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hyuukais · 10 months

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Waiting

Finally, after many busy weeks, you’d be getting to see your boyfriend again. Beomgyu was coming home for an entire weekend. However, you were still stuck at the worst part of his return, the waiting.

word count: 1.5k

genres: beomgyu x streamer!reader, slice of life, fluff, insinuations of angst

warnings: language, mentions of executive dysfunction, reader plays zelda specifically botw because i do not have totk 👎👎👎👎

author: FINALLY SEEING THE LIGHT OF DAY !! hopefully i will have more content coming soon im just in a major slump atm 😔 also shoutout to @ssunnae & @bobariki sunny and rue thank you both so so much for beta-reading this !!

The colorful LEDs shift along the floorboards, currently a fog of purple misting the floor. Trickles of soft mood music set the low-light room into its sleepy atmosphere. Two large monitors illuminate your face in blue light, aided by a small ring light situated to your left. Amid the calm, an underwhelming rage slowly fizzles up in your throat.

“Oh come on; not right now, please!” The sudden battle music picking up in your headphones sends you into a panic as an enemy health bar appears at the top of the screen. Rain crashes on Link, lightning streaking across in pixels. Your fingers smash around frantically, trying to run away as the Lynel begins to draw its bow.

“Please please please please, don’t-” Unable to draw a weapon or get away, a hard strike lighting descends on the character. The hearts filling the top left of the screen go dark.

“God-fuck!” Red light blinds your eyes with the large “Game Over” fading onto the screen. Your head slams down onto the desk, the top of it all that’s left in view of the camera. The long-winded groan that leaves you is still picked up well by your mic. Chat messages fly fast along your monitor; many expressing their simple sympathy for your defeat, others instead laughing at the situation.

Slowly drawing yourself back up, you catch on the monitor displaying the stream and take a moment to look at everything. “Man…I know I said today was only gonna be Zelda but…this is already the 7th time I’ve died.” Your words trail into a whining laugh. More comments flood the chat. Some call out your terrible playing, some suggest other ideas for the rest of the stream, and many are just extremely off-topic.

“I’m not usually this bad! I don’t know what’s happening to me.” You were out of it today, unfocused, and part of you knew why. “I guess…I dunno, I think I’m just tired!”

This space-y feeling had been following you all day. It was the sort of distance your brain felt when experiencing executive dysfunction. Stuck in a loop of boredom; waiting for something, anything. Struggling to do anything, but still wanting to. Oftentimes, it was hard to discern a particular reason for the feeling, maybe burnout or simply worms in your brain. Today, however, you could easily guess the reason. Today, there was something to wait for. After more than a few weeks apart, Beomgyu would finally be coming over.

You and your boyfriend were both busy people; both public figures in your own right. Although, his schedule as an idol was arguably stricter than yours as a streamer. Between the end of the North America leg of the tour, preparing for their Japanese comeback, and the new single, you hadn’t seen Beomgyu face-to-face in close to a month. It was like spending a month in hell. A month without having his hands in yours, body wrapped in your arms, lips painting your skin, heartbeat beneath your fingers; the reminders that he was real and he was all yours. So, now that you’ll finally get him all to yourself for a whole weekend, your brain was searching for any way to skip to having him back in your arms. Hence, why Link has died more than five times by your incompetence.

“Maybe-uh-why don’t we switch gears? Maybe Zelda was a bad idea.” Considering your head space, streaming today in general may not have been the best of your ideas; you still felt bad for skimping out on a regularly scheduled stream. You also kind of hoped streaming would give you some distraction from sitting by the front door like a puppy.

You click around, filling the screen up with your face as you exit the game. “Hmm…what about…animal crossing? Minecraft? Thoughts, chat?”

You watched message after message fly by, all varying that you don’t actually reach a consensus with them.

“I think…hmm…” You watch a moment more, “Okay, I think we’re gonna do Minecraft.”

Once again, your face cam is moved to the corner as your PC feed takes up the stream. The ambient music takes over for your voice, filling up the silence as things load. Grass blocks and wood load in first before the sudden appearance of buildings. You spawn near a small farm you last left off building.

This wasn’t the world you usually streamed from; preferring the action a survival world provided for content. Actually, this was a world you’d created and built with Gyu, and some of the other members much after you invited them. Although, your audience didn’t need to know any of that. “I’m just going to stick to creative this time, chat. Something…calmer, y’know.”

Soon enough, you find yourself sinking into a rhythm with the music. You keep working on the farm you left unfinished, fixing it up with the build of a greenhouse. Little commentary is provided; small tidbits here and there as you casually speak to yourself. Humming to the music at times and finding some focus on small tasks.

Your headspace shifting from inattentive to hyper-fixated, you’re not particularly tuned into any noise besides what’s pumping in your head. Perhaps that’s why you don’t notice the usual creak of the hallway floorboards or the awful squeaking of your office door. You don’t even see all of the chat messages taking note of those very things. Rarely looking away from the game, there’s no note in your mind of the torso slowly creeping up behind your chair; head just out of camera view, hands sneaking up to your headset.

It’s sudden, the relieving of pressure against your ears, the disappearance of your soft tunes, the realization that there is a person in your home and they are standing behind you.

Your scream is shrill and unending. The whiplash from how fast your turn around would have your head spinning if not for the new pumps of adrenaline coursing through you.

There, standing behind you, wearing the stupidest little cocky smile, is the cause of all your problems. Beomgyu was smart enough to keep his face just outside of the camera, hiding his identity from any viewers. Still, with pretty much the rest of him in frame, this is the largest glimpse your audience has ever gotten of your boyfriend. The chat reacts accordingly to such a realization.

You scramble around to mute your microphone and cover your camera; cutting off your connection as more and more chat messages fly faster along the screen. Nothing else matters though, as you spin your chair around to face the man looking down at you. He’s smiling still, eyes crinkled up and lips split wide. The way you leap at him sends him stumbling back.

Beomgyu’s hands come to cradle your back as you take him in your arms; feel him, his heat, his breath, the shake in his chest when he chuckles. His head settles upon yours. You squeeze his middle tighter and tighter and take in the depth of his scent. Head pressed against his chest, his heart beats softly in your ear.

“That…” You pull yourself away to get a look at his face, “was mean.”

He laughs as you slap at his arm; languorously boisterous, infectious with the happiness of his simple presence. A smile breaches your cheeks, soon enough, as well. Beomgyu’s hands tickle along your waist; keep you close, skin touching skin.

“It was a surprise.”

“More like a jumpscare!”

“Same difference.” His breath brushing your skin all this time finally comes ever closer. Douses you in his everything. A sweet peck on your lips, interrupted by a smile and a whisper. “I missed you.”

The fire of his words floods the pit of your stomach. His lips were barely pulled away from yours and yet that was too far. Your hands cupping his cheeks, pull him closer, filling your space with his. Breaths mingling with heavy words.

“I missed you, too.” You bring his mouth to yours; sway in his presence and feeling. Almost pulling away before more. “So much.”

Head tilted back, chest pressed into his, lips meeting in reverie. Beomgyu’s arms encase your waist; your fingers twirl in his hair. So soft, delicate, fluffy—so like him. Such is the kiss. Deep and sweet, nothing further than adoration. It’s intoxicating sugar; he’s delicious and addicting. His taste sticks to your lips as they leave his. Eyes still fluttered shut, taking in the disappearing feeling.

“I…have to finish off my stream.” You can barely stand to push him away, losing the soft brush of his thumb beneath the hem of your shirt, “You get yourself situated and I’ll be right there.”

The pout on his lips is nothing short of goading after losing your kiss. Still, he responds, although not without an eye roll. “Okay, but if you’re not done in 10 minutes, I get to choose the movie tonight!”

He plants a quick peck on your cheek before leaving you in the office. You have to laugh at how proud he is of that challenge as if you weren’t going to let him pick anyways. Though now, you may just have to get your own bit of payback and not leave him waiting.

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menalez · 5 months

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hope this isn't a bad time, on anon bc crypto but i am SUFFERING and idk who to turn to atm. right now one of my best friends is a nonbinary tif (she's an angel, her gender identity isn't too obstructive) and is like....considering transition in the future. but she's so close to peaking she literally confessed to me 2 weeks ago that she'd be completely happy with her body if men didn't sexualize her (and society wasn't so cruel to "afabs", her words), and she actively wishes she could just be a woman without feeling terrified of what her body would "cause" men to do......and THEN after all that said she was sure she was just born trans and this is the way it is, and still considers herself a man. i felt like i was going to pass out from stress likeeee what IS this.......i'm just so scared for her because i rly rly don't want her to transition, she said herself she's unsure because she doesn't really want to stop being a woman (shes "genderfluid") and binding makes her uncomfortable bc she doesn't want to lose her breasts...but like if i say pls don't transition or if i question her identity itll blow my cover immediately. she's already so traumatized i'm just so scared of her making things even worse for herself

but u know this friend well enough, do u rly think simply pointing out what was said in the past about it and asking about that would suddenly create wariness around u? bc that sounds quite extreme to me. ive been frank with the people i care about about this and made it clear that if its what they want then thats their choice yknow and it doesnt change how i feel about them, but bring up that theyve stated they feel xyz in the past and that theres so many people who transition and then realise thats not what they wanted and it can be pretty tough to cope w never got any bad reactions, for me. idk maybe i dont know people extremist enough about it but when ive said that, where i was coming from has always been clear so .. i reckon thats the case for friends in general right?

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sysba · 1 year

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do what makes you feel comfortable lovely. as i said before i love learning about your ocs, and im really curious as to what your process of creation and developing them is only if you feel comfortable of course answering this of course, if not then feel completely free to ignore this ask, its no problem. 🥰

you’re too kind ahh 💖🥺 i do wanna start sharing more about them because it’s supposed to something fun instead of stressful sdjksdjsdksdj plus i love my ocs so they don’t deserve to have me cringing about them yk 😅

very long answer under the cut, it got away from me LOL

i’m not sure if i even have a process when creating them? or well, i guess i have habits, but i don’t always build up a character in the same ‘order’... for example, when it comes to ocs i make for shipping purposes i almost always start from the general concept. like, when i already know who their love interest is going to be, i pick the dynamic i like the most with said love interest and i get a general idea of what my oc’s outer personality is going to be; same thing about their look (because i love the idea of contrasting character designs). then i start from there and build a full character with their own story, motives, and so on to the point where they can exist outside of the ship (they won’t, but they could dsjksdjk)! some examples would be my ted lasso oc Jules, blooming panic mc’s or any of my anime oc (though the only ones actually well developed atm are Jun and Atsuko).

in other cases, as it often happens with interactive fiction, i go in blind and play with an ‘empty’ character, and as i check out the vibes of the story and see whether i like the bold or shy personality choices i get an idea of the general vibe of the oc. starting from the vibe i then pick a faceclaim (i have several saved lol) and a design/name/backstory/etc... until i can play again with a formed character! it’s a bit annoying to do it this way but once the first part is over it’s already so much easier to play because i just have to let the character be themself. it also helps in the case of ifs with a lot of romantic options, since i simply let the oc vibe and pick a ro they work with sdjkdskj best example is definitely my kim from body count, they got away from me and i love that for them. same with reyna from the when twilight strikes. it’s time (and energy)-consuming but most of the time this method leads to some most beloved characters of mine so i’m not mad about it.

the most challenging scenario is probably when i have to create a character from scratch/almost from scratch, so like, for original universes OR (rarely) for ifs without demos 🤔 the easiest route in these cases is usually picking whatever blorbo(s) are filling my brain at the time, mixing them up, adding some tropes i want, and then start from this sort of patchwork character and add details until it’s a proper original one lol this is how i got Freddie and his sister Ryuwon, respectively for the ifs ear candy and straight red. Freddie was originally a copypaste of an anime character, but they ended up having very different personalities in the end; i developed Freddie more when having fun with a friend and shipping our characters together, and because we made them as childhood friends i ended up developing Freddie’s whole family, including Ryu! It’s a bit different when it’s like, RO ocs for my own story ideas because in that case I don’t wanna be influenced by other characters so I just start with a patchwork of tropes i want to see (that’s what happened with Leir, while Odile was mostly born from a mix of gender feelings + BTS’ black swan obsession at the time 😂)

so yeah, this is usually how it goes for me! there are very few exceptions, such as Edith; she’s my most developed character of all time and yet she is Nothing like she was in the beginning. when i first started twc and had to make a character for it, the ‘edith blake’ i made was very um,,, girlboss? i don’t know how to say it in a nice way but she felt like a woman written by marvel/the mcu lmao i cringe just thinking back about it!! ever since, she went through so many changes that instead of evolving she’s simply a different character altogether. she now exists in a bunch of different aus (twc revised, the exile, original music shop au, cyberpunk dystopia au, cat cafe au, hallmark movie au, etc...) and she maintains consistent characterization in all of them so i feel like i have achieved full mastery of mx edith lol

or another exception would be, “characters that came to me in a dream”, like my demon oc Spice. obsessed with him, love his energy, but boy do i not know where tf he came out from 🤣

as you can see, my oc creation process is just. Chaos! xx

#answered #anonymous

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zhalar · 9 months

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i did these posts with books i read in 2020 i think, bout to make another for black sails. this is just a yardstick for my progression with the series, aka my extensive nonsensical notes and quotes i liked etc. no clear indicators whos saying what and when, just Vibes and Real Drama Television so i'll generally remember whats Happening. watch out its quite a wordy fucknig thing if you press read more also i started at episode 4 of season1 for some fucking reason and it pisses me off immensely. IT TOOK ME SIX MONTHS AND NINE DAYS TO FINISH THIS SHOW. I NEED TO PUT THESE THOUGHTS SOMEWHERE. heres also a twitter thread of reaction for however long the site's gonna be usable at this point

(watch and read as my opinions on characters and decisions change in real time)

ep4 fuckign FUCK jack is the funniest motherfucker in this SHOWWW . "you'd be a valuable asset to anybody .. my [most valuable thing??] is my wits [and as someone who just lost 5000 pesos of their own crew's money, it isn't worth much atm]

"and that, my darling, i feel compelled to state out loud, life is simply too FUCKING SHORT".

also anne as the muscle and him as the wits.❤️ straight rights

ep5 "i specifically tried to talk her OUT of getting wrapped up in my selfish scheme" it's the Best when men are. self-aware.

ep6 eleanor holding john's life in her fingers❤️ tasty delicious i love women with power yes girl destroy every other person for the woman who you love

the enslaved people fucking their captors shit right up. i love this flavor. fucking hell. fucking fuck the stunt scott pulled almost got me ooohhhh thank god it didn't go as i feared.

john has this cadence about him it's like he's constantly trying to sell me a used car

BILLY ? FLINT. ARE YOU. FOR REALLLL

"you had your say. now i'll have mine" ANNEEEE

ep7 gates: "because billy. Wasn't expendable. To Me." MY MANNNNNNNNNNNNN IM GONNA. CRYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

eleanor PLEASE get your head outta your assSSSS....

back to jack rackham's funtime brothel business attempt :) hes so bad at this... what the hell.... "the wRong tree" BITCH.... he is so pathetique godbless

"get your fucking house in order" MAX. I LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!

the . fuckign tears in Gates' eyes when Dufrene says that after this trip, Flint dies. . ajdslfhjl

ep8 flint you . flint. Flint. you fucking. YOU SADDDD PATHETICCCCCCC LITTLE MAN. NOT! GATES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! not the sobbing and im sorry's and cradling his dead body in your hands. this sucks. this fucking SUCKS

i wish vane would suck some sand and die :)

john's manic smile "had to be done" you are. sssssso. YOU.

"no-man's-land. there was a time when stopping halfway across this bridge would have been unthinkable to you"

sorry to be so crude but flint's tits are fucking Humongous. Who allowed this.

ep1 "but i'm the only person within a hundred miles of here who doesn't want to see you dead" hm. my god. so flint and silver, like...

"maaadam guthrie" jack <3

"so i actually have to fight him?" "WELL WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU THINK WAS GONNA HAPPEN"

"you have absolutely nothing to worry about" i doubt that, jack. but thanks

OH MY DOUBTS ARE UNFOUNDED !

flint and silver make each other worse :) yay!!!

ep2 ".. but seducing her was certainly... an interesting approach"

idk where this is going to go yet . but jack. "take our, predicament" bruh. MANN. hes so pathetic and i feel bad for him but do nottt be a dickkkkk. HE'S TALKING LEGALIZE LIKE A DICK AND JUST. TAKES THE SHOT. [DRUMROLL] READY TO LEAVE,

. JAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACK. "Please know that all i have ever wanted for you is to be happy. come to bed when you're through" for. REAL?????????????????? JACK MY BEST FRIEND JACK?? POLY KING..

ep4 im sorry i know theres all this war and politic intrigue happening but the . threesome morning after, jack's awkward but jovial ?? grimace at max when he's leaving the scene, ohh my god... also max being a ma'am now within the brothel❤️ and jack kissing anne's head as he rose from bed....

flint and john insane homoerotically charged conversations. always reverting back to his share of the gold huh.

ep5 miranda's actor doing SO much for big frustrated female emotions(tm)

(utterly unimpressed) "all right. what's the matter with the articles"

"so again fuck's your problem?" anne... anne your voice is like a SO~NG

"and another to tell them why they should want to do it"

ohh my god, uhhuh. Uhhuh. huh? . yeah. yeah i thought so. i mean. fuck. Wow. uhhuh. no one's spoiled me enough to prepare me for this, then, huh. james fucking flint you complicated hard-headed queer jackass of a man. your plan is bad but fuck man who am i to tell you anything

ep6 please tell me jack doesn't know how to be a sailor please please PLEWASE he is so pathetic. "listen... no women" SHUT UP!!!!

anne's stride to that man's neck to get him to spill the beans about the gold. her voice and eyes. i love you strange angry violent bisexual woman. god. you know. trauma !

thhhe fucking shadow work when small scared traumatized anne lifts her gaze to max. oh the shadow in that. MAX'S VOICE.... MAX PROMISING TO. PROTECT ANNE?? at some cost i bet.... BUT ANYWAY????

i love the fact that jack is just compleeeteely not scary intimidating or physically impressive at all. wet blanket of a man but at least he's got a brain (?) and a heart ???

ep7 max standing up for anne, both of them owing so fucking much to the other. i love how much authority max has...

oh its sooo fucking delightful how silver and flint are just. thick as thieves, suddenly, i love to fuckin see it. OK NEVER FUCKING MINDDD LMAO. but theyve still got that rappor!!! like!!! cant get rid of the other fast enough. or at all!! no matter what! tied at the ankles together!!

oh. thank. fuck max hugged her. ohh my god... and [the other lady] was so .. idk whats going on exactly but how kind of her to . come and usher anne out of the situation. you dont need to be doing this. go. HHHNNN

silver telling max about the gold >:) MAX'S SMILE. ILOVE HERRRR

hyiiii EWW THE ENDING OF THIS EPISODE... EWWWWW

ep8 "please go with him, so he doesn't get himself killed" ".. oh for fucks sake.."

the power that silver holdddds. ooohhhhhhhhh

wait HOLD UP. ? DID :) did flint kill hamilton's father for putting him in an asylum (??) am i reading this girl's tale correctly..

"for if anyone is responsible for what happened that day, it's, Me." ma'am. ily

oh god oh lord. the birds of prey over the fort. has vane Really just murdered 40 men ON HIS OWN.

