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mayullla · 1 year

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A little present event: fem reader 🦋 + yandere Al Haitham 🌺 🥺

Title: Learning to love

Character(s): Al Haitham (Genshin Impact) Summary: He offered a proposal, a trial of sorts to see if you and him were really a match. Warnings/tags: Yandere themes, fem!reader, soulmates au, toxic relationship, manipulation

The continuation to: The Akasha's choosing [ - A little present~! Event - Closed - ]

You bit your lip when you saw Al Haitham waiting for you outside your small humble home again seated on one of the outdoor stools. "You are awake. I thought you would sleep a little more considering how tired you were last night from getting lost in the forest."

"Thank... thank you for finding me back then..." You looked down, it was because of him that you were able to find your way back home. But it was him that you were running away from that you winded up there. You know it was much, if anyone knew that someone was trying to avoid them this much to the point they would become lost... it would hurt the person. Yet you could not help yourself.

These feelings inside yourself felt like they were twisting your stomach yet you just can't push it down.

"Hmmm. Well, you don't have to worry about that though you should really consider other ways to avoid me."

You flinched at his words, feeling your heart rate speed up as you looked away guilty.

"I notice a long time ago that you were avoiding me, heading out so early in the morning when you usually stay in bed a little more in the past." Al Haitham looked at you from his book, waiting to see if you have something to say before continuing "I am guessing you are not really fond of this idea of soulmates. That you are acting like this? Personally, I think I would be much better if you were to say outright say that you hate me rather than run away constantly like this."

"I-I don't!"

"Then why are you avoiding me?"

"I really don't... I just don't think that uhh... you and me are meant for each other." You sighed finally admitting to why you have been acting like this for a long time. "That there might be a mistake in the Akasha... I just don't think we are compatible. I am sorry... I should have told you that sooner."

You glanced at Al Haithams face wondering how he would react before looking down again in guilt. You didn't know how to bring the subject up and had avoided it for the longest time. In all honestly you were intimidated by him.

"So you are saying that the Akasha had made a mistake?" Al Haitham asked closing his book. "Are you sure? I don't think most people if any would take too kindly to what you said especially the sages." You flinched again suddenly realizing what you were implying. That the akasha that was created by the past dendro archon, which was used by everyone in Sumeru had made a mistake. You wanted to take your words back, your face flustered as you tried to think of a way to recover from the situation.

Al Haitham watching you sighed, leaning back a little as he stared right at you. "I understand having doubts. Even I wanted to see for myself whether this was just some delusion someone in the academia made yet was accepted by those sages. Those who only rely on the akasha when it is also controlled by mere men are nothing but fools who can't think for themselves."

You found his words harsh but stayed silent.

"Hmmm, how about this. We shall do a little test between us to see if we are compatible or not." You looked at Al Haitham in surprise. What did he mean by that?

Al Haitham shook his head a little a small sigh escaped his lips, raising a hand a little as he started to explain. "While I too am not particularly fond of the idea myself, how about seeing for ourselves whether we are actually compatible or not and stop playing this cat-and-mouse chase that would only lead to nowhere."

"We can do a series of tests for an extended period of time. If we don't think we are compatible we can go our separate ways and forget all this happen. But if we do, we can continue on and see where this takes us."

Your eyes looked at him in surprise, but the more you thought about it the more it made... sense. You could see for yourself if the two of you were actually compatible with each other.

Agreeing to his proposal you could not help but feel a little determined but you could not help but wonder, "But what should we do first?" Much to your embarrassment you never really dated before too focused to take care of yourself and putting food on the table.

"Hmmm just do things that couples do. We could start by *not* avoiding each other and work away from there." You flinched a little at this personal attack, unable to look at him in the eyes again.

But you did see a small smile on his lips.

The two of you started slow, Al Haitham being patient with you as you tried to be less awkward with him on your side. You guys started first by going to the forest when you needed to go there to collect herbs, mushrooms, and berries. With him mainly there to protect you from monsters or eremites and treasure hoarders. Most of the time he was reading a book a little farther than you as you go about collecting.

He tried to offer help to you a bit, but still too awkward you declined telling him that he should instead rest while you do your work. Instead, you had to promise him that you would tell him if you need his help getting something that was too far of reach or dangerous.

A lot of your lunches were spent with him. You now purposefully pack up meals meant for two people rather than one. As you seat in the grass or under a tree or maybe at home when you worked on the small farm you had you would share your meals with Al Haitham. He would eat without saying much, but you did notice he would look a little annoyed when you brought soup and later made sure not to bring them too often. (Al Haitham also offered to pack or buy lunches every so often to be fair, and when you first time you tried his cooking you could not help but be surprised. It was good!)

You didn't go out in public much with him since both of you did not want the attention of others. And when you did most of the academia students would stare in shock unable to understand that the famed scribe had a partner while others cooed at how cute of a couple you guys were.

An old granny had called the two of you cute when you were out picking groceries with Al Haitham right beside you examining the vegetables as he too needed to stock some food in his own home. You were flustered at her words, wanting to deny that you were a couple but with a glance that Al Haitham gave you, no words came out of your mouth as you tried to smile.

You thanked the grandmother for her words.

Next were small touches and kisses, your face was never this hot till when Al Haitham told you to kiss him. You were embarrassed when he started grabbing your hand or placing a hand on your shoulder but you stifled all your complaints as you told yourself this was a trial and that it was fine. But you still could not help yourself but become nervous as you stare at his face after what he said.

Al Haitham was always patient with you, and if you didn't want to do this you were sure that he would be fine with it. But seeing that he was trying, you would feel guilty if you were to say no now.

You looked at Al Haitham's face an eyebrow raised waiting before he asked if you do not want to do it. You shook your head telling him it was fine. He always reminded you that both sides needed to put in the effort, and you knew he did. So you must... it was just a small kiss really.

He waited for you, made no movements to take the lead in the kiss, and left you to do it as you took small hesitant steps toward him shyly. With Al Haitham sitting down you were forced to lean towards him as you close your eyes unable to stare to look into his face in such a close distance. You didn't see his reaction back then as you quickly kissed and then turned your back from him unable to look at him.

What was a small peck on the lips soon spiraled from there. Moving too fast you thought to yourself, as if whatever wall that you thought was there between you and him was never there from the start. But you thought that it was fine, that this was just a test to see if you were compatible. As you forced yourself to get used to the thankfully rare kisses that Al Haitham would make. But more often than not you were forced to sit on his lap or he would lie on yours as you both either nap, read a book, or finish an essay for his case.

There were some days he would stay at your place, stating that he was too "lazy" to go back home when he was tired and told you to think of this like another test. He didn't like it when you offered to sleep on the sofa scooping you and tossing you on the bed with a hand on your waist to prevent you from leaving the bed stating that this would be the most comfortable way to sleep at a single person bed, pulling you closer to him. You felt it was too intimate but didn't voice your thoughts when you heard his small snores already fallen deep asleep.

Whatever you tried to make space between you and him on the bed whenever he decided that he would stay for the night would quickly be gone as you would find him always holding you tight in his arms the moment you wake up almost like a stuffed toy that a kid liked.

You kept repeating to yourself that this was a trial if you were compatible and if things just did not work out that everything would just work out as you two separate unknown to you that Al Haitham was still awake looking down at your hair, his arms tightening around you.

To him, this was never a trial, but you were just too precious after all as he let you think as you please. He knew that you were never comfortable with his affections. But he knew you would get used to it. He would not let you go even if you didn't. You would get used to his touch, the idea of him by your side, he would make you get used to him and let him mold you to love him just as much that anxiety would drive you insane when he is not around.

He would never let you go.

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rhenuvee · 2 years

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Table for Two [Alhaitham x reader]

Summary: Alhaitham receives a love letter from you, and after reading your words he tries to find you, except you seem a little shy to come face to face with him...

Warnings, A/N: reader is gn and portrayed as shy/anxious, this was written on a whim because I literally had a dream about this... ANYWAY-

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"Hi, um- excuse me... Alhaitham?"

You have just entered the cafe where he would be relaxing while drinking his coffee. Alhaitham feels a light tap on his shoulder, and he looks up from his book. He sees you; a familiar Akademiya student by your attire, and nervous from the way you're avoiding eye contact (but still trying to maintain it) and the slight quiver of your lips.

Oh how you wish you could just disintegrate right here and now. You've been harboring a bit of a crush on the Scribe, or Acting Grand Sage now. It's a bit silly when you think of it, though... because you most definitely are catching feelings over miniscule things that Alhaitham probably doesn't bat an eye to.

The word "crush - romantically " doesn't exactly exist in an Akademiya student's vocabulary. If anything, that word would be used to describe what they wish a giant boulder would do to them before an exam.

You were working with other Ksharewar students on a project, when the renowned architect Kaveh came by to give suggestions. A while later, Alhaitham came by and it didn't take long for them to start bickering. Nonetheless, you and the other students continued to work on your parts. It wasn't until a shadow was looming over you, and by the shape of the cape you started sweating, already knowing who it was.

"Did you make this?" Alhaitham says while crouching down to your level to meet your gaze. Your eyes widened, being so close to the Scribe (who not to mention, is quite good looking as well).

"Yes... right now we're testing different methods of insulation since the location in Sumeru is closer to Fontaine, so the air is more moist..." You try to give a confident answer, while Alhaitham has a thinking face.

"Hmm, I'll admit this is impressive." The Scribe says quietly. Your heart fluttered at the compliment, even if it was directed to the whole group, but it made you glad that Alhaitham is not as stoic as he is said to be. It wasn't long until a voice interrupted your thoughts.

"What was that Alhaitham? Speak up I couldn't hear you." Kaveh says with his arms crossed. It seems he secretly heard the comment Alhaitham said and wanted him to admit this project he was leading was good. Alhaitham stands up and leaves to bicker with Kaveh some more.

"The only reason you can't hear me is because of all that hammering you do every night."

"Why- you!"

And a few days after that, you leave the Akademiya to go to the nearest river to dunk one of your industrial projects to cool it down. Suddenly you take notice of a figure sitting nearby, which turns out to be Alhaitham when you give him a second glance. To your surprise, he looks up from his book and gives you a small wave. The Scribe? Waving? At you? Clearly Teyvat is an upside-down world. You ended up awkardly waving back, then realizing how embarrassing it was wearing all your safety gear from before and being covered in dirt.

He looks at you and points at his forehead. Forehead? What? You look at him confusedly until he beckons you to come over and you do. He stands up, leaving his book opened on the ground. Then he reaches his hand towards your forehead and brushes some scraps that have been dusted onto your hair.

“You’ve got wood dust on your hair. You must have been working hard.” he says casually. You are taken aback again as he says something you never thought he would, and you manage to utter out an “I guess so” and “thank you” before he has a small conversation with you, then both of you going back to what you were doing.

Point is, there have been interactions with him like these in the past few weeks have been making you all lovey dovey. You’re hoping that Alhaitham will at least be willing to go somewhere with you even if he doesn’t return your feelings.

"Thank you, I'll... take a look at it." Alhaitham says with a slight suspicion in his voice. You nod and quickly run to exit the cafe. Oh god oh god oh god… you may just have to pay a visit to the statue of the seven to pray to Lesser Lord Kusanali to summon something to eat you alive. Oh but as if that would help you. Even in the afterlife it would come haunting. What were you thinking?

“Wait.” Alhaitham calls out and you stop in your tracks and look back. “You’re (y/n), right?” You nod slowly, then he nods signalling he’s got your confirmation and you scurry out the cafe and quickly to your next class.

To be honest, Alhaitham was confused when he saw you approach him and give him a letter, sealed and signed and everything… a bit fancy for an essay isn’t it? He finishes his coffee quickly, pays his bill and goes on a walk around Sumeru to read it.

Dear Alhaitham…? Soon enough, he realizes it’s not an essay you wanted him to review. He reads through your words and can sense how you were probably nervous to write your feelings out.

Suddenly he sees Kaveh approaching him who has an insult ready to hurl at him. After reading the letter, he makes a note to quickly find you to respond. But first, he had to get away from his roommate.

≿━━━━༺❀༻━━━━≾

More than half the day has gone by and you’ve been on edge the whole time. You were shuffling so fast between classes, it probably looked idiotic from other people’s point of view.

“Hey are you okay?” Your friend whispers who is sitting beside you. You clear your throat before answering.

“Yeah… why?”

“You seem tense… but I think I know why.” Oh no, has your friend found out about your love letter to Alhaitham?! “It’s because the Scribe has been looking for you.” What?

“The- looking for me?” You say in shock.

“Yeah, I’ve seen him going around and asking students if they’ve seen you.” This sends you into a panic as it gets you thinking about the possibilities. He is probably going to reject you right? And with his piercing glare and cold tone. The thought of this makes you zoom out of your last class once it was dismissed, knowing the Scribe was looking for you.

“(Y/n).” You stop like a deer in headlights, and see Alhaitham standing outside near the one of the Akademiya walls, with your letter opened in hand.

“Al-Alhaitham!” You blurted out.

