#akai-echo

[harmcityherald]

on tapes again.

question for the musicians.

How many boxes do you have of tapes arranged just so and when you play them back there are two tracks playing on one side and the other side is backwards because these are all from when you used to use that beautiful four track recorder you loved so much?

[mooncovesnight]

whale date ♡

[fandom-friday]

Thank you so much to everyone that submitted recommendations this week! A comprehensive list of this week’s submissions can be found under the cut! Recommendations are organized by show/media, and any main pairings will be listed after the title.

🔵 = 18+ content ✨ = contains spoilers of a currently running show (will be marked up to 2 weeks after finale)

Fics:

The Clone Wars: 🔵 Just A Little Bit More (Commander Wolffe x f!Reader) by @dystopicjumpsuit 🔵 I Yearn, and So I Fear (Commander Wolffe x OC Kazi Ennari) by @enigmaticexplorer 🔵 Walk Me Home (Commander Wolffe x OC Cherise) by @cyarbika Quiet Mornings (Commander Wolffe x OC Sadhbh m'Lir) by @ulchabhangorm

The Bad Batch: ✨ (TBB S3) Roots by @kaydear

Across The Spiderverse: Lord, Make Me a Liar by @wormturned

Batman: Tim Krake by @the-booty-crusader Loch & Key by jayburb (toothpasty) (AO3)

Hetalia: Axis Powers: Good Afternoon, Mister Adams by Gemini Star01 (ff.net) Thunderbird by Gemini Star01 (ff.net)

Art:

The Clone Wars: Obi-Wan Kenobi Art by @cj-kenobi 🔵 NSFW Cody Art by @mire-draws-things-spiceverse Captain Gregor, Captain Rex and Commander Wolffe Art by @ahhrenata Darth Maul Art by @fresh-orange-whispers

The Bad Batch: ✨ (TBB S3) Bad Batch Comic by @razena88 Bad Batch Comic by @beetlecrest ✨ (TBB S3) And That's a Wrap! by @shyranno ✨ (TBB S3) Hunter, Wrecker, Crosshair Art by @zaana ✨ (TBB S3) Tech and Omega Art by @tis-the-marmot Crosshair is So Glad to Be Back by @techwrecker ✨ (TBB S3) Echo Art by @lornaka Commander Cody Art by @phantasm-echo ✨ (TBB S3) Hunter Art by @mroddmod

Rebels: Vod'e akay haar kyr by @razena88

[the-red-thread-that-strangles]

Continuing where we left off with Akai.

.

Shuichi must've regained conciousness quickly, because when he comes to, strands of soft hair brush against his face. Rei has tipped his head back, holding him steady and leaning in close to check whether he's still breathing. Shuichi actually doing so with sputtering gasps seems to be the wrong move, though. As soon as Shuichi shows signs of life, Rei's heat is gone as the agent hurries to get some distance between them.

The ensuing tirade as Akai's dragged up the stairs to the guest bedroom Okiya Subaru is occupying is decidedly not helping the developing headache and nausea. Everything is pain. But that's par for the course. He needs to eat something, maybe take a painkiller or two, and then he really needs to get back to his watch over Shiho. He's already wasted too much time.

As usual, Rei has other plans. He shoves Shuichi into bed, throws a blanket over him and orders him to stay. put. Shuichi wants to assure Rei that it's fine, he's fine, and he really has better things to do, but the other agent runs off, quietly talking to someone on the phone. Warmth is seeping into Shuichi's bones under the blanket, and the lack of sleep from the last couple of days is rapidly catching up, now that he's bundled up in bed. See, that's why he would usually avoid it. And should really get out, right about now. But he's a little too worn to get up. Maybe he can entrust matters to Rei, just for a little while.

To his surprise, Rei returns a couple of minutes later, stirring Shuichi out of a light doze. He's carrying a glass of water and plate. It smells of summer.

"I thought I made myself clear last time", he mutters to himself, putting the items on the bedside table.

('I won't pamper you, if you collapse again.' Amidst the drowsiness, a half-buried memory threatens to resurface. He might have been sick, before?)

"Not the same", Shuichi drawls in protest, because he can't let Bourbon get away with everything.

('Nobody's forcing you to be here', his memory says. As if anyone could make Bourbon do something he truly objects to.)

Grimacing at the lack of seating opportunities, Rei sits down on the bed next to him.

"Alright, even an old man like you should be able to eat this." Rei nudges a piece of melon against his lips. Shuichi finds himself dutifully taking a couple of bites, and then a sip of water. Eventually Rei relents, gets up. With a click, the room goes dark. Shuichi thinks he might leave for good, now, but then the matress dips as Rei returns to his side. In the unlit room, Shuichi is keenly aware he's only inches away.

('Rest. I'll take the first watch', the echo of a bygone era says.)

Rei stays by his side until the front door rattles downstairs, and the chatter of the Kudos drifts up. Then he flees into the night.

The sweater he came for lies forgotten in its bag in the basement gym.

Shuichi can't remember the last time he slept this well.

III.

"You wouldn't happen to know why Amuro wanted me to fetch him, and I quote, whichever Sherlock Holmes book has The Empty House case? He could just look it up online."

Shinichi is perched precariously on the ladder in the Kudo library, fishing for the book in question. Shuichi's watching it sway, coiled and ready in case he needs to get up and catch the boy. It's probably fine, but he has thought enough about death these past couple of days. He'd really rather not have another avoidable one on his conscience.

"Not particularly", he says, sipping his coffee. For the most part, The Return of Sherlock Holmes is probably of little importance to Furuya. He likely just wanted Shinichi, or rather, Conan (because he's not sure Furuya has cracked that one yet, and it's not his secret to share) out of his hair for the day.

"It's hard to tell with him, but it seemed like it was important." Conan climbs down the ladder. Another potential disaster averted.

Shuichi shrugs. "I don't know of any important missions he has coming up." None that would benefit from reading Holmes, in any case.

At that, Conan raises an eyebrow. "And the two of you have been getting along rather well recently, right?"

There's no reason to lie to the boy. "He's been around. We're working on it." He has been nagging and yelling and an all-around whirlwind, but Shuichi appreciates the company.

"It's about Scotch, right? Why he's mad at you?" Curiosity clear on his face, Conan settles sideways in the comfortable library armchair, legs dangling over the armrest. Watches Shuichi carefully, who can't help but smile. "Now, wherever did you learn that name?" Conan just shrugs, smirks. "I'd rather not reveal my sources. Although this one would surprise you, I think."

There's a limited number of people it could be, considering Furuya himself would never tell, but Shuichi doesn't push it. "Alright. What do you know about him?"

"He was a NOC. A friend of Bourbon. And yours as well?"

"Is", Shuichi corrects, automatically, because that's the important part. "He's still alive."

He finishes his coffee, sets it down. And because he's wanted to talk about this for a while, he tells Shinichi about Scotch.

.

Scotch was a divine blessing. That's neither sugar-coating nor exaggeration, simply fact.

Looking back, Shuichi is pretty sure the rotten company was a major part of why that first year in the organisation was almost unbearable. Everyone, from the executives down, was bad news, but he was most often exposed to his fellow snipers. Korn was fine, mostly calm and keeping to himself. Calvados was annoying in his continuous idolisation of Vermouth, but mostly harmless. Chianti, well, Chianti was the worst.