ALRIGHT. YEAH. WAIT. NO. I FORGOT ABOUT THE NASTY UNPLEASANT VIBE OF THE LATEST EPISODE LOL <33

FUCK charles vane i HATE THIS BITCHHHHh EVERYTHING IS SO FUCKING DIFFICULT ALL OF THE TIME

ep9 "footrope. bitch of a spot"

"you idiots are the fucking riggers of this ship" AHSDHFJKH

oh but i thought there were two ships. one in charlestown and one at nassau. and that vane's men would yknow. be in Nassau. cuz how did they get into charlestown THIS QUICK ?

i know it's main character syndrome but man oh boy is silver good at keeping himself alive

"where are we going?" "to execute the third option"

i hate that anne has to kill :( but it is also so fucking sexy that she is so GOOD at handling a fight

fuuuuck eleanorrrrr,,, GRRRR

tjhe lingering hand hold with anne and max.... AUUUGH

the LOVE. that miranda and flint share for thomas is SO FUCKING WILD TO ME WHAT A POINT WHAT A POWER. ????

OH . SHHHHE. FUCKING. DIES??????????? JUST LIKE . THAT????????????

john's smug ass grin when vane says theyre saving flint... whaaaatttt

NOT THE AVALANCE ??????

ep10 "like we was two halves of the same thing""i can't be your wife, jack"[A TEAR FROM JACK'S EYE]"but you and i are gonna be partners til they put us in the fucking ground" HET! RIGHTS!!!!!!!!!!!

john seeing how the crew starts rising up for him.. oh the power. oh the power is DELICIOUS.

"everyone is a monster to someone. since you are so convinced that i am yours... i will be it"

"what do you suggest?" "that we remind them that they were right to be afraid" FLINT!!!!!

"where are his keys, and has he seen them since he took me away from my men" BRO. JOHN!!!!!!

oh flint is. fully gone :) kill my lover kill my wife i've HAD ENOUGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

the fear the genuine guttural fucking FEAR at john's voice over the state of his leg . the crew all around him. oh this is. OH THIS IS.

point of no return.

"would you like to see something shiny?" PIRATES!!!!! WOOOO YEAHH

MAX AS THE SEASON'S FINAL FRAME ILYSM

ep1 TEACH!!

"any capital sentence against a pirate would hear my answer" he's an avenging angeeeeel. OF SOME SOOORT

haircut and facial hair to show that time has passed, yes, i see

"this crew has spilled a great deal of blood to make your name what it is. it doesn't belong to you" WOW

oh. Oh! alright! jack you piece of shit huh! vane i'm sorry for my very mean words (still deserved, but you know, people, being human, piracy)

"take this, and leave me be" max.....

"jack, if i thought it gave you any pleasure, i would've killed you the moment you suggested it" goddamn. goddamn these two. fucking fuck.

season three poster kicks ASSS

ep2 "lovely. good old jack gets buried beneath a pile of rubble while you two begin a well-funded life of leisure"

"i am here in part to ensure my own future, i will not apologize for that" max you deserve eeeveeerythiiiiing

sjhaking jack and max in a bottle grr GRR they both love anne GRRRRRRRRH

"this is the second time in the last few months im facing certain death, and you are again offering moral support" "does that mean we're married?"

oh . oh :( john having to witness and hold this guy through as he's helpless and fucking drowning before his eyes. fuck tthis fucking SHOW!!!!!

i love how much this all. Affects john. he's so fuckjing sad to lose yet another of his brothers.

"just how fucking stupid, exactly, are your men" "... it's hard to say"

"... like fucking rodents, preparing for the winter"

flint's nightmares in this... ough. miranda... HAUNTING

oh fuckyes the becalming be upon us. IVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS.

ep3 "no, i think we should feed some of the men and not, others" dfhjk flint flint flint flint this is FUCKED UP. BUT WHAT ELSE CAN YOU DO???? AS CAPTAIN!!!!!

jack's "[whistle] that's enough. you, sit down" charming charming guy

"though might be you're the only one who actually made a career of it" jack and anne and jack and vane and hdsfdbkjbvkvj what is this do they even like each other is this old friends is tHIS ABOUT OLD FRIENDS ???

"i think it's torture for him. and i think the only way he can imagine it stopping is when there are no more of us left to witness it" john's insight into flint.... why is he so clever about this man. huh!!!

the ghosts hunting flint❤️ oh christ i cant do this . fucking trauma. fucking piracy. fuck this noise. FUCK!!!

"if you're not strong enough to do what needs to be done, [then] i'll do it for you" flint. my man. is this a love confession (fuck no it isnt but also HM)

oh shit, oh fuck , anne and max fucking love each other. FUCK. "you should stay. to see it divided evenly" ".... i trust you" AH! HOLY! SHIT!

"i'm one of the two men who've been on full rations for the last few days. you're the other. let's go" YAY AT THIS DYNAMIC. YAY AT TRYING TO BECOME WHAT HIS BEST FRIEND AND WIFE WERE TO HIM. YAY AT THIS ENTIRE TRUST-BONDING EXPERIENCE :)!!!

fight me or kill me "or acknowledge the fact that you and i would be a hell of a lot better off as partners instead of rivals" HOLY SHIT!!!!!!!!!!!

ep4 the men shouting and lying and demanding shit outside the fortress, appealing to jack, trying to get to vane. jack point-blank shooting the guy❤️ oh my god.

fuck yes retribution by enslaved people <3 oh man. where is this going to Fucking Take Us. ethically choppy waters, black-n-white thinking, i dont fcking know

jack is . so focused on leaving a legacy...

"how much?" "... mmh !"

"i was just gonna say 'i'll see you soon', but that would probably be a lie, wouldn't it?"

"i hate to be the one to say it, but is it possible we've all missed the point of that story? they all Died."

flint and john's epic fatherhood over billy ahljsdf:djflgk

"she will not let us leave this place alive" and good for her for that

MISTER SCOTT LOVE OF MY LIFEEEEE LIGHT OF MY DAYSSSSSS YEAH YEAH !! YEHAW!!!

oh fuckers and shitheads you did not just . shoot at him. did you. im going to eat you

ep5 "so i might oversee the survival of both places outside the scrutiny of either" mr scott.......

"you should know, people do not speak to me that way anymore" max you deserve the moon and the stars. eleanor get the fuck outta here...

h e r v o i c e w h e n s h e s a y s a n n e

scott smiling so fucking gently softly at his wife and THEN HIS DAUGHTER OUGH MAN HE'S SO..!!!! flint i swear if you fuck this up. if you get a knife on her im gonna [jsdfhmgjkfjngj]

"strange how little separates us" :( vane and that dying spanish dude talking...

"it's awful, isn't it. how the money makes sheep of us all"

max demanding herself a seat and a future. god i love you.

"and yet for some reason, right now i am bothered by it" the flint fucking curse i see

HE LEFT THE KNIFE!!! HE LEFT IT!!! THE CROWD GOES WILLLDDDD

"bring down nassau. maybe you bring it all down"

jack and his name..... ohhhh brother.

ep6 "in a few hours time, there's a good chance you're going to look awfully smart"

jack so angry and peeved and hurt-of-pride bc that english dude got the city to work and he didn't... ouhh the pride. OH WHY ARE YOU HERE YOURE GONNA GET IN TROUBLE.....

"no one prepared you for this, did they" ah the similar fates "but i know how"

"but it cannot be borne if you cannot stand"

"please understand i'm quite particular about my library"

"to have been a partner to him in this way" the homoerotic subtext mmmhh-hm!

"you don't think i can convey a thought to Anne comprehensible only to her? a thought as simple as 'run'?" ;_; BRUH,,, he's ready to . Not let Nassau be 'english' and for anne to have a chance out NO MATTER WHAT THE COSTTTTT

"english it will not be" or however the quote went..... badass... fuck yehaw.....

scott and his daughter ,,, scott continues to be so. fucking loving father to her despite the great gulf between them :( MANNNN

FUCK! ROGERS!!!!!!!!!!!

ep7 jesussss this plan is big and dangerous🙂

yes yess YES YES YESSSS THE DAUGHTER GETS ON THE BOAT!!!!!!!!! please tell me her name next. ffs.

billy taking her hand and helping her onto the ship COOL SHOT !!

".. but this battle is ours as much as yours. my word and your will govern in consort or not at all. and when i'm not present, that word shall be given by my daughter" POWER TO WOMEN!!!!!!!!

"we're all villains in nassau. don't think cuz youre new youre any different"

fuck :) now they gotta give jack as well as the gold. max is so pissed abt this. she gave anne her WORD.

i love that she had power and say over white men now. btw. love this flavor.

HER NAME IS MADI. BTW. THANK YOUU

"i understand this is the place cowards come to beg forgiveness from a king"

"captain flint is dead" "not anymore he's not" HE GOT BETTER

ohhhh ffffuuuuuck did silver just. kick glasses-guy's head in with his peg leg. ohh Brother.

"my name is john silver. and i've got a long, fucking memory"

flint coming to ask silver "are you alright?" after this all :)c not to be annoying. but im gonna be annoying. these two fucking guys <3

flint talking about both miranda and thomas this episode i love bisexuality

"... and spiteful to anyone who would find.. Happiness, under her rule" AFTER REFERRING TO THE FACT THAT BOTH THOMAS AND MIRANDA WERE KILLED FOR THE FIGHT FOR THE PARDONS ETC. WOW!!!!

vane and jack and anne and max polycube of all time. at this current moment just the three of them at all actively but it still stands.

ep8 anne and flint discussing routes. vane is there too. vane is playing with some tea cup. gets his finger slightly stuck on the ear--

"don't despair, some other poor bastard'll take my place soon enough" jack..... the RAT......

"there's a whole world out there, that ever so often rewards ambition"

"this does not seem like release"

"one waits for mr de groot to finish speaking, frowns thoughtfully, and then repeats phonetically what he said to the men"

"the depths of my ignorance on the subject" oooh yes. oh YES. learning the job. ON THE FLY.

he and madi have an interesting thing going on :) they should be friends i think

i really dont care for eleanor anymore. like good for her for girlbossing her own way but ohhhh stay away from max thaaaanks

ok sorry yeah i do like it when she's cussing men out its good its fantastic

the fucking spiderweb of people and relations and ideals and pride and trust and power and dsshfkdjfgkj

"for reasons passing understanding, mr dobbs still has a number of friends on this crew" fuck dobbs but FUCK this line is funny

madi :(....

jack is the son of a long line of tailors omg...

"but jesus did i make up a lot of ground to catch you"

anne clambering into the wreckage to kiss jack square on the lips hello............ "ow" HELLO

vane jack and anne "right behind us" vane's INSANE fucking stare at flint as he says "yeah" GOOD STUFF

i mean im not trying to sell the polycule but uuuhhhhoooohhhgh vane helping jack out of the carriage.. that hold is GOOOOOODDD

vane's NOT ABOUT TO FUCKING DIE RIGHT NOW. IS HE. I JUST STARTED TO LIKE HIIMMMM

ep9 "charles vane's death is inside that box. along with my good name. along with her lost love. along with your late quartermaster's life." holy fucking shit speak UP jack oh i LOVE THIS. oh my godddddd

"that, or he doesn't know how to say no to the both of us at the same time" flint and silver parents of all time

"... it could be catastrophic" "HE KNOWS." JOHN'S FACE HEREEE

"if you have something to add you should just fucking say it"

"i can't tell if this was a warning, or a welcome" WELCOME!!!!!! WELCOME TO H E L L ! ! !

madi hugging john OH GOD. OH THE . GHRGHGGRHG THERES A TRUST!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"get on with it motherfucker" oh fuck me i really like vane actually. he's not gonna fucking DIE, HAHA, THAT WOULD BE . WRONGGGG

huh. well this fucking hurt actually. gol d roger ass move btw. FUCK THIS SUCKS ACTUALLY!!!!!!

jack taking on vane's mantle . my teeth are gonna be ground clean off with the way im clenching my jaw right now. fffuck me this episode was pretty rough after all

eleanor guthrie youre a fantastic character i hope you also get whats coming to you❤️

hello mr teach and your sad little camp.... dad's about to be fucking furious about a certain someone's hanging.... "what do you want to do about it?" and the movement of his eye.... GIRL WHAT DO YOU THINK HE WANTS TO DO ABOUT IT

ep10 "the irony wasn't lost on either of us"

"but the one in whose name this war is to be fought... it is still a stranger to me" oh Words. also flint's stare in this moment mmmmmwah!!

"and given how much we have sacrificed to earn this battle, how can we do anything other but to see it through. my friend may have given his life to earn this battle"

flint sacrificed fifty of his men in a senseless massacre just to entice the english to chase after him.......... bitch this fucking MAN.

blackbeard coming to avenge his SONNNN and also jack closing his eyes to take in the news of charles' death oh my GOD

he is. so righteously PEEVED at eleanor over what happened to charles oh my god.....

BTW really very good hair insp from jack here. around 19minutes to the ep

"... once our relationship had been exposed, defiled, scandalized... everything ended"

"england was broken, and that sooner or later a good man must resist it" BRO. BRRRRROOO

flint's voice and face during this conversation haHa. haha ha ha. Ha., huh.

john..... partners and trust and dying 'for' flint ghngrhg

"there may be no one in the world closer to you than i am" THIS IS . INSANE. INSANE!!!!!!!

"i think he feels shame. for having disappointed me. and a great need to redeem himself in my eyes"

"but among them is the sincere confusion as to why charles invested any time and energy in you" BECAUSE THEYRE FRIENDS!!!! DAMNIT!!!!!!!!!!

"there wasnt any more to that thought, was there" JACK YOU LOSER....

"to be underestimated is an incredible gift"

"someone better suited to do what must be done" madi's so fucking cool and i would lay down my life for her .

"see you on the other side" "always." fuck will and elizabeth actually these are my emotional support straights (not straight). also jack just called charles their brother im going to dshfjkdbgjkhjhklfdg

oh i love comedy. blackbeard's ship getting shot at and jack faltering in his step, while Teach. Literally Just Stands there. giving him the eye. Jack trying to gather himself. lmao

"TELL YOUR GOVERNOR. YOU TELL HIM I'M COMING" YAAAAYYY

"but in terms of out future and the danger that you believe you may pose to me, bear this in mind. I've survived starvation, a tempest, pirate hunters, jealous captains, mutinous crews, angry lords, a queen, a king, and the goddamn british navy." the rest of that quote. THE SCENE WHERE THEYRE LOOKING AT EACH OTHER OVER THE BODY OF WATER. WOW!!! FLINT'S SMILE IN THE FLASHBACK. WOW!!!!!!!

"but that name isnt doing anything for us. see about that"

cant fucking describe how insanely fun it is to me that the crew at nassau are creating a myth, a man out of thin air, to serve as the poster boy for their efforts or whatnot. this is the Neatest fucking thing. WHAT the hell.

best fucking thing to have max be in these season finale final shots so often

THE LETTER. MADMEN, RICH MEN, TYRANTS AND KING. THE TABLE!!!!

ep1 "if it makes you feel any better, i havent considered killing you in months" aw he cares ❤️

also hhhiiiih the opening sequence underwater stuck in that ladder thingie :) yikes!!

MADI HOT AS HELL.

"today there will be vengeance for the death of charles vane" JAAAACKKKKK

THE REVENGE :)<3

oh that was. a nasty fucking trick, the barricade whatever. oh fuck me.

OH FUCK MEEEE flint i cant believe you'd leave silver on his oWN OH NNNO. and madi's reaction as well oh no....

"i dont know. got to make this" girl this is . So.

im still wondering about max and eleanor's roles in all this. who will max side with. No one? herself. is eleanor actually This, Now. after all That? shes the most selfish mf (honorific) that im finding this all Very difficult to swallow

flint telling madi how it seems that silver and her have become 'friends'.... "he is my friend, too" i see. I See.

MR. FEATHERSTONE DO NOTTTTTTT TRIFLE ME RIGHT NOW. BE. FOR REAL.

no no nnno not mister de groot :(

"there will be no pirate King here. of that much i am certain" GO GIRL!!!!!!!!! I SUPPORT THIS

ep2 "i gave you a life, and you repaid me by conspiring with my enemies" MAX!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! oh NO???

aah, good ol sexism on the high seas. whats teach's fucking issue with anne.

madi has the fucking, CLASS and SWAG of a chAMPION. TALK BACK TO FLINT MORE!!! ILOVE THIS FLAVOR

israel fucking hands lmsjkdfglfk i fucking knew it was fking waiting for the name to drop i cant fucking, believe this

i love this, when john is spinning this tale about himself, i dont know if he believes any of it himself, whether he's so deep in the lie just to get out of a bad situation, is this where his heart actually lies. i love this. myth of a man. "now i am here". like some goddamned god

"at a certain point there is a good chance he'll just decide to kill you than take your no for an answer" "he can try" anne loml loml loml

"now that we're here, it'd be so easy. and i don't wanna do it"

[looks at the camera] oh. i Love Infighting.

"someone who shared anne's mistrust of sentimentality" anne and charles bff's for REAL.....

oh fuck off fuck me, teach's memory of charles and that bird and what it might mean, "dinner" fuuuuck meeeeeeeeeeee this FUCKING gUY

max is so tired of this fucking situationnnn but she has some sense of moralityYYY oh my god this tangle of WEBSSSS

john just lost a friend in max :(

ep3 max's voice when she's angry... loml

"the empire survives in part because we believe its survival to be inevitable. but it isn't. and they know that. that's why they're so terrified of you and i" flint and madi bestfriendism arc begins Now

wait this occurred to me out of nowhere as jack is pondering about his future status and whether he's gonna be blackbeard's equal one day. oh are these daft bastards all doomed by the narrative. cuz of the history thing. idk what happened in nassau, historically speaking, but is this whole entire endeavor gonna end Bad for them. oh no. OH NNNNO

madi YOUR EYES. OH THE TEARS

"do i need to run?" "that'd be fun for me to see. how would you do it?" "with great difficulty, i imagine"

this episode is paced and shot in the most . bizarre fucking manner. why does this look and feel like a relationship drama or a cheap version of one.

"i did not fail to do it. i refused to do it and would again"

teach offering that shithead rogers a tight lipped smile while he's captured. ok blackbeard you have rights

oh. oh they fucking killed. huh. teach is fucking dead, then. fuck rogers fuck him entirely what the fuck is this dudes deal

ep4 flint saying "our shared authority" like a . fucking confession. oh my God.

"a lot of them end up that way too. though i admire your optimism" AND THE WAY FLINT LOOKS AT HIM. THIS IS INSANE ON THE BRAIN

silver's personal vendetta against billy. <3 flint and silver sharing the mantle of Captain(tm) <33

"i think we all agree that it helps none of us to have those idiots armed to the teeth" "... yeaH"

this john billy flint + max conflict is so interesting. oh my god it's so . HM!!

"any man" "absolutely -- absolutely not" LET ANNE FIGHT FFS !!!!!

