#lnds tara

[obbystars]

MC: NO I AM NOT PAYING FOR YOU THIS IS NOT A DATE

Tara: H-Huh?! Of course I’ll pay for myself! What are you-?

MC: I’m not talking about you! I’m talking about HIM!!

Sylus (Skye): 😇

MC: Sitting over there all zesty with that little smile… And guess what! I will not fall for your game!!

Jenna: What is going on over here?

MC: Hello!

Tara: Oh, these two are on a date!

MC: THIS IS NOT TRUE

[skynapple]

Madi Caught Slipping: aka "How Jeremiah falls for every character in the book"

Scroll to find your favorite characters. Some are kinda crack ships. Have fun.

The girls:

Tara: This one's easy. They caught each other's eyes through MC and Xavier. He's at Xavier's place, they met in a common area. Jeremiah is trying to be a good wingman but he knows better than to use old tactics of flirting with MC on purpose to make Xavier act out in jealousy, he can do that when the trio is alone. That day he directed his attention to Tara, some small talk and flirting, maybe slung an arm around her shoulder to drag her to get a bucket of ice or anything for the other two to be alone. But she's adorable and he thinks, what the heck, a date won't hurt. She's pretty, and again, it's a good excuse for causing more circumstances to fall into place. The last thing he expects is to fall in love but it doesn't take much. She's earnest, tightness, selfless, and sweet. And look, who else is he going to gossip about Xavier and MC with? Good luck, Jer. Crystals in his pockets. He doesn't believe in any of her witchy stuff but doesn't mind it if it helps her feel like she's connecting to him or keeping him safe somehow. His religion he feels doesn't really affect it, he's only semi religious anyway. Cute planned dates. Flowers on her desk. Starts carrying some things of her recommendations in the shop. It's an easy, refreshing, comforting, and syrupy sweet relationship. Like two kids giggling in a pillow fort.

Jenna: This one's not easy. But, she's Xavier's "Captain" which, ok, Xavier is Jeremiah's "Captain" so there's the good soldier dynamic. There's a chance -depending on how Infold wants to play it- that Jenna and Jeremiah have a already met. It may be through Backtracker work, anti-Onychinus logistics, Jeremiah's research, something. If they have, it's an easier door. Either way, all they do is talk logistics and mission stuff to begin with. Then it's random small talk. Jenna is fun, and always thinking of others. There's a sense of "we're in this together" that bridges a gap. Maybe he senses that she's overworked. Maybe he hears from Xavier that they lost a hunter on their team. He sends her flowers. Then just keeps sending her flowers so she always has something to brighten her day, because he feels some compassion for the stress she's under, and secretly he's grateful that someone else is looking over Xavier. It's a slow burn. It's dependable, and sweet, and then it's a strong. They're a candle that keep others going, just trying to make it another day, but they keep that candle burning together.

MC: See Budding Romance. Anyways. This one really only works if like, MC has eyes interacts with him a lot more than Xavier. Because Jeremiah is always realistically going to be putting Xavier's needs first? And he really has shipped those two for centuries. He's probably absolutely had it up to here with them (imagine I am gesturing to something really tall for the metaphor.) But it also only works if he realizes he's loved her, because he has to get past a sense of 'She's Xavier's but I want her too.' It also only works if Xavier's holding back a bit, like he senses there may already be something going on between them? If he's confusing MC and she gets comfortable with Jer enough, then maybe, maybe. OR, she is just a version of MC who just doesn't have interest in pursuing Xavier at all, similarly to the MC's that end up with literally any other love interest, this MC would just... be particularly inclined towards Jeremiah to begin with, regardless of meeting Xavier first. Which, Jer would still have to get past whatever he's going to deal with, but once they're together, God. The manic things I've thought.

The way he's loved her for centuries, even if platonically before, to stay at her side in unwavering devotion for centuries, to abandon everything he knows on a chance of saving her, being her second-in-command, probably being the one to hold her tears when she could've easily felt very alone. He knows MC inside and out, TOO. And I think it would be very easy for him to want to slip back into a sense of companionship and want to by her side in any capacity of her life. Jer needs to feel attentive and needed, and I think it would be easy to want to stay by "his commanders" and "his Queens" side purely out of loyalty, and maybe... there's a sense of: It's always been me, I don't want it to be anyone else.

Yvonne: This one's funny. It definitely has to be a coincidental meeting. Jer's not going to any hospitals anytime soon. They have to meet outside work before, either on accident or she's a patron of his store, something like that. But the energy, please. She's beautiful, snarky. He can get behind that. She's also probably overworked. It's easy for him to be a sounding board, listen to all the gossip, or the frustration of incompetent patients. It's easy for him to be a comfort, patients get under your skin sometimes no matter how high the walls. Losing patients is never easy but god if Jeremiah hasn't been used to losing people all the time. It's easy for him to go along with antics. Prank bouquets to unwitting hospital members. And maybe if he's comfortable, he's appreciating that he actually knows a nurse. He teaches her how to care for Philosian differences in physiology, because there's probably things that are different and things he's had to DIY. Oh she'd absolutely shred him an earful if she finds out he's doing something stupid post-Wanderer hunting excursions. He absolutely makes her vision of beautiful custom scrubs come true.

Talia: Lord, Jeremiah as her nth husband? Sure. She's definitely ordering a lot of flowers to pester at Rafayel. Or she's getting flowers for her nth wedding. Maybe Wedding Planner style, it doesn't work out, but hey that florist is kinda--. And honestly, Jer probably picks up on some things. She's not from around here, neither is he. There's a certain vernacular Lemurians use, and there's a vernacular Philosians use. Maybe it's easier to tell earlier on. Kinda like Hispanics and Filipinos can immediately just pick each other out of a crowd. (Source: Is Hispanic). So there may be some companionship in, hey we're not here by choice, something drastic happened. And she's,,, way older century-wise probably, but he's not actually young, and they both have the bodies of a twenty-something. It's fine. They probably can find things to relate to. Old stories, old myths, old movies, old music. It's nostalgic and sweet. Maybe she likes the fact that he's not going to die, unlike her previous human boyfriends.

---------------

the boys:

Xavier: I could write a book but. Just the constant companions and devotion. The loyalty. The "I'm with you to the end" and the fact that Jeremiah was someone he immediately told everything about MC. How, despite Xavier's jealousy, he still depending on him to look after MC and still needed him. Honestly, Xavier needs Jeremiah a lot more than I think he lets on. Vice versa. Xavier wasn't there for him when Jer lost the love of his life, and unlike Xavier's who reincarnates, he's never getting her back. It's a very permanent grief that Philosians seldom had to deal with. I'm sure Xavier feels a sense of regret. At the same time, it just makes Jer more fiercely loyal. I said it above, he deeply needs to have a sense of duty. He desperately needs to be needed by Xavier, to be ordered around and feel like he's contributing. He doesn't want to let him down, and he desperately doesn't want him to ever go through what he has. They know mostly everything about each other. They do love each other, already, so much. It doesn't take much. One or both could've already questioned things. Or they're in a universe where MC already chose someone else, so it's a matter of comfort and redemption and trying to let Xavier heal and grow into someone independent of MC. Also. I think about the fact that in CANON Jeremiah specifically made sure that he brought Xavier's favorite flowers with them from Philos and if that's not love I don't know what is. In this essay I will---

Zayne: This one is the most crack to me because again. Jer and medical staff? Probably not going to mix. They must meet at an outside time and place. Jer can't know Zayne's a doctor until later. It definitely has to be a universe where MC is pursuing someone else, but that may not stop Zayne from buying her flowers? Especially if she's not dating other guy yet, and on her birthday, something like that. So they could meet at the flower shop. It's not love at first sight, it can't be. Jer gets him with sweets. He uses one of Bella's old recipes maybe when he's mourning her death's anniversary? Zayne has plenty of loss experience. He's just a customer that day but he takes comfort in letting out the story a little bit. Zayne makes a recommendation. Jer makes him something else to thank him for his patronage. Its just sweet sharing back and forth until they actually decide to go somewhere after work. Not a date. They're too manly for that. Both assume the other is friend zoned. The crowd is banging through the floorboards at these two. Jer baking a lot, Zayne eating and tending to Wanderer wounds. Very slow but, comforting and sweet. Pun intended. Cause that's what it would be. They heal each other in more ways than one.

