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mikavlcs · 1 year

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Elysium

Pairing: Wednesday Addams x cryomancer!reader

Summary: After realizing her untimely feelings, Wednesday pushes you away, but the arrival of a certain dance proves that she may have made a fatal mistake in doing so.

Warnings: ooc!wednesday(??? i honestly can’t tell), tyler galpin, baby’s first attempt at a recurring metaphor

Word count: 8k (...)

Notes: so...i don’t completely hate this lol. shout out to the anon that requested this, i had fun with it! hope you enjoy<3

Masterlist | Part 1

Wednesday was happy to be alone.

Being alone was the most natural thing in the world. A necessity that she could never dream of giving up for anyone. Other, lesser human beings may have been social creatures, but not Wednesday. She found peace in solitude, happiness in the silence that came with self-induced isolation.

She was a solitary island surrounded by an ocean that she had no interest in ever exploring.

So in order to maintain her seclusion she built the walls around her island up so high that they obscured the sun and surrounded them with wooden spikes for anyone dumb enough to approach to impale themselves on for her entertainment.

The only people she would ever open up to was her family on the incredibly rare occasions that she allowed it, but other than that, no one was ever let inside. Her walls stood tall, strong, and impenetrable.

Of course, despite her best efforts to fend off intruders, there were always the occasional daredevils that liked to see how close they could get to the fire without being burned.

Enid, it seemed, was one of those people, brazenly ignoring her warnings and threats and advancing toward her barricade. She’ll learn eventually, Wednesday supposed.

But never had she seen someone be so unbothered by her defenses until she met you.

Because you didn’t try to approach or swim onto her shore, nor did you comment on the height of her walls or the myriad of weapons crowded around them.

No, you seemed happy to just float out in the open ocean and engage with her from there, utterly content to wait for her to come out to you instead of forcing the opposite.

It was odd. But Wednesday held that same opinion for you in general.

You were a peculiarity, different in a way she hadn’t quite encountered before. Both because of your abilities and personality.

In Wednesday’s opinion, your powers were something you had much too little pride in considering how versatile they truly were.

From the solid, nearly impervious walls you could build within seconds, to the various weapons you could make—your powers had many applications that Wednesday was more than happy to take advantage of when allowed.

(She had even seen you turn your arm into solid ice. Only once, and you could only make it to the middle of your bicep, but it was impressive, nonetheless. Certainly something she could find a use for in the future.)

And that wasn’t even mentioning their practical everyday effects.

Wednesday had been told that her presence metaphorically chilled a room, but you did it literally without even meaning to. To the point where some classrooms had to turn the heat on early this year because of students’ complaints about your effects on the temperature.

Personality-wise, you were a bit warmer but not overwhelmingly so. You were friendly, but not overbearing as her roommate could often be. Positive, but not to the point where you lacked realism.

You were missing the innocence and naivete that most others your age immaturely grasped onto.

While you were still what she would classify as an optimist, it was apparent that the world had sunk its teeth into you and ripped away something fundamental.

Not enough to break your spirit, but enough for you to know what it truly meant to suffer.

And that gravity that you held, that perfect point of neutrality you maintained, made you more tolerable than anyone else in that prison of a school.

You were peculiar. Unlike anyone Wednesday had seen or met before. You held within you the most stunning mixture of warm and cold that she’d ever seen, like a winter’s first sunrise.

You never offered up anything about yourself nor did you try to push her for any personal details. You simply did as she asked of you, helped her achieve her goals without asking for anything in return.

Whenever you were with her you seemed content to just…be.

It was so atypical, so exceptionally strange that she couldn’t help but keep you around. Couldn’t stop her feet from traveling down that familiar woodland path that you would inevitably be sitting just off of.

Over days and weeks, she found herself stepping outside her walls and slowly inching toward the shoreline, feet traversing over the damp sand to get just the slightest bit closer to you. But for the most part, she was able to refrain from ever touching the water.

The Outreach Day incident was a turning point.

Wednesday wasn’t sure why, but there was a fundamental paradigm shift in her relationship with you after that day.

She hadn’t told you the horrors that befell Mary that night, but there were inklings of it. The spilled blood on the paper, the use of that same blood to sign her name at the bottom. She showed you that for a reason.

It was a warning of sorts. Not a show of power, but a display of what she was capable of.

And you didn’t run, you accepted the letter and all its implications with a smile and possibly the sincerest thank you Wednesday had ever received in her life.

That specific night stuck with her for weeks afterward.

It felt like that was the point when she allowed herself to step off the firm ground of the shore and wade into uncharted waters with you.

The worst part was that she didn’t even notice until the effects translated into physical symptoms.

The first was an irregularity in her heartbeat. An arrhythmia caused by the sight of your soft, crooked smile.

It jolted her in the moment, but she wrote it off as a once-off, an anomaly. Until it happened again and then again and again, all while in your presence. And that wasn’t the only thing.

There was a growing warmth in her chest that accompanied the thought of you, one powerful enough to combat your natural frigidity. And it seemed that when you were around her, the very air between you electrified, sending sparks up her veins.

Not to mention the subtle shortness of breath and nerves that persisted in your presence.

These instances didn’t scare her, but they did draw her concern. She took note of all her symptoms and did as much research as she could, but there was no disease or sickness she could find that matched what she was experiencing.

That left the next most logical conclusion—sabotage. Considering all of these oddities happened when she was with you, that theory was somewhat plausible. But she had a hard time believing it.

Motive was the first thing that didn’t add up. Why would you want to do this? And with such an ineffective method, it made no sense. What even was your methodology here? Poison?

Wednesday was a self-taught master of poisons. She had ingested nearly every toxin she was able to get her hands on to both study its effects firsthand and build an immunity. There was no poison on the planet that Wednesday wouldn’t be able to identify in seconds, let alone any that would actually be able to incapacitate her, so that didn’t track either.

There were other holes in this theory as well. The unusual electricity, for instance. Sure, your powers were elementally based, but you could only create and bend ice to your will, not electric currents.

And generally, she just found it hard to believe that you would do anything nefarious to her.

She decided she would push the issue to the back of her mind. It wasn’t actively impeding her ability to function in any meaningful way, so it would wait until the current investigation was laid to rest, a mystery to be solved after the monster was found.

But everything finally clicked weeks later, when Eugene was guiding them to a cave pictured in a drawing she stole from Xavier, one of her current suspects.

Eugene was leading a few paces ahead while the two of you lingered behind, strides matching the others perfectly. He was going on about the insect life local to the area. Wednesday had little interest, but you indulged him, asking questions and listening with a smile.

She preferred to just listen to you both, stealing occasional glances at you while you laughed along with Eugene.

It was only when she caught herself pondering how well you would get along with her brother, how much Pugsley would enjoy the company of someone like you that the realization hit her with all the force of an incoming bullet train.

The “symptoms” she’d been experiencing for the past months were not indicative of any kind of medical issue, but instead of something else. Something far, far worse.

For it was a sign that she had become a hypocrite, that she had gone off and done exactly what she swore to her mother she would never do. Just like that her world was turned upside down and she was left to reevaluate everything that she knew about herself.

She didn’t realize she had stopped in the middle of the forest until you entered her direct line of sight, stepping in front of her with worried eyes.

“Hey, are you alright?”

A harsh swallow and hard blink were all she needed to regain her bearings, but she still couldn’t quite meet your eyes.

“I’m fine.” She walked past you, discarding the worried looks you were giving her.

The rest of the afternoon went without issue, even gathering a critical piece of DNA evidence from the monster, but the revelation weighed heavily on her from then until deep in the early hours of the morning.

Troubled, she lay awake, the resting shadows of Enid and Thing taunting her from their respective places in bed and atop her desk. But sleep was the furthest thing on her mind then, no matter how much she wished it was.

Instead, she was stuck replaying every moment that she had spent with you, wondering when and how she had wandered so far from the safety of her shore.

The water was up to her chest now, lapping at her chin roughly. You were there, encouraging her to swim out farther with you, but Wednesday was at a standstill.

She was in far too deep to ignore, and she had to choose between swimming back to shore now without you or risking you letting her drown beneath the tempestuous waves. And as tempting as your invitation was, Wednesday had to choose the option she knew guaranteed her safety.

So the next day, for the first time since she had stepped foot in the forest, Wednesday avoided the familiar path that led to you.

Both to and from, she walked the opposite side of the woods, the unfamiliar trees doing little to assuage the harsh stinging in her chest.

You approached her about it after classes the next day, confusion and curiosity abound, but she forced herself to keep walking. Even as your words died and your face fell, she kept one steady foot in front of the other until she made it back to her dorm.

Wednesday preferred to be alone, it was the optimal state of being in her mind. Without the burden of others’ emotions and weaknesses, she was free to do whatever she pleased. But that wasn’t what it felt like now.

Instead, the lack of your presence felt like a burden and weighed down on her like a thousand stones on her back every time she stepped into the woods without you. Sweat formed on her skin even in the brisk autumn breeze.

She found the world was far too warm without you near.

In truth, she wasn’t sure what was worse, the sudden separation or the fact that you didn’t even protest against it.

Though she avoided you in the woods, seeing you around school was inevitable. But even when you sat next to her in class, you never tried to confront her about her recent behavior. You just…accepted it.

Anyone else would think that you didn’t care, that you were unbothered by her absence but Wednesday knew better. She knew you.

She saw the way you walked the halls with downcast eyes, noticed the near-permanent sorrowful frown you wore wherever you went.

It was clear that you were affected by her decision but chose to do nothing about it.

For some reason, that bothered her nearly as much as the distance did. You weren’t scared of her, so why were you acting like you were now? It made no sense.

Though she wouldn’t be inclined to admit it aloud, you were powerful. Between the nature of your powers and your near-perfect control over them, you were more than capable of demanding answers if you really wanted to. And yet you didn’t.

It nagged at her during the day, incessantly whispered in her ear at night, keeping her awake.

She was half-tempted to ask. The part of her that cared for you latched onto it, wanting any excuse to see you and be near you again.

But she didn’t. Because she made her choice.

Wednesday was back to being alone, safe on the desolate shores of her island with her stark walls, and she would have to learn to accept it once again.

A considerable amount had happened over the span of a week.

In terms of her case, Xavier had officially been promoted to prime suspect. Meaning that she had been sneaking around him to gather evidence for the better part of the week.

She had to relocate her crime board to the Hummer’s shed because of Enid’s impossibly weak stomach, and somehow, one of the largest thorns in her side was the imminent arrival of the school’s yearly dance—the Rave’n.

An event both you and she initially decided not to attend in order to further your investigative efforts but…circumstances changed.

She very nearly had to go with Xavier. An attempt to raid his personal art shed ended with him finding her there and, to cover her tracks, she was forced to ask him to the dance. But after getting caught inside his art shed only days later, that disaster was thankfully called off.

At least she successfully managed to do what she went there for in the first place—steal something with his DNA.

Now, she was trying to convince the stubborn sheriff to run both the claw and the cloth with Xavier’s blood then cross-reference the DNA to see if they matched, but of course, he refused.

The possible answer to her mystery was a hair’s width away and the only thing holding her back was the oversized ego of an old man. Typical.

Just as she was about to walk out, he agreed to run her evidence, and for the first time in seven days, she felt like she could breathe. Finally, after months of chasing this mystery, concrete answers were on the horizon. It was a refreshing change of pace.

(There was only one thing missing…)

Wednesday walked out of the sheriff’s office with only the forming hypothesis about her suspect to keep her company.

Thing refused to come with her. He had been far less cooperative since she’d started avoiding you and as annoying as his moods could be, she knew she deserved it, so she let him rebel.

As long as he still assisted her in her investigation when needed, he could do whatever he wanted.

Against her better judgment, she wondered if he was with you. He had immediately taken a liking to you, always trying to rope you into his elaborate schemes when she brought you to her dorm to aid in her research efforts.

So it wouldn’t be implausible to assume that he had been in contact with you since she had cut you off. She wondered if he knew how you were doing. If he would actually tell her if she asked.

After what she’d done, she wondered if she even deserved to know.

“Hey, Wednesday, wait up!”

She paused, annoyance already coursing through her veins because she knew that voice. Turning, she was met with the sight of Tyler Galpin jogging over to her from across the street.

A mixture of annoyance and unease coursed through her. She was tempted to just leave—dealing with one Galpin had already drained her limited patience—but the inherent intrigue kept her in place.

Tyler was an enigma to her, a contradiction that was made all the more interesting when put in contrast to his father.

Sheriff Donovan Galpin was a dogmatic, stubborn prick at the best of times. Truly one of the most inherently irritating men Wednesday had ever had the misfortune of interacting with.

But he was a genuine man.

He was passionate about his job, upfront about what he wanted, and he didn’t let anything stop him from finding answers, not even when told to stand down by the mayor himself. In a sense, it was something Wednesday respected about him.

Tyler was the opposite, all counterfeit charm and synthetic smiles for no outwardly apparent reason.

Wednesday didn’t like him. He was only kept around because he was a useful source of information. Having lived in Jericho his whole life, he knew things about the town that she didn’t, but he was still just…off.

She couldn’t explain it, even with her extraordinary diction.

Something about him just caused an innate, negative alchemical reaction within her. He set off her intrinsic alarm bells whenever he was near, like he was the culprit of a terrible (not in the good way) crime that she just couldn’t prove.

Instinctively, she thought back to the observation you offered when she asked your opinion of the boy.

“He’s just…weird, y’know?” you said, eyes glued to the birds flying between the branches overhead, admiring them as you both walked down the familiar woodland path.

“It’s like he’s wearing the skin of the perfect small-town boy next door. He’s perfected the shy dialogue and sunny personality, but he hasn’t quite gotten the movements and mannerisms down.”

It made her tense, already perfect posture straightening up even more as he rounded her and slowed to a stop a few feet in front of her, effectively blocking her way.

“Hey,” he grinned. “I wasn’t expecting to see you in town. What are you doing?”

“Running errands,” she answered tersely.

“Oh? Shopping for a certain dance perhaps?”

She gritted her teeth at the mention of the event. “We’ve interacted enough for you to know that I have no interest in frivolous school events.”

“Right,” he chuckled, awkward. “Well, hopefully, this one isn’t completely off the table.”

Wednesday had no qualms against squashing the hope in his voice. “It is.” She sidestepped and tried to leave but he blocked her once more.

“Wait, I need to ask you something.”

“Tyler, I have neither the time nor the interest for your inquiries right now.” She tried to move past him, but he grabbed her shoulder to stop her, grip a bit too tight.

Immediately, she ripped herself out of his grasp and gave him a glare so sharp it could’ve cut him in two.

Tyler put his hands up, sounding genuine when he said, “Sorry, I shouldn’t have grabbed you like that, I know. I just… Please, just hear me out.”

She continued to glare, but it was clear he wasn’t going to leave her alone about this. Wednesday sighed, jaw clenched tight. “Fine. Hurry up.”

“I was…well, I was just wondering if—”

He cut himself off with a cough. Wednesday exhaled sharply.

“Spit it out, Tyler.”

“…Do you maybe wanna go to the Rave’n with me?” he asked, bringing his hand to scratch his neck in a gesture of nervousness that wasn’t quite convincing enough. Your words echoed in her mind, and she couldn’t help but realize how right you were.

She narrowed her eyes, the no just about to slip off her tongue but she bit it back at the last second and looked at him—really looked at him.

His artificial boyish grin was present, stiff pseudo-withdrawn posture accompanying it. But his eyes were different.

Usually, they were unreadable, vacant of any of the emotion injected into his voice, but not now. Now, she could see the echoes of an unspecified emotion creeping just along the edges of his irises.

There was something lurking within the shadows of his eyes, something that even Wednesday couldn’t quite decipher.

It unsettled her, enough for her to change her plans on the spot.

“Fine. Pick me up at 8. If you’re late, I’ll have Thing remove one of your fingers.”

She didn’t bother waiting for a response, promptly moving past him and around the corner the moment she was finished speaking and maintaining that speed until she was halfway through her new forest path back to Nevermore.

Once she passed the marker of her halfway point, she finally slowed and allowed herself to process what she had seen.

