#I couldn't decide what lightning to choose ^^“

[madrone33]

Number 1 Rule of adapting the Odyssey into EPIC is: if it can be more dramatic, it will be more dramatic.

The Greeks decide to throw the infant Trojan prince from the walls because they're scared he'll try to avenge his family? No, Zeus comes down to personally give Odysseus a vision of being killed and says his family WILL die. Kill the baby that reminds you of your son right now, it's the gods will.

Odysseus goes to greet the inhabitants of an island and gets trapped in a cave for two days by the cyclops that's eating his men one by one? Nope, we got BOSS BATTLE 30v1 in the Ithacans' favour until BAM fourteen pancakes are made by Polyphemus' club and oh shit Polites is DEAD-

Athena is just vaugely absent for the whole journey until the end? We got emotionally charged platonic breakups instead, with yelling and insults and "well I'm breaking up with you FIRST!"

Smooth sailing to Ithaca? STOOOORM-

Odysseus' great-great-great-grandfather giving him a speed boost to help him on his way home? Get ready for trickster wind gods, mischievous winions, and a game that was rigged from the start.

Random-ass suspicious and greedy crew mates open the bag? It's Eurylochus, his second in command, his brother-in-law, the man he trusted, Eurylochus WHYYY

Parking in the wrong harbour and getting boulders thrown at the fleet by angry man-eating giants while Odysseus backs away veeery slowly? Nah Poseidon himself pulls up to dunk on them, and Odysseus has to make a last minute getaway using the power of STOOORM to avoid being curbstomped like his fleet.

Odysseus gets some stronger drugs from a god to make him immune to the other drugs of a goddess? Well these drugs actually give him magic powers which he uses to engage in a Pokémon/Yu-Gi-Oh style BOSS BATTLE!

Get some closure with dead loved ones and acquaintances, and be the first interviewer of the fallen heroes of past ages? Nope, we just got TRAUMA and a whole boatload of guilt!

A neat outline of what the rest of the journey will look like, a warning against an island of cows that will slow him down, and the way to appease Poseidon? This Tiresias just says "Y'know there used to be a world where you made it home, BUT I DON'T SEE IT NO MORE. IT'S GONE. IT'S OVER. Also, your palace is fucked."

Sailing past the sirens while getting to be the first mortal to hear their song and live? M U R D E R

Sailing past Scylla to avoid Charybdis and accidentally getting six men eaten because he thought he could totally take Scylla, even though Circe said he couldn't, and then he realised he, in fact, cannot take Scylla? ... Eurylochus, light up six torches.

Eurylochus waits till Odysseus is out hunting and then goes behind his back to mutinously rally the crew and feast on some sacred cattle? Betrayal on both sides, stabby stab, K.O., and then Odysseus helplessly watches them make the greatest mistake of their lives as they ignore his pleas.

Quick clean and easy lightning-strike to the ship, leaving Odysseus to cling to some driftwood and paddle away? Zeus himself appears to the mortals, monologues, makes Odysseus be the one to choose, and then smites the whole ship leaving Odysseus to nearly drown anyway.

Telemachus gets advice from a disguised Athena to yell at the suitors and then sail away to look for news of his missing father? Telemachus gets into a full on beatdown with the suitors and gets FIGHT CLUB TRAINING from Athena!

Athena goes "dad I want my favourite mortal back? Did you forget about him? I think you forgot about him" and Zeus instantly replies "nonsense. How could I have forgotten that funny little mortal? Of course you can have him back my sweet favoured child <3" and then Athena skips off to Ithaca? "Father please-" "LIGHTNING BOLT! ANOTHER LIGHTNING BOLT! LIGHTNING BOLT TO THE FACE HOW DARE YOU ASK ME OF SUCH A THING!"

Poseidon does a double take "wait they let him go?? Oh hell nah!" and then sends a giant fuck off storm for Odysseus to swim through until he reaches the Phaeacians? No, Poseidon's just been there on Ithaca's shores, waiting for eight years, now get in the water BITCH- except Odysseus is just like "oh yeah? Fucking FIGHT ME"

You thought the suitors in the Odyssey were bad? Jorge really just said "dial that shit up to ELEVEN"

[degreesofpetal]

Hihi! I read an ask recently about whether Whitney would choose PC over his status and friends if he had to make a choice and Vrelnir said Whitney would choose PC. I think that’s really cool since he seems super focused on staying top dog in the game so I’m wondering how you think that would go down?

OH ANON. I HAVE SO MANY THOUGHTS ABOUT THIS ANON.

Whitney choosing PC

Whitney cares about his position. As vain as it is, he does. Perhaps more than anything in the world. Until you came along, that is. There are two versions of Whitney. There's before you, and there's after you.

Before you, Whitney was tough.

Before you, Whitney was hypervigilant. Ready for whatever threat would test him next.

Before you, Whitney was selfish. He cared more about himself than you or any other person, by a long shot.

Or you, matching his tenacity with the same force, using your strength for good. Like a lightning strike, showing him that there's more to life than just toughness and crushing those beneath you.

Before you, Whitney was cruel. There's no escaping that simple fact; he was cruel. He was vicious and nasty, all teeth and claws. He never would've dreamt of letting someone get close to him. Until you.

But then, there was you. You, in all of your gentle glory. Like a beam of light, illuminating his darkest parts and showing him how life could be.

Or you, like a bolt of lightning, slicing through his darkest days like a hot knife through butter. You, in all your strength and toughness, showing him that there was more to being strong than crushing those beneath you.

Before you, Whitney was a shell. As much as he tried to hide it, the world that tormented you had tormented him, too. He was broken, but he'd never let anyone see that. Not even his closest friends. And then there was you.

You, who brought him out of his shell.

You, who showed him what life could be.

You, who showed him what he could be.

Once he had you, he knew he couldn't let you go. Not for anything. Even if that meant giving up what had meant the very most to him for so long- his status.

One day, he's getting up to his usual antics with his friends, when you come around.

"Oh, look, it's your little pet." His friends would chide, elbowing each other and laughing. Whitney would crack a cocky smile and make his way over to you, ushering you over to the crowd of people he'd been hanging out with. "Yup," He'd reply, claiming you proudly in front of everyone.

For awhile, everything would be going normally. You'd talk shit with the rest of them, breaking things and spitting and whatever else teenage dirtbags get up to. But eventually, you'd all get sick of just standing on a random street corner, and you'd decide to go back to someone's house. You'd arrive under Whitney's arm. You'd all drink and smoke and talk, but you'd notice that the whole time, Whitney's eyes never leave you. That is, until he needs to use the bathroom.

As soon as Whitney leaves a switch is flipped. You realize with a start that these people are not your friends. They were only ever cordial to you because Whitney was there. And now that he wasn't, they were more than happy to take advantage of your inebriated state. You'd whimper and cry out, but your feeble voice would get lost in the blaring music. By the time Whitney returns an eternity has passed and your shirt is on the ground. Your face is drenched in tears, ruddy and red while you do the best to fight despite the alcohol flowing through your veins.

Whitney sees the scene in front of him and he sees red. CRACK goes one bottle, over someone's head. "Fuck!-" Someone yells, as the broken butt of that same bottle is driven into their arm. "What the hell Whitney?" Someone holding onto you would yell, dropping you on the floor and leaving you to try and cover yourself. Whitney would drag you to his side by your arm, holding you up like a bag of luggage and looking at the small gang of people with a glower you've never seen before in his eyes. He'd drop the bloodied bottle he was holding and spit onto the ground, before leaving the scene behind him- carrying you in tow.

From that day on, Whitney no longer had his "friends" at his every beck and call. But that didn't matter to him, not a bit. Because he had you- and he wasn't going to let you go.

[emeryhiro]

My take on the current fandom discourse

As well as a little reminder.

It hurts and is unfortunate to see many people on here and on Twitter who are worried and hurt by things they saw within the new teaser and sneak peek and their interpretation of what it means.

So I've decided to post this as a little reminder of who Daryl and Carol are to each other and how much they truly mean to each other, hoping that it can reassure at least a few of you.

I won't be disputing people's interpretation of the teaser and sneak peek, but I will be using a parallel I saw within the sneak peek and another similar scene. I'll let the gifs below speak for themselves for a moment before I continue, and I think most of you will know exactly where I'm headed with this.

She gets hurt She dies She catches a fever She gets taken out by a walker... She gets hit by lightning Anything... anything happens to her, I'll kill you.

- Daryl Dixon TWD 07x10

These were Daryl's words when the Kingdom, Alexandria, Hilltop, and everyone he knew were in danger, and even then, not even for a split second was he willing to put Carol's life and safety on the line.

There is not an ounce of doubt in me that Daryl feels any differently now; in fact, his love for her has grown even more because of everything they've been through since and all the time he's been forced to be away from her, never knowing if he'll ever see her again.

If the way he cared for the people of Alexandria, Kingdom, and Hilltop combined couldn't outweigh how much he cared for Carol, there is ZERO chance that Isabelle, Laurent, and the people from Nest ever could.

When Daryl finally lays eyes on Carol in season 2, compared to her, nothing else will matter to him anymore. The second Carol is ever in danger, Daryl will immediately prioritise her safety over all else.

Of course, he'll help the Nest as much as he can, and so will Carol; that's who they are, but if it ever came down to choosing between one or the other, they will always choose each other.

Yes, it's his nature to always fight for people who need him, but his feelings towards Carol led him to overcome that nature once, and he'll do it again without a second thought.

Trust the man who risked his life looking for her daughter

Trust the man who instantly ran into danger to protect her

Trust the man who ran into her arms when they reunited

Trust the man who would risk death to keep her safe

Trust the man who held her when she lost her children

Trust the man who ran to shelter her from seeing her son dead

Trust the man who puts himself between her and danger

Trust the man who stood by her when she lost herself

Trust the man who always made sure she was okay first (this)

Trust the man who has always put Carol first

Trust the man we've known for 13 years!

