#this is the longest one yet because I had to talk about birds and their memories (': | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

writingouthere · 4 months

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neighbor!Sukuna x singlemom!reader, you go to check out a potential apartment and Sukuna joins because he is very helpful. Longest one yet so strap in!

cw:Sukuna waving his red flag like a matador while you do your best SZA impression

Sukuna thought you seemed more stressed than usual when he got home. You still talked through dinner and entertained your daughter but he could tell something was weighing on you. While Bug chased some very melted ice cream around her bowl with her spoon, he brought over some dishes to where you had already started washing the pans you'd used to make dinner.

"Thought I was responsible for the dishes since you made dinner," he reminded you, gently nudging you out the way.

"It's really not a bother and besides, you're already doing us such a big favor, letting us stay here," you said and you sounded a little choked up at the end which made him turn the water off so he could give you his full attention.

"How many times do I have to tell you I don't mind?" He couldn't help some frustration edging into his tone which only made you look sadder. He sighed and dried his hands on the towel, a new addition you had gotten, it was covered in sunflowers and it reminded him of you every time he used it.

"What's going on, you seem off today?"

You hesitated and he put his hand on your shoulder. He preened when you put your smaller hand on top of his and squeezed before giving you his full attention.

"I-I went to go see an apartment today and it was just awful." Sukuna barely fixed his face in time for you to look up at him. He had no idea you were even looking at other places. You'd barely been at his place a month and he had thought you had a good routine going on. You both split the household responsibilities and you spent your time not working together. He picked up your daughter twice a week now from daycare and took over Sunday mornings so you had some time to yourself. Someone at the grocery store had cooed over your adorable family and you hadn't even corrected them.

Obviously, you still weren't getting it and Sukuna reminded himself that it wasn't your fault. It was still like pulling teeth to get you to talk about your ex and honestly what he'd heard about your family hadn't really impressed him either. You had been taking care of yourself for far too long and it only made sense that you would be worried about being a burden on him when other people had made you feel like that rather than seeing caring for you as the privilege it was.

"Why was the apartment so awful?"

You bit your lip and he felt some concern that wasn't related to you potentially leaving. "What?"

"It was the usual, you know. It was over my budget and it was too small, I mean Bug is getting bigger every day, she needs her own room too. Then the building looks like it's only days away from collapsing and the guy who showed it, I mean he was just such a creep."

"Creep, how?"

You sighed and squeezed his hand again, but he wasn't sure if it was for your sake or you were trying to calm him down since he was sure his anger was obvious.

"It doesn't matter-

"Of course it matters, you're trying to find a home for you and your kid and some guy is making you feel uncomfortable in the space you might end up living-"

"-well I'm not going to live there, so. Doesn't matter," you say stubbornly and Sukuna hums but doesn't argue.

It's clear this is weighing on you, and while Sukuna has no intention of you moving out, unless it's him along with you, he figures this is a two birds one stone situation. Because fuck him if he was going to let you wander around the city being harassed by some dumb fucks who thought they could take advantage of a single mom.

"Are you seeing any other places," he asked and you bit your lip.

"Well, there was this one other place but after today I'm not sure-"

"Let me go with you," he said and you looked up at him and well, with the tears just beginning to fill your eyes and the little glimmer of hope he could see peaking out, how could he do anything but assure you. "Let me go with you and you can look around the place without worrying about anyone bothering you. Besides, it would make me feel better if I could scope out the place you and Bug might be moving to. I want to make sure you'll be safe."

Of course, you two would be safe because you would be with him but whatever got him to the showing.

"What about Bug?"

"Yuuji can watch her. He's been dying to babysit since he met her."

This was true. Sukuna's brother was suspicious, rightfully, of Sukuna and his intentions towards you, but Bug's cuteness was a great distraction whenever the three of them were together.

"Okay, okay. Tomorrow, could he watch her tomorrow?"

"Let me call, him. Don't worry, I'll take care of you, okay?"

You nodded and Bug started calling for you both. You went over to give your toddler the attention she clearly wanted while Sukuna finished the dishes and thought over how he would handle this situation tomorrow.

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

The next day, Yuuji showed up bright and early with the two idiots that were always with him these days. Sukuna rather liked the Fushiguro kid but the woman that was always with him still got on his last damn nerve. Her and Yuuji together were a threat to decency laws and his fucking eardrums.

"Morning! Where is my precious baby girl," Yuuji cooed stepping in as if he still lived there as Fushiguro gave him a quick nod and Kugisaki walked in without even a hello.

"She's not your baby," Sukuna said, shutting the door a little harder than necessary.

"Well, she isn't your baby either, so."

Before Sukuna could literally murder his brother, you came out with Bug on your hip.

"Uji!!" Your daughter loved Yuuji and you put her down so she could run over and greet her favorite uncle.

"Thank you so much for watching her," you said grabbing your purse off the counter. "Are these your friends from school?"

The two freeloaders introduced themselves while Yuuji started flying your daughter around like he was a plane. At least your daughter would be tired by the time you two got back.

"Let's get going, we got to get there by nine," Sukuna said, putting his hand on the small of your back and directing you towards the door. There were several loud calls of good-bye and good lucks as you two shut the door and made your way to the car.

When you get to the apartment, the super is waiting at the front door of the building. Sukuna sees him shoot you a smarmy grin that abruptly drops off when he takes Sukuna in.

"Good morning miss, I wasn't aware you were bringing your...."

"Partner," Sukuna states firmly and holds out his hand. "Pleasure," he says, sarcasm dripping from every syllable. You only look on in amusement as the fucker shakes his hand and then turns his eyes back on you, much more subdued than he'd been at first.

"Right, so the apartment is on the fourth floor. A walk-up but good way to stay in shape..."

He drones on as you and Sukuna follow behind.

"You cannot carry a stroller up four flights of stairs," he says in a tone that the super can definitely hear. "Bug also can't walk up four flights of stairs, especially after a whole day of daycare. Besides these stairs look like they might crumble and drop you to the fucking basement at any second." You smack his arm and the super looks pissed off until Sukuna stomps on a particularly wobbly stair for emphasis and he looks a little nervous. No way he was letting Bug walk up this deathtrap.

He keeps a running commentary of everything he sees, none of it good on the way to the apartment. The cracks in the ceiling, the chipped the paint, the flickering light on the third floor stairwell that makes him feel like they stepped into an 80's slasher flick. On and on he goes and he doesn't stop once they're in the shithole apartment itself.

A one bedroom, not nearly enough space for two, definitely not three which makes him even more irritated at the fact he clearly hadn't factored in at all to the choice in apartment.

He's in the middle of guessing outloud if the shower head would fall on top of you in the first week or the second when you snap.

"I know it's a piece of shit, Sukuna. I'm not an idiot, I'm desperate." You are more irritated than he's ever seen and the fucking creep of a super shoots him a smirk before Sukuna turns the full force of his glare on him. The man mumbles out something about giving them time to take in the space and leaves them alone, the door closing firmly in his haste.

"I don't think you're an idiot," Sukuna says, more calm than he feels because he definitely feels a type of way about all of this. "I just don't think this place is right for you or Bug. Do you expect me to apologize for caring?"

"Is that what this is? You come here to help me and all you've done is shit on the apartment and scare that poor man half to death."

"That poor man was fucking makes eyes at you until he saw me behind you."

"I know, but he got the point when you squeezed his hand so tight I think one of his knuckles popped!"

Sukuna snorted at that and even you seemed a little amused. You sighed and leaned against the wall behind you.

"I can't live with you forever Sukuna, we need a home."

Sukuna wanted to scream, to shake you and say that he was your home. Home for both of you but he knew you weren't ready to hear it and that if he misstepped you might end up living somewhere that seemed a strong breeze away from collapse.

"It's not forever," he finally said and this was true. You would need a new place soon, just not this place. "When I say I don't mind, I mean that I like having the two of you with me." You seemed a little surprised by this admission and Sukuna weighs his next words carefully.

"You're my friend and I care about you even if I have an unconventional way of showing you." You scoff and Sukuna presses on, he can see you softening. "Just wait a little longer. This place isn't good enough for the two of you but another place might be. I'd rather you stay with me longer and find the right place instead of rushing and choosing somewhere shitty because you think you're putting me out or something."

"What guy wants some mom and her kid crashing with him for months on end," you ask and you seem almost genuinely curious.

"You're not some mom, you're you and I happen to really like that kid." You smile and Sukuna knows he's got you. "I mean as we speak she's probably putting Yuuji and his loser friends through the ringer and that's reason enough to keep her around."

"You think anything will be broken by the time we get home," you ask and he feels the clump of blood and flesh that makes up his heart squeeze just a little tighter. Home.

"Oh, definitely but that's why we're not paying them for their services." You laugh and Sukuna walks a little closer to you. You watch him, a little confused but he thinks he sees some anticipation too as he closes in on your space and puts a hand on your cheek. He leans in and he knows he's not making it up that your eyelids flutter as he gets closer.

It's tempting but when Sukuna kisses you for the first time, it's not going to be in a place like this while some scumbag is probably listening through the door.

"Let's go home," he says and he presses a gentle kiss against your cheek. You'd done the same to him many times by now and he can see the appeal when he hears your sharp intake of breath and finds himself surrounded by the smell of your shampoo.

While your quest to find an apartment was unsuccessful, Sukuna thinks that important progress was made today. It fills him with a sense of contentment that manages to sustain him even as the two of you come home to an apartment overflowing with chaos and a spiderweb of cracks across his tv.

When he goes to kick Yuuji's ass, Bug makes sure to lend her support to her poor uncle by clinging to Sukuna's leg and laughing while the two men roll around on the floor to your amusement.

Like he would ever let you leave this.

also people have been suggesting that I make a masterlist or create some sort of tags and while I know what these are(kind of), I'm also not sure the specifics so any advice on how to make this all easier to find would be appreciated! I've been creeping on tumblr for literally over a decade but never written like this before.

#jjk sukuna #jjk x reader #jujutsu kaisen sukuna #ryomen sukuna #sukuna ryomen #sukuna x reader #sukuna x singlemomreader #sukuna x y/n #sukuna x you

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macaroonff · 2 months

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YAY okay so Can I pls request an angsty comfort fic where Jungwon comes home from practice and he’s already been having such a bad day and then reader says something small but because he’s already upset she makes him cry and she’s rlly confused why he’s having such a strong reaction when he’s not usually the type to. Then she suggests they go for a walk to the park and he opens up to her and they talk things through

Here you go! I really appreciate a good comfort fic and I hope you like it anon! Thanks for being my first request (❁´◡`❁)

We'll be alright- Yang Jungwon

Y.J.W x gn!reader (Idol boyfriend Jungwon)

↳ Wc: 1.9k

↳Angsty fluff, hurt comfort

♪ Jasmine- DPR Live

By the time Jungwon had reached the familiar door to your shared apartment, he could barely feel his arms from the weight of the backpack he had carried, as though the entire day’s mistreatment was packed in that small vessel. If that wasn’t enough, his back hurt from the excessive dance practice, where even Ni-ki looked fatigued from exhaustion due to the demands of their concert a month later. That coupled with how his entire day went wrong didn’t help him. From burning his fingers while trying to make simple pancakes to packing your sports shoes for his practice which- being two sizes too small- didn’t fit him well. Did he still use them? Yes because he didn’t want to hear anything from the choreographer nor waste time looking for another pair, even if it made his ankles hurt. Did his day also get worse when a bird decided his shirt would be the perfect urinal while he was waiting for a cab back home; after his manager left early to drop the others to the dorm while he had to stay in the longest meeting of his life, discussing concert plans that he knew weren’t feasible? Yes, and he quite literally and metaphorically felt like shit.

He had already had two weeks of longer days, with his schedule extending beyond what he was used to, longer than the most arduous of comeback preparations. So far, he was just grateful that he hadn’t collapsed from fatigue and that the worst he felt was due to a few minor aches in his body. But today? Today he truly embodied exhaustion, from the physical aches getting exponentially worse, to his mental capacity being drained. Unlike before, he didn’t even have the energy to pretend like his usually stoic self, his head both empty yet throbbing with the entire day’s happenings, affecting his mental peace. He reaches out a fragile finger to ring the doorbell, taking him longer to press it. He leans his head against the door, from where he can hear your footsteps coming closer, and he tries to smile for you, a tiny one settling on his dehydrated lips. You swing the door open, to which he stumbles a little, but gathers himself placing his backpack on the floor, the temporary weight off of him.

You close the door behind him, and see him lean against the wall, removing his shoes with heavy steps, not even bending down. You take in his detached presence, a frown settling on your face, your previous excitement sinking. Jungwon seems to sense this in your disappointed eyes. “Babe it’s movie night,” your exasperated voice brings him out of his thoughts, “you promised you’d buy popcorn from the store?” you ask him, looking down at his empty hands.

You see him take in a deep breath, his hands clenched into fists before he stretches them out. “Let’s do it another day,” he whispers emotionless, pushing past you as he heads towards the bathroom. You’re stunned by this, as despite the increasing distance between the two of you, he’d volunteered to at least continue with movie nights. At first you’d assumed the distance was because of work, like it always was, but unlike before, Jungwon didn’t come ranting back to you about what went wrong, instead he’d silently wash up and go to bed, no goodnights whispered, no kisses bestowed. It was almost like he didn’t love you anymore. You did consider the fact that you might be overthinking it all, but you’d heard of the 'three year rule', the exact stage you were with him at right now. It was hard keeping such insecurities aside when he barely communicated with you.

Him volunteering to make time for you through tonight’s movie night was what eventually broke you away from those thoughts, and you started bubbling with enthusiasm, looking forward to today after an entire week of planning. If after so many days, he couldn’t even care about popcorn, of course you’d feel as hurt as you currently do. Did it not matter to him at all? Was it just you who was so invested in this activity, or the relationship?

“Do you not love me anymore?” you voice out frustrated. You see him pause, his back that is towards you stiffens. He turns around and you see slow-moving teardrops rolling down his face, to which you’re taken aback. “Jungwon?” you hesitate.

“I really want to freshen up, please,” his voice breaks. You remain silent as you watch him walk away again, confused. You sit back down on the sofa, thinking about everything that could possibly be going on in his head.

