#i knew of the ship before starting reading the books but didn't think much of it

[ladyhavilliard]

When you get to that one point in book 3 but you've already been spoiled by simply knowing which characters the ship beefleaf stands for...

[demonpiratehuntress]

stupid

Portgas D. Ace x F!Reader

Summary - your cluelessness could rival Luffy's. not knowing Ace has the biggest crush on you, you think he keeps asking to stop at a particular island to see someone. and you're confused when he brings you your favourite flower each time.

Warnings - angst to comfort (been feeling a bit angsty lately)

"Hey, it's Ace's girlfriend's island!"

The comment was seemingly harmless, purely meant to tease the 2nd Division Commander for his constant - albeit mysterious - request to always stop at this island any time the ship passed it. But despite the good-natured intention of the crewmate who'd said it, you couldn't stop the way your heart sunk a little.

Your secret was well-kept if no one knew about your crush on the fiery commander, which you were kind of grateful for considering the circumstances you now found yourself facing.

"(Name), are you gonna come this time? Maybe we'll actually get to meet her!" One of your crew asked, again not meaning any harm.

But the thought had you losing your balance, and you stumbled a little before catching yourself. You shook your head with a small, forced smile, "No, I'm okay. Looks like I'm a bit tired." You laughed, but it didn't sound quite like it usually did.

Before they could question you, though, you were gone. It was well-known that you were Ace's best friend, and the two of you were practically inseparable. Or had been. Ever since you noticed the repeated stops at this island you'd started putting distance between you and him, little by little so he wouldn't notice.

It was hard. Incredibly hard. You never stood a chance against Ace's charms and humour, and now you had to deal with the consequences of falling for a man every woman would want. You were just his best friend, and that's all you'd ever be. So you had to either learn to accept it and let him go, or else the burden of feeling so much for him would inevitably break you.

The odd thing about this whole scenario was that each time Ace would go out and spend the day with whoever he was seeing on the island, he would always come back with a (favourite flower) for you. And you had no idea why, but he just said it was because he knew you liked them and shrugged it off.

The moment you hit your bed, your emotions overwhelmed you and you broke down, crying into your pillow until you fell asleep.

This time, you weren't going to accept his stupid flower.

-

By the time you woke up, most of the day had passed. You were still docked at the island, indicating that Ace and whoever had gone with him had not returned yet. You tried not to care, dismissing their absence by immersing yourself in one of your books. Locking yourself up in your room so you wouldn't have to deal with anyone - or the crew relentlessly teasing Ace for having a girlfriend.

A knock at your door startled you, but you chose to ignore it and went back to reading. After a few minutes, you exhaled, thinking that the person had left, until a familiar voice made you jump.

"I know you're not sleeping! Come on, this is mean!" Ace complained, knocking again. "Let me in!"

You rolled your eyes but again ignored him, continuing on the adventure you were embarking on mentally. His knocking continued, and you cursed his stubbornness as you eventually threw your book aside and got up to angrily open the door.

"What?!" You hissed, harsher than you intended.

He faltered, his excitement visibly fading, "Is something wrong?"

"What do you want, Ace?" You asked, trying to be gentler but still speaking coldly. You couldn't help it, you were hurt.

He held out the flower, looking hopeful. He could see you were upset for some reason, and he wanted to know why, but first he wanted to give you the thing he searched the whole island for. Your favourite flower. It was a routine thing for him, the reason he requested to stop here. But he always forgot where the flowers were, or ended up falling asleep in the meadow, so he usually came back late. He never once thought you'd assume he was seeing someone else.

Because truth was, Ace was head-over-heels in love with you. And yes, he felt ridiculous for falling for his best friend, but he couldn't help it when you were the one person who understood him better than anyone else. The one person who made his life brighter and happier just by existing.

"No," you shook your head, "I don't want it this time."

His heart sank at your words. A frown fell on his lips, unusual for the typically cheerful man. He felt hurt by your response, and an awkwardness he'd never felt before fell over the two of you. He slowly dropped his hand, and even the flower seemed to droop like you'd broken its heart as well.

"Go give it to your girlfriend." Then you slammed the door shut.

Ace blinked.

Wait, what?

You thought he...oh no. He face-palmed, cursing at how stupid this situation suddenly became. You really thought he was out on the island meeting up with some girl? Is that how clueless you were to his affections, how naive you were to his advances? Did you really not get any of his hints?

He suddenly laughed out loud, feeling relieved. This was easily fixable. He thought you hated him, or at least just didn't feel about him the same way he felt about you.

You ripped the door open, "What's so funny?!"

"You," he chuckled. "You're an idiot."

You were used to his insults, but your eyes narrowed at this one, "And why is that, exactly?"

"Because you think I'd be out chasing some other girl when you're here," he answered honestly, genuinely. "You're so naive."

Your jaw dropped at his confession, then your expression hardened again and you crossed your arms, "Hey you're always on that island so long, what else do you expect me to think??"

He laughed even more, "Cute. The answer to that is simple. I'm stupid too." He held up the flower again. "I can never remember where that meadow is, and it takes me the whole day to find it again. And I remember you said it only grows here. I also...fall asleep in the grass sometimes." He laughed nervously, blushing.

You had no idea what to say. This whole time...he had been wanting to go to this island for your sake. To find a flower he knows you like. Your heartbeat sped up, a strong blush coming over your cheeks.

"Ace-"

"You know, you're quite mean," he pouted, "I thought you hated me. So my feelings are hurt."

You blushed in embarrassment, "I-I'm sorry! I just thought-"

"Kiss me and we'll call it even," he smirked, then his eyes widened, "Wait wait no, date me and we'll call it even."

You laughed and took the flower from him, "I can do both."

Cue the poor blushing, flustered boy bursting into flames.

[mistydeyes]

hollow apologies and avoiding glances

a continuation of this request

┊ ⋆ ┊ . ┊ ┊┊ ⋆ ┊ . ┊ ┊┊ ⋆ ┊ . ┊ ┊┊ ⋆ ┊ . ┊ ┊┊ ⋆ ┊ . ┊ ┊┊

summary: Months after your release from the 141, you try to acclimate to life back on base. Despite time, therapy, and medication, you still are haunted by ghosts that cloud your everyday life.

pairing: Simon "Ghost" Riley x gn!reader (but like not even a pairing at this point lol)

okay real talk here and same psa as before but please do not read if you are not comfortable with ANY OF THIS! it is upsetting in all aspects!!

warnings: torture/violence, mentions of blood, bruises, and cuts, swearing, abusive language, ANGST WITH NO HAPPY ENDING

a/n: HOLY SHIT I didn't think this would take off like it did! thank you all so much for all the love and requests to have a followup to my initial request <3

 💌 @nadinesabre @casualunknownrunaway @originaldeerhottub @justpasssingby @missroro @josieguts @miss-i-ship-it @sicknasty03 @jojoblossom @azwong @shadofireshinobi @caramlizedtomatoes @deltottoro @kenz-ee @teehee-47 @tiredmetalenthusiast @hollowmasque

┊ ⋆ ┊ . ┊ ┊┊ ⋆ ┊ . ┊ ┊┊ ⋆ ┊ . ┊ ┊┊ ⋆ ┊ . ┊ ┊┊ ⋆ ┊ . ┊ ┊┊

You felt the cold tile imprint on your face as Ghost loomed over you. The small shallow cuts on your cheek pooled in a sea of crimson iron on the linoleum flooring. "Please," you choked out for the thousandth time, "I promise you it's not me." Your quiet pleas for respite from the torture were met by the harsh tug at your hair. "And I promise you this won't end until you tell us what you want," he spat in your face. As he violently let you fall back to the ground, you braced yourself for another round of terror.

"Did you hear me, Sergeant?" the therapist's voice echoed in your ears. You blinked as you stared back at her, balancing your trembling hands on the table. "I'm sorry, what was the question?" you asked as you gazed shamefully at the light silver cuts that decorated your forearms. "Have you done anything nice for yourself recently?" she repeated, "go on any walks, read a new book, try a new recipe?" You tried to think of the positives during the last year but none came to mind. "I started gardening," you lied through your teeth and she nodded in respect to your answer. "That's good," she encouraged and you just wanted this to be over. "Is that all for today, Captain?" you quietly asked, "I just want to go back to my quarters." She had a tightlipped smile as she gestured that your time was done. As you got up and gripped the door handle, she had one last comment. "You can't bury yourself in work, you know," she said quietly as you looked at her, "it's not healthy." You shook your head as you entered back into the hallway. "God how fucking pathetic," you whispered, trying to hold back another barrage of tears. The least you could do was go back to your quarters and drown in the minimal comfort of sleep.

As your boots clattered on the linoleum tile, you avoided the prying eyes of your colleagues. Despite your temporary disability leave and passing numerous psych examinations, everyone knew what happened to you. Whispers reached even the highest ranks and you left the sympathy flowers out to die in the trash. You ignored the phone calls and voicemails from your previous team, even denying Laswell visits to your hospital room. When you returned, no one ever uttered a word but their gazes pierced into you whenever you walked out of your room. It was humiliating but was nothing compared to the flashes of terror when you saw the faces of your old team around the base. You had taken a desk position, something far from your skills on the field, but it was all that you could handle for the moment. However, you still brushed paths with them once in a while, walking briskly when you saw their faces emerge from a crowd. Once, Gaz tried to come up to you to offer an apology after you were issued an official one from the military. However, a strong slap to the face and a fast-paced sprint in the opposite direction was all that was needed to tell them to stay away.

