#anyhow this took way longer than i thought

[indigo-graves]

Warmth | Eugene Roe

When the curtains were no longer able to block out the sun, there was a shift beside Roe, which caused him to stir. There was a moment where he found himself struggling to orient himself to the room. It had been all too easy to forget he was in a bedroom, under warm linens, and not in the snow-dusted forest of Bastogne. A warmth he never would quite be able to replicate radiated from beside him, something he had an even harder time orienting himself to. Even more recent than their arrival at the Eagle’s Nest, was the bedfellow he had found once they got there. 

Gene turned, inhaling her scent. The soap had found in that bathroom was lovely, of course, but he found himself dizzy with desire when he leaned closer, his head tilted to inhale the spot where her hair lingered on her neck. He took a deep breath in, taking in the soft, sweet natural scent, the depth of the warmth that grew in his belly was new. Would he ever get used to being this close? The smokey bite from the fireplace that lingered in her hair felt familiar. He had recalled it from close, accidental brushes when he worked beside her on the battlefield. 

She stirred again, humming as she readjusted herself into the pillow, the mattress, into him. He felt a hum of appreciation rumble deep in his chest. He pressed his lips gently to the back of her shoulder, taking his time to feel the warmth of her skin. Wordlessly, she reached over, taking his hand in hers. He grinned against her skin when she held his hand in hers, lining the length of her fingers up with his. Their two hands became one shadow, blocking the direct light of the sun shining in on the pair. She tipped her fingers between his and pulled it down across her body. His fingers still flexed, hers gripping at his hand, she brought each of the tips of his fingers to her mouth. A kiss was placed on the pad of each finger slowly. Taking her time to recall memories of watching them work tirelessly to keep the Company alive. 

Roe chuckled, the muscles in his cheeks ached from smiling. She felt it against her skin, thanking God for the smile. Few and far between had he shared it with her as they navigated their way across Europe, attempting to keep the Easy Company in one piece. Since finding a place away from mortar rounds and gunfire, both seemed to share those far more freely. And they were not the only two that noticed. 

“Do you think they’ll notice if we both come down to get something to eat at the same time?” She whispered against the back of his hand as she kissed it. He chuckled and moved closer. 

“I don’t think so,” He responded, kissing the back of her neck in kind. “But again, mon cher, it’s not me who is worried about getting caught.” 

She rolled her eyes. She was certainly not going to have this argument on an empty stomach. It had nothing to do with him, of course. Any woman would have tripped over themselves to have a chance to be so adored by a man like Eugene Roe. But it was not something she wanted to be decided until they knew whether or not they would be sent to the Pacific. 

“Gene,” she sighed, turning to face him. He had spent 28 days across from her in Bastogne. They had locked eyes hundreds, if not thousands of times. But each time she focused those large blue eyes on his, he felt a tension in his stomach that no woman had ever caused before. 

“I know,” he nodded. He felt goosebumps raise on his skin as her hand rested on his chest. A soft smile played at his lips in contrast to the pout that had pulled at hers. He kissed her forehead softly, inhaling deeply at the crown of her head. “You stay here. I’ll go get you something to eat.” 

She pressed her lips together and shook her head, “you go down first. Get yourself something. I’ve got to wash up first anyhow.” 

Eugene nodded. He brushed his lips over hers in a whisper of a movement. He swallowed his words. She smiled, pressed a more forceful kiss to his mouth, and rolled out of bed. Again, he thought, he would never be able to replicate that warmth anywhere else in the world. 

[seasidefallenangel]

drain. (kanata yatonokami)

The kitchen faucet is leaking. 

It drips at the same pace for seconds, minutes, hours. You know this, and Kanata knows, and Nayuta as well, but the two act as if it doesn’t matter. They’re talking to one another about something you don’t really understand nor care to, not when the faucet is leaking. Your eyes follow every drop, and your hand tremors in tandem with it. They’re talking, they’re laughing, they’re happy. They’re happy. Even with that stupid faucet, they’re happy. 

Jealousy isn’t the right word, because if you were to tell Kanata you were jealous of him in any way, shape, or form, he’d either be insulted or disgusted - or maybe a mixture of both. He’d see it as patronizing, he’d think you’re making fun of him, because how are you jealous of the guy who has nothing but Nayuta - (and you, but you’re not really sure you’re something to be happy about having at all.)

The faucet leaks and the drop is so loud in your ears that it covers the jovial laugh of Nayuta. You don’t hate him - far from it in fact. He reads Kanata better than you can, a translator of sorts for the few moments you can’t really read in between the lines of your boyfriend’s words. He gives good fashion tips, he knows a lot of underrated hang-out spots that he shows you, subtly hinting that his twin would enjoy it if you took Kanata on a date there, he tells you about cozmez’s childhood when Kanata is reluctant to. “I think you’re good for him,” Nayuta said to you one night. The two of you were on the couch in their apartment. Kanata had gone to pick up dinner, leaving you with his twin. Your skin crawls at Nayuta’s statement because you know he’s not a liar, which means he’s just stupid enough to believe his own words.

The faucet was leaking then too.

“Thanks,” comes your noncommittal mumble, not even bothering to look up from your phone when you answer him. Part of you feels guilty because Nayuta is, despite everything, a very sweet boy. He deserves better than your bitter responses, and his brother deserves better than you as a whole. 

His eyes narrow and he sighs, absentmindedly sketching something on his notebook. The pencil scratches as he continues to speak, “Quit being so mopey. He wouldn’t stick around if he didn’t like you.” And well, he has a point. Kanata’s not a fan of lying, preferring to rip the band-aid off before the wound has even finished healing.

The faucet leaks and the sound reverberates through the walls. You feel your heart sinking with every drop, waiting for the flood to come coursing through. The present rings to the front of your mind once more as Kanata nudges you, quirking an eyebrow up at your silence. You didn’t even notice Nayuta leave, presumably to go meet up with Shiki. Normally you’d join in on the twins banter, but you can’t even pretend like the idea doesn’t make your lunch start to build up in your throat. 

“Your faucet is leaking,” you say quietly, eyes glancing at the water that falls. His gaze follows yours before his face shifts into confusion. You could tell he thought that if that was the reason you were so quiet, it was weird at the best and stupid at the worst - and he probably had a point. 

“... Usually does. ‘S not that big of a deal anyhow. Just ignore it.” His voice gets quieter towards the end, like the state of their apartment is something to be embarrassed of, like you’re judging him for it. You’re not, but you don’t think you could explain your reasoning for being so upset by the faucet. Your finger taps on the table, slowly speeding up the longer your mind lingers. “You should probably get it fixed.” 

Confusion changes to annoyance. “I just said it doesn’t matter. Does it bother you that much?” It’s phrased like a snarky comment, but you can tell there’s something underlying there. If it really did bother you for some reason, if it made you upset, then he’d get it situated to appease you. 

Well, you think it’s underlying. Maybe he is actually mad, maybe he can’t stand you. 

The faucet leaks, and you’re rotting away inside. Because the faucet leaks but the twins don’t care, the twins have each other, they’re never alone, so much so that the leaking faucet doesn’t even matter to them. They don’t even notice it. 

“It’s broken, Kanata.” The crack in your voice is piercing as the tears start welling in your eyes, and you feel pathetic. Who are you to cry in front of Kanata, the boy who had the world drag him to its core and he managed to claw his way to the surface? The faucet drops grow louder when he leans towards you, worry written on his features. It’s subtle in a way that makes you want to scream. 

The chair scrapes as you shoot up from the table and over to the sink, hands gripping the rusty metal. Kanata follows behind, bewildered and hesitant because you’re not making any sense and you know it, but you can’t explain it. Because the sentence, “your family loves you so much that the small issues don’t matter” is stupid in theory, but brings you back to the same old place - the one where the faucet leaking was your fault, where the car door wide open in the rain was because of your incompetence, the dog not being fed, the light left on, the minor inconveniences that shouldn’t mean anything turned into screaming matches where your throat bled ; the house that wasn’t a home, but a building filled with strangers to one another, a stark absence of love. 

A hand slowly reaches towards your wrist, bony fingers wrapping around it and tugging gently. Your vice grip on the faucet fails to loosen as the mantra of, “it’s broken, it’s broken,” falls from your lips without much thought. 

“Cut it out,” he says gently. It’s not the scathing irritation you expected to hear, but rather a concerned request. You think you’d prefer the anger.

He pulls one more, and your hands let it go as you turn to face him with your head hung low. He’s no stranger to trap reactions and trauma which makes this hurt more, because now you’re sure he has an idea of what’s going on inside of you. It’s the worst scenario possible for him to see you as you are. 

Your nails dig into your palms and you ignore the liquid rising to coat your fingers, head tilting up to give him a false smile as the metallic scent of blood begins to overwhelm your smell. “Sorry.” Your voice sounds foreign and strange. “I’m fine now.”

His eye twitches and his mouth curls into a frown. You want him to scream at you and to kick you out and tell you to go away forever, because at least the pain of being alone will cover the agony of childhood clutching your throat. But he does none of that - and instead does something decidedly worse. 

“Maybe I hide shit sometimes, but I’m trying to be more honest with you. You’re not gonna do the same thing for me?” The hurt in his voice is hidden by false exasperation. You want to grasp him tight, so tight it hurts him and he can never abandon you and fill him with endless words of love. You want to push him away, disappear without a trace like he never met you so he could live without the weight of your burdens pulling him down. 

One sniffle, two, before your head leans against his chest and the silent sobs overtake you. He grows stiff for a moment and you can see it in your head, when he pulls away and berates you, but the scene changes when he slowly wraps his arms around you. There’s a small hint of discomfort in his hug - an act so unfamiliar to him - but the part that gnaws at you is how good it feels to be held by him. 

It doesn’t make sense, it never will, and to put all your anxieties into words seems impossible. But there’s no denying the love that seeps from his touch, and it’s as constriction as it is freeing. It’s scary to be known but even more terrifying to be concealed, and if Kanata is willing to subject himself to the shattered lifeform that is you, then maybe, just maybe, you can let him slip through the cracks.

[gibson-g1rl]

Ghost Of Jealousy

James Patrick March x Fem Reader

Warnings: possessive james, intercourse (p in v), oral (f receiving), titty stuff (not a lot), and fingering - I think that’s all let me know if I missed anything :)

a/n: I got the idea for this while I was listening to Ghosts by Michael Jackson lmao.

You had been staying at the Hotel Cortez for quite some time, unbeknownst to you, a certain ghostly owner by the name of James Patrick March had fallen hopelessly in love with you, following you everywhere in the hotel and always keeping a close eye on you. He forbid any of the other ghosts in the hotel to touch you as if they even as much as thought to lay a hand on you, they would suffer something far worse than death.

It was just like any other day at the hotel, James watched you as you woke up, doing your morning routine-which he had memorized at this point-everything you did looked magical to him, he was mesmerized by you.

James wanted to reveal himself to you so badly, but he was afraid you'd reject him, so until he could figure out the perfect way to show his undying love for you, he just observed you.

****

The day went by pretty quickly and you had decided to end it by sitting at the hotel's bar. You ordered yourself a cocktail and once it was placed in front of you, you began taking small sips from it, enjoying the taste as the liquid hit your tongue. Your little ‘me time’ was soon interrupted by a man sitting down onto the bar stool right next to you, even though there were plenty of open one’s far from you. 

You looked towards him as your straw was in your mouth, his eyes never leaving your body as he ordered a drink for himself.

"Uhm, can I help you?" You asked as you looked at the man.

"I just came over here to tell you how beautiful you are. Like seriously I was entering, and you immediately caught my eye." He said as he brought his drink to his lips.

"Oh uh, thank you." You said as you turned towards your drink again, taking your phone out, hopefully giving the strange man a sign that you weren't interested but he kept yapping away.

Meanwhile, James had entered the bar area of his hotel, excited to see you but his face slowly dropped as he spotted you at the bar, talking to a man that wasn’t him. Rage filled his body as the man attempted to touch your cheek, your body visibly uncomfortable by the man’s advances and although you and James weren’t anything, he was determined to make sure that the strange man seated next to you would leave you alone, as you were his and only his even if you didn’t know it yet.

James made his way over to you and before he moved past the man next to you, he made eye contact with you; you gave him a certain look, almost asking him to save you from the awkward and slightly creepy situation that you found yourself in and that was when James swooped in. 

“Ahh dearest, here you are, I was beginning to think I had lost you.” He said as he made his way to your side, placing an arm on the small of your back. 

“Oh hey honey, sorry I wanted to get a little drink before bed.” You said, playing along.

The strange dude, who you now knew as Michael, quickly moved his eyes between you and James, jealousy evident in his stare as his gaze stayed a bit too long on James. 

“And who’s this?” Michael said, his words laced with venom. 

“This is my husband.” You said as you took James’ arm into yours. 

James smiled at the physical contact, looking back at you with loving eyes. 

“Anyhow, dearest we must get to bed now.” James said as he lifted you from your seat, his arm linking with yours as he moved the two of you out of the bar. 

Once you were out, you let out a breath of relief, grateful that you were no longer in that uncomfortable situation. 

“Oh my God, thank you so much...” You trailed off, looking up at your knight in, 1920′s attire.

“Oh, the names James March.” He said as he picked your hand up and placed a kiss to the back of your palm. Your cheeks grew hot at the action, blush spreading across the apples of your cheeks.

“Well, thank you so much James, God he just wouldn’t stop talking about himself and he was wayyyyy too touchy so thanks for saving my ass. I’m Y-”

“Y/n, yes I know.” He said, finishing your sentence. Your eyebrows raised in confusion, how the hell did he know your name? And almost as if James could read your mind, he answered. 

“I own this hotel dear; I make it my business to know each and every single person’s name that enters through those doors, especially one’s as beautiful as you.” He said as a smile tugged on his lips. 

James’ little compliment went straight to your core, his eyes trailing over your body as he noticed your thighs clenching. 

****

Your back was roughly pressed against the back of your hotel rooms door, James’ lips never leaving your neck. You threw your head back as his lips found that special spot, harshly sucking on the delicate skin. 

“James please.” You begged as his lips travelled down to your collarbone, leaving bruises along his way. 

“Shh shh, I finally have you and I am going to take as long as I please with you.” He said as he tapped the back of your thighs, signaling for you to jump. You wrapped your legs around him, your back soon colliding with the bed as James placed you down onto it, immediately tearing off the clothes that were on your body. 

You were now fully bare in front of him, and he couldn’t take his eyes off of you, marveling at your beautiful body and thinking about everything he wanted to do to it. 

Your hands soon reached to cover your core, insecurity bubbling inside of you as James continued to stare. As soon as he saw this, he immediately reached for your hands and pinned them above your head. 

“Don’t do that, you are by far the most perfectly sculpted woman I have ever set my eyes on, and I intend on showing you that.” and before you could respond, his lips were latching onto your clit, eliciting a loud moan from you as the tension in your core was finally being attended to. 

His tongue moved skillfully through your folds, prodding at your hole as his nose stimulated your clit. While doing so, James’ hands grabbed at your breasts, rolling your hardened buds between his fingers as he lapped up at your leaking cunt. 

“Oh my God, James this feels so good.” You said as stars began forming in your eyes, the pleasure becoming too much and overtaking your body.

“James I’m gonna cum.” You said as your hands reached for his perfectly styled hair, messing it up as you brought his face closer to your core. He moved his tongue back up to your clit as he slipped a finger inside of you. Tears began forming in your eyes and with one last lick at your clit, you were finally pushed over the edge, your body shaking as you came. 

“You taste absolutely delectable dear.” James said as he moved on top of you, his chin glistening with your release. 

You soon pulled him onto your lips, his tongue immediately invading your mouth, tasting yourself on it. The two of you roughly made out as James got rid of his clothes, your hands feeling up his arms and eventually making their way into his hair. 

You slowly began to feel James grinding his hardened length against your bare cunt, his mouth now moving down your neck and towards your chest, his lips making their way between your boobs, his lips slowly but surely moving towards your left nipple. 

He took the sensitive peak between his lips, sucking on your nipple as though there were no tomorrow. He moved his lips to your right nipple, making sure to give it the same love as the other, all whilst still humping your leaking pussy. 

“James please, I need you inside of me, right now.” You said as he looked up at you, your tit still in his mouth, the sight almost sending you into your second orgasm of the night. 

Before anything else was said, James slipped inside your desperate hole, the feeling of him burying himself inside of you almost sending you over the edge.

“Fuck.” You said as James’ hips collided with yours, his cock drilling inside of you at an ungodly pace. 

“You feel as amazing as I imagined dear.” James said as he buried his face in your neck, sucking on your sweet spot once again, the feeling was euphoric. 

Just as you were beginning to feel that coil inside you snap, James pulled out and flipped you around, immediately shoving his dick inside you once again. He reached forward and wrapped his hand around your neck, bringing your back against his chest, the new angle causing both you and James to moan in unison. 

His pace picked up again as you head rested against his shoulder, your vision going blurry as you clenched around him, the feeling sending James to release a deep groan right into your ear. 

“James, I can’t hold it any longer, I need to cum, please.” You said as his pace increased, his free hand moving towards your front and toying with your clit, the added pleasure causing your body to tremble against his.

“Please, James, pl-please.” You begged, James continued his assault on your clit, enjoying the sight before him, you all hot and bothered, waiting for his permission to let go, you were so good for him already. 

“Oh, sweetheart, you’re mine you understand that. No other man can touch you or even lay their filthy eyes on you. I’m the only one that can make you feel this way, right?” He said as he pressed his lips to your neck, his teeth grazing the bruises he left there earlier. 

“Yes, yes James only you.” You said out of breath, the feeling of James’ mouth on your neck, his hand on your clit and his cock driving into you, all being too much for you.

“I need to hear you say it baby.” James said as his fingers kept rubbing harsh circles on your clit.

