#he is after all; the strongest and the bravest and the best of them.

[starflungwaddledee]

some rather strong first impressions were made.

required reading for the magical "voice" headcanon and another for starstruck's signature in particular. asked by @trainerbob23 !

[versegm]

Mash digs the grave herself. 

The soil is too hard for any of the staff to lend a hand. With the contract broken, Mash doesn’t have any more strength than the average human either, but what she lacks in power she makes up with stubbornness. The result is a shallow, dirty mess, which will surely be unearthed after the first rain. But this is the only thing she can give. 

She wants to lower the body too, but the effort of digging took too much out of her. The Chaldea staff does it in her stead. Meunière spreads a blanket over the trunk, hiding most of the injuries. Like this, it almost looks like Senpai is sleeping.

For a moment, there is nothing but silence. No one wants to be the first one to speak.

Eventually, Director Goredolf steps forward. “I… know I have not known the Master of Chaldea for long, compared to some of you. But they were still- very influential to me. I owe them my life, multiple times over.” Mash remembers- the first time he stepped into Chaldea. The arrogance and disdain dripping off his every word. There is none of that right now. He looks down at the corpse, pain all over his features. 

“We disagreed on many things.” The New Director continues. “But they were- truly, one of the bravest, one of the strongest, one of- of the kindest people I have ever met. They were… a splendid human.”

Yes. Senpai… was a human. Despite what anyone might think, mage or demon pillar or servant- they were a human. Just a simple, ordinary human.

And ordinary humans die when they are killed.

“Senpai was…” What can she even say here? How can one summarize an entire life, and entire relationship, in a handful of words? Nothing she can could possibly be enough. Nothing she can say can possibly give them justice. “They were… my first friend. My best friend. They were… they were everything to me.”

And now they’re gone.

She had lost the doctor. She had lost Da Vinci. Through everything, through everything- they had been the one person she could always lean on.

And now she is the last one. 

“I…” Her voice cracks, then. Her whole body seizes, overtaken by grief, and she hiccups a sob.

It’s like a dam has broken. One by one, the people around the grave start weeping as well. Director Goredolf stands quietly, tears streaming down his face. Meunière wails, a profound, broken sound from the depth of his soul. Sion closes her eyes, huffs, then punches a nearby tree.

“Damn it,” she hisses, “damn it all!”

So, this is it. This is the end. Without anyone with Master affinities, they’re all doomed. Without servants, none of them have the firepower to survive this.

Still, they have to try. To honor their sacrifice, if nothing else-

“Oh thank god I found you guys in time.”

The entirety of the Chaldea crew turns at the same time, facing the voice. The sight renders Mash speechless.

Senpai stands among the bushes, well and alive, while their corpse lies barely a few feet away.

Their gaze goes from Mash, to the grave, to Mash again. “Ah. This is. Really awkward.” 

“You-”

Mash doesn’t know who spoke up, and she doesn’t care. Senpai jumps into the clearing, hurrying towards them. “Look, I’m really, really sorry, but I’m kind of on a time limit here. I give it maaaybe two hours until Benni-Enma tracks me down, three if I’m lucky and she fights the Wild Hunt on the way for custody over my soul. So. Uhm. Can I ask you guys to grieve me later? Please? We have to move now.”

“You are dead.” It’s Director Goredolf this time. He looks like he’s been hit by a truck. “You- you are dead. We buried you.”

“I know.” They smile at him, because why wouldn’t they? “But if you don’t move now, you all will die too. Please. I can’t help you guys as much as I used to. I don’t know how long it takes to crawl out of an underworld. We need to do as much as possible while I’m here.”

Mash recognizes that attitude. They’ve been like that for as long as Mash can remember. Always looking forward. Sometimes, it felt like if they paused for a second, if they looked back even once- they would die. Like a shark, at risk of drowning the second it stops moving. Sometimes, it felt like they were running at full speed, because the road beneath their feet was crumbling, and if they thought back on their losses, if they spent too long reminiscing, they would fall apart with it. Senpai is urging them all to do the same now- Eurydice begging Orpheus to leave her behind, to just move, move, move, crawl as far as they can, to keep their sorrow in until they’re safe to express it.

Mash hates it. She hates it like she has never hated anything before.

But they are running out of time.

She reaches out, grabs Senpai’s arm. She’s still crying, but she refuses to let the tears blurry her sight. “Lead the way, Senpai.”

[rollinouttahere-writes]

How about strawhats with a reader who has bad nightmares? It can be about anything (personal fears, past events or even just random spooky stuff). But tries to keep them private cause they think it’s embarrassing cause they’re on a ship with some of the strongest people they’ve met?

Platonic Yandere Straw Hats x GN!Reader

Good luck keeping that a secret with how nosy this whole crew is. You might be able to get away with it for like a week before you’re found out. That being said, they’re all very understanding. Of you having nightmares, at least. They think it’s kinda dumb that you would want to keep it a secret. What? You think only the strongest man in the world is allowed to have nightmares? That’s silly!

Luffy teases you the most about it, but it’s all lighthearted. You’re all friends, you should have said so sooner! He will pester you to tell him about your nightmares, and won’t take no for an answer. If they’re about your personal fears or are simply abstract nightmares, he’ll try to make light of them. Making jokes and bluntly pointing out how little sense they make, and promising that he’ll punch them if they do ever become realized. Even if that isn’t physically possible, it’s Luffy, he’ll find a way.

If these nightmares are about things that have happened to you before, that’s different. In the scenario where you went through something generally upsetting, he just kinda shrugs it off. It’s in the past, so you don’t need to worry about it anymore! Now if someone hurt you… Would you look at that, they suddenly need to make a detour to where that person lives. Not that they’re going to live for much longer.

Zoro isn’t great with this kind of stuff and is not the best person to go to. He’s probably why you were so hesitant to begin with, which does make him feel bad if it’s pointed out to him. It’s not like he looks down on you for having nightmares or being scared by them, he just doesn’t think it’s a big deal. It’s not like a nightmare can physically hurt you, so it’s fine. Right? At least that’s what he believed until Nami and Sanji laid into him for being so dismissive.

After that, he tries to be a bit more empathetic. His attempts are so awkward that you can’t help but laugh. Finally, he thinks of something he can do! He asks what your nightmares are about, and provided that they are about something tangible, he’ll offer to cut them down for you. He’s a swordsman afterall, that’s what he does best! Even if you don’t want him to, he will. You just don’t know what’s good for you, so let him handle it.

Nami understands where you’re coming from and your point of view on this. She’s also prone to nightmares and prefers to keep them to herself, but now she feels bad about it. Would you be more willing to open up and share if she had done it before? She starts talking about her own nightmares with you, hoping that it’ll inspire you to do the same. If you don’t she gets irritated and low key offended. Why aren’t you talking to her? Don’t you trust her? She’s so nice to you!

You’re sleeping in her bed with her now, and it’s not an option. Nami is a light sleeper, so if you start tossing and turning or crying in your sleep, she will know. Rather than waking you up immediately, she simply watches for a while, hoping you’ll say something in your sleep that will tell her more about your nightmares. You better hope that any names uttered in your sleep are people you aren’t fond of.

Usopp acts like this is second nature to him. Of course you would come to him even if you didn’t for help! He defeated the god of nightmares once, and it looks like he’ll need to do so again! He’s admittedly baffled that you would try to keep your nightmares from him. For all his false bravado, he REALLY is not anywhere near being the strongest or bravest Straw Hat. Yet you thought HE would judge YOU for having nightmares? Are you okay? Did you hit your head?

His method for helping you is offering to stay up with you on nights where you’re wracked with nightmares. Whether that be hanging out in the crows nest to keep watch or working on something in his workshop together. If you choose to share what your nightmare was about, he’ll go on these long tangents about how he would deal with these nightmares and show them who’s boss! His ultimate goal here is to make you laugh, that’s the most that he believes he can do. Though if you do mention the nightmares being about someone, he’ll relay that information to someone more capable of handling it.

Sanji is one of the best people to go to about this, he’s so sweet. Even if you don’t approach him, he’s very observant (especially about you) so it’s only a matter of time before he clocks it. When it is out in the open, he goes all out. You’ve woken up in the middle of the night because of your nightmares? He’s already awake somehow and making you tea and snacks (this probably summons Luffy tbh). He will ask about the nature of those nightmares, but won’t push you to explain if you become visibly uncomfortable. Some things are best left in the past and he gets that. Though he will offer to kick anyone they could be about. He says it like a lighthearted joke, but it is not.

Outside of that, he offers to stay up with you on nights where you don’t want to sleep. Yes, he would prefer that you get a good night’s sleep, but he can understand that sometimes you just don’t want to after a particularly upsetting nightmare. What you two do at night is up to you. You guys can just sit around and talk, partake in a hobby of yours, or have a late night baking session. If you do want to sleep, or if you’ve stayed up too much for his personal liking so now he’s forcing you, he’ll offer to sleep in your bed with you. He doesn’t really sleep though, instead preferring to watch you sleep in case another nightmare rears its ugly head. 

Chopper scolds you for keeping this from them. You’re missing out on valuable sleep! That isn’t good for you! That being said, he feels bad because he doesn’t really know what to do to fix this. There isn’t exactly a cure for nightmares, you know. Dreams in general are your brain’s way of dealing with the problems plaguing your mind, and nightmares are just an extreme form of that. You can’t control what your mind is going to try and cope with that night, and there is no treatment he can give you to make your mind cut it out.