In 07x10, as a last attempt to convince Daryl to follow the plan and sacrifice Carol to save everyone else, Richard says:

"What we have to do requires sacrifice one way or another... Guys like us... we've already lost so much"

Daryl responds by saying:

"You don't know me"

Because it's true, Richard didn't know him, he didn't know what Carol meant to him, he couldn't imagine, but we do. And just like Richard, the people in France don't know him and don't know how much Carol means to him, hence why they don't understand him no matter how many times he has said that he has his home to get back to and promises he needs to keep.

So why don't they understand? Why doesn't he tell them about her? Why doesn't he explain who he wants to get back to and why? Wouldn't that just make things easier?

The amazingly insightful @haircoveredwriter reminded me of something here: Why didn't Richard expect Daryl's reaction towards Carol being put in harm's way? Why do Isabelle, Laurent, and Losang not hear Daryl when he tries to explain himself?

Daryl has always held the people he cares about the most as close to his chest as possible, like they're his fragile secrets, like he's scared of sharing them in case they get hurt or he loses them. Of course, you might say that that's more something we do as children, but we can't forget that Daryl never got to have a childhood, and he lost the only people he ever loved while growing up, so no, I can't fault him for trying to protect the person he cares about most, even if it's not in the most conventional ways, instead of talking about her and sharing her with anyone he has an acquaintance with.

This is also a way for Daryl to protect himself; I can see how he believes telling others about her is like advertising his weakness, his achilles heel, like holding up a sign to them that says "Here, this is where you can hit me if you want it to hurt the most. This is my weakest spot. This is how you take me down".

Speaking about her out loud is too painful; a reminder of how much he missed saying her name, what he can't have and may never be able to see again.

Listen to the hesitation and the way his voice softens when he says, "There's a lady named Carol" after Laurent asks who he misses from home, and how within a second, we see his guard go right back up again.

Look at how he can't help but smile when he hears her voice saying his name again after however long, or how he can't stand still, and his shoulders move like someone who's overwhelmed by an emotion that they're trying to contain.

The Daryl we see in the new teaser/sneak peek and the Darly we'll be getting in TBOC season 2 is the exact same Daryl he has always been, the one that's always seen as distant and guarded on the outside and a man of few words but incredibly loud actions; almost all of these have been developed as a self-defence mechanism, but none of these means that internally he isn't dying to leave France and get back to her, to hold her again, to see her smile again, to make her laugh again, to wipe her tears when she cries, to be her support and man of honour again.