"This can end if you tell us where he is," Ghost whispered in your ear. You shook your head violently and bit your lip as your face was met with a hard slap. The pain shot through your body as he followed up with a punch directly to the gut. Your ears rang with static as he gripped your chin in his bloodied, gloved hand. "That's not the answer I want, Eclipse," he said through gritted teeth, holding your face painfully. As your eyes pricked with tears in agony, he released his grip. "You're fucking pathetic," he spat, "a double agent caught so easily." You stopped resisting with words from that moment on. Despite all attempts to reason, the chance of your survival grew ever slimmer and it all depended on the actions of one man.

Your solemn walk back to your room was interrupted by the hard wall of a figure. "I'm sorry," you said looking up but your heart dropped when you saw who you ran into. It wasn't the mask that made you realize who it was but the cold, unforgiving eyes of one, Simon Riley. Out of all the visits and calls you received, you never heard a word from him. He haunted you and in some cynical way, he was a ghost both in namesake and person. As you backed away in sheer terror, you kept repeating a string of apologies and incoherent tearful babbles. He took a step towards you as you stood in absolute fear. "Please, please don't come near me," you whispered, clutching the wall as your legs began to tremble with adrenaline coursing through your veins. "I just want to talk, Y/N," he said with an unsettling amount go kindness in his tone, "I-I didn't realize you were back from leave." With the late word, you could feel something inside you break. It wasn't seeing the rest of the 141 that sent you over the edge, it was the fact that he was staring at you with the same bitter gaze that sent your blood into a fever pitch. Your feelings of terror morphed into ones of anger and absolute fury.

"You didn't realize?" you shouted, not caring about how your voice echoed through the halls, "like you even fucking cared in the first place." His eyes darted around your figure and your tears grew like molten lava on your face. "No amount of apologies or therapy or goddamn medication will ever make me forget about what you put me through," you continued, throwing a frustrated punch directly to his chest, "you fucking broke me, Simon." With that final statement, you could feel all semblance of anger and fear dissolve into emptiness. You had dreamed of an altercation, one where you could finally release all of the frustration and nightmares you had endured. But now with Simon standing in front of you, you felt as minuscule as ever. You never left that empty abyss of a room and no matter how hard you tried, he would still be that horrifying presence looming over you. As he stood there, words never coming to the surface, you pushed past him without a second look. "Try to talk to me again and I'll have a restraining order for you," you spat angrily, "and you can tell the rest of the 141 my stance."

[erikatsu]

RAINY DAYS + GENSHIN MEN

❍ PAIRINGS: Alhaitham, Dainsleif, Kaveh, Xiao, Cyno + GN!Reader (separate)

❍ WARNINGS: Individual if necessary. SFW, but minors don't follow. this is kinda all over the place.

❍ NOTE: this is my first time writing xiao & cyno. i cannot believe it.

ALHAITHAM

warnings: implied established relationship

If there was one thing Alhaitham hated more than eating from a bowl while trying to read, it was the rain. More specifically, it was going out in it. Today was one of those days, where it couldn't be avoided after leaving work to go home. Even though his walk was short, it still annoyed him every time a drop of water hit his skin.

But, coming home to you made that short walk in the weather worth it. Not that he would voice it out loud, but seeing you tucked into the couch with a blanket around your shoulders and you nose in a book as soon as he walked in brightened his mood. He'll pause for a moment in the doorway, soaking in your appearance before slipping down the hall to get dried off.

Once he changes into some comfier clothes, he'll sit down beside you, gently taking the book from your hands. He makes a face when he realizes its the latest light novel shipped in from Inazuma, which is something he found you reading a lot. While he didn't much care for fantasy, he did suppose exercising the human imagination did have its benefits. Regardless of his opinion, he'd pull you closer in his side and start reading out loud from where you had left off.

His voice compliments the sound of the falling rain, lulling you into a sense of comfort and security, and warmth as you get lost in his sound.

DAINSLEIF

warnings: angst, reader is implied to be royal and no longer around (take that however you want).

The first rain after the fall of was not a beacon of hope to Dainsleif. It was just a reminder that the sun shining after wasn't what he wanted to see. He craved the moon, and it's eternal shine. He craved you, and they way your skin glowed in its light.

The rain brought him back to a time when Khaenri'ah still stood strong in all its glory– a time when you were still around. He could recall countless nights where the two of you would stand in the open halls of the palace, watching and listening to the rain fall. One arm would be wrapped around you, pulling your back into his chest. He'd kiss the top of your head, thankful for the small amount of time he'd gotten to spend with you that day.

It was one of those moments where he'd forget others existed, feeling like it was just the two of you. There was no heirarchy, nothing keeping you two apart. You and him, together, feeling slight mist coming off the downpour while it washed away aftermath of a long day.

Dainsleif used to love the rain. Now, he stood in it— melancholy, cold, and alone. He'd never enjoy the rain again, because all it did now was remind him of what he'd lost. A painful memory of the loss of you.

KAVEH

warnings: established relationship

Your eyelids were heavy as you dragged your gaze over to your boyfriend. His hands are busy moving across a page, eyes darting up every now and then to make sure he was capturing the scene right. You'd been sitting this way for an hour, the rain tapping against the window almost putting you to sleep.

"Sit still, my love," he'd tell you gently. "I'm almost done."

He wasn't, and you knew that. But, once he finished his sketch he'd come sit beside you, and finish his work with charcoal coloring as you watched. This was always how rainy days went. Impeding weather meant no work for him or you, seeing that you both worked outdoors, even if it was in different fields. You'd have the house to yourselves, just relaxing and doing things you enjoyed while in the presence of the other.

Kaveh loved to use you as his muse, although you did like to tease him and say it was torture. But, you couldn't think of anything more endearing than him spending hours on your portrait, capturing how you looked even with a dreary background like the rain. There was a sort of magic in his art, making you glow and look breathtaking against his chosen canvas.

When he was actually finished, he'd put his creation where he kept the others before curling up under the blankets with you. He'd hold you close, placing a light kiss against your forehead as you dozed off in his arms. Both of you finally allowing the soft tapping of water against the window to sing you both to sleep.

XIAO

warnings: reader is scared of thunderstorms/loud noises. can be seen as platonic or romantic

Your nails anxiously tap against the wooden table in the kitchen of Wangshu Inn, hearing the distant thunder even over the sound of Chef Yanxiao bustling about. The man was always kind enough to let you hang around when the weather turned dark and if Xiao wasn't around. The clanking of pots and pans was easier to listen to than heavy rumbling thunder. You knew you probably weren't rational in your fear, but then again most people thought that way. Except for Xiao. He didn't seem to grasp mortal concepts like that, but you couldn't fault him for it.

"Why didn't you call?" His voice came from behind you— soft with a hint of curiosity... or was it disappointment? It was hard to place, but you were leaning more towards disappointment.

You frowned, knowing he'd been out all morning performing his duties despite no longer being tied to his contract. Calling out for him for a childish fear while he vanquished enemies didn't sit right with you, even if he had told you countless times you could reach out whenever you needed to.

He lightly scoffed, walking over to Chef Yanxiao and briefly speaking to him before coming back with a hot cup of tea. You looked up as he held it out to you, giving him a small smile and a "thanks" in response.

"Just because I don't understand some of your emotions, doesn't mean I can't sense your fear," He told you, the usual gentleness present in his tone. "I'll always be here to protect you, even if what you're afraid of can't actually hurt you."

CYNO

warnings: some hurt + comfort , established relationship

A soft sigh passed your lips as you stared out the window, watching as the people outside rushed to seek shelter from the rain. It had been a week since you'd last seen Cyno, the General Mahamatra and your boyfriend. You knew he was out there, just doing his job, but some days were hard. You had been stressed to the max with your research, your advisor constantly riding you about it and its due date. On top of that, you felt lonely. Sure, Collei and Tighnari stopped by for dinner every now and then but it wasn't the same. You missed Cyno, and nobody's presence felt the same as his.

You pressed a finger against the glass, letting it follow a raindrop down to the pane. No distractions you thought of worked, and you'd tried nearly everything to get your mind off him. Just a few more days, you told yourself, holding back tears. Just a few more days and he'll be back home.

You were lost in chasing the raindrops, missing the front door opening and closing. Cyno frowned when he saw you curled up, pillow tightly pressed against your chest. He knew him leaving was hard on you, but he didn't know just how hard until now. He figured now was not the best time to greet you with a classic joke. Instead he took the pillow from you, setting it off to the side before sitting next to you. He placed a soft kiss against your forehead, causing you to turn and bury your face in his chest.

"Thank Kusunali you're back," you told him, voice muffled by the close proximity. "I've had the worst week."

A soft chuckle left him at your change in mood, his arm wrapping around you. He'd missed you and your rants. One thing he admired most about you was your ability to communicate your troubles, knowing it must have been driving you crazy to keep what was bothering you all bottled up. He gently ran his hand up and down your back , "I'm here now. Tell me all about it."

[writingsfromstarfleet]

[AOS] Spock - The Other Kirk

♫ - Spring Day - BTS

A/N: Hello! I think I've written something similar before, honestly I don't remember, but if anyone is still reading these or is still here, enjoy! Hugs! x

for @lovinghufflepuffgirl <3

fem! pronouns (she/her) :)

Growing up, Iowa was life in the fast lane, and things were always constantly moving. The Kirk's were a well-known family, whether it was for your father, Lieutenant George Kirk, and his work in Starfleet, or it was your brother, Jim Kirk, and his truanting and general misbehaviour. America was entirely different to space, and you quickly found that out on your first assignment in Starfleet. 

