#yeah my REAL LIFE brother and i have been close since we were kids

[rhys-ravenfeather]

*Disclaimer: When I made this, I was thinking about people who act like siblings can't/shouldn't like one another and have positive relationships, but this also applies to proshippers, as well as people who think it's okay to ship adopted/foster/step-siblings together because 'they're not blood-related'.

[gentlyweeps-world]

boy next door

summary: He always comes around when you least expect him.

pairing: logan sarge x reader

warnings: none

genre: angst/fluff-ish | childhood friends-crushes | lowkey toxic

notes: LOGAN LOOKED SO GOOD IN THOSE LIVERY LAUNCH PICTURES

LIGHTS OUT AND AWAY WE GO

You had always known Logan, growing up with him until him and his family moved away, at the time you didn’t know why.

When you were younger you knew he had taken some sort of interest in motorsports. When him and his brother got karts Logan invited you to watch them race around.

You both were young kids and had crushes on each other. Your parents loved it, especially since you were neighbors.

You couldn’t count how many backyard barbecues you were invited to, or how many times you were brought out fishing.

But it all had stopped one summer, you were 16 almost 17, you and Logan had still talked, still hung out when he was in town, but then he “ghosted” you.

You were heartbroken, your parents were concerned. Neither they nor you understood why. In fact his parents didn’t even know.

You tried to move on, even dated a few people. None of them ever stuck.

Suddenly one day you saw Logan on TV, a race in Monaco, you were stunned. “Is that him?” You asked yourself. He had gone for it, he actually achieved his dream.

You remember countless nights when you two would sneak away, whispering to each other about how Logan would become a world renowned formula one driver and you’d be there right alongside him.

Was it naive- yes, but you were kids, at the time it all felt so real, so believable.

Then you saw him later into 2023, maybe a month or two after the Monaco race, at a friends wedding, a close friend, a mutual friend of yours and Logan’s.

You both had made eye contact after the reception, exchanging awkward yet eager smiles. Then it occurred to you- you had brought a date.

Your date was a recent rebound, you liked him but didn’t feel that same spark. You excused yourself from your date early as if on cue.

You move past some people at the after party, everyone was up and talking, drinks in hands as they share stories.

You finally lock eyes with Logan again, he was sitting at a table by himself, sipping on what looked like some soda.

He stood up as you approached. A familiar look of regret on his face, he stepped toward you and embraced you tightly. “It’s been too long.”

“Hi- hi..how have you been..” You say, pulling away from him as you look into his eyes- those blue/green eyes you fell in love with.

“Not all that great actually.” He said with a sheepish smile, clearly wanting to explain himself but unable to.

“Yeah uh..I heard, I’ve been keeping up to date with formula one..” You say with a soft smile.

“I’m glad about that…” He said trailing off. He was unable to continue, it was clear he wanted to explain and clear the air.

An idea suddenly comes to you, grabbing Logan’s hand you lead him through the crowd and outside, thankfully in Florida it was nice and warm out for the night.

You spot a bench nearby, walking over to it you sit down, patting the spot next to you for Logan.

Gratefully Logan joins you, taking a deep breath before finally letting it out. The air between you two is tense and awkward as Logan finally begins to speak. “There are some things I should’ve said.”

“Definitely..” You say, looking over at him.

Logan lets out a deep sigh before continuing. “You have every right to be mad at me for just disappearing on you like that. I had a dream…I didn’t think you’d understand.”

“Logan- I have known you since we could walk..your dream- we shared that..I wanted that for you, and I was apart of it..”

Logan’s expression softens slightly as he looks into your eyes and it becomes clear just how badly he wants to hold you. “Maybe not all dreams come true, but I thought you might have given up wanting me to come back to you. I have a lot of regret about that night, you were the most important person in my life, and I walked right out of it.”

Your eyes go wide as he mentions that night.

Soooo maybe he didn’t exactly ghost you out of nowhere- he really didn’t, you just didn’t want to admit that.

It happened when you were both 16. You had agreed to go to a friends party, together. Key word being together.

Everyone knew you and Logan had something going on, but they also knew it wasn’t official.

But you were strictly known as Logan’s girl.

That’s why you had the argument- you hated being known as Logan’s girl- because you knew the word had no meaning behind it.

“I like you Y/n! Just I don’t want to be with you!” Logan shouts, throwing his hands up.

“Then why did you say all of those things? You can’t just play with someone like that?!”

“Well maybe you’re just easy to play with!”

You had gone silent as soon as he said that, you could hear your blood rushing, you could feel your heart break, and you could see Logan instantly regret his words.

“That’s not what- I’m sorry Y/n..” He says, reaching out towards you.

“I hate you Logan”

That was the last thing you had said to him before he went back to Europe. He was your first everything, and it had hurt.

“Yeah that night…” You mumble out, looking into his eyes, “that night was something..”

“God, that was the biggest mistake I’ve made in my whole life…” he says before letting out a long sigh.

He reaches out to touch your face but hesitates, then lets his hand fall to his side. “I knew that once you left my life there was a chance I’d never see you again… I was devastated, there was nothing I wanted more than to see you again but I was afraid you hated me.”

“Let’s just enjoy this moment..” You say softly, reaching for his hand to place it on the side of your face.

Logan’s expression softens as you take his hand and rest it against your face. He looks down at his hand, tracing his fingers across your cheek and gently brushing his thumb over your lips.

That night of your friends wedding- you and Logan had connected again, some would say you both “connected” in a different way..

But then he left again, without a word. That time it hurt, but not as nearly as bad, you honestly kind of expected it.

This time you were back from university to visit your parents, you were outside helping your mom with her flowers when you heard the wheels of a suitcase on pavement.

Looking up you spot Logan, sunglasses on adorned with a smile.

He looked good, he always looked good.

“He’s here for a few days” You hear your mother say. She knew, she knew you two still loved each other, but she also knew you two would self sabotage.

“Oh right right..” You mumble out, looking away from Logan just as he notices you.

A few hours had passed, your parents were out for dinner with a few friends. You opted to stay back, working on some online classes you were taking.

Sitting in your childhood bedroom you click away at your laptop until you heard a tap..tap..tap at your window.

Getting up you go to look who or what it is, and to your surprise, it wasn’t actually a surprise, it was Logan.

He gives you a small smile, you return it, starting to open the window for him to come in. Once it’s opened he pulls himself in, awkwardly standing there.

“Uh- hey..” He says with a small smile, shifting in place where he stands.

“Hi..” You say softly, admiring the way his eyes crinkle and the cute little moles on his face. You could feel the tension in the air between you two, the same tension from the night of the wedding, the same one from that night.

Inching toward you Logan closes the distance between the two of you. “Is it okay if I…” He starts to ask, letting a breath out as he moves in closer.

He rests his hands on your hips, inching closer. In a whisper he asks “Can I?”

“Of course Logan..” You whisper out, reaching up your own hand to cup the side of his face.

Slowly Logan leans in and kisses you. His lips meet yours and the tension that had been hanging was completely released. Your lips fit together like a puzzle piece, it felt so natural with him.

That night was wonderful- even better than the one of the wedding.

You were invited to a cookout the next day by his parents- and you didn’t hesitate to say yes.

You talk and catch up with some Logan’s family and closer friends, a smile etched on your face the entire time- you felt complete, like that emptiness you had was filled.

You hear Logan’s name be called, glancing up and around you spot him.

You feel your heart drop, a sudden wave of sickness washing over you.

His arm was wrapped around a girls waist.

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

notes 🪩: Oops? This was supposed to be a fluffy rom-com type fic but obviously I didn’t follow that 🤗

I am working on the next part to rookie days so look out for that!!

send in requests or comments, and ask to be added to taglist if wanted! 💙

permanent taglist: @cixrosie @amajixi @i-wish-this-was-me @nelly187

[positivexcellence]

Jared Padalecki Says Goodbye to ‘Walker’ and Blasts the CW’s ‘Cheap Content’ Strategy After Show’s Cancellation: ‘F— It. They Can’t Fire Me Again’

The writers first introduced this Jackal storyline at the end of the third season as a way to excavate more demons from Cordell and Captain James’ (Coby Bell) shared past. What did this storyline help you unlock in terms of your understanding of Cordell? What were you most interested in exploring from a character perspective?

I’ve been fortunate enough for many years, many decades, to play characters that are in situations where the story is not about the situation necessarily: It’s about what’s going on with the character. On “Supernatural,” we fought God, we fought Lucifer, I was Lucifer at one point, we fought demons — but it was really about the brothers. It was about a bond; it was about the tropes of sacrifice, loyalty, determination, discipline and so many more things.

So when the Jackal storyline first occurred to the gang, [a serial killer storyline] was something that we hadn’t approached yet on “Walker.” And it’s something that the real Texas Rangers actually get involved with: They do hunt down and investigate serial killer allegations. So it was a fun template with which to play out past traumas, [as well as this idea of] trusting those close to you and them trusting you back and getting out of your head.

I don’t want to say I suffer [from this], but I’m in my head a lot. Partially that’s my nature, just the way I was born; and partially that’s my nurture, being an actor. You have your script, you read it, and you’re like, “OK, now what can I add? What does this mean?” So I just spend a lot of time in my head, and oftentimes it takes somebody beloved that’s part of my circle to go, “Hey, you all right?” And I’ll be like, “Oh shit. Yeah, sorry, I’ve been kind of elsewhere.” So [I enjoyed] playing that role this season, and understanding how the rabbit hole of emotions in your mind can sometimes affect more than just you.

This iteration of “Walker” has always been about Cordell’s neverending internal struggle to find the right work-life balance. For me, he seems to finally recognize that he’s done plenty of great work as a Ranger, but he has yet to really fulfill his duties as a father, even though he is about to become an empty nester. What is your take on where we leave him in the finale?

Yeah, it’s exactly that — and kudos to Anna and the rest of the writing gang. It was a lot of what I was going through [in real life]. It’s a lot of what I’m going through now, having worked since I was 17 years old when I started “Gilmore Girls.” There are a lot of things that you miss when you’re acting — a lot of graduations, camp drop-offs, kids’ games, whatever. It’s a wonderful job, and I’m so grateful to have been able to do it for so long, but there’s a lot that you give up.

So I think where we find Cordell in the finale is exactly in that spot where he’s no longer anxiety- or panic-driven about having to do the next job, having to get up and find somebody to arrest or find something to fix or investigate. He has realized — much to the credit of Jeff Pierre’s Trey, Ashley Reyes’ Cassie, and obviously Coby Bell’s Larry James — that, “Hey, the world goes on without you.” I think Cordell was in his own head for a lot of the episodes, and afraid that if he wasn’t around, things would fall apart. I think he found a place where he is like, “The world was here before me. The world will be here after me. And what I need to do for those around me is spend time with them.” So he’s come to a realization that there’s more than just the next job.

I think it took him — I don’t want to call it rock bottom, but getting out of control with his obsession with the Jackal to realize, “Oh, wait, maybe I need to step away from this for a little bit, and when I come back, I’ll come back stronger and more clear headed.” There will always be another job, but the family is growing up. August is graduating, Stella is in college, and he and Geri are working through some stuff. So I think he realized that, “Hey, I need to put my energies elsewhere.” It’s told in TV form, but it’s a really universal lesson. Sometimes, just doing something different, just changing your routine, can open your eyes to not only the positives of the routine — but also the drawbacks.

The writers have put Cordell through the wringer over the years, but this is the closest that he came to dying. The idea of mortality becomes even more intense when you become a parent — and, in Cordell’s case, a widowed single parent — because you have to think about what you’re leaving behind for your children.

Great point. [My wife] Genevieve [who played Cordell’s late wife, Emily] and I talk about that all the time, as parents. I think this is one of the lessons that both Gen and I hope to give to our kids, and for them to grasp as well. As kids grow up — and even adults — they will often deal with and question: “Is what I’m doing right? Should I be doing something else? If I’m not important here, then am I important at all?” I think part of the reason Cordell makes the decision that he does at the end of the finale is to show his kids: “Hey, I know I’ve been doing this, and it is very important. But so are you. It’s not a ‘no, but.’ It’s a ‘yes, and.’” It takes courage to leave routine, to leave habits, and I think he wants his kids to know, “Hey, it’s OK if y’all have to pivot, if y’all have to change. Do what you know is right, not what you think other people think is right.”

Unlike some other shows on the bubble, you and the writers elected not to shoot an alternate ending. That means you’ve left the audience with a couple big cliffhangers: In addition to taking a leave of absence, Cordell is also planning to propose to Geri; and James Van Der Beek was going to play the Walkers’ new (and potentially nefarious) neighbor. Did you and Anna discuss what next season would have looked like?

Yeah, there was so much to deal with, now that Violet and Kale are both young adults. They’re not children like they were four years ago, both literally and metaphorically. So there was a lot that we were going to explore with them — like, how much the sins of the father can carry down to the progeny, and how much Stella and/or August had, unfortunately, [inherited] their father’s bad qualities as well, which we dealt with this year with Stella. She’s very much like her father in the good ways and in the bad ways.

