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prrism · 1 year

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First Winter

We’re jumping a little ways ahead in the timeline for this one but I wanted to make a sorta winter special. Hope you guys enjoy 😊

Summary: Winter, a time of year when everything gets a lot colder. You were perfectly used to this, Techno on the other hand…

Characters: Techno x Reader

Relationship: platonic/parental

Pronouns: unspecified/kept neutral

“Hey.” You roll away from the child nudging you, this encourages him to nudge harder. “Wake up.” You let out a small groan, why was he bothering you now? “(Y/n)?… (Yy/nn)?… Sensei! Wake up, wake up, wake up!” You slowly crack your eyes open to find it’s still very dark in your room, your pink haired child staring at you intently through the darkness.

“Techno, it’s not even sunrise yet…” Your voice drawls out a little.

“I know, but… something weird is happening, outside.” He says pointing to the window.

“Weird?” You stare at him confused. “What do you mean weird?” Your only response is a shrug as he tries tugging you out of bed. “Alright, alright. I’m coming to have a look.” You push yourself out of bed, instantly feeling a chill run down your spine. Normally you’d be more awake and alert but again, it wasn’t even sunrise yet and Techno didn’t sound too panicked when he woke you so you weren’t on the defence either.

“Come on! See.” He rushes up to the window, pointing to whatever it was he wanted you to see. You rub some of the sleep from your eyes as you stare out the window at the gentle snowfall through the glass, a soft chuckle leaves you. “You’re laughing. I show you something weird, and you’re laughing.” Techno huffs, making you chuckle a bit more.

“Sorry, it’s just… there isn’t actually anything weird about this.” He tilts his head at you confused, you take a breath, trying to figure out how to explain this to him. “Remember when some of the trees leaves started changing colours and falling off.”

“Obviously, it wasn’t that long ago. You said this is a biome that can change… seasons?”

“That’s correct, glad you remembered. But also, it’s way too early for your snark mister.” You give him a small boop on the nose making him scrunch up his face while he playfully tries to swat your hand away. “Anyways, what’s happening now is another change in the season.”

“Can we go see?” He asks, looking to you curiously. You take a second to think about it, watching the snow slowly turn the terrain outside white.

“Are you sure? It’s still pretty early, even for us.” You figured you’d give him the choice, and internally groan when he gives an eager nod. You go to grab your cloak, pausing when the sound of the front door opening is heard. Did Techno seriously just run outside without warmer attire? You don’t concern yourself too much, after all the first snow isn’t usually the coldest so it should be fine… then again, Techno’s never experienced snow before and was more accustomed to heat. You hurriedly grab everything you need and make your way out the door, it doesn’t take long for you to spot Techno in the snow, although since he shifted to his piglin form it was pretty easy to spot the pink ball of fur. To your pleasant surprise he seemed to be handling the cold just fine, again probably because of all the fur.

“Sensei! What took you so long? Am I finally getting faster then you.” He playfully teases.

“In your dreams, kid.” You retaliate with a lazy smirk. “Unlike you I can’t just shift forms and make my own winter coat.” He looks at you confused a second before looking at himself, a small look of surprise on his face.

“Oh. I didn’t mean to.” He shifts back and instantly starts to shiver. “Wh-why is is it sssooo co-old?” He asks through chattering teeth.

“That’s winter for ya. Just be lucky we don’t live in the tundra, it’s like this all the time throughout the year.” You shrug, he looks at you like you were crazy.

“Th-that soundsss awf-ful, who’d want t-t-to live the-ere?” He was shaking like a leaf, and the fact he wasn’t changing to a piglin for some form of warmth was starting to concern you.

“Well… you’d be surprised. Now I think we should head inside, you’re going to get sick if you stay like this.” You try to usher him back to the house but of course now of all times is when he wants to play stubborn.

“No, I-I’m f-fine. I c-ca-can do th-this.” You sigh, wonder just what was going on in his head that prompted him to want to stay outside when he was clearly freezing. Did he think this was supposed to be a form of training? You look at the cloak you had made for him for when the winter months finally arrived, walking up to him and throwing it around his shoulders. “He-eh!”

“Hold still.” You interrupt before he can say anything else, clasping the cloak properly so it won’t slide off. Already he was shivering less. “There we go. Now I get that you want to adjust yourself to the ever changing weather, but that doesn’t mean you need to freeze yourself into an ice cube to do so.” He shifts his gaze away from you, hiding a bit in the fluffy collar, you couldn’t tell if the red on his cheeks was from the cold or embarrassment. “There’s no need for that look. I mean, look at me, I need to wear a cloak to keep warm too. Not to mention they’re very efficient for movement and are quite stylish.” You strike a pose to prove your point, earning a quiet laugh from Techno that he tries to hide. “Hey, don’t hide that smile. I know I saw it.” You ruffle his hair, making him playfully swat at you.

“Thanks Sensei.” You just catch him whisper.

“For what?” You look at him curiously.

“For… everything, I guess? I don’t know, I’m not very good at this.” He shrugs awkwardly. You kneel down and place a hand on his shoulder.

“We’ll then. You’re welcome. For everything… I guess.” You lightly joke, he gives you a soft punch to the arm. “Oh. My arm. You’ve broken it, you absolute brute. How can I ever go on.” You flop back into the snow dramatically.

“And I’ll break the other one too.” Techno smirks, playing along and delivering another, slightly harder punch to your other arm.

“Oh no! I’m armless, but I still have my legs!?” You proceed to kick your legs into the air.

“Not for long!” Techno chuckles, hurrying to “break” your legs.

“I have been beaten.” You say while laying limply as the snow falls around you. “Now you gotta carry me back.”

“Heh!? I’m not carrying you. You’re too heavy!” He stares down at you unimpressed.

“Oh! Ah! Right in the heart. How dare you, now you really have to carry me.” You smirk back.

“Nah, you’ll be fine. I’ll just leave you here.” He waves you off and walks away. You wait a few seconds to see if he’d come back to at least help you off the ground. When look over and see he’s not going to you quickly push yourself back onto your feet.

“Okay, I see how it is.” You charge after him. He lets out a squeal and tries to dart away from you, you quickly and easily catch up, grabbing him by the collar and holding him aloft. “So that’s it, huh? I’m laying in the snow and you’re going to leave me? Such betrayal!” You pull him closer and give him a noogie.

“Noooo! Stop! I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it. I wouldn’t actually leave you, promise.” You pause and look down at him triumphantly.

“Good, because if you did I’d make sure to haunt you and make all your hot coco ice cold.” You “threaten”.

“Nooooooooo! Not the cocooooo!” He cries dramatically, you both sharing a laugh together.

“Alright,” you start once you both have calmed down, “let’s get back inside. I’ll make us some breakfast and then we go out again, if you want to.” You suggest getting an eager nod in response. You carry Techno back to the house, where he asks you one last question.

“So umm, why make it red?” You hum in confusion. “My cloak, it’s not that I don’t, I do. But why red? It doesn’t blend in.” He asks again.

“Oh, easy, it’s not supposed to. Red is known to represent things like courage, strength and security as well as aggression and it is one of the easiest colours to see spot from far distances. So, when the day comes where your enemies try to stand against you they’ll see is as a warning, or if you’re ever in trouble I’ll be able to find you.” You explain with a pleased smile.

“Cool. I like it.” He breaths, leaning a little more into you. You rub small circles into his back and as you finally make your way inside the house you notice that you’d put him back to sleep. Deciding to let him rest a bit longer while you get everything ready for a proper start to the day.

Taglist:

@maxismp1

@justmare

#dream smp #dream smp x reader #dream smp x platonic reader #dsmp x reader #dsmp x platonic reader #technoblade #technoblade x reader

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if-loki-was-a-fox · 10 months

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The Syndicate Have Matching Cloaks Headcanon:

So the Syndicate all have matching cloaks. Specifically, they all have matching cloaks that Technoblade made for them.

It technically started with Techno making his own cloak as part of the whole regal attire aesthetic thing, then later he made one for Phil because of course he did (probably during the Antarctic Empire).

But when it really started becoming an accidental tradition was after Ranboo moved into the tundra with them. After a while, it became pretty apparent that Ranboo was not at all prepared to handle the cold weather (they didn't even build walls for goodness sake!), so eventually Technoblade made him a cloak too, because it was frankly painful watching the kid wandering around the snow in the clothes they usually wore. Not because he was worried about them or anything, of course.

When they started the Syndicate and Technoblade recruited Niki, he eventually made her a cloak to, now that she was becoming a significant part of their little friend group. It was partially because she would be visiting the tundra more often so she'd need a way to stay warm, and partially a way to make her visibly and cohesively part of their group. Either way, it was very much a sort of metaphor/physical representation of Techno and the others fully accepting her as a trusted and beloved member of their little gang of misfits.

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kind-of-crazy-butthatsokay · 9 months

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So cold 🏔️

Summary: You - a rookie agent on their first mission - are sent out with none other than The Natasha Romanov. But what was supposed to be an easy job, suitable for your first timer status, quickly goes awry when Hydra agents unexpectedly ambush the two of you at your safe house.

You barely get away, always following the steady lead of your experienced partner, even when the path she chooses is icy and unforgiving. Can you keep up, or will you be left behind?

Pairing: Natasha Romanov x Reader

(I did not use any specifying descriptions for body type, skin colour, gender etc. so feel free to imagine whatver you like. Also, in case some descriptive word did escape my notice, please feel free to point it out and I will find a more neutral alternative)

Warnings: 18+, depictions of violence, use of weaponry (guns etc.), environmental extremes (snow storm, ice), detailed near death experience (almost freezing to death), angst, Natasha being a cryptic drama queen

Word count: 6.2k

Author's note: Hi there, long time no see lol. This is my entry for @the-slumberparty's "Christmas in July" challenge! All in the spirit of bringing some nice tropes and themes from the winter season into the heat of summer 🌨️ My chosen prompt/trope is 'Cuddling for warmth' with Natasha Romanov 🖤

I hope you enjoy 🥰💖

...

