#but stay tuned I'm working on a bigger piece at the moment :)

[galentir]

Cartoony Alex! Plus a redraw of this glorious scene of Alex and Reggie at the HGC

[rad-ramenkingles]

Long overdue follow up. 

Second Blurry Boy, is the one, the only… Robin Mask!

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So this one like the others to follow had some planned extras but I unfortunately can't manage to fully realize those bits and bobs. For now to get it out, because you all did vote I was able to piece together the basic Character Piece for you. (Something I'm hoping to do for the rest, just it's quite an adjustment using the other arm for spriting at the moment)

Hope you all enjoy the British Baddie Goodie flip flopping Gentleman Chojin for what he is worth. Also I chose the anime Colors as it's my favorite look for Robin, and in my own Headcanon is his starting point look. “Oh what's that mean? Starting point? Are you saying you have other Robin variations planned?” Yes, I do indeed I do. This for me is Robin when we first meet him in Kinnikuman, wearing and rocking colors similar to his father, and his father before him, and before him. I plan on doing my own specific thing for all the Kinnikuman characters, just to keep fun for myself. I will also when I am able to work my good arm will do way more variations and have a bigger work flow. Just a day at a time for now guys and gals. 

Stay tuned for the next one when I can manage to drop it, and thanks to everyone who voted again. Appreciate you all! Two down, four more to go…

(Also I've presented him here at 300x the normal size just for convenience on the eyes.)

Until the next post, stay gentlemanly everyone.

-Ramen

[the-haunted-prince-au]

ITS FINALLY HERE AFTER MONTHS OF PROCRASTINATION! And it's the longest chapter yet!

Chapter 3

Snatcher didn't know how to feel. There in the dinning room was the monster that haunted his afterlife the horrific beast that had an unpredictable temper and often took her anger out on others... Looking at him like he was some kind of small cute animal. He had forgotten how tame she used to be when she wasn't upset. No wonder she loved him THEY WERE BOTH DORKS! she was just a significantly prettier dork. Wait,? What was he thinking? EW NO he hates this woman! Doesn't he? YES! Yes he does stay focused! "Good mooorning My Prince!" She spoke in a sing-song voice. Yup definitely a dork. Snatcher hoped giving her the silent treatment would work because if anyone was gonna notice his voice it was going to be her! "Oddly quiet today my love? Are you feeling sick?" She got up out her seat and tried to hug him resulting in Snatcher letting out a startled hiss. "dang it!" He hadn't been human in 1000's of years and hissing was one of those behaviors he picked up in that time. "Oh my! Are you upset today? What did I do?" She said shocked from the sudden reaction "you touched me without my consent what did you expect to happen?" He muttered under his breath. God breathing sucked! "What was that My Prince?" Oh boy he could sense it she was getting mad! "Nothing Vanessa" he replied in a snarky tone "oh? What happened to the name Princess?" "Nothing I just think Vanessa suits you better" "buts thats my real name I thought you agreed to only refer to me as princess!" Snatcher Grinned "I take it back" "YOU PROMISED!" A spike of ice shot up almost impaling poor Salem "uhm breakfast is ready-" good he didn't need to eat but he wanted to have an excuse to stop talking to Vanessa. His enthusiasm only got bigger when he saw what was on his plate. "Bacooooon-" he was not immune to bacon... And he never was. However over a millennia of consuming the souls of the innocent leads to some unpleasant visuals at the table... Snatcher bit into a piece of bacon as hard as he could and started ripping it apart with his teeth and claws. Salem proceeded to leave the room as Vanessa stared in pure horror. Just the way he liked it. "My Prince... WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT???" "bacon" Snatcher responded with a smug look on his face. "MY PRINCE IM SERIOUS DO YOU NEED HELP??? IM GETTING HELP!" Uh oh! Uhh think of something! "Are you sure YOU don't need help?" Vannesa flintched. Nailed it. "Hehehe WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY TO ME?" Snatcher made sure to put on his creepiest smile as the lights flickered out.

"You know what I said!"

Huh so he did still have some of his powers. Vanessa looked like she was about to snap. "LISTEN HERE YOU-" she then realized she was talking to her "precious little Prince" and backed down. She finished her breakfast in angry silence as Snatchers smug grin only got bigger. In that very moment he used his past selves body to verbally harass his abusive ex and get away with it scar free. He was ecstatic so ecstatic that he decided to take a walk around the village and maybe try another jab at Vanessa when he gets back. Poke the sleeping bear and all that jazz. "Hey everyone look it's Prince!" A swarm of children proceeded to corner him but not just any annoying children the village children "can you play us a tune on your fancy violin?" "OO OOH! How about you tell us a story!" "Yeah tell us a story!" Ignoring the sinking feeling in his gut (ew) Snatcher tried to mimic his old self. He just couldn't be mean to the children. "Sorry little ones I'm not feeling so well and I forgot violin back at the manor but if you all run along I'll be back tomorrow!" (Eugh! He'd have to remind himself to never speak like that again) "oki Mr Prince! Come on guys let's go play somewhere else!" The children left him alone and now could continue walking in peace- "you handled that well you highness"

Crap. A young woman with poppy red hair, a large braid, and sun kissed freckled skin had noticed him internally gagging he prepared himself for more social interaction. "Hiii Ivy-" "dude that was the worst voice crack I've ever heard holy cow!" Oh yeah his voice used to crack when he was nervous. And apparently it still did curse this flesh vessel- "so how are you doing now that your back from that fancy law school!" "What" "your back from the academy? I thought it was obvious" she jokingly said. There was an intense moment of awkward silence. "OK IM GOING BACK TO THE MANOR NOW BYEE IVY-" he cringed as he heard his voice crack. There was no way forget annoying Vanessa he need to think about this. As he entered the manor he saw them. The flowers he had bought for Vanessa placed nicely in a pot. "I'm starting to think this isn't the right past"

@return-of-the-queen-au

[fandomout]

Ya know how the Gallaghers have a piano in their house? Could you please write a request where Gallagher sister oc/reader taught herself to play piano over the years and eventually gets into the Chicago Symphony Orchestra? Thank you✌️

Hi! Sorry this took so long. Life decided to hit hard. 😅 I didn't have enough inspiration in me because of some health issues, and I didn't want to post this until it was ready. I wasn't going to half-effort this. Hope you enjoy it. Again sorry it took so long. I appreciate all requests and all comments, so this is no different. I want to thank you for the requests.

As for others who have sent me requests, I will be working on those as well. They will go out. I can't say for sure when. However, I'm getting back into the grove of things. Just something to know, I will be doing them in the order I get them in. Got some Carl, Lip, and The Boys requests on the way, so stay tuned!

Sister Gallagher Reader-Playing the Chicago Synphony

Her nerves were wracking as the seconds kept ticking by. She was going to be called up soon. She’d be performing her solo piano piece. She’d gone through it, but her nerves were the last test. Her heart jumped out of Her chest as she slowly peered out of the curtain to see the large crowd. This was the moment she’d been waiting for. 

Soon after those in the house either parties or fought, she was quick to marvel at the lonely piano in the house. 

Slowly, as she grew, she grew a bigger and bigger desire to play the piano. She'd sit at the piano and try every key; however, with school, she was quick to pay attention in music class and ask her questions. Although she didn’t have instruments there, she still did her best to retain any information she could. 

When she got a phone, she used it to learn even more. From then on, she began her lessons. Day in and day out learning whenever she was free, especially at night. It was her favorite time to play. The silence of the house filled with music instead of curses and drunken screams. 

Once she'd mastered the notes and basics. she'd upped the ante to practicing more difficult songs to play and mastering those. One day, she came across a beautiful piece of music and watched as the piano player’s hands moved with the music. Then, an applause rang out. She was wondering why the video and editing was so high quality. Then, she realized she wanted to create her own music. That night, she realized her dream. She wanted to play like that player did. She wanted her efforts to show for it. She wanted to play in the Chicago symphony. 

It was a dream she never specifically mentioned, but all her siblings could see how dedicated she was about playing the piano. 

When she were older, her phone helped her slowly learn different songs. Soon, she was making her own pieces. Then, when she had the chance to play at an event or school she took it. Music became her life after realizing she could actually do it.

She worked hard, which led to her getting an audition for the symphony. She was a finalist. She never imagined in her wildest dreams to have accomplished it that far; however, now that she was there. Those hours and seconds mattered to everything she’d been working for. She had about a week to practice until the actual event. She would practice as usual as much as possible. However, her siblings looked to her with worry as there was something called too much practice. She began to mess up the keys. Her mind was turning to mush. 

Her siblings came to check on her and told her to pull away, but she wouldn’t listen at first.

It was three days before opening night, and she banged her head on the keys in frustration. Fiona’s voice rang out, and she asked, “Hey, what’s up?”

“Maybe you guys were right…I should take a break…” 

“You think. I mean right now it’s almost midnight. Everyone's about to head to bed, and I don’t even think I remember seeing you eat today.” Lip strides down the stairs, and he comments, “That’s because they didn’t.” Fiona gives you a look and states, “I’ll make you something.” 

She glared at Lip,and he responds with a smile and says, “Don’t worry, Fiona, I’ll force feed them if I have to.” She hit his shoulder with a hard smack. He looks to her before lifting her up over his shoulder as best he could to get her over to the couch. 

She yelled, “Fuck off!” 

He plops her on the couch and responds, “I’m just getting you away from the piano. Swear you’ve been in the same spot for days. Mold is gonna start. I'm saving you the trouble.” 

Ian comes from the front door and overhears a bit as he asks, “We have mold again? Where?” 

She huffed and leaned roughly back onto the couch, There is no mold!” 

She closed her eyes and rubbed her forehead. Suddenly, She felt less irritable even the calmest she’d been in the time she’d started preparing. 

Fiona comes by with a full plate. When the smell hits her nose, her eyes are quick to open. It wakes her back up, and she begins commenting to Lip, ”Okay maybe you were-” 

The comment doesn’t go far as Lip shoves food into her mouth. Aggression was going to be the first reaction; however, her stomach and taste buds were happy, so she began to gobble down the food and water in front of her. Nothing took her attention away. 

Ian pats at her head and smiles before saying, “Finally, she takes a break. I’m glad you guys did something because this was getting ridiculous. I was almost gonna lose sleep over this.” 

Her three siblings were looking at her in adoration as she ate heartedly. As she finished, she smiled at them individually before her face fell, and she uttered, “Thanks guys, and I’m sorry…If I’ve been-” 

Ian puts a hand to her shoulder and says, “No need for that.”

