, his mind supplies) is looking distinctly unhappy. He has a basket in his arms filled with colorful little cellophane packets, and a frustrated scowl on his pink, plush lips.

“Don’t you have any peanuts?” comes a voice, imperious and haughty as Anakin tries handing him a packet.

Anakin bites his lip and exhales heavily. “Not for legal reasons, no. Too many allergies.”

The man harrumphs. “I think half those things are made up. Gluten allergies, milk allergies: in my day people ate what they were given and liked it.”

Obi-Wan rolls his eyes. The concept of irony is apparently lost on this man.

Anakin huffs. “I think people just died, sir.”

“You’re young, you don’t understand. This is just to trick us into buying more of their fancy, free-range, organic crap for three times the money.”

“You caught us. It’s a massive conspiracy that goes all the way to the top. Figuratively and literally,” Anakin says, gesturing out the window.

“I’m just saying the airline—”

“I know, I know, we’re in the pocket of Big Cashew. Do you want the cookie or not?”

Obi-Wan laughs, and Anakin meets his eyes over the top of the seats with a hesitant smile.

Obi-Wan watches his progress down the aisle until Anakin comes to a stop at Obi-Wan’s seat, basket still in hand. “Sorry about that,” Anakin offers, not looking remotely sorry.

Obi-Wan doesn’t mind. That man was annoying, and Anakin is unfairly handsome. He can get away with a lot. “No need. I don’t think airlines have been serving peanuts for at least a decade. He’s a bit out of touch.”

Anakin gestures irritably. “Don’t get me started. I’m just surprised he didn’t try to slap my ass and call me toots.”

Humiliatingly Obi-Wan’s eyes drop to Anakin’s hips for a moment then skitter back up. “Small mercies.”

“I remember you from the flight out,” Anakin says, his very blue gaze roaming across Obi-Wan’s face. “Short trip?”

Anakin remembers him, how sweet. “Business, I’m afraid. I fly out once a month to work with our partners on the west coast.”

“Oh yeah? This is my usual flight now, so I suppose we’ll be seeing a lot of each other.” Anakin bites his lip and shifts his weight between his feet. “I’m sorry, I know you told me your name—”

“Obi-Wan.” He doesn’t blame Anakin for not knowing his name. There are so many passengers and only a few flight attendants. “And you’re Anakin, right?”

Anakin nods, his curls bouncing with the movement. “At your service. Speaking of which.” Anakin brandishes a packet. “Cookie?”

Obi-Wan takes the crinkly offering with a smile “Thank you.” He examines the packet for a moment, turning it over and feeling the traces of heat from Anakin’s hand. “What if someone has a fatal cookie allergy?”

“Oh we let those people die,” Anakin says with a grin. “Get them out of the gene pool.”

Obi-Wan smiles too, something fluttering in his stomach at the sight of Anakin’s happiness. “It’s so rare to find an airline willing to come out so confidently in favor of eugenics.”

“It was important to me that I find a company with principles, you know?”

“I once thought the same, but I’m a lawyer.” Obi-Wan shrugs lightly and picks up his little Styrofoam cup. “I had to settle for an employer that isn’t actively committing war crimes.”

Anakin laughs, throwing his head back and exposing the length of his throat above his little ascot, and Obi-Wan chokes on his weak tea.

“I like you,” Anakin says, mirth still playing across his pretty features, and Obi-Wan’s heart stutters pathetically at the admission. “You can have two cookies.”

“Now this is why I spring for business class,” Obi-Wan says, accepting his bounty. “You really ought to include this in the brochure.”

Anakin snorts. “Fat chance. If anyone asks, I’m telling them you stole that one and then I’m throwing you out the emergency exit.”

“Without a trial?”

“No need. They call it the law of the land for a reason, you know.”

Obi-Wan is a mile in the air and he still thinks he can hear the sound of all of his law professors rolling in their graves at once, even the ones that are still alive.

But Anakin looks so pleased with himself after his ridiculous little joke that Obi-Wan can’t help but laugh. “I’ll be sure to keep that in mind, before I accept any more incriminating snacks.”

Anakin opens his mouth and Obi-Wan waits eagerly for what he’ll say next. He hasn’t had this much fun on a flight…ever, not even that time he and Quinlan got bumped up to first class and drank all the wine in the wine cart. There’s just something about this surly young man that gets Obi-Wan’s blood pumping.

But then Anakin snaps his mouth shut, his lips settling into a pout. “I should get going,” Anakin says, staring down the aisle.

Obi-Wan peers around his seat to see the flight attendant with the colorful braids glaring at Anakin furiously. “Ah. I won’t keep you.”

“Enjoy your spoils,” Anakin says, and scratches at the back of his head bashfully, messing his curls up even further. “And, uh, thanks.”

Obi-Wan doesn’t bother to ask what for, given the caliber of conversation Anakin’s gotten from the rest of the passengers. “Thank you,” he says, smiling warmly. “I do have just one more question though, before you leave.”

“Oh?”

Obi-Wan lowers his voice conspiratorially. “Just how big is this cashew?”

Anakin leans in close and Obi-Wan catches a whiff of his shampoo, something fresh and woodsy in the otherwise stale air of the cabin. “Oh Obi-Wan,” he whispers. “It’s enormous.”

[lunarsands]

ALSMP Fanfic: Then We’ll Rewrite The Stars Ch 1

Characters: actual!angel!Sausage, floran!Scott, plus one more for the road…, a couple of cameos and also featuring special guest: PearlescentMoon

Relationships: MythicalSausage/Scott Smajor

Tags: Canon Divergent, fictional religion, scosage, playing with ideas on floran characteristics, fluff then angst then fluff again

Warnings: Injury, Blood, Spiderwebs, Depression, Character Death, Angst

(Sequel to Echoing Through To You, When The Skies Cry, Until The Blood Moon Descends)

Summary: Reborn as an angel once again, Sausage is finally able to keep the peace for good, and a few things are learned as the year passes into the next. But the catch about higher ranking angels is that there are certain places they are meant to be, and someone is trying to remind Sausage of where his place now is…

(Also available on Ao3!)

[ A/N: Shout out to Cynthrey as usual for brainstorming parts of this, as well as a thank you to Cadmusfly for a single question that inspired an important addition I wouldn’t have thought of otherwise | Also credit to Cynthrey for additional details to Scott’s floran design ]

---

Chapter One

The two extra pairs of wings were a bit of a problem at first. They were great for maneuverability in the air but the rest of the time they just sort of… got in the way, until Sausage figured out how best to fold them all in while walking around. He had to switch half the furniture to backless stools, and doorways were an issue for a while as well, even though they hadn’t been much of one when he had only one pair.

It probably took far too long for him to realize that his middle pair of wings were actually larger than his old ones.

Sleeping was a chore, because if he didn’t lay on his stomach then one wing or another got pinned somewhere and he wouldn’t be able to move far until he sorted out which one was where. During a few occasional afternoon naps he would simply resort to being a heap of wings, which Scott would rest against, treating the mass of feathers like a cushiony pillow.

Yet more and more often Sausage was finding that he didn’t need much sleep at all. He began to return to old angelic habits of going out at night and smiting the undead, although there were plenty of times when he stayed home and merely watched over Scott as he slept, since florans were naturally less active at night.

Scott, meanwhile, would be awake on the dot at daybreak, ready to start drinking in as much sunlight as possible and spending almost all of his free time out in the gardens or in what ended up becoming one of two greenhouses.  Every plant he encountered would flourish, every seed started would sprout, and even the occasional weed that took root in the flower beds would seemingly relocate itself out of the garden boundary by the next day. When he talked to the plants they all seemed to understand, and he felt very much like they were keeping him company if Sausage wasn’t around; he had a literal connection to the flowers that bloomed in his hair and the soft, downy moss that had grown along dappled spots on his hands, forearms, feet, and lower legs.

Sometimes the two of them seemed a bit of an odd pair, with the angel in pristine robes and gleaming, gold-trimmed armor worn over them at times, the floran in dirt-caked overalls with the pantlegs rolled up and a short-sleeved shirt similarly dirtied from endless field work.

