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drysaladandketchup · 3 months

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for the "things you said" writing meme -- matthew/leon, 12 :)

Thank you for the request <3 I realised very quickly I have no idea what constitutes a 'mini' fic. I struggle to write 'mini' anything lol. Hopefully this still satisfies :)

12. things you said when you thought i was asleep

It takes all of Matthew's willpower not to reach over and smash his phone just to shut up the alarm. All that saves his wallet and an awkward trip to the Apple store is the split-second realisation that the shrieking in his ear isn't his usual alarm.

It's a ringtone. Not his own, either.

He pries his eyes open to find the world through the window is still dark. One of the balcony doors is still ajar, letting in a cool night breeze. He's lying on his side in his own bed, the end of the all-star weekend memorialized by several aches and bruises.

His hips and ass are a little sore too, but that's unrelated. Technically.

The ringing stops. Someone huffs behind him.

Someone. Yeah, no, Matthew knows who it is. They may have met up at the bar once the media was done swarming, but Matthew was far from drunk. Painfully sober, in fact. If he's being honest with himself, he was hoping things would turn out this way.

One more time. One more moment. Because it's been a long time since they were them. Longer still since the sex was just sex, since hate became want. Matthew is strong in a lot of ways, but not against this.

"Davo." Leon's voice is low, and still gruff from sleep when he answers his phone. He sits up on his side of the bed, trying not to disturb Matthew, pulling the covers back up over Matthew's shoulder like he thinks he'll freeze to death in this balmy Florida winter.

Usually Matthew's a heavy sleeper. But never when Leon's around. He makes it impossible for Matthew to completely relax, to let time slip by. Leon's just too big of a presence, almost too much to bear. It was more important that everything linger, to bask in the strange comfort of their relationship, whatever it was. They had so little time. Even less, now.

"I know it's late. No, no, I'm not at the hotel. I'm... I'm with Tkachuk."

Leon says his last name like it's wrong, like it's rotting on his tongue.

When he corrects himself, says, "Matthew", it's better, lighter. Like it's ambrosia.

Matthew remembers when Leon Draisaitl saying his name wouldn't have meant a damn thing to him. When that simple act didn't fill him with fondness.

In the silence, Matthew can hear McDavid talking on the other end, but can't quite make out what he's saying. Matthew tucks up under the duvet, breathing quiet and even, trying to focus instead on the distant sound of waves and the ticking clock on his wall.

Ticking. Always ticking. Time bleeds out when they're together.

He doesn't even remember falling asleep last night, but he wishes he hadn't now. He wishes he'd stayed awake longer, just to... just too see him. To look Leon in the eye, to talk about everything and nothing until dawn, to feel big, too-warm hands on his body more and more and more. He wants to make sure he'll remember how Leon feels, sounds, tastes.

"Connor," Leon says, a warning, followed by a sigh. "I know. I know, okay? It was stupid, but..."

Maybe it was. Matthew has a good thing here in Florida. Better than ever. He was happy to leave Alberta behind and start over. So why did leaving make him feel like a coward?

Because leaving was about Calgary, and the Flames. About his career and his future. It wasn't about Leon. Leon was the wrench in the gears; the one thing he didn't expect to have to say goodbye to, the kind of hurt he never could have accounted for.

"I needed to see him." Leon sounds helpless. He's not the only one.

The only time he's heard Leon so lost was after his team was knocked out of the playoffs last season. The Oilers meant nothing--Matthew was pretty fucking glad considering they'd beat out the Flames--but he never wanted to hear Leon like that again.

He definitely never wanted to be the cause of it. Not like this.

Leon is still mumbling into his phone. "Yeah, I'm fine. He's... we're good. He's happy."

A hand settles on Matthew's head. Fingers play with his curls, nails scratch his scalp. A thumb presses just behind Matthew's ear, stroking the soft skin where only hours before Leon had put his lips, whispering sweetness and filth in equal measure.

It takes everything for Matthew not to groan, to whimper and surrender, roll over and climb on top of Leon and take all over again. Beg him to take something--everything--from Matthew.

"I don't know," Leon says then.

It's easy to guess what McDavid asked.

He's happy. But are you?

"I can't even tell him I still love him."

Still. Matthew didn't even know there was a before, let alone a still. Leon never said anything. Fuck, if Matthew wasn't busy trying to remember how to breathe, he'd roll over and punch him.

Then again, what did Matthew ever say? They never talked about it. Never let those closet hook-ups and slipping out back doors and little drinks and dinners and overnights excused as practical necessity be anything more than that. A bunch of chirps and half-truths and aborted discussions because it was all becoming too much. There was too much uncertainty. Too many ways it could go wrong.