What was that?

Sure, she had thought that something with Tyler was off, but this was her first time seeing an inkling of something genuinely sinister. Could it have some deeper meaning? Could she have been putting her focus on the wrong person for the past few weeks?

She brushed her mild shock aside and took the next logical step in her process—mentally categorizing and contrasting her two suspects.

Xavier had been within close proximity both times she had encountered the monster, at the festival and in the forest with you on Outreach Day. Additionally, he had those suspicious scratch marks on his neck, and though he said they were from a painting of the beast brought to life, that could very well be a lie.

But Tyler’s whereabouts in both of those instances were unknown, so in theory, he could have been there as well. For all she knew, he could be an outcast of some sort as well.

Wednesday sighed, feeling the beginnings of a headache coming on.

Looked like she would be attending the dance after all.

The night of the Rave’n came far too quickly for Wednesday’s liking.

She was sitting on her bed, squirming uncomfortably in the dress Thing stole for her as she awaited Tyler’s arrival. The sentient hand had already gone off to the dance, under explicit instruction to monitor Xavier for her while she observed Tyler for the night, which he thankfully agreed to without protest.

Enid was also long gone, thankfully. She would already have to deal with her at the dance itself, so she was grateful to have some time to prepare without her roommates squealing.

8 pm rolled around and with it came a knock on her door.

He was technically thirty-seven seconds late, but she wasn’t about to throw away an ample opportunity such as this over that. (Though she would at least think about going through with her threat. Thing would be more than happy to add another finger to his collection.)

With a quiet sigh, she stood and pulled the door open to reveal her companion for what would undoubtedly be a hellish evening.

Tyler looked up when the door opened, a big grin creeping onto his face when he saw her.

“W-Wow, you look…amazing,” he stuttered out, eyes void of the wonder in his voice. Wednesday hummed, running her eyes over his outfit.

Plain white button-up, blazer, slacks, and dress shoes. Following the dress code to the letter. Disappointing.

“You look passable,” she said plainly, moving to stride past him. “Let’s go. Even ‘fashionably late’ has its limits.”

Without bothering to wait for him, she marched onward out of her dorm, leaving Tyler scrambling to catch up behind her.

She wasn’t sure where exactly the dance was being held, but it was a nonissue. All she needed to do was allow the obnoxiously loud music to guide her way, like a North star.

Unsurprisingly, that worked and before she knew it, they were walking through the entrance, adorned with lights and sequins, and stepping into the event proper.

She took a cursory glance around the room as she entered, and she had to give the decorating committee a bit of credit because the place was not hideous. The flashing lights and nauseating amounts of glittery décor were heinous, but at least there appeared to be a theme present.

Onyx eyes found you instantly, drawn to you like magnets, and she froze in place. Tyler stopped a few paces ahead of her, giving her a weird look but she paid no attention to him.

There were many other eyes on her as well, but she ignored them just the same, instead focused on two things.

First, not only were you here despite saying you had no plans to attend but you were also dressed from head to toe in black. Just as she was.

And while you weren’t the only person not following the assigned dress code—she was particularly happy to see both Bianca and Enid forgoing it—you still stood out to her far more than the others.

You had forsaken the theme in a way that no one else had. No one besides her, that is.

And second, you were with Eugene.

He was there next to you, smiling and laughing in tandem with you as you talked about god knew what. Her chest tightened and burned with an unfamiliar emotion.

Now, logically Wednesday knew that you had no feelings beyond friendship for the boy, considering both his age and the fact that, to her knowledge, you had only spoken to him a handful of times. But it didn’t matter.

Eugene could be replaced with any other faceless student, and she suspected she would still be upset to see you here with someone else. (In her color, nonetheless.)

As if you could sense her gaze, you looked over toward the entrance where she stood, and you stilled instantly, reflecting her own reaction.

Your smile waned, as did whatever sentence you had been in the middle of, and the shock that painted your expression turned to hurt when your eyes traveled to the boy she walked in with.

Even from across the room, Wednesday could see frost building on the glass in your hand, and she yearned to know what was upsetting you so greatly that you were losing control of your powers. Was it just her mere presence here? Or Tyler’s? A mixture of both?

Before she could properly react, Enid bounded up to her, clapping her hands excitedly. “O-M-G, I love the look! I can’t believe you actually showed up.”

“Neither can I,” she muttered with distaste. Her eyes wandered over Enid’s shoulder to where you were and found that you were no longer looking at her, but instead back at Eugene.

You looked upset, the happiness you radiated only moments ago long gone, and she hated to think that she was the possible cause. Eugene appeared to be consoling you about something. Wednesday itched to go over and ask you herself.

Enid followed her eyes, her smile dropping a bit. “Yeah, you guys are totally matching. I thought it might’ve been coordinated but…” She gave Tyler an unimpressed once-over. “I guess I overestimated your taste.”

Wednesday’s brows raised, focus darting back to Enid. The corner of her lips twitched. Maybe she was beginning to rub off on her chipper roommate.

Again, Wednesday peered over her shoulder and this time found Lucas. When their eyes met, he waved at her nervously, his posture noticeably stiffening as he lingered at the table behind Enid.

The realization hit and any traces of a smile were gone instantly.

“Well, I suppose I could say the same about you, Sinclair,” she drawled, sending Lucas a pointed look.

Enid grimaced, sending him a sheepish glance. “It’s not what it looks like, I swear. He’s trying to make his ex jealous and I’m just trying to make Ajax jealous. It’s a mutually beneficial temporary partnership, nothing more!”

That sounded immensely stupid to Wednesday, but she nodded anyway to placate the girl. “Well, if he does anything stupid, don’t hesitate to inform me,” she looked back to the boy behind the werewolf, projecting her voice so he could hear. “I brought my pocket mace. The medieval kind.”

Lucas gulped loud enough to be heard over the music, but Enid just giggled.

“Of course. And if you need to ditch your ‘date’, just let me know.” She sent Tyler, who was speaking with Miss Thornhill, a half-hearted smile.

Suddenly, Enid gasped; eyes locked onto a certain gorgon quickly approaching from across the room.

“Ajax is coming this way, I gotta go,” Enid hurriedly explained, going to grab Lucas. “Try to have some fun, Willa! Or as much as you can with that normie.”

Wednesday glowered at the nickname.

“How many times do I have to tell you to stop calling me that, Enid?” she called after the retreating girl, who only offered a wave in return.

Tyler, finally finished with whatever conversation he was having with her teacher, sidled up to her with his hands buried in his pockets. “So, uh…what do you wanna do?”

Leave, she immediately thought but didn’t say. She looked around for anything remotely interesting and when she found nothing, her eyes settled on the beverage table. She wasn’t thirsty in the slightest, but it was something.

“I’ll go get us drinks.” She only made it a step forward before she was blocked by an arm.

“Allow me,” Tyler remarked with that ever-irritating grin. “You stay here.”

He straightened his blazer and sauntered toward the table, leaving her by herself.

Aggravation built in her chest, but she couldn’t get worked up so early into the night, so she took a long breath and searched for an empty table.

Only a few seconds into her search, someone snagged her arm and pulled her off to the side. She whirled on them the moment they stopped moving, fist fully prepared to strike, and only halted her attack at the last second when she saw the culprit.

Xavier.

Maybe I should’ve struck anyway, she mused idly. But aloud she said, “What do you want?”

“I can’t believe you’re here with him,” he spat. The vitriol in his voice piqued her interest.

“Why?” she asked. “Do you have history?”

He laughed, rough and humorless. “That’s one way to put it.”

Wednesday crossed her arms and raised her eyebrows expectantly. After a moment, he obliged.

“You remember that blank wall I was staring at on Outreach Day?” he asked.

She nodded.

“Well, last year Principal Weems asked that I paint a mural there to celebrate Outreach Day. I was there after dark finishing it up when Tyler and his asshole friends jumped me. They held me down and beat me up then ruined the painting and just left me there. It took weeks for me to recover.”

Wednesday would admit that she was taken aback. She knew Tyler was hiding something, but to find out that he had been responsible for something so violent was unexpected. Unexpected and incredibly valuable.

She was reminded of what Xavier said the day after the festival about Tyler not being who she thought he was. More and more, it was beginning to look like he had a point.

“And was that his first instance of violent behavior?”

“No,” he said, “he’s been picking on outcasts for years. Only recently has he stopped because he’s ‘reformed’ or some bullshit. But I don’t believe it. People like that rarely change.”

On that, they could both agree.

“I’m only here with him because he’s a suspect, like you. Nothing more, nothing less.”

Xavier didn’t seem comforted by her words. He snorted, “Well at least I’m not the only one you’re willing to use for your own gain.”

She rolled her eyes, not bothering to even respond to the comment. She assumed that to be the end of the conversation, but Xavier remained there, watching her.

He was waiting for something, she realized. Something that would never come.

“I’m not going to apologize for putting my investigation, and thus the safety of everyone in and around Jericho, over your fragile feelings, Xavier,” she said, slowly and succinctly. “So if that’s what you’re waiting for then don’t bother further wasting your time.”

Xavier’s jaw clenched. “Fine,” he gritted out, rueful, and stalked back over to his table.

Wednesday didn’t bother watching him leave, still processing what he told her.

The revelation of Tyler’s violent past marinated in her mind. Seemed like she had a new prime suspect on her hands.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw something crawl up onto the table next to her. She looked over and was greeted by Thing. He stood to attention; his stance was alert, but it was clear that he was still excited just to be there.

He even had a bowtie tied around his wrist for the occasion, one she’d never seen before but it was a perfect fit.

“Nice bowtie. Enid?”

He tapped out a confirmation.

“I figured,” she said, then got serious again. “I’m assuming you heard everything that was said?”

Another affirming tap.

“It seems that Tyler is shaping up to be the real prime suspect, but I still want you to keep all five fingers on Xavier. I need to make sure all of my bases are covered, just in case.”

She looked around for her date and found him a few tables away, two drinks sat in front of him. Considering the weird looks he was shooting at Xavier; one could assume that he had seen their discussion. She sighed.

“I should get back before Tyler gets suspicious. Make sure to follow my instructions.” She gave him a look. Then, “Since I know this will be getting dull soon, you can feel free to trip however many people you want. Just make sure it’s within my sightline. I need as much amusement as I can get tonight.”

Thing perked up and gave her an excited thumbs up before scampering back off in Xavier’s direction, likely looking for his next victim along the way.

Once he was out of sight, she made her way over to Tyler, valiantly ignoring the questioning look he was giving her as she took a seat on the other side of the table.

Not one to be deterred, he asked, “What was that about?”

“Nothing that concerns you,” came her easy answer.

“Oh, uh ok,” Tyler stammered. He opened and closed his mouth a few more times (movements still just a bit too scripted to feel real) before sliding one of the cups over to her side of the table.

“I got us the drinks,” he offered, sounding more unsure than he seemed.

“Thanks,” she deadpanned. The cup went untouched, however. She remembered what Xavier said about the punch being spiked, and she had no desire to be inebriated. Especially around Tyler.

Wednesday stared carefully at the boy across from her, watching and waiting for any more unnatural behaviors. But he got suddenly quiet, seeming to actively avoid her gaze, so she turned to survey the dance floor.

The lone black silhouette was easy to spot in a moving sea of white.

You were grinning harder than she’d ever seen before, dancing energetically to a headache-inducing pop song with someone—Eugene, given the curly hair.

It was a mesmerizing sight, seeing you shed your usual reserved nature and be so unrepentantly joyful around so many others.

As she watched you dance and have fun with Eugene, she couldn’t shake the feeling that she had made a grave mistake.

She thought back to your earlier reaction when she arrived at the dance, the hurt in your eyes when you saw Tyler. Under the assumption that it wasn’t just a figment of her imagination, could that have been indicative of something?

The idea that you could be harboring feelings for her, mirroring her own current predicament, made her heart race uncomfortably.

If it was true, had she ruined her own chances by pushing you away?

Self-sabotage was an abstract concept to Wednesday. The idea that she would ever hinder her own road to success was laughable. Especially when people like Sheriff Galpin and Principal Weems were content to do that all on their own.

She had always taken what she perceived to be the most logical next step to get her closer to achieving her goals. And that was what she thought she was doing when she pushed you away—eliminating a problem that stood in her way.

But now, being faced with the possibility that she had ruined what she had with you because of her own emotional ineptitude was staggering, inconceivable almost.

Wednesday ruminated over her mother’s parting words to her on her first day at Nevermore.

“You’re a brilliant girl, Wednesday, but sometimes you get in your own way.”

Perhaps her mother held more wisdom than she was willing to give her credit for.

Her self-introspection was halted by Tyler.

“Do…you wanna dance?” he asked, hesitant.

Her answer was immediate. “No.”

Abruptly, someone on her left tripped, falling forward with a piercing squeal and a loud crash. Wednesday smirked. At least Thing was enjoying himself.

The song changed from one loud and irritating pop song to another, prompting more students to flood the dance floor.

Spotting you amongst the chaos was harder, but through a pocket between some students, she was able to catch a glimpse of your dark figure alongside Eugene as the tempo began to pick up.

Some other familiar faces were joining you now, including Enid and her normie not-date, Bianca, who seemingly came to her senses and ditched her date, and a few other people that Wednesday could vaguely remember from the Nightshade’s library. Her lungs burned in her chest despite the abundance of air around her.

It was ironic, she thought, how she felt like she was drowning more now on dry land than she did when she was in the water.

Once again, her observations were interrupted, this time with an angry scoff.

Crossing her arms, Wednesday turned to Tyler, her agitation showing in her voice. “What?”

He released an incredulous laugh at her question, as if she was crazy for even asking.

“You know, I don’t get it, Wednesday. You’ve been distracted all night. First with that werewolf girl, then Xavier, then whoever,” he made an angry gesture in your direction, “that is. What was the point of accepting my invitation if you’re not even going to have the decency to pay attention to me?”

Wednesday forced a sigh through her nose. He was right, but not for the reasons he thought.

She should be using this event to her advantage, taking this time to analyze the boy in front of her for the sake of her investigation. Yet her mind remained steadfast on the thought of you, eyes wanting to get just one more glimpse whenever they possibly could.

She couldn’t begrudge him in his anger here; she knew that she was technically in the wrong, but she wasn’t apologetic either. After all, there was still the chance that he was a serial killer.

A flash of black in her peripherals got her attention. Without turning her head, she looked and saw you heading toward the exit. Her breath stuttered, the urge to get up and follow you pulling painfully at her chest. And for a moment, she genuinely considered it.

In front of her, Tyler banged a fist on the table, successfully bringing her full attention back to him. “You’re doing it again,” he growled out. His fist was clenched so hard that his knuckles were bone white.

The shadows crossed his eyes again, a flash of something malevolent making her dig her nails into her arms. Unflinching, she stared right back with raised brows, practically challenging him to do something, to confirm her rapidly increasing suspicions.

Unfortunately, he didn’t. In the face of her challenge, he backed down and sat back in his chair, posture slumping over once more.

If he was the monster, then he was at least smart enough to pick his battles accordingly.

Wednesday glanced toward the exit again. She knew he was going to make her decide and though it should have been much harder to come up with an answer, she suspected that she had her mind made up from the start.

“Choose,” he demanded, barely loud enough to be heard over the blasting music. “Me or—”

She was on her feet before he could even finish.

Tyler’s shouts of protest went unacknowledged, her feet leading her in the same direction you went. On her way out, she caught Enid’s eyes.

Her roommate flashed her a smile and a thumbs up, to which Wednesday rolled her eyes. But deep down she was glad to have the encouragement. She would likely need it for what came next.

The music faded to a dull roar behind her as she exited the dance, scanning the outside hall for any sign of where you could’ve gone.

Turned out there was no need to search for you because you were right there, on the far side of the room. You were reclined on a bench with your back turned to her, leaning your head against the back of the bench with your eyes closed.

She approached as quietly as possible, her heart thumping so hard she wouldn’t be surprised if it shattered her sternum.

Wednesday had never given much thought to the phrase “absence makes the heart grow fonder” before, thinking it to be a stupid and nauseatingly sappy sentiment. But the ache she felt in her very bones to be close to you again proved her incorrect.

