#I love when deaf and hard of hearing characters exist

[kennyomegasweave]

I get why Heart doesn't talk. I'm hard of hearing. I'm not deaf, I just can't hear super well and it will continue to get progressively worse. I'm also loud af because of that. I've had people I'm out with shush me in public places because of it and, I get why they do it because everybody doesn't want to hear me yell, but it still sucks. Because I love to talk.

So for Heart, whose parents have completely removed him from society, most likely due to misplaced shame at his condition, there's a huge chance they haven't let him talk since. He probably did try to keep talking at first and I'm guessing they shut it down because he couldn't control his volume and tone. And now he just doesn't.

Which is a whole other level of heartbreaking to me. Deaf people do not owe it to anyone to speak. But people who had hearing, for an extended period of time and not just the first few years of life, are used to talking. That's how we've been raised to communicate since birth basically. And so when people take that away because we're too loud? It hurts. So much.

I don't think he'll start talking again, nor do I think he needs to. But the fact that he doesn't, when he was hearing and speaking for 12 years, and how it was most likely a choice made for him to not "embarrass" his parents? Or make them feel guilty he got sick? And how his parents also didn't even bother to learn sign either? It's just devastating to me.

[nataliasquote]

I Know What You Are | n romanoff

Summary: The bane of Natasha’s existence had finally slipped up but when sent to eliminate her, feeling get in the way far too easily.

Warnings: blood, weapons, character death (oops), angst with no happy ending :)

wc: 5.9k (I got really carried away!)

note: this is part 2 of the ideas that were given to me by @katyaromanoffpetrova so thank you love ❤️ this was fun

-⧗-

“I’ve got your six,” a familiar voice crackled through the redhead’s earpiece. She rolled her shoulders back and adjusted her grip on her gun, eyes darting across the smoke covered landscape that loomed before her. They’d picked a good vantage point but it was far too exposed for the assassin’s liking.

Natasha turned away from the edge and nodded to Clint, who’s arrow was already strung in his bow, ready to strike at a moment’s notice. Her flash of red hair was the last thing he saw before she disappeared down the dark stairwell and back out onto the street.

“How long are we going to be circling like this, Nat?” Clint asked, a little out of breath as he finally caught up to his partner. Her eyes were distant, darting between the loosened bricks of the wall they were currently hiding behind. “Are you sure she’s here?”

“She is, I can feel it.” The echoes of gunfire and explosions rattled through their skulls, although the assassins were quite deaf to it now. Clint more than Nat. They clearly weren’t the only ones disturbed by the actions of one woman and her organisation.

A particularly loud bang went off nearby and Clint winced, his hand flying up to the hearing aid in his right ear. Natasha would have sent her best friend a sympathetic look if something hadn’t caught her eye across the desolate square.

A flash of silver, glinting in the orange sunlight as golden hour descended across the war zone.

“Got her.” Natasha scrambled up from her place and raced after the dark figure, her movements as silent and deadly as the night. Frustration spurred her onwards. This woman had been the source of Shield’s stress for months, but that was all about to end.

Her target’s preferred methods rather intrigued Natasha, who was all about efficiency when it came to killing. Guns were always in her arsenal, widow bites too. Her thighs often felt empty without a full holster. But the mystery woman never touched a gun. She was a master with a blade, stabbing and slashing her enemies with a brutal grace, silently dancing across the battlefield leaving disaster in her wake.

She was a free spirit, which drove Natasha mad. No one should be allowed this amount of freedom with her track history and there was no way Natasha was going to return to Shield empty handed. Not today.

The cacophony of noise ceased suddenly and Natasha felt Clint’s presence on the rooftop to her right. The hazy air was still so Natasha stuck to the shadows, the rough brick pressing through the fabric on her suit as she skulked around a corner.

But a sharp pain struck the back of her knee and she collapsed to the ground, a grunt of pain escaping her chapped lips.

A five inch blade thrown with horrifying accuracy had lodged itself in her upper calf ,only inches away from her knee. The pain was nauseating, but Natasha barely had a chance to properly process it before two dust covered boots stepped into her eyeline. With another grunt, she looked up at the figure before her, determined not to show pain on her face.

Her icy glare was met with a mask-covered face, one she knew well. The black mask was made of hard plastic and resembled two hands that covered the wearer’s mouth and nose - basically a muzzle. But playfully glinting eyes peaked over it and it was obvious they were paired with a smirk. Gloved hands twirled a knife, almost daring Natasha to step up and attack. But the redhead had been knocked off her game by those very eyes that taunted her.

She knew them…

Too well.

She used to love them. And as those gloved hands moved to slowly lift the mask from her face, Natasha felt her heart fall into the pit of her stomach.

“Y/n?” She dared to ask, voice barely above a whisper. She got no reply, but the subtle tensing of her opponent’s muscles told her all she needed to know. Fate was laughing at her. The woman she thought had been ripped away from her when they were teenagers was now towering above her, forcing suppressed memories of the Red Room to come crashing down onto both women, leaving them breathless.

This moment of hesitation was all Clint needed to fire, but Y/n was one step ahead. She’d seen him on the roof and knew what he was waiting for, so by the time his arrow had implanted itself into the wall, she had disappeared into the smoke, leaving Natasha alone. The knife in her leg and the rubble indenting her skin did nothing to shake her from her mind, still staring into the empty space where the woman had just been.

Clint came rushing over and dropped to his knee to inspect Natasha’s wounds. He didn���t dare address how much his best friend looked like she’d seen a ghost, pale face and wide eyes and not just from blood loss.

“Cmon, we have to get out here.” He hooked his arms under hers and tried to get her to stand, but Natasha was far too spaced out too even notice what he was trying to do. But Clint’s main concern was the knife. He couldn’t pull it out lest she bled out before they made the jet, but Natasha couldn’t exactly walk far either.

He propped her up against the wall and lightly tapped her face a few times, her green eyes shooting back to his.

“Where did she go?” She asked, suddenly breathless.

“I really don’t know. But you need to get to medical, Nat. We have to let her go.”

“I knew her. Oh my god, I knew her, Clint. Why is she here?” Clint didn’t know how to answer. Part of him thought she was just rambling nonsense from the bloodloss, but a small part of him knew she was making sense. And it didn’t take a genius to figure out where they knew each other from.

“We’ll figure it out when we’re back.” His eyes widened as Natasha’s hand gravitated to the knife lodged in her calf. He reached for her hands, holding them up and away from her injury.

“Clint,” she warned, trying to pull her hands away. “Let me pull it out and we can go after her.”

Clint had to stop himself from rolling his eyes. Natasha’s stubbornness was infuriating sometimes. “That’s not gonna happen. She’s gone, Nat, and you need medical attention. Fury wouldn’t be impressed if you bled out from a knife wound.”

Natasha glared at him but stopped struggling and allowed him to help her limp back to the jet. They’d parked on the rooftop of an abandoned warehouse, so the stairs were a killer. Natasha’s lip bled from how hard she was biting it to muffle her cries of pain.

But the moment she sank down into her seat, memories flooded her mind, both positive and negative, but all involving Y/n. She wasn’t fifteen years old anymore with eyes full of hope, but the same spark was still there, one Natasha had fallen in love with.