Lip adding, “You’ve been a pain but it’s okay…I guess.”

Fiona laughs and adds, “What’s family for?” She nods and smile wider feeling at ease. She's about to stand when Ian pushes her right back down with his hand, and he asks, “Where are you going?”

“I’ve had my break. It-”

Lip scoffs and says, “You don’t learn do you.“

“Well-”

“Rest. You know your music.”

Fiona adds, “No one worked harder at something they have a knack for. We all believe in you, so just rest.“ She looks at Ian, and he comments, “We’ll be there on opening night to cheer you, louder than anyone else. We all know that for a fact.“ She nods and heads to bed. She ended up sleeping for a day and half. Then, everyone was really great about helping find her something to wear because she’d completely forgotten about it. 

Back to the moment of truth, her eyes land on her family all in the front row. They give smiles, waves, and thumbs ups. She remembers the encouragement of her siblings and take a breath. She closed the curtain and closed her eyes for a second.

They announce her name. When her eyes opened again, she made her way to the piano. She focused on the keys in front of her.

The cheers that fill her ears being none other than her family. She gestures for them to calm; however, they’ll never know how grateful she was for their support. Quickly, she lost yourself in her song and played until the end flawlessly. She'd done it. 

She stood up and looked at the crowd. This time not only her siblings cheered but everyone else.

Hope your day got better

Full Masterlist

Shameless Masterlist

[ilovemosss]

First Line Tag Game

Rules: share the first lines of ten of your most recent fanfics and tag ten people. If you have written fewer than ten, don’t be shy and share anyway.

first of all thanks to @fantasyinallforms for tagging me in this! it's helping me get a little excited about my endless supply of WIPs lol

that being said- i have almost literally nothing finished at the moment (a lot that is close, though!), so you lot will have to be happy with teasers. if anyone sees anything theyd really like to read more of, drop a comment!

also since i most definitely don't have 10, i'll be dropping the first paragraph of each!

"The first thing Bilbo registered when he woke was that the bed was cold. The second was the gleam of Orcrist in the moonlight, and a close third was the wild look on his husband’s face as he stared down their bedroom door. Naturally, the first thing Bilbo did when he saw these things was grab Sting. The second was to find the danger Thorin was clearly aware of." - A Slight Overreaction, a prompt fill for @fellowshipofthefics march madness!! if you don't know about it check it out!

"In the end, he really couldn't help it. All their hard work, struggling and sacrifice for- Bilbo couldn’t even bring himself to think it, he was too busy choking back laughter. He felt he might've been a bit hysterical as he reached for a piece of the treasure, hand wrapping around its round form." - The Trouble with Meddling Wizards, a crack fic posted on ao3, this is a fic about the kind of shenanigans thirteen dwarves and a hobbit can get into when stoner wizard radaghast the brown decides to help them with their quest

"Bilbo closed the book with an audible snap, groaning as he did. He rubbed at his temples to try to alleviate his headache, but it didn’t seem to be working. Thorin looked up from his own book, studying his husband as he did. He noted the creases on his forehead, the frown on his lips." - all good things must come to an end (but the bad just keep on going), this fic is a bit of an ode to all the books i've read that i couldn't wait to be done with, where bilbo and thorin trade bad books they're reading just for fun

"Bilbo sat up at the sound of the door to the bedroom adjoining his creaking open, a sound he never heard unless he was the one opening the door. Nobody was supposed to enter that room, and anyone who knew anything about him knew that. Unfortunately for Bilbo, that still left fourteen uninvited suspects. Mind made up by that fact, the hobbit crept his way to the connecting door, a haughty speech about the impropriety of a stranger searching his home dying on his lips at the sight behind it." - Bigger Than the Whole Sky, this fic is the absolute pinnacle of my bagginshield fics at the moment, the golden child, my favorite project i'm working on right now. it's about loss, heartbreak, renewal, healing, and moving forward after tragedy. based loosely off of tswift's song by the same name, this fic will likely be launching a series (the various installments of which will be published in due time) about being queer and happy to be so. i could deep dive about this fic, this series, and where i want it to go for ages, but i think i'll save that for another post

and that's all for now, folks! i'll be creating more as i answer things like march madness prompts, and just in general as i have more time to work on what i want to work on

if you got this far, thank you so much for reading, and stay tuned for new works! i'm always open if anyone is interested doing some beta reading, and if you have any prompts you might like to see filled, hmu! as ever, my askbox is open to all of the above and more!

[the-crows-typist]

I'm very very sorry for my neglect of the rules last time. I hope I do it right now. May I please request a ficlet with Cater and a fem! Reader with the word 'Haircut' Thank you very much in advance 💞💞💞

I enjoyed writing this story so much that I have decided to make a two-parter for this request. With the consent of the requester, of course! Part 2 will be ready soon!

CW: Emotional abuse and Manipulation, a trait to expect from Mother Gothel.

The Possibilities are Endless

“Hold on tight, we’re going for a ride!”

Flower gleam and glow, let your power shine, make the clock reverse, bring back what once was mine…

Cater knew the words of the incantation all by heart at this point, he closes his eyes and lets his mind wander as she continues to sing and absentmindedly hum the tune. Her mother, the old lady, the benefactor, the parasite hummed in delight as the power of the healing song coursed through her as she held the long flowing and glowing hair against her wrinkling skin, revitalizing it and reversing time.

Heal what has been hurt, change the Fates’ design, save what has been lost, bring back what once was mine…

Cater hated her, she was a parasite seeping them both of their future, their freedom. His frown was deep as he waited, waited for the moment he needed to change to a face that would appease Lady Gother and shield the flower and himself from her wrath.

What once was mine.

He needed to put on his mask.

“Very good, my flower.” Mother Gothel smiled, kissing her on the top of her head where her hair met her skin. “It seems that this session has taken more than I thought out of you but…You know what happens when you make mother gets angry, correct?” She nodded her head, lips quivering and almost to the point of tears. Gothel clicked her tongue, holding onto the younger lady’s chin “Come now, don’t cry. You know you’re too old for that. You’re not a little girl anymore.” Cater gripped the side of his pants hearing the singer, his precious friend, whimpering under Gothel’s scrutiny. “Do well to take care of those locks of yours. Mother wouldn’t want her flower to become a waste now, would we?” Cater’s skin prickled at her light laugh as she exited the room and leaving an exhausted singer writhing on the floor.

“See to it that she is well rested before you leave for your supply run.” Gothel glanced over to Cater whose smile was ready and warm, one that she expected to see on him always “You got it,” A vibrant voice from his laps and the clap of his hands. “I’ll make sure to buy lots of veggies for her to eat when I get back.”

“Good.”

She nodded, aura now very different from when she was with the singer. It was cold, haughty, narcissistic, vain. “And no pit stops this time. No gifts. No trinkets. No nothing, understand me?” Her voice was poison to him, like acid eating away at his skin, he hated every second she was near him. “Yes, I understand.”

“Well, as if a lowly thief like yourself would keep his hands to himself, just don’t bring any trouble to the tower or I will know.” She sauntered off, going to the room deep into the tower and into the darkness of an exit only accessible to her. Cater couldn’t use it, sadly, but he had other ways to do so.

“Enjoy the night, Miss Gothel, and good evening.” Cater bowed his head and only lifted it when he heard the door close. His ears, those talented ears of his, picked up the sounds of a lock. A smirk graced his lips, all he needed was a key.

He could make a few arrangements on that.

“Parasite.” Cater whispered the coast was clear and he bolted for her room, pulling her close at the point she burst into tears in his chest and her voice worn from the grueling hours of singing. “She made me sing…” She whispered into her chest. “She made me sing for so long, she got angry at me…My throat hurts, Cater.”

“Hush now, you don’t need to say anything.” His nose pressed to her forehead as he rocked her back and forth. “She’s gone, you’re safe now.” He gently rocked as she singer sobbed into his chest. “She won’t come back. She won’t come back anymore, okay?”

“I’ll go get us some tea, ginger and honey should do the trick.” He pulled away, smiling down at her. His hands coming up to wipe the tears that slid down her face.

“Mm-hmm.”

She sat in the kitchen as Cater got to work, letting the ginger and lemon boil in a pot of water. “I’ll be going to the market soon to get some supplies; you want me to buy you another sketch book? Maybe some new paintbrushes??” He poured the tea into a clay cup and sliding it over to her. “Oh, maybe I should get you something sweet to eat. You liked those honey glazed buns I got for you, right?”

She held onto the cup, letting the steam touch her lips. “I want to go with you.” She said, looking up at him longingly. I don’t want to stay here anymore.” She sets the cup down harshly, spilling the hot tea against her fingers and harming her hands. Cater puts a rag over it quickly, wiping the liquid from her skin. “Be careful, you’ll—“

“I don’t want to sing for her anymore, Cater. I want to leave.” She gripped his hands, squeezing tight. “Please take me with you. I don’t want to be here anymore.”

A hurt expression crossed his face and he looked down. “Flower…I—”

“Anywhere is better than here.” You reasoned. “Please Cater, I don’t want to live like this anymore.”

He bit his lip and closed his eyes, pushing his forehead to here. A small smile graced his otherwise worried expression, this was an order he was happy to comply with.

Anything for her. “Take what you want to take with you. We leave at midnight.”

A clip of a bent needle, a professional kit or a piece of wire, Cater knew how to pry the locks open and he knew how to do it well. Once the lock on the special door was opened, he smiled triumphantly as his flower peaked over to see his handiwork. “I didn’t know mother would pass through here after she’s done. I’ve gotten used to pulling her from the window…”

“You know how secretive the old lady gets. Do you have everything you need? We aren’t coming back here.” She nods her head, holding up her satchel full of things. “I’m ready.” They linked hands and walked down the spiraling staircase to freedom. The singer could not help but hold her chest, palm feeling the quickening beat of her heart.

“Cater?”

“Yes?” His steps slowed to a halt as he looked up at her, his smile was kind under the veil and hat he chose to hide himself with.

“What about my hair?”

He pulls up the bag of ribbons from his side. “Already have it covered.”

The trip down was long and a rush of wind greeted both of them, brushing against Cater’s veil and your long locks of hair. The evening was quiet and the moon high, the creatures of the night soft and mumbling. Once her feet touched the ground, a gas left her lips in surprise. Cater quickly leaned forward, catching her in his arms. The grass was ticklish; the smell of dirt strong, the moon was so much bigger than she realized.