It did go wrong. It became something. It became real.

Maybe that would have changed something. Maybe it wouldn't have changed anything at all. It doesn't matter now. Matthew left, and neither of them said a word about things like love, because it was easier to hope it would shrivel and die with distance and time.

"I know I'm being stupid." Leon pauses when McDavid interrupts, then huffs. "No, I am. Fuck, I really thought I'd get over it. Maybe I will. Eventually."

Don't you fucking dare, you piece of shit, Matthew wants to scream.

"Not sure I can, though." Leon swallows so loud Matthew can hear it. Then quieter, like he's not sure he's even allowed to admit it, he says, "I don't really want to."

He's still playing with Matthew's hair, occasionally dragging a finger over his bare shoulder or down his back, tracing imaginary lines across Matthew's flesh. Like he's something to be memorized and cherished.

They're both so fucking stupid. Matthew bites his lip and tries not to choke on the lump in his throat. Could be his heart, climbing right up and out of his mouth. He clings to the sheets with shaking hands.

"I'm not going to fuck up what he's got here," Leon says tiredly, voice thick with tension and pathetic resignation.

Leon's not here to drag him back. He wouldn't do that. So why is he here? Just to torture them both? Being with him doesn't feel like torture. It feels like winning. It feels like defiance and decadence and too much and not enough. It feels like what could have been and what could still be.

He didn't find Leon at that bar and bring him home out of pity, or nostalgia, one last fuck for old times sake. It was... it just was. Not an ending. Not some final goodbye. Proof maybe there could still be something. Getting over it was never an option, Matthew knew that well before he stepped onto the ice as a Panther and found himself staring Leon down all over again.

Matthew's vision is blurring. His eyes sting, warm and wet. There's blood pounding in his ears, and a hand clutching his heart, a vice around his lungs. He hardly remembers how to breathe.

He doesn't catch the rest of Leon's conversation, except something about meeting Connor back at the hotel tomorrow. Meaning he's staying the night, at least. He's staying.

When Leon hangs up the phone, Matthew finally comes up for air. He relaxes his shoulders, listening to the soft thump as Leon taps his phone against his forehead over and over. Then it clatters on the side table. Leon sighs, sniffs, and sinks back under the covers. He tucks right up against Matthew's back, still burning like a furnace, soft muscle and skin brushing Matthew's spine in all the right ways.

He throws an arm around Matthew and finds one of his hands, worming his fingers through the gaps to hold it. His palm is sweaty, not that it matters at all to Matthew. He can't help squeezing Leon's hand a little, but if Leon notices, he doesn't say a word.

Not until he's wrapped tight around Matthew, near suffocating, like any part of them that isn't touching is a sin.

"Love you," Leon mumbles, barely more than a whisper, pressing his lips right to the base of Matthew's neck. Matthew's body can't seem to decide whether to shiver or melt under the heat.

Leon says it like it's inevitable. Painful. Pitiful.

What he's saying is, I'm sorry I love you. I'm sorry I couldn't say it before. I'm sorry I don't know how to say it now. I'm sorry it's too late, it's the wrong place, the wrong time.

Like he doesn't think Matthew could ever understand. And that's the worst part of it all. They're still not on the same page. Tearing down what they never built.

If Leon's only brave enough to say it when Matthew's asleep, then Matthew will just have to be brave enough to say it in the light of day. He doesn't run, and he won't now that he knows he doesn't have to.

He stares into the night outside his window, listening to Leon breathe, feeling his heart beat through Matthew's chest like that's where it longs to be.

Tomorrow. Tomorrow maybe they can stop chasing time long enough to make the most of what they have. To make up for what they've wasted. And whatever happens after, well, maybe they can stop being afraid of that, too.

#hockey #mattdrai #matthew tkachuk #leon draisaitl #my writing #asks #i can take any prompt and shove angst into it just watch me #'mutual pining dumbasses who can't communicate' my beloved trope #i hope it's obvious this is happening during/right after the 2023 asg #i know 2020 was the sacred texts but I feel like we don't use 2023 for mattdrai purposes enough #poor connor always suffering through mattdrai bullshit #leon has a scrapbook full of pictures of matthew and will be like 'remember when my bf left me ;_;' and connor wants to jump off a bridge #'mini' fic they said. i don't think 1.6k is mini. it got away from me. but i have never been concise in my life why start now

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poorly-drawn-mdzs · 1 year

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Do you think Wei wuxian listens to weezer?

I don't know...I don't know...I really don't know.....