What had happened to her?

~~~

The low clunk of a heavy metal door echoed through the chamber, three pairs of footsteps following suit. A female assassin, flanked by two guards, made her way to the centre of the room, her mask resting loosely between her fingers as her eyes remained fixed on the cracks in the concrete floor. The lighting was harsh, yellow bulbs buzzing, making her eye twitch.

Hushed voices became silent as she was presented before them and Y/n knew what was about to happen. She’d lived this day a thousand times.

“Agent,” one of the men called out, his voice gruff. “Mission report.”

“There was an ambush. I could not complete the mission, Sir.” Her eyes remained at her feet but she felt the air in the room shift and the guards beside her tense up. No one failed a mission in Hydra.

A pair of boots approached her and stopped only inches away. A calloused hand firmly gripped her chin and tilted her head up to the light, fingers bruising the skin on her jaw. “We taught you not to fail,” he spat, jerking his hand to emphasise his words. Y/n didn’t flinch. “All of your training, everything we’ve done for you and this is how you repay us?”

“There was a complication.”

He jerked her jaw again, forcing her to look him in the eye. “What complication?”

“The Avengers were there. I couldn’t-”

The sound of a fist slamming on a metal table made her jump and her mask clattered to the ground. The Avengers were a sore spot, and judging by the amount of Russian curse words intermingled with the Avengers’ name in only a few sentences, that hadn’t changed in the three days she’d been gone.

The agent in front of her returned to the group and Y/n finally took a breath, readjusting her jaw after its rough treatment. Although she worked willingly for Hydra, Y/n wasn’t that bothered with keeping track of exactly who they hated each week. She just did as she was told and breathed through the punishments that followed after. Work was work, unfortunately for her, and Hydra provided food and a roof over her head. Luxuries, as far as she was concerned.

A door opened to her right and she watched from the corner of her eye as a figure slipped through, sticking to the shadowed walls on instinct. The glint of a metal arm gave her a weird sense of peace and she turned to meet his eyes, his gaze softening as he looked at her.

“Soldat,” Pierce called, finally rising from his chair after staying silent for so long. He smiled slyly at Y/n who only ignored him. “Take our prized possession to the training room and make sure she never fails again. Use whatever measures you have to.” He directed his orders at Bucky who clenched his metal fist and grabbed Y/n/s forearm, dragging her out of the room.

Neither spoke a word until they reached the training room, just as dark and cold as the rest of the facility. You’d think an organisation like Hydra would have the funds to buy some decent light bulbs. All this yellow light was on Y/n’s last nerve.

Bucky threw her down onto the mats and stood with his arms behind his back as he watched the woman try to get her breath back. He didn’t intend to wind her, but the cameras in every corner were monitored so he couldn’t go easy on her.

“Sorry,” he muttered, his hair swinging beside his face and hiding his lips from view. Y/n waved him off and climbed to her feet, bringing her fists up to her face and setting her feet in a fighting stance. The cameras had no audio, so as long as they fought and he got a good few punches in, no one would suspect anything different.

“Don’t. Just hit me.” They circled each a few times, blocking a couple of punches but nothing major until Bucky grabbed Y/n’s arm and trapped her in a headlock, squeezing just tight enough that her airways were constricted. She tapped out and regained her position before they fought again, this time with her sending a few hits to his stomach.

“I need to ask you about something,” Y/n said through gritted teeth, deflecting a series of punches. Bucky grunted, which was his way of saying ‘go ahead’. “You know when you saw Steve for the first time since… you know, how did you handle it?”

Something shifted behind his eyes at the mention of his old best friend and he sent a strong left hook towards Y/n’s jaw, metal colliding with the bone with a crack. Her head whipped to the side and she let out a cry of pain, palm coming up to cradle her cheek. Bucky just watched for a moment before pulling her in front of him and forcing her to fight. They both hated this, but Y/n’s punishment would be ten times worse if he didn’t get enough good hits in. And Y/n preferred to be bruised by him than some old guard with unbridled rage and unchecked anger issues. Not a good mix.

“Was that not the right thing to ask?” How she could joke with a cracked cheekbone and bruised ribs was beyond Bucky, but humour seemed to be her preferred coping mechanism so he let her at it.

“It’s fine.” His words were more of a grumble than anything, but Y/n was used to that. He wanted to help, but you had to read deep between the lines. “I smashed several helicopters and almost killed him.” Wasn’t quite the response Y/n was expecting, or needed, really. “But they did brainwash me so I don’t suppose that helps.”

“Well, kind of?” Bucky narrowed his eyes and ducked, avoiding a punch before sending a kick to the back of Y/n’s knees. She wobbled but stayed upright, kicking him in the ribs to buy herself a couple of seconds of breathing time.

“Why do you ask? Did you see him?” It wasn’t hope that interjected his words, but Y/n noticed a flicker of something she couldn’t place a finger on.

“No, but I saw someone who reminded me of the same thing. Someone I thought I’d lost.” Natasha’s eyes, full of recognition and aspiration filled her mind and for a moment she faltered, lost in the dizzying memory, encapsulated by a flaming halo of hair. The scar in her eyebrow, her full lips, the ash that had settled on her black tactical suit; all flooding back and hitting Y/n like a truck.

She barely realised she was on the ground until she felt Bucky pin her arms above her head. She just stared into his eyes, a crease between her brows, unable to shake Natasha from her mind. Bucky watched her for a second before slapping her across the face.

“I’m sorry. Again.” He helped her to her feet. “But if they find out you know someone on the other side, they’ll do it to you too.” She’d watched many of his brainwashing sessions and even supervised when he’d come out of cryofreeze and none of it looked the slightest bit appealing. “I don’t want that for you.” She was the only good thing about this place and for his own sanity, he couldn’t lose her too.

“They couldn’t do that to me,” she said with a cocky smirk, her eyebrows quirking upwards. “I’m too valuable. Besides, Natalia won’t forget me again and would probably go on a killing spree if that happened.” Bucky shot her a look. “You’re right. That’s more my style.”

Bucky rolled his eyes slightly, unable to smile at her words. He was supposed to be an emotionless killer - they couldn’t know he had a soft spot for her.

“Luckily for you, you won’t see her again,” he said, swiping her legs from underneath her and sending her crashing to the floor. She scowled and scrambled up, jumping to wrap her thighs around his head in an attempt to bring him down. “It’s better that way.”

“Who says I won’t?” Y/n used her momentum to swing herself around, feeling his hands grip her thighs. “I want- I have to see her again. So I will.”

Successfully flooring him with an ‘a-ha’, Y/n straddled his waist and held her forearm to his throat. But she didn’t expect him to suddenly flip them both and mirror her actions, pushing her down into the thin mats and letting the cold seep through her suit as he held her there.

“So what, you’re going to kidnap her?”

Unbothered by her compromised position, Y/n just smirked, relaxing her body as she accepted defeat. “Who said anything about kidnapping?”

~~~

“Natasha, it’s a trap.” Clint was trying to talk some sense into his best friend, who was clearly having none of it.

“You think I don’t know that?” She gave him a look and returned to fixing her belt. “I’m prepared for this, so please stop stressing.”

“Oh, well forgive me for being sceptical seeing as the last time you encountered her she threw a knife into your knee,” Clint remarked with his arms folded over his chest. Natasha just rolled her eyes and stood up, adjusting her collar.

“I’m going to be ok,” she reassured, although her words fell on deaf ears. “I know who I’m dealing with.”

Clint looked into her eyes for a moment, trying to find a hint of doubt behind her bright green irises. But he found nothing but confidence, as usual. “But, do you?”

Whether it was part of her plan, no one knew, but Natasha walked straight into the trap with her head held high. It was easy, too easy. Natasha knew it, Y/n knew it. Yet that changed nothing. The blindfold was tugged from her eyes and she blinked, trying to adjust the dim light above her. The bulb only cast a small pool of light that spread not far from her chair, plunging the rest of the room into an eerie darkness. There was no sound, no gunfire or wind howling, and no windows as far as she could see. But her assessment of her surroundings was cut short when a figure stepped into view.

A small woman, slim, but muscular and toned enough to make it known that she could take down anyone of any size. Her posture was impeccable and she balanced a small blade between her fingers as if it were a feather and not a deadly weapon. Her lips curled into a smile, but it wasn’t all that inviting or warm. The yellowy light cast shadows across her face as she observed her hostage for a few seconds.

“I thought interrogations were supposed to be your thing, Natalia.” The way her old name dripped off her tongue was like sweet honey and Natasha clenched her jaw, eyes fixed on the woman prowling in front of her. Sure, she could get out of the ties around her wrists, but something kept her there. A desire to learn more about her. “You gave up pretty easily.”

“You know damn well I didn’t give up,” she spat, glaring up at the woman who was now standing so close their legs brushed. “I came willingly.”

“Oh I know,” the woman said with a smile, tracing the sharpness of the redhead’s jaw with her knife. “You can’t resist me.” Her Russian accent was thick and had Natasha completely transfixed. The tip of the knife trailed down to her collarbones so gently. “I didn’t think it would take years though.”

“I knew where you were.” Not exactly a lie - she’d been tracking Y/n’s work for years. She just didn’t know it was Y/n behind the killing sprees and assassinations.

“You break my heart.” There was a mischievous sparkle behind her eyes and it frustrated Natasha to no end. “Guess you thought you were too good for me now, huh? All caught up in your Avengers business and no time left for me.” She pouted like a child.

Natasha looked up at the dim light above her head before answering. It was cliche really, tied to a chair in the middle of a damp room with only a single string bulb as a light source. But the woman before her was far more calculated than she ever let on, so Natasha knew it was part of some much bigger plan.

“Well I can’t exactly have a coffee with the enemy,” she said sarcastically. “The Avengers would take you in if you stopped murdering people for no reason.”

“Ha!” She spat out, turning back around to face Natasha, her knife spinning casually between her fingers. “Avengers. What a pathetic excuse for an organisation. You think they mean well, and that’s just adorable really.”

“They’re not pathetic.” If there was one thing Natasha was protective about, it was her family. “Take a look at who you work for, you’ll find some pretty pathetic business going on there.”

Y/n’s eyes darkened. “Hydra is not stupid. At least our scientists actually do something useful instead of pottering about building metal suits.” A jab at Tony Stark. Classy.

“Yeah sure, if you call illegal human experimentation ‘useful’.”

Y/n let out a soft laugh. “Don’t get all big and bossy with me,” she replied, watching as Natasha’s stony expression cracked slightly. “The twins signed themselves up, I did nothing.”

“You lured them in.”

“What can I say, I’m irresistible.” She winked at Natasha and disappeared into the shadows, leaving a very disgruntled redhead alone.

To say she was the most annoying person Natasha had ever met was a severe understatement. That woman got under her skin and just festered there, and no amount of focus would ever make her go away.

Whether she was knocked out or drugged, Natasha didn’t know, but when she next woke the room was a lot brighter and her hands were no longer tied behind her back. Y/n sat opposite her, the same blade laying flat in her palm.

“Took you long enough.” This wasn’t the same place as before and Natasha reached for her belt, wanting to feel protected. “Don’t. I’m not going to hurt you.”

“That’s reassuring, considering you kidnapped me.”

Y/n finally looked up and scoffed, pushing her chair back so it scraped harshly across the wooden floorboards. “I did not kidnap you. We went over this Natalia. You came willingly.”

“And then you tied me up.” Natasha gestured to her wrists, now free of course.

“What can I say, I’m into that kind of thing.”

Natasha sighed. This was her chance. She wasn’t restrained, Y/n seemed relaxed and no one else was around. She could save a lot of lives, and her own ass by killing Y/n now. But somehow she couldn’t shake the memory of all the stolen kisses and touches they’d shared within the icy confines of the Red Room. How that young girl had been through so much and yet still felt so familiar sitting in the chair opposite.

“Y/n,” she started, switching her approach completely. “What happened to you?” The woman looked up, eyes dark, scanning across every inch of the redhead’s face.

“Why would you care anyway?” Her witty sarcasm was gone, replaced by a steel wall behind her eyes that fully blocked Natasha out. The redhead plagued her mind and tugged at the knot in her stomach, but she refused to let it win.

“You were there, and then you left. And I never knew why.”

“No. I didn’t leave. You did, Natalia.” Her tone was accusatory as she leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees. “You left me alone in that place and you let them take me.”

“I didn’t leave you. They told me you got out, escaped, so I asked to go on more missions. I couldn’t bear it there without you.” Natasha’s voice dropped on the last few words, almost scared to admit her feelings out loud. How could she? The woman she swore to love for the rest of her life had broken her heart to the point where she had never loved anyone since.

“And you believed what they told you?” Natasha said nothing. “Somehow you manage to escape and you don’t come looking for me. We had a promise, Natalia. No matter what, we’d find each other. What happened to that?” Y/n was no longer a deadly Hydra agent gripping the handle of her knife like she was ready to send it flying into a target. No. She was a little girl again, holding onto promises as the last sign of hope in her life. Holding onto Natasha’s pinky finger with her own like their lives depended on it.

Noticing that Natasha didn’t want to break the silence, she continued. “Do you know how hard it is to find work with our skill set? For the ‘good guys’, I mean. You got lucky.” There was a hint of resentment in her words and it hit Natasha in the stomach. “When you tell people you’re an assassin for hire, they usually want to throw you into a penitentiary or shoot you dead right there and then. I had no choice.”

“If you knew where I was, then why didn’t you come and find me?”

