#it’s fine if any given person has too small an understanding to get what I’m saying

[bioswear]

LOL what if someone comes in and calls me performative for reblogging that last post because it has an image description in it 😂😂😂😂COULD YOU IMAGINE

[salty-croissants]

bullfrog x reader (any gender) , unofficial marriage. Where both of them want to made things official but considering the situation with them and Eden, reader “proposes” to bullfrog in the sweetest way ever.

(sorry if this ask sounds too all over the place I got too giddy typing this out💞)

Thank you for the request ! 

This is a really wholesome prompt , I enjoyed writing it :D 

Also don’t worry about it , your request was just fine ! 👍

I hope this turned out okay ! 

Details : use of gender neutral reader ; 

established relationships ; 

no warnings needed 

Now that you and Bullfrog have been together for quite some time , there is a desire from both of you to give your relationship more of a deeper meaning … especially since you don’t realistically know how much time you have left given how dangerous your goal to take down Eden is .

However , since you’re constantly hiding and on the run there is no way to have any kinds of official ceremonies , so yeah … it’s really not an easy situation to be in .

Bullfrog feels very guilty about the fact that he can’t properly marry the person he loves the most because of his wanted status , and during the days in which he feels at his lowest he’s often going to bring it up …

< y/n , I just want you to have a good life … one where you don’t have to worry about getting hurt because of me . 

I can’t ask you to put everything at stake just to - > 

< Bullfrog , my love … I want to .

I want to be with you and fight by your side : no matter what the future has in store for us , I just know that we can face it together . > 

Your words never fail to bring some comfort to the assassin , even though they can’t magically erase his worries : maybe you’re right … maybe you will figure everything out as long as you stay together , who knows ? 

Deep down though , you’re just as anxious as he is : you would do anything to be able to marry Bullfrog and create an even stronger bond between you both , but how could you do that with Eden constantly threatening your lives ? 

After lots of thinking and scrapping one idea after another , you finally come up with a plan to propose to your beloved frog in a way that will definitely surprise him in the best way possible … it is slightly risky , but it’s a small price to pay to make that dream you and Bullfrog have become a reality . 

There is a special place that you two go to whenever you want to spend some time alone : a lake , located  far away from the city surrounded by a small forest and with a pretty gazebo … it’s been forgotten about by pretty much everyone except for you and Bullfrog , which makes it a perfect corner to hide away from the rest of the world when things get a bit too tough .

It’s a great candidate for what you have in mind , so you begin working on making it even more magical to have it ready for the time you’ll propose to Bullfrog , and since that’s quite a long task you end up spending months on your project … something that your boyfriend became quite curious about . 

< Hey , darling ? I noticed you’ve been heading off quite often these days … tout va bien ? > 

< Oh - yeah yeah , it’s all good ! 

I may or may not be working on a little … surprise , but I can’t spoil it just yet ~ > 

< Heh , d'accord … just be careful when you’re outside , okay ? >

< I’ll be careful sweetie , don’t worry . > 

… and after all that hard work , everything is ready for the big day : 

you ask Bullfrog to follow you somewhere , and he immediately understands that this sudden request has something to do with that secret thing you told him about days ago .

< Oh ? Am I going to see what surprise you have in store for me ? 

I won’t lie , je suis curieux ! > 

< Mhm , yeah it’s finally ready … I’m not really sure , but something tells me that you won’t be expecting what it is ~ > 

When he finally gets to witness what you did to your hidden spot by the lake , he just …

He’s completely and utterly in awe :

the place has been thoughtfully decorated with roses , his favorite flower , which outline the path that leads to the gazebo …

< y/n … ! 

You … you’ve made all of this for me … ? >

< Yeah ! 

I wish I could’ve shown this to you sooner , but it takes time for roses to grow … I came here every day to take care of them and make sure that everything was okay .

Do you … like it ? > 

< Like it ? Mon beau , this is incredible ! 

I can’t believe you went through so much just to do this for me … thank you , thank you so much ! > 

You can’t help but smile in front of his adorable reaction , and the moment he begins peppering your face with sweet kisses to underline just how happy you’ve made him your happiness only grows …

… but you know that’s not all . 

< Uh , actually … there’s another reason why I’ve been working on this .

That’s … heh , that’s the real surprise tonight . 

It’s something that I couldn’t tell you just anywhere … something that I’ve been wanting to say for a long time . > 

You can feel Bullfrog’s golden eyes staring at you as you slowly get on your knees , your heart pounding in your chest as you prepare yourself to finally confess your true feelings for the frog you’ve grown to love so much over the years …

< y/n … ? > 

Bullfrog had a feeling that something special was going to happen that night … but now he is starting to realize what it is .

< Bullfrog , my one and only love … I can’t express enough just what a blessing having you in my life has been until now : 

you’ve always been there for me through the highs and the lows , showing me kindness and understanding even when I felt like I didn’t deserve it … 

You’re just … you’re the most amazing thing that’s ever happened to me , and I really do mean it . > 

You take a second to catch your breath , your eyes never leaving his …

< I know that time is running out , with Eden one step behind us , ready to end us the second we lower our guard … this isn’t really a situation most people would consider ideal to ask you something like this , but while I don’t know what will become of us I just know that …

All I want to do is spend every single moment with you , the person that brings me hope even when I can’t bring myself to see the light . > 

Here it comes … the moment you’ve both been waiting for …

< So , Bullfrog … 

Will you marry me ? > 

You immediately feel his arms around you the second you finish your sentence , and judging by his little sniffs you can tell that the assassin was really , really touched by what you said … 

< Oh y/n , mon amour … of course I will … 

I’ve been wanting to do this for so long , I was just … scared , scared to put you in danger , scared to lose you … > 

You definitely get a bit emotional too , his hands caressing your cheeks and wiping away your tears of joy …

< You won’t lose me , I promise .

I love you so much , Bullfrog … heh , words aren’t even enough to express how much you mean to me . > 

He smiles at you softly , and before you know it your faces get closer and closer , until your lips touch .

< Mm … je t'aime aussi , y/n … and I will love you always . > 

Hearing him whisper those words among the kisses makes your heart skip a beat , and as your night ends with a much needed intimate moment of passion you feel like this night marks a new beginning for the two of you …

No one would be able to break your bond , not Eden , not anyone else .  

[hard-core-super-star]

i think i love you still [K.Bishop]

pairing: kate bishop x reader

summary: you've spent four years trying to understand the complicated mess of thoughts that make up kate bishop. after dealing with the pain of her absence, and the more significant pain of her return, you finally get it right.

warnings: none; light angst with happy ending; childhood best friends to idiots in love who are too stubborn to admit it; my writing style changing ever other paragraph

wordcount: 2.8k

a/n: this very loosely follows the events of hawkeye up until the day before the christmas party. it's also heavily inspired by babyblue by xana. you don't have to listen to it for the fic but it's an incredible song and i can't recommend it enough. enjoy! <3

* * * * * * *

People say absence makes the heart grow fonder but you call absolute bullshit on that.

Although to be fair, the problem isn’t the saying. The problem is Kate Bishop.

You’re definitely not the first person to think that, and you certainly won’t be the last considering the kind of person Kate is, but that doesn’t mean you can’t be upset about it. Especially considering the years that have passed.

You’ve always given her the benefit of the doubt, not because you think she deserves it but because you would have driven yourself crazy from the amount of unanswered questions Kate left behind. Or more specifically, from the fact that she left you behind with no explanation.

Kate deciding to leave you and Bishop Security behind to go to university outside of the city wasn’t surprising. What was surprising was her refusing to tell you about her decision until the day she had to leave, making sure to tell you how unambitious she thought you were for taking the job her mom offered you as her secretary.

You still didn’t know what hurt more, her disappearing from your life or the insults she hurled your way before she left. Kate Bishop has many flaws and being an overachiever is definitely near the top of the list. Hence the amount of effort she put into shoving you out of her life.

It should have made working with her mom incredibly uncomfortable but Eleanor seemed to understand your pain better than you could have imagined. Being left behind by the young archer wasn’t an experience that was unique to just you and yet it didn’t make you miss her any less. You're usually good at ignoring the pain her absence left inside you but tonight is different. You look around the bustling party, the smallest of frowns on your face.

This was definitely the worst part of your job. You didn’t mind the long meetings, the stacks of reports you had to look through every day or even the miscellaneous tasks that Eleanor assigns you because you’re the only one who won’t complain about having to bring her another cup of coffee every few hours.

All of that was nothing compared to having to go to stupid galas with even stupider people. You’ll never understand why your boss insists on you accompanying her to every Bishop Security gala considering the lack of something to do. You have a sneaking suspicion it’s her way of trying to get you to interact with more people to hopefully find a way to get over Kate but you’ve never questioned her about it.

You catch sight of your boss while scanning the room for something to take your mind off a certain purple archer and she calls you over to her. You force a smile onto your face as you approach her. “Is everything okay?”

“You don’t have to sound so formal, y/n,” Eleanor says with a small smile. “We’re out of the office.”

“Right. My question still stands though.”

She affectionately rolls her eyes at your insistence. “Yes, everything is fine. I just wanted you to hear the news from me. Kate is home for the holidays…and she’s coming tonight.”

You force yourself not to react even though your first instinct is to run as far away as possible from the party. You try to be calm but your voice comes out a tad harsher than intended. “And I’m supposed to be interested in that information because?”

“Because she’s been looking your way since I called you over.”

Your eyebrows raise in surprise and even though you really shouldn't do it, you lift your head up and scan the room for Kate Bishop. You don’t have to search for long. Even with the years gone by, your eyes are immediately drawn to her tall, suit-clad frame. She meets your eyes from across the room and you swear everyone else disappears until only the two of you remain. You notice the clench in her jaw even from this distance and you hate yourself for finding it extremely attractive.

Some things never change.

“You should go talk to her.”

You tear your gaze away from Kate to stare incredulously at Eleanor for even suggesting that. “I’d rather get fired than spend five minutes with her.”

“Then you’re lucky we’re not at work,” she says with a playful glare. “Come on, y/n, how long has it been since you’ve seen her?”

She already knows the answer. She was the one you called to pick you up from Grand Central Station after Kate left you behind to chase after…whatever it is she was hoping to find out there. You’re not sure if you’re hoping she found it or not.

“That doesn’t matter. She’s visited New York how many times since she started college?” You let the question hang in the air for a few seconds to avoid sounding as bitter as you feel. “And how many times did she come to see me?”

The older Bishop woman raises her hands in mock surrender. “Alright, alright, I get it. I won’t push. Just think about it?”

She walks away from you with a small smile, probably going off to find Jack to tell him all about yet another failed attempt at getting you and Kate back on speaking terms again.

When you turn back, Kate’s gone and you do your best to ignore the ache her absence leaves inside you.

You decide to go back to your apartment a few minutes later which means you successfully miss the drama that unfolds. What you don’t miss is the news report recounting the events or the text from Eleanor telling you you don’t have to go to the office for the next few days. You find it strange but you’re not about to say no to some much-needed time off.

That does mean you miss Kate’s surprising return to Bishop Security which leaves you completely unprepared when she shows up at your door with a ridiculous request and an even more ridiculous outfit.

“I need you to take care of my dog for a few hours.”

That’s the first thing she says when you open your door. No greeting. No apology. No explanation as to why she has the audacity to ask you for a favor after avoiding you like the plague for almost four full years.

Unfortunately for you, your anger is momentarily forgotten at the sight of the adorable golden retriever standing happily at the brunette’s side. “Since when do you have a dog?”

“Since last night,” she replies with a shrug. “I saw him outside of the party yesterday and my heart wouldn’t let me leave him behind.”

You have no doubt that she was trying to be cute with that reply but all it does is make you remember all the reasons why you should slam the door in her face. She seems to read your mind just from the shift in your facial expressions because she ‘accidentally’ lets go of the dog’s leash and lets him run straight into your apartment.

“Listen, I can explain, and I will, just not right now. But I promise you it’s important.”

Of course.

You were kidding yourself if you thought Kate had actually changed. It’s always been this way with her. There’s always something to chase that’s infinitely more important than you. So important, in fact, that she can’t even stop for five seconds to explain what the hell is going on.

“You haven’t changed a bit, Kate.” There’s a flash of something in her eyes, maybe it’s regret or maybe it’s disappointment, but it’s gone just as fast as it came. She opens her mouth to say something but you interrupt her before she can dig herself into a deeper hole. Yet another habit that you’re sure she hasn’t learned to break. “It’s fine, just go.”

She hesitates for a second before giving you a small nod and walking away. You watch her go just like all the other times before. Except this time there’s an excitable dog waiting inside your apartment. You try not to think about how badly you wish the furry companion by your side was Kate instead as you go about your day.

To no one’s surprise, you don’t hear from the archer for the rest of the day. You would be disappointed if you weren’t so used to it. At least this time, Kate’s broken promises only result in you having to take care of the golden retriever, who you’ve affectionately started calling Lucky, and nothing else…or so you think.