"anne get up" her hands. fully open. bleeding down to the bone now,

JACK JACK JACK MY BELOVED RACKHAM

"that i would have had to live with it" max is not a killer ohhh she's got the sensibilities of a human-person still when everyone else is ready to reign bloody murder upon anyone who crosses them ohhhhhhhhh

"do i need to be concerned that you took almost two hours to tell me about it?"

i know i know i know its about miranda (and thomas) but mostly miranda i know i know but fuck man fuuuuuuck when john tells flint that madi is the person who makes him the most vulnerable and flint is spacing out after it. dude. FUCK. but also uhhhhhh UHHHHHHH this could be. Bad❤️ flint is. NOT a good person. HHHHHHH

"wouldn't you trade it all to have thomas hamilton back again" HUUUUUUUUUH ? OH I DID NOT EXPECT US TO GO /HERE/ ACTUALLY

the way flint's face is twitching. sir toby stephens THANK YOU

"i suppose the good news is that's how we'll know we're finally getting somewhere interesting" AND THE SAD SMIRK AT THE END OFTHISSSS

fuck eleanor but the look she grants flint before the gate closes. damn.

eleanor i am sooooooo sick and tired of your shhhhit leave max ALONE <333333

ep5 eleanor's handmaiden lady is quite brave actually, to trust her word and go out to the wolves like this

billy is so. Baffled. this actor is really fun in this kinds of emotion

john trusts flint.... or at least. he is trying to convince billy that he does.....

ok this is Quite fucking fascinating actually. this Quarrel-type a beat between rogers and eleanor

i.... dont,,,, care for eleanor getting all emotional about madi and her mom and mr scott. dude. get real.

LOVE the way flint says "i'm not concerned" in regards to the change in plans (cache, and john)

sucha fucking powerful frame when flint and co. come from that tunnel and madi with her men are there <3

"HE just Said it."

"all it guarantees is we no longer have the cache that we all agreed was Critical" I LOVE THAT JACK IS SO. PRACTICAL AND SMART...

WHERES ANNE.

eleanor's commanding officer or whatever . his face when looking through the looking-glass and max asks him what he sees. priceless.

ep6 yes yes yes madi, stomp on those white girl feelings. FUCK eleanor

"'this deal'? as in the one in which you walk away with all My mOnEy?"

"i did not want this" :-(

"thats the power youve given me" oh, BILLY. YOU SHOT YOURSELF IN THE LEG WITH THIS CHOICE !!!

billy's vendetta against flint, wanting to see him dead...... silver asking him to stop it/be over it...............

max and jack, hm, not friendship necessarily. but the General Understanding between them. at times. yeah.

MAX AND ANNE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"i loved you. and i betrayed you. but i cannot apologize for it" ... "and i do not wish to lie to you ever again" MAX. GIRL!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YOUR VOICEEEEE

did madi just. fucking die.

oh. shit. did eleanor fucking die also.

everythings. COMING UP, FLINTHOUSE,

flint's face acting once again, now that he's telling silver about the. Hnghn. situation. oh god.

"anyone who can't make it to the beach, i want them carried. i'll not leave anyone behind"

"how can we all have sacrificed so much and none of us has anything to show for it?" oh i get it now i get it . max isthe fucking insightful oracle or smth like that of the series. she's always on all sides and on her own side, selfish and giving and caring and loyal and scheming. oh she. Oh She.

"... and the governor is sitting in Nassau in mY ffFFUcking chair, victorious !!!"

this spat jack and max are having. Oh Man. i revisit my earlier statement. I LOVE THEIR DYNAMIC????

"youre goddamn right i do"

"eleanor is dead, anne is nearly dead, and i want him to pay for all of it dearly" this is not the point but hoooooohhhhmy god if anyone suggests that this woman is bisexual rather than a lesbian im going to [choking noises. but humorously]

oh this shall be. Really Good. <- scene opens of silver lookng Fhucking worse for wear and red-teary-eyed. and flint's opening the captain's door

ep7 "she was curious and strong, not made to be hidden away from the world" THIS SUCKS. SO MUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

flint asking "how are you" from silver...... hngnh. theres something so genuine in his voice in this. and in silver's eyes. oh fuck fuck fuck this

"they call you king, but only in the kingdom that is no more. we're all free men here, and i wish to Stay that way."

MAX FUCKING LOVES ANNE. LOOK AT THOSE LINGERING GLANCES FROM THE DOOR. FUCK!!!!!!!! FUCK ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"you told her to fuck off. she listened" IM SO SAD

jack's funy little breakdown over the whatever-fees like. bruh. this is SO domestic

jack's got the energy of a single father of four, methinks.

"when i was drowning myself over miranda, you helped me find my way out. Look at me. I will do the same for you"

"charles vane was my closest friend in the world" bruh............. JACK....................... BRO!....................

eleanor's grandmother's actor hello hello hello. Hello

hyii vittuuUUU the dead eleanor having moved her gaze towards rogers in his minds eye eeewwwwWW CREEPS ME OUT

"they are strong when flint and silver are united, but separate the two of them, turn them against one another and their world collapses" JESSUS THE CODEPENDENCY THE ISSUES THE . WOW!!!!!!!!!!!

BITCH. BITCH ??????????????????????????? BGIHNTUTDBGJK H:)DFGFNK MADI IS ALIVE?????????????? FLINT WHAT DID YOU . DO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i think max is the only character in this show actually. thats what i think actually.

oh fuck Oh fuckkkk silver looks like a drowned cat when he realizes that flint and the queen are not... in favor of. getting madi ? oh goddddddddddddd

".. to divide us like this, i will not permit it, MADI, would not permit it..."

flint is like. RIDE OR DIE. for silver rightnow about madi. i respect this i like this this feels like an insane person thing in its entirety this is so good to me

"when you and i are of the same mind there is nothing we have not yet been able to do" and then he kinda Smiles. at silver. flint youre Insane.

ROGERS CAN SUCK SHIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

madi is so fucking through with this shes angry and tired and powerful and everythign and she will also die fighting i Hope this iSnt Foreshadowing🙂

"i mean, how could you be someone who would do that?" aint that thefucking question

"i do it for us. thats how it started. thats how its going to end" DID JACK FUCKING RACKhAM JUST INVENT. LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVEEEEEEEEEE ? ?

"you'll. you know." "i will" bro they. they both love anne like crazy. they dont love each other they kinda despise/respect/pity each other but By Golly Gee God They Both Love This Woman and Will Put Aside All Arguments For Her SAKE

ISRAEL HANDS ARE YOU A LITTLE WEASEL BITCH IN THIS UNIVERSE ALSO!!!!!!!!!?????????

ep8 "right people ... to hold the world together while it finds its balance" "you think so much of what you and i can accomplish together -" "you and her." OH MY GOD????

"i think that you are the best of us" AND I THINK THAT THIS IS A LOVE CONFESSION. UNLESS????

a cold winter's niiiight. HEALING ONE'S WOUNDSSSSS. MAX AND ANNE!!!!!

oh the trust is so fuckingbroken. between max and anne. between silver and flint... jhessus the stare flint offers silver after the cache is revealed. FUCK.

ooooh the lady of the brothel and the lady in waiting and JACK JACK JACK

dads are. FIGHTING.

"but do not ask me to choose between a war, and a wife. i do not think youre going to like the answer"

"... but i demand your support. [...] do i have it?" [LONG ASS BEAT] "yes." HE SAID, YOU KNOW. !!!! LIKE A LIAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"but max refused" BUT MAX REFUSED. BUT MAX. REFUSED!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"she's a breath away from winning that fight. for whatever reason, she wants to share the spoils with you" IM GOING TO SPILL OVER IM GOING TO DROWN IN A PUDDLE IM GOING TO GNAW ON MY HANDBONES AND TURN INTO A FLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

no no no noNO NO NO!! SHES BEEN FIGHTING THIS WORLD EVERY DAY SINCE SHE WAS BORN!!! DO NOT!!! MARRY HER OFF!!!! TO SOME WHITE MALE DIMWIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

youre forcing her to sell herself again, to be someone else's to belong to someone who does not deserve her nor her affections, to hide behind a white man, im not angry at the show or the writers i am thrilled to witness this fiction but FOR FUCKSSSS SAKEEEEEE THE STORY OHMY GOD!!!!! SHE IS THE CENTRAL PIECE!!!! TO ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"that... is a Very oldman"

silver still making sure. that no one does harm to flint. he fucking trusts that man. oh i am in so So much danger

"it's a fucking mess out here, come inside" ANNE. YOU AND YOUR WAYS!!!

SHE SAID NO SHE SAID NO SHE SAID NO SHE SAID NO!!!!! I LOVE YOU MAX!!! DO NOT GIVE THEM AN INCH. GIRL YOURE MY EVERY.THIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING

"... because i refuse to situate a man in a position where he might interfere one day with my ability to repair things with you"

"you are the bravest ... the truest .... and i betrayed you [her voice breAKS] and it sickens me" IM IN THE FUCING TRENCHES.

"for failing to see there's nothing important that does not include you"

hey yo <3 the hurt and . tears in silver's eyes as he watches flint Fucking betray him. after everything. after all. burrowing mmy head in sand right now effective immediately. i hate this. I HATE THISSS. he's not gonna trust flint EVER again about ANYTHING, and flint is SO. he is SO GOING TO END UP LONELY FRIENDLESS ALL HIS CLOSEST COMPANIONS AND LOVERS AND PARTNERS D E A D BECAUSE THEY HAD THE MISFORTUNE OF EXISTING A HAIRS WIDTH TOO CLOSE TO HIM. HATE PREVAILS LOVE LOSES FUCK MY STUPID BAKA LIFE

ep9 "after i just climbed that fucking hill are you being serious right now?" heh. COMEDY.

god the fucking. gentle grins and smirks they share . to let pride get between them... and then they did. let it get there. right. i hate this show (i LOVE THIS SHOW???)

TALKIONIG ABOUT. LEARNIGN HOW TO DEFEAT YOU . :) THE GENTLE SMIRKS CONTINUE OHMYGODDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD THIS IS AGONIZING !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"on his own and disadvantaged countless times since i've known him... and here we are"

"i wonder if he knows just how much youve learned from him" ENDME.

we dont know who silver is.

"i'd be forced to hesitate before doing you any harm" hes putting silver in the same line as thomas and miranda.

"no seriously ive got quite a lot riding on this" JACKKKK

is this fucking bitch rogers blaming . MADI. of all people for eleanor death im going to k*ll this man

OK FAIR THE KNITTING NEEDLES CLICKING ELEANOR'S GHOST THING IS PRETTY EFFECTIVE

"i must answer to them" and "MY war." madi. fuckingchrist girl.

"THAT. YOU did." MADI RIP HIM TO SHREEEDDSSSSSS

flint bodily regretting his choice of companion as this guy will not fkcing Shut UP.

FLINT STILL. idk if this is care or plotting. BUT HE DOESNT WANT TO PART FROM SILVER

"that is to say you know my genuine friendship, and loyalty" im. going. to . scream

"can that be enough and there still be trust between us?" IM. GOING TO. SCREAM!

irrelevant to everything going on but my god the way flint is build. i'd like to look like this man thanks! gender OUTTTA the wazoo

THE OLD MAN LEADING JACK JUST FUCKING . DIED????????? NATURAL CAUSES?????? WHY ARE JACK'S STORYLINES ALWAYS COMEDIES IM LOSING MY MIND

THE THREE "mm-hmm's" JESUS

if flint fucking kills joji right now i will not be a happy camper i swear

god fucking fuck.

"it would be preferable to me if we solved this another way" AND WHY DO I STILL BELIEVE HIM!!!!!

"i know you cannot see why this must be. but it must be"

LIKE WAIT A MOMENTTTT silver i love your drive and love for your wife its only right <3 but fooor fucksake madi MADI HERSELF. ON THE ENEMY SHIP. is ACTIVELY SPITTING IN ROGERS FACE AND SAYING yeah whatre you gonna do kill me do it coward AND SHES LOOKING FORWARDDDD. PLEASE GIVE HER THE COURTESY OF DOING THE SAME.

mr de groot. i fucking despise the english.

"i have his true friendship, and so he's going to have mine" bruh.

ep10 ok i said i wouldnt comment on the last ep as i was watching but here me out. i hate that theres no fondness between them, at least not the sort that you(as a watcher?) can Reliably trust upon. its all just politics and selfish wants and needs and the flotsam and dead bodies that happen around you as you strive towards your goal. i hate that i cant trust jack!! and that flint cant trust jack!! and silver cant trust either of them!!! fuck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

. : D MOTHERFUCKER ALRIGHT !

#särmäs sermons #literature ramble #on a very personal note regarding this whole six months. loved the feeling of engaging my soft mousse of a brain to actually ponder at #themes and . meanings and characters on a deeper level than comedy/etc shows might force you to do. this is Not A Dig at comedies.#brother i live and breathe comedies. but as previously stated this was like PROPER DRAMA. AND I (ME!!! THIS FUCKING DUNCE????) WATCHED IT #AND GOT SOMETHING OUT OF IT TOO!!!!#fuck this was fun. THIS WAS FUN. despite it alllll #a nothing post by yours truly once again 💖

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health-solutions-super · 4 hours

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How to Use a Health ATM Machine for Quick Medical Checkups

Currently, the blend of speed and efficiency of the 21st century is essentially done through using technology in healthcare. Step into the Health ATM Machine, an innovative device that will take the role of the Healthcare machine. Individuals can quickly get insights into the state of their health which is determined by the machines as they are easy to access and use through the convenience the machines give them. If you are curious about benefiting from this modern-day innovation of the medical sector, the following guide on how to correctly utilize a Health ATM Machine will assist you fully.

1. Locate a Health ATM Machine: The first thing that you should do is locate the Health ATM close to you. Such devices are often found in public places with high traffic including shopping malls, airports, gyms, and hospitals. The option of walking through online directories or using mobile applications that can pinpoint the location of the nearest one of them is always available.

2. Registration and Identification: On arriving at the Health ATM Machine, you may be required to register by providing identification before using the service. This measure is instrumental for providing privacy and for safeguarding that the outcomes are correctly presented to the specific individual.

3. Select the Desired Health Checkup: ATM Machines for Health provide several checkups that are designed to suit the different needs of every user. From fundamental information like blood pressure, pulse rate, and body temperature to more intricate tests like BMI calculation, cholesterol screening, sugar level test, and so on, you’re free to select the suitable screening that fits your health issues.

4. Follow On-Screen Instructions: Then you will be required to choose the check that you desire. After that, the machine will guide you through the process by displaying instructions clearly and plainly on the screen. These may be easy movements such as slipping your arm into a Blood pressure cuff, touching a finger pulse oximeter, or standing on a weighing scale for weight and BMI measurements.

5. Receive Instant Results: One of the best advantages that the Health ATM Machine has is the speed at which results are provided. Within a few minutes, you will obtain full details of your health parameters comprising any kind of abnormal readings or unknown trends that would require deeper consideration.

6. Interpretation and Recommendations: Once the machine has done a test, it may tell you straightaway the meaning of the results and suggestions according to the standard health guidelines. These could be lifestyle recommendations, diet changes, or simply reminders to talk to a doctor or other health care professional for the next steps and closer examination.

7. Print or Email Results: It is possible for the machine to offer you the option to choose a hard copy of the results printed or send them to your email for future reference, depending on its features. This is sometimes helpful in keeping track of your health history or when you have to share the information with your general practitioner.

8. Follow-Up with Healthcare Provider: Although Health ATM Machines provide convenience and efficiency, it is necessary to be aware that they are not a full substitute for the qualified opinion of professional medical caregivers. In case of any indicating results and you have chronic health issues, it is essential to seek your treating physician to consult for a comprehensive evaluation and individualized treatment plan.

Finally, Health ATM Machines are a revolution in modern medical service providing immediate, easy-to-use, and easily reachable medical checkups for people on the go. These simple steps can enable you to use this advantageous technology to understand your health state and you can do so at your own time. So why wait? Nowadays, it is you who determines and controls your health with the benefits of Health ATM Machines.

#health services #superceuticals #health atm #complete body checkup #healthcare #Health atm machine

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jamesbroaddus · 8 months

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7 Advantages of Receiving an In-Home Massage

Massage therapy has long been recognized as an effective way to relax, rejuvenate, and promote overall well-being. While many people are familiar with traditional spa or clinic-based massages, an emerging trend in the wellness industry is in-home massage. With in-home massage, you can enjoy all the advantages of a professional massage right in the convenience and comfort of your own home. Receiving a massage in the comfort of your own home, whether it’s a Swedish massage, deep tissue massage, or massage stretch treatment, has many benefits. In this post, we’ll look at 10 benefits of getting a massage at home and how they may improve your overall massage experience.

1. Comfort and Convenience

The comfort and convenience that in-home massage offers is one of its main benefits. In your home, whether it’s your living room, bedroom, or even your backyard, you may create a tranquil atmosphere. You can save time and avoid the stress of commuting by forgoing the trip to the spa or clinic. Simply arrange a massage at a time that works best for you, and take advantage of the convenience of having a licensed massage therapist arrive to your door.

2. Personalized Experience

A session that is more individualized and catered to your tastes is possible with an in-home massage. Whether it’s a soothing Swedish massage or a therapeutic deep tissue massage, you may select the kind of massage treatment that best meets your needs. The therapist might concentrate on particular sore spots to provide focused treatment. You have the opportunity to personalize your experience and have direct communication with the therapist about your preferences while getting a massage in your house.

3. Enhanced Relaxation

Being in a familiar and comfortable environment enhances the relaxation benefits of a massage. Your home is a place where you can truly unwind and let go of the outside world. In-home massages eliminate the need to rush back to reality immediately after the session. You can prolong the relaxation by staying in your relaxed state without the stress of travel, allowing the benefits of the massage to be fully absorbed and integrated into your well-being.

4. Privacy and Intimacy

Some individuals prefer the privacy and intimacy that in-home massage offers. In a spa or clinic setting, there may be other clients present, creating a shared space that might not suit everyone’s preferences. With an in-home massage, you have the luxury of privacy, allowing you to fully let go and relax without any external distractions. This intimate setting can deepen the therapeutic experience and promote a stronger mind-body connection.

5. Anxiety and Stress

A home massage may considerably lower tension and anxiety levels. Your home’s comfortable surroundings provide you a sense of security, which makes it simpler to rest and unwind. The stress related to travelling and navigating new surroundings is reduced by the absence of travel and the ease of having a massage therapist come to you. In-home massage therapy can significantly improve your general well-being by lowering tension and anxiety.

6. Post-massage advantages

Resting after a massage helps the body absorb its therapeutic effects completely. With an in-home massage, you have the convenience of being in your own environment, where you may keep relaxing and benefit from the effects of the massage thereafter. Instead of rushing back into the outer world, you may extend the experience by taking a warm bath, drinking herbal tea, or doing other self-care activities. The benefits of the massage on healing and rejuvenation may be enhanced by the prolonged duration of relaxation.

7. Better accessibility

For people with restricted mobility or those who find it difficult to get to a spa or clinic, in-home massage offers accessibility. Due to physical restrictions or medical issues, in-home massage enables people to benefit from massage treatment in a relaxing and practical atmosphere. No matter what day of the week it is, everyone may benefit from a massage at home because to this accessibility.

Conclusion

The popularity of in-home massage continues to grow. It allows more people to prioritize self-care and well-being without the hassle of travel. You don’t even need to leave the comfort of your home. Whether you seek relaxation, pain relief, or a moment of tranquility, in-home massage brings the benefits of professional massage therapy directly to your doorstep, promoting overall wellness and rejuvenation. So, indulge in the convenience and comfort of in-home massage, and experience the transformative power it holds for your mind, body, and spirit.

Source: trendingbird

#In_Home_Massage

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mokutone · 3 years

Note

u posted a snippet of a comic where kakashi was coaxing tenzo to take off his anbu mask, i was wondering if u would ever post the full comic? it seems so sad and sweet and id love to have the full context of why tenz was keeping the mask on and why kk was afraid that he was doing so? if not its okay!

