#Freespace Happening

[chiropteracupola]

More rat piper or Werewolf Shakespeare?

rat piper now has a playlist! (which matches up to the approximate vibe of the songs from the story, or as close as I can get!)

[rat piper snippet and werewolf explanation under the readmore]

Gannet held up an ivory whistle, as long as he was tall, and Tamsen took it. It was carved all over with animals, long and twisting and tangling tails and legs together in a marvelous woven pattern.

“Now, tall girl, that’s no flute for betrothals and weddings and dances and funerals, even though it can play the right sort of music for a dirge. Play it just right, and you can pipe down a thunderstorm that will rain so long and hard that the mountains themselves will be washed away.”

Tamsen raised the whistle to her lips and blew, a note as sweet as coming inside from the cold, as sharp as an autumn wind all braided with dry leaves.

“Why did you give this to me, just like that? I haven’t got any money, I can’t give you anything in trade for it.”

“The whistle must be played, tall girl! And I cannot do it myself,” said the little man, pointing out his height with a sweeping gesture of one hand. “You’ve got the music to play it properly, so play it you must! Now, a tune, if you would, and we shall see who comes to dance.”

She played again, a song quick and merry as any young person running to visit their lover, and the wind sang along with a voice all its own. The little man shivered within his coat, for the day was cold, and with a rush of wings, a thousand birds slalomed through the trees and spiraled around them. Tamsen gasped, nearly dropping the whistle, and the whirlwind of wings slowed.

“Tall girl, it’s you who’s called them up! Play on, they want their dance!”

Tamsen, you know, had a piper’s soul, and all the cleverness in her little finger that most have in all their body. So up she stepped, and making the same bow and scrape that her father made before he played, whistled up a song for the birds to dance to.

.

as for putting a werewolf in shakespeare, it's one that I've not discussed all that much here because while I do love the idea and (most of the time) love writing it, it does frequently give me great moments of despair over Whether Or Not This Is Allowed. 'allowed' being writing fic for a history play at all, and werewolfy fic at that!

yeah, by all logic it is allowed, but I'm still un-training the part of me that says that the works of shakespeare should be put behind a velvet rope and only touched with two fingers along the spine like we're elementary schoolers petting a lizard from the vivarium. which is not the case!! take that lizard and put a funny hat on it and release it to terrorize the french countryside!

so! it all started because I am very much not immune to guys in funny little medieval hats, and things got out of hand from there, to the tune of 'the 1989 henry v movie with kenneth branagh in it but I ditch history as soon as I possibly can and now there's a werewolf (and another werewolf eventually) and people don't die when they historically did actually die and kissing?? and there's a boat now too just because I can'.

some illustrations of said werewolf can be found here, and in the 'history freespace' tag overall.

[osakanone]

Nothing I say is non-fiction; It simply hasn't happened yet. *

{\_/} Hi, I'm [H]Osaka, ( • . •) ask me a question / >♥️ 𝗧𝗥𝗨𝗦𝗧 𝗠𝗘, 𝗜'𝗠 𝗔 𝗥𝗔𝗕𝗕𝗜𝗧 ░

Equal parts software shoggoth to seven constant rabbits in a trenchcoat, robot-obsessive, machinefucker, human-factors engineering and I can be trusted around nuclear technology. I effortpost walls of autistic special interest on demand

I also make things:

Game Projects

Project Force: 6dof aerodynamic high speed robot action [ongoing] Inspired by Armored Core For Answer, Freespace 2, Zone of the Enders 2 & Ace Combat 3, this game aims to merge their elements into a high speed mech sim.

Writing on mecha

The evolution of the walking thing called “mecha"  (original)

Chapter 0: Establishing terminology & Concepts

Part 1: Defining "the mechaness" of something: the 8 principles of mecha Part 2: Feisability: Mecha aren't realistic, but not for the reason you think

Chapter 1: A pathway from today to tomorrow How does "mecha" come into existence/why would you want one?

Part 1: An evolution from ground vehicles of today Part 2: Skating, to walking, to running, to flight Part 3: “Why transform in the vacuum of space?”

Chapter 2: Cockpit & Software Design Control Theory The principles which become my game design

Part 4: On Mecha Control Theory: Considerations Part 4a: On Mecha Control Theory II: OKAWARA Part 4b: On Mecha Control Theory III: TOMINO  Part 4c: On Mecha Control Theory III: NAGANO

The World of Armored Core

An exploration of the world of Armored Core, using research into real phenomenon and engineering systems to infer how the world may itself function

Kojima particle physics (part 1): What are they? Kojima particle physics (part 2): The Human Consequences NEXT cockpit design (part 1): AMS and Lynx NEXT Cockpit Design (Part 2): G-force Tolerance Technocrat is SpaceX, and the legacy of Musk’s father (lmao)

How To Domesticate Your Pilot [ongoing]

A husbandry guide for handlers, consisting of opinions and thoughts from various trainers and operators, as well as pilots. Includes practices, procedures, articles, stories and snippets.

I'm currently testing the waters with snippets and will likely be posting it out of order. I am extremely hungry for any and all possible feedback

If anybody knows the original source of the image of the eyes (which I first saw in a youtube ad) I'd love to know. I very much would like to commission them.

Inspired by mechposting

Chapter 3: Do not Abuse Your Wolves (Psychological patterning) Part 1: Action patterning (Initial Phases) Part 2: Action Patterning (Risks)

On visual mecha design: My personal thoughts on the assemblies of shape, form in the context of motion, action and function 1. Does anybody else have physical characteristics they find the most appealing? 2. Thoughts on self-altering dynamic form, and proportion designs

#Mechposting

I'm not great at it, but I do enjoy doing it

1. The eroticism of the machine: Megastructures 2. Crew Attire for piloting a giant robot (includes #mechposting patch list) 3. Crew attire for things other than piloting a giant robot 4. Beyond pilebunker: The Grind-blade and the legacy of Overweapons 5. FLAT/Touchscreens are an act of hate: I will teach you love 6. You do not need to pick between a big hammer or daggers if you are a robot

Irreverent incorrect nonsense

Loud writing you don't need to read

"I experience depression as a failure of resource allocation systems" Fool!: Your nostalgia isn't real: Your past has been stolen from you! Why Linux diehards are morons, and so are we Lame? Bitch please: Clubbing deserves to go extinct Feeling used: The eternal disappointment of the Sawano Drop Cycles of Nostalgia: Nobody is going to be nostalgic for Corporate Memphis

Misc

​Sex-positivity, associations, critical thinking & deradicalization 🇸​​🇮​​🇨​​🇰​​🇧​​🇪​​🇦​​🇹​​🇸​ ​🇹​​🇴​ ​🇸​​🇪​​🇪​​🇰​ ​🇦​​🇳​​🇩​ ​🇩​​🇪​​🇸​​🇹​​🇷​​🇴​​🇾​ ​🇹​​🇴​: A #mechposting playlist [ongoing] Left Hand/Right hand [gone]-- Mechposting vibes soundwall Pixelart: A very silly computer design that makes me smile Sounds for violence: Mecha games vs FPS games

Cohost account

[sssammich]

(upends all the -corps on your desk)

agent, guardian, reign, rojas, super, freespace for any i forgot?

god you're a bitch (affectionate)

im so sorry it's so long so please have a read more

also i give you 2 freespace -corps as a treat (to literally me and like 3 other people idk if anybody else cares about this)

agentcorp - NO

for all the potential they could have based on how i feel about their relationship to their respective siblings, i just don't care. im not vibing. just ready to nuke her? idk pass i guess. (did kara lie a gazillion times? yeah for sure. but also like she doesn't want lena dead dead so)

guardiancorp - (if you're referring to kelly, then YES; if james, then NO)

the potential for james guardiancorp could have been interesting but it's literally the same as agentcorp in that i end up not caring about it? no nuking tho and i think if it wasn't idk rammed into our eyeballs without friendship (that is the literal ticket to lena's heart, it's friendship so idk why they're not giving it to her), i might be more cool with it. but as it stands *shrugs* just not vibing lmao

the potential for kelly guardiancorp is that there is so much healing involved. not because she's idk a therapist or whatever and it's her job, i think kelly (for all the characterization she did get) i think it can pair as unlikely friends who click on well but turn into something more. it's slow but it doesn't burn, necessarily. i think their respective demons and skeletons in the closet are gonna come out and not necessarily war with one another, but come out at inopportune times. i think kelly might even last longer than jack, all things considered, because she knows about that pain or tension or darkness that lena needs. i think it could work. also i maintain that gun range headcanon

reigncorp - YES

sam is a also giver but i think because she's not silver spoon-grown the way the rest of lena's posse are, there's a grit to her that makes her different. at least to the likes of jack and andrea. there's history there, shared companionship, compatibility. literally a quality friends to lovers fic. the child complicates it, but lena is so starved for love just as she hungers for giving love. i think that sam (and ruby, as a result) are good people for that. i think of all the relationships to work out long term, this might be it, actually. especially if we're talking long term restorative healing journies. controversial take since i have never written anything to signify this, but *shrugs* they would be good for each other. i think this is like accidental eventual happy ending in the way that they've since stayed together through everything, it almost is a surprise when lena leans forward and sam closes the distance. but then when they kiss, it isn't. so, yeah.