Shuichi's still not sure how a sniper gets away with being that obnoxious without raising attention to their position ahead of time, screwing over every single operation they're part of. Somehow, she manages - that somehow usually involves killing any unlucky witnesses. That wasn't all, though.

Shuichi is keenly familiar with the thrill of the hunt. He understands the excitement and the pride, even if Chianti is, at best, a middling sniper. But he's always followed a set of principles, and the way Chianti liked to play with her targets, relishing in the pain she caused before finally killing her prey in an absolute disregard of the value of life left him violated at his core. If he wasn't really careful, this could be his future.

And because that wasn't bad enough, Chianti would bring up her accomplishments for the rest of the day, dragging the other snipers into a pissing contest about who had caused the most damage. Shuichi was glad Rye's persona was cold and detached and rarely talked. He wasn't sure he could've kept his cover, otherwise.

So he did what he did best: establish himself as a lone operator. He was clearly superior in skill, didn't even need a spotter. Told whoever was assigned on a mission with him to go take an extended break while he dealt with things. The less time he spent with those lunatics, the better.

Enter stage right: Scotch.

"Scotch made his codename as a sniper. Because he was new in the organisation as well, they assigned him to be my partner."

Shuichi had figured he would hate him, and then he didn't.

Scotch was a breath of fresh air. Cool and composed, very capable. No-nonsense, and most important for Rye's sanity: he wasn't going out of his way to be cruel. Working with Scotch was almost like working a normal job. Sure, they made their business killing people, but finally, here Scotch was, treating it with the appropriate gravitas. What started as smalltalk during stakeouts turned into shared smoke breaks, and, after a while, Scotch insisted they unwind together after missions. They'd grab drinks and junk food, and talk about literally anything but their job. Music, often. Sometimes sports. Life and love, rarely. Off-mission, Scotch was personable when he wanted, even cracking jokes sometimes. Rye couldn't laugh, but Shuichi always felt a little less dead inside.

His risk assessment told him Scotch was dangerous. His was the kind of discipline one could only get from good training. The kind that taught him to take the job seriously, but socialize after a mission, in order to avoid letting the job consume his mind. Shuichi had heard it during academy training, and, seeing the difference in action, thought that just maybe he should've tried sooner. Not that there had been anyone he would've liked to share a drink with, before Scotch. He'd liked to stay in and hide, with Akemi.

That very professionalism really was the downside of working so closely with Scotch. He was the kind of guy who didn't make mistakes. If Rye slipped up Scotch would, indubitably, follow orders and put a bullet through his brain stem without asking further questions. Though maybe, there was a small window of opportunity to sway him, if things came down to it. Scotch, after all, claimed he was mostly in it for the money. (Akai rather hoped the FBI would be willing to reimburse a large sum of money in exchange for an agent's life). With that partnership stable, things were looking up for Rye, for once.

Enter stage left: Bourbon.

Bourbon had made his way to the top in the shadows, appearing almost as if out of thin air. A shark-like investigator, Vermouth's shiny new boytoy, or so the gossips said, and Shuichi quickly realized the less they saw each other, the better.

The word count Rye had uttered in company of BO operatives tripled in a single meeting between them. Because from day zero, Bourbon seemed to hate him, and was pretty vocal about it too. Rye, of course, had a reputation to maintain, and Shuichi's never liked to back down from a challenge, so they ended up arguing more often than not.

On the bright side, most operatives left them to their fights, unwilling to be dragged into a territorial dispute between two predators.

With two notable exceptions: Scotch, calm and sociable, supposedly trying to maintain a work environment where his colleagues didn't shoot each other in the back. At the time, Rye had appreciated the back-up from his partner, but in hindsight, he was probably trying to keep Bourbon out of trouble instead.

The other exception was Gin, wo seemed to delight in watching them try to tear each other apart. Which made it significantly less fun, and resulted in a strange sort of understanding between Bourbon and Rye. They turned their considerable vitriol against Gin, instead. Only Scotch's timely interventions got them out of stupid competitions of who could piss Gin off faster without new holes in their bodies.

With time, the continued involvement of Scotch was the thing that kept attracting Shuichi's attention. The pair of them and Bourbon didn't have joint missions often, usually their respective specialities were needed elsewhere, but every once in a blue moon they did come up. When Bourbon needed security, or he lured out a target for them to take care of; when he had to make the final call of whether it was necessary to permanently deal with a security risk, or if they could be persuaded to keep their stupid mouth shut.

A subtle, but interesting change happened when Bourbon and Scotch were in a room together. Or even just on coms. Granted, Shuichi was a trained intelligence agent and had been partnered with Scotch for a while, but the chinks in their armor became glaringly obvious to him in due time. Both Bourbon and Scotch were capable independantly, but if one paid attention when they were working together, one could see the shift of tension outward, the way they effortlessly trusted each other in a way that was dangerous for two BO operatives. How they got even more efficient about solving problems when combined.

They must have been lovers. Dangerous for them, but they kept it low-profile and ultimately it was very much not his business. He only kept it in mind for blackmail purposes.

Then Masumi found them, returning from several weeks of hell in Osaka.

Each of them saw something they weren't supposed to, that day. Masumi, the three of them. Scotch and Bourbon, how much she meant to him. And Shuichi, well, Shuichi saw how gentle Scotch was with this kid that was prime blackmail material. How he didn't press her for information, but instead taught her some chords with a genuine smile. How Bourbon stepped in to try and remind him who he was supposed to be, before Rye came back. But he saw. And that changed things.

Whether because of the chance meeting or their misadventures in Osaka, Bourbon started joining them for drinks. The two of them still didn't like each other, but Scotch proved himself quite capable of stoking the uneasy cameraderie born from their mutual hatred of Gin into something resembling a tentative alliance. They'd look out for each other, just a little, just as long as there was plausible deniability. It showed in small things; giving someone a lift after a mission; fetching antibiotics when one of them was sick; grabbing an extra blanket for winter stakeouts because someone always insisted he was fine, and then froze his ass off.

They were in the organisation together for a year, after that encounter, and neither Bourbon nor Scotch ever uttered a word about Masumi. Hell, even when Scotch's cover was blown and Shuichi rushed to save his partner, Scotch didn't try to bargain with the dirt on the little girl he'd seen that day. Instead he stole Rye's revolver, and tried to kill himself to erase the evidence of his existance. What a beautiful idiot.

"His cover was blown, but I managed to get to him in time. We faked his death, and put him into witness protection."

It was a damn near thing. Over their struggle, they almost missed the lone car approaching the derelict building, the screeching brakes their warning as it came to a stop downstairs. Shuichi had implored Scotch to stop this nonsense. It wasn't his time to die, not yet, not if Akai could help it. He asked for Scotch's trust, and promised that in exchange they'd both walk out alive.

Someone needed to keep a cool head, and seeing as it wasn't gonna be Scotch, it fell to Akai. A good agent always has a back-up plan, so Shuichi had ushered Scotch onto the railing and then up the emergency staircase's roof. There they waited and watched as Bourbon came and went. In an ironic display of his disposition, Bourbon checked all the ways down, but never once bothered looking up.

