#i say this with such affection for both ships

[wonluhver]

S.Coups Focus

M = Content Warnings for Smut

! = Personal All Time Favs.

! The Great War [M] - historical! au | enemies to lovers! au | smut, fluff, oneshot.

there was only one thing you hated more than your restricted life, and that was choi seungcheol—the greatest venetian general who has ever lived. when a marriage is arranged between the two of you, you were sure it would end in bloodshed. however, as you and seungcheol are forced to attend balls and share a few hard truths, you realise you have more in common with the mysterious general than you thought.

Please [M] - Alpha!Seungcheol x Omega! f.reader, Smut, A bit of Fluff, the barest hint of angst, oneshot.

A heatwave in your city makes dealing with your hormones more difficult than usual. Getting locked in a lobby at work for an hour with an alpha makes it ten times worse. Thankfully, Seungcheol is there to help you - and maybe a little more. 

Amortentia - fluff, angst, one-sided love, oneshot (series for other members)

Being head-over-heels for the Gryffindor captain is harder than it seems, especially when everyone knows about your little crush on Seungcheol and he takes it lightly. Until when you’re partnered up and forced to be in each other’s lives on a daily basis, that’s when things take a bit of a turn

! You Think You Might [M] - Seungcheol x fem!reader angst smut fluff fake dating!au, kind of sort of exes to lovers? Fake exes to lovers? I guess? completed series.

Seungcheol agrees to be your fake boyfriend at your sister’s destination wedding, under the condition that it “stays there”. You didn’t expect it to hurt when he holds you to that promise.

! The Hidden One [M] - pirate!choi seungcheol x assassin!fem!reader, smut, fluff, humor, some action, historical au, assassin's creed: black flag au (although you don't need to know the lore to read this), pirate au, royal au, strangers to lovers au, oneshot.

choi seungcheol is supposed to be dead. following a tropical storm, the notorious pirate loses both his ship, the golden corsair, and a majority of his crew to the cruel tides. now stranded in sevilla, spain, seungcheol and his three remaining sailors must find a way back to england; however, an unexpected altercation ends up tying their fate to you, an assassin who wants nothing to do with the four of them. despite your reluctance, he must work alongside you in exchange for a way back home. of course, complications arise once his heart decides to have a say in the matter, and, somewhere along the way, seungcheol realizes this mission is bigger than himself.

Up in Flames [M] - seungcheol x f.reader, smut, action, slow burn, firefighter au, author au, damsel in distress au, ‘let me help you’ wildland firefighter!cheol x ‘i can do it myself’ miss independent yet clumsy!reader, completed (i think) series.

When your sister calls with an emergency, you drop everything to house-sit while she’s out of town. What she forgets to mention is that her fiancé’s friend, a handsome stranger who might have saved your life earlier, is already expecting to stay there too. Awkwardly sharing the space, you manage to get through two weeks with Seungcheol—only to unexpectedly cross paths again when he saves you from another dangerous situation outside your therapist’s office.

Seungcheol, a wildland firefighter, is back in the city taking his leave and debating whether to join Station 17 or return home. While sorting out his own issues, he keeps finding himself in situations where he has to save you—the fiery, stubborn little sister of his best friend’s fiancée who has a terrible habit of calling him the most obnoxious nicknames ever. Despite your resistance to being rescued (and his denial of how much you affect him), the sparks between you two continue to ignite. As you grow closer, it’s only a matter of time before everything goes up in flames.

! Camp Seventeen [M] - Afab!reader x ot13 (Focused on Reader x Seungcheol), Greek Demigod AU! crack, smut, fluff , angst, hurt, comfort, uncompleted series.

It's been a week since you stepped foot in Camp Seventeen - as you navigated the days trying to wrap your head around the 13 boys, one's touch and another's voice start to become a bit too bothersome....

! Too Many Beds [M] - Choi Seungcheol x afab! Reader, Rivals to lovers? Frenemies to lovers? Lovers to lovers? Idk man, these two are idiots, that's all. Oh and smut. oneshot.

Choi Seungcheol may be your parent's best friend's son, your next door neighbour for 20 odd years and the one face you saw every damn time, every damn where but that didn't mean the two of you wanted anything to do with each other. But a business trip - one room, three nights, and seven beds - might just be what it takes to change it all....

! Challenge Me [M] - College!Au, porn with plot(s), crack, OT13 x afab!Reader (Scoups/Mingyu focused). Unfinished series.

you have never been a person who turns down a challenge, but when your best friend challenges you to hook up with 13 boys in one semester you kind of wish you were.

Only the Dead Get Standing Ovations - Crime Thriller | Romance | Psychological Mystery, Enemies to Lovers | Forced Partners | Protective Male Lead | Mutual Pining | Slow Burn. Oneshot.

When a killer obsessed with theatrical “roles” starts leaving bodies across Seoul, two rival detectives—Reader and Seungcheol—are forced to reunite. He’s cold, calculating. She’s headstrong and haunted. Together, they decode cryptic notes, wooden masks, and staged corpses. But as the killer targets her, the case turns intimate. And for Seungcheol, losing her was never an option—even if it means becoming the bait.

Still reading through a lot of scoups fics on my tbr !! but as soon as i make it through them i will add a part 2.. apologises for a smaller rec list than my hoshi one !!!!! :,( i will make up for it soon.

other recs

[sdmnpact]

Secret's out.

George Clarke x Reader, angst, fluff

[] You and George planned on hiding your relationship for as long as possible. One drunken video later and your secret is out.

[]tw: drinking, drunk reader

~~~

The night was cool and crisp. The fresh air felt amazing on your hot, flushed face. Your arms linked with Becky as you walked down the streets of London behind the group of wild boys, one of which your boyfriend, George.

You were out on the streets of London because you agreed to participate in one of Chris' drinking videos. You've visited five pubs already and your team has had six penalties which were mostly caused by you, resulting in them forcing you to take most of the penalty shots. Now it was suppose to be boys versus girls but there weren't enough girls so it's you, Becky, Arthur Hill, and Will- the honary girls versus Chris, George, Arthur tv, and Bach.

You were definitely feeling the effects of seven alcoholic beverages and you were struggling to keep focus. Becky grabbed your arm for support but she wasn't in the best condition herself, beginning to disassociate the more bevs she had. You would cling onto your boyfriend, but you two were a secret. You didn't want to be known as George's girlfriend, disrupt his whole rise to fame, or make your own fame come from dating him so you both agreed it would be best to keep your relationship hidden from the public.

You liked it at first, the thrill of being a secret making the relationship more interesting but as time went by you found it more difficult to spend time together. With George constantly streaming nowadays and his trips to other countries, you were struggling to find some alone time. This night, only pushing you two further apart since all cameras were on you.

It was usually pretty easy to hide your relationship except for George who was the clingy one, always grabbing onto you, or giving you his whole attention at times, leading to fans speculating or shipping you together.

Once you realized how that would look, you began acting like you didn't like it, quickly making fans change their minds. You never showed any type of skinship or affection towards him making it harder to make the relationship work over time. You felt distant, like you weren't in a relationship at all.

You never let yourself slip but tonight, you felt yourself losing control. The next pub completely ruined you. You had to down your Guinness while standing on one leg and if you failed, it was a shot for your team. Luckily you chugged the drink with ease, the balancing made it tricky but you got through it. The drink hitting you like a truck a few minutes later.

You knew you were no longer in control of your actions at this point. You looked over to see George's hazy eyes on you, he looked irresistible. You stumbled your way over to him, sitting beside him, pushing passed Bach who gave you a concerned look. Everyone knew you were a secret and tried to help you hide it. Bach grabbed your arm but you gave him a look telling him it was okay.

"Hey, are you okay?" George asked with a calm tone. "Yes, I just missed you." You said bringing yourself closer to him, nuzzling into his shoulder. You took a huge whiff of that cologne of his you found so intoxicating. The warmth of his body bringing you a sense of security. "There's cameras." He murmered in a deep, tired voice. "I dont care." You picked your head up, looking him in the eyes.

"I don't care if the world knows! I love you and I'm tired of hiding it!" You exclaimed, quite loudly causing the others to turn their heads towards you. "This is my man and I love him!" You almost shouted, pointing at him, standing up but being immediately pulled back down by George. "Babe, you're drunk. You don't know what you're saying." He said softly, grabbing your hand rubbing circles into the top of it.

"I'm tired, I just want to love you freely." You said quickly cupping his cheeks and placing a soft kiss on his lips. You pulled back to see a red tint on his face. He was never a fan of pda and never had to face it since you were a secret but now it doesn't matter, he would have to get used to it.

"Are you sure about this?"

"Yes."

---

The next morning you woke up in George's bed. You don't remember much of the previous night but you know you drank a lot. You sat up, stretching and looked around his room, George nowhere to be seen. You also didn't see your phone anywhere. You quickly began looking for it, afraid that you lost it in one of the pubs. You walked out of George's room into the living area.

You saw George standing in the kitchen cooking food. Your stomach grumbled at the smell of whatever he was making. "Have you seen my phone?" You asked startling him slightly. He walked over to you, wrapping his hands around your waist and placing a light kiss on your temple. "Did you sleep well?" He asked softly, his blue eyes looking into yours lovingly. You swooned at this, you love sleeping over at his flat and waking up to his beautiful face in the morning.

"Not really, but better now, knowing you were next to me." You smiled, a huge grin plastered on his face. "You dont remember last night do you?" He asked pulling away from you, going back towards the kitchen. "No." You replied walking over and sitting near him at the counter, grabbing some strawberries off a small plate he set out.

"Well, you smashed your phone by accident." He took a pause. "After filming the rest of the night." Worry evident in his voice. You furrowed your brows confused. You like to post on instagram and snapchat occasionally so it wouldn't be something to be concerned about.

"You told everyone we're dating." Your heart dropped. Panic evident on your face as George quickly walked over and wrapped his arms around you again, pulling you into his chest. The soft sound of his heart beat comforting you. "I told everyone?" You asked barely above a whisper.

"You announced it to the pub, and recorded videos of us explaining our relationship." He said quietly trying to keep you calm. "Im so sorry George." You felt horrible about exposing both of you like that. "I didn't mean to. I don't know what-"

"Breathe." He inyerrupted, rubbing your back slowly with the palm of his hand. "It's okay. I've been wanting this since- well since we started dating. I never wanted to hide our relationship but I know how much that meant to you. Whatever happens now, just know, it's gonna be okay." He reassured pulling you into a tighter embrace. You sniffled, not realizing you had tears running down your face.

"I just don't want it to affect you." You looked up at him, his face softening at your state. "It won't. Even if it does. It doesn't matter. I love you and you're first before anything." You didn't know how you pulled such a sweet guy. You were now bawling at not only the situation but the way he was always so gentle with you. "I love you too." You replied softly, wrapping your arms around him, laying your head on his chest again.

"Everything will be okay."

