#and im like AUGH!!! HUMANITY!!!

[nat-20s]

Sorry I have a deep unshakeable and unabashed love of humanity 🙄 as of it's my fault the vast majority of humans are decent people trying to live good lives

[dapperrokyuu]

Needing a Sua perspective from the ALNST auditions to Round 1. I never put much thought into what happens to the cast post-Anakt Garden graduation (do they immediately go to the auditions? Is there a period of time where they dont see each other until they recognize each other at the audition? Theres a considerable amount of time between the auditions and their Alien Stage season, did they see each other often between then or...? etc.), but regardless, imagine being her and having to choose between sabotaging your own audition so you dont have to go the the Sing, Win, or Die Show or putting your in your all in hopes of winning and spending just a bit more time with this girl you love because you know itll likely be the last time you see her. Imagine...

[coolattasclown]

thinking of posting more kindling stuff... maybe making its own story ^_^

[djs-sideblog-for-pog-trains]

Friends (that we made up for along the way) Chapter 9

Part 1 |  Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | ?

heyyy. so i totally forgor i never posted everything i wrote of this? which is kind of wack? so. i had 2 more chapters in my pocket, ch10 feeling like an ending of sorts, but yeah. the last chapter? gordo has a breakdown. this chapter? eddie and duck gossip. and duck does smth nice.

@mean-scarlet-deceiver tagging u as thanks 4 the encouragement <3 and i cant rly remember who was super into being tagged for this fic

Characters:  this chapter: Gordon (mentioned), Edward, Duck

Relationships: platonic gordon&edward a major focus, some possible allusions to 2x3, this chapter features edward&duck

Genre: Human AU, hurt/comfort

Chapter’s Wordcount: roughly 1800 words [under the cut]

Chapter Warnings: Food/eating food.

Chapter 9/10?

The next day, Gordon was back up and at work without a single word spared to the night before, despite how Edward tried to bring it up.

The new routine Edward had been enjoying recently, now that he didn’t exactly have (or despite his arguments, need) constant care, was that almost everyone had been dropping in on their breaks to check on him. It left Edward with a steady stream of visitors throughout the day until Gordon got home for the night.

Which was good, especially today, because it was going to give him something else to think about instead of sitting there, stewing over the night before like it would make a difference.

Thankfully, his train of thought was derailed by a cheery knock at the open front door.

“Hullo, Edward!”

Ah, yes, Tuesday, 10:30am. That meant it was time for Duck’s weekly visit.

“Hello, Duck,” he called warmly from where he was in the kitchen. “I was about to make tea!”

“Oh, lovely,” Duck smiled,  pausing the doorway to take off his cap, a caketin tucked under one arm. “I’m parched.”

Edward laughed at him, and with Duck’s help set some of the nicer china out on the table for the two of them. Duck had revealed tin full of lemon cupcakes that he claimed Oliver barely had to help make (though Edward could tell their cooking apart fairly well by this point, and these had definitely had a very strong guiding hand from Oliver to not be bad).

“So,” Edward settled back in his chair as Duck poured the tea for them. “How’s working on the mainline again been treating you?”

“Well, it’s certainly been a while,” Duck rolled his eyes. “But it hasn’t changed. Same old fusspots bossing you around. Same old frantic, ever-shifting timetabling. It’s a wonder you don’t all fall over all the time.”

“I imagine it’s harder without… a couple of regulars,” Edward picked his words carefully as he accepted the cup and saucer Duck passed over. He took it from his friend just in time, as Duck seemed to flinch at the comment, before covering it up with a quick smile.

“Yeah,” he just said instead. “But we’re managing. Even if they all seem to want to run around like headless chickens instead of, y’know, working.”

Edward smiled, and sipped his tea, nodding his thanks as Duck took out one of the cupcakes and placed in on the little plate in front of him too.

“Tell me,” he finally said as Duck settled back with his own cup of tea. “How’s Gordon doing?”

“Gordon?” Duck echoed, pausing to muse over his teacup. “He… seems alright. A little quiet, I suppose. Looks tired, but he always seems to, nowadays. Why?”

“No reason,” Edward lied through his teeth.

“Eddie.”

Edward had chosen the wrong time to go for a drink. He choked on his tea, quickly setting it down as he cleared his throat, before shooting a look at Duck.

