#but she'll be fine in a lil but when they land

[3mcwriting]

Secret Arrangement

(f/s) = favorite show

Warnings: slight violence, language, lil bit of kissing

Natasha clutched her side, glaring at the (now unconscious) Hydra agent who had shot her.

"You ass."

 "He can't hear you, you know." Clint said, appearing beside her.

 "Yeah, but he's still an ass." She looked down at her side, seeing the hole from the bullet going straight through. Thunder booming in the background because of Thor's earlier lightning theatrics.

 "We should get back so you can have Banner check that out." 

 "Yeah, I guess." Natasha winced slightly, the pain from the bullet wound spiking whenever she moved. They walked back to the quinjet, Bruce immediately getting up to check her wound once they were in. "What time is it?" she asked, hoping she wasn't late. 

 "It's 8," Bruce responded, patching up her side. "You have to go back to the compound, I don't have all the stuff to treat you."

 "No. What time are we going to get back, Tony?"

 "Probably around 10, why? Hot date?"

Yes, actually.

"I have plans at 9, is there anyway we can go faster?"

Tony turned around in the pilot seat, grinning at me. "Hell yeah, we can go faster."

 "Language!"

 •••••

Natasha looked at her watch, wincing when she saw that it was already 10 past 9. "So, are you still continuing your plans with (y/n)? Y'know since you're injured and all that." Clint asked.

 Her jaw dropped. "How do you know about, (y/n)?"

They had been careful to keep their relationship a secret so that (y/n) would never get targeted by someone who wanted to hurt Natasha or get revenge on her.

He snorted. "Please, you've been my friend for years. You think I wouldn't find out about you being in a serious relationship with someone? But back to my question, are you canceling your plans with her or not?"

She looked around, making sure no one had heard him, only to meet eyes with Wanda who was sitting a couple meters away. She looked surprised, turning to Vision who was sitting on one side with Pietro on the other.

Nat sighed. "Yeah, I think so. I'm injured and I don't want to worry her so I'll wait til I'm all healed up then head home."

She was disappointed, she had planned a whole surprise for her and now (y/n) wouldn't get to see it.

 "Well...that's stupid."

 "What?"

 "She's gonna worry more if you spend the night in the infirmary than if you go home late to your plans." Clint said, twirling an arrow in his hands.

 "I have a gunshot wound," she said, emphasizing the words. "You don't think she's gonna worry if I go home right now?"

He shook his head, exasperated. "She's an Emergency Room doctor. She's used to that stuff and she'll know that your side will be fine. So yeah, she'll worry, but not as much as if you spend the night in the med wing. Let her treat your wound. "

 "Hmm," she thought about it. The thought of seeing you even sooner was appealing. "For once you're right, Clint," she raised her voice, "Hey, Tony! Drop me off at my apartment complex!"

 •••••

 "So, how exactly are you getting down?" Tony called out, keeping us hovering over my building.

 "Just lower the rope ladder." Natasha responded, ready to get home.

 "I'll do you one better," he said, then proceeded to land in the empty parking lot.

 "Thanks, I guess, though seriously I could've just used the ladder," she told him, standing up from my seat.

 "Yeah, but I wasn't gonna go down the rope ladder sooo," he said, also standing up from his chair.

 "You're not coming with me," she stated firmly.

"Sure I am," Tony said with a smirk, "anyone else wanna come with me to see why Romanoff has been skipping out on us?"

"I already know why," Wanda said, sending me a knowing look. "But yes I'd like to come too."

Natasha sighed, mind readers are annoying.

"If Wanda is going I believe I should go too, " Vision said.

"Me too," Pietro chimed in, the rest of them quickly agreeing.

Natasha walked out of the quinjet, turning around and glaring at all her teammates. Steve, Tony, Thor, Wanda, Pietro, Vision, Bruce, and Clint all following her off of the aircraft. Natasha walked quickly, arriving at the apartment door quickly. They must've looked strange, the Avengers standing in the dark corridor outside of an upscale apartment, all of them still in their gear.

Natasha unlocked the door, opening it quietly. The hallway was dimly light, the scarce light shining from the living room. She could hear the sound of the TV, she smiled, (y/n) must be back to binging her (f/s). Nat turned around, shutting the door on her teammates, enjoying the shock written across their faces but wincing slightly from a pain that came from her side.

She heard the TV pause, "Tash?" Light footsteps came toward her, Nat moving to meet them.

 "Hey, babe," she saw her, those lovely (e/c) eyes meeting hers as a delighted smile flitted across her face.

You moved to give her a hug only for her to stop you. You looked at her, confused.

At least, until she smashed her lips onto yours. You responded quickly, your lips moving together perfectly as she backed you up against the wall. Winding one arm around your waist while one held your face. You gasped into the kiss, bringing one hand to the name of her neck while the other settled on her hip.

Nat winced, stopping the kiss before continuing.

But you noticed the small flinch.

"Wait, wait," your mouth murmured against hers as you pulled away. Grabbing her hand and leading her to the couch, you lifted up her shirt. "Tash you should've told me," you sighed, looking at the stitches that Bruce had put there to close the wound.

 "Didn't seem to matter-" there was a loud knock at the door, "I'll get it."

 "No, you will not." You stood up, "I'll get the door and you relax."

You turned and walked down the hall, Nat heard her open the door and talk to someone. She stood up when she heard the many footsteps coming down the hall. You entered the room, the Avengers coming in after her.

She scowled, "I told you to relax, sit down."

"Lady Widow, who is this beautiful woman?" Thor asked.

Natasha held up her left hand, showing the simple gold and silver band circling her finger. "She's my wife."

"You're married?!"

 "The fuck?"

 "Since when?"

The Natasha Romanoff brainrot has set in, if you couldn't tell.

[heiressofdoodles]

Alrighty, so I saw a few posts regarding a few other characters and how @gethoce's character Valfrey would react to them based on their morality and code of honour, and I wanted to participate a bit lol. So, since this is too late for any polls, I might as well do General Maisie Knight instead, mostly because Hopea is a bit too simple for this while she's a lil kid.

One must live their life for a purpose such as serving a shogun or protecting one's people. If left without a purpose one must make it their mission to find one.

Maisie's entire life from birth to 500 years old, she was pretty much trying to figure out her purpose, because surely it wasn't just because she was born a Blue Star and waiting to die. She ended up carving out her own path and making a life where she became one of the Leaders of the GSA, marrying Floret, and just wanting to retire in a peaceful land after the GSA collapsed.

Be the Master of one's emotions, yet Do not rob yourself of your whimsy for it’d poison your mind.

Hooo boi, this might be the one to tick off the most points. One of the ways that Maisie keeps her Crash ability together is through her stoic attitude. Her being a bit more snarky than most others probably wouldn't give her much in the way of being whimsical. If you want to see her more passionate and loving side, though, just ask her about her wife, and she'll be head over heels in seconds.

Always be honest.

While Maisie strives to be honest with her fellow Soldiers and Generals, she did struggle with telling them about some genuinely distressing news. Even now, she struggles with honesty when it can be harmful to her troupe, since the last time she said something distressing to someone, she lost her wings.