~~~

Taglist ♡ @pretendyoucantseeme @tyna-19, @whisperturnedecho @sundarksposts @wherethezoes-at, @suspicious-stain-in-spain, @madsclarkey @xlovergirlx @daliah-xxo @needf0rspeed

[perseephoneee]

┈ ⟡ crash out [a frank langdon fic]

˖ 𐦍 CHAPTER 1: SOMEONE SAYS 'I DO'

↳ fic masterlist  ↳ ship exchange information ↳ taglist

After returning from rehab and looking to earn forgiveness for his mistakes, Frank makes his way back to the Pitt Trauma Medical Center, where he discovers he's been given a supervisor to oversee his progress.

a/n: finally returning to this after crashing out for the past three weeks. can you even crash out for three weeks? it doesn't matter...i did it anyway

beta'd by the beautiful @eurydiceauxenfers <3

“I’ll bet you $10 this isn’t going to work,” you said, watching as Langdon operated. The patient had been injured on a construction site, and you both were arguing over the best way to treat them. While part of you was well aware that he usually had smart ideas for how to handle these situations, you also knew he responded best to competition.

“Then you are going to be $10 short and feeling very stupid,” Langdon laughed, eyes focused on his work. He seemed a lot more joyful than he was a few weeks ago when you first met him. 

“Don’t be a douche.”

“Can’t,” he shrugged. “Because I just succeeded.”

You bit back a smile as he finished off his work, standing back and gesturing to the nurses to bandage the patient up. You left the room, knowing he’d meet you later, as he finished cleaning up. 

You’d had no idea what to expect when Robby asked you to be Frank’s supervisor. You had heard from the rumor mill that he tended to be arrogant, had a hard time not being in control, and was close with Robby. Oh, and the whole stealing drugs thing. But the man you saw on the first day seemed more desperate and sad than anything. Challenging him in his work was the closest you got to seeing that version you were told of before. 

You had also heard him referred to as ER Ken, which gave you a certain idea of what he was supposed to look like. You were not disappointed. 

He’s married, you thought to yourself, looking at the board in central. You heard his footsteps a second later. You could always tell it was him because the steps always seemed hurried, much like a puppy. He wore a grin.

“You owe me $10.”

You raised a brow at him. “How about I just get you a drink from the vending machine and we call it even.”

Langdon pretended to think about it, even though you knew he had already decided. “Deal.”

“Good. We have a sick child in six.”

Langdon pouted. “There’s an amputation in three.”

“I don’t care,” you snorted, watching as his expression fell. You enjoyed that aspect of being his supervisor, getting to make him do whatever case you wanted. He didn’t complain…much. 

He made sure to stay a few paces behind you as you approached the curtain, announcing yourself as you opened it. A little girl, seven years of age, sat on the bed with her knees to her chest and a rabbit in her arms. She was frowning as her parents sat in the chairs next to her. 

“Hi Chloe, I’m Dr. L/N and this is my colleague Dr. Langdon,” you smiled, closing the curtain behind you. “What seems to be the problem?”

“She says her ears won’t stop hurting, and we gave her Tylenol, but it isn’t doing anything.” Her mom twisted her hands, looking anxiously between you and her daughter. You grabbed your otoscope and got closer to Chloe. You hummed as you looked inside both ears. 

“Any other symptoms?” Langdon asked as you examined her ears. 

“She said her head hurt a little bit, but we thought it was just from the strep,” her dad replied. 

“Strep?”

“She just got over strep throat,” the mom replied. You put away the otoscope.

“Her ears are very swollen, but it doesn’t look like the eardrums are affected. Her strep likely didn’t go away and moved to the sinuses, which gave her an infection,” you explained. You felt bad for the little girl. Her ears were so inflamed that you were shocked she wasn’t crying. “Dr. Langdon, what would you prescribe as treatment?”

“Another round of antibiotics, as well as oxycodone as needed for the pain,” Frank smiled, hands in his pockets. You nodded in agreement. 

“That’s it?”

“That’s it,” he replied. 

“Her ears right now are full of pockets of excess liquid. Her hearing might be slightly affected, but it’d only be temporary. At some point, the pockets will burst and drain out naturally. If they don’t go away and she’s still in pain after finishing the antibiotics, you should come back in.”

“Thank you so much,” the mom smiled gleefully, giving her daughter a kiss on the head. You noticed Frank tense up out of the corner of your eye. 

“We’ll write you a prescription now for everything,” you nodded, opening the curtain and stepping out with Frank behind you. He seemed quieter than before. 

“What’s wrong, Langdon?” you asked, bumping his shoulder. He looked down at you, plastering on a smile. 

“Nothing.”

“I don’t believe that.”

“You never do, cupcake,” he grinned, walking backwards towards the ER entrance. You frowned at the nickname. You don’t remember when he started calling you cupcake, but you didn’t always appreciate it. 

“Where are you going?” you called out, arms crossed.

“STEMI incoming, and I’m going to beat the record.”

“Like hell you are,” you grumbled, following after him. He was like a dog with a bone when he wanted to do something. The STEMI rolled in a moment later. You both ran alongside the gurney as you wheeled it into the emergency OR… 

Langdon did not beat the record (neither did you). But the guy survived, so all in a day’s work. Things managed to calm down a little bit, and you found yourself taking a breather in the break room. You slumped against the wall with a Rice Krispies treat, staring a hole into the opposite wall. The door creaked open, and Frank slumped down next to you.

You sat in companionable silence.

“Wanna see me shotgun this Red Bull?” He asked, holding up the can.

“That sounds like a terrible idea,” you responded. “But yes.”

It went about as poorly as expected. Frank’s scrubs were now covered in the energy drink. But it made you laugh, actually snorting laughing. He was an idiot, one whom you were in charge of.

“Glad my failures entertain you.”

“Always,” 

Frank smiled. You were waiting to see the smile reach his eyes, but you knew progress was slow. You cleared your throat. 

“What happened earlier?”

“Earlier?”

“With the kid. You got kinda…distant.”

Frank looked down at his hands. He played with the wedding band on his finger, twisting it around. You observed the action.

“I just haven’t seen Tanner in a while,” Frank admits. “And it’s hard.”

“You haven’t?” He wore his friendship bracelet everywhere. Frank wore Tanner’s friendship bracelet everywhere, you’d noticed. You knew he had to be the light of his life. “How—?”

“Abby left me,” Frank shrugged. You felt your heart drop. “After the…she was mad at me. For lying. For everything.” Langdon ran a hand through his hair. “I haven’t seen him since. Courts are still figuring out custody.” He takes his ring off, holding it up in front of you both. “And I didn’t want people to know.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be, I’m fine,” Frank forced a smile, in a way a totally not fine person would. 

What do you do in this situation? Sit and empathize, you guess. You’ve prided yourself on being good at comforting, but you didn’t always know what to say. 

“Do you mind not telling anyone?” Frank murmured. God, he looked like a wounded puppy with those eyes. 

“Of course I won’t.” You paused for a second. “Would working on the amputee make you feel better?”

“Yes.”

~ * ~

You’re not sure why you did it. Following your co-worker home was never a good idea. Following the mystery that was Frank Langdon was a worse idea. But you couldn’t get that look of his out of your mind, nor the way he held his ring like he wasn’t sure if he should toss it or cherish it. And frankly, you were nosy. 

