#i refuse to pass on without having at least tried to keep this place safe

[nabaath-areng]

Being brought up on a farm and only ever going back indoors to head right back out again for my whole life, the decreasing amount of insects has been extremely noticeable and it's been going on for years. Of course it's been worrying with the climate catastrophe, and once I became a beekeeper and learned more about my village's local flora it became even more glaring.

So imagine my surprise this year when there are more insects than I can count. Sitting on my porch (practically my room during summers) I'm noticing species I haven't seen since I was at least a young teenager, and there are more butterflies of different varieties than I even remember from my childhood!

There are so many bees flying around too, probably from the hives down by the old homestead buildings by the church and school, owned by the woman I know from the local beekeeper's association.

What's more is that this year there has been no drought OR flooding, so there are a lot more flowers blooming for longer, and everyone in my village as well as the surrounding villages are reporting a burst of activity in their hives... as well as higher activity from the wild bees and pollinators. For the first time in years it's starting to resemble the way it was when I was younger.

All that is to say, the climate catastrophe is real, and in my area it's causing a lot more violent thunderstorms... but oh my god all this reminds me why I persist despite the despair that tries to dig its claws in.

I may not be able to do major change on a global scale, but you can bet me and everyone here will at least try and support this little place. We can keep going in the fight against the municipality that wants to urbanize at the cost of our precious biodiversity, and we can continue to fight to keep out the cities that tries to enroach on us and get closer.

It is rare for villages in Götaland to remain this free from urbanization despite being nestled right in the middle of multiple major cities, and there's no excuse to destroy what little there is left of it down here in the south.

[mathanlin]

// mentions of past starvation/hypothermia

Witch/Hybrid AU where the SBI coven are all Piglins — and human!Tommy pretends he’s one of them. 

It’s simple. A potion he takes every morning, shifting him into the perfect Piglin child, warm and lovable.  

But when it’s time for SBI to hibernate, Tommy can’t follow. 

As they prepare, Tommy keeps frantically pretending.

“You need to eat more,” Phil says worriedly, nudging another bowl of mushrooms toward him. His supposed ‘favorite.’ Another lie. “Store up for the winter, mate.”

It’s so kind, Tommy barely has to force a tusky smile.

He’s lucky. 

For having that shapeshifting potion the first time he met them, begging for help. For being able to stay, to steal ingredients for a hundred more potions.

To have them, even if it’s only because of a lie. 

And even when he slips up, they just teach him. 

“It’s okay,” Wilbur reassures, when Tommy shakily explains he doesn’t understand the chuffing sound Phil made. “You didn’t have anyone to teach you.”

He's right. Tommy didn't have anyone for *anything.* Not until the coven.

And they're about to leave him.

“This spot’s for you.”

Techno lays a massive blanket right in the middle of the nest. Tommy’s fake, stolen instincts wail as he sets a hand on Tommy’s shoulder, smiling softly. 

(Tommy knows it’d be a snarl if he’d forgotten to take the potion that morning.)

“You tell me if it’s uncomfortable, kid.” He laughs — or at least, that’s what the short chuffs apparently mean. “Even if you’ll be fast asleep.”

*I won’t,* Tommy wants to sob. *I’ll be awake. And you’ll all leave me.*

*All winter, I’ll be alone.*

And there’s nothing he can do to stop them when the first frost comes. 

It’s Wilbur who drifts off first, buried in the nest at Tommy’s side. Then Techno, pulling him close as he slides into sleep. 

Only Phil stays awake, eyes half-lidded and voice slurred.

“Are you okay?”

Tommy nods, shivering against Techno’s slow-falling chest.

Phil huffs worriedly. He pulls another blanket over Tommy, chuffing in concern so deep it’s painful. “Sleep. I’m here. You’re safe.”

*I know you’re here,* Tommy thinks. *That’s the problem.*

But words can't convince Phil, so deep in his instincts. Only actions.

So Tommy forces his eyes to shut, breathing steadily even though all he wants to do is sob.

And when Phil curls around him, sliding into unconsciousness, Tommy doesn’t lean into his touch.

Doesn’t wake him.

For that night, he can pretend everything’s okay. That he’s not wide awake, trembling as the coven sleeps. 

It’s only when the sun rises that he lets himself cry, sobbing when the potion wears off for the first time in ages. 

Just a reminder he never belonged in the first place.

He forces himself to stand, pulling away from the coven’s embrace & flinching when they huff quietly at his absence, still deep in sleep. 

And he tries not to shiver when he slips out of the magically warmed room. 

Because being alone isn’t just an emotional war. 

He has a winter to survive. 

Food, to find (as he refuses to steal any more from them). Cold, to bear (so he doesn’t sleep in the nest & risk disturbing them). 

But without them, he’ll be right back where he started. 

And this time, they’re not awake to save him.

.

.

.

It’s Techno that wakes early, ripped out of hibernation.

He knows immediately what’s wrong — the cold spot where Tommy should be. Dazed with sleep, he rips open the nesting room’s door— 

And a human kid tumbles in from where he’d been leaning against it.

It’s not hard to piece together.

The potion ingredients that’d been stolen — potions for shapeshifting. Tommy’s confusion about Piglins (despite ‘being one’). The tattered clothes the kid’s wearing — *Tommy’s* clothes. 

And the way he slurs, “I’m s’rry,”” before passing out.

It’s a coma.

Tommy’s starved, entirely emaciated. His human skin’s icy under Techno’s hands — too cold, even for a human. 

And even when Phil & Wilbur frantically wake from their hibernations, Tommy stays in his. 

They’re all thinking it, even if it’s not said aloud — *We left him.*

So this time, they don’t leave. They hurry him into the nest, desperately using every kind of magic they can to break the coma — and it works.

But when Tommy wakes, he’s delirious. 

And utterly terrified.

“I woke you up.”

It’s spoken with horror, though Tommy’s voice is painfully weak. He lets out a sob as he looks at himself — frostbitten, starved, but worst of all, *human.*

And in their nest. 

“I’ll— I’ll leave—”

“Are you fucking serious?”

It’s Wilbur that snaps out of his relieved stupor first. 

“Leave? Look at you, you’re half fucking dead, Tommy.”

(*Look at you. You’re human,* Tommy thinks.)

“I’m sorry, I can— I’ll go—”

“No,” Wilbur cries, incredulous, “Tommy, we want you to *stay.*”

“Why?”

It’s quiet. But all of SBI hear it.

Even the words Tommy doesn’t speak — *I’m human. I lied to you.*

And Phil still reaches towards him, letting out a comforting chuff.

“C’mere, mate.”

Though Tommy stays frozen, Phil wraps a thick blanket around him, gently nudging him towards the center of the nest — the spot they’d set up for him. The spot that’s still his. 

Whether he’s a Piglin or not.

It takes months of consoling to assure Tommy he belongs there.

But they have months. Instead of hibernating, they just rest, always awake enough to attempt to Tommy’s needs. Food, water, warmth. 

But he’s most relieved to have them. 

And they’re overjoyed to have him. 

[pidge-can-read]

(IvanTill) Sure That You're the Northern Star- 5

AO3 Link

<-Previous Next->

***Suggestive***

Till gave up. The empty space where Ivan should have been looked at him expectantly from his tablet screen. It reminded Till of the way Ivan had watched him on the walk to his apartment. Ivan had insisted on walking Till home after Hyun Woo announced he would be going home with Hyuna. Till tried to protest, unease permeating his core at the idea of being alone with Ivan, but in the end he couldn’t shake the other man. 

They both walked in complete silence, much to Till’s surprise. He had assumed Ivan would pester him with questions and gentle teasing the way he had earlier. Instead, Ivan just walked next to him. Every time Till glanced at him he was staring. It seemed like he never took his eyes off of Till. 

This was exactly why Till never went to his showcases. This feeling of being watched, analyzed, known. It was nauseating. If Till had his way, he would forever be the observer, never observed. His place was in the shadows, the background, the audience. Peering up at the world and never being looked at in return. 

His art was a window he allowed others to see. Carefully curated glimpse of himself to keep those prying eyes away. He stood behind his cavas like it was one way glass. If you looked close enough you might be able to see his outline. He could see the world without being seen. It was comfortable and safe. 

But Ivan’s eyes kept finding him. He looked through the reflective glass and was able to trace every movement of Till’s. It was unnerving. Unnatural. 

As Till walked he tried his best to ignore the prickling feeling on his neck. In a desparate attempt to shake Ivan Till had stopped in front of a random apartment complex and informed Ivan that it was his home, so Ivan could head home. 

Ivan just tilted his head, empty eyes swimming with amusement. That feeling of being seen through one way glass was back. A flush covered Till’s face and he stared at the ground, fingers flexing around his bag straps. Ivan had caught his bluff, but he refused to stand down. 

“If you wanted me gone that badly you could have just said so,” Ivan’s voice dripped with delight as Till’s blush deepend. 

“Would you have listened?” Till mumbled, frustration coating his tongue with a bitter taste. 

Ivan had laughed, “No, but I guess I’ll let it go before you start resorting to violence.” 

The rest of the walk back had been filled with anxious glances over his shoulder, convinced that Ivan had somehow continued to follow him. But, at least as far as Till could see, Ivan had been true to his word. 

Till slammed his front door behind him and collapsed against it, his heart pounding in his ears. There was something wrong with Ivan. Till was sure of it. Something about the other man got under Till’s skin. The familiarity of the emptiness in Ivan’s eyes stirred some unknown emotion in Till, something he’d rather ignore. 

But that empty space couldn’t be ignored any longer. The weekend had passed in a flurry of procrastination induced cleaning and forgetting meals. At some point Till had received a Text from Sua, the manager of Edelweiss. She asked him to send a portfolio and asked for quotes for an album cover. 

Thankfully, she was nothing like her brother. She was cordial and formal. Every text had proper grammar and punctuation. She was complimentary of his work but not to the point of sycophancy. It gave Till the impression that she genuinely considered him worthy of working with. It was a comforting feeling. 

Before Till knew it, the deadline for the fan art submission was fast approaching. Till half considered forfeiting. Sua had made it sound like Till would be given the chance to listen to their new album in the studio. But such a relaxed setting wouldn’t be able to capture the frenetic energy he wanted to portray in his paintings. So ultimately he relented. 

There was no way he would be able to draw Ivan head on. After hours of checking tagged photos, Till finally found a backstage selfie from Marty’s personal account that had Ivan, back turned to the camera. He was in the background and the image was grainy, but it would have to do. Anything to keep from being forced to draw those eyes or that self assured grin. 

It was clearly not the same quality as the other band members, but Till beat his perfectionism back as he prepared to post. He captioned it with a lyric from the song the band had been singing when he first saw them and added the appropriate hashtags then clicked post and chucked his phone across the room. 

The phone landed on his bed with an unsatisfying pmff. Till groaned loudly into his quiet apartment and threw his head back in his chair. 

It was done and Till was done thinking about it. 

A sharp ding rang out in the silence, then another, then several more. Till shot up and crossed his room, snatching his phone up from the bed. Notifications filled his screen. Till’s account was popular, but this amount of traction so soon after posing was ridiculous. Something felt off. 

Sure enough, when Till opened the comments on the post he instantly realized the problem. 

Top Comment: Sorrowful_Keys: this one is my favorite 

EdelweissOffical: Ivan you can’t interact with the fan art entries, this entry will have to be disqualified. 

Till’s message requests and mentions were overfilling. Among the hyper fans asking if he knew Ivan and/or congratulating him for getting an endorsement from Ivan, there was one request from EdelweissOffical. He clicked on it as rage boiled under his skin. 

EdelweissOffical: Dear fan, we are so sorry but we will have to disqualify your submission due to the actions of one of our members. In compensation we would like to offer you a voucher for merch of your choosing. 

Immediately following this a second message appeared. 

EdelweissOffical:  Wait, Till? This is your account. I’m so sorry, my brother is an idiot. 

Till ground his teeth together as he typed his response. 

TillTheEnd: It’s fine, it’s not ur fault 

EdelweissOffical: Still, we would love to compensate you in some way. Since you’re going to be working with us either way I can arrange a ticket for you. I can’t give you back stage access until after our new album releases. Since it would look like favoritism. For what it’s worth, the art is really good. 

EdelweissOffical: Also can you send me a version of the art with just Mizi… 

Till laughed and fell back onto his bed. He tapped his phone against his head, trying to quell the murderous rage building inside him. The studio meeting and Sua’s proposed backstage access would both come after his finals. The concert he had entered the drawing for was sold out. 

Sure Till could  bank his final grade on the off chance that he was able to get tickets second hand, but Till would really prefer not to fail when he was so close to graduation. 

Till could feel the inspiration from the first concert fizzling out. He hated to be a stereotypical art student, but he needed references, he needed access to his muse to properly complete a piece. In the past he would have taken pictures, made sure he wouldn’t lose a moment he wanted to capture. But Ivan’s little wink at the concert had him turning tail before he even considered pulling out his phone to take a few snapshots. 

It hit him, that initial sketch! He could post it as a submission in the single member raffle. Sure his chances were worse than if he’d been able to enter the full band raffle, but it was still his best shot. When given a choice between relying on luck and his talent, Till would always choose the ladder. 

Confidence was hard for Till. He spent his childhood worrying about doing anything that would make life harder for his single mother. That constant suppression and doubt had done a number on his self worth. Not that he’d ever tell Io. His mother had always given him her all. 

She freely doled out compliments, praise, and affection. But Till was always able to see the strain in her smile when she looked at him. The only time it disappeared was when he made art for her. The world’s he created in his art were just as much of an escape for her as they were for him. 

