#and instead made it about stars trying to destroy the world

[kuroshirosb]

Playing devil survivor 2 and thinking about the concepts and plot points it introduces in the game. Mainly the Akashic Record.

It makes me think about like. The universe’s creation in Pokemashe and makes me want to incorporate the akashic record especially with the multiple timelines.

I might do a full write up about Arceus’s role in the universe, how it was created, and the record sometime soon it’s very interesting to think about worldbuilding wise.

[wenigstenshabeichesversucht]

Golden Hour

Pairing: Luke Castellan x Apollo kid!Reader

Summary: Everything Luke did was out of love for you

Warnings: Ominous Foreshadowing, english is not my native language

Word Count: 979

The sun was slowly going down and the camp was buzzing with life. Around Luke, campers were rushing around, everyone was trying to finish their afternoon activities before it was time for dinner. But he only had eyes for you. You, who were sitting with a few other campers, a guitar in your lap and glowing like the sun. With your sun-kissed skin and your smile brighter than the star you all revolved around, nobody could doubt that you were Apollo's daughter. Of course, he couldn’t help to gravitate to you like the earth did to the sun. You were his sun.

For a short moment, doubt overwhelmed him. Finally, you seemed happy. But in a world like this, your happiness wouldn’t last unless he took care of it personally. Therefore, he had to do it. He had to do it for you. Because he remembered. He remembered the many months you were struggling in the Hermes Cabin, still unclaimed, asking yourself, far too often, why you weren’t worth it. Back then, seeing your self-doubt had destroyed a part of Luke. He always had known that you were worth more than the gods could ever give you. And, it seems, like he had to take matters in his own hands.

He could only hope that someday you would understand his motivations. However, even if you didn't, at least you would have a better life. And that was enough for him. You had already given him more than he ever hoped for since arriving at camp. He would always remember it, like he remembered your arrival.

You were lost, figuratively speaking. Three days ago, some guy, half boy, half goat had told you, your father was a god, and now you were hunted down by monsters. Of course, first, you didn’t believe him. But the evidence was speaking for itself, and after you barely escaped a monster attack with your life, you couldn't deny it anymore.

When you finally reached Camp Half-blood, a sanctuary for kids like you, you were so relived, that you didn’t die, that you felt like crying. So, this was what you did. You started to cry ugly, fat tears were streaming down your face while you gasped for air.

This was how Luke found you. And even with fourteen years, he found your beauty rivalling Aphrodite’s. Not that he would ever say that out loud, gods were merciless when it came to things like that.

He took you under his wings. In a world where you felt like an intruder, he gave you a home. It quickly became clear that you were not a child of Hermes. Living in the far too full cabin, you couldn’t help but feel out of place. They told you, all you had to do was find the thing you were good at, and your father would claim you. But days, then weeks, then month went by, and you stayed at the Hermes cabin. The only thing that kept you sane was your friendship with Luke.

But luck wasn’t on your side, and Luke had to go on a mission. Following the god’s wishes, he left you behind. Many nights, you cried yourself to sleep, feeling worthless. Until after 7 months, your father finally took pity on you.  

  

Luke barely managed to get back from his mission. The cut he received had become inflamed. He didn’t remember how he got back to camp, but when he opened his eyes, he thought he had died and ended in the Elysium.

Your face was hovering over him, and you were glowing. Gently, your fingers were working their way over his wound and Luke needed a moment to realize, that you were healing him.

“Welcome back, hero”, you whispered when you saw that he was finally awake. “I missed you.”

Probably not more than he missed you. But he didn’t say it. Instead, he chose another topic.

“Looks like he finally claimed you”, his words made a happy smile form on your lips. However, Luke wasn’t happy. He could only think about, how he would miss your presence in the Hermes Cabin and at the dinner table.

Back in the present, you finished the lesson. Giving the guitar to one of your siblings, you made your way to Luke. You were so much more than his best friend, but he had never talked about his feelings for fear of complicating things. However, everything would soon change, and he would have to leave.

“Walk with me?”, he asked and with hesitation you agreed.

Without thinking, his feet led him to the lake, where the sun kissed the water on the horizon.

“Something is bothering you”, you broke the silence, after a moment of just watching the sunset.

Taking a deep breath, Luke tried to calm his nerves. All these years he hadn’t mustered up the courage, but from today on this would all be in the past.

“Some things will change in the near future, but I want you to know, that my feelings about you will never change.”

“Your feelings about me?”, you echoed surprised, and instead of an answer, Luke did the one thing, which he had been waiting for since he was 14 years old. He kissed you. You did what he always dreamed of, you kissed him back.

“Everything I do, I will do for you. I would fight for you, I would lie for you, and I would die for you”, Luke whispered against your lips, after you interrupted the kiss to gasp for air.

“I love you too”, that was all he wanted to hear. Looking down at you, the last sunbeams of the day were illuminating your face, he couldn’t help but think, that you were his golden hour. But now the night was starting, and he could only hope, that tomorrow the sun would rise again.

[yanderexchubbyreader]

can u write a yandere popular boy in school and he’s in love with chubby s/o (or y/n wtv u wanna call her 😅) and he’s angry that she doesnt like him back and sometimes threatens her to date him. She actually does like him back but doesnt show it becus she thinks that he is playing a joke on her

i hope i kinda got what you were looking for! if not, please feel free to let me know!