Do not steal unless it is to protect the weak.

Maisie is very much not a thief. She may be willing to intimidate people or attempt to

Do not sneak attack when a fair battle is possible.

Despite her having the Ninja ability, Maisie is one for a fair fight. However, it does not mean that she is above some rather sneaky tactics to people that even she could handle on her own. Most of the time, it is for intimidation and is not often targeted by specifics.

There is no honour in being outnumbered, use usually unfair tactics to even the playing field.

Maisie is unashamed of using some morally grey tactics to even a fight against a powerful or multiple foe/s. It is one of her preferred fighting multiple people, regardless of how many allies she has. While she is not a fan of actually murdering her enemies, thank god, she is more than capable of rendering her enemies unable to fight.

Respect yourself, keep yourself healthy and well groomed.

The one thing that Maisie is fine with not having her feather wings anymore is that she doesn't have to worry about having to groom them anymore. While she struggles sometimes with keeping healthy habits, especially after the GSA collapsed, she will try her hardest, and that's what matters.

Stay true to your principles.

Maisie hasn't broken her own code of honour, and has no intention to. She got pretty close when she learned of just how many organizations that were meant to assist the GSA sat idly during the collapse, but she's never genuinely acted on those dark desires.

Do not slaughter your own kin unless they strike first.

Maisie is extremely unwilling to harm to her friends, and her allies. When she wandered the galaxy with her troupe, the small group travelling with her was all she had. The only way she would even consider fighting one of them would be to get them to take a chill pill and stop self destructing for no reason, damnit.

Even if she was possessed by Dark Matter or some other powerful force, it would be at constant war to force her to harm Floret, though it would never be able to force Maisie to kill her.

[pegaace]

Analysis on Witch from Mercury, Colonialism, The Tempest, and Caliba(r)n

Okay I know this is my first post ever but I was tryna find somewhere to put my thoughts after seeing a bunch of people everywhere slander Caliban and why that is not it and how my boi is innocent, good actually. For qualifications I did an undergrad lit class that covered The Tempest like 2 years ago so that's fine right (apologies to my profs if I fuck any of this up)

Okay so for starters yes by now everyone knows WfM is The Tempest, Prospera is Prospero (or Prospera actually, there was a 2010 film adaptation that had the gender switch already), Aerial is Ariel, etc etc. So therefore Caliban has to be this villainous, "monstrous" creature right?

Haha no sit down cos no that would be boring. (and also kinda racist as I'll explain) Notice how in the original Prospero isn't the villain of the story, not really, he's just getting revenge for being wronged years ago and trying to ship the kids together. But if recent gwitch is any indication, Prospera truly is the villain of this story, breaking hearts and stopping at nothing to destroy the Benerit group AND earth. Now I wonder which other adaptation of The Tempest has Prospero as the big bad HMMMM :thinking:

Enter Aime Cesaire and A Tempest. Written in 1969, it deals with a lot of the more unpleasant connotations of Shakespeares play. Let me lay it all out for you. So you're saying Prospero, a white dude, comes to this island, uses his western magic to overthrow the native witch (Sycorax), wrecks the land of its magic, and then enslaves her son to do his work for him, constantly insulting his appearance and intelligence? HMMMM seems pretty sus (racist and colonial) to me.

Cesaire, writing during a time of decolonial movements throughout the world, was rightfully really mad at colonizers for forcing their way upon natives with violence, and especially with the use of language to control said populations. Caliban has also been repeatedly dehumanised through previous adaptations of Shakespeares work slowly turning him from a man into a monster, not even human. This is similar to how non-european people have constantly been treated in the past.

Now like wait... Forcing communication through a set language? Dehumanisation? Colonisation of oppressed peoples? Where have we seen that before...? HMMMM

(its almost like... permet scores and gundam technology... Calibarn being free of permet links is like Caliban refusing language...)

And here's where I see the great potential of a Gundam Caliban. Gundam is certainly no stranger to decolonial movements (shoutout to my fave Gundam ZZ and the bois in Blue team and the African liberation front) and I think having Caliban as the Gundam to finally end Spacian oppression (perhaps in a sequel idk if Suletta is getting that far after bonking her mom by the end of the season) would be a great take.

As a side note, Aerial is kinda portrayed negatively in Cesaire's work for choosing to work for Prospero in exchange for their own freedom, as kind of a sellout who makes things worse and is ultimately tricked and trapped anyways and... hey! She's in a giant coffin now and Suletta is unhappier than ever! Oops.

Also like I qrted this on my twt but like its important to remember that Caliban is human too, and will respond to accordingly. They (and this might be where i disagree with @adracat a lil on their otherwise excellent posts) arent just a violent unthinking monster, thats just unfortunately how racism often portrays people of colour. If Suletta shows compassion and humanity towards Calibarn, like how she did to Aerial, and how Eri was able to connect with Lfrith in the prologue when Vanadis had failed, I'm sure she'll be able to bring Calibarn over to her side. And because they can connect so fully via human emotions and love (this is where I do agree with adra that love is the answer and key to open the door) (wooo yeah another love powered robot!! G Gundamming time) I dont think Quiet Zero will be able to stop them, as Suletta will have made the ultimate, unmediated connection between woman and machine, becoming one with it in the way Cardo Nabo had always truly hoped for. To don Gundam and live in space.

Okay sorry for the disorganised post but like one last thing I know I said it'd be nice for Calibarn to show up again in S2 but the other theory I have (which might or might not be true cos lets be real gwitch only rhymes, never copies, and i dont even know where schwarzette fits into all this [goatmom gundam my beloved i miss schwarzletta theory still]) is that the ending of A Tempest has Prospero send the girlies off as usual, but then still choose to stay on the island to fight with Caliban forever, till he can finally fully dominate him, cos racists are shit like that. This continues for a rlly long time cos his magics kinda prevent him from just dying of old age and he lives on, like a vampire sucking life from the island (wow capitalism huh) and its implied he and Caliban are just locked in this long struggle to the death until the day he finally croaks and the colonized can finally be free. Now what other gundam has an eternal struggle with fascism hmm?

idk just thought it might be cool for the gundam sisters to push suletta out of the way (maybe out of quiet zero?) whilst trapping prosperas grudge within it for all time, that would also be dramatic and neat lol. Come to think of it if Prospera does it itd be like ZZ again too lol with Haman pushing Judau away.

[fixfoxnox]

anyways, what convenient timing!(i was gonna send this last night but passed out lol)

so i saw this tiktok, right? and i immediately thought “oh luke Needs to see this”

[id: barry sloane/price playing an acoustic bass guitar to fleetwood mac’s “The Chain”]

obviously i instantly got a million ideas.

What if Price taught Roach guitar?

What if Price brought his bass To base after hearing Roach rock out and they have a jam sesh together?

What if Roach teaches Price guitar and he surprises his husband(Nik) with his new skill?