Y/n hesitated for a moment. “You didn’t need me ruining what you’ve already got here.” This amount of vulnerability made Y/n’s skin crawl, but all her usual standards seemed to fly out of the window when Natasha was around. It had done ever since they were barely teenagers, soft lips pressed against each other in the gentlest of kisses. The fear of getting caught was worthless when compared to the comfort they had found within each other. “Besides, if I went after an Avenger, we’d both be dead.”

“They gave me a second chance, they would give you one too. You just have to prove it.” Natasha rose from her seat and joined the other woman who had moved to look out of the water-damaged window. “I can see how much you hate it, Y/n.”

“Hate what?”

“Working for Hydra. I can see it.”

Her grip tightened around her knife and Natasha took a step back. “No, they gave me everything.” But her words weren’t as convincing as she intended them to be, her lack of will to live and keep fighting catching up with her. “I owe them everything.”

“But Shield can give you more. You deserve to have something good.” Natasha squared her shoulders and reached out to place a hand on the woman’s shoulder. “No more pain, no more manipulation. You get to call the shots, make your own decisions.” Y/n wasn’t convinced. “We’d get a second chance too.” Her nose scrunched slightly, unable to gauge how Y/n would respond to her last words.

Y/n looked down at her hands, avoiding Natasha’s gaze and trying not to focus on how comforting her touch felt. She stared at the blood that had dried under her fingernails. It never seemed to fade, no matter how hard she scrubbed. She wanted so desperately to run, leave her problems behind like she’d always done. But part of her clung onto the prospect of a second chance with Natalia - she’d craved her warmth for over a decade.

Natasha saw the conflict flicker behind the woman’s eyes, a stark contrast to the sarcastic and confident front she’d put on only hours before. She was exhausted, anyone could see that and Natasha knew all too well what it was like to want to stop running. To stop fighting for other people and start fighting for yourself.

“Why are you doing this? I thought you came here to kill me?” Y/n’s eyes turned icy and she pulled her body away from Natasha, distancing herself once again. But the emotion in her voice couldn’t be masked, and it made Natasha’s expression soften.

“I made a different call.”

Y/n bit her lip, the knife between her fingers spinning rapidly but controlled. “I don’t deserve this second chance, Natalia. Just do what you came to do, earn yourself some more brownie points for the boss.” Her jaw clenched and Natasha pulled her gun from the holster. But instead of firing it, she simply slid it along the dusty floorboards, along with her belt full of weapons. Y/n scoffed at her actions, holding her knife as firmly as she could, but the tremble in her fingers gave her away. She didn’t mean this. Any of it.

“Well that was stupid.”

But her movements were suddenly halted. The door to Natasha’s left crashed down and three figures burst in, firing shots at Y/n before Natasha had a chance to protest. They’d seen the knife and reacted, ignoring the way Natasha yelled at them. The women threw themselves down onto the ground, Natasha shielding Y/n’s body with her own.

“Stand down!” She yelled, holding Y/n against the floor whilst turning over her shoulder. Steve, Clint and Sam stood in the doorway, weapons aimed and pointing at the assassins on the floor. “I didn’t signal anything!”

“You’d been gone for hours Nat, we had no choice. Fury gave the order.” Natasha ignored Clint’s words as Y/n groaned beneath her. Their weapons were still aimed at the Hydra agent despite Natasha’s glare.

The redhead slowly removed her hands and went to help Y/n sit up, but then she noticed the blood. It was visible even through her dark suit and Y/n gingerly pressed her hand to her stomach before pulling it away with a frown.

“I don’t know if we’ll get that second chance, Natalia,” she whispered, looking up at terrified green eyes. “You’ll have to do it on your own.”

“No, don’t say that.” Natasha replaced Y/n’s hands and began to press down on the wound, muttering her apologies as Y/n whined in pain. “You’re going to be ok.”

‘I want to be good, Natalia. I really wanted to be good.” Her words were strained as blood continued to pour from her wounds, coating Natasha’s hands instantly.

“I know, Y/n, I know. You will be, just stay with me please.” She pressed down harder, tears blurring her vision as she felt blood pooling beneath her palms. No one was listening to her cries for help- why weren’t they listening?

Y/n weakly grabbed Natasha’s wrist and pulled her hands off her wound, shaking her head at Natasha’s protests. She could taste metal on her tongue and the redhead’s face faded in and out of focus as she tried to shakily cup her cheek.

“Natalia-”

“No!” Natasha’s lip trembled and she shook her head frantically, pulling her hand away from Y/n/s grip. “You’re not leaving me now, I swear to god. You can be good, I know you can.” Y/n smiled weakly, barely conscious now as blood trickled from her lips. “Please, I just got you back! I can’t lose you again.”

“You won’t lose me, I’ll always be here.” Her nose scrunched up at how cheesy it sounded as she reached her hand up to point to Natasha’s chest. “Right here.”

“No, no, no. Don’t talk like that! You’re not giving up on me, Y/n. Pain only makes you stronger, come on!” She was just spewing words now, her sentences all jumbled and barely making sense as she pressed down on the wound. Y/n smiled up at her and tried to squeeze her thigh where her hand rested. But the energy in her body was fading fast and she could do nothing but look Natasha in the eyes in her final moments, wanting to memorise that specific colour one last time.

When her hand slipped to the floor with a thud, Natasha’s heart stopped. An eerie silence fell across the room, the feeling of death weighted like a blanket. The redhead didn’t make a sound, her sobs silent despite the tears trickling down her flushed cheeks. A stark contrast to her pale skin.

“No,” she shakily whispered, pushing Y/n’s hair back out of her face with a bloodied hand. “I’m sorry.” She cupped her bruised cheek and brushed her thumb over it, finally feeling her skin under her hand for the first time in years. It wasn’t as soft as she remembered, years worth of scars destroying the surface, but it was still perfect to her all the same.

Tears mixed with the blood and created a watery mixture that dripped down off Y/n’s chin and into the collar of her suit. Natasha dropped her head to rest on the other woman’s chest, hands moving to grip her shoulders tightly as though she might disappear. The redhead kept muttering apologies, wanting to make up for all the time they’d lost, even if it was fruitless.

The three men in the doorway shifted uncomfortably, the scene before them an unexpected one. “Natasha-“ Clint began, taking a step towards the redhead.

“What did you do?” Her voice was dangerously low and she slowly turned around, Y/n’s hand now clasped in hers. “Look what you did!”

Sam and Steve hung their heads, not wanting to see anymore of the dead woman across the room. Clint was just focused on his distraught best friend, who’s hands now matched the colour of her hair.

“Nat, we need to go-“

“Then go,” she spat. “I’m not leaving her.”

Clint let out a sigh and slung his bow over his shoulder. He gestured to Steve to help, who looked rather uncomfortable but followed anyway. “Well bring her with us-“

“What, so you can parade her in front of Fury and show off? Yes, well done, target eliminated! You don’t touch her!” Natasha was clawing and kicking as Steve pulled her to her feet. She held onto Y/n’s hand for as long as possible before Clint gently tugged it free, triggering an outburst from Natasha.

She was a mess of limbs, uncharacteristically uncoordinated as she struggled against Steve’s body as he guided her out of the room, practically carrying her as she refused to walk. The whole time she screamed out for Y/n, her voice growing more hoarse by the second. She took no interest in her surroundings, the dimly lit stairwell not even registering in her mind. All her spy training had completely vanished.

She was placed onto one of the benches in the jet and she watched, a shaking mess, as Clint placed Y/n’s limp body on the floor opposite, blood no longer pouring from her stomach. Natasha stayed frozen in her seat, knees pulled up to her chest as a defence mechanism. She didn’t care that there was blood on her hands, nor that it transferred onto her cheek when she wiped her nose. No, she didn’t care about anything except the woman lying in front of her.

The lifeless woman.

She wanted to scream but it was as if all the emotions had drained out of her body like a flood. She was numb, just staring with empty eyes, the light behind them barely flickering now. Clint shot worried glances in her direction once the jet was in the sky, and Steve and Sam stayed well away, not wanting to fall under the wrath of an extremely angry and emotional Natasha.

Not that she cared what the others did. She just wanted the one thing she couldn’t have. Fate had shown her time and time again that it was not on her side, but this truly was her final straw. There was no fixing this.

They had found and lost each other within the space of a months. But this time there were no second chances. It was set in stone, just like Y/n’s name would be for the rest of time.

Maybe, in another lifetime, they would finally meet again.

Maybe, in another universe, Natasha Romanoff could truly be happy.

[dangerliesbeforeyou]

oh man ok i need to gush about moonlight chicken for a second lol

i adored how this show didnt shy away from the messiness of real life and relationships! like u hav a single gay working class man desperately trying to make ends meet and struggling with the guilt of his past lover having died tragically whilst bringing up his nephew who wants to be taken seriously and finally fly the nest to live his own life whilst at the same time navigating his crush on a lonely deaf boy who just wants to be understood and respected. and then you have a man stuck in relationship limbo where he's unable to let go of his past love but also yearning to move on and free them both from the pain they cause each other... and that's not even to mention the side characters who deal with the loss of parents, unfaithful partners, unplanned pregnancies, trying to be a better mother to your son, etc...

no one was a villain, instead you had a group of people who needed to grow and learn in a very natural way, and that's just so refreshing to see! honestly one of my fav parts of the story is that rather than inventing some arbitrary dramatic reason for wen and alan to break up, it just happened because their love had fizzled out, a thing that happens all the time in real relationships! and even though their love had died, it was still obvious that they cared deeply for one another which made both of them trying to move on so much more painful...

so much of this show was about the cycles of emotional abuse that can develop when you're stuck in the past... jim is unable to see a happy future for himself because he blames himself for beam's death, and he let's that anger and resentment inform how he treats li ming. wen is ignoring the messiness of his relationship with alan in favour of pursuing jim, but knows deep down that neither will be able to truly move on unless he deals with the situation. even heart's parents are stuck unable to relate to or be willing to understand their deaf son as they continue to isolate him from the outside world, thinking that it will protect him but all it does is make him even more lonely!

idk i just loved how the show focused so much on living in the moment. that the past is fixed and the future is uncertain, but there will always be now where you can always find some glimmer of joy and optimism.