“I’m yours James, all yours, no one can make me feel this way, I-I belong to you.” You said as tears streamed down your face.

“Cum for me Y/n.” Was all James needed to say. You felt yourself finally being able to let go, the coil in your stomach snapping, your body going limp as James too reached his orgasm. 

You fell forward onto the bed, James still slowly rutting into you from behind, helping the both of you ride out your highs. 

Once he was done, James wrapped his arms around your middle, bringing your sweaty body against his. You smiled as you felt him place a kiss to your temple.

“You are without a doubt the most beautiful woman to walk this Earth and I would love to have dinner with you tomorrow, if you’ll have me.” James said, his words barely above a whisper. 

Your heart melted at his words; he still thought you were beautiful even in the disheveled state you were currently in. 

You turned your body around, so your chests were pressed against one another. 

“I’d love to have dinner with you James.” You said as you leaned up to press a kiss to his lips. 

 Once you pulled away and tucked your head into his neck, James couldn’t stop smiling, he finally had his dream girl. 

****

Taglist: @v-love @laynna-mcknight @demxnicprxncess @hxney-lemcn @evanpetersfav @kitwalkersgfff @yes-divine-ruler

Let me know if you’d like to be added or removed from the taglist :)

requests are always open :)

[hitomisuzuya]

I LOVED your Tighnari fics(found u throu the mushroom one)!! may i request one with Tighnari ,itto (and any other chara u like) in heat/rut whatever you like to call it! just imagine y/n growimg more irresistible during that time!!

a/n: I absolutely can! I'm glad you liked them. That ask was really fun for me to write. And so will this one. I hope you enjoy❤️ this is my first time writing Itto btw. I'm a little nervous lol I got a little smutty with it. I hope you don't mind.

Pps. OMG I'm so sorry that Itto's part is so short. I posted this on accident after I finished Tighnari's. I can write a longer part for Itto to make up for it! Again I am so so sorry. I had scramble to write it before anyone saw. I'm really embarrassed.

Tighnari x reader Itto x reader Smut. Written during their heat cycles

When Tighnari was in heat, he got incredibly possessive. You were in Sumeru City getting a new string for Tighnari's bow, and because Cyno had a letter from Candace for you.

There something about the way he thought Cyno's hand lingered a little to long over yours when he handed you the letter. He put an arm around you, shooting Cyno a look that said: you are way too close, step back a little. "That will be all, Cyno, thank you," he said

Cyno didn't hold it against him. He knew Tighnari better than anyone. He understood what was going on.

"Tighnari, it's okay, calm down," you said softly, trying to reason with him once you got back to Gandharva Ville. You rubbed his ears soothingly. "He was just giving me a letter."

Tighnari sighed, tilting his head into your hand. You were the only that he let touch his ears. "I know, but his smell is all over you, it's overpowering."

Gritting his teeth, Tighnari suddenly latched his mouth onto your neck. He licked at the fold of skin in his mouth, sucking on it. You put an arm around him, pressing his mouth closer to your neck. This was calming him down.

"Tighnari, you are in heat, aren't you?" You weren't dumb. You had feeling he was, giving his snapping at Cyno. He normally would never do that.

"Mhm," he mumbled against your skin, "so good.." he murmured, "you taste so good it's making me dizzy."

Marking you somehow before you left for Forest Ranger duties in the morning became a daily thing when he was in heat. He could only mumble, sometimes sounding slightly drunk about how good you smelled or tasted.

As his heat cycle progressed, he eventually took both himself and you off of duty. He would trust Collei to take care of his patrols and you would trust the second in command on the squad you led to take of your's. New recruits were coming in a few days, and you couldn't have him snapping at them if he thought they got too close to you.

You told him to stop apologizing everytime a fit of lust gripped him. The pace would vary during your "cooling down" sessions. Sometimes he would slowly rut into you, bringing you into a toe curling orgasm. Other times his pace was fast and frenzied, he wasn't satisfied until both you and him had cummed at least twice.

It was also vital for Tighnari to hear you say that you were his mate at least once during these sessions.

Itto was in a rut. You knew everytime when he was. Whenever his gang got in trouble, he would always tell them to listen to you more and not him. You were "Mommy" and he was "Daddy"

Itto was seemed insatiable during this time. His cool down sessions were rough and frantic, pounding into to you for what seemed like hours. He wasn't satisfied until he cummed multiple times inside of you, his grip nearly bruising on your skin until you screamed his name.

You didn't mind, your love making sessions were usually loud and rough anyhow, it wasn't any different when he was in a rut.

Calling you pet names became a more constant thing than usual. He would openly grope you public, or drag you into an abandoned alley in random fits of lust.

"Itto, we are in public, someone might see us," you pleaded as he roughly thrust into you. He ignored you for a moments, so in lost in his lust for you that didn't respond right away.

"I know, but I can't help myself. You look so good and I need you right now."

You had a clamp hand over your mouth when you orgasmed. Someone would come running in your direction surely if they heard the way you felt compelled to scream his name.

[5eraphim]

You mentioned in the past that you thought yandere medic would be okay with sharing y/n with another person. How do you think that would go? maybe with heavy, since they’re so close? (If you aren’t doing request rn feel free to ignore this <3 have a good day )

anon,, my sweet beloved and treasured above all loving sentiment, if only you knew how long I've awaited this very ask....

I teased this idea way back (here, the first part obvi.). I've gone back and forth about going for it and writing out the prompt in full, as I think it would be very, very... enticing, and another one of those things I would love to read which must unfortunately start with a blank word doc. I wound up writing this to be rather light-hearted, but if anyone wants to see this scenario played out a bit darker, I'm open to the request!

But additionally, I know myself well enough as a person, and didn't really want to go through all that effort unless if was for a request, or unless I knew it would be for me and at least one other reader, because it feels only natural a multiple character x reader one shot should be long enough to give each character a decent enough feature, thus will (safe to say) always be much longer, and take much longer to write, than a regular x character oneshot. (If that makes any sense?) Anyhow, that's all to say, thank you, thank you, thank you ever so kindly for the ask, I really hope you enjoy how this came out, it was a pleasure to write. <3

Characters: The Heavy 🐻 and The Medic 🕊️ (Team Fortress 2)

Summary: Drunkenness and tenderness between comrades lowers inhibitions, let's hope your ambitions will rise to compensate.

Rating: X (MINORS DNI, YOU KNOW THIS ISN'T FOR YOU)

Content Warnings: AFAB reader, smut, three way, oral (female receiving), first time, size difference, slight intoxication, dubcon (nothing too intense, but for the sake of intoxication/slight coercion), heavymedic sandwich.

Word Count: 4.5k

MASTER POST

TIP JAR

(Song Inspo: Delicate Weapon- Grimes)

"when I say eat me, I mean suck the bones clean, leave nothing for the waiting, leave nothing for the vultures, or the travelers to come." “vivisection (you’re going to break my heart)” by Marty McConnell from The Best American Poetry 2014, edited by Terrance Hayes and David Lehman.

While the mission wasn't technically over yet, the work for the day was, and thank God for that. The job was simple enough, nothing more than a little errand run, fetching some supplies to bring back to home base, not necessarily requiring the combined efforts of you, Heavy and Medic. Still, when you were requested to accompany the two, you immediately agreed. So while the work bored you, the company would make it all worth it. 

While the mission wasn't technically over yet, the work for the day was, and thank God for that. The job was simple enough, nothing more than a little errand run, fetching some supplies to bring back to home base, not necessarily requiring the combined efforts of you, Heavy and Medic. Still, when you were requested to accompany the two, you immediately agreed. The work bored you, but the company made it all worth it. 

The road down was straightforward enough, and collecting the supplies was just as effortless, but the trip back was less so. A sudden and severe thunderstorm forced the lot of you to find a room for the night to accommodate all three of you and your cargo. Along with a few beers picked up along the way, a little treat to celebrate a hard day's work. While typically, you knew drinking on the job wasn't professional, this was a special occasion, and you knew it would be back to work once you returned home, so you might as well enjoy it while it lasted. Finding a suitable room big enough for all of you on such short notice was a miracle, but this place suited you well.

Two double-wide beds, a radio, an armchair, a couch, and a little kitchenette with an ice box to keep the beer nice and cold while you took turns changing in the bathroom out of work clothes and washing up a little. You took the initiative to contact Homebase regarding the delay. 

A part of you was so tired you wanted to crawl into bed right away, but you weren't about to deny yourself a nice cold beer with friends. To your surprise, Medic sat in the armchair beside the couch while Heavy sat on the sofa, leaving the only open space to unwind next to Heavy, which you reclined comfortably into. Considering how they were practically glued to the hip most of the time, you didn't understand why they didn't sit together now. Also, you didn't like how Medic's eyes seemed to follow you across the room as you sat down next to Heavy, doing your best to keep a respectable distance between you and Heavy. 

For some time, you relaxed, talking, listening to the radio, one beer turning into two, and two into two and a half as you settled more comfortably into the couch, no longer holding yourself so austerely, relaxing a little. Your head eventually resting on Heavy's shoulder, he looked at you, "Comfortable?"

You nodded, his body mass was so burly, and you could feel the warmth of his body through his shirt, making you feel a little giddy. "You're too cozy- I wanna sleep right here."

"Still cold from storm? I warm you."

It wasn't a question. And without waiting for a yes, Heavy effortlessly pulled you onto his lap, sitting you sideways on top of his legs. With one arm slung over your shoulder and one under your knees, he pulled you into his lap, the overwhelming closeness feeling sudden, but he was still so temptingly warm and comfortable you didn't want to pull away.

"Feel better?"

You giggled, nodding your head as he ruffled your hair playfully, keeping one arm around your shoulders as you settled against the arm of the couch. Your eyes were closed, your head feeling all floaty as you felt his hand move from the top of your head to the side of your cheek. His hands, no longer concealed under his gloves, felt calloused but so gentle against your cheek. He moved subtly, decisively. You didn't even realize he moved your face to meet his until you felt his lips connecting against your own.

Without warning, you pulled away sharply with the awkward rigidity of a stranger. Your actions caught Heavy by surprise, allowing you to detach yourself without restriction, though you could see his confusion through wide, frightened eyes. In a moment, you were made shockingly aware of everything the alcohol so effectively blinded you to before now. It was that awkward, sinking feeling of becoming all too aware of your own body all at once, aware of the space you were taking up, of how much of your body was pressed up against the massive Russian you shared the couch with, the clammy sweat coating your palms, the tension in your joints, yet most of all the butterflies in your belly which intensified into something less than pleasant. All of this awkwardness made you feel suddenly insecure about yourself, your form, and your relation to the men around you; how could you have been so blind to this before? For goodness sake, these were your coworkers; it was your responsibility to keep things professional between the lot of you, a task you could not more thoroughly have failed at. It was humiliating to realize you folded after just a couple of drinks, even if Heavy was playing along; it all felt so wrong and too pushy. Not to mention the fact Heavy was a taken man. The truth made all the more grievous, considering his partner was sitting right there facing the two of you. While the guilt for what you'd just done made you want to hide your face in shame, it was impossible to keep from looking at Medic. However, to your surprise, he merely sat there watching the two of you, cocking his head to the side slightly, with a confusion matching Heavy's as though you were the one acting strangely here.

"Something is wrong?" Heavy inquired, his hand on your waist tightening slightly, likely in reassurance, unfortunately having the opposite effect. It felt too awkward to look Heavy in the eye or face him at this point. So instead, you kept your gaze locked on the floor before the two of you as you nervously tried to squirm your way off the larger man's lap. All to no avail, however, as Heavy's grip on you was cast iron, and you resorted to clasping your hands together on your lap, speaking as levelly as you could, using all your willpower to keep the emotions and alcohol from causing your weak voice to crack, "I'm sorry, Heavy. I think I've, um-overstepped here; I shouldn't have, y-you know… Well, I mean, I think I'll turn in now- it's so late, already…."

Your voice trailed off, and you hated how wishy-washy you sounded, betraying your will to stay strong, to appear rational and firm as any reliable comrade should.

Heavy was not convinced. "You were fine when I pulled you on my lap. Why so tired so fast?"

Forcing a nervous laugh and uncomfortable forced smile, you tried to turn to Medic for reassurance, but he stared back, eyes squinting slightly, matching Heavy's suspicion. "Must be the alcohol's catching up with me then-'' It wasn't a total lie, as you could've sworn you could feel the alcohol churning in your gut, almost taunting you, forcing you to remember just how much you'd drunk in such a short amount of time.

"Explain." Heavy looked at you and deadpanned, waiting for you to tell the truth. You tried to swallow, but your mouth felt dry. 

"I mean, aren't you two-" The awkwardness melded uncomfortably with the guilt; how were you supposed to explain yourself in a situation like this? "I mean- but you two are together, aren't you?" 

"And?" Heavy spoke bluntly, putting you right back on the spot. You sighed nervously, nibbling at your lower lip and turning your head to face Medic. 

"I just, I-I know it's not my business, but I mean- I can't imagine you're alright with any of this-'' You thought you knew your friends well, but you never would've imagined winding up in a situation like this with the two of them. To your surprise, a smile spread across Medic's face.

"Of course I am! This was my idea, after all!" You merely blinked at him, not at all following what he meant by that.

"Huh? What do you mean, it was your idea?" 

"Well…" You could see his eyes flick from you to Heavy, silently asking for some backup. Heavy's fingers began to rub comforting little circles over your waist, his other hand covering your own hands on your lap in a reassuring gesture. 

"You're pretty and kind but sp shy. We thought a little experience would help." His blunt words took you completely by surprise.

"Experience?" You managed. Heavy nodded, not at all registering the shock on your face. 

"What he means is-" Medic chuckled slightly, interjecting, amused watching how flustered Heavy's words made you. "We thought if we helped you with a little, let's say, physical bonding-"

You opened your mouth, ready to ask what exactly he meant by this, but he pressed on.

"Nothing too intense now- just a little intimacy to get you more accustomed."

You hated how vague he was being, but also, you'd be lying if you said you'd never thought of being in a situation like this before. Only in your wildest, most unrealistic dreams, or so you thought. The two men were handsome in their own ways, you'd known before you got to know them, but you never liked to dwell on such lewd thoughts. You always felt so guilty afterward; they were your friends after all, even if just in your thoughts, you knew it was wrong to think so lustfully of friends. 

Sure, there was always a little lighthearted play-flirting occasionally, but you would never have tried anything serious with either of them. Your friendship meant too much to risk losing like that. 

You felt Heavy kiss the side of your head, murmuring in a low, uncharacteristically quiet voice into your ear, "You're shy but not sneaky. I see how you look at Doctor behind his back. He says you stare at me also. Is this true?"

Your breath hitched when he began to trail his beautiful, massive hand from over your hands, snaking it up your belly until it cupped the side of your face, forcing you to focus on him and meet his eye. Heavy drank in every detail of your face before settling his eyes on your lips, waiting for you to answer, and with a trembling exhale, you spoke, "It is." Before he could wait no longer, closing the space between your mouths once again, his lips curling into a smirk just seconds before his parted lips connected with yours.

While you were still awestruck at the surrealness of the situation, you felt your reservations evaporating by the second. Finally kissing back, you allowed Heavy to deepen the kiss as he used his hand to push your head closer against his. His thumb brushed over your cheek, feeling the warmth of your skin as you felt almost uncomfortably overheated. He moved slowly but so lovingly, using his tongue to dip into your mouth and taste you, sucking against your lips as you broke the kiss with hesitation, asking,

"Are you sure you want to go through with all this?" He nodded with a mellow smile as you continued, still feeling traces of nervousness clinging to you stubbornly. "I'd never forgive myself if I ruined our friendship, and I, uh-" Despite your awkwardness and hesitation, Heavy smiled at you so resolutely, so affectionately. Watching you as though you were the most beautiful person he'd ever beheld.

"I don't want to let you down here. You guys were right; I've got no real experience here… I don't know if I'll be any good at this." It was almost shameful to say out loud, but Heavy didn't even blink, playfully kissing your cheek.

"Don't think of that. It's your time to learn, not lead." 

He nuzzled his nose against your cheek, the feeling almost ticklish, making you stifle a giggle. "Just lay back and look pretty. You'll do perfect." He pulled away a little, his hand on your waist, tugging at your shirt a little; only then did you see how blown out his pupils were, "Will you come to bed now?"

It was time to be decisive. The abruptness of the question caught you off-guard, but you had no idea if you would ever get a chance like this again. This was your moment; it was time to act or wish you had. You swallowed your uncertainty and nodded, finally removing your hands from your lap to help Heavy pull off your shirt before reaching out to touch his own top and about to do the same. But he gave you a look that made you pause.

"This one off too? It's not too much? We only go as far as you want." As praising as he was moments ago, his firmness and evident respect for your boundaries made you feel all the more loved. You took this as your chance to try and charm him, as he did so effortlessly to you.

"The shirt off is better; I mean, I've always wanted to get a look under these clothes." The sound of Medic chuckling beside you made you realize you'd almost forgotten he was there in the first place. It felt odd knowing he was so close, though if this was all his idea all along, you wondered where he factored into all this. Pushing that thought aside, you helped Heavy remove his shirt as you curled a little closer, your head resting against his chest, your hand on his shoulder as you softly kissed his skin, nuzzling to feel the delightful feeling of skin-to-skin contact as much as you could. "Heavy, your body is so warm. You feel amazing." Your words were mumbled, quiet, and practically smothered as you spoke without moving your head much from his chest. You could feel his chest rumbling with a low laugh, and when you felt his hips gently press a little closer against your body, but you didn't shy away. You could feel he was aroused and didn't doubt he knew you were too. You felt the warmth between your legs intensifying the longer you felt Heavy's bare skin against yours, your thighs squeezing tighter and tighter, and you swore you could feel a bit of wetness from the kiss alone.