But we were very excited to have James on the show. He’s a personal friend, and he lives here in Austin. It wasn’t going to be like the Walker-Davidson feud necessarily [from Season 2], and the fifth season was certainly not written by any means, but I think there was going to be a very interesting dynamic that Cordell was maybe not anticipating, because he was taking a backseat on his law enforcement duties. We thought that James and his crew were going to be maybe up to no good, and Walker was just blinded to it.

Walker was a “Hell yes” or “hell no” kind of guy; he was either all-in on something, or he was kind of oblivious to it. And that was good when he was all-in on a job or all-in on trying to work with his family. But it was bad when he was oblivious: “Oh, no, the kids are fine. I’m fine. They’re nice. Don’t be suspicious of this person, or that person.” And he kind of got stuck in his own head, as we all often do at times. So we were going to explore that.

Is there something that you would have personally loved to have explored further with Cordell, if you had been given more time?

Oh my God. How long do you have? I really would’ve done the show forever. I just loved my character. I loved that I got to be in Austin with my family. I loved my cast and loved our crew. Maybe this is what ultimately was our downfall, but we weren’t ever seeking like, “Oh, here’s the explosion. Oh, here’s the wild cliffhanger where the aliens come down. Oh, here’s the next hot reality star that comes in and takes their clothes off.” It was never about sensationalism. It was more about life. When Anna and I first talked about the show many years ago, one of the reasons [this reboot] was called “Walker,” not “Walker, Texas Ranger,” was because he’s a widow and a father who happens to be in law enforcement. It was an exploration of everything that life could have to offer — heartbreak, disappointment, shame, love, becoming an empty nester — and I’m worse than heartbroken that we are not going to get to explore all those storylines. 

You’ve developed a tradition, on both “Supernatural” and “Walker,” of being the one to deliver the news of a renewal or a cancellation to your cast and crew. How did that happen this time around?

Yes. I talked to David Stapf at CBS and Brad Schwartz at CW before the announcement was made. And when Brad and I were talking, he was wildly flattering of “Walker” and what we had done, and he has his directives as well. He asked me, “Hey, how would you feel if we release the news or if you release the news? Do you have a preference? You’re CW royalty. You’ve been here since Day 1. How do you want to do this?” I thought about it, and I was like, “You know what, man? I think it might be best if I go ahead and make the announcement.” He was like, “Cool. Just go ahead.” And I asked him, “Do you want me to send what I’m going to post to you first, or do you want me to just go and post it?” And he goes, “We know you. We love you. We trust you. You don’t need to double check it with me. Just go ahead and send it when you’re ready.”

It was not easy to see the keyboard on my phone through the tears in my eyes, but I was grateful that I was allowed to [do that]. So often, when these big announcements are made, it’s like, “OK, here’s what’s going to happen. Don’t say anything until 1 p.m. in three days because we haven’t called all the outlets yet.” It felt like a very human send-off to go, “OK, do what you need to say, and we will reiterate it.” It felt like a great part of the closure that I’m still seeking. 

Did The CW ever give you a reason for the cancellation? Did it come down to budgetary reasons? Do you know any of the particulars?

Yeah. I talked with the head of CBS and the head of Nexstar/CW, I talked with the other [executive producers] on “Walker,” and I think it was a multivariate kind of issue. My understanding is — and again, this is just what I’m told — that Nexstar is going in a different direction with The CW. I mean, they have an hour of “Trivial Pursuit” and an hour of “Scrabble” coming up. I don’t know why you wouldn’t just download the app or grab a board game and play with your friends, but they’re clearly just — what’s that great quote? It’s like, “If somebody tells you who they are, ask questions. If somebody shows you who they are, believe them.”

I feel like The CW that I was a part of last year is not The CW that I was a part of under [former chairman and CEO] Mark Pedowitz for that entire, almost 20-year stretch. They’re just changing the network around, where it’s not really going to be a TV network as much as it’s going to be, “Here’s something fun for an hour that you’ll never watch again, but hopefully you watch it. And it’s cheap!” And I hate to say that, but I’m just being honest. I mean, fuck it. They can’t fire me again. I’m just being brutally honest. I think it felt to me like they were looking for really easy, cheap content that they could fill up time with.

You’ve only had a few weeks to process the cancellation, but have you given any thought to what you will do next?

I left two days [after the cancellation was announced] to go to Europe for work and then for play. My wife and kids met me out there, and we took a little vacation that was already planned. It was strange, and it was both horrible and wonderful. It was horrible because I really wanted to grieve. I really wanted to sit there and grieve, and call my cast. But here I was, eight or 10 hours ahead of their time zone, and I couldn’t make a phone call to everybody I wanted to make. The texts would come in when I woke up in the morning, and I just wanted or needed a personal connection with everybody who I had worked with for so long. But it was great, because I had a lot of distractions.

But I haven’t taken a whole lot of time just yet to think about what’s next. I kind of said this at the end of “Supernatural”: I wasn’t interested in acting [again], per se. I do love producing. I love the production aspect, and I love the problem-solving that comes with it. So there are a few things that my wife and I are in the process of developing that I would love to produce and act in. But beyond that, I still feel like I haven’t grieved the loss of “Walker,” so I don’t know yet if I trust my feelings. That sounds like a cop-out. I’m so sorry.

No, that’s a totally valid answer, considering that you openly spoke about how you hoped “Walker” would last just as long as, if not longer than, “Supernatural.” It’s natural that you wouldn’t necessarily know where to go from here.

Yeah, I don’t want to disappear into the bushes by any means, but I kind of want to disappear into the bushes. But hopefully, at this point in my life, and much like Cordell realized at the end of Season 4, I need to take a good, long, hard look at my personal life and the time I spend with my family and my friends, and I need to stop being so aggressive and obsessed with work. I still want to work, but for now, you’ll find me in and out of the bushes, hanging out with family and seeing friends. If a project comes up and I don’t care about it, then money doesn’t matter. But if a project comes up and I love the story or there’s somebody I really want to work with, then all right, [I’ll do it].

One of the people that you presumably want to work with again is Eric Kripke, who already recruited your former “Supernatural” costar Jensen Ackles to star in his current show, “The Boys.” Now that your schedule has opened up, are you officially joining the final season of “The Boys”?

Well, I’ll say this: Kripke and I texted today. It’s not been written yet, but I think he was saying [the final season] doesn’t even film until 2025. So yeah, I’m going to go play in Kripke’s newest playground. I had a great time the first time around, so I’m sure I’ll have a great time here again. I love the show. I think it’s hilarious and exciting. But you were asking what my plans for the future were — and I love Jensen and Eric Kripke. Obviously, I’ll be indebted to [Kripke] and entangled with him forever. I met my wife because of him. I was Sam Winchester because of him. “Supernatural” happened because of him. So working with him on a show that I enjoy, I’m like, “Yeah, when do I fly out?” But I don’t think we would film until at least January. 

Your body of work has spanned so many genres, but is there a specific genre that you are looking to explore next?

I thought “Walker” was kind of a mixture of “Gilmore Girls” and “Supernatural.” It was a family show with excitement and stunts, and macro storylines married with the micro. You know what? There’s a script that I love, and if we can get it turned into something, then I’d love to be a part of it. It’s actually a sitcom, but not a slapstick or knee-slapping sitcom. It’s kind of like a family-esque sitcom. It could actually be an hourlong show that you’d kind of define as a sitcom.

One of the things I really enjoyed about “Walker” was the humor that I was able to try and bring to screen, because my characters on “Gilmore Girls” and “Supernatural” were more stoic and serious, and I am by nature a much goofier person than the characters I’d played for 20 years. It terrifies me, because I think I’m funny among friends, but I don’t think I’m a funny person. I just think I’m goofy.

I’d like to explore that. It’s scary. It’s something I haven’t done, and I think I’d be very intrigued. 

It seems very difficult for dramatic actors to make that transition to comedy.

It’s so difficult!

You’ve now starred in over 450 episodes of primetime network TV, which is no small feat. What is your biggest takeaway from the time you’ve spent on The WB and The CW? When you think back to your biggest aspirations when you began on “Gilmore Girls,” how did your dreams ultimately compare to your reality?

Yeah, it’s been a long time. I think there’s some form of the saying, “If I only knew then what I know now…” Oftentimes, [this is] such a cutthroat industry. I think I spent so long in my adult life trying to get to a point where I could live my life, where I felt comfortable, where I felt safe and secure. I love storytelling. I love storytellers. I love raconteurs. I love that friend we all have that can just talk for an hour, and you’re laughing, you’re crying, you’re interested, and you’re learning. I love being able to pretend to be one of those characters on screen.

But I think along the way, it feels like I really learned, “Hey, don’t work to earn. Work to learn.” And at some point in time, you’ve got to look in the mirror and go, “Hey, you’re working towards some ever-moving goalpost. Why don’t you try and enjoy it now?” I think that’s kind of where I sit now. We’re just about a month [removed] from the announcement that we weren’t picked up again, so it’s kind of funny how life imitates art, or art imitates life. What Cordell went through in the finale and what I’m going through now are mirrors. I’ll be 42 next month. Am I waiting until I’m 60 and I have 800 episodes of television or something? I have to live my life now. I’ve got a 12-year-old, a 10-year-old, and a 7-year-old. 

I think, ironically, in trying to tell somebody else’s story for so long, I’ve realized that my story has value too.

Variety

[i-am-beckyu]

Just out of Reach, but Never out of Sight

So..... it's been *looks at last update* SHEESH A YEAR ?!?! Uhhhh I'm so sorry this took so long to update, but I am far from done with this au so let's go for getting another upload! I've shared my views on the whole William Gold thing so further explanation is here. But without further a do, enjoy!

Chapter 4

chapter 1, chapter 2, chapter 3 cw: panic, anxiety, fear of abandonment, mentions of child abuse/neglect and a whole lot of fluff :3 wc: 3938

Disclaimer! This story is based on the characters of the Dream SMP and not the real life content creators. Anything that occurs in this story is purely fiction and should be treated as such. Thank you.

 ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *. .*  ･ ｡ﾟ☆ : ☽ .* ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *. .* 

Wilbur sat at the dining room table, his plate of syrup-drowned waffles staring back at him.

He wanted to know what Phil and Tommy were talking about and why the boy had hid under the bed.

He thought they’d calmed him down last night? 

The second he’d given Tommy the little cow plushie, Wilbur noticed how the boy’s eyes had widened with wonder. It was the sweetest thing the blonde had done since he met him, and he’d had to hold himself back from cooing and wrapping the boy into a hug.

But doing that would definitely be overstepping some kind of boundary judging by Tommy’s reactions and that was the last thing the brunette wanted to do. All the evidence was right there when he’d thought about it as he drifted off to sleep the night before. The flinching, the withdrawnness and the fear of saying the wrong thing; it all just began to add up. 

Tommy had been abused.

No child would be dressed in poorly put together rags and react the way they had if they hadn’t thought they were going to be hurt. Hiding under the bed was the confirmation he needed that his assumptions were true and all he could think about was how he didn’t want anyone else hurting that sweet little boy ever again.

Not if he had anything to say about it.

“What’s got you in a tizzy?” 

Wilbur lifted his head to see his twin, Technoblade, leaned up against the kitchen counter with a freshly poured steaming cup of coffee.

“Morning Techno. Sorry, didn’t hear you enter.”

“It’s not like you to be up so early Wil.”  The pink-haired teen commented curiously. 

He couldn’t help but observe the way his brother kept their gaze trained towards the hallway as he joined them at the dining table. He could make out the muffled voice of Phil talking from the other room but not what was being said.

“Is it that kid Dad brought home?” Technoblade asked. “I heard you both calling for them this morning which woke me up.” 

“Yeah, sorry about that.” Wilbur smiled apologetically as he faced his brother across the table. “We were, but Dad’s with him now under the bed.”

“He’s what?” Techno arched his brow perplexed. “Under the bed?”

“Yeah.” Wilbur sighed heavily. “I think I spooked him when I was going to come in about breakfast, and he panicked.” 

He couldn’t help but think about how closed off Tommy had been the night before. The way he seemed to carefully choose his movements and would shrink back if he felt like he overdid it. He wanted to see the Tommy with the spitfire attitude. Not the child that felt the need to tread carefully through every interaction.

“I think- I think wherever he came from he was abused, Tech.” 

“Well from how you and Dad described him in the messages, it certainly wouldn’t be too far-fetched to assume it.” Techno sipped his coffee as Wilbur grabbed his knife to cut into his waffles and sighed.

“Well whatever happened to Tommy, I’m hoping we can get him to open up and talk to us.” 

For his sake.

 ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *. .*  ･ ｡ﾟ☆ : ☽ .* ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *. .* 

Leaving the guest bedroom had been far harder than what it should have been.

While he knew Phil was only concerned for his well being, Tommy wasn’t quite sure he was ready to be in the presence of all 3 Beans at once. 