It’s not until late morning the next day that your door receives another urgent knock. Lucky immediately reacts, jumping down from the couch and running over to the door, his tail wagging rapidly as if he can tell his new owner is waiting on the other side. You chuckle despite yourself before following after him. “I don’t think you’re getting this dog back, Kate.”

The smile on your face disappears once you take in her appearance. Her face is littered with small cuts and you can see the outline of a bruise forming on the side of her jaw. Your eyebrows furrow the longer you look at her but the answer is given to you by the purple costume she’s wearing. Even without a bow in her hand, it’s obvious what her outfit represents and you can literally feel your heart sink into the depths of your stomach.

“y/n-”

“No. Save it.” There’s a mix of concern and frustration in your tone but you don’t have nearly enough time to figure out which feeling is stronger. “Just take your dog and go.”

“I can’t,” she says, tinges of desperation painting her voice. “I owe you an explanation.”

You scoff. “Oh, you owe me much more than that. You have no idea what the last four years have been like for me.”

The brunette takes a step forward, clearly asking a silent question. “Then tell me what I’m missing. Help me make it right.”

“I’m not a stupid Avengers mission, Kate!” You hate the way your voice breaks under the weight of your repressed emotions. “If you're looking for someone to save, you're in the wrong place. I don't need you. Not anymore.”

You're ready for that to be the end of the conversation and you reach out to grab hold of Lucky’s leash. You're about to hand the leash over to Kate when her next words stop you in your tracks.

“What if I need you?”

You stare at her with wide eyes almost not believing what you've just heard. Four years of silence and absence. That's what it took to hear those words you've desperately longed for.

But it's not enough.

“You're a little too late.”

She wants to fight back against your words. You know her well enough to recognize that spark of determination in her eyes. Despite what you've just said, a part of you hopes that's what she's going to do. That this time she’ll fight for you.

Instead, all you get is a mumbled apology as she snatches Lucky’s leash and walks away again. You shouldn't have expected anything different…but you did. You expected whatever mess she seems to be in to be more than enough motivation to fix what happened between the two of you.

Kate Bishop is many things but predictable isn’t one of them.

The next few days go by far too slowly for your liking. Eleanor denies your request to go back to work (multiple times) and without a place to travel to for the holidays, you’re stuck in the one place you’d rather not be. You don’t think there’s a single corner of New York that won’t remind you of the one person you don’t want to spend any more time thinking about.

It’s not until the day before the Christmas party, a party you helped arrange even though it’s definitely not a part of your job description, that you run into the purple archer once again. Or more specifically, she runs into you.

You’re on your way out of your apartment despite the heavy rain that falls outside. You open your door expecting to be met with an empty hall only to find a soaking-wet Kate Bishop standing on your doorstep, looking like the world’s largest golden retriever. You do your best to ignore the way your heart skips a beat just from the mere sight of her. It takes a few seconds for you to get over your shock but you manage to find your voice. “Kate? What are you doing here?”

“I’m sorry, I know I’m the last person you want to see right now.”

You briefly consider slamming the door shut in her face but decide against it. For the moment. “That didn’t answer the question, Bishop.”

“I just…” She sighs. “I had to see you again.”

“So you decided to walk here in the pouring rain?” You’re stuck between wanting to call her an idiot and wanting to admit how cute she looks. Yeah, you’re still a sucker for her puppy dog eyes.

“I know I don’t deserve another chance after everything I’ve done but please. I can’t keep this inside any longer. I need to talk to you.”

A long moment of silence goes by before you make up your mind. You might be signing yourself up for more disappointment but you have too many unanswered questions to let her walk away again.

“Come in before you catch a cold,” you say as you open the door wider for her.

She wastes no time in complying and you’re almost certain the shakiness of her hands has less to do with the rain and more to do with her nerves. You take a deep breath to calm your racing heart before shutting the door and following after her.

She stands awkwardly in the middle of your living room, her eyes scanning every picture frame and random poster that adorns your walls. You can tell the realization she comes to by the subtle slouch of her shoulders. There’s not a single thing in your living room that carries the memory of her. No pictures, no posters, no trace of the role she played in your life at some point.

“Let me get you a towel or something.” You start to walk away but a hand on your wrist stops you. You let her turn you around, not putting up any sort of fight as she pulls you in closer to her.

You wait for her to say something but all she does is stare into your y/e/c eyes, her grip on your wrist tightening ever so slightly. You can practically see every thought that flickers through her mind and you want nothing more than to spend the rest of the day deciphering the walking contradiction of feelings that make up who she is.

“y/n…” Her voice trails off as her blue eyes travel down your face. You’ve never seen that look before but you’re almost certain you know what it means. And it makes your head spin. “I shouldn’t have walked away. Not the first time, not the last time. But I…I’m so afraid of hurting you. Again. I thought dealing with my feelings would be easier if I was away from you but I was wrong. All it did was make you a stranger and you have no idea how much I regret that. How badly I want to make things right between us because I…I love you. I always have. And I can't go another second without you knowing that.”

You’re stuck between who you’ve been and who you want to be.

You’ve spent the better part of four years cursing Kate for leaving you, regretting the love you couldn’t help but foster for her, wishing she had never stepped foot into your life. But now…with her standing in front of you, looking at you with sincere eyes strong enough to make any other girl weak in the knees, you accept the truth you’ve been pushing away for so long.

You don’t blame Kate for leaving. You don’t regret the years you spent by her side. You don’t wish you never met her. You don’t hate her.

You love her.

It’s been that way since the day you met her and no amount of stupid mistakes or misunderstandings can ever change that. Hell, not even both of your stubborn personalities could change it.

“Say something,” she whispers. “Please.”

She leans in toward you. It’s a small move but you pick up on it immediately. Your breath catches in your throat before you do the only thing you can think of.

You close your eyes and take a leap, trusting Kate to catch you.

And she does. For the first time, you embrace the uncertainty that makes up your strained relationship and she doesn’t leave you hanging. She meets you halfway and the feeling of her lips against yours holds a promise you know she’ll fight tooth and nail to keep. She's not leaving.

This time, and every time from here on out, she's staying. And that's all that matters.

[ms-scarletwings]

A Speculative Analysis About Irkens No One Asked For: Part I

Dem green fellas. Them lil guys, they’re an interesting pack of critters, aren’t they?

I used to really fixate on them back in middle and high school, stronger than everyone else seemed to be on the spazz in the dog costume. Jhonen Vasquez’s worldbuilding has always towed a very fine line between nonsensically ridiculous and surprisingly logistical, and this balance is typified in everything we know, and can infer, about these bug-eyed imperialists at the center of everything Invader Zim. So, let’s infer, and take a crack at it since no one’s stopping us anyway- More specifically, some thoughts and ponderings I had about how they “tick” as a fully realized society, not just a sci-fi monster..

A Homeworld Obscured 

Now, to really understand the history and “deal” of any civilization, or any animal, usually you would turn to their environment first to give you some handy clues and context.

Small problem, though: We actually don’t get much in the way of direct, explicit showing or explanations about Irk itself when it comes to the show. This makes some sense, given that the whole of what they do worth showing (and the most notable members of their kind) exists almost entirely off-world. So instead, we mostly find out more about Irk from what Invader Zim does tell us about its natives. As far as confirmed canon goes, we know that Irk’s atmosphere appears red, its surface is entirely and densely urbanized, and it’s long been depicted in starmaps with a set of Saturn-like rings. 

  This last fact is probably the most interesting, because planetary rings are usually something we, in our own little solar system, would only associate with massive, gaseous worlds, not terrestrial ones.  What These rings are made of is really anyone’s guess- could be ancient debris from natural satellites, Water-ice particles, maybe even some form of artificial defense network put into orbit by the Irkens themselves. If they aren’t artificially created, this would suggest that Irk has quite a strong gravitational field- greater than that of any of our neighborhood’s rocky planets. This is the common theory I personally like to subscribe to, because it would also go hand and hand with explaining why the average height of the irken race is so much shorter compared to that of an adult human. It fits neatly into the “why” question for the sort of athletic skill and agility we’ve seen invaders able to demonstrate on Earth, too, for otherwise being of meek physical prowess. It even adds some credible context for why the very achievement of growing to a more substaintial height is both uncommon and associated with extreme survival fitness to them.

A Fun fact that’s about to be relevant: “Rayleigh scattering” is the term given to when light wavelengths become shifted and scattered through an atmosphere medium. Long story short, it’s the reason our sky has color to it during the day. Stay with me on this.

I’ve also seen some people take a go at the red-looking surface, guessing a different gas makeup than the elements on earth responsible for our blue skies. I’m gonna go against the grain here, and actually contest that. I think that Irk’s atmosphere is coincidentally extremely similar to Earth’s. We know well enough that they both have a similar composition of gases breathable to both societies, given that Zim, Skoodge, and Tak all seemed pretty comfortable without some form of assistance on the same dirtball as humanity. Instead, I propose that Irk’s magenta skies are actually the symptom of heavy pollution. Sunsets and sunrises in the real world are known to make the sky appear more reddish-orange, even pink, as is. Usually, Rayleigh scattering has the light From the sun appear bluish in full midday, but during low sun, the rays are coming at an angle making them have to travel farther before reaching us, so you have already stretched light waves getting the same treatment from the air and, well, a higher frequency blue turns down to the lower end of the spectrum, red and yellows.

And wouldn’t you know, air pollution can actually do the same thing. THIS is why there's a scary ass orange haze known to accompany the presence of massive forest fires and volcanic eruptions. Earth’s most polluted cities even experience longer and redder sunsets for the same reason. 

Left: Image of a lilac sky over a Chinese city experiencing heavy smog levels Right: Intense red haze spotted over towns in Indonesia in the wake of rampant rainforest fires

On Earth, Zim stared directly into the midday sun without hesitation, nor concern that it would literally blind him. I think the planet hue and this is plenty enough to guess the likely case that Irk’s surface probably doesn’t get a lot of direct sun on an average day as is, and the sheer amount of unbroken cityscape that covers the homeworld would be the more obvious suspect than just having a more distant star from them. If they overcrowded to the point of their expansion, why build their civilization deeper into the ground, instead of up? Maybe there's actually a good reason or two they don’t raise their young topside.

A Psychology Molded for Domination

As well, I want to chirp about real world space again for a second. So, anyone up to the buzz in geek circles and aware of the math on the matter probably got the memo: humanity is almost matter-of-fact certainly not alone in this sandbox of a universe (or at the very least, we won’t always be alone). Like, about as certainly as we were about Black holes’ existence before we up and observed the real thing. And while it’s probably not going to happen in any of our lifetimes, sci-fi and media generally have been trying to take a crack for years at what the theoretical first contact with an alien civilization is going to look like. 

And I’m gonna go ahead and say it, 

As “cliche” and Hollywood as the conquering little green/grey dudes trope might have become… it’s actually not a wild take after all. The little and green thing, that’s creative liberty, but the part about them being hostile and something we may not actually even WANT to be aware of our existence? That’s an idea that even the smarty pants experts have been fearing the realistic odds of, even including the late Stephen Hawking .

The Evolution of intelligent life is a hard thing to really pin down and predict, given that we literally only have the one example to study. Under the right conditions, what reason would another advanced species NOT have to be equally as expanding, as exploitative of its resources, self-destructively short-sighted, and as supremacist as humans have already demonstrated themselves to be capable of? There is a lot of very interesting literature that suggests BOTH empathy/altruism and or aggression/tribalism to be (at least in the short term) very rewarding characteristics for an intelligent social species to develop.

And that’s the thing about the behavior of the Irken Armada I think has always been fascinating. Their drive to be the biggest definitionally invasive species across the cosmos is framed exactly as irrational, bumbling, and pointless as it deserves to be; however, is it not just the extended conclusion of every empire that has existed here on Earth, if only it had survived long enough to achieve the technology of Irk? And yet, it’s reminiscent, like the rest of their design, to the far from sapient, yet very real world creatures they appear to be most inspired by: hive and colony building arthropods. Whether the next point I'm about to touch on should be seen as a rejection of that resemblance, or further elaboration of it is anyone's to answer.

Transhumanism, or.. Transirkenism, in this case?

Like the specifics of what Irk really looks like and how it realistically works, a bunch about the aliens’ physical biology is left to scattered tidbits to ponder and piece together into a bigger picture. A few of those tidbits are as follows, drip-fed to us over the course of aired and scripted but never released episodes:

+ From the mouth of Vasquez himself, it has been confirmed that Irkens lack any form of reproductive organs. Instead, they rely on industrialized facilities to grow and produce them in a factory sense.

+ Yet curiously, they still demonstrate something akin to sexual dimorphism, or at least the cultural existence of masculine/feminine genders, where females are aesthetically set apart by the presence of curled antennae, eyelashes, and higher voices.