rojascorp - YES

similar to how sam and lena have history, companionship, and compatibility, i'd like to think andrea was the blueprint for that. and then she betrayed lena and got into some bullshit and wrecked her life a bit before getting it slightly together. rojascorp is like redemption!arc endgame that i think would happen in light of a permanent supercorp rift. their dynamic would also serve to highlight just how vastly different their station in life is in comparison to the others. where the superfriends are decidedly middle class, lena and andrea literally are in the .05% of society. they live particular lives, have particular expectations thrust upon them, navigate the world so differently. lena is open to hang with the plebes people but staying around andrea keeps her up in the social circles of her family, despite their absence. aside from that, i think that andrea will fight for and with lena. i think she's the right type of pain and struggle that lena needs in her life. in some ways i also see this working out, but i can also see this couple getting as close to the Best and they get in each other's way by getting in the way of themselves. old wounds that have scabbed over might reopen at a moment of weakness, even with the progress they make, so that would be interesting on how can they survive again. if nothing else, that's how they define love with each other.

supercorp - YES

i mean (see my ao3 tag pls)

if you want a real answer, i think they have been set up so perfectly together that whatever it is that the show can't do, i know that i can do for myself (and the fandom as well). i'm also thinking about the emotional beats of their upbringing and complicated relationships they have with both male and female family members and what that entails, and also that they serve to complement and parallel each other in different ways. two women born out of circumstance and trauma, enduring of so many things, what's not to like. suffice it to say, other women on this list also share this with lena, so it's not like kara is unique, but i do think that the ways in which the two of them have stationed themselves where kara is the sun and lena orbits her (both canonically and fanonically, for literal better or worse) is fascinating in a way that i literally just can't get enough of. granted, that could be that kara is the titular character so we just see her more. but i've shipped pairs from nothing but the power of my imagination, so i don't think that's it, necessarily. i think that there is a bit of a serendipitous approach to their relationship's rise and fall. i think redemption!arc endgame, when done right between them, reassesses how they can be better than they were, this time with each other in mind. but it's a lot of work and i think they will have to really, really work at it - especially kara, to make it so that they never hurt each other in the way that they have in the past. kara has committed a thousand paper cuts on lena and i think she addresses that in her second chance with lena. and i think that's enough of that grounding pain that lena seeks, whether she realizes it or not. it's not all the way healthy, i'll admit, but they are also not all the way healthy, so.

freespace: rojaslettecorp (aka andrea, veronica, lena) - YES

it's a throuple of boarding school bitches with A Past, all rich and somewhat shady in various and compelling ways. what's not to love i guess. i headcanon that they are all soft (even veronica, but not all the way, just enough for the other two not to give up on her) and broken mostly through family trauma and expectations that they don't meet

but also think about the fact that they could very well come together as versions of their youthful selves, a little battered, a little broken, a little bit more criminal (they are rich, they literally already exist outside of the law for the most part) and there's a certain kind of recognition in that. the way it'll play though is that andrea and veronica will 100000% antagonize each other and lena will for sure play the straight man who just keeps the peace together long enough until it's time for her to pick a winning side, temporary that side may be.

freespace: imralucylena (what the fuck kind of corp are they?) - WHY NOT

a) i believe in myself so im vibing and can make this happen so jot that down

b) "in service of the greater good, even at the expense of one's personal good" is what i would sum this all up to be

[cellythefloshie]

;; All I Want Dedicated to @callsign-denmark for her birthday bingo

Summary: This year, to make it easy on her family, Claire is celebrating her birthday in Raleigh. She would prefer a more private event, something just for family, but when your brother was the Captain of an NHL team: family extended to a roster of 21 she barely knew - including goaltender Frederick Andersen. M's Bingo Card Tropes: Whirl-wind romance, Captain’s sister, FreeSpace - children/babies (Claire's nieces and nephews), “Let’s celebrate tonight”, “please stay”, Summer Birthday Kinks & TW: age gap, love at first sight, soulmates, in public (briefly), thigh riding, alcohol consumption (no mentions of intoxication), sundress season, virginity/first time, size kink/height difference (5'2 & 6'4), vaginal fingering, praise kink, unprotected sex (are we even going to pretend to be surprised by this?), implied heels kink, pet name: flower. Original Character: Claire is the baby sister of the Staal family. Face Claim: Dove Cameron. Word Count: 8.6k+ A/N: Happy birthday girlie! I hope that this little (ha) story I've put together for you fulfils your birthday bingo dreams and more! Also, damn you! The sinful things I thought about this man while writing this. There is no going back after this one. And full disclosure this was based solely on like 1 interview I watched and a handful of pictures on the internet because I know next to nothing about Freddie BUT I like to think I did a pretty damn good job with him. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to celebrate your day with you! 🎉

Playlist.

Claire didn’t like big birthday parties, but when you were a Staal you didn’t get much of a choice in the matter. Her parents were always in attendance, then came her four older brothers, and with them their wives, and their children. You would think that it would have stopped there, but when your brothers all played in the NHL - and when one happened to be the Captain of the team in the very city she was holding her little get-together - players or two were bound to show up as family. Claire didn’t mind all that much, she liked the guys Jordan played with and it always made for an entertaining night - even if that meant feeling like a bystander at her own birthday party. 

Without knowing for sure just how many people would show up, her parents had taken the opportunity to reserve a private patio as her restaurant of choice - and it made Claire all the more sound with her choice to wear the light and flowy blue sundress patterned with daisies. It had been a dress she had been looking for an excuse to wear. The skirt of the dress stopped just above her knees, and the bodice was fitted to show her figure without being too heavy on her skin. The Carolina heat would weigh on her enough throughout the evening, she didn’t need an uncomfortable outfit to ruin her night. Instead, she would leave that to her shoes. 

Claire was small. Standing merely 5’2, she had been dwarfed by every single one of her brothers who stood at 6’4. The moment she had stopped growing, she had committed to a lifetime of being someone who had to wear heels. She wore them wherever she needed them, no matter how uncomfortable or impractical they may be, and had mastered the art of walking and running in them. Which was already coming in handy as the night was young as she was chasing around her all too energetic nieces and nephews. 

For the most part, the 12 children, varying in ages, could entertain themselves - or were glued to the hips of their mothers as they were too young or too shy to venture out onto the open patio space around the table. But Claire, she had a reputation to uphold. As the youngest child, who was proudly single, she was the embodiment of the Fun Aunt. She spoiled them with gifts and wasn’t one to shy away from being a little too rambunctious - even if that meant drawing a little too much attention as everyone arrived. 

“Look who we have here,” the voice had Claire perking up from where her nieces and nephews came at her in an onslaught of affection, demanding to be picked up and swung around or carried on her back, “an overgrown child.”

The playful jab had her beaming, a smile bright as a ray of sunshine as her eyes fell on the culprit, “Brady!”

Skjei had only been on Carolina for a few seasons, but with his history playing with the Rangers alongside her brother Marc, he was a familiar face at family gatherings. “You made it,” she lowered one of the children back to the ground, giving the others a quick apology as she excused herself to greet the Carolina Hurricanes defenceman to her party. 

“Of course,” he smiled, his arms opening wide to welcome Claire into his embrace, “biggest bash of the off-season, when have I ever missed it?”

For a moment, she pondered in his arms. Lips pursed her head tilted from side to side. She couldn’t quite remember the last time she had a birthday without him being there. Marc had invited him all the way back in Skjei’s rookie season when it had been her sweet sixteen. She had a schoolgirl crush on him back then, but now she couldn’t look at him without seeing more than another brother. 

“Never, ever,” she decided after a moment and stepped back from his hold, “so what did you get me?”

Brady scoffed as if she had offended him, “You mean I’m not enough?” Claire shook her head slowly, bouncing her feet with anticipation as she held her hands behind her back. She looked misleadingly sweet, and innocent when in reality she was far from it. “Alright, alright, you got me. Mom took it from me when I got in. You’ll know it’s from me when you open it.” 

“Oh, so it’s a good one,” Claire laughed.

“They always are, aren’t they?”

“Of course,” she pushed his chest playfully before leaning off to the side to look around him, “didn’t drag the team along with you this time?”

“Not many of the guys back in town yet,” he hummed, looked back over his shoulder to where the brothers had gathered, “just Derek and Freddie-”

Claire perked up, “who?”

She knew who, well kind of. Frederick Andersen had been the team’s primary goaltender - except when his injuries had plagued the season - since was signed back in 2021. And while it had been years since that initial contract, she had yet to meet him. Which was a damn shame, because from what she could tell he was gorgeous. 

“You haven’t met Freddie?” Brady raised a brow, his arm around to cradle your back as you both turned in place to try to find him in the crowd. Which wasn’t all that difficult when he towered as tall as her brothers. Her eyes settled on him as he stood by the table with her brother Jordan, and glass in his hand as the two of them shared conversation. Just the sight of the towering Danish goaltender left her stomach aflutter with butterflies. He really was gorgeous with his strawberry blonde hair that was slicked back like James Dean and a smile that left her weak in the knees. 