The list from earlier in this post is just a few examples (of many) of how he has repeatedly shown us, through his actions, that she is the most important thing in the world to him.

~~~~~~

To wrap this up I just wanted to say that I can't wait to see how their bond strengthens even more in season two because I see these two as the definition of soulmates.

I love them, I love how they love each other, and I always will.

Or in @lola-andheruniverse's wise words (her post), which have stuck with me:

"I'm choosing to hope [and trust] and ignore the fear of disappointment... I'll always love them... They changed the way I understand love, and I'll never regret a second spent loving them."

For those who want to watch the scenes mentioned above, the timestamps are as follows:

TWD 07x10 scene between Richard and Daryl is 8:45 - 14:27.

TWD: DD 01x05 scene between Laurent and Daryl 9:20 - 10:50

TWD: DD 01x05 radio call between Carol and Daryl

Thank you to those who read through this; I know it's a little long, and I could have honestly made it 3x longer because I always have so much to say about these two, but I hope it helped ease your minds, even if it was just a little bit.

[sourbinnie]

☆ august.mp3 ☆

♡ genre ¿? ♡ -> angsty angst ; college au ♡ pair ¿? ♡ -> hyung line!skz x gn!reader ♡ plot ¿? ♡ -> he wasn't yours to lose, why did it hurt so much then? ♡ warnings ¿? ♡ -> implicit cheating ; drinking ♡ request ¿? ♡ -> nope

chan ✉

corridors seemed endless as you tried to escape from the burning image of your mind of them together. he seemed so happy, happier than you've ever seen him and you wanted to believe it was all lies for everyone's eyes to see. you knew even if you were in denial that chan loved them more than he could ever love you. you knew he was never in love in the first place, you were a replacement, a toy for him to play with until he got bored. it hurt, it damaged you in a way you couldn't even see.

you were so blinded by love that you let yourself be used by a guy that didn't want the same thing you wanted. all you desired was a healthy and loving relationship, all you got was thunder and lightning striking in your heart. it broke you, tore you to pieces how he looked at her.

"(y/n), can we talk?" felix asked with a weak smile on his face. you shook your head as you stood up from your spot at the library, pretending you were studying but could not concentrate a bit. 

"i don't wanna hear it. i know what you're gonna say and i'm not ready to listen to it." you said honestly and bitterly. it stung your heart that you were not ready to hear the truth from your closest friend. from the beginning he knew you were gonna get hurt, he warned you, begged you to stay away yet you didn't listen.

"please, it's not like that and i just wanted to see how you were." he insisted but you couldn't deal with it right now, at least not today you thought. you grabbed your things and looked at him, blurry eyes and forced smiles.

"fine, why wouldn't i be?" you asked and then decided to walk away from him, not hearing him anymore as you tried to escape from the reality you would have to phase somehow. he was never yours and he will never be.

minho ✉

seeing them dance in the neon lights as you were wishing your sorrows away with another drink. you didn't know how many you had till that point but you knew you were reaching your limits of doing something stupid, so the stop sign was gonna appear at some point. you sighed and tried looking anywhere else but your attention will always lead back to the scene in front of you. a full on makeout scene in the dancefloor as everyone cheered like it was a cheap made for tv movie.

you couldn't take it anymore as you walked through the crowded room to the exit. endless times were going through your head as you thought of the times you had kissed him in his bed. the early mornings were unforgettable as he would let you sleep a bit more or you would watch him sleep from the tired nights he would confront. now he was back with her and you were back to your old self, habits that would destroy you, filling your lifestyle.

"it's a lot inside isn't it?" seungmin asked and you nodded. you were so tired, just wanted to go home but your feet were glued to the ground. "i'm sorry about... that." 

"no need to be sorry min. i knew it would happen eventually." no you did not, you expected him to dump her forever and live his best of lives with you. you expected so many things from minho yet you got nothing in return. now you were going to have to pretend that everything was alright in front of your friends but everyone could see through you.

"he's an idiot for letting you go." he muttered and you laughed. you wanted to believe that too but you were so insecure that everything you did you compared it to them. 

"as long as he's happy." you said finally being able to move and walking away with the memory engraved in your mind. them together, them kissing, them loving each other and you? done with them.

changbin ✉

you knew he would choose them. you didn't know how, why or what made you feel that way since the beginning. you didn't expect to be a first choice to anyone but with changbin you had a little faith. you were laying your head on jeongin's lap as he comforted you but it wasn't enough unfortunately. you knew your friend didn't know how to help you and you didn't expect him to know how when you didn't know either. 

falling in love was never easy for you. sharing so many moments with someone for them to wipe them away like they meant absolutely nothing just scarred you in a way you couldn't imagine. heartbreak was okay if you were in a relationship, what do you call it when you were nothing at all?

"i'm sorry. i wish i could help but i'm just useless right now." jeongin said and you shook your head as you got up to look at him. all the tears were finally gone but the pain still endured.

"you're never useless innie. at least you didn't completely break me." you said as you looked down, not being able to meet his gaze anymore as the pity in his eyes was too much. yet he placed his hand on your chin as he made you look at him again.

"i promise i'll find a way to fix this. i'll kick his ass if i have to." he said which made you both laugh. there was a feeling on your chest that believed him but the amount of times changbin lied and deceived you were winning in your heart.

"i wish i could believe you." you said sadly and it made his smile fall too which broke your heart a little. well how much more could it take? punch after punch, one could only take enough right? enough was enough. 

hyunjin ✉

picture after picture was published of them. they looked so good together, he didn't feel shame or embarrassment that he was seen with their new significant other. you say new like they weren't a couple before or like you were ever considered a boyfriend/girlfriend. you were nothing to them, the dirt they walk on and the lonely eyes that would follow everywhere he went in the classrooms. 

suddenly you could not breathe and you had  to calm yourself down. hyunjin was everywhere yet nowhere at the same time, he hadn't talked to you since the night where he told you he would pursue them again. and oh god did he succeed. the way they bragged about hyunjin was in every whisper like it was high school again.

"(y/n) are you okay? did something happen?" jisung asked and i couldn't even say anything. he knew all too well what was happening and why it happened in the first place. my foolish instinct thinking they could change things that were already broken.

"i'm so stupid aren't i sungie?" you asked out of nowhere as you slide down and cover your face with your hands. he sits down next to you as they put their arm around you and lets you sob all that you could. not caring if this scene was shameful, you just needed to get it out.

"you could never be stupid to me, he's the stupid one." he says confidently as he wipes yours tears away. he thinks he's not enough of a good friend not knowing how to comfort you from the pain and hurt you were feeling.

"if he was then why am i the only one crying?" you ask, yet it remains unanswered as jisung gets up, offering you his hand and making you get up for you to go to class. you would have to go another day, thinking through your question. 

[junkiefox]

Teen Wolf "Green Creek au"

Part 2 | Part 1

It was a strange thing to think about Theo Raeken as an omega. Okay. It was expected, Theo was a loner. The one of a kind. The first Chimera. He was selfish, bitter, didn't care for anyone. But Liam was stroked by a feeling of wrongness when he saw Theo's eyes. Purple, so, so purple.

Because Theo was selfish, and bitter, and didn't care for anyone, but Liam didn't believe that they were all true. He was all those things, but he was also the boy who fought with him. Who decided Liam was enough saving or didn't see enough on himself to save. He was the boy who didn't know how to take someone's pain away because no one had taught him. The kid who was manipulated into thinking that to be powerful, he couldn't trust anyone.

"His leg is going to be okay," Deaton said. "It's going to take longer to heal, at least longer than it should for your kind."

Liam was stroking Theo's head, his fingers moving as if it was an instinct. He wasn't awake, Deaton had given him a sedative so he could close his wounds, and stop the unstoppable bleeding. "Why? Silver shouldn't work on him. I couldn't smell any poison. So, what-"

"He's an omega, Liam. Have been for a while. The Dread Doctors have created a perfect imitation of werewolves, even on this thing."

"He didn't have a pack before."

"Didn't he? They could be dysfunctional, and wronged, somehow, but they were all he had. A family born into that mess, or, at least, something he could rely on. He was with ten for what, ten years? They might not had the strongest bond, but they were all he had. And then, well, he had you to rely on, I suppose." Liam felt out of breath for a second, his hand stopping its movement before he relaxed, letting his hand rest on top of Theo's head. The thought was too close to saying Liam was Theo's anchor.

"How long?" was all he managed to say. "How long is going to take to heal?"

"It's not so easy to guess, but I'd say a week. He's not eating properly, nor drinking water, it's not only he being an omega that's doing this."

Liam worried his bottom lip, eyes focused on Theo's fur "I'm going to take care of this."

"Liam-"

"He can't go back to the woods. He's hurt, and he's going to be vulnerable. He can't go back. Theo is my responsibility, I'm taking care of him."

"I can't tell how long he has shifted, Liam. He- an omega can be dangerous, they can go feral. He's been missing for what, one to two months? He can be in his wolf form since then. This, combined with him being omega is dangerous. He's unpredictable. Theo might be too lost in his wolf. Besides, we don't know when he actually became an omega and how this works, since he is a Chimera."

"Exactly. We can't tell when he became an omega. Deaton, Theo was unpredictable before, and I chose to take him as my responsibility. I'm choosing again."

The vet sighed, shook his head, and pitched his nose before he looked at him again. "Call Scott. He'll want to know what his beta is doing, and why my clinic smells like Theo. Call him as soon you can."

"Yeah. I will." Liam hadn't thought about that.

Nor had he thought how he was going to hide a huge wolf in his room without his mother finding out.

He ended up sat in his bed looking at a still-asleep black wolf. His bedroom smelled like a hospital, a slight smell of blood. But it was combined with citrus and rain, caramel and lightnings. It made his stomach twist.

Theo was an omega, and I felt wrong. Because Theo deserved a pack, a second chance, and happiness. He was eighteen and was caught up in a mess when he was nine. They had promised him that he would be powerful, he wouldn't need to feel insecure or afraid, and what kid would deny that? Theo was a kid when they came, he had been manipulated and used and Liam felt nauseous.

And then, he was ignored by Liam's pack. They had been betrayed before, they had forgiven those. But they ignored Theo. He was left in the woods, they were happy that he was missing —even if Liam said it wasn't true, that he had to hold himself so he wouldn't go searching for him, he never did, so it didn't matter. They didn't care Theo was still a kid, a kid who was brought up in a broken place.

They had failed him. Liam had failed him. He was his responsibility, after all.

And Liam got it, okay? Theo had destroyed their trust, he almost destroyed them. But now, he was an omega, he had shifted into his wolf form because feelings were easier like that. And even then, he couldn't imagine how lonely Theo must have felt. Wolves weren't meant to be alone.

Liam felt sick.

He needed to call Scott, but he wanted to scream at him, even though it wasn't his fault. He never asked anything to them. However, Liam wanted someone to blame and the Dread Doctors were dead while Theo was still suffering.

He inhaled slowly. Citrus, rain, caramel and lightnings filling his lungs. His eyes were on Theo, his wolf form occupying half of his bedroom.

Liam was going to take care of him, at least until his leg healed. He wasn't going to let him alone, not again. Everything was going to be okay, somehow.

