#this was hiding out in my drafts

[lena-in-a-red-dress]

Medieval Supercorp AU

EDIT: it's this gifset

Continuing from this gif inspiration by @weinzapfel, have this full angstified story overview:

This makes me think Lena and Kara are both noblewomen of a kingdom at peace. They grow up together at court, sharing tutors and charming the king with their adorable antics while they're young enough to be adorable.

And then as they grow older, everyone continues to assume that they're the best of friends, which they are, but little do their parents know that their afternoon rides through the forest take them to a hidden copse of trees where they cuddle gently in dappled sunlight.

Their eventual marriages of politic are a distant future, leaving them with a present that is just the two of them, happy and in love.

Trouble comes, as all trouble must, when the King dies with neither an heir nor a ratified succession plan. The two greatest families in the realm, the Luthors and the Els, each claim a right to the throne, sparking a year of discord and unrest at court. At first, their youth and their stations as younger children of each family leave them out of the fray, but when forces storm the castle one night, all that changes.

Lena and Kara are sequestered together when the assault begins. No one tells them whose family is storming the Citadel, and so they wait in wary apprehension to see which crest comes bursting through the door.

It's the el mayarah.

For a brief moment, Kara is relieved, because she knows her family's forces won't harm Lena. Not if Kara speaks for her. But these soldiers don't heed Kara's protests as they rip Lena from her arms and drag her from the room. Kara struggles to follow, but the soldiers shove her back and lock her in.

By the time she is finally released, she demands to see Lena, decrying her friend's treatment and the brutish actions of her house in taking the stronghold. To her shock, her family knows nothing of Lena's whereabouts. They had stormed the castle, yes, but they hadn't entered the living quarters until that morning.

At first they believe Kara mistaken, but the staff confirm they witnessed the same. A search of the castle is ordered, but no trace of Lena remains to be found. She has disappeared, and with no Lena to present as proof of her survival, the Luthor family not only refuse to acknowledge the Els as the rightful rulers, they swear vengeance for the murder of their beloved daughter, cruelly mistreated and killed by the rebels.

Years pass, and the realm falls into further turmoil. The Els maintain their hold on the citadel, but the Luthors have established their own capital city safe on the far side of the northern mountains. Lex Luthor and Kal El have destroyed each other in the conflict-- Lex on the battlefield, and Kal at the hands of a Luthor assassin in retribution.

Kara is now the surviving heir, though her family elders rule in her stead as she gets a crash course in regency. It’s hard for her to embrace her duties however, as doubt eats away at the back of her mind as to what happened to her best friend. With no answers, she wonders if her family did in fact had something to do with her disappearance and presumed death. She has nightmares, none of which she clearly remembers but leaves her with a deep unease she can’t shake. For years, she struggles to rise above and be what her family needs, but can’t fully engage in her role with half her soul missing.

Then one day Kara’s having a rare moment of escapism, participating in a hunt with some of her closest friends. During a break, one of the scouts comes thundering in through the brush. Kara’s tease about scaring off the game dies on her lips when she sees the page’s frantic gaze and desperate puffing breath.

“Your Majesty-- we’ve found something.”

Something is a pit set into the ground, deep enough that the sunlight filtering in through the canopy can’t find the bottom. Their torchlight can, and Kara’s blood chills at the sight of iron shackles dangling on long chains from a bolt in the wall. 

“What is this place?” she asks, half to herself. Her mind races, piecing the puzzle together. If this was a prison, then there must have been traffic to and from. Her eyes scan the forest floor around the mouth of the pit, and feels her heart seize when the light of her torch glints against something metal half-hidden among the detritus. “Nobody move.”

Her party all freezes, and Kara reaches down and lifts the golden chain of a familiar necklace from the dirt. From it dangles the crest of the House of Luthor, adorned with a long tear drop pearl.

“Is that...”

Lena’s.

“Clear out. Retrace your own footsteps. If there’s tracks, we need to find them.”

There are no tracks. Lena’s pendant is tarnished with time and the elements. If Lena had been there, it had been months ago, if not years. For the first time wielding the powers vested in her as the royal heir, Kara launches another wide scale search, the largest since Lena’s initial abduction. 

This time, they find her.

