#support: chad

[higaneion]

[ bullet ] [ arrow ] sender takes an arrow for receiver

Embroiled in another war. When would it end, when could she finally put her weapon down and use her powers for peace instead of fighting those she’s reluctant to call foes?

“Lady Lilina!” A voice calls out to her, warbled in her senses. 

It was too late. 

She heard the thwap of the arrow, then another as a groan escaped from the target. She slowly turns, afraid of the devastation to come. She knew that voice well. 

As they began to plummet, she held out her arms to catch them, gently kneeling down to the ground as she lowered them both. Stunned by their face grimaced in pain. Two arrows in critical spots, an alarming amount of blood had already soaked through clothes. Was there nothing she could do?

“Ch…Chad…” she whimpers between strangled tears. “You’re… you’re going to be okay…” she sniffs. They both knew it was a lie. 

Her hands search for a place to touch, she settles on stroking the tufts of blond hair. It was no use for her to try to remove the arrows, she didn’t want to send them into pain as they left this world. Oh, when did her body start to tremble?

It could have been her. Glassy blue eyes glance up. The healers were already busy with their others injured and the archer who landed two blows had been knocked down already. Damn it! Why didn’t she know any healing spells? Why did they have to engage in another bloodshed?

It should have been her. 

“Lady Lilina!” Another voice calls to her, another soldier, another friend to warn her and guard her. The battle was a ways from being finished, she couldn’t mourn now lest all her friends fall by her groveling. 

She must stand and fight, for Chad, for all the fallen. Their blood and dirt smears on her face as she rises, determination hardening into her gaze as their body falls to the wayside. She says a quick prayer, a hope that maybe they’ll finally be at peace, resting. Maybe they’ll even reunite with their father.

Lilina conjures flame in her palms, prepared to send these restless fools back down to the embers. She must prevail in their name.

[stalwaria]

Another cannon shot, another step in to protect Katarina from the toxicity of its magic. No matter how many hits she took, Etie continued to stand strong, and would do so until this shadow was finally...

...hopefully...

Brought down.

Bond (Edelgard) activates! Renewal activates! +3HP [Etie 10/10HP]

"Going for the weapon? Great idea. Disarming him might slow him down a bit..."

Etie 10/10HP uses Chain Guard on Katarina 10/10HP. Katarina 10/10HP is protected by Chain Guard and will receive 0 damage the next time she is attacked.

Etie's arms are held defensively in front of her, body shielding Katarina's in preparation for another attack. "I've got your back. Or... front, I guess." She chuckles a bit sheepishly at her own correction, sparing a smile for the lavender-haired girl before turning to the rest of the team.

"Is everyone holding up alright? If we hang on just a bit more, I think we might be able to finish this!"

Though it isn't something she should indulge in on the battlefield, Katarina can feel guilt and frustration attempting to lay their ungainly weights across her shoulders. Never mind that. The constancy of the pain she causes Etie, however small, or the fact that despite the exhaustion beginning to wear on the shade's face, she knows she has contributed little and less to that...

Though she exhales a steady breath, it's evident that she's changed her tactic for the one shot, at least. As the shade loads its cannon (that it should need to load its weapon with physical ammunition, yet its onslaught is magical in nature... curious, that), Katarina takes note of where it had reached. Another arrow, another retaliation -- another pain she has forced Etie to take.

Katarina 10/10HP hits Black Knight3/10HP with Bow of Zoltan [Roll: 6 + 8 = 14; -0HP, Black Knight3/10HP] Black Knight3/10HP hits Katarina 10/10HP with Venom Blast [Roll: 16 - 8 = 8; -6HP, Katarina 10/10HP] Black Knight has run out of ammunition for Venom Blast. Katarina is protected by Chain Guard! Etie takes 2 damage. [Etie 8/10HP] Katarina 10/10HP hits Black Knight3/10HP with Bow of Zoltan [Roll: 16 + 8 = 24; -0HP, Black Knight3/10HP]

But no sooner than she has recovered does she let another fly, this time striking not the shade itself, but what it needs to answer in kind. Yet it does not even fluster; it only attempts to reload for but a moment, realizes the futility of the task, and changes gear.