You lay your head against the warm cushion and close your eyes. What made your usually patient boyfriend this upset? And what wasn’t he telling you? Did he not trust you anymore? It was now time for your head to be swirling with demoralising thoughts. You hear the door unlock, and open your eyes to see your boyfriend's puffy ones, his T-shirt patchy and wet, which you’re not sure is because of his tears or the shower. “Are you busy?” you ask softly, noticing his eyes shift.

Jungwon felt guilty towards you, and he really didn’t mean to break down in front of you. Furthermore, the fact that you doubted your love meant that there were other underlying issues in your relationship, something he knew the cause for. For the past few weeks, when you’ve been trying to initiate conversation, Jungwon, too depressed and exhausted to say anything, ignored you unintentionally. He felt bad that his work was getting in the way of his love for you, something he promised you, and himself, would never happen. He knew he couldn’t ignore it any longer, and neither could you.

“Not really, I just don’t think I want to watch a movie right now,” he replies, knowing he didn’t have the mental capacity for the thrillers the two of you usually enjoyed.

“Let’s go for a walk then, I think we both need it.” an idea you throw at him, getting up and grabbing your overcoat. He follows you, this time grabbing his jacket and the correct shoes, a matching pair of Converse that he’d bought with you.

Before the two of you had officially started dating, he’d always notice you on his morning walks with Maeum, confident, and joyful, headphones on. From then on, he used your interactions with Maeum as an excuse to initiate conversations, which ended up with him taking you on an official date. Walks were symbolic in your relationship, a dedicated bonding event for the two of you, something you’d subconsciously agreed to.

Like previous walks, you intended for this one to be just as meaningful, glancing at him in between steps. His tears had dried in the cold air, and his own steps, although still heavy, had become somewhat faster. His hands fiddled with the zip of his hoodie, opening and closing it rapidly, and his hair still wet, had drops seeping into his shirt every time he left it open.

You realise how your steps become more rapid as you reach the park, the same one where you’d first met him. You weren’t excited per say, you just happened to walk with more urgency, a sense of foreboding settling in your heart. As your rushed steps get you farther away from him, you feel someone’s hold on your wrist. You look back and see his hand that had stopped fidgeting, gently held on to you. His eyes had softened, and he looked at you concerned. “Slow down love,” he says, breaking the silence that had been a bystander on this walk. He pulls you closer, interlacing your finger as you continue to walk at a slower pace until you reach a bench. Jungwon removes his jacket and places it on the bench, motioning for you to sit. Once he’s sat behind you, he looks at you properly, eyes observing every part of your face, following the noticeable question mark imprinted all over.

“I love you y/n, and I’ve never stopped loving you,” he finally lets out, to which your brows furrow. A part of you is relieved, but also more frustrated, as contradictory as it sounds. You were relieved that he didn’t hate you, and that there was hope in the relationship, but more of you was upset at how his actions didn’t follow that, confused at what made him so disheartened. “Then why have you been so distant? What made you so upset, if not for me?” you ask.

He holds your hand again, taking a deep breath in, releasing a shaky sigh. “Honestly, I’m so exhausted. It’s work that’s got me feeling so muddled. It’s evidently my passion which makes me happy, but at the same time it demands so much of me that there’s none left for me to give to you, or to myself. The past few weeks have been hell, and today feels especially bad. It’s like nothing’s been going my way, starting from burnt breakfast, to the choreographers scolding me for holding everyone else back, to the confusion in the meetings. Everything just feels so burdensome, even though I’m used to it.” he reveals with no pause, letting everything out.

You gulp at this confession, a part of your heart breaking with every word coming out of his mouth. You hated seeing him like this: absolutely dejected. You knew better than everyone how hard he worked, and how hard he tried to make things easier for everyone, reducing their burden, which is why it hurts to see him bottling everything up within himself. You gently put his head on your shoulder, engulfing him in a hug as warm as you can gather. “I’m so sorry,” you whisper, “I didn’t know.”

You can feel him smile, and at the same time he sobs a little, tears now collecting on your coat. “It’s not your fault, I was being so selfish,” he replies in between breaths. You rub circles on his back, trying to ease his pain. You feel him relax in your arms and you sigh. “Jungwon, you know you can lean on me right? Please don’t keep things like this to yourself. Please trust me, so we can go through hardships like this together.”

You hear a soft hmm against your shoulders. He looks back at you, once he’s done crying, and you wipe any tears settled on his cheeks. “How’d I get so lucky?” he whispers as he kisses your eyelids, when you realise that you’d shed a few tears too. You smile, as his lips eventually meet your own. “I’m sorry”s and “it’s okay”s are whispered in conjecture to “I love you”s in between the long kiss, until a dog disturbs the two of you by pawing on your legs. You laugh, and eventually get up. Jungwon stretches as he stands up, his hands thumping his back. “Does it hurt?” you ask concerned. “A little,” he replies shyly.

“We should get back then, I’ll give you a massage,” you offer, taking his hand in yours. “Really?” he perks up at the thought, his voice becoming louder, as he gets more excited, a stark contrast to an hour ago when he entered home wearily. This time you’ll be going back home together, a sense of calm inhabiting the two of you, confident that it’ll be alright.

---

#enhypen imagines #enhypen fanfiction #enhypen x reader #jungwon imagines #yang jungwon imagines #jungwon x reader #enha x reader #enhypen scenarios #enhypen imagine #enhypen fluff #enhypen au #enhypen fic #jungwon fluff #enhypen fanfictions #yang jungwon fanfictions #jungwon fanfics #jungwon ffs

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cleolinda · 9 months

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youtube

Here's another song I had wanted to write about: Hozier's "Movement." It is a fact of my existence that I get into a musical artist/band about 10 years after everyone else does, and then they become 30% of my personality (see also: Florence and the Machine). So I didn't really get with the program until Wasteland, Baby, and even then, it was for an unusual reason.

When did this album come out, spring of 2019? I had spinal surgery in early 2018. A discectomy, L4/L5; the disc had gradually become herniated due to a fall I'd had at a convention. My surgeon was required to warn me that surgery would come with a (low) chance of paralysis; it was my choice to make. After two weeks of seizing up in pain every hour or so, confined to my bed—hydrocodone did nothing—I chose the scalpel. Even then, it was another four weeks before he could work me into the operating schedule. Trust me when I say, no matter how I'm doing now, I do not regret having that surgery.

But he also told me, "You will always be a person who has had spinal surgery." Since anything was better than screaming every time I moved, I didn't fully understand what he meant until a year or so later, when I was still in pain—a chronic but lower-grade pain that came and went depending on how much activity I dared try that particular day. It was infinitely better than before. And, but, yet, I still deal with that chronic pain today. I will always be that person.

"Walk," he told me. I had a packet of therapy exercises to do, sure, but he was firm on this point. "That's the main exercise you need. Just walking." Which I couldn't do at first—I didn't have to learn to walk again or anything, but I was in a wheelchair early on, then on a wheeled walker for a couple of months. I also have inherited neuropathy in my feet, which was exacerbated by electrically painful sciatic nerve damage down my right leg while I waited for my slot in the surgery calendar. (I swear to God I will start talking about music soon.) I only walk across the longest side of my backyard. I don't leave it and walk around the neighborhood, because I generally have about two minutes upright to get back to the house once my feet start hurting.

So I had been struggling with my walking assignment for about a year when "Movement" came out. Of course it's literally about physically moving (and emotionally being moved), but that wasn't what captured me. The song starts out slow and reflective; it was a gentle tempo for a time when I couldn't walk very fast, and I still use it as a warm-up today. But there are two other things I love about it. One, the willow tree in the chorus, as I was walking my little runway back and forth under a canopy of wild water oak draped with wisteria, looking up into the sun through the leaves and snowflake flowers of an overgrown cherry laurel. Sound met landscape.

But the other thing is how—generous? accepting?—the words are of the "you" of the song. This person, the lyrics say, does not have to be a virtuoso dancer like Fred Astaire or Sergei Polunin (who's in the video up there). Instead, "you're Atlas in his sleeping, and when you move, I'm moved." My absolute favorite part is,

Move like grey skies Move like a bird of paradise Move like an odd sight come out at night

What the fuck even are these lyrics. I can't. That's so good. You ever sit there as a writer and think, I'm so mad I didn't come up with that? Just the pure unexpectedness, "I'm telling you how earthshakingly amazing this person is. Like a beautiful willow, like a rare bird, like some weird-ass cryptid in the night, I don't even know what that was about but I love it." What even. So good.

And I was for sure an odd sight shambling back and forth across the back of my yard: five minutes at first. Then ten the next week, working my way up to thirty, still in a dull roar of constant pain a year into my recovery. But this is a song that says, your efforts to move are moving, whatever movement is natural for you; you may be sleeping just now, you may be moving without moving, but you are wonderful not in spite of being strange in your movements, but because of it. The song always feels like a friend walking along with me, no matter how many setbacks I have, or how slow I have to go.

Anyway, Unreal Unearth comes out next Friday. The five songs Hozier's put out so far are ridiculously good, and I've scheduled a couple of months to be completely feral about it. When the weather is less dangerously hot, we'll find out which songs are good to move to.

#music #music discussion #me for some reason #long post #hozier

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pyrriax · 2 months

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hello here to ask about the seraphim au again lol

what are wisps? how is disability handled among seraphs? what is the most common way for them to get disabled? how fucked up is spoke exactly? like does he have abnormally long limbs? does he have limbs that he really shouldnt? is there a way for the ones in the fray to get up to the vesper esp with all the ruin? are there any other weapons of war lying around aside from centurions?

this au is really interesting and i love finding out more about it :D

Hello welcome back! I'm happy to answer your questions i love talking about this thing ^_^

Yet another long post ahead, but I've gone ahead and answered all of your questions in as much detail as I can without fully spoiling anything! 👍

What is a Wisp? (Where do they come from, what're they like?)

Wisps are another common creature, originating from cast magic. They vary in size, shape, color, and type, although the most common are ones which have a tendency to either cause small explosions, or light fires. Because of the way their bodies are comprised primarily of magic, they are constantly expending this energy, and thus don't accumulate it the same way that most things do.

These wisps are a common pest in the Vesper, a little like rats, but also a bit more potentially damaging, as they're drawn to places with a high magic content and flow. Although, they're rarely found at the pools in the Fray. This is mostly because Centurions have taken to killing them on sight, since they are quite fond of feeding off the energy which is used to keep them functional. It's a special thing, and it's their favorite.

Once upon a time, they actually had a use, but now they're just considered a bit of a waste product from magic casting.

(Although, that hasn't stopped some curious Seraphs from wondering if it'd be possible to domesticate them in a sense. They aren't inherently harmful, even if they have a habit of starting little fires or blowing cracks in walls. Some wisps simply sap energy and laze about, and though they become rarer later on, these are the ones that stick around places the longest.)

Certain wisps expend their excess energy with mimicry and shapeshifting, some of my references for them are birds like European Starlings and Superb Lyrebirds. Often times, their mimicry can make them even more of a nuisance, especially before the Seraph's extinction, as they were known to lead Seraphim astray by mimicking distress calls and even the sounds of clashing metal. Shapeshifting-wise, they tended to prefer creatures of a similar mass, so most often they'd take forms no bigger than medium sized cats, since anything larger is significantly bigger than any typical wisp. These ones didn't often last long after being created, but they were well documented.

They used to be kept out of important places in the Vesper with gates and small spells, but as those diminished, they began to creep in once again. Their presence sped up the collapse, but it couldn't exactly be prevented.

How is disability handled among seraphs? (Along with a brief explanation of some pieces of Seraphim culture)

Overall, it's treated as something to be respected, as it tends to be the result of actions not the Seraph's own, or of actions that were for the greater good of either the Seraph, or the Vesper as a whole. But, there are certain things which are much more looked down upon, and that is typically things like blindness or missing wings. These types of injuries, and related disabilities (stunted flight, limited vision [in cases where the blindness is partial], etc.), are viewed as almost childish, due to the fact they're especially common occurrences for Seraphim youth.

Older Seraphs commonly deal with lower mobility, at least in comparison to their younger counterparts. While Seraphs will snip and bite at each other (both literally and metaphorically), they are still a social species and care for their ill and disabled. Typically, any care being done for a Seraph will be done by those closer to them, mostly their inner circle and occasionally those associated with those Seraphs.

In cases of lost limbs, for any reason (regardless of how it may be viewed), if all the injury does is heal over and become more of a typical stump, the spot will be adorned with jewelry, and even tattoos or specifically dyed feathers, depending on the specific spot. Rather than being something hidden, these things are typically decorated, highlighted as a show of life and living. This is a bit of a remnant of an old myth which was lost long before anything was written, but it speaks of highlighting these losses as a triumph of life. It's a little bit of a "this is our gift from the stars [in reference to an almost-god] and we must show our appreciation, lest it be taken from us." Along with that, it's viewed as a way of warding off Wisps and other pests from these vulnerable spots.

Common patterns & symbols in these types of jewelry include but aren't limited to: ferns / laurel, flowers (varying types depending on the city, although the most common ones in Vesper are lily of the valley and bleeding hearts), spirals, and insects (again, of varying types depending on the city, the most common ones in Vesper are beetles or millipedes, although the latter are much less common.)

These pieces are made out of a variety of materials, but typically the basis is metals, either cast and shaped or twisted wire, depending on the Seraph's preferences. Pieces of the grown stars used for Centurions are also common place, along with common crystals. Everything used is subject to change, as these are personal to the Seraphs and will reflect their preferences, and even their favorite things. Over time, this jewelry may be reforged and adapted to better suit the Seraph, as time goes on.

What is the most common way for Seraphs to end up disabled? (And maybe a little hint of lore, as a treat)

So, I've mentioned some of the most commonly disabling things, but how the hell does that even happen?

Seraphs have their nasty habit of fighting amongst themselves, which is only more common with the younger of the bunch. While it isn't pleasant, it isn't unheard of for these fights to reach the point of weak points being clawed at/out. Which often entails wings being at the least taken out of their sockets, and at worst clawed off. In the same thread, eyes are also a common spot to be gone after.

But, as time went on, these types of fights became less common, so scars and marks from these fights are more often seen on the fully grown Seraphs. At least, this is the most accepted answer. Though, the truth of it is that usually, Seraphs lost limb and life to the fights which were so often instigated. While it's been most attributed to overly violent youth, it was much more an effect of war. At least, that was before the Centurions.