When he was out in the gardens puttering around, Sausage would fly overhead, casting shadows with each pass, either casually patrolling or simply reveling in being able to fly again. Every so often he would swoop down, calling out, “Hey! Hi! Hi! Hello!” in a cheerful tone then zip upward again, laughing. Seeing him have fun for a change brought equal delight to Scott, and it was joy they could also share when Sausage would carry him in his arms for an early morning flight to view the sunrise from above.

Either because of Scott’s abilities or the nature of some flora itself, random plants would sometimes just show up in the gardens. A rather unique one in particular appeared in the then-singular greenhouse in the ground level flower beds where Scott could swear he hadn’t planted anything yet. It had strange coiled leaves and one large flower that resembled a tiger lily with exceptionally soft petals that were variegated purple and pale orange. It had a mild scent, but none of those attributes helped identify it in any horticulture books.

He tended it like all the other plants, yet within days it had grown to take over half the aisle, sprouting more leaves and spreading. He wasn’t sure what was happening but he worried about the other plants being crowded out. Finally he asked Sausage to help him build another greenhouse just in case.

During a break from carefully digging surrounding plants out of what had been intended as their permanent beds, the seraph leaned on a shovel and studied the odd flower that kept growing bigger along with all the leaves. “What are you feeding this thing? Do you have some floran super power I don’t know about?”

“Nothing special,” Scott said with a shrug, setting a mini rose bush into a pot for transport. “Maybe it’s just one that does really well with extra love and care.”

“There’s doing well and then there’s this. I hope it doesn’t outgrow this bed. That’s going to be a lot of stuff we have to move.”

“There isn’t much I can do to stop it, to be honest, except ask it again to not spread anymore?  That, uh, hasn’t worked yet, as you can tell.”

“All right, well…we’ll move anything else we have to, then. We asked for gardens, now our cup runneth over.” Sausage offered him a little kiss to show he didn’t really mind the extra work.

He ended up eating his words later when the unusual plant’s leaves finally uncurled into a form of megaflora that filled the entire greenhouse with giant vines and massive new leaves, climbing up the walls and turning the place into some sort of localized jungle. It still only ever had the one flower, and they ended up calling it lilium praegandis just to be obvious. At least it seemed content to have the greenhouse to itself and didn’t spread beyond it. Scott would talk to it as he would any of the others when stopping in to water it or tidy up old leaves. Maybe it had just wanted somewhere to grow as it pleased, and a caring floran’s home coupled with the protection of a valiant seraph was the best place.

.

When the inevitable Blood Moon arrived once again, Sausage bid Scott to stay inside while he went out, eyes aglow. A twisting cyclone of holy fire came down to scour the mountaintop, and then the surrounding area, eliminating every last threat without harming the rest of the land. After that neither of them had any worry about the night or of times when the sky stayed crimson after sundown. The sheer amount of safety provided by the angel’s powers brought on what felt like a revolutionary concept: being able to live without fear of death disrupting everything.

Weeks of peace turned into a few months of quiet homemaking and garden tending, with generally the only change being the flowers in Scott’s hair switching out from things like azalea blossoms and daisies to roses and chrysanthemums, with the occasional green tendril that hung down like a stray lock of hair. These Sausage would tuck behind the floran’s ear as an affectionate gesture, but otherwise he was always careful not to touch the flowers, not wanting to hurt Scott; he had seen him wince one time when the floran had picked a bloom from his hair himself, and wasn’t sure just how painful that might have been.

After a time, small sunflowers began to appear in his hair again, and then one day some yellow maple and oak leaves grew in between the blossoms. Whether coincidence or not, Scott suddenly began sleeping in rather than being awake by dawn.  Soon he was remaining asleep a little later nearly every day, making Sausage become a little concerned.

Then came the day when the seraph returned from a smiting mission well after the sun had risen due to an especially stubborn infestation of zombies that had been attacking a village. Only partially to his surprise, Scott was still sound asleep in bed. “Hello, sleepy beauty,” he greeted after waking him with a soft kiss. “Has taking care of all those plants finally worn you out?”

Scott mumbled something unintelligible, the kiss not really enough to make him fully awaken.  Folding in his top and lower pairs of wings then tucking his middle pair over them, Sausage climbed into bed beside him to cuddle and kiss him some more; Scott nestled against him and even dozed off again, unbothered by the fact that his own habits were changing.

Sausage let him stay like that, lightly running a hand over his hair while avoiding anything more than brushing past a few flower petals. As it started to grow later into the morning, however, he moved so he could get off the bed then gathered Scott into his arms to carry him out the door. “Come on, my dear sleepy flower, time for you to get some vitamin sun.”

The floran only vaguely stirred and continued to rest against him as they went outside and into the largest of the gardens, where Sausage set him down in a big patch of sunlight. It was a few minutes before Scott stirred again and blinked up at him.

Sausage smiled softly. “Maybe you are getting worn out. I know you love them, but you spend so much time on the plants that maybe you’re not taking enough time for yourself? Especially the lilium greenhouse,” he added with a chuckle. “It has gotten darker in there with the way that thing is covering up the walls. I think it’s doing just fine, but you still need regular amounts of sunlight, my love.” He leaned over to kiss him again. “Maybe I’ll add a sunroom to the house and we can use that for naps and eating so you can make the most of the daylight.”

“Tha…soun’s good,” Scott mumbled. “Maybe I’ll… take a break from greenhouses… just sunbathe in the gardens more…”

The seraph nodded in approval. “Fresh air is good for you, too. They don’t need you there testing soil and water levels every day, you know.”

“But who else is gonna talk to ‘em?”

“They’ll be fine,” Sausage assured him with another chuckle, drawing him close for another little cuddle. Scott dozed off once again, but had a peaceful smile on his face as the sun warmed him, ever watched over by the angel who loved him.

~*~

He slept in again the next morning, and again halfway to noontime Sausage carried him outside to sit in the garden. He left long enough to get them both food, and then kept an eye on him when he wandered around checking on the flowers. That evening, instead of patrolling, Sausage built the sunroom as promised. He put a few small plants inside it for decoration but none that would require too much effort to maintain.

When daybreak rolled around he ended up carrying Scott from the bedroom to the sunroom and insisted that he stay there all day. He took care of any chores himself, including doing checks in the gardens and greenhouses just to make sure the floran would stay put. By the following day Scott had perked up more, although now there seemed to be more leaves than flowers in his hair, and before the week was out he wore a crown of just mixed red, orange, and yellow leaves.

Sausage still marveled at it, because he looked just as beautiful with it as the flowers, then something finally clicked.  The climate where they lived was mild year round and the changes of the seasons weren’t well-defined – plus they had always had other concerns on their minds than to pay much attention to the temperature – but now it was obvious: Autumn had arrived.

“You’re a bit like a seasonal timekeeper,” he commented as they collected the dishes from breakfast, admiring how the colors caught the light when Scott turned his head to smile at him. Sausage then gave an earnest look. “That might be why you’ve been so tired, actually. Shorter days, less sunlight. So you… might become even more sleepy when winter starts.” A troubled expression then came to his face.

Scott put down the cup he had been about to move to the tray. “What’s that look for? I doubt I’ll dry up like the leaves when the season ends. There are plants that do fine during the winter, you know.”

“Do florans need to hibernate in winter? It’s just, because you’re so sleepy, instead of going on as normal like fall flowers do.”

“We’ll just have to find out, I guess.” Scott tried to give him an encouraging smile as he took the last dish from his hand, placing it on the tray to bring it to the kitchen. “All in all, that wouldn’t be the worst thing we’ve ever faced, and I can’t really fight the nature of what I am now. At least we won’t have to worry about snow so much here, and I trust you to look after things while I nap.”

Now his smile became a bit cheeky, since they both knew that the seraph was more than capable of handling any issues that arose.

.

After that, Scott took to sleeping in the sunroom every night, Sausage leaving him alone there to avoid his wings blocking even the slightest of rays when dawn arrived, but would always check on him to make sure he didn’t sleep too much. Then, one morning, the colorful leaves in the floran’s hair had fallen off and were replaced by a small crown of ivy with snowdrop blossoms peeking through here and there.

Sausage gave a small, bittersweet smile when he saw. “End of the season, then. So… we’ll see what winter brings.”