How many... never mind.

[numberonetribble]

Guess who finally heard what Knockout said to Optimus in TFP ?!!?! (me)

[astral-ashes]

I got the cake chad hoodie for my birthday (loved it! So soft!) and I was really excited for it!

....and then my janky ass dryer burnt the hoodie and sleeve 🫠 it wasn't ruined but it was very noticeable and I didn't want to wear it out anymore

So, I had to get a little creative to salvage it

Did I eat? Or did I starve?

[stalwaria]

Ninip misses Etie 8/10HP with Counter. [Roll: 2 - 2 = 0; -0HP, Etie 8/10HP] Nergal hits Etie 8/10HP with Counter. [Roll: 9 - 2 = 7; -2.5HP, Etie 5.5/10HP]

Even as she fights off the golems, Etie keeps an eye on Edelgard. On the way she presses a hand to her chest, how her gauntlet tumbles to the floor when she wraps an arm about her head, bowling over with a sudden scream. Etie can only stare in a concerned sort of shock, mouth opening to ask—what's wrong? What can she do?

She didn't know what to ask. Nothing felt right or sufficient enough.

But the imperial princess steels herself once more, words of conviction pushing away Etie's doubts. The fight. Right. That was priority.

The piercing note that shakes and washes over the area is a very painful and acute reminder.

Chrysopoeia activates! Etie -4HP (Etie 1.5/10)

Once again, Etie squeezes her eyes shut and holds tight to her wolf, arms wrapped about its broad neck for balance. Sound and light begin to subside, and when she opens her eyes, the wall of golems is broken, and the enemy beyond has receded into a state of rest. No. Vulnerability.

Every muscle in her body burned, each limb as heavy as lead. But Etie wouldn't just lie down and quit. Not while she could still move.

She gives a slow, comforting pet to the wolf's cheek. "Hey. Sorry to push you like this. It's a problem of mine. A lot of people have told me how forceful I can be..." Breaths fall heavy with her laugh. "But. This is the last thing I'll ask, promise. Think you can rush in for one more attack...?"

The wolf rears its head back with a slow howl, and Etie smiles. "Thank you. Let's go!"

It starts off at a trot, weakened by the earlier attack, but the wolf gradually builds momentum with each passing second, eventually breaking into a solid sprint. The guards were too occupied with their formation to stop Etie's advance, and the moment they cut past the wall of golems, she gives a hard kick to the wolf's side, forcing it to a sudden stop.

Wolf jolts to a halt, and Etie flies off its back from the force, hand gripped tightly to her lance as she rolls and skids across the ground. But it brings her—just her—closer to the boss, and through force of will and adrenaline, she rolls back onto her feet, muscles forced past their limit as she pushes off into a run.

[TURN ONE] Etie 1.5/10 hits Prima Materia 25.5/50HP with Trident [Roll: 19; -2.5HP, Prima Materia 23/50HP]

Lance raised high, she rams it into the seraph's face, forked blade stabbing into metal and sending cracks spidering out from the impact point. With a yank of her arm, she tries to pull the weapon out, but it's stuck, and—

Time Was activates! Etie -3HP (Etie 0/10) Etie has been defeated.

Etie screams as light floods the arena again, unable to do anything as she takes the full brunt of its radiance. Her body is consumed in what feels like hellfire, and in the aftermath, Etie is left numbly lying on the ground.

Prima Materia 23/50HP uses Chrysopoeia. All debuffs & statuses are dispelled, and Prima Materia becomes invulnerable for seven turns.

Shield reforms, and the golems slowly return to their wall formation. She'd done something useful, she hopes. Bought time for everyone. Or got them all caught in that blast... Dragons, she hoped not.

"Hang in there..." The last thing Etie registers is the warm nestle of fur against her cheek, and a sad whimpering, as her consciousness accepts the call of sleep.