With the benefit of hindsight, they could've handled it better, if they had just talked. But at the time, with all the adrenaline and no guarantee Bourbon was like them, Shuichi didn't reach out. Scotch kept his mouth shut, too - understandable, Rye could've been lying through his teeth in an attempt to out both him and Bourbon. Theirs was a fragile trust, forged out of hunches and faith, and it was barely enough to get all of them out alive.

After Bourbon left, they smashed Scotch's phone, just to be safe, and faked his death by blowing up a surrogate corpse in a decommissioned building. For lack of time, they used what was supposed to be Shuichi's own exit strategy. Thus, the corpse found charred in the wreckage was slightly off in build and stature. But back then, Gin wasn't as paranoid yet, and it was good enough.

Not for Bourbon though, who hounded Rye with a vengeance. Shuichi avoided him like the plague for two months, at which point he didn't need to worry about him anymore, because his cover was blown sky high and he had other problems.

"It was sloppy work, and Bourbon never quite got over Scotch's supposed death. Before he could confront me, though, my cover was blown, and I left for the US." Shuichi had turned tail and ran, relishing the opportunity to get out and breathe freely again. There's no way he can tell that to the boy. And knowing what it cost, he wouldn't do it again.

.

Shinichi waits for further elaboration, which doesn't come. After some minutes of silence, he pipes back up. "Let me guess. You left him in the dark, even after you came back to Japan."

Shuichi nods. Smart kid, gets it in one. "Even if I had a safe way to contact him - which I didn't - Scotch never told me Furuya was PSB before he went into witness protection. Suspicions alone could've been my death sentence." He's forced to smile. "Well. An earlier one, I suppose."

"He can be pretty intense, can't say that I blame you." The boy shivers, eyes distant. "Coming clean must have been scary, huh?"

Coming clean had mostly been a relief, really. Furuya was too persistant, it was simply taking up too many resources to keep at arm's length someone who, for all intents and purposes, should have been an ally. Fear in general is a rather foreign emotion to Akai, and has never really crossed Shuichi's mind where Furuya is concerned. Not even when they'd pointed their guns at each other that fateful night in this same mansion's entrance hall. There had been anticipation, the electric thrill of meeting an equal, and the tacit hope that their little game of cat and mouse, intruiging as it was, might finally come to an end so they could focus on what really mattered.

"Not really." He shrugs. "It was necessary for us to lay our cards on the table. There were too many misunderstandings and lies between us. You can't build a partnership on a foundation like that."

Conan nods, seemingly lost in his own head. "How did he take it?" he finally asks, quietly.

"Oh, he was absolutely livid." The bruises had still been fun colours several weeks later.

Conan goes a little pale.

"To be clear, while unproductive, his anger is understandable. Thankfully, Scotch and I share the blame, 50/50, so it's really not that bad. Furuya's coming around." And between all that anger, when they'd put Scotch on speaker, and Furuya's eyes had gone wide with surprise and tentative hope at that first 'Hi, Zero', Shuichi had known going through the semi-official channels to try and dig up where Scotch was hiding had been worth it.

Shinichi is lost in thought, for a while. Finally, he seems to have reached a conclusion. With a tired smile that belies his actual age, he asks, just a little hopefully: "It will be alright, then?"

Shuichi's eyes are drawn to the now-empty take-away cup of black coffee that Conan brought with him from Poirot, dedicated to 'that idiot' in Amuro's neat handwriting. He smiles, and ruffles Conan's hair.

"...yeah. Yeah, I think it will."

.

Sweater weather AU masterpost

[afyrian]

ch. six - a home away from home masterlist

    you get off of the train, pulling your backpack close to your shoulder. the sky is filled with clouds that droop with soon to come rain. "yeah, just got here. i just can't wait til the weekend ends," you hold your phone up to your ear, looking around the train station to see if you can see your mom.

  "it's just a couple days, and you know you can call 'samu or i whenever," atsumu's voice echoes through your ear, the volume a little more gentle than you're typically accustomed to. 

  it had been awhile since you stepped foot in your hometown. everything overwhelms you with feelings of nostalgia. yet everything seems so different. the newly planted trees have aged and sprouted into gorgeous flowers, the train station is painted over with a luscious green. and in the middle of it all is a red sudan.

  it's chipped, dented a little in the back, and filled with so many memories. the wheels are covered in grime and the very person you fear to see once again, happens to be sitting in the front seat. she has on chunky earrings, a workout tank top showing off the australian sun she had encountered. 

  you want to wait a moment to see if she'll notice you. see if she'll coming running out of the car and urging you for a hug. however, she sits there, typing on her phone. you look back at the train, almost forgetting atsumu was on the other end of the phone, "i think i might just come home."

  "y/n, we'll support you no matter what you do," he tries to sound soothing, yet his voice never seems to come across that way.

  "thanks, if need be, i'll take the train home."

  you take in a deep breath and cancel the call, shoving your phone into your back pocket. every step you take towards the muddied car is every butterfly in your stomach multiplying. blackness covers your peripheral vision and for a moment you wonder if you'll pass out. you stop for a second and take in a deep breath, knowing that you can step away whenever. 

  when you get meters away from the car, you can see she knows it's you. the way she lowers her phone and her sunglasses, eyes staring back at you with the intensity of ten suns. she lowers the window on the passenger smile and attempts to give you a warm smile. "thanks for coming this weekend, honey."

  the way she says it brings you back to when you were younger. back to when your dad would usher the same word but make it sound oh so much better. he'd swing you around on the beach and teach you everything you wanted to learn. but when she says it, it leaves a bitter taste in your mouth. "yeah, it's been a while, so i thought it was time," you open the car door, sliding in next to her.

  "well, akai is waiting for us, he's made some lunch. some of your favorite things. i wanna try for us and i'm thinking that he may be proposing soon..." she smiles towards you, reaching her hand out towards you. 

  you look over at her, swallowing the thick mucus coating your throat. you had met akai so many years ago, when the two of them were simply two people in recovery together. but now everything's changing, you can't even return to your hometown without everything flipping upside down on you, "okay."

  she starts driving, trying to ignore the malice lacing your voice. however, you've always found that she likes to start an argument where one never needed to exist, "why can't you just trust that i'm doing what's best?"

  "because you haven't since dad died. and now you're dating someone who you used to binge drink with and expect me to think that you're what's best for each other?" you can't bear to look at her, staring ahead at the backroads that she starts driving down.

  "that's not your decision to make. especially because you haven't seen either of us in years."

  you shake your head, biting the inside of your cheek. "you're right! i wonder why that is.."

  she takes a moment to take in a deep breath. you didn't want to fight with her this trip, especially when you only came to visit your dad. however, hearing her voice when it used to be such a soothing thing can send someone over the edge. now, all you can remember is the hatred and resentment that she expressed over and over again. 

  "you don't know what it's like to lose the love of your life-"

  "and you think losing a dad isn't just as hard? and then losing your mom all in the same day? let me out of the car," you finally turn to look at her, clenching your jaw upon realizing that you can't stay with her.

  she peeks over at you, biting her lip. "i can't just let you out on the side of the road, why don't we talk about it? you can see akai again and really get to know him!" she begs, staring out at the upcoming beach and the greenery, unable to meet your eyes now.