Scott was ever so sleepy, but kept right on smiling whenever the angel checked on him. Soon he remained ensconced in the sunroom nearly all the time, only being active for an hour or two before once again dozing off. Sausage tried not to worry, and made sure he ate at least a little food and had fresh water at hand. He did attempt to not constantly look in on him – he wasn’t going to go anywhere, after all, and the rest of their home still needed to be taken care of.

Yet when the shortest day of the year came around and Scott didn’t wake up at all, Sausage stayed right by his side the entire time, holding his hand but comforted by the floran’s deep, steady breathing, knowing he was still peacefully sleeping with nary a dream to bother him. That night was, of course, especially long, but not needing any sleep himself, Sausage remained at his vigil.

Finally, during the following morning, Scott woke up again. He looked over to see Sausage there and he smiled softly. “Good morning, angel. Have I been out long?”

Sausage chuckled, grateful to see those spring-green eyes open again. “Over a whole day, you silly sleepyhead. I was beginning to miss you.”

Scott looked over to where the seraph still held his hand, and gave a reassuring squeeze of his own. “Well, you know I’m never going anyplace without you. Even if it’s for the entire rest of the winter, I’ll just be right here.”

“I should hope so. You wouldn’t make it halfway to the river without falling asleep again. Then I would just bring you right back here and tuck you under the covers, and wait for you to wake up again.”

Scott yawned and slipped his hand free so he could stretch his arms and his back a little. “That does sound like too much work. I think I’ll settle for a trip to the kitchen. And the gardens, if that’s okay.”

“Anywhere you want,” Sausage replied with a grin, standing then offering his arm for the floran to lean on while his limbs remembered how to move, just happy that he had the energy to want to go out. “…But you’re going to eat something before anything else.”

After a small meal they took a walk around to the gardens and greenhouses so Scott could apologize to his beloved plants for having been away. Sausage had to pick him up, however, when he started dozing off while leaning on one of the lilium’s giant vines, and whether by Scott’s doing or the plant itself, a smaller vine moved to try to hold the floran up before he completely fell over.

“That’s enough of making the rounds, my dear sleepy flower,” the seraph chided, nudging the door of the greenhouse closed behind them with one of his middle wings. “The rest of them can wait another day.”

“Okay, okay…” Scott yawned then smiled blearily up at him. “Is your halo brighter or is that just the sun..? Or is it ‘cause you’re so handsome and kind, carrying me around whenever I… need a nap...” He closed his eyes and nestled against Sausage’s chest.

Sausage merely chuckled, but now that Scott had pointed it out, he honestly wasn’t sure if he felt the halo burning more strongly. After initially reviving as a seraph, the warmth from it had faded to a minor background sensation, just sort of there but not bothersome. He could consciously dim his holy aura but the halo itself was constantly present, always giving off some kind of light. After he returned Scott to the sunroom he went to take a look in a mirror to see for himself.

It was different from the halo he’d had before, which had been a simple circle directly over his head – much like the one Scott’d had as an angel, although his had also had additional rays coming off of it, like Sausage’s did now, except as a seraph there were even more of them. He couldn’t tell if it was meant to be intimidating or just an expression of ‘radiating’ power; the memory of different types of angels came to him again. Before he had been at the lowest of the tiers, while Scott had somehow become one somewhere in the middle – if he remembered correctly – and now he himself was one of the highest. He didn’t know why this latent knowledge kept coming back to him. He remembered teaching Scott about angelic things when he revived as one, but Sausage had to wonder why it preoccupied so much of his mind when there had been just as much to either learn or intuit from everything else he had been since then.

Maybe it was merely a matter of starting as an angel and returning to being one, regardless of level. And yet…could he have been something before that? Had Scott ever been something different before they met, too? Well, maybe that was too much existentialism for the moment, and perhaps it was best to just hope that they stayed what they currently were for many winters to come.

Out of curiosity, as he returned to the thought that Scott’s question about his halo had raised, he let his aura shine unfettered. His reflection then nearly blinded him – he could barely make out his own outline. Dimming it back to normal, he laughed nervously. “Um, wow, haha, that was something—” He stopped short when he caught the reflection of someone else in the corner of the mirror. He quickly spun around. “Scott-?? Hello??”

No one was there. He glanced back into the mirror. The other reflection was gone. The only person it could have been was Scott…but if he wasn’t still asleep he would have responded. Also, Sausage could swear the other reflection looked like it had long, golden-brown hair.

~*~

Eventually the daylight hours began to last longer, and Scott became a little more energetic again, not sleeping as much throughout the day. Finally, the crown of ivy was replaced by small flower buds, heralding the approach of Spring. As more days passed the buds grew and then the welcome sight of purple crocuses and yellow daffodils began to appear.

Sausage felt a prickling of relief when the blooms opened, as if the wait through winter had held some kind of tension akin to anticipating the other shoe to drop; but that might only have come from a place of always awaiting the next inevitable death. Soon the floran was back to his usual activities out in the gardens, and the flowers in his hair cycled out more by choice than being dictated by seasonal limits, back to depending on if he wanted a particular perfume or just let a colorful mixed bouquet decorate his head.

One confusing day, however, while it was still in the Spring months, a small, leggy sunflower appeared in his hair, drooping over his forehead to the point of annoyance. Scott pushed it up several times while trying to clean the kitchen. Sausage then watched with concern as the floran closed one eye while tugging on the stem. “Hey, wait, let me at least get the pruning shears first!”

Scott sighed impatiently but let go of the sunflower. “Sorry, it’s really annoying. I didn’t ask it to be there. This never happens.”

“I guess weeds can grow on you, too, even if that isn’t technically a weed.”

“Well, either way I don’t want it. It’s still too early for sunflowers.” He sighed again but allowed Sausage to go get the small pair of shears, holding still as one might for a regular haircut when the seraph carefully parted the other blossoms to find where the sunflower sprouted from.

One quick clip and he pulled it away, then turned to add it to a vase by the window that held other cut flowers from the garden. “There. Better?”

Scott patted at his other blooms in their nice, organized crown and nodded, smiling. “Yes, thanks.” The remaining part of the sunflower’s stem would fall out on its own later, he knew. “Will you help me in the big greenhouse today? The lilium is shedding a lot of old leaves this week.”

“Oh, great,” Sausage said, feigning sarcasm. “That will do wonders for the compost pile. We’ll need a silo just for that soon.”

Scott laughed as he headed toward the door but came to a halt when he opened it and found a giant sunflower waiting right outside. There was another barely a meter behind it, and another beyond that. “Umm, Sausage… I think something weird is going on. Unless you put these here?”

“Put what where?” The seraph glanced around the corner, then saw the sunflower outside. “Nope, I didn’t do that.”

“There are quite a lot of them.” Scott walked out and started to follow what seemed to be a trail of the tall flowers, with Sausage now right behind him. The line went more or less straight to the church, and when Scott pushed open the door they saw that the sunflowers had come right up through the floor, leading to one wall where a dozen of them crowded in front of a mural of a woman in a green dress holding a stalk of wheat, fields of crops in the background and images of sunflowers at her feet. “Saint Pearl,” Scott intoned respectfully, gazing up at her. “I never really asked you much about this church before. Was there a reason you built it for her, specifically?”

Sausage thought back but oddly found that he didn’t quite remember. He decided to keep that realization to himself. “She’s the saint of harvests, and sharing a bounty is a sign of generosity and good will, which is something angels aspire to. She also bestows the favor of victory in battle.”

“Ah, I see why that appeals to you.” Scott cast a knowing smile at him, then looked up at the mural again. “So, if sunflowers are her symbol…do you think she’s trying to tell us something with all of these? Although, I kind of hope she’ll leave me out of the message-sending from now on.”

“Maybe.” Sausage studied one of the sunflowers growing out of the floor. “They led us to the church, which is a place for worship but also a place of safety from the undead. It could be a warning,” he said grimly, “and I wouldn’t be surprised if something else comes for us, now that we’ve survived this long without changing again.”

“Another Blood Moon? Haven’t had one in a while, now that I think of it.”

“Huh, yeah… We did go the whole winter without one. Although it would be nice if those stopped altogether, since they didn’t even used to happen. I wonder what changed to cause them in the first place?”