The best that he, or anyone really, can do is get you to talk about it. If you talk about it when you’re awake, you might understand your problems well enough to not have nightmares about them. At least in theory. Even that isn’t a guarantee, much to Chopper’s chagrin. Worrying about you not getting adequate sleep keeps Chopper up at night, and he finds himself going to check on you a lot. Eventually, he decides to just sleep in your bed, hoping that having a friend around will help keep the nightmares away. If he finds out they’re about a particular person, he gets so upset as your doctor that he forgets his own fears and finds himself wanting to deal with them his damn self.

Robin feels really bad for you. She gets nightmares herself and probably finds out because she was already awake from her own. Figuring it’s best to suffer through this together, she’ll wake you up and coerce you into having a late night hang out with her. You two will be out on the deck talking about anything, not necessarily about your nightmares, just whatever comes to mind. She’ll also offer to read to you if you would be interested. That being said, she only stays lax about it if this happens once in a while. If you’re having them multiple times a week, that changes things. These are clearly bothering you way more than the average nightmare, so you can’t keep it to yourself. She’s not going to let you.

The questions and conversations get way more pointed, you won’t be able to avoid answering them without shutting down completely. Not that she’ll give you that option, she’s a very convincing woman. Sooner or later, you’ll find yourself spilling your soul to her. She’ll talk you through it and give the best advice she can come up with. If she finds out someone is to blame for this, they’ll be dealt with swiftly, don’t worry your little head about it. :)

[kifkay]

Winx Headcanons, part 2!

Riven is a genuine fan of Musa’s music.

Musa is an early riser and annoying about it. Flora is also an early riser but is chill about it. 

Stella can sleep for like twelve hours straight and not give a damn. 

Tecna and Bloom stay up late at night, Tecna more so than Bloom. She will maim whoever wakes her early. 

Aisha loves to take naps whenever she feels like it, and sleeps like a baby. She also kicks at night.

All the Specialists have to be early risers because paramilitary school. Sorry, boys :(

Bloom and Sky sometimes fantasise about owning a menagerie of pets, if they were ever to move in together. 

Riven is genuinely a fan of Musa’s music.

Specialists vis-a-vis combat: out of all the boys, Sky has the best technique. He is also intuitive, able to read his opponent’s body language and easily predict what step they might take next. Timmy’s a short shooter, their main pilot, strategist and handler. He’s a whole unit on an actual mission, but is pretty useless in hand-to-hand combat. Brandon is the strongest, yet the most reckless with himself. He relies on his raw power and stamina to carry him through fights; a DnD Barbarian through-and-through. Riven, like Sky, is an excellent marksman. He has a knack for improvised weaponry and utilising his surroundings.

Helia is on par with Brandon vis-a-vis strength. He is agile; capable of dodging attacks and outsmarting opponents. Usually prefers to detain enemies and knock them out, and rarely engages in actual combat. When he is angry, there’s less technique, and more of self-destructive, horrifying beating.

Nabu is a warlock. He makes duplicates of himself that are capable of fighting but are glass cannons. He can detain and blind enemies, become invisible, make a fog, etc. In hand-to-hand combat, he lacks experience and stamina, but has a couple of tricks up his sleeve.

Sky is surprisingly a very good cook. All of the Specialists are not half bad at cooking, except for Nabu (that nepo baby never cooked a meal for himself in his life). 

The Winx are mostly bad at cooking. Tecna is ok; she follows all recipes to a T and ends with middling results. Musa is the best among the girls and actually enjoys cooking. 

Aisha likes sleeping with the lights on.

Since Aisha and Stella room together, Stella commissioned a Solarian engineer to create quality, magic light spheres that last months. They float near the ceilings and Piff likes to try and catch them. 

One side effect of prolonged psychic intrusion on a mind is the nightmares that follow afterwards. Riven struggles with them after Darcy.

Nabu also struggles with nightmares, due to him being a warlock and having battled/spared with many other psychics. As well as Darcy. He’s more humorous and dismissive of them; he says that he cannot remember his nightmares aside from a vague feeling of emptiness and anxiety. After meeting Aisha and working against Valtor, his nightmares would become way more concrete and terrifying. 

All the Winx adore Miele, and she loves them in turn. Tecna is probably her favorite though; she just finds her “the coolest and the bravest”!

Miele definitely had a crush on Brandon and Helia, although it was short-lived. 

Helia and Saladin have a very close, very complicated relationship. 

In childhood, Helia was entranced by his “Company of Light, Brightest sorcerer of Magix” grandpa Saladin. His father Rames was a pacifist and had a strained relationship with Saladin, but didn’t want to deprive little Helia of his grandfather. When Helia’s father and mother were in the midst of divorce, Helia, under Saladin’s guidance, enrolled in the Red Fountain. Rames raised his voice on Helia for the very first time and they had a big argument, which resulted in them not talking for a few months. 

They made up, but their relationship remained strained until Helia dropped out of school and came home to his father. 

Saladin instilled perfectionism in Helia, always expecting excellency and above. Saladin, being a military man, didn’t believe in “expressing feelings” or “being pacifist”. 

Saladin truly only wanted the best for Helia, but he never understood him or his own son.

Rames absolutely adores Flora. He is the crunchy-muchy granola dad, Henry Oak style, and how could he not love an eco-terrorist icon, the gentle Flora? 

[clownery-and-fuckery]

The sap is gone, btw

Crosshair never learnt how to care. How to dote, when to stay, when to leave. He never learnt how to share those kind words that always filtered through his mind when he was with his brothers.

No, all Crosshair ever learnt was angry fists and raised voices. Snapping to be quicker, stronger, better. How was he to protect them if they weren't keeping up? He needed them to be at their best.

He can remember the first time he made a brother cry.

He hadn't meant to, not really. He just wanted to- to warn them. Warn them that he wasn't a miracle worker, that their mistakes weren't always fixable. Even if he hadn't technically made a mistake.

He can remember the volume of his voice, feel the shaking as he yelled, cursed, spat because his brother just wasn't listening. He wasn't paying attention.

Crosshair can remember the initial, almighty sob that left his tallest brother the day he didn't stop yelling. He can remember the stifled shock as the bravest, strongest person he knew burst into big, blubbering tears right in front of him.

He can remember watching Wrecker crumble in front of him over a few half-thought through insults. A few jabs that he grew to resent more than anything. He hated it.

He hated that he didn't stop, more.

Crosshair can remember the build up. The insults, the throwaway comments, the cold shoulders that snowballed into some great gusto of tears that he had walked in on.

He was just making sure they weren't falling behind. He didn't want them to fall behind, risk losing everything over something that could be fixed. Crosshair could fix them.

Crosshair can remember walking in on this particular meltdown, but what stuck with him more than anything was the choked out words of his smallest brother, bundled up in the eldest's arms.

Something Crosshair always wanted to learn how to do.

"Why doesn't he like me?" The youngest had asked, hot tears rolling down his face as he cried into the eldest. "I don't understand- I'm doing everything you said. What am I doing wrong?"

"Shh, I know," There it was- the smooth, soothing voice of the more comforting presence, the better sibling. The one they all turned to. "It's not your fault, little one. You're doing everything you can, he just–"

Crosshair can remember Hunter looking to him, then. Staring at him, brows furrowed like he was disgusted. Like he was wronged, confused, as he held their weeping brother.

Crosshair can remember the stare, and he hated what he saw.

"–it's not your fault." Hunter had repeated, tracing soft, slow circles into the back of the youngest's back. "Crosshair is just... you know how he is."

Crosshair can remember storming out before he could hear the response.

He can remember, so vividly, being the last person anyone turned to for comfort. He can remember watching them hesitate, watching them veer away. It hurt. He didn't bother chasing them.

If they didn't want him, they wouldn't have him. Simple as.

Part of Crosshair always remembers turning away his youngest brother, in all his adoration and affection directed towards him, until there was nothing left but a blank, cautious expression upon immediate distress.

Tech stopped reaching out for him. Stopped looking to him for approval after every little thing. He began to turn to Hunter, and Crosshair turned sour.

It wasn't as if he wasn't taking care of them. Crosshair did everything in the same of his squad- of his brothers. But because he didn't layer them with unnecessary praise and affection, he was secluded? How was that fair?

Crosshair can remember the first time he was sought out in a long time, after bitter years of harsh words wore them down. He can remember it well.

Remember the youngest, his only vod'ika, unsure of where to look after Wrecker's grave injury. His eye wasn't salvagable. They didn't know what to do.

Hunter was so, so angry.

Crosshair can remember the youngest finding him, hours into the night, goggles filled to the brim with tears, and without a word, settling beside him to work away on something insignificant.

He can remember stopped short, hearing the sniffing and hitching of his brother, and for once, saying nothing.

Crosshair can remember snapping, shoving his brother off of him with a huff and standing. Demanding he hurry along and find something of use to do.

Crosshair won't ever forget the heartbreak on his youngest brother's face, the devastation in the stoop of his shoulders as he gathered his things.

He remembers being left alone with a short apology for bothering him. Crosshair isn't bothered again.

He remembers the pang of guilt, and feels it everyday, looking to the shattered goggles on the table. A reminder of the guilt.

[timotey]

Ficlet: Behold the Gods

The Sign. Phaya/Tharn. Future fic. Unbeta'd.

Nee's big brother is an annoying, pigtail pulling idiot. And she misses him so much...

(Another what-if ficlet! I love imagining all the ways this could end! This time, a little more mythology...)

*.*.*

The Naga creature takes Tharn away and now Nee’s big brother is shattering to pieces.

Phaya’s always been an annoying, pigtail pulling idiot - but he’s also the bravest and strongest person Nee’s ever known. And now he’s down on his knees, unashamedly falling apart in front of all of them, sobbing so hard he can barely breathe.