On the first day || Team 9 Silver Round

[virginburial]

can you write sth about ethan x reader where she gives him his first blowjob as a thank you for tutoring her? like she’s flirting with him all the time and he stares at her a lot so she suggests it and he’s so nervous but agrees

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ virgin Ethan getting head? sigh, I'm so touch starved and lonely I need another boyfriend (chad meeks martin).

Ethan Landry CD mix!       .·:*¨༺♱༻¨*:·.

"I only needed this class 'cus it's a prerequisite for the program I'm going into, but I think I truly got it now." you beam from ear to ear. Ethan and you were studying together since your entire friend group decided to take statistics together. now, it was thirty minutes until the library shuts for the day and the study group ended hours ago. Ethan was kind enough to explain graphs for two hours to you, but you couldn't help but feel his eyes burn into yours, or stare directly into your chest before he pretends to look at the ground.

you weren't oblivious to how much Ethan stared at your cleavage, or how much he stared at you in general. so you decided to toy with him a little. "thanks so much for the help, Landry. I know I wasted your evening-" "-no, don't mention it, y/n." he softly smiled. "it's the least I can do, if one of us fails, all of us fail." he chirped.

"How can I make it up to you?"

"maybe by passing stats."

you giggle softly, seeing his smile widen as your hand slowly goes to his knees. "I meant more like...how can I make it up to you now?" you bat your lashes. seeing blush spread across his cheeks and onto the tips of his ears told you everything you needed to know. it took a few questions; "what if someone sees us-?" "-the library is closing soon." "do you like me-?" "-I dunno, do you like me?" "This is not how I imagined this going-" "-awh, you imagined it?" it was a small back and forth that resulted in you dropping on your knees, going under the table, and palming a nervous Ethan, who was relaxing into your touch but shaking with anxiety.

you were losing time, seeing the clock's hands move closer and closer to the closing time as you stripped Ethan of his pants; having them cuffed around his ankles. he was nervously looking around, looking out for nosy librarians and unsuspecting bookworms as you slowly slip his cock out from his boxers. the skin on skin contact made him gasp, covering his mouth with his hand as he looked under the table. "oh fuck..." he softly whimpered out as his hand snuck down to your wrist, trying to control the pace.

your lips grazed his tip before sucking him down, and his reaction to everything made you so wet. he was so innocent when it came to these kinds of things, you wondered if this was his first blowjob. his breathing was so heavy but quiet, and his thighs tensed up with pleasure as he grabbed a chunk of your hair. soft moans crept from the cracks in his hands as he forced himself quiet. "t-this feels so-so good...you feel s-so good..." he mumbles softly as his cheeks turned a deeper shade of red.

your eyes looked up at him with lust as his cock twitched against your tongue. he was so sensitive, his chest starting to rise up and doing as you moved your lips against his shaft. you could see him sliding down the chair, unintentionally stuffing more and more of his cock in your mouth as saliva hit the carpet under the both of you. "such a sweet thing, using your pretty little lips like that..." he huffed out in a whisper, accidentally letting out a soft moan (before hearing a SHHHH from across the library cus lol)

his tip was starting to hit the back of your throat, seeing his hips jerk and small whimpers spill out of him like water. there was no point in hiding how good you were making him feel, he couldn't help the amount of pleasure he was feeling. "m-more..." he croaked out as a faint whine left him. if he wasn't looking so damn cute, pretending he was reading Webster's Dictionary, then maybe you could've pulled away for a quick kiss; instead, you picked up the pace.

Ethan melted more and more, a small hiss left him as he started bucking his hips uncontrollably (he was so lucky the library was practically empty because he looked like he was seizing up in his seat). his heavy breaths began to pollute the air as he shuddered, his jaw slacked from pleasure as his cock started jamming into your tight throat. you, the perfect angle you are, sucking your cheeks and feeling the back of your throat tighten from pressure, as a loud, low, sorta-growl-of-a-moan came out of him. cum runs down your throat as a shaky sigh leaves him speechless, he looks so damn cute blushing over how you violently sucked him off in the library. he wasn't expecting it to be so satisfying.