You follow a little bit behind him as he walks. Luck had it that he didn’t drive to work (your snooping would’ve ended then), but that didn’t leave many options in the closest area. He didn’t ride the bus either. He walked for several blocks, and there were a few close calls where you would roll into the bushes very sleek and cool like a movie spy. You were kidding yourself; you fell into the bushes like a flying squirrel. 

Thoughts of squirrel-like tendencies left your mind as you watched him enter the three-star hotel near the hospital. 

Well, shit.

[sylvieserene]

cannot be the only one who hates when people ship the fairy costume x shadow milk cookie. Like ship whoever you want, but the costume is made specifically for Purelily shippers. I don’t wanna be that person, but it’s like they’re asking for hate ☹️

I personally dislike it but because of a few things that ultimately traces back to the hypocritical nature of this fandom.

I think most folks know that this costume is probably the MOST hated set in the game and if you visit twitter, you...just won't like it in there to say the least. From hating to attacking, everything goes for that set.

It is hated by both ShadowVanilla + Elderlily shippers (ofc) cuz:

"It should've been EF!! THEY WERE ROBBED"

"If not EF then SM plz."

"PV is ugly. Get him out."

"Ew he's molesting WL."

"WL is the one carrying this set. It should've been just her."

"This costume set was a mistake."

"I hate this."

The list goes on.

Most folks do keep mentioning the fact that WL slayed etc which she did, the costume is really pretty and on surface level? Everything seems alright but if you dig a lil deeper on the said users, you'll find NO history of them even caring, let alone talking about her outside Elderlily or in a lot cases, at all.

The same people who hate PV just being there, the "ugliness" (yes, the word ugly is being heavily used when it comes down to him) that comes down with him and how he should not have been there in the first place are the same folks who rejoice when PV is drawn in that same "ugly-ass" costume with SM.

Same folks like, reblog and comment like it's the second coming of Jesus and treat it as some holy event lol

This hypocritical behaviour is vast and funny at the same time lol

What I find the most funny is, this costume came from an explicitly Purelily content, but suddenly none of it is good cuz it's about PV and WL and it should've been just her but at the same time, they'll drag PV's costume with them to ship with SM.

Now some ppl will say that "HEY THATS CUZ WL SHOULD SHINE ON HER OWN NOT WITH JUST A GUY."

But is it REALLY about just that?

Because if it is so, why does this costume set gain the hate? Why should it have been Elder Faerie?

Why do all these folks feel the need to keep mentioning how WL looks amazing but PV has to go but then at the same time, treat that very costume as the most beautiful thing ever when it's SM?

So is it REALLY about just the costume or WL or is it about a misogynistic view on WL and the urge to fit shipping agendas?

Because I'm willing to bet if it was EF, the costume set wouldn't faced any heat. Suddenly it being an AU scenario wouldn't have mattered and it would've been the ultimate "proof" that Elderlily is canon but since it's Purelily, it sucks.

Like someone who borrows your work but never credits you.

It’s just like someone copying your art project, using the parts they like, and then trashing your name when people ask where it came from.

Cuz that's exactly whats happening here.

The said-fans consistently hate this set cuz it's "ugly" but at the same time, when taken seperate, they suddenly love everything about it.

The same folks who felt it's "terrible" just a few moments back when tagged with WL and felt the overwhelming urge to keep writing how she slayed every other comment.

It's like that one meme where when a fan tears down a character all the time but, the moment they're called out, they say "But I like her too! I reblogged fanart once!" as if that magically excuses all the other behavior.

So the question is,

Do they even mean it?

Or they're saying so to not come off as misogynistic?

I personally feel it's the latter because they never talk about WL meaningfully beyond that. If you check, almost all their history is filled with ShadowVanilla and Elderlily content which isn't wrong but the way they show their concern as if it's affecting WL's very autonomy (when it's literally not) and how they're concerned about it is incredibly hypocritical.

Because these same ppl also have expressed posts and comments with thousands of likes and reblogs on how WL should've married EF and stayed in the Faerie kingdom forever.

Heck they even say that EF and WL got married in this AU set WHEN THERE'S NO EVIDENCE FOR THAT :D

Ultimately, I just really hate that folks who hate Purelily and this costume set so blatantly, get their attitudes changed in a sec when the narrative is changed to their agendas and would attack you aggressively if you say anything against that cultivated narrative but wouldn't hesitate in doing so to the Purelily community. Heck, they won't even THANK the ship for the beautiful set they love interacting and using for themselves let alone even talk about it outside of criticising it.

It's almost as if the word "Purelily" burns them if they say it.

They certainly would hate on it, not acknowledge its positives but def rip off from its positives.

So yeah, I personally hate this particular behaviour regarding the set.

Not to mention the mischaracterisation that accompanies it all.

Viridescent PV is labelled as just a simp and all his other personality traits are completely erased. Like even under the potion, he simply just proposed to WL, nothing beyond that. He didn't "simp", he simply proposed to the woman both of his dreams and love (literally and metaphorically) to be his wife, a person who through tears had to say that they can't be together forever cuz duty and reminds him of his as well which he accepts and starts wondering how he'll get over her in the morning.

Even under the potion, Viridescent PV def had his nuances and even a personality of that of a benevolent responsible king who just was in love with another who can't be his forever as well.

That's exactly the reason it's a tragic comedy because the situation is not only ironic but also happened due to what's a potion (which may or may not have been the reason PV is acting this way cuz it's the faeries who assume so, we have no idea if it's true cuz unreliable narrator)

But nope in CRK fandom, it's nothing but just a simp costume and reserved for simping. If it's with WL then bad but with SM? Very good!

So yeah, this is basically my thoughts on it.

TLDR, I don't mind if someone uses his costume for shipping it with SM, Idt its waiting to be hated on either but I really, REALLY hate it when they act like it's the worst thing ever when it's with WL when they don't even care about her outside shipping and are hating SOLELY because she's there with PV while also being self-aware that this may come off as misogynistic so actively doing damage control as well.

If you’re gonna use the aesthetics or symbols from a ship you don’t like, at least stop pretending that ship is trash. Don't profit off it and then spit on it.

It's really garbage behaviour.

[reggie-hedgie]

(SOME) TF2 Headcanons!

TW/CW: implied trauma, mention of burn scars, general tf2 stuff ig? (If I need to add anything, please lmk!)

Characters: Pyro, Sniper

___________________ENJOY!________________

Pyro- 🔥

-Burn victim. They were a fairly functional adult before an accident left them badly burned, scarred both mentally and physically. The way they see things only applies to violence or gore, otherwise stuff is fairly normal. It’s basically a mental block to avoid further mental scarring.

-They’re really bad about cutting their nails, and wore gloves to keep from itching when they were healing after the accident, and it became a comfort thing to wear some kind of gloves or other hand covering.

-They smell like smoke and cherry syrup.

-Engie makes them Shirley temples on hot days because they refuse to drink plain water.

-almost completely indifferent to pronouns. They is preferred, since Spy and Heavy called them “it” and “thing” when they were newer to the team, but they won’t make a fuss either way.

-(heavy and spy have since warmed up to pyro, heavy more quickly. I have a soft spot for Texas toast and French toast also, SO-)

-They like Medic the least, they don’t remember much of recovery, but they remember the pain of bandage changes, and the nurses being involved, but they don’t honestly hate anyone in the team.

-Very physically affectionate. They love platonic handholding and snuggling. If someone is just chilling somewhere, they always snuggle up, wanting company or just some affection.

-They actually get cold pretty easily. Nerve damage, maybe? Another reason they snuggle, they’re cold. They like heated blankets.

-They aren’t fond of weighted blankets though. They don’t like feeling trapped under things, even if they technically aren’t trapped.

-Often dehydrated. They hate drinking plain water, and they get hot and sweaty in the suit.

-Could probably beat Scout in a stamina race without their mask, gas masks are hard to breathe in and they wear one all the time. It’s like training at high elevation for a low elevation competition.

-Loves listening to anything anyone has to say.

-Sniper is one of their favorite people to be around, outside of ships. Sniper doesn’t mind them at all, and they enjoy quiet company like he does.

-Actually very helpful. Engie often has them hand him tools when working on a project.

-Engie got them one of those noise machine things for sleeping, but swapped out the sound for rain and thunder instead of just the awful white noise static (sorry white noise enjoyers, I can’t-)

-They can sleep without the rain sounds as long as they have something else to fill the void while they try to sleep. Sleeping in the same room as someone else is always good, the other person’s breathing/snoring is perfect.

-honorary eldritch horror pyro mention, I love that a lot.

-If eldritch pyro could make themselves appear human, they’d pick traits from other mercs. Snipers crooked smile, medics body type, heavy’s loud voice, Scout’s energy, Engie’s empathy, etc

-Loves napping in the sun or under a tree, it’s comfy.

-Happy hand stims. Also uses ASL. Their little happy dance is also a stim.