Nee doesn’t know what to do! She just found out that all the legends were true, that there was actual magic and Nagas and Garudas in the world, that all that actually existed and that her big brother’s been smack in the middle of some crazy star-crossed love story of reincarnation and godly beings for several lifetimes now and it’s killing him, the loss of his lover is killing him and Nee just doesn’t know what to do, how to help!

And then, all of a sudden, there’s a golden streak and the sound of chiming bells, and between one blink and another, there's a woman standing in front of her brother, a beautiful woman in traditional attire, adorned with gold and precious stones. 

“King Sakuna,” the woman greets Nee’s brother in a formal, respectful tone of voice.

Phaya looks up, eyes full of tears. “Wanwisa…” he whispers. “He took Tharn. Chalothon took Tharn.”

The woman, Wanwisa, nods. “I know. That’s why I’m here. I can take you to Wansarut,” she offers. “I can't help you fight Lord Chalothon. I can’t, he’s my lord and master and I can’t raise my hand against him, it’s forbidden. But I can take you to Wansarut… if you want.”

She reaches out and Nee’s big brother, her stupid and reckless and hot-headed - and sweet and kind and loving! - brother doesn’t even hesitate. He takes Wanwisa’s hand and they both disappear in a whirlwind of golden light.

“Phaya!” Nee screams.

It’s the last time she sees her brother.

***

It’s the 15th day of the 11th moon again and Nee is back in Nongkai once more. 

It’s been an eventful year. Her grandma moved to Nongkai, she moved in with Tharn’s grandmother to wait and hope and pray for their grandsons return. They’ve been praying every day ever since Tharn and Phaya disappeared, trusting that one day, somehow, the two of them will come back to them.

Nee returned home and started school, a business school, intent on taking over her family’s business and helping her grandmother now that she is the only one left. The only one…

It hurts, this knowledge, and the pain never goes away. She’s always adored her brother but she’s never realized just how big a presence he was in her life until he disappeared. 

His colleagues from the special unit searched for him, for Phaya and Tharn both. Nee and the others couldn’t have very well told the police that a Naga king took Tharn so they ended up altering their story a little, telling them that Doctor Chalothon took Tharn and Phaya went after them. No, they didn't know where they went. No, neither Phaya nor Tharn contacted them again. The cops didn’t find anything, of course, only that no Doctor Chalothon actually ever existed, it was just a fake identity the man set up to get close to Tharn.

They came up with their story with the help of Yai, Tharn’s best friend, and the only one in the know. Because his wife, Sand, was there when it happened. After Tharn and Phaya’s disappearance, Yai left the special unit and took the position of a superintendent at the police station in Nongkai to be close, just in case, while Sand started working for Tharn’s grandmother, taking over for her at the sawmill, both doing their best to take care of Tharn’s grandma in his stead.

And now the anniversary of Phaya and Tharn’s disappearance is upon them. A whole year has gone by but the void left behind in everyone’s lives is nowhere near closing, it still hurts so badly that oftentimes Nee can’t stop herself from crying.

The 15th day of the 11th moon, a Naga Worship Ceremony.

Fuck the Naga!

***

They set up the altar on the lower terrace in the back of Tharn’s grandmother’s house, just like the year before, but this time, there’s no statue of a Naga on the table. Nee doesn’t think they could stand to even look at it. Still, they burn incense and they bring offerings and they pray, they pray for their loved ones to come home. 

And so they’re all there, Nee and her grandma and Tharn’s grandma and Yai and Sand, praying and holding hands and trying to comfort each other, when it happens. At twilight, they appear in a whirlwind of golden warm and fiery red magic, simply there all of a sudden, stealing everyone's breath away.

Phaya and Tharn, hand in hand.

They’re dressed in traditional attire, Phaya in red and white, adorned in silver and snow white feathers, Tharn in shades of green and gold. Their hair is longer and styled differently and their faces are made up, their skin is shimmering as if dusted with gold and they wear jewelry, bracelets and anklets, silver and gold set with precious stones. They look so unlike themselves from before but it’s them, it is them. And they’re alive and healthy and… there!

“Hello,” Tharn greets them a little timidly, a little uncertainly, as if unsure of their reaction, glancing up at Phaya who smiles down at him and nods, giving his arm a reassuring squeeze. 

And then they’re hugging. All of them together and then passing Tharn and Phaya between them and the grandmas are crying and Yai is yelling and pounding his friends hard on the back and Sand is kissing their cheeks and Nee…

“I hate you,” Nee sobs into Phaya’s chest as he wraps his arms around her shoulders. “I hate you so much. How could you? How could you do this to us? To me? You’re the worst, the worst brother ever, and-and I h-hate you!" And she's hugging him and crying hard because he’s her big brother and she loves him dearly. So much!

And he’s whispering into her ear, head bent down to her, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to. I had no choice but I’m so sorry.” 

They’re all so happy, so deliriously happy to be together again. It’s perfect and glorious…

Until it isn’t.

“We can’t stay,” Phaya says unexpectedly when Yai starts talking about calling the guys, already planning a big get-together. 

And their little gathering falls silent, all the merriment from just a moment ago stolen again.

Phaya wraps his arm around Tharn’s shoulders and pulls him close against his side. He smiles down at Tharn and takes Tharn's hand in his, running his thumb across his knuckles gently. “We would love to but we really can’t,” Phaya says, looking each and every one of them in the eyes, one by one.

“But why?” their grandmother asks with heartbreaking despair.

This time it’s Tharn who replies and his voice is soft, his eyes full of regret. “There were... things we had to do to defeat Chalothon. We had to change ourselves, who we were, to match his powers. And those changes cannot be undone. Not anymore. The gate between the worlds opens only once a year. Once it closed, we were stuck. And now it's too late.” 

He drops his eyes to his and Phaya’s clasped hands and squeezes a little harder. “We aren’t human anymore,” he explains and he sounds so sad that Phaya pulls him even closer and kisses the top of his head tenderly.

“What are you saying?” Yai asks, stepping forward.

Rubbing Tharn’s upper arm in comfort, Phaya says, “We had to go back to what we used to be, before, at the beginning. Back to being Sakuna and Wansarut to defeat Chalothon, to gain our powers back, even though it meant losing our humanity. It was either that or die. But it means we can’t stay here, in the human world, or we will end up like Chalothon, becoming a warped versions of ourselves.”

Tharn looks up at them again. “This isn’t our world anymore,” he says, his voice apologetic.

“So... what? You just came to visit? You just dropped by to say hello and now you’re going again?” Yai asks, sounding angry. 

But Nee knows that Yai isn’t angry, not really. He’s just sad, heartbroken. Because she feels the same way. It hurts and if she opened her mouth now, her words would come out just as cross, just as belligerent. It would be that or start crying.

Phaya gives him a sad smile. “Basically, yes. The gate between the worlds opens only once a year, on this day, and it stays open from sunset to sunrise. Then it closes again. Only on this day, every year, can we come back to you, for a little while.”

“If you will have us…” Tharn adds softly, hopefully.

They’re all quiet for a little while, letting sink in what they just heard, trying to overcome their shock, their hurt, their disappointment. Their heartbreak at losing what they only just thought they got back again.

Then Yai steps forward and pulls Tharn into his arms, hugging him hard; Phaya lets Tharn go with a little smile. “Of course we will have you,” Yai says harshly, his voice breaking a little, and there are tears in his eyes. “We love you, you fool. So much! Just tell me… tell me that you’re happy. There. Wherever you are. Tell me that you are living a good life. That you’re good.” 

Slowly and with a little smile, Tharn hugs Yai back and nods into his shoulder. “Yeah, we are, we're good and we're happy,” he replies in a thick voice. “And we’re together, that’s all that counts.”

And Nee realizes that it’s true. It hurts, being separated from her big brother like that, being unable to just pick up her phone and call him and annoy him and complain to him about school and life and the unfairness of the world in general, but as long as he’s happy, as long as he’s living the life he wants and with the person he loves, nothing else matters. She loves him and so she wishes him luck.

***

They spend the night talking. And laughing and hugging and simply enjoying each other’s presence. And when the time comes to say goodbye, when the sky in the east starts to lighten, they’re at peace. 

Nee whispers to her brother, “I love you,” and he smiles down at her and whispers back, “I love you, too,” as if they’re sharing a secret.

And when Phaya and Tharn walk down the stairs to the lower terrace where they first appeared to them, Yai yells after them, “We will see you in a year. You promised and I’m holding you to that!”

They both turn back and smile, waving to them.

And then, then they let them see, just for a moment because human eyes aren’t meant to behold gods, they let them see their true forms, the sinuous loops of a Naga, scales the color of polished emeralds, and the wide span of a Garuda’s wings, their feathers a warm shade of golden brown. It takes their breath away.

The gate closes, taking them away, and when a moment later the sun comes up, there are a single scale and a single feather left lying there, on the polished wood of the lower terrace, keepsakes to remember them by.

[icanttypo]

Yknow, at first, when I saw the latest episode, I had been a bit disappointed with the route that they took Simon and Betty's romance; but after thinking it over quite a bit, I think I appreciate the route they took, despite how differently it makes me see the characters. Sometimes, the right thing for a story isn't always the best thing, just like how in life, not everyone makes the right choices all the time. Emotions make life beautiful, but they also muddle things up.

I've never been one for a teacher x student type romance. That whole power imbalance always leaves a sour taste in my mouth. Since Simon was just a guest speaker, it wasn't quite the same, but I think a lot of people, including myself, saw those parallels. But, I think the whole idea of unhealthy/obsessive/codependent love has always been centeral to their relationship.