Every time he showed her a work he could see tension drain from her shoulders and a gentle happiness fill her eyes. When Till had told her he would be going to school for art it seemed like a burden had been lifted from her shoulders. The year she had spent worrying about his future as an adult dissolved into nothing as she embraced him and told him he was going to be amazing. 

Her total belief in him gave him certainty where previously he had none. He found himself submitting his work to official galleries, going for awards, striving for perfection, in a way he had never before. Where he would previously make sure to never stick out he found himself wanting to excel. 

So he pulled out his sketchbook, cleared off his paint stained work desk, and positioned it as if he had just finished working on it. Ivan’s figure was smudged enough Till felt confident it could easily be mistaken for a practice sketch. The smudging and paint smears gave the piece a raw feeling that added to the frantic linework. 

When he was happy with his work he clicked post again. Right after, a message request popped up. 

Sorroful_Keys: Oops <3 

Sorroful_Keys: is that me all smudged up in ur newest post

Till quickly blocked the account. 

Realizing he hadn’t eaten all day, Till ordered delivery and started to work on an essay while he waited. 

When the doorbell rang, he opened it and held out his hand, a thank you already on his lips. But instead of a delivery person Till found Ivan, standing in his doorway. 

“You don’t need to thank me, yet.” 

Till scowled at the taller man, “Fuck you!” He spat and tried to slam the door in Ivan’s face. It bounced back at him as Ivan forced his boot in. 

“Happily!” Ivan chirped, stepping into Till’s entryway as if he had been invited in. 

“How the fuck do you know where I live you freak!” Till tried to push Ivan out the door but the other man had a good three inches and twenty pounds on him so he did little more than grope Ivan’s chest. 

“I know I said I would but this is a little too fast,” Ivan gently removed Till’s hands from his chest, “And for your information, Hyuna told me the address.” 

“That bitch!” Till hissed under his breath, mentally plotting her demise. 

“Ah- don’t blame her too much, I told her I’d made a mistake and I needed to apologize in person. Plus, I have something you might be interested in!” 

Ivan put on a mask of faux penance as he pouted at Till. Till wanted to punch him. He would have if Ivan hadn’t held out a certain slip of paper between them. 

“Sua said you can’t give me any because it looks like favoritism,” Till said carefully while looking at the ticket marked ‘backstage access’ Ivan waved in front of him. 

“It IS favoritism!” Ivan grinned at Till, “You’re my favorite! Also this isn’t from the band. It’s from me. We get one pass to give out each, and I’m giving you mine!” 

Till looked at Ivan dubiously. 

“What’s the catch?” 

Ivan pouted again, putting a hand on his hip and pressing the ticket against his chest, “What’s wrong with wanting my favorite artist to come see our show? What ulterior motive could I possibly have?” 

Till glared at Ivan. 

“Fine, you’re not wrong but-” 

“Did you clear this with Sua?” 

Ivan froze. He looked away from Till and a blush dusted his cheeks. A thrum of glee went through Till’s chest at finally having something over this vexing man. Till shook his head, not bothering to suppress his satisfied grin. 

“You should really think before you do things like this. And honestly, I still don’t believe you know anything about my art.” Ivan’s mouth fell open and he tried to stutter out a response but Till cut him off, “Do you want to know what I think? I think you saw me for the first time at that concert and decided you wanted to sleep with me.” 

Till’s confidence took a nose dive as Ivan stared at him with a look of utter despair that would put puppies in shelter ads to shame. 

“Is that really the kind of person I seem like to you?” 

The discomfort was back. It writed under Till’s skin and filled his stomach with bile. Before, Ivan had seemed self assured to the point of cockiness. Even in pictures, he always wore this shit eating grin that gave the impression he was above everyone else. But the Ivan in front of him now was achingly… human. 

“I-I-I.. I’m- ah, I don’t- I mean.” Till stuttered out, regretful of his harsh words but unwilling to go back on them in front of Ivan of all people, “Well… Just ask Sua. If she says it’s ok then I’ll take it.” 

Ivan lit up, like a dog wagging its tail after being called a good boy. In spite of himself, Till found it endearing, almost cute. Ivan nodded his head excitedly. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and started searching for Sua’s contact. Till glimpsed the name “She-Beast” as Ivan lifted his phone to his ear and was forced to stifle a laugh. It probably wasn’t wise to laugh at his future employer. 

“Suuuuuaaaaaa,” Ivan drawled cloyingly. Till scoffed softly at how pathetic he sounded and started to understand just how much power held in this band, “I wanted to ask for a favor.” 

Till could hear a barrage of curses from the other end of the line and he pressed his hand over his mouth to keep from cackling. 

“Please! I’ll do that modeling thing you asked about, and the commercial!” Sua said something Till assumed was a denial based on Ivan’s increasingly desperate tone, “A-and I’ll do the concert on the 18th solo and extend your date weekend!” 

There was silence on the other end. Clearly Sua was considering it. Ivan’s eyes lit up and he nodded eagerly then remembered he was on the phone and agreed aloud. Till bit his lip hard enough to draw blood to keep from laughing at the pathetic show Ivan was putting on. 

Ivan’s brows furrowed and he reached a hand out, grabbing Till’s face. 

“I just wanted to give my pass to Till, that artist I mentioned.” Ivan flinched at whatever Sua had said but Till was too distracted by Ivan’s thumb. He gently opened Till’s mouth, releasing his now bloodied lip. Ivan’s thumb swept through the blood, wiping it away. He then retracted his hand and after considering the blood now smeared on his thumb for a moment, he licked it clean. 

Till saw red. No longer concerned with keeping quiet he let out a disgusted choking sound and took several steps away from Ivan. 

“You fucking freak!” He spit, limbs shaking with anger and another emotion that felt a little too much like arousal. Till should have been put off by the entire interaction, but something in Ivan’s eyes as he stared Till down, tongue gently lapping up Till’s blood, made his heart leap into his throat. 

Till heard Sua say something along the lines of, “Wait! Was that him? Are you with him right now?” but his flight response was already in full throttle. He snatched the ticket out of Ivan’s hand, spun the other man around and pushed him out the door. This time Ivan complied. He stepped out, grinning over his shoulder at Till and shooting him another wink. 

Till slammed the door behind him. 

“FUCK!” 

He dropped to the floor, boneless from the entire ordeal. His phone lit buzzed in his pocket. 

EdelweissOffical: You can use the ticket. Again, sorry about my brother. 

Till groaned, falling back on the cool tile floor. How was Ivan so skilled at getting a rise out of him? Was Till just too reactive?(yes) Or was Ivan just that infuriating?(also yes) 

Worst of all, Till was hard. 

[imabeautifulbutterfly]

Choice - Chapter 8

Summary: Din tries to learn more about what happened between you and Luke

A/N: Hello Lovelies,

The story is coming to an end, it'll probably be another two or three chapters, but it is ending. I already have Gym Membership ready to go, at least Crosshair's section. I have to finish Omega's and then the series will be done. Can't believe another story will be coming to a close.

I hope everyone is staying safe. The world just keeps getting crazier. Just know that I love oo.

Warnings: Heart ache, disappointment, regret, silence, finding a home, over eating (not really since it's Grogu), I think that's it, if I miss any please let me know.

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When you came out of the room and realized Luke had left, your heart plummeted. Somehow knowing he walked out on you again hurt twice as much. The only thing he indicated to Din, was that he’d be in touch but neither of you heard anything. Weeks passed with no sign of Luke. You never trusted his timing on things, you learned that the hard way, and truth was if he wanted to find you, he could. 

As the days passed, the hope of seeing Luke again was slowly diminishing. You just wanted an opportunity to talk with him, to clear the air. But the disappointment you’d gotten used to when you were by his side all those years ago, had felt so foreign, it nearly broke you. 

Thankfully, you returned to your comfort and safety before you dwelled on it any longer. To think that Nevarro had become a safety to you, shocked you more than Luke appearing in your life again. 

The home High Magistrate Karga, lovingly bestowed to Din after his service to the people here, was  just as much your home as it was Din and Grogu’s. Din made sure you knew you were welcome there without hesitation. He even made sure to that your room was a sanctuary, that his home was a place you could always rely on. Din did whatever he could to make you feel comfortable and appreciated. He even marked out a spot for your ship. 

As soon as your home came into view in your transparisteel view screen, a smile automatically found its way to your lips. You couldn’t wait to step foot on that soil of land, to hear Grogu’s light laughters, to hear Din’s footfalls as he learned to relax more and more. 

It was still night time when you arrived, you didn’t want to wake anyone and headed straight for your room after a quick shower. It was several hours later when a warm, spicy and comforting smell wafted into your room, waking you from your peaceful slumber. 

As much as you wanted to continue sleeping, the demand for food coming from your stomach won out your demand for sleep. You slowly wandered out of your bedroom, as the oversized shirt you were sleeping hung slightly off your shoulder. 

You couldn’t help smile as you saw Din busy focusing on his task, completely unaware of your presence, “Something smells good?” 

“I made some stew” he answered without missing a beat. No matter how hard you tried to surprise him, he refused to show that you caught him off guard. 

“For breakfast?”

Din turned to look at you, tilting his head at you, “You complaining?”

“Nope. Not at all.” You knew the moment you did, Din would make sure you never got to eat it, all day. 

“Good” he put a steaming plate in front of you, as he placed another plate in front of Grogu.

You couldn’t help watch as Grogu scarfed down ever last morsel in front of him, you simply smiled and chuckled at his antics, “How many plates is that for him?” You asked as you put a spoonful of the warm and delicious meal in your mouth. 

“Um… I think 4 or 5”

“Where does he put it all?”

“Good question”

Grogu simply giggled as he leaned against your shoulder, his eyes drifting closed, now that his stomach was full. As soon as he fell asleep, you placed him gently in his crib, returning back to your own meal.

Din took the seat in front of you, his hand clasped on the table, as his helmet bore into your very thoughts. There was no questioning, that he would eventually ask, it was just a matter of when. He knew if he just stared long enough, without saying anything it would only be a matter of time before you caved. 

You glanced up every few seconds feeling the piercing stare from his visor. You hated it when he started playing this game, you hoped he would say something. The silence and piercing gaze was always a sure victory to the game you two would play when neither of you wanted to talk. Didn’t matter who it was, as soon as the silence and piercing gaze enter the game, whoever was on the receiving end would automatically lose.

You tilted your head, smirking at his glare, “Okay, what?”

He smiled as he tilted his head, mimicking your movements. Din knew how much you hated it, when he did that, mainly because you could see his face but you knew he was mocking you. He hoped it was putting you at ease, he wanted to find out more about what was going on between you and the Jedi, and he’d been patient for the past few weeks, but now he wanted details. He wanted to know exactly what was the reason for your saddened appearance ever since the Jedi walked out.

“You gonna ever tell me what happened with Luke?’

You knew you should tell him the truth, tell him exactly what happened, and why Luke meant so much, but no matter how hard you tried, your eyes simply found your plate more fascinating than anything in the galaxy. I took another spoonful of the stew, ignoring how Din’s gaze was boring straight into my soul.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, you were there when we talked”

He let out a sigh, he was trying to be more active, to actually show you what he felt, what he always felt when you were around him. He simply reached across, moving his hand forward and taking your hand in his as if it were the most normal and casual thing he had ever done. His thumb gently ran over your knuckles, hoping his feelings were showing through. He didn’t want to hide anymore, not from you.

“You know I’m here for you. I can see you’re still hurting and not from the conversation you two had in that abandoned apartment. This pain you carry around isn’t a new, it’s an old pain, one seated deep inside your heart. It pains me to see you baring the brunt of this pain, all by yourself. I don’t want to see you hurt.”

“I’m not hurting” your voice was low, as your eyes slowly focused on his visor. Your fingers tightened around his, letting his strength seep into you, to be able to face this conversation..

“If you weren’t hurting, then why did we have to leave so fast from there?”

“Safety”

Din didn’t say anything, he simply tilted his head as his gaze refocused on your every facial expression. There was no doubt in his mind, you knew he didn’t believe you, he didn’t exactly hide it, but what he wanted you to realize, was that he wasn’t going to let you keep holding on to this pain by yourself, he wanted you to know he was there by your side to help you carry this unbearable weight. Always.

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@liadamerondjarin @badbatch-simp24 @spicymcnuggies @lady-ren @firstofficerwiggles @darkangel4121 @discofern @kavecika @monako-jinn-stories @ladykatakuri @avathebestx @theroguesully @furyhellfire66 @carodealmeida @ciramaris @sprout-fics @twinkofthedink @dindjarin-mandalorian @sarcasmismyonlydefense24 @tortor-mcgee @swissy23 @hearts4ashy

[bloody-bee-tea]

BeeTober 2023 Day 6 - Tea spilling

This follows after "Passing of time" and won't make much sense without reading that first.

Albedo bites back a scream of frustration when the third vial of the day shatters in his shaking hands.

He can feel Sucrose’s eyes on him, knows that they are full of worry and pity and even that makes him want to smash something. Albedo has to put his hands on the table in an attempt to stop himself from simply sweeping everything off it and his knees almost buckle when he takes a few deep breaths in an attempt to calm himself and pain shoots down his back.

It’s not real, everyone has tried to convince him about that, but the pain makes his vision swim and it doesn’t help with the anger inside of him.

And as if Kaeya can feel Albedo burst apart at the seams he strolls into the laboratory.

“My love, Sucrose,” he greets both of them, a knowing look already on his face. “I think it’s time for lunch, Albedo,” Kaeya tells him, his eyes only briefly falling to the mess of shards in front of Albedo and Albedo wants to yell at him, too.