The air chilled the nearer she got to you and the static electricity sparked along her skin. She welcomed both sensations with open arms.

Slowly, she rounded the bench and seated herself on the far side, leaving a generous amount of space between you and her in case you wanted it. With a breath, she broke the quiet.

“Leaving so soon?”

“Taking a break, actually,” you responded, not opening your eyes. “Dancing’s a lot more tiring than it looks and it’s hard to take a breather when there are so many people in there. Too much body heat.”

You didn’t say anything after that and neither did she. Because she wasn’t entirely sure what to say if she was being honest.

Selfishly, she wanted you to just ask. Ask her why she shut you out, why she kept walking every time she saw you. She wanted to know that you, in some capacity, still cared about the work you were doing with her. That you wanted to regain the closeness that she had so swiftly taken away.

More than anything, she wanted to know that you might have missed her. Because she missed you, far more than she had any right to.

And when your voice finally pierced the silence, you did ask her a question, but not the one she wanted to hear.

“How’s the investigation?”

“Still pending, but seminal progress has been made. The suspect list is narrowing steadily,” she informed, keeping her tone neutral.

“Oh?” You raised a brow in her direction. You looked like you wanted to question her further but didn’t. She told you anyway.

“My main suspects at the moment are Xavier and Tyler. That’s why I allowed him to drag me to this horrific affair.”

“I see,” you said quietly. Then, with just a hint of teasing, “And are you having fun?”

She answered with an exasperated look. You looked away with an airy laugh, allowing the thrum of the music to encapsulate the space.

Again, she let the quiet linger to give you an opportunity to speak. She waited and waited but nothing came. It was driving her mad.

Finally, she cracked, her curiosity getting the better of her.

“Why aren’t you asking me why I suddenly left? Do you not wish to know?”

Your head dropped, a sad smile creeping onto your face. “No, I just figured it would happen sooner or later. I would wear out my usefulness and you would leave me behind to continue on with your investigation by yourself. I guess it was inevitable.”

Your confession caught her off guard. It was odd to see someone so powerful think so little of themselves. She also noticed how it was now her investigation instead of both of yours.

The connotation made something curdle in Wednesday’s stomach.

All at once, she found herself at an impasse. She wanted you to reach out and give her a sign. A sign that you still wanted to be associated with her. That you still felt something—anything for her. That maybe, just maybe you might want her.

But she also knew that it wasn’t right for her to expect that of you. It was only fair that she, as the one that severed the connection, bridged the gap herself if she truly wanted to make things right.

And she did, she found. She wanted it more than anything.

The ache in her bones deepened and urged her to take that first step off the blistering sands and back into dauntingly unfamiliar waves.

“That’s not why I did it.”

“Hm?” you hummed, turning slightly in her direction. You still weren’t looking at her, instead counting the dark frills on the end of her dress and it was bothering her. She clenched a fist.

“I didn’t leave because you were no longer useful to me,” she said, carefully.

She was neck deep now. The final chance to turn back presented itself, but Wednesday let it pass and plunged her head beneath the water. One final leap of faith to reach you.

“I left you behind because I was developing feelings that far exceeded the bounds of a partnership…or a friendship, for that matter,” she admitted, gripping the bench till her knuckles were white. “I thought that if I parted ways with you then they would disappear.”

It was quiet for a moment, the dull thrum of the music in the next room filling the space between.

Then, “Have they?”

“No,” she admitted after a beat.

The air thickened and it made the simple act of breathing a challenge. Wednesday stayed still, eyes studying even the tiniest movements of your face. That made it easy to spot the beginnings of a smile on your face.

“Good.”

The stutter in her heartbeat returned. She swallowed roughly against the sudden dryness in her mouth. “Good?”

Your smile widened, and for the first time since she sat down beside you, you met her eyes. “Yeah. It’s nice to know that my feelings are reciprocated after months of uncertainty.”

It took a minute for the words to truly register. The electricity turned into rolling waves of thunder in her chest, raging a storm as her heartbeat picked up.

“You…feel the same?”

“Of course,” you said, softly. “How couldn’t I? You’re the most riveting person I’ve ever met, Wednesday.”

Even if she could speak, she wouldn’t know what to say to that. In lieu of a verbal answer, she stood and crossed the distance between you and her.

When she settled back down, she was much closer. So close she could feel the blessed cold of your skin against hers. She took a breath then slowly, tentatively, she rested her head on your shoulder.

Wednesday felt you stiffen under her, then relax again. A moment later, you settled your head on top of hers, your cheek nuzzling the crown of her head. That simple act alleviated the deep-seated ache within her.

Finally, she broke the surface of the water and regained her breath. Floating atop the restless sea with you at her side, helping keep her head above the wild waves. In that moment she felt ethereal and unafraid and free.

She would confront Tyler later, hopefully with you at her side once more. But for now, she wanted to maintain this closeness, this blissful weightlessness, and just be here with you for as long as the universe would allow.

#this could get 5 notes and i would still be ecstatic about writing something that i didn't find objectively terrible lmao #wednesday #wednesday addams #wednesday addams x reader #wednesday addams x female reader #wednesday addams x you #wednesday addams imagine #jenna ortega

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boinitwdidthat · 1 year

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// Imagine - Being one of the tallest Na’vi they’ve met Pt.1 //

> (Neteyam, Lo’ak, Kiri) < Part 2

> Metkayinan!Reader (Gn terms used, they/them) <

> What happens when they meet a Na’vi quite a bit taller than themselves. <

> Neteyam <

He’s a tall boy for his age, gets it from his father mainly

However, seeing you emerge from the water that first day almost had him stuck in place.

And it just kept going, watching you rise and rise.

Finally with your full frame in view his neck craned up once more, easily standing around a foot taller than him.

This was . . strange . . definitely. He was used to some others being taller, namely the elders. But one his age? Stunned immediately.

He could barely pay attention when you introduced yourself, one of the student animal caretakers in their clan.

Lo’ak seemed to notice as well, roughly shoving Neteyam’s shoulder. Dragging him out of the quickly spiraling train of thought.

You’d addressed him? When? The startled look shines on his face.

“Neteyam? I asked if you’ve ever taken care of water animals before?” Smiling down at him, you gently grabbed his arm.

As you led the group down towards the quarry, you gradually felt Neteyam tense under your hand. Assuming it was out of discomfort, you swiftly let go with a look of apology on your features.

Quickly, Neteyam turned to you, having noticed the lack of body heat.

“It was okay- Your hand I mean. But if you were uncomfortable it’s totally fine too. Yeah, alright.” Said arm leaned up awkwardly shifting his pelts.

Lo’ak’s cackling at this reaction could be heard from a ways behind him, he was definitely going to hear about this later at their home.

You turned to him, gently leaning up to swat the various bugs away from his ears.

“Okay, I’ll keep that in mind in bigger crowds,” The glint in your eyes screamed sincerity despite the sarcastic tone, “I wouldn’t want to lose you in one.”

His face burned at the light joke, because it must’ve been a joke

Wasn’t it?

> Lo’ak <

He’s lean, he knows that. Being on the average side for majority of everything was normal for him.

But being short compared to someone else, that was out of place to him.

Yes, his family had some height on him. But he wasn’t short in comparison, he was average.

Witnessing how your body kept expanding walking past him though.

He was definitely short in comparison to you.

His legs swiftly making their way over to his siblings, now he had a mission.

“Ey, bro!” The whisper shout alarming Neteyam of his presence. A look of confusion clouding Kiri’s face at the rough address. “Who’s that?” Lightly motioning over his shoulder, as to not draw direct attention.

“That’s (Y/n), they’re monitoring the animals right now, I think it’s a learning experience though.” Kiri’s eyes shifted to your long stature, awkwardly attempting to feed a school of fish.

That was, until they witnessed you drop the feeding bag into the water, assumingly on accident if your rushed gathering of the feed was anything to go by.

“Well,” Lo’ak turned to his brothers confident look, “are you going to play heroic savior or stand there?” Snarky tone aside, he was right.

Lo’ak quietly hyped himself up, pushing back his shoulders and taking his chance to meet this hopefully friendly giant.

“Need any help?” The new voice surprised you, momentarily pausing your frantic motions. Looking up from your crouch, the darker blue skin caught you off-guard.

“Uhm, yeah- if you don’t care too.” Uncertainty very clear in those words.

His body hunkered down, quickly grabbing as much feed as he can hold before dumping it back into the bag.

One thing he hadn’t accounted for, was the greedy mama fish aiming straight for his tail

A loud very manly shout rang out, easily echoing the beach front, as a startled Lo’ak scrambled his way out of the bank.

Thankfully, that had been the last of the lost feed, tying the bag and setting it down before crawling out yourself.

His eyes dragged up, finally meeting their target.

“Hey, I’m Lo’ak, your feeding assistance this morning.” Obnoxiously bowing his torso, as if among royalty.

“Yeah, that may be needed today,” Your hand slowly reaching into the water again, “If this mama has anything to say about it!” You lifted the avid fish out of the water briefly, holding her over Lo’ak’s head.

“NO!” His legs rapidly clearing towards the other end of the beach side.

He can handle being short to another person, he’ll slowly get used to it

Better to keep that person to only you for now

> Kiri <

Kiri tried not to focus on physical traits, with her being picked on much since arriving she saw focusing on these things as rude.

It’s kind of hard not to focus when you entered their circle though, being mostly leg and muscle.

Your face the strongest color of teal she had seen yet among these people, and it was fascinating, contrasting size even among your own people.

Her eyes showed this curiosity, watching you maneuver yourself as to not impose to much on their space, as she caught the smallest glimpse of insecurity in those moves.

Though she didn’t understand why. You were a beauty to her, even if she won’t tell you directly.

But, she definitely could indirectly, she thought as she adjusted he seating next to you.

“Hi, I’m Kiri” She stuck out her arm for greeting.

This was her first test, whether or not you were a kind person upon meeting.

It’s not a secret many of the villagers did not like, or initially trust her family. Either for being hybrid, or from another clan, she wondered if you would shun away her hello for those reasons as well.

To her surprise, you met her arm with a solid grip.

“Hello, I’m (Y/n), I mainly take care of the wildlife here.” You smiled down at her, as she sat astonished at how you could possibly feel insecure about your being.

Yes you were tall, but kind to her and her siblings when many were not. And, set on learning with care rather than war.

Slowly she stood, having let go of your hand but motioning you to follow.

“Come, I have some questions of this place.”

As you made your way behind her it truly hit you how much larger you were, standing up only made her head reach your elbow joint.

Much about you height bothered you, always seeming to take up too much space without meaning too.

Not to mention the remarks from other villagers, deeming you too significant to only research. ‘You should be training to defend the people, you were built for such’.

You didn’t wish for war or fighting, as the wildlife was your dream responsibility.

So, the sudden light tap atop your shoulder definitely startled you, looking up and trying your hardest not to laugh at the scene before you.

It was Kiri, sitting top a lifted rock, gesturing to the ground bellow.

“Please sit, I’m very curious of your wildlife. It’s very beautiful.” She motions towards the distant water.

As you sit, Kiri looks towards you, her plan having worked as she was now eye to eye with you.

“Now,” You smiled, grateful for the new position she had managed.

“Where to begin...”

#avatar #avatar way of water #neteyam #neteyam x reader #loak #loak x reader #kiri #kiri x reader #sully family #avatar x reader #avatar imagine #neteyam imagine #loak imagine #kiri imagine #gn reader

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laurenairay · 2 months

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every breath, every hour has come to this - S. Jarvis

Summary: Seth Jarvis was your best friend, your rock, your protector…but could he ever be anything more?

This is my entry for @callsign-denmark’s Luck of the Puck fic exchange! I’ve written a Seth Jarvis story for @mp0625, and I really hope you like this – it’s my first time writing for him and I had a lot of fun with it! Thanks for providing some really great prompts for me to work with.

Words: 2.5k

Warnings: some bad language, hurt/comfort, alcohol, terrible date, I fudged the Canes’ game schedule.

Title from: A thousand years, Christina Perri

For as long as you could remember, Seth had always been in your life. Two peas in a pod, two goofy little kids, always attached at the hip. Even as hockey became more and more of a fixture in his life, you were right there in the stands, cheering him on at the top of your lungs as his biggest fan. You were his staunchest supporter, always giving him reassurance when his self-confidence cracked or faltered. He was your loyal protector, pushing away anyone that was ever mean to you, including shitty boyfriends. Everyone knew in your small suburb in Winnipeg that where one of you went, the other was sure to follow.

So it was exactly no surprise to your parents (and his) when you followed him down to Raleigh the moment his entry level contract was signed.

You didn’t know what you would do without his energetic personality lighting up your day, the ultimate hype-man even before dates that both of you knew weren’t going to end well, or his sweet smiles in a terrible morning after a fantastic night out with his team. You didn’t know what you would do without his built arms wrapped around you on the sofa while you watched awful reality tv or cheesy movies, broad shoulders perfectly places to rest your head on, and especially waking up after a shared nap together, cementing his self-proclaimed King of Naps title.

Or seeing him wake up from a nap by himself, and his whole face lighting up when he saw you there too.

For as long as you could remember, you’d been in love with Seth, and there was nothing you could do about it. You’d seen the girls Seth went on dates with, and they were nothing like you. Even when the two of you were going on your first dates when you were barely teenagers, his ‘type’ seemed to be the complete opposite of you – so you’d always endeavoured to make sure the guys you dated were the opposite of him. It was the only way to preserve your heart, to keep your incredible friendship with Seth as wholesome and solid as you needed it to be, and not once had you ever messed that up.

Seth Jarvis was the best person in your life and you never wanted that to change. Not for anything. That didn’t mean that you didn’t know how hard your life was going to be when he eventually found his soulmate – but that was a problem for future you, and you refused to do anything but live in the moment.

Speaking of living in the moment…

“Hey Seth, do these shoes go with this dress?”

Living with your best friend really did have its perks – you could always guarantee an honest opinion on your outfit from him.

“Hmm, you can’t go wrong with a little black dress and nice black heels, but where is he taking you?”

“Does that matter?”

“Well yeah, you like those shoes and I know you don’t want them to get ruined by a sticky floor,” Seth pointed out.

He really did know you so well.

“He said he’s taking me out to dinner, but he didn’t tell me where or what the venue was like,” you admitted.

You ignored Seth rolling his eyes.

“The dress is gorgeous but I would change your shoes if you aren’t sure. Maybe those black ankle boots? Not too casual but not too fancy,” Seth suggested.

Incredible.

“You are amazing,” you grinned, jogging back to your room to kick your shoes off.

“And don’t you forget it!”

You just laughed at his shout across the apartment, pulling on the ankle boots he suggested. Just as you thought, he was right. With a swipe of lipgloss, you were ready, so you grabbed your leather jacket and headed back out of your room.

“Hey, sweetheart?”

“Yeah Seth?” you asked, spinning on your heel.

“Have fun tonight. You look amazing – don’t let him forget that,” Seth said seriously, making you laugh, “And if you need anything, anything at all, call me.”

“You’re going to be my knight in shining armour?” you teased.

“With a guy you don’t know taking you out for a first date on St Patrick’s Day? Absolutely,” Seth mused.

Well you couldn’t fault him there.

“Wish me luck!”

“Luck.”

If only you’d know just how right Seth would be.

“Seth?” you whimpered, hiccupping into your phone.

“Woah, hey, what’s wrong?”

“I know it’s only been three hours, but can you pick me up?” you pleaded.

“Of course, I’ll leave right now. Three hours or three minutes, it doesn’t matter. Send me your location pin, but stay on the line?”

You just sniffed, nodding even though you knew he couldn’t see you, doing as he asked.

“Okay, I have it. That’s a real shitty bar, sweetheart.”

You choked out a sob. He had no idea. “Real shitty date too.”

“What did he do?”

You could hear him running out of your shared apartment, down the stairs rather than waiting for the elevator, and your heart ached with how willingly he dropped his peaceful evening just to help you.

