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#theres really no reason drag race cant
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GRABS YOU VIOLENTLY GRABS UOU VIOLENTLY GRABS YOU VIOLENTLY GRABS
Anywy
SO BASICALLY
We have our three main characters
Yuki
Oro
Lennox
Originally this was gonna be like
a multiplanet thing but then i decided thats too hard and has too much uneeded detail
but imagine the setting being similar to like raya and the last dragon or wings of fire
where theres distinct parts of the area/contienr/whatever and they’re all impossibly different from eachother from a scientific stand point
Also there’s these monsters called the shaydo and they’re kinda like over powered ghosts
hard to explain, but they’re basically the big bad and caused a bunch of cchaos and now everyone kinda got more racist (as in some races/species blamed others for the reason the shaydo came into being)
so now that i gave you a dollar store world build, let’s get on with the plot
so we have our main character Oro who’s a wood elf and a warlock who has hardcore main character syndrome and kinda just wakes up with the thought of “Man I would totally be the oerfect guy to just go out and stop these evil forces!”
because y’know
an unathletic, illiterate, spoiled brat is the perfect person to go and stop an unknown force of evil haha slay
so he decides to go to the middle of butt fuck no where. literally. with no prompt. no single clue. he just,,, goes there,,,
so in the middle of this desert place thinking highly of himself that he’s just gonna magically have the most epic showdown of all time and win
the obligatory LARGE SAND MONSTER (woooo!!! Yeahhhhh!!! Sand monster!!!!!!!!!!!) appears and now he’s running for his life from the obligatory large sand monster
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anyway while he cries and screams like a pathetic baby (because he never thought to yknow. use magic. bc he’s a warlock meaning he could get his demon sugar daddy to help him out, but whatever)
a perfectly placed and conveniently timed stranger comes in and rescues him from doom
he doesnt even get to see this mystery person because he… passes out from shock… (sigh) okay then… uhm,,,
So while he’s out the mystery person is just poking him like
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(fast doodle ignore the poor anatomy)
Ofc our mc has to get up evebtually and when he does he immediately blames his savior as working against him and other random nonsensical accusations
and of course they’re kinda pissed because they simply could have not saved oro from the mega death worm fish but,,, okay,,,
eventually they calm him down and introduce themselves as Yuki (a name which they made up on the spot)
Oro (instead of being a decent guest) begins judging and questioning Yuki’s appearance (which Yuki ignores because tbh they’re kind of tired)
Yuki asks him why he’s out in but fuck nowhere and Oro goes on a whole hero monologue
After he finishes Yuki laughs at him (rightfully so) and explains his plan is stupid and “if you cant punch it or reason with it, then you’re not gonna make any progress”
yuki then offers Oro to stay for the night with them and their old guy
Oro agrees and then decides to get Yuki on board to go with him on this mindless adventure
Yuki agrees only for the reason that Oro might kill himself because of his stupidity and lack of knowledge
Together the two set out to go to slmewhere where they COULD get information about the shaydo and maybe how to defeat them
there they meet Lennox
a really big dude with long hair who i accidentally made to look like jesus in the original character sketch
Lennox is one of those silly racist people and openly states his distrust of Yuki countless times, not because of the shaydo or anything
but because he just hates shape shifters and finds them dishonest
As Yuki tries to drag oro away so that they could go find info on the shaydo, lennox inserts himself into the group because he doesnt want oro to get screwed over by Yuki
so now we have a group of people who kinda have different motives and whatever, two of them trying to make sure oro doesn’t kill himself and oro expressing that he’s going to defeat the shaydo
anyway im writing too much so im gonna kinda put bullet points to sum up what happens before the whole ending stuffs
The whole group obviously comes closer together because life or death situations hehehe
Yuki qnd Lennox get extremely close because they both have very similar traumatic experiences
Oro (while getting to know the other two more) slowly grows more spiteful because they’re making great progress in finding out how to defeat the shaydo and his demon sugar daddy is basically feeding this hate into his head about how they’re going to “steal his fame” and “take full credit”
Eventually the big cool final battle thing happens and uhh…
oro decides to get a bit silly with it and uhm
kinda screws everyone over hehe
he rlly said “if i cant have peetah no one can”
and uh yeah
this is still being torn apart and mashed together and the plot makes no sense
so please ask many questions because the more you ask the better i can make the plot make sense for my reasers 🥺🥺🥺
OOHHHHHHH THIS IS COOL
Do you have any drawings or sketches of them?
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finn-shitposts · 2 years
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Tagged by: @theydoctor :3 thank you!!
Favourite time of year: Summer! Used to be autumn for years cos of the pretty colours and just the overall cosy vibes, but after living in england for so long I just crave the warmth and joy of summer year round lol
Comfort food: POTATOES! BOIL EM MASH EM STICK EM IN A STEW. (no but really growing up w coeliac my most staple carb is potatoes so theres just comfort to it. Though ill say pörkölt is up there too)
Do you collect something: so many random things. Rocks, shells, broken bits of ceramics and pottery, feathers, eggshells (like songbirds not chickens lol), dead insects if i happen to find any intact etc etc
Favourite drink: WATER! all i ever drink is water istg sksksk, but if i had to pick a non water beverage then hot chocolate or apple juice
Favourite song: this is evil so evil you cant make me pick just one T.T "barcelona" by george ezra or "sitting on the dock of the bay" by otis redding are definitely up there tho
Current favourite song: "March of the resistance" by john williams or "hajolj bele a hajamba" by péterfy bori & love band
Favourite fic: also evil, i cant pick just one so ill inflict like 30 upon you >:3 (i did try to slim it down, but theres still so many and i cant bring myself to write a description for each one, youre gonna have to do fic roulette w this)
(edit: ill be slowly editinf through this to make all the links actually clickable cos for some reason tumblr decided to just paste them as plain text)
Spn fics -
The Most Important Thing by northernsparrow
Under the Midnight Sun by northernsparrow
Flight by northernsparrow
A Winter's Tale by northernsparrow
Ye be warned by orphan account
Into the Fire by northernsparrow
One Step At a Time by tricia_16
Marvel -
despite the threatening sky and shuddering earth (they remained) by praximeter (Zimario)
Rivers and Roads by AustinB
War, Children by Nonymos
We’re all playing the same game, laying down alone. by FlawedM
Total Institution by thelittlestpurplecat
Dragging Me Down by cleo4u2, cobaltmoony, xantissa
Star wars -
step out into the sun by plutos
Superluminal Motion by nekosmuse
Doubt Thou the Stars Are Fire by linatrinch
Actualization by diversionary_tactician
The Tides of Mustafar by buckstiel
The strangeness of us by Tarasque
The Soulmark by LightningStriking
On My Wing by Nerdinablender
Racing By by rebelforce
You Will Fly Again by mybuckystar
Jessika Pava: Best Wingman in the Resistance! by ScarlettStorm
you promise me, my life by beautifullights
The Wanderer and the Seer by aiden_ng
Doctor Who -
Those We Love the Best by Yamx
Bliss by DameRuth
The Mardi Gras series by diannelamerc, lizbetann
Major Arcana by Canaan
Universal Lost and Found by OneOfThoseThings
The Contingency Plan by gingerteaandsympathy
The Choice by lastincurableromantic
Witcher -
With a Conquering Air by inexplicifics   
it’s a long way forward (so trust in me) by suzukiblu
If I Must Starve (Let it be in Your Arms) by Igneum807
Xmen -
Directive by Kalimyre
The stars incline us, they do not bind us by ikeracity, Pangea    
An Ideal Grace by afrocurl, nekosmuse
Alrighr alright im done now xD
Tagging:
@englishbunnyrocks @saecookie @cerberulix @everybodygotawaterbuffalo @k9ok and anyone that feels like it!