“Keep going!” Natasha shouted in front of you, her head slightly tilted to the side as she spoke, so the wind wouldn't carry the words away before they reached your ears. “It's not much longer now, agent!”

You weren't cut out for this. You had massively misjudged your own abilities and it was coming back to bite you in the ass now.

She was wearing her usual attire, the thin suit not suited for this weather any better than your own tactical gear.

Your winter clothes were still back at the not-so-safe house you had to abandon after Hydra had invaded the space in search for you and the assassin still trudging ahead of you. Someone must've tipped them off that you were coming and they decided to nip the threat – aka you and Natasha – in the bud.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” you panted, toes and fingers frozen from the icy winds. Snowflakes whipped around you, the cold ice crystals biting at your exposed skin. It felt like being poked with dozens of sharp needles.

Natasha and you barely escaped the awaiting Hydra agents and you did so only because of the seasoned assassin's quick wit and ability to improvise in any situation.

She had efficiently taken out the brunt of the attackers, pried a set of car keys from the pockets of a fallen agent and then shouted at you to follow her.

The two of you left, legs pumping and heads ducked as bullets shredded the bark of the pine trees surrounding the property.

The red-head was quick to spot the vehicle, or rather one of the vehicles, their enemy used to get to the secluded house and with a flick of her finger unlocked the correct car. The black, windowless van gave a short 'beep' and flashed its lights and you headed for it without hesitation.

How you went from being in a realtively safe vehicle to stumbling through the ice cold tundra of Svalbard?

Well, your attackers swiftly started the pursuit of you and your red-headed partner, so as soon as the opportunity presented itself, you ditched the car in a mostly hidden location and continued your escape on foot, this way they had no way of tracking you via the car.

So off you went, further away from what little civilization there was in the first place and out into the uncharted terrain of the arctic archipelago.

Your frozen fingers failed to hold the loaded hand gun you had kept at the ready and you cursed when it fell into the snow. You stiff body protested as you tried to bend down to pick the weapon up, frozen limbs making it hard to remain balanced. All it took for you to topple head first into the snow was a strong gust of wind.

The icy snow bit at your skin, the cold seeping through your clothes and settling deep in your bones. You whimpered pathetically, uncoordinated limbs flailing in the snow as you tried to regain your footing.

It was so cold. The wind didn't stop blowing, the snow didn't stop falling from the sky, the usually cheerful ice crystals now glinting with murderous intent as they settled down on your shaking form.

It was summer. You didn't even know it could get this cold somewhere in the middle of summer.

But out here, on this cluster of islands in the middle of the sea, surrounded by looming mountains and sparse plant life, the cold temperatures seemed to be at home. The glittering peaks rose around you, the snow covered stone giants looking down at you like sentient beings silently awaiting your demise.

A violent shiver ripped through your body and you picked up your heavy head to look at the darkening sky. Soon it would be night and the temperatures would keep plummeting.

The thought of freezing to death in this no mans land jolted your body into motion. Along with the terrifying discovery that you couldn't spot your partner anywhere.

Adrenaline poured into your system, forcing your limbs to move. You scrambled to your feet, your legs unsteady beneath you as you stared ahead but could not see any sign of Natasha.

Your gun was long forgotten, left behind thoughtlessly as you hurried through the snow, your frantic gaze sweeping from left to right.

The storm kept sweeping up the settled snow around you and the added snowflakes swirling down from above clouded your vision further, but not so much that you wouldn't be able to see the red-head, had she waited-

Maybe she didn't realise you fell. Maybe... Maybe you laid there longer than you think, motionless in the cold snow, and she didn't notice as she kept trudging along without you.

Panic spread through your chest, a sharp, stinging sensation that expanded to your stomach and made you jittery.

All caution thrown to the wind, you hurried ahead and called out.

“Hello? Agent Romanoff? Hello!”

Your voice briefly echoed around you before the strong winds carried it away, like a sentence written with ink washed away in water.

Tears gathered in your eyes and your throat closed up.

“Please! I'm here! Where are you?”

What if she was gone and you truly were alone? Would the weather get you first, or would Hydra sniff out your trail and kill you?

You should've just accepted a desk job. When SHIELD hired you, it was to join their army of secretive pencil pushers, not to become an agent in action. But as you underwent the mandatory training every single agent had to go through – whether they would see active duty or not – your skills had quickly gotten you a few recommendations and before you knew it, you had been bumped up from a desk job to a field agent.

Just like that.

And now you were forced to accept the consequences of a decision that wasn't even fully yours. You would pay with your life because someone thought you'd make a good field agent and decided your path for you.

You really should've insisted on your original placement. Safe and sound behind a desk, uncovering and hiding away state secrets and ending secret wars all with the push of a few buttons.

You dropped to the snowy ground again, your numb legs felled by a hidden obstacle that blocked your foot and sent you to your knees. Your hands hurt terribly when they made contact with the cold ground, but you didn't dare lift them lest you fall even further. You didn't think you'd be able to get up again.

“Natasha, help-” you shouted out weakly, your arms threatening to buckle beneath you. “I don't want to die.”

Tears flooded your eyes, the salty liquid drawing cold paths along your face and gathering at the tip of your nose before dropping to the cold ground.

Just as you were about to give up, your arms folding and knees slipping, a strong hand roughly grabbed your upper arm.

You let out a scream, your body raising whatever strenght you had left to struggle weakly against the sudden assault, when the flushed face of Agent Romanoff appeared in your vision.

“Agent!” she snapped, bending down fully to grab your other arm and hoist you to your feet.

Your struggle seized immediately and relief flooded through you at the sight of her. Your hands reached out, stiff fingers holding onto her arms with all your might. She was your life line and you wouldn't dare to let her go.

She was saying something, you could hear it, words said in an urgent, but controlled tone. You saw her lips moving, the scowl she wore as she stared at you. But you didn't understand any of it. You just stood there, clutching her arms and staring at her face with wide eyes.

“We have to move!” the woman snapped eventually. She pried your hands off her arms and moved next to you. She hooked one arm around your middle, while the other grabbed one of yours and slung it over her shoulder.

You weren't much help in your state of shock, your body slow and clumsy as she did her best to drag you along, regrettably leaving wide trails in the snow behind you. If you were lucky, the falling snow would cover your tracks before anyone could follow you.

The two of you kept going for what felt like ages until eventually, Natasha stopped in a thicket of bushes and trees. She gently lowered you down, leaning your trembling body against a tree trunk and then hurried away from you.

“Wait!” you called out, the thought of her leaving you again shaking you out of your stupor. You tried to push away from the trunk, to get to your feet and follow her, but your body gave out and you helplessly slumped back agains the rough bark.

Natasha didn't stop. She walked a few more steps before stopping and crouching on the ground. You could see her hands digging through the snow, her pale skin beginning to turn blue due to the cold.

A few moments later the red-head got up again, hands latched to something on the floor. She gave a violent pull, using all her strength, leaning her body into the motion and then, with a loud, tortured creak, a trap door opened in the ground.

She flung it open, the heavy metal thumping against the snow covered ground, and turned around to retrieve you from where she left you leaning against the tree.

“Come on, we're almost there,” she said, her voice still steady, though you thought you could hear a smidge of concern in her tone.

The assassin dragged you towards the bunker, your feet tripping over air as you clumsily moved along.

The trap door looked like a hungry maw as it greeted you surrounded by the blinding white of the snow, the sight of it sending a shiver through you that had nothing to do with the icy cold still surrounding you.

“Focus, there are stairs. I can't carry you down,” Natasha said firmly and you did your best to straighten up your slumped body draped over her much more steady form.

She led you down the first step, your clumsy feet slowly following her example, even if only just.

The two of you made your way further down until you reached the bottom of the stairs. It was a good thing too, because you were ready to keel over.

“Here, hold this,” the levelheaded red-head said as she lifted your arm from around her shoulders, leaned you against the bunker wall and pressed a flashlight into your numb hands. Your frozen fingers barely managed to curl around the object before she let go of it and then hurried up the stairs.

As you stood there, shaky legs hardly supoorting your own weight, a numbing sensation took the place of the ever biting cold. The loud 'thunk' of the trap door falling shut barely stirred you, the only thought that occurred was that you should stop feeling so numb with cold now that the wind and ice had been locked out.

But the numbed prickling sensation spreading all over your body made it feel like you were still left out in the storm where the ever creeping fingers of death slowly close around your heart, squeezing it in its icy hold.

“Hey, hey! Eyes on me, agent,” Natasha snapped, a light pop to your cheek startling your eyes open again. You hadn't even noticed they'd closed.

The red-head blew out a long breath as your unfocused gaze slowly zeroed in on her. She eyed you for a long moment before turning to the metal door that was inlaid into the cement wall at the bottom of the stairs. Her pale hands grasped the heavy wheel attached to the door and turned it with all her might until it began turning with a defeaning screech.

You didn't have the energy to actually jerk at the unpleasant sound, your muscles so drained they'd even stopped their violent trembling. You didn't think that was a good thing. Didn't muscles tremble as a way to warm up your body?

The door swung open with another tortured sound and Natasha disappeared inside right after plucking the flashlight from your grasp. You swayed in place, body threatening to fold the longer you stood in the dark.

A few long moments passed and you were starting to grow restless at Natasha's absence. Taking a determined – and horribly misjudged – step forward, you immediately began to crumple to the floor in a decidedly unelegant way and with a hoarse squeak, followed by the loud 'thump' of your body hitting the cement floor.

Strangely enough, there wasn't really a sensation of pain, merely a dulled throb in your knees and elbows.

A light humming sound started to pick up around you just as you found yourself lying on the floor, the flickering of the overhead lights hurting your tired eyes.

Natasha must've found the generator. Or whatever else was used to power this ancient bunker.