He needed to call Scott.

[mychoombatheroomba]

Idle Fantasies

Between the Bones (Leon x GN! Reader) - Chapter 26

Maybe it was stupid to dream, but you let yourself do it anyway.

(Cross-posted from Ao3)

Previous Chapter | Next Chapter

Chapter Index

"You asked me once what I'd do, if I hadn't enlisted," you began one night, as you circled Leon in the training yard, listening to the music Krauser subjected you both to. The topic was brought up after days of you thinking about that brief discussion you'd had with Leon. The grim turn of focus after you'd given each other a few moments of respite. 

Did you choose this? STRATCOM. This training.

The question - and Leon's answer - had taken up much of your thoughts these last few days. And it had all culminated in one way. One thought that you had promised never to entertain: what if? 

What if things had never gone wrong? 

What if your world hadn't been altered so completely? 

Hell, what if you'd never enlisted in the first place? 

"Think I have an answer for you." 

Leon's eyebrows rose in surprise, and not just because of the knife you swung at his stomach. One he dodged easily - and one that he punished with a near-miss swing at your attacking arm. You tried to hold Krauser’s lessons in mind. Tried to treat the practice blade as real. The threat of it made you both more cautious.

The trouble was that even having been with each other, even knowing each other so intimately, sparring was still very much a dance between the two of you. A language the two of you had perfected over the months, one that got your heart beating fast for more than just the danger of it. "Oh yeah?" He breathed and went after you with a quick slash to the chest. Almost had you there, too. "What would you do, then?" 

You swiped at him again, circling around him and bringing your unarmed hand towards his blade, trying to push it out of the way. It led to a brief but lightning fast exchange of hands and blades swinging at each other, neither of you gaining much ground before you both retreated back. 

He was smiling at you proudly. Better luck next time, he said without words, his eyes roaming your body for just a moment.

You couldn't help but smile back and do the same.  

"Think I'd make a pretty good DJ," you shrugged, nodding towards the open window of Krauser's office. Bluegrass was back, unfortunately. "Better than whoever he's listening to." You raised your voice a little, like you were hoping Krauser heard the jab. You didn't get any response from the Major, but Leon laughed. It was good to see him in better spirits. Good to know that letting him slot his head between your thighs made him feel better. Or maybe it was just the fact that the two of you had the night to yourselves again, since your new training partners had decided to take the evening off.

Even if you and Leon had agreed to prioritize practice over sex tonight, it was an opportunity for the two of you to be together, one way or another. 

"You would only ever play the Spice Girls," Leon teased, and you nodded shamelessly. 

"Damn right. And the world would be a better place for it." You were mostly joking. Mostly. Another exchange went by, and you landed a slash on Leon's arm as he stabbed at you. He wasted no time switching hands and going for your side with his left. You counter-cut to avoid, but he ended up nicking your leg with his blade anyway. 

"Stupid songs that make you happy," he nodded as you both backed away again, repeating the words you'd spoken to him so long ago. "I'd listen to that radio station." 

"Maybe I'd play some Green Day for you. If you're lucky."

His smile widened, and you had to admit that confidence looked absolutely staggering on him. 

But however good he looked now, however proud you were of how far he'd come, you still had every intention of winning. 

So, you were ready when he came at you, knife aiming high for the well between your shoulder and clavicle. You blocked with all the certainty of a soldier who'd lived for months with a knife in your hand. Trouble was, when you countered with a stab at Leon's belly, he knocked your hand away with the same level of confidence. You were quick to attack again, bringing your knife up and over to stab at his chest. 

You'd taught him well how to defend against that. A block and another counter cut nearly caught your arm, and you exhaled sharply at the quick follow up he delivered. 

Another near miss.

Too many of those as the gap between your skill levels shrank. 

Or maybe some buried part of you just wanted to feel him on top of you for a while. 

You realized things might be dire for you as you went for a high attack, only to be blocked, and answered with a knife thrust straight at your heart. 

You smacked Leon's attack away in time. 

Unfortunately, you weren't fast enough to stop the hard side kick he delivered to your stomach  that sent you stumbling backwards. You let out a grunt at the pain just before you righted your stance.

He was becoming very fond of those kicks. 

"Not bad, pretty boy," you praised, your voice low so Krauser couldn't overhear. 

"Not too hard?" He asked, and you knew that he did it because he was trying to be mindful of your old wounds. The scars on your belly and ribs, and the trouble that the tissue underneath sometimes gave you. 

You appreciated the concern, but with how your blood was pounding in your veins, you couldn't help but feel it was misplaced, right now. 

"You're fine," you shook your head, and then you rushed him. Your strikes and defenses happened almost simultaneously, you going high and Leon going low. You were the one a step ahead this time, though, and you hooked his leg and brought him down. You saw surprise cross his face, but only for a moment before you were struggling against each other on the ground, bodies pressed against each other. "Besides . . ." you managed through gritted teeth, just as the two of you finished your grapple with you narrowly coming out on top. Your knife slid into place, held in a reverse grip at his neck. He was getting damn good . . . but you were still better. You grinned down at Leon, pinned to the ground beneath you, and spoke quietly to finish your thought, ". . . I don't mind it rough." 

His face went bright red, and then he smiled after a moment. However much of a hardened soldier he was becoming, you took special joy in knowing that you could still make him blush.  "Is that right?" he asked. “I’ll keep that in mind,” he promised with a hushed voice, and you got your second victory out of his flustered state. 

So, taking in the sight, you climbed off of him and offered him a hand up. 

He smiled up at you as you pulled him from the ground, and he dusted himself off. "So, a DJ, huh?" Leon didn't seem to quite believe you, but the idea seemed to make him happy all the same. 

"Ah, probably not," you admitted. "Just the first thing off the top of my head."

"I could see it," Leon said, and then went on after a moment. "Or, you know, an MMA fighter." 

You snorted, nodding. "Or that." You rolled your shoulders back, taking a breath and asking him the question that had been on your mind for days now. "What about you?" 

Leon looked at you then, and you could tell he was trying to deflect as he raised a brow. "Do I like it rough? Or . . ." 

You rolled your eyes, shaking your head. "What would you do? If you could go anywhere? Be anything?" It was a big question. The kind that middle schoolers asked of each other, when the whole world seemed like it was laid before them. Before most saw the railroad tracks their lives were angled down. It was the kind of question you didn't concern yourself with often, because why worry about something that would never be? With Leon, though . . . you wanted to know what shape his life might have taken if not for all he'd suffered. What he would choose now, knowing what he did. 

And you found yourself unsure of what to think when Leon looked at you and shrugged after a long moment. "Honestly? I . . . I guess I don't know, either." His words were quiet, betraying how much the thought bothered him. "I mean, I thought about being a cop somewhere else. After Raccoon City. But . . . I just couldn't shake it. What happened there." You knew all too well the meaning behind those words. "Not that I had long after it all happened before they 'asked' me to join." 

"If they'd given you a choice?" You found yourself asking, hating the world for even needing to pose choice in this as a hypothetical. "Would you have joined?" You weren't quite sure why you were asking. 

Maybe, perhaps because some part of you wondered if his choice would involve the life you had chosen for yourself. Not the idle fantasies, but the real one. The one you both were in now.

Leon pressed his lips into a thin line, and again, shrugged. "I don't know. I mean . . . I've always wanted to help people. I think . . . I know there's a chance for us to do that. It's just . . ." 

"Not how you pictured doing it." You finished the thought for him, and he nodded. 

"Yeah." 

You could sympathize. You hadn't joined the Army with any grand ambitions. It had been an escape. A desperate one, from a life that would have gone nowhere otherwise. You'd never planned on becoming a Sergeant, initially. And you'd never planned on becoming an agent for a classified program. You'd never had the imagination to predict any of this. 

But here you both were. The two of you, your lives taken and twisted into something you hadn't been meant to live. At the whim of something you couldn't control. 

Cogs in a machine. 

And even if you felt like it was a machine you belonged in, there was, perhaps, a part of you that wanted something else. 

"Maybe not a DJ for me," you said, after a long pause between you and Leon. "Maybe just . . . a house away from everything. Somewhere quiet. Somewhere green." 

You watched as the words made his face shift, and he looked at you with that soft, beautiful smile of his. "That sounds nice. Maybe in the mountains somewhere-" he said it like it was something he thought about, too. Like it wasn’t just your stupid little pipe dream, but his as well. 

Suddenly, you felt more vulnerable than you were comfortable with, so you shrugged. Played it off as nothing. Waved away a mosquito that got too close - a herald of the summer on the way. "Probably not in the cards, though." 

"Maybe not now . . ." Leon stepped closer, and you realized that you were entertaining too much hope, ". . . but some day-" 

"Think you're being optimistic again there, Kennedy." 

"You started the conversation," Leon pointed out. You had to give him that. 

"I did." Because some part of you was awake, now. A part of you that you didn’t want, but every moment you spent with Leon, it stirred more and more. A foolish, impossible longing for something that you could never have, because there would never be anything normal about your life ever again. 

But you imagined it, anyway. 

You hadn’t used to. Not before Leon. 

“But seriously,” Leon went on, and you wished he would drop it, “that’s a good dream.” 

“It’s an unlikely one.” 

“You’re not asking to go to the moon, you know,” he chuckled. “You’ll have to live somewhere.” 

“I’ve lived on a base since I enlisted,” you shook your head. “Don’t know if I’d know what to do with myself out of one.” It was spoken with an air of realization, because you hadn’t really thought about it before now. You’d just accepted that as your reality. But when you were done with training, when you were sent out into the world, would that change? You almost couldn’t imagine it. 

“Maybe we’ll have to find out, then,” Leon said, and you just looked at him. Wondered if you should shoot down the idea. 

You wondered too little and too late, though, because you found yourself nodding. Because you wanted to entertain something happy. Not just for him, but for the both of you. “Maybe we will.” It was too much of an allowance of hope, though, so even as you watched Leon’s smile brighten, you shrugged again. Backpedaling. “No sense thinking about it much now, though. Not like we’re leaving this base any time soon.” 

And, because fate liked to make you the butt of so many jokes, you were proven very much wrong the next morning. 

⧫⧫⧫

The sound of tires scraping against gravel. The distant growl of heavy engines. 

The morning run was interrupted the next day by the sounds of vehicles. Leon had enough sense not to let the sound distract him too much, but once breakfast came around, the whispers had well and truly spread through the base. 

It was Alenko who voiced those whispers, his eyes alight with a more genuine excitement than Leon had ever seen from him.

"Did you see the monsters they drove in?" he asked, sitting down at the table with an energy that didn't match how utterly bruised he was. 

"Heard them," you nodded, taking a bite of the rice and meat they'd served that day. "Sounded heavy duty." 

"A bunch of Humvees, APV's, they even brought an M1117," Alenko exclaimed with such genuine glee, and Leon had to smile. 

“It’s a Christmas miracle,” Leon held up his hands in celebration, earning him a side-eye from you. 

“It’s May.” Your deadpan just made him laugh. 

“Ah, you’re no fun.” 

You gave him a look at his response, shaking your head and returning to your meal. But he saw the little smile curving the corners of your mouth. He would never tire of that smile. Not after the sun and all the stars burned out. 