"fuck...I gotta tutor you more..."

     .·:*¨༺♱༻¨*:·.

buy me a coffee ૮⸝⸝> ̫ >⸝ ა

[realtapiocafan]

[stalwaria]

At Edelgard's introduction, Etie gasps, hands going over her mouth. The House Leader of the Black Eagles? As in, a royal heir? As in, the Imperial Princess herself?

And to think Etie was just bossing her around just a minute ago... oh, dear. This was her failing as a noble and a retainer! Hopefully this faux pas wouldn't blow back on Prince Alfred...

"U-uh, right! Understood, Princess. GREAT honor to meet you, by the way. Just—great! Hehe." Etie forces herself to stop before she can say or do anything else embarrassing. Back to focusing on the fight.

Turning to the boy, who had also offered a name, Etie is about to chime in when the iguana suddenly bites Chad on the hand, and... drags him away. Huh.

Etie blinks.

...Darn. She could've used that to move faster.

Emerald eyes scan the field, and with no other animals around to use for transportation, Etie is left to rely on something she knew couldn't fail her: muscle.

Grip tightens around her axe, and with a series of powerful leg and arm strokes, she follows after Edelgard and Chad to distract the enemies. The chariot seems to have turned its focus from the priest to the princess, the other one turns to her, and—oh no.

The Chain Guarder!

It ignores all of them to go for the priest again, and before anyone can stop it, it blasts him with darkness not once, but twice—sending him crashing into a pillar. At a brief glance, he looks motionless, but Etie couldn't properly gauge his condition when,

Elegeia Luna 10/10HP hits Etie 4.5/10HP [Azure Spike: 2] with Hasta Graminea. [Roll: 17 ; -2HP, Etie 2.5/10HP]

Magic explodes into her back, pulling a cry of pain out of her. It leaves her winded, aching, and heavy—the force of the blast weighing down already tired muscles, all of it hitting her with the exhaustion of a hundred lap sprint.

But she wasn't done.

Etie 2.5/10HP counters with Killer Axe [Roll: 8 + 4 = 12 ; -2HP (+4 DEF), Elegeia Luna 10/10HP]

With a shout, Etie charges in with her axe, weapon raised high before she brings it crashing down onto the beast...

Moonglare activates! Etie receives -1HP flat damage [Etie 1.5/10HP]

Only for the blade to bounce off its body, sending the shaft of her axe backwards, and square between her eyes.

"Augh....!"

Her head pounds. Vision swims and blurs as the rush of adrenaline fades, ebbing away to let exhaustion and pain slip into its place. Tired, Etie lets her body go limp, and she begins to sink. Weakly, she scoffs. What a terrible showing. For as much as she relied on her strength, she never expected it would be used against her...

"Good luck, everyone..." It was time for her to bow out.

Omen activates! Etie -2HP (Etie 0/10HP) Etie has been defeated!

End of Bronze Round.

terrors of the deep — team 9

toa summer arena 2024 / bronze round.

[higaneion]

It's easy to intercept her — They're in the same House, after all, even if their martial and magical skills and foci differ more than they don't. But instead of catching her before class, as their mind would ordinarily dictate them to (for a quick and convenient getaway), they find her after once more, not wanting to do her a disservice by cutting ceremony short.

Chad still doesn't plan to linger overlong either way, but he... respects, her. Respects her just enough to stay put with more than just words to offer. And this — This is more than just a favor returned. He wants this to stand out both as repayment and gift, in and of itself. Ambitious, a bit full of himself, yeah. But he wants it to.

He procures the parcel from his bag, two paper-wrapped articles bound together with braided rope and a tasseled flourish. There's a secondhand copy of a mystery novel they'd personally enjoyed (not that they'd admit as much) of a child in a fantastical realm of magic and intrigue, a handmade bookmark of cut paper and board in layers to construct carnations tucked into the cover. In the other, chocolate chip cookies, soft even though they're no longer warm.