“I read your letter.” He says flatly, and it sucks because you wish you could tell how he’s feeling by his tone. “And I'm flattered. I appreciate your courage for telling me this. If I’m being honest, I enjoy your company as well. You are one of the few people who is able to talk to me normally.”

What does this mean? Is he friend-zoning you? Did he not understand your message?

“If you’re free now, we can go to Puspa Cafe, my treat.” At first your mouth falls at an O-shape, shocked that he's inviting you for a meal. (You wrote the letter expecting good things, smart one!) His offer still makes you unsure whether he meant this as a platonic thing, but nonetheless you smile and nod your head eagerly. Your assignments and projects can wait.

“Hold on…” Alhaitham says before you both set off to eat together. He bends down to your height and his right hand brushes the side of your face- a familiar feeling like that one time. But it’s different this time, because he leans closer and gives you a soft kiss on the cheek. You blush and he pulls away a little, enough for him to get a full glimpse of your face and look in your eyes. You don't think friends do this.

“I understand I’m still a little intimidating to you, so that’ll have to do for now.” He says quietly. With the warmth, still in your skin, you nod shyly and Alhaitham gives what you think is the slightest smile, pats your cheek and pulls away completely. He offers his hand out, and you put your hand in his. Then he closes it, his large hand engulfing yours, and leads you to Puspa Cafe.

“Ah Acting Grand Sage, come for your usual coffee?” The manager of the cafe calls out to him as you both enter.

“Thank you, but not this time.” There’s a pause, in which he takes to look at you while he says this. “Table for two please.”

And oh, how that makes your heart flutter even if it was a small thing. You could only wonder what would happen after the “for now” Alhaitham said.

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Bonus:

“Well how was it, did you give them that winning smile I told you to give?” Kaveh asks while lounging on one of the seats as his roommate comes through the door, letter still in hand.

“No.”

“…you- do you even like this person?! This student has either got to be the most boring or the most charitable and tolerant to like you.” Kaveh is having a crisis over Alhaitham’s lack of romantic behaviour, especially now when it’s necessary.

When the architect ran into the Scribe earlier today, he got excited and thought he’d be nice and help him respond to this admirer. However to Alhaitham, Kaveh’s instructions probably sounded more like blabber, because he couldn’t bother to listen to him.

"Did you at least say something romantic? Oh- Archons, Alhaitham. You really know how to woo someone don't you?" Kaveh says sarcastically to express his disappointment. “Can you at least tell me their name? Or what they look like? Because I want to find them and tell them how stupid you looked pacing around the Akademiya today asking students if they’ve seen them.” Kaveh snickers to himself.

"Even if you did approach them, I doubt they'd respond to a weirdo like you. They're too smart for that."

"You're one to talk!"

However, Kaveh stops shooting the many quips he has prepared for Alhaitham being dense once he catches the slight pink dusting his roommate’s cheeks before entering his study. He'll most likely find out himself sooner or later.

Plus, he can’t deny he loves a good romance, even if one of the characters is his hopeless, stubborn, and aloof roommate.

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Part 2??? Update: Part 2 here!!!

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#genshin #genshin impact #genshin alhaitham #alhaitham #alhaitham x reader #alhaitham fluff #alhaitham fanfic #kaveh #genshin imagines #alhaitham oneshot #genshin sumeru

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mae-gi-writes · 4 months

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Finders Keepers | Gally [TMR] - Part 7

In which Gally gets soft for one of the boys in the Glade, only…is it a boy? alternatively; In which Mai disguises herself into a boy to fit in the Glade, only to be suspected by the keen eyes of the Builder's Keeper.

taglist: @edynmeyer1 @ss28 @kurowvie@vaugarkel@marikittt @angelfrombeneth @undeniableadrenaline @persiar9 @ss28 @sage-burrow @ripleyswife @kikiay

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As it turns out, peace never lasts in a place just like the Glade.

It's a few days after Chuck's arrival and the Runners have been out since dawn to map out more areas of the Maze, but when Minho and Ben had made it back during the midday break, the other two Runners — Wesley and Kai — had still been missing. This only led Mai to pick at her fingers as she gazed anxiously at the maze entrance. She hadn't spoken much to the two, considering that Gally's presence by her side always deterred Gladers from striking up conversation, but she'd always served them breakfast first. She knows their faces, can hear their voices at the dining table if she squeezed her eyes hard enough. And the thought of not seeing these familiar faces causes a knot to form in her stomach.

"What if they don't make it back in time?" She asks Frypan as they are preparing dinner. Tonight is stewed beans and rice with a side of omelet and tomatoes from the gardens. The flavorful aromas are already simmering in the pot, whistling softly in the background and not helping Mai's nervous fingers tapping onto her chopping board.

"They will," Frypan's voice is filled with certainty. He clearly doesn't seem all too stressed about them not making it.

But the hour comes up and still there's no sign of them. Mai's heart starts thudding like a crazy horse and unconsciously her teeth starts gnawing on her bottom lip so hard that she draws blood. So worried she is that she decides to abandon Frypan for a moment so that she can find Minho.

He's by the Keeper's huts, poring over what seems to be scribbles onto pieces of scrap paper with Alby by his side. They both look up and the asian young man quickly crumples up the sheets in his grip.

"Hey Greenie," Minho says with forced joviality, "what's up?"

"Your Runners are missing," Mai states plainly, "why aren't you looking for them?"

There's a distinctive glance that occurs between the two Gladers standing before her and something niggles at the back of Mai's mind. They're not telling her the whole truth, she feels it like an ache in her bones. Something about the shifty way Minho's eyes avoids hers and how Alby lets out a sigh of what seems to be exasperation.

Or exhaustion. Either way, it's clear that there's more than what they're offering to tell her.

"They'll be back." Minho finally says with a jerk of his chin, "they'll make it."

"What if they don't? Why can't we send out a search for them?" Mai gestures towards the Maze with impatience, "You know this Maze by heart, you--"

"It's not that simple Mai," Alby cuts her off before she can continue. His mouth presses down into a thin line, "they'll be back. Just trust them a little, yeah?"

In the end, it hadn't mattered. Two minutes before the doors are due to close, Mai's ears pick up on the sound of shouts. Or more specifically, a desperate yell that echoes across the whole Glade and causes all Gladers to drop whatever they're doing in favor of sprinting towards the Maze doors, where the sound is coming from.

Mai rushes forward, trying her best to see through the throng of tall bodies that surround her as she hears Kai shout out, "Call the Med-jacks! We've got a Runner down!"

"What's wrong with him?" one of the gladers ask as some come to the rescue, lifting his limbs to carry him towards the hut. Mai tries to follow, scrambling and stumbling over rocks as she does.

"He's been stung," Kai's voice shakes with emotion and Mai's heart crumbles. She stops dead in her tracks, gazing at the backs of the group as they carry the injured boy towards the Med-Jacks. She can still see the traces of blood in the grassy path that had been stomped over by boots in the process. It's salty and metallic, the smell making her want to vomit the contents of her lunch.

Later on that evening finds her sitting alone at a nearby table after everyone's had their fill of dinner, scooping up the contents of her stew before dropping it back into her bowl. She has no appetite, she finds. Not after having witnessed such a scene earlier on. Her stomach twists and bile rises to the back of her throat just by thinking about it.

Her thoughts keep running a mile an hour; Is Wesley okay? What does that mean if he's stung? Can he be cured? If not, will he--

"Hey Greenie?"

Mai's head shoots up just in time to blink at Gally's curious gaze. He looks down at her, eyebrows raised as he takes in her countenance, before sliding into the seat opposite her.

"What's wrong?" he tilts his head with a frown as his hands come up to his lips. He's just showered, blonde locks licking across his forehead and cheeks flushed from warmth.

When she doesn't respond, Gally presses his lips together and looks away, "it's Wesley, isn't it?"

Mai nods, not trusting herself to speak. She scoops another spoonful of stew before swallowing thickly, only to murmur out, "what happened to Wesley?"

She hasn't wanted her voice to come out so tiny, like a murmured whisper barely above a breath, but the tremor in her voice gives her away and Gally's expression softens slightly.

He takes a breath, "he's been stung," he states it as bluntly as he can, knowing that it won't do any good to hide anything from her, "that's what happens when a Griever gets to you."

"Are they--Is it--" Mai can't find it in herself to ask that question aloud and thankfully, Gally understands and quickly finishes it for her, "deadly?"

The girl nods, eyes dimming when the Builder merely nods in return. When he speaks next, his voice has softened to a murmur, "I don't think I've heard of anyone who survived the Sting."

"What will happen to him?"

Gally's hand goes up to rub at his chin, "he's going to get banished." he finally says without meeting her eyes.

"What?" Mai shoots up in her seat, "why would they do that?! He's one of our own. He belongs to the Glade--"

"Not anymore Mai," Gally interrupts firmly, "Gladers that are stung are dangerous. They go crazy, they can kill you. And we can't take that risk."

"But that's--that's illegal, that's not human--"

"It's what makes it safe here."

Disgust coils in her stomach. Mai shoves her seat back, suddenly not hungry and with the need to scream, to shout, to rip out her own hair in frustration, "you guys make me sick," she spits out in a hiss, "I can't do this."

"Mai, wait--"

But it's too late. The girl storms away after having dumped her entire food tray into the kitchen sink and disappearing into the darkness before Gally can do anything else. The Builder sinks down into his seat with another sigh, one of his hands rubbing the back of his neck in tiredness.

He can understand where she's coming from. It's a shock at the very beginning, to learn about such drastic measures. But it's necessary and Gally believes in them.

"I suspect the princess she-bean isn't too happy to learn about the way we do stuff around here?" comes an accented voice and Gally can't help but let out a small smile when Newt slides into the seat once occupied by the said girl in question. Newt shoves a spoonful of stew into his mouth, chewing thoughtfully as he gazes at his friend, "she'll get round to it eventually. Like everyone else does I suppose."

"It's the rules, she'll get over it," Gally replies, "she just doesn't like violence."

"Neither do I Gal," Newt responds quietly, "but we don't have a choice there, do we?"

"No," Gally says, "I suppose not."

------

Knock knock knock.

Gally's eyes fly open. His head turns towards the door, frowning as he realizes it's still dark outside. Probably early morning. Whatever shank deciding to wake him had better be worth it.

He's more than surprised when he opens the door to be greeted by none other than the she-bean herself.

"Greenie?" A small yawn escapes him, "what're you doing here?"

"I—I can't sleep," she shuffles her feet looking like a lost puppy and when her eyes flit up to his he swears he feels his heart squeeze in his chest. God she's cute when she wants to be, "can I come in?"

Gally steps back silently for her to duck through the door before closing it behind her. The girl looks around uncertainly, not quite knowing where to place herself in Gally's space.

Adorable. He clears his throat and shakes his head, "sit."

He motions towards the bed and after a few seconds of hesitation, Mai does as told. He follows soon after, making sure to leave some space in-between.

The way Mai is picking at her fingers with a sudden bout of nervousness has him thinking that maybe there's something about the Banishment and the stung glader that's running around in her head like clockwork. It's etched across her features, the worry and the apprehension of having to come to terms with the reality of the situation. Gally knows it all too well, he's spent months grappling over what is right and what is wrong, and what he needs to let go to a certain extent. Mai is just starting to discover the ugly truth behind the Glade.

"What's wrong?" he prompts when the girl says nothing still. Her eyes are fixed on the door before her, gaze blank and in a daze.

She blinks back to reality upon hearing his voice, turning her head to face him. In his bed she looks even tinier in comparison and part of him wishes to engulf her in a hug at the uncertainty, the hopelessness flickering across her face.

"I--I can't sleep," her teeth find purchase onto her lower lip that she chews on, "I keep thinking about Wesley and how he didn't have to get stung. How he could've been alive if he hadn't gone into the Maze."

"That's why the Maze is off limits to Gladers," Gally replies, "only the Runners get to go in there."

"But what if these creatures--" she frowns in thought and he prompts, "grievers?"

"Yeah. Grievers. What if these grievers walk through the Maze doors? Have they ever done that?"

"The grievers stay in the Maze. No one's seen 'em apart from the Runners. We hear 'em though."

The girl shivers, "I don't like this," she admits softly, "I don't like that we have to banish people."

"That's how we're kept safe," Gally lets out a sigh, "it shuckin' sucks but it keeps us alive."

"Would you banish me?" she looks him straight in the eye then, "If I got Stung?"

It takes Gally a moment to reply. Surprise comes first, follows by a rush of grief and desperation to keep her safe. Just the thought of her in the Maze makes him edgy. He opens his mouth, closes it, then opens it once more to say:

"You won't get Stung Greenie," his words are soft and tender, the tenderest she's ever heard him be, "I won't let you."

"But that's not your choice to make Gally." her gaze is determined and firm, unblinking on his figure, "so would you?"

He leans forward with a frown, "would you?" he asks instead, "what if I'm the one that got Stung? What then?"

"I wouldn't."

Her answer is straightforward. Simple. Yet, it causes something to stir in his chest. Gally swallows, exhales a soft breath as he looks away, unable to keep on gazing at Mai without wanting to do something to appease her or just make the situation better.