You heard the quiet sounds of her light steps growing louder and eventually a cursed “Great!” uttered by her. “Can't leave you alone for a single second. How the hell did you pass your field training...”

She looped her arms underneath yours and began dragging your limp form into the bunker. Your wet clothes left a streak across the bleak floor.

“ 'm tired,” you mumbled, your thoughts swimming aimlessly around your cottony head.

“You're not allowed to sleep. That's an order from your superior Agent,” Natasha barked through clenched teeth.

She heaved your heavy body onto something soft – well, not exactly soft, but definitely softer than the unforgiving floor – and rolled you around until you laid on your back and stared up at the grey ceiling.

“We gotta get you out of your wet clothes. They will cool you down and that's the last thing we need right now,” Natasha informed you, her hand briefly touching your frozen cheek before wandering lower and working on quickly removing your layers of wet clothes.

You tried to help as best as you could, straining to lift limbs and shift left or right so she could slip off various items of clohting until you were left in your sports bra and panties. They too were slightly damp, but you were glad Natasha had decided to grant you your modesty. Not that you could have protested if she had wanted to take the last of your coverage as well.

The red-head had talked to you the entire time, keeping your mind engaged and awake. She was still talking now, her voice much more soothing than before, the tense edge gone from her rich baritone.

Some feeling was slowly coming back to your extremeties and you finally noticed how warm it was in the small underground room – and how cold you were in comparison.

Sharp, stinging pain started to needle at every inch of your skin and you had absolutely no control over the tears that rose unbidden to your eyes, barely brimming along your waterline before spilling over with a weak sob rattling in your hollow chest.

“I wan' go home,” you slurred, tears running down your temples and into your hairline.

“Hey, it's alright. You'll go home, don't worry. I'll make sure of it,” Natasha's voice soothed you.

You were so occupied with crying and suddenly fearing for your life that you didn't notice the red-head had dressed down to her underwear as well and was now climbing onto what seemed to be a sturdy, wall-mounted cot jutting out from the bleak cement walls.

The mattress dipped beneath her body as she climbed on, shuffling carefully on her knees and using her hands to roll you a little further towards the wall.

The movement jostling your body made you aware of the sublte tremble that overtook your muscles once more as you laid on the firm cot. Tears were still trickling down your face and your breathing came in shaky stutters. There were so many things you wanted to say, last words and farewells for Natasha to deliver to your loved ones, but nothing but chocked crying and shuddery breaths made it past you ice-cold lips.

“I'm going to get you warmed up. I'm sorry if you're uncomfortable with this, but I don't know how else to help you,” Natasha explained evenly.

She had shuffled down to lie next to you, her front pressed againt the curve of your spine. You felt the faint vibration of her voice against you trembling back. Your core muscles had begun to shake violently now, the cooled down flesh trying to preserve body heat with a desperate last measure.

“Come here,” the older woman muttered behind you, wrapping her arm around you and pulling your bodies flush together. Her bent legs fit perfectly against your own, her thighs slotted up against the underside of yours and her scarred knees firmly lodged in place in the soft backside of your own.

She reached out to pull the thin blanket over your bodies, carefully making sure that it covered you from your neck down to your frozen toes that still felt concerningly numb.

“S-so c-co- cold,” you mumbled, your tired eyes falling shut as you instinctively nestled back against Natasha's warm body as much as you could in your delirious, weakened state.

“Shh, you'll be warmer soon. Just stay with me, rookie,” the red-head soothed, her hand resting on your soft belly making the smallest of circling motions to calm you.

The touch was so soft, your frozen body almost didn't register it as you sniffled through the gradually slowing tears wetting your cold face.

“ 'wan home,” you tiredly slurred again, your mind getting slow and foggy as you laid tucked up against Natasha, your trembling muscles shaking the mattress.

Bone deep exhaustion was creeping in, the emotional and physical shock of the day's events dragging you under at last, drowning your conscience in thick darkness.

“-Ookie. Wake up.”

Silence.

“-gotta wake up.”

A murmur.

“Can you hear me?”

Your eyes fluttered open for a moment, blurry vision hardly able to focus on your surroundings. The only thing your sluggish mind registered was the glaring light brightening up the space you found yourself in.

“There we go. Come on, keep those eyes open.”

There was a light tap to your cheek. A warm hand settled on the skin and popped against it a couple of times until your eyes opened once more.

“Hey, look at me.”

It took you a moment to figure out what was going on. Your eyes settled on a familiar red-head who stood in front of the cot you were curled up on in nothing but your practical underwear.

Natasha was in the same state of undress, her hair in a mussed up bun. A few strands fell in her eyes when she bent over to stare down at you with observant green eyes.

“Mmh... wha'?” you mumbled, eyes blearily blinking up at the woman who scanned your face carefully.

Your cheek itched and you instinctively reached up, heavy arm fighting against exhausted muscles to scratch the itch.

“You can move, that's good,” Natasha observed and straightened back up. “Stay awake. You need to eat and drink.”

It took you a moment to understand her words and then the dramatic position you had found yourself in not long ago filtered back into your foggy thoughts.

The ice and the snow, the freezing winds tearing at your clothes. You'd fallen, unable to get back up from the frozen ground... After that, flashes of the red-head's face, her hands on your trembling body, dragging you, undressing you, holding you.

“You- you saved me,” you uttered quietly, the words clearer now that you became fully conscious.

Natasha stopped in her tracks. She had already turned her back on you, walking off towards the other end of the room, but your quiet voice made her halt. She glanced at you over her shoulder.

“Yes, I did,” she said evenly and continued her path. “You're welcome.”

You stared after her for a moment, watching as she strode across the cement floor, the glaring ceiling lights throwing her shadow on the ground, until it became too hard to keep your eyes open and you surrendered to the pull of your heavy lids.

“Didn't I tell you to keep your eyes open, rookie. I was under the impression you were good at following orders,” Natasha's voice came from right in front of you, startling your tired eyes open again.

“Sorry. I'm tired,” you mumbled and rubbed your eyes before maneuvering an arm under your body and pressing up into a more upright position. It was hard on your tired muscles and Natasha saw you straining.

She set the bowls she was holding onto the floor and reached out to hoist you into a sitting position with your back leaning against the cool wall behind you. Then she grabbed the bowls and handed you one before climbing into the bed beside you and pulling the blanket over both of you.

“Eat,” Natasha ordered curtly. She didn't shy away from physical contact despite her distant behaviour, quite the opposite. She settled close to you, her side pressed against yours. She was warmer than you, but not noticably so.

It made you realise that, for the first time since you and your partner had fled your safe house at the edge of the sleepy town, you weren't cold. You weren't shaking, your limbs weren't growing numb or stinging from the biting cold.

“Thank you,” you said quietly after having a mouthful of the hot broth steaming in the tin bowl. “For the food and... you know.”

“You're welcome. Now eat. I didn't go through all the trouble of dragging your frozen ass through the tundra just so you die of malnutrition,” the red-head said, nudging your side with her elbow without looking up from the bowl of broth she made and continued eating.

Somehow her answer didn't feel genuine, but then again, saving lives was more or less her job, so maybe she didn't expect any big displays of grattitude.

You tried to shrug it off and silently finished your food. It was tiring, holding the bowl and bringing the spoon to your lips for every bite. The ordeal in the cold had sucked every bit of energy from your body and now that you weren't actively freezing to death or delirious it hit you like a train.

You came incredibly close to losing your life. The realisation was humbling and terrifying and it filled you with so much grattitude towards your mission partner. If it wasn't for her experience in the field, her quick thinking and acting, you would be dead. Not frozen to death in the stormy tundra, no. You would've died with a bullet in your back the moment you were ambushed if it wasn't for Natasha.

Your shaky hands set the empty bowl down in your lap and you raised your gaze, properly studying the space you were in for the first time. It was a bunker, practical, bare, down to the point.

Cement floors and walls, several bunk beds jutting out from the walls, a small nook that held old kitchen appliances, a rickety set of chairs and a table. Several filing cabinets stood pushed up against the far wall to your right.

“Where are we?” you asked, hoping to keep your spiraling thoughts about your fragile existence at bay as well as wanting to fill the eerie quiet surrounding you.

“A bunker,” Natasha supplied very unhelpfully. She pushed up from the cot, pulling the blanket off her body and tucking it back around yours before taking your bowl from your lap and bringing it with her to the kitchen space.

“I.. I can see that. I know I'm a rookie, but I'm not that clueless,” you replied, somewhat irritated at her curt responses.

You thanked her for saving you and for the food. You were trying to make conversation. Why was she being so dismissive? You didn't do anything wrong.

“You almost died out in the cold if it wasn't for me. Not to mention that you lost your firearm. I'd say you're fairly clueless,” Natasha pointed out, her voice still infuriatingly even. As if she didn't care, as if you were nothing but an inconvenience for her.

You clenched your jaw, anger bubbling up beneath your skin. She wasn't being fair. You didn't ask for this. Someone made the decision for you, telling you you'd be better off as a field agent rather than wasting your talents behind a desk. None of this was your fault.

“I- This-” you started, chest puffed out and hands weakly clutching at your blanket.

“Think before you speak,” Natasha commented, leisurely washing the bowls and spoons you had used.

That did it. Your eyes bore into her back, a snarl twisting your features.

Shoving – well, in your state it was more a weak flopping of limbs – the blanket away from your body, you somehow managed to maneuver yourself to the edge of the cot and began to get up.

“Stop it! I- I didn't ask for any of this. This is my first time in the field, a decision that was made for me. They kept telling me I shouldn't waste my skills on a desk job and I was stupid enough to believe them! And look where it got me. I almost died! I could've been dead. Shot, stabbed, tortured by Hydra agents, frozen to death in the snow like some unloved pet left by an owner! It's not my fault things went sideways and I can't be blamed for not knowing better either, so stop acting like I'm some dumbass who purposely makes things difficult for you, you- urgh”

The moment you tried to push yourself up into a standing position to march over to the seemingly indifferent red-head your legs gave out beneath you. You vision swam, head pounding as your heart pumped desperately in your chest to supply your brain with enough oxygen and keep you from passing out.

