#I’m just rotating through old interests

[bumfuzzled-bee]

Lil birdie and his eldritch demon (build in friend) !!!

[ceilingfan5]

boy enrichment

happy friday! another one for @taznovembercelebration "YES"

“So like, I don’t know any of this nerd shit,” Taako says, flipping his hair a little. “But the lil’ man wants to play, and I want him to get to play, because the next time he gets the zoomies and I have to play Risk I’m gonna fuckin’ Risk It All, you know what I mean? No offence, Ango.” 

“None taken, sir! If I took offence at all of your flippant and seemingly disparaging comments made to distance yourself from real feelings and maintain the dangerously seductive comfort of irony, I’d be in a sorry state, probably!” Angus grins a great big gap toothed grin, not even looking at Taako, who just sort of accepts this as normal. Both of them look at Kravitz expectantly, and he, stunned, realized he’s meant to be formulating an answer and not just being more floored than the sad, sad fucking arcade carpet he won’t replace because he’d have to lose like, a WEEK of business. 

Also it’s vintage. 

“But I’m not!” Angus says, probably for Kravitz’s benefit, and also as a politer way to kick someone under the table, especially when you cannot kick under the counter of his game store. 

“Right,” Kravitz says. “So you want to play DnD.”

“Oh, more than anything, sir!” Angus does a little wiggle that betrays the absolute carbonated excitement lurking under his carefully controlled little bow-tie ass calm. “But even, perhaps, if it were possible to be more than anything and then more than that again, as how some infinities are larger than other infinities, as you may remember from the siren song of calculus, I really, really want to DM!”

“You want to DM?” Kravitz eyes the ten year old. Ten? He thinks Taako said ten. He might have also said five, and that’s definitely not true. Probably. No, definitely. Five is like double toddler. Right? Double and a half? “Dungeon Master,” Angus says helpfully, opening his mouth and taking a thrilled deep breath to elaborate ‘for Kravitz’s benefit’. 

“Right. Well, sh- heck, young man, uh, I admire your enthusiasm,”

“Don’t worry, you can swear in front of me! I’m perfectly well aware of what sort of words you say in what sort of situations. In fact, I’ve been learning a lot about code-switching, and-”

“Hey, lil’man, you gotta win the sale to infodump,” Taako nudges in a stage whisper.

“Right!!!!!” Angus straightens up, vibrating like a Looney Toons arrow. “Regardless, would it be possible to DM at your game store Mr. Kravitz? I promise I would follow any rules and guidelines you set out as appropriate based on your store code of conduct, even if they’re stupid, and Taako can help me bring snacks if that is acceptable!”

Kravitz laughs, getting the hang of it now. He gets it. Maybe he doesn’t get Angus specifically yet, or even kids in general, but oh, does he recognize this flavor. And he would fucking love to enable it as far as he’s allowed. 

“You know what, I do think I have an open table. I’ll put out feelers and see who’s interested. Do you mind a rotating party, or would you prefer to lock in for a certain amount of time?”

“Hmmmm,” Angus says, screwing up his face and clearly mentally flipping through his campaign notes. “Let me consider and prioritize.”

“Yeah, you consider and prioritize, maybe shop around a little, and I’ll chat with your, uh,”

“Taako,” Taako smoulders, which provides no fucking context whatsoever. Who are you to him. ELABORATE!!

“Taako,” Kravitz agrees with a smile. 

Angus bolts off so fast to look at the campaign books and dice that he leaves an Angus-shaped cloud behind, and Taako and Kravitz stifle laughter, because it’s still not like, a huge store, and the little guy probably hears everything he isn’t supposed to. 

“Precocious,” Kravitz says fondly. “You don’t know the half of it,” Taako sighs. “I can’t keep up with him half the time. But man, he cares so hard it wears a hole through me and when I eat it falls out of me like a cartoon skeleton.”

“So true.” Kravitz can’t help but laugh. They’re more the same than Taako may realize. They reek of the same vibe, like the kind of candle you wanna take a big bite out of. “He’s yours?”

“Insomuch as a stray cat is yours, you know?” Taako leans on the game counter and sigh, toying with his hair again, which Kravitz recognizes is a flirting technique and is somehow still kneecapped by. “Like, you can be like, hey, who the fuck lets cats outside? They’re gonna decimate the goddamn bird population, and then where will we be?”

“Ten percent less birdful,” Kravitz says, like that’s a reasonable thing any person has ever said on planet Earth, ever. 

Taako nods, which does nothing to discourage Kravitz’s bullshit. 

“But like, seriously, his legal guardians don’t do shit, and yadda yadda yadda,”

“Plot plot lore,  Kravitz agrees. 

“He’s mine, sort of. He comes and eats my food, at least, you know, when he doesn’t have to fight possums for it.” 

“Does the possum have a name?” Kravitz grins. 

“Garyl,” Taako says, whipping back just as fast. Fuck, Kravitz is obsessed with him. Damn, he had things to do. “He used to be a binicorn in another life, but he can’t escape the cycle, so he came back as a trash gargler. His favorite cheese is provolone.”

“Ooh, mild,” Kravitz says, so outside of himself at the moment that he could pause the livestream and do football drawings and commentary on his own stupid face putting these noises in this order. But Taako laughs, so it’s worth it. He looks at Angus, who is carefully inspecting the Bucket O’ Dice, and digging frantically for one he’s spotted in the very bottom. “I almost want to go open another pound of dice and pour them in, you know, for uh…boy enrichment.”

“Boy enrichment is the name of the game,” Taako agrees. “That tiger needs beefier meat pumpkins than cha’boi can provide. I can’t keep up with him, seriously. I was hoping maybe you’d know more about this shit?”

“Yeah, a little,” Kravitz massively understates, feeling a glowing, strong bond form between him and this alleycat of a kid. “I’d love to let him find his footing here, if you want. And if people want to be freaks about it, I’m not having it.”

“Fuck yeah,” Taako mumbles. “Knew I could trust a pretty guy like you. No one’s snapped you up yet?”

“Too goth and weird,” Kravitz laments, like he isn’t having a heart attack about being called pretty. “I’m as single as the day is long.” 

“Well, it’s Daylight Savings Time, bitch, and it’s about to get real dark.” 

“Are you-” Kravitz can’t help but laugh. “Are you announcing your intentions to pursue me?”

“Is it working?” Taako winks. 

“Yes,” Kravitz has to admit. “Yes it is."

[ID: a gameboard with 15 spaces, 1-5 taken up by stickers of a cat, a fish, "good worker", a door, and a dragon]

[vivalas-vega]

new perspectives / jake ‘hangman’ seresin x reader / part eight

hello !!! I’m back !!! this parts got a whopper in it, apologies in advance, but it’s got a nice ending and something to look forward to if that’s any consolation :) 

new perspectives / jake ‘hangman’ seresin x reader / part eight

add yourself to my taglist

prologue - one - two - three - four - five - six - seven

word count: 3k

warnings: language, drinking, I think that’s it?

You felt entirely on edge as your knee bounced erratically sitting in the uncomfortable chair across from your chief of surgery, a million thoughts racing through your mind that you couldn’t really make any sense of. Were you really doing this? Was this really something you were going to go through with? 

“I have to say, I was surprised by your interest, Jupiter,” he said as he organized the papers in front of him and you let out a humorless chuckle.

“No more surprised than I am, sir.” you replied and he sensed the hesitation in your voice.

“Do you need more time to think it over?” he asked and you shook your head. This was the right decision, the right move… not just for your career but it was simply the right thing to do. 

“No, I… I’m sure, I just… I haven’t told anyone yet,” you sighed and you immediately felt your stomach twist in guilt as you said it. You hadn’t told anyone. Not your parents, not your friends, not Jake. Deep down you knew he would be supportive, he would understand… your friends too, they’d understand better than anyone, probably… maybe. You wouldn’t know for sure until you told them. You signed all of the paperwork before asking if you could have the rest of the day, which you were easily granted. You’d be on a lighter rotation the next week, less cases and less time in the hospital to get your life in order.

You stood in the attending’s lounge, changing into your normal clothes… Jake always joked and called them your civvies too, different careers but same little quirks. You felt sick, honestly, to have something so big happening in your life that you hadn’t told him about. This never happened, not since you were ten years old. He knew everything, you simply never could keep anything from him, not what you had for breakfast and not that one time you embarrassingly had to get stitches back in your residency because you slipped in a puddle of blood and cracked your head open - something you still hadn’t quite lived down with your old friends. But this? This was bigger than all of that, potentially the biggest thing you’ve ever had to tell him. 

You sat along the beach in front of the Hard Deck as you waited, eyes so fixated on the push and pull of the ocean you almost didn’t notice the figure dropping down beside you, and you turned to face him with a jump. “This is all very cryptic, Jupiter.” Rooster said, eyeing you curiously. “Is there a specific reason you called and said meet me at the beach before hanging up or was that your way of saying you want to hang out more?” he asked, trying to add a joking tone but the look on your face told him there was something more going on.

“I’m going to the middle east,” you said, deciding not to beat around the bush and the look of shock on his face was not missed by you.

“You’re going… to the middle east?” he asked, trying to process it. “For vacation, or…?”

“With the Army,” you replied and his eyes widened further than you thought they could.

“You’re being deployed? You joined the Army?” his face twisted up in disgust at the last one… of all the branches why couldn’t it have been his own? “When did this happen?”

“A few weeks ago… we had a visiting surgeon, he was teaching the trauma department updated techniques rooted in efficiency, and we got a crash course in disaster response. He and I got to talking afterwards, he said he saw something in me, something that reminded him of himself, he frequently goes on tours where he’s needed to offer medical support.”

“So you joined the Army because this dude saw something in you and just said hey wanna come to the middle east?” he asked and you softly smiled, this was good. This was the reaction you were anticipating, Rooster was a trial run and he was doing exactly what you needed to give you the confidence to tell everyone else.

You shook your head, “I’ve always felt drawn to this, I don’t know if I’ve ever told you this story but to keep it brief during my residency I had to go in the field to respond to a trauma, gnarly train crash… it was exhilarating, if that’s not an entirely fucked up thing to say, there’s something different about being there in the moment when it feels like the sky is falling and there’s no time to get them to a hospital, or even no hospital to get them to.”

“I mean, I get it… I’d be a hypocrite to tell you I didn’t, different context but same calling. I just… this is kind of insane, Jupiter.”

You nodded, “I know. When he told me that he was leaving with a group in a few weeks I just couldn’t stop thinking about it. I really tried to push past it and tell myself it wasn’t real, it was just a fun simulation, but then the train crash dawned on me and I realized I’ve been wanting to do something like this for a while. And it just makes sense to me, you know? There’s a shortage of medical personnel, even fewer surgeons. It feels like the right thing to do.”

“Have you talked to Jake, does he know?”

“No. You were my practice run,” you joked. “How’d I do?”

“Well, you got to the point… gave clear and precise answers, but J… I’m not in love with you. The fear I feel about you going over there into active warzones doesn’t even compare to what Jake’s going to feel.”

You gasped, “you’re not in love with me?” you asked, placing a hand over your chest in faux shock and he just shoved your shoulder at your attempt to lighten the mood.

“Cut it out,” he chuckled. “I was a shitty practice run, you know I’m never going to tell you not to do something you feel called to do no matter how much I want to throw you in a padded room until this desire of yours fades, but Jake? I mean, he just got you back, you two just got settled into the routine of being back together, and now you’re going to tell him you’re shipping out to a warzone.”

“I know, the timing sucks.”

“You’re really sure about this?” he asked and you nodded. “Because, J… you’re going to come back different, you’re going to see things, do things… this is one of those decisions you can’t undo.”

“I know, it’s not going to be easy… for me, for Jake, for the rest of you but, I really think I need to do this, Roo.”

“Well, I think you’re brave. And I’m really proud of you,” he said, wrapping an arm around you as you settled into his side. “But really? The Army?”

You let out a laugh, “if it makes you feel any better I didn’t join the Army, I’m not suddenly active duty. It’s just a three-month tour, think of it like being a private contractor.”

“That does make me feel better, otherwise I might have had to limit our interactions… appearances and all,” he said and you laughed again. “Now come on, you’ve gotta get inside,” he said, pulling you up with him and you looked at him questioningly.

“I have to?” you asked as he tugged you along, “what’s the rush for lukewarm beer?”

“Can’t tell you that, I don’t know if you’re going to find the timing of this terrible or perfect but that’s not up to me.” he said and now you were thoroughly confused as he held the door open for you.

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” But, it didn’t matter, he was gone just as quickly as you’d walked into the bar and you smiled as Jake saw you and wrapped you up in a hug.

“There you are, sweetheart, you okay?” he asked, seeing the squirrelly look in your eyes and you nodded, shaking off your conversation with Rooster as you accepted the beer he’d handed you. 

“Yeah,” you nodded. “Rooster’s just being a tad bit bizarre,” you answered and he chuckled.

“Well, that’s what he does.” he replied and you nodded with a laugh as he led you towards your friends and you narrowed your eyes as everyone had a rather mischievous look on their faces. You heard the piano begin the opening notes of Drops of Jupiter and you gathered that’s where Rooster had run off to in a hurry.

“Okay, what is going on?” you asked as you turned around and you furrowed your brows when Jake was no longer there before adjusting your eye line to see him on one knee before you and you brought your hand up to cover your mouth in shock as your heart pounded in your ears. I don’t know if you’re going to find the timing of this terrible or perfect. It all made sense now.

“Jupiter, I have loved you since I was ten years old… It just took me until junior year to realize it and I’ve known it every day since. We’ve spent the majority of our lives following our own dreams until they led us right back to each other and even though it was difficult I wouldn’t change our story for anything… Being able to watch you grow into yourself and become an amazing surgeon has been the single greatest joy of my life, and I’m so excited for us to finally grow together. I’ve wanted to do this since the moment you got to San Diego, so will you do me the honor of finally becoming my wife?” he asked, eyes full of hope as he flicked the box open to reveal the ring you’d loved since you were little and you felt tears slip down your cheeks as you looked at him. The entire bar had gone silent waiting for your answer and you could feel your friends fighting to stay contained behind you as they watched.