“He lied about taking me out to dinner. Instead he took me to a bar where a bunch of his friends were, and when I asked him why he lied he told me he wanted to celebrate St Patrick’s Day with his buddies and thought I could come along. Which, fine, okay, he thought I would get on with his friends, so I went along with it. Most of his friends were fine, welcoming even, but they were getting drunker and rowdier and I don’t mind that if I’m with people I know and trust like you or your friends, but with strangers? No way. And then he…”

You trailed off, groaning at the memory, Seth just cursing under his breath. You could hear him driving, not even caring for once that he was probably breaking the speed limit. You just wanted him here.

“What did he do?”

“He started getting handsy. Slapping my ass, pulling me into his body with an arm around my waist, all of that shit, making his friends laugh even though it was obvious I was uncomfortable. But then he grabbed at my boobs and-”

“He fucking what?”

Over all the years of Seth protecting you from nasty dates and boyfriends, you’d never heard him so angry. Never.

“He groped me, in front of everyone. But I shoved him away immediately, I swear!” you insisted.

“Hey, I believe you sweetheart. I know that stuff makes you uncomfortable. I swear I’m going to kill him, I’ll-”

“No, no, I don’t want you to get in trouble, okay? I left the bar already,” you said firmly.

“You left the bar? But your location says…”

“I’m outside the bar, still in eyesight of the bouncer just in case, but I’m outside. I walked out the bar because I couldn’t stand to be near him after him threw the remainder of his beer at me for rejecting him.”

“He fucking what?!”

Okay, that was the angriest you’d ever heard him.

“Told you he was a shitty date,” you mumbled, sniffing again as your eyes stung with tears once more.

“This is not your fault. He was an absolute asshole and none of this is on you.”

“Just my luck, right?” you said, huffing out a bitter laugh.

Seth just cursed under his breath again, continuing to mutter about how men were shit and you deserved better and all the things that usually would put such a smile on your face…but right now it just made you want to be home, safe with him, curled up in his arms. Nothing felt better than being with Seth and it was only because of the few drinks that you had that you allowed yourself to think like this. Thankfully, it couldn’t have been more than 10 minutes before you saw a familiar car screeching into the parking lot, and you finally felt like you could breathe.

He pulled to a stop only metres away from you, and you wasted no time in walking over to him, even as he got out of the car and slammed his door shut, jogging over to meet you halfway.

“Shit, sweetheart, look at you,” Seth scowled.

You groaned softly as he took in your blurred mascara and beer-soaked top, and grabbed his hand to break his attention.

“Can we just go? I want to get as far away from here as possible.”

You rested a hand on his chest, gently guiding him backwards towards his car, out of earshot of the bouncer and anyone else who deigned to leave, Seth’s fuming expression never leaving the dive bar you were walking away from.

“Is he still inside? Is that asshole still in there?” Seth demanded.

“Hey, no, come on, leave it. He’s not worth it,” you pleaded.

“He doesn’t get to treat you like that and get away with it. No-one gets to treat you like that, you hear me? No-one.”

Your breath hitched in your throat and your body thrummed with heat at his furious words, his eyes wild in a way you’d only ever seen on the ice. His fists were clenched, his nostrils were flared, and his shoulders were squared, all the while his cheeks flushing with anger as well. It was only the brief flash of desperation across his face that let you know he wasn’t mad at you – no, this was Seth’s protective side coming out in full force, dialled up to 1000.

“Seth, I…”

You trailed off, running a hand through your hair as you struggled to find words to defend yourself, relying in his car to lean against and keep you upright. He might not have been mad at you, but it still didn’t feel good to know that your situation was making him react like this.

“It’s not like I go out of my way to date assholes,” you eventually managed, “they just seem to find me.”

“Shit, sweetheart, I’m not accusing you of anything. I just…”

He cut himself off, seeming to need a moment to think, and you waited silently for him to give you something. Anything. Eventually he cleared his throat, the wildness in his eyes replaced by an anguish that made your heart ache.

“I can’t take it anymore. I just wish you’d see what you could have, right in front of you.”

What?

What was he talking about?

Right in front of you?

The more seconds the silence stretched on, the more your confused thoughts swirled and the more frustrated Seth looked, until he groaned in frustration.

“I’m talking about me,” he said through gritted teeth, looking like he wanted to be literally anywhere else.

Oh.

Oh shit.

“You?” you repeated, your voice cracking.

“Yeah and now I wish I’d never said a damn thing so can we please pretend that you’re really drunk instead of tipsy, and never talk about it again?” Seth muttered, avoiding your eyes.

As all of his words started to sink in, you found yourself shaking your head as decades-buried hope dared to surface.

“You’ve never said anything at all! You like me?” you said, needing him to say it again.

Seth huffed out a laugh, still not looking particularly comfortable.

“How could I say anything? I’m nothing like any of the guys you’ve ever dated,” he muttered.

“Because I purposely date guys that are nothing like you!” you shot back.

“What?”

You groaned as embarrassed heat filled your cheeks, turning your head away to give you a chance to save a scrap of dignity, but then Seth’s hand was cupping your face, gently turning you back to look at him properly. Never had he touched you like this, so delicately and with such purpose. His eyes were a storm, barely giving you anything to go on outside of the intensity, and it was all you could do to let out a shaky breath as he dropped his hand but stepped a little closer.

“I’m going to need you to give me a bit more than that, sweetheart,” Seth said, barely more than a murmur, edge of his voice a little rough, “What do you mean?”

“I purposely date guys that are nothing like you…because you’ve had my heart for longer than I care to remember. I never thought you could ever be interested in me because of the girls you date, and the thought of dating someone even a little bit similar to you was heartbreaking, so I just…went for the complete opposite. Clearly it’s been working out really well,” you said, choking off a bitter laugh as you finished.

Seth’s lips parted in surprise, and for once he was stunned into silence. It was only the fact that he hadn’t moved to step away that saved you from wanting to curl into a ball on the cold ground. Still, that didn’t stop the anguish from building inside of you like a volcano ready to erupt at the slightest provocation.

Eventually he let out a shaky breath, smiling weakly.

“We’ve wasted so much time,” he said softly, shaking his head.

What?

“We…have?” you asked, still in disbelief.

“We have.” Seth nodded, smiling at you in a way that encouraged you to finally smile back at him, giddy without being able to stop yourself, “You’re my goddamned soulmate, how could I ever want anyone but you? And knowing now that you’ve felt the same way all this time? It’s everything. I wish I could say I’ve been playing the long game but honestly I never thought you’d ever want me back. But we need to put a pin in this conversation until tomorrow.”

What? Why?

You didn’t know what was showing on your face but it made Seth laugh – a little deliriously, maybe, but a bright laugh that you were so used to all the same.

“You’ve been drinking, sweetheart. You’ve literally just ended a bad date covered in beer, as well as had quite an emotional night,” Seth explained.

“That still won’t change how I feel about you in the morning,” you pointed out.

His smile turned a little bashful, but definitely pleased, making the butterflies in your stomach riot.

“Then I look forward to hearing you say it again tomorrow. Just…let me take you home? Away from this gritty old bar parking lot?”

You nodded without hesitation, making him huff out a laugh again but take your hands.

“Take me home, Seth,” you murmured, squeezing his hands, barely able to believe the words coming out of your mouth.

With Seth’s wide grin, it looked like he could barely believe it either.

“We’re going to be amazing, you just wait.”

#my writing #seth jarvis fic #luck of the puck exchange #seth jarvis fanfic #seth jarvis imagine #carolina hurricanes fic #hockey fic #hockey imagine #hockey fanfic

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campcampkirbykirbykirby · 19 days

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Camp Camp Commentary Notes - Season 1, Episode 1: Escape from Camp Campbell

This is the first in a series of posts detailing the various nuggets of behind-the-scenes info found in the commentaries of the Camp Camp Seasons 1 and 2 Blu-Ray. I aim to cover both the writer commentary and cast & crew commentary of every episode in the set (except the holiday specials because they don't have commentaries GRRRR)

Writer’s Commentary

Writers went back to touch up this episode after completing the initial 10 episodes, before going on to the bonus 2 episodes that were greenlit following the positive reception

This episode went through about 12-14 drafts before it was finalized

Pilots are very hard because they both need to be very good and hook the audience so they will want to watch more, you have to juggle introducing all the necessary characters and telling a single solid story

Doubly so since this was the crew’s first shot at writing for an episodic series, all their other efforts had been story-driven up to that point

Irony in that the title of the first episode is about wanting to leave the camp (or show) entirely

Max and David’s dynamic is perfectly set up within 8 lines of dialogue

In older versions of the pilot, Mr. Campbell never showed up in person, only in the introductory video that was later repurposed into promotional material

Most of what was taken out of the pilot ended up being reused in some way, including the intro and the teaser trailer

One of the primary goals was to establish early on that this is not a kids show, like some people who saw the early promo material thought it was

This is why Max swears less than 40 seconds in, and why the rabbit gets swooped up by Timothy earlier (although I’d argue you could make that joke in a more family-friendly show)

First RT series produced in more of a writer’s room style akin to The Simpsons

The writers would come up with episode ideas, divy up who’d want what story, they’d write a first draft, come back to it, workshop the script several times, rinse and repeat until it devolved into Miles and Jordan doing final punch-ups and trimming

This pipeline allowed for lots of easter eggs and background details to be slipped in

Then they effectively do a table-read of the script which allows them to add more

Starting in Season 2, they started recording writer’s room conversations, so if something funny came up and they wanted to add it, they wouldn’t just have to go off of memory

Putting all the campers in the activities field doing their activities seemed like a good way to establish all of their respective camps.

Challenger II is Miles’ favorite visual gag (as of 2018, at least)

Working with Lee Eddy and Travis Willingham was great, Lee especially since they had previously worked with her for Red V.S. Blue

Travis was the first person who recorded for the show, as part of the aforementioned introductory video, and he was great at riffing and ad-lib

What exactly Camp Campbell was was foggy initially (whether or not it advertised that it was a camp of all camps), and the initial pilot didn’t explain it very well because they had built an internal understanding of what it was and didn’t do a very good job conveying it to the audience.

Mr. Campbell really likes the Quartermaster

Looking back on the first episodes is very interesting, especially when you have been working on the show for years at that point, for example, Max’s bond with Nikki hasn’t been established yet, so he has to ask why she’d help him.

Not enough time for the full theme song (hence why no intro), so they thought having Gwen interrupt it was funny

The scene where Max, Neil, and Nikki are running was seemingly the origin of Neil’s raptor arms (oh, excuse me, T-rex arms)

Ed, Edd ‘n’ Eddy was used as a reference for things like this because the Eds each had distinct walk cycles befitting their personality

First Day buttons were included so the campers would have a means to get away from the counselors

The music sting as the bus is driving away is a nod to the Back to the Future theme

Cast and Crew Commentary

Michael jokes about a sequel or prequel called “Max Max/Maximum Max”

The scream Miles did when David gets hit by the bus gets used quite a bit

The more Max’s parents push him away, the more he tries to cling to him, according to Maggie

Episode was supposedly recorded March 2016, ironically one of the last ones recorded

Recording for the series started November of 2015

Handheld camera movements in the mess hall scene were added by animator Gil Calceta

Lee Eddy was the only person who auditioned for Gwen, the crew saw it as perfect casting

Laserdisc player is not big enough for laserdisc

Campbell’s lazy wear (for lack of a better term) was only made for the one shot, though it would later comeback in Season 4

Michael initially auditioned for Camp Camp not really knowing what it was, and his script was just some typical Max phrases

Older episodes, Max was pitched up because Michael hadn’t quite perfected the voice yet

There was no helicopter assest created, it’s off screen and only implied by Campbell being pulled up by the ladder

The scene of Nikki throwing the button took 3 days to animate

The line “Go to bitch, jail” in the Camp Camp Rap Rap was an ad-lib/outtake

#camp camp #cc max #camp camp commentary #cc david #cc nikki #cc neil #cc gwen #cc campbell

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cecilxa · 9 months

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aesthetics, complexity and deep affection

summary: kaveh is an architect in love

contents: fluff, established relationship, gn!reader, kaveh is so hopelessly in love, character driven

cw: nothing i can think of, tell me if you find any!

recommend listening to: let you break my heart again by laufey + philharmonia orchestra

a/n: happy belated birthday kaveh 🎉🎉, more at the end

To find something beautiful is entirely subjective. One person may argue that the depths of the sea contain all the beauty of the world, whereas another would argue the stars. On certain days when the moon hangs low or when the light streaming through the stained windows at Puspa Café hits his wine at an angle, Kaveh likes to ponder this topic. Flowers blooming, the desert sand glimmering, eyes smiling. Beautiful things.

None quite as beautiful as you.

Call him superficial; call him an aesthete; call him yours. If Kaveh is the light of Kshahrewar, then you can be the butterfly to his sunlight, so he can hold you in his hands and bask in your attention. He wonders what colour your wings would be, how they would unfold, and how he would stare at them in awe, mesmerised. But you don’t need wings to lure him in, nor do you need anything more. Because if he is the light of Kshahrewar, then you are his muse, his own solace in a world of sorrow.

In architecture, there are several components that make up even a miniature wooden box, let alone a palace made out of brick and concrete. But no matter how complicated, no matter how long the hours spent, no matter how frustrating, a palace was created as a palace, and that will never change. On the other hand, what constitutes a ‘home’? Can you have multiple? Is it something you can create and then mould, or is it something that evolves and transforms itself? Grandiose staircases and lofty ceilings seemingly mean nothing if you can’t hear echoing laughs and joyous gasps.

Kaveh thinks that he may have an answer. A ‘home’ is people. Good people, who care for each other. Like when he was younger, his parents–however long gone they may be–cared for him with all the tenderness of a coddling touch. He found a home in them.

Now, this ‘home’ is you.

As idealistic as Kaveh is, there are no lofty assurances he swears that float just out of reach. Because what he whispers quietly in your ear late at night, he vows to keep. On his life, which seems that much brighter with you.

“Whatever you wish for, I’ll give.”

He kisses your shoulder. You laugh softly. You can’t count the many times he’s lured you into a slumber through the aid of sweet nothings and comforting touches. But as you turn around in his arms, the laugh manages to get caught in your throat. Kaveh isn't laughing back. There is adoration in his eyes, yes, and there is devotion in his gaze, yes, but there is something else–something special–that makes you wonder whether you’ve underestimated the depth of his feelings. The bed makes a slight creak as his face comes closer.

“You have no idea how much I’m in love with you.”

He’s telling the truth. The beginning of a solid house starts with a solid foundation, which is then built upon. Kaveh is the foundation to your house, and he would gladly let you grow and flourish from his dedication, if only you’d let him. From your house stems a home that contains all that he cherishes, from the gleam in your eyes to the smile that he’d frame with the slight tilt of your chin. An architect should be able to indulge in all that they find breathtaking, which, for Kaveh, he has the privilege of being able to admire every day. And yet, every single day, he manages to fall for you again and again.

Kaveh promises that one day he will be able to grant all that you wish for, no matter how impossible it may be. You deserve more than the constraints of what constitutes ‘possibility’, and then will he be able to see your smile, and see his reflection in your eyes, and not notice anything else but the happiness enveloping both your bodies.

But for now, he’ll have to make do with unbreakable whispers and the feelings in his heart that beat in time with the flap of a butterfly’s wings.

He finally grins at you, never faltering in his gaze.

“I want you to know how much I truly do adore you.”

a/n: I’M BACK BABYYYYYYY, I MISSED WRITING!111!1!1! my posting schedule will now be much more regular :) as always, likes, reblogs and comments are always appreciated 🩷🩷

#kaveh x reader #kaveh x you #kaveh fluff #kaveh drabbles #genshin x reader #genshin impact x reader #genshin x you #genshin impact x you #genshin fluff #genshin impact fluff #genshin drabbles #genshin impact drabble #FIRST KAVEH POST??#i love him #i think he would be the one I would get along with the most irl

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after-hours-art · 9 months

Text

Hug

Paring: Oikawa Tooru x gn!reader

Genre: comfort

Warning: cursing

You curled up into a small ball of sadness in the corner of the corridor. You were in a terrible mood all day, and all you wanted was just little silence before putting on a nice smile for two hours of volleyball practice.