“Com’on then, let’s go meet him,” Brady’s words were a mere echo in her mind as he pressed against her lower back to ease her into her stride.

She followed his guidance carefully, her every stride bringing her closer to Freddie, and giving her eyes something more to admire. First, she noticed the stubble that framed those lips that she was sure could talk her into anything. Then, was how his t-shirt hung off the strength of his shoulders peaked at his chest before hanging loose around his west. Her eyes travelled down over his hips and she had half the mind to stop there but then she saw her thighs. Claire was left near salivating that how they tested the elasticity of his denim jeans. She had no doubt that they were thick - strong and it only left her wishing he had been wearing shorts just so she could indulge in the sight of them. To see how they flexed when he walked, or how they would spread over his seat as he sat-

“Earth to Claire!” Her mind had been lost, her gaze up on the watercolour skies as her mind wondered only for Jordan’s humoured tone to cut through and end any sinful thought that threatened to overtake her. “You alright there kiddo?”

Claire wrinkled her nose, at the nickname. She was very much a grown woman now, and it was still a nickname she could shake thanks to being the baby of the family. Yet, she didn’t fight him on it and instead spoke out in a soft, apologetic hum, “I’m sorry, I must have just gotten distracted. The sky is just beautiful right now, isn’t it.”

“She is,” the unfamiliar voice left her head snapping in its direction. The two, simple words had slipped from Freddie’s lips, and she couldn’t help but wonder if she had heard them right. Surely, her mind was playing tricks on her and he had said it and not she. Right?

“What was that?” she cocked her head at him, her bright blue eyes raising to meet the sweet chocolate hue of his stare for the first time. Claire had only meant to indulge herself in a quick glance, but the moment her eyes found his her stare was locked for his gaze was down on her as well. The air around her seemed to be lost, her lungs suffocating on the mere presence of him as she waited for even a single word to leave his perfect lips. 

Claire watched as his smile waivered on his lips, curling from a small smirk to a wider grin before settling back into that smug smirk again. She knew in an instant that he wasn’t going to get the answer she was looking for. Instead, she was met by the reach of his large hand, and let his lips part in a simple introduction, “Freddie.”

Her brows were drawn together at the offer - a handshake, really? What was this? A business meeting? Yet, she humoured him, her hand left feeling dainty as it was consumed by his touch. It engulfed her like the overwhelming embrace of an ocean wave. Lungs struggled to take even a single breath as the warmth of his touch consumed every inch of her body. Then, she was lost in his gaze, drawing in every bit of his attention and drowning in it.  Claire held his hand for too long, she knew it and she was sure her brother had noticed too, and yet her touch on his hand remained as she finally manages a slow and steady breath before saying nothing more than her own name.  

“The birthday girl,” Freddie hummed out, and her stomach fluttered. 

Something told Claire that he could call her anything and she would be left swooning. 

“That’s right,” Claire hummed her fingers still lingering on his, failing to let go of his hand, “and I think that means you have to get me a drink.”

Claire hadn’t meant to be so flirtatious with her words, especially not with her brother and Brady standing right there. Yet it left her lips so shamelessly, and her boldness hasn’t failed her. 

Gripping her fingers between his own, Freddie drew her in just close enough to wrap her arm around his so that she held onto the breadth of his forearm so he could guide her off to the bar - leaving Jordan and Brady behind them before either could interject. Her delicate fingers gripped gently at his strength, her heart both dreading having to let go of him and racing at just how he felt between her touch. Touching him felt like the first sip of water after days of needing to drink. It was unlike anything Claire had ever felt from something so simple and it left her breathless as she came to the bar. 

His words were an echo in her mind as he ordered his drink, and then his gaze came down on her again, patiently waiting for her to tell him just what she liked to drink. 

“Paloma, please,” she muttered sweetly, her hand still on his arm as she looked only to him with little acknowledgement to the bartender. 

And when their order was made, and they were left to stand and wait patiently at the bar, Freddie turned so that he was facing her fully and his towering frame leaned up against the bar. The casual tilt brought him a little closer to her level, giving her a good look at the smirk on his lips and the glimmer in her eyes. For a moment, neither of them spoke and just stared. Claire with undoubtedly smitten with him - and maybe if she believed in love at first sight, this would be it. Because the way he stared at her with those sweet brown eyes of his had her convinced that he was feeling it all too. 

“So, birthday girl,” Freddie finally hummed as his frosted glass of amber liquor was placed down in front of him and alongside it the grapefruit garnish contrasted it with its femininity, “what are we drinking to?”

Her hand reached out, tracking hold of the glass before raising it between them, “To my brother for having such generous teammates.”

Freddie chuckled lowly, his large hand wrapping around his glass before he raised it between them. Together they took a shallow sip, their eyes locked. It was almost enough to make her choke, but she managed a slow breath and maintained her composure. 

“Now, hard question,” Claire hummed, taking a small step in, “How’d I get so lucky to have you as a guest at my party?”

She watched as his smile grew as he stole another sip of his drink, “contract negotiations,” he answered simply. 

“I think that means we will have to toast to Don as well.”

“We can save that one for when I sign.”

“Which means I’ll need your phone number,” she bit her tongue as she realized what she had just so blatantly done. She could feel her cheeks flush with colour, her heart thundering with regret. Claire knew better than to hit on her brother’s teammates. For their sanity and her own - and the safety of the poor player who even wanted to take the risk of toying with her heart. Yet, she persisted, “You know, so we can celebrate.”

Placing his glass down, Freddie dipped his hand into the pocket of his jeans and pulled out his cell phone before it joined his drink in the bar. His silent question asked Claire to put her number in his phone. 

Claire glanced to the side, across the patio to where her brothers were talking with Derek and Brady. What they didn’t know wouldn’t hurt them. Placing her drink down, she took his phone in both hands and typed in her name and number before hanging it back to him. Claire had expected him to tuck the phone away but took the time to text her quickly. Sending her phone into a dreamy chime with the notification. It was a sound she had come to hate, but now it excited her. 

“You think I gave you a fake number?” She teased him gently. 

“No, no,” Freddie chuckled, his head shaking slowly, “not at all, I-”

His words were broken by the clamour of children’s footsteps as her nieces and nephews stormed the table for dinner. “I think that our queue,” Claire’s words were a half sigh as she drew her hand back from his forearm. The moment she released him from her gentle touch it was as if she were a battery that had been charged but her current was beginning to fade. It was a feeling unlike any other she had felt before, and her gaze on him lingered for a moment as she wondered if he felt it too. 

Managing a smile she stepped back and fell into stride towards the table, leaving Freddie at the bar behind her. Her lips moved in a silent What the fuck? as her mind couldn’t quite comprehend what had just happened, and what she had just let herself do. She carried her Paloma in one hand, while the other reached up to push her blonde hair from her face. It stayed there, her fingers knotted in her hair at the crown of her head as she moved to sit at the head of the table. 

Seat by seat the table was filled until a single seat was left to be taken at her side, and one person remained standing. Claire held her breath as the patio chair was dragged against the ground and filled by Freddie who had come to the table with a fresh drink for them both. He placed it down in front of her without a thought or a look in her direction, leaving her jaw slacked in disbelief - but she was quick to press her lips firm together when she noticed her nephew mimicking her as he sat opposite to Freddie. 

Claire’s lips curled up into a smile as her nephew grinned at the realization that he had been caught. “You gotta be on your best behaviour mister,” she told her nephew, leaning in to smile at him, but it only made him laugh. While it was her birthday she got stuck sitting at the kid’s end of the table. If the kid was old enough to eat without the help of their parents they were exiled to her end of the table, which often featured at least one of her brother’s wives, but tonight the Carolina goaltender had filled their place. 

“I’m not joking,” Claire claimed, and it only had her nephew grinning a troublemaker’s grin, “we got a guest with us, Mr. Andersen. You don’t want to scare him away do you?”

Holy fuck. She thought. Mr. Andersen. It felt so weird, yet so good on her tongue and it left her head spiralling as she helped her nephew with his menu. Freddie Andersen. Frederick Andersen. Mrs. Frederick Andersen. The thought left her feeling giddy as the name echoed in her mind as if she were a schoolgirl scrawling his name across her notebook. That’s what this had to be, a schoolgirl crush of an infatuation. It was the only explanation for it all. 

With that thought, she tried to put all she had felt for him that evening behind her. To forget the anomaly that was her intense pull to him - but there was no ignoring him as he sat right beside her with the spread of his legs just enough to graze against her leg beneath the table. There was no ignoring how easy the casual conversation came between them, or just how good he was with her nieces and nephews when their antics carried out throughout the dinner service. Freddie fit in so effortlessly, so flawlessly that it was as if he had been there the whole time. That fact left Claire dreading having to say goodbye. 

It was a heavy weight in her stomach as she stood at the door of the restaurant, thanking her family and friends for coming. Her nieces and nephews were the first to accept their hugs, sad that they had to say goodbye to their Auntie Claire, but they were tired and didn’t put up much of a fight when they were told to get in the car. The crowd thinned and soon she was left with her parents, and with Freddie who lingered back by the door. She watched him out of the corner of her eye as she told her parents she wanted to take a walk before heading back to the hotel. To go on without her, and when they left her she stood alone with a single gift bag in her hand. Then, she looked straight at Freddie. 