"Will you take me to bed now? Please?" The neediness gave you a bit of confidence as you looked up at Heavy, who needed no further incentive. You leaned against him for support as you both rose, your hand finding his as you two walked to the bed, laying down. At the same time, Heavy lingered for a moment overhead, distracted by the curves of your body now spread out like a banquet before him, eyes looking everywhere but your face. Then, for a second, you felt a twinge of insecurity, "I won't lie; I'm still a little scared this is gonna hurt." 

Instantly, this snapped Heavy's attention back to your face as he sat beside you on the side of the bed, his hand finding yours again as he spoke, "We only go as far as you want… We can stop now if-" You didn't talk, just shook your head no, moving Heavy's hand with your own to the waist of your pants. He looked at you one last time for assurance. However, you could practically feel his hand trembling in yours with anticipation before you guided him to unbutton your pants, helping pull them off you. At the same time, you slinked out of them and your underwear, kicking them to the floor. 

Even against your thigh, his hand loomed intimidatingly, the size difference so beautiful, making you shudder, wanting this man more than ever. You were so distracted by his hands you didn't even hear Medic sneaking up behind Heavy until you heard him speak. "How precious you two look~" You jolted a little in surprise, seeing Medic peering down at you from behind Heavy with narrowed eyes glazed over with lust, shamelessly checking out your nude figure, now stripped perfectly naked in front of him.

"You didn't forget about me so soon, did you?" He asked in a faux-hurt voice, "You're doing so well. Are you ready to go a little further now?" 

"I am." You spoke without hesitation, the burning between your legs intensifying almost painfully as you shyly parted your thighs, feeling cool air ticking your sweaty skin as Medic walked to the foot of the bed to get a better view before you sat up a little, pushing away from the headboard as Heavy got into bed behind you.

"Heavy is here, right behind. You will be safe."

Before now, you remembered how painfully tense you felt, but at this moment, you were put at ease, comforted at last by the presence behind you, no longer so overwhelmed. How foolish you were to think your relationship with the two men had to be strictly business, how blind you were to the pleasure the two men had to offer.

"We will stop at any time-"

You cut him off with a kiss as he settled at the head of the bed, "I know I'm no good at showing it, but. I want this. I've wanted this for so long. You two mean so much to me, and I trust you."

You were about to say, 'I love you,' but you held back. You didn't have the guts to say something so bold. But you hoped Heavy, as well as Medic, understood, despite your shy quietness. There was a minute or two of moving around, Heavy moving from his spot at your bedside to get behind you; he spread his thick legs to give you space to settle between. Finally, you were lying down, your upper back and head resting on his belly, noticing the bulge in his pants as it pressed not-so-subtly into your back. Despite the lewdness of it all, you let your head fall back a little; Heavy's body felt so solid and warm behind you, it almost made you want to skip everything and just cuddle up and fall asleep already, but you knew Medic wouldn't allow such a thing.

"I'll start nice and slow, just for you." Medic's words were deceptively sweet, almost enough to hide his lustful intent. Your throat felt too dry to speak, so you merely nodded, feeling the heat in the pit of your stomach intensify at this new position. He was condescending to you, and yet you didn't even have the inner strength left to respond. Medic moved over you, his hands resting on Heavy's thighs around your head to keep you nice and caged, right where he wanted you. He could see it written all across your face; you were getting turned on being obedient like this, submitting and letting them take the lead. He leaned his body down further, enough for you to feel the rub of his pants over your naked flesh, the odd sensation making you wince as he slotted his knee between your legs, the gentle contact alone enough to make you jolt a little, startled. 

"Aww, I'm sorry. Did I scare you? You must be pretty needy down there, aren't you? Did Heavy do a good job getting you warmed up?" Medic could feel your chest rising and falling rapidly as you breathe deeper. He continued, "You've masturbated before, haven't you?" The question caught you off guard. You looked at Medic with wide eyes, feeling another throb of arousal, seeing his predatory grin, one you'd seen countless times in battle but appearing like never before, given the current position. He pressed his knee a little harder against you. 

"Y-yeah, I've- a lot, I guess…." 

"Did you ever think of it like this? Your pussy leaking all over me while you grind against me as hard as you can?" You keened, your hips rolling against his clothed thigh, the muscle bulging distractingly beneath the thin covering. It was humiliating to have him mocking you while you were powerless to defend yourself, yet still, you wanted even more. He laughed, amused by your lack of a response, as though your brain was already succumbing so quickly to your own lust you forgot how to form whole sentences.

"Does it turn you on when I dirty-talk you like this? I bet behind that pretty face, you're even more perverted than either of us." You grit your teeth, biting back a moan.

"Medic, w-why are you keeping your pants on?" He paused momentarily at the abrupt question, looking at you with an eyebrow raised as you rushed to explain yourself. "I mean, doesn't it feel- like, weird?"

"You want to see me undressed that bad, huh?" Medic responded. Of course, he wasn't wrong, but the self-satisfied look on his face stopped you from admitting he was right. 

You shook your head, "W-well, I mean, aren't you uncomfortable under all that?" He grinned, seeing right through your bluff. But, even though he knew you were lying, Medic wasn't about to press you too hard on the matter. 

"You'll understand once you get more experience. But, you know, it can be just as rewarding to stay dressed, to keep control-" He paused to trail a finger from between your breasts down, just below your navel, the light sensation causing you to throb with want against his thigh. Continuing in a low, almost antagonistic tone, "While your partner is a wet, needy, naked little mess beneath you." He could not more clearly be mocking you, but something about it had quite the effect on you. Medic knew just how to push your buttons, and it was driving you crazy.

He was about to say something when Heavy's voice from behind interrupted. 

"Medic, be nice. This is first time. You're embarrassing her. Don't overdo it." Thank God there was a literal angel over your shoulder to watch over you and reign in his partner.

"Perhaps, but it looks like someone's enjoying it." He was about to move his hand lower when you interrupted,

"Medic?"

He stopped his hand immediately, eyes meeting yours as you continued, "Can I get a kiss first?" You felt awkward, making such a bashful request compared to how confidently he spoke. His face softened at this, nodding before leaning closer, your hands cupping his cheeks. It felt good to be the first to deepen the kiss, your tongue flicking over his lip as his mouth parted, allowing you to get a better taste. Then, without breaking the kiss, his hand began to move down again, his thumb finding your clit quickly, causing you to moan into the kiss. 

Your mind went blank with pleasure at the stimulation, his thumb rolling softly over your clit as his other fingers deftly traced the exterior of your sex, collecting the abundant moisture and spreading it over the entrance while you throbbed beneath his fingertips. You felt an almost painful burning feeling as his fingers moved faster, lips working in rhythm against your mouth; far better than any fantasy you'd felt before.

Medic broke the kiss, "Do you want me to use my mouth? Are you ready for that?"

Without waiting, you nodded, "Please! It feels so good- please, please don't stop!"

"Just wait another moment- need to make sure you're ready," Medic spoke in a sweet, gentle voice, so sickeningly sweet you could practically feel your heartthrob. He pushed two fingers inside, and you couldn't help but buck forwards at the contact. Making Medic hum in satisfaction at your reaction. You could vaguely hear him chiding you for your impatience, but you were beyond caring at this point, and when you felt him tracing painfully slow little circles around your entrance, you whined out loud in annoyance.

"Will you stop teasing already and get on with it- Fuck!"

Medic looked genuinely shocked momentarily at how bold you were, but it didn't deter him. Instead, without waiting for another moment, he dove his face between your legs as you unconsciously spread your legs further for him, leaning back against Heavy for support, arching your back, feeling his hands on your shoulders to keep you steady; it wasn't long until you felt Medic's hands just above your knees, his breath fanning against your pussy.

But far be it from Medic to let you off so quickly, and you groaned out loud as you felt his tongue moving, intentionally moving up and around your clit, but refusing to make contact. You were dangerously close to digging your fingernails directly into Heavy's thighs. But you forced yourself to move one hand to the top of Medic's head, your fingers clutching his hair, trying to guide him into place while you ground against his face. When you finally felt his lips connecting with your clit you were practically sobbing with bliss, the feeling intensifying as he began to suckle against the swollen bundle of nerves. 

"More, more- Oh God, please- More!" You were getting louder than you intended, but fortunately, the radio likely kept anyone from overhearing any of this, but you only got louder as he began to suck harder. His tongue lapped upwards, swirling against your clit, as he moaned into you, swallowing as much as he could. You felt feral. Like you were burning hot on the inside, but Medic kept tempo without issue. Finally, you could feel your climax coming on, rolling your hips even harder, unintentionally pulling his hair just as fiercely. Still, if he was bothered by this, he didn't say anything, slurping contently as you finally felt the end coming on. And you trembled, feeling your body awash in ecstasy as you succumbed to the blinding pleasure between your legs.

It was an embarrassingly long time until you managed to catch your breath, the gap in experience between you and them becoming painfully obvious once again. Your throat felt so dry and scratchy from your heavy breathing and moaning, much like a scorched throat from pushing yourself in physical training. Though other than that, you were in a situation unlike any you'd known before. Naked, slick with your own sweat, your mind still tipsy and unstable from your orgasm. 

You could feel Heavy's hand petting at your hair from behind, and you couldn't help but swoon, feeling so supported and intimate with him after such a perverse moment. "You look so pretty when you come." There was an edge in his voice, and you thought he was indirectly asking if you wanted to go again, but you were too tired, too used up to think about doing this all over again. You didn't know how to respond; thankfully, Medic spoke first.

"It would be a shame if we kept this a 'one-time-thing,' wouldn't you agree?" And you felt your headrush, this evening felt too good to be true, nothing less than a dream come to life, but the promise of more was all the better. Nodding, you focused your gaze on Medic as he moved from between your legs; you responded, "So long as it's ok with you, I'd never want to come between things-"

 You felt like a rag doll, limp and being pulled lifelessly by the other two, Medic facing you, arms around your back, pulling you into his chest. "Don't worry about it; you're the one with much more to learn here." You felt Heavy's enormous arm pull the both of you tighter into his chest. And at this moment, sandwiched between the warm bodies of two men you cared more about than anyone else in the world, you prayed the night would never end. 

[cosmosnout]

KH OC WEEK 20204

Day 3: connections

This took a bit longer than meant, but with the amount of things I wanted to include, it felt important to take my time.

Shiro’s part focusses a lot more on the relationships between them and the canon characters, while Aiko’s, Merin’s, Viktor's, and Tähti’s parts focus on the relationship they have with each other. (And some additional canon characters.)

Also there’s a lot of text here so sorry about any spelling mistakes haha.

Shiro

Xehanort (young)

Helped Shiro to get out of the realm of darkness and is helping them to recover their memory.

I am a firm believer that despite his cold demeanor, Xehanort has the capability of expressing other emotions outside of being a snarky jerk. He just needs to be around the right kind of people to bring that side of him out, and Eraqus and Shiro are exactly the sorts of people to make his brain cells die. /pos

Xehanort’s interest in becoming Shiro’s friend is due to his dreams as a boy of a mysterious child who he believes to be Shiro. (Some lost childish part of him does genuinely wish to be their friend, but he is also quite interested in Shiro’s connection to the keyblade war.)

They spent a couple years peacefully as friends attempting to recover Shiro’s memories, before Shiro uncovered Xehanort's true plans and the two ended up parting ways to fight on the opposite sides. They’re so divorced LMAO

Shiro feels quite betrayed and thinks their friendship was just a plot to get information out of them, while in reality their friendship was still genuine despite Xehanort's hidden motives.

They have a very bittersweet relationship.

Like when you just have that one person who sees right through you and you could just sit in complete silence for forever and still have a good time.

But oh my god do they also just bring out the worst in each other LMAO.

Xehanort is still a snarky bastard 99% of the time, and Shiro is so ready to throw his snarkiness back at him. It is remarkable if they get through a conversation without one of them trying to piss off the other one.

Anyhow they are so doomed by the narrative.

I’ve had a difficult time defining the relationship between these two, but in recent years since becoming aware of my own feelings as an aroace person, I feel like queerplatonic is a really good way to put it. I think that there can be strong emotions and love held between two people without it necessarily having to be romantic, and that’s just as wonderful as any other relationship.

Aqua

The first person Shiro came across once they emerged in the realm of darkness.

Shiro has a lot of admiration towards her and hopes to meet her again!

Shrio definitely has a little crush on her haha

Roxas and Xion

Shiro’s keyblade apprentices!

adopted little siblings

Shiro fought relentlessly to keep both of them safe but ended up failing as they both returned to Sora.

Losing them was a big wake up call to the organization's true nature and Xehanort's sinister plans.

Namine

Little sister<<3

Shiro took one look at her and was like “yup anything happens to her and I’ll make everyone's life a living nightmare”

Got Namine her crayons and sketchbook

Was very devastated when she had to return to Kairi.

Axel/Lea

Pyromaniac besties

Co-paretning Roxas and Xion (platonic)

They became good friends during their time in the organization, and they made an oath to bring Roxas and Xion back after Axel’s recompletion.

Shiro tutors him and Kairi on keyblade wielding, during their time in The Secret Forest.

Ephemer and Skuld

Childhood Bestfriend

Shiro has foggy dreams and visions of the both of them. (They truly haunt Shiro’s life like it’s a full time job)

Even once called Sora “Ephemer” by mistake. They were both extremely confused.

Shiro is actively trying to find them.

Aiko and Merin

The two start off on a bad foot due to a misunderstanding that led to Aiko and Viktor leaving their homeworld. Aiko thought Merin was the one to invade their world with darkness and ended up chasing after her through a dark corridor. In reality, Merin and Tähti were running away from Ansem (SOD) and happened to pass through their world.

Aiko and Merin ended up becoming separated from Viktor and Tähti and end up begrudgingly teaming up to find their families .

During their time together, they end up eventually becoming friends and even end up getting into a relationship together later on.

Their opposite personalities seemed like an issue when they first met, but they grew to love and learn from those differences and they’ve really helped each other to grow as people.

Viktor and Tähti

Viktor was at first very frustrated to be left to babysit a child, but switched into big brother mode pretty much subconsciously.

They’re a funny little duo since they’re both terrible fighters and are pretty much constantly just running for their lives.

Viktor appreciates Tähti’s quiet personality and knows to be patient with them.

Tähti also didn’t care too much about Viktor at first, but seeing him make an effort to keep them safe reminded them a lot of Merin.

Other friends!

Tähti, Namine and Xion!

Tähti met Namine during one of her visits to Ansem’s lab, and after some encouragement from the others, Tähti manages to strike up a conversation with her.

The two have a shared interest in art and like sharing their work with each other!

Tähti also got introduced to Xion through Namine, and despite Tähti’s antisocial nature, the two ended up quickly becoming good friends. (Nothing is as strong as the bond between two neurodivergent teenagers)

I like to think Kairi hangs out with them occasionally, but also she’s kinda busy trying to find Sora :’)

Viktor and Ienzo

Met post kh3 and became quick friends over their similar personalities and shared interest in tech.

Everyone around them was very excited that they were finally making friends. (Ansem and Aiko wiping a tear out of the corner of their eye)

Merin and Vanitas

Weird little brother creature thingy kinda

They met briefly while Merin and Aiko visited the realm of darkness.

They had a short confrontation where they fought with Merin winning.

Didn’t have the chance to talk much outside of that, but I think they have a secret mutual respect for each other due to being similar beings.

Merin and Isa

Got introduced post kh3 and ended up befriending each other as Viktor was spending more time with the apprentices.

They match each other’s tired energy

They like to just kinda sit back and watch as their friends mingle.

@khoc-week

[kurishiri]

12 . . . main story

— this translation may not be 100% accurate or may contain creative liberties. if you enjoy, please consider reblogging, but don’t repost or claim these as your own!

— cw: mentions of mental breakdowns, neglect, grooming (?), non-consensual touching, attempted child sexual assault, murder, suicide.

Alfons: To be clear, I don’t mind if you want to run away now? I imagine this is rather hard on your fragile, glass-like heart?

Kate: ...Not at all.

(I haven’t yet heard, what I want to know.)

I shook my head firmly and looked determinedly at Alfons.

His smile widened.

Alfons: ——Well then, I will continue.

A: After Elbie’s mother had took her own life, it was a maid who had discovered the body after entering the room.

A: And his father had cried his heart out.

A: Anyhow, the one who had driven his beloved wife to take her own life, was none other than his birth son…

A: …or at least, he thought he was his real son, when in reality he was born from a man who violated his beloved.

A: It must have been an unimaginable crucible of anguish for them.

—— Elbert’s POV ——

Maid: Kyaaa!! Someone… Anyone, come here! My Lady has, she has…!!!

The maid’s shouts could be heard from Mother’s room.

The memories of what had happened that day still remained extremely vague, even in my dreams.

What I could clearly remember, though, was the sight of my father, who was normally gentle and kind, now in a haggard, worn out state.

That, and how he, too, grew to look at me with the same look of fear and hatred that Mother had.

After that, the portrait of Mother that he had loved so much, was painted over in black.

Just by being by his side, Father would break down crying where he was.

And, as if he had gone mad, he would shake his head and shout.

Hugh: AAAH!!

Elbert: Father! Father, are you alri—

Hugh: Stay, stay away from me…!!

H: Please, don’t come close to me… whenever you’re by my side, I feel like I’ll go crazy!!

Father’s eyes were frightened, as if he were looking at a monster.

Whenever I was at his side nearly every day, he would let out screams that surprised the entire manor, to the point his throat became worn out.

—— Kate’s POV ——

Alfons: Eventually, Elbie said—

A: That could have happened because of his ability to ‘make one relive their saddest memory.’

A: Over, and over again, he might have been showing his father the image of his mother’s corpse. 

A: And it was only after joining Crown and learning of his ability that he realized this, much, much later.