“Apparently the world wasn’t dangerous enough already,” Scott snorted. He then patted the sunflower closest to him. “Well, let’s just be extra careful then. If you go out at night, maybe don’t fly too far, and I’ll set some root snares around to warn me of anything that wanders too close. I know you can smite anything just by looking at it, but being cautious won’t hurt.”

“Oh, come on, I can’t literally do that, it would be way too overpowered if something actually could! But, yeah. We’ll play it safe until it’s more clear what she’s trying to tell us.” Sausage placed a hand on the mural and looked up at Saint Pearl’s face. His eyes then widened slightly. “Wait, I think I also saw her in the mirror one time! She was there for just a second – so she may have been trying to tell us something for a while, maybe it’s getting closer, that’s why all the sunflowers now.”

“You… saw her in a mirror? That’s a bit bigger than just some flowers.”

“I was, um, checking my aura. I guess I made myself into a beacon that caught her attention. I’m kind of hard to miss like that, you know?”

“I remember. Well, I don’t mind an extra helping hand, and… I guess sunflowers aren’t the worst thing that could grow on me.”

They left the church and returned to their plans for the day, with the addition of choosing spots for the warning snares Scott would set up before nightfall. The traps were effective for several nights in a row after that, catching mostly zombies, which Sausage left to simply burn in daylight instead of going out to personally smite them, preferring to stay on guard close to the house while Scott slept – after the initial triggering of the snares woke him.

But they soon learned what the possible warnings had been for when during one sunset the land fell dark and rather than a Blood Moon there was no moon at all. No stars. Not because of cloud cover, either. There was just pitch black darkness and eerie silence all around outside. Abandoning a casual late dinner, Sausage barricaded the front door with some barrels and stood by the other one, listening. He cracked it open to eye the small courtyard, which was lit only halfway out from the door by the nearby lanterns before any other light was swallowed up.

Scott put a hand out to try to coax the glowberry vines on the end of the eaves to produce more fruit and combat some of the darkness, but it still didn’t extend more than that scant meter out. Sausage let his aura shine through just a tad bit more to be his own source of light as he cautiously stepped out to have a look at the sky, counting on making it quick so he didn’t bother to get his armor yet. Scott was right behind him, a hand on one of his wings so they wouldn’t lose track of each other if the darkness spread further in.

There wasn’t a single sound, no telltale zombie groans or bones clattering, but they stayed wary. Sausage once again tried to see if there was even an outline of the moon anywhere, edging out just past the walls. “Somehow this seems even worse than the Blood Moon.” He then peered out toward where the rest of the mountaintop should have been. “Something is out there, though. I can sense it.”

As if to confirm, Scott went still and gripped his wing tighter as his floran connection signaled him through the ground. “One of the snares just went off. But it didn’t catch whatever it was.”

Before they could retreat back toward the door they both saw a shadow flit at the very edge of the range of light given off by the seraph. A sibilant voice came out of the darkness, murmuring, “This is almost like a moth drawn to a flame…and I see a pesky insect right there…”

Unsure of how close they actually were or what type of creature the voice belonged to, Sausage tensed and spread one of his top wings toward Scott to cover him, cottoning on to the suggestion in the words.

“I can still see you,” the voice threatened. “Time to pay for the sins you have committed, flower boy!” The blade of a large scythe swung down out of the darkness, cutting right through Sausage’s feathers. It missed Scott by a hair; the floran jumped back a step and made the branches of a nearby azalea bush grow to shoot out into the dark and stab back at whoever was there.  The branches drew back a moment later without seeming to have hit anything, though.

Having merely lost feathers and not actually wounded, Sausage turned and tried to locate the attacker. He considered letting his aura go to its full brightness to try to light the whole area, but didn’t want to blind Scott in case he still needed to defend himself before Sausage could step in. He didn’t know why the assailant only saw his light without acknowledging him—

The voice came again. “Hold still, little bug. I have weeds to cut back.”

Ethereal, smoky black chains snaked out of the ground at Scott’s feet and latched around his legs. Startled but still reacting quickly, the floran took advantage of the moss growing on him and was able to immediately slip one foot free while only the moss was sheared off, the chains unable to grasp tight to him.

At the same time, Sausage’s eyes widened, reminded of the black mist from the Enigma’s curse that had taken down Scott before. He had to find out what exactly they were dealing with. He risked glowing brighter, and with that additional light he saw a figure in a hooded black robe, two menacing magenta eyes focused on Scott as the reaper raised the scythe again – then in a split-second they leapt forward to close the distance, bringing the blade down toward the still-anchored floran.

Well, Sausage decided, if the scythe could sever his feathers, then the rest of him would be solid enough to it, even if the reaper themself didn’t see him.

Having to give up on freeing his other leg, Scott’s reflex was to use the azalea branches again to try to block the scythe – but to his horror they pierced through Sausage’s wings when the seraph abruptly threw himself in the way. The blade sliced across Sausage’s chest and into his unadorned left arm.  The reaper cursed about having missed again.

Scott hastily pulled the branches back and started to apologize, but Sausage waved him off with his right hand. Disregarding his own blood dripping onto the ground, the seraph steadied himself and glared toward the reaper. He then reached up and a flaming sword appeared in his right hand.

This the reaper was able to see, their eyes drawn to the blade. “What? No! That can’t be!”

They didn’t get a chance to protest further as Sausage wasted no time driving the sword into them. The scythe – and the chains – evaporated into nothingness, then the reaper crumpled to the ground, dragging Sausage with them as he kept his hold on the sword, continuing to glare at them with fury. When their body dissipated he used the sword to hold himself up while his other hand clutched at the gash across his chest. He looked down at the splashes of blood now collecting on the ground, then saw Scott’s hands come into view.

They were shaking, and then they were red as he touched the wound on the seraph’s left arm. Once again glowberry vines extended to try to curb the bleeding. “Don’t die, Sausage, please don’t die,” he heard the floran plead.

“I’ll…try not to...” he attempted to promise with a smile, although he needed to put his head down because, well, angels could still feel pain, and now it was catching up to him.

[Chapter 2]

[imagines-ahs]

Chapter Ten - Red.

Summary: Wilhemina Venable felt it was finally time to leave Kineros Robotics and get a job with people who weren’t such morons like Jeff and Mutt. What she didn’t expect, however, was for her new boss to be so damn insufferable. She didn’t expect to fall in love with her, either.

Tag List: @devriesgoode @mistysswampmud @paulsonsratched @msvenablx @notmeellaannyy (message me to be added if interested!)

“Yes.” Emma got up and instantly reached for her hand again. Wilhemina wasn’t expecting it, but she forced herself to allow it. And so, they made their way back to the office. Hand in hand, in public, in a situation Venable had never been before.

When they got to Billie Dean Howard & Co., Wilhemina let Emma’s hand go. They stepped into the elevator. 

“Thank you for the ice cream,” Emma said softly. 

“It’s no problem. You paid for lunch, after all.” Wilhemina held her cane with both hands. Her nerves had calmed down slightly. Emma shrugged, smiling to herself. The door opened to their floor, and they both stepped into the office. On her table, Venable saw a purple post-it on the screen of her MacBook. She frowned, leaning closer to read it once she had taken her coat off. ‘Meet me in my office once you’re back from lunch. It’s quite urgent.’ It was signed with Billie Dean’s initials. The handwriting was so fancy and full of curves, Wilhemina found herself staring at it for a bit too long. Then, she quickly walked down the hallway and knocked on the door of Billie Dean’s office. A part of her was scared Billie had seen her and Emma holding hands and that’s what it was all about, but it just didn’t make sense; they were all adults. Irrational. Jenny opened the door, revealing a table with calendars and papers all scattered over it. 

“Wilhemina, thank God you’re back.” Billie Dean glanced up at her from the piece of paper she had been writing down at, phone beside it. “We have a pickle to figure out.”

A pickle. Someone as posh and as classy as Billie definitely didn’t look like the type to speak like that. Venable got inside and sat down on the chair Jenny pulled for her. “Thank you,” she said quietly. Jenny sat beside her. “What is it?”

“I need to film an episode in San Diego next week, which will require me to spend a night away. Jenny has a wedding right on the date, so she can’t come. Would it be possible for you to accompany me?” Billie Dean stared deeply at Wilhemina, now. “I’ll pay you extra for the hours.” 