After them, however, things shifted. Without nearly as many Seraphs out actively participating in the fight aside from those that remained to ensure the Centurions' function, the most commonly disabling occurrences were related to either overexertion of magic over a long period of time (leading to effects a little similar to chronic fatigue & pain) and flight related injury. Though, that was tied with... Poaching related damage to stars.

Damaged stars? Poaching?

As I've already mentioned briefly here, Seraphim stars became a useful weapon due to their properties. While I won't elaborate much more than that for some mild spoiler reasons, let it be known that Seraphs were once revered as gods, but this began to turn into resentment over time. But, what does a damaged star entail for them?

A Seraph with a damaged star (whether it be cracked or chipped, both having different but lasting effects) doesn't often live more than a handful of years longer, as the magic that typically circulates through their body will begin to stagnate. This causes to formation of a sediment of sorts that accumulates in extremities and places like the eyes, mouth, and will even begin to seep into the keratin in their body, as well as their bones/marrow, coloring any new growth anything from pink to deep blues and greens.

While Seraphs are known for having a variety of colors which naturally and commonly occur in their feathers and flesh, these colors are associated heavily with this type of ailment, and those with these colors are often avoided by some of the more paranoid. (There is no risk to other Seraphim, this is a lot like how people will avoid those they perceive as ill / sick even when they know it won't affect them.)

Cracked Stars (All pieces present, but with slight separation or small fragments loose): Slower overall progression, characterized by weakness and general lethargy, along with sharp pain and numbness in extremities as time goes on, since the magic that Seraphs rely on doesn't flow quite how it's supposed to, along with the appearance of the aforementioned colors, since they tend to live long enough for it to completely change their appearance.

Chipped Stars (Pieces are missing, typically from failed removal attempts): Much faster progression, often to an almost violent effect, as instead of accumulating slowly, the magic which would form a sediment will instead begin to crystalize rapidly, making them only really able to live about a year after at most. This can also be the most sudden, as a chipped star likely won't be noticed until there are Wisps circling the Seraph, and sharp pain and complete loss of feeling (a side effect of the magic that's basically pouring out of them, which will make them much like the Centurions in this regard, as they cannot contain the magic.)

Malformed Stars (Not injury based, but included due to the relation and similarities): Some Seraphs are born with malformed stars and will have coloration associated with cracked stars from the very start. Although, it's entirely possible that they can live for a while longer than those whose stars get cracked, as their bodies are given the opportunity to properly adjust, as well as the lack of excess magic directly leaking into their bodies. Varying from Seraph to Seraph, they can have much more volatile magic, or that's less potent than is typical.

So what the fuck is the deal with Spoke? (Why is he like that?)

Spoke is a case of a potentially good thing being used in the worst way possible. Grown stars (or artificial stars, or anything to that degree) are perfect for Centurions, being able to be used as a baseline for the creation of pseudo-personage, a pseudo-soul, if you will. But, the problem is when they interact with another soul. Natural souls will eat away at artificial ones, and this lead to an extremely volatile reaction within Spoke. Along with the issue of souls, human bodies are not exactly made to regulate the magic that comes with these stars, and it causes... Complications.

Caught in an odd place where he both does and doesn't even physically exist at all, Spoke is a little like the ghosts that've taken to haunting the library in the absence of Seraphs. Varying even minute to minute, he can go from looking a little off (almost a little uncanny, in a way. Limbs slightly the wrong proportions, just enough to ring as odd, but not completely distorted) to being almost unrecognizable as human at all, practically surrounded by a thick layer of ambient magic, which can make him look like a bit like a shadow.

Although, as time goes on, this becomes much less varied, and instead, it manifests in the beginnings of Seraph-like features, including an additional set of non-functional eyes. As well, there is a certain dark-green-almost-black that makes his extremities look almost necrotic, although they aren't. This is just a manifestation of the excess magic, much like how it looks for Seraphim with cracked stars. For a period of time, he had grown the beginnings of an additional limb (although, it never got far, as it began to become excruciatingly painful for him), but it was removed.

Spoke is basically in limbo between being alive and dead, which has had its own interesting effects on his psyche, and really, if any true Seraph were there, he likely would've been mercy killed to spare him from this. But, he's happy as can be, despite the agonies. Much like any other human with a star place in them, there is most definitely a noticeable mark that resulted from it, something which has only grown over time. A little like what could've just been a scar at the start begins to morph into creeping vines, looking more and more like they've been struck with lightning.

(This is probably the most subject-to-change-as-i-write thing here, since I'm not 100% set on the primary appearance of it. There are major differences between Seraphim-stars and Grown-stars, and one of those major differences is that Seraphim-stars are much more stable, as they've had a long period of time to be refined and cultivated. Meanwhile grown-stars aren't given that kind of time, and are only an approximation of the real thing. While they can heal and prolong life, they lack the rhyme or reason that Seraphim ones will abide by. They don't know when to quit. They will form tumors and create what I can only describe as an excess of life, they make people sick, they shouldn't be used on organic things even if it's the only option. There's a reason Seraphs will sooner die than use one. They are viable for Centurions purely because of the lack of organic growth.)

Let's talk the Fray (and a little bit about the War, shall we?)

is there a way for the ones in the fray to get up to the vesper esp with all the ruin?

Really, it depends on the scenario! Before the death of the Seraphs, going between the two places was inconvenient, but possible. Typically it involved making some kind of trade with one of the Seraphim in order to be brought to the Vesper, although this was rare. The handful of human mages that did exist were able to move freely between the two places, but they disappeared not long after they began to be noticed. Though, they made a little bit of a resurgence as almost ghost-like figures, after the Seraphs' death.

Seraphim were able to go between the two places, as they never lost their flight, but even those who struggled with it were able to use their magic in order to go between. Centurions were unable to go between the two, as they were designated their places and functionally left to continue that task ad infinium. Humans were a rare sight, but on occasion human merchants were known to get up to the Vesper, usually using crude airships.

are there any other weapons of war lying around aside from centurions?

To be a little ominous for the sake of not spoiling too much: yes. Yes, there are, and they are only getting worse for wear, and even if their creators are long dead, they are not. They're still there, waiting to be called upon once again, to lay the world to even greater waste. Slumbering giants, if you will. I'll be elaborating on these especially in the main fic I have planned, so this is a "wait and see" kind of deal ^_^

Also if you've gotten this far I want to point you toward some art that vaguely inspired the baseline I have for wisps because I love this art and it fascinates me!

first piece is by ida lissner, second by tealnewcombart on etsy, third by tracy debenport!

i couldn't find the much more vibrantly colored type of almost psychedelic art that i've really drawn a fair bit of inspiration from, at least with the colors, these show a lot of the Shapes that i think of with them

#ask a ghost #asker: citrusinicake #au: seraphim #haunted bookshelf #only like 2.5k words later o7 #ALSO i am happy to talk more if you have any questions or thoughts abt this au because there is a lot and there are things i havent #even really gotten to yet but hopefully this answered the questions you posed in a mostly satisfying way ^_^#if youre curious about characters or any thoughts i have for anybody i havent mentioned before ive been working a little on some #smaller side stuff but im mostly focusing on two parts. i actually need to decide who to focus on for the original Fall as clown's #perspective doesnt actually show very much of it....... ive gotta work on the proper writing but this is my little side project #“”“little”“” side project that is lol

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ninapi · 1 year

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Save me (Ushijima Version)

Premise: Ushijima struggles to understand the concept of love and what is expected of him in said equation, but he finds himself in the predicament of wanting nothing more than to be with the woman he loves even if it gets in the way of his established lifestyle.

Word Count: 3297

Chapter 2: Summer heat

Summer was approaching fast, the weather was warmer than it had been for the longest time, the grass in it’s prime as green as it can be, the birds danced happily in the air at the promise of the rainy season now in proximity.

The spring tournament was about to end, and the volleyball team was high in spirits as they managed to reach the finals.

Their club was the one to receive a bigger budget out of the entire school, they were one of the reasons the school was so popular to begin with, so in preparation for the finals and as a reward of some sort, they scored some extra budget for a weekend training camp.

The teacher in charge suggested some beach volleyball, it is harder on your body, and it should help them with muscle building, it was a great time to go to the beach, it wasn’t as hot outside just yet, so they should be able to train on the sand all day.

Washijou was against it, one of his family members was marrying that same weekend and he would prefer to stay closer to the city so he could attend both, but the teacher had already booked an inn for the entire team and the budget was no more.

They were in troubles, the teacher could go with them and surely the team knows what they need to work in individually, they could always ask Ushijima if they needed advice, but what about the rest of things that needed to be done? Their coach is so strict that he only allows one male manager and he doesn’t even allow him in the gym every day, he’s only called when needed, but because of this, he belongs to the astronomy club as well and they were participating in an event of their own the same day, unlike the volleyball team, there he is absolutely necessary and they can’t allow him not being there for the event.

That’s when Shirabu out of all of them, surprised the team with an idea. “How about my class president? She knows what she’s doing, she’s the one in charge of everything related to the events in our class, and all of you seem to like her. Maybe she can go with us?”

Ushijima, who was tying up his shoelaces, got up immediately, giving a deep nod of approval.

“I’ll talk to her, I guess.” Semi got up, heaving a deep sigh. Is not like he didn’t want you to tag along but he was pretty sure you’d be more of a distraction than anything else.

•───────•°•❀•°•───────•

You were on your way to the library; you didn’t want to leave your summer break homework till the very end and thought of getting the books you needed out before someone else borrowed them first. That’s when you heard Semi calling out for you.

“Oh hey, Eita. What’s up?” he was panting heavily, trying to catch his breath. He’s been looking for you all over the school, exhausting all possible locations and found you just before he was about to give up, like if phones weren’t a thing.

“Do you have anything to do next weekend?” it sounded off to you, like if he was asking you out on a date and it made you cover your reddish face in panic, “W-w-why??” realizing what he just did, he tried his best to correct himself, trying to subside his embarrassment, “The team, we got a weekend training camp on the beach area, the teacher needed us to find someone who could help us. Shirabu said you’d be the best option and everyone agreed you’d be a good idea. If you have time of course.”

You were still unsure of going out of the school in general, but you’ve been practicing with Eita, and this sounded like a fun way of spending the weekend. You would also have some extra time to spend with Ushijima who had been really busy the past few weeks and you haven’t gotten the chance to see him as much as you would have liked.

“I mean, yeah why not. Is it like both days or?”

“Yeah, the teacher already booked an entire inn for the team, I’m sure you’ll have your own room. Nothing to worry about.” that was honestly the last of your worries. Your parents were now in a European tour and all your clothing was left behind in your house. Thankfully, you don’t spend much money living in the school grounds, so you could just order something online and it should arrive on time.

“Sure, then just text me the details when you get them, and I’ll go with you guys.”

The guys were overly excited with the news, specially certain captain who for some reason found a splinter on the bench very interesting. Was he excited? He couldn’t describe what he was feeling, it hasn’t happened before. He’s been a bit grumpy the last few days, or that’s what his teammates said, he didn’t really understand what they were basing on to get to that conclusion, but it was a fact that he kept on wishing he could see you. He wondered if you had eaten something for dinner or if you had a good sleep last night, he wondered if you also felt this strange need of seeing him or if it was just him and his recent incapability to control his own body.

But knowing you would be there during the weekend was comforting, he felt like he could train the entire week without any sort of discomfort, knowing he would get to see you in a few days.

Goshiki let out a loud shriek, getting everyone’s attention. Ushijima’s face was twitching in the strangest of ways while plucking the damn splinter out of the bench, the scene itself could be used as source material for a horror film.

Little did they know, his heart was actually smiling.

•───────•°•❀•°•───────•

Going to the beach required many preparations, making you regret your decision of not bringing cute clothing to school with you.

Did you need a swimsuit? You probably did, even if you were there just to support the team, it would be weird having a bunch of shirtless guys playing volleyball around you and be wearing fluffy lounge clothing on the sand.

So you ended up ordering a couple of summery outfits and a two piece swimsuit, the bottom being a cute ruffled skirt.

You also decided to bake some cookies for the ride, this time you made sure to make enough for the entire team and the teacher, he was driving you there and was very nice of him to make sure you would have all you needed as the only girl of the group.

The school bus was unnecessarily big, everyone could have their own seat to themselves if they wanted to, but Ushijima wanted to sit beside you. Even Tendo was surprised by this.

“Toshi-san! Why does it feel like I haven’t seen your face in forever? Come here, let me see you.” you chuckled, and he complied, letting you check every inch of his face, his hands and even his jacket pockets.

There was such a peaceful aura around Ushijima whenever you were around. It’s like if he was a different person, even if he still didn’t talk much.

“(Y/N), you smell like cookies." he’s becoming spoiled and you’re 100% responsible for this. “Yes, I baked some! Here’s your share.” you set his bag on one of his big hands, calling the rest of the guys to come and retrieve their own bag full of treats.

“I know you don’t like me, but isn’t Ushijima-san’s bag way bigger than mine? I’m your classmate!”

Everyone’s bag was smaller, not just Shirabu’s. Even Semi got a smaller share. “He’s bigger than all of you combined. Don’t be a pain, or I’ll give him your share too.” Ushijima was quietly chewing on one of your delicious goodness, he didn’t have anything to say really, he was bigger, that was a fact, but he somehow wished that wasn’t the only reason why his bag was fuller than the rest.

The ride wasn’t long, but you woke up before sunrise to have the cookies ready for the team and before anyone could notice you were dozing off on Ushijima’s shoulder. He could feel the soft puffs of air you were releasing on his arm, your neck straining in an odd position. He shimmied himself down a bit as gently as he could not to wake you up, so you could rest comfortably on him.

If he closed his eyes hard enough, he could feel your heartbeat pressed against his arm, and it was magical, everything in life was so much better when you were there by his side, even the littlest of things like a bus ride could create a core memory for him.

“Toshi-san…those aren’t cookies…don’t eat them…” even in your sleep, you’re the sweetest creature he’s ever seen. “I won’t eat them, don’t worry.” he whispered close to your ear, making you grin in your sleep and nuzzled his arm.

If he could live repeating one moment over and over again in a loop for the rest of eternity, it would be this very moment.

•───────•°•❀•°•───────•

The guys had been practicing all morning and lunch time was approaching. The teacher gave you some money so you could go buy ingredients and prepare sandwiches for everyone.

They haven’t seen you since then, you went to the store then spent over an hour making sandwiches for the army of hungry teenagers baking in the early summer sun. So when you arrived with the basket full of food and drinks, a wave of silence fell on the beach.