+ Irken lifespans are able to stretch far past that of an average human’s (Zim himself is cited to be around 2 centuries old in earth years).

+ Invader class soldiers have been implanted with surgical upgrades to their eyes.

+ Every Irken is fitted with a PAK that serves a wide array of utility and life-sustaining functions for its owner. These units are physically and neurologically connected into an Irken’s spine from “birth” and contain a cybernetic backup of an individual’s personality, assigned occupational programming, and memories. 

That’s not close to a complete list by any means, but it’s got the gist of what I want to dwell on most, starting with the last bit; because the PAK isn’t done true justice in one statement. It is not an extra addition the way a prosthetic enhancement is, and it is not a tool the way armor and weapons are. It is literally analogous to a vital organ to these aliens, and they are shown to die within 10 minutes of being forcefully detached from their own.

The degree to which Irken bodies and minds rely on this technology, and how seamlessly they are integrated into it, ALONG with their completely artificial life cycle all directly points to the fact that their civilization has advanced into a cyborg-like stage of evolution. It may even be on track to reach a post-organical peak in due time, phasing out more and more of their “vestigial” and feeble meatsuits until they’ve become a true drone army. And that actually begs some huge questions now that we realize we will never know how much of the Irken anatomy was ever originally a natural feature. An Irken’s own brain practically comes secondary to the superior efficiency of the supercomputer on their back, capable of literally holding their own essence and being in the form of code. A code that can preserve the “self” even in the event of meatbody failure, being uploaded post-mortem into the Control Brains’ collective data and repurposed for a future generation of workers. It absolutely would stand to reason that the species has continued this biological self-tampering to other heights- extending their lifespans, incorporating untold amount of mechanical upgrades into their bodies, and maybe even genetically engineering their smeets to be so compatible with this technology.  The control brains themselves are a mesmerizing reflection of this change over time- the result of an evident shift long ago from technology serving them, to them serving the directives of computers. When you really pay attention to the control brains’ role in the series, it comes clear to you who (or what) is really in charge of their society. The Tallest still maintain their symbolic/cultural importance to the Irkens, but outside of their part in spearheading the active intergalactic invasion, they ultimately are figureheads when it comes to actually running the homeworld and ruling the lives of Irk’s inhabitants. If I had to bet money, I would say the Brains may even have the ability to choose and predetermine the next Tallest when a replacement is needed. But what does that make the Tallest? A meaningless title and transformation, chosen arbitrarily by the AI overlords? Well, I don’t think so, actually… but maybe that, and more on the “meaty” morphology of their race is all a tangent fit for another day and post ;)

[alwaysonf1]

charles in his own way?

Pairing: Charles LeClerc x Hamilton!OC

Genre: Slice of Life; Fluff

Word Count: 2.6k

Warning: N/A

Rating: PG-13

Author's Note: N/A

The occasional big deal Ferrari gala is fine for Charles. To a degree he enjoys these things, the chance to get out and talk to people who he needs to impress and who in turn want to impress him. But something about this season has meant a lot more events to go to. Mandatory ones that mean that even if he feels slightly off his game, he can’t avoid them. And they’re all so serious that he feels nervous in a way he hasn’t since the beginning of his career.

This one, the one that has him hiding out at a small bar in the corner of the massive ballroom, is one he wasn’t even briefed on. All Fred did was remind him it was happening, tell him where, and mentioned that some big investors and sponsors would be. He emphasized that there were several potential sponsors so he should be as charming as ever in their presence.

It wasn’t until Charles was walking to his car that he thought about how little he knew and called Carlos. A useless move since the Spaniard had as much information as he did.

Upon his arrival he was thrown into the lion's den as Fred and then a higher up woman from Ferrari guided him around the place. They tried their best to make it seem like he wasn’t on a very short leash, but he was sure that everyone he spoke to expected a little herding of the talent. Which is what one of them called him and while true, made him feel weird enough that he made his escape as soon as he could.

Thus, his hideout and the rum he was nursing. He’d already downed two and knew that was going to hit him hard enough without adding a third into the mix. That’s why there was also a glass of water in front of him. His second of the night. But he knows it won’t be enough. Charles ate before he came, but he needed more food in him. An added distraction for anyone who finds and wants to talk to him.

He takes a deep breath, downs the rest of the water, and with his rum in hand turns to find a waiter walking around. Just as he faces away from the bar a hand clamps down onto his shoulder. It startles him, but he maintains composure as he turns to look at to whom it’s attached.

Seeing Lando relaxes him. But it also confuses him.

“Mate, what are you doing here?” he asks as they shake hands.

Lando looks at him with a slightly confused expression.

“This is a McLaren event too. Actually, it’s for McLaren, Ferrari, Williams, and Aston Martin. Did you not see the signs?”

The inclination of Lando’s thumb has Charles looking around the room. Several seconds of scanning and then he notices the tasteful banner that holds all those logos. How he missed it and the other signs indicating what was going on was beyond him. 

Charles shakes his head. “I was barely given time to breathe.”

There’s a look of understanding that dawns on the younger man’s face. Every driver knows what these things are like. How you’re so wrapped up in making the best impressions that you barely get time to think, let alone take in the space. 

“Yeah, they’re like a pack of wild animals. All wanting a piece,” Lando whispers.

There’s a couple next to them that appear like the rich type and there is no need for them to hear and spread what either of them is saying. Feelings in this kind of place are much more fragile than any of them would be willing to admit. Though there have been many times Charles has endured them calling other people’s feelings soft when most of the time the response to their displeasing personalities are more than warranted.

With a tilt of his head Charles leads Lando away. He heads toward an area of the room that is largely just employees of one of the teams. Many of the potential stakeholders are speaking amongst themselves at this point in the evening.

“All of them act as if they’re going to attack. Every question I answer, they have another question before I’m finished. And they lack understanding of space.”

“One tried to breathe my air.”

They both laugh.

“One man was so focused on getting the chance to drive the car that he didn’t realize his father had been talking for five minutes. It was two of them at once and neither knew how to shut up. I’m sure the father kicked him seven times before he finally stopped,” Charles says.

“Oh, I had them too. I think I heard him getting yelled at. Something about being fired if he doesn’t get his act together.”

There was a mutual eye roll there. Though Charles could never remember the names of that particular family it was always the same thing and then they’d see the man again. He didn’t understand how someone ten years his senior still acted like a child.

“Have you seen any of the others?”

“Mate, I did not even know you were here until moments ago.”

Lando laughs. “I forgot about that. You should have checked your phone; we were all with Carlos and he texted you. We all did, even Iman.”

Charles' body went rigid and though he was already looking at the younger driver he turned his neck hard enough to induce whiplash. 

“Iman is here?”

A sly smirk forms on Lando’s face and Charles curses himself for having such an obvious reaction. Lando, like many of the other pilots on the grid, like to tease Charles about his very obvious feelings for Iman. He refuses to call it a crush because they always do and it makes him feel like he’s back in grad school. Hell, he tries to ignore the feelings all together when he can help it. After all these years he thought they’d leave, but they stay firmly in place and have only grown since she joined the grid.

“Don’t.”

“I don’t know why you won’t ask her.”

“There is nothing to ask.”

“It’s not like she’d say no.”

“If there was something to ask, she’d laugh in my face.”

“You know that’s a lie, mate. Everyone knows she’d say yes if you just ask. Your banter is a bit gross and makes the feelings clearly mutual.”

Without a thought Charles throws back the rest of his rum and takes a long, deep breath. “You know it’s complicated.”

“How?”

“What?”

“How is it complicated?”

“We work together,” he pauses, holding up a finger as Lando opens his mouth. “I know we work for different teams, but it is too close. Plus, what happens with Lewis, I still look up to him. And Sargeant, he’s made it clear he would kill for her.”

Lando grimaces, looking off into the distance for a moment before coming back to the present. Charles is sure he’s remembering the time the American punched a man because he was less than respectful to Iman. The look in his eyes as he was held back made Charles a little scared of him.

“Yeah, he was definitely going to end up in jail if Oscar hadn’t stopped him. But you aren’t going to do anything to upset them. From what I hear you’ve liked her since that week. Logan noticed it and he was barely with you lot for twelve hours. And him and Lewis approve. So, what is it really?”

A number of excuses are on the tip of Charles’ tongue, but he knows they’re useless. All of them are a bit pathetic when he doesn’t actually believe what he’s saying. In all honesty he isn’t sure why he keeps fighting what he feels for Iman. At one point it was because those feelings hadn’t developed all that much and he had stronger ones for the women he was with, but as time went on and he got to spend more time with her and saw her passion for the sport and honestly everything she was passionate about things were harder to deny. He couldn’t claim not knowing her enough for things to be only superficial because he talked to her multiple times a week. They hung out as a group sometimes. They were definitely good friends.

Another sigh escapes Charles and he reaches for Lando’s drink, but he puts it out of reach and nods his head to the space behind Charles. Even without the mischievous grin Charles knows who is behind him. 

With a smile he turns and watches Iman walk towards them. The soft smile that was never ingenuine grows as she looks at him, but then he notices her quick pace and the tension in her face. Concern washes over him, and he scans the space behind her. Most people are giving her just a passing glance or looking at the two drivers, but there is a man who seems to be following her but gets pulled into a conversation. He makes eye contact with Charles for a second and looks away almost immediately. 

“Everything okay?” Charles asks the moment she’s in reach.

“Fine. Just dodging a man who believes we’re meant to dance together, and I need one of you to dance with me so he gets the hint without me doing something that James will have to smooth over later.”

A hand on Charles’ shoulders stills him and he realizes he was walking toward the man in question. It hadn’t been a conscious thought, but it also wasn’t one he disagreed with. His eyes move to the hand and Lando takes the cup he’s holding and lightly pushes him toward Iman.

“I’ll run interference,” Lando says.

Then without another word he heads toward where the man in question is talking, and he engages with the group in an animated conversation. He makes sure that the creep is involved in the conversation, leaving no room for him to leave without appearing rude.

“I owe him,” Iman says.

“So do I.”

Charles was sure he said that under his breath, but the raised brow from Iman tells him that isn't the case. He shakes his head and holds out a hand.

“I think I owe you a dance.”

The confusion leaves Iman’s face and she puts her hand in his. There’s a momentary shock when they touch, but to Charles it’s nothing compared to the warmth he feels as he leads her toward the dance floor. Once there his hand moves to her back and they begin what is a simple variation of the waltz, matching the others scattered across the floor.

Minute one of it is a comfortable silence and Charles finds that he’s never felt more at peace dancing in this way. He also notes the ease in which they fall into the dance despite never having done it together before.

“I owe you too.” Iman breaks the silence.

“Huh?”

“For saving me.”

“You would never owe me that.”

“Which I appreciate, but I still owe you.”

There’s an urge to make it very clear how serious Charles is about her never owing him for helping her out because he would do it a million times over. That he would jump if she said so. That helping her makes him feel like he’s doing what he should be. But he’s still fighting himself and this isn’t the right moment. Nor is it the right setting. 

He’s also a little scared of her response if he bears his heart a little, even if he can admit that Lando wasn’t wrong.

So, instead he dawns what Iman calls his cocky little smirk.

“I’ll have to think about what I want then. Would be a shame to not get the favor in full.”

Iman rolls her eyes and softly hits him.

“Ugh, you can’t stop being a cocky little shit for more than a minute, huh?”

Charles scoffs, faux offense coloring his face. 

“How am I being cocky? You offered me something and I plan to use what you’ve offered me. It would be rude of me to leave you unsatisfied.”

The double meaning was clear.

“You sure that’s why? I have it under good authority that you’re not used to leaving someone unsatisfied.”

Now he’s a little offended.

“I have never. You could ask and everyone would say I’m very good at keeping satisfaction high.”

“Sure.”

“I am!” he softly shouts.

Iman throws her head back and laughs. The sound is music to Charles’ ears, but it doesn’t stop the slight pout from what she’s implying. He tries his best to not be insecure about that and she isn’t poking at that insecurity, but it does call out some of the compatibility things he’d gone over before in his attempt to get rid of how he feels about her. Another failure on his part.

It takes a few seconds, but Iman stops laughing and meets Charles’ eyes with her own. They’re a little watery due to her laughter, but the threat to her make-up doesn’t change how beautiful she is. Her hair is in its naturally curly state and framing her face in a way that makes her look angelic. Charles tries to focus on that and not the way her deep brown dress compliments the brown of her skin and the curves of her body.

“Haha,” he says sarcastically.

“Oh, Charlie, I’m sure you’re good at what you do. I mean how else could you have pulled girls from similar circles so often. They must speak of you fondly.”

That one doesn’t land. It’s something he’d seen on the internet and is a joke among his friends and on the grid. His intentions have never been that and he knows that to a degree it makes him appear as a walking red flag, but it rolls off his back. And he’s smart enough to know that if Iman had an actual fear of that she wouldn’t also have a thing for him. Even if Charles thinks it’s different from his thing.