——

Pairing: yandere!popular!boy x chubby!reader

yan’s name is Matthew

warnings: obsessive behaviour, implied drugging, isolating yandere

~~~

- Matthew was such a peculiar character

- Ever since you had met him in your freshman year of college, he seemed to swarm to you like a moth to the sun, easily becoming someone you cane into contact with in your daily life

- Of course, you were weary about him and getting to know him seeing as he was world’s different from you

- He was extremely popular, with many friends and admirers who would drop anything and bend to his every whim if he so much as asked, as well as extremely fit and the star of the soccer team

- And you were just some chubby little nobody, tending to stick to yourself and your tiny friend group and avoiding large crowds of people like the plague

- So when he first came around, you were incredibly wary that it was put on as some kind of prank, not being able to see why this guy was so interested in being in your presence

- You did have to admit he was cute, but you had to preserve your pride, and you did little more than greet him with an uninterested nod and a small

- One day, he surprised you, showing up to your desk with a box of chocolates, a large bouquet of roses and a stuffed animal, asking for you to go out with him

- And you denied his offer, hiding your face from the rest of the class as he begged you to tell him why

- You had to drag him out of the class and explain to him that you were just too different, he deserved someone better, and you just weren’t interested in him

- That just made him really mad :( And he wouldn’t stop tailing you or your peers trying to get you to go on a date with him, sometimes going a little too far in his efforts

- It got so bad that your friends seemed to turn away everytime you tried speaking with them, brushing you off completely

- And when asked why, it was because they were sick of being threatened and singled out for keeping you away from Matthew

- Finally, you were sick of the obsessive behavior, and showed up at his dorm room one day to give him a piece of your mind

- Of course, he let you in with no hesitation, expecting you to finally accept his offer and give him a few hours of your time

- Instead, you let him know that he was making you uncomfortable, and you wanted him to leave you and your friends alone from here on out, vowing that if he didn’t stop, you were going to take some more drastic measures

- Surprisingly, he never lost the smile he had on his face when you arrived, but his eyes held a completely different emotion

- He’d accept your denial once and for all, apologizing for coming on too strong and promising he would never bother you again

- Satisfied with his answer, you left his dorm, finally happy to wash your hands of him and his strange behavior

- Matthew, however, would completely flipped as you walked away, going into a state of mania and completely destroying his dorm room in a fit of rage

- Sitting amongst the mess, he’d pull out his phone, dialing the number of a local dealer with shaky fingers

- “Hey… you still got those sleeping pills? I’m uh… I’m having trouble sleeping at night”

- He’d get his hands on you somehow. He’d have you in his arms soon, concious or unconcious

[mikareo]

⌗ TWO SLOW DANCERS ₊ ˖ ་. gojo satoru x fem reader (1.2k)

⊹ ⠀⠀why doesn’t he love you?

contains; angst, rejection, reader just wants to be loved, gojo's kinda a dick, mitski did this to me, not proofread author's note; i'm thinking abt the guy who didn't want me rn sorry

“Can I ask you something?” you murmur, your voice nothing above a faint whisper. Fear of judgment is laced within it, something you can’t help but wish you could get rid of. “It’s going to sound ridiculous, and if you think so you can just ignore me.” He’s going to ignore you.

However, Gojo sits up straighter. His eyes are intending to focus on you. “Nothing you say is ridiculous. I’m always here to listen.” You want to believe him so badly. There’s nothing else in the world that you wish for. All you need is a confession, him reciprocating the depth of your feelings, but you know that’s impossible. If he felt the same, he wouldn’t have started seeing that girl; no matter the fact that she’s wonderful for him, amazing, and kind. If she’s so amazing, what are you doing wrong? What is it about her that you can’t compare to? You know you’d be perfect for Gojo. He’s your best friend. He’s the person who knows you better than anyone, so why is it that he doesn’t love you the same way you love him? It doesn’t make sense. 

What are you doing wrong?

“...am I difficult to love?” You feel like you already know the answer. It’s a pointless question that’s been eating you up inside for years, ever since you first met and he instantly treated you as a friend when you wanted to be loved by him. “I know it’s silly, but I feel so helpless.”

Without realizing it, your words flow from your lips like a river streaming downhill. Not even the largest dam could hold in your insecurities. “I try so hard, everyday to be kind and patient and perfect; but no one seems to notice. Is there something that everyone else has that I don’t? What am I missing that makes me invisible? Why do I feel so stuck while the world keeps moving and progressing and making changes that I can’t keep up with? Why don’t you love me?”

There it is. 

There’s the question that you’ve swallowed down for the past ten years of knowing Gojo Satoru…and somehow…

…it seems that he already knows the answer. 

“I do love you.”

In half a second, your heart beats faster. It swells with an overwhelming pink feeling that practically causes it to burst. You almost see stars. In your imagination you’re flying through the night sky, weaving constellations together as you hold Gojo’s hand and ask him what he’s wishing on that shooting star, oh so close to you. So close, yet so far. So far, that it never reaches you; because nothing is ever as it seems. It isn’t a wish racing your way, it’s a meteorite. A meteor thats target is the home in your heart that you’ve made so lovingly for your best friend. The flaming rock finds your weakest point and begins to wither it away into nothing but hopeless shreds of dreams. In a half a second, you’re on the top of the world. In a half a second, your world is destroyed. 

“I just don’t love you in the way you want me to.”

You’re a fool. You knew this was coming.

“I can’t imagine my life without you.” Shut up. Why can’t he just shut up? You don’t need these filler words, these empty statements that he’s only saying to make you feel better about your worthless self. “You’re such an important part of my everyday.” Shut up!

It’s so hard to hold in the tears. Your dam already burst— but instead of a river, it seems that you’ve got an ocean of feelings. This ocean is polluted, though. It’s littered in trash and oil, after years of wanting something that was never yours. Other men have thrown their waste in your waters and Gojo’s always been the one to clean it up. He’s always made you laugh…made you smile…made you believe that everything is going to be okay as long as you trust him. Now, you’ve made the mistake of trusting him with your heart; when he’s never cared if it shatters. 

“Please don’t say those things to me.” It’s pathetic, the whimper shaking from the tip of your tongue. “I shouldn’t have said anything. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.”

Gojo isn’t even replying to you. He’s simply staring with the most pitiful look in his eyes, as if you’re a dying animal that he’s just shot with a rifle. How do you make him stop looking at you like that? You’re better than this! Just suck it up and smile!

Somehow, you find yourself laughing. “Don’t worry about it, Satoru. I’ll be fine, it’s just a silly little crush.” You’re lying. 

It’s so obvious you’re lying. 

He’s never been a crush. If he was a fleeting crush, then you wouldn’t spend your nights thinking of how you made him smile earlier in the day. You wouldn’t know his favorite place, song, and movie at the top of your head. You wouldn’t imagine his face whenever you picture your wedding day— at the end of the aisle, smiling at you with tears in his eyes. If he was just a little crush, it wouldn’t feel like your entire world is ending. 

“I know you’ve liked me, it’s a little obvious.” He shrugs. “I just assumed you’d get over it?” 

He knew? He’s known all this time?

There’s a war raging between your heart and your mind. It’s a battlefield with logic on one side and love on the other. The rational part of you knows that he can’t help his feelings. He can’t force himself to reciprocate something that he’s never felt before. That’s unfair to him, and you can’t make him love you…

…but the other half of you can’t accept that. 

After all these years of waiting for him. Years and years of watching your closest friends find love, be loved, and experience all of the firsts that you’ve always wanted to experience with him by your side. He doesn’t love you. You’ve known Gojo Satoru since you were ten years old. You’re twenty now and still so delusional that you believe he can feel the same way. Why can’t he, though? Gojo knows you from front to back. If there’s anyone in the world who could write an encyclopedia titled with your name, it’s him; and he still doesn’t love you. You’re the person who’s been there for him through countless breakups and temper tantrums. You’re the one who he trusts most in this world, yet he will never…ever…want you back. 

Someone is writing the story of the world. Someone is tying the strings of fate, the line of destiny, or whatever you want to call it; and that someone isn’t on your side. They never have been and they never will be…

…at least not in the case of Gojo Satoru. 

“I’ll try my best.” A phony smile graces your face and you’re now realizing that he’s never once called you beautiful. Yet, you still want him. Perhaps it’s human nature to wish for the things that are terrible for you. “You don’t have to worry about me, Satoru. I’ll be fine.”

Yeah, maybe in ten years. 

“I’ll be able to forget about this.”

You don’t think you will.

“I didn’t mean to inconvenience you.”

Your feelings are an inconvenience.

“It’s nothing.”

It was love.

⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀ ⊹₊｡ reblogs are greatly appreciated! ˚₊⊹

[cameronspecial]

The People We Used To Be

Pairing: Musician! Rafe Cameron x Musician! Reader

Warnings: Rafe being an asshole

Pronouns: She/Her

Word Count: 8.5K

Summary: Music brought together Y/N and Rafe, but he pulled them apart. After seven years, a competition to win a recording deal brings them back together and they are forced to confront their past.

A/N: Inspired by @ghostofwriting's Kildare Spilt series which is absolutely amazing and you have to check it out if you haven't already. The songs in the fic are "Traitor" by Olivia Rodrigo (Altered to fit the fic) and "Right My Wrongs" by Bryson Tiller. I didn't write them.

Masterlist

Music has a way of making the world make sense for Y/N and Rafe. The Pogue and the Kook met at a Mommy and Me music class their mothers took them to as toddlers. Their mothers and each other helped foster a love for the art and it became even more of a necessity when they lost their mothers. Rafe was the first one to lose his mother. Margaret Cameron had been battling cancer for two years before her passing and it completely destroyed her eight-year-old son. Every Kook he knew tried to help him with his grief, except the one person who could actually get through to him didn’t live on Figure Eight. Instead of crying in his room in Tannyhill, he found himself riding his bike to a small bungalow on the Cut. It was in that small house where a little girl sat on the front porch with a guitar that was too big for her, trying to play “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” by Cyndi Lauper. Her mom’s favourite song. The sound of the chain of his bike caused her to freeze and look up from the strings. “You are getting better,” he praised, getting off his bike to walk it up the small driveway. She gave him a smile that showed him she wasn’t afraid to be happy during his time of mourning. She didn’t walk on eggshells around him and he loved it. It made him feel normal, like before his mom got sick. She beckoned him to the porch swing with her hand, “Come sing with me.” He crossed his arms over his chest and shook his head. “Nuh-uh, that’s a girl song,” he argued. 

The front door opened and out came Melody Y/L/N. Her smile matched her daughter. “Now, Rafe. Have I not taught you anything about music? There is no such thing as a boy song or a girl song. Or a Pogue song or a Kook song. As long as it speaks to you, it is meant for you. Now, why don’t we all sing together?” Those words touched him and it would continue to do so well into adulthood. And it was that afternoon when Rafe started to heal from the pain of a dead mother. Playing music with the Y/L/N women and being happy made him feel closer to his mom than any condolences from other people.

———

Y/N lost her mother at twelve years old. The real kicker was that the universe decided that the day the girl would turn into a young lady was the day of her mother’s funeral. Her mother was a lively person and requested in her will that people wear their favourite colour to her funeral. So Y/N wore light blue to the burial. When she went to the bathroom after returning home, she was greeted with a massive red stain in her underwear. It felt as though the world had ended. Melody may have talked to her daughter about the logistics of dealing with a period, but Y/N couldn’t remember a word of what her mother had said and she began to panic. She locked herself in the bathroom after her dad gave her a new pair of underwear and some of her mom’s leftover pads. Other than that, he had no idea what else to do to get his daughter out. His wife was gone and his daughter was dealing with a problem he had never experienced before. He felt hopeless until he thought of the one person who could help. 

Ward dropped off his son in front of the one-story yellow house, telling his son he could sleep over if Y/N needed someone. Rafe walked into the house as if he lived there and went straight to the bathroom door. “Hey, Rock Star. I heard you were feeling bad. I brought you some KitKats, dulce de leche ice cream and some Tylenol,” he announces, looking through the bag. “My mo- My mom used to say eating sweets made her feel better.” She didn’t respond; instead, she remained seated on the floor against the bathtub. Her head was on her knees to catch the tears coming from her eyes, wishing her mom could be here to help her through it. Rafe sighed, worried his friend would never leave that room again. Since food didn’t work, he only knew one other thing that might be able to get her out. If it didn’t work, then he didn’t know what would. He ran to the living room and flipped through the CD holder, looking for a specific one. He finally found it and took it out. He set it in the CD player and dragged it into the hallway. He plugged it in, skipping to the perfect song. The notes began to play and he shook his hips in synch with it. “I come home, in the morning light,” he started to sing with Cyndi. She could hear his exaggerated shrieks from inside her confides. He was definitely doing it to goad her out. “I think I’m a great singer. What do you think, Rock Star?” he screamed from the other side of the door. She sat there for a little longer, listening to his horrible singing. 