Ushijima’s eyes were so widely opened, bugs could nest there if they wanted.

You braided your hair and got a lightweight cardigan over your swimsuit, but it was pretty much all out on display for the raging hormones of more than one to perv around.

It wasn’t revealing, just a regular swimsuit, you were actually the only girl in the beach right now that wasn’t showing her assets in abundance, but they’ve never seen you in anything other than your school uniform, except for Semi, but even him was having troubles concentrating now.

“Hey guys! Lunch is here!” you called out for them, and they all walked over to you, to anyone else looking, it was a scene out of a zombie movie, the way they walked mumbling incoherent stuff, their bulging eyes, unconsciously drooling over you. But in your eyes, it was a beautiful summer day to hang out with the boys.

“Here’s your sandwich, Toshi-san. Don’t tell anybody but yours has an extra slide of chicken breast.” you whispered closely, winking at him and you were expecting him to take the sandwich you were holding out for him, but his hands had a very different plan. He grabbed you by your cardigan, bringing you closer to him so he could close it up entirely, button by button, this making you blink in confusion. “What’s wrong? Do I…look that bad?”

He shook his head, not being able to find the right words, he didn’t even know why he did what he did. Is not like he didn’t want to see you in your swimsuit, it was more like he didn’t want the rest of the guys to see it. But why? You’re your own person, you can do whatever you want. He had no right to do this, what if you get mad at him? That was a stupid move. He was beating himself over his own actions when he heard you laugh, one of your hands came over to cup his cheek, caressing it gently, “You’re being extra cute today, huh? My heart was not ready for that!” you handed him his sandwich and continued handing out the remaining contents of your basket, never unbuttoning back open your sweater.

He didn’t know what just happened, but it felt similar to when he wins a match.

“Cute? She said you were cute? Wow, I always knew she was a little weird but maybe it’s just that she sees things differently.” his friend was nibbling on his own sandwich, sneaking glances to watch over your interactions with the rest of the team.

“So how does it feel not wanting other men to stare at your woman’s boobies?” using his sandwich as a fake mic, he went straight into business. “I did no such thing.” “Oh my dear Wakatoshi-kun. Then why do you think you closed her sweater shut on this awfully hot day? You weren’t concerned for her catching a cold, were you?”

Why did he do it? It was still a mystery to him. What was even more confusing was why did you laugh it off? Shouldn’t you be upset? He wouldn’t want someone touching him so carelessly, he was expecting you to slap him on the face, not gaze at him lovingly.

“I’m not sure, my hands moved on their own.” life had funny ways of trying to teach him a lesson, he had it all there for him to act, his body was a faster learner, but he still needed to catch up to it mentally and emotionally. “She looks way too pretty today; you didn’t want them to eat out of your eye candy. Instead of sulking you should tell her how pretty she looks, before someone else does.” Tendo caught a stray look from a group of unknown girls hanging out under a parasol and so he left his troubled friend to confront life on his own while he tried to score a phone number or two.

•───────•°•❀•°•───────•

Time goes by fast when you are having fun.

The first day of the training camp was almost over, the stars gifting you the most beautiful night for all of you to enjoy.

The teacher made arrangements for the workers from the inn you were staying at to take care of your dinner arrangements, offering you a lovely and most importantly, very much nutritional meal.

The boys were turning in for the night early, they still had to get up at four in the morning for their team run and had to train all morning, the bus wouldn’t leave until noon.

But since you didn’t have to, you wanted to enjoy the trip a bit more, you haven’t been to the beach in years and just breathing in the salty heavily humid air was filling your heart with excitement.

Grabbing a small pouch from your bag you were ready to sneak from the back of your room back into the beach. It was the perfect timing to hunt for seashells, sunburns aren’t fun to deal with after all.

Ushijima had been pacing in front of your room for the past 45 minutes, trying to come up with an excuse to talk to you and somehow convey the message his friend recommended. So, it isn’t surprising that he heard you sneaking through the balcony. He thought someone was breaking into your room, so without thinking, or knocking, he opened the door to your room and headed in like it was his own house. Your leg was still hanging from the rail and his outburst made you fall to the ground startled.

The confused face he was making made you burst out laughing, this man has the worse timing ever, it’s hilarious.

“Yes, Toshi-san? Did you need me for something?” he was trying to analyze the situation, you looked fine, definitely there was no robbery going on in the premise, were you running away at night?

“I wanted to talk to you about this afternoon. If this isn’t a good time I can come back later-“he was about to leave when you stopped him, calling after him, “It’s ok, I was just going seashell hunting. Would you like to come with me?” Seashell hunting? How do you hunt seashells? Aren’t they like dead already? His confused self just nodded and instead of going out through the door, like a normal human being, he decided to follow your steps, climbing over the railing, causing you to giggle.

There was not even a single cloud in the sky, the full moon so high and bright, there was no need for lanterns.

You walked side by side in a comfortable silence, breathing in the peaceful night until you found a promising patch of sand. You sat close to it and Ushijima followed your lead, both of you digging into the sand with tiny sticks, fully equipped for tonight’s quest.

“So, what was it you needed to talk to me about, Toshi-san?” he took a deep breath, looking up at the moon, “I’m sorry I grabbed you like that this afternoon. You looked too pretty, I was afraid the other guys would also see it.”

You’ve never blushed with this intensity before, and you were suddenly glad you decided to come at night. The summer heat would be the one to blame if someone asked.

“Y-you don’t need to apologize for that. I thought it was cute.” you mumbled quietly, poking the sand some more. “You always say I’m cute.” he questioned you genuinely, the definition of cute he has in his head was very different to what he sees in a mirror when he looks at himself. “That’s because you are, cute.” your eyes twinkled in the dark, the stars wouldn’t rival the beauty of your eyes, not even tonight when the stars shine so bright. “Does it bother you? That other guys see me in a swimsuit?” he was hesitant to answer that question, he was now sure that it did bother him, but he still didn’t know why. “It was not my place to do what I did, for that I apologize. I’m sure your afternoon wasn’t as enjoyable due to the heat.”

“It was enjoyable. I didn’t mind it. Did I make you uncomfortable? Maybe I should have chosen a less revealing outfit.” he made you feel bad, that’s the one thing he was supposed not to do tonight, it’s so hard to get your thoughts across to other people, “You never make me uncomfortable. I just didn’t like the look in their eyes.”

“Were you…jealous, Toshi?” you held onto his elbow, the lack of honorifics causing him to forget he needed to breathe. “According to Tendo, yes. I still don’t understand the feeling very well, never happened before.”

You need some level of patience with a man like him, even if all you wanted was to tackle him on the sand and kiss his very essence, you would wait for him as long as it took. Instead, you laid your head on his muscly arm, taking a deep breath as you searched for his hand. It was so large, pretty much doubled the size of yours. “Is it…ok if I hold your hand?” looking at both of your hands, he just hummed in acknowledgement, wrapping his hand around yours.

You stayed there in silence, holding hands, until it was time for you to return to the inn.

Summer was only about to begin, and it already held a special place in both of your hearts.

•───────•°•❀•°•───────•

The day before the big game, right when classes were over, the door from your class burst open, showing a very exalted Ushijima looking for you.

“(Y/N), I found him. The setter you were looking for, Kageyama. He’s playing against us tomorrow.”

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Tagged babes: @dazaisfavgf @lauraagrace

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m0ther-of-p3arl · 1 year

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i crack and out i pour

(robert aeor high au p3)

masterpost

FINALLY JIMMY'S HERE ODKSLFJLSDKJ i've been waiting so long for this ohhh my god welp this is the longest update yet :)

hope you like!!

Jimmy. So that’s his name- Joel had been wrong about that bit, at least. Scott can’t help but take note of his ruffled blonde hair, short and scruffy, tucked behind his ear with a pink, flower-patterned hair clip, his standard knee-length skirt showing thin, bird-like legs. He’s quite short, his height even less impressive than Scott’s five foot seven stature, and this is what causes Scott to come to a startling realization: Jimmy can be no one else but the person he’s just bumped into in the hallway; if only he’d known.

or, Scott meets the new boy! and they have a conversation :)

(4279 words)

Science is decidedly Scott’s favorite class, if only because he shares it with Owen and Shelby. To be fair, though, he does somewhat enjoy what they do, loves that he can just sit and talk to his two friends while doing some dumb experiment where everyone knows what the final reaction will be. Stepping into the familiar, vaulted classroom today, Scott scans the tables quickly, spotting Shubble and rushing over to claim the seat next to her, as Owen doesn’t seem to be here yet.

That’s another great thing about science: they’re allowed to choose their own seats, and they can choose new places to sit every day. Scott is almost always sitting with Shelby and Owen, his two friends in the class- the only time when he’s not is when Shubble wants to sit with Pearl and her group of crazy friends, or Owen with Lilith, his partner. But today, Shelby’s sat at the table they usually pick, nestled comfortably in the back corner: Scott’s favorite place.

“Hey, Scott!” Shelby smiles in greeting, eir legs swinging from her chair as eir eyes just barely peek over the table, her mushroom hat the only reason Scott was able to spot em in the first place.

“Hey, Shubble,” he says, “Do you want something to sit on?”

“Yes please,” Shelby exhales, “I tell you, it’s hard being this short.”

“For your species, you’re actually quite large,” Scott points out, pulling a few textbooks out of his school bag and plopping them down next to his friend. Technically, what he’s said about Shelby’s height is true. For a gnome, ey’re very tall, but for any other species? Not so much. She stands at a whopping three foot five, and the few times Scott’s seen her with her parents, ey’ve been towering over them by at least six inches. “You can sit on these, I don’t need them till later.”

Shelby’s dark brown hair is parted into two braids, which stick out from underneath her iconic hat, made of a bright red mushroom speckled with large white spots. Ey’re one of the only people who actually looks good in the school uniform, the navy blue and white tie complimenting her dark eyes quite nicely.

“Thank you, Scott.” Shubble says, propping up his textbooks on her seat and clambering atop them, crossing eir arms neatly on the table. She’s always polite, and that’s one of the reasons Scott loves em so much. They’ve been friends for almost three years, the final addition to their little group, that until Shelby came along, had been composed of only Scott, Joel, and Owen.

And speaking of Owen, here he is now, weaving quickly in between the tables before sneaking behind Scott and Shelby’s, plopping himself down on the chair next to the gorgon. “Ready to science?” he grins, stretching and grinning at the other two.

“I need to talk to Shelby for a sec, but after that, yeah, duh,” Scott smirks back at his best friend, though he knows Owen will be listening in the whole time.

“What about?” Shubble leans in close, as if Scott’s telling her some big secret. And he supposes he is to an extent, though really, it’s nothing huge.

“Xornoth, my father, a dream I had, just a ton of shit.” Scott leans down onto the table, just Shelby’s concerned face already easing him a little bit out of the breakdown mindset.

“Oh, no- not Xornoth. What was ze doing now?” Shubble has had eir own experiences with the tiefling, and Scott knows that her distaste for zir is just as great as his own, if not even more pronounced.

“...trying to touch my snakes,” Scott confesses, his insides twisting into an anxious knot just remembering zir calloused hands rubbing roughly against his head.

Owen and Shelby’s reactions are immediate and identical. They both swing their heads towards Scott, their faces shocked and seemingly disgusted, yelling, “What?!”

“Quiet down back there!” the teacher, Mx Leiverman, yells from the front of the class.

Scott’s friends ignore them, Owen still staring, horrified, at Scott, and Shelby jumping down from her chair to stand on the table directly in front of him, glaring down at him, eir eyes angry and scared.

Owen speaks first. “Scott, that’s… not an okay thing for zir to do.”

“No, it most certainly is not! Why didn’t you text me?” Shubble chimes in, waving her arms in the air. “I could have helped! You could have had a breakdown! Honestly, I’m surprised you’re not completely catatonic right now- I know how much you hate unwanted touch, and from Xornoth? That’s, like, twelve times worse!”

“I didn’t want to bother you guys,” Scott reasons. He should have known they’d react like this, should have known they’d take it as such a huge deal. “It’s not really all that bad. I’m fine.” He’s not.

“I don’t believe that for even a second.” Shelby’s continuing to yell at him, pointing accusingly at his head. “If something like that ever happens to you again, I want you to tell me right away. Understood? That is disgusting.” Scott’s disgusting. “I can’t believe anyone would ever do anything like that- but if anyone was going to, it would be Xornoth, wouldn’t it-”

“Shelby, please quiet down!” Mx Leiverman sounds annoyed now, and Scott gestures to Shelby for em to climb back into eir seat. She shakes her head defiantly, anger and worry bubbling up behind eir eyes.

“Jesus, Shubble, it’s really not that big of a deal.” Scott’s struggling to keep acting this nonchalant, doesn’t really know why he’s keeping up the charade, really, but he doesn’t want to worry his friends. Even though Shelby’s the therapist of the group, and he’s been planning to tell her all this since it happened, Scott can’t seem to allow himself to open up. Shubble really seems to care, and he can see her blowing up even further, opening eir mouth, no doubt to argue.

“Yes it is,” Owen says so quietly, it’s almost a whisper, “That’s a legitimate legal offense. You could probably sue Xornoth for that, and I mean this genuinely.” He enunciates the last word, each syllable coming out crisp and clear.

“But I’m not going to, because it’s no big deal!” Scott’s getting frustrated now. He should have known they’d take it like this, should have known they’d get this angry. Well… no, that’s not completely true. He should have expected Shubble to act like this. Owen? Not so much. He’s just full of surprises this morning, it seems.

“Well, if you don’t want to talk about it or press charges, we aren’t going to force you,” Owen sighs. “Right, Shelby?” He glares at her, clearly signaling to em to drop it. Owen’s known Scott long enough now to know when he won’t crack, and even if he’s certain that Owen agrees wholeheartedly with Shelby, he at least knows when to let sleeping dogs lie.

“...Sure.” Ey seems slightly embarrassed, and she climbs off the table, returning to eir chair. “But Scott, if you ever change your mind about this, tell me. If you ever want to bring this to the attention of school authority, please let me know.”

“Yep, absolutely,” Scott mutters, more to ease the gnome’s worry than to actually agree. He knows he won’t, if only because it’ll make him even easier to pick on than he is now, but he also knows how it’d be such a sign of weakness, how disappointed his father would be, because Scott’s so horrendous already, he doesn’t need to add coward to the long list of things wrong with him.

