#but i know it Feels different to him since starving himself to look old also makes him Feel old

[skunkes]

i need to refine talon's Recently Fed form (bc i do want to nail him being rounder and looking younger than he "is", but still Like Himself, and i feel like that's been varying a lot every time ive drawn that version of him lately) but i dont rly feel like drawing him young often...he deserves to look and be old

[sleep-0-deprived]

Ola Zoro x male reader head cannons SFW/NSFW

Female aligned and minors dni 18+ only blog

Sorry it took so long for new content I have had some of the worst writers block ever and I just watched one piece live action and I’m feeling some way for Zoro, anyway I hope you enjoy ;}

SFW

Zoro as a lover is cold around people and doesn’t display affection around others with you but once the two of you are alone he is a different person he likes the closeness but he will never admit it. Zoro is very touched starved from all his years of pirate hunting and training so he can get clingy at times without noticing

Zoro is very protective of you even more than he is with his crew because you are the first man that he has ever been with and he doesn’t want to lose you. Zoro’s love language is quality time he loves helping you or just spending the days laying around with you and his crew, since he isn’t the best at expressing his emotions and how he feels he likes showing you how he feels by spending time together.

When Zoro first started to like you he denied himself a lot by saying how he felt for you was “unnatural” and he shouldn’t feel this way about another man much less his crew mate. Zoro had some deep rooted internalized homophobia from when he was a kid some of the things from that time period was look down on.

Zoro has since gotten over his old beliefs after he met you, you have helped him accept himself and be ok with being in love with another man and now Zoro wouldn’t change that for the world.

NSFW

When you and Zoro finally have sex he is very gentle and doesn’t want to hurt you. Zoro is a dom and a top he can be a soft or hard dom depending on his mood but your first time together he was soft and intimate.

Zoro is into bondage and bdsm he also has a soft spot for knife play or in his case swords, he will tie you up and fuck you on your back while tracing a knife down your neck and chest.

Zoro makes you have a safe word and will ask you how you feel during more extreme sex. Zoro love your chest and nipples, Zoro will fuck you on all fours while playing with your nipples from behind.

Zoro love sucking and teasing the tip of your dick until it is all red and leaky like a faucet he enjoys the feeling of being in control of your orgasms and love to watch you rut up against his hand trying to get any friction while you whine and beg.

Zoro love biting and sucking on your neck, stomach, thighs Zoro loves seeing you fucked out on his cock while he sees the bruised and bloody marks on your body and he knows your into it by the way your cock twitches every time he licks the blood off you.

Zoro goes crazy anytime you beg him to fuck you but he makes you wait until you break and start crying and begging he loves seeing the salty tears and your flushed red cheeks being all desperate and frustrated for him it makes him go crazy and fuck you like there is no tomorrow.

[fawnfictions]

i know there’s a lot of this same prompt on this app but i love your writing and i would love to see it from you <33

OK!! Macaque and Wukong with a gender natural reader which simply LOVES their fur and gets really clingy on their tail and ear(s for macaque :3), treating them like a literal plushie

monkie plush!

— wukong & macaque, gn!reader

i feel the need to personally apologise for how many months it took for me to post this <//3 i've been SO SLOW recently,, i can't guarantee i'll be getting any faster, either

heheuwudhhey!! none of u should worry about sending me an ask with a 'common' prompt—just because someone else has done it before, doesn't mean i won't want to write it!!! i like giving ppl my own opinion on these sorts of headcanons LOL

;; fluff, fluff, and more fluff!! (+mention of something more spicy, but nothing explicit)...

WUKONG

- he RELISHES in any affection you give him, and he isn't afraid to show it.

- you'll come up behind him, embrace him while rubbing your face in his fur, and he will MELT.

- leans back into your arms, wrapping his tail around you to pull you even closer; and, if you're listening closely, you might hear quiet purring.

- honestly, he'll do the same to you — compared to monkey hair, human hair is VERY soft and feels very nice :3

- cuddles between you two are just constantly rubbing your faces in each others hair.

- i can also imagine that his tail would be sensitive, as most monkey's tails are...

- be careful, though, because certain areas of his tail are more sensitive than others — you may run into a situation you didn't mean to...

- ...ANYWAYS

- while i can imagine him being the big spoon a majority of the time, he could TOTALLY be a little spoon.

- he enjoys being able to hold YOU, since he likes feeling in control, and as if he's protecting you, but he'll happily sit back and let you cuddle him.

- play with his hair, twirl his tail, brush him...

- tbh, the other monkeys would probably join you a lot, interpreting it as a grooming session.

- me and the boys [monkeys], grooming each other on a sunday morning.

- he will complain, though, if you don't let him cuddle YOU sometimes.

- you two are almost sickening with the amount of PDA you show; cue MK pretending to puke in the background, but Wukong does have SOME decency, and will get a little embarrassed if you take it too far.

- if you're both out in public, chilling in Megapolis or something, and you start rubbing your face in his fur and cooing at him? he'll go red pretty quickly, and shyly respond with small affections in an attempt to sate your clinginess for now.

- this especially goes for being around people he feels the need to keep a reputation up with — like, the brotherhood, although most of them would laugh it off, they'll tease him for it at some point, or anyone from the celestial realm.

- he'll make it up to you later with plenty of cuddles, but for now? he's gotta look cool and tough in front of lil' old Nezha /j

MACAQUE

- hes touch starved as hell (we all know it).

- BUT he gets shy when it comes to affection, but he's hypocritical about it...

- constantly drapes himself over your shoulders, resting his head on top of your own when he gets the chance, etc etc.

- however, if you DARE even try to hug him, he's gonna get real nervous.

- doesn't know how to properly relax at your touch; he may not exactly move away from you, but he won't lean into it (at first).

- this especially goes for PDA – he loves you, but not now; he's gotta look cool and mysterious at all times.

- if you're with people that he lets his guard down around, he'll be a bit more playful with you.

- he notices you attempting to sneak behind him for a cuddle attack? next thing you know, theres a familiar cape-covered arm thrown over your shoulder, blocking your affection with his own with a teasing smile.

- he IS different when in private, though !!

- more willing to give in to your touches, but it is clear that he's unsure how to feel about it.

- after a while, though, i feel that he would learn to find a lot of comfort in your hands ?

- like, if he's had a rough day, he'll probably seek you out to be showered in affection,, in a way, it makes him feel very loved and worthy.

- he's such a little spoon too, i'm sorry LOL

- but he has his confident days, just ask and he'll be happy to be the one holding you instead.

- it took a while for him to be comfortable with normal affection, yeah? well, it's gonna take even LONGER for him to be comfortable with touching his ears, let alone losing the glamour on them.

- the day he lets his glamour down around you, is the day he's decided that you're stuck with him forever, sorry to break it to you...

- his ears are VERY sensitive, so please be careful, he's very cautious with you touching them.

- but he'll never admit how nice it feels for you to massages his ears, especially with how much stress they give him from the loud noises in the city (not that you can't tell, he's practically melted into your lap and would ABSOLUTELY be purring if he could).

- overall, it takes time, and he won't ever be fully comfortable with PDA, but he's a big softie in private <3

[inviouswriting]

Zhongli hc’s

Since I wrote them in my last chapter for my story. I thought it’d be fun to include them in their own post.

sfw and smut.

sfw - 

This man loves luxury things and this extends to you. There is no shortage of things he’ll buy because he thinks you’ll enjoy them. A tea he thinks you’ll enjoy, a pair of earrings that look stunning. He dotes on you and his wallet suffers.

During dating he stops at nothing to ensure every experience is different. One date will have you walking around the entire city of Liyue Harbor ending at the top of Yuijing Terrace to watch the sunset together. Another will have you scaling high mountain paths to visit Mt. Aocang to visit the adepti when he’s serious about you.

Zhongli is the type to enjoy hand touching and will get touch-starved when he hasn’t had his fix of feeling you at some point in the day. He favors hand touches the most since it can be subtle or as intimate as they get between you and him.

He will buy matching perfumes or even have them made for you two. Something unique to the both of you that you can identify among and smile fondly at the memories it triggers. 

Any stone jewelry he gives you, he has made himself. He’ll be sly about it too, he’ll ask your opinion on a stone and what you’d like for a jewelry item. Then in a few weeks he has made it from the stone you like. He favors cor lapis and noctilucous jade for making items from. Cor lapis a little more since he can make it resonate. Any wedding bands between you has cor lapis infused and he painstakingly etched geo symbols all throughout it to his liking and tiny engravings of endearing words or a pet name he calls you.

Bathing he has a meticulous routine for that long hair of his. He soaks it in water with infusions of tea leaves, sandalwood and silk flower to ensure the scent lingers long afterwards. He’ll also pamper you well with washing you from head to toe.

Sleeping, he enjoys holding you in his sleep. He ensures you are asleep before he ever let’s go or shifts in his own sleep. 

smut - below the cut 

Oviposition kink, collaring, bdsm elements, size difference, breed kink, and mostly for fem!reader, genderswap elements.

He retains wonderful control over that shapeshifting ability, he loves using it too. So double-dick is something he does enjoy. He looks for any excuse to make you happy, if you express you want both holes filled, he’ll gladly do so.

Zhongli also enjoys stone eggs and aphrodisiac usage. He loves stone eggs he found to put inside of you and watch as you push them out, he has also made these ones and takes great pleasure in making them resonate in your body. They’re covered usually in an aphrodisiac that leaves you sensitive and begging for him to actually breed you.

That shapeshifting ability of his, if there is ever a time you want to indulge in wanting a female body against yours. He’s more than happy to tap into his old forms and indulge. It is also a fun time to get back at him for exploiting all your sensitive spots.

He’s a firm believer in negotiating bdsm before you two engage, it’s never spontaneous for indulging in it because it is a built of trust. The collar you wear symbolizes that during it. He also will get you a serious collar made of gold and has his symbol to it. You don’t take this off when at big social gatherings and it wards people off if they know who he was that you are thoroughly claimed by a Geo archon.