Goodness, he is an idiot. But that doesn’t matter now.

“Haha, very funny.”

“Aw, you know I don’t mean it, Charlie. I think you’re more of a yellow flag than anything.”

That one gets him to laugh, and he knows they both are drawing attention with how loud their amusement is, but he doesn’t have it in him to care. All that matters to him is this moment because it feels so good. How being with Iman always feels.

“At least, I’m not the one dating weirdos. How long did that thing with Dennis last? Before or after the weird kink incident,” Charles says.

“You promised to never speak of it!”

“I know, but he really thought that you’d never find out about his Lew…”

A tap on the shoulder stops Charles and his attention shifts to Carlos, who looks a little sorry to be interrupting, but also has a glint in his eyes that Charles isn’t fond of.

“Sorry to interrupt. Fred has someone we must speak to and Iman, James is looking for you,” Carlos says.

Iman nods and slowly pulls away, which feels almost painful on Charles’ end.

She gives Carlos a side hug. “Thanks for letting me know.”

Without a word to Charles, she turns to leave, but then she turns back and looks at him with narrowed eyes and her hands firmly planted on her hips.

“You and I will not be picking up this conversation where we left off.”

“Yes, we will.”

And with one last eye roll she leaves. Which means Charles and Carlos are standing in the middle of the dance floor and that glint is still in the Spaniard’s eye.

“Don’t say it.”

Carlos smirks but holds his hands up in surrender.

[fruitsoxs]

hello socks:)) I absolutely loved both your jealousy drabbles, and the midnight munchies too, thank you so much!! there's this thought that's been in my head for a while, may I ask a drabble about it? if you feel like it, of course!

Since No Man's Land is a huge desert, people obviously wear practical clothes more than anything (a priest being the exception that proves the rule), so how about Wolfwood and Vash seeing their crush (reader) in elegant, fancy clothes for the first time?

sorry this took so long!! i wasn't exactly sure how to go about this for awhile lol

warnings; some slight nsfw on wolfwoods end. nothing too graphic though!

Vash

It’s  a bit of a shock when Vash gets the invitation. He had just got done saving some random kid from a group of bandits, he had no idea she was the daughter of some family

The father immediately offers to host a celebration to thank Vash for saving his kid

Because he’s humble, Vash says it’s not necessary, but the family insists. So he’s stuck going to a random fancy event as the man of the hour

He invites you, because of course he does. There’s nobody he’d rather go with

You are given some money to buy clothes and Meryl takes you and runs

She helps you pick out the nicest clothes she can find

It’s not what you’re use to, but you can’t deny the fact you look kind of good

The night of the celebration you meet Vash outside the inn you’re staying at

You look…well.. Amazing

Your hair is done, your clothes are beautiful, and you have this shy unsure smile that makes Vash want to melt

His jaw is on the floor

He can’t stop looking at you.

“You…look…wow.” is all he can probably say. Something dumb because he can’t find the words to describe you.

He cannot stop looking at you the entire night

At the party everyone is trying to flood his attention, but all he wants to do is be with you lol

Asks you to dance, and his hands are all shaky

It’s a really sweet, soft moment. 

HOWEVER 

Everything comes to a stop when somebody recognizes him as a wanted criminal lol

Suddenly the two of you are being chased through the city in your fancy clothes

He keeps apologizing, but you just smile and laugh

You truly do love him

“I’m sorry-” he gasps for the millionth time that evening. Pressed behind a wall, hiding from any prying eyes. You shake your head. “It’s fine Vash. It happens.” you whisper. You’re trying to catch your breath after being chased down the street. “It’s not fine.  It was such a nice evening, and I ruined everything.” he mumbles, his gaze cast downwards.

You sigh. “Vash seriously-” He cuts you off. “I mean the food was great, and the dancing was amazing, and you look beautiful! It should have been a nice night, but of course just me existing-” this time you cut him off, pressing your lips against his softly. He lets out a shocked gasp, but eventually his arms wrap around you as he kisses back.

It’s  a soft kiss. 

When you pull away, he’s smiling again. “Vash, I had fun tonight. I have fun with you every night. I don’t mind being chased around a bit.” you mumble, face still close to his. “You didn’t ruin anything.” you end this statement with a small peck on his lips. “I promise.”

He pulls you in for a hug, pressing your face against his chest. “I’m glad.” 

Wolfwood

Wolfwood is fully confused about the entire ordeal

He doesn’t understand the need to sneak into some party

No matter how many times you explain to him that you’re trying to get some information he doesn’t get it.

But whatever, he’ll play along. Maybe the food will be good- and there might be some fancy rich person champagne 

He puts on some stupid suit - it isn’t much different from what he usually wears. He just actually has to button it up (a shame)

And he waits for you to get done with whatever you’re doing to get ready

When you walk out, he has to keep himself from physically reacting

You look…stunning 

He begins to think this party might not be such a bad thing if he gets to see you like /that/

He smirks playfully and offers you his arm

You know that smirk means he’s planning something devious, but you just sigh and take his arm so he can escort you to the party

You have to sneak in, but it’s pretty easy. Wolfwood distracts the guards, and you flash them your best smile. 

Once you’re in you immediately start crawling around to look for the information you want- but wolfwood has other plans

He likes you. He likes you a whole lot, and he wants to enjoy this evening with you

He starts pulling you to the dance floor, making some excuse that you two gotta act the part

It’s kind of a clumsy dance, but you have fun

By the end of it, his hand goes a bit lower and you look at him with your lips parted

You don’t get the information you want

Instead wolfwood takes you into a secluded room so he can have you all to himself 

And he /finally/ kisses you…and maybe a bit more

His lips are on yours as his hands travel downwards. You whine a bit and push against him, trying to tell him it’s not the time for this. He doesn’t care. He just shoves his tongue into your mouth and pulls you closer, gripping your waist tightly. You let out a soft moan and give up, letting him do as he wishes. You want this too- to hell with what your original plans were.

He smiles a bit, and nobles on your lips as he pulls away. “Good.” he mumbles, his voice dropping an octave lower. His hands continue to travel down until the door to the room you’re in starts to open. You grab onto him and quickly pull him in the closet. He lets out a soft gasp, but follows your direction.

Before anybody can see you, you’re trapped inside the small room, back pressed against the closet door with Wolfwood hovering above you, his arms on either side of your head. His body is so close to yours. On the other side of the door you hear two people start to fight, but you don’t care. Not when Wolfwood drops his head to press his lips against your neck. It seems you’re in for a long night.

[weepinglavenders]

I Knew You: PT 2

(We’re cranking this out hehe)

Newt grew up strong, a force to be reckreckoned with and respected through out the Right Arm as second in command. The young boy was a quick learner and by 16 he was already out doing missions and procedures with the more trained group of adults.

Of course, when he was about 13 he had tried to commit suicide, managing to shatter his left ankle but after some help and time away from training he was back to normal. He was the youngest of the few kids they had at the Right Arm but they all treated him with respect.

Hanns frowned as he watched the blonde teen talk to one of soldiers, always looking so serious. Over the years the boy had grown to be like a son to the old man and he loved him like one, it hurting more than it should when he noticed the boy didn’t have any friends.

Those hazel eyes caught him watching and soon the boy and walked over to him, favoring his injured leg as he did so.

“We’re still leaving tomorrow? Jorge said-“

“I’m not going with you Newt.”

The boy’s face dropped a little.

“But I’ve never done a mission without you and Jorge was really eager to see you.”

Hanns gently placed a hand on Newt’s shoulder, giving him a small smile.

“I know you can do this, you’re the best we’ve had. One of those poor boys has been taken to Denver, I need to find him and get information. If he joins, you might have someone closer to your age.”

Newt shrugged off his hand, frowning more.

“I’m fine without friends.”

“I know. Good luck out there Newt.”

He was given a tight smile before the man left, the blonde rubbing his wrist anxiously. He was going to be alone with Cranks. He’d never met Jorge or Brenda before and from what he had heard, they were pretty harsh. He hated being corse, it drained him, and it drained him even more when he was in an unfamiliar place.

As nice as Hanns was to him, he definitely wasn’t a beacon of light in Newt’s life. He didn’t have anyone like that and over the years he felt like he was eroding under pressure and masks. It took everything in his body not to wash away fully, to not disappoint the person that had saved him.

He turned and went to his room to get readying for the journey ahead

—

He adjust the faded red scarf over his nose, cursing quietly as the sun continued to beat down of him.

A scruffy man walked out grinning at the blonde.

“Ah you must be Newt! Too bad Hanns couldn’t join you, but I’ve been told your services are to die for.” The man offered his hand and Newt shook it.

“At your service Jorge.”

He was led inside the broken building where he was feed a can of meat(?) and told why he was there. They had just gotten word that the remain kids in mazes A and B had gotten out and were now in the Scorch, about half a day from here if they walked since the sun rose.

It was torture staying in that building, no place was cool enough and he suddenly missed the snow capped mountains he grew up on, wishing he could be cold again.

“They’re near Jorge.” A dark haired girl whispered to the man and she gave a cold smile to Newt.

“Thank you Brenda. It looks like a storm is coming, get first aid out just in case, don’t let the band see you. Newt, help her.”

He nodded and followed Brenda downstairs, quickly understanding that the group here were not apart of this plan or the Right Arm. They were, without a doubt, Cranks, the look of insanity glazing their sucken eyes. The two talked quiet as they discretely gathered bandages and ointments, the boy jumping as thunder with no rain sounded nearby, earning a laugh from the girl.

They sat in silence afterwards, listening to lightening striking the ground until some yelled, alerting them that the maze Kids had been spotted. He peaked out the door right as one was struck by lightning, a taller dark haired boy immediately turning around to grab the burning boy, another helping him pat the little fires out.

The boys were running and now the two behind had started to drag the burnt boy. His skin itched as he watched and then, he was running, closing the distance between them and carefully maneuvering one of the kids out of the way.

“What-“

“Run you fucking idiot.”

The dark haired boy stayed, staring at Newt like he just saw an angle, getting snapped out of his trance as another bolt of lightening and the two started running. The boy was clearly exhausted and dehydrated but with Newt’s energy they managed to make it inside, Brenda quickly helping the blonde take off the injured boy’s rags to clean and dress his burns.

After the chaos Newt slumped against the wall, panting through his teeth, his scarf around his neck. He looked over, freezing as he saw the dark haired teen staring at him.

“What?”

“You look familiar.” Newt frowned and crouched down beside him.

“Was it just boys in your group?”

“Yeah?”

His heart sank he sat down on the floor, his faded strands of hope flickering. Izzy wasn’t here.

“Are you okay?” Newt looked at the boy in surprise at the question.

“Are you?”

“I don’t even know what feeling okay feels like anymore.” The blonde snorted at that, a small amused smile on his lips.

“My names Thomas.”

“Newt, nice to meet you Tommy.” He shook the boys hand, gaining a smile in return.

[firstelevens]

song 25 + sambucky if you're still taking spotify wrapped prompts ☺️

25. Accidentally In Love by Counting Crows

When Sam’s phone goes off, he’s half asleep on his couch, buried under a small mountain of blankets and too congested to even really hear it that well. He only notices because it’s face-up on the coffee table and the screen catches his eye when it lights up.

He extends a hand out from his blanket nest and picks up the phone, wincing at the bright light of the display. 

It takes a second of squinting at the screen, but he finally manages to see that the notification is a text from Foggy: ‘any tips on how to handle your honors lit class? no subs available this morning so Hill has me covering’

‘Try not to show any weakness. They smell fear,’ Sam texts back. Then he adds, ‘There’s a Princess Bride DVD in the cupboard, you can get a key from Bucky.’

Foggy’s reply is predictably annoying: ‘does loverboy still think that you and me are dating? do I need to worry about him sabotaging my teaching in a fit of jealousy?’

Sam glares at the screen of his phone but it doesn’t do much, given that Foggy can’t see him. ‘Just for that you I’m not telling you where I put the Luhrmann Romeo + Juliet. You’ll just have to teach the ninth graders about iambic meter yourself next period.’

Foggy doesn’t get back to him for a while, which isn’t all that surprising. The beginning of the school day is hectic enough for a guidance counselor without having to unexpectedly cover another teacher’s class.

He stumbles to the kitchen to make himself tea, a blanket around his shoulders and his phone in his hand, but Foggy doesn’t reply for another twenty minutes. Sam’s head hurts too much for him to remember how neat the supply cupboard was, but he’s hoping it’s not so bad that Foggy’s just elbows deep in useless stuff.

After giving it another few minutes while he takes his next dose of cold medicine, he sends a text to check whether Foggy found what he was looking for.

The reply is immediate: ‘didn’t end up needing the dvd! I asked Bucky for the key and when he heard you were sick he said he’d handle it.’

‘Doesn’t he teach first period journalism?’