“Did you think I was going to let you run off before I got to say goodbye?” Claire called out to him, her casual stride carrying him toward him. 

He met her halfway, a smile on his lips, “quite the opposite, actually.”

Claire beamed. He had been waiting to catch her alone. 

“Let's celebrate tonight, just the two of us?” Claire asked him slowly, her hand dipping into the bag to brandish a bottle of Canadian whiskey that Brady had given her for her birthday. 

His eyes seemed to flicker with the light of a flame as his hand dinner into the pocket of his trousers. Drawing out his keys he held them up for her to see, “Where do you want to go?”

“I have a room at the Residence Inn,” Claire told him, with a smile and let him lead the way to his car. 

Upon arriving at the hotel, and with his car taken care of by the valet, Claire lead him through the hotel but did not go up to her room. The night was too beautiful to waste it in bed, and it would have been much too forward - though she wouldn’t have complained if that was all Freddie had wanted from her - instead, she lead him out to the darkened patio. It was closed, but she slipped beneath the half-assed barricade and crawled up onto one of the loungers in the corner just out of sight of the security camera she was sure hadn’t worked in the first place. 

Chuckling, Freddie followed her lead - much more gracefully than she had expected - and sprawled out on the lounger across from her. The seat was too short for him, his foot handing off the end even as he was seated up at an angle. Claire could help but stare as he sat there, his auburn hair hanging down over his forehead and his clothes so relaxed on his frame. So effortlessly handsome, she admired him as she reached into her gift bag and grew out the bottle. Manicured fingers picked at the plastic that sealed the bottle, and she let it fall to the ground before twisting the cap free. She took the first, long sip and let the whiskey burn its way through her body before holding it out for Freddie to take. 

His large hand wrapped around the neck of the body, his fingers grazing over the skin of her hand for a moment before she could pull back. Claire could still feel the ghost of his touch as she lay back and stared up at the sky. Just beyond an awning, and around the sun umbrella they had forgotten to close when their service had come to an eye, the night sky was filled with the glimmer of stars. They were faint, drowned out by the city light, but she could see them there. She watched as they sparkled, her eyes trying to planets from stars from satellites as the two of them passed the bottle back a forth. Sipping it from occasion before it was forgotten on the ground between them and conversation prevailed. 

They spoke of their careers. They spoke of home, of family and friends. They talked about their hobbies, their similarities and their differences slowly becoming clear - and not once did her magnetic draw to him waiver. The more they talked, the more she knew, the more it grew. Claire wanted to be near him, to feel him, to know him for more than his mind and his soul but his body too. It was a craving, one that consumed her so fully it was almost debilitating as she pushed up from where she lay on the lounger. 

Reaching down, Claire pushed her heels from her feet with a single hand before her feet met the cold concrete. She stepped around the open bottle of whiskey and took two tip-toeing steps to reach where Freddie sat no more than an arm’s reach away. And he must have been watching her, waiting for her, as she was greeted with the slow embrace of his hands around her waist as she climbed onto the seat with him. 

His fingers wrinkled her dress, causing the flimsy fabric to rise around her thighs as he guided her up into his lap. Claire’s knees rested on each side of a single thigh, the soft fabric of his trousers brushing over the sensitive skin of her inner thigh as she seated herself down. She near shuddered as she felt his muscle flex between her legs, the thick quadricep pressing up against the thin fabric of her panties and the apex between her thighs. There she sat, her full lips parted in a breathy part as she reached out to trace her fingers over the thin cotton of his t-shirt. Claire craved to lean in, to steal that breath of air between them but she hesitated as her bright eyes were heavy and gazed over every angle of his face right down to the swell of his lip as he took the lower lobe between his teeth in restraint. 

“Freddie I,” she gasped out gently, “I don’t normally do anything like this…”

Claire wanted that to be clear. She wasn’t some temptress that made it her mission to sleep with her brother’s teammates nor was she someone who let a man steal more than a kiss on the first date. But with what she was feeling, she wanted to chase the highs of being in his company even if that meant breaking the unwritten rules of being the Captain’s baby sister. 

His head shook slowly, a small smile creeping up onto his lips as one of his hands left her waist to reach up. Freddie’s warm palm met her cheek carefully, his thumb stroking over her lips and feeling her every nervous breath.

“You and me both,” he finally said as his thumb dropped to her chin, “this is the exact opposite of what I should be doing if I want to be staying on the roster, but-”

“But?”

“I just can’t shake this feeling,” Freddie hummed, pushing up from the recliner to straighten up just enough that the tips of their nose graze. He didn’t have to say any more than that. She knew exactly what he was speaking to because she was feeling it too. “I would very much like to kiss you, Claire.”

“If you kiss me I might not be able to stop,” Claire cautioned, her gaze shifting down to the golden cross that hung from her neck. 

The Staal family was strong in their faith, and she had yet to truly give herself to any man. With all that she was feeling, her skin already ablaze with just the overwhelming thought of it all, Claire knew the risk that would come from just a single kiss from his lips. She needed him to know what this would mean to her if she left it spiral. She needed to know that he was willing to carry the heavy weight of being her first with him. 

His perfect lips parted in a breath of a curse as his thick fingers dragged down the angles of her neck. Freddie’s touch was featherlight, but it left a burning path in its wake as he reached her collarbone and the dainty necklace that hung from her neck. Two fingers stroked over the chain before taking hold of the small cross that was no bigger than the pad of his thumb. 

“Claire,” her name was almost a groan on his lips as he studied the cross with eyes that seemed to darken in the night, “you’ve never-”

She couldn’t answer, the embarrassment of it all in her throat. She had always thought she would have waited until marriage, but she had never wanted anyone more than she wanted him in that moment and she hadn’t even kissed him yet. Instead, all she could do was shake her head. 

“Fuck,” he cursed again, but it sounded more like a hymn now, “You’re going to get me into so much trouble, you know that?”

His hand splayed out, holding her gently around her throat after dropping the cross to rest just above her cleaved. With that hold, he drew Claire in, his mouth meeting hers in the kiss she had been craving from him all evening. Any suffocating feeling that had lingered after being void of his touch at dinner had been eliminated the moment his lips met hers. Freddie’s kiss breathed life into her unlike any kiss had before, and Claire felt whole. 

It had started out in a chaste drag of his lips over her own, firm and curious, but it ignited a spark that neither of them could ignore. It drew her in further, her lips parting to welcome the intensity of his kiss, and Claire was melting into him. The world around them was lost as Claire gripped his t-shirt in her fists, and with a single hand, Freddie was pulling her in so that she was flush against him. Freddie’s warmth radiated against her, consuming her as she let one leg fall over the edge of the lounger to ground himself. With one leg anchoring him, Claire could feel his hands travelling down over the subtle curves of her body. His palms stroked over the dip of her waist and down further still as he gripped at her hips. Fingers wrinkled her pale dress, inching its skirt up a little higher as he shifted her position on his thigh just right. And with the careful guidance of his hands, Freddie dragged her clothed cunt over the thick expanse of his thigh. 

The friction left Claire gasping against his lips as she kissed him. Her hands released his shirt, dropping the now wrinkled fabric, before reaching to gasp at the strength of his shoulders. With that hold, Claire anchored herself to him, and let her hips roll in his steady guidance. She could feel each flex of his thigh, and each tug of her panties as they caught on the fabric of his trousers. It pushed the fabric back and forth, forcing the structured hem one way or the other leaving it to tease the most sensitive parts of her and expose her delicate skin to the pleasure of his thigh. Each desperate roll of her hips was almost enough to leave her reeling, her legs threatening to tremble as her arousal seeped into his trousers and undoubtedly could be felt against his skin. 

“Freddie,” she mewled against his lips, his kiss dragging down across her jaw and coaxing a feeble moan before he pulled back just enough to look at her, “My room’s on the third floor.”

“Are you sure?” Freddie asked slowly, his large hand raising from her hip carefully and reaching out to stroke over her swollen lips. 

“I’m sure they won’t want us doing it out here on the patio,” when she spoke, her lips dragged against his fingertips - the mere touch of him sent a smile to blossom over her lips. 

“Yeah,” Freddie breathed out, “Yeah, you’re right.”

Standing up slowly, Claire ran her hands down over the skirt of her dress to smooth out each wrinkle before reaching down to collect the bottle. She cradled it in her hold and watched out of the corner of her eye as Freddie stood - towering - and awkwardly shifted his trouser with the hope to hide the stiffness of his cock as it tested the confined of his trousers. In the dark, it wasn’t all that noticeable, but in the light of the hotel room lobby, she was sure someone was bound to notice. 

“Here, take this,” Claire thought quickly as she reached for the gift bag and placed the bottle inside before handing it to him. It wasn’t a big bag, but maybe it would be enough of a distraction. 

Looking up from his half-untucked shirt and the leather belt buckle around his waist Freddie offered her a smile and a quick thanks before the two of them snuck off the patio and into the hotel lobby. It was so late in the night that not even the front desk clerk greeted them, making it a quick and easy walk to the elevator that would take them up. 