I believe he’d have firm control over whether he can get anyone pregnant. So if you express you want a child he’ll gladly give you one, if you never want one, he makes sure you never are. Giving someone a life is a serious commitment and he’d only do that with someone he thoroughly wants to build that life with and when they express want for one.

So guilt free sex and feeling him fill you is something he loves the most. He loves to see it drip and also thoroughly enjoys playing with you on saying he’s going to breed you full. Just that breeding comes in the form of the eggs he pushes into you and then watches as you writhe all sensitive to expel them.

“Come on my love, you said you wanted me to breed you. You can handle a few eggs, do I need to get bigger ones? Hmm.. I think I do.” Is what you’ll hear before he pushes the one you were about to get out back in to watch you do it again while holding onto the leash on your collar to make you look him in his eyes while he does it.

“Good girl. Now again.”

[mysterious-moonstruck-musings]

Closed Position: Meet the Characters

Closed Position Masterlist ||| Main Masterlist

With the first chapter of the Dancing with the Stars fic, Closed Position, finally posting next week, I thought it might be fun to get to know Dieter and Kat a little bit more. I mostly did this for myself to try and get the Destiny & Deliverance version of Dieter out of my head. I also wanted to figure out Katarina a little more…because again, I still have Talia on the brain. 🤦🏻‍♀️

So, given that, you guys get some fun details on these two that will hopefully help me switch gears and give them a little more depth.

About Dieter Bravo in Closed Position

At the beginning of this fic, Dieter is eight months post rehab. This is the first time he has successfully kept clean for any meaningful length of time, and he is determined to stick with it. His acting career hasn't been going well because no one wants to work with him. He's looking to change his image and prove that he is a different man to get his life back on track. However, that process is proving harder than he would have thought as no one is taking his recovery seriously. As a last-ditch effort to save Dieter's career, his agent books him on Dancing with the Stars.

In an effort to hold on to his sobriety, Dieter has cut pretty much everyone out of his life that he considered to be an enabler or a bad influence. He spends a lot of his time alone and fills it with hobbies - painting, reading, music, taking care of his plants and the stubborn stray cat that won't leave his beach house.

Dieter has also been making an effort to present himself as less of a slob. When he leaves the house these days, he tries to look presentable and even dresses appropriately for work meetings. He slowly starts to embrace fashion and wants to look his best. He has held onto his longer curly locks, but instead of leaving them in an unruly mess, he does try to style them so that he looks more put together. As he gains more confidence, he embraces this version of himself and doesn't think twice about the old worn clothes he used to live in... except for his green robe. He still wears it around the house.

Even though Dieter keeps busy, he's lonely. He feels misunderstood and wishes people would give him a chance to prove himself. Ultimately, his dance partner gives him that opportunity. Sure, he finds her attractive, but it goes deeper than that. She gives him true friendship and the non-sexual intimacy that he has starved himself of most of his life.

About Katarina Stamos in Closed Position

Katriana Stamos has been involved with ballroom dance since she was very young. She has spent the last 13 years on Dancing with the Stars, where she often does not make it very far into the competition. Mainly due the partners she is paired with because they are just not physically able to keep up. She has suspicions that there are other nefarious reasons for it too. Those suspicions are confirmed during her last season on the show when she is paired with Dieter Bravo.

Kat isn't old by any means, but she is past the typical age of retirement for a ballroom dancer at 39. While dancing appears to be all about the glitz and glamor, behind the scenes its full of struggle and pain. Kat's body is wearing down and aches constantly due to worsening rheumatoid arthritis in her feet, knees, and hips. She's often too tired and achy after rehearsal to do things like clean her modest size house or go out with her castmates. She's a little messy and at times struggles to keep it together. However, she isn't going to let these issues get her down during her last season, not when she has finally been paired with someone that has potential to make it to finals.

This is an amazing opportunity for Kat, financially speaking. One would assume that being a cast member on Dancing with the Stars would be a good payout. It is, for those who make it further into the competition. Since Kat hasn't been lucky enough to do that, things can get tight with finances. Especially since she is trying to save up to open her own dance studio once she does finally retire from professional dancing. If she can make it to the end this time, her funding problems will be solved.

The last notable thing about Kat...she is dating another dancer on the show named Alec. They've been together for six years. Alec is kind of a jerk for many reasons that we will see play out through the course of the story. He becomes almost unbearable to deal with when Dieter comes into the mix even though Alec is the one that has a terrible history when it comes to fidelity.

There are some other tidbits we find out about Kat early on that explains why she is so accepting of Dieter and willing to give him a chance. What she doesn't expect are the feelings that come with their budding friendship.

How are you guys feeling about these new characters and this different version of Dieter? Excited yet?

I have done a TON of research around the behind-the-scenes workings of the show. I plan to share some of that with you as we go along. It has actually helped form a lot of the plot. While I don't claim 100% accuracy on it, I do plan to try and incorporate details as accurately as I can from what information is public.

With all that said, we finally get to really meet these two next week. I can't wait to finally share them with you!

💜Mysty

Series Summary: Dieter Bravo, now sober, was looking to change his bad boy image after hitting rock bottom. His team hoped that having him join the nationally televised family friendly dance competition would be a good first step, if they can keep him out of trouble. 

Katarina Stamos expected her last season as a professional dancer on Dancing with the Stars to go the same as it had for the past thirteen seasons. That all changed when she was partnered with the infamous Dieter Bravo. 

Dieter and Katarina are reluctantly thrown into their partnership and must learn to work together to succeed in the competition. In the process they form a deeper connection beyond the dance floor that neither anticipated.

👉 Warnings: Themes dealing with intimate partner violence, alcohol abuse, and drug abuse. There will be fluff, tears, spicy language, and smut. This will be a slow burn. Read at your own risk. Dieter Bravo comes with his own warnings.

CP Taglist: @secretelephanttattoo @titlee78 @maggiemayhemnj @legendary-pink-dot @linzels-blog @morallyinept @survivingandenduring  @wannab-urs @harriedandharassed @hisandsnakes @misstokyo7love @readingiskeepingmegoing @runningmom94 @sin-djarin @cakipy-blog @missladym1981 @guelyury @weho2kcmo @alokaerza @girlofchaos @trulybetty @rhoorl @bitchwitch1981 @madnessofadaydreamer @darkheartgatita @jazzloveslatte @timpletance @musings-of-a-rose @samiamproductions @myloveistoolittle @for-a-longlongtime  @copperhalfcent @auteurdelabre @drewharrisonwriter

[ewesless]

Quick little thing! No, I was wrong. It became a Very Long Thing...

We know that Diavolo is operating at an entirely different frequency and level of energy from Barbatos and Lucifer and it isn't just because he's a touch starved extrovert with repressed introverts for parental figures friends.* But he might be 18-21.... As a person from the early 90's this is a traumatic realization. I thought he was an early 30s year old manchild to be quite honest.

*love your takes so so so freaking much RadArchives 😭

Utilizes canon compliant relationship dynamics and Diavolo's Lucifer complex. Luke is aged up to cope with fanservice not facilitate it.

I interpreted it as Diavolo was between 10-13 when Barbatos agreed to be his Butler. OM indicates it was 800 years before Barbatos quit feeling angry at Diavolo for the incident (he was teasing). 10,000 is equal to 10 years, so based off my estimate Diavolo would be 18-21. Unless it was 800 plus years then, since Barbatos had time to cool off which would be much more comfortable to me 😂

The canon chronological ages are vague in order for players to have freedom (dads and mom coded old as dirt option through to bratty youngest brother who seems like an angsty and rebellious teen) so just for reference these are the ages I use:

Solomon - 34 (right there in the middle of adulthood and an older brother age bracket with Diavolo. Asmo is robbing his own cradle!)

Simeon - 40 (peers with Lucifer and they are only a few months apart! Perfect adoptive/group dad age of being mature and comforting without being old-old 😭)

Luke - 16 (Again, comfort level. He's a bratty tween, but I can't tolerate the fanservice with him as a 10 year old at all. 16 is a nice middle ground between emotionally charged, discovering self and independence, "I'm grown!" and the complex realities of the world. Him developing THOSE FRUSTRATING AND CONFUSING NEW FEEEEEEELINNNNNNGS are tolerable as well.)

Barbatos - 42 (the answer to life and everything. I'd place him closer to 60 as a foxy and wicked classy grandma older woman gentleman, but he looks like a pretty, young 30-something so this fits the bill. This also goes into my headcanon that Father made him before the angels and long before humanity.)

Diavolo - 33 (an out of touch with the youth and his peers, but still a youthful soul + gap moe)

Belphie and Beel - 25 (still young enough to do underdeveloped maturity and be doted upon baby brothers, but grown enough that they aren't actually immature and know better they just haven't put the effort into developing impulse control and practicing good judgement)

Asmodeus - 27 (pretty and passes easily for 23 but can hook up with the MILFs and DILFs as well as the young 20s. He's young, but not afraid of becoming older, not just because he's beauty everlasting and that skincare routine is ✨️flawless✨️ but because he sees the beauty and attractiveness of maturity and himself)

Satan - 23 (Personal Favorite + Occultic Number! Even though he's as old as Lucifer I feel like he was born at the age that Lucifer was created for additional headcanon reasons.)

Leviathan - 31 (*scoff* "Look at this old loser with a failure to thrive and manchild tendencies" says an old loser with a failure to thrive and the same tendencies)

Mammon - 32 (okay, this would go on for more than a paragraph or few run on sentences 🤣)

Lucifer - THE BIG 40 (caught up between older than the others brother who had to grow up too fast and never got to be young / middle aged surrogate father figure of a house full of rebellious teenaged adopted kids that never got to have his experimental young adult phase...)