‘You’re sick so I won’t make fun of you for memorizing his schedule,’ Foggy writes, magnanimous as ever. Then: ‘there’s like five journalism students so he said he’d just combine them. said he could take your kids for the rest of the day too.’

Sam feels his jaw drop. Covering just one class is more than enough, but the entire day? When Bucky has almost a full slate of classes to teach, too? His face is suddenly all warm, and he’s at least fifty percent sure it’s not the fever.

His head is getting heavy again, and the screen is starting to hurt his eyes, but he manages to get a text out thanking Bucky for covering for him and assuring him that he can just put on movies for every single class.

He doesn’t have to wait long at all for the reply. ‘You’re welcome, Wilson. Now get some rest and stop worrying about your classes; they’ll be fine.’

Yawning widely, Sam types out a quick reply and takes Bucky’s advice, pulling the covers over his head and quickly falling back asleep.

Not having to field questions for subs or keep an eye on his email for questions from concerned students means that Sam isn’t repeatedly getting up when he’s supposed to be resting, and when he emerges from his blanket cocoon that afternoon, he can stand without getting dizzy for the first time in two days.

He celebrates by dragging himself into the shower, where the steam and the decongestant make it so that he regains his sense of smell, however briefly, and he feels more like a person than he has since Friday.

There’s probably an argument to be made for going back to bed, but Sam has never been great at being still, so he throws in a load of laundry and cleans up a bit while he’s on his feet. He’s about to make dinner, too, but then Sarah gives him a talking-to and makes him promise to order food instead, and Sam understands that she will instinctively know if he crosses her.

Sam already has the app open, scrolling through his options when his doorbell rings. For a second, he thinks that Sarah figured she couldn’t trust him to follow through and just ordered the food herself. Normally, he wouldn’t put it past her, but she’s getting the boat ready for a charter tomorrow, so he can’t imagine that she had the time or the cell service.

A peek through the curtains answers the question, though: there’s a familiar sedan parked in Sam’s driveway, a peeling Rutgers decal on the rear windshield.

“If you’re bringing me work to grade, I’m going to sneeze on you,” he declares, as he opens his front door to find Bucky waiting outside.

“I’m not a monster,” says Bucky, looking mildly offended at the thought. “How are you feeling?”

“Better,” says Sam. “I can probably be back in tomorrow.”

Bucky narrows his eyes. “Or you could take a second sick day and actually get better instead of running yourself down again.”

“We’re supposed to be working on that stupid archival project tomorrow,” says Sam. “If I get another sanctimonious email from John about prioritizing my tasks, I’m gonna have an operatic meltdown in the middle of his classroom.”

“Entertaining as that would be, there’s probably another way,” Bucky says. “I’ll handle Walker for now. You just worry about getting better.”

Sam could probably push back if he really wanted to, but he can’t bring himself to be mad about Bucky looking out for him. “Okay,” he says, and Bucky’s eyebrows go up in surprise.

“Really? It’s that easy?”

“I blame the cold medicine,” says Sam. “I’ll be a pain in the ass again on Wednesday, I promise.”

Bucky smiles. “I look forward to it.”

“Well,” says Sam, after they’ve both been silent for a moment. “Thanks for coming to check on me; I really–”

“Wait!” says Bucky, and Sam stops in his tracks, eyebrows raised in question. “I didn’t just come to ask how you were doing. I, um– I wanted to bring you this, too.”

He holds out what Sam now realizes is a bag from the Thai place near the school.

“I would’ve made you soup myself, but I had to stay late with the yearbook kids, and my Ma would kill me if I half-assed her chicken soup recipe, but I know you like this place, so…”

Sam looks from Bucky to the bag of food and back, his eyes wide. “Thank you,” he says, and he can feel how soft his voice has gone around the edges. He probably should make some kind of joke to restore the natural order of things, but he can’t bring himself to do it. “You didn’t have to, Bucky, seriously.”

“I know,” he says, with a little shrug. “I wanted to.”

“Oh,” is all that Sam can manage to get out. “Okay.”

“It’s cold,” says Bucky, once Sam takes the bag of food out of his hands. “I should let you get back inside.”

He starts down the steps and Sam only belatedly remembers to call out, “I’ll see you on Wednesday!”

“See you then,” says Bucky, turning to face Sam and taking the last few steps to his car backwards. “Oh, and thanks for calling me cute!”

Sam feels his eyebrows lift in surprise. He wracks his brain to go over the last five minutes of conversation, but he comes up empty. “Wait, what?”

But all that Bucky does is hold up his cell phone before opening the door to his car. “Night, Sam!”

Suddenly, Sam remembers sending a text earlier today, clouded by the haze of exhaustion and cold medicine. His eyes go wide.

He didn’t, did he?

It’s only Sam’s dignity that keeps him from sprinting for his phone, staying in the doorway until Bucky’s car pulls away.

The second his headlights disappear, Sam throws the door shut and hurries to where his phone is charging on the kitchen counter. It takes two tries for him to unlock it with his face, and then he’s swiping over to his texts, opening up his conversation with Bucky and reading back the last few messages.

His eyes go wide as he reads his own words back.

‘It’s so cute that you use semicolons in your texts,’ he’d said to Bucky. ‘You know I’m not grading these for punctuation right?’

‘Maybe I just want to impress you,’ Bucky had replied.

And then, because that wasn’t enough, apparently Sam had replied, ‘Maybe you already do.’

He’s pretty sure that he’s never recovering from this, but just to make sure he learns his lesson, he texts a screenshot to Foggy with the message, ‘COLD MEDICINE SAM CANNOT BE TRUSTED!!!’

Foggy just sends him back a bunch of cry laughing emojis in response.

[djsherriff-responses]

Personal opinions and general character design critique regarding the Nymphs from Rayman (spoiler: they all suffer from having same face/body syndrome and the designers being too horny to consider other design elements)

Betilla: I feel her origins redesign was a downgrade from her whimsical style in the first game, but I also do understand why they wanted to change her, as origins was meant as a reboot of the franchise and they wanted Rayman to be the only limbless in the Glade of Dreams. But since origins ended up not being a series reboot (with its plot only existing in code) and Rayman having skins/costumes who are meant to be different limbless characters anyways , changing Betilla drastically was already meaningless in the long run , much less the choice to make her be a basic hot nymph

Outside of it being impossible to Google her name in front of family , I personally don’t mind how she looks in Origins as the red hair contrasts really nicely with the greens, if you really wanna push some symbolism imagery here you can make arguments the red + green is meant to be reminiscent of flowers or berries. Ultimately though it is just a green bikini outfit with thigh highs and the only real connection to her role as the nymph of the forest/jungle area of the game is the colours, and maybe the odd stitch work pattern

Which is a bit of shame as you can easily replace the blue stars of her old design with an actual star-ish looking flower called Bletilla (literally one letter off from her actual name) or other flora

I don’t think the issue was they wanted to give Betilla a redesign that had sex appeal , I just think they went in the wrong direction with it. Considering that she played a large role in the old educational games and she was a sort of mentor figure to Rayman (if not just straight up his mother depending on one’s headcanons), they could’ve given Betilla a personality and sex appeal by making her a hot teacher type character (who may or may not count as a milf), hell give her signs of age like small wrinkles to really get the point across she’s older than most of the player characters, and she’s aged like spicy fine wine

Her design in the first game is adorable while giving her the vibes of a mature fairy god mother type mentor, but I don’t think it would work in the more modern Rayman games without some updated tweaks. It is pretty though and does has more personality than her origins design, and the other nymphs for that matter

Holly: I like that there’s some actual details on her and some colour variation compared to her sisters, even if she’s 3 out of 6 nymphs whose main colour is some shade of blue

Besides giving her an outfit that isn’t a skirt and bra, I think her design could better reflect that her domain is the desert of dijiridoos by having some musical elements to her design. It’s kinda odd her tattoos/body paint (which do look good on her and her skin tone) don’t reference musical notes at least, wasted opportunity there

I have this issue with Edith and Annetta as well, but I’m a bit confused about why dead animals seems like a popular fashion choice for these ladies , especially since (in the origins game) none of the nymphs are shown as fighters (not saying they’re incapable, the game just doesn’t show them as such) and we’re not giving lore hints about it? I’ll talk more on this issue when I get to the other two , but it’s odd that Holly’s domain is populated by birds and she’s wearing a bird skull

Was it a nightmare and she kill it? Is it a beloved pet and she couldn’t part with them even after death? 🤷‍♀️

I can’t really think of any alternatives for her or the other two animal hat sisters atm, but at least it’s looks badass even if it doesn’t do much personality wise, so points for looking cool at least

Edith: Edith I think is the worst design of the sisters , hands down, no competition. I mean , what is there to really say about her? “Oh we have a level based around a combination of spicy food and ice drinks with dragon butlers , how should we design this chick?”

“Just put her in red with a lizard hat”

Almost nothing about her design reflects her domain besides that she’s blonde and wears red , and that’s only half of the domain she’s meant to be part off. Her outfit pattern could’ve at least have some reference to the ice levels, or give her literally anything to connect her to those ice levels

I also don’t like how her hair is styled, the colour is fine but the shape looks ugly

Incredibly morbid Edith walks around with a dead butler on her head, especially considering the final boss/king of her level is also a dragon. Unlike Holly and Annetta, I can’t even give Edith credit for looking cool because it’s just more red on a very red and bland design

…… do you think Edith uses her corpse hat as a hand puppet?

Annetta: While I think it’s a weird choice to have nymphs of nature walk around with corpse head gear (much less ones of their domain’s general population) I think Annetta is the most justified of the nymph sisters to be wearing a hat made of a dead animal

Considering that her domain has a notable fishing population and she’s already dressed in fish scales, Annetta wearing a fish skull does actually contribute to showing the lore of her as a character and her connection to her domain. Unlike Holly and Edith , I don’t need to come up with some theory about their fashion choices when Annetta’s reflects already existing lore in origins (what little of it at least)

I personally do think the outfit looks ugly and plain uncomfortable, but I will give this design some credit for having one of the more visually detailed designs by virtue of her scales alone, and it actually makes sense for the nymph whose domain is the literal ocean to be in a skimpy outfit, even if her shell bra has to be glued on to her boobs

Unlike Edith’s outfit colour which is just red, Annetta’s has various shades of blues and teals that are reminiscent of the sea. It’s pretty I like it

Helena: Much like Edith there’s not that much to say here but what I can say is mostly positive

Helena’s a pretty standard design of “blonde chick in cool blues with white fluff details” and yeah that’s generic usually, but here I really like her. I think it’s how the fur and cloth looks textured along how her hair front is styled that makes her incredibly cute to me

Yeah, Helena is a simple but cute character design

Weird that a mountain nymph who has to live through cold weather wears a skimpy outfit with her bare thighs out , but I’m gonna assume that’s because she , much like her sisters, was designed to be sexy first and given aesthetics after they made the body model

Fée de la Mort/VooDoo Mama/Big Mama: As cool as she looks, when compared to both her monster form and the other nymphs , you can tell she wasn’t planned to be one of them, especially when you look up Mamma Hite

I bring that up because while Fee has a good design, she is also a visual metaphor that reflects Origins’ identity: a failed series reboot whose plot was scrapped in favour of goofy extremism (or sex appeal in the nymphs case)

So about Fee’s actual design: I personally don’t like the pink used on her and would’ve liked her Nymph form to reflect the monster form besides the hair

probs to the fact she’s the only nymph with her own pose which already gives her a lot of personality , but the combination of her tattoos, bone jewellery and her baggy looking eyes really sells the fact she’s from the land of the livid dead and thus sticks out amongst the other fairies, even if you ignored the bat wings she has

visually she does work as a undead fairy of the underworld who likes to rock and roll, so job well done with that

I kinda do wish they stuck with the frog though

[chasingmidnights]

An Offshore Love - Part Four (Last Part)

Title: Till Forever Falls Apart 

Summary: Your job at The Jupiter is coming to an end and your life becomes uncertain, for once, you’re unsure of the future. 

A/N: This is the final part of An Offshore Love. I hope you’ve enjoyed this little mini series as I’ve had fun writing it! Feedback is much appreciated with a comment or reblog! 

Warnings: First, this is 18+, minor DNI!! Warnings are included but not limited too: a bit more angst in this part; minor cursing; Lee being a bit of a prick; Ari Levinson (he’s a warning, okay!); mentions of broken bones; and I think that’s everything. I apologize if I missed anything but you are responsible for what you read and your own media consumption. I do not claim to be a professional writer, any and all mistakes are my own; nothing is beta read. 

Wordcount: 1,651

It didn’t take long for word to go around that you and Ari were a thing after you openly kissed him in the med bay. The next day, you found yourself in Bodecker’s office on a conference call with your boss, Carter Baizen and to say Lee was irate, was understatement. You couldn’t help but feel like a child who had been sent to the principal’s office. Lee’s nostrils flared as he sat in his plush office chair and glared at you from across the desk. You could hear the disappointment in Carter’s voice as he spoke. 