#poorly drawn mdzs #mdzs #wei wuxian #lan sizhui #blood #I mean this in the most sincerest way possible: This ask has become my 'does bruno mars is gay' to me and anyone in close enough proximity #I first read this after having just woken up and it rattled me so intensely #would he???? I don't know??? It's dad music but it also sort of works for someone a little bit out of step with time?#I'm a bit of a wwx kinnie and I love music but I don't really have any headcanons for what modern music he'd like #other than 'unironically classical music and its one of the first things he bonds with lwj over as teens'#(they get into very heated arguments about composers and arrangements)#but also. the concept of wwx really liking wheezer to the point its the first thing he's gotta check in on after 13 years dead?#*that* did me in real good #I hope people enjoy this one as much as I did #'Does wwx listen to wheezer' Please oh god wheezer and mdzs fans please come together to tell me what songs wwx would like #my money is on 'lost in the woods' its so campy #EDIT: just been informed weezer doesnt have an H in it..this is how much i know. thank u everyone who left weezer recs in comments and tags

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seyaryminamoto · 1 month

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Fic-to-Art #39: Gladiator's ELEVENTH Anniversary! (+ BONUS: Fic-to-Art #36...)

And here we are! March 26th arrived and I did not forget about it, but I paid for my ambitious madness with my wrist and forearm. Somehow, I finished my intended pieces on time, but I do not advise that you ever try to make 9 artworks in 3 days. No, sir. Bad life decisions, that's what that was... but this fic, as anyone knows, moves me to do things I never thought possible, starting with writing the fic itself!

It's really crazy every time it hits me that I've been doing this for as long as I have. It's been a complicated, chaotic journey, with its many ups and downs, but ultimately, it has been our journey. For some people, this is just one more fic in the pile: for me, it's been the best adventure of my life so far. Everyone who has ever been touched by Gladiator, who has ever cherished this story, who's looking forward to the big conclusion, who wants to see how the chaotic war is going to end... you're all part of this crazy adventure along with me, and I can only thank you for joining me.

This year, I had no time to make as big a project as I usually go for. Thus, I did a sort of free-for-all edition of Fic-to-Art over at Patreon and challenged myself to draw as many scenes as I could, out of their suggestions. I even sprinkled in a few scenes I impulsively wanted to draw because I loved writing them or because I look forward to writing them... and this is the result!

In order, the scenes are as follow:

Sokka combing Azula's hair, a common occurrence throughout the story.

Azula watching over a convalescing Sokka in the Chase of Jeong Jeong arc.

The outcome of Sokka's final battle in the Superior Gladiator League, namely a moment where Sokka and Azula more or less gave away their relationship's true nature to the public by raising their hands towards each other...

And now, spoiler territory! Some were by my choice, some by Patreon requests:

An important moment shortly after Sokka and Azula reunite.

Azula confronting her father, with a LOT of backup.

Xin Long's long-awaited freedom.

The aftermath of the final battle.

The full-blown confirmation of their relationship to the general Fire Nation populace.

Sokka, Azula and Hotaru's first night together

And the big final one is ACTUALLY Fic-to-Art #36 but hahaha woops I didn't post it here on time because it was super hard to finish since I had a LOT of things going on... but here it is now! :'D it's a glimpse VERY far into the future of this fic's timeline!

Alright, that should be enough talking and explaining. Some things are vague, some things aren't, but ultimately I really hope you guys will be looking forward to the scenes you haven't seen yet, and to Gladiator's eventual outcome.

So now... with all this being said and done, I'm gonna go take a trip down memory lane and watch my Tenth Anniversary video once more! Feel free to do the same thing if you'd like to commemorate the fic, I think it's a good way to experience Gladiator all over again, hahaha.

Thank you if you read all this, and if you read all THAT: 5 million word landmark, here we come! Thanks for hanging out with me across ELEVEN years of Gladiator!

#sokkla #sokka #azula #gladiator #fic-to-art project #zuko #aang #katara #rui shi #fei li #tai wei #and a rando #yes that guy is a rando he's there to symbolize all the randos in that scene #do not look too deep into it it isn't deep at all hahahahahaha #Xin Long continues to be the bane of my existence I love him I hate drawing him #I don't know if he's good enough but I hope the emotional punch of THAT MOMENT #is enough to make up for any flaws ahahahaha welp #... also yes I'm not even sorry this was my excuse to go wild drawing as much Sokkla as I could #and my patrons were so damn nice to give me so many excuses to do just that!#how could I refuse? :'D #anyway I really hope you guys enjoy #the new pieces are glazed #nightshade killed itself when I asked it to work with them #I got annoyed and left it as it was #the last one did get both things #OKAY! DONE!#I HAVE AN HOUR AND A HALF LEFT OF ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION IN THIS TIMEZONE #Seyary out (?)