Eventually, she had to save her poor ears from the torture. His singing dimmed in volume at the click of the lock. He saw her feet tapping and he knew it was only a matter of time before she joined in with him. Once she started singing with him, he switched to his real singing voice. The slant of her lips was still in a frown, but it was still an improvement from not wanting to see anyone. And once again, music helped the children grieve the loss of an important woman in their lives. 

———

Her foot taps against the floor as she bites her nails. The earplugs she is wearing help dampen the sound from the stage. She can’t believe he is here. It really shouldn’t be a surprise. This competition would launch the winner’s career. Y/N hasn’t seen him in seven years and hasn’t played with him for just as long. Kiara comes from behind her and rests a palm on her shoulder. Kie has been touring with Y/N’s band for three years now. As soon as she graduated high school, she hit the road and became the Melodies’ personal assistant. They both turn to look at the lead singer of Just Wanna Have Fun as he sings while strumming his electric guitar. He turns so she can see the back of his guitar and she spots the beam note with their initial in each of the ovals of the notes. R and Y/I/N. She is surprised he hasn’t painted over it already. Each band gets to play three songs and when she hears the next song he decides to play, she can’t stand on the sideline and watch them perform anymore. She turns around and heads into the lounge area for the musicians. How dare he play that song?

He could feel her gaze on her throughout his first set. He should’ve figured she would be here. If he thought she was, he wouldn’t have played the next set. He finishes his part of the duet and he looks to the side of the stage to see her while Frank sings the verse that used to belong to Y/N. Disappointment flashes across his eyes at the empty spot where she was. This is the first time he gets to see her in seven years and of course, he has to screw it up. He gets so caught up in the past that he almost misses his verse. 

———

The cool air tickled their skin as her head rested on his stomach. The new electric guitar his dad bought him for his fourteenth birthday lay beside them. “Do you ever worry about us not being friends anymore?” she thought out loud, staring up at a cloud that looked a little like a bunny. He frowns at her and lifts his head up to look at her, “No, why in the world would I think about that?” 

“We are total opposites, Rafe. You are a Kook. I’m a Pogue. You are destined for a life of greatness while I’m meant to be stuck on my side of the island.”

He laughs, “That’s absolutely ridiculous because we are both meant to be in a band together and become so famous that the members of Pink Floyd will be jealous.”

He could see the seriousness of her question and sat up, taking her with him. She now sat across from him and he took her hand into his. “But seriously though, all that stuff doesn’t matter. Not when we have music. It’s like your mom used to say. Music isn’t meant for one type of person. As long as it speaks to you, it is meant for you. And that logic is the same for us. We speak to each other, so we are meant for each other,” he promised. He scooted to his backpack and got out a Sharpie. He sat back down beside her, flipping his guitar onto his lap. “What are you doing?” she questioned. She slid in closer to him. He uncapped the marker and began to draw a beam note. He looked up at her with a smile, “Proving to you that we will never stop being friends.” He put his initial in the first note and handed the marker over to her. She got the message, writing her initial in the other note. He took the marker back to cap it. “There. Now, as long as this is here, we will be friends forever.” She giggled at his remark, thinking it would eventually fade; however, what she didn’t know was that he forced his dad to get something to seal the writing that very night. 

———

Y/N will never get over the feeling of being on stage. Whether she is playing for a crowd of one or a hundred, all she needs is to share what she loves with people willing to listen. She smiles at the camera Kiara flashes in her face and takes the towel Kie hands to her. The fabric removes the sweat from her forehead, staining with makeup in the process. She makes her way to the lounge to put her stuff away so she can wait out the other bands until they announce who is going to make it to the next round. Her usual routine after a gig is to take a breather outside by herself. She needs the outside air to cool her down and let her think, so her bandmates give her the space she needs as she heads out the backdoor. She breathes in the cool air, slamming against the rough brick wall. So far, she has been able to contain her emotions about seeing him again. Yet, finally being able to focus on her feelings, makes her realize that she is still hurt by what he did all those years ago. She trusted him with all of her heart and he broke that trust. How could someone she loved so much betray her so badly? 

“It’s been seven years and you still haven’t changed, Rock Star.” The voice snaps her out of her thoughts. Her head swivels in his direction, rolling her eyes at him. “Neither have you because I’m guessing you are here to smoke. You know those things will kill you, right?” she retorts, looking in the opposite direction. He chuckles, “Yeah, this girl I used to know a while back told me that all the time.” She doesn’t join in his playfulness. “You know what, I’m just going to go back inside,” she decides, pushing off of the wall to head to the door. He reaches for her wrist to stop her. She stops at the contact and he flicks the cigarette bud on the floor. He stomps it out. His gaze finds her again and at the disapproving look on her face, he picks it up and throws it in the garbage. He points toward the door, “I’ll go. I recognize how much you need these moments alone. I’ll see you back inside.” He steps toward the doorway, pausing to glance at her over his shoulder. “It was nice to see you in person again.” She scoffs, “I wish I could say the same.” This digs another shallow hole in his heart and he lets the door slam shut behind him. Once he is gone, she slides down the wall, resting her head on her knees with her eyes closed. Is a record deal with one of the best recording labels really worth the regauging of old wounds? 

Rafe heads to the bathroom, the inside of his cheek caught between his teeth. The decision to use the individual bathroom is easy; he doesn’t want anyone to walk in on his mental breakdown. His hand twists the cold facet and splashes the water onto his face. The shock of the temperature aids him in rearranging his thoughts. At the sight of her broken heart, it killed him that he wasn’t able to drag her into his hold and whisper how sorry he was for letting them get to this point. After all their time apart, every single detail that he remembers about her is the same. Her lavender perfume remains his favourite smell in the world. The dark fuschia lipstick is the one he picked out for her when she started wearing makeup. And she relies on the tiny taps of her feet in rhythm with the song playing in her head. 

———

Rafe watches her from his spot in front of the stage. The area designated for the bands to stand in during the elimination announcement isn’t as crowded as the general admission behind him. Two bands are going to be eliminated. It isn’t a lot, yet it doesn’t guarantee Just Wanna Have Fun is going to continue in the competition. He hopes the Melodies advance, certainly because the longer they both stay, the more chances he has at making things right between them. All he wants is to get back what they had and maybe what they didn’t get the opportunity. That wish is quickly submerged by a wave from a passing jet ski. 

The jet ski is probably two inches shorter than Rafe. His light brown curly hair goes passed the bottom of his ear and looks like a flat mane. The green eyes stare at Y/N with adoration that only Rafe should be allowed to direct toward her. What really destroys Rafe is when that five o’clock shadow brushes against Y/N’s skin to give her a kiss on the cheek. Garrett notices Rafe’s gaze and shoves the glarer with his shoulder. “Stop staring. You look creepy,” Garrett orders, turning back to the stage. As Rafe is about to obey the suggestion, he catches the way Y/N leans against the chest of the mystery man, causing a bubble of nausea to form in his stomach. The screech of a microphone calls the attention of everyone in the crowd. A short woman with blue hair and black lips angles the bulb toward her, “Everyone played beautifully tonight, but unfortunately, you all can’t join us next week. Just as a reminder every week, two bands will be eliminated. Now, for the moment you have all been waiting for.” She takes a pause to unfold the paper with the names of the unlucky musicians and her cheerful demeanour shifts to one of sorrow. “I’m sorry to announce that Dex the Sex and Heartaches will not be playing on this stage again next week.” The bands closest to the exiled ones express their condolences, while the ones further away can be seen celebrating the small victory. Rafe turns to hug his bandmates and can’t help but risk a glance at her. Her arms are around her supposed boyfriend’s neck and their chest are pressed against each other. 

The green-eyed monster tickles his heart. His legs move in advance of his brain processing his emotions. The tips of his navy blue converses touch her black leather boots. He notices the way the man’s arm around her waist slightly tightens so that the veins in his arms are prominent and the sharp jaw clenches. Rafe eventually has the confidence to look in her eyes and her distaste for him marinates in them. His fingers go to scratch the back of his ear, “Congrats on making it to the next round. You… you played great. Was the last song new?” She leans forward in the man’s hold and some of her hatred cools down. “Thanks, it is. Something I came up with last week. We’ve been working late nights to perfect it for tonight. You sounded great tonight too,” she says barely above a whisper. The man behind her looks between the ex-bandmates and extends his hand out, “I’m Knox, Y/N’s boyfriend. It’s nice to meet you, Rafe.” 

Rafe grips Knox’s hand a little too tight with a straight smile. “It’s nice to meet you too,” he placates, wondering how much trouble he would get into for punching the idiot. It would be unwarranted for sure, yet it doesn’t stop his urge to want to do it. Feeling the start of a cock fight brewing, Y/N steps in. “We didn’t eat dinner before the show, so we are going to go… do that.” She breaks away from her boyfriend’s hold and takes his hand, following her friends toward the exit. Her cold demeanour might have made someone else lose spirit. Someone who didn’t know Y/N. Rafe knows otherwise though. He was able to crack the glaze of her harshness. He isn’t letting that victory go. 

———

His feet ache after a late-night practice. They had gotten the last timeslot for practice at the venue today, not that Rafe minds. He works better at night because it is when he needs a distraction the most. She was there earlier, so he didn’t get to see her. The smell of her perfume followed him wherever he went while he was there. They haven’t had any encounters since that night. It doesn’t surprise him; she is obviously avoiding him. It hurts him more than hell and he knows he deserves it because he did something a hundred times worse to her. The echo of his footsteps is the sole sound in his vast apartment. This has been his house for five years, except it doesn’t feel like home. Not when it doesn’t have that touch of her like his room at Tannyhill does. 

———

“God, could your room look any more like a stereotypical teenage boy’s jerk off-centre?” she criticized, looking around the room with disgust in her eyes at the cluster of cups on his bedside table. Some of them had ring stains around the glass. He looked at her over his shoulder, “What are you talking about? All the guys I know have a room like this.” She points at the walls littered merely with car posters or bikini models. “Yeah, and that’s the problem. How can you call this place home if there is nothing that shows you are the one living here?” she argued. He gestured to the poster, “What do you think that is?” 

“That shows me that any guy in my class lives here.”

“Like a Pogue could afford half of the stuff in this room.”

“Really, Rafe?” 

“Right, sorry. Can you just get to the point? What do you think I should add then? What will make this place my home?” 

“You need more personality in here. Pictures of people you love. Little trinkets. Plants. Music stuff. Love letters from a sweetheart.” 

He chuckled, “Like you display your love letters. And why can’t my personality be cars and bikini posters.” “Because that’s every other straight cis-gendered boy's personality. You know, if you added more things, it would make a girl feel more comfortable in your room,” she attempted a different tactic. His brow arched, “Hmm, never thought about it that way. This isn’t the first time you’ve been in my room though. Why bring it up now?” “I’m tired of looking at this nasty-ass messy room. That’s why,” she admitted. He nodded, taking into consideration her opinion. He grabbed a piece of tape from his desk drawer and took out his wallet. She observes as he slides out a picture from the window slot. He tacked on the photo right above his desk. She couldn’t see what it was in, so she stepped forward. Her eyes welled up with tears at the sight. It was a picture of them. The memory of when the photo was taken comes to the forefront of her mind. They were twelve years old and he had just learnt a new chord on the guitar, so of course, he had to teach her it as well. His hands were placed over hers on the neck of the guitar, while he guided her fingers. “What’s this?” she stupidly questioned.

He grinned at her, “You told me to put up a picture of someone I loved and I did.” “And you just had that picture in your wallet this whole time?” she clarified. He shrugged, “Yep since I got it.” “That is very unexpected, Rafe,” she thought out loud. He wrapped an arm around her shoulder, “What do you expect, Rock Star? You’re my best friend. Of course, I love you.” The words stung her. It shouldn’t surprise her that was who he saw her as. She was a Pogue; she could never be more to him. 

———

He should’ve brought that picture to New York with him. He did bring one thing over that reminded him of home. The music room in his apartment has everything he needs to write a song. It is the one place in his apartment that he doesn’t mind spending time in. There are so many ways for him to clear his mind here and it is where his bandmates like to hang out too. No matter how many times Frank (keyboardist), Garrett (bassist), Topper (drummer), and Barry (band manager) enter this room and know every inch of the room, they will never find his most precious possession. He kneels beside the drawer tower filled with various accessories for the instruments and pulls the bottom one open. He pushes down on the false bottom to reveal a stack of lined papers. They are rumpled from how many times he has read them over; he just couldn’t bring himself to send them or get rid of them. At first, he wrote them to apologize to her, but then he started to use it as a cathartic method. He allowed himself to express everything he had ever wanted to say to her in the letters and every time he needed a reminder of who they used to each other, he read them. His hope was that one day they would be the personalization their house needed to feel like home. It’s been a while since he wrote a new one; however, with her reappearance in his life, it feels time to write another. 

Dear Rock Star,