What if the 141 was a task force-turned-band?(i already hc soap’s played violin all his life but he’d also be great on drums, ghost’s rumbling baritone would be backup vocals and i could see him on electric bass, gaz would be leading electric guitar + backup vocals and roach could be rhythm electric(maining acoustic and being lead vocals), price could easily be second vocals and whatever other guitar spot needs to be filled for a song)

What if Roach didn’t have that no-so-private concert for himself and reveals he can play too when Price shows off his own skills?

What if the team + Jackson go to Johnathan’s bar and Roach’s brothers convince him to play a song with them on the lil stage for like local bands and karaoke, “just like ol’ times,” and Roach only agrees after forcing Jackson to join them and it’s “like a family thing” and Jackson Totally Doesn’t choke up a smidge at being “part of the family” even tho he was long welcomed as an honorary Sanderson and him n Roach get to just be impressive to their boyfriends?(doesn’t have price playing but the creative juices be flowing man)

etc etc etc

Ik you probably wanted one of the ideas with Price, but You know I love Johnathan and his bar and the idea of Roach being a mini-celebrity in his town so-

"You want me to what?"

"Come home for just the weekend," Johnathan begged over the phone, "Perform at the bar! We're finally reopening and I need something to draw people in."

"The alcohol for your usual crowd won't?" He crossed his arms over his chest, trying to avoid the looks that the other members of the 141 were sending him. They'd been sending him curious looks during his entire conversation.

"My usual crowd had to relocate to a different bar while we were closed. I need to bring them back somehow."

"And you think," Roach started carefully, "That people will come to watch me perform."

"I don't think, I know." He paused for a moment before, "I can tell you're still thinking. Please bubs? C'mon you can bring your 141 boys and Jackson and I'll give you guys free drinks and food for the night."

Roach paused for a moment, "The whole night?"

"Yes."

"And Suzanne will be there to make her wings and jalapeno poppers?"

"Yes, she'll be in the kitchen all night."

"...fine."

"Yes!"

"Jesus fucking christ, why are there so many people." Roach ducked his head, hiding his face in Ghost's shoulder as the bar continued to slowly fill up.

All of the seats had been taken up ten minutes prior and now everyone who came in was being forced to cram into what standing space their was. Roach could hear Jackson snicker from across the table, "You forget how famous you are here."

"I'm not famous," he protested, "I just used to perform at the church and town events. I don't understand this!"

He could feel Soap running a hand comfortingly up and down his back, "Just think of the positives, Bug. You do this then you can be done for the night."

Jackson snorted, "No he can't."

"I'm going to be fielding people trying to talk to me all night," Roach complained, "Stupid Southern culture."

"Oh, Gary, who are these lovely young men?" Mocked Jackson, "Say, Gary, are you married yet? I have a nephew who is just about your age." Roach was quick to flip his friend off. the last thing he needed was the man making fun of him.

"Hey, kiddo, you ready to perform?" Hands landed on Roach's shoulders and he hesitantly moved away from Ghost to glare up at his brother.

"The whole town is here."

"I know! We really had a great turnout!"

"I hate you."

"That's the spirit," Johnathan hauled him up from his seat and started dragging him toward the stage, "Come on, its past the old folks bed time and they're starting to get cranky."

Roach let himself be dragged up to the small stage at the back of his brothers bar, his entire face going red as cheer erupted the second that he and Johnathan stepped on the stage.

Johnathan stepped up to the mic, motioning for the crowd to quiet down. "Hey everyone, thank y'all for coming out tonight for our reopening." There was a cheer throughout the bar, "Now, I'm not gonna sit up here and run my mouth, I know why y'all came out. So, here is my sweet baby brother," Roach rolled his eyes as he grabbed the acoustic guitar that had been set up for him, "He made time out of his very busy schedule to come play for us, so let's show him some love!"

With that, he stepped away from the mic and off of the stage, allowing Roach to step up to the mic in his place, with cheers ringing around the bar.

He gave an awkward sort of wave to the crowd. "Hi everyone," there was another cheer that met his words. "I guess I'm gonna perform for you guys. Thank you for coming out, I'll try to avoid church songs." His words drew a bit of a chuckle from the crowd and pulled a small smile to his lips. With one last wave to the crowd, he started strumming the beginning notes of one of the songs he'd been practicing.

"Our boyfriend," Soap teased, "Celebrity."

Roach gave another groan, his face burning red. Twenty people so far had stopped by their table to speak to him before they left. A good few people had left after his performance, but there were still a number left in the bar and he knew that his night of being the talking point of the town wasn't over yet.

"I've always wanted to date a celebrity," Ghost joked as well, nudging Roach with his arm.

"I just wanted to eat wings and jalapeno poppers," Roach complained lowly, "I'm never doing this again."

"Oh, c'mon," Gaz gave him a smile, "It's not that bad."

"That's because you're getting free alcohol and food and not having to talk with anyone," Roach accused. "And you've been able to whisper and paw at your boyfriend all night! I can't even try to get handsy under the table."

Gaz's face burned red for a moment, but Jackson only grinned from next to him, no shame on his face. "Not our fault you're so famous."

"We can get handsy later," Soap gave him a pat on his leg and a grin, making Roach's own face burn red and pulling a chuckle from Ghost.

"Gary! I just had to stop to say hello to you before we left," Roach immediately slapped a smile on his face, sending a quick glare to his snickering friends before turning to greet the woman who'd called out to him. It was going to be a very long night.

[kiwibirb1]

Okay so what do you get when you combine a amphiba fixation and Ocarina of Time? A half-baked AU where instead of amphiba the girls ended up in OoT era Hyrule and the calamity gems are the spiritual stones.

No seriously the colors are like perfect. More details (like a lot more be warned) under the cut because I have a feeling I'll ramble.

Okay, first Marcy. She ends up in Kokiri forest, and immediately gets sidetracked by studying the Kokiri's biology and shit. Wit gem is now Kokiri Emerald. Has roughly the same relationship with Deku Tree as she does with Andrias, but no manipulation!! Wooo! Would be hilarious if she ended up in Link's role, but I have this idea of she lands there like 3 years before the events of OoT, so Link is just a little baby gremlin. Oooo she could be the one to teach him basic moves she copies from the Vagabondia games. Doesn't go and find her girls like immediately beacuse Kokiri do the whole "Everyone who leaves DIES" and she doesn't think to check this with the Deku Tree (who would tell her that's just kokiri she'll be fine). Gets lost in the Lost Woods a LOT. But makes new friends in the skull kids, so there's that!

Next up... Sasha! Strength here ends up with the big, burly gorons! Manages to build up a high temperature tolerance but still can't handle mild spice lol. Strength gem replaced by Goron Ruby, yada yada. I haven't made it far enough into OoT to see if sumo wresting comes up there, but even if it does, I'm taking it and saying she introduces them to it. Has the Biggoron sword wayyy early because she helped the dude make it and got impatient. (Link still gets it because the girls made it home by the time of his adventure, but even though it's made already, he doesn't get it till adult.) Doesn't leave immediately because uhhh rockfall! Yeah rocks blocked the way out of Death Mountain for a while. Has a Grime-ish relationship with Darunia but no jail time and less toxic on both sides. He's still like father figure but more chill.