Claire stood on one side of the elevator, her thighs pressed firm together as her panties were still askew, and Freddie stood across from her with the gift bag strategically held in front of him and his eyes locked on her. Leaning her head back to rest against the wall of the elevator, Claire watched him in return, her mind racing faster than she could register a single clear thought - and before she could even try to fathom one, the elevator chimed as they reached the third floor. 

Quick strides carried her out into the hallway and only grew quicker as she left her own arousal dripping down the inside of her leg. Her strides stuttered as she came to the door, her fingers fumbling with the key card for a moment before she was pushing her way in through the door. 

Freddie was quick to come in right behind her, the warmth of his body against her back as he dropped the gift bag - and the bottle of whiskey - to the floor with a hollow thud leaving his hands free to take to her body. Hands splayed over the curves of her waist, drawing her back into him so she could feel the stiffness of his cock against her back. Her eyes fluttered shut at the feeling, her head almost feeling dizzy as she felt him lean in just enough to mutter against her ear. 

“I’m only going to ask this one more time,” Freddie hummed, the rush of his words hot against the shell of her ear, “are you sure? Do you want me to be the first to fuck you, Claire?”

Claire could only nod, her lips slightly parted as she took a steady breath, her mind confused fully by how big he felt pressed up against him. Even while wearing her two-inch heels, Freddie towered a foot taller than her and was so big, so strong. He made her feel small, that at any moment he could pick her up and take her as he pleased and yet, he was taking his time with her. His touch was so cautious, so careful and tender. This wasn’t just going to be a quick fuck. She knew it, and with the way he was touching her - and the way they had been acting all night - he knew it too but neither of them could call it what it was. 

“I need you to say it, Claire,” Freddie prompted her again, his long arm reaching down the length of her body to tug up the skirt of her dress. He drew it up by the hand full, revealing every inch of skin along her thigh and bearing her panties to him. She could feel the vibration of his hum against her back, his two thick fingers dragging over the white lace hem that rested inches below her belly button. 

“Yes,” came the ghost of the word, “Yes, I’m sure.”

His two fingers dipped into the thin fabric, his fingertips dragging over her smooth flesh and did not stop until they came to rest over her clit. It seemed to sting with desperation, screaming for the pleasure that would come from the pleasure of his touch. Yet, all she could feel was the subtle accidental graze that came with the angling of her own hips. 

“Freddie,” his name was a gentle whine on her lips, her head turning to glance back at him. 

“Has a man ever touched you here?” he hummed into her hair as his finger pressed into her clit, a gentle pressure that almost left her teetering uneasily in her heels. 

“No,” she gasped simply, her petite body leaning back against his as her eyes shut. 

Freddie’s fingers stroked in slow, agonizing circles as he spoke again, “Have you ever touched yourself here, Flower?”

Her cheeks flushed red hot at the question, and her knees weak as the nickname was assigned to her by his tongue. Claire nodded slowly, her blonde hair becoming a mess between her head and his chest, and she held her breath as he dipped her fingers lower into the crotch of her panties. Blindly he fixed them just right, trapping his touch between the thin lace and the wet warmth of her cunt - then as his fingertips traced the slick entrance of her core, Claire took in a sharp inhale. 

“What about here, Flower?” Freddie breathed into her hair, each word hot as it was spoken. 

“No,” Claire’s lips quivered, “never.”

“You’ve been such a good girl,” he praised her gently, “waiting so patiently for me.” The cockiness in his tone left the corner of her lips curling as she leaned back into his strength. His free arm welcome her, wrapping so effortlessly around her waist to keep her firm to him as she gazed up at him through her thick lashes. “I’m going to take my time with you, Flower. Spoil you on your birthday, would you like that?”

Claire nodded. 

“Good, girl,” Freddie hummed as he slipped his hands from her panties and let the skirt of her sundress fall back down her legs, “lay down on the bed. Leave everything on for me.” 

She took careful strides as she moved for the bed, her legs left feeling weak from the mere absence of him and only found relief when she was crawling up into the comfort of the bed. Settling among the pillows, Claire bent one leg and she reached for the thin strap that fastened her heels around her ankle. 

“Ah, Ah,” Freddie tutted, “leave everything on for me, Flower.” 

Her fingers froze and eased back against the pillow as her eyes fell on him. Freddie still stood by the door, the glow of the hallway light streaming in and illuminating his silhouette in a halo of light. He had watched her crawl up to the bed without moving from his place, admiring her. It was only as she sat frozen by his words that he took casual, long strides, that carried him to the foot of the bed and tugged his t-shirt off his back and up over his head. Claire couldn’t stop herself from letting her eyes wander. Trailing up from the belt of his trousers where the waist of his boxers played peek-a-boo, and up and over the strength of his body. Her gaze didn’t stop until they had settled on his softened features, and how they were framed by what was now a mess of his hair. 

Her bright eyes fixated on the contrast of his darker as Freddie settled himself at the foot of the bed. It shifted under his weight as he crawled up just a bit high so that he knelt just between her feet. All the while holding her gaze, Freddie took hold of her gently by one of her ankles. He guided it up carefully, placing it on the strength of his shoulder, before turning his head just enough to kiss the inside of her ankle. The action, so sweet and tender, left Claire melting back into the pillows - and her arousal only continued to puddle as he kissed his way up. Up along the length of her calf, his hand guiding her leg up and over to rest along the stench of her back leaving the heel of her pump to drag over his flesh. Up around the curve of her knee was his large hand began to push up the skirt of her daisy sundress. Up over the delicate flesh of her inner thigh where his every breath left her core aching in the anticipation of feeling him.  

As he reached the apex of her thigh, she could feel Freddie hesitate, his hot breath flooding over the damp fabric of her panties. His every hot breath only primed her for the feeling of a single, thick finger dipping into her panties. Hooking it around the soaking fabric and drawing it down her legs so that she was rid of them fully and her glistening cunt was left bare for him. 

Claire could hear Freddie as he let out a steady hum, his hands leaving her dress to pool around her waist to explore the flesh that was exposed to him. A single palm rested over her pelvis, his warmth radiating over her as his thumb reached down to stroke slowly over her clit. It unearthed a desperate whine from her lips, one that was choked back into silence as she felt his fingers glide down over her lower lips and stroked around the entrance of her core. 

“Such a beautiful flower,” he spoke into the soft skin of her thigh, “so wet and ready to be fucked - but first, I’m going to make sure you can handle me. Get you nice and ready for me, so we’re going to start with just one finger, alright, Flower?”

“Yes, Freddie, please,” she pleaded with him, her hips wiggling with anticipation but his one hand kept her pinned firmly to the bed. 

“Patience, Flower,” he reminded her gently with another kiss to her thigh, “you’ll have all of me before the night is over.” His words were a promise as he stroked over her slick entrance one last time before easing the tip of his middle finger inside of her. 

Claire’s lips parted in a quiet gasp as she looked down over the curves of her own body to watch as Freddie worked between her legs. He watched looking up at her instead his eyes were focused on her cunt, at how well her core took his finger and left his skin glistening with her desire for him. The friction of his fingers alone was enough to send her head back to the pillows, her heart racing from every agonizing stroke. 

“So good, Flower,” Freddie praised her, “I’m going to use a second finger now.”

The pressure of the second finger left her biting down on her lower lip as her core stretched out to accommodate him. It was a burning pleasure, her legs weak as one remained draped over his shoulder with her heel digging into the muscle of his back. The pleasure sent her hands to the sheets, her hands gripping at the fabric until her knuckles were white - then came his praise and it only sent her head spinning further into her pleasure. 

“That’s it” he hummed, “you’re taking my fingers so well, Flower, and so pretty while you’re doing it too.” He kissed the inside of her thigh again, the pressure of the pleasure building like the raging storm inside her until he withdrew his fingers one final time and left her void before she would reach the peak of her pleasure. “Taking my fingers so well, I think you’re ready for my cock, Flower.” 

Claire's chest was weak with nerves as she pushed up onto her elbows to watch as Freddie eased her leg from his shoulder and moved to stand at the foot of the bed. She watched as he kicked off his shoes - his fingers that were once inside her now in his mouth as he did so - before his hands dropped to his pants where his erection had tented in his pants. There was nothing discrete about it now, and there would have been no hiding it behind a gift bag if they needed to now. She watched as his hands worked his belt free, and pushed his trousers down until he was left in nothing but his boxers. But not even those stayed on as he hooked his thumbs around the waistband and pushed them down to join his pants on the floor. He stood there bare to her, her eyes left to wander. 

From floor to ceiling and back down again, Claire’s lips were left agape at the sight of him. Freddie was big. From his height to his hands to his cock, there was nothing that failed to impress her about his size. Everything about him made her feel small, especially as he crawled back up the length of the bed until he was hovering over her with a single knee between her legs. 

“Let’s get that dress off of you,” Freddie hummed as he hovered over her, his hand coming down to her shoulder to push one of the straps down over her shoulder carefully. The gentle touch has her sitting up just enough for her hands to work on her dress. She couldn’t get it off her body fast enough, the zipper just out of her reach and left to Freddie’s gentle touch before Claire could discard the fabric on the floor and was left in nothing but her heels as she lay out on the bed beneath him. 