“Yes,” you whispered, there were so many things up in the air, so many things you had to tell him but this was an easy answer. You would have said yes to a ring pop in the aisle of a convenience store. The entire bar erupted in cheers as he stood and slid it onto your finger before pulling you in for a searing kiss. Rooster was still playing the melody in the background but you could hear his sounds of celebration from across the bar and you giggled as Jake released you. You were swept up, the rest of the gang wanting to see the ring and crush you in hugs and when the song ended and the jukebox kicked back on you felt Rooster’s arms on you as he came up behind you.

“You need to talk to him,” he whispered in your ear as you rested your hands on his forearms.

“I know, just… not right now,” you said as the two of you watched him excitedly talk with Phoenix.

“I’m really happy for you, J,” he said, kissing your cheek as he let you go and you gave him a gracious smile before walking down to the bar.

“Let me see!” Penny nearly yelled at you and you held out your hand with a laugh as she examined it thoroughly. “He picked a good one,” she said as she set a drink in front of you.

You chuckled, “oh no, as good as he is I basically picked this out when I was thirteen years old,” you replied. “This was one of his grandma’s rings.”

“That’s so special,” she said as Maverick side-swiped you and wrapped you in a hug that had you letting out a surprised squeal. 

“The first Dagger wedding!” he said as you laughed, “I’m so happy for the both of you.”

“Thank you, Mav,” you replied, face hurting from the splitting smile you couldn’t seem to wipe off your face but in the back of your mind you knew it couldn’t last… you were leaving in a week and only one person in this bar knew. You let Jake twirl you around the bar, creating a dance floor where there wasn’t one as your friends shrouded you in love, watching through misty eyes as the two of you enjoyed your bubble of bliss. When the song ended you looked up at him, imprinting this moment into your mind before you drove a wrecking ball through it and you stood on your tiptoes to whisper in his ear talk with me outside?

Your friends watched as you slipped out the door before they went back to their normal routines, assuming the two of you were taking a moment alone but Rooster knew better and he gave you a supportive smile when you caught his eyes. “How are you feeling, future Mrs. Sersein?” he asked and you beamed up at him.

“I like the way that sounds… but it’s future Dr. Seresin, thank you very much,” you corrected and he let out a laugh.

“My apologies, darling,” he said, wrapping his arms around your waist and you were silent for a moment, fixating on your hands currently pressed against his chest and his eyebrows furrowed as he noticed your change in demeanor. “Hey, are you okay?”

“I have something to tell you,” you said suddenly and even you were taken aback by how you spit that out.

“Okay?” he prompted, leading you to the chairs on the other side of the patio where you sat and avoided his expectant stare.

“Do you remember how I was telling you about that Army doctor who came to town a few weeks ago?” you started and he nodded.

“Yeah, the disaster training you wouldn’t stop yammering about,” he teased and you just gave him a sad smile. “Why do you ask?”

“Well, uh… oh, this was so much easier with Rooster.” you sighed and now he was really concerned.

“What does Rooster know that I don’t?”

“He told me about a tour heading out next week to the middle east, a three-month rotation. I… I tried not to think about it, to pretend I didn’t want to go, but I really, really wanted to go and before I could fully stop myself I signed up.”

“You signed up? What does that mean?”

“It means next week I’m shipping out to the middle east,” you said, and you watched him process your words. “For three months.” 

“Okay, uh…” he started, trying to gather his thoughts. “This is set in stone, then? You’ve fully signed yourself up?” You nodded, wishing he would stop asking questions and get to the part where he’s mad at you. “And you didn’t think to talk to me about this?”

“I wanted to… but I was focusing more on trying to talk myself out of it and then it was like a fever dream, I was suddenly calling that Army doc and telling him to put me on the list.” 

“Did you think I was going to get mad at you? Is that why you talked to Rooster first?” he asked and you didn’t miss the tone of hurt in his voice.

You nodded again, “he was my trial run, as weird as that is.” 

“I don’t think it’s weird, honey, he’s your best friend, as much as that’s something that doesn’t make sense to me, talking to him first does, I just… you and I are best friends and partners, you’ve gotta talk to me before you make big decisions like this.”

“I know, I’m sorry,” you said, tears welling in your eyes and he was quick to wipe them away when they fell.

“Well, if you had talked to me before you took this on all by yourself, I would have told you that I want you to do what makes you happy, and if that means doing this tour then I support you. Am I mad you kept me in the dark? Totally, but you and I have been making big decisions separately for almost a decade, it’s going to take time to get used to being partners again.” he said and you couldn’t stop yourself from crying. “This terrifies me, J, but this is just who you are… you want to help people, even if that means shipping yourself off somewhere dangerous. How could I ever fault you for that?”

“You’re not mad that I’m going?” you asked in disbelief and he let out a soft laugh.

“Of course not, sweetheart.” He wrapped his hands around yours that sat in your lap. “You’re going on a deployment, do you know how much of an ass I would be if I even tried to be mad at you for that? I’m going to do this to you at some point, granted I never thought I’d be on the opposite end of this situation, but we’ll figure it out. We always do.”

“I love you so much, you know that?” you asked as he tugged you up and pulled you into his lap.

“Not as much as I love you,” he replied, pressing a kiss to your lips. 

“I want to get married,” you said and he laughed at you.

“Sweetheart, we are… unless you wildly misunderstood what that just was in there.”

“No, right now, this week… before I leave,” you said and his eyes widened.

“Are you serious?”

“Completely, I… I know we’re not talking about the danger aspect because we both understand and we don’t need to get into it but there is danger and… I don’t want anything holding you back from getting answers or being the first one contacted if something does happen.”

“Yes,” he said, kissing you again. “I thought you were going to make me wait a whole year to finally call you my wife.” 

“Never,” you replied, giggling as he swept you up and carried you back towards the bar. “We’re going to be good, right?”

“Better than good.”

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[cecilysass]

Shine On (15/16)

Read on AO3 | Tagging @today-in-fic

Chapter 15: Walled Garden

Farrs Corner, Virginia February 25, 2015 Ten minutes later

Jackson and Rose burst back into the kitchen, both pink-cheeked and sweaty, and promptly start chugging glasses of water. Mulder’s back at work with the crowbar, and Scully decides to make herself useful and start sweeping up some of the wood chips on the floor.

“We ran five miles,” Jackson announces to them.

“Pretty far,” comments Mulder.

“I don’t think I’ve ever run five miles before. It’s a personal record.”

“That’s amazing,” Scully replies back encouragingly. She can’t help but watch Rose out of the corner of her eye. She’s holding the cool glass of water to her cheek, watching the rest of them.

“We went a different route than yesterday. There’s this really pretty stream near here with a path, and we followed the path for a while.”

Mulder and Scully both nod knowingly. “Yeah, that’s a good run,” Mulder says. “I’ve done it many times.”

“We saw the ruins of an old mill from the 1800s,” Jackson says, walking over to Mulder and Scully with his glass of water. “I made Rose stop and read the historical marker. Didn’t I?”

“Yep,” Rose answers him, a small, subdued smile.

“Almost nothing in Wyoming was built in the 1800s,” Jackson says. “Things in Virgina are old.” Some kind of lightbulb goes on in his mind. “Wasn’t George Washington from Virginia? Can we go see where he lived?” He stops abruptly and looks down. “Does this house have, uh, termites or something?” He’s staring at the pile of wood chips at Scully’s feet.

“Just some mold,” Mulder says. “Don’t worry. We’re getting rid of it.”

Jackson looks at the pile analytically. “Mold can get in anywhere. I read an article.”

“What are your plans today, Rose?” Scully asks, changing the subject.

“Well,” Rose licks her lips, rotating the glass in her hand. “I need to go home at some point, back to Maryland. I have a few things I need to take care of.”

Jackson is bending his leg in a hamstring stretch, wobbling a little for balance. “But you’ll come back, right?”

Scully and Mulder’s eyes both dart over to Rose, interested in her answer, too.

“Yes.” Rose peers back at Jackson through the glass, her image refracted. “Of course I will. When I can.”

Jackson seems to remember something and drops his stretch suddenly. “Oh hey, Mulder.” He swivels to face Mulder, suddenly all energy again. “Rose said that Clifton, Virginia isn’t very far from here.”

Mulder looks at him curiously. “No. It’s about ten minutes. Why?”

“That’s where the Bunny Man Bridge is. Where the ghost of the Bunny Man haunts people every Halloween? I read about it in that book you have about the ghosts of Virginia.”

“Yeah,” Mulder says, an irresistible smile. “That’s right—it is. The bridge is over Colchester Road.”

“Is the Bunny Man real? Have you seen him?”

“I haven’t actually gone over to check it out,” Mulder says. “I’ve been out of the monster business.” He throws Scully a begrudging look. “And to be honest, that story seems sort of along the lines of an … urban legend.”

Scully raises her eyebrows with cool significance, but Mulder avoids her gaze.

“Can we go see the bridge?” Jackson asks, leaning into another stretch. “Before I go home?” He stops, furrows his brow. “I mean—not home. Wherever I’m going next.”

“Sure, we can drive by,” Mulder says, upbeat, putting his hand on Jackson’s shoulder. “What else is in that book? I wonder how many of those ghosts Scully and I investigated before.”

“It’s upstairs in my room,” Jackson says.

“Let’s go get it,” Mulder suggests. And Scully suspects he adds something else privately to Jackson in his mind, too, because Jackson immediately glances between her and Rose.

“Yeah,” Jackson agrees.

That’s quite the dynamic, Scully thinks wistfully, watching as they bound up the stairs after one another. Identical gaits, she notes. Consciousness entangled. She wonders if she’ll ever be able to separate out her envy from her joy.

“I know exactly what you mean,” Rose says in a voice so quiet Scully could almost miss it.

Scully leans her broom against the door. She’s still unsettled by having thoughts so transparent, but she wants to take it more in stride. This is what having telepath children must be like. She lifts her chin, armor up, and turns to take in the young woman across the room.

“Are you envious, Rose?” she asks casually. “Of Jackson?”

Rose lifts a shoulder. “Maybe a little.” Her eyes begin to roam around the room. “He’s lost his parents, same as I did, but he’s found this, too.” She gestures around her with her hand. “I knew a long time ago I wasn’t going to have anything like this.”

Scully feels herself frown. She doesn’t understand this kind of statement, and it hurts her in ways she can’t even pinpoint. “Rose,” she asks, “do you mind if I ask you questions about your past?”

The young woman had been leaning against Mulder’s desk, but she stands up instantly, like she’s prepared. “No, of course not.”

“Good, because I’ve been wondering…” Scully takes some uncertain steps towards her. “You knew where we were for years.” She hesitates. “But …you never contacted me.”

Rose doesn’t bat an eyelash. Strong and straight. “No, I didn’t.”

Scully blinks in confusion. She can’t really help it; her whole world is bifurcated when she looks at Rose. In one jagged half: this young woman, standing impassive like a warrior—reminding her of her father the sea captain, reminding her of herself. In the other: the memory of a tiny child, crouched over playing, bangs and shy eyes, reminding her of Melissa, reminding her of innocent lives lost.

Somehow she has to hold this together, make these two broken pieces make sense.

“Why didn’t you?” Scully says, and her voice wobbles. “Were you… angry with me?”

Rose’s stoic expression flickers a little. “No,” she says. “Why would I be angry? I liked you. I knew that… if I let you know I was alive, you’d want to see me.”

“Then why?” Scully’s vision is blurring a little, but she blinks the tears back determinedly. She doesn’t want to cry right now. She wants to think logically enough to understand.

Rose walks across the room to Mulder’s small dining room table and sits down with her glass of water. She bends her knees to sit in the chair with her legs criss crossed. This makes her seem younger, like the very young woman she is. Like someone who should be going on spring break trips and taking Physics 201, Scully thinks. Like someone who should be putting her hair up in messy buns and pulling all nighters and getting drunk with friends.

All of that seems to have nothing to do with this strange, remote girl.

Scully trails like a ghost and sinks down in the chair across from her, staring wordlessly, waiting.

“You know already that I’m not the same as Jackson,” Rose explains kindly, her eyes wide and serious. “He’s all yours. Genetically he’s entirely derived from you and Mulder. In a relatively normal, human way.”

“So you couldn’t come live with me … because Mulder isn’t your biological father?”

“No, no,” Rose says, shaking her head firmly. “I couldn’t live with you because no one is my biological father.”

Scully sucks in a breath slowly.

“You saw—the cyst on my neck, right? The toxic blood? When I was little?”

Scully nods without speaking.

“I’m dangerous to humans, Dana,” Rose says. Her gaze does not waver, her eyes like a calm sea. ��It’s just the truth. Not just the blood. Other things, too.”

“You wouldn’t have been dangerous to me,” Scully says in a fierce voice before she can stop herself. “I could have taken care of you. I would have known what to do.”

“How could you have known?” Rose smiles sadly. “No one knows everything about what we are. We’re something new. Not entirely human, not entirely inhuman. We’re still discovering things about ourselves.” Her smile fades. “And truthfully, it’s not only that we’re dangerous to humans—it’s also that they can sometimes be dangerous to us.”

“I would have protected you. Mulder and I would have protected you. I was prepared for that.”

“You would have tried. I know you would have,” Rose concedes, looking down. She takes a drink of her glass of water. Her eyes spring back onto Scully. “But how long would it have been before you ended up like the Sims? Like the Van De Kamps? When they explained that to me, that risk… I couldn’t see it happen.”

“Who explained that to you?” Scully asks, suddenly on alert. “How old were you?”

Rose looks away evasively. “The group I’m with, the Walled Garden, that’s the whole point of what we do—we’re all products of the hybrid program. We’re the same. We protect one another. We take care of one another. It’s how it should be.”

“The Walled Garden,” repeats Scully.

“Yes.”

“The group that was trying to kill Jackson. The group that actually did murder his parents.” Scully emphasizes each word carefully, hoping it will penetrate. “Take care of one another? Protect each other? How can you trust people who would do that?”

“I don’t trust all of them,” Rose replies defensively, lifting her chin. “There are dangerous elements within the organization. There always have been. We’ve had to be so secretive, and sometimes, in the name of keeping secrets, some of us have done … too much. Gone too far. Like with Jackson.”