- Hey! What's up with you, Dear Manager?

You looked up to see the last person you wanted to see.

- What do you want, Oikawa?

- Well... I saw you sitting here with a giant rainy cloud above your head.

- Very funny. Go get ready for practice. - you pulled your knees closer to your chest.

You heard some material rustle, and soon an arm bumbed at yours.

- I told you to go away.

- What happened, Y/N-chan? - Oikawa's voice sounded calmer than usual.

- Nothing.

- Nothing doesn't make your voice break.

- I-

- Shut up. - he put his hand on yours.

- Don't touch me.

- Then talk to me. What happened that our cheerful manager is so do-

- MAYBE I SIMPLY CAN'T BE CHEERFUL ALL THE TIME! I-I... I NEED A FUCKING BREAK! - your voice broke as tears started falling from your eyes. Something you had planned for the night. You mentally prepared yourself for some mean comment from the setter because, let's be honest it would be in Oikawa's style. But nothing like that came. Instead he grabbed your hand and pulled you to himself hugging you tightly.

- Shhh... it's okay.

- Oika-

- Shhh. It's really okay. I got you. - he pulled you closer, his hands holding you in solid grip, like if you were about to fall apart into a million pieces.

After a while, players started to gather in front of the gym.

- Crappykaw- - Iwaizumi spotted Oikawa assuming that he was bugging you again. Tooru only shot warning glance toward his best friend. Hajime blinked twice, not recognizing such worried look in this crappy, shitty best friend. In sign language, he told Oikawa not to be late and walked away.

- Oikawa... - you mumbled.

- Hm?

- I heard Iwaizumi-kun. W-we should get going.

He slowly freed you from him embrace, although he wished he could hold you longer.

- How do I look? - you asked, hoping that your eyes weren't red and cheeks all puffy. Oikawa gently traced his thumbs under your eyes to wipe tears.

- You look perfect. Not a sight of crying. - he slowly got up from the floor. - I'll go first.

- Wait.

You grabbed his wrist, making his heart skip a beat.

- Huh? - he turned around to face you. You could brace yourself to look him in the eyes.

- T-thank you. I guess I needed that.

- At your service, Dear Manager.

- C-could you... after practice... - you started to stutter. - Never mind. Just go. - you let go of his wrist. You didn't realize you were still holding. Oikawa didn't get it at first, but seconds later, he smiled at you.

- You want me to give you more hugs?

- It was... - you wanted to say that you finally felt warm and safe, but you couldn't bring yourself to breach the walls you built around yourself. Tooru only nodded, reading your emotions without a mistake.

- See you after practice, Dear Manager - he walked down to the gym with intentions to scare the daylight out of his teammate's that he'd kill them if they'd be mean to you or mention obvious red circles around your pretty eyes.

#haikyuu x reader #haikyuu comfort #oikawa x reader #oikawa x gn!reader #oikawa x you #comfort #aoba jōsai

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teenandbeyond · 1 year

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Hey! Do you think you can write a chubby reader x the bayverse tmnt, maybe the reader has autism, I have autism btw, and I also have tics or seizures because of it, so I wanna know what the four would do if they caught the reader mid seizure, if that’s ok with you of course, I don’t want you uncomfortable

TMNT x Cubby. Autistic Reader

Sorry, I took so long! I was busy with classes and I wanted to research to make it as accurate as possible (since I didn't know much about it)! I made each scenario different in some way, since autism is different for everyone! But let me know if I portrayed something wrong :) Edit: The last one was inspired by my mother (who has non-epileptic seizures) since that's the type I'm most familiar with.

Want more from me? Masterlist 2

☆*: .｡. .｡.:*☆☆*: .｡. .｡.:*☆

Hold On (TMNT or Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles)

Warning(s): Seizures (but I mean, it's in the ask, so...)

You warned your turtle ahead of time about what your case of Autism entails, but he gets put to the test when he sees it in action the first time...

✨✨✨✨✨✨✨

Leo

When you started to crush on Leo, it was hard to be confident at first.

Because you weren't the best communicator

And because human guys had this fixed mindset, that having a little more weight on you than skinny girls

Wasn't desirable

You had some confidence in yourself, that you'd slowly built up despite that

But you didn't know if that's what Leo wanted

"Huh? Why would I care about that? Doesn't hinder your beauty in any way."

He was right, you are beautiful 🥺

At some point, you'd mentioned having Autism finally, he'd looked up the main definition.

"Oh, that makes more sense."

You simply explained your tics

He was surprised, he didn't even realize that some could seem regular.

Like yours, you repeated words and cleared your throat.

“I can—can also have seizures, sometimes.”

"Are they big?"

"Not always."

I warmed your heart with how unflinchingly he accepted you fully.

And you loved it when he cuddled into you (when he had time, anyway)

Sometimes you had trouble understanding how he felt, but he had no problem explaining it to you

He always held your hand in social situations with his brothers, so you always had a solid comfort

And you related to each other, often keeping to yourselves except with each other.

One day, though, as he crawled through your open window--

He'd have to scold you for that later, it shouldn't get opened until he's actually here

--He noticed it was quiet.

Quieter than usual

He slowly edged from your living room to you bedroom, hearing quiet noises as he got closer

He opened the door, freezing as he saw your body spasm on the floor.

He panicked a little at first--he knew you had them--but it was different seeing them in person

He took a deep breath, "I have to be calm for [Name]. Calm down, Leo..."

He regretted not looking deeper into what to do if a seizure hit.

So he just did what felt natural.

He looked for something soft and flat, not lumpy, to put under your head.

Which was appreciated, that floor hadn't felt good the few times your head smacked into it.

And with focus, he took off the choker you'd put on that day. Making sure you could breathe.

Softly caressed your hair, whispering that he was there, he wasn't going anywhere.

And soon your body calmed, it still took a second for you to become alert again, so he didn't rush to scoop you into his arms until then.

"Thank you, Leo."

He kisses your head, "I'll make sure to thoroughly look it up when I get home, I promise."

Raphael

You kind of thought Raph would be the type to accidentally make fun of you

But no

"Does that have somethin' tuh do with your body?"

"Yeah, one of my tics."

You were surprised when suddenly Raph seemed to know a lot about things.

"You have Autism, right? I was lookin' up tics and came across it. You have a lot of the symptoms."

"Yeah, I do."

He found himself understanding you better, with your difficulties in communication.

And some of your repetitive behaviors.

He was more focused on educating himself on your condition than caring about your body.

If anything...

"I find your body cute. I like it that way."

Once you scraped your knee.

"Here, I'll pick you up."

"I'm heavy."

He only blinked before holding you in a single arm.

"I'm not like those weakling human guys who can't handle you."

And that was tested when the boys returned from patrol to see you fall to the ground and jerk.

"[Name]!" Mikey called, worried.

Raph quickly approached you.

"What's happening?!"

"Mikey, calm down," Raph cleared anything hard away from your body.

"What? But-"

"Freakin' out won't help [Name]."

He gently took off your glasses, holding them out for someone to take.

"Do you give [Name] mouth-to mouth?"

Raph turned you gently to the side so you could breathe, "No, I don't do dat."

"And...no water?" he began to calm.

"Not the best idea while like this."

"How do you know so much about this, Raph," Leo wondered.

The red turtle got a little flustered, "I just...wanted to know everything I could about [Name]..."

Donatello

He'd already kind of figured you had Autism, considering he has a vast knowledge of a lot of things and medical conditions.

And your chubby body? He was too logic-minded to find something wrong with that.

As for your Autism, Donnie took notes.

"[Name] Seems to have a tic, licking their lips...I'll observe to see what else I can learn..."

When it came to speaking, you did it well, but you were still a little awkward and didn't always catch social cues.

He could relate at times, so that didn't affect him in any way

You peered over his shoulder as he took notes one time, "I also have seizures."

"Big ones?"

"No, pretty subtle."

"Alright, I look out for it, then."

And one day that happened.

You were right, it was subtle.

You blinked rapidly and stared into space suddenly.

"[Name]?"

A few seconds later, "Hm...?"

"Was that it?"

"I, uh, yeah."

"You alright?"

"I'm getting there."

"Alright, let's sit you down," he led you to his chair a short distance away.

You smiled, "Your glasses...glasses look cute on you. You look cute."

He chuckled, "You look cute, too."

Michelangelo

He didn't give you time to wonder what he thought about your body.

Always complimented your outfits

"You look great today, [Name]!"

And just you in general

Sometimes on accident

"Beautiful..."

"Huh?"

"Huh? N-nothin'...ahem."

And once you started dating, he always gave your body kisses.

You twitched for the first time and he asked if you were okay.

"Yeah, one of my tics."

"Tics?"

"From my autism. I get tics."

"Autism?"

Being the curious turtle he is, he'll end up looking it up after you leave. Not able to get it out of his head.

"Oh, okay! So that's where the tics come from...But what does this mean?"

You're stunned when suddenly he seems to be educated on Autism, overnight.

"So that's why you're always hyper-focused on that thing you like, huh?"

"Yeah."

"That makes more sense, and..."

He'd go into a ramble about all the new things he's learned.

It's quite adorable he cares so much.

Then it happens one day.

Your words start to slur.

"[Name]? Are you okay?"

You furrow your brows, seemingly confused, "I...gkjsmm."

Your eyes slowly fluuter closed and your body starts to jerk.

"[Name]? [Name]?"

You don't respond.

"Donnie!" Mikey rushes to find his brother.

"What is it Mikey--" his annoyance becomes concern when he takes in his expression.

"It's [Name]."

"What happened?"

On the way back to you he explains everything.

"A seizure. How long has it been?"

"Not long. I found you right away--I--Donnie."

"Calm down, Mikey."

"Right, right...I have to calm down."

"Did you time it?"

"Right, yeah. I have to do that."

He quickly set up a timer with your unlocked phone.

"And then, I have to lay [Name] flat, right?"

"Yeah. You seem to know a decent bit, Mikey."

He gently adjusted you, "I looked it up...I just...it's different when it's...there."

"I get it."

"They uh--they say they can't respond to any questions or directions clearly."

"That's right. Sometimes for a few minutes after, too."

At the four-minute mark, you stopped. Calming down, but you still weren't completely alert.

"Thanks, Donnie. I think I got it from here."

"Let me know if anything happens, okay?"

"I will."

"Mi...Mikey?"

"Hm?"

"Okay?"

"You're asking me?"

"Probably was...um...scary for you."

"I was just worried. Are you okay?"

A slow nod, "Yes, thank you."

By the time you were fully okay, Mikey quickly fetched you water

"You did a good job, Mikey."

"But I freaked out," he pouted.

"You managed to calm down quickly and stay that way. That helped."

"How?"

"I don't want to see you freak out when like that."

"Oh."

"So that helped. Thank you."

#tmnt fluff #tmnt headcanons #mikey tmnt #tmnt raphael #tmnt #tmnt leonardo #tmnt donatello #tmnt bayverse #tmnt x chubby. reader #tmnt x autistic. reader #fluff #autism #autistic reader

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pumpkinpuffgirls · 2 years

Text

Let’s Talk About the Design of PPG's Humans

AKA the Citizens of Townsville.

Continuing the series of talking about PPG 1998 design elements from when I talked about the backgrounds and world design of PPG, Let’s take a greater focus on human characters.

A reminder, The powerpuff girls and many cartoons from their era were inspired by the UPA style of animation from the 1950s. I recently discovered a good write up about how this style influenced shows like the Powerpuff Girls from an animation Blog that you can take a gander at here.

That being said, when it comes to the humans of the PPG world they continue to use a strong, sharp geometric style that stands out. It’s been stated before that the humans were intentionally designed this way along with the rest of the PPG world to make the Powerpuff Girls stick out even more with how round they are.

Fortunately I managed to gather a bunch of episode sheets for background characters from Season 1 of Powerpuff Girls. So let’s study them so we can better understand their design.

Now, when I say the characters are “Geometric,” I mean that they are largely defined by simple shapes. Circles, Squares, and Triangles.

If we look at these three incidentals. We can see that they defined by large shapes, accented with smaller shapes within to make their design. Their eyes are often circles. Their heads could be circles, squares or even sharp triangles. Each of these gives these incidental characters a sense of personality even if we only see them on screen for one scene.

Notice how even their poses can be defined by simple shapes. They re snappy with details that are easy to notice even from a distance away.

We can even see this with the secondary and main humans.

The Professor is made up of mostly squares and rectangles. As he is often the rock, the foundation and source of stability for the girls.

Ms. Keane is rounder, predominated by ovals. Her body is one solid oval, and her overall look makes her appear very friendly, the kind of person you’d want to see being a teacher to young children.

The Mayor is round as well, but his ovals make him look more portly. Someone you could see being a jolly and equally bumbling fellow.

Ms. Bellum is both sharp and round. From her legs to her arms and her hips. The balance between the two shapes make her a more dynamic character. One who is friendly to the girls, dry to the mayor, and has even stood her own in a few fights.

These are all important ideas to keep in mind, as the Powerpuff Girls world isn’t normally full of PPGs like the girls. It’s full of these geometric, yet diverse humans!

I’ve kept this in mind when designing Tara, Chris, Kevin, and Nancy. Some of my Human PPG OCs. Trying to give them a distinct look, one that can tell you about their personalities at a glance.

Tara is tall and round, friendly but tends to worry and fret as most of the sharper parts of her design are around her head. Chris is short, round, but largely in a squarish shape to show they are the more grounded of the two. Kevin is largely rectangular with some odd round shapes to show he’s strong but kind. Nancy is mostly round, with some rectangular and pointed shapes to show she’s equal parts friendly and dynamic. Perhaps Sassy?

In conclusion. Main, Secondary, Incidental, or otherwise, the way a character is built is an important aspect to their design.

We as humans tend to associate certain shapes with certain things, and the artists and designers took advantage of that when emulating the UPA style. Giving Townsville a very visually diverse, yet easy to visually read an identify population

A useful thing to keep in mind whether you’re a fan who creates content or a casual appreciator of cartoons, and I encourage those who have taken the time to read this to be observant in what goes into a character’s design. What shapes can you identify? What is it about a character's shape or look that makes them visually distinct? As while even an incidental character could only appear once and never again, it’s important to consider how they might look in a scene, in crowd, and how that look serves the media they come from.

#Powerpuff Girls #PPG #Powerpuff Girls 1998 #PPG 1998 #Mun Talks #Animation talk #Cartoon Network #Character Design

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raven-at-the-writing-desk · 1 year

Note

Objection(denial) to ur point that Rollo doesn’t have a toned figure. Until I see the twst team crank out more official art of him, I’m of the belief that he at least AT LEAST had a toned figure. Ur telling me this man who had not problem walking up those stairs bc he be walking up those stairs on the (probable) regular. He a clean freak so you already know he’s cleaning in his free time, and idk about you but dusting, sweeping, mopping etc is tiring and this man probably does chores as a hobby. If nothing else I know he at least rocking with athlete legs cause ain’t no way my dude walking up flights of stairs as his leg day routine without gaining anything. And if twst taught us anything is that the ones who r the most covered usually got something to hide. But in all seriousness I imagine him to probably have a build that’s similar to Vil, on the skinnier side but toned. Also I desperately need his confirmed height, love, a Rollo enthusiast (I cannot lie his haircut is atrocious but u gotta admit he has a nice face )

[Referencing this post!]

Denial 🤨

I mean, I wouldn’t call Rollo “out of shape” either 😂 He definitely seems more physically fit than the Board Game Club noodles boys, who were both struggling to make it up the bell tower. (Azul kind of gets a pass on this, being that he normally doesn’t have legs.) Rollo has probably built up pretty solid legs due to his diligence in tending to the Bell of Salvation, always going up every day and no matter what the weather to polish it.