“Take it easy, let yourself adjust.” He knelt down, letting her feel the grass with her fingers and took out the bag of ribbons. “Let’s fix your hair.”

When the he last ribbon was tied, her long hair was in a long braid that reached her ankles and decorated with different colored ribbons; at that moment Cater knew that all those time with his sisters did help after all. He pulled away to adjust his hat, letting the veil fall over his face. The red centerpiece on his chest shined ever so slightly against the moonlight. “There we go.” Holding onto the cloak, the flower looked up at the tower once called home.

“Are you ready?”

“Yes.” The two joined hands and she walked away from the prison that was once her world.

The forest was vast, the trees so high and the silence of the night very loud. “What is the world like, Cater? Is it colorful??” She asked, jumping over fallen logs and walk on damp soil. “It’s very noisy but…Once you get there, you’ll feel as if you just belong no matter how different you are.” a small clearing was shown to them, a small road of sorts. “What about the ruffians and thugs, o-or the poison ivy and quicksand?”

“Those exist, yeah,” He looked around, clearly waiting for something. “But they’re the least of our problems.” The rumbling of a carriage and Cater took a step back. “Because where we’re going? It’s a paradise.” The carriage came through the clearing quickly and Cater hoisted her into his arms, running for the back.

“Cater, what are you doing?!” She held onto him tightly only for him to blow a hush into her ear “Quiet now  flower, be still. This carriage doesn’t stop for a long while.” He quickened his pace to throw her into the back of the carriage, letting her fall into a bundle of soft hay. Cater soon followed after her, parting the hay with a soft chuckle. “How’s that for your first activity outside the tower?”

“You really gotta teach me how to do this!”

“Little steps, flower.” Cater looked on ahead and leaned down. “But for now, let’s keep quiet and get some rest. This is gonna be a long trip.”

[psychokittyfish]

Daichi Sawamura x Oblivious Reader

nsfw! blowjob/vanilla

i wrote this in my notes and i don’t have a full grasp on how this app works yet so i’m kinda sorry on the formatting and shit

next time i’ll write it directly here since copy pasting is weird

————

"Good job everyone!" Karasuno's volleyball team captain yelled out as they finish off with their practice for the night and started to clean up. Two specific members stayed behind to practice more. (AHEM) You were a manager for the boys' team (Rip kiyoko) Even though you already knew everything about volleyball you don't mind it when Coach Ukai briefly explains some positions, roles, strategies etc. specifically based on the team.

When he mentioned Daichi though, your interests perk up and you can't help but give him your full attention. Y/n Sawamura. Oh how you wished to have his last name, his one and only. The real reason you became a manager was all for the team captain. You truly loved it the most when Daichi would show his mature and dependable side. He would always suggest ways for improvement for the team and going as far back as recruiting you to be a manager a few years ago. Even though the team was left in shambles without a coach or a strong leader figure he went out of his way to find a solution. That's when you stepped up and agreed on his idea. The memories would always take you back and felt like it was just yesterday. A deep voice called out to you snapping you out of your trance and shifting your attention to the dark haired male. Daichi gave you a worried expression while catching up to you and asking what was wrong, gently patting and rubbing your back to show his concern.

"Oh sorry I was just thinking back to our first-year days. I'm really gonna miss my time here." you softly smiled thinking back to the time Daichi tripped over a piece of dango on the street while Asahi and Sugawara was joining your laughing fit as well.

"Yeah me too. But you know we have more practice to worry about, more skills to learn and more knowledge on our enemies to search. Let's focus on the present and be thankful enough we're making memories together." The male gave you a reassuring smile as he walked alongside of you to where the sun sets, still having his hand on your back.

You liked it when he would always get touchy with you, that was his own way of showing affection. Lightly caressing your cheeks whenever you feel down or hopeless, massaging your shoulders to calm you from your angered state, rubbing your back for reassurance, intertwining his fingers with your h/c locks whenever you feel motivated or proud of something and hugging you when you have the need to cry. Not only do you like his mature side but you also love it when he gets angry. He scares off the team with a single look of irritation and flames start to burst around his figure. You can't help but laugh and be scared at the same time.

"Oh right I almost forgot. Say wanna come over to my house today? I got a new movie I bought recently. There's some suggestive scenes I heard about from Nishinoya and Tanaka but I hope you don't mind. Plus my parents won't be home for a few weeks to visit our relatives, what do you say?" He offered you to come over at his place.

Your mind couldn't process it. Is this really happening? My one and only crush has invited me to watch a movie together. Excitement was rushing through your veins, the thought of going over to his house and possibly get married sent you into a bliss. Plans of how you two were gonna split the bills in buying a new house or possibly getting a dog was already set in motion in your head. Daichi cut you off in your trance once again and laughed at how your head was always in the clouds whenever he’s around.

"If you don't mind then I'll tag along!" in the end you agreed and followed him on his way back home. Humming a happy tune and smiling like crazy on the way. Your dream was finally coming true! You happily giggled at the thought and hurried to catch up to the team captain.

A little bit of a walk from school and you both finally arrived at his place. His house was fairly moderate, not too big and not too small. It felt comfortable once you stepped in. Looking around you found photos of Daichi when he was only a baby to his teenage days. All the picture frames lined up neatly on the shelf tops and some pictures of his parents hung up on the wall as well.

"Aww look at you and Ikejiri~" you cooed at him while pointing to a photo that showed his volleyball team back in junior high winning the first match for their final tournament. Daichi chuckled embarrassingly with a light blush visible on his cheeks and signalled you to follow him up to his room. Daichi took off his Karasuno's Volleyball Team sweater along with crossing his arms at the end hem of his white, sweat filled t-shirt and peeling it off, throwing both clothing items to the laundry basket. He was now left only with his shorts on and his toned figure was in full sight for you.

Yeah, you would always see the volleyball team take off their shirts, especially Tanaka. But when it comes to Daichi taking his shirt off you can't help but be drawn into his toned body while sweat would roll down his body. You have no clue why but you would always feel something stir in the depths of your stomach and your face would feel hotter. You would always just shrugged it off as having feelings for him. You on the other hand took off your sweater revealing your not too transparent loose white t-shirt with the words " Miaou Miaou~!" and little cat and fish characters surrounding the text.

You looked away from the laughing dark haired male, embarrassed and had no clue that you were gonna take your sweater off in front of someone. But you didn't mind, in the end you two were best friends anyway and sharing small moments like these would always brighten up your day in any situation. Now you were only left with your tight spandex shorts that was hugging the curves of your butt comfortably and your f/c lacy bra slightly peeking through your transparent-like t-shirt.

Though you didn't know that it showed more on the back and turning around from Daichi while reaching up to try to turn the air conditioner on gave him a full sight of your figure. Daichi's head exploded and his face was a deep shade of red, now blushing like crazy. Just the sight of your back with your bra showing, your curves now visible along with the shape of your butt coming together from the spandex and your chest slightly bouncing from your action of jumping up to the air condition made him feel something growing just between his legs.

Daichi slightly panicked and quickly grabbed a blanket to cover his bits averting his eyes from you, he couldn't help but keep looking though and imagined how it would feel to- He immediately stopped his thoughts and exhaled slowly, grabbing a remote for the air conditioner and turning it on. You were surprised by the action and laughed. You didn't even notice that it was controlled by a remote. He patted the seat right next to him on the soft mattress while putting on the newly bought movie in the t.v he had right at the foot of the bed. You gladly sat down right next to him and took out a couple snacks you quickly bought at Ukai’s store on the way to his home.

The movie started playing and you couldn't help but shiver because of the decrease in temperature from the air conditioner, Daichi noticed and offered you to use the same blanket he was using. With the both of you using the same blanket it brought your bodies closer. But with that action you couldn't help but notice at the corner of your eye a bulge coming out of the thin blanket on where Daichi's lap was located. He didn't notice that your eyes landed on a specific body part of his, as he was focused on the movie that had a lot of action going on. You being clueless when it came to the male anatomy couldn't help but grab the slightly twitching bulge and Daichi let out a deep groan as his eyes widened along with yours. Your hand was still on his member as you tilt your head in confusion.

"What's wrong Daichi? And by the way, what's this on your blanket? It won't go away." you puffed your cheeks as you kept rubbing the mysterious bulge. The dark haired male gripped onto the sheets of his bed while his head rolled back and his breath hitching from your action. A blush as red as a tomato on his face while deep groans and growls kept escaping his gritted teeth.

"Y-y/n... Ah... What a-are you doing..?" Daichi barely got out as you basically were starting to jack him off through the blankets. You started getting a little irritated and took the blanket off him and crawled your way in front of him. Kneeling down and lowering your head to get a closer look with your butt up high. This time you used both of your hands and now fondled the whole length through his thin shorts. It was long along with being thick in size.

"Dai-dai? What's this? I'm trying to rub it off you but it won't go away..." you asked confusingly using the nickname you gave him, the more you kept going the more Daichi started to sweat even more and his groans turning into deep moans. His hand making its way on your h/c locks, inching your mouth closer in between his legs.

"Y-y/n... hah... please- try putting it in your m-mouth..." Daichi huffed as he begged to feel more contact, lust completely taking the better of him. Listening to his orders you pulled down his shorts along with his boxers. His member springing out of the clothing of chambers and twitching as precum rolled down from the tip.

"Woah... I didn't know it was part of you, that's so cool!" you looked at the body part intently, observing as the veins on the side were throbbing and the tip a shiny red. The length looked bigger than it was when it was trapped under his clothes and you couldn't help but touch it.

You were surprised when the length twitched in response to your contact, wanting to see more reactions out of it as well as Daichi's groans you decided to pump both of your hands on it as only one hand won't be able to fit the entire body part. As you kept going the dark haired male's hips started thrusting up letting you know to speed up, his body shaking with every action as the pleasure was too much for him to handle but at the same time he wanted more.

For some reason just doing this made you feel weird in your underwear and your guts felt like it was doing backflips. Recalling back to Daichi's request you decided to lick the tip that was covered in the transparent-like white substance. Daichi shuddered, his eyes rolling back and his cheeks blushing even deeper with his back right up against the head board. Looking up, you met with his half-lidded eyes that's clouded with lust as they were telling you something like: 'Please put it in your mouth.'