and then there's ofc the queer element of the show where we get to see how internalised and external homophobia exist as perimeters to queer people being able to truly be themselves. one of the most heart wrenching scenes is at beam's funeral where his parents come up to jim and effectively tell him that because he and beam weren't married, he has no legal rights to any of the things they had worked so hard for together! and this is something you hear time and time again, both historically and now, where queer couples in countries that dont recognise gay marriage or even civil partnerships are denied so much (particularly when one of them dies) because their relationship is deemed illegitimate by law.

jim as a character has internalised this so much that when he finds out his nephew is gay, he lashes out (in one of the funniest scenes ever, mind you lol... literally the whole 'why are you gay, isn't being poor enough of a challenge!?' thing is gonna stick in my mind forever i love it sm lol) because he knows first hand how hard it is to be a queer man in a society that still doesnt fully accept you! (and it rly showed the disparity between him, a working class man, and wen, someone from a middle class/wealthy background when it comes to queerness that i don't think gets discussed as much... cos the fact of the matter is that for a long time queerness /was/ effectively reserved for wealthy people, as working class people wouldnt have had as much of a choice in how they could live their lives, so jim's reticence when it comes to accepting li ming's (and his own) queerness is directly tied to how being poor doesnt always allow you the luxury of simply 'being yourself'...)

and i think it was especially interesting that this show didnt present homophobia in individualistic terms. we don't get a character calling them slurs or saying that they're wrong for being gay, instead we get systemic and societal prejudices showing up in insidious ways, which feels so much more realistic! (like even jam, who is presented as having outdated and homophobic opinions, isnt presented as some evil villain. she's just a product of a homophobic society that teaches people being gay is a sad way of living, and she has to unlearn that as both her brother and son prove her wrong!)

i honestly could (and probably will) go on but yeh... this show man... this show

[lawgrain]

Some things I love about Spiteful: 

Even though Bakugou is spiteful about everything and never admits (even to the audience) how hurt he is, you can still feel his hurt through the tone. It’s impressive how consistent you’ve been with his character.

The way you made Bakugou subtly mention saving a random guy in the store, and then this minute detail became relevant in the next chapter. 

I love how you show each character's perspective rather than only Bakugou's. I think it’s so interesting seeing how Class-1A views the situation as them being righteous as opposed to assholes. I mean, obviously, they’re assholes, but they don’t realize that in being virtuous, they’re also being hypocrites.

DEAF BAKUGOU!!! But not just deaf Bakugou. The reason I tend to stray away from deaf!Bakugou fics is because they tend to make him SOOO self-deprecating all the time. Being deaf doesn’t mean you’re miserable, nor does it mean that the character can’t handle themself. But in Spiteful, I think Bakugou’s deafness only adds to his character and acts in part as an explanation for why he’s become so independent. I like that you didn’t write him as utterly dependent on his hearing aid either (when his mom took it away). It is also used as a turning point in the story for Aizawa, and I like that something Bakugou didn’t seem to think about a lot became a big part of a different character’s development.

Spiteful is one of the few pieces of media I connect to every song I listen to (that’s maladaptive daydreaming for you lol)

You’re quite skilled at irony. Even in the last preview, where Bakugou is about to talk with Kirishima, you ended it off with, “Even if it didn’t change anything, Bakugou just needed to know because after he could just let it all go.” And we all know he’s not going to let it all go. 

Have you ever thought of doing a master class on positive comments? I hope you have a fantastic day and know you've made mine brighter! A little inside some of the decisions though! It's so cool that you noticed the hints of minor things in one perspective that are important in others. It was intentional on my part but I never know if my execution is either too obvious or too subtle. Bakugou's hearing! I tried to be very respectful with this decision. I didn't want to make his hearing his entire identity, but just a part of it. I also didn't want to do a thing I've seen constantly where people will write a disability only to do everything they can to make it seem like it doesn't affect them or exist. I had a mutual ask after that chapter why I didn't make it so where Bakugou could lip read everything, which was a good question. The decision came to the fact that lip reading helps but isn't a cure all. It's not a thing I don't see Bakugou doing, it's just something that doesn't magically make hearing difficulties disappear. When speaking with hard of hearing friends, they mentioned it as a thing they subconsciously learned, but were never taught and will struggle when sounds come from behind. In short, I tried to sensitive and thoughtful and hope I succeeded. If I come a short, I hope that those part of mentioned communities (respectively) help me become aware of any oversights I now want a playlist from you, but that's neither here nor there. I'm very flattered by your comment! I try to write very intentionally even if I don't always succeed and it means a lot to see it acknowledged.

[authoraemoseley]

An Introduction

About A. Hello there! I'm Anna (now you know what the A. stands for). I'm a 30 something person that's previously self published two short stories and a novella. You can read more about them (and read 'em!) here. I'm currently finishing up the first book in my (darkish) YA fantasy series House of Moons (aka HoM).

I went back to school to get my Creative Writing degree and I'm finishing that up. While it's not the right choice for everyone, it's one of the best and kindest things I've done for myself.

When I'm not writing or studying, plotting how to build the best blanket/pillow fort (you are never too old to make a blanket/pillow fort), baking cookies or trying to master the art of bread. If I'm not doing those things, then I'm probably playing with some sort of animal, reading, or exploring the woods.

I'm very blessed to work in a bookstore. I absolutely love it. Not only do I get to help people get into reading again and introduce them to new authors, I get to work with amazing people who love books just as much as I do.

I'm hard of hearing (HoH) with my hearing aids and deaf without them. I'm learning ASL so that I can y'know, communicate. Also because it's fun and it makes me feel more connected to my culture. I love helping people learn about deaf/hohness so don't be afraid to ask me any questions!

"Ok, that's cool, but what do you write?"

Stuff. So. Much. Stuff. I'm a morbid soul, but I'm also a hopeful one. So I write darkly appealing stuff. I typically stick to fantasy, but toss in dark/horror elements.

My first short story "Roses for Cassandra" is about a stagehand that falls in love with a dancer. Victorian era vibes with a tinge of magic. There's a little darkness wedged in there too. I wrote it because I thought it was what people wanted to read, what I was supposed to write. While I don't think I would write it today, I'm glad I wrote it. It's brought happiness to a lot of people, and that's beautiful to me.

My Secrets of the Lion series (ongoing, currently on hold) is a historical fiction series (currently a short story and a novella), where I really chose to embrace the darkness. I also embraced my love of epistolary writing. Victorian era with secrets, letters, lions and shenanigans! I love my little Victorian era dorks. The novella, Of Secrets and Sound is the first time I wrote my disability into a story.

But my true love, the thing I am deeply passionate about is House of Moons. It's a YA fantasy series with dark elements in it, and the main character has the same sort of hearing loss I have. It's the book that I always wanted to read as a kid, (and as an adult), but I've never found a book with enough space for me. So I'm writing it. My biggest hope is that those who feel like outcasts will be able to find a bit of shelter in it.

"Cool! What is House of Moons about?"

Here, have a synopsis: Mark Featherguard should have it all. He's heir to the most powerful family of fire mages in the world and about to start high school at House of Moons, one of the most famous and prestigious magical schools in existance. To ice the proverbial cake, Mark and his best friend are going to be roommates.

Things would be going great if Mark wasn't plagued with nightmares of a world ending black phoenix. Or if his family wasn't one of the ones who lost their item of Close Power (which they were supposed to guard) years ago and now have to find it and claw their way back into their social standing in the magical community. Oh, and that roommate plan? That's not happening after all.

And then there's the problem of someone, or something, destroying magical schools around the world. Mark just wants to be able to change his hearing aid batteries and pass his classes in peace.

But it seems like the magical world, and his new found friends, might need him to do a little more than that...

TL;DR:

Anna

She/They

30 something because it's a good age to be!

I went back to school to get my degree in Creative Writing (minoring in business writing)...almost there!

I write a variety of fantasy stuff, often times tossing in horror elements

I like writing dark, but hopeful stuff (thus "an appealing darkness")

My main WIP is House of Moons: The Phoenix Mirror which is the first in an upper YA fantasy series.

Deaf/HoH #ownvoices writer because sharing is caring.

One of my back burner projects is a horror short story/screen play combo

Another back burner project is a horror short story collection

Another 'nother back burner project is a collection of short stories that go along with the HoM series.

So that's me! Welcome! As I like to say, my teeth are sharp, but I rarely bite. While I'm quite shy, I do love being tagged and asked things, so if you think something might tickle my fancy, or have a question of any sort, tag and ask away!

[bishiglomper]

I'm super sad, disappointed and frustrated that I'm not gonna see many deafie/ASL fics/headcannons with Alastor because, well, ....the obvious. The whole radio thing.

There is ONE little ficlet someone posted here about a deaf oc that has a hypnotic siren voice they don't like using so they use ASL. I'm honestly impressed it exists but also sad because I haven't seen updates about it.. 👀

Present Mic wasn't my favorite character in MHA but omg I ate up Mic/deafie fics. LOVED those. Didn't know I needed deafie SO fics in my life before that.

I'm only hard of hearing so I don't feel like it's my place to make those fics (╥ᆺ╥；)

But also how would that even work.

If someone put me in the middle of Alastor and Vox's "which media is better " discourse of course I have no choice but to pick TV. Because then there's visual context and the possibilities of captions.

Which is where it gets personal for me because I can't stand audio. I always have audio off, it's overstimulating especially when half of it is just noise and nothing contextually relevant (like tiktoks). I don't ever listen to music because even if I can hear the words I also have audio processing disorder so even if its clear I still get garbled garbage. I need written words in front of me to fill in the blanks.

And I never listen to music unless I'm entirely alone or people know my attention is off limits. Because that 1 earbud renders me 100% deaf to the world. Completely unaware of sound. It's terribly inconvenient for everyone.

So I don't even know what I expect by putting one of those people next to the Radio Demon LOL

He doesn't strike me as someone who would learn ASL for anyone. They can't listen to his broadcast or even his own voice (which is like half his whole thing) so I see him having absolutely 0 interest if he can't get anything interesting out of those interactions.

I mean, maybe to place them by him as a specific annoyance. 🤔 a mini rival/enemy. A Vox knockoff. 🤣

"what is that noise" - "Shut up, your voice is annoying." - "Sorry I couldn't understand a word you said under that garbled mess." (It could be such fun 😗)

Bonus headcannon:

Can you imagine trying to have a conversation in sign language with Angel? He could have 3 convos going at once 🤭

I mean, I doubt he'd have the brain power to pull that off but the possibilities. 🤌

Imagine having a spicy conversation with Angel in front of Alastor and obviously he can distinguish some gestures (👉👌) but not have the full scope and yall are just giggling. I think it would irritate him to no end. 😈🤣

You know, THAT might be enough to get him interested in learning ASL

Just to have that moment to one day, out of the blue, respond with perfect ASL to their bullshit.