Also i know this isnt part of the tag challenge but if anyone has good fic recs in the fandoms i posted up there pls send them me 👉👈🥺
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meow-iv · 2 months
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currently watching drag race and seeing ads for typical disposable period products. and folks, do your vagina a favor and buy reusable menstural products.
fabric pads are 100000% more comfortable to wear and they dont crinkle when you walk. you can buy a shit ton on etsy for a reasonable price and they last years.
and i personally really love menstural cups, i find them easy to use and more comfortable than tampons. there is a slight learning curve, but theres tutorials on youtube
like you can wear them all day, then take them home, wash them, wear them again or pack them in your bag and you never have to worry about not having a period product
theres other options as well, i just cant personally vouch for them
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ninetwelves · 8 months
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i think one of the reason season 15 is so strong for me(theres def more stronger but it might be more iconic w time who knows i think itll be tbh) is bc it praises different styles of lip syncers and it ssooooo performer and to me personality heavy and im so glad they like did as drag race does and correct the biggest flaw w it via common fan complaints and extended the season (idk maybe a season being short doesnt bug me bc season 8s is very short and it could def be longer but idk id rather have a season w a strong cast be short than a dragged out one w a cast im not as obsessed w but then again i dont think theres a season w a just an awful cast really?)
like it show cases so many different kinds of performers and personalities so well imo its not the strongest but not he weakest runway season (im so glad raja went bad for fpr🩷🩷🩷🩷)
tbh i do value runways a lot ot makes a season one of my favs like season 3, all stars 4, all stars 7, but id rather the quality of the season be good and personalities be good than a season be kinda boring and eh w good runways and just a small handful of top tier queens ? imo !(wont name examples bc i feel bad bc theyre def not Terrible seasons just kinda weaker for that)
and yk i appriciate that the show listens to the criticism (bullying rupaul’s show works ig habcjdbdjdnjdnd)
i also just LOVED that they had like the personalities and even just the slightest of age variety and rewarded sasha for her talents and basically her important of being in this community for as long as shes been doing it and the competition kept her on her toes it was THAT one sided w her i mean anetra earned that fanbase w her skills and personality/likability she was great competition for sasha??
and ofc not to mention mistress/luxx and even the others im really excited to see on the all stars season i would LOVE to see anetra crowned and come back she is the future of drag and was born to do drag (rupaul is RIGHT) and its long over do that the us season crowns their fucking second asian queen like its been like 13 years maybe?????? listen raja’s back will break holding that rep all by herself she cant do it alone!!!
and many of the other queens on that season i think w some experience (maybe just in the fashion depatment bc lip syncing man….. they got it…like jaxx,anetra, mistress,luxx, salina do i need to say it?) (and loosy can do comedy and is compeitive the rest of them r!!!??!?) and i like ameyst and i wanna see irene actually come back and show us some RUNWAYS esp now that theyre paying the queens w those insane standards like finallyyyy!!!! idk w some practice theyre gonna redeem all stars 8 for me if production actually doesnt meddle too much(jimbo deserved it imo but it wasnt a top tier season) im kinda worried all stars 9 wont live up even w the rumored cast im sorry ….
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The Intern | Part Nine
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Series Summary: You move to New York to focus on your art but end up working as an intern at Stark Enterprises
Chapter Summary: you go back to your old apartment for the first time since the night of the attack
Pairing: Tony Stark x Reader, Peter Parker x reader (platonic)
Word Count: 2527
Warnings: brief panic attack
A/N: this story does not follow the same timeline as the movies. Also, spelling and grammar is not my strongest skill so please be kind :) if you want to be added to the taglist please drop me a message in my ask box
Part Eight | Masterlist
- - - - -
“and where do you think you're going at this time in the morning?” Tony asks sleepily wrapping his arm around you, making you jump as you're trying to quietly sneak out of his bed. 
“I’m sorry, I have to go get ready for training. I was trying not to wake you” you reply, getting up and gathering your clothes from his bedroom floor. 
It had been a couple of weeks since you first spent the night together and since then you’d been in each others beds more times than you care to mention. It wasn’t just about sex though, most nights you just cuddled and talked, or watched a movie until you fell asleep. You loved staying in Tony’s room. His bed was so much more luxurious than yours and his room had the best views. Plus, being on the top floor meant his room was further away from everyone else so you didn’t have to worry about disturbing anyone, or bumping into anyone on your morning walk back to your own room. It wasn’t that you wanted your new relationship to be a secret, you just wanted to enjoy being with Tony without wondering what the others would think. 
“you know, you could just move your stuff up here. You stay in my room enough it makes sense to have your things here” Tony says watching you as you stop racing around to look at him and take a breath. “or not, you don't have to if you don't want to”
“no, its not that I don't want to it just..” You sit down on the edge of the bed next to Tony “if I move into your room then the others are going to know about us and they’ll have questions and I just.. I don't think I’m ready for that. You know? I like that for now we can have this just for ourselves.”
“I suppose the late night sneaking around is kind of exciting” Tony winks at you and you giggle.
“besides, it’s not like I’ve really got anything to move up here anyway. Most of my stuff is still at my apartment. Don't get me wrong, I really appreciate the clothes you found for me but it would be nice to have some of my own things back” 
“I understand” Tony nods “well how about we go this afternoon and you can grab whatever you want to get then?”
“sure yeah! That would be brilliant, thank you Tony!” You smile and give him a quick kiss, but he grabs you and kisses you deeper. You relax into it slightly before pulling away quickly “right I really need to get going or I’ll be late for training and Nat will kick my ass even more than she already does” you get up and head to the door.
“have fun! And hey I want my shirt back later!” He shouts after you.
“what? sorry cant hear you!” You call back as you run out the door still wearing his Black Sabbath shirt. It was oversized on you and you loved how comfy it was. But most of all you loved that it smelt of Tony and made you feel close to him. There was no way you were giving him this shirt back. 
— — — — 
As you step out the lift and head down the corridor to your room you're surprised when you turn a corner and bump into someone.
“Peter?! What are you doing here so early?” You ask, checking the time on your watch.
“Mr Stark asked me to pick up some stuff from his lab to take to the office today” he glances at Tony’s shirt on you and you fold your arms trying to subtly cover it. He looks back at your face. “why are you up?” He asks.
“oh uh, I have training with Natasha today and for some reason that girl doesn’t know what a lie in is” you laugh nervously “speaking of, I better get going. But we need a catch up soon please, I miss my best friend!”
“I miss you too.” He says as he starts walking off, but stops and turns around “by the way, don't tell Mr Stark but… that shirt looks better on you that it does on him” he flashes a cheeky smile and you gasp which makes him laugh before he turns and runs off leaving you stood in disbelief. 
So much for having a secret only you and Tony knew about. At least you knew you could trust Peter not to tell anyone else.
— — — —
“good morning Nat” you say cheerfully as you walk into the training room.
She turns to look at you suspiciously and you smile.
“who are you and what have you done with y/n?” She asks, turning back to carry on setting things up for your session.
“what do you mean?” You laugh with confusion.
“the y/n I’ve been training for the past few weeks normally drags herself in her like a sleepwalking zombie. What’s got you so happy today?” She looks at you again.
“nothing! I just, I’ve been… sleeping really well lately” you reply and Natasha just raises an eyebrow at you. 
Before you can say anything else you hear another voice enter the room.
