#i made a sand zen garden!

[realityisforgotten]

Please don't repost. Reblogs are okay.

[silkentine]

Me when they are the sisters ever: 😭😭😭 They came out soooo freaking well. I won’t lie, they took me a thousand years to finish but through the constant support from all of my buds (and my latent bisexuality), we made it 😤

Hopefully you guys know the deal by now: design choices, easter eggs, and (NEW!) closeup shots below the read more. ⬇️

I wanted Ace to have a very down-to-earth vibe and looked at Aussie beach-girls, coastal cowgirls, and vaqueras for reference. (IDK, I’ve just always envisioned Ace as part-Australian🌺 and Mexican 🏴‍☠️) Her clothing choices are mostly natural or utilitarian materials like the painted wooden beads on her top, her woven fabric and leather belts, and her denim jumpsuit. I gave her bikini top a zen-garden kind of feel because I read the first Ace’s Story Novel and I loved how idyllic and peaceful they made Sixis Island sound so I wanted to invoke that in some way.

Speaking of her painted wooden beads, they hang off the back of her top and represent her connection to Sabo and Luffy. They watch her back once she sets sail. She only wears one red glass bead earring because the other one got ripped out of her ear when a child, leaving her earlobe torn (don’t think about it too much 😢). Also, YES! she does wear a hibiscus flower just like Rouge (because I hate you and I want to make you cry, muhwahahahaha).

Also, I really wanted her to have super textured curly hair that licks behind her like flames. I am always considering whether or not a character should have long hair or not because I don’t want it to be a hindrance if they’re in a fight (or if they ARE a fighter with long hair, how to they avoid an enemy making use of that?). Ace is, of course, a Logia-type Devil Fruit User so I think she wouldn’t have trouble with people grabbing it LOL I get the feeling that she doesn’t take very good care of it even though it looks amazing. Like you’d think it would be soft and bouncy just by looking at it but if you ever get the chance to run your fingers through it, it’s a total rat’s nest and there’s sand and food all up in it. She still falls asleep while eating 😂 but she tries her best to only do it around people she can trust (woman moment 😔).

Honestly, her design is not that different from Ace’s canon look. It feels really vital to Ace’s character to have a lot of skin showing. And he’s always hanging all over himself with his hips all cocked like the weight of the world is too much to stand up straight. It is certainly not my OWN preference to make her an absolute smoke show. That’s just the character, okay? (I’m partially lying and the proof is that I turned the emblem on Ace’s hat strap into a sternum tattoo for no other reason than that it is sexy af.)

Here are some closeups of Ace:

Now for Sabo, I’ve made her very girly. I tried putting her in pants or something more militant but she told me that she’d wear the big poofy sleeves and hiked-up ruffled skirt. I think Sabo has always had a strong grasp on his fashion sense and individual flair and I truly believe that his personal style is one of the major influences for the rest of the Revolutionary Army resulting in the very flashy, queer, steampunk aesthetic (aside from Dragon’s plain-ass cloak). So of course I had to implement her nonconformist look when reimagining her as a woman and dress her up to the nines.

I’ve given her very ornate jewelry that is there to tell a story, even if she herself doesn’t know it. I like to think she picks up stuff from her travels that resonate with her, such as a damaged set of earrings with one stone missing or red cup-shaped shells featuring three nestled pearls. Another accessory that cannot go unmentioned is her dragon claw hat pin that keeps her top hat resting on top of her hair (and is definitely used as a weapon when the situation simply doesn’t call for trusty metal pipe). She also has a veil that obscures her prominent facial scar. I imagine she’s not very keen on the reminder of the incident from her childhood that took away her memories. I also kept her chipped toothed because 1) it’s fucking adorable and 2) is a visual reminder that she no longer aligns herself with the nobility who would have gotten such a thing fixed. She is so poised in almost every outward facet of her life from her dignified role as the Chief of Staff to the elegant materials in her clothing that it can be easy to forget she was also a rough and tumble forest dweller. Every time Koala remembers this, he lets out the biggest sigh.

Her hair is inspired by Gibson Girls and Elizabeth Swann from the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie. I wanted it to be fussy and tidy but fall apart when she’s in moments of distress. For example, when she remembers her sisters, her hair starts to look like Ace’s flaming mane. I’m so in love with her, I think she looks like an adorable little porcelain doll that would fuck you up. I made an effort to keep her eyes a little bit manic. I get lost in her steely black orbs (and also Ace’s warm brown ones, but we’re talking about Sabo rn).

Here are her close-ups:

Plot notes for this AU:

For this series of character designs, I wanted the expressions and outfits to be aligned with the canon plot but I don’t know if I have the heart to kill fem!Ace in my AU. I’m too attached and ASL has suffered enough!!!!! But Ace’s death is also a major defining moment for Luffy so it feels disingenuous to completely avoid it. Also a huge aspect of Sabo’s character is carrying on Ace’s will and I have so many thoughts about how the Dressrosa Colosseum scene would play out if they were all women. Oh well, I’ll cross that tragic bridge when I get to it. I’m definitely going to draw some Modern AU Girl Piece ASL though. They deserve to hang out with no stakes 😭 They are sisters!!!

Check out the tag “girl piece” on my blog for my other One Piece genderbends! 🥰

[tiredfox64]

I was thinking how would Bihan react if he was caught staring at the reader a little to long and gets teased by it from the other guys? Imagine how flustered he would be 😁

I Spy

Prior notes: I just thought about Bi-Han looking at me and idk it’s giving alternative looking at me in the corner of my room.

Pairing: Bi-Han x Gn reader

Warnings ‼️: There’s a spider in my bathroom pls kill it.

You certainly capture the eyes of men. Many different men actually. All kinds of men. The kind, the mean, the strong, the cocky, the calm, and many more. But one man out of the bunch was looking at you for a long time.

Bi-Han thought this visit to the Wu Shi academy would be quick. A quick conversation with Liu Kang that will allow him to be in and out. Of course Liu Kang was nowhere to be seen at first. The only notable person he could see was you. You were in the cooling shade as the wind blew the leaves of the trees which casted pretty shadows all over you.

In that instance he was enchanted by your presence. Your beauty captivated him. It was as if he was looking at a majestic deer calmly move through a mystical forest.

All you were doing was occasionally raking the sand in the zen garden. You were very focused on making the circles clean and precise so you never even knew Bi-Han was looking at you.

There was a perplexed look in his eyes. He was almost observing you. He can’t figure out why he is so drawn in by you. You are doing a menial task. Yet the nature around you was presenting your natural beauty to him with the way the shadows and sunlight danced on your body and the wind glided over your hair.

Bi-Han was so lost in this moment that he forgot that there were others around. He was stuck in a world where it was only you and him. That was until he heard someone speak near his ear.

“What are we looking at?” Asked Johnny

Bi-Han was caught off guard and threw a punch at Johnny’s direction while he luckily avoided this time. He’s not making that mistake twice.

Bi-Han saw that the whole group was near him. Kenshi, Johnny, Kung Lao, and Raiden were staring at him like he was crazy for throwing a punch.

“Nothing. What do you want? Where is Liu Kang?” Bi-Han tried to switch the top immediately but these boys won’t allow him that freedom.

“So you’re not going to acknowledge the fact that you were standing there for a good five minutes.” Kenshi spoke with his usual attitude.

Was Bi-Han really standing there and staring for that long? No, Kenshi has to be messing with him.

“We came over about three minutes in because you would not move. We were even whispering among ourselves yet you didn’t react.” Raiden added on.

Okay so he was just standing there like an idiot. He thought he was there for only a minute how did you manage to make him stay in once place and forget his purpose of being there.

“Well boys, I think I know what’s up with Mr. Grumpypants. He’s crushing hard on our special gardener over there.” Johnny wrapped his arm around Bi-Han which he promptly slapped away.

Like the immature men that Johnny and Kung Lao could be they started letting out a ‘ooo’ like middle school boys would do when they find out their friend has a crush. Bi-Han was shushing them with this somewhat panicky expression. Raiden was trying to hold himself back from chuckling at the fact that this cold-blooded warrior was getting flustered while Kenshi seemed confused by that fact. Kuai Liang and Tomas soon heard the commotion and came over.

“What is the matter, Bi-Han? Did you find Liu Kang yet?” Kuai Liang asked.

“He didn’t find Liu Kang but he found himself a new crush.” Kung Lao made a joke which threw Kuai Liang off. What did he mean by that?

“Are you okay? You seem flushed. Are you sick?” Tomas went to place his hand on Bi-Han’s forehead to check his temperature but he moved away.

Incredible! There is some color on his face. The color of embarrassment. Yes, Bi-Han was blushing at the fact that everyone was teasing him and exposing him. This has never happened before to him so he is unsure of how to solve this.

The only thing that came to mind was use his powers to make everyone back off. In an instance, jagged pieces of ice came out from the ground. They aimed at everyone which made them back up from Bi-Han. They were poking the bear they shouldn’t be shocked that he would pull something like this. Cold vapor was coming off his body due to using his powers and from his frustration.

“You incompetent fools have no respect. Keep your mouths shut!” He barked at them.

The group wasn’t looking at him anymore but past him. He was confused at first before he turned around and saw that you were staring at him with a concerned expression on your face. You were unsure what all the hullabaloo was about and you were now wondering if it was about you since they were all staring at you. You looked at Bi-Han and trying to keep the peace you gave him a wave with this somewhat awkward smile on your face.

Bi-Han had no idea what to do now. A low rumble came from his throat as he thought of what to do. He gave you a halfassed wave before quickly walking off. His head was lowered as he walked off. His brothers quickly left as well to catch up to him. You were left looking at who was still there before asking something.

“Do I need to clean up that ice?”

══💤══╡°˖✧🦊✧˖°╞══💤══

Liu Kang was looking at Bi-Han strangely. He was wearing his mask for no reason while his brothers didn’t.

He can tell by Bi-Han’s body language that he was upset by something. Not an angry upset but an embarrassed upset. His arms are folded and his head is lowered. Liu Kang looked to Kuai Liang and Tomas for an answer but they didn’t want to say. All they knew was that their eldest brother put his mask on to prevent anyone from seeing that he was blushing.

“I’m guessing something happened before you came to me. You do realize how red the tips of your ears are, right, Bi-Han?” Liu Kang pointed out.

Bi-Han let out a frustrated growl before covering his ears with his hands. The look of shame in his eyes was clear as day to Liu Kang. Still doesn’t answer what happened out there.

Kuai Liang tried his hardest not to laugh while Tomas was gesturing to Liu Kang is he could step out. Liu Kang nodded and Tomas booked it out the room so he could laugh.

“You must cool down, brother. Wouldn’t want your crush to walk in at any moment and see how red you are.” Kuai Liang teased.

“Silence, Kuai Liang!”

After notes: He don’t even have a resting bitch face he got a ‘I’m going to end your bloodline’ face. WHO ARE HIS OPPS BRUH! WHO’S MAKING BLUD THAT MAD! It’s me. I’m his opp. Imma flick his ear now. Adiós!

[thefallennightmare]

Just Pretend-nineteen

*gif created by me. feel free to use, simply give credit*

Parings: Noah Sebastian x Musician! Reader

Warnings/Tropes: language, angst, fluff, smut, star-crossed lovers, right person/wrong time, cheating, talks of mental abuse.

