#your honor I LOVE them

[forthosewhohaveheart90]

My boys!

[virtueofsanityx]

ross isn't given much time to say anything at all before the other end of the line goes dead and he's listening to static air. something in his chest feels tight, heavy, like he just heard the drowning confessions of a dying man, but something else tugs at his subconscious, too, something about maksim that he isn't understanding completely. there's sorrow for him, of course. that story likely would have tugged at anyone's heart the same way, unless that heart was just shriveled and black. unfortunately, ross' heart was too big and too full and too loving to let something like that go. moisture pools at the corners of his eyes and he quickly wipes it away.

it isn't his story to cry about.

instead, he's headed off to the garage after looking at his phone for a moment too long, off to get someone to come tow his car and get it fixed it, mind swirling with far too much to settle. tonight might be a night where the only thing that gets him any sleep at all is one of those little secret gummies stashed away in the top cabinet, the extreme emergency ones. his mind is far too wired for anything close to natural sleep to hit him.

he also feels the sudden urge to call his mother, though she doesn't answer when he tries and just pings back a message about how she's 'busy with work, honey, chat later!' which is so typical for the woman that he doesn't even feel that hollow sensation in his chest anymore. fingers tap against that place just under his ribs, a steady pattern, and he lets it flow off of him, just like he always does, just like everything else.

--

and time marches on, as it will. he's still sleeping like shit. he's still going to work every day and getting far too wrapped up in the lives of his middle schoolers. he's moved on from his poetry section to a three week study of a book that he loved as a child. they've gotten through the first few chapters and he has a stack of essays sitting on his kitchen counter, slowly pouring through them with his trusty red pen when his phone pings.

he isn't sure who he expects it to be. maybe his mom, maybe one of his sisters. the name that flashes across his screen is more surprising than that, though.

maksim.

to say that he hasn't thought about the man in the last few weeks would be the biggest lie he's ever told, but he had assumed that their time was over, brief as it had been. so the messages surprise him. make him look at the phone a little too long before he finally starts moving his fingers across the screen to reply.

[ mr. tough guy (maksim) ⟶ ✉︎ ] i'm upstairs, if you wanna drop in. [ mr. tough guy (maksim) ⟶ ✉︎ ] could definitely go for some tacos, if you're offering. [ mr. tough guy (maksim) ⟶ ✉︎ ] nah, this is my ghost, i learned how to make my hands corporeal enough to handle the phone, and i still eat tacos as a ghost. it's some major magic bullshit.

but that does mean that maksim is coming over, which does mean that ross needs to do something about the state of his apartment. it's not a total wreck, but a few clothes are scattered everywhere. a handful of dishes rest in the sink, untouched. he catches a glimpse of himself in the reflection of the microwave as he passes it, and wonders if he has time for a quick shower. probably not. though why he's freaking out over this guy is still a mystery. (or at the very least, he's pretending it's a mystery so he doesn't have to admit to anything, even to himself).

by the time he hears the knock on his door, he's managed to splash come cold water on his face, though it's done next to nothing for the dark circles still living permanently under his eyes. the scruffy facial hair he's let grow in over the last few weeks feels silly for some reason, but he doesn't exactly have time for a full shave. and a steeling breath is the only thing he manages before pulling the door open and flashing that smarmy, shit eating grin that he hopes invokes how absolutely and totally chill he is about all of this.

"i knew you'd miss me eventually. i'm quite the charmer." body shifts away from the doorway to wave the other man inside, eyes darting around at the not quite but somewhat less cluttered space. "don't mind the mess. we're getting close to midterms, i don't have a lot of time to do much but focus on the kids."