Finally, Anne! Ends up with the Zora, and fends off flirting from Ruto (who is like seven, why is this seven year old so horny?) while learning to swim. Heart gem is Zora sapphire, you know the drill. Oooooo wait gotta figure out how that works with the box uhhh, time travel shit idk. Leaves for Castle Town almost immediately (like stays in zoras domain for like two weeks) and gets lost. Finds her way to Lon Lon Ranch and BAM found family trope betcha didn't see that coming, huh? So yeah she stays at Ranch for a while helping out, getting a new sister, taming horses. Eventually leaves for Castle Town with her own horse, where she manages to get an audience with the king. King agrees to help her find her friends if she babysits Lil Zel. (yeah sure trust the random stranger with the two year old princess that is VERY KIDNAPPABLE(Impa does not agree but eventually grows to like Anne))

The music box! I realized that it uh needed some revamps to fit so section for it now! Okay, so due to time travel shit the stones are in the music box but are also ancient artifacts of the regions. Basically music box ends up in earth because not Leif uhhh (I probably should finish OoT first huh) but yeah girls do the whole woosh thing but the stones get separated and end up in their respective regions like 100 years before the girls go. So they're still like the regions things. Since time travel they're colored and charged, BUT when the girls get there, they suddenly uncharge and go gray because now the times are synced up and stuff. This is how girls find the correlation and then plot and junk.

I have so many thoughts for this i will not be getting sleep tonight. I will also probably infodump more about this, so yayyyy

[druidofthealders]

Brigid of the Alders

So I guess it's important to foster pagan community to, like, actually talk about the kinds of things you do, your UPGs, your deities, etc. So I figured I'd talk about my stuff.

I've been a pagan since I was a lil kid, and I'm in my 30's now. It's been a long and winding road, through a lot of wild experiences and youthful appropriative practices (shout out to my teens "shamanism" phase lol). I mention this because by the time I hit my mid-twenties or so and I backed away from closed/appropriative shit, I felt unmoored in my spirituality. A lot of the practices I'd run into -- and pantheons and their accompanying worship -- were born of cultural experiences that I, as a white middle-class American girl, did not have.

So, I thought, how about I look into some of the pantheons of my ancestors, in Ireland and Scotland and Russia? But turns out "blood" doesn't turn into cultural experiences :P GO FIGURE. I am no more "Irish" than any other born-and-bred American. I looked into various flavors of GaelPol and Celtic Reconstructionism, but I guess it turns out it's important to me to come at it from my own cultural context. I had a really really hard time connecting. (And do note, this is for my personal comfort and experience; what works for y'all is what works for y'all!)

I eventually considered, like, okay, then fine, what kind of gods would a white middle-class American girl with ancestry in a variety of places worship? Who's out there who can work with me? The answer was a couple of things:

Local land spirits (I try to look into local indigenous practices, not to "become" anything but to treat the land in the way they think is best)

House spirits

"Shards" of Gods

What the heck are "Shards" of Gods?

Well, here's my personal take, on something that really works for me and jives with me. Just as there are original gods of the homeland, I think that immigrants definitely take their gods with them. And gods are born of humans, just as humans are born of gods, and so as the immigrant culture changes and evolves, so does the god, so that there's a splinter shard of that god that serves a people.

It's a kind of mix between the legacy of those that have gone before me, and making my own pantheon. Shards are gods in their own right, cut from existing cloth but grown into a new shape, a new existence.

I've circled Brigid for ages but never quite was able to match with her until I came down to this paradigm -- and then got hit with the clearest, most "HI THERE" I've ever felt. So -- I present my splinter of Brigid, Brigid of the Alders.

Brigid of the Alders

Like the Brigid of Ireland, Brigid of the Alders is a goddess who focuses on smithing, healing, and poetry. However, she's a PacNW splinter for the modern day. Smithing, for her, seems to be Creation -- but specifically Creation that is of your hands, with raw material. I've tried dedicating my day-to-day work to her -- digital art -- but that doesn't seem to stick. When I did some sculpting, however, that rang very nicely for her.

Healing remains the same, as does Poetry. My Brigid requires a poem every time I work with her. It doesn't matter how good it is, it can just be dashed out in my head. But it is required before she'll answer my call.

I love Brigid of the Alders deeply. She is so important to me, and I genuinely feel like she cares about me too. She's guided me through a lot of my healing I've had to do recently. She's helped me reconnect to my crafts.

Other Shards

I haven't really come into any yet, but I've been getting drawn more and more to the Hellenic pantheon. It's possible I'll find a new Shard relationship there, perhaps not. But I'll try to document here as I keep it up.

I'm also absolutely going to look into homebrewing my own deities as well. I'm very familiar with thoughtforms and I know when I was a youngun I practically had my own pantheon I'd made. Some of them I might bring back. Who knows?

Anyways! This is my experience. Hope it helps or at least entertains, haha

[rosewriteswhump]

Fear

This is takes place about a month or two before the first chapter. Wait so this is chapter 0

cw: panic attack, flashbacks, past abuse, begging, sobbing, revealing trauma, lady whump (whumper and whumpee), wing whump, nails ripped off in past, torture, escape, caught in trap, implied fainting

Indicates flashback

---

Run. Run away. You aren't safe, she's coming. She's going to hurt you. You'll lose your wings. She'll rip them off slowly just like your nails.

"Marlie~, come out little fairy. I know you're out here! I might hurt you less if you show yourself!" Alice laughed cruelly, dragging chains behind her. The chains were steel, enough to weaken Marlie enough to block magic.

Marlie kept running, exhausted and malnourished, it wasn't long before she became unsteady on her feet, swaying as she stumbled forwards, landing directly on a hunting trap. Her cuffed hands clamped over her mouth, covering the shriek that had escaped her. She could hear Alice walk underneath the trap that was dangling in the forest canopy.

Hour passed, Alice had given up for now. Heading back home to make a plan for searching. Marlie was too frail to get far on her own after all.

---

Marlie slowly regained consciousness, unaware of when she had lost it. Someone was holding her, their body warm and muscular but soft.

Hesitantly, she opened her eyes, finding herself looking up at Cedar as he gently lay her on a bed. "Marlie! Are you hurt? Did Alice use any metals?" He asked, worry creeping over him. The fear from his own experiences lying in wait.

Said fairy looked at him, eyes filling with terrified tears as she sat up, backing into the corner of the bed against the wall. Her breath quickened and tears rapidly streamed down her face. "P-please, i-I won't run. I can't go b-back to Miss Alice! Sir, I'll do anything. I-I can use my magic to-" Marlie coughed, choking on her own tears. "S-sorry for speaking without permission." She looked down at her hands, finding the cuffs gone and replaced with fresh bandages.