“Good.” Shelby’s relieved; he can tell by the way eir shoulders relax, the way her eyes lose the intense ferocity they had harbored not seconds ago.

Owen catches Scott’s eye, nodding slightly. “Seriously, though.” Scott feels a sudden pang of affection for his friends, because though they’re being annoying as hell, he does need to hear this from time to time, hear that they care for him, hear that what he’s going through is real.

“Thanks, Shubble. Thanks, Owen.” He offers each of them a smile, sinking slightly at the edges but more genuine than any expression he’s made in a while.

Before Scott’s friends can respond with more than a rueful shake of the head and a small grin from Owen, Mx Leiverman is clapping from the front of the room, a loud, harsh sound that signals that they have an announcement to make.

“Attention, please! Hey! That means you, Pearl, listen up!” While Mx Leiverman is trying to get the attention of the class, Scott notices that there’s a person, leaning up against the wall behind the teacher’s desk, their arms crossed tightly across their chest, bright yellow wings peeking out from behind them.

It’s the new kid, it has to be, there’s no one else it could be. Grian’s a parrot, he has mostly red, patterned wings, and Bek’s an owl. They’re the only two avians in school, and even on the small off-chance that one of those two would be in this room for whatever reason, they look nothing like the one standing stiffly at the front of the class.

Shelby’s noticed him too, and ey peeks over at Scott, her eyes inquisitive. “Is that the kid Joel was talking about?”

“I guess so,” Scott whispers, being very careful that the new boy can’t hear them. “Owen, did you see those texts?”

“Yeah,” Owen mutters, looking everywhere but the avian stood in the corner, glancing back at him every few seconds. “Timmy, right?”

“I guess we’ll find out,” Scott answers, before Shubble shoots them a “stop talking” look, and all three direct their attention to the front of the room, where the teacher has finally gotten the class under control.

“Alright, everyone,” Mx Leiverman calls out, exerting their voice so it carries across the whole room. “As many of you may know, this-” they gesture to the avian- “is our new student, Jimmy. Would you like to introduce yourself to the class, Jim?”

“Um. Hey, I’m Jimmy?” The statement comes out inquisitive, making it sound like the avian is questioning his own name. Mx Leiverman gestures for him to elaborate, and Scott can see Jimmy sinking into his wings as they twitch. He’s evidently trying very hard not to wrap them around himself.

When he doesn’t continue, their teacher takes it upon themself to prompt him into speaking. “And where did you move from, Jimmy?”

Jimmy’s eyes have gone wide, and he looks like he’s struggling not to curl into a ball on the floor. “I-I moved from the… from a city a couple miles south.” Scott furrows his brow. This had obviously not been what Jimmy was originally going to say, and he’s obviously distressed. Scott feels for the guy, hopes for his sake that Mx Leiverman stops asking questions. It’s obviously making him very uncomfortable, and Scott’s been in similar situations before. It’s never fun.

“...What was the city called?” Mx Leiverman asks, prodding for more information. Scott almost facepalms, because any idiot can see how much the avian’s struggling right now, how much he wishes he could get out of the spotlight.

“Um, it was called…Jimmyville?” The class is working hard to hide their snickers, especially Joey, sitting alone at a table near the front of the class.

“Uh huh. Sure. What’s it really called, Jimmy?” Mx Leiverman is not amused, their nails beginning to drum a simple rhythm on their opposite arm.

“Can I go sit down now?” Jimmy doesn’t look like he’ll be answering any more questions. He’s staring determinedly down at his feet, as if not looking at all the people in the room will make them go away, will make them stop looking at him. His feathers ruffle, shaking slightly before laying back down into a more subdued pattern.

He’s kind of cute.

In the way all avians are cute, of course.

“Sure,” Mx Leiverman sighs, rubbing their temples and scanning the room, their gaze glancing over all the tables before landing on Scott and his friends. “I think you’d fit right in at that table in the back, Jimmy.”

He grabs his textbooks and walks over, still staring daggers at the floor, his wings pressed close against his body, prickling up in something that Scott assumes is either anxiety or embarrassment- though given Jimmy’s interrogation, he wouldn’t be surprised if it was a combination of both.

Shelby smiles at the canary as he trips towards them and scoots himself into the seat between her and Scott. “Hi, Jimmy!”

“Hey,” Jimmy mutters, attempting to smile and failing utterly. Shubble seems to have a good idea of what’s up, though, and ey leaves him be, though not before offering half of her granola bar, which Jimmy accepts gratefully.

Over the course of the introduction to class, Mx Leiverman drones on and on about what they’re going to be doing today, what obvious experiment will be conducted. Scott opens and closes his mouth several times, trying to find sentences that he can use to speak to the avian.

But Jimmy’s head is still ducked close to the table, his wings hanging loosely off the back of the chair, and Scott can’t seem to come up with words that sound genuinely friendly, and not weird or awkward. It doesn’t help that every time he tries, his insides feel like they’ve just been dropped off the high end of a cliff.

What is happening?

Scott turns his head away from Jimmy, staring intensely at the instructions on the board, determined to look anywhere other than Owen, who’s flashing him looks. Scott does not need to feel more confused than he does right now, and he can feel a bout of self-hate beginning to push in, disgust at how he’s feeling.

He hasn’t even spoken a word to this short bird boy, and already he can’t control himself. All Scott wants to be is normal, to be a full gorgon, to have the right feelings, to be the way men are supposed to be.

Scott glances behind him, and is suddenly aware of a huge mass of bright yellow feathers extending from Jimmy’s back. He’s stretching; his wings spread out to their full extent, eyes closed and arms stuck into the air. He does a little shake and his wings retract, folding back into their unassuming shape.

“You have a really large wingspan for your height,” Scott notices, not realizing until too late that he’s spoken aloud.

“Oh, yeah, I guess so,” Jimmy answers, looking surprisedly at the gorgon.

Well, Scott can’t let the conversation drop now. Plus, he has questions. “I’ve never really known an avian before, do you mind if I ask you some questions? Oh, I’m Scott, by the way.” Scott supposes he should at least introduce himself if he’s going to be this kinda guy.

“Well, I’m not exactly the best person to ask about that kind of thing…” Jimmy rubs the back of his neck self-consciously, grey-blue eyes looking to the side.

“I don’t mind,” Scott says quickly, and perhaps a bit too earnestly. He can hear the excited edge in his voice, and worries that he’s startled the canary. But instead of seeming weirded out, Jimmy laughs, a melodious, bird-like noise, clear and high-pitched.

“Well, I suppose so, then- only if I can ask you about being a gorgon, though. Back where I’m from, I only knew one. Her name was Nellie and she was ke- she lived on the other side of the city. I didn’t know gorgons could be cyan, tell me about that?”

Scott can feel the hairs on the back of his neck prickling up, discomfort coursing through his veins. “Um…normally, we can’t? I’m a hybrid, though, my mother’s a siren.”

“Huh, that’s interesting. I didn’t know hybrids between species were even a thing.” Jimmy’s picking at his feathers as they talk, never quite looking Scott in the eye, which he appreciates. Eye contact is something Scott’s never been a fan of, as it reminds him of his father, and he’s very relieved that Jimmy doesn’t seem to particularly enjoy it either, making the conversation a lot more comfortable for the both of them.

“Yeah, some species can crossbreed, some can’t. Apparently, a siren and a gorgon are close enough genetically that it works out.” Scott shrugs, trying to be nonchalant when really he’s warding off a breakdown. “I mean, if they weren’t, I wouldn’t be here, would I.”

“I guess not,” Jimmy agrees. “So, wait- can you still turn people to stone?”

“No.” Scott doesn’t elaborate, the question has already sent off too many alarm bells in his head, stupid defective fake disgusting wrong-

Scott realizes that Owen’s back, turned away from him and Jimmy, tensed at the avian’s last question. He’s been eavesdropping- again- and he knows it’s a topic Scott’s sensitive about. He feels a sudden burst of affection for his best friend.

“Sorry-” Jimmy starts, clearly having picked up on Scott’s anxiety.

“It’s fine,” he reassures the avian, “It’s just… kind of personal, you know?” Jimmy nods vigorously, his hair clip starting to fall out. Scott has to resist the urge to reach over and tuck it back in.

Owen’s back relaxes, and Scott feels quite proud of the way he handled such a sensitive subject as well. “So, about being an avian- can you fly?” Now it’s Jimmy’s turn to look uncomfortable, and Scott knows he’s overstepped, though he doesn’t know how.

“...kind of,” Jimmy answers, his posture somehow more rigid than before. “I was a little late learning, though- I’m not the best at flying.”

“Huh. I’m a gorgon who can’t petrify, you’re an avian who has trouble flying. Looks like we’re both de-” Scott stops himself from saying defective, reminding himself that though it’s true for him, other people often get defensive or weirded out when he calls himself that. “I guess we’re both kind of in the same boat,” he corrects himself.

“Yeah,” Jimmy agrees, offering a small, quivering smile that causes a shiver to run down Scott’s spine. “Yeah, I guess we kind of are.”

The conversation kind of dwindles after that, Scott not really knowing what to say, but kind of feeling like there’s not much more that needs to be said, at least right now. Mx Leiverman has finally finished the instructions for what they’re doing in class today, and Scott realizes that he’s been so caught up in his conversation, and even after it was finished, just thinking about what was said and Jimmy and other things, but mostly Jimmy.

“Shelby, do you know what we’re doing for class?” he half-whispers, leaning behind the canary to get a clear view of the gnome.

“You need to listen better,” she hisses, throwing him a glare that he knows by now is fake.

“Fine, I’ll ask Owen, then,” Scott challenges. Shubble rolls eir eyes, barely concealing a smile.

“Ask me what? And why are we whispering?” Suddenly Owen is there, out of his seat, head leaning in between Scott and Shelby.

“Oh, hello- I was just wondering what we’re doing, I didn’t catch what Mx Leiverman said,” Scott explains to his best friend. They’re all still crowded around right behind Jimmy, and Scott imagines it must be quite awkward for him- surrounded by people who you don’t know, who aren’t talking to you or about you. Scott’s been in similar situations before and it’s not a particularly nice feeling, so he leans back into his seat, gesturing for Shubble and Owen to do the same.

“Jimmy, did you hear what Leiverman said?” Scott asks, turning to the avian.

“No, I was talking to you, remember?”

Of course he was! Scott feels quite silly, and mutters a half-agreement before feeling Owen tap him on the shoulder and gesture to the corner. Scott raises an eyebrow before following, reassuring Shelby that they’ll be back in a second.

“So, what do you think of Jimmy?” Owen always feints around the questions he really wants to ask, and never says anything without a reason. Scott can tell he’s up to something, but he also knows that Owen’s trying to get more information out of him first, and he’ll never find out what about until Owen wants him to.

“He’s fine, he seems like a nice kid? I don’t know, I’ve known him just as long as you have- cut to the chase, Owen, what are you on about now?”

“Whatever could you be talking about,” Owen smirks, picking lint off the dark red sweater he always seems to be wearing, even times like now when he’s supposed to be donned in only the school uniform.

“You know full well what I’m talking about, what do you want from me?” Scott’s quite fed up with Owen's little guessing games at this point, because though at times they can be quite endearing, other times, like this, they’re just really bothersome.

Owen widens his eyes innocently, barely hiding his trademark grin. “I couldn’t possibly know what you’re referring to, Scott Smajor.”

“Come on, Owen, give it up. Why are you asking me about Jimmy?” Scott swears he can see the avian’s ear feathers peak up at the mention of his name. Owen shushes him loudly, having obviously seen it too.

“Fine, but don’t get mad. You have a crush on him, don’t you.”

Scott’s eyes widen at the tiefling’s statement, and he shakes his head vigorously. “No, no, no, no. And even if I did, you know I’m not supposed to like guys, I just haven’t found the right girl yet- I can’t be gay, do you understand how disgusting that would make me? Even worse than I am now, even more of a horrific person-” He’s shaking, hyperventilating, almost, because he hates talking about this, he hates bringing it up, he hates when Owen brings it up, because it’s bad to even think about and Scott hates himself-

“Scott! Stop it with this shit. You’re just as gay as I am bi,” Owen glares at him, momentarily snapping him out of his bubble of anxiety. “Just because you’re in denial and live with an abusive family-” he doesn’t, and he’s not in denial- “does not mean you get the right to be homophobic or self-deprecating.”

“And plus,” Scott adds, ignoring Owen’s outburst because he can’t let himself believe he’s anything but the disgusting idiot he is, he just can’t, he doesn’t know who he’d be if he didn’t hate himself- “I’ve literally known this kid for five seconds. Even if I was gay, it’s not like I’m gonna suddenly fall in love with whatever random chap looks in my vague direction.”

“You’re changing the subject. Apologize.”

“Fine.” Scott rolls his eyes. “I’m sorry I don’t want to be even more revolting than I already am- I have it hard enough without having to think about… that.”

“That is not an apology. Being queer is not revolting. Do you think I’m revolting? What about Shelby? What about Jimmy, who’s pretty obviously gender non-conforming with his skirt and hair clip?” Owen gestures angrily towards their table, where Jimmy and Shubble seem to be getting on splendidly. “Do you think we’re revolting? ‘Cause I’ll remind you, the majority of your friends are not straight and/or cis.”

“I- no, I don’t think you’re revolting-” Scott’s on the defense now, backing up with his hands raised in surrender.

“Then what are you getting at?” Owen jabs him in the chest, hard, not the friendly pokes Scott’s used to, and he stumbles backwards, eyes wide. “Because you can’t really hate one queer person due to their gender or sexuality without hating all of us, even if that one queer person is yourself. Look, I get that you have a fucking hard time. I get it! But this does not give you the excuse to press your trauma on everyone else. Now properly apologize. Or else.”

Scott doesn’t know what to do, he can’t figure out how his own logic works, how he’s gross because he’s gay, but all his friends aren’t- his mind reels. But he does suppose he has to apologize. “...I’m sorry, Owen.” It’s almost too soft to hear, but Owen seems satisfied, folding Scott into an awkward hug for the second time that day.

“It’s okay,” Owen reassures. “That’s what I’m here for- to correct you when you say the dumbest shit imaginable. Now come on, let’s go do a science experiment.”