I love comebacks like that.

I can't decide which would be better: a whole thought out paragraph in response or something simple and concise like: "Never going to happen." And he just walks away.

But alas. I'm never gonna get it. 🙃

Argh why my favorite blorbo gotta be such a niche asshole? 🙄

[autopsified]

💡 What inspires you to write the muse?  / for connie !

mun talks about the muse

jumping for joy that i get to talk about connie. honestly i want to ask why no one else seems to do much with her character. like i have been very surprised at how little of a fan favorite she is, especially compared to what i was expecting.

black deaf woman? slay. sassy? slay. was the closest thing to a canon love interest for daryl the whole show? slay.

i think i also am a little biased because i have been EXTREMELY curious to see a deaf character portrayed in an apocalypse setting. i dont speak sign but my best friend in high school + a few years after was deaf in one ear and hard of hearing in the other, so ik a lot about the deaf community through her. which i still value a lot even though i hate her lol.

also at the point in the show we meet her there is so little other bio family dynamics. like aside from the grimes + rhees i dont think there are any others?? so introducing two bio sisters who have survived and stayed together this long when the older one is deaf really speaks to their strength and resilience just by existing.

also that she was a journalist before everything is such a fun detail and really enforces everything about her character we already knew. like i dont think anyone would blame her for being extra cautious cause of her deafness. but she has very strict morals and puts herself in danger to uphold them constantly (the whisperers baby, the cave, digging up commonwealth dirt).

all of her traits are a character i would have already loved. but her and the actress being deaf and her dynamic with daryl really sealed the deal. i just love her so much

[wilted-woods]

OKAY!! BBIEAL BRAINROT BECAUSE I'M SLOWLY GETTING BACK INTO THE FANDOM!!

STARTING WITH MY BBIEAL HEADCANONS SO FAR!!

Professor Baldi

He actually cares about his students and wants what's best for them

He's only sometimes a bit strict because he values his students education

He still struggles with technology therefore he forgets how to use the You Can Think Pad

He prefers old-school teaching but is flexible with modern-day students that are only familiar with technology

He's 5'9"

He's basically like a Sphinx (hairless) Cat so he'll sometimes be seen wearing thicker clothing during cold weathers

He has mild to severe Parkinson's Disease (hence why he's sometimes so stiff and hardly to never moves when you play the game except for when you get the questions wrong)

He's actually very friendly when you get to know him better

The fact that he can hear practically EVERYTHING gives him really bad migraines (sensory overload)

Principal of The Thing

Same as Baldi, he truly cares and wants what's best for his students

Again, same as Baldi, he values the students receiving their education

He greatly cherishes the safety of his students and would blame himself if any of them get hurt (so does Baldi) hence why he's strict with the rules of the school

He's 6'0"

He also gets confused when it comes to technology as he's an old-school principal

He prefers classical music

He has really bad arthritis (rheumatoid and osteo) in his legs hence why he's always drifting around the school

He has grey hairs

He has a really bad limp when he tries to walk which is really painful for him

Playtime

She's autistic

She's partially deaf though she could still somewhat hear

She plays other games too besides jump rope

She always keeps a ladybug squishy with her

She's the host of the Stress Relief Club (please join :( I promise it's really fun! There's fidgets, stim toys, sensory toys and so much more! So far only the main characters of the game (excluding PLAYER (for others)) are a part of the Club)

She loves lizards

Although she prefers pigtails, she keeps it up in a ponytail because she only has one rubber band

She loves to dance

It's a Bully/This Is A Bully

He has anger issues

He has been bullied before because of the way he looks

He's diabetic but goes against it sometimes because of all the certain foods, drinks and sweets that he wants to eat

He's basically just your typical bully (somewhat)

One thing he doesn't tolerate is driving the students he's bullying to deleting themselves so he just sticks with the usual taking things and maybe some pushing and shoving

He mostly hangs with Playtime as she's the only person he tolerates

He can change his mind on if he's going to bully the PLAYER or not but mostly considers doing so

He has a hard time focusing in his classes (he's a high schooler)

Arts and Crafters

They have selective mutism

He's claustrophobic and agoraphobic

They're mostly sometimes shy and quiet

He has mild scopophobia (hence why he attacks you once you look at him and teleports you to Baldi)

Their favorite artistic expression is Expressionism

He likes crocheting

They mostly hang around either Playtime or the Janitor

He loves ambient music which gives him artistic ideas

Filename2/Null

He's strictly antisocial (hence why he never makes his presence known except for when the PLAYER gets the questions wrong, he's found almost willing during Baldi's Birthday Celebration/Birthday Bash)

He has tried to warn the main characters (excluding one) about the game asides from the PLAYER

He has a stuttering issue but it gets really bad when he's stressed

He's 6'8"

Nobody is aware of his existence asides from the PLAYER (doesn't acknowledge him and doesn't take him seriously) and another

He's very observant to a certain degree

They tried to restrict him from doing what he's currently doing but failed and aren't aware of his existence anymore)

He's grown attached to one person..and that's when he felt it for the first time after being cooped up in isolation for so long...

The Janitor

He has a few disabilities (ex: ADHD, Autism and mild Tourette's Syndrome) which makes his job extremely difficult but he always finds a way to manage things

He's extremely talkative with those he's the most safe and most comfortable with but gets upset when they become annoyed and having to point it out

He tends to zone out quite frequently

He has Insomnia due to being extremely dedicated to cleaning the entirety of the school

He's 7'9" so he comes off as intimidating since he's taller than everyone in the school

He has to crouch to get into the rooms he needs to clean but sometimes forgets so he ends up slamming into the door frames

He found his someone and is already attached...

He's a collector (he owns a lot of items that contain trinkets that he's found (he's basically a crow))

First (1st) Prize

He's actually quite sentient so he willingly tries to give others hugs

He has abandonment issues which makes him a little clingy

He helps Playtime with her club

Even when some of the students are deliberately mean to him, he still does what he does best

[taemcin]

The Only Exception - Chapter 2

Chapter 1

Pairing: Neteyam x Original Character, Lo’ak x Original Character 

Rating: PG! (Neteyam, Lo’ak and OC are teenagers)

Warnings: Fluff, Blind character, Disability, Friends to lovers, a little bit of angst, Friendships, Romance, Slowburn

Word Count: 1.1k

Summary:  Lo’ak watches Nova bite into the fruit with a look on her face that he has seen so many times before. It’s appreciative, it’s gentle, it’s kind – it’s sweet. It makes it all worthwhile knowing that Nova is enjoying something so immensely that he decided to gift her. 

A/N: oops my hand slipped and now this is going to be a mini chaptered series and oh! Surprise, Lo’ak is now in it. oops :)

This is posted on my Ao3 account here!

Nova’s life used to be busy, lively, and adventurous. In the past it used to be filled with meaningful tasks that she would tackle throughout the day. Before she could contribute to the people around her – to the people she now calls a family. Before she was able to earn her keep. Nova’s life used to have some sort of purpose. But now, after the incident that left her blinded so many years ago it’s almost as if her life was at a standstill. Slow and yet peaceful – mundane, and safe.

 Sometimes she swears the days begin to blur together. It’s hard to distinguish days apart when you can’t function like a normal being.

 Some days are filled with mundane tasks that idly passes her by. While other days are filled with excitement when Neteyam and Lo’ak would come back home with stories about their exciting hunt. And then there is Tuk, with her imaginative beautiful mind, telling Nova stories about old tales and new.

Now, Nova often sits amongst the others – her family, she calls them – listening to their mindless chatter around her.

 “I don’t think she likes sweet things – or maybe she does,” Nova hears Lo’ak voice in the distance. “Maybe she might like something bitter, like citrus?”

 “Brother, I think you got it wrong. When was it the last time you saw her eat something so bitter.” Neteyam’s voice rushes in tow. If Nova had to guess Lo’ak and Neteyam were standing right in front of her.

 Nova hears Lo’ak scoffs. She imagines Lo’ak rolling his eyes at Neteyam. “Well, it doesn’t matter, do you know how hard it was to get these?” Lo’ak explained. “I risked my life to get her favorite sweets.”

  “I’m pretty sure you risked your life because you’re an idiot brother.” Nova hear Neteyam laugh lowly.

 Nova smiles then because of course Neteyam and Lo’ak would argue over something so small and insignificant right in front of her like she didn’t exist.

 “At least I didn’t come back empty handed. Nova loves it when I come back with anything.” Lo’ak says proudly. And it is true – even though Nova misses out on a lot, Lo’ak always manages to make sure that she never feels left out and is somehow included in their day.

 The bickering went on between the brothers for a few more moments until Nova couldn’t hold it in anymore. Despite the aimless chatter and the stupidity of the topic being talked about – just being included and being in the presence of people who she cares about the most makes Nova happy.

 “Uh guys?” Nova interrupts. Neteyam and Lo’ak’s bickering instantly stops. Nova feels a heavy presence directly towards her. Her face begins to heat up, the attention feels intense. “I might be blind but I’m not deaf.” Nova smiles. “Also, I can speak for myself you know. Just tell me what you brought me.” Nova pushes her arms forward, palms cupped and pressed together. She tilts her head, waiting for the item to be placed upon her hands so she could feel it.

 “Sorry Nova, you were so quite that I barely even noticed you there – I” Lo’ak was cut off mid-sentence, which is followed by a smacking noise and a low audible groan that followed after. “Why did you do that for?” Lo’ak’s voice is low now and directed towards the other direction.

 “You really are an idiot brother.” Nova hear Neteyam whispers. Nova chuckles.

 “I can still hear you know.” Nova rolls her eyes and can only imagine what the brothers faces must look like now. Embarrassed, maybe?

 “Right, I’m sorry Nova.” Lo’ak says, Nova feels his presence even closer now. “Here, I thought you might like these. I don’t know what it tastes like but it looks pretty.”

 Nova feels the heavy press of an item placed in her hands. It feels fuzzy and spikey on top. If Nova had to guess, it’s some sort of fruit. The shape isn’t very defined, but it is large.