AH i'm surprised you remember that!!!! that feels like ages ago...back in may, i think?

i will post the full comic one day, but i have to ink it and muddle through a color palette first! because ive been so busy, i haven't had time to work on it so the pencils are still at 4/12 pages, but i can share with u what i have atm bc it'd be good to refresh my memory too. be warned obviously that like, these are pencils and not a finished, ready-to-consume product, so many things may be unclear! I'll add a little elaboration of my thoughts at the bottom of each one that should hopefully help!

page one. the top of the page and the box right below it are going to be flat black—the implication that Kakashi is speaking into a room which has no source of light. In the second one, Tenzō's pose is unclear, but he's curled up defensively into as tiny of a ball as he can manage, like a pill bug, even his speech bubbles fall along the outside of him, like he's trying to use them as another defense. In the third, we have Kakashi from Tenzō's POV. He's just opened the door, is standing tall and somewhat rigid like he's expecting an attack, taking in the situation. In the fourth and fifth panels, Tenzō sees this, and turns away, becoming deeply embarrassed that he's come to Kakashi for help at all, and that somebody he respects so much is seeing him in such a "pathetic" moment.

This is the panel you referenced—you can see by Kakashi's posture (low to the ground, loose limbs and no longer stiff or anticipating conflict, keeping a distance between he and tenzō) that he's not actually scared, per se. He's approaching Tenzō with the same gentleness that somebody might use in approaching an injured animal. If he's frightened at all, he's frightened for Tenzō's sake, but mostly he says it because he's having a trouble getting a read on the situation when Tenzō is wearing his mask.

It's true that like, as a former root agent, Tenzō is one of the least expressive people in Konoha, but even still, any movement of his face gives Kakashi more context than the cold porcelain of the cat mask, and walking into an unknown situation with a clearly unwell teammate, Kakashi wants as much context as possible so that he doesn't make the situation worse by accident.

Whether Tenzō complies because he doesn't want Kakashi to feel "scared" or simply because he was given a command is unclear at first, but Immediately after, he starts talking about how he's going to have to be re-evaluated for duty, and how hopsital dodging is a serious problem for a shinobi, etc, indicating that he's not really in a space where he can process emotional consequences very well.

I also make a point of not showing his full face during this page, because a full face will generally ask us to relate to the feelings expressed on the face, and I want those feelings to be as hard to read and unsure as they are for Kakashi in that moment, but I couldn't help but show his eyes when he removes the mask.

Top panel is Tenzo responding to Kakashi's command "let me see it," and him stretching his injured arm out for Kakashi to examine. The second panel should have Kakashi's hands gently grasping Tenzō's. Kakashi doesn't go into his space, and instead asks Tenzō to come into his, so that Tenzō can take his time if he needs it.

Idk, with a shinobi that's Going Through It, pushing their boundaries before they're ready is a good way to make their situation worse, or end up with a kunai in ur gut, so it's not something kakashi's gonna do. It's also, not coincidentally, the first panel we see Tenzō's whole face in (though it's still tilted away), and are therefore asked to try and imagine his feelings.

The next panel where he's observing his shaking hands is almost normal, but then the second he goes right back to covering his face with one of those hands and apologizing, stumbling in his attempt to be open. The two blank panels after that should have Kakashi looking directly at Tenzō, and then looking back down at the wound he's inspecting, and giving Tenzō the verdict "You'll be okay." (i know the speech bubble is low there and looks like it's part of the lower Kakashi panel, but I'll fix that in inks).

Then, like a record caught in a scratch, Tenzō just keeps apologizing, like he's forgotten he can do anything else. Kakashi mistakenly assumes it's because Tenzō thinks Kakashi's mad at him (Tenzō does not think this, both because Kakashi is rarely mad at all, and certainly not at him, and because he doesn't have the emotional space or skills in this moment to consider that Kakashi does feel any particular way about this situation)

Kakashi, who is trying his best but sucks at this kind of thing, is getting frustrated with the apologies, and uncomfortable because it feels like they're directed at him, even though they aren't. It's an unbearably uncomfortable position for him to have somebody apologize so profusely, especially somebody he sees as a trusted teammate and friend, and especially for something that's so clearly out of their control. He doesn't want it.

So, frustrated, he redirects. "What happened on this mission to fuck you up this bad?" the only real indicator of his frustration is that in this sentence his language is more coarse, where before he'd been very placatingly careful, and the expression he makes at Tenzō's arm.

He's thinking "well, this sucks and we're not getting anywhere with it, so I'm just going to ask what happened and get it over with."

Then we see Tenzō's full face again as he takes in the question. Around here, when I add color, the page will begin to shift green, and lighter green near the bottom.

Then, as his hair begins to lift, as though it's floating in water, with a blank face Tenzō will say that he doesn't know what happened.

Then, turning to fully face Kakashi (or us, the viewer) for the first time in these four pages he will correct himself, and say "nothing. nothing happened." But he will be green, and much like within the test tube he was raised in, he will be unclothed and his hair will be floating. The first time we're fully asked (by his direct eye contact) to understand and relate to his feelings, he will make it very clear to us the viewer (and Kakashi who is with us, listening to Tenzō say nothing happened when Clearly Something Happened) that the world he's experiencing for the moment is at odds with the body he's sitting in and the room he's sitting in it with, and that's why he's having such an incredibly difficult time processing anything.

#yamswers #shikaemaru #long post #very fucking long post #comics #tenzō is as unaware of the test tube he seems to be floating in as he is of the room he's sitting with kakashi in. maybe moreso honestly #and even as something is clearly telling us Yes Something Happened via the green and the test tube cues #tenzō is vehemently trying to deny it because it doesnt make sense to him #ANYWAY there's eight more pages of this in the works #one day they'll be done LMFAO #i hope i explained this all well? i get very in my own head about comics bc theyre my easiest mode of thinking through things #and so i can forget what makes sense to other people

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set-phasers-to-whump · 3 years

Text

dust & glass

prompt: explosion

whumpee: nick burkhardt

fandom: grimm

hi! this fic is for @do-androids-dream-ao3acc who requested a fic with an explosion and a character of my choice. i hope you enjoy, and sorry it took a hot second lol :)

“Hey, wait for me!” Hank calls, as Nick pulls open the door into one of the abandoned offices. Nick steps back a second, looking to where his partner is hurrying around a corner, and waves him along.

“Come on, Hank,” he shouts. “Let’s get moving!”

“Hey, come on, man!” Hank yells back, indignant. Nick grins at him and pulls the door open wider.

Click.

What was that? Nick wonders, looking around. It hadn’t sounded like a gun, but…

Suddenly he’s being thrown backwards, or pushed, really, by the force of an explosion from just behind the door. He feels himself get tossed through the air, feels shrapnel dig into his skin, feels the intense heat of the blast, tastes smoke and dust, smells something burning and underneath that, something that smells like gunpowder.

For a second afterwards, he simply lies on the ground, stunned, unable to do anything beyond breathe raggedly. Alarms are going off in his head, screaming danger, but his body hurts too much to do anything in reaction.

He tries to think, and comes up empty. Then he hears someone call his name, and his brain finally starts working again. It’s Hank.

Nick struggles to his feet, ears ringing and eyes blurring from the dust. He’s insanely dizzy and barely strong enough to stand on his own, let alone move. Nonetheless, he tries to take a step, looking around at his blurry surroundings for any sign of his partner.

Hank grabs onto him before he can fall over as he attempts to start walking. His grip is strong but gentle against the cuts and bruises that litter Nick’s arms, and Nick thinks for a second about simply relaxing into Hank’s embrace, giving his battered body a rest, but he can’t let himself do that.

He pulls away instead, stubbornly refusing the help. “‘M fine,” he says, and even to his own ears it sounds like the least convincing thing in the world.

“You sure about that?”

He nods very slightly, making his head spin anyway.

“So if I just walk on out of here, you’ll follow behind me? No problem?”

“Yeah,” Nick says this time, not feeling like making himself dizzy again by nodding.

“Okay,” Hank agrees, and he turns to walk away. He gets all of ten steps before he’s turning back around.

“Okay, Nick, clearly you’re not okay. I was giving you the chance to tell me that, but if you’re gonna be stubborn about it then I’m gonna be stubborn about making sure you’re actually fine.”

As he says this, Hank walks closer to Nick, until he’s standing directly in front of him. Nick wonders what he’s seeing as Hank looks him up and down. Nothing good, surely. He’s bleeding from somewhere, he’s pretty sure. From multiple places, really, courtesy of all the shrapnel, but he can feel a spot on his torso that’s wetter than anywhere else.

The more he thinks about that particular injury, the more he can feel it, stabbing and sharp and uncomfortably warm. He thinks the blood loss might be getting to him a bit, as he feels his legs momentarily give out beneath him. He makes a quickly aborted attempt to sit down, and is about to collapse when he feels Hank’s arms wrap around his shoulders and guide him to the floor.

“What was that about being fine?” he asks, and Nick feels him gently touching the area around the wound in his torso, closing his own eyes so he doesn’t have to see it.

Nick shrugs halfheartedly, regretting the action when it causes an uncomfortable pull throughout his entire upper body. “‘S not that bad,” he mutters. They both know full well he’s had worse.

“You were caught in a damn explosion, Nick. Of course it’s that bad.” Hank’s familiar tone sounds equal parts concerned and exasperated. “I’m calling 911.”

“Hank…”

“Don’t you try and stop me. I know you’re not looking at it, and that’s probably a good idea, but you’ve got a big piece of glass sticking out of you, and I know you can feel it. You’re going to the hospital.”

A big piece of glass...Nick assumes that’s the thing causing the bulk of his bleeding. He kind of wants to look to make sure, but at the moment his closed eyes are holding back some of the dizziness and he really doesn’t want it coming back, so he decides to believe what Hank and his own other senses are telling him. There’s a large piece of glass in him. Probably some smaller ones too, he figures, given the general nature of explosions. Maybe there’s some metal mixed in there as well. He doesn’t need to see it. Doesn’t really want to, either.

“Don’t go falling asleep on me,” Hank warns, and he taps Nick’s cheek.

“Not falling asleep,” Nick assures him. “Just not lookin’.”

“Yeah, that’s...probably a good idea,” Hank agrees, which definitely doesn’t make Nick feel any better. “Ambulance is ten minutes out,” he adds, and Nick finds himself momentarily surprised - when had Hank called 911? Had he been too out of it to notice? That thought scares him more than he’d like to admit. If he can’t count on his own senses, his own powers of detection, when he’s been mildly hurt, what kind of grimm is he? What kind of cop?

“Hey, hey, breathe, man. You’re gonna be okay,” Hank says, drawing Nick’s attention away from his momentary panic.

Is he going to be okay, though? A part of Nick wants to ask this of Hank, but a larger part of him tells him to stop. If Hank says he’s going to be okay, he has absolutely no reason to think otherwise. He tries to remind himself of that fact and attempts to take a deep breath to calm down, which catches in his throat and makes him cough in the dusty air. The sensation burns its way through his entire upper body, and when it finally dies down he’s left feeling fairly exhausted, tears dripping down his face from the exertion (and definitely just from the exertion. Not from pain or fear or anything else of that nature).

“How much longer?” he asks, or rather wheezes, to Hank. He coughs again, tasting the dust in the back of his throat.

“Seven minutes,” Hank says. “Do you wanna try and get out of here? Breathing in this dust isn’t doing either of us any favors.”

“You...good?” Nick asks, at the mention of the two of them, mentally kicking himself for not asking sooner. If something had happened to Hank...if he was ignoring it in favor of helping Nick…

“No, I’m fine,” Hank assures him. “A little dusty and sore, is all. You’re the one who needs worrying about.”

As much as he hates to agree, Hank has a point. While this isn’t the most severe bleed Nick has ever experienced, it’s definitely up there, and he can feel himself starting to go a bit lightheaded with the blood loss. Besides that, his lungs feel like they’re on fire and the hundreds of tiny cuts all over his body sting in the dusty air. He’d like very much to get out of here.

As though he’s read his mind, Hank says, “let’s go, yeah? I can see a path outside, and then at least you can breathe a little easier while we wait.”

Rather than reply, Nick simply acts, pushing his palms into the ground and trying to stand. Bits of glass and rock and metal and who knows what else dig into the already-cut skin and make his hands ache, and he barely gets to his knees before the dizziness returns and nearly sends him face-planting into the ground.

Hank catches him before that happens, again, and hauls Nick to his feet, not saying a word as Nick wraps a shaking arm around him to keep his balance. He waits a moment for Nick to get situated, then says, “might be a good idea to open your eyes.”

Nick forces his eyes open, blinking rapidly in the dust, squinting to see around the spots caused by dizziness. He looks at Hank and follows his eyes to what, sure enough, appears to be a relatively easy path out of the wreckage.

“Think you can walk?” Hank asks, and Nick imagines he doesn’t have much of a choice, so he takes a step.

Hank follows suit, his arm never leaving Nick’s shoulders. They stumble several times, and twice Nick nearly collapses, and by the time they get outside of the ruined building they’re both sweaty and exhausted and sore. They sink down side-by-side onto a patch of unharmed grass, breathing hard.

“Three minutes,” Hank says, and Nick thinks he’s never been so glad to hear an estimate of time in his whole life. He lets himself sink into Hank again, feeling Hank’s arm return to its position around his shoulders. Nick rests his head against the front of Hank’s shoulder and tries his best to breathe and stay awake as they wait for help to arrive.

thanks for reading this!!! nick is ok dont worry lol i just didnt wanna do Another hospital scene i am tired of those atm...anyway i hope you enjoyed! and relating to all this like i said in a previous post i just got back from the pnw mostly portland and i have a bit of grimm related stuff i can share if anyone wants! but yeah lmk :)

#grimm #nick burkhardt #caught in an explosion #disoriented #cut #supported #my writing #i say things #anyway a lot of good things on my trip :) i got a tattoo for example.

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fairymiint · 2 years

Note

🧡🍷❔ (felix & shulk)

🧡 Compare and Contrast with the gender or gender expression of another muse, whether a friend or another muse of yours.

Felix's presentation can vary a bit, but he's genetically a bit androgynous, it seems, and a bit pear shaped while still having decent body hair, facial hair seems to be growing in later IRL. To put it simply, there's trans guys who've been on T for maybe a third or just as long as I have, who look like lumberjacks, so some of his facial hair and shape may simply be racial in nature, what with the splash of brown and japanese in there. But, naturally as an animal crossing character and being homo, he will more comfortably wear femme-coded clothes such as dresses, frilly/lacy shirts, and doesn't mind maintaining the curl in his hair via a bit of length. His voice cracks a lot, this is puberty setting in, but it's not uncommon for gay guys to also crack out of their range if they're being particularly camp. Having a newer transition in general can make him seem young at times (though, he's also a little person, so height dysphoria gets thrown out the window, there.)

Shulk's muscle growth was likely quite the difference visually or otherwise, He seems to be completely comfortable going out and about in just a swimsuit and jungle wear. He doesn't seem to look after much else, simply wearing what's practical or comfortable. He may have more ease with his voice, as it's a little smooth and deep (esp in english), although perhaps that comes with more practice at a younger age, since he transitioned ASAP.

🍷 How open or out are they about their gender? topics regarding gender? Are they hiding anything in particular when it comes to strangers?

Felix muse is totally stealth, outside of sexual partners, best friends, and maybe, other trans people if he gets comfortable with them. It's always been a pretty private thing for him, which led to a late transition; Basically Master Hand found out and acted immediately to set up surgery and hormones, and would not tolerate his fighters binding or risking their health. In worst case scenarios, it's a full change of identity, he doesn't even reintroduce himself properly;;;;

Shulk is completely out, and full of pride; I doubt he's had heavy experience with transphobia, however, as his world's population was abysmally low and accepting.

❔ Anything your muse doesn’t know about gender? Undecided? Info you need to know before going forward?

Despite animal crossing's setting calling for it, I'm not fully comfortable with him or I being called they/them, I've got experience with it as a TERF dogwhistle, to degender as a 'compromise' to avoid gendering correctly. Don't do that. Definitely don't try to defang his gender by using they/them after finding out he hasn't had bottom surgery. I do try to be understanding towards strangers, but even well meaning cis people at my job are also guilty of using the They Of Fear, as I'm mixed-passing IRL atm, so experience transphobia from transfemme, transmasc, and nbphobic angles daily on my shifts. So I've got mixed feelings on they/them, especially depending on intention. Also, at some point I HC my villagers to gain the power to transition physically, via transformation...Felix is not there yet, he has at maximum another 20 years left in him to master the magic. But I'm not sure if anything beyond hormones will happen, bottom surgery wise, for a few reasons.

As for Shulk, his world is so Sci-Fi esc, that his transition has a lot of potential??? To start with, he makes a Wish with godlike power which would be enough to do the job all on its own, Meanwhile, postgame technology is written to be able to basically grow a character's whole body back, save for a head, so??? What's to say they don't have to tech to fuck with his goddamn DNA or organs??

Basically Shulk's reproductive future is up in the air, as I didn't originally HC him to be trans until a bit later. All I know is that he will not carry with child, as he's had bottom surgery prior to the game. He could be infertile and adopt, or he could have had his balls finished via Wish or Science, lmfao

#ask.#headcanon.#💙 Felix Pardus #🉑 Shulk #trans pregnancy tw #pregnancy tw #trans talk.#long post.#Xenoblade Spoilers #trans headcanon

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mcgrillzdumpinc · 3 years

Text

At the Crossroads

Summary: There is another world, one filled to the brim with all assortment of spirits, ghosts, and monsters. Jiang Cheng does not expect to come to know this world after suffering a car crash, but at least he has his siblings and his boyfriend, Nie Huaisang, along for the ride. Written for the SangCheng 2020 Winter Exchange!

Pairing: SangCheng, WangXian

Rating: T

Warnings: Referenced child abuse, physical injuries, referenced severe injuries to a child, car crash

Word count: 7011

It starts, as so many stories do, with a car crash. Well, to be more accurate, it starts with a fire to the Jiang parents’ house followed by a desperate escape from the city by the Jiang children. They weren’t home when the fire started, so all they have are the personal affects they were carrying that day. No toothbrushes, no suitcases, only the clothes on their backs and whatever happened to be in their pockets and purses. They withdraw money from ATMs and buy what they need with the cash. They run desperately, perhaps fruitlessly, in Wei Wuxian’s beat-up van, hoping they can make it to their mother’s side of the family on the other side of the state.

Jiang Cheng crashes the car on the sixth day of the trip. On barely any sleep and a limitless amount of anxious energy, he fails to see the truck turn into his lane until it rams into his side of the van.

When Jiang Cheng comes to, it’s to the face of his boyfriend’s older brother. “We heard what happened,” Nie Mingjue says. “We won’t let those Wen-dogs get any closer to you.”

Some time later—Jiang Cheng loses track of the days—he’s discharged from the hospital. He’s given more than enough pamphlets to read—on concussion recovery, what to expect when he starts physical therapy for his broken leg, as well as general information on what to expect with the cracks in his ribs and his broken arm. Nie Mingjue promises to help Jiang Cheng set everything up back home, including the physical therapist, before shepherding his wheelchair-bound body into a private jet.

“Your brother and sister are already back in our home,” Nie Mingjue explains for the third or fourth time. “Their injuries weren’t as severe.” He settles into a seat next to Jiang Cheng and orders them both some water.