“ugh Nat, remind me again why you insist on getting up so damn early!” Clint groans as he comes to stand next to you. “I don't know how you do this every day y/n”
You flash him a smile and look back at Natasha waiting for her to explain why Clint is here.
“stop complaining Barton, we’ve got a job to do! Go set up the targets” she responds. 
Clint smirks and sarcastically raises his hand to salute as he walks past Nat, causing her to roll her eyes and smirk. 
“since you’ve been doing so well lately with your training I thought its time we introduced some weapons into our sessions”
“weapons?!” You gasp, eyes wide. 
You had just about got used to fighting with your hands, but the thought of fighting with weapons made you extremely anxious. What if you lose control, like you did in your first training session, and seriously injure someone? 
“hey don't worry, this is a safe space” Nat reassures as she puts a hand on your shoulder, clearly she noticed the small hint of panic in your eyes. “that’s why Clint is here, he’s the best shooter I know. If anyone can teach you to hit a target, it’s him. Just don't tell him I said that or we’ll never hear the end of it” she smirks and you do your best to hide your anxiety with a smile as you both walk over to join Clint at the shooting range. He hands you a bow and a couple of arrows.
“lets get this over with so I can go back to bed” he says firing an arrow straight to the centre of the target.
— — — — 
After your training session had finished you have a quick shower, change into clean clothes for the day and decide to take a walk around the grounds of the compound. You don't know if it was training, or something else but you couldn’t shake the anxious feeling and you hoped a walk in the fresh air might help. You walk through the fields, taking good deep breaths as the breeze drifts through your hair and the bright sun warms your skin. You keep walking til you reach the edge of the small woods that you can see from your bedroom window. You find a nice spot and sit under a tall tree, leaning against the trunk. You look up at the sky, watching a couple of birds flying happily, almost looking like they’re dancing. For a moment you get lost in watching them, completely distracted, until you hear a twig snap behind you. You quickly stand up, turning to look into the woods. You stare through the trees trying to spot what caused the sound. You feel a hand on your shoulder and spin around.
“y/n! Ive been looking for you!” Tony looks at you with concern when he sees the shock on your face “are you okay?” 
“I heard…” you stop yourself from finishing the sentence. It was probably just an animal anyway, theres no need to worry Tony about it. “yeah I’m fine. It’s really beautiful out here” 
“yeah its nice. Happy is waiting in the car to drive us to your apartment now if you're ready?”
You had completely forgotten that you were supposed to be going to collect your things.
“oh yeah, of course. Let’s go” you say and you both walk back toward the compound, taking a small glance back towards the woods and you for a moment swear you see a figure move amongst the trees. 
— — — — 
You pull up outside the building you hadn’t seen in weeks, your apartment block. You're surprised to see Peter waiting outside for you. 
“the kid has been asking about you constantly so I thought he could come lend a hand. Is that okay?” Tony says. You smile and nod before getting out of the car. 
Tony walks straight up to the front door of the building and goes inside. You go straight to Peter and throw your arms around him. 
“I don't see you for weeks and then I see you twice in one day!” 
“at least you're not wearing his clothes this time” Peter jokes as he nudges you and you playfully hit him on the arm. You both laugh and Tony pokes his head out from the door.
“children please, we have a job to do” he says seriously before going back inside. 
You and Peter exchange a look.
“is he just grumpy because you’ve been keeping him awake all night” Peter winks as he walks to the building and you gasp. You didn’t expect him to say that. 
“Peter! I have no idea what you're talking about” you laugh as you follow him. 
You climb the stairs till you reach your front door where Tony is waiting for you. You unlock the door and turn the handle to open it but before you can step inside Tony puts his arm out to stop you. He steps in front of you, walking in carefully on the lookout. You guess he’s checking none of the Professor’s men are there waiting. 
As you step through your front door your heart sinks at the sight of your apartment. You haven’t been back since the night of the attack so the place is still a mess. Peter walks past you and follows Tony into your bedroom, not noticing you’ve frozen to the spot. You stand still looking around your living room at the dust and debris scattered. The sofa cushions shredded and thrown to the floor. The coffee table upside down, the picture frames broken. Then you spot your art work, the one of the beach, lying on the floor. The canvas ripped through the middle.
You feel your chest tightening as your eyes fill up. You try to breathe normally but it’s almost like you’ve forgotten how. Your thoughts spin too fast around your head. Memories of the night you were held down on the sofa as the masked intruders injected you flash through your mind. 
“okay I found your suitcase do you want to start packing…” Tony’s voice stops as he notices notices the way you're breathing, and the look of panic in your wide eyes. Then he notices that you're staring at the sofa and realises what’s happening. He quickly walks over and puts his arm around you, leading you into the bedroom.
“Mr Stark?” Peter begins talking but with a wave of Tony’s hand he swiftly leaves the room. Tony sits you down on the side of the bed and crouches down in front of you so he’s at eye level. He takes your shoulders in his hands and looks right into your face.
“y/n. I need you to breathe with me now okay? Can you do that for me?” 
In your mind you flashback to that night, when Tony found you hiding in your closet and said those same words to you. Another wave of panic hits you. 
“y/n. Please honey” 
His desperate words bring you back into the present and you try to focus on him. On his kind eyes which right now are full of concern. He takes a deep breathe and you copy him, shakily.
After what feels like forever you finally feel yourself being able to breathe again.
“how are you feeling?” He asks, searching your eyes.
“I don't know.” You answer honestly “I don't know what just happened to me”
“you just had a panic attack. Which is a perfectly natural response after what you’ve been through”
Tony stands up and sits on the bed next to you, taking your hand in both of his. 
“I shouldn't have brought you back here.” His finger rubs the back of your hand “I’m so sorry y/n”
“no, I wanted to come here. This isn’t your fault Tony. None of it. The Professor did this to me, not you.”
“I will find him” Tony says and you nod, bringing your hand to his cheek. 
“I know you will” you smile and kiss him. When the kiss ends you look into his eyes. “how did you know what to do just then? I felt like I was spiralling but you pulled me out of it”
Tony sighs, looking away from you for a moment. He takes a breath. 
“After the battle of New York, I struggled to carry on. I started having anxiety attacks. I couldn’t breathe. I know what they’re like. And while I don't have a magic cure for them, I learnt how to breathe through them”
“Tony.” You put your hand on his knee and give him a gentle affectionate squeeze “I had no idea”
Tony looks at you. 
“not many people know about it. I kept it secret. I’m Iron Man, people rely on me to be this strong super hero guy. If they knew what I was like beneath the suit, they wouldn’t feel safe anymore”
“That's not true, Tony. To feel the way you’ve felt and still go out there and do the things you’ve done to protect everyone.. that’s a true hero. I may be slightly biased but, I think you're incredible.”
Tony just continues to look at you, like he’s searching your eyes for something. 
“what?” You say smiling, slightly embarrassed. 
“I love you” 
His words take you by surprise. It feels like a thousand tiny butterflies are fluttering through your body. 
“I’m sorry..” he begins to backtrack, worried that he’s freaked you out “that was probably the wrong time to say those words-”
He stops talking when you grab his face and kiss him suddenly. 
“I love you too, Tony Stark.”
“I knew it!” You hear Peter shout as you both turn around to see him stood in the doorway grinning happily. 
“not a word kid” Tony warns “remember, I could easily make you disappear”
Part Ten
Taglist: @sunflowers-and-snowdrops​ @brownbuble​ @shookie-shookie​ @thebuckysoldier​ @chai--chae​ @ilovespideyyy​ @rvgrsbrns​
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brelione · 4 years
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The Surfer And The Siren
Chapter Three:The Conspiracy Blog,The Investigation and The Shitty Sister In Law
Chapter One       Chapter Two
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Warnings:Mentions of racism,homophobia
S0rry that this chapter is kind of short.The next one will be longer.