"Oh, just what I always wanted," Maksim drawled, voice a dark, gravelly timbre. "To hear all about your thrilling sex life and be compared to your sleazy excuse of a co-worker." The words were cutting, but the undertone in his voice revealed something deeper, something vaguely bruised. A hollow yearning. The thought of someone else circling Ross awakened heat in his chest, a restless hunger he couldn't afford to name. Ross could handle his own personal drama, he knew that. Maksim could very well tear that man apart if he wanted, rip him limb from limb... yet, exposing himself like that? Too dangerous and foolish. And this thing already felt like it was slipping from his control. Protectiveness was one thing, but this----- this felt dangerously close to possessiveness, and no human deserved that from him. No human was meant to be his. He shouldn't even be having long conversations like this. Shouldn't be letting Ross's voice crawl under his skin, into places he'd long since locked away. However... he couldn't remember the last time he'd talked to someone outside the pack just to talk. To be heard. His voice softened a degree, though the tension remained coiled beneath it. "You're right, though. My family raised me with far better standards than whatever low-life you’re comparing me to. If anything, they raised me too well. If I ever let my guard down... showed interest in the wrong person... they’d have torn me apart for it. ...Anyway, affection isn’t something you take. It's earned. What kind of pathetic fool believes forcing it could ever make it real?" Some wolves gave in to their primal urges without restraint, taking what they wanted, consequences be damned. Maksim had seen it------ felt the echo of it thrumming inside his own skin. That savage hunger, untamed and all-consuming. He told himself it wasn’t his way. Refused to believe it could be. But deep down, the fear coiled tighter; the terror that one day, the beast would break free completely, tearing through reason, leaving him nothing but a mindless, feral thing----- lost to madness, lost to himself...

In terms of lust and companionship, Maksim found himself stifled, unable to truly choose a partner of his own. There were no formal arrangements or oppressive expectations, yet anyone in the pack would likely offer someone they cared for just to please him. He could probably take one of his servants without resistance, but that thought left him hollow. The idea that someone might submit to him solely because of his rank, rather than out of true love and desire, unsettled him deeply.

He spoke suddenly, his voice distant, as he gazed at the amber liquid swirling in his glass. A faint, melancholic smile tugged at his lips, though it never touched his eyes. "You know," he began, his tone rough with an ache he couldn’t quite suppress, "your kind probably wouldn't understand... You're... what you are," he muttered, a bitter laugh escaping him, the unspoken word "human" hanging heavy in the air------ a rather harsh reminder of what they lacked. "...But a long time ago, my mother died trying to protect my father," he went on, voice thickening as the memory forced its way into the present, vividly painful. "He was broken... couldn’t defend himself, couldn’t defend anyone. He told her to run, to try and save herself. But she----- stayed with him, even though he was begging her with the last of his life slipping away. Can you imagine that? Someone choosing to die for you? To stay with you, knowing it meant their end?" His burning blue eyes darkened, and for a moment, he seemed lost in the past, lost in the image of them, his parents, locked in that final, desperate embrace. The fierce, consuming love they shared struck him with a violent intensity. "It used to kill me inside," he nearly whispered now. "Because... maybe if they'd been smarter, listened... one of them, at least... maybe I would’ve had a mother or a father just a little longer." Maksim paused, swallowing hard, as if wrestling with something far heavier than the words. "But now? Now, I think, maybe it could be wondrous to be loved like that." There was no joy in his voice, no hope, just the dark weight of something he could never have. The brutality of what he had witnessed, their devotion, their sacrifice------- had carved a scar into his soul, one that never fully healed. He could never escape the barrenness that came with knowing such love existed, yet never having it for himself.

There’s an uncomfortable pause, the kind that stretches too long, before an icy, undeniable truth settles in----- he’s said far too much. Maksim blinks rapidly, desperately trying to hold back the storm of emotion threatening to spill from his eyes, his throat tight as he clears it, attempting to regain control. He pretends not to notice the worried Omega standing in the doorway, watching him with concern. "...Anyway, yeah, so you don't have to worry about me being another Rick," his voice is all business now, as he straightens up in his chair, jaw tight, pushing the emotions aside. "I’m here to repay my debt, that’s all. Get your vehicle fixed and let me know if anything else comes up, especially if you feel unsafe. Goodbye." He ends the call with haste, finger swiping quickly across the screen to ensure Ross can’t say another word, or, God forbid, bring up anything about his parents------ about that kind of devotion. Maksim knows that a mere human would never understand it, and he has no interest in hearing any more from that little creature. But as the call disconnects, he stares at his phone for a moment longer than necessary, the severity of what he just shared suddenly crashing down on him. A strange, uncomfortable feeling tugs at his chest, a sensation he hasn’t felt in a long time. Vulnerable. Open. Something he hasn’t been with anyone in ages, not since the pack was supposed to be his everything. He shakes it off, trying to dismiss the awkward mix of emotions by shoving them down, down, until they're nothing but a dull roar once more.