Scully realizes her own hands are trembling. Everything inside of her is crying out to tell Rose: this is what evil organizations always say, this is how they always begin. Keeping secrets justifies all manner of unjustifiable acts.

“They’re my family,” Rose says in a different, more vulnerable voice. She looks at Scully like she wants something. “The only people who are really like me on the planet.”

“That’s not true. There’s Jackson.”

Rose smiles weakly. “Yeah. You’re right. Apparently there’s Jackson.” She taps her dark red fingernails lightly on the table. “Which is… interesting.”

Scully says nothing, concentrating on blinking rapidly, holding back the tears again.

“Really, despite its flaws, the organization has so much good in it. We have the best interests of humanity at heart,” Rose says. “We really do. We’ve saved humanity before. It’s our ultimate goal.”

That’s what the Syndicate said, too, Scully thinks bitterly. That’s exactly what they said. But Rose’s eyes are round and earnest, and Scully sees she won’t be able to make a convincing case against the Walled Garden. Not right now. Not without evidence.

She can deploy persuasive arguments against ideas, but not against family. You can’t use logic when it comes to family.

“But that’s exactly it,” Rose argues abruptly, placing her palms flat on the surface of the table. “You can use logic when it comes to family. You have to use your head sometimes to protect your family, even when it isn’t what your heart might want.” She leans forward, speaking intently. “You know that, Dana. You, of all people, know that.”

Scully feels her lip trembling. This isn’t a lesson she would ever, ever want to impart.

“Understand that I wanted to see you,” Rose says urgently. “When I was little especially. Little kids want to have moms. But I … had to protect you. Just like you had to protect Jackson. Don’t you see that?”

There is a moment of silence, except for the clock ticking in Mulder’s kitchen. Scully shifts uneasily in her chair.

What can you say to that? Scully thinks. What can you say to mistakes made out of love, even mistakes that leave such scars?

She reaches out across the table and firmly takes Rose’s hands in her own.

“Do they listen to you?” Scully asks purposefully. “The leadership of the Walled Garden? Do you have their respect and trust?”

Rose hesitates before answering. “For the most part … usually. Yes.”

Scully’s eyes narrow. She takes in the line of Rose’s determined chin, the tiny crease between her eyebrows. Scully exhales heavily. “Okay,” she says. “Okay. I understand.”

Rose’s shoulders immediately fall in relief. “I’m so glad,” she breathes, her eyes shining. “I’m really happy. I wanted you to understand that it’s not like … I didn’t care.”

“We’ll get to see you more regularly now, right?” Scully asks tremulously. “You won’t vanish from our lives? I would like to … I would like to see you.”

Rose nods tightly. “You should know there will be risks,” she says. “It’s not entirely safe for us to have a relationship.”

“That’s fine,” Scully promises, tightening her hold on Rose’s hands. “We can deal with that. Please don’t worry about that.”

“I want to see you, too.” Rose’s voice is suddenly high. In Scully’s bifurcated vision she sees both the woman clasping her hands and the little girl on the floor coloring. Two in one, the same.

“Do you definitely have to go home today?” Scully asks. “You’re sure you can’t stay and have dinner?”

“I do,” Rose nods. “There’s something important to take care of. And I need to go back and check in—or they’ll worry.”

Scully nods somberly, not sure what to say to that. Her lip twitches involuntarily, thinking about the Walled Garden, about the many questions she has about where Rose lives, how she spends her days. Would she ever be able to see Rose’s accommodations? Would she ever be welcome there? Does Rose work or go to school?

“I should probably get going soon, actually,” Rose says, beginning to stand up from the table. “My car is parked about a mile away. I should start–”

“Rose, the Walled Garden operatives who came after Jackson,” Scully interrupts without stopping to think.

Rose freezes where she is. “Yes?”

“They mentioned that there were those in the organization who viewed Mulder and me as their flesh and blood.”

“Yes,” Rose says, nodding slowly.

“But Mulder isn’t related biologically to you.”

“No.”

“Yet they included him in that statement.”

“Like I told Mulder, most of the hybrids don’t have living family.”

“Most.” Scully feels her stomach knot.

“There are … a few others that do. Besides me.”

She considers her words for a heavy beat. Mulder must have thought of this, too. Scully knows he must have. Maybe he’s protected himself from thinking too much directly about it.

“The agricultural clones,” Scully guesses. “They are some of the hybrids that have family, too?”

Rose nods shortly. “One agricultural clone specifically,” she says.

Scully wonders if there’s some part of Mulder deep in denial that has kept him from asking Rose questions about this.

But she knows there’s a more important part of him that will, someday, want to know. That part of him that refuses to let things go. The dogged, loyal, ever-faithful part that puts family first, that never gave up on fixing things in their relationship, that always wanted to make things right with William, that set in his sights finding his sister for all those years.

It might be the very best part of Mulder. The part that made her fall in love with him. The part that went dormant when he was most depressed, and that had brought him back to life again recently.

When he’s had a chance to really think about this agriculture clone, Scully doesn't think that he’ll let go of hope where she’s concerned either.

“This clone. Does she… know she has family?”

“She does,” Rose says. “But … I don’t know what the idea of family means to her. The agricultural clones were raised differently than I was, you know. She’s older than me, but she didn’t have language until later in life.”

“What does she … what does she call herself?”

“Molly,” Rose says. She tilts her head. “Come to think of it, I think she chose it as a variant of her original’s last name. So maybe family does mean something to her.”

“I imagine Mulder might want to meet her someday.”

Scully remembers, for a moment, Mulder wanting a bigger house. More guest rooms.

Rose nods soberly. “I’ll mention it to her. See what she says.” She looks around at the kitchen, at the breakfast dishes, at the framed photos of Mulder’s parents. “Family definitely means something to Mulder, doesn’t it?”

Scully smiles. “Like it does to you.”

“I guess that’s right.”

“All those years,” Scully says wonderingly. “Were you happy? Were you loved?”

Rose’s eyes grow distant, as though she is replaying the events of the past to come to a decision on her answer.

“In some ways I was happy,” she says. “In some ways I was loved.” She pauses. “In some ways I was … neither.”

She begins to walk away, and Scully thinks to herself that she may never stop having questions for her. She may have to start making lists.

But suddenly Rose stops, and turns around halfway, speaking thoughtfully. “I think I did know what it was to love. To have that feeling ... directed towards someone else.”

She starts walking again, and her next words are almost to herself. “I’ll always be grateful to you and Jackson for that.”

***

[hatingfromacrackedscreen]

One of my favorite things about the Animorphs rotating pov is how you get to see character development happening so subtly but from so many different angles. One of my favorite examples is with Cassie & Marco’s relationship, from when she left the team to the David Arc (books 19-22), and how it explains so much of their dynamic for the rest of the series.

Marco and Cassie have one of the most interesting dynamics out of the Animorphs because of how often they disagree over conflicts/strategy, but also because of the fact that they usually end up being the de facto strategists of the team (They also both are like, in love with Jake, which also leads to really interesting moments but this isn’t about that). Naturally this puts them at odds with each other often, especially during Book #19. Cassie quits the team and voluntarily infests herself so she doesn’t have to kill Karen, something that Marco doesn’t understand and also is upset about, because now he may have to kill Cassie. After book’s end Cassie makes it back to the team and Aftran begins the peace movement. There’s a lot of threads that contribute to spiral from the book, and Cassie and Marco’s relationship is one of the subtler ones. What’s important to note is that the next book, book #20, is a Marco pov. We get to see his thoughts, and all is not forgiven. He reminisces about the recent Cassie-related events, and says something along the lines of “yeah I’m not really chill with her after the shit she pulled with Aftran.” Which I support Cassie fully, but fair enough! Not only did Cassie voluntarily cause their biggest security breach at the moment, but also he thought he, a 14 year old, was now going to have to kill his friend, another 14 year old. I would be pissed too. (Also this is another great subtle narrative thread leading into the David Arc, which derives its most central tension from this same dilemma)

However the culmination of the Cassie Marco tension comes not from either of their own pov, but from the next book, book 21 which is a Jake pov. The Animorphs all morph bugs to break into a hotel that has a Yeerk conspiracy involved, and they come close to the 2 hour limit. They all morph back successfully except Marco (the weakest morpher) who is stuck as a several foot tall giant grotesque flea. Everyone’s freaking out, but it’s Cassie who’s comes forward, places a hand on Marco, and soothingly guides him through his sheer panic, and into demorphing back to his human self. After Marco breaks down and sobs on Cassie, and Jake even notes he’s never seen Marco cry like that. Which is significant since Jake has known Marco grieving through his mother “dying”. Jake doesn’t note it, because it’s a situation he doesn’t even know about, but in this moment Marco forgives Cassie. Marco never gives her shit for the Aftran situation again, either in his narration or in others. And I love that it’s something that’s not explicitly said by Jake in this book, or Marco or Cassie in later ones, but all of the resolution of that tension between them beautify resolves in a book that’s not either of their povs and doesn’t even explicitly mention it.

Not only is that a knack to Animorphs’ character writing, but it sets the foundation for their relationship going forward. It’s why Cassie still goes to talk to Marco in Book #35 through his issues with his dad remarrying, and he ridicules her a bit but hears her out. And then by series end, when Cassie gives the morphing cube away to the Yeerks, and Jake tells everyone. Is Mr. Marco “ruthless bright line from A to B” pissed at her? No he’s over it and back to being chums with her. Because that’s Cassie his bestie now❤️ And I love that no matter how often they’re at conflict later in the series, after the flea incident it never gets as serious in Marcos narration as it was to him before, in book #20. Animorphs’ character writing amongst multiple povs is just so so soo good.

[venusvity]

DAY ONE OF THE TWELVE DAYS OF VENUS CHALLENGE ; what happened to the plot?

So excited to start this challenge! Over the years Venus has had many, and I mean many, plots and rewrites so I decided to compile all the ones I can remember for day one of this challenge. I've probably forgotten some because I have the memory of a fish but if you want to refresh my memory there is also an ASK GAME going on for the challenge where you can bring up old Venus plots you loved/remembered. Here's to five years! TW // MENTIONS OF DRUG ADDICTION, DEPRESSION, CHEATING, SEXISM, TOXIC/ABUSIVE RELATIONSHIPS, AND SUICIDE.

TRANSCRIPTION.

Venus at their conception was literally just Baebi and friends. Like, if you think my Yoonah favoritism is bad NOW you should’ve been there for 2019. Truly, I didn’t give a damn about any of the other girls until a little while later when I wanted to project my love for Johnny Suh onto an OC because I was tired of writing in 2nd person lol! The original line up consisted of Baebi, Jaeyeon, Aki, Chloe and Jiah which is probably why I have such an attachment to what I deem “The Big Three”. Baebi, Chloe, and Jiah (now Sena congrats bby) are the only Venus girls I’ve ever really been able to consistently write for which is why they, typically, stick around unlike the rotating fifth slot. Anyways, plots.

The main plot at the time was cenetered around Yoonah and her battle with depression, making her a not great person. At that time, no one had really had a devisive character like that before and I’m only saying that because the amount of anons I would get telling me Yoonah is a bad person and they don’t know why I would write someone like her (she’s so tame by today’s comparison lol) told me that. The community was pretty small, max 12 people at the time so I don’t blame them for being thrown off by this version of Yoonah. She was a lot lol.

Anyways, her love interest at the time was Bang Chan and they had this awful and toxic relationship where she would emotionally and verbally abuse him due to her not being abloe to cope with her depression properly. Truly, this was mainly what the Venus blog was about for a while. Yoonah cheating on Chan, Chan trying to help her, them getting back together, them breaking up, wash and repeat. It was fun to write but I needed to branch out more I don’t remember when I retired this plot if I’m being honest? I just remember it not being a thing anymore expect in fun little easter eggs like Yoonah’s English name being Evie. Chan picked that for her. I think it’s a sweet call back lol!

This was like the main thing about Venus I remember at the time besides the Chloe and Jiah plots but that’s on the next page!

TRANSCRIPTION.

Then there was the Chloe and Jiah plots. I do believe these bleed into 2020, I’m not sure as you’ve noticed I suck with dates lol, but these were impactrful as well. Actually, massively impactful! Especially the Chloe plot which ended up evolving into what is now known as the Chloe and Nakyung situation of 2020(?). We will touch on that later lol.

Let’s start with the star of the show: Chloe. Chloe’s plot was about her insecurities in her looks and relationship. Her relationship with Johnny was very ideal; He loved her, he treated her right, and they had been together for years at that point. Still, in every version of the Johnny Saga, he’d cheat. Always. Which would always fuck with Chloe’s low selfesteem more. Anyways, the plot.

Let’s get it out of the way now: OG Chloe is not the bitch we know today. She was very different. She had no confidence, was weak and naive through and through, and couldn’t stand up for herself. Which is why this plot went down the way it did. Johnny and Chloe were together for 6 years before he started to grow tired of constantly reassuring Chloe he loved her and she was the only girl for him. In comes a girl named Kimi. Kimi was in a now defunct group of mine called Colorcoded andw as originally in the Venus lineup before she left due to bullying by their former leader, Jaeyeon. Long story, send an ask if you wanna know lol!

Anyways, Johnny would go on to cheat on Chloe with Kimi and Chloe only found out about this through DISPATCH…Yeah, insanity. She ended up staying with Johnny because he was all she knew and felt no man would ever love her and it was so pathetic and sad to watch like omg girl get up. Anyways, despite trying to fix their relationship, Chloe could not get over him cheating and would go onto cheat on Johnny with Kun. Crazy NCT love triangle I know. Because of this, they would have a fight and FINALLY part ways. This plot was reworked a few times before completely being tossed because some people were… sexist about it? Weird times. Wouldn’t revisit!

TRANSCRIPTION.

Actually, everyone minus Chanbin in the original Jiah plot has been canceled so…i’m not gonna go there lol sorry!

TRANSCRIPTION.