You didn't understand how you had never found out about this.The article was from 2012 by a conspiracy blog.There were dozens of photographs of you,a bright red circle showing where you was in group photos that were taken in the fifties and more from the seventies.There were a few photos of your large scales the size of quarters that had been found on coral reefs and posted on facebook with captions asking for someone to tell the finder what animal the scale belonged to.Another photo showed a photo of your fluke splashing out of the water.In some your hair had been tucked into your old red hat so the mess of blue waves wouldn't be seen.But somehow those photos had been linked to others from the bridge of your nose and the color of your skin.You kind of missed the old days before all the facial recognition technology.
You went through the photos to see paragraphs and paragraphs with quotes from the interview with Linden. “Linden Sislip,sister of poet and former pawn shop owner claims that her brother was in love with the sea monster of Outer Banks.For decades a murderous mermaid-like creature has haunted the waters and supposedly lured multiple men to painful water related deaths.Outerbanks is known as Paradise on Earth and is home to countless millionaires AKA the sea monsters preferred prey.Some think the creature has migrated elsewhere because of a string of similar deaths closer to California.What do you think?”That article had to be the most bull shit thing you had ever read.Luckily most of the comments agreed,calling the photos fake and saying the scales were that of a tuna’s.
That was pretty insulting to say the least but at least they didn't actually believe you were a serial killing sea monster.That made you feel better but knowing how much Linden hated you definitely hurt a bit.She had hated most people though.She hated the poor,people of color,lgbt+,cats and babies.What kind of sociopath hates cats and babies?You couldn't wrap your head around the fact that somehow she was raised by the same parents he was yet she ended up like that.He was ahead of his time.He was respectful and kind and he loved everyone regardless of social status,race or sexuaity.That’s what made you feel so close to him.Linden had always stared in disgust when he bought extra newspapers to bring to people who couldn't afford them or when he saved his food to bring to children whose parents worked three jobs and still couldn't pay for a decent meal.
You pitied Linden,you couldn't even imagine being that closed minded and ignorant.Things were much worse in the South for sure but you tried your best to get to people.After he had passed away Linden had forced the rest of the family to completely shut you out.You couldn't go to the funeral or even go into their home to grab things that you could remember him by.She blamed you fro his death when she should have blamed herself.It was a terrible thought because in reality there was noone to blame but he had spent so much time in his life trying to convince her to be a good person and convince her to respect people.It had been a waste of years trying to wear her down and make her good but you cant help them all.
The interview didn't really shock you that much.She had always been bitter about you and your origins bit what did shock you was the fact that she had a son in 1950.A son named Bellamy Maybank. “Shit.”You whispered under your breath.Richard waited for you to explain your shock but when you didn't say anything he grew impatient. “What?”He asked.You just nodded,trying to form words.This was real life.This wasnt some weird dream or a conspiracy.This was actually real.This article was published 8 years ago and you had never seen it.
How could you have never seen it?You wondered if Richard knew and had hid it from you but that couldnt be.He knew just as little as you did. “You were right...but theres a time gap.How good are you at investigating?”You asked.A wide smile came across his mature,wrinkly face. “Are you forgetting about how I sunk Ward Cameron’s boat and completely trashed his plans in like...two hours?”He asked.You laughed quietly.Richard had always been so proud of that. “God,how could I forget?”You grinned,looking back up at the TV. “So what do you need me to find out?Make me a list in my notes app.You know which one the notes app is,right?”He teased.You rolled your eyes,opening the app and making a new note.
Close the time gap (after 50-now)
Learn about JJ,Pope,Kiara and the other one.
Check up on Ward’s plans
It had been a hot minute since you had Richard investigate someone.Last time had been nearly 20 years ago.Turns out Ward Cameron was hunting you down in attempt to kidnap and sell you.he was a fucked up son of a trout and you would most definitely say that to his face if given  the chance.You placed the phone down,looking back up at the tv.The main character was threatening a rude looking blonde boy with terrible fashion sense. “Could we drive around for a while?”You asked.He nodded,standing up from his chair.His feet were sore but he always pulled through for you.You two went back out to his car.He turned on your favorite CD that belonged to Billie Eilish.So much had changed since just a few years ago.Someone like Billie would absolutely be an outcast back when you were her age.
Something about the way that cars moved made you happy.It was strange to see the world shifting around you.How poor people rode horses and the rich had cars and how the tables had turned.You had seen so many wars and so many deaths yet you had watched multiple births.You watched segregation end and witnessed people of all races and ethnicities get the right to vote.You had seen the day that the lgbt community finally got rights.And you had helped with it all.You had experienced the life of the poor and of the filthy rich and you were only a quarter through your life.You had been a friend to Marilyn Monroe and saw the day that JFK was assassinated.You had seen so much that no one else had experienced.
You had heard so many old folks complain about the music of today and how it had been so much better back in their day but you could not disagree more.There was no reason to bash the modern ones music.All music is good music except for country music,of course.Richard drove through figure 8 so you could gaze at all the houses.It was quite disgusting that there were only an average of three people living in huge mansions with six bedrooms that they didn't need yet there were families of eight suffering in tiny houses made for three people maximum.The rich were greedy,bitter and overall selfish and annoying.
The poor were generous and grateful for everything they did have and were more likely to be kind and understanding.It was really just a sad place but you didn't want to go anywhere else.A lot of other areas had water that was far too polluted but definitely had better people and a better atmosphere on land.It didn't really matter how great the land was when you could only see it once a month anyways.Plus OBX had a great cave system and pretty nice weather.Richard turned his car,going back to The Cut.If you were to live anywhere in Outer Banks it would most definitely be The Cut.It had an all around better atmosphere,friendlier people and better hiding spots. “So how are the naiads?Have you heard from them?”He asked,purposefully driving slowly.You sighed,turning down the radio. 
“Not really,the only river entrance got blocked off by a ton of fallen branches.I haven't gotten any calls from them though so thats good.Its not that I don't like them or anything but they're just….god,they're so annoying.”You leaned back in your chair.He chuckled. “Does Esmerelda still have a crush on you?”He asked,turning down the dirt road.You nodded. “She’s just….she’s cute but she’s annoying,you know?”You asked.He nodded. “That ones always been kinda strange in the head.”He agreed.Once you got back to the house the sky was lightening up which meant you had such little time.You sat in the backyard in one of the camping chairs with your paper bag in your hand and the drawstring bag hanging off your shoulders.Blue sat with his head on your knee,staring up at you with his big shiny eyes.
He knew the drill by now,his drool making a dark puddle on your jeans as he whined for attention before you had to leave again.Richard had tried to bring the dog out to see you before but it never worked out.Blue got eager and excited and walked to fast for Richard and it wasn't safe for a dog to walk along rough and bumpy rocks.It wasn't exactly safe for an elderly man either but it sucks to suck.You stared up at the sky,wiggling your toes while you still could.As the sun began to come up over the horizon a similar aching pain spread from your heels to your thighs,your body feeling heavy. “I’ll see you next week,(Y/N).”Richard stood up to hug you.You hugged him back,tears pricking at your eyes.