---

Over the next few weeks, Maksim's so absorbed in his duties that, thankfully, he doesn’t have a moment to think about checking in on the human. Ross hasn't called him in a screaming panic, so Maksim doesn't feel an ounce of guilt for shifting his focus from an absurd debt he never should’ve owed in the first place to the pressing matters of pack business. He helps out with some of the younger pups, offering a hand to the women, and spends long hours on patrol, searching for any sign of lurking enemies. The days blur into one long stretch of meetings with the Elders, and before long, he falls into a constant rhythm. But the meetings begin to take a dark turn, escalating rapidly when a proposal is put forward: Maksim should marry another member from a neighboring pack to solidify an alliance. This would give them the numbers they’d need should another war arise. It was ridiculous. Archaic. Maksim had always respected the traditions of his people, but this? This was a step too far. But, predictably, his mother and father's "Great Sacrifice" was brought into the conversation, as though their legacy should force him into decisions that didn’t align with his own heart. The implication of 'how dare he disrespect their memory by not doing whatever was necessary to secure the future of the pack' pushed him over the edge.

After a while, Maksim couldn’t take it anymore. He grabbed his keys and hopped on his motorcycle, a sleek black Triumph Bonneville T100, and tore down the road toward the inner town. He didn’t fully understand it, but something inside him longed------ an unshakeable craving for contact that felt both foreign and familiar. Maybe he should reach out to that human. The thought made no sense, was utterly insane, and yet he couldn’t shake the tension, the strange, tight pull deep within him. The wind whipped through his messy dark hair as he rode, lost in thought. Was a surprise visit rude by human standards? Probably. At least from Maksim, it would be. So, he parked his bike a little ways down the street, far enough to be inconspicuous, and sent a few tentative messages through his phone.

[ Human Ross ⟶ ✉︎ ] I was in the neighborhood and thought I’d do a courtesy check in. [ Human Ross ⟶ ✉︎ ] Want me to bring over something to eat? [ Human Ross ⟶ ✉︎ ] If you’re still alive, that is.

[gatoburr0]

lesbians are so awesome I wish they were real

[notscarsafe]

Today on Hermitcraft:

Pearl: streams for EIGHT HOURS becoming a redstone master building a wordle-type game for her new shop

Tango: is so proud of Pearl they're both struggling for words and it's so adorable I'm gonna explode

Docm77: Shows up in the middle of the proud speech to FINALLY ORDER HIS MAILBOX at a location FIVE HUNDRED BLOCKS AWAY as measured by NETHER TRAVEL

Etho: shows up in the middle of this order (bounces in the window like an excited puppy) to assure Doc that Tango absolutely has that order covered (Tango Panik noises)

And now they're all hangin out together talking over Pearl's cool mini game and hanging out and idk my crops are watered, my skin is clear, etc etc

Bonus:

Zombiecleo: gets roped into a meeting with doc on the steps of the new courthouse that sounds serious only for doc to reveal a crazy redstone gadget that *does* celebrate pride month but might also deafen cubitos in sound range

(livestream June 5th 2024)

[emmatcha]

probably one of my absolute FAVORITE percabeth scenes that is absolutely not talked about enough is in botl when percy goes to visit her in the athena cabin and she starts crying because she’s scared and weighed down by the weight of this quest. she holds out her arms without saying anything and he immediately hugs her.

what makes this scene so ultimately meaningful and sweet to me is that this is BEFORE they are together. when they are just best friends. obviously their male/female friendship ended up being something more but it’s so sweet to me how close they were without it being romantic or weird.

percy and annabeth were like those two friends you had in high school that were male/female but just knew each other better than anyone else and worked great in a team and always stuck together at events or capture the flag.

and i love to imagine everyone at camp just looking at percy and annabeth and understanding how close they are and seeing how their relationship develops.

Camper like Silena or Clarisse or Beckendorf: “yup, that’s percy and annabeth, they’re best friends, they’re pretty much inseparable”

New camper: “are they dating?”