Life on the Enterprise was definitely different to normal life. There were people of different races, species, genders; you name it, it was here. All beings from outer space worked together towards one common goal and it was a close community aboard the ship. You yourself, were human. From Riverside, Iowa on Earth, you were the sister of the Captain, and that didn't really make life too simple. 

Despite the difference, your brother stuck up for you no matter what, whether it was earth or the academy, it didn't matter. You were his pride and joy, and he would protect you with his life. 

By nature, your brother Jim was loud, obnoxious and confident. There never really was anything he wouldn't do, the man had confidence built from steel. You guessed that's what came from being the Captain. You were the polar opposite of him. Quiet as a whole, you kept your books and studies to yourself, always picking a small, closed off corner of the mess hall to sit in. Most people talked to you in relation to your brother, never really anything else. But, you weren't too offended. 

There was always someone a little different, though; Spock.

Your brothers first officer, Spock was always by his side, or on the bridge as acting captain. But, on the semi-rare occasion he wasn't, Spock tended to join you in the corner without much being said between you. In a way, you quite enjoyed it. It was a mutual understanding; you knew he didn't always favour talking, and so a simple smile and a nod of acknowledgement before you both delved back to your datapads and meals, was enough.

This pattern developed over time, and you found yourself sat with him more and more. Conversations started to naturally come between you, and before long, you were learning more and more about him, as he was you. One day, was different, it was still the same old routine, but the conversation was different.

"Good evening, Y/N," Spock started, placing his pad and drink down on the table. "How are you doing?"

"Hi Spock, I'm doing well, thank you, I'm a little stressed out over this, but other than that, it's good." Spock saw your face, brows furrowed but still trying to maintain your usual polite smile. "How are you?"

"I am well, thank you. Perhaps I can help you with that." 

Spock spun his pad round and sat down next to you for the first time. Usually, he was less personal and more formal, tending to always sit across from you. But this time, Spock chose the seat next to you instead. You suddenly felt nervous, though you had no real reason to be. Spock took your pad from you, fingers brushing delicately across your own for a second. Though it was only that second, the feeling lingered for a while. Spock stared at you for a moment, and quickly diverted his eyes down. If you hadn't known any better, you'd say his cheeks went a little red. 

"What is it you need help with?" he asked, voice low.

"I just don't understand any of it, I'm trying my best but I can't make sense of what feels like a thousand pages of writing." 

Spock sat with you for nearly two hours, explaining and writing and helping you where he could. It felt like he had been there all night, and as he spoke and talked you through everything paragraph by paragraph, eventually, it started to sink in and you began to understand. Even being Vulcan, Spock could not hide the pride on his face and a small smile after you explained the study back to him. 

"Well done, Y/N, I am impressed." His voice was different, and it sounded happy. His tone and smile told you that.

"You're smiling, you must be proud," you laughed out, and quickly got nervous again. "I, uh, didn't mean it like that if I offended you or-"

"Do not worry, I am proud. You have managed to learn something you did not know. That is an achievement and you should be proud too."

"I couldn't have done it without you, thank you," you replied, not really too sure where to look. You became sheepish, something you had not been much around Spock for quite some time. Whether it was the closeness, or the care from him, you weren't sure. 

"It has been an enjoyable two hours, I would like to do this again sometime," Spock seemed a little cautious, taking a breath before continuing. "Perhaps, without the studying."

He took you aback a little, before it fully clicked he was asking you on a date. 

"I would quite like that, Spock."

The day came to a close as he walked you back to your room before bidding you a goodnight. 

The morning came and you were up bright and early for your shift. As you finished getting dressed and tied your hair up, your comms system rang out.

"Lieutenant Y/N to the Captain's ready room."

With confusion and slight concern, you made your way to Jim's room with haste, not wanting to upset him in case he was in a bad mood or you had done something wrong. Reaching the room, you didn't even have to knock before the door swung open. You stepped inside, and  your brother sat with a face like thunder. 

"Captain? Or Jim today?" you asked, in the same joking manner as usual. 

"Spock?" he replied. 

"Weird choice of name, but who am I to judge?" you replied, shrugging. 

"Not funny."

"Never claimed to be, you've always been the clown. What's up with you?"

Jim raised an eyebrow, very clearly unimpressed.

"When were you going to tell me you were dating my first officer?"

You couldn't help but laugh. "What? I'm not dating Spock, relax. We just eat together and we're going on a date later this week, but I would love to know who told you that, because they found out before I did and that's one hell of a talent."

"Y/N, seriously. Have you thought about this?" You furrowed your brow, nodding him to elaborate. "This is Spock, he's a Vulcan, which means emotions are not his specialist subject."

"You'd be surprised, Jim. Why do you care so much anyway? He's your XO, you trust him don't you? He wouldn't hurt me, if that's what you're worried about. Give me one good reason why I shouldn't try this out and I won't go this weekend."

Jim stared at you, trying to summon any semblance of an answer for that, but realised he didn't actually have a legitimate reason to stop you. He did trust Spock, and he would trust Spock to keep you safe like he does, and to care for you. There was nothing really he could do to stop this, nor was there any reason he could see.

Sighing, he shook his head. "You're right. I just worry for you, you know? You're all I got, and-"

You cut him off with a hug. His grip tightened and you buried yourself into his shoulder. Pulling back, you smiled at him. 

"Don't worry, I love you too. I won't get myself killed, but if I do, he's all yours."

Jim laughed, and you joined in, grabbing your drink and heading towards the door. 

"Plus, it was Spock or Bones, so take your pick where you want."

"Y/N!"

With that, you closed the door over a little, laughing to yourself. From around the corner, you saw Spock, who raised his brow.

"Spock and Bones? What about us?"

You shrugged. "Nothing important, but if you go in there I'm sure you'll find out."

Spock cocked his head in curiosity, and you smiled.

"You look adorable like that, by the way." You leaned in and kissed his cheek, and swore you saw that blush red on his cheeks. "See you later."

As you walked away, Spock stood for a second, and touched his cheek where you left that kiss, and very faintly from behind the door came a voice that snapped him out of it.

"What the hell!"

[berriblossom]

Jing Yuan x FemChubby-thicker Reader|Jing Yuan missed his wife, clingy general, mentions of soft smut/sex nothing too harsh, sleepy sex.

[Since the last post did so well!]

✄-------------------------------------------------

The dozing general of the Xianzhou Luofou was sitting at his desk again late at night when he should be in bed. The bed he shared with his beautiful wife, the same wife he had just got off the phone with.

"Again? Jing Yuan? I thought you would get the day off tomorrow? Ok... fine..be safe for me okay..call me when you get home."

It ate at his soul of how devastated you sounded on the phone. He knew you were tired, tired of him being pulled every way away from you. Last week you were supposed to go out for dinner, what happened?

He got stuck with paperwork, again.

Yanqing offered several times to help with the load of stress, but Jing Yuan refused. Yanqing, being the son you never had constantly checked in on you and helped around the house but felt a little saddened by how you felt with the general always gone. Tonight, Yanqing was sent off on a patrol/mission about weird activity outside Stargazer Navalia. Jing Yuan checked the time on his watch. The night was slowly cascading onto the Xianzhou Luofou. Jing Yuan's eyes burned out of exhaustion as the stacks on his desk slowly became smaller and smaller. But the time was slipping away from him. Slinking his head down onto the desk, Jing Yuan looked outside the window behind him.

The look over the ship was beautiful, but it felt empty. Glancing at the time again, Jing Yuan started gambling the odds of his situation. If he could do at least another stack of work that'll leave him at least a stack or two for tomorrow, but if he just leaves now, he will be able to make it home before 1 AM. So, either or, it's either work this out now and feel better later or go home to see your wife, whom you haven't seen for the last week fully.

...

The general turned off the lights of his office with the Divine Seat and walked out of the building. He made it to his house by 12:54 AM. He left his desk at 12:33 AM. The power of speed and dedication to please his wife.

Jing Yuan quietly unlocked the door and made sure Mimi was sleeping soundly so he didn't wake her up with a grumble. Something he would pay for later; he took off his boots and placed his sword against the wall close to the door. He quietly inched closer and closer to your bedroom, opening the door he could see your sleeping form and all its beauty.

Jing Yuan grinned. He let out an exhausted huff as he could see the book you were reading on the end table near the bed. Hell, the lamp was still on too, he smiled and leaned down to your side of the bed. Leaving little kissed and gently touches all over your face and body, you looked so divine. Discarding his uniform, Jing yuan slid into the bed with you, pulling you into his warmth. Feeling the warm and strong arms of your husband, you stirred awake to see him lazily smile back at you. The bags under his eyes made you worry, but the hand that was dangerously moving up and down your thigh made you think otherwise. Jing Yuan leaned in closer and closer. His lips felt centimeters away from yours.

"I missed you so much, my love. So much." he gave you a small peck on the lips.

His eyes shined like gold, but they also had a burn to them. In Jing Yuan's vision, he could make out the plush firm if your body, your curves, the thickness of your thighs, the dip in your hips and how your tummy was peaking from one of his shirts you often wore to sleep, all jumbled up near your middle. Jing Yuan held you closer, the softness of your body made his heart beat 2x as fast.

He pushed his face into your neck, leaving little kisses aling your jaw line and face. You tangled your fingers in his hair and let him settle in between your legs. The weight of his body on top of yours was a welcoming and long forgotten familiar feeling. Pushing against you with his hands sneaking up the old shirt you wore to gently caress your breast.

Jing Yuan mumbled sweet nothings into your ear, how much he missed you, how long he's wanted you, how much he loves you. How lucky he was to have you. You waited for him every night, every single aching night.