He knew Phil had mentioned the night before about Techno coming home late which undoubtedly meant the teen was up by now having his morning coffee and Tommy knew how Techno tended to act around ‘new visitors.’ 

One good perk of living in the walls was you learned how every person of the household acted around each other, and new people. Phil and Wilbur were always fairly welcoming, but Techno wasn’t the easiest to talk to. If you didn’t know him, he may come across as cold and calculating. Not the easiest person to approach without shaking in your boots that’s for sure.

But as Tommy would tell you, he knew that after the guests had all left, the sheer amount of relief the pinkette would feel, further revealing how awkward they had been about being around these ‘strangers’ was hilarious. It wasn’t a villain behind glasses moment, just an awkward teen with limited social skills. 

Tommy couldn’t help but giggle to himself as he’d watched the teen collapse in his bed after a certain interaction with a salesman as if it had drained all the life out of him. People just weren’t Techno’s strong suit.

But even knowing this didn’t ease the boy's nerves. It didn’t change the fact that even if Technoblade was socially awkward that he wasn’t capable of harm. The fencing trophies in his room a testament to that feat of strength.

His nervousness about having breakfast with the 3 must have been obvious, because Phil had gently placed his hand on his shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze before leading them both out of the guest room and to the dining room.

Just breathe Tommy. They don't know what you are yet. 

You’re okay for now.

“Morning Tech, good to see you up and about.” Phil greeted chipperly as he manoeuvred himself into the kitchen leaving Tommy to observe by the hallway. “I’d like you to meet Tommy.”

Tommy briefly met Techno’s gaze and was met with a solemn stare as they sipped on their coffee. He’d be joking if he said he knew what was going on in the teens head. 

The blonde forced himself to give one short acknowledging nod at the pinkette, not trusting his voice to form any coherent words as he shifted uncomfortably from where he stood. He deliberately kept his eyes averted from the twins at the table, fully well knowing Techno was most definitely staring at him, if the hot feeling of holes being burnt through his chest wasn’t already obvious enough. 

It took everything in him to not run right there and then.

“Tommy, why don’t you take a seat next to Techno and I’ll fix you up something to eat.”

Okay now would be a good time for his voice box to work because there was no way he wanted to sit next to Technoblade. 

That was NOT his ideal way of getting caught. 

It didn’t matter if humans couldn’t read minds, if anyone could catch on to something being off, it would be Technoblade. It was like the teen had a sixth sense and somehow just always knew when something wasn’t quite right. Just like the moving of the craft knife, he was sure if he slipped up in front of Techno, they’d know and it would be game over and onto the torture in a heartbeat.

Thankfully, it didn’t seem like it would come to that, as Techno was quick to stand and tuck in his chair as he excused himself to finish some upcoming school work.

“All good Dad, I’ve got homework to finish before school on Monday. I’ll just excuse myself.”

Tommy felt himself relax. Oh, thank Prime for humans and their absurd amounts of homework! Even if he didn’t really understand why they got it.

“Alright Techno, just make sure to have something more than coffee this morning alright? And don’t let me catch you having something potato-based before lunch, got it?”

“No promises.” The pinkette replied, before grabbing an apple from the refrigerator and began walking towards his room.

Tommy however was still glued to the hallway. 

The hallway that led to said Bean's bedroom.

Even though he was Bean sized right now, Technoblade still towered over the young boy. So much so that the light overhead was slightly obscured, casting an eerie shadow over the teens face making his deep brown eyes appear to glow a dark red. Tommy felt the way his heart spiked, his instincts screaming at him to run as his eyes darted around looking for potential tunnels and crevices to escape to. Anything to get away from this predator of man as they came to a steady stop before him.

“Ahem.” The teen cleared his throat along with a flick of his head.

What did he want? He hadn’t even done anything and was already in trouble? Should he have moved to the table quicker? Or had he stared too long?

A second cough with another jerk of the teen's head as Tommy’s anxiety began to grow finally keyed what Techno wanted from him.

Oh . 

He wanted him to move.

“Tech, quit scaring the poor kid and go around them.” Phil teasingly scolded. “You’re gonna give Tommy a heart attack.”

Techno huffed in minor annoyance before shuffling past, minorly brushing against Tommy’s arm as he did. It wasn’t hard or anything, but Tommy couldn’t suppress the flinch it caused from his prior panic. He missed the way Techno’s eyes furrowed in concern as he hurried to move before he caused any more problems.

“Don’t mind him Tommy,” Wilbur piped up, drawing the younger's attention back to the table. “He’s not much of a people person.”

The blonde finally let himself breathe as he brought his attention back to the brunette as they continued. “Come take a seat and have some breakfast, yeah?”

Tommy nodded, gingerly making his way over to the table plopping down opposite Wilbur as instructed before. As he sat, Phil picked up a plate and served a freshly cooked waffle onto it, before drizzling it in thick golden syrup and strawberries.

“Here you are, mate.” The man said placing the decorative dessert in front of him with a knife and fork.

He whispered his thanks as he picked up the utensils, but the Borrower couldn’t help but be on edge. Even if Phil and Wilbur had been nice to him his whole stay, Techno clearly didn’t want him here. He was sure that after breakfast, Phil was going to take him back to the park like he’d said, but then what? He couldn’t tell them that his real home was actually here, but also couldn’t risk being taken to the park and never finding his way back.

There had to be a way to figure out this whole mess before they brought up leaving. At most he just had to figure out a way to get back from the park after they left him there because it’s not like the walls were an option until he had a grasp on how he kept growing and shrinking.

Tommy cut a bit of the waffle off before stabbing it and a strawberry onto his fork, the maple syrup having sunken into the fluffy dessert. At least he’d get to enjoy one more good meal before he gets temporarily kicked out. 

‘Hopefully not forever’ the Borrower thought bitterly at the idea of abandoning yet another home.

“So, Tommy,” Phil began as he set a plate of his own waffles down to join the pair at the table. “Feeling a bit better?”

“Yeah, a bit.” He answered as he took another mouthful of waffle. “The waffles are really good.” The boy said, muffled between chews.

“Ew, finish your mouthful before you speak.” Wilbur grimaced as Tommy shovelled another forkful of waffle in. “I don’t want to see your mushed-up breakfast, thanks.”

Tommy slowed his chewing and allowed himself to swallow. Shoot, he hadn’t meant to upset him with how he ate again. Did he now have to be conscious about how he ate too? He thought humans ate like this all the time though?

“Wilbur.” Phil scolded as he elbowed his son in the arm. “You’re almost as bad as Techno.” 

The man sighed before turning his attention back to the tense blonde with a sympathetic smile. “It’s alright Tommy that’s not what Wilbur meant. It’s just you need to finish your mouthful before speaking. You could choke if you’re not careful.”

The boy nodded hesitantly before taking another mouthful and chewing it fully before swallowing. Why did humans have to have so many rules? In the colony, no one would have bat an eye if you spoke with your mouth full. You’d get your share and move on. How you ate was no one’s business and certainly no one cared about how Tommy ate. Then again, he’d never really had enough food to stuff his face when he was at the colony for it to be an issue. 

Perhaps he was being sloppy…

“Sorry.” He whispered before taking another bite. 

Phil sighed, setting down his knife with a soft clink. How was he going to get this kid to see that he was safe here? He hadn’t meant to make them feel more uncomfortable but it seemed the stress of it all was starting to get to the kid.

The man stared at the plate in front of him, his waffles half-eaten and starting to get cold. Each step of progress to make Tommy feel comfortable felt like it took 2 steps back. The kid was probably itching to get to the park and get back home too, but the thought of leaving Tommy like this just didn’t sit well with him. He glanced at the young blonde as he took his time with each bite, noticing how his gaze flicked from Wilbur to him and back to the plate worried as they ate in silence.

So tense, like walking on thin ice…

After finishing pacing himself on breakfast, Tommy had been intercepted by Wilbur. 

The brunette had taken one look at him and insisted he have a shower, shoving some clean clothes into him and ushered him into the bathroom. It’s a good thing he knew how taps worked, because understanding how to change water temperature would have been an awful experience had he not. 

Despite feeling bad about using the Crafts water, Tommy had to admit being able to wash up properly after so long felt wonderfully refreshing. Even seeing his own reflection in the mirror; clean and well-groomed for the first time in years, had him taken aback at how nice his hair and skin looked after a good wash.

The clothes Wilbur had given him had been some old clothes he didn’t fit into anymore and had had lying around. A pair of jeans, a basic t-shirt with some humans on it that Tommy didn’t recognise and an old blue sweater that was slightly too big on him. It felt odd to wear clothes made with fabrics of such high quality, but he instantly fell in love with the sweater. 

Now yes, he was aware of how bad his clothes had been. They were basically falling to bits on him, but it’s not like he didn’t know that. The Great Tommyinnit knows how to make nice clothes thank you very much.

If anything he was a pro tailor back in the colony, but considering he’d been roaming for weeks at a time carrying only the bare necessities before finally settling in at the crafts; new clothes hadn’t been much of a priority. He’d only really just managed to get his new home to his liking and with all the necessities he would need. New clothing had been next on his to-do list, if the mud-stained and holey garments he wore daily had made any indications of needing them.

He just needed a few days to gather the fabric and thread and he’d have a new wardrobe within the week. But the clothes he made vs the clothes Wilbur had lent him were nothing in comparison to quality! It was all just so soft and silky feeling and Tommy almost never wanted to take any of it off even if it was slightly too big. It wouldn’t be hard to adjust the seams on the jeans to make them fit better and the same with the shirt. His trusty handmade needle could make quick work of that. 

Maybe Wilbur wouldn’t mind if he took them home with him? 

That was, if he’d ever be able to go home.

Tommy still didn’t understand how any of this worked and trying to make himself leave the bathroom to ‘take him home’ was not helping.

The curling feeling in his gut telling him to just stay put and hide kept him mulling over the options in his head. But how could he do that after he told Phil he lived near the park? They would expect him to be fine once he left and go back home just like he supposedly wanted.

He turned to face himself in the mirror, stray water droplets dripped down the side of his face from his still-damp hair. The clean, presentable Tommy he saw now, no longer the same dirty, orphan he knew he was. Perhaps if he’d always been like this, he’d never have been kicked out of the colony. He never would have been alienated by those meant to care, never felt so small when it was normal. But now he was big, clean and everything someone might love as a Human Bean and yet he felt so fake hiding behind a false facade.

After all, he was only a Borrower.

The dreaded small feeling came creeping back in and all it took was one glance at the mirror for Tommy to wish he was back to his old self. He shouldn’t have put the thought of being loved in his head again. As much as he wanted to, he couldn’t bear the thought of the Crafts turning on him should this disguise fall. Tommy squeezed his eyes shut tightly as he clutched the edge of the sink counter.

He wanted to go home and be small again. Hide away where it was safe from all that was out to get him. Away from this reflection of a boy he didn’t recognise. A tingly sensation pricked at his skin as tears began to drip steadily down his cheeks. He was being childish; he knew that, but he didn’t care. Why couldn’t he just be loved as he was?

Upon opening his eyes to look at the disgrace that was him in the mirror, Tommy found he was no longer staring at himself, but rather at the side of the wooden cabinet- three times smaller than he’d been almost seconds before. 

He’d shrunk. Again?

Confusion swept over his mind as he scrubbed at his face. How did this keep happening? One second he’s big and hating his Bean size counterpart, the next he’s smaller and wishing….

To be smaller…

It suddenly all began to make sense as the puzzle pieces began to slot into place. Every time he’d grown or shrunk, he’d been wishing to change. To be bigger to catch up or smaller to go home. He willed it, and it happened. 

Did his desire to change trigger the shift of his size?

Tentatively, Tommy stood back from the counter and focused hard. He wanted to be smaller, like his old self. Small enough to fit through the cracks, small enough to hide out of sight, be 3 inches tall again, the only right size. The Tommy size.

The tingling returned, this time all over his body as the blonde focused on changing his shape to be what he envisioned. It was a warm sensation and Tommy thought it was strange how he’d never felt it until now. When the tingling dissipated, Tommy slowly opened his eyes as a small gasp escaped him.

“I shrunk.” He whispered in awe as he took in the now enlarged bathroom. He grabbed at his hands and arms, patting himself down to prove that he indeed had changed with a disbelieving laugh. “I’m me again.” 

“Ha, I’m actually me! Oh, thank prime.” Tommy cheered as he hugged himself tight. “I thought I’d never work this out.”

The familiarity of large objects and tall ceilings finally returned the Borrower's sense of normalcy. How he missed this. He could finally go home, size not restricting him at all and return back to the safety of the walls. Just the walls, his tiny shoebox home and-

Me.

Tommy glanced around the little bathroom. The light green tiles were clearly a design choice by Phil but the fluffy light blue towels were definitely a conscious decision by Wilbur, and you’d never guess the yellow daffodils were put together by Technoblade. Each had their own little way of expressing themselves.