For most people, it got serious when the full names came out. For Edward, it always seemed to be the other way around. Though not many dared to pull the nicknames out on him; Duck was always that bolder sort of friend.

Duck shot him a look over the rip of his teacup in return, one that made Edward smile but also made him sigh tiredly, and his hands moved, needing to fiddle. He started to peel the paper off the cupcake on his plate as he formulated what he was going to say.

Duck watched him, sipped his tea, and waited.

“I’m afraid to say something,” Edward finally started, “because I know Gordon holds his… shall we say, image very dear, and you are most certainly prone to gossip.”

This time, it was Duck’s turn to look abashed.

Edward picked at the cupcake, watching it crumble between his fingers, before seeming to jolt back to himself.

“Sorry,” he shot Duck a hasty smile. “I… I have a lot on my mind.”

“I’ll say,” Duck set down his teacup. “You only go straight for character assassinations when it’s serious.”

And Edward snorted at that, but shook his head. “Can I trust you to keep a secret, Duck?”

Duck swallowed hard. “…I, uh… yes?”

“Oh, how you fill me with confidence,” Edward said lightly, before shaking his head and popping one of the larger chunks of the cupcake he’d incidentally torn off into his mouth, taking a moment to enjoy it before centring himself again. “I’m just… worried.”

“About Henry?”

“Of course. But also… well, about everyone, in that regard, but… in specific about Gordon.”

“Right.”

“Last night I saw the strongest emotional reaction I think I’ve ever seen out of him in years, maybe ever? And he refuses to talk about it.”

“How strong are we talking?”

Edward picked up his teacup again, rolling it carefully between his hands, debating whether he even cross this bridge at all.

One look at Duck’s earnest and serious expression was enough to sell him on it.

“He cried,” he said softly. “I think the stress of everything caught up with him, of the extra work and my accident, and Henry’s accident, and…”

Edward let out a sigh, trying to let the ever-present tension between his shoulders go with the release of breath.

“He cried,” Duck echoed. His eyes were wide.

“…And you know how Gordon is,” Edward reminded him sharply. “So, Duck, please-”

“I won’t tell,” Duck cut him off. “That’s a Great Western promise. I wouldn’t actually… Oh smokeboxes, that is a lot, isn’t it?”

“I’m afraid he might be hurting himself,” Edward said. The one thing about talking with Duck was he always felt he could speak freely, even if it might get repeated, though Duck was usually a fairly good judge of what should and should not be passed on. “…Taking on too much work, not getting enough sleep, not eating, constantly trying to take over from others. I think it must be because he doesn’t want anyone else to get hurt, but…”

Duck’s eyes went unfocussed, like he was quickly thinking back to the last few weeks.

“I’m afraid you might be right,” he agreed, his eyebrows furrowing. “That explains a lot. He’s been fairly short-tempered, too. I just assumed it was him being his usual cheery self, but… Hm.”

“Hm,” Edward echoed.

“I’ll keep a closer eye on him, then,” Duck nodded resolutely, before tapping the side of his nose. “Not a peep from me, though.”

“I appreciate that,” Edward said with a smile, and he took a moment to take another drink of tea. “I must admit it, I’m struck with particularly strong bouts of… well, I have no better word than helplessness at the moment. I can only heal as fast as my body can, but I just want to get back out there and be useful. At least you all can bury your worries in your work. All Ican do is sit here.”

“…Sounds excruciating.”

“Oh, it is,” Edward laughed, and with that sombre comment, it struck Duck just how much older Edward looked now from the first time he’d met him. “It is.”

--- --- ---

Upon returning to work later that day, Duck was crossing the platform with his head down, caketin tucked under his arm once more, mulling over the conversation he’d just had.

He was mulling over it so hard that he didn’t notice his direct collision course with the subject of his mulling. That is, in layman’s terms, he ended up bumping right into Gordon.

In Gordon’s defence, he looked pretty preoccupied as well, and now Duck had half-a-reason of knowing what with. Duck steadied himself on Gordon’s arm without thinking, shouting a little as his hat fell off his head.

“Oh!” Gordon exclaimed. “Apologies, didn’t see you down there.”

Duck would have normally taken that as a mild sort of insult. This time, he took a breath and let it slide off his feathers.

“Quite alright,” he said, as Gordon stooped to fetch his hat for him. “Can’t say I was looking where I was going either.”