Tonight, he wants to give it all back right now. The lamp shadow casts onto his skin, some scars from battle, his long white hair, all of it was mesmerizing. You hooked your legs around his waist, grinding yourself onto him, soft whispers, moans, and "i love yous" were shared.

Jing Yuan fought to kick off his boxers, his cock slapped against his abdomen, his hands went to help you push off your shorts and panties. His lips stayed on yours, his eyes were on you, his hands held you tenderly.

Pushing against you, you felt his tip slide against your clit and slit.

"Please, my love, let me have you again..."

Your whispers and pleas were heard by your husband as he slowly gathered enough of your wetness from your aching cunt. He pushed himself in slowly, you both moaning as he thrusted into you. The sensation alone made you see stars, Jing Yuan leaning down to kiss your forehead, holding you as he slowly thrusted into you.

He loved you so much. He wanted you to feel all of him. He would make up for how long he's missed you and how long he needed you. Hearing your moan to him, calling out his name as he made you cum over and over again.

The night felt young, feeling like it would last forever. He would make sure of it. The dozing general may be slightly overworked, but he'd put as much time and effort into making you feel loved than his paperwork

[aleksanderscult]

Today I will rant about Malina

Because this ship tried to be passed on as an ideal relationship to have.

*spoiler: it wasn't*

Malina is a ship that was shoved down our throats throughout the trilogy. Whether you shipped it or not you were bound to read about it in literally every other page.

And what are the negative aspects of this ship?

Literally EVERYTHING.

Let's start with Mal. The number 1 asshole in this trilogy.

And yes he is the number 1 and not Aleksander since Aleksander was a character with a goal. He had a grand plan that exceeded selfishness and pure evil and he used any means necessary to fulfill it. But Mal? Remind me, what was his plan?

Well, at the start of the trilogy to fuck around girls and then, when Alina began to feel something for someone else, to undermine her, latch on her and chastise her. There you have his role.

The minute Alina started having a life of her own outside his influence, the little jerk felt overlooked and his pride got hurt.

It's evident that Alina felt quite unseen from Mal in the beginning. He flirted and fucked girls right in front of her face (since she very clearly knew) and he even stopped hanging around with her as much as he did in the past.

Quite a start.

And then when Alina found her strength, happiness and place in the Little Palace he got offended. Why isn't she tortured as the rumors had said? What are these clothes that she's wearing? Why is she happy? And, most importantly, WHY IS SHE HAPPY WITH ANOTHER MAN??

Alina at that moment felt like she was walking on eggshells around him. She didn't know what to say without provoking him further. And when she found her voice, the little prick got all puffed up and left without even apologizing for ruining her nice evening.

Then we have Mal not talking to her as if it wasn't his own decision to abandon the army and follow her and again made her feel bad for even mentioning the Darkling.

It appears that Mal had no problem when his best friend bullied Alina but went actual feral when a (powerful) guy showed interest in her. Insecure, aren't we Mal?

In the following books we have Mal being okay that Alina doesn't use her powers and therefore being weak.

We have Mal being more concerned if Alina fucked the Darkling than being tortured by him. Apparently he wanted her virginity for him, I don't know.

We have Mal acting like crazy because Alina decided to return to Ravka to lead the remaining Grisha. But what about him?? What about his needs?? And what if he decides not to follow her? What will she do then?

(people call the Darkling manipulative but let me show you another person that you overlook as manipulative, my friends)

He gets angry when she hesitates to kiss him and again makes her feel bad about it. And how does he respond with that?

Revenge!!✨✨

Kisses Zoya, a woman he fucked before, and then threw the blame to Alina ("at least she doesn't flinch when I kiss her" "why do you care? You don't care about me anyway") Gaslighting at its finest form, my friends! 👌 Knew that she would be hurt, knew that she had feelings for him and still did it.

Oh and let's forget how he wanted the good, old Alina back! The sickly one that always depended on him for company and strength. He basically asked her to tear out a piece of her soul! 🥰🥰

And then, of course, jeopardized both her image and her safety by getting drunk and getting into fights (*whispering* we, the readers, are supposed to find this very romantic, okay? A man that drinks, sulks and makes the heroine feel bad. Just so you know).

Then the author made a 360° and presented Mal in R&R as changed and a very good person. Willing to die heroically for his love. How did she do that?

💕💕With zero development!!💕💕

One minute he's up there in the chapel being a jerk and the next minute he's underground and changed. I think it must have been the change of air, what do you think?

I have a huge problem with Leigh Bardugo about this. She presents Darklina as toxic. And it is. She presents Nikolina as little to zero toxic. And it is. But when she presents Malina, it's a really good, cute ship!! Not toxic at all with lots of possibilities! Leigh has constantly defended it saying "Oh but Mal was a teenager".

Ma'am? I was a teenager once and I never made my best friends feel like shit.

And as have everyone said before, Mal hits veeery close at home. He's every jerk that you have met in your life and you will meet again.

With Darklina you have nothing to fear. Because no one will put the collar of a magical stag around your throat, no one will have a nichevo'ya bite your shoulder, no one will ask you to abandon your friends so you can save some Grisha from the persecution. But plenty of men will slut-shame you for what you're wearing, plenty will feel insecure for being stronger and more famous than them, plenty will make you feel like shit for finding happiness and plenty will sabotage you by taking revenge kissing someone else.

Malina is a ship that is REAL.

While Darklina is your typical, fantastical ship.

Her hard efforts to pass it on to the readers as something healthy and inspiring is disgusting and makes me hate it even more.

Now from Alina's perspective things are even more tragic, since Alina never grows as a character because of him.

She always thinks "What about Mal? Will Mal follow me? What if he doesn't? It's my fault. It's all my fault. Where is Mal?".

This is it. This is the trilogy in a summary.

A heroine that seems more concerned about Mal than the country and people that expect from her to save them.

"Alina doesn't want a crown. That's why she left"

Girl, I don't want to go to work every day either.

Kids don't want to wake up to go to school.

People don't want to pay taxes every year.

But we do them because we MUST.

Just like Alina should stay, lead and rule because that's what she should do as the protagonist. Not pass on her own duties to others and say "gotta go lolz". Malina could be used as a plotline for Alina to gain strength from by casting aside Mal's influence and finding her own power inside herself. Instead Leigh did the opposite: stripped her powers (her own self) to fit in Mal's world.

And this excuse that the author had given ("some women don't want to wear crowns") is pathetic and idiotic.

Frodo didn't want to carry the Ring but chose to do the right thing. Harry didn't want to fight a war with a psychopath but did because it was the right thing. The Pevensie siblings didn't want to fight the White Witch and rule a country but did both because it was the right thing. Every hero in a proper story does the right thing. He or she becomes selfless and sacrifices his own happiness and well being to stand up against the evil and corruption.

In the trilogy instead we have Alina who had a responsibility and duty but unfortunately for Ravka and the Grisha she was not a responsible person but a girl that wanted to depend on a man. She didn't want to use her influence to protect her people but hide.

Apparently the "evil villain" understood the assignment better than the author ever did.

Alina never grew as a person or as a character. It was only Mal and Mal. If only he had stayed dead in R&R then the world would shine brighter. But no! The author brought him back and gave us an explanation with how that happened that I still don't understand because it doesn't make a goddamn sense.

I guess the easy explanation is: "I brought Mal back because Alina had to end up with him somehow. Deal with it."

And we just have to accept this (just as Alina did) whether we like it or not.

Well I don't.

Because I've met people like Mal and they're assholes. They want to be the strongest one in the relationship, they want their girl to look up to them and depend on them and when they make mistakes it's none of their fault.

Because I've met people like Alina that try hard to please their man while in the meantime they "crumble down" emotionally and feel insecure. They never shine with their own light but seek only the one that their toxic partner can give to them. Without it they're lost.

Because I've met couples like Malina. And it's never a happy relationship or has a happy ending.

And when you try to pass on this relationship in fiction as something healthy, then you really need to reconsider.

[hepaidattention]

I'm v curious to see how the pjo show will portray Percabeth and Percy's feelings for her throughout the show.

cause imo, in the books Percy straight up doesn't even realize he has feelings for her until much muuuuuch later (whether it be oblivion or denial), but in like book 3 he's so worried for her he's starting fights with god's. she's literally all he thinks about in the Titans Curse, but never in a romantic way. Percy never thinks about her in a romantic way till probably book 4, when she kisses him, and even then it's a rare occurrence until book 5.

we just knew he had feelings cause he'd think stuff like "wow she's beautiful," or prints out a picture of her and keeps it with him, or constantly thinks about her when Rachel was around, or think Aphrodite looked like her. ACTIONS wise I know exactly why Annabeth was yelling at him by book 5. he never showed romantic feelings for her outwardly except for rare occasions that could be interupted as friends, even when she kissed him. not until, again, book 5 when he asks for a good luck kiss and literally screams at everyone not to touch her when she's injured.

anyway, so I'm interested to see how they're going to display it for the viewers on the screen when we won't have Percy's narration telling us obvious things that show us he loves her. I'm wondering if they're going to be more straight forward with it. in the books you knew Percy liked her but again only because of his thoughts, and not until book 3 tbh. but in the show s1 already had so much implied Percabeth. like Percy looked at her so many times like he wanted to marry her right then and there that is was shocking to me (not complaining) cause Percy really only acted like he saw her as a friend by that point in the books.