Natasha was by your side in the blink of an eye. Your knees barely got the chance to touch the floor before she caught you, hands shoved under your arms to keep you from slamming into the cement floor like a sack of potatoes.

She gave a sigh, muttering something under her breath as she heaved your floppy body back onto the mattress and moved you onto your side. She drew the blanket back over your exposed body and then gripped your chin between her index and thumb.

Your vision was still a little blurry, thoughts scrambled from the sudden collapse that you probably should have anticipated considering your current state.

“Stay in bed, rookie. You're gonna get yourself killed if you keep this up,” Natasha reprimanded.

Assumingly having found what she was looking for, the red-head released your face and settled it back on the pillow.

You watched her groggily, eyes following her shape as she retrieved something from a squeaky cupboard and returned to you. It was a water bottle by the looks of it. You couldn't read the label.

Natasha opened the bottle with a swift twist of the cap and then reached behind your neck to prop your head up enough so you could drink from the bottle she held to your lips.

When she deemed that you had had enough, she pulled the bottle away and put your head back on the pillow.

You were too embarassed to speak, ashamed of your outburst and your collapse. Once again, she had to help you. You really were clueless. Not that it could be expected otherwise, seeing as this was your first mission. And it immediately went awry.

Natasha didn't say anything else either. She merely climbed back up onto the mattress, carefully climbing over your lax body and settling close behind, once again molding your two forms together.

After a while of tense silence, you let out a sigh.

“Sorry.”

Natasha merely hummed at your apology.

You began wracking your brain for more words to say, something to convince the woman that you never meant to make things difficult for her, but that you simply didn't know any better. Before any of those half-bakes sentences can make it past your lips though, Natasha begins to speak.

“It's an old soviet bunker. I know it from my days with Dreykov.”

It took you a moment to place her words, not expecting the sudden change of topic.

So that's where you were. An old soviet bunker. You could only thank the stars that it was Natasha Romanov who you had been sent out with. Anyone else might not have had this knowledge and you would've ended up dead in the snow.

“Okay... How- How did you know it was deserted?” you asked hesitantly.

“I didn't.” Natasha replied bluntly, shifting behind you to press closer. You knew it was only to keep your body temperature up and steady after the hypothermia, but you couldn't help but take comfort from the action.

“But- What would you have done if there were people here? Armed people?” you wondered, images of bloody scenes flashing before your eyes. You shuddered, head dipping down and body nestling back against Natasha's firm one.

“I would've killed them.”

That gave you a pause.

“You- you would've... of course you would,” you stuttered and then gave up with a huff. You didn't know what you expected.

“You're my responsibilty, rookie. I don't like to see colleagues dying on the job,´not if I can help it,” Natasha said. She lifted the arm she'd kept on her hip over your waist, settling her hand on your soft tummy just the way she had done when she climbed onto the cot last time. “Especially not sweet ones like you.”

Your stomach squeezed strangely at the unexpected compliment, a giddy kind of feeling bubbling up in your overtired mind.

“What? I'm not- not sweet,” you deflected, flustered and confused. She was being so steely before and now she complimented you out of nowhere.

“You are. And green behind the ears like no other,” Natasha said matter of factly, causing you to pout a little.

Yes, you didn't have experience, but according to your trainers and superiors you had at least some skill, otherwise they wouldn't have sent you out in the field. Still something you deeply regretted not turning down.

“I usually don't take new recruits on missions. I either work alone or have an experienced agent of my choosing with me. Most of the time Barton, if he's available,” the woman added.

You frowned. Was she regretting this mission? Regretting that she had given it a try to go out on a job with someone less experienced and steady?

“But... why did they send me with you then? They should know you don't work with noobs like me and reagrding your stature in the Agency... Well, I'd like to think they respect your wishes,” you mumbled.

“Oh, they do. I asked for you as my partner. It would've been an uneventful solo mission, so taking you to show you the ropes seemed sensible,” the red-head revealed.

Her words made you stop. She'd requested you as her partner when she could've easily done this by herself without any complications? You didn't get it.

The Black Widow, a former KGB agent and most feared assassin, wasn't known for such niceties. What could have possibly made her think you were worth her time?

Thankfully, Natasha didn't let your thoughts spiral too far.

“I knew the moment I laid eyes on you during your training that the field wasn't your place. You are good, yes. In a controlled environment. But out here, away from shooting ranges and bullet-proof vests? You hesitate. You think too much and it will get you killed. So I made sure that wouldn't happen and that, after all this, you can go back and start that desk job you applied for,” she concluded.

There were countless questions swirling through your head, each one fighting to be ask first.

“Does that make me less?” was the question spilling forth before any of the others.

Natasha sighed. She shifted behind you, legs pressing closer to yours.

“Some would think so. But it doesn't,” she said. For a moment you thought that was it, but after a short silence the red-head kept going.

“There's a reason we all have our strengths and weaknesses. Every job needs doing, no matter how inconsequential it might seem. If not for cleaners and refuse collectors, who would keep our streets and public spaces clean? They are just as fundamentally important to our life in society as any politician or police officer. The same goes for you. We need people out in the field, but without the people behind the desks, directing them, gathering information, finding new sources and uncovering secrets, they would be lost.”

Her words stunned you. They came unexpected. You thought highly of Natasha Romanov, but she always seemed untouchable, so above everything else. It surprised you that she had such on open view of the world. So many active duty agents that you had met in your short time at Shield constantly frowned upon and made jokes about their stationary colleagues who sat behind desks, organised meetings and collected information.

“That... That's a very nice way of looking at things,” you replied eventually.

Once more the red-head only gave a hum. It made you feel like you had overstayed your welcome by asking questions she had to obligation to answer. Then again, she did say she chose you to come on a mission with her, so...

Yes, so what? What was her reasoning for that? She said she knew you weren't fit for the job when she saw you at training. But what does that mean? Why didn't she just report her opinion to someone in charge and spared you all this hassle? Why did she care at all?

“Why me? Why do you care what happens to me?” you blurted out, unable to hold back the burning question that plagued your mind.

“I see a lot and I hear a lot,” Natasha replied cryptically, before continuing in clearer terms. “It is part of the profession. And sometimes, when I see something, I decide that I want to see more. To know more, hear more, learn more. And when I saw you, well, I wanted to do exactly that. To follow the intrigue and see what hid behind it.”

“But I'm not very intrigung, am I?” you deflected nervously.

“Hm, to me you are. You're sweet. Would be a shame for you to be gone before I ever got the chance to have a proper conversation with you, don't you think?”

You found it strange that they were sending you with the Black Widow on your very first mission. It was even stranger that besides a stake out here and there, much of your time was spent with her in close quarters doing not much of anything. Well, before things went sideways, anyway.

It couldn't be that the woman behind you chose you simply for selfish reasons? To get to know you and watch you up close?

'I'm going mad' you thought to yourself, your still sluggish head unable to wrap around the truth that was slowly being revealed piece by piece.

A squeeze around your middle brought you back to the present moment.

“Don't worry you pretty little head about it, rookie. I already contacted Fury when you were sleeping. The communication systems down here are outdated, but I made it work. They are sending an extraction team for us and backup to sniff out where Hydra is hiding. Soon, we'll be back and then you have all the time in the world to figure this out,” Natasha said, the slightest bit of a teasig undertone to her voice.

“Until then, sleep. You need it and I need you to make a full recovery,” she added at last.

You wanted to say more, protest that you weren't tired and wanted to figure out what she was so intriguingly hinting at, but your body agreed with Natasha's statement.

A shuddered jawn tumbled out of your mouth and you could already feel your eyes fluttering shut despite your efforts to keep them open.

A soft humming sound came from behind you, helping you drift off to sleep until the last thing you remembered was a rough hand softly stroking your skin until you fell asleep.

...

There we go! A little late, but I managed after all! Cuddling for warmth is such a weakness of mine, especially when it is with my favourite Agent and Partner in crime Natasha Romanov 😌😇 I'd let her cuddle me day and night. I'm very squishy and soft, so perfect for snuggling! 🥺🥰

I really appreciate being allowed to submit this late 😅😳 and I hope you enjoy this angsty detour into the icy, nothern territories that, even in summer, are cold and unforgiving ❄️🤍

#natasha romanov #natasha romanov x reader #natasha romanov fic #angst #smidge of fluff #hurt/comfort #cuddling for warmth #delicious cliché #oneshot #writing challenge #christmas in july #navy and roo's sleepover

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chezzywezzy · 2 years

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Yandere Jerry Dandrige HCs

I don't write HCs other than as birthday gifts for friends, so don't ask for others! However, happy birthday to my best friend in the whole wide world, @fanfic-side-blog! Sorry it's a few days late. And do enjoy. Love you lots!

You’d never suspect of a vampire moving to the middle of the South, where the sun was always at its peak. And yet, that’s where Jerry ended up going to stave off suspicion.

What was even odder was that he decided to move into a trailer park. A vampire who had a great deal amount of money, ended up in a trailer in the middle of a desert. How odd.

However, Jerry Dandrige was an old vampire. More than four-hundred years old, he was getting bored of the same-old, same-old. Relocate have some fun slaughtering the locals, and move elsewhere. He’d been all over the world, from the frozen tundras of Alaska to the humid rainforests of the Philippines.

But there he was. And, as uncomfortable as the landscape was for him, he would end up being quite grateful for the impromptu move. Because that trailer park in the middle of nowhere in the searing hot desert would be where he met you.

The sun was just beginning to rise when he caught a glimpse of you. He worked his brow, sitting back against a chair just outside of his purchased trailer. He had a ‘beer’ bottle beside him and he was about to pack it up.