Rafayel: If I speak- ok. Listen. Talia or fans still is ordering a lot of flowers for Rafayel. Jer gets used to dropping them off. He knows Rafayel is probably hiding something, again, vernacular, however I've seen Rafayel tends to hide his better. But those muscles are way too toned for Rafayel to be some random painter. Pls. I know too many art majors. Jeremiah making Rafayel clothes. Because he's talented (hello Lumiere costume) and can definitely do some cool stuff (fireproof, effect stuff). Also, Jeremiah like,,, is on the dark web scouring for content for stuff to build ship parts and also keep an eye on wayward Backtrackers. There's no way he doesn't know Rafayel's wanted. Maybe he helps take care of it. You know Lemurians and debts. Idk. Just lots of snark. Lots of trying to take care of each other. Cooking together. Maybe even fighting together. Jeremiah being weirdly assertive with Thomas, a la "He said no pickles" style. Again, very easy to slip into a loyal companion mode. Very easy. Plus like. It's a very, very acts of service relationship. They squabble a bit but only cause they care. Also, same dynamic as Talia, they've been around a long time, they'll be around a long time from now. There's comfort in that.

Caleb: If Maverick himself is alive somehow, it either comes through mutual connection like MC wanting to introduce her "brother" or Caleb maybe stalking out people in "his sister's" life. So honestly he may have met him at a party. Its a work party. Everyone gets a plus one. MC brings Caleb, Xavier brings Jer. I have a hc Jer is a hopeless drunk, but nothing happens at this party cause earth beverages from what we've seen with Xavier don't honestly have much effect. Unless... Caleb himself gets.. yeah. Maybe he retaliates that MC is showing Xavier a lot of attention when he's s'posed to be the date. Fine. Two can play at this game. He goes after Jer. Sloppy kiss. Jer would be... admittedly weirded out, and probably more concerned about the guy. Next day some kind of humiliated apology at the flower shop spurred on by MC. But Jer's soft, and sweet, and kinda teasing. Oh no god help Caleb. They might bicker a lot, but they both care about MC and later on each other deeply. They might just start hanging out for the sake of it. But they both have soldier's hearts, and are protective people. They become protective of each other. Jer starts watching the sky scanners, keeping up to date on any relevant threats. Secret information passed along through a channel Jer engineers. Caleb frantically watching his watch that's connected to Jer's when he assumes Jer goes wanderer hunting. Fishing trips, cooking. Arcades. Nostalgic movies. Somehow they have synergy. Somehow.

Nero: Jer's an alien so that's cool. Honestly, I wonder if they already know each other. Not in person? But online? If Jeremiah's ever submitted anything for private analysis and Nero's the wanderer expert. He might've been connected just through accessing Xavier's portal to the deepspace organization. They start meeting in person to trade stuff. It's very secretive. Nero catches him out and about. Doesn't recognize him, couldn't possibly begin to, but he knows that voice anywhere. And oh no Jer's beautiful. He starts doing his own investigation. Shows up at the flower shop once he's sure, and slides him something only they would know. Jer's incredibly impressed. Wants to hang out more. They talk nerdy, and honestly it's probably worse the more Nero knows. Like, you mean there's alternate timelines and dimensions? You mean you can pull a sword out of your arm, too? You mean this metal is from another planet? You mean there's even more wanderers? You fell through a black hole?? Just on and on. Jer doesn't mind the obsession, it's nice to be open and talk about home. It starts as just kinda friendly besties but they grow to actually care about each other. Maybe they worry about each other somehow. They definitely try to outdo who does more for who. It's very relaxed, and not constrained. They don't have to be together all the time, it's comfortable.

Thomas: Again, something to do with deliveries to Rafayel. He starts being around. Maybe Thomas contacts him to do an event and Jer is just? Helpful? A nice guy? Hey Thomas looks like he needs a drink, that's all. Or maybe Thomas forgot something, requires Jer to back and like. They just?? Talk? For a long time. That kind of comfort bond builds first. Jer is easy to talk to. Jer's also like, nice and insistent enough if he finds out Thomas is an artist like, insists he wants something from Thomas specifically and wants to trade for some kind of arrangement. Well how about a drink? It's just relaxed and comfortable. This is a relationship Jer might withhold some of the aliens from outer space stuff a little longer, just until he's more sure of things and outcomes. But it's easy, and he likes hearing the stories. Thomas tries to paint what he thinks Philos looks like based on his descriptions. Jer cries. Jer cultivates a specific type of rose after Thomas. It's very luxurious type of relationship. Doesn't have to be money consuming but. Museums. Botanical gardens. Whiskey nights. Private lounges. Jeremiah makes him a custom suit. Just a lot of gift giving back and forth.

Greyson: Like Zayne, there has to be some circumstance outside of work. But Madi you wrote that for Yvonne too. AND I'M SAYING IT HAS TO. But if it doesn't for some reason, let's say Jer overdoes it, gets kinda beat up, some citizen finds him and he gets dragged to a hospital. You know how Philosian heart beats are slower? God, imagine? Oh they think he's on his way out. Rushed to the ER. Jer just like, coming to cause maybe the sedatives don't work the same, grabbing Greyson by the wrist like, begging, desperate, Don't hurt me. And oh no. Deepest shade of blue eyes on pools of hazel that are desperate. He might break. He doesn't want to become a science experiment. Ok that's dramatic. YEAH. Like does he break out of the hospital? Does Greyson flip out and have A Moment™️ with the other surgeons in the room? This is literally what Jer's been dreading for 200 years he's shaking he's terrified inside but he's also a soldier. He bites down that fear and idk maybe gets out of there. He thinks he's safe. Freaking runs into Greyson at a cafe or something super what-are-the-chances. And before Jer can run Greyson grabs him like, hol' on a second. ANYWAY. I'm just saying. It has to be dramatic or super mundane, for it to work. But if it does work out (somehow) then its. Cowboy and Alien. Jer is very doting, he can get to Greyson's cheesiness level. Who can outfluster who? who will survive? Dad jokes. Tormenting friends. Prank wars. Teaching Greyson to bake. He thinks he'll teach Jer how to ride a horse, surprise he was a Knight and already rides bareback. It's a fun dynamic.

[tumbling-through-deepspace]

The Hunter, a baby and the unexpected forming of family in unlikely places

Summary:

Hunter Lyssa Williams finds a baby abandoned outside her apartment complex. The 24-year-old is way over her head and does not know the first thing about looking after a tiny human. However, as the saying goes, 'it takes a village to raise a child' and in her case a group of unlikely men come along for the ride.

Genres: Slice of life, comfort, eventual relationships, eventual romance, enemies to friends, frenemies, fluff...

Word count: 2772 words

Eventual Relationships: Xavier/MC/Rafayel

Zayne/Sylus/Lyssa

Chapter One: The Introduction to It All

It was one of the worst days of her life. Work was hell having to battle high level wanderers—just thinking about it made the cut on her arm burn. Then Tara and her bestie could not shut up about their last shipping escapade.

Their captain was in one of her moods as well, despite the woman trying to mask it well, Lyssa always had a way of picking up the slightest twinge of facial muscle and body language that speaks otherwise. Then finally her motorcycle refused to work, keeping her stranded in Linkon city.

“This day couldn’t get any worse than what it already is.”

Like a preferable middle finger sent her way from the Deep space tunnel, the sky opened sending a heavy shower of rain. The biggest fuck you were shouted to the sky as she stormed off, ignoring the shell-shocked looks from a few co-workers that exited the building at that moment.

Lyssa disliked the busy city life and only ventured in it due to working for the Hunter’s Association and its necessities that she couldn’t get from her home that was located on the outskirts of the city before it crossed over to the N109 zone.

The scowl on her face deepened knowing that her only option now was having to use the apartment she had on standby for emergencies.

Cursing profanities under her breath she continued along, too angry to care about the rain soaking her clothes and temporarily obstructing her vision.

Within fifteen minutes the doors of the apartment building came into view, and she hurried along, shaking the water from her hair as she finally took shelter. Lyssa sighed, leaning against the wall and willed herself to start her deep breathing exercises recommended by her therapist whenever she felt overwhelmed.

It took a while, but she came back to herself as her breathing regulated. The hunter slowly made her way to the door when her hearing picked up on soft whimpers and the rustling of fabric.