The words were nearly thrown at Venable, and she was having trouble processing them. San Diego was a three-hour drive from Los Angeles, which sounded like pure torture for Wilhemina’s back. And why was she asking her, of all people? She was the last one to be hired, after all. One thing at a time. “Would we go by car?”

“Plane,” Jenny quickly said. “Thirty minutes. First class. The hotel is five stars.”

“Which days?” I can’t believe I’m considering it. But Billie Dean had asked her for a reason. And if she were honest with herself, she still thought about how no one had gotten the touch to check on Billie when she passed out on set. I wonder how much they’ll overwork her there. Was Jenny that inconsiderate, too?

“Leaving Monday morning and arriving Tuesday night,” Jenny said, once again. 

Venable’s brown eyes looked at Billie Dean. Her own chocolate hues were fixated on her, and she nibbled on her lower lip almost as if she were nervous. Hesitantly, Wilhemina nodded. “Of course.” She had never traveled like that before, after all. I’ve never been on a plane. 

“Thank you,” Billie Dean let out a relieved sigh. She reached for her phone and typed something before putting it down again. “My driver will pick you up and take you to the airport, where we’ll meet. On Tuesday, he’ll take you home. You can come to work after noon on Wednesday.” Venable nodded. 

“Any preferences on the flight?” Jenny asked Venable with a pen and paper in hand. With a frown, Wilhemina shook her head. “Window seat, hallway seat, flying company, front or back…?” 

“No.” Venable sat up a little better. She knew what Jenny was talking about, of course, but she had no idea of what she preferred. I’m a grown woman who has never stepped foot at a plane. It was nearly embarrassing given Billie Dean had traveled probably the whole world. 

“Alright.” Jenny wrote something down. “Billie Dean, the usual?”

“Yes, Jenny. Thank you.” Billie nodded once. “Try booking those conjoined rooms, if possible. I think it’s easier that way.” 

“Got it.”

Wilhemina licked her lips nervously; Purpura would be alone for two days, she herself would be in a different environment and Billie Dean would constantly be around her. I can’t remember the last time I spent so much time around someone else. Venable was already starting to regret it. “Is that all?”

“Yes, thank you.” Billie Dean got up to open the door for her. Jenny kept focused on the paper in hand. “You have my number. Don’t hesitate to message me if you have any doubts,” she said softly, hand resting on the small of Venable’s back as she passed by. Wilhemina nodded.

“Thank you.” With a small smile, Venable left the office. 

Billie Dean turned around once she closed the door, and her face flushed red when she saw the way Jenny stared at her. “What?” Why am I blushing?

“Oh, nothing,” Jenny chuckled. She smirked cheekily at her. 

Billie Dean hummed as she sat back down. “Jenny, what is it?” She insisted. Jenny let out a loud laugh. 

“A pickle? Thank God you’re back?” Jenny arched her eyebrows as she laughed. “Billie Dean Howard, what the fuck?!”

“What?!” Billie Dean chuckled shyly as her cheeks kept on blushing. 

“You’re such a lesbian!”

“Sush!” Billie leaned closer. “Stop, she’s an employee.”

“So?”

“What are you implying?” 

“That you might have the hots for your new HR Executive!” Jenny whisper-yelled. 

“I do not!” Reaching for a piece of paper, Billie Dean curled it into a ball and threw it at Jenny. “She’s beautiful, but I’m not attracted to every woman I see!” 

“I know!” Jenny dodged the paper. “But come on… she’s your type.”

Billie Dean playfully crossed her arms. “I don’t have a type.” Once again, Jenny arched an eyebrow. 

“She’s in her forties, has a beautiful face, gorgeous legs—yes, I do notice things—she’s all classy like you are, smells good, uses fancy words, is smart as fuck, should I keep going?” 

“You’re so stupid,” Billie Dean murmured. 

“At least admit that she’s your type.” Jenny stared a little more serious at Billie, now. 

“I don’t see it,” Billie Dean said. But she did see some of it. 

“Okay.” Jenny raised her palms in defeat. “I’m not arguing with you.”

“Thank you.” Billie Dean raised her chin a little. Jenny kept on looking at her with that expression that made her want to kick her ass. Reaching for her purse, Billie got up. “I need a cigarette. I’ll be back in a second.”

“No worries. I’ll schedule everything.” Jenny got back to her phone. 

With her heels clacking, Billie Dean went to the balcony. She leaned against the wall, taking a deep breath. Why was she so bothered by Jenny’s comments? Her and Jenny always bickered like that. They were friends, not only employee and boss. I want a cigarette. But she had promised Wilhemina she wouldn’t smoke. So instead, she grabbed the notebook Venable had gotten her and walked back inside the kitchen, sitting down on the table. Mindlessly, she began to scribble on it. She scribbled and scribbled until her body’s longing for nicotine went away. And then, she looked down at the page and the lines formed nothing at all. But they certainly could use some red. Or purple. 

 Afternoon went by pretty quickly. Wilhemina finished the document she had been working on, and Emma brought her some coffee in the middle of the shift. When the clock hit five p.m., she got up to print the document so she could take it to Billie Dean before she left. With hushed steps, Venable walked through the hallway. She knocked at the door, and soon Billie Dean opened it. “Hey,” she smiled. Jenny was nowhere to be seen. “Everything alright?”

“I finished the document.” Wilhemina handed her the envelope. She watched as Billie Dean grabbed it with her long, coral nails. They always amazed her. 

“Already? That’s fast.” Billie Dean took a look at it and let out a hum. “Thank you.” She put it back in. 

“It’s my job.” Venable didn’t understand why Billie Dean thanked her for everything. 

“Still.” Billie set the envelope on her table. “I won’t be here tomorrow, but I’ll see you on Monday?” A part of her was scared Wilhemina would backtrack. She’s too committed to do so. 

“Yes.” 

“I’ll message you in the weekend so we can settle everything.”

“Alright.” Venable wetted her lower lip, and for a second she thought she had seen Billie Dean’s eyes slip to them. 

“I—I want to thank you for earlier… at your place.” Billie Dean had spent the day with the events in the back of her mind. Wilhemina had treated her like an actual person, not a status. It was refreshing. Nostalgic, even. 

“You have nothing to thank me for, Billie Dean.” Wilhemina was honest with her words, and this time her tone was slightly softer. 

“I do. You know that.” 

I know. Venable didn’t want any of them to know. But they both did. Offering a sad smile, Wilhemina nodded. “Have a good rest of the week. I’ll see you on Monday.”

“You too.” Billie Dean reached to tuck a lock of blonde hair behind her ear, watching as Venable walked away. She took a deep breath. A heavy, melancholic pang of sadness settled itself on her chest. Billie Dean felt her eyes swelling up with tears, so she walked back inside and grabbed her sunglasses. She needed to go home and rest for the next day; they were shooting again, all day. She couldn’t faint this time. 

 Friday wasn’t really eventful. Billie Dean spent the whole day filming, and thankfully no fainting was involved. When it came to Wilhemina, she went to work as she always did, choosing to have lunch at the office once everyone had left. Emma insisted on staying with her, but Venable wanted some alone time and so she lied she couldn’t take a break when everyone else did. Friday night was spent with a nice glass of wine for Venable, and a long night of sleep for Billie Dean. On Saturday, Wilhemina woke up with the lovely purring of Purpura instead of the annoying sound of an alarm. The last two nights had been as if nothing had ever happened in her house; no putrid smell, no weird dreams, no low temperature. 