Even after all this time, you still manage to find a way to have a hold on my heart. Maybe, it’s because I never sent the first letter, so we never got the closure we needed. But seeing you again made my heart feel like it was beating to the tune of its old song. Everything I felt for you came back like a tidal wave and all I wanted to do was hug the ever-loving shit out of you. And then he went to you. That wave I thought I could overcome became my undoing. It made me regret never reaching out to say I was sorry. I realized that your rejection of my apology would be a lot less painful than your moving on from me. It was bound to happen. How could it not when you are the most amazing person to have ever existed? I just dreamt that I could’ve found my way back into your life before it happened. But I didn’t and now, I have to stew in my consequences. 

I sometimes wonder if you miss me as much as I miss you. I get that it is different for you. You were the one who got hurt instead of the one doing the hurting. I think you do. You may not admit it, but you responded to me. Maybe you wanted to seem professional and I can see that being your reason. Yet, your eyes told me something else. I’m not talking about when we talked. I’m talking about when I was on stage. You saw the beam note and I could see the yarning behind the hatred. You want to go back to that time just as much as I want to. I’m going to get us back to that place, I promise. We might not be able to be exactly the people we used to be; nevertheless, we can try. Because you still speak to me, Rock Star, and that means we are meant to be.

Loving you always,

Rafe

He sighs at the final stroke of the pen and caps it. He reads it over and over until it is all he can think about. The words have never felt more true to him and he makes a vow to himself to make it come true. If he can’t have back what they once had, then he will make damn sure he’ll earn the next best thing. He hears the jiggle of the front door handle and rapidly shoves everything back into the drawer. “Dude, why is it always so damn dark in here? Don’t you know how to turn on lights?” Topper teases from downstairs. “Where are you? Come out of the studio for once, will ya? We brought you food from that Turkish place.”

———

“I think maybe we should try you coming in later with the backup vocals, Debs. Why don’t we try again?” Y/N advises. At the nod from the other girls, Y/N faces the stage outward and grips the microphone with both hands. Viola counts them down, beginning the rhythm for everyone to join in. Y/N waits for her cue to sing; she has been the lead singer for the Melodies for seven years and she has yet to figure out what to do with her hands. When they started the band, they figured having two guitarists didn’t mesh well with their sound. So, she offered to drop the instrument for the band because Laila hates singing. She didn’t mind not being able to play on stage, except there were sometimes when she missed it. She’d even dare to say she missed playing with Just Wanna Hav Fun because she wanted the ability to shred some strings in a room bigger than her shoebox of an apartment. The note that signifies she comes in plays and she opens her mouth to sing. Her mind turns off, focusing entirely on hitting every note perfectly. Every time she gets to be on stage, she finds herself falling in love with music again. Especially since it helps her feel closer to her mother.

The girls get lost in the music and forget the time. The clearing of a throat causes Y/N to whip in the direction of it. Topper gives her a small smile and a wave, “I hate to stop the creative flow, but it’s eleven.” Y/N’s head bobs and helps the others get all of their stuff together. She can feel the eyes of the people she used to call friends on her. She tries not to succumb to the pressure of their gaze. As they leave the stage, both groups awkwardly look at each other. She hasn’t kept secrets from her girls, so they know everything that went down between her and the boys. 

Laila, Viola, and Debra can see the emotionless expression on her face at the encounter with her past and decide not to bring it up. “Are you working a shift today?” Laila inquires whilst placing her guitar in its case. Y/N slings her bag across her chest, “Yeah, I’m doing a closing shift. If you guys want to come over to rehearse some more, come over after ten. I need a break between now and work.” “Got it, I’ll bring the pizza,” Laila informs before leaving with Debra and Viola. Kiara returns from the bathroom and approaches Y/N, looking nervously between the stage and her friend. “I don’t want to talk about it, Kie,” she laments. Kiara notices the way the singer avoids eye contact. The PA shakes her head, “You’ve been burying this within you for almost a decade. That isn’t healthy.” “I have no idea what you are talking about. It is perfectly fine to not talk about it. And for your information, I interacted with him on the first competition night. I would say that counts as acknowledging it,” she contends. Kiara’s head tilts to give Y/N a pointed look.

“I overheard that conversation. You were just being nice because the audience could see you.”

“You can’t deny that I was being nice. So I say it counts.”

“You know that isn’t what I mean, Y/N/N. You aren’t only hurting him by leaving things unsolved, but yourself. The more you avoid getting closure, the more you come up with your own explanation for his actions. Those are always going to be worse than the truth. Think about it, not for him. For you.”

Kie doesn’t wait for an answer and it leaves Y/N to think about the impact of her friend's words. She chances a glance to where the music is coming from before heading home. The world is drowned out by the music playing in her headphones, filling in the space where her thoughts should populate. Everyone believes she has to speak to him; they lecture her on the importance of learning the full story. It is rich of them to say all those things when they aren’t the ones who Rafe pained. He didn’t even have the decency to say he was sorry after she confronted him. All he had to present to her were countless excuses. So they don’t get to have an input on how she deals with her shit because she is dealing with it. Through her writing. Out of Rafe and Y/N, she has always been the one more attuned to writing. Rafe can write good songs, he just isn’t as in love with the process as she is. Once her headphones come off at home, she rushes to her bedside drawer, pulling out a beaten-up notebook. She flips through countless songs about him. Every single one was written when she couldn’t contain how she felt. She finally gets to the picture of them she uses as a bookmark. It is the same one he taped onto his wall when they were fifteen. She couldn’t bring herself to take anything else of him during her move. As soon as the pen hits the paper, everything she has been bundling up inside falls onto the page.

———

He had asked her out. Rafe asked her out and she said yes. It had been a game of cat and mouse, them going back and forth on whether or not they should risk their friendship for something more. Spoiler alter, it wasn’t going to be. She didn’t know that though. At the moment, she was focused on getting to band practice. The cold evening breeze caused her to wrap her zip-up hoodie around her body by holding it against her waist. She drops her phone right as she gets to the opening of Topper’s garage. Something she overhears while picking up her phone makes her delay her entry to the room. “I heard you are going on a date with Y/N.” It was a high-pitched voice that could only belong to Samantha. Y/N wasn’t the biggest fan of Samantha. The Kook had a permanent judgmental face in her presence and she could hear the repugnance lacing the question.

Y/N expected her best friend to hear the same tone and defend her. It never happened. “Listen, I didn’t want to do it. I got tired of her doing that pathetic mopey-eyed shit. She was begging for me to ask her out, so I did to stop her pestering. Trust me, I could never willingly date a Pogue.” Suddenly, her heart popped under the weight of the tire and he continued to smear her most vital organ across the road with every laugh he let out. What added to her decimation was that her other bandmates joined in her mocking. During their friendship, they had never made her feel different because of what side of the island she was born on. She thought they didn’t care about the number in her bank account; apparently, they did. She wondered how many lies they told her. Was everything they ever paid for for her because they pitied her? Were they truly her friend? She stepped back to leave, not having the courage to face the most important people in her life until Rafe said something that turned her agony to rage. “What about that stupid saying her mom always said that she lives by.  As long as it speaks to you, it is meant for you. It is so ridiculous. One. Not everything talks. Two. Does she believe that a life outside of the cut is meant for her? Y/N is so delusional.” Samantha let out a cackle. This was the ultimate betrayal. 

She stormed into the room, letting the boys’ height tower over her. The faint smell of weed permeated the air. With the number of times they smoked in here, she was surprised the fabric of the light brown couch didn’t permanently smell like the drug. Topper’s garage wasn’t what most people would imagine for a place to park a car. It made sense though because his family didn’t keep their cars in this garage. They had another small building to house their vehicles in true Kook fashion. This room was a modern finished room, perfectly equipped for whatever Topper’s new hobby was and it happened that his hobby for the past year was being in a band. Rafe could see the fury in her eyes and knew she heard everything they said. He felt horrible. In an ignorant teenage boy fashion, he said anything he could to get laughter out of his friends, creating the biggest mistake of his life. Time needed to rewind, so he could say what he should’ve. The way she looked at him buried him in regret. His desire to take her into his arms for her comfort was trumped by the knowledge that she would chew his head off. “How can you say those things about my mother? The fact that you would ridicule her after she treated you like her own son is sickening. You didn’t deserve her love and she would be disappointed in who you turned out to be. So would your own mom because the Margaret Cameron I know would be ashamed at how you just talked about her dead friend and your presumed best friend,” she fired. He could make glass out of sand with the way she scorched him. His mind zipped around with ways to apologize and make things better, yet his dumb hormonal self advised him to keep digging. She was outnumbered after all. 

“Playing the mom card, how depressing. No, I think my mom would be proud of me. She never liked you anyway. How could she? All you are is a sad little poor Pogue.” 

Lies. Margaret adored Y/N, loving getting to sing with the little girl. The laughs from the Kooks fueled his outer confidence, while his heart was being grated into millions of pieces. She froze; her face contorting into a pout. He spotted the wobble of her lip and the hitching of her breath. His feet shuffled forward a micro-inch, wanting to wipe away her despair. She took a deep breath. Silence seeped into the air. The tension thickened like trying to swim in a pool of peanut butter. She held her head high as she spun to leave, refusing to let them see her misery. 

———

Another competition night passes with the survival of Just Wanna Have Fun and the Melodies. The venue hall is practically empty, except for a few stray people. While the rest of the girls go home, Y/N stays behind to get some downtime alone in the rehearsal room. Being in the Battle of The Bands with Rafe is proving to be harder than she thought. They haven’t had another conversation, but their proximity puts her on edge. Her footsteps echo in the hallway as she leaves the bathroom. Headphones cover her ears, distracting her from the presence behind her. A tap on her shoulder causes her to twirl around. A skinny man with a sad excuse for a beard leers at her. He is wearing The Melodies’ merch and gives her a gut-twisting smile. Suddenly, she feels uneasy because of the lack of people in the building. Time droops as his thin fingers encase her wrist. She tries to yank her arm out; his baby-like grip impedes her attempt. “You have such a beautiful voice,” he mumbles. The usual compliment doesn’t have the same effect coming from a man who looks at her in such an objectified manner. 

“You need to let go,” she orders, having no obligation to acknowledge the content of his words. His hand further coils around her skin, “I said something nice about you. The least you can do is say thank you.” Fear sets in when his other hand reaches for his belt and he begins to drag her toward the bathroom. An arm hooks around the delusional man’s neck, causing him to stop and jerk her backwards. She quickly recognizes the thick bicep. “Let go of her,” Rafe growls in the assaulter’s ear. Relief flushes her at the release of weight from her wrist. “Rock Star, go get security and go back to the practice room.” Her mind goes on autopilot and follows his instructions, overlooking the manner in which he knows why she is here late. 

Once security is sent to aid Rafe, she returns to the instrument-filled room. Her attention is on the blue acoustic guitar resting in its case close to the metal stool. She picks up the guitar and takes a seat. Her fingers press against the string on the neck and her other hand strumms to create the chord. The lyrics she wrote so long ago flow out of her. 

“You betrayed me And I know that you'll never feel sorry For the way I hurt, yeah You said I was priceless but you really meant worthless. It took you a second To pretend I was nothing Guess I should’ve known That you were always a liar.” 

Rafe's back rests against the stone, a tear slipping out of the corner of his eye and down his face. He was going to go in to check in on her but hesitates to fall through. She needs to say something to the universe and for once, Rafe isn’t going to take that away from her. He saw the way the bounce of her foot disappeared with the song. Instead, he plans to give her exactly what she needs. The guys are going to hate him for this. 

———

The crowd is electric as Rafe takes a second to breathe. He looks around the venue, searching to see if she is in the section for the musicians to watch the show. His eyes connect with Y/N’s. He can carry on with his plan. He rests a hand on the microphone and adjusts the earpiece in his ear. The mic stand tilts while he brings the mic closer to his mouth, “This next one is new. It’s not on any of our albums, but it is something that is long overdue.” He flicks his head toward Topper to start playing the song they worked all week to perfect in time. Rafe’s head bobs to the beat of the drum, waiting for his queue to jump in. He starts singing at the same time he strums the first chord.  

“I've gotta right my wrongs With you is where I belong You've been down from the go Recognition is what you want And it's something that I should know Something that I should know All the things that you went through I never meant to put you through it twice, no Tell me how can I right my wrongs That's something that I should know All the things that we been through I never meant to put you through it twice, oh no”