Her chest rose and fell in nervous breaths as she felt her eyes skirt over her body as it was now fully exposed to him. Claire held her breath at the touch of his hands as they explored the newly exposed skin, his hands caressing each exposed breast and his thumb teasing each pert nipple with a teasing smile. “Every inch of you is just so fucking perfect,” he muttered, his neck craning as to put a sweet kiss against her shoulder and when he pulled back his expression was soft as he gazed down at her, “Eyes on me, I want to see the look on your face as you take my cock.”

Biting her lip, Claire nodded desperately as Freddie pushed up onto his knees. He settled himself between her thighs, his careful touch spreading her legs just enough for him before they reached down for his cock. Her eyes were fixated on his face, and his slack-jawed expression as he dragged the tip of his cock over her slick cunt. His eyes almost shut at the feeling, his body shuddering with a heavy breath as the head of his cock kissed her entrance. 

The pressure of the mere tip of his cock left Claire wincing. It was much thicker than the breadth of his two fingers, the girth of him stretching her core out with the mere first inch of him that tore through the final piece of her that marked her virginity. “Stay nice and relaxed for me, Flower,” Freddie breathed out, his one hand reaching out to stroke over the swell of her hip, “it’s going to feel tight, might even hurt just a little, but it’s going to feel so good. I promise you.” 

Claire gave off a desperate nod, her breath hitching as she felt him ease in just a little more of him. She could feel the slick of her core on the inside of her thighs, his cock coaxing more from her with each careful plunge. Any discomfort that came from accommodating his cock soon dissolved into pleasure, leaving Claire arching her back to angle her hips, finding just where she liked having them angled and digging her heels into the mattress. 

“That’s it,” Freddie cooed, his hand gliding down the back of her thigh to grasp her behind her knee. He lifted her leg up to rest against his hip, her calf coming to rest along the back of his thigh as he eased himself in so close to his limit. “So close to taking all of me,” he added as he leaned in, kissing his way over the angle of her jaw and to her lips that were so desperate to be kissed. 

Her lips welcomed his with a breathy, open-mouthed kiss as her bright eyes fell shut - and while she couldn’t see him she could feel all of him. The sweet embrace of his lips as they swallowed each of her feeble moans. The flex of his arms as they drew her petite body flush to his. His legs and how they were tangled with her. And finally, his cock as it delved deep and deeper still inside her until she burned with a throbbing pleasure, unlike anything she had ever felt. 

“Freddie,” Claire mumbled desperately against his lips, her arms reaching around his to grip his back. 

“That’s it,” he cooed, drawing back just enough to rest his forehead against hers and to bring a hand up to stroke over her cheek, his own lips parting in a ghost of a moan, “you feel how good it feels to - ah - fuck,” his words were broken by his own groan the waves of her pleasure all so consuming that he could feel it too. 

Together, they were a symphony of heavy breaths and lingering touches. Their kisses were messy and desperate, mixed with soft moans and low, guttural groans that were punctuated by one final trust that flooded her core and left her feeling full - as if the piece of her she didn’t know she was missing had finally found her. 

The feeling left Claire panting as she lay out on the bed, her eyes training on Freddie’s features until he had drawn back to leave her nothing more than the darkened ceiling. She could have sworn she was seeing stars, or even colours, as she was consumed by the euphoria that Freddie had brought her two. Her gaze was almost tired as she felt him moving down the bed and to where his clothes rested on the floor. Head lulling to the side, Claire’s heart thundered in her chest, her stomach weak at the thoughts that were all too consuming now, was he leaving? 

Biting her lip she was as he jumped into his boxer, her eyes burning with the threat of tears as any emotion now was almost too much, and then she said it, her words quick - almost fearful - as she sat up and clutch a nearby pillow to her chest, “please say.”

“Hey,” Freddie sighed, his tone instantly reassuring as he braced himself against the bed so that he was at eye level with her, “I’m not going anywhere. I’m just going to go grab a warm cloth, and help you get cleaned up, okay?”

“Yeah, yeah,” Claire nodded, her words a breath, “I’m sorry. Okay.” 

Settling back into the bed, Clare’s hands came up to cover her face as the weight of it all hit her. She wasn’t a virgin anymore - that thought made her smile. She had lost her virginity to her brother’s teammate - that was what made her nervous. If Jordan or any of her brother’s found out, there was no telling how they would react - and her poor father would probably have a stroke if he learned she had done anything out of wedlock. 

The thoughts left her stomach uneasy as Freddie returned to the bedroom with a warm, damp cloth. He ran it carefully over the inside of her legs, before dropping the rag to rest over her knees as she pulled her heel-clad feet into his lap to finally remove them. It was then she spoke, her throat weak from moaning, “Are you scared of my brother?”

Freddie shook his head, his smile returning to his lips, “no, are you?”

A chuckle rocked Claire’s shoulders as she reached her hand up to push her hair from her face, “I’m scared of what he will do to you if he ever finds out.”

“We don’t have to tell him at this happened,” he told her gently, his hand dropping one show to the floor, and then the other before he lay beside her. 

Large hands tugged the blanket around them before he reached out to draw her in close to him. Even now that she had him, all of him, there was nothing like being touched by him. She craved it, thrived under it and now that she had it, she didn’t want to know what it was like to be without it. “But, I can’t pretend nothing happened tonight, Claire. I don’t know what’s happened tonight, but I don’t want it to stop. It’s like-” “Like you’ve found something you didn’t know you were missing?” Claire cut in, earning a gentle nod from him as he leaned in to place a firm kiss on her lips one last time before letting his eyes flutter shut. 

Laying content in his arms, with sleep sure to take them both soon, Claire didn’t know what was to come of them come morning. But what she did know was that she would have to thank the team’s general manager, for she would have never met Freddie if it weren’t for him - and that was the best gift she could have asked for on her birthday. 

[berryshiara]

N7 Month 2023 Day 7 FREESPACE (Loss) Interview with an Ardat-Yakshi

This prompt was chosen by my partner. I hoped to surprise and delight them. These posts are not in any order. This particular one happens right after Fen fights for Kari's freedom, and destroys the old Krogan lord in charge. She is a bit messed up, but healing. https://archiveofourown.org/works/51456439/chapters/130037068

@n7month @maskydoolovesmasseffect

[zhongrin]

💐

And a freespace question: How would you and your man react when your S/O has gone missing for more then 24h? 🤔

A FREESPACE QUESTION OOOH

💐: How did you two meet?

answered here!

And a freespace question: How would you and your man react when your S/O has gone missing for more then 24h? 🤔

must you hurt us like this /j

zhongrin:

zhongli: ebg flashback intensifies will firstly check all the places he can think of. if he fails to find me, he'd probably escalate it to the millelith, while also asking for his adepti friends' help. our son xiao is on the case immediately ✨ after all, who could continuously elude the oldest being in teyvat?

me: i would be extremely concerned??? there's no way the very man who founded liyue just went and got himself lost in the woods or something. whatever happened must be something big. obviously i'd immediately go to the adepti first because if they don't know what's going on, then that's... bad. if no leads, i might even go bother childe because "bitch did tsaritsa do something to my husband because if she did i swear to rex lapis' name i'm stealing that geo gnosis back and will bury you and the fucking entirety of your organization 10000 feet underneath your snowy country's lands."

meitham:

al haitham: this man would have a whole darn debate inside his head, you can't convince me otherwise.

"she just needs her personal time." "and yet every single time she does she would inform me beforehand. something is clearly wrong." "untrue. sometimes she purposely shuts people off. she's fine. paranoia will get you nowhere." "but in such circumstances, she would need someone by her side the most." "negative. intruding on her personal space would be-"

he'll eventually go looking for me of course. if this man can track the infamously elusive sachin's research notes faster than the dendro archon herself then i'm pretty sure he'll find me one way or another.

me: again, extremely concerned. will probably bawl and scares the hell out of kaveh. begs cyno ("please i'll buy you all the tcg holos you want!") and tighnari ("can't you use your nose or something?!" "mei, i'm a fox, not a dog...") to help look for him. will bow on lord kusanali's feet and beg her for any advice too. i don't have his 500 iq so i'd have to ask for help from everyone around me ;w;

[ selfship ask game ]

[scientistsinistral]

WIP Asks: time travel marius makes his mom go on an emotional rollercoaster

I need to know. Now.

It's another long moment - Carenina can almost see the thoughts ticking over in his head, before he says, "Mother?" Carenina's heart breaks. Austin was Papa, twice, and mere moments ago, but their second son just called her Mother. Giann calls her Mom. Carenina isn't around to encourage this son to do the same.

Essentially, about four months into her second pregnancy, Carenina comes back to her bedroom with Austin at the end of the day to find twenty-two year old Marius lying on their bed in quite a weak state (having time travelled from the present by accident after getting injured in the present). Confusion and a lot of emotions ensue.

(or, Sci provides her own wish fulfilment of wanting Marius to know what it's like to be held and embraced by his mother even just once. it started with that and then @/lukepearcing indulged and brainstormed with me, and so HERE WE ARE)

Two sequel fics to this also planned: Marius processing all this to the biggest sceptic he knows in Luke (thanks to @/actualbird for the notes on the Mariluke believer/sceptic foil because it works like a dream for this), and then Austin PoV when Marius can't help but talk about what happened for once, because his father deserves to know.