Unlike some may assume, the unhealthiness doesn't stem from that part, though. Yes, there's a small age gap. Yes, Simon made a ton of mistakes. But with further analysis, nothing about it is painted as your stereotypical incredibly unhealthy teacher/student ship. Instead, it's their issues and strengths that create chaos.

There's nothing about their relationship that can be considered grooming, and I say this as someone who's personally been groomed. They didn't get into a relationship until after Betty tried to leave the second time, and there's absolutely nothing about Simon that screams "predator." You know how he is with Marcy and Finn, and pretty much every child he comes in contact with (when he isn't throwing away their favorite books). Hell, even Ice King had standards and lines he wouldn't cross. Their issues stem from their insecurities as professional nerds, and as two broken, lonely, people.

When you're a student, especially one who's passionate about the subject matter you're learning about, you can't help but put your teachers (the good ones, I mean), on a pedestal. They're these untouchable gods who have somehow cracked the answers to questions you haven't even asked yet and who are there to guide you. And as a teacher, you want nothing more than to see a student thrive, be happy, and enjoy your lessons. There's nothing more satisfying than seeing your student take your lesson, and run with it, and go farther than you ever could. From the start, these two towed the lines of codependency.

Simon was laughed at by his fellow professors and other archeologists for believing that the Enchiridion existed; which couldn't have been a good feeling as a professional. Sure, after the expedition with Betty, he was rewarded with all the glory one could wish for; but that isolation must've been horrible. He must've been seen along the same veins as the "Ancient Aliens" guys, as a crackpot conspiracy theorist, barely deserving of his PHD. I can imagine just how much of a relief it'd be to have someone so brilliant as Betty agree with your findings, and be willing to help you prove once and for all, that you aren't crazy.

Betty seemed to struggle with connecting with her peers. I'm mostly gathering this from how willing she was to sacrifice everything for Simon, I'd bet he was the only genuine close relationship, romantic or otherwise, that she had. We (or at least I) don't know much about Betty's backstory, but I think at least that much can be surmised. In Ep 8 FC, she mentions her mother, and in season 9 or 10, we see her calling someone before she met Simon... But, that's about all we have for close relationships. How many people would you jump through a portal for? Become god for? Sacrifice your sanity for? To have someone you admire, think that you're basically the strongest, bravest person they ever met in the world and to actually be needed by them... From what we know about Betty, she definitely had a savior complex of some sorts. Happens to the best of us, but still. She got so used to sacrificing things for Simon that she never thought about going back to Australia with him to continue her study, or both studying different things together, just helping him.

They both gave each other what the world deprived them of: validation, love, and respect. But because neither of them had anyone else to rely upon, to provide them with those bare necessities, they became unhealthy for one another. Neither of them has truly lived without the other because they were eachothers home. Their food, water, and shelter.

So, in a lot of ways, I think it was for the best they added this extra layer. It helps you truly understand the imperfections of their relationship, just how desperate both of them were as two nerdy little archeologists, to find and keep the love they had alive.

[undertale-writing-times]

"You deserve to be happy" with UT Gaster? Or if you don't feel like writing for Gaster, maybe UT Sans?

Tada!

Here it is :)

I hope you liked it! I had so much fun writing it! Funnily enough, I wrote it while I was getting food on my phone -w-

Gaster knew he wasn't a good person.

He didn't deserve a lot of things that happened to him, unless they were bad. That's why he didn't care much for himself. Staying awake, pushing himself. Everything he did, he did for the good of monster kind.

Even creating his own sons.

At first, they were just test subjects. Why would he care about them? They were created from his bones, his body, they weren't his children though.

That was until they were.

They showed him a kindness that he never expected, more Papyrus, though Sans did too.

He and Sans never quite got along. Gaster understood why. He didn't blame the smaller skeleton for hating him.

He would too.

After everything he put those boys through, he would do anything to take it back. Give them a happy beginning.

He can't do that though.

The best he can do, is give them a happy ending.

He could get them out of the underground! He was sure of it he needed to do it! He was the head scientist. Asgore trusted him. That trust could not be misused.

After all he did, he must use his time to get them out! Out out out.

That's all he wanted! All he needed.

That was... What he first thought, at least.

Until he met them.

Y/n.

Not a very amazing monster. Not the strongest, not the bravest, and not the nicest.

They weren't even all that interesting to him! So... Why must he think of them so often? Clouding his mind, deafening him with their laughter. Blinding him with their smiles.

Y/n was a monster he hired to watch after Sans and Papyrus while he was working. Asgore couldn't, he was the king. Grillby was someone but... No.

Y/n was kind. Sweet. Papyrus loved them and even Sans warmed up to them. More often than he would like to admit, he came home to see the small babybones asleep on them. They would just laugh.

He would have gotten annoyed.

Too different.

They were too different for each other.

He shouldn't love them.

No, he COULDN'T love them.

They deserved so much better than he could ever give.

That was why he fired them.

He didn't care if the boys got sad. They would meet more people they like above ground. They would forget Y/n soon enough.

He hoped at least.

Sadly, Gaster should have been more worried about himself. In his sleepy hazes, he often saw them. Felt them against his bones, felt their hands, their kisses.

Felt his own loneliness when he realized... He was alone. In a cold lab.

He didn't like it.

It's what was deserved though. So, he would deal with it.

It was another day.

Another sleepless night.

Another day of endless work.

Another day of seeing the fake shape of the one he pushed away...

"Gaster"

He tenses at the voice, causing his eye socket to snap open. Only one really worked nowadays. There had never been a voice before.

He kept his head down, staring at the words he had been writing. So many books, so many pages...

"Yes?" He turns his head slightly to look over at them. They had a sleeping Papyrus and a very grumpy looking Sans in their arms. Sans had his little arms crossed, his eyes squinted in sleepy annoyance.

"Your boys came to me... Said you haven't been resting, is that true?"

His boys? He stares at the two babybones, and sighs. "I have not done anything I haven't before," he says, his voice betraying him, laced with tiredness. He was very tired.

"You need to sleep" They insisted, "you sound like you're going to fall out"

Gaster sighs, shaking his head. "No, I can't sleep," He says, rubbing at his temples. "I need to finish these projects, if I don't then it won't be done" yes, that's... that's expected Gaster, he thought to himself bitterly.

"but-" Y/n started to say, which Gaster slams his hands down to, onto the table with a bang "I said no!" he snaps, turning his head quickly with a slight glare in his eyes yet... pauses.

Papyrus woke up, flinching from the sound and hides his face into Y/n's chest, clenching onto their shirt, Sans flinching too, the sour look appearing more.

Y/n didn't flinch.

They were just staring at him, not looking impressed "Are you done shouting at me?" they asked, annoyance lacing their own tone.

"I..." he shuts his mouth, turning his head down, and sighs rubbing his hands over his face. "Damn it." He felt so tired. Of everything.

Y/n sighs, shaking their head, and slowly walks over "you need to rest"

"I don't need to do that, I need to finish this, I don't..."

They smile and nudge their head against his skull lightly, something that his boys most likely did to them, and says “You deserve to rest”

He deserved it?

Did they... “you deserve to be happy” They kept saying.

He felt like he was going to cry, his soul skipping in his chest and he looks over his shoulder, seeing them. His babybones looking at him, Y/n looking at him, making him sigh out slowly and nods “R...Right” He mumbles and stands up.

He deserves to be happy, huh?

He would... he'd tell them later on that he liked them. It'll be... enjoyable.

[creamsickle-writes]

Usopp x Reader: Day 9

Tags: nsfw, praise kink, oral sex, penetrative sex, and creampies

Usopp was so easy to read.

He was a sucker for praise, and you could easily get him to do almost anything with it. Needed something done? Just say he's the most capable person for the job. Say he's the bravest person you know, the strongest, the fittest, and so on. It was something you incorporated into your language often. But you didn't do it just to get whatever you wanted; you also did it to express your love for him. Your compliments weren't always exaggerations. In fact, they were often the truth as you held so much love for him in your heart.

So, when you praised him for being the best at eating you out, you meant it.

That's where you were now, sitting atop his face, his nose resting against your clit.

"That's it, Usopp." You moan, rocking your hips back and forth, "You're so good-!"

He groans under you, his cock openly twitching in the air as his tongue works you over. The flexible appendage lapped up and down over your slit, stimulating you in the most wonderful way.

"Oh!" You moan, rocking your hips into his face, "You're such a good boy, Usopp!"

He moans yet again, and you turn your head to look over his shaft, observing how his precum began building at the tip. You giggled, "Aw, look at you. You're so hard and desperate for me, aren't you?"

You lift yourself off his face for a moment, and he pants out, your juices all over his mouth, "Please, I need you."

"You're so good, being able to hold out for so long." You smile, "Of course, I can give you what you want, baby."

You crawl down from his mouth, situating yourself over his cock before slowly sinking down on it. He moans and throws his head back, adjusting to the pleasure of your warmth. You begin rocking your hips above him, grinding your clit against his pubic bone. He tosses his head back, groaning as your walls contract around him.

"You sound so good, Usopp," You say as you begin moving your hips up and down, "You feel good too…"

"S-Stop saying things like that-"Usopp moans, his hands gripping the sheets as you rock against him.

"Like what?" You purr, beginning to bounce up and down, "Like saying you're strong and sexy? Because it's all true."