"It's not much, but," he starts quietly, placing the articles on her desk with purpose, if not finality. "here. I just wanted to tell you happy birthday, Lady Lilina."

... Nerves creep up as Chad finds themself bereft of things to add. Maybe he should've done this before class, after all. But — They've resolved to do this, right? Their expression freezes over for a moment, before it eases.

They're friends, right? (Can they even be friends? That's always the real question.)

But, she asked. And she wants to be.

... They can humor her once, for her birthday.

"... I hope you like it, Lilina."

The world didn’t stop for her birthday. She had to attend class as per her usual routine and wakes up with no extraordinary celebration as she may have in the past. Though as she sits up and rubs her sleep-crusted eyes, not a sound save for the birds’ song, she feels strangely rested and content with this quiet, mundane day. For waking up peacefully, for another year, a brighter future ahead, she is grateful to have woken up at all, as some get half as many.

Class goes as she expects and suddenly, the day is already halfway over. She is one of the last to pack her things, taking her time to organize her bag and notes from the day. It was the one thing she does keep track of as anyone who may enter her room may conclude. Besides this, it gives her some stalling time in case she thinks of a last minute question she needs to seek the professor out for without the presence of prying eyes and bored ears of the rest of the class.

Lilina reaches for her quills as they were the last to be packed when a couple of parcels are plopped in front of her instead. She recognizes the voice and looks up to its owner, initial surprise shifting into pleasure and decides to open them. Its contents revealed a book ( one that she did not have to return ) with a delicate but intricate bookmark and a batch of cookies. Did they make them? How did they even know today was her birthday?

“Oh, Chad I—” she stops mid-sentence as she begins to meet his eyes again. He looks to have something else on his mind. They called her by her name, just her name. Did that mean they were…? 

A smile spreads across her lips. “Thank you, Chad.” She clutches the book to her chest and with her free fingers, plays with the twine wrapping the cookies. Silence fills the space between them before she works up the courage to ask as it looks as though he might leave. The chair scrapes roughly with a rushed impatience as she stands. “Um, Chad? Would you like to share? More than anything, I would like to have company—a friend—on my birthday.”

[thatisaloaf]

Storytime!!!

So when im in the car with my grandma she would roll down the car window, turn up her Christian music, and say she was "spreading the gospel to everyone". This did not work because:

1. you cant hear car music very clearly, even if the windows are down

2. even if you could, music does not change your religious beliefs

3. and even if all of the above worked, THATS NOT A THING GOOD PEOPLE DO

So anyway.

I was in the car with my dad going to fencing classes. we had the windows down and guess what music we were playing? That's right, WILL WOOD AND THE MOTHERFUCKERING TAPEWORMS.

And my dad notes that, if things worked like how my grandma thought, we were music-baptizing people too. Except the opposite of christianity.

We were turning people, in my dad's words, into "genderfluid drug addicts".

Fuck yeah.

[adalrikr]

"Very well then." Erk checks off the last box on his clipboard, turning to head for the exit of the armory. There was no reason for him to stick around prying into Chad's life any further if he was already done with the task he had originally came here for.

"I have finished my half," He says, holding up said clipboard. A foot taps impatiently against the ground, but he doesn't say anything. Why is he waiting anyway? He was done, he could go, he didn't need to stick around.

"I... I'm going to go now. Have a good day." With that, Erk leaves, red cloak fluttering behind him in the breeze that blew through the air. The weight of thinking about the future presses upon his heart, and he cannot handle that strain any more.

Perhaps another time, Erk would be more equipped to deal further with this question.

But that day was not today. The future would have to just wait for him to catch up.

[end]

[In the Same Inflection as "BEYONCE?!"] MAGE GENERAL ERK?!