His eyes flicker to her and his heart drops at the tears running down her round cheeks. Every part inside of him wants to stop playing when he sees her go backstage. He gets through the set and the rest of the guys say goodbye to their fans. He is too distracted to give it his full attention. Once backstage, he removes his guitar and weaves through the crew and other musicians in a jog to get to the musicians’ lounge. Disappointment crosses him when he can’t find her. He spots Kie and runs over to his sister’s friend. “Where did she go?” he interrogates, eyes frantically scanning the room for her. Kiara’s eyes roll, “You seriously expect me to tell you after the stunt you just pulled.” His hands clasp together in a shake. “Please, Kie. I needed to do it. She had to know how sorry I was and music has always been our way to connect. It felt right,” he explains, trying to resist the urge to drop to his knees in front of everyone. 

“It’s seven years too late, Rafe.” 

“It’s only too late unless one of us is dead. I need to make sure she is okay. That she knows I mean what I wrote.” 

“I don’t think you are begging enough.” 

His head goes crooked and he follows her gaze to the floor. He swallows his pride and gets onto his knees, “Please, Kiara Carrera. Tell me where Y/N is.” Kie smiles in satisfaction. “I won’t tell you where she lives, but I will tell you where she works and you can keep going there until you happen to be there when she works,” Kiara grants, typing the location into his phone. 

———

The clouds outside make the afternoon dark, adding to Rafe’s loss of hope of not seeing Y/N. The news said it was supposed to rain tonight, but it said that about every day this week and it was wrong. There is a small skip in his step as he reaches for the handle of the coffee shop. An elderly lady stands in the doorway he opened, so he steps back and allows her to pass him. She gives him a small smile as she does. Freshly ground coffee beans and the sound of steam coming from the machine strike his senses. Lydia at the counter recognizes him and begins making his usual before he gets to the register. TJ already has his order punched into the system when he gets there. All Rafe has to do is pay. Once that is done, he sits at a booth sitting along the right wall to wait for his drink. This allows him to see the counter and the front door at the same time. He has been to the cafe every day this week. He only leaves when they close or when he has to practice at the venue. A week isn’t long, yet it still allows him to get to know the people working there. They couldn’t disclose when Y/N is working for privacy issues and he understood why. He would be more concerned if they did tell him no matter who he claimed to be. His name is called and goes up to get it. He reseats himself, opening his laptop to keep himself occupied. 

Lavender. It overpowers him in a good way. He glances toward the front door and she is there, walking further into the store with the most dazzling smile directed toward Lydia. “Look who finally showed up to work,” the barista calls out. Y/N laughs, “I haven’t been scheduled to work. You know that, Silly.” “I know. Work just goes a little slower without my work wife here to keep me company,” Lydia complains with a grin. Y/N hasn’t noticed him and a part of him wishes she never will so she never loses the joy he hasn’t gotten to see since he was sixteen. He considers ducking out before she can see him, except Lydia has other plans. “Oh, by the way, this guy has been coming in every day to see you. He’s sitting over there.” Y/N’s eyes follow Lydia’s finger to where Rafe sits.

She sighs, “My shift doesn’t start for another ten minutes. Is it okay if I…” TJ answers for the barista. “Yeah, take your time.” Y/N’s head bobs and she pulls the hood off from her head. The KCHS written across her chest causes his heart to ache. He gave her some of the money so that she could buy the hoodie. She must not have remembered that fact if she kept it. Her path turns to his table and she settles herself in the seat across from him. “The nerve you have to sing that apology like it can solve all of our problems and then stalk me at my place of work,” she grits through her teeth. He bites the corner of his lip, “Music was always how we connected. And I wanted to make sure you were okay. You ran off during my set.”

“You don’t get to pretend like we still have music after what you said about our mothers. You gave that right up a long time ago. You also aren’t allowed to pretend you care for me.”

He reaches out for her hand and she yanks it away. “The things that I said… They were my greatest mistake. I have never forgiven myself for not apologizing on the spot and I don’t expect you to do so either. I do hope that you know that I regret every single word I uttered that day, Rock Star,” he pleads. He tries to meet her eye, but she averts her gaze. “The world has been a much darker place since you left. I am so sorry that I caused you the pain that I did. I would do anything in this universe to tell my younger self to tell you the truth that day.” She can’t help herself, “And what was the truth, Rafe?” “That even though we hadn’t been on our date yet, I was madly in love with you. I love you with every fibre in my being and it scared me because I knew how much it would hurt if I lost you. Not only that, I was just a teen and stupid enough to think getting a laugh out of my friends was better than facing something new. I had never been so wrong in my entire life.” Her eyes gloss over and checks the time on her phone. She stands up without another word, breaking Rafe’s heart as she walks to the back room. 

The air comes out of his nose in high pressure. He understands her message and leaves Y/N’s place of work. It is hard to process the words he said. Her younger self would’ve loved to hear his declaration of love. She would’ve been so excited. A small part of her heart flutters at the reveal, no matter how angry she is at him. The worst is she genuinely believes he is remorseful of his actions.

Their issues couldn’t be fixed with one small apology; however, she would never forgive herself if she never saw where this could go. “I’m sorry. I’m going to take my break right now,” she informs her co-workers, not waiting for answers. She takes off her apron and throws it onto the ground. She runs out the door in hopes she can still catch him. The crowd makes her question her belief until she spots the blue flannel he is wearing. She threads herself through the people and is met with resistance. “RAFE,” she yells out. He freezes, spinning around to see her. He pushes his way to her and they stand before each other as wet spatters begin to hit their heads. He chances resting his hands on her elbow, delighting when she doesn’t flinch away from him. “I think I forgive you,” she says. The patter from the rain drowns out her words, so he places his forehead against hers to hear her better. His smirk reveals he does have an inkling of what she confessed, “What did you say?” She knows the game he is playing and rolls her eyes. “Forget it, I’m just going to go back to work,” she snarks, turning away to head back to the cafe. Rafe catches her wrist and tugs her against his chest.

Their lips finally connect in the way they have been waiting for for twenty-three years. Her soft petals press hard against him like a rock. He reciprocates the pressure, running his tongue along her lips to ask for entrance. The rainwater mixes in with their saliva as she allows him in. He remembers the jet ski that once drowned him and pulled away. “What about Knox?” he questions. She stares at him with big eyes, “We were never really dating. He is Viola’s brother. He knows our history and thought it would be fun to play around with you to keep you away.” 

“I see. That didn’t work out as you guys had planned, did it? I don’t think anything can keep me away from you once I realize how stupid I was.”

“No it did not… You need to know that just because I forgave you doesn’t mean everything is back to normal. We can’t go back to pretending that we are still the people we used to be. I’m not the girl I was seven years ago and you’ll have to regain my trust.”

“And I am prepared to do whatever it takes to gain back what I broke. As long as I can be by your side.” 

Taglist: @winterrrnight @loves0phelia @thelomlisrafecameron @wickedlovely121 @thepatriarchykeychain @drewsmusee @starkowswife @maybankslover @forstarkey @loving-and-dreaming

[lethalchiralium]

Raindrops | Simon “Ghost” Riley

a/n: 🫶

summary: It’s the first night home with his little one, and he’s trying to remember every moment.

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It’s raining outside and for once in his life, Simon Riley is grateful for it.

It rained almost every day he was tortured by Roba, it rained the day he dug himself out of the grave. It rained when his family was killed; it rained when he buried them - and himself. And it rained the day he lost Grace.

He stood in his bedroom of his stuffy studio apartment in Manchester, curtains opened to watch the cold rain patter against the old glass. It created a soft melody, calming and soothing - because in his large arms sat Winter Grace Riley.

She was a little bigger now, a lot less red than when she was born. Almost a month and a half of hospital visits had gone by since she had came into this world, now his baby got to sleep in his cozy arms instead of an incubator. The mask was discarded at the door, his shirt somewhere in the room because all of the nurse spoke about how skin to skin helped premature babies keep warm and helped him bond with her. So now, in her elephant onesie, she slept soundly to the melody of the rain instead of the steady thrum of machines.

The only light in the room was a far off street light, his studio kept dark for a multitude of reasons. He had tried to clean before she came home with him, but it slipped his mind. The second she passed with flying colors, all he thought about was getting her home in the pretty pink bassinet he had bought, dressing her in all of the animal onesies he thought were nice, and the best of all, Winter sleeping in his arms. She was a little thing, could barely fit in newborn clothes as a seven week old premie, but Winter was his. She was finally home in his shitty apartment, and that made his world turn upside down.

It was scary for Simon. He found it terrifying that such a little thing could sway his view on the world, but he would never change having that little girl.

He pressed a kiss to her head, the baby softly hummed in her slumber. Both arms holding her and he never took his eyes off of her, even as the thunder barreled through Manchester. He memorized her eyelashes, her nose, her mouth, her ears… everything. Because if he were to lose her, he would be destroyed.

It was bedtime for them now. He was meant to put her down in her bassinet, the one with the pink polka dots and pastel stars, but he couldn’t. The rain that finally soothed her came down harder, shouting at him to let her rest, let her be, take her out of his arms so she could sleep.

All he could do was memorize his daughter’s face because he knew that one day… one day she wouldn’t be this little anymore.

Copyright © 2023 lethalchiralium. All rights reserved.

[shadowsofthegun-if]

The Wild West. Daunting. Unforgiving. Untamed.

You know better than anyone the tragedies that have plagued these lands, the injustices that have been committed, and the lives that have been lost. You've seen it all. Seen good people fall victim to the ruthlessness and corruption, seen entire towns burn to the ground, and watched families be torn apart by violence and greed.

For as long as you can remember, you've been a renegade, living on the edge of society. You've never known stability or security, always moving from town to town never settling down. You've been forced to leave nothing but a trail of pain and destruction in your wake. Never been able to stop long enough to think about the consequences.

But is that all you are? Given the chance to change, would you take it? To give instead of take. To help instead of hurt. To build instead of destroy. Or do you want to continue down the same path? To forever be the child without a home, without purpose, without hope.

Will you make sure the West remains untamed or will you too look for a new beginning?

DEMO | Playlist | Pinterest

Customize who you are in the Wild West: appearance, sex, gender, and sexuality

Be an angry little gremlin who's trying to find the place they want in the world

Make life harder for your make shift family or just for yourself

Risk making friends and falling in love. Will you be able to let them go when it's time to run again?

Be an absolute disaster of an outlaw

Rated 18+ due to Child Abuse/Neglect, Death/Child Death, Gore/Violence, Drugs, Alcohol, Potential Sexual Content

'Blessing' Cain / The Renegade

That's you. The young outlaw causing havoc across the West alongside the infamous duo Jesse Alden and Harrison Boyd. I would say that this wasn't always your life but, that would be a lie. Your parents looked at the West and, like every other person, saw a new beginning. They, however, felt that the land out West wasn't for everyone, only for those chosen by the Lord himself. Out they went claiming their land and dealing with anyone who tried to stop them. They hurt people, a lot of people, but the one they hurt the most was you. When they felt it was time to return to the Lord they planned to take their entire family with them. You fought and managed to survive. Now it's up to you to decide if that fight was worth it.

Jesse Alden / The Older Brother

The reason you're here and alive. Jesse is about as close as you can get to an older brother without actually being blood-related. Since the moment he met you, he has always made taking care of you his top priority. Sure, he's annoying at times and doesn't listen to you, but that's what older brothers are supposed to do right? No matter how much you bicker, you know that he'll always have your back. At least you believe he will, he would never hurt his little Blessing right?

Harrison Boyd / The Old Bastard

You and Harrison don't exactly get along real well. If Jesse could be considered your brother, Harrison would be your very distant and always unhappy father. He doesn't hate you, you would know if he did, but he doesn't exactly like you either. Harrison may be a grumpy old bastard, but you can trust him to protect you and Jesse till his dying breath. Try not to annoy him too much, or he might ignore you the rest of the week.

Aster Vega / The Star-Eyed Outlaw / Gender Selectable (RO)

Aster Vega is your first and oldest friend. You first met when you were twelve and they attempted to steal your satchel. After you chased them down and, very aggressively I may add, took it back, they looked at you like you had hung the stars. They still have that look every time you end up running into them again along the road. You have no idea what you did to be looked at like that, but you think it might have something to do with Asters none stop prattling about fate and how "One day we'll ride together. It's written in the stars I know it". Maybe your fates truly are interlinked like they seem to believe.

Romance Route: Love at First sight, Forbidden Lovers, Impossible Love

Roman/a Escuella / The Savior / Gender Selectable (RO)

You met Ro at one of your darkest times ,yet in just a matter of weeks they bring back the light to your life that you had been searching for. They're kind, caring, gentle, and everything that you're not. They love and care for you without hesitation, bringing you into their life and sharing everything they have with you. Allowing you to experience everything you had dreamed of. The real question is, how badly are you going to burn them for their naivety?

Romance Route: First/Young love, Soulmates, Friends to Lovers to Enemies😏