Deep in a vassal’s dungeon, royal guards find Lena chained in the dark, pale and gaunt from years of imprisonment. The vassal lord is arrested and held for questioning, while Lena is installed and seen to in proper rooms on the estate until she’s well enough to travel. Kara’s duties keep her from traveling to the vassal’s holdings herself, but the moment Lena arrives back in the capital she’s aching to visit, but heeds her mother’s warning to let Lena get comfortable first, so that she isn’t overwhelmed. She’s been sleeping most of her days regardless. So Kara gives her a day to settle in, but when evening falls, she can’t wait a moment longer.

She knocks softly on Lena’s door, and enters on shaking legs. Lena sits wrapped in a shawl near the windows, which have been left open to admit the cool evening breeze. It’s a long moment before Lena turns to regard her, and when she does, she rises only to dip into a deep curtsy.

“Your Majesty.”

“Lena--” Kara surges towards her, to lift Lena to equal footing, to embrace her, to hold her so tight she’d never let go... But Lena recoils from her touch, and Kara stops short. “I’m sorry, I-- I didn’t mean...”

But Lena can’t meet her gaze, and in her features Kara reads the distrust, the suspicion. And in that moment Kara knows that Lena believes that her family ordered her imprisonment. 

“We didn’t order it,” Kara says.

Lena nods, but says nothing, gaze still askance. Her discomfort is plain, and so Kara does the only thing she can. She turns to leave. 

“Word has been sent to your family. At this time of year, the mountains will be impassable, but I give you my word that you will be safe here until they are able to send an emissary to collect you.”

Just before she leaves, Lena finally speaks. “I still dream of you,” she whispers, trembling with tears. “Every time I reach for you, you disappear into the darkness. I don’t-- I don’t think I’ll survive if I reach for you again and you’re not there.”

Kara pauses, then returns to stand before Lena. Her head is bowed, tears glistening on her cheeks. Kara’s own throat locks around the sobs rising in her chest. 

“Then let me reach for you.”

She slowly, carefully, reaches up and cups Lena’s damp cheeks between her palms. The moment their skin touches, a sob pulls from Lena’s chest, and finally she reaches for Kara, clinging to her as the years of fear and helplessness releases in a flood of tears. Kara holds her all through the night, spilling no small amount of tears herself. 

When morning comes, the light shines on them both, together once more.

[vellichorsdesire]

f/o who doesn’t usually receive compliments and finally gets one from you and their brain just. malfunctions on the spot and doubts your words… voice going a little shaky (asking ‘…really?’) and the redness on their face showing their embarrassment to be on the receiving end so suddenly. eventually they learn that this will happen way more often with how much you do care for them, though they don’t think they’ll ever get used to it…

[justaz]

merlin’s secret being a visual thing. when he is around arthur or gwen or leon or morgana or [insert whatever character here] merlin seems pale and thin, almost like a ghost or an apparition. when the sun lands on him he reflects it like a corpse, he eyes seem dark and dull. he has this ethereal beauty to him, this otherworldly visage that leads many to believe he is of fae blood. he just doesn’t seem to be 100% human. but when he is ONLY with lancelot or gaius (cough or gwaine bc gwaine DEFINITELY knew) merlin is heartachingly human. merlin shines in the sunlight, colors are brighter and more vibrant around him, and his smiles are wide and his laughs are boisterous. he takes on color and leaves everyone wanting to know him. but when other join in or interact with the two, merlin shifts before their eyes so quickly and suddenly that they aren’t sure whether or not what they saw was a trick of the light. the idea still leaves them wanting more and wanting to see the merlin who is just so full of life but that merlin only appears for a small select group of people. merlin who has a guard so high that it has an effect of other’s perception of him.

[swordmaid]

It was more a picture than a proper coat of arms, and the sight of it took her back through the long years, to the cool dark of her father’s armory. She remembered how she’d run her fingertips across the cracked and fading paint, over the green leaves of the tree, and along the path of the falling star. - AFFC Brienne II.

[miabrown007]

the summer after finishing university in New York, Marinette gets invited to a camping trip with Alya and Nino and his best friend. which, honestly, is for the best. at least she has more time than the four years she's already had to figure out how to reach out to her one-time superhero partner, with whom she fell out of touch after the reveal.

only, it's Adrien Agreste waiting for them on the meeting point, beaming so hard at her that it's blatantly obvious they know each other well. in her panic, what is Marinette supposed to tell Alya and Nino to protect their identites, if not that they used to date?