Tommy sighed as he stared at his hands, inspecting them front and back.

So a simple thought was all it took to change size right? 

Just think big- be big. Simple. 

Right?

Only a bit of tingling later and Tommy was back to his Bean height. It truly took no effort at all, as if it was second nature to him. Not Borrower nature, but certainly something. Maybe the other Borrowers had always been able to sense that in him. This thing that wasn’t quite right was this incredible size-shifting ability that probably no one had ever heard of and he had it. He certainly was no Borrowerer and definitely not a Bean. 

But no one else knew that.

Tentatively, Tommy reached out and picked up a single Daffodil and twirled it in his hand. He’d heard Technoblade talking about how there was a whole language of flowers and that each one meant something different when presented to another person. He couldn’t remember what a Daffodil meant but, the flower itself brought the happy memories of Crafts to the forefront of his mind.

They didn’t know what he was and with this shifting ability sort of figured out, what could stop him from staying? Or at least from getting to know the Crafts better. With something to leave behind, all it would take is to leave a trail back to the Crafts house from the park and he could go and come when he pleased. He’d be able to walk distances that used to take him days in a matter of minutes with ease and the Crafts would never have to know about where his true place of residence was.

It was a second chance at having a real family, or at least a relationship with someone that didn’t immediately hate him. He wouldn’t have to leave forever and could come back and actually talk to someone! It may be risky without knowing the full extent of the shifts, but it was a chance and a chance he was willing to take. 

A knock at the door caused the boy to jump, but thankfully he remained silent this time. 

“Tommy you alright in there?” It was Phil. Bless the old man's heart for his concern. “You’ve been in there awhile and just wanted to check if you were okay?”

“Yeah, yeah I’m alright,” Tommy called back through the door looking around the bathroom for something to enact his hastily thrown together plan. “Just about done. I’ll be out in a minute.”

“Okay, we’ll get ready to leave shortly to take you back to the park then, if you’re happy to.” 

The blonde finally spotted something suitable for his trail and quickly grabbed a handful of decorative little blue pebbles from the bottom of a vase filled with fake pink camellia flowers and shoved them into his pocket before grabbing his dirty clothes.

“Sounds good, big man,” Tommy said as he opened the door to where the taller blonde was standing a little bit away looking minorly concerned.

“Let’s get going.” the boy said with a smile.

This was going to work. 

He knew it.

 ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *. .*  ･ ｡ﾟ☆ : ☽ .* ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *. .*

__________________________

YAY! WE FINISHED CHAPTER 4!!! WOOOOO Again I am so sorry this took so long to do. I've been working on it on and off for awhile with little progress and life has just been kicking my butt lately that finishing stuff up sucks. I have made a start on chapter 5 and I do plan to finish this fic, it just may take awhile with current circumstances.

HUGE thank you to @a-xyz-s and @munchkin1156 for beta reading this chapter and grammar issues! You are my heroes TwT.

TAG LIST: @local-squishmallow @brick-a-doodle-do @justarandomsloth @veryfunkycheesecake @munchkin1156 @kayla-crazy-stuffs @da3dm @eiscreme135 @orchid-harmony @the-tiny-lurker @colossal-red @nobodywritingao3 @nata2343 @bad-author777 @crazyfoxgirl10 @guppybubbles @box-beanz

Link to tag list for future tags :3

✨Thanks for reading! <3✨

[rrat-king]

And what if I tell you my Fight, Flight, Fawn theory for the Appleboys reuniting with Kristen. What then? Going by your age gaps of 2, 4, 8 because they're canon adjacent and the idea of the Applebees having a playpen when three out of four kids were 14, 12 and 10 is too funny. Assuming a reunion between Kris and the younger two happens post her birthday so it's 17, 13 and 9 respectively. Buckys is analysing his actual response we saw from 14 year old him. When I say leave in reference to Kristen, know that I know it wasn't her choice (Mac and Donna when I fucking get you)

Bucky got the Fawn response. I'll be real, when I began theorising that an Applebees brother would feature I thought "Oh god here comes the angst. There will be resentment, Mac and Donna have undoubtedly been talking shit for two years. But we see him and he's happy. He missed her. He hugs her. He wants to hang out. And yeah that probably stems from the fact you'll naturally miss your sibling and the fact he probably had to take the oldest sibling mantle. But he barely even commented on her life and friends (aside from the half baked comment about her living in sin and side eyeing Fig). I was expecting more problematic behaviours to be honest. The theory is he entered full people pleasing mode, desperately tampering down any complicated feelings because he NEEDS to make himself a good brother that Kristen will want to stay for this time (of course not realising Kristen will stay the best she can no matter if he kicks and screams)

Bricker got Fight. Was like 10 when Kris left, and I say this with love, in the absolute throes of puberty. I don't know what it is but this kid just gives me angry vibes, maybe it's the middle child. Very Nico DiAngelo "He looked too young to be so angry". When you're a kid, especially in that horrific period of 10-13 you go to the easy solution which is being mad, and you go to the easy target which is the one who "started" this huge upheaval (read Kristen). To a lesser extent, Bucky, for trying to play big brother (Bricker doesn't even realise this but the anger mostly came from a subconscious desire to preserve Kristen's place in the family for if she comes back).

(Bonus: Once they have a very good conversation and Bricker is reassured Kristen never did stop thinking about and loving him he will cry three years worth of pent up tears and beg her not to leave again)

Cork got Flight. He was only 6 when she left, its been 3 years of experiences (little man went from first grade to third in that time its a Lot). Kristen has physically changed a lot since they last saw each other. All this to say, he takes a minute to recognise this older person who's eyes are all wet at the sight of him. Some part of his brain blocked out memories of her because the way she was just gone one day was so scary to his little brain. When it does register who she is, Cork becomes completely unlike himself and gets shy. He makes Bucky stand close by because all he knows is that 1. This is a heathen who rebuked Helio's light 2. This is Krissy, back after what felt like forever and 3. She's so cool looking and why would someone this cool ever want to talk to him.

(Bonus: She played it off but Kristen's heart did break seeing Cork, the little boy she raised, take a minute to work out who she is, when she never forgot him. Not to quote Taylor but very "And I feel you forget me like I used to feel you breathe")

god yeah kristen having partially raised cork only for him not to know who she is anymore/barely recognize her haunts me so much. bucky as a people pleaser is such a good read especially as he is forced into kristen's role as head of the siblings I just. yeah. also angry bricker is so important to me. he got left behind! he's not ok with that and he's gonna be angry. god I just. applebees kids make me crazy this is such a good read.

[kharmii]

(Where Dabi takes Geten out of his Meta Liberation Army bubble so he can observe some normal people)

Geten: Is the Meta Liberation Army handbook short on stock?

Clerk: Sorry, that's all we have... *sigh*

Geten: Get a larger stock and they will sell!

Clerk: Thank you for your suggestion.

Geten: There's still time to be patient until that glorious day comes.

It can't be helped; I must refrain from using my meta ability in public. (To Dabi) What did you buy?

Dabi: It's a secret.

Geten: Stop following me!

Dabi: It's a babysitting job. Give me the pocket money the bald CEO gave you.

Geten: Don't call him bald!

Dabi: Let's get something to eat.

Geten: We'll go to the restaurant run by PLA soldiers and frequented by government officials that offers free all-you-can-eat meals to senior officials.

Dabi: That's so shitty.

(Dabi takes Geten to a popular fast-food burger joint instead)

Geten: -Looks messy

(Sign says 'Wo's Burgers')

Dabi: How can we talk about the future of society without knowing what's popular with our current society?

Worker: Welcome to Wo's. Can I take your order!

Random Girl: Hello, mom? The closing ceremony is over. Big brother is here too.

Random Older Boy: Which one is good?

Random Voice on Phone: Yes, I went to pick you up. I'll be back after lunch.

Random Younger Boy: No way.

Boy: The red one!

Older Brother: Seriously?!?!?! It's spicy!

Boy: Yeah! Ta-bo is an adult at school.

Dabi: Hey.

Geten: Ah... Ah, leave it to me.

Dabi: If you don't like it, burn it.

Geten: Don't just kill future soldiers without permission.

Don't hold me back with haphazard slaughter. If you get in his way, I'll put an end to your life right here.

(Geten gets more worked up)

Geten: When the time comes, as much as you want to, just kill them if they need killing. Right now, you're definitely the one holding me back.

(Where Geten reveals how he can't connect with regular people from being sheltered and isolated by MLA ideology.....hints at affection for Dabi maybe)

Geten: It's possible to become attached to a single ant,

When they gather together, they're no different from the buildings that grow everywhere.

It's an unrealistic view, like watching them from the other side of a television or a window.

Geten: ReDestro is passionate about society, which includes the general public.

Even if I think so, maybe I-I need to have a real, tangible experience of it.

Even if a large number of people were killed in front of you, you probably wouldn't feel any particular sympathy.

I think it puts a river between us.

The reason I stopped earlier was simply because that's what Re-Destro still wants.

Blue Flame, who are you?

Dabi: You're so talkative. Are you an adolescent?

Everyone has a river around them, right?

So, let's build a bridge for the same cause or dream... No matter how many weird arguments you make, no matter how disgusting the logic.

You're just gonna fly off like a brain dead idiot anyway, so don't ask me.

Well...

Geten: It's impossible..

Dabi: If you cross, I'll give you a kiss.

Geten: What are you talking about?

Dabi: The story of the ice man who drowned miserably in the Sanzu River.

Geten: Every single time since a while ago.....!

Dabi: It's fine, kids should just act like kids and have a happy meal.

Geten: Stop treating me like a child!

Geten: I don't approve, I don't approve....

*cough* *munch, munch, munch* *cough* *munch*

(Manages with mouth full) This simple food is the diet of the masses.

*breaks into a paroxysm of choking and coughing from food getting caught in his throat. It was so good he ate it too fast)

Dabi: (amused spewing vinegar) I don't understand hamster language. You are eating your hair. Wow, you look sloppy. Sheez....

*slaps him*

Did it hit you strange?

Geten: !?

Geten at a high point observing Dabi speaking to another person.

Geten: (creeping on Dabi in a dark alley) If we understood each other, there would have been a way for us to live together.

Are you pretending to be a self-sacrificing hero?

"You said things like 'light and shadow', 'we live in different worlds', 'fly freely', even though you were the one who made it impossible for me to fly.

That is.....

Is this your kind of love, Blue Flame?

Dabi: He talks so much. He won't stop talking. What a brat.

Geten: Should I get Trumpet to look into finding a good plastic surgeon?

If you can live without using fire, you don't need me. But you do need me, right?

The two of us could retreat to the countryside.

I wish I could live modestly and peacefully.

Dabi: Get wet

Geten: Dry it yourself.

Dabi: Impossible.

Geten: (thinking) Our relationship continues to develop. What a sad man.

Geten: (whispers an unintelligible endearment)

Dabi: Don't call me that, I'll kill you.

Geten: Is this name reserved for Hawks? Sorry about that.

Dabi: What, you don't even know your name? (Meaning the endearment is for Geten).

You're living a truly wonderful life, poor thing.

Geten: ? (Too dense to get it)

Huh? You're kidding!! How the hell do you know that!!!

Dabi: Pfff.....Let's go.

Geten: (confused, maybe because he doesn't actually know his real name, and Dabi claimed the endearment was his actual name).

Hey! There's more like this!

(Dabi pretends not to listen while Geten rants)

Re-Destro's.......apparently it was discovered in the notes he left behind! And then...! Anyway, there are even more touching scenes!

This is the worst! I don't believe it! Hey!

Dabi: *sighs*

Art credit: yaoi, hrak (yaoi), My Hero Academia BL 3000+ bookmarks / （※注キャプション）荼ホ＋外荼外の今までに描いた漫画 - pixiv

[mirrortouchedsea]

ES Rarepair Week Day 4: Angst

This one is kind offffff a continuation of this fic that i've been meaning to get back to. There's scenes between that one and this one that I want to write eventually but just know that they're connected. CW for character death and Mikejima typical family issues

---

Shu hadn’t been in this hospital room in almost three years. The last time, Maguro seemed to be on the up and up, but he couldn’t help but feel that there was something he was missing. Maguro, the girl he had been watching over, was fine, her illness was no longer getting the best of her and she had stopped being able to see Shu at their last meeting. Her brother on the other hand, that pesky Madara Mikejima, had stopped coming to the hospital room as well, though Shu had sensed him in the hallway on more than one occasion. 

Shu had come to check on Maguro, who was now 16 years old, only to find her brother in the hospital room once again. He looked all the worse for wear, kneeling on the floor next to her bed, cheeks sunken, clothes sagging on his body that was severely underweight. Mikejima, Shu spoke up, what are you doing? Isn’t it obvious, Madara replied, barely shifting his head to look at Shu, I’ve been doing this for her. What do you mean ‘this’. I… Oh. 