(Thanks for asking about this one Rose, because it's like 70% of the freespace in my brain right now! And I need to keep writing it!)

[avatarskywalker78]

For the ask game: what if Steph never got powers?

Well, for starters, Steph would've gotten shot when the mugger fired that gun - not killed, because I'd never do that to any character and because at the end of the day he was a scared kid with no experience firing wildly, but she'd have taken the bullet and been in recovery for a while, with poor Eddie getting a shitload of guilt because again, his best friend was nearly killed, and he wasn't able to do anything to stop it despite being right there, so this is something that would haunt him (the mugger would get away because this time around Eddie was more focused on saving Steph's life than catching the guy).

She'd still end up meeting Hartley and finding out the truth of the accelerator explosion - a few weeks later than in my fic as even Steph isn't going to push herself back into work with a gunshot wound, but Meena would still come to her and Alyssa for help finding Hartley, which they do so via Ralph. Alyssa would show Steph the dark matter map, but obviously don't have any direct confirmation of anyone gaining some kind of powers, so Steph only starts working on building up a case against Wells, so her friendship with Ralph still happens.

The meeting with Joss would go differently, though - Steph makes the connection between the storm and the girl, but wouldn't immediately go to her because she'd realise that appearing so soon would spook her, and though Joss wouldn't attack her she'd still be far more wary. Steph wouldn't bring up powers at all, she'd just make sure the kid's alright, and Joss is much slower to trust her. Steph would get the ball rolling on meta rights after asking Hartley and getting confirmation that yes, people were affected down to the molecular level due to the dark matter, but no power reveal with Joss means Ronnie has no reason to seek her out regarding Joss's disappearance, so Steph would probably find out there was a problem by asking at Freespace, and Hartley, Eddie, and Ralph all agree to help find her (the Eddie-Ralph friendship still happens).

This is what helps Joss to trust them when they do, but though she’d explain about seeing Clyde Mardon, she wouldn’t reveal the familial connection, so the group would still very much be in the dark about that, and Hartley and Steph focus more on Joss, so they wouldn’t know about Clyde’s death until they visited Eddie in the hospital. Steph, Alyssa and Hartley would still help Dr Marion to build an outreach project, and Eddie agrees to support them anyway he can (still carrying the guilt from Steph��s injury) - they just won’t reveal metas to the public quite as soon.

As for the future...well, in my current ‘verse the force-field project isn’t going to be brought back, as Athena loses the appeal, but in this what-if they’d definitely fight a lot harder for it, and would still work on meta-containment tech. Steph would still mostly help kids and teenagers, she just wouldn’t be a mentor in quite the same way. Also though Eowells still considers Eddie and the Athena group insignificant, it does cause him stress that Steph is now a) no longer one of the key members of this world’s Justice League, and b) lot more vulnerable - because in both ‘verses, if Steph ever got killed that would affect his personal timeline, because Eddie...would not handle that well even with a support system, and would leave Central out of guilt, which would mean no Eowells and a paradox, so it gives the bastard grey hairs (which is always a bonus).

Ask me a what-if about any of my works!

[rivvytrick]

maybe this time is the time i get really into Homeworld with homeworld 3 being out real soon. the story doesnt even interest me all that much compared to 1 and Cataclysm but its Close Enough. what happened since halo dude. what happened since freespace

[mixterglacia]

Hancock for the character bingo!

Row 1

I am so normal about him (they said, lying)

I have so many headcanons about him (please ask I will talk about him forever)

the top row image

Row 2

I want his gender (I’m the actual Hancock’s height gimme the coat)

*puts him in a salad spinner*

Row 3

That’s a solid design right there

FREESPACE (pretend it’s a picture of bacon on an american flag plate)

He is so silly

Row 4

Literally I would kiss him.

Bastard

Row 5

If anything happens to him I will cry

I want to BITE him

I fuck with this aesthetic so hard

[dynapiner]

Sources clouthub freespace trumphagey wall

#Sources clouthub freespace trumphagey wall series#

We plan for this suite of tools to be available by the end of 2019. Senator Ted Cruz (TX) and Representative Dan Crenshaw (TX-02) are at the forefront of trying to address political bias and the manipulation of content. With this type of flexibility, they will truly own their content. CloutHub has taken a bold stance on the issue of privacy and collects no data about a users' personal information and activity online or off. When his cause succeeds, the timid join him, for then it costs nothing to be a patriot. There will also be tools so creators can manage their own revenue streams through subscriptions or donations. In the beginning of a change the patriot is a scarce man, and brave, and hated and scorned. Content creators will have individual channels where they can transfer their entire library. With so many excellent independent journalists and content creators producing material, CloutHub® is developing tools for them to manage their own destiny. As additional features are added it will combine the best functions of many popular platforms and add new features not currently available in one application. Jammane posted the video on his Twitter page that is still active.

#Sources clouthub freespace trumphagey wall series#

CloutHub® is designed to be the next generation in social media platforms. Subway worker Jumanne Way posted a series of videos on social media where he films himself walking through food, drinking from Gatorade bottles and arranging meat and tomatoes on the restaurant’s toilet. The current version of the platform is now ready to welcome content providers and their fans to start rebuilding their networks in anticipation of the robust tools that will be added over the coming months.Īs a successful business and civic leader, Jeff has assembled a top-notch team to execute the plan and has earned the support of a number of technology leaders. CloutHub® is the answer to this need and currently available in an app on google Play and in the Apple Store. One where people can engage in discussion, share pictures, not have their data sold or manipulated, and easily turn those conversations into civic action. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan have nearly doubled the size of their real estate empire in Hawaii, buying another 595.4 acres on Kauai from Waioli Corporation, a nonprofit established by a local family with roots going back to the era of the Hawaiian kingdom. Jeff Brain, the chief executive of CloutHub, a fledgling social media network that has become popular with conservatives, thinks his company fits the bill. He is developing a neutral platform that embraces premium creators across the spectrum of ideas. CloutHub® is poised to meet the challenge.ĬloutHub® CEO Jeff Brain is ready to share the news. As more and more content creators learn their hard work is being suppressed or even censored, the need for a neutral platform, governed by clear, specific rules and no deceptive practices is even more urgent. This happened on the heels of learning about lists of "hate agents" at Facebook and hearing about the suppression of content on Pinterest. IRVINE, Calif., J/PRNewswire/ - A Google whistleblower has blown the lid off the search engine's inherent bias in an interview with Project Veritas.

[shortmania]

Here’s my bingo card. Template and idea by @kureechi, template modification by @mikosarthouse.

I pretty much just put down everything I’m either suspicious of or extremely hopeful/excited for. *crosses fingers* We shall see.

[jedidragonwarriorqueen]

2021 Year In Review

(stealing this format from a review I did for last year. It was a tag game I think but I’m too lazy to start that up. I say after writing all this out, haha.)

Top Five Films you watched in 2021:

Your Name, 2016 (the animation! The music! The angst! Ahhhhhhhh)

Dune, 2021 (absolutely stunning, cannot recommend enough, whether or not you’ve read the book)

Wolfwalkers, 2020 (I loved the first two films in the Irish Mythology trilogy and this one completely blew me away)

Black Widow, 2021 (found family, no romantic subplots which is practically unheard of, women kicking ass, and a canon ace character? Sign me tf up)

Weathering With You, 2019 (utterly adorable and I listened to The Great Escape afterwards on repeat for hours)

Top Five TV Shows in 2021:

The Dragon Prince (Yes, we’ve been on hiatus for like 2 years. No, I don’t care. I rewatched it enough times to count)

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood (recommended by @starsinyourskyes in retaliation for getting her hooked on the Stormlight Archive. Well, it worked. I’m obsessed, and I am absolute Royai trash)

Derry Girls (recommend by @iwillhaveamoonbase and her plethora of Sister Michael gifs. I laughed, I cried, good times)

The Wheel of Time (Siuanraine for the WIN. Also we're getting Aviendha next season right? Right??)

Uhhhhhhhhhhh freespace lol

Top Five Songs/Albums in 2021:

The Best Is Yet To Come by Shepard

Sky Full Of Song by Florence and the Machine

Heaven Knows by Five for Fighting

War Paint by Fletcher

Paper Planes by Elina

Top Five Books of 2021:

Rhythm of War by Brandon Sanderson (deep breath) (incoherent screaming)

Educated by Tara Westover

Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston (so. Much. Fun)

Artemis by Andy Weir (A rec from @mountainsatellite ! Let Jazz Bashara have her own private bathroom 2k21)(it's funny bc it's set in the future)

Wintering by Katherine May

Top Five Fanfictions of 2021:

Homeward Bound by @numptypylon (The Dragon Prince, an ongoing slow-burn Rayllum modern AU. It’s got fluff, it’s got angst, it’s got hurt/comfort, it’s got Rayllum being dorks--the emotional bandwith is both deep and wide!!)

delicate by @lantur (FMA, a Riza Hawkeye character study spanning from pre-canon childhood to well post-canon. Plenty of Royai, naturally. Words cannot give justice to how good this fic is and how much I love it!)

snipers solve 99% of all problems by silentwalrus (okay so like. I’m not usually a crossover person but holyyyy frick frack this FMA/Harry Potter one is fun. Still ongoing and basically 80 chapters of Edward Elric bitching about wizards and saying fuck 3,000 times. I hadn’t laughed this hard since I read The Martian.)