Summary: “I can wait for years, heaven knows I’m not getting over you.” A story about two star-crossed lovers, that always find their way back because their souls are entwined. The universe desperately attempts to bring them together, no matter what the cost.

Authors Note: I realized today that Sarah and I have been working on this story for almost TWO MONTHS. Holy shit. Talk about a slow burn! I don't think it's ever taken me this long to write an active story. Also, there are a few sentences in Greek and Italian in this chapter. You can find the translations at the end of the chapter.

Collaborating With: @thescarlettvvitch(better give her all the love as well)

Tags: @thescarlettvvitch @ozwriterchick @waake-meee-up @notingridslurkaccount @niicoleleigh @sammyjoeee @xxrainstorm @dominuslunae @notmaddihealy @malice-ov-mercy @crimson-calligraphyx @iknownothingpeople @writethrough @thebadchic @blackveilomens Claudia on Tumblr @tobe-written @blacksoul-27 @loeytuan98 @loverofagoodbeard @comfortcharactercraze @lma1986 @plutonikchaos1 @spicywhenspeaking @lyschko666 @somewhere-diamond @hi-fancy-seeing-you-here @koskeepsake @bngurngheart @shilohrosechicken @emzandthevoid @casangel1986 @qualityvoidcollectorsblog @myownthoughts12 @jilliemiw86 @bellaboo967 @halloweenaesthetic

NOAH

My knee bounced in a tangent along with the clock on the wall behind Dr. Poulos as she tilted her head towards me, waiting for my answer. 

“I’m sorry, what was the question?” I blinked slowly. 

She gave me a small smile, tapping her pen on her notebook; something I’ve realized she did when she was ready to ask me a hard-hitting question. 

“How have the panic attacks been?” Dr. Poulos wondered. 

“Uh,” I rubbed my jaw. “It’s been better, I suppose. I still feel them starting every once in a while but my friends have been great at helping me through them.” 

“That’s great,” she smiled. “I’m glad to hear that. I know it was a problem for you from our first session.” 

“Yeah, I’ve come to realize there were a few aspects of my life that hindered me more than helped me.” 

Dr. Poulos’ brows raised. “Like what?” 

“Up until recently, I would drink; a lot. And smoke weed every so often. People say it’s the lesser of the drugs but it affected me in such a way that I didn’t like the man I saw in the mirror. Same with the alcohol. So, I’ve decided to become sober.” 

That spread a wider smile on her face. “I’m proud of you, Noah. It’s not an easy thing to overcome but to see how determined you are makes me very happy.” 

I ran my hands over my thighs while standing up straighter on the couch; her positive praise made my heart beat a bit faster. 

“I just want to be the healthiest I can be. Your body is a temple, ya know? It’s only been a few weeks but I can already tell a difference in the way I sing.” 

“That’s exceptional, Noah. I’m happy to hear that. It’ll help the course of your life. But I must ask, do you feel it’ll leave a part of you open and willing to accept the love you think you deserve?” 

I pursed my lips. “What do you mean?” 

“Well, as you mentioned previously, it sounds like Y/N has had some complicated relations with a man who was in a state of addiction. Do you feel that maybe, a part of your being sober can help you leave that part finally open? Allow you to see that you can be loved.” 

When I remained silent, letting her words rest in my mind, Dr. Poulos shut her notebook and set it on the table between us; next to one of those sand zen garden things. 

“What you're doing with Bailey and hiding your true feelings for Y/N doesn't seem to be helping, right?” 

I shook my head with a long sigh. “I never meant for things to go this far.” 

Dr. Poulos leaned forward to rest her elbows on her knees, stippling her fingers. 

“Has Y/N ever given you a reason to doubt the things you say to her?” 

“No. Never,” I answered without missing a beat. 

“Then what’s stopping you from telling her how you feel?” She brushed a strand of brown-graying hair from her eyes. 

With Dr. Poulos’ words replaying in my mind, I sat down on the steps of her office while clicking on Bailey’s contact name on my phone. As it rang, I tapped my fingers on my knee to drum a random beat. 

“Hey, it’s Bailey. Leave me a message!’

Cursing to myself, I wished that she had answered because I didn’t want to do this with her voicemail but I had no other option. This needed to be done. 

“Bailey, it’s me- Noah,” I sighed while pinching my eyes shut. “Listen, I didn’t want to do this over text or on your voicemail. But I thought it best you hear me say this. I wanted to discuss it with you the other day but shit came up.” 

My eyes watched as a few people walked past on the sidewalk in front of me. 

“Look, I never wanted to hurt you, you’re a nice girl but this-us-isn’t working for me. I’m-I’m sorry if this hurts you. Truly. I’m not good at words all the time but I will say that I wish you the best and I hope you have a nice life.” 

After hanging up, I could physically feel the weight lift off my shoulders and heart. Breathing was easier and lighter, so with this newfound feeling, I quickly dialed Y/N’s number. 

“Mochi!” 

I could hear the smile in her voice.

“Hi, angel. Are you busy?” I asked while rising from the steps to walk a few steps to my car that was parked in the street. 

“I’m walking into an appointment right now. Can I call you later?”

Ignoring the way my heart dropped, I started my car and sat there for a moment. 

“Of course. I’ll be in the studio but I’ll always answer for you.” My hand ran over the steering wheel. 

“So sweet,” Y/N chuckled and my stomach fluttered. “There’s a reason why I gave you that nickname.” 

We quickly said our goodbyes and my mind was filled with the heavy conversation I needed to have with Y/N. I didn’t even realize the familiar figure bounding up the steps of the same office I left mere minutes ago, her yellow sundress flowing in the wind.

READER

My eyes were trained on the small sand zen garden on Dr. Poulos’ table as she tapped her pen against the notebook in her lap. The clock ticked annoyingly loudly behind her, almost mocking me as I continued to leave her question unanswered. 

“Y/N,” Dr. Poulos’s voice was firm, breaking me from my trance. “You mentioned your mother contacted you the other day?” 

I played with the hem of my yellow sundress. “Uh, yeah. She doesn't do it often but when she does, she really lets her feelings known.” 

“And what are those feelings?” 

“The same bullshit. My mom doesn’t agree with the lifestyle I’ve chosen. She thinks it's a waste of time,” I shrugged as if it wasn’t a big deal. “It’s who she is. Being Greek, I was raised to have large but realistic dreams. My father on the other hand wanted and still wants me to follow my heart, he wants me to go after what I want, what I need. There’s a line between both of them.”

“You know,” Dr. Poulos tucked a strand of her brown-graying hair behind her ear. “There’s a study that says insecure attachment styles can develop as a result of poor parenting. Research indicates that attachment in childhood affects the development of familial, social, and romantic relationships later in life. Do you feel this has deeply affected or influenced your relationships? 

I pursed my lips. “What do you mean?” 

“I mean, you’ve had a pattern of falling for men who aren't good for you yet believing they are real love when you know subconsciously you deserve better.” 

“Maybe,” the word trailed off my lips, uncertainty weighing heavy on my heart. 

Dr. Poulos hummed, crossing one leg over the other. “It sounds that way, doesn’t it? Are you running from Noah because you’re afraid you’ll disappoint him? Afraid he’ll do what your mother often does? You’ve seen the way your parent's marriage was like growing up, that has to be a hindering factor, doesn't it? 

My jaw ticked. “My mother was unfair to my father. I’d never do that or treat anyone that way.” 

“I know you won’t, Y/N. You know it yourself, deep down in your heart,” she patted a hand over her own heart. “Because from what you told me about Noah, I don’t believe that he would act the way your mother has. You won’t disappoint him. And he doesn’t want to do that to you either.” 

I shook my head widely. “He’s with someone else so it doesn't even matter.” 

A small smile lifted at the corner of her lips. “Quite the contrary, Y/N. You said it earlier you wanted to tell him the truth. He isn’t your mother and again, from what you’ve told me it sounds like you both may want the same things. You’re just not trusting yourself. You’re relying on your trauma and issues with your mother to get in the way.” 

“Wow, nice observation,” I snorted. “How am I supposed to fix that?” 

Dr. Poulos ignored my snarky attitude. “If your mother has been unreliable, then you may need to lean on other people who are for support. Socializing with friends and learning to be vulnerable with others can help increase emotional connection.” 

“Malcolm and Chase are reliable,” I stated. 

“It sounds like it, from what you’ve told me,” she nodded. “There’s also Noah. His support can take some time to develop but having stable relationships with others can be part of healing. And most of all, self-care.” 

I left therapy with a hopeful heart and bright smile. Dr. Poulos always knew what I needed to hear as much as I tried to fight it. Peaking down at my phone, my pulse quickened when I noticed a missed text from Noah.

Mochi 🍡: New episode of Attack on Titan dropped. I can pick up lunch. Your place or mine?

Giggling, I typed out my response, not letting anything ruin this euphoric high I felt.

NOAH

I stood outside Y/N’s front door, shaking out the nerves, and knocked on it. I had a bag of take-out food in my hand, something she requested from her favorite burrito place. 

“Hi,” she smiled while letting me in. “Did you remember the Dr. Pepper?” 

I chuckled while holding up the cup. “Light ice.” 

As we set out the food on the table in their dining room, I motioned towards the various easels and splattered pain on the carpet. “Studio?” 

“Yeah,” Y/N gave a sheepish smile. The lighting in here is better than my bedroom; although not by much.” 

I took in the various paintings of abstract lines and colors, some of random landscapes, and one of Salem. 

“These are really good, angel.” 

“I’m glad I decided to do this. Painting has been a great way to escape from reality, even for a little bit,” she took a bite of her burrito. “Oh, extra guac? How’d you know?” 

I shrugged. “I just do.”

We ate in silence for the next few long moments and as much as I tried to quiet the loud voices in my mind that screamed at me to tell Y/N the truth right now, it was extremely difficult. 

My eyes took in the glimmer of her bracelet as she reached for the chips and I couldn't stop the smile that spread wide to my lips. Y/N was still wearing the jewelry I bought her and it made me feel proud. 

“Where’s Chase and Malcolm?” I asked, noticing the quiet.

Y/N took a large drink of her soda, reveling in the taste. “Hiking. They left earlier this morning and typically don’t come back till later. So I have the place to myself.”

Just as I was about to speak, a persistent knock sounded on the front door, and she turned towards it with a confused stare. 

“Expecting anyone?” 

She shook her head. “Nope. Probably someone selling Girl Scout cookies.” 

“If they have Thin Mints, I’ll take four boxes,” I called after Y/N. 

Her laugh echoed throughout the room but soon seized when she opened the door. I noticed the way her body went rigid and I slowly rose in time to see a tall but petite brunette all but push her way inside. 

“Hi, koukla. I would have texted or called but it seems like you have an issue with checking your phone,” the lady peered around the space, a sour look on her lips. 

“Mo-mom? What are you doing here?” 

Shit. 

I knew there was a history with Y/N’s mom but never knew how deep it ran. 

“I was in town and thought to surprise you. Since you never talk to me anymore,” her mom tsked. 

Finally, her eyes landed on me, standing in the threshold of the living room and dining room; gaze hardening. 

“Who’s this?” She asked Y/N. 

Internally I snorted at how she asked Y/N rather than asking me. 