Oh. Shu was hit with the realization. You’ve been giving away your life force, but why. I couldn’t let my sister die like that, alone, in the hospital without anyone to look after her, isn’t that what big brothers are supposed to do? You might be the only big brother to give up your life force itself for your sister, aren’t you worried about what will happen to her when you’re gone? Yeah, it gave me nightmares as a kid but this is for the best, and since God isn’t real, someone has to protect her. Does your family know? I haven’t spoken to them in months, not since, well, I’m sure you’ll hear soon enough. 

Shu could see that Madara’s life was fading rapidly and he’d be dead before long, and Shu would have to usher him to the afterlife. Are you scared of dying? I accepted long ago that I’d die young. That’s not what I asked, I want to know if you’re scared of dying. Madara turned away, his hands covered Maguro’s and squeezed them gently, or maybe it was simply due to how far along he was that he couldn’t squeeze any harder. I don’t want her to see me like this, can we do this somewhere else? You won’t make it out of the hospital in that state. That’s alright, as long as Maguro-chan isn’t the one to find me. Fine, I can at least grant you that. 

The two of them exited the room and Madara immediately collapsed, the door barely closed behind him. Shu-san, it’s been a while since we’ve talked like this huh. What’s got you acting so sentimental? You act like the dying aren’t the most sentimental people alive. Well, you would be right that we haven’t talked since you were what, sixteen yourself? That was when I discovered I could transfer my life to Maguro-chan and I… I was scared of losing her, the world can live without someone like me but she deserves the world. What makes you say that? Shu could sense Madara’s soul was preparing to leave his body, but he kept the conversation going. I’ve done horrible, horrible things, things you only associate with the dregs of society, all for her, and I’d do it again, that’s the thing isn’t it, I’d do it all again in a heartbeat if it meant that she’d be okay. Madara’s body shuddered. I’m ready, Shu-san, whenever you want to take me, just make it painless. 

Shu couldn’t control when Madara died, but he could pretend, hold his hand and coax him into that deep slumber until his soul separated from his body. The hospital staff were busy in other wings but his body would be found by the morning. As much as Madara had gotten on his nerves, Shu couldn’t just leave him to die completely alone and have a stranger usher him to the afterlife, not when Shu was right there. When Madara’s soul finally separated from his body, Shu pulled him to his feet. You’ve died, alone, in the hallway of a hospital. I know. Were you satisfied with the life you’ve led? Yes. 

[aephalen]

You're good, take as much time as you need to respond to asks! We all have our lives to live after all owo

that's actually the thing I've been wondering! I think I've seen you mention before that they're were made as siblings, but! they're sentient, right?

Does their actual relationship differs from the one that is being marketed with? It could be like a performance kind of thing! They're marketed as siblings, but they're in actuality are not and are partners

Also what kind of dynamic they have with each other is also an interesting thing! I bet they enjoy being with kids and are doing their best to make kids happy, but what's under closed doors when they're alone is a very interesting thing to me-

They really got my heart dsfhsdf

I'm also curious what personality traits they have-

I got into rambling skjfbsfd

Thank you for your time! uwu

I was thinking about that for a bit but I feel like keeping them as simply siblings would fit better, especially since their designs are loosely based on real life plushies of me and my brothers, that's where the sibling idea came from in the first place! But I myself haven't fully settled on a lot of things with them yet so who knows! :D

I also imagine they don't really take many things seriously? Maybe it's a coping mechanism I'm not sure but I imagine them not being able to really take in the weight of a situation, I mean as long as they got each other right? I also thought that because of that negligence they chose to fight catnap, were probably even having fun with it until it went south

But yeah I haven't really figured that much about them yet unfortunately!

I mostly got the ideas but not the full image, so honestly if there're any suggestions I'm very happy to hear them 👀👀

[navree]

Thouggts on alys? And alysmond

Oh God do I have thoughts on Alys and Alysmond, anon, you have no idea. Alys is likely going to become my second favorite character in the entire show the second she shows up (provided they don't screw her up) because I literally just love her so very much. And Alysmond is literally peak for me, they're my number one ship on this show.

I think Alys is a very interesting character. There's a lot about her that's shrouded in mystery in Fire&Blood, because she's not a Targaryen and she was only involved with the Targaryens for a very brief period of time, but even the stuff we do know lends itself towards a fascinating character. Alys as a character is a type of person we don't see a lot in stories in Westeros, particularly when it comes to points of view. She's a bastard, but unlike our other fave bastard, Mister Jon Snow, she's not treated nearly as well (not to say that Jon didn't suffer at Winterfell, he clearly did due to his bastard status and also the way Catelyn treated him). For one, she's a woman, which in general is cause for concern when living in Westeros, and for two, Lyonel treats her far worse than Ned treated Jon. Ned made Jon a part of his family, did treat him as his son, raised him as a brother to his trueborn children, and while he didn't do much when it came to Catelyn's shit of "oh he can't sit with us on Such and Such occasion because he's too bastardly" and "oh yeah no once you leave I'm gonna kick him out of the house at the ripe old age of fourteen unless he decides to join the cult border patrol that tells him to never have a family or a wife or kids and also has to fight ice zombies" he does still love Jon and care for him and look out for his emotional and physical wellbeing as best as he can. None of that seems to be present for Alys and Lyonel, by all counts he looked at his own daughter and made her a freaking servant! Sir that is your child! So Alys comes from this place of living amongst the privileged but being disprivileged in so many different ways, due to her birth status and her gender and her class, to say nothing of being an apparent old gods worshipper in a location of Westeros that was pretty firmly vested in the Seven.

I think Alys was very molded by her circumstances, that she's not just crafty and fiercely intelligent but also incredibly observant, that having been someone who would likely be in the "should be seen but not heard and even then barely seen" category of life, knows what to look for and how to use the information she can process to her advantage. I also think that Alys is a very neutral person, personality wise, very even keeled, given that we see her being the level head in several situations, like stopping Aemond from killing that messenger. Alys is gonna live her life to the best of her abilities and not feel too much about things, because having strong emotions about nonsense isn't really useful for surviving in the real world and as such doesn't serve. But she's still got her moments of softness. For one, we know that she had children prior to her son with Aemond, and also that all of them were stillborn, so that speaks to some intimacy with someone at some point, and, given that she's a "woods witch" and that people do have access to shit like moon tea in this world, a desire to at least have a family rather than just be firm on contraception. I also have a theory that she and Larys were actually close when they were younger (since I think she's around the same age as Harwin and Larys), due to their respective disadvantages drawing them close, the servant bastard daughter and the clubfooted second son. I like the idea of them hanging around in the forests around Harrenhal, Larys looking for special bugs and Alys wanting to gather fun herbs that she'd heard about to see what they do. I think that they're actually close, and that Larys probably does consider her the person he's closest to emotionally (my own pet theory is that he sent a warning to her about the fire at Harrenhal so that she'd be able to survive, and knowing she wouldn't stop it due to likely not having any sort of relationship with Harwin and her antipathy towards Lyonel and the way he treated her in childhood). I also do want to remark on just how smart Alys must be, to have survived in such a dangerous world for as long as she did, and to thrive. I picture her as someone who is oddly charismatic, charismatic enough to win over the people at Harrenhal in the absence of their actual liege, and keep herself alive. Harrenhal was taken by the Blacks first, and Daemon is not a very patient or understanding person, not to mention something of a raging misogynist, so it's entirely possible that the situation could have gone badly for her if she hadn't played it really well, which she clearly did, since Daemon let her live. She's smart and resourceful but also true to herself to the utmost degree, doesn't hide her magic or her old gods worship (which she likely took some sort of comfort in during her early years) and has made herself a survivor without losing any of her humanity in the process. She's so rich and layered, she has the potential to be the best character in the entire GOT/HOTD TV franchise.

As for Alysmond.........oh baby. It makes me fucking nuts. Even the way it starts off is so feral, given that Aemond basically wiped House Strong out in a single day and for some reason, the only person he didn't kill was Alys. We have absolutely zero clue why he did this; did she just not show him any fear? Did she appear apathetic enough about the deaths of the other Strongs that he thought it was interesting? Was there just something about her? Who knows, but from minute one there was something about Alys that jumped out to Aemond, and like vice versa. Again, Daemon took Harrenhal first, spent time there, and as Lyonel's only child in the castle, Alys would have likely engaged with him. But there's no record of them having an affair, and it's not because Daemon's a faithful family man who'd never dream of cheating on Rhaenyra; Alys is likely the one who just was not interested. But something about Alys and Aemond drew them to each other, and there's so much space to think about why. Aemond's had a much easier life than Alys, but that doesn't necessarily make it an easy life in and of itself, he's had to deal with the bullying and the being attacked and maimed and all the trials that came with his physical disability after losing an eye, to say nothing of the emotional issues he's had already that have only gotten worse by the time he's at Harrenhal (remember, his time at Harrenhal comes after Blood and Cheese happen as revenge for his "murder" of Lucerys and after Aegon names him regent after saving him at Rook's Rest, Aemond's got so much guilt and fear and self loathing and family issues wrapped up in him by the time he gets to Harrenhal it's a wonder he didn't explode). Having both had childhoods feeling disconnected from their families, albeit in a different ways, is a connection that they actually share, feeling like you're living on the margins of your society due to things outside your control is a connection that they share, even just feeling like they don't fit in and that they're wrong somehow is something they share, though Alys probably got over that a while ago while Aemond is still young and angsty. I also see Aemond as someone who's felt that he has to work for love, that it's conditional (I blame Viserys) and who feels that if he's not perfect, the people he cares about most, like his mother and his siblings, are going to stop loving him, and he's never had a relationship where he feels he can be himself with no reservations and whatever softness the other person is feeling won't go away. His relationship with Alys, even before it got physical/romantic, is likely the first time in his life where he's feeling like he doesn't need to strive for someone's love or affection. For Alys, Aemond's likely the first person who actually sees her as someone entirely herself. We know from Jon's ASOIAF chapters that part of the issue with a bastard growing up in the lord father's castle is that everyone they know sees them as "Lord X's bastard" first and foremost, even members of their family (like the way narration about Jon from other Stark kids have them refer to him as "bastard brother" even if they have a good relationship, like Arya or Bran). Everyone around Harrenhal, for her entire life, views Alys through the lens of "Lyonel's bastard daughter" and "Larys's bastard sister", and Aemond is probably the first person who doesn't, who just sees Alys Rivers as Alys Rivers, and even if she's less emotionally fragile that Aemond just through age and experience, that's still profound. I also like that there's a lot of room to play with how they went from just cohabitating Harrenhal to being out and out lovers. Aemond could tell her the truth about Luke, Alys could use some of her woods witch knowledge to help him with some chronic pain with his eye, there can be a moment where Vhagar lets Alys touch her in a sort of "Meemaw approves" thing. The possibilities to build up to them as a couple are endless and also extremely compelling. And romantic.

And once they become a couple, it's romantic as all Hell. For one, even with some of the power dynamics involved (Alys is technically a prisoner of war), it's still a pretty equal relationship. They listen to each other and their counsel, given that Aemond is willing to stay his hand when Alys stops him from killing that messenger, and that this does seem to be a relationship where they were both clearly enthusiastic and also able to trust each other, like Alys not being worried once Sabitha Frey takes her hostage after Aemond leaves. And the canon stuff is just...Aemond being so into Alys everyone can tell, being so besotted that he can't bear the thought of leaving her, having left Harrenhal and then doubling back, into enemy territory, to set an entire castle on fire just so that he can save her and get her back. The way that after that, he literally refuses to part with her, and they stay together until God's Eye, until the literal end, and the horrible doomed tragedy of the fact that they both likely knew that God's Eye was It, given that Alys has her old gods magic that helps her see the future and Ewan said that thing about Aemond having some sense of when and how and where he's gonna die, ugh the Tragical Romance. And I know there are people who are like "Aemond just dicking around Harrenhal and get a girlfriend while his family's in trouble makes no sense for his character" but like here's the thing. For one, he's not dicking around, he and Criston are in the Riverlands for a reason and they're doing shit, not to mention this happens pretty late in the game. For two, he can't go back and just retake King's Landing. Beyond the logistical nightmare, he needs to worry about his family. No one knows where Aegon even is, and most importantly, Rhaenyra does have hostages in King's Landing, Aemond's mother and Aemond's sister, that she can absolutely kill if Aemond's attempt to retake King's Landing isn't one hundred percent perfect on the first try. So him staying at Harrenhal and doing what he needs to do for the war out in the field is in fact in character, and if he happens to fall hopelessly and desperately and utterly in love with the hot goth witch in the meantime, that's just one of the perks. And it is love, I wholeheartedly believe they're in love. It's the coming back to Harrenhal that clinches it, if Aemond didn't really care, he wouldn't have done such a fast U-turn on Vhagar and gotten so vicious, but that's exactly what he did because maybe he can't save his family but he can save Alys, save their unborn child, allow himself to be well and truly happy for a little while longer. And if Alys didn't care, then she wouldn't have gone with him afterwards. She wouldn't have left Harrenhal with him, or stayed with him through their journey, or told him where to find Daemon, or even stayed to watch him die. Plus, I mean, the last thing Aemond ever does with two feet on solid Earth is kiss Alys goodbye, most romantic shit I've ever seen.