You decided to stick your tongue out while taking in the tip of his length, making sure to coat it with your saliva for easier access. As you started taking him in you hummed in delight, proud that you're making Daichi feel good according to his grunts and moans. Making sure to keep eye contact with the male you took him in your mouth fully, his length hitting the back of your throat almost making you gag because of the size. His hands couldn’t help but softly get entangled in your fluffy h/c coloured locks.

He felt roughly around 8 inches. You started bobbing your head while rubbing your tongue all over his shaft inside along with pumping the rest of him that you couldn't take in. Daichi's breathing got heavier and his whole body now trembling from the sensation, his hips started to thrust up making you give him a deep throat as you can feel his hands now on the side of your head, careful not to go too rough on moving your head up and down. Even when lust got the better of him he was still careful to not hurt you in the process. The whole room was filled with the males groans and moans along with sounds of sloshing and popping from your work on his shaft.

"Ah... Y-y/n... Please... C-can I- Release in y-your mouth...?" Despite all the pleasure that's striking his entire body from your action he managed to politely ask you. You nodded your head yes and hummed in agreement. This of course made Daichi even more ecstatic than he already was and let you did the rest of the work until he tapped the sides of your head letting him know he's about to “release.”

"Y-y/n... Watch out- Ngh-ah!" He managed to say in between his groans as you felt warm liquid eject from the tip of his length rolling down the back of your throat. The shaft twitching as ropes of the liquid kept on coming out. The substance leaking down the corner of your lips too much that your mouth couldn't hold the rest of it. You looked up at him and swallowed the milk-like subject, your face immediately twisting from the flavour. A mix of bitter, slightly salty yet sweet was coating your entire mouth. Daichi panics and quickly grabbed a water bottle and tissue from his bed side table.

"Y-y/n! You weren't supposed to swallow! Are you okay?" the male asked in worry as he wiped your lips off with the tissue and handed you the water bottle.

"But I thought it was milk... Either way it still tasted a bit hmm... Sweet? So it wasn't that bad." you beamed at his distress state, reassuring him while a blush was still quite visible from his face. He sighs at your cluelessness and returned a small smile.

"That was so cool Dai-dai! Can we do it again? Wait if I did it to you then, it's your turn! But I don't have a long thingy like you do though... Does that mean you don't get a turn? Aw...” you puffed your cheeks in defeat as you looked down past your stomach, touching the section where Daichi had his “body part” at.

"Oh don't worry y/n, I do get a turn. See only guys have what I have but for girls it's uh different and special." Daichi awkwardly explained to your dumbfoundedness.

"Huh? I'm special? Really?!" you happily jumped in place as the male laughed at your childish act.

"Would you like to know how I felt though? I mean if you want I don't really wanna force you into-" you cut him off as you pulled his head just right in front of you, your foreheads touching and you could feel his breath just hovering over your lips.

"It's okay Dai-dai, I trust you. You're not forcing me into anything I'll be glad for whatever you're going to do to me. Besides I wanna know how you felt too!" you lightened him up as he closed the distance between yours and his lips. His eyes closing while yours were getting wider. Taken aback by his action you can't help but blush deeply. You’ve heard of this from a book before, the text described it as something that felt good and you can’t help but quietly squeal that you’re now experiencing it as well. He pulled away from the “kiss” and you didn’t know why but you wanted to tell him how you feel right this instant. Gulping down hard you muster up all the courage you have and locked eyes with him.

"Dai-dai... I've been meaning to tell you but... um, I uh... I-" you were stuttering like crazy, you didn’t know it was this hard to express your own feelings. Daichi cuts you off with another kiss on your lips as he too still had a deep blush on his cheeks.

"Y/n I like you too." you both chuckled not knowing that you both had feelings for each other. Today felt like it was the best day ever! Daichi lead your back against the head board and he positions his head right between your thighs as he looks up and smirks at your flustered yet confused state.

"Well, now it's my turn."

[dammitadolfnomorecake]