SO I wonder if they're going to continue this trend of just having Percy look at Annabeth longingly a lot and hope those who haven't read the books catch on, or will they go a step further and having him talk to people about his feelings? will Percy talk to Grover about her? in the books they would never, Percy didn't even know Grover had a girlfriend at one point. they weren't the type of bromance to talk about their feelings. however TV show Grover and Percy would easily talk about their feelings. they're more open and vulnerable around each other in the show.

and if they do that, then are they going to make it canon (canon to me is if Percy knew he had feelings for Annabeth before book 4 of 5 and said it himself. he never says he has feelings, and even talks about his feelings for other characters like Calypso and Rachel, so to me its not canon that he did know unless he said those words himself) that Percy is aware of his feelings before book 5?? or are they just gonna have scenes like in s1 with Luke where he calls them an old married couple and Percy and Annabeth ignore it. I could also see Grover just teasing him about her and Percy just acts like he never even thought about it

idk I'm really interested on how they're going to show us in TV form. half of me wants it to stay canon, but the other part of me wants to see a Percy verbally attest that he likes her but she'd never like him like that - or say something like Annabeth was too good for him (which I always got the feelings was half the reason why Percy didn't pursue anything till much later). even after Annabeth kisses him he's like "as friends???? hmmm???" and I truly do no think until she yells at him for being a coward that it occurs to Percy that "Oh, that WASN'T a good luck kiss then." like he WANTED to kiss her but he didn't think she liked him like that EVEN AFTER SHE KISSED HIM. sigh. sweet, dumn Percy. how I love thee.

but show Percy really isn't as a dumb as book Percy was in the first book, so there's a huge possibility they'll make it more obvious. I feel like for the sake of wanting fans invested in the ship, they'll make him more aware of his feelings imo. they already did so in s1, and book 1 truly was just Annabeth and Percy learning to be friends.

no matter what, I cannot wait for s3, because I would do anything to see Walker act out Percy worried about Annabeth. PERCY TRYING TO FIGHT MR. D CAUSE HES NOT WORRIED ENOUGH FOR ANNABETH???? I literally cannot wait.

[meiwritesyan]

yan senior prefect (male) (unedited)

mei's note: hi~ I'm not dead yet~ this hc are self indulgent cause this base a little on one of my ex crushes. will edit this later tho :v really sorry because this is bad :(( it's been along time since I write :(( btw this piece will have continuation in the future, so stay tuned!

synopsis: forced to take care of your class even though he already have enough on his plate and didn't have any other choice except to accept it. after all, he's the head prefect, the teacher would have a high expectations of him, right?

yan senior prefect who has been assigned to watch over your class when there's no teacher. your class are so famous around the school, for being the most rude and disobedient class in your batch it's because of the boys actually

yan senior prefect who didn't really notice of you at first. It all starts when he hears a whisper of his names when you and your friends chatting

yan senior prefect who dissmiss it and think that you and your friends are gossiping about him. he's already used to it. everyone talk about him.

yan senior prefect who starts to notice you again one day, after your friends literally call out his name loudly when he's at the hall. he looks over and see you reading a book...it's weird though..your books are upside down while your friends all laughing giddily.

yan senior prefect who needs to go to watch over your class. again. he even lost count on how much he watch over your class. he start walking to your class after chatting a bit with your class teacher

yan senior prefect who stop his step before he enters your class when he hears a friend of yours yell loudly, "[name] likes our head prefect~". he hears your classmates all talking about it. especially your female classmates. he can hear all of them gathers in one table and starts to talk about him to you

"wait, you like him [name]? - one of your classmates ask you

"uh...yeah..." you hesitantly confesses to your classmates. 'damn it, why did they [refers to your friends group] need to be so loud?! you talk to yourself

"but...i heard he already have a girlfriend... I don't know if it's real tho" - another classmates of yours ask

"oh, yeah...i heard about that too.. you talk about the vice head of the prefect right? i don't know..i think i want to move on.."

yan senior prefect who clench his hands until it turns white and grit his teeth when hears you mention about the vice head prefect. oh, how he hates the vice head of the prefect... people keep shipping them together that he feels so suffocating. sure she's perfect, but she's not his type. the vice head prefect and him just a schoolmate, that's all

yan senior prefect who enters the class after the class are more like a night market than a class

yan senior prefect who watch you the entire time he watch over your class. he notices how you avoid making an eye contact with him. and he also notices how red you look even at the shortest eye contact.

yan senior prefect who starts to watching your every move. he starts to notice how you will smile at the smallest gift your friend gave you, how you style your hair, and the fact your hair smells so nice... wait...what was he thinking?!

yan senior prefect who starts to look forward on watching over your class. oh.. he's so excited to see your face..! he enjoys the fact that he can always see you ♡

yan senior prefect who starts to feel things for you... no, no this is not some stupid crush, right? he thought to himself

yan senior prefect who are blushing mess when he thinks of you. 'damnit! stop thinking of that kid and do the work already!'

yan senior prefect who starts to be close to you, trying to flirt you

yan senior prefect who hearts shatter when you had move on from him

yan senior prefect who enraged when he knew that you have a crush on that one school librarian. he knows to well of that librarian.

" just you wait, [name]... I make sure you are mine..!" - your delusional senior prefect

@meiwritesyan all right reserved. do not copy,repost or claiming my work as your own!

[wutheringmights]

can i ask for the hot mess commentary plz?

sure

Before we crack into this, take a moment to read what I said about the neck thing. I write that up a long time ago, but it provides some important context and is a good refresher on the secret history of Spirit's bi awakening.

Also, the director's commentary for this chapter is here, in case you want to review that.

Good? Okay, let's go at it.

So.... they had sex. Yay. Insert jazz hands.

I feel like I actually have way less to talk about here than I did for the neck thing. Granted, a lot of the neck thing is behind the scenes stuff. I guess that's a good place to start.

You may recall the informal hiatus CTB went on after Spirit came back to Warriors's era. I used a lot of that time to actually work out how to end CTB and what character/plot points I would need to hit to have a satisfying conclusion.

During this time, I was listing out things about Spirit and Warriors that I need to return to. Spirit had his codependent histories with the greenhorn and Zelda, or really his strategy for offering himself up as a means of feeling more in control, that needed to be explored. I needed to do some kind of follow-up with Warriors's latent attraction.

The two topics were similar enough to make me want to tackle them at once. But the moment I did, my brain decided that they should hate fuck. (I definitely was also thinking about my old concept of Spirit's unrequited crush-- I still write the characters like that happened, even if it never actually made it into the story.)

Why hate sex? Honestly, it would be kinda funny. Plus, it's a good writing exercise to ask yourself what would happen if your characters in conflict did (not really).

I knew immediately it could only end badly for everyone involved. But I knew I needed Warriors to hit an emotional low point to motivate him to do his Castle Town plan. I knew I wanted Spirit's big speech to come at a time when he and Warriors were emotionally connecting again, and that the response to that speech needed to push him back to Time.

Shit, I thought. This might be what they do.

But, like. I love protecting my peace. I have been skirting around the edges of homo eroticism with Spirit and Warriors as much as I dared. I didn't want to invite angry anons. But then.... did I really care? I understand where people are coming from, but at the same time... this is such a minuscule non-issue. Truly, and with emotion: who even cares?

First off, we already established with the neck thing that whatever fucked up thing these two have going on does not count as shipping. And second, if it does count as shipping, then fine! It's shipping then. This is what the plot is. I've been working on this story for too long to compromise now. I'll reap the consequences, whatever they may be.

I decided to keep it on the books, half believing I would change my mind once the chapter came up.

I was feeling very confident about my choice, up until the day of posting. That was then I got slammed in the face with regret. Luckily, there hasn't been any issues. I may have overestimated as much the general populous care about CTB. If there was ever any confirmation that this story has the world's most niche audience, this is it.

And you all have been great. There's been a lot of encouragement and kind words from you the readers, after you all stopped yelling, of course.

(Though I was prepared to be an obstinate jackass to anyone who tried to complain. I found a loophole and was ready to exploit the hell out of it. I was so ready!)

Funnily enough, everyone's reactions to the past few chapters helped to reassure me the most. There was been a lot of jokes about Warriors and Spirit having the world's worst situationship (lol).

So them having sex turned into an important character and plot moment. Warriors and Spirit got built up and tore down in self-destructive ways. This experience becomes the wake-up call Warriors needed to decide that he was ready to stop being the hero and get his life back.

A lot of people expressed surprise that Warriors and Spirit would go through with it even after talking it out. To be honest, I was a little surprised too! I was half convinced that Warriors had grown enough to stop the self-destructive cycle and turn Spirit down. But when looking at the scenes leading up to them being alone-- from Twilight denounce his friendship with Warriors, Toto turning him away, and Warriors generally in an emotional rut over his intellect and lost beauty--I realized that Warriors was already in the middle of another downward spiral. He would go through with this, if only to feel valued. It was the war all over again.

Also, apparently half of you guessed that Warriors would get cigarette burns from Spirit eventually. I hope you all were happy with the results!

When I posted that snippet from the chapter, apparently all of you knew that a kiss was coming. Ooops. I'm a little glad I surprised all of you with what happened next afterward.

On to funnier things:

I meant for there to be more compare/contrasts between Warriors's nights with Icarius and Spirit. The only one I really managed to do was Link being unable to sleep next to Icarius vs Warriors falling asleep easily.

Because this chapter and the last were supposed to be one, this scene was supposed to come out around Valentine's Day. Could you imagine?

I had the silliest time trying to figure out how to get Warriors and Spirit alone in a room together. I had this grand plan about them needing to get a room in a different inn from the others, whether because they were too tired to walk home after dancing or because they were too drunk to remember the way. Then I realized that Ganondorf could just give the Chain enough money to get more rooms. I realized this way later than I should have.