Like clockwork, Usopp groans at your words. He plants his feet on the mattress and grips your waist, pumping his hips into you. Your mouth hangs open as he begins fucking you, his cock hitting your deepest walls. You grab his muscular chest, grounding yourself as he pounds into you.

"Oh, Usopp!" You moan for him, loving when the switch inside of him flips from submissive to dominant.

He keeps pounding away, hammering into your deepest depths. Your nails drag down his chest as he fucks you, the scratches causing some blood to trickle out.

"That's it, good boy!" You throw your head back, arching your back as he fucked you deep. His brows crease in the most lovely way, and sweat adorns them as he puts all his effort into thrusting into you. He's glorious and magnificent, and he's all yours.

He goes like this for quite some time, his swollen head sliding against your g-spot with each deep thrust inside. Before you can reach your release, however, you hear him call your name.

"Gonna cum-!" He grunts out, his hips still pistoning in and out of you.

You mewl as his hips never let up, your sounds only amplifying when you feel his warm sticky cum flood your insides.

After a few moments, you pull off of his shaft, his cum dripping out of your hole. You give a soft smile before leaning forward to kiss him on the cheek.

"But," he starts, "You didn't finish."

A devilish smile appears on your face, "Why don't you be a good boy and make me cum then?"

[eunoiaastralwings]

Hello :')!! So glad your requests are open again!! Last time I requested a Mae fic (My little light <3) and it was so soft and lovely ❤️

Could I be selfish and ask for a papa maedhros w/ human!reader? Him being a dad to his lil elflings during his time in ME? ❤️ Just need parent!Mae content so BAD!

If not, headcanons of him being a parent is just fine too :')) would love to read either of them by your hand❤️🤲

Thank u!!!

The Best Healers

-ˋˏ ༻❁ characters maedhros x human!wife!reader -ˋˏ ༻❁ fandom tolkien- the silmarillion -ˋˏ ༻❁ a/n oh hun! you are making me melt! you have no idea how happy it makes me to hear that! i had so much fun writing this! sorry for taking some time, i hope you like it and it was worth the wait. love you lots

You entered as soon as his meeting with his brothers finished. You knew your husband too well – the pain, regret and ambition he carried.

Maedhros couldn’t change anything any no matter how much he wished too. The scars and torment he suffered spoke volumes for it. Slowly you around the table to his sitting form at the end – his head in his hands as he let out a deep sight.

Even when he was sitting down – he was still incredibly taller than you. You laid a hand his shoulder and Maedhros tensed for just a second before he relaxed under your touch. Both of you stayed in silence until he was ready to talk – then he lifted his head to you and gave a small smile.

Which you returned and kissed his lips tenderly.

He smiled into the tender moment – then cupped your face in his large hands as you pulled away from it – you ignored the coldness of the metal and it was something you had gotten used to.

“Where are they?”

He asked – referring to your children, your twins – one boy and surprisingly a girl too, whom you both named after Nerdanel.

“Outside, my dearest – but if you are feeling too tired they will understand.”

You said as you caressed his face.

“No, melda – I promised them. I miss them and I want to spend the time I promised with them. I do not want them to hate me.”

Maedhros frowned – the very thought of it made the ner crumble and his heart clench in agony.

“Oh, my love. . .”

You stood and hugged him as much as you could. It was one of his greatest fears, that his own children would hate him – because he certainly hated himself. He hated who had to become for this father in front of you and the children you shared.

“They do not and will not hate, you – you are their hero.”

You chuckled quietly– remembering just how many times your son that declared Maedhros was the strongest of them all, leaving his uncle who was called the strong Finwë a little sad and jealous.

“They love and admire you, even if you do not. You fret once our children would be too afraid to look at you but look at how eager and happy, they are whenever they see you.”

You said when you referred to his scars and the hand he missed – but your children loved him besides those, sometimes you deemed the were smarter than you speaking words as if they understood the world more than you did – which frightened yourself and Maedhros and little bit. They said about scars define the person and mark what they have been through – even as far as your daughter declaring her father was the bravest under all of Eru’s creations.

“You know this, my dear husband. . .”

You cooed.

“You’re not your father. . .”

You whispered gently and Maedhros shut his eyes closed. Maedhros had looked up to Fëanor like his children were looking up to him – but he was afraid one day he would turn into a version of this father and care something else other than the two precious children you made.

“What if I will be?”

Your heart broke as his voice cracked.

“You will not. . .come let our twins heal you, my love. They have magic even the greatest of healers don’t possess.”

You smiled encouragingly and tried to pull him up. Maedhros looked at your strangely for a moment before he sighed and got up. He allowed you to lead outside into the warm summer of his lands – towards the beautiful (and safe) green fields.

Your children sat on the picnic blanket like you let them – only this time your son did try and sneak a peek into a picnic basket you made and your daughter was scolding him for.

“Don’t do it!”

You could hear your daughter yell at her brother.

“Oh relax, just a small bit.”

He replied – you peeked up at your husband and noticed the amusing smile on him – making you spread your own smile as you approached them.

“And just what do you think you’re doing there, son?

Your husband spoke first adverting both your children’s attention to him.

As your twins saw their father their eyes beamed brightly and a huge grin spread across their face.

“Atya!”

They cheered and made their way other to Maedhros as fast as their little legs can take them. Both crashed into their father’s legs – hugging and clinging onto him as tightly as the possibly could with their arms and legs.

Maedhros only laughed and easily picked up the both of them to either side of him – both of them squealing in laughter at the height they were picked up to.

You smiled as relief filled seeing how much your husband smiled and laughed with them – it was a huge different from how he cried into your arms at night fearing everything around him for your twins he could push those fears down and let them enjoy their youth like he did – back when he was in Valinor.

He promised himself he would make sure to give them the best childhood despite what lurked on the horizon.

Your children started to tell Maedhros about their day, from the moment they woke up to now – and your husband listened carefully, giving his replies and reactions to each detail.

“It an alright day – but we missed you!”

Your son concluded and wrapped his chubby fingers around Maedhros’ neck and kissed his cheek. Your daughter did too kissing his other cheek – then both went on to bicker about who gave the biggest kiss.

You only laughed and shook your head.

“I think your Ammë is feeling a little jealous she isn’t getting the attention I am. Maybe you two should”

Maedhros whispered to his twins to make them stop bickering and your shot an eyebrow at him with a smirk as he purposely made it loud enough for your human ears to pick up.

“Yes, ammë!”

Your twins cheered – holding their arms out to you with grabby hands. They weren’t going to let go of Maedhros anytime soon but they were will still willing to give a kiss or two, only condition was they still got to be in their father’s arms.

You laughed and stepped closer – leaning your cheeks into for the both of them to kiss.

But your husband also took the opportunity to peak your lips, making the both of you laugh as your children delivered disapproving noises and gagging sounds.

Then – you moved to sit on the blanket, the twins placed on Maedhros’ legs as you opened the picnic basket to pull the out the food.

You didn’t miss your son’s excitedness to see the food. Maedhros once told you he was exactly like Celegorm he was just an elfling, his tummy never filled and it seen that was the same case for your son.

Always at night when you would try to put him to bed, he never fails to ask you the question of ‘what’s for breakfast tomorrow?’

Your daughter instantly toppled off her father’s lap to grab their favorite book – before climbing on him again, begging him to read. Your son distracted from what you were doing for a second to beg with his twin sister.

Maedhros had smiled and nodded taking the book and wrapping his arms around the both of them – the twins had found their father’s metal quite ‘cool’ as the said it and they had been arguing over who gets to have that arm to wrap around them, despite the fact it was a little cold.

Eventually Maedhros suggested the idea of tossing a coin and whoever wins gets the arm – then the next time they would swap other. So they agreed and surprising no arguments had risen after that – except the occasional whine or two.

You watched as he read to them – changing his voice for every character making them erupt in laughter.

Your eyes somewhat teared up as your prepared the food.

Despite all that happened and was happened, Maedhros made sure to be a good and better father – little did he know he was already the best and the twins loved him, for him. . .

They made sure the old Maitimo was still there. . .living. . .

Taglist form

taras taglist: @fizzyxcustard @a-contemplation-upon-flowers @wandererindreams @aeonianarchives @mismaeve @spidergirla5 @ranhanabi777 @asianbutnotjapanese

[lovesosweeet]

better left unsaid // cth

chapter thirty six

in which orion has leukemia, and calum doesn’t know.

calum hood x fem!oc

read other chapters

november 5, 2018 san diego, california orion

Spending my 22nd birthday going to visit my new oncologist was not my plan. I hadn’t made much effort to make it happen, but I was hoping to just have a night out in LA with Emelia, her roommates, and some of my classmates. I already had a reservation set up at my favorite rooftop bar for ten people. 

I knew Cal had a show — Amsterdam — so I didn’t expect to get to spend it with him. I figured he’d call me after he got offstage while I was out with my friends and I’d answer, tipsy from a few too many espresso martinis, and it would be sweet and everyone with me would think it was so cute that he was so busy but still so present in our relationship.

Clearly, nothing like that is happening today. The only thing that’s the same is Emelia. She’s coming over tonight. I think my moms are getting us all Thai food and we’ll watch a movie or play a game, and I think we’ll have a bonfire, but the night is looking very differently than what I’d planned months ago. Today is the day I find out how chemo went and whether or not I get to live a little longer.

While Mama drives to the hospital, she and Mom are talking about something I stopped paying attention to a long time ago. I’m grateful both of them are coming with me to learn about my fate. My mind is just spinning and I can’t even pin down a single thought, so I find myself distracting my brain by doomscrolling on social media and reading happy birthday texts. 