(He means that, without knowing his own ability, Lord Elbert stepped on his father’s shadow, forcing him to relive that memory…?)

It was not unreasonable. But…

(When I think about how much Lord Elbert’s heart must have hurt after learning the truth much later,)

a sadness inside was stuck up in my throat, with no way to let it out.

Alfons: Elbie came to naturally stay out of his father’s sight completely.

A: While he had the heart of a child, it was to protect his father. If he didn’t get close to him, then perhaps his father wouldn’t be sad…

A: It seemed that the ‘comfort’ from the butlers and maids started around then. 

Kate: …

My heart beat with a bad feeling.

I could hear my blood pumping through my veins, and that overlapped with Alfons’ voice.

Alfons: Perhaps, at first their intentions were wholeheartedly good…

A: They eventually ended up gathering around his bedside, surrounding Elbie’s lonely, sleeping figure.

A: ‘You must be so sad, and so lonely. But I will save you,’ they said.

A: With gentle smiles on their faces, almost as if they were singing a lullaby—

—— Elbert’s POV ——

On nights when the wind would hit the window in an uncanny way, and on quiet nights when the moon was pretty,

every night, the shadows of several adults would become longer.

Elbert: Stop it… please, I don’t like this… don’t touch me…

Jeffrey: We love you so much, anyone would want to touch you. And because they want to love you, they embrace you.

Jeffrey, while murmuring of ‘love,’ stood behind the adults who were touching my body and stared at me the entire time.

Jeffrey: Your parents were unable to love you, and so we will love you in their stead.

Elbert: …Love…?

Jeffrey: Just how much does your sad and sorrowful, yet beautiful appearance… stir up the hearts of everyone in the manor?

J: You are sorrowful, beautiful… and pitiable, Lord Elbert.

(This… is love?)

I felt uncomfortable, and I grew more fearful.

But, it was true that Jeffrey, and the people who were touching me, didn’t stare at me like Mother had with caterpillars.

(Maybe, I’m the strange one, for not feeling happy about this?)

I didn’t know. But, I had a feeling that I must not go against them.

As the days passed by, the places they touched me changed.

I felt sick, as if I was going to vomit. And the next thing I knew, I started to feel fearful, unpleasant, and paralyzed.

It was probably that I was dirty, because I was someone born from a sin.

But even so, they said that I was beautiful. I was beautiful, and so they loved me.

(If I become more beautiful, then maybe Father will smile again.)

(He might forgive Mother, and… he might forgive me.)

(——I might be able to stay by his side, without making him sad.)

—— Kate’s POV ——

The moon was overshadowed, and within the darkness that resembled an abyss of despair, Alfons narrowed his eyes, as if yearning for something or someone.

Alfons: The final incident happened with a certain doctor.

A: That doctor would do regular examinations on Elbie’s father, after his mother’s death.

A: One day, while doing an examination on Elbie, the doctor invited him to this study,

A: and attempted the same thing that his mother had gone through, to him.

Kate: …

(That’s too cruel…)

At that time, as if being possessed, Lord Elbert’s fingertips were trembling with small and repeated movements.

Alfons: Sadly, beauty brings out the most nauseating desires.

A: I’ll spare you the details on why I was there.

A: But, I did meet him here, right after he had stabbed the doctor with a pair of scissors.

A: What do you suppose he said to me then?

Kate: ...What...?

Alfons: While covered in blood,

——’Am I beautiful now?’ he asked.

Kate: A-and how did you answer?

Alfons: I answered with the words he wanted to hear. As for what that entails... I will leave that up to your imagination.

Alfons’ complexion didn’t change as he shrugged his shoulders.

Alfons: Elbie ran to his father’s room, still covered in blood.

A: It was several minutes after that when, in front of Elbie’s eyes, his father held up a gun... and pointed it to his own head.

Kate: !? But why...

Alfons: Who knows... that is beyond what I know.

A: In the end, though, his perception of beauty had not saved anyone... is what I do know.

A: Well, how was it? This is his ‘sin.’

The curtain lowered on the story so quickly, I looked at Alfons in astonishment.

Kate: I, don’t know...

Alfons: Oh? I’m not sure I can provide a thoughtful explanation... but what is it?

At Alfons’ words, the emotions I kept bottled up were pushed out like a surging wave.

Kate: What... what is Lord Elbert’s sin?

K: Are you telling me his sin was somewhere in that!?

I raised my voice without thinking, and I heard a light laugh in response.

Alfons: The fact that he wasn’t born ‘beautiful.’

Kate: ...?

Alfons: That is what stole his parents’ love from him, and destroyed his happiness...

A: ...and made them sad to the point they wished for death.

Kate: But that... that isn’t Lord Elbert’s sin...!!

Alfons: The objective truth and the subjective one differ from time to time.

A: At present, Elbie is repeating his meaningless atonement.

A: The more happiness he feels, the more he acts on guilt, and he continues to collect beautiful things for those who have already passed.

Kate: —!

Why Lord Elbert so drawn to beautiful things.

And why Lord Elbert didn’t show any interest toward any of the things he collects.

And why he protected me from seeing something scary the night we met.

At that moment, the reason that had seemed obvious but I was unable to grasp connected with a single line.

(That’s too much...)

—— Flashback ——

Elbert: It’s okay if you don’t see it.

E: ...Because, sad memories can easily kill you.

—— End flashback ——

—— Flashback ——

K: Can I ask why, didn’t you resist?

Elbert: ......I’m used to it. And...

E: With that distance, one careless move and... I would have stepped into their shadows.

E: I don’t want to do that to them.

—— End flashback ——

Lord Elbert hated making others sad.

(That’s because his parents’ sadness had cut their lives short...)

(And he was scared that other people like myself would end up knowing that sadness.)

That is surely the kindness Lord Elbert possesses, without a doubt. And...

...as if to prove that his past was haunting him even now, it messed with his heart.

Kate: Why... doesn’t anyone protect him?

K: It’s not just his appearance... Lord Elbert’s heart is also beautiful, and he is a kind person.

Alfons: That’s because Elbie keeps those who try to protect him at a distance.

A: He doesn’t wish to be protected. To him, he feels he should accept the suffering as punishment.

Kate: What about you, though? Aren’t you by his side...

Alfons: And the reason why is because I don’t try to save him, nor do I try to judge him.

A: To him, I am simply a convenient existence.

A: And it’s the same for me. When I’m with him, it’s convenient for me as well. Even if he is slightly troublesome with his habit of collecting and self-harm.

His words were so logical, it was almost revolting, and they seemed to chase me down.

(But, I can’t get mad at Alfons. Doing so won’t change anything...)

Even as I tried to calm myself, though, my head was still wild, showing no signs of calming.

Alfons: It is as you say — Elbie is ‘kind.’

A: After all, the act of ‘having you’ will give him the most pain and suffering, I reckon.

A: ...It is as he wishes, yes?

(If I become Lord Elbert’s...)

Instead of getting the pain and suffering that he so wishes for, what will he end up losing?

Alfons: This is why I said not to dig too deep... you really are foolish, aren’t you.

A: If you really don’t want to hurt Elbie, as you say, the best way to do that is to make him forget his obsession with you.

A: If you need assistance with putting distance between you two, I can help with that.

After listening to Alfons’ story, I felt even more strongly that there was no way I could put distance between him and me.

(Because... I...)

I couldn’t help but feel that he was too kind — and I found that hopelessly endearing.

Kate: Even if I distance myself from him because I don’t want to hurt him...

K: Lord Elbert will simply repeat what he’s been doing, and continuing hurting himself, right?

K: I... don’t want him to hurt himself further.

K: I will stay with him, by his side.

K: And... I will think about a way so that Lord Elbert doesn’t have to hurt himself.

Alfons: When you came to find me, I did have an inkling... so it’s like this.

Alfons said in a small voice.

I could hear a faint sadness in his tone,

but when he raised his head, his usual shady smile played on his lips.

Alfons: ...Well, do as you wish. However...

A: Do not take his obsession toward things he ‘wants’ lightly — let me just leave it at that.

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[theplumsoldier]

ain't no rest for the wicked / a whore's company

summary: joel miller pays you (a sex worker) to keep him company in a bar

pairing: joel miller x sex worker!female reader

a/n: this is my entry in the #pascalsnetwritingchallenge with the song prompt ain't no rest for the wicked ft. joel miller (pre-apocalypse) as always comments are appreciated <3<3

warnings: 18+ MDNI; sex work (and talk thereof, vulgar language, references to sex, reader's a single mom, sick child, mention of ex boyfriend

word count: 2,4k

You tucked your belly in and pursed your lips before you propped yourself into the slot beside him. You tucked yourself close enough for him to feel you, and he seemed to stir awake from his daydreaming - or whatever it was going through his pretty head.

"Don't think I ever saw a man look as lonely as you do now, darlin'."

His eyes were wide still, bewildered and startled as if you had woken him from a dream. His lips curved in a shy smile and you thought for a second you might have actually saved him from a nightmare instead.

His warm eyes slid over you, but they were still kind when he realized what you are—who you are, he reminded himself, because who am I to objectify anyone?

The longer he looked at you, the more you became aware of his smile. He really did look lonely and it wasn't just that he was alone in a bar.

Fuck.

You made quick thinking so that he might not brood too much on your words. The last thing you wanted was to spend your night feeling inclined to listen to some man feeling sorry for himself.

"Care f'some company?"

"M'not sure I'm a lot of fun, doll."

"That's okay. I am."

To your surprise, after a couple of what looked to be particularly decisive seconds, his mien seemingly switched and something sparkled in his eye.

"Ya know what—okay," he decided. "I'm Joel."

You took his outstretched hand and held it in yours instead of shaking it.

"I'm Pat."

Joel had stretched his hand, not only as an introductory gesture but also so that he might make some space between you. He would feel more comfortable speaking to your face than the tits you currently had perked in his face.

Joel squeezed your hand. "What's your real name."

You squeezed his hand back, although the rough calloused skin made you doubt he could feel it.

"What kinda names ya like?" quizzed you cleverly.

He made a sound. Something between a harsh chuckle and a dubious snort, whatever that may sound like.

You scorched closer to him, confidently resting your hand on his thigh. You wondered if he worked out. His thighs were muscular and the way his arm flexed you couldn't help but think he would look better with his clothes off. He probably had a nice firm ass, too.

"Ya know, I bet I could make your evening a whole lot nicer," you seduced, tracing small circles on the walked jeans that clung to his leg.

Joel bit back a smirk. "S'that so?"

Humming deeply your eyes graced down his body, although he had already understood your innuendo.

"F'you pay that right price, o'course."

The comment did not appear to fend him off.

Joel knew he wasn't going to pay you for sex. Although his brother had told him once that every man ought to try it, the thought did not arouse him one bit. Not at all, actually.

But looking at you, he wondered what company you could offer him anyhow. Surely you must be hiding something under this professional facade.

He wondered what your humor was like, if you had any, and if it matched his. He became curious about whether you were opinionated and if so, what those were. He wanted to quiz you, ask why you did this kind of work, but he thought that was something none of his business. Joel pondered whether you would tell him that if you had a smart mouth on you if he asked anyway. He hoped you did because he presumed there must be some real creep-encounters for someone like you in this world.

Suddenly he asked, too curious for his own good and too insensible on the payday: "what's your rate, Pat?"

"Five hundred bucks."

Oh.

Joel didn't know what he had expected. He didn't know what was a fair price for such an escapade, and he was both staggered by the amount - he couldn't recall the last time he had indulged and spent more than a hundred dollars on himself - and surprised that you didn't charge more. He didn't have to take another look at you to know you easily could.

He thought you should.

You watched, growing impatient as he hummed, but then he fished up his wallet and dug around.

A victory, you thought, when he moved the curled-up wads into the hand you had placed on his thigh.

If he had been paying for sex with you, he would have felt he robbed you.

"Take a seat on tha' other side."

You frowned suspiciously at the man but were quick tighten your fist around the bills.

"What?"

"I'd like to know ya," he replied.

Is he fucking with you?

You had tried something like this before; an arrogant man trying to protest your job, thinking himself so high and mighty that he might rescue you. A damn fool he was.

"I swear, if you're one o'those bastard thinkin' you're better than me—" you said with gritted teeth.

Joel quickly retreated, moving back as if he was letting you leave and lifting his hands in surrender, realizing he had given offense. "No, no—I... M'sorry, I didn't mean to offend ya."

You gave him an incredulous look and crossed your arms.

"Sorry, ma'am," he fumbled politely but he looked embarrassed. "Keep the money, I—"

"Oh, I will."

Joel bit his lip.

He registered how stupid he has been. It had been presumptuous to decide you needed the money, that it would save you a little while from doing this sort of work; he didn't stop to think that perhaps you had chosen this occupation, not out of fear for the alternative, but because you wanted to.

The thought didn't sit right with him, but he cursed himself for accidentally labeling you while trying to do just the opposite.

Joel's need for being liked encouraged him to explain: "I thought I'd do something good by paying your price without needin' your service, ma'am and I seem to 'ave insulted you 'nstead, I'm sorry," he jabbered inarticulately and you let him, somewhat baffled.

The feeling of your heart fluttering had become so unfamiliar to you that you feared a stroke was in order. When you discerned the sincerity in his apology, you couldn't help but buckle under to his chivalrously ignorant charm.

"So you don't wanna fuck me?" you teased.

He looked flabbergasted and you laughed loudly as he stuttered to find the words.

The perplexed expression tugging at his aging wrinkles blurred into a sad pout when you stood. Triumph settled in his chest when you sat on the other side.

"I'm just fuckin' with ya, cowboy."

You often found that humor helped in awkward situations, and although you got a kick out of making men feel uncomfortable, you just couldn't bear watching his depressed eyes anymore. You hadn't really been mad with him. It was just that you — on more than one occurrence — had found yourself in the company of an arrogant prick on a high horse who'd like to fix you as if you were some delicate little thing in need of rescuing. Even if those customers had been right, you were not keen on having to rely on them for the good in their hearts.

Joel seemed to ease up though.

"So this how you usually spend your Friday nights? Keeping whores company."

"Thought I'd try something new," he smirked when he leaned back with a glint in his eye. You had to stop yourself from falling into their abyss.

You cocked a brow and leaned in with a wry look. "Don't shoot the messenger, but ya ain't very good at it."

Joel chuckled.

He bought you a drink then, and you quickly found Joel was an entertaining conversationalist. He was easy to open up, had jokes practically trickling out his sleeves and he was nice on the eyes, too.

Hours passed and drinks were emptied. You could tell he was holding back—whenever your laughter died out and there was only a silence between you, he would look at you with such inquisitive eyes, that you told him he could ask you whatever he wanted.

You figured it was only fair since he had told you so much about himself: his family, his work, his dating life, and quite frankly you enjoyed his company. You couldn't remember the last time you had been out like this—not looking for customers and simply having a good night out. It made you feel like you were on a date and to your surprise, you didn't hate it.

He was careful in his questioning and seemed genuinely interested in your work. His presence was incredibly serene and you hesitated only for a moment before deciding on telling him you also had a kid of your own. A sick one, with heaps of medical bills to be paid.

Joel was quite fascinated with you by the time you had told him more about yourself and he found that you had more in common than he would have guessed.

You told him about the dreams you had had when you were younger, how you were convinced you were going to play a special role in this world, be someone who would make a difference, and how all those hopes vanished when your boyfriend had left you alone with a kid without a single word.

"Damn fool," Joel had groaned.

It was around then Joel discovered you had talked for six-fucking-hours, but only because the bar's patrons were dwindling and they were closing up shop.

It was typical for you to be home around 2 o'clock or so, but you had been so caught up you hadn't even noticed it was past 3.

As you exited the bar together, Joel chuckled to himself in revelation. "Must've been a boy last I was out this late."

His comment made you grab hold of his arm and stare bright-eyed at his wristwatch. A little past three in the morning.

"Shit! I should've been home an hour ago," you panicked and it took Joel a second to realize why.

Earlier you had told him your neighbor babysat for you while you worked, someone you also considered your closest friend, and he suddenly felt very bad for holding you out so long. He imagined your friend would be worried sick by now, recalling the story you had told him about the time someone had roughed you up and you had passed out in an alley, returning home bruised and battered.

Joel hailed a cab, feeling compelled to make sure you got home fast and safely.

You gave the driver the address of the Chinese deli on the corner of your street and settled in the seat, Joel's hand lingering comfortably above your knee.

Through the night, you had noticed Joel touching you in one way or another—on your arm, on your shoulder, on the small of your back, and so on, although only when it felt so natural that you hadn't noticed before you subconsciously leaned into his touch.

It scared you a bit, being flushed with warmth under his warm calloused hands. All the same, you felt safe in his hands, like no one could ever hurt you again; and if they dared, they would answer to him.

Joel squeezed your thigh when he noticed your trepidation, only then becoming aware that his hand was on your thigh. He hadn't realized when he had put it there, but a thought reminded him that physical touch was his love language.

It was certainly too early to be in love, he reminded himself, however, he knew that if he would see you again, after this impending adieu you were racing toward, he would have to bite his tongue to not let the words slip. In his family, they threw the words around like smiles—it felt so natural to say them when he was in the company of someone he relished being with.

Joel decided he would ask you if you would like to see him again, and when he proposed the idea with his head stuck out the window like a dog, you spun on your heel, probably a little too eager.

"A date?" mused you, trying to see the romantic gesture rather than flashbacks from those you had gone on with your ex back in the day.

Joel's head tilted and you couldn't help but grin, amused with the way he looked like a dog longing to be petted and praised.

Your gaze flickered up to your apartment and saw that the lights were on only in the living room.

"Gimme your phone, cowboy."

He vehemently did and you typed in your number, saving it to his contacts along with your name and a smiley.

"I don't expect you to pay for my company next time 'round, but I do expect ya to pay the check and hold the doors for me," quipped you.