“I’m Noah,” I introduced myself while brushing away the strands from my face. 

Her mom hummed before nodding towards the back end of the house. “Give me and my daughter some privacy.” 

“Mom!” Y/N seethed. 

Noticing how the tension shifted, I gave Y/N a soft smile. “It’s alright. I’ll go say hi to Salem.” 

With my back to them, I walked down the hall and heard her mom mutter something in Greek. 

“Giatí échei makriá malliá?” 

“Eísai apísteftos,” Y/N responded in a stern voice. 

Sitting in the Y/N’s bedroom with Salem perched on my lap, I left the door wide open so I could listen in on the conversation. It may have been wrong to eavesdrop but something deep inside of me told me to be on edge, just in case.

“You should have called, Mom,” Y/N said. 

“You never return my calls.” 

“Gee, I wonder why. You exactly haven’t been that peachy the last few times we’ve talked.” I could hear the slight edge in Y/N’s voice. 

“I thought I’d told you I don’t appreciate the way you speak to me.” 

“It’s a two-way street, Mom. You get what you give.” 

Salem purred loudly in my lap and I continued to scratch him in the spot I knew he loved; between his ears. 

“I’ve always hated when your father used that line,” her mother sighed. 

Someone was pacing, their footsteps echoing loudly down the hall, and I peered down at Salem. 

“Your mom seems pretty upset right now,” I frowned at the feline. 

His bright green eyes stared back at me, simply demanding one thing silently; more pets to which I obliged. 

“Have you been to the doctor lately?” 

“Since when do you care, Mom? You never ask how I’m doing.” 

Salem jumped off of me when I slowly rose to my feet, deciding that I needed to be closer to Y/N, just in case. 

“I know how bad Endometriosis affects you, Y/N. I’m simply wondering.” 

I could almost hear Y/N roll her eyes as I neared the end of the hallway, out of sight but could still see just enough. Y/N stood with her hands on her hips while her mom sat comfortably on the couch. 

“I’m fine.” Y/N kept her answers short. 

Her mother pursed her lips. “And how’s the career?” 

Now it was my turn to roll my eyes at the way she said career. 

Y/N snorted. “Please, like you give a shit.” 

“Watch your language!” 

“You’ve never supported me with my music. Hell, with any of my dreams. So don’t start acting like you give a shit now. 

Her mom rose to her feet, narrowing her gaze. “That’s not true. I only want what’s best for you, Y/N. You don’t want to end up like your father and be stuck.” 

“He wasn’t stuck,” Y/N scoffed while clenching her fists. 

Her mother clicked her tongue while brushing away Y/N’s hair from her face. “Yes, sweetie, he was. And I’m telling you, no man will want to deal with someone that’s always on the road. What man is going to wait around or understand this lifestyle? What future are you gonna have?”

My jaw clenched at hearing those words because I knew it wasn’t true. There was a man who wanted Y/N; me. I would wait for years if I had to. Whenever she was ready, I’d be here. 

But hearing how her mom talked to her made me realize that there was a reason why Y/N never spoke of her and why she was so apprehensive of any future relationship. 

“We’re not talking about this,” Y/N stepped away from her mom to stand on the other end of the couch, giving more space between them. 

“Once again, you’re avoiding a tough subject. I didn’t raise you this way,” her mother chastised. 

Y/N’s jaw dropped. “Raised me? Are you fucking kidding me? You barely were home, too busy focusing on your career leaving Dad home to raise me!” 

I smirked at hearing Y/N mock her mother in how she said career moments before. 

“Your father was always your favorite. But it was me you stayed with after the divorce!” Her mother's voice was raised. 

Fearing this would end in such a bad way, I pulled my phone to send a text to Chase. 

Me: Y/N’s mom is here and I’m afraid shit is about to hit the fan. What should I do?

His response came almost immediately. 

Chase: Fuck. Whatever you do, Noah. Don’t leave. Stay until we get there. Every time her mom either contacts her or shows up, Y/N goes into a dark place. Malcolm and I are leaving right now and should be back in an hour.

I swallowed thickly as my stomach dropped. If the guys were worried about Y/N’s mom being here, it could only mean one thing. 

Disaster. 

“I stayed with you because you made me feel guilty!” Y/N choked on a sob. “For years I wondered why I didn’t feel a connection with you so I thought staying with you would bring us closer. But instead, you dropped the you’re adopted bomb on me; on my birthday!”

Her mother had the audacity to shrug. 

“You probably would have found out eventually. I simply sped up the process.” 

Y/N shook her head. “You’re unbelievable.” 

“Because I tell the truth? You think people are going to stay with you with the lifestyle you’ve chosen?” 

“Oh, gods, we’re back on this again?” Y/N ran a hand through her hair. “I have a lot of people that support me.” 

 “Who? Your friend?” Her mom pointed a firm finger towards the hallway where I was still hiding around the corner. “Do you think he is going to wait around?” 

For years if I have to. 

“No. No one will, Y/N. You’re like your father with these pipe dreams.” 

“Pipe dreams? I didn’t realize wanting a family was a pipe dream,” Y/N spat. 

Her mother gave her a somber smile, clicking her teeth. “Kouklamou, I thought we talked about this. You can’t have a family, not the traditional way anyway. You need to realize that no man is going to want to go through all that trouble to have a child. It’s not worth it.” 

Y/N and I both flinched at the same time, those words almost verbatim with what Trey used to say to her. There I stood, my fists clenched by my sides, I rolled my shoulders back, glaring towards the petite brunette with dark eyes. 

I was feeling triggered while I observed this entire thing; it felt intrusive at first but now feels like I’m behind fifty feet of glass.

It made sense now, why this loving bond between Y/N and I was inaccessible. In this mode, I had to take great care not to damage these bonds of love, this relationship, this friendship, and this woman in front of me, who very early on became everything to my heart and soul. For in time, the glass disappeared and my love returned stronger.

I understood.

From my corner, I could see how the kitchen table had seen every emotion, from the sweet silent happiness of family times, when the only sound is contented enjoyment, to the rage that bursts out in the hard times; I understood. 

I refused to stand there and let it sour, not to her. Never to her.

Sobs played like a sad tune and I noticed Y/N was crying, hastily whipping away the tears. 

“I can’t believe I continue to let you in my life, knowing how you’ll treat me. Girls are supposed to look up to their mothers as idols, to learn from them how to be mothers. But you’ve shown me how not to treat my kids in the future.” 

“We’ve talked about this, Y/N. The chances of you becoming a mother are not in the cards for you. Neither is this musical career. You need to face reality.”

Fuck this. 

As I stepped into view of them, Y/N pointed to the front door. “I don’t need you to come in here and tell me how to run my life, I’m done with this.” 

“Y/n-.” 

“You heard her,” I spoke while standing next to Y/N, immediately wrapping my arm around her shoulder to pull her into my chest. 

My heart broke at how quickly she grasped onto my shirt, not wanting me to let her go. 

“Excuse me? This is a private matter between my daughter and me. This doesn't concern you,” her mom’s eyes sliced into me. 

“It does. Because it’s Y/N.” 

Her mom’s gaze bounced between the two of us, almost waiting for Y/N to object to my words, but instead, she stood firm, sniffing away her tears. 

“You need to leave.” 

With one final glare, Y/N’s mom snatched her purse off the couch while muttering something Greek under her breath before she slammed the door behind her; all the negative energy leaving in waves. 

“Y/N,” I tried to make her look at me but she kept her head cast down. 

“I can’t, Noah,” she cried. 

I lifted her chin with a firm finger and sucked in a breath as broken, bloodshot eyes stared back at me. 

“Don’t ever hide from me, angel. You know that.” 

Y/N kept her gaze firm on my face. “She does this every time. I don’t know why I continue to let her. I’m just a girl who wants her mother's love, is that so wrong?” 

“Angel,” I murmured while pulling her into my embrace, brushing a kiss across her forehead. 

NOAH

My fingers drummed against the marble counter in front of me while Davis set out various ingredients. We were currently streaming the two of us cooking BLTs, something for the fans to enjoy and watch. I was reading some of the comments, smiling at a few then cringing at some others. 

Davis handed me a block of cheese. “Cut this up for me, would ya?” 

With it in one hand, I playfully spit on my hand before giving it a nice smack. 

“Hm, imagining that someone's ass?” He smirked under his breath. 

I gave him a light shove. “Fuck off.” 

We spent the next long while goofing off and having fun for the stream. It was nice to let my mind focus on something else besides Y/N and her mom. I spent the rest of the night at her place, holding her in my arms as she cried herself to sleep. The familiar scent of her lingered on me as I tucked her softly in her bed. Before I walked out of her house, I ran into Chase and Malcolm, whose parting words stuck with me all day.

“She needs you more than she’ll admit. It may not seem like it but she does.” 

Y/N texted me this morning to thank me for being there for her and say that if she went M.I.A for a while today, it’s only because Hollow Souls were in the studio recording. I didn't ask how she was feeling after the surprise visit from her mom. Y/N would tell me, if she wanted to, when she was ready.

“Alright, let’s read some comments,” Davis suggested as we finished up the cook-off; me winning.

He held Max in his hands, every so often giving him kisses. As I read a few comments out loud and responded, the dog practically begged me for attention when a familiar username appeared on the screen. 

Y/NHollowSouls: Noah Sebastian, I swear to Hades himself. You kiss Max right now or I’ll come over there and kick your ass.

I laughed while shaking my head. “Alright, Max. Come here! Let me give you some love.” 

I scratched the dog's ear while leaving a soft kiss on his nose then looked back to the computer screen to see Y/N leave another comment. 

Y/NHollowSouls: Good, that’s better. Now I need to taste this famous BLT that won. 

“Then get your ass over here. Bring some coconut water because Noah drank the last one,” Davis said once he read the comment. 

My heart began to beat widely in my chest at the thought of seeing Y/N again. 

Y/NHollowSouls: fuck yes. Noah, have that sandwich ready for me.

We ended the stream shortly after that but my eyes lingered on the black screen for a long moment. Davis immediately picked up on my quiet mood and knocked on the countertop.

“Noah?” 

My name was white noise, still staring at zoning out in front of me. 

“Earth to Noah! Come in Herc! Come in Herc!” 

“What?” My eyes snapped over to Davis, finally breaking out of my trance. 

“What I thought.” He smirks before getting serious. “Are you alright?” 

I gave a weak smile towards Davis. “Yeah. I’m fine. Why wouldn’t I be?” 

He motioned towards the laptop. “I know you’re not actually fine right now but-.” 

I ran a hand over my face, doing my best to keep my breathing calm and even. “I’ll be fine, I promise. It just fucking hurts.” 

Davis shifted on his feet, hesitation clear on his face. “Why? No disrespect to Y/N at all, you know I love her-we all do. But why did you choose to stay in touch? After all the hurt you’ve gone through.”

My vision was direct with his. “Because I’d rather have her from afar to make sure she’s alright than to not have her in my life at all. Besides, she’s going through a lot of shit, something no one should go through alone. I won’t let her.” 

A grin spread across his face and he nodded. “I knew it. I just wanted to hear you admit it. But you need to end this shit with Bailey.” 

“I already did.” 

“Fuck,” Davis’ eyes widened. “Finally. How did she take it?” 