If you're wondering.... they switched....

I wrote that Warriors thought that sex with Spirit felt like an argument. That is because they are both the bossiest motherfuckers in bed. They both want things done their way or else. It's combative. Unfortunately, they both like the challenge.

I did have an idea for how to end this whole matter in a funny way, both involving someone from the chain finding out.

In my first idea, Time barges into what he thinks is just Warriors's room, in the middle of some kind of rant. Then he sees both of them sitting in bed, pauses, then promptly walks out. Warriors and Spirit quickly get dress before there's a knock on the door. When Warriors opens, Time walks in casually and starts his rant again while pretending none of this had happened. He would wait until Warriors was alone to be like WHAT THE FUCK!!!!!!

My other alternate scenario involves Warriors and Spirit getting a room in a different inn. In the morning, Spirit is hurriedly trying to leave when there's a knock on the door. This time, it's a few members of the chain asking if he's seen Warriors anywhere. He says no. All but one walk away. The one who stays (probably Legend) would lean and discreetly tell him that he knew the room was under Warriors's name, so if they were done, could he tell Warriors to get his ass outside? Cue Spirit burning up in embarrassment.

EDIT: I actually had a third silly scenario idea. Similar to the others, Twilight barges in to talk to Warriors about Midna (they're still friends in this scenario; this was an idea from a long time ago). Warriors is still in the bed, but luckily Spirit is in the bathroom. Warriors tries to have a normal conversation without alerting Twilight that something was amiss. And it almost works until Spirit just walks out of the bathroom, waves, and goes to put his clothes on. Cue Twilight's 404 error.

So, yeah! That's the Hot Mess. As always, it's been really fun to see everyone's reactions. Warriors and Spirit are both extremely polarizing, and I love hearing everyone's hot takes.

Does this count as toxic yaoi? Not until I see an AMV to "Numb" by Linkedin Park. Luckily, Warriors and Spirit will never do this again. Probably.

[carlos-in-glasses]

The Notorious C-I-G

💌 🍄 📚 🏜️ 🐝 (you don’t have to answer this one if you don’t want, I already know it’s me 🤭)

Lemon...right?

💌 ⇢ how many unread emails do you have right now?

Darn you for making me look! 248!

🍄 ⇢ share a head canon for one of your favourite ships or pairings

Answered this one here and here but here is another: After Andrea met TK and really started opening up her heart and mind to Carlos being gay and in love with another man, she began seeking out queer art, books, shows, so she could learn more about the community her son is a part of. Carlos recommends and lends her things! I touch on this in my fic Wrestling Angels.

📚 ⇢ what’s the last thing you wrote down in your notes app?

I didn't have to say anything. He knew I was shaking.

🏜️ ⇢ what’s your favourite type of comment to receive on your work?

I love it when an aspect or overall theme leads a reader to discuss something and it gets a bit more personal and chatty. Fire Island and Sweet Dreams and Flying Machines led to comments in which people shared their memories and feelings about the AIDS crisis and about 9/11 respectively. I guess it makes it seem like the fic has a bit more 'social impact' in a way. It's quite amazing when that happens.

🐝 ⇢ tag your biggest supporter(s) and say one nice thing about them

Haha @lemonlyman-dotcom... right? You have been so supportive and friendly from the beginning - the beginning being pre-tumblr when you were leaving such lovely comments on my fics. When I saw you'd set up your tumblr I was so happy to be able to interact with you on here too. And now look!

And @thisbuildinghasfeelings - you were one of the first people I spoke to on here and your kindness and enthusiasm not just towards my writing is just incredible and I feel very lucky you're here.

@heartstringsduet your comment on Afterglow of a Supernova basically changed my life in that it made me instantly more confident in my writing, like it represented a turning point in how I felt about it, and you've always been in my corner. And you've made art for my fics???!!!

@goodways you have been so lovely about my fics I feel like I can never thank you enough and your comments always make me laugh and make me think. Your feedback always means the world to me.

@herefortarlos your enthusiasm for my fics, all fics and this fandom is a thing of beauty and so inspiring.

@welcometololaland you were one of the first people to ever tag me in anything and I remember it vividly because I couldn't believe it haha. Your comments are always so hilarious and make me feel like I've done something right, and without you I wouldn't have written I Was Thinking About Your Mouth, so I am forever grateful for that and for you being such a good sounding board when I complain about work!

@cold-blooded-jelly-doughnut mate, you are divine and the fact that you spend any time beta'ing my fics when they are still kinda hot messes is wild to me. Thank you as well for your kindness and generosity!

@im-overstimulated-and-im-sad you are a delight and your comments are like a balm to my soul!

@reyesstrand Also from really early on you were leaving such encouraging comments on my fics and including me in WIP tags and things and I'm so grateful and forever awestruck.

@paperstorm I always cherish in particular how incredible you were about Fire Island (and When Soulmates Swim recently!), and how you helped so much in my hour of need when the whole scary situation around Afterglow of a Supernova happened. Thank you!

There are other people too of course but I worry I'm banging on a bit too much like I'm at the Oscars and the music is going to play over me talking so I just want to wrap up by saying thank you to everyone who has read my fics and commented and left kudos - I've said it before and I'll say it again, it really does blow me away that you're giving your precious free time to my stories in that way.

[bey0nd-1he-stars]

Kaz Brekker - A hot drink and a softer side than usual 

𝑀𝑎𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑙𝑖𝑠𝑡

Pairing: Kaz Brekker x reader

Warnings: None I think

Word count: 1324

Summary: You make a cup of coffee for Kaz and he shows you a softer side of him that he usually isn't putting on display for, well, anyone.

It was a normal day at the slat. There were no new heists planned for the moment, Kaz had too much paperwork to tend to and the ship-loads from the harbors weren't very interesting at the moment. The standard gray weather was hovering over Ketterdam as usual and the winds brought the smell of salt with it from the sea. You were down at the kitchen making some tea and brewing a cup of coffee for Kaz. The hot water from your mug was steaming and Kaz's coffee was twirling calmly in his cup. No milk, no sugar, no cream. Just dark, black coffee, matching his clothes and mood perfectly.

Balancing one cup in each hand you headed for the stairs and started climbing them slowly, careful not to spill any of the hot liquids on your hands. Although, Kaz would probably mind the coffee stains on the carpets more than he would ever mind your second degree burn you would receive for the trouble.

When you finally reached the top of the stairs you started your steps to Kaz's closed door. The wood creaked a bit under your feet and in the quietness of the top floor made you wince a bit. You didn't bother to knock, Kaz would know you were here anyway. You pushed down the door handle with our elbow and pushed the door open. It swung up and revealed a tired Kaz at the desk. His hair was a bit messy and his tie was loosened up. It suited him, this more relaxed look. He didn't look as harsh as he usually would. The everyday look fit him well and he probably knew it. It took you a while to realize that you'd stopped in the doorway to admire him from afar with two cups of hot contents in each hand. His brown eyed gaze quietly told you to close the door after you and come in, not stand there like a complete idiot. You cleared your throat and kicked the door closed with your heel before approaching the desk to set down the two cups. Kaz took the cup as soon as it reached the surface and you'd pulled your hand away from it. He sipped it quietly and gave you an approving nod when he looked up again. You beamed at his short affirmation.

The book you'd been reading before leaving to get coffee for Kaz was still lying face down on the window sill. You hadn't bothered to put in a book mark. After picking it up and making yourself comfortable again you quickly reached for the cup of tea, placing it closer to where you sat. Kaz had resumed his paperwork and your gaze landed on him again. His dark hair had fallen into a middle part and a few strands fell into his eyes. An almost faded scar was above his upper lip and you had to restrain yourself from reaching out to trace it. Kaz felt your gaze on him again but this time he didn't pause his work to look up at you. But a small smirk made its way to his lips as he put down the paper and picked up the next one.

"Don't look for any redeeming qualities, I don't have any," his voice was low but in the silence you heard him clearly. You let out a surprised laugh and pulled your gaze away from him, directing it to the book in your hands instead. A wide smile played on your lips and when you looked at him again he was already looking up at you though his dark lashes. You shook your head at him and looked away again.

"I wasn't. I don't waste my time on unnecessary things," you stated with a knowing look but a playful smile. Now it was Kaz's turn to let out a laugh. It wasn't loud or much, but it made your heart swell and your breathing catched in your throat. Your eyes shined despite the lack of light in the room and Kaz could swear his heart skipped a beat when his eyes met yours. You reached after your teacup and sipped lightly from it, careful not to burn yourself. Kaz raised his eyebrows at your action and you sent him a questioning look.

"What?"

"No, nothing. I just find it ironic that you say you don't waste your time and yet you're here drinking that seasoned water like it's tasty."

You let out an offended huff, "excuse you, mister. This 'seasoned water' is, for me, what coffee is for you. So don't disrespect it." Kaz gave you a shrug, "still a waste of time, though."

"Fine then," you said, smiling widely as you took another sip of tea to add to your dramatic act, "I'll go drink my water somewhere else if it bothers you so much," you dragged out the 'o' and raised your cup in a toast. Kaz knew you were joking of course, but he couldn't help but feel a yearning for your light company and your comforting presence. So when you turned around so that you faced him with your legs hanging off the edge of the windowsill ready to leave, he almost thought you'd actually leave for a second.

"Please stay, I'd like some company," Kaz's voice was quiet and hoarse, his eyes were glued on the paper in front of him, but both of you knew he wasn't actually reading it. You smiled at his request and nodded.