  "no! let out me out! i have finals coming up, i don't wanna deal with this right now! just- just let me out of the car!" you finally reach the point of practically yelling, your heart racing, hands shaking. 

  finally, she slows to a stop, free leg bouncing nervously. she turns to look at you, finally realizing that no matter what she does, there's been too much pain. and that pain has unfortunately overpowered whatever happy memories the two of you went through together. that you're still hurting, even if you wanted to ignore it. 

  she watches as you open the car door, exiting with the little duffel bag you brought along. you can take in a deep breath and turn to look back at her, "bye, m- uh goodbye."

  the word 'mom' couldn't exit your mouth, your lips seal shut before you could utter it. you can tell that she notices it, she notices the change in demeanor, the way you shut the door. she can tell that truly, nothing's changed, that the little girl that used to play in the sand with her doesn't exist anymore. she drives off without much of a fight, leaving you standing on a boardwalk, tears already falling. 

  and at the seemingly worst time, your phone starts ringing, akaashi's name written across your screen. you bring your hand up, wiping away the tears that rest on your cheek, "hi, akaashi."

  "l/n, sorry to call- are you okay?"

  "yeah, yeah. i forgot to tell you but i took the train to my hometown. but i'm probably taking the next train back home," you shake your head, hoping it'll keep the tears from falling more.

  he waits a moment before trying to say something to easy your pain. “well, are you by any chance by the ocean? because the air can help anything,” akaashi starts, you can almost see the small smile on his face, “it’s always been my home- second home. the calls of the birds and the waves hitting the rocks, like just sit there for a moment and it can help anything.”

  you smile to yourself, hearing the sound of the joy in his voice. no matter how nonchalant he can seem, it’s clear that the ocean is his passion. “i’ll have to give it a try, i grew up practically on the water so i can understand the benefits,” you laugh, genuinely, as you think about how much you enjoy talking to akaashi.

“but thank you, akaashi, i needed that,” you walk onto the sand, feeling the mist and breeze relax you.

“i’m always free to talk. about anything really. i can even come to the train station if you need me to,” his voice drifts off, as if he were nervous to suggest it.

you close your eyes and just stand for a moment. “that would be amazing, you’re making my day a whole lot better…”

a/n: we’re finally getting some hints about his identity.. taglist: @zombriesworld

[pinksirensong]

LOVE OF THE ENDLESS (I)

WARNING: SMUT

a/n: it's my first time writing smut in a very long time, hope it's not too bad...

It was inexplicable the feeling of his mouth on her body, the way he kissed her mouth like a desperate man driving her crazy and how he would take his time to worship all of her.

- Morpheus, please. – Y/N closed her eyes when he went down to her most sensitive part, feeling his lips kissing her clit before starting to lick it. It wasn’t for nothing that he was Dream of the Endless, it could only be described as a dream the way his tongue felt against her pussy. She could spend hours like this, just feeling him sucking her while she could only moan louder and louder. His hand pressed against her thighs with such a force that if she was a mere mortal, it would leave bruises for weeks. – Please, please… - how he loved the way only he could make her brain stop functioning, making her think only about him and the pleasure that just his body could give her. Oh, indeed it made him even harder seeing the way her eyes were shut down while she begged for more. Finally having mercy Dream removed his lips very slowly, she could still feel his breath against her most intimate part, perhaps it was more of a way to torture Love than having mercy on her. Morpheus wanted to remember her, all of her body and every sound she made that were like the most beautiful melody to him. Why was something so beautiful also so wrong?

- Tell me what you want, Y/N. – he was now spreading kisses, starting at her thighs and going up very slowly until he reached her breasts. – I want to know exactly what you want. – his right hand one of her breasts and squeezed it while sucking the other nipple. – I need to know.

- Oh, fuck…Morpheus, I want… - it seemed impossible to form a sentence when she could only think about the sinful things he was doing to her, how could Dream demand coherent phrases if all her mouth could do was moan his name over and over again. – Please, I need you. Just you, only you. – the little moment of clarity that Y/N had was soon gone when she felt him against her, how hard he was even if she didn’t even have the chance to properly touch him.

- Very well then, I must fulfil your wishes. – before Love could scold him for his little smirk she felt the tip of his dick at her entrance, he was obstinate to tease her tonight. – Tonight, you shall be mine, every touch, every sound and every wave of pleasure will be mine. You belong to me, mind, body and soul. – and with that he was finally inside of her, it was slow and gentle. Y/N could feel him, all of him, and nothing could ever compare to sensing his cock sliding in and out of her in a perfect pace. Morpheus knew her like nobody else ever could, just like she knew him.

- Yours, only yours. – her words set him on fire, his eyes that once showed her the universe now were all black, filled with lust and want. Not being able to take it, she wrapped her legs around his hip and pulled him towards her. – Faster, Morpheus. Give me all of you, all of it, please. – Dream of Endless wasn’t a very vocal lover, it was rare to hear him and he very much preferred to hear her screams, but now he couldn’t contain the unholy groan that left his mouth. Luckily the realm of Akai Ito only had Love as it’s resident, so no one else would hear the lovers, because when he finally gave up to her wishes and started to move faster and harder than before. They were both a mess, their bodies covered in sweat, the walls echoing their groans and the sound their skins made when he would put his cock inside her again and again. Y/N threw her head back and used her hand to grab Dream's hair forceful, that’s when he knew she was close and that drove him insane. Each thrust was taking her closer to climax and all Love could think was how much she needed him, how much she wanted him.

- Love, Love… - Morpheus groaned when she pulled his hair harder. – Y/N…

- Come. Come with me, Morpheus, inside me. Let me feel you, be mine. Please, Morpheus, please. – she knew he would never deny her that, his pace was even faster, and Y/N could barely register what was going on, she could only hear his moans while she screamed his name. If Y/N could, she would scream how much she loved him and only him but knew that he would never accept it.

- Y/N, Y/N, Y/N… - her name was like a prayer on his lips, she would forever be able to hear it. Her pleasure grew to a point where she couldn’t hold it anymore, with one last thrust she came all over him. Morpheus didn’t stop, he grabbed her hips and pushed himself more inside her until his member twitched and he spilled all of his seed inside her. Y/N knew what was coming next, how she wished they could be anyone else but who they were because maybe in that case they could be together. All the passion and lust were gone and Morpheus was back to his cold self, he stood up and got dressed without even looking at her. – This was a mistake. – he always claimed it to be one. – And it was the last time. – it was also another recurrent phrase of his.

- I know. – she knew, she always knew but could never deny him because Love of the Endless was a fool and a sinner that was in love with her own brother. This time it was different, it broke her heart to admit and accept it, but Y/N knew that she would do anything in her power to make sure this was the last time. – You are getting married tomorrow.

- I am.

- I wish you all the happiness, Dream.

- Goodbye, sister. – and with that he left, taking her heart with him.

tag list: @the-ruler-of-death @mrs-captainsteverogers @jesllianaquilesrolon @igotanidea @intothesoul @hedwigprewett12

[thekingofgear]

Jonny’s Summer 2023 Guitar Pedalboard

Jonny about to stomp on a pedal during the Smile's show at Auditorio Nacional in Mexico City in late-June, 2023 (elamplimx).