"So you'd rather I kill you then?" he shakes his head, a grim look taking over his features, "you don't know what you're talkin' about Greenie. It's not that simple."

"I'd never Banish you Gally," Mai says with sudden ferocity as she leans closer to his face, hands pressing down onto his bedspread, "you're my friend. I could never do that."

Gally can't help but blink at her like he's seeing her for the first time. Her words ring out between them like a promise, a beacon of light that rams into him so unexpectedly that his chest aches with the sudden rush of emotion that courses through him. A wave of warmth trickles into his stomach, making heat rise through his cheeks at Mai's sudden confession.

Shuck. He could kiss her.

The thought rams into him with such force it makes it hard to breathe. No!, he yells at himself, he's just being emotional. That's all! Nothing else to it!

Which is probably why he says:

"It's late," he quickly turns away from her and tries his best not to stutter, "we have to sleep."

He plops down onto his side, not caring about whether Mai is going to share is space or not, and turning away from her in order to wrap his arms over his chest, hoping and praying that she can't hear how his heart is pounding through it like a set of drums.

"Gally," He can sense Mai peering over his shoulder with that confused, doe-eyed look she always gives him whenever she's clueless about something. It makes his fingers ache to pinch her cheek, "did I--did I say something wrong? I'm sorry if I offended you, it's just--"

"No," he cuts her of abruptly, "nothing's wrong. Just go to sleep, Greenie. We have a long day tomorrow."

Another sigh is heard. A second later, he feels Mai's warmth brushing against his back and squeezes his eyes shut. It's fine, he tells himself, it's fine. You've done this before. She's a friend, just like anyone else in the Glade.

But he knows himself better than this. Who is he kidding? The feeling is there, pulsing underneath his skin and filling his veins up with want. He doesn't want to admit it to himself, had tried denying it for the longest time. The thing is, it had been easier when he thought of Mai as a guy. He could easily dismissive it for brotherly affection, or just a passing urge. But everything changed once Mai confessed about her true identity.

Now, Gally can't even keep her out of his thoughts even if he wanted to. She's just there, forever waiting, forever plaguing his brain like an echo of a poem that Gally knows off by heart even if he doesn't want to.

In other words, he's shucked.

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richardlawson · 7 months

Text

The End

After a few years away from that particular couch, I started seeing a new therapist at the end of last year. It had been long enough, I sagely determined, after I was felled by a series of really nasty panic attacks—one happened while I was doing a Q&A on stage with some filmmakers. They didn't notice, nor did the audience, nor (most importantly) the publicists. But it was happening. Me contemplating running off stage, into the Soho afternoon. It was a terrible feeling, and eventually feeling terrible starts to be a drag, so I found, after a fair amount of searching, someone new.

He is in his late 50s and has a kind, open comportment. He's much more giving and lean-in-and-nod than my last therapist, a sort of prim and watchful gay guy who retired to Florida. I like this new gay guy, I think. Or, I am warming to him. At first, I thought his platitudes and constant quoting of various people were corny. But I have resisted such sentiment for so long, and lack of sentiment hasn't cured me, so maybe I should try the earnest stuff. He has me meditating for one minute a day. The panic attacks went away.

For a little while, anyway. They've been creeping back, when I least expect them, and when I most do. I am afraid of what I am afraid of, I hate what I hate, I feel increasingly indifferent to what I love. Winter hardens care. Do I like movies anymore? Do I like a play, seen on some chilly Saturday afternoon? Maybe it's just seasonal. Or it's media malaise in a time of such austerity. They're trying to lay off the best people while the worst people watch, safe as houses. They're trying to take the whole thing apart and replace it with nothing. I have worked in my business for 16 years, well over a third of my life, and for the first time it now feels truly dire and terminal and like I need to start making other plans for what to do with the rest of my time here in the waking, working world.

Something I talk about a lot with my therapist is inertia—I use the word constantly. Why can't I just, why can't I just, why can't I just. I know something's in me, latent under my lazy skin, but it never makes its way to the surface. At least not yet.

Which causes panic, this stasis. I am scared of the drugs that might help, and am resistant to other concrete life changes that might make this better. (I like a glass of wine too much; I'm a fan of my vape.) I have tried avoiding things, I have tried not avoiding things.

I guess it's not circumstance, really. I have panic attacks when I'm home at night, Andrew asleep in the other room, me watching some murder show or YouTube video (same thing) and suddenly a feeling hits me, the conviction that a blood clot or some other lurking thing is making its way up my body and that this is my sorry, lonely little nighttime end. Here it is, the moment when I'm carried off, when I disappear, when I slip away into nothing.

My parents just finished a cruise, a lifelong wish fulfilled, in South America, hooking around Cape Horn and then exploring the fjords and inlets of Chile. All the reports were good. They had the best time. I had worried about my mom itching for her work email, about my dad being newly 90 years old and maybe feeling exhausted by all the activity. But it seems they managed well. They saw Patagonian cities, they saw mountains rising out of the sea, they saw the shy, retreating edges of glaciers, so quiet and demure in their dying. My mom sent us pictures and I thought most about the glaciers, those last cracking murmurs of a time before. When I was in Alaska for a wedding, years ago now, we went to a park of some kind and the visitor's center that was once built over a glacier then stood cantilevered over dry land. The ice had crept much farther up the mountain, winking goodbye.

How awful. And yet, in the depths of my hypocrisy, I relish an unseasonably warm day. Whatever lifts me out of winter, I guess. Whatever can drag me out of the feeling that everything is indeed going to ruin—a career, a life, a liver, a future. My best friend moved out of my neighborhood recently, which is sad. But it also affords us the opportunity to explore new territory, to find backyard bars with good deals where we can huddle in forgiving late-winter winds and make uneasy escape plans, where we consider what parachutes could ever be made of.

It's not always enough, of course. I too often have nights, far too late, when I go pacing around the living room, circling the coffee table in a weird sort of marching step in my underwear, shaking my hands to get the dread to go away. My new therapist has urged me to find what centers me. To think of all that is known and steady.

I try to gather myself and remember the people I have, arrayed across the planet. Andrew, in restless sleep down the hall. My sister in her Los Angeles canyon, surrounded by trees. I walk the room, knees high and somehow defiant, chest straining with worry. And I see my parents, on a boat at the tip of the world, dreaming of lost things.

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thewrittingpan · 7 months

Text

Random Head cannons:

Lilia

I firmly believe that he would have a Mountian Dew addiction- sure I think other sodas are possible too like Dr. Pepper but there’s this “dad clock” that has haunted every divorced father I’ve met and it’s a Mountain Dew clock and it always hangs on the wall where the kitchen meets the dinning table. Don’t ask me why it’s a trend in my life that’s between me and my therapist but I feel that Lilia would probably own one in his gamer room.

Speaking of which he’s got a damn gammer room. I’ve admittedly been out of the loop event and plot wise since the release of ignihide’s chapter (I can not spell forgive my dyslexic ass), but it doesn’t matter if it’s just his bedroom, a whole separate room, a streaming room or not. It has a fancy custom built pc, one that lights up and the whole room is themed to match. It’s very well put together and could probably pay my college tuition with the merchandise he may collect.

I personally think that since Lilia is so old, he tends to hoard things. It obviously snuck into my fic Ring of Mushrooms with just the whole house being a cluttered mess of history. Some of it is me trying not to be a hoarder myself but living nicknack because I am just a bird in a human shape, but he just has a lot of things he forgets about.

Call it time blindness, forgetfulness, or sentimentality but he just keeps pictures, books, gifts, random things his sons have drug into the house or stuffed into their pockets. He has jars of buttons that Malleus collected as a toddler, the shiny rocks Silver picked up by the stream, he’s the type of guy to have a full box of the same pencil because it’s his favorite and there was a rumor it was being discontinued.

I also think that he has a soft spot for pinks and pastels especially when the boys were young. Mint/sage greens were a common choice for blankets, hats, and mittens. He also probably color coded the boys. It doesn’t matter if they were the same age or not just for ease and avoiding fights he totally did.

Lilia probably has a bunch of abandoned hobbies. Things he did long enough to have a humans level of decent but not great. if he were to “relearn” it he would appear to be a savant to a real beginner. Some of these hobbies include: Calligraphy, Crochet, Knitting, Fish lure making, Astronomy, Woodworking

Hobbies he would be bad at:

Drawing/Painting, he has a bad understanding of color but a great eye for depth and detail. The forms are always very off putting though.

He tried birdwatching he isn’t bad at it per se, but he often gets interrupted or caught up in something that is not the birds.

He wanted to do quilting and scapbooking, it’s not that he can’t do them either but he always forgets the projects. The scrapbooks mostly the quilts he has a lot more practice with as baby shower gifts for neighbors and for his own kids. Yet his stiches can be sloppy same with the binding.

He has a fondness for spinel gems he likes the wide array of colors like most gems but he likes a lot of the vibrant pinks they come in

Malleus

I think malleus would have a habit of forgetting to eat if not reminded or brought food. I cannot explain why I think this I just have a hunch.

I think Malleus is great at word puzzles and puzzles in general, it’s not inherently that he’s super smart but he just knows patterns more often than not. However he is quite horrible at pop culture references and trivia. For example he is good at Wordle, Sudoku, crosswords, and connections, but since crosswords and connections often have pop culture references those are the ones he struggles with most.

When he was young he collected things. I mean a lot of things, buttons, pins, rocks, pinecones, leaves, he pressed and dried flowers, half of his room was just wall-to-wall collections. This continued on until now but it’s just gotten more mild, though it flares up during stressful times.

He’s very good at quilting if I had to assign a good trade themed hobby. I’m open to other needle crafts like embroidery or cross-stitch but I think quilting is something that gets done during school breaks and he often sews in former button collections to them.

I think he has an aversion to some kind of food, whether it be things like a texture like he doesn’t like the feeling of bananas or the taste of pees makes him nauseous. I don’t think it’s an allergy or anything just something that physically makes him feel like death is the only solution to the minor inconvenience.

He’s a peridot guy sure emeralds work too but if he’s being honest the peridots are cuter

Silver

One time he had a talking to about throwing sand. He was only three at the time but it had to be revisited after an incident with an ant hill when he was four.

He sleeps in a funeral-showing sort of way. His hands clasped on his chest while he lays on his back. He rarely moves in his sleep, but cheese can cause him to sleep walk.

Speaking of which he has a mild lactose intolerance. He doesn’t care to actively avoid dairy but he often forgets he has it. On many occasions he has eaten too much dairy and was genuinely confused by the way he was having tummy troubles.

He cries at weddings.

He doesn’t cry at funerals.

Silver has this hobby of wanting to bird hunt but falls asleep too often. He does however have some half okay drawing skills. Enough to have an upper hand in Pictionary maybe but a good hand on proportions and the details are messy but it works.

He has a fondness for pearls it’s the type of jewelry he thinks is the most beautiful.

#fanfiction #twst #twisted wonderland malleus #twisted wonderland #headcannons #twst lilia #lilia vanrouge #malleus draconia #twst silver #twisted wonderland silver #headcanon

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ereana · 1 year

Text

Alhaitham/Cyno - Hungrily

The last few minutes of a working day always pass slower than all other minutes that make up the passage of time. Alhaitham has never been more keenly aware of this fact than he is today. An uncharacteristic impatience constantly draws his eyes to the clock despite knowing that the hands will have not moved since he last checked.

There is no sound apart from the scratching of his pen against paper as he finishes the last few documents that require his attention. Silence hangs in the air of the Grand Sage’s office but the barest flash of light glinting off an open window from above is more than enough to signal the expected intruder.

“Are needless dramatics part of being the General Mahamatra or do you have something against the lift?” He says idly, keeping his gaze fixed on the ever decreasing stack of files on his desk.

Cyno drops down silently from the rafters.

“I enjoy walking outside and I’d rather not be stuck in an enclosed tube if I can avoid it.” The response comes from beside him but Alhaitham doesn’t look up. If he does then there’s a high chance he’ll be distracted from the last of his work which on most days would be a fine thing, not today.

Cyno continues. “Why? Did I startle you?”

There is not even a shade of an attempt to hide the laughter in his voice. Either that or Alhaitham has just become accustomed to detecting it. The warmth it adds to Cyno’s words, the way his voice deepens, it all contributes to a certain sensation that Alhaitham has long since given up resisting.

He dares to sneak a glance to his side. Cyno stands next to him, gently removing his helmet to place on the desk beside the mountain of finished paperwork Alhaitham has already completed. Even after a full day’s work Cyno looks no different than when Alhaitham had waved to him this morning; fresh-faced, calm and ready for whatever challenges the day would throw at him.

If he didn’t wear it so well Alhaitham would almost feel jealous. His own body aches for rest.

“Please, we’ve worked together for too long now for that trick to still work on me. I’ve given up trying to catch sight of your entrances, you will inevitably appear at some point in some fashion unknown to me so there is no point in wasting my energy on being shocked.” His hand finishes the last flick of ink of his signature. One more to go. “Either you will drop a hint of your arrival as a courtesy or you will step out of the shadows like the spirit the more gullible members of the Akademiya believe you to be.”

