#but. stealing that. we birding (we balling)

[birdmenmanga]

excellent point!!

Prompt Week - 7 days, 14 simple prompts (2 per day). you know the drill. general is just going to be about the series at large, ship-focused is probably going to be takaeishi week electric boogaloo

Collaboration (Artswap) - Participants are paired up randomly in order to work on a single creation together. Traditionally it's a single illustration in which one person does the lines and the other does the colors, but you could also do other things like "one person scripts and colors a comic, and the other person does the linework" or "two writers pass a single google doc between them like a hot potato and they write alternating paragraphs" etc.

Podfic Challenge - A podfic is essentially an audiobook of a fanfiction. Either write and podfic a birdmen fanfiction, or ask for an author's permission to podfic (a portion of) a fic. You can get fancy, like adding sound effects or backing music, or just keep it simple and record something on your phone. Nice because it doesn't require you to create something in the traditional sense and is also a way to show appreciation to past fic writers. Not nice depending on how self-conscious you are about your voice.

Not My Medium Challenge - Create a fanwork in a medium you've never worked with extensively. For example, for myself, I'd consider illustrations, sequential art, meta essays, fanfiction, and music videos as mediums that I've worked in extensively, so I'd focus on other things such as meme compilations, music compositions, podfics, video essays, gifsets and edits, among infinite possibilities.

Draw A Comic Month - 4-week event with one week dedicated to scripting, storyboarding, linework, and colors/toning each. A comic can be as simple as a 2-panel comic to something as complex as a 30-page manga. This is one time where my comics advice is going to be ENTIRELY FREE OF CHARGE. I am going to sit in the birdmen discord at regular times throughout this event and do my best to make the comic of your dreams happen (guy who is obsessed with sequential art voice)

the collaboration is a COMMITMENT whereas the rest are things you can opt in and out at any moment. ok now go hog wild with the votes and let me know your bonus thoughts in the tags

[honeybleed]

— ★ 1ST GEN BLACK DRAGONS AS STEP-DADS

content & warnings: fem!reader, reader has children, reader is short to shin, takeomi & benkei but around wakasa’s height, final timeline so all are in their forties, light-hearted so don’t take this too seriously lol

featuring: takeomi akashi, shinichiro sano, wakasa imaushi & keizo arashi

author’s note: they all occupy my brain like crazy so i had to write a lil sumn sumn (albeit short n halfbaked asf) 😛 also i know step fathers are through marriage so i guess dating then getting married is a long time? but whatever. divider credit to @/dejwrld also check out @/444takeomi ! they write so much content for 1st gen black dragons they’re doing the lord’s work frfr

takeomi akashi:

He is the worst step dad out of them all, I’m sorry it has to be said.

Wasn’t too thrilled when you told him you had four kids.

But at the same time, the prospect of a roof over his head with a woman that can cook a decent meal didn’t seem too bad.

Your kids hate him from the jump — it annoys them when they wanna play video games or watch television on weekend mornings and Takeomi is crashed on the couch, hungover.

Is always stealing the snacks meant for their lunchboxes.

You’ve had to slap the back of his head or throw something one too many times because he tries to get your youngest to get him beer from the fridge or asks your teenager to buy him cigarettes from the convenience store.

“I’m only 14.”

“Shit, I was buyin’ em at 14 too.”

Definition of that “go get my purse” meme cos he’ll snake his arms around your waist and kiss your neck so he can get some cash for a lottery ticket or to bet on a horse race cos he blows his own money like water.

wakasa imaushi:

Not really an affectionate person with kids.

Gets annoyed when they cry and rolls his eyes.

“You’re getting bullied?” He’ll scoff.

But he’s not THAT heartless, he shows love in his own way.

Teaches kids self defence at his gym with Benkei if they’re getting picked on.

You know that thing foreign parents do when they don’t apologize but bring a plate of sliced fruit? That’s Wakasa 😭

Does the same shit as Takeomi n tries to get them to buy cigarettes (birds of the same feather flock together LMFAOOOOO)

shinichiro sano:

Definition of lame and tries too hard.

And you feel had because you know to his core Shinichiro is a family man, he’s had to take care of his family since he was a teenager.

Tries to bring them to ball games and sometimes offers to pick them up from school but they’ll walk away and pretend they don’t know him.

Literally borrows books from the library about children and families when all else fails.

“What you watchin’ buddy?-”

“Shut up.”

Shinichiro is not a punk so he drops it but the last thing he wants is to make an enemy out of your kids.

Anyways, that all changes when one day, your son hears about “The legendary leader of the 1st Gen Black Dragons” at school.

And he’ll approach Shinichiro whose busy fixing up something in the garage, and asks him if it’s true.

Ends up hyping himself up when we all know Shin was getting his ass handed to him every time he got into a fight.

“You get my kid involved in that gang crap and I’m throwing your shit on the lawn.”

“Honey…no! I would never…I left that life behind a long time ago!” He says while he’s sweating bullets and rubbing the back of his head.

keizo arashi (benkei):

You met him at a grocery store, he saw you struggling to reach something on the top shelf and things just took off from there after you exchanged numbers.

When your daughter first met him, his appearance struck the fear of god in her and she was hiding behind you.

And that just shattered Benkei’s heart, he was sat on the edge of your bed, clutching his head as you soothingly rubbed his back.

He knew he was an intimidating figure due to his appearance, but to his core the man is a girl dad damn it!

Regardless, little by little he manages to win over your little girl and soon enough, his big ass is sat at the tea table with a pink feather boa and tiara pretending to eat the imaginary cupcakes with her.

Posted up at the Bring Your Dad To School day and your daughter couldn’t be more prouder.

Is the best stepdad idc 😭

author’s note: ty for reading!! this was just something small since it’s been a while since i’ve written something hehe also ngl i struggled with wakasa bro is a playa from the himalayas 😭😭😩

[a-book-of-creatures]

Can you explain why fly fishing is as bad as golfing? Never heard that before and I'm curious

They're different kinds of bad but they have the same root cause that makes me associate them with each other. Namely, they attract rich, entitled upper-class twits.

Disclaimer: I'm sure there are plenty of fine, upstanding golfers and fly fishers out there. Real salt of the earth folks that wouldn't harm a (heh) fly. This doesn't invalidate the fundamental issues that I'm going to talk about here.

You've probably heard about how golf takes perfectly good land that could be used for parks and turns them into sterile, boring, manicured lawns for rich assholes to toss their balls around.

Fly fishing... there's probably a lot you could say about sport angling as a part and why it's bad for fishes and the environment, but I'm focusing on fly fishing, and this book is largely to blame.

Published in 1895, this accumulation of dead trees was what pushed the idea that a good fishing fly should be made of exotic feathers, the more exotic the better.

And with anglers being a superstitious lot (perhaps as superstitious as professional athletes, who we all know are the most superstitious people in existence), it makes it far more likely that those with the means will shell out top dollar for feathers from rare, even extinct birds. They will buy research skins from museum collections for the sole purpose of tearing them to bits and making gaudy simulacra of insects that may bestow a higher chance of a salmon biting them.

This is what led to a guy breaking into the Tring Museum and stealing almost 300 bird skins to sell off on eBay for fishing fly materials. And it's happened elsewhere too. I know this because one of the museums I worked at had a researcher walk in to look at birds, and when they left a number of skins were gone. There are still enough people out there ready and willing to pay for those feathers that the market is there.

[potchi-fics]

Sundo | part two of 8 ball

⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡⋆

sundô. imagine being so tired from studying, from using your brain so much that you just feel like collapsing. but you remember that at the end of the day, someone's waiting-- waiting for you. a simple gesture yet it makes you feel so many things all at once: happiness, excitement, comfort... and wonder.

NOTE: sundo means to fetch someone from somewhere.

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨♡୧⋆ ˚｡⋆

Y/n leans back on the chair she has been sitting on for hours now. she checks her phone and she sees that it's 5:59 pm. she got too busy with academic work, she always wants to finish her projects as soon as possible because she doesn't like procrastinating.

she sighs through her nose, holding the bridge of her nose, she's so tired. even her ears hurt from the hours of wearing her headphones.

and of course, her friends are studying alongside with her... but they all fell asleep. thankfully, though, they got their work done.

"wake up," she gently shakes Aiki, who whined and shooed her away. she moved on to Monika who woke up with just a nudge. "Noze, it's almost time to go home."

"god," Noze cracks her back, "my whole body hurts. good thing we don't have any classes for two days."

"you're goddamn right about that. somebody wake Aiki up." Monika groans out in defeat.

Y/n tries again, "Aiks, c'mon, it's time to go home."

the three struggled to contain their laughter once they see Aiki's state: drool all over her cheek and table, and the thousand-yard stare.

"aw gross, wipe your face, Aiks." Noze hands her wet wipes.

Y/n struggled even more when Monika showed her the picture she took of Aiki when she woke her up. she looks like a toddler who just woke up.

"is it time to go home? what time is it?" Aiki groggily asks.

she was about to tell her when something caught her eye; a text message from Bada. it read:

"what time's ur dismissal?"

it was sent four minutes ago. she texts back:

"6:30, whyy?"

she didn't get to put down her phone because it buzzed. it's a reply from her:

"i'll come and fetch u. where r u?"

Y/n's weirdly excited about this? and also a tiny bit nervous? nevertheless, she replied:

"library with my friendsss."

and she waits. she can't even stay still, and the other notice it.

"jesus, can you stop with the pen clicking?" Monika complains.

Y/n mutters out a soft sorry.

Noze looks at her with a funny expression, "who were you texting?"

a beat passes before she says Bada's name.

the trio have their what-the-hell faces on. before she could defend herself, they already started teasing her relentlessly; saying things like she's excited to see Bada, or that they were gonna go on a date.

"guys," she starts, "it's not a date and why would i be nervous? it's Bada." she rolls her eyes. "i could squeeze that punk easily."

but she is nervous. she doesn't know why. is it because of what happened at that billiards place? why did she even do that in the first place.

time seems to really pass by because six-thirty comes and they start tidying their place. making silent conversation. they come out of the library and see someone squatted down.

it's her.

Y/n thinks-- god, she's so handsome and pretty, she's not even doing anything. she malfunctions because she did not just think that? that is so not Y/n coded of her, she adds.

her friend's loud voice caught their attention, "hey, Bada!"

"yo," Bada stands up, looking at Y/n. "are you guys done? can i steal her away from you now?"

Y/n could only roll her eyes, "what do you mean by steal me away? as if i would let myself be taken."

"so grumpy," Bada tease, "careful now, you look like that one angry bird."

"well, in that case, i'm a pretty angry bird." she retaliates.

her enemy pats her head, "sure, sure.. let's go. bye guys!"

the trio shakes their head, even walking, the two seems to fight. they witness how Bada tries to carry Y/n's things but she wouldn't let her. however, eventually, Y/n gives in and gives Bada her things.

bada opens her car door for Y/n, receiving a soft thank you from the girl. she puts the things in the backseat and finally enters the drivers seat.

"you hungry?" she asks.

Y/n nods, too tired to talk. she closes her eyes and feel the car start up, she assumes that Bada knows a place.

during the car ride, comfortable silence envelops the pair. it continues that way not until she feels a hand on her thigh. Y/n opens her eyes and her gaze fell on the hand that is on her thigh.

Bada couldn't resist-- she caresses her thigh, rubbing circles on it, even slightly moving it up. she notices that the girl's breath is uneven. she thinks about removing it when a hand stops her.

the tension, even before what happened at the pool table, got so much thicker. it's so thick that they feel like suffocating.

sadly, they arrive at the place they're gonna eat at.

"c'mon, we're here." Bada parks the car.

they both thought the same thing: pussy blocker.

they go in the restaurant and order, wherein Bada insists that she treats her. of course, Y/n tries to pay for her own food but Bada is stubborn gal.

they take a sit once they get their order and start eating. surprisingly, their conversation is easy-going.

"so, what made you fetch me today? missed me that much?" Y/n asks with her mouth full of food.

Bada chuckles at the cute sight, "you're delusional. i just wanted to annoy you."

"oh, trust me," she answers in a grumble, "you're annoying me so much."

"is that why we're enemies?" Bada cackles out. "'cus i'm annoying? you didn't find me annoying back in middle school, though."

yes. they're childhood friends- err, childhood enemies. they're one of those typical rivals where they grew up together. they just haven't told anyone, but not because they don't want to, but because it wasn't just brought up until now.

she pouts out, "i wouldn't say enemies.. but yeah."

a loud laughs emits from the person in front of her again, can't believe the reason.