"Nothing less, ma'am."

He sat back contentedly with a proud smile and the driver switched the gears to move off of the curb.

Joel reacted: "Wait, wait, wait!"

He looked back at you, pushing his head halfway out the window again, and grinned stupidly.

"Can I kiss you?"

An uncontrollable laugh slipped from your lips, and you took his face in your hands. Joel swore his eyes bulged comically out of his head in pure adoration for your laugh, but his sheepishness was momentary for you happily pulled him into a sweet, sweet kiss.

After a moment, you pulled back, gazing softly down at him and he thought you looked so mesmerizing in the dim street light.

"Bet that's the most expensive kiss you've ever had," you teased.

Joel shrugged as if to say "it was worth it". He enjoyed the way you joked around your profession, you seemed to tackle a lot with humor.

When the taxi pulled back into the street, Joel swallowed his heart back into place and he finally looked down at his phone.

He smiled in such a boyish way and pronounced your name.

"What's that?" grumbled the driver.

Joel couldn't rid himself of the smile dancing on his lips. He could still taste your lipgloss.

"Nothin'," he responded dismissively, eyes still fixed on his phone. He didn't have to move in the seat to know he had gotten a hard-on from kissing you.

The driver hummed, then said, "so, ya gonna give me an address or somethin'?"

[ninjigma]

Cody's Little Sister

“It’s really quiet huh?”

Cody may have been tempted to keep his eyes closed longer, but he could already hear Rex begging Cody to answer his honorary little sister with something comforting. Anything really. 

“Probably more the lack of people being shot than actual quiet.”

Well. Maybe anything but that. 

But Ahsoka offered up a morbid laugh anyhow. And Cody decided she had been fighting too long. 

Currently, the two were a bit… lost. Though not of their own accord. The planet was mostly marsh, temperate and soggy, and though they had come prepared for that there was no preparing for a section of a natural water dam to be destroyed and flood their forward route. Thankfully Cody was pretty sure most everyone was out of the direct path of the flood, but oh so lucky for Ahsoka, she had been in the middle of the river crossing. Cody, a few feet behind her, cursed Jedi and their non-armor-wearing ways as he leaped forward. The wave hit him hard enough that truthfully he only remembered dark and choking until he was coughing up slime on their island. Everything to communicate had been damaged by the sediment, and Ahsoka was currently tinkering at Cody’s helmet to give them a chance. 

“How far do you think we went?”

Cody took another careful breath, chest aching horribly. But a bit more determined this time to be encouraging he started mapping the stars that had come out. “Based on where the sun is setting and what I remember of the briefing, we probably made it a few clicks down The Serpent's Back. Surprised we didn’t drown truthfully.”

He really is trying. Seriously, Rex, it’s hard when everything is always getting worse by the minute. 

“Thanks for the credit,” Ahsoka sniffed. “That armor doesn’t make you any lighter you know.”

Ok, now Cody’s eyes were open. “You pulled me out with you?”

Ahsoka glared at him a bit, as if what he said was absurd. “Of course. I wasn’t going to let you drown.” Then in the fading light, Cody caught something much sadder in her eyes. “And don’t think I didn’t notice you protecting me from the water and trees in the first place. It isn’t at all your job to protect me, but you did it anyway.”

Cody swallowed. He may be out of his depth but even he could very much tell that ‘your life is more important than mine because I’m replaceable property’ was not the right follow-up here. So he went with something more honest, the white and blue of her montrals making it a bit easier. “Any time Commander.”

Ahsoka chuckled a bit again. “And same for you, Commander.”

The silence that fell now didn’t feel nearly as awkward as Cody had expected. He was propped against a low tree comfortably enough. The moss made it just about as lovely as those new pods the Kaminoans were putting cadets in. Ashoka didn’t seem to mind either, sitting a few feet away to try and get the last rays of light to work by. 

It was when they were finally without almost any light source that Cody became overly paranoid again. Any small noise and he was tending for some separatist gang or some Togruta-eating beast to come barreling down on them. It also didn’t help that his chest twinged every time he shifted, and Ahsoka was better at reading people than he thought. 

“Here,” she whispered as the nightlife began making odd noises. The familiar noise of a lightsaber soon drowned them out and their little island was lit in its eerie green glow. 

Cody was about to thank her when the light flashed across something moving through the water behind Ahsoka. It moved slowly but purposefully, turning as if it could see-

“Turn it off!” Cody hissed as loud as he dared. 

The lightsaber winked out and Cody had no time to even ponder whether the creature could hunt some other way before Ahsoka's trembling voice cut him off. 

“I’m sorry, I-I thought it would help you relax.”

Cody couldn’t help in the slightest. “No, I’m sorry to snap that way Commander. I just think, as nice as the light is, it makes us a rather large target.” 

Ahsoka nodded, giving one last look at the fading helmet and then curling in on herself. Again they fell to silence, the sound of water moving now making Cody even jumpier. The fog and pain in his head weren’t helping either. He had to focus on something else. 

“Do you… mind me talking with you?” Cody asked in a slight whisper. “Would help me keep my head clear.”

He managed to make out Ahsoka turning to look at him (really, was this planet one big fresher bowl because of its weak ass moon?), though he wasn’t quite expecting the surprise. “Are you asking for… permission to talk to me? In order to help you?”

“Sorry Commander,” he answered in reflex. “I won’t-“

“Stop, Cody,” Ahsoka now sounded even more upset and Cody was sure Rex was somehow glaring at him. “You don’t have to ask. I know we aren’t alone like this, ever, but nobody needs permission to talk to me. Especially not you, or Rex, or any of you. Unless you’d like me to ask permission to speak?”

“No,” Cody answered immediately, though his mind was still processing her words. “No, never.”

Ahsoka has a small smile, even though she figured Cody couldn’t see it. “Then I suppose we don’t have much else to do until master Obi-Wan finds us.”

Cody took another pained breath. “Shouldn’t be long. I imagine General Skywalker is having a fit about him losing you.”

Finally, Ahsoka gave him a quiet laugh. Small victories. “They both worry too much. You had everything under control.”

“Yeah well, someone should remind them of that next time they decide to test how flightless humans are.”

That laugh felt more genuine, and Cody relaxed just a tad more. “I’ll try to remember, but I can’t promise I won’t be doing it too.”

“Oh, you will be,” Cody grunted. “Rex too, the di’kut.”

“What’s that mean anyway?”

Cody hadn’t even realized he had his eyes closed. Blinking he shifted slowly against the tree to wake himself a bit more. “Someone who forgets to put their pants on.”

Ahsoka’s quiet laughter did a better job than the moving. She covered her mouth to stifle the sound but Cody felt his spirits lift regardless. “You two sound much closer than Captain and Commander,” she said, though with a hint of something that made Cody suspect she knew the answer. 

Yet, Cody oddly enough found himself smiling as he answered. “Yeah, you could say that. I’ve known Rex since he was a little shit. And now he’s a big shit, but he’s still my little brother.”

Ahsoka laid her head on her arms, crossed on her pulled-up knees. “You sound just like Master Obi-Wan and Anakin. Maybe that’s why our battalions work so well.”

“Because the general and I are both calling your battalion idiots?”

“I’d think I could earn a little more faith,” Ahsoka smiled. “But no. I think it’s more because you both say it out of love for your little brothers. You understand something more about each other, just like Anakin and Rex can.”

Cody knew it had been a while since he last laughed, and even though it was quiet, he found it quite nice. “Yeah,” he whispered. “Yeah, maybe you’re right.”

“I usually am, but no one listens to me either. Especially Skyguy when he’s flying.”

They were now both laughing, the soft noises blending into the living environment around them. For how much pain he was in, and the fact it was becoming quite cold, Cody found this was a vacation compared to his normal life. “You’re just like them.”

“Who?”

Cody hadn’t realized he said it out loud, but he wasn’t feeling as reserved as usual. “Rex. And General Skywalker. You’re probably all feeding off each other’s crazy. Whoever partnered you all up must have been just as nuts.”

Ashoka snickered again. “Well I think it was Obi-Wan, so don’t think you're oh-so-good Mr. 212th.”

The sentence was suddenly so informal Cody had to cough another laugh. “If anything that just proves I’m the only one with sense!”

“Didn’t you break a foot once kicking a droid?”

“Details.”

Ashoka was now burying her face to try and be quiet. “No, you’re one of us. Disaster lineage is what Master Windu says.“

“Pft,” Cody started to shake his head before it spun and he stopped. “Rex and my batch mates would probably agree, even though they’re just as bad.”

“Batch mates?”

“Like, well, brothers,” Cody chewed his lip. “Closer than the overall vod though. More like a nat-born sibling. Decanted together and then trained from day one together.”

“Oh! I think I know what you mean,” Ahsoka said. “Some of us Padawan are much closer than others. I guess we aren’t that different, brought to the temple really young and then growing up together.”

“Heh, yeah, and look at us now,” Cody chuffed. “Practically twins.”

Ahsoka's laugh was softer this time, and Cody could just make her out as she began to shiver badly. Kriff, he had his armor and thermals, and even soaking wet he hadn’t realized he was probably much better off than Ahsoka with the chill. She looked like a shiny, trying to hold everything together. Cody then found himself leaning forward despite the pain, undoing the clasps on his armor.

“What are you doing?” Ahsoka was now all concerned. “Is something wrong? Is your chest getting worse? Are you-“

“I’m fine Commander,” Cody halted her panic. “You made sure of that. Just thought it’d be warmer without some of the armor.” Finally, he had managed to undo the breastplate and plied it and the plackart to the side. He then tapped the mossy ground and raised his arm, careful to hide as much pain as possible. “You’re not going to survive all of this only to die of a cold on my watch.”

Ahsoka barely even hesitated, which surprised Cody some. But as she curled carefully into his side he figured Rex called her little sister for a reason. And soon enough the shivering stopped and Cody found the contact quite comforting, as much as he thought it was gonna be awkward. 

“He told me I could go to you.”

Kriff, he had to stop closing his eyes. “Huh?” Yeah, he must be concussed. 

“Rex,” Ahsoka spoke a bit clearer. “He found me once crying in a supply closet. I didn’t want any of the men to see. I’m supposed to be a Jedi, supposed to be able to lead them. But when Rex found me I couldn’t even try to fake it.”

Cody found himself thrown suddenly back into his memories, the moment he found Rex, hiding and crying. It was like some odd twist of fate, to be hearing this. And it only stung him more as Ahsoka continued. 

“He helped me. Told me if no one else he’d be there when I needed him. And then he promised me that if he couldn’t be there,” her breath caught a bit, the unsaid being heard clearly. “Then you’d be there. If I couldn’t find anyone else, I should find you. And I guess I just accepted it was the same as with any of you. But Anakin once said something similar about Obi-Wan, and you never even hesitated to protect me today. So now I get it,” Cody didn’t even feel any pain as her montrals pressed against his side. “You’re my big brother too.”

Cody wasn’t lucky. No, luck wasn’t on the side of any clone. There was only training and fighting and suffering tooth and nail for one more day of miserable existence. And yet, here he was, thinking fond memories of a small blond mischief maker and how a family really was made, not born. After everything that had happened to them all, he was here now, doing what he actually did best: being a big brother. 

And when the entire sky suddenly lit up in dancing green and blue lights, he figured he should rethink the miserable existence part of his thoughts. 

“What is that?” Ahsoka gasped, mesmerized as the lights started changing colors, purples and reds shooting through like tendrils. Everything around them was bathed in it, and Cody couldn’t help a breath of relief as it revealed familiar white and gold armor and a very scared-looking master Jedi a few dozen yards down the river. 

“I’d say hope,” he answered. “but I’m not quite that concussed.”

Ahsoka's laughter rang a bit different now, and her smile was definitely brighter as she too caught sight of Obi-Wan and started waving. Rex was right. Cody would be there whenever she needed him, they both would. 

That’s what big brothers are for.

[mypoisonedvine]

𝓼𝓲𝓬𝓴 𝓸𝓯 𝓵𝓸𝓼𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓼𝓸𝓾𝓵𝓶𝓪𝓽𝓮𝓼 (part II) | billy knight x reader

(part 1 here)

𝓼𝓾𝓶𝓶𝓪𝓻𝔂 | bringing your old friend back into your life forces you to decide between the life you chose to follow or the life you left behind...

𝔀𝓸𝓻𝓭 𝓬𝓸𝓾𝓷𝓽 | 6.4k

𝔀𝓪𝓻𝓷𝓲𝓷𝓰𝓼 | 18+ adult content (implied smut), angst, hurt/comfort, infidelity, mentions of abuse, fluff

THANK YOU MY DARLING BEX @creme-bruhlee who co-wrote this with me!! it wouldn't be finished without their contributions so everyone say thank you bex <3

You walked along the shore of the creek, hearing Billy’s footsteps crunch the soggy leaves behind you.  You turned over your shoulder and laughed as you watched him make wide, awkward steps to avoid sharper rocks and puddles of water.

“Not gonna slip, are you?” you asked, and he shook his head, looking up at you for a second with a little smile on his lips.

You looked ahead again, admiring the view for the first time since your first week here— you got used to it, somehow, over the months.  You nearly lost the ability to appreciate how gorgeous it really was.  But knowing this was your last sunset at Oak Hill made it look entirely new.

The sun was low, hiding behind trees that bent in the wind, making the whole sky look all swirly and orange like—

“Marmalade,” Billy blurted out suddenly as he stepped up beside where you were standing.  “Sky looks like marmalade on toast.”

You snorted, looking at him before looking back to the sunset-stained sky.

“And those clouds there?  That’s the butter,” he smiled.  “Good, Irish butter, getting all melty and soaking into the bread and mixing with the preserves—”

“Stop,” you whined, dragging it out as you tilted your head back and clutched your belly, “you’re making me hungry.”

“We could always go back for dinner,” Billy joked with a grin, “and have meatloaf for the thousandth time.”

“I’ve been here even longer than you— it would be my third-thousandth time,” you reminded him.

He seemed to get sad then, wiping under his nose roughly a few times as he stared down at the creek beneath his boots.  You deflated, too; you’d been here longer, and your time was up.  You never thought you could want to stay longer… but you never thought you’d meet someone like Billy.

“Anyhow,” you changed the subject quickly, “I-I was thinking I’d get something really good tomorrow.  Been craving Nando’s for about, oh, a year or so—”

Billy snorted.  “Figured you’d want something a little nicer— y’know, somethin’ fancy, after eating all this cheap cafeteria stuff…”

You walked together to the fallen tree— it wasn’t actually completely knocked over, but it had grown sideways into a sort of arch— and you kept glancing at him, kept admiring the way the light of dusk shined in his hair, made it look golden.  “I mean, sure,” you replied, “but with whose money?”

He shrugged, reaching up and scratched the side of his head for a moment, before quickly sniffling and rubbing his nose again.

You leaned your back against the tree, wishing so much that he would stand in front of you and let you look right at him, but he leaned beside you instead.  For a moment you were both quiet, just looking at the creek and the sky— darker by the second— and listening to the stillness of the world.  It wasn’t so quiet out there, and you weren’t guaranteed a place to sleep or a nurse to come help you if you have an episode.

But you’d be free.

You looked at Billy again, watching him stare forward as he brushed a shaky hand over his wavy hair.

Free, and alone.  No one to enjoy your freedom with.

“So,” you began quietly, looking down at the ground where you traced random circles in the leaves with the toe of your shoe, “I, erm… I’ll miss you loads.  I know you know that.”

He nodded quickly.  “Y-yeah, I… dunno what m’gonna do without you, actually.”

You felt your cheeks flush, and that butterfly feeling stirred in your gut again; Billy used to just be the new kid, the quiet one with the mess of curly hair.  It’s hard to say when it changed for you— maybe it was when you took him out by this creek for the first time, with three others, just for some obligatory rebellion after hours, and he picked a wildflower to hand to you.  Or, likely, it was when he found you hiding in a supply closet and didn’t even ask what was wrong, just held your hand until you felt right again.  There was a case to be made that it started as soon as you met him, but you didn’t notice for the first month or two.

You shivered a little, since it was getting chillier the later it got, and he glanced at you.  “Are you cold?” he wondered.

You denied it with a shake of your head, but he was stripping off his zip-up anyways.  “O-oh, Billy, I’m really fine—”

Sighing, you relented as he draped the jacket around your shoulders, tugging either end of the zipper towards each other on your chest as you mumbled your thanks.

It took him a few seconds to notice that you were looking at his face, and when he looked back at you, you could see him thinking— though you could only imagine what.  Your chest filled with a breath of hope; his eyes darted around all over the place, mostly down to the ground shyly.  Maybe this could be it, the moment you’d been dreaming of—

He let go of the jacket and wiped his nose.  “M-maybe that’ll keep you warm,” he mumbled awkwardly.

You slumped your shoulders defeatedly.  “Bet so,” you agreed.  It smelled like him, and you revelled in that.

An uncomfortable silence settled in as you watched Billy, gnawing your lip, wondering where to go now that the moment had passed.

He suddenly grabbed your— his— jacket again and slammed his lips onto yours.  Eyes shut tight, like he was focusing all his energy on it; it was sudden and hard but it was perfect, and you melted into him quickly.

He pulled away almost as fast as he’d leaned in, looking at you with a particular expression, clearly wondering if he’d made a horrible mistake.  You just reached up and weaved your fingers into the hair at the back of his neck and pulled him in again— a longer, slower, deeper kiss.  You settled into a pattern with him, his lips carefully moving on yours.  One of his hands found your waist and gave you a soft squeeze there, and you smiled against him.

It ended eventually, him pulling back first to look at you with more love in his eyes than you’d ever seen on anyone before— let alone directed at you. 

“Billy,” you breathed, “why’d you have to wait so long to do that?”

He laughed softly, and you did too, reaching up to stroke his cheek with your thumb.  “Sorry,” he mumbled.