I started 43 but I'm probably going to ditch it

Staying out all night, the pair of them had watched the sunrise before Keith drove the hoverbike back to the hospital, with an exhausted Lance on the back. The date hadn't gone the way he'd expected or wanted, but once Keith got on the hoverbike, his enthusiasm over exploring shamed Lance's silly ideas of watching the night sky together. He'd wanted to do something soft and quite with the man he loved.... Not fly around like absolute idiots and break their promise of no near crashes. Keith had shot off a cliff, not realising until half way down. Lance had unashamedly screamed. The only light they had with them was the light coming off the hoverbike. He was falling through a never ending blackness, with no idea when he'd hit the ground. Nope. He didn't need that in his life. He'd had phoebs of nightmares just as scary and daunting with nothing waiting to greet him. Mentally Lance was exhausted, but abundantly relieved that Keith had had fun. His boyfriend whooping and yelling as he let loose in the bike. With Keith's happiness had been the objective of the night it could technically be counted as a win... maybe... Lance was too tired to sort his thoughts into anything that really made sense. He wanted to collapse into bed, and sleep the whole quintant away. Plus, if he was sleeping, he wouldn't have to deal with his failed therapy session and explaining to Keith that Coran knew everything. Returning to the room they'd been using, Daehra was waiting there with Lucteal. Coran standing by the door looking uncomfortably worried. The need for sleep was cleared away with a single glance around the room. Something was up with his friends. A something that even Keith noticed as he cleared his throat "Has something happened?" "Our father passed away last night. We do not know what has happened" Striding across the room, Lance threw his arms around Daehra. Her father might have been a piece of shit, but he was still their father and the ruler of the planet "I'm so sorry, Dae. You too, Lucteal. Is there anything you two need?" "Annla asked if we could come home? But, I do not wish to leave you while you are recovering" "Dae, no. Hey. I'm recovered, completely recovered" "Yet it took longer as I missed the implant in your head. I am so sorry, Leandro. I knew something was wrong, but my scanners did not provide all the answers... I thought it was due to the enormous amount of damage you took..." Rubbing Daehra's back, Lance hushed softly "It's your father. I know what happened, happened. But all that was in the past. He still fathered you, and I'm so happy he did. You, Lucteal and Annla. I'd do anything for you guys. So if you need to go, go. If you want me there, I'll be there for all of you. The Telula is always available for you two, I trust you both... I trust you with her, and Lucteal when he's supervised. I know I've been a crappy leader lately, especially disappearing on you for two phoebs, but I still want to be here for you. Here. There. Whatever you need" Daehra snorted at him, breaking the hug to wipe her eyes "I have never once doubted you cared for us. I also don't doubt you are tired of sitting here and doing nothing" Lance was mildly offended, but happy Daehra was throwing that jab... maybe not that jab in particular, nonetheless, she still had her undeniable spark after all that had happened "That's true, but not what's important. What's important is you, your family and the stability of your planet. Anything you need, I'm here for you" "Now that father has passed, Annla's mother will rule until the first born male heir of the bloodline comes of age" Lucteal sounded slightly bitter, though Lance knew he had no interest in ruling. It had to sting though, he was biologically the son of the king. No "bloodline" business about it "Given we're on New Altea, we can open a wormhole. I can have you both him within the varga, if you'd like?" Daehra nodded slowly "Annla was most upset, as will the other children be. Yet I worry for you..." "Dae, I'll be ok. Seriously" "Your emotions are so strong, Leandro. You have your therapy, and Kre'el is being transferred. I know much you wish to know why and how everything happened" Yeah. He did. He did even though he'd realised it might just fuck his mental health up even more to have those answers "Between her, and you guys, I chose the friends that are my weird space family. Keith can go to Daibazaal in my place, until we have figured out what's happening on your planet" Crossing his arms, his boyfriend looked pissed. This wasn't what either of them expected on the back of their date the previous night slash all morning "I'm not letting you go off on your own again. It was dangerous enough before Kre'el was taken in. Now that she's gone, someone out there is going to be vying her for place. No. End of story. I'm coming with you" "Keith..." "You nearly fucking died Lance!" "I know... but..." This was his team. His team who'd put up with all his crazy shit "You'd chose them over me?" Lance clenched his hands into fists, a fierce glare on his face. He wasn't choosing them over Keith. He was trying to find a way to make both situations work. Why couldn't Keith see that? No. He didn't want to be parted from his lover for potentially movements, but things bigger than them were happening "I would when you ask shit like that! What the quiznak, man? You've been to their planet before. Coran can open a wormhole..." "I can't believe you. What was last night about then?" Now Lance was confused "Last night had nothing to do with this. Last night was me trying to show I love you, and trying to show that even if I'm ten shades of fucked up, that I appreciate everything you do for me" "Bullshit. I know you got upset more than once last night" Lance felt panic rising. Sitting himself down on the edge of the bed, he took a deep breath through his nose, then out through his mouth. Keith was mad at the situation. Not mad at him. The situation... "Well?!" No. Keith was mad at him. Clutching at his chest, he sucked down another forced breath "Keith, perhaps..." Keith quickly cut Coran off "No. I want to know why my boyfriend wasn't happy on our date last night. Especially now he's decided he wants to go off to the other side of the galaxy without me" "I don't want to go to the other side of the galaxy without you! I want to be there for my team! But I also need someone I fucking trust on Daibazaal! I'm not leaving you! I wasn't not happy with our date! I just thought we were going to lie there and watch the stars because that was something fun I did as kid, and wanted to share it with you. I was happy you were happy. I didn't love dropping off cliffs in the blackness, but I loved hearing how you were! Ok!? I want to be there for Daehra, Lucteal and Annla because they're important to me. I want to be there and get answers from Kre'el, because she's the fucking reason I was tortured and raped! I want to be here because I want to get better and I want to get clean. I don't want to be on the Atlas or on Daibazaal without you, because I can't handle it right now. I'm sick of sitting in this hospital with everyone walking on eggshells around me! I'm healed. I'm physically fine. I haven't even self harmed, just to feel the fucking pain because my senses are seriously out of whack still. But you know what I want most of all. I want my fucking boyfriend to get that I want to be there for my team. I want him to get that just because we're not together doesn't mean jack shit. You all fucking want me to get better, than stop treating me like I can't make my own choices. Yeah, most of them have fucking sucked, but I don't regret what's happened after Daehra and Lucteal came into my life... I don't regret them" Oxygen was a precious thing. Lance finding it harder and harder to breathe as his rant continued in the now silent room. Crossing the space, Lucteal sat beside him, his hand moving to rub at Lance's back in comfort, but only causing his skin to prickle. Sensing his discomfort, the young empath removed his hand "Leandro, we would be most grateful if you would accompany us. But if you feel you need to be here too, or on Daibazaal, we will also understand. This is our family's matter. We will think no less of you" "I want to be there for both of you..." Lance severely regretted blowing up. Keith hadn't said anything, only making his anxieties worse. Clapping his hands, Coran made him flinch away from the unexpected noise "I think we should all take a moment. A death is a tragic thing. Lance is correct, we can open a wormhole to your planet. We can also open one from your planet to ours if you require one. He is also correct. The Atlas will be here within this phoeb. Then there will be much work to be done. We on New Altea are happy to be of assistance" Tuning out on Coran, Lance was distracted by the soft whine from under the bed. Kosmo crawling out on his stomach, shaking himself off, then moving to nudge at Lance's leg with his nose "I don't like this" Lance's chest grew tighter "But they are your team. If... if you're going, Kosmo is going with you to protect you. You're keeping your comms on at all times, and you're calling every quintant at least twice. I want to know the moment you get there, and how long you'll be there. I don't want to be the kind of boyfriend that stops you being there for a friend. I just... I want you to start realising you're not indestructible. You were seriously wounded, and you're still recovering from it in more ways than one. I'm also seriously worried over the king's death. We have no information. This could have been one of Kre'el's men finishing the job... I just... I don't want to lose you. Or have to sit there and watch you in another pod. Or watch you push yourself so hard you can't even walk straight... I don't want my husband coming back to me in a body bag..." "He won't. You have my promise that if it was to come to it, I would give my life for Leandro" Lucteal was firm, yet Lance didn't want anyone giving their lives for him. The tone of Keith's voice had slowly started loosening the tight feeling, but he didn't know if he had his panic attack under control again. He knew Keith had said something profound for him, but his mind had already started taking an eraser to it. "Then it is settled, Lance will go with Lucteal and Daehra, with Kosmo. While Keith will return to Daibazaal. Daehra, you said your people aren't as medically advanced as Earth or Altea. Would you and Lucteal like to come with and see if there is anything suitable here that might help your people? I'll also need the coordinates of your planet" "Thank you, Coran. We'll begin preparations" * Keith watched as Daehra, Lucteal and Coran left the room. Lance was sitting in the bed with Kosmo rubbing his face against his legs. He didn't like this. He didn't like this at all. He didn't want to leave Lance's side, and possibly have a repeat of what happened last time happen again. Slowly walking over to Lance, he flopped down on the bed with a weary sigh. A hand going to the small of Lance's back "I know I shouldn't have gotten mad... and I shouldn't have snapped over the date. I know you wanted me to be happy, I want that for you too. I'm sorry for not getting it. And not being amazing at making up stories. I guess being out here with them makes it all too real. I don't want to lose you. I love you more than anything... and now you're going somewhere I can't reach you again. I... I don't know what to do anymore. I know we have our jobs, and I know I'm supposed act accordingly. I don't want to throw this all on Shiro and leave, but I want you there for it. You deserve answers. You deserve to look her in the face and have your questions answered... God. I didn't expect we'd come back to this... I haven't even asked you about your therapy..." Keith jumped when Lance dropped back against him. Not laying down, but also not sitting up properly "Coran knew I'd been raped. He saw it on the scans and didn't want to pressure me into talking when I wasn't ready. He knew you knew and were supporting me. And he knew talking too soon wouldn't help... Tor'al was... she's too happy. I couldn't talk freely because she has so many hopes and dreams over Voltron. I could barely talk to her at all, and most of what I did talk about was being a Paladin. So I talked to Coran. I tried to let him. I'm trying to let him in. He doesn't know about my heats. He doesn't know I was pregnant... I don't think so at any rate. I don't think he knows what to do about my body at all. I still feel the urge to shut down when I'm talking to him. To blow it off and laugh, or make some stupid joke, and I'm still waiting for him to laugh at me like I expect everyone to do. But you and Shiro wanted me to let him in. He doesn't always get it... I don't think he's what I need in a therapist, but I really respect the fact that he didn't blurt out to everyone I was raped. I've done that enough. Brought everyone down with the thought. And I didn't not enjoy our date. It's stupid. Especially being in space, but I'm scared of the dark. Not the dark where there's light around, but that thick dark that's like the astral plain. That thick cold dark that stretches on and on, where no one is there. Shiro could connect to Black and see us. Feel us. Hell, he could even try to reach out to us... but when I died, I didn't have that. I didn't become one with Red. In the pod. I was in that black again. I loved seeing how happy you were riding the hoverbike and it was fun... but when we went over those bumps and cliffs, I didn't know if I was ever going to touch the ground again... my head has become a mess. I'm scared of things I don't even know about, and my sense of pain is back... more back than it was before. Probably because I've been through a cycle in the pod. So now what do we do? I need to make sure Annla is alright, and that Daehra and Lucteal won't lose more people. I know there might even be Altean shifters on the planet. There might even be shifters here... it's not like I'm intending on getting myself blown up. I think I need to do this for me too, you know? Let myself see that you're safe and sound, and will be alright without me being by your side all the time. Not that I'm not going to miss you like quiznak. I just need to breathe a bit" Keith let Lance's words hang as he thought about how to reply. It was a lot all at once, and nothing was soothing this burning need to protect Lance from everything in existence. The little voice in the back of his mind had hoped Lance would say "yes" to his ultimatum. It was a crappy and cruel thing to do. Lance stank of pain because of his words, and he'd thrown more at him when he was trying to bring himself out of a panic attack. He was scared. Scared of feeling like he had when Lance had run. Scared of feeling like the had when his lover was in the healing pod. Scared of this thing between breaking if they weren't together. They'd barely had time to find their feet "Keith, you know it won't be forever. I don't think I want to be there longer than a movement if possible. Two if there's some kind of inheritance ceremony..." Lance had kept him waiting two movements while he slept just beyond his reach, and that had been awful. His coping mechanisms and focus had gone to shit now that he realised the difference the love between a lover and a brother. He'd still go to heaven, hell, and everywhere in between to help Shiro out, but Shiro had Curtis now. He needed to respect that and work on finding his own balance with Lance. He just didn't know how to do that yet. He wasn't over his trauma. He wasn't over Lance losing a finger, and nearly his life. Not like Lance was. No. He wasn't. But he wanted more than just sitting in bed all day. If Keith was in his position, he'd be exactly the same. Still, knowing didn't mean he knew how to loosen the reins either. He didn't want to smother Lance, but he did. He didn't want to keep Lance by his side all the time, but he did. He didn't want to stop Lance from living his life and achieving his dreams... but... he did if he wasn't part of them. Since Lance had nearly died on the table, some primal part of him had been activated. Like a flicked switch. Instincts he could only attribute to being a "Galra" thing seemed to have come to life. Keith didn't know that what he was feeling was fear manifesting its self in the million ways it could. His constant fussing feeding the little voices that dreamed up all the "worst case" scenarios. Lance had got to the same end point as him, before he'd managed to. He needed Lance to be safe and breathing, without him smothering him. He needed to straighten his own head out. And he couldn't do that if he kept giving into instinct after instinct. Lance had survived well enough before he came searching for Guile. It hadn't been great, but he was smart. Plus Daehra and Lucteal knew what a panic attack was now. The could probably feel one coming before Lance could. So maybe they'd be able to feel if anyone was harbouring ill will towards Lance? Though, their abilities hadn't picked up on Kre'el and Lasandi's deceptions... Keith shook his head. There was too much in his mind. He'd never escape the spiral if he didn't make the effort to see past the bad. He'd come so far since finding Shiro again. He was nearly 25. He was a grown arse man who could survive his boyfriend not being there for a movement or two. Yep. He totally could... "I get it, babe. I'm going to miss you so fucking much" Rolling over, Lance leaned in to kiss him "I'm going to miss you too, but this isn't forever. I know it sucks after last nights date, but if it was a member of your team, you'd want to be there, right?" "I want to be there for them as it is... but it's better you go. You're better with people than I am... and maybe they'll make you give a speech or something" Lance shook his head, his lips still close to Keith's "They wouldn't dare. I don't want to like leave you, you know that. And I'm just as scared about being apart, but I need to do this. I need to... I need to think. I'll still call you, and Coran, plus I'm going to be on a whole planet of empaths, with Kosmo. If worst comes to worst, I'll get Coran to open a wormhole and leave the others there... or they might even decide to stay there... basically, none of us know what's going to happen. I know we're supposed to be getting ready now, but I want to take a nap with my boyfriend. Can we take a nap?" "Yeah, babe. I've missed cuddling you" "I know it's hard..." "It's hard, yet you keep trying. It only makes me love you more, you idiot" Lance gave a small yawn as he spoke "And they saaaay romance is dead. Get over here Casanova"

[hay-389]

When Hope Is Lost (Blindspot Fanfic)

A Blindspot story I’ve been working on, the rest is on Fanfic.net or Ao3. Link down below for the rest of the story.

CHAPTER ONE: Past Mistakes

If life were a person, Jane had only one question to ask; Why was it out to get her? No matter how hard she tried, no matter how many people she seemed to save, her overall actions and decisions came back to bite her in the ass. She lived in a never-ending circle of lies, and each one existed because of her. Even the ever so painful lie about being Taylor Shaw, that was her fault. The video Oscar showed her proved it. Her old self said, "you did this to yourself," the words were on constant replay in her mind. She's the one who decided to tattoo all her visible and nonvisible skin, hiding secrets within them, she's the one who drowned her entire body with ZIP, leaving no memories of even what her favorite color was, and she's the one who chose Kurt. The giant tattoo with his name on her back said it all. Jane felt betrayed by her past, maybe it was a good thing she couldn't remember. It was a fresh start. Not exactly anymore, but maybe someday it can be. Cause the fresh start she could've had was ruined the moment she accepted those damn missions. The ones that set Mayfair up for murder, and ultimately lead to her death. Jane wished she could say she saw it coming, and maybe in some small way, buried deep in her self conscience she did, but the truth was she was blindsided. She became caught up in wanting to know her past that she didn't see what her future could end up like. Jane was stupid to think that she could keep the team in the dark about Oscar. Her biggest mistake though was letting him threaten her team. She could have done more, should have. There was no way she was going to let her past choices negatively affect the only people who cared about her.