There you were, out and about on an early morning run. You were sweating and heaving, probably just hitting the three-mile mark. You were running right by and didn’t feel his eyes glued to your figure.

You were attractive. Roughly his physical body’s age. Even drenched in and with an uncomfortable expression, you were nice on the eyes.

However the sun was about to rise. So, off he went, shutting the curtains of his trailer. He didn’t particularly need any rest, so he sat back in the recliner and watched television.

And yet, all he could think about was you.

He started making it a habit to sit out in the early morning. Sometimes you were there, running laps without noticing him. Other times, his morning was desolate and lonely.

Jerry was taken. So, he was left with no other option than to take up running. It was easy. It was slow. And yet, he did so in hopes that you two would cross paths and formally introduce.

And that happened. He was coming from the opposite direction as you. You two made eye contacts, and he noticed how your face flushed as you scanned his exposed torso up and down. Jerry had to resist a smirk, instead smiling and sending you a friendly wave.

You awkwardly waved back. And so, a new habit was set. He would go in the opposite direction each morning and you two would cross paths. During this time, a few people were mysteriously disappearing around the trailer park and the local area, but that was hardly your business.

And then, one morning, instead of waving, he greeted hello and slowed to a stop. You reciprocated, making it clear that you found him attractive and dreamy. Jerry couldn’t help but feel instant chemistry.

Jerry was smooth. So very smooth. However despite how you physically drooled over him, you were a little dense. And maybe even that was an understatement. So, for the time being, you two became jogging partners.

Slowly, Jerry became more involved in your life. You two exchanged numbers. You somehow could text him any time of day and night. It was like he never slept. And he was always very vague about what his job was, too, and you never saw him out during the day.

A few months passed and Jerry knew he was supposed to leave. And yet, you were here. And even though it had been a few months, the connection he found with you was irreplaceable.

But he also knew that if he swept you off your feet and took you with him, it would be easy to locate him for kidnapping. So, he was stuck until further notice.

And then, one day, when he’d just called over a nice meal - prostitute -, he heard knocking on his front door. He opened it, and found you. Adorning such gorgeous Victorian attire, hair in a curly red updo, was you. You looked so shy, but to quote Mr. Darcy, “your feelings could not be repressed.”

You admitted your crush on the man. And Jerry’s heart melted. He couldn’t even give a verbal response instead pulling you into the trailer and welcoming you with a warm kiss that caused even more butterflies to erupt in your stomach.

All of the pieces fell into place. But then, you picked up a very peculiar stench. Sure, you thought it was just the beer at first, but as you ogled the rest of his trailer, you realized. It smelled too much of iron to be simple beer and cigarettes.

Jerry, calm and collected, began explaining everything. How he was a vampire. He was na immortal. And he wanted nothing more than to be with you for all of eternity.

You almost said yes. At least, until there came a knocking on his trailer door. He left you eagerly, swinging it open to reveal a scandalously clad woman with a cigar poking out from her lips.

The realization set in on you. But you could only watch in horror, too internally conflicted. His teeth sank in and he sucked the woman dry, his face having morphed into something far more terrible than the handsome man you’d become acquainted with.

As the body dropped the ground, Jerry opened his arms to you. And you, as though stuck in a trance, hugged back. He held onto your hair as he dug his fangs into your neck.

The sensation was oddly pleasant, minus the dull pain from when he first pierced into you. It felt like a dream. One that made you feel so ecstatic, even if every fibre of your being was screaming that this was wrong.

And then as his fangs departed and he pressed one final kiss to your forehead, you dropped to the ground.

By the time you woke up, you were vaguely aware that you were being carried. You felt absolutely famished, too. And as your eyes opened you were peering at Jerry. Somehow, you weren’t in the desert. It was the middle of the night and you were in a forest, a cool breeze sifting over you two.

Your heart melted because god, he was just so good-looking. But you also realized that your spontaneity had left your family - and a dead woman - in the dust.

Jerry consoled you, saying that the life of a vampire was beautiful and free. And, as much as you were swayed by his gorgeous voice and handsome lips, you felt so very guilty.

#yandere #x reader #x y/n #self insert #yandere slashers #yandere x reader #headcanon #jerry dandridge #fright night #horror movie #scary movie #horror film #horror #fright night x reader #jerry dandrige x reader #yandere jerry dandrige #yandere fright night

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annadoingshitpoorly · 8 months

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Get Clover It - Chapter 1 (VEX'LETH)

CW: Death of shitty father figures, Not an X Reader, Meet-Cute, Trans Vex (implied), Not Beta'd, Cute Fluff, Florist AU

Word Count : 2K

what is this?! me posting something that isnt a reader insert?!

MINORS AND CUNTS DNI 💚💚💚

Syldor was dead. And that was for the better. At least that's what Vex told herself as she folds the freshly ironed black blouse and leather trousers into the small suitcase next to the sleek black heels with the wine soles. With the zips pulled tight, the bag is left on the ground and she felt ready for the journey. With the key in her apartment door, it dawned on Vex how she would have to mourn or pretend to mourn her father in front of not only his new family but quite possibly the entirety of the town she lived in (but was never from). Turning back inside for the last time before leaving she walked back in and straight to the bedroom.

Looking into the wardrobe at the several jackets and overcoats she’d amassed over the years since leaving her own home and then her father’s house, her hand reached for the mid-length navy overcoat with the large silver buttons almost instinctively and as she pulled it from the hanger and threw the heavy suede over finely muscled shoulders, she felt safer, silly as it was. Trying to rationalise her new addition to the outfit Vex reminded herself of how funeral attire was always quite dull, too dull even, black on black with possibly even more black on top? Definitely more her brother’s style, the sprinkling of the dark blue would let her make it her own.

Out the door once more, and for good this time. Vex locked the door and sent a quick text to Taryon to thank him once more for taking Trinket on such short notice as her taxi pulled up to take her to the airport.

Stepping out of the humid air through rotating doors and into the tiled floors and airconditioning of Lyrengorn airport, the small departures wing was empty bar the few staff for various airlines making idle chit-chat amongst themselves behind the check-in desks. After lifting her bag to be weighed at one of the desks Vex began to tune out the short woman behind the counter as she babbled on to herself until she asked, “Can I see your passport?” The blue haired woman looked goofy as she held the passport up to compare the printed face to Vex’s in front of her, “And do you have anything sharp or dangerous in your luggage?” She continued as her head tilted to one side.

“No, nothing of the sort.”

“Okie dokie! Well, that means you're all set and you'll see your bags over in Syngorn! Enjoy your flight!” the bubbly tone not failing once, Vex begins to suspect that the woman is just that enthusiastic and it doesn’t do anything to help her already sour enough mood.

Vex continued through security, without a hitch but not without wounding at least four members of staff with glares to kill as she was subjected to secondary and tertiary checks, reaching the lounge with its deceptively comfortable seats and free Wi-Fi was as good as any reward, even if the bar wasn’t open yet and the overpriced coffee was watered down mud. Thankful to not have any human interaction for at least half an hour, Vex slid down into one of the empty benches next to the lone gate pulling out her phone, rereading the list Vax had sent of preparations that needed to be done between them. It wasn’t a short list.

Boarding the plane, having put her carry-on in the bin above her head, Vex’s phone buzzed in her hand.

‘stubby!! orget what i said before. need you to lift flowers from the florist on bakar street nezt to the blown out temple?? think thats all ill text you if theres anything else’

She sighed at the complete lack of consistent English on her brother’s part but took a mental note of his request and settled in for her early morning flight.

The cold vastness of the mountains and tundra pelted the passenger plane with thick white chunks of snow and tumbling wind. Large lone trees jutt out of the sheets of white, a train pushing along a track shoves its way through the hardened slush that's formed on the metal of the tracks from a previous journey, Vex watches as the little metal worm grows littler and littler before it’s completely engulfed by frost and snow. Everything becomes smaller until the plane is above the clouds where it continues to fly as the sun paints the tops of the cloud shelf with rosy pinks and soft twilight purples. Landing comes sooner than expected as Syngorn grows in the distance, the fielded and forested surroundings giving way to large roads and homes, and as the plane lands Vex wakes up. She discovers that she had slept the whole flight.

Stepping into the terminal and collecting her bags, Vex’s phone buzzes in her pocket as a message came through from Vax, ‘sorry freddie isnt there to pick u up had to send him to pick some stuff up theres a bus into town and ill pick u up on my way home’. Sending back a quick ‘No problem, see you soon,’ with huff and a puff, Vex gathers herself and makes her way out the front of Syngorn’s arrivals gate, suitcase wheels clattering behind her and a bus pulling out of the station just as she gets there, Vex subjects herself to more people watching. One couple, a blonde woman with a designer handbag being followed by a short woman with dark blonde hair built like an ox carting a suitcase in one hand and a duffel over the opposite shoulder, Vex watches as they head into departures. A lone woman, with short dark hair and deep olive skin, leaves the doors of arrivals and heads towards a tall woman and small child, she catches the child as he runs and jumps all the while the tall one smiles, laughing lightly. Vex watches, taking it all in while absorbing nothing. The next bus arrives.

Passing through the suburbs and past the lovely little houses with their white picket fences and tree swings, memories flood back to Vex from the unpleasant to joyous (few and far between as they were), and Vex’ahlia loses herself in her memories as the wheels trundle on further into town. The little homes give way to terraced homes and blocks of apartments, shops, and boutiques, and eventually, the main square of Syngorn, and the clunky chunk of metal pulls up to a bus stop in the middle of town. Vex hops off. Suitcase clacking behind her on the old cobblestone that makes up the footpaths Vex looks at the address Vax had pinned for her in their texts. ‘Get Clover It - Florists and Bake Shop (14 Main Square, Emerald Citadel, Syngorn)’ Awful puns for names, she was really looking forward to this now. Sarcasm drips off the little voice in her head as she reads the message, but she picks up the pace as she heads further into the cobbled square. Vex passes a cobbler, that’s new. A bakery, that was there before. A coffee shop, that's new. A tailor’s, that’s new too. It may have changed a bit but she was still in Syngorn and even acknowledging that she is here, is enough to send shivers down her spine.