Lance +1

[artist-issues]

break the cycle. it's been "Why do I feel this way? -> is it ever going to get better? -> Wow, I'm messed up -> I'm insecure about that -> But I'll share my mess with others because the insecurity doesn't control me -> they like it & feel it too -> but if they like it because we're all messed up, then aren't I just secure in my mess? Am I afraid to get cleaned up because then they won't connect with me anymore? -> so then my insecurities do control me -> Why do I feel this way? -> is it ever going to get better? -> Wow, I'm messed up -> I'm insecure about that ->" for as long as I can remember.

Let Him break into the cycle and give you a security in Him, not in your mess. An identity in Him, not in your issues. He's got to take your hand and lead you up, step by step, growing and healing away from that cycle. The cycle shouldn't be who you are. Your support shouldn't be your support just because they have the same mess in common. You shouldn't be worried that by getting a wound healed and moving on, you're giving up your Wounded Support Group.

break the cycle by surrendering to God, who is outside of the cycle and can and does make you a new creation.

what would it be like if you stop looking so much at how you feel, and how you think, and how you are, and start talking about something other than your own psyche? Other than what your psyche has in common with others' psyches? You're so profound when you talk about your thoughts and the people who have the same kinds of thoughts as you. What would it be like if you started looking at something outside of yourself and talking about that?

[goldoanheart]

Kurthnaga stares at the kit warily, with the mess he's made dripping from his hands like the slime off of a Goodra. Was Chad really sure that this, whatever it was at this point other than a pile of clumsily mashed up berries, was not going to explode the poor machine? Kurthnaga didn't have trust in his skills for cooking for himself, let alone anything fit for consumption by much more delicate creatures like pokemon.

He sighs, gently poking his mess into the kit with a hesitance that would make anyone else scoff. Though he had never done this much before, and it had always gone badly when he had; so was he truly supposed to be anything but scared? Who could blame him?

The Swablu - and he did truly need to name it before they left Hoenn, he felt rather bad just calling it the Swablu - wanders over, sniffing at the residue left on Kurth's hands, before giving it a careful lick.

"We just... wait now, right? For it to... do whatever it does in there?"

Yeah, that’s impressive. Pity that Swablu isn’t following the reputation. Maybe he’ll ask to see the other’s team later; He’s curious, really, what well-trained dragon Pokemon would be like. Not that he hasnt seen them, but it’s rare enough that he’d like to.

“Your sisters must be pretty practiced, then. Pretty Pokeblocks are hard to come by. But, for starters, simple is best. They’re easy to mess up if you get too ambitious.”

Chad then sits back to watch as Kurth as he fumbles his way through the process — They raise an eyebrow at the clear stiffness to his movements causing bruising to the berries, the stems not being cleanly removed… The boy leans forward with a head propped up on his elbow, watching attentively. Swablu, on the other hand, seems too horrified to watch after about two minutes, and instead opts to go sit on Zangoose’s head as she sadly stares at the torn-up picnic blanket.

If they start another fight, Linoone’s gonna have to deal with that for now. Chad is very officially on cooking duty. When Kurth looks

“Don’t let it stop you — I’m just watching for now. C’mon, pop ‘em into the kit when you’re done.” He raises an eyebrow as he places the kit down, pats the lid like it’s an old friend. There’s no heat or derision in his eyes. “It’s not so bad you’ll break it, at least. I’ll tell you what went wrong after we’ve got blocks to look at so I can get everything, yeah?”

[virginburial]

hi! could i request something with ethan x fem!reader (or gn, whichever makes you the most comfortable :)) where reader is this really like, wealthy kid at blackmore who’s part of the core four (but since she’s in it… maybe fab five? idk 😭 i suck at this) and she’s dating ethan and just loves to spoil him? i’m assuming he’s like a broke college student, and the whole group kinda jokes that’s she’s his sugar mommy lmao. if you’re not up for it, feel free to ignore this request! i love your work <3 can’t wait to read more of your writing, thank you so so much for sharing it with us!