Thirteen is a sensitive, trendy young woman so we DON'T ASK THESE QUESTIONS 35 I like an age gap with my ladies~ Candy is 39 (because 4 is associated with death in Japanese and I have a 4 year age gap with my sister which was a perfect combination of generational difference + ability to rebel from the older sibling, angst about idolization and knowing you aren't the same, but aren't meant to be. There's the possibility of strife caused by disappointment(s)/fallen idol for Thirteen and for Candy the pressure of the expectations of parents as first born and the care, protectiveness and responsibility of older sibling for their younger sibling. They're able to rely on each other even though Thirteen is a wild woman antisocial ambivert with a strong personality and even stronger opinions whereas Candy seems like a serious and violently antisocial introvert who conforms and does what she's expected to in all areas of life. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE TELL US WHAT CAUSED THE SCHISM BETWEEN THEM. WHAT HAPPENED WRITERS? WHAT HAPPENED?)

Mephistopheles - 31/35 (I like the idea of him having an age gap of 2 years with Diavolo either as a more mature junior to senior or a senpai who won't notice him because his eyes are set on a raven haired beauty with eyes like firy rubies that is also a heavily overworked deskworker with difficult teen boys and an involuntarily in a fatherly role for Diavolo too.)

Raphael - 39 (One year the junior of Lucifer and Simeon. Because he never rebelled I thought it had something to do with him being a degree separated from Sime and Lucy to Father, but still being close enough to him to be the devoted, but the most conflicted about it, son.)

Michael - 40 (Either he was created before Simeon and Lucifer or after them. He's got something seriously suspicious going on. I feel that it parallels Diavolo's, but instead of a hopeful vision for the future and further developing what his father started Michael's is in a self-serving manner and his personal agenda is founded on the self-perception that he knows better than his Father.)

[little-bumblebeeee]

Moonlight - part 6

Steve's turn

Word count - 1.8k

Part 5 part 4 part 3 part 2 part 1

Steve's always been a good kid. Other than his bottom of the barrel grades, he's been good at sports, instruments, he's easy on the eyes.. he's a dream. Other than the one small fact he's a werewolf. The fact isn't quite small when he thinks about it.

When he was 7 years old, he saw what he thought was a stray dog in his backyard, a big one, like the one his neighbor used to have. He should've known. Should've listened suring summer camp when that counselor told stories of werewolves, should've ran away as fast as he could.

But he didn't. Instead he spent that next month in the hospital, trying to recover from his almost fatal injuries while nurses poked and prodded at him and doctors ran their tests. He still remembers their cold tools and rough hands, their strange smelling gloves and the fear in their eyes when they looked at him, as if they were looking at a monster. And he doesn't blame them. Never did. Because ever since then on the full moon he's been a beast. There are urban legends around the town just about him, about how if you encounter him in the woods during a full moon he'll rip you to shreds and keep you alive for the whole thing, or that he eats babies or something– which he doesn't. He doesn't even hunt rabbits. He just lets himself starve, he's never wanted to hurt something, especially something that never stood a chance against him.

And then that shit with the Upside Down happens, just when he thinks he's finally getting close to Eddie. He doesn't want to spread this to him and rope him in on this. Sure, they're not friends, but they still end up finding each other, not to mention Steve having to patch himself up and deciding to do it at Eddie's place.

So, he avoids the boy again. He watches himself grow more and more pale and gaunt each passing month, the scars on his body seeming like they're spreading. He hasn't been eating or sleeping much, usually getting his rest during class, meaning his grades slip drastically before he graduates, to the point where he barely scrapes by.

And when he meets Robin, she fills a gap in his heart, a piece of himself he didn't know he was missing. She also makes him realize a lot, about the world around him and about himself.He wasn't just friends with Tommy, he didn't want to be just friends with Eddie either.

"I didn't realize you could do that." Steve murmurs when Robin says she liked Tammy Thompson, letting his head thump against the wall.

"Are you serious? Do you not pay attention to the world around you, like, at all?" Robin says with a chuckle, bumping her knee against his. But her smile goes away when Steve runs a hand through his hair, wincing as his fingers run over the wound on his scalp. "Steve?"

"Hm?"

"We're okay, right?"

"Of course we are.. I'm just thinking. About me." Steve says softly, staring up at the ceiling, which he realizes has more stains than the floor. Gross. Robin tilts her head a bit at him, narrowing her eyes as if trying to see into his brain.

"Like what?" She asks, picking at her chipped nail polish as it scrapes onto the floor in maroon colored dust.

"Like.. I always thought we were just best friends– me and Tommy H... But now it all seems different, looking back. I mean, friends don't do what we did. You and I are friends, and I'd.. we'd never. Not at all." Steve says quietly, barely even parting his lips. Robin grimaces, not even wanting to think about what Steve and Tommy could've done to the point Steve thinks they were more than just friends. Everything is different now. The way he had looked at Eddie, the way he thought of him, of his gaze and his hands and his words– the way he'd say his name. It was all so different. So new and amazing.

"You know Eddie Munson? He showed up sometimes and got a plain strawberry cone?" Steve asks and Robin nods slightly, having a feeling where this is going. She slides down the wall a little more, her shoes squeaking on the tile. "Yeah, I know Eddie. He stepped on my sandwich one time." Steve sighs, running a hand through his hair once more. He doesn't even need to say it, Robin just knows.

"Oh." She says softly, echoing exactly Steve's tone from earlier. "Mhm. Oh."

"You could have better taste. I mean, c'mon, Eddie? He's like, three raccoons in a trenchcoat. I saw him eating a can of Spaghetti-O's behind the school one time." Robin says, making Steve laugh, his head falling back again and bumping back against the stall wall, a move he immediately regrets with the way his head now throbs.

"I like that, though.. I can't explain it. I like everything about him. I guess I just like him." He says with a growing smile. He really should've realized sooner, but he supposes now isn't the worst time. Eddie is.. everything. He's everything, simple as that. If others could see Eddie the way Steve sees Eddie, he'd rule the world.

That's when Dustin and Erica burst in, seeing the two almost adults on the ground, laughing at nothing. The rest is a little blurry to Steve, hard to remember and somewhat painful, but it's like he blinks and he's sitting in the back of an ambulance, bright lights and sirens filling the warm July night. Beneath his pounding skull and ringing ears, he hears someone ask him a question.

"Is there a number we can call for you? Someone to pick you up?"

He doesn't quite know who asked it, but his mind goes right to one person, and he hardly takes a breath before rattling off the number he knows by heart. The number that leads to that yellow phone on the wall of the trailer. He knows Wayne is at work, but Eddie might be home. It only takes the boy about 7 minutes to get to the mall, rushing towards the ambulances, somehow immediately finding Steve as if pulled in by a magnet.

"Jesus... Steve, you're okay, right? Are you okay?" He pants out, his chest rising and falling rapidly as he sees Steve, still in his stupid sailor uniform, absolutely beat to a pulp with nothing but a thin blanket around him.

"I've been better." Steve says with a shrug. He feels that skip in his heart, which he's felt before but not to this degree, not at all. It's all for Eddie, he realizes. Every beat of his heart and breath in his lungs, and maybe he's getting ahead of himself but that's just how he feels.Eddie puts his hands on either side of Steve's face, tilting his head to see all of his injuries. "What happened to you..?" He asks, his throat bobbing as he gulps. Steve really can't help but smile as he feels the boy's touch.

"It's a long story, and I don't really feel like shortening it at the moment." He says with a small smile, unintentionally leaning into Eddie's touch before he pulls his hands away to take a step back. Eddie takes a deep breath, fidgeting with his rings.

"C'mon." He says quietly, nodding towards his van. Steve hasn't actually been inside of it before, having to kick away a soda can at his feet, which Eddie quickly tosses to the back. Steve really can't help but notice the little things– things that he himself would do if he were to try and impress someone if he was Eddie. The way Eddie makes his van look somewhat clean so Steve doesn't think little of him, cracking the windows so the smell of weed isn't so strong, turning his loud music down as not to irritate Steve's pounding skull nor his sick stomach.

"The trailer is a bit of a mess– I know you don't care, I just.. you know." Eddie says with a small shrug, running a hand over his face. Steve doesn't even care that he's staring, hours ago he thought he was going to die, he wants to stare at a pretty face while he still can. He's not going to say anything any time soon, but he will eventually. Eventually. Even if eventually never comes, he'll be happy as long as he gets to be near Eddie. Near this boy that actually seems to care for him. He's drumming his fingers on the steering wheel as he drives, a habit Steve has notices. He's always tapping his fingers against something, whether it's his desk or his thighs or, obviously, the steering wheel. Steve doesn't think he's ever been this content to just sit next to someone, music playing quietly as the streetlights pass. Eddie keeps glancing over, clearly worried, but Steve is just smiling.

"You're sure you're okay?" Eddie asks, and Steve just nods a little. "I feel a lot better than I look. I think it's those pills they gave me before you came and got me."

Eddie still looks worried however, and stays practically stuck to Steve as he cleans himself up, scrubbing the blood off his skin before realizing that the bathroom sink probably isn't doing much.

"You mind if I take a shower?" He asks, and Eddie shakes his head. "No.. no, go ahead. Water might be cold at first, you have to turn the hot water all the way and wait for a minute so it heats up." He explains, still looking a bit shaken up.

When Steve gets out, there's a pair of sweatpants and a shirt waiting for him, both clearly Eddie's. He slips them on, looking at himself in the mirror, at how they fit a bit differently on him than they'd fit Eddie. They're the same height, but very obviously different builds. The clothes smell like detergent, but also something else. Something oh so clearly Eddie, to the point that the smell is still there even when the clothes are clean. It makes Steve feel a bit weird about himself, the fact he's smelling clothes because they smell like Eddie, but he hardly even notices he's doing it.

He likes this boy, its true, more than he's liked anybody ever.

This is gonna hurt Steve in the end, isn't it?

But what if there is no end? What if there's actually no beginning? Neither of them truly know what's going to happen, nobody does, especially with the Upside Down existing with a bunch of 13 year olds and about four 18 year olds being the only ones who know about it.

Steve sits down on the couch just a little bit away from Eddie, both of them quiet in the moment. Eventually Steve might say something. Maybe it will be on one of their death beds or over a grave, maybe it will be in a year or a day, maybe it will never happen. He doesn't know.

But until then he'll savor this as much as he can.