Owen walks back to the table, Scott trailing slowly behind him. He doesn’t think his friends are disgusting, he really doesn’t, so then why does he feel like he is? Because no matter how many times he tries to take what Owen says to heart, he can’t, he just can’t.

For a moment, just for a moment, Scott tries to let himself imagine what it would be like if he hadn’t grown up the way he had.

He thinks… he thinks it might have been nice.

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callsign-joyride · 2 years

Text

Mayhem | Bob Floyd

Summary: When Phoenix and Bob go down during the training exercise, Mayhem has an anxiety attack. Hangman sees this as his golden moment to apologize. Maverick makes his choices for the mission.

Pairing: Robert "Bob" Floyd x Mitchell f!reader (callsign: Mayhem)

Content warnings: Character injury, Hangman once again being a menace, an anxiety attack, cursing, slight angst, a hospital

Spotify playlist | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |

A/N: This might be the longest one yet. Anyway, there's a playlist now. Of course I had to name it, "Because I was inverted". It just made sense.

Everything went back to normal after Ice's funeral. Well, sort of. There was a moment where Cyclone took Maverick out of the mission. You were pissed, but there wasn't really anything that you could've done. What made you more mad was the fact that your dad had basically put his career on the line to be back. He was lucky that his plan had worked. There was a change of plans with the mission, though. The mission had been moved up by a week, leaving everyone with less time to prepare.

You sat in the break room with the others, reading the book that Bob got you on your first date. It felt like everything had stopped when Maverick called out a bird strike. You immediately sat up and put your book down. Rooster and Fanboy were the first to see you tense up.

"We're on fire!" Bob called out.

"Extinguishing! Lost hydraulics, losing altitude, I-I can't control it!" Phoenix said. You abandoned your book at one of the tables and sat by the radio like that would make anything better.

"Right engine on fire! We're gonna burn in!"

You held back a sob as Maverick called for them to eject. Goose. Carole. Rooster. You hadn't even realized that you were clutching your dog tags until Cyclone's voice came over the radio and he said that he was deploying search and rescue. Hangman watched as you stood up and wiped your hands on your pants and stormed out of the room.

He exchanged a look with Rooster before grabbing your book and leaving the room. It took him a few minutes to find you, and you stopped crying when you felt someone standing over you.

"What do you want, Hangman?" You asked.

"Are you okay? I grabbed your book on my way out but do you-,"

You wouldn't let him get anymore words in as you snatched the book from him and mumbled a, "Thanks,". He sighed and leaned against the wall next to you.

"You know, I've been meaning to apologize," he said.

"Yeah? For what? Because it didn't seem like you cared about anything until this very moment."

"Look, I'm sorry for being an ass."

"That's just your usual behavior."

"Will you let me talk? Jesus. Look, I'm sorry for leaving things the way I did in Spain. You know I'm not good at talking about my-"

"About your feelings? You're making it sound like this is all my fault, which it's not. I mean, sure, I caught feelings. But you've always got your arm around some random girl. So I got over it. I don't really know what's going on with me and Bob, but I know you told him about Mav being my dad. And I know you were checking me out at The Hard Deck that first night. What's your problem? Because in Spain, it seemed like I was only there to give you a good time. I don't want to talk about Spain right now. Bob and Phoenix are out there somewhere, they might be dead for all we know, and you just want to apologize for some shit that ended a year and a half ago? Time and place, buddy."

"Hey, calm down. What's got you so tense, anyways?"

"You're so fucking dumb. I can't even talk about it with you because you'll use it to get under Bradshaw's skin like you haven't done that enough! God, why can't you just fuck off? Let me exist in peace!"

"I know this about the mission, okay? I'm stressed, too. But we need to let bygones be bygones."

"Yeah, well, I'm pretty sure I'm not flying."

"You'll be on standby, then. If something happens, then what? Would you let me die because you can't stand to be in the same room as me?"

The argument had gotten so heated that neither of you realized that Rooster and Fanboy were on their way to you. Rooster was surprised that you hadn't tried to hit Hangman. All you did was shove him and brush past Rooster. He grabbed your arm and took you around a corner.

"They found Phoenix and Bob. They're both fine, they're going to the hospital. I'm getting stuff for Bob if you want to help get stuff for Phoenix."

"Okay. I'm sorry. I just - I couldn't stop thinking about your parents and what happened to Goose."

"Yeah, I get it. The whole thing scared me, too. Let's go."

The two of you walked in the direction of the dorms and Rooster gave you the key to Phoenix's room.

"Hey, Roo?" You asked.

"Yeah?"

"Uh, there's this book that I got him. The Song of Achilles. I think he's reading it so do you think you can put it with his stuff?"

"Of course."

It didn't take long for you to get a bag together for Phoenix. You met Rooster in the hallway and returned keys to both rooms. Cyclone told you which hospital they were at, and Rooster offered to drive.

Security had to check the bags, but it wasn't long before you were able to go back and see them. The steady beeps of the heart monitors were keeping your anxiety at bay. Rooster sat in one of the chairs next to you and watched as you opened your book. Both of you looked up when you heard Phoenix groan.

"Am I... Am I dead?" She asked. You tried not to laugh as you grabbed the bag from under your chair and walked over to her.

"I think you're okay. We brought you some clothes and things. Rooster might head back to base but I think I'm gonna stay... You know, with Bob and all."

"He likes you a lot, you know that, right?"

"Yeah. I like him, too, but I've never started a relationship like this in these circumstances."

"You'll get it figured out, I'm sure."

A few nurses walked in and told you and Rooster that you had to leave the room since you weren't family. They allowed you to go back in a few minutes later, giving Phoenix a mostly clean bill of health. Things took a little longer than usual because Bob woke up right before the nurses left the room.

"Hey," he said when he saw you. You smiled and messed up his hair before pulling up a chair to sit next to him. Rooster brought Bob's things over and you smiled as you handed him the book.

"I don't know much about Greek mythology but I'm liking it so far."

Eventually, Rooster left and you stayed overnight with Phoenix and Bob. Sleeping in one of the chairs was uncomfortable, but you knew that it could've been way worse. Payback picked all of you up when Phoenix and Bob were ready to be discharged, and you knew that Maverick was going to tell everyone who was going on the mission and who was staying back.

"Phoenix and Bob. Payback and Fanboy. Rooster. The rest of you are on standby. We're leaving the docks at seven."

This was really happening.

Taglist:

@peaches-1999 @tallrock35 @paintballkid711 @luckyladycreator2 @multifandom-fangirl4 @caswinchester2000

#bob floyd x reader #top gun: maverick #bradley rooster bradshaw #mayhem #natasha phoenix trace #x reader #pete maverick mitchell #robert bob floyd #maverick #phoenix #rooster #hangman #payback #fanboy #bob

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sublimecatgalaxy · 2 years

Note

Part 2 of this Eddie fic :)

Uh duh. Thanks to everyone who loved it so much!! Slow burn🤪

I never realized how boring my life is without Eddie constantly bugging me- and flirting with me- nearly every single day.

Since the minute we both hit puberty and had the “birds and the bees” talk- awkwardly- with his uncle, we’d always looked at each other in a different way and we’ve always been bashful and flirty. Always.

But weeks have passed since I've seen Eddie, since I've spoken to him in any way other than quick glances shared in the hallway. This wasn’t us being bashful and giddy around each other, this was genuine fear on both sides to talk about what had happened.

Maybe it was because I implied that I wanted to kiss him- to feel his lips against me in more ways than one- and maybe he got nervous after his uncle came home almost immediately after I openly commented about his talented mouth.

But this is possibly the longest we've gone without talking to one another, even in the midst of the rest of our friend group and at Hellfire.

The group has definitely picked up on the added tension between the two of us, realizing that something must've happened between us but I'm sure they don't realize the extent of what happened. That Eddie openly dirty talked me into a pool of submission and arousal- that he made me want to rip his clothes off then and there, to draw noises out of him that I’ve only dreamed about. I can only imagine that they would never understand the way Eddie spoke to me and how it made me feel- the words he said to me that had my mind turning to mush, the words that play on an instant repeat in my mind.

"I wonder how wet I can get you just by talking to you like this."

"Do you think about my fingers, my rings?"

"So needy, pining for your best friend."

I shiver and turn in my seat to look back at Eddie as he stares down at his history textbook, his tongue sticking out in concentration. He's been trying to do better in all of his classes lately, wanting nothing more than to graduate with me this year, but it's now me who struggles to pay attention in class. My mind is in the gutter and swimming with thoughts of talking to him- fucking him, to be frank.

Suddenly, he looks up and freezes, his lips parting in quiet shock at the sight of my eyes locked on him. I send him a small wave, pulling a soft smile out of him as he shifts in his seat, sending me back a tight lipped smile. I nod towards the door, watching his brows pull together in gentle, boyish confusion. Raising my hand without giving him another moment to ponder, the teacher sighs and she calls on me.

"May I go to the bathroom?"

By the time Eddie finally frees himself of the confines of class and stumbles out of the school, spotting me leaning against his van, he looks frustrated. His hands are shoved in his pocket and his breath reflects in the cold air.

"Are you kidding- get your ass in the van, you're gonna freeze your ass off, kid." He mutters unlocking the van and pushing me into the slightly warmer vehicle. I immediately crawl under the blankets that he has folded in the back, watching him shut the door tightly and relax against the wall. His eyes are demanding yet soft, his gaze trailing over me, almost asking 'well?'.

"I know we've been avoiding each other since, uh..." I trail off, flashbacks riddling my brain as his cheeks flush. He looks away from me quickly, clearing his throat and he pulls a blanket over his lap. "I miss you and I'm sorry if I ruined anything by being pesky." I huff, feeling better after apologizing but feeling even more confused when he looks physically pained at the thought of me feeling guilty for all of this.

"Fuck- you didn't ruin anything, babe- I just didn't know you felt that way about me." My heart leaps at the pet name, my tongue slipping out to wet my lips as they continue to dry. "I didn't know you wanted to know me like that." I crave you like that. There's a soft, bashful smile on his lips and I scoff, shaking my head incredulously.

"You genuinely didn't realize that I wanted you like that?" My question seems to take him off guard, his brows lifting in shock at my forwardness.

"Is that really how you feel?" He asks, moving towards me as he scoots to sit between my legs. His voice comes out breathless, as if he's been holding onto that question for years, a weight lifting from his shoulder as his hand reaches out to rest on my knee.

"I wouldn't have put myself out there if I didn't want you." I whisper, lowering my gaze from his. "I was just too embarrassed to make a move o-or ask you if you felt a similar way-"

"I do- fuck, I always have." He laughs, reaching out towards me to place a hand on my knee. "I've wanted to talk to you, the last few weeks, I mean. But I was terrified that you just closed up on me and would never want to look at me again." He huffs exasperatedly, with a shy smile, his brows twitching anxiously. I bite my tongue for a few moments, looking over his nervous frame wondering where my confident best friend went. Did I seriously turn him into an anxious, boyish bundle of stress?

"I've been looking at you." I whisper, my voice quivering as his eyes lift, gazing up at me through his dark lashes. He waits for a moment, waiting for me to go on and the comfortable silence he offers me only makes me want to go on. "Thinking about you."

"Thinking about what?" He asks, barely giving me a chance to add onto my statement. I just clear my throat and push the blanket off of me, stalking across the van to slide down into his lap. He doesn't argue, just wraps his arms around my waist. He looks up at me with a teasing look but there's a sense of sincerity behind his dark hues.

"Being close to you again." I let out a brief sigh of relief, playing with the ends of his curls.

"What else?" He asks, leaning down to gently press a kiss to my exposed collarbone, a shiver running down my spine but not from the cold- no, I couldn't be more warm.

"You kissing me." I grin, my head tipping back to allow his lips to venture further up the column of my throat. He chuckles against my skin and grips at my waist, my head spinning from arousal.

"Where?"

"Everywhere." I giggle, loving the laugh that rumbles in his chest. He pulls back to look up at me, brows pulled together, feigning confusion with a shit-eating grin.

"Is that an offer?" He gasps, pulling me even more flush against him with a wicked look in his eyes. I just groan, my hands gripping onto his shoulders as words escape me.

"Please."

"Oh so it's not an offer, it's you begging." He teases, his lips skimming against mine ever-so slightly with no intent of kissing me until I tell him what I want- which is him. So simple and so plain but I can't seem to vocalize it, the words getting stuck on the tip of my tongue. Instead, one word comes out.

"Eddie..." He shushes me mockingly, reaching up to takes my cheeks in his hands, his eyes flickering back and forth between mine.

"Patience, sweetheart. You know I'd never leave you hanging."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o- Taglist: @bubblebuttwade @rafelover2405 @leslienjazzy @sorceresss @grxnde-dwt @alex–awesome–22 @bunnietoof @niyamar1e @serialghost @plantlungs @geniusohn @akaliltimmytim @lilaalouuxx @xshariex @elliotsbeigeguitar @elle4404 @lelieja @srhxpci @joselyn001 @taysirene @spinkspanther @thedivineuphoria @peter-maximoffs @tsukishimawhore @poohkie90 @szlaco @distantsighs @nstyles4299 @wolflover384 @givemefoodandlovesstuff @vane2828 @yeswhatever33 @amirrahfranson @vvaalleennttiinna @f-mu @yaspillz @jeyramarie @skylievin@abbybarnes17 @jointherebellion215 @visiondaddy @steezysimfinds @its-ya-gay-boi-luigi

@crunchytoenailsyum@glizzymcguirex @beth123lg @melovesmut @rafecameronswhore @ariianelle @write-from-the-heart @vampviolets@haylee-e@popehaywardssecretgf @honee-chai-tea @lokiandbuckywife @smoke-and-fire @officiallyunofficialperson@heyaitsklaudia@rosepetalsparks @bluetreecloud20 @scenesofobx @double-shot-of-tequila @1dluver13xx @colbysbrocks @iamasimpingh0e @smoke-and-fire386 @loveshineslikethesky @id-3-kbro @diorsitgirl @errorfound101-allideasburnedout @neverwillknowme18 @ellyskey @taylors-folk @loversjoy @myaloveee @thyris-is @lagataprrr @aaaaslaaaan @minjix @luvrosee

#eddie #eddie x reader #eddie munson x reader #eddie munson #stranger things #stranger things fic

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starry-blue-echoes · 1 year

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Just wondering, what did happen when gio and Trish ascended the bell tower, in ur son of dio fic (I think that's the one where diavolo knows Gio is dio's kid and plans to kill two birds with one stone?) I remember that's one of my fave of ur fics and was pretty excited to see what happened next :0 no pressure of course!