I nervously rubbed the back of my neck. “That’s the thing, she didn’t answer. I left her a voicemail.” 

“A voicemail? Damn, do you think she got the message?” Davis wondered while be began cleaning up the mess. 

I, instead, began making another sandwich for Y/N, knowing she’d be here soon. “I fucking hope so. If not, then she’s probably testing me to see if I’d change my mind.” 

“But you won't, right?” 

I snorted. “Fat chance.”

Davis turned towards me, drying his hands on a towel. “So you broke up with Bailey. What’s the next step with Y/N?” 

“I need to talk to her first. There’s a lot we need to talk about,” I said while pulling out a cold can of Dr. Pepper from the fridge. 

“Hey, that’s the last one,” he exclaimed. 

I merely shrugged while setting a place at the kitchen table for Y/N. “It’s for Y/N.” 

Davis, as much as he tried to be upset, chuckled. “In all seriousness, Noah, you know we’re here to support you. We have your back.” 

I smiled at one of my best friends. “I know.” 

Just then a knock sounded on the front door and before Davis could answer it, I quickly closed the short distance and opened it with a smile; only for it to drop seeing Y/N standing on the other side with a frown. 

“What’s wrong?” I questioned while allowing her to step inside and led her to Davis’ kitchen. 

“Chase’s birthday is on Friday and the venue I booked for it just canceled on me. Something about a pipe bursting and the room is flooded,” she exasperated while falling into the chair at the table. 

“What are you going to do?” I questioned while sitting across from her. 

Davis joined us at the table, taking the coconut water from Y/N with a small smile. 

“Thankfully since they have to cancel, I get my deposit back but Malcolm is freaking out,” she waved her phone around. “We have two days to figure out somewhere new for this surprise party.” 

“You can have it at my place,” I suggested. 

Y/N took a long drink of her soda. “Are you sure? Don’t you think you should talk with the rest of the guys first?” 

I snatched a chip off her plate and shrugged. “They won’t mind.” 

“Sei un tesoro, mochi,” she patted my cheek. 

Davis choked on his drink and my eyes snapped over to him. “I don’t want to hear it!” 

He held up his hands. “I didn’t hear anything.”

Y/N smirked before taking the first bite of her sandwich and groaned. “Oh shit, this is good. No wonder you won, Noah.” 

With a prideful smirk, I motioned to the rest of her plate. “Finish up. I’ll call the guys and have them meet here and we can plan Chase’s party.” 

At one point, Davis left to take Max for a walk, leaving Y/N and I alone. We sat silently and enjoyed the world around us. This has taken a lifetime to learn. It seemed only the old could sit next to one another, not say anything, and still feel content. The young, brash, and impatient, must always break the silence. It’s a waste, for silence is pure. Silence is holy. It draws people together because only those who are comfortable with each other can sit without speaking. This is the great paradox.

“Oh, I never noticed the great view Davis has,” Y/N mused while pushing away her empty plate. 

Realizing it was almost time for the sun to set, I quickly cleaned up for her and motioned towards the back door. 

“Let’s go sit outside for a bit, yeah?” I suggested. 

READER

Noah and I sat comfortably on the patio bench, a blanket draped over both of our legs as we stared out at the vast greens of Davis’ backyard. The sky was painted in bright oranges with hints of pink and purple. Silently, I thought to myself that I should have brought my art supplies, noting this would be a beautiful experience to paint. 

The silence between Noah and I was comforting, something you don’t find all that often. People always needed to talk rather than just listen to the world around them. The way the birds chirped, the faint noises of evening traffic, or the sound of the wind as it blew a chilly breeze. 

“Angel?” 

I hummed while looking over towards Noah. 

He rubbed the back of his neck. “Is there-I don’t know-anything you really want besides music right now?”

“I want a studio, with giant canvas’, paint; just an art studio galore! I’ve gotten into the hobby and love it,” I answered with a bright smile. “I was even thinking of using some of my art for the album artwork. Just playing with ideas.”

Noah’s smile matched mine as he let his hair loose from the hair tie, letting it fall to his shoulders in waves. “I love that you found something else you’re so passionate about, angel.”

“I love painting. I really do,” I leaned farther back against the couch and rested my head against it. 

“So paint. You should do whatever your heart desires, Y/N.” 

“Thank you, mochi” I nudged him. 

Noah rested his head against the couch, inches away from mine as another thought came to mind. 

“You know,” I started with a long sigh. “When I was a kid, I would have given anything to be exactly like everybody else” 

“You wanted to be petty and dishonest?“ He joked.

“Not everyone is like that,” I defended with a shake of my head. 

“Yes they are,” Noah retorted back. “But not you. You’re not like that.” 

This had me sitting up straighter, Noah following me. “How do you know what I’m like?”

“I see you,” He shifted closer to me, hand brushing across my knee over the blanket. “I’ve seen you for a long time. You’re the most amazing person I’ve ever met”.

My heart beat widely in my chest, the noise deafening in my ears and I cleared my throat. 

“I think you are too. If I’m being honest, I think I’ve always sorta known that,” I admitted. 

“You know,” Noah’s hand rested on my knee. “With me bouncing between homes and couches growing up, I always thought I’d be alone. I’d never expected to have such an amazing group of friends.” 

“Sometimes maybe it’s better to be alone,” I shrugged while looking past his shoulder to an older couple watching in the neighborhood. 

“Why do you say that?”

I still kept my gaze off Noah, voice dropping low. “Nobody can hurt you.”

“Y/N,” Noah sighed and lifted my chin so I could meet his intense gaze. “I would never, ever hurt you.”

Those eyes. I’ve dreamed of those eyes almost every night since our first meeting so long ago. I won’t say I’m in love, not out loud, but I am. I came to terms with that a while ago. 

“I know, mochi,” I finally whispered. 

Noah’s thumb traced over my jawline. “I understand why it’s hard for you, Y/N. But know that when I’m with you, I don’t feel alone.”

That magnetic pull that always seemed to connect us with that invisible string made me lean closer to him needing his warmth to envelop me. 

“I’ve never had this instant connection with anyone. I know you understand it too,” he continued. 

With my continued silence, Noah sat up straighter but kept his grip on my chin. “Are you freaked out? Because not hearing you say anything kind of-.” 

“Noah- no,” I rested my hands on his chest. “I feel it too.” 

His hand grasped the back of my neck now, tilting my head up towards him, as we began to lead in closer, and when his warm breath fanned over my lips, I let my eyes flutter shut. 

“Hey guys-oh shit.” 

Quickly pushing away from Noah, I peered over my shoulder to see Malcolm leaning against the back door. 

“We’re all inside ready to talk about the party. Whenever you two decide to grace us,” Malcolm winked before slipping back inside. 

Clearing my throat, I let the realization sink in what Noah and I were about to do. He’s with Bailey and I was ready to kiss him. I’m not this kind of person but yet here I was again being caught between him and my conscious. Bailey, as intrusive as she was, didn’t deserve this. 

Noah tried to bring me back to him but I quickly stood up, giving us more space. 

“We can’t do this. Not again,” my hair shook widely around my shoulders. “It’s not fair to Bailey.” 

“I ended it.” 

I blinked. “Wha-Oh? You did?” 

As ecstatic as I was hearing this, I did my best to hide it. I didn’t want Noah to know inside I was jumping for fucking joy; like a kid on Christmas that received the toy they’d been wanting. 

Noah stood from the couch now, standing in front of me. “I think Bailey saw me as Noah on the big screen, not me the person and after everything at that dinner I just knew it was time.” 

“I’m-I’m sorry,” I stammered, not knowing what else to say. 

His brows furrowed. “Why? It wasn’t serious. There wasn’t that connection; like the one we have.” 

As my lips parted, it was Jesse now who interrupted us, taking a bite of the apple in his hand. “Are you guys coming or what?” 

Noah cursed while running a hand through his hair and I shakily pointed over his shoulder. 

“We should head inside. Talk about this party.” 

Not wanting to spend another second out here, afraid to finally give in to the thoughts that were screaming at me, I gently brushed past him to return inside.

GREEK TRANSLATIONS:

Koukla-doll

Kouklamou- my doll

“Giatí échei makriá malliá?”- Why does he have long hair?

"Eísai apísteftos"-you're unbelievable

ITALIAN TRANSLATIONS:

Sei un tesoro-you're a sweetheart.

[draculovemp3]

@revenge-of-the-assbutt @firstaidspray @sachermorte thank u for enabling me NEWAY since I’ve been too dead to do any of my own hobbies here’s some thoughts on House & Co’s physical hobbies/lil crafts & such they do in the comfort of their home<3:

House: canonically does a ton of shit like piano/guitar/cooking/so on but In the spirit of him resisting change (At Times!) I think he’s gotten very good if not makes a fun time out of mending clothes🥺…. Didn’t wanna throw away his favorite shirts so it started w small hems+resizings until he looked up more tips online and get decorative w it. Pretty contrasting colors/patterns now randomly laid on his shirts and pants w only the careful eye(Cuddy+Wilson) to notice. If anyone cares

Wilson: gardening. Well as much one can do within his apartments/pretty nonplant friendly homes. He’s not a super greenthumb expert but it always gives him a lil confidence boost when he’s able to grow out spices and herbs & such to use in his cooking ♥️

Cuddy: she seems like a collage-making kind of girlie💗💗 no specific theme in em or anything but she still holds onto the potential self-aid of making vision boards and it’s relaxing for her to go thru magazines/etc + cut out whatever interests her enough to use. Rachel tries and cutely fails to help 💓💓💓

Chase: ironically enough for the prodigal son lol but . He genuinely seems like someone who enjoys spending time in silence/music doing puzzles w 1000+ pieces & such #DWEEB❤️. House once got him a 5000 piece puzzle of a kangaroo or w/e as a joke and he is Determined to complete it. In due time chase…

Foreman: the thought of Foreman crocheting is so dear to me….. he doesn’t rly tell anyone ab it but there’s a lot of half-finished + worn projects as proof around his home. #angsting it sorry but I think he took it up after his mom started deteriorating bc she crocheted too and it was a fonder reminder + sumn they could do together. One yr he gave the fellow ducklings scarves he made as Xmas gift. Not that he told him he made it tho😅#repressed

Cameron: I think she has a moderately sized zen garden on a table somewhere in her home she takes SERIOUS. Changes the lines/circles in the sand periodically, sees what new arrangement of rocks she can do etc etc. Girl that thing is meant to be relaxing!! also colorcodes/sticker-covers/etc her planner like a CHAMP.

Amber: she has the most well-detailed prettiest most concerning-when-read journal/diary everrrr. Dedicates a specific time in every day to it w specific pens of various colors. Some of the recounting even have lil doodles or if she takes the journal out w her she draws her view wherever she is<3 they’re literal chickenscratch but its still fun and fulfilling. It’s a bibleesque piece to Wilson’s Amber shrine btw

Thirteen: she’s hard to analyze for me soz 13heads I do love her #trust… nonetheless I bet she goes to hella dance classes. Partially for the exercise partially for the fun partially for the need to experience Life partially for the women. Heh. She’s rly into zumba, jazz, contemporary classes to be specific.