Blue pawed at you,licking your jeans.You kissed his forehead lightly before limping down to the water.You dragged yourself into the water,collapsing when you were at your knees.Your legs tingled,your head slipping under the water as your legs knit together in a painful mess.From below your hips your tail grew,your hair falling in your face as all evidence that you had been human left you.Your hend clenched the deteriorating paper bag as you swished your fins,gaining control over your body again.The sun was now reflecting off the water,nearly blinding you.You ducked under the water,going deeper and deeper.
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shadedrose01 · 4 years
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hey! I absolutely love your writing & I was just wondering if you could do something where peter & Harley are dating but Harley doesn’t post or comment about their relationship and peter gets really insecure thinking it’s cause he’s not good enough 🥺
Honey Lavender
Thanks for the prompt, anon! It's not exactly what you asked for (sorry!), but I hope it's still okay! I hope you, and everybody else enjoys!
Slight Trigger Warning: there are mentions of homophobia, but nothing shown :)
--
Peter drops his bags onto the guest bed, a cloud of dust puffing into the air and causing him to sneeze.
"Oh dear, we havent dusted this room in a while, I'm sorry love." Ms. Keener ("Call me Macy, dear, we're family!") apologizes, rubbing an arm over the bedsheets to collect any of the remaining dust bunnies still attached to the linen, pieces of her dark chestnut brown hair falling out of her bun and into her face.
Peter flails his arms a bit, trying to reassure her quickly. "No, no, it's okay, its perfect, thank you so much, Ms- Macy." He corrects himself as she sends him a playful glare over her shoulder.
"Miss Macy? That's a new one." Another voice pitches in from the doorframe, cheeky, Harley's thin but muscular body leaning against the wooden panels with a grin highlighting his dimples, his baby blues twinkling.
"Harley James Keener, you be nice now!" Macy chides, leaning closer to smack him upside the head, Harley ducking around her hand with a chuckle. Peter watches the scene with a small smile, with only grows as boyfriend comes to wrap his arms around his waist in a tight squeezed hug.
Peter was (finally) visiting Rose Hill for the first time, after over a year of him and Harley dating, and he couldn't be more excited. He was still battling jetlag, and reeling from all the distinct differences between Rose Hill and Queens ('There's barely any noise out here, no cars horns or people yelling or anything'), but he had always wanted to come, always wanted to meet Harley's family and see just how the southern belle of his had been raised. And just a few minutes in, after having reached the Keener farm and having met Macy and Abbie (a spitfire is the only way he could describe her, he loved her already), he was already learning so much more about the small town life, and about his boyfriend, things he didnt even think about, and he adored it. He loved it with every fiber of his being.
"Ma," Harley whined, plopping his chin onto Peter's shoulder and rocking them back and forth, causing Peter to giggle. "Don't embarass me!" His accent has grown thicker since he came home a few months ago, after staying with Tony for the summer months, and Peter couldnt help how much he loved it, couldnt help the shivers it caused, Harley sending him a knowing look, eyebrow raised. Peter flushes, knowing that's going to be brought up later, during a more personal time.
"Then don't be rude to Peter." She snarks, sending him a sly wink, which causes Harley to rolls his eyes and Peter to laugh. She makes her way towards the door, swaying her hips and humming under her breath, before she pauses to give them both a hard stare, her vibrant green hazel eyes narrowing slightly. "No funny business, you hear me?"
"Aye aye, captain." Harley salutes lazily, grinning as his mom huffs, the smile on her face betraying her true emotions, and walks out the rest of the way, closing the door most of the way on her way out, only leaving it open a crack.
As soon as his mother is out of sight, the old wooden stairs creaking signaling her departure downstairs, Harley grabs on to his hips and spins him around, pressing a kiss to his lips as soon as he can. It was the first time they've been alone together since Peter landed, so he wasnt surprised at the act, just wrapping his arms around Harley's neck, one hand gripping his back and the other running through his hair, pressing them a little closer together and pushing back into the kiss.
"Missed you," Harley mumbles against his lips, before pulling away, a softer, personal smile tilting his lips, his eyes bright like a hot summer's day. A thumb brushes the skin of his hip from under his shirt, small, soothing motions. "Missed you so much."
"I missed you too, baby. So so very much." Peter puts their foreheads together, and shuts his eyes, sighing constantly as they start to rock gently in their embrace, swaying back and forth to an unknown song, to the beat of their hearts and the rhythm of their souls, combined, intertwined.
They spin a few circles together in silence, just breathing each others air and feeling each others heat, being in the moment, before Harley puffs out a breath, and murmurs shakily. "Pete, there's something I gotta tell you."
He opens his eyes, lifting his head to look into Harley's now stormy ones, swirling and churning with a darkness, a sadness that has Peter's stomach twisting, his heart dropping. What happened? Did he do something? What did he do?
Harley goes to tell him, goes to speak when another feminine voice cuts them off from down the hall.
"Harls, your friends are here!" Abbey yells from what sounds like down the stairs, and Harley flinches back, the embrace and the moment broken.
He calls back a quick "Okay, coming!" Before giving Peter a plastic, shaky smile, eyes wide and panicked. "Come on, let's go say hi, I guess."
"Harley-" He doesnt get the words out as Harley grabs his hand and practically starts dragging him down the stairs, and Peter stifles an annoyed (and worried) sigh, knowing that his boyfriend is clearly not going to answer whatever the heck that was upstairs anymore, now that his friends were here.
Oh well. Time to try and make another good first impression.
They slide their shoes on before going out the white, metal swing door, and onto the painted wooden wrap around porch that encompasses the entire front of the Keener residence. Right in front of the doorway, on the dirt driveway, sits two different ATV's, their engines still humming as they sit in park, their riders still sitting on top, one with one person and the other with a passenger. The person right in the front, with a bright orange ATV, lifts up the visor of their helmet, revealing a boy not much younger than Harley, with shaggy brown hair, oval brown eyes and chubby freckled cheeks, pushed up by a smirk.
"Yo Harley, you comin' out?" The boy yells over the hum of the engine, his voice full of teasing, of mirth. He makes eye contact with Peter, whose interovertive instincts cause him to shrink a little under the gaze, and raises an eyebrow, looking shocked, surprised. "Whose that?"
Harley ignores the second question, looking away as he responds to the first with a shrug, "I can't tonight, EJ, sorry."
"Oh come on, Harls!" The passenger on the other ATV chimes in, a younger girl with curly ginger hair and green eyes, her arms wrapped around the driver. "You never come out anymore."
"And you never answered his question, dude." The driver chimes in, finally, the older man's deeper voice rumbling lower than the engine of the machine, his gray eyes harsh and cold, his lips tilted in a disapproving frown. He nods his head towards Peter, who is now standing dumbly at Harleys side, as he asks, "Who is he? Your boyfriend?"
There's something about the way the man spits out the word that causes a flair of fear, of bubbling anger to rise in his chest, and Peter opens his mouth to spit back, to say loud and proud that why yes, yes he is, when-
"What?" Harley sputters, laughing anxiously, the sound sounding all fake and wrong. "No, of course not! I'm not gay!"
And Peter's heart stops.
His head shoots over to stare at Harley with wide eyes and a gaping mouth, but Harley isnt looking his way, wont look his way, his eyes averted and looking anywhere else but him, and Peter's heart his crumbling, his lung tightening and his throat squeezing as tears fill his eyes.
...what?
"He's just a- a family friend, and I gotta say behind to watch 'em, you know how it is." Harley gazes straight forward as he says this, his voice unwavering, but monotone, obviously forced to Peter but apparently not to his friends as they all laugh and nod.
"Okay, good! You had us worried there for a sec." The boy, EJ, snickers, before putting his visor back down, revving his engine for seemingly no reason. "We'll see ya later?"