Her heeled boots halt their clacking outside a quaint little shop, soft pinks and light minty greens decorate the exterior of the building. The large front windows illuminate the inside as Vex steps into the interior pushing the glass door as the tinkling of a bell came from above her head. A perfume of many different flowers assaults Vex’s nose from one side of the shop, while the other side of the shop attacks with the aroma of fresh bread and buns. If the smell didn’t knock her off her feet, the six-foot-tall vase being hauled around the shop certainly did. Both Vex and the tall redhead who was carrying the vase tumble to the ground, the circular forest green rug breaks the fall slightly as Vex’s suitcase goes wheeling off on its own as does the large vase.

Rushing to her feet, the red-haired woman is muttering to herself and Vex is left struggling to hear what the other woman says as she is pulled to her feet.

“Oh, gods. I’m sorry, uh- are you hurt- Wait! Pike!”

Shouting from the back Vex hears, “YEAH? WHAT’S UP?”

“Help!”

“What’s wrong?” A short woman with stark white hair, ‘Pike’ Vex assumes, pops her head out from behind the door into the back, “Okay, okay, okay… Gimme a second!” And she disappears again.

The apologies then flow like a river rapid once more from the tall woman’s mouth as Vex gets her first good look at the woman. She’s tall, not freakishly but her thin lithe frame does nothing but help to exaggerate her height, her face is sharp but pleasant with high cheekbones, a long nose, and a smattering of freckles across the bridge of her nose and cheeks. Long, bright ginger hair falls down her back and is kept from her face with a cloth hair band with sunflowers on it. She’s gorgeous. Not hot or sexy, like all of the one-night stands and sneaky links Vex has had over the years but in a natural unassumingly, and delicately pretty way. Pike reappears bringing Vex's train of thought to a screeching halt as the bobbing of a head and a dustpan and broom dance around her. As the short woman sweeps the flour that comes off the robin egg blue apron is left floating in the air, tiny speckles that Vex tries to avoid as best as she can.

“Anyways, I am so so sorry. What can I help you with? I’m Keyleth by the way.”

“Vex’ahlia… Vessar? I’m here to pick up some arrangements for a funeral?”

Keyleth’s face instantly dropped. She begins checking through the book behind the counter, flicking through the thick log.

“I’m so sorry, was he something to you?”

“My Father.”

“I’m sorry for your loss-” She is cut off.

“It’s no loss, of that I can assure you, darling.”

“Oh! Well… There are a few lilies we’re still waiting to get in for the main grave arrangement, but I can get them delivered to you tomorrow or you could pick them up, I’ll be here from about six. And you can take the smaller arrangements today? The wreaths are all ready and I have them in a box up the back.”

“Wonderful.” Vex shouted to her as she headed into the back, trying to figure out what would be the best course of action for the following day, never even minding the chaos it could throw the plans for the funeral as a whole into. “Well, darling, I’ll see you tomorrow then?” With the flick of a braid and a twirl of a leather jacket she exited.

“Bright and early!” The flash of red from behind the curtain separating the front and back of the store called out before realising the pretty woman had left with the lazy tinkling of the bell over the door.

Keyleth turned back towards the short woman sat criss-crossed on the top of the counter tying a variety of ribbons in pastel colours to a dozen boxes with cute miniature sourdough loaves and pastries, about halfway through the first bundle.

“So,” Pike smiled a half smirk as she elongated the ‘o’ sound, teasing the blush even further up the long neck of her friend, “the tall drink of water got you flustered or something?"

“Yeah… something like that. Who’s on delivery duty tomorrow?”

This was something a little different AKA “WHAT?! ITS NOT A READER INSERT?!”, reblog to help a bitch out?

Requests are Opennn.

#critical role #cr #vexleth #wlw fluff #wlw #florist au #flower shop au #not x reader #vexhalia #keyleth #2k words #vox machina #lovm #legend of vox machina

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chippersweetbaby · 2 years

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#ardyn's ensemble #Noctis Lucis Caelum #bffs #prompto argentum #chocobo #sky blue chocobo #prompto and chocobos #noctis and chocobos #tundra attire

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sketchy-fey · 21 days

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Fashion of the Planes

Independent lands, and non-city empire territories edition. Cities edition. I probably won't cover the Kronos Desert, or the Wildes. Caer Leona.

Jade Isles

• Ex-pirates, sailors, researchers • Balmy, prone to tropical storms • Typical pirate attire (late 1600s, early 1700s) • Basic adventuring nerd and hired protection outfits • Practical and casual

Shifting Planes

• Centaur, orc, goblinoid nomadic clans • Hot, long grass • unfuckwithable • Grassy plains fashion (post 1, post 2) • Clothes to keep the sun off • Practical, suitable for riding and long grass

Bastard's Breach

• Performers, guilds, anti-imperial etc • Salt flat tundra • Guild colours?? • Practical and hard-wearing but gaudy • Eclectic, very personal

The Valley of Yalanthanil

• Cold, rain, hot summers • Elven, environment central to culture • maybe some south-east asian influence (cos of initial ideas first time I listened) • Draping and pleating

#fashion of the planes #not actually art #long post #venture maidens

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redroseincorporated · 6 months

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I've been obligated to post the first chapter of my book's draft.

Despair is a feeling rooted within the mind from the first seconds of birth. It fuels humanity, controlling every motion of every being of the hivemind, against it. Despair is undefinable, in the sense that it’s the absence of motivation, yet motivates you. It’s the absence of emotion, yet makes you feel something. Something you aren’t used to. Something you want gone.

- Chapter One -

Porcelain

Flames suffocated the walls, climbing to the ceiling like the legs of a spider. The atmosphere seemed to have a heartbeat, the discomforting glow of orange tackling anything in it’s path like a virus. The air reeked so heavily of smoke that breathing wasn’t an option, not anymore.

It was an attack. An ambush. An extermination of an otherwise peaceful building, housing the capital of something not even its owner understood. It always felt fake. It always felt like a porcelain sculpture on a mantel, painted with bright purples and yellows. Welcoming, yet unkind. In flames. The eyes of someone beyond the bounds of a human searched the halls, looking for either an exit or an exterminator. Either would suffice.

She had a jolt in her gut that she knew who this was. Who was smashing the porcelain reality with the hammer of a nonexistent God. Nobody was coming for them. They were already gone.

Excluding two. Only two.

Tetra Augustine was a woman in her early twenties, typically found sporting a tribal sense of attire, except the occasional flannel. She always acted like her element, a sparking, brown-haired, lit match who had no regard for what others said.

She’d never do something this large scale.

Darting through the halls, she tried to convince the destructive combustions against their onslaught. They didn’t listen. They weren’t hers.

She knew that she was the only one capable of ending the fire, knowing damn well Tundra couldn’t do much.

Speak of the devil.

Tetra skidded to a halt, nearly hitting her hip into a still-standing table. Around twenty feet in front of her stood her sister.

Tundra was the polar opposite of Tetra, as expected. Her demeanor wasn’t unkind, just closed off. She showed disdain for any form of disloyalty to any cause, be it a royal face for the people to look up to or trying to reconstruct a watch. (She always hated gears.) The second the blue streaks in her stark, blonde hair met Tetra’s eye, the air seemed to get thicker than it already was.

“Tundra!” She shouted to her sibling, jogging towards her. “Where is-“

“Gone,” Tundra replied, cutting her off. “I can feel it. My heart’s going quicker than it should.”

“That’s just the smoke, you big dork,” Tetra proposed, attempting to make light of the situation. “I’m serious. Where is she.”

“I just said.”

“Our sister? She isn’t in here, is she? Did she get out? Is she-“

“Did you hear what I said or not?” This was an odd amount of exclamation for Tundra. She usually ended conversations in a few words, without an ounce of voice in any.

The two stared at eachother, the crackling the only sound they could hear.

“You have exactly five seconds to tell me what is going on here,” Tundra carried on. “This is looking like a big ‘you’ problem, and if you caused this, there will be-“

“I didn’t cause it! I tried telling the fire to stop, and I know that may sound really, really weird, but they didn’t listen. They don’t belong here. It’s something else.”

“It was understandable when we lost- him. But this isn’t just ‘something else.’ I can tell.”

“Tundra, you’re not saying-“

“I’m saying I know you’re behind this.”

“Tundra! She’s my sister! Why would I ki-“

“I don’t know! I don’t know why any of this is happening!”

The ground shook beneath them. The second-to-top floor was collapsing next.

“I’d fix this if I could!” Tundra cried, looking around frantically. “There isn’t any water vapor here for me to crystallize. The smoke is too thick…”

“Sister!” Tetra shouted. “Calm down! Look. Let’s just find a stairwell, book it, and then we can talk about… this…”

“THERE ISN’T TIME!” Tundra replied, beckoning. “There isn’t time. I’m only allowing one of us to leave this fake-out. This – prison of a life.”

She drew a sword.

“Tundra?! You – you can’t be serious! Think rationally here!”

“There is NOTHING rational to think of. I’m DONE here. Either you – “ Tundra pointed to the walls, now crumbling under the heat. “ – kill us, or I do something about it.”

It was only natural. In this kingdom, if a queen of an element died, all her children went with it. The wind had stopped swiftly that morning. It was a cruel foreshadow no one caught onto.

With this logic, if the lit match was extinguished, then so would the blaze.

The ceiling cracked loudly, a large line ripping through the wood.

“Tundra, please…” Tetra continued. “We can do something about this… if we both go down, then – “

“Silence. I don’t want to hear your pleas for mercy. I have no respect for a killer.”

Tetra flared up.

“You – YOU STILL THINK I’M BEHIND THIS? You hypocritical psychopath… Fine. I accept your damned duel. Get it over with.”