Cyno hums reaching for the top paper on the complete stack.

What does it say about them that Alhaitham can picture with perfect clarity the expression on Cyno’s face from the sound alone?

A smile, small but definitely there, curving across his face as he tries to fight down his amusement.

The hint of a frown from his disgruntlement at his inability to startle Alhaitham any more with his stealthy entrances.

It says something but Alhaitham can’t think what because Cyno places a hand on his shoulder and his mind is consumed with the warmth of that simple touch.

“This is it then? You sign this last piece, the day ends and you are no longer the Acting Grand Sage.”

Alhaitham fights to keep his hand from shaking as Cyno’s fingers curl around the meat of his shoulder. Not enough to hurt, but it is impossible to ignore the eagerness of the slight pinch of the nails.

“Correct, I’m finally a free man after this.”

“Still not tempted to stay on? I’m sure Lord Kusanli would be thrilled if you took back your resignation.”

Alhaitham snorts as he starts to sign his last act as the Acting Grand Sage.

“That was the worst joke you’ve ever made.”

Cyno says nothing, his attention focused on the black ink of Alhaitham’s pen.

The clock strikes the hour and Alhaitham finishes writing his signature.

It is done.

After nearly a year he is no longer Acting Grand Sage.

The burden of responsibility doesn’t slip from his shoulders as so much it is thrown to the floor and stomped on with extreme prejudice.

Alhaitham sighs heavily and leans back in the uncomfortable throne he is determined to never sit in again.

It is the only moment of respite Cyno gives him.

A second of pure bliss before Alhaitham is pulled into a searing kiss that sends every one of his nerves sparking.

Cyno is everywhere. He kneels over Alhaitham and holds him in a bruising, possessive grip. The hands that have protected Sumeru for years show no gentleness in the way they tilt Alhaitham’s head up for Cyno to devour his mouth.

Good.

Alhaitham doesn’t want gentle.

It’s been too long. Too much patience demanded of them both. Too hard on their self control.

Duty and regulations were all well and good until he had realized that he wanted to push Cyno against the nearest wall and kiss him senseless. Perhaps more surprising had been the matching desire to simply reach out and entwine their fingers, to feel the scars on Cyno’s hand against his own unblemished skin and discover the story behind each one. Apparently it was inappropriate for the Grand Sage, even if they were temporary, to enter a romantic relationship with the General Mahamatra.

If he’d had the time Alhaitham is sure he could have produced a convincing argument as to why that was an untrue assertion but alas, he had been kept slightly busy with the small task of restructuring the entirety of the Akademiya.

He wraps his arms around Cyno’s waist and yanks him closer, gasping when sharp canines sink into his bottom lip as a reprimand. If it’s meant as punishment it utterly fails as he shudders from the onslaught of sensation.

He should have retired earlier, should have never been swayed by Lord Kusanlit to stay on for longer. They could have been doing this months ago, from the moment words of reciprocated affection had spilled from both of their lips under the light of the stars with tongues loosened after a night of festivity with friends.

Cyno kisses him like he’s trying to devour Alhaitham and Alhaitham is happy to be the victim of his hunger.

It’s the need for air which forces them apart, which leaves them panting heavily as they stare into each other’s eyes smiling like giddy fools.

Alhaitham steals the second kiss himself.

#haino #cytham #alhaitham #cyno #genshin impact #my genshin otp #my writing

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sunlightandsuffering · 1 year

Text

CONDOM BUYING CONTINUATION!

Eren stands in the grocery store, discretely eyeing up the aisles while Armin stands next to him nervously, Mikasa on his other side, attached to his hip, her arm linked with his. "It has to be this one," He proclaims boldly to the two and with confidence, he leads his best friend and girlfriend down the aisle vaguely labelled 'hygiene', the third aisle they've tried so far.

They find nothing but cleaning products and deodorant and Eren is ready to give up, do grocery stores not sell condoms anymore? "Oh my god," Mikasa clicks her tongue, "You two are so useless, follow me." She leads them to the next aisle over, where feminine hygiene products can be found, and there, next to the tampons and pads is the condom section. "I knew it all along I was just testing you Mika." She pinches his arm before leaning up for a kiss, long and slow, and she tastes like lemon today, her lips soft and still flavoured with the tart she was eating when she came over and Eren resists the urge to pull her in deeper.

"Whatever you say 'Ren."

He catches her by the waist before she can twist from his grasp, locking into his arms as Armin makes a disgusted noise, "You two are gross." Armin huffs as he squats down to look over the colourful array of condoms, "So what should I get?" "No fucking clue," Eren tells him casually from over Mikasa's shoulder, "Baby do you know?" She shakes her head, her hair brushing against his nose and he smells the faintest whiff of vanilla from her shampoo, he can't resist dropping another little kiss to her temple for good measure for being so cute and smelling so good and being so undeniably Mikasa. "Why did you two even come?" "To help you find the condom aisle," Mikasa supplies and Eren nods, teasing his friend "I just wanted to make fun of you, look Mika, they have sex toys too!" His girlfriend groans as he becomes distracted by the nearby vibrator, like a kid on Christmas.

"Should we get one?" He asks, his hand slipping down to tease at the line of her jeans, his lips finding her ear, "Could be fun!" Mikasa's face is colouring rapidly and he figures maybe he should tone it down a bit.

Armin huffs in irritation, "Stop flirting and help me you assholes." "Fine," Eren grumbles, letting go of Mikasa to kneel down next to his friend, he begins fingering through brands at a rapid pace. He may not use condoms, but he still remembers the good old days of puberty, rolling up to the drugstore after the puberty talk, self assured that he'd buy a box and use them with gusto.

Of course then he'd slept with Mikasa without one and decided rather promptly that condoms just weren't for him.

Spoiler alert: the box had never been used and he's pretty sure Mikasa had thrown them away when she'd found them in his room a couple months ago, afraid Carla would see and think they were up to naughty activities. Which of course they were, but she didn't need any evidence.

He looks back up at Mikasa to wink briefly before he begins his sage advice.

"These ones are glow in the dark, that's a bit much." Armin nods in acceptance, and Eren continues his perusal, "These are probably too small, I know what you're packing buddy." Eren pats Armin's arm reassuringly and Mikasa whistles at their friend who looks unbelievably uncomfortable. "These ones suck, these ones have a shitty logo, avoid those, and these ones-" "Eren I think that's enough," Mikasa teases him, "You're talking a lot of shit for someone who never uses them." "I'm trying to help!"

"Ignore him, Armin just get these trojans or something I feel like that's fine."

"Which size?" Mikasa makes a face, "I'd get a few sizes umm, just in case you know." "In case of what?" "In case they don't fit, because I can umm tell you from experience, you won't want to go the drugstore again to replace them." Eren looks at Mikasa smugly, the smirk practically engulfing his face and MIkasa brings a hand up to his cheek to shove him away while Eren cackles. "I don't want to know do I?" Armin questions. Mikasa blushes, shaking her head, "You really don't, just trust me, get a few sizes okay?"

"Thanks Mikasa."

"Are you sure you don't want these glow in the dark ones Armin? They look cool." "I'm going to kill you Eren." "Ooh they also have cherry flavour, but what are those for?" "Blowjobs," Mikasa supplies helpfully and he makes a face, "Why would you use a condom for a blowjob." "Have you ever practiced safe sex in your entire life?" Armin asks in exasperation and Eren shrugs innocently, he thinks the question is valid, why would you use a condom for a blowjob??? "No," Mikasa answers for him, "Never in his life." Eren beams, "And I won't be anytime soon because I have Mika baby right here and she's STD free and happy to blow me without a condom."

Mikasa sighs, and Eren takes this as his opportunity to slip into the feminine hygeine section of the aisle, "Baby you need more tampons right?" "Yes Eren," her reply is exasperated and Armin does not look impressed as he kneels in front of the large array of condoms. "How do you put up with him?" Mikasa shrugs, "It's the good sex, that's about it." "Hey!" Eren snaps back, turning around, a pout painted on his face, "I heard that, I'm good for other things too you know!" A reluctant smile curves his girlfriend's lips and she shakes her head fondly, "I guess, now go get me some chocolate from the candy aisle, we'll meet you at the front." Eren huffs before taking off in search of M&M candies, how ungrateful they are for his wealth of knowledge.

Ridiculous.

#lys's drabbles

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mylifeisactuallyamess · 1 year

Text

Chapter 4: Coffee and Dinner

A/N: I love this chapter 🥲 just reminding myself how much I love Hux tbh. Sigh.

Warnings: mentions of food…and fluff.

Word Count: 3.5k+

Masterlist

September blended into October. The leaves on the trees had all changed to red, golds and oranges, the leaves falling and littering the ground in huge mounds. Millicent came back more often now with twigs and suchlike stuck in her fur but she adored the attention she received off Hux. He had taken to brushing her once a day, he was up before you most mornings, the cat already fed and purring with wild abandon in his lap. He had talked you through the medkits and food rations he’d pulled from the pod and you were amazed by how not so different it was.

The bacta though was something else, when he sliced his finger on a piece of metal he sprayed it and within the hour there was just a small pink line left. You strictly told him you didn’t want any part of it, that was far too alien for you even as he spewed facts and figures at you trying to get you to see the benefits you still did not want that blue healing liquid in your body.

He had taken to staying behind when you headed into town and he didn’t disappear which you were pleased about as it allowed you to meet up with Sage for coffee.

You clutched the cup of coffee in your hands, your knee jigged nervously under the table as you watched the door to the diner. She was never usually late but then, you were stupidly early. Nerves made your palms sweaty as you rubbed them on your jeans, running over all the topics you could talk about with her. No mention of space men, no talking of Armitage. You could find other topics, ask questions about her work, tell her about the book you’d been working on because that had finally started flowing.

“Hey stranger!” You jumped up with a squeal and wrapped her in a tight hug which she returned, making you wince slightly. “How are you doing? You feeling ok? It’s been weeks since I’ve seen you.”

“Yeah sorry I’ve been busy writing, but I’m feeling much better.” She gestured for a coffee and you got a refill, the silence stretched between you both as you stirred your drinks. “How’s work?” You almost blurted out.

“Oh yeah, good. Busy. I mean it’s a bar…”

“Yeah…” you sipped your drink trying to ignore the way it scalded your entire mouth as your eyes roamed over the diner. Say something!

“What’s this book about?” She asked and you felt relief at a topic you could talk about.

“Well it’s a continuation of the last one, they want me to kick out so many words a day and the deadline is like February, so I really should write…more.”

“You’re making it into a series?” She asked.

“A trilogy. I don’t think I have anymore in me after that.”

“Can I get you girls something to eat?” Both of you looked up at the waitress, ordering your usuals before the silence between you returned. Why was this so difficult? When did you struggle to find anything to say to each other?

“You been up to much?” You asked curiously and she leaned back in the booth, turning the coffee cup as she tried to find an answer.

“No? I mean it’s literally work, sleep, eat, repeat. Nothing exciting.”

“No, same. Wake up, coffee, write, eat, sleep. Repeat.” You both nodded, avoiding eye contact with each other as you cleared your throat and suddenly wishing you hadn’t ordered food because now you had more silence to try and fill.

“Heard much from Brandon?” Your entire body stiffened at the sound of his name, the fear that he could appear any moment quivered inside and you swallowed nervously.

“No. Well he tried to ring me a few weeks back,” when Armitage landed. “But I blocked his number.”

“Good. That man is a waste of life,” she spat. The waitress deposited the burgers and fries in front of you with a shared basket of onion rings cutting the conversation short, thankfully.

“How’s Max?”

“Oh, cheeky as ever. You know he had really taken to…” she tapered off and you frowned.

“To what?”

“This new ball I got him, yeah. Keeps burying it in the garden and covering it in mud. He’s a fool. What about Millicent?”

“Oh you know, coming home covered in literal branches. We have to keep plucking them from her fur,” you recounted with a soft smile. “But she is loving the attention.” Sage was watching you and then it dawned on you what you’d let slip. Your brain tried to scramble for a new topic as your heart beat relentlessly against your ribs. “How’s the car?” You shot at her, almost following it with a wince at how desperate you sounded. She frowned at you over her burger, picking a piece of the bun off before she answered.

“Fine. It’s not fallen apart yet.”

“Mmm,” taking a big mouthful you hoped she wouldn’t ask anything else. She opened her mouth to say something when her phone rang, tilting the screen away from you she answered it.

“Hello?” She shifted her way out of the booth and went to stand in the corner, keeping her voice low she muttered into the phone. Chewing slowly you tried to listen, maybe it was her boss? Or Christina? You cast a forlorn look at your own phone, Sage was the only person you heard from these days or your publisher. “I need to go,” she huffed. Snatching an onion ring from the basket and grabbing her coat.

“We’ve barely eaten!”

“I know I know!” She muttered round the onion ring. “I’ll make it up to you I promise.” She gave you a swift kiss on the top of your head and an awkward squeeze across the shoulders. She went to fish some money out of her pocket but you stopped her.

“This is my treat today.”

“You sure? I should be treating you as, it’s your birthday.”