He doesn’t though, because Kaeya deserves better than that, and so he simply takes a step back from the table.

“I’m not hungry,” Albedo bites out, unable to keep the anger still rolling in his stomach completely in check, but it seems as if it doesn’t have any effect on Kaeya.

“But I am,” he simply gives back and looks expectantly at Albedo. “And I would hate to eat on my own.”

It’s not even a lie, Albedo knows that; Kaeya likes it better when Albedo is there as well, even though he barely eats these days. He didn’t need much sustenance before his unfortunate accident in Dragonspine and since then Albedo barely eats anything at all.

His body doesn’t protest the lack of food and Albedo doesn’t see the point in it anymore but Kaeya insists on his company during meal times anyway.

Mostly because his pleading look can get Albedo to eat at least a few bites, Albedo knows that very well, but he still can’t refuse him.

“Fine,” Albedo says, his teeth pressed together hard enough that they crack and Kaeya is by his side a heartbeat later, pressing a kiss to his cheek, Sucrose clearly forgotten. “Careful, petal,” Kaeya whispers, obviously concerned for Albedo’s teeth and despite everything, Albedo finds himself softening at the pet name.

He learned only recently that the golden glow he faintly remembers conjuring was a single petal of his isotoma, which rose just high enough over his own body to alert Kaeya to his position. Albedo finds it kind of sweet that Kaeya has taken to calling him that and he leans into Kaeya’s form.

His body aches less when Kaeya is close, and that too is apparently just his imagination, because according to Jean and Barbara and Bennett and even Baizhu who they visited last week there shouldn’t be any pain in his body to begin with because he has been completely healed.

“Ready to go?” Kaeya wants to know, molding his body around Albedo in a way that means he’s safe and protected and Albedo slowly completely relaxes.

As long as Kaeya is there he’s safe.

“Sure,” Albedo answers and marches out of his own lab to prove that he can function without Kaeya around.

His knees still shake and there’s still the unreasonable thought in his head that he’ll lose time again if he blinks but he marches on. He’s not going to admit to anyone though that he’s straining his hears for Kaeya and that breathing is a little bit easier when he hears him follow.

“My place, I ordered in,” Kaeya says, catching up to him and tangling their fingers together, absolutely uncaring of who might see and even that small gesture makes warmth unfurl in Albedo’s chest.

Kaeya doesn’t care who sees them, doesn’t care who might judge because he’s just here for Albedo and because he loves him, like he says at least once a day since the whole accident.

Albedo is matching him with that, because he still remembers that visceral fear when he thought he might die without ever saying this to Kaeya. It seems a near death experience helps a lot with inhibitions.

“Awfully sure of yourself, huh?” Albedo says, squeezing Kaeya’s hand in his and redirects his steps towards Kaeya’s home.

It might as well be their home at the moment with how often Albedo stays over—every night, because he can’t bear the thought to sleep on his own—and Kaeya even refurnished his study so Klee can have her own room.

It would probably have been easier if they all moved in to Albedo’s home where Klee already has a room but the one time they tried Albedo had a panic attack when he woke up and didn’t see the ceiling he saw when he woke up for the first time after the accident.

That, apparently, is psychological too.

“I just know you well enough,” Kaeya says, raising their hands so he can press a kiss to the back of Albedo’s.

Kaeya has been—not directly clingy lately, but he likes to know where Albedo is. He checks in once, twice a day, and he visibly gets nervous if Albedo isn’t where he said he would be. That, too, seems to be psychological, though Kaeya handles it a little bit better than Albedo does.

The one time Albedo mentioned it to him, Kaeya simply shrugged and told him “You left for Dragonspine, no definite time frame set for your return, and by the time I got worried you were already missing for at least a week. I’m not doing that again.”

It had taken Albedo off guard to hear just how long he had been trapped underneath that stone and even a little over a week was just an estimate. The longest he ever stayed in Dragonspine was a month before he came back for supplies and to see Klee at by the time Kaeya and Bennett found him it was closer to one and a half month since his departure.

Albedo feels faintly sick thinking about how long he might have truly been trapped and the thought of food just makes his stomach turn even faster.

“I’m not hungry,” Albedo informs Kaeya, trusting him to understand just what he really means and understanding softens Kaeya’s features.

“Alright, but I have the tea Baizhu left. You need to at least drink a cup of that.”

His stomach doesn’t protest at the thought of tea, so Albedo nods.

“One cup.”

“Thank you,” Kaeya breathes out, and Albedo hates to see how worried he still is about Albedo even though he’s right here and physically healthy.

It’s not as if his body really needs the sustenance food can provide him, as his little stunt on the mountain made more than clear, but it seems as if that is hard to understand for Kaeya, despite everything.

The smell of food in Kaeya’s apartment almost makes him throw up and Kaeya is quick to open a window with an apologetic smile.

“Gimme a moment to brew the tea for you, okay?” Kaeya says as he disappears in the kitchen and Albedo sits down at the table.

It’s not long before he’s back, plate with food for himself, a cup of tea for Albedo and a worried frown on his face.

“There is some for you, if you change your mind,” Kaeya casually says and the anger spikes in Albedo again.

He understands that it’s just worry that makes Kaeya act like that but all the fussing is grating on Albedo, though usually he can tolerate Kaeya’s brand of fussing better than anyone elses.

His hands shake with the sudden anger—more than they usually do, nowadays—and tea is spilling everywhere. That—the inability to keep control over his own body—makes the anger spike even hotter and Albedo is just about to throw the cup across the room when Kaeya takes it out of his hands.

“It’s alright, petal,” Kaeya softly says and Albedo sneers at him.

“That’s not always going to help, you know,” he hisses and then the anger leaves him as quick as it came and Albedo is left with the hurt look on Kaeya’s face, even though he tries his best to hide it.

“I’m sorry,” Albedo breathes out, unable to meet Kaeya’s eyes. “I’m sorry, I don’t know—”

“It’s fine,” Kaeya interjects, even though it’s anything but.

Albedo smacks a hand to his forehead.

“I don’t know what’s wrong,” he gets out even though they both know it’s a lie.

“It’s fine,” Kaeya repeats and Albedo wonders just how long he’s going to believe that himself.

Albedo is in constant pain, he’s short-tempered, he lashes out at everyone and Albedo is more than aware that he barely acts human anymore.

“Why are you even trying?” he asks, finally raising his gaze to Kaeya again. “I’m not—I’m no longer—” human, he wants to say, but that would be wrong, wouldn’t it? He never was human to begin with it’s just that now the façade has started to crumble.

And Albedo doesn’t know how he’s going to build it up again, how he’s ever going to feel normal again.

“I love you,” Kaeya says as if that is an answer but he continues before Albedo can snap at him. “And I know that alone is not enough, but it’s a fact. It hurts me to see you hurting like that. Klee, too, you know. We just want to help.”

“I don’t know how,” Albedo admits and Kaeya lets out a long breath.

“I know. And I know you’re not doing this on purpose, it’s just—I don’t understand.”

He sounds helpless in a way Albedo hasn’t heard him before and it’s enough to make him inquire further.

“Understand what?”

“The food thing, for example. You didn’t need to eat before, either,” he says and Albedo hates how his life can be divided into before and after right now. “But you did anyway. Why?”

Albedo doesn’t immediately have an answer for him because Kaeya is right. He was something other than human even before the rock so violently reminded him of that, so why is this different now?

“I’m not sure,” Albedo slowly starts. “I did it to blend in, I guess. And—there’s some comfort to be found in routines, I think.” He looks down at Kaeya’s plate and finds that Kaeya ordered Albedo’s favourites. “Plus the food tasted nice, even when I didn’t need it.”

“It no longer does?” Kaeya carefully asks and Albedo has to shrug.

“I haven’t actually tried at all, since—” he trails off, unwilling to say it and he suddenly figures that this might be a problem too. It makes his stomach turn, sour bile rising up in his throat but he forces himself to speak. “Since I was crushed by that rock.”

Kaeya flinches slightly at hearing it and Albedo doesn’t even want to imagine the sight he made when Kaeya found him.

“I see. Do you—want to try?” Kaeya asks and slightly pushes the plate towards Albedo.

Albedo wants to say no, wants to get up and leave but that is not going to help.

So he nods and then tries to ignore the blatant look of relief on Kaeya’s face.

He takes the plate and takes three bites. Albedo guesses three is a good start, a solid number, and he has to admit that he relaxes slightly when the familiar taste hits his tongue.

“It’s—good,” Albedo carefully says, not completely trusting his stomach yet but maybe Kaeya was on to something here. “You’re right, it’s still good.”

Kaeya gives him a small smile at that and Albedo reaches across the table to take his hand.

“How long until you have to go on a mission again?” Albedo asks to distract himself from, well, everything, and he doesn’t like how Kaeya tenses.

“A while yet,” he cryptically says. “I’m yours for as long as you want me.”

“But Jean needs you, right? You can’t just do paperwork for forever, can you?” Albedo asks because he doesn’t quite understand.

“Forever, huh?” Kaeya whispers as if that is the only part he took away from that and Albedo squeezes his hand.

“Kaeya. What’s going on?” he asks and he knows that there must be something going on when Kaeya can’t meet his eyes.

He only ever does that when he has something to hide.

“Nothing.”

“Don’t do that. Don’t—I know I haven’t been a very good boyfriend with all this mess in my head but—won’t you even try to rely on my? To trust me?”

“I do trust you, Albedo, of course I do. I love you.”

“But you don’t want to rely on me?”

“It’s—you’re preoccupied,” Kaeya gives back and Albedo goes cold. There is something Kaeya has been hiding from him, something he didn’t want to share because he didn’t want to burden Albedo more.

“Kaeya, please,” Albedo says, tightening the grip he has on Kaeya’s hand. It’s not quite the same as when he was trapped under the rock, but breathing is suddenly hard and he feels hurt at the thought that he might have let Kaeya down. “Talk to me.”

Kaeya lets out a sigh, deflating in his chair and he sounds tired when he finally speaks.

“They call it vision exhaustion,” he says with a shrug. “I can’t access my powers at the moment and they don’t know when they will come back.”

“Vision exhaustion,” Albedo repeats and he distantly remembers the brittle cold that engulfed him before the fire took hold. “From when you destroyed the rock?”

Kaeya had infused the rock with cold until it shattered like glass to get Albedo out from under it and Albedo never gave it more thought than that.

“I’m good at wielding my vision but that—apparently it was too much or something. I used up more than I had, too quickly and too reckless if you want to believe Jean, and so I’m left with a useless gem at the moment.”

“Why didn’t you say?” Albedo wants to know and Kaeya gives him a sad smile.

“You barely talk to me. You’re clearly struggling with finding your way back to us and I just—I didn’t want to make things worse.”

Albedo opens his mouth when it suddenly hits him—he’s not the only one struggling. It shouldn’t be quite such a revelation but it somehow is and Albedo can feel tears prickling at his eyes.

He tries to stop them, tries to keep his composure but he loses that battle spectacularly because just a second later he’s heaving out big sobs. Kaeya is around the table in a second, pulling him into his arms and still Albedo can’t stop.

He cries and cries and cries until he no longer knows why, until he can barely breathe and then until no more tears are coming and still, Kaeya holds him.

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry,” Kaeya says again and again, barely audible over Albedo’s sobs and it’s enough to shock Albedo into stopping.

“No, don’t,” he gasps out, his voice raw and scratchy but this is important. “Don’t apologize. You found me, you got me out and I don’t think—thank you, Kaeya, thank you.”

“Don’t thank me,” Kaeya says, his voice sounding just as wet.

“Then don’t apologize,” Albedo immediately shoots back and pushes away from Kaeya so he can cup his face in his hands. “Don’t apologize.”

“I upset you.”

“You reminded me that it’s not just me who’s upset,” Albedo corrects him and it still barely makes sense how that is the one thing that brings some sense back to all of this.

It clearly doesn’t make much sense to Kaeya, going by the confused frown on his face but Albedo is too tired to figure out how to put things into words at the moment, so he simply leans forward and presses a kiss to Kaeya’s lips.

“Let’s just eat, and then go to bed for a while, okay?”

Albedo knows that it’s the middle of the day, but he couldn’t care less about that. He’s exhausted down to his bones and clearly Kaeya isn’t doing much better and he’s certain that this will do them some good, upset stomach be damned.

He hopes so, at least.

“Okay,” Kaeya agrees and he doesn’t let go of Albedo as they get up, as they sit down and share the plate between them, as they make their way to bed.

He doesn’t let go of Albedo at all, as if he could slip through his fingers at any given moment and Albedo clings to him just as hard and in a way he hasn’t done since he woke up in Kaeya’s bed for the first time.

Kaeya pulls him close the moment they lay down and Albedo counts his heartbeats rather than his own, being lulled into sleep by that.

It’s more restful than anything else he got these past few weeks and when they wake up again, Albedo knows that things aren’t magically fixed but he thinks that maybe now they can figure this out, together.

As it should have been.

[starshard17]

Royality Week ❤️🩵

Day 7 Cuddles/Fluffy

@royalityweek

Fic and Art beneath the cut <3

Another addition to my Seasons AU

A/N: Warning, it is a little sad, but I tried to get the fluff in there at the end <3

@fangirltothefullest

As days passed, work droned on. They both knew their jobs were important. It insured that each season ran properly in the human realm. But all the two could think of was each other, and how they yearned to be together.

There were two very distinct temperatures on each side of their border, Winter being cold, and Spring being warm.