Tag list (open!): @manda-panda-monium @gregre369 @she-collects-smut @irregular-child @oatmilk-vampire @cartercaptainofthemoon @fairytalesreality @jhrc666

[nerves-nebula]

oo I was wondering if maybe the brothers in your AU would have different levels of food anxiety? Honestly I was thinking mostly Raph, considering he's the oldest, largest (at least body weight wise it seems?) and probably expends the most energy taking care of his brothers and doing most of the chores when he was younger.

Probably especially bad that Leo could bully food from any one else and get away with it, and sounds like he might've picked on Raph most in that regard, or if Leo took Donnie or Mikey's food Raph was more willing to split or even give his portions away.

That's assuming Splinter even fed them, which considering the "timeout corner" they might have had to forage for food more than once.

Because like I was thinking about the dynamic between Raph and Casey and how Raph's food anxiety could be what helped drive him to make sure Casey had at least some food (he knows how much it sucks and doesn't want someone else to be stuck like that) and how Casey could have a big impact on Raph if he helped Raph to have a more stable source of food/ate enough.

<- also kinda related thoughts. Raph might be smaller in your version because he didn't get all the nutrition he needed growing up so his height/size is stunted? Also maybe why Leo is the tallest (favourite child privileges?). Hunger might have also helped drive Raph to try running away?

<- I could definitely see Mikey and/or Donnie having food anxiety too, with either food hoarding or getting aggressive when they think someone will steal their food? Or fast eating.

<- Basically I am ROTATING THEM IN MY HEAD!!

OHHHH this is an ask i have so much personal investment in because here’s a Not Super Secret fact about me, I’ve got Avoidant restrictive food intake disorder! And (partially because of that) I starved a lot as a kid! BASICALLY me and all my siblings have weird relationships to food so I am FULLY committed to making these guys relationships with food weird as well.

Splinter DOES feed them, in that there is FOOD in the HOUSE which is EDIBLE. He doesn’t really cook for them, though. Raph’s been cooking for them since he was old enough to take on that job, though he mostly made easy stuff at first like sandwiches/soup/noodles/uncooked vegetables.

So lets go through each turtle and look at how things turned out, why dont we?

Leo: Leo has the least food issues of them all. To him, it’s more like a status thing. If he wants something, he’ll take it. It doesn’t matter if there’s only enough soup for them to each have one bowl, he’ll have two if he feels like it. He does it because he knows he can get away with it, and because it’s been normalized. It doesn’t feel like a huge issue/violation to him.

Mikey: Mikey binges/eats food as fast as possible. He doesn’t wanna give anyone the chance to take it from him. He’s the least discerning and will eat stuff even if it’s kind of rotten/stale. He doesn’t have the self restraint to hoard food, he’d just eat it all immediately. Mikey gets reasonably aggressive about his food, but wouldn’t actually hurt his brothers (except maybe Leo) to get it back. then again his brothers (except leo) typically wouldn't take it from him anyway.

Donnie: Donnie has a ton of texture issues and because of that he’s a picky eater, he’s starved the most second only to Raph, because even when there IS food he can’t always get himself to eat it. he’s more used to the pain of starvation than the disgust of eating something with a Bad Texture

(shoutout to MYSELF. I was really out here dying as a 12 year old, huh? Fully eating 1 sandwich a day and crying about it cause the bread felt gross and dry in my mouth.)

Donnie is prone to hoarding food, but keeps it hidden in various places because if Leo thought Donnie had more food than him, he’d try to steal it. So Donnie keeps his stashes secret, but will share food if he thinks the others REALLY need it. Because Donnie can only eat specific kinds of food, he’s very aggressive about protecting his food from others. But he can’t beat Leo in a fight, so he usually resorts to hiding the food.

Donnie has slight cannibalistic urges because of all that (and cause he’s a softshell lol), but it’s not a huge issue and he’d never act on them cause the idea/texture of eating another PERSON is repulsive. He’ll often just chew on something (even himself) to tide himself over. 

Raph: poor, beautiful Raph. Raphael, my darling boy. SO FIRST OF ALL Raph starved the most. If Leo took more than his fair share, Raph would split his portion for his little brothers, because to him taking care of them is his whole reason for being alive.

he has cannibalistic urges too, cause he starves the most (and cause he's a snapping turtle). and that makes him feel like a terrible person. Donnie and Mikey get these urges too, but they never starved quite as bad as Raph did because he’d always split his food with them.

I like the idea that Raph is stunted because of nutritional issues, so yknow what? I'm adopting that. it's canon now.

as for Raph and Casey,,, I think they would definitely share food. In fact, I think Raph would leave Casey food/snacks as gifts when he was trying to befriend him. Casey eventually bringing along food from above ground would be a GAME CHANGER for the turtles, too.

one correction: Donnie is actually the tallest! He just slouches a lot (and I've mostly drawn them as kids, before his growth spurt)

Man, sidenote, but writing this really got me thinking about my childhood more. If we didn't get enough to eat, mom would get mad at us like “why didn’t you eat??” IDK I’m 11 and you’ve been gone all day!! She’d check in with the older kids and ask them (and eventually me, cause at a certain point I was the oldest one home) if the other kids had eaten. And sometimes i’d say i did just to get her off my back. God what a shithole. Anyway, this was a fun ask hah.

[bucketfullofstrawberries]

Touch-Starved mornings.

About Edgar, He has extreme social anxiety. Sure, he’s a cocky bastard in the game, but thats because he wasn’t around anyone except Stanley, and he knows Stanley can’t bad mouth him or make him feel bad- or atleast not as bad - as he would feel in a regular social interaction. But in the real world, he’s scared as FUCK to talk to people because he knows how much he can ramble and how some people would easily find that off-putting. Over the years this has continued to build up more and more. This being said, he’s also very self conscious, hence the skip button being an existent thing. He’s a fragile old man who just want a hug, basically. And projects his lonliness onto Stanley, in a way, by taking away his co-workers and such. This is why he was also shy and nervous about joining the Narraverse photo. He was scared of talking to anyone, and instead stayed quiet during the whole meet up (despite the fact that he knew they were all different versions of him). Honestly he just wants to befriend his own kind, but he’s too shy to interact with anyone, so he just keeps to himself.

On a lighter note, he really wants a corset since he envies some Narrator's fashion senses, but can't seem to find a corset that supports his wings, and putting his wings underneath a corset is uncomfortable for him. (Yes, he has wings. Yes, I may show them some day :) ) So instead, he's attempting to cut holes in the backs of corsets he buys, but they always look messy since he isn't exactly a crafts-man, so he's given up on that for the time being.

Anywho, toodle-pip! Enjoy the little angst.

[woodsfae]

Babylon 5 s02e17: Knives S02 Table of Contents • previous episode

They have the space for an entire baseball field, but the hydroponics is so starved for space that one single coffee plant is wildly against regulations and is a secret passed from Laurel (my beloved) to Susan (also my beloved)?

Love the scary stories of the Down Below. It's deeply weird, though, how Garibaldi continues to be a voice of reason to Sheridan. Good character work, I guess, and I like Garibaldi a bit better the further into the season I get.

There are so many strange details thrown at us about various characters, and it definitely makes them feel more real Londo and Vir are very into Centauri opera. Of course they are, hah. This Centauri has a funny 'do. Is it shorter because he's more srs? His general look seems to be of a different style than Londo, and is reminiscent of a western casual, gentleman or scholarly look of the later 19th century.

Of course Sheridan went Down Below alone right after Garibaldi said that was a bad idea, and of course he found a corpse-turned-assailant-turned-corpse-again immediately.

Corpse reviving temporarily kills comms! Interesting!

Garibaldi: "Maybe next time you'll listen when I tell you not to do something. Sir."

lmao.

Dead Alien was staying in the Markab Sector, but was found in the Grey Sector, Down Below.

Fingers crossed for a Sheridan Gets Possessed By A Ghost episode.

Cute, Centauri war criminal nicknames.

Cool and creepy eye effect! Invisible Space Dinosaur called a Grylor!! This is great.

Forensics say the murdered alien actually bashed his own skull in and died of suicide. Seems unlikely.

Awww, Londo is still hung up on Adira from season one.

Londo: "The Centauri have bowed to the whims of other races for too long. Now we will show the galaxy our true spirit. Beginning with those, those, thrice-damned Narns."

Translation: "It sucks that we reined in some of our slave-empire colonization due to pressure from races who didn't like the violent, murdering colonizing. It's good to be back at it."

Huh, old war buddy is against the war and didn't want to see the Narns forced into military conflict. And doesn't realize he's talking to the guy who helped orchestrate all of it. Londo was either the best or the worst person to come to for help when your house is about to be disgraced. Idk which way Londo's going to jump or how this is going to land. On the one hand, Londo could chuck his old friend under the bus for his own gain. Or he could really save this guy's political reputation.

Of course Londo has a portrait of himself in his quarters. That's giving him some serious side-eye.

Susan Ivanova!!

Sheridan: "Commander. Everything in order?" Ivanova: "Remarkably so. It's beginning to worry me." Sheridan: "Do you always worry when things are going well?" Ivanova: "I don't have time to when they're not."

Sheridan gets more, fun, hallucinations! This is definitely normal and not something he should report to Dr Franklin. Anna keeps coming up which feeds my theory that she's still alive.

Oh, he did go report it to Franklin! Good move. Smartypants. Franklin is amusingly dismissive of this.

Dr Franklin: "Well, anyone wiling to command Babylon 5 has got to be slightly insane, but I don't think you're ready for the asylum just yet."

LMAO. What's a little hallucination or four compared to how nuts you have to be to take this job voluntarily?

Oh, interesting. The Markab sector is named after a people also called Markab?

Dr Franklin: "I'm also prescribing a mild sedative. I want you to relax and enjoy yourself - that is an order!"

aka, here's some oxys, go nuts?

Extremely cutthroat Centauri politics perfectly punctuated by Vir, here:

"You know, on rare occasions, I am proud to be your attache."

hah! He really is gaining in confidence.

Ahhh the Markab went through sector 14, which has been restricted since B4 disappeared and briefly re-appeared. dun dun dun!