“Hm,” Venable murmured sleepily as she felt a soft head bumping on her cheek. Purpura purred at her, paws caressing the sheets. “Good morning, darling,” Wilhemina’s voice came weak and raspy. She smiled to herself and took a deep breath, eyes still closed as she reached to caress the cat’s skin. “Are you worried I’m oversleeping?” She let out a soft chuckle, eyes opening slowly and getting used to the light. Purpura stared deeply at her. “It’s Saturday, sweetheart. I can sleep until late.” The cat bumped its head on Wilhemina’s cheek again, demanding for more pets. Venable caressed her back still, moving to scratch between her ears. “Are you hungry?” Purpura meowed. “Oh, so that’s why you woke me up? Cheeky!” She teased. Wilhemina placed a small kiss on Purpura’s nose and pulled away to get up. Once she washed her face, she walked to the kitchen to prepare herself some breakfast. Purpura meowed at her nonstop. “Yes, darling, I will give you wet food.” And wet food she gave her, in a purple bowl as she always did. Now, with Purpura all settled, Venable focused on herself. For this lazy Saturday morning, she chose a simple toast with avocado. Taking her time to prepare everything, when Wilhemina finally settled down to eat, half an hour had passed. In the comfort of her bed and with her TV on, she took a first bite. Mindlessly, she browsed through the channels. Purpura cuddled beside her, nose nearly inside of her plate. “This is not for you, sweetheart.” Realizing she hadn’t checked the hour yet, Venable let the TV on a random channel and reached for her phone. 10:42. Not too late. Brown eyes scrolled down on the screen, and an unknown number had messaged her twice. Frowning, Wilhemina took another bite before clicking on the messages. ‘Hi, this is Emma :)’ the first one read, ’I’m excited to see you tonight!’ read the second one. Venable let out a groan. She hadn’t forgotten she had made these plans; she just didn’t want to think about it. My appetite is gone. With a sigh, she set her plate on the nightstand. Quickly, she typed back to Emma: ‘Saved the contact. Excited.’ Putting her phone to the side, Wilhemina now played with the sheets in nervous patterns. Her mind wandered to how tonight could go, to all the worse scenarios and to all the ways she could mess this up. I’ll take a Valium before leaving home. To make things better, she was anxious because of the work travel on Monday, too. Her stomach twisted, and Purpura quickly sensed it and moved to sit down on her lap, front paws on her chest. The cat meowed once; Wilhemina was still focused in her spiraling mind. Purpura meowed again; nothing. After a third time, Venable blinked twice and looked down at the cat. “I’m sorry,” she sighed, reaching to caress its back. “I’m nervous.” Brown eyes had gone glossy with tears. She bit her lower lip. What if it’s all a joke? What if Emma brought someone else and they laughed at her? She wouldn’t do that. But did Venable know she wouldn’t do such a thing? People were cruel. I’ll just expect her to cancel. Why did she even agree to go on that date, anyways? Gulping quietly, a tear fell down her cheek. Purpura was quick to lick it clean. A small smile crawled into Venable’s lips. “I love you, darling.” She kissed the cat’s head and sniffled softly. Just when her mind was starting to spiral again, a familiar voice echoed through the speakers of her TV. 

“Welcome to the Billie Dean Howard Show. I am Billie Dean, also known as the Medium to the Stars,” from the screen, Billie Dean said. Brown eyes lifted up to meet her image, and Wilhemina couldn’t help but chuckle at the coincidence. 

“Look.” Venable pointed at the TV and looked at Purpura. “That’s the lady who came here this week.” The cat stared at her. Wilhemina chuckled. She looked back at the TV, biting her lip as she watched Billie Dean; her hair was as perfect as it always was, her eyes big and caramel under the light, dress blue and nails long and coral. She looks even prettier in person. When first seeing the pictures of Billie Dean, Venable doubted she would look that perfect in real life; but she did. In fact, she looked even better. On the screen, Billie Dean walked through the old house she was at and explained the history of the place. It was just like she had seen her do, but it had a special TV glow. The editing is amazing. Her skin glowed. Wilhemina was nearly mesmerized at the way her hair looked in the camera; she could almost smell it. Smell her. Faint Tobacco and Floratta Blue. Purpura cuddled on her lap, and carefully Venable leaned back against the pillows. She kept on watching Billie Dean, watching the show, paying attention to her words and mannerisms. I had never realized she speaks with her hands so much. Without really thinking, she reached for her plate again, slowly finishing her toast. Her stomach felt better. In an impulsive move, she grabbed her phone and texted Billie Dean a picture of her TV. ’Look who’s on my screen’. Venable had been so caught up in the show her mind didn’t dare bombarding her with the usual degrading thoughts; it allowed her to relax, for once. 

In her house, Billie Dean had just barely woken up when her cellphone vibrated; she still lay in bed, eyes closed and ears attentive to the birds outside. With a loud groan and expecting the notification to be about work, she reached for her phone on the nightstand. Her eyes took a second to focus on the screen, but when they did, she smiled a little. There were more notifications from Jenny and her manager, but she could check those later. Sitting up better on her bed, Billie’s long nail produced a tiny sound when it came in contact with the screen, pressing on Venable’s name. She chuckled at the text. I think she’s warming up to me. It was certainly an unexpected text, but one Billie Dean adored to receive. ’If you saw me now, you wouldn’t believe that’s the same person. Bed hair and clean face do NOT suit me!’ Billie didn’t even read the text again before hitting send. Then, she lay back down and turned to the side and closed her eyes again, hoping to get some more sleep. But her brain had already woken up, and it now wandered to how would Wilhemina look with bed hair and a clean face. Gorgeous, probably. Venable was a beautiful woman, that was no secret, and Billie Dean’s fingers ached to pass through the fiery locks she had on her head; they just seemed to be so absolutely silky. Yes, Billie was used to silky hair, but not true silky hair. Her own only looked that way, but felt far from how it should be according to its look—dying it blonde ever since her teenage years wasn’t necessarily the healthiest for it. It wasn’t like her hair wasn’t good to the touch, but it could definitely be smoother. At least it smells good. So did Wilhemina’s, she had noticed. 

When Venable’s phone vibrated back, she hadn’t set it down yet. She looked down from the TV to it, and instantly her eyes rolled to the back of her head. She absolutely hated when people faked modesty. Without replying back to Billie Dean, she set it aside. Billie was gorgeous; anyone who looked at her could see that. Venable found it stupid for her to pretend she didn’t look good somehow. Of course bed hair and a clean face suited her. Anything would suit Billie Dean. Wilhemina reached for the TV remote and turned it off before getting up to use the bathroom and take her plate to the kitchen. She had barely used any dishes this week, and so she decided she would turn the dishwasher on later. Walking back to her bedroom, Venable set her cane aside to get dressed; she chose a simple, old sweatshirt as well as some sweatpants, both purple in color, and then put her hair up in a messy bun once she combed through it. Wilhemina wanted to experiment with her art again, so she grabbed all of her supplies and settled everything down on the living room dining table. With a hand on her hip and the other on her cane, she hummed as she looked at all the options. Oil is too much trouble… pastels are too soft… color pencils are mundane… acrylics are too rough… watercolors. Settled on watercolors, Venable grabbed the paints and a huge, thick block of paper. She pulled a sheet out of it and reached to tape it down to the table, then she went to the kitchen and grabbed a glass of water. Purpura jumped up and gently dipped her paw into the glass, causing Wilhemina to chuckle. “This is not for you, sweetheart. Soon it’ll have paint in it, and you can’t drink that.” The cat licked its paw once before moving to lay down on the other corner of the table. With a smile on her lips, Venable opened her brush case and took a sit. She looked over at all of the supplies on the table, making sure it was all there, and began to allow her mind to wander around. What could she draw?

Three hours and many colors later, Wilhemina pulled away to look down at the piece she had just finished. Her back screamed for a break, but Venable had been so focused on her art she hadn’t realized how much it had been hurting. A smile crawled on her lips; she still had the technique. It’s not perfect, but a good start. The colors were soft and well distributed in their pigment, with hints of white and grey here and there. Wilhemina had drawn a jar full of lavenders with Purpura on the back, sitting down and sniffing the flowers. Venable was her worst critic, but she had liked how it had turned out after so long. I’ll have to clean the table later. She desperately needed to take a warm bath and eat something. The only thing Wilhemina did before popping a lasagna in the oven was wash the brushes and the glass she had been using, and then she got into the bathtub. A loud sigh left her lips, head relaxing back. She had successfully avoided the mirror this time, for she was so focused on just sitting down on the warm water. With her eyes closed, she leaned back on the tub. She could hear the door opening gently, and soon a warm head bumped on her hand—which was out of the tub, arm hanging down. Venable smiled to herself. “Hi, darling.” Her eyebrows drew close together, for all the pain on her body was crashing down on her. Lazily, she scratched between the cat’s ears. “I should have used my easel,” she told the cat softly. Purpura bumped its head over and over again on Wilhemina’s hand, purring happily. “Don’t let me forget about it next time, sweetheart.” She would need some pain medication to be able to enjoy the movies later. The movies. Her stomach twisted at the reminder. While painting, Venable had been able to simply forget about anything and everything. But now that her mind was back at its usual schedule, all the thoughts rushed around. I need to find some nice clothes. Granted, all of Wilhemina’s clothes were nice, but she wanted to look extra good. No chance for her to make fun of me. She took a deep breath and let out a sigh. I wish my mind would give me a break. Purpura meowed once at her. Venable slowly opened her eyes and looked down at the cat. “I’m just a little nervous. No need to worry, sweetheart.” Dark, huge eyes stared up at her. Wilhemina smiled sadly. “You feel it when I’m not alright, don’t you?” She scratched her ears again. “You’re the sweetest, Purpura.”