Gordon handed it back to him, and Duck firmly reintroduced his cap to his head. Gordon then politely nodded at him and moved to step around him, and Duck was struck with the full-body urge to say something.

But what? He didn’t want to let the cat out of the bag, especially so soon.

“Hey,” he said instead. “Tell you what, you look like you could use a pick-me-up.”

Gordon paused, and shot him a very funny look.

“I, uh,” Duck fumbled. “I have, uh, these. Oliver helped me make ‘em, I made them for Edward for our morning tea today and he insisted I take some home.”

“Sounds like Edward,” Gordon’s lips tweaked up into the ghost of a smile. “How is he?”

“Well enough, all things considered,” Duck said, bobbing his head as he quickly cracked open the caketin again and offered its treasures to the big man before him. “Go on.”

Gordon looked down at the tin, before glancing up at him.

“Are you…?”

“I’m sure. And they do actually taste alright, I promise.”

Gordon almost smiled again, before hesitantly taking one.

“Um, thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” Duck smiled, putting the lid back on and tucking the thing under his arm again. He graciously didn’t mention he could hear the rumble of Gordon’s stomach from here. “And, um, thank you.”

“…You’re welcome?” Gordon looked confused, cradling the cupcake in his hands like he was half-expecting someone to take it away from him.

“You’ve been doing some of my jobs for me, while I’ve been, uh, preoccupied,” Duck scratched the back of his head and laughed as best he could. “Thanks. But I think I’m well enough to be back on my game. I’ve got it from here. But thank you.”

“…Okay,” Gordon said. “You’re welcome, then. And… um, yes. Okay.”

Duck gave him a salute and a grin that he hoped didn’t look as forced as it felt. “Well,” he said as brightly as he could manage. “I got a train in a few minutes. I better go make sure everything’s, uh,  in order.”

“Of course,” Gordon replied, his eyes drifting to the baked good he’d been gifted. “Safe travels.”

“You too,” Duck nodded back. “Enjoy.”

And before this interaction could possibly get more awkward, Duck promptly turned on his heel and booked it as fast as social conventions allowed, only looking back from the safety of his own engine cab.

Gordon glanced around the platform, and seeing that no one was really watching him, peeled back the paper cup and taken a bite. And it was satisfying to see a ripple of poorly-hidden delight cross his face, before Gordon turned to walk back to his own train, and Duck couldn’t see him anymore.

Baby steps it was, then. He could do that.

[oddberryshortcake]

Still not off of my Diasomnia kick, so I’m gonna point out something I noticed in Chapter 7 part 4 that I didn’t realize surprised me until I read it over again. 

So, when Silver is explaining his issues to MC, he mentions that not only did Lilia take him to multiple doctors/healing mages, but that if Silver’s sleeping issue was cured, Lilia’s worries would disappear. 

The Lilia we know in the present is characteristically easygoing and unbothered by most things. 

Given what we knew, I almost expected Lilia to accept Silver’s issues for what they were and at least keep up appearances that they weren’t a big deal and Silver can function just fine.

But it’s very clear now that Lilia is worried about Silver. 

He plays the role of being lax and chill very well, not making a big deal about it, but he’s clearly concerned deep down. When he took him to those doctors, he was searching for a cure. Silver has probably caught him fretting or whispering his worries to Malleus when he thinks Silver isn’t listening. 

Silver’s wellbeing is what brought bits and pieces of the real Lilia out of his dream self. The moment Silver is in danger, his body willed itself to protect him. 

This confirmation of a strong familial bond + the added detail that this child’s health and safety is extremely important to Lilia unravels a lot of interesting future developments and angst galore. 

Because I can’t help but wonder, how did Lilia trust Malleus to be around Silver? When Silver is so clearly a more fragile human and Malleus is a powerful fae with the tendency to accidentally destroy things out of anger. How could that trust then be broken in chapter 7?

How much of Silver becoming a guard is meant to protect him rather than Malleus, with Malleus clearly leagues more powerful than Silver and Silver suffering from a condition that makes him vulnerable and possibly causes him to get himself hurt. 

It’s still not clear if Lilia is in the dark about Silver’s condition or he’s desperately searching for a way to help him because he knows what’s wrong, but that amount of care and concern that’s hidden underneath his quirky persona makes me so hungry to see more of their interactions. 