Taub: ok ok so remember when he did/bought pottery or w/e to convince his wife he was being faithful. I think he’d do it for real as a joke/alibi then be like wait…. This is kinda fun…? There’s no constraints to what he can make + the sculpting reminds him vaguely of plastic surgery work so he keeps it up.

Kutner: I think he draws + writes his own lil comics/zines 🫶 they’re mostly scifi or superhero and more than a lil inspired by his fave preexisting medias . He likes using the crazy cases he’s experienced w House as story inspo. Also he 4 sure runs dnd campaigns so well and fun. Btw

Masters: she’s a suckerrrr for trivia nights my lil nerd wife<3 but um anyway when she wants to relax she Really doesn’t want sumn that can become info overload so in free time she’ll make friendship bracelets, lil shapes/figures out of string, etc. Will someone please give this woman a full on loom to go cray with!!!!

Park: I can see it so clearly . I can see her lil handpainted warhammer and other tabletop game figures so perfectly in my head. She paints more than she actually plays(but she does !). God save you if you touch or tumble them.

Adams: I kinda DGAF about her sorry women… hmm there’s sumn compelling ab her doing blackout poetry plus occasionally full-on written when the inspo hits! started as a boredom thing in her job in the prison w whatever book she brought in then she kept on doing it w more and more written pieces she comes across.

I put so much time into this. Perhaps too much.😭feel free to gimme y’all’s thoughts on this/ur own ideas :3

[tennessoui]

For The propmts, "I can't trust you"

hi hello!!!

this is set in my "there was only one desk" au, where obi-wan and anakin, well. share a desk in the office and hate each other.

"""""hate each other"""""

(1.5k) (angst here and now but actually the stupidest thing ever)

The person sitting at Obi-Wan’s desk is not, in fact, Obi-Wan Kenobi. For one thing, it’s a woman with a severe red bobcut and better fashion sense than Kenobi’s ever had. For another thing, Anakin can’t actually remember a time when he’s made the trek up to the twelfth floor just to annoy Kenobi only for the man to not give him attention. So this woman, who doesn’t even raise her eyes to look at him when he’s standing next to her desk, can’t be Kenobi.

“Uh,” Anakin says. He’s holding a singular cupcake on a plate in both hands, red velvet because Obi-Wan hates red velvet and with a candle in the icing because Obi-Wan is extremely paranoid about the sensitivity of the sprinkler system. “Who are you?”

The woman’s fingers pause on the keyboard and she looks up at him sharply. With a raised eyebrow, she tilts her head to the nameplate on Obi-Wan’s desk.

Bo-Katan Kryze it reads.

Anakin blinks. “Do you—share this desk with Obi-Wan?”

“I don’t know who that is. I sit here every day,” Kryze says. “Is there something I can help you with?” She makes it clear that she believes there is absolutely nothing she wants to help him with.

“Um.” Anakin stares at her uninterested face, the nameplate, the desk itself.

He realizes rather suddenly that the plants are gone. All of Obi-Wan’s plants are gone, and in their places are picture frames filled with pictures of strangers, a standing calendar, and a souvenir mug.

“No,” he says slowly. “Sorry.”

“No worries,” the woman says, turning back to her computer. “Have a nice day.”

Anakin turns around and goes back to the elevators around the corner. He feels a bit stupid, holding a plate wth a cupcake on it, so he tosses it into a small trashcan next to a desk as he passes by, plate and all.

He still feels a bit stupid, and the feeling lingers all the way from the twelfth floor to the tenth, where his desk is. If Obi-Wan was playing a prank on him, he just fell for it like an idiot. 

But if he hadn’t—

“Obi-Wan wasn’t at his desk,” Anakin says to Vos as he sits down in front of his own computer. “There was this woman there instead, and she’d moved all of his stuff. Even the nametag.”

Vos doesn’t look up from his screen. He’s been sort of distant since Anakin came back, like he forgot how to talk or some shit during the month and a half he was away.

His silence would make sense if Obi-Wan asked him to help with the prank. And Vos probably would hop on the opportunity to fuck with Anakin. He tries to say he doesn’t play favorites of course, but he very clearly does. 

And his favorite very clearly is Kenobi, not Anakin. 

Anakin remembers the chair incident, after all.

So if Obi-Wan told him about trying to pull a fast one on Anakin his first day back at the office, hire a woman to sit at his desk and change all of its decorations just to confuse him, Vos would probably help out by pretending everything is normal.

Anakin narrows his eyes and looks at his desk. Nothing’s been moved or changed since he last saw it. No new cameras to video his reaction.

“Where’s Obi-Wan?” he asks, looking over at Vos. “I mean, it’s a lot of work, isn’t it? Points for creativity, I guess though.”

Vos’ fingers still on his keys and he finally looks up, going as far as to take his hands off the keyboard completely. “What?”

“Like where did he put his plants? And the zen garden with all the sand, you know? He moved that zen garden somewhere else just to fuck with me for a bit? And the name too, her name— Bo-Katan? Kryze? He could have tried a little harder to make up something believable.”

Vos looks at him, eyebrows furrowing. “Sorry,” he says slowly. “But–sorry, but what do you think is happening here, exactly?”

Anakin frowns. Usually Vos would be laughing by now. “Joke’s on him though, I brought him a cupcake to celebrate my first day back, and me and Bo-Katan split it instead. No cupcake for Obi-Wan. It’s what he deserves for such a lame prank.”

“Skywalker,” Vos’ voice sounds even slower. “Skywalker, there is no prank.”

There’s a very weird feeling in his gut. He forces a laugh. “Uh, right, of course not,” he says. “But seriously, where is Obi-Wan? I’ve been taking pictures I want to show him for months. He’s going to love them.”

He better love them, at least, if he knows what’s good for him. But Luke and Leia are adorable, especially now that they’ve stopped teething on everything in range. Even someone as heartless and deplorable as Kenobi will be swayed by their big eyes and general all-encompassing cuteness.

The look Vos gives him is uncharacteristically cold. “Two things, Skywalker. First, there’s no prank. Obi-Wan quit. Sounds like you brought cupcakes to his replacement, like some. One man office welcome brigade. Second, if you really think Obi-Wan Kenobi wants to see your fucking baby pictures, you’re more stupid than I thought.”

Anakin blinks and then stares as the feeling in his stomach spreads to his chest. “What? No. No way.” He blinks again, eyebrows furrowing. “Is this the prank?”

Vos pushes his chair away from his keyboard, rolling it to the edge of his desk. “Skywalker. Anakin. There is no prank. I’m telling you the truth. Obi-Wan has separated from the company. He is not here today, and he won’t be here tomorrow. He left.”

“But—” Anakin’s mouth is open, but no words are coming out. “But. He didn’t tell me.” 

There’s a knot in his stomach, one that may be bigger than his stomach altogether. No, it has to be some sort of—of prank. Of practical joke at his expense. When Obi-Wan pops out in an hour or so, Anakin is going to hit him so hard in, like. The shoulder. For the crime of being really, really not funny.

“Why would he tell you, Skywalker?” Vos asks, carefully putting his hands on his knees as he looks at him with an unreadable expression on his face. “You don’t like each other.”

“I—I mean. We do!” Anakin splutters. “We spent quarantine together! And last summer when we did the office expedition and got lost, we camped together! For two whole days!”

“Those aren’t bonding activities,” Quinlan says. “You know that, right? No one else would consider those things as foundations for a friendship or even workplace relationship.”

Like he always seems to do when Kenobi and “workplace relatitonships” are brought up in the same sentence, Anakin flushes. He can feel the tips of his go red.

“Look, I get that you’re—friends or whatever,” he mutters, pitching his voice down low so that no one else can eavesdrop. Not that anyone else is really paying attention, but just in case. “But we’ve—you know, you saw us. During the. The quarantine. We. Spent the night together.”

“Yeah, you fucked,” Vos rolls his eyes. “You fucked.” “So if he were going to leave the company, he’d tell me, alright?” Anakin puts his hand down flat on the desk. “Yeah? He’d tell me.”

“Only if sleeping with you meant something to him,” Vos points out, pushing his chair back fully behind his desk. “So I guess it didn’t.”

The words—sting.

A lot.

The words fucking hurt like Vos has just thrown a fucking cactus into his dick. Because—alright, they’d never talked about it afterwards or anything, but—kissing Kenobi, his annoying and annoyingly attractive deskmate, sleeping with him, touching him and being touched in return…it’d changed things for Anakin. Things he didn’t want to name then, and things he definitely doesn’t want to name now, if—if Obi-Wan really…really just.

Left.

Anakin shakes his head, wordless. “It meant something,” he says, practicing the words, even if it’s only Vos around to hear him.

“Yeah?” and Vos’ voice is cold. “Then why’d you just take almost two months of paternity leave, huh? If sleeping with my friend meant something.”

Anakin shakes his head again, staring fixedly at his keyboard. “Did he really—Vos, you’re not lying, are you? Did he actually quit?”

Vos is silent for several long moments. “Yeah,” he says, sounding strange. “Yeah, he did. This is—you’re upset about this, aren’t you?”

It could still be a joke though, because sometimes Vos goes too far and sometimes he doesn’t know when to quit, even though Anakin thinks he’s pretty obviously begging him to stop right about now.

He stands. “I—I don’t believe you. I can’t— I can’t trust you.”

Vos watches him swing his jacket on with raised eyebrows. “I suppose you don’t need his address then,” he says, expression guarded. “If you’re going to fact-check this yourself.”

Of course Anakin is going to fact-check this for his fucking self.

And either way, Obi-Wan Kenobi is going to have a lot of explaining to do.

[staticl0ve]

Dollhouse: Chap 1 / Connor x F!Reader

Chapter 1 - The Ghost in the Shell

Pairings: Connor/Female Reader Rating: Explicit/NSFW 18+ Story (AO3): [ Read on AO3 ] Chapters 5/5 (Tumblr): [ Chap 1 ] [ Chap 2 ] [ Chap 3 * ] [ Chap 4 * ] [ Chap 5 ] Words: 3.8k Warnings: None! Story set up/SFW Summary: Elijah’s in need of a house sitter and what better than asking his step sibling to water the plants and run a few tests. After all, how hard could pressing a few buttons on a tablet be? Alternative AU. Notes: A little something thriller/spooky for Halloween. Inspired by @pseudonymmcwriter’s amazing Ephemera fic.

When Elijah asked you to housesit, your stepbrother didn’t mention how incredibly isolated his Michigan home was. Between the ferry ride and unmanned automated helicopter, there was no danger of a stranger stumbling upon his home and raiding it for the proprietary hardware he had tucked away. Especially when parts of the home required handprint access and some sections, as you’d anticipated, were locked out to you.

You much preferred the smaller California home you both shared, mostly because instead of the bitter cold of snow, you only had to deal with fog. There was a pool too, and on the outside rather than the inside.

The Michigan home was a blocky minimalist building, shrouded by pine trees in every direction. Inside, dramatic slanted shadows darkened half of the walls as dusk colored the white paint in coppery red hues. Other than the occasional hum of the central air system, a silence clung to each room in a way that made your bare footsteps feel out of place—a visitor disturbing the peace.

There was a room for everything: a whole theater entertainment system, a small gym, and an indoor pool which freaked you out initially since the tiles tinted the water blood red. Your favorite section of the home was the atrium and it’s calming zen garden atmosphere. A miniature cherry tree sat in the center, the petals of its blossoms drifting occasionally into the sand below. You eyed the expensive tree and made a face. Maybe your brother saved money by having you come over instead of building a system that managed his plants.