(fake exes AU x there was only one tent)

[willgrahambf]

we can speculate all we want about hannibal’s emotions, but mads has stated that hannibal doesn’t “lie emotionally” so when he’s crying during his session with bedelia in savoureux, i think he means it. his regret is real. he speaks as though he is actually mourning abigail, looking for ways for her to still be alive (looking for ways that he can bring her back). he laments losing abigail (having to hide her away) in his pursuit of helping will (leading him to his Becoming). even if he was talking in double-speak, his sadness was very genuine. what he really wanted was to have both will and abgail. he wanted abigail to be both his and will’s mischa. he wanted them to be a family. with abigail hidden away and will in prison, the closeness that he was fostering among the three of them vanishes. i think that if hannibal could’ve had it his way without suspicion falling on him, he would’ve never faked abigail’s death and he would’ve found a way to bring will to his Becoming without putting him in prison. and i know that hannibal never intended to keep will in prison forever, but i think this does explain part of his desperation in hassun to get will out, and his lack of self-preservation when will returns to him for therapy bc it’s very obvious that will intended to try to kill him again. hannibal’s objective from the moment he has to fake abigail’s death is to bring himself, will, and abigail back together again and that’s why mizumono hurts so much. it’s not just that will was going to turn him into the police, but it was that he had just decimated the family that hannibal was trying to build. abigail was never just a pawn, and when he told her, “i’m so sorry i couldn’t protect you in this life,” he meant it. 

[inkskinned]

what is considered "beautiful" by society is inevitably sexist, racist, ableist, classist, transphobic, and bigoted. it targets and attacks any perceived difference, and it particularly villainizes women of color while co-opting aesthetics; as if features and cultural norms can be worn as accessories.

and the scary thing! you can see all of these things, know them to be true logically, and also know that you are treated better if you are perceived as beautiful. if you have ever been treated as "ugly", you know exactly how much society reviles you if you don't manage to scamper along and perform to their rules.

and how are you supposed to balance that? do you want a nose job to fix your broken nose, or have you just recently been seeing videos about how many people look better after nose jobs. do you want to lose weight to feel good, or is it that when you lose weight people treat you better. do you want to wear this outfit, or is it just the thing that's least likely to get you harassed. do you want to get lip injections for your reasons or is your whole reason that you don't feel beautiful unless you get those lip injections?

and the definitions shift. the goals get more specific. in the way that you only become aware of your tongue when someone mentions it; parts of your body are introduced as problems. i had never heard the term "hip dip" until about a year ago - and it was in the context of how to get rid of this. i'm 30, i know this shit is invented, and yet! i still find that strange voice saying but do you think someone is going to notice?

how the fuck am i supposed to say "this is my genuine choice i am making for my body" when i also know that years of my life have been spent socializing me to accept this as my inevitable fate? how do i know i'm actually doing this out of love for my body - or am i doing it for how i want others to see me, which will be lovely enough to feel loved? how am i supposed to recover when my unhealthy habits are seen as self-discipline but if i relax i'm openly mocked for "letting time win"? how the fuck am i supposed to say "i'm doing it for me" when i'm also very aware that i'm doing it to stop myself from being teased or demeaned? is it my choice if the other option is being bullied?

we are living in a hostage negotiation - either consent to the demands or spend the rest of your life being treated like you're a despicable person.

[mylove-thresher]

whiteboard pissed me off so many times but i forgive it. sigh.

anyway heres cuban harry tony mike (hatsune miku) bc cultural mikus are swagger !!111

tbh im starting to appreciate colour a lot more now that ive done some digital art

the shi going on inside my brain when i see cool colours is very kewl :3

[beaulesbian]

[kulai]

(wip) reminder: yuzuki, like any art kid, would draw her crush btw!! need more of this trope STAT

[theoldmixer]

Saturday September 20 1969--"The Divorce Meeting."

[j-esbian]

in the face of animal crossing pocket camp closing, can i just say. i don’t understand why new horizons was like that. after acpc the next animal crossing game should have been amazing and yet,

acnh feels very stale very quickly imo. it has the bones of an animal crossing game (unlocking shops, filling the museum, etc) but the villagers are sooo samey, and it feels like there’s fewer interactions and games between them than there was in acnl. (and i know this isn't a new criticism but it feels unfinished. harv's island co-op in the final update feels like a weak alternative to letting lief, kicks, katrina, etc. have physical stores on your island.) but i do love having the ability to build and customize your own furniture, to an extent. the new furniture designs are great and i especially love that villagers have more versatile clothes options. sheep can wear shirts!! everyone can wear hats!!

but also, acpc has WAY more furniture and clothing options than acnh. and i love the way the villagers work there: they have a set personality and a set style. and you can help them give gifts to other villagers or give them fashion tips, and your relationship improves more (im pretty sure ?) if you pick the option that’s The Right Style. it makes it feel like you're actually getting to know them, and it gives a little bit more variation because a cranky jock FEELS markedly different than a cranky cool guy

[honeycreammilkshake]

there will be cake.

i finally finished my first fic, and it's greenflame! it takes place between possession and skybound. i spent a few days on it and i'm still not satisfied... it still feels a bit ooc and amateur to me, but please let me know what you think. here it is...