Andrew & Elizabeth Cain / The Devout

You're parents who dragged you and your siblings along on their quest. They're actually insane, and dead. They may be gone, but their actions are hard to forget.

Adrian Blake / The Leader(RO)

He leads the gang that Aster is a part of. From what Aster has said he has a bit of a temper, but as long as you stay on his good side you'll be fine. He's after someone though, but Aster hasn't been told who. Just make sure to avoid him for now, it's for the best.

[the-fandom-crossroads]

Just finished rewatching Advent Children with bro and wow that explained a lot more than I thought it would. Bro had never seen it and I remembered the white void showing up there and that the 3 villains were sephiroth clones. I completely forgot the other hints towards Remake.

But Spoilers for Remake and Rebirth I guess?

I now understand why everyone insists Remake Sephiroth is Advent Children Sephiroth. Like the exact same monologue about going to space with cloud. And Advent Children was him revealing this new bigger plan to cloud. If Remake Sephiroth was the original VII sephiroth he should still just want to use meteor because it's "mother's" will.

But like all that is old news for folks who remembered Advent Children when playing through Remake 4 years ago.

I think the things Rebirth builds on about the lifestream is more interesting. The pond that forms in Aerith's church in AC is a natural mako spring like the countless ones we find in rebirth. Flowers are able to grow there long after Aerith's death because of this spring just below the surface.

When Cloud "dies" in Advent Children he meets Aerith and Zack in the white void before they decide to put him back. He's released from the lifestream in the natural mako spring now in Aerith's church just like how Tifa is tossed back out when she enters with the whale.

Again for anyone who's recently watched AC it's obvious the white void is meant to represent the lifestream. But that means Rebirth is confirming the Lifestream is a bridge between the different universes. Zack enters the Lifestream and runs into Remake cloud who's also been pulled in. AC is all about how Sephiroth is still in the lifestream and that's how Kadaj is able to be possessed by him once he has enough Jenova cells. Cloud kills Sephiroth putting him back in the Lifestream. The Lifestream that connects all vii worlds.

AC Sephiroth then uses the lifestream to start appearing before a Cloud that has only just reached Midgar. His Meddling summons the whispers which fight back to keep things to the "cannon" timeline. Sephiroth of course tricks team Avalanche into destroying the head Whisper allowing him to take control of them. Again old news for anyone that knew Sephiroth wanted them to break the bonds of Fate.

But if Sephiroth is using the lifestream to mess with other worlds. it shouldn't be a surprise one of the Aerith's also already in the lifestream got involved too. As other's have pointed out the Aerith that gives cloud the not empty White materia isn't remake Aerith. But another Aerith that pulled him into that universe to give him a functioning white materia. But somehow Remake Aerith knew the hand over happened? Because in the white forest she asks cloud for the materia and they swap so she has a functioning white materia. That part confuses me a little. How did our Aerith know the handoff happened?

Also Rufus and Kadaj have a conversation about how everything's a cycle. That Jenova "Mother" will always try to destroy the planet and the lifestream/humanity will always fight back. Made me realize AC Sephiroth wasn't going back on his timeline to make a new one but hopping into the next timeloop. OG VII and Advent Children's cannon is locked in. Remake is truely that a remaking of the timeline made possible by Cloud and Co defeating the whispers that enforce the timeloops. So now instead of one spiral after another and infinite number of spirals are forming while the remake loop is still happening.

That's why Sephiroth waited until the *spoilers* cannon event to appear in Rebirth. It's an all the stars a line situation. All timeloops have that moment, regardless of how it's different in different versions.

But Rebirth's cannon event was just a test run. Sephiroth wanted to see how much power he could gain just from multiple timelines merging at one point.

Sephiroth already told us what he really wants. The Black materia but not the one from the remake universe no the ultimate black materia forged from all the black materia. And what's the next big plot point that could be a cannon event? Cloud's breakdown at the northern crater after handing the Black Materia over to Sephiroth. If there's any point where the timelines would over lap it would be there. We already saw the power boost Sephiroth got. If that power boost happens to the black Materia yeah that's a multiverse destroying meteor right there.

Wow was that a long wall of text about stuff everyone else probably already knows. But I just had to put all the clarity Advent Children gave me about Remake and Rebirth somewhere. Expect a spiral timeline graphic in the future. Cause I feel like i'm forgetting to explain some of it right.

[flower-boi16]

How Ozzie's Doesn't Matter in Season 2

When Ozzie's came out, it initially seemed like a big turning point for the series; we were all very excited to see how these events would playout in Season 2. Unfortunately, Season 2 completely disappoints when it comes to Ozzie's (just like pretty much EVERYTHING), as, what was once a big turning point for the show feels like it doesn't matter, having little consequences in the season. Let's get into why.

1. Stolas and Blitz's relationship

Ozzie's ended with Blitz cutting Stolas out and telling him he was very upset that their relationship was just about Stolas fucking him and nothing else. Now, you'd think that things would be more awkward after that, that there would be some tension between the two after it....except no.

The next time they see each other in Seeing Stars, they act as if Ozzie's never happened and interact like everything's normal. This set off a lot of fans obviously, as this was very jarring for them to go back to normal after such a major event for them. Then Western Energy came around and made things worse by resolving off-screen with a blink and you'll miss it text message.

So Blitz and Stolas' dynamic does not change at all in Season 2 despite how the last season ended their relationship, there's no tension between them at all and they just pretend like nothing happened, and, to add insult to injury, they made it get resolved with a text message.

Then Oops came along and suddenly things were different? Like, the conflict with Stolas getting the crystal seems to be continuing the feud him and Blitz had when Ozzie's ended...but, when the consequences of the episode have been completely ignored up until this point, having it suddenly matter NOW six episodes in feels like too-little-too-late.

You can't have the consequences of an episode not matter for five episodes and then have it suddenly matter now, it's better to have those consequences matter the whole way through rather than whenever the show FEELS like it wants them to matter.

But I'm done talking about that, let's get into...

2. Stolas becoming a better person

With Blitz telling Stolas that he doesn't want to fuck him anymore, you'd think this could set up an arc for Stolas where he ends up realizing his mistakes and decides to become a better person...

...except no. Season 2 chucks away any real potential for Stolas as a character and, instead of making him realize his mistakes and decide to grow from them, Season 2 decides to woobify Stolas and coddle him for his mistakes, and demonizes any character who dares get mad at what he's done to them.

Stolas could have been easily the best character in the whole show; somebody who realizes his mistakes and decides to make amends and grow from them, but season 2 completely destroyed that in favor of making Stolas an UwU soft boy who did nothing wrong (despite doing a LOT OF SHIT WRONG but ok). It threw away any potential for an interesting arc for Stolas because it's too busy coddling and woobifying him to do that. Now let's get into...

3. Stolas being found out

In Ozzie's, Asmodeus exposed Stolas for sleeping with an Imp, making it seem like a big deal that would have consequences in season 2...but it doesn't. I already talked about this in my post about Hellaverese' world-building issues but Stolas has not received any real consequences so far for sleeping with Blitz, so what's even the point of making it out to be such a big deal if Stolas was NEVER going to face consequences for it at all?

Stolas being found out doesn't matter despite the show making it out to be a big deal because Stolas has received NO punishment or consequences for this at all despite Ozzie's trying to imply otherwise.

4. Conclusion

So ya, that's how Ozzie's in Season 2 doesn't matter. For an episode that was supposed to be this big turning point for a lot of things in the show, Season 2 completely ignores all the consequences of the episode, making it feel completely and utterly meaningless.

[skadee]

𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘦

[ blade x f!reader ] blade in his feels, hurt/comfort, only you can bring dawn after his twilight surrounds

• now playing;; lapalux — without you

blade felt suffocating, yet again, in a dream that never started, just sucked him in, in a dream that was truly ancient and real, that surely must've been there since eons. and it chose him, and it had him, and had him, and had him and got him tied up.

the dream was of nothing, it was just of the feeling of something filling everything around you, it was just the sea, the great sea, sea of something only he could experience.

first, it was the great sea of pain. then it got dull, and now it's an abyss of nihility. absolute indifference. absolute silence. blade is silent, he is indifferent to everything and everyone surrounding him. he moves amongst crowds and swords and stars slowly, unhurriedly. and yet, and yet there are times and places where there is a storm raging and throbbing in his chest, cracking his ribs, squishing his soul into a great mass of agony of the remembrance. such a storm can only corrupt. c o r r u p t.

right you by force to suck you in

is existence in such corruption and state even worth space? is it worth the bloodshed? worth the energy, time and impacts he made throughout those eternal decades, centuries? blade does not know. sometimes, it is better to not know. it is better to not think too much about eternity he has in front of him, and which he despises and wishes to destroy. it seems, however, like there is someone for whom this existence is the very pure reason of why the world keeps spinning. there is someone who needs his existence. (his protection, no—)

to pull you under, tight

he shifted, silky sheets heavier with bits of sweat, his hair a mess, his hands gripping the soft blankets, his leg twitching uncontrollably at the memory of centuries without death and—

and ren hears your soft sigh, as you shuffle, your arm moving closer in his direction, in search of him. it has scars and well built muscles from fighting alongside him for such a long time. he blinks shock away from his crimson pupils.

you. you who stood beside blade, if he was in wrong or right, in light or shadow, by day or at night. it is you who needs him. and try as he may, sooner or later the conclusion comes that he needs you too. in such a vulnerable state you find him as you slowly open your eyes, which blade guesses are still heavy with sleep and unconsciousness. you're small next to him, more slim, valley of your hips wider than his but with thinner shoulders and prettier chest, prettier thighs. his shaky (but powerful) hand finds its way on your waist, where it belong. you huff.

"you up?" your voice embraces him.

"as you."

he hates that you notice that something is, in fact, not in its usual condition as you move even closer, your upper body touching his ribcage, your very warm breath tickling thin skin on his neck, arm thrown over blade's body. he turns head to you, you tilt yours. your lips drown in his in an act of a soft kiss. he stole so many of your kisses by now.

"blade" you yawn. "you should get some rest."

he licks over his teeth, stares up at the ceiling.

"didn't try it yet" the answer is dry.

you roll your eyes, opening your thighs so you can sit on his waist and snuggle into his hard chest.

"what is bothering your little brain?" you ask, making him close his eyes for a second.

when he opens them again and looks into your very own soul, it feels as if you're staring into two vast red pools, with sadness glowing in them like little fish.

"blade?"

"i regret making you depend on me" he lets out, his lungs doubling in size and then going back to normal when he sighs. "and making myself depend on you."

"so dark, as usual" you click your tongue. "the overthinking."

"it is not overthinking, it is more of a realization. i will not be having you for long in my life. instead, it will be more of a blink."

you smirk, your fingers tracing his sharp jawline.

and your words are engraved in me, so long as guilt resides here

"that is true." you admit. "i won't live forever."

blade bites his tongue, the sudden tide of sadness too much to handle. for now. for now, for this night, he asks for your comforting hold only.

even if you do not live forever, he does. he does live forever for both of you. for every comrade and enemy he lost over these long millenniums. out of all the things he forgot, there are some he may never lose. one of them is you. right? it must be you. you brought so much difference to his life, so much change. that chance mustn't be mashed into one with the mud.

come to the walls and writing, without broken hearts imprinted beside me

he knew love once. some part that is within him now, knew love once and once was enough. but you came and crushed the thesis down. once was not enough for his soul. he now chose you, you over peace, you over hatred and not caring. you became the one he dreamed to kiss.

"blade."

his lips ghost over your forehead, in an angelic manner. it's funny. you laid with the devil and now it feels like the heavens guest you.

"blade, i love you" you say, your voice weak and shivering like a leaf, but the idea strong and unmoving.

i do not want you to leave me

he will never (maybe) say it out loud to you, but he wishes he never met you, he wishes that in every other universe his sword pierced your heart before you could ever say your first words to him. just so he could never know your love, because he is aware of the fact you will be gone in a few years, or maybe less, and he will be alone, without you, without you, and the dreams of the sea cycle will repeat, this time, however, without you to steal yet another kiss from his dry lips.

i do not want to leave you

will this love ever be gone with time?

you squeeze his hand, you intertwine your fingers with his.

"you clearly do" he answers you, his voice stoic, filled with something you can't put a finger on yet. "i do not love you as visibly, i feel."

"you love me enough to show me your tears, ren" you lean forward and kiss away demons, nightmares, droplets from the sea of the dream.

you kiss away tears at his cheek that, in fact, appeared there some time ago. blade didn't notice. he does not make any deal out of it. he is tired, and he is with you.

i do not want you to leave me. i do not want to leave you.

his lips dance on yours for twenty eight seconds.

"i love you much" he promises, and you trust.