Years of training sharpened her senses, and her eyes zoned onto a few boxes that were left out. At first, she thought maybe it was a trick of her ears until the whimpering became a little louder. Moving forward she squatted and inspected the boxes.

Stuffed to the back of the wall was a box of medium size, slightly opened. Lyssa was expecting a puppy or maybe a kitten, the shock of finding a baby blew her mind out of the water.

Like who the hell leaves a baby in a fucking box, outside a building were anyone could either steal it, kick it or heavens forbid, the garbage disposal unit fetches it away unknown to anyone. There were orphanages for crying out loud, child protective services… just why? Why?

Wasting no time, she scooped up the box, punched in the building’s security code and raced to get to her apartment. The child needed to get warm and fed. Oh God! How long were they in the dam box?

The whimpering stopped and Lyssa panicked, peeping inside to make sure the child was still breathing. She let out a relieved sigh at the steady rise and fall of the child's chest. Only a few minutes ago she was angry at being stranded in the city and now was appreciative of the inconvenience.

She refused to let her mind think of what if. As the hunter entered her apartment, she knew making decisions on what next raised her anxiety, and so she needed a second opinion. It was time to call an old acquaintance.

“The number you’ve dialed in currently unavailable. Hang up and try again or leave a message after the beep.”

This was the third day in a row they were unsuccessful in getting on to Lyssa. Dr. Zayne looked at his phone as the call disconnected once again. A week ago, his colleague Dr. Waverly came to him in concern that one of his patient Lyssa Williams missed a very important appointment which was unusual for the young woman to do; there was no call, no correspondence.

Why the doctor told him this left him a bit puzzled. Zayne and Lyssa—even though they have been acquainted with each other for a few years—rarely spoke to each other and sometimes on visiting the hospital she would exchange pleasantries and nothing more.

Dr. Waverly stated that Lyssa did not have a next of kin or emergency contact listed on her record, making it difficult to make any contact. Even her place of employment hasn’t seen the young woman for the same duration and being unable to make contact. Dr. Waverly came to him with hope that might find a way to contact the woman.

The light rapping on his door brought the doctor from his thoughts. Looking up his gaze met his friend and patient Jasmin.

“I hope I’m not interrupting anything important. I can always come back.”

Zayne cleared his throat “No. That won’t be necessary, you are scheduled for a checkup, and it would be counterproductive if you rescheduled.”

Jasmin entered the room taking a seat. She was about to speak again when her eyes landed on the file on Zayne’s table, recognizing her co-worker’s face even though it was upside down.

“Have you gotten on to her?”

Zayne took a moment to understand who Jasmin was referring to. He looked at the file once more before closing it.

“I take it no one has been successful on your end?”

“No and it is concerning. Lyssa is not one to go AWOL. As much as she complains about hating having to work in the city, she is always present. I swear her attendance is almost perfect, works even when sick but this sudden disappearance is so unlike her.”

“Has no one taken the initiative to visit her home, to see if she is there?”

Jasmine huffed “Tara and I have but the only problem with that plan is no one knows where she lives. The address in the Hunter database is fake. She was so crafty about it, using an address that wouldn’t be suspicious if you don’t know what you’re looking for. I went to it to find a bakery.”

Zayne raised an eyebrow. He never realized that Lyssa was such a private person that she would lie about where she lived.

“I even went to our Captain, but she said Lyssa was away on a mission which I don't believe. I just hope she’s alright.”

The good doctor couldn’t help but nod in agreement, yet he felt he was missing something. “If you don’t mind, can you give me that address.”

A week and change ago

“At this point I should stop being surprised every time I get a call from you. Yet again, the only time you do call is when you’re in a predicament. So, what is it this time?”

Lyssa groaned in exasperation, her nerves were already in a state of turmoil and this jackass wasn’t helping “Dox now is not the time. You have experience with babies, right?”

The voice on the other line went silent “What the fuck did you do this time? You pregnant or something? Dam Lyssa, I know we haven’t spoken in a while but the last thing I expected was you popping out kids. Wait didn’t your doctor say that doing that would--”

“WOULD YOU STOP TALKING! IT’S NOT MINE! I NEED YOUR HELP CAUSE I’M WAY OVER MY HEAD HERE.”

The child in her hand squirmed before letting out an ear-piercing scream. Lyssa dropped the phone in surprise, hearing it clatter to the floor but did not try to pick it up, her focus entirely on calming the crying infant.

“Shh… I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to shout but I have no idea what I’m doing. Shh… it’s alright.”

“YO LYSSA! PICK UP THE PHONE AND PUT ON YOUR CAMERA.”

She glanced down, hearing Dox shouting and carefully retrieved the phone.

“I have you on speaker give me a minute to boost up the computer and switch the call over to that device.”

Lyssa did that quickly while simultaneously rocking the now fretting child. The exasperated expression of Dox popped on; his eyes swept over her person before landing on the child in her arms. He grinned like the cat that caught the canary.

“Well, well, well. Child theft is a new low even for you Dove.”

“I called for your assistance not your judgment and if you must know, I found them outside my apartment building, abandoned and left in a box. What was I to do? Leave them there?”

The cheerful look in Dox’s eyes left almost instantly “In a box? Don’t people know about orphanages or child services—whom you should have contacted. Why are you taking on this responsibility Lyssa?”

“My thoughts exactly. Why I haven’t called them is because I don’t want to. Have you forgotten my own experience or Alexandra’s or what about Rose?”

“That was years ago, the system has improved, you know this.”

“I don’t care. I refuse to let this child go through even a smidge of what we experienced and the thought of any organization raising a child sickens me.”

“Your bleeding heart is raising its head. Here I thought you locked away these emotions.”

“You are such a jackass Dox.”

Dox laughed “The jackass you called for help. Anyway, you should come to my place. I have tons of space, and the gang will be happy to see you again.”

“I refuse to come to the N109 zone. I think you’ve forgotten who I’m employed with.”

“Something you shouldn’t have done but I guess at the time you didn’t have much of a choice but be honest, is there really anything holding you back from quitting?”

“Not really,” she said without hesitation “But I don’t want to right now.”

Dox groaned “Girl, it’s not like you have to work. You got a shit ton of money than most people left by—”

Lyssa hissed angrily, being careful not to wake the child that fell back asleep “which I will not touch.”

“Lyssa, we spoke about this already. The money is yours. You deserve it after what happened. If you’re going to keep and raise the child which I know you will, your hunter salary wouldn’t last. Looking from here, they don’t look older than 5 months and you can’t return to work unless you hire a nanny which I advise against.”

Lyssa scowled “I hate when you’re right.”

“Saved you tons of headaches over the years because I’m mostly always right. Now, take my advice like the cute Dove you are and tell me what you want for dinner, Rose and I will be there in under an hour with some things for you and the kid.”

“I really need a crochet hook and wool of every color. This apartment doesn’t have any of my supplies and I feel out of place without seeing wool around the house.”

“You are such a granny.”

“Fuck you, Dox.”

“Sorry Dove, I am spoken for but thanks for thinking of me in that light.”

“Eww. Get off my computer. I’ll see you in an hour.”

True to his word, Dox arrived just under an hour, hands filled with bags of all sizes. Rose followed behind with several boxes.

“Where’s the wee babe. Let me get a good look at ‘em,” Rose asked excitedly. She was a petite woman, three years older than Lyssa, with red curly hair and soft features.

“That babe is sleeping so please don’t wake them.”

Dox snorted “Relax Dove. Rose is a baby expert; she is a Pediatric nurse after all.”

It was at that moment that Lyssa noticed Roses’ medical bag.

Rose gave her a reassured smile “Get something to eat, you look like you haven’t eaten all day and for the love of sake get out of that Hunter uniform.”

Dox gently pushed Lyssa to the direction of her room “You heard the nurse, get going, I’ll dish out dinner.”

Thanking them she did as was instructed. The warm water did wonders for her aching muscles and as she stood under the shower, a list of things that she had to take care of rushed through her mind.

Dox was right, she couldn’t rely on her hunter’s salary alone and speaking of work, being a Hunter wasn’t a safe career if she was going to be raising a child. She would have to request time off. Lyssa didn’t think it was smart to just up and resign, it would raise suspicion which she didn’t want.