I wonder if JMS realized that Garibaldi was wholly unlikable and shifted the writing for his character intentionally. Every time he's on screen the last few episodes, I find him easier and easier to like. Or maybe his relapse into alcoholism and subsequent recovery really shook some sense into him? He's funny and endearing now, in a way he wasn't for me since the pilot, The Gathering.

Centauri party. Always a good time to cringe out of my skin. Nothing has happened yet, but there's plenty of time left in the episode for it.

Of course the very person Londo went to for help is the one that has been trying to wreck the Laddo house. And of course Londo didn't know. He's so smug in his great political knowledge and power, but he ignored Centauri politics until something piques his interest and then he acts without knowing the details.

Vocator Laddo: "You cannot build an empire based on slaughter and deceit!"

well, actually I think that's the only way to build an empire and collect that much power, but you gotta start somewhere.

Death match!! Can't wait.

More possession and hallucinations for Sheridan!

Vir: "Disgrace is preferable to death!" Londo: "There was a time when I would agree with you! That time has passed." Vir: "Londo, this is insane!" Londo: "Insanity is part of the times! It's time to embrace the madness, let it fire you."

Maybe that really is the key. Or maybe I shouldn't take advice from Londo Mollari.

Sheridan and Garibaldi are heading to the restricted Sector 14!

Urza Laddo is much better at sword fighting than Londo is. But since I'm pretty sure Londo is in this show for the long run, this can't end with him being dead.

Garibaldi snagged Sheridan's ship, but did he get Sheridan's mind? This sector really does have some janky phenomena going on.

Damn, setting yourself up to be killed by one of your oldest friends so your family doesn't get disgraced by your political opponents is a move.

Sheridan's mind did come back with him, but he did leave behind a consciousness which wanted to be taken home. Weirdness abounds on B5!

House Laddo is no more, and its members are now House Mollari and under Londo's direct protection. That's an interesting cultural mechanism to make sure that people don't go into death matches too lightly. If you win, you get a whole fuckload of new dependents! I could also see people doing that to gain power over particular dependents, though.

Londo: "I have made many choices lately, Vir. And for the first time, I am not sure those choices were right." Vir, tired of being the Jiminy Cricket to the worlds' worst Pinocchio: "Then perhaps some good has come out of this tragedy! It's not too late to make some good choices." Londo buying into the Sunk Cost Fallacy: "No, the blood is already on my hands. Right or wrong, I must follow the path to its end."

It's a real bummer that killing one of his oldest and dearest friends isn't enough to make Londo actually change some of what he's up to or to second-guess some aspects of Centauri culture..

next episode

[bafflement]

Deaged Oz AU - Making New Friends [And Maybe a Few Enemies]

For @maskyartist since you wanted to see just what happens when Tip gets angry. :P

"HEY, FREAK!" An angry yell echoes off the narrow walls of the alley. Lily just ran faster, hoping that she'd be able to outrun her bullies for once. It had happened before, even though it hadn't lasted long in the end. As a Faunus in Mantle, though, she was used to this sort of treatment.

She tripped, stumbling and catching herself on the wall which was all her pursuers needed to catch up with her. Bracing herself for the blows she was surprised to hear another yell from the other end of the alley.

Glancing up, she spied a small, silver haired human boy who looked absolutely furious. A blink and he'd vanished, though. Maybe he was with the others? She hadn't seen him before but there were always more where they came from.

Her main tormentor bought a fist back for the first punch, but even as he lashed out, a figure blocked her sight. It was the boy, but why would he get between her and the bully?

Tip let the older boy hit him, glancing in concern down at the small Faunus girl they had been chasing. He knew how bad things were in Mantle of course, but knowing wasn't the same as seeing. The tiny girl looked half starved, yet these idiots were planning to beat her? No. Not on his watch.

"What exactly do you think you're doing to ny friend?" He spat, feeling a cold anger rising in his gut and not even bothering trying to suppress it. The little girl looked shocked, but he tried to shoot her a reassuring smile in between glaring at the bully. One hand strayed down to the hilt of Old Regrets, and he pulled about an inch of the rapier out of the sheath, knuckles a tight white with fury.

The bully, seeing that, stepped back a pace.

"Who the hell are you and what is she to you? You're not her friend, she doesn't have friends! She's just a filthy Faunus, she doesn't deserve them!"

Tip stomped one small foot, feeling himself start to shake again, though this time it was definitely anger fuelling it.

"She has me. I'm Winter Schnee, by the way." He said it flatly, hoping the split second decision wasn't going to come back to bite him.

"Why would a Schnee care about something like her?"

"I do. Now go away or I'll show you just how well i can use this." He shifted his stance, standing protectively over Liy and drew the blade fully, his eyes afire.

The bullies looked at each other, looked at the small boy wielding what was obviously a Huntsman's weapon, then thought better of the situation, backing away before taking off running.

There was silence for a few seconds, then Tip moved nearer the little girl, who backed up as far as she could, staring up at him with wide, scared eyes.

"Please don't hurt me?"

"I would never do that." Tip's voice was shaking, too, now. He hadn't really been expecting that, and looking back... had he almost thrown a tantrum? He blushed slightly, embarrassed, but just held out a hand to the girl, waiting.

After a minute or so, she took it, bracing herself for another blow. Tip just helped her to her feet, smiling gently.

"I'm Tip. Tip Pine, and you are?"

"But... you said you were a Schnee..."

"Ah, yes. Well, I thought it might make them think twice and it does appear to have worked, so... ready to get out of the alley?"

"You talk kinda funny."

"I'm not from Mantle, therefore my accent is slightly different. Have you learned about kingdoms yet?"

He smiled as this seemed to unleash a torrent of questions from the small girl and he led her out of the alley, grinning up at the others who didn't look massively impressed.

"Pocketsized... you can't just run off like that, what if you'd been hurt?" Jaune sounded worried but also more than slightly resigned at this point. After all, it wasn't the first time Tip had gone off somewhere.

"I wasn't. And I was just in time to stop someone else being hurt so I would count that as a victory, personally. Guys, this is... I'm sorry, i don't think I ever got your name?"

"Lily." She muttered, shyly, staring around at all the armed teenagers in front of her. Blake had elected not to come on this particular excursion and Weiss tended to avoid Mantle, but the others all just smiled at her in welcome.

"Hi, Lily!" Oscar greeted, bouncing slightly. "I'm Oscar, Tip's my brother. It's okay, you're safe now, nobody's going to hurt you while we're around!

"Aww, Pocketsized, are you making new friends without us, now?" Nora cooed, winking at a still visibly embarrassed Tip.

"Maybe? She needed help, Nora, I couldn't just leave her there, they were about to hit her!" Tip's voice rose in pitch slightly as he spoke, though from the way his eyes widened, it had been unintentional.

"Regular knight in shining armor, huh, kid..." was Yang's contribution, though she looked amused.

"I think it's cute." Ruby said, grinning over at Tip who would rather like the floor to swallow him now, please.

"You can stay with us for awhile, if you like? It might mean the bullies stay further away for a little bit, why were they following you, anyway?"

"They don't like that I'm not human... it's Mantle, though, mummy said I needed to get used to it."

Tip's eyes went strangely hard at that. "Thinking about it, there's someone I know you should probably meet. The problem is, he's in Atlas and your family would be worried if we just took you! Would you be able to show us where you live? If nothing else, we should check that it's a safe place to be."

Jaune sighed a bit at that, but they all followed a nervous looking Lily as she led them to her home. it wasn't too bad to look at, really. Unlike the dwellings on either side, it appeared well maintained and hopefully that meant that the walls were solid against the sheer cold that Mantle tended to exude.

An older woman in a tattered apron opened the door, then screamed in real terror as she stared at the humans on the other side. Lily rushed to her, clinging to the apron.

"It's okay, mummy! They're my friends, they rescued me from the bad boys!"

"... oh?" The mother sounded suspicious, scanning over the group of young hunters, gaze briefly lingering on tip, who shifted slightly.

"Thank you for rescuing my daughter." She said, eventually, though she still looked suspicious.

"We're hunters, ma'am, it's what we do. I was wondering, however, whether it may be advisable to gain a meeting with Marrow? I'm certain he would want to help as much as he could."

The woman blinked. "You can just casually contact an Ace Operative, can you?"

"Yes, ma'am, I can. I'm Wintertip Pine, by the way." Tip held out a hand, but she didn't take it, scanning his face again. Her eyes widened and her tail twitched in sudden realisation.

"... Winter?" She sounded strangely choked even as Tip's own eyes widened too. Had he known her, somehow?

"Yes, ma'am?" he asked, his voice as level as he could make it.

"Thank you. Just... thank you. Do you have contact information, at all? My husband will want to thank you himself."

"Of course." Tip murmured, rattling off his contact number.

"You can really get us in contact with Specialist Amin?"

"I can indeed, ma'am."

"Foxglove, not ma'am, young one. I have questions, but not today, I suspect? I'll be in contact." She smiled and shut the door, behind it they could already hear Lily start her rapid fire questioning again.

"You do realise that that's gonna spread, right? You just... I really hope you know what you're doing."

"Yes, well. So do I."

[charlottedabookworm]

for the and I didn't like the ending: perhaps a 5+1 thing of the people around Art!Aegon noticing how touch starved/messed up he is? like the failed hug scene with Leanor.

Alternatively, the moment where Viserys suddenly becomes viscerally aware that his son only cares about him in a "professional" sense tied to his identity as king and Aegons "responsibilities" as a prince but could not give any less of a fuck about him personally.

this maybe got away from me a little lol

also i have no idea how coherent this is but it's officially Late here so I'm going to bed enjoy people realising that actually egg might be thought starved the poor boy he's still running away for most of this

(0)

The thing is-

The thing is that now Egg has noticed, he cannot stop noticing.

The thing is that once, so long ago that his breath catches in his lungs, he'd been raised with a dozen sisters who would run their fingers through his hair of a night. He'd had rough hands curl around his arms daily as he'd trained with George and the boys, and he'd pressed shoulder to knee with Wet Stick and Back Lack in narrow alleys as they'd hidden from nobles with lighter pockets.