I don’t know about those chores translating into also having buff arm as well though 😅 (only because I personally know “clean freaks” that still have noodle arms). I’d think you’d have to be pretty rigorous about cleaning to actually develop muscles from it. The little peeks we see of his figure seems to imply a more slender frame…? Then again, maybe this isn’t entirely accurate given that Silver and Sebek’s arms got nerfed in their live 2D models compared to their card art… I don’t know, Rollo still looks pretty skinny in his official artwork (though it’s a little hard to tell because his sleeves become puffy at some point). The whole outfit gives the illusion of size and volume because of how much fabric there is.

“The ones who are the most covered usually have something to hide” 🫣 Damn, you’ve got me cuz that’s totally my type cbjsbsjsjss I guess that’s true of characters like Jade and Rook, but I’ve always interpreted that as like them wanting to hide their true nature and intentions rather than wanting to literally hide their bodies from view. I think the same is true of Rollo; he wants to conceal his pain and his crimson flower plot. (… This is me saying I don’t want to have another confused breakdown if TWST ever reveals that Rollo is secretly muscular because I already had enough distress when I learned that about Rook—)

About Rollo’s height 🤔 if we compare his model to those of other characters, he seems to be around the same height as… Rook (177cm or 5’8”)??? So he’s definitely decently tall. bcjsbsksnxks This is actually kind of a funny because someone I know said they’re shocked Rollo isn’t short. According to them, he has “short energy” because of all his rage which sounds like a mild jab at Riddle.

All jokes and Rollo bullying aside, I think he’s probably on the skinny/slim side but is also decently fit, just not to the extent of a super athletic character or a character that regularly goes out of their way to plan workouts. When I think of the word “toned”, I picture well defined muscles, which I think is definitely more true of his legs than of his upper body.

… Yes, his haircut is hella ugly but that’s okay because he makes up for it with the variety of facial expressions he makes 😌 Look at this face. Does this look like the face of a liar to you? The answer is yes it is and it’s hot

TWST devs, give us more Rollo art to hyperanalyze 👁 👄 👁 and his official height as well, per favore 🙏 I’m really hoping that they release another art book that touches on these details, as the first Magical Archives does tell us some information about NPCs like Cheka and Chenya’s official heights. I would like Rollo plushies too, please—

#Rollo Flamme #Is this Rollo rot?????#IS IT??????#idk if this counts as an analysis #notes from the writing raven #it feels more like me hoping and praying this isn’t another Rook moment #where Rollo tears off his sleeves and reveals he was secretly the Hulk all along #Rollo rot #Rollo Flamm

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scrollsfromarebornrealm · 4 months

Text

local man has feelings

A memorial garden (or as much of one that could be maintained given the current climate) had been created within the city walls to honor the dead of the Eastern Highlands and Lowlands. If one could provide enough funds, a small space could be squeezed out for a more private place to honor loved ones lost.

It was in one such alcove that Augustine found Mathye. Two small headstones poked up from a patch of grass. One was plain, marked 'Anton Bishop'. The other had a carving of a flower, and was marked 'Marie Bishop'. The paladin watched as his older brother carefully wiped snow from the gravestones with a gloved hand, and then ventured forward.

"...They probably appreciate you stopping by." He offered. Mathye didn't respond, and Augustine exhaled. Moving forward, he knelt next to Mathye. His mismatched gaze went to Anton's tombstone.

"...Think there's another one of us running around in the city someplace?" Mathye uttered a laugh at that, a bitter sound.

"Do you know, probably?" He replied. Silence descended again, and Augustine exhaled.

"...Mat, what's bothering you? Is it still Zoissette?" He asked. Mathye was silent for several moments, looking at the graves.

"...Riven and Estinien."

"Huh?"

"Riven and Estinien. You look at them...and...they seem so...solid. So sure." Mathye let his gaze drop to the wildflowers he'd put before Marie's tombstone.

"I...had the thought that...I wanted to see what it was like. To try it."

"...You are aware that Riven and Estinien were not like how they are now, correct?" Augustine asked, incredulity on his face. "They had to work to get to that point!"

"I know that!" Mathye snapped. Then he stopped, inhaling and exhaling. "I...know that. I know they had to work. But I wondered...what would it be like to have a partner that...understood. This." He gestured. "Us. What we do."

"Doesn't mean it still can't happen." Augustine said. Mathye continued looking at the flowers.

"I can't even be angry at Zoissette. It's not fair to her." On his side, Augustine deadpanned.

"So who are you going to be angry at? Yourself? Please stop being noble, it doesn't fit you very well." The paladin didn't flinch as a pair of violet eyes locked onto him, narrowing. Then Mathye sighed, looking away.

"...There's someone in Sharlayan who I...briefly thought was...attractive." He admitted. Augustine blinked, tilting his head.

"...Before or after..."

"Recently."

"Aah." That probably might explain things, Augustine thought. His dumbheaded big brother. Mathye could feel so much, yet be such an ass even about himself. With a sigh, he rested an arm on Mathye's shoulders.

"You are allowed to find other people pleasing, you know. Even after you've broken up with someone. You're not engaging in a relationship, you just find them easy on the eyes." Honestly now that he was thinking about it, maybe a rebound might be just might be what the doctor ordered for Mathye. Not a relationship however, maybe a few nights of sex. Augustine frowned, thinking.

"Although there's nothing wrong with perhaps engaging with a welcoming party and working out some stress." His brother had all but become a monk. A far cry from the stories he'd heard about Mathye when he was a dragoon. The more Augustine thought about it, the more promise it held.

Dame Tamone might be willing to help if I asked--or rather paid her enough. Beside him, Mathye sighed. He could feel the ghost-nibbles of Hrist on one of his ears--a habit of hers when she was mirroring his upset. He needed to get a grip, he really did.

<I'm fine.>

"I didn't want to feel anything for this person." Mathye suddenly blurted out. Augustine started in surprise, looking at his brother. "I don't want to feel anything for them at all. Or anyone who isn't you, or the others--at least right now." His heart was at least safe with his sworn-siblings and half-brother.

"You're not built to be heartless, Mathye." Augustine said quietly, but he could understand. But like hell was he going to let Mathye stonewall. Letting him work and hide was only making things fester. Zoissette had at least given his brother a clean wound, it just needed to heal properly. And if that healing was sexual, well--maybe it'd finally get the tree that seemed to be firmly planted up his brother's ass removed.

Surely there has to be a courtesan or two who don't mind prosthetics. Preferably without paying them not to care. Augustine affectionatly laid his head against Mathye's own.

"Come on." He said. "Let's get you some hot chocolate, and a night of you not working. Riven got the latest novel of that demon-hunter series for Estinien. We'll snatch it, stretch out in the living room and read it."

"I have--" Mathye began.

"No working." Augustine's voice was hoarfrost, and Mathye blinked at him. "You're taking the night off!"

"Alright, alright..." Gods, Augustine looked legitimately terrifying when he had that tone of voice, Mathye mused. His brother smiled.

"Good."

----

(Dame Tamone belongs to @chysgoda !)

#ffxiv #augustine bishop #mathye bishop #augustine: ...sex might fix him #not seen: margrat in sharalyan sneezing

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whatisreggieshortfor · 2 years

Text

Knock Out

Part One Part Two

Tendou saw what looked to be another team come in to watch, probably trying to size up future competition. But what caught him off guard was the boy that looked so achingly familiar, especially when he was scolding a taller boy that tried to wander away, but the middle blocker couldn’t place why. Why did Tendou feel like he used to see that face all the time?

He was determined to find out.

As soon as the game was over, Tendou was determined to make it out before the stands cleared completely, to try to catch you and figure out why you looked familiar. But coach stopped him, and he was forced to wait. He recognized the jackets of your teammates, knew Nekoma was the school. And he knew Nekoma was familiar to him, but other than being located in Tokyo he had never paid them much attention outside of the game.

Tokyo.

The realization hit him like a freight train. You were…you were different. But he wondered if you were still you. Why hadn’t you reached out after you moved? Why hadn’t you told him? Did you think he’d-

As soon as the thought dawned on him, he was running out of the gym, away from his coach that was calling after him. He didn’t stop moving, worried that if he did he wouldn’t make it. It took some time, and a lot of asking random people, but eventually he located the team.

“Where’s Y/N?” He asked between heavy breaths, looking between each players face.

“What do you want with our manager?” Yamamoto crossed his arms, only stepping back when Kuroo told him to calm down.

“Where is Y/N??” Tendou asked again, starting to scan the surrounding area for you, only to freeze when you rounded the corner from the bathrooms.

“Sato’-“

“Paradise!” He bolted over, throwing his arms around your middle and lifting you into the air, “God, you look so good! I’ve missed you!”

“Aren’t- You aren’t mad?” Your voice was so small for how solid you were built now.

“Mad?” The red head blinked, before his brows furrowed and he pinched your side until you yelped, “I’m annoyed. You haven’t talked to me in over a year! But mad? I’ve told you before haven’t I? When it comes to you…never. If you thought I wouldn’t accept you- or god I don’t even know what you could’ve been afraid of- I get it but I could never be mad at you. You’re my paradise!”

Your arms flew around his shoulders before you could think about it, face burying into his neck to hide the tears springing to your eyes, “I missed you so much, Satori.”

“I missed you immensely more, you cannot even begin to fathom.” You pulled away to see Tendou’s bright grin, the skip in your heart acknowledging what you already knew. Those feelings hadn’t gone away. He opened his mouth before a deep voice cut him off.

“Tendou, I do not mean to interrupt, but the coach is rather upset with you for leaving. Hello Y/N.”

“Hi, Ushijima.” You waved a little awkwardly, well aware that the Nekoma boys were watching the entire interaction closely.

“I am glad to see you’ve been well. I look forward to seeing you in the finals.”

“I- Ushijima, you realize I do not play volleyball anymore, right? I manage this team.”

The stoic boy just nodded, “I did not mean the volleyball finals.”

Tendou laughed, “Does the great UshiWaka actually pay attention to something other than volleyball?”

“Why would I not? Y/N is a formidable opponent in his division.”

You blinked up at Ushijima, slowly realizing that he didn’t recognize you from before. “Ushi, you know that we know each other, right?” His head cocked to the side, just a little bit, and while his face didn’t change you could read the confusion in his eyes. “I used to go to Shiratorizawa with you guys. But I moved last year.”

“I do not understand.”

Tendou just sighed, giving his best friend an encouraging smile, “Remember the ace of the girls team?”

“I understand they share a name, but what regard does that hold to him?”

You gave him a tight smile of your own, “I’m the same person, Ushijima. I was a girl. I left Shiratorizawa and transitioned, and now I’m not.”

He looked to be in thought for a moment before he replied, “You would be wrong.” You were blown away. You remembered he had a blunt nature, but that? The Nekoma boys behind you were getting pissed and protective when Ushijima spoke again, “I do not understand why you are all upset. If Y/N is a boy, then he was never a girl. He was just…how has Tendou phrased this to me before? It would be like he was trying to play volleyball with soccer equipment? Just because the supplies were wrong, doesn’t mean he can’t.” Tendou grinned at him, knowing that some of his lessons were sticking, and just wrapped his arm tight around you shoulders.

Fitting Tendou back into your life was surprisingly easy. You’d always kind of left a hole where he had been for years, so he fit into it like the puzzle piece you’d been missing. Unfortunately with that came the same actions of you biting back from being just a little too lovey. Just a little too obvious with your affection. A little too forward. The last thing you wanted was to scare him away. And you knew Tendou like you knew yourself. If you ever told him, he wouldn’t take you seriously, or he would think you were screwing with him. It just didn’t seem worth the risk, especially when you only saw him every other weekend, when he would take the train from Miyagi to Tokyo.

But something that you’d nearly forgotten about your best friend in the year without contact was that he was extremely physical in his affection, even on a platonic level. It was getting harder and harder to sleep the nights he wasn’t there, because whenever he was there he would wrap himself around you to go to bed. When the two of you would go out and do things, alone or with your team, he would keep your hand clasped in his. He routinely greeted you with light kisses on the head.

You were going crazy.

The night you won your semi-finals match, all of the Nekoma team was in the stands cheering you on, and so was Ushijima and Tendou and your sister. Lev was practically falling over himself in his clumsy attempt to congratulate you as you emerged the locker room, “Me and Alisa arranged some things at your place! Is your boyfriend joining us?”

You froze, hand still poised to finish hoisting your bag onto your shoulder, and you could see your sister face palm a few feet away. Tendou cooed in his sing song voice, “Aw, Y/N did you finally confess to Ushiwaka? I knew there was a reason you stuck around so long.” Your head snapped over to him, hurt washing over your face. Did he honestly think that? Was he trying to make a joke? When he saw your face, his smile faded, “What? Did I blow a secret or something?”

You scoffed, pushing past them all and walking out the door. You figure there was some kind of discussion amongst them, because Kuroo was the only one to follow you outside. You didn’t think about it as you spoke, “How could he think that?”

The captain shrugged, “Have you ever, ya know, told him how you felt?”

“No, I’m not insane. He’d think I was screwing with him or lying.”

Kuroo sighed, “To be honest with you, I don’t understand how he hasn’t realized it by now.”

You shook your head, staring up at the moon where it barely started hanging in the sky, “I always figured either he would figure it out, or I’d eventually be able to move on. I mean how do you tell your childhood best friend that not only are you not the girl he always thought you were, but that just after you figured that out in middle school you realized you were also in love with him??”

“You could always say it venting to your friend and hope he overhears?”

Could the ground swallow you up? Was there an option in life for that? You felt the panic settle in to every cell of your being as you watched the sheepish expression spread across the redhead’s face as he slid the rest of the way out the door. Kuroo looked between the two of you, before pulling out his phone and busying himself a few feet away. You attempted to dislodge the lump in your throat before you spoke, “I don’t think there’s a point in asking how much of that you heard.” Had your shoes always been this interesting to look at?

“Paradise.” Tendou waited for a minute, watching you as you seemed to wrestle with the idea of looking up at him, before he stepped forward and nudged your chin up to look you in the eye. “Y/N, do you really feel that way?” Mutely you nodded, chewing on the inside of your bottom lip. “How long? You said since middle school, but how long?”

“Second year.”

“Second year? Second year of middle school? So five years now?” You nodded again, and you watched the smile tugging at his lips that he tried to fight away. “If you had just told me, we could’ve saved so much time.” His lips pressed to your forehead as he wrapped his arms around you.

Your arms hesitantly followed suit, wrapping around his torso, “Does that- Do you-“

“I thought you would’ve noticed with the way I always cuddle you to sleep, or how I hold you for no reason, or the kisses I give you- I love you. I’m in love with you. I have fallen for you. However you wanna say it, my paradise. You knocked me out before you ever even tried.” Your arms squeezed tighter, and while you were pretty sure you were going to have to beat your captain up for recording this, you might have him send it to you anyway.

When Tendou played against Karasuno, you were there to cheer him on, and there to comfort him when they lost. He came to see Nekoma too. When the finals of your competition rolled around, and you weren’t going to make it to Nekoma’s nationals match because the times coincided, Alisa managed the team for you, and Tendou live-streamed your fight to Yamamoto’s phone so the team could cheer you on from afar.

When you won your title, your best friend was there.

And when he kissed you like his life depended on it to celebrate, you could feel the love and the promise that you would always have him with you.

Masterlist

#haikyuu #haikyuu x male reader #tendou satori x trans reader #hq tendou #tendou satori x male reader #tendou satori x reader #haikyuu x trans reader #trans reader #trans male reader #male reader #childhood best friends to lovers

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ashenvein-gate · 9 months

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Kessug's Lab

The counter's iron-grooved edge squeals under my talons. This stupid place. This stupid, stupid place! It's all built to purpose on the Queen's orders. Cold stone engraved with purely utilitarian runes, a network hidden away beneath Ekraith Mountains. Just one more laboratory...

I wasn't...

A tear of violet coronas, whistling mirage-like distortion, falls from a goldenfire eye onto the iron, unraveling a crater of wispy smoking strands.

I wasn't supposed to start thinking of it as home. But I have. I've spent years here studying our enemies.

Every alembic and retort, every construct from the crystal-tipped arms enchanted to pull apart and unravel essences, to the memory-condenser and integrated crystal array used to study recorded battles. The vaulted halls, the barracks staffed by my assigned personal guard...