“You’ve probably never seen any of those heavy vehicles up close, have you, rookie?” Valeria asked, raising an eyebrow in Leon’s direction. 

His focus recentered, Leon studied the dark-eyed soldier then, wondering where she was going with this, because Valeria seemed to always be going somewhere with everything she said. “No,” he admitted, and he felt your eyes on him again. 

“Oh, you’ll be in for a treat then,” Valeria said the words with a smile.

Leon learned soon that she was right, because Krauser, it seemed, had called in more than just the APV’s and Humvees. An officer accompanied the vehicles, and several technicians. Mechanics. People who specialized in keeping the machines running. It became clear that the Major intended you all to learn your way around the machines, but the greatest surprise came the day after the vehicles arrived. 

Because as the squad formed up for morning drills, the Major made an announcement. 

“I’ll be leaving you all for a few weeks,” he began, and Leon was sure that, were they not all standing at attention, there would have been murmurs throughout the squad. He could see your eyes widen, clearly taken by surprise. “Got a report I need to make to Command. If all goes well, I’ll have some new things for you when I get back. New lessons.” Leon knew what he meant, then. He knew that he was going to speak to Command about the bioweapons. He was going to try to do as Leon asked, going about it the careful way. 

Leon hadn’t pegged Krauser as one to cleave to what his superiors ordered all the time, but he supposed that if this was his life, if the Army and STRATCOM were all he had, then he understood that caution. 

And if this let them all keep their instructor, then Leon was more than accepting of this happening the “right” way. 

He couldn’t believe he was actually rooting for this path so he could go on being taught by an asshole who had woken him up with tear gas. Who’d done so much to break him and you and everyone else down. But he was understanding now what you had known all along. That Krauser, despite it all, was doing his best to make sure that you would all survive everything. That you would all have as many tools at your disposal as possible. 

And that included APV’s, apparently. 

APV’s . . . but that wasn’t where things were going to end, it seemed, because Krauser went on as a more lithe but no less stern man stepped up beside him. “This is Commander Cortez. He’ll be taking you all on a little field trip up to Fort Benning. It’s past time you all got some experience behind the wheel.” 

And Leon had seen the way your eyes widened as Krauser gave the location. You and all the rest of your squad. Alenko looked like he was about to jump out of his skin, he was so excited. 

He asked you later why you’d balked like that. 

“Fort Benning,” you began to answer, “it’s where the Armor School is. They train cavalry scouts there and-”

Alenko cut you off, his smile making him seem years younger. “And tanks, man,” he said, and Leon felt his eyes widen. “That’s where you learn how to drive tanks.” 

Leon went quiet for a moment, looking over at you, then nodding. “Huh. Well, shit.” 

It seemed the two of you would be getting some time off-base after all.

Previous Chapter | Next Chapter

Chapter Index

A/N: Just a cute lil chill chapter for Valentine's Day!

[epicthemusical]

A Man with a Trail of Bodies

WARNING THUNDER SAGA SPOILERS

@theultimatenonbinarynerd here is the prompt you sent me!

“Choose, you or your crew.” Eurylochus watches as Odysseus is given the choice and he already knows who they would choose. Why would he die for the crew after everything they have done?

No it's not the crew's fault but his. He is the one that opened the wind bag and openly argued with Odysseus in front of the crew. He is the one who led the mutiny and the crew followed him, stabbing his brother in the back. Even after all that they had been through He is the one that decided to ignore Odysseus’ begging to leave the blasted cows alone. The longer the silence goes on the heavier he feels the guilt weighing on him.

“Eurylochus, will you swear to keep my family safe?” It takes a bit to process the question

“…Captain? What do you mean?” He couldn't really be choosing to die right? He watches Odysseus grit his teeth with tears in his eyes.

“The prophet said there will be a man with a trail of bodies near my wife and I need to know you will do anything in your power to keep my son and wife safe. Please swear to me that you will not let them be harmed!”

“I swear I will keep them safe.” No wonder Odysseus was different after the talk with the prophet. The one thing that would cause Odysseus to disregard the lives of the crew to get home would be him knowing his family was in danger. The only thing that would have him change so drastically.

“But Captain, what about you? Wouldn't they need their husband and father there?” That's the one thing he can't understand. Why is he choosing the crew now after what they had done? Why would he not fight to get home to his family?

Odysseus turns to face Eurylochus and he is obviously fighting back tears and his eyes are full of guilt and exhaustion.

“Because… I have become a monster. I can't let them see what I have become. I am worried that I will end up hurting them. It's best they never know about the blood on my hands. I'm sorry..for everything.”

Eurylochus grits his teeth and blinks away tears. “Okay Captain….. I swear I will take care of your family like they were my own. Thank you for everything Captain.” Odysseus nods with a grateful smile and takes a deep breath before turning back to Zeus.

“I choose myself to die.” Zeus looks shocked at his decision before an amused smirk spread across his face

“Very well then Odysseus of Ithaca. You shall die for the sins of your crew.” Zeus forms a lightning bolt and throws it at Odysseus. The crew looks away from the blinding light, the sound just barely covering the screams.

Zeus leaves at last his job done leaving the crew to grieve for their Captain. Their Captain, in the end, chose to save them.

---------

They cremate Odysseus on the next island they reach making sure to show him the respect he deserves. There are no storms on the way to Ithaca, Poseiden having been satisfied with Odysseus' death.

When they finally return to Ithaca they all head to the palace. Along the way they hear whispers of the terrible suitors polluting the palace and they frown. They reach the palace and are shocked to see just how many suitors there are.

After listening and watching their fury grows at the disgusting men that wish to claim Penelope like she was a prize to be won. They are all in agreement as they slaughter them all making sure to leave none alive. Before long Eurylochus finds himself kneeling before Penelope.

“Queen Penelope, I regret to inform you that your husband, Odysseus has passed away on his journey home.” Eurylochus hands the urn with Odysseus ashes to her.

“I would like to know how he died…. but first I will have the servant girls set up rooms for you so you can clean up.” Eurylochus nods in understanding. She was obviously trying to stay strong.

“Of course I swore to Odysseus to keep you safe so I intend to make good on that oath.Both me and the remaining crew will give our lives to keep you and your son safe. Thank you for your hospitality and we are sorry for your loss.”

The men are each assigned a room and Eurylochus sends away the servants before starting to wash off all the blood and grime. As he stares at the red and grey tinted water a realization hits him.

HE Is the man with his captain's wife, the one with a trail of bodies. The guilt and grief become overwhelming, feeling like it is choking him. He breaks down in the bath letting out all the emotions that had been locked away.

Once he calms down he finishes bathing and he swears, to himself this time, to keep Penelope and Telemachus safe in Odysseus' place. It's the least he could do after all.

[pensbridge]

The Colin treated Penelope cruelly and took too long to accept her other identity, when he's the one who entrapped her himself (I get it's a joke, but honestly)...

deserves to be studied.

Colin spent Part 1 coming to the realization of his feelings for his best friend. He jumped into action faster than any of the other male leads and made the decision to marry her as it was the easiest decision of his life. Colin at the end of Part 1 and beginning of Part 2 is a completely different person. He's settled and happy, so content he's courting her after the fact and already acting like a husband. Like, that's half of the purpose of even showing this with him. He's stupid with happiness and he's also in the dark about this whole Whistledown thing. So when he finds out, his world gets turned upside down...YET AGAIN after he' just come to the realization of the feelings for his longtime friend. He's moving at lightning speed with Penelope, compromising her in a carriage and in front of a mirror for the same reason Penelope is going along with this: they're friends-to-lovers; they've had time to waste for years and they have the person they need to spend forever with right in front of them!

A huge part of Colin's characterization when it comes to love is that he goes head first, all in. He's not thinking logically and quick to solve this inner conflict on his own, because he gave his whole heart to Penelope and it just got crushed in a matter of seconds, while thinking he was actually protecting her in a bad part of town.

He doesn't sleep on the couch because he's punishing her or acting like a baby in response to the reveal. He can't talk about what he's learned and evidently decided not to tell when he's prompted with questions by Kate (and Anthony who's also there), for the same reason Eloise still chooses to protect her. Him sleeping there and being sad the whole time is actually a proof of his love and the best route they could go for his angst about the whole thing. He was so distraught he couldn't even bring himself to go to a further room.

[esther-dot]

That's a Pretty Name 1k @greenhikingboots

While dancing, Jon receives a lecture from Sansa on the importance of complimenting ladies when he meets them.

Courtesies 4k @softvniverse

Jon Snow is in love and Sansa is there to help him.

Memories 1k

“Gilly, he called me. For the gillyflower.” “That’s pretty.” He remembered Sansa telling him once that he should say that whenever a lady told him her name. Jon remembers a simpler and happier time with Sansa.

Dance With Me ficlet

"I told you that I can't dance!" he snapped. He didn't even know why he had agreed to this in the first place. Or Sansa's interest in his behaviour towards women. But ever sense she had seen him talking to the serving girl with a fierce blush and shy stammer she had taken it upon herself to teach him how to talk to girls. And how to dance with them apparently. "Nonsense," Sansa chirped, standing. She beckoned him forward. "Dance with me."

We Can Brave the Dark 2k by @thatgirlnevershutsup

When Arya dares Sansa to spend the night in the crypts, it’s Jon who comes to her rescue.

Nightmares ficlet

Sansa can't sleep, and normally she'd crawl into bed with Father or Robb, but they're not here. Jon is though, and he's even better with a sword than Robb, he can protect her from the monsters.

Games ficlet by @emberalchemist

Mother never likes it when Sansa talks to him, even though Sansa hardly ever talks to him.

First Dances, Feasts, and Other Fights 4k by @castaliareed

Winterfell has visitors from the Vale and Sansa couldn't be more excited. Her half-brother Jon is less enthralled.

Maybe in another lifetime ficlet by @ladywolfmd

Moments before they were to leave Winterfell, Ned goes up the battlements for a moment when he caught sight of a scene that always brought him sadness and yes, guilt. And sometimes with the same longing of things that could've been. But maybe in another lifetime.

Playing Pretend 1k

Robb never wanted to play Knights and Maidens with Sansa anymore - until Sansa asked Jon to be her knight instead.

Before She Knew Better 20k

Sansa Stark wasn't always so distant and cold to Jon Snow.

the half doesn't negate the brother by @thewolvescalledmehome

Jon learned early on in his life what bastard meant. He thought he was five years of age the first time he’d been told he was one. He couldn’t remember who it had been who called him that, but he remembered the heat and anger he’d felt, even though he didn’t actually know what it had meant. He just knew it was meant to hurt and hurt it did.

a moonsbreath from your side 3k by @simply-kelp

Jon has spent nights and days thinking what it would be like to crown Sansa the Queen of Love and Beauty himself, thinking of the kiss she’d given Robb and wondering what it might feel like if she pressed a kiss to Jon’s cheek.

Nipped in the Bud ficlet

Little Sansa feels sorry for her half-brother Jon Snow… Until she finds the perfect solution for his problem!

Maiden in the Tower 2k by @greenhikingboots

While playing a game in the godswood, Sansa decides to teach Theon in a lesson in humility by choosing Jon to bestow with her maiden’s kiss. A story inspired by pre-canon theories.

We're all just songs in the end, if we're lucky 2k by @myrish-lace-love