he kisses your eyelids, and you sleep again.

@skadee 2024

[ruikeremi]

From my other post of diamond!Reader i was actually thinking if i should make a pearl! Reader as well now im flooded with ideas and i have school later at 6am and im still not asleep because of these thoughts not letting me sleep

You guys can decide whatever color the reader is-

Here are some of what i thought of:

Diamond!Reader who has a gem on their right hand, unlike the other diamonds she doesn't pick a planet to rule, instead she makes her own world using her powers, which is creation she can make anything she wishes but it has a limit the more she uses this power the more that she grows weak, she rules no planets and only helps the other diamonds rule their planets or find a unclaimed planet and tells it to the others, she is also considered the right hand person of white diamons

Diamond!Reader is close to pink diamond every time pink diamond is locked up on the tower she always visits her and a company her, the two were close Diamond!Reader sees pink as family and they barely talk to the other diamonds they're a quiet person around the others but she talks a lot around pink

Diamond!Reader who found the land of Khaenri'ah in which had no gods ruling over it they wanted and only humans at first they wanted to tell the others about this unclaimed land but the mortals in it peeked their interest as they witnessed them create and build these machines it amazes them that a mere mortal can make such a wonderful creations just by the things around them

Diamond!Reader decided to visit the nation to see in their own eyes the creation of these mortals, as they spends more and more time on the nation they felt an attachment to the people in it, and they had been hanging out with dain lately they felt like they were home and informed pink about this discovery and they're relationship with the mortals making pink shares about the new planet that was finally given to her to rule, earth

Diamond!Reader was well known in Khaenri'ah as they helped with some machines and inventions, some of it they created themself with help, making them quite popular as they help and participate in some inventions known to the nation, the people had viewed them as a very important person as without their help some of their inventions/creations weren't made thus they have build statues of them and they were well known by everyone

Diamond!Reader was also viewed as inspiring and admirable that some writers had decided to make a book about them, they're contribution to their country and to the way they help all of them to raise even more

Diamond!Reader who starts to neglect their job as a diamond and was in the mortals world to see and learn about the mortals, they have also met a blonde traveler from afar in which they have been trying to get to know as their friendship grow, so did their relationship with the diamonds fell as they haven't been going to their meetings nor helping the other diamond

Diamond!Reader was scolded by white diamond seeing her smile makes them shiver as she had no choice but to stop visiting Khaenri'ah, once they were informed about the rebel of one of pinks people and the troublesome things that it resulted they had gotten ready for the war, not before pink has told them about it, that rose and her is the same and she was only doing this so that she can live peacefully in earth, they agreed to keep this a secret

Diamond!Reader became busy with their responsibility as a diamond that she had forgotten about Khaenri'ah, and only remembered it when they were staring at the stars pondering thinking that it had been a long time since they last visited it they revisited the nation only to find it in a mess there were no more people and the joyous laughter of kids was no longer there and the warm smiles of the people and the welcoming aura is long gone

Diamond!Reader stared at the now fallen country and saw a familiar blonde haired traveler running to them as they asked what happened and claimed that the seven gods had destroyed it because it had no ruler, making them taken back from this information

Diamond!Reader felt heart broken as the joy and warm smiles of the people in Khaenri'ah have now turned to ashes, at least that what they thought as they decided to leave Khaenri'ah their heart yo heavy from the guilt that they couldn't protect Khaenri'ah and its people, they left Khaenri'ah and decided to leave to see more of teyvat

Okay so-, i have no idea what i just wrote, yes teyvat wasn't invented by diamond reader because i think i remembered that the diamonds would take a planet take every living land from it i think?- and mold the existing planet to whatever they please, diamond reader won't be doing that and instead only be views as a good because of the books and inventions they helped made, I'm sorry if some of it don't make sense, this is my first time writing so please forgive me if i made any mistakes or confusing things-

Its 1am rn, and i started writing this at 12am- so I'll prob head to sleep even though im supposed to wake up at 3am but whatever- I'll try to improve and try my best yo remember genshin and steven Universe lore because it has been a long time since the last time i have read them and i recently deleted genshin but i do remember the lore, so stay tuned! I'll try my best, slow updates too, it is a self aware, just wait for updates and I'll def explain it more for now ik brain dead and in need of sleep, see y'all!

Again this is my first time writing so forgive me if i make mistakes

[llamagoddessofficial]

@aka-indulgence had the GALL to talk to me about their Moon God concept. how dare u rope me into this, you know how much I love writing Gods

---

"... I think you'd like the Earth," she said, softly.

... The chains clinked gently, as the restrained God cocked his head to the side. Despite how her warm starlight bathed his body, his own glow remained cold and grey, far older and deeper light than hers.

A cruel, crescent smile worked its way onto his face. "i thought you said you knew what i did, little comet."

Her lip turned. Oh, how he loved when her pretty face frowned... something so beautiful, trying so hard to be unpleasant, and instead appearing even sweeter.

"The Earth is wonderful." She repeated, stubbornly, to the monster that had tried to destroy it all. Her hair floated around her, like nebulae clouding in deep space.

He leaned forward. Suddenly, the chains began to strain- despite the brave face she quickly put on he saw her flinch, he saw her light flicker, dimming in fear. She was a brave thing, of course... but she was still smart, and when the lunar God drew nearer the urge to flee was written all over her.

"you've never seen a world without light, have you, my star?" Shadows as deep as silence began to mar his gleeful face and giant body. "of course not, not when you are light. but did you ever think about how things might look when you're not there? do you and your sisters, and your damned mother, ever think about how different everything is when you're not there to encourage its mindless love? the earth isn't such a wonderful place. especially not when it's got enough darkness to hide in."

She had frozen. She stared at him with wide, glittering eyes. His own eyelights were sharp and small, old moons in the arms of the new.

He sat back. "well. that's just my thoughts. and i-"

.... Suddenly, warmth washed over him- her eyebrows shot up and she rounded on him like a spitting fire, her glow red hot. "What do you know about the Earth!?"

Sans startled, blinking and drawing back in surprise; flashing blue and violet colours suddenly filled the room, a little supernova of emotion bursting out of her. She approached his bars, voice echoing as loud as a little God's voice could.

"Don't mistake my silence for contemplation, Moon." She flared. "And forgive my insolence, but haven't you been sitting in a cave for... what, a few hundred thousand years? What do you know about the Earth, you fool? And don't tell me about mindless mortal love, stars do nothing! We guide sailors if we're lucky, and we end up trapped as mortal wives if we're not! There are creatures who run from the sun, whose whole lives revolve around your light, and you lecture me about..."

...

Her glow started to dim, becoming gentler and whiter, as she looked at the gleeful and exhilarated expression on his face. By the way her eyes widened, and her breaths softened, she seemed to be slowly remembering who she was talking to.

"... A-about..." She stepped back from the bars. Her light was dimming further and further. "About... u-uhm..."

... No small amount of panic was written on her face. The little Goddess looked like she was about to turn and flee.

He had to stop himself from pulling forward and frightening her. no. don't go. don't leave. it's dark without you.

...

Sans raised his face, slightly. "there are creatures who live by moonlight?"

... She let out a small breath. "Y... yes. There are many."

"it has..." He glanced to the side, struggling in admitting his shortcoming... struggling in sacrificing his pride in the hopes she'd stay. "... it has been a long time, since i saw the earth. things have perhaps moved on more without me than i realised."

"Perhaps." She said, with the last of her anger.

...

"... would you tell me about them?" His gaze was a strange type of soft that she'd never seen before. "the creatures, living in the night?

... That clearly surprised her. It was her turn to cock her head, the motion made him want to cup her like a firefly.

"Of... of course." She drew in closer again. "There are many...

He relaxed, as she started to speak. She didn't know it wasn't her proximity that made him start to shine a little bit brighter.

[moonlight-tmd]

Bumblebee has just a natural talent to make friends.

Enough with the angsty shit, time for some good stuff- Bee, despite being dragged thru so much shit in his own life, is still a happy and hopeful ray of sunshine. He always looks at stuff on the positive side and tries to make everyone smile.

He may be a "side character" in the world but he's that one side character everyone loves. He's cheerful and kind and can be a menace full of jokes but at the end of the day everyone enjoys his company. He has that charm that could bring out that little bit of childish joy in anyone he spoke to.

Which is why he somehow befriended the Decepticons residing on Earth.

When Team Prime first got on Earth, Bee was the first to befriend Sari. He had no issues befriending local citizen and making little friend groups here and there.

Then Lugnut and Blitzwing arrived on Earth. It was quite a mess the first time they all met. Later on Blitzwing went off to explore stuff and bumped into Bee wandering out at night in hopes to do something fun. They were supposed to fight but Bee derailed their initial argument to a discussion about something stupid and then into a talk about interests. Tadah, Friend #1.

I suppose Starscream joined in on Earth shortly after. He didn't really enjoy Lugnut's company and went to 'patrol'. Then he saw Blitz and this little yellow autobot on some outskirts area and came down to see the fight.

...Except there was no fight.

They two had gathered much scrap from the nearby yard and were trying to build a fort out of it. Starscream had just dropped in unannounced and made a mess from one of the piles. Of course he argued about them hanging out when Bee scolded him for destroying their hard work, but they just seemed to ignore it. Of course, Bee accused him of being jealous of not being able to build a fort like them... and somehow, Starscream bit the bait and they had a bet. While Bee and Blitz build one side of the fort, Star built the other. It ended in them all correcting each other's mistakes and making a pretty nice fort. Friend #2.

...Then the Autobots got a call about some giant robots being rowdy in the area. Bee wasn't picking up so that got them a bit worried, but when they got to the place there was just this small fortification of some sorts with scrap and tarp hanging from it. In their attempt to sneak closer someone knocked over some left over scrap and Blitzwing popped up from behind the wall.

"Who is intruding on our land?!" He was set on his freaky black face, soon enough Bee himself popped up from behind the same wall.

"Bee- get out from there!!" Optimus tried to warn. Bee and Blitz just looked at each other for a second before Bee simply answered. "No."

So instead of a fight there was just this confused argument between Blitz+Bee and Team Prime about the fort. At some point Starscream popped out from behind the same wall as them and yelled at them to frag off and that they're "having important discussions". In reality Blitz went and stole some oil barrels and rusted rods as snacks and they had a little tea party.

Team Prime was just arguing with a bunch of childish idiots in a makeshift fort. When they tried to get close they were assaulted with snowballs (Blitz made them) so they just left them to their thing.

It got even weirder when Megatron was revived. I imagine he captured Bee to interrogate and tried to get him to spill info but at that moment he was tired and annoyed with what the frag his soldiers were pulling in base and Bee caught onto that. So instead of Megs interrogating Bee, the scout talked with Megs about shit he was tired of dealing with, even cracked some jokes that Megs surprisingly chuckled at.

It didn't take long for Lugnut to also take a liking to Bee. After he befriended Megs and Blitz he kinda had a free pass to come hang out in the decepticon base. Lugnut caught Blitz talking with Bee and tried to report it to Megs, but the warlord only joined in on the gossip. Lugnut doesn't have much personal interests outside his job but Bee got him to open up a bit.

Shockwave was very confused when he saw Bee just casually taking with Megs over some oil. He was already tamed by the minibot and didn't need any time to warm up to him again.

I suppose Bee also befriended Blackarachnia in the meantime. He caught her hanging out in some abandoned building and derailed the fight into a talk. So she's now like a mean cool aunt to him.

Starscream also introduced him to his clones, they all know to not harm the little guy. He's very likable. Skywarp has a special friendship with Bee considering he's very skittish and Bee provides the best quality comfort.

All of the Decepticons have an unspoken promise to protect this ray of sunshine at all cost. Funny to imagine Lugnut just fighting Autobots when some building crumbles and he ditches it all to stop it from falling on Bee, then he picks him up and places him some distance away and continues fighting the other Autobots.

I don't actually know how the Autobots are gonna cope with this- like, on one hand it's nice that Bee doesn't get hurt but on the other hand these are Decepticons and the "friendship protection" doesn't apply to them.

They also can't make Bee not go and hang out with them cuz Bee will find a way to sneak out and do so anyway and the 'cons will be pissed and possibly wreck more havoc if they find out Bee is grounded.

[kuroosdarling]

FALLING OUT OF ORBIT — ༉‧₊˚.

ft. gojo satoru !

꒰ SYNOPSIS ꒱ : you and gojo have always had something going on; something more than friendship, but have never addressed it. for you, fear held you back. for him, it was the world.

꒰ CONTENTS ꒱ : MANGA SPOILERS !! set in canon universe, angst with ambiguous ending, a glimpse into both POVs — wc: 1k

꒰ NOTES ꒱ : said i wouldn’t write for gojo but then this concept came along and i ran with it. this is a lil diff than what i usually write tbh so please enjoy !! <3