“I understand your concern, but technically, Baizen Oil Industries doesn’t have a policy against dating.” Carter said after Lee had just given him an earful. 

“Well, I still want her gone and off of my rig, she’s a distraction and her judgment has been clouded.” Lee barked back as he continued to glare at you. 

“If I may, my judgment hasn’t been clouded and besides my one small infraction, I have been nothing but professional amongst these men here.” You said as you tried to defend yourself, Lee scoffed at your statement and rolled his eyes.

You did your best to remain neutral even though you would love nothing better than to slap this horrible man right now. 

“I assure you, you have one of our best at The Jupiter right now and she has helped several rigs under Baizen Oil Industries get back into tip top shape. Surely, you’re not threatened by her being there, are you Mr. Bodecker?” Carter inquired as his voice came through the speaker phone.

You had to keep your mouth from dropping as you heard your boss practically defending you to Lee, and not just that, but calling Lee out on his bullshit. You could tell just by the look on Lee’s face that he was not pleased that Carter didn’t agree with him. 

“Look, how about this, I’ll send in all of my notes and I’ll even let Mr. Bodecker look over them as well. If either of you see any kind of biased opinion or favoritism, you can scratch all of it and start all over again with a new person.” You tried to offer as a compromise, hoping it would help. “And I’ll even throw in my resignation if there’s any bias found.” 

“I think that sounds fair, although I really don’t think a resignation is necessary.” Carter said after a brief moment of heavy silence. 

“Fine.” Lee grumbled as he adjusted in his chair. “But don’t think for a second I’m gonna take it easy either. I’ll be going through everything with a fine-tooth comb, no cuttin’ corners.” Lee barked before he reached for a piece of candy from his candy jar and started to unwrap it. 

“Then for now, this is settled, but I’ll make the final call.” Carter said in response and before anyone could say anything else, he hung up the call. 

A thick, heavy silence filled Lee’s office as the two of you sat there and stared at each other. More like glaring at each other, but either way, you couldn’t wait to prove this man right and show him that there was no biased opinion in any of your notes. 

“I want your notes as soon as possible.” Lee snapped as he popped the piece of candy into his mouth and started to suck on it. “You can go.” 

You didn’t say anything to him as you got up and left his office. When you got to the hallway, you were greeted by an anxious Jake.

“God, what happened? We’ve been sacked, haven’t we?” Jake bombarded you with questions as he pushed himself off of the wall to greet you. 

“Not exactly, at least, not yet.” You said as the two of you started walking towards the mess hall. 

When you got to the mess hall, you and Jake got some food before finding a table to sit at. As you walked through the cafeteria, you could feel people staring at you and heard them starting to whisper. You did your best to ignore them, after all, you did nothing wrong. When you found a table, you explained the situation to Jake and the more you talked about it, the more it gave you a headache. You were honestly just ready for this to be over and done with. Once you were done explaining, you let out a heavy sigh and took a long drink of your tea. 

“Suck a fuckin’ prick. There’s no way that they’ll find any sort of biased opinion or whatever bullshit that they’re going on about.” Jake shook his head with frustration. “Well, I’ll help in any way that I can.” 

“Thanks Jake, I appreciate that.” You said with a small smile, you welcomed Jake’s support and you were glad that he was willing to help you. 

After you turned in your notes to Bodecker and your boss, you didn’t realize that it was going to take days for them to decide. Sure, Lee had said that he was going to go through it with a fine-tooth comb, but you thought he was just being dramatic. Boy, were you wrong. During those days, your duties were put on hold, so you found other ways to keep busy; which mainly consisted of working out at the gym that the rig provided. Jake tried multiple times to persuade Lee during those days, but he struck out each time, which didn’t really surprise you. Lee was a stubborn and hard headed man. You couldn’t help but appreciate Jake’s efforts and how he had your back during this whole debacle. During the days that you waited for Lee and Carter to make up their minds, you found yourself missing Ari and a lot. Ari had been put on temporary leave because of his broken arm from the incident and was sent back home to recover. You wished that he was still here, he would probably be able to put your mind at ease through all of this.

A lot of times, you found yourself lost in thought about how everything turned, but honestly, you wouldn’t change a thing. Even if you lost your job, meeting Ari was worth it in your opinion and being his simply felt right to you. And even if things didn’t work out between the two of you, you wouldn’t change a damn thing. So, when you found yourself back in Lee’s office, you had your mind made up. Lee and Carter had been going back and forth for at least a good fifteen minutes, going over everything. Every time you tried to interject, they would either talk over you or completely dismiss you.The longer you sat there, the more frustrated you became and you couldn’t do it any more. 

“I quit!” You exclaimed during a short pause between Lee and Carter.

“Excuse me?” Carter asked and you could hear the confusion in his voice. 

Lee looked a bit stunned but that slowly turned into a pleased, smug look on his face. 

“I quit. You can call for a boat, or a helicopter, or hell, I’ll swim back to shore, but I quit.” You repeat yourself, a bit fed up at this point. 

“I’m sure that’s not necessary, but if you’re ready to leave The Jupiter, we can certainly arrange that for you.” Carter responded, you were unsure but it almost sounded like he was worried. 

“Certainly, just tell me when you’re ready to leave and I’ll call for a boat.” Lee agreed, a smirk plastered on his face. 

“Great.” You said before getting up and leaving Lee’s office. 

Your journey home seemed a lot quicker than when you were trying to get to The Jupiter. You thought about how everything was about to change in your life and for once, it was all uncertain. Jake tried to offer you words of encouragement, but they didn’t really help. On the journey home, you thought about Ari a lot and how you were so glad that you had gotten to meet him. Not just to meet him, but you were glad that you were able to hold him in your arms as often as you were able to. Even if things didn’t work out between the two of you, you couldn’t help but be grateful for the time you had with him. During that brief moment, he was yours and you were his. You wouldn’t want to spend a minute loving anybody else. 

Before you knew it, you were walking out of Baizen Oil Industries headquarters with a smile on your face and a weight lifted off of your shoulders. You stopped in your tracks though at the sight of a familiar face. It took a moment before your brain started to function again and you started to walk towards Ari, butterflies formed in your stomach with each step. 

“I don’t - I mean, what are you doing here?” You asked, still in disbelief that he was here. 

As he took a step forward, you noticed that his arm was still in a cast and sling. “I heard you quit.” 

You looked up at Ari, so happy to see those ocean blue eyes once again. “You heard correctly.” 

“Good, because so did I.” Ari said with a smirk.

“Well, good riddance then.” You replied, a sense of hope rising inside of you. “What now?” 

“Only time will tell, Rogue.” Ari replied before he leaned down to kiss you. 

You wrapped your arms around Ari’s neck as you kissed him back, you had missed the way his lips felt against yours. Sure, the future may be uncertain right now, but it seems that at least one thing was certain and that was Ari Levinson. With Ari by your side, you knew that you had each other and you swore to yourself that you’ll be his forever.

[solar-halos]

sorry i’m gonna talk some more about annie/johanna

first of all, i just think finnick and johanna would be so different as partners. finnick and annie give me the vibe as that one tweet that’s like “i don’t have any morals or opinions if a woman says something is right then it is” “um well maybe you should have morals and opinions” “you’re right i should”

in all seriousness, i think that even when they do fight finnick doesn’t even yell and he’s insanely good at communicating / compromising, which would be good skills for the capitol but also i think he’s just not a very intense person in the first place and that he HATES conflict. and then this is also based on my hcs of annie, but i imagine that she cannot handle conflict well and she struggles to compromise on something even she agrees with the compromise just bc she’s so pissed off, and that johanna is the exact same way. so when she and johanna fight, they fight. like we already know that johanna will say anything even if it upsets everyone (and she canonically did upset annie into having a flashback of some sort) so i think whenever they argue it’s a days long affair and that they only rlly try to figure out how to be more healthy about it when odesta’s son is like “ma where’s johanna i wanna see her” and since annie’s not gonna fill him in on all the tea she’s like “hm. we’re gonna have to work something out”

also it’s really interesting to think about johanna being more sensitive. i think there’s a fine line between censoring her thoughts (“it’s part of my therapy!” she ate) and just being more careful about saying things that are going to trigger annie, and that’s a balance johanna is going to try so hard to figure out. and it’s probably gonna be rlly hard bc when was the last time she had to figure something out for someone she cares abt, and when was the last time she had the luxury to care about someone, and will annie leave her if she messes up but it’s genuinely just a mistake and she’s consistently trying?

i do think that’s all gonna be resolved before they’re an actual couple, which is also something i wanted to talk abt. pre-canon i imagine they met at johanna’s victory tour and johanna lowkey had a small crush on her but also johanna has had a small crush on everybody at one point in time (in a “to cure the boredom” way lmao) so she doesn’t rlly think too much of it. just that when annie laughs it makes her wanna laugh too. and that when annie makes jokes johanna is like “why isn’t anyone laughing she’s literally a comedic genius.” i personally don’t understand this concept but sometimes when my friends enter relationships they’re like “omg i had a crush on them all throughout hs.” and they obviously don’t mean a full on consistent crush, just something that came and went in varying degrees, and i can totally see that with johanna. but also being a mentor + the quell + her morphling addiction + finnick’s death probably wouldn’t have given her much time to rlly think about it, so she doesn’t rlly realize how bad she has it until the war is over and they’re raising odesta’s kid

speaking of odesta’s kid! as soon as he’s born she immediately loves + wants to protect him + gets sick at the thought of never seeing him again and she’s just like “it’s just bc he’s a baby everyone feels that way abt babies.” which true but she also co-parents without any hesitation and when annie is like “i don’t want u to feel pressured to take care of him just bc we’re living together” johanna is like what the fuck are you talking about

oh and also i think annie is fully capable of being insensitive to johanna’s needs too, so it’s a two way street. like with her morphling addiction in particular, annie would probably continually ask her why she can’t just stop and johanna is so fed up with having to explain that it doesn’t work that way but they work thru it obviously

i think this is it. tbh this was more like an outline of how their relationship would work than actual hcs but i think there’s something beautiful about johanna learning how to be more loving and gentle without losing her bite. like she’ll still bully annie but she’d do it so lovingly and without actually hurting any feelings

oh i guess one more thing that’s not rlly a hc or anything just something silly i’ve been fretting abt: what if johanna and annie get together and they love each other soso much and then finnick shows up like “actually i lived and i’ve been finding my way to u all this time!!” like omg what would happen? my knee jerk reaction is odesta pt 2 but if i think abt it for more than a second it’s like. wow. annie and johanna went thru all these trials and tribulations and have grown into each other and made each other their home so it would be so fucked up if annie just fuckin left 😭😭 also annie and finnick wouldn’t be on the same pg anymore so if they even had a chance of getting back together they’d have to refamiliarize themselves w each other

but again that’s a silly worry bc if finnick hasnt returned in years he’s obviously not gonna show up when annie and johanna are happy and healthy and in love. that would be terrible timing and also this hinges on the fact that he most definitely didn’t get blown the fuck up when he obviously did. anyway i’m actually done now

[sabo-has-my-heart]

IMW Ch. 8: Thinking Too Much

I’m so sorry it’s been so long since my last chapter of “Isekai’d to the Modern World” so much has been happening since chapter 7! with my ask box closed I’m going to be trying to update this and “The Princess’s Royal Guard” more frequently. Without further adieu, enjoy.

Warnings: illegal fights, Ace getting ‘wounded’

Word Count: 1320 

     The spotlights were blinding, especially in the mostly dark room, but he’d started getting used to it. It was his third fight this week and honestly, he was half bored, half amused. Everyone he’d fought so far had been a pushover. People were starting to bet on him now that he’d won a few fights without breaking a sweat, though perhaps that was to be expected. He still didn’t understand the black, padded, fingerless gloves they made him wear, but at this point, he really didn’t care. If they wanted him to wear ‘protective gloves’ he’d wear them. It was good money. Paying you to feed him was easy, he was buying various clothes other than what you’d first got him, and your world had so many amusing toys and games! You’d even started teaching him about video games… after he promised not to break anything. He didn’t think he was going to break anything, after you plugged everything in. Heck, aside from the tablet he’d accidentally broken when watching a video, he hadn’t broken a single thing! And the video he’d been watching had been rigged! They’d wanted him to jump! Cute cat video his ass! That was like asking him to break your tablet! Besides, he’d just thrown it against the wall, it’s not like he’d done anything else to it, it’s not like he could do much else to it. All of his abilities seemed to have disappeared. His higan, his enkai, hotarubi, his HIKEN! It was all gone. He kind of missed being made of fire, being invulnerable to anything but haki and seastone. On top of that, he was starting to wish he could show you what he was capable of, to see a look of awe on your face as you watched him light up the night sky, see the way the light danced across your face. He was willing to bet you were the most beautiful person in the world in the light of a fire. Climbing into the ring, he wondered what people of this world would think of someone just randomly summoning fire. They’d probably lose their shit. Despite his distracted state, Ace was able to end the match without issue, though not without minor ‘injury’, his opponent managing to take advantage of Ace’s lack of attention and get a few hits in before Ace knocked him on his ass. A few bruises, nothing serious, but you’d probably sigh and scold him. It was sweet how much you worried about him, how you paced your dorm room until he came back and immediately inspected him for any problems. Though this would be the first time you found anything. Growling, he heard the announcer introduce another fighter. So far, they’d only given him one opponent per fight, but perhaps he was becoming too good. The crowd became chaotic when the announcer called out his next opponent, many of them rushing to make bets. His guess, this new fighter was quite a bit stronger than those he’d fought before, meaning people thought he was going to lose. Chuckling, he shook off his thoughts. He’d taken 2 or 3 hits last fight and now people were rushing to make bets against him, it would be best if he paid attention. 