Silver said it best himself

[skunkes]

Your post about loving to study the beauty of the human body as well as wanting to love someone male while also be them is something I've been feeling for the past few years tbh but I've never heard someone put it in the exact words I use before. I think it's also because when it comes to topics like that I also feel embarrassed trying to explain a melded and complicated but beautiful emotion that doesn't have a word for it other than imagery in my mind

Sorry for the random soul post in your inbox but I get you! And that makes me happy

Also you're art is very cool and holds the very idea of human warmth and love within keep it up

responding to the compliment first, thank you!!!

as for the rest, yes! In the past I've definitely understood "love someone so much you want to crawl into them because hugging and physical intimacy isn't enough" as well as the usual "do i wanna fuck them or be them 🤪" sentiment floating around,

but it's not until very recently that I pieced together the, "well, what would I do if I literally got my hands on another [human being]. I'm not sure it would be enough to just Behold a [beautiful human being], I also want to be a beautiful [human being], but in the way this [person] is, which is. Unlike the way I am. Different from how I am. (In the many ways that can be interpreted)."

Which is adjacent to the "crawling into them", and adjacent to wishing I could be desired in the same way that I desire, and then directly connected to the way I am being genuine and casual when I say I love looking at and am in awe of the human form, but it's so very easy for that genuine love to slip into that intense and strange enthusiasm to map out, touch, explore, examine, open, crawl, meld, Be. Be!

[dandyshucks]

i am freeeeeeeee [collapses into a pile of dust]

[igneouswyvern]

one of the things i love about zestiria is that it's not a classic chosen one story. they set it up like it is one in the beginning with the legends but in reality the only requirement is that the shepherd have high resonance so he can communicate with lailah and form the pact. there's no destiny there's no "chosen by the gods" it's just about being able to see seraphim. really the only thing that makes sorey special is that he grew up around seraphim instead of humans

and even further, the role of the shepherd isn't something you have to take. it's not "a calling" it's a choice. lailah makes a point of confirming with sorey that this really is something he wants to do. he could have refused if he wanted to and i think that's really interesting cause you see a lot of destiny stuff where the protagonist has to take it on and zestiria is really refreshing in that way

i really hate destiny type shit in my stories. and i love that zestiria doesn't do that

[jeellyjams]

" 'Would it have been kinder to kill you, before you disabled your governor module?'

I said, 'Yes.'

ART-drone said, 'You know I am not kind.' "

okay ill just start sobbing on the floor then i guess

[murple]

I'm thinking about love in malevolent

Arthur and John love each other. Obviously. And that's what makes them so powerful. It's how they've survived this far. Exactly how Arthur says in ep 30.

But at the same time, it's what led to the events of ep 20. they didn't want the king to win, but the fear wasnt about the king getting more powerful, it was about losing each other.

And then there's all the examples of people clinging to or becoming horrific things because they remind them of their loved ones. Kellan and the vanguard. The widow on the island. The wraith, even. If popular theories are correct, Marie and whatever's in that secret room.

(I'm not getting into Larson and his family. I don't think he ever loved them. If he did, he would never have done that)

I don't fully know what I'm getting at here. Love is powerful, I guess. With the capacity to cause great and/or terrible things. It's such a human thing.

[hightaled]

wait hello?

[aria0fgold]

Mermaid Alec while it's still Mermay!

[mycobacteria]

overslept and was told to take the day off ^_^ except today was a super important day ^_^ and now im freaking out because i totally made things harder for the others ^_^ and it's only my third day so i'm not super confident about my position ^_^ and my fucking period has come back after a year ^_^

[fisherrprince]

snot in my nose

[turnedpalefromlackofsun]

starscream got himself a harem in earthspark? im pissing myself

genderbending like half the cast is interesting. i wonder why they decided that? just for fun?

well, i like it. ive been thinking about harems a lot so it was funny. and also i want to draw it. fundamentally im never in favor of this but im not taking it seriously anyways

usually i prefer genderbending just starscream and leaving sw and tc as male. reverse harem. but like this too. idk why i never thought about it before

[vaugarde]

when he was human, i imagine dusknoir was like a pokemon researcher… probably one of the few that really existed, since humans were dying out, but maybe he made contact with some groups and befriended them. but a rough incident left him worse for wear and…… well

he liked to study pokemon but he was pretty horrified at becoming one…