Sniper- 🦘

—Autistic creature for SURE

-also trans creature. The T wasn’t kind to his face lol

-his mum and dad don’t mind at all, they just don’t approve of sniping lol

-he’s got Disney Princess magic, animals love him, regardless of the animal. Or is that Aussie/New Zealand magic… hmmmm

-big fan of rodents and reptiles especially. Doesn’t mind most insects but some still give him the willies… earwigs… eugh

-So used to being all by himself in a sniper nest, that he doesn’t talk all that much unless he feels like it. He will talk to himself as a way to think and process stuff.

-He loves tart fruit. If pyro doesn’t want a fruit with their breakfast cuz it’s too sour, he’ll eat it. Doesn’t care if pyro already bit it. He’s gross/j

-He loves weighted blankets, but gets too warm so he’s always got his feet out the end of the blanket.

-His joins sound AWFUL. His neck is the worst of it, from hunching over his sniper all day.

-nearly passes away when Engie gives him a shoulder rub cuz he was complaining about a bad shoulder. He’s very prone to getting used to constant pain/general discomfort, so it felt amazing lolol

-Decent about hydrating. Total opposite of pyro, isn’t fond of sugary flavored drinks, plain water or ice tea are always good, even if iced tea would give most UK associated folks a stroke.

-snores and talks in his sleep, although it’s usually just nonsense. Tends to have weird dreams too

-Likes movies but just as background noise, he rarely actively watches them. Will occasionally lurk behind the couch like a creature if he’s interested.

__________________________________________

Too eepy to think of the others, let me know if I should do some of the others- can you tell who’s my favorite lol

[lostsyren]

Sofia/Rafe/Kie…OBX’s Latest Love Triangle?

I think I’ve finally understood why I can’t get behind the Sofia/Rafe/Kie love triangle plot line, or any kinda interaction between the three characters with a shipping dynamic in mind.

The (clearly fabricated) rumours or Rafe and Kie becoming a thing, while Rafe and Sofia are trying to patch things up (?) is just odd. And having both of them be linked to him in a romantic sense gives the impression he is a prize— something to be coveted and fought over. His affection is worth something.

When it is not. (I’m not talking about fanon and policing who you can and can’t ship— do whatever!! Purely talking about the narrative of the show!!)

If anything, his affection is an affliction— it actively hurts the person who he bestows it on. Whether that be Ward, Wheezie, Barry etc.…he’s hurt them all in some capacity. Trying to “save” Ward by killing the Sherriff. Offering Wheezie drugs. Dragging Barry into his bullshit.

And he does the same thing with Sofia tenfold. We see his affection multiplied, thus the affliction Sofia feels is multiplied too. (This point is disputable cuz objectively, the other people in his life have been affected way worse…BUT I think Sofia suffered more in the sense that she was so high off the ground on the fantasy that Rafe fed her, that when it inevitably came crashing down, she fell harder, as she loved him more [don’t wanna hear anything, that girl LOVED that man, she lost all self respect idc!!]).

So, if we’re to suddenly have a plot point where Rafe and Kie go through an arc of growth and healing together, and Rafe becomes a viable option for her as a love interest, then this affection as affliction pattern will be lost. It will be wildly out of character. There should be no world where getting with Rafe Cameron promotes growth and healing, which is what Kie’s arc should be heading towards.

[ And if we consider what their relationship would look like if it was in character…

Firstly, I don’t think Kiara will hold him accountable. What power does she have? She can anger him, she can remind him of his mistakes. She’s fearless and just. But Rafe wouldn’t just bend so easily to her word. (Don’t bring up Singh’s mansion pleaseee, he was only nodding his head and biting his tongue cuz he was about to get killed, his compliance was not because of kie). Secondly, Rafe will probably get violent. Anytime anyone mentions his crimes, he gets defensive. He is not hurting kie because he wants to fuck her in some weird sadistic power play, he’s hurting the thing that’s making the noise…the object that’s announcing the trauma that he hides from. (That’s why the “I’m a killer too” line was so odd…why is he admitting it?? I feel as if him being cognisant of the fact he is a killer should’ve been more profound😭) And thirdly, someone who can’t shut up even if her life depended on it, and someone who will physically subdue a person if they’re saying something he doesn’t like, having a romance seems so stupid…when they can’t even have a conversation. ]

Okay I went off on a tangent. Lemme get back to the point— Sofia and Kiara both liaising with Rafe gives the impression that Rafe is being proffered as a prize.

The ‘who will he choose/who is better for him’ narrative that it will imply, is so odd. And this fandom is already doing that (I’ve probably written some post about this too cuz it literally points you in that direction of thinking).

Like please, get that man away from kiara. If they do bond, it becoming romantic will feel so out of place.

I understand it looks like I have a contradictory perspective, considering I ship him with Sofia. BUT his relationship with Sofia only highlights his character better imo. It clarifies he isn’t villainous all the time, but it also conveys he can’t be with someone unless that person enables him blindly. Them developing Rafe and Sofia’s bond further will be interesting to see, now that the wool has been peeled off both their eyes; Rafe is once again struggling to deal with a betrayal from someone he trusted/loved/cared about, and Sofia being forced to actually assert herself if she wants to be with him and save what they had. It pushes both their characters in a direction where they’ll get developed whilst also retaining their nature.

And Rafe is clearly NOT the prize in this situation. He’s not acting as Sofia’s saviour, or saving grace, he’s not helping her (even if he thinks he is).

I feel as if Rafe and kie shippers lean into this idea of Rafe being the one to aid Kie and help her come to terms with her grief– and that is the catalyst to push them towards each other…but idk that concept is so unappealing and odd to me. Sofia acts as a great romantic foil, where Rafe’s character is augmented…his harshness, his volatility, his cruelty. I just think people find asinine reasons not to like her character because they genuinely view her as an impediment to their ship rather than looking at her character objectively.

And then comes this stance of well there’s other characters that are more important than Sofia who Rafe should have scenes with…and I agree, his relationship with Sarah is indisputably the most salient one and deserves development/closure. But it’s a TV show…you can have more than one storyline… stop pulling reasons out of thin air to get mad at the fact Fiona was spotted on set and her scenes are with Drew.

Conclusion is, yayyyy Sofia/Fiona are getting more scenes, and I’m excited to see what they do with her. But I really hope that it doesn’t involve Kie cuz it will just worsen/obfuscate the development for Kie, Sofia and Rafe.

[redandgreyscale]

hey! i saw you were taking writing requests, so if you're still doing that i would like more ace evan and bipolar barty

(i like a mentally ill character/a-spec person ship? that's gay? this never happens! [sarcasm])

Yes! I like myself a complex dynamic and these two for sure are one so a bit more on them <3

There are a couple indicators Evan has learnt to see to anticipate a manic episode. The first one is Barty becoming more impulsive. He talks a lot more, has no filter and does exactly what he wants to do, says things that don't make a lot of sense. The second one is Barty being more horny than usual (which is a lot to say).

They have their limits, their no crossing lines perfectly marked, but he also knows Barty's brain blurs a lot when he's like this, and he has learnt it will take more denying than it normally would for him to stop kissing or touching.

So now, once he tracks Barty having an episode, he completely avoids kissing. Is it the best option? Maybe not, but it is the one he's most comfortable with.

Barty doesn't like it at all because he just wants a kiss, and they fight, they scream, and then he bolts God knows where until he or Regulus find him doing shit he definitely shouldn't do.

Evan would love to be able to give Barty what he needs, but he's not. He won't. Still, he hates how much it affects their relationship even if they both think it doesn't. Of course it fucking does, Barty is the most sexual person you'll ever meet and Evan can barely tolerate touching his own dick less so his boyfriend's.

Barty always apologizes once he's feeling better. Sometimes they avoid talking about the things gone wrong, sometimes they're able to talk about it, but there are always apologies to be made, and that they do.

[liobi]

Finish the Job, a Mafia AU bad end

okay so for context, I was working on some lotus eater machine stellaron stuff for @thedeerus's Time Is Running Out au which involved Stelle having a dream where there were no super powers and she and Caelus were in college and everything was fine, and Haris jumped off that with an idea that Nanook and Akivili ran a crime syndicate and the stellaron hunters were there to probe some rich kids who probably didn't know what their parents got up to for information to make that organization collapse.

That led to "well, rich kids and arranged fiances, right?" So Dan Heng and Sparkle got in the mix, (then the bullet points for this ending made us so sad that we legitimately started shipping Stelle and Sparkle so there's also a happily after ending titled (Don't) Finish The Job where Sparkle and Stelle do something about their growing feelings for each other and Stelle acknowledges she has two hands and both Kafka and Sparkle are happy to share her)(Dan Heng and Firefly uhhhh sure do. get along extremely well with Caelus in the biblical sense.... absolute bunny shit). I'll probably put all this stuff on AO3 eventually once i clean it up/make it less like the fanfic equivalent of a sketch by my standards, same with Time is Running Out. So yeah Mafia au is an AU of the Time is Running Out au and I hope you enjoy the bad end, without further ado..... Title; Path of Destruction

The socially mandated date nights between the heirs to Nanook’s “art dealing business” and their arranged fiancees were generally uneventful. Dinners at nice restaurants, box seats at sports games or theatrical productions, maybe a red carpet or two, the usual things that rich brats with nothing better to do did with their arranged future marriage partners. These dates were public affairs so business was kept firmly separate unless absolutely necessary. But this time business was intruding on Stelle’s date whether she liked it or not.