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nostalgia-tblr · 2 months

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"are people not into that?" i ask, after posting my weird niche shit to the internet, despite knowing it to be weird niche shit.

#jsyk sylkius or anything adjacent to it does not “Do Numbers” in any way and i observed this some time ago #i assume that's the “rival ships” element at work but who knows really #that sort of thing is like femslash in that everyone approves of it but nobody actually reads or writes it #but who would have thought sylvie beating loki with a stick would not bring in droves of readers???! shocking twist there!#& i don't consider sifki a rarepair but my rarepair standards are VERY strict like if there's >5 fics a pairing is basically mainstream #chasing popularity would annoy me though & i just don't have the mental spoons to try writing stuff i wouldn't personally read #yeah i *could* put my blorbos to work in a coffee shop but what cost to my own enjoyment levels? AT WHAT COST FANGELA???#you can't please everyone so you may as well just please yourself and if anyone else likes it you've found some fellow freaks so yay #i don't mean please yourself in a wanking sense. though feel free to do that too it probably counts as a cardio workout idk.#BUT ANYWAY #fic related #ps i am v glad there's the “warning: loki” tag because i think/hope it acts as a filter for 'he did nothing wrong in his life ever' types #who are Valid & etc obviously but i write my morally grey characters to be morally grey and the tag might help avoid conflict #though tbh i write almost every character to be morally grey in some way so i can't claim to have left my comfort zone here #(i'm not joking when i say the 1987-89 run of Dr Who shaped my entire future fannish life from a young and apparently v impressionable age)

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anipgarden · 2 months

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I went to my first plant swap and man. It was WILD.

Keep in mind I heard about the plant swap a little over 24 hours before it was happening. I have no plants to exchange, I barely even have seedlings yet. But I do have a bunch of seeds so I decide to roll up and see what I can do.

Its from 2 to 5. I show up at 2:12 and its mostly houseplants. But the local library branch has a tent and they’re letting people check out some gardening books they brought if they have a library card on them!

So I checked out “Seedswap: The gardener’s guide to saving and swapping seeds” by Josie Jeffery!

Woohoo!

(They also told me that if I want the library to set up seed libraries I should email showing interest because a lot of librarians have suggested it but public interest is needed 👀 special reminder to email/contact your local library about adding seed libraries if you haven’t got one already!)

I considered leaving but I decide to hang around and see if anyone else comes around with stuff that’s more my fancy (no disrespect to people who like houseplants but I have a 99% killrate with them and they’re just not my vibe) and

Y’all

I obtained a Boxcar tomato, a Blackberry Lily, a variegated pepper, a hibiscus cutting, loofah seeds, okra seeds, and FOUR (4!!!!) peach tree seedlings!!!

HELLO??????

I spent like 6 bucks total (1 on a peach tree seedling, 5 on the pepper) and the rest was just seed trades (or the peach tree lady just… giving me more peach trees for being nice. Be nice to the elderly you might get peach trees out of it.) I was there for like an hour and a half TOPS.

(I had to pot up the peach tree seedlings myself but this is still a W in my book lets see if they survive)

So uh

WOOHOO

#outdoor gardening #ani rambles #plant swap #anis garden 2024 #FOUR PEACH TREE SEEDLINGS HELLO????? HELLO #she was like ‘idk i was thinking id trade them or sell them for like a dollar’ so i got the littlest one in exchange for i think it was #gazanias???? or canterbury bells. or maybe both.#then i was like ‘oh its teeny tho’ so i paid a dollar for one and she was like HERES TWO INSTEAD and I’m like AAA #and she was hoping to find the tomato lady but the tomato lady left but I had Two of the tomatoes so I was like ‘oh you can have one of mine #because followers may know I currently have TWENTYTHREE TOMATOES IN MY BACKYARD RN #and shes like ‘oh youre so sweet heres a 4th peach seedling anyways im going home now im tired bye’#the peach gods have smiled upon me and it was in the form of an old white lady in a gray sweater and a blue sunvisor

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cringefaecompilation · 8 days