"Yeah! Cya!" Harley yells back as the engines roar back to life, the trio pulling out of the driveway and shooting off down the road again, the bright orange ATV doing a wheely on the way down.
Theres a few moments of nothing, a few shattered heartbeats where the two listens to the roars fade into the distance, before Peter cant stands it anymore, turning on foot and racing back into the house, hearing the metal swing door clanging against the frame of the house. Hearing Harley call out to him, and as his vision starts to blur, he moves faster, pushing past Abbie with a mumbled apology before rushing up the stairs, taking two at a time, and making it to the guest bedroom slamming door behind him, causing the wood to splinter slightly.
As soon as the door is shut and locked, tears pool out of his eyes as he breaks down, pressing a hand to his mouth to stifle his sobs as he sits on the dusty, creaking bed, curling into himself as he hears heavy footsteps coming up the stairs, and another lighter pair coming after that, hears Abbie mutter something jokingly and Harley hiss out a response before the knocking and pleading start.
"Pete? Please open up, I'm sorry, let me explain-"
"Explain what?" He tries to snap, tries to yell and bite and sneer, but it comes out as a sob, weak and shaky. "How you apparently aren't gay? How I'm a 'family friend'?" Peter whimpers into his hands, rubbing at his eyes to try and get rid of the frustrating tears pouring out of them. It's stupid, he was so, so stupid.
"No, Pete-" Theres a light thunk, like Harley leaned his forehead against the door with a little too much force. Theres a sigh, low and sad, before Harleys voice comes back, still pleading, but softer, full of sorrow, "It's- It's not like that-"
"Isnt it!? You don't want to tell them a-about me, I-I get it." He does, he really truly does. He's just boring old, useless, nobody Peter Parker, while Harley is... well, Harley. So he gets it. He just doesn't understand why it hurts so damn much.
"Peter-" Now, he sounds choked, like Peter's pain is starting to get to him too, like the heartbreak is contagious. "Please, baby, let me in. Let me explain, please. I promise you, it's not what you think."
Theres a pause, and Peter hates himself, hates himself for considering it, hates himself for getting up, hates himself himself for agreeing with it, unlocking the door and stepping back just in time for Harley to open it swiftly, looking frazzled, hair askew and eyes wide, teary, his cheeks wet.
Their eyes reconnect, Peter's spilling brown to Harley's ocean blues, and whatever look is on Peter's face causes Harleys to crumble, and rush out, "I want to tell them! A-about us, I do, god, I want to tell them so bad, Pete, but-" He sighs long and low, eyes falling downcast, head bowed in shame. "They're homophobic, Pete. Everyone in this town is." Peter's heart thumps painfully in his chest, and so many different questions swirl in his head, but he swallows them down, letting Harley continue, voice tight, fearful, shaky. "I got lucky with my mom, my sister, I thought they were gonna hate me too when I first came out, I was-" his breath hicks. "I was so ready for them to kick me out and not look twice, but they didnt, and I'm lucky, Peter, I'm lucky. If the town found out, they'd- they'd tell ma to bring to therapy, to Church, to fix me like I'm some broken toy." He spits it out, bitter, angry, and the fire and ache in Peter's chest is slowly receding, slowly fading the more Harley talks and the more he understands. Harley sighs again, and his shoulders slump, eyes growing misty. "I wish I could tell them about us, Pete, I really really do. I wish I could scream it from the rooftops how much I adore you, but I just-"
"Can't." Peter finishes, wiping the drying tears off of his cheeks.
"Yeah." He whispers, squeezing his eyes shut, a few trickles falling. "I'm sorry, baby. Im so sorry. I didn't want to say any of that. I didnt mean any of it. I'm sorry."
Peter glances up at him, sees the way Harley looks, with his hunched frame, head low, eyes shut, tears streaming down his red face, lips trembling, hands shaking, and makes a wounded noise at the back of his throat, taking a few steps forward and pulling the boy into a tight hug.
How was he supposed to stay mad at him when he looked like that? When everything is out of his control, when he's only doing what he has to for his safety, for his life.
Harley stiffens in his embrace, before slumping forward into him, grasping at the back of his hoodie and burying his wet face into the crook of Peter's neck, shivering with a sob. "Its okay," Peter whispers, kissing the side of his head and rocking them gently back and forth, just like they had done earlier, before this misunderstanding, before this mess. "It's okay. I'm sorry for misunderstanding."
Harley shakes his head, sniffling. "No, no, you didnt- didnt know. I'm sorry I said those things."
Now its Peter's turn to shake his head, pressing another kiss to his head, this time behind his ear. "Its *okay*," Peter reiterates, reassures, and Harley sighs, his warm breath puffing against Peter's chest.
"No it isn't." Harley responds remorseful, his grip tightening. "I shouldnt have to do this. I shouldn't have to pretend, to lie. But I have to. I'm going to continue to have to."
"I know," Peter murmurs, rubbing a firm hand up and down his trembling boyfriend's back. "I know. It's okay, I understand now. Understand that you don't mean it." He pauses, shutting his eyes and hooking his chin on Harleys shoulder. "You're right though. You shouldn't have to do this. And I'm so so sorry that you have to live like this, especially around your friends, but-" He pulls away, opens his eyes, and places a hand on each of Harley's freckled tear stained cheeks, looking dead in his azure, shining, red rimmed but still so beautiful, so so beautiful eyes, and tells him firmly, promising, "One day, I'm going to get you out of here, away from this town and it's people, and you'll never have to deal with this again. Okay?"
Harley's face crinkles again, but this time its with joy, with love, a smile growing on his face as more tears trickle down his cheeks. "Okay." He murmurs, soft, shaky, but honest, but true.
Things may not be perfect, but one day, Peter thinks as he pulls his boyfriend, the love of his life, his soulmate in for another big hug, one day, they will be. As long as he gets to stay by Harley's side, everything will be okay. He's sure of it.
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yeahiwasintheshit · 3 years
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Hey this is random but how do you feel about Kandy Muse this early in season 13 of rupiahs drag race. Personally I liked her up until her and tamisha iman got into it. Like yeah it was wrong for Timisha to say she didn’t like some of the girls but Kandy has been rude to her this whole time so far. Like the thing Kandy saying Symone is her biggest competition with the other girls sitting right there like chopped liver it was just ignorant.