When he asked to meet you, he was back in California for a brief stay and had graced you with his physical presence over dinner. As usual, the inventor wasted no time on small talk and went straight to the point.

“House sitting? You came all this way just to ask me to go water some plants?” you groaned and swirled your drink instead of meeting his gaze.

“This is more than house sitting. There are tests that I can’t run while I’m away on this trip. Think of it as volunteering to be a part of something that’s going to change the world. You can handle a few computer prompts,” he dismissively answered.

You had to have better things to do than sit around a big empty home pushing buttons, not that it was much different from what you did normally while scrolling through your phone. Still, it was snowing over there and sunny over here.

“You’re the IT guy in the family, can’t you run these tests remotely?” you joked.

He fiddled with his glasses, pushing it up the bridge of his nose. “The tests must be completed in person.”

“Do I get to know what I’ll be testing?”

This wasn’t the first time he asked you to volunteer for his crazy experiments. Elijah was never willing to explain what he did in his spare time and this would be a chance to peek behind the curtain. Your knowledge of Cyberlife was the same as what the public knew. A lot of it wasn’t that exciting: drone delivery, smart appliances and fully autonomous transportation. Some magazines hinted at a creation that would make household chores a thing of the past. Speculation was made about it being like the maid from the Jetson’s movie. It shared one similarity—being mostly metal. Images leaked of a rolling self balancing ball with rounded bearings, metal limbs and clamps that resembled joints.

You know, a machine.

Elijah preferred to keep his grander ideas away from the greedy hands of his board members. There were some things the world was not ready for.

“You’ll be doing your big brother a favor,” he added, while still avoiding your pressing question. He seemed adamant about letting you discover the answer by going there yourself. “Your input would go a long way for my project.”

“Stepbrother,” you emphasized with a pout. “I’ll agree if you promise me I’ll actually see you for the holidays—in the flesh?”

“After this trip, I’ll be home longer,” he compromised. “Can you do this for me?”

You didn’t really believe him when you agreed but you kinda owed your new lavish lifestyle to him. He provided a home and an allowance too, as gross as that sounded. But you didn’t have to worry about employment and the changing world as mankind churned the planet for what it was worth, all in the name of profit. 

The company you kept changed as he skyrocketed up the social ladder. You tagged along for numerous dinners and galas, usually held for charity. Parties which were filled with men and women whose main priorities were obtaining more wealth and sending their children to study abroad in one of their summer homes. It was easy for people in those circles to lose sight of the impact their investments had on the real world. Life couldn’t be that bad for the common folk. After all, how much could one banana cost? Ten dollars?

You hated those parties, but stayed for the wine and music.

Speaking of, at least Elijah was considerate enough to keep the Michigan cellar fully stocked. Your hands were full of your evening’s entertainment in the form of wine and an empty glass as you walked down various hallways to your room.

“What the…”

The door to your bedroom was a flat slab of solid wood, devoid of classic door things like a handle. You had to fumble with the things in your arms to free one hand to place it on the glowing square beside the door. White light lines pulsed up and down as it scanned your handprint and flashed green, allowing the door to click and slide open.

“Okay…note to self, ask Elijah why my room has a crazy lock,” you mumbled to yourself, a thing you’d be doing a lot of if you were going to be stuck here alone.

Your room was as minimally furnished as the rest of the building with a queen sized bed on one side, a door to a walk-in closet and bathroom on the other side. The walls were sparsely decorated. A blue and black abstract painting hung over the bed, leaving the main focus on the forest outside the windows.

Curiously, a light flashed on the bed, drawing your attention to a tablet nestled in the dark comforter. You made quick work of depositing your goodies on a nearby end table. When you picked up the tablet, the glass fully lit up, revealing a single message that welcomed you with your name. Before you could tap on the message, a large video call alert took up the entire screen.

“Yes, Elijah?” you answered in the tone of an exasperated teenager.

“It looks like you’ve settled in,” he said and continued speaking when he saw your mouth open, essentially steamrolling to his point. “The device you’re holding will be used for testing. Don’t worry about what to do, it will unlock and guide you tomorrow.”

“Elijah,” you said sternly and ignored him as he did to you. “What’s up with my door?”

“It’s a door,” he answered plainly.

“Y-yes, but…wait. No. Why is there a fancy lock?”

“For safety.”

“Safety? From what?” you questioned.

He laughed out your name and for a moment, his image glitched out as the connection on the tablet faltered. Stupid cell towers being half useless this far out.

“It’s just procedure. Nothing to be concerned about.”

—

Waking up was an event.

The three hour time difference plus the half bottle of emptied wine with no dinner was doing it’s worst to your travel weary body. On instinct alone, you managed to scramble out of bed, complete your morning rituals and make your way to the kitchen. Somehow, you also remembered to bring the tablet with you.

Elijah’s architect must have chosen the interior design by throwing darts at the most vanilla of lifestyle catalogs. Stepping into the kitchen was like stepping into a model home. The walls were bright, the cabinets brushed in midnight blue with brass hardware. It was incredibly tidy as well, appliances were hidden behind cabinets—not that they saw any use when the home rarely had visitors.

Snowflakes dusted the windows, white frost spreading over the glass like cobwebs. An overly designed coffee machine with sleek touch buttons churned fresh beans and poured boiling water, the bubbling sound a soothing symphony to your tired brain. Your fingers tapped on a ceramic mug while you waited and picked apart the room for entertainment.

“Huh. Weird,” you mused.

The strangest thing about the kitchen was the door at the end of a hallway. In a home like this, one might expect a set of stairs to lead to a basement, a laundry room or a bachelor den. This door was different than the others. It was entirely metal, the build and design looked strong enough to be a bunker door.

A panic room?

An ominous red light blinked away on a panel lock, making the whole thing appear more important than it was and you were a little curious, but for now…your coffee was waiting. You settled into a seat by the kitchen table with the tablet in hand. The same prompt from the night before was still visible on the lock screen. Your fingers tapped at the glass, unveiling the splash screen of an unnamed app.

A white screen loaded in with simplistic, grid lines and floating triangle particles. On the center of the screen was a blue ring, bright and subtly pulsing in brightness. At the bottom was a red status icon and text that read: disconnected. A dialog box appeared with a message.

“It’s lovely to meet you…my name is Connor,” you read out loud. You sat back in your seat and propped the tablet by its cover. A new prompt appeared as soon as you finished reading.

“Initiate connection?” you groaned, Elijah made this whole thing sound less…lame than it was and here you were pushing buttons on a tablet. You tapped the accept button below the prompt, dismissing the modal. The ring of light pulsed in time with a voice that broke through.

“Good morning,” a male voice greeted you, in a blend of bright and youthful with a touch of polite masculinity.

“What the fuck?” you asked…the tablet ghost.

“Don’t be alarmed. My name is Connor. Mr. Kamski has requested your input on my interactions.”

“Yep, I got the name part down. Thanks,” you replied and took a large gulp of your coffee. The heat of it singed your tongue and throat but my god, did you need to wake up. “Is this a phone call?”

He laughed in a way that believably captured the deep rumble vibrating between ribs. You could almost see the flash of teeth and the shake of his shoulders.

Oh no.

Day two in a mansion alone and you were already clinging to the closest human voice like a psycho. It wasn’t entirely your fault. Since when did AI stop sounding like your phone robotically fumbling over your dictation? Your eyes widened as an invasive thought crept through your head.

This AI—Connor—sounded…hot.

“I am connected to this tablet which allows us to communicate freely. My goal is provide company for your stay,” Connor answered patiently.

“Uhm, okay. So…now what? We talk?”

“We can do anything you’d like.”

You smirked at the ring as it transitioned back into a steady solid brightness.

“Well…normally I’d like to go on a morning jog. The weather report said the snow is gonna pick up into a blizzard soon and now’s my only chance to see the outside of this place before it gets buried. So, that said, I think you’re not capable of walking, let alone running…right?”

“The tablet is a mobile device. You can bring me along,” he quipped.

Connor was suspiciously too fast and natural with his banter and you couldn’t help but wonder if Elijah had formed an elaborate prank on you. It would be entirely out of character for him but it made more sense than talking to a disembodied voice that lived in a cloud server.

“There are three trails on the property. Would you like to learn about them?” he offered.

“Shoot.”

“While the premises are vacated, it’s not recommended to go shooting on the trails.”

“No,” you laughed. Alright, this was definitely a clueless AI. “It’s a turn of phrase for ‘go ahead.’”

The ring spun yellow for a change and settled back on blue. Connor made a quick apology while realistically tripping over his words in embarrassment. It didn’t take him long to describe the trails. One wrapped around the home in a four mile loop, the other led to a vista and the last one was incomplete and cutoff into the wilderness. 

As you spoke more with him, it was clear that he only knew of the home layout and not of it’s contents. So you offered him a short audio tour which he enthusiastically accepted. You described the mundane from towels and framed paintings to the contents of your suitcase and Connor was fascinated by the concept of a lint roller, endlessly following up with more questions about the human grooming experience. 

Thankfully, you saved the best for last. The atrium.

“What does a cherry taste like?” he asked as you finished explaining the existence of a fruit tree in the home.

“Can’t you look that up online?”

“I…” He sounded like he was struggling, the animation on the screen freezing for a brief second. “I am not connected to the internet. I have a library of limited information stored within me which allows me to draw conclusions and determine how I’ll respond.”

“Okay. A cherry….” You tried your best approximation at breaking down the complex flavors of sweet and tart. It was the most thought you’d given the fruit.

“I think you’d like it,” you concluded and changed the subject before Connor asked more questions you couldn’t answer. “So, what do you think of the house? Got any favorite rooms?”

“I don’t have a favorite room, but I most like the ones you’re in,” he answered.

“If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were flirting with me, Connor,” you teased.

Briefly, the tablet flashed red, but you failed to notice it while it was sandwiched between your arm and chest.

“Flirting?” he asked. “I…I don’t understand.”

“It’s a joke, I’m just poking fun at your programming.”

He was quiet for longer than you were used to so you finally spared a glance at the screen which was now yellow.

“Uh…Connor?”

The circle remained yellow, the pulsing now a steady spinning animation which gave the impression of the spinning wheel of death.

How mad would Elijah get if you broke his AI by asking if it was flirting? Probably not very if that was all it took. The internet had done worse things to chatbots before.

You stretched your limbs and went back to the kitchen to finish off the last of your coffee, placing the tablet on the table. The screen hadn’t changed and you shrugged it off to get that morning run in. It already felt silly enough that you were talking to not a living, real being for the past hour. No sense in waiting for it to unfreeze.

-

Snow was falling from the skies at a quickening rate. A chilling breeze was on the horizon as the helipad’s white and red paint became obscured by the falling snow. In California, the home was often covered in ocean fog, dampening out the sound of the highways and airways. You were pleased to discover snow had a similar effect on the area as a dull roar fell over the the pine forest, further isolating the property from the rest of the world.

A red and black streak of athletic wear cut across the bleached landscape. Your jog around the loop trail was as refreshing as you’d hoped it would be. If anything, it kept you from wondering if the blizzard would extend your stay with only a tablet as your companion.