She dashed to the other end of the hallway. The flames had mostly charred the walls now, the smoke still etching its way through the air.

The duel commenced.

It lasted about six minutes. It was the hardest fight Tundra had ever engaged in. And yet, she still won.

The fires only seemed to grow stronger. Without a leader, they should have fallen quickly.

The ground seemed to crack into bits, one for every time it nearly broke before. The façade was falling.

Tundra dropped her sword, the metal clambering silently.

The air seemed to pulsate as smoke overtook it all.

I don't like posting my writing in whole but I'll do it anyway ;v;

apologies in advance for any grammar or spelling mistakes I haven't proofread yet

#13 pillars

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hey-michael-young-history · 1 year

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31 Days of Christmas

Day 3: Well Done

When Kuai Liang suddenly decided to go to Arctika for the day, Hanzo Hasashi didn't argue. He had been a little off in the four months after their wedding. Irritable, ill, unwilling to eat or leave bed at times. The desire to leave the nest was something that Hanzo wanted to encourage.

He should have known that something was off when Sub-Zero came and took him to Arctika one morning. Before they left, the older cryomancer had sternly warned Hanzo to show up to the Lin Kuei Palace later tonight on time.

Since his resurrection, Sub-Zero’s entire focus was on restoring the Lin Kuei and aiding in the recovery of Cyrax’s soul. He kept his distance and the brothers did not often engage one another.

Being separated from Kuai Liang had more of an effect on Hanzo than he expected. He was agitated and his agitation was visible, frustration rising as dark smoke rose from his body, a silent threat to ignite anything in the vicinity.

When it was finally time, Hanzo teleported to the front of the Lin Kuei Palace, allowing the falling snow to tame his fire.

His smoke was dissipating, but another Smoke was there, waiting.

He stood at the door, with his arms crossed, grey eyes focused, pheromones harsh and threatening. The two Alphas stared each other down until Smoke finally said, “Welcome to the Lin Kuei Palace.”

“Where is Kuai Liang?”

“Tundra is inside, waiting.”

If he had not allied with the Lin Kuei, Hanzo would have recognized this as a trap. But trap or no, his Omega was there, unable to contain the happiness in his pheromones. Hanzo couldn’t see him yet, but his husband’s scent was unmistakable.

“What else is waiting inside?”

Smoke rolled his eyes. He held the door open for Hanzo, who followed, observing the young people tidying up. When they saw Hanzo and Smoke, they stopped working and bowed.

“You have done well. Return to your rooms under level 4 lockdown.”

“Yes, Master Smoke,” they said in unison, before walking away.

“It is good to see the palace occupied,” Hanzo offered.

Smoke didn't look back but his voice was heavy with pride. “The Lin Kuei will always stand tall.”

Bi-Han may have ordered the new Lin Kuei to clean but Kuai Liang’s touches were everywhere. The last time Hanzo was here, it was to help his Omega gather his belongings. The smell of blood, decay, and death was one which Hanzo had grown familiar with, but it had drained the life out of Kuai Liang. He yearned for Arctika but the distress of seeing the ruins was difficult for them both to manage.

The Palace was no longer cold, hollow halls, but vibrant, rich textures of blue lined with artifacts of the past and present. It was something Kuai Liang always spoke of, but never committed to.

“Here,” Smoke said, abruptly stopping in the front of the throne room.

“Here?” Hanzo repeated.

“Tundra is waiting for you.” Smoke’s voice was tight and he didn't look back as he teleported away.

Even under a new Sub-Zero, the Lin Kuei was still the Shirai Ryu’s closest ally. Though this was some kind of trap, there was no harm waiting for him beyond the door.

Hanzo entered, drawing the attention of both Kuai Liang and Sub-Zero inside.

They were standing, Sub-Zero in his normal attire with his arms folded, while Kuai Liang was in a kimono. The grand room was dimly lit by candles, so many tiny flames gathered to the centered kotatsu.

“Hanzo,” Kuai Liang said with a smile.

His pheromones, though joyful, aggressively flooded Hanzo, drawing him closer, until the Alpha was in front of him, touching his face.

“My treasure. What is this?”

Sub-Zero pulled him back and rolled his eyes. “Surely, you are not so thick headed that you fail to recognize a date when you see one?”

“Yes,” Kuai Liang said, “I planned this evening for us. Please. Sit.”

Anxiety was starting to slip through the joy and Sub-Zero began tapping his arm. “Sit, Hasashi.”

Once seated, Sub-Zero announced, “I will bring you refreshments shortly.”

He disappeared into the shadows, leaving the two in silence.

“You should have mentioned the dress code,” Hanzo teased.

Kuai Liang laughed and gods, Hanzo missed it. It was such a relief to know that his withdrawal was because he was occupied with this. “I wanted to surprise you.”

“I am certainly surprised.”

“Hanzo, I–” Sub-Zero’s sudden reappearance interrupted him. He had returned with two small bowls of sorbet, which he placed in front of them.

“I will return shortly,” he said rather shortly, before disappearing again.

"Here. Try this." Kuai Liang took Hanzo’s hand and placed a small bowl of sorbet in it.

"It looks divine." What was truly divine was seeing Kuai Liang at ease. Being able to touch him without him flinching away. Hanzo observed the sorbet. “Did you make this?”

“Yes. Well. It was my ice. Bi-Han prepared this and the rest of our dinner,” he admitted.

“Your brother enjoys cooking.”

“He has developed a talent for it,” Kuai Liang answered. “But he has talent for everything he tries.”

“Are his skills superior to mine?” Hanzo asked.

“You tell me.”

#MK omegaverse #subscorp #hanzo hasashi #kuai liang #bi han #mk smoke

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eternal-gromnommer · 2 years

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So the reason the Predator in Prey (2022) looked so different was because he was a desert Predator adapted to arid regions, and aside from being a sigh of relief from the "one-biome planet" cliche, it got me thinking: what would an arctic/tundra Predator be like?

So I tried playing with a design evoking Ice Age Neanderthal hunters with fur clad in animal hides for warmth, none of the exposed loincloth barbarian attire the jungle and desert Predators do, and sporting weapons made of teeth, ivory and claws, likely from some dangerous sabertooth-analogues of their homeworld. Their trademark wrist blades are made of such as well, and deploy with a flipping switchblade motion rather than just sliding forward. Their "dreads" would be braided together into one big lock, so they don't get in the way (and as Predator hair looks like living tissue, probably to keep them warm as well).

Since the desert Predators looked so different, I thought the tundra Predators would have had adapted a similarly divergent morphology. Paler complexions due to the decreased amounts of daylight in polar regions, and more of that sloped forehead and prominent jaw for the Neanderthal-esque look, with muscular mandibles that actually function as additional jaws rather than just weird decoration, and close in a manner more like the classic Predator from the first film to avoid exposing their sensitive gum tissues to the bitter cold. Their pupils also constrict into narrow vertical slits in order to shut out most light reflected off snow, which can cause snow blindness.

And as Prey revealed that the Predators have been hunting on earth for hundreds, if not thousands, of years? Perhaps they've even tangled with other, earlier hominid species, though it's questionable if any of them, with their lower, more primitive weapons, would have qualified as "worthy prey".

#prey 2022 #prey #predator #yautja #speculative biology #feral predator

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elsaedelweiss · 1 year

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Sick after a collective mission - Falken, Narmer, Ollie, Drew, and Elliot

Written as a comfort fic and inspired by a short from Simon's Cat...

Inna submitted her ID card. "Welcome, Medical Ops Chief Inna!" The bars impeding her entrance shifted open. She retrieved her card and stepped through, stopping to grab her bag.

"Inna! Over here!"

She looked to the source of the call. Her friends and fellow Medical Ops Chiefs Vin, Gulla, Atepa and Aeria stood to the side. Vin waved her over, a wide grin on her face. Inna retuned her grin and waved before walking over.

"Good morning ladies! Any news from our partners?"

"None so far!" Said Atepa, her equine ears briefly laying flat on her head. "Though I'm sure they are fine and will return soon!" She added, ears returning to upright position.

"I hope so. I've been worried about them for a few days now... Especially for Narmer," said Gulla, her canine ears lowering. "He may be intelligent but he also tends to be reckless at times."

"Hence why Raven agreed to lend him and Ollie a hand by sending Drew, Elliot and Falken!" Said Vin, her hummingbird wings fluttering faster. "So there would be plenty of people to keep him in check!"

"I agree! Those three are known for their level-headedness!" Added Aeria, her serpentine tail flicking.

Inna smiled, her own cat tail flicking back and forth. "I agree with you, Vin and Aeria! I also have a feeling we'll have news soon enough!"

"Good news, I hope!" Said Gulla.

"They will be!" Assured her Atepa. "Relax, cousin!"

"I agree with my older sis! Relax, Gul!" said Aeria.

Just then, the intercom system activated. "Medical Ops Chief Inna! Medical Ops Chief Atepa! Medical Ops Chief Aeria! Medical Ops Chief Vin! Medical Ops Chief Gulla! Report to the Medical Ops Wing!"

The group looked to one another. They took off trying to walk as quickly yet calmly as possible. Within minutes they reached the Medical Ops Wing. Clara and Heng Yue greeted them at the door. "Good morning, Medical Ops Chiefs!"

"Good morning Head Medics Clara and Heng Yue!"

The two Head Medics smiled reassuringly. Neither had missed the way the group looked worried or the way their voices appeared calm yet with a note of concern. "Please come with us. Don't worry it's nothing to be concerned about."

The group fell in line behind the pair, each throwing a glance to the others. The Head Medics took them to a hospital room. The group could hear coughs coming from inside. The teo Head Medics stood at both sides and gestured. "Your assignments for the next couple of days await you inside!"

Bracing herself, Inna opened the door... She had to bite back laughter. Their partners and beloved lay on hospital beds. Each was sporting a red nose, slightly glassy eyes and a paler complexion. The group looked up at the opening of the door and froze looking like startled deer.