She would have to call Captain Jenna in the morning. Next would be getting a crib and stocking up on formula and baby items. Then there is also the issue of making sure the child is not found out by Child services which shouldn’t be an issue with Alexandra and Dox involved.

Then there is her upcoming doctor’s appointment with Doctor Waverly which she would have to miss. Dam, it’s only been a few hours and already her whole life was being reshuffled.

Stepping out the shower, she hurried to get dressed and rejoin the others not wanting to keep them waiting.

When she stepped into the living room, Rose was in the process of putting a new outfit on the baby, cooing and looking excited.

Not too far from the couch stood a crib and a baby swing. Then on the center table had a pile of clothing, diapers, wipes, some books and other baby things.

“Lyssa come join me. Dox is in the kitchen putting away the bottles and formula.”

“When he said he was bringing a few things I wasn’t expecting all this. Saves me the hassle of getting them myself. Thank you.”

“None of that, we weren’t going to leave you headless about this. I think what you’ve chosen to do is admirable, and I agree with your decision to raise this child. Now, you will be pleased to know that apart from a few diaper rashes, she is a healthy baby. Dox wasn’t off about her age either; she is five months old. Poor thing being left alone the way she was.”

Lyssa sat down and observed the way Rose clothes the child. The delicate movements and soft touches. It was a relief knowing the baby's gender since it will help with research.

“To be honest I wasn’t sure whether or not you guys would help, after all, I stay away.”

Rose raised a brow “We know your personality. We know you little one. Even though you act like you’re better off alone, we’ll always offer a helping hand despite you being a stubborn arse.”

That made Lyssa laugh “Thank you regardless.”

“You’re welcome. Now let’s leave this other little one to sleep since I’ve given her a feed and we can move this conversation to the kitchen. Dox and I have a few things to discuss with you.”

Present day

Lyssa rouse from her nap at the sound of rapping on her door. The night before little Ella refused to sleep, extremely fussy and did not want to be put in her crib. The little girl was now puckered out, fast asleep on her chest, fist clutching the shirt she wore.

The rapping persisted and Lyssa had a good mind to ignore whoever was at the door. All she wanted to do was sleep. Sleep deprivation was no joke.

Carefully putting the babe to her shoulder, one hand on her back and the other supporting her bottom, she slowly got up and walked to the door.

Blame it on her state of tiredness because she opened the door without checking the peephole.

“I guess I should be relieved that you’re alive, but this was the last thing I expected.”

All traces of sleepiness left her body at the voice of Doctor Zayne. If he found her it means that Doctor Waverly will find out and Jasmin, who will then tell Tara who will tell everyone at the Association, and they will get up in her business. She should have returned home when Dox offered to.

“Whatever you’re thinking, stop. I’m sure you have your reasons for disappearing.”

Lyssa groaned at the absurdness of it all “How the hell did you find my apartment?”

“Jasmin gave me the address from your workplace and your Captain helped with the rest.”

Cursing, she turned and told him to get inside. The day was starting and already turning out to be a pain. She really didn’t want to talk to Doctor Zayne.

A/N: A new chapter will be out every weekend, on Sundays. If you wish to read it on my AO3 account, here's the link.

[wandererenthusiast1]

Nerooooo~! I got you a present, look!

She takes out a resin figure from behind her back.

It’s a Fowlwing figurine! I heard you talking about them last week, and I know a guy that does 3D printing at his shop, so I thought you would like it. Now you have a desk buddy!

Tara grins, and there might as well be little cartoon flowers floating around her face like in some silly anime.

What do you think??

- @taraandtarot

“Y-you’re serious?! Thank you so much!”

He takes the figurine from her with care and places it on his desk while looking for a spot to place it. Eventually he found a spot right next to his monitors, adjusting its position so it could be displayed in all its ferocious glory.

“It’s honestly insane how in depth your friend went with the detail. He even got the slight cracks and dents in the wings, he’s a genius.”

He walked around the figure, analyzing it from all sides, mumbling to himself. There seemed to be a familiar atmosphere forming around him as the other colleagues in the room were trying to focus on their work and tune out his ramblings. Surprisingly enough, he snapped out of it quickly.

“Tara, how much was this?! 3D printing isn’t cheap these days and considering how much work was put into this, your friend must have worked on this for over a week at the most! Let me know what I can do to make it up to you!”

[starmocha]

[manikas-whims]

how i think the Love and Deepspace characters would respond to mc/you saying:

"can you buy me pads?"

TARA

XAVIER

ZAYNE

RAFAYEL

CALEB

[yuzuocha]

Tara: Hey, where'd you buy your top?

MC: [turns to Zayne]

Zayne: ?

MC: Tara asked me where I bought you.

@anxiousgoddest calling you out

[aly4khq]

✧˚ · . i think...𓇢𓆸

- xᴀᴠɪᴇʀ -

----------------------------------------------

lately, the tension between you and Xavier has gotten worse with each passing day. the last time you both had a conversation was when you were in a meeting that was about your next mission. majority of your co-workers and your team had easily noticed the growing hatred that was spreading around the air. it broke your heart, it broke his but neither of you have the courage to talk it out.

----------------------------------------------

"stop acting stupid. that's all i'm trying to say?" his voice boomed with fury, reaching your ears in a disgusting tone. his cerulean eyes dark with disgust, staring at you like you've betrayed him. his demeanour crazily shifted from how he was before.

"how am i acting stupid? all i did was save that girl! you want me to let her die?" your voice didn't compete with his, you're carrying regret for something you didn't do wrong in. you were furious, yes, but showing that would only made that worse. your arms crossed as you mumbled under your breath.

"what was that? say it out loud." he walked closer to you, his steps heavy against the floor of your apartment. stepping back to keep a distance, your arm uncrossed just in case he lashes out.

"you could've died...huh? is that was you want? to be dead? that's selfish, you're being selfish. stop that." his hand lifted to his hip, his upper torso leaning over you.

"so what if i died? i would've died a hero. i barely got injured, it wasn't even that bad of a wanderer. any beginner could beat that." arguing back, his eyes widened at your statement. they turned black, you couldn't see xavier in them anymore.

you couldn't hear the soft voice of your love.

you couldn't feel his soft touch, just harshness.

you couldn't breathe.

your own eyes rose in size as you realised where his hand landed, straight on your neck. his grip tightened, leaving you no choice but to suffer under his gaze. he was crazy, he looked crazy. the pure evil in his face terrified you.

"barely got injured?! you broke your hand!! how dumb are you to understand that you're not destructible!!" his voice was what nearly made you cry out of pain, he was serious yet so aggressive.

"xav-agh- mhm-" you struggled to get his attention, your hand grasping his to try and pry him off, the other no use. his words weren't reaching your ears, they were mumbles; the ringing interrupted every letter.

you came to your last conclusion, you tap his arm thrice, harsh taps to be in fact. it was your safeword, but right now you couldn't do anything else. somehow, that clicked to him.

his eyes shifted back to its original colour, his hand loosing its harmful grip of your neck as he stepped back in horror. as his hands slowly retreated to his side, he tried to get a hold of himself; his mouth agape in surprise.

"fuck- are you okay? i didn't mean it. shit! um-" he scrambled to fine something to help your coughing fit, his last resort was getting some water. he handed the bottle to you before he helped you drink.

after, you held the counter, not daring to stare at him in fear that you might see that face again. your voice was soft and cracked with your gentle cries in between.

his mind cursed at him for doing something so idiotic, he knew that you won't want for him to be here. but his heart still broke when he heard those words.

"...i think you should go..."

----------------------------------------------

no one knew the story, only you and him. that same day, you had requested for another partner to work with. luckily, it was tara. but sometimes you can't hide stuff from your best friend. especially if she's with you nearly every day.

"babe come on. you're not fine. i know it. please talk to me." she begged and pleaded for you to stop keeping it in. she held you tightly as she rubbed your arm. her face the saddest it's ever been. she caressed your face with her other hand, lifting your head up to see your face clearly.

"you can always talk to me. i promise." her kindness watered your eyes, making you feel so loved and welcomed. sitting up straight, you sighed before laying your head on her shoulder.

"not yet tara...i think i should wait." your voice softened her ears, the tears embedded in your words. understandingly, she nodded while nuzzling her head onto of yours.