reblogs and interactions are always appreciated ! (*ᴗ͈ˬᴗ͈)ꕤ*.ﾟ

19 days. 19 days you’ve had to endure life without gojo by your side. without him constantly getting under your skin, trying to pry a smile out from it. you never thought you’d miss the childish behavior so much or how whiny he’d get when he didn’t get his way.

you never realized how much it helped you fight better, how it made you stronger. the glimpse of light during the dark moments was now gone and all you could do was suffer in the shadows. because when the brightest star burns out, all you’re left with is the empty wish that it’d come back.

if he was jupiter, you were europa. if you were the earth, he was your moon. always orbiting each other, suffocating each other with a heavy dose of gravity but never being able to touch. never able to collide due to the fear of the ripple effect it would undoubtedly cause.

a constant song that has you dancing around each other's feelings, skirting around the truth in fear that if the other doesn’t feel the same, gravity will snap. instead of orbiting each other, you’d launch out into the great abyss to face the unknown completely alone.

his infinity helped keep it from becoming a reality, drawing an invisible line that separated the two of you. not only distancing his physical body from yours, but using it effectively as a wall around his heart. tossing around flirtatious jokes here and there paired with an undeniably strong friendship was just enough to keep the rest of the feelings at bay.

at least for him.

because in those 19 days, he still managed to consume you. every moment spent trying to find a way to get him to come back to you no matter the cost. your mind only capable of thinking about him. him. him.

and when he finally returned, a part of you wished he hadn’t. the orbit was suddenly thrown off of its axis as gojo learned the truth about everything that happened in the last 19 days, his eyes never leaving yours as he grasped the new reality of the world.

and yet, your heart couldn’t stop chanting his name, claiming that anything could happen now. but reality was colder, the war ahead sinking itself into gojos skin and making its home there in your stead. he was always good at wearing his mask in front of the others, but you knew behind that teasing smile was a black hole ready to destroy everything around it.

there was one moment when you got close enough, your feelings about ready to overflow from your mouth and into his soul like a moth to a flame. but one look from him had it all retreating back deep within your heart, the flame extinguished without uttering a single word.

it was a look of dismissal, coated with an obscene amount of guilt. one that told you, “not now” and had your heart locking up the burning question of “then when?”.

but you knew gojo better than that. he needed to see this battle through before he could charge forward to his feelings for you that had long since been tucked away. all you had to do was wait for your orbit to resync, granting you a second chance and letting your love finally spark into a supernova.

gojo knew that in this world, he wouldn’t be able to be with you. he couldn’t give you what you deserved, he had too much on his plate to do so. if he didn’t win the fight then he couldn’t change the world into one where he could properly be with you.

the weight of the world tirelessly rested on his shoulders. something he had grown up with and eventually grew into — the pressure always looming there.

it was heavy, pressing deep into his back with each step he took. it would never waver, never go away. he was forced to carry it with him no matter where he went and act like it didn’t affect him.

how do you keep moving with the weight of the world resting on you?

coming out of the box had been another tragedy in his life. the sudden reappearance of the ghost of his late best friend showing up, effectively catching him off guard and throwing him into a place he never wants to think about again. but everyone looked so relieved when they saw him reappear, looked up to him as some savior when all he wanted to do was take you with him and turn the other way.

it would be so easy for him to be selfish. to say “screw the world, im going after my own happy ending.” but no matter how many times he thought about it, or even how many times he could’ve easily changed his course, he stayed back; the weight on his back kept him firmly in place.

so, gojo kept up his usual facade, not wanting to worry everyone. but the truth was, he was tired. so very exhausted, the weight seeping deeper into his bones.

the day you came into his life was one of the best days and the worst. even geto had poked fun at him for how love struck he was. the times had been so simple back then. there were no heartbreaking betrayals, no looming threat that couldn’t have been taken care of with the simple snap of his fingers.

the weight of the world had been shared upon all of your backs. but once geto left, the weight had to be redistributed and he couldn’t bare the thought of you carrying any more than you had to.

maybe when the war was over he could hear what you had to tell him, what he’s been longing for this whole time. but with everything teetering on the brink of chaos, he needed to do this alone and tuck those selfish desires away.

so for now, he broke your heart and took all of the burdens of the world with him, holding onto the hope that you’ll one day forgive him.

[charmilyharmily]

The Amazing Digital Downpour

Woe, Rainworld and TADC au be upon ye.

It’s mostly just the designs but I’m still going to ramble about what’s planned down below

So the general premise is ‘What if the circus was in rain world’ and this is it.

Caine and Bubble are the classic duo of iterator and overseer. But Caine has kinda forgotten his original goal and so has taken on the task of keeping all these not ancient ancients from going insane through fun challenges and adventures. Especially since there’s no escape from his can due to some technical oversights during his creation, and the whole cycle thing prevents anyone from truly dieting, so that’s not an escape either.

(If they die they just get ‘respawned’ the next cycle with minimal harm; everyone still remembering and coping with it)

Now on to the main stars of this show. Everyone here was at some point an ancient and only remembers attempting to ascend before suddenly falling from a random pipe within Caines structure. Oh and ending up in rather unusual bodies.

Caine has no idea where they come from nor how they appeared, so that’s a dead end. And escape is practically impossible as far as anyone is aware.

So what’s going on with everyone?

Pomni

Weird lantern mouse (her tail glows instead of her open tire body)

Absolutely minuscule

Practically shakes from how much anxiety she has

Otherwise she’s the Pomni you know and love

Just add on some extra existential dread

Ragatha

Mostly a normal slugcat

Just extra fluffy

Surpassingly craft for having less dexterous hands

Kinger

Scavenger

Just a weirdly colored scav

About as obsessed with bugs as he is with pearls

Somehow has managed to get quite the collection of both

Jax

Really weird slugcat

Got lizard in him or something

Still just as much of a jerk

Has absolutely gotten everyone killed once

Zooble

They’re just a mix of everything, you name it, it’s probably in there (somewhere)

Which has somehow led to them being pretty chill, guess all those instincts just cancel everything out

Takes full advantage of their size, and uses it to scare off Jax (no it has not stopped him from being the end of them)

Gangle

A garbage worm with some vulture

She’s still heavily influenced by her masks for her emotions, although to a lesser degree

Without them she looks mostly like a normal garbage worm (just red)

She gets very upset and angry, and will chase whoever stole or broke her mask (only does it for awhile till she tries herself out)

After she tires herself out she just acts generally mopey

Is in fact made of three different organisms, the smaller worms act as her arms

Bubble

It’s Bubble not much to say

He’s an overseer and acts the exact same, if not more annoying since he has more free reign

Caine

He’s an iterator, capable of controlling practically everything in his can

His face got destroyed before anyone can remember (Kinger doesn’t count)

Just as clueless on how ancients work, he didn’t get to talk with them much

He will often create purposed organisms and alter his structure to fit the daily adventure, trying to keep it from killing anyone

The structure is unusual, almost like it was made for what’s currently happening

With huge rooms and areas just mostly empty, and much more editing capabilities than most iterators

Despite being trapped in his room, he tries to stay connected vie Bubble and built in screens

A better image of the height chart

[scarlettaagni]

Original Zs’skayr

The original Zs’skayr was a cruel High Ecto Lord on Anur Phaetos. Enforcing his need for total control across its globe, handsomely rewarding his sycophants, and siccing his thralls onto dissenters.

At least until his tyrannical influence had begun intruding onto other planets, which caused the disparate populaces, collectively outnumbering his loyalists, to rise up and depose him. In a show of mercy he would never have afforded them if the roles were reversed, they banished a notably un-dismantled Zs’skayr instead of destroying him.

His own homeworld had forsaken him, and no place in Anur proper would have him. Few citizens of Anur had left the system, him included. The safest place he knew was remaining adrift in the vast expanse between planets and moons.

With no one to abuse or deflect to, having nothing left to his name, the cold vacuum of space gave him no choice but to begin introspection.

Zs’skayr lost the will to fight for his throne, as well as his hunger for power. There was little left to feel but shame.

With a new purpose in mind, he would explore the galaxy outside of his native system. In the face of his narrow-mindedness, Zs’skayr replaced his thirst for power with one for knowledge, and broaden his horizons.

To learn about the people and worlds outside Anur as well as he did the ones inside, he possessed various beings to explore.

A not insignificant amount took it poorly, such as on Vrykola—

They could’ve used their tools right then or come back with a mob holding pitchforks and torches, so he just counted his lucky stars and more discreetly picked a different host.

Most worlds were just confused, though.

A precious few took it well, like Aldabra—

The Geochelone Aerios were pleasantly surprised to meet an outsider who wished to learn and understand as much as they did, and they had a lot to discuss with him on autonomy and free will, as well as pacifism and de-escalation. Zs’skayr had much impromptu therapy there.

Some were even receptive to him outside of a more familiar host, or even outside of his (what he would come to recognize as appearing “less-threatening”) sun shade. In fact, the royal elect of the Chimeran Empire insisted on it.

That was mainly so it was easier for them and the snipers stationed around the capital to destroy Zs’skayr if he made a move they didn’t like.

Aside from the dawning realization he had just unintentionally threatened an imperialistic military state in front of its leader, the tour he received was enjoyable. They did not make mention of Vilgax.

It was strange, because he had heard developing stories of Vilgax’s conquests and reigns of terror upon other worlds. Maybe it wasn’t so strange the Chimerans didn’t acknowledge this sensitive, worsening stain on their history.

Considering what he and Vilgax had in common, Zs’skayr thought that his kind may have adopted a similar attitude about him. He ultimately would prefer for truth to prevail above all, including information embargos/taboos for the sake of his or anyone’s comfort.

Tales of the Omnitrix’s development similarly spread throughout the galaxy, in hushed whispers, and on his travels, Zs’skayr heard nothing but its prospects as the ultimate weapon.

He was none too pleased, already being surrounded with violence and advancing weapons. It seemed to be all talk and no bite, however. Equal in frequency of stories about the Omnitrix were the ones debunking its existence. It never turned up within Zs’skayr’s vicinity, anyways.

He helped others,

and he was helped by others.

Eventually, Zs’skayr had learned all he wished to, talked to more people than most do in their lifetimes. He was homesick, but knew no good would come from trying to return to Phaetos.

Still wishing to be close, he found a habitable rock on the outskirts of the Anur system, far from Phaetos and made a home.

Since then, Zs’skayr had lived a quiet, humble life in isolation. Built up a cottage, sewed furniture, cultivated a garden in the gnarled wilds that managed to sprout on this rock.

He didn’t feel he deserved to live with his people again, and he didn’t deserve an update on how they were doing, however they decided to govern themselves in his absence. Whether it was good or bad, it wasn’t his business anymore, and they wouldn’t want to be bothered. He respects their wish.

He writes (working on a journal of his travels), he gardens, he goes out for walks and floats, he sleeps, he’s become a tea-fiend, even leaving his rock to the nearest nebula to collect stardust for flavoring. Just a place to wait out his days in peace, hurting no one, retired from social interaction.

At least until an outsider entering the Anur system noticed the clearly inhabited rock and landed to explore. Though painfully shy, Zs’skayr politely greeted her and asked what she wanted, balking at the mention of contributing to the Omnitrix’s creation. As far as he was concerned, it was some superweapon that probably didn’t actually exist, and if it did, he wanted no part in it.

Myaxx gave Zs’skayr the boilerplate explanation of the Omnitrix project her boss Azmuth wrote out for her to read out to all potential donors.

The Omnitrix is a device, not a weapon, that allows its user to become another species. The wielder would become a symbol of galactic unity among its denizens, and to help them grow closer together. It pulls from a catalogue of DNA samples volunteered by willing members of their species. Would Zs’skayr do the favor and, on their behalf, volunteer for the Ectonurites?

The idea of someone who could step into another being’s shoes, or rather, assume the guise of another species to bridge the gap was personal to him. It was a radical, ethical, almost impossibly ideal version of what he had done across the galaxy to understand others better.

Zs’skayr could somehow contribute to the healing of entire worlds and systems. It was something he would have declined earlier in his life, and even doubted he could do now.

Moved by this, he agreed to be the Ectonurite donor for the Omnitrix and tore off a shred of his tentacle for her.

Unfortunately, a grave miscommunication neither realized had occurred. Zs’skayr knew that the sample had a copy of his consciousness on it, but believed that an Ectonurite was only being asked for a DNA sample because the Omnitrix project knew and had a way of correcting it.

Anur’s species are quite insular, rarely leaving or allowing outsiders, and as such, details of their anatomy are not common knowledge to them. Simply put, Myaxx didn’t know to ask, and Zs’skayr didn’t think to tell her.

The now original Zs’skayr then continued his isolation on the edge of Anur, secure in the knowledge that he, at last, could make a net positive impact.

He’d be proud to know of the difference Ben made with him, for the short while he could.