They would meet there together as soon as the work day ended, holding hands and exchanging loving words.

However one day, that wasn't enough for Winter. He yearned to be closer to his love, Spring. So without a second thought to it, he crossed the border that divided them, the heat already pounding down on him.

He shook it off, trudging through the plush leaves and flowers that littered the ground, coloring it pink.

"Goodness... I had no idea it'd be quite so warm..." Patton muttered to himself, feeling as though he was melting under the hard gaze of the sun.

He took to his knees, resting in the shade of a helpful cherry tree, head coming to lay on the trunk.

"I will only be a moment... then I will come and find you my love..." He shut his eyes, the heat lulling him into a deep sleep.

When Winter awoke, he found himself laying in fluffy light blue snow. He sat himself up, hand coming to his forehead. He turned when he heard a gasp of relief.

"Oh thank the stars you're alright!" A pink figure sitting beside him exclaimed, moving closer and taking his hand. "I found you passed out beneath one of the cherry trees, and took you back to your half as soon as I saw you."

Winter frowned, hand gently squeezing Spring's. "I was coming to see you..." He explained, pressing their foreheads together.

Spring, Roman, shut his eyes as their foreheads met, holding his hands tight. "You know I come to visit you at the border every night... could you not have waited an hour more? At least then, you would have been safe."

Patton shook his head, arms wrapping around Roman's neck. "No, I wanted to be with you. Playing in the fields of flowers and holding each other close."

Spring frowned at this. "You could've died in the heat from just a few minutes on my side. I do not want to risk losing you for a few mere minutes."

Winter thought on his words then reluctantly sighed. "I understand."

---

For a few days, their routines returned to normal, with them completing their daily tasks and meeting at night at the border.

One fateful night, Winter came to the border with a plan.

"Join me on my side." Patton pleaded, hands holding Roman's to his chest.

"Will I not freeze, and wilt away like my precious flowers?" He questions, eyes filled with yearning along with worry.

"I am able to take care of each lovely bud you have gifted to me. I am certain that I can keep you safe. It doesn't have to be for very long." He said in an attempt to coerce him, eyes shining with longing.

Eventually Spring relents, timidly stepping into the fluffy snow.

For the first few moments everything is fine, but then frost began to form on Spring's delicate skin.

Not wanting to have to separate so soon, Winter pulls Spring to a patch of trees. The two step into a small garden like area, full of frozen flowers.

"This is always the warmest place in my region. Surely you will be okay here." Patton explains, thumb gently touching a patch of frost on Roman's cheek.

Spring flinches a bit as the frost spreads and Winter is quick to remove his hand from his cheek.

In a moment of desperation, Winter removes his jacket, wrapping it around Spring and holding him close, hoping that would be enough to keep him warm.

"Patton I do not think this will work..." He muttered, growing weaker by the second. "You must take me back."

"I refuse!" Winter cried, hugging him as close as he could. "I want to be with you!"

"But we can't be together. Not like this anyway. I need to be in spring."

And so, with a heavy heart, Patton carried Roman back to his side of the border, gently placing him in the petals.

The frost slowly melted off of his cheeks and gradually he regained his strength. However, Winter watched with tears in his eyes.

"I did not mean to harm you."

Roman gave him a warm smile, sitting himself up fully and taking Patton's hands.

"I know my love. All you want is to be with me. I wish to be with you too. But it's dangerous. Until we find a safe way to cross, we must remain separated. Our only form of contact being here. At the border."

"I wish for more." Patton cried, hand touching his cheek once again. "I yearn for more."

"I know... I promise you, I will find a way."

Patton cried softly, their foreheads pressing to each other’s.

"I am here for you. Always, my sweet, beautiful snowflake." Roman mumbled softly.

And in that moment he couldn't help himself. He pressed their lips together, a delicate burning sensation between them.

As he pulled back, his now frost-bitten lips turned up at the corners, smiling so fondly at the man before him.

"Oh Roman your lips I... I've hurt you again..." Patton uttered quietly, icy tears falling down his cheeks, freezing to his face.

Roman shook his head, smile still strong as he teared up a little. "I will be okay... it is a short moment of pain in exchange for a lovely, lasting memory. And right now, I only wish to do it more and more. Because I need you. All of you. In any way I can get..."

Winter hugged Spring just as close as he could, the two sharing soft, delicate kisses until the sun came up. Tears rolling down each of their cheeks but smiles on their lips.

[ambyandony]

Cloud Nine Contrails/Starlit Labyrinth: Stella Octangula Profilette

A casual profile post for Stella-- that is to say, a quick outline version so i don't have to go through the effort to make an official ref set before I talk about Stella.

Here is Stella Octangula and her Stand Labyrinth, as depicted in her debut during Cloud Nine Contrails and the early section of Starlit Labyrinth (the part that centres around Stella).

Stella Octangula ~ Female (she/her) ~ 11yo ~ User of Labyrinth

A peppy and outgoing child prodigy. She lives in Detroit with her supposed "foster father", Marvin.

As far as she's aware, she was born and raised in France, though her name and knowledge of the Italian language since childhood may indicate otherwise.

Has the incredible ability to gauge exact distances and dimensions from a mere glance, and knows where she is spatially at all times. Because of this, she has been shown to excel in maths, and is in incredibly advanced classes for her age. During school months, she prioritises schoolwork over anything else, including her own well-being.

She's an orphan, and had been passed from foster family to foster family, exploited by nearly every family using her for her intellect, then sending her back when she was no longer "perfect" enough to show off.

Has a star-shaped birthmark on her back and a refusal to die.

In fairly poor health.

In the summertime, without school to keep her occupied and her 'foster father' beginning to look for something to take his intoxicated frustration out on, Stella spent a significant amount of time away from home... either because she didn't want to be there as an option, or because he would lock her out. The only person she initially really had as a friend was a boy named Gregory Vecellio (profilette for him coming soon too), who would sometimes share food with her, though she tended to run off anytime she saw one of his fathers approach...

Her Stand, Labyrinth, takes the form of a very large purple mouse with wings, and is built mainly for defence (mice cant exactly punch). It has two abilities; its primary ability is exactly what you expect. When the stella octangula (shape) in its forehead is removed, it raises a large, mazelike structure around itself, to make it incredibly hard to reach itself and Stella. The walls of the maze build themselves around preexisting structures and objects, so things don't usually get damaged from the labyrinth rising. The labyrinth frequently changes to further complicate reaching the centre, but the downside is that no matter how complicated the ability makes it to reach the centre, there will always be at least one path that leads to the centre, so it's never airtight. The labyrinth will remain up until the stellated octahedron is returned to the slot in which it belongs on the Stand's forehead, or (purportedly) until Stella is knocked out.

Its secondary ability is essentially inflicting inverted controls upon someone like in a video game: if the affected tries to move forwards, they'll move backwards; north is south, up is down, left is right, etc. It seems unable to be called back, but it can be seen by non-Stand Users; it simply appears to anyone who can't see Stands as a normal - if quite large - mouse.

Now the most important thing I have to mention regarding RP, naturally avoiding major plot details, is that Stella arrived at the Skylands Hotel, where she would regularly show up as it was a safe place away from home during summer break. In being there, she met and befriended Narancia and Giorno, and subsequently Fugo, whom she eventually developed a sort of brother-sister relationship with. His familial-type feelings were partially fostered by empathy for her situation, in that he felt a kinship to the academic trauma.

So yeah that's p much the context you need to understand any comics with Stella in them!

[zestyaahbutler]

Is This Really The Best Place?

Amulya is experiencing some stress as the new leader of Hellsing. Walter decides to comfort her in his own way.

Disclaimer: SMUT, NSFW

Sun bleached the papers in front of the Madam as she attempted to go through them. Briefly trailing over to the box with more work endeavors, she resigned her head to Arthur’s desk in defeat.

“You’re looking rather cartoonish, is everything alright?” A posh voice questioned nearby. She refused to answer, wishing that if she had a strong enough will to protest her current situation, a pen might get up and start making decisions for her. 

A delicate hand was placed on her backside. Her lids twitched. The hand moved to brush away some of the hair that had fallen in front of her face as she tried desperately to take her phantom nap. Eventually, her stubbornness subsided and she opened them. 

“Did you have a rough night's sleep?” 

A click with pursed lips came to answer Walter first. 

“I mean, you were there, weren’t you? How would you say I slept?” 

“Looks can be deceiving, I prefer hearing from the source itself.” 

She went quiet at this, pulling her head up, and looked at him with narrowed eyes. A victorious smirk as if he had picked up on someone’s bluff. Walter could tell easily just from her expression that her cheeks were flushed.  “I would appreciate an answer from you first, as I asked the initial question…” he paused. “It’s only polite.” 

Her expression softened with a breath escaping her. 

“I slept fine, I appreciate you for inquiring about my health, Walter.” 

“It’s only my duty, my lady.” 

Amulya perched her face on her palm, still feeling the remnants of his teasing. It didn’t help that his addressal of her felt personal too. His lady. She was in technicality. Since that night she at least considered herself as such in her heart. It was wrong, only a few days after Arthur had passed away and she-

Amulya could barely phrase it to herself without a mix of feelings clouding. 

It must have been her feeling pathetic and alone. Walter had left for business elsewhere. It was as if she shrank smaller than what she already was. Arthur’s passing had already overwhelmed her. What hope she had of a normal grieving period was cut short just three days later.  

Hours in pitch black hallways, avoiding areas of which she could hear men’s footsteps tread the halls. That damned man had chosen to rip the authority of the organization from her hands. It was something she would have ever wanted but it was the only remnant of Arthur aside from their little girl. 

Oh, Integra. 

For how much Amulya wanted to keep Integra away from what Arthur wanted to push her into, it backfired all on that night. She had taken Integra into the basement for the refuge that Arthur claimed to have been there. It only turned out that it was the very thing the organization was searching to destroy, a vampire. 

That vampire had somehow taken her as it’s master. It claimed that Arthur was the one prior to her. That vampire also claimed the name ‘Alucard.’ Alucard was a revolting creature that resembled that of a sickly man. But he at least offered the night’s conflict to come to an end. Regardless of the sacrifice and blood on her hands, it offered the satisfying result of having at least survived. 

After all this she did the only thing she could think of after making sure Integra was safe. She called Walter. Amulya had practically begged him to come home. It didn’t take much. Soon he was home after a day after the news. Amulya was more than ecstatic to have her angel with her. This was exemplified in how she showed him her gratitude. With great care, came sweet rewards. 

It was a piece of salvation in the middle of hell. 

Her being able to feel him, stroke him, and even taste him. The way he stole her breath during each session of locked lips. His hips rocking up into her, the promises of pleasures he gave while doing so. It was more than enough to keep her satiated after. While blissful, it caused more of an ache than it healed after. Yet she still often thought of it. Heat pooled at her sex which she chose to lock away and fan away with her grief. Perhaps she had shown too much gratuity then.

Yet day after day she wondered if he had wanted to continue their initial rendezvous.

“Amulya?”

“Hm?” She blinked a few times to see her butler looking at her with more of a concerned smile. 

“I was seeing if you’re still with me.” 

“Oh- um- yeah, still very much here,” she nodded rather rigidly, returning the same expression that he had given her. Her gaze wavered. “A little overwhelmed, that’s all.” 

He came closer to her after her excuse. Her heart rate quickened as he peered over the paper next to her. Every now and again he would rephrase what was on the paper under his breath. Amulya tried her best to keep her mind from wandering any more than it already had. Her thighs adjusted to hide the shameful thoughts that were trying to leak out from between her legs. 

“These are all reports from past jobs, they only need your signature, but I can see how you may want to step away,” he attempted to ease her by placing a hand on her shoulder. Giving her a small squeeze, she stiffened. “You feel quite tense.” 

“Comes with the role,” she tried to play off her current physical condition. Another hand was placed on her left shoulder. Without even saying anything else, Walter began to knead her shoulders. Amulya’s posture melted under his touch. He hit all the pressure points with barely any effort. 

“There's nothing wrong with admitting you need a break,” he whispered. He was much closer than before, having leaned down to say all this in a husky tone. Enough to send shivers through her. 

“Feeling rather bold, aren’t we?” Amulya began to catch on that his intentions were much more than just getting her to relax. 

He pulled up but continued with her shoulders, pressing his thumbs into her. 

“Whatever do you mean by that?” 

Her head cocked to the side. He wanted her to say it. 

“Walter?”

“Yes?”

“Have you ever thought about having me in here?” The sudden boldness was masked in casualty as she picked up a nearby pen and wrote her signature down, taking the paper and setting it in the nearby pile that was littered in ink renditions of her signature. “I can’t help but wonder if you have, you know, you could press me up against that window like you own me.” Even with her raunchy fantasies planted, he didn’t stop.

“You aren’t wrong,” Walter commented in an almost matter-the-fact way. “It could be phrased better.” 

“In what way?” She took another paper and pretended to go over it while she waited for his answer.

“Begging helps.” 

Her cheeks warmed once more at this. She hadn’t looked at him for quite a while now and she wasn’t planning on doing so anytime soon. She was stirred too far to refuse this. There was no acting ladylike after what she had just said. The office was put to quiet. A heel of hers clicked on the ground a few times. What he asked was huge. It was out of sorts from the gentle persona he usually had. She had done this once before but not at his beckon.