One too many phones pointed in their direction, a car that had circled the block twice, rain had begun to fall hard enough that her range of vision had shortened, and most crucially her parentally mandated tail had vanished. 

“What's wrong, grey hair?” Her fiancee looked at her quizzically when she slowed on their run for cover, not having noticed yet. Sparkle was better than Stelle at navigating people, but Stelle was better than Sparkle at navigating situations and this one reeked. So Stelle made a beeline for the nearby alleyway, holding tight to Sparkle’s arm despite her protests, to where a beat up pewter goblet had been placed to collect coins from sympathetic passersby.

“Are you troupe?” Stelle stood over a rambling homeless woman holding a wet cardboard sign that said “repent” as a futile shield against the rain. The woman didn't stop her ramblings but she gave the slightest incline of her head, and that was good enough for Stelle. “We might be fucked, get her out of here.” 

The speed in which the woman showed her goblet, stood, and readied at least six different weapons under her clothes impressed and frightened Stelle. Sparkle was affronted by Stelle’s disregard. “Grey hair if you don't tell me what's going on-”

“Just some stuff me and my guys have to take care of. I'll be back soon.” Stelle interrupted her, turning over Sparkle's arm to the incognito Mourning Actor. Sparkle started to say something else but the sentence was silenced by a kiss that was rough, joyless, exhausted, and tasted like deceit.

It was not the usual kiss of obligation, not the occasional kiss between politically arranged spouses that belied the unspoken seeds of affection between them in their private moments, this was the kiss of farewells. “See you later, Hanabi.”

Without a moment to spare the troupe member hustled Sparkle down the alleyway despite her protests. “Asshole! Grey hair! Stelle!!” 

And then she was out of sight and Stelle walked deliberately step by step into the road in front of the oncoming car before it could circle the block again. She sent a text to her brother as the car slowed to a stop.

I’m probably fucked.

Woof, me too.

That wasn't exactly comforting but at least she knew she had company in her misery. Occasionally Stelle and Caelus would have double dates and she was kicking herself that tonight wasn't one of those nights. As long as they were together they were basically invincible. As it was now, she only had her knife for company.

But then she got a text in the family group chat. It was from Nanook, and it was only one word.

Run.

They were turbo fucked.

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“Did you text the kids?” A voice from upstairs called over the loud sloshing noises. Nanook snapped their old flip phone shut and climbed the villa stairs to see Akivili splashing kerosene onto every potentially flammable surface. “I already got the East and West wings, and I sent the staff through the escape tunnels. I think I’ll be done in abouuuuut ten minutes if I’m being careful, and three minutes if you decide fuck it we ball.”

Nanook took in the house. The family portrait of the two of them and their children, the halls full of so many memories, the life that they and Akivili had managed to build for themselves despite being orphans that came from nothing. Granted, what they built when they came to this country was a criminal empire, but every family had its own quirks.

“Whoever is attacking us is using a PMC, and they turned some of our guys.” Nanook sighed. The gunfire was steadily getting closer, the intruders had made it past the security gate because someone from the inside had opened it. “I guess I wasn't thorough enough with our housecleaning.”

Akivili stepped closer and laid their head against Nanook’s chest. Nanook rested their chin on the crown of Akivili’s head. The two of them basked in the relative silence and kerosene fumes as the distant gunfire drew closer. Akivili broke the silence. “We had a good run, didn't we Nano?”

“Do you have to call me that right now?”

“Awww, are you pouting? I remember when you were sooooo much smaller than me, just a little kid taking care of some rich asshole’s horses to make barely enough to buy some bread scraps.”  Akivili leaned back to meet Nanook's gaze with a tired, defeated smile.

“And I still remember the teenager who had more in common with a raccoon than a person, who hid in a haystack while they were running away from the local thugs they'd pissed off.” the corners of Nanook’s mouth turned upwards despite themself. “As long as the kids get to your Nameless network they should be safe.” 

“And as long as they're with their betrothed, they won't risk a fight. So they'll be fine.”

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“I don't think it's a good idea for us to get separated. I think it's an even worse idea for you to get out of the car.” Dan Heng said as Caelus directed the driver to pull into an upcoming gas station and immediately leave as soon as he left the car. “We can lose whoever is following us, Qingni is one of the best drivers the Loufu jituan has.”

“The car up front is some sort of custom model, heavily armored, and I can already tell has more power than we do.” Caelus was mentally kicking himself. They'd gone to the opera so he'd left his knives and gun at home like an idiot instead of leaving them in the car like a reasonable mafioso. As it stood, all he had was his phone, his credit card, and a lighter. “Their plan is probably to wait until we’re in a less populated area and run us off the road with that monster.”

Dan Heng refused to break eye contact. “I’d rather we risk that over you facing whoever is pursuing us alone and unprotected.”

He was so sweet. That was why Caelus had no choice but to ignore his wishes. Dan Heng was the child of a clan steeped in politics and business, not crime. The last thing he needed was to be wrapped up in the legitimately dangerous bits of Caelus’s life. Caelus shot a look to Qingni in the mirror and she nodded.

Caelus was already opening the door when the car rolled to a stop. Dan Heng tried to protest, but Caelus swallowed it all with a kiss. 

“Don't worry, I'll be fine.” He said, pulling out his phone. He pulled up a photo from a day prior, a pregnancy test with two pink lines on the indicator, and showed it to his half panicking fiance. Caelus grinned at the understanding dawning in Dan Heng's eyes. “I’m extremely invested in staying safe after all.”

“Is… it mine?”

“Wow, way to trust your fiance.” Caelus laughed at the blush spreading across Dan Heng's face all the way to his ears. “To be honest I have no clue, the only time I haven't used protection was when it was both you and Firefly at once.”

“Ah, well, that was-”

“We were all drunk, it's fine.” Dan Heng was looking away sheepishly and Caelus took the opportunity to slip out of the car. He shut the door and knocked on the roof and it drove off before Dan Heng could offer any more protests. 

Caelus made the insane preparations that he could in the time he had, but not thirty seconds later, eight cars pulled into the gas station and surrounded him, the nightmare car leading the charge. All Caelus had managed to cobble together was an idea with a lighter and the gas station itself but he wasn't sure exactly how useful it would be against that mobile tank.

From seven of the cars, a swarm of people in nondescript black suits emerged, their firearms poorly concealed in their jackets. From the driver's seat of the custom car a woman wearing a helmet climbed out before coming around to open the rear door for the vehicle’s single passenger and offered a hand.

A woman with long purple hair, dressed in designer fashion and finery, stepped from the vehicle ever so lightly taking the hand of the woman in the helmet. Caelus recognized her, she was in interviews and magazine covers often enough. Jade, the CIO of the International Peace Corporation, a conglomerate big enough to rival the combined might of the Xianzhou jituans. A man in shades with a sword emerged from the crowd of goons and stood next to her, and the woman in the helmet visibly relaxed at his presence.

“Come here often, miss?” Caelus was grinning but his mind was racing. If they were here to just kill him then he was out of luck, but if there was a different angle he was sure he could play his cards right to get out of the situation. “I don't think I've had the pleasure of meeting an IPC executive before.”

Jade brought her hand to her mouth, giving a polite laugh. “Before we get into any more of this lovely banter, let me just make it clear. We have no intention of harming you, we just need you to come with us for a while.”

Ah, a kidnapping. Caelus was relieved he'd sent Dan Heng away after all.

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Kafka watched Stelle’s eyes dawn in realization when she stepped out of the car with Topaz. Six other cars had partially surrounded her in a loose semicircle, and Topaz’s goons were already out with their hands on their concealed weapons. Kafka’s own guns were in plain sight in her shoulder holsters.

“Ah man.” Stelle said with a great heaving sigh looking at Kafka’s guns. “I thought I was good at spotting incognito IPC folks. You're on a whole ‘nother level Miss Kafka.”

She was surprised that Stelle addressing her formally stung as much as it did. Until this moment, she had gotten close enough that Stelle just called her Kafka even at school. “I'm not IPC, but semantics don't really matter all that much in this situation, do they Stelle?”

Stelle's eyes were full of something between exasperation, anger, and grief as Kafka could see her sizing up the gathered forces. She was probably figuring the odds of if she could either fight her way out or flee in a way that got her clear of the whole affair. Kafka wanted to say something, anything to dull the tired malice in Stelle’s gaze, but before she could Topaz cleared her throat.

“You must be Stelle. I’m Topaz, a strategic acquisitions project manager for the IPC.”  Topaz’s red umbrella was like a warning light against the black cars and black suits of the IPC goons. “I’ve heard a lot about you and I would love to hear more from you directly. Would you be so kind as to come with us?”

“So this is a kidnapping, not an assassination.” 

Topaz paused, then began to laugh. “Why on earth would we kill the daughter of an art dealer?” With a slight twitch of her finger, her team began inching closer and closer towards Stelle. “We would just like to discuss a brand deal for our fashion sector, your engagement photos made quite the splash online after all.” 