The rest of the group looked through the door... And they had to hold back their laughter. Atepa looked to Clara and Heng Yue. "Our assignments?"

"We figured they'd be more willing to follow orders from their partners," explained Clara, winking.

"Besides... We did promise Abigail and Raven that they would return to their respective places in prime condition as soon as possible..." said Heng Yue with a smile. "Especially after they had the recklessness to go out without proper weather attire and thus caught a cold."

Narmer tried to protest only for Falken to gently nudge him.

"We see. Well then..." Inna turned to the group of sick and cracked her fingers. "Let's get started!"

Clara and Heng Yue smiled. "We expect thorough reports at the end of the day!"

"Will do!" came the chorus. The Head Medics smiled and closed the door.

The group looked at one another and spread out. Aeria stopped by Ollie's bed. "So... What made you guys have the "recklessness to go out without proper weather attire"?"

Ollie looked a little embarrassed. He looked away before he sighed and looked back. "Our mission took us to the frozen tundra. I can't tell you much about what let us there... Besides that it included clues about my family's past and a connection to the Shadow Decree. "

Aeria lifted an eyebrow. "Leon...?"

"And the Artificial Esper Project," added Ollie.

"What happened?"

"We were staking out a potential Decree hideout which we believed held Leon and the latest people to have gone missing," said Falken. He sneezed turning away from Inna who was busy, checking him. She muttered a quick "bless you" and he thanked her before he continued. "We had been keeping watch and taking turns. It was Elliot's turn during our last night on the mission. It seemed to be going well..."

"Until Falken who had gone out to scout the area to keep vigil for potential animal treats saw that the Decree were trying to escape as quietly as possible from a hidden spot about a kilometre away," said Narmer. "We couldn't let that happen so we rushed out to intercept them."

"And in the process we forgot to get dressed for the cold weather..." added Drew, his ears lowering in embarrassment.

"Falken was the only one who was properly dressed but..."

"By the time the battle was over and we had managed to rescue everyone the rest were starting to sneeze and cough... I may have a strong immune system..."

"But even you can't handle an onslaught of rhinovirus particles coming from four sides.." finished Inna as she took out the stethoscope. "You know the drill, darling."

The High Commander nodded and lifted his shirt so she can check his respiratory system. Nearby Aeria and Vin were doing the same. In the meantime Atepa and Gulla checked their partners' heart rates. Once the examinations were over, Inna and Aeria pulled out their standard-issue PHS.

A few minutes later, a knock came at the door. Atepa got up and opened. Ye Suhua stood in the hallway. "Hi Atepa!"

"Hi!"

"Here's the medicine, Aeria and Inna asked for!"

"Thanks!"

"Please extend my well wishes to Commander Falken, Chief Drew, Archivist Elliot and our guests!"

"Will do! And can you do us a little favour?"

"Sure! What is it?"

"Can you go and ask the cooks to prepare five chicken soup portions? Just the way, our tended like them?"

"Of course!" With that, Ye Suhua left.

Atepa turned to the group, closing the door with one hand. "Medicine time!"

The sick looked up. They clearly didn't like the perspective of having to take medications. But if they want to get back on their feet as soon as possible...

"Oh, don't look so forlorn! Soon after, we'll be delivered bowls of nice hot chicken soup!"

Drew immediately perked up his ears going upright. Narmer tried to conceal his excitement but his wings gave him away. Elliot didn't change his expression but his ever-present paper cranes began to fly about more quickly than before. Falken didn't show his gladness save for his eyes glowing a bit brighter. Ollie let a faint smile play on his lips before he let his expression return to normal.

The girls handed out the medicine each patient cringing just a bit before swallowing their doses. Narmer coughed a little. "Do they always have to make medicine taste like horse manure?"

"Yes, they have to, darling," replied Gulla. "Otherwise people would be tempted to get sick all the time just to have a dose and this stuff is technically poison!"

"Point taken!" Said Narmer. He tried to settle in as best as he could given his wings. Gulla helped him by arranging the pillows. Just as she finished, the group could hear a knock at the door.

Aeria got up from the bed and opened. Ye Suhua stood, Lauren behind her. Each carried a tray with five bowls, steam rising from them. Besides the bowls was a smaller saucer heaped with macarons.

"Special delivery for room 199!" Said jokingly Ye Suhua!

Aeria grinned. "Thank you! Though I don't recall requesting dessert."

"Compliments from me to the patients and their caretakers! I figured some sweets will help the medicine go down easier!"

"That's very thoughtful of you Ye Suhua!" Said Aeria with a smile. "Thank you!"

"Anytime! Let me and Lauren know if you need anything else!"

"We will!" Aeria gestured to her sister Atepa. She got up to help in taking the trays.

"By the way send my well wishes to the patients!" said Lauren.

"We will!" promised Aeria.

With that the two siblings began to distribute the bowls while Ye Suhua closed the door. Each person gratefully took a bowl and spoon. Once everyone had a portion the group began to eat.

"I've tried hospital food at different times and places but I must admit..." said Ollie. "...this is the best chicken soup I've had so far!"

"I agree with you, Ollie!" added Narmer. "It can compete with the one my family's cook prepares!"

"You'd have to thank Drew for that!" said Atepa. "He's the one who oversaw how the cooks prepared the hospital food and taught them the recipes!"

Narmer looked with surprise to the Union Ops Chief. "Do tell?"

"I figured it would be easier for the patients to digest the necessary nutrients to get better if the food was more palpable!" explained Drew. "They probably feel bad enough as it is being in a hospital. The least the Union could do is make the food given to them not taste as worse as the medicine!"

Ollie smiled. "Considerate as always!"

"Was he like this back in the days?" asked Elliot.

"Indeed! He always made sure everyone felt comfortable and safe!" Ollie's smile turned wistful. "I won't lie. I still do miss the food you used to prepare when I was ill."

"Perhaps when we get better, Master Ollie ..." spoke Drew, his ears drooping in trepidation. "I could prepare some of the food I used to during those times."

"Only if those present get to try it!" said Ollie.

"They will! And thank you!"

Ollie nodded. The group finished their meal in silence before moving to the macarons.

"Whoa! These are awesome!"

"Agreed sis!"

"I've tried macarons before but these absolutely rock!"

"I agree, Vin!" concurred Gulla. "Where did she get these from?"

"That's what I'd like to know!" added Inna

"Krammer." explained Narmer. "The best bakery in the whole of Gyrate!"

"How do you know, Narmer?"

"I recognise the style and the taste! My mother would get me these whenever I was under the weather. Their cakes are just as good!"

Ollie sampled one. "You're right! The taste is definitely Krammer!"

Drew sniffed one and took a bite. He nodded in agreement. Falken cautiously sampled one. His eyebrows shot up.

"They're surprisingly pleasant! I expected them to be a lot more sweeter!" said the Union Commander.

Elliot covered up his smile. Falken raised an eyebrow at him. "You remind me of the first time I tried them at Ye Suhua's prompting. I was just as surprised!"

"You've tried them before?"

"Several times actually! She doesn't mind sharing her afternoon tea snack with me."

"Why didn't you say anything?"

"She told me that one appreciates them better if they don't know what to expect."

Vin smiled. "Good point!"

"Indeed!" added Falken. "I can certainly see why they are her favourite food!"

The others nodded. Falken pulled out a paper tissues and discreetly blew his nose throwing the tissues in the bin in front of his bed before continuing to snack on the treats the others nit far behind.

Narmer yawned. "I'm feeling drowsy all of a sudden.."

Ollie covered his mouth. "Same here."

The girls looked to one another and smiled. Falken saw them.

"The medicine you gave us....It has sedative properties."

"Have I mentioned that you have the eyes and nimble mind of a falcon, Falken?" asked Inna.

"You have though the bit about the nimble mind is new..."

"We gave you such medicine on purpose. You guys need to sleep especially after the mission," explained Aeria.

"Besides it's not like you have any work to do at the moment!" Added Atepa.

"Touche!" said Ollie suppressing another yawn.

"Will you be leaving us to rest them?" Asked Drew. He stretched, covering his mouth before removing his monocle.

"Nope!" replied Atepa. "Settle in! We'll continue to heal you!"

Drew cocked an eyebrow but complied. The rest followed his example. Inna was the first to demonstrate what they meant. With a flick she turned into a fluffy black cat and climbed on the bed. Mindful of her claws she climbed up onto Falken's head and settled into a ball, purring loudly. He understood and careful as to not disturb her, settled under the covers. Vin was the next, shape shifting into a hummingbird and landing on Elliot's shoulder. He followed Falken's example and settled in as carefully as possible. Aeria followed suit, turning into a snake and wrapping herself around Ollie's head. He thanked her and tucked himself in careful not to hurt her. Atepa turned into a black pony. Drew smiled and settled in, letting her place her head on his chest.

Gulla was the last, shifting into a black dog and climbing on the bed. Narmer settled in placing his helmet and mask in the bedside table and getting under the covers. She laid her head on his chest, one of his hands coming to rest atop. Each of the group closed their eyes...

"Achoo!" "Meow?!" *THUMP*

The group snapped their eyes open in confusion. Falken looked sheepishly to the bin. Inna poked her head, a used tissue ball behind one ear.

"Sorry...!"

"No worries!"

The tissue ball fell to the floor...

Vin laughed out loud to the point she tumbled off Elliot's shoulder.

"So much for cats always landing on their feet, eh Inna?"

Inna looked to her friend... And also laughed.

"Indeed!"

One by one the others joined in the laughter. They kept laughing for a while throwing even more jokes into the mix. Many passing their room wondered what was so funny... Except for Clara and Heng Yue who only smiled and high-fived one another before proceeding.

#dislyte #dislyte drew #dislyte falken #dislyte ollie #dislyte elliot #dislyte narmer #dislyte oc #dislyte lauren #dislyte clara #dislyte heng yue #dislyte ye suhua

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