     Walking into the dorm, he sighed, giving you a slightly tired smile when you turned to him. Almost instantly, you were by his side and forcing him to sit in a chair as you looked him over. He had a number of bruises forming across his stomach, another on his cheek, and a small graze on his shoulder, but was otherwise fine.

     “Sorry, tough night. They put me against 3 different guys. I think I’m a little too good.” Ace said with a chuckle as you tended to his ‘injuries’, “don’t worry, it's mostly just bruising. I’ve had worse. A lot worse. You should have seen it when I fought against Pops. One time, he threw me through a wall, it was crazy.” Ace said, shaking his head as he remembered when he fought against the man that he called father. 

     “Are you sure you’re okay? The bruising isn’t too deep? It doesn’t hurt too bad?” you asked, biting your lip as he laughed.

     “Are you kidding? My little brother can hit harder than this! Man, you would’ve lost it if you knew how hard gramps could punch! That man’s ‘fist of love’ could knock down fully grown trees with ease!” he said, shaking his head, “I’m fine, trust me. This was nothing. I probably wouldn’t have even gotten hit if I was actually paying full attention. The first guy I wasn’t paying a whole lot of attention to at all.” he said with a shrug. You sighed and shook your head.

     “Then pay attention next time, dumbass! I don’t want you getting hurt because you were lost in a daydream.” you said, lightly flicking his forehead.

     “Even if it’s a daydream about you?” he asked, giving you a flirty wink. 

     “W-why would you be daydreaming about me? Stop saying ridiculous things!” you said, hurrying away to the kitchen, “I’ll make us some food. I’m sure you’re hungry.” you said, starting on something simple. Ace smiled at you, his head tilting adorably to the side as he watched you. He’d been here for a little while, living with you, and he’d learned quite a bit. Not just about your world, but about you. You were nice, kind, sweet, smart. He wondered why you didn’t have someone special yet. Though perhaps that worked out well for him. No one to question why you had a guy staying with you, no one to bother either of you with dates or affection, just the two of you. While he was still looking for a way home, part of him knew that he wouldn’t want to leave you. At the same time, he knew you wouldn’t leave, you had too much keeping you here. If he found a way home, he’d have to leave you and that thought had his chest tightening. Placing a plate of food in front of him, you snapped him out of his trance, the young man smiling at you as he dug in. 

     Laying on the couch, he stared up at your ceiling, it was growing closer and closer to the end of the semester, meaning that you’d, hopefully, be getting a bigger place soon, meaning he’d get his own room. Not that your couch was uncomfortable, hell, he’d slept in far, far more uncomfortable places before, but you’d insisted that he be able to sleep in his own room in his own bed. Vaguely his thoughts wandered to his last memories of his world again. No matter how hard he tried to remember, they were hazy. He’d been at Marineford, on the execution platform. Pops had come to rescue him, then Luffy… the boy had reached him, Luffy had actually managed to free him. Shaking his head, he smiled. It was nice to know how far Luffy had come, how strong he’d gotten. Thinking back, he sighed. He’d been running back towards the others, been trying to escape. He remembered Akainu. The man had said something… Ace’s brow furrowed as he tried to remember what the man had said. He knew that, whatever it was, it had bothered him, but he couldn’t remember what, couldn’t remember what had happened next. The only thing he could remember clearly after that was waking up in your dorm room. Running a hand through his hair, he squeezed his eyes shut. He needed to stop thinking about this so much, especially when he was trying to sleep! Pulling on the blankets, he rolled over, easily falling asleep. He still had studying to do, things he needed to know to catch up with your world, he could figure out his hazy memories later. It probably wasn’t important anyway. 

[mskinkyafro]

THTH/LITG VENT…if I want to even call it that. Mostly about THTH. With LITG it’s whatever.

(Please don’t come at me with some bullshit, this is me just getting shit off my chest. If you don’t agree, just scroll pass. Pls and thank you).

There’s this strange sentiment that I’ve seen from the audience on mainly the subreddit (the cesspool I know 🥴🤷🏾‍♀️😭) and what why say about certain characters and how they perceive them. And I find the logic flawed and weird.

For some reason 👀 they pretty much “uplift” for lack of a better or almost excuse one characters more consistent and horrible treatment as “well they are upfront and you know who they are” vs “this other character is pretending or fake, and that’s the worst kind of person”.

But not the person who has been harmful….or insulting…since day one? Okay…

And I take it as the latter are not allowed to exist and can’t possibly be as multi dimensional vs their counterparts. Instead, nope they HAVE to be a liar and fake and that’s worst.

Which is…just strange.

I can at least scream this in a void and not be harassed or gaslit as if I’m always making this a race issues. Bc believe me as long as I’ve been playing, I realize it will always happen but damn it just hits harder this time around bc I feel like the black characters can relatively do minimal damage and they still find a way to twist it to them being public enemy number one.

And all it is, is “moving the goalposts” or just the upholding black characters to different higher standards.

And I’m sorry, I’m a black woman, I’m gonna always look at media with my own lens and is not always about intention. It’s still a matter of there’s bias that some have subconsciously that make it easier for you to perceive these characters a certain way.

Like with THTH, I have no problem being upset with Julian bc of his hypocrisy with spending the fund. That’s fine, I get.

But even before that, the something about him I can’t stand or his just so annoying (given) but it’s like, they latch onto one like thing and just salivate at the chance to pounce of the character when they do something “inherently” wrong. And then that’s all the are. Or they aren’t allowed to be more than just that.

But before Sean’s small moments of backstory are revealed if you even earn it, you got people talking about, “clearly he has Been through something, I can /want to fix him”.

But Julian has been adhering to Sean’s relentless attacks and bullying and when he gives it just as bad back. (Whether it’s right or wrong, that’s a consequence Julian should have to pay for. Just like Sean, however Sean hasn’t been held accountable for.) Or for his incessant spending, there’s no curiosity to his own trauma or why he is this way. No he isn’t afforded that empathy. And it’s literally just crazy.

And now we are seeing them slowly shift their sites for Gigi. And blame this black woman for the actions of two GROWN ASS men.

Why didn’t she get in between two grown ass men? Why didn’t she do more? Why is she not sticking up for Sean during this moment of vulnerability? Why is she not coddling Sean’s irrational insecurities or taking iniatice and controlling Julian’s crush on her. Why hasn’t she spoke up for her said, friend.

Like with her not telling Sean not to speak or treat Julian a certain way, at first I fell into a trap of, damn she ain’t being that great of a friend to let your man talk to your friend any kind of way but then I realize, she’s in the middle of her journey. She will get to that realization. But at this time in her plot or arc, she doesn’t see it.

And that’s the gag, we allow characters like Sean to maneuver their arcs and journeys and give boosters and understanding to their redemptions. (Which I’m firmly believe he is written to not have one. Just like Justin or even non romanced Antoine in S2. The realize too little too late)

But Gigi and Julian, nope. No grace, no wiggle room, and they are no dimension. And it’s just funny to watch over and over.

Idk I’m just over it.

[little-red-fool]

Out of curiosity what do you think about the idea of Higgs thinking he is just hallucinating DS2? He seems too calm for someone who was put into a second forced isolation.

I don’t see why it wouldn’t be possible. To be honest I’m not that surprised that he seems quite calm in the second game despite his circumstances, given his childhood he’d probably be used to isolation, and whilst he could probably panic about having to go through it again when he’s finally got his freedom, it would also make sense if he didn’t have much of a reaction at all—he might be completely desensitised to it.

I can’t lie my interpretation of it is that he could have actually found peace at the Beach. Whilst he would (likely) be isolated, it’s not the same kind of isolation he experienced in his childhood—when he was younger he was beaten and trapped in a small, dark bunker with his uncle, he was staring at the same four walls for years and years, whereas on the Beach he’s got the peace of (probably) being the only person there, he doesn’t need to fear getting hurt again, and this time he can roam where he wants. Whilst I don’t know how big the Beach is exactly, based off what we see after his boss fight when we’re with Amelie it looks quite sizeable so it looks like you can wander for a while at least. Sam was also trapped on the Beach for ages and he seemed to be mostly fine after he was rescued, so maybe it’s a similar situation for Higgs too. Whilst a lot of people can find isolation quite stressful or upsetting, it’s possible that Higgs might have taken on a more hermit-like role, where his isolation was more meditative and could have actually helped his mental health, he seems quite troubled in the first game so it’s possible that his isolation gave him time to reflect and heal. Also I saw others talking about it, but his disconnection from Amelie might also play a factor in this, she no longer has control over him and he isn’t being manipulated by his Beach Baby since the others took it off him, he might be thinking clearly for the first time in years, but I expect that if that’s the case he might be carrying a lot of guilt in the second game.

Then again, Higgs’ time on the Beach might have also upset him so much that he became desensitised due to dissociation for a prolonged period of time, and he might still be in that state once he gets out of the Beach, which could explain why he seems so calm. This isn’t really evidence rather me just speculating and going off personal experience, but Higgs does seem a lot more relaxed and his voice seems a lot softer compared to the first game. Higgs’ gestures also seem smaller and less energetic than the first game: he keeps his arms closer to his body and primarily moves his hands, whereas from what I can remember in the first game he does big sweeping gestures with his arms whilst keeping his hand movements quite small and this might reflect the lack of energy and the heavy leaden feeling you might get in your limbs with dissociation, which could mean nothing but I’m going to overanalyse everything because it’s fun.

Final slightly more boring interpretation, but Death Stranding 2 looks like it’s going to play a lot on opposites and inverses, like a lot of themes are going to be flipped from the first game, and in the first game Higgs is quite energetic, dramatic, talkative, and competitive so maybe his calmness and friendliness(?) in the second game could symbolise his growth as a person and how he’s going to take on a different role in this game, instead of being the main antagonist he could be a main ally. For me Higgs’ newfound calmness seems likely to be a mixture of my first point and this one, but we can’t really be certain until the game comes out, so there isn’t really any right or wrong interpretation. So whilst hallucination isn’t really how I interpret it, I understand why it might be your interpretation, but either way I hope this was an ok answer.

[acknowledgetheabsurd]

Thursday, 1:30 in the afternoon [February 16, 1950] I return from the radio - I had left this morning all lit up by the sky and the sun of Cabris. Your letter of Tuesday made me very happy and when I say that rain, fog and cold are no match for you I am not entirely wrong. Isn't it so? My poor darling! How you would feel exiled in the middle of the gray moors of Brittany! And yet how bright and warm the sun is there! And how you would love the sea there, changing, wild and furious! Yes, it was fine this morning. Last night, the solucamphre shot had its effect on my father's condition and he was a little calmer when I came home. I went to bed, exhausted after a long day of anxiety and nerves. I slept for nine hours. I woke up full of courage. It was grey outside, but when I left the François-I studio, the whole of Paris seemed to be glowing with spring. Alas! The news at home did not match the weather. The doctor had come - his worries are confirmed and this afternoon or tomorrow he must take another doctor with him, Professor [Gisoux] to consult. 

I'm with Dad now. He is already delirious almost continuously and his fatigue is such that any small movement becomes impossible for him to carry out. That's where we are for the moment. When will we get the serum? You can imagine how much trouble I'm going to get from going to the Frenchman. But what do you want? I promised, and I promised to please Georges Leroy [sic]* whom I like. As for the choice, it was he himself who suggested to me to play the prayer of Esther, which annoys me, but which he finds that I say it well that he likes it. Personally, I don't care. This national scene freezes me to such an extent that I even think it is better to say an indifferent text there than any page that I care about. It's a chore in itself, but right now it's torture. I too often hear the music of The Third Man. For me, it represents your absence in the same way that La Vie en rose or [La Seine] represent you near me. I like the waltz better, too. I am leaving you, my darling. I will try this evening to add some words here. Forgive me for being a little distracted. See you later, my love.