"Mar? You here with me? Never. You are never going to be near Alice again, I promise." Cedar hesitated a moment before holding Marlie's shaking hands. He felt his heart drop to his stomach when Marlie yanked herself away from him. "Sorry, shoulda asked first. Hey, lil' sis I'm never going to hurt you. It's all good., no need to ask here." He tried to offer a reassuring smile despite his worries, he knew how cruel humans could be and to see someone he thought of as family get hurt cut deeper than any of his own wound ever had.

Marlie nodded, slowly calming down from her panic as she kept her wings out of reach. "O-okay. Um, how-" she swallowed thickly. "H-how should I address you?" Marlie knew it was a risk to ask, however, it was worse than making a mistake. Mistakes were for humans and stupid ones at that. Miss Alice wanted everything perfect and a fairy has no excuse for less.

"Just Cedar is fine. Did you get hurt for mistakes, Marlie?" Cedar asked before he could stop himself. A small nod was all he saw before Dawn opened the door and asked him to leave while she treated Marlie's injures.

---

Taglist: @nullb1rdbones

let me know if you'd like to be added!

any questions for me or my ocs can be sent to the ask box

[ktisisphos]

i keep thinking about this wolqotd i saw because. literally every lil blorbo i made for this game would eat aoes but for slightly different reasons and i'm delighted by it

drahne is too busy worrying about the team and making sure whatever they're fighting is focused on her to realise she has one foot still in the aoe so she's ALMOST safe but still has eight vuln stacks. if you stand directly behind her you will probably avoid the hit but she'll still eat it somehow. when she was a dragoon? flawless. cheesed it to the last second and then dove out. putting her and estinien on a team gave alphinaud genuine anxiety because they'd BOTH do it and now he's still got one dragoon cheesing and the other is taking the term tank a little bit too seriously he needs a raise

y'mhati rarely eats vulns because he's a bard so he's got mobility but sometimes he'll be too focused on his song or lining up a shot and realise oh. this is not the correct spot. or worse, he'll realise in time and then backstep and land directly in ANOTHER aoe. and then he's getting scolded by his healers with the sad cat ears like yes i know i know (he stands in another aoe two weeks later because he did the exact same thing and was too focused on his silly lil music)

kozosu has never eaten an aoe when she's on samurai she is too familiar with exactly what she can get away with and knows exactly what she can mitigate without help so she's a little risky but she's still dodging accurately so what more do you need. what more could her healers ask for. but the SECOND she tries to use anything that jacke or oboro taught her and picks up the ninja daggers? she has 17 vuln stacks because she does not accurately know the limits for cheese. and i love that about her. give her two years to obsessively study and she'll be fine

[juniperberries-canisroot]

I saw an ask game and no one asked but I gotta do it. This will be about my main girl Chantilly Leice.

Go-to drink order

-Virgin Velvet LaChance & virgin White-Gold Towers. CL doesn't drink alcohol at all, so when she goes with someone who does, she asks Talen-Jei in Riften's Bee & Barb to make the drink without any alcohol in it. If she's at a different tavern or a festival with someone who drinks, she'll act like the 'designated driver' and make sure everyone gets back to the house or inn safely without gettin their shit wrecked in a drunken brawl.

At home makes herself NightShade tea and occasionally canis root tea when she's hanging out with Neloth on Solstheim. She puts milk in her tea thou so Neloth often 'teases' her that at that point, it's milk with a hint of NightShade in it, it's hardly tea anymore.

Scars & Tattoos

-CL has multiple tattoos and scars. Her lower left arm (elbow and below) is a sleeve of her three kids birth flowers (currently I'm undecided on what they will be, I just know she would def get tattoos of them), so she has three large flowers on the lower arm. The flowers also have their birth signs on them (also undecided). Over her chest/heart is lavender, on the back of her neck kind of where the neck and spine meet is a small Dragons Tongue. She plans on gettin her husband Marcurio's birth flowers tattoo'd on her somewhere (currently undecided what it will be). All her tattoos have meaning to them. She also did all them herself. The lavender was her first one, followed by the Dragons Tongue then the sleeve of flowers.

For scars, she has two large symmetrical- and to quote her husband Marcurio, 'don't look like they were caused by somethin natrual'- scars that extends over her entire back, mirrored over her spine. They do have a story, one I have a general idea on how she got them but haven't fine tuned the details.

She has a small scar from the stab/slash wound Mercer puts on her in SnowVeil Sacntum on her shoulder. I don't actually know where Mercer strikes our character, it looks to be the shoulder or neck area to me. I HC that he already thought our character was going to die from Karliah's arrow so he puts a wound on our player as insult to injury, he wasn't actually tryin to land a lethal blow. He just wanted the last hit to be a lil shithead.

CL also has small scar from where Karliah's arrow struck her on her chest.

She has various other random scars over her body too just from living in Skyrim and the type of rough life it is.

[afterglowsims]

She was pissed Eisley woke her up so early.

[arianaagreyy]

A Letter From The Dead || J. Potter x Reader (Part 2)

My grandfather passed way a month ago, so I was feeling very down. That's what inspired me to write this.

Part 1

Words: 765 words

Pairing: James Potter x Reader

Warnings: Mentions of death, su!c!de, bl00d. Let me know if there are more.

"We are friendshs"

"Yesh, Jamie"

"Sho no shecrets?"

"No shecrets"

"Pwomish?"

"Yesh Jamesh"

His mind was running miles per minute. It was 3 am, yet there was no sign of sleepiness on any inch of his face. Your letter was clutched tightly in his hand, and he was too zoned out of the world to think about anything else.

They could barely talk, yet they had made a promise of no secrets, then why did you break it? Were you that scared?

"It's just a caterpillar, James. It won't eat you"

"I don't care. It's nasty"

"No it's not. Look"

"GET THAT AWAY FROM ME, Y/N!"

No, you were strong. Very strong. Emotionally and mentally. You provided him joy in the darkest of times. You helped him when no one did.

"Y/N!"

"What's wrong?"

"Sh-She called me a git"

"Who?"

"Lil-Lily flower"

"Isn't that a normal recurrence now?"

"Y/N!"

"Oh alright, come here. There's no sadness a hug can't erase"

"And your hugs are the best, Y/N"

You were his strength, his confidence. The only person who encouraged him to tell more jokes even when no one was listening, just so that he wouldn't feel bad.

But what did he do? What did he do in return? Did he appreciate you? Thank you? Told you that you were special? Did he ever ask you if you were alright? No. He didn't.

And it was too late now. Too late to ask you for forgiveness. Too late to appreciate you. Too late to thank you and tell you you're special. Too late to ask you if you're fine. Too late to love you.

A tear slowly escaped his eye and landed on the letter, just above the blood stain, your blood.

"She said yes"

"Don't joke James"

"I promise, Y/N. Lily said she'll go out on a date with me"

"Sh-She did?"

"Yes! I'm so happy, Y/N"

"And I'm so happy for you, James"

He was stupid. Stupid to fall for your fake happiness, your fake smiles. Only if once he had asked you how you were or what was going through your mind.

"We're dating"

"You and Lily?"

"Obviously. Who else would I date?"

"Hmm true"

"Are you happy for us?"