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cannot stand it when i see posts saying orym could/can only ever have concrete conversations about himself and his feelings with either dorian or ashton or that they're the only people that would understand what he's going through. asides from the Women Just Don't Get It-ness of it all, like:

i rest my case

#🍃#critical role #critrole #fearne calloway #orym of the air ashari #they are BESTIES they are FRIENDS they are THE MOMENT #and even besides that i understand that fearne and orym have not gone through the same stuff but like...#are you telling me fearne does not or could not understand loneliness in the same way orym has #fearne. the girl who was left alone with only the hope of her parents being alive/caring through postcards in a time-dilated strange world #the girl who panics whenever anything changes that could take away her friends #the girl who fears being locked away because it reminds her of that loneliness more than being locked up #the girl who tries her damnedest to ensure that everyone she loves is safe and secure from any threat and shatters when she has to hurt the #the girl so desperate for someone to love her and not leave her that when her supervillain dad was ranting at her she was kind of grateful #you're saying she cannot understand orym's own feelings of inadequacy if he cannot protect innocents or his loneliness in a crowd? on god?#i do think that ashton is a good friend to orym and he can relate to him on other levels #and that dorian would also be understanding if he knew #BUT FEARNE IS RIGHT THERE

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abirddogmoment · 5 months

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Two weeks with Aurora! Here's a recap of life so far.

Our targeted socialization was pretty successful, we managed a bunch of different experiences and she rocked them.

Monday: Busy street at rush hour

Tuesday: Train station

Wednesday: Construction site

Thursday: Bike path next to train line

Friday: Outside a coffee shop

Saturday: Baby hike in the wild

She's still doing great in overall good citizen behaviours. She has specifically been crushing:

✅ Sleeping through the night

✅ Name recognition

✅ Basic training skills

✅ Recovering from being startled

✅ Being crated quietly

Honestly she's doing amazing, I am so so proud of her. 💜

Areas for improvement for the week include:

✴ Bullying Pike (which is improving but still not great)

✴ Demand barking and overall noise level

✴ Chewing on the couch in excitment

Our biggest victories this week include:

🎉 Baby hike 2.0 with beautiful ranging, reasonable baby recall, and great enthusiasm

🎉 Calling off play with Pike on multiple occasions

Our big goals for next week:

🚀 Less harassment of Pinecone

🚀 Working through the foundation levels of the baby conditioning class I'm taking

Really excited for the next few weeks with this girl! 💜

#dogblr #rory borealis #about aurora #she is snuggling really really well without biting me #and she 'asked' for a training session the other night which was soooo sweet #i want to take her on the train today #and i want to take her to see some blow up xmas ornaments before theyre put away for the year #i would love for her to stop barking #but im remembering how loud mav was and he grew out of it pretty quickly #so im hoping she grows out of it as well #the conditioning class is pretty cool!#its for dogs 8 weeks to 8 months #conditioning is a weak spot of mine - i dont know enough to work through it on my own #so i think this was a great purchase #im excited to work through it this winter #i feel like if any dog can use more body awareness and core strength its probably a brittany #this photo is from last week by the way we have like no snow left

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deiaiko · 3 months

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#19.3 Unravel

It had been some time since Agni felt this nervous. Not even talking with Jinsung Ha recently had made him feel like this. He fiddled with the mask on his hand as he waited for Grace to come back. He had thought hard on how to deliver the news, but he knew that no matter how he phrased it, Grace would be upset. Velt nuzzled under his palm and Agni gave her a few pats, before deciding that she would be better inside her bowl in his lighthouse, just in case the shinsu acted up around Grace after he received the news.

Grace came back wearing the comfiest shirt and shorts Agni knew Grace liked to wear on lazy days. He joined him on the floor, and they ate dinner together. Agni always finished last, so while waiting for him to finish his meal, Grace told him about his day with Bam. Grace was intrigued by how much his way of thinking had changed, and how glad he was to be able to be by Bam's side when he was having a bad day. It reminded Agni of the hidden floor, when Grace faced his sworn enemy.

They left the used bowls on the coffee table and went to brush their teeth. Afterwards, they turned off the light and went upstairs to sit on their bed. Grace's curious gaze never left him, and Agni curled his feet nervously.

Grace was the one who broke the silence. "So…what is it?"

Agni's breath hitched. This was the part he dreaded most. "I talked with the crocodile earlier. Did you know that he could manipulate stone already?"

"Huh." Grace needed a few seconds to let the information sink in. "Didn't Rak learn it on the Hell train? How does he know it?"

"Turns out our crocodile also traveled back to the past like us. He found the young crocodile and taught him."

"What?!" Grace gasped, wide eyed. "That means our Rak is–!!"

"He's dead." Agni quickly snuffed out that hope. They had been in delusion for long enough; it was time that they faced the bitter truth. "He suffered a fatal injury from the explosion. He couldn't have lasted long without proper help." Agni omitted the actual cause for Rak's death, but still kept his words true. "I'm sorry."

"…Oh." Grace looked lost, just like Agni was. His lips parted a little, but they closed before any sound escaped.