“No, I just—” you sighed, leaning forward to rest your forehead on his shoulder.  You felt his hand gently pet the back of your head and you bit your lip.  “I’ve just been hoping— I thought maybe— and I’m leaving tomorrow—”

“Shh,” he soothed, and when you lifted your head to blink up at him, he closed his own eyes and rested his forehead on yours.

As your eyes fell shut as well, a shiver ran over you— the evening chill was creeping in while the sun crossed the horizon, and not even Billy’s hoodie could protect you from the nippy breeze.

He wrapped his arms around you tightly, pulling you into him as you reached up to rest your hands on his chest.  It was sweet, and it was warm, but it was a goodbye hug: you could tell just by the way he kissed the top of your head and rubbed your arms and took a deep breath in.  You pulled back, just at your head and shoulders, to look up at him.

“Promise me we won’t have to be apart,” you whispered pleadingly, balling your hands into fists and tugging at his shirt, and he licked his lips for a second as he looked down.

“You know I’d never lie to you,” he breathed, and you bit your lip; his hands reached up and cradled your face.

“Just lie to me once,” you begged, “that we’ll always be together, please—”

He held your head and lifted it so he could kiss the height of your cheekbone, where a thin tear had begun to fall.  “We’ll find each other,” he promised instead, “someday, when we’re out of this place.  We’ll always find each other.”

In the morning, he saw you off from the front office, and you snapped off your paper ID band from your wrist to stuff into his pocket.  “So you remember me,” you explained.

“We won’t forget each other,” he promised.  “No matter what.  Certain people will always be in your life… no matter how long you go without seeing each other.”

You raised an eyebrow.

“I-I heard that in a movie one time,” he admitted with a shrug.

“Is it true?” you wondered.

“I guess we’ll find out.”

xx

“Do we have the ingredients for paprikash?” you wondered, and George narrowed his eyes as he opened the pantry.  

“Well, we don’t have paprika…” he noticed.  “So I guess it would just be ‘sh’.”

You snorted, ducking your head down into the opened fridge.  “Oh!  I could make beef stroganoff!  Except, erm, with… pork.  Or tuna.”

You both perked up at a knock at the door.  “Pork sounds great,” he agreed as he started to walk away, “I’ll get it.”

There was another rapid succession of knocks before George could get there, and you started getting pots and ingredients out for dinner.

“We’re not giving you money or anything,” George announced firmly when he opened the door; you figured it was someone raising for a political cause or maybe even a religion when you heard that.

“I-is she home?” you heard a meek voice ask in reply.

“Mate, whoever you’re looking for isn’t here—” George began, but you were already running out of the kitchen and tumbling towards the door.  

You knew you must have lit up when you saw Billy standing there on your welcome mat; he had on a soft grey hoodie, with the sleeves pulled up around his hands— one of which was held to his mouth to gnaw on his thumb nail.  That hand fell quickly and his lips curled into a gentle smile as he saw you.  “I knew you’d come,” you announced as you ran to him, pulling into a quick but tight hug.  There was a bit more colour to his face, more brightness in his eyes as he looked down at you when you pulled away, arms still draped lazily over his shoulders while his hands gently held your back.

“Course I had to,” he smiled at you, “said I would, wouldn’t I?”

You realised you were still holding him and pulled away, facing George who seemed to be catching on.  “Y-you remember I said I’d visited a friend in hospital?” you prompted, and George nodded, looking a little embarrassed that he’d reacted to Billy that way. 

“Sorry, mate,” George offered Billy a handshake; Billy seemed a little uncomfortable with it, but shook your fiancé’s hand politely.

“I’m just starting dinner,” you announced, “you could help me, if you wanted?  Give George a break from sous chef duty?  O-or just wait, I’m sure you’re tired—”

“I’ll help,” Billy decided, “f’that’s alright.”

“Of course,” you hummed, and you and George stepped back to let him in.  He toed his sneakers off, looking around the house with wide eyes.

“Nice place,” he noticed while George shut the door.  “Wow, look’t that…”

“Y-yeah, it’s George’s place, really,” you admitted, “but I did some of the decorating.”

“Who painted that?” he wondered as he pointed at the oil painting in the foyer.

“Oh, that was a gift from a client,” George explained, looking at it with crossed arms.  “It’s an original Lebo, he’s the next big thing, up-and-comer in the Miami art scene…”

“Miami?  Like California?” Billy wondered.

You giggled a little bit as George made that face he made when he was trying not to be condescending.  “Er… Miami, Florida.”

“Eh?  Coulda sworn Miami was a place in California,” Billy frowned, wiping under his nose quickly a few times; he always did that, but you could tell by the way he did it that he was nervous.  You bit your lip as you looked at George, willing him with your mind to not think less of Billy for questionable geography skills— you hadn’t told him everything about this friend of yours who was in hospital, just that you knew each other as teenagers and that he was a kind and gentle person.  If George really understood all Billy had been through, you’d hope he wouldn’t be judgemental; but it wasn’t your story to tell.

“Listen, you two get to cooking and I’m gonna get some work done?"  It wasn't a question but George raised the tone of his voice at the end like it was one.  "Come up if you need anything."

Billy gave you a slightly shy look as George disappeared up the stairs with heavy footsteps.  “If you slice the mushrooms I’m gonna start cooking the pork,” you explained.

He nodded as you opened the knife drawer for him and he took out a small one to begin cutting on the bamboo slate you’d already set out.  “Been a while since somebody let me handle sharp objects,” he admitted with a chuckle.

“Oh, if you don’t want to, I can—”

“No, it’s fine,” he promised, shaking his head.  “I can handle it.  Only ever hurt myself on accident doing wood carving.”

“You still carve?” you realised excitedly, and he nodded.  “I remember you spent ages trying to get them to let you do it in the facility.”

“Yeah, that took some persistence,” he recalled with a grin.  “I was stuck doing regular arts and crafts for the first… six months?  Lots of papier-mâché.”

You snorted at the memory.  “In the girls’ wing we did a lot of ‘inspiration boards’...”

“Oh, Christ,” Billy laughed, “not the bloody inspiration boards.  Hated those— as if anything you can find in an old magazine’s going to inspire you to not be fuckin’ mental.”

You laughed, and as you focused on preparing ingredients, the conversation lulled for a moment.  Billy eventually, gently, broke the silence.

“S-sorry for how I was before, at the hospital,” he mumbled.  “I was still pretty out of it, but I was so happy to see you.”

“Oh, you were fine,” you promised, “I know what it’s like to be hopped up on painkillers.”

He gave you a look with a raised eyebrow, and you shook your head.  

“Don’t worry— distant memory.”

“But you’re, uh… you’re still on something?” he broached the topic carefully.

“Yeah,” you nodded.  “Ziprasidone, forty miligrams twice a day.  And, you know, some escitalopram as needed, but that’s nothing.”

“And the side effects aren’t too bad?” he pressed.  “My tics got worse no matter what I was on.”

“Well, there are some,” you admitted, “but not that bad once I got the dosage right.  It’s worth it.”

He nodded, reaching up with the hand that wasn’t holding the knife to wipe his fist under his nose quickly.  You knew what the silence meant, you knew he wanted to believe you but was worried how it would feel to be medicated; he’d had so much trouble with it, having gone through his share of prescriptions— actually, he’d gone through his and three other people’s shares.  You could only imagine how much trouble he’d had staying on pills if he couldn’t even afford them.

“You’ll stay on what the hospital sent you home with, right?” you asked quietly.

“Y-yeah, of course,” he shrugged, “as long as it doesn’t, you know, make me feel horribly sick or something.”

“You can’t go off of them just because you’ve got dry eyes or nausea, though,” you frowned.

“Obviously!” he scoffed.  “I… I really wanna get better this time, for good.  But, um… it’s hard, with my brother…”

You nodded, but didn’t say anything else, focusing mostly on stirring the meat around the hot pan as it sizzled.

“Malibu!” he said suddenly.

“Hm?” you turned to him, eyebrows knitted together, and he suddenly looked a bit embarrassed.

“I— I was thinking of Malibu… before…” he mumbled as he trailed off.  “Malibu, California.”

You grinned wide, watching him reach up to wipe the back of his hand, covered with his jacket’s sleeve, over his face quickly.  "How are you feeling?" you asked.  "After the injury."

"Not so bad," he answered, "it still gets a little sore sometimes, especially at night with the pain meds wear off, but it's not that bad."

"You're so tough," you shook your head.  "Got stabbed a few days ago and you're just walking it off."

"I got lucky," he explained, "it didn't hit anything important.  Mostly I'm just hoping it’ll turn into a cool scar.” 

He looked at you with a little smirk and it warmed your heart.  

“People say scars are attractive," he continued, "but… they only mean the ones on the outside.”

You sighed, knowing how true that was— it took you long enough to find someone like George, who stuck with you even though you had so much you still struggled with.  “Can I see it?” you asked, hoping not to get too deep into the other topic.

Billy nodded and lifted his shirt, exposing more and more pale skin, until the fabric was gathered up to his shoulder and you could see the sewn wound right at the centre of his chest.  You gasped, reaching to cover your mouth first as you realised it was much worse than you imagined before; and then you found yourself reaching out to touch him, though you should’ve asked permission first (yet he didn’t make a move to stop you, he didn’t even seem all that surprised).

Your fingers gently trailed around the marks, and it was like you could feel how much it must have hurt— the stitches and the stabbing; your heart ached for him, as always.  “Billy,” you whispered under your breath, shocked at all he’d survived.

For a moment, you found your touch trailing further, brushing over the thin layer of hair on his chest.  It was new, after all, since the last time you’d touched him there— he was only a boy then, a bit scrawny and lanky, and while he was still on the lean side now, this was clearly a man’s body.  A man who had been through so much; a man that the world had tried so hard to harden and callus and break, but he was still so soft and delicate.

Your fingertips were still tracing his skin when your eyes finally met his, and the look in them penetrated you.  Knowing you should pull away, you started to move your hand back, but he grabbed it and pulled it to him— he pressed it flat and firm to his chest, squeezing your fingers, letting you feel his heartbeat beneath.

It didn’t feel like you were doing anything wrong, until you both heard George’s steps coming around the corner and jumped away from each other quickly; Billy tugged his shirt down, wiping under his nose as he cleared his throat, you did a bit of a better job of acting natural.

“How’s dinner coming along?” George wondered.

“Oh, well,” you smiled. “S’nice to catch up a little.” You cast Billy a small smile, hoping to connect his glance, but his eyes were down, his focus back on his task. It nearly seemed as if he were ashamed of almost getting caught. 

“How’s it you know each other again?” George asked. “She’s got so many little friends, it’s hard to keep track.” 

You scoffed and rolled your eyes, and you almost answered, but Billy’s inhale made you realise that the question wasn’t aimed at you. “When we were kids,” Billy started. “Not kids, really, I guess, but… when we were younger, we were at a-a facility together. Not for very long, but…” he trailed off for a moment, getting a slightly glassy look in his eyes. Finally, he simply added, “We grew close.” 

“That’s good,” George said. “And you’ve just gotten out of hospital?” 

“Erm, yeah—”

“What happened?”

There was a split second where the question hung in the air, and you could feel Billy’s energy change. He obviously wasn't ready to talk about it.

"Why don't you set the table, Georgie?" you requested without turning around. Your face burned, and you cleared your throat as you tried to dampen down the flames in your cheeks. “Make yourself useful,” you added with a light laugh, almost jumping a little when his hands rested on your arms as he leaned in to kiss by your ear.

“Anything for you,” George said, his voice a little quiet, like he didn’t want Billy to hear, and the kitchen fell into silence as George gathered the utensils and left the kitchen.

The kitchen was only quiet for a moment more, the sizzling of the pork dying down a bit, before Billy, with a smirk, noticed, "Bit posh, isn't'e?"

"Shut up," you giggled, pushing Billy's shoulder.

“Never thought you’d go for someone like that,” Billy admitted lightly. You could tell he was still trying to make it a joke, but the joke was obviously falling a little flat; you could feel the anxious energy radiating off of him.  “B-but I’m glad you’re happy.” 

“How about you?” you asked, and you found yourself biting your lip as you spooned the mix of meat and veg onto three plates. “Any girls strike your fancy?”

“Ah,” Billy started, and he shook his head. “No. You know me, though, that’s never been my nature, really…” 

“I used to know you,” you said, and Billy cast his big dark eyes at you.  You hadn’t meant to be so blunt about it, and you quickly added, “but I imagine you haven’t changed all that much, eh?”

“I guess not,” Billy mumbled, and you wondered if that hadn’t really helped to add— if that was what he was afraid of, not changing.  But you never found anything to dislike in Billy all those years ago, even if you were still fighting the urge to resent him a bit for never calling after he promised to.  You trusted that you’d find each other again someday— and most of the time, with him here, it felt like no time had passed at all— but you’d hurt for a while, wondering if you did something wrong… if he never really loved you.

And, of course, time had passed.  You remembered that every time you looked down at your hands and saw the ring on your finger; every time you glanced over your shoulder and saw George setting the table.

I waited for you for so long, Billy— couldn’t you have let me find you sooner?

xx

Dinner was… quiet.  Not exactly tense, but not not tense.  You could all pretend your mouths were just so full of stroganoff that you couldn’t say much, but really, there wasn’t much to say.  

Actually, there was a lot to say— you and Billy wanted to talk, but you both must’ve felt strange about it with George there, and in turn, George probably didn’t want to talk to you how he normally did with Billy there.

"So, Billy," George prompted, clearing his throat after a long pause, "what do you do?"

"E-er…"

"For work?"

"Sort of between jobs at the moment," Billy admitted.  "It's hard for me to work with… my condition…"

"Right," George frowned, and you lightly kicked him under the table.  “W-well, we’re just—” he rushed to try to appease you, “glad you’re alright.  After what happened.”

You caught Billy’s lips pressing together, and you knew he was trying not to smile at the wrong time.  Maybe it was the use of we that amused him; maybe it was the idea that Billy was ‘alright’ after everything.

“Do you have a place to stay?” you asked suddenly, and Billy stopped chewing to look at you with wide eyes.  You felt George’s glare land on you, he already knew you were going to offer Billy anything no matter how misguided it might seem.

“Erm… well, no, but—” Billy began.

“There’s our couch,” you noticed.  “You should stay here tonight.”

“I— I couldn’t let you do that,” he insisted, rubbing his fist under his nose. “I-I couldn’t—”

You rested your hand on his shoulder, and he stilled for a moment as he blinked at you.  “It’s the least we could do.”

xx

“I don’t want him here,” George said sternly the moment he’d gotten you alone.  “He’s obviously unstable, he needs real help—”

“Listen to me,” you pleaded, “he’s got a three-week prescription from the hospital, he just needs to get used to the new meds.”

“I know you wanna think you can save everyone,” your fiancé sighed, sounding so exhausted with you, “but you need to think about your own safety.  He’s not well and he’s… inappropriately attached to you.”

“Inappropriate?” you repeated.

“A grown man has no reason to stake his sanity on someone he met in hospital,” George hissed, “as a child.”

You laughed in frustration as you shook your head.

“Oh, don’t do that,” he warned, “don’t act like I’m ridiculous for not wanting a strange man on my couch.  That’s an expensive couch.”

“Well shit, George, he’s not a dog, he’s not gonna piss on it or something!” you scoffed.  “And he’s not strange, either.”

“He is to me.”

“But I know him, and you know me,” you explained, “can’t you trust my judgement?”

“It’s my house, I have the right if I don’t want him—” George began.

“It’s my house, too,” you hissed, lowering your voice as you stepped closer to him, “and you brought her here— you brought her in our bed, didn’t you?  So what’s that compared to my friend on the couch?”

“Oh, Christ,” he spat, “I knew you’d bring that up, again, when you said you’d forgiven me—”

“I did!” you insisted.  “But you’re being a fucking hypocrite!  Just admit that you don’t trust me— when I’m the one who shouldn’t trust you.”

“We should both trust each other,” he corrected.

“You should stop treating me like a guest here,” you replied, raising your voice, “like I’m just some charity case and not the woman you asked to move in and asked to marry you—”

“You always do this,” George shook his head, looking beyond irritated with you.

“And now you take issue with my friend?”

“He’s not your friend,” George spat, “he’s here because he’s mental and broke and horny, probably.”

“What?!”

“Oh, come on, darling, don’t be so stupid,” he groaned, rolling his eyes.  “He wants to shag you!”

“I can’t believe you,” you scoffed as you stormed out, only to stop halfway down the hall when you found Billy, looking shivery and uncomfortable with his arms crossed around himself.  “O-oh, Billy, I—”

“S’just lookin’ for some sheets…” he mumbled, looking down, and you knew he must have heard you arguing.  

“They’re down here, let me get them for you,” you offered as you opened the door to the linen closet, but he stepped back nervously.  

“I-is everything alright?” Billy asked you tenderly, and your heart ached.

“Yes,” you sighed, “it’s fine, he just—”

“Oh god,” Billy whimpered, knowing you were lying, “v’done it again, haven’t I?  Fucked everything up.”

“No,” you sighed, “no— you didn’t do anything wrong.”

“I don’t want to make it harder for you,” he choked, covering his face with his hands.  “You got better!  You’re normal!  And I’m making it worse, I’m… dragging you back down.  It’s just why I never called!”

You rushed forward, holding his wrists tightly even as he struggled for a second.  “Billy, look at me,” you pleaded.  “Look, I need to see your eyes.”

He relaxed and let you move his fists out of the way so you could see his wet, quivering face.

“You don’t make anything worse,” you promised.  

Just as he started to melt into your touch, and your fingers slid up to interlace with his, you heard George come through the door and huff at the sight.  He said your name sternly, and you turned around, giving Billy’s hand a squeeze before you let go.

“I was just helping him find the sheets,” you explained, already knowing what George wanted to say.