“Could you stand for me?” Walter's sudden ask perplexed her but she did as he requested. Amulya turned to face him in a shy manner. Her arms were behind her while she held two fingers in her other hand so as to have something to fidget with besides the fabric of her skirt. Without any warning she was forced against the desk she was just working on. The hand behind her shot back to adjust herself so as to not fall. He wasn’t as rough as she was surprised to be caught off guard. She let out a squeak which was muffled by his lips being pressed up against hers. With ease, he picked her up to place her on the desk. Amulya reciprocated the affection well, giving his vest a slight tug towards her. He was close enough for her to pick up the hints of cardamom and clove with bottom notes of rich leather. It was subtle; up-close it was something to get lost in.As soon as Walter felt like she had her fair share, he pulled away. Amulya was revealed to be a panting mess. Her eyes displayed a grave amount of neediness, even a hint of betrayal for their exchange being cut so short. “Sorry to trick you but I feel that it’s better if you face me while you say it.” Her skirt had been pulled up enough for his touch to go to one of her thighs. He was able to open Amulya more with no pushback. “But if you want to get back to work-“

“No-“ she quickly cut in. 

How she hated such a ploy to get her to play into his wants.

“I’m fine like this,” Amulya rehearsed her answer. After she took a hold of his hand to guide it closer to where she was aching for him the most. 

As thick as the tension was, Walter was afraid of pushing her too hard. Though he was more than looking forward to the thought of having her again. Where he had her should have been relegated to his passing daydreams. How desperate she appeared only strengthened his impatience. With a free hand, he cupped her cheek.

“We can always stop if it’s too much,” he assured her in the same way he would when calming her fits of delusions or comforting her before a roundtable meeting. Amulya’s hair was brushed over her shoulder, his lips being placed sensually on her neck. With sudden playful nips, she let out a breathy giggle. Her shoulder jerked up instinctually to push him out but he had no intentions of ending his attack there. She soon relaxed enough for him to continue. The hand that had been on her inner thigh went to graze her clothed sex. He used a few digits to rub where her slit would be and continued these motions till he found the place to really tease her at. The cloth covering her quim was tugged at and moved. His fingers were able to feel the soft entrance and just how wet she had become. In any other scenario, it was enough nectar to push him to his knees and have an early lunch. Today he was more invested in just how needy he could make her. Shots of pleasure rasped through her legs as his middle finger went over and around her clit. Amulya let out a mewl for her butler to continue. Her eyes gazed absentmindedly at the window behind her. 

“What you said earlier was something,” Walter commented. “Many would consider it dangerous.” 

It was, wasn’t it?

“I suppose I’m lucky to have someone as patient as you” Amulya praised between quiet pants. A gasp was made as he rubbed at her entrance, judging how wet she was before inserting a finger into her entrance. How warm she was and her walls hugged just around the single digit made him yearn even more to be inside of her. Walter started her off at a tender pace. Once he could feel she was ready, he added another. She pulled him to pay mind to her lips once more. Every now and again he was given a whine begging for him for more. He pushed a little deeper, curling his fingertips as he added some pressure against her constricting walls. Amulya gripped at his sleeves. Being able to witness just how bothered he had made her become was enough to make his cock harden in his slacks. She was unbearably hot by then. The contrast of the ice-cold-

Wait. 

“Walter-“

He pulled what he had in her out and stopped as soon as he heard her call him. Had he gone to fast? Did he hurt her on accident? Was she reminded of something?

“Um-“ was all that she managed to blurt out as she attempted to gather her own thoughts. “Well- I- you-“

“Would you like to stop?”

“No, no, no-“ she quickly swatted away the idea that she hadn’t been enjoying herself. She stopped to inhale before letting out a sigh as she figured out what she wanted to say. “I’m not too sure we should be doing this here,” she looked to see what seemed like confusion and maybe a hint of disappointment. “Not that I wouldn’t enjoy it, I really, really, would but-“ 

“Are you worried about messing up your desk?”

She could only give a small nod. There were other protests but… she wasn’t exactly ready or willing to say them. 

“I’m willing to move to wherever you’d be willing to have me at,” He answered as her butler before adding his own input, “though it is a little too late to worry about messing up your workspace…and there’s nothing wrong with being a little risky.” He took a glance at her, trying to gauge whether or not he had convinced her even slightly. “Think of it as a reward for being such a strong and intelligent woman.” 

Her usual catlike smile appeared as she raised a brow at his reasoning. 

“I suppose.” 

“Is my persuasion lost on you, Madam Hellsing?”

“Not at all, I‘ll allow us the opportunity to continue our time, Mr. Dornez.” Amulya undid the oversized bow off to her satin blouse with a pull. Before she went to her buttons she held up her index finger. “Just this once.. that is unless you make me enjoy myself too much.” Her hand slowly fell as she gave him a look to see what his reaction would be to what she said. 

“I’ll consider that a challenge then,” Walter accepted her terms with a smirk. She got to undo two of her buttons before being interrupted with, “I would advise keeping everything on.” Amulya frowned a little at this. He quickly followed his last statement with, “you are supposed to be working and we could be needed.” She waited as if she would have gotten an alternative answer before letting out a sigh. 

“Fine but I’m getting rather impatient; it isn’t very polite to make a lady wait like this,” she half scolded with expectant eyes studying him for any attack he was planning. 

“Then bend yourself over that desk for me.” It was a simple solution yet so crude. She did as he asked, pushing herself off the wooden surface.  Amulya pulled up her calf-length skirt from behind, before leaning back over the desk. Turning her back on him made her oddly nervous. She could only listen to the rustling of him undoing his belt. It was folded then-

Wack!

She let out a stifled whimper as her bum stung from the sudden strike. It wasn’t too hard. It was likely her first time to be belted. Maybe he was unsure of this fact. Maybe she had been positioned like this many times before. It was all he could consider while watching for her reactions. 

The belt was set aside on the desk. He moved his hand to smooth over the area he had hit her at.

“Consider that your punishment for earlier,” Walter followed his contradicting actions with an even more bold sentence. Amulya couldn’t help but feel the need to roll her eyes at his repeated ways of apologizing after inching into dominating her.

His pants and boxers were pulled down to his upper legs. He did a few strokes to himself before guiding himself into her wet slit. Amulya let out what seemed like to be a sigh of relief as his shaft stretched out her walls. It had been far too long since she had anything of the sort. Walter had enough girth and talent to make her remember and lament over the time they had together. That with what he had done earlier made her plenty slick for him to feel comfortable enough to start to move. He started off slow. If it were anything like the first time, he could be due to wait for months. He wanted to enjoy her more than anything.

“I really needed this…”

Amulya admitting this made him give a sudden thrust that delved much deeper into her depths. A sweet cry escaped her at this. His pace quickened after. Her plump arse and thighs meeting his front side began to make a much more audible smack. His attention was brought to one of the many traits he adored her for. He let out a  low grunt as gripped her hips in a selfish fashion. The stretch marks on her curves gave her a certain tactile uniqueness most women didn’t have. 

“What did you need?” He found himself asking in a breathy tone.

“You,” she murmured. 

After this Walter pulled out of her momentarily to turn her over to face him. Her leg hoisted over his shoulder. He was able to go back to enjoying her while getting a good look of what she had become.

Eyes fogged over with an insatiable amount of lust and what had to be love. In a way, he wondered if he could get her to say he owned her. She certainly looked open to the possibility. 

“Madam Hellsing…” Walter moaned her title in a hushed tone. It filled him with an unexplainable sense of satisfaction to have her finally. 

Amulya couldn’t do much other than let out nothing that resembled words, only enjoying the warmth of their bodies and their movements together. There wasn’t anything to formally express that she hadn’t with her hips.

Amulya’s lids fluttered as he occasionally took time to shove himself into her in an almost gutterly fashion. It sent shivers of pleasure through her, knotting her stomach to bring her attention to her eventual orgasm. Her back arched to which he responded by sending a hand to support and hold her as if she were a doll. The manner in which her entire being twitch and shiver under him wasn’t at all foreign. The sounds of their union echoed in the barren tiled office as he continued to have his way with her. It wasn’t long till he finally sent her over the edge. The tingly warm sense of euphoria washed over her. Her legs quivered till she went limp.

Amulya’s chest rose and fell as she caught her breath. She waited till she thought she could manage a few words out of herself. She opened her brown eyes, to peer at Walter who was very content with his work.

“You want me to ride you?” Her tone was oddly determined, wanting nothing more than to return the favor.

Walter moved the hand from her back to graze over her inner thigh. She squirmed at his touch. 

“Not that I don’t but I don’t think you’re even able to stand.” He responded with a chuckle. As much as he wanted to torture her for how sensitive he had caused her to become, it was better to revel in the entertainment quietly.

“Not true, help me up.”

He gave her a look. 

“Walter-“ Amulya addressed him again. “Help. Me. Up.” 

Walter gave her a deep sigh before he pulled up his boxers and pants to show he didn’t buy a single word of this. He did give her the faith she asked for. Carefully, he pulled her to sit up. Walter took her off the desk to stand, holding her up for about a minute before letting go. 

She lasted a few seconds before collapsing back into his arms.  

[dragons-and-the-setting-sun]

Afterwards (3 of 32)

“You can walk?” The shadows around him receded for a moment. Besides the dragon, only the wind was left alive outside. He grimaced, gasped, wheezed in sharp, mortal pain, the air sharp nails. Yet he lived and not from happenstance. Like his master had taught him, he had reinforced the bones around his sensitive organs. He still could draw breath. That was all he needed. No mind was paid to the death screams of his body. He mumbled arcane phrases, flailed his arms, crooked his fingers, tried and tried again to get the spell to work. The world around him got darker, dizziness spread, his arms quivered and nothing came. His eyes did not widen, his breaths stayed steady. It was not the first time. Sorcery was hard, even without ruptured organs. He had the power, the mana, knew what he wanted to happen where, made the gestures, said the words. It would work. His savior watched the dark world around them a with calm disinterest and stomped away. He saw the broad, finned tail of hers disappear in the direction of the hut.

“Here. For your trouble.” Her voice rumbled inside, coins clattered. “Itzil does not know if you planned to give her up too. But she does not care about might-have-beens and hates owing debts more than she hates spending money.” A quieter, female voice replied. “What about the necromancer?” The beast let loose a derisive snort. “Itzil had no talk with him. But Itzil likes his delicate frame, his nervous stutter. He can pay if he wants, but if you lay hands on him again, she will kill you.” “...I see.” “Funny human expression. You do not ‘see’ that they just might have killed you. Leave with Itzil. It's for your best.” “We have a house and a reputation to keep.” “They will not spare you after this.” "Better to take our chances than to live like an animal, unbound and hunted, vogelfrei." She snarled. “You believe that sharing the same pink skin keeps you safe when they are out for death. Believe differently.” ”We will not be tempted by the darkness and its gods, beast.” Her stomps went about, pounding against the silence.

By now, the wizard had managed to save his life. A foul ooze squirmed out of his chest and sides, sanguine sweat mixed with bonemeal and shredded intestines. The smell of fouled lamp oil pervaded the air. He groaned in pain and snapped after breath as he forced himself on his feet, while what was still good and salvageable stitched itself together with an unseen magical string. His flesh, skin, bones and nerves rippled and bubbled still like boiling soup as they struggled for space inside the confines of his body, the process yet unfinished. He was barely done brushing the earth and dirt away as the drake arrived, his rucksack, sleeping bag and books in her arms. From inside the hut, he could see the hateful glances as the couple cast dagger in her back. Like granite statues, they did not move.

“Thanks.” He said. Without a word, she ruffled through his stuff and handed him one of his linen wraps and austere robes, then placed the bag before him. The wizard took a closer look. Her maw was rough, stained with guts and blood. Tips of her saurian teeth peaked out of it, glinted in the embers' light like terrible gems. At least the haunting, almost avian eyes were up front, not to the sides. It gave him something to cling to, unlike with the other beast people, where his gaze slid off uncanny, twisted faces. But she refused to be held and the golden pools always trailed off, into the unkown, as if something was out there, or inside her, that drew her away to dark places. The draconic creature still remained silent as she gave him the backpack, lit one of her lanterns and walked into the woods without another word. “Hey, just wait a moment!” He shouted. “We have barely talked!” His eyes glanced at her passing, the rapidly shrinking light and the traitorous hosts. A cold thought crept up his spine, pulled him back, towards the house. “I should kill them.” It would be a mercy. The Inquisition was worse than a clean, quick death. But then, he remembered his monstrous savior. If she hadn't killed them, he couldn't. He took a deep breath of air and followed the lantern's fire again.

The drake, when she had set her towering frame into motion, belied her size. Her step left barely an imprint on the muddy ground and the forest's trees closed in her wake like dark waters, while he sunk into the mud and stinging brambles, staggered against whipping branches and stones. As he struggled to keep up, his head began to spin, dizzy from the bloodletting. The uniform darkness blended trees, stones, patches of green or mud together in a fleeting yet eternal void of green, brown and black. He never had been a friend of the wilderness. Only as the river's thunder reached their ears, a certain ease filled him again, despite the roiling, dirtied mire that awaited them. From their side of the bank's slope, only darkness could be seen. His new ally stopped. He leaned on a tree and wheezed. “That will do.” she stated. “Are you strong enough to make a bridge across? We might shake their dogs and seer off that way, tomorrow. No sense in going further till the sun rises, however. Itzil can’t stand the cold and a dark river carries unseen dangers.”

Now the wizard smiled. With one snap of his fingers, he summoned a glowing, cold ball of light in his hand. “No need to wait, my dear dragon.” He waved it around, grinning at the power in his fingertips. “I can ward you against the cold, too."