Agni gently squeezed Grace's hand, encouraging and comforting as he let the silence stretch on, giving Grace some time to process the information.

"Agni…" Grace whispered, "do you think Hatz and Isu…?"

Agni bit his lip and avoided his gaze, as the nightmare of that day replayed in his mind. He witnessed Hatz get his arms ripped off when trying to protect him. He could still recall the clang of a sword hitting the floor, and Hatz's suppressed scream that gnawed deep at his guilt. He witnessed Isu get beheaded after being taken hostage, the memory of warm blood painting them both still vivid like it happened yesterday.

Agni refused to acknowledge their possible deaths, because it felt like a nightmare that one day he could hopefully wake up from. He avoided the topic when Grace brought it up, so he wouldn't have to say it aloud and make it real. He had been so hard on himself, because he couldn't get rid of the feeling that he had failed Grace and everyone else involved.

Agni knew this had to change if he wanted to live better, now that they had gotten a second chance. So he swallowed down the lump in his throat that had built up over the years and asked mostly to himself; "What are the odds of their survival?"

"There's always a chance–"

"Grace." Agni looked him straight in the eye. "They were already severely injured before the explosion hit."

Grace fell silent and went still.

Agni felt a pang of guilt upon witnessing Grace's reaction. "Sorry. I didn't mean to snap." Agni fiddled with his hands. He realized that he didn't know how much Grace knew of what happened. "My scar…do you know how I got it?"

"I…was told it was from the family heads' battle." Grace looked thoughtful. Agni knew he was trying to be careful with his words. "A stray attack?"

"It could have been worse." The memory of the scorching heat on his skin felt like it had only happened yesterday. He passed out right when he was about to heal Isu, and only found out later that he also lost sweetfish at that time. The days he spent recovering from the burn, to withstand the excruciating pain every second he was conscious, and finally coming to terms that it'd be a permanent scar, was one of the turning points that had changed him forever. Were Grace not there to care for him, he might have ended up destroying himself even more.

Agni hadn't realized he had his left hand clawing on his cheek until Grace pried his hand off and frowned, "You're doing it again."

"Maybe I should wear the mask…" Agni muttered to himself. After all, Grace gave it to him less so he could hide the scar but more to prevent him from unconsciously hurting himself. The only time he could safely take it off was when Grace was around.

Agni bit his lip nervously when Grace didn't reply. He no longer had the courage to look Grace in the eye that spoke so much concern, so he leaned close and rested his head on Grace's chest. "Rak, Isu, Hatz and Hwaryun were trying to get me out of that damned place. But we were caught while escaping, and…it was a bloodbath. I was…too occupied to react to the incoming heat. Rak shielded us from the explosion. And when I woke up…"

"They weren’t with you," Grace finished it for him after Agni trailed off a moment too long.

Agni nodded dazedly, "I've been telling myself that they're still alive, after a blow that could kill rankers. But…who am I kidding? I was lucky enough to survive with just this little–" Agni vaguely pointed to himself– "inconvenience."

Agni felt a hand gripping his arm, and he pulled away to see Grace looking at him with a pained expression. His eyes were glossy and his lips were pulled into a thin line. Trusting his instinct, Agni reached out to gently trace and cup Grace's cheek with his free hand.

"I'm sorry," Agni muttered. "I'm sorry, for not telling you sooner."

Agni silently witnessed tears that streamed down on his love's face. It was a bitter sight that Agni wished he'd never have to see again, that he had tried to avoid for so long by not telling him. He pulled Grace in and held him close to his chest, as if Agni was trying to gather his own crumbled heart back together.

Grace mumbled their late best friends' names as he held onto him tighter, shaking from each breath he took between sniffles.

Agni felt his own eyes sting with unshed tears. He remembered the years he spent climbing the tower together with his old team. Despite their banter being his source of headaches, Agni knew he too had come to acknowledge them as his cherished friends. Only when they were gone did Agni realize how much he'd miss having them around. Seeing the younger them didn't exactly close the gaping hole in his heart, but at least the emptiness was more filled.

Agni squeezed Grace tighter. "We have their younger selves with us now. We will protect them better this time."

Grace only nodded and sank further into his embrace. And Agni planted kisses on his hair, relishing the thought that after everything he had gone through, Grace was still a constant in his life. As long as he had him, everything would be okay.

When Grace started shaking again, Agni caressed his hair and hummed a comfort song they had known by heart. Still, it didn't make falling asleep any easier for Agni, especially not after admitting that his nightmare was very much real. However, as he had been through grief…this, too, would pass.