Camper: “uhhh. not yet.”

[chicknbaconranchmelt]

Hey y'all, it's been a while. Instagram is being weird about letting me opt out of AI and it seems to be simpler to do here so I'm gonna be posting my favorite pieces here for a bit to test out possibly moving my main platform to Tumblr! Anyways, here's some percabeth fanart of a scene from Chalice of the Gods hehe

[miles-chainsaw]

just remembered that betta fish can’t share a tank bc they’ll kill each other and i’m actually being so good and normal about it

[hrtsmj]

i love draco fell first harry fell harder fics.

like draco with his childhood crush that he tries his hardest to ignore but is always there in the back of his head and harry who starts to see draco more often once they are older and he just becomes obsessed (or more so realizes that he has always been at least a little obsessed).

[unkreativstermensch]

Corroded Coffin making it big after touring with Metallica, but at this point they’re basically immune to being starstruck ever again (because…well, they’ve toured with Metallica) so they’re pretty chill around famous people.

Fast forward to an award show a couple months later, Eddie brings Steve, Steve brings Robin and while Eddie just mostly stays at their table chatting away with Jeff and James, Steve and Robin get drunk and go absolutely ballistic.

Running around, stealing bread from all the other tables, and doing shots with everyone who’s willing to put up with their antics. At some point Steve comes up to Eddie, hands on his shoulders, excited and giddy and tells him, „Hey Eds, I just talked to Rick Astley! He’s such a nice guy. Robin told him he should release a negative version of his song and just sing ‘then im gonna give you up, then im gonna let you down’ and he actually seemed to consider it as an April Fool’s joke or something.”

And Eddie just looks at him, an amused, fond smile on his lips, says, “that’s great, baby, m’glad you’re having fun“ and presses a kiss to Steve’s neck, before turning around again, resuming his conversation with Kirk about about a song idea.

[captainwinterrsoldierr]

will never get over how Jason and Percy call each other “man” and “bro”

[erlie]

Jean Moreau and Jeremy Knox, aka Scary Dog and the Golden Retriever.

[etoilesdeglace]

someone who believes they’re hard to love and someone who loves them like it’s breathing

[thedomesticanthropologist]

Wyll: When it gets hard, I'll be there for you

Astarion: 👀 OH really

Wyll: Don't- don't be like that.

Astarion: So the Blade is at the Ready for me when it gets Hard

Wyll:... I'm going to let you die, next battle. I'm just going to let it happen

Astarion: No you wont.

Wyll: No, I won't.

[tragedy-for-sale]

Protective Obi-Wan anyone?

I was re-watching the Ryloth arc and I couldn't help but notice,

I love how Obi-Wan's arm immediately goes to block Cody, he extends his hand out and it's not in the form of a fist, it's flat, it's an attempt to block as much of Cody's chest as possible. Cody takes a full step back to, mainly to get into position to shoot. But he's preparing himself to move behind Obi-Wan, who'd need enough room to swing his lightsaber to block blaster shots.

Obi-Wan's first instinct is to protect Cody, his second is to ignite his lightsaber. Obi-Wan protects Cody before protecting himself and others. His lightsaber would give enough cover for all his men, but his body would only cover Cody's.

In the second frame, Obi-Wan puts his hand on Cody's gun first before turning off his lightsaber. Now, he does know what is about to come out of the grate before his men do, which is partially why he wants to stop Cody. Cody putting down his weapon would signal to his men that there is no danger, however, turning off his lightsaber would do the exact same thing. But he chooses to stop Cody first.

After Obi-Wan puts his hand on Cody's gun, notice how long he looks at Obi-Wan. Cody's guard is down, he doesn't keep his eye on the grate like his men do, he doesn't even try to keep his blaster aimed, also unlike his men. Cody doesn't break contact with Obi-Wan until he does, it's in that moment we understand how much Cody trusts Obi-Wan with his life.

[opbackgrounds]

it is sweet that they do a second celebration to welcome Brook into the crew after Zoro regains consciousness

[ahaha-fvckjjj]

When MC gets mad at Sylus, she threatens to leave and take the kids with her, the kids being Luke and Kieran.