"Okay then," you knew Kaz. He didn't ask for things. He took what he wanted and this small moment of vulnerability and almost like a softness, it was something special. It was sweet. And you didn't want to ruin it or make him feel exposed or uncomfortable by addressing it. Kaz nodded and took a sip of his coffee, placing it down at the desk with a soft thud. You went back to reading your book. But you had a hard time concentrating on the words and you had to start over all the time because you just kept losing track of what you'd read and not. After a while you looked up at Kaz again, only to find him softly resting his eyes at you, taking in your appearance, just like you'd done earlier with him.

"Find any redeeming qualities, Brekker?" you quirked an eyebrow at him and smiled teasingly. He rolled his eyes at your comment and your complacency. But then something in his eyes seemed to loosen up. He sat back in his chair and pulled a hand through the dark strands as he directed his gaze to the view of Ketterdam behind you.

"Yeah, I do."

His answer knocked you back a bit. Not only because it wasn't what you'd expected him to say, but also the tone he'd said it in. Even if it was a bit teasing and kind of regretfully admitted, there was an undertone of gentleness and sincerity that you'd never heard him speak with before. And it took the breath out of you. You swallowed and nodded, smiling gently. Kaz returned to his papers and took the cup of coffee to his lips. You sipped on your tea, a bit stunned after his answer. It also filled you with a kind of comfort and a yearning to give him a hug and press a kiss to his cheek. But for now, you were content with what you had. The comfortable silence and the giddiness from having seen Kaz's more gentle side, the one that appreciated what he had. Your easy relationship and smooth interactions. It was enough for now, it wasn't one hundred percent, not a fully committed relationship, but it was all that Kaz was able to give you at the moment, and you were more than happy to see him put in the effort. It almost made you fall in love with him more.

[allgremlinart]

haiiiiii friend can you explain jianzhu to me I keep seeing you post about them and I’m nosy and wanna know (<- stopped watching atla bc I realized zutara was never gonna be canon)

also jetko. can you explain jetko too (I’m thinking they’re more on the ghostbat spectrum where it’s like. intense friendship that left both emotionally scarred for the rest of their lives)

TEEHEE HEEHE HEE <- me when I get the opportunity to explain/infodump cross-fandom stuff to mutuals

ok so Jianzhu... ahhh Jianzhu... ((SPOILERS for anyone reading the Kyoshi novels))

This is Jianzhu and also like... probably one of maybe 4 canon images/art there is of him... he's not from the original cartoon he's from the Avatar Kyoshi spin-off novels that take place abt 400 yrs before the events of the show (idk how much you know abt atla lore from osmosis so this might get a little tedious? I'm just gonna explain as succinctly as possible.)

To be brief, he's a cunty old man. But unlike when I call, say, Minhkhoa a cunty old man it's not really loving ... its more like... I love to hate him. He's a REALLY good villain.

He's a politician. He made 500 people dig their own graves and then buried them alive. He beheaded his friend of like 20+ years. He drugs and kidnaps teenagers. etc. It's great.

His whole character arc is like... He's in control. You start off the book and he is very clearly in control, and he knows what he's doing, and he even sounds halfway reasonable sometimes but over the course of the novel he gets more and more desperate to grab hold of a situation that spirals wildly away from him and you get to watch it happen. His justifications for his actions get crazier, he gets sloppier and sloppier with his murders....

OH also you know how sometimes people think Bruce is some callous asshole who was only using his adoptive son who worshipped him as a weapon, and when he died he quickly sought to replace him without remorse ? Yeah he's like that but. Like actually this time. His dead adoptive son also then comes back after eating an eyeball in the spirit world (idk) and kills him by pressing a pebble through his sternum so. More successful than Jason at patricide I'd say. Look there's a lot I didn't cover, here's his wiki.

ok Jetko... ah... the ancient yaoi..

Important required reading before I explain this ship is this post. What you have to understand about Zuko is that for basically like... 40 episodes the only person he shares significant screen time with is his uncle so when him and Jet met in s2 and had a decent 3 episodes worth of interactions ... it was enough, lets just say that.

The basic Jetko timeline is they meet on a ferry while Zuko and his Uncle are disguised as refugees and they steal food together -> Jet tries to get Zuko (who he only ever knows as "Li") to join his emo band gang which Zuko refuses -> Jet sees Uncle Warcrimes heating his tea and correctly deduces that they are firebenders (ie not who they say they are; the enemy) -> Zuko and his Uncle work in a tea shop while Jet stalks them and steals things from their house and watches them from behind clotheslines (yeah) -> Jet confronts them in the teashop, sword fight, Jet gets arrested and brainwashed by the secret police (yeah) -> Jet dies under a lake which Zuko only finds out about a season later.

So they never had the 4 years of intense homoerotic cohabitation that ghostbat had,.. their chemistry and potential are pretty much instigated by a few of Jet's weird intense lines, such as "As soon as I saw your scar I knew exactly who you were - you're an outcast, like me." And the crux of the ship is like.. Jet both does and doesn't know who Zuko is.

He knows he is also angry and restless, like himself - he knows he is running from his past, like himself - and he knows he is going to Ba Sing Se to create a new identity. These things are all true, for both of them; what Jet doesn't know is that Zuko is from the imperialist nation that brutally murdered his parents and invaded his home and he incorrectly assumes that the anger he recognizes in Zuko stems from the same need to enact violence on those who have taken everything from him.

So I guess the "thought you were exactly like me but then I found out you're not which enrages and humiliates me so know I'm going to beat the shit out of you" thing from BTK no. 6 is something they share with ghostbat but.. Jet's anger is probably a little more justified than Minhkhoa's lol...

In conclusion it's your basic "doomed relationship/they work great together but that doesn't fix anything" ship premise. It used to be more popular back in the day... pretty sure I owe my life to maybe 3 different Taiwanese/Chinese doujin artists from 2009... yeah that's the gist of it.

[thoughts-on-bangtan]

Epilogue

I know we've already said our farewells but after todays BangtanB Admin 2 talked me into writing another tiny post because vmin. Truly as much as we weren't ready for the OT4 live, we hadn't been ready to get this BB so quickly, to see and hear them say goodbye to each other, or for Tae to quite literally apologise to Jimin for not being able to see him off the next day while Jimin told him he had nothing to be sorry for since he was going first.

Seeing these two say goodbye to each other, it broke my heart on so many levels. Vmin being vmin aside, they are chingu and so incredibly close with each other, mean so much to each other, and yet because of damn enlistment they got separated. I'm glad though that Namjoon has Tae close to him, just like Namjoon said to Tae himself, and that they'll be able to see each other occasionally and perhaps have meals together, though they aren't training together. And before someone asks why Tae and Namjoon didn't use the buddy system like Jimin and JK did and tries to spin some annoying story in our messages, it's because Namjoon is too old for it.

Another tiny tangent I'd like to go on before I continue is that I implore all of you, and especially shippers of one particular ship, to stop romanticising the enlistment experience and all it entails. Enlistment isn't a fun little trip or vacation, it's an unjust gruelling and extremely hard time for all enlisted men. One of the translators for the English edition of the BTS book was asked by ARMY to translate Namjoon's letter on weverse but he declined to do so and gave a very nuanced and important explanation as to why. Please go and read it here. And before anyone comes (again) into our messages and claims I would speak differently if vmin went together, no I would not. This moment in their lives, the enlistment period, it fucking sucks. Plain and simple. We've seen what can happen with idols during enlistment, just look at Taemin's experience, so really, there is nothing nice and fun and chill about it. Or remember the incident with Seokjin and the nurse, hell knows what could've happened. It's hard and awful and it's unfair that after all that they have done, the members were put into a position where they knew there was no way they could not go, even if they would've been given an exemption because that's the kind of pressure they're under. We've seen how uncomfortable his shaved head made Jimin, how sad and devastated Jimin and JK looked in their final lives and in this BB. So set aside your delulu glasses and look at reality, especially as foreigners. We know nothing so let's not act like we know anything.

Anyway, seeing JK approach Namjoon, pet his head and then Namjoon turn around, his eyes turning all soft and fond as he realised it's JK and then enveloped him in a tight hug...and to think that's the hyung because of which JK even joined BH in the first place. My heart. And Namjoon, too, was sad that he wouldn't be able to see JK off the next day either.

It was sad that we couldn't see Hobi, Seokjin, and Yoongi but we knew that would be the case from past experience. But it was nice to see JK sitting in the car talking and being obviously sad and then Hobi's hand appeared to pat his head to comfort him and JK closed his eyes to enjoy the moment and calm his emotions. Truly the bond the hyungs and maknaes have is beautiful.

But with that the Tannies are all gone now and it'll be six months on the dot until Seokjin will be released and come back to us for FESTA 2024. But the members repeatedly said they've prepared lots of exciting things for us so we can look forward to that.

And with this, we say farewell and we hope to see you again healthy and happy and doing well.

As for our blog, with Admin 2's plans for a BL break, we've started watching Love in the Air since it's a very popular BL. Once we'll finish it, we'll let you know what we think of it.

[pro-logue-epi-logue]

RANDOM DEVIL'S NIGHT THOUGHTS

~NUMBER 52~

Remember when I said, I have more than 3 rants saved in my drafts? Yeah, so here is one of them.

Not a Random Thought but more of a RANT -

Because

Alex fucking Palmer by god i hate this shit piece of a character( sorry for this crude language or upcoming ones, if any) befor some people say oh you gate alex you must be mYsOgInIsT, if you hate a woman you are not misogynistic and believe me i hate horseman and that shithead aydin too but this is about her.