“You know I don’t usually do anything! Seeing you is enough, yes I’m sure. Go on, you can owe me.” She bent down for a better hug this time and you returned it.

“I’ll message you!” And with that she was gone. You debated staying and finishing but you looked stupid here with two baskets of barely eaten food so you asked the waitress to box it up for you. Swiftly you paid and headed out into the briskness of midday, but at least the sun had warmed up the inside of your truck for which you were grateful for. Setting the food down you realised you needed to do some shopping. Thankfully it was empty today as you meandered round the store, trying to ignore the sinking feeling of disappointment that had settled on your chest. You missed your friend, maybe it was high time you introduced her to Armitage, seeing as he was here to stay. Except, how were you going to explain him?

Hux emerged from the shed when you pulled up, the handbrake of your truck clicking roughly as you yanked it. He was wiping his hands on a rag he’d found, his coat fluttered around him and again you caught yourself admiring him more than you should be.

“Building another escape pod in there?” You joked as you jumped from your truck and he gave you a wry smile in response.

“I don’t have any fuel,” like it was an absolute possibility that he was.

“Sure, lack of fuel is your only problem,” you muttered to yourself. He followed you inside, hanging his coat up before taking yours and hanging that up too. He was so particular, and tidy. Living with him for over a month now everything became the norm very quickly, well he had nowhere to go so you supposed he had no choice but to settle into an easy rhythm with you. Some days you had heated discussions and others you just sat comfortably in silence while you tried to write and he filled in his journal.

“I got you this from one of the shops in town,” you told him, gesturing to a bag bigger than the rest. “I hope you like it.” You busied yourself putting the shopping away and trying not to watch as he dragged the coat from the bag. The coat was black, not as fitted as his greatcoat but almost as long. The silk lining on the inside was a deep but noticeable emerald green colour and for a moment he just stood there holding it up. “Don’t you like it?” You asked in an attempt to appear nonchalant but all the while you were desperately awaiting his approval. The rustle of fabric told you he was slipping it on, making you turn to admire him as he adjusted the collar unsuccessfully. “Here,” you stepped up to him with a quiet sigh, running your hand along the collar so it sat flush against his neck. You absently smoothed the lapels down, beaming up at him before you stepped back to appreciate how fine he looked.

He moved his arms and fidgeted with the sleeves, tugging it to his liking before his sea green eyes flickered up to where you were expectantly waiting for his reaction, your fingers pushing your lower lip between your teeth in anticipation.

“Is this to make me blend in more?” He asked and you refrained from rolling your eyes.

“I didn’t think you’d want your coat ruined in the shed, plus if we do happen to have visitors they won’t ask what the sigil means.” His whole demeanour went on the defensive and you braced yourself for a lecture.

“You mean the organisation I have dedicated my life to? All my hard work is related to that sigil.” He said, pointing to the coat hanging up. “The very essence of my…”

“Yes exactly!” You interrupted him with an affectionate pat on his chest, stealing the wind out of his sails and his expression relaxed slightly at the lingering touch. “I could sit here and listen to you for hours but other people, probably not so much,” you shrugged and went back to your shopping. Hiding a smug smile as you put food in the fridge, you loved how riled up he got over certain things, his passion was evident but occasionally you saw the wistful look on his face. He did miss where he came from.

You had given him some books to occupy him and he was, much to your amusement, currently nose deep in some of your favourite series. You thought the Dragon of Pern books would resonate with him seeing as they were space travellers settling on an unknown planet. He seemed to be enjoying them because he hadn’t said otherwise, though, that meant anything with him. He had hung up his new coat and sat in the armchair with the book, Millicent appearing from nowhere and planting her massive self on his lap, draping her front legs over his shoulder and resting her head in the crook of his neck.

You opened the cupboard to find yet again your chocolate stash was depleted. Of all the things you thought he’d get attached to it wouldn’t be chocolate but it was a good choice.

“I got you a new bottle,” you said, making him look up from his spot on the sofa, waving the bottle of scotch you were about to put away.

“When I return to the First Order I’ll have to make sure I take a crate with me. I find it’s more pleasing than Corellian Whiskey.” His attention went back to his book and the cat, your cat that never seemed to leave his side so he didn’t see the swift disappointment that no doubt filled your face. You hadn’t given much thought to him going back believing he was stuck here but now you weren’t so sure. Your gaze was drawn to the shed outside, maybe he was building something that would get him home you just didn’t have the heart to find out. Truthfully, you didn’t want to know.

“What’s in the boxes?” Hux asked, not lifting his gaze from the page.

“What?” He sighed, as though it was such a chore to repeat himself, you wondered if he was used to people hanging on his every word. The book tipped down to rest on Millicent who just purred louder.

“The boxes…?”

“Oh! Well we didn’t finish our lunch but it’s been left a while. I wouldn’t eat it now.” Tapping your fingernails on the counter you debated for a moment before walking over to the sitting area. His eyes snapped up from his book again and you smiled a little at the unspoken question that resided there. “I could teach you how to cook.” The book dipped once again and you could see he was considering it. “Well I think it’s time I start preparing you to make your own way here seeing as you can’t…can’t go home.” His brow tugged down a little and you swallowed. “Pretty sure you don’t want to live here with me forever,” you stated with a little nervous giggle at the end.

“Getting to know your food would be beneficial,” he finally spoke and your heart jumped a little.

“Well, I have the ingredients to make beef wellington and I just know it’s something you’re going to enjoy.” You grinned as you hefted Millicent off him, noticing the way he rubbed his chest where the cat had been sitting. She was a Maine Coon, this cat was heavy and she was nearly as wide as he was. Planting a kiss in her rich fur you noted the way she smelled like him first, with her usual warm scent underneath and you hugged her just that bit tighter before releasing her.

You washed your hands, passing him the tea towel to get the ingredients out of the fridge. To his amusement you opened the bottle of wine first, looking up you caught him smiling a little.

“What?”

“You always do this before you cook.”

“Always?” You enquired and he nodded, accepting the glass you gave him. “Some habits die hard.” Sipping the golden liquid you mentally ran through the ingredients, it had been a while since you’d attempted anything from your Nan’s cookbook. “Ok, so this is a complicated recipe but so worth the hard work.” You opened the book, hearing the crack in the binding and some of the pages slipped loose as they were disturbed.

“Why are we putting in so much effort today? I’ve seen you cook without instructions.”

“Because today is my birthday,” you said simply, running your finger down the page before moving to preheat the oven.

“I had no idea.”

“Not many people do, it’s generally something I don’t acknowledge,” you admitted.

“Neither do I,” you glanced up to see him staring down into the glass. “Just reminds me of the mother I never had the chance to know.” Your heart fell apart at his soft admission and on reflex you reached out to lay a hand on his arm. He tensed, his eyes flying to meet your gaze but he didn’t move away like you expected him to. You couldn’t find any words, the loss of a parent wasn’t something you could articulate and you hoped your touch alone could convey enough. Breaking eye contact he cleared his throat and peered down at the book, you withdrew your hand, blinking rapidly as the moment slipped past you both like a fleeting shadow.

“So the first thing we need to do is roast the beef.” You handed him a brush and he listened as you read out the instructions. As he brushed oil over the beef and you chased his motions with sprinkled pepper, trying not to get distracted with how close he was in your small kitchen.

“What creature is this from?”

“A cow. Also where our milk comes from.”

“What is this?” He pointed to the small pot in your hand.

“Pepper, beef and pepper are a match made in heaven. If you like this I’ll have to cook you a steak sometime.”

“Also from a cow?” You glanced up at him with a smile, his naïvety was endearing and it made your heart beat faster. Putting the meat in the oven you introduced him to the food processor and already you could see his interest flare at the sight of it. You let him chop the mushrooms, you expected him to be slow or to cut them unevenly but he suddenly revealed some hidden skills with a blade after you gave him a demonstration. Each mushroom was cut quickly and efficiently, the slices falling perfectly on the board.

“And you’ve never cooked before?” You asked in surprise.

“No, but I know how to wield a blade.” Of course he did.

“Right well,” you drained your glass of wine and poured some more. “Next we blend them.”

“What’s the point of cutting them first?” You shrugged as you swiped them into the processor.

“So they don’t get stuck? I don’t know, I just follow what it says.” He tutted softly as though disappointed in your answer.

“You should question things more. You have no fight in you.” Lifting your head you turned to glare at him and he surprised you yet again, with a small smirk over the rim of his glass.

“And here I was thinking you desired perfect obedience from your subordinates?”

“You are not one of my subordinates,” he pointed out. “If anything, I am yours.”

“Oh!” You put the lid on the top and smiled up at him mischievously, trying to ignore the way the words “I am yours” had your heart tripping over itself. “Well what would that make me? If you’re a General and you’re my subordinate?”

“Grand Marshal.”

“In that case, General. I need you to pulse chop these mushrooms but I don’t want to see sludge, soldier. I want a nice breadcrumb consistency.”

“Yes ma’am,” he breathed, the smile still curving the edges of his lips and you smiled back. “What’s a breadcrumb?”

You weren’t sure if it was the bottle of wine you’d had together or the joy of doing something so domestic with someone else but your soul was soaring. He relaxed, smiles were more readily gracing his expression and his eyes danced whenever you said something amusing. His laugh was reserved, as though he didn’t dare unleash the fullness of his delight. He was witty, his comebacks were whip sharp and you didn’t hold back your joy at his dry humour.

When you finally sat down to eat your belly was hurting from laughing so much but you were sure more wine would sort that.

“You’re right,” he commented after a few mouthfuls.

“I don’t hear that very often.”

“You told me I’d like it. And I do.” He sipped from his glass before continuing. “Though, I’m fairly sure you could make a womp rat taste exquisite.” You could feel the heat rush to your face at his praise and you tried to think of something to say except your throat had closed up. You took a gulp of wine but it was almost too much and your eyes watered.

“What’s a womp rat?” You managed to gasp out.

“Hideous creatures, generally native to Tatooine but for some unknown reason, people think they make good pets.” His entire expression scrunched up in a typical, what you liked to refer to as the, “Armitage doesn’t appreciate this” face.

“Rats here make very good pets, they’re intelligent and clean. I do feel sorry for the wild ones when Millicent decides she wants to play.” His gaze rolled to fix on your face, his head tilted slightly and he sighed.

“These are about the same size as Millie.”

“Oh.” He got up and took the empty plates. You finished your wine and stood, mentally scolding yourself when the floor tipped a little. Too much. He followed you to the living area where you flopped onto the sofa with a dragged out, contented sigh. He stoked the fire, making the flames erupt from the burning log before easing himself onto the sofa. His motion caught your attention, he never sat here, always preferring his own space in the arm chair. Slowly you slid across the seat towards him, just as he leaned back and draped his arm across the top of his seat. He glanced at you, noticing how close you were only to focus once again on the fire, but he didn’t move away.

“Thank you,” a huskiness had entered your voice that you weren’t expecting and he shifted slightly in his seat.

“What for?” Tentatively you leaned into him, resting your face on his chest. Hearing his sharp inhale and the kick of his heart behind his ribs, feeling the way his entire body locked up as you nestled against him.

“Thank you for making my birthday nice again,” you whispered. For a moment neither of you moved but then you felt his arm rest gently around your shoulders, his hand splayed on your arm and you fully relaxed into him. The heat of the fire pulled you very quickly into a comfortable stupor, making your eyes heavy and your breathing even. Sleep was dragging at you but you swore you heard him murmur something back to you, if only you could remember what it was.

#metanoia #general hux x f!reader #general hux x reader #general hux x you #armitage hux x f!reader #armitage hux x reader #armitage hux x you

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genlirema · 3 months

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Do Silver the hedgehog!!

How I feel about this character

Underrated as hell round II: Sonic Boogaloo

I think compared to Eusine the wasted potential is greater here, for while Eusine got a bittersweet yet satisfying conclusion to his story, Silver...never really did? Silver symbolizes a hope for the future, no matter how distant or scary it may seem, yet his story and reputation had to be tarnished by a rushed and convoluted story c':

I mean tbf, I can see why his character could get overshadowed by a bunch of other optimistic characters like Tails or the main man Sonic himself, but...do you know how many crises could've been avoided if Silver was just...there??? Like...he had the potential to be the clairvoyant of the future like Morty, and they just...forgot??? About him??? (although tbf I can also see the problem with Silver being the clairvoyant as well and just spoiling everything for everyone, it really depends on the writing too. Also I say "clairvoyant" but I can't find a better term for "character from the future who already saw what happened and can travel through time to warn others" so c':)

The trio with Sonic, Shadow, and Silver was perfect! The symbol of Present, Past, and Future, respectively! I know Silver's character isn't that much different than Sonic, but he still had a unique background and motivations, dammit, you could still work around to make his character stand out (I mean they tried in Forces...I think c':). Compared to the other two, he seems more laid back, and his powers were unique enough to have him stand out too. Why did they let such great potential go to waste ;-;

All the people I ship romantically with this character

honestly it's not my otp but I will admit Blaze x Silver is kinda cute. I can also see him with Infinite for some reason...before they botched his character in the games and gave him the edgy mask ofc c':

My non-romantic OTP for this character

Blaze

Sage

Tails ig

Cream why not

Knuckles?