“Sing me another song, Jon.” Sansa curled up next to Jon’s side. She tucked her head under his chin as the thunder boomed. Jon’s chambers were smaller than hers, but as soon as he saw the first flash of lightning he knew Sansa would be off and running, on her way to him. Sansa was proud of being a little lady at four, but Winterfell’s storms terrified her.  “What do you want to hear?” Jon stifled a yawn. Jon would stay up with her, as long as she needed. Robb would, too, of course, but Sansa had confided that Robb teased sometimes, about being afraid of the rain.  “Florian and Jonquil.” 

untitled ficlet by @allbrainsnosense

He tries not to get jealous—though at first Jon isn’t quite sure just what the knot in his stomach is when he watches Sansa bestow a gentle kiss to Robb’s cheek for saving her from the “ferocious dragon,” as portrayed by an energetic Bran. Sansa coos over Robb affectionately, keeping up her role as fair maiden, and Robb kneels before her like her noble knight. It’s a game the siblings had all played many times before—sans Arya, who refuses to be Robb’s “noble steed” as Sansa demands—and Jon has always found himself an onlooker to the merry play-acting that occurs in the godswood.

I've picked up the speed (to jump your palaces) 1k

Jon takes Sansa to the Godswood. She does a bit of thinking.

Blossoming Feelings 2k @hawkeyescoffee

Sansa studied Jon silently as he fell to his knees, particularly trying not to touch the blanket and smiling to Bran in front of him. It was a fond smile that stretched over his face and made his grey eyes sparkle in the sun. It was a smile that made Jon’s usually hard and sullen features soft and nice and handsome? Pretty even. Sansa pressed her lips harder together until they were just a bloodless line as she was biting the inside of her cheek. Did she just really think that?

In another perfect life 1k @captainbee89

Ned comes clean to cat and the rest of the family about Jon's true parentage and notice that things have changed between Jon and Sansa now that the truth is known.

I will ask you once. Please, will you give me my first kiss, Jon Snow? 2k @alczysz17

Sansa catches her cousin, Jon Snow kissing a girl and wonders what a kiss would be like. She can't get it out of her head so she mind as well go to the source!

kiss me on the mouth (and set me free) 5k

Sansa Stark hates her bastard half-brother. She hates his brooding stare, his dark, stranger’s eyes. She hates the way his very existence hurts her mother, that Robb and Arya love him all the same. And she hates that fire that sparks to life every time they argue. --- An AU of the secret, complicated relationship between Jon and Sansa pre-series.

WESTERN - FAIRYTALES - REGENCY - LITTLE WOMEN - HOLIDAY - SEASON 6 ANNE OF GREEN GABLES - THE GIRL IN GREY - FREE CITIES - FAIRYTALE PART II - POLITICAL MARRIAGE - SALTY TEENS - POST CANON

[crownedghostprince]

Pretty Boy

Spencer Reid x Genderfluid!Reader

Fandom: Criminal Minds

Spencer and (Y/N) have been dating for a few months now, but (Y/N) never had the courage to tell their boyfriend that she was genderfluid and actually preferred it when people changed up the pronouns they used for him. One day when Spencer is having dinner at (Y/N)'s he explores their house and stumbles into their room where her pride flag is hanging up. Fluff and cute moments ensue.

Requests: Closed. Requested: no.

Warning(s): Don't worry there's no angst or anything! Just pure support and fluff!!

Note: Reader is afab in this, I hope that's okay, hence the feminine pronouns in the beginning. But I'll be using lots of different pronouns in this, so enjoy! :)

Word Count: 1,668

[Third Person Perspective]

(This wonderful Spencer Reid Image is from "mercifullymelancholic" on tumblr! Go show them some love!)

It was a peaceful Friday morning at the Bureau when (Y/N) and Spencer decided to have a dinner date the next night, Saturday night, if they didn't get a case or sudden emergency. It took a couple hours of thinking and planning before the decision and time was basically finalized. The only thing that would stop their date would be any cases that pop up.

The date was to take place from 6pm until 11pm when Spencer would decide whether he wants to stay the night or head home. They still hadn't decided which would be nicer. On one hand, waking up Sunday in the same house and enjoying a nice weekend together sounded wonderful, but on the other hand they were too shy to kiss in public. Which means they'd both probably be too anxious to fall asleep under the same roof even in different rooms.

Come Saturday night, a storm had begun after dinner whilst the cute couple was watching 'Mary Poppins'. The crashing thunder and window-rattling wind was a good enough reason for Spencer to stay the night. Spencer let (Y/N) shower first and set up the next movie to watch together, 'Singing in The Rain'. The couple had decided to watch some classics. He spent the next few minutes waiting for his turn in the shower - deep in thought.

Remembering what she had said when he was deciding to stay the night: "Don't stress, Spence. I've got some spare men's clothes that should fit you." They reassured him earlier that evening when he expressed distress in not preparing a suitcase for the evening. "I also have an unopened pack of toothbrushes you can choose from, spare towels and cloths, and even a very warm jacket that'll fit you if you get cold." When they smiled, he practically saw sparkles in her eyes.

A sort of glow surrounding her when she accommodated him. But he quickly realized he was just seeing too much into it and that the light was lightning. Evident once a loud crack of thunder sounded through the night. He was grateful for her generosity and didn't want to pry too much. But he couldn't help but ponder why they had men's clothing that would fit him. He could come up with many reasons, but none that fit her as a person.

Maybe she wore men's clothing for comfort? But most women only wore men's clothing for it to be somewhat oversized and she was the same height as Spencer. Perhaps the clothing wasn't for comfort of size, but of material. But that didn't make much sense either considering she wore tight-fit clothing and never had sensory issues. A past lover? Impossible, she openly admitted when they started dating that he would be her first proper boyfriend.

Despite thinking for a few minutes - and even getting up and pacing around the living room - Spencer could come to only a couple different conclusions on why his girlfriend had men's clothing that would fit them both perfectly. Eventually, he decided he was overthinking it and left the thought alone. To distract himself whilst she was still showering, he decided to walk to her bedroom and explore the house a little.

He was staying the night after all, she'd probably be fine with him looking around at her decor. He approached her bedroom door and quietly stepped in, turning on the light with a flick of the switch just as lightning flashed outside the window directly across from the bedroom door. Above the large window he noticed a peculiar flag. Thunder then boomed outside and the rain pelted down on the window as Spencer finally realized what he was staring at.

The flag was a pride flag. A massive, very obvious, Genderfluid Pride Flag. Suddenly, every subtle detail he'd picked up on his partner clicked into place. Some days they wore dresses to fancy restaurants and some days he wore suit and ties to work events. It all made sense to Spencer now. His partner was Genderfluid and probably nervous about telling him. He couldn't really blame (Y/N). Transgender and Non-Binary people were struggling enough against discrimination. Let alone all the other people whose genders were a little more outside the box.

People weren't so nice to those who were Bigender, or Trigender, and in (Y/N)'s case: Genderfluid. Spencer wasn't sure how to approach this topic yet, so he continued to look around their room whilst they finished their shower. He admired the paintings, vinyl player, vinyls and records around the room. (Y/N) had a Boba Tea plushie on his desk and a Long Bread Cat plush on xer bed. They had a couple of xeir own paintings and empty canvases leaning against his work desk alongside some cluttered paints and brushes.

Spencer liked all the hobbies (Y/N) would share with him, or show him. He loved to listen to her rants about gouache painting, how to take care of vinyl players and vinyl records, the best hobby shops to find decent buttons, pins, patches and wall decals. She had bought a giant tree wall decal that reached from floor to ceiling and it looked amazing behind their bed. (Y/N)'s room was filled with fake nature, fake plants and real plants that rested on the windowsill. Usually the window was open for the plants, but not when a storm was raging around.

He was concerned. (Y/N) was comfortable enough to share almost every other aspect of their life with him, but not their gender identity? Spence began to overthink and wonder if he had done something that made his lover second guess opening up to him. The large Pride flag and diverse wardrobe suggested they were confident in their gender and how they presented themselves. But their hesitation to open up to Spencer suggested they were insecure, or perhaps anxious.

Spence sat down on the soft, starry night themed, bed and stared up at the glow-in-the-dark stars and paint on the ceiling. Without realizing he was deducing his partner, he started to mentally list out their different characteristics by how they expressed himself. Their artistic personality showed her confidence and resilience to other's negative opinions. His favourite vinyl - the one that was currently sat in the record player - showed xeir bubbly personality.

The running water in the shower had stopped, but Spencer was too lost in his thoughts to register the change in ambience as the repetitive rain continued tapping against the window beside him. (Y/N) soon stumbled into the bedroom with a worried look strewn across their face. Xe was clearly nervous. Spencer didn't need to use his big brain to deduce that. They were clutching xeir towel; veins straining from the tight grip. "Spence...I-I'm sorry I was going to tell you, but I..." His voice shook with fear as tears bubbled up to the surface.

"Hey, hey...it's okay." Spencer quickly stood up and walked up to his lover - holding them close. "I'm sorry I invaded your privacy by entering your room without asking. I was just wondering what kind of decor you decorated your room with." He apologized, rubbing circles on her back. "You don't have to apologize to me for taking your time on telling me about something so important."

"You're...You're not mad?" They finally croaked out. He pulled back from the hug to look Spence in his eyes. He didn't look mad...he looked sincere and held their gaze with a familiar softness that (Y/N) could never get enough of.

"Me? I think you have the right to be mad with me right now, babe." Spencer joked. "I will never be mad at you for being true to yourself." He promised. (Y/N) chuckled and leaned back into the hug.

"Thank God I have you for a boyfriend, Spence.." He sighed deeply. She could feel all the stress and worry leaving xer body with that one breath.

"Babe, if I didn't accept you for your true self...dump my ass." He grinned, earning a little 'heh' in response.

"Well...since you're okay with me being genderfluid...I was wondering if you could occasionally call - and introduce - me as your boyfriend? Just--just sometimes, y'know?" He anxiously rubbed the back of his neck. Spencer gently kissed xis forehead.

"Of course! I'd love to know how else you'd enjoy being referred to as. A swarm of bees? A conqueror of men? A changeling dressed for battle?"

"Hmm...I think...I'd prefer.." She pretended to take their time and think, "...some more original jokes that aren't taken off of the internet." They concluded with a snort - laughing at his own joke.

"Damn, alright. I'll write a whole page of genderfluid and non-binary jokes and slowly open conversations and texts with them from now on." Spencer declared. He sported the world's cheekiest grin on his face. All his partner could do was shake their head rapidly at him.

"No no no no no, that's okay! Please forget it! I take it back!" He laughed with embarrassment.

"Wow! I'm already embarrassing you and I haven't even started yet!" Spence grinned in delight.

"Hey, Spencer?"

"Yeah, love?"

"Thanks. Seriously...thank-you for supporting me."

"Always, love." He pulled (Y/N) in for a soft, meaningful kiss. The two then parted for a much needed breath of fresh air afterwards. Soft, melodic rain...a tender kiss...a romantic movie waiting to be remembered...delicious ice-cream ready to be served. A perfect evening that couldn't have gone any better.

"Oh, after your shower let's have some ice-cream and watch 'Singing in The Rain'!" Xe excitedly pulled out some clothes for his awesome boyfriend - as well as a spare towel.

"Sure! I'll have a quick shower. Don't worry my sweet swarm of bees in a trenchcoat...I'll return shortly." He chuckled, running out the bedroom door and into the bathroom with his stuff whilst (Y/N) physically cringed.

"YOu're a gEnIUS!!! You can do better than that!!"

[bigfan-fanfic]

Settling Down (Peter Parker x Percy Jackson x Dick Grayson x Reader)