With Radiohead, Jonny is known for very slowly adding pedals to his setup. While Ed often has half a dozen new pedals for a new album tour, Jonny often adds only one (such as his Headrush in 2000 or his Freeze in 2012). And when Jonny swaps out a pedal for a similar one (like one tremolo for another tremolo), it’s usually only when his old pedals are too worn out for touring (such as his original Whammy WH1 and vintage RE-201 Space Echos). One might think Jonny keeps the old pedals around because, since Kid A, he’s often playing other instruments. However, at live shows Jonny is still happy to replicate some recorded sounds on guitar, whether it be the filtered samples on Feral (using volume pedal, Whammy, and phaser) or the col lengo strings on Burn The Witch (using Whammy, overdrive, and a cello bow). It’s clear he enjoys getting the most out of those pedals in that specific arrangement.

But with The Smile, Jonny has been swapping in new pedals pretty regularly. In 2022, Jonny was experimenting constantly, sometimes adding new pedals for only a couple of days before swapping in a replacement. He quickly eschewed some of the Radiohead-favorites heard during the earliest Smile streams, such as his Small Stone, Tremulator, and OD3. In their place came flangers, compressors, and expression pedals: types of pedals he’d never used with Radiohead.

However, it seems like Jonny found a setup he was fairly happy with by the end of the fall 2022 tour. His latest live board is quite similar to the one used during March 2023 recording sessions for the band's upcoming second album, but even so there are a couple surprises!

A photo of Jonny's guitar board at Philadelphia's Franklin Music Hall on July 8, 2023 (photo by Gio H.). He used this setup for the band's North American tour spanning 14 shows in June and July.

Guitar ->

Peterson StroboStomp HD tuner

MXR Dyna Comp compressor

EHX Freeze Sound Retainer

EHX Pitchfork pitch shifter

Boss SD-1 Super Overdrive

EQD Hizumitas fuzz

Telenordia/Tortenmann TA-24 Treble Booster

Boss DD-200 delay

Akai Headrush E2 delay/looper

Boss RE-202 Space Echo delay/reverb

EQD Pyramids flanger

Toadworks True Bypass (laptop send/return loop)

Lehle P-Split III signal splitter (A/B) <

(A) Radial JDI Stereo direct box < Radial Ch1 LOW-Z output -> FOH Mixer Radial Ch1 THRU output -> Fender ’65 Reissue Super Reverb

(B) Strymon Iridium -> Radial JDI Stereo direct box (Ch2 LOW-Z output) -> FOH Mixer

The small lamp over the board is a Mighty Bright HammerHead music stand light.

Jonny previously used a Peterson StroboStomp HD with his Sequential Circuits Prophet 5 on the Smile's 2022 tour. But this is the first time he’s been seen with one on his guitar board. It replaces the Boss TU2 he’s used since the earliest Smile shows.

The Telenordia Treble Booster is borrowed from Thom. The Telenordia is still marked with Thom’s guitar settings, from when he used it on You Will Never Work In Television Again during December 2021 rehearsals.

Thom stomping on Jonny's current Telenordia Treble Booster during a rehearsal on December 2, 2021 (youtube).

On Radiohead tours since OK Computer, Jonny has always brought a Vox AC30 — an amplifier well-known for its low and mid gain sounds. With an AC30, Jonny can get different flavors of overdrive by balancing between clipping from the pedal (using the pedal’s gain control) and clipping from the amp (using the pedal’s volume/boost control). And of course, he’d use his separate Shredmaster+Eighty-Five chain for heavy distortion on older songs.

But on tour with the Smile, Jonny has been using a Fender ’65 Reissue Super Reverb, an amp with much more headroom than the Vox thanks to a combination of higher wattage and negative feedback. As a result, we hear the overdrive pedal’s sound more clearly — the Boss SD1’s mid-rangy sound is especially noticeable on live versions of Thin Thing. So it makes sense that even Jonny would want to experiment with multiple dirt pedals for different flavors.

Jonny was first seen using an MXR Dyna Comp in a rehearsal photo, most likely taken when preparing for the fall 2022 tour (despite being posted in 2023). Thom and Ed have both previously used the pedal as well. Thom toured with a Dyna Comp only briefly before switching to his current Telenordia Kompressor. So it's interesting that Jonny first toured with a Kompressor (last year), but has gone the other way and switched to a Dyna Comp.

For those curious about the rhythmic delay setting marked on Jonny’s Akai Headrush E2, check out behind-the-scenes photos from The Smile’s Tiny Desk show. However, so far we’ve still only heard the pedal used as a looper.

Placing his Boss RE-202 after his Headrush allows Jonny to add ambient effects to his loops, as he does during the live outro of Skirting On The Surface.

Jonny first used a Strymon Iridium at a performance of Steve Reich's Electric Counterpoint at the Hidden Notes festival on September 25, 2022. For that show, it replaced his amp. But with the Smile, he’s using it as a backup for his Super Reverb.

A photo of Jonny's pedalboard from a November 2022 show in Anthem, DC (Facebook).

UPDATE: we originally listed the Telenordia TA-24 Treble Booster as a Telenordia TA-100 Overdrive. Thank you to Kayky for noticing!

[frostedlemonwriter]

No Context Tag Game

Rules: Post a snippet with no context--easy!

Well @that-cyber-writer didn't tag me but left an open tag. So, since I haven't been tagged in awhile. I am gonna do it.

Among them, only her twin brother Akai and his two best friends—Daisuke and Haruki—didn’t run off, their sheepish smiles tinged with guilt. Apologies flowed from his friends, who rushed off back to the fields to work. As they passed by, the familiar scent of earth mixed with the late summer air, a nostalgic aroma more than anything else, almost tinged with the sweetness of the wild berry bushes that lingered on the edge of the village. Their families, hard at work with kama in hand, stole glances at the trio’s late return. Kyu knew full well the weight of disapproving gazes which hung in the air, and on her narrow shoulders like a boulder. Which was why she stepped up to the tall young man, over two heads taller, yet the smaller teen showed no fear. Stood as broad as oxen, maybe even stronger than one. Smarter than one would expect, perhaps too smart for his own good—Kyu had that notion many times over the years about her twin. “You didn’t finish your chores for the day. Why are you out there?” Kyu asked, arms crossed over her torso. “I will not suffer for your foolishness.” Akai grunted in reply to his sister, shoulders slumped after a moment. “It’s always training, training, training. We have no fun. No nothing.” Kyu scoffed, turned and walked toward the large hill that their ryu sat upon. “We are lucky for our lot,” she said. “Come on now. Don’t be a child.” He didn’t protest, but his steps stomped alongside the muddy trail, each one exaggerated, like a petulant child’s stomps. Each footfall on the hard ground seemed to echo in Kyu’s ears, who shot him a piercing look, a mix of anger and disappointment clear in her eyes. With the heavy weight of her gaze, it spoke volumes about his sister’s anger, rendered words unnecessary. As he straightened himself to his full height, a heavy sigh escaped Akai’s lips. His breath carried a hint of resignation. There came a sudden determination which filled the air as they made their way towards their school and dojo. Akai’s demeanor shifted, his face adopted a more stoic expression, as if he had aged in a matter of moments. Finally, he headed off towards the kitchen, in a small outhouse next to the main buildings, left behind a lingering aura of persistence and resolve.

I will be tagging @veradragonjedi(as always lol) @csdarkfantasy @blind-the-winds @indecentpause @conkers-thecosy and an open tag for all!