He can be the fun little crossover buddy too I'd like to see him with the FUN Gang from Deltarune or Jasper from Steven Universe before they botched her character-this is gonna be a running gag isn't it c':

My unpopular opinion about this character

SONIC GENERATIONS X SILVER, SEGA. THAT'S YOUR NEXT MOVE. IF YOU CAN REMAKE THE GAME WITH SHADOW, YOU CAN DO IT WITH SILVER. PLEASE.

(Also I know he won't make it in the movies and I honestly don't mind/care about it, just...one more game with him as the deuteragonist, please. That's all I ask ;~;)

One thing I wish would happen/had happened with this character in canon...

...Besides everything I've said above? c':

I mean idk if I explained it well in the beginning of this post but considering his debut game was apparently just a big time paradox, that makes him a walking time paradox as well. If you play your cards right with the writing, he could be like the Absol of Pokemon (or the Paradox Pokemon themselves if that makes any more sense), where his presence could signal a bad omen of what's to come, yet he could still assist Sonic in the fight for a better tomorrow. I don't know if I made this up or this was a real thing in one of the side games, but I think at one point they did change his backstory so that he was just...from the future, in general? Which could open a lot of story potential, if you think about it. A character who's actually seen it all, yet still defies the odds with a smile...that's what Silver was meant to be, I think.

#answers by lirema #this post is totally more well-thought out and organized like the last one mhm #thanks for the ask!#silver the hedgehog #i just think he's neat #...again

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themissdnl · 1 year

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Random head cannons for the jttw gang

Okay, one for each

Sun Wukong: After being sealed away for, 500-years, he developed autophobia: fear of being alone. He'd scream for who knows how long but due to the seal, he could hear beings outside but they could only hear him if they stepped into the tunnel- which tend to freak them out more than incite them to come inside.

He also has a potent fear of failure, throughout his life he never really dealt with it. There was the fall to the Celestial Realm, and Buddha, but it hasn't quite hit him yet- more so he's avoiding it. The "Great Handsome Monkey King: Great Sage (Equal to Heaven)", just doesn't fail. He can't. Ergo, he doesn't know how to cope or deal with failure, it just doesn't compute. He tends to have an avoidance habit with things like this, or joke it off.

He's also asexual aromantic, he holds value over platonic or familial relationships over everything else. In-part due to the fact he was born without a biological family. This is why he's eager to make friends and family members out of people he likes. Unfortunately, he's very poor at managing said relationships.

Pigsy: Like with his LMK incarnation, he's a great cook. It was something he got into rather recently, in order to woo Cuilan and show her he was serious about bettering himself, he picked up cooking as humans can't really eat demon slop (to put it generously) that he'd been eating.

He also likes poetry, but is poor at writing it and prefers to read or recite.

He's adept at wind magic which he used to quell seas which he was Reed-Parting Marshal in the Celestial Realm, or at least break up dangerous waves. He also uses it to amp up his flying in bursts. Instead of the 72-Transformations he settled for the 34 pack because it was something easier to handle and he didn't need to warp his physical form because (at the time) he was actually rather handsome and didn't like messing with his image too much, this bit him latter on but he still isn't bothered to go the whole yard.

He's a hopeless admirer of beauty in all things, not just women, but wherever he sees it, but tries to hide it where he feels would be too "out of norm" which is why only certain things slips out. Cuilan got to see this side of him because he slipped up about scenery and enjoyed it.

Sandy: Being a water demon, he needs more well- water, than the rest of the group to keep hydrated. Thankfully, because of his water magic, it's never in short supply, but he finds it more taxing to do if he's over heated.

He also likes poetry.

Post-journey, he's either like to continue being a guard to Tripataka, possibly his monastery, or be hermit out in the woods, enjoying nature.

Ao Li: Being a son of a sea king, he's not actually very good at utilizing his fire-breath. He can spew it yes, but has haphazard control over it. He's somewhat insecure about that.

As a horse, he likes his snout getting stroked by Tripataka (in particular) but allows that others to do so because it sooths him. He tries not to show it with the others.

He wanted to be a proper prince growing up, getting married in all that, but after his banishment, plenty of time to think, he realizes he doesn't really know what that means for him. Or if he even wants it anymore but does want his family back.

He doesn't like his horns being touched. They're like his pride and joy. Tripataka can tho.

Tripataka: Every year, he grieves his mother's death wherever he's at, creating a makeshift grave if need be. He's tried to move on but has difficulty understanding what she did, even though he knows what brought it on. Part of why he wants to get the scrolls is to hopefully put her spirit at rest, thereby getting closure for himself.

He just does not know how to handle women, growing up in a monastery and is rather intimidated by them. Utter blue-screen when confronted. He does his best to be cordial and respectful even still.

#journey to the west chronicle #journey to the west #xi you ji #sun wukong #the monkey king #pigsy #zhu bajie #celestial swine #sandy #wuijing #ao lie #jade dragon #dragon horse #tripataka #tang monk #tang sanzang #headcanon #answer #themissdnl

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sentofight · 1 month

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Had he asked for this? Indirectly. What with how he's not one to shy away from deriding colder weather while not doing much to bundle himself up. To him, it's funny. But to Edea, perhaps, it was concerning. Reckless guy he is. And now there's a scarf in his hands, and a nervous lady waiting for his reaction.

Oh shit.

She made this herself, didn't she? Realization flashes across viridian eyes, and what had already been a fond thing to receive suddenly felt... different. This is a lot of work, he's no stranger to crafts after all. All this... for him. Wait. She'd said personal training was why her fingers had been bandaged?? Was that a lie?

"Good grief..." Wylan mutters, letting his fingers run over the ridges and threads of the warm article before suddenly he flicks it out, catching Edea about the waist and using the makeshift 'lasso' to yank her nervous butt in to a one-armed hug. "You made this for me? Heh... uh."

"Congratulations, sugarpuff. You... actually got me at a loss for words here. Shit... mm, it's so soft and warm. I can feel how much work you put into this. It's not a gag order gift, to stop me complaining about the cold now, is it? I'm kidding! I love it. And I'll wear it~ how do I look?"

Nervous eyes keep stealing glances at the man in front of her. She poured all her heart into making this. W-well, and some blood which she had to wash before giving it to him. No one told her that knitting is almost like a battling! Mrgrgrr..! Sage Yulyana makes it soooooo easy! He whips dresses left and right and she? She barely managed to knit this scarf without losing both her hands. Nn... perhaps she is not cut out for this sort of thing...? I mean ... it is so dull. Her first attempt was to make a funny looking Wylan-like face to the side but er, um.. that was scrapped when it looked like a demon more than chibi wylan.

Fidgeting in her place, she watched him trace the scarf. Did he liked it? No? Yes? What is it!? "D-do you...--eeep!?" her question was caught in her throat when he suddenly yanked her close to him using the scarf. Hands quickly hold onto his shirt to keep her balance. "H-hey! What was that for!?" same hands tried now to push herself away from him but let's face it, if she wanted to back away she could've whacked him but she is ...being the tsundere she is.

"I-if you don't want it, just say it! I'll take it back!" huffing and pouting at him. Eyes followed his hands when he wrapped the scarf around his neck. There was a light--stars and small tiny hearts and sparkles in them seeing him in the thing she made. Her lips parted to say something but then a smile was suitable now, and her shoulders relaxed. He's...unbelievable. How can he look so handsome in something this ...eh. Makes her heart race and want to jump out of her chest. He's so unfair.

Cheeks dusted pink, "Mhm..." nodding to him but avoiding eye contact but she took a deep breath and steeled herself. "You look handsome." aaaaaaah! she said it! she knows he will take this and run with it but at this moment, sure why not. He is handsome. Edea reached to fix the scarf around his neck then fingers traced his jawline. "I can always warm you up," get your head out of the gutter boy, you know who you are dating. "I can cast fire magic all you want, like that time in the caving, hehe."

She knows this is a good chance to surprise him even more so she was on her tippy toes, yanked him by the scarf, and kissed him softly. To her, it felt like the world came to a halt until they parted away.

#ic.| edea #dcviated #dcviated.| wylan #[YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAW

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tisorridalamor · 1 month

Text

On the other hand: I've mentioned this before but my biggest gripe with TotK is who gets to be the sages. I don't think any of the sages should have been champions from BotW, full stop. It would have been SO much more fun for the game to take the time to have new characters fit those roles... however because of the "your buddies get to travel with you now" aspect of it I understand why they didn't do that, because it's much more appealing for your companions to be the ones we have prior attachments to from the prev game :(

For funsies though here's who I think should have been the sages :)

Wind and Light: No change duh, these are totally fine, new characters that feel in place with the story and in the case of the Wind sage, it's awesome that he's the son of Teba. Really good continuation by connecting the Sage to a character we already know to add attachment but still changing it up with something new, which is kind of what I want for the other Sages as well!

Water: YONA!!! Yona 100%. I think Sidon should have still been a major part of the Zora area, but he could have been too busy to help Link himself, regretfully staying behind when Link goes to the Water Temple. I think Yona should have volunteered to go instead of Sidon, being all "your kingdom needs you!!" and it would have been awesome to have Sidon entrusting his two fav people to save his people :) I really really really think this could have been a major highlight of the game for me if this had happened

Lightning (? Is that what they're called? I haven't actually gotten to the Gerudo yet that's my next stop): Since Idk what the actual plot with the Gerudo is I'm totally spitballing here, I think it would be cool to have a rebel character that is at odds with the kingdom / Riju. Maybe a childhood friend who disagrees with how she's ruling or has been tricked by the evil Zelda clone, and the point of the story is that the rebel still cares for Riju / the Gerudo in her own way even if she's a troublemaker and have her stand up for what's right in the end :) I think that'd be a super fun Gerudo character concept and a great Sage! (It could also give Riju a cute childhood friends to rivals gf situationship...) I'll update with my thoughts on the Gerudo sage after I do complete that part of the game

Fire: This is the hardest one to decide because I think overall the Goron society is the least interesting (sorry Gorons!!!) and they didn't really have any other major characters in that area besides Yunobo. So I tried to think of what kind of character would be unique compared to my other hypothetical Sages, and I came up with an older Goron grandpa type guy who has been guiding Yunobo but thinks his time in the spotlight is over. I love the idea of a cool rock grandpa and I wanted to avoid my Fire Sage just being Yunobo 2 with a character who's lacking confidence in a similar manner. It could be a fun contrast to the other younger Sages with the overall story being that anyone with heart can be a Sage, not just stereotypical young heroes :) I think the concept needs more time to cook in my brain but if YOU have any ideas let me know!

#fun talk tag #loz #this grinds my gears and I think TotK would be an absolute fav game of all time if the Sages and a few story elements were handled differen #I'm still working through my thoughts on the overall story though cause I havent finished. Still on the positive side though #I love my fun sage ideas though! Lemme know what you think if read through!

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positivelybeastly · 10 months

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[That super anonymous question meme: given control of Hank's storyline, what would you write out/envision for his future? Do you see any great triumphs and tragedies in his life? Any great loves or discoveries? How do you think the world will remember Your Hank McCoy?

Oh wow, so anonymous, I have no idea who this could possibly be from! Maybe a secret admirer? So mysterious . . .

Nah, but for real, this is a good question because it's got a complicated answer. I write Hank McCoy, I adore complicated, which is why you're getting three flavours of answer.

First off, there's my verse: each of us is a nest of lies, which basically aims to tackle Hank as he's presented in X-Force, but just with, like, actual emotional complexity and a degree of sympathy for the devil, rather than moustache twirling mutant Henry Kissinger (don't rest in peace, you fuck). Having seen where X-Force is going, I have a pretty good idea of where 616 Hank is headed, and it . . . honestly, makes me kinda sad.

Hank goes through with the grossness of mind controlling Wolverine, using him as a weapon, nearly getting deep sixed by the rest of the X-Force team, losing almost everything. The Fall of X occurs, and Krakoa, the nation that he threw everything that he was into the garbage for, dies, while he isn't even there, while he was off in-fighting with his subordinates (in his mind, that's what they still are).

He loses it. He starts lashing out. I already write him as dissociating from himself - which is why you'll notice that my narration for him never calls him Hank, only Beast, and why he insists on calling everyone by codenames if he can - and this would just tip him over the edge. Full on ranting, raving, raging against the world, against the people who held him back, against the people he (in his mind, anyway) tried to sacrifice everything for and protect only for them to spit in his face.

Through means unknown, X-Force resurrects a younger Hank. Early 20s, wide eyed, bouncy, one of the goodest good eggs you've ever known - and wildly in love with Simon Williams, aka Wonder Man. In my mind, this is what the older Beast wanted, hence why he left only that Cerebro backup behind. He knows he's poison, he knows he's awful, he knows that everything he is has been carved out and replaced with biotech and cruelty and empty platitudes about necessary force. He pretends he hates that old him, but he doesn't. He's viciously jealous of him.