"stop laughing," Y/n gigges, "it's not funny. i'm just glad i don't have any classes, i'm so tired. and hungry."

Bada watches her with a smile, even though the girl in front of her is stuffing her face with food-- Bada still thinks that she's beautiful.

"stop ogling at me, i know i'm pretty and all," she flutters her eyelashes at her, "are you falling in love with me?"

"you sound so stupid." this time, it was Bada's turn to roll her eyes. "say, you wanna come over to my house after this?"

Y/n makes a playful shock face, "oh my? and you say you're not falling in love with me? but yes."

Bada feels like she's on cloud nine. what is wrong with her?

they finish their meal and she checks the time. it's seven-forty. they exit the place and Y/n complains about being so bloated now. to which Bada teased her by saying that she's always bloated.

banter ensues, even all the way to Bada's house, they're still bickering like children.

time check: eight-twenty-three.

ੈ✩‧₊˚༺☆༻ੈ✩‧₊˚

should i make the next part smut? or continue with fluff

૮₍ ˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶ ₎ა

[oddballwriter]

(Poly) Lost Boys' Reaction to you Bringing a Stray Cat to the Hideout

Warnings: Regular Lost Boys shenanigans, and cat shenanigans too  

Author’s Snip: Fuck the canon we die like men

I’ll shut up now. Enjoy! And don’t be afraid to request.

Just as a fyi I wrote this with the idea that you're part of the Lost Boys (a vampire) and live in the hotel ruins and cave with them

You've been gradually luring a stray cat to the hideout by feeding it with the plan of having it be a pet

David

He usually has tabs on everyone in the group, so he knows that you were feeding a stray with scraps of takeout

He laughed when he heard you say that you wanted to have it be a pet

David didn't think that you could pull it off

"Good luck with that, babe."

And then he sees the damn fur ball in the hideout and he's pleasantly surprised. You actually managed to get a cat to live in the hideout

David doesn't really pay too much attention to it since it's technically yours

He'll pet it if it comes to him

Though sometimes it sits on his rickety wheelchair throne and he shoos it off

though he does actually like the powerful look he has when he's petting it when it's on his lap

Otherwise he just ignores it

Also, it doesn't matter if you and the others named it, he just calls it "the cat"

I can see him hissing back at the cat if he cat ever hisses at him

Dwayne

Dwayne humors your task of luring the cat

Similar to David, he doesn't really have much faith in the idea that you can successfully do it, but he's sure it's possible. So when it starts coming in and staying then he congratulates you

He actually enjoys having the cat around and just seeing it lounging around

Dwayne likes to jokingly call it generic cat names like Mr. Whiskers, Mr. Mittens, or just kitty

Thinks it's funny and cute when it chases around Marko's pigeons

Over all just vibes with it

Paul

Both him and Marko are down to actually help you bring in the cat but doesn't really get the slowly feeding it process

"Why not just grab it and bring it to the hideout?" "If we do that it'll just be scared of us. I want it to trust us. Feeding it can teach it that we mean no harm." "Oh."

He will actually steal cat food from bowls and bring it to you to give the cat so that it can actually eat cat food instead of scraps

Calls it "Little Buddy"

He's the one who hypes up the cat the most, he'll be playing with it and it will be all hyper

Paul actually likes when it brings back 'gifts' (aka dead birds and mice)

"Look it hunts just like us"

Marko

Like I said, helps lure the cat

Though he does second guess once it's already started living in the hideout because it might kill his pigeons

He does steal cat toys for the cat so that it will stop trying to kill them

Otherwise, loves it

He'll call it whatever you named it but like he gives it little nicknames like Little Killer and stuff like that

You sometimes have to tell Marko to leave the cat alone

"Marko stop chasing it around, you're gonna get scratched."

His ass does not listen and then he acts surprised when his ass gets scratched

Marko jokes that the cat is you guys' guardian pet like Thorn is, even though it just lays around all day

"It's nocturnal like us!"

[icarusvshozier]

Luke Castellan x Hephaestus!Reader who crafted Backbiter

a/n: this started off as general luke x hephaestus!reader hcs but quickly spiraled into just luke x hephaestus!reader who made Backbiter with no hesitation but with no knowledge of what they were making it for + luke's betrayal. so, here's that. reblog if you like it, and come talk to me abt luke!!

warnings: not edited SORRY. lots of plot, spoilers for tlt duh, might not be totally canon compliant but fuck it we ball, swearing?, inconsistent grammar?, angst, a little bit of thirst, implied established romantic relationship between luke & reader, vague sword fighting, at one point reader literally turns into a bird and flys away like Superman so dont say I didn't warn you, I'm pretty sure this is GN!reader but let me know if it's not

— You could have never imagined having Backbiter being pointed at you in this way. When Luke told you to follow him during the firework show, you hesitated but only because you and your siblings worked hard on the display all year and you would be lying if you said you didn't care about seeing it play out. But he said it was important, you smiled and left with him thinking he was only playing, not wanting the ample makeout time to go to waste.

— But then he took you into the woods and started talking about the Gods faulty parenting, which wasn't terribly out of the ordinary but you hadn't been expecting a vent session. You just ran your hand through his curls and stared into his eyes, waiting for him to kiss you but he kept talking.

— All about Clarisse and Percy's quest and the master bolt. You guessed any camper would have a lot on their mind right now but you kind of wanted him to shut up and kiss you.

— "But it isn't over. Clarisse didn't steal the master bolt." You had been staring at his lips, but you snapped out of your haze, "What? What do you mean?"

— He confessed to you that he stole the bolt over the winter solstice. You gave a soft but slightly nervous chuckle as he held you close. You repeated your last question again with an added, "Why?" like a fool.

— He only held you tighter and poured his soul out to you, everything he had been hiding. The tricky son of the God of Thieves, how Kronos came to him in his dreams, how he played perfectly into his despise for the Gods, how he gave his shoes to Percy so he would either give the Master Bolt to Kronos or die getting there, and how he needs you by his side

— You realize much too late into his ramblings that you have already helped him in his mission, you gave him Backbiter with no questions asked.

— So many questions flooded your brain, how long has been planning this? How long have you been part of this scheme? Has he only ever gotten close to you for this reason, just to get something out of you? Are you even part of this scheme? Or would you join him and find out Kronos doesn't think you're worth jackshit and kill you the second you step out of line. You know how the world was before the Gods, when the Titans ruled, and you wouldn't live like that.

— You push him away and tell him such. Tell him that he's crazy for thinking Kronos is a better overseer than the Olympians.

— He asks you if you're really gonna die on the sides of the Gods just because your father has given you two acknowledgements in your whole 19 years of life.

— You almost sass him and tell him that you've actually had three interactions with your Godly father. But then you realize one of the three was being claimed as a child of Hephaestus, and he probably wouldn't count that right now.

— Though, Annabeth did just tell you all about her meeting with Hephaestus on her quest.

— You had thought of your godly father fondly enough before she told of meeting him. The second time you interacted with your father was when you prayed to him to help you figure out a way to make one of your latest inventions work, and he actually responded with input. The third being him gifting you a necklace of shapeshifting when you took his advice and successfully made a first of its kind invention. You thought responding to a call for help and then rewarding a child for pulling through something complicated was more positive enforcement than most demigods got from their parents in Olympus. But now, you really thought that he might be different from the other Olympian Gods. But it reminded you of when you first received your necklace.

It made your relationship with Luke a little weird for a while after, like walking on eggshells, just the visible reminders and contrast of your parents' behaviors. Him with his scar, you with your necklace.

Eventually you talked to him about it. Or, he told you how he felt about it, rather.

He warned you that your father was only doing this so you would do something in return for him. Warned you that someday, be it next week or 10 years from now, he will be cashing in that favor.

But its been years since you got that necklace, and you haven't heard from your father since.

With Luke's warning, you considered it a good thing.

You joke about it offhandedly how you haven't heard from Hephaestus in years on the anniversary of when you got your magic necklace, "Guess he doesn't need that favor yet." And Luke twitches.

"You say that like it's a good thing." "Isn't it?" "What? That he disappeared on you right after giving you a gift? Have any of your siblings even heard from him in the last couple of years?" He spewed it out like a cough he could no longer keep in.

As much as you liked the occasional structured debate for fun, you got choked up when Luke said this. You weren't sure if it was the words, or his tone or how fast he spilled his thoughts that got to you, but you wondered, was he mad at you?

"I mean," you could no longer look him directly in the eyes, so you flicked your gaze to the ground, to the stables behind him, his nose, his shoes, anything. "I dont kn-I guess, well- I mean, I don't know about everything that goes on with my siblings so..." you stammered out.

"As far as you know?" Tears welled in your eyes from the confrontation, you looked straight up and blinked as light and as fast as you could. "No, I don't think so, Luke." You paused and faced him, "Why even? Why do you care?"

"Why don't you care?! Your dad does one thing for you and you're loyal as a dog to him! He doesn't deserve that! He doesn't care about you! Or your siblings!" Or your siblings felt like an afterthought.

You didn't know where to start with him. Did he call you a dog?! Or how about him projecting and taking out his own daddy issues on you. You didn't know where to start so you didn't, you used the power in your necklace to shapeshift into a bird and fly away from the boy to find a nice tree to stalk observe him from.

He yelled after your disappearing form, "Y/N! No, wait! Come back here!"

He looked around, but couldn't find your form camouflaged in the branches behind him. He sighed defeated, and ran his hand through his curly hair.

He found you the next day at your workstation, back to regular, and apologized for saying what he did. You considered ignoring him but turned to face him.

"You hurt and confused me." You pout bluntly. "Do you believe what you said or did you just want to hurt my feelings?"

Luke pulls the work gloves off your hands, then takes one and leads you into the forest. Some of your siblings were starting to stare and he knows that you both would rather not be so emotionally vulnerable in front of so many people.

"I didn't mean what I said about your dad not caring about you.. I never want to hurt you, I just don't want to see you get hurt by someone that's supposed to protect you. And I guess I thought that if I could tell you what the Gods are like before they get to you, then they couldn't harm you."

— Which takes you to now, with shaking hands holding out your finely crafted medium sized blade a few feet from where Luke stands with his hand resting on another piece you created. A blade you created with only love in your heart, a blade you handed Luke while thinking about Viking weddings; how they exchanged swords instead of rings like today - a blade now used against you.

— You fight, gnashing teeth and spitting salvia and blood at each other's feet. The sound of blades clashing is silenced by fireworks overhead, you're yelling at each other, how could you be so stupid, why cant you see what's best for you? I thought you loved me & I'm doing this because I love you.

[lovelyyandereaddictionpoint]

Neige LeBlanche first time he sees Crewel daughter during an event where RSA and Princess Academy have to merged, he sees in his opinion a beautiful magpie in a crowd of colorful song birds as she the only one who wore a black dress with gold trimming and a red shawl ( Eva dress from dmc )

What he didn't know she already have someone in mind and he go to NRC ( a lie so she don't have to interact a RSA student much for good some reason )

When he sees you it's like looking at those crushes in the coming of age movies

You're adjusting your cape-jacket and he’s seeing this whole moment in slow motion

I imagine Neige is new to the feeling of attraction 

So all he’s registering is that he’s suddenly really hot 

And he really wants to hear the sound of your voice

So he’ll make his way over to you 

Completely oblivious to the parting crowd at the Winter ball 

You’re hard to miss anyway but he just has tunnel-vision

He introduces himself when he gets to you who conveniently just finished speaking to someone

“Good evening,  I’m Neige Leblanche from the Royal Sword Academy. I just wanted you to say you're looking lovely today.” 

“Oh, well thank you, sir. I’m (Y/n) Crewel of the Princess academy.”

You turned to walk away only for his chimelike voice to beckon you back

“If I may, I’d like to be your first dance for the night.”

“I appreciate the gesture, Leblanche but I’m already scheduled to dance with–”

You look across the room and in a perfect world

You continue with “Vil” who has met eyes with you and quickly excuses himself to stand at your side

But the world is not and your father’s not an idiot

“My father Divus Crewel.”

Beforehand he will gush about how he worries you’ll drift as you age from him and that he wants to savor these moments with you

And of course you want to soothe your poor father

So you agreed to dance with him for every dance into the night

With your matching colors of gold black and red you proudly stand as icons for Night Raven and Princess Academy

And even when he wants to squeeze in a dance while you and your father are taking a break 

Crewel will shoo you off with a task to refill his cup while he talks down the student

“See here, pup. Your plenty fine as a candidate to date my daughter but I will not sit idly by as you try to sweep her off her feet–”

“Oh okay, uhm Sir–”

“Quiet pup if you must question me, than you need to learn what I wil allow.”