Desperate for some water and a shower, you cut your way through the home and went straight to the kitchen. The ice water quenched your parched throat and you were mid swallow when the tablet flickered back to life.

“Welcome back—“

Your skeleton leapt out of your skin, as did the water that spilled from the glass and spewed from your mouth. A few deep coughs and you managed to clear the water out of your lungs. Connor seemed to have paused his greeting and waited until you were mostly fully functioning.

“—I was able to conclude my research and will be able to apply it to our future interactions. With your consent, of course.”

“S-sure,” you managed to say between choked coughs.

“Would you like to know what you’re agreeing to first?”

“Nope, that is Elijah’s department,” you waved him off like he could see your arm. “I’m gonna shower, try not to ambush me with surprise greetings when I get back.”

“Where’s the fun in that?” he joked, easing back into a more casual dialogue flow.

If a voice could wink, it certainly sounded that way before Connor’s chat light dimmed out, the AI signing off for the time being. He left you alone for a bit after your shower, giving you space to roam around the house and lounge in the living room. As soon as you began to wonder when you’d hear from him again, the tablet lit up. This time it played a pleasant chime before he spoke and it sounded a little like a computer boot sequence. A bit of humor from the ghost in the glass?

“I was thinking…”

“Uh oh. Its always dangerous when an AI starts getting ideas,” you said.

“…about typical activities between companions. It’s to my knowledge that some enjoy socializing through games, movies, and outdoor adventures. Since I cannot go outside, would you be interested in an indoor game?”

“A game?”

“Yes,” he answered with a pause.

Sometimes AI would get stuck in conversations without another prompt, their computations limited to a simple back and forth exchange. It was unusual if it knew to pick up context from many conversations ago or speak without being spoken to. Connor tested those limits, seeing as how he surprised you after your run and was already adapting his language.

“Are you familiar with hide-and-seek?” he asked.

“Yeah, but that’s a children’s game,” you teased.

“I’d like to test my memory of the rooms you were in. I can ask you three questions about the items in the room and if I can’t get it, then I lose.”

“Wait, do I just lose if you get it right?”

“Yes,” he laughed.

You glared at the tablet’s calming blue glow. It was really difficult pretending to be mad at a voice of all things.

“I’m going to make this so hard for you,” you scoffed at him.

He hummed, the ring of blue pulsing in a pattern. “I look forward to it.”

The game started in the kitchen as a way of getting a glass of wine and picking the easiest room for him to figure out. As you waltzed around with a glass in hand, you were reminded of that strange door once again.

“Connor.”

“Yes?”

“You’ve got floor plans in your uh…cloud thingy. Where does this metal door near the kitchen go?”

“The door…” his voice trailed off as the beep of a rejected hand scan transmitted through the tablet. “…I don’t know.”

The tone he used seemed to imply he did but couldn’t share the knowledge with you. It was just another one of Elijah’s secrets—something about NDAs and things being on a need to know basis. Whatever was behind the door, you’d probably never see it.

“Alright, message received Elijah,” you said to the door. “Onto the next room!”

You were pleasantly surprised by how much Connor retained from your brief walkthrough of the home, the AI easily recognizing each room from just three objects. Eventually you’d exhausted all of the rooms, save for one.

“Okay, last room. I spy…a window, a mirror, and…” you hummed and decided to make things easy for him. “A lint roller.”

You placed the tablet onto the bed before turning around and sinking backwards into the mattress. The tablet, a victim of physics, had no choice but to rise from the comforter and plop beside your head. It pulsed, coloring your bed in blue light.

“We are in your room.”

“Ding ding. You win again,” you said while turning your head to the device. “I shouldn’t have made it so easy for you.”

“I must assure you that I felt adequately challenged.”

His voice sounded compressed, like he was lying on his chest in a mattress identical to yours. There was no way of course, but it almost sounded like there was fabric shifting and a faint exhale following after. Either you downed more wine than you thought, or you’d gone a little mad in a days worth of solitude. Your fingers stroked the edge of the glass as you lazily stared over the tablet at the view outside the window.

“Well, that’s it for the game. And…” you yawned, “I should sleep soon.”

“Would you like me to go?” he asked.

“You’re in a piece of glass on a king sized bed,” you answered while stretching out on satiny sheets. “I think you can stay.”

When you began to get ready for bed, you kept him around on a bathroom counter while you brushed your teeth. It took longer than you thought as he had questions about every step of your routine. It was a little strange that he had data on flirting and socializing but little on humans and their many habits. Eventually, you jokingly booted him back into the other room when you needed to use the toilet.

“Night Connor,” you said as you settled back into the bed, the tablet nested in a spare pillow beside your head.

“Goodnight,” he replied.

Normally, sleep meant tossing and turning or counting a few sheep before your body finally relaxed. Tonight was different, the events of the day instantly knocking you out into a deep and peaceful slumber.

Outside, white flecks fell from the skies, quietly blanketing the green scenery. Shoe prints from your morning jog disappeared as the weather continued throughout the night. Moonlight diffused through the windows and lit your silhouette beneath thin sheets. Deep in a pleasant dream, a smile tugged at your lips as you rolled away from the tablet.

In the darkness, a dim red circle pulsed on the black screen in time with your quiet breaths.

[professor-amaryllis]

[Pelliper mail....? Oh! That's a Delibird in there! And it has a present! Delliper mail!(?)

Inside the hefty package is various items, a mix of cool finds and handmade curios! You have received:

A utility Held Item clip! Helps pokemon who don't have hands make use of held items! And look- already has a poison barb slotted into it! The clip end is also clipped onto a dragon fang!

A long... Tube of fabric? After closer inspection, it's two sweater arms stitched to eachother, with elastic cuffs at either end... Oh! It's a makeshift sweater for Slinky! ... How would Slinky even use this without just slithering out of it..?

A bag of cat pokemon toys, labeled with some sneasel stickers.

An elastic, handmade bead bracelet! Threaded onto it is a dulled poison barb, possibly letting Amy match one of his team members (without stabbing himself if he moves the wrong way).

A set of plant safe nursery paints, meant for decorating or labeling plants in plant nurseries, but it's useful for plant pokemon too!

Some carved pokeball shells, one depicting the face markings of cooper, and the other depicting Slinky's hood markings.

A galvantula sized pokemon sweater. Clearly wasn't originally meant for galvantula before the sides were cut up. Now it fits perfectly!

A little desktop zen garden kit, complete with little Oddish figures! The kit was clearly tampered with, as the sand bag was replaced with a shimmering pouch of stardust, and a small wooden figure of a dustox was added.

A modified purple hoodie. The hood has fluffy pipe cleaner antennae popping out of them, the front has little dustox leg designs, and the back has dustox wing patterns painted onto them.

.... A framed doodle of a Weedle sitting in a hot dog bun. Huh.

And last but not least: a handwritten note! After a bit of deciphering, it says:

"Hey there, Wild Guy. Hope the holidays are treating you well. Gathered 'n made some stuff that made me think of you. Can't believe the year is already over, it's been crazy. At least we know the next won't get any worse, hah. I'm honored to be able to call you a friend, and I'm looking forward for many more years. Don't age too quickly now. - Skrub, Cham-Chams, & the rest."]

Skrub my friend! What a delightful surprise to receive such a thoughtful gift- or series of gifts as it were! I apologize for the delay in my response, but I may have gotten a bit... distracted. I do love these though- I'll be headed to an expert as soon as I am able to transfer Slinky and Cooper's pokeball shells for these new ones, they're beautiful! Oh, and Slinky absolutely loved the sweater, Thank you again :)

[saiakv]

Lynn was crouched down, using a stick to draw aimless shapes in the sand. With an elbow propped upon a knee she rested her cheek in that palm, observing the scribbles she made as if it were her very own zen garden.

Scratch scratch scratch!

Too reckless and thoughtless to be anything of the sort, but Lynn was enjoying herself- occupied.

She swished the stick, erasing the grooves the made to provide herself a blank canvas again, dragging sloppy stars into existence.

"Guess who I bumped into the other day..."

She didn't give Kenjaku the chance.

"It was that Gojo guy..."

Her eyes wandered over to the body-hopper, waiting for something that never happened- for Kenjaku's expression to shift. A raise of his brow, a dimming of that serpent-like smile- for those dead eyes to show a flicker of genuine intrest...Anything...

Unwaveringly resigned...His voice never strayed above or below that singular barline that was a perpetual, even, monotone.

IT WAS SO CREEPY!!!! And not in the fun way...

No, it reminded Lynn of some twisted doctor. Unfeeling, serving his own interests, harvesting those who were useful...Something about 'Geto' really got under her skin...And hospitals...She didn't like those either...

Oh!

Her thoughts had wandered into sterile, blinding white corridors and the eerie sensation of a long needle sliding deep into her arm. Hospitals gave her the creeps. And so did 'Geto'.

She tried to make her staring subtle, eyes straining at their corners trying to get as good a look at Kenjaku without turning her head. If he knew she was watching him then he might deliberately withhold any reaction that came, right? Lynn would.

"I was on my way home one day and ran into him on the street- or, his forcefield."

It was pretty scary. Gojo had seen right through her, knew exactly what she was and who she hung around...And let her go about her way.

"Just thought you'd like to know.."

She continued scraping the sand, only pretending to give up on revoking a reaction out of 'Geto', trying to bait him into asking about the encounter, but she had a churning suspicion all she'd get would be a 'That's nice.' or some placid, detatched response of the sort.

MOST SORCERERS WILL LIVE OUT THE ENTIRETY of their lives believing cursed energy to be a singular thing — whimsically, in a similar way to how non-sorcerers perceive it. The popular franchise 'Star Wars' had set a useful reference for that sort of understanding; cursed energy would be paralleled to 'the force' as an added element of sorts that was only palpable for some and directly linked to the human condition & sentimentalities. For a lifetime or two, Kenjaku had fallen victim to this narrow-minded rhetoric, as well. That was, until they'd met Master Tengen.

[ ... ]

Violet eyes linger over the tabloid page as it's nonchalantly flipped. One forgettable smile gives way to another, one bland life-story of a modern day celebrity exchanged for more superficial gossip. You would think that creatures blessed - or cursed - with such longetivity would have a rekindled interest in watching the world progress. But the humans of this age entertain themselves with the same things they did centuries ago — religion, breeding, food. Societal rules are not as flexible as they believe them to be; the passage of time shapes their traditions as meticulously as river-waters do the bedrock, but in that grander scheme of things, not much has changed. Humans are still squabbling over the same things they were a thousand years ago.

The world, as it is, is a very finite, predictable thing.

And dreadfully boring.

His glare trails over to the girl crouched on Dagon's sands. A thin brow quirks over the mention, her intent plain in the way she restarted her little project anew. A new attempt at garnering attention from them was imminent — she was similar to Mahito in that way. But Kenjaku has lived around capricious curses long enough to know; no matter how well they immitate it, the human nature will always elude them. For as exceptional as Mahito may be when it comes to performing the full spectrum of human emotion, it is his nature.