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#Whee we get to know some of their past. Specifically their turning point #I hope it flows nicely because i have rewritten this like 3 times now 😭😭😭 dialogues are just not my specialty #like how to make them reveal such information without making them come out of the blue #writing style aside. let's talk about why Agni behaves this way #I will save the details on the what and how for the prologue. but basically Agni had been through hell that he couldn't escape alone #Rak Hatz and Isu saved him (or attempted to). and Agni owed them for saving his life. thus the strong attachment that Khun doesn't have #also let me mention that Agni had trouble differentiating between hallucination and reality after the incident. So he was kind of in denial #maybe Agni had come to a conclusion that they might be dead months after that. but he was too afraid to admit it to Grace #because he thought it was partly his fault for being incompetent. and Grace would hate him for letting their friends die #not wanting to risk being left by Grace. he just put himself (and inevitably Grace too) in the illusion of truth #that there's still a chance their friends are still alive because they have no proof of their deaths #so when Agni was offered to go back to the past. he agreed to it. Already expecting that Rak Hatz Isu aren't the same ones that he looks fo #but it was as good as he could get to redeem himself. Plus they get to meet everyone else who they couldn't save #Anyway. I'm taking hiatus until April. In return I will answer if you have any questions whether it is written in the tags or sent via ask #see ya folks <3 we'll get more brothers and team bonding when I return #tower of god #tog #two sides of the same coin fic #my fic #my art #bam #25th bam #jue viole grace #khun #khun aguero agnis #khunbam #shibisu #ship leesoo #rak wraithraiser #hatz

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chirpsythismorning · 1 year

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Something that does genuinely concern me is the possibility of the Duffer’s being a major conflict of interest when it comes to supporting the strike out in the open. They’re not just writers but also producers and the show runners. Arguably they have the tightest relationship of any production to Netflix, and so just knowing that they’ve always been very much intertwined, are they going to be willing to voice their support for the strike, beyond just being WGA members who likely voted in support of the strike? Like even the cast, complete silence. I know that it can be hard for a lot of reasons, but the complete silence, besides that one writer who posted about it, has me side eying the situation as it’s unfolding.

For the last few Friday’s, they’ve been active posting about stuff, and so are they going to keep that going by posting today, hopefully something to agknowledge the strike, or are they going to just act like nothing is going on and carry on with Easter egg like content? Or worse, are they not going to post at all and so we won’t even know what to think?

It’s just so weird bc they’ve known about this strike for months now. They’ve known about it when they’ve been stringing fans along with little things over the last month. And now, silence, at a time when silence is not the best choice, especially when they are the hugest show in television rn. The duffers coming out and saying something about putting pressure on Netflix would actually have the capacity to get something to happen, and yet they don’t… and it makes me think they’re a conflict of interest bc unlike their writers, they get paid A LOT!

And when it comes to filming starting, I’m concerned that just because they have the first few scripts written and finalized, the Duffers are just gonna say fuck the strike go through with it and start the production for those earlier episodes, either without any writers present bc they’re on strike and so no rewrites, meaning we’re risking the quality not being as good as it would be with them. Or worse, the Duffers are gonna go cross picket lines and scab, and rewrite the scenes themselves essentially going against the strike and their own writers to side with the studios that want it done…

Like I want Stranger Things filmed as soon as possible, I really do. But I also am a little bit unsettled by s5 being soured just knowing they chose a route that sided with corporations and not the writers getting paid mf crap while they are in Netflix’s pockets.

Even though I’m skeptical, I’m still hopeful that they’ll say something, maybe the st writers Twitter will make a statement for all the writers, including the duffers to show their support. But just considering how quiet it’s been, I do wonder how they view the situation.

Do they think it will be over at any moment, without their interference and so they’re just waiting for that? Are they genuinely being advised to say nothing, including the cast and so that’s going to be the case until this is over (if it’s even over any time soon).

Like wtfff is going on in their brains I need to know what they’re thinking about all of this.

Bc them being silent all throughout or even worse doing the exact opposite of supporting the strike by literally starting filming anyways against all of their writers best interests, would be the worst possible course of action. The final season won’t be remembered for all the love and dedication put into it, it’ll be remembered for the greed. And that pisses me off bc the writers don’t deserve that! This is their baby and they’re literally out here risking it all to have a live-able wage, only to be undermined at the risk of everything. It fucking sucks.