6 o'clock in the afternoon Oh, how cruel the weather is! It is a bright day outside. Birds are singing on my balcony. A barrel organ in the street. I can't read, write or do anything. I walk from my father's room to mine like a shadow. For 1 hour and 30 minutes I have been trying to make him eat. I haven't managed to do it yet. He has just been given his shot. Maybe it will calm him down again and allow him to swallow something liquid. He hasn't been able to take anything since yesterday. Ah, what a misery!

Half past midnight When I got home I learned that Dad had tried to get up and take two steps in his room to - oh, never mind! The fact is that he fell and Juan and Angeles ran in, alerted by the noise, and found him in the middle of a pond of water on the ground, without a gesture or a word. They changed his pajamas and carried him to his bed. Now he is exhausted. I changed his sweaty knit and jacket again as he let himself be done like a doll. I am terribly impressed. May the day of tomorrow erase these hours gone by today. My darling, I love you. I would like to speak to you about happiness, and not to tell you all this horror, but I cannot be happy at this moment and I must always tell you everything so that you understand my condition and my letters. I love you with all my soul.

Friday morning 10:30 am I have just received your letter and I want to add a few words to mine before it leaves. Finally, my darling, how could you think lately that I had other ulterior motives than the one that told me something had happened between you and F[rancine]. Are you crazy? Don't you understand what I'm telling you between the lines? When I asked you to tell me everything, my love, just wanted to talk about the effect all these events had on your life. That's all. I didn't imagine anything else, and when I spoke of madness - now I can say it freely - I was thinking of what actually happened, which I learned today by your letter. Your plan to travel when you returned had confirmed my fears and the tone of your letters left me with almost no doubt. How could I have imagined anything else at that moment? Last night, even when I begged you here to love me - I afraid that the pain, the sorrow, the grief you are in will take you away from me. This is my only selfishness. Apart from that, I don't know what I would do for F[rancine]'s happiness, apart from the peace it might bring you. 

My poor darling, what a life you must have! What days! Oh, can't you try to soften all this? Can't you erase and start again? I may be crazy, but I think I'm ready to bear anything to see you happy and that as long as I know you and see you near me, I am capable of any existence. Oh, my love, my poor love, my dear dear love! What to do? I love you. Calm yourself. Get some rest. I will write to you at length this afternoon. I kiss you with all my soul**.

Maria Casarès to Albert Camus, Correspondance, February 16, 1950 [#197]

* Maria Casarès is to take part in Georges Le Roy's farewell party at the Comédie-Française on February 17, 1950, during which she intends to recite the scene from Esther. ** Maria Casarès' father died on Friday, February 17, 1950.

[evieismol]

A Small Visit To A Big Planet

A/n: I’m working on new chapters of my gt park ranger story but in the meantime wanted to upload a random ltitle one-shot I wrote based on Easton mentioning that he has human friends from New York and how he might have met them.

CW: References to humans being hurt/eaten, nothing comes of it. Human with a leg injury, not graphically described.

Word count: 2090 words

“You’re humans,” the giant said, his eyes widening. Larissa stumbled back, hitting into Ruby and Kyle in the process. She felt her blood grow cold as she stared up at the much, much larger creature. She recognized what he was almost immediately, though she’d never seen one before in person. An Aphirial.

A race of predatory, humanoid beings that reached upwards of 200’ in height. It was almost eerie how human he looked, with bright blue eyes and light blonde hair reaching his shoulders. There were still a few immediate tells - other than his size - that he was anything but human. Long, sickeningly sharp claws, for one thing, as well as teeth to match. The sight of them made her heart race even more than it already was. She may not have met an Aphirial before, but she doubted there was a realm that hadn’t heard of them. Perfect predators, was what was generally said of them. With heightened senses, super strength that went far beyond relative to their giant size, and an infamous taste for meat, Aphiria was pretty much the last place she was hoping that portal would take them.

She’d been half expecting the giant to grab them immediately, swallow them whole before they had a chance to even struggle. He was still just staring at them, though, his eyes almost as wide as hers felt. She exchanged a glance woth Kyle, hoping to gain some insight as to what he thought the best move was.

“I’m not going to hurt you,” the aphirial said, raising his hands slowly as he backed away from the rocky ledge they were presently on. When they didn’t respond, he continued.

“My name’s Easton. Can…do you understand me?”

Kyle shot Larissa a hesitant look, then gave a slow nod. “I’m Kyle,” he said after a moment, his gaze full of wariness.

“Your friend…she’s hurt?” Easton asked. Larissa looked back at Ruby. Blood was staining through the bandage around her leg again. Larissa cursed mentally, for two reasons. The first, Ruby needed medical attention, and quickly. That seemed like a near impossibility given that they were presently in a strange realm, on the side of a remote cliff. The second was once again everything Larissa had heard about Aphirials, including their ability to smell blood and their predatory impulses. She found herself taking a step in front of Ruby instinctually. Easton seemed to notice, and took a further step back in turn.

“I’m not going to hurt her,” Easton said. “What…what are you doing here?”

Larissa didn’t reply, instead trying to figure out whether or not she should believe him. And, more importantly, how to get away. The cliff face they’d climbed down left few possibilities for a quick escape, especially when Easton towered over the entire cliff.

“That’s fine, you don’t have to answer. I know you don’t have any reason to trust me, but I don’t mean you any harm, okay?” Easton said.

“She’s losing a lot of blood,” Kyle whispered to Larissa, and she immediately got her meaning. Maybe trusting Easton was their best option, if they wanted to help Ruby. He hadn’t done anything to harm them yet, and he certainly could have easily.

“Do you think you could help her?” Larissa asked finally.

“I can try. I have medical supplies back in my room,” Easton said.

“So we’d have to go with you,” Kyle said, doubt tinging his voice.

“What are you doing out here, anyways?” Larissa asked. She thought she saw hurt flash through the giant’s eyes at how suspicious they were, which seemed at odds with everything she knew about Aphirials. It was gone too quickly to be sure.

“Right. Um, do you know where you are?” Easton asked.

“Other than the side of a cliff, no,” Kyle said.

“It’s more of a rocky outcrop, really-and definitely a cliff to you. Sorry,” Easton said. “You’re in a national park in Aphiria. Jasper National Park. I’m a park ranger here. Generally, I mean, today was my day off.”

Larissa wasn’t sure whether to be put at ease or on edge by his rambling. He seemed far more awkward and nervous than any ‘perfect predator’ that she’d ever imagined, but that didn’t change the fact that he could probably crush them with a single finger.

“You’re a park ranger?” She heard Kyle ask.

“Yeah,” Easton said. “I’m not going to make you go with me, of course, but everything here is…pretty big in comparison to you. Including the spiders and hawks, so it’s probably not a great idea to be just…out in the open. I don’t have to tell anyone else you’re here, if you’re worried about that.”

Larissa looked over at Kyle and Ruby, then turned to them fully.

“What do you think?” She asked Ruby, lowering her voice. She wondered if there was any point to doing so - Easton didn’t seem to have any trouble hearing them at normal volume, despite the size difference, and she wasn’t sure exactly how good Aphirial hearing was.

“I don’t think I can make it off this cliff with my leg like this,” Ruby admitted.

“Fuck. Are we really going to do this?” Kyle asked.

“He hasn’t hurt us yet. Besides, he’s a park ranger, everyone trusts park rangers,” Larissa offered a weak joke, though she felt many of the same doubts. Taking a deep breath, she turned back to Easton.

“We would really appreciate it if you would help us,” she said. Easton nodded softly. He didn’t give any indication at to whether or not he’d been able to hear their conversation, somewhat to her dismay. It reminded her of how little she knew about Aphirials and the world they found themselves in.

Out of all the portals we could have fallen through, Larissa thought.

“Of course,” Easton said. He hesitated. “I’ve never actually met any humans before - I’m not sure what the best way to have you come back with me would be? Or most comfortable or uh, least scary.”

Larissa was at a loss for how to answer him, and judging by her companions silence, they were too. She frowned. Any option she could think of seemed at least a little terrifying, as she doubted there was any way they could keep up with him on their own. Or even get off of the rock, in Ruby’s case.

“You can pick me up,” Ruby said, surprising Larissa. She’d been mostly silent since she was injured - Larissa guessed she was saving energy. “Or, just put your hand out. We could climb onto it,” she added.

Easton glanced over at her and Kyle, as if waiting to see how they would respond to Ruby’s suggestion.

“Yeah,” Kyle agreed, trying to keep the tremor out of his voice and failing. Larissa gave a tight nod as well, telling herself that helping Ruby was the priority. And Easton was presently the best chance they had at that. Easton slowly lowered one hand to the edge of the cliff in front of them. Larissa took a deep breath, then a hesitant step forward.

“Promise you won’t hurt us?” She asked. It immediately hit her that it was probably pointless to ask him that if he did have any ulterior motives, as he could simply lie.

“I promise,” Easton said. She looked back at Ruby. The thigh of her jeans was growing ever darker. They didn’t have time to waste.

Here goes nothing, she thought, and stepped off the cliff. She landed on Easton’s hand, almost stumbling on the comparatively soft, uneven surface. She sat down.It hit her just how large he was as she looked over at his fingers, curling slightly up. Her life was literally in his hands, she realized. Or more, hand. Ruby was the second one to step on, helped by Kyle, who hesitated a moment before joining them.

“Are you good?” Easton asked. The three of them nodded, and he slowly stood up. Larissa made the mistakes of glancing over the edge of his hand. Her heart rate quickened as she saw the drop under them - easily a hundred feet. She scooted closer to the middle of his palm. The walk was surprisingly short - apparently they hadn’t been far off a popular trail. If Easton truly didn’t intend on hurting them, they were probably quite lucky he’d been the one to find them, she thought. They approached a large, two story wooden building. Two stories by Easton’s size - larger than most sky scrapers, by Larissa’s standards. He headed up a set of stairs on the side, pulling open a door to reveal a hallway with a dozen doors lining it. He stopped at the third door. He was pushing it open when a voice sounded from down the hall. Easton quickly covered them with his other hand. Larissa gasped at the sudden movement.

“Watcha got there?” Larissa heard a deep voice ask.

“A hurt mouse,” Easton replied, keeping them carefully covered. “I don’t want to scare it more, or I’d show you.”

“Mice can feel fear?” The voice asked.

“I think most living things can,” Easton replied.

“Hm. It’d probably make a good snack,” the voice said, as if pointing something out. Larissa felt a chill run down her spine, and she wondered if the suggestion would have been any different if whoever was speaking knew they were humans.

“Not really the plan,” Easton replied.

“Well, good luck with that,” the voice said, with a tone Larissa wasn’t entirely sure how to take. It sounded almost doubtful. In some way. Whether that was because they didn’t think Easton stood a particularly good chance at being able to help, or didn’t believe he wouldn’t eat the supposed mouse, she couldn’t tell. She wasn’t sure she liked either option. It was far too late now for such thoughts, though.

“Right. Well, have a good one,” Easton said, and Larissa heard a door click shut. As soon as they were alone, Easton took his hand off of them.

“Sorry. That was pretty sudden, I didn’t mean to scare you. Rob means well, he’s just kind of an asshole and-yeah. Here,” he lowered his hand to the table, letting them climb off. Larissa took a good look at their new surroundings. It looked similar to a college dorm room, though there was only one bed. There was a fridge and a microwave across from them, and some posters of flowers on the walls.

“I’ll see what I have to help with that,” Easton said, pulling open a cabinet next to them. As it turned out, he had plenty of first aid supplies, though most were Aphirial sized. Surprisingly, he did in fact have some smaller items, which he explained where for small animals there. Larissa almost wanted to ask why he had them, but decided against it.

“Can I see it?” Easton asked Ruby. She gave a tight nod, slipping her pants down her legs. Larissa grimaced as she saw the gash beneath them, a few inches up from her knee. She noticed Easton inhale sharply too.

“Well, I’ve seen worse?” He said. “We need to stop to the bleeding.”

A short while later, they’d actually managed to do just that, with the supplies Easton had and his direction. He’d been hesitant to try to help treat Ruby’s wound himself. Understandable, given that one claw was the size of her head. After they’d gotten the bleeding stopped, and bandaged Ruby’s leg, Larissa looked up at Easton.

“Thank you,” she said.

“Of course,” he replied. “I don’t know how you guys ended up here, but you’re welcome to stay as long as you need.”

Larissa was starting to feel less on edge about the giant. He seemed sincere enough in his kindness. Her wariness wasn’t totally gone, but she could also see night was falling out. They wouldn’t be able to make it back to the river or up it to the portal tonight. And Easton hadn’t made any move to hurt them yet, which meant their chances with him were probably better than their chances alone in a world countless times their size. Assuming going back through that portal was even a good choice, she thought.

“We might take you up on that, tonight,” Kyle said, seemingly thinking the same thing she was. “We’ll have to find some way to repay you-“

“Don’t worry about it. Helping people is kind of the job, anyways,” Easton said. “Besides, I’ve always wanted to meet humans. I’d love to hear about Earth, sometime.”