Her dragon. His lady. His Alys.

TL;DR I think Alys is going to be a top three character for me when she appears cuz she's already a top ten character for me in Fire&Blood, and Alysmond's relationship is literally so important to me it's the epitome to true love on this show no one else is even going to touch it.

[wander-wren]

always gold is such a ronan song and someone else said this a long long time ago but they said it wrong and it’s lived in my brain ever since. the right way.

because always gold is about a brother who is good and solid and dependable talking to his fuckup of a brother and telling him that even if no one else thinks he’s worth anything, he still is to the speaker.

which, i can see why one would then interpret ronan as the subject of the song, the “you” if you will. but i dont think he is. come with me. take my hand.

this song is not about declan and ronan. this song is about ronan and adam, circa call down the hawk.

We were tight-knit boys, brothers in more than name

You would kill for me, and knew that I’d do the same

do i have to explain this one. it’s them. except ofc for the brothers bit but note the past tense

And it cut me sharp, hearing you’d gone away

harvard. do i need to say more?

But everything goes away, yeah, everything goes away

But I’m going to be here till I’m nothing but bones in the ground

the fact that ronan is tied to the barns both literally and metaphorically, and adam wants out of henrietta more than anything???

the “everything goes away” bit you can chalk up to ronan’s immense number of losses and also his general depression/suicidal tendencies

And I was there when you grew restless

You left in the dead of the night

And I was there when three months later

You were standing in the door, all beaten and tired

And I stepped aside

POINTS WILDLY. HARVARD. THE VISIT TO HARVARD. THE MURDER CRABS. YOU KNOW?? technically ronan left but close enough. and then adam came BACK to the barns to visit and ronan almost shot him. do you see the vision

We were opposites at birth, I was steady as a hammer

No one worried ‘cause they knew just where I’d be

“this isn’t a ronan line” says the poor naive children. i’d argue that it is! maybe not in the way it was originally meant, but generally people know where ronan is and what he’s doing because he’s reliable even in his self destruction. you know? he gets into trouble but always in the same way, in the same places. and to be honest most people except declan and gansey dont seem to worry about him so much as write him off because he’s never going to change. also i think the hammer comparison is very ronancore.

They said you were the crooked kind, that you would never have no worth

But you were always gold to me

the way adam is ostracized for being poor and the way he is described as looking strange….boy literally gets POSSESSED. he even thinks this about himself when he buries his real identity and lies to his harvard friends. but the first moment ronan lays eyes on him he prays to god and asks please. this is the most pynch line ever

And back when we were kids, we swore we knew the future

And our woods would take us halfway ‘round the world

the fact that adam is a literal psychic and they had a literal magical forest is so fitting. but also metaphorically they did have plans for their future together, and those plans did get wrecked in the dreamer trilogy. theres two lines after this about that but i cant really relate them to pynch directly theyre just about the broken dream

But I am fine with where I am now

This home is home and all that I need

But for you, this place is shame

But you can blame me when there’s no one left to blame

Oh, I don’t mind

these lines are why i cant see this as a declan & ronan song, i’m sorry. ronan loves the barns too much for it to be a shameful place. but we KNOW that adam sees his past/henrietta as shameful. we KNOW ronan would take the brunt of adam’s anger if that’s what he needed. declan is a nicer brother than ronan wants to believe but that’s not really his sentiment

And all my life, I’ve never known where you’ve been

There were holes in you, the kind that I could not mend

adam and all his secrets….adam and all his problems that his pride won’t let ronan fix. that ronan isn’t enough to fix because it’s not his job and boy needs therapy!

And I heard you say, right when you left that day

“Does everything go away?”

Yeah, everything goes away

not entirely sure how i want to interpret this, because i like the idea of it being a more positive spin on the first time its said, but also in book context adam leaving in cdth is not really a positive, nor is everything that happens after. it almost feels worse if you think about how adam is the one who loses ronan for a time right after this. adam can’t trust good things, and ronan can’t lie and say he’s not going to go and, uh, become an ecoterrorist

But I’m gonna be here till forever

So just call when you’re around

the end of this song in general makes me cry bc of the way it cuts off RIGHT at the last second, as opposed to the like, 1:30 second intro. especially when the last time they did the chorus (i didnt include it bc repetitive) it went “i’m gonna be here till i’m nothing but bones in the ground (so quiet down)”

something something….no longer talking about dying. that’s very ronan’s character arc-shaped. but the way the familiar music and the extra bit of “so quiet down” isn’t there, it feels cut off, unfinished.

like you’re waiting.

it’s unbearably sad but also soso tender, i know you can’t be here, i know you can’t stay and i can’t fix it, but if you need me, just call.

and let’s not even mention ronan’s aversion to phones that doesn’t quite seem to extend to adam parrish.

so. there you have it. always gold is a ronan song but also, more importantly, a pynch song. [bows]

[nitazenes]

https://www.tumblr.com/nitazenes/757930450988711936

🧾🔢🐕🐣

🧾 - Collective pronouns?

Collectively we go by they/them : ) but all of us have different pronouns so it's best to ask that individual alter what their pronouns are, but as a collective we are they/them

🔢 - Does anyone have a favorite number?

our fav number... probably pi 3.14, we used to have more of it memorized but yeah ^^

🐕 - Does anyone have a pet?

Internally? Yes! David has a golden lab named Maxwell and German Shepard called Dogmeat. (Dogmeat is the dog companion in Fallout 4 but he's just a good pupper!) it's cute bc Maxy wears a lil bow tie on his collar and Dogmeat wears a red bandana. Jumin has a white, long haired cat of sorts. I think its a maine coone bc she's huge. Her name is Elizabeth

Rhapsody has a pair of mourning doves in his garden, he loves to listen to their cooing, its very relaxing and when we're overstimmed we will put on mourning dove calls on youtube to help us calm down!

🐣- Any childhood things that should've tipped you off to being a system?

So I didn't know this meant I was a system until I was in my 20s bc no one even remotely thought I had DID (or MPD back then) and I was misdiagnosed as having psychosis. but throughout my entire childhood, i had two "imaginary friends" i would talk to all the time. But i had an imaginary friend of my little brother who sadly passed away when I was pretty young. it was like my brain didnt accept his death or didnt know how, so there he was in my headspace and i'd talk to him out loud. My abusers often caught me talking aloud to myself. The other one i was aware of was Grimsley. Grim has been with me since childhood and originally started off as a narrator-- I realize this was them performing their gatekeeping duties as we were a kid. It was much easier to view my life through the lens of a book rather than it being real. This is how Grimsley imposed their reality onto us and kept us from accessing things we shouldnt. But eventually this narrator started talking to me. And id sit and journal for hours, writing stories with Grim, and I went back to read some of these one day a few years back-- i realized the "fantasies" i was writing was actually early descriptions of my headspace.

i think that's why Grim and I are so close. bc i knew them from the start and they were never dissociated until I entered my teenage years and then poof i forgot that they had even existed until i was in my late teens. which is when I was diagnosed as schizo effective it took until I was 20 to rediscover grimsley and the day i rediscovered them i just remember sitting on the ground like when I was a kid with a notebook and writing with them and i just wept. : (

All through my childhood I knew I was different but i didnt know how. i didnt know how to explain that i had conversations with other people in my head and that i was their mouthpiece. they would speak through me (which eventually uncovered my role as the Shell host)

the way I can flip flop on a dime is both due to BPD and DID so for the longest time i was only diagnosed and treated for BPD there were a lot more incidents than just me talking to myself but also like, one day as an 8 year old i took on a rattlesnake by myself bc it was going after our chickens, that def was uncharacteristic of me, bc i was kind of terrified of rattlers so. that was another thing anyway im yappin, thanks for the asks! sorry i took so long to get to them!!

[starlitangels]

You’re a Good Man (I Was)

Again, the title is essentially the writing prompt that inspired the story. 2.2k words Y’all remember Audrey Jane? The character I made up for some Sam fics and keep using occasionally? Yeah, she’s back.

CW: general Imperium angst, verbal arguments between characters

—

The door to the throne room opened. Sam sat up properly as one of his progeny prodded someone into the room. The familiar aura of a Freelancer danced against his senses. In the light of the many chandelier fixtures, orange curls with a few strands of white mixed in glowed warmly. She wore a worn-down healer’s coat; frayed but lovingly mended. He’d watched her hand-mend it more than once.

Sam smiled. “There she is! Woman of the hour,” he said.

The woman looked up from where she’d been carefully watching her step over the—perfectly even—marble floor. “Sam?” she asked. Her eyes didn’t quite meet his.

“Audrey Jane. Who’d-a thought two runaway kids from Mont Blanc would end up in the Imperium Spire of all places?”

“What’s going on?” Audrey Jane pressed. “What am I doing here? What are you doing here?”

Sam tsked. “Been, what, twelve years since last we spoke and this is how you’re choosin’ to catch up?”

“I think it’s warranted!” She threw up one hand. “Why are you sittin’ there?”

“Because one of the whelps fresh off the fang out in the antechamber was the King-Imperial, and now he’s under my invocation.”

Audrey Jane whirled to look through the closing double doors toward the antechamber she’d passed through. But didn’t get a look at the vampire Sam was talking about. Slowly, she turned back around. “What… what happened?”

“I helped some demons tear down the Imperium. They were doin’ it to save the Meridian or somethin’. I was doin’ it for my own… self interest, as it were.” Sam leaned back on the throne casually. Lounging like he’d been sitting right there his whole life. “I doubt it’d surprise you but I had no love for the Imperium. Not after everythin’ they took. And gave nothin’ in return.”

Audrey Jane continued not to meet his eyes, casting hers to the floor. “So why am I here?”

“Because I can finally protect you and your family the way I promised I would when I was human. You, your husband, and your kids will be safe so long as they stay in Dahlia. It’s my territory. Anythin’ harms ‘em will have to deal with me and all-a my progeny.”

Audrey Jane shook her head. “So you overthrew the central government and became a… a… a warlord—and for what? Some power fantasy?”

“Ain’t a fantasy if it’s real.”

She scoffed. “I can’t believe I’m hearin’ this,” she muttered, her accent getting thicker. Her eyes flashed to his and held his gaze with the stubborn fearlessness he remembered. She wasn’t faster than him—if he wanted to trance her she wouldn’t be able to get a ward up in time. But he knew her. She was incredibly skilled. She probably already had a ward going to protect herself from him. And damn his weaker vampiric Core for making it hard for him to tell. “You… are not the Sam I stayed up all night with studyin’ for exams.”

A salty scent hit Sam’s nose. He realized she was tearing up. “Then what am I, Audrey Jane?”

She took several steps closer, only stopping her approach when the two progeny standing behind the throne stiffened. “I don’t know,” she admitted. “Sam, where… where are you? Where’s the man who was like a brother to me? The kid who held onto my backpack strap as we ran from our pain in Mont Blanc? The one who put himself through Hell to become a healer as fast as he could? The one who swore to me we’d always be family? You’re… you’re a good man, Sam.”

Sam held her gaze with a steady, flat stare.

“I was.”

A tear fell out of her eye. She spun around and marched toward the back of the throne room—to the door she came in through. He watched her wipe her face on the sleeve of her healer’s coat.

“It’s a shame you got old,” he said under his breath, more to himself.

But the stone room bounced the sound too well.

She halted in her tracks and turned to look at him. “No,” she replied. “It’s a shame you didn’t.” She whipped back toward the door and stormed toward it.

“Boss,” one of his progeny said at his shoulder. “You’re just going to let her go?”

Sam regarded her retreating back. Watched her press her hands in front of her to use Earth Elemental magic to shove the stone doors open. Tracked how she looked at every guard in the antechamber. Damien was already gone, rotated out. She wouldn’t find him there. A slow smile tilted up the corners of his lips.

“She’ll be back,” he said confidently.

“You sure?”

“Absolutely.”

The stone doors slammed shut with a finality that settled in Sam’s chest.

A few heartbeats passed. Sam wasn’t entirely sure how he felt, coming away from the encounter.

Crrreeeaaak! The hinges on that blasted door behind the throne really needed to be oiled so help him, he was vampire with sensitive ears for—

“Who was that?” The familiar voice was quiet, curious. A warm, homey magical aura accompanying it.

Sam glanced at his progeny standing behind the throne. “Leave us,” he said. The two immediately obeyed, knowing if they didn’t, he’d force them to.

They marched out the open back door.

After a moment, the newcomer to the throne room circled the throne, perching on the arm. “So, who was she?”

Sam rested a hand on their thigh. “Someone from a long time ago, darlin’,” Sam replied.

The shifter looked down at him curiously. “You loved her?”