Once, a lifetime ago, Art had had Tristan's arm slung around his shoulders as they both laughed. He'd had Blue's tiny body curled at his side of a night, his nephew-son ever-haunted by his father's death. He'd had his sisters and his knights and the Mage rolling her eyes at it all even as she shouldered past him to deal with whatever it was he was being a baby about.

Once.

He hadn't noticed.

But Helaena does not like touch and he is used to this, he can understand it, and Aemond has already deemed himself too old for the casual touches of childhood. His nephews are affectionate, yet never with him, and it leaves a lump in his throat. His father... he does not think his father has held him since he still toddled.

And Egg has never been his mother's favoured child, even when he was her only child.

(How hadn't he noticed?)

Cold flame licks at his shoulders and his chest aches as he remembers the warmth of Ser Laenor's arm. The burning-scalding-warmth of another's touch and he-

Aegon aches.

It aches.

(When is the last time he touched someone outside of the training yard?)

It burns and-

He presses himself into the corner of his rooms, walls tight against his shoulders, and wraps his arms around his knees in a bare semblance of a hug.

It's cold.

(1)

"Like this, Jace."

He frowns, teeth tugging at his lips even as he allowed his uncle to prod his limbs into place with quick, there-and-gone touches. "It feels odd."

Qȳbor Egg grins. "It will, but-" his uncle pokes him in the chest, pushing against him in a way that would have seen him falling before, and then pulling away. "See?"

His eyes widen. "I see," he says, nodding, even as he glances down at his feet. They don't look that different, so how-

"Prince Aegon!"

He flinches, ducking his head as Ser Criston Cole's voice barks across the courtyard.

Egg rolls his eyes, but stands straight nonetheless, his grin fading as he walks towards the knight.

Jace's frown widens as he watches his uncle walk away.

"We should hug him," his brother says, curling into his side the way he always does, and he can hear the matching frown in his words. "He looks sad."

Aegon always looks sad, Jace thinks, even when he's happy. Instead, he shakes his head and curls his arm around his brother. "Qȳbor doesn't like hugs," he reminds his brother. He wishes he did.

He doesn't like that he's so sad when there's nothing they can do to help.

"I know," Luke says, mournful, and his fingers tangle in the tail of his tunic in the same way he does with muña. "He's like Hel so we're not allowed to hug him unless he hugs us first."

His brother sounds about as happy with it as Jace feels.

Their uncle really looks like he needs a hug.

"Come on, valonqar. Let's go and find kepa, maybe he'll let us ride on Seasmoke with him."

(2)

"Aegon!"

His goodbrother blinks at him. "Ser Laenor?"

He winces, clasping his hand to his chest theatrically in the way that always has Rhaenyra and their boys smiling. "Come, cousin," he continues in Valyrian as the boy's lips twitch. "Call me Laenor, if I can convince you of nothing else."

"Oh?"

The raised brow and sharp look that Aegon gives him is so Rhaenyra that he could laugh. Instead, he places his best encouraging smile upon his lips and moves slowly closer. "The boys are begging for us to spar again, this time when they can watch."

Aegon pauses.

Something that Laenor recognises but cannot name flickers across his eyes, leaving him with the sinking feeling of diving deep on Seasmokes back, fires flaring on the beach below, the wind whirling around them as they fall-

"Qȳbranna?" He reaches out, slowly, resting a hand on the boy's shoulder.

His goodbrother flinches.

It is the barest of movements, undetectable but for the fact that Laenor can feel it, and he opens his mouth-

"Well, Leanor," Aegon says, clapping him on the shoulder and moving away swiftly. A smile on his lips like he hadn't- "We cannot leave Jace and Luke waiting."

Seasmoke roars distantly in his ears.

Mayhaps, Aegon is simply like Helaena, in that they both abhor unwanted touch. It would not be uncommon, after all. Perhaps Aegon simply dislikes touch that he does not initiate.

Watching his cousins' hands shake subtly, remembering the barest of instants where his goodbrother had leaned into the touch before pulling away, Leanor doesn't think so.

(3)

The words leave his lips as soon he thinks of them.

"Is Aegon angry with me?"

Helaena turns, her eyes clear and sharp, and the confusion is so clear upon her face that he relaxes before she speaks. "Why would Aegon be angry with you?"

Aemond slumps in his seat. "I do not know," he says carefully, sounding each of the words out like how Mother says he must. A Prince must not mispronounce his words or one would think him a simpleton. "He simply-"

"Valonqar."

"He doesn't hug me anymore," he bursts out, too loud and too angry and Mother will be so disappointed. Egg already is disappointed in him because: "I know I shouldn't have said that about Jace and Luke and I apologised to them but lēkia is still mad at me and-"

Gentle fingers wrap around his wrist.

He freezes.

Helaena squeezes gently, her hand a grounding brand of heat, before she pulls away. "Aemond, valonqar - Aegon is not angry with you, I swear."

He isn't? Then- "Why doesn't he hug me anymore?"

His mandia's eyes flicker closed and she looks like Father does, when something reminds him of the old Queen.

"If you ask him for a hug, he would be glad to give you one," is all she says, though.

All he has to do is ask?

(But Mother has said he's too old to be asking his brother for hugs, Aegon has duties after all, he doesn't have the time to be pandering to him anymore)

"If I ask, Aegon will hug me again?" The words feel small on his tongue. Wrong. He shouldn't need to-

"I promise"

(4)

The temperature in King's Landing may never reach as bitterly cold as it does in Harrenhall, but the storms are something that Harwin has yet to become used to.

Within less than a candle's width of time, clear skies have turned black with an endless downpouring that turns packed mud into slippery pits. Harwin feels nothing but relief when he calls the rest of the training session off, desperate to be both warm and dry once more, when he notices a figure that hasn't joined the rush to leave.

"Your Highness?"

Prince Aegon startles and slips in the sludge beneath their feet.

He winces. "Sorry, my Prince," Harwin says, reaching down to help the mud-covered boy to his feet.

The Prince eyes him, gaze flickering from his hand to his stance, and then takes a bracing breath that has his eyes narrowing slightly.

Laenor had mentioned something about this, had he not-

And then Harwin is pulling the Prince to his feet, holding firm until the boy has his feet beneath him just as he would for any of the younger Princes.

"My thanks, Ser Harwin," Prince Aegon says and his gaze is still fixed on his hand. There's a rough edge to his voice, like Luke after a nightmare, and Harwin-

"My Prince, are you-"

Thunder crackles above them.

Harwin startles and his feet slide beneath him; he releases the prince so the boy does not take a second fall in the mud. For a heartbeat, he flounders, until he finds his legs once more.

When he looks up, Prince Aegon is already halfway to the door.

(+1)

Rhaenyra has never been close to her half-brother.

She hadn't wanted to be when he was younger. Not when he was borne of Alicent and her father's betrayal. Not when Aegon lived when so many of Rhaenyra's other siblings didn't - not even Baelon, who was so small, who her mother had died for, who had died anyway. She had burnt her brother's pyre, Rhaenyra had thought all those years ago, and she had no need for another.

She had been a grieving child, angry at the world and those who should have known better, and she had taken it out upon the children by simply ignoring them.

She has been trying to be better, now, because her sons inspire her to be better, and her siblings deserve better. Aemma Arynn had died trying to give her father a son and the man hardly acknowledged him. Any of them. And Alicent-

Her childhood friend had always thought their customs queer. And now all of her children are so obviously Valyrian, with all those same queer customs...

No, her siblings deserve better. She has much to make up for and there is much she can never make up for.

Laenor and Harwin- she loves them, but men can be dense at times. They've discussed their meetings with Aegon, his odd reactions to touch, and both men recognise it is different to Helaena but they do not understand.

Rhaenyra does not wish them to.

They do not see what she does in Aegon and that is, perhaps, a good thing. Their boys do not see it either, only that their qȳbor is not fond of hugs, and Rhaenyra loves that they do not know this feeling.

It is memories of a time long past that have her gathering her heaviest cloak, one that has not seen use since her marriage, before she wanders the halls of the Red Keep to find her errant valonqar.

"Aegon," she murmurs as she finds him, staring out at King's Landing proper.

"Mandia?" He turns and-

She drapes the cloak upon his shoulders with a solid thud, watching with amusement as his eyes widen and he stumbles with the weight of it. Her lips twitch.

Her fingers clasp the cloak closed carefully.

"I have a cloak already?" Her brother asks, his face twisted in the same confused expression that Jace uses.

Rhaenyra stands beside him, a fingerwidth away, and stares out at King's Landing as he was. "None so heavy as this one," she says with quiet assurance. The only winter since Aegon had been born had been a mild and short one, even his winter clothes were light. "The weight may help."

He falls silent.

"You- I-"

"Tell me of my sons' lessons."

Aegon does.

(And if he ends up drifting closer, until their shoulders barely brush, until he can lean into her just the smallest amount-

there is no one but the two of them on this covered rampart to know it)

[drarryglobesficrecs]

Fluff - Drarry fic recs

(You’re a) Revolution by OTPshipper98(23k)

“Will I—Will I see you around?”

Malfoy snorts.

“Careful, Potter,” he murmurs, almost to himself, as his fingers linger on the doorknob. “One might think you actually enjoy my presence.”

Eight years after the end of the war, Draco Malfoy stumbles into Harry’s shop in the middle of a storm—no wand, no backstory; no signs of having lived in the country since the Battle of Hogwarts. During their first encounter, Harry promises—and the words sound like an old mantra—that he'll figure out Draco's secrets eventually.

And then he does. He does, except…it doesn't quite feel like a victory.

Quick as a Flash of Lightning, Unhurried as Eternity by babooshk_art, onbeinganangel(10k)

Can you fall in love with someone by simply watching them fiercely love another version of yourself?

The Difference Between Dust And Soup (Is You) by gnarf(17k)

When Harry returned for his eighth year at Hogwarts he had high hopes that he'd have a normal and quiet year for once—he had earned it after all!