After finishing her bath, Wilhemina got back into her comfortable clothes and went to the kitchen to check on the lasagna. The oven had barely turned off when she looked into it, making it perfect timing. She went to grab a plate, and pain shot through her body once again. She hissed. Instead of grabbing a plate, she got herself some water and downed a painkiller. It should work soon. Venable sighed and proceeded to get herself a piece of lasagna. The table on the living room had barely no room due to her art supplies, so Wilhemina walked to her bedroom and to the small corner table. Once Venable had eaten, she lay down to read a little. At the beginning, Wilhemina struggled to get focused, but after reading the page she was at twice, she went to the next one and finally began to focus. 

When Wilhemina checked her cellphone again, it was already 5:30 P.M. Time had fled, thankfully, and she had gotten to the middle of her book already. The pain on her back had vanished. I need to get ready. There were no notifications from anyone, and although Venable considered texting Emma to make sure they were still on, she didn’t want to seem too desperate. If she cancels, I’ll only look worse. Almost hesitantly, Wilhemina got out of bed. She went over to her closet and opened it, brown eyes staring at the sea of purple there. I need to look great. They were going to spend the majority of the time sitting down, so it had to be something comfortable. Venable looked through her trousers, hand gently passing on the fabrics and deciding which one was best; she went with the heavier, warmer one. It was high wasted and deep purple, so she topped it off with a slightly cropped lilac sweater. Purpura stared at Wilhemina as she got dressed, letting out a yawn. Venable chuckled. “Sleepy?” The cat blinked slowly. Wilhemina chuckled again and moved to look at herself in the full body mirror. She bit her lower lip. Not too bad. She didn’t necessarily think her body was ugly, but she absolutely despised her back. If only I could only been seen from the front… But she couldn’t, and Emma would soon ask her questions she didn’t want to answer. Without giving herself much time to start spiraling, Wilhemina went to grab some purple boots. But then she stopped. Should I put on a dress? They were going to the movies, not to a fancy restaurant. She bit her lower lip and sat down on the bed to put on her boots. The outfit was nice, but she still doubted herself. Can I even get better than that? She couldn’t. Only if she swapped bodies. If there were a way to do that… With a sigh, Venable walked to the mirror again, now in her completed outfit. She would need a coat, but the warm and fancier one was near the door. It was now time to do her hair and makeup, so she started working on it. Sitting down in her vanity, Wilhemina moisturized her skin and then proceeded to put on some compact. Brown eyes stared at the mirror. Venable felt her mind starting to get heavy. She took a deep breath, reaching for her purple eyeshadow; gently, she applied a little just to add some color. Ugly. Wilhemina gulped. She reached for the mascara. My eyes are so droopy. She gulped again and moved to the other eye. That’s so pointless. She’ll cancel. Setting the mascara aside, Venable reached for the highlighter. My cheekbones are too pointy. Lipstick was the only thing missing, now. Wilhemina chose a darker purple with splashes of red, making it a wine color. My lips are too dry. My teeth are not straight enough. My mouth looks crooked. My gu— “Stop it!” Wilhemina nearly yelled, thus cutting her train of thoughts. She set the lipstick down and took a deep breath, eyes growing teary. “Please, stop it,” she repeated, voice weak. With her eyes closed, Venable began inhaling deeply. “Stop it. Please, stop it.” With her ears buzzing, she faintly heard a meow coming from down her legs. She gulped again, focusing on not messing her makeup. Purpura jumped on her lap and placed her paws on Wilhemina’s chest, staring up at her. Venable still held the lipstick between her fingers, squeezing it as they both rested on the table. Purpura meowed again. “Darling…” Slowly, she let the lipstick go and let her hands caress the cat’s back. She opened her eyes and looked down at that gorgeous face that always brought her so much happiness. “Hi, sweetheart.” The cat purred, eyes focused on Wilhemina’s. She sniffled. “Thank you.” I need a Valium. There was no way she was going to be able to have a good night with her mind like that. New things were scary. How will I cope with the work trip? She would have to manage, as she always did. Once she had calmed down, Venable got up to grab a Valium. Purpura followed close behind, as if she were keeping an eye on her. After taking the pill, Wilhemina sat down in bed and just pet her cat until she felt like the world wasn’t so heavy anymore. When her mind seemed kinder, she got up to work on her hair; it was naturally wavy, so Venable only straightened it a little near the root to tame it down. Perfume. I need perfume. Wilhemina nearly took a shower with English Lavender. Am I forgetting anything? She walked to the mirror and stared at herself. She stared and stared and stared and looked at every single detail. I don’t look so bad. She allowed herself to smile a little. Purpura sat down beside her feet, looking at her through the mirror. “Do you like it, sweetheart?” The cat meowed. Venable chuckled. “Thank you. I think you look lovely in your sweater, too.” She looked in the mirror again. Jewelry! Wilhemina didn’t have many, but the few she had she deeply enjoyed. She put on her favorite pair of earrings and necklace—they had a small lavender charm—and then she looked in the mirror again. Nothing was missing anymore. I almost feel pretty. Her body looked decent. She liked it. Purpura meowed again and bumped her head on Venable’s leg. She giggled. “Yes, I do feel a little nice.” Wilhemina sat down on the corner of her bed so she could pet the cat. Purpura quickly moved to cuddle on her lap. She smiled to herself. After a second of silence, she took a deep breath. “Thank you, Purpura.” Venable took a few more breaths, enjoying the silence of the house and the smell of her perfume. All of a sudden, her phone vibrated, disrupting the peaceful atmosphere. Carefully, she wiggled off of underneath the cat and got up to grab the phone. She’s going to cancel. Indeed, there was a notification from Emma. Almost hesitantly, she opened it. ’I’m ready to come pick you up! Text me when you are (: See you soon, gorgeous.’ Wilhemina’s cheeks tinted so much she thought she was going to burn from the inside out. Everything felt giddy. With a shy smile, she texted Emma back. ’I’m ready. Excited to see you, too!’ Along with the message she attached her address. Emma answered with a heart and let her know she was on her way. Venable mindlessly played with the sheets on her bed, tapping them in quick patterns. Gorgeous. She nearly let out a teenage-like giggle. You’re a grown woman. Collect yourself. She was growing even more nervous, now. Purpura was fast asleep at the end of the bed. I need to make sure she has everything she needs. Yes, it was only just a couple of hours that Venable would be away, but it was during the night, and that was unusual to the cat. Wilhemina checked Purpura’s bowls and filled both of them, and then she cleaned her litter box and washed her hands. The coat she was going to take with her was in the living room, and just to make sure she wouldn’t forget it, Venable already put it on. Then, she grabbed her purse and checked to see if she had everything she needed for the night. Calm down. It’s just the movies. Except, it was much more. It was a new experience; one she was having too late in life. It was a whole other concept. It was a foreign thing. What movie are we even watching? She had forgotten to check what was on. Taking another deep breath, Wilhemina walked back to the bedroom to grab her phone. There were no notifications, so she sat down on the couch in the living room to wait. What if she’s not coming and it’s all a joke? Emma had given her no reasons to think that way… and still, Venable began to pick on the corners of her thumbs. They’ll bleed. She forced herself to stop. Just when her mind was starting to spiral for what felt like the thousandth time for the day, Wilhemina felt her phone vibrating on her lap; Emma’s name lit up on the screen. ’I think I’m in front of your house!’ “Oh God,” Venable said out loud in a sigh. Without thinking, she got up and walked outside, closing the door on her way out. Indeed, there was a car outside, and when she looked back at it again, Emma was already stepping out of it. 