Sitting down for dinner with the other ninja, Kai had no intention of talking about anything serious, let alone marriage, and especially not how he should go about proposing to Lloyd. But picking at his bowl of chili, he looked around to his friends, watching them talk about their day with animated expressions and exaggerated hand gestures, observing Cole and Jay arguing about every detail of their training so they could trade insults while blushing whenever anyone (mostly Zane) pointed out just how closely they'd have to be watching each other to know such minor things about their routines. And when Kai glanced over to his sister she was already glancing his way with an exasperated smirk at Cole and Jay's antics.

The only absent one was Lloyd. The Green Ninja was training late, as usual, pushing himself to his limits. The perfectionism was at first a little annoying for Kai, who tended to take any show of exertion as a competition against him, but overtime he'd learned to accommodate his boyfriend, who was typically late to dinner or outings with the rest of them. The pressure Lloyd must have felt, every single day, to not only lead the rest of them but to also make his pretty much godly ancestors proud of him had been grinding on him even more as of late, and Kai didn't want to add to their young leader's troubles. Still though… after their last battle, almost losing Lloyd to possession had made him keenly aware of how fragile the normalcy of all their lives were.

At any time, they could find themselves under attack once more. Ninajo had a reputation for attracting the most dark-hearted, vengeant, and power-hungry of villains, and Kai had to wonder if there was some kind of sign posted out for all the tyrants coming to seize this particular place. Something massive and neon was advertising how siegable and conquerable this entire land was somewhere, he was sure.

But as a ninja, bound and entangled with all the rest of his team (a fate he would never want reversed or changed in any way), he knew he would lay down his life for any one of his friends if it ever came down to it. And, naturally, he knew in his heart that no matter how much he teased or gave Lloyd trouble, he would stand behind that completely unhinged god-in-training no matter what. Wherever Lloyd led him, he would follow. And it was because of this that he knew he had to make their relationship even more official, even more sacred, so that when villains like Morro or Chen or the rest came knocking again, Kai would know there was still a chance at a normal life, even a small part of it, in their own lives. That he could say that Lloyd was his in more way than one and come back home to that small piece of stability.

Now, watching his friends continue to taunt and push each other, a warm feeling suddenly overtook Kai, not unlike the sensation he got whenever he drank a nice cup of Wu's tea. He felt it blossom inside of him, a hot and protective surge that came whenever he thought of the others, especially Lloyd. He knew he could trust them completely, he could ask anything of them and they wouldn't treat him any differently for it.

So it was without any filter that he found himself asking, "Guys, if I were to hypothetically propose to someone… someone who's very uhm… career-driven and practically all-powerful, how would I go about asking them to do something absolutely ordinary like marriage?"

A small silence briefly overtook the table as the others, except for Cole who was still digging into his plate without interest in anything else, glanced around towards each other. Nya, on Kai's left side, was completely still all of a sudden and opposite him Zane and Jay exchanged looks.

Just as the stillness was starting to become unnerving, Zane, always practical, broke in, "Logically the best way would be to—"

"Oh my gosh, you guys," Jay all but shrieked. "Kai and Lloyd are going to get married!"

"Wait what????" Kai burst out, feeling his cheeks start to heat up. "I didn't say anything about—"

"Oh please," Jay scoffed, rolling his eyes. "You're the fire ninja, Kai, so whatever you're trying to cover up, you still burn holes right through it." He was picking at his bowl of chili delicately, like most of its contents offended him, and by the way he had complained about every other dish Cole had prepared for them, you would think it was genuine. But Kai knew the Blue Ninja would sneak lots of extra helpings of Cole's meals whenever he thought they weren't looking. And seeing as how most of Cole's food was… to put it plainly… bad, Kai knew it was because Jay was simply (and not so secretly) completely crazy for the Earth Master.