----------------------------------------------

"you STUPID idiot! how could you screw up this bad xavier?!"

shouts and yells echoed in every corner of xavier's apartment, your hands grasping tara's bicep as you begged her to shut up and leave. her finger in his face as she scolded him angrily. you had finally told her, preparing yourself for this.

"tara-" "NO. listen babe, i can't sit past this. he WHAT?!"

oh my gosh. pulling on her jumper, your voice increased in volume as well. "tara! come on!!" she squirmed in your grasp, her eyes full of so much emotion. you were started to get a little bit more excited the more she scolded xavier but you laughing would add fuel to the fire.

"what an idiotic boyfriend you are. i gave you one job- JUST ONE. and you mess it up. take care of her. simple instructions and you know what you said that you will take care of her until your last breathe. might as well stop breathing. my gosh, what a-

BANG!

she slammed her hand onto the wall beside her, the sound vibrating through the air. your eyes narrowed at her strength.

-fucking LIAR!"

finally moving her to the door, you tried to calm her down in your own words, only stopping to open the door properly, pushing her out gently. you hesitated to follow.

turning your head to face xavier, he was staring at you, in melancholy. a part of you wanted to have a conversation, one that lasted for as many hours as it took just for you two to go back to how you were before.

"babe! let's go."

it felt like stinging needles as you forced yourself to pull away from his dreadful eyes, tara watching you like a hawk as she let you say your last words.

"...i'll think i should go..."

----------------------------------------------

idk if i wanna finished this.

anyway

do not steal any of my work even tho they are trash!

date made: 29-31/05/24

[letsgauxplay]

I knew it. Our 5th LI is our girl, Tara. 🫶😆

[jenchan-writingmultis]

Redirected (Zayne x Rafayel)

✦•······················•✦•······················•✦ Synopsis:

Betrayed was the word that described what Rafayel felt when he realized that despite waiting for 800 years for the girl he loved, she fell for another man just like that, he was foolish to think that she would love him. However, it was odd how he started to feel something similar to a guy who also loved her.

Seriously? Is he really gonna give me a chance to love again? Especially when that man is a stone-faced, asshole who's a smartass and way too blunt for his own good. This is the opposite of what he likes! but that doesn't stop his feelings from falling through. Unfortunately. ✦•······················•✦•······················•✦

Genre: Fluff/Angst (Slow burn) + Unrequited love Pairing: (Main Pairing): Zayne x Rafayel (Side Pairing): Mc x Xavier

Notes: Hear me out on Zaynel/Rafayne please omg, It's just so good cause they're artist/doctor, and many more, give a chance to this ship. The first chapter, Zayne and Rafayel are still smitten by Mc! This will be cut into chapters, I'll post more soon! Warning: Mc can be seen as a self insert/reader however that is not the main pairing, so instead of using You/Yourself I'm using She/her. If you do not like MLM please do not read it! The main pairing is already stated as Zayne x Rafayel! As the story progresses there is a possibility of adding extra warnings, I'll do that in each chapter. If you decide to continue reading. enjoy and please tell me your thoughts about it if you'd like! I'm the only one beta-reading my work!

Credits: Images came from the official website of Love and deepspace, while the banner is created by me. Masterlist

✦•······················•✦•······················•✦

I do not consent to stealing, translating, or putting my work in AI.

✦•······················•✦•······················•✦

This is insane.

The audacity of his crush to invite someone else to their date was not only insane, but it was also borderline cruel! How could she?

Rafayel grumbled to himself, looking at the food he was eating before shoving it in his mouth and chewing it angrily, they’re currently in Meow café, it all started when Rafayel decided to ask Mc out if she wanted to come by and pick him up to go to the meow café, and she seemed reluctant at first, but he insisted. 

“Come on Mc, it’ll be a good date, promise! It’s on me if you agree” he whined, he was bored without her, she was the only reason he’d go out often and he kept complaining to Thomas about the lack of inspiration, which was due to the fact that his bodyguard had been way too busy for his liking, even if he visited their headquarters, he wasn’t allowed inside, and when he asked where she was, they’d tell him that she wasn’t even on duty, so if she wasn’t around where was she going? She wasn’t answering his calls either that day.

If it weren’t for her friend, he would have stayed there under the scorching heat till she came around. “Oh! Mr. Rafayel?” Tara walked to him, holding an ice cream that probably came from the company’s cafeteria. “Who are you?” He tilted his head, looking down at the woman, “My name’s Tara, you must be looking for Mc, right?” He nodded, crossing his arms before he looked at the time “Is she there? Her colleagues told me that she was out, but they didn’t know where” he sighed, it was really hot today, what’s the sun’s deal? Does it want him to die out here? 

“Oh, it’s cause Mc got an injury on her hand, it’s not that bad but she needed to get some rest for it cause she can’t use any type of gun or anything that can strain her hand for the time being,” Tara said, licking the ice cream she was eating looking unbothered while Rafayel here looked outright terrified “What?!” he screeched causing Tara to jolt in surprise.

“She’s fine! She called me earlier to check on her things. If you want, I can give you her coordinates, although I was sure she gave you that already, I always see you around with her! And well Doctor Zayne and Xavier!” she shared, for some reason, Rafayel felt like she was doing this on purpose to get him riled up; which worked of course. 

“Can I have her coordinates?” he almost looked pitiful in Tara’s eyes before she smiled “Yeah sure, I trust you enough! Mc talks about you frequently!” she grinned, showing him a QR code which he scanned immediately, although hearing what she said made his heartbeat faster. “She talked about me?” He murmured, scratching his cheek “What did she say?” 

“Well,” she puts her finger on her lips before going into deep thought, “she said you’re always complaining and asking for her attention, it was frustrating sometimes” and that made Rafayel huff, so she’s been backstabbing him in front of her friends? 

“But she does sound fond of you when she says those things though, kind of like a best friend” Tara finishes, putting her phone back into her pocket “It’s rare for her to talk about someone like that ever since you know, that happened” she was referencing about the death of Caleb and her grandmother which made Rafayel frown, she couldn’t be reached during those times and he went to visit her, she was staying in a temporary apartment, and it was a mess. Reminiscing about that made his heart clench, out of everything he disliked, seeing Mc hurt like that destroyed him. He went to at least try to cook something for her, but all he could do was soup, so he decided to just order takeout from a restaurant that specializes in customizable meals. 

 “I should go now; you can visit her in Akso Hospital! I visited her yesterday and she’s doing great!” Tara snapped Rafayel out of his thoughts before he nodded “Alright, I’ll see you around, thank you Tara” he waved goodbye to her before looking at his phone which pinpointed the location of Mc. “No problem, go get your girl Loverboy,” she said, waving goodbye as Rafayel stood there cheeks up to his ears red. “Jeez.” 

During those times he never actually saw who Doctor Zayne was, cause when he visited, it was just Mc being there, and the nurse informing Zayne that there was a visitor, but that guy didn’t bother showing up, well he was busy apparently, which is great for Rafayel! He can spend some time with Mc. 

“Mc” Rafayel called out to her, pouting as he went to sit down beside her, who looked alright, she didn’t have anything stabbing her arms, and it seemed like she was about to be released soon. “Rafayel! How did you get here?” she asked, surprised while Rafayel frowned, his face looking sour, “I got your coordinates from Tara, why didn’t you even call me?” he huffed, crossing his arms “Do you plan to hurt yourself without informing me when you get to the hospital? What happened to being punctual with me? What if I needed you for a job and suddenly you can’t cause you got your hand hurt?” he scolded her, and she looked down “Yeah, I’m sorry, I didn’t realize my phone cracked when I was in n109 zone” She explained, playing with her fingers, “I couldn’t reach anyone except for Zayne and Xavier. I’m sorry” 

Rafayel felt bad for scolding her before he sighed, gently caressing Mc’s hand before he held it. “It’s fine, I was more worried for you than angry about it.” He placed her uninjured hand to his cheek, nuzzling it and Mc looked taken aback before she smiled, rubbing his cheeks “Thank you Rafayel”  He could get used to this to be fair. He liked the attention, the gentleness of his crush, however…

“By the way” he hummed, looking at Mc with an indescribable look, “Tara told me something” he continued, gripping on Mc’s hand a bit before giving her palm a bite, “She said you spent so much time with other people, Doctor Zayne and someone named Xavier?” Mc’s eyes widened before she started giggling “Are you jealous?” she said before Rafayel pouted, letting her hand go. “No! Why would I? You’d pick me either way!” he said, crossing his arms. Seriously, he was super confident during that time, and now look what happened. He didn’t expect that when he asked Mc out on a date, she was already in one with this Doctor Zayne! He was emitting a bad aura which made Mc sigh.