“Like family. Closest thing I had to a sister when I ran from Mont Blanc. She has a husband and two kids now. Kids I… I shoulda been there for. McKinnon and Jaycie. Their ma, Audrey Jane, always said she thought I’d be the favorite uncle.”

“What happened?”

“I got turned. Thrown into the Mass-Maker program.” He pursed his lips. “Hated what I’d become—couldn’t do anythin’ about it because of the invocations. Department Enforcers kept a close eye on me so I didn’t stir up trouble. Took me a year after the bloodlust to cool my jets long enough to come up with my plan to get to Mass-Maker fast.”

His shifter hummed, leaning a bit on the backrest of the throne. They raised a hand and gently ran their fingers through his hair. Their shifter-sharp fingernails scratching ever-so-lightly across his scalp.

Sam’s eyes rolled back and his eyelids fluttered. He reached around them and pulled them off the armrest of the throne and into his lap. “And just how are you always able to soothe me with just a touch?” His voice was low—gravelly—in their ear. The smallest of smiles graced their face.

“Shifter magic,” they whispered.

Sam snorted. “That right?”

“Mmhmm.” They shuffled on his lap to face him better. “Magic in my Core reaches out to yours.” They set a hand on his chest, staring fearlessly into his eyes. “You know why. I know you feel it too.” Sam wrapped a hand around their wrist and looked down. “Why don’t you let me say it?”

“Four-letter words are always the worst ones,” Sam breathed, unwilling to speak any louder for fear of his voice shaking.

“Sam—”

“Darlin’, that word is a commitment. One I don’t think you actually wanna make to a man like me.” He locked eyes with them. “Don’t pretend you didn’t hear me talkin’ to Audrey Jane. I was a good man, once. I’m not anymore.”

His shifter sprung from his lap, breaking his hold on their wrist. “So saith the king,” they muttered before spinning and stomping toward the door Audrey Jane left through. “The king who can take whatever he wants, but won’t even entertain the thought of what he wants most.” That last sentence was under their breath, but of course he heard.

“Darlin’—”

They said nothing. Just shoved one of the heavy doors open with one hand and stormed out.

—

“Audrey Jane!” a voice called. The Freelancer turned around to see a person in their twenties jogging toward her down the hall. She didn’t recognize them.

“That’s me,” she said. “May I help you?”

As the person got closer, she felt a shifter’s aura. They pulled up near her and slowed to a stop, the look on their face going slack. “I…” They shook their head. “I don’t even know what I was going to say. I just… you know Sam.”

“Knew,” Audrey Jane corrected, bitterness coating her tongue. “The vampire in there is not the man I once called family.”

“He’s not that bad,” they said entreatingly.

“At least one of us thinks so.” She turned and went back on her way down the corridor.

The shifter fell into step beside her. “If it makes you feel any better, we’re both a little miffed at him right now,” they remarked.

Audrey Jane grunted. “Bless his heart,” she muttered.

The shifter snickered. “He has mentioned to me before that where you’re both from, that phrase is essentially a verbal middle finger.”

Audrey Jane peeked at the shifter out of the corner of her eye and winked. Their snicker turned into a full laugh. Hearty and resonant, with almost a howl to it.

She inhaled sharply and sighed. “What are you miffed at Collins for?”

“I… I’m in love with him. I know he’s in love with me too, but…”

“He’s pushing you away?”

“Yeah.”

She rolled her eyes. “Well, bless the bastard’s heart.”

“What was he like, when you were close?” the shifter asked.

She glanced over at them and drifted her walk over to a window in the corridor looking out over the Spire’s grounds. They followed her and stood on the opposite side of the window.

“We ran away from Mont Blanc together,” she said. “Barely knew each other. Vague acquaintances from school. But the capital of the Imperium is a promisin’ place. We both wanted to be healers, and we knew we could live quiet lives in Dahlia. We could get our certifications and fly right under the Imperium’s radar here. Too close for them to pay us any attention.

“Sam’s family was bad. Mine, not much better. So we packed what we could and came here, together. Barely knowin’ each other. But the drive from Mont Blanc to Dahlia takes days if you wanna take it easy, and we couldn’t go in one straight shot. Picked up a few pieces of work here and there to pay our way across the continent. I already knew a bit of healin’ and Sam is—was—oddly talented at cleanin’ magic. Not a lotta people are. Not that I’m surprised. He has a neat and tidy personality. Or he did, anyway.

“Anyhow. It took us a few weeks to get here. We got close, durin’ that time. We became family. No, we never slept together, if you’re thinkin’ of askin’. We were never like that.

“Then, once we got here…” She shrugged. “We stayed close. Lived in a two-bedroom apartment together for a couple years. Got certified. I met my now-husband Jared and moved out and…” She sucked in a breath. “And Sam got turned by that Solaire princess.” She used the title with such poisonous vitriol that the shifter actually took a step back. “And I lost my brother. I’m sure there’re traces-a him left. Hell, that’s probably what you see in him. But most-a that’s gone. Just another leech mad with power-lust left behind.” She shook her head. “And I know you can hear me, Samuel. If you’re gonna read me the riot act for this, don’t bother waitin’ around, hmm?”

She pushed away from the wall and started striding down the corridor back on her path to leave the Spire.

The shifter followed after her again. “But what was he like?”

“He was funny. Smart. Overachievin’. Had a bit of an attitude—and damn was he grumpy in the mornin’s. If I tried to say hello before he’d had a cup of coffee, all I’d get in response was this growlin’ grumble. But he had a sharp sense of humor and always had a sarcastic comeback to any joke. And… above all… he was a lovin’ man, deep down. He put up a lotta walls so that he could protect that soft heart of his. He’d been emotionally damaged since before I met him, and he was just startin’ to heal from that when he got turned. And everythin’ I did to try to help him ended up right down the drain.”

The two had reached the front entrance to the Spire.

Audrey Jane stopped and glanced at the shifter. “This is where I take my leave, then. Best-a luck, darlin’,” she said.

As she pushed open the door, she paused for a moment before looking back at the shifter. There was a desperation in their eyes. Like they longed to know more about the man they loved back when he was less broken.

“He… he was a good man,” she added.

They shook their head. “He is.”

—

Tag list: @zozo-01 @thegoldenlittlerose @shellssstuff @darlin-collins

[somnas-writes]

Okay sorry if this is weird lol but in your "the bodyguards should have been friends" post you mentioned a fix-it fic and I am very intrigued- Is there anything about it you want to talk about?

Yeah!! I have a lot I want to write about (even though I haven’t finished the show, I’m already brain rotted)

The Theerapanyakun boys dynamic is one thing I plan to change/mess around with.

They would be genuinely unstoppable if they teamed up, but their dads (derogatory) are hellbent on keeping them isolated and in survival mode

They are all incredibly emotionally unavailable as well (they got HELLA trauma)

There’s five of them and I think each combination would have really different interactions/bonds

Khun, Kinn, and Kim are pit again Vegas and Macau their entire lives (major vs minor family feud, Korn and Gun being SHIT DADS)

They’re hostile because that’s what they were taught.

My plan/outline has them going through really big emotional break throughs (they get put in Situations and are forced to Confront their issues)

And as a result they band together

I also just want them to have good family relationships cause they deserve it

They bodyguards get to be Friends

I get that they had certain relationships and dynamics because it helped drive the plot

But holy hell imagine how uncomfortable that workplace setting was

Like big and Ken specifically hated Porsche. He hates them too, but it was an incredibly unhelpful thing

They all had their own duos (arm-pol, big-ken, Porsche-Pete), but as a group they could’ve had an great dynamic

Especially since they work for the same guys!! They get how crazy the work they do is, and they all know how these guys behave

They don’t even have to be besties (they aren’t for most of my rewrite) but for the sake of working smoothly they need to at least be casual and comfortable

I’m making Big work through his little crush on Kinn too

he and Porsche get to discuss what it’s like pursuing Kinn. it is something they should talk about, Kinn is a shared aspect of their life and having that grudge of “my crush chose him, not me.” Is just soooo petty and not healthy

Also Ken isn’t the traitor because I like him, he’s funky

Porsche and Chay are Good Siblings

I hate how they kept each other in the dark about huge things in their life

I understand (both as a younger sibling and as an older sibling) wanting to protect your family and not see them hurt. But it’s part of life!! Stuff hurts and it happens

They have a pretty special dynamic, with Porsche basically raising Chay

I wish we could’ve seen them being close siblings more in the series, I love the little montages we got of them together

But I think it’s missing that key part of them being unabashedly Honest and Real

Especially since Porsche choosing to become a bodyguard impacted a lot of Chays life. The one constant and stable figure of his life disappeared overnight and he had no way of contacting him

Porchay was alone during one of the most vital times of his adolescence. Porsche was isolated during a big change in his

In the rewrite, I want them to be more open about what they’re experiencing

They’re also just more ‘sibling like’, they go to annoy each other for fun, they work together against people because they’re a team.

One specific scenario I’ve been thinking about is Chay seeking out his brother to just be with him. (The scenario I’ve been envisioning is Chay walking into Kinn and Porsches room just to stare at him, dance Gangnam Style, turn off the lights and leave. I want Kinn to be absolutely baffled and Porsche to be Just So Done)

They’re siblings!!! It’s so fun to bother your siblings

Korn and Gun DIE

Im the second biggest Korn-Anti (Kim is first)

They’re Bad Parents and Shit People

They tear people apart just for their benefit and I’m Over It

I want these mfs DEAD AND BURIED

Kim deserves to stand at his dads grave, talk shit and walk away

I want their kids to heal!!! They deserve to be happy, even if 3/5 of them are Gigantic Meanies

And some silly little details for fun!!

Porchay is a Kpop stan, I’m a Kpop stan so I’m projecting (he makes Porsche watch music videos with him and they learned a dance together once)

Porsche (pre-mafia) was involved in a variety of activities (street racing, dance battles, catering, modeled once or twice)

Porsche can do street dancing, learned when he was like 11 and it became his go to dance style

Porsche and Chay have matching tasers (Kuromi and My Melody respectively)

They bond over sad music (Olivia Rodrigo, Lana Del Ray, Taylor Swift and Mitski)

Chay likes Sanrio

Chay gets his own ‘stage name’ (its Serpent, he wanted a cool sounding one like Phoenix)

Macau shows up more, no particular reason I just miss him

Jom and Tem show up more towards the beginning (they’re Porsches ride or dies)

Big also speaks English (while Ken is Aussie, he’s got a bit of a English accent)

Kinn really likes snoopy (he has a snoopy blanket from Khun that he hides)

Khun makes the bodyguards (main 6) dress up as the sailor scouts at some point. They all fight over who gets to be Sailor Moon (Ken won and actually ate it up)

A lot more name calling and cursing, I’m talking fun ones!! Porsche calls Ken and big lots of names when they’re rivals. (‘Mean girls’, ‘Dick riders’, at one point ‘Jack and Jill’)

Kim is into lots of alt-rock, pop-punk, and alt-indie American bands

his music as WIK is nothing like any of that. It’s just Jeff saturs discography (in my mind I’m mixing in other solo artists, mainly eric nam and RM) [i have a lot of brain rot regarding music]

Kinn is a LOSER (/pos, affectionate) he deserves it

The bodyguards get drunk together and make a tier list on which Theerapanyakun boy is the most likely to get canceled and why (ignoring mafia activities) [i might make this a post later lmao]

While they’re getting drunk Porsche falls and eats shit, big loses it and cries from laughing (that’s their little break through moment in their friendship)

[aita-blorbos]

AITA for shooting my brother several times in the chest and then cursing him?

ok. so uhh important context. i (132 with more gender than you can hold in your silly little brain) and my brother (134M) are both immortal—vampires if you wanna get specific. this all happened like 20 years ago but he's recently told me he's still upset about it so i wanna clear this up and apologize if i gotta.

so a bit of context for our relationship: we had a bit of a falling out early on as kids (around.... idfk , 8? 10? we were like super teeny) and have never really been close since. i turned at 14 (result of a few bad life choices) and i accidentally turned him just a bit after that (he's understandably still pissed at me for this, but like also i was like 14 dude i did not know any better). thennnnn he moved out basically on the spot and i didn't hear from him for decades.

next time i saw him i think was at our dad's funeral? he ignored me when i tried to reach out so i left it be. he's always been reserved and shit but he seemed.... uncharacteristically depressed and isolated about it.

after that, about 20 years ago, i found out that he's been killing people to survive cause he doesn't know how to just make connections for food like a regular ass person?? anyway no judgement we gotta do what we gotta do but like, i gotta stress that this dude has the biggest fucking stick up his ass you've ever fucking seen. he has been aghast at me for wearing clothes with the word "slut" on them. or like. idk tanktops and booty shorts. he's sneered and condescended at me before for just like. playfully calling my friends names and shit. so this was like a pretty huge surprise to me. but it was definitely him.

so, like any good little brother would do, i confront the bitch. i go back to the supposedly-abandoned shabby ass building i saw him leave from last week, follow him carefully for a little bit and go "hey dude what the fuck is up with you. are you fucking ok my guy."

so then he says he doesn't wanna talk to me. which like yeah fine. i get it we don't have a good relationship. so i tell him like yeah, i know i was shitty to you but i'm all the family you've got at this point and i'm fucking worried for you. he tells me it's none of my business. fair ig. i comment that he looks kinda malnourished cause honest to fuck at that point he looked like a tall bag of bones. he says to leave him alone but the cracks in his voice leaves me kinda worried that if i do that he'll just fucking keel over and die? like the dude is wobbling all over the place, barely keeping balance trying to walk in a straight line. so i go uhhhh nnnnno, i don't think i will. and like i know it's kinda not my business but he just. looks so fucking miserable and pathetic and tbh... he's kinda all I've got left too.

so i ask when he last ate and he's like "a couple months ago" in a tone that's like, he thinks that's something to be proud of?? and i'm like . dude that sounds like an eating disorder. (for y'all reading this that don't know vampire biology, a little bit a few times a week is healthy. a moderate amount once a week is reasonable too but less common. every other week is already a problem. over a month is basically just self harm and causes health issues and shit.)

then he gets realllll defensive real fast and shouts at me that it's not an eating disorder, and if it were then it's my fault anyway and he didn't choose to be like this. so i say like, yeah that's fair, that's on me, but like please just. check out a blood bar or something. or like ask your friends? or even my friends cause like, i have connections and can find him reliable food. if he'd just let me help. like you don't have to like me or forgive me i just want you to live, dude.

so theeeeeen he tells me that "maybe he doesn't want to". and i'm like dude........ i'm not gonna do fucking nothing watching my only brother starve himself to death. i tell him that i know he's killing people and that it's not like him. and he doesn't have to. i can help him. he tells me, "not anymore." says he doesn't plan on eating ever again. so I'm like "ok............. yeah that makes no fucking sense at all im taking you to get food like Right Now." he didn't like that, as you can imagine.