[zoguy1]

Credit to the Disney Fandom Wiki and the Youtuber AKAY-47 for family information Delilah | Disney Wiki | Fandom https://youtu.be/sw4lWPBeHAw?si=SlFK_LFau1UDZdcD

Family trees made on Family Echo.

Welp, I'm doing this until Google Sheets decides these image links aren't good enough.

101 Dalmations family trees

I know I don't have all the puppies listed, but honestly, I'd die if I added fucking *all of them*. I nearly wanted to punch my computer just dong the Dalmation Street pups.

Anyway, Feel free to correct me if I have any information wrong. I am just scrolling through random Fandom Wikis and YouTube videos for this.

[freqmanga]

Transphonica

"Resonating Legacies, Future Beats: Transcribing the Past into the Future – Where Every Electronic Echo Lives On!"

"Sweet, where did you get this flyer from" - Akai

[meltherebel22]

Mandalorian Translation Challenge!

This is a kinda of huge but not major spoiler for my story TLH, so read at your own risk! This is a conversation between our local insane toddler Fives and our local honeybun Echo.

Please keep in mind that some words in Mando have more than one meaning! So you will not only try to translate it back to English but figure out which word it is out of the ones that have more than one meaning.

Tagging: @thestarwarslesbian @cloneloverrrrr @bitchyblazebeliever @itsalexis22universe @mistress-of-the-empire @hellhound5925 @jules-1999 (Still can’t tag you for some reason, sorry Jules)

"Cyare?," Fives asked in a hushed tone.

"Vaabir mirdir Jes'ika . . . . jate?" I asked softly and quietly. We use our language when we are speaking in private in front of patients and their families.

"Baar'ur utreyar kaysh," Fives spoke, I could feel the shrug in that sentence.

"Baatir?" He asked gently.

"Elek," I spoke slightly louder than our shushed tones finally turning to look at him.

"Baar'ur cuyir nakar'mir? Jes'ika jahaal eyaytir baar'ur? Nu draar, baar'ur ratiin kar'tayl," Fives smirked.

"Lek," I quietly mumbled in agreement with him. Fives smile fell.

"Copaanir at slanar haa'taylir meh Jes'ika jahaala?" Fives asked in a hushed tone.

"Ni hukaatir gar norac akay gar olaror norac, suvarir," Fives stated lowly with a smile as he pushed me slightly with a elbow.

"Jate olar?" I asked quietly.

"Elek!" Fives stated loudly rolling his eyes.

"Ulyc val liser epar gar oyayc, meh gar dinuir laam. . . jair, a shi meh gar liser," I smirked as I stood up from my chair as Fives started howling out in laughter gaining the waiting rooms attention.

[defjux]

my favorite albums of 2022 so far, all genres. also, any recommendations yall have would be appreciated. obviously there’s a lot of hip hop on here but this was the year i got back into metal/hardcore HEAVILY and there’s been a lot of interesting stuff dropping lately. loving that new callous daoboys record, and the new nouns album is fun too. plus there’s a handful of albums coming out in the next few months that i’m looking forward to - avantdale bowling club, the mars volta, bjork, open mike eagle, pink siifu, city of caterpillar, freddie gibbs, clout rat, the comet is coming, alvvays, brutus, KEN MODE, birds in row, nnamdi, sudan archives. rap ferreira, gillian carter, danny brown, AKAI SOLO.. rest of the year is looking stacked. this list might look completely different in a couple months. chart w/ album titles 1. Billy Woods & Preservation - Aethiopes 2. Danger Mouse & Black Thought - Cheat Codes 3. Cities Aviv - MAN PLAYS THE HORN 4. Gospel - The Loser 5. Jam Baxter - Fetch The Poison 6. Wormrot - Hiss 7. ShrapKnel - Metal Lung 8. Elucid - I Told Bessie 9. Roc Marciano & Alchemist - The Elephant Man's Bone 10. The Callous Daoboys - Celebrity Therapist 11. Defcee & BoatHouse - For All Debts Public And Private 12. Fly Anakin - Frank 13. Greyhaven - This Bright and Beautiful World 14. Soul Glo - Diaspora Problems 15. J.I.D - The Forever Story 16. Messa - Close 17. Cult of Luna - The Long Road North 18. Tómarúm - Ash In Realms Of Stone Icons 19. SolarFive & Iceberg Theory - Momento Mori 20. Lupe Fiasco - DRILL MUSIC IN ZION 21. Quelle Chris - DEATHFAME 22. Wrecking Crew - Sedale Threat 23. Artificial Brain - Artificial Brain 24. KILLVONGARD - I Think I've Lost It. 25. Bloodmoney Perez - Curses

26. Imperial Triumphant - Spirit Of Ecstasy 27. Ockham's Blazer - Ockham's Blazer 28. moses rockwell - Until You Run out of Cake 29. Blind Girls - The Weight of Everything 30. Nouns - WHILE OF UNSOUND MIND 31. KnXwledge. - 家.V1 32. Knoll - Metempiric 33. Naked Flames - Miracle in Transit 34. Cave In - Heavy Pendulum 35. YUNGMORPHEUS & Theravada - Up Against The Wall: A Degree Of Lunacy 36. Melody's Echo Chamber - Emotional Eternal 37. amani & robalu - ill be right black! 38. White Ward - False Light 39. Big Thief - Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You 40. King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - Omnium Gatherum 41. Elephant Gym - Dreams 42. Moor Mother - Jazz Codes 43. Boldy James & Real Bad Man - Killing Nothing 44. Vein.FM - This World is Going to Ruin You 45. Mary Halvorson - Amaryllis 46. YUNGMORPHEUS & Theravada - Up Against The Wall; A Degree Of Lunacy 47. Black Country, New Road - Ants From Up There 48. Nilüfer Yanya - PAINLESS 49. chat pile - God's Country 50. JYOCHO - Let's Promise to Be Happy 51. Chalk Hands - Don't Think About Death 52. Raum - Daughter 53. Krallice - Crystalline Exhaustion 54. Oh No - OFFAIR: Dr. No's Lost Beach 55. Psycroptic - Divine Council 56. Black Flower - Magma 57. Aeviterne - The Ailing Facade 58. Wake - Thought Form Descent 59. ANNA SAGE - Anna Sage 60. Kokoroko - Could We Be More 61. Angles - A Muted Reality 62. Ghais Guevara - There Will Be No Super-Slave 63. I AM - Beyond 64. Rome Streetz x Royalz - Pyrex Pot Poetry

[whisperingwinters]

Hello! You can call me Winter, I like to Pokémon rp with my OC, Violet. But I also just ramble abt stuff as well. This blog doesn’t have a set thing I’m too stupid for that. There is no timeline, time is an illusion and also I am lazy soooo-

Violet is a Pokémon trainer that after journeying quite a few regions decided to settle down and live deep in the woods where no one would bother her.

She was born in Glitch City and assumes that is the reason that her shadow is all glitchy and pixelated.

She visits the main part of the unknown region she resides in from time to time, but mostly keeps to her self and uses a tumblr blog to substitute human interaction. She was in Sinnoh during the Space Time Incident and that is where she got Charlie. She is known to be carefree, reckless, and antisocial. Also she’s 6’8. Please let me know what the fuck this woman eats and how can I get some?