Kafka remembered the photos. Stelle and her brother wearing collars and muzzles standing next to their seated fiancees who had them on leashes. They had sparked things in Kafka. Igniting her libido for her target was one of them, but they'd also caused a pang in her chest she didn't quite understand. 

Stelle was a target for her job, not someone she was interested in. Her job just happened to be aided by hooking up the cute university student she was probing for info.

“We all know you aren't here to offer a brand deal, just like I know my brother is probably surrounded just like this.” Stelle finally said, still sizing up the approaching goons closing in on her. “My brother and I are mafia princes of the Caos family, we should all just be honest.”

“So you do know. When Kafka said it was only a possibility you might know the truth, we had to build some contingencies into our plan.”  Topaz took out her phone and typed something that Kafka couldn't see. “The brand deal is real, for the record. Who knows? After everything is finished you and your brother might just take us up on it.”

Stelle sighed, turning her weary eyes to Kafka. “So if you aren't IPC, what are you?”

“My group specializes in small-scale espionage and destabilization.” Kafka’s heart was pounding as Stelle’s eyes pierced her soul. Her adrenaline was spiking but she didn't know why. “We’ve taken similar jobs for other groups, this was just another one.”

She took a step towards Stelle, and then another. Kafka could see every single muscle of hers ready to bolt or fight, the younger woman just hadn't decided yet. “Come with us Stelle, come with me. I won't let anything happen to you.”

Stelle looked at the goons. She looked at Topaz. She looked into Kafka's eyes. She let out all the air in her lungs almost as if she was deflating. Stelle looked up at Kafka with a defeated smirk. “Can I at least get one last kiss? You're supposed to give those to people you betray.”

Kafka took the last step and then she was next to Stelle. She cupped the younger woman’s face as Stelle leaned into it, looking at her with her big golden eyes. She really was cute.

Their lips met, their breath mingled. Stelle's breathing hitched as Kafka's tongue pressed against her lips, her teeth, and at last her tongue. When Kafka came away they were both breathless and wearing Kafka’s pink lipstick.

And then Stelle pounced. Before Kafka or any IPC personnel could react, Stelle grabbed Kafka and spun her around. One of her arms wrapped around Kafka pinning her arms to her side, preventing her from pulling her own weapons out, while her other hand pulled a knife from god knows where. The sharp edge of the blade was cool against Kafka's neck. Stelle raised her voice. “Let me go, or else your very talented espionage specialist is going to bleed out in the gutter.”

The IPC goons froze, Topaz didn't. She pulled out her own gun and immediately shot Stelle in the shoulder. Kafka felt the impact. Blood splashed onto her face, hot against the cold rain. Stelle stumbled backwards and Kafka got clear.

Topaz stepped forward and fired again, this time hitting Stelle in the chest. Stelle fell to her knees and Topaz took one final step, leveling her gun at the Mafia daughter's heart. “Sorry things turned out like this, kid.”

And then Topaz shot Stelle one last time and walked back to her car. Kafka watched the younger woman fall back, dark red blood mixing with the flowing water on the street. Stelle’s eyes were half closed when they met hers, their usual vibrant golden hue now a dark yellow as the light was leaving them. “Why do you… look so… sc…”

Stelle’s final words were cut short as her body went limp and all life left her.

“Are you coming?” Topaz called from the car. When Kafka didn't respond, Topaz sighed dramatically enough to be heard over the rain at a distance. “I'll send a car when you call for one.”

Following their project manager, all the other goons got into their cars and drove off into the rainy night.

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Sparkle heard the gunshots before she made it to the mouth of the alleyway. Her arms and knees burned and bled from the falls she had taken running away from her guard, but she kept running until she burst out into the open. Kafka was standing there, and Stelle was lying in the street with her blood washing away down the gutter. Sparkle dove for Stelle, scraping her knees all over again on the wet asphalt as Kafka stared dumbly. 

“Hey, grey hair! Get up, we have to go!” Holding Stelle, she felt how warm she still was. There was a hole in her shoulder and two in her chest and yet she was still so warm that Sparkle could have lied to herself that Stelle was faking, that they were about to go home, maybe climb into a bath because they were so wet and cold. Then they would curl up together in warm pajamas and blankets to watch one of Stelle’s old movies, because Sparkle chose the restaurant, which wouldn’t have subtitles and Stelle would translate every line of dialogue with an exaggerated Italian accent, and would probably throw some fakes in there to fuck with her.

That’s what was going to happen. That was the plan for the night. “Anata… Stelle… please…”

Kafka just stood there in the rain, silent but for the sound of her breathing. Stelle’s lips were stained pink with the remnants of Kafka’s lipstick. Sparkle brought her forehead to Stelle’s, and when she came away she too had the same pink-stained lips. Kafka cleared her throat, and Sparkle saw it then. The traces of emotions not known to Kafka but written on every inch of her face.

“What are you scared of, I’m not going to hurt you.”

“Scared?” The “spider woman” as Sparkle had called her what felt like ages ago now had a dawning light in her eyes. “Oh. That’s what this feeling is.”

It started as a chuckle, then a bark. Then Sparkle laughed despite herself. She laughed and she laughed and she laughed and laughed until her voice was hoarse and the tears were streaming down her face. She held Stelle’s cooling body close. 

“I was ready to give her to you. Wasn’t that enough? Her love, her adoration, all of that was yours to have freely. So why did you have to take her life? The one thing she had to give me, the one thing that was mine and mine alone.”

When Kafka didn’t speak, Sparkle couldn’t help but fall into another grief-stricken laughing fit. “I’m sorry.” Kafka finally said.

Through her laughter, Sparkle managed to get her handbag open and find what she was looking for. She pulled out her snub-nosed revolver, and Kafka quickly pulled her own guns on Sparkle. She laughed again. “Relax, this isn’t for you.”

Sparkle loaded a singular bullet into the cylinder. “I told her I’d follow her anywhere she went no matter what. As a mob wife it’s only right, after all.” And with that simple proclamation, before Kafka could do anything, Sparkle put the gun under her jaw. “I’ll tell her you said hello when I get to hell.”

She squeezed the trigger.

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And Kafka was left alone with two dead bodies in the rain.

She stayed like that for god knows how long, watching as the blood from the dead women mixed with the rainwater, separate blood trails joining as one as they meandered their way into the gutter and towards the storm drains. Maybe that’s all hell was, the storm drains where your blood finally mingled with those you couldn’t have.

Maybe that was the thought that finally broke her. Kafka pulled out her phone, dialing Silver Wolf’s newest phone number without having much conscious thought at all.

“You’re going to catch a cold if you don’t find an umbrella or something.” a sardonic voice said without preamble. 

Of course Silver Wolf was watching somehow. She had once bragged to Kafka how even though she rarely stepped outside for anything other than moving safe houses, she’d been to more places in the world than Kafka, Blade, and Firefly combined. “Do you want me to tip someone off to come get their bodies?”

“Are you done making the exit plan file?”

“You mean the one that’s a threat that guarantees us our safety from the IPC after this job so they don’t treat us like loose ends to clean up? Yes I’m done making it, I was done making it like a week after we took this job. If anything, I’ve just been tweaking it as I find more and more dirt on them. At this point it’s more of a hydrogen bomb than it is an exit plan.” Silver Wolf’s dry, sarcastic tone faded as warriness crept in and took its place. “Why?”

“I just…” Kafka didn’t know why she was about to do this, but somehow it was the only path she could see out. She felt sick to her stomach, she was hyperventilating, and in all likelihood this new emotion of hers was sending her into shock. “Give it to her brother, tell him I'm sorry. She wasn't supposed to die, none of them were. They're all more useful to the IPC alive than they are dead, and yet…”

The pause on the other end of the line seemed to last forever, until finally, “Are you really sure you want to do this? It might fuck us all.”

When Kafka didn’t respond, Silver Wolf sighed.

“I’ll send it. Depending on what happens I might not talk to everyone for a while, I'll contact you when it's safe again.” The line went dead, and Kafka knew that whatever she had done couldn’t be walked back any longer.

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The first thing Caelus had done when they pulled up was to swipe his credit card at the gas pump, the second was to pull the nozzle from its nest, and the third was to grab his lighter. Firefly appreciated that her childhood friend turned situationship’s first instinct was to improvise a flame thrower when out of better options. 

She hadn’t removed her helmet yet, as she didn’t want to make things any more awkward or uncomfortable than they were already going to be. Once they took Caelus in she’d ask for some private time with him, explain that, while yes she was in fact part of a group that came to covertly extract information from them, she hadn’t realized that he or Stelle had known what it was their parents did for a living. 

Regardless, the original plan was that she and her friends were going to ensure that nothing bad happened to either of them while they were in IPC custody. They’d be taken to safe houses far, far away from here once the whole destabilizing a crime empire business was finished.

If she played her cards right, she might even come out of this whole situation with her childhood friends having a positive opinion of her. As long as neither of them were harmed in the whole affair, she was reasonably sure she stood a chance.

“Why don't you put the gas hose back where it belongs, and I'll promise neither you nor your sister will be hurt.” Jade said after a moment.