I really only remember Yoonah’s plots and the Chloe and Nakyung thing happening in 2021…Let’s start with Yoonah since I like talking about her more lol! In 2021, Yoonah’s depression had sunken her to the point of a suicide attempt that was very publicly broadcasted. She was in and out of recovery for a hot minute because that was her whole plot. Her point as a character was to show that recover is never linear. Once Yoonah would reenter public life after her attempt, she would begin her never ending battle with addiction. Her drug addiction was a big focal point of her character at the time since it was literally ruining everything around her. Her job, her relationships, her body, she was killing herself in every chapter basically, and by the time she decided to try and get clean she had nearly lost everything she loved.

I remember she was in a very deep love affair with Jaehyun that would fizzle out once she decided to get clean. I did love them together despite them not being the best for one another…I don’t know, there was just a lot of love between them. Around this time was also when I started develving into Yoonah and Jinhwa’s problematic relationship but I feel that got more developed in 2022. In this timeline, Jinhwa had met Yoonah when she was an adult. Their relationship was still not appropriate but it was a lot more acceptable than it is now. The power imbalance though, had always been there and I do find that a bit devestating. Even if he wasn’t a creep, he was still cruel to her. But, Jinhwa was always a creep, just not to Yoonah which is why I think it often went overlooked.

Anyways, this was pretty formative year for Yoonah since this is really where she began to spiral and her lore started to solidify. Cannot tell you what Jiah and Aki were up to. I think Aki was dating Jennie or Sana? And, honestly, Jiah might not have even been in Venus…IDK weird year.

TRANSCIPTION.

This was the year I made the fatal decision of the Nakyung, Johnny, and Chloe love triangle. If you can’t tell, I don’t like this plot point lol. I don’t think I don’t like it as a plot but I hated the response I got. A lot of people used this plot to push outdated and misogynist opinions onto Chloe and Nakyung, mainly Nakyung, and I could not stand it. It felt like I made like I had made a moster I could not get away from which, truly, is why I removed Nakyung from the lineup this year. Even then, no one would shut up about this plot and it drove me insane lol!

Anyways, this plot was about Nakyung fucking Johnny, Chloe’s boyfriend, while Chloe was asleep in the next room. Sure, it was messy and fun until it wasn’t but that was really the only thing it gave. I guess this birthed the version of Chloe we know today but at what cost? Chloe would begin to bully Nakyung due to the affair, she was literally valid for that idk why everyone was taking Nakyung’s side, and would eventually get her removed from the lineup.

This plot has been revised to not make me go crazy and so no one can ever compare my girls to Cassie of Euphoria ever again.

Y'all I cannot remember anything that happened this year. It was a weird year for Venus and for me personally so I've wiped it and much of early 2023 from my memory lol. Just know, a majority of what occurred here is no longer canon and I'm sorry you had to see that.

Happy five years! Here's to five-hundred more! 💗

[autumn-may]

Ngl I'm thinking so hard abt the comic u made with isa and how he got the scar do you have thoughts on it? I'm rotating it in my brain....

Hm.. Well I guess I could share a bit on how I interpret the pre 358/2 days Akusai relationship, (and how beserk/the scar throws a wrench into it). this ended up being considerably longer than I thought It would be so the rest is under the read more (543 words under cut) 

A big reason I find this era interesting is because it kinda plays into how nobodies function as a whole? If that makes sense. Like the idea of how nobodies replicate the experiences/emotions of their past lives, without having the proper feelings to truly emulate them, and I think that’s really interesting with a relationship such as what was presented in bbs era Lea+isa. They really were close, and I’d suspect that after getting pretty-much-killed they’d still be close, either from a legitimate want or a urge to keep some norm from when they were somebodies. This would probably result in the slow deterioration of their relationship as they attempt to replicate an experience from a memory that’s around eleven years old by 358/2, and eventually their relationship becomes distorted (like trying to paint a portrait through a funhouse mirror). This is my main hc for how they got to the point seen in 358/2. 

A major thing that I think would ‘break’ this is Xemnas/the scar. It’s seen as abnormal by the other members that Saïx was able to reach his position as second-in-command, and that makes me wonder what sacrifices he had to make. The scar itself is what I’m using in the comic, but lunatic (and how he’s somewhat possessed by it when berserking if his nobodies are anything to go off of) is also a thing I think about a lot here. The scar itself is kinda unnecessary when you consider the fact that saïx. Already has a recusant's sigil in his name idk. It kinda feels like possessive if I’m being honest which is neat in reference to how kh2 saïx acts. (NOT suggesting saïx was 100% possessed, or unwilling to do what happened in kh2 that kinda weakens him as a character to me. But bro literally was a highly prioritized member of a cult at the age of 16 there is no way he wasn’t manipulated.) so yeah the scar and what it represents (greater importance in the running of the org) probably fricked them up a lot. 

And one final thing, subject X and loyalty. Just, saix runs on loyalty, he devotes himself wholeheartedly to a cause and loses himself to it. He *literally* gave up his humanity for a girl he doesn't even know the name of, and continued the search for her until he lost even the shadow of what he once was. I don’t know if I can attribute that level of devotion to Axel, and I think that conflict could create some interesting ideas. Specifically, the point in which Axel’s already started to doubt that subX is even real, and Saïxs is at the beginning of a downward spiral. There’s conflict in that! It’s interesting! 

In conclusion Akusai/leaisa is awesome because you get like twoish hours of them interacting in the whole series but every minute of that is so packed with implication and you know the characters individually and you know how the series functions enough to piece together what has to happen in order to get to how they’re shown in [insert cutscene here]. It’s cool and lets me think a lot about the ramifications™ thank you for coming to my Ted talk

[swampstew]

Day 15 ~ Eustass Kid X F! Reader X Peeping

Note: I am recycling the post from "The Heist" which I did as a collab for @lawscorazon mostly because I love the prompt. I had a different scenario written out but its close to 4K words now, it has some Wano spoilers, and I don't even know where to begin to cut down on it, might just post it as a stand alone for later on!

Word Count: 2.1K CW: 18+ only, Spicy, voyeurism, stalking, masturbation, minor violence, m!n0rs DNI

Part 2 here

Last DNI/CW warning.

Eustass Kid slammed his metal arm on to the display table, destroying the glass frame and structure. Glass shattered and covered the carpeted flooring; cheap weapons littered the floor as the merchant backed away from the Supernova. His back to the wall, Kid stomped up to him and grabbed him by the throat.

“You know who I am, how dare you waste my time with this cheap fucking garbage,” he growled, squeezing the man’s throat close.

The man was gasping and with a last attempt to salvage the situation, began to point to the left of him. Kid almost ignored the action, wanting to let his bloodlust overtake him and simply kill the old fool for his ignorance. He tilted his head to the left and he barely loosened his grip on the man, allowing him to greedily suck air into his lungs.

“I’m sorry for making you wait, I was bringing these up from our vault,” a woman was standing by a doorway, pulling a three-tier cart behind her. From a glance, Kid could see the cart was loaded with different weapons. Sparing the old man a final glance the pirate backed off without warning, dropping the old merchant to the ground.

Stomping to the woman, Kid began to dig through the various pistols and swords, examining the quality of the steel, trying to find any imperfections or duds. Finding none, he clicked his tongue and shot the woman a glare.

“These are better but not good enough. What else do you have?”

She gave him a nervous look before glancing at the merchant. “It’s ok Y/N, take him to the vault.”

“Please follow me,” she humbly spoke, abandoning the cart and walking back through the door, Kid following closely behind her.

Descending the steep ramp, Kid spoke. “Y/N? That’s not a name I’ve heard before. You’re not from around here are you?”

Y/N shook her head, “That’s right. I came here a few months ago. Just trying to make some money and then I’ll be leaving again.”

They reached the basement floor and she led him to a vast vault door. Rotating the locking mechanism, Kid roughly pulled her aside and using his power, jerked the vault door open and walked inside. Annoyed that the merchant had in fact kept the good shit hidden away, Kid pilfered through the shelves and display cases.

“Are you looking for anything specific?” Y/N stood by the door as she watched the pirate.

“No,” he didn’t bother to explain himself. He never sought out specific weapons so much as he liked to see what was available and if anything sparked his interest. Finding several guns and daggers he liked, he grunted at the woman to indicate he was done.

The old merchant was not in the shop but he had left behind a note for the young woman. It was a short note: Give him whatever he wants and take whatever he is willing to pay. Try not to die. Close up shop when he’s done.

“Just you and me now,” Y/N scoffed, annoyed at the man’s cowardice that he would up and leave her alone.

A menacing grin spread on his painted lips, “old man too afraid to face me again?”

Nodding, she handed him the note. Letting out sharp laughter, Kid pulled out his money clip and slapped a large amount of berri on the table while Y/N wrapped his daggers into leather sheaths and bound his purchases into a single parcel.

Opening the register, Kid was confused when he saw the woman pulling out all the money and stacking it with the berri he had given her. She ducked below the table and struggled to carry up a heavy steel lockbox, slamming it on the table.

“Can you open this?”

“Why should I?” he mocked her.

“Fuck the merchant, I’m robbing him now.”

Kid was a little dumbfounded at the statement and without much thought, used his power to easily rip the door off the little safe. Y/N quickly pulled out more berri and added it to the pile on the table. Kid could hear the tinkling of treasure but before he could see what it was, Y/N handed him a bloated satchel.

“These are all his prized jewels and gold. Consider it your portion of this little heist. If you want to take anything else go for it, I don’t give a shit. Later,” she casually said as she slipped the stacks of berri into her purse and walked out the front door.

“Wh-what?” Kid stayed glued to the spot, unsure of what to make of everything that just happened. He quickly thumbed through the satchel and was surprised that she had given him all of it, the value in the bag was more than what he paid for and he was sure it was worth more than all the berri she had taken from the shop. He quickly exited the shop, eyes searching the semi-crowded village looking for Y/H/C.

Spotting Y/N’s head, he began to follow her from a distance. Kid quickly realized that she was headed towards the docks and he vaguely remembered there being some shitty excuses for rental rooms nearby where his ship was moored.

He wasn’t entirely sure why he was following her, no he was definitely just going the same direction because that’s where his ship is and that’s the justification he’s sticking to. However, once he saw her turn a corner and into one of the shitty rentals, he found himself stopping.

Shifting the parcel on his shoulder, he weighed his options. They would be leaving the next day so he had the time. On the other hand, did he really need to dick around and stalk some random yet very pretty woman? The answer was yes.

Making sure no one was watching him, he turned the same corner and walked around the perimeter of the room Y/N had entered. The rental unit was truly a piece of shit, the infrastructure was crumbling near the foundation, cracked and broken windows and there were some holes in the roof. He snuck himself in a narrow space where there were partially covered windows looking into Y/N’s rental.

Y/N was sitting at a table and counting her money, writing into a small notebook. After a few minutes, she put it all away into a small wooden box and began to stretch. Kid leered as her top lifted and he could see a roll of flesh. She moved to the end of the room and standing in front of the window he was at, she began to run water into a small, clawed bathtub. Kid shrunk back into the shadows, hoping the partially covered window gave him enough cover from being detected.

Apparently it had as the woman did not raise alarm. Staying in her same spot, she began to undress and stepped into the slowly filling tub. Kid’s eyes did not leave her form, entranced at her curves and nakedness as she began to lower her body into the hot water. He could feel his body reacting but he didn’t dare do anything about it just yet.

Y/N let out a loud, content sigh from the steamy bath. Speaking to herself, “hmm that pirate captain was pretty hot. Should have asked if he wanted to bang before I left. Oh well,” and she ducked her head underwater.

Grateful for her momentary absence, Kid’s jaw dropped from her statement as he pressed against the window, his eyes greedy for more. Kid glanced around to make sure he was alone before he began to palm his erection through his pants. Staring at her naked form in the water, he teased his length with slow motions as he drank in the sight of her. Perked nipples adorning her tits, wide hips, and chunky thighs he wanted to bite into, he groaned softly as he gripped himself harder.

Ducking out of sight again as Y/N’s head broke through the water, she laid her head back against the tub lip as she relaxed, a small hand towel covering her eyes and she occasionally wrung out a loofah over her body to rain warm droplets over her chest when she got chilly. Kid was moments away from walking to her front door when she raised her hands to her chest and began to gently tease her nipples.

Kid’s breath hitched as the woman let out a soft moan from her own actions. A private show? Oh FUCK yes. Feeling braver with her eyes shielded, Kid unbuttoned his pants and pulled his cock out, spitting into his palm and pumping himself while peeping through the window.

Y/N was massaging her body working slowly from her chest to her waist, caressing herself with delicate touches. One hand stayed on her titties as she kneaded them while her other hand drifted in between her legs. Kid stood tall for a better view and he nearly let his tongue hang as he watched Y/N rub small circles on her clit while she let out little whines of pleasure. She was increasing her speed on herself and Kid matched her pace on himself, working himself up as the coil of heat built up inside him.

“Ooh, yes right there,” she whimpered as she slipped her fingers inside her core and began pumping them in and out. “Mmm you feel so good, pirate,” she cooed, hips bucking against her hand sharply. Twisting his thumb over the head of his cock, precum leaked out helping lubricate his member and he began to buck into his hand as well, panting lightly.

Increasing his speed and grip, Kid internalized the vocalizations that tried to leave his mouth, hips jutting as he fucked into his hand while he watched Y/N bring herself to orgasm. Her face was twisted in pleasure as she let out soft wails while she rode her high, three fingers still working herself deep inside. When she pulled the digits out of her body and brought them to her mouth, Kid almost bashed his face through the window, desperate for a taste of her.

Not done with her bath, Y/N brought her hand back down to her clit and worked herself up quickly. Impatient for another release, she began to whisper out dirty things she wished Kid would do to her, still unaware that the man in question was jacking off to her outside. The Supernova listened to her breathy requests, silently agreeing to do them all to her if he found himself still wanting to fuck her when he was done.

“Fuck, I bet he has a huge cock too,” Y/N sighed, the water choppy from her rapid movements as she kept working herself. “I’d let him spread me out and fuck me stupid,” she moaned, on the edge of her second orgasm.

Kid heard her words and he was gone. The bubble inside him burst as his sloppy thrusts devolved into sharp bucking into his hand. His thick, white cum hit the window with soft sounds as he shot rope after rope from his orgasm. It ran down the window like rain droplets, racing to fall off the edge of the pane. Drops of his seed coated his hand too as he kept pumping through his own high, still watching the woman.