 “What is it?” Nova asks.

 “I think it’s a, um –” Lo’ak sounds a bit unsure. “Shit – I mean I don’t really know?” Lo’ak bites out. Nova laughs.

 “You’re telling me you picked some fruit without knowing what it is?” That sounds exactly like something Lo’ak would do.

 “I told you –” Neteyam says quickly and Lo’ak bites out a simple, “Shut up!” In return.

 “Let me describe it to you then.” Lo’ak continues. “The color is deep red, the tips of the fruit blend together with the colors green and blue. It looks pretty – it looks and smells sweet so I,” Lo’ak pauses for a moment. “I thought of you.”

 At that Nova swears there was a deeper meaning to that statement, but she mulls it over and decides not to think too hard on it. Nova hears Neteyam scoffs from above her and gently mutters out, “Nice one baby bro.” To which Lo’ak replies in a groan.

 “I like sweet things!” While her sight might hinder most things in this world, her appreciation and love for food still is all the same as before.

  Nova brings the fruit closer to her face, she smells the sweet scent – smells like honey and something else she can’t pinpoint at the moment. Nova slowly presses the fruit against her lips to feel the fuzziness of the fruit. Without thinking much of it, she pokes her tongue out to lick a small part of it on the outside – to her surprise without even taking a bite it already tasted sweet.

 Lo’ak watches Nova bite into the fruit with a look on her face that he has seen so many times before. It’s appreciative, it’s gentle, it’s kind – it’s sweet. It makes it all worthwhile knowing that Nova is enjoying something so immensely that he decided to gift her. It’s small moments like this that make Lo’ak realize that maybe it is ok to fall.

 “Ahh,” If you asked Nova what the best part about her day was – it would be this. Simple and yet mundane but exciting, nonetheless. “It’s so good! Here you must try some now, please?” Nova pushes the fruit towards what she thinks is Lo’ak’s direction. All Lo’ak could do was smile. He took the fruit out of her hand and took a bite. It was juicy, and a little bit tangy but sweet. He likes it.

 “I knew you liked sweet things.” Lo’ak says, enjoying the closeness of Nova by his side.

 Nova then begins to share the fruit with Neteyam and Lo’ak – Nova enjoying this small feat. Even though she couldn’t join in with Neteyam and Lo’ak on their trips out into the forest, and even though she couldn’t do much of anything at all anymore – at least she could enjoy what the day has brought her today. Nova can relish in the sweet scent and taste of something sweet and enjoy the company of the people she cares for around her.

  Yes, her days can be slow and yet peaceful – mundane, and safe. But it is never boring and that is what matters the most.

[spacedlexi]

have you watched tlou? thoughts?

ive made a few posts about it if u search tlou on my blog but i never made a final thoughts or anything

this kinda turned into a final thoughts ramble (essay) so under the cut it goes

honestly it kinda peaked for me at ep 3 (which was a REALLY good ep so the bar was high and i was mostly enjoying the changes up through that point),, i still liked it but i feel like some of the changes they made altered the impact of the og ellie/joel relationship. theyre dedicated to rewriting ellie to have some "violence" problem to attempt to set her up better for part 2 but i just hate that they actively have chosen to do this to her character. they took a lot of her sweetness away which is a huge shame to me. theyre so weird about ellie honestly i dont like the way they talk about her half the time these days i had to stop watching the bts because the way they kept talking about "violence" made me ill sick even. like you can still have your character have a "descent into madness" type plot after experiencing an extremely traumatic event (after a lifetime of traumatic experiences) without being weird about how "violent" people are. they love to throw that word around but they dont like to investigate Why exactly people are being violent and to Who. its typically just violence and/or revenge=bad 😐 (<-and that i think kinda leads into other problems i have with the plots they write in general)

i had less problems with joel. my only real problem was that they really played up the old thing a little much like save it for part 2 lol also not enough accent i didnt hear a single "elleh". i wasnt a fan of how they decided to change joel and tommys convo about ellie, and while i can appreciate it more now knowing that they still committed to portraying joels actions in the final episode as the selfish acts they are, and seeing joel have fears of failure makes sense because im sure he feels he failed as a parent, im still not a fan of how maria doesnt get to chew him out for his selfishness (important character moment of reflection on selfish behavior and consequences of actions on people around him), and how it changes the atmosphere of his and ellies argument when half of the reason he doesnt want to take her is because he feels too old and slow to protect her. and Then when he Does decide to take her its like? werent you crying last night about being slow and deaf and the impact that has on your combat ability? did that change? i understand why they added the lines they added but i dont feel like it made sense with how they continued to play out the episode with line for line scenes from the game...like these are two different things now. similar, but different enough to introduce problems where there didnt used to be. and then hes stabbed and dying 10 mins later

the pacing in general was a little iffy to me. it was only 9 episodes and 2 of them are separate from the main plot. that, plus rewriting existing characters/plots, plus not being able to fit in the more softer personal moments between joel and ellie that would just happen throughout a map(i know its hard to make watching 2 people walk cross country interesting but we needed more of those moments), plus ellie being preemptively hardened so we see less of her soft side slowly cracking through joels tough shell really impacted the believability of their relationship for me. we're supposed to see ellie become more hardened over the game but honestly in the show she always feels at the same level to me :/ those soft moments Are still there but i wouldve liked to have seen more of them. especially felt the loss of the scene where ellie sees real fireflies for the first time

the reason why i love the original last of us so much is because i think it is an INCREDIBLE character piece. every single character plays a very important role in shaping the development of the main two protagonists relationship (the two of which are Also impacting each other) over the course of the story. while i loved bill and franks ep, i wish they would have introduced a new character to fill the role that og bill left. because og bill was very important for joel. he was like a ghost of christmas future showing the man he could become if he continued to push people away. and throughout bills segment joel frequently pushes back against his ideas and this usually lent to a little bonding moment between him and ellie. but this also showed us that joel was open to new connections. whether he would get over his fear of that or not to be solved at a later date (ie: the tommy incident that was altered for the show and my problem with it because joels choice to take ellie after their argument is EVERYTHING and the show muddied it a bit). but by the time they leave bill, joel and ellie have begun building a true connection

sam and henry also suffered from this imo. by writing in all the kathleen stuff, it takes the focus away from how sam and henrys familial relationship is the foundation from which joel and ellies closer familial bond is allowed to grow (which also becomes a source of division when ellie wants to talk about what happened to them but joel wants to move on, which leads into their conflict during tommys section which boils down to more "talk about it vs move on"). i also feel like the story is weaker for choosing not to include the story of kyle and ish. because although it happens mainly through notes, its a story about letting yourself learn to trust new people and the things you can do with a strong community, its a story about how even though good things may come to an end, the time we had together was important and meaningful and WORTH IT and i wouldnt have done it any other way. id much rather focus more in on that as a theme (compounds with the riley/left behind segment/plus joels final act of selfishness) than whatever tf was going on with kathleen and her revenge plot. plus i thought the first game was all about "love" so why not go harder into these "light in the darkness" themes? kathleens plot is just a watered down part 2 anyway i still dont think we needed that :/

all my grievances aside however they Did stick the landing and i was so relieved plus i enjoyed the added anna segment. as someone whos played tlou like at least 10 times over the last decade plus watched others play, it was going to be impossible for me to not constantly be comparing the two. to be fair i think one of the strongest points of the show was how they really nailed how it felt to actually BE the player in these scenes that i had already played a hundred times myself. im sure this show was great for someone whos never played the game since a lot of my problems come from how they decided to do certain things for the show. i hope the people who enjoyed the show but havent experienced the game go watch a clip comp or something because i definitely believe the og game is still the best way to experience this story. video games also deserve more respect as an art form but thats a whooooole other conversation

i wish my opinion was stronger than 'it was fine overall with a couple solid episodes' but welp....definitely couldve been worse tho so im glad its at least as good as it is. it is good!! but the game is very near and dear to me so...i am biased but i tried to at least give it as fair a shake as possible. i think it started pretty strong. peaked with bill and frank. then dipped a little lower than the first ep. then picked back up to first eps strength again for the final stretch. the bill and frank and left behind eps were my favorite parts of the season. its a bit of a shame that the 2 eps that are most removed from the plot are the strongest to me, but also i guess it makes sense

[opisasodomite]

"#do you read a video game?#read a TV show?#that makes no sense" um.....yes? video games usually have written dialogue that is not always voiced, or only voiced for key lines, or it's a visual novel and only character's statements are voiced without a narrator for the rest. in fact, a game having absolutely nothing written at all, being free of language entirely (or at least within gameplay) is something to be advertised as the game's key feature because of how unusual it is, and the entire gameplay loop will be designed around that, as most game tasks will need to give some amount of written instructions to teach the player the mechanics.

TV shows, while having voice acting, can still have subtitles that many need to understand the show, be it bc it's not in their language or they're deaf/hard of hearing/have an audio processing disorder and need the subs to fully understand what's being said.

I fully realize this is very pedantic and very much a Tumbler Moment of splitting hairs, but if the point is "physically reading is a cognitive function in the brain that is not present in other forms of story consumption and therefor doesn't count as reading" then every single individual word counts, be it a book or news article or social media post or restaurant menu, and you absolutely do, or at least can, read a video game and TV show/movie.

if you disagree though I'd love to hear your reasoning.

Hi anon I can’t really say I disagree with the literal truth of what you’re saying. Really what I meant by the comment is that reading is not the integral means by which story is conveyed in those media, in general, on average, with a very specific platonic ideal of how those media are constructed in mind.

I recognize that has some loaded assumptions about how those media exist and how individuals interact with them, but I also recognize that in my intentionally flippant tags I don’t have time to account for everything lol. Anyways I think I cede my point on games a bit more than on TV, where reading is genuinely an optional choice OR necessitated by disability that fundamentally alters one’s relationship to media in general and needs to be accounted for separately. Story is conveyed primarily through physical action, emotional expression, and verbal dialog far more than it is through text in television. Reading in a video game often occupies a much more prominent place - though not always!

I think my point overall was more on the central verb to how one consumes each medium, even if there are secondary verbs at play. One plays a video game to experience it, one watches a TV show, listens to an audiobook, reads a physical or electronic book. There are secondary verbs involved in those processes - one watches cutscenes in a game or reads an in-game lore book. One listens to music and reads on-screen text in shows and movies. But why I brought that up in the tags at all was because those are sublimated to the primary verb set. I wouldn’t say you *read* a video game, you read *while* playing a video game etc.