“Ah man, you guys are after her too? What guarantees do I have that you'll keep your word?” Caelus was clearly eyeing all the IPC mooks and probably doing his own risk assessment. 

“I never break my word.” Jade looked at Firefly and smiled. “But if it makes you feel any better, I can have my team draft up a contract and my driver here will bring it over to you.”

Firefly silently nodded. Caelus looked back and forth between the two. He finally sighed, resignation clear in his voice. “Alright, send them over.”

It only took Jade a couple minutes to prepare everything on a tablet before she sent Firefly over with it. Firefly handed it to Caelus who quickly read through it. When he was done he handed it back to Firefly.

“I still have some concerns, such as what will be our accommodations, a guarantee for the safety of our parents…” he clearly thought about something and laughed. “And a nearby toilet for me, morning sickness is a bitch.”

“What??” The word slipped before Firefly could stop it, and Caelus's head whipped towards her.

“No fucking way.” His gaze pierced her helmet, made her feel naked, exposed, and unbelievably guilty. “Please tell me that's not you, Firefly.” 

Firefly stayed frozen as his fingers gently slipped under her helmet and pulled it from her head. Her hair cascaded down around her face in a way that would have been attractive if not for the fact that Caelus wore a look of betrayal as intense as her own look of guilt. She could barely get out her choked response “Sorry.”

“Don't be too hard on her.” Jade’s voice seeped in like a sweet poison in the rain. “The IPC owns her artificial heart, and we’re the only ones who can maintain it. No other company or back alley doctor, no matter how skilled, could manage it. That's how we designed it after all.”

Before Caelus could do or say anything else, his phone chimed. He looked at Jade. “Surely you won't have me shot for checking my texts, right?”

“By all means, feel free.”

Caelus pulled it out, eyes scanning the screen. He paused, as if he was unsure what he was looking at. Then Firefly watched the light in his golden eyes go dark, any tension or defiance in his body deflated. 

In one second he went from being ready to take on the entire world to looking dead inside. He typed something on his phone before he dropped it onto the wet concrete, and with barely a pause he stomped on it again and again and again. 

Firefly, the IPC goons, and even Jade were taken aback by the ferocity Caelus used to destroy the phone. Light had returned to his eyes, but it wasn't anything resembling life. It was just white hot fury and hatred. He was panting by the time he was finished and his voice came out a snarl. “My sister, my other half, the best parts of me, is fucking dead.”

Firefly's heart dropped into her stomach. No, it wasn't supposed to be like this. The two of them were supposed to be safe. They weren't supposed to get hurt. If anything happened to either of them, her world may as well end. She couldn't bring herself to say anything, she could only stare at Caelus's face, once identical to Stelle's, twisted by rage to the point where he was almost unrecognizable.

“That… wasn't supposed to happen.”  Jade finally said.

That withering gaze slowly turned towards Firefly. She had to say something, anything. “I just wanted to protect both of you.” She managed to choke out.

“You sure did a great fucking job.” Caelus had a humorless bark of laughter. “Honestly if I knew this was going to be the end result, I wouldn't have asked Nanook to pay for your treatment when we were kids.”

She looked into his eyes, and there was no love, no tenderness for Firefly in Caelus's gaze. Only all consuming hatred. “I wish you had fucking died in that hospital.”

One of the IPC goons’ phones dinged, then another, and another after that. Then Jade’s rang and it was a never ending torrent of notifications. Some of the goons looked and their faces suddenly filled with shock and horror. Jade looked at her own notifications and her face crystalized cold anger. “Should I assume you're responsible for this?”

“Is it about a streamer leaking all the IPC’s dirty secrets? I'm glad Guinaifen already put it to good use.” Caelus now wore a grin with zero mirth.

“She's associated with the jituans if memory serves.” Jade’s own gentle, calculating smile was gone. “Firefly, come here.”

“Enjoy your board meeting tomorrow.” Caelus taunted.

Not even bothering to respond, Jade turned towards the car as soon as Firefly was by her side. “Shoot him.” 

Firefly whipped around but the IPC forces had already opened fire. The bullets rocked Caelus, riddling his body full of holes, but as he fell he looked almost at peace. He was joining his other half.

“Firefly, please return me to Pier Point. I'll have to make preparations to speak to the board.” Firefly was numb. Everything was too much, and all she could do through shock was to open the car’s door for Jade. “If that pregnancy was due to your own involvement with him, I do sincerely apologize.”

Later, Firefly would realize she couldn't recall ever driving Jade back to Pier Point. She couldn't recall much of the following days either.

.

.

.

.

When Aventurine and his team finally managed to breach the grounds of Nanook and Akivili's mansion, they had already donned full gas masks due to the “metric fuck ton,” as he would put it, of tear gas deployed against them. Due to that, none of the team noticed the fact that the manor absolute reeked of kerosene fumes.

There was a loud clack of a flip phone being shut violently from what Aventurine surmised was a sitting room when he turned towards it to see Akivili and Nanook sitting in high backed chairs on either end of an unlit fireplace staring directly at him. “Just the two I was hoping to speak to.”

“If you're here, should we assume that the rest of our people are dead?” Nanook asked.

“You Annihilation Gang folks can sure put up a hell of a fight, especially that Celenova.” It was true, Aventurine had lost about seventy percent of his forces just getting to the mansion. “Those we could take alive we did, but that wasn't many of them.”

“That's a shame, I really admired her.” Akivili sighed, slouching over in their chair as they pulled out an old lighter to fiddle with.  

Nanook looked at them with a raised eyebrow. “You hated the way she did things.”

“That doesn't mean I didn't admire her determination.” Akivili responded simply. 

“Regardless of the tragic circumstances of our meeting, all I was hoping for was to talk to you about a real estate proposal.” Aventurine held up his hand, leaving his forces in the foyer as he entered the sitting room alone. “I do deeply regret it took all this to get to this point.”

Akivili looked at him incredulously. “You did all this… to build a mall on our turf?”

“Not a mall per se, but we do have quite a vested interest in the area.” Aventurine smiled, now standing before the two of them. “Assuming we can come to an agreement, all of this unsavory business can come to an end this instant.”

Akivili and Nanook looked at each other and sighed. Nanook turned their gaze to Aventurine, staring into his soul. “Tell me boy, do you have any children of your own?”

“Can't say that's my thing, no.”

“It was difficult for us to bring them into this world to begin with, and even then the pregnancy was riddled with complications.” Akivili looked like they would have put a hand on their spouse’s shoulder while Nanook told the story if they could reach them. “Near the end, the three of us barely held on.”

“I admire your perseverance.” Aventurine said honestly.

“Those two are our everything, our twin stars for whom we have built this entire empire to eventually gift to them.” Akivili said, turning their dull gaze to Aventurine as well.

Nanook took a deep breath in and out as if they were about to reveal the secrets of the world. “And now those stars have been extinguished at the hands of your corporation.”

Oh. Well fuck, that wasn't the plan at all. Aventurine wanted to say something to try and get the odds of the situation even slightly in his favor but Akivili spoke before he could.

“Now that our little stars have gone out, we might as well let this entire empire burn and hope the ashes choke everyone responsible to death.”

The two crime lords clasped hands across the fireplace. Akivili struck the flint wheel of the lighter and dropped it, the flame igniting the very air around it as it fell. It struck the ground, the fire spreading so fast Aventurine didn't even have time to process what was happening. When the flames found the collections of explosives Nanook had set around the house, the concussive force ripped through every last IPC member until no one was left to witness the mansion becoming a fireball climbing towards the heavens, a funeral pyre memorializing the twin stars Nanook and Akivili would have given everything for.

At last, the awful night came to an end.

.

.

.

.

The following weeks were consequences and fallout on all sides of the conflict. Thanks to Caelus’s choice to send all the dirt Silver Wolf had given him to a streamer affiliated with one of the Xianzhou jituans, the story had been spun that their family had been embroiled in a real estate scheme managed by an IPC affiliated company. 

Many people correctly inferred it was a shell corporation and that there was more involved than that, but the majority of people only knew the narrative the Xianzhou was selling. A couple of art dealers who had come from nothing and were heavily involved in philanthropy and giving back to their communities had died in a house fire and their children had been shot all on the same night, all because the IPC wanted the real estate of the community they supported. 

They had died as heroes and shining examples of how good people could be, not as the horrifying crime lords they actually were.

Silver Wolf paid the price for supplying that dirt, though. Despite being at one of her many safehouses, they lost contact within a few days and she was found having apparently committed suicide. 

The Loufu group, despite only being involved in the political and financial worlds, had their own ways of dealing with things. They had apparently lost patience with their former member Blade the night that the fiance of one of the young scions of the clan died. So Blade vanished, and Kafka couldn’t find any trace. 

IPC stock had fallen significantly, sinking 35% in a single week. Several subsidiary companies went out of business all at once, including some supermarkets that had pushed all local competition out of the space. Their shareholders tried to replace Diamond as CEO, but for whatever reason the push for that ended the next day. 