"You guys thought it was such a secret, but we could all tell what you were up to," Jay continued, matter of fact, then smirked. "The walls here are really thin, you know."

Kai groaned and buried his face in hands. "Okay," he sighed out. "So what if it is Lloyd?"

"I knew it!" Zane exclaimed from Cole's side, face lighting up. When the others looked to him, he explained, "Pixal told me they have a 95% compatibility rate. Lloyd's sensitivity and high emotional intelligence counterbalances Kai's hotheadedness and temper—"

"Yeah yeah we get it," Kai huffed, feeling called out.

"My vitals monitors indicate that your heart-rate speeds up whenever Lloyd appears," Zane added helpfully. "My data also suggests that Lloyd's libido increases whenever he watches you training."

Beside him, Nya made a choking sound. "Oh my god," she gasped, wiping away dribbles of water from her lips. "Please never say libido again, Zane."

Despite the embarrassment at having his secret relationship exposed so quickly, Kai couldn't help the way that information stroked his ego. All the time that little brat had been claiming to watch so closely to point out errors in Kai's form (as he always did) he was secretly checking Kai out shamelessly. It made him flush with more than a little contentment, but he got a hold of himself quickly, and managed to grit out, "Okay guys, that's enough."

"Where would they even get married though?" Jay pushed on, ignoring Kai entirely.

"Somewhere big enough for all of us," Zane pointed out. "I can compile a list of popular wedding locations and analyze them for suitability."

"No no," Jay dismissed, whipping his spoon around passionately so that a bit of chili hit Kai in the face. He wiped it off with a grimace as Jay continued to lecture Zane. "It should be somewhere perfect for the both of them..." Jay bit down on the handle of his spoon and then grinned widely at Kai. "I know just the place—my parent's junkyard!"

Kai blinked, caught off-guard. "Jay, I'm not marrying Lloyd in a junkyard—"

Across the table, Cole's face finally unfused from his plate long enough for him to shout, "Will there be cake? I'll definitely come if there's cake!"

"Always thinking with your stomach, right Cole?" Jay snarked. But the Earth Master chose to ignore him, much to Jay's disappointment.

As the others continued to conspire Lloyd and Kai's wedding, loudly describing each lavish detail — "Lloyd should wear all red so Kai can wear all green... and there should be dragons!!!" Jay contributed while Zane added, "Kai should put Lloyd in his lap and ride in on one to the ceremony" and Cole piped in, "And there should be triple stacked cake afterwards!" — Kai's ears picked up shuffled movement in the hallway. He sat up straight. Wu and Misako were out getting "vital" supplies like flavored tea and herbal medicines — old people errands — and they weren't expecting anyone else to come calling. It could only be Lloyd.

Getting that sensation he got whenever he was about to be cornered, he felt himself start to panic. "Guys, if you don't shut up now, I swear I'll send every single one of you to the Cursed Realm," Kai hissed out. "I don't even care if we're on the same team — you will all be banished for your crimes. This conversation is over."

But, of course, cause everything and everyone hated Kai, this was the exact conversation Lloyd chose just that moment to walk in on.

With a short glance around to the other ninja, he came into the room and a crushing silence followed as they all tracked him with their eyes. He walked casually, carrying a bowl laden with an excessive amount of Cole's chili (which wasn't that bad but it also wasn't that good either, so Kai felt Lloyd had filled it to the brim subconsciously) and settled down in his usual spot to the right of Kai, slowly lifting his spoon to his lips…. Lips that were twisted up in an unmistakable smirk, the one Kai knew and adored so well, that he loved to bite on — but right now, seeing the way it melted away the usual prim and proper princely beauty of Lloyd's face into the wild rawness of the conceded brat he really was, all Kai could think was Lloyd knows…. He's been listening in on the whole thing!

"What's all this about cake?" Lloyd asked, oh so innocently, as if he didn't know already, and Kai kind of wanted to manhandle him right then and there for being such an unyielding brat.

But before Kai could say or do anything to grab at any sort of control over the conversation, Jay leaned in closer to Lloyd, conspiratorially settling his chin into his cupped hand like he was about to tell the world's greatest secret. With a hauntingly straight face he said, "Only that Kai can't keep his eyes off yours."

… And then everything kind of blew up in Kai's face.