Satiated, he slipped himself back into his pants, head snapping up when he heard a frustrated groan. Y/N had stopped her ministrations, softly shaking her hand that had been doing all the work from the cramp she was enduring. “Goddamnit, right on the edge too,” she pouted, ripping the towel from her face and she began to exit the tub while it drained.

Cocky smile plastered on his face when he heard that, Kid wiped his hand on his pants and quickly glanced at his reflection from the second window before walking to her front door, knocking loud and rapidly.

Hearing cursing and movement from inside, Kid’s face remained the same as he propped his flesh arm against the door frame, waiting for the door to open. Y/N’s face turning red, eyes wide in shock when she found him like that.

“You! What, how did you find me?”

“The name is Kid, Eustass Kid. I have a habit of winding up exactly where I’m needed,” his salacious grin evident as he leered at her body.

She had hastily put on a long dress shirt but her nipples were perked against the cloth. He was willing to bet she wasn’t wearing underwear as he saw droplets of water still running down her thighs.

“There was something at the shop I wanted that I didn’t get. I’m here to collect.”

“What? But I gave you all the jewels and anything else you wanted!”

Nodding his head, his grin somehow getting wider. “Talking about you, girly. Now, you gonna keep me waiting outside or are you gonna invite me in so I can fuck you stupid?”

[lordkingsmith]

Sending hugs always!

002 for your favorite character please and thank you!

You might be interested to hear that I might be getting a picture with the original pink ranger at comic con.

Hugs always appreciated thank you so much 😊

Oh my gosh! You might meet Amy Jo Johnson? I’ve heard from everyone she’s ever met she’s a complete sweetheart. If you meet her you’ll have a great time. Regardless if you meet her or not I hope you have a great time at the con!

Ahh I have a lot of favorite characters, and they rotate but given you’re possibly gonna meet AJJ, I’ll do a power rangers one :)

Spike Skullovitch from Power Rangers Samurai

How do I feel about this character:

There’s not enough of him! He deserved way more! So if you don’t know this is the son of Eugene “Skull” Skullovitch. In the show he was…I wanna say as old as the rangers so mid to late teens. This retroactively makes his dad from MMPR a teen father. Kind of a doofus and I loved him for it. He just seemed like a really sweet character and it’s a shame we haven’t seen him since. I wanna know how he’s doing guys. Kid’s a pure cinnamon roll in love with the pink ranger. I adore this guy I have fics for this guy and an entire LIST I’m working on of his partners (well ok-I’m working on individual lists for them and he’s on a lot of them but you know, semantics) I ship him with and hypothetical kids. I’m doing this for a bunch of power ranger characters for funsies but yea, lol. Love him, wish we had more of him-did you know he was originally meant to be the gold ranger before they changed the plot of the season? We got robbed

All the people I ship romantically with this character:

Ok here we go lol

Lauren Shiba

Jayden Shiba

Mia Watanabe (ranger he’s canonically got a crush on and ngl it’s adorable)

Antonio (I have a test fic in the works about these two, given Antonio is the canon gold)

Kevin

Emily

Prince Olympius

Ziggy Grover

Scott Truman

And several others but list shouldn’t get too long lol

My non-romantic OTP for this character:

I…am gonna be honest. I multiship so everyone listed is simultaneously a platonic and non platonic ship for me for him. I gave up with the OTP stuff a long while ago. But my current favorite? It’s between Lauren and Mia

One thing I wish would happen/had happened with this character:

1) that he got with Mia canonically. 2) THAT HE WAS GOLD I AM SO MAD ABOUT THAT STILL HE’S WEARING GOLD AND YELLOW AS HIS COLORS HE SHOULDA BEEN GOLD

my OTP:

It’s currently between Mia, Olympius, and Ziggy

My crossover ship:

Technically…any season is it’s own universe so I could say Ziggy but. I’ll choose something not power rangers. Hilariously I used his actor in a descendants rp once, his Disney villain descendant counterpart got with Allie, Alice Liddel’s daughter.

Her. I still have a soft spot for the pairing ngl

A headcanon fact:

This is…an odd one but my friend @augment-techs and I came up with the idea he’s a putty hybrid. Rita Repulsa decided to do human experimentation and chose Skull to kidnap and do the experiments on. Through her meddling he…gives birth to a human-putty hybrid and names it Spike and that’s how his son is born! Very VERY not canon but it’s been fun playing with.

A more mundane “for every version of this character” fact is: he hates chewing gum and sweet things in general. Is not a sweet tooth. This is not going to happen. Prefers savory things over sweet things. Sugar makes him gag. He’ll eat it if someone gives him something sweet because he doesn’t want them to feel bad but..no he’s not a fan.

-

Thank you so much for the ask and again I hope the con is fun!!

[raccoonfallsharder]

Hi! I just wanted to say I've been reading through Window Across the Galaxy - inching forward but reading it - and the way you write Rocket is so damn good. Though maybe I'm biased to hell and back because that is also exactly how I pictured pre-vol. 1 Rocket, haha.

The switching perspectives offer so much. I love how much they are misunderstanding each other.

Your work is inspiring me to want to work on my own wip OC fic. I've only just finished reading chapter 2 but I'm so hooked on Jolie and Rocket's tale. I love all these little snippets we get about her and her career as an artist/appraiser/restorer is so interesting.

A few questions, I know there are a lot of little references to the comics here and there, some I recognize from my own forays into reading those, and when I don't, I look it up because honestly, you add so much flavor and life to the worlds you write that I feel the need to know more. For the stuff that isn't a reference or at least a direct reference (as in a product from a known planet), how do you decide on names and other specifics? I personally long to do that in my writing but struggle with thinking things sound believable.

My other question is do you have any tips for writing Rocket? I know technically he hasn't said anything yet where I am in the story - semantics really, lol - but even through his thought process it sounds so much like him.

friend. sunshine. dewdrop. every time i see a comment or message or ask from you, i get giddy as a six-month-old puppy. you are SO kind and generous and I appreciate your words & support SO much

i’m gonna (try to) answer your questions behind the cut because I am a wordy bitch. also these questions are hard because i don’t often think about HOW my brain works so i will do my best.

but first i wanna say that i am SO excited & honored to have encouraged you to work on your own oc fic! if you end up posting here pleeease tag me ♡ and if not that’s okay too. when i started Window i thought it was going to be just for me and honestly it freed me up to do whatever the fuck i wanted, at my own pace, and that is part of what has kept it fun for me.

K BUCKLE UP THIS IS LENGTHY

so in terms of the shit I just make up (Glortho’s Equation, Spartaxian sugardrops, various fruits and foods and soap and recycling-compressors and other general NONSENSE). this is a layered process.

Almost everything I make up, I try to root in a canonical environment/planet, and I want it to make sense for the characters to HAVE it.

so eg, recycling-compressors came about because, like, they just need a practical way to store or get rid of trash. Are they jettisoning it into space every cycle? Dropping it on a landfill planet? Rocket’s comics-canon disdain for Earth + mentions of intergalactic human lifeform rights policies that Earth doesn’t honor leads me to belief that MOST space-folk embrace more sustainable practices. could be a recycling planet, but i didn’t want them needing to travel there every eight rotations or whatever so i decided having a compressor would allow them to have longer gaps between unloading. but like, you could do ANYTHING. maybe most intergalactic packaging is made from products that can be burnt as a clean universal fuel or something ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

similarly i wanted my best raccoon boy to have access to fish. but since he’s a broke-ass bounty hunter 90% of the time, it’s gotta be something inexpensive/accessible (or stealable) - which means it’s probably a cheap export from a planet with a lot of water. Hello, Morag (and the resulting Moraggian moonfish). Sometimes I’ll reference something already canonical in connection to something I fuckin made up just to increase the sense that all these things interplay with each other (zargnut-crusted moonfish sold by a street vendor on conjunction).

Sometimes I do the opposite. I try to imagine what a product from a planet would look like. eg Indigarran beeswax. I thought, what would Indigar export? It’s this gorgeous planet with a cathedral/palace/place of devotion made of glass. if i - an aesthetique lol - had a glass cathedral, I’d want that shit lit up with candles. Can you imagine how gorgeous that would be? Glimmering everywhere. That’s how i spent too much time dreaming up Indigarran beeswax ceremonial candles for a throwaway line somewhere deep in Window I think ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I also figure because of Kree imperialism in this region of the galaxy, a lot of shit is probably Xandaran. Relatedly if it’s a product associated with wealth, I’ll use Xandar or Spartax (also Atraxia but I think I made that planet up lol). I’ll use Asgard occasionally too but less often because it’s supposed to be at the other end of the galaxy. So if I’m referencing a luxury item, it USUALLY comes from one of these places.

For writing Rocket. I think @aliasrocket recently wrote something about this and I agree with like, every flawless thing they said. I listen to a lot of Rocket clips. I try to hear each spoken line in my head in his voice. Some verbs will end in a hard -ing, and some in a soft hanging -in’. I might also use a conjunction (even if it’s not a “usual” conjunction). Sometimes I use something like a liaison in French (I don’t know if there’s a word for it in English, but I basically smush two words together). Moreover, I’ll go back through Rocket’s dialogue on reread and just make sure I don’t go more than like 1-3 sentences without some kind of word-softening. Some examples:

“What’re you laughin’ at me for?”

“Why d’you wanna do that?”

In third-person narration from Rocket’s perspective (non-dialogue) i still try to use these sporadically, but nowhere near as often because I am trying to separate narrative voice from speaking voice just a little.

I also try to consider rocket’s frame of reference for everything from his perspective. What does he know about because he’s seen it? Heard of it? How did he see or hear it? did he learn about it from a fellow prisoner in the Kyln? Someone he did a job for in Conjunction? An alien refugee on earth? Iron Man? Did he steal it? Make it? Buy it? Was it given to him and by whom and why? How trustworthy is his source? How trustworthy does he think they are?

…

OKAY. wow if you made it to the end of this novel you are IMPRESSIVE and I hope it was at least a little helpful. if you have any other questions I will be flattered and happy to answer them and I’ll try to less fuckin wordy. ♡

you are a gem & a blessing & I hope your fanfic-writing brings you JOY

[ninthprime]

typing out some loose palisade thoughts ive been rotating about the characters…spoilers up through the most recent episode

i’m really obsessed with the a plot team (thisbe, figure, cori) and the dynamic going on there. we have the comparison of figure and thisbe both being used as tools and cori and figure as weapons but i think it’s worth noting thisbe was originally maintained by a divine as part of a colonization effort even if she doesn’t remember that part of her life (which is a parallel to figure’s own memory issues actually). she’s been a weapon too…figure and thisbe have an existing habit of charging into danger together starting from them getting shot in the first arc and cori being insistent on getting stronger could both work with and against that in interesting ways. is cori gonna blame herself if one of them gets hurt? would one of them be reckless to prevent another from dying?

part of the reason i’ve been thinking about it a lot is that if everything doesn’t blow up (🤞🏻) i think we could end this arc with a very different team dynamic. phrygian is pretty likely dead, and i also think routine seems…fairly killable if needed. brnine is hopefully going to live but would be hideously depressed if they lost them i think. i’ve also been thinking that it will be really hard for that crew to leave the sun even if they shut the combustor down…does brnine get taken as a prisoner?* do they end up badly physically injured? in other words i think it’s pretty likely brnine might not be around or able to properly captain after this arc. i think thisbe probably ends up in a leadership position by default which she would have a very rough time adjusting to even though i think she would be good at it.

figure is also going to have a really rough time losing phrygian obviously. figure has a more ideal and put together version of phrygian in his head than actually exists. it happening simultaneously with figure getting a new source of power would throw them into a real identity crisis of trying to be “like phrygian” i think. they feel like they have little connection to their old life and they have literally never been given the ability to define their own personhood. figure has kind of an impulsiveness and anger under the surface that i think could really bubble up with this scenario.

i also believe if the season doesn’t end here then a crown of glass arc is inevitable and i think it would mean so much to the entire a plot team. the figure finally getting to confront clem…cori flirting with this connection to escape her own guilt…thisbe facing her own conflicts with personhood and leadership through trying to help both of them. i need to see it. i need to see thisbe shake clem like a bobblehead.

anyway i think figure and thisbe should have a slumber party on the floor with the plants (neither of them need to sleep they just lie there).

* also someday this might be a fic but you can all have it: i’ve been contemplating some sort of scenario where it becomes public that kalvin brnine saved everyone from the sun exploding and the bilats try to pull a gur sevraq and either try to fake that brnine is on their side or have them prisoner and try to force it into happening. imagine trying to rehabilitate the galaxy’s most famous terrorist. juicy.

[vacantgodling]

i know you said u were gonna write them regardless, but if it has any bearing on priority, i particularly want to see 2 and/or 7 (same general vibe imo) of the pining prompts <3 -from @calicojackofficial

rip it took me FOREVER to get to this HOWEVER thank you for asking i really appreciate it :’)

(if you wanna request a pining prompt that will take a dubious amount of time to get to the list is here!)

i’m gonna do this for jihan & hue bc 💛 them

2. Quickly sewing back the loose button of their shirt that came off at the last minute, realising that you two are extremely close & 7. Fixing each other's clothes (+ if they say "you look good")

At some point, the irresponsibility that came with early twenties had begun to fall away to make room for responsibility that came with the latter half of this decade. Hue had his fun; frat parties, and stupid college shit, bad decisions that he wouldn’t regret only for the sake of reveling in chasing his youth like a dog chases it’s tail… pause for the metaphor, or perhaps, lack thereof. But he was graduated now and he couldn’t live at his sister’s forever. Not that she would mind particularly, it’s just that he would. He wanted to have a place to call his own, more than just a 3x4” room of space—and to not have to sneak every person he brought home out of the window should he want to bring them over.

No, he needed a job.