totally. like one of the (many) reasons i watch it, and have been watching from s4, is the drama. queens behaving badly. i love it. some of the best moments of the whole series have been on untucked. so many hilarious shocking funny moments watching the queens scrap with each other. like the untold truth of the show, is there is a normal competition with which they are judged, the maxi and mini challenges, but there is another challenge... the personality challenge, and its all the stuff they are filming in the werkroom, all the interactions with all the girls, all of that is being judged on, and weighed into the judges decisions. no doubt about it. theres no reason adore got as far as she did other than that. or silky. or so many other queens who maybe arent the best seasmtresses or actors or dancers or singers or whatever but have that personality that the cameras love to film. adore had, silky had it, and kandy has it. and i dont think its unfair that a girl with a personality will last longer than a stale girl who is talented in all the other challenges. i mean it is a little unfair. joey jay was certainly not in the bottom if you asked me, kandy was. her 3 looks were way worse than joeys. but joey, despite being a sexy little fuck, was dull as shit. kandy you want to watch. you want to see what she says, she may not be the best seamstress or whatever but you can learn all those things. personality you cant. you just either have it or you dont. and kandy does. does that mean i like her? not really. she is a bully. and its so painfully obviousl how insecure she is, so she lashes out at girls who are not as over the top as she is, cause thats her biggest asset. shes also delusional and im here for it. she thinks her opinions are to be taken serious, like she just attacks miss 2 t’s and then flat out dismisses her when she starts to defend herself. shes a cunt, and i love it and hate her for it, but i want to keep watching. its giving some of that old school untucked energy ive missed. the queens in some seasons know they have to behave on camera and not say something, they would in other situations say, cause they dont want the drama online or lose followers or deal with it outside the show, and i get it and its valid, but its boring as shit to watch. the shea and sasha season has to be one of the best/worst examples of it. those 2 were so guarded and aware of the cameras and all their answers and interactions with the girls felt so scripted and pagent-ey. it just came off as fake and just boring for me. i want the kandys, i want the silkys, the vixens, i want to watch these big personality girls start shit. i wanna hate them and root for the underdogs who they steam roll. lol ....anyway ive already wrote enough, but im living for ms tamisha iman. love love love her and her old school, not gonna take shit from some big mouthed uppity little girl, no nonsense ways. the clearest example of her power was she knew exactly what to say to make kandy explode, and just walked in and dropped a little grenade and sat back. kandy freaked out, like expected, and was making a fool out of herself as she was walking out of the room. she then says some dumb shit to tamisha, and miss tamisha got up and slowly sauntered over to her, like a boss, as kandy is freaking out, calm and cool as ever and knew exactly how to deal with her. thats just not something you can teach a girl. she is truly the queen of the season.
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nabtime · 4 years
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Hold My Broken Hands, Ignite My Burning Heart
1h27min/25 songs that make me think of Tododeku in different ways 
Fire - Diskopunk // Out of My League - Fitz and The Tantrums // Aawake at Night - halfalive // Bad Liar - Selena Gomez  // Collide - Howie Day // Falling For U - Peachy!, mxmtoon // Crush - Tessa Violet // Would You Be So Kind - dodie // Please Notice - Christian Leave // I See You - MISSIO // Talk Too Much - COIN // Tongue Tied - Grouplove // When the Day Met the Night - Panic! at the Disco // First Day of My Life - Bright Eyes // Home to You - Sigrid // Fall On Me - A Great Big World // Grow As We Go - Ben Platt // Two - Sleeping at Last // High Hope - Patrick Droney // Talk to Me - Cavetown // Sunkissed - khai dreams // I Do Adore - Mindy Gledhill // Pink in the Night - Mitski // Laundry Room - The Avett Brothers // Brand New Day - Kodaline 
explanations for song choice under the cut ! its looooong
Fire - “When I saw you a fire / Started in my heart / I looked at you again / Yeah, you've burned from the start” 
Every tododeku fic youve ever read has a moment like this or a moment similar. izuku has to light shouto on fire either metaphorically or literally. “It’s your power, isn’t it?” This song is for that. its about a spark that ignites between them, whatever the catalyst, and sets the world around them ablaze (wonder, gratitude, amazement, relief, an all-encompassing light and bubbly feeling that leaves them stunned and in love)
Out of My League -  “You were out of my league / Got my heartbeat racing / If I die, don't wake me / 'Cause you are more than just a dream”
both of these idiots, at one point or another, think that the other one is out of their league. Izuku is far too cute and personable and an over all sunshine beacon and obviously he is far too good of a person to ever be in Todoroki’s league and Todoroki is far too beautiful and composed and an over all competent badass to ever be in Midoriya’s league 
Aawake at Night -  “ Alone in a crowded room / My eyes will search for you / Abandoned by my company / I'll search for what's in front of me / And hope that I find something new”
a tribute to those fics where Midoriya and Todoroki meet at a party. where they lock eyes and everything begins from there bc damn if they hadn’t just spotted the hottest person theyd ever seen. its about those fics where theyre both awkward wallflowers finding solidarity in not wanting to be at this party that their friends dragged them and abandoned them in
Collide - “ I'm open, you're closed / Where I follow, you'll go / I worry I won't see your face / Light up again / Even the best fall down sometimes / Even the wrong words seem to rhyme / Out of the doubt that fills my mind / I somehow find / You and I collide”
what is this an early 20s comedy show that has its surprisingly deep/romantic subplot moments? absolutely and there’s noting you can do about it. its about Midoriya punching Todoroki with friendship and then showing him via the dekusquad how to be a person and that friendship slowly evolving into love. its about Midoriya being fumbling and awkward sometimes bc this is the first time hes ever had friends or a crush that he actually talks to?? on a regular basis?? and even though getting together is a clumsy mess they still come together
Bad Liar - “ Oh I'm tryin' /  Not to think about you /  With my feelings on fire / Guess I'm a bad liar “
Theyre gay and trying to repress their feelings and thankfully its not really working out for them. its about the boys trying so so hard to not be in love with the other for whatever reasons the fic has (he’s my best friend and i dont wanna ruin it, obviously he doesnt like me like that, my father would kill him, etc etc) and failing miserably. 
Falling For U - “ I didn't wanna believe my feelings for you / I didn't wanna believe that I could lose you / If I told you just how I felt “
Gay repression and mutual pining take 2 ! but also including That Moment when oh everything comes together and oh my goodness im in love ?? and Midoriya cant believe the world is crashing down around him and Todoroki has set himself on fire and theyre both so dense and suffering from so much emotional trauma but here they are, in love. 
Crush - “  You make it difficult to not overthink / And when I'm with you I turn all shades of pink, ah / I wanna touch you but don't wanna be weird / It's such a rush, I'm thinking wish you were here, ah-ahh “
doesnt matter when the fic is set, if theyre teenagers or adults, these boys are the epitome of puppy love crushes and blushes and fumbled awkward words and gestures and not quite knowing what to do with their feelings and theyre both so anxious about and its always such a relief to find out that its all mutual but still, having that crush is always like being hit over the head with affection
Would You Be So Kind - “ Oh would you be / So kind / As to fall in love with me, you see / I'm trying / I know you know that I like you / But that's not enough / So if you will / Please fall in love “
oooo its about that sweet sweet mutual pining that they both thing will forever remain unrequited and that yearning for the other to love just as much as them. its about the boys falling into daydreams about what it would be like if their feelings were mutual. its about that first fumbling confession maybe where its either todoroki being blunt or midoriya finally scraping together his courage and always always saying “its okay if you dont feel the same, we can forget this and still be friends, but i need you to know...” and its about hoping, hoping so much, that they wont stay friends and that maybe, if the other takes the chance, he’ll fall in love too (even tho he’s already there) its about skirting the edge of friendship and pushing boundaries into the romantic hoping that it sparks something (even tho it already has) its about fake dating with a crush and never demanding that the other not fall in love (bc maybe theres hope)
Please Notice - “ Do you know how in love with you / I am / Do you see how in love with you / I am / Every thing that you do, it makes my heart stop / Oh, it stops / And baby when you sleep, do you dream of me? “
its about that hope again. its about midoriya staying up so late at night overthinking everything hes ever done and wondering if todoroki is just humoring him bc his crush on the other is just so so obvious and it feels so awful to know that hes so obvious and todoroki is just playing along and he wonders if todoroki really knows how much he loves him. its about todoroki in his own room, worrying about the same thing. its about noticing the little things about each other. its about already knowing a whole host of secrets and knowing its okay to trust themselves to the other. its about midoriya noticing everything about todoroki and detailing all his little ticks and favorite things in his notebooks and hoping that todoroki notices just as many things about him, wanting the other to feel the same depth of feelings. its about todoroki becoming more and more emotionally aware (heroes can cry too) and noticing everything about midoriya and thinking hes just cataloging everything he’d need to take down a rival but do you really need to know all of someones different smiles in order to fight them?