Lets be honest here, NO ONE hates alex for her friend with benefits thing with Will, like okay you fucked move on and neither do anyone hate her for being a luxury escort.

She deserves every bit of hate for being a total bitch to emmy for no reason, looking down on her, comparing her trauma to her, emphasizing she suffered more??

Seriously Alex Palmer deserved a punch to the face.

At one point i even began to understand Aydin's point of view and i hated that scum bag, but alex she just got worse and worse.

Concepts like Dignity and maturity are foreign to Alex Palmer and it shows.

Also i don't think anyone else noticed this, but she clearly wanted to be way more than she was in everything specifically in Will's life thats why she kept on butting in.

She was so goddamn annoying.

I really blme PD for this too, they went about will and alex and will and damon all the time and when people started Shipping them, they were like "How did this happen?"

Why create a fuss of them when they are not even end game?????

Will was an alcohol and drug addict, was depressed, thought about suicide for years when he was around alex and damon And people are shipping them?????

The guy would have probably died of OD if they(Damon andalex) were around and emmy hadn't come back.

What kind of a shitty ass friend was this alex like she knew about will drugs and all not once did she say anything to stop him?? I know she is not responsible for it,but she acted all entitled all throughout Nightfall maybe used her head and said anything, even damon tried to make him stop drinking????

Also, someone has to say it so i will, this devil's night fandom is full of idiots and hypocrites, it is so normal for them to hate on banks and emory like they weren't the only two with brain, they literally LOVE the horseman but hate on emmy for what ?? Because she rejected a boy, or signed those paper??

She was backed in a corner and had to save her grandma, she thought of will and was technically helping them or else more videos would have came out?? Did you not read the book?? Horseman assaulted Rika, Damon treated Banks like a Dog, Will was a bitch to Emory in blackchurch, always pushed her in corners in high-school and by god they just Love them.

Or maybe they hate her because they wanted willalex.

Its is sooo common to hate on banks and emmy but god forbid someone mentions how much of an idiot rika was, alex almost let emmy got r*ped( someone mentioned it in a post that alex knew about taylor but didn't show herself to emmy), the douche bags horseman enough said but yes hate an orphan girl who wanted to save her grandma and did nothing wrong. Especially SOME fans act like you killed someone instad of mentioning the obvious.

Also how the fuck on earth PD can throw willemmy out of the window in their own goddamn book, ever since alex arrived everything was Alex,alex and bitch alex,...

The train scene was sooooo disgusting and vile and what made me livid is after that will says " oh she belongs with us, she is like us" i was literally like shutup asshole it took you this to see emmy belongs with you not when she said she loves you, and also the alex deserves to be taken care of, like fuck off!!!! she was nothing but a cunt of emmy for no reason in blackchurch and even after that, if anything emmy should have slapped her real good. But obviously as she was a fucking fanservice so it was only logical to throw willemmy and everything about them out of their book, right??

No one even hugged emmy, i said it once and i will say it again none of those assholes deserved emory scott. Not even Will bitchy grayson.

And the loop holes in Nightfall that were like 20 kept on coming because of this alex plot was sooo stupid.

How can you write a character like emory, so strong and complex and will insecure and addict and literally abandon them in THEIR OWN BOOK.

But yes Alex "fucking pick me girl, i am better than you emory" Palmer deserved the entire half of the book.

I once saw a tiktok that said Alex carried this series. My reaction was like

She did nothing to the plot in corrupt, hideaway or killswitch instead of making normal things sexual and i don't count the shopping scene in hideaway because kai paid or else she wouldn't have done it. And in nightfall all she did was be a stupid bitch who was jealous of emory because will still wanted Emmy and aydin was ignoring her, as he should this bitch grated my nerves.

SHE WAS NOT A LEGEND.

SHE WAS NOT HOT.

AND SHE CERTAINLY WASN'T A GIRLS GIRL THATS FOR FUCKING SURE.

SHE WAS JUST A DUMB IDIOT WHO COULDN'T DIGEST THE FACT THAT EVEN AFTER 5 OR 4 YEARS OF KNOWING HER, WILL STILL LOVES AND WANTS EMORY.

AND WHEN AYDIN TOOKS EMMYS SIDE THAT PISSED HER MORE, LIKE HOW COME THE GUY I LOVE IS TAKING SOME OTHER GIRLS SIDE AND THE GUY I THINK LIVES ME( WILL ) DON'T WANT ME.

Everytime someone says Alex was awesome, i just sigh and move on.

I didn't pay any attention to alex in other books like she was a side character right, but in NF apparently she becomes a major character and ended up running the book, i blame those horny Facebook group people who wanted Alex so much they kept on bugging Them, look what you did you ruined a book that was about to be an awesome one.

[stars-n-spice]

THOUGHTS ON S3 EP 05:

as always, spoilers under the cut and my thoughts are in no way coherent or in the order of how things happen in the episode

it's just me going to be screaming about whatever comes to mind as i type this

holy shit y'all new comfort episode just dropped!

kid you not, after seeing the episode i deadass went, "Wow, I'm so glad that episode didn't absolutely devastate me!" while I was like,, sobbing

whole episode i was either crying, screaming, or punching a pillow

can't even cry anymore, don't got no tears left

ANYWAYS

I AM AN ABSOLUTE FUCKING CLOWN FOR THINKING WE WERE GOING TO GET A PROPER REACTION/CONTINUATION FROM THE LAST EPISODE

OF FUCKING COURSE THEY WERE GOING TO SKIP OVER IT AND JUST,, FUCKING DIVE RIGHT IN. FUCK! FUCK! FUCK!

what is it with this show and having what would be emotional reactions to heavy things off screen???

fanfic writers you know what to do

anyways,,

Omega being back with Lula :( and her new outfit is so cute I love it so much :((

THEM BEING BACK ON PABU!!!! <3333 and still sleeping in their ship lol

AZI!!!!! HE'S OKAY!!! HE'S ALIVE AND HE'S THERE AND I LOVE HIM AND I MISSED HIM :((

Crosshair practicing :( and his aim just,,, getting worse :(((

CROSSHAIR AND BATCHER ARE SUCH A DUO!! I FUCKING LOVED EVERY MOMENT WITH THE TWO OF THEM,, THE LITTLE PETS AND SMILES CROSS GAVE BATCH UGGHH

will never ever ever ever get over cross and omega's dynamic,, I love them so much and I'm so glad he's back

I don't know how many times i went, "They're all back together!!" in this episode only to remember Tech isn't there and then sob violently

BUT ECHO FINALLY RETURNS - i'm kinda bitter about how he reacted to seeing Omega again because it seemed like,, like he was completely unfazed by the fact she was captured and sent to a hidden facility conducting god know what experiments BUT at the same time,, I could see it being that Echo always knew she was more than capable of escaping on her own so he wasn't too worried but STILL

"What no hug for me?" <- AAGUUHH,, and then the little smirk Crosshair gave after Echo's response,, they have no bad blood, love that

when Crosshair started talking about the facility I fucking KNEW he was talking about Barton IV and i was in so much pain,, agony even

Was NOT expecting them to return but I'm so glad they did because it played such a vital role in Crosshair's growth and returning to it and growing even more,, just,, aguughhh

WHEN HE FOUND MAYDAY'S HELMET,, FUCK FUCK FUCK minutes before that scene i was like "i swear to god if he finds something from Mayday-"

MAYDAY COME BACK YOU DIDN'T DESERVE THAT,, YOU DID SO MUCH :((

Hunter and Cross' dynamic in this was so fun to watch but also had me gnawing on my hands

could NOT get over the fact that they brought the dog with them on the mission, idk why but that's fucking hilarious to me

OMEGA CALLING CROSSHAIR "LITTLE BROTHER" AND CROSS CHUCKLING AT IT SHUT THE FUCK UP!!!!!!!!! I LOVE THEM!!!!!!!!

WHEN WRECKER GAVE CROSSHAIR BACK HIS ARMOR I FUCKING KNEW HE WAS THE ONE WHO KEPT IT AGUUGHHH

god I love Wrecker so much

"Omega trusts him and that's enough for me" FUCK

he wasn't super prominent in this episode but everything he did made me love him more

WHEN HE WAS DIGGING IN THE SNOW?? fucking lost it

THE HUG AT THE END???? FUCKING FINALLY???? THE WAY HE IMMEDIATELY KNEW AND HE JUST,,, FUCK,, RAN UP TO THEM????

like you can tell the whole episode Wrecker was just waiting for the two of them to work things out

i missed all of them so much

it was so good to see them all work together

GOD FUCKING AUGUUHH

THE FIGHT CROSS AND HUNTER HAD??? CROSSHAIR READING HUNTER LIKE A FUCKING BOOK??

when he started to blame Hunter for his failures?? oh fuck as an oldest child that hurt SO much and I was so scared Crosshair was going to pull a "You're the reason why Tech is dead" card

But your honor they are brothers, I love them so much

"i said talk to him, not argue with him!" - "he started it" <- crosshair you cannot beat the youngest brother allegations

hey Crosshair probably didn't tell his brothers about his shaky hands,, ahahahahahaha,aha,,ahh,,,ha..

lmao love that being in a life or death situation and saving each other from it was what made Hunter and Cross start to trust each other

this episode was so great you don't understand

and i'm so happy nothing like,, terrible happened in it

yes I cried a fuckton throughout it but,, at least Omega is still with them and at least Echo is back (for now) and at least they're slowly starting to make up and be a team again

anyways,, nice episode,, can't wait for things to just get worse from here