Logan, young Hank and Simon put him down. I like to think Logan has it in him to pop the claws himself instead of leaving it to the younger McCoy or the man who loved Hank no matter his mistakes, maybe even saving young Hank from older Hank.

This is where I imagine I diverge from what Ben Percy and Marvel have planned.

They would probably let old Beast die and rot, leave it on an ambiguous note that young Hank has a chance to avoid becoming that now, but I would personally opt for Sage to get a chance to show the compassion and humanity that old Beast didn't give her, and pass his memories to the younger Hank. It would scar him. It would make him sick. It would wound him. But it would give him purpose.

Ultimately, I believe in compassion and the human spirit, so the idea of Sage and Logan (maybe Piotr, too) getting the chance to show that they were better than the weapons and tools old Beast tried to make them by being kind to Hank when he needs it most makes me feel . . . good, honestly.

That young Hank goes on to have extremely explicit gay wonder sex with Simon, comes out as bi, and has a long, illustrious career as the gayest Avenger. No notes, that's where he goes.

Then there's the verse I have with bothsidesofaquestion, the verse called: the ground beneath our feet is alive but are we? which brings Hank back after the old version of him is already dead. I don't love the idea of Hank existing without the knowledge and memories he gained over the last 40 years, so even though he knows why older Beast had to go, even though it's, in its way, forbidden knowledge, he would have to seek it out. He's a scientist, his curiosity demands no less.

This version of Hank ends up rejecting Krakoa. It's a sunshine driven cult of sex, death, violence and supremacy, and Hank McCoy is an Illinois farmboy who likes Star Trek and puppies named after deciduous plants. He can't grok it, he can't handle it, he needs to leave.

Maybe he's the one who goes back to the Mansion and restarts it as a school, because maybe Xavier and everyone else gave up on the dream, but he didn't. Call him crazy, call him a naive idiot, call him an evil man just waiting for his moment to turn, but he doesn't care.

He needs to leave a positive legacy behind. He cares too much to retreat to an island paradise and just give up. I like to think this version of Hank would find Abigail again, and maybe they find peace together, or at the very least, they have a fun 'I'll make you good again-I'm going to protect you from the world by being kinda evil but also fiercely loving you' dynamic going on.

Then there's my verse: the irredeemable beast. I don't want to go into too many details because I'm still writing this fic, but I want Hank to really have to grapple with who he is and what he's done. He wants to be hurt, he wants to be tortured, he wants to be made to pay, and he actively spurns kindness and love because he knows he doesn't deserve it.

I liked the idea of inverting the body horror that's such a prevalent theme in X-Force by giving this version of Hank an overcharged, Wolverine-style healing factor and putting him through the wringer, so that happens a lot. Five chapters in, and he's already been shot multiple times, at least once by an anti-tank cannon. It hurts. He feels like he deserves it every time.

Again, no spoilers, but this fic is my way of making peace with the fact that the Hank I fell in love with, Grant Morrison's complicated, unpopular, bipolar, fiercely kind and unfairly hurt Hank, is going to be gone soon. Unless someone at Marvel wants to fix things properly, he's going to be set all the way back to 1981 and lose a lot of his nuance, and that . . . hurts. So I cope in my own ways and on my own terms.

There's also a secret fourth answer which is I force my way into the Marvel offices, reveal that the Beast in X-Force has been an imposter since issue 1, have the old Beast come back, and things just go back to the way they were before Bendis and Percy got their grubby mitts on him. Send him back into space to have chaotic adventures with Abigail again. I don't give a single flying fuck if this renders X-Force #1-50 completely pointless, I will go to your house and burn your copies myself you piece of -

Ahem.

So, yeah, that's the general tenor of the storylines I see for him and how they unfold, including my predictions on how the 616 version will play out. But my Hank McCoy? The one I write?

Honestly, I want people to remember him as that time they came across a Hank McCoy on Tumblr that sounded just like the Beast they knew, but better, with a strong, consistent voice that they just fell in love with. I want people to remember my Hank before they remember Ben Percy's, Matt Fraction's, or Brian Michael Bendis'. Selfishly, I want to protect his legacy, even if it's just one person at a time, one changed mind at a time.

Hank means a lot to me. More than anything, I want to do right by him.

Thank you for the question!

#outofmuffins #Munday meme #themckaytriarchy

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katealot · 1 year

Text

Like the Back of My Hand

Chapter 13 of Solangelo Soulmate AU

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Word count: 4473

Previously: "B-but one thing... I can say for certain," Will said, sensing the miscommunication, "is that..." he looked him right in the eye, "I love you."

Nico's heart leapt into his throat. He stared at Will who stared back at him, letting his words land before continuing on.

"And you don't have to say it back, because I know that saying that kind of thing isn't something you might want take lightly, which is also why it... took me so long to say it to you. But I do, love you. A-and I've known... for a while."

Of course, after such declarations, it seems only fitting that they didn't see each other for the next three days. Not that they were avoiding each other... intentionally. Their schedules just kept clashing in ways that seemed like more effort than not to work around. Work, unavoidable holiday traditions,

And besides, Nico thought after one of their failed attempts to see each other, Will loved him.

He tried not to think about it, to fight the urge to smile when he remembers how the words sounded coming out of his mouth, to suppress the residual fluttering in his stomach. For as uncharacteristically giddy being explicitly loved by someone made him feel, there was an equally as terrifying fear that if he acknowledged it, Will would change his mind, deciding he actually didn't want to stick around, and leave Nico's life as quickly as he'd entered it. And although that stifling fear kept him from living in that moment when Will finally confessed his intentions... he felt safe in acknowledging their mutual desire to keep trying to find time for each other.

So finally, as the last week of December sauntered on, Nico found himself sketching in his living room, Will's legs resting across his lap as he lay across the couch, reading and ignoring the carbon copy holiday romcom that was on in the background.

"I'm kind of surprised you had today off," Nico said. "I thought I read somewhere that most attempted murders happen on Christmas by someone you know... figured you guys would be slammed."

Will chuckled and lowered his book so he could smirk over the top of it.

"It is so creepy that you know that. Where could you possibly have read that?"

Nico shrugged.

"Internet," he said, deadpanned.

"Ahh," Will suppressed his smile, nodding sagely, "well then, it has to be true."

Nico nodded back. Will snickered again.

"It's definitely a busy time of year," Will answered, "but something in the schedule managed to get me off today."

Miraculously, Will seemed completely oblivious to the double entendre he had just made. So, naturally, Nico took the opportunity to embarrass him.

"You're telling me you didn't imagine anything getting you off today?" He pretended not to watch as Will's grip on his book went slack, gears turning, until he flushed a bright red. Quickly, Nico continued on as if equally oblivious, "So where's your mom today? I figured you'd be with her if you weren't at work."

Will, who was still blinking dubiously from the first question, answered,

"U-uh, she's," he shook his head to clear his thoughts, "I told her I had work today."

Nico stopped drawing. He put down his tablet and looked at Will,

"You..." he quirked his eyebrow, a small smile ghosting his lips, " you lied to her? For what? So you could spend all day on my couch with me?"

Will smiled back at him.

"Is it so hard to believe that I'd rather do nothing with you than hang out with my mom again?" He rolled his eyes, but smiled all the while, continuing, "I love my mother, don't get me wrong..." he paused, meeting Nico's eye, "but I also love you."

There it was again. That funny feeling. That rushing sense like flying... or falling. He swallowed the lump in his throat.

"Sneaking around behind you parent's back," he said quietly, teasing, "I didn't know you were such a bad boy, Solace..."

Will smiled wickedly at him, setting aside his book, and moving his legs from Nico's lap. The memory of being pinned to this very couch not long ago flashed across his mind, but then Will got off the couch and walked toward the balcony, and Nico let out an involuntarily sigh. Will stopped by the flower box to pay his favorite occupant a kiss on the petal, before doubling back behind the couch and toward the kitchen.

Nico heard the sound of the faucet turning on and the clinking of Will tidying some of the morning's dishes. He huffed, only a little disappointed, and picked up his stylus, but froze when a pair of fingertips slid over his shoulders and across his chest until he was pressed to the back of the couch in a hug from behind. Will sighed against him, the places where their skin met radiated a comforting heat, and Nico almost instinctively relaxed. They stayed like that for a few seconds more, and then Nico felt the rumble of the voice of his voice almost before he heard the words, soft and low:

"Are you into bad boys, di Angelo?" Nico couldn't help it. His face flushed furiously with color, so quickly that he had to lift his tablet to hide his red face, and more importantly, his slowly blossoming grin.

After regaining his composure, he huffed stubbornly and turned so that his cheek was basically resting against Will's lips. Ever determined to get the last word, he quipped back,

"Wouldn't you like to know."

Will took this in stride, placing a soft, lingering kiss on Nico's cheek, before slinking off of him again to stand in the solitary sunbeam that manged to break into his apartment. Nico watched as Will leaned casually out the window, turning toward the sun and closing his eyes, letting the warm rays wash over him. Nico couldn't help but conjure the image of a sunflower, facing away from every other flower in an entire flourishing field, to turn it's face toward the sun. And, as was the routine, when Nico had filled his head with artistic symbolism, Will embellished it with his own thoughts.

"We should go out today," he said, not opening his eyes, "the sun is out. We could go for a walk, or maybe take one of the carriages around the park. Oh," he exclaimed, opening his eyes to look at Nico at last, "how do you feel about ice skating?"

Nico shook his head, a lazy smile on his face,

"I'll get dressed and go outside if you promise not to take me ice skating."

Will chuckled,

"Deal."

----

"So my sister's party is in three days," Will said as they leaned against the railing at the Highline. They had decided on a walk and Will picked the place, one 'with a view' he'd said, "I figured since you have class and I have work, I could pick you up on my way there?"

"I don't know-" Nico answered before he really had a reason, but continued nonetheless, "I wasn't really sure if I would go or not."

"What, really? Kayla has been talking about seeing you again all week, and I told her I'd bring you. I mean was that... like, presumptuous or..." he bumped his shoulder, "did something come up?"

"It..." Nico thought for a moment about what he was doing, yet found that this old routine of avoiding people was missing the it's main appeal: the desire to be alone, "no, it wasn't presumptuous. Sorry, I-" he shook his head, cracking a smile, "forget why I hesitated, of course I'm going. I'll see you at 9ish?"

The time passed. Will indeed rolled up in a ride-share right around 9:30pm.

Nico climbed in the back where Will was already seated. The blond smiled at him.

"Hey," he said, reaching out to take Nico's hand reflexively.

"Hey," the other boy returned, squeezing his fingers in genuine happiness,"how was work?"

"Oh, you know," Will said with a sad smile, "they can't all be winners."

Nico wanted to ask him what he meant, but the way Will turned to look out the window but squeezed back even tighter made him think twice.

He works in a hospital, he thought to himself, he's surrounded by sickness and death every day...

He gazed at the blond with a sad sort of understanding and then made a decision. He was making it his personal mission to make sure Will had a good time tonight.

Pulling up outside a nice looking apartment complex, Will navigated them inside and into the elevator, pulling Nico by the hand along with him the whole way.

Just before the doors opened, Nico nudged Will's shoulder.

"Hey," he said, to which the taller boy quirked his eyebrow, "you look nice tonight."

Will smiled at him.

"Thanks, he said before winking, "you don't look too bad yourself."

Nico chuckled and rolled his eyes which made Will smile even more.

Then the door opened and they were greeted by a tall, muscular gentleman who was neither Kayla nor Oasis.

"Charlie! What are you doing here, it's so good to see you man!"

Will stepped forward into an embrace the behemoth of a man who hugged him back, and responded in an appropriately deep voice,

"Will, how have you been man! I was in town and thought I'd drop in."

"That's great to hear, dude, we should grab lunch if you're still around tomorrow," Will turned and re-took Nico's hand is his. Nico stood a little straighter as Will introduced him.

"This is Nico, by the way," he said.

"Hey." Nico nodded awkwardly. Charlie looked at him, giving him a once over, then looked at their intertwined hands, then back at Will, then shrugged.

"Pleasure to meet you," he said and stepped aside, ushering them inside where the party was already in full swing.

There weren't a lot of people there, but the music was loud enough that the people who were there were talking loudly to be heard over it. They shuffled in and toward the heart of the apartment, but a bathroom door opened just as Nico was passing it and he had to let go of Will's hand to catch it.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Said the woman who was stepping out from behind it.

"It's fine-" Nico started to say, and then he met her eye.

"Annabeth?"

"Oh wow, Nico? Hi! I... wow, I didn't expect to see you here."

"Yeah, same... how do you-"

"I went to camp with a Kayla and a lot of our friends here," she answered before he could finish, "I was just leaving, but it's good to see you; how are you? What are you doing here?"

"I'm," he cleared his throat, "you know, I'm making it through alright. I know, or- I'm-I'm seeing Kayla's brother so..."

She raised her eyebrows and a smirk ghosted her usual rsf (resting scowl face).

"You don't say..." was all she said, amused.

"Yeah, I should actually probably go find him, so-" he shifted uncomfortably between his feet.

"Of course," she said, letting him off the hook, "well it was good to see you. Percy's been talking about getting dinner with everyone again soon."