At some point or other between my duties, I've taken a tumble in every last bunk of that long squat chamber, squirmed and squealed and clawed my affections into every single soldier in places from their own mattresses, to up against the walls, to the laboratory rooms themselves.

That... started as the Queen's own orders. "An unfed succubus stutters sluggish," she chided, pricking my brow with her talon. "Feed well, my young maershal. Learn to enjoy yourself. You shall find it less onerous than you fear."

Much as I bristled inside, she was right. After overcoming my own insecurities, I came to find it... thrilling. To pivot at the wiggle of a brow from teasing out the existential secrets of a new world, to moaning and writhing as lust washed out every other thought... it took months for me to name that sensation, but it's a familiar comfort to me now. "I am a witch-succubus. This is my place, this is what I should be doing." This refuge, this sanctuary of fell insights, has nurtured as much discovery of myself as the world we infiltrated.

Of course I came to know it for my home. Of course I've grown... attached.

"Kes? Kes!"

Bezheug's voice at last cuts through my stupor. Shaking myself, green face and bosom soaked with violet warp-tears and blackly-acidic demonic snot, I look to her.

Smiling a line between sympathetic and awkward, she hefts the box of vials in her arms, filled with half-expended essence. "Where do you want these?"

Mopping my eyes on a violet gown's sleeve, I point to a spiral stairway at the back of the lab. "Dump them in the escape-way."

It frowns. "Kessug, you worked hard on these blends, you were still trying to perfect half of them--"

"Just..." I sniffle. "Please just let it go. I can't bear to draw this out one minute longer than I must."

Bez frowns harder, waiting to see whether I change my mind.

"... take out the third and fifth vials on the near side," I finally amend, "and the four directly in the center. Put them in one of the stasis-lock containers. Throw the rest into the escape-way."

She nods, hurrying to do my bidding, and returns after a few minutes. "What now?" it asks.

I beckon her with urgent finger-flexes. "First, come here." She obliges, giving me the solid height of her, the muscular heat of its arms and toned black breast.

Everyone down here is my lover. Only Bez is my beloved.

I learn into her, arms thrown around her shoulders as I sniffle into her neck. "You read the final brief I passed along?"

"That the High King is declaring victory?" it murmurs, stroking my onyx-flow mane. "We all did."

"It's a farce!" I mutter. "Victory over whom? Their world is falling apart, and we aren't even the primary cause!"

The High King of the Crusade by the Divine Undivided, sole mortal sovereign of this world, somehow infuriated so many of the crusader vassal-states that the war between their gods is tearing the world apart. Responding to this, the Queen has bid us withdraw. She deems this collapse more than enough amusement, and wishes to watch from afar as the mortals devour themselves in paranoid infighting. And that means I am leaving it behind, my little home.

"What do you suppose will happen to her?" I murmur, drawing back from Bez. "The songstress from the tavern on the cliffside?" I went to check it two days ago, that little village. A mortal woman used to sing there, such a beautiful bright voice. It often lured me hither. It was utterly abandoned. No signs of struggle. Likely they all packed up to go... somewhere.

"I never did find it in me to sit down with her and talk like I wanted," I confess.

Bez hugs me. "Maybe you and she will meet again, somehow."

"Perhaps." I sniffle again. "It's ridiculous of me... I never knew her, not really. I but liked her voice, and the songs she sang, and she existed near to the place I called home, for a while..."

"Kes," Bez soothes, "you do not have to justify what you feel. Not with me."

"Thank you..." I close my eyes, drifting in her scent and her warmth, until at last I feel ready to pull away. "Let's finish things here. Some time in Machrae Diir will do me good. Help to put..." I wave a hand at this place which soon shall cease to be. "... put this in perspective."

Bez nods. We kiss, break away, and pick up the pace. When the time comes to open a portal of coruscating star-flesh and return to the lambent halls, I hesitate on the threshold. It lies within my power, grown as I am, to take the whole lab away. And at first I mean simply to savor the fantasy and then let it pass, but the more I picture it, the more my longing grows.

I did not have the chance to make my mark on this world as I first meant to, to wander its cities, sneak into the dreams of its people. Those things were meant to come later, after we understood and felt ready to act, after the Queen unleashed us in full upon its lands. We never quite found our moment before it all toppled on its own. But the things I made here, the days I spent here, still belong to me, and I will keep what remains precious.

So I stretch forth my hand, and from it flow the violet waves of my power. A spiraling suction, a silver-edged distortion, blurring lines, colors, matter and pulling them over the portal's threshold, drawing rough subterranean stone closer and closer until only solid rock remains.

"You know," Bez says dryly, "you could've decided to do that before you had us pack everything up." I stick my tongue out, and busy myself stitching together essence-waves to help my little haven blend into Machrae Diir. The first pieces of my domain within the domain... such are the wages of chaos. We do not always gain what we hoped to, but we always gain something, so long as we can find it within us just to reach out and take it.

I stretch languidly, and beckon to my former underlings. "Come, kindred--there's a festival on somewhere!"

So capering, flying, snarling and laughing and singing the night, arm in arm and wing to wing, we slip away into the fertile darkness, seeking whatever frightful delights it may bring until the time comes for another realm to know our touch. I wonder... which will it be?

#ashenvein gate #demons #writing #the twin spirals mythos

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lunarsands · 1 year

Text

ALSMP Fanfic: Wherever These Flowers May Grow Ch 4

Characters: goddess!PearlescentMoon, actual!angel!Sausage, starborne!Scott; reintroducing: floran!Scott and introducing: floran!Sausage, with special guest Empires SMP S2 Joel and a cameo by Origins SMP CaptainSparklez

Relationships: MythicalSausage/Scott Smajor

Tags: Canon Divergent, scosage, fluff

Warnings: Character Death (temporary as usual with this series), a tiny bit of angst

(Sequel to Echoing Through To You, When The Skies Cry, Until The Blood Moon Descends, and Then We’ll Rewrite the Stars)

(Also available on Ao3!)

Summary: Pearl sends Sausage and Scott on a mission to help out on another mortal world different from their old one. Scott finds himself returned to an old set of powers; Sausage gets new ones which, as it turns out, he has some trouble controlling. It’s not exactly a honeymoon trip, but they do meet a nice new godling while there.

[ Chapter One ] [ Chapter Two ] [ Chapter Three ]

[ A/N: Bonus artwork by Cynthrey linked at the end! ]

---

Chapter Four

Traveling east led them to finally seeing signs of civilization. They arrived at a strait where a stone bridge was in the process of being built. They approached cautiously, unsure how their appearances would be taken, but deciding they should see if the other land mass needed to be repaired as only their floran powers could allow.

The first person to notice them was a human stonemason, who greeted them with a wave and a delighted look. She called to her fellow builders, and out of the group of five another woman came over as the two florans reached the start of the bridge. She smiled warmly while the others hung back to watch. “Hello, spirits of the forests! We haven’t seen any of your kind for many years. It’s good to know you still exist. This is a fortuitous sign! It means we chose the right time to begin the return to our homeland!”

“Hello!” Sausage responded cheerfully. “We’ve been beautifying the place, so hopefully you like it when you get there!”

Scott smiled as well, although he was curious. “We saw some ruins, but it didn’t look like anyone had been around for, well, several decades at least.”

The woman nodded. “Yes. Centuries have gone by since our people fled terrible calamities that wracked the land. We are the descendants of two empires, whose people came together out of the ashes to build anew in a safer region. You may use our Greatbridge here to visit our haven, Gilded Ratio, if you like. We have a nice orchard that you might find rest in, and I’m sure the farmers will appreciate the blessing of your presence.”

“Thank you, I think we will.” Scott nodded to her in appreciation. She returned the gesture with a bow, then stepped aside and held out one arm to extend the offer of crossing the bridge.

The other builders similarly moved aside, an assortment of wonder and joy on their faces. Scott walked ahead, but glanced back, noticing Sausage was hesitating. The former seraph put a hand to the back of his head. “Uh, yeah, thanks! And, um, I apologize if there’s, like, just a little extra grass or moss or flowers that end up growing on here, eh-heheh! It looks great, by the way! Very solid build, those pylons should stand for many more centuries!”

Scott gave him a patient look and held out his hand. Sausage reached to clasp it, leaning over instead of taking a step onto the bridge. Scott tugged him forward. Sausage hopped awkwardly, then realized nothing was growing under him. “Oh. Oh! Right, direct contact with soil! Ah-haha, never mind! But maybe watch for plants starting to creep onto the end, there.” He pointed to the stone connecting to the land, but then nearly stumbled as Scott dragged him along. “Okay, okay! W-We’re going now! Have fun building!”

He moved up beside Scott and hissed quietly, “You don’t have to be pushy! You could have just reminded me I didn’t have to worry about it!”

“Sorry. I was getting a little nervous. They were kind of looking at us like we’re some kind of gods. I’m not used to so much attention. I mean, yeah, people can see starbornes at work, but as just another star. I don’t have to look them in the eye and go ‘hi, yes, I rearranged the sky, now bow down before me’!”

“That’s a good point. But, um, you might have to get used to it a little bit…” Sausage eyed a second construction crew that was working on a lookout tower at the other end, which appeared to be one of a set to either side. The people halted as the two florans walked by, another round of wonderous gazes coming their way.

“Hello,” Scott singsonged casually, waving, “Don’t mind us, just passing by to bestow some blessings, then we’ll be on our way.”

The two passed through a stone passageway that might have been one source of material for the bridge. On the other side was a new sight to astound them. Before them stood a city below a curved road, with farms cascading down hills and small homes clustered around larger, central buildings. The true focal point, however, was a giant statue of a woman holding a sword, one feathered wing extended to her right and a stylized circular wing on the left. Gleaming with golden accents, it resembled a shining sun, with rays at intervals to add to the effect.

Sausage gazed at the statue with enamored eyes and murmured, “Reminds me of Pearl… It doesn’t look like a temple from here, though…”

“Let’s get closer. We can always ask the locals. Maybe they’re into angel symbolism. Just the place for you.” Scott smiled teasingly. Sausage stuck his tongue out in response, then composed himself when two citizens came up to welcome them with the same excitement as the woman on the bridge.

It quickly became apparent she had sent word for them to find the florans through some type of long-distance signaling system. They were among the numerous agriculture experts in town. They offered to give the florans a tour. The first thing the pair asked when they reached street level was about the statue.

“That is Our Lady of Harvests, the Goddess Peril,” explained the taller of the citizens, “She watches over our city as well as the catacombs, where all of our people have been laid to rest since it was founded. They even say one of the great emperors of the past is entombed within, but the exact location of that crypt is hidden.”

“Peril,” Sausage mumbled, then repeated it with an accent as, “Perl.” He nudged Scott with his elbow. Scott merely smiled.

The other farmer piped up, “You’re probably not here for a history lesson, though. If you would be so kind, we do have one crop field that isn’t yielding. After that, you can visit the orchard.”

The crops in question were several hundred scraggly stalks of what was supposed to be corn. Scott walked along the first row getting a feel for the location’s energy while Sausage waited on the cobblestone path. After touching one stalk and turning it a healthier shade of green, Scott said, “After this harvest you should let this field lay fallow for a season, then rotate to a different crop. The soil tired out early.”

He then nodded to Sausage, who grinned and stepped between the second and third rows. He held his hands out to either side and took off running, fingers grazing sagging leaves. A wave of refreshed green took hold of the corn stalks shortly after he passed. When he reached the end, he turned and ran through the fourth and fifth rows.

Scott ambled down the first row, changing all of the stalks there, then went around the border of the field to mark where Sausage could stop. Several other people wandered over to see what was happening, including a few children. When he returned to the starting point, Scott smiled gently at them; the children had probably heard many fairy tales about the ‘spirits of the forest’ and might not have the same level of understanding as the adults of how the magic was working. He grew a handful of small sunflowers out of his palm, then passed them out to the children one by one. Faces lit up with wonder again. A few of the adults moved closer to see if he had any leftover to give to them.

“So, you were sent by Our Lady Peril,” someone said reverently. “Thank you for these gifts.”

“You’re… welcome,” Scott said with a measure of caution. With all the reminders of PearlescentMoon, he chose to go with sunflowers as an experiment. He had his answer. “Well, you enjoy. We have more to see before we continue our travels.”

He collected Sausage as he was on his way back from the final rows of corn. A bit winded but cheerful, the former seraph beamed at him. “That was fun, too! Is there anywhere else they need us to work on, or are we wandering around some more?”

“We’re going to see that orchard they were talking about, then figure out what we’ll do for the night.”

“I wouldn’t mind sleeping in a real bed again, come to think of it…”

“Shh,” Scott hushed him. He lowered his own voice. “They think we were sent by their god. Remember what our Pearl said. Let’s not mention anything that might reveal we’re something else.”

Sausage coughed. He loudly proclaimed, “A real bed of moss, you know! Not as much mossy moss around these parts like where we usually dwell!”

“Ah— Okay,” Scott murmured helplessly.

Attention kept being drawn their way as they walked. Both responded with polite greetings while making observations of their own. There were pens full of different animals, people transporting goods, and tradecraft shops of all kinds.

Sausage swiveled his head as he took it all in, commenting, “This city seems pretty nice. The red sheep are a little weird, but other than that, it’s a thriving society! Big contrast to the whole other continent I think we were on.”

“I’m starting to wonder if maybe we’ve traveled too far. If this does happen to be a completely different continent, and the worst problem they have is not rotating crops, we might have been meant to go west from the mountains instead.”

“There was the giant lily, though.”

“Hmm, true. West from there, then, or further south, or even back to the north. We could go back over the bridge…”

“We could also maybe ask Pearl for a sign. I mean, if this place isn’t a sign. That statue was really obvious.”

“Yeah, but why would we need to be here?”

“Inspire the people to make more flower gardens? I don’t know!”

Scott held out an arm to stop Sausage as a line of rather unusual trees came into view. They approached with curiosity again, both of them picking up on the modified energy of the trees. A worker carrying a basket of faintly glowing fruit in multiple colors waved at them. “Welcome to the Froglight Orchard!”

Despite numerous invitations to spend the night in available buildings, Scott and Sausage opted to climb one of the acacia trees near the city’s outskirts. They figured no one would want to wake up with the front door blocked by overenthusiastic grass and flowers.

They intended to set off at dawn, but a shepherd herding a flock of sheep out to the plains to feed was waiting for them. They figured he was only trying to be polite.

“Spirits of the forests, we thank you for your visit. If you need anything for your journeys, please ask. We will offer what we can.” He bowed.

“That won’t be necessary,” Scott said, a hand out to try to indicate he meant the bowing and the offer. “We have all we need right from the land.”

“Actually,” Sausage interjected, “Do you, by any chances, have any honey bottles to spare? And maybe a pack to carry them. Oh, and if you could also do us one favor and spread the word of the storm god, Joel, who I’m sure will help with any droughts if you say a sincere prayer to him. Rain goes along with healthy crops, after all!”

~*~

Scott raised an eyebrow as Sausage finished drinking his third honey bottle in an hour. They were half a day’s travel from Gilded Ratio, and Scott himself hadn’t been hungry, feeling plenty sustained by photosynthesis.

Sausage was apparently another story. He stowed the empty bottle in the satchel the shepherd had given them, then met Scott’s gaze. “What? I’m hungry! I think all this excess power leakage is draining me!” He then giggled, realizing his incidental pun.

“I hope that doesn’t mean we’re on a time limit,” Scott said thoughtfully. “You didn’t even do anything as strenuous as those redstone chasms.”

“It might maybe possibly be from trying extremely hard to not overwhelm that entire city with abundant crops.”

Scott sighed. “We are officially staying away from all villages and cities and whatever other settlements people might be in.”

“You know, if they’re settled, that means we don’t need to fix anything, anyway.”

“True. We’ll keep going this way for now and see what we find. We can always loop back around.”

For another few weeks the two florans traveled around, finding mostly areas where plant life was beginning to take hold with not so much in the way of calamitous destruction. They helped things along and grew extra flowers before moving on. They continued to be oblivious to the one god who was spying on them – and who was growing more resentful by the day; meanwhile, Joel occasionally zipped down to light-heartedly pester them. His mood had become very cheery, and one time he let slip that the mortals had finally taken notice of him. A small shrine had been created in a major city this side of the planet, and he was feeling more powerful for it.