I unfortunately don't have a fic for that one yet, but I'd be more than happy to share what happens next :)))

so things are...... definitely a bit tense when Bucciarati reads out the Boss's orders. He'd planned on meeting and confronting the Boss, and this was literally the perfect time but..... but he couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. Sure it could just be played off as the Boss thinking someone younger would be easier to defend against, but he also likely had files on every member of the Bucci Gang and the next youngest member would've been Fugo, who amongst their group was honestly among the most dangerous and had been with Passione the second longest

so no, it didn't really sit right with him

but this was a direct order from the Boss, and unless he wanted an early grave he had to follow it. So he gets off the boat, sneaks in a cell phone by turning it into some vines to hide in his sleeve, and watches with Trish as the others ride the boat into the distance

when they head inside...... the feeling doesn't get any better. The air is heavy and neither of them speak but the tension is thick and there's a buzz of anxiousness around them. Trish still has her moment where the mask she's been keeping up cracks, where her anxieties and fears make their way to the forefront and Giorno....... Giorno offers her his hand

"I'll keep you from harm. It's what I've been tasked to do." he tells her. He isn't sure what possessed him to say that, after all in the face of the Boss he really wouldn't be able to do much. It was barely anything more than empty, pretty words or condolence

but at the same time, deep down Giorno realizes he meant it. Realizes that he would risk everything he'd been trying to do if that meant another innocent person wouldn't die because of his choices and decisions. Realizes he wouldn't be able to turn a blind eye should the Boss try to do something to Trish

right now looking at Trish he realizes she's just another 15 year old who doesn't know what's going to happen next. Just like him

if this is what friendship felt like, it was the single most terrifying and best thing he'd ever experienced

they hold hands as they ride the elevator up. A grounding, firm presence they can feel and touch to remind them that they're alive and still here

but then the touch is gone

and Giorno feels pain

Pain, pain, pain extending from his stomach outwards, like his ribs have been broken and ground into powder, he can't feel his legs anymore and above all else he grows cold

they're in the catacombs now, he distantly realizes. Gone is the neat, clean elevator and in its place is dark and damp and dusty stone, barely any light at all and merciless in its presence. Trish is on the ground nearby, a cloudy half lidded gaze meeting his eyes

he can't tell if she's alive or not

but through it all, all the conflicting sensations and emotions and fading pulse of Gold under his skin, Giorno's able to make out red with white crisscross

the Stand stares at him with its acid green eyes, mouth moving and making sounds and asking questions he can hear but not understand. He doesn't know who Brando is or what World he's talking about or why he thinks he was sent by someone, the Boss asked him to be here, none of it makes sense

all he can clearly make out in the arm going straight through his stomach and hoisting him in the air

he needs to move, he realizes. If he doesn't, he's going to die

as quickly as he can, the vines up his arm are thrown toward the Boss. The Stand backhands them easily, inadvertently throwing himself across the room in the process. The arm was more painful being pulled out then being put in, but at least on the floor Giorno can fix himself

everything's a blur after that. Healing Trish, causing a jungle of plants and animals to erupt in their wake as they bolt for the exit, and even as reality blinks before their eyes and the world skips ahead without them, the Boss isn't able to follow them through all the flora and fauna

but as they run, Giorno's mind is racing. The Boss knew who he was, and the Boss wanted something from him. He thought Giorno knew something he needed and was willing to kill him for it, and with a sinking feeling he realizes him being brought down with Trish was intentional

the Boss wanted to knock out two birds with one stone

and as the two of them leave the island clinging to the back of a sailfish, Giorno begins to wonder with an ugly, sickening feeling in his stomach if Bucciarati had been in on it

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arrows-asks · 1 year

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@simplyventi Very well! My brain couldn´t come up with specifics either, so I snatched an OTP ask meme and just answered everything. Hope it will suffice! ^^

Also, warning... it’s long.

----

Who most initiates PDA?

Shadow. Knuckles is too flustered and awkward to initiate anything most of the time. Especially around people he doesn´t know. Meanwhile Shadow be like “Don´t like, then look away” and proceeds to kiss Knuckles in front of everyone.

Any sleep habits either had to get used to?

Knuckles can sleep literally at any given time, while Shadow has a relatively normal sleeping schedule. Though he really likes to sleep long. We are talking 9,10, 11 a.m. So, he was slightly horrified when he realized that Knuckles is an early bird. The guy can and will wake up at 4 or 5 and start the day like it’s nothing. He’s bound to wake Shadow up occasionally and every time it happens, Shadow’s half dead. Over time, they sort of found a middle ground though.

Hot and Steamy or Soft and Tender?

Both? Both. Both sounds good.

How did they first meet?

Space Colony ARK, room of the Biolizard when they tried to stop the ARK from crashing. At least, that’s when they first saw each other, since they didn´t interact. The next best thing is whenever Sonic Heroes happned? ... I don´t think they were properly introduced to each other until ShtH? Damn

What is their love language?

Quality time and physical touch

When did they realize they loved each other?

Neither can pin point, but Knuckles definitely had feelings for Shadow first. He recognized them pretty quickly, though he didn´t quite know how to act on them, so he didn´t (which kinda bit him in the ass later)

Who is more sentimental?

Knux, though as time passed Shadow became more as well, because his walls came down more and more. Knuckles is still more so however.

What’s one way their personalities compliment one another?

They are both calm, more stoic and serious guys. Both have a strong sense of responsibility and are fiercely loyal to the people they consider close.

How are their personalities different?

They show anger differently. Where Knuckles is more open and unfiltered, Shadow is more reserved. Now that I think about it, that’s generally how they show emotions. Also, Shadow loves puns, whereas Knuckles just tiredly groans.

What are some non-sexual activities they do together?

Gardening, star gazing, chao/pet caring, sparring matches, exploring Angel Island, saving the world and good ol’ boring normal chores

Which member is more physically affectionate?

Shadow

Which member is more verbally affectionate?

Shadow

Which member steals borrows the other ones clothing?

Knuckles would, if they wore clothes, lol

Are they an introverted couple or an extroverted one—AKA would they prefer to go out to a party or event together or would they rather stay in?

Introvert couple all the way

Who is more likely to make an impulsive decision and who is the voice of reason?

Knuckles for the impulsive decision, Shadow for the voice of reason. Unless we talk about cats, then it’s the other way around

Who stays up way too late and who tries to drag them to bed?

Since Knuckles just sleeps whenever, he’s definitely not tired when normal volks go to bed. Yet he still wakes up early too. Shadow just gave up at some point, snort

Who fell in love first?

Knuckles, and boy did he fall hard

What song fits them perfectly?

Us against the world by Westlife

How do they deal with being away from each other for a long time?

They’re usually not separated for longer. Knuckles has strong abandonment issues and Shadow has severe separation anxiety (Thank you, Sonic)

Who holds a grudge the longest?

Knux. He’s a petty one (again, looking at you Sonic)

Which of the two is quick to speak and which one is quick to listen?

Knuckles is unfiltered and will say what he thinks when he thinks. Shadow’s the listener.

Who gets more easily embarrassed?

Do I have to say it? (Knuckles)

Who overthinks the most?

Depends but usually neither really? There is one instance in which Shadow overthought to the point of emotional collapse, though. Fun stuff.

Which of the two is the most competitive?

Both are in their own right, as evident by their respective rivalry with our favorite blue boy. But honesty? Knuckles is far more. Shadow’s not that competitive, the fandom just tends to blow his and Sonic’s way out of proportion

Who’s the most stubborn?

Knuckles

How do they comfort each other?

Simply by each other’s presence. Also touch

What random everyday object/activity makes them think of each other?

Shadow of Knuckles: Green Chaos Emerald, crescent moon, pretty much anything nature, grapes and the sound of angry outbursts

Knuckles of Shadow: Chao, Master Emerald, stars, coffee cup, all the feral hedgehogs roaming around on Angel Island and the smell of sweets and other unhealthy food

Do they get along with each other’s friends and family?

Their families are dead. Shadow get’s along with Tikal nicely however, even though she creeps him out

What is their sex life like?

( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

What is their favorite place to kiss the other? (Cheek, hand, closed eyelid, neck, nose, etc.)

Anything face. Shadow’s more of a kissy guy though, Knuckles prefers to nuzzle

What’s the relationship like? Smooth? Rocky?

Smooth for the most part. Every relationship got some bumps

How do they resolve their arguments?

Beating the crap out of each other first, talk later

Who has the most nightmares and how do they deal with them?

Shadow’s prone to have horrible nightmares about the ARK incident. Even years later. When one happens, Knuckles sits with him with his arm around him and is just there for him until Shadow calms down. It more often than not ends with Shadow breaking out in tears.

Do they give each other nicknames?

Neither is really big on pet names. Knuckles uses “Shads” at most and Shadow’s generally not big on nicknames (he was so conflicted when he found out “Tails” was a nickname… he thought that was Tails’ actual name!) but sometimes Shadow likes to call Knuckles “Pumpkin” or “Peanut”. Why? It flusters Knuckles and he finds it endearing as hell.

What movies do they enjoy watching most?

They don´t watch movies. Well, they kinda started when they had kids, though neither is a big fan. Knuckles is the type to just fall asleep in the middle of them and Shadow is bored by most of them (also, he hates how easily some of them can make him tear up)

How’d they meet each other’s families?

Again, they’re dead. Tikal did give Shadow half a heart attack though, when she first appeared out of nowhere and that was kind of their introduction. Knuckles found it funny, Shadow not so much

What do they like the least about each other?

Shadow’s not big on Knuckles’ gullibility, Knuckles is not a fan of Shadow’s unhealthy tendencies and cat obsession

What was their most memorable date?

They don´t really go on dates. Both remember the day of their first kiss very fondly though

What other couple would your otp get along with the best?

Blaze and Shade when they were still together. Other than them, Vector and Espio. They spend most time with Sonic and Silver though, for better or worse

Who makes the other smile with almost no effort at all?

Knuckles makes Shadow smile easily. Not because he does anything in particular. Shadow’s just so in love with him that he smiles by simply looking at his dorky echidna

#knuxadow #shadow the hedgehog #Knuckles the Echidna #FFBverse

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saiwola · 1 month

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Forgive me as I rant incoherently about magic and the Blessings.

Okay, so first thing's first, is the concept of familiars. Summoned companions that are believed to be either constructs or spirits that bound themselves to a person.

And due to correlations observed throughout the ages, it became more believed that your familiar is a manifestation of your soul. That by looking at your familiar, people can tell, not only the sort of magic you use but also what kind of person you are. And while this isn't too much of an issue in regular life, because manifesting your familiar takes a constant drain on your magic, they aren't just kept out. And the everyday person has no need to manifest one at all in their day to day.

No The prejudices revolving familiars and magic are more prevalent in those upper circles where magic is more of a part of their lives. Especially in academic circles. Studies have seen that evil people create evil familiars and evil magic. (Similar thinking is what gets people to generally dislike the shon and yeu-li due to their associations with darkness and manipulation respectively.)

However, there is no concrete evidence of what causes what. All that can be inferred is that who you are, your familiar, and your magic are all connected.

And what's even less explored is the influence of other factors like environment, experience and even mental illness on your familiar and magic. I mean, if these things shape who you are, it makes sense that they'd affect the other two as well, right?

And this is probably most obvious when it comes to the Blessings and how their magic manifests. Each has a "gift" a "core" (life, death, knowledge, etc) to their magic. And their familiars do represents the original Evlogia, even in their dormant states. (Deemo is still a bird. Gwydion is still a serpent. Etc.) But how how their magic manifests is also heavily influenced by who they are and who they became.

For some, it shows in their presentation.

Theo, despite being the Blessing of Knowledge, is still a child, yet to tap into his full potential. His magic is still so simple and reflective of his child mind. Empathy because he prioritizes people's feelings rather than their secrets. His light magic (a nod to him being ghraic, a "child of light"), is used mainly to draw in the air, taking the shape of his baby doodles rather than more serious forms. His blessings are a telepathic link, because everything can be solved if you talk it out, right? Even his visions are so indistinguishable from his normal daydreams that no one can tell which is real and which is just his child babbling.

Fenryr, Avatar of Death, is so in love with life, and art, and the beauty of the world, that his death magic manifests as flowers. Even when causing rot, that rot is displayed as small flowers. Stealing someone's life force shows as a flower that feeds off the victim. His necromantic summons take on the appearance of angelic statues rather than zombies. Even his blood magic, that causes pure Destruction, manifests as the target bursting into petals. His magic is as gentle as he is.

Then there's Alys who for the longest time could not even manifest her magic. Because she was (still is) so depressed and so adamant on tamping down her emotions. How could she tap into the power of Life if she had lost all love and passion for it? How could she Create if all she wants to do is disappear? Even now, he main magic is fire. A nod to her yeu-li blood, yes, but also because magic comes easiest to her when she's mad. Because rage is a form of passion, and for now, it's all she can depend on while she's still learning how to live again. Also, her created beings are often monstrous constructs and weapons because that's what she likes, what she's passionate about.

But for them, the core of their Blessing is still there. Still obvious. For the others. their magic has to do with their interpretation of what those blessings mean to them.

Taylor's is probably the most straightforward. To him, Peace means time. The time to rest to heal. Peace is that moment when all is right. So he controls time. He cleanses poisons, He takes away pain. Even his curses are just him stealing that peace away. And his blood negates magic. Calming the air, the storm, in a way.

As for Jibril, Dominion was originally seen as control over oneself and one's actions. And while he also had the ability to calm minds and enforce that self discipline, his main magic is gravity. Chains. The power to hold people down. To control them through force if necessary. Because his upbringing in the church taught him that's whay dominion was.

On the other end of that, we have Zandros. Holding the blessing of Choice and Change, he had a few paths he could go down. It was possible he leaned more into change and used more alchemy or shapeshifting. Maybe choice could mean the ability to travel through time like Taylor and choose other options to change the future. But Zandros grew up as a slave in fighting rings. So to him, this choice meant freedom. Freedom of movement. The ability to choose where he could go. To choose whether to fight or flee. So his magic manifests as wind (flight), teleportation. And of course, the ability to resist any and all attempts to command him to do something.