“What about the Wens?” Jiang Cheng asks. “Why the hell did they come after my family?”

Predictably, Nie Mingjue goes silent. No matter what Jiang Cheng says or does, the man refuses to release any information on the people who razed his home. If it weren’t for the heavy amount of pain killers coursing through his system, Jiang Cheng would probably have decked him with his good hand.

“Your father is still in the hospital,” Nie Mingjue eventually says, after the plane has set off. “His chances are looking good for a full recovery. Your mother—”

“Is dead?”

Nie Mingjue sighs through his nose. “Is missing. Where the hell did you get the idea that she’s dead?”

“Because she’s stronger than my dad. Anyone who would hurt him wouldn’t allow her to live.”

“Have better faith in your parents. We don’t know where Yu Ziyuan is, but we know for certain she isn’t with the Wens.”

“Because they’d be gone if she was?”

Nie Mingjue snorts at that and orders a small meal for them. “You’re damn right.”

~~~

Jiang Cheng is rudely awoken by Nie Mingjue when they arrive at the Nie mansion. He doesn’t even remember leaving the plane, but he guesses that should be expected. He’s been sleeping a lot since the accident.

Wei Wuxian, Yanli, and Huaisang are all there to greet him, waiting in the foyer with party poppers. Jiang Cheng curses loudly when Wei Wuxian pops his right in his face.

“Happy to have you here with us!” Wei Wuxian cheers, picking pieces of paper out of Jiang Cheng’s hair.

“You couldn’t have found a nicer way to welcome me?” Jiang Cheng growls.

Yanli chuckles as she pulls Wei Wuxian aside to hug her younger brother. “Welcome back, A-Cheng. We’re all very happy to see you doing well.”

Jiang Cheng returns her hug with his good arm, burrowing his nose into her long hair. “Same here.”

From what the doctors told him, Wei Wuxian and Yanli suffered much less than him. The car had rolled off the road and into grassy embankment. Yanli, in the passenger seat, suffered a herniated disk in her upper back, a sprained wrist, a slight closed fracture to her skull, and various bruises along her right side. Wei Wuxian, meanwhile, merely bore a concussion and broken leg. They were all due for physical therapy and a long time on painkillers, but Jiang Cheng would certainly be in recovery much longer than them. Not that he minded, really. He would rather it be him than either of his siblings.

“A-Cheng,” Huaisang pipes in. “Are you hungry?”

“We didn’t eat on the trip over,” Nie Mingjue answers, which is a lie. While Jiang Cheng barely touched his plane meal, he knows Nie Mingjue quickly packed his own away. Without Jiang Cheng voicing the truth, Nie Mingjue pulls his younger brother into a side hug. “You gonna cook for us?”

Huaisang scrunches his nose and pushes himself away from his older brother. “Ugh, why would I do that? I’ll go ask the cooks to start something for all of us.”

With a quick peck to Jiang Cheng’s cheek (followed by a retching sound from Wei Wuxian), Huaisang hurries off towards the kitchen. Yanli follows him after pressing a kiss to Jiang Cheng’s forehead.

“With all that love, you’ll recover in no time,” Nie Mingjue jokes dryly.

“Oh, would you like to join in on the love pool, da-ge?” Wei Wuxian teases. “Between the four of us, I’m sure Jiang Cheng will be flying in a month!”

“Hey! Who gave you the right to call him da-ge?” Jiang Cheng chastises. If his brother wasn’t standing on his crutch well out of Jiang Cheng’s reach, he definitely would have slapped him.

“Huaisang did!” Wei Wuxian answers. “Just last night he said ‘We’re all simply didi and meimei to my da-ge’.” He takes on a peaceful, almost Buddha-like, stance as he recites Huaisang’s words.

“That’s not permission!” Jiang Cheng argues.

“He was right, though,” Nie Mingjue chuckles. “You’re all around my didi’s age, after all. You can call me da-ge.” With that, he takes the handles of Jiang Cheng’s wheelchair and begins pushing him towards the kitchen. Despite the crutch, Wei Wuxian manages to keep up with Nie Mingjue’s long strides. “Now, then, let’s get some dinner.”

~~~

The following weeks in the Nie mansion are nice. Before the house burned, the siblings were spread about, steadily finding their own lives away from the nest. Wei Wuxian practically lived with Lan Wangji as he built his music career, Yanli was doing well for herself as an art curator, and Jiang Cheng was learning the how to run his family’s ship building company. They met for weekly family dinners and texted often, but that was the extent of their contact. So despite the uncertainty that lays outside Nie walls, it is rather nice to have his siblings around and nearby.

Best of all, though, is Huaisang. Jiang Cheng began dating him after graduating college, so they’ve been together for nearly two years. Truth be told, before his world went to shit, Jiang Cheng was heavily considering asking Huaisang to move in with him. And now that he’s here, he’s got the shared-house experience with his boyfriend. Sure he’s stuck to a wheelchair, and he can barely do anything because of a concussion, and there’s a near-constant dull pain on his entire left side, but—Huaisang. Huaisang is here and Jiang Cheng’s stupid besotted mind can barely focus on anything past that when it’s just the two of them.

One morning, though, as Jiang Cheng rouses with his head against Huaisang’s back, he hears a sniffing sound. Turning over, he finds himself face to face with a dog. A chow chow, specifically, with its large nose shoved in his face.

“…Hello?” Jiang Cheng whispers. He’s not certain if he’s dreaming, but he can hear Huaisang snoring next to him and can feel that dull pain in his left side. So he’s betting on being awake. He reaches out to touch the dog, but it backs away before he can touch it.

With some distance between them, Jiang Cheng can see the dog almost in full. Massive and bulky with long reddish-orange fur blanketing its frame. It stares back at him with a quiet, knowing look. The longer Jiang Cheng observes it, though, the more he realizes that the chow chow is…off, somehow. Its eyes are a bit too big, nose too long, paws larger than its body should allow. Its tail stands on full alert, unmoving, as it—damn it all—it maintains eye contact with Jiang Cheng.

“Can you hear me?”

The voice invades Jiang Cheng’s brain, echoing and throbbing. He screams.

“You can! You can hear me!”

The dog’s tail begins to wag and its maw opens. A dark blue tongue lolls out over too-sharp teeth. Jiang Cheng swears there is a void where the back of the dog’s throat should be.

“What the fuck… What the fuck is happening!”

Jiang Cheng’s yelling rouses his bedmate. He hears Huaisang sit up, mumbling out a, “What the hell are you shouting for?”

“The dog!” Jiang Cheng screeches. Without taking his eyes off the apparition, he reaches behind him to touch Huaisang’s arm. “There’s a fucking—I don’t know what it is—a ghost dog? And it’s speaking to me!”

He feels Huaisang’s arm tense. The air is silent, tense, as Nie Huaisang peaks over his boyfriend’s shoulder.

“He can see you, Buttercup?”

Before Jiang Cheng can process that, the voice echoes in his brain again, splitting his head apart. “Yeah! Isn’t this exciting?!” The dog—Buttercup?—bounces on its front paws. “We don’t have to hide from him anymore!”

“Okay, what the fuck, stop doing that!” Despite his throbbing head, Jiang Cheng still manages to raise his voice. “It hurts, damn it!”

“Okay, don’t worry, A-Cheng.” Huaisang rests his hands on both of Jiang Cheng’s shoulders and squeezes. “I’ll explain everything soon.” A kiss to the temple, a surefire way to make Jiang Cheng relax in his boyfriend’s hold. “Buttercup, speak only to me for now, okay? This is still new for him.”

Jiang Cheng would object, but the pain in his head has reached his eyes and it’s hard to focus past that. He’s worried for a second that the concussion has worsened, but he’d sooner take the chance to rest than figure out if he needs to return to the doctor. He closes his eyes, desperate for the early morning sunshine to disappear. Huaisang continues speaking, but Jiang Cheng can’t make out the words. He hears the bedroom door open, but he doesn’t know if somebody came in or left. All he can know is the ringing in his ears and the grounding touch of Huaisang.

When Jiang Cheng comes to again, he’s seated at the dining table. Looking around, he recognizes he’s in the private dining hall. It’s smaller than the dining hall reserved for entertaining guests. The walls here, like the rest of the house, are arching and high, painted in a green-grey. A bull’s head is mounted on the wall opposite of Jiang Cheng, but that is thankfully the most morbid of the decorations. The rest of the room is covered in framed greyscale pictures of people Jiang Cheng doesn’t know. Decorative plates are lined up next to the entrance door. On the wall closest to Jiang Cheng, to his left, is a scroll depicting an artfully painted crane.

The table he’s sitting at is a nice mahogany, dark brown wood shining in its lacquer. Egg drop soup has been served in front of him. Looking up from the food, Jiang Cheng realizes that he’s not alone at the table. Huaisang is sitting with his older brother across from Jiang Cheng. At the far left side of the table, Yanli is sitting by herself, staring into her bowl with a tight gaze. At the far right is Wei Wuxian sitting next to Lan Wangji. They both look guilty as hell—well, as guilty as the stone-faced Lan Wangji can look. Everyone has a bowl of soup, but it seems nobody has dug in.

“Ah, you finally came to,” Nie Mingjue speaks up.

Four pairs of eyes immediately turn to focus on him. Huaisang breaks into a bright smile and reaches across the table, taking Jiang Cheng’s right hand. “We’re starving, A-Cheng. Let’s eat while we explain what’s going on.”

Jiang Cheng slides his eyes to meet Yanli’s. She smiles and nods approvingly.

The soup is still passingly warm, thankfully. While Jiang Cheng sips up the chicken broth and bits of tofu, Huaisang releases his hand to settle in his seat. He has the audacity to look ashamed, which irks him, because in Jiang Cheng’s very correct opinion, his boyfriend should only be happy.

“Do you want to start?” Huaisang asks his brother.

“You’re better at talking,” Nie Mingjue quips.

Huaisang makes a huge, put-upon sigh. “Okay, well… let’s start with Buttercup, huh?”

At her name, the dog suddenly appears to Jiang Cheng’s right. Straight out of thin-air. Jiang Cheng swears he can see space still settling around her form.

He expects to hear her voice echoing in his head again, but there is only silence in his ears. Huaisang, though, stares at her and says, “Yes, Buttercup, everything’s fine now. Please be silent while I start explaining.” He goes quiet again, snorts seconds later, before starting to talk again. “Okay, well… There’s a lot, so buckle in.”

“Can I get another serving of soup?” Wei Wuxian suddenly asks.

Before either Nie can answer, or Jiang Cheng can scold his brother for eating so fast, Lan Wangji takes Wei Wuxian’s bowl and walks towards the kitchen. Jiang Cheng rolls his eyes as Lan Wangji passes.

“Anyway,” Huaisang starts. “Um… A-Cheng, Yanli-jie… This is Buttercup. She’s a hellhound.”

“There’s nothing hell-like about her,” Jiang Cheng immediately interrupts. Were it not for the headache-inducing voice and ability to appear out of nowhere and general wrongness, she’d actually be rather cute.

“They’re not actually from Hell, Jiang Cheng,” Wei Wuxian immediately responds.

“What? You already know about this?!”

Wei Wuxian has the decency to look ashamed. “Well… yeah… This’ll come up, promise!”

“Yeah, believe it or not, your brother factors into this whole mess,” Nie Mingjue says.

“That’s not surprising at all,” Jiang Cheng deadpans.

“I have to agree…” Yanli mumbles.

“Not fair, jiejie!” Wei Wuxian cries.

“Strange things happen around you, A-Xian,” Yanli responds with her best tired smile.

“Can I continue now?” Huaisang asks, an exhausted edge to his voice.

“Yes” and “Sorry” respond to him in chorus. Lan Wangji returns to the room with a steaming bowl of soup and silently serves Wei Wuxian, who wastes no time digging in again.

“Great, thank you, as I was saying…” Huaisang flicks out his fan and begins gently fanning himself. “We just call her type hellhounds. Really, she’s a spectral dog. Cadejo, barguests, grave hounds, etcetera. You’ve heard of them in plenty of myths and folktales. Buttercup is one of them.”

“I have one, too,” Nie Mingjue says. With a whistle, another dog appears in the room. This one is larger and longer than Buttercup. It holds its head high, regal as it stares down the Jiang siblings with too-knowing, too-bright brown eyes. Shadows settle around its form into long, stringy fur, darker than night yet seemingly fluffy. Its jaw is too large to fit perfectly on its face and its lengthy tail disappears into the wall. In time, Jiang Cheng realizes that it looks like an Irish wolfhound drawn with near-perfect memory. “This is Baxia,” Nie Mingjue introduces with a proud smile. “She’s a quiet one, but she’ll warm up to you all in no time.”

“It is nice to meet everyone,” a deep, rumbling voice echoes in Jiang Cheng’s brain. There’s much less pain this time, but his head still protests at the intrusion.

“Don’t speak yet, Baxia,” Nie Mingjue softly reprimands. “They’re still new.”

“She was speaking?” Yanli interjects. The Nie brothers look at her with twin expressions of surprise.

“Huh… That’s interesting,” Huaisang mumbles.

“Maybe damage taken plays a role?” Wei Wuxian asks.

“Maybe,” Lan Wangji replies. “Her skull wasn’t fractured like Jiang Cheng’s.”

“But there was still head damage,” Nie Mingjue adds.

“Mind cluing us in to your conversation?” Jiang Cheng grumbles.

“Sorry, A-Cheng, I promise this will make sense soon. Yes, Yanli, Baxia was speaking. These spectral dogs… they’re from what we call the Otherworld. This is a lot to take in, but basically every folk monster you can think of more or less exists and they all come from the Otherworld. Spectral dogs are some of the most plentiful and usually attach themselves to people like us.”

Jiang Cheng puts his spoon in his empty bowl. “And who’s you?”

“Sovereigns,” Nie Mingjue answers. “That’s what the Otherworld folk like to call us. We…” he clears his throat, “we have a few abilities that allow us to interact with them.”

“It differs from person to person,” Huaisang continues. “Yanli, I think you only have what we call the Sight ability. You can see Otherworld creatures and talk to them, but you can’t hear them. You need to having the Hearing. Which, Chengcheng, you definitely have.”

Frustration builds in Jiang Cheng, pounding against his chest and gripping his throat. He taps the table, just a distraction, just an attempt to channel the fury inside him. “And why am I just now learning about this?”

“Would you have believe us if we told you? Oh, Jiang Cheng, by the way, there’s this whole spirit world that is super real and only a select few people know about it! Wow! Sucks that you can’t see these spectral dogs!” Wei Wuxian exclaims.

Which reminds him—“Why aren’t you freaking out at the dogs?”

Wei Wuxian grins at him, stupidly smug. “I’m too cool to worry about ghosts.”

“Wei Ying does not register them as real dogs,” Lan Wangji explains, much to the protests of Wei Wuxian.

“They…certainly don’t look real,” Yanli agrees. Jiang Cheng reaches out to take her hand. She accepts, clammy skin sliding over his cast.

“We would have liked to tell you,” Nie Mingjue says as he stands up. “But there is only so much the human brain can believe without physical proof.” He lifts his right hand and, in seconds, a spectral human appears in the room. Space shifts around her, light passing through her body. Jiang Cheng tries to study her features, but there is a strange barrier, a mist, which obscures her. As she nears him, the air turns cold, freezing him down to the bones. She takes his and Yanli’s empty bowls and carries them towards the kitchen.

“Was that a ghost?” Yanli asks, a tremble to her voice. Jiang Cheng rubs his thumb across her knuckles.

“Yes, and da-ge just exercised what’s called the Control ability. It allows a Sovereign to manipulate creatures from the Otherworld,” Huaisang explains.

Jiang Cheng nearly snaps at his boyfriend. But when he looks up, he is met with the expression he hates the most from Huaisang—stone-cold, hidden behind layers of thick skin, only his lips and eyelids moving. Jiang Cheng can’t read him when he’s like this. He only has experience to rely upon, and experience tells him that he needs to be kind now. If he is not, then his boyfriend will likely shutter away, further and further from Jiang Cheng until months of reconciliation attempts finally bring him back to the Huaisang that Jiang Cheng cherishes the most.

The early days of their romance were not kind. Huaisang’s life has not been kind. As Jiang Cheng digests this new secret, he believes he may have found another piece to the puzzle of why, exactly, this stone relief of his boyfriend exists.

Swallowing down the anger at his tongue, Jiang Cheng instead says, “So you don’t just have a ghost maid?”

Nie Mingjue snorts. “No, and she’ll likely be very angry at me later for that.”

Huaisang’s eyes dart to Buttercup. In a few seconds, he says, “Buttercup would like you to know that all Otherworld creatures have feelings like us. They do not take kindly to being controlled. But there are some vicious creatures we have no choice but to fight. That’s why Enchanters like da-ge and Lan Wangji are very vital. Ah! Enchanters is what we call people with Control.”

All attention shifts to Lan Wangji, who hums before saying, “I am not as powerful as Mingjue-ge or Xichen-ge. But I can control low-level spirits, like sprites.”

Yanli lets a shuddering exhale. “I believe a break would be beneficial. May I be excused?”

A frown tugs at Nie Mingjue’s lips as he steps around to Yanli’s side of the table. “Of course, Yanli. Allow me to guide you to the gardens.”

She takes the arm he offers her and stands up, releasing Jiang Cheng’s hand. “Gladly, Mingjue.” Cradling her forehead, Yanli walks away with Nie Mingjue, Baxia trailing after them, leaving the four boys and Buttercup to themselves.

“Can I speak alone with A-Cheng?” Huaisang asks. Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji are quick to agree.

With just the two of them, Jiang Cheng finds it easier to hold back the anger still boiling in his gut. Gripping the edge of the table, he manages to bite out, “I’m not mad at you.”

That brings a spark to Huaisang’s eyes. “Really?”

It’s still hard to talk about his feelings. But, well, he’s nearing twenty-five and therapy is proving wonders. “I’m mad at the situation, a-and not knowing so much, but, um… I’m not mad at you.”

“That sounded painful for you.”

That’s snark. Jiang Cheng chuckles, “Believe it or not you could tell me you’re an alien and I’d probably still love you.”

The stone on Huaisang’s face melts into awe and adoration. Smiling back the tears in his eyes, Huaisang replies, “I love you, too, puppy. More than anything. I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you sooner.”

Jiang Cheng sighs and leans back in his wheelchair. His grip on the table relents. Huaisang stands so he can come sit beside him. “Can you at least tell me why you all can see these things?” It’s still new to him and Yanli, and some of the things they said earlier hinted that it is not an in-born ability.

“It varies by person, but the most common catalyst is near-death experiences.” Despite the strain it must put on his back, Huaisang leans out of his chair to rest his head on Jiang Cheng’s shoulder. “Some people are born with their abilities, like the Lans. Some of the Wens we know were also born with it, like Wen Ning and Wen Qing. But… well, you know what happened to Wei Wuxian when he was a child, right?”

There were a few months between Wei Wuxian losing his parents and being found by Jiang Fengmian. Jiang Cheng gulps before responding, “He doesn’t tell me much about it, but I was there when he was in recovery. Don’t think I’ll ever forget when I watched the doctors re-do his bandages and I could see his muscles.”

“Yeah.” Huaisang takes Jiang Cheng’s hand and kisses his knuckles. “Things didn’t look good for you, either. I’m surprised Yanli-jie gained the Sight ability, but I guess head trauma counts as a near-death experience.”