There wasn’t even that much of a rotating line of guests in his bed anyway, at least, not anymore. Ever since last year, he’d only had eyes for one man, who was currently sprawled on the bed in the tiny room his sister let him have, and the only one of his… interests that she’d ever willingly let come in through the front door. Jihan was idly flipping through a wayward magazine and Hue’s tail twitched in agitation as he fiddled with the buttons of his dress shirt. His interview was for a small pharmaceutical lab that specialized in supernatural medicines; close enough to what he was studying back in school and consequently, the first place to give him a callback after he applied.

He fumbled with the buttons for perhaps the third time, and his frustrated groan made Jihan look up.

“Need help?” He asked sweetly and Hue huffed, but didn’t argue, so with a little laugh Jihan stood from the bed and stepped into his space. The one reason he’d been avoiding asking for help is well—

A helpless shudder ran down Hue’s spine when Jihan’s hands brushed against his bare skin to undo the buttons of his shirt. He’d been more and more on edge lately. He and Jihan had kept it PG for longer than he was expecting if he was honest, and it was at the point now that even the lightest touch and smelling Jihan’s barely there pheromones was almost enough to get him going. Almost. He had self control. For the most part.

He managed to hold still while Jihan redid his buttons, but Jihan swore softly when one of the buttons that had been giving him the most trouble popped off altogether.

“Seriously.” Hue couldn’t help but growl, but Jihan’s chuckle smoothed over the agitation that spiked within his chest.

“Now now, don’t growl at it, you’ll scare it away.” Jihan got down on the floor to begin to search for the missing button and Hue started to bend himself but Jihan tutted at him. “You know how long it took me to iron that for you? Stand up straight.” Hue sighed, but conceded, watching the vampire card through the shag carpeting for a full minute until he finally produced the button. He stood back up, then went over to his bag and rifled through it for a moment.

“What’re you doing?”

“Getting a sewing kit.” Jihan said over his shoulder. “Since I know this is the only good shirt you have.” Hue would’ve snarked back but, “You carry around a sewing kit?”

“One for wounds and the other for clothes.” Jihan returned back to him, threading the needle with practiced ease. “Old habits, and all that.” He did pause to drink in the low cut of Hue’s unbuttoned shirt, and though Jihan told him before that he had—well, whatever it was called when he couldn’t recognize faces, did he know that his own face could look so hungry? Hue’s mouth ran dry. Jihan came back to reality after a second, smiling toothily at him. “Though I don’t think this is a bad look on you.”

“I’m interviewing for a lab not a strip club.” Hue’s murmur was far too fond to sound truly cross. Jihan chuckled but it sounded deeper in his chest, and the subtle scent of him grew stronger.

It used to be a blessing to be able to tell when people started to get aroused around him. Hue had loved it when he was young and flirting in bars, but Jihan was different territory. They’d been practically inseparable the past few months, and they hadn’t even so much as held hands yet, let alone declare that they were anything beyond good friends. But they both knew they were toeing the line, and worse yet, so did everyone around them. The number of looks his sister gave him when Jihan was hanging out around the house and his pheromones subtly shifted made his dark cheeks flush in ways he was glad Jihan himself couldn’t see.

Jihan’s nimble fingers sewed the button back on as though it were just an afterthought, and he stuck the needle back into its little kit and into his own pocket, before he buttoned the shirt back up again. He smoothed a few wrinkles in the shirt, plucked a stray hair from where Hue had braided his mane back as neatly as he could. Then he smiled.

Hue didn’t know if his chest or his pants were tighter.

“You look good.” Jihan murmured fondly. He let one hand trail against his as-of-this-morning clean shaven jaw. “Though I do miss this.”

“I’ll grow it back when I get the job.” Hue said back, softly, not that they needed to whisper. “Not like it takes long for it to grow back anyway.” Jihan laughed at that. “That’s true! I almost envy it.”

“Have you ever had facial hair, Han?” Jihan screwed his face up and Hue had a hard time picturing it. “Mm… Not that I can remember but it probably looked like shit if I had.”

“Maybe one of your old friends has a picture.” Hue teased and Jihan shoved him, finally stepping far enough away that Hue didn’t feel as lightheaded. But, the warm feeling in his chest was still there; still buzzing like alcohol under his skin.

“Hey, Han?”

“Mm?” Jihan had taken residence back up on his bed and was just reaching for the magazine but paused at his name. “… If I get the job, would you…” Hue swallowed hard—his tongue suddenly felt too big for his mouth. “Would you um, go on a date? With me?” Hue asked. Jihan blinked at him and Hue quickly waved his hand. “I mean, not as friends but as—“

“I know what you meant.” A slow smile slid onto Jihan’s face. “But I’d go on a date with you even if you don’t get the job. Hell,” His grin was blinding. “We could go on a date right now, if you want.” Hue flushed and Jihan chuckled. “I can tell you’re blushing.”

“How?!”

“I can smell the blood rushing to your cheeks.” Jihan snickered and somehow that made it worse; every time he’d gotten flustered around him, he’d known—hadn’t he? Well… it was no different than him being able to tell when Jihan was hard, anyway.

“Well, then how about this,” Hue walked back to his bed and knelt, pressing his nose against Jihan’s.

“If I get this job, I’ll pay for the date.”

“And if you don’t?” Jihan’s voice was too teasing to be serious.

“Then our date is at a bar and you’re buying me shots.”

Jihan laughed and pushed Hue back; probably not wanting to breach their mounting tension right before he had something important to do, and Hue thanked him even if he wished he hadn’t.

But he had a good feeling when he went out to his car. He waved back to Jihan and his sister as he headed off towards the interview.

He smiled.

A really good feeling.

[emperor-palpaminty]

Rayshe’a (3)

A rebellion is brewing. And you may (or may not) now be involved. 

Mandolorian Fives x Female Senator Reader. No use of “y/n” and also not proofread because we (don’t) die like fives. Go check out this rad art by @ujalayi​ and sing the praises of their art forever and go follow them. i made a tag list based on people who responded/showed interest in the previous 2 parts!

yes i know the gif is djin. i just need some good mandalorian gifs. shush. Also shoutout to the mandalorian name generator i relied on that this whole chapter. also if yall have mandalorian OCs HMU and i will throw them in because the extension of mandalorian culture i know is from the EU. 

Wind knocked out of your lungs. The words hit your ears but thrummed against your eardrums, but didn’t register.

Fives winced. “You good?”

A laugh, short and high, left your mouth. “I- I thought your just said you’re going to kill Chancellor Palpatine.”

The clone nodded. “Well... yeah.” He shrugged, the armor shining in the dim lighting of the meeting room. The crows feet by his eyes wrinkled with his expression. “We are.” 

“Oh.” You inhaled. Your hands tightened on his metal bracers. “Oh.” The word was repeated. “You’re planing on-”

“Going to.”

“Kill the chancellor.” You finished. 

Fives grinned again, hands squeezing your waist through the ornamental robes. “Yeah. You’ve got it.”

His smile was some anchor to something near reality. He was dead, or supposed to be. Now he wasn’t. And he was planning on killing the chancellor. “You realize how- how just-” Your hands left his forearms and your gestured as if trying to gather your thoughts close. “How mad that sounds?” You settled on, gaze snapping back to his eyes.

“Yep.” Fives nodded. The long and dark curls brushed his forehead with the motion. His thumb traced over a corner of the decorative belt on your hips. 

“Didn’t that kill you the first time?” Your throat was dry suddenly. “Everyone heard that you were hunted down because you tried to kill him already.”

The smile flickered on his lips briefly. “Well, that isn’t... untrue.”

“And you’re trying again!”

“Finishing the job.” Fives said, words strong but less emotional and not nearly as stressed than yours. “You have no idea what he’s planning, cyare.” Fives’ jaw rotated and his fingers wrapped in the loose robe draping into the belt. He was pulling himself into you, trying to reel himself into clear thoughts but clearly chasing your presence. “It’s evil.”

“Oh, did he just tell you this?” You shook your head, the long earrings nearly brushing your neck. “Willingly?”

Fives hummed noncomitally. “Uh.... maybe.”

“Fives.” Your brow narrowed. 

“Yes.”

A heavy sigh left your chest and you looked away, trying to stiffen your lips. “You’re alive. I’m still recovering from that alone.” Your gaze returned to his armor, finger tracing over the blue pattern on his breastplate. The matte blue paint was dark, contrasting heavily to the glistening armor. Something about him and his new presence, this new Fives, left you breathless. And yet, with this new Fives, the leader with the new name, there were fragments of the old one you knew. Your lips formed into a shape, trying to push out words. Slowly your gaze pushed up to his, trying to form the words in your throat into anything coherent. Something about what happened to him, how he lived, how he got to be in the new position he was in- any logical questions any reasonable person would have. 

Instead, you managed a very shaky and fragile, “I missed you.” 

Under your hands, the Mand’alor deflated. His chest eased and he gathered you, the same brown eyes that had haunted you for months, years now, skimmed you. “I missed you too.” Fives held you with a close desperation, eyes flickering over you. “Force, I have missed everything about you.”

Words died in your throat as he pulled you in again, kissing you once more. You drew in a breath and grasped his shoulders. Something clawed in your chest. You had him again. Here. You leaned back and wrapped your arm around him, fingers tightening in his dark curls. Despite the death, the new armor, the new life, he still tasted like Fives- mint and chocolate lingered on him as his arms tightened around you, a hum leaving his throat. 

You pressed away from him, mind reeling. “I’m still trying to be mad at you.”

“Keep trying.” Fives hummed, head tilting as he kissed you again, shorter, briefer, a promise of things that were and things that would be. 

Anger and reason be damned. You chased his mouth again, hands landing on his cheeks. Reason was not existent any more. Reason said he should not be alive. You yanked him down, kissing him again. Again. Again.

Fives held you so tight your ribs nearly caved. His touch was still as passionate, as warm as it had been when he was still a soldier for an honorable republic. 

There was a polite sound behind you. One you recognized as a throat being cleared. You pulled away first, the back of your neck hot. Your eyes dropped from Fives’ face to your hands, now resting on his chest. Fives kept his hands on your waist, simply looking over your shoulder. “Mabol.”

“Rayshe’a,” You recognized the voice greeting Fives, and glanced back, watching as the Zabrak nodded her head respectfully towards him. Her orange helmet rested on her hip, her expression more relaxed than previously. If she had been embarrassed walking in on you both, she did not show it. "We have heard from some of the clan leaders. They're on the hologram in the war room."

Fives nodded. "Thanks, Mabol." He looked down at you for a moment. "Would you escort our guest to her quarters?"

You looked up at Fives again, head tilting as your hands dropped from him. "My quarters."

"Unless you would rather share." Fives raised his brows. Your face heated up again as Mabol nodded.

"Come along... Senator." She motioned to you, flicking her fingers. You looked up at Fives, slipping out of his arms. Fives smiled after you, watching, and you felt his eyes on your back as he left the room. Mabol tugged the orange helmet back on as she entered through the main room again, passing the dias and moving towards a narrow hall. You followed closely.

"You know he's planning on killing the Chancellor."

"Yeah, I do. We all do." The zabrak walked with a sure confidence. "That's why we're joining under him. And he's our Manda'lor."

"Isn't that a really hard process?" You quickened your pace to keep up. "Elected, or..."

"No. He's our Manda'lor." She repeated. After you said nothing she sighed. "He holds the Dark Saber."

"Oh." You mumbled. "Is that all it takes?"

"I don't make the rules."

You fell silent again. The rooms were all dark as you walked down the hall, the darkness of the Coroscaunt underworld enclosing around the Mandalorian hideout. "Is this an old base?"

"We have a presence everywhere." Mabol explained. "Including here."

"I never expected Mandalorians to be made up of such a diverse group."

"We're Mandalorians." She stated. "Divisions are few among us." She paused at a metal door, typing in a code. There was a buzz, and the door lifted. "Your quarters."

You blinked as you looked at her, cautiously. Slowly you entered, looking around as the lights flickered on.

"I'm sure Rayshe'a will come visit you later." Mabol stepped out of the room. "You'll have someone outside at all times. Stay in here until you're told otherwise by myself or Rayshe'a."

"Rayshe'a." You repeated softly. She said the name simply but with a clear dignity. "You've been calling him that." You winced. "It's his new name, I guess."

The helmet betrayed no expression, unfortunately, and the door slid shut behind Mabol. Alone with your thoughts again.

You turned to the room, quietly, looking over it. It did resemble a large barracks, with a few touches to feel less militaristic. Your hand smoothed over the small couch, well loved, but soft to your touch. Your eyes drifted to the bed- it was simple, larger than a cot, and sitting on it was a nightgown, folded up. You recognized it when you touched it; the material was unmistakable. Hand-spun Alderaan silk was cool against your fingertips. You owned one other nightgown, a soft white material a personal favorite of yours. 

“I have always liked how this silk feels. I need to go by Alderaan again.”

“Someday, we can both go.”

Thoughtful, tactful, Fives. He had been planning this. You laughed quietly and picked it up, holding it close. “Fives,” You said out loud, knowing you were alone in the room. “I am mad at you. I promise, I’m trying to be so mad.”

-

The hologram fizzled out, and Rayshe’a stood with a hand resting on his belt. He gave a soft breath, running a hand in his hair. Knowing his senator was safe brought him more relief than anything else- despite the remaining checklist, her well being had been a massive weight for him. Fives had died- Rayshe’a, Te Mirdala Mand’alor, Te Oyatug’yc Mand’alor - he had risen from the ashes of his brothers, victims to the plot surrounding the manipulation of their inhibitor chips. 

The Chancellor will burn.

“Lord Mand’alor.” Tanal’s gruff voice resounded behind him. “You look unwell.”

“Thanks for the concern, Tanal.” Rayshe’a said, voice falling flat. “Just... thinking.”

The Togruta’s presence behind him was a strong and silent support. “Thinking of what?”

Rayshe’a leaned forward, elbows resting on the holotable. His gloved hands clasped, and his chin rested in his hands. “About our next steps.” 

“If I know you as well as I think, Rayshe’a, then our next steps are secure.” Tanal moved up to his leader. A montral rested over his shoulder and on his chest, and the one growing down his back was battered, torn, twisted and gnarled with battles. “Another day of fighting is secure. Haatyc or'arue jate'shya ori'sol aru'ike nuhaatyc.”