I See You - “ I'm alone with you / You're alone with me / And I'm hoping that you will see yourself / Like I see you / Yes, I see you “
its about mutually loving each other even in the hard times, even in the sad times. its about that sweet sweet hurt/comfort that the both of them inevitably have to have bc of the trauma each of them have faced either in their childhood or together as heroes. its about being able to see through the masks that they both have whether it be a stoic one or a smile. its about hoping that the other will see their own inherent worth past their hurting and understand why they love them. its about hoping the other will see how much they love them 
Talk Too Much - “ You know I talk too much / Honey, come put your lips on mine and shut me up / We could blame it all on human nature / Stay cool, it's just a kiss / Oh, why you gotta be so talkative? / I talk too much, we talk too much “
a cute and silly song about midoriya being overly talkative bc hes a little chatterbox and we all know that todoroki loves it but sometimes it get a little frustrating when he wants kisses instead of the fifty-third rant about all mights golden age costume design (really todo it was a brilliantly done color scheme and- and the symbolism!) and maybe sometimes even midoriya would rather be kissing than talking too
Tongue Tied - “ I loved you then and I love you now / Oh yeah / Don't take me tongue tied / Don't wave no goodbye “
kinda debated about whether or not this one fit enough to keep but its a bop so it stays. its mostly the tongue tied part of the lyrics that apply bc both the boys get a little mixed up and tongue tied when it comes to talking to each other when theyre in love and crushing hard ( mostly midoriya but todoroki too) 
When the Day Met the Night - “  When the moon fell in love with the sun / All was golden in the sky / All was golden when the day met the night “
do i really need to day more than sun and moon motif tododeku? its about izuku bringing warmth back to shoutos life and shouto being a steady gentle presence for izuku. its about izuku being able to light up a room and shouto being full of radiant grace and the two coming together as opposites in harmony 
First Day of My Life - “  Yours was the first face that I saw / I think I was blind before I met you / And I don't know where I am, I don't know where I've been / But I know where I want to go / And so I'd thought I'd let you know / Yeah, these things take forever, I especially am slow / But I realized that I need you / And I wondered if I could come home “
we’re getting into the really mushy gushy songs that make me sigh like a lovelorn maiden or something. i love this one for tododeku especially with the sports festival in mind as a sort of awakening. like shouto had only just realized what it was like to fully live for himself bc of izuku. izuku really opened up a path for him and guided him out of his misery into a brand new life full of acceptance and love. and shouto was there to return that love tenfold to izuku who hadnt really ever felt such devotion before. its about finally realizing that they can be so good together. its about wanting to come home to each other 
Home to You - “  But I see the world so different now / But there's a place by the sea and that's my town / When I don't know what to say / When I don't know what to do / There's a room I need to sit in / Surrounded by my favorite view / When I need a hand to hold / Someone to tell the truth / Would it be okay if I came home to you? “
One of my favorite ooey gooey songs about coming home and finding solace in another, which is just so perfect for tododeku. i love it when shouto feels like izuku is his home. that hes never felt like he truly belonged anywhere before he started belonging in izukus arms, holding his hand, and loving him. i feel like they would be good for settling each others doubts and fears. izuku worries that hes not good enough, that he needs to do more in whatever hes doing, that he will once again be found useless. but shouto is no nonsense enough to tell him straight that hes enough, hes wonderful, and already does so so much that its astounding and izuku cant help but to believe him. and when shouto starts to think hes like his father too much in the wrong way, starting to doubt is path in life, or thinks that his trauma makes him too difficult to deal with. but izuku is far too open and loving and shouto knows hes far too good to ever let shouto be what he fears most and izuku is there to remind him of all the good things hes done to earn that love. its about both of them being emotionally repressed in different ways and not knowing what to do or what to say but finding a way to communicate with each other anyway. 
Fall On Me - “  Fly like a cannonball straight to my soul / Tear me to pieces and make me feel whole / I'm willing to fight for it / To feel something new / To know what it's like to be sharing a space with you “
there can be a lot of challenges for the boys depending on the setting their relationship takes place in; shouto’s father always plays a role, kacchans attitude whether a constant interference or a ghost of izuku’s past, acceptance from the outside world, acceptance from friends and family, power imbalance (shoutos a prince and izukus a servant/knight/random adventurer) and a whole host of fic specific issues. this is about falling in love with each other despite them all, this is about begging each other to fall despite the dangers, this is about fighting to be together anyway. this is about finding an impossible love that shocks your soul and embracing it with all your heart.  
Grow As We Go - “  I don't know who we'll become / I can't promise it's not written in the stars / But I believe that when it's done / We're gonna see that it was better / That we grew up together / Tell me you don't wanna leave / 'Cause if change is what you need / You can change right next to me / When you're high, I'll take the lows / You can ebb and I can flow / We'll take it slow / And grow as we go “
you know some of those fics that hurt good bc mostly izuku but sometimes also shouto decide that their hero careers need to come first and that having a relationship would only interfere with that despite the fact that they love each other a lot? this is the song that plays when they realize that’s not true and come together and decide to be together anyway and that theyll be stronger for it. its about growing together as a couple as well as separately and still loving each other even through the changes. its about rising through the ranks together. learning about the world, together. and its about taking on any challenge thrown at them. together. growing, changing, loving.
Two - “  I know exactly how the rule goes / Put my mask on first / No, I don't want to talk about myself / Tell me where it hurts / I just want to build you up, build you up / 'Til you're good as new / And maybe one day I will get around to fixing myself too / Like a force to be reckoned with / A mighty ocean or a gentle kiss / I will love you with every single thing I have / Like a tidal wave, I'll make a mess / Or calm waters, if that serves you best / I will love you without any strings attached “
listen listen this song is so so so good for tododeku like look at those lyrics i just wanna cry about it. its about highlighting the flaws that can happen in their relationship when theyre both trying to fix the other more than to help themselves (especially izuku like baby boy please) its about making the promise to love each other unconditionally bc neither have really had that before outside of their moms? (and shoutos sibs) love without strings attached (doesnt matter if you were quirkless, doesnt matter if youre not the number one hero, doesnt matter that youve been through so much trauma ill help you and love you anyway) both of them striving to be the best fit for the other either a tidal wave or calm waters, eaither righteous fury or gentle love and its about just being so so thankful that they love each other even through the hard times
High Hope - “  Know you're coming from a bad place / Honey, I was there just yesterday / So I know the time it's gonna take / For you to feel like you again / And I'll be here if you need me / If you don't, just know / I've got a high, high, high, high hope “
this about past trauma and shared trauma and healing both on their own and together and knowing their relationship can weather through it all. this is about izuku comforting shouto through everything about his father and his family and the feelings that dredge up when someone asks about endeavor and its about shouto helping izuku through his complicated relationship with katsuki and how he flinches when a villain says his hero name in just the wrong tone. its about izuku covering shoutos scar with kisses and its about shouto tracing his fingers along the scar tissue on izukus hands. its about being patient and waiting and helping each other through times that feel like just too much to handle. 
Talk to Me - “ You don't have to be a hero to save the world / You don't have to be a prodigy to be unique / You don't have to know what to say or what to think / You don't have to be anybody you can never be / That's alright, let it out, talk to me “
its about both of them living up to the high expectations placed on their shoulders and telling each other that theyre enough. that izuku doesnt have to be the next symbol of peace exactly like all might. that shouto doesnt have to be the number one hero exactly like his father. its about encