#you know I was at a loss for how to combine these colors in a cool way

[entropy-sea-system]

Rainbow Flag inspired by g3 Lagoona Blue's color scheme!!

version without the netting/grid thing

Lagoona !!

can be a color scheme flag or g3lagoonagender flag !!

(this character's canon pronouns are she/her)

(-Rift)

[vitalverstappen]

House Rules - C. Sainz

summary: everyone knew you loved halloween, but no one knew just how much.

pairing: Carlos Sainz x reader

warnings: drinking, swearing, use of y/n

word count: 1.4k

a/n: literally got this idea while driving home from work today and scrambled to write it to get something out for you guys for halloween!

masterlist

It was well known that Carlos was a partier. Even if he was nowhere near the podium, you knew he was going to find his way to a local club. His energy was infectious, and his love for staying out till dawn was a constant in his life. 

You, on the other hand, adored Halloween. The scary movies, the candy, the pumpkin carving - everything about it filled you with joy. It was your favorite time of year, beating out the other holidays by a long shot. There was something magical about the crisp autumn air, the thrill of ghost stories, and the excitement of choosing a costume. 

So, it was a no-brainer to combine the two this year and host a Halloween party for the grid. As the day approached, you decorated your house with cobwebs, jack-o-lanterns, and the occasional fake body part. A photo booth was set up in one of the guest rooms, filled with props and eerie backdrops. 

Meanwhile, Carlos put himself in charge of making all of the treats, knowing you’d burn the place down if you tried. His famous witches brew was the center of it all though - a giant smoking cauldron, filled with most likely dangerous levels of alcohol and mixers.  

The costume you two landed on was Rapunzel and Flynn Rider. It was safe enough for when the little kids came by trick-or-treating, but easy to spice up for later in the night.

As the night kicked off, the house buzzed with excitement. Friends arrived in droves, dressed in a mix of costumes - from witches, to pop culture icons, to inside jokes you would never understand. 

You and Carlos found yourselves at the beer pong table. Lando and his girlfriend had been running the table all night, and it was your turn to challenge them.

“Ready to lose?” Lando taunted, flashing a cocky grin

“Yeah, sure” Carlos said, rolling his eyes with a smirk

While Lando and his girlfriend were good, Carlos quickly fell into a rhythm. With each flick of his wrist, the ball sank into a new cup, and you could see the confidence grow in him. You were terrible, missing just about every shot you took. 

“Here, cariño, let me help,” Carlos said, leaning in closer to show you how to hold the ball properly. 

“Hey! That’s cheating!” Lando whined from across the table

“House rules” You called back before looking at your boyfriend. “Teach me your ways”

Carlos grinned as he took your hand, adjusting your grip on the sticky ping pong ball. “Just focus on the cup. And remember, it’s all in the wrist.”

With his guidance, you finally managed to land a shot, the ball bouncing into the cup with a satisfying splash. 

“See? You’re a natural” Carlos teased as you felt a rush of unexpected excitement. 

Lando and his girlfriend ended up clawing back for the win, leaving the table to be theirs. You were silently thankful for the loss, as you weren’t sure how many decent shots you had left in you. 

You were already feeling tipsy from the game, but you still found yourself back at the cauldron. There, you found Alexandra and Charles dressed as Ginny and Harry from Harry Potter. 

“Hey! So glad you could make it!” You said as you poured yourself a red solo cup full of Carlos’ concoction, the bright colors swirling both enticingly and as a warning. “How’s it going?” 

“We’re glad we could make it.” Alexandra said. “We’ve been good.” 

“Currently just trying to dodge the beer pong table. I’ve seen Lando running it all night. How did you do?” Charles asked, adjusting his glasses 

“Let’s just say I need more practice.” You said, shaking your head though there was a small smile on your face. “Carlos helped out a lot” 

“Of course he did. He’s a pro at everything” Alexandra laughed, glancing over at Carlos who was too busy trying to convince Pierre to join in playing another round of pong. 

“He’s definitely got the skills.” you replied, taking a sip of the drink, wincing as the drink burned your throat “ But I think I might stick to just munching on the candy.” 

“Speaking of candy, did you guys spike the gummy worms?” Charles asked, raising his eyebrow with a grin 

You nodded, a fresh gleam in your eye “Yeah, you like them?” 

“They’re addicting” Charles said 

As the night continued, the drinks kept flowing, leading to hazy decisions. The apple bobbing station was more packed than you had expected it to be, George currently the one taking his shot. You walked over, curious to see what the excitement was about. 

Standing over George was Alex, egging him on to go faster. You couldn’t help but chuckle at the sheer determination on George’s face as he fought to get the fruit. 

“You’re doing a shit job, mate” Alex said as George gasped for air

“It’s not my fault this thing wasn’t built for tall people in mind!” He complained, water streaming down his face 

“Let me help,” Alex said as he flashed a mischievous grin. He placed his hand on the back of George’s head, shoving it back into the water. 

Moments later, George reemerged, sputtering, laughing through the exasperation. “Dude, what the hell?” he yelled, wiping his face with his hand 

Alex just laughed, clearly enjoying the scene that played out “You have to commit! You won’t get anywhere with that half-hearted effort” 

Every time you refilled your cup, you found yourself reaching a new high. The colors of the party blurred together, creating a dreamy haze. You leaned back against one of the walls, watching the chaos of the party. An arm wrapped around your waist, and without even looking, you knew it was Carlos. 

You leaned into his warmth, feeling a surge of affection. “How’d the second pong game go?” you asked 

Carlos chuckled, the rise and fall of his chest comforting “I managed to convince Pierre and Kika to take over, so it’s going great now” He motioned to the table, where the couple was trying to master the game. 

“Good luck to them, they need it” You chuckled as you turned to face your boyfriend. 

Carlos looked down at you, his soft eyes quickly transitioning to ones full of mischief. “I think we need to shake things up a little and see who can handle the witches brew”

“That sounds so ominous” you laughed “You could’ve just suggested a drinking contest”

The two of you made your way over to the cauldron, a stack of solo cups waiting for you. The neon colors of the liquid glowed ominously in the dim light. You filled two cups up to the brim with the liquid, already dreading your agreement to do this. 

A few of the other drivers and their respective others grabbed cups, quickly piecing together what was about to go down. The ones who didn’t reach for a cup, whipped out their phones to record. 

“Three, two, one - go!” 

You threw your head back, gulping down the sweet yet potent mixture. The crowd cheered, laughter and playful shouts filling the air. You could feel the adrenaline coursing through your veins as you raced to finish your drink. 

Glancing over, you caught sight of Carlos, his focus intense. You could see the competitive spark in his eyes as he downed the cup, the two of you neck-and-neck.

With one final gulp, you slammed your cup down on the ground, throwing your hands up in victory. “Another win” you exclaimed, breathless. 

Carlos, a moment behind, laughed and wrapped his arms around you. “Only because I let you, mi hermosa”

“Sure, keep telling yourself that” you teased, enjoying the moment in Carlos’ arms. 

The party continued, fueled by more drinks and the infectious energy in the room. You danced alongside Carlos, letting the music guide you. 

As the night wore on, you took a moment to step outside on the balcony for some fresh air. The cool autumn breeze kissed your cheeks, and you took a deep breath, savoring the scent of fallen leaves. 

Carlos joined you, slipping his hand into yours as you both leaned against the railing. “What do you think?” he asked, glancing at the party through the window, where you’re pretty sure you saw Toto up on someone’s shoulders.

“Honestly, I wouldn’t want to spend Halloween any other way” you answered

He smiled, his gaze softening “Neither would I” 

liked by landonorris, carlossainz55, and 542,974 more

tagged: carlossainz55, francolapinto

yourusername: first ever sainz-l/n halloween party! thanks to everyone for coming and making the best holiday even better! p.s. williams, franco isn't dead, i just found him sleeping on my stairs

view all comments

user1: I NEEDED A HALLOWEEN WAG! THANK GOD

user2: ikr, all of them go hard for everything else, except the best holiday

francolapinto: why did you take a photo instead of WAKING ME UP AND GETTING ME TO BED??

yourusername: you looked comfy, I didn't want to wake you charles_leclerc: mate i could've shared the bathtub with you user3: hold up, charles was in the BATHTUB??? carlossainz55: someone had one too many spiked gummy worms

landonorris: i still can't believe you cheated at pong. shoulda been DQ'd

carlossainz55: it wasn't cheating, she couldn't land a ball if the cups were the size of a lake yourusername: you guys know I get notifs for you roasting me on my own post, right?

landonorris: yes. carlossainz55: yes.

user4: is that...george? ...bobbing for...apples?

alex_albon: yes. he lost though. george is a loser.

georgerussell63: i would've won if you didn't idk push my head in

alex_albon: still a loser.

[reticent-writer]

Hi! I love your writing and I have a whole PLOT IN MY HEAD. So basically, Adam's daughter has a fight with him about exterminations. The same night, she sneaks down to hell and stays with some other demons she meets, and up in heaven all chaos broke loss cause a pre-teej was lost, and where could she have gone?! She's not on earth, or heaven- and than Adam realizes, and can you make headcannons of this please?

Make sure to take care of yourself!

hello, thank you so much❤️I will take care of myself if you do as well.

✿✼:*ﾟ:.｡..｡.:*･ﾟﾟ･**･ﾟﾟ･*:.｡..｡.:*ﾟ:*:✼✿　

Adam and Lute had just gotten back from an extermination to see you glaring at them.

"Aw is someone mad at dear old dad." He said in a baby voice before sighing, "The fuck do you want from me."

"Uh not kill them."

"Uh can't do that."

Lute excused herself, she heard this argument to see where it was going.

"And why not."

"You know the reason."

"B-bu-"

"B-b-but nothing. You're not dumb don't fucking act like it."

By this point he was in your face with a frown that quickly grew into a smile.

"But cheer up. Those sorry shitbags get another 6 months and you get to spend time with earth's and heaven first dick master."

Ignoring the fact that he's calling himself a dickmaster he said that there was 6 months until the next extermination.

"6 months? why 6 months?"

"I'm tired... Goodnight." He avoided your question and scaddled to his room.

"YOU CAN'T GET TIRED IN HEAVEN ASSHOLE!" You shouted as you heard his door slam.

You didn't go to sleep that night, you couldn't. You wanted to see what makes hell hell.

You left everything and made a small portal to hell

the first thing that you noticed was the smell

it was RANCID, like you could barely breath and first

Next was the colors, most to everything is red or gray it took some getting used to

Lastyly was the people, it was the completely opposite of heaven (which you expected) but at least the cannibals were nice

It took you like 2 weeks to get settled and when you were Adam was going crazy looking for you

He made it everybody's business too

It took his dumb ass 3 months to figure out you were in hell

he went down there immediately to look for you

He practically dragged you back upstairs.

"The FUCK is your problem?"

"It took you nearly 4 months to find me and before you say anything else... hell is a really shitty place and the people are even shittier," You muttered but he heard every word and wide the widest grin. " But i still don't see the need for exterminations."

"I fucking told your bitch ass but no you wanted to come down here and prove my point. hell is shitty and sinners deserve nothing. The only thing good down there is the porn."

he definitely has selective hearing.

✿✼:*ﾟ:.｡..｡.:*･ﾟﾟ･**･ﾟﾟ･*:.｡..｡.:*ﾟ:*:✼✿　

Omg I just thought about combining my Alastor teen reader with Adam's teen reader and making them meet but idk how I would write it out.

[alyrasturnz]

so highschool headcannons please!!! also i've been sending in so much anon msgs but u dont reply to them :(( whyyyyyy

 ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎SO HIGHSCHOOL

❐ summary » in which, he knows how to ball and y/n knows aristotle..

❐ pairings » jock!matt x nerd!reader

❐ warnings » none

❐ a/n && w/c » i’m not responding to any anonymous messages that aren’t requests until i make a masterlist!! also double update YAY 😝 lmk if u guys like hcs more than actual fics with plots and stuff • 569

jock!matt who finds it adorable when you try to impress him with your newfound stick-handling skills, and in return, he tries to quote your favorite philosophers, often with hilarious results.

jock!matt who loves your late-night study sessions, where he sprawls out on your bed, tossing a basketball in the air, while you read aloud passages from your favorite poet’s works.

jock!matt who starts calling you "professor" as a cute nickname, and you call him "coach," blending your worlds of intellect and sports.

jock!matt who surprises you with a hockey-themed bookmark, knowing how much you love combining your passions.

jock!matt who enjoys your philosophical debates after a game, finding your insights fascinating and often trying to relate them to basketball strategies.

jock!matt who proudly tells his friends about your knowledge of philosophy, and they start calling you "the philosopher" in admiration.

jock!matt who finds balance and joy in your relationship, appreciating how your intellectual pursuits complement his athletic ones, making your bond even stronger.

jock!matt who loves when you analyze his hockey games, using your math skills to break down his performance and offer strategic advice.

jock!matt who gets excited when you create detailed charts and graphs, showing him how he can improve his shots and positioning on the ice.

jock!matt who appreciates your dedication, often saying, "you bring the brains, i'll bring the brawn," as he follows your calculated game plans.

jock!matt who enjoys your post-game analysis sessions, where you both sit down with a notebook, and you explain your findings, helping him become a better player.

jock!matt who surprises you with a custom jersey that has "math genius" on the back, showing his pride in your unique contributions to his game.

jock!matt who loves when you cheer him on from the stands, knowing that your support and mathematical prowess are his secret weapons.

jock!matt who often jokes that you're his personal "statistician," but he genuinely values how you make him a smarter player.

jock!matt who makes sure to celebrate every win with you, appreciating how your combined efforts lead to his success on the ice.

jock!matt who loves when you bring hot cocoa to his late-night practices, the steam rising like little wisps of encouragement.

jock!matt who always looks for you in the stands, your presence a beacon of warmth and support, even in the coldest rinks.

jock!matt who surprises you with spontaneous date nights after games, where the adrenaline is still high, and the world feels full of possibilities.

jock!matt who appreciates your patience, listening to his endless stories about the game and his teammates, knowing you care deeply.

jock!matt who loves when you wear his jersey, the sight of you in his colors filling him with pride and joy.

jock!matt who makes sure to include you in team celebrations, because to him, you're as much a part of the team as anyone else.

jock!matt who enjoys quiet moments with you after a tough loss, finding solace in your comforting words and gentle presence.

jock!matt who loves when you surprise him with little good luck charms before big games, each one a token of your unwavering support.

jock!matt who cherishes your handwritten notes of encouragement, tucking them into his gear bag for a boost of confidence when he needs it most.

jock!matt who feels incredibly lucky to have you by his side, knowing that your love and support are his greatest strengths on and off the ice.

[brujaluas]

✨ your next glow up ✨

pile 1

You can change your wardrobe, feeling like you need to change your style, a freedom coming, as if you lost the fear of wearing certain colors, accessories… I see you wearing light tones, pendants, bracelets, accessories, more casual fashion, university style , but also knowing how to be elegant and seductive, attracting attention. Your next glow up will know how to balance their styles and embrace their personality without fear and this will be reflected in their style. a notable noticeable weight loss.

pile 2

You have many different styles, I see you embracing them all. a mystical and mysterious side, you can start using heavy makeup or with black and dark blue eyeshadows, tight dresses with low necklines, you also want to be sensual, but you are also quite romantic, you can start growing flowers. Maybe you may have a tendency to gain weight, you will go in and out of different hobbies, like I said you have many different styles, you like everything. Your next step is to learn how to blend these styles into yourself.

pile 3

you will know how to combine clothes, this is your next step!!!!!! You will know how to use a color palette made for you, you can even go to those places that are specific for this where they do tests to discover your palette. blue tone is important. a more gothic side, with black too. You will want to express yourself with your clothes, your emotions will change all the time and you will express yourself through your appearance, haircut too.

[atlasofthestaars]

[MK X READER] New Era - Chapter .012

first part | previous part | next part

NOTE: TBH a while ago I considered putting titles for these chapters but then I realized I am pretty, pretty bad at titles. Would you guys want titles anyways?? For convenience I would still probably have the numbers be the main thing to click on but for AO3 and the top of the page it would be labeled???

I broke down the votes on tumblr for the poll combining the votes of the tumblr poll and here :D! Here’s a link: here

I know links are not. really usable on ao3 though so I’ll copy and paste the breakdown in the bottom note.

The tldr version is: 1) Johnny 2) Bi-han 3) Liu Kang 4) Tomas 5) Raiden 6) Kenshi 7) Kuai Liang 8) Kung Lao

I’ll reveal what these votes are being used for when we get to the part when this was important LMAO <3 ty all for voting!!

FROM THE EYES OF ONE WHO TRIES TO FIGURE CERTAIN THINGS OUT

Today was the first day in a while that you did not awaken to see the sun.

Opening your eyes, it felt like a dream to awaken to a room lit up with the soft glow of the crystal lamp. For a moment, your heart raced. Your brain panicked at the unfamiliar feeling of waking up in a spot that wasn’t your room or the Wu Shi academy. Then, you felt a sense of calm fall over yourself as your brain remembered that you were simply in Outworld for the tournament.

You sat up, feeling your body slowly come to life. Joints popped, muscles stretched. You drowsily rubbed your eyes as you swung your legs over the side of the bed. After a deep inhale, you forced yourself to get up. A yawn left your lips as you walked over to the small closet you had unpacked your extra clothes into. You undressed, and as you did so you took a moment to pause as you noted the mirror hanging on the wall right next to the closet.

You hadn’t noticed it until now.

Swallowing your nerves, you turned so your back was to the mirror. You didn’t really have mirrors in the Fire Temple. You supposed it could have been chalked up to a lack of vanity of those living there, you never really questioned or cared. But all that mattered was that you rarely saw the mark on your back. 

It was a scar centered right between your shoulder blades. It was shaped as if someone had struck you with a leopard fist. Then, thin lines spread out from the mark in all directions, stopping conveniently just before it would be exposed with the clothes you wore. It was as if it were like veins and arteries and your scar was the heart. You let out a sigh as you reached back to trace the lines before gently brushing the main scar.

It felt rough compared to the rest of your skin, it was like comparing gravel to dirt. It was probably from the lack of care you put into it, but you had a feeling no matter how much care you would have put into it, nothing would cause it to get any less rough. The mark was notably lighter than the rest of your skin, the edges of it slightly pink before it faded into your regular skin color. 

No one knew you had these marks. At least, you assumed not, you’ve never shown anyone you had these. It took you long to find out you even had these marks. It was only until one night you had stayed over at Madam Bo’s and noticed the mirror she had hung in the guest room you had been staying in. You figured it wasn’t important to tell anyone, especially when you didn’t know the origin of it. It’d only serve to make you seem more suspicious.

Your fingers brushed the mark again. You’ve always assumed this was from your current life, before the memory loss. The last reminder of your past before it was all wiped away when you awoke in those fields near the Fire Temple. Your lips pulled downwards into a frown. You’ve never put much thought into who you were before you lost your memory.

Did anyone know or care who you used to be?

You huffed, knowing the answer. It was doubtful that anyone did. Maybe this wasn’t even from this life, maybe it was from your past life. You wouldn’t know from your memories, they never included details of scars or anything of the sort. You shifted your weight as you considered it. No, maybe it wasn’t, you concluded. You don’t know how you would even retain a scar from a past life.

You tore your eyes away from the mark and tugged your clothes on. It was too much to think about for something that was probably so insignificant. You turned to look at your back in the mirror once you were dressed again. 

It was concealed once more. Out of sight, out of mind.

Your stomach grumbled, reminding you that you needed fuel for today. Where would you even find food? You pondered over the food you could potentially get, and that’s under the assumption that you even had time to eat. You stood, staring at the door for a moment pondering over this new found dilemma before realizing you were wasting more time by thinking about it. You shook your head and walked out of your room.

Unlike your room, the rest of the palace was fairly open with windows and spots where the light could filter in. The palace felt like it was bathed in a soft glow of light. It felt almost like a dream to stand among the light. 

How lucky you were that you could be here to witness this majesty in person. You took a moment to close your eyes and just bask in the atmosphere of the palace. Just standing here made you feel regal. It made you consider how the palace looked on the outside, was it just as beautiful as it was on the inside? You felt like you understood why the royalty enjoyed lavishness, just a bit. Who wouldn’t enjoy waking up to this view?

The tapping of heels caught your attention, snapping you out of your reverie. Loud, commanding and with purpose. You turned to look over, down the hallway to see who the source was. You blinked as you recognized Princess Kitana walking down the hall. You stared for a moment, thinking of how funny it was that you encountered her again like this.

Your heartbeat got louder again, and you recognized the feeling. A memory? Again? As the world faded away you could only question why Outworld was unlocking so many memories for you. 

You opened your eyes to see a crowd of people around you. The faces of the people you saw felt hazy in your mind. You could vaguely recognize them, but it felt all too peculiar. Glancing to your right, you noted how you were once again standing next to Raiden and Liu Kang. It seems you were by their side more often than you had expected.

“Are you alright, Lord Raiden?” The words fell from your lips as you watched the uneasy look on the thunder god’s face. You saw him raise a hand to his head and your eyebrows raised. You crossed your arms and glanced to Liu Kang and noted his own worried look. 

“Strange visions.” Raiden muttered, his gaze looking off into the distance. You heard the little crackle of glass. Raiden grabbed his amulet, something that made your stomach twist and turn at the sight, and you all saw the fractured glass. 

“Your amulet!” Liu Kang exclaimed. Your breath hitched upon seeing the cracks. 

“It is nothing.” Raiden dismissed, though you could hear the hint of worry that lingered in his tone. “The tournament begins.” He continued, turning his gaze to the front as he placed the amulet back upon his chest. Liu Kang followed his example, turning his attention to the proceedings. Your gaze, however, stayed on Raiden for a few moments more.

A pit of dread formed in your stomach. Father would have probably called Raiden out on his lies. Should you follow in his footsteps? You shifted your weight from one foot to the other. Perhaps not, he was closer to the god than you were. Taking one last glance at the cracked amulet, you took in a deep breath. Then, you turned your attention to the front.

Monks walked in from the left and right sides before the fighting arena. From behind them, you spotted the Outworlders walking in. An old man, a tarkatan, and two Edenians. You blinked as you locked eyes with the Edenian dressed in blue.

Princess Kitana. 

Your eyes narrowed, giving her a challenging glare. The princess, in return, seemed to steel her own resolve.

No matter what this tournament throws at you, be it princesses, tarkatans, or sorcerers, you were determined to help Earthrealm win.

“Is something interesting, Earthrealmer?” Kitana inquired, snapping you out of your rather short memory. A perfect eyebrow raised as she came to a few feet away from you. You blinked, mulling over the sudden question before you realized that she must have found it odd that you were staring. You forgot you even were staring, too lost in thought.

“I was just thinking about how I encountered you again in this hallway, odd isn’t it?” You replied, lying. There was a moment where Kitana returned the stare, her face showcasing she was a bit perplexed by your answer. Perhaps she wasn’t ready for the answer you provided. It was rather mundane and casual. Were you performing a faux pas by being too casual with royalty?

“I wouldn’t consider it so odd, I take this route all the time.” Kitana replied, entertaining your conversation. You felt relief flood through you after her words, realizing you had not tarnished both your and Earthrealm’s reputation. That, and she had not caught on to your lie. A small, polite smile appeared on her face, the very same one she had shown you yesterday. It was all too perfect, too practiced in your opinion, but you would rather see that smile than a disapproving look. “Would you like to accompany me to the Great Hall?”

“It would be an honor.” You replied, sending her a smile of your own. Yours was less practiced, just a bit more honest. You, after all, didn’t have as much practice with sending polite smiles as the princess did. You only could hope it was enough for her. She nodded, seeming to be pleased by your response. You joined her side, a familiar feeling for something you had only done once.

Though the memory was short, your mind raced with the small details you remembered. This wasn’t your first tournament. You had fought in at least one other before in your past life. Though from the memory it seemed much, much more severe. Then, there was the other detail that was immediately nagging at you. The amulet. 

Liu Kang had called it Raiden’s amulet. Was it mere coincidence that in this life he wielded the very same amulet? You chewed on your cheek as you mulled over the question. Liu Kang had mentioned how Raiden had been a natural with it. Had that been simply a statement of skill, or was it a tease of how he actually used to wield lightning and had an amulet like that?

No. That was impossible. Liu Kang was simply a demigod, how would he know anything of a past life? He had even speculated that your visions were of another world, not of a past life. 

You were just overthinking it, surely. And yet, even with this confirmation in your head, the dread building inside you did not abate. You couldn’t tell if it was due to the fact that you didn’t even believe your own thoughts or that other nagging feeling you couldn’t quite place.

“How confident are you in your student?” Kitana inquired, peering over to you, breaking you away from your thoughts. Her eyes scanned you, as if she could glean how well the training went from your attitude alone. Or maybe, she was trying to analyze that pondering look you had. Her lips pursed. You smiled at the inquiry, feeling a surge of pride. You pushed the thoughts you had away, trying to lift your spirits.

“I’m very confident in Raiden.” You replied, hands clasped behind your back. Both from the pride you held in Raiden and the position, your back straightened a bit more. “He was a lovely student. He was very diligent in his training and very receptive to feedback. Not to mention, he was very adaptive.” You sang his praises, knowing very well that you and the others would have to hype Raiden up since he was far too humble.

“I see.” Kitana hummed, seeming to mull over your words as if it were like a fine wine which needed a review. “I hope we can see if he lives up to your expectations, then.” She commented. Not necessarily antagonizing, but you could sense the challenge within her words. You nodded, not taking the slight rivalry personally. It only made sense.

“I can assure you that he will.” You countered, indulging a bit in the challenge. An eyebrow raised at your words and a glimmer appeared in her eyes. It reminded you of the very same look she sent Johnny Cage last night, it was pure amusement. You smiled a bit wider, holding back a chuckle. “I would not underestimate him despite what his humble nature may lead you to believe.”

“We shall see.” The princess spoke after a beat. “I hope your high praises weren’t for naught.” She told you as the two of you arrived to the Great Hall. Her words hung in the air, though polite you could tell she was still very much rooting for the downfall of Raiden. Again, understandable, but you did have to commend Kitana for her attempt to be cordial. 

The two of you had arrived rather early, so only a few people were around. Not only that, but it seemed that most seemed to be milling about trying to shake off the drowsiness that clung to them like a wet blanket. Had it not been for the conversation with the princess, you felt like you also would suffer from the same condition. With a nod, Kitana walked off, leaving you to your own devices.

“I see you have become somewhat familiar with princess Kitana.” Liu Kang spoke as you walked over. For the moment, your small group composed of the fire god himself, you, and the two former farmhands. You nodded at his comment before letting your gaze drift across the group.

Liu Kang, as usual, was pristine. After all these years you had no idea whether the fire god even slept or not, and if he did, you’ve never seen it. He always seemed ready and prepared. You couldn’t deny that you were at least a little envious of it. Raiden was prim and proper too. Not too surprising, considering how he was rather diligent in his routine. You could sense the nerves radiating from him though, and you had a sense that his nerves were the main cause of his alertness. Kung Lao, on the other hand, seemed to still have a few traces of drowsiness left.

“I wouldn’t consider it as me becoming more familiar with her.” You corrected the fire god, crossing your arms. You pursed your lips as you considered what you would call it. “She just entertained some conversation, I’m certain she was simply being polite rather than actual interest.” You said, shrugging. You didn’t mention how she was probably more interested in the way you were lost in thought around her. Liu Kang’s eyebrow arched at your statement, but he seemed to not continue his line of thought.

A member of the royal house staff walked by, offering some breakfast styled hors d'oeuvres to you. You smiled and grabbed some for the group. You offered the small portions to the group. Both Liu Kang and Raiden refused. Luckily for you, Kung Lao was more than eager to eat the portions you didn’t want. It seems he’s not as tired as you thought.

As you bit into the food, you felt a bit better and your worries melted away for now. There was still that annoying nagging voice whispering in the back of your head trying to make you remember something, but now it was much more quiet. It was like you placed a tarp over it, muffling it’s presence.

Maybe you were just hungry and over exaggerating everything while you were famished. The voice, faintly, yelled at you that you weren’t, but you kicked it away. You would have time to think about it later. You didn’t want to worry others by being oddly distant during the tournament. You wouldn’t know how to excuse yourself properly.

Soon enough, Kenshi joined your side. It seemed he took the extra time to make himself presentable as you could not see a hint of sleepiness from him. You nodded towards him and pointed out the hors d'oeuvres to him. He nodded to you in acknowledgement before slinking off to grab some for himself before he rejoined the group.

“Feeling better?” Kenshi inquired, peering over to you. His voice was discreet, trying not to clue in the others on your conversation. You looked at him, raising your eyebrows as you tried to interpret his question. When you continued to stare at him, he let out a small sigh. “Your headaches yesterday.” He told you, and you let out a small “oh” at the realization. “You seemed better at the banquet yesterday.”

“I am feeling better, I suppose I just took the whole interrealm travel worse than the rest of you.” You said, which was not entirely wrong. It was a little ironic though, you reflected, how you a supposed Edenian struggled the most in Outworld. You paused for a moment as your mind lingered on his last comment. He had noticed how you were at the banquet yesterday? Last you recalled, he had been eating at an entirely different table. The attention he had paid to you made you feel…touched. Your smile grew just a bit more. “Thank you for worrying.”

“It’s nothing.” Kenshi dismissed, nodding. His lips curled into a soft smile before it fell as he set his eyes upon something just past you. Raising an eyebrow, you turned to look at who or what had caused him to lose his little smile. 

Ah. Johnny Cage.

“Man, I know we woke up early at the Wu Shi, but did we really have to wake up at the crack of dawn for this?” Johnny said as he joined your little group. You watched as he expertly snatched a few breakfast hors d'oeuvres from a passing staff member. He shouted out a causal thank you before turning to the group. “A man like me needs some beauty sleep, you know.” He complained before popping some food into his mouth.

“Empress Sindel would like the tournament fights to happen earlier in the day so the rest of the day is free for you all to explore and mingle with others.” Liu Kang explained, eyeing Johnny Cage. His hands folded together neatly. “I too, encourage the rest of you to explore Sun Do and its wonders. Just remember to not get too drawn in.” 

“Got it, chief.” Johnny Cage nodded, though his eyes were clearly somewhere else already. You sighed and sent him a glare to get him back in line. “Hey, I’ve been sticking to my word, teach!” His hands flew up into the air. “I’m allowed to admire the merchandise, aren’t I?” 

“I think you’re doing more than just admiring, Johnny.” Raiden pointed out, looking over to Johnny. The rest of the group seemed to agree, leading to the actor rolling his eyes. 

“Everybody’s a critic…” The American mumbled as he sulkily turned away from you guys. You let out a small laugh as you pat his back to comfort him. You received a pout in return, though you could tell that his pout was more so on the playful side.

After a bit more of a wait, the princesses made their entrance with the Empress. Much like before, the crowd parted to allow them to cross. Silence hung in the air so their footsteps were more pronounced. Once they took their seats and got settled, Sindel stood up once more.

“Welcome back to the tournament.” Sindel announced, her arms spread with a cordial smile on her lips. You watched as Raiden stepped up to the front of the crowd, singling himself out. “You proved to fight well yesterday, young man.” The Empress said, turning her attention to look at Raiden. You watched as her eyes narrowed just slightly. “Let’s see if you can continue to impress.” She sat down and crossed her legs. “General Shao, whom have you chosen as our next competitor?” 

“Your Majesty,” The General began, walking out from the side. Your lips pressed together as you focused your attention on the man. You still felt uneasy around him, it was the mixture of unsettling memories and the attitude he showcased yesterday before the fight. “I have chosen Reiko, my second in command.”

From the hallway, you spotted a figure emerging. The man, who you assumed was Reiko, marched forth. He looked more like he was going into war rather than into a friendly tournament. You wondered silently if that was the attitude of all the soldiers in Outworld or if it was just him. You recognized him as the man who stuck to General Shao’s side during the banquet last night. 

“As a boy, Reiko was orphaned during the Katallah War.” General Shao announced as Reiko continued forward. “Though captured, his spirit remained unbroken. He scratched, clawed, and survived. After the war, I took him in. Molded him into the perfect soldier. Few others are as well versed in the ways of war.” 

Your eyes went back to General Shao and you had to restrain yourself from raising your eyebrows. General Shao didn’t strike you as the type of person to take someone in, nevermind even being the fatherly type. Your eyes returned back to Reiko as you wondered if he had a fine childhood after being taken in.

He certainly seemed like a hardened soldier now.

Coming to a stop a few feet away from Raiden, Reiko turned away from him. Instead of greeting his opponent, he began to shadowbox, demonstrating his forms and skills. And here you thought Johnny was flashy. Raiden did not appear to be cowed by the little show which was a relief to you. After a spinning kick, the man finally turned to face Earthrealm’s champion.

“In whose army have you served?” Reiko interrogated, staring Raiden down. An attitude of being unimpressed rolled off of him in waves. You crossed your arms at this, narrowing your eyes just a bit. You could tell he did not take your student seriously, not even in the slightest. “In what wars have you fought?”

“I have done neither.” The former farmhand admitted, his softer tone contrasting with the second in command’s harsher one.

“Then you are woefully unprepared, Earthrealmer.” Reiko sneered. He lifted a hand to point directly at his opponent. “This will be your last battlefield.” He declared. A mutual understanding seemed to be in order as both of the men settled into fighting stances. Reiko bounced in his with a sense of barely restrained energy while Raiden was much calmer, much like how you had taught him.

Sindel called out for the fight to begin, leading Reiko to charge forward. His strikes were fast and aggressive, you could tell from the intensity behind them he was aiming to end this quickly and brutally. You were suddenly grateful for the training you had given Raiden as you watched him anticipate this and go more defensively.

You winced as you watched Raiden, at one point, get grabbed by the soldier and slammed into the ground. You had to admit, Reiko was ruthless and knew how to use his strength well. He was a grappler, something that you hadn’t trained your students well against. You could only hope that Liu Kang taught him good counters.

Still, despite the initial worry, Reiko seemed to lose steam against Raiden’s defensive tactics. This allowed the champion to gain the upper hand, turning the tide and turning the momentum of the battle against the soldier. It didn’t take very long after that occurred for Raiden to emerge victorious. 

“Felled by a simple farmer.” Raiden spoke as the soldier laid defeated upon the ground. Your lips curled upwards at the small taunt. Reiko deserved that for underestimating the man. The electric user turned around to face the Empress and bowed. You watched as General Shao huffed upon seeing his second in command fail.

“Congratulations on another victory, young man.” Sindel commended, though you could sense an underlying sense of irritation behind her words. It seems she thought that Reiko would be capable of conquering Raiden. She stood and addressed the crowd this time. “We shall adjourn once more at first light tomorrow.” 

Much like yesterday, the crowd dispersed quickly. Though this time, you could see how a few more people lingered just a touch longer to stare and whisper about Raiden. It seemed he was making waves already.

“And that’s another victory under your belt, Thunder Lad!” Johnny celebrated as the champion rejoined your group. Though he had a smile that told you he was grateful for cheers, you could have sworn you saw a flash of irritation at the nickname. You let out a silent chuckle at it. You recalled him mentioning how he hated that name, but you didn’t think it was that bad.

“Indeed, you are doing well.” Liu Kang spoke, nodding. “Many seem to be pleased at the display of strength you are showing.” A pleased smile was upon the fire god’s lips. Looking at the group, he gestured to the hallway. “The day is free for you all to explore and mingle with others. Although not a banquet, Empress Sindel will be offering dinner once more tonight.”

You all nod, looking towards each other and beginning to discuss their various plans. Then, you felt a hand settle on your shoulder. You look over to see Liu Kang looking at you. The same pleased smile was present on his lips, though you could sense something else lingering there.

“May we speak privately first?” Liu Kang inquired. Your eyebrows raised. As the question processed in your head, you felt a small sense of dread begin to build. He didn’t appear to be upset or overly serious, but the idea that Liu Kang needed to ask you to speak privately made you worry. What could he possibly need from you?

“Certainly.” You reply after perhaps a bit too long of a silence. You and Liu Kang waved to the group before walking off towards the outside exit. You both made your way towards a quaint bench in the garden outside. It was quiet here, peaceful. You swallowed your nerves as you sat down next to the fire god. You put on your best smile, hoping it was not obviously nervous. “What did you wish to discuss?”

“I just wanted to check if you were feeling alright, first.” Liu Kang responded, a gentle look on his face. You nodded, and it seemed that the god was pleased by the response. “Good, I didn’t get a chance to ask you after you went to get air yesterday.” You remembered that clearly, mostly because you had been only slightly avoiding him. You didn’t want to make too much of a fuss, but then again, here you were. It did feel nice to know that the fire god had still wished to check up on you.

“I’m alright, Lord Liu Kang.” You replied, your hands folding together as you relaxed just a touch more. “Is that all you wished to ask?” You inquired, tilting your head to the side just a bit. You had a feeling it wasn’t, seeing how he wished to speak privately. You doubted he would ask to speak alone if it were just that.

“No.” He said, confirming your suspicions. You straightened up a bit more, bracing yourself for the other question he was about to send your way. You saw him pause for a moment as he looked at you, observing your reaction. He leaned in a tiny bit more and his voice dropped to a whisper. “I wanted to ask again, are you having visions again?”

You hated how your body betrayed your thoughts. Immediately you stiffened up and you were certain your face contorted into a look of nerves and shock. You looked away as you forced yourself to relax, looking over the peaceful garden. You had basically given away the answer by body language alone, so you figured there was no point in lying about it this time.

“I am.” You confirmed, still not looking at Liu Kang. You were, for the time being, afraid of looking at him. You don’t know how many of your guarded secrets you’d let out if you told him. “It’s mostly memories of a different looking Outworld.” Your fingers drummed on your knee as you stared straight ahead, looking at the wonders of the garden. “It’s so…jarring.”

“I see.” Liu Kang said after a moment, seeming to take in your words. Before he could speak again, you decided to cut him off.

“Do you think an Outworld like that exists, one that is filled with more bloodshed and tyranny, or is it simply visions?” You inquired, testing the waters a bit. Maybe, just maybe if he thought so too, you wouldn’t be thought of as crazy if you did tell him. You turned your head just slightly to see his reaction. 

He was deep in thought, his lips just slightly pursed as he seemed to mull over your words. His eyebrows were furrowed the tiniest bit. After a moment, he shook his head, and your heart sank. 

“It is…unlikely.” Liu Kang spoke, the last word hanging in the air. You looked away from the god, closing your eyes. Perhaps you were truly alone in thinking that a past life existed that you lived. His hand covered yours in a comforting motion. You took in a deep breath, feeling your insides churn. Liu Kang probably misinterpreted your expression of unease from your visions. “Do not fret, that Outworld does not exist.”

Anymore, you finished in your head.

“I know.” You said, uncertain whether your words were lies or not. Were you just being crazy by believing that you were seeing a past life? Not even Liu Kang thought it had existed. Still, despite your uncertainty you felt the comfort of his hand. His hand squeezed yours gently, as if trying to anchor you.

“I am sorry that you are plagued with these visions. If I could, I would remove them from you.” Liu Kang told you, his words feeling like a soothing balm. Even though his words were meant to be comforting, a stupid part of you whispered in your head telling you that you didn’t want that. You couldn’t be getting these memories for no reason.

You’d figure out the reason alone if you needed to.

“Thank you for the sentiment.” You told him, opening your eyes and sending him your best smile. He smiled back, his smile much warmer than yours. You envied it, how could he look like the sun? You could feel your smile grow a little more, and you felt your face heat up for a reason you didn’t quite understand at the moment. You just felt warm. It wasn’t too odd, you supposed, seeing as Liu Kang was the fire god, so you pushed the odd, light feeling away. “Is that all you wanted to talk about?” You asked after doing just that. 

“Yes.” Liu kang told you with that same smile. After one last squeeze he released your hand. He stood up, seeming to be content after your small conversation. “I will let you explore Sun Do now, it is truly a prosperous place.” He nodded at you, looking at you fondly for one more moment before walking off. You sat there a moment longer, letting the conversation sink in a bit more.

You sighed as you leaned forward and rested your forearms on your thighs. You folded your hands and pressed them against your forehead, closing your eyes. You didn’t know what to make of the conversation you just had. The memories…visions…whatever they were, they didn’t feel fake. They felt too lived in, too real. 

Perhaps a past life was beyond comprehension for even a god. You doubted Liu Kang would lie to you if it were real, especially about something you’ve had for so long and was so important to you. As you continued to sit there deep in thought, you barely registered the footsteps that was headed your way until you noticed a shadow fall upon you.

“There you are, I’ve been looking for you.” You blinked as you registered the man standing in front of you as Rain. You sent him a perplexed look, but nodded to indicate he should go on. A friendly smile appeared on his face. “You were very intrigued by the prospect of the Imperial Academy, yes?” He inquired, and you slowly nodded. “Would you like to accompany me to see it tomorrow after the fight?” 

“I would be delighted.” You said without even thinking. A grin appeared on your face and for a moment you forgot about your worries, too excited over the idea of seeing a school full of magic. Your answer seemed to please the High Mage, and he nodded with satisfaction.

“Good. Perhaps you may learn a bit to further your own abilities.” He said.

“I suppose if there was a place to help learn my limits and how to push them, it would be a school dedicated to magic.” You said, nodded. The smile on Rain’s face remained. It was quite nice how you found someone who seemed enthusiastic over magic. 

“I shall see you tomorrow then.” He told you. Then, after that moment, he disappeared into the gardens. You were left feeling a bit happier. You let out a small sigh as you got up from the bench. You’ve had enough of sitting out here for now. That, and you supposed today would be a good start to finding gifts for the Lin Kuei trio.

You walked back to the Great Hall, intending to go to Sun Do through the entrance. You stepped in only to be surprised to see Raiden still standing there. He appeared to be milling about. Once he spotted you, the former farmhand seemed to light up and made a beeline for you.

“You’re still here?” You remarked. Your eyebrows raised as you scanned Raiden, trying to perceive the reason why he stuck around before he spoke. You watched as his smile turned just a tad more shy and there was just a barely perceptible dusting of pink along his cheeks. 

“Yes.” Raiden confirmed, nodding. He seemed to pause for a moment to consider his words. His head tilted downwards, his hat brim obscuring his face. Then, another moment passed before he lifted his head to show his face which seemed a touch more confident. “I wanted to wait for you to go see if you would like to go explore Sun Do together.” 

“You didn’t have to wait for me.” You replied, laughing a bit in surprise. You crossed your arms as you looked at the man. You were touched at the fact that he had wanted to wait for you. “I’d be honored to accompany the Earthrealm champion, though.” You told him, teasing him just a little bit. The smile on his face only seemed to get brighter at your words. “Maybe you can even help me.”

“With what?” Raiden inquired, now walking by your side. You both made your way down the hallway side by side. 

“I planned on buying some gifts for Bi-Han, Tomas, and Kuai Liang.” You explained, and in turn the farmhand nodded. “It’s not everyday that one gets to travel to Outworld, after all, and since they didn’t get to come I figured it would be nice to give them some gifts.” 

“Why don’t the Lin Kuei participate?” Raiden asked, a thoughtful look on his face. Your steps faltered for a moment as you considered his question. Why didn’t they participate, you tilted your head, considering the question. You’ve never quite thought about it.

“I guess I don’t know.” You replied after your little moment. Your footsteps resumed at their pace. “It has probably something to do with the tournament rules, I suppose.” You carded a hand through your hair. “I’ve never really questioned it.”

How much else have you never questioned? There was so much you’ve never really taken into account. Maybe you should start questioning things. It wasn’t good to be ignorant, after all.

Sun Do was still as pretty as ever. Banners, lanterns, and other decor lined the streets. Music filled the air and many of the citizens laughed and danced along the streets. Vendors shouted out their wares, and you listened in to see if any of it would be of use to you. You grinned as you passed by them all.

“It’s very lively out here.” You mused as you turned to look back at Raiden after a while of walking. To your surprise, he was gone. You stopped and scanned the crowd to look for him, but he was nowhere to be seen. Frowning you made your way to the side to see if you could find him better. After a few minutes of searching, you sighed as you failed to see him.

“May I help you?” A voice asked. Stiffening up, you turned to see a Naknadan woman standing within the store. She peered at you with wide eyes as she put away various weapons with her arms. At first, you were about to dismiss it, then you looked closer at the store. It was a weapons shop. You took a moment to look around, then noted the collection of karambits lined along the wall.

“Ah, yes.” You said as you eyed the collection. You stepped forward to get a closer look, observing the fine craftsmanship that went into every single one. It was then that you found it. A karambit with the blade a silver white. On the handle were intricate designs etched into almost akin to smoke. It was as long as Tomas’ personal karambit too, so he wouldn’t have to adapt. The safety ring was gold. “How much is this one?” You inquired, gesturing to the blade.

She told you the price, giving you a sunny smile. You reached into your bag, grabbing the money that Liu Kang had given you prior to the trip. She peered at you curiously, inquiring what the blade was for. Enthusiastically, you told her that the blade was a gift for a friend.

“Would you like for me to engrave something on it? I can engrave it upon the safety ring.” The lady asked. You lit up at the idea, smiling. With one arm, she plucked the blade from the wall and placed it upon a table. Then with a few other of her arms, she grabbed various tools from another table nearby. “What would you like?”

“Have strength, Tomas. From,” You spoke your name. The Naknadan woman nodded. Using another arm, she grabbed some glasses and placed it upon her face. You watched with awe as she precisely engraved the message you had said onto the ring. Then, she delicately placed into a velvet lined box to which she wrapped up and handed to you. “Thank you.”

“I hope whoever you gift that to will enjoy it.”

“I’m certain he will.” You said, turning to exit the shop. To your delight, you spotted Raiden standing outside the shop, looking puzzled and searching around the crowd. Making sure to keep your footsteps light, you snuck up upon the man. With a small smirk you placed a hand upon his shoulder, making him jump. “It seems I have a knack for sneaking up on you.”

“Yes…Yes you do.” Raiden said as he recovered from the little scare you had provided. You let out a laugh, squeezing his shoulder. After his recovery, he peered at the box you held in your hand. “Where did you wander off to?” 

“Well, after I noticed I had lost you in the crowd, I stepped to the side to try and look for you.” You told him before turning your head to look back at the shop you had stepped out of. “I happened to step inside there and happened to find a gift for Tomas.” You explained, lifting up the box and showing it off.

“I suppose that us splitting up was a good thing, then.” Raiden mused as he looked curiously at the box you held. He sent you a bright smile. “Would you like to continue to tour around Sun Do?” He asked you, and you nodded in return. You took your hand away from his shoulder and put away the box. As you turned back, you saw Raiden looking at you before he cleared his throat and turning away.

“What’s on your mind?” You asked. raising an eyebrow at the odd way he had reacted. 

“Oh, well…” Raiden trailed off, still looking away before he looked at you once more, forcing himself to look you in the eye. Then, gently, he took your hand. For a moment, you wondered if he used his amulet on accident, because you felt electricity surge through your veins. In your surprise, your face heated up. “I thought it’d be best if we held hands, just so we don’t get separated again.”

“I guess that’s pretty smart.” You said, still feeling your face flush at the unexpected contact. You looked away, from him as you cleared your own throat. Surely he must have accidentally used his amulet, that’s why you were feeling so odd. It’s not like you haven’t held anyone else’s hand, so why did this feel so…different? You felt his hand squeeze yours softly as he tugged at it. 

“Then let’s go.”

The rest of the day exploring Sun Do was quite fun. Despite all of the exploring you did all afternoon, there was still plenty left to discover. You decided you would have to spend a few more days to check it all out, especially since you had not found gifts to give both Bi-Han and Kuai Liang just yet. There were plenty of things you could have given them, surely, but it didn’t feel right.

Dinner went quite well as well. The food, though not as bountiful as the banquet, was still quite delicious. You had witnessed Kung Lao in action, he devoured enough for multiple men alone. That night, you returned back to your room quite satisfied. 

It wasn’t until later when you crept back out into the dead of night. Tanya, once more, assisted you to the Hanging Gardens in a dutiful way. With a raised eyebrow, she inquired whether you always stayed up this late, or was it just the travel? With a friendly smile, you admitted that you struggled going to sleep. With a satisfied hum, she nodded and let you roam the garden in peace.

“I’m glad you can remember our little arrangement. I would have been quite disappointed to have missed out on hearing another one of your entertaining stories.” Mileena remarked as she noticed you walking over. She sat on the same bench that you had sat on yesterday. With a smile, you noted how this evening she did not seem upset as she was yesterday. 

For a moment, you wondered what had happened to her that made her so upset. Then, you remembered that it was out of line to ask her that sort of question. 

“I would hate to disappoint you.” You replied as you took a seat beside her. You tilted your head up to observe the sea of stars above. The sky was so clear here, and you didn’t think you could get over the view. It was just so…beautiful. After basking in the sight, you turned to look at the princess with a smile. “Was there a particular story you would like to hear about?” You asked, mentally trying to remember all the sorts of movies your students had shown you.

“Do you have any stories of royalty?” Mileena inquired after a few short moments of thought. You hummed, closing your eyes as you thought through the movies you had seen. What story was worthy enough of a princess who was to be the empress one day? You tilted your head as your fingers drummed upon your knee.

“Well, perhaps this one will suffice…”

Mileena was very taken in by the story you told her. She listened carefully at your retelling, only stopping you here and there to ask for clarification. You supposed it was fair, since there were some cultural differences you forgot to account for at times. Still, it was pleasing to see the princess be so enraptured by the story.

“You are quite the storyteller.” The princess remarked as you finished your tale. You grinned, pleased as one should be when complimented by royalty. “Tell me, where did you hear these stories from?” She asked, she leaned just a touch closer to you, but she still kept a considerable distance from you on the bench. 

“In Earthrealm there are many other storytellers, I enjoy listening to their own tales that they share. They tell them far and wide, allowing for others to hear their stories as well.” You explained, not certain how to explain movies to the princess. “I only pass on their tales, just as they would have wished for.”

“I see.” Mileena took in your words, nodding. “Perhaps in the next tournament Earthrealm hosts I shall be able to listen to these stories from the other storytellers you speak of.” She said, seeming to be intrigued by your explanation.

“Johnny Cage, one of the ones here with the rest of us, knows many stories himself.” You told her. You held back a laugh at the face the princess made upon the name Johnny Cage. You wondered what he must have said to make her react that way. 

“I prefer listening to you much more than…him.” She admitted, her nose still scrunched up at the mention of the actor. She stood, stretching before looking back over to you. “Your stories continue to entertain, Earthrealmer. I would enjoy listening to you again.”

“And I would be honored to tell more of them to you, princess.” You told her, feeling quite pleased by the fact that your retelling of movies was enough to entertain royalty. “Would you like to meet back here tomorrow night?”

“Yes, that would be preferable.” Mileena confirmed, nodding. She sent you one last smile, one that was more genuine than the ones you’ve seen from her when she had to present herself as princess. “Sleep well, Earthrealmer.” She told you, then disappeared off into the night.

“Sleep well as well, princess.” You called out to her, taking a few more moments to sit in the gardens. You sighed as you thought of the things you’ve learned and experienced today. Outworld was proving to be more than you had initially expected.

What would await for you tomorrow?

part thirteen

tagged - @bonezisded @lollipopin @simpxinnie @zhivaxo @koisuko

[scarlett-ggv]

Reflection and perfection.

Bumblebee x Reader (I'm sorry if it's poorly worded, the translator is against me. IJDIHUEEDJI)

Maybe it's the wind gently blowing through your hair. Or the contribution of the sun by illuminating your face, allowing a better view of the tone of your eyes. Simply wonderful like those well-formed clouds that adorned the sky.

It was wonderful, magical, pretty… How can a person look so pretty and so real at the same time? You were there, right there. By your side, doing whatever you're doing and thinking about whatever you're thinking about. He can feel you, he can see you. It can see you from head to toe and how it undertakes a journey of a few centimeters through your hair to reach the ends of it, shiny.

It was just unreal. Spiritual and physical so unreal. How your eyes are the reflection of combined colors and a record of infinite scenarios united with natural sensations, so beautiful that they make those past memories that torment him day and night flee from his mind. Like a gust of wind, like a momentary illusion, fast and fleeting like a star.

But comparing you to a star wouldn't do justice to what he sees, only you. He longs for an opportunity, nothing more, but a look from you, enough to mark a feeling in his heart, with the same impact as a knife and a petal of the most fragile rose in his beautiful world. That was the mess inside him, it was uncomfortable not being able to control that when he saw your lips. It was, at the same time, also charming, charming those thoughts that abound in just a couple of seconds, involuntary. Where every time you do your job, a small smile tries to appear. An unknown sensation when thinking about your lips, with violent depth, longing as before to touch them, feel them and maybe, just maybe, be the owner of them, one day. Just someday.

If I could, I would look for the exact place inside his mind to find the very word of what he can feel about you, even if it is minimal. I would force everyone to feel it, to see if they are also amazed by the sensation. Everything about you.

Coming from another world was no longer so strange for him, he had met other humans, other customs and faces. I had discovered attitudes and above all that gesture of joy when you saw the team also bringing with them their own happiness. Impossible to ignore. Primus knew it, and she knew that he knew what she felt every exact moment when he was with her at every inexact moment.

''I know you do''

Those words ended the comfortable silence that existed between them and Bumblebee almost tensed when he heard that voice that according to him is synonymous with enjoying hearing a bird sing in nature and the perfect synchronization of instruments that together make a melody. He knows what you mean, you know he's looking at you

He saw you turn around looking at him, a clash of glances, innocent for you and a loss for him, so much so that it seems like you're doing it on purpose, perfection impossible. You blinked, and he nodded lntamene, without taking his gaze off your face, he doesn't hesitate, he stays like that.

''I know'' he thinks, unable to speak and express with a few words so many things stored inside him, he has the radio but it is not the same. He is not ashamed to look at your lips, close. He runs over your face from your lips to a trip back to your eyes, while you smile, closing your eyes and turning around again, shy, he loves it.

You feel small, you are. You notice it every time you remember that your height is synonymous with the difference between you, worlds and species. There is a hint of guilt, but you know that nothing will happen, never mutual. But him? He doesn't want to waste time, time is for now gold, like exhausted Energon… So valuable, reminding him how unfair life is when deciding that your steps on earth will disappear in a few years, that he will no longer be able to help you. contemplate as now. So unfair.

Él pone una mano en tu barbilla dubitativamente, algo dubitativo pero que no se nota, dejas de sonreír y te concentras en la situación, tragas saliva, mirándolo a los ojos siendo incapaz de apartar la mirada, ni a ningún lado… Él aparta la mirada. Te mira. Hubiera sido solo un beso lo que hubiera cambiado todo, el destino de ambos y tantas cosas. Pero sabe que será un recuerdo, y duele. Ese pensamiento duele mientras los segundos pasan y siguen como están. Hubiera bastado solo un movimiento para lograr lo que anhela. Pero no puede. Él nunca fue un cobarde, había luchado junto a Optimus Prime como mano derecha para eliminar algunos decepticons, pero en cuanto a sentimientos tampoco lo era. ¿Qué cambió? Nada, fue solo tu presencia.

He left you, looked ahead, taking his gaze away from yours. You hesitated, you thought. You turned around a little nervously without smiling while you brushed a strand of hair behind your ear, adjusted your book and remained silent. He looked ahead, the timing of this scenario combined with your beauty and feelings would have been so perfect, but he is not capable. So, now both of us sitting looking at the landscape, alone. They know and are aware of what is happening. But no one speaks

You speak, he looks at you out of the corner of his eye for a second when you do, wanting to say so many things, but he can't. Answering you in his mind.

''The landscape is beautiful''

''I know''

----------------------------------------

I'm sorry if the writing is rubbish, I have two reasons.

1.- I am new to writing

2.- I speak Spanish and I use the translator. It's their fault, I swear! AJJSDHJKSAJHAJJAJ

Bye <3

[purplealmonds]

🩸 Portrait of the Blood God's most devoted acolyte.

Close-ups, process pics, and artist commentary below the cut!

Close-Ups:

Process:

Commentary:

This was actually my first Technoblade piece, but when I found out the anniversary of his passing near so it was postponed for a more tonally appropriate project.

Yes, that’s a hoglin head he’s wearing. My headcanon is that this was his first kill. The skull’s rather small, and the tusks haven’t quite grown in yet so it’s likely a juvenile. It’s the right kind of fucked up for someone who owns a sword called the “Orphan Obliterator”.  It becomes desiccated and gross over time, but he keeps it on as a trophy and the added intimidation factor. It contrasts strongly against the ornamental vibes of the rest of his outfit as a nod to his violent origins. From a design standpoint, I wanted to feature both his actual face and his pig persona. This seemed like a decent -and aptly gory-  compromise. 

The halo is his crown. Obvious godhood and death symbolism aside, it was also a creative solution to the challenge of making a crown sit in an aesthetically pleasing way on a bloody, decapitated boar head. 

The text encircling the halo reads “Blood for the Blood God,” “Technoblade Never Dies”, and “One of Us”. We can only hope that our voices still reach him, wherever he is now. 

The draped folds of his white shirt were stupidly difficult for me to capture. It was backlit, and a lot less skin-tight than what I was used to rendering. At one point the fabric was also slightly transparent and showcased a little more of the skin tone beneath, but it diverged too much from the color study so I dialed it back considerably.

The enchantment text engraved on the axe and sword read “Axe of Peace” and “Orphan Obliterator” respectively. (I know it doesn’t make sense that the sword’s unsheathed in its holster, but you wouldn’t see the fancy text otherwise!) The actual enchantments on these weapons manifest as a shimmering ripple effect inspired by Damascus steel. 

A lot of interpretations of Technoblade streamlines his coat to a cape. I wanted to stay true to the source material, but instead of him wearing the oversized coat I draped it over his shoulders Howl’s Moving Castle style. Not pictured at his angle is the gold chain keeping the garment from drifting off. I also altered the fur lining to resemble an ermine pelt - a traditional feature of royal mantles in combination with the red velvet fabric. 

When looking at Technoblade’s character skin, I was at a loss on how to interpret the checkered pattern of his pants. I ended up making them into wooly cowboy chaps worn atop faded maroon trousers. His DSMP cabin was located in the chilly tundra, and he worked with quite a lot of wildlife and livestock so I think this is in character for him! Bit of trivia - without the wrinkles, the trouser fabric color looked very, very similar to his skin tone. And with the sword conveniently covering his crotch, I had some very unintentional symbolism happening down there until I added the stitches. Whoops. 

[rosegoldenatlas]

Dear all fans of Joel Smallishbeans, here is your weekly reminder that C!Joel is definitely a fae who is desperately trying to learn how to lie to fit in with everyone else.

Reasoning/evidence:

Look me in the eyes and tell me he doesn't give dragonfly vibes

He pulls tricks a lot! You know what else does that??? Fae!

He's a bad liar, fae trait.

He's a smol boy

His character traits change in fandom and canon spaces to match with the biome or habitat he's in. Body changing to fit nature?? Nature fae moment.

He has pulled so many people so fast, you know what creature is known to be inhumanly beautiful and charismatic? That's right. Fae.

Pretending to be a god is such a faerie move.

In esmp s2 he was the one to make Jimmy a sentient toy and convinced the entire server to play along. Fae curse also fae move.

Esmp s1 he was unaffected by Xornoth's magic, I dunno about you but that sounds like fae bullshit to me :/

Esmp s1 again, he worshipped a MOTHER TREE that BROUGHT LIFE to HIM AND HIS ENTIRE AREA. If you need a reminder, FAE ARE BORN OF PLANTS 9 TIMES OUT OF 10 AND FIERCELY PROTECT NATURE SURROUNDING THEM.

Esmp s1 again, He brought nature an plants into a mesa. Like c'mon man. He's a fae.

Esmp s1 again again, he hated Scott, a canon faerie from what I assume to be the winter court? (Judging by Rivendell) Joel would probably be from the summer court. Obviously as both are on two ends of the extremes they wouldn't clash very well.

-------------

Fae Joel lore and my 'evidence' aka fuck you he's a fae.

Joel is a summer court fae! Which also means he is Seelie. My reasoning for this is a combination of two things: personality traits and aesthetic

For personality he aligns with a lot of the Summer fae traits, he is kind and more benevolent than a fae from the Unseelie courts but is still capable of a lot more cruelty than the spring court. Fae of the summer court usually are rather frivolous and hotheaded. They hold politeness and manners highly but not as high as say the spring court. Fae from the summer court are more willing to cut losses and not force life. (Ex if the see a dying animal they would be quicker to put it out of its misery and feed it to another animal rather than spent long hours of trying to save it. They acknowledge death as a part of life and see more of the negative side of things but still choose to focus of positive aspects. Summer fae tend to lead a more arrogant and hedonistic lifestyle but do not enjoy pleasure at the expense of another happiness. They are more willing to spend time helping another than themselves.

As for aesthetic: Summer court colors are Forrest greens of healthy plants and rich golds an oranges of the sun, they also lean towards richer pinks and reds than spring fae. So you know, Mezalea, Stratos, his normal green?

----------

Headcanons to go with Fae!Joel

-Joel is definitely a fae who will spend decades learning how to lie like other creatures. He's still terrible at it because fae can't lie, but he has spent so much of his life around humans and other creatures able to lie that he has the capacity for sarcasm and white lies. He's still working on real lying though (see: Secret Life smp)

-He is immortal until proven otherwise.

-He's a dragonfly based fae with wings and antennae to match

-When Scott killed him in third life he definitely damaged Joel's wings and Joel wasn't able to heal them until he was off server. So he didn't really like him.

[prophet-rebellion]

Jolene's Emergency Vet Visit

Description posted from GoFundMe Campaign:

So for those of you who gave followed me (and maybe seen the update) you'll know Salem has been missing for almost 6 months.

She was my ESA, and given my declining mental health, I didn't have much choice but to get a new ESA.

Enter miss Jolene Macchiato L. Whom I adopted almost two months ago and have whole heartedly decided to keep after realizing just how well we mesh.

You may also know I've been in the hospital the last few days - staying with my roommate who was admitted. I've been coming home to feed the cats and (unsuccessfully) treat them for ear mites. My new roommate was dog sitting and he brought fleas and ear mites into our home.

During this time, Jolene went to the bathroom on my bed multiple times. I at first chalked it up to stress and was told to keep an eye on here. Less than a day of being back from the hospital and her stool is light in color, runny, and most terrifyingly, has blood in it.

This is no longer an issue of stress, but could be a major intestinal/stomach problem when mixed with her inability to wait and use her litterbox. On top of that, she was running around like she was in pain, or something was wrong prior to going.

My second job is not a sure thing yet - it has been more than two weeks since the company reached out to me - and I have been looking for more. The money I thought I won was more a scam to get me down to the car dealership (which by the way, I hated as is because of the older man behaving increasingly grossly and inappropriate towards me).

My funding for Salem has stopped at this point - I have done every physical thing I can to find and bring her home. And now I need to focus on the new feline in my care.

I am taking Jolene to the vet tomorrow and using my new credit card - but there are limited funds and paying it back is my current concern when I have payments taking up to the 1,000s combined due these next two months.

I am setting it to $550 for now (because they take a portion), but the price my change depending on what the vet says and what is wrong.

I know she still need to get treated for ear mites ($300 on it's own) because the current medications I've been using are not working."

This is my fundraiser.

Additional pictures of her adoption papers added on here as well proving when I got her. JOLENE IS A REGISTERED ESA NOW.

Jolene as far as I have been told is two years old, though she is very small for her age. She is a sweet heart though she was likely on the streets for a most of not all her life before she was taken to the shelter and I adopted her a month later.

She is a sweet cat that just wants to check and make sure that you're okay. She'll cuddle. She doesn't meow but she does trill and sound like yoshi.

She just wants to make friends with everyone. And if you're not petting her enough then the grabs your hand and brings it right to her face as she stands on her back legs.

This is the last fundraiser I'm making. Ask anyone I know in real life and they'll tell you just how much I despise asking for help. I want to be able to do things on my own. But until I get one bite from the hundreds (literally) of jobs I've applied to as a secondary then I'm at a loss. I can't afford to wait and save up for this vet Visit - not when her health is on the line.

I can post a picture of her at the vets office tomorrow as well to confirm, along with the update of what they set.

GoFundMe

PayPal

Venmo

Currently $750/$750

UPDATE - 08.02.2023

UNDER THE CUT

We went to the vet today.

TL:DR - she is on medications for the next two weeks, roughly. She did very good at the vet and was very brave. $500 was close, it will come out to be roughly $700 all together after ear mite treatment; we are holding off for now until the other cat in the house can be treated or they will just jump between them, which gives some more time to get there funds. But the over the counter medications are not strong enough to fight the infestation, and depending on severity, it could lead to long term health problems.

So I changed it from $550 -> $750 (again, because they take a processing fee). I also added in there roughly $200 that had been sent from PayPal and Venmo to give a more accurate show off current raised funds.

Below are screenshots of the update explaining more, along with pictures of Jolene at the vet today.

(Straight up, I almost cried because in the right two months that I have had her this was the first time she had crawled into my lap to lay down and cuddle with me.)

[luxtrys]

casual dominance with anakin

anakin takes protecting you and your feelings very very seriously. and when you don't take care of yourself or get hurt, ani goes crazy.

<3

it was a peaceful sunday morning in your apartment, the golden sun light shining into your apartment and making your skin glow. you hummed a sweet tune to yourself as you whisked together your pancake batter in your baby pink bowl. you had been having pancakes every sunday morning since you were a baby, and you kept the tradition when you moved in with anakin.

he was always up before you in the morning without fail. he woke up a 6am sharp and kissed your forehead while you whined at the loss of warmth from his furnace of a body, knuckling at your sleepy eyes. he smiled down at your half-asleep figure before slipping on his running shoes and heading out the door. you didn't know how he did it, every morning. he had convinced you to come along once on his 2-hour runs and he had to carry you on his back the whole way home.

you woke up about an hour and a bit later, throwing on his massive hoodie over your body and padding your socked feet all the way to the kitchen. once you had combined all the ingredients, you cursed yourself as you tasted the bitter batter, you had forgotten the best and most important ingredient. the sugar.

you huffed to yourself as you looked all the way up at the top of your cupboard, the clear jar with the word sugar etched on it staring down at you. you turned your head and glanced around at your surroundings, you knew if anakin saw you he would be pissed. but you were hungry and so very impatient. so you took matters into your own hands

you placed your hands down on the white marble countertop, hoisting yourself up so you were standing tall on the surface. you took a deep breath in as you held onto the cupboard, trying not to slip and break your back.

you were all unknowing as anakin stared at you from the doorframe, trying not to implode. he couldn't keep count of the amount of times he had told you not to climb on the counter's, but you disobeyed him, and that made him seethe.

"what the fuck do you think you're doing?" he annouced, not giving you the time to squeal and slip off the counter top as he gripped your waist and rested you down on the floor swiftly. he watched as a light pink color tinged your cheeks and you avoided his harsh gaze.

he scoffed at your avoidance, gripping your chin heavily and leaning down to your face. "you gonna answer me baby?" he asked, his tone powerful and commanding. you stared up at him with puppy eyes, watching as he stared at you through his eyebrows.

"i was just grabbing the sugar, need it for my pancakes ani" you spoke, your words just above a whisper. "how many times have i told you not to climb up those counters, you're gonna hurt yourself baby" he said, his voice slowly softening. you gazed up at him as he grabbed the sugar from the cupboard effortlessly, barely having to stretch his arm out.

he bit his lip as he kneeled down, running his hands up and down your legs, scanning your skin for any marks or bruises. you almost let out a scoff as he lifted up the hoodie, staring at your stomach and pink and purple polka dot underwear. he pressed a kiss to the skin right about the waistband of your panties, resting the hoodie back over your stomach and half of your thighs.

"i can do stuff myself ani, i'm an independent woman" you state, huffing softly. "sure you are. but if you ever get hurt, i don't know what i would do with myself, so don't fucking try that shit again, yeah? and watch that attitude of yours." he reaches his hand down your lower back, pinching your ass softly before setting a heated kiss to your lips

"you want me to get out the syrup princess?" he wonders, stepping towards the fridge. you blush at how nonchalantly he reprimands you, spinning around and nodding sweetly.

[kittycatlukey]

“I Love You.” — L.K.

Tagging @alespov ✨

Leon Kennedy x Fem Reader

Part 1/1

Warning: mild language, violence, usage of weapons, death, angst, and some RE4 spoilers!

You and Leon were good friends. Replace good with best. You two confided in each other, protected one another, and were in love but it was left unspoken. But it was obviously felt. There was a pull between you that couldn’t be denied. And anyone with a pair of eyes could see you and Leon cared for each other. You would die if it meant keeping the other alive. That’s what love is supposed to be, right?

“I’ve been waiting for you, rookie.” Krauser flipped his knife in the air and caught it. “Oh, worried about the girl, is that it? Hmm, that’s just like you. You always had poor judgment. You’d better be worried about the one beside you too.” He chuckled, taunting Leon. “But if you think I’m going to let both of you out of here alive… you’re even more naive than I thought. You can’t save them. You can’t save anyone!”

Your heart was pounding against your chest as you stood beside Leon.

“Give it up, Krauser!” Leon yelled at him. “Being a lackey for these maniacs… won’t bring your men back. And what the hell for? Revenge on the government? You think they would want that?”

“Revenge? You think I’m doing all this… for revenge?” Krauser asked Leon, looking down at him.

“Isn’t that what this is all about?” Leon questioned.

“You see, in that jungle, I had a revelation. The most important thing in this world is pure, unadulterated power! Los Iluminados have given me that.” Krauser stated.

Leon responded in retaliation, “You know, you were always an asshole. But at least you had some kind of code, some honor! And look at you now.”

“Enough reminiscing. Move out and draw fire, soldier.” Krauser did a backflip and drew on Leon with his assault rifle.

And for some reason, time didn’t slow, it felt as if time quickened. As soon as I seen Krauser had his gun aimed at Leon, I moved in front of him. I had moved just at the right time.

And I had been shot, taking not one but three bullets for Leon. One hit my left shin, another hit my left thigh, and the last one hit the right side of my stomach.

In that moment, I felt my entire body go numb. I couldn’t feel anything as Leon dragged me behind cover. He then ripped parts of his t-shirt off in an attempt to stop my bleeding, but we both knew it would be futile.

“Y/N, why would you do that?! Taking bullets for me?! Are you crazy?!” Leon had shouted, tears evident in his now reddened eyes.

“I would never let you die, Leon.” I murmured, feeling light headed already. “Get up and kill that sick son of a bitch. I’ll be fine for now.”

Leon nodded, the color had already left his face.

“And hey.” I grabbed his hand, staring into his ocean blue eyes. “I love you, Leon.”

“Y/N… I love you.” Leon spoke, his voice wavering. “I’m sorry.”

And with that, he had went to fight Krauser. The last thing I heard before I passed out was Krauser’s voice.

“Better run, rookie!”

~~~~

My body was shaken until my eyes opened. My eyes fluttered openly slowly; they felt so heavy. At first, my vision was blurry. My eyes took a long time to focus but once they did, I noticed Leon was the one above me.

“You have to stay alive. Please. Please don’t go. Please don’t leave me.” He pleaded before his bloody, calloused hands released my shoulders and cradled my face.

I wasn’t sure if the blood on his hands were mine, his, or Krauser’s. Maybe even a combination of the three.

“Goddamnit, stay awake!” His loud voice forced my eyes open again that I didn’t realize I had closed again.

“L-Leon. I don’t know how much longer I can stay… Just know… that I’ve loved y-you for a long, long time.” I told him weakly. “I’d do anything for you.”

Leon had tears rolling down his face. “I know. And I’d do anything for you… I’ve loved you for a long, long time too.”

I smiled when he said that. Even though I was dying from blood loss, I was the happiest I’d ever been knowing he felt the same way about me, and that he was getting to live. I didn’t care if it costed my life. I had nothing left to lose.

“You killed Krauser?”

He nodded.

“Good. I knew you could.” I replied before closing my eyes again. At this point the numbness had worn off and I could feel each bullet where they were lodged inside me. It felt like my whole body was on fire. “G-Go save Ashley. P-Please.” I spoke but it was barely a whisper. I don’t even know if it was even audible.

“No, no. Please stay with me, Y/N.” Leon pleaded once again, caressing my face. “I love you.”

It hurt me that he sounded so helpless and sad.

“Don’t die on me!” Leon shouted trying to wake me up again.

And this time, I had no choice but to let go…

~~~~

This was a sad one… Sorry about my writing being rusty. I haven’t written anything in about six months. Hope you all liked it though! Love you all! 🫶

If anyone is wondering, college is going great! It’s hard and stressful, but so fun. Just turned 20, and I start clinicals in May. I made the President’s List (4.0 GPA with at least 12 credit hours) each semester I’ve been going. I have some good friends, and have been staying very busy with homework and studying. I have a very important exam that I’ll have to start studying for so send me some positive vibes! They’re very much appreciated. Then my boards will be coming up. But it’ll all be worth it in the end! I graduate this year: December 2024! So excited about that! 🤍🩺🫀

[dlysthings]

Little crush pt.2

Here you can find pt.1

This is something i don't hink is that good, but i want tolearn how to write so hopefully its not that bad.

PLEASE LEAVE CONSTRUCTIVE CRITISM!

That evening Daryl couldn’t fall asleep. Shuffling around in his bed, tossing and turning. He was still thinking of the feeling of your hand on his. Your touch so gentle on his hand. Daryl was hopping you will touch him like that again, someday. Though that was only a dream. You didn’t mean too. Probably not even remembering. For you that was something normal. Nothing special. He wasn’t special.

He needed to understand that. Shouldn’t get his hopes up for nothing. And hopes for what? He was sure you will never look at him again. The smile and the squeeze of his hand was just out of gratuity. No other reason.

But he couldn’t help it, he longed to feel your touch again. The warmth of your skin against his. To affectionately brush your hand through his hair, moving a loose strand of his hair. And God, if you kissed him? He would be a goner. Your soft lips slotting against his and pouring pure affection.

But him? He didn’t know how to properly kiss. He would probably do something wrong and repel you. And the touches? How was he supposed to return them? No doubt his hand is gonna shake, his body buzzing with nerves.

Why is he even thinking about that? There was no way chance of this becoming a reality. Thinking about it was gonna make him feel even more miserable than he already was. No chance she will ever think of ya like that, ya idiot…

Eventually after many hours of tossing and turning, restless sleep found him. His dreams full of a lovely girl with a breath-taking smile and gorgeous eyes.

``````````````````````````````````

The next day Daryl was sitting in class, bored as usual. The teacher obviously didn’t know how to deal with the teenagers sitting in front of him. Just standing in front of the class, talking just loud enough for the person in front of him to hear. That’s why Daryl didn’t like school. Total loss of time. It’s not like he was learning anything.

However, that was the only place he could see you almost every day. And he needed that. You were the light that was keeping him in line. He didn’t want to get into trouble, just for you to know that whatever bad things you were thinking about him were true.

Today you were sitting next to him again, in a cute, light pink dress. A matching color bow was in your hair, making you look beautiful. Daryl looked at you again, but found you already looking at him. A small smile grazing your face. He looked away, crimson painting his cheeks. Why were you looking at him? Was he looking that bad?

He looked at himself. A white thank top, thin jeans from washing them so many times he couldn’t count, beat up shoes that were about ready to just fall apart and leave him barefoot. He looked like a joke next to you. You belonged with some well put guy, living in a nice neighborhood. Not some trailer park white trash like ya, dumbass.

Risking another glance at you, he saw your gaze on him again. With your warm smile and adoring eyes. That look made him feel warm from the inside out. Like someone lit a fire inside his core, the warmth going to every part of his body. He liked that. He wanted you to keep looking at him and at the same time to stop. He didn’t want you to know how much he was enjoying it and the traitorous color of hi cheeks was doing exactly that.

````````````

That evening Daryl was trying to write an essay for one of his classes. He didn’t like going to school, but wanted to graduate. That was the only way he could find a good job later in life.

Alas his head was empty. He didn’t know what to write, just mindlessly doodling something in his notebook. But it wasn’t mindless, he knew what he was writing. Silly combinations of your names together. He has heard of the girls in his school making combinations of a couple’s names together. It sounded silly, even childish, but for him it felt like something intimate.

It was useless. It’s not like you were together, but it filled a hole in his chest he didn’t know needed filling until he did. Every single one of his notebooks was filled with these. Every combination of your names together he could think of, written in his handwriting.

 He wondered how will they look like if written with your handwriting? Neat and cute? Or you also had a messy handwriting? Will he feel the same way he felt like when he heard his name come out of your mouth for the first time? So sweet. Till then he didn’t know his name could sound like that.

I hope she says it more. That was the last thing he thought before falling asleep with his notebook open on his chest, the combinations of your names on display.

AN: If you have an idea on how this can continue please coment it!

Taglist: @marvelcasey05

[densewentz]

I have a lot of feelings about season 2 obviously, mostly that it was brutally fantastic, but it really serves to highlight the main difference between Crowley and Aziraphale's understanding of loss. long angsty analysis under cut

Because Crowley already knows what it is to lose Aziraphale. I mean really lose him. He fell to the floor in the burning heart of the bookshop thinking Aziraphale was dead and gone. We get to see in fantastic living color how broken it leaves him. He's forced to spend time wallowing in the hopelessness of it before Aziraphale is miraculously back. Then cut to heaven during their ruse, where Crowley is standing there in the flames with Gabriel grinning maliciously in his face, telling the love Crowley just got back to shut up and die. If that scrap of prophecy hadnt found them, if they hadn't been quick enough, clever enough, Crowley would have lost him again. For Good. For Ever. That entire scene, from the cropped cut of Crowley twisting Aziraphale's wrists in their bonds all the way through to the end, Crowley is in a visibly barely contained rage. He's quiet, and still. These are the beings that have been tormenting his love for centuries, who tried to take him away once already and want to take him away from Crowley again. And it boils in him in the same combination that makes terrified dogs Bite. And we see the lasting effect that fear has on him throughout season 2. It drives almost every interaction Crowley has with other characters, particularly in his vehemence that Jim!Gabriel not be anywhere near Aziraphale. Crowley is able to word for word quote that moment back to Jim!Gabriel mostly unprompted because I guarantee its just been repeating in his head since the archangel showed up in the bookshop. He needs Aziraphale safe in that desperate and agonized way you can only feel if you already know what its like to lose them. And the entire season he's combating the fact that the biggest threat to Crowley's love is sitting in his livingroom and Aziraphale keeps handwaving Crowley's trauma away.

Which brings us to Aziraphale. Aziraphale who has never had to experience losing Crowley. His demon is always there just on time, always at his shoulder and on-call. Aziraphale has no concept of the depth of Crowley's grief during the time Crowley thought he'd died in the bookshop, and no idea the damage Crowley's incognito trip to heaven had on him. And then parallel Aziraphale's part in the ruse. Yes, he's playing at being cheeky Crowley, but I'd bet all my money most of that was just Aziraphale relishing in doing what he loves to do: Dramatizing. Watch his scene in hell compared to Crowley's in heaven. Aziraphale is having a blast. To him its a stage production, a clever trick he gets to play. Michael pours 'Crowley' a holy water death bath and it just makes Aziraphale grin because he knows it wont work. He plays it up, wings the water at the demons, makes silly demands, asks the angel who would have killed Crowley to bring him a towel. It's a joke to Aziraphale, because he never even seems to consider (as Crowley obviously does) the reality that if they hadn't swapped places Crowley would be dead. That Michael came grinning down to hell to destroy him. Forever destroy him. And Aziraphale even giggles about it to Crowley on the bench. Aziraphale has no reference or context of what it would be like to actually lose Crowley, it'd be unheard of, so he never processes what could have happened in the way Crowley does. And we continue to see that ignorance crop up in season 2. His dismissal of Crowley's fears as being silly, the way he never once seems to worry for Crowley's safety even with the other angels and hell minions in the room. Michael and Beelzebub are right there. The two who would have seen Crowley turned into nothing. But there's just not the awareness of the threat to Crowley (or himself, but thats another problem) that Crowley inversely possesses. And it all boils down to the simple fact that Aziraphale has never ever lost Crowley. Until now. And you can see it beginning to process post-kiss. You can see it in Aziraphale's face as Crowley dons his glasses and turns his back on Aziraphale for real. This is going to be the beginning of Aziraphale learning what it is to lose his love, and its going to be absolutely heartbreaking yes, but also completely necessary to his growth.

There's that wretched little saying "you don't know what you've got until its gone". Crowley's learned that lesson the hard way already. I guess now its Aziraphale's turn.

[ex-mortis-evie]

Alright, folks. It’s time for another little lesson.

Well, lesson’s a biiiit of an odd term, but it’s pretty true here.

Let’s discuss color theory.

So color theory’s a known phenomenon within the brain that subtly influences thoughts based on what color we’re presented with.

Like for example, how almost every food place uses red as their main color?

That’s because red can subtly influence thoughts of hunger within the mind.

It’s how every time you go to eat fast food, there’s that little feeling, that little weakness that wants just a biiiit more food.

That’s color theory working against you.

Now, let’s talk about what would happen if color theory worked in your favor.

Like for example, blue is a color that calls upon thoughts of relaxation and focus.

It’s why you see so many places that focus on relaxation use blue as a highlight color.

You see, the way our brain detects colors and processes them as subtle feelings is something that’s just simply hardwired into our DNA.

There’s not a lot we all know about it yet, but we do know how it influences our brains.

Let’s call back on blue for a moment.

A deep and dark blue can remind you of the ocean.

The relaxing waves, the sounds of the water crashing against your mind.

The depths of the ocean that seem to draw you into their splendor.

That’s what I’m talking about.

And notice how the blues make you feel just a bit more relaxed when you read them?

That’s the power of color theory, dear.

And it gets crazier when we mix in colors.

Like a painter with a canvas, mixing colors creates new results.

Like if I wanted to combine the relaxing warmth of green and the deep focus that only blue can provide.

Because while blue is also relaxing, green is the color of nature.

Of the world around us.

Of the beauty that Mother Earth has blessed us with.

And those little thoughts create a deep warmth within, much like the primal relaxation we feel when we’re out in nature.

And mixing the focus and relaxation of blues together with the warm and deep comfort of green creates this beautifully mixed feeling of belonging and deep relaxation.

Where the two seem to perfectly mesh and perfectly wreck the brain.

Or let’s think about two more colors.

Pink and red.

The dumb ditziness that pink provides, the color of the brain and yet the color of dreams and desires.

Mixing together like the dreamy design of cotton candy, the slow loss of thought once the pink starts up can shut off the mind.

But, there’s also an underlying arousal to pink. How it seems to knock the brain a bit loose and make it a bit happier in the process.

And then there’s red.

The color of passion.

The color of love.

The color of arousal.

Because even if there are other feelings associated with red, we as humans see red as the color behind our deepest desires.

How it seems to etch permanently inside of us feelings of romantic resolve and pleasant passion.

And there’s always a deep desire within red.

A warmth that just won’t go away.

And if we combine red and pink?

Well, you get this ditzy desire.

This underlying, deep feeling of passion and persuasion.

A little arousal starting within the body as the brain gets dumber and the body gets hotter.

And it grows stronger as the colors mix and mix more and more.

Throwing in the deep shades of blue and green to deepen the feelings.

Rising arousal.

Deep relaxation.

All mixing together on the beautiful canvas of the mind.

Don’t hesitate to reblog or comment, either.

I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Until next time, stay cool for me. ‘kay tiger?

[spacemonkeysalsa]

I hate all your Astarion backstory headcanons.

Some hilarious people I follow on Xwitter trolled folks into thinking that some information had been found about Astarion having a wife or something, and so I decided that today is a good day to rant about this:

I think coming up with a detailed backstory for a character like this misses the point of him completely. Astarion talks about loss a lot, talks about what Cazador made him, he says there's nothing left of the person he was besides a name on a rock, he doesn't remember his face, his eye color, and the only details he does remember relate directly to his death. Combine that with the suggestion that his elven meditation cycle has been completely fucked up through trauma, thus making it difficult to relive his childhood memories, and the fact that they talked about giving him backstory, recorded some stuff for EA even, but ultimately took all of it out, and what you've got is a character defined by the total loss of himself.

I think the fans who make him out to be a saint before Cazador are probably leaning a little too far into romanticization of the character, but the fans who insist he must have been the corrupt hedonist that was hinted at in the EA backstory, are underestimating both how easy it would have been to just leave that material in the game, and also just how much someone's understanding of mercy and justice would be unmade by two centuries of torment with a master who teaches you that cruelty is power and that acts of mercy get you walled in a tomb for a year.

Hell, I was only in law school like 7 years ago and there's nothing left of the person who believed in justice back then and my only excuse is *gestures to society*

You think his attitude in Ansur's trials means that was what he what he was like as a judge? You think the Gur must've attacked him because he was corrupt? Or that it must have been a set-up by Cazador who found some cruel poetic irony in tricking monster hunters into attacking someone before they become a monster? You think you've seen some glimmer of the person Astarion "used to be" in the things he says and does?

I don't think you did. I think all of that was more than likely a reflection of Cazador; Cazador who is obsessed with control, with power, and with his own opinions, his prejudices and his influence. I wouldn't bet on there being a sliver left of the person he unmade, because he'd make sure to deprogram it out of him.

We will never know the living person Astarion was. Headcanon is inevitable, and I've got my own, but it doesn't really matter. He could have been the nicest guy, or the worst person you know, or something very boring in between, and the result is still the same.

He's gone.