While he’s off lecturing the RSA student

One of your lurking bachelors sweeps in and takes you to the dancefloor

Prime suspects are Vil Schoenheit, Malleus Draconia, Jade Leech, and oddly enough Idia Shroud

Malleus was reasonably waiting

“May I ask for this dance Child of Crewel, I’d be honored.” 

Vil is smooth

he's used to doing this seeing as you are childhood friends 

“Figured we finally get a dance in before your father returns.”

Jade is cordial about it but he’s so suave in the way he cuts off some lingering bachelor to guide you to the dance floor

“I’ve been wanting to steal you away. Won’t you indulge me for a bit?”

But Idia is a special case

You were sent to the snack table to get drinks but guess who’s also just chilling by the snacks

“Idia, it's good to see you. You look incredibly dashing tonight.”

He’s blushing really hard and his hair is flaring pink

“T-thanks.”

You two will stand in silence before he pushes out of his comfort zone

“S-so d-do y-you want to dance?”

“Thought you’d never ask.”

Idia might get away with it as long as he freaks out and runs as soon as the music breaks

But should a creep of confidence trickle in 

He’s going to be the victim of Crewel’s vengeful glare

And the curious gaze from the  envy that is born in Neige’s heart

But hey it was worth it to feel your hand and waist in his hands

“Big Brother! You got to dance with them after all!” 

“Y-yeah. Turns out she-she is better than an otome game.”

From then on either your father jumps back in or you wave him off to dance with your Night Raven bachelors

Leaving Neige to welcome this feeling of jealousy

"T-this feeling...I'm not fond of it..."

[eldritchdiplomacy]

Bottom Table OT3: The Playlist

We, like Jinnah, will mourn our lads forever

(click for song explanations!)

Take Me Out To The Ball Game - Ed Meeker

"Eldritch Harrahs," He says, fingering the bright red laces on a baseball like a rosary

Team - Lorde

Classic poly theme, living in ruins.

"And everyone's competing For a love they won't receive 'Cause what this palace wants is release."

Ravenous - Autumn Orange

Impeccible vibes.

Eat Your Young - Hozier

Post-war heroes left in slums with their ghosts

"Come and get some Skinnin' the children for a war drum Puttin' food on the table, sellin' bombs and guns It's quicker and easier to eat your young"

Rhiannon - Fleetwood Mac

A shiny jade jewel in said slums

"She rings like a bell through the night And wouldn't you love to love her? She rules her life like a bird in flight And who will be her lover?"

Boats & Birds - Gregory & The Hawk

Children without souls

"If you'll be my boat, I'll be your sea A depth of pure blue just to probe curiosity Ebbing and flowing and pushed by a breeze I live to make you free, I live to make you free…"

Hearts a Mess - Gotye

Sean Fucking Finnerty

"You have lost too much love To fear, doubt and distrust, it's not enough You just threw away the key to your heart Don't get burned 'cause nothing gets through It makes it easier, easier on you That much more difficult for me To make you see."

Love In The Time Of Socialism - Yellow House

Teenagers all in love with each other

"But I am home wherever you are near There's no life in anything When you're not here."

Whatever Fits Together - Skullcrusher

I mean…

"Do you ever look back? Does it all fit together? If we're here, does it matter? (If we're here, does it matter?)"

Marked For Death - Emma Ruth Rundle

Marion & Jean

"Who else is going to love someone like me that’s marked for death? Who else is going to be with me when I breathe it all?"

Here I Dreamt I Was An Architect - The Decemberists

Marion & Sean

"And here I dreamt I was a soldier And I marched the streets of Birkenau And I recall in spring The perfume that the air would bring To the indolent town Where the barkers call the moon down The carnival was ringing loudly now And just to lay with you There's nothing that I wouldn't do Save lay my rifle down"

Hard Times - Ethel Cain

The Exorcists' Daughter

"Tell me a story About how it ends Where you're still the good guy I'll make pretend 'Cause I hate this story Where happiness ends And dies with you."

Edith's Theme - Crimson Peak

The Lighthouse

Say Yes To Heaven - Lana Del Rey

Sean & Jean

"If you go, I'll stay You come back, I'll be right here Like a barge at sea In the storm, I stay clear 'Cause I've got my mind on you I've got my mind on you…"

Sunlight - Hozier

Sean & Jean & Marion

"All the tales the same Told before and told again A soul that’s born in cold and rain Knows sunlight, sunlight, sunlight And, at last, can grant a name To a buried and a burning flame As love and its decisive pain Oh, my sunlight, sunlight, sunlight."

Your Protector - Fleet Foxes

The Circle of Needle & Thread

"As you lay to die beside me, baby On the morning that you came Would you wait for me? The other one would wait for me."

The Mother Road - Chelsea Wolfe

The doc who knows she'll never lead a normal life, have a normal love.

"I do not have a child But I'm old enough to know some pain And I'm hell-bent on loving you Women know what it is to endure."

Running Up That Hill - Placebo

All too stubborn to let each other die.

"Oh, come on, baby Oh, come on, darlin' Let me steal this moment from you now Oh, come on, angel Come on, come on, darlin' Let's exchange the experience…"

A Vampire's Heart - Peter Gundry

Doplegangers

Cosmic Love - Florence + The Machine

Jean, Sean, & Marion

"I took the stars from our eyes, and then I made a map And knew that somehow I could find my way back Then I heard your heart beating, you were in the darkness too So I stayed in the darkness with you…"

Oh, To Dream Of Such Eldritch Things - Autumn Orange

The Compromised Lightkeeper

A Shot Rang Out - Emily Jane White

Sean FUCKING Finnerty, Marion, Jean

"Dreamers we aren't few But I don’t want to bury my dreams with you."

The Ghost On The Shore - Lord Huron

Man down

"Die if I must, let my bones turn to dust I'm the lord of the lake and I don't want to leave it…"

Call Your Mom - Noah Kahan

You can't do this to Peggy, bud.

"Medicate, meditate, save your soul for Jesus Throw a punch, fall in love, give yourself a reason Don't wanna drive another mile without knowin' you're breathin' So won't you stay, won't you stay, won't you stay with me?"

Funeral - Phoebe Bridgers

War boys wearing the same face, so many hearts.

"And last night, I blacked out in my car And I woke up in my childhood bed Wishing I was someone else, feeling sorry for myself When I remembered someone's kid is dead…"

Francesca - Hozier

Jean & Marion re: Sean

"Now that it's done There's not one thing that I would change My life was a storm since I was born How could I fear any hurricane?"

Is Your Love Strong Enough? - GWTDT

"Just one beat of your heart And stranger than fantasy I knew from the start It had to be the place for me Someone that I would die for There's no way I could ever leave."

Death With Dignity - Sufjan Stevens

The Survivor

"Spirit of my silence I can hear you, but I'm afraid to be near you And I don't know where to begin And I don't know where to begin…"

My Love - Florence + The Machine

The Next Step

"My arms emptied, the skies emptied The buildings emptied…"

[hannibalzero]

charthur omegaverse wip

(Southern nights au)

🦌🦬🦌🦬🦌

Not sure about this wip yet, let me know lovelies

it had all started with such a innocent question.

Jack had came to Arthur’s tent, stomping over in boots to big for him. as mad as a old wet hen if Arthur could call it anything.

Jack kicked off John’s boots, climbed into Arthur’s cot snuggling close hiding his face in Arthur’s chest.

Arthur’s old cot groaned at the extra weight, the lapping waves of flat iron lake along with a mocking bird song. showing a rare moment of peace for the outlaw.

Kissed Jack’s head, wasn’t everyday that someone wanted Arthur Morgan to love on them. besides his spoiled ass horses naturally.

he was about to take a nap himself but that could wait a bit. Arthur didn’t mind one bit.

Jack needed him.

Fat cheek resting on Arthur’s chest. Those blue eyes looking up to Arthur own with a frustrated look on Jack’s face.

“whats gotten ya all fired up? been’a long time since ya cuddled up ta me.”Arthur murmured rubbing a big hand up and down Jack’s back. with a rare gentleness that Arthur was able to share.

the worn cotton shirt in a faded cream color that Jack wore was as soft as butter under Arthur’s fingers. Everything about Jack was soft still, Arthur couldn’t help but to savor these moments.

Jack wouldn’t be a small soft pup for much longer.

The little boy gripped Arthur’s faded blue shirt in frustration.

“it ain’t fair, uncle Arthur.” He whined softly burying his face back into Arthur’s chest sniffling loudly as he fought back tears. 

“What ain’t fair?” Tilting his head and moving Jack closer. “must be somethin’ mighty big if ya crawled into the cot with me.”

Arthur encouraged Jack to look up at him, with a careful tap at his chin. he wouldn’t hurt Jack, he wouldn’t hurt anyone he loved. Arthur was nothing like his own daddy.

lip wobbling, tears in his eyes that Arthur was wiping away with careful touches. “ain’t no kids around, ain’t no siblings ether.” he whined hiding his face back into Arthur’s chest. wiping his nose in Arthur’s shirt the way all children do. 

made a face at his shirt being used as a handkerchief but Arthur supposed he had been covered in far worse things. “aw, Jack. it can’t be helped in this life. its why we work so hard ta get us out of it. being a gunslinger and all that. want ya ta have friends.” Arthur soothed best he could keeping his voice soft. “what got ya thinking on this?” he asked, his forehead lined with worry.

Jack pilled off his thumb, the little fella still sucked his thumb when soothing. Popping off his thumb giving a brave sniff..

Arthur held up his handkerchief and smiled at bit as Jack honked loudly into the poor checkered rag. “there ya go, come on now…tell me what ya need me ta know.” 

the little fella smiled a bit now calming down thanks to Arthur’s efforts.

Man, Jack would be one hell of a outlaw. Pup was a brave wolf already. 

Setting his jaw, making firm eye contact with Arthur, Jack started his story in a serious voice. His hands still balled up in Arthur’s shirt. 

“I went with Uncle Sean and Uncle Lenny inta town. We’a found ten dollars from Micha.” Jack started with a huff. 

“hate ta interrupt ya there pup, why did ya, Sean and Lenny steal from Micha?” Arthur couldn’t hide the playful smile that spread across his face. 

Anything bad happening to Micha? was a wonderful day.

Like when Micha’s horse Baylock got tired of Micha’s bullying him and knocked Micha into the ‘latrine’ ditch. it was beautiful.

Arthur almost cried from the beauty of that moment.

Jack looked away, eyebrows knitting together. “Cuse Micha said he was gonna take’me fishin’ and give me candy. but he was messin with me. Told Uncle Sean and Lenny. we ran’a job on Micha!” his voice dripped with pride. He couldn’t help it, Arthur busted out laughing ruffling Jack’s head. loud and strong, it had been a while since he had laughed so hard. 

“Pup! ya little outlaw!” Arthur settled himself with a little snicker. “oh my word, made ma week.” he took another breath. “Micha earned it, now back ta your story. Lenny, Sean and ya went ta Roades right? ta the store?”

[tessalationstation]

2024-03-07/1445-08-26

I've noticed that Zionist war criminals continue to associate words together to create propaganda, as part of their hasbara strategy. War/genocide in general eliminates nuance, and that is frustrating. Ex. Hamas & terror, (resulting in Hamas terrorist.) It's an effective strategy, you have a hard time dissassociating the two, despite what you think of Hamas, heros/freedom fighters or monsters. (I'll let the courts, Palestinians, or God judge 'em, their's your complications.)

So, in order to combat this, let's do some word play. I thought up :

Zio-terror or Ziono-terror & Ziono-terrorists

Ziono-simps (They steal Palestinian culture)

Ziono-cucks (They're like the cuckoo bird)

Zio-abductors (Cause they use people as cover against gunfire)

Ziono-kidnappers

Ziono-hucksters

Ziono-thieves, Zio-theft,

Zio-fascists/Zionofascism*

Swinists

Zionopressors* , edit: Ziopression, Ziopressors,

Kahagressors (Kahanist + aggressor) (dumb) edit: (Zio-aggressors, Zio-aggression, Ziogression)

Kah-terrorists (dumb)

Kahfascists (dumb)

Zionationalists*

Ziono-thugs*

Zionorrhea (because some fling their dung on Palestinians walls, which, gross!)