“Hi!” Emma smiled brightly, and Wilhemina thanked the faint light of the street for hiding her reddening cheeks. Emma walked to her and leaned for a hug. It all happened so fast Venable didn’t have time to think about her back. Thank God I have a very heavy coat on. 

“Hi.” Venable smiled softly, pulling a lock of fiery hair behind her ear when they quickly pulled apart from the hug. “Was it easy to find the place?” 

“Very much so.” Emma offered her a hand, and Venable gulped as she took it. Fast. Too fast. “You look gorgeous, as usual.” 

“Thank you,” Wilhemina’s voice came somewhat weak. She walked along with Emma, cane in her free hand. When they got to the car, Emma opened the passenger’s door for her. “Thank you,” she repeated. 

“Of course.” After shutting the door, Emma got into the car as well. 

Wilhemina looked down at her hands, placing them on her lap as she held the cane between her knees. Discretely, she side eyed Emma. “You look beautiful, too.” It was true; Emma had chosen a very beautiful winter dress with boots and a fancy coat. In the faint light, the structure of her face looked even more like a porcelain doll’s, with only the most prominent parts highlighted. 

“I tried,” Emma teased. She turned the car on and buckled up. Venable did the same. “I mean, I had to put some extra effort on to match you.”

“Oh, sush.” Wilhemina let out a shy chuckle. She shook her head. My heart is beating so fast I can feel it in my head. She couldn’t take another Valium. Not now. 

“It’s true!” Emma laughed. She pulled the car to the driveway. “I was thinking we could go to the Fifth Avenue Theater. What do you think?”

“It’s perfect.” Any movie theater was good for Wilhemina; they all had the same things, after all. Emma nodded and began making her way there. Venable kept on fumbling with her fingers, trying to think of something to say; nothing came to mind. 

“How was your day?” Once again, Emma always thought of something. 

“Pretty good, thank you. I managed to rest from the week.” 

“Me too.” Emma kept her eyes focused on the road. “Watched some TV, walked Dots, cooked a pie… nothing much.” Wilhemina nodded. “What did you do?”

“I read and painted a little.” 

“Oh? I didn’t know you painted. I want to see it sometime.” They stopped at a red light, and Emma turned to smile at Venable. 

“Maybe.” Wilhemina chuckled. 

“Maybe?” Playfully, Emma raised an eyebrow. Venable laughed a little more. 

“Maybe. I don’t like showing my art.” Her art was for herself, anyways. Wilhemina painted what she liked, how she liked it. 

Emma hummed. She turned back to the road as she began to drive again. “Fair. But I would love to see it, for the record.”

“I’ll remember that.” That was all Venable could promise, and she was thankful Emma seemed happy enough with the answer.

“You never told me about your years in school,” Emma commented softly, referring to the conversation they had on Thursday. Wilhemina definitely didn’t want to make that trip to memory lane right now, but she figured she’d have to find an answer. 

“I don’t have any special memories from it.” Venable was trying to be honest without revealing to Emma how much of a fuckup she was. That’s the last thing I need right now. 

“For real? Not a single one?” Emma eyed Wilhemina, and she shook her head. “What about your years at high school? The parties and everything? “

I was never invited. Venable bit her inner cheek. “I worked during my years in high school. I couldn’t afford losing sleep.” Once again, she was being honest. 

“How did you manage to work and go to school?” Emma talked about it as if it were a foreign, never before seen concept. Wilhemina wondered how different had their lives been. 

“I had no other choice.” Venable recognized it had been rough, but she needed the money. “I had to save money.” 

“Didn’t you live with your parents?” 

Shit. “Not anymore.” Wilhemina was stuck, now. She needed to find a way out. I’m not ready for that conversation. “I’ve always been independent.”

“I’m sorry.” Emma offered her a sad smile as they stopped at a red light again. Wilhemina shook it off; being independent was not bad. Being independent on her terms, however, was quite rough. 

“What about you? How long did you live with your parents?” 

“Up until I found my first job once I graduated from university.” Emma put a lock of dark hair behind her ear before driving again. “Then I moved in with my older brother. We’re really close.” A sibling. Wilhemina sometimes wondered if she had any blood related siblings, but she had never dared to actually try and find out. That would only make things harder, given the only person she had ever called family had passed away too soon. What if they had loving parents and a healthy home when all she had had was an orphanage? 

“That’s sweet,” Venable hummed. Her insides would be twisting with unresolved jealousy hadn’t she dealt with it in therapy a million of times already. “How much older is he?”

“Only by two years.” Wilhemina hummed again. “He’s expecting a son with his wife.” From the corner of her eye, Venable caught Emma smiling. “They’ve been married for a while now.” 

“Is he excited?”

“Oh, of course! He’s all over the moon. So is his wife.” I wouldn’t be. Wilhemina would keep that to herself. Sometimes she stopped to think about how different things brought joy to different people; it was all so subjective. “They’re naming him Arthur.”

“Beautiful name.” 

“I agree.” Emma made a turn to the left. “I don’t think I’ve asked if you have any siblings?”

“I don’t.” Brown eyes fell down to her lap before looking out of the window. The city lights twinkled. “I used to, though.” 

Emma’s green eyes quickly looked at Wilhemina. “Oh no…”

“It’s been a long time. She died when we were both eleven.” Wilhemina didn’t have many sweet memories from her childhood, but she would never forget Olivia. Olivia and Venable had shared a bedroom in the orphanage they lived ever since they were two, up until the day she passed. Olivia was the only one who never laughed at Wilhemina for having different posture, and Wilhemina was the only one who never laughed at Olivia for needing a wheelchair. They played together with the few toys they had and shared secrets; when it rained and thunder came crashing, Olivia would always sneak in bed with Venable and they would hug until they both managed to fall asleep. They were best friends. They were sisters. “She drowned.” 

“Wilhemina, I’m so sorry… I didn’t—I didn’t know… I’m sorry.” Emma’s voice carried pity. Venable didn’t enjoy pity; she felt vulnerable. So she sat up a little better and raised her head up. 

“It’s been a long time,” Wilhemina repeated. Emma nodded. It was always awkward when she shared bits and pieces of her life. I miss her. Venable was sure Olivia would have loved Purpura. A tiny smile made its way to her lips at the thought of it. The car grew quiet. I always make people feel weird. No matter what Wilhemina did, she always felt inadequate. 

“I’m adopting the kitty I told you about,” Emma said after a minute of silence. “I called the shelter today. They’re getting her checked with the vet for me.”

The news caused Venable to open a genuine smile. “That’s amazing.”

Emma smiled a little. “I think so, too. I’m excited to bring her home.”

“I hope Dots will react fine.” Wilhemina remembered Emma had commented something about it. 

“That’s the only thing I’m nervous about. But I’m willing to be very careful and give all my attention so that everything goes smoothly.” They turned into the avenue, now. Emma began looking around for a spot she could park at.

“I’m sure it will. Dots seems like a lovely cat.” Venable looked through the crowd of people and cars; everything was so full and busy. I hope we can get tickets. 

“Thank you.” In a swift motion, Emma managed to find a spot just around the block. The bright, red lights of the theater could already be seen, leaving everything around it with an almost magical glow. Wilhemina allowed her eyes to travel to Emma once again, watching as she attentively parked the car, hands on the wheel and gear. Her nails are painted red. Unlike Billie Dean’s, they weren’t as long. “Ready?” Emma smiled at Venable when she turned the car off. Wilhemina nodded and began collecting her things to get out. Quickly, Emma stepped out of the car and went to Venable’s side, opening the door to her and offering a hand. With tinting cheeks, Wilhemina hesitantly reached for it. 

“Thank you.” Venable leaned on her cane, purse on her shoulder. Once she was standing steady, she let go of Emma’s hand to fix her clothes and hair. 

“It’s my pleasure.” Emma waited until Wilhemina was done and reached for her hand again. “Shall we?”

“Yes.” Hand in hand, they walked through the people. Venable’s chest fluttered softly.