Son of Thorns by @truthwatcher-vez (The Stormlight Archive; I’m admittedly wayyy behind on this one, but it’s a post-RoW fic centered on Renarin Kholin. He definitely deserves some time to shine after we were robbed of content for him in RoW 😤 The author’s Rlainarin series, Chasms Between, is also excellent!)

Controlled Burn by madelinescribbles @okiedoketm (FMA role reversal where Al & Ed are climbing the ranks of the military and Roy commits human transmutation, blinding himself and getting Riza stuck in a taxidermy hawk. Ongoing fic, the characterization is soooo on point despite the role reversal, and the plot is so intriguing!)

Five good/positive things that happened to you in 2021

Seeing friends again!! I got to go visit a good college friend I hadn't seen in years since we graduated, and another friend I'd only seen once since we graduated came to visit twice! (Why do all my friends live across the country?)

I wrote. So much. Fanfiction 🤣 Hit a major slump this fall when rising COVID cases in my area started to make work hellish again, but I'm starting to get back into it!

Started therapy for the first time back in May. Also recently started a new antidepressant, after a bad adverse reaction scared me off from them for a while. Still have a long ways to go, but I'm feeling much better, and I haven't had an anxiety attack at work since.

Realized I'm asexual! Which explains soooo much about my life 🤣 Still coming to terms with it in some respects, but simply knowing brings so much peace and pride in my identity.

I got a Tumblr in 2020 but this was the year I really started becoming active in a few fandoms and really connecting with people on here! It's been a blast, and I love freaking out about shared interests with you all💕

[cj-and-cjs-ocs]

Ella, 1, 2, 3, 15, 18, 21, 25, 26, 49?

1. How does your character think of their father? What do they hate and love about him? What influence - literal or imagined - did the father have?

Ella loves her dad and really looks up to him. He's the reason she joined Freespace and wanted to fight back the 'forces of evil'. Ella's not always a fan of her dad's strategy plans, but other than that, she really thinks her dad is practically perfect.

2. Their mother? How do they think of her? What do they hate? Love? What influence - literal or imagined - did the mother have?

Ella never liked that her mom is always off working and barely stays at home. She still respects her and her work, but Ella doesn't really understand the whole 'exploring space' excitement. Peg's influence on Ella wasn't as strong as Leo's, but it did help Ella's studiousness in school and training.

3. Brothers, sisters? Who do they like? Why? What do they despise about their siblings? Ella's relationship with her brother is toxic at best. She does mend her own ways over time, but she always had a weird mix of jealously and protectiveness. She hates her brother's weak and quiet nature, and always felt like he was the family's Achille's heel. But Ella can't seem to completely hate her brother.

15. Did they graduate? High-School? College? Do they have a PHD? A GED?

Ella graduated from a special military program at Freespace. Although the only award she has to show for it is the high system rank earned for her effort.

18. What did they find abroad, and what did they remember?

Not super sure what this question is exactly asking but here goes...She never remembers much from her travels, just the victory/failure and goals of the trip. It could be said that Ella ultimately found herself, but that's a debated subject.

21. What are your character’s manners like? What is their type of hero? Whom do they hate?

Ella's manners are horrible unless she's trying to make a good impression (which doesn't happen often). Ella's type of hero is someone who sacrifices themselves for the greater good, who fights for what's right and keeps the universe in balance. She hates cowards and deserters, anyone disloyal and selfish.

25. What are their hobbies and interests?

She doesn't have many hobbies, but Ella has always loved swimming and training in different fighting style. One of her favourite things to do as well, is fly. She finds weapon-making fascinating, and is always trying to read about ways to improve her wings.

26. What does your character’s home look like? Personal taste? Clothing? Hair? Appearance?

Ella prefers a super messy area, her house looks like it's falling apart. The only things she keeps clean is herself (specifically her skin and wings, if that's even possible....) and her tools/weapons. Which makes quite a surprise for those going to her house. While she can make a decent effort to clean the place, she doesn't have the focus to clean everything.

49. What about voice? Pitch? Strength? Tempo and rhythm of speech? Pronunciation? Accent?

Ella sounds like an average 'girl' when she speaks with her highest tone but her voice can get really deep and scary when she wants to sound intimidating ':D She often talks really fast, but will slow down when describing something important. Her accent is probably unlike anything we hear today, but is most likely along the lines of an american accent

[disastermages]

6. “Uh- why is there glitter everywhere?” freespace, pick anyone!!

Buying glitter for Wen Yuan was one of those things that seemed like a good idea at the time, but looking at it now, while glitter covered Wen Yuan and the area he’d been playing in, it seemed like much less of a good idea.

“We have to clean all of this up before A-Jie gets home.” Wen Ning says at Wei Ying’s side, holding a broom limply in his hand and Wei Ying has to try his best not to wince. The glitter was contained to the area around and under the coffee table for now, but Wen Yuan would spread it through the rest of the apartment when he decided to make a run for it.

He always made a run for it whenever he got the smallest inkling that he was going to get a bath.

“How long do we have?” Wei Ying asks, eyes scanning all the doorways that led deeper into the Wen’s apartment. Wen Yuan had long since shown Wei Ying his favorite hiding places, telling him that Wei-gege could hide with him when they played hide and seek with Cousin Ning if he wanted to, never fully understanding that there was no conceivable way for Wei Ying to fit into those tiny spaces.

Fabric rustles beside him as Wen Ning pulls his phone out of his pocket, paling even further as he looks at the time, “We have half an hour.” They would have to spend fifteen minutes of that half hour wrangling Wen Yuan into the tub and blocking off his escape routes, it didn’t even account for all the screaming and crying that would undoubtedly happen.

Reaching behind himself, Wei Ying ties his hair up into a higher, messier bun, he couldn’t have it in his face when it came to going toe to toe with a stubborn toddler. “Wen Ning, I’ll handle A-Yuan myself today, you just focus on cleaning up, okay?” When he turns to look at his friend, Wen Ning’s eyes are wide and he’s holding the broom tighter against his chest.

Wei Ying had only ever given Wen Yuan a bath by himself a handful of times, and every time had turned disastrous before Wei Ying had even fully gotten a grip on the boy.

“You’re sure?” Wen Ning asks, his voice dropping down to a conspirator’s whisper, “You don’t have to… I could get him into the bath and then I could clean up afterwards, my sister doesn’t have to know where he got the glitter.” 

Wen Ning was trying to give him an out, and normally, Wei Ying would appreciate it, but now, all he can do is set both of his hands on Wen Ning’s shoulders, “Wen Ning, let me take care of this, it’s no trouble.” 

For a moment, it looks as though Wen Ning is about to argue with him again, but he stops himself and nods all too seriously. They don’t have time, the clock is ticking.

Wei Ying plasters a smile on his own face and nods back before he lets his hands fall away, turning his body towards Wen Yuan, who’s been staring at both him and Wen Ning for who knows how long now. 

“A-Yuan!” Wei Ying sing-songs, his smile going kindergarten teacher wide, “Don’t you want to help your Wei-gege with something while Cousin Ning cleans up?”

Wen Yuan’s eyes are wide and dark as he stares up at Wei Ying, the glitter in his hair making him sparkle in the setting sunlight coming through the window. 

It’s the last thing Wei Ying sees as Wen Yuan turns and breaks out into a full run, glitter falling off of him like fairy dust.

~

“A-Ning, A-Yuan, Wei Ying! I picked up dinner on my way- Why is there glitter everywhere?!” The bags of takeout hang low in Wen Qing’s hands as she walks through the door of the apartment, dark eyes going wide. It wasn’t an exaggeration, the glitter was everywhere, on the floor, on the rugs, on the furniture, on both Wen Ning and Wei Ying as they sit defeatedly against the sofa on the floor, a broom held preciously against Wen Ning’s chest.

“A-Yuan didn’t want to take a bath.” Wei Ying says hopelessly, as if that explained everything in front of her. 

“We tried our best, A-Jie.” Wen Ning says weakly, and all three of them watch as Wen Yuan goes running past them, glitter still falling off of him with every step.

“Who gave him the glitter?” Wen Qing’s shoulders slump forward, watching as Wei Ying and Wen Ning turn to look at each other.

“Jiang Cheng did it.”

[tsukihoshino]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Naruto Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Haruno Sakura/Sasori, InoSai in the background Characters: Sasori (Naruto), Haruno Sakura, Sai (Naruto), Deidara (Naruto) Additional Tags: Sasori The Sorcerer King, Alternate Universe - Labyrinth Fusion, Sakura is having cold feet, Sai gets caught in the crossfire, Don't kick Deidara, They've met before, sasosaku month 2020, Day: 10, FREESPACE IS BEST SPACE Summary:

Sakura would say she was totally not at fault for what happened, after all how was she supposed to know wishes had consequences?