“…And you?” Jiang Cheng whispers.

Huaisang goes silent. Thankfully, though, no stone grows on his face. In time, he answers, “Dad. When he got really sick. He got violent towards me and da-ge. Our moms tried to protect us, but…”

But when it came down to putting him in a mental institution, Huaisang’s extended family refused to endorse his admittance. And when it came to divorce, to removing the children from their abusive father, the extended family pulled their strings and the mothers—“Strangers,” Huaisang once spat, recounting the words of a cousin—were pushed out of the family without their sons.

It wasn’t until Nie Mingjue was twenty that the mothers were allowed back into the family. That was twelve years ago. While they no longer live in the mansion, Jiang Cheng has met them on multiple occasions. He can understand why losing them impacted Huaisang so heavily.

“I’m sorry,” Jiang Cheng says with a kiss to his boyfriend’s forehead.

“Things are better now,” Huaisang swears. “Plus, I gained a few new friends.”

“Like Buttercup?” Jiang Cheng asks, looking over to the spectral dog. She is sitting patiently, staring very directly at the couple, but her tail wags with the attention.

Nie Huaisang laughs. “Yes, exactly like Buttercup.”

~~~

The next few weeks are… a lot, to put it shortly. Between physical therapy, losing the cast on his arm, finally being cleared of his concussion, moving from wheelchair to crutches, and long nights with Huaisang, Jiang Cheng is being caught up on everything his brother and boyfriend have been hiding from him.

To start, those who can interact with the Otherworld—“Sovereigns and Enchanters,” Huaisang reminds him—are part of the Praeter Society. The name is different depending on region, but its English name is Praeter. There are already plans to induct Jiang Cheng and Yanli once they have finished recovering. And, as it turns out, most of their acquaintances are already part of the Praeter society. It sounds so hilariously convenient that it takes quite a lot of arguing to convince Jiang Cheng that, no, nobody is lying to him about the members.

“My theory is that gaining the abilities has a lot to do with proximity to other members!” Wei Wuxian adds unhelpfully.

“How does that work?” Yanli is the only one who bothers to ask.

“Thank you for asking, jiejie. You see, I think we all carry energy from the Otherworld—”

“Back to the subject at hand,” Huaisang interrupts.

The worst surprise, though, is who else in Jiang Cheng’s family is a member.

“My mother?!”

“We call her the Queen of the city,” Nie Mingjue informs him with an insufferably amused smirk.

“To be more accurate, she has a role of Leader for this area. There are only a few others with the distinction,” Huaisang explains as he pinches his brother’s cheek.

“Your father is a member, too, but he never graduated past the Sovereign status,” Nie Mingjue adds, unperturbed by his brother’s pinching.

Then, the actual worst information comes to light.

“Wei Wuxian, you’re responsible for our house getting burnt down?!”

“Hey! Not responsible!” Wei Wuxian defends. Lan Wangji puts his arm around Wei Wuxian’s shoulders and levels a heavy glare Jiang Cheng’s way.

“He really isn’t, A-Cheng,” Huaisang soothes as he rubs the back of Jiang Cheng’s neck. “We’ve heard the story multiple times by now. It was an honest accident.”

See, a week before their house was attacked and Jiang Cheng’s entire life changed, Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji had been visiting Wen Ning and Wen Qing at the Wen estate. Despite their bad relations with Wen Ruohan and his brood, the couple were allowed on the premises with the promise that they would never leave Wen Qing’s sight. They kept the promise, since Wei Wuxian was under the watchful eyes of at least two responsible parties (the Wen siblings).

Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji followed the Wen siblings around the estate, trading stories and enjoying the company. But as evening approached, Wen Ning excused himself to go to the restroom, only to not return over thirty minutes later. Worried, Wen Qing went to search for him. Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji tailed after her.

As it turned out, Wen Ning was simply bait in a trap laid by Wen Chao. The unscrupulous cousin in question wanted to play a prank on Wei Wuxian in retaliation for years of Wei Wuxian outdoing and mocking him at every turn. The Wens have a peculiar practice of studying spirits and the like from the Otherworld. All their many experiments were kept in a section of the estate. And that sacred place was where Wen Ning was found.

The problem here is that Wen Ning is easily possessed. And in this section of the estate were countless spirits and beasts, most hostile. Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji had no choice but to fight back.

And the real problem none of them were aware of until after the fact is that many of these spirits were the ghosts of ancestors. Moreover, decades of experimentation were lost to indiscriminate exorcism.

“So they decided to burn our house?!”

“It’s the Wens, what the fuck do you expect?”

Jiang Cheng sighs. It’s a lot to take in. Honestly, if he were learning all this a year ago, he’s pretty sure he would’ve flown off the handle and probably tried to expel Wei Wuxian from the family. But that was before therapy and many deep talks with Huaisang about life, death, and family. So as it stands right now, he’s pissed, but he’s taking it in stride best he can.

“Do we at least know where Mom is, then?” Jiang Cheng asks once he’s managed to calm down.

Wei Wuxian frowns and replies, “We’re pretty sure she’s laying low and digging up dirt on the Wens. We’ll need irrefutable proof if we’re gonna give them what for.”

“But she’s safe?”

Wei Wuxian grips his brother’s shoulder. “Of course. It’s Madame Yu. We both know a tornado couldn’t bring her down.”

~~~

About two months into recovery, Jiang Cheng and Yanli are given the clear to begin induction. Jiang Cheng still has to use crutches, but thankfully there’s no grand ceremony that’ll require him to stand or walk much.

In fact, it’s a very informal process. Fast-food restaurant informal.

“My apologies if you were expecting somewhere nicer,” Jin Guangyao says with his usual placating smile.

“It’s fine. We love the shakes here,” Yanli replies. It’s hard to tell how genuine she’s being.

The history between the Jiangs and the Jins isn’t bad, but it isn’t great, either. Yu Ziyuan and Madame Jin get along like sisters, but it’s not the same story for their children. Jiang Cheng doesn’t know the exact story between Yanli and Jin Guangyao, but he knows that the two don’t tend to stay in the same room together unless Jin Zixuan, the only person they both like, is present. But Jin Zixuan isn’t present. It’s just Jin Guangyao, Jiang Cheng, Yanli, and an exhausted Huaisang.

“Please don’t fight,” Huaisang begs. “We’re in public and A-Cheng kept me up last night.”

Yanli smiles in the way only a sister can. “I’m happy to know you two are getting along so well.”

Jiang Cheng sputters. “Not like that! We were watching a movie! Spirited Away!”

“Twice,” Huaisang clarifies. “The first time through, A-Cheng kept asking if any of the creatures are real, so we had to watch it again.”

As it turns out, the little charcoal helpers are real, but very rare.

“Ah, that’s one of my favorite movies,” Jin Guangyao says. An employee stops by their table to deliver a truly massive burger to him. “What was your favorite part, Jiang Cheng?”

Jiang Cheng glances at his sister. “…We can talk later. I’ll text you. Anyway. Praeter induction.”

“Right!” Jin Guangyao takes a sip of his beverage and begins with a simple run-down of roles in the Praeter. There are Leaders, like Yu Ziyuan, who are charged with protecting certain areas. Organizers, like Jin Guangyao, who keep tabs on all Sovereigns and Enchanters in an area. Searchers find possible Sovereigns and Enchanters. And, finally, the Fighters, who are the main line of defense against Otherworldly dangers.

“Since Miss Yanli is limited to the Sight ability, we would like her to take on a Searcher role,” Jin Guangyao continues after devouring his burger with impressive speed. “For you, Jiang Cheng, it’s up to you.”

Huaisang’s grip on Jiang Cheng’s hand tightens. “I think he should be a Fighter. He and Wuxian would make a good team.”

Jiang Cheng took up sword fighting classes with Wei Wuxian when they were kids. He’d definitely call their teamwork in tournaments pretty impressive.

“Or he could be a Searcher like you, Sang-di,” Jin Guangyao easily replies. There’s a coldness in his voice that sets Jiang Cheng on edge.

Nie Huaisang goes silent. He glares at Jiang Cheng with the ‘you better agree with me’ look.

“I’ll just be a Fighter. Wei Wuxian can show me the ropes.”

Jin Guangyao smiles in that annoyingly placating way. “All right, then. When you’re completely healed, we’ll send you on your first mission.” He reaches into his bag and pulls out a manilla folder. “Now, Miss Yanli, would you like to go over your role as a Searcher today?”

“I think I’m fine for now,” Yanli says as she puts a hand on Jiang Cheng’s shoulder. Her grip is tight. “I’d rather wait until my brothers are healed before I start anything.”

Jin Guangyao nods and replaces the manilla folder. “Very well. You have my number, so call me when you’re ready.”

The three of them leave Jin Guangyao in the restaurant. As they walk back to the car, Yanli and Nie Huaisang’s grips are still tight on Jiang Cheng. He’d really like to know what has them so on edge, but as he sees their sullen expressions in the reflection of car windows, he decides to ask another time.

~~~

‘Another time’ turns out to be a whole month later, when he’s been deemed back in full health and has returned to regular exercise and swordfights with Wei Wuxian. Jiang Fengmian has been discharged from the hospital, as well, but he’s deemed it better to focus on re-building the house. In addition, Yu Ziyuan has resurfaced, armed with testimony and physical evidence of the Wens attacking her home. There will be some time, however, before mundane courts will bring the Wens to justice. It will be longer still for the Praeter society to differentiate and weed out those in the Wen who still pose a threat to other Praeter members. So, in the interest of safety, the Jiang children will remain under Nie protection. Thankfully, Jiang Fengmian and Yu Ziyuan are the type to check in daily, so Jiang Cheng doesn’t miss them as much as he thought he would.

One chilly night, Huaisang crawls into bed next to Jiang Cheng looking like some haunted version of himself. Before Jiang Cheng can ask what’s going on, Huaisang whispers, “They’ll kill them, you know.”

“What do you mean?” Jiang Cheng asks, hand hovering cautiously next to his boyfriend’s wrist.

“The Wen. Those who the courts don’t manage to catch, they’ll be under strict scrutiny by the Praeter. Those who don’t pass the test will die.” He gulps. “Wen Qing and Wen Ning will be fine, I can promise you that, but if there’s anyone else there you care about, you have to tell me now.”

Jiang Cheng’s hand floats to Huaisang’s cheek and rubs away a tear. “You say that like you’ll be there.”

“I will,” Huaisang admits through a cracked voice. “It’s my job as a Searcher. We find people with the abilities. We figure out if they are a threat. We kill those who are.”

Jiang Cheng gazes at his boyfriend. Moonlight is pouring through the window next to the bed. Huaisang looks beautiful in it. He also looks so small and weak. He’s open, no stone in sight. Jiang Cheng cups his cheek. “Have you…?”

“No,” Huaisang immediately replies. “Not yet. But—”

“I’ll still be here if you ever do,” Jiang Cheng swears. “I’ll be here until the end, if you’ll let me.”

Huaisang gasps. He stares down at Jiang Cheng, mouth as wide open as his eyes. Soon, disbelief makes way for soft, breathy chuckles, the type that fill Jiang Cheng’s lungs with sunlight. “Careful, A-Cheng. I’ll fall further in love with you.”

“What if I want you to?” Jiang Cheng asks, guiding Huaisang down until their lips ghost against each other. “I love you, A-Sang. I’ll stay with you if you’ll stay with me.”

“When did you get so eloquent?” Huaisang teases, his eyes crinkling. “I love you, too, A-Cheng. I want to stay with you.”

“Good.” With that, he kisses him, deep and meaningful. Everything about this new world is strange and Jiang Cheng can barely keep up. But none of that matters, since that he has Huaisang by his side.

~~~

There’s a wraith terrorizing the town. Because of course there is.

“Those are tricky creatures,” Yu Ziyuan advises over the phone. “Only very strong Enchanters can control them.” In the background of the call, Jiang Cheng hears his father grunt in affirmation. “Make sure you don’t go alone.”

“It’s my first hunt,” Jiang Cheng replies. From his end of the call, he watches as Huaisang sketches out a map based on reports from Jin Guangyao. They’ve stationed themselves in a parlor room while the rest of their team prepares for the hunt. “Nobody will let me out of their sight.”

“I certainly won’t!” Wei Wuxian shouts from another room.

“Was that Wei Wuxian?” Yu Ziyuan asks. Jiang Cheng confirms. “Tell him that he can expect a lashing if you so much as get a cut tonight.”

Jiang Cheng relays his mother’s message.

“Nooooo!” Wei Wuxian whines, knowing full well that Yu Ziyuan is not being serious. “I promise, Auntie, I’ll take extra special care of Chengcheng!”

“He says he’ll abandon me at the first sight of the wraith,” Jiang Cheng lies. He hears Huaisang snort.

“It’s not good to lie,” Buttercup reminds him from her position at Huaisang’s feet.

“Don’t lie,” Yu Ziyuan scolds. The line goes silent for a few moments before Jiang Cheng hears his father’s voice.

“Be careful, A-Cheng. Stay close to Wei Wuxian, he’ll protect you,” Jiang Fengmian advises.

A familiar jealousy rumbles in Jiang Cheng’s chest. He squashes it in favor of watching his boyfriend draw. “I will. Either me or Wei Wuxian will call you when the wraith is gone.”

“Good,” Jiang Fengmian comments. “Pass the phone to Wei Wuxian. I want to talk to him.”

Barely restraining a decades-old frustration, Jiang Cheng calls Wei Wuxian over to take the phone. When his brother disappears into another room, Jiang Cheng moves to sit next to Huaisang.

“Drawing maps or doing math, which is more boring for you?” Jiang Cheng teases.

“Ugh, don’t remind me of math!” Huaisang complains. He steals a kiss from Jiang Cheng before saying, “But math. The maps are still kind of fun.”

Jiang Cheng hums and sneaks a hand onto Huaisang’s lower back, rubbing his fingers against the cloth of Huaisang’s shirt. Huaisang leans into the touch with a happy rumble. “Will you be coming with us?” Jiang Cheng eventually asks.

“Of course I will!” Nie Huaisang exclaims. “They try to have a Searcher on hand for most of these exorcisms. I’ll have to keep my distance when we find the wraith, but I’m not going to abandon my boyfriend.”

Jiang Cheng grips the back of Huaisang’s shirt and lays his head against his shoulder. “Speaking of boyfriends…”

“Oh my god, are you going to propose before your first exorcism?” Huaisang interrupts.

Jiang Cheng does not blush, thank you very much. “N-no! I—” his voice drops to a whisper, “I was going to ask you if you wanted to get an apartment together after this all blows over.”

“Oh thank god you only want cohabitation,” Huaisang sighs.

“…Is getting engaged to me so bad?” Jiang Cheng mumbles, eyebrows knitted together.

“N-no…” Huaisang stutters. Jiang Cheng peers up and catches a splash of red highlighting Huaisang’s freckles. “It’s just too soon, is all. But…” Huaisang twists in his chair so that he’s facing Jiang Cheng, a fiery determination in his eyes. “If you ever do want to get married, I’m all for it.”

Jiang Cheng smiles and kisses Huaisang. “I love you.”

“I love you, too, A-Cheng.”

“Break it up, lovebirds!” Nie Mingjue shouts. He lumbers into the parlor room with a massive and stuffed duffel bag slung over his shoulder. “You got that map done, didi?”

“Almost,” Huaisang replies, taking pen to paper. “Just a few more minutes.”

“Good,” Nie Mingjue says with a nod. He turns his attention to Jiang Cheng and tosses him a sword in a purple sheath. “That’ll allow you to fight beings from the Otherworld. Wei Wuxian and Wangji have one, too.”

“You bet we do!” Wei Wuxian exclaims as he and his boyfriend bound into the room. Wei Wuxian holds up two swords, one in a red scabbard and the other in a white scabbard. Much to Jiang Cheng’s immediate annoyance, the red scabbard has been thoroughly decorated, so it looks like a group art project where nobody could decide on a theme. “We’re going to have so much fun, Jiang Cheng!”

“Fucking gross,” Jiang Cheng grumbles. “Hey, A-Sang, can I go on a different mission? One that doesn’t involve eyesores?”

“A-Xian is not an eyesore,” Lan Wangji instantly objects.

“You’re all eyesores when it comes to fashion,” Huaisang mutters.

“That’s fair,” Wei Wuxian says with a good-natured laugh. He slips Jiang Cheng’s phone back into its owners hands. “Hey, you got that map done yet?”

“Just finished!” Huaisang responds as he holds up several large sheets of paper. Each one details a different area with notes on where and when the wraith has appeared. “I think we should start with the church, since it pops up there the most often.”

“Agreed,” Nie Mingjue pipes in. “Jiang Cheng, you ready?”

Jiang Cheng looks down at his sword, then over at Huaisang. All of this is, to a certain degree, still new. Still scary. If this happened a year or two ago, he probably would have run into it headfirst, determined to prove himself good at something, anything. But so much is different now. There’s a strangeness he has to tackle, but he has the good sense not to tackle it alone.

Jiang Cheng takes Huaisang’s hand, squeezes, and says, “Yeah, I’m ready to go.��

#mo dao zu shi #mdzs #jiang cheng #nie huaisang #wei wuxian #lan wangji #sangcheng #wangxian #sometimes i write

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waterfilterafrica · 3 years

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Whole House Water Purification System

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The complex is connected permanently with a tee and a drain valve to the cold water pipe at the water consumption point (usually under the kitchen sink, or on the wall next to the sink), with a single tap for purified water leading up to the top, also can be connected to an existing tap, in this case, when the cold water is opened, purified water will flow in the tap.

In this case, tap water first passes through a mechanical filter. Then it is fed to the final cleaning with ion-exchange resin and carbon fiber, where the organoleptic parameters are brought to a high level.

On the first flask, the greatest purification of water takes place on 99% of all mechanical impurities, including most bacteria, and requires regularly flushing the dirty water into the drain by opening a tap at the bottom of the drain valve. Then, purified water is supplied through the tap when the tap is opened at a rate of 13 liters per minute.

The 1st filter flask serves for fine mechanical cartridge less cleaning up to 1 micron and pathogenic bacteria (most bacteria are larger than 1 micron) Silver string, wound on the filter element allows to get rid of bacteria in the flask during filtration and with the next washing are removed together with mechanical impurities into the sewage system.