She nodded, moved - but he shook his head immediately after. “But first I need to say some words and ask questions. May I, please?” Her head bopped. “Time has given us some of her children.” He took that as a yes. “Alright, first off: Thanks again. For saving me. My name’s Xunathos, by the way. I think i know yours, right?" No answer. The creature just blinked, waited. "Alright, Itzil? Second, why did you just run off into the dark?” “Thus, our enemies will not know our destination. And Itzil knows the Inquisition will know everything those two know soon enough.” He chuckled. “Sounds like a great way to eat me without any witnesses. Forgive my apprehension, but I saw what you did with that bastard friar.” Her rigid, reptilian face did not twitch and her voice was as even as it ever got as she replied. “You are soft and tasty, human.” With no warning, she moved closer. The reptilian tongue spread wet, sticky slobber across her maw. Up close, the teeth were even more terrible. He took a step back. But so did she, giving a peculiar, chortling sound. “But if she wanted to, Itzil would have eaten you on the spot, after the priest. If she was concerned about witnesses, she'd kill and larder those weakling hosts next. The world already knows she is a monsters before they know her; no need to hide anything. After the river, we can go where you want us to go.”

And with that, she turned to face the shadows that lay ahead. He hesitated. Sure, this all might be a trick. But right now, he’d take it in good faith. If only because she seemed to know how to pull off an escape from the Inquisition successfully. He made another attempt at conversation. “Why then did you decide to help me?” For the first time, she used a human gesture, a shrug. “You heard the other humans. They were trying to kill Itzil too. She put her hopes in united strength. If she had waited, she would have been next. To help was gainful. Besides, rescuing educated boys like you is often rewarded by their rich, noble parents.” To Xunathos, the voice was flat, without affect, just a dark rumble that drowned all nuance. Were these a joke? But he had heard her admire his frail body. Was that a coy flirt? But she did not regard him with any affection now. An admission of greed? Perhaps. He could not tell. He chuckled.

“Well, I must disappoint you. My parents, keeper of the honored demesian tradition of slave raids behind the imperial borders, died in honored demesian tradition. By my hands, the moment the inheritance contract was sealed. The rest of my family has disowned me.” He stated, not without some pride. “But worry not, I can offer you a little something once we get to the patrinomy i gave into the hands of my masses. I am a indeed a nobleman, of sorts. I must warn you, though: In defending me, you've indeed risked the ire of the law and the empire. The priest spoke truth there.” She bopped her skull. “Itzil defended herself. Itzil does not care that it was a crime to resist. The empire’s inky letters are for humans and their slaves to obey. If they let themselves be marched to misery and the grave, let them! Itzil will fight.” The necromancer frowned. If the creature had unwise notions, they deserved to be dispelled. “You might try. But they are many. You aren't even few. You are... you. One. How can one stand against the might of billions? She can not.” "She does it the way she fights now: After her strike, she runs away, fast. Then, she strikes again."

He nodded, a grim look of determination on his face. "Hmm... I might have something for you. After we cross the river. Let's hurry, got to lose our scent." He smiled. " With the greatest of demesian luxuries... frigida lova - cold baths." The reptile shuddered.

[vei1s]

cont. from HERE :: @walkedfire

　　nobody will tell gen anything while still demanding she follow orders. they're tired of the phrase, it's lost meaning, they just keep hearing it over and over without a single explanation of why. the entire thing is bullshit. the testing, the secrets, the silence when she simply asks to have a voice in what's going on. ever since the accident, everything has been one endless nightmare. the tests, the check ins, the endless questions that she can't answer. it's soul crushing, it's exhausting, and she hasn't been able to sleep. healing is a pointless thing, she made it out of that hell without a visible scratch, and there's no time to start healing everything under the surface. 

　　they'd been forced to sit outside buck's room, as usual, they stopped begging to be on the other side of the door after the first three times, too tired to try and convince the doctors that she'd behave and 'let them do their jobs'. she doesn't like seeing him being used as a guinea pig, as some experiment, something not human. gen only managed to get out of the same by biting the fourth doctor who tried, which had earned her an hour long meeting comprised of threats to send her out to one of the eastern shatterdomes. 

　　if it were anyone other than him, she would've told them to go ahead, do it, she'd been thinking about resigning anyways. however, it is him, and she can't leave him, refuses to leave him. so she'd promised to be on good behavior, agreeing to let them try and figure out what she is, why she was able to survive. it would be a lie to say that gen wasn't curious herself, she's always wondered why she can't seem to get hurt. at least, not physically. it's a mess in her head, was prior but it's a battlefield now. at some point gen knows she'll have to open up about the full truth of what happened, but, shit keeps coming up. it can wait, she'll be fine, he's their priority.

　　more doctors than usual had been passing by, some scientists as well, and she'd overheard the hushed voices. it was the normal stuff, going over his vitals and progress, and she'd almost started to tune it out when one of the newer faces had said something about going back. there was barely hesitation from her in jumping up, forgetting the promise to behave, and she'd started yelling. whatever it was she'd said, she can't remember. words had just started spilling out, without her even thinking, hands balling into fists with nails digging into her palms and she'd just been so angry. everything going blank, nothing but fear and pure rage. 

　　it didn't matter exactly what going back could mean, gen had a guess when combined with the look on the face that had said it, but anything that involved doing anything more than making sure buck was healthy and safe and okay was something that she wouldn't let happen. even if he wanted to, she would fight him on it too. 

　　they don't even notice he's out of his room until he's suddenly lifting her up, a panicked "what the fuck?" taking over the screaming. he shouldn't be out of bed and they're struggling to come down from anger into resignation, defeat, calm. they want to push off of him, get out of his grip, and they hate that they do. they feel nothing but hate but none of it at him directly and it's overwhelming and she's so fucking tired , gen can't help that she starts crying, it's only natural. "i don't care, i hate it. i hate them i hate this place i hate –– just, please put me down. i don't want you fucking hurting yourself over my bullshit, buck. i already hate myself enough as it is right now, don't need another reason. don't make me hate you."

[dark-elf-writes]

How did Venomous Naruto get so much longer so quickly?!?

Yes! Wave is a Probation, only in this case Sasuke doesn't try to save Naruto and he doesn't do the folding big Shuriken thing against Zabuza with Naruto, causing both Kakashi and Naruto to get hurt a lot. After the Ice Mirrior Dome breaks, where Sasuke has been put in a death like state anyway, Sakura crys over his body and starts yelling at Naruto who is visibly bleeding but still standing saying it should be Naruto who is dead instead.

Sakura loses her ability to ever be a shinobi after the Wave mission and Sasuke is going back to the academy until Naruto makes Chunnin, when Oro/the Sannin will take over his training and Kakashi can train Sasuke on a new team, but if Sasuke still fails the team test he is a Forever Genin apprenticed to Kakashi to master his Sharingan.

Because it lives in my head rent free and I have not been able to think of anything other than this sunshine boy with fangs and only a few bites keeping him from taking out his enemies.

Tbh I might split the au at the formation/first test of Team Seven because I love both ideas so much. And with it being the size it is already an au of an au isnt that bad.

Under a read more because this got away from me tbh.

But absolutely I love that. Naruto tries to get Sasuke to work with him but he yet again doesn’t which means that he has to find a different way to save Kakashi only to get what would be a sure kill blow on anyone else but instead Awakens The Demon™️ and Naru stomps Zabuza into the fucking ground fox style until Haku pulls him out of there. Naruto hits the ground having lost a lot of blood and severely chakra depleted because demon. Kakashi very nearly fucking drowned and also took a fair number of hits that could have been avoided. Still as hurt as he is he doesn’t trust either Sasuke or Sakura to carry Naruto so the rest of the trip to wave is spent with a very obviously injured Kakashi carrying Naruto while Tazuna looks between Team Seven like “oh shit not only am I going to die but at least one of these kids is going to as well.”

Naruto kind of wakes up that first night actually in wave enough to show that he’s clearly scared and just barely keeping it together because he’s not in a safe enough place to break yet. Kakashi gets some food into him before he passes back out then drags his other little genin out for the lecture to end all lectures.

He tells them if he thought he could safely get them all back to the village right now they would be abandoning this mission and going the fuck home immediately. He tells them that they nearly got two of their teammates killed by refusing to grow up and work together. He tells then that anyone who wasn’t Naruto that got those injuries would have died and if if Kakashi had been able to get out of the water prison on his own without drowning they still would have been returning home with a dead child in tow. He tells them that if they can’t get their shit together before the mission ends he’s sending their asses back to the academy because if they’re going to keep acting like children on the field they should be with the children where they can’t get someone killed.

He sends them to bed, as far away from where Naruto is sleeping off his chakra exhaustion as he can considering the size of the house they’re sharing. Tazuna at least seems to understand as he rearranges some things to make sure Kakashi has easy access to all of his students even with the added distance. He thinks that will be the end of it.

For any usual Shinobi graduate it would be the end of it. A dressing down of that severity from a commanding officer in the field and a very real threat that their careers would be back to square one in the most humiliating of ways? That should be enough to get through the thickest of skulls to drive home the point that what they did was wrong and should never ever be repeated.

Only it is.

Only when he’s facing off with Zabuza he hears Naruto screaming for Sasuke to “just fucking listen to me dammit!” Before his so recently injured student so screaming for real.

He sees out of the corner of his eye, like the swordsman had intentionally cleared his mist to give him a front row seat to his own failures, as Sasuke sees the wave of senbon coming right for the both of them for Naruto’s kneeling and half conscious form already so full of needles clearly unable to catch his breath enough to see the danger coming his way and dodges away leaving Naruto to take more.

He’s sure Zabuza is laughing at him as he growls low in his chest. Sure that the gods themselves are laughing at him too.

So he calls in the pack and splits them.

He sees Uhei drag Naruto out of the way of another attack just in time for him to come to. Sees Sasuke pull away from Bisuke with two newly formed sharingan narrowed ably to jump straight into an attack. He sees the choking red hatefilled Chakra cover Naruto as he screams in rage.

He doesn’t see much after that. Focused on ending his fight as fast as possible to get to his students.

It doesn’t make shoving his Chidori through a child’s chest feel any better. It doesn’t make Naruto’s second shriek hurt any less.

The fight is over by the time he lays Haku’s broken body on the ground. Before Zabuza makes his last stand against his former employer. Before Naruto is able to release the Kyuubi’s chakra surrounding him. Before his ninken can report on the state of the kids. It is over.

Kakashi manages to get an arm around Naruto’s waist before he hits the ground as that chakra fades with his shock. Manages to haul him close to his own body as the kid bares his dripping fangs, coated with venom in Naruto’s rage, at the group of men. He can feel how much the kid is shaking. He wonders how he’s still standing.

“Sasuke!” Sakura shrieks, shaking her teammate. Bisuke tries to nudge her away. Tries tot elk he that the pup is hurt but will still live tries to—

“This is your fault!” she screams at him with hate in her eyes. No. Not at him.

At Naruto.

“It should have been you!”

Even with Zabuza fighting at the other end of the bridge. Even with the approaching feet of the rest of the village. Even with the roaring waves below infuriated that the blood of one of their own was spilled. The words were loud enough that Naruto flinched.

Enough.

Kakashi has had enough.

“Shut up!” he snapped, settling Naruto on a clear-ish portion of the bridge and signaled Bull and Pakkun to watch over him. Bull settled at the boy’s side while Pakkun wormed his way into Naruto’s lap, sliding under shock numbed hands and pressing close to his already healed chest to provide some comfort.

He turns on the other two, grateful for his mask so Sakura can’t see him baring his own fangs in irritation, and hits his knees for a quick check over his student that tells him everything he already knew.

“Sasuke is fine.” He growls, and sure enough a moment later the Uchiha gasps and coughs, curling around himself a little as he blinks up at the two of them with dark eyes once again.

Kakshi wants to shake him. To shake them both.

He doesn’t.

Kakashi takes a deep breath. Takes another when Uhei leans against his side.

“It will be my recommendation when we return that you both go back to the academy,” He says at last, eyes narrowed on the two of them. (He’ll never forget their faces. Wouldn’t even if he had taken the time to cover his sharingan) “With what the mission reports will show… I’m not sure if they will take that suggestion or if they will refute you both in the spot.”

Two stunned faces looked back at him. He didn’t let his glare waver. Didn’t let them squirm away from his disappointment as he wrapped Sasuke’s injuries with careful hands before standing again.

The fight was over.

The curse of Team Seven had struck yet again.

[astaroth1357]

How Often They Worry about MC…

For those who don’t know, I have a little dog named Charlie and she is a large portion of my world. There's no need to be alarmed, my dog is fine, but there are days where I hold her and all I can think about is how much I worry about her health down the line… I suppose we often do that for the people we love, particularly the ones who may not last as long as we will. Take that as inspiration if you'd like.

Lucifer 

Near constantly. 

If you tracked his blood pressure on a grid, you'd see it start to continuously rise about when he decided they were worth having in his life.

Lucifer is the eldest sibling to a whole crew of brothers so he's no stranger to worry. He worried about his brothers when they were young, he worried about them after the Fall, and he still worries about them now (even if he's less open about it).

But a part of him knows that his brothers can handle their own, at least to varying degrees. The MC, though? He's far less sure…

They've proven rather resilient, but also headstrong and reckless. Neither of which are good things to be in a place this dangerous...

If Lucifer isn't careful, he can catch himself staring at a wall or window just wondering where they are and if they're doing alright… If he called them every time he had a passing worry, their inbox would be full by the end each week.

He holds himself back because he doesn't have the time to constantly protect them, but that doesn't stop him from sending a text once or twice a day. They better respond or he'll start (secretly) panicking.