Sausage made the suggestion that Joel should seek out a mortal and give them an inspirational vision of a temple he would like to see built. Joel said he would take it into consideration before he left them again.

Adelfa was waiting for him above, arms folded and a scowl firmly in place. “Proud of yourself, are you?”

“I don’t see why not,” Joel boasted. “The mortals are seeing the value of a separate weather god. Maybe you should try chilling out and stop snooping into what those two are doing. You have to admit, they have a certain artistry to the way they’re rebuilding things. Sausage is still kind of an overachiever but that’s not a bad—”

“You even bothered to learn their names?! Don’t go getting so attached!”

Joel sighed in exasperation. “I’m not getting attached, I’m making allies. Comrades. I have a common goal with them. I can do my job better if they make the land more accessible for rain, and make room for flooded rivers so the banks don’t get washed out all the time. Why isn’t this making you happy? Wasn’t the point to get all the land to flourish again where it was refusing to heal? You clearly couldn’t fix it by yourself.”

“We couldn’t fix it, Joel! We!”

“No, just you. That was never within my ability. I only control the skies, remember?”

Adelfa narrowed their eyes. “Then stop concerning yourself with a couple of land-bound fleas!”

“I just explained myself to you. How about you stop being jealous of them and go do your job? Create some new animals or something. Seriously. Get a hobby, Adelfa. This isn’t the least bit productive. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have some mortals to inspire. When was the last time someone built you a temple, by the way? At this rate, those two will get a shrine before that ever happens again!” He cackled, then went on his way as usual.

Adelfa glared after him, then glanced down toward the ground. The two florans were also departing for the next location where they might outshine the irritated god.

~*~

Although they couldn’t be too sure of which continent they had ended up on after a bit of boat travel, Scott and Sausage eventually found a site with some more traces of corrupted soil. There were a few struggling stands of bamboo, and a jungle that looked like it had been ravaged at one point, with almost a dozen large tendrils of bright red corruption wrapped around the tree trunks. They weren’t sure what it meant, and Scott didn’t receive a vision right away this time, so they proceeded with a little caution.

Scott called upon a score of regular vines to wrap around one of the tendrils to begin pulling it off a tree while Sausage made an attempt to climb a different one, waiting to see if he could at least convert it to the blue-green alternative. He had to give up when he nearly slipped; he could swear the stuff had shifted under his foot. He picked his way back to the ground, then imitated Scott’s motions to have vines wrangle the tendril for him.

Once all of them had been pulled to the ground, Sausage tried again to convert them. Scott went to work on the bamboo in the meantime, bolstering the thin clusters and spreading more of it all around until it resembled more of a bamboo forest than just a jungle. He widened his radius, giving Sausage plenty of time – as well as checking for any hidden pockets of corrupted soil. However, the further out he went, the more certain he became that it was only that one spot.

Scott returned just as sunset approached, needing to weave between thicker stands of bamboo because, of course, those had been affected by Sausage, too. When he located his partner, he saw no hint of even the blue-green stuff. He tilted his head in curiosity. “What in the world did you do?”

Sausage sat on a raised tree root, looking pleased with himself. “It wasn’t really cooperating, so I made bamboo grow under the whole thing, and they stabbed up into it, breaking it apart, then I crushed all the bits with roots and vines, and then buried everything underground!” To illustrate, he waved a hand at the root he had been sitting on, sending it back into the soil, which quickly grew over with grass and left no trace. “I’m thinking if we camp out right here for the night, those bits will convert while we sleep!”

“That was a creative way to deal with it,” Scott admitted. “So, do we make a tent out of this insane amount of bamboo you’ve now sprouted, or grow even more until it encloses us?”

“I don’t know – do you think you’ll go sleepwalking again, since there is corruption here, too? There’s actually a little rock outcropping over this way, and that could be two walls we don’t have to worry about constructing. We could even sleep right out under the stars this time, without branches and stuff in the way.” With a smile, Sausage clasped Scott’s hand and guided the way through the bamboo to a little sandy area with a protruding rock face. More of the jungle continued around it, so there was still plenty of cover they could call upon.

“Sure,” Scott agreed. He got to work making moss pillows. “I mean, we’re still going to fall asleep before we see too many of them, but it’s a nice thought.”

It took a bit of doing to get bamboo to start poking through the hard soil despite the sand overtop of it, but Sausage managed to get a small wall up in time before they laid down side by side for the night. He gently took Scott’s hand, entwining his fingers as sleep descended on them. Scott smiled over at him in turn, preferring to gaze at his partner and the peaceful look that lingered on his face rather than concerning himself with the stars.

~*~

No visions or dreams came to him that night, and yet Scott was slow to wake at the break of dawn. What did rouse him was a sort of scrabbling sound, then Sausage’s voice with a note of panic in it. “Scott? Hey, um… something’s wrong. I still look like a floran but this isn’t responding to what I want it to do…”

Scott sat up. He immediately regretted the move as dizziness swept through his head. Sausage had a hand against the bamboo wall. “Hmm. Maybe our powers are starting to wear off, and it’s a sign we’re done and can go home? Kind of wish it happened before we went to sleep. My starborne powers aren’t strong enough during the day to launch out of the atmosphere. Guess that means we’ll wander around until nightfall again.”

“Pearl said she would come get us, right? But it would also be nice if she showed up soon. I could do without the headache…”

“You too, huh?” Scott gave up on standing and sat on his knees instead, one hand braced on the sand. He tried sending out a request through the ground toward the bamboo wall in hopes of lowering it, but he wasn’t able to even sense the stalks properly.

Sausage turned and took a lurching step toward him. “Um… S-Scott? Why do I suddenly feel… so...” He toppled forward, landing on his knees then dropping flat. He let out a whimper and worked to reach one arm toward Scott. His hand fell short, leaving him to gaze at the other floran helplessly.

Scott’s mind raced to make sense of what might be happening as his strength flagged, as well. Then it hit him. “The… The sunlight,” he said, trying to look upward. “Something is wrong with… the sun…” The main source of their power, and vitality too, it seemed. He realized that there was too much of a yellow cast to everything.

He decided not to waste any more time on explanations and instead reached to grasp Sausage’s hand as he, too, fell over. He tried to get a hold on the rest of his partner’s arm to pull both of them closer together if only to hug him and reassure him, but the remainder of his strength failed.

Sausage locked eyes with him and made one last attempt to speak. “I… I lo…” The last word died on his lips as his eyes closed.

“I – I know…” Scott managed to reply, keeping a tight grip on Sausage’s hand before he succumbed to the drain from the altered sunlight.

A golden glow flared into existence in the form of bands around the ring finger of each’s left hand, followed by gold tendrils curling out of the ground between them, winding around their wrists and briefly connecting before disappearing into a spray of glittering motes. Beneath their bodies a layer of grass began to sprout where the sand had previously prevented anything from growing before.

High above, the strange yellow tint also faded out. Adelfa withdrew their splayed hands to their sides and grinned with satisfaction. They then sighed in annoyance when they heard a crackle of thunder.

“Adelfa!!” Joel yelled, fast approaching on a dark storm cloud, “Did you think I wouldn’t notice that?! What have you done?!”

“You’re a little late to be worrying about it now. You’ll have to learn to be faster if you want to prevent other gods from undermining your domain.”

“Or you could stop being insufferable.” Joel scanned the surface below, trying to figure out what the vitriolic nature god had been up to. Then he spotted the two florans where they seemed to have suspiciously been cornered between a rock and a bamboo barrier. “What the heck? They never sleep during the day…”

A smirk crawled onto Adelfa’s face. They waited for him to put the pieces together.

Joel then realized there was no wild plant growth going on around Sausage. “Wait… You did something to them, didn’t you?” He turned an accusatory glare on the other god.

“Well, the job they were supposed to do is pretty much done. I have no more use for them. So, there was only the matter of them to clean up.”

“Y-You didn’t have to murder them!”

“Murder is such a strong word, godling. Why don’t you get back to your storms again and mind your own business? Plants and plant-like creatures aren’t of your concern anymore, remember?”

“But this was wrong! They were helping, and they were harmless!”

“They were about to start getting in my way. Mortals are just toys, Joel. You’ll figure that out eventually.” Adelfa snapped their fingers and disappeared.

Joel stood agape, then angled his cloud to rush downward. He placed it directly over the florans then jumped to the ground beside them. He flicked his fingers at the cloud, producing a light, misty rain. “Hey— Hey, fellas? How does a nice refreshing rainfall sound? A little something to perk up the old, under-watered flowers, yeah?”

He could already see it was pointless from the way the flowers in their hair had begun to wilt. He stopped the rain and sat down with his back against the rock wall, wondering if there was anything he could have done, if he had been faster. He wasn’t sure what Adelfa had done to the sunlight, only that the change in the atmospheric filter had prickled at his senses. He should have summoned clouds to the spot without trying to reach it first. He was able to do that – surely it wasn’t necessary for him to be in a specific location to make the weather behave in a specific way…

He continued to sit and watch over the two until the largest blossoms in their hair faded; the beautiful silvery-white one in Sausage’s, the mystical dark blue one speckled with gold in Scott’s. Joel sighed and moved to get up. He couldn’t just leave them here like this. Perhaps he could bring them to the city that had the shrine to him, and the people there would allow the florans to be laid to rest in their monument to the dead…

He stopped when he felt a pulse of energy pass through the ground into his hand – or was it out of his hand? Either way, he dropped back into a seated position as dozens of the white and blue flowers sprang up around the two florans’ bodies.

Then the bamboo wall collapsed and a figure even taller than Joel stepped into view, her hands suffused with a golden light as she reached toward the pair. He didn’t recognize her at first, but realized there was a resemblance to the farming goddess who he had briefly met when Adelfa none-too-politely introduced the rest of the pantheon to him. “Peril? Is that you? What are you going to do with them?”

She didn’t answer. She picked up the florans, cradling one in each arm, then turned. Joel hopped up to try to follow, hoping to find out something, but then he saw the glimmering Aether portal around the corner. He came to a halt, knowing for certain it was not his place to follow her through.

It remained open for a few minutes. He could see through to the other side, where the goddess stood in a large wooden gazebo. She had worry on her face as she gazed downward. He saw a shimmer pass over the bodies of the two florans, then he saw Sausage grow wings that draped over the mystery goddess’ arm as she continued to hold the two, his clothes turning into pristine white robes and bits of gold-trimmed armor. Next, he saw Scott turn into a glowing purple figure before dimming to a normal humanoid appearance with the same clothes but with star motifs instead of foliage and in hues of blue, black, and violet, a trail of bright motes encircling his head instead of flowers. The goddess placed them on their feet, then she shrank down closer to their heights and threw her arms around both of them in a hug.

The portal closed with the sound of breaking glowstone. Joel stood frozen for a moment, then turned to regard the patch of unique flowers. He then looked at the rock wall with its protruding features and gave some thought to creating something with his own hands.

This wouldn’t require the skills of an architect, but maybe someone with an eye and appreciation for artistry.

~*~

Pearl stepped back after releasing Sausage and Scott, relief beaming from her face. “Boys, I am so sorry. That was not how that job was supposed to end. I was having all sorts of problems getting the local pantheon to cooperate. They’ve got some serious infighting going on over there. Personally, I don’t think it’s going to end well for them later.”

Sausage was happily patting at the feathers of his lower wings, having pulled one around beside his hip. “Don’t apologize, Pearl! We’re used to dying within arm’s length of each other, it’s like a weird pastime or something. But maybe let’s not do it again anytime soon.”

“I’d like to retire from it altogether,” Scott put in. He similarly checked himself over, smiling fondly at the twinkling of his own skin. He sighed with relief. “Back to normal, thank goodness.” He then turned and hugged Sausage tightly.

The seraph patted his back and returned the hug, then moved away to get enough space to stretch out his wings, luxuriating in the feeling before folding them all in. “At least that one was more like fainting instead of being stabbed, or shot by an arrow…” He ticked off the list on his fingers one by one and continued, “…Or an explosion, or—”

“Yes, thanks,” Scott interrupted, “I don’t want to relive those, either.”

Pearl lightly ruffled Sausage’s hair. “It’s good you can keep your sense of humor, my dear angel. I’ll let you get back to building now. You deserve to do some casual work for a bit. I’ll try not to send you on any other big missions for a while, either.” She then turned to Scott with an apologetic look. “As for you, on the other hand…”

She gestured to the opening of the gazebo opposite her wicker throne, where a crimson-hued starborne with black hair and red-rimmed sunglasses stood awkwardly staring in at them. “Sorry to intrude,” he said. “It’s nice to meet you, at last.” He cleared his throat and strode across the floor to grasp Scott’s hand with a sincere grip. “Scott, was it? I’m Prince Sparklez. I confess, I need a little help straightening up a few issues – well, a few dozen, maybe? To be honest, all the things they tell you at the academy and my royal training didn’t really prepare me for being out in the field with no mentor. It was harder than it looked!”

Scott offered a patient smile and patted the other starborne’s shoulder. “I was kind of thrown into the job, too. I’ll help you fix whatever you need help with, Your Highness.”

“Oh, um, please just call me Sparklez. I’m a regular old starborne like everyone else! Well, not everyone here, obviously, since we’re in the presence of gods and angels, and. Well. Nothing particularly special about me, no sir-ree…”

“Okay. If you say so.” Scott then turned back to Sausage and hugged him again. “I’ll see you at home later. I’ll try to get back before sunrise here, and we can finally gaze at the stars together. Love you!” He gave a little wave then started out of the gazebo while Sparklez jogged ahead, although the violet starborne glanced over his shoulder once with a tender smile.

“I know!” Sausage called after him in return. He watched the two starbornes launch upward in twin streams of red and purple, his expression soft. Then he cast a thoughtful look at the reflecting pool. “Pearl, is there any way to check in on that other world? I kind of want to let Joel know we’re okay. He might wonder where we’ve gone off to.”

“Joel...?” she asked curiously, yet with a weird undertone that Sausage didn’t pick up on.

“The storm god. Oh, you might not have had to deal with him like the rest of the pantheon. He was pretty new to whole godly responsibilities thing. He seemed nice! He helped us out a few times. I think he liked seeing our progress.”

Pearl clasped her chin with one hand, considering the matter. Then she smiled. “Actually, no, we can’t – I tried to keep track of you, but the pool wouldn’t always attune for some reason. But I have the feeling he knows you’re all right now.”

~*~

Joel stood silently with a candle in one hand, looking over his work for the final time. With hammer, chisel, and some precise erosion techniques, the rock face had been turned into a relief-style statue of two figures facing each other, foreheads leaning together and perhaps implying they were planning to kiss. The one on the right had a hand up as if cradling the side of their partner’s neck, while the one on the left had their hand against the small of the other’s back in an embrace.

The tails of the righthand figure’s overcoat appeared to be swirling in the wind, encompassing the upper legs of both. They appeared to be standing on two different tree roots. In their hair were the same angelflowers and starflowers that stood in the nearby patch which Joel had surrounded with a low border of tumbled river rocks. He had set up a small shrine space in front, and that was where he now set the candle. He lit it with a spark from his finger.

He emitted a gusty sigh, causing the flowers to sway and the candle flame to dip for a second. “Well, wherever you are now, I hope you like this. I think I did all right. I’ll drop some hints and maybe other people will come visit, too. You did a nice job around this spot, so I think someone will find it to be a peaceful sanctuary someday.”

~*~

They say that if you find the flowers seen nowhere else in the world that grow near a memorial to two lovers, you should pick one of each and exchange them with someone you care for, as a sign of your own eternal dedication to your heart’s love.

~End~

[Bonus Artwork by @cynthrey!]

#alsmp #alsmp fanfic #alsmpshipping #scosage #mythicalsausage #scott smajor #dangthatsalongname #joel smallishbeans #pearlescentmoon #captainsparklez #floran!scott #floran!sausage #empires s2 joel #soul liminality 2 #lunar yarns

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