....but then. he pulls out this fucking knife

and I'm like what the fuck is that, equal parts exhausted with him and afraid. it's got runes on it so i know it's enchanted. he tells me it's enchanted to cause unhealable wounds, and it's the only thing that can kill a vampire. i ask him where the fuck he's going with this, he says that he doesn't plan to make it long enough to need to eat. i tell him that's insane and there's no fucking way im gonna let him off himself in front of me. he tells me i can't stop him and moves to fucking slit his own throat right there, so naturally i uhh panic and . shoot him. several times. with a regular gun though, so i know he'll be fine with some rest, but it definitely still hurt so i do get why this would be an Asshole thing to do

.... and then once he was incapacitated i brought him to my most reliable witch friend, and had xem curse him to not be able to harm himself. and disenchant the knife while xey was at it. and like usually that would go against my values, cause... like it should be within his free will to hurt himself, but it seemed like he was in serious danger so i freaked. i bribed some of my friends into feeding him and after a few months got rid of the curse, and now our relationship isn't too bad, but he mentioned still being upset about the whole thing recently so i just wonder if this was really an asshole thing to do after all. so, aita?? ive said sorry about it but we haven't like talked in depth about how he felt or anything.

[judgeanon]

Plastic Skies - Model 6: Saab Draken

Been a while, huh? To be completely honest, it hasn’t actually been that long since the last model, but I held up on writing this until after Christmas for no particular reason.

For those who haven’t seen these, this is my ongoing journal of getting back into building aircraft model kits, a hobby that I tried out for a couple of years when I was a kid but never really got into. And that’s part of why this particular one is at least a little important.

I like the Saab Draken quite a bit. Developed right after WWII as a supersonic fighter-interceptor and built in the early years of the Cold War, the Draken was able to reach speeds of Mach 2 and is also the first aircraft capable of doing the Cobra Maneuver, one of those aviation things that looks like someone hacked real life:

(It’s kinda funny that the plane’s name, “Draken”, can mean either “Dragon” or “Kite”)

I also love its general shape, its double delta wings and wide body making it look more like a starfighter than an airplane. But the main reason why I like the Draken is because it was one of the first model kits my brother built when we were kids. Which makes it one of the very first model kits I’d ever seen. So when I went looking for a 1/72 scale kit to finally move away from the tiny 1/144′s that I’d been focusing so much on, this very generously-priced Draken caught my eye right away. It was pretty much the same price as the Tomcat and Flanker, plus it gave me an opportunity to pait camouflage again, so after a quick trip to a new shop it was mine.

I was happy to see that I had all the tools I needed for this build except for some blue paint. The shop I bought it from didn’t have it, so I took at as an opportunity to go to another one and also pick up a few extras I’d been looking at. Namely, a can of brush cleaner and a rotating platform with elevated hooks to paint smaller parts which I... actually didn’t get much use out of and kinda regret. But it might be useful someday!

The build itself was surprisingly pleasant. After all these models, I’m happy to see I’ve grown an eye for getting the pieces properly glued and balanced, so no more crooked tailfins or wings. Or, well, not as crooked as in previous attempts.

I’m also pretty happy with the paintjob I gave this old gal. It’s a bit thicker than in the reference pictures, but the extra space and a bit more care when thinning the paints made it so the brush strokes aren’t quite as visible as in other models, which was my main goal here. Also, getting the silver stripes required a bit of masking tape use which also went a lot better than other times.

Likewise, I’m pleased with how the landing gears came out. The frontal one is still a bit crooked and the gates aren’t exactly right to the original plane, but the improvement is there. Which is always one of the most encouraging things with any hobby or activity: watching you get better at it. Overall, I was having a nice, relaxing time with my Draken, watching it quickly take shape while also enjoying the process. Painting in particular was really fun and rewarding. It didn’t escape my attention that I was, in a way, one-upping my brother. He never painted his Draken, after all. Although while I was working on this, I did unlock a very, veeery vague memory of one of us attempting to paint at least one kit and being very disappointed at the results. I can’t remember which one of us or what kit but the image was still there, hazy in my mind. I should ask him someday.

So yeah, a good time was had by all rrright up until the decals came out. Turns out Mistercraft’s decals are somehow both tough and fragile. Even after dunking them a long time in water, the only thing that could get them out of the sheet were my fingers, which imediately opened up a whole can of problems which you can already see in the pic above if you look closely enough.

The decal mishaps meant two things: first, that I decided to skip on the big yellow dragon/swordfish decal that would’ve otherwise covered most of the plane’s fuselage. And two, that I was gonna have to weather at least a bit of it to give it a worn-out look. If only to justify the busted up decals.

The weathering job ended up being once of the nicest parts of the model somehow. Thanks to the extra surface to work with, I was able to really fine-tune the sludge wash into something that looks pretty good to my eye. I didn’t do the same for the top of the plane, though that’s mostly because I’m saving up to buy some proper panel liners that will most likely give me a much better look than anything this wash could do.

Speaking of the top, one thing I did for this Draken that I haven’t done for any other plane so far was paint the canopy. I took an extremely fine brush to it, and while it was pretty intimidating at first, I was able to get it painted pretty alright and without having to clean it or use thinners. It’s still a bit gooey and that’s my fault for not using masking tape, but for a first experience, it was still quite nice.

After that, all that was left was give it a couple coats of matte varnish, and the Draken was ready. The combination of a decent enough paintjob and the nostalgic value meant I was quick to show it off to everyone and their dog, who were pretty impressed with it. So the jump up in scale ended up being a real success, in more than one ways. Not only did it serve me a sweet slice of circularity and was a mostly comfortable build: the best part of making this Draken was the confidence it left me with.

I know I’m not a huge pro and I’m sure I’m reaching the ceiling of my personal skills and/or the level of detail I care to get into, but if this is as good as I can make a model, I feel pretty satisfied. Content. And more importantly, I finally feel ready to tackle the Final Boss of this whole endeavor. The model that I desperately want to Get Right. The model that will be, if everything goes well, the first thing I build in 2023.

I’m very, very excited for it.

[skymaiden32]

Soldiers of the Sea

Thundertober/Inktober 2022 Day 16: Aquanaut

The ex-aquanauts of WASP think about the old days.

Continuity: TOS; OCS

Tagging: @dragonoffantasyandreality @thundergeek59 @janetm74 @katblu42 @liseylou (Please ask if you would like to be alerted when I update or write new stories)

Prompt list

------

“Can you believe it?” His friend Seymour said as they walked out of the auditorium, surrounded on all sides by their fellow WASP aquanauts. “Captain Holden taken out just like that…”

Gordon nodded. Their friend’s recent crash had shaken the entire base. “I just hope he’ll be okay. That accident was pretty serious. He’ll probably be under close observation for months.” He sighed. “I’m going to be on that bathyscape by the time he recovers…”

“At least we know who’s taking over Stingray.”

“Troy and Phones are gonna do a great job, I just know it…”

There was a lull in the conversation before the younger lieutenant said anything else, slumping into his seat. “So, any plans for your shore leave in a few days, Tracy?”

“Of course.” Gordon grinned, also sitting down. “When do I not have a plan?”

“Yeah, you always have a plan for a prank in mind…” Seymour scoffed. “Let’s hear it then.”

“Well, my leave lines up pretty well with everyone else’s time off. Scott’s on leave, Virgil just finished his last term at MIT, John’s down from his tour of duty on the satellite NASA put him on, and Alan’s racing season is over, so we’re all going to have a long overdue family holiday. After Virgil’s graduation, we’re off to the Maldives with our father! Dad also said he found the perfect little island to build a holiday home.” Gordon smiled as he thought about the real reason their father had bought the island. “So he’s gonna show us on the last day…”

Seymour smirked. “Sounds like you guys have a fun week planned. Be sure to say hi to your family for me.”

“Sure will.” Gordon nodded. “By the way, how’re things with your siblings?”

His friend frowned. If Gordon thought his parents had a lot of work to do raising five sons, Seymour was the eldest of nine, and had raised his siblings alone since their parents had died in a plane crash.  “Let’s just say Scott’ll feel my pain…”

“That bad huh?” Gordon sympathised. He only had one younger brother, and Alan was a handful on his own when they were kids.

“How do parents do it?” Seymour groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“For what it’s worth, Griffiths,” His friend looked up in his direction, feeling slightly better when he saw the sincere look on Gordon’s face. “I think you’re doing great…”

Seymour sighed. “Thanks, Gordo…” He held up his fist for Gordon to bump. “Aquanauts for life?”

Gordon smiled warmly as he returned the gesture. “Aquanauts for life…”

------

“Aquanauts for life…” Gordon whispered to himself as he stepped out of Thunderbird Four onto the cold metal floor of Two’s pod, watching the pod door close up behind the small submarine, the waves lapping gently outside. That had been the last time he’d seen Seymour. 

He’d gotten back from shore leave to find out his friend had taken a job offer along with Bradley Holden elsewhere, and hadn’t had much time to process the information before he was sent out on his next mission. He’d had his hydrofoil accident shortly after that.

His radio beeped at him, and he had to shake himself to answer his brother. “All set, Virgil. Take us home…”

Sensing the melancholy in Gordon’s voice, Virgil answered as gently as he could. “FAB. Descending now.”

He wondered if they were okay, wherever they were. They just had to be…

------

Green wandered into the Room of Sleep, tiredly acknowledging Captains Scarlet and Blue, who were on their way out to start their shift, with a grunt. They nodded back, moving quickly to avoid the terror that was a tired Lieutenant Green.

Captain Grey smiled in his direction, waving him over. Green groaned as he fell face first on his assigned bed, right next to Grey’s.

“You ever think of what it would’ve been like if we’d stayed in WASP?” Green’s voice was muffled, but Grey still managed to hear it.

“Well,” the older man began, “I’d probably still be stuck behind that desk. I wouldn’t have met Captain Orchid,” Grey smiled at the thought of his field partner, “or anyone else in Spectrum. I don’t regret it at all. Sure, there are things I do miss…”

“Like what?” Green sat up, attention rapt as he looked at his colleague.

“Troy was a blast to talk to… I miss everyone else too.” He huffed in amusement. “Heck, I even miss Commander Shore yelling into everyone’s ears.” He frowned. “Why’d you ask?”

Green lay down again, this time laying face up. “I don’t think we should’ve left without saying goodbye…”

Grey paused, before nodding. He knew exactly who his friend was talking about. “Me neither…”

“I miss him a lot, Brad.” Green huffed.

“I know, Sey… I do too.” Grey agreed. “I know he had a rough time before he left WASP, and I definitely feel guilty about not being there to visit him in the hospital, but from what I hear from my sources, he’s doing fine.” He smiled softly. “The whole family is…”

“That’s a relief…” Green sighed. “Let’s hope they continue that streak.”

“Knowing them?” Grey scoffed. “Seems unlikely…” Green snorted. “Aquanauts for life?”

Green smiled thankfully at his friend, returning the gesture the same way Gordon had for him all that time ago. It seemed like a lifetime had gone by since then… 

“Aquanauts for life…”