“Won’t need them— he’s not staying here,” your fiancé insisted.

“No, George, don’t—” you started to protest, but Billy was already shrinking away.  “Billy, please don’t go—”

As you watched Billy start to run out, George held you back and stopped you from chasing after him.  “He needs to leave,” George insisted, and he was much too strong— your fight was useless.

“Let me go!” you whimpered, but he didn’t, not even after you heard the front door slam, not even after your rage fell into exhaustion and you started to cry.

“Better this way,” George promised, “trust me.  We need to trust each other.”

He kept saying that, a convenient quote from your couple’s therapist manipulated to apply to kicking out your oldest friend— and first love.  “He just needs help, Georgie,” you whimpered as the restraint turned into a gentler sort of embrace, with soft kisses and shushes beside your ear.

“You can’t help everyone,” he explained, “you should just worry about yourself— God knows you’ve got plenty to worry about… we can’t have you getting bad again.”

That was what he called it when you had an episode, as rare as they were now, bad.  You had to remind yourself that it didn’t make you bad for struggling.

It’s so scary when you’re having bad thoughts, but you’re not bad, you remembered telling Billy just a few days ago.

“I-I wanna get ready for bed now,” you decided quietly.

“Okay,” George whispered, and only then did he let you go, after one more kiss to your cheek.  “See you in bed.”

It’s hard to say if you knew for sure, then, that you weren’t going to get ready for bed— you felt like you were in a dream, or a trance, as George left you in the hallway only for you to instead put on your shoes and walk out the front door.  

xx

“Can’t believe I found you,” you gasped as you threw yourself onto Billy, not even stepping inside first.  He reciprocated the hug instantly, burying his face in your shoulder.  “Don’t ever run from me like that again, please…”

“I won’t, I won’t,” Billy promised softly.  “Just tell me you’re okay,” he pleaded as he held you tighter.

“I’m okay,” you promised.

“I— I heard him yelling at you,” he admitted.  “I was so afraid he would hurt you— he didn’t hurt you, did ‘e?”

You smiled a little as Billy pulled back enough to examine your face closely, looking for marks.  “He didn’t hit me,” you assured, “he wouldn’t— he’s not like that.”

“Good,” Billy nodded, “good— if he did, I— well, I shouldn’t say something like that.  But I would be really fucking angry.”

But felt his hands tighten into fists at your waist, and you knew what he was imagining.

“How’d you find this place?” Billy wondered as he stepped back and let you in, shutting the flat’s front door behind you.

“Called back your old friend, Mr. Strike,” you smirked.  “He had a few leads.”

“I’m sorry for leaving like that,” he sighed, “I was just—”

“I know,” you interrupted quickly.

"There's something I have for you," he said suddenly.  You waited with a tilted head as he knelt down by his backpack, propped up against the wall, unzipping it and pulling something out.

A carving on a panel of wood, rough and unpolished but careful crafted: it was the creek, that very one behind Oak Hill.  The bent tree, the rocks by the shore, the sun a big divot as it sank down behind the jagged treeline.

As he held it in front of you, you ran your fingers over the edges in awe; "It's just how I remember," you sighed.

"C-careful, splinters," Billy warned, reaching for your hand and grabbing it tightly.  You looked at him, knowing you were already crying, heart breaking at the look on his face.

"You really carved this for me?" you whispered, and he nodded.  "When?"

"Ten years ago," he replied, "but that was just the first one.  This one— this one I did before I came to see you for dinner."

You looked at it again, then at him with a tilted head.  "You did more than one?"

"I-I've done about… about a hundred, maybe more," he explained.  "I kept trying to make it perfect, but I couldn't always— sometimes I messed up, so I'd start again.  I wanted it to look exactly like it did then."

You looked down at the carving one more time, seeing the detail, and imagining every change he made over the years to accomplish it.

"I just couldn't remember it right," he explained, scratching beside his ear, "u-until I saw you again.  Then it was like it was all there… I finally got it right."

“Billy, it’s amazing,” you promised, whispering as you fought back the urge to cry, “you’re amazing…”

As you trailed off, he suddenly asked: “Do you still love me?”

“Of course,” you answered, faster than you could worry about being self-conscious about it.  “Always— of course I do.”

“But… you can’t love me the way I thought you did,” he breathed.  “You can’t love me the— the way I love you.”

“A-and what way is that?” you wondered.

“Every way.”

You sighed, shivering as he stepped closer, each of his hands resting on your shoulders.  His touch on your bare skin was still so… much.

“You’re gonna marry him,” he reminded you both, “and it’s better that way.  You’re better off with someone you don’t have to take care of all the time.”

"I'd rather take care of you," you admitted, eyes welling with tears, "I'd rather have you, Billy, I just didn't think you still cared for me—"

"I said I always would," he interjected, "I meant that— c'mon, v'never really loved anyone but you, don't you know that?"

You smiled a little as you looked down.

"B-but that's not my point, you shouldn't be with me," he insisted.

"I want to be with you, Billy."

“What about when I have bad days?”

“I have bad days too,” you reminded him.

“Yeah!  And what if I can’t take care of you, ‘cause I’m too messed up?” he wondered.  "I still— I still see things, you know.  I mean, not since hospital, but—"

"It'll be okay," you promised.  "We'll be okay, we'll have each other.  I can't heal you, Billy, I can't save you— but I can be here when you need me."

“You can’t leave him for me.  I can’t let you throw your life away for me.”

“If he doesn’t understand you, then he doesn’t understand me either,” you explained.

He was shaking his head, looking down, but you held his cheeks and lifted his face.  “I love you,” you reminded him, but he kept looking down, tears striping his face.

"Billy," you whispered, making him look at you softly.  "Kiss me again.  Please."

He did: tender and patient, just as delicate as the first time so many years ago.  As you kissed him back, holding tightly onto his shoulders, he carefully reached for your waist and pulled you closer.  Being pressed against him was so comforting and warm; being wrapped in his arms and pulled into bed felt so right.

He mumbled something about how his brother wouldn’t be home ‘til morning, and you just nodded, not wanting to break away from the kiss any longer.

xx

You woke up to fingers tracing along your back aimlessly, and you hummed, clinging tighter onto the pillow under your head. 

“Sorry,” Billy whispered, “wasn’t trying to wake you up…”

“S’okay,” you mumbled, feeling kisses trail your shoulder next.  When you blinked open your eyes, you saw his hand— a bandage still around one of the knuckles, small bruises and cuts here and there— run down your arm to hold your hand and give it a squeeze.  

He pressed himself up to your back, embracing you tightly again, resting his face in the crook of your neck.  “You’re so beautiful,” he whispered.  “Tell me it’s real— that you’re real.”

“Of course I am,” you laughed softly.

“Just seems too good to be true,” he admitted quietly.  “You show up at my door and tell me you wanna be with me instead of him, that you love me, I— I sort of imagined it before, if m’bein’ honest.  Definitely imagined this…”

You giggled as his hand slipped under the sheets to run up your bare thigh, the memories of last night’s lovemaking imprinted into the soreness of your skin— everywhere he’d held you tightly, like he was afraid you’d run off and disappear if he let go.  Bruises were likely blooming already in the shape of his touch, but you didn’t mind it; it was exactly what he’d feared, that he wouldn’t know how to love you without hurting you, but all you’d ever wanted was the ecstasy and the pain of sharing everything with someone.

Billy pulled you closer still, helping you turn so you could press your forehead to his.  “I’ll never run away from you again,” he promised quietly.  

“I’ll never let you again,” you returned, making you both giggle as he peppered your face in kisses.  As you reached up, he felt your ring brush over his skin, and he grabbed your hand to hold it up where you could both look at it. 

Delicately, he slipped the engagement ring from your finger, and examined it.  “Well,” he frowned, “we can chuck this, then—” and threw it over his shoulder.  You laughed as it fell to the floor with a quick ping! and he kissed you again before you could protest to his flippancy.

“Billy, you shouldn’t—” you still tried to get out with his lips overwhelming yours, but he hummed and rolled you onto your back so he could climb on top of you.

“I’ll get you a new one,” he decided softly, “when I can afford it.  Won’t be as nice, but—”

“It’ll be perfect,” you smiled.

[aro-langblr]

somewhat ramble-y japanese thoughts

I'm forcing myself to read more japanese again lately, and it's so infuriating when I need to double check the pronunciation or meaning of certain kanji. ones I used to know without question. it's all coming back to me quickly, but holy shit it's infuriating to brute force my way through relearning things I've forgotten. like sure, I can look at 彫刻 and can vaguely recall or infer the pronunciation and reading, but it's frustrating needing to double check so much because my knowledge is no longer reliable

thankfully atm I'm showing more promise with japanese than I have in 1.5 years (tho I'm still barely doing anything). but hot damn, it's painful to have to face this when I know every bit of knowledge I've lost is just a result of being cripplingly mentally ill

but like I said, I'm brute forcing the relearning process lately, and I'm no longer scared of evaluating how much I've forgotten. that fear has been an obstacle for a long while now, so hopefully now that (I think) I'm past the worst of the shame, maybe I can work on actually rebuilding ?

atm I'm not taking active steps to create a study schedule or concrete goals. I'm still using a very passive approach for japanese, but this slow and passive progression has worked well enough with lithuanian that I now have some semblance of a study pattern / routine. even if my study habits for lithuanian still aren't particularly the best. I want to believe the same could potentially work for japanese. just maybe.

-----

and yeah, I know I make a post like this every other month. shhh. but I mean it when I say I've been more consistent than I have in a long time. the reason I keep saying this is because I'm becoming increasingly more consistent with time. so yes! I am indeed doing "better than I have been" each time I say it. the upward trend has been slow and wavering, but it's still generally improving :)

below is my lithuanian progress on just one app. and I interact with the language a lot more than just what's recorded here. ⬇️⬇️⬇️

also, I don't feel intimidated to be a part of langblr anymore. bc there was a long period that I felt I didn't belong here anymore. despite being active since 2016ish. and it's kinda starting to really feel like I belong again.

anyhow, please wish me luck with japanese. I don't know what my next steps are, but hopefully, copying the steps I took for my lithuanian studies can help with japanese as well

[azrielsoulmate]

Covered in you

my house of stone, your ivy grows, and now i’m covered in you

Eris Vanserra x Wisteria (OC)

a/n: i am running absolutely late with some chapters for magnificently cursed, so i hope you'll take this little excerpt of the story of my oc, Wisteria :) just something short and sweet

also, keep in mind english is not my first language so if u see anything anyhow inocorrect, no u didn't AND as always, im open to feedback so let me know what you think about this fic!

word count: 1700

warnings: brief mentions of abuse (Beron)

genre: fluff

masterlist

The cold wind blew Wisteria’s hair into her face as she trudged to the Forest House. She had just left her horse in the stables when the rain started. She frowned, looking down at her dress just to find it completely covered in mud. Wisteria groaned, knocking on the manor’s huge doors, and was met with two guards. “My lady” one of them bowed and she stared at him  “Don’t bow to me, Hugo. I’m not High Lady” - that had been a subject Eris could not seem to be able to put down ever since he took over the crown, months ago. But despite their both’s huge efforts to show the citizens of the autumn court that males and females were equal now, the misogyny in the court ran deep. Besides, Wisteria, unlike Eris, was a fighter, a shadow, a spy - not a performer, and the autumn court needed to be ruled by someone with at least somewhat decent social skills, at least according to Wisteria. 

She huffed making her way up the stairs.Gods, she’s never been this exhausted. This mission lasted more than a week, longer than any she had been on ever since Eris became High Lord. But the smaller villages still needed help, and she was trying to snuff out what the smaller lords of the counties thought of her lover’s rule. 

He had better be home, she thought as she opened up the door to their bedchambers. “Ah there you are” her lover approached her with a small smile “Gods, you look horrible” he stared her up and down “Good to see you too, pumpkin” she mumbled at him and he, as always when she would call him that, huffed in shock at the nickname and clutched a hand to his chest. His hair was a little overgrown, just like Wisteria liked it, and he was wearing a forest green shirt, the first few buttons undone. He gathered up some of the rain drops off her cheek “Good to have you back” he kissed her forehead and made to take the completely soaked through coat off her shoulders. He went to the bathroom to run her a bath as she made her way into their bedroom, where she was met with three of Eris’ ghost hounds. They ran up to her while Wisteria started to take the daggers off herself. “Hello, my little loves, hello” she murmured to them sweetly, petting them. “You know, the view this court has on you would change drastically if they saw how soft you get with them” Eris chuckled from the door “And they’d end up with a dagger in their heart before they even thought about spreading that information around” she replied, not even looking up from her corset, which she had trouble unlacing. 

The High Lord was quite right, though. When they met, centuries ago, her - a young girl Beron had acquired to train as spymaster, him - a spoiled princeling, thinking he owned the world, she despised him, and he loved to constantly tease her with all his contrarian shit. That was when their friendship began, but even despite them knowing each other for so long, in the face of Beron’s abuse, Wisteria had put up walls taller than those of the Forest House. Rough at the surface, but as the plans of the former High Lord’s demise were nearing and a vision of peace, at last, began approaching, Eris managed to cut through like a knife.

 And they knew each other, better than the stars knew the sky and the moon knew the sun. More than they knew themselves. And they vowed to protect each other’s hearts, at all cost. Even when the whole Prythian thought it knew them - based solely on the sorry masks they put on in front of prying eyes. Their love and the quiet they could give each other in the dark of the night, by the hearth, the devotion in their longing stares during all those grotesque balls - now no longer secret, was enough. No one, except for Eris and Wisteria, knew anything about them, and that provided comfort neither of them had ever dreamed of deserving, accomplishing. 

“By the mother I despise this thing” Wisteria huffed and looked up to meet Eris’ russet eyes. “Well, what are you waiting for? Come here and help me” she gestured towards herself, exasperated. He smiled, slightly shaking his head as he walked to her. “Demanding woman” he murmured, standing behind her “Just as you like me” Wisteria replied, meeting his gaze in the mirror in front of them. Eris hummed, placing a light kiss on her shoulder as he started unlacing her bodice. “Why do you keep wearing this if you despise it so much?” “It looks pretty” was his lover’s reply, in a tone as if it was the most obvious matter in the universe. After finishing up with Wisteria’s corset, Eris lowered to his knees in front of her. “Allow me, my love” he said as he took off both of her boots and went to part her mud-covered skirts. He started unstrapping the daggers at her thighs, and she tangled her fingers in the lordling’s hair. He hummed in contentment and for a few moments, the only sounds in the chambers were the flickering of wood in the fireplace and daggers clattering down to the wooden floors. Well, and the uneven breathing of three cheery dogs, now laying around the couple. It seemed that not only Eris and Wisteria could keep up masks to the public, as the hounds were scary and aggressive to any stranger, but would completely switch demeanors when either the High Lord or his spymaster would enter the room.

Wisteria smiled down at her man as he finished up his work. “I missed you, you know” she tugged on his red hair, getting his attention. He looked up at her, his eyes aflame “I know, I missed you too” Eris said, slowly rising from his knees to kiss her face, now ushering her to the bathroom. “Come now, the water will get cold” and as Wisteria started walking, Eris took notice of her slumped shoulders and faltering steps. He took her into his arms, carrying her to the bathing chambers “Touch starved, are we now?” she glared at him “Excuse me, you were gone for a whole week, and I am only a man” he reasoned “You’re excused then, pumpkin” Wisteria chuckled lightly. 

 At the beginning of their relationship, Eris really despised Wisteria’s missions. But she was running the small group of spies she had gathered for autumn in her centuries as spymaster, and he trusted her. Not only that - his lover was definitely a much better fighter than him, which she would probably always find amusing, but Eris still worried for her. He always would. 

He helped her bathe and wash her hair. Taking care of her was something he’d always cherish doing. For so long he didn’t allow himself to care for anyone at all, but Wisteria kept blurring out his periphery, passing by so carelessly as she always would - her presence in a room more noticeable than anyone else’s. For him, at least, that is - for the other courtiers seemed never to notice her, just as she wanted. That, he could never fathom, how someone could just be unaware of her. Her with the thousands of daggers strapped to her body at all times, with her completely inappropriate dresses - for she would usually make them herself and wear the corset on top of the underskirts - a fashion choice she insisted on for centuries. Her with her ability to appear and disappear in front of him during balls, suddenly seen with a goblet of wine or picking her nails with a dagger and the next minute gone, not to be seen until maybe weeks later, her with her unpredictability of going off for her own adventures in the middle of the night or suddenly befriending the bastard Rhysand’s inner circle. Her with her unapproachability and constant frowning that seemed to scare everyone off, but not him, never him. And the way she always knew the right thing to say, on nights where Beron would hurt him particularly badly - Wisteria would find words of comfort that managed to magnificently stitch up his wounds, time and time again. He didn’t think there was ever someone more intelligent than her, not in all of Prythian, not in all of time. He was utterly and completely at the woman’s mercy, and he had absolutely no intention of ever breaking free. 

The two made their way into the bedchamber, only to find their hounds splayed on the bed, swinging their tails around happily. Wisteria heard Eris sigh from behind her and chuckled. She made her way under the covers, sitting up in bed to braid her wet hair while Eris threw some more wood into the fire. He soon got in next to her, taking the strands of her dark hair from her and gesturing for her to turn around. He finished braiding it, tying it off with a ribbon. “Thank you, love” she mumbled, throwing herself down into the covers. Eris did not reply, instead gazing down at her form and engulfing her into his arms. The exhaustion from the mission quickly kicked into her as she turned to hide her face in his chest. He smoothed out her hair and kissed her forehead, and soon they both were asleep. 