“I told you that I was busy, and I was with someone, but you complained if they’re much more important than you” She was feeling a headache coming to her, and It amused Zayne, considering she was usually the one causing the headache for him, this is interesting. Zayne was expecting a simple hangout with Mc when she got a call from an unknown caller, he didn’t expect it would be the guy that visited her and caused a lot of noise in the hospital back then was now sitting down eating his food angrily, Zayne kept a poker face before he went to eat his portion of the meal. “Nice to meet you, Rafayel” he stated, looking at Rafayel who glared at him “My name is Zayne, you were the one that a nurse informed me visited Mc during non-visitation hours?” 

Rafayel sat up straight from that, pointing the fork at Zayne “Excuse you! Nobody stopped me!” Zayne didn’t bother to look at him anymore before he gave Mc some of his vegetables “Eat” he whispered to her, she was going to whine but if she did, it’d be two whiners in one area, no way she was going to do that, so she accepted her fate and begrudgingly takes the vegetables. 

“Hey!” Rafayel pouted, looking at both of them, honestly, they looked like a couple, and it made his heart ache. “The reason why they didn’t stop you was because you rushed inside without stopping, the majority of nurses are women and what happens If a fully grown adult man came rushing into the room of a patient?” the audacity of this guy! He’s making it sound like he’s going to physically assault the nurses! “Luckily enough Mc here told the nurses not to call the guards, and to just inform me that someone broke the protocol. You should thank her that you weren’t thrown out.” Zayne stated, finishing the conversation before Rafayel could even say anything.

Rafayel continued to glare at Zayne, honestly now that he sees his fault, it was immature of him to just barge inside, but can you blame him? He was upset and worried for Mc! “I’m sorry,” He said, relaxing himself, and Zayne stared at him “Apology accepted, please don’t do that again." And that was it, end of conversation again, he was expecting retaliation from the guy, but he guessed he was the nonchalant type. Mc doesn’t seem bothered by it, as a matter of fact, she seems to like the silence while she eats. “It seems like you two would get along well!” she said as if the shenanigans that happened just a few minutes ago didn’t happen, “Doctor Zayne already introduced himself, why don’t you introduce yourself too?”  Mc went to get a drink before gulping it down, and Zayne was looking at her again. Why aren’t they paying attention to Rafayel much? This hurts his ego.

“I was thinking that Doctor Zayne already knows about me,” he chided, wanting to tease this prick of a doctor, crossing his arms. “Your name was repeated multiple times, and you almost got framed for murder, yes?” Zayne said, wiping the tissue on his lips, elegant asshole. “What? Where did you even hear that from?” He looked confused, isn’t Zayne an outsider? 

“Mc and I went to investigate that matter before, so I know about the case” He answered, as if reading Rafayel’s thoughts, it was easy to read the guy, he was like an open book because of his reactions, like Mc. Rafayel looked away awkwardly “Case solved! You don’t need to bring that up,” he grumbled, just how much did Mc spend time with this guy? He heard a chuckle from Zayne, “From what I heard you’re quite a disaster, always attracting trouble, or creating trouble for yourself” he said and Rafayel’s cheeks turned beet red from embarrassment “Shut up!”

 “See,” the banter was stopped when Mc giggled “you two do get along!”  

“No we don’t,” Rafayel glared at her, words coming out harshly and firmly “I find teasing him entertaining, it is nice to finally put a face to the name, Rafayel, some of my acquaintances are fans of your works” Zayne looked at him, stone-faced, unlike Rafayel, this guy wasn’t easy to understand, everything he says, he states it in a monotone voice, his face remaining neutral, the perfect doctor face or whatever, It’s the polar opposite of him. It makes him worried that Mc doesn’t like him because of his expressions, maybe she likes a guy like Zayne. 

Then a phone started ringing, it was a girly ringtone which surprised Mc, looking at her phone she noticed it was Xavier, making her smile unknowingly, “I gotta take this, give me a second” She looked at Zayne who nodded, while she just waved at Rafayel who looked like he was ready to whine about it. Leaving him with this guy? Especially in a café where lovers are usually around? Call him dramatic but this is definitely not something he wants to stay in, when he was about to stand up when Zayne suddenly talked.

 “Where do you think you’re going?” he asked, drinking the coffee he ordered, Rafayel flinched before sitting back down “I was going to get water, it’s self-serving here you know.” Rafayel lied, looking away, why is he even avoiding eye contact? This guy has nothing on him. “Mc would be sad if you suddenly left just because she got a phone call.” He hummed, fixing their table cleaning it out of the empty dishes, and asking the waiter to clean it. It made Rafayel confused, but he stayed sat as told. “How about we play kitty cards while we wait?” he smiled.  ✦•······················•✦•······················•✦ Word Count: 2,105

[fleur-de-leap]

Cute idea I had earlier:

The Love and Deepspace MC having either a necklace or bracelet with a charm on it to represent each of the characters she gets close to. Think like a Pandora bracelet? Where the charas get her a charm to go on it, maybe started by Caleb or Tara, and it spiraled?

Xavier with a star or moon charm probably, with a little white crystal that catches any light at all

Zayne with a snowflake maybe? With a blue crystal in the center, either light or dark

Rafayel with a fish charm, perhaps with purple crystals for the eyes (maybe that seems red in certain lighting, and some mother of pearl inlay?)... Or a paintbrush with mother of pearl on the brush part?

Of course an apple for Caleb, a flower for Jeremiah (different flower for each MC?)

Tara I'm not as sure what kind of charm... Maybe a cute little witch hat charm?

[skynapple]

Budding Romance | Ch. 16

Love and Deepspace | Jeremiah x MC / slow-burn / friends-to-lovers | Themes: angst, guilt, fluff

warnings: none

Multi-chapter | A03 link

Beginning | <- Prev | Next ->

"Stalker" Tara wants to do some research.

Tara wasn't one for idleness. She enjoyed constant company, chatter, and  entertainment. Finding out her new best friend had a massive crush was a thrill that topped all the rest lately. Just what type of person was he? She determined in her mind to find out and learn more about him, just for safety sake. Although, her fellow huntress had conveniently refused to tell her the name of the flower shop. It took some investigation, but eventually she had narrowed it down to two options. The amount of male-owned floral shops were slim to none within an hour circumference.

Time to take a trip!

Early on a late-summer morning, she set out to hunt the man down. Her first stop was an ornate shop on the west side of Linkon, ‘the fancy district’ as she referred to it. Expensive florals swathed in brilliant silks and ornaments decorated the large place, known most greatly for its extravagant wedding arrangements. In short time, she had her answer. This was the wrong place -leaving one last location on her list, which was on the other side of town. The much smaller shop, “Philo,” had no website, no social media presence. It existed only as a blip in an old map and word-of-mouth.

Upon entering, she admired the florals and quaint aesthetic. To her shock, the man who appeared to greet her not the man her friend had described, but an all-too-familiar blonde headed, blue-eyed hunter, wearing a dark apron over casual clothes. 

“Oh! It's you!” She exclaimed, her cheery voice filling the whole shop.

For just a moment Tara wondered if somehow her thoughts were misplaced, now thinking, Does she actually have a crush on Xavier? Then she recalled the image she had been shown at their lunchtime exchange and shook off the thoughts.

"Xavier, is this your side job? Who knew!"

“Oh... no.” The man look a little awkwardly away, but smiled. It was different to see him not so 'standoffish' as people in the office liked to refer to him as. Though their fellow hunters regarded him highly, everyone knew how anti-social he was. “I'm just filling in for a friend today.” He finished.

“Really!! Oh, so is your friend the owner of this place? That’s cool! Where’s he at?”

He set the mister on a shelf and yawned. "He was tired today.”

She giggled. "Xavier, you're one to talk! You know your partner always tells me you pretty much sleep anywhere and everywhere, anytime you get!"

Before Xavier could respond to that, she gabbed on.