That's why she hunted him down. While she may have set up Mayfair's untimely death, Oscar pulled the trigger. Jane needed to give Mayfair and her team Justice. She would bring Oscar in, and tell them everything that happened. Like usual, life had other plans. Jane got distracted and Oscar tazed her. When she came to, she was tied down to a wooden chair, and Oscar threatened to wipe her memories once more. Everything after that was a bit foggy. Jane couldn't handle that thought, the pure idea of waking up afraid and not knowing anything about who she is again, it made her want to throw up. Jane remembered breaking out of the chair and fighting Oscar, but she doesn't remember when the fire started. Sure she could feel the hot flames feet away on her face and see the bright orange and yellow flashes dancing out of the corners of her eyes, but the bigger threat was Oscar. That's when a cry escaped his lips, confused she looked down. There had been a scythe hanging on the wall, the one Oscar had originally attacked her with, somehow she had impaled him with it. Jane didn't feel bad that she had killed him, maybe her past self would have because after all, they were engaged at one point. She must have seen the good in him at some point for her to want to marry him. If only he showed that side instead of the darker one that lead to his final moment.

After the barn incident, she headed to her safe house, which looking back is kind of ironic as it wasn't actually safe. That's where she found Kurt. The look on his face will forever be burned in her memory and hurt every time she thinks about it. He knew she wasn't Taylor. Then he arrested her. The words would always exist in a corner of her mind. "My father killed Taylor Shaw 25 years ago. Taylor Shaw is dead, now who the hell are you? Jane doe you're under arrest." The words stung in two ways. While Jane may not have known Taylor Shaw, she had a strange sadness that made her heart heavy. A poor girl who only had 5 years of life. The loving family and friends heartbroken by her abrupt disappearance. Then there was the actual arrest. Jane was no longer sad about it, but angry. If he had given her a chance to talk to him maybe she wouldn't be in this mess. She begged Kurt to listen, tried to set everything straight in the car, but once she realized he wouldn't have it she went silent. He booked her and put her in a holding cell, said he would be back tomorrow to interrogate her, but he never returned. Instead a guy Jane didn't recognize escorted her out of the FBI building and into a van. At that moment Jane knew what was happening and there was nothing she could do about it. That's why almost 3 months later she's sitting in a cement cell, waiting for the perfect moment to escape this hellish black cite.

It was sad to say that the only thing she had left anymore was her anger. It fueled her heart and brain not to give up, even when her body protested otherwise. She got used to the pain though, after a couple weeks of nonstop torture she zoned out, found a safe haven and tuned everything else out around her. It disconnected herself from reality, and if she had a choice she would stay disconnected. It's not like she has anything left to stick around for in the real world. The team hates her, Kurt hates her. Of course he does though, "you lied to him," she told herself. "If he actually cared then he wouldn't have handed you over to the CIA. The only reason he kept you around is because he thought you were Taylor."

"No, he had to or cared about me, even a little." She internally argued with herself. That's all she seemed to be doing these days, she was her own company. Jane came out of the shadows of the cell, sitting in front of Jane who was hugging her knees in the farthest corner of the room. Jane smiled, which she quickly stopped because of how much her dry and cracked lips hurt. This is what almost a day and a half of no water and food did to a person, made them hallucinate. The Jane that sat in front of her wasn't her but looked like old her. She had long hair and an evil glow in her eyes. "Then he wouldn't have handed you over. He only cares about Taylor, not you, not Jane. Now that he knows Taylor is dead, your not even a thought to him."

"He kissed me. Invited me to the park. He felt something." Jane replied, taking the bait. Her past self scoffed, "That kiss meant just as nothing as the park, he didn't bother to waste his time going, remember? He told you yourself."

"We never showed up, we can't know that he did or didn't go. Maybe he did." Jane tried to convince herself.

"But you'll never know, will you, because you chose me."A malicious smile spread across Jane's past self at that voice, and in return, she scowled. It seemed she couldn't get away from him in life or death. "Oscar," she said with as much venom in her voice as she could muster. "Kurt never loved you, he loved Taylor. You know that, so why are you fighting it? You knew it was part of the plan, you chose him."

"I'm not that person anymore."

"Of course your the same person, your memory is just stored away at the moment. It's allowing bits and pieces to slip through, but soon enough you'll remember everything, even the hatred you had for your so-called team. You'll regret it."

"I won't regret anything," Jane argued. "Yes, you will. You're going to remember the mission, and that you are the one who screwed it up. That's all you've been doing lately though huh, screwing things up. No wonder you have nobody in your life. You're pathetic. Poison. I'm glad we never got the chance to get married. I can see why Kurt gave you up to the CIA, I would have done the same thing."

"No...no he wouldn't."

"Yes, he would. They are happy to be rid of you."

"No...go. Get out of my head, leave me alone!"

The room went coldly silent. Jane glanced up, Oscar and her past self were nowhere in sight. That hadn't been the first time she's had that conversation with herself or hallucinated for that matter, but Oscar had never been in the conversation. It seems the less food and water she gets, the worse the hallucinations.

As almost on cue, one of the goons that assisted, Jake, as he liked to be called, opened her cell door, gently placing a piece of bread and bottle of water on the floor. "Make sure to drink the water slowly, or else you'll be sick," he told her, before locking her cell door again. Jane ignored the bread and went straight for the water. Although it hurt to put the bottle to her lips, the feeling of the water putting out the desert that resided in her mouth was like heaven. Never again would she take advantage of something so simple as water. Jane took the bread and slumped back into her corner, more picking at it then eating it. Tomorrow was important to Jane, and just thinking about what was to come made her stomach flip. "What if you don't succeed? You're not as tough as you were when they first brought you in?" It's something she asked herself a lot, but in the end she would have to try. Better to go out fighting than to not have tried at all. So, she scooted herself forward until she was in the center of the room. Jane unscrewed the drain pipe-that she had discovered was loose almost a week into her stay-and checked the rope dangling off the bottom to make sure it was steady and didn't need to to be woven anymore. Satisfied, she screwed it back in. Jane smiled, mostly for the freedom she was about to grant herself, but also because Keaton had no idea of the plan that was about to unfold right under his nose. He claimed to be such a great CIA agent, could detect everything. Of course Jane knew he was lying, or else he would have found out the information he needed from her already. He was definitely cocky, and Jane hated him for it. But she hated him in general, wanted to make him suffer as badly as he made her, but the look on his face tomorrow when he realizes she outsmarted him will be enough. For now though, Jane went back to her safe haven. She found it to be underneath a tree that sat a couple feet away from a cliff, which had the perfect view of a random town her brain had conceived. As she rested her head against the tree, she found it funny. This place felt like more, as if it were real, or somehow she had actually been here before. It was peaceful, it felt like home.

[whoarewenot-blog]

In Your Hour of Need (What I Said When It Happened)

One day life will hurt you. This is a fact. It doesn't matter what you try to do to avoid it. We're all objects in a river. Somewhere, much further upstream, an animal is taking a shit and it's heading in one direction. When it hits the average person it sticks to them. I call these people bricks. Bricks are the normal, average way to react to trauma. Sometimes it chips a little part of them away. They're never the same afterwards. But eventually there will be heavy rain or a storm, and it will push the brick further along the riverbank. I'd say 75% of people fall into this category.

     There are some folk who are pretty in tune to this notion. About 20% of the population at a guess. They are like water, not bricks. The shit is coming regardless and it flows straight through them. It doesn't hit them. They don't tear up or throw tantrums. They are placid to the whole arrangement. Sure, they'll feel down a little. This is natural. But on the whole, they don't actually stop moving downstream. We idolise people like this. They are strong mothers, action heroes or the lonely widower at the end of the road. We all know a handful of them and we use adverbs like courage and resilience to describe them.

     There's a third category. It's the smallest of the lot. Other people are like glass. You can see glass a mile away. The man fishing in the river will believe they are like water. It will look like it's flowing through them. They are transparent. But it's not flowing at all. It hits them in the same way as it does to bricks. However, that's where the similarities end. Bricks chip and glass shatters. Glass will crack and crumble into sand. Eventually, it will find its home at the bottom of the river.

     I used to talk a lot about acceptance. I used to think the bigger picture didn't matter if you could accept the day to day stuff. I saw things like fear, dreams, and hope as sidesteps from the unavoidable. I was wrong. I was completely and utterly wrong. Now I can't accept things, not in the way they are. It's not right. Maybe I was water and now I'm glass. Maybe I am the brick, with too much chipped away from me. I couldn't tell you. You could, but I couldn't say it.

     Alcoholics have a moment of clarity. It's supposed to be some divine, spiritual moment where the pieces of your life fall into place. To have a moment of clarity, your life has to be in pieces. They call that place rock bottom. I don't know if I can believe that. I don't know how the worst period of your life can be so close to what makes it start working again. Then again, maybe this isn't rock bottom? It sure feels like it.

     I could write a list of things that I miss about you. It wouldn't ever end. Right at the very top would be that level of understanding we had. I would probably underline that item.

     I couldn't stay in the house. I sometimes wonder what it looks like now. Whether there are any traces of us left behind. A mark on the wall, or a stain on the carpet, something to look at and remember. I doubt there is. Losing you was the worst case scenario in every situation. It was the only real promise I held close to me. I can't believe it has happened. I find my head shaking, my arm still reaching out, I still mouth your name as I close my eyes. I know you're gone, but I don't want to know your gone.

I imagined spending my life with you. I didn't even see an alternative. It was unfathomable. Sometimes I'm bitter and resentful, I blame you for leaving me behind. You abandoned me, not in my hour of need, you engineered that. On the whole, I can't feel mad. It's not your fault its mine. I just hope, when your hour of need comes, you have someone there. Even if it's not me. But please know, if there's nowhere left to go, I'll never leave you behind.

[happymetalgirl]

Periphery - Periphery IV: Hail Stan

Periphery is one of those bands that I think draws way more polarized opinions than they need to. When it comes to them, it's either the big djentheads who appreciate what they do or the rest of the metal world that just can't get past Spencer Sotelo's vocal style. While it did take me a while to get used to, I eventually came around to Spencer's vocals around their second album.

Even though I am now on the fan side of the Periphery dichotomy, I have actually never been much of a fan of their beloved self-titled debut; I've always found to be kind of an overdrawn prototype for what was to come. I gave it a listen not too long ago before this album dropped and it again confirmed my position on it. I did of course find their sophomore effort to be a lot more polished and for the better.

It was with the Clear EP, though, and the subsequent, long-awaited Juggernaut double release though that I really found myself drawn to Periphery, and largely for Spencer's incredible melodies. The band were starting to really find the dynamic between anthemic choruses and crushing djenty heaviness that allowed both of those facets of their sound to compliment each other exquisitely. Songs like "Parade of Ashes", "Pale Aura", and "Feed the Ground" brought the best out of Spencer's slightly scratchy high range through anthemic melodies and set up the rest of the band for the best of the heaviness they had to offer.