"Do you wanna know how happy I am?"

"Yes"

"Drinks are on me tonight"

"It's not okay to be so happy, Y/N"

"What can I do? My best friend finally got a girlfriend"

You were such a good actor. He was in awe of how flawlessly you hid your heartbreak underneath a smile. Or how you supported him even after you knew he would never love you the way he loved Lily.

"I think I'll propose her next month"

"Isn't it too fast, James?"

"But I want her to be a permanent part of my life"

"F-Fine but if it goes wrong, don't blame me"

He proposed Lily. Married her, and stopped meeting you. Because he was busy being a good husband, and after Harry, a good father. He became too busy to acknowledge that one person who acknowledged him when not even the love of his life did. He replaced you so quickly.

"James"

"JAMES"

"JAMES POTTER"

"Sheesh Sirius, you'll wake up Harry. What's wrong?"

"Y/N"

"What about her"

"When did you last talk to her"

"..."

"James, when did you last send her a letter or met her?"

"I-I think it's been four months. Why?"

"On what occasion?"

"When we made her Harry's godmother. Now will you tell me what's wrong?"

"She's dead"

You deserved the world. You deserved happiness, not death.

"Her entire house was empty, just this letter was found"

"How did she die?"

"She committed suicide"

"She-what?"

"Suicide, James. She killed herself"

No amount of tears would bring you back. No cries or saddened faces. You were gone. Gone from his life, gone from Harry's life. Gone from Sirius's life. Gone from everyone's lives.

"The letter that was found is meant for you, Mr. Potter"

"For me?"

"Yes, Mr. Potter"

He'll keep it safe. Your last memoir. Just this letter. Your confession. He'll keep it close to himself because you kept him close to yourself. He'll love this letter, because he didn't get a chance to love you. But maybe, destiny would unite them in the afterlife.

It's so bittersweet to think about the moments spent with a person who's now just a mere memory, but those cherished moments are something James and Y/N both will keep close to each other until they reunite.

Till then,

Rest in peace, Y/N.

Taglist: @elenadalton @athenaaknight @nickangel13 @hereforsmutonly-blog @secretsthathauntus @padf00ts-l0ver @kiaragrose @mrs-igotabadidea @moony-maddie-blog @cursedandromedablack @waszuka @aliethesimp @medeaa5 @literishdegree99 @siriusstwelveyears

[the-oc-central]

PINNED INFO

MASTERLIST FOR POLLS

OCs under the cut <3

DNI IF PROSHIP/ENDO PLEASE

INCREDIBLE ILLUSIONS

FLARE

He/him(fine with anything) ,17,No preference(panromantic pansexual would be closest)

Your resident lil charmer! Nya's travel partner and best friend! He doesn't always understand and he's not the most eloquent with words but he means well and is a great friend to have! He's cheerful,gnc as fuck,loves skirts,talking to inanimate objects and is just an absolute joy to be around! ....i wonder why his hair is always in his face...

NYA

She/her(fine with anything),17,no preference/no labels

A runaway with a rough upbringing. Flare's travel partner and best friend. She's an illusionist who comes from a world of high expectations,but she's unlearning the toxicity of having to be perfect to be of value. She's the type to tease the ones she loves. She will stand up for you and protect you....since ...no one was there to do that for her when she needed it. she does everything she can for others like her. She's so glad she's not alone anymore.

DAYMON

He/him,16,"straight"(internalized biphobia)

He...sure is something! Daymon grew up rich and it's a flex he's constantly using against those lesser than him(everyone). He needs to shut up a bit. His eyes are almost ALWAYS on some girl he knows nothing about. He has it quite bad for Nya right now. He's a bit of an asshole if you didn't catch that. He runs his aunt's thrift store on weekends,the only thrift store. Ever since he was young he'd had behavioral problems and his parents couldn't deal with his acting out. They should have never sent him to live with her,though.

NALIHA

She/her(any),ageless,no preferences

A kind soul through and through! Always willing to do anything to make Xani and their guests happy. The only feelings she's allowed to express she ever has are sweet and cheerful! No need to dwell on the fact she can't indulge in any of life's pleasures, or be anything more. Or leave. She's entirely happy with her role in life as a obedient servant and handmaiden! Of course she is! It's all she's ever known!! God of Space; Xani brought her into this world! How wonderful and generous of xem! It would be wrong of her to...doubt someone like that,you know?

XANI

Any pronouns,ageless(god),aroace(aroflux aceflux)

Manipulative asshole Benevolent and merciful God Of Space! They rule with an iron fist and have outdated opinions that should really be challenged over every galaxy. Xey have infinite power and believe that makes hyr better than everyone else. He doesn't have time for this. Someone could be listening.

JACE

He/they,ageless,gay

Lunar prince; Jace Landon! He's a little shy but truly means well. They've...been alone for a while and socialization was never his strongsuit. They love to read and sit in solitude hoping someone will write them. Xani was so kind to give him rule of the moon! What generosity! No...it wasn't to get them out of xyr hair what do you mean...? Who told you that?! Let's move on.

MELODIA

She/her,ageless(died at 19)

Spirit princess Melodia. A timid and fragile girl. Be kind to her. She's seemingly always on the verge of tears,and always worried what others might think of her. If you visit; please don't say anything to upset her. She'll be good. She's so alone.

X-Y

Any pronouns,ageless(younger than all other rulers) ,no preference

Android prince; X-Y! Not much is known about them but they are fun and trustworthy. They're bit immature but what would YOU do if you just woke up, had a whole land that belonged to you and no one gave you any instructions??

FALON

He/it,ageless,unlabeled

Fall's guardian. A shadow spirit. A being of few words. An introduction of fewer.

FALL

he/fall,12,unlabeled

He's the coolest kid you'll ever meet! Fall is full of energy and love and random facts about various things. Fall speaks in 3rd person and is as reckless as pretty much any other 12 year old. His critical thinking skills are pretty nonexistent and he's always getting to trouble. that's why fall's caregiver; Falon does all of the hard stuff! They mean a lot to eachother. Do not separate them.

LIGHTNING

He/him

flare's surprisingly rude pet rock. The only character that actually matters tbh

♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤

CRANE GAME

CRANE

ve/vim/vir,19,demiromantic pansexual DID system

Ve works a shitty convenience store that tests vir patience literally every day. Ve embodies the pensive emoji. Being the host of a system and the only one of 5 employees is exhausting but at least ve can unwind with vir friends. Ve seems closed off and unapproachable but one you get to know vim you'll see vir worth having around. Customer service just fucking sucks the life out of you. O, btw...ve's totes single;) but u didn't hear it frum me ;)

SPARKX

sie/hir/20,sapphic(figuring it out)

Ex rave kid! Sies super peppy,and always knows how to lighten the mood. Sie LOVES neon colors and nightcore. hir favorite song as a teen was pretty rave girl by s3rl(understandable) and sie would DIE for hir gf Mango. Super friendly! Will invite you to hang out, listen to some jams and snack. Did you know hir best friend Crane is single? Did you know that? Did you?