"So, are you getting paid? Must be nice! Oh my gosh, wait, she was right your eyelashes are totally blonde!"

"... What?"

Xavier shifted uncomfortably, hand reaching up to the back of his neck awkwardly. 

She couldn't read him really, just that he was awkward as usual. Once again, before he could say anything else, she interrupted any possibility of him getting a word in.

“Wait, can you help me then? I was going to get something here for our teammate, you-know-who. I was thinking something cute for her desk! Ah, your shared desk? Her side? I was thinking something small and pretty. Or maybe something large and elegant! Like a huge lily! Wait, should I wait for the owner to return? You wouldn't know would you? Do you know when he'll be back?"

Xavier couldn't take it. “Let me check the back and see if he's around…” He said, leaving in such haste he nearly knocked a large pot over.

While she waited, she shopped around, finally settling on what to get her colleague as an excuse to be in the shop. She has no idea what her friends’ crush could be up to. As her thoughts wondered, she heard a noise from the door leading to the back that startled her. Xavier emerged from behind the door, carrying the half limp form of another man. The sight made her gasp softly. Honey brown curls. That had to be him - and he was passed out.

"Oh no! Is that your friend? Is he ok? Is he drunk??"

"Can you get the door?"

Placement-wise, he was her superior and sort of a legend, she didn't bother to question him when given a command.

"Do you need help? Are you sure he doesn't need first aid?" She said. It secretly occurred to her to text her friend, but only after making sure the man was ok.

"Actually..." Xavier started, glancing behind him and adjusting the man's arm over his, then flinging his whole limp body over his shoulder. "Can you lock up? I need to take him home. I think his keys are..." He fished around the mans pocket with a free hand with some effort and handed it to her.

"O-Of course! But...if these are his keys, then how will you-?" 

"His spare. Sorry, I'll see you."

Tara felt the wind rush through her short strands and Xavier was gone with a flash of light and a gust of wind. Having received no other explanation, she was left alone, dumbfounded, with only instructions. She figured out how to switch the lighted "open" sign off, and fumbled through the sets of keys until finding the one that worked. It felt strange to hold a physical key, she wasn't sure if she'd actually ever used one before. It felt a little fun and retro.

When she was sure the door was secure, she picked up her mobile device and contacted her friend.

---

"Whathappened?" Her fellow huntress and best friend asked, sliding into the booth at the cafe they agreed to meet at. As Tara relayed the events of the morning, her hands rose to her mouth, a pensive expression as she sat incredulously.

There were many things she couldn't wrap her head around, from the fact that Tara went through the trouble of finding out where her crush worked, and then the fact that Xavier was there helping, and finally that Jeremiah was not in good condition.

"I don't know! At first Xavier said that the owner was out, and then that he was in the back, and then he didn't really say anything! He did not look good let me tell you. I'm kind of worried myself.”

It hadn't exactly been a good first impression, but she was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. She thought if Xavier was handling it, then it should be fine. Although, it was her friend’s crush, and if she had an opportunity to find out more about him, even if it was information that might encourage her friend not to pursue him, then she figured it was better to let things happen that way. After all, her cards that morning had told her so.

Tara placed a rather old-fashioned-looking set of keys in front of them on the table they were seated at. Gingerly, her friend picked it up and ran a thumb over the leather strap holding the keys together. It had his name engraved on it.

"I'll make sure I get it to him. Thank you, Tara."

[tumbling-through-deepspace]

The Hunter, a baby and the unexpected forming of family in unlikely places: Chapter Two

Summary:

Hunter Lyssa Williams finds a baby abandoned outside her apartment complex. The 24-year-old is way over her head and does not know the first thing about looking after a tiny human. However, as the saying goes, 'it takes a village to raise a child' and in her case a group of unlikely men come along for the ride.

Genres: Slice of life, comfort, eventual relationships, eventual romance, enemies to friends, frenemies, fluff...

Word count: 2105 words

Eventual Relationships: Xavier/MC/Rafayel

Zayne/Sylus/Lyssa

Chapter Two: Visitors and Concerns

Zayne did not know what to say as he sat across from Lyssa. The young woman in question was glaring at him while trying not to fall asleep. He could see how tired she was. Her hair was unkept, sticking in all directions, there were stains on her clothes, dark circles under her eyes.

“Are you alright?”

“Doctor Zayne, I know this is not a social call and I have no energy to talk to adults right now. So, can you tell me why you are here?”

“It is very inconsiderate to cut off all communication considering that there are people worried about you.”

“The people that I know who would be most worried were here a week ago. I am not aware that there were others. I’m not a very social person and only those who I allow to get close to me know what I’m like.”

She watched as he slightly tilted him head “That is where you are mistaken. Jasmin and Tara, Doctor Waverly, and your captain they all were worried.”

Lyssa felt a headache develop. She just wanted to sleep and this talk about people that she hardly associates herself with unless it’s work, or the hospital made her skin crawl. She wasn’t exaggerating when she confessed to not being a social person.

“Go away.”

“It is not advisable for you to be isolated especially when you look like you’re about to faint.”

“I’ll manage. Hunter training is more intense than this and I’ve gone days without sleep before.”

“Research would debunk that claim. It is more taxing taking care of a newborn than working any job.”

Lyssa couldn’t help herself, she did hiss at him, annoyed that he was in her home when she just wanted to be left alone. Why did he care? They weren’t friends.

“You’re infuriating. Get out of my nest Zayne. The faster you leave the better; I can return to taking a nap while my daughter is having hers.”

The two looked at each other for a few moments. Zayne was the first to break eye contact and he rose from his seat preparing to head out

“Ms. Williams as a medical professional I strongly advise that you have some support to help with the strain of your duties. You won’t be helping your daughter if you are not 100%. Is the other parent not involved?”

“Non-existent.”

Taking that as the cue to leave, Zayne let himself out quietly closing the door behind him.

Doctor Waverly blinking twice in disbelief “Forgive me but I think I misheard you.”

Zayne let out a sigh “You heard me quite clearly.”

Both doctors sat in silence each lost in their own thoughts. Doctor Waverly was perplexed; in the years that he was Lyssa’s primary care physician, there was nothing within her anatomy that indicated that she could carry children to term; it was a 25% chance.

He remembered how devastated the young woman was when being told this; she had her annual physical examination at that time and wanted to know if she could have children. Now it seems that that 25% came through. However, the question going through his mind is ‘why didn’t she trust him— her doctor—to guide her and offer this medical input?’

Then there was the situation with her Evol that needs to be taken into consideration; Her Evol was a wind manipulation type as the primary strand but there was a second strand present. So far, the Evol type was unknown. The primary Evol tied into her phobia of being touched.

How did that work for her? Letting anyone new to touch her caused Lyssa’s Evol to react erratically. With her having to constantly be holding and tending to a newborn, how was she coping? How was the state of her Evol? The fact that Doctor Zayne witnessed that there was no presence of her Evol or of it acting out when holding the baby, indicated something positive. Sometimes Lyssa baffled him.

Doctor Zayne on the other hand couldn’t get the image of Lyssa out of his head. He had never seen her so vulnerable; even though there were traces of sleepiness and fatigue, she looked so soft and delicate. A complete opposite of her normal stoic expression and guarded body language. It awoke a feeling in his chest and with her holding a baby—his thoughts shifted to a domesticated scene.

Then there was the baby. The situation baffled him a bit. Like, when was she pregnant? How did no one notice? Who was the father of the child? Lyssa said they were non-existent. Zayne had a ton of questions and not enough answers.

From what little he could see of her daughter, the baby has a head of white hair with hints of purple, a lighter shade of her mother’s. The little girl was also small, so she could be a pre-term baby or maybe the child was just naturally small.

He couldn’t understand why he had an urge to return to her side. They both met through Doctor Waverly because Jasmin and Lyssa have similar health issues with their Evols and since he has been handling Jasmin’s case for a few years, had more experience than his colleague who came to him for advice.

Over a few years they would cross paths and even though Lyssa would be polite and engage in small talk, she kept her distance and never pried into his personal life; yes, there were times when she would be exposed to his co-workers’ shenanigans and found out small things about him but he didn’t mind.

It was a relief at his end because he has had many instances throughout his medical career dealing with patients who would flirt, try to dig for information and who crossed boundaries. The encounters would leave him uncomfortable.