My Pokémon are:

Facade the Vivillon (Starter)

Valiant the Gallade (Mega)

Pestilence the Clodsire

Macabre the Skeledirge

Jubilee the Spiritomb (Everstone Keystone)

Fiesta the Azumarill

Incognito the Arbok

Pera the Luxray (Alpha)

Athena the Dragonair

Faerune the Dratini

Dread the Frogadier (Dragon/Dark)

Chamomile the Spectrier (Shiny)

Paradox the [SAVE]

Muffin the Tyrantrum

Echo the Meloetta

Opal the Poipole (Shiny, Chimera)

Chrysa the Liligant (Hisuian, Shiny)

Peppermint the Tinkaton

Bonk the Steelix (Shiny, Ancient, Alpha)

Obsidia the Hydreigon

June the Pigeot

Autumn the Fletchinder (Shiny)

Ginger the Houndstone

Dakota the Lucario

Karma the [???]

Marionette the Banette(Teddiursa Doll)

Opulence the Gholdengo

Xena the Lycanroc(Midday)

Trips the Shiinotic

Seraph the Larvesta

Apocalypse the Slitherwing

Goose the Garchomp

Loki the Ditto

Mochi the Espurrachnid (Hybrid)

Eden the Serperior (Axanthic)

Sylph the Sylveon

Eryn the Sylveon

Kaiju the Gyarados (Huge)

Kaisel the Gyarados (Runt)

Charlie the Hisuian Zoroark (Runt)

Katelyn the Zebstrika (Rescue)

Zeke the Lopunny (Shiny)

Grape Soda the Swalot

The Swarm the Joltik (799x)

Supernova the Joltik (Shiny)

Wheatley the Rotom

Luvdisc (15x)

Wall-E the Porygon

Missy the Sneasel (Dark Poison)

Akai the Inkay

Inkay Egg (62x)

And Yuki the Froslass

Local wild Pokémon:

Sprout the Turtwig

Apricot the Grotle

Branch the Torterra

Mahogany the Torterra

Bandit the Sneasel

Wraith the Banette

Kit the Noibat

Kat the Noibat

Dracula the Noivern

Ari the Eevee

Spock the Flareon

Ivory the Crobat (Unofficial Team Member)

Glados the Scizor

Murkrow (5x)

Other:

Vix the Ninetales (Ancient, Alpha)

Igneus the Charmander (Unique life flame)

Thunderous

Sunshine the Yellow MissingNo

To Be Added…

[the-red-thread-that-strangles]

Something's wrong with Akai.

Now, one might be inclined to think that is just his natural state of being, and for good reason. The thing is: it's too early. The joint operation is in three days; Akai's not supposed to look like death already. Dark circles under his eyes are part for the course, and Rei's pretty sure in the event of a significant traumatic injury one could subsitute Akai's blood with coffee. But that stare is even more dead-eyed than usual, and Rei can make out the faint nervous twitching of Akai's trigger finger. He might as well have written his condition on a sign and stapled it to his brows.

It's distracting as all hell, and Rei's itching to grab Akai's hand and pin it to the table to finally stop it from moving. If the sniper causes more problems for their mission because he's not paying attention during the debrief, Rei is never going to forgive him. There's too much at stake. So Rei kicks his shin, deftly, when Akai threatens to fall asleep at their desk. Focuses back on the meeting. He can pull himself together, and he expects nothing less from Akai.

.

When the meeting is finally over, a grueling three hours later, he drags Akai out of the room by the cuff of his sleeve. Kudo shoots them a pitying glance, and Agent Starling is clearly trying to intercept their impending argument, bless her, before she gets held up by chatty colleagues. Suits him just fine.

He locks the door to his office behind them, lets down the shutters. This is as much privacy as they're likely to get. The bag with the gift he meant to give Akai sits forgotten next to his desk.

"What is this supposed to be?", he hisses at the sniper. Akai just tilts his head in question, lounging against the wall as if he owns the place. "You look like your own ghost."

"Ah. I was kidnapped", Akai supplies nonchalantly. He might as well have poured a bucket of ice water over Rei's head. Rei freezes, casually assaulted by a spike of fear - for the sniper, for himself. Akai's not even close to easy prey, he would know, and if they have an enemy capable of taking him out...fuck, he didn't even say anything. Rei's getting a little nauseous. The adrenaline hits, quickly ripping him out of his stupor, and blessed anger takes over. Sure, Akai seems mostly fine now, but he wasn't, and Rei didn't know a thing. No contact at all, no asking for help, no nothing. No sense of self-preservation in this asshole.

Without warning, he shoves Akai against the wall, grabs him by his sweater's collar. The sniper blinks at him. "How can you just-" walk it off? Be this calm? He doesn't even know how to finish his own thought. Rei's head is spinning. The last two weeks have been stressful already, and this is too much. There's too many questions, the how and why and when and where, but the one that escapes is: "Who did that to you?" Are they dead, he thinks, but doesn't say.

Not for the first time it looks as though those green green eyes stare right into his soul. They're too close, too bright, he'll drown if he's not careful-

And then they close, and Akai's laughing. Quietly, but Rei's so close he can feel the waves of it run through the other. Typical. Here he is, worried, and Akai's laughing at him. Rei's cheeks heat up, he's about to deck the sniper in his pretty face when Akai raises his hands placatingly. Manages, through bouts of quiet laughter: "Masumi."

Rei's spiraling thoughts grind to an abrupt halt. "What."

"My little sister?"

"I know who she is! That's not what I was asking and you know that!" Bastard.

"It was her eighteenth birthday this weekend. We celebrated."

Rei feels like he's just been sucker-punched. Are they dead, echoes in his thoughts, again. What the hell was that? He's used to anger, it's the constant companion that keeps him going, but that was simply out of proportion. Maybe the stress did get to him after all. Shit. His heart is still working double time, distributing excess adrenaline through his body. What the hell is wrong with him? No. What the hell is wrong with Akai?

Rei's fist meets the sniper's chest, unfortunately not forceful enough to cause actual damage. "Asshole. Start with that part!"

Akai's still smiling, though it's unclear whether it is at the memory or at Rei. Now that the cocktail of fear and fury and confusion is burning like acid in his stomach, Rei finds a bit of comfort in it. Crow's feet look good on Shuichi, way better than the fatigue that was etched into his face all day (though for the sake of his safety, Rei would suggest not laughing at him again anytime soon). Neither of them smile enough, not genuinely.

Rei takes in deep breaths, holding and counting, to steady himself. He's still too close - the scent that assaults him should be nauseating, but contrary to everything else in the last couple of minutes it really isn't. It's quintessentially Akai - lingering tobacco and faded-out cologne and a faint hint of coffee. He's shaken and shaking, but Shuichi is warm and steady as always, and so he closes his eyes and leans against the other, just for a moment, just for a little bit of rest. Akai goes very still next to him, his laughter fading.

"Did it have to be now?", Rei murmurs after a while, more into the sweater he's pressed his face into than the room. "Surely your family knows that this next job will be dangerous."

"They do." There's gravitas in Akai's voice, and he doesn't need to elaborate further - they both know there is a non-zero chance they don't make it out of the coming fight, even if they're careful. Akai's family works with the MI6, international collaborators for this mission; they must be aware, too. Rei fists the sweater a little tighter. Shuichi shifts, and then there's warmth all around him, pinning him in place like a butterfly.