Due to Kafka and Firefly’s potential involvement with the whole situation, Kafka had expected them to need to go underground. Much to her surprise though, whether out of recognition for their contributions or in an effort to keep them on a leash, the two of them had been offered jobs with the company. 

Firefly was offered the position of being the Board of Directors’ personal driver, a job she was guaranteed to excel in. After a long deliberation, she agreed to the position when lifetime maintenance and support for her artificial heart was included in the benefits package. 

As for Kafka, after a long and grueling session of questioning as to why immediately prior to Silver Wolf giving Caelus a nuclear warhead of scandal material she had called the woman, she was offered the chance to be a head of one of their new departments focused on “market research”. It was really just more corporate espionage and Kafka knew it. 

She rejected the offer and went into hiding, not wanting to be included in any last minute loose end trimming that the IPC may have felt it needed to perform so they could focus on stock recovery. 

Kafka would eventually go on to write a tell-all autobiography about her experiences with the espionage, the charming mafia princess, and the personal tragedies of the characters in the halcyon days before the IPC had completely consumed the city. She lived in a little cottage in the forest where no one could ever bother her unless she wanted them to, and that’s where she spent the rest of her days. She knew fear, she had known and lost love, and now she was learning to make peace with her soul.

And that was really all she could do after everything. 

They had finished the job.

[unevenpatterns]

"What are your main reasons for shipping jeeko?" I love complex power dynamics and enemies to lovers trope. Zuko is younger, but he also has full power over Jee's career/life, so it kind of balances out overall. Physically they're both strong, but not in quite the same way. I also just really want to see s1 firecracker Zuko getting some comfort.

"Does it offend you when the ship is treated as a crack?" Not at all. That sounds hilarious and I love crack ships or crack treated seriously.

"Would you be interested in getting fundamentally new interpretations of Jee and jeeko or you're irrevocably affected by Dracze and Nele's vision and worship it as a holy canon?" I would love to see other people's take on it. I think the only one I would personally steer away from would be straight up evil Jee?

"Would you prefer for these guys to end up in a serious long-term relationship or you'd be okay if they eventually shifted to different partners"? Either works for me, it depends on how the story works out.

"Do you think canonical Jee is hot and get offended when someone says he isn't, or do you just imagine some vague dilf of your taste instead of him while reading fics"? I would never be offended by someone having a different taste than me (and if someone gets offended by that kind of thing I think it's time for a nap and a snack). What makes Jee's character attractive to me doesn't have a whole lot to do with his physcial appearance anyway.

"If it's the former, which frames with Jee you take as a main depiction of his appearance"? (seriously, artstyle in atla is inconsistent as hell, and Jee looks for me a bit like 20 different dudes The different looks just sort of merges into one in my mind I guess?

another long-ass jeeko post

that can be better than jeeko sketch?

quick lazy jeeko sketch with a lot of text after it!

... aww, drawing more elaborated stuff lives me burned out pretty qickly, and I want to sketch as many things as I can until my job finds me again

-----

you know I kinda wish I could conduct a survey to understand the general paradigm in jeeko fandom if it exists at all

Like: "What are your main reasons for shipping jeeko?" Or: "Does it offend you when the ship is treated as a crack?"

Or: "Would you be interested in getting fundamentally new interpretations of Jee and jeeko or you're irrevocably affected by Dracze and Nele's vision and worship it as a holy canon?" Or: "Would you prefer for these guys to end up in a serious long-term relationship or you'd be okay if they eventually shifted to different partners"? Or: "Do you think canonical Jee is hot and get offended when someone says he isn't, or do you just imagine some vague dilf of your taste instead of him while reading fics"? Or: "If it's the former, which frames with Jee you take as a main depiction of his appearance"? (seriously, artstyle in atla is inconsistent as hell, and Jee looks for me a bit like 20 different dudes in one) or… or……. OR

SO many questions and the answers form so many possible jeeko shippers I'm not used to deal with this level of complexity

I mean, the community isn't small enough to be glad to any shit I post

And it isn't big enough to be entirely unaffected by the shit I post

And I'm a weirdo with lacking empathy and a complex relationship with the ship

So it feels like every time I open my mouth, I offend 20 different people for completely different reasons and I don't want to upset anyone, damn it!

anyway, I'll be brutally honest with yall now, okay? Okay.

I have a lot of fondness for jeeko community (as much as I'm familiar with it from reading fics on ao3, that is), but whether I enjoy the ship itself or not entirely depends on specific interpretation. Basically, depending on the way it's cooked, for me, it can be the most enjoyable and/or beautiful thing ever, but just as well, it can be the biggest turn-off.

So as an artist, I'm kinda suspended in this half-state

Where partly I perceive myself as a shipper (which kinda gives me the right to draw some trash comedy stuff and express my mood and personal issues through jeeko art (because that's just a kind of artist I generally am, okay? I draw mostly for myself, and whatever is my current hyperfixation falls victim to it))

And partly an outsider, which, I suspect, can make posting this kind of stuff look like an act of an insensitive critical bitch who hates jeeko or something

ugh

it's just SO DAMN COMPLEX \>__</

one way or another, I hope it's possible for me to make at least some of you guys happier with my art ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ eventually I mean, If I draw a lot of stuff, at least some of it will have the chance, lol

or something like this, anyway

[kaijuerotica]

if wangxian knocks out gentlebeard i will laugh SO HARD, all that to lose to the most annoying man youve ever met in your life and his absolute simp of a husband

[tobyisave]

Reason #48234872 Kiibo should've lived: so Maki can have someone to recreate a normal human adolescence with while Himiko and Shuichi go into a state of depressed hibernation for the next half decade...

Honestly I never even thought of this pairing until I started drawing this months ago, but I think they would have an interesting dynamic postcanon. It's hard for them to relate to each other at first — Maki has seen way too much and Kiibo has seen like 0 things in his life ever — but they've both been dehumanized, made to believe they're dangerous,* and barred from participating in "the real world" for most of their lives. And because of that they just want something that is, to use Maki's words, "as vanilla as possible."

Also, they're both autistic straight men and I want to see the hijinks that ensue when you put two of those in the same room.

*Obviously we see Maki being viewed as dangerous by herself and others; I can't even tell anymore if it's obvious that Kiibo shares that experience to some degree or if I'm just too deep in my own Kiibo lore... But here's 2 thoughts on why I think that's something they canonically share:

They both hurt someone close to them in their backstories, and that weighs on them enough that both of their Harmonious Heart events are about wondering if that person would hold it against them. Also for reasons I won't elaborate on here, I'm pretty sure Kiibo at least subconsciously views himself as a danger to others due to the environment he grew up in after Iidabashi was injured. I mean imagine having an emergency stop button permanently installed on your body "just in case."

Despite everyone's backstories being fictional, Kiibo and Maki have still killed one real person each --- Kiibo killed Tsumugi (and endangered everyone else), and Maki effectively killed Kokichi/Kaito ('effectively' just as in it could create the kind of "I killed a guy" guilt that is relevant to this discussion. I'm not going to even comment on the actual causality of that entire situation). Even if you don't count that, Kiibo being the only person with a body count is an interesting reversal given he's a pacifist and seems to have the most rigid moral code of the cast (something I also think was a precaution of sorts).

(+ Credit: Background of page 6 is traced from this random photo of an ice rink lobby. I made up the background of page 7 and that's why you can't tell what the hell anything actually is.)

[camellcat]

first xander brought her back with human breath and determination... then willow with supernatural power and love.... smth smth two halves to keep their third in balance from drifting too far into either side and losing herself.....

[bumblingbabooshka]

Every time I watch the cold open of Memorial and B'Elanna tells Tom about how she ASSEMBLED a 50's television set from SCRATCH just to surprise him (there's no reason beyond that - just an incredibly sweet and thoughtful gesture) and replicated popcorn for him to eat while he watches and Tom says "They didn't have remote controls in the 50's ♥ Also where's my beer?" I contemplate murder ESPECIALLY because B'Elanna responds cheerfully to it - GIRL!!! LEAVE HIM!!!!!! IS HE SUPPOSED TO BE CHARMING IN THIS SCENE????

[timegears]

"link's lack of emotion at zelda's transformation is awful because it makes him seem so stale" 🙂 "especially because even if they refuse to directly state it it's obvious that he and zelda are dating in this game" 😑

[gemmasdeadwife]

I feel kind of bad about doing something so petty, but each time I block a shipbrained weirdo, I feel a little lighter. And I think this will make my experience a lot better overall. I wasn’t caught up on the show until Chikhai Bardo, which is when I finally got online about it. And I’ve loved speculating about what might happen and discussing interpretations of various details and things like that, but honestly the shippers are also ruining it a little bit for me, to the point that I’m starting to feel hints of bitterness toward characters I love and relationships I’m invested in. Solely because of the dismissive, reductive, and bizarrely competitive attitudes I see shippers take toward the characters outside of their ship, and also tbh the objectification of the characters within their ship, and the horniness for the most toxic, psychologically damaging possible versions of the ship & characters. So this is the policy now. If your weird aggressive post makes me feel a streak of resentment toward a beautifully written character, well then so long, friend

[a-god-in-ruins-rises]