Requested by @jayfeather965 for Short fic request! Moving to the Pokémon world with Dick, Peter, and Percy?

A slight modification in that we're assuming they're already in the Pokemon world, and helping you choose your first Pokemon/general headcanons about them with Pokemon. Dick has a Lucario that he taught Acrobatics. Peter has a Pikachu that knows Electroweb. And Percy has a Dewott.

With the three loves of your life being lifelong Pokemon trainers, it may be surprising to some that you have never had one.

But you've never had the time, or the room, or inclination.

But with two vigilantes and a demigod as your partners, now you have all three.

Your apartment, a floor-through space, though technically Dick owns the whole building, is Pokemon friendly and accommodating. Percy uses the water room for training along with his Dewott, which is way more disciplined than he is - though sometimes they train with Dick and his Lucario in the gym area. There's a lab for Peter's experiments where his Pikachu helps expend its excess energy by producing the electricity for his machines when not utilizing the solar power grid.

But, since it's a chill day before you've asked your partners to help you actually find a Pokemon, you decide to see if they have any final advice.

Peter and Pikachu

Peter got his Pokemon the conventional way, from a Pokemon Professor.

He was a shy kid, and his Pikachu helped him come out of his shell, so to speak, mainly because it was so outgoing.

And quick to electrocute his bullies.

Getting his superpowers was, pun intended, quite a shock.

But now he finally had the strength and the speed to keep up with his zippy little friend. He could swing around New York with his little buddy zipping along like a lightning strike.

It was probably that that cemented their relationship.

They looked out for each other, developed new techniques, and perhaps most crucially, finally exhausted the little mouse of its boundless energy.

So with a much calmer and less aggressive companion, Peter and his Pokemon seem at peace.

When you find him, he's in his lab, and his Pikachu is playfully bouncing sparks around in the little wire cage they use to expend the surplus electricity.

"Hey! Excited about tomorrow, babe?" Peter chirps, grinning at you.

"Yeah. Just... trying to see if there's any last minute tips you have."

"Well... don't count out a Pokemon just because they seem too different from you. Pikachu and I get along so well, but we were so different at first. It took a while to realize how much it likes napping on me, even if it makes my hair stand up, haha."

Moves - Electroweb, Quick Attack, Electro Ball, Magnet Rise (speedy moves + floating to easier maneuver with Peter)

Dick and Lucario

Dick only got his Lucario from Bruce. It was an egg that hatched into a Riolu.

Bruce had been endeavoring to help Dick learn some responsibility.

So Dick raised the thing from a Riolu pup, taking care of it. A task he took to like a fish to water.

At first, he didn't want to take the Pokemon out with him on patrol, knowing it'd be in danger.

But one day he came home injured, and the worried Riolu sat with him all night, working so hard on something.

When Dick awoke, he realized his Pokemon had evolved. And not only that, it had learned Heal Pulse to try to help him.

Dick felt so bonded with his Pokemon then, and they began to work together, even on patrol.

So they trained together, with Dick's style even helping his Lucario learn a move it ordinarily couldn't - Acrobatics.

Dick trusts his Pokemon partner with his life, and it him - so much so that it rarely, if ever, is in its Ball. It tends to just chill in its own space.

"Your Pokemon tend to teach you as much as you teach them. Don't think about what a Pokemon can do for you at first - instead, just focus on feeling that starting connection. You're finding a friend for life."

Moves - Acrobatics, Heal Pulse, Aura Sphere, Bone Rush

Percy and Dewott

Percy caught his Oshawott in Montauk - perhaps it was sent to him by Poseidon.

Unlike Dick or Peter, his Pokemon tends to be a lot different than him - instead of strengthening what he knows, it covers some of his deficiencies.

His Pokemon is both more childlike than him, and more disciplined.

Which means it tends to help him him relax when he needs to, and urges him to train and focus when he should.

Meanwhile he can be the midpoint between its playful and focused moods.

When it became a Dewott, they made the choice to have its scalchops edged with Celestial bronze, and it helps destroy monsters with as much aplomb as Percy does.

They have both made the decision together not to evolve it further, as Dewott likes to be able to use tools.

Of the three, Percy tends to use his Poke Ball the most to take care of his Dewott. It's a quick way to get it out of danger, and Percy doesn't like when it wanders off.

He'll have it stored in his Poke Ball in public, usually, and unleashes it to battle or at home for leisure.

You encounter Percy listening to music and chuckling as the Dewott tries to dance.

"You can't worry about it all that much." Percy says to you with a smile when you ask for advice. "Your Pokemon will choose you just as much as you choose it. They're not just pets, they're partners too."

Moveset: Razor Shell, X-Scissor, Icy Wind, Air Slash

At the end of it all, you feel pretty excited at the prospect of finding a Pokemon of your own.

Dick has reminded you to focus on the connection, and not the potential capabilities of a partner.

Peter has told you to keep an open mind.

And Percy has reminded you that it's a two-way process.

With all these tips, your anxiety is mostly calmed.

And of course, it's forgotten before bedtime when Dick playfully lines up their Pokemon and makes them "promise" to make your new buddy feel at home.

Pikachu chirrups playfully, Dewott nods seriously, and Lucario crosses its arms and holds one paw out, trying to do a thumbs up.

And you just know that no matter what happens, your new friend will be coming to a great home...

[bonefall]

BB!Acorn Fur -> Acorn Swoop

[ID: The Better Bones version of Acorn Fur, now called Acorn Swoop. She is a sleek, chestnut-brown cat with smooth, round accents, scotty-dog whiskers, and amber eyes. She's running and giving the camera a salute.]

One of Thunder Storm's greatest allies, a loyal childhood friend with a penchant for always showing up in the nick of time!

When Clear Sky rejected his son Thunder Storm, infuriated by his missing hind leg and the gall of the ancestors to try and challenge him, Tall Shadow broke off her supporters in protest to this continued cruelty. Hawk Swoop and Jackdaw Cry were with them, giving birth to their children in Shadow's Clan.

Acorn Swoop, Lightning Cry, and Thunder Storm grew up together. A little trio of terrors, always getting underfoot. Even though Thunder Storm's path eventually drove him to investigate SkyClan to learn from Clear Sky, he always knew they would welcome him back when he came home.

Acorn Swoop was there, watching in horror, when Turtle Heart died in the attempt to retrieve her kittens from Tom. It only became worse, when she returned home with the children, to find that Tall Shadow had decided Bumble was no longer welcome without her mate to hunt for her.

But even Bright Storm, closest friend of the deceased Gray Wing the Wise, was accepting the ruling. She felt her rage drain away, replaced by self doubt. Was this right? It was true that Bumble couldn't hunt or care for herself...

Thunder Storm returned shortly after, having seen the truth about Clear Sky, shocked into fury. When Bright Storm tried to explain everything to him, she was cut off. "I didn't think I'd come home to find another Clear Sky!"

Acorn Swoop couldn't believe she'd ever believed such a thing! That moment was the birth of ThunderClan, breaking away from ShadowClan to charge into the woods, their mission; find Bumble. Some say it was a stroke of great luck that they found her just as Clear Sky did, intercepting his thrashing. Acorn would gleefully counter with, "A swoop always arrives in the nick of time!"

After her death, she is hailed as a Patron of Prra, an untranslatable Clanmew concept roughly meaning "promptness" or "good timing." She's invoked for hunting, humor, and for things to begin and end when they should.

Alignment: Proto-ThunderClan

Family: Swoop & Cry

Time Period: Dawn Era

Relations: Hawk Swoop & Jackdaw Cry (parents), Lightning Cry (brother), Red Claw (mate), Shell Claw & Sleek Swoop (children) Lightning Storm & Feather Cry (nespring)

More changes below the cut!

BB!DOTC has a brand new naming system! Ancient Tribe cats have a last name system, arbitrarily inherited from the mother or father.

So Swoop and Cry both have their parent's last names! Hopefully this will help everyone not forget they're siblings. I did consider calling her Acorn Cry, but I think the Swoop Family is a really cute one.

Unlike canon, Bright Storm is one cat, and she is a major part of the story. Thunder Storm considers Shaded Flower his adopted father.

Gray Wing the Wise was the first cat to die during the Sun Trail.

Acorn and Lightning are not Thunder's adopted siblings in any way.

Thunder and Lightning become mates by the end of DOTC, making Acorn his sis-in-law.

In-canon she's described as being short and stocky and kinda cutesy. That doesn't quite fit what I mean to do with her, so Acorn Swoop is gangly and leggy.

In a more anthro universe I feel like she would be a great mailman, somehow

Because Moth Flight's Vision is now Moth Flight's Vow, and a completely different story with a new reasoning behind the Cleric's Vow, Acorn Swoop does not have the canon conflict with StarClan trying to shame her choosing medicine or marriage.

And, because I refuse to magically conjure up characters to be convenient mates for the main characters, Thunder's canon litter has been split in 2.

Shell Claw and Sleek Swoop (prev. Sleek Fur) belong to Acorn Swoop and Red Claw. Lightning Storm and Feather Cry are born to Lightning Cry and Thunderstar.

But, I'm not sure yet if this is before or after Thunderstar's Justice. I do know, however, that Lightning Cry doesn't live to see his children.

Acorn Swoop is very close to them all as a result, plus her children being the same age as her nespring. She's always been there for Thunderstar in the past, and that's not about to stop any time soon.

You may eventually notice some similarities between her and Sharpclaw when we get there. That's intentional! She is one of his distant ancestors!

By extension, she is the ancestor of Hawkwing, Violetshine, Twigbranch, Rootspring, and Needleclaw.

She also has some descendants in most Clans just by virtue of exponential ancestry, but it's uncanny for the Sharpkin.

In terms of personality, she's cheerful and daring. Acorn takes pride in herself and her family, but can still doubt herself at times. She's a fantastic hunter, and catches well above her share of food to provide for the Clan. Thunderstar is beyond grateful to have her on his side.

In the Modern Era, many of the cats of BB!DOTC have long since been venerated. By now, Acorn Swoop has become an ancient and powerful Patron of Promptness. We might consider her a sort of god of 'chance,' but to Clan cats, "Prra" is a virtue that's hard to translate.

It's perfect timing. It's prey who only looks up when it's already too late. It's a friend of another Clan whose patrol happens to sync up to yours. It's primroses that poke through the melting frost just as you believe winter will never end.

She's invoked when you're stuck anticipating, or when you have to time something just right. It's perfect moments and comedic timing, things that can't just be replicated on a whim.

[let-them-eat-rakes]

third semester persona 5 royal is so the mind electric coded (some of these are my headcanons for akira's feelings) (also long post)

"resident minor, how do you plead? we'll need your testimony on the stand. solemnly swear to tell the whole truth; so help you, son, now raise your right hand." maruki's multiple ultimatums

"i've a good heart, albeit insane." if akira or akechi tried to explain the situation to anyone they would come across as bat shit crazy

"condemn him to the infirmary." 2/2 vibes. akira has to choose between letting akechi go out on his own terms or condemning him to maruki's reality

"all mine towers crumble down, the flowers gasping under rubble." akira wakes up to find everything he worked for had disappeared, and has a small mental breakdown as his world crumbles around him when he sees his friends

"shrieking in the hall of lull, thy genius sates a thirst for trouble." maruki seeing the engine room scene, akira screaming for akechi to still be alive

"scattering sparks of thought energy, deliver me and carry me away." maruki manipulating the phantom thieves' cognition to blind them to the truth, but he believes he is doing good, carrying them away from pain

"here in my kingdom, i am your lord; i order you to cower and pray." maruki's god complex, that he is somewhat unaware of / ignoring

"nuns commence encanting, as the lightning strikes my temples thus." akira going around, breaking the thieves from the illusion, clearing their minds

"spiralling down thy majesty, i beg of thee, have mercy on me. i was just a boy, you see; i plead of thee, have sympathy for me!" the thoughts going through akira's head in the seconds before the phantom thieves arrive