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xthelastknownsurvivorx · 3 years

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Hamilton!firstprince au

(cross posted from twitter with a couple of edits b/c i couldn’t make them there)

in which i loosely follow the plot of hamilton except its firstprince and alex and henry get a happy ending. inspired by the striking similarities i noted between our favorite first son and his namesake hamilton in the broadway musical

the similarities:

both have/will have a political career

both often talk too much/don't mind their words

both began as lawyers

both extremely motivated but overwork themselves (“nonstop” + “you have a fire under ur ass for no good goddamn reason)

both had some sort of sex scandal that impacted their career plans

hamilton speculated to be bi

the story

the setup of the colonized country alex lives in is similar to the usa vs england but fictional bc alexs race would have limited his opportunities in america's early years

idk names for either of these countries so its now the colony and the motherland

alex + his mom live alone in the poorer southern part of the colony

but his dad + june live elsewhere + they dont rly contact e/o (tho they do know of e/o’s existence)

june becomes a journalist who writes important pieces abt independence

when alex comes of age his mom reveals she used to be part of the rebellion

thats actually why his dad left to raise june bc it was too dangerous

his parents met in the rebellion but oscar left first for june while ellen stayed until she realized she was pregnant w alex

ellen still has some rebel contacts but she mostly sheltered alex to keep him safe

now tho alex decides to join too + the rebellion sends him up north to the capital for an education bc he's smart + they need people like that

he attends uni + meets like-minded people there

tension grows btwn the colony in the motherland, and alex + his friends write/speak out often and this goes on throughout their schooling

they’re also troublemakers in general too, much to the annoyance of the motherland soldiers stationed in the capital to prevent rebellion

henry is one of those soldiers

he's from a noble family in the motherland but was sent overseas as the sort of black sheep of the family due to his sexuality

the idea was to let him be in charge in the colony + reestablish a reputation there w/o embarrassing the main family back home

henry hates his job + feels bad for the colonists but still does what he's told anyway

alex + fhis riends like to bug motherland soldiers for fun

nothing enough to put their lives in danger too much (although yes that too esp when drunk)

henry becomes a favorite target of alex's bc he's awfully stoic + statue like + on the way to uni - overall fun to antagonize

there's also the fact that alex is angry at all the soldiers for oppressing the colony + holding up the motherland monarchs tyranny (but also alex just is the type to fight literally everything and anything)

it becomes almost a daily ritual for them to argue

henry wonders why this colonist keeps on picking a fight w him but soon almost looks forward to it

many of the other soldiers know or speculate why henry is in the colony but none make the effort to get to know him; some even call him arrogant or undeserving of his position

alex doesn't

of course alex also doesn't know him

and alex hates him

but he doesn't whisper behind henry's back

henry comes to read some of the essays alex publishes speaking out against the monarchy + also hears alex speak to crowd in the square

alex is a talented + charismatic public speaker

henry finds himself growing increasingly sympathetic to the colonists cause

at the same time he and the other soldiers are order to be stricter and dole out more punishments

the others gleefully do so which makes henry concerned about alex's safety bc alex often seems to have no self-preservation skills

henry asks alex for a word when he's alone

“am I in trouble?” “no but you bloody will be if u keep going on like this”

“this is serious” “so am I” “you can't go around saying things so openly you'll get yourself killed”

alex tries to leave at this point “I think I'll be ok” but henry shoves him against the nearest wall

“listen to me! stop acting like this is a game! ur putting ur sodding life in danger! I dont bloody care what ur opinions r but why must u declare them around enemy soldiers? how is this helpful 2 ur cause? u cant fight if ur dead”

“you'd b surprised how effective martyrs are”

cue enraged henry noises

alexs gaze turns hard “listen i appreciate/the advice” he says sarcastically “but I dont need an enemy telling me what to do. I can take care of myself”

there's a stirring in alexs chest after he removes henry's hand and stalks off that he's pretty sure is anger

like it can't be anything else

while alex is trying to convince himself of that, the tensions boil over + soon the two sides are on the brink of war then the fighting starts

henry + alex don't talk much for a while bc they're both busy on their sides preparing

school is on hold during the war so alex + his friends are looking to serve + bring glory to their names

alex esp is recognized for his intelligence + becomes the recognized general rafael lunas secretary

luna is the george washington figure in this case who is impressed by alex wants him as his right-hand man

alex is disappointed his role is not on the battlefield bc he knows he has a good tactical mind + he could change the tide of a losing war + gain honor and status thru it, which would put him in a good position to be elected in the future

as secretary, alex is in charge of a lot of important correspondence eg for more supplies + men, so the motherland soldiers figure ambushing him off the battlefield would make things hard for the colonists

henry overhears this plan + immediately worries for alex's safety but he's cornered by another soldier to talk strategy + misses the chance to take out the men then

henry manages to catch that they're going to attack alex at night when he leaves + henry arrives just in time to kill them in a panic

alex hears the gunshot + yells “drop ur weapon”, drawing his own gun

henry obviously does + alex inspects the scene he keeps a gun fixed on henry

“what's going on?” he asks, eyeing henry w/ suspicion

henry explains everything + looks positively terrified bc he just betrayed his side even tho the motherland and his family has treated him like shit since he came out but still.

becoming an outright traitor is not something henry ever planned + leaving behind everything he's ever known w no hope of ever going back is terrifying

but he also doesn't regret protecting alex

alex questions henry but can quickly tell henry is sincere + is telling the truth

henry explains his change of heart + they have a heartfelt moment in/just outside luna's office.

alex almost died + henry just switched sides, emotions are running high and they escalate into a kiss. the moon is out + it's all very romantic but they don't admit their feelings yet

soon after they go to luna, explain the situation + talk w the other generals/people in charge

henry is sent away on an assignment + is watched closely at first but he proves his loyalty quickly

henry and alex write letters back + forth that turn into love letters

besides managing correspondence for luna, some of alexs ideas of sneak attacks/stealing supplies help turn the tide of the war andhe also writes to other countries for foreign aid

eventually the colonists win in this huge up start that no one anticipated bc the motherland is known as the most powerful country in the world

he + henry reunite in the capital of once the war is over

alex finishes up his studies + practices law + soon is chosen to be part of the new lawmaking body

things are going pretty well for alex w his legal + political success and his relationship with henry

they dont live together but theyre dating tho no one else knows

alex pretends to be single instead + says he doesn't want to be tied down

it works while he's still in his early 20s but as he gets closer to 30, people start to find it strange + tell him he needs to settle

being married to his work is also not a valid excuse anymore

it turns out alex made quite a few political enemies due to his strong opinions that he always vocalises + can be unwilling to compromise on

they don't like his ideas or more often hate him and hence his ideas too

they look for some dirt on him bc atm he has lunas support which has a lot of sway + decide they need to find out why he hasn't married

they manage to find out about henry + threaten to tell the public

alex is obviously distraught re the consequences personally + politically

so alex and henry discuss what to do

henry is willing to put alexs political career 1st but firmly explains their relationship can't continue if that's the case

henry gave up his whole life + any possibility of going back to his family so he's not willing to be someone's dirty little secret

alex doesn't know what to do so he goes to consult luna who he's become very close with over the years

luna is not quite old enough to be his father but he's like an uncle + he always calls alex “kid”, much to alex's annoyance

but alex knows he'll have some good advice

alex + luna end up having a long conversation

like washington luna has always been very vocal abt his regrets re his naivety + desire for glory back in his youth

hes always said that this was his greatest regret in life. but then he tells alex like he had another great regret in life- letting go of the love of his life

alex is surprised bc luna's never mentioned anyone special

“who is she?”

“he” luna corrects “he was my best friend. we had something a relationship but it was short-lived bc I decided I wanted to join the military + attain glory. i thought thats what i wanted in life. turns out that stuff is meaningless w/o anyone to share it w. nor did I even achieve it. perhaps i did accomplish some things but now in my retirement I have no one by my side. i have found that life is meaningless without love and family.

“i tried to find my friend to reconnect after all these years even as simply friends but he died in the war. alex, I see many similarities between us. don't make the same mistake that I did, alexander. glory + lasting legacy mean nothing if you're alone in the end

“if you make choices that are motivated by love and family you will be a lot happier”

alex takes his advice even though he kind of hates sort of giving up to his enemies

he decides to choose henry and his own happiness over politics bc in the end he's done a lot of good work and that much is enough

also his enemies probably would try to blackmail him throughout his career if he was doing something against their interests

so he + henry leave the capital and move uptown and the two of them have a quiet retirement + engage in philanthropy for the rest of their lives

separately they've amassed a decent amount of money - henry kept a portion of his inheritance despite being unofficially disowned and alex made a lot of money as a lawyer and then politician

as it turns out alex still has a tangential role in politics when some of his former allies go to him for advice

all in all, alex happy with his final decision to be with henry and step away from politics

the two of them live happy and full lives together

#red white and royal blue #rwrb #firstprince #henry fox mountchristen windsor #alex claremont diaz #alexander claremont diaz #rwrb fic

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lesserpandeu · 4 years

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Around The World in 17 Days | Day 1: Toronto

day 0; day 1

fandom: Seventeen

genre: Fantasy + Angst & Fluff

pairing: Chan (Dino) x Reader

words: 6,547

summary: Suffering from a condition that causes you to randomly end up in almost any place in the world, your life was a little chaotic, to say the least. When a solution seems to arise, you are more than happy to try it out. In order to heal, you need to meet the several people you are connected to by the red string of fate. And if this situation couldn't have gotten more ridiculous, one of them was your soulmate.You just don't know who.

Your first day on your mission dropped you in the big Canadian city, Toronto. You meet one of the first 'soul-bros', Chan. While you stress over how exactly you're going to fulfill your purpose with him, you end up doing it so naturally you barely even noticed.

A/N: so this has actually been out for a good year now on my ao3, but I forgot to post it here, so yeah. here. woops. ALSO I PROMISE DAY 2 IS COMING SOON I PROMISE. These things are tough because I research a lot about the cities so I get tired of working on this fic pretty easily. So it takes a lot of time, and I get lazy sooo that’s a really messy combination. Thanks for everyone who has stuck around though! You guys are amazing and believe me your comments make me want to work harder, haha.

Day 1: Toronto

As you began to regain your conscious steadily, you instantly felt an intense difference in the general comfort of your surroundings. The bed you had fell asleep on was replaced by incredibly hard surfaces. Your back was laying up right on a wall of some sort, pain generally coursing through your spine. I should’ve seen a chiropractor before I started this shit, you thought as you winced at the pain when you began to process it. Arching your back, resulting in a cracking noise, your stretched out your arms and legs. Your left leg winced and started when it hit something, causing you to hurriedly open your eyes.

A dumpster. Briefly taking a glance at your surroundings, you saw you were in a narrow alleyway. The buildings you were between were fairly tall, maybe 4 or 5 stories, and made of brick. Your best guess was that they were apartments. You next paid attention to the heat that had bothered you the instant you woke up. It was summer here still, so that wasn’t unusual. You reached for your pocket, turning on your phone. As you looked down, you started. After the brief panic, you observed closer what had spooked you.

A thread from the one tied around your finger led across the alleyway, turning around the corner. Scrunching your eyebrows, you turned your hand around. It didn’t get tangled and when you reached with your other hand to touch it, your hand just went through it. It took a moment for you to think of what it might’ve been. One of the red strings of fate? You assumed that was it. Maybe it lead you to a soul bro? You nodded to yourself, slightly skeptical. How else am I supposed to find them? You reasoned. A jingle came from your phone, making you turn your attention towards it. It booted, showing you the time from your original timezone before swiftly switching to what you presumed to be the current timezone. 8 A.M. That was about normal. Your ability usually meant you’d wake up at about that time no matter the timezone, maybe earlier or later depending on how severe the difference was. As you dismissed all the notifications (nothing important, at least for now), a sun graphic appeared on one side of your phone showing the number “78 F” and underneath the word “Toronto”.

Toronto, huh? It wasn’t too far from the Canadian-American border, if you remembered about the location. Near Lake Ontario? You slightly rose an eyebrow. Wasn’t Canada supposed to be cold? Maybe it just wasn’t this time of the year? Clearing your mind of the minor questions you had, you looked back up to where the string was pulling you. You supposed the best way to start was to follow that string somewhere until you could maybe come up with some sort of game plan. Or a money exchange or ATM. Maybe you’d try to go penniless the whole day? The grumble in your stomach disqualified that thought as quickly as it came. Maybe you’d look for breakfast first.

Getting up and dusting yourself off, you began to follow the string. I wonder how far away they are? You wondered as you turned the corner. Your attention drifted from the string and to your surroundings. The surroundings were quite urban, a block away in the direction the string was leading you were office-like buildings much taller than the other buildings. More life appeared on this street than the one you had woken up on. The corner that the string directed you to turn at was what appeared to be a restaurant, advertised by a large sign. It would likely be lit up, blinking, and flashing if it were dark. The rest of the block had a few stores, some more plain looking residential places. It was a pleasant city, similar to other cities you had been to when transporting place to place.

Your stomach twisted inside of you yet again, enough to make you wince a bit and look down at it with a glare. “Be quiet,” you scolded it. It growled back at you, as if refusing to be silenced. Sighing at its persistence, you looked back up at the restaurant. As far as you knew, you only had one day in Toronto to meet the person you were tied to. But you still had to eat, right?

That being said, you figured to stop in. Just before, you slipped off your jacket, tying it around your waist. One essential thing about transporting was wearing layers. You never know when you’ll need it.

Walking into the restaurant, you were surprised to see a fairly large amount of people. There were just as many enough that you even thought that they were full. Maybe I should just find another place, you thought. Arriving at that decision, you were just about to turn around and leave when a waiter had come up with a smile.

“Hello, just one?” Well it was too late now. Sure, you could simply explain that you had changed your mind and wanted to leave, but that would be awkward for your uncharismatic self to explain. ‘Hi, no, too many people here, I have anxiety haha.’ So you just caved in.

“Yes,” your voice cracked a little. Jesus Christ, you winced inwardly at yourself. This was going to be a long day.

“Is the bar alright?” Did people even have breakfast at the bar section? You were positive they didn’t, but looking quickly back at the crowded area, you guessed it was because of the capacity. Who even goes out to eat this early in the morning? you kept reminiscing, ever so slightly agitated.

“Yes,” you nodded, a bit quieter than the last time. Despite what you believed to be an awkward interaction, the waiter didn’t seem to care, grabbing a napkin wrapped snugly around some silverware and briefly telling you to follow them. You did so, rubbing your arms, surprised at how cold it was in the restaurant compared to the outside. The waiter sat you at the bar, handing you a menu and leaving you.

Legs hanging above the ground, you leaned your elbows on the bar counter, looking briefly at the menu. Becoming disinterested fairly quickly, you took a moment to look around. To your left was a woman, body completely turned away from you conversing with her partner. On your right was an empty seat and what you were somewhat convinced was the last one available in the whole restaurant. In front of you, obviously, was the bar, with various taps of beers, other liqueurs, and whiskies stacked on the shelves on the wall. In addition, there was a TV playing some sort of morning show program. Although you took awhile to watch it and the delayed subtitles, you couldn’t recognize it or anyone hosting it.

The menu was a typical breakfast diner’s menu. Omelettes, pancakes, toast, the usual. You became uninterested in it fairly quickly when your phone started to buzz with the sound of your face call ringtone. You should’ve guessed he would try to contact you. Looking around quickly to make sure no one would try to take your order or judge you for face chatting in public (?), you pulled your phone out of your pocket and answered it.

“Good morning,” you answered when Rowans far too close to the camera face loaded, only illuminated by the screen on the phone. It didn’t necessarily mean it was dark in your timezone, but he refused to use any other sort of light in his dark tent besides candles or lanterns. Electrical lighting “tampered with his work”, or at least that's what he insisted.

“So where are you?” he asked, becoming minimally aware of his ridiculous angle on the camera and tried to fix it a little. It didn’t do much anyways.

“Toronto,” you gave a bit of a forced smile. “But the heat makes me doubt that.”

“Ontario? Oh it's hot this time of year,” he said. “Remember my son, Jacob?”

“Yes, the author,” you did your best to quickly let him know you remembered him, lest he go on to tell you his life story from the moment he was born again. “He lives around here, right?”

“Yes, I’ve been up there a few times to see him,” he laughed a little. The glimpse of the man’s softer side helped you crack a smile. It was short as he went straight back to business. “Did you find them?”

“No,” you admitted, looking at the string. It was leading you out the entrance of the restaurant. “I needed breakfast first. I just got up.”

“You do realise you only have a day to complete your purpose?” Anxiety flooded through you, mostly in your arms that held the phone.

“Yes,” you sighed. “I have no idea what I’m doing.”

“It’s up to you if this ends up working or not,” he sipped some of his tea. Though you couldn’t see it, you heard it. Rowan made a subconscious effort to make a sound when he drank.

“I know,” you groaned. “I just don’t know how the hell I’m going to do this.” A short silence came after you, as Rowan set down his tea with a clink.

“I’ll tell you what,” he shifted himself in his seat and the camera. “This isn’t just some stranger whose life your trying to fix.” Except that’s exactly what this is, you rebutted in your head. “This is a soul you’ve been connected to since before either of you were born. The two of you have a connection. Every person you meet this next week or two is connected with you in some way. Fate predetermined that these people could have their lives changed forever by you or that your life would be changed forever by them. Fate is going to be doing all the work for you.” He was probably right. But considering how odd and confusing the situation was for you, you didn’t know if that helped much at all.

“Well,” you paused. “I should probably get the breakfast in me and get out there as soon as possible. Time waits for no one.”

“I wish you all the best of luck,” he told you in his naturally grandiose way. You told him a soft “bye” before you hung up, just at miraculously the same time that a waiter came to take your order from behind the bar.

“Hello, welcome to-” the waiter had begun telling you a customary greeting as you put your phone back in your pocket. He paused suddenly just as he had started, making you quickly look up at him to see what he was doing. He was looking over you, a smile quickly spread on his features as he spoke somewhat louder to somebody behind you.

“Well, I’ll be, it’s Dinosaurus Rex. I thought you were supposed to be gone for the summer like everyone else!” You supposed he saw a friend and you awkwardly looked away from him and back at your menu, like you were trying to memorize all of the pancake toppings. As much as you tried to not be any part of the conversation, you couldn’t help to at least overhear.

“Please stop calling me that, that’s not even a real dinosaur,” the voice that responded was somewhat quiet with a hint of annoyance. “And I thought I mentioned that I was staying for the summer.”

“I get ya, gotta work those loans off,” the waiter seemed to shiver. In that brief moment, after you became less interested in your perusing, your attention was caught by the string. It had definitely moved in the time that you had sat down to this moment. The fact that it was moving gave you an eerie, nervous feeling. Maybe you should’ve just skipped breakfast and went after them?

Your mangled feelings had then left just as urgently as they came, and your eyes shot back down at the string. As you held your breathe, the string rotated to your right, at a steady pace that seemed to match the sound of the footsteps as they passed behind you. You heard an airy sigh as in the corner of your eye, a silhouette appeared to hop on the bar stool next to you. After a moment of utter disbelief, you carefully tilted your sight from your ring finger to the person now next to you. Following the bright red string that only you could see, its path ended at his crossed arms. You caught sight of the end on the ring finger of his right hand, tucked beneath his left elbow.

The revelation paralyzed you and your gaze, unable to look away. Your mind realized that if you continued to gawk at him, you would raise suspicions and give off the worst first impression ever. But your body seemed to refuse to listen, as you took in everything about the first “soulbro” you had ever met.

The bottom layer of his dark brown hair was short. His top layer curled towards his face with a wave to it. He wore a somewhat oversized black graphic tee. His face was young and his eyes were sharp, but they had a small, kind droop to them that you could miss easily at a mere glance. As he continued his conversation that you had muted out, his smile shone not only on his lips but in his eyes.

The amount of time that past with you looking at the boy become well over uncomfortable when you attempted to get your wits together just in time for you to look back at the waiter, looking back at you. Panicking, you supposed he had come back to you for your order.

“Oh, uh, eggs, sunnyside up, and bacon. And an orange juice.” You looked away quickly, but back at the waiter again briefly when you swear he was giving you a look drowning in suspicion. With a modest amount of shame, you looked down again, menu extended and lips pursed. You were too embarrassed to look up again as he took the menu, saying the typical “i’ll be right back with your drink blablabla”.

“I’ll have the usual,” your soul bro told him casually after you placed your order.