Nya and Zane burst out laughing and Cole let out a bellowing huff before slapping Jay across the back so hard the Blue Ninja's face almost landed in his uneaten bowl of chili (Kai wished with his whole heart that it really had). Jay glared briefly at Cole but then the Master of Earth said, "I guess that's why they call you the Master of Shocks! That was a good one, Jay."

Pure pride swelled the Master of Shocks' chest, making him look just like a puffed up little blue jay — which he technically was… though Kai could barely register the humor of it as sticky hot embarrassment exploded inside of him.

"Oh wow you guys," Nya finally managed to gasp as she held her sides, like she could fall apart from the delicious humiliation of it all. She wiped at her eyes, choking out, "Look at Lloyd's cheeks — they look like cherries!"

Lloyd's mouth was pressed together tightly, and his cheeks were definitely a deep scarlet that Kai took some satisfaction in seeing, but he knew his own cheeks were probably just as red and burning twice as hot.

And of course Jay would point that out. "Guys, check out Kai's face — he's burning up!"

"Oh the irony," Nya giggled.

"Red ninja indeed!" Zane chimed in with a grin that practically spilled off his face. And in that moment, Kai had never been more certain in his life that he was surrounded by traitors. Enemies.

Kai ground his teeth together and finally managed to squeeze out some sort of response. "You're all banished."

The other ninja, minus a cherry-colored Lloyd, started laughing again as Kai sat there, gripping the edge of the table and plotting revenge. Only Cole made any kind of move towards redemption, leaning closer to both Lloyd and Kai to say, "You know we're just teasing you two… We're really happy to see you making things more official. And just so you know, I would love to be there for you, even if there no's cake for me."

"You do know the whole point is so that Kai gets to keep the cake just for himself, don't you?" Jay smirked.

Before Kai could set fire to either himself or Jay, Cole turned to the Blue Ninja and smiled. "Don't worry, sparky, I'll make sure to claim a cake for myself too," he said, and proceeded to reach over so he could grope Jay's ass as the smaller ninja let out a high-pitched squeak.

"Who's the Master of Shock now?" Zane grinned as Jay started choking.

Nya pursed her lips and said, "Really? Right in front of my chili?"

Kai moaned and buried his face in his hands as the entire table descended into chaos. But it died out quickly as Lloyd stood up, his face unreadable, that silken smirk of his erased from his lips. As Kai peeked up at him, he couldn't help but feel… reverent. Lloyd was strong, and fierce, and brave. And more than that… he was the magnet that kept them gravitating to him, to their destiny. Their fates were inexplicably tied to his for the rest of their lives. They all shared a bond deeper than mere friends: they were each other's counterparts and focal points and homes.

And nobody was more at home with Lloyd than Kai.

"Kai," Lloyd began, and Kai felt the air rush out him as soon as Lloyd turned those ember-bright eyes right on his face. "Do… do you really want to marry me?"

Kai's heart was pounding far too fast. It felt like the adrenaline spark right before a battle. "Of course," he managed.

The other ninja were finally fully silent, their eyes wide and watchful. Feeling bold, Kai pushed away from the table and stood right in front of his boyfriend. Then he sank to his knees, his eyes never leaving Lloyd's, and swallowed. "You know that all of us are bound to you, and all of us would protect you with our lives, just as you would do for us. But the bond I share with you runs even deeper. I promised you that I would protect you, and that I would follow where you lead me, that you could always rely on me, so I would like to ask you now… Will you let me follow you forever? Lloyd Montgomery Garmadon, will you marry me?"

In all that time, Lloyd and Kai didn't look away from each other. The others remained blissfully quiet, but there was a current of anticipation coursing through the room.

It felt like an age before Lloyd cleared his throat and said, "Of course I will.... Someone has to keep my cake away from Cole, after all."

Kai groaned but found himself grinning anyways. "You're insufferable," he told Lloyd and pushed up from the floor.

"That only means you're even more perfect a match," Nya pointed out from Kai's side, but she hugged her brother tightly, patting him on the back. They both knew how much this meant to him...

Lloyd and Kai returned to their places at the table and tried to resume eating normally, but they kept glancing over to each other until Jay scoffed and said, "You two, honestly, go get a room."

"Quiet, sparky, you'll get yours soon," Cole winked and Jay started to protest.

"If you think I have any interest at all in a dusty piece of rock like you—"

"Yeah yeah," Cole waved him off. "Keep pretending, bluey."

Lloyd laughed and reached over to offer his hand for Kai to hold. Kai took it gently, and didn't miss the way everyone stared at their joined hands, their fingers twining together.

"No matter what comes in the future, we'll face it together," Lloyd promised Kai, and they felt each other's pulses jump at his words.

Kai nodded, soaking up the way the light hit the pale gold of Lloyd's hair, making it look just like a glowing halo. This boy would be the death of him, he just knew it. He couldn't help the smile spreading across his face. He raised a spoonful of chili towards Zane, Cole, and Jay and gave his best unhinged grin. "The future looks bright for you and me both, but right now I say we take these three down for being so obnoxious," he suggested and Lloyd grinned too, wild and full of fire, just like Kai.

"What?" Zane sputtered. "I didn't do anything!"

"Wait!" Jay cried out. "But we helped you propose to him, Kai!"

Lloyd snorted while Kai rolled his eyes. "Sure you did," the Master of Fire said, then launched the first spoonful at Jay's surprised face.

"Food fight!!!" Nya cried, pounding her fist on the table before she upended her entire plate on Kai's head.

Kai gasped, shaking sticky shrimp out of his hair. Reaching up, he felt the clingy, pasty sauce of the dish matting his once-immaculate spikes, and he shrieked, "GET HER, LLOYD!"

With a roar, the table fell into chaos again. As the ninja threw handfuls of food at each other — except for Cole who sat there lamenting the waste of it all — Lloyd and Kai looked at each other and smiled. Everything that they had ever done, all that they had ever faced and clawed their way through, had been worth it for moments just like this. With a laugh, Kai leaned in and kissed Lloyd in front of everyone, not even caring to keep anything concealed anymore.

He didn't even care when Nya shouted, "Gross!" and splashed the rest of her water on them. With a smirk, he pulled Lloyd closer and set a palm to the boy's back to dry out his clothes.

"You know," Zane said afterwards, as everyone settled down. "Someone has to clean all this up before Master Wu returns."

"Not me!" Jay was the first shout.

"We will," Lloyd said calmly, volunteering an unwilling Kai before he could protest. "We started this after all."

"They had it coming," Kai argued but stopped when Lloyd cast him a sharp look.

"You said you'd follow wherever I lead," Lloyd reminded Kai, then smirked his signature smirk when Kai let out yet another groan.

"Alright then," Kai sighed. "Lead me to the dishes."

"Get used to this," Jay said smugly. "This is going to be married life for you from now on."

Cole stood up from his seat and brought the rest of his plate down, shrimp-first, on Jay's head. "And this is going to be married life with me," he promised the Master of Lightning and walked away smiling.

"Welcome to the family," Nya said to Lloyd before standing up from the table.

"Can't be crazier than my family," Lloyd called after her, then turned to Lloyd. "Well, let's get cleaning."

Kai sighed melodramatically but didn't complain. He had promised to follow Lloyd wherever he lead him, even if it was just to another mess to clean up. So he smiled as he knelt down to pick up pieces of dinner from the floor with Lloyd. He wouldn't have traded it for anything else.

[citrusinicake]

stone sword mentality final vs wip

as can be seen in the wip it was originally gonna be drasticduo instead of starfox but the posing was way too reverent compared to how i perceived their dynamic to be so i decided to change it to starfox because... well *gestures at whatever tf they had going on in s4*

[tangents-within-tangents]

Thinking about the song "Ship in Port" by Radical Face and clones

Thinking about the line "Farewell to the chains we were born into" and what that can mean for the clones

Thinking about how "But I have always stayed in place/Under that old illusion that it's safe" could equally describe Hunter, Echo, and (s1+2) Crosshair's complete opposite approaches to the Empire and post-war life.

The way Crosshair clings to his identity as a soldier of the Empire

And Echo as a soldier of the Republic

But Hunter puts his identity as a soldier behind him

Crosshair fights for the Empire to gain purpose

Echo fights against the Empire to save his brothers

And Hunter decides the Empire is too strong to even try to oppose

"A ship in port is a safer one"

"but it's not the reason it was made"

"So forgive me if I wander off"

"And forgive me more if I just stay"

Thinking about what The Bad Batch could have been if it had more fully explored the differences between those ideologies

(Thinking about what The Bad Batch could have been if it had dedicated more screen time to the 'reg' clones within the Empire and the underground network's fight to free them , instead of just sidelining Echo and Rex for a hypothetical clone rebellion show we might never get)

[hjemne]

Babygirl I have 38 thousand words of incomplete trigun fic spread across 8 wips and have no idea how to even start dealing with it