The band really set the gold standard for themselves in a lot of ways with Juggernaut though, refining everything that made their sound already great at its best and raising it to a new best. There's djent at its most powerful on songs like "MK Ultra" and "Hell Below", which is absolutely filthy, slow 8-string deliciousness, and the absolutely ripping breakdown of "The Bad Thing" still fucking gets me every time I hear it (and I've heard it a lot). Spencer's highs at the climax of "The Scourge" and his entire performance on the also invigorating melodies of "22 Faces" are absolutely phenomenal as well, and the risky melodic direction of "Alpha" paid off stupendously. Needless to say, I really liked Juggernaut, and while 2016's Periphery III: Select Difficulty wasn't a complete letdown, it definitely missed that divine spark and seemingly the long grooming process that the Juggernaut albums did. It had its moments, but it's still just so overshadowed by the band's magnum opus.

So now a little further down the road from that towering monument of theirs, the band are back with their fourth self-titled album, which is another respectably ambitious effort that seeks to build its own monstrous djent castle on bigger compositions and darker themes. At 63 minutes, Periphery: Hail Stan is quite a beast of its own. Sonically, much of this album feels like a combination of the grandiosity and untethered heaviness of Juggernaut and the rawness and stylistic tendencies of the band's debut LP, and the mixture is, to a degree, predictably mixed.

As much as I love big, ambitious prog metal epics, and I love the idea of kicking an album off with one, the nearly 17-minute, string-backed "Reptile" that starts the album feels so unusually meandering and unnecessarily dragged out for Periphery, and despite the few shining moments in the track, it seems more like the band just wanted to make their longest song than anything else. So while it's not a particularly great start to the album, it certainly comes with enough highlights to not sink it immediately, and it does get better from there. The determinedly deathy, djenty, and eventually anthemic lead single "Blood Eagle" that follows the somewhat misdirected epic finds the band channeling their Juggernaut form into a much more focused and perfected piece than the preceding track, and it very much confirms where the band's strengths still mainly lie. The eerily relevant "CHVRCH BVRNER" subsequently carries the heavy momentum further by upping the speed and even the black metal intensity. Still, the band manage to impressively work in a sweet and fitting melodic vocal hook seamlessly, a testament to their progression as a group and proficiency with their common elements.

The album's second single, "Garden in the Bones", breaks the "kvlt" vibe with brighter, less aggressive instrumentation, hearkening to more ethereal prog metal anthems like "Heavy Heart" and "Priestess" from Juggernaut. I'm surprised the band used it as a single because it's not one of their most impressive contrasts to their heavy style on the album. An electro synth line then opens the following song "It's Only Smiles" much like that of "Alpha", but unlike "Alpha", Spencer's reverting to the debut LP's pop punk melodic tendencies on this song are not effectively balanced and given the vigor they had on the Juggernaut classic. It's not the worst example of the style, but it is the kind of song the band's and Spencer's detractors can point to to feel justified in calling Periphery weak (which is bullshit even just looking at this song in the context of melodic hardcore).

"Follow Your Ghost" follows with more indulgent heaviness but not really much in the way of tasty riffs, unique grooves, or infectious vocal melodies. It's clearly meant to simply juxtapose the lighter atmosphere of the previous track, which it does wel enough at an aesthetic level, but it's a little bit of an autopilot track. The electro beat that starts the next song, "Crush", ushers in an electronically supplemented, bass-y rocker that outshines much of what Underoath and Bring Me the Horizon were attempting on their recent albums. Its a bit long and I wish the climax was a little more climactic, but its consistent infectious bass and the swagger the band are able to pull off with it make up for it.

The following song, "Sentient Glow", is a reworking of a song from a previous side project of Misha Mansoor's and Mark Holcomb's, and it does feel a bit like an outside track that's just been Peripherized. Spencer's ethereal high melody at the song's explosive ending is a nice touch, but I still wouldn't say it alone justifies the song's inclusion.

The album finishes with the angelic and euphorically anthemic "Satellites", which is a bit of a new prog, melodic metalcore power ballad that ascends from atmospheric clean guitar echoes and soft singing into a crescendo of emotive, ambiance-supplemented djent with some of Spencer's most impassioned and impressive high singing atop it, and it makes for a fittingly grand and well-executed conclusion to a similarly massive and ambitious album.

Even where the band so stumble on Hail Stan, they are so tuned in to what they do well when they revert to their evolved form that they more than make up for it. And that's not to say all their musical ventures flop, they do pull off quite a few surprising hits on songs that don't fall within their usual modes of operation. And when they're on their tried-and-true shit the band don't slip up much, showing their focus and full capabilities with their style. It's still not quite up to the level of long-toiled mastery that Juggernaut was, but I definitely want to heap more praise than criticism on this album because so many bands have tried (or half-assed) the kind of reconciling of dense production, orchestration with an older, heavier sound and it usually falls flat on its face, while Periphery have managed to to stay themselves and still channel the best version of themselves even through less familiar means. Unlike the many bands who neuter, malform, or erase their signature essence through forays into bombastic projects like this, Periphery's most vibrant form shined through and kept the background from taking over the album, which is certainly a much more accomplished follow-up to their masterpiece than their previous album was.

Juggernaut: Beta/10

[rixxy8173571m3w1p3]

The Little Big Things (1/4)

(@ricksanchezdwc) So like we had done not too long ago, me, @hoodoo12 @porkchop-ao3 @rickstexaschick are doing the same prompt cause we all loved the idea.

__________

Chapter 1: The Phyto Princess

Within the span of time it took for him to pull out his portal gun, and type in the coordinates, you had already imagined about a dozen places, and twice as many scenarios.

Rick made it look so easy; twisting dials, and pressing buttons in order to get from point a, to point whatever, but without the proper coordinates and code input, one could scatter their fragments all across the cosmos, without the hope of joining back together all in one piece; the thought often a source of uncalled for anxiety. True, this wasn't like star trek, with its one episode plots, or backstory to reference when you least expected it, but a valid concern that you had yet to address; you blamed it on your curiosity. Having read the notes of Zeta-7s early portal gun schematics, there was the blemish of fear that arose when you least expected it. Sometimes, it didn't feel like it mattered all that much, especially when you were in one of your moods, but more often than not, you hoped Rick would never mess up; or be two cups of coffee short. Contributing factors to your anxiety included the day to day annoyances, time, or how your hair looked that day, but in another one of his attempts to brighten your spirits, he made plans for a surprise adventure; your assumption being anywhere away from buildings or people.

You knew he was trying his best to keep you happy, but you wondered sometimes what he'd say if you told him he didn't have to. It wasn't his job, but you refrained from telling him, because if it weren't for the fact that you trusted and adored Zeta-7, then you would have refused in favor of staying local more often, especially when you weren't in the mood. Oh, but where was the fun in that? Maybe, it'd help; likely it wouldn't.

Today, there were other things the matter, like the doubt which appeared when you recalled the memories from a false dream, and you were confused about what had been the reality and what had been the dream. With thoughts of the past, also came the remembrance of old regrets; many you thought you had buried under reasoning and change, but you were terribly human. You weren't a genius, and you didn't always think about what you'd say before you said them, so you made mistakes; a lot more than you'd care to admit. Because of this, you had been a source of concern, and added to Zeta-7s stress, and this made you stressed because he already had enough on his plate, and this made you worry for his well being. Waves of dread which would wash over you at the thought of getting lost, or forgetting him, misunderstanding, even while gripping his hand as sure and tight as you could when you stepped through the portal were but impediments to your happiness; the worry you felt for scenarios that hadn't occurred, these too fed the monster of anxiety.

It would be okay, you'd say to yourself. It should've been okay, to step through the portal as you had done so dozens of times before, but then there was your heart beating a mile a minute, begging otherwise. You've watched Zeta-7 do it hundreds of times as well, coming out safe and sound, so you could do this, and would do it. Still, what reason did you have to worry or doubt?

Well, there were places no one came back from; you've heard the stories, you listened to Ricks theories, but again they were stories; cautionary tales that taught lessons. And like now, you fought that lingering fear, the tingling in your limbs, the bloom of tightness in your chest, and made sure you still felt Rick's long, thin, bony fingers laced with yours, holding on for dear life while repeating you're little mantra. On the other side he was still there, and you felt his relief, and with your other hand, you shielded your eyes from the resplendence of the sun, until they could adjust to the scene around you. “Rick,” you gasped, glancing a little at everything; your confidence building as delight overcame your anxiety. “where have you taken me?”

This must have pleased him, cause when he smiled, every wrinkle spoke of his laughter, and his electric blues were brimming with happiness.“W-why don't you look and - and see?”

Curiosity got the better of you as you let go, but reassured by his gentle smiles, you explored what was all around you; his warmth one of the best certainties. All around, the landscape stretched, it curved and there were bends a little ways ahead; you could smell hints of petrichor, and the ground fertile and verdant, with patches of silver grass which whistled when touched. You wondered if they could do more than whistle; laughing because many thoughts of yours had been but a velleity, and you almost moved on, but when the fuzzy blades of grass leaned forward to pat you on the head before returning to their place, you gasped. Were they supposed to do that? Nearby, exposed roots shimmered, and when you approached them, they pulled away from the ground, and bowed in obeisance before returning to their place. You flashed Rick that look that said you were confused, and his mouth hung open in astonishment. Still, he hadn't said a word, and watched on; his hand moving a mile a minute as he took down notes.

Above your heads, were bell like flowers that changed their tune whenever you passed them, and the walkway was littered with mushrooms that made your skin tingle pleasantly when you sat upon them; as unsettling as it was, you were feeling good, as though they absorbed all the negative feelings, and left you with the good ones. Where your feet hung above the ground, an indigo milk cap sprung up so that you could step off. At this point you began to wonder if the forces and plants around you were bending at your will. Considering Rick hadn't warned you yet, or impeded your curiosity in anyway, then he was either waiting for you to ask, or he was studying you; as he usually would. “Rick,” you wondered, as you stepped over the small stones that buzzed like worker bees. “did we shrink, or has the world gotten bigger?”

“Well,” he chuckled, eager to hold on to your hand again. “it’s - it's neither. Everything here is bigger, while w-we remained the same. Neat isn't it?”

Neat was an understatement.