MANGO

Xey/xem/xyr,🥭/🥭s,21,polysexual genderqueer

Mom friend! Xey will lovingly tell you to be more careful while bandaging you up. 🥭 knows how to make almost every cookie in the world. Xey're such a sweet person to be around,and are happy to treat you to dinner when 🥭 know you're short on cash. Xyr girlfriend sparkx calls xem a milf all the time and 🥭 thinks it's really funny. 🥭s little quiet. Oh? Xyr girlfriend said to tell you that their friend Crane is in fact single.

ERIN

she/they,???,???

A cool alt chick one of the others may have gone to camp with. Who knows!

♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤

[UNNAMED UNIVERSE]

COLBIE

they/them,17,pansexual

The coolest chillest stoner dropout with a deadbeat dad and a dead mom you'll ever meet. They can skate REALLY well. They don't let much get them down. They're confident in who they are. Colbie and Pillow grew up together. They always played pirates on the playground. Pillow always made them walk the plank for various reasons. They're exes that still hang out occasionally,but the relationship was a rocky one. It's ok to admit it. And it's ok for Colbie to blame their dad for it.

PILLOW

They/them,18,unlabeled

Anger issues,insecure but thinks they're hot shit. Always had to be the one who called the shots at recess. They got it tons of fights in high school and even more now. It's the only thing other than Colbie and shitty stick and pokes that made them feel alive. Their legal middle name is Kickass. Coincidentally; their favorite movies are Kickass and Kickass 2 respectively. They're only 18 and they feel like they know everything. They're also incredibly hot. Biased.

[UNNAMED UNIVERSE]

'KB'

Mirror pronouns,20,omnisexual

Kenzie Bradson. They're known on the internet as KBcovers. A huge celebrity!(they have like...22 followers..)in a shitty one bedroom apartment! Every little compliment gets to their head. They're....a little mean. (And a LITTLE very slightly southern.) But it's mostly a front. They've got a soft spot for...certain people. They absolutely LOVE attention and physical touch. They also love coffee shops. The atmosphere is what inspired them to start writing. They play guitar and the bandages on their hands really shows it. Hurt them and you might end up in a song. Hurt their sibling florence and you might end up in the ground.

FLORENCE

They/them,21,alloaro

KB's sibling with a plethora of health issues. They're very accident prone and anxiety ridden. They live with their mother and visit KB often. They're not very talkative,as they're terrified to say the wrong thing. They wish they could be more like their cool sibling,but they shake uncontrollably and inevitably break down when they try to write anything. They're trying their best. KB wants to find them safer coping mechanisms.

[UNNAMED UNIVERSE]

JAN

she/her,24,trans lesbian

A very anxious trans woman early in her transition. She suffers from paranoia and is incredibly dysphoric but her supportive girlfriend Carsyn is always there for her. She was incredibly scared to tell Carsyn since they'd been dating before she came out,but Carsyn welcomed her with open arms(as she should). She believes they're made for eachother. She'd be lost without her.

CARSYN

she/her,22,bi

Jan's spunky gf Carsyn! She frequented a lot of clubs in her teen years and she's incredibly street smart. Her girlfriend means the world to her. She's confident in herself and pushing Jan to do the same by buying her cute outfits and jewelry to wear out on their dates. She won't tolerate ANY bullshit from others when it comes to her girlfriend. None. She thinks Jan is her soulmate. She always did,even before she knew who Jan really was.

♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤

[UNCATEGORIZED]

LIAH

She/her,very much a child

nonverbal heavily traumatized orphan runaway who has no idea how to be 'normal'. She's killed people. But they deserved it. She really just needs a safe place and some friends and family she can trust. Also maybe not to have a kitchen knife.

NOREN

They/them,18,unlabeled

Almost always on the verge of a panic attack but remaining so calm about it. very anxious. born with a stutter. Couldn't afford speech therapy. They like to read and spend time outside in nature and under trees. They don't get cold easily. They live in their own little world and although it's lonely; they're ok with it..it's probably better that way..

KAMDYN

He/they,18,pan polyam

Flower enthusiast. So much that he earned the nickname roseboy in school. They're incredibly chill to be around. He likes anime and jrpgs. They love to hear people talk at length about the things they like too. He teases people a lot but it's lovingly.

CARMEN

she/her,26,unlabeled,trans woman

Carmen is a strong woman. Both mentally and physically. She doesn't let anything bother her. She's got...a lot of walls up. But maybe you can get through.

[iveofficiallygonemad]

Wing au: Gorzilla

So since Adrien's sneaking out to see this movie, theres like, no way he's wearing his wing binder. Its uncomfy n he doesnt like it

So adrien sneaks out n gets caught by wild fans

mari had taken off to meet with the girls but was realized she was still in her pjs. So she turns back home and sees him looking panicked and lands next to him

"Marinette! I'm so glad you found me. You live nearby, dyou mind hiding me?"

She agrees and they're abt to go to her house but fans swarm from the area

The fountain hiding trick wouldnt work cuz ppl fly all the time, but I imagine she'd use her dark blue wings to shield him from view until they manage to get into the subway

He's like "man thank you so much, I'm glad I ran into you" and does the classic, *spreads wing* "because how could anything bad happen with my marinette lucky charm?"

And shes like .o. and reaches out to touch it.

Like, he wears it on his Wing. Theres her feather nestled between his own. He clearly cares a lot about her to wear it on his wings.

Haha so, the fans rush into the subway and take photos like crazy. And I dunno about you but a photo of their shocked faces, and a dark feather that clearly belongs to marinette in his wing CLEARLY indicates that they're dating! I mean, she gave him her feather and he Kept It!

So they sneak into the subway car and the doors slide shut

"Oops, guess everyone think you're my girlfriend"

(I treat cant believe she says "that's terrible!" In response in canon but she does!)

Here she says "I didn't know you carried it on your wing"

"Yeah I always wear it. Means a lot to me to have such an awesome friend like you."

N they make eye contact and (like in canon!) Marinette smiles and giggles at that, and hes grinning too!

Next they sneak off of the metro n wear disguises, as well as something to cover his wings (I'm thinking a cape) because golden wings are rare and would make him stick out.

They sneak into the movied and watch the lil Adrien ad, which is exactly the same. And get caught in the cinema. Gorizilla grabs Adrien

Marinette waits for the crowd to leave the theater n transforms!

Her headtowel and goggles dissapear, and her bluebell wings melt are covered in light before being replaced by red wings with flecks of black

Adrien's already been grabbed and during the fight Ladybug does too!

She uses her lucky charm (a drone) to get Gorizilla to let her go, and manages to free Adrien and asks him to jump

She promises that she'll catch him, because she knows as Marinette that he hasnt flown

So he's falling and no one is trying to catch him because he has wings! He can fly! Right?

So when Ladybug gets caught in Gorzilla's fist she's panicking. Adrien's not sure if he should wait for Ladybug, because she has a plan, or just try to fly as Adrien.