But when he found Malfoy starving and unconscious in the Astronomy Tower one night, it all started over again. He had to figure out what happened to him.

After Harry started to cook for Malfoy, and while sharing their secret dinner night after night, he couldn't help but wonder if there was a possibility of them becoming more.

The Lesson of You by thecouchsofa(65k)

Harry likes kids. That doesn't mean he's ready for a small boy to turn up on the doorstep of Grimmauld Place insisting that Harry is his father. That was weird enough, but the child identifying Draco Malfoy as his other parent was something Harry had no bloody idea how to handle.

Baby Gate by donnarafiki(8k)

A piece of baby gate hit the back of his head. Pansy shook her head lightly, looking exasperated. “I’m going to call Harry.”

“No.” The response was automatic, out of his mouth before he could think about it. “Not Potter."

Scorpius is the best thing that ever happened to Draco. Really. But that doesn't mean there aren't challenges. When it becomes clear Draco needs some expert advice as to how to manage Scorp's accidental magic, Draco get's more than he bargained for.

Just The Two Of Us by Hekatee, Pierian(3k)

Harry finally meets his soulmate. Except his soulmate has been given a heavy dose of morphine and has no idea that his drugged-up rambling includes the words that change Harry's life forever.

The Promise of Summer by Omi_Ohmy(66k)

How was Harry supposed to know that coming back for eighth year would be so confusing? Everything is the same, and yet not the same. And nowhere is this more obvious than with Draco Malfoy. Harry finds himself once more watching and following Malfoy, trying to work him out. When they are drawn together to heal the castle, Harry doesn’t just find Malfoy - he also finds himself.

Strange Bedfellows by orphan_account, ravenclawsquill(30k)

When Harry encounters a frail and fidgety Draco Malfoy at the Ministry, he just knows something is wrong and he’s determined to get to the bottom of it.

A story about Deadly Nightshade, crippling insomnia, excellent wine … and finding what you need in the strangest of circumstances.

Unspoken Affection by Janieohio(2k)

"Sometimes, when you smile, I swear I hear music, then I realise it’s just the beat of my heart in my ears...Come back so I can dance."

Harry finds a stack of post-its, and what starts as simply leaving Draco a reminder with a bit of romance turns into a lifetime of memories.

The Joys of Sleeping In by dracogotgame(2k)

Draco fights a valiant battle, but the odds are against him.

Surviving the Horde by FleetofShippyShips(6k)

Draco has managed to avoid Christmas at the Burrow for ten years, but not this year.

Flower War by XxTheDarkLordxX(8k)

“So, I was thinking—” Neville cut off, causing Harry to peer up curiously. Neville’s eyes were narrowed on the flower, small frown marring his features. “Oh, how rude.”

“What’s rude? It’s just a flower. Strange, since Malfoy sent it to me. Do you think he was cursed? I mean, it’s not like him to be nice.”

Neville snorted, mouth twitching rapidly. “No, it’s not,” He agreed readily. “Malfoy sending this makes perfect sense though. The flower means, Beauty is your only attraction."

Or... the one where Harry and Draco have a flower war. Their tamest fight yet to date as they trade silent insults, cutting barbs and even a few compliments sprinkled in.

Paper Hearts by DorthyAnn(1k)

Draco makes origami. Harry collects them. All of them. It's not a problem, he just... he likes them, a great deal.

Lovesick by corvuscrowned(7k)

People keep spiking Auror Harry Potter with love potions. Healer Draco Malfoy keeps having to pick up the pieces.

But it's getting harder and harder for Draco to watch Harry fall in love with everyone except for him.

The Potion Makes the Rules by SquadOfCats(4k)

When Harry smells Amortentia for the first time in sixth year, he is entranced by the scent: green apples, snow on pine trees, and something else...something seductive and familiar he recognizes, but can't place. Eight years later, when he gets into a fistfight in the middle of the Ministry, Draco Malfoy head-butts him in the face and suddenly Harry knows exactly what he smelled in the potion all those years ago.

The Frisky Furnishings of Malfoy Manor by Writcraft(19k)

The course of true love never did run smooth.

Or: Hermione has a crafty plan, Harry and Draco are fake boyfriends and wizarding traditions have a lot to answer for. Featuring awkward dates, mince pies, a saucy sofa and a line of sequined house-elf haute couture nobody asked for but got anyway.

To Bag A Hero by moonshoespotterr(7k)

When Draco realises that insults are getting him nowhere, he decides to take a new approach to bagging the Boy Who Lived.

The Importance of Being Draco Malfoy by poppyhills(66k)

The answer to the age-old question, "What if instead of a scratch on the arm, Buckbeak had stomped on Draco's head instead and caused tragic memory loss?"

It was a truth universally acknowledged that the path to reforming a Slytherin prince never did run smooth.

Hogwarts AU Prisoner of Azkaban.

Show Me by loveglowsinthedark(7k)

“We can be friends, if you like,” he says instead, nonchalant and careless.

“What I’d like,” Potter says seriously, “is to kiss you.”

Draco feels his jaw drop, feels the way his hair tumbles into his eyes when he whips around to stare at Potter. “What?” he breathes.

“I think I’d like to kiss you,” Potter repeats sombrely, no hint of mirth evident.

“You think?” Draco says steadily, proud of himself for holding himself together.

Potter’s eyebrows slide up briefly but then Draco can’t think or act or speak or breathe because Potter is leaning in and cupping his cheek gently. “I know,” Potter says simply, and kisses Draco.

Potterella by VivacissimoVoce(22k)

Harry’s friends want him to find true love. But when a spell that promises happy endings goes out of control, fairy tales come to life and Draco becomes Harry’s Prince Not-So-Charming.

The Smile by bixgirl1(1k)

Harry smiles at Malfoy, Malfoy smiles back, and Ron is surely rolling his eyes in the background somewhere.

The Owl Who Came for Christmas by dracogotgame(17k)

Draco has a debt to pay off, no matter what Potter thinks. And he has a Very Good Idea to go along with it. Things don't go as planned.

To Love a Loathed (Arch) Enemy by Sophie_French(11k)

"For the last time, Malfoy, I have absolutely no hidden agenda giving you your wand back."

Harry brings Draco his wand back after the war and the rest is history.

Smoke and Sweets by BiscuitBrunch(21k)

Draco spends his eighth year at Hogwarts under a study contract, working the Hospital Wing with Madam Pomfrey.

He should have foreseen how often that meant bumping into Harry Potter.

(In which a touch-starved Draco has a praise kink that Harry is delighted to indulge.)

[midwinterhunt]

Tell me more about Angel?

Did he keep or break his last promise?

If he could call one person for help, who would it be (and would the answer be different before and after his Autobots arc)?

How does he see himself?

How does he react to praise and criticism?

What's his ideal friend like, and ideal or not, does he currently consider anyone a friend?

When was the last time he was disappointed?

What past act is he most proud of?

What's his strongest childhood memory?

Where does he go when he's angry?

Does he have nicknames for others? His own nickname?

A habit or belief that keeps getting him in trouble?

Me irl being asked about my oc

These answers might evolve as i figure out his story more, and as I learn more about the canon lore.

Did he keep or break his last promise? He broke it. He promised he would stay safe, stay in the base, leave his past behind him, and he didn't. He snuck out and hunted down the Decepticon that raised him, who made him in the first place. His attempt to get some kind of closure or revenge (he wasn't entirely sure himself what his goal was) goes about as poorly as possible.

If he could call one person for help, who would it be (and would the answer be different before and after his Autobots arc)? With the Decepticons, he would go to his "parent" (the bot that made him, who i will figure out the specifics on that as i go). Angel was often scolded when he was unable to do things alone, so it was rare for him to ask for help, but he trusted that one Decepticon enough to risk it. After switching sides, he still found his knee jerk reaction to be wanting to ask the same bot, however it wasn't an option for several reasons. So now he doesn't ask for help until he's already neck deep in shit and someone comes to bail him out.

How does he see himself? He has a bit of a dichotomous self view. He knows he's a scary good fighter, he knows he can pull his own weight and then some, he's very confident in himself. But at the same time he considers himself weak, he thinks he's flawed because his body is small and vulnerable. And he tries (pretty successfully) to hide that.

How does he react to praise and criticism? He is deeply starved for praise, so when he gets it he leans into it and tries to do anything he can to not fail the person who offered it. His reaction is pretty similar to criticism, but he gets quiet and while desperately trying to make up for whatever mistake was pointed out to him. Basically he's a people pleaser starved of positive reinforcement and scared of punishment.

What's his ideal friend like, and ideal or not, does he currently consider anyone a friend? He had a secret imaginary friend when he was super young that was actually just an old abandoned bike. He loved having something private that was just for him and his 'friend'. He wants a friendship that is free and open and close, someone he can share everything with. He wants a friend who can sneak him away to do secret adventures. But he doesn't actually have that. On the surface level, he seems to be good friends with Bee and Mirage, but he doesn't actually open up to them. As much fun as he has hanging out with them and raising hell and giving Optimus gray hairs (metaphorical), he keeps that at an arm's distance.

When was the last time he was disappointed? It's really hard to disappoint him since his expectations are,,,, really low. He pretty much goes into every situation braced for the worst so he's either right and he doesn't feel the sting of being disappointed, or he's pleasantly surprised.

What past act is he most proud of? Gonna be honest, this one has me super stumped. He isn't proud of his time with the Decepticons, he hurt a lot of people and he still has the constitution to kill. Of course the moment he made the choice to stay with the Autobots could counts as his proudest moment, at least in the eyes of his new team, he also looks back on that choice with a pang of grief because he lost his family to that choice. It's a bittersweet proud moment at best.

What's his strongest childhood memory? The day he learned what he role with the Decepticons was. Remember that sorta-imaginary bike friend? Yeah the Decepticon leaders found out about that and destroyed it. That was the day when they shortened his leash and explained what he was training for, how he was made to be the perfect assassin, and how he would one day finally destroy the enemy bot Optimus Prime.