"I wanted to be there, at least once." It's a confession, quiet in the small space they share. It speaks of selfishness, of finality, of regret for all the opportunities Shuichi has missed. Rei is all too familiar with these sentiments. He wants a lot of things, but that has never mattered, not really. His life is one of discipline and sacrifice, of all the things he ever wanted immolated on the altar of the greater good. And he gives it all, willingly, but still... Even if it was stupid, selfish, and left Akai drained, Rei is glad he still has wishes that can be fulfilled. He's not sure he could say the same about himself.

He takes a deep breath, trying to pull himself back together, and then breaks away from Akai. It's too easy, and unpleasantly colder.

The sniper's eyes are already trained on him when he dares to meet them. "Your folly can't cost us, so you better make sure to catch up on sleep." Akai raises an eyebrow, a tinge of amusement to his lips. "Hello pot." Rei's half-hearted glare isn't enough to chase the amusement from Akai's features. Fine. Maybe he has a point, but Rei sure as hell isn't going to concede it.

"Don't give me that attitude, or you can walk home. And hand over your sweater."

"That's not the one you requested-"

Lying comes as easily as breathing. "Yes, it is."

Akai looks like he wants to argue, just for the sake of it, but eventually smiles and strips out of it, tossing it at Rei (who very carefully doesn't look at how Akai's shirt rides up a bit, revealing pale skin in the process). "Thank you." Rei folds it carefully, drapes it primly over his arm.

"Alright, take that" - he points to the gift bag on the floor "and get in the car." Akai does as he's told, but can't seem to help himself, needs to get in one last jab before they leave. "Are you sure you should be driving?" As if he hasn't driven in worse conditions. Rei just grins and hightails it out of there, exactly on the verge of the speed limit.

Whatever's wrong with Akai, it might be wrong with Rei, too.

.

Sweater weather AU masterpost

[imasallstars]

【Attractive President】

The president’s office overlooks the business district. With a good pen in hand, it feels like work is progressing much more quickly and efficiently. For in this silent room, echoes the lively noises of a pen nib moving around.

availability: obtain【A Single Stroke of Being Cool】Suzaku Akai

[pinksirensong]

LOVE OF THE ENDLESS (VIII)

Dream of the Endless POV:

He should’ve known better than just leave her after promising to show how much he loved her, but Morpheus was afraid of her reaction if she was told he had to go help his ex-wife. Calliope didn’t deserve to be imprisoned and he owned her that much. When Dream came back from the waking world, he expected to find her still sleeping, yet the bed was empty and nothing there could tell where she was. It was only when encountering Lucienne that the truth of the outcome of his actions came out.

- Your sister was here, boss! She’s really pretty. – his raven said.

- Matthew, you must be respectful with your highness. He is right, my lord, Love of the Endless was here, but she is already gone. – Morpheus suspected that even without seeing anything or hearing him say it to her, Lucienne knew of his relationship with Y/N. The Endless never brought her here, ashamed of how the others would see him, yet the first time he did it was Love who faced the consequences and not him.

- I told the lady that you were with your ex-wife and…

- You did what? – Matthew might be new at the Dreaming, but he knew that when Morpheus used that voice it was because someone was in trouble. Unfortunately, he was the one in trouble now.

- I…I…Was it a secret? Just wanted to help, didn’t want her to just wait for you, boss. I am…sorry? – but Dream wasn’t paying attention to him anymore, he was focused on Lucienne.

- Did she say anything?

- My lord, I offered her to wait for you here, yet she told me there was business to attend at her realm. – she paused for a few seconds. – She did ask me to pass a message for you.

- What was it? – he tried to look as if it was nothing, but anyone could see how uneasy he was.

- She said: Tell my brother goodbye. There was all, sire. – Death was right, he truly was the stupidest, most self centered, appallingest excuse for an anthropomorphic personification on this or any other plane. How could he in less than 24 hours get the love of his life back only to lose her for his lack of communication. He worst part was that he couldn’t go to you in Akai Ito, you made sure ages ago that only Destiny would be the only Endless that could contact you there, he had no choice but seek his brother’s help.

- Destiny, brother, I stand in my gallery, and I hold your sigil.

- Dream. – the voice echoed at his gallery not even a second later. – I am waiting for you. – now with his permission, Morpheus went to his brother’s realm, and they met at Destiny’s garden.

- Surely you know the reason for my visit.

- My twin, Love. Yes, I do know. Unfortunately, I am unable to help you at your task.

- Destiny, you know I had no intention of hurting her. – Morpheus was now mad, mad at himself for what he did but also mad at his brother for not being useful when he needed the most.

- Yet you did, over and over again. Love once begged me to help her get over her thread, I’ve never saw so much pain…but I could not help her, not even my book tell me how to. I always behaved as the older brother, even when I was indeed made mere seconds after her. The thing people have even before destiny is love, they are made from it and born with it. I would’ve done everything to help her, Dream, no matter the consequences, but in the end I couldn’t.

- It is different now. You know that. – he wanted to scream at his brother for doubting him, but with his past it he couldn’t blame anyone for thinking that.

- Yes, I know. It is exactly why I did not stop Y/N when she went on a task to free you, going against all rules. This is also why I came to you to put an end to her relationship with that mortal. The truth is that you and her, love and dreams, are fated to each other, one cannot exist without the other.

- Then help me. Give me a passage to Akai Ito

- I would gladly do so, but unfortunately, I cannot. I am too unable to go. Love exiled herself at Akai Ito, no one is allowed there anyone…not even me. – for the first time Morpheus froze. Nothing could prepare him to know that Y/N exiled herself, she banished them...all of them and it was because of him. He knew Love better than anyone else, once she found out where he was, she probably thought that much like the last time he was leaving her for Calliope. That he was choosing somebody else cowardly once more, that he was giving up on them. How could Morpheus blame her for thinking that way when it was all he did all this time. Y/N would rather suffer in silence alone at Akai Ito than let others be affected by it, especially humanity. She was putting her function first and that broke his heart. Love was the only person who made him feel life than just Dream of the Endless, he could be himself with her and he could let himself feel.

- I love her, Destiny. I love her with a burning passion that no words can explain, she is the inspiration of all my dreams and even nightmares. I cannot live without her and neither do I want to. No matter the cost I will find Y/N and make things right. – as soon as he finished saying this there was an excruciating pain at his heart, like it was being ripped apart. – What is hap… - his voice was suffocated by a whine of pain.

 tag list: @the-ruler-of-death @mrs-captainsteverogers @jesllianaquilesrolon @igotanidea @intothesoul @hedwigprewett12 @queenshelby @mattmurdockmylove @boofy1998 @andieperrie18 @formenis @violet-19999

- It is impossible. – but truthfully it wasn’t, because it was happening right in front of their eyes. The thread that connected Morpheus and Y/N was now visible to both, the colours of it changing constantly from gold to red to white to black without stopping, like it couldn’t decide what to be…and then it was no more. The thread that connected Dream of the Endless and Love of the Endless was broken. It was over.

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a/n: one more chapter and it's over 🤧 god how am I supposed to live without writing about Love???