There, in the Forest House, once a place of horror and fear, love and hope for happiness bloomed. They both knew they were safe and sound, as long as they had each other’s arms to find a home in. One of the dogs yawned and wood cracked in the fireplace as a couple still burning candles casted some warm light into the bedroom. Outside, the moon and stars shone down on the manor, as if guarding the couple, protecting their love, the rain pattered onto the windowsills rhythmically and a piece of ivy bloomed on the stone walls of the house.

[inkblot22]

You Pull It Into Your Lungs

Tell me why I logged in to web today and my theme was no longer what I set it as?? Tumblr, please. I love you but we can't keep doing this. Anyhow, it's here! Part II of The Saltwater Beckons. Hopefully it makes sense, during this chapter I was just trying to set up a very obvious plot conflict for later.

This fic is for: anyone who can handle it! It is going to be more self-indulgent than my others, but I'm going to make a very serious effort to not describe any bits when we get to that point. While I myself am black, there are also no allusions to skin color (ex. "cheeks turned red/pink") in this either, although there could be.

TW for: injury, blood mention, bruises, lots of weird speculation about non-human sentient species, crude flirting (if you squint), some primal stuff but it's not written in a sexy way, Floyd and Jade Leech because they freak me out and I know I'm not the only one. They might be a bit OOC in this, I'm working on it.

The prefect was lucky that Floyd didn’t barge into the shower while they were ridding their body of saltwater and blood. The bite on their shoulder stopped bleeding after a bit of pressure. It was odd that it didn’t stop bleeding faster, like puncture wounds tend to, but it had already begun bruising, darker patches mottling the skin around the bite like some kind of warped galaxy picture. 

They sighed and got dressed, surprised to see Floyd, still wet, waiting boredly for them at the door of the natatorium.

“I thought you left.” They said, a cordiality underlying the bluntness.

His hair dripped on his collar  and he was leaning somewhat awkwardly on the doorframe, looking at them as though they’d told him the moon was made of cheese, “No. Let’s go.”

Floyd was walking a little strangely, stumbling every few steps and losing his balance, sort of like a toddler learning to walk. They watched for a moment, sort of confused.

“Are you… Why are you walking like that?”

“Shrimpy,” Floyd giggled, halting his movements so abruptly that it was unnatural and turning slightly to look at them. It was less of a beginning of a sentence and more of a warning. 

That primal part of their brain screamed. 

“Let’s just get you home and then you can keep trying to think.” He said, turning on his heel and walking. 

Over time, despite the journey from the natatorium to Ramshackle being short, he did improve in his gait, but it wasn’t until they remembered that he’d been in the water that they realized why he was having issues walking now.

They felt silly for not realizing earlier. 

Floyd opened the door to Ramshackle. The prefect never locked it when they went anywhere, since they didn’t have a key for the front door, and who locks a dorm building anyway? They walked up the stairs, took another shower to rid themself of the saltwater feeling, changed into their pajamas, then decided they wanted some tea. When they went downstairs, Floyd was still standing there, playing with various things in the living room.

The only sensible thing they could think of doing was screaming in terror and dashing around the corner. What was he still doing here?! They thought they were alone.

Floyd didn’t pursue, which was something of a surprise. From their spot in the hallway leading to several dust filled rooms, they heard Floyd’s lazy drawl.

“It’s cute how you wanna play, but I’m not in the mood for hide and seek right now. Come over here.” It was less of a request and more of an insistent statement. Not quite a demand. Almost there, though.

The prefect slowly exited their shoddy hiding spot and Floyd’s mismatched eyes were pinning them to the floor almost immediately. He smirked, breaking into a toothy grin as his eyes dragged up and down their form.

“Hmm. I don’t know why I thought you’d have sexier pajamas.” He said before turning back to the knick-knacks over the hearth. He plucked one of them up and looked at it curiously, “What’s this supposed to be?”

He threw it at them with his underhand. They narrowly dodged and the knick-knack made a heavy thunk as it dented the wood floor.

“You could have hurt me! And… I think it’s a whole avocado, but made of brass?” The prefect said, picking the heavy thing up. Crowley was gonna kill them if he ever noticed that spot on the floor. “And what do you mean, ‘sexier pajamas’?”

Floyd snickered as they got closer to him, sliding the brass avocado back onto the hearth. They looked up at him and he responded by slinging an arm around their shoulders.

“I dunno, Shrimpy,” he slurred, leaning far too close to their face as he hooked a finger in their shirt and yanked on it, “Land people are so uptight about wearin’ lots of clothes. The sexiest thing you could wear to sleep is nothing, like me.”

The prefect absolutely didn’t need to know this information. The revelation set a hot burn in their cheeks as their eyes widened, and Floyd spun them out of his grasp, giggling.

“Heehee… it’s so cute that Shrimpy is shy. Well, see ya.”

“Huh?”

“What, you want me to stay the night?”

“Oh! No.”

“Mmm-hmm. Grim’ll be back in the morning. Night.”

And with that, Floyd strolled out of the doors of Ramshackle. The prefect watched him go, grabbed a nice little midnight snack, then went back upstairs and slept.

Their dreams were fitful. The sting in their shoulder didn’t really ease as they woke up every few hours. The moonlight was blinding as they tried to sleep. Without Grim, it was too quiet. Perhaps it would be worth it to ask the ghosts to make some noise, but a glance at the clock revealed that it was around three, so they’d likely all be busy. It was a shame. Usually by now they’d be awake anyways because he had his claws out and was digging his feet into their back, mumbling in his sleep about how powerful he was. It was annoying, but it was familiar.

And familiar was not something they had often in this world.

~*~

The next day, as the prefect was wandering in the halls, lost as they tried to remember how to get to the mess hall, they bumped into a familiar chest.

“Oof!”

“Why, good afternoon, prefect. Where are your friends?” Jade smiled kindly, but it didn’t reach his eyes. It never did.

“Oh, I stayed back so I could get my ‘special student work.’ Because I’m not magic.” They looked up at Jade, “They’re at lunch.”

“Oh, really?” He used that coddling tone he adopted with Floyd sometimes, “And why aren’t you with them?”

“I got lost.”

Jade laughed, somehow politely. His gloved hand curled into an elegant fist covered his lips as he giggled, eyes closed in mirth. The prefect laughed along for a moment and then began walking past him, and his eyes flashed open. He stared straight ahead for a moment, his brow furrowing ever so slightly before he grabbed the prefect’s arm and dragged them into a nearby empty classroom.

“Uh… Jade?” They mumbled. “What’s gotten into…?”

Jade hastily loosened their tie and ripped their shirt open, somehow without snapping any buttons off before he tapped his nose against the crook of their neck, taking in a deep draw of air.

Although merfolk, beastmen, and fae did not exist in their world, as far as it had been explained to them, things like this should not happen. They should not be getting pulled into an isolated place and… smelled. They very gently eased their hands onto Jade’s shoulders and he tightened his grip on their shoulders, enough to make them wince.

“Jade, what’s going on?”

Jade leaned up to his full height. He wasn’t smiling. His face had fallen into a very tense frown, and it made their blood run cold. He carefully tugged the clothing from their bitten shoulder off, sucked his teeth, then  buttoned their shirt and retied their tie. When he was done, he grabbed them by the upper arm and silently walked them to the mess hall. Once there, he turned to them and regarded them.

His smile twitched back into place and he sighed, “My brother. Heh. Always so hasty.”

“What?”

“Your friends are waiting for you, prefect. Enjoy your lunch.”

They walked in, as he said. Generally, the non-human interactions they had with their fellow students were benign, such as Grim falling asleep if they pet him for too long, or Leona’s voice being growly, but that… that was strange. The prefect took a seat with Ace, Deuce, and Grim, glancing at the doorway. 

Jade was no longer there, but the bite from Floyd somehow stung worse than the moment they got it.

[definesanity]

Doctor's Orders

Her hands were still shaking, even after everything.

She took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves.

'It's just you now, Alex.'

After everything that had happened, the Empress now sat upon her throne once more. And her, a part of Luca's group, now being funded, cared, and surrounded by people who know what they are all doing.

Oh, she knows. The way Abele carries himself... it's different than the other times she's met with him, on the brief occasions. Still, she didn't say anything.

Still, she attempted to keep her workplace clean as possible.

Empress Emily Kaldwin I was coming to visit. It was a surprise notice, and Alexandria will admit that she may have jumped.

(She near enough hit the ceiling. Perhaps Grim Alex left something behind with her? Maybe...)

The workplace looked... decent. Better than when the Empress first found her, anyhow.

She still recalled it; working in dead silence, only for a masked woman to interrupt her.

Her mind was frazzled, and so didn't think much on a well-dressed lady being inside of her room, of which had been sealed off and she very much recalls guards chatting about it.

She remembers... noises. Grim Alex, she later learnt, trying to claw her way back outside of the subconscious. But also... another one. A whisper of a lady, and one whom had talked a great deal on her. All nice things, really, but also... musings on her.

Her mind is troubled. Was troubled. Remains troubled.

There is no longer a whisper at the back of her mind, but there is whispers of her own doubts there, too.

When she saw Emily talk with Vasco, her assistant... she felt like she fell through a void. And then, as soon as she was gone, she was back, tired, but she felt better than she had in literal years.

She never had another assistant. It was for the best. She did not trust herself, after everything that had happened.

And yet, Emily... did.

Emily is a kind, young lady, and Hypatia is ever so glad it is her that is upon the throne once more.

It felt like she could have helped more. But she knew that it would have killed her, more than likely, really.

More thoughts came, but we're dispelled when a knock at the door came.

Showtime. And she felt like it will go well.

[am-i-interrupting]

A Glimpse of the Past

Chapter One

Master List

Tags: 1.3k words, eventual Rauru x Reader x Sonia, sheikah!reader

You’d been there less than a week, only came to the castle a mere day ago. Having to travel on foot took longer than the travel function you’d grown a bit used to through Purah’s testing, trying to recreate the Sheikah Slate’s functions with her own flair.

You missed her. You missed her a lot. You dragged your fingers along the goggles she’d made for you. You counted the grooves and ridges. You grounded yourself with the reminder, reminder that she was real.

Why was it so hard to remember? You’d been here for less than a week. Less than a week and you were already questioning if your life had been a dream or if this time was. You knew that the years you’d spent on the Hyrule you knew were real. You knew it but even then, when you were there, some days you still woke and questioned if everything that happened had happened.

You sighed and carefully placed the goggles against the bun of your hair. It was a dead give away that you didn’t belong here but you couldn’t say you passed well anyhow.

You weren’t Zelda with her blank canvas skin and her common features.

You stuck out, even in modern day. Your hair was stark white. Among these people the only ones with white hair were Rauru and Mineru, two people from the sky. Your eyes were red. Not a single person you’d come across this far had similarly colored eyes. On your forehead you had a red eye tattooed. That was probably even less common than the other two.

You were used to being gawked at though. It didn’t bother you like it used to.

Your first order of business was to find Zelda. It was easy, really. She was where you expected her to be so early in the day, outside in a small picnic like set up not far from your rooms.

She was already talking animatedly with Sonia. You could hear her voice carry as soon as you stepped within eyesight of the area though not with a yell and merely passion even if you couldn’t understand her words until you got closer. Sonia sat in front of her with a teacup cupped in her hands, hanging onto every word as Rauru did the same.

“Ah, actually, I do believe you’d be more qualified to speak on this topic,” Zelda said as you sat beside her.

“What topic?”

“The Sheikah Shrines, you did go back to look at them before they stopped functioning, correct?” she asked.

You rolled a berry between your fingers. “Yes, but what part do you want to be elaborated on?”

“Well, there were so many things, I wouldn’t know where to start. You got the first had accounts while they were operative, after all. I just got a look for the exterior, you saw the inside.”

You chewed the berry for a moment longer than necessary as you thought of a way to explain.

“Before the Purah Pad, there was the Sheikah Slate. It was created by my people long before we were even thought of. It— like the Purah Pad— had a map and travel function but it’s main operation for these functions were the shrines,” you began before you launched into a far too lengthy explanation.

Regardless, you weren’t stopped. In fact, the duo asked several questions despite it being clear that they were following, they didn’t exactly understand. They were trying too, though. It was sweet. It was also something you’d never experienced before.

The thing is, you didn’t have many friends, even before the Calamity came and killed so many.

You had some fleeting friends as a child but it wasn’t until you started to learn fighting techniques that you found a friend in Impa. She was the first person to truly understand you on any level. Of course, with Impa, Purah soon followed. The two of you because quick fast friends and the same was said with Robbie.

You started out as a guard for the research facilities. You picked up on many things from Purah and Robbie. You also met Zelda while you were doing that job. With Zelda constantly sneaking in you two developed some sort of comradery. You’d give some remark of what a nice day it was as she tried to sneak in and she’d halt before sighing and walking head up and back straight into the lab.

You only became closer to Link after he woke.

Things had happened, many things had happened, in those hundred years between including more than a handful of half successful experiments that you happened to be in the room for thus experienced the backlash for. He also lost his memory, then regained it.

He came to the lab on more than one occasion with half memories and more questions than you’d had time for at that moment. Then the Calamity ended and things seemed to go back to something reminiscent of what it was before but a bit different, a little changed.

You got to see Robbie again. You didn’t just hover and ask questions, you took an active role in the experimentation and creation of things.

Still, in the more than a century you’d had under your belt, you’d never had this. You’d never had someone actively seek to understand something you liked much less were passionate about without some reasoning behind it and yet they did. It was nice, really nice.

“And those goggles,” Sonia said, “they seem to be made of the same material as the Purah Pad, correct? What is it they do?”

Your hand drifted upward to touch them. You hesitated for a moment before you removed them.

“I could tell you,” you said as you stood and walked over to her, “or I could show you?”

You stretched the goggles out towards her with a questioning look. She smiled and turned towards you with a small nod. You placed the goggles over her eyes and adjusted the straps so it didn’t tug on her hair.

She must have had her eyes closed because she very suddenly reached for Rauru’s arm to orient herself.

“This is certainly new,” she said, the blue glow moving with her eyes.

She looked at you for a moment, then Zelda. When her attention went to Rauru she sighed. “You have— oh, let me just get it,” she said before she reached towards his face and pulled the smallest bit of grass off him.

He touched the spot she had softly and a small, mostly closed lipped smile (though despite his efforts you could see the barest hint of teeth poking through) graces his face. He looked over at you briefly with that fondness and you found yourself freezing.

“Well, it is a different way to perceive the world,” she said. “Though perhaps I’ve had enough for now.”

You shook yourself out of your stupor and took the goggles off Sonia’s face. Now she smiled at you.

“Thank you for the experience,” she said as she placed a hand on your forearm.

“It’s not a problem at all,” you said, not exactly waving her off but definitely putting your focus on fixing the straps of your goggles to fit your head before you placed it back where it had been.

“Perhaps it would be beneficial if you could share your knowledge with Mineru,” Rauru said. “It would help her better understand the functions of your Purah Pad and she is often looking for new ideas, combining your skills could result in these. Of course, that is if you wish to.”

“It isn’t a bad idea,” you said simply.

[the-bjd-community-confess]

I stopped buying from Newcl0ver last year after I saw first hand how greedy they have become. (I use plural pronouns because I refuse to believe Chr1stina is one person.) I had an order in on this bust stand that was per my recollection 3-4 months production time on the product page when I first purchased it. They delete the product pages after preorders so I don't remember. Anyhow, it took way longer than that, I asked them about the order multiple times since I saw people on IG get theirs, and they just kept saying "soon, soon". At 8 months I said I want to cancel. They said that it's ok, but they can only refund me 75% of the price because they will make a loss since they cannot cancel the order to the store and have to resell my order at loss. I agreed if only to be out of it, because I thought it's fair that we share the loss.

Well, a few months later I saw *my* bust stand listed in their "in stock -30% off" category, with my exact order options, and they were asking MORE than I paid during my initial order. I was still able to access my order notes through my profile and check. So I guess that's why they remove the original listings before people get their goods, huh? -30% off? Compared to what? Not the price I paid. I felt like they just scammed me out of 25% of my payment using the pity card and then cashed in some extra on someone else, too.

Their Taobao fees have skyrocketed. A couple years ago, it used to be the price in CNY x 0,19, but now it's already price in CNY x 0,22. One CNY is 0,14 USD so for every dollar you spend in their store, 36 cents go directly into their pocket for just receiving your box and sending it forward. And it's true that the fee includes free standard international shipping to most countries, but still, it's quite a big fee to pay for sending them a ready list of Taobao links and having your stuff drop-shipped to you. The difference in past and current service fees is even more gross considering they used to send monthly 10-15 usd off or 5% off coupons with their newsletters, but no longer do. When I asked them last year why the fees have risen and discounts stopped, they said it's due to the bad exchange rate of CNY to USD. I googled it and while it's true that the rate momentarily fluctuated in 2021-2022, for the past 6 months the exchange rate of CNY-USD has been at the same level as in 2020, so their excuse seems lacking.

I have had several missing items from each of my six large Taobao orders, but I was patient with reminding them about the items because I thought my orders are painfully big (100+ items). But, if you get paid the price you named for your service, is it really on the customer to feel like a burden when you eff up? It was often the expensive items that I had to chase after, too. Like, once when I ordered 30 bags of beads ranging from 1 to 20 dollars, it was the freshwater pearls that cost 20 dollars that were missing. She did always refund me or send the missing items, but it took me a lot of time to check and report, and I had to pay extra customs fees for the after-deliveries.

I used to be a loyal fan of Newcl0ver but I've removed all the messages in my socials where I nudged people towards ordering from them to avoid M00nlightbjdh0use's scammy high agent fees. Now I place Newcl0ver at the same low level as M00n. I'm gonna have to find myself a new doll dealer, since the two big USA dealers don't match my criteria, either. I have heard good things of Magus' agent services, but have yet to try them. Christina is not an official agent of most the artists they claim to represent, anyway, so it's the same to straight out go to someone who is open about not being an official dealer and prices accordingly.

~Anonymous