Mammon

He forgets their mortality from time to time, but every time he remembers it hits like a ton of bricks…

Mammon is a pretty "in-the-moment" person. He doesn't spend a lot of time dwelling on the future, but whenever he does the thought of losing MC always comes back to him again and again.

Like. It's gotta happen eventually, right? They're human, humans die, hell they don't even live that long to start with!

The MC can always tell when Mammon's getting worried because he'll get uncharacteristically quiet and pace around or hover by them…

Every little injury or strenuous task will suddenly seem like too much to him as well. 

If they need to carry some boxes, he'll carry them all.

If they have to jog to class, he's carrying them. 

If they so much as get a papercut, he'll have a heart attack.

It's not very hard to get Mammon out of these funks - he really does want them to reassure him that they're okay - but he's never going to get fully over it…

Not until he can steal whatever top secret immortality formula Solomon must have used anyway… He'll get it off that bastard eventually.

Leviathan

Thinks about it so often he has to actively try not to just to get any peace…

He dodges his fears for MC like a protagonist dodges lasting consequences. Every time he feels one creeping up, he's always got a distraction waiting…

"Hey where's MC at? I hope they didn't fall into the riv-OH HEY CHECK OUT THIS NEW GAME!!"

"What are they doing over there…? That looks hard, what if they bre-WAIT DIDN'T MY FAVORITE VOICE ACTOR JUST RELEASE A NEW PODCAST???"

"What if the MC dies tomorrow and they leave me all alo-DEVIL FIGHT 200! YOU CAN'T BEAT DEVIL FIGHT 200, LET’S BREAK MY HIGH SCORE!!"

Cut him some slack, his psyche cannot handle the idea of losing them on top of everything else he grapples with every day.

If, on the rare occasion, he does let himself fall down that rabbit hole he becomes extra clingy and practically begs MC not to leave his room… like ever. He'd bubble wrap them if he could.

Anytime they get really hurt or really sick he refuses to leave their side even if it means he has to awkwardly sit on the floor. He just needs to be able to glance at them every so often to be sure they're alive… Still breathing?? Phew…

Satan

He worries, preps, rationalizes, then worries again…

For Satan, knowledge is power and every scrap of information he can learn about MC is more power he can use to keep them safe and healthy.

Yes, he will want their medical history. Yes, he's going to need a list of prescriptions. Family members too. And no, you do not get a choice.

He'll read up on as many things as he can - pawn medical journals off of witches and get magical alternatives from Solomon.

The cycle usually goes: 

1. He's lying awake at night because he just heard about some terrible bacteria that makes human's skin peel off or something.

2. He does all the research he can on this bacteria, its treatment options, best prevention methods, etc.

3. Gets right about to break out the rubber booties for MC to wear around, then realizes they have a very slim chance of catching said bacteria since it's only native to incredibly remote parts of Indonesia.

4. Feels instant relief that MC will probably not catch flesh-eating bacteria and can finally sleep again…

5. Hears of some other human medical horror from Solomon and starts to worry…

It's a vicious cycle indeed… But at least he's getting a lot of medical training. Soon enough he'll be the Devildom's version of a human vet (which I guess is just a doctor, come to think of it. 🤔)

Asmodeus 

Lives so "here-and-now" that he doesn't remember often, but when he does it's always heartbreaking…

Asmo usually tries to worry about things as little as possible. It’s bad for the skin, you know? But when the MC is involved, all of that goes out the window.

Like how a delicate blossom eventually wilts in the snow, the MC is bound to leave them in time… Usually there's supposed to be something beautiful in that kind of tragedy, but perhaps he's just too close to them to find any romance in it.

The thought of their death gives him breakouts and anytime they get hurt or sick he's the first brother to offer them comfort. Every time.

Because he doesn't feel like he's as physically strong as he brothers, he tries to make up for it by minding their health in other ways. Anything to keep his MC strong and beautiful as always!

If Asmo is in a worrying mood, then he may also compensate by trying to take the MC out to a party or some fun event. Why sit around worrying by himself when he could be making memories with them now, right?

Beelzebub

It comes in waves, mostly at night.

When your thoughts throughout the day are mostly, "I wish I wasn't so hungry," it doesn't afford you a lot of time to think about much else.

In a way, it's a good thing since he experiences a lot less stress. But those worries are still there and they mostly plague his dreams…

Beel doesn’t feel hungry when he's sleeping, so a lot of his fears will make themselves known overnight. An injured or dying MC is often in his rotation of nightmares though, of course, he'd rather it not be…

After having one of these dreams, his first instinct is to always make sure the MC is okay. If they're with him, he'll hug them and check their heartbeat. If they're somewhere else, he'll go to them or shoot a text.

He has woken up without realizing his nightmare was all a dream though, and usually it's up to Belphie or MC themselves to console him while he cries… It's so heartbreaking, sweet boy just puts a lot of pressure on himself to be sure they're safe…

When he worries, it's like they're the most beautiful and expensive China set in a room full of bulls and hammers. If he could tape them to his side, he probably would. He gets scared for them that much…

Belphegor 

More scared about it than anyone else in the House.

Despite his calm demeanor, Belphie is truly afraid of losing his loved ones beneath the surface… He's already lost one of his most dear siblings before, going through that again may just break him.

Unfortunately, he's also felt just how fragile the MC is firsthand... He's not even the strongest of his brothers, yet he was able to snuff them out so easily… Who's to say someone else won't try?

Like Beel, MC's death is a recurring nightmare for him but he can usually shake off his dreams fairly well, if not change them mid-sleep. More scary is when something is actually wrong with them or they're not feeling well.

Belphie always sets his inner laziness aside for the MC when he can. If they get sick, he'll usually be right along with his family to take care of them - even if he has to skip school to do so (not that he cares about class anyway).

When he's worrying about them, he tries to play it off at first, but soon enough they'll notice him acting overly concerned and losing sleep… Best to calm him down before he starts getting cranky.

[ofbelievesinthehope]

Pain that stays with you.

@notmuchtooffer

Loss; the pain that stays with you. 

Time heals all wounds they say. Amanda Collier once had the world at her Oyster. She had the wealth given from her family. She could’ve gone to any college in the country if her heart deserved. Amanda was top of her class, she knew how to read people her only down fall was hanging out with the tools like the jocks. Her last year of high school it all changed. Of course she had her eye on him weeks prior even waited for him to make a move. He hung out at Squeals a lot with his cousin and his cousins girlfriend. Amanda did her digging on Dawson Cole. 

The boy that appeared to pretend to be dumb. An awful liar she’d say. He didn’t try to be cool, he never tried to impress her. She smitten by him, Amanda liked a guy who needed that push. Of course all through the town were whispers about the Cole’s the family. Amanda should’ve been afraid of him like her parents wanted her to be. But she wasn’t. Dawson had a pure heart; he wanted to be more than what his family believed in him. My heart ached for him when I witnessed how his dad treated him, he wanted to protect me. And sometimes I only wished I could’ve done more to protect him. From the fate he landed in. 

2 years had passed since the last time I heard his voice. The last time he pleaded with me to leave. TOld me he loved him through the glass separating us. That day torn me up inside. Amanda was a firm believer in hope. For justice. Dawson is what motivated her to go to school to be a social worker; to give justice to kids like him. She tried to not think about him, but she could never help herself; each time she wrote a paper about what she felt justice was for kids, the impact the system had on families she thought about him. She wondered if he was okay. It pained her to keep moving forward without him. He would’ve risked it all for her. He had a future until that day; prom. The day he never showed to pick her up. He was in the wrong place at the wrong time. He did what the sheriff wanted; he cooperate, he turned on his father but the deal wasn’t enough. He was stuck to a life behind bars for at least 4-5 years. Amanda’s heart ached for him, she would’ve waited a lifetime for him. But Dawson fought her; after the last time he let her in to visit he refused. He acted like she meant nothing to him. She supposed that’s what stung the most. He rather have no one on his side. He came her no choice but to move forward; leaving town was her only option. 

Breaks from school like her spring break this week, was the only time the brunette was in town. She moved her bag back into the white mansion styled house. Her mother cheerful as she made muffins, blueberry that morning. Amanda mastered a happy expression; knowing where she was bringing the container full of muffins. Through the years each time Amanda was in town she always made it a habit to visit Tuck; the man who was like a father who always supported Dawson. She felt safe there; and it was nice to talk to someone who never believed in the gossip that swirled around town concerning Dawson. She’d ask if he seen him, in response he would tell her “ Don’t worry child, he’s okay.” In one piece she’d think to herself. Wearing her light purple dress, she had a messy bun in with her locks of hair. Amanda hummed to herself as she carried the container of muffins to her car. Tuck was normally home. 

Seated in her car, keys in the ignition; hands on the wheel, she slowly pulled up to his house. A smaller house; the garage was opened, the female had pulled into a stop, there was a guy outside setting up the hose, who the hell was it? Brows pushed together furrowing as she sat simply watching from a far. If Tuck had company Amanda had the sense to come back later..

[zalrb]

I do think as more episodes pass logan’s whole ‘i love you but you’re not serious people’ becomes more and more accurate LOL. kendall and roman felt personally betrayed by shiv so they (particularly kendall) decide to elect the fascist in spite of her even tho kendall knows it’ll fuck up his relationship with his kids … the poison does in fact drip through !!

Honestly, it's one of my favourite lines in the series because of how it proves to be true more and more with each episode and how each of the siblings indicate this in different ways.

Like you mentioned, Kendall deciding to elect a fascist and actively contributing to making the country a less safe place for his daughter because Shiv did to him what he was planning to do with Frank.

Shiv caring about "the republic" up to a certain point i.e. she could've at least tried to call Nate and explained the situation if she really felt that strongly about Menken (even if he said no, she could've tried) and choosing not to because ultimately she wanted the Gojo deal to go through and then refusing to learn her lesson with Tom when it came to Greg, which is that you can't only bully people and expect loyalty (even Logan understood the importance of negotiating with Greg) and that, combined with keeping all of her options open, blew up in her face.

Roman feeling slighted as a child combined with his current spiral after Logan's death and Gerri severing ties with him combined with him not viewing people outside of his family, outside of his billionaire bubble as real, pushing for a fascist without really thinking or caring about the long term consequences.

Connor, who is a joke but only because he doesn't have power, and the second he has some airtime and an actual platform that will reach thousands of people, he is as terrifying as Menken.

What I like about Succession is that the characters are consistently themselves even in the episodes that sort of highlight their humanity, they're still terrible people and then an episode like this comes along and lays that all bare again.

[slasherhaven]

Hello! I adore your blog so much! Just a quick question, are you planning on doing part2 of 'Disruptive', Thomas x reader hc? Maybe reader finds out what happend to Ian and Cecilia (those were the names, right?)

Thomas Hewitt X Reader

Part 1 HERE

Disruptive Part 2:

Luda May had tried to shield you from the fate of your friends but you knew what was happening as soon as you heard Hoyt's gun go off. She held you as you cried, both from the feelings of betrayal and from the violence taking place outside.

She had continued to comfort you during the days following their deaths, shushing you and reassuring you. She had tried to get Thomas to see you, to take her role in comforting you, but he had refused each time. He was sure that you wouldn't ever want to look at him again, never mind be comforted by him. So, he took to avoiding you, assuming Luda May would bring you more comfort than anything else could.

Everything had happened so fast but you had managed to wrap your head around the main points and come to terms with them. Ian and Cecilia were dead, the family that you were now living with had killed them.

It was scary at first but the family never seemed to wish you any harm, Luda May always assured you of that. Even Hoyt refrained from threatening you or scaring you, apparently he hadn't been fond of your friends but had no real problem with you since you had been the polite one. Still, neither he or Monty went out of their way to make you feel particularly welcome.

In the end, you couldn't say you mourned your ex-boyfriend and ex-best friend all that much, considering the betrayal they had committed. More than anything, you had been afraid about what your time in the house would mean for you. But...it had never meant you any harm, and you believed they would continue to welcome you in their home.

Luda May had apologised for your loss, apologised for what the family did but assured you that you were safe here. She had also asked you not to blame Tommy.

Some time passed and the family trusted you to move freely around the residence. You were still polite and undeservingly kind to the family, helping with chores and assimilating with the family relatively easily. You were a welcomed addition in everyone's eyes.

Still, Thomas was avoiding you and you had become highly aware of it. Now that everything had calmed down, you could notice the lack of the large man in every room you walked into. At first you thought it was a coincidence, now you were certain he was avoiding you on purpose.

Despite wishing that Thomas wouldn't keep avoiding you, you hadn't had much chance to confront him about it. At least, until today.

The house was pretty quiet and you were in the kitchen, having just finished some chores when you glanced out of the window. From your position at the window, you could see Thomas outside by the collection of cars. Hoyt must have asked him to strip down the newest car, the car you had arrived in.

You smiled to yourself, determined to take the chance to speak with him. Grabbing a chilled glass from the tray, you hurried outside and skipped down the steps.

It reminded you of a graveyard, cars in various states of distress lined up in the field. Some stripped down to their frames, others barely touched but parts rusting away.

"Thomas" you spoke as you approached him, getting his attention since his back was to you. You bit back a small laugh when he jumped and turned to face you, clearly surprised by your presence.

"It's hot, I thought you would like a drink" you offered as you held out the glass of freshly made iced lemonade.

He looked a little suspicious of your offer at first but his face soon softened before he took the glass from you.

He tensed some more when he realised what he had been doing as you approached. He glanced back at the before, looking nervously at you before hanging his head.

Even though he didn't say anything, it was like you could read his mind. He was worried that you would be upset about him stripping your car for parts.