“It is,” You agreed, which made him stand a little taller, and smile a bit brighter. “but I could have sworn we stepped into a Honey I shrunk the kids movie or something. I guess not, but something strange is going on. Haven't you noticed? You probably have, but I just want to check.”

“You're right, I-I-I have, and it makes me wonder what w-would happen if you wanted the flowers to walk? I-I guess that sounds silly.”

“No,” You softened. “it doesn't, but I don't think it works that way. I'm not a god or anything, and I'm pretty sure fairy dust ain't going to cut it, and make these giants move. But if you want me to, I could try.”

The only giants you had ever seen were the western sequoias. You had walked amongst those natural giants, whose respective histories were their own, and you wouldn't question how they came to be; for they existed before you, before Rick. They were the testament of endurance, withstanding centuries of rain, fire, and growth, but here….like many things he showed you was a first. Curious as to what might happen, you thought about the orange star like flowers moving, and bending down to your level. And, because it was your will, they did.“Rick,” you continued, after your initial shock passed. “I'm not imagining things am I? Did…. did that just happen?”

Reading the results from his scanners, and checking the footage from his camera, he exclaimed. “It - it did. It really did!”

“Is that good? I don't know.”

With raised brow, he chuckled to himself, and put away his scanner, and notepad. “Gosh, y-you're just full of - of surprises aren’t you?”

“Honestly, I have no point of comparison. So you're going to have to be upfront with me, and tell me if I'm going to be okay.”

“Y-you're more than o-okay, you're perfect.”

____________

The sun bathed the earth in delicious warmth, the sparkling dew feeding the thirst of the green.

The pleasant sounds of humming, and their songs had become an uplifting melody. Like kisses upon your skin, the wind made you ticklish, and you needed Ricks assistance so that you wouldn't fall over laughing. It seemed you were sensitive to the environment, which made you go through waves of pleasant emotions, but it was exhausting. Hopefully your life force wasn't being absorbed by them.

“Rick, I think I hear music. Can you tell me why? Or is it my imagination?”

“I'll ugh - I'll be able to tell y-you in a jiffy.”

Flipping through his notes, his brow was raised in confusion. “Um, t-t-to be honest, this is the first time I've seen them act this - this way. They seem t-to be imitating a song, possibly from your subconscious. Do y-you recognize it? Does it - it remind you of anything?”

You stopped in your tracks, and took a moment to earnestly listen before you answered. “It reminds me of your ukulele being played on a refreshing afternoon.”

Eyes wide, you knew he was eager to hear more, curiosity coloring his response. “Is th-that so?”

“Yeah. I love hearing you play,” Which was very true. Rick was a wonderful musician, able to play almost any instrument he picked up. Other Ricks were probably just as talented, but unless they were the legendary Steinway, you doubted anyone could play with as much emotion. You continued. “and the happy sounds that are made in between your laughs, and the strumming of strings, and the way you look at me when you play. Goodness, it warms my heart, and makes me love you even more. You…you always have a way of stirring my emotions.”

“Y-you really like it that much?”

“Like it? I adore it, and your guitar playing too. Why, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you practically seduced me with those serenades on the front porch, and those evenings indoors when it was raining. I have no idea what you were thinking about at the time, but hopefully it was of me.”

Sentimental words always made him pliable, and he never really knew how to answer, or what the correct words should be, but he tried, and in his earnestness, he'd lean towards you as though he were about to kiss you, but he'd stop before doing so. As though he were reigning himself, he'd close his eyes, taking a few deep breaths before he'd continue. Pressing a light kiss on your forehead, he softened. “I - I always have you on my mind, though I-I didn't - it wasn't my intention back then to….I didn't know you felt that way. I'm not in the habit t-to seduce anyone or….” He faltered, his cheeks dusted in a lovely blush.

Silly man. One of these days, maybe he'd understand when you were flirting and teasing him, and not misconstrue your delight with accusations. You cupped his cheek, encouraging him to look at you. “You're so sweet. I know you wouldn't do that. But either way, I enjoyed it all the same.”

Leaning into your touch, you saw the beginnings of a smile, but his blush was still going strong. “Gosh, now I'm not s-s-so sure, but I - maybe I - oh, I'm s-sorry.”

“Don't be sorry dear. If I didn't want you to, I would have stopped you at the point when you first asked me over for dinner. I mean, I never really thought you were trying anything either. We were just friends, having a good time, and I fell in love with you. Maybe we should thank that ukulele of yours for all the happy hours we had singing silly little songs.”

“I ugh - I should have brought it with me then, because y-you like it.”

“There's always next time. Though, it's been awhile since you played. You must miss it.”

“I-I do,” he admitted, passing a hand through his hair. “but it's because I've been b-busy. I'm sorry a-about that too. I've been away and w-we haven't had much time to ourselves.”

“Rick it's okay, I understand. You have important stuff to do”

“You - you say that, but it bothers me when I have t-t-to leave you for extended periods at a time. I don't like it, and I-I guess maybe I'm being silly. That's what happens when y-you get old. You either want t-t-to be alone or have company all the time. What am I even saying? I'm going off on a-ag….”

Pressing a finger to his mouth, you quieted him. “You already do a great job in trying to make me happy, and I'm not disappointed.”

“Y-you're not?”

“Of course not. I mean, I can't help but miss you, but you've always been a busy guy. How you manage to make time for me and still have time for your hobbies is beyond me, but that's the thing about you Rick, you're not like most people. And every moment with you is wonderful. The question you should be asking is what have I done for you? What can I do to make you feel better?”

“By p-p-putting up with me.”

Pressing a kiss on his cheek, you giggled. “If you mean by loving you, then I'm on it.”

_____________

After a series of small, quick experiments, Rick had come to realize that these plants listened mostly to you and not so much him. Oh, he had his theories, a few of them making you giggle, but for the most part, this is what he understood.“These plants here, I-I had thought they were empathic, but they must - must be trying to trigger a response. I believe they are fascinated b-by you, because I've already spent many happy hours here on - on this planet, but you haven't.”

Placing your hands on your hips, it was your turn to raise a brow. “Rick, if you put it that way, then it means I'm trending.”

“Gosh, I-I-I suppose. Is that the terminology these days? Does it mean you're popular?”

Zeta-7 really could be adorable when he wasn't trying to be, especially when he wasn't always aware of what was current. “Yes, but what are you really saying?”

“That they must r-really like you,” he smiled, jotting down a few notes, before taking out his scanner, and checking the results. “and if I'm correct, then they prosper off these pleasant emotions of - of yours. How fascinating.”

“Can they hear my thoughts?”

“N-no mi corazón,” he chuckled. “they can feel you. Plants are - are surprising organisms—without brains and central nervous systems, they are still able t-t-to sense the environment that surrounds them. They - they can perceive light, scent, touch, wind, even gravity, and are able t-to respond to sounds, too. These plants here are a-a little different, and can sense your every emotions, reflecting your feelings, which I-I guess means you're currently in a pleasant mood.”

“Of course I am, it's beautiful here, and I'm with you.”

After you had said this, a gust of wind rushed by, which rustled the golden leaves, the force of it almost knocking you over, though Rick was quick to grab you by the waist. “Are y-y-you okay?”

You could hear the bell flowers ring, and quietly you thanked them and the forces at work around you, which seemed to bend and curve at your will; whose comedic timing was cliché to say the least. “I am now. Thank you Rick.”

Scratching the back of his neck, he let go, and made himself busy by scanning the branches and plant debris. “L-l-like you already said it's ugh - feels like a-a land for giants. I know their size is attributed t-t-to the mineral rich soil. And I-I thought it would be nice to spend a-a day here, but you look tired. Not t-to mention the plants behavior.”

“I'm not that tired. But man, it's incredible to be able to will the elements, but I'm sorry Rick, I kind of don't know what I'm doing here or whether I have any control over it. Imagine, that kind of power in the wrong hands could be dangerous. So, I'll try not to cause too much trouble.”

“It's okay, I'm sure y-you won't. I-I do wonder if they can understand what we're saying.”

With a shrug, you replied. “It's worth a try.”

You smiled up at the canopy of leaves, admiring the way the light filtered through the spaces in between. “We appreciate the hospitality, and the lovely music, as well as your stimuli. Oh, and as much as I appreciate you playing matchmaker, you don't have to try so hard. You see, we're already together,” you winked at Zeta-7, who blushed at the gesture. “but secretly, I think Rick's enjoying it. Either way, I hope you'll be kind to us.”

When you had finished, a mushroom ran by, and dropped a gift at your feet before returning to its place. You waited for Ricks approval before peeling back the leaves that were held together by dried vines, revealing a pair of matching bracelets, that seemed to be nothing more then weaved, golden branches. “I think this is for us. See?” you pointed to the inner branch. “This one has your initials.”

Scanning them, Rick found that they were safe, and you two proceeded to try them on, and all at once, you felt warmth wash over you as you glanced at Rick. And when he glanced at you, a vine began to grow and flower, decorating his bracelet in magnificent, lapis blue blooms. “Wow, that's - I've never seen anything like it.”

You haven't either, but that was thing, you always experienced new things when you were with him. Like now, you felt all jittery, and nervous, and when he took your hand to kiss it, your bracelet bloomed, and you just had to pull away, because it felt strange; like a little piece of you was taken away. “Rick, this place is something else. Are you sure it's safe?”

You wanted to be sure, because having him near you all of a sudden was overwhelming, like a dozen butterflies fighting the wind. What was with this place?

“Mhm, I'm sure. I've done extensive research over th-the last couple of weeks t-to make sure we can relax.”

“Really? Nothing toxic or poisonous? No animals or creatures to worry about?”

Taking your hand in his again, you felt a great calm, and the bloomed flowers grew, and vines spread; everywhere they touched, made you feel cozy, and sleepy. So, so sleepy. Perhaps you should say something, but he was happy, and you didn't want that smile to fade, and you allowed him to explain. “Creatures? No, not - not yet. Maybe in a-a couple of years, but not now. This planet is still fairly new, and there's no telling when it - it will be inhabited. For now there's just us, and these w-wonderful plants.”

It was going to be fine you told yourself, and smiling up at him, you replied happily, with a voice soft with affection. “Okay, whatever you say Ricky.”

And like a deep yearning, the vines on his bracelet grew three times their size, and stretched out, just to kiss your face a dozen times; they wanted to delight you. It scared Zeta-7 a bit, but you could only giggle, cause they were just like him; earnest, eager, and sweet.

TBC