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ I so clearly saw Gossip Girl in my head I'm dead x-x but let me break down why this would absolutely work on Ethan

Ethan Landry CD mix!       .·:*¨༺♱༻¨*:·.

especially since I'm getting an old money-great Gatsby feel out of it, your family probably owns a company that's been around for generations, one of those Rockefeller/Vanderbilt types. the kind of family HBO writes hit dramas about. You weren't snobby about it but still carried yourself differently than all your peers (you knew you were hot shit). So when regular-schmegular middle-class suburban boy next door Ethan catches your eye, it is a shock to everyone, especially him.

Ethan barely had a job and was living off of loans, like everyone else. you noticed this when he nervously asked you out to Olive Garden and ate nothing but the free breadsticks and some soda. you felt bad; you could tell he wanted to impress you.

so you started bringing him coffee every time you walk to class together; "I can't hold your books and the coffee y/n-" "-just take the fucking latte, Ethan!" he was too humble to take your offerings, but soon, as your romantic relationship with him evolved, so did his acceptingness and gratitude. You two would go to the mall and whatever Ethan stared at for more than five seconds would be coming home with you. other times, you'd door-dash him food whenever he studied for hours on end, because you knew Ethan had the habit of focusing too much on his studies and forgetting to eat.

"dude! she's totally your sugar mommy." Chad would tease, or Mindy and Anika would comment about asking you for permission before he does anything; "Don't you need your momma's blessing before you do that?" It's a little annoying, but Ethan knows the truth; you loved to spoil him, and he loved being spoiled by you. you loved seeing how excited he gets over a pair of sneakers or some dinner, and he loved knowing that the person he loves thinks about him and what he liked. you're abundant, and you felt it was important to share that abundance with the ones you loved. speaking of, your relationship with Ethan reached a point where he was offered an internship within your family's business; which lead to the both of you heading back to the mall, helping Ethan pick which suit he should wear to the interview.

and, of course, Ethan is on his knees, eating you out in the dressing room because he is just so grateful. getting stains all over his button-up as your juices drip down his chin and run down his neck. whatever, you were going to buy it for him anyways.

       .·:*¨༺♱༻¨*:·.

buy me a coffee ૮⸝⸝> ̫ >⸝ ა

[nabataprophet]

The uncertainty is infinitely worse.

It had gnawed at them ever since they escaped the Goddess' maw, only to hurtle headlong into the flames, only to be faced with even more uncertainty than what they had left behind in the name of trying to protect it; Garreg Mach burned, and Garreg Mach fell, and they still don't know who lies under its rubble and who else lies dead in the mountains' bowels.

Here, in this stuffy, dank shelter, Sophia doesn't number among them.

And neither does Chad. They shout her name as soon as they catch sight of that curtain of lavender, stumbling towards her, haggard and worn and exhausted, awash with relief and drowned in icy guilt for leaving everyone behind.

Maybe it wasn't their fault. They couldn't have possibly known. Their body wouldn't have made a difference on either front. But it still is eating them alive, because these things always have. A hand alights on her forearm, shifting up to examine her as they've done before.

This, all of this, is more than just a bloody handprint, and in that moment, they fucking left her. What does it matter they had everyone's best interests at heart? All their fury and fire for nothing.

"You're—" they begin, then fumble. "I'm sorry, I—" Their hands seize, freezing to not accidentally wring her along with them. Did they leave her with just as much uncertainty? The thought cuts to the bone. They don't know what to say.

"I'm s-sorry," they repeat, suddenly a shaking mantra. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

Sophia had always secretly feared that one day she would fail to foresee something truly terrible would happen. In Arcadia, it had always been stressed to her that whatever she saw did not matter terribly, because this is Paradise, hidden behind a magic veil. Who would attack Paradise, when they couldn't even be sure it existed?

Until they had.

If her power had been stronger, she could have seen it coming. She could have seen it coming and then—

—then... what? What could she have done that would have changed things in any meaning way? Rushed out by herself just to get captured or die in vain out in the desert? Isn't knowing and still being unable to do anything just a different kind of helplessness?