"see how the serfs work the ground. (see how they fall) and they give it all they've got (fall) - and they give it all they've got (fall) - and you give it all you've got, till you're down. (ha! ha! ha! ha!)" i imagined a cool scene about this part when just randomly listening to the song, and it's kinda what inspired this entire post: at some point before 2/2 (like maybe 1/30 or something) akira secretly goes to maruki's palace, and basically just asks 'why. why are you doing this, what's your game here.' and maruki brings him up to a balcony overlooking the city. he says the lyrics (i know cheesy, but imagine he's using it as a metaphor or something) and the parts in parentheses are his savior complex/azathoth/adam kadmon.

"see how the brain plays around; and you fall inside a hole you couldn't see. and you fall inside a hole, inside a-" maruki truly believing that he is in the right, as he sees how (for lack of a better word) damaged the thieves (especially the royal trio) are mentally

"SOMEONE HELP ME" once again, the royal trio and maruki. sumire needing help to be who she truly is, and it's interesting to imagine her just suddenly yelling it during her boss fight. akira needing help to be able to finish things, and a bit of a headcanon: he has so many personas that his original self (pre metaverse) is buried so deep that he can barely access it. akechi needing help to finally do something that he chooses to do for once, and go out on his own terms. maruki believing himself to be the help that they need, but in actuality he also needs help

"doctor, i can't tell if i'm not me." i think that each of the royal trio has identity issues. kasumi/sumire is obvious, akechi is split between his facades, and the previous headcanon that akira has so many personas that he doesn't know who he is anymore. also, if anyone wants to make an animatic or something, this line can be sumire and akira actually saying this to maruki back at shujin, and akechi pondering it to himself during the events of the game

"when it grows light, the particles start to marvel, having made it through the night. never they ponder, whether electric, calming if you look at it right." maruki lying on the platform after the fistfight, accepting that he was wrong and deciding not to try to stay alive when the platform collapses

[alwaysteveswife]

Apologies | Steve Harrington x Fem! Reader.

a/n: this is something small and very little angst, but I liked it, so I decided to publish it 😃

After two months without an explanation to Steve, you decide to go out in the rain to apologize for breaking up with him.

Warnings: A little bit of insecurity, fear of abandonment, a little bit of angst.

Words: 620

It had been exactly two months since Steve and Y/N ended their relationship. No one really knew the exact reason why they broke up. There were rumors that Steve had been having an affair with Nancy, others said that he really just played Y/N for a bit of fun and then dumped her. Most, if not all, said it was all Steve's fault. How wrong they were.

He was always a gentleman. He was the kind of boyfriend who would cuddle you at night to make you feel protected, who would make bad jokes when he noticed you were depressed, who would cook amazing dishes just so you wouldn't ruin the kitchen. He was simply amazing, the problem was Y/N.

She has hundreds of problems, not physical, of course. She was never a very mentally stable person, it wreaked quite a bit of havoc on her social life. That's why, when she started dating Steve, she could only feel what little stability she had crumbling.

Y/N thought she was a mess, and he was so perfect. Her head was full of doubt. 'Why did he choose me? Does he want to play with me? Does he feel sorry for me? Will he have someone else?' Thousands of questions roamed her mind endlessly, making her feel small and insecure. She tried to hold on as long as she could, but there came a point where she couldn't take it anymore, and she broke up with him. 

Seeing him crying and shaking, asking her between sobs to stay with him, or to give him an explanation as to why she was doing that was by far one of the worst emotions she has ever had.

Remorse consumed her every day, without fail.

After they broke up there was a horrible tension between the two of them, dominated by the bitterness and hatred they pretended to have for each other. Snide remarks were common, especially when they were alone. Eye rolling had become an all too recurring gesture between the two of us, it was just suffocating.

That's how Y/N felt now, standing outside the door of the Harrington residence, waiting for Steve to open the door for her. Tonight had been too rough. There was a thunderstorm, thunder and lightning every 5 minutes, reminding her how it felt to be on the other side, as demobats tried to attack her and Eddie.

After a few seconds, the door opened, revealing Steve with slightly damp hair. He had a towel around his neck, and was dressed in his fleece pajamas. Y/N could tell his body froze as he realized it was her standing in front of his door.

"Y/N, what the hell are you doing here? You're soaking wet" He tried to approach her, but stopped himself when he noticed that the wetness on her face was not caused solely by the rain.

"Sorry, I'm so sorry, this was all my fault" She wrapped her arms around her body, feeling safer this way "I was afraid you'd get bored of me, that you'd realize I'm nobody, so I broke up with you so I wouldn't have to face that, but the truth is I miss you" She started crying harder, feeling a weight lift off her shoulders "And I know it's selfish, but I need you."

"Come here" He tugged at her, closing the door as soon as they were both inside "My parents aren't in today, do you want to stay? I have your favorite movie and there's leftover pizza."

"I think that's an excellent idea" She murmured, clinging tightly to him.

"I missed you too" he whispered in her ear, softly kissing her damp hair "I'll get the shower ready."

Masterlist

[homosexualasstransbian]

Alright so as per request, here's a post about my rimworld colony, which is currently recovering from a cold snap.

this is the current state of it, i play with a load of the Vanilla Expanded mods, i'll add the modlist in later, they're all outdated by now i'd assume since i downloaded them like, many months ago.

So to start off, i went with Ariadne Archduchess for my storyteller, basically, the higher your wealth the more she chooses to fuck with you, that is if i understood her storyteller profile right, and the difficulty setting is adventure story.

Ereal is currently, probably my strongest pawn.

Mechanitor that also has really strong psycasts and a shooting skill of 12, which is i think the highest any of the pawns have, but my memory might be very bad.

As for the psycasts, i have the vanilla expanded psycast thingy, which means i can choose them and the psycasters level up by meditating a bunch, so now Ereal has the resurrect psycast, and also a couple lightning psycasts. Luxemburg, my dear friend Luxemburg, has got regrow limbs which helped a lot, since i had a massive component shortage and couldn't make prosthetics for missing limbs, and also makes resurrect infinite, since you have to sacrifice a finger to resurrect someone, but regrow limbs y'know, regrows the limbs.

Minnie is also a psycaster, went with the Empath and Archon route, which means at some point i'll get to do mindbreaks with her <3

Sheyon and Rush were people i got from the "wanderer joins" event, and Tetraquart is a kid that was born very recently, from parents Hitomi and Roubel.

I think The Fabulous and Amira were from the cryptosleep casket in the ancient danger, Theo, Hitomi, Stomp, Vector, Reinald, Roubel, Pokeek and Penelope are all former prisoners.

Sass was a kid that i bought from a trader, i decided to recruit him instead of keep him as a slave, he's currently the 2nd best planter in the colony, after Jacaranda, which is a phytokin offshoot that eats wastepacks and can plant polux bushes. Jacaranda is also bonded with a guaranlen tree.

As for how Jacaranda joined, it was a charity quest where we had to save her from some bandits. That's pretty much it for the colonists, i think the only thing i might've omitted was that Sass and Stomp are Saurids, Sheyon is an Yttakin and Hitomi is a dirtmole.

Now to the Ideoligion of these bitches:

The narrative was just randomly generated, but i think it's decent so here ya go:

And the precepts are:

I haven't gotten any of the relics yet, but i'm planning to get around to that once i set up a genetics lab.

Speaking of genetics.

I have this funny little thing called an Archowomb, which if i do some silly genetics stuff with, i could make an archocentipede, which is, from what i've heard, really fucking strong. Can't wait to get around to that.

For animals, i've got some horses, very useful for expeditions, i have 2 megasloths tamed, and some muffalo + sheep for their wool.

Food, and plants in general: i have like 3k human meat stored, very useful for meals. I have 10x10 planting zones for carrots, green beans, corn, bell peppers, rice and potatoes, 5x5 fields for sunflowers, psychoid plants, smokeleaf plants and some healroot, plus a much bigger healroot field because i was running really low on medicine.

another 10x10 for canola flowers, it's how i keep my colony running, very good for making chemfuel, and chemshine also is quite nice.

and a bigger field for cotton, because i gotta get that cloth somehow.

and da stats for this colony are:

As for stories for this one, i think the only interesting one was that time a mechhive raid dropped right into the fucking food freezer during a components shortage and almost made the entire colony starve.

[yannig]

Favorite kiss tag game

Rules: create a poll with five of your all time favorite onscreen kisses, setting any standard for qualification you choose. Then tag more friends to join in!

Tagged by @negrowhat, thanks a lot, I always love to play!

I love these games because they force me to have opinions. I did not have favorite kisses starting these. Now I do. Took me a while and a whole evening of re-watching scenes but here we are. I'm probably a bit too ace for this one but I had fun scratching my brain.

Vegas & Pete (KinnPorsche)

This one? Yes, for a few reasons. Because I'm a sucker for a happy ending, for one. Because it's the first time they kiss as equals, also. And because I love this scene as a whole, the way it ties so many things together.

Also hands. I'm a sucker for kisses with hands on faces and napes, and we absolutely get that here.

And bonus Macau, because his inclusion is half of why I love this scene. You cannot have Vegas without Macau and Pete knows and understand that. And because I love this shot so fucking much but couldn't find a gif of the kiss that included it.

Nicky & Joe (The Old Guard)

Is The Old Guard a QL? Nope. But Nicky and Joe were the first that came to my mind when trying to come up with favorite kisses of mine, and it's still queer so.

It's a great kiss punctuating what I consider to be one of the greatest love declarations of cinema as a whole, and also maybe the scene that convinced me to watch the movie. I love it, I love them, and I much as I love that movie as a whole, this is still my favorite scene.

No hands this time because, well, they're handcuffed.

Zo & Joke (Hidden Agenda)

I did not finish Hidden Agenda. I was either bored or cringing, and decided that Joong's smile and the promises of a good kiss were not enough reasons to inflict this show on myself.

But this is the kiss that made me want to watch the show in the first place, so I thought it deserved its place here.

Also: that hand. Perfect.

Sky & Prapai (Love In The Air)

This is the "when you're ready i'll propose to you" kiss. I love it, it's so soft and tender, the lightning is perfect.

Prapai and Sky had quite a few heated kisses, but this one is my favorite for how settled it is. There is no rush, no stress, no urgency; just love and tenderness. They're progressively getting settled into their relationship, getting more secure in their love for each other, and I think this kiss reflects that perfectly.

LITA was also my first Thai BL and the show that actively got me into QLs. I have a lot of affection for these two.

And I love the way Sky is holding Pai's face.

Ai Di & Chen Yi (Kiseki: Dear To Me)

Choosing my favorite kiss for these two was a conundrum. They have so many significant moments! I ended up going for the moment they actually get together.

In part because I love narrative parallels, and the whole scene leading up to this is a replica of interactions they've already had, but going differently, for Chen Yi to show that he's changed, that he sees Ai Di now.

In part because these fucking lights. This show loves vibrant artificial lights for this couple and this is certainly a moment.

In part because once again, I appreciate the dept, the slowness, the time to savor finally getting what you've been waiting for for years.

I just love this kiss.

I don't know who to tag, who hasn't done it already. No pressure tags: @bengiyo, @befuddledcinnamonroll, @heretherebedork, @absolutebl, @bl-bracket

If you haven't been tagged and want to play, take this as a free tag!