Where does he go when he's angry? Just out. He blindly races off, just following whatever path his tires or feet take him. A lot of the time he will end up in tight spots that bigger Cybertronians can't follow him into.

Does he have nicknames for others? His own nickname? Almost none of the Decepticons called him by his own name, instead opting for the operative name White Shadow. And that's what he had the Autobots call him for a long time as well. But ultimately he prefers the name Angel. Which is funny, because he seldom calls literally anyone else by name. He calls Bee stuff like Chatterbox (although Bee is most likely to be called by name), Mirage usually gets called Numbnuts/Dumbass/etc, and a lot of the times he'll come up with new nicknames on the spot for different situations.

A habit or belief that keeps getting him in trouble? His incessant tendency to go it alone and treat every situation like a life or death solo mission. Paired with his lack self preservation skills, he gets himself into a lot of situations that he can't get back out of.

[randomoranges]

i’ve had this idea for months.

Hair

Late January 2022

 Edward catches sight of Étienne, just as he pads back towards the living room, post shower. He looks cozy in his over-sized sweater, flannel pyjama pants and fuzzy slippers and Edward briefly wonders how his boyfriend doesn’t overheat. Still, he watches from the comfort of his living room couch where he’s been sorting through a myriad of small boxes and various knick knacks he’d been meaning to get around to, ages ago.

 Étienne settles on the floor, as he often does, preferring the feel of the rug at times and the fact that Mercury will trot up to him and use his lap as a pillow. Edward had said once that she could sit on the couch, but Étienne had been adamant about it. Something about this not being his couch and therefore, not wanting his dog to accidentally ruin it or some such. Edward hadn’t really understood Étienne’s logic, but his boyfriend had been clear about his rules in regards to his dog and Edward had eventually dropped the subject.

 Just as predicted, Mercury trots up to Étienne and makes herself comfortable by his side. Edward watches as both master and pet curl in around each other and he can’t help but smile fondly as he picks up the next tin he has yet to sort through.

 It’s a tin of scrunchies and hair ties he’s used in the past for a variety of shows and it’s at that moment that an idea – or more like a small desire – forms and reignites in the back of his mind.

 The thing is, for as much as Étienne has been letting his hair grow out, he rarely seems to tie it up. And – well, for starters, the mere fact that Étienne has been letting his hair grow out over the past two years now is – amazing. Edward distinctly remembers the last time he’d seen his friend with long hair. It’s been decades since then and for as much as he knows why it is Étienne had just chopped it all off seemingly overnight, he’d also thought Étienne looked really good with longer hair and had silently mourned the change.

 Knowing that he’s letting it grow back is almost like a sign that maybe, finally, an old wound is finally starting to heal...

 Still, the point of the matter is that Étienne never really ties up his hair and Edward itches to – play with it. Maybe brush it after Étienne’s washed it and braid it. Put a nice scrunchie in it. Or – something. (And sure, there may be his own hang-ups over his own hair that he’d once decided to cut back in order to conform or whatever it was he’d told himself at the time, but that’s not the point of this train of thought. He can deal with his own issues at a later time. Right now, he would much rather focus on his boyfriend, thank you very much. He’s made other progress and growth. There’s just so much he can handle at once.)

 He hesitates to ask, even though his boyfriend is seated right by his feet and it would be so easy to reach over and twirl a strand. It’s not that Étienne would mind – at least, not the playing with his hair bit. Lord knows his boyfriend is like a touch-starved cat at times and every day, without fault, there is at least one moment where Edward finds himself with a hand carding through Étienne’s hair, knowing full well that Étienne loves it.

 No, the issue is more with the fact that he isn’t sure if Étienne will like having his hair tied. If it won’t be – too much.

 He could ask. He knows that logically, he could ask, but the last thing Edward wants to do is upset Étienne over some old and ancient negative memory.

 Therefore, he silently watches from the corner of his eyes, keeps sorting through different scrunchies, while Étienne sits by his legs and absent-mindedly rubs Mercury’s back.

 They spend some time in this comfortable silence, until Edward’s nearly all but forgotten about what it was he’d wanted to do, when, as if blessed from some forgotten God, Étienne turns to ask him the most surprising of questions.

 “Hey, d’you happen to have a hair tie I can use?”

 Edward blinks, unsure he’s heard correctly, or if his mind isn’t playing some cruel trick on him, but sure enough, Étienne looks at him as he gently tugs on a long strand of curly, brown hair.

 “Eum, yeah, I was just – sorting through – here,” He hands him over the last box with the scrunchies and watches as his boyfriend delicately picks one out.

 Étienne murmurs a soft thanks and then attempts to put up his hair in a ponytail. It’s a bit lopsided and there’s a few curls missing to it, but Edward simply drinks in the sight and holds his hands in his lap, less they traitorously decide to help out on their own.

 Retrospectively, he shouldn’t have feared for his hands, but for his mouth.

 “Do you want me to help?” He asks and the question surprises him, almost as if someone else had asked it.

 Étienne looks back towards him, equally surprised, but he gives a shy nod after a beat and hands him over the scrunchie he had previously selected. It’s a simpler model; pale green with little lilac stars.

 Edward takes the scrunchie and moves so that he’s better seated behind his boyfriend. He takes a steadying breath and tries to still his suddenly trembling hands, while trying not to read too much into this. “D’you mind if I – did you absolutely want a ponytail?” He starts combing his fingers through delicately, not wanting to accidentally pull on his boyfriend’s hair.

 Étienne leans back on Edward’s legs, letting out a content little sigh at the feel of his boyfriend’s fingers through his hair and on his scalp and then shrugs, “Knock yourself out.” He says as he closes his eyes when Edward continues with his ministrations.

 Edward nods, even though Étienne can’t see him and finally settles for a braid.

 Étienne’s hair is soft, as it always is, and he carefully disentangles a few knots as he separates the hair in three strands, before he starts braiding it. All throughout, Étienne remains quiet and even if the silence is a little bit charged, Edward finds he doesn’t really mind.

 When he finally finishes his handiwork and the scrunchy is safely secured, Edward leans back to admire the end result. It looks good, just as he had expected it to and he can’t help but smile softly to himself.

 “You look lovely,” He chooses to say to signal to Étienne that he’s done.

 “Thanks,” Étienne shifts slightly and leans his head back on Edward’s legs, before opening his eyes. From this position, he looks and smiles up at him. Edward ignores the flutter in his chest, but if he bends over to place a soft peck to his boyfriend’s lips, well, Étienne doesn’t seem to mind.

 “You know... I can’t remember the last time I tied up my hair – or that someone did it for me. Glad it was you this time, though.” Étienne resettles, making himself comfortable as he loops his arms around Edward’s leg and uses his knee to rest his head. Edward doesn’t say anything, his throat too tight with emotions, while his brain tries to form a coherent sentence, so instead, he places what he hopes is a comforting hand on his boyfriend’s shoulder. It seems to be the correct thing to say, for Étienne remains where he is, a gentle smile gracing his face.

 FIN.

[skeleton-in-a-hoodie]

Something I have been thinking about for the last few days is Splinter and Tang Shen's relationship in DDMG.

I don't think it'll be a case of them reuiniting and then immediately getting back together. The most un-spoilery explanation is that by that point it's getting close to two decades since they last saw each other, and they've both changed a hell of a lot, so before a romantic relationship is even on the table they need to get to know each other as they are now.

Plus, when it comes to DDMG, I want to prioritise the plot and Splinter's relationship with his kids over his relationship with Shen. Like Splinter and Shen's relationship is important, and I'm very excited to write how that develops, but at no point do I want to give anyone the impression that he's prioritising that over his kids and found family. He loves Shen and Miwa, but he also loves his sons and April, Casey and the rest of the family. And I don't think it'd make sense for Shen to prioritise her relationship with him over Miwa, not to mention she understands that the Turtles have to be his main concern.

Which I think will cause a bit of confusion for them, because they really do adore each other.

Shen still loves Hamato Yoshi, and sometimes it's easier for her to treat Splinter as being a different person because a) he doesn't look like Yoshi anymore, and b) whilst in a lot of ways he still acts like her husband, there's also a lot of ways that he doesn't e.g. Yoshi hated being touched, whereas Splinter is touch starved and so if very physically affectionate. So it's a bit of a balancing act for her to remember that he is Yoshi, but also to not expect him to act like her Yoshi. I think as she starts to develop feelings for Splinter, she's going to agonise over whether she truly is attracted to him, or if she's attracted to the parts of him that remind her of Yoshi, and if that's fair on him or not.

And then from Splinter's perspective, he is still utterly and hopelessly in love with her. Which means he asks himself similar questions of whether he truly is attracted to Shen as she is now, or if he's just attracted to the version of her that he remembers.

He is also, to put it lightly, not exactly feeling great about his appearance. He doesn't hate how he looks by this point and he's more or less at peace with not being human, but I think it's natural for him to feel insecure about his body when thinking about Shen, because the last time she saw him he was a handsom young man, and now he's a giant talking rat. There's going to be questions of if he's good enough for her, and he comes to the conclusion pretty quickly that he's okay with it if she finds him hideous, because he spent the better part of twelve years being repulsed by his own reflection.

That's not even to say that Shen isn't dealing with her own insecurities. She feels so old around him, because he's technically frozen at the age he died, which means she's somewhere around sixteen years older than him. Which, like, Splinter doesn't mind, because that just means she had the chance to get older and live a life, and Shen knows that, but it still makes her anxious. And even before meeting him, she misses how easyily gentleness and trust used to come to her, but now she can't bring herself to trust anyone and her gentleness is reserved for Miwa, so she worries he'll be put off by how much harsher she is now.

I'm comfortable saying these two do end up getting back together, but it's me, so it's going to be a slowburn by default, cause I do everything at a leisurely pace and there's some good reasons these two don't immediately start dating again outside of the stuff mentioned above, but that wanders into spoiler territory so i don't know how far I should go into that.

This means that I've got a rough idea of after which point they get together, but I can't say "when [x scene] happens these two are not dating."