"Don't worry. It was Ian's car, you can do whatever you want with it" you assured him with a small shrug, lazily kicking the flat tyre as if to further your point.

Thomas nodded, relaxing slightly, before drinking from the glass that you had so generously provided him.

You rocked back and forth on your feet for a moment as it fell silence, feeling a little awkward and sensing the tension in the air.

"Have you been avoiding me?" you finally asked, deciding there was no point dancing around the subject.

Thomas just shifted his weight, unsure of how to answer. He could be honest and say 'yes', but he knew that would sound rude, and surely you wanted him to avoid you. Or he could lie and say 'no', but he didn't want to lie to you and he knew you already knew the truth.

"It's alright if you have, I get it" you reassured him, not wanting him to feel guilty for it. "Just stop, okay?...I'm not mad at you and...and I miss you" you confessed, noticing how his eyes widened slightly at your words.

How could you miss him? You had only known him for a day before he started avoiding you. He supposed the only real company you had now was Luda May, so maybe...that was why you 'missed' him. He couldn't wrap his head around you having forgiven him and wanting to have him around.

"I have to get back before Luda May finds me gone but stop avoiding me, okay?" you spoke again when he didn't really respond.

This time, Thomas nodded, making you smile before running back towards the house. Thomas smiled to himself as he watched you run back into the house, hoping that you really had meant it and he wouldn't have to avoid you any more.

Thomas was true to his word and stopped avoiding you. Conversations should have been a little awkward but you found any silences comfortable and you kept the conversation flowing. He didn't talk, you had learnt that for sure now, but he listened intently and always responded in what ways he could.

Now, you spent more time with him that any other Hewitt. Now, he did the opposite of avoiding you. He was always around, seeking you out just for your friendly company.

You were thankful for those developments but a new concern was worming its way into your mind. Even when he wasn't around, you were thinking about him, you couldn't wait until you saw him again. Whenever he was around, you would smile, practically giddy to be around him again.

Could you be developing feelings for Thomas?

From the first day you met him, defending him behind the gas station, you had thought he was sweet. You had also found him attractive, tall with broad shoulders and strong arms. God, you wondered what those arms would feel like wrapped around you.

You could never make out all of his facial features because of his mask but you could see his eyes. Oh, how you adored his eyes. They were expressive and beautiful. You wanted to tell him that whenever you could see him doubting himself.

You wondered if he would ever take his mask off around you, if he would ever let you see his face. You had heard from Luda May that he had some sort of skin condition and that was what he was hiding, but you didn't care. You just wanted to see him...maybe he would even let you k-

"I'm so glad you and Thomas are talking again" Luda May's voice brought you out of your thoughts, reminding you of where you were. You were in the kitchen, helping cook supper, but had completely zoned out with thoughts of Thomas.

"He's a good boy and he likes you, he's just a little shy" she smiled to herself. She obviously loved Thomas and it did make you smile, it was sweet.

You sighed and you collected yourself, practically deflating as you pushed away the thoughts about Thomas. Yes, you could be honest with yourself, you had developed a crush on Thomas but it surely didn't matter. You doubted he returned your feelings, even despite how highly Luda May claimed he thought of you.

"It's alright, he was just worried about everything that happened..." you cleared your throat, hoping she hadn't seen the change in expression on your face. You didn't feel like being questioned about it right now. "Do you want me to come to the gas station with you tomorrow?" you asked, changing the subject. You didn't like the idea of her walking down there on her own.

"No, that's alright, dear. Hoyt is going to drive me up" Luda May assured you and you nodded. "I'll ask Tommy to help you out with some chores tomorrow, I'm sure he won't mind helping" she offered.

"Oh, I'm sure I can handle it" you shook your head, able to handle some clean up on your own.

"Trust me, dear, Tommy will be happy to help" she insisted, giving you a knowing look.

You were sure she knew something you didn't, but you couldn't question her about it because Thomas had walked into the room, making you both look back at him.

"Hey Tommy, we're almost done with supper" you told him with a smile.

"Would you help Y/n clean up after breakfast tomorrow?" Luda May asked and Thomas nodded without hesitation.

"Thank you, Tommy" you smiled at him. You tried to hide it but Luda caught the light blush on your cheeks as you turned back to the task at hand.

The next morning, Thomas kept his promise. Hoyt was taking Luda May to the gas station, Monty was passed out in front of the television, and Thomas had come to help you clean up in the kitchen. Well, he was supposed to be helping but he was basically doing it all, not letting you help when you tried.

He had been working in a comfortable silence for a while, as your mind ran while. You watched him work, watching the muscles of his back moving under his shirt, smiling at him whenever he glanced over his shoulder at you.

Sometimes you thought he might return some of your feelings but then your newfound insecurities would show their ugly faces. You used to be so confident in yourself, able to take rejection with understanding, it wouldn't shake you. But now you doubted yourself, now you couldn't stand the idea of Thomas not thinking you were enough.

You sat on the kitchen table, where Thomas had placed you and silently ordered you to stay making you laugh, and anxiously picked at the wood with your nails.

"Thomas?" you finally spoke, making him look at you. "Do I talk too much?" you asked. Ian had believed you were too much, too chatty at times, too eager, just too much and yet not enough all at the same time.

Thomas instantly shook his head. He honestly liked how much you talked, that you even wanted to talk to him in the first place. Your face would light up as you rambled about something that had happened that day, and it made his chest feel warm. He couldn't help it but smile whenever you talked so happily, even about the most mundane things.

You almost smiled but not quite. He seemed to be being honest, you didn't talk too much. He didn't think like Ian had...but that didn't help much.

"...do you think I'm attractive?" you asked quietly after a short moment of silence. You never thought you were the most attractive person in the world but you had been comfortable in your own skin, at least until you found out your boyfriend had been fucking your best friend for months. There had to be a reason for Ian to betray you like that, you must have done something wrong.

Thomas paused at your question, his eyes widening.

Surely this was a trick question, how was he supposed to answer that? Of course he did! Of course he thought you were attractive, but would you think it was weird if he said that?

Thomas had thought you were attractive from the first moment he saw you. He thought you were the kindest and bravest person he had met since you took that punch for him, and still smiled up at him like he was worth it. Ever since your first encounter with each other, he was smitten with you. And those feelings had only grown as he spent more time with you. He absolutely adored you. God, he wished he could tell you all of that...

You took his silence as a negative response. He didn't answer because he didn't want to hurt you...

"Sorry, you don't have to answer that..." you hung your head, looking down at your lap. You shouldn't have put him in that position, you shouldn't have asked.

Thomas panicked a little, the last thing he wanted to do was make you feel bad. He just hadn't wanted to make you uncomfortable. He took a breath, trying to build up his confidence, before walking over to you.

You looked down at where your hand lay on the table when you felt Thomas' much larger one rest over yours. You teared your gaze away and looked up at him. He just nodded once you were finally looking at him again.

"Thanks, Tommy" you smiled. "I think you're attractive too" you confessed.

He pulled his hand away then, looking down at his feet. You were just being kind, saying what you were meant to say, or just straight up making fun of him.

"Hey" you frowned, quickly catching his hands in both of yours. "I mean it" you promised him as he met your gaze again, still looking unsure. "You doubt yourself too much, think too lowly of yourself" he tensed when you released on of his hands, bringing your hand up to his mask. "I don't know exactly why you wear this but I promise, whenever you feel like you can take it off around me, I will still think you're attractive" you promised, tugging on his hand to pull him closer.

Thomas let you pull him closer, swallowing the lump in his throat as he came to stand between your legs, hand still in yours. He had to do something, he had to savour the moment. Could you really be being honest with him?

He lifted his free hand and gently tucked a strand of hair behind your ear, making you smile softly up at him. He still didn't talk but you knew what he was saying. You too. You shouldn't doubt yourself, you were everything he could ever want, and he did want you.

Since you didn't pull away, Thomas' confidence began to grow. The hand he had hovering around your face gently cupped your cheek and he swore his heart skipped a beat when you nuzzled your face into his large palm.

Thomas wasn't Ian. Thomas clearly cared deeply about you, he wouldn't betray you, he wouldn't hurt you like Ian had.

You placed your hand over the only he held against your cheek, turning your head to press a kiss to his palm. Thomas just looked at you in complete awe.

It made him think back to the man you had arrived with, your boyfriend, Ian. How could Ian ever betray you like he did. Thomas had met your friend, Cecilia, and sure she was pretty but nothing when compared to you. And she wasn't even half as kind. Thomas would never hurt you like that, he couldn't even fathom it.

Here you were, tenderly kissing his palm and looking at him...lovingly, if he didn't know any better.

The sound of the front door slamming closed made you both jump, Thomas' hand falling from your face and landing instinctively on you thigh as you both turned towards the door of the kitchen.

"What the fu-" Hoyt began but cut himself off with a sigh and a shake of his head. "Y'know what, I don't wanna know. Just not in the fucking kitchen" he snarled before grabbing a beer from the fridge and leaving the room.

Both you and Thomas blushed at the implications of what Hoyt had thought you'd been doing, Thomas stepping away from you with an almost apologetic look.

"It's alright, Tommy" you smiled as you hopped down from the table. "Let finish up cleaning, okay?" you asked and he just nodded, assuming you were about to just ignore whatever the moment was that you both shared.

You smiled up at him again, taking your hand in his and lacing your fingers through his, before guiding him back across the kitchen.

[weekend-whip]

My brain has been starved of aftershock, finalfrontier, another ship content as of late. Give me your brain rot.

Welp, since it's the last day of May (here), and tomorrow begins Pride, I'll tell you that I've been filter feeding on an Aftershock mermaid au :V

Jesse is one-fourth mermaid—his mom is a half-mermaid, and his father is full human. He's still trying to figure out what scenario led them to get together, but he's not ever gonna ask.

Non-full mermaids can switch between having a tail or not by the "get wet get fins/get dry get legs" rule. Touching water will initiate a transformation; the speed of the transformation differs by individual/situation.

Jesse prefers to be on land, but mainly stays in the ocean due to his sister—an attack by fishermen caused her great injury, to the point that it's easier for her to remain as a mermaid than a human, so Jesse sticks around to keep her safe and protected and all that jazz.

He's also something of a siren, and loves to sing—not to lure anyone to their doom, just that he likes the sound of his own voice. However, he always makes sure he's absolutely alone when he does sing, because...well, he can't have some unsuspecting human catch wind of his irresistible notes. Bad times all around.

...this doesn't stop local ocean artist/musician Cole from overhearing Jesse one day, leading to him to constantly coming back to the beach to sketch Jesse singing on his little rock in the sun. Cole wants to talk to the mermaid, but like, you can't just talk to a mermaid.

Time passes and on a foggy morning, Jesse sings while a ship he can't see is passing by, with Miranda swimming not too far away. The ship turns out to be a fishing boat, and after hearing Jesse sing, manages to snare Miranda and Jesse in their net. Cole, just chilling on the beach when he suddenly can't hear Jesse anymore, realizes something's wrong and heads out to investigate.

He manages to free both mermaids without incident (haven't decided if there's a confrontation or it's a stealth mission) but either way Jesse goes feral over protecting Mira until Cole demonstrates he means no harm by freeing her from the net, followed by freeing Jesse too. Miranda reveals that they can at least understand one another and Jesse drags her away.

Couple days later, Jesse brings up some treasures and flowers from the ocean to thank Cole for the rescue with, and they finally start to talk and whatnot. Jesse reveals that he can turn human, and Cole...does not react as surprised as Jesse expected, but he's also okay with it (guess he's just that chill), so it's all good.

After that they have a bunch of "dates", with Cole showing Jesse some of the stuff he's missing on land, and Jesse telling Cole about oceanlife + making him some awesome seafood meals...however, Cole refuses to swim with Jesse. Jesse can't figure out why.

So yeah they get closer and Cole reveals that he first became aware of Jesse when he heard him sing, which freaks Jesse out because he think he's "hypnotized" Cole into loving him and proceeds to try and get away from him.

They meet again later, with Jesse explaining what he thinks must have happened...and Cole insisting that it can't be true. Jesse protests this until Cole grabs Jesse and jumps off the pier with him in his arms, plunging them both into the water.

...turns out Cole's been half-mermaid the whole time too, which is why he found none of this bizarre + how he handled the fishermen so easily + why he was always at the ocean to begin with yet never wanted to swim + he was immune to Jesse's song in the first place, confirming that he really did fall in love with Jesse for Jesse

Cole then dumps his whole lore about his mermaid mom being killed by poachers and how his dad tried to use his mermaid-ness to get into show business, driving Cole away from both his dad and the ocean. There's a whole thing here but I'm keeping it to myself in case I do write this one day ahahaaaa

But anyway, they're all happy that they can be together with no issue and they swim around and kiss and then maybe there's a sequel hook with Cole readjusting back to the ocean or something.

......haven't really thought about anyone else for obvious reasons lmao but I have very strongly decided that Jay is a blue octopus with yellow rings, and Jamie is a yellow octopus with blue rings. People get them mixed up and proceed to regret it.

Olivia, of course, is a shark. Haven't decided which Shark. Bridget is her annoyed narwhal sidekick.

Kai and Nya are also half-mer; Kai has a shark tail, Nya a dolphin tail. Have not decided what their situation would be; I just don't want go with the obvious routes :P

Zane, in a twist of irony, is a full human. He's Cole's confidant for Cole's life on land, and believes in Cole's "mermaid tales" because he's met one himself (Pixal).

idk what Lloyd's doing but he's probably some wildly poisonous form of half-fish. Even if he can transform there's always something creature-y about him snksnksnk