Zio-squatters

Zion-extremists

Ziono-invaders/Zinvaders? (edit: Zionvaders)

Zio-murderers

killer Zios

Zio-r****** (yuck, that's what the militia does)

Deceptizions

???

Zio-spiters (Zionist + spite, spiteful)

Zio-crackers* (Zionist crackers) (edit, Zio-crackers,)

Zionocranks (edit: Zio-cranks)

Zionkeys/Zonkeys? (Zionist + honkey)

Kah'a**holes/K'a**holes

Zingoists (Zionist + jingoist)

Ziongelicals* (Zionist + Evangelicals) {They deserve most anger, we should protest them, and if your part of their congregations, don't donate to them,} edit: Zio-ngelists

For the military/state, I refer to it as the Regime, or the Apartheid state.

Commandant 'Yahu. The Prison State would make a moniker.

Now I'm wishing I knew Yiddish; they have amazing words.

Na*i is so overused, it's been decontextualized. Also, f**k 'em.

I'm only doing this because I'm not playing soft ball with fascism. I'm not interested in the high-road. Just, angry. (Please God, forgive me.) Any ideas?

***This is NOT a license to harass people, FYI.***

UPDATE:

So the key, is to keep repeating one of these terms in conversation, or on social media, and stubbornly, till it's ingrained in the public mimd, sticks. Whatever it is, make sure it's an insult, can't misconstrued to be cool.

Czar/Tsar 'Yahu

Ziono-fundamentalist

Zionnexers (Zionist + annexers)

Zio-desecrators*/Zio-desecration (Zionist + desecrators)

Zio-sinners (Zionist sinners)

Zio-criminals*

Ziono-conspirators

Zio-enablers

Zio-blasphemers

Zio-abusers*

Zioffenders*, Zio-

Kahanabusers*

Have an idea? Comment below:

Zioccupiers*/Zionoccupation edit: zioccupation*

Zio-narcissists*, (Zionist-narcissism)

Zio-crooks, (Zionist-conspirators,) Zionispirators, Zionspiracists,

(Zionist-superstitious) Zionistitious

(Zionist-apocalyptic,) Ka(ha)pocalyptic,

Zio-fanaticists, Zio-fanatics*, Zio-fanaticism,

Zio-cult, Zio-cultists, Ziono-cultists,

(Zionist-hypocrites,) Zhypocrites

Ziostiles, Zhostiles, Kahostiles, (Zionist-hostiles)

Zidiots

(Zionist-zealots), Zio-lots, (Zionist-sanctimony, sanctimonious,) Zio-nctimony, Zio-nctimonious,

(Zionist-pietistic,) Zio-pietist, Zious, Zio-tistic, Zio-tistical,

Zio-sadists, Zio-sadism*,

Zio-heretic, Zio-heretical, Zio-hedonist, Ka-heresy, Ka-heretics,

Zio-appropriators,

Zio-trespassers

Zio-tyranny, Zio-tyrant, Levantyranny,

Zio-despot,

Zio-plagiarists, Zio-plagiarism

Zio-segragationist, Zio-segragators,

Zio-bigots,

Zio-classists, Zio-racists,

Zio-sophists, Zio-mafia, Zio-mafioso, Zio-mob, Zio-mobsters, Zio-syndicate, Ziono-radicals, Zio-robbers,

Zio-materialist,

Zio-psuedomessianist, (Qauzio-messianists* = quasi+Zio+messianist)

Zio-captives, Zio-detainers, Zio-detainees, (because the maintainers of the occupation are also imprisoned,)

Update: 2024-04-16/1445-10-06

Zio-pharoanic, Zio-pharoahs, Zio-farce, Zio-Offence-Farce ZOF, Zio-farcical,

Zionsumers, (Zio-consumers) Zionsumers

Zionarchists, Zionarchism, Zionarchy, Zion-archs,

[g0tmilkx3]

FOOLISH

Things were normal after their breakup. Well normal for them.

OR

Carmy doesn't have the balls to tell his family he and Syd broke up.

Warnings: MINORS DNI, Arguing, Angst, Past Relationship, Toxic Relationship, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Possessive Behavior, Unprotected Sex, Jealousy If You Squint, Alcoholism, Marijuana Mention,

Divider: firefly-graphics.tumblr.com GIF: trainstationgoodbye.tumblr.com

A/N:

I tried to remain as true to the characters as I could. That's why there's a toxic relationship tag. You and I both know what would happen if those two got together. The title is based on Foolish by Ashanti btw. Sorry in advance for any weird formatting. Tumblr is being weird but it's Posted on AO3 with the correct formatting.

The sun rose as it did any other day. When the birds sang and car horns cried to break up the melody, Sydney Adamu hustled to The Bear. Through the labyrinth she knew as Chicago she found a place that brought her relaxation and excitement. A place that raised her blood pressure while simultaneously bringing it down to a happy medium. She and her business partner slash idol (slash ex), worked tirelessly to curate the perfect dining experience. Well almost perfect. But, from Sydney's experience, they were near perfection.

A colorful knitted cap sat upon her head, her braids draped down below. With each stride, the blond tips would bounce against her back and shoulders creating a rhythm that stayed in tune with the music blaring from her AirPods.

°⋆ I’ve seen you with the lights off I’ve seen you and you think you love me I’ve seen you with your hat off I’m dreaming of a time you knew me ｡⋆

Wind swooshed around her, dirt twisted before her sending dust to scratch her eyes. Water tip-toed the rim of her lids.

°⋆ So baby, is it all you’ve got? Tell me if you got some more-ore I’m thinking of some time off, off. I’m dreaming of a time when you knew me ｡⋆

No matter how many times Chicago hurt her, she just couldn't leave. Brandished over her heart, a chain that anchored her to the city. A gold chain that she found hidden in a velvet box that was gifted to her by her ex-lover on her last birthday. Wearing it still felt stupid now, but she could never bring herself to remove it. Fleeting memories from her youth reminded her of who she once was. So strong-willed and outspoken.

°⋆ Some things never seem to fucking work ｡⋆

While she still retained much of her buoyant personality, it was becoming harder and harder to remain strong. Sanguine her lenses once were, now not so much.

“Eighty-six the foie gras chefs!” Carmy echoed, not taking his eyes off the sizzling slice of filet mignon in his skillet. He scooped up melted butter and herbs before pouring them over the scorching meat. A concentrated red stream of blood trailed down a crevice embedded in the meat.

“Yes, Chef!" The brigade echoed back, in a cultish chant.

"Eh, it was experimental anyways.” Syd shrugged continuing her prep of the day’s veggies.

Carmy chuckled sparing a glance at her as he plated what he'd just finished preparing. "And kind of illegal." 

“Are we still eighty-six-ing the-“

“Rum cake? Yes, Marcus is out today and we just don't have the coverage” He cut a small piece off of the beef and neared Syd. His voice became small as he reached her bubble. "There's a surplus of prepped dessert he made last night."

“Marcus? Out?” She took the piece of steak Carmy held out for her into her mouth without missing a beat. An involuntary moan bubbled out of her throat. “You’re unreal,” She could swear a pink tint spread across his cheeks, but he turned away to grab the plated dish before she could examine it any further. “I was just talking to him last night, what’s up?”

“His mom.” Carmy stepped aside as each member of the kitchen staff stopped by to steal a piece of his latest dish. Their eyes remained connected despite the intrusion of the staff stepping in and out of their line of sight. “I didn’t ask too much he sounded bummed.”

“Fuck, I should talk to him.” She frowned down at her station finding that most of what she needed prepped was prepped. “T, I did the veggies can you please get on the broth?” She called while wiping down where she'd just been working.

“On it Jeff!” Tina got to work as Syd made her way to the back alley removing her blues on the way. 

“Syd? I'll be right back Mom.” There was static breaking his voice up before he came through clearly. “Hey, what’s up?”

“Hey chef is everything alright? Carm was vague as usual…” Her eyes found the clear blue skies, there wasn't a cloud in sight. The expansive scape reminded her of his eyes. How he could convey so much to her in silence. So much goddamn information was stored in his eyes. Hidden away behind a sorrowful gaze that would forever follow Syd. His intense stare would probably follow her until the end of time. Those weren't eyes you so easily forgot.

It was a beautiful day, yes, but she had a hard time appreciating it. There was a jet gliding across the sky. She watched it ease across the pretty blue backdrop, leaving white exhaust behind it.

“Yeah my mom, she has a fever and a fever for you and me isn’t a big deal. But a fever for her…” He grumbled something she couldn't quite make out. Despite their distance, she could still feel the amount of stress he was under. He was her family. Everyone at The Bear was her family and each of them had unique relationships. “So I just decided to hold down the fort and make sure she’s doing all right.”

“Right, right” Syd turned just in time to see Carmy walking out the back door, cigarette in his mouth. Their eyes met briefly making her falter in her words. 

“Still there, Syd?” Marcus asked as a timer buzzed in the distance.

“I am,” She turned away, ignoring the burn in her cheeks. “How about I come by after work and bring you what the fam had today?”

“You the one!” He graciously exclaimed. “I gotta go, but alright just call when you're on the way.”

“Peace.” She shoved her phone into her back pocket and whipped her head to find Carmy already looking at her. Pounding just beneath her ribcage, her heart inflated with anticipation. The hair trailing the nape of her neck stood on end as goosebumps rushed up her arms. Their space remained shrouded in silence. How much time had passed? Seconds to minutes, minutes to who knows. They were rarely one on one these days. It was easier to navigate the sludge they'd gotten themselves into when other people were around to break the tension up. She wanted to leave but her legs remained still. There was something hiding. Something waiting to come out. She just felt it. So she stayed, listening to the industrial sounds of the city. The jet was now long gone, but its roar still hummed quietly beneath it all.

Carm's cigarette smoke floated past her. She quirked an eyebrow at her business partner who huffed while shaking his head. He hands her a cigarette to her which she hesitantly took. Despite not being a smoker. They needed something to break the ice these days and it sucked. In the kitchen, it was like nothing ever happened. Like they never fell in love, like they never broke up, but outside of the kitchen? Forget about it.

“Just got off the phone with my mom.” He ran a hand through his hair making it impossibly messier. "You don't smoke." He deadpanned plucking the cigarette from behind her ear and putting it behind his.

“You seemed bummed, didn't want to make it awkward.” She hesitantly chuckled before quickly looking at her feet. “Must've been heavy, the conversation with your mom. I’ve never known my Carmy to stop prep an hour to open for a smoke break."

“Your Carmy.” He muttered under his breath, hiding it behind a chuckle. "Yeah, well she has that effect on me." He stomped his cigarette out, feeling traces of guilt. Syd was never too shy to tell him exactly how she felt about cigarette smoke. She didn't mind weed though.

"Meat delivery was wrong... again." She mentioned trying to find anything to continue their conversation.

"We gotta find another fucking vendor." He cracked his knuckles, now that his cigarette was gone he needed something else to satisfy his vice.

"We do. But the guys we work with now are reliable." The two shared a look. "Semi-reliable and cheap. So we're stuck with 'em."

Another stretch of uncomfortable silence followed. More avoidant glances. More shuffling.

If only he just said what he wanted, she thought to herself. If only he'd release her by simply saying what he needed to say. She wouldn't (no) she couldn't leave without finding out why those baby blues of his were so downcast so pleading and so, so broken. But Carmy was even more stubborn after their severance, they barely knew each other these days. But this felt huge. It felt big, she could feel it vibrating that invisible cord between them. Disturbing the constant hum they sustained, even after everything.

"What'd your mom say?" She finally let her curiosity win.

There it was. His eyes flashed with something akin to fear and his lips twitched. He fidgeted even more. He was always in motion. Moving, moving, moving. “She asked to meet you y’know?” He rubbed a hand down his mouth, slowly nodding his head. He stared out in front of him, at nothing in particular. But she could see his anxiety beginning to bleed into his irises. She could feel it too and god she'd do anything to make it stop.

“You didn’t tell her?” Her thoughts were interrupted by that revelation. For the first time in a long time, she stepped into his space and caught his gaze. “Carmy it’s been weeks.” She stopped short. "No, months! Like two whole months!"

"Almost two months." He corrected earning him one of Syd's signature eye rolls. “I know, I know.” He sighed trying to drop her big brown eyes but it was proving impossible. Each time he'd find the ground or a spot just past her shoulder their shared magnetism would beg his attention. Forcing him to bare his soul.  “Look, only the crew knows. Richie just got back from vacation and I guess I just never see Sugar enough to mention it."