What happened last night is the same. Even if she had known, the outcome would still be the same. They would all still be in this shelter, battered and bruised.

The sound of her name being shouted is all the warning Sophia gets before the last face she had been looking for appears. She knows they're coming this time, so she does not jump even when Chad grabs her wrist. She lets them examine her for injuries without complaint, passively allowing them to look over scrapes and nicks that are long healed over. The only blood there is her own, a dried remnant of the magic that had torn at her skin out on the field.

There is no bloody hand print on her wrist today.

This does not seem to soothe Chad any. If anything, it seems to make them feel worse and they apologize to her on loop for reasons she's not entirely sure of. Everyone else had just said or implied that they were happy to see she made it out okay and left it at that. What could they possibly have to apologize for?

You see, Sophia has another secret fear.

It is a simple irrefutable truth of her life that she will outlive all of her human friends. She accepted this truth a long time ago, back when she had only been a little bit taller than Fae. Who (what) she is necessitates a certain degree of detachment from others, a hardening of the shell around her heart to protect against the lifelong heartbreak she is destined for.

She knows this, but she is still afraid that her friends will leave this world long before they should. She is afraid that her friends will die young and that there will be nothing she can do about it. She is afraid that her friends will die and be frozen in her memories in their youth, never getting to reach adulthood. Even she will be an adult some day in the far distant future, but the same isn't true of her friends that die young.

But Chad is alive and that's all she can ask for.

Reaching for their hand, Sophia interlaces her fingers with Chad's. Her fingertips are still a little cold from casting Apocalypse multiple times in a row, but her touch is gentle. She squeezes gently.

"...It's okay."

I'm okay.

[higaneion]

@lycianlynx sent:

Long blonde hair, gentle demeanor, blue robes. Father does not look the same he did the day he died (and they saw him die, know he died), but they would know the man awake or asleep. They'd dismissed the sight of him as a spectre the first time, but struggled the second, thought they were going insane the third — By the fourth, they realise that this Father is very much real and alive and younger than he was when he died. What the fuck? But — This isn't the first time, right? Marquess Ostia, Lord Hector, he's still around around here too, right? Younger, alive, full of life, just like Father. Beardless, unlike Father. And Lilina — Though her skill in Reason magic far outstrips whatever modest scraps Chad's cobbled together, they're still in the same House, still see each other often enough... They don't speak often, never spoken often, really, but this is just such a singularly weird situation to be in, and they don't know who else they could turn to about... This. They catch her after class, a hand darting out to tap her on the shoulder, discreetly taking her aside, face already apologetic. "Lady Lilina," and if their voice cracks on the first syllable, that's because they think they've been experiencing emotions only known to shrimp, "Sorry this is so abrupt. I need to talk to you about... Something. Important. " A grimace. "I-it's not... Urgent, but... Important. Do... Do you have a moment?"

A bell chimes signaling the end of class and promptly waking half asleep students. Lilina was finishing writing the rest of the notes in the midst of snoozers, so while most slung their bag over their shoulder ready to leave, she took extra time to pack her things. It was the end of class for the day so carefree now she finally exits pondering the after-school activities. Perhaps she could invite Roy somewhere and tell him about the lesson today, instantaneous kinesis, or maybe…

           …

           One could never be sure when a cat was following them. Only when they pounce on their prey do they make their presence known. A tap to her shoulder makes her start until the sight of its owner brings her relief if only briefly. 

           On one hand, she was happy that they sought her on their own terms. She had meant to find out more about him, perhaps his favorite color, hobbies… But on the other hand, he looked pale as parchment and his tone made her assume the worst. Giving him a once over, she assesses. No injuries from what she could tell and no one following them.

           “Chad? You… look as if you’ve seen a ghost. Are you alright?” Lilina’s brows furrow. She pulls on his sleeve to lead him to a bench. "Here, we should sit, then you can tell me what's wrong."

hi grimace, i'm dad