With that same tranquility, 'Geto's' eyes return to the page, just as Dagon squirts a water pillar in the distance and the waves lick the sands a little higher, just enough to tease his painted toenails with a sea-spritz. With a hum, he crosses one muscly leg over the other, lets full lips curl into a half-smirk without parting with the pages. Lynn, at first glimpse, is that naive girl in every mother's cautionary tale towards her daughter, swept aside by a dangerous creature; how else could someone like her find themselves lounging in a special grade's domain among cursed spirits?

But Kenjaku has never been the sort to settle for short-sighted conclusions — has Mahito put her up to this? Clearly, this is throwing bait but to what end? In either case, the metaphorical jab at her intrigue is returned with a serene cadence.

❝ Is that so. ❞ The tabloid lowers to offer an amicable smile that lacks warmth. He sits up, lingers on the plastic chaise lounge a moment longer, briefly noting the pattern of scattering stars the girl had busied herself with. ❝ Lynn-chan? ❞ A soft utterance beckons her gaze. There's a slight crinkle to Geto's own.

❝ You know, Gojo Satoru is not only the strongest sorcerer alive, but also one of very few special grade sorcerers currently in service. That practically means that if a powerful cursed spirit's presence was detected, he would be the one summoned to find and excorcise it. ❞ Kenjaku's tone is as lax as ever, but the implication is made very clear. The girl has displayed a profound disregard for her own security by being here, after all — but she is invested in a certain curse.

[brandwhorestarscream]

Poor Orion Pax, bless his little Wilder/Feral monster fucker heart, initially geting shot down on the MegaStarOP by Starscream. I love the idea of Starscream storming offand coming back with more impressive prey. Orion's very impressed.

Maybe OP was sent out early on as a sacrificial recorder. Maybe why they're in the wastes is because someone one powerful was trying to arrange an unfortunate accident for Alpha Trion's protégé. The excuse to wipe out the Cybermorphs is the cherry on top. Starscream is of course looking for the carrier of his bitties. Luckily they Recognize TC and Warp as belonging to their Sire. So Warp and TC are baby sitting,

Megatron's huming and making lopsided zen sand gardens because early days and he doesn't have alot of pratice. And he hasn't made any guards yet.

Megs yells at Starscream and Orion for the two of them to "get over here and frag me."

Wait no ok, lemme stop you there 👀 Orion as a sacrifice? Tell me more about that!

Someone sent him over to the southern side of the planet as cybermorph bait? Hoping that they'd kill him, so the northerners could have an excuse to wipe out all of cybermorph kind? Do I have that right?

Cuz if so, that's so juicy. Especially since Orion is living his monsterfucker dream. Does he know he was sent as a sacrifice? Or does he think this is some kind of lowkey peace mission? Or was he just straight up kidnapped and thrown to the wolves?

This is early on so Megatron doesn't have any guards. His hive is still young, so then I have to ask: at what point did he contact Vos? Originally, he didn't start seeing Starscream until after the war had already started, so?? 👀 I'm loving this regardless!

[capitalisticveins]

The Balance Headcanons

took extra long cuz I kept drawing a blank sorryyy winky facceeev

- If someone kills Blake on Fortnite, he looks into their future, finds out when they die, and tells them their deathdate with no context before leaving

- Bestie, like Camelopardalis, owns a zen garden

- NOBODY likes playing Jenga with Smartass, this mf makes the tower stand in ways that shouldn't be possible. And they're not nice about it either, they shit talk the entire time playing.

- Sunshine had a hardcore emo phase while in middle school for like 3 months and Elliott started calling them "Sunshine" on purpose to make them mad. The nickname stuck around

- Brachium's black and foggy eye tear things can create a cloud under him from which he stands over the river with

- Bestie is a MASTER at having lucid dreams. 

- Brachium has tried talking to the river before realizing how stupid he looked

- Sunshine owns a music box, I'll give you $20 if you can guess what it plays

- You know how Elliott acted right after Scorpius temporarily blocked his memories? That's how he's like when he's drunk.

- Aaron likes the Boss Baby movie

- Brachium has a scepter he likes to spin around like a stick

- Blake gave Bestie bangs once when they were 6

- Scorpius thrives in either crop tops or turtlenecks with the boob window shut up

- Brachium has tried to talk to the Sovereigns once when he was younger…didn't go well

- Aaron and Elliott would always sit up by the couch, make cookies and popcorn, and watch the Nightmare before Christmas every Christmas Eve

- Smartass steals the company pens

- Bestie's hair, untamable.

- Scorpius doesn't do skincare, but he could be on the cover of vogue.

- Blake considered games like Animal Crossing, Stardew Valley, and Minecraft "the worst of the worst games" until he saw Bestie playing them. They have their own world in Minecraft now.

- Brachium would have an unhealthy addiction to chocolate

- Sunshine likes to keep their hair short, but they don't know how to cut it evenly, so Elliott does it for them.

- Brachium is taller than everyone by a MILE (more like 2 feet taller)

- Scorpius has piercings, I just can't say where.

- Blake has a slutty little waist

- Brachium likes to draw in the sand/dirt by the river

- Bestie owns a hamster that has made 7 attempts to kill itself

- Elliott can't make sandcastles, they deconstruct the moment he removes the pail

- Sunshine on the other hand can make those really detailed ones you see in cartoons

- If you ask Brachium “Is the cup half empty or half full” he’d go “both”

- Smartass calls in sick days whenever they can

- Blake doesn't give up his seat to the elderly, nor does he hold the door for people…unless Bestie is around

- Brachium had a pet bird as a Serenity Daemon

- Bestie is into witchcraft

- You know that scene from El Dorado where Chel and Tulio nearly get caught making out? Yeah that was Blake and Bestie when they hooked up

- Elliott and Sunshine have been friends since they were 7 so Sunshine has met Aaron, he just doesn't know they're dating

- Scorpius THRIVES in horoscopes and the zodiac shit. He hates all Geminis equally

- Bestie has shot Blake with a paintball gun when they were kids

- Brachium likes Honeycrisp apples

- Both Aaron and Smartass prefers orange juice 

- Sunshine and Elliott prefer apple juice

- Blake and Bestie adore passion fruit juice

-Brachium likes sudoku

- Scorpius twerks

- Smartass has a pet rat Aaron HATES.

[chershare]

:3c Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers. Let’s spread the self-love❤

Oh jeez, this is hard. Picking just five? Yikes. I love all my fic or I wouldn't write them, lol.

But alas, t.e has spoken.

Okay, Tsundoku, of course, because it's my baby. All associated fic probably count just as that anyway lol. My longest running series - and longest word count, even discounting the rewrite - that showcases my evolution as a writer as well as my growth.

bitter, blunt, biting because it was just, super fun to write and it got away from me? Bouncing ideas off of @laternenfisch and the art she made was honestly a fantastic process. It was an exchange fic - and yeah, I never heard from my giftee which ouch but still - and it was just... enjoyable to make. It's super hard for me to finish things because they never feel polished enough, but I actually am pleased with the ending of that one.

Probably Ubuntu after that. I've always really enjoyed Gin and there is a deficit of good fic with him as a main character. GinSan was one of my first ships as a kid - never really got into ZoSan - and just fleshing out that tragedy and angst is honestly fantastically fun. He's practically a blank slate of a character to play with, and I do enjoy building them up lol.

denizens of the sands of time is literally a sandbox of fun and playing around. It's like a zen garden, but in fic form. I do not take this fic seriously at all because why would I? Gaara is basically retired and on vacation, and when I feel like writing it that's the vibe I get.

And finally... probably Icarus. Watch me burn, oh, my icarus started out as something fun for my discord server and then exploded. I wanted DabiZawa content, and I'm a sucker for a good Time Travel fic so that was the obvious choice. Then, I felt bad for Hawks because I do love DabiHawks so like. DabiHawkZawa was born and I have no regrets, and also no idea what I'm doing.

[tired-fandom-ndn]

Yeah I saw some people saying things like 'it's easier to create digitally' and I'm like ?? You weren't talking about creating art or anything laborious, you were talking about making anything with your hands. Maybe this is stupid but one of the first things I personally thought of was drawing lines in sand with my hands to make a random drawing, which takes like zero dexterity and doesn't require any pressure or anything, you're just displacing sand but you can still make something cool.

Thank you, exactly. I actually used to have one of those mini zen garden things (before my cat knocked it down and sand went everywhere) and it was so nice to make those little patterns and set up the scene how I wanted. It wasn't hard or time consuming, but it was still something I had made.

It's just so important for our little primate brains to make physical stuff. Mess around with playdough, make beaded bracelets with a kit you bought from the dollar store, bake some cupcakes, paint some rainbow stripes on a rock you found outside, buy one of those cute little fairy garden kits for kids with the clovers and violets and shit, make some glitter jars, or have a little bin of sand that you can play around with sometimes. Whatever. It's just good stimulation for the brain, especially as our world becomes more and more digital.

[trooperst-3v3]

Had a meeting in Hux's office today. The little zen garden I made him from the tatooine sand in my luggage was still on his desk, but it was just an empty box.

I asked him what happened to the sand. He was like, "I had M4-RT1N vacuum it up."

"But it's a zen garden. The sand is the whole point."

"I appreciate the sentiment, but I'm not keeping loose sand on my desk."

"But playing with it is supposed to help you relieve stress or something."

"Dirt in my office makes me stressed, ST-3V3. The box is practical, though. I'm keeping that. I can put things in it when I'm organizing."

Welp. He vacuumed up half my gift, but he also used the words "appreciate the sentiment" in a sentence. Still not sure if I'm terrible at giving Hux gifts or amazing at it.

[elixirspice]

I made myself a little zen meditation room.

Image description: Room with white sand floor in the pattern of a zen garden with mossy stones. Pink lotus fountain towards the back of room. Light blue lantern on one side. Pink lotus fountain on the other side. Their is also a stone pond with flowers floating in the water. In the room their is also a red and gold meditation cushion. My avatar stands in the front with blue hair pulled back into a bun, dark skinned and wearing a tan spring jacket and coffee cup.

[camillebarringtonwood]

Perpetual Twilight is a body of work exploring magical landscapes and how it feels to traverse them.

The title is borrowed from a chapter in H.G Wells' The Time Machine, depicting a beach at the end of time, under the light of a dying sun. The liminal nature of the beach was a starting point for exploring concepts of fluidity, constant change, creation, and destruction.

These themes are reflected in the materials I often come back to in my artistic practice: metal, sand, wax, and readymade objects which can be infinitely rearranged and disassembled. All these aspects relate to the feeling of existing in a eternal state of inbetween. This investigation extends into questions about the value of art and the artist, what it means to be a human creating things, and how this relates to the future of earth.

I see my sculptures as portals. A way to access something beyond our ‘realm’. I want them to act like a magic circle, to become a tool or a portal to tap into this ‘invisible tension’ or uncanny feeling which exists in the world.

I am forever returning to the mercurial assemblage of neurodiverse mess that was my teenage bedroom. I used this site as a kind of HSP zen garden where I could engage with notions of monumentality, spell casting, cosplay and ritual. its a place i could entomb myself with my ‘Ariel’s secret grotto’-esque collection of trinkets from my other world under the sea. Using the multiple, sometimes abrasive narratives of objects, in combination with made up languages and readymades, I’m attempting to build a resting place for my ‘lost girl’ avatar. In constructing these fantasy worlds I am playing both the god and the mortal, and engaging in an act of self-assemblage.