And finally, we have Adonai, my little baby boy. The gift of Community and yet never having one. Shunned and isolated due to his shon blood and losing his family at a young age at that. Forced to fend for himself, sell himself, with no one to rely on. So his first magic is a buff to himself when he's trying to protect others. Because he may not be able to depend on anyone but they can depend on him. And as he met the other Blessings. Grew closer to them, his magic expanded to include buffs and domain control. The desire to uplift his "community" and protect them. Even his blood, which forms powerful wards, came about due to finally having people he wished to protect, even at his own expense.

#Teodor HC #Fenryr HC #Aletris HC #Taylor HC #Jibril HC #Zandros HC #Adonai HC #rambling over

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rockroselazuli · 9 months

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TOA Anniversary Munday

Celebrating TOA and the people who contribute to make our group what it is.

Repost, don't reblog. Only fill in what you feel comfortable sharing!

Happy anniversary, TOA! Here's to many more years spent together.

Tagging: myself

Name: rai

Pronouns: he/him

Birthday (no year): december 28th

Where are you from? What is your time zone?: colorado! mountain time zone

Roleplay experience: ooooohh my god um. like 15 years maybe?? most recently on twt. i used to rp on tumblr back in high school though and i'm SO glad to be back cause i missed it. rping on twt is awful i need to be able to write three thousand words in one post

Got any pets?: my kitty selkie :)

Favorite time of year: autumn.. i love pretty leaves and comfortable weather and halloween and pumpkin flavored things god bless

Some interests and things you like: drawing, audio drama podcasts, birds, sugar, cosplaying, horror

Some funfacts & trivia about you:

i collect plushies

i have 14 tattoos and my next one is gonna be grima

i write original stories and someday i'm gonna make a webcomic

What non-Fire Emblem games do you play?: pokemon, animal crossing, other miscellaneas things

Favorite Pokemon type & Pokemon: type is flying & pokemon is absol. my absolute belovedoh my god that was not supposed to be a pun

How did you get into Fire Emblem?: my childhood friend was really into radiant dawn and told me all about it and then i mentioned it to my dad and he was like "oh yeah fire emebeleme i wanted to try out one of those games" so he bought radiant dawn bc it was the one i talked about and. we did not know it was a sequel for the longest time.

What Fire Emblem games have you played?: 7, 9 & 10, 11 & 12, 13, 14, 16, 17

First Fire Emblem game: radiant dawn

Favorite Fire Emblem game: awakening

Any Fire Emblem crushes? 😳: g.. gregorgy. also sephiran and naesala. and rafal why is gregory the only human here

If you’ve played the following games, who was your first S support? Who would you S support nowadays?

- Awakening: tharja. now i would gaius if i wasn't so attached to him being inigo's father always

- Fates: silas. now uhhh mmmm?? m. i don't know WAIT. keaton

- Three Houses: i don't remember?????? what the fuck. um. oh nevermind it was claude lmao of course it was claude. and i would do it again

- Engage: no one i uh. seem to have completely missed the chance somehow. anyway i'm going for alfred this time cause alfred/alear is everythign to me

Favorite Fire Emblem class: KINSHI KNIGHT but basically just archers in general. and DANCERS i love them

If you were a Fire Emblem character, what would be your class?: um.. idk but i'd like to think i'd be the donnel archetype cause aptitude is my only chance

If you were a Three Houses character, what would be your affiliation?: golden deer!!

If you were an Engage character, which Emblem would you Engage with?: either micaiah bc i like her or um. yeah. i would go with claude also but not when the Other Two are in there can you imagine the bickering

How did you find TOA?: a couple of my mutuals on twt are here!! waves at them

Current TOA muses: yeehaw

Who was your first TOA muse? If you don’t have them anymore, could you see yourself picking them up again?: not toa but my first fire emblem muse ever was volug. yeah i could write him again

Have you had any other TOA muses?: not yet but stay tuned

Do you think you have a type of character you gravitate towards?: yeah lmao. i've got a couple archetypes that hit me like a train every time

What do you believe you enjoy writing the most?: characters with weird ass emotions

Favorite TOA-related memory: i haven't even been here a month yet but this event is really fun

How do you pronounce TOA? 🤔: just the letters lol

Got any delusions that didn’t see the light of day that you’d like to share? 😉: back when i was on twtrp i kinda wanted to pick up ashe but then. i didn't. because ferp on twt is a nightmare and ashe was a popular character (i was cyril. safe in my little bubble)

#×{{ ooc }}#{{ i literally just got here but hi everyone }}

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madetofly · 10 months

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What Do You Mean?

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply Category: M/M Fandom: I Was Born for This - Alice Oseman Relationships: Allister "Lister" Bird/Jimmy Kaga-Ricci, Allister "Lister Bird & Jimmy Kaga-Ricci & Rowan Omondi Characters: Jimmy Kaga-Ricci, Allister "Lister" Bird, Rowan Omondi Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Bodyswap, Getting Together, Panic Attacks, Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism,Implied/Referenced Sex Summary: On your eighteenth birthday, you wake up in your soulmate's body, where you'll stay until you find them and share a kiss. On the eve of Lister's birthday, The Ark is well aware of just how terrible things might go if they don't find Lister quickly the next morning.

But it turns out they were worried about the wrong thing. Because, come morning, it's Jimmy who wakes up in Lister's body, not a stranger.

Read on AO3.

They got back to their flat at what felt like an ungodly hour but what was really only nine in the evening. All Jimmy wanted was to sleep. It had been the longest day in the studio that they’d ever done, and they would have gone longer if it hadn’t been imperative that they make it home before midnight. They’d felt like they’d had to get as much done as possible considering they’d be losing Lister the next day for who knew how long. They’d been so distracted that it was doubtful they’d got anything good from the session, which only made Jimmy more exhausted.

And to make matters worse, Lister wouldn’t stop complaining no matter how clear Jimmy and Rowan made it that they didn’t want to listen.

“No one should turn eighteen without a birthday party,” Lister called from the kitchen as he poured himself a drink.

Jimmy collapsed onto the sofa in the living room, his eyes falling shut. He yearned for his bed, but Lister was complaining loudly enough that it would drift through the door even if Jimmy tried to sleep. And once he was down, the idea of getting up again was decidedly unappealing. The couch sank beside him as Rowan sat down. A minute later, Lister wandered in, and Jimmy listened to him shuffle around as he took an armchair.

“Plenty of people don’t have parties on their eighteenth,” Rowan pointed out in a tired voice. “There’s no good way to plan one when you don’t know where you’re going to end up come morning.”

“Or who you’re going to be,” Jimmy added. He cracked his eyes open to watch Lister’s expression for any hint of how he was feeling. Lister had thrown one leg over the armrest of his chair. He looked perfectly fine despite everything.

Everything about his behaviour in the leadup to his birthday had been bizarre to Jimmy. He kept focusing on the most illogical things. When he woke up the next day, he’d be in his soulmate’s body, yet he’d fixated on not being able to have a party like that was the end of the world.

Switching bodies was stressful for just about everyone, but it was especially fraught for them. A stranger was going to wake up in Lister’s bed, and they had no idea how that person would react to realising that they were in The Ark’s house. Meanwhile, Lister would be God knew where looking like a stranger, and they wouldn’t have Lister back in his rightful place until he and the stranger kissed.

Jimmy tugged the sleeves of his hoodie into bunches in his fists. He’d thought it was all very romantic when he was younger, and even now, he longed to know his soulmate. As he’d grown older, though, he’d begun to think more about the flaws in the system. Namely, just how terrifying eighteenth birthdays were.

Sensing his rising anxiety, Rowan threw an arm around his shoulders. Jimmy leaned into his side, taking deep breaths.

“You have one goal on your birthday, Lister,” Rowan said like he was talking to a five year old. “Get yourself back here as fast as you can. Parties can come later.”

Lister sighed. “Everything’s going to be fine. I don’t know why the two of you are so worried.”

Despite his reassurances, Lister’s lips pressed together tightly.

The whole world knew it was Lister Bird’s eighteenth birthday. They couldn’t predict how many people would come out of the woodwork claiming to be Lister in a different body, and they had to hope they could tell who the real one was. Theoretically, they could rely on Lister’s soulmate to help out, but there was no telling how cooperative they’d be if they realised they could play the situation to their advantage.

Jimmy knew everything would probably be fine, but he couldn’t help but imagine the worst.

Continue reading on AO3.

#iwbft #i was born for this #bicci #jimmy x lister #jimmy kaga ricci #lister bird #my fanfic #my writing

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theduckeminence · 1 year

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△ for Tanggol: have you had psst relationships? If so how were they? How did they end?

△ also for Tanggol: what's your most embarrassing memory?

Level of intrusiveness: 5.5-7ish

(This takes place before Tanggol met Pakku)

“Oh okay um…” Tanggol sits there for a minute, trying to recollect on his past relationships while scratching beneath his headband.

“I know I had a couple few. My first relationship was with a girl Mayumi. She was really nice—pretty too. Though our relationship really didn’t go much of anywhere and she wasn’t one for big or romantic gestures. I didn’t blame her for it though since we were just entering our adulthood—or teen hoods if you will.”

“When I was in my later teens—probably around 18–my second was a girl named Diwata and she…well. She wasn’t the best person in the world to say the least. Was always easily jealous and never liked whenever I talked to friends or other people in general. Her family were the kindest of people, though I never understood why she was the way she was. Though I’m pretty sure it’s because of how spoiled she was—since she came from the main capital where most nobles would be.” Tanggol hums, glancing up in thought. “Hmph, thinking back at it now, I’m glad I broke things off with her. I’m also glad her parents tried to apologize as she attempted to send her brothers after me.” He chuckles lightheartedly. “Ah well, families are families.”

“My third relationship was actually with a shaman named Buwan.” Tanggol continued. “Buwan was bit more of an older gentlemen. Very wise, soft-spoken, patient—and of course, beautifully handsome.” He flushes with a little beam and rubs the back of his neck. “I met with him when I was having some kinda crisis, to which he pointed out what exactly it was—and long story short: it turned out I like most individuals.”

“I never really thought I had interests in men or male-aligning people—up until my 20s. It was there I realized two things after talking with Buwan for a long while. One was that I like men, and two was that I especially like men like Buwan. I can almost remember when my heart fluttered the first time he looked at me and reciprocated my truth. I never felt more happier in any other relationship back then. Being with a man as wonderful like him…”

For a second, Tanggol reminisces about those old days—a part of him wondering how the old shaman was doing now back home.

“And you may be wondering—what could have possibly ended a relationship as wonderful as I said it would be? Simple actually.” Sighing, Tanggol gives a little sadden smile and begins to strum his lute again, playing a vague tune.

“I may have rushed into things far too quickly than he could take. A part of me then regrets for forcing and rushing him into things like marriage and the ideas of living our future together…only to then to come to the conclusion that I was not ready for that, nor did he want that.” Plucking at the thinnest cord, the lute made a short, yet shrilling noise. Tanggol winces at the sound.

“Looking back now, I was probably way over my head in-love to even realize that we should have at least talked over all that kinda stuff before even any sort of matrimony, you know? At least now, I learned to not rush all those kind of things and to never overlook them.” Tanggol hums, giving a more resolving beam.

“And then came along my longest relationship: my wife—or rather, my former-wife.”

There’s a stirring pause to the little tune and Tanggol sits there—with his lute in his hands and a distant stare in his soft gaze as his face falls. For a minute, just for a minute, he can not only recollect, but just reach out—reach out and brush his now callous hands over the fond memories of what was. And what could have been. Of him back home, in the damp jungles of the center of Natuyuta again. The sound of birds screeching their acapellas and insects playing their songs of love and life. Greenery everywhere. Back to his little home where he can feel the earth turn and twirl around him like a dance, where a gentle and melodic voice sings a tune and awaits for him at home. Back to tender greetings, peppering kisses, and asks about his day. Back to the sway of her tube green skirt and silky barong against him when he embraced her with all his heart. Back to her bear strength and how she was able to return the affection—even if it almost choked him. Back to her smile, her laugh, her strong and passionate eyes. Back to her.

“…What were we talking about again?”

Level of intrusiveness: 6

“OH ARAW—ugh um…you see,” Tanggol snickers awkwardly while picking at the helm of his robes, “majority of my childhood up to my late teens is filled with…alot of embarrassing things. And half of them I blame on my old brother.” He huffs with a twitching grin—now slightly wishing he got proper payback .

“Though, in this instance, I guess you can say it was really one me.” Tanggol laughs, flushing now the more he can remember.

“Back when I was a kid, I asked my mom why pineapples had those weird little eye-like textures and she then proceeds to me a story about a girl who constantly asks her mom for the whereabouts for small things—like where her hairbrush was and so on. And when her mother had enough, she told her daughter “If you want to know where your things are so badly, grow some eyes for once!”. And um, long story short: when the mother went to look for her daughter, she ended up finding a yellow spikey fruit with a bunch of staring and blinking eyes at her.”

“So, YEAH that’s how she got pineapples.” Tanggol shrugs with a trying beam. “Sounds horrifying but that’s part of the point.”

“My mom told me this partially for fun and partially so that my siblings and I could learn to be more observant of my surroundings. And this scared me a bit as a kid.” The airbender gestures to himself, expressing the genuine fear he had as a child. “And…what solidified this fear is when one day, I was coming back from herding the carabao and I overheard my brothers getting scolded at by our mom. I kinda forget what it was about, but either way, I thought nothing of at the time. That was until night rolled around and it was time for dinner.”

“When I came back inside, it was just my sister and my mom prepping for dinner but I didn’t see my brothers anyway. I think I asked my sister where they were and she said something like, “oh they’re probably be here eventually” and so I just leaved it be.”

“Until mom took out two pineapples and began chopping them up. And—my ARAW—I have never been more sickened and horrified in my life. I thought my brothers turned into pineapples. Freaking PINEAPPLES. And I just started sobbing at the table.”

“And, oh spirits,” Tanggol facepalms, shaking his head, “while I cried to my mom about this, my brothers eventually joined us.”

“Turns out they had to do extra chores around the barn up until night time rolled around.” Tanggol chuckles, scratching the back of his neck. “Thinking back at it now, I was only 12 at the time. But still, it’s kinda funny now that I think about it.”

#atla #oc: tanggol #asks #the pineapple story is based off an actual myth my mom told me XD FHDKDB

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