There were times—when he allowed his mind to stray—his thoughts would aim towards her. Any new thing he picked up about Lyssa was a result of Jasmin (who can be a chatterbox at times), and it was worse with Tara being present.

He learned that she bakes, and she crochets. That she loves books and has quite a temper, but it comes out in the form of expletive venting or violent silence with a piercing stare (Tara’s exact words on the last part).

Zayne had to stop himself from smiling because he could picture Lyssa doing something like that. Afterall, he has been on the receiving end of a few stares.

The idea of her taking this on alone caused him to frown. What of her work? Captain Jenna said that Lyssa was on a mission around the time he reached out. Clearly the baby couldn’t be the mission she spoke about; no that wasn’t it.

He did reach back out after no one could get on to her, not even the captain. It was then Zayne shared with her that Lyssa missed her appointment and about the fake address. That resulted in her explaining that the address wasn’t exactly fake, it was used as a means of cover. Lyssa’s apartment was a few doors down from the Bakery and if he truly wanted to find her, she would most likely be there. That is how he got the building and her apartment number.

So, he took a gamble, and it paid off because she was there, but would she stay there now that she was found out?

“Alexandra? What are you doing here?”

“Well hello to you too Tweets. Where is my niece?”

Lyssa rolled her eyes “Hello Alexandra. I am fine, thank you for asking.”

The woman laughed “Alright, enough with the sass. Let me in.” She then swept Lyssa into a hug “Missed you Tweets, you need to come visit, it’s not the same without you around.”

Trying not to get misty-eyed, she let Alexandra into the apartment and guided her towards the living room where little Ella was lying in the baby swing.

“Holy shit, it seems Roman’s injection worked. She already has some of your features and hair coloring. Was white her natural hair color when you found her?”

“Roman is a dam scientific genius, I almost didn’t believe it when Dox said they had a way to make sure she was mine. Imagine my surprise when Roman explained they could alter her DNA to match mine, so if anyone did any test it would show she was my daughter. Yeah, white hair and hazel eyes.”

Alexandra sanitized her hands before taking the baby into her arms “Well he only created that serum because of you and Enid.”

“We told him not to, so stubborn that one but I guess in hindsight I’m happy he did. Now, enough about that big marshmallow, what brings you to Linkon? I know the N109 zone can’t be that boring.”

The two women giggled as Ella began babbling and tugged Alexandra’s hair “Aww, we aren’t giving you enough attention chick.”

Lyssa groaned “Please do not start giving her bird nicknames too.”

“I don’t have to have a reason to come and see you Lyssa. If you won’t make the effort, I will. Things aren’t boring per say but I just needed to get out of there for a few days cause of some heat.”

They entered the kitchen with Lyssa bringing out a carrot cake and cutting out two slices “Are you lot causing trouble again?”

“Not us. There is this group of arm dealers that got on the bad side of one of the big ones on top the food chain and the whole N109 zone is tense waiting for shit to hit the fan. Just didn’t want to be around when that happens. Can I crash here?”

Lyssa laughed “That was clearly a reason for coming to see me. You don’t do anything without reason. Sure, you can stay. Any idea who was pissed off?”

“Move to the N109 zone if you want the tea, tweets.”

“Not when I have that little one to look after.”

“Wusspuss.”

“Come on Alexandra… Please. I’ve been cooped up and you always got all the juicy info. Entertain me.”

“No way. I am not giving you any names, not with you still employed with the Hunter’s Association.”

Lyssa grinned slyly “Oh! It’s someone on the association’s radar. Dam, I don’t feel sorry for the folks that pissed of whoever it is.”

Alex raised a brow “Don’t go poking your nose into business that doesn’t concern you tweets, no matter how tempting it may be.”

“I won’t.”

“Give me a vow that you won’t”

Kissing her teeth, Lyssa shook her head “I will do no such thing, not even for you. The last vow I took nearly got me killed. Look, I won’t be doing any snooping; got a baby to take care of and I’m on indefinite leave from the Association, so I’m going to take that time to relax and embrace motherhood.”

Alexandra huffed and grumbled under her breath in another language “Whatever. Let’s go out, show me the neighborhood. I refuse to have you stay indoors when the weather is beautiful, and the chick can take in the wonders of the great outdoors.”

“Have I ever told you I love yah?”

“You don’t say it enough. I deserve it after having to put up with all of you.”

A hooded figure trailed behind the unsuspecting pair, blending seamlessly with the crowd. Both women possessed the same height with almost similar body types. One having sun-kissed skin, waist length chestnut colored hair, grey-blue eyes and a battle scar running along her left cheek. They were tasked with finding out why she vacated from the zone when a missive was sent out that no one was to leave.

The other woman had dark violet eyes, chocolate colored skin, light violet eyes and a beauty mark under her left one. They observed that this one was supporting something in her hands, cocooned in a wrap and it took them only a split second to realize it was a baby.

Well, that was something they never encountered on a mission. Something worth reporting. They continued following the women until they entered an arcade. Only staying a few seconds, the stranger was preparing to turn away when they felt eyes on them. Looking up, he saw the woman with violet eyes staring right at him, a faint purple glow coming off her body.

It should have been near impossible for her to notice them. Not wasting another second, they turned around and vanished from view. It was time to hand in their findings.

[supvoid]

Love & Deepspace Chapter 4: Under Twilight Part 2

[rose-tinted-kalopsia]

Sorry for barging in but i'm embarrassed and I wrote this for you:

Tara isn't sure how it happened. Her and her huntress friend decided to have a girls night, just them two, at Tara's place. Tara wasn't sure why her friend insisted it be anywhere else, being that her fellow hunteress lived in SUCH a nice place. Then it was politely implied that a certain neighbor would be home that weekend, and it seemed to settle. It started as an innocent game of Twister. A retro game after a bottle of champagne. Giggling, they toppled over one another over, and over again. What she wasn't expecting is what was happening now. Her cards had warned her earlier in the week that something new and exciting was coming. She thought maybe she would finally be able to win the gacha she trying for, or she'd get some good news, or see a puppy. But this? This revelation was quite off the charts.

Her friend was /handsy/ tonight and not in a way that she ever expected.

"Hey silly!" Tara giggled at the feeling of her friends hand under her silk pajama top. Her friend was laughing, but also whining, slurring through her tipsy state.

"I wanna squish youuu." Tara gasped at the sensation, her friend had rolled herself on top of her, head pressed onto her chest, fully squishing her breast like her life depended on it.

"Squishh!!" Both girls laughed. But then the squishing kept happening. Tara wasn't sure where her shirt or the rest of her lacy bra went, or why her cheeks were so warm.

"My turn!" The other girl tried to make a run for it, but Tara was a hunter too. She maneuvered herself over the couch and caught her by the waist, wrestling until they were both on the carpet again with a loud thud, and Tara had her squish. Then a new sensation. Something warm and wet against her tongue. Someone /elses/. It tasted like strawberry and champagne.

"Ohh." She moaned, not expecting that sound out of her own mouth. Then that someone was on top of her, long hair brushing over her body, making her tingle all over. "I win!"

But it wasn't a competition Tara intended to lose. "You're on!" She exclaimed, grabbing the woman and flipping her over, to the best of her abilities.

That's the last thing Tara remembered. Both girls woke up passed out on the ground the next morning, embarrassed and exhausted.

"So, are we going to talk about last night?" Tara asks innocently enough with an ice pack to her head, fully clothed now.

Her friend pursed her lips. "What happened at girls night stayed at girls night. Since neither of us remember…"

Tara nods, guiltily. "Nothing happened."

Maybe nothing did. It's never mentioned between them again, but every time she looks at a bottle of champagne, she's not sure why she still craves strawberries. **sprints away**🌟

"Maybe nothing did. It's never mentioned between them again, but every time she looks at a bottle of champagne, she's not sure why she still craves strawberries."

HELLO?! 🌟 ANONIE. I'M SO SHOCKED BUT IN A GOOD WAY BECAUSE THIS WAS BEAUTIFULLY? WRITTEN? tara doesn't NEARLY get as much attention and i love her she's so adorable THIS WAS LOVELY 😭😭😭😭😭 you have a way with words anonie i wholeheartedly approve <3333

[starmocha]

Today I learned that you can catch them interacting with posts "live"