#byler #stranger things #writers strike #st writers #duffer brothers #pls st writers Twitter post blatant writers strike solidarity today I swear to god #literally the duffers could protest #the cast could show their support or even protest #and we’d all be going above and beyond to pressure Netflix and other streamers to pay their fair share to writers #but they’re just silent #and so all we’re left doing is going #‘ughh when is s5!? I hope this doesn’t affect s4! I can’t handle any more delays! the cast is gonna be old by the time it airs!!’#and it’s just all so misguided #these ppl making the show we love can barely afford to make a fucking living #ppl involved with the show make millions and have a huge audience that could make a difference #and it just saddens me that they’re probably being told they can’t #and so they’re just staying quiet to protect themselves and their livelihood #it’s obviously not all black and white #it’s complex #but the sooner more people in power step up #the sooner it will be over #the longer they stay silent #who tf knows how long this will go on

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mack-anthology-mp3 · 7 months

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song that i wrote

#it's full of mistakes but yknow what i think it's pretty good #to be fair i recorded it in under two hours and the bass is a first take #and i wrote the majority of it in like an hour and half the other day #because deadlines #haven't posted any of my original stuff on here before #hope you like it :D #musicking #and now you know what my voice sounds like hehe #lyrics partially inspired by a certain demon because apparently i have exactly one braincell left #lead guitar turned out pretty good i reckon i don't ususally play lead #the ms paint violence headphones guy is me frantically recording this btw <3 /j

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weldnas · 3 months

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#Seeing the dune part 2 american centric red carpet and as a devoted aficionado of the books and yk a moroccan person here are my 2 cents #Dune was one of the few Western works inspired by MENA culture that that felt genuine and respectful #But ofc despite the profound symbiosis with Middle Eastern and North African culture evident within the pages of the novels #the movie adaptation lack of substantive representation from these communities both in on-screen portrayals and within production roles was #very much disappointing in part 1 and i doubt there are any change now #While drawing inspiration from the Amazigh peoples of Algeria and Morocco #the film barely skims the surface of its MENA influences leaving substantial potential untapped #Herbert openly acknowledged the profound impact of Islam and MENA culture on his noveIs #from the metaphorical representation of Spice as oil #to the allegorical parallels drawn between the occupation of Arrakis and real-world MENA geopolitics #By marginalizing Arabs from the narrative fabric of Dune the essence of the story is being undermined particularly its anti-colonial core #the irony of this is kiIIing me because this was a direct resuIt of us impérialism on the middIe east #But the reality is that Dune is an American production tailored for an American audience so it makes sense for it to be what it is now #a big production running from its original essence #What adds to my disappointment is the fact that I liked Villeneuve's adaptation of Incendies and I had what you call foolish hope hfhg #Dune feIt Iike a squandered opportunity to authentically depict the cultural milieu that inspired it #Given the narrative's inherent anti-colonial themes #the omission of Arab and North African voices dilute its message if any of it is even left #without representation from Arabs and Amazigh people the cultural essence becomes another appropriated resource watered down to an aestheti #rather than serving as a critique of the destructive actions of colonialists seeking power and dominance #the narrative becomes susceptible to distortion and co-option by the very entities it was intended to condemn and hold accountable

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shywhumpauthor · 9 months

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A Whumpee who is so overworked, physically and mentally, that everything hurts. It hurts to walk, it hurts to move, it hurts to think. They are so damn tired they feel like they could drop. They’re working physically over fourteen hours a day, spending at least another five dealing with logistics like paperwork and conferences. It feels they are going to die if they have to take another goddamn step.

And then give them so much shit they have to do, completely unavoidable they genuinely can’t not do it, so the few moments of rest they actually have are completely consumed with thinking about how they only have twenty more minutes before they need to get back to work, they can’t sleep now because that’ll only make things so much worse when they have to wake up in fifteen minutes, they really should be laying down with their last ten minutes of break but hell they should also put together something to eat, and crap there’s not even five minutes left why bother to lie down they just have to get up.

Bonus points if it’s some kind of hero Whumpee and they know that they have to do this all day every day and their only reprieve will be their scheduled weekend off in a month and a half.

#bonus bonus points if they get kidnapped and just start crying #not cause they’re sad or scared but cause they finally get a break #yeah the whole “getting tortured” part sucks but that’s barely four hours out of a day every other day #the rest of the time they’re just left alone in their quiet cell #there’s even a little mat in the corner and a blanket. they actually get to sleep and rest #they don’t make any efforts to escape. for a while they hope they won’t get rescued #whump #whumpblr #whump community #whump writing #its me coal #coal wrote something #whumpee #whumper #whump prompt #whump prompts #whump tropes #whump trope #whump ideas #whump idea #hero whump #hero whumpee #writing prompt #writing prompts #exhaustion whump #overworked whumpee #aha this is what band camp feels like #I don’t think I’m gonna make it to Friday /srs #i feel so awful #but it’s mandatory I can’t miss it

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