Ultimately this is as you say pedantic lol, and I was absolutely being pedantic in my own way when I brought up those examples haha.

[shadow-bringer-ao3]

Rest When You Are Done

Xie Lian has been stabbed before, of course. It was hard to avoid- impossible, even -given that he’s a martial god. Some have even been self-inflicted or carefully planned out. It’s not really something you should get used to. Still, sometimes it takes longer than it should for the injury to register, for the pain to flicker into existence in his mind. For a few, short seconds, he is completely numb to it. Blissfully ignorant, in a way. It’s never been like this before, though. A celestial weapon boring deep into his chest. He can feel it with every aborted half-breath. The blood is sticky, warm against his skin. It’s comforting in a strange way that he still bleeds. His ears are ringing, he’s deaf with the pain and the lack thereof, but he still manages a smile. Still manages to bring his leaden arms and hands up to take hold of the slippery, blood-coated blade, determined to keep it where it is, out of the way. There’s flittering red as Hua Cheng, San Lang, suddenly moves, in a way Xie Lian has never seen him move before. It’s desperate, he thinks. Full of rage and resentment so thick he can taste it like ash on his tongue.

He blinks, finds himself looking up at the sky instead of standing, albeit unsteadily. The sword is missing, a gaping hole in its place. Xie Lian… is cold, more than anything. If he breaths, the air rattles uselessly from his lungs, blood seeps up his throat to choke him, so he doesn’t breath. He lets himself lay undisturbed, wondering if he’ll lay long enough for plants to wind around his fingers and arms and legs, to pull him deep into the ground where the soil is warm from the steady heat of the sun. He blinks again, and this time Hua Cheng is hovering over him. He hadn’t imagined that desperation earlier after all.

"Gege," Hua Cheng says and the sound only just manages to make it through the ringing, "gege." Xie Lian can hear the question in it, the demand that he be alright. Working his mouth into the necessary shapes is harder than it has any right to be, saps at his flagging strength. There’s a part of him that wonders what became of Jun Wu. Most of him know though that that isn’t something he can worry about, any more.

"‘m cold," the words are sticky like the blood making its way up his throat. Hua Cheng shifts and it strikes Xie Lian that he intends to go, to leave. It unfurls desperation and fear in him like nothing has before and he finds the strength to lunge forward, to ignore his warmth draining from him, to ignore the pull and stretch of his wound. He tangles himself in the lapels of Hua Cheng’s robes, presses his forehead against the ghost king’s chest as he chokes and sobs, panic rising through him like a wave turned tsunami. The arms circling him, hesitant and careful, let the panic wash through him until he’s tired and cold. He burrows farther into his friend, his love, letting it warm him despite Hua Cheng’s long since chilled skin, bloodless and pale. Soon, he thinks, they’ll match in that regard.

"I won’t leave," Hua Cheng assures, pulling him in tighter, murmuring the words into his hair. "I’ll never leave you." Xie Lian blinks his eyes open, knowing he has to do this, pulls back just enough that he can force himself to look up. His sight is greying out, gone except for Hua Cheng, beautiful and whole. He wishes he could speak still, say what he has been too afraid to voice, but he doesn’t have anything left to give. He can only keep watching as his sight leaves him completely, as finally, finally, he’s able to rest.

"Shijie," he says quietly, his shidi by his side as they look up at their sister, warm and inviting. "Can you tell us the ending of the flower god story?" His brother, new and glorious, elbows him, scowling.

"He’s a martial god," he huffs, tossing his head.

"Don’t argue now," their shijie says. "I’ll tell you." He and his shidi exchange excited glances, happy despite their differences in their views of the characters. They curl up with their shijie, a blanket warm and comforting around them as they settle in. Shijie hums, thinking back to where they left off.

"Well," she starts off, "The Flower Crown Martial God and the Crimson Rain Sought Flower were in a vicious battle against the fake Heavenly Emperor to protect their friends and family. The Emperor was more powerful than them and they were losing the battle. Still, they were trying their hardest. Crimson Rain let Flower Crown take his spiritual energy. So much of it, in fact, that they broke Flower Crown’s shackles."

Hua Cheng could see the moment Xie Lian’s spiritual shackles shattered, overwhelmed by the power Hua Cheng had just forced through them. It was heady, the way Xie Lian unconsciously reveled in his newfound power. He barely notices when one of the other gods- Feng Xin or Mu Qing, he doesn’t know which -tosses Xie Lian Fangxin. All Hua Cheng has eyes for is Xie Lian, as beautiful and powerful as he always has been.

"Finally, it looked like they were going to win. Still, it was close. Just as they were about to win, however, the Heavenly Emperor struck for Crimson Rain. Flower Crown, unwilling to see his love come to harm, took the blow instead."

Time seemed to slow down. It almost seemed to stop. Hua Cheng had seen Jun Wu’s blade coming and had resigned himself to taking this hit, to the inevitable manner his being would be dispersed. He hadn’t been prepared for Xie Lian- quick enough to take the blow but not to deflect or block it. Hua Cheng could only watch as the sword slid through his god’s chest, as blood dripped off the blade like a mockery to him and everything he’s ever hoped for. Then, the rage hit him.

"Flower Crown held the blade tightly as Crimson Rain attacked the Heavenly Emperor, making the Emperor weaponless in the face of Crimson Rain’s anger."

It had almost been too easy, the way E’Ming slid through divine flesh and bone. It wasn’t what Hua Cheng wanted- Hua Cheng wanted Jun Wu to suffer. He couldn’t, though, he had to turn back to Xie Lian, had to see his god choking on his own blood.

"Crimson Rain killed the Heavenly Emperor and returned to his love. The Flower Crown Martial God died in his arms and, lost in despair, he made the choice to destroy his ashes."

When Hua Cheng feels the slowing beat of Xie Lian’s heart finally stop, he has to press his eyes shut to keep from crying. He lets them collapse to the ground, pulling Xie Lian in closer. With Xie Lian curled into him like this, tucked up against his chest, Hua Cheng can almost pretend everything is normal, can almost pretend his entire world hasn’t just been torn out from under his feet, leaving him floating and lost. He carefully unclasps the chain holding his ashes and, with a deep, shuddering breath more for courage than necessity, he takes his ashes in hand and destroys them.

"That’s how it ends: Crimson Rain unable to continue living without his Flower Crown. They both died on that battlefield and were finally able to rest."

[moondonky]

Shifts

Bout that time to get back to work again get my feet stinkey again, refreshed, vented, renewed focus, stubborn vacation.. back to my little basecamp, sights reangled... a glimpses of new possible paths.. still time to just chill for a moment longer.. to think awhile longer.. deaf to the chaos.. a shift of dream, anouther sign.. a shift into a new dimension, this time I didn't die, or maybe I did,, it feels right, how I remember.. people coming back to normal, spells being broken.. coming to senses.. its kinda relieving.. still watching closely, senses of more maturity which is much needed,, it's weird to write but it feels like new characters have been developed, instead of the same old faces controlling everything, few more hitters stretching there minds,, coming out of there boxes.. it will be fun to watch what happens.. its weird to say but I feel as a whole we all just avoided sumthing..

Effin millenial,, y not,, violence is never the answer, its what's wanted,, how u engage is very important, knowledge is strength, happiness is power, it makes a healthy world, love becomes natural, fear becomes ignorance, hate never existed If u think about it,, strive to be smarter, u can know urself better, we are all very complicated, each of us is different,, how we think is complicated, how we react is complicated, how we fix ourselves is complicated... only you can do that, it's hard to understand but we do our best.. it takes time,, and everything is a rush, everything is moving faster than u can believe .. we are light traveling at the speed of light, on this little planet. We are an image of time.. our lives are our moment.. do everything u can to enjoy it.. create happy memories it's the only thing u leave with..

I laugh and I troll.. I'll tell u shit u don't want to hear, ill say crazy shit idgaf im aware, metaphors, its not the point, it makes u think outside the box, it's how I avoided violence, I was always mad, and it never helped.. I did not like seeing it, I did not like understanding it,, it was unfair, and i was alone, and there was nothing I could do about it,, I was frustrated, and as I grew up so did I, so did my mind, I just shut down my emotions, there was nothing I could do about it, Noone understood it. Bare minimum that's all I gave, that i could do.. it flipped back on when I woke up, I found ways to do sumthing about it,, I had a voice and I use the fuck out of it now.. so much to say, I have to write it, my mouth can't keep up with it, just mumbling I never used it, I'm quiet, lol but a good listener.. when I do talk I don't stop.. its already gone through my head over and over and over again.. when I haven't and just blert shit our just to say somthing, it's usually ignorant..

[jxthics]

As somebody with zero knowledge of firearms who has never even held one: feel free to rant about the most common mistakes you see in movies and shows? I love that sort of thing!

OH I HAVE SO MANY HANG ON

(if anyone wants to keep this as reference you're welcome to!)

this list is nonexhaustive i could complain all day but here's some top ones

- BULLET PHYSICS. i don't really have an issue with bullet physics in terms of how they hit people because the research required for learning that usually requires like, looking at actual injuries? and i am pretty harshly against traumatizing some poor intern working in the entertainment industry with exposure to real violence just for the sake of "realism" when stylized violence would have been more interesting to look at from an audience standpoint and without cruelty from an industry standpoint. but everything else about bullet physics makes me so mad!! this is usually an issue with comics, but bullets do not fire with their shells on! BULLETS ARE NOT FIRED IN A CURVED LINE! if a bullet hits something, it will generally go through it unless it is very very thick! keep in mind what is behind your target!

- the amount of ammo a gun has. the number of times i've seen someone fire like, 15+ rounds out of a 6 shot revolver..... as a general rule of thumb, revolvers usually fire 6, a standard pistol USUALLY fires 10-15, though extended mags exist. in this specific instance realism would make your action scenes SO much better too so i dont understand why its skimped on! make your characters force themselves to contend with and manage resources!!!

- TRIGGER DISCIPLINE. this is an extremely hard rule when handling guns, you need to keep your finger off of the trigger until exactly when you are ready to fire. if you need to rest your trigger finger while holding a gun, that is what the trigger guard is for. it's fine if like, your guy has literally never held a gun before in their lives? but if they have even a slight understanding of handling guns, they're going to follow trigger discipline because that shit is insanely dangerous. so watching "trained assassins" or whatever wave around guns with their finger on the trigger drives me nuts.