Rayshe’a knew Mandalorian well now- every clone knew it, and he had continued learning it, speaking it, breathing it as he had grown in his new role. “Only issue is, Tanal, there’s more than one enemy out there.”

“This is true.” The Togruta walked by Rayshe’a as he moved towards the dias. “But once we squash this large enemy, the other ones will scatter like bugs.”

With a hum, Rayshe’a sat down on his throne. The main room was empty now, everyone likely out gathering intel or getting drinks, celebrating their camaraderie. “Easier said than done.” The leader sighed, lowering his helmet onto his lap. 

“It’s the senator.”

Rayshe’a’s eyes snapped up at Tanal, a tongue pressed to his sharp teeth as he looked down at his leader. “I’m only glad she’s safe.”

“She’s a senator. Is she not loyal to the Chancellor?”

“No.” Rayshe’a leaned back in his throne, a heavy breath heaving from his body. “She’s loyal to a true republic. Unity and peace.” And me.

Tanal gave a grunt that was not discernable to Rayshe’a. “You trusted the Chancellor. Will she not betray you too?” When Rayshe’a narrowed his brows, Tanal raised his hands. “I don’t want to go against your wishes or question you. I wouldn’t dare be insubordinate. But-” Tanal’s white markings brighetened in the neon lights as he walked towards the window. “I wish you to be cautious.”

The Mand’alor stood, a weary smile resting on his lips. “The concern is appreciated, Tanal.” He walked towards the dormitory hall, the door sliding open. “I’ll be retiring for the night.”

Tanal nodded as Rayshe’a exited, and moved between the doors. The hall was dark, but the silence was welcome. His pace slowed by Mabol, who was leaning on the door way for the Senator. “Mabol.”

“Rayshe’a,” She nodded lazily, voice modulated through her helmet. 

“How’s she been?”

“Haven’t heard from her.” Mabol shrugged. “Had a lot of questions, though. I wouldn’t be shocked if she’s showering or napping.”

Rayshe’a nodded, a fist under his helmet clenching slightly. She is here. She is safe. “Thanks, Mabol.”

“Want to come visit her later?”

“No. If she wants to come see me though, if she has questions...” Rayshe’a shrugged. “She’s more than welcome in my quarters.”

“You knew her before, didn’t you?” Mabol crossed her arms. A smirk laid in her voice dormantly, ready to tease.

Rayshe’a allowed himself to smile- Mabol was trustworthy, cool, and calm all the time. In his new family, his clans, he saw fragments of those he knew- bits of Commander Tano here, spinters of the Generals there, even some brothers... “I did.” 

“She thought you died.” The mandalorians knew what became of Fives, the origin of their leader.  Te Oyatug’yc Mand’alor.

Rayshe’a shrugged, stepping away from the door. “Lots of people did. Still think I’m dead.”

“They’re in for one hell of a shock, then.” Mabol called. Her shoulders rolled back as she leaned on the wall again. Her casual tone hid her excitement, the thrill of rebellion and vengance.

Rayshe’a looked back at her over his shoulder, chuckling. “They sure are, kid.” The helmet under his arm was heavy most days, a constant weight on his head. But clones were not meant to survive. Clones were meant to be used, then die, and be thrown out. 

Not for longer. For his brothers, for the republic, for freedom, Fives would have to claw his way out of the ashes. Rayshe’a was newer- stronger, harsher, and when the Mand’alor looked in the mirror he saw some remainders of that soldier he once knew. From the wound in his chest splintering out, Fives had burned away and only the Resurrected Mand’alor remained. Rebellion, leadership, fighting all required some coldness. 

But not for his senator. Not for her.

------

Tag list:

@hellothere-generalangsty @darkcybertron @altarofmortis @kaitou2417 @lizartgurl @maximalblaze @jgvfhl  @ujalayi @jedipoodoo @twinkofthedink @tech-depression-inventory @tsundere-cherry-girl @ashheart10 @sleepingsun501​ @cookiejuicedesu 

[xserpx]

Leo🦁 for the blorbo bingo!

Thank you so much for sending me this ask 😆! And just to be extra obnoxiously self-indulgent I'm gonna ascribe each square I picked to a specific chapter in the Age of Madness trilogy! 🦁❤️:

OUGHHHH *disintegrates into dust*: "Jurand looked up and their eyes met, and Leo froze, his breath held, his face tingling." The Same Side, TWOC.

Blorbo from my special interest: "Leo bared his teeth, squelching forward through mud battered and mashed by countless boots advancing and retreating, advancing and retreating. The fighting had been fiercest here. Bodies everywhere. Bodies from both sides. Men still and men still moving, crawling, crying, pawing at the ground, pawing at themselves. Leo stepped between them, stepped over them, teeth clenched, head throbbing, pushing on towards the bridge." Settle This Like Men, ALH.

Putting them thru the horrors: "‘I’m fine,’ said Leo, weakly shaking the man off. Fine. Broken, defeated, in constant agony, with a useless arm and an amputated leg, convicted of treason and already on the gallows. Fine." A Footnote to History, TTWP.

I HATE YOU: "Before the Great Change it would’ve been him asking whether they should do something. Bursting through that door in some self-indulgent, self-defeating puke of gallantry. But then he used to be a reckless, soft-hearted fool." Love, Hate, Fear, TWOC.

Fandom is so mean to them 💔: "‘Are you sure?’ asked Brock. ‘I have three-score flatbows with a different opinion.’" The Sentence, TWOC.

Explodes them with my mind (affectionate): "‘No, no, it’s the small cutlery, Leo.’" Common Ground, TTWP.

Gay infinity: "They’d touched each other a thousand times. They’d wrestled and sparred and hugged. But there was something different about that touch. More than one old friend supporting another. Far more. Jurand’s hand didn’t just rest there. It squeezed, ever so lightly, and Leo felt a strange need to tilt his head and press his cheek against it. Take that hand and hold it to his face, to his heart, to his mouth." Grown Up, TTWP.

Bouncing off the walls: "‘Cheer up.’ Leo hugged him roughly with one arm, looking back to the building. The one lit window. ‘There are plenty of ladies for all of us.’ Though he couldn’t think of any close to Savine dan Glokta’s class. ‘Plenty of ladies,’ Jurand echoed, gloomily." A Bit About Courage, ALH.

Killing them with hammers: "Now they huddled in close. United by a common enemy, and a shared purpose, and a righteous cause. Just talk, of course, fuelled by Leo’s frustration, and jealousy, and the pain in his leg. Just talk, perhaps, but dangerous, still. Exciting, still. Just talk, wasn’t it? But with each word said it became more thrillingly real." Future Treason, Past Affairs, TTWP.

Bestie it's not funny anymore get therapy: "They’d both stabbed him in the back while they stabbed each other in the face, yet somehow they could glide away friends, ruling the gardens, loved by all, while he was left nursing unhealable wounds, hated and feared and alone." Good Times, TWOC.

Free Space: "As handsome a crowd of young heroes as you could hope to find. What a painting they’d make! Maybe Leo would get one commissioned. Who’d know an artist?" Young Heroes, ALH.

Babygirl 💖 (has committed horrific atrocities): "‘They love the fire,’ said Leo, tugging his jacket smooth, then turning away. ‘They can have the fire.’" Purity, TWOC.

HGGHHGHHJKGHJURTGEHJM etc: "He wanted to say it all. To puke up his resentments. He had his mouth open to do it. But why bother? The past isn’t made of facts, not really, just stories people tell to make themselves feel better. To make themselves look better." Not For the Prizes, TWOC.

Smacking the floor: "What he wanted to do more than anything was lurch into Jurand’s arms and never let go of him." Different This Time, TWOC.

Rotating in my brain like a rotisserie chicken: "He hated Styria, hated Sipani, hated Cardotti’s, hated this degenerate excuse for a king most of all. He raised his chin, trying to look haughtily down his nose, but his eyes kept being drawn to that trail of dark hair from Jappo’s navel into the not entirely concealing shadows of his gown…" All Tastes, No Judgements, TTWP.

The fandom doesn't know them like I do: "‘We both know you’re not a fool, Leo. For whose benefit are you pretending to be one?’" Where The Fight's Hottest, ALH.

pls talk to me about them I promise I'll be normal :))): "‘You can call me treacherous. Call me ruthless. But ask who I learned it from.’" The Villain, TWOC.

Explodes them with my mind (derogatory): "‘Goes to show,’ he grunted, ‘you have to be your own hero.’" Redemption, TWOC.

Tearing them apart with my teeth: "A representative from the Angland delegation was plucking at the hem of Leo’s jacket in an effort to pull him down, but Leo angrily slapped his hand away. ‘Sit down, you bloody fool,’ Savine forced through gritted teeth, gripping the rail of the gallery. But the Young Lion would not sit down." The King's Justice, TTWP.

Tucking them into bed and kissing them on the forehead 💖: "Tits. Men talked a lot about tits. So Leo did, too. Nudge in the ribs, look at the cargo she’s carrying. But if he was entirely honest, he didn’t really understand the appeal. To Leo, tits were just… there." The Lion and the Wolf, ALH.

[everfascinated]

Writing prompts:

49. “I may be an idiot, but I’m your idiot.”

Feeling this for Steddie, but obviously dealer's choice =)

Thank you for the prompt! It took two tries and I think this came out nicer for it

tw: bugs

The Birds and the Beetles

The leaves on the ground were making it impossible to walk quietly, but that was alright. Eddie was keeping his running commentary as low as he could manage as they walked through the forest, however, that was still louder than their footsteps.

"I don't know how they could have missed it. The signs were right in front of them." Rolling his eyes, Eddie nearly tripped over a particularly large tree root. When Steve dropped his binoculars to catch him, Eddie's alarmed look melted into a smile before he took advantage of their position to peck a swift kiss to the corner of Steve's lips. "My hero!"

Steve knew his expression was more fond than chiding as he helped Eddie back to his feet before giving him a little shove to keep him moving.

"So you've said." And Eddie has. He's got a lot of nicknames for Steve and 'hero' made it into the rotation after they pulled him from the Upside Down oh so long ago. "Maybe you should be paying more attention or you'll miss some signs of your own."

Because, yes, the walk was a bit for their health - getting out and walking around was good for them no matter what Eddie sometimes complained when Steve pulled him from his indoor hobbies. He always came though, because it was also a great way for them both to indulge in their outdoor hobbies which Eddie was incredibly enthusiastic about. He loved to look for bugs and creepy crawlies as they wound their way through the forest, but Steve preferred -

There was a bird call, just audible over Eddie's exaggerated hurt at being called out like that, and Steve instantly had the binoculars up again from where they were hanging around his neck. Not quite putting Dustin's gift to his face while he didn't know the direction it came from, Steve scanned the trees for movement.

Nothing.

Well, that bird call sounded familiar - what little he could hear clearly when Eddie stopped mid-sentence to let him listen - so he'll get his chance to look at it another time if not today. Today would be nice though. He remembered to bring the old camera Jonathan gifted him (with a particularly amused look) last winter and Steve would love to add to his small collection.

"No?" Eddie asked, watching Steve instead of the treetops, obviously trusting Steve's skewed vision to pick the birds out. When he got a negative head shake, Eddie just gave a commiserating nod and motioned them onwards. "Let's see if we're just too far away."

Reaching out with his free hand, Steve snagged one of Eddie's and set the pace. It was an easy one, more of a stroll than anything as Eddie picked up his story again as they both scanned the path for interesting creatures.

Birdwatching wasn't something Steve ever thought he'd like. Honestly, if anyone had told him that it was a hobby before he unknowingly fell into it he likely would have said it was for old people. Fortunately for him, he did kind of come to it naturally. Between the way their encounters with the Upside Down made him hyper aware of movement and the way his eyesight slipped from perfect to far sighted, spotting birds was surprisingly easy and fun.

The fun part was possibly the most surprising, but Steve loved seeing the little guys. Whether they were flitting by his bedroom window, sitting on a wire at a stop light, or hopping along the forest floor, the birds were always free and happy to do as they liked. And finding an uncommon one was always exciting! Trying to think of how or why a bird would come to their part of the state instead of their usual haunts was tricky and both Dustin and Eddie loved to debate it with him.

Of course, sometimes those debates included wildly incorrect guesses like bird revolts or bird spy tactics (specifically, birds spying on other birds and not shady government organizations using birds to spy), but those were usually joined by a wink in Steve's direction as Dustin started tearing Eddie's ideas apart on principle.

"So I told them we'd need to continue another- Steve!" Hissing his name Eddie froze, only the fingers trapped between Steve's moving in an excited set of taps telling him nothing was wrong. Not looking away from whatever he spotted, Eddie pulled Steve's hand closer to tap the back of it with his other hand as he did a few giddy steps in place, the ones that shift him from foot to foot rapidly in a motion that makes him look all of seven. "Look! Look look!"

It took effort to pull his eyes away from Eddie's elated grin, but Steve eventually managed to look in the same direction only to see more trees, leaves, and bushes. After a moment, he leaned in close to whisper a question.

"What exactly am I looking at?"

"A Potato Beetle or maybe a false one." Eddie brought his free hand up to his mouth to squint, presumably at the bug but Steve still couldn't see it and didn't know what that one looked like. His silence was telling, it must have been, because Eddie let his eyes slide over to meet Steve's before flashing him another smile. "Come here and get that camera of yours ready."

Setting his binoculars back down, Steve reached across to pull his camera from his opposite pocket so that Eddie could continue pulling him slowly forward until they're couched a few feet from a branch laying beside the trail.

"See, right there?" He pointed to a spot on the top of the branch and something moved. Narrowing his eyes, Steve listened to Eddie describe it. "It's kinda small, but it's brown and white, with stripes. It almost looks like a lady bug, do you see it on the top of that twig?"

And Steve did. It was small, less than half an inch so he was impressed Eddie noticed it (though, maybe he needed to stop being impressed, Eddie was finding little guys like this constantly). As they watched it, the bug's antennae wiggled a little and Eddie made a cooing noise.

Acting fast before Eddie tried to pet another bug only to get upset when it few away, Steve raised his camera to take a picture of it. The thing had more functions than a disposable one, but thankfully not as many as Jonathan used so getting the zoom right only took a few seconds.