Carmy was still in denial that he and Syd had reached an end before Richie left. He spent the early days in a dreamlike state, hoping that he'd blink and everything would be back to normal. That he'd wake up and everything wasn't on fire and she'd look at him with the love she used to and not the resentment that now replaced it. Once he came to terms with it, Richie was gone and Sugar was far too busy to stop by, with the fresh addition to the family and all. The staff noticed but they didn't say anything. He wasn't going to say anything either. Tina realized what occurred when she saw their mirrored shame. Eyes avoidant and chemistry nonexistent. The family felt their disconnect as it trickled down to each and every one of them. Ebra was the first to slice the tension one day after closing.

"Tensions heavy." He called from a far corner of the kitchen, after a painful bout of awkward silence. "Trouble in paradise?"

Carmy's eyes met hers as she hesitantly dragged her gaze to him. If they told them it'd make it official. It'd make it real. Fuck him if he didn't want this shit to be the worst nightmare of his life. His throat was dry when she looked around the room. His heart pounded when she clasped her hands together and uttered the revealing truth.

"Me and Carm have decided to keep our relationship strictly professional for the betterment of the business." She sagged her shoulders. "Happy? Now come on let's get it chefs, we all wanna get home right?" She didn't look back at Carmy as she grabbed her cleaning utensils and escaped to the walk-in.

"Chef!" They called behind her. Tina's frown followed Carmy as he entered the walk-in behind Syd.

"Really?" He complained angrily. "Wh-wh-what are you doing? Why are you doing this to me?" His eyes searched hers. "That's how you choose to do it, Syd?"

"How the fuck else were we going to tell them? Sit them down one by one in our office. 'Oh yeah, your bosses aren't fucking each other anymore. Prepare your stations for a walk thru', that's real professional!"

He raised his voice, frustration boiling over. His face was hot with a thin sheen of sweat over it. The cool air of the walk-in did nothing to help. It only made it harder to breathe. Her angry eyes only made his breath shorter.  "Anything but that!" 

She sighed taking note of his erratic breathing. Once upon a time, she was the one that'd calm him down, now she was the source of his worries. How quickly the fucking tides change.

"Look, Carm I'm sorry." She avoided rubbing her closed fist over her chest. It felt wrong now. "I didn't mean for it to be messy, but we've been tiptoeing around each other for weeks they were bound to find out."

She brushed past him exiting their bubble. The eyes of the staff greeted her plunging her back into reality.

"Do you guys want a picture? A straight-to-DVD recording? Or what." She deadpanned before shouting. "Let's go!" She stormed to her station finishing her tasks.

This all happened after Richie left, a few weeks back. It wasn't like Carmy to just go and call up Richie during his time off. Call him for what? To give him the good news? Carmy didn't want to bother him with something so trivial and high school. "I haven't had the time to tell my family about us. Sugar took it upon herself to tell Mom about our first anniversary coming up and now… now she wants to meet you.”

Her eyes narrowed in skepticism.

Okay, so he wasn't being entirely truthful and he's pretty sure she knew it. He intentionally hadn't told anybody. He didn't want to. It'd make it feel too final. He and Syd breaking up just didn't sit right with him and he wasn't sure if it ever would. Sydney, however, didn't have a problem telling whoever. She was taking their breakup like a champ.

She frowned contemplating exactly how they got to this point. It began how any work romance started. Fleeting glances and red cheeks. Accidental touches that soon lingered. One too many hangouts that lasted way too long. One too many drinks led to a passionate and intense hookup. Then the inevitable downfall. Too much time spent with one another. Going to work and seeing each other, going home and seeing each other, seeing the best but the worst in each other. Uneven work distribution eventually began interfering with their personal relationship. They thought they could work through it, that was until it started affecting the workplace and their dynamic. One too many complaints from the staff of a hostile work environment and that was it. One of them just had to stop it. It was Syd who called it quits first, she knew Carmy would drag his feet and draw it out for a lot longer than it needed to be. Carmy didn’t have the energy to beg her to stay but his eyes said it all. She thought they fell back into step. Back to a neutral place, nothing deeper than coworkers. But every now and then they’d catch each other’s eyes or he’d get just a little too close to her and it was all so real again. But they knew better than to go back there. 

“We were together for less than a year-“

“I’ve never been with anybody for a year…” He interjected in a matter-of-fact tone. “Sorry, my family they just, they’re happy that I found someone to put up with me. It's sort of a big deal for them." It would've been a big deal for him too if only they'd actually made it a year. "God they’re gonna have a good laugh when I show up to dinner alone.”

Syd frowned looking back up at the sky. “My point is, I don’t think it should be this hard for us. You know disconnecting from each other….”

“We’re business partners.” He lamented. “We disconnect The Bear fails.”

“This place is never going to fail.” She shakes her head looking back down at him.

“I don't know Syd. Everything I touch...” He looks at her with a familiar echo of fear in his eyes. “Everything I touch fails.”

She watched him crack his knuckles, hands shaky, before walking back inside leaving her with her thoughts.

As promised after closing Syd made her way to her best friends' house with enough food for three.

"From what I've seen, that family is unwell." Marcus lightly jests. "I mean if Mikey is any indicator..." He widens his eyes trying to convey just how hectic the Berzattos were.

"Trust me Marcus I know." She sips her third glass of wine of the night. "I just wish I didn't care so much!"

"Carmy was your best friend once upon a time," He reminded, ignoring her eye roll. "Roll your eyes all you want sis. You two dated for a year, it's normal to still care about him a little bit."

Too bad she cared about him a lotta bit "Yes, but enough to be his girlfriend for one more night just so his family doesn't rip into him?"

"I mean," He shrugs. "It seems."

"It'd be a bad idea right?" More semi-expensive wine slid down her throat. "It'd be bonkers to go along with this, especially after the whole ordeal."

She was referring to her 4 weeks of crying on Marcus' couch, in sweats post-break-up. She was always sure to clean up nice and put on a smile when she went to work, but Marcus was there through the worst of it. He'd never seen her look so small, so vulnerable as she did the first few weeks after they called it quits. She'd lay her head in his lap and cry and cry until she fell asleep. When she wasn't crying she was talking about what she could've done, what he could've done. Which led to anger and then to the inevitable crying. She'd spend the mornings before work throwing up, it only just stopped a couple of weeks ago.

"Look, I don't want you going through that again. But you seem to really want to help out Carm and what's one night?" He poured her more red wine. "You're over him right?"

She gulps down her wine instead of answering. Maybe it was the wine but she could feel water gathering in her eyes. The air conditioning blew past her cooling the tears and making them all the more real. She shook her head, annoyed with herself for crying over him, STILL.

"Fuck! I'm sorry." Marcus rushed to her side and pulled her into a hug.

"No, no it's" She laughs through her tears as she wipes the fresh ones away. "It's the wine I promise."

"I'm still sorry for you know asking that." He replied. "Especially this early on."

"It's okay, friend.” She shakes her head and sniffles as she pulls away. "It's been some months, I should be able to talk about our," relationship. "situation without crying like a little bitch."

"I don't think there's a time limit on getting over someone you loved." He replies sincerely ignoring her previous self-dig. "And if you ask me two months isn't enough time to get over anything."

"Almost two months and good thing I didn't ask you." She teased, tugging on her coat. "I gotta dip but thanks for this."

"Do you know what you're gonna do?" He follows her to the door noticing the stumble in her step. “You can stay the night if you want.”

She leans slightly to the left, eyes hooded. Her face crumbled with each passing second, the tough facade tumbling down. “I’ve decided what I’m gonna do.” She drops her shoulders. "Have an extra pair of sweats waiting though."

"Yes, Chef." He salutes weakly as a worried frown grew on his face. Watching her struggle to slip back into her Crocs helped him make up his mind. “Okay buddy you’re sleeping on my couch, come on.” He easily guided her back to the couch.

”Grab the sweats!” She shouts behind Marcus as she laid back on the cushioned surface.  

“When is it?” Her words were hushed but clear. 3 o'clock on the dot had arrived and sleep evaded her still. She tossed and turn until her phone was in her hand and his number was being dialed. It was now or never. There was no way she was going to do this sober.

Of course, he’d pick up, the insomniac. “What?” He held his phone against his shoulder as he stirred his boiling ramen.

“The-the thing." She supplies, although with no explanation her words were useless.

"Syd, I don't-"

"When am I meeting your family, who isn’t Sugar.” She explains. "The dinner."

"Ah, I get it now." He stops what he was doing and turns away from the stove taking his phone into his hand. "You're drunk."

"Okay and?" She scoffs, "Look Carm, I decided that I'll lend you a hand now so later when I need a recommendation you'll help me."

"I'd help you, either way, Chef."

"I bet." She blew a raspberry. "So, when is it, big guy?"

"When is what?" He shot back.

"Carmy" She whines his name the way she used to. It made his heart pound and a smile spread across his face. It made his conscious mind melt away, replacing his thoughts with Syd, Syd, Syd.

It made him feel vulnerable and his voice got all soft and mushy, he'd feel embarrassed if he didn't enjoy how she made him feel so much. So, with a tone only reserved for her, he made her a promise. "Sunday night, 6. I'll swing by yours on the way."

"It's a date!” She says without thinking twice. “Or no it's not a date!"

"Drink some water and get some sleep Syd." He tutted fondly as he silently wondered when the urge to take care of her would go away. "I'll bring you some soup in the morning."

Before she could respond the dial tone interrupted her thoughts. "Asshole." She muttered affectionately before tossing her phone on the coffee table and nodding off to sleep.

True to his word the next morning he handed her a warm Tupperware container filled with his signature hangover soup. They both managed to show up before any of the other staff did. Despite sleeping over at Marcus' she managed to get up by five so she could go home, change, then hustle to The Bear.

“Did you-“

“No, I didn’t.” He shook his head. “Syd come on I know you’re allergic to sesame seeds."

She shrugs chuckling to herself as she uncovered the warm cloudy liquid. The aroma wafted past her reminding her why she trusted Carmy so much with her career trajectory. "We can all be victims of forgetfulness."

"I'd never forget something like that." His words were heavy. Weighted with what they both knew but didn't want to say.

Instead of a day filled with a familiar waltz the ex-lovers shared, their routine was filled with affliction. Damaging the very foundations of what helped the kitchen run so smoothly.

"You two are weird," Richie whispered to Carmy during their cigarette break. "Did uh something happen? You two aren't you know... tweedle dee and tweedle dum-ing it today."

"We uh we-we..." He breathed wanting so desperately to tell him exactly what was going on but he couldn't. The staff obviously hadn't shared the latest gossip with him and Carmy was grateful for the rush that kept them busy for much of the day. After tonight he would but not now. "Just nervous about tonight."

"Listen I already spoke with Donna, it's gonna be small just us. We're only popping open two bottles of wine."

"It's not the wine I'm worried about it's, it's." He pressed the heel of his hand against his eye. Weary of the conversation already. "I never wanted to mix Syd in with that side of the family, of me. What if she sees mom and what she does to me and she-she just leaves" He lets all of the air he'd been holding out. "What if she decides this place isn't worth it" that I'm not worth it "and she leaves for good?"

"Carmy, you're so much of a know-it-all prick I sometimes forget that you have no experience with women." He laughs then took a long drag from his cigarette. As if Carmy's dumbfounded expression alone stressed him out. "What the fuck are you talkin' about?"

"You're not listening cousin-"

"I am. Syd isn't going to up and leave you after meeting your shitty mom- no offense." He redundantly remarks. "If she was gonna leave she would've a long time ago. The girl loves you."

"I don't know...she, we-we arent-" The confession tasted bitter in his throat, the words were on the tip of his tongue when Richie interrupted him.

"She does, every relationship has its rough patch. Some last longer than others." He muttered, blinking away the memory of his once happy family. "She's nervous too according to Sugar."

"Really?" The hopefulness in his voice made Richie scoff at his naive cousin.

"Yeah, Syd's been asking her advice and shit about what she should wear and what Donna's favorite color is. The works."

Carmy exhaled feeling the tightening in his chest decompress. "You sure?" The hopeful lilt in his voice made his cheeks burn, but he couldn't really bring himself to care.

"Yeah kid, really" He blew a raspberry. "God I hope I'm never as gone as the two of you. Just foolish." He muttered the ladder part of his sentence to himself.

“A dress?” He tries not to let his eyes linger on her long legs, the same legs that wrapped around him night after night, but he failed. He noticed her outfit choice when he picked her up, but it took a while for him to muster up the courage to say something about it. 

“I wanted to wear something different.” She tugged at the hem. “Too short? You know I'm not a dress person.”

“No, no” He finally left her legs and met her eyes. “You look perfect.”

“Bear!” His mom swings the door open and pulled him into a hug, tears already kissing her eyes. “You look so handsome, and you combed your hair?” She teased tugging at a strand. She turns to Syd, tears welling up once again. “And look at you.” She holds her hand eyeing her up and down. “Carmy goes on and on about those pretty brown eyes of yours but he did not do them justice.” She pulls Syd into a hug as Carmen darts his eyes around looking for an escape route.

"I brought you flowers." She hands the Berzatto matriarch a purple assortment of flowers.

"Wow," She eyed the bouquet admiring the color. “Oh Bear, she’s,” Donna shakes her head. “She’s gorgeous, your babies are going to be just beautiful” She turned away and entered the bustling house before he could speak. The soft sounds of Frank Sinatra drifted past their ears as the door swayed behind her.

“Sorry,” He quietly winces. 

"Don't apologize," Syd hesitantly intertwines her fingers with his. "That's what any mom would say to her son and his girlfriend, remember?" She raised an eyebrow.

Carmy let a shaky breath go, gently wiggling his fingers in an attempt to calm his nerves. "Right, I just. I think I need a second outside."

Syd frowned before tugging the door closed and turning towards her counterpart. Her hands rested on his sweater-clad shoulders, forcing him to direct his full attention to her.

"Carm, just relax. It's just a dinner, we can leave whenever you want." She frowned when he shook his head, eyes blinking rapidly.

"M-my family, my mom. Everything is fucked... you-you see what happened with-" He couldn't say Mikey's name right now. It'd break him and he wasn't going to cry in front of Syd. She probably already thinks so lowly of him, after everything he put her through. He still felt indebted to her. "And I just don't want you mixed up in that."

"Well, good news! I'm black and I like to mind my business so we're golden. Now let's go inside, it's getting chilly." Carmy surprised himself with laughter making Syd crack a prideful smile. She grabbed his hand once more finding it a lot less shaky.

The dining room table was grand, littered with masterfully prepared dishes. The gift of cooking obviously ran in the family. Each of them took their place at the table. Syd's eyes trailed the room, beginning at the head of the table and moving counterclockwise. There was Donna who was on her third glass of whiskey followed by Sugar. Sugar's eyes were worried as she looked at her husband, Peter, who held their new addition in his lap. Next to Peter was Carmy who hadn't looked up from his plate yet. At the end directly across from Donna sat Sydney. She was a natural against the brut energy Donna gave off. Across from Carmy sat Richie who was going on and on about some MMA fight, his mouth filled with pasta. Sydney commented on it twice in disgust. Following Richie was Fak who wasn't invited but heard about the dinner and just decided to show up with some girl who seemed to mirror his energy.

Things continued smoothly as time lazily dragged behind them. The much-awaited grand finale usually took place during dessert. Donna was soon to amass their attention. Carmy braced himself as they all dug into their desserts. A nervous glance was shared between him and Natalie.

The lack of conversation could be heard. Silence in the Berzatto house was always so, so loud. The Berzattos were not quiet people, even Sydney knew nothing good lay ahead.

"So Sydney!" Donna began fondly, now beginning to consume her seventh glass of alcohol. She'd begun mixing brown and white two cups ago. "I want to know more about you, who is Chef Sydney the girl who stole our Bear's heart, and put up with him for a whole year!"

She could feel the shift in Carmy's energy, which naturally threw hers off but she quickly recovered.

"I'm from here, erm Chicago. And I've loved cooking since I can remember." She gives the blond woman a tight-lipped grin.

"Short, sweet, and to the point!" Donna chuckled, loudly. It went on for a second too long. "You gotta tell me, what's your secret for dealing with a basketcase like Carmy Berzatto? Because I tell you.."

An awkward silence descended down the table until it reached Sydney, who brushed it off easily. She glanced at Carmy, his eyes avoided hers as discontentment filled them. Upon closer inspection, she could see anger beginning to turn his face red. "Actually, it's been pretty easy." They matched eyes before she confidently turned to Donna. "He's an amazing person. He's attentive and caring he always takes time to listen and he's a big softie beneath all of that... machismo" She teased. lightly. "I've never worked with a chef so dedicated. So gifted-"

"Gifted?" Donna quirked a brow, almost mockingly.

"He cooks like... like nothing I've ever seen before, well 'tasted' before. I don't think he's ever made a bad dish in his life. It's what made me fall in love with him." His smile was small but present. It was reserved, only for her to see.

'You mean that?' He just barely tilted his chin.

'I've got you.' She gently nods once.

“Our big successful chef.” Donna interrupted their silent discussion. Sydney turned to her as her smile morphed into an unwelcoming snarl. Where fondness slept envy roared alive. “Too big to come and say hi to his mama bear.” Her fork clanked against her plate. The sound was reminiscent of swords being drawn, ready to head into battle.

”Hey, Donna could you tell me the tiramisu recipe?” Richie attempted to steer her attention away. "It's good as hell! Fak pass me the dish-"

”Ask bear!” She grinned at him. “It’s Mikey’s recipe the one he came up with alongside Carm!”

The table sat still, each head hesitantly turning towards Carmy. Richie found the table while Sugar attentively examined Donna. Peter examined Sugar, their babbling baby in his arms blissfully unaware of the building tensions. Sydney didn’t know why but Carmy looked so small. Not like himself. Her hand reached for his under the table, his touch made her shiver. Slowly, she pulled his hand to rest in her lap, cupped within hers. She placed her other hand above his cocooning his hand in her warmth and protection.

He sighed deeply as he looked into Sydney’s encouraging brown eyes. He remained looking at her as he spoke. “Mikey loved using half heavy cream half coconut cream. We figured it out one day when we didn’t have enough heavy cream," He finally gathered the strength to face his mother. "It came out perfect and we never changed.” Appreciative sounds filtered around the table.

“Oh, Carm.” Donna's laugh grew until it drowned out the room's quiet chattering. Her laugh dangerously teetered towards the sound of crying. The longer it went on the more Syd questioned if she was actually laughing or crying. Donna's hair covered her face and her hands trembled as she vibrated with sarcastic joy. “You are so special!” She clasped her hands together sending an echo around the room. “So special that you missed your own brother's funeral!” Her throat churned out louder and louder gurgling laughter until she fell into a coughing fit.

"Here Mom let's drink some water." Sugar handed her the cup of water Donna refused to touch all night.

"I don't need water!" The liquid splashed Natalie's legs as it fell to the ground under Donna's hand. "Go be useful and start the dishes!" She waved her hand behind her, not bothering to spare Sugar a passing glance.

Carmy exited the table, escaping from the world he so desperately wanted to leave. Donna was none the wiser, the alcohol content in her blood had exceeded normal levels and only her words were important in this moment. Each face surrounding the table was shadowed by the light of her vigor. Her stage was set and she was not going to let the moment pass without earning a standing ovation. Sydney turned to Sugar who darted her eyes in the direction Carmy went, silently telling her to follow. Which she did.

He sat on the steps of the house face buried in his hands. Without looking up he stuttered out. "P-please just leave, you shouldn't" He shook his head looking out at the street in front of him. "I never wanted you involved with this part of my life. Now you see why."

"Carmy." She slowly squeezed next to him, gently grasping his shaking hands almost instantly stilling them. "You are not your mother." She ducked her head catching his red eyes. His lashes were wet and his face flushed. "You're you, you're one of the best chefs at the best restaurant in Chicago if you ask me."

That earned her a chuckle, which she enjoyed. Warmth radiated through her chest when he grinned at her, despite his tears.

"How do you always know what to say?" He knocked her knee with his.

"Because, Chef, you're my Executive Chef I'm supposed to know you inside and out."

That seemed to sober him up and dry his tears. He'd forgotten that they weren't where they used to be. Not at all. Still, the words she used to effectively end their ten-month relationship replayed in his mind when he'd sit alone with his thoughts for too long.

"I think we just need to set some boundaries."

"Boundaries?" He repeated incredulously, tilting his head. "What do you even mean by that Syd?"

"We can't be together and run The Bear together, it's not working."

"Syd, you sound-"

"I sound what Carmen?" She narrowed her eyes challenging him.

"Afraid." He replied honestly. "You're just afraid, but that's okay because I am too." His hands wrapped around hers, pulling her closer to him with a gentle tug. Brown and blue watched each other, their noses brushed. His lips ghosted across hers and they tingled at the feeling. She was feet away from him when he blinked again, pulled from the haze they often created when in close proximity to one another.

"I'll clean out my drawer tonight." She left out the door before he could argue. He watched her go. That was all he could do. She left him, his lover, his soulmate, the one thing he thought he'd gotten right... she left him.

"Earth to Carmy." She snapped her fingers pulling back his focus. "Dude you gotta stop staring at me like that." She teased but he saw her throat move alongside a nervous gulp.

"Sorry, I just..." He shrugged. "I'm just happy that you're in my life still after" He waved his hand. "After everything. You're the only sure thing I have."

These were the times Sydney felt her defenses were down. That all of the hard work she put in to get over him was simply a farce. A mask she wore to avoid the deep-cutting pain that their separation left her with. He just had to look at her, sick those intense eyes on her and she was suspended in his delicate grasp. He was saying so much. Professing his love, apologizing for whatever, begging her to come back. She felt it all, she read it all just from a simple gaze. She hadn't realized her eyes had fallen closed until his nose brushed up against hers, and her lungs sucked air in begging for the burning to stop. She could feel gentle bursts of air tickling her glossy lips and he'd begun to feel a hint of stickiness rubbing against his.

"Carmen!" Donna burst through the door ruining what they'd just created. The rest of the dinner table was in tow. Their faces were worried, they'd obviously been trying to talk her out of going outside. But Donna was a Berzatto and you didn't tell a Berzatto what to do. "I just came to apologize." She stumbled forward as Carmy stood to his feet to catch her. "I ruin everything." She sniffled, mascara-dyed tears trailing her face. "I'm sorry Sydney." She turned to the stunned girl, nearing her to pull her into a hug but Carmy grasped his mothers' arm pulling her back.

"Let's go to bed ma." He began leading her back inside without another word.

Syd watched them go, feeling pangs of sadness in her chest as Carmy and Richie helped her to bed.

"Claire said she was sober the last time she came to dinner." Fak's friend, Kelly, whispered her statement to Fak but Sydney heard. Sugar knew that Sydney heard because her eyes widened along with hers.

"Wait, Claire? As in Carmy's ex-whatever?" Syd questioned as her brow twitched, the warmth that spread across her face was due to something other than nervousness now.

"I feel like I said something I shouldn't 've." Kelly's eyes widened as they bounced between each of them. She awkwardly cleared her throat before slowly turning away and walking back to the dining room.

"Hold on, come back-" Sydney started to follow her but Natalie stopped her.

"A few weeks back Carmy brought Claire to dinner," She informed her before quickly adding, "He said it was innocent and they just randomly ran into each other."

She shouldn't care. She really shouldn't. They weren't together anymore and this was all fake. He had his own life and he was obviously living it. She had her own life and she had to start living it sooner or later. It's her fault for thinking highly of a man with deep-seated mommy issues anyway.

"It's fine." She pressed her lips together in a thin line. If Sugar was Carmy she'd be poking and prodding her for additional information. She'd see right through her mystique and ask what the fuck was up. But Sugar was not Carmy, she accepted Syd's answer and went back to the dining room.

The man of the hour walked back in, his face drained of energy. Richie patted his back before leaving for the living room. She wanted to be angry at him, but fuck he still held the key to her heart and he refused to return it. The fucker.

"Let'g go." He said just above a whisper and they went.

The car ride was quiet, aside from Carmy's outdated radio that played early 2000s pop through static. It wasn't until he pulled up to her house that the silence was sliced open. 

"Okay, what is it?" He shifted gears and turned to her.

"I don't know what you're talking about." She crossed her arms. He kept secrets she could keep secrets too.

"Sydney..." He huffed. "Please, just tell me, it's been a long day."

"Fak's friend said that Claire was at dinner with you and your family a few weeks ago?"

He paused pursing his lips. "Yeah, we uh ran into each other and-and she's a family friend so" He shrugged.

"Right, right" Sydney slowly nodded, her patience was running thinner by the second. "So, just a silly question!"

Carmy braced preparing himself. "What's up?"

"Why didn't you just bring her to dinner? I could've fucked off and spent my night with someone else. With Marcus or-"

"Marcus?" He cut her off. "What is it, are you two together or something? I've noticed how close you two have gotten." He challenged. "Funnily enough it was right after you left me."

"That's none of your business Carm!" She rolled her eyes, deciding to not dignify his accusation with a response. "I'm just saying, next time bother her with your odd jobs. I'm sure she's great at jobs!"

“Look nobody twisted your arm, okay?” He ignored her crude joke, voice raising only slightly. But in the tight space of his car, the smallest inflection made all the difference. He knows better than to raise his voice at her. “You willingly came."

“You might as well have twisted my arm! You put on that forlorn face. The one that makes you look like a wounded puppy-“

“Nice” He scoffs. “Really nice. Look just go, get out of my car.” He reached across her and opened the door. Her perfume clogged his nose and all he could do was think about how angry the smell made him. How she took it away and dangled it above him day in and day out. How she didn't even leave so much as a t-shirt with her lingering scent. One he could press against his face and inhale on the nights he missed her the most. He couldn't stop thinking about how someone else was enjoying her scent instead of him. How someone else got to see her more than him and listen to her ramble on and on about cooking and anything else that popped into her head. He couldn't help but feel bitter, it should be him.

“Yeah, whatever” She slams his door and rushes towards her apartment. On days like these, she wished her dad was behind the door waiting for her with his comforting smile. Ready to soothe whatever ill feelings she was experiencing. But when she unlocked her door she was met with darkness and silence. She was alone.

She’d just taken her shoes off and thrown her purse on the kitchen island when she felt a shift in energy. The air was thick and a creek sounded from the front of the apartment. He sighed heavily, it emanated from the cracks in the door. He knocks softly as if he didn’t want her to hear.

She stared at the partition, internally debating on what she should do. Perhaps if she stood as still as a statue, he’d surmise she was in the shower or didn’t hear him and leave.

“Come on Syd I know you’re there.” His thick accent made his words stick together.

“Weirdo.” She muttered sauntering to the door and swinging it open. Ugh, there goes those eyes again. 

“I heard that” He brushed past her and into the dimly lit apartment. “Look, I-“ He shakes his head, placing a closed fist over his chest. They hadn’t done it in a while. It felt way too intimate after their breakup. But drastic times called for drastic measures. He must've known how easily that'd make her turn to mush. “I’m sorry. Sorry I yelled and guilted you into coming to dinner and for being shitty in the car-“

“Woah woah woah slow down Carm” She meets him further in her home, clicking on a soft light. The golden glow created a halo above his head. “You call that yelling? I’ve endured much worse from you.”

“Unfucking believable! “ He throws his hands in defeat. “Can’t you just be quiet for like 10 seconds while I apologize? “

“Oh, this is an apology“ She points to nothing in particular. “It's great Carm, keep going!” He released a heavy sigh through his nose. Her brown eyes reflected the light and softened her hard gaze. Her deep skin glistened under the low lighting making her appear enchanted. Like something out of a Renaissance painting.

“God, you’re insufferable and stubborn." How could someone so breathtaking get under his skin like this?

She ignored the clarifying beauty he naturally possessed, nothing was going to distract her from what she needed to say. “You’re neurotic and have anger issues! Maybe take a therapist to dinner next time.“

“I wish I never fucking hired you!” He yells.

“I regret ever walking into that shithole!” She fires back.

He breathes taking in the gravity of her words. “So, that’s really how you feel?”

She ignores his inquiry because no she doesn’t feel that way. She counts the day she walked into The Beef as one of the best things that ever happened to her. But he didn’t need to know that. “Look I was waiting for the right time to tell you but," She takes a deep breath, preparing herself. "I’m leaving.”

“What? The Bear?” He felt like he’d just been gut-punched “I don't understand. You can’t leave?”

“I’m leaving, Carmen.” She stands her ground, on trembling legs, but she still stood her ground.

He blinked a few times feeling tremors of anxiety climbing his arms. “W-when?”

“Next month.” Her voice cracked. "I was offered a great position in LA and I'm staging there soon. Look, I've been scouting CDC's and I found a reliable one. He's hard-working and... Carm?"

He hadn't realized he was shaking until she gently touched his forearm. He jumped away as if her touch burned him. Their uneven breathing filled the room with sound. The distant sounds of cicadas screamed outside and the air conditioning clicked on before she decided to continue speaking. “Carm say something?”

“You can’t leave.” He repeats which made Sydney rolls her eyes. 

“I thought once upon a time that I’d never leave. That you… that we’d have The Bear as our baby forever but,” She blinks back tears, she’d die before he’d get to see her cry. “Things change and people change. Plus you just said you wish you never hired me."

“So this is it?” He mutters giving her those pleading eyes again. “That’s just it for us?”

“Yeah,” She slowly nods, brushing her hand over his. No matter what went on between them they seemed to have a force between them. Pulling them closer and closer without either realizing it. "This is it, I'll be out of your hair in a month.

“This can’t be it, Chef,” He says mere inches from her face. His eyes trail to her lips that sat waiting for him. “Look, I-I need you.” She could only gulp feeling the intensity of the situation set in. After their breakup things were sore for a while but they had lives to live. They never had a chance to double back, to have one last hoorah before lights out. "Sydney. I thank god every day that you walked into The Beef and accepted that position. I don't want you out of my hair."

“You don’t need me-“

“I do need you.”

"The Bear was always yours."

"It's ours. I can't imagine sharing it- this, with anybody else. Sydney." He slightly shook his head. "Don't do this, baby."

Maybe it’d undo all of the work they put into trying to hate each other. Trying to forget about the other's touch or the feeling of their lips on each other. But they could no longer deny what they wanted to do so badly. His hands still felt right around her, pulling her closer. His lips still fit perfectly against hers. She still loved to jump up into his muscular arms and wrap her legs around him. He preened at the feeling of her back in his arms like this, kissing him like nothing ever happened. She sunk into the soft foam of her bed as he laid her back and proceeded to climb over her. His mouth hovered over hers, hesitantly he opened his eyes in an effort to read her. The girl who stole his heart (and one day his last name) was still so hard to read. But at this moment she was open her eyes were honest. She wanted him as much as he wanted her. Carnally. His yearning was near animalistic at this point. Not being able to kiss her and taste her for seven and a half weeks was making him go crazy, but here she was. His fix, waiting for him to make the next move.

"Syd, I...I don't want this to be just sex." He confessed. "I want you back. I'll do anything, I'll change anything. Just please, don't leave me." Her brown eyes flashed with something he couldn't put his finger on but her smile made his heart flutter. Her hand was soft as it gently ran over his ear and neck, despite the burns and cuts she endured over the years. He recalled her once saying shea butter kept her hands soft. She always smelled of it and this time was no different.

"Let's just enjoy this, yeah?" She leaned up kissing him as her arms pulled him against her body. His mind yelled at him to stop talking and enjoy the moment, but how could he if she was just going to walk right out of his life after?

They touched and kissed and rubbed against each other until Syd found herself on top of him. Her heat pressed against the stiffness that pressed against his jeans. Her sounds were intoxicating when his hands gripped her hips and controlled the speed of her gyrations. Over and over again she ground against him chasing sweet pleasure. He could stay like this forever. They both knew that. He never came in his boxers until she walked into his life and sat in his lap. She pulled away, desire in her eyes as she worked to open his jeans.

"Boles de Picolat." She says as her warm hand wrapped around him and began moving up and down.

"Fuck" He groaned. "Are you seriously thinking about the menu, now?" He panted already seeing spots. He hadn't had sex or even masturbated after their breakup, so he was embarrassingly close to coming from less than ten strokes of her hand.

She slinked down his body and made him curse god as her warm mouth sucked him in. His eyes rolled when his leaking tip pressed against the back of her throat. Her velvety smooth mouth swallowed him down as her throat gagged from the spurts of come dripping out of him. "Sorrysorrysorry" He wasn't sorry. His hips twitched as she continued worshiping him, he was still hard and ready to feel her all over.

"I didn't want to forget." She giggled innocently, his dick still twitching in her hand which made Carmy feel all types of hot. He gently grabbed her hand and pulled her back to him so he could kiss her. He tasted the saltiness of his release lingering on her tongue, but he didn't mind. "Also don't apologize. The point is to come." She yelped when he rolled them over. His shirt was the first to go followed by her cardigan. Her dress came off as he leaned back down to kiss that adorable smile off of her face.

"How many?" He questioned as he kissed down her body. He could smell her arousal mixing with the mango and vanilla of her perfume. He kissed her clothed valley, feeling just how turned on she was through the lacey fabric.

"How many what?" She questioned.

"How many times do you think I can make you come?" He used his finger to push her panties aside so he can finally taste her. He moaned like a little bitch when her tangy cream melted on his tongue.

She whimpered, trying her hardest to keep her legs open but it was becoming harder with each pass of his tongue. Her thighs were pressing against his ears, vibrating in no time.

Like the ocean kissing the shore, he rolled his tongue over her swollen bud relishing in the high pitch sounds mewling from her mouth. He loved her like this. She walked around The Bear like she was the toughest thing out of Chicago. Never taking time to relax and rest. But Carmy knew just how to sedate her. He knew how to turn her brain to mush so she had no choice but to relax under him. He hadn't realized he'd forgotten to remove his rings until his fingers were knuckles deep inside of her, but by the volume of her moans, she didn't mind. She constricted his fingers as he pressed over and over against that sweet spot within her. He pulled back to observe at her pulsating entrance mesmerized at the beauty of her body. God why the fuck was he jealous of his own fingers. Her hips jerked and her cunt pulsated rapidly as her first orgasm washed over her.

She didn't have time to fully recover. When she blinked he was lining himself up at her entrance, his red, leaking tip rubbing her over throbbing clit.

"Carmy,-" She began, tone unreadable. As it usually was. She was always so worried. He cut her off by shoving his fingers soiled with her pleasure into her mouth. She deserved to experience how good she tasted.

"Sh, just enjoy it." He slowly pressed into her loving the dazed look that overtook her face. She nodded obeying his command as he began gaining pace. He removed his fingers when she moaned filthily head thrown back in ecstasy.

"Fuckfuckfuck" She breathed already feeling another orgasm climbing her body. His pace accelerated pulling her leg a bit higher on his hip so he could fuck her through her second orgasm.

"That's it" He encouraged against the shell of her ear. "Let go, love." His groan matched hers as she squeezed him, writhing through another orgasm. Her moans were growing louder and louder as he continued fucking into her at the same pace. Her thighs were touching her belly now as his hands held her legs up. A simple glance down at his hands commanding her body made her sensitive rose throb with pleasure. "Again, already?" He couldn't help but chuckle.

"Fuck you-" Her words were cut off when he adjusted his angle and found some hidden button that made her words slur into unintelligible stuttering. He grinned watching her let go again, this time pushing him closer to the edge.

"You're so beautiful" He panted feeling his orgasm creep up his body. "You're my beautiful- fuck- my beautiful girl, all mine." He let an embarrassing noise echo through the room as he released long white stripes inside of her. She met his thrusts wanting to draw his orgasm out as long as possible. His throat was raw as he gulped down air trying to regain his composure but tremors of his release were still running through his body like an electrical current.

Later that evening they lay beside one another in her bed. She rested against his chest and he inhaled the sweet smell of her hair feeling his heart burst. Then something hit him.

"Earlier you started saying something but I stopped you," He could hear the tiredness in his voice. "What were you going to say?"

She hummed drawing a circle on his chest with her finger. He kissed her forehead. Since he'd gotten her back in his arms he couldn't stop adorning her face with kisses. "That I uh...I was just gonna say, I love you."

He figured. It still freaked him out how well they knew each other. "I love you too."

[cattyanon]

Another Sonic Prime AU

Well then I suppose I am obligated to share if you're staring that intently! :)

To preface my explanation I would like to state that Shadow can traverse through the Shatterspaces on account of how else are they gonna get home? There is a catch though. That being that it becomes draining to stay in a Shatterspace for too long. He can stay in one maybe like a day or two but if he doesn't return to the void and rest there he risks the same potential fate canon Sonic risks at the end of season 3.

Anyways, infodump about Sonic's situation below:

So instead of him starting in New Yoke he's pretty obviously started in Boscage Maze. He comes hurtling out of the sky and before he can regain any bearings he slams head-first into a tree that happens to be situated in a place where he then drops into the Scavenger's territory.

As you can probably imagine, the scavengers do not take kindly to his presence. They find him passed out and tie him up for questioning. And when he does wake up he's extremely confused and has no idea what's happening- even more unable to answer any and all questions they might have than in canon. They (mostly Prim) don't take kindly to his confusion 'act' and accuse him of trying to come and steal from them but failing miserably and injuring himself in the process. Eventually Prim decides to have Gnarly throw him over the edge WHILE STILL TIED UP and tells him something along the lines of "if you live then maybe you'll gain a little more respect".

Literally the only reason he comes out relatively unscathed is because he instinctively curls into a ball as a defense mechanism. It kinda hurts due to the bindings but it works- he lives. He then manages to free himself and, in true Sonic fashion, has this inexplicable urge to run once he regains his bearings. But he doesn't get too far because without any limiters the Prism energy inside him is prone to bubbling up and eventually spilling out in a way that starts to burn up his shoes.

Not knowing what else to do he goes into survival mode. He doesn't know how he knows some of things he does but he's thankful for it regardless. Then comes a pivotal turning point in the plot...

He saves these baby flickies from a giant wild cat (i assume there's probably more than giant flickies in Boscage Maze that we just didn't get to see) by taking a hit for them in his panic to protect them and as it happens, the parents saw the whole thing. They come swooping and chase off the giant and, appreciative of him saving their babies, decide to help nurse him back to health. Since this is Sonic he does recover faster than your average mobian but it's definitely not Shadow levels of fast.

By the end of him recovering he's hesitant to leave them. They'd been the only ones to show him compassion so far and it's not like he really knew anything about where he was. So when they attempt to nudge him back into the wild he makes it very obvious that he wants to stay with them. And having bonded while he was recovering, the flickies are like "okay fine you can stay" in their own bird way.

And since I like angst there's quite a few things that happen to him before Shadow finds him, with the most notable one being how the Prism energy effects him since he doesn't have limiters/regulators to keep them at bay.

Since the Shatterspaces are heavily implied to be made up of Prism energy in some way and that in canon his shoes and gloves adapted to the world he was in, something similar happens. But unlike canon he has no way to suppress it. So instead of just changing his shoes and gloves it starts to effect him physically. And adapting to his surroundings, he takes on giant flicky-like qualities. Up to a certain length his hands and feet become more bird-like and his arms develop giant flight feathers. He doesn't get a beak but now most of his teeth are sharp fangs and he's got that little pattern on his face that Birdie has. To top it off he's grown a few feet and has the ability to control plants to a small extent.

And although this isn't because of the Prism energy, it's worth noting that his time spent with the giant flickies has rubbed off on him in that he learns how to communicate with/understand them and might have developed a few bird-like habits that I need to think on. (if anybody knows any interesting bird specific habits do tell) He also becomes a Mangey-like situation where he doesn't really know how to speak anymore (except bird noises) and has very feral tendencies.

And then Shadow comes along and has to not only deal with trying to put their world back together with Sonic the way he is but when their world DOES get put back together he's also going to have to deal with explaining Sonic's situation and help reintegrate him into society since he's the only one he feels inclined to trust besides Tails.

As a side note he very much does not like Rouge, Knuckles, and Amy in that order due to his not so good experiences with their Boscage variants.

[needfantasticstories]

Sky *nod nod*

SKYYYYYYYYY!

I’m going to use this space to ramble about (Skyloftian? Skylartian?) …sports in Skyloft.

We know there’s a bunch of knights, and they have sword training. We know they’ve got birds they ride like horses, but they can’t carry much weight, so no big spears for air-jousting. They’ve got archery too, and maybe slingshots. But what about lightweight spears with throwers like atlatls? Too deadly… They also have bamboo. I dunno why, but they have it.

How about a mashup of Pato + Horseball + lightweight jousting? Let’s say…a pato-style ball (big leather and rubber ball with 6 handles) and thin, long and flexible poles with crook ends to grab the ball.

A ball can only be “possessed” if hooked by one of these “claws” (cannot touch players body). Others fly around and try to steal it. They can have shields to protect themselves and their birds from the other “claws”

A big 6 foot closed-net hoop in each corner, 2 for each team, face the field at a 45 degree angle. There are 6 players per team. The ball has to be passed at least once before scoring (horseball).

Each team’s hoop is surrounded by 4 smaller hoops of the opposing team. If the player scores in their own goal, they get two points. If they miss, and the ball goes into one of those small goals, the opposing team scores one point.

5 ten-minute rounds, 5 minute breaks between. Team with the most points at the end wins.

How could shields be utilized?

How to keep the birds safe?

Want to take a stab at it? Go for it and tag me!

Please tag everyone you know that writes LU fics who might like this idea. It’s free to whoever wants it!

@skyloftian-nutcase @margindoodles2407 @sky-squido @skyward-floored @arecaceae175

[captaincleverusernamehere]

I’ve decided to compile all of the out of context quotes from my current D&D campaign that we’ve collected up to this point (7 sessions so far) so here’s this mess:

- “I’m proficient in longswords, shortswords, longbows, and shortbows, so basically size doesn't matter to me"

- “I’m checking the rat traps for food”

- “Do zombies do fire damage? Probably not.”

- “If you aren’t prepared for this, go back to the Waffle House.”

- “What if we held hands on the way to 7/11 and I was a lizard and you were a zombie”

- “4 hp, no balls”

- “Okay but if its a bomb, why would it be moving?” “maybe it’s a zombie chihuahua”

- “You wake up at the same time as everyone else.” “AWW, I wanted to steal something- I mean, nothing.”

- “guys, im trying to sacrifice a rat tail to a god right now”

- “Do it in the voice or we’ll fuck- I MEAN WE’RE FUCKED”

- “How long does it take you to piss?? It’s been HOURS”

- “You don’t know if there are other things on the encounter table than zombies” “could be a pack of rabid chihuahuas”

- “Calorie free vegetables”

- “you both aren’t human, so it isn’t cannibalism…” <— they burnt a man to a crisp and were debating the ethics of eating him

- “pass the nyoom around the room”

- “If you blow a hillbilly…”

- “I’m gonna rizz up that robot dog”

- “Wider and shorter, that’s the puberty of your 40s.” “I think you mean your 70s.” “No it hits earlier than you’d think.”

- “I can deal with dick”

- “You should’ve been able to handle it!” “That’s what she said”

- “You’re like an antivaxxer but for gods.” “That’s just an atheist.”

- “I cant use Healing Hands can I?” “No you’re dead.”

- “I love Angry Dick”

-“We haven’t had anything else to eat except for rats and Jeramie!”

-“We’re not just a Waffle House, we’re a Waffle *Home*”

-“I have proficiency in animal handling” “Don’t fucking handle me, bitch”

-“Ignoring the two elephants in the basement, what will we do about the three other elephants arriving?”

-“I step in front of him” “so WHAT WAS THE POINT OF BEING STEALTHY??” “for the entrance!”

-“Lights are still blinking as this eight year old threatens this short man with a knife”

-"her name's bob or something"

-“Is his heart shrinking like the grinch?”

-"every time i speak i have such good ideas" "WHEN was the good idea???" "all of them"

-"you touch yourself and yell"

-“hey siri, can hedgehogs shoot blood out of their eyes?”

-“I’m not cold!!” “you’re dead, you don’t count!”

-“Mara, we’re not going home without her. We might go home without *you*”

-“What’s Irthir’s gender?” “Lizard.”

-“Oh! I’ve always wanted to read Crime and Punishment!”

-“ADD FLAWS!! YES!!”

-"I AM ILL WITH TYPHUS!"

-*Mission Impossible Theme 1 hour loop*

-"do zombies eat squirrels?"

-“DICK FUNKO AWAKENS FROM HIS SLUMBER!!!”

-“I step on the gas - where is Dick Funko?!”

-"as you are making this man into ground beef"

-"get in losers we're going to new mexico"

-"OLENT DO YOU WANNA LOSE YOUR DICK TODAY"

-"do you mind people touching your birds... a lot?”

-"Medea, i'm going to teach you the alphabet! you're welcome! your lessons begin tomorrow!"

(Part 1/ who knows how many)

[eflen-n-reegee]

Imagine we go on a camping trip together.

We wake up in our tent to the sound of birds singing. It’s chilly outside, but we’re bundled in our warmest jammies and wrapped up in comfy blankies. We lie there for a while, enjoying the comfiness of the tent and all the sounds and smells of the forest.

Finally we get up and make ourselves some breakfast. We have the choice of cereal or eggs or toast, or all three! Chipmunks run around the edge of our campsite while we eat, hoping to steal any crumbs we drop.

After breakfast we get our swimsuits and sunscreen and beach toys. It’s a short walk from our campsite to the lake, and we spot plenty of cool bugs along the way. When we reach the sand we drop our towels and race to the water. It’s cold - almost too cold, but not quite. We shriek and splash each other, and we get used to the chill of the water. We play catch with a beach ball, and duck underwater to watch the fish. There’s a swampy place by the water’s edge, and we creep through the mud and catch slimy green frogs. They wiggle in our hands until we gently let them go.

Finally we climb out of the water and dry off, shivering in the wind. We hurry back to our campsite and change into warm, dry clothes. We have sandwiches for lunch, and then we settle into our tent for a nap.

When we wake up, we have visitors - a pair of deer are grazing on berries at the edge of our campsite! We watch in silent delight until they meander away. Then we get our backpacks and get what we need for a hike. Boots, lots of water, sunscreen, plushies to keep us company - and don’t forget the bug spray!

The path starts near our campsite and goes up a large hill. We see lots of plants and beautiful flowers, little lizards sunning themselves on rocks, and a hawk circling above us. We wade through a lazily moving river and dip our hands under a small waterfall. When we get back to the campsite we’re tired out, but happy.

We start up a campfire and cook dinner over the flames. We burn it a little, but we can pick around the edges. We tell jokes and funny stories and watch the fire brighten as the sky darkens. Finally, the embers are hot enough to roast marshmallows. There’s no limit to how many s’mores we can have, and we get sticky with marshmallow and melted chocolate.

The night creeps up around us, but with a sky full to bursting with stars, we aren’t scared. We find shapes in the sky and make spooky noises and watch the fire die down. By the time it’s safely out, we can barely keep our eyes open. We put our pajamas on, crawl into our sleeping bags, and immediately fall asleep.

[prongsiess]

Incorrect Marauders quotes as stuff my friends have said in the past 3 years:

Remus: can I steal a chocolate?

Lily, who just witnessed Remus give a first year detention for looking at Sirius: I mean, you don’t deserve it but sure

Sirius: PIN HIM DOWN! PIN HIM DOWN!

*James, menacingly holding out toast with jam towards moony*

Remus: ok no, we’re not force feeding me

Regulus: you mean the ceiling?

James: yeah… I was gonna call it the sky floor

Peter: on a scale of potato to nun, I am a potato

Mary, looking at Lily: on a scale of pre-marital sex to the pope, how religious are you?

Lily, who just spent 8 hours studying for NEWTS: I’m just trying to eat my supper

Marlene: do I trust you with hot wax near my vagina…?

Sirius, already putting on medical gloves and heating up the wax machine: please do

Pandora, scratching their eye: there’s something in my eye

Regulus, not even looking up from his book: your finger

Barty: you’re not a cat

Regulus, transforms into his animagus form: meow

James, half conscious on the pitch after a quidditch accident: my toes are asleep

Regulus, frantic and crying: wake them up, scream at them, I DON’T KNOW

Lily: you look like slutty Dora the Explorer

Sirius, very proud of his outfit: WHORA

Mary, talking about her pet cat: the vet’s gonna cut off his balls. Maybe it’ll make him calmer

Lily, looking over to James who’s trying to climb a chandelier: we should do that to James

Regulus: what if I hang myself

James: that’s exactly why we’re bringing you to therapy

Dorcas, looking pensively at the wall: do you know what triggers a woman?

Peter: what does?

Dorcas: oh i don’t know, I just wanted to sound smart

Mary, a pansexual third year talking about her crush on this sixth year quidditch player: those arm veins really do something to me

Frank, a straight fifth year, observing this dude’s arm very attentively: yes, very sexy

Pandora: am I the only one that thinks its hot right now

Barty, who’s learning muggle medical terms to spite his father: yeah I’m in menopause too

James, deathly afraid of birds: if I was bird I’d scare myself to death

Regulus: I mean, it could be fun. We could shit on people