Gabriel thinks that Adrien's wings are bound and knows that no one will think to save him from falling because no one else will assume that

So as he's falling he decides to spread his wings and attempt him first glide as Adrien

This happens just as Hawkmoth tells Gorzilla to release Ladybug, so both Adrien n Ladybug manage to get away

Wayhem is once again an icon and sprays Adrien-the fragrance in Gorizilla's nose

Ladybug jumps into action once she makes sure Adrien is safe, and Adrien spots Wayhem out of the corner of his eye

Using the Adrien cutout for the face and the wing covering that he wore at the cinema, they make Wayhem look like Adrien

Adrien transforms into Chat Noir, and together with Ladybug they defeat Gorzilla!

Adrien goes back to his hiding place and greets Wayhem, giving him his email

Marinette texts him to ask if hes okay

He replies n says that "I'm fine, and actually! I flew today!"

She asks him how it felt

And he tells her "I was really unsure of myself and it felt weird to feel the air pushing against my feathers but once I figured it out it was really nice!!"

She grins and tells him "That's awesome! We should totally go flying together sometime!"

He grins (tho she cant see over the phone) and says he'd love that

[kaidans-alenko]

The "wishlist" is more of metaphor in this one sdfghj takes place in my soulmate/modern au

AO3 or under the cut

Persephone and Aiden watched from the kitchen entryway at Lily who sat in the window sill next to their Christmas tree. Holding her phone tightly in her hand while the weather channel played in the background. 

"She's been like this all day." Aiden whispered to Persephone. 

"I know, should we go talk to her?" Persephone responded. 

"I mean...in theory?" He said "but we know how she can be when she's like this."

"Very head bitey." Persephone sighed.

"She's your best friend." Aiden said, as he walked back into the kitchen to finish his cookies.

"Yeah but she's your sister, big guy." She chuckled, patting him on the shoulder. 

"Damn it…" Aiden cursed, setting his rolling pin to the side and wiping the flour on his hands off on his apron before walking into the living room.

"Hey Lil." Aiden said hesitantly as he walked over to her.

Lily looked over "Oh, Hey Ai."

"Have you heard anything from Kaidan?" He asked, sitting next to her. 

"No…" she turned towards the television "and it looks like the weather is getting worse."

"Well maybe he'll be in tomorrow, I know it's not the same but at least you'll get to see him." He said, trying to cheer her up. 

Lily rested her head on her knees "I guess...like I knew what I was getting into dating a soldier but this isn't because of his job." She picked up a pillow and hit the window with it "it's because of this stupid weather!" 

Persephone peeked her head out of the kitchen, cookie in hand and her and Aiden glanced at each other before he turned back to his sister. "I understand you're mad Lil but-" 

Before he could finish her phone started ringing and she jumped to answer it. "Kaidan?" 

"Hey babe." He answered from where he sat in the airport.

"Is your plane still delayed?" She asked, though she already knew the answer.

Kaidan responded with a sigh "yeah...I'm sorry Lil." 

Lily shook her head "No it's fine...I get it." She ran a hand through her hair "so what's the earliest?" 

"Tomorrow night." He told her and her heart sank.

"Oh…so not Christmas." She didn't want to be mad, she knew it wasn't his fault but it was hard to hide her disappointment.

"I mean...technically it'd still be Christmas." He said trying to raise her spirits but the silence on the other end told him his efforts hadn't worked "but no, not Christmas." 

It was supposed to be their first Christmas together, they had both been looking forward to it. Because he was supposed to be home in time. "I'll see you tomorrow night then...let me know when your plane lands." 

Kaidan frowned, "I will, I love you." 

"I love you too." She said before they hung up, her hand falling to her side as she stood in the tiny hallway, dejected.

"What did he say?" Persephone asked, going over to comfort her friend.

"He won't be in until tomorrow night." She told her, head hung.

"Oh Lily...I'm sorry." Persephone said, bringing her into a hug. 

Lily sniffed into her shoulder "I'm being stupid." 

Persephone pulled away a bit to look at her face "no you aren't," she said, wiping her tears away "I'd be just as upset if I wasn't able to see Aiden for Christmas." 

"We were looking forward to it." She had all of Christmas eve and day planned, it was supposed to be fun. Instead she was crying in her apartment because she couldn't see her boyfriend. 

"But you'll have other Christmases right?" Aiden asked, joining them over in the hallway "this won't be the last one." 

The girls stared over at him, Persephone knew what he was trying to do but Lily wasn't having it. "That's not the point Ai!" She snapped, storming into her room and slamming the door. 

Aiden's face fell. "I was trying to help."

Persephone sighed and ran her fingers through his long hair "She knows that, she just needs a moment. She'll come back when she's ready." 

"Okay…" he rolled his sleeves up "I'll get going on her favorite cookies, maybe that'll cheer her up." He said, hurrying to the kitchen. 

Persephone watched him fuss about the kitchen with a smile on her face. If anyone was going to cheer Lily up right now it'd be her brother. 

----------

Later that night Lily sat up in her room, eating her left over Chinese food from that night, a Christmas movie playing on the small television that sat on her dresser. The snow had died down and she was hoping to hear from Kaidan but he hadn't called again. 

Lily glanced at the clock on her night stand "Christmas eve is almost over…" she mumbled, setting her food to the side and curling up on her bed "and me without my boyfriend." 

She closed her eyes briefly, hopping to just sleep the time away. That she'd wake up and Kaidan would be here, when her phone suddenly rang. She set a special ring tone just for him and it had her diving for the pink flip phone. 

Lily answered the call as quickly as she could "Kaidan?" 

"I have a surprise for you, look out the window." He instructed. 

Lily hurriedly hopped off her bed and over to her bedroom window. Catching a glimpse of a figure standing outside but it was blocked by the snow coating the glas. Lily quickly opened it, stumbling back from the gust of cold air that hit her in the face. "Kaidan?" She called out the window. Not caring who it woke up.

"Merry Christmas." He called, smiling at her. 

Lily hurriedly put on her slippers and grabbed her coat as she bolted down the front door and all four flights of stairs to the lobby. Nearly slipping on the ice covered steps to the building. 

Kaidan reached out to stop her from falling and she threw her arms around him. Clinging to him.

Kaidan let his duffle bag fall onto the snow and held her tightly against him. "Sorry I'm late." He said into the fabric of her coat, voice slightly muffled by it. 

Lily pulled back to kiss him "I don't care," she mumbled between kisses "You're here, that's all I wanted." 

"What are you two doing? It's cold!" Persephone scolded from her bedroom window.

"Seph!" Lily turned towards her friend "Kaidan came back and he's early!" 

"Welcome back Kaidan." She waved "now get back inside." 

"Ma'am yes ma'am!" Lily saluted, earning an eyeroll from Persephone as she went back inside. Closing the window to her bedroom.

Kaidan picked up his bag and followed Lily hand in hand back into the building and into the elevator. 

"Your pajamas are very cute." He complimented, kissing her hand as they made their way back to her apartment.

"Thanks! I got you a matching pair." She winked, pulling him into the apartment.

Looks like Christmas wasn't ruined after all.