Steve snapped one, then paused.

There was that birdsong again. Closer this time. Shaking off his distraction, Steve focused on getting another few safety shots in case the first was blurry. The bird likely wasn't going anywhere.

He took a second picture and then jumped as Eddie cursed, partially because of the noise, but mostly because of the nearly green bird that swooped down in front of them. It barely glanced at them as it snagged the little beetle right off the branch it was now scuttling along before flitting off again.

They both sat there for a second in stunned silence before Steve snorted with laughter, Eddie's squawk of affront following shortly after.

"What?!" Standing, Eddie stomped over to the branch as if he might be able to find the little bug they definitely just saw get eaten. "No! That's not fair!"

Steve looked down at the camera in his hands to try and keep from laughing too hard and realized he snapped another photo. Damn, he hoped it wasn't blurry. He wasn't sure what part of that farce he just caught, but that was going to be a story, he just knew it. It would be great to have proof when Dustin inevitably tries to deny this happened.

"Steve!" Back in front of him, Eddie stared down with his hands on his hips and Steve caught his tongue between smiling teeth as he looked up at that dramatic pout. "Steve, call your bird back and make him put down my beetle!"

"Her." The correction fell out automatically, before Steve shook his head. The coloring of cerulean warblers wasn't the part of his statement to focus on. Unable to wipe the fond smile from his face anyway, Steve continued, "Idiot. I watch birds, I don't control them."

Clicking his tongue, Eddie's shoulders slumped as he obviously fought to keep up the disappointed expression instead of smiling back.

"Lame. What's the point if you can't make them do your bidding?" The grin fully overtook his expression as he moved on before Steve could point out that Eddie was doing something similar even though he didn't have control over bugs. "Besides, I  may be an idiot, but I'm your idiot."

Warmth spread through Steve as he exchanged an adoring look with Eddie that would have their friends groaning and throwing things at them.

"Yeah," he agreed, accepting the offered hand up to lean into Eddie's space. "And I'm yours."

The bird called again, but Steve was enjoying their kiss too much to pay it much mind.

There would be other times to photograph birds.

Eddie did love indulging Steve's hobbies after all.

Also put this on AO3 if people like reading it there better

[hauntingkiki]

I’ve been working on this and a few other chapters for this for a few days and I just wanted to see if people would be willing/interested in reading the full thing when I’m finished!!:}

This IS the full ‘beginning’ chapter for the book I plan on publishing (on wattpad 😶) at some point, and there will be more information about this when the book is finished!:D

A New Beginning

Ralph x Reader

Lord of the Flies

2nd POV

You bit your lip harshly, holding back tears as your bottom lip quivered against your teeth. You let go of Molly's hand, rubbing your eyes with your uniform sleeve as the tears finally spilled from your eyes.

Molly softly gasped and gently tapped your shoulder, her eyes wide as she glanced around at the faces that watched the two of you in what looked like awe.

Pulling the sleeves away, your puffy eyes went wide at all the eyes that were on the two of you.

Boys. All boys; ranging from ages of 7 years old to 16 years old.

Embarrassed, you walked a few steps whilst keeping your attention on the floor as you took a seat not too far away from where you stood. You sighed heavily, watching Molly take a seat next to a pale ginger, dressed in a black cloak with a matching hat out of the corner of your eye.

The boy that sat to your left exhaled loudly, shifting around in his seat when the engines roared loudly outside. He squeezed his eyes shut, flexing his hands as the plane started to pick up speed slowly.

Faintly turning your head, you watched as the boy squirmed uncontrollably in his chair. You hesitated a hand out to him before sucking in a breath and placing a hand atop of his.

His eyes shot open at the contact, the two of you staring into each others eyes for a moment before he swallowed thickly, nodding his head quickly and vaguely as he spoke. "T-thank you." He gasped out quietly, wiping his brow with his left uniform sleeve. He slowly rotated his hand that was underneath yours, allowing you to intertwine your fingers with his.

Nodding, you gently squeeze his hand. "It's not a problem." You reassured warmly, smiling softly at him as you felt his body slowly relax.

The boy seemed to be around 15, he had somewhat deep smile lines that complimented his lighter tan skin perfectly.

He had a few freckles that coated his skin; a few on his cheeks, a blotchy one near the outer corner of his right eye, and a few on his neck and hands (that were noticeable to the naked eye).

His eyes were a beautiful hazel color- blue-gray color speckled around as well when the sun hits his eyes just right.

His hair was neat and well kept, his bangs slightly pushed back with gel, but not too much, just enough to where some of the pieces were slicked back. Some of the pieces fell back in front of his face, making him run his left hand through his hair every few minutes. It was a light dirty-brown color, not too blond and not too brown either.

The boy tensed back up as the plane took off, gripping your hand tightly as he shut his eyes again.

You turned your head towards the boy, watching as he flexed his left hand as he took deep, quick breaths. You shifted in your seat, turning to the boy the best you could, making his eyes flutter open as he felt your hand shift around in his grasp.

The two of you made eye contact, not looking away as the plane continued to incline, rumbling slightly from the engines and the turbulence. "I'm Y/N." You intruded, smiling warmly at the boy in hopes it'll take his mind off of the bumpy flight. "Y/N L/N."

He nodded faintly before nodding at a noticeable pace, wearily smiling back at you. "I'm Ralph." The blond introduced. "Ralph Hudson."

You beamed with a smile, tilting your head to the left so your head was leaning on the seat you were sitting in. "It's nice to meet you, Ralph." You gushed, moving some hair out of your face. You faintly heard him mutter a 'you too' under his breath, his gaze on his lap. "Do you have any hobbies?"

The boy perked up, his eyes slightly sparkling at the question. Even though he was popular at his school, no one really asked him personal questions; sure he'd get asked 'How's your day', 'What are you doing over the weekend?' And 'You're in track and basketball, right?' But, no one ever asked a question like that before.

He hesitated for a moment, his cheeks flushed nervously before he spoke. "I do track and basketball..." He started, clearly not knowing what else to say. "...I also like to draw with my older sister."

You gasped lightly, placing your right hand atop of your other hand and his, startling the boy slightly. "No way! You have a sister?" You cheerily asked, making him softly smile. "Do you have any other siblings?"

Ralph nodded. "Yeah, my mom's expecting so, I'm going to be a big brother." As he spoke, he slowly got more comfortable, his demeanor getting brighter as he rambled on. "Oh! My dad's in the Navy, he's out keeping us safe! So, it's just been my sister, my mom and me."

You nodded excitedly, also relieved that he's not anxious about the flight anymore as well. "That's cool!" You laughed, the two of you nodding in sync.

A grin made its way onto his lips, sighing with a faint chuckle at the end. "What about you?" He asked, fully turning his body towards you like how you were. "Do you have any siblings? What's your family like?- if you're comfortable with answering."

You hummed in thought, thinking for a moment. "Well, it's just my mom, my older brother and I as well." You shrugged slightly. "My dad's always away for business; he works for a BIIIGGG company." You waved your free hand around, emphasizing the 'big' aspect.

He hummed in agreement, running a hand through his hair before peering around the plane. His eyes landed on Molly, pointing to her with his free hand, he quirked a brow towards you. "Who's she?" He asked curiously, remembering that the two of you came into the cabin together; hand in hand.

You whipped your head over to the girl, smiling brightly and getting ready to call her over before it slowly fell, your brow raising at her.

Molly and the ginger laughed loudly with one another, Molly trying to calm herself down before laughing again as the teen joked at her.

You turned back to Ralph, shrugging slightly as the two of you chuckled at the interaction. "She's one of my closest friends, her name's Molly." You introduced her, waving your free hand slightly.

Ralph nodded faintly, smiling. He went to open his mouth before the plane shook violently, a loud crash booming outside.

Everyone on the plane screamed, some of the boys flying into the isle since they didn't put their seatbelts on. Yells and cries erupted in the plane, everyone not knowing what was going on.

"WHAT HAPPENED?!" A voice called out, followed by a younger voice wailing loudly.

A boy a few rows in front of Ralph and you glanced out the window, his black, almost tight curled hair pressing against the glass and his face. He gasped loudly, peeling away from the window before sitting up on his knees to see everyone in the cabin the best he could. "WERE GOING DOWN!!" He called out, making everyone scream in terror.

Your eyes with wide, screaming as your right hand gripped on the armrest as you felt the plane quickly decline. You froze, snapping your head towards Ralph as he gripped at your hand tightly, his nails digging into your skin. You glanced out the window with a gasp, leaning forward and over the boy to shut it so he couldn't look out. "Don't look out the windows, Ralph!" You spoke over the screaming, getting back in your seat.

He nodded violently, taking quick breaths as he shut his eyes. 

The plane tilted side to side as it made its way down towards the water, the right wing crashing into a coral reef, causing the plane to harshly crash into the ocean.

One of the boys stumbled out of his seat. He made his way over to the emergency exit, turning to you all as he shoved his black curly hair out of his eyes. "Come on! We have to go!"

Everyone quickly unbuckled, running out of their seats and over to the boy.

He opened the emergency door, water rushing in as the plane slowly sank into the ocean.

"Wait! Where's the captain?!" A boy around your age gasped, fixing his glasses as he glanced around for the man.

“Uhh, guys?” One of the younger boys called out, turning away from the open door to the captain’s pit. “Captain Benson isn’t responding!”

A boy standing next to the ginger and Molly gasped, gripping at his black hair with wide eyes. “WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO?!” He wailed, turning to the auburn haired boy and shook him violently by the shoulders.

Ralph held his hands out slightly, calling out to everyone so their attention was on him. He perked up as you whistled with your fingers in your mouth, catching everyone’s attention. He smiled with a sparkle in his eyes before turning back to the boys. "You guys go, I'll get Benson out." Ralph commanded, jerking a hand towards the open door while heading to the captain's pit.

The boys listened and swam out, Molly and you getting lost in the bunch.

You swam to the surface, coughing and spitting out salt water as you flailed your arms and kicked your feet back and forth to keep yourself afloat. "Ralph!" You called out amongst the other kids screaming and crying, looking around you at the swimming children, trying to find a familiar face. "Molly!"

"Ralph went under to get Captain Benson!" A younger voice called out to you, making you turn to the boy who had a mulberry mark blotched by his left eye and down his left cheek. "The captain slipped out of his grasp when he was coming up for air!"

Nodding faintly, you gulped a big breath of air before dunking your head back under the water. Opening your eyes, you faintly saw two bodies a little bit away from you. You threw your head back up to the surface, coughing slightly as you wiped away some of the water dripping down your face.

"Somebody help me!" One of the younger boys cried out, gurgling as he went under before bobbing back up again. "I can't swim!"

"Y/N!" A voice called out, making you turn your head to the culprit before sighing in relief.

"Molly!" You beamed, hugging her awkwardly as the two of you tried to stay afloat.

"Get away from the plane, it'll drive you under!"

"Have you seen Jack?!" She called out to you, looking around for a moment before turning back to you.

You stared at her, appalled by her question. "Who?!"

You had no idea who that was, your best guess was the ginger teen dressed in the black cloak she was sitting next to on the plane ride, but you weren't absolutely sure, but you kept the assumption in the back in your mind.

Voices lapped over one another, making it impossible for anyone to heard each another.

One of the boys tapped Molly on the shoulder, telling her something whist pointing in a direction.

The girl thanked the boy and swam off, leaving you slightly dumbfounded.

You called out for her, debating if you wanted to follow.

"Get the raft!" A familiar voiced yelled over the other voices, snapping you out of your stunned state.

"Ralph!”

"Y/N!"

You slowly made your way towards the boy, swimming through the boys before eventually getting to him.

His arms were looped under the captains, keeping the older man afloat since he was knocked out from the impact, blood trickling down his chin and into the ocean. He unlinked one arm before bringing you into a hug, sighing in relief as he dropped his chin on your shoulder.

You also hugged him back, noticing one of the boys diving under to get said raft the blond was talking about. You pulled away from the boy, brushing some of his bangs out of his eyes before turning to the loud, almost exploding sound of the raft.

Everyone made their way towards the raft, pushing each other up and into the float. The boys helped their friends get aboard, the raft moving to and fro as people flopped in.

You helped Ralph hoist Captain Benson onto the raft, the boys inside pulling him up before helping Ralph and you get in.

Molly caught you as you slipped into the raft, rubbing your back as you quietly sobbed into her soaked skirt, your body shaking from the cold, harsh wind that made the water stuck in your clothes feel like ice.

"Where are we supposed to go?!" The mulberry boy asked, slipping as he tried to stand.

The group muttered in realization.

Where were you all supposed to go?

Two identical boys held oars that were in the raft, glancing at one another before gently play fighting with one another.

Hissing, Ralph held his wrist, blood dripping into the raft. He didn't even realize the injury due to his adrenaline, but since he was able to rest in the raft with ankle deep water, the pain was noticeable.

The boys groaned in disgust, collectively "eww"ing at the blood as it mixed with the salt water underneath them, the red liquid diluting and becoming diaphanous as it rolled around, spreading.

You grabbed your skirt and pulled, ripping at long piece at the bottom.

Molly watched you with intent, glancing up to who you assumed was Jack before the two shrugged at one another.

The boy with the round, thick glasses opened a first aid kit, you assumed he grabbed it before evacuating the plane. He pulled out a gauze, helping Ralph tie it around his wrist to stop the bleeding for now.

Ralph noticed the fabric in your hands and sat down next to you, smilingly wearily at you.

You smiled back at the boy when he plopped down at your side, taking the torn fabric and using it as a sling, tying the two ends behind his head.

The blond exhaled, moving his arm around in the sling so his arm laid comfortably. Once his arm was comfortable, he gently leaned onto you, shutting his eyes as the adrenaline rush ended.

One of the boys, dressed in a short black cloak and matching black hat, gasped, leaning forward while cheering excitedly before the others joined in, rowing towards their new discovery.

You stretched your upper body up as far as you could, trying not to disturb Ralph who was on your side. Your eyes caught a faint glimpse of what you all were heading towards, grinning slightly, you turned to Ralph who quirked a brow up to you. "Land." Was all you were able to croak out.