- sound from guns! when someone fires a gun in a small room and then immmediately starts talking after? or like, someone fires a gun in a small room and then is 100% Profoundly Deaf For The Rest Of Their Lives? both of those are incorrect. make more of your badasses wear hearing protection pleeease they make electrical earpro that only blocks out sounds from guns and does not block out everything else so they can still talk. you don't have to make them wear full on cans you can just wear some earplugs. it's ok. i promise

- this one's kind of broad, but incorrect terminology almost always takes me out of it.... especially when the character is supposed to know their shit like lol you just sound like a douche. unless your character is using ammo that is designed to physically clip onto their vests they probably do not carry clips for their guns, they carry magazines/mags, for example. big badass people in action movies looove to talk about technical aspects of guns and just completely get it wrong, which is such a simple fix. and like... for the most part tech talk about guns isn't very advanced, it's not like scientific terms, they're usually slang terms meant to be understood by a lot of people, so if your character fucks up those it tells me that they do not actually know what they're talking about. in the very instance that is supposed to show me that they do.

and like... the thing that drives me up the wall with stuff that has to do with the user itself is that IT WOULD ALWAYS ADD TO THE CHARACTER especially in like long term tv shows. everyone has their own preferences on what they use and everyone does things in their own ways, especially if they are trained to work with firearms. it's not just "oh this guy's using a weapon" in most instances and it would tell so much about how they act!!!! are they militant about cleaning their guns, do they enjoy that part of the process? do they have favorites? do they prefer revolvers or automatics and if they have a preference, why? do they have a type of gun they dislike? why? if you're handling guns day in and day out for a long time you will inevitably develop these!! and it would humanize them so much..... i wanna see some guys in an action show on their downtime cleaning their guns, or some guys getting along by debating about AK vs AR. just like.... cmon. make your professionals look professional.

i could go on for waaaay longer but i will cut myself off here tysm for asking i go nuts on this stuff 🫂 UM AND IF ANY WRITERS ARE READING THIS the best way to avoid inaccuracies is by contacting someone who knows shit about guns to beta read, i promise you will not be bothering them. myself included cmere let me proofread your fics so i can tell you about your heroes firearms pspspspspsp

[bruhstation]

Hey!

First I just wanted to say I absolutely adore your AU! It's so insanely cool, you won me over immediately with your comic about Thomas' Fireman!

Speaking of, I was wondering if you could tell us a bit more about the firemen?

I already adore Thomas' honestly aha (sorry I'm bad with names)

no worries! thank you for enoying the AU, and I’m glad you enjoyed keith’s character ^_^ I had fun writing him. I’ll tell you about some of them real quick

Keith Hardley

Age: 28 Occupation: NWR 1's fireman

He lives a monotone and uneventful day-to-day life. A great fan of Sodor’s Rumours Bulletin Board and checks it every time he finishes work. He likes reading rumours about family complaints and gossips about annoying coworkers, but he doesn’t really care about tales involving ghosts and supernatural entities because he doesn’t believe in them and think they’re outlandish. He doesn’t have any unique hobbies or skills in particular and he’s not the most active at socializing, but a lot of people like him (he is not aware of this) because of his honest and down to earth nature. He tends to be honest in his words and secretly wishes for something exciting to happen in his life, as long as it’s controllable by him.

Trivia:

"Hardley", not "Hartley". His last name is always subject to Thomas’ puns, much to his annoyance.

Doesn’t talk much and usually says yes to anything anyone says, but when one really gets to talk to him properly, they might say that his mind is full of deep thoughts.

During karaoke nights with Sidney and others, he just sits on the sofa and eats the snacks.

Likes: Sodor’s Rumours Bulletin Board, flan, taking naps Dislikes: Thomas’ puns, horror movies

Sidney Harper

Age: 33 Occupation: NWR 2's fireman

A social butterfly. He gets excited easily and has a pleasant, friendly aura. He always tries to include introverts in his activities and rarely lefts out anyone at outings. He loves his wife and kids, his job, the engine he drives, the people around him, literally anyone.

Trivia:

He describes Edward as “a little funny – as in “tastes funny” kind of way – but he’s a wise and nice guy”. Sometimes the older man gives advices to Sidney.

He once suggested that NWR 2 should get a car air freshener as a joke.

Likes: singing, Oingo Boingo’s entire discography, his fabulous FABULOUS mustache Dislikes: vodka

Stephanie Blaise

Age: 25 Occupation: NWR 6’s firewoman

A cheerful and peppy woman who has a positive outlook in life. She always looks at the good side of things and believes that there’s always a way out for any problems. Though there are moments where she’s reasonable and level-headed, she sometimes has difficulty expressing her thoughts because she has a lot of things to think about. She’s also tech savvy, though she comments about losing interest in it at times.

Trivia:

She is deaf and uses hearing aid.

She thinks Percy is a kind person even though he can be snappy to others at times.

She doesn’t talk to Keith much, but she thinks he’s a smart man.

Likes: breakdancing, making websites, 90s fashion Dislikes: people who are impatient

Sculder

Age: 31 Occupation: NWR 9's fireman

An undercover member of the FBI who was sent to Sodor to investigate strange cases of people disappearing and appearing out of nowhere. Seems to enjoy this undercover job as a fireman way too much and believes in the existence of the supernatural, causing him to sidetrack from his missions. Luckily, our two main heroes are there to do their jobs.

Trivia:

Enjoys Mully’s company.

Does he remember that he’s part of the FBI and not an actual fireman?????

Likes: rooms with air conditioning, walking along train tracks Dislikes: peppermint

Mully 

Age: 29 Occupation: NWR 10’s firewoman

An undercover member of the FBI who was sent to Sodor to investigate strange cases of people disappearing and appearing out of nowhere. She believes in hard work more than praying for a miracle to happen, but nonetheless enjoys her life as a firewoman. Luckily, our two main heroes are there to do their jobs.

Trivia:

Despite her stoic nature, she enjoys Sculder’s company.

Can be unpredictable at times.

Likes: mint chocolate chip soft serve ice cream Dislikes: her hair being messy

besides the firemen, there’s also other minor characters that aren’t affiliated with the railways like Punchinello the Clown, Inspector Utensil, Hoffman C., Chaddeus Braddicus, and many more (that I’ll explain when the time comes)! once again, thank you for the question 👍👍

[dreamypainter]

Flowers for Requiem (Lavender)

Author's note: yokai au! Caters turn although i fear i may not be able to do him justice sensei can't fully grasp his character 

Characters: Kitsune! Cater Diamond, Reader

Warnings: Yandere au and the unhealthy behavior associated. Nothing extremely graphic tho.

—---

For content : Series Masterlist 

Cater Diamond - Lavender - Peace

For as long as he had gained consciousness, Carter remembers the feeling of having something to prove. A desperate silly little fox trying to prove itself to deaf ears. It's a drunken experience hearing his name in the winds for the first time as he stands with nine tails. Too young they whisper, how could he have achieved this form at such a tender age. (How did he cheat, who helped him, he could never do it by himself after all.) It's a toxic energy, overbearing attention (but they are looking at him for the first time and he cannot get enough of the painful pricks in his skin.) 

By the time you manage to find him, the words have been engraved to his bone, and as he walks down the mountain in a strange anxious haze he cannot think but one thought. (What if I'm not enough.) The sentiment burns him, it makes him want to cry and tear his hard-won tails out because if he wasn't enough for his one and only master then why should he even continue to try? (Please please please he'll be everything you ever need, you can destroy him just don't throw him away.) He meets your eyes and the thoughts clam to a smooth surface. (He feels a little silly now, in the face of you, because how could he have thought someone like you would be so cruel.)

His rope is silky in his hands as he stares adoringly at you, sandwiched between the eager figures of Ace and Deuce, and he can sense Trey staring at you with open surprise. (And love, so much love that it seems to be steaming off of him.) but he can't blame them. (How silly he was to think he had to prove himself, because no one else mattered but you, and you already had a space for him by your side.) 

You are assurance and deprivation wrapped into one for him. A being whose existence alone soothes his burns and rearranges his organs so that he doesn't have to do it himself. Someone who needs not his tails nor his magical energy to bring them pride, a sort of validation that no one else would be able to replicate. (The rope around his neck is the ultimate medal, and he thinks nothing else could top the feeling of you tying his collar to its rightful place.) But medicine is derived from poison and when you fall to fate's cruel planning he can feel the venom seep to his skin. (it hurts)

You're still beautiful as you fall to the ground, eyes now unseeing (because the world does not deserve to see you) and limbs limp. That's all he remembers of the incident to be honest. There was nothing else important after that. Every yokai mourns in their way and Cater has long since learned the art of keeping to his own behind his smile. (he can't think too hard, to confront the fact that you are good and honestly gone, so he smiles until his teeth are bared and his face is marred into a snarl.) (his sisters try to visit once. once.) For Cater, when you die time stops. Why should it persist after you have gone. 

He wastes away, unable to differentiate day from day despite the rising and setting sun. And the clock resumes (finally)when the mirror opens and on the other side is… you.(It was really you, wasn't it master?) You have a rosy hue to your cheeks and starry eyes as you stare directly at him, eyes following the slow sway of his tails. (are you proud of him?) You're just as lovely as the day he lost you, but this time he won't let anything take you away. The flowers bloom once more as he steps through the gate. 

He's still yours after all, and that's all the criteria he needs to meet. 

It's an impossible feat, what Ace had accomplished, making a gate to a whole other universe to which he certainly had not visited before. (The boy seems confused at the awe, however, responding simply “Of course, I've been here before, but my master's side is where everybody belongs.” cater cannot find it in himself to deny the sentiment.) For the first few minutes, everyone is a mess, some desperately trying to regain their composure to not embarrass you with their behaviors and others fully sobbing at your image. Cater himself allows his mind to take at the moment. (because you're here now, there's no rush.) He will get to talk to you eventually, so he's patient as the others demand your attention. (Some want to take care of you as they always have and the others run rampant to provide what you need. He can already see Leona stalk to the entrance and guard the door.) You glance over at him, and he smiles droopy, relaxed for the first time since (since you were gone.)

“Ah, welcome home Master, or should I say I'm back?”