From: kaykay (5sos groupies) happy birthday orion! miss ya and love ya! From: crystal (5sos groupies) baby o!!!! we miss you so so much! we’ll all be home soon and want to see your sweet face if you’ll have us. happy birthday ❤️ From: sierra (5sos groupies) sweet orion!! missing you more than ever! happiest of birthdays to the prettiest of girls ❤️

Macy tagged me in an Instagram story of a collage of pictures we have together—random chemo selfies, the night we celebrated her being cancer free, and the tour sendoff party that happened what feels like a lifetime ago. “MOST BEAUTIFUL BIRTHDAY GIRL EVER! LOVE YOU LONG TIME TY FOR BEING THE BEST” she wrote on top of the photo.

Emelia posted a carousel of our pictures from the past three years, including a very cringey one of us on the first day of class freshman year. We’d somehow shown up to class wearing nearly identical outfits and we decided we were destined to be friends, which was a correct assessment. The most recent one was last week at the beach, when we had a sunset picnic. “Strongest, bravest, kindest, most passionate (and stubborn) girl on the planet. Happy birthday to my soul sister. There’s no one who loves like you and I love having your love in my life. 22 is no match for you! ‘Til death, my friend.” 

Ashton has a photo of us getting gelato in Rome two years ago. I think Giuseppe took the picture, but the memory is blurry. All I remember is how divine my pistachio gelato tasted and how jealous Ash was of how much better mine was than his. In the picture, I’m happily taking a lick from mine while Ashton pouts at me, holding his cup of banana gelato that he’d hardly touched. His caption is short and sweet. “Happy birthday to the best girl I know (sorry @kaykay).”

I don’t follow him anymore, but I pull up Cal’s profile to see if he’s posted any stories or anything else today. When his profile picture indicates that he has posted a story I haven’t viewed, out of habit, I check it. Even if he checks who’s viewed it, I’ll only be one of literal thousands, so I doubt he’ll be able to see me as a viewer. He posted a picture of himself on stage last night, and today, he just took a screenshot of listening to 22 by Taylor Swift on Spotify. 

He’s saying happy birthday, even if he isn’t. 

From: paula (lavapies forever) HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY FAV ESTADOUNIDENSE!!! love you miss you!!!  From: giuseppe (lavapies forever) oh!! happy birthday orion!!! how did I end up in this group chat….. ? From: marta (lavapies forever) feliz cumple, orion!! te echo de menos!!!  From: ilse (lavapies forever) HAPPY BDAY ORION! ❤️ From: paula (lavapies forever) giu you’re one of the girlies sorry

I haven’t texted the “5SOS groupies” back yet, and am uncertain of whether or not I will, but I do text back my former flatmates (and Giuseppe). 

To: lavapies forever muchisimas gracias!!!! miss you all!!! also, have some news for you guys From: ilse (lavapies forever) FINALLY From: paula (lavapies forever) when were you gonna tell us you guys broke up!!!!!! what happened?!?!?!? From: marta (lavapies forever) seriously! how could you not tell us?! but yes what happened we are dying to know the details From: giuseppe (lavapies forever) oh yeah fran asked if i knew anything but obviously i do not  To: lavapies forever so… its not so much that i need to tell you about the breakup? i don’t know how else to say it than to just say it so i’m just gonna say it i have leukemia so cal and i broke up i’m actually on my way to the doctor rn to see how my chemotherapy treatments went

When the group chat activity halts, I know they’re now all confused and in shock. My friends aren’t exactly known for not having something to say. I leave the WhatsApp app to give them time to process and go to my regular messages to see who else has reached out.

From: lucas Hey, O. Just popping in to say happy birthday! Sent you a Venmo—have a martini on me. Hope you’re doing okay!

Every other notification is just miscellaneous family members and a few classmates who are just as out of the loop as the general public is on what’s happening in my life. I guess I should probably share something on my social media about what’s going on. I don’t want the fans to know, but I can tell my classmates and people I actually know. I decide I’ll post something later today, once I’ve heard whatever news that the oncologist is about to share with me. 

Right when I’m locking my phone, it starts buzzing with an incoming Facetime from Paula. I tell my moms I’ll be on a call before I answer.

“Hey,” I say as her face fills my screen.

“I wish you’d told me sooner,” is how Paula starts the call. 

I frown. “It’s kinda hard to say over text. I’m sorry.”

“So call! Orion, what the hell! This is huge and I don’t know why you wouldn’t think we’d want to know!” 

I contemplate what to say next. I should be an expert at this after having to break the news Calum. “If it makes you feel better, I didn’t tell Cal until last month.” 

Paula’s mouth drops and I can tell she’s about to dwell on this instead of the actual news. “So he broke up with you?!” 

“What? No!” I sigh. “No, I broke up with him.” 

Her face contorts with confusion and she shakes her head, the idea rattling around in her brain. “You broke up with him?! Because you have cancer?!”

“Please don’t make me talk about this, Pau, it’s all anyone wants to talk about and I’m tired of it.” 

“No! We are going to talk about this! You guys are perfect together and you broke up with him in the middle of a life threatening diagnosis? What the fuck, Orion?” 

“Can we talk about this tomorrow?” I beg. “It’s my birthday. I promise I’ll call you tomorrow and I’ll let you know how things went today.”

She groans. “Fine, but only because it’s your birthday!” 

“Orion,” Mama says, catching my attention. “We’re here.”

I nod and look back to my phone. “¿Hablaremos mañana?”

Pau nods. “Mañana.”

Paula and I hang up then, and I tuck my phone into the pocket on my black sweatpants. We get out of the car and walk to the door of the cancer center, checking in at the desk and going to the waiting room. I feel like I’ve done all of this a million times now, but I haven’t felt this nervous about it in a long time. 

They call my name to come back, and we trudge slowly after the nurse and we sit in a sterile exam room that looks just like every other sterile exam room in the world. While we wait for the doctor to come in, my moms and I sit in silence. I don’t think anyone wants to say anything. I know I don’t.

Five minutes of waiting later and then there’s a knock on the door. My new doctor, Dr. Gupta, walks in with his clipboard and the nurse in tow. He takes a seat on the wheeled stool and moves it closer to me so that we’re only about a foot or two apart. 

“Good morning,” he says. “And, happy birthday.”

I give him a tense smile. “Thanks.” 

I had to come in last week for another biopsy and a full blood panel again to be able to assess the status of my cancer, so today is literally just to talk about the results. They also have me a full body exam to check my lymphnodes and other symptoms. Given the look on Dr. Gupta’s face from the moment he walked in, whatever he’s going to say isn’t good.

“Orion, there isn’t an easy way to say this, so I’m sorry,” he says, off to a horrible start. “The chemo hasn’t made much of a dent in the leukemia, and I’m afraid it’s progressing.” 

I look over at my moms who are clenching their jaws and squeezing each other’s hands. I’ll cry if I watch, so I look back to Dr. Gupta. 

“You have options, though. We can continue to try to find you a bone marrow donor, and there are a number of trials that are available, we’d just need to transfer you back to LA.” 

I shake my head. “I can’t go back to LA.” 

“Honey, you can go back—-“

I cut Mom off. “I’m not doing trials. I can’t. I’m sorry, but I’m not doing something else that will make me feel miserable and we don’t even know if it’s going to work. Besides, I’ll get what, maybe a year or two out of it if they do work?”

I look at Dr. Gupta to confirm, and he pulls his mouth into a slight frown. 

“There’s no guarantee on timelines or results, but, roughly, given your case, that’s what we’d be looking at.” 

“Right, and I’ll get like… a year, a few months if we just stop doing things?” 

Dr. Gupta sighs. “Again, we can’t say for certain, but roughly, yes, about a year.” 

“Yeah, I’m not doing anything. Can I go now?” I stand up, grabbing my bag. 

“Orion, at least hear about what options—“

I spin around, quickly, to face my moms. “I’m not doing anything.”

They look at me with tears in their eyes, begging me to stay and listen, but I don’t want to. 

“I want to go home. I want to live comfortably and just have time with people I care about. It doesn’t matter. I’m going to die anyway. It doesn’t even matter, and I’m not going to LA again.” 

We have a silent argument with just our eyes before they look to Dr. Gupta.

“Can we have the pamphlets on the trials? We can discuss this at home and let you know.”

Dr. Gupta quickly hands them the stack of brochures he’s had on top of his clipboard. “You don’t have to decide anything today, and please call me if you have any questions.” 

I walk out of the room then. I don’t want to dwell in there and I don’t want to dwell on what I’ve just learned. I can’t think about it. Not today. Maybe tomorrow. I just can’t spend my birthday thinking about it all. Today I’m supposed to celebrate my life, not the impending date of my death. 

—

We’re having a bonfire in the backyard with my family, Emelia, and Macy — complete with gelatin-free marshmallows and a crock pot full of mulled wine — when my phone starts going crazy. I try to ignore it and just enjoy the night with Emelia and Macy, who are listening to and respecting my wishes not to talk about the news of the day. I promise them we’ll talk about it tomorrow. 

My phone has probably buzzed twelve times in the past two minutes, and Emelia ends up taking my phone off the arm of the wooden chair I’m sitting in to look at it, apparently annoyed by all the notifications. She unlocks my phone for herself and her eyes grow wider as she looks at whatever notifications I’ve gotten.

“Jesus,” she whispers, scrolling through whatever it is. 

“What is it?” Macy asks before she takes another sip of her hot wine. 

“Um…” Em says, trailing off, still staring at my phone’s screen.

I hold my hand out for her to give me my phone back, and she pulls it further away from me, her eyes still glued to the bright screen. I can see it’s a text thread with a lot of texts from the other person.

“Give me my phone,” I instruct, holding my hand closer to her.

“It’s not good, are you sure?” 

I roll my eyes. “Em, there’s nothing worse than hearing that your chemotherapy didn’t help your terminal cancer on your birthday. I can handle whatever the hell someone texted me.” 

She sighs and hands my phone to me. “I warned you.” 

I take in what’s on my screen and feel my stomach start to churn. She’s right. It’s not good.

From: mike-o cliff-o yknow what orion, fuck you i don’t give a fuck that it’s your birthday FUCJ YOU my band, my BEST FRIENDS, aren’t speaking because you couldn’t tell the truth thos is your fault calum won’t even LOOK at ash! howrdare you you had no right to come into our lives and fuck up the one thing that matters most to all of us and then just LEAVEW do you know how depressed cxalum is he doesn’t do anything except show up on stage and drink and whineand moanmb he’s a fucking qwreck and that’s on yuo you play this innocnt sweet act that you’re jsut being kind and whatever bllshit you tell yourself but you and i both know you’re actually a shitty person what kind of person doesn’t tell their partner they have CACNDR and then BROAKS UP WITH THEM over it fuck you. i hope it’s terminal. and i hpoe it sucks.

My eyes start to water as I read through everything, but I try to remember that Michael is clearly very drunk. 

“No, he doesn’t get to make you cry on your birthday. Give me that, I’m texting a screenshot of that shit to Crystal.” Emelia holds her hand out for my phone again, but I hug it to my chest. 

“No, it’s fine. He doesn’t mean it, and he deserves to be mad.” 

“What? Who texted you?” Macy asks from my other side. I sigh and hand my phone to her so she can read it all. 

“It’s fine, he’s drunk. If that made him feel better to say that, it’s fine.” 

Emelia is fuming next to me and watching as Macy’s face gets more and more concerned while she reads what Mike sent. I don’t want to let them sway me. I don’t care what he sent. 

“Holy shit, O, that’s not okay,” Macy says while she hands me my phone. 

“It’s fine, I don’t care.”

But I do.

read next chapter

[divinemissem13]

We're Gonna Be Alright

Flufftober Day 1: "I've got you" / Fictober Day 2: "Don't worry, I got you." Fandom: Star Trek Prodigy

On the long, cramped shuttle ride to Earth, Dal tries to help Gwyn through her nightmares. But who’s comforting who?

Gwyn had fallen asleep on Dal’s shoulder. Again. 

The little shuttle didn’t allow much room to move, let alone lie down to sleep. The best that any of them could do was to rest against the bulkheads and occasionally each other. Gwyn sat next to Dal and so it was only natural that her head might drift to the side as she slept and land on his shoulder. Or that his head might lean towards that weight until it dropped softly onto her head. It was just gravity. Right. It had nothing at all to do with needing each other. 

But then there were the nights, like this one, when Dal was awoken by a soft whimpering in his ear, labored breathing against his neck. Gwyn was the strongest, bravest person he knew, but even strong and brave warriors have nightmares.

The first time, the noises had woken him with a start, bumping her head from his shoulder and waking her as well. Both blushed sheepishly and avoided eye contact as they settled separately back onto the bulkhead and fell back asleep as if nothing had happened. 

But it kept happening. 

The whimpers were soft enough that only Dal could hear them (or at least, the others dutifully pretended not to hear), but the sounds of Gwyn’s distress woke him every time. He couldn’t bear to hear her suffer, even through the sleepy haze of his own dreams. After living his whole life with shields raised, he was not well practiced in the art of comforting another person. But for her, he had to at least try.

He had fumbled his way through several attempts by this point, with success levels ranging from “no effect” to “Gwyn gets angry” (the time he woke her and tried to get her to talk about the nightmares). He really wished that Janeway were there. She always gave great advice. But as things stood, he was on his own.

It was the sharp, stuttered breathing that woke him this time. This was almost worse than the whimpering because, well, breathing is important and in those moments, Dal worried that she might stop. With his opposite hand (the one closest to her was trapped between them), he reached over and gently stroked her cheek. The repetitive gesture seemed to be somewhat soothing, but it wasn’t enough. 

“Shhh, shhh, you’re ok,” he hummed against her forehead, and her breaths came steadier still. 

He was so relieved that he pressed a soft kiss to her forehead without thinking. Then it was his turn to draw in a sharp breath as his body went rigid as he realized what he had just done. Gwyn stirred and he was certain he was about to get yelled at again. Instead, she turned to her side and nuzzled further into him, wrapping her arm around him like he was a teddy bear. Dal sighed and the tension left his body as he allowed himself to just enjoy her closeness and the fact that the nightmares seemed to have passed, for now. 

His inside arm had been freed when she turned, allowing him to reach up and weave his hand delicately into her braids while his thumb gently stroked the nape of her neck.

Gwyn sighed and her grip on his arm tightened and as Dal drifted back to sleep, he could have sworn he heard her whisper, “Don’t worry, Dal. I’ve got you. I’ve got you.”

[cebwrites]

Heeyyyyy Cev, hope you doing fine👀💖

Can i ask a promt with a teasing s/o with ace/deuce poly(if you don't want to separated it's fine😔✨) and Usopp please? 💕

hi anon, i'm so-so~ <3 of course i can do these for you! <3

with a teasing s/o (DeuAce, Usopp)

gn reader word count: 0.4k

Deuce, Ace

Teasing these two? A piece of cake. 

Ace is all bark but no bite and Deuce is Deuce. A soggy little meow meow of a man. More often than not, you team up with Ace to make your mutual blue haired pronoun partner’s life hell, but it’s just as often that you tease Ace himself, his first mate joining in on the ‘mutiny’ - and the two of them return the favor to you in kind as well when you least expect it.

Getting under Deuce’s skin is easy, all you’d have to do is fluster him enough to get ‘mad’ at you and wait until the realization kicks in that this was all intentional, after he’s already got you pinned against the wall. He’ll either push further, all according to keikaku, or get so flustered he has to leave the room, which isn’t all bad either as you laugh and whine for your love to come back. And Ace? Well, that’s as simple as showing him genuine, tender emotion and he’d already be trying to worm his way out of it with a witty quip or the usual banter while (unsuccessfully) attempting to hide the dark flush spreading across his gorgeous freckled face.

Actually tell him that, and you might have to douse your fiery boyfriend with a bucket of water when he collapses from overheating.

Usopp

Well now this just isn't fair.

The Great Usopp puts in all this hard work to be the strongest (in spirit), bravest Warrior of the Sea, and this is how you repay him? With teases? Malarky! He’ll occasionally try to fire back but truly, this valiant warrior is powerless to your teasing prowess. Usopp heats up all the way to his ears and the tip of that long, characteristic nose, trying to play it off as you needle him - arm around his waist, kisses pressed against the cute, dark flush spread all over his face as you tell him in detail about how you’re soooo lucky to be protected by such a gallant pirate, how even though he’s not captain like Usopp planned to, that he’s just as strong and important to the rest of this crew. You smile, leant into his shoulder with a warmth spreading through your chest.

You might’ve started out with the intention to tease, but by the end of it you hear yourself complimenting him instead, finding more and more things to praise the resident sniper for; when you look over, worried at the sniffle, Usopp’s rubbing the moisture out of his eyes, reassuring you that he’d absolutely do his best to never let you down.

[jupitercomet]

I usually hate female characters being meek pushovers but when I place it in that time line it was sadly the norm but I’d love for reader to be (privately) like I’m done with your shit Bradley I don’t wanna win you over anymore you can think of me whatever you want it doesn’t concern me because her only wish in life was to be loved and if he’s not gonna love her she might as well start loving herself and she’s got some catching up to do on that front since she spent so much of her life resenting herself for not being any of her other sisters and she just starts living deliciously she paints and drinks and eats and visits friends and family and goes out without him she redecorates the drawing room and adopts a dog or a cat or a bunch of strays and he’s shocked she can be so independent and she’s thriving and he’s like wow nothing can break her and realizes he married the strongest bravest Simpson I want that for reader to stick it to him so good he’s like… she’s a force to be reckoned with I think I love her!!!

okay, please enjoy an in-depth analysis of reader's character!

so I've seen a lot of people attribute reader's timidness to the time period, which is true to an extent. reader also grew up in a somewhat toxic family and (quick lesson about family dysfunction) some families present a toxic family dynamic that's kind of like the weakest link. essentially, a toxic role might find the weakest member of the family to unload everything on because that person isn't going to fight back. reader grew up the middle child of 5 sisters and was also the next oldest after Charlie, meaning that, when Margo left the house, a lot of focus was put on her because Charlie was the wild child. her mother couldn't get Charlie to do something? she could just get reader to do it. Charlie doesn't think love is worth anything? she can tell reader as much, inadvertently making fun of her dreams. reader grew up being loved by her sisters, but also being the "perfect child" having to pick up where Charlie didn't want to. her whole life she's been taught that her own feelings come second to what's expected of her.

when it comes to Bradley, reader does what she's always done, she fawns (one of the fight/flight/freeze/fawn responses). it's not that reader's a pushover (well she is) but it's because she believes it's the best way to keep the peace. "if I never do anything to make him angry, he won't get angry" kind of mentality. she could yell at him, but, in her eyes, what would that do other than worsen the problem? reader does not handle her problems aggressively, she runs from them or she tries to placate them. this role in her family has also warped her perception of love a bit. she lets her mother belittle her. she lets Charlie assert her needs over her every time. so why would Bradley, this man who says he doesn't love her, treat her better than them?

I definitely agree that pushover female characters should not stay pushover female characters. but I like to think that reader is already strong, that she still navigates joy, and friendships, and love, even if she doesn't always feel worthy of them. that she forgives people and tries to see the best in them. reader's mindset is by no means healthy, and she will learn to be more assertive throughout the rest of the parts, but we all have to start somewhere.

I think that pushover female character is an often misused character type (used to push the patriarchy, gender roles, the idea of female submission, etc.) but it's also a very valid way people respond to trauma. in the same way Bradley deals with his aggressively, reader deals with hers passively. neither are necessarily good ways to deal with trauma, but one isn't better than the other.

in my opinion, reader already is the strongest, bravest Simpson, but a theme that was important to me throughout writing was that, sometimes, you need others to remind you that you're strong or help you in places that you're not as strong and that's okay

[devilsrecreation]

Since @spinnysocks ever so kindly asked me about the depth I have given the crocodiles, I now present to you:

Crocodile lore:

Pua:

So I’ve repeatedly mentioned Pua was a bigger menace than Makuu when he was a villain, that is not new information. What IS new, is how he came to be like that in the first place

He probably had a hard life as a hatchling, being raised by strict parents who taught him about the crocodile way. It’s the only thing he had to care about. Nothing else. Not even the Circle of Life. He’s seen animals come and go even at a young age and it wasn’t pretty

I hc that a lot of crocodiles don’t really respect the circle of life. There were a few that did, but most didn’t when Pua was little.

His attitude and bad decisions as a new crocodile leader is what made him lose a lot of members in his float. Back then, he was sure they were the problem, but nowadays he knows he was at fault. This is the main reason why he pretty much knew Makuu would change for the better. He even gives Kiburi advice on how to not to push your loved ones away. Because he’s been there. He knows how it feels and much like Ushari, he doesn’t want anyone to go through the same thing he did

He had a mate at one point and she was perhaps the kindest crocodile he had ever met. He loved her more than life itself and he did everything he could to keep her happy. Then Scar took over and one bad decision during those times made him lose her forever

He’s very thankful for where he is now after the mashidano. Got a nice watering hole next to a tree where he gets everything he needs. He likes to think his loss is karma for how he was before Mufasa reformed him. It isn’t much, but it’s enough for him and he’s happy

Separate hc, but I can imagine him singing lullabies to Makuu, Kiburi, and the other hatchlings, especially after the two lost their parents. Like him softly singing “Mockingbird” to them when everyone’s asleep. He may not be related to all of them, but he loves each and every one of them as his own

Kiburi:

I swear, his father’s death had just about EVERYTHING to do with who he is now

Kiburi made a promise to his dad, claiming that he’s gonna be the best, strongest, bravest crocodile in the Pride Lands. Whatever happens, Piga’s gonna be so proud of him, just like his parents wanted him to be

Makuu always used to beat Kiburi when they sparred as hatchlings. To be honest, Kiburi never really cared as much. But as he grew up and the more he trained, the more he realized Makuu was always better than him at EVERYTHING. So much so, he had enough living in his best friend’s shadow and started pushing Makuu away so he can train to beat him someday…which ultimately strained their friendship. The Dry Season was just the final straw.

He’s pretty hard on himself whenever he loses nowadays. He’d never show it to another soul, but he’s internally beating himself up by thinking Piga would be disappointed in him, which is the last thing he wanted

Tamka:

So I’mma go out on a limb here and say that Tamka and Pua ARE biologically related. I’m thinking Tamka is Pua’s son

It is literally impossible for everyone to comprehend how the hell Tamka came from Pua. The wisest crocodile in Africa has the dumbest son to ever exist

He wants everyone to see him for more than just his stupidity. Yeah, he’s an idiot, he knows that. But it isn’t his entire personality. He can do good stuff when he wants to! He’s loyal to Kiburi and is a great friend to Nduli and Chungu, why doesn’t anyone see that?? He’s wants everyone to know that he’s still a big sweetheart. Is that too much to ask?

Did you know he likes acting? It was after the events of “The Little Guy”, where he saw Hodari’s reaction when he pretended to be defeated and was like “Hey, I’m pretty good at this!” So now when there’s an opportunity for a distraction, he’s like “Ooh! Ooh! I got an idea! Trust me on this, it’s TOTALLY gonna work!” (It does not work, one way or another but he’s trying)

He and Pua still talk. Their relationship is rightfully strained due to the past, but Pua still loves his son unconditionally and knows he is still capable of change

Nduli:

Like I said before, Nduli looks up to Kiburi as a big brother. It’s been like that ever since they were little. His other siblings didn’t really pay any attention to him, with him being the runt of the litter. But Kiburi? Well, there must have been something about him cuz Nduli just started following Kiburi everywhere and refused to leave him alone. Kiburi eventually gave up and let him tag along. Kiburi honestly didn’t think they’d ever become close, but now they have the closest bond two crocs could have. They’re basically family

Despite their sibling-like relationship, Nduli’s starting to worry that he and his leader/brother figure are drifting apart. With Kiburi’s responsibilities as a leader, he doesn’t have time to hang out with Nduli like they used to. Nduli knows this, but it still hurts, you know?

Believe it or not, he’s got quite a few negative thoughts and emotions on his mind, but he doesn’t wanna cause anyone stress so he chooses to keep it in. Doesn’t help that he’s in denial about it, too. I like to think his optimism, while genuine, is sort of a mask to cover up all the negativity.

He’s also the most sensitive out of all the Outlanders and while usually frowned upon by crocs, he’ll still cry

Based on his lines in “The Zebra Mastermind”, I’mma go ahead and say he’s sassy. Probably got it from his mom and it always makes Kiburi smile

He would eventually let everything out when Kiburi refuses to listen to everyone during some situation where they’re all lost or trapped or something. After he loses his temper and insults his float, Nduli decides enough is enough and immediately calls Kiburi out on everything: how he doesn’t like Kiburi’s attitude recently, how he’s distancing himself, how he’s so hard on everyone including himself, how everything that happened the day they were banished to the Outlands was his fault, and most importantly, “Why do you always have to push everyone away when they’re just tryin’ to be there for you?!”. And that certainly got Kiburi thinking cuz that shit hit like a truck.

Kiburi does eventually muster up all his decency to apologize and at least try to be a little more understanding, so that’s good! And the two absolutely rekindle the fire cuz this float is the only family they have.

Neema:

Honestly, the only depth I have for him is that he probably has a secret life when he isn’t hanging out with his float. I dunno what it is, but it exists lol

[i-did-not-mean-to]

October 25th 

Gravestone

This one is for @laurfilijames and @fandomfaeryreads.

I'd also tag @legolasbadass and @lathalea for the tiny world-building, @middleearthpixie and @fizzyxcustard for the dwarves and...anyone else who enjoys a bit of dwarven sadness.

@lordoftherazzles look, I wrote kiddies!

Words: 552

Warnings: Sadness

Kíli was not frightened; he was convinced that – if only he repeated these words often enough to himself and to his brother – it would soon be true.

It was not at all due to him being a “baby” that the hair at the back of his neck and creeping down hesitantly along his soft cheeks stood on end; no, even the hardiest, strongest, and bravest warriors would certainly have felt a little queasy in the endless silence of the forsaken patch of earth they were standing on.

Everything about this felt wrong, but he didn’t dare bring up that point to Fíli for fear that it might offend or hurt the slightly taller boy who held his little golden head up proudly.

“Come along,” Fíli hissed, “you’re such a slow-poke.”

As fast as his stumpy legs could carry him, Kí hastened after the quickly retreating figure – swallowed by ominous mists – and set his jaw stubbornly.

As they reached the point of their destination, Kíli pulled back his pudgy hand – already half-stretched out to grab his brother’s – at the last moment and stuffed it into a candy-filled pocket resolutely.

A dreadful sense of absence washed over the two huddled figures, hardly pebbles anymore but not grown dwarrows yet either, as they stepped closer to each other instinctively.

Throughout their lives, they had been instructed and trained in the unique skill of their people in sensing living stone and trusting their instincts to be guided by the veins of minerals and ore running like warm blood through its unyielding flesh.

The slabs in front of them were dead though, as dead as the brave warriors supposedly resting beneath them, and they shivered as no pulsating echo caressed their senses, no matter how much they quested and focused.

“Did you know that the elves just go up in a burst of flames or fall to dust?” Kíli asked in an unsteady voice; he simply wanted to fill that awful stillness that started weighing on him like a physical boulder sitting at the nape of his neck, pushing him down mercilessly.

“Nonsense,” Fíli snapped but his own words were wavering in the ambient mist.

They had come, a wreath of dry boughs at the ready, to pay their respects to the father they had lost through no fault of theirs; unlike all the other things that they had misplaced or destroyed by accident and careless handling over the years, this brave dwarf had just vanished despite their efforts to be on their best behaviour.

“Good evening, da,” Kíli whispered and curled up on the cold stone to infuse it with some of his own living warmth, “we miss you so. Ma still cries when she thinks that we’re asleep and Uncle Thorin looks away every time you are brought up.”

For a while, they babbled on like that, but – no matter how impeccable their princely behaviour and how vivacious their speech – the stone bearing their father’s name stayed devoid of any sign of life.

It was a hard but necessary lesson to learn that not all that was lost could be found again, and they vowed to be more zealous in their study of the famed stone-sense so that they may never find themselves – helpless and desolate – in the face of dumb, silent rock ever again.

@fellowshipofthefics here's another one :D

I am sorry if this one was a bit heavy...

Lots of love

-> Masterlist