"Oh yeah, sure, that would be fun," he said, "well I'll see you around Annabeth."

"Yeah, see you," she said, unmoving.

He cleared his throat again and continued moving further into the house, searching for that familiar mop of blond hair. He was scanning the living room, where the bass of the Dua Lippa song was thrumming beneath his sneakers, when he felt a warm touch on his wrist.

"Hey, I thought I'd lost you back there," Will said.

Nico opened his mouth to respond but he was interrupted by a gentleman in a beanie who put an arm around both of the boy's shoulders.

"Enjoying the party over here?"

"Oh, hey Connor," Will said, "we actually just got here, this is my partner, Nico."

Connor nodded at Nico.

"Sup," he said, "well I'm just letting people know about the activities that are happening on the porch..." he held up a lighter and wiggled his eyebrows, "If either of you wanted to join us?"

"I'll pass, but thank you," Will said.

"Not a smoker?" Nico asked, quirking an eyebrow.

Will tried to hide his grimace, and then answered,

"Yeah when you've worked in a hospital for a while..." he trailed off. After a moment, though, he continued, "And, you know, I just don't love the way it makes me feel. But if you want to...you know... feel free"

Nico nodded and turned to the other guy, Connor,

"After you," he said.

Stepping out onto the small balcony, Nico nervously scanned the three other faces and was relieved to find two he recognized. Austin and Oasis sat on the ground with their backs against the railing, chatting and passing a roll-up between them.

"Ayye, he made it!" Austin said, standing up to give Nico a side-hug.

"We were wondering when you two would show up," Oasis followed-up, putting her fist out for him to bump, which he promptly did.

"Call it being fashionably late?" Nico attempted. Austin laughed and Oasis smiled, so he marked that one up as a success. He sat down against the sliding door as the bud was passed quietly around.

"Concerts," Austin said to the sky, blowing out a cloud of smoke before actually addressing the group, "Nico, what's the best concert you've ever been to?"

Nico gaped at being called out for only a moment before he collected himself and answered.

"Oh, man um... Elton John, probably?"

The balcony exclaimed in surprise.

"When did you get to see Elton John?" asked Connor.

Nico shrugged,

"Like 2 years ago I think? He was in town and so my sister flew in and we saw him together."

Austin whistled.,

"I hear he's a great performer."

Nico nodded, sighing wistfully,

"He certainly knows how to put on a show."

“So,” Oasis said through a cloudy exhale, “If you could go back in time and tell yourself from a year ago about how life is today... do you think your younger self would be proud of you?”

The half of the balcony groaned and half hummed thoughtfully.

“Naw, I’d be on my own ass to get my shit together,” Connor said, passing the blunt to the strawberry-blonde girl next to him.

“Yeah,” she added, passing it in turn to Nico, “I mean I think she’d be happy I left my stupid ex, finally... That's been a long time coming… I guess she’d be proud of that.”

“Hell yeah I’d be happy,” Austin said, producing a small kalimba from out of seemingly nowhere and gently plucking away at it as he elaborated, “I’m not making too much money, and my emotional support grown-up did just leave me with our overworking-ass-punk-ass brother, but we’ll manage! We always do."

Oasis and the blonde girl snapped in agreement, saying things like "yes ma'am," and "I'll drink to that."

"Plus,” he said, nudging Nico’s foot as Nico handed him the blunt, “I got new friends, now.”

“Blegh-” Oasis mimed throwing up, but pulled Austin in around the shoulder for a hug. They all had a chuckle.

“What about you, Nico," Oasis finally said, "What would you a year ago think of you right now?”

Nico tensed as all eyes turned to face him. He laughed uncomfortably under their gaze, but when no one stepped in to fill the silence, he took another hit and answered.

“Oh, I- I don’t really know,” he said genuinely, “what have I done in a year?"

He considered for a moment everything that has happened since last winter,

"I finished my core curriculum classes, so I’m pretty much set to graduate in May… I helped my friends move across the country-” He thinks about the grueling road trip he, Jason, and Piper took from New York to California and practically shudders at the memory of those long days in a U-haul with a broken AC. That had only been a few weeks before...

“And then I met-” my soulmate, he stopped himself from confessing, “I met… the weirdest doctor in New York,” he cracked a smile and his friends giggled knowingly, “and he kind of hasn't left me alone since, so now I'm here."

He thought about who he was before that day in the park. What kind of person he had wanted to be back then. He thought about how it felt, so sure that he would be the last person left; that everything and everyone would slowly drift away until at last there would be nothing left but him.

And then the feeling of someone finally looking at him, taking his hand, and inviting him to step into the sunlight.

“I think I’d be pretty pleased,” he concluded finally.

A second roll-up was passed around, the conversation turned to favorite road trip snacks, which turned to what podcasts everyone was listening to these days, which turned to the new law that passed in the house for federally mandated renewable energy.

----

Eventually, Nico excused himself and popped back through the sliding glass door into the living room. There weren’t that many people in here but what mattered was that none of them were anyone he knew. Which didn’t narrow it down, necessarily, but the point stood.

He carefully peaked around corners, his antsy-ness increasing with every passing second of solitude, until he found what he was looking for: the teal themed kitchen where a brilliantly smiling Will was laughing at something Kayla was saying. Nico slunk in, trying to be discreet, but the second Will saw him, he perked up. Kayla turned and he was met with two equally enthusiastic gazes.

“Nico! I have been looking for you, I’m so glad you’re here!” Kayla practically sung as she pulled him into a bear hug.

She’s a little tipsy, Will mouthed to him and he stifled a chuckle.

“I’m glad to be here,” he answered instead, “you look amazing, this place looks amazing.”

“Oh this ol’ thing? Pshshbt-” she blew a raspberry, gesturing vaguely to the decorated room, “Oasis picked most of it out. I’m just happy to be unpacked.”

“Get any hot goss out of the balcony bunch?” Will asked, resting his arm casually across Nico’s shoulder and pulling him close.

“Only that Austin misses Kayla and thinks Will works too much, but nothing that wasn’t obvious.”

Kayla and Will both blinked at him and then they looked at each other and started snickering, which Nico joined in on.

“What about you? Did you miss me while I was gone?” Nico teased.

"With every second you were away," Will said, without missing a beat.

Nico wanted to say something snarky, but he got distracted by the flecks of glitter falling off Will's new years headband and onto his face. They mingled with his freckles until it looked like his cheeks were adorned with stars.

"What are you smiling at?" Will said suddenly, and only just then did Nico realize he was unabashedly staring at him.

"Sorry," Nico said, a smile creeping across his face, "the view is pretty,"

Will raised an eyebrow. Nico laughed.

“Ugh, get a room you two,” came Oasis’ voice as she strode in and wrapped her arms around Kayla’s waist from behind, “If you don’t mind, actually, I need to steal miss Knowles here away for a bit. There’s something I urgently need her to make-out with in the bathroom.”

“Oof,” Kayla nodded, “you heard the lady. Duty calls, boys,” she saluted them and they saluted her back, then they all four broke out into a fit of laughter as Oasis led Kayla out.

Their laughter died down and they lapsed into the closest thing to silence either of them have had all night. They sat comfortably in it, each basking in the comfort of being alone... together. Will's head rested atop Nico's, and Nico traced thoughtful patterns across Will's knuckles.

"So,” Will said once they were alone, “I take it the smoke was good?"

"Yeah. Really good, actually. I don’t think I’ve ever felt this relaxed," Nico said genuinely.

"Can I get you something to drink?" Will asked him, "Beer? Water?"

"Water would actually be really nice right now.”

Will nodded and shifted away from him, preparing and then delivering the drink to Nico.

“Can I ask you a question?” Nico asked Will as he handed him the solo cup.

“Always.”

“What do you... like to do, when we are together?”

Will laughed, stopped when he realized Nico was actually waiting for an answer, and then cleared his throat.

“Is this a trick question?” He asked.

“No, it’s not a trick question! I just want to know-” he sighed, trying to put a finger on what he was trying to get at.

Will stared at him, a perplexed but infatuated look on his face. Nico, growing frustrated at not being able to put his question into words, defaulted to the question he was asked earlier.

"If you could go back in time and tell your past self how you were doing now, do you think you'd be happy?"

"Huh..." Will said, thoughtfully, "that is... a good question."

Nico nodded.

"I'm full of good questions," he said sagely.

"So you are," Will mused, continuing after a moment of thought, "I think I'd be surprised. That things are working out so well with," he paused, looking at Nico, "...with work and with my siblings and with... you know... you. If that's what you meant..."

"...Are you okay?" Nico asked at last, no longer able to bear his quiet suffering.

Will exhaled. As much as he had not wanted it to be, it had just been one of those days. His mother was still staying with him and was really taking it hard that he wasn't spending New Years with her. One of his... favorite patients (he knows you aren't supposed to pick favorites but) had succumbed to her illness today, and his attending had flipped out on him, taking it even harder than he had. His social battery was circling the drain. But as was usually the case when he was around Nico... none of that seemed to matter anymore. He could let down his guard and catch his breath for a minute.

He took another deep breath, and then finally answered with a nod, "I will be," he looked up to meet his eye, "I am now."

Nico looked at him over the rim of his cup for a minute before setting it down and digging out the pen he always carried in his front pocket. He clicked it and wrote something short on his palm.

Will felt the tell-tale chill of a tingling, like an icicle tracing along his skin, and lifted it to read the word fading in:

Promise?

Nico picked up his cup and used it to hide from Will's gaze. He peaked at him over the rim of his cup. Will looked back, a question he was too afraid to know the answer to on his mind. Instead of asking it, though, he got out his own pen, uncapped it and wrote his response.

Swear <3

They both looked at each other at the same time and Nico stepped forward and wrapped his soulmate in a truly constricting hug.

Will, not yet used to this type of physical touch from him, closed his arms around Nico's shoulders, sighing into the touch and resting his head once again atop Nico's

Nico listened to the Will's heart beating in his chest, counting as silence once again enveloped their little bubble.

"Hey, the Ball drops in 2 minutes!"

Someone had popped their head in to inform them, dashing off just as quickly.

"Shall we?" Will asked with a sigh, smiling down at his partner.

"After you," Nico answered, taking his hand in his.

The living room was packed; not because the party was raging, but because it just wasn't very big. People who were scattered about where now all trying to find a space to occupy to watch the 20" image of the New Years ball drop. At one point, Nico and Will were each pressed up against someone else's back, with 30 seconds left until midnight, Nico glanced around and got an idea.

"Follow me," he said to Will and with zero hesitation started hauling ass toward the balcony, dragging Will behind him.

After several chaotic moments of trying to shove people out of the way politely, Will was stepping through the doorway onto the balcony.

Wow, he thought, looking out over the evening city lights, I didn't realize their view was this good.

Nico pulled him over to the corner, opposite the two other strangers who had managed to escape out here. Luckily, they all seemed to share a mutual agreement to mind their own business.

"9!"

"You're a genius," Will smiled down at Nico, pulling him close for warmth.

"Finally, he admits it," Nico teases back.

"6!

4!"

They gazed into each other's eyes as they stood, chest to chest, arms wrapped securely around the other.

"3!

2!"

"Happy New Year, Neeks," Will said, almost in a whisper. They were nose to nose now, foreheads resting together.

"Happy New Year, Will," Nico said, smile on his lips. He closed the distance between them and reached up to hold Will's face in his hands as he kissed him long and sweetly. Will jumped and laughed into the touch, covering Nico's freezing hands with his own warm ones.

Fireworks exploded across the city and there sounds of a million people celebrating together filled the air.

And all the while, Nico and Will held each other, stealing kisses between giggles and glances.

---

It was nearing 2:00am when the boys returned to Nico's flat, both shrugging off their jackets and shoes in a sleep-drunk haze.

Will was absentmindedly recounting the tale of when he and Austin first moved in with Kayla,

"It was kind of a wild thing for either of us to do, just pick up shop and move to New York? Like, it worked out but... insane decision."

Nico hummed in agreement as he trudged toward his bedroom, the chatting blond following closely behind.

"I can't believe it's been 3 years though... man..."

Nico stripped himself of his jeans and crawled beneath his covers, nuzzling in like a hibernating bear cub. At the same time, Will absentmindedly took off his nice pants and shirt and crawled in next to him, curling around the smaller boy in true big spoon fashion.

The room lapsed into quiet as the night wound down, nothing but two sets of breaths, almost perfectly in sync. Just as Will was finally drifting off, he heard his name spoken quietly into the room.

"Will?"

"Mhm?"

"...I had fun tonight..."

"Yeah," Will smiled, "I did too," he paused, considering leaving it at that, but continued, "Nico?"

"Hmm?"

He spoke almost without thinking,

"I love you."

Again there was silence, but this time charged with expectation as Will waited for a reciprocating word. As he was getting ready to concede for the night, he was just kidding himself, Nico was asleep, and even if he wasn't he didn't owe Will-

"Yeah..." Nico murmured, barely intelligibly, "I do too."

#katealot writes #like the back of my hand #ltbomh fic #soulmate au #solanelo #will solace #nico di angelo #its new years in this one

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