The waiter left, leaving you completely stiff and nervous, the prescence of the person next to you making you incredibly uneasy. In attempt to calm yourself, you exhaled. Okay. Calm down. Like Rowan said, everything is going to be fine. There’s a reason this guy’s connected to me. I can do it. Just make small talk, get to know him. It shouldn’t be that hard, right? As your nerves returned to a healthy level, you shyly looked at him again. It appeared he still wasn’t paying much attention to you, currently you were just a person he happened to be sitting next to in a crowded restaurant. You thought of what to do, trying to think of anything casual to discuss. What did Canadians talk about?

Without any critical thinking from you whatsoever, you turned your torso towards him as you asked him:

“Hey, did you see the hockey game last night? Pretty intense, right?”

IMBECILE. COMPLETE MORON. YOU FUCKING SOUP CAN. your brain called you names as you realized how stupid you just sounded. You had successfully concocted the lie that you watched hockey while simultaneously just assuming the now bewildered looking boy watched hockey because, oh, we’re in Canada.

He did a double-take, completely taken aback. He hadn’t realized at first that you were talking to him. Or he did, but he just took a moment to actually process the weird and confusing moment. “Uh, What?” was all he could respond with. Understandably. Petrification hit you yet again, causing your gaze to fumble around and words and thoughts jumble into a complete mess as stutters were all your mouth could formulate.

A laugh sounded from him afterwards, stopping the mess you were experiencing as you looked at him again. It wasn’t like a small “ha” or “hahaha?” laugh, he was cracking up. Maybe you should’ve felt bad like “oh, he’s laughing at me im such an idiot”, but it somehow didn’t feel like he was shaming or embarrassing you at all. As he gradually recovered to form sentences, he wiped his eyes and looked at you with a quirked brow.

“Your visiting, right?”

“Uhm, ah, yes,” you almost mumbled.

“Well, first, welcome to Canada, and second, hockey season doesn’t start until the fall,” he informed you gently. You gave a small “oh” sound, shifting awkwardly in your seat.

“Where are you from?” he asked curiously, still smiling kindly. You told him where, which he hummed to in understanding. A very brief silence loomed over, causing the panic to set back in your body. “How long have you been here?”

“Oh, maybe a couple,” you paused, almost quickly about to say that for all you knew, you had only been there for at the most an hour. “Late last night, I haven’t gotten the chance to do anything here yet.”

Well if you couldn’t get any more suspicious than asking someone seemingly Canadian if they had seen the nonexistent hockey game the other night, you had just changed your answer for how long you had been in the country mid-sentence. If this guy was an immigration officer, you’d be fucked.

He at least pretended that he didn’t seem to mind and nodded. You tried to ease into a conversation again by looking over your shoulder at the crowded seating.

“Is it always this busy at 8 in the morning?”

“No,” somebody else answered. You looked back across the bar to see the waiter, setting down your iced orange juice, with an orange wedge squeezed onto the rim of the glass and a little hot pink umbrella. He then put glass of an iced dark drink which you presumed to be coffee, black, towards your “friend”. “We got a U.S. tour group stop by for breakfast this morning. Could’ve warned us about it, but they just came out of nowhere.”

“I was about to ask, its way too crowded for this time in the day,” the soulbro nodded. He looked back at you and quickly arched his brows and “oh”ed before uncomfortably putting his arms in front of him in a shy/defensive gesture.

“Excuse me, my name is Chan Lee. I forgot to introduce myself.” You swiftly told him it was okay and introduced yourself next.

“And I’m Jack. Just call that guy Dino.”

“That’s not my name,” you watched Chan roll his eyes.

“Sure it is! You look like a dinosaur, so why not?”

“I don’t look like a dinosaur, Jack.”

“You’re not gonna admit that if you squint really really hard, you kind of look like one?”

“Jack, Table 10’s order is ready!”

“Shouldn’t you be going now?”

As he hurriedly left, he yelled back, “THIS ISN’T OVER!”

The interaction made you laugh, turning Chan’s attention back towards you. You both took sips of your drinks as the conversation steadily became more casual.

“So… Dino?” you started back up. He groaned.

“Just a name my friends call me. It’s not my favorite.”

“Well…” you squinted at him a bit. You saw it.

“Yeah, just forget it,” he waved it off, with a skeptical face. Your grin widened and a laugh left you.

Taking a sip of your orange juice, you felt a shiver run through you. It was hot outside, but that seemed to instantly mean intense cooling inside as always. As you set your glass down, you looked back at Chan. “I thought Canada was supposed to be cold.”

“It is, in the winter. Summer gets pretty hot in Toronto though,” he explained between sips of his own drink. You nodded, Toronto wasn’t incredibly North.

As the small talk continued, you were surprised by how easy it was to get to know him. It turned out Rowan was right after all. This wasn’t incredibly difficult. But even though it wasn’t hard to converse, you still couldn’t place exactly what you were supposed to be doing to help the guy out. You knew one of the people you were going to meet would be your soulmate, as much as that terrified you. But you couldn’t just assume everyone was going to be the “one” or whatever. You figured you had to dig deeper. But that was going to be tough, or at least you thought. How were you supposed to potentially change somebody’s life in one day?

“So, what do you do?” you asked. You were almost surprised by your own “boldness”. Well, bold for you.

“Hmm?” he seemed to momentarily leave and enter back in the discussion, setting down his coffee. “Oh, I’m a student in medicine at University of Toronto.” You nodded.

“Medicine, eh? What do you want to be?”

He chuckled hesitantly, seeming somewhat fake. Oh?

“Yeah, I don’t really know yet.” Oh. That’s when you thought: Maybe he’s one of those students that don’t actually know/like what they’re studying? Medicine seemed like one of those fields where students would enter to satisfy some sort of familial standard. Not necessarily because they themselves wanted it. You hesitated as you stirred your juice with your straw. Should you ask?

“Your orders!” the waiter, Jack, slipped from behind the bar with both your orders. Even though you hadn’t come together. He slid your platter towards you and then Chan’s. Your glimpse at his food showed you a stack of pancakes doused in cream and strawberries. Nice.

Naturally, the conversation was interrupted as you had now received your food, conversation becoming relatively minimal. Thankfully, after he finished his meal first with you close behind, the conversation stayed.

“Any plans for what your doing while your here?”

“Ahh,” you paused. Maybe this was your chance to spend the rest of the day with him? But how to do so without coming on too strong and scaring him away? ‘Lmao, you’ ‘How bout YOU show me the town tonight, big boy ;)))’ ‘Greetings soulmate, allow me to follow you for the day and reveal your deepest, darkest emotions so I may heal you’ ‘I have come from afar to change your life’.

“... nothing?” before you realised it, you were taking way too long to think of an excuse and Chan had caught on to your speechlessness.

“...no, haha?” you smiled nervously. Your smile must have been contagious, as he then reflected it.

“Well, some people like to go down to the TU campus-”

“Are you here alone, though?” Jack had leaned against the bar from the other side, more liberated to socialize now that the tour group he complained about earlier had left.

“Yeah, just me!” you nodded towards him.

“That’s no fun,” he groaned. He beamed up and leaned over the bar, towards you. “Want me to show ya around?!”

With all due respect to Jack, you had shit to do. Specifically with Chan. You tried keeping a straight face while you looked away, pretending to consider the premise. Before you could gently turn down the offer, you looked over at Chan as he spoke up.

“I thought you said you were busy today?” he seemed annoyed.

“When did I say that?”

“When I asked if you wanted to hang out today last night,” Jack had a face that seemed like he was searching his brain for answers when he “oohhhh”ed.

“I forgot,” he seemed distraught and mildly upset. “I’m covering Wendy’s shift today while she’s at her friend’s wedding…”

You gave a small laugh, “It’s okay, I’m fine.”

“No, it’s not,” he groaned. “Sightseeing by yourself is, like, boring as fuck.”

“Some people, believe it or not, like having that kind of time to themselves,” Chan defended.

“Blah, blah, that’s bullshit,” Jack argued back, almost like a toddler. He then gasped and yelled, “YOU CAN SHOW HER AROUND!”

“JACK,” he simply stated.

“C’mon! Don’t you want a real local to show you around?” the question was directed at you. Chan also hesitantly looked at you, awaiting a response.

“Uhhh, I mean,” you hesitated. “It sounds nice, but I wouldn’t want to impose on anyone-”

“Meh, Chan had nothing to do today, anyways,” he shrugged. “It’s not a problem, right?” He directed his question towards Chan.

You shyly looked at him, when he met your gaze he quickly looked away, flustered and struggling to find his words. “Uhm, well no-”

“PERFECT!” he hopped over the bar counter (who the fuck was this dude) and pulled you both up from your seats by your arms. “Chan’s been needing a date.”

“A d-date?”

“Now, GO HAVE FUN,” he dragged you out towards the entrance and pushed you both out the restaurant.

Did you just get kicked out?

Now it was just the two of you, awkwardly standing on the sidewalk at the entrance to the restaurant, standing by the side to not impede pedestrian traffic. A brief silence filled with awkwardness, confusion, and tension swept over as you looked at him in confusion.

“We didn’t even pay?”

“Y-yeah,” he scratched his head, looking back inside. “Well, it’s coming out of his check.”

“Ah…” you awkwardly pulled at the bottom of your shirt.

“Yeah, so…” he rubbed his hands together. “I’m so sorry, about all of this. Jack is… unusual. He means well, though. I wouldn’t want to intrude on your stay here, so you totally don’t have to do what he says, I can give you a few places to go, tips, recommendations for food, photo ops-”

You breathed deeply as you watched him talk. His looks were nothing to sneeze at, and him rambling on made you tune out as it only drew you more towards his face. He made eye contact, making you flinch, unnoticeably perhaps as he just looked away and kept talking. As much as you tried to not think about what Rowan said about the soulmate, you couldn’t help but at least wonder. Well, it was more like daydreaming.

Before you could finish admiring him and tune back into what he was telling you, you found his mouth stop moving and his face look towards you, waiting for interaction on your part.

“Oh, uhm, ah,” you not so charismatically brainstormed to find the words you were looking for. “Actually, I was… uhm…” You folded your arms across in front of you in an instinctively defensive manner. “I would appreciate being shown Toronto by a local, kind of like what Jack said. That is, if you actually wanted to, I don’t want to force you into something you don’t want to do, after all-”

“Okay, I can do that.” You stopped dead in your sentence when he said that, trying to suppress the light fluttery feeling of happiness that welled up inside of you. You smiled wide, only slightly embarrassed by your probably red cheeks.

“Really? Oh, thank you so much-”

“Don’t mention it,” he laughed, scratching the back of his neck. “Besides, I think we get along pretty well, anyways.”

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

To start, he took you down to University of Toronto’s campus where you could see a few people, young and old, laid out on blankets. Some were having picnics, some were just enjoying the day, all in the shade. The temperature had gotten higher from when you first woke up, to a point that you couldn’t ignore it.

Nervously, Chan asked if you would like your picture taken there, which you said yes to. You posed cutely along a tree for a short few minutes, before the heat began to set and he proposed going to cool down in the visitor’s centre. As you did so, you thought to bring up the topic of what he was majoring in.

“Medicine, huh?”

“Hmm?” he set down his can of coke that he got from the vending machine. “Oh, yeah.”

“Do you… like it?” he didn’t make any eye contact as he just sat staring at the can, tracing the rim with his finger.

“Can’t say,” he said. “It’s not the worst thing, I don’t hate it. I think the idea is cool, and the stuff I’m learning isn’t all that bad, but…” he took a deep breath. “I have no idea of telling if this is what I was meant to do.”

Silence overtook the both of you for awhile. You definitely understood. You didn’t know what you were going to graduate with a degree in when you first went to college, either. That part of your life was so hard, you remembered. Leaving home, living by yourself, starting your journey to the rest of your life. It was terrifying. It was lonely. No matter the amount of support you got, you still didn’t have what you thought you needed. Someone, something, anything to tell you what to do.

Afterwards, he decided to take you to the Toronto sign with the fountain. You took the trolleys, falling in love with the idea at first and soon realizing it was still public transport and wasn’t some Cinderella carriage. It was pretty busy to, the two of you were packed in, and while the AC was doing its best to keep up, it just wasn’t made to withstand the heat. It was up to about 96 degrees, you overheard some other people saying who were complaining about it.

“It’s so freaking hot,” he groaned as he shook his shirt, trying to create some sort of flowing air. “You came on a pretty bad day. I mean, it’s not Canada day, but still.”

“Yeah, the heat is killing me,” you laughed, fanning yourself. “At least I got to meet you, though!” You stated a little too enthusiastically. You could’ve sworn the person you were standing over looked up at the two of you, as if watching some sort of drama or crime taking place.

Nonetheless, Chan became shy again, scratching his hair a little as he smiled and awkwardly looked out a window. As he did, his eyes shot open as he then stated “crap” and grabbed your hand as he pulled you off the trolley at the stop that the trolley was just about to leave. Once you both were out of danger of being crushed by the doors, he instantly spurted out a bunch of apologies, which you needed to quelm.

He calmed down, and after he let go of your hand in a silly, flustered way, you headed to the fountain. Along the way, you stopped and asked if you could get some ice cream, to which he happily obliged. Hopping into a sweets shop for a moment, you both got your respective favorite flavors in cones. You paid, after much arguing on both of you insisting you would cover it, Chan threw in the towel after witnessing your aggressive assertiveness to pay.

“I’ll just have to pay next time!” he ended with, handing you your cone after holding them while you fumbled with your bag, which still seemed suspiciously prepared for whatever you could need. You smiled a little, almost solemnly. You thought about staying in contact, but you remembered the reason you were there with him in the first place. To fulfill some sort of purpose you were meant to do with him, and go on to the next one. This day was technically supposed to be the only one where you would spend time with him at all. It’s not like you could come to Toronto, or wherever your “soul bros” were whenever you felt like it. You had a busy job that worked you as hard as it could within the legal (though you had your doubts at times) limits.

You made it to the sign, and it was crowded. And hot again. The ice cream helped minimally, and you could hardly stand the heat. The photo op was ruined quite a few times by kids who were climbing around the sign, but you did manage to get a nice picture with the second ‘T’. Someone offered to take a picture of the two of you, which Chan hesitantly complied to. You understood nearly instantly why, as the minute he stood by you, you realized how weird it was going to look. In a brave attempt to prevent the weird picture you came closer and wrapped an arm around him, posing with a peace sign. You didn’t catch his reaction, smiling at the person who was taking your picture with Chan’s phone. You heard the faint shutter click over the noise of a thousand demons (commonly known as children), as the stranger then put down the phone and came up to Chan and gave him his phone back. You said thank you, followed by a hurried one from Chan, who seemed flustered. You turned to look at him, seeing his face was flushed, maybe just due to the heat, but the rush of heat that you felt the second you came in contact made you think otherwise.

“You guys make a nice couple!” the stranger complimented with a genuine smile before he left. Oh, boy.

“How’d it turn out?” you asked as you tried to peak at the photo. You saw yourself smiling, fairly brightly, while leaning on a surprised Chan who was looking at you as opposed to the camera. The ‘T’ was practically illegible, as well.

“I blame the photographic technique,” you playfully patted his shoulder. He chuckled, and then groaned.

“I suck at posing for pictures,” he stated. “I think I have one good selfie I’ve ever taken. I had weird hair then, too.”

“Let’s take a better one, then!” you suggested.

“I’d rather be done with my complimentary sweat soak first.”

“Good point,” you giggled. “Any plans on what to do?”

“Hmm,” he seemed to think, though only for a brief second. “We could go to the aquarium. I’ve never been and I’d think it’s air conditioned.”

“Sounds like a plan!”

Oh, it was a plan. Maybe not one where you weighed the pros and cons of, but a plan. Everything was fine until you got there. It appeared as if everyone else in the city had the same plan as you did. The line for tickets was enormous, and the aquarium itself was packed.

You stayed regardless, at least it was cool. You started by walking through some more isolated halls with fish tanks. All sorts of colorful fish from yellow, blue, and red swam aside you, back and forth. You’d point out a fish you thought looked nice every once in awhile, or one that was doing something funny.

Chan tried to take some pictures of the fish, to which he voiced some disappointment of because the glass hindered it. As you went further in, more kids started showing up and running around, bumping into the two of you. As minimally irritating as it was, at one point a little girl came running full speed and crashed into Chan. She fell down, and he had suddenly pushed into you a bit.

Before you could understand that was what happened yourself, Chan crouched down and asked if she was okay. You watched them as the girl got up and looked down at a scratch she got.

“I think I hurt my knee,” the girl spoke shyly.

“Uh oh, do you want to get a band aid for it?” he asked gently. She nodded silently. You smiled at how he handled the situation with care. Several college students would be angry as all hell if a kid ran into them. You commended his patience.

“I think I have one with me,” you kneeled down to the girl and started searching your backpack. You pulled out one and took the packaging off, applying it as she let you.

“Thank you!” she beamed. She turned to run off again but paused, turning around and waving. You both waved back before getting back up on your feet.

“I see you, Doctor Lee. You’d nail the pediatrician vibe if you went that way,” you mildly teased him. He laughed, scratching the back of his head.

“Yeah, I guess that would be cool.” You hesitated a moment before you began walking further into the aquarium.

“I don’t know if my career is what I’m meant to do, either.”

He looked at you quickly enough for you to feel a minitare draft hit your face. You continued.

“Working is hard, no matter what your doing. My mother always told me to never pick your favorite hobby as your career. Then that hobby becomes your job. And I think there is some truth to that…” you stopped at a dimly lit jellyfish tank and stared at the purple tentacles.

“But I also don’t see the problem with loving your job. Yes, it becomes a job, but doesn’t that just make you love it all the more?” You took a long pause, sneaking a glance at Chan. He was staring at the tank, as if thinking about your words.

“Even if your job isn’t your favorite, why can’t you learn to love it anyway? Someone’s gotta do it. Your role matters. Medicine is so important in that regards. You get to make people’s lives better, longer, and less painful. You can give them the chance to find the meaning that we are all searching for in our little lives. Maybe some people feel that sense of what they’re meant to do. And maybe some need more time to figure that out.”

Your monologue finished, leaving you two in the silence of the one place in the aquarium that wasn’t loud and bombarded with people. For awhile you both stood there, just staring at the slow movements the jellyfish made. Something about the moment made you feel that you had done what you came to do.

“... Thanks,” Chan broke the silence. You smiled and looked over at him.

“It’s no problem.”

After the aquarium, you realized how late it was. The evening produced the wash of orange and yellow that was starting to light up all the street lamps. It only seemed to encourage younger people out to enjoy the night on the town. Traffic seemed worse and more people were out on the streets.

“Hey, (y/n),” Chan initiated as you slowly walked down the street together. “Today was lots of fun. Seriously. I really enjoyed it.”

“Hey, I did too!” you replied.

“I just wanted to say thanks. I thought I was gonna stay in all day and do nothing but this was so much better than that. Like, I don’t wanna be cheesy or anything, I feel like we were almost meant to meet in that stupid diner.” You chuckled to yourself. If only he knew.

“I get it, I felt the same way.”

You kept walking together like that until you came to a park and decided to sit. The two of you kept talking and talking until somehow, in your exhaustion, you managed to fall dead asleep on his shoulder. Though you didn’t notice, Chan surely did as his cheeks grew red and his lips curled into a smile, looking back up at the painted sky.

#reader-insert #chan x reader #chanxreader #dinoxreader #dino x reader #seventeen imagine #seventeen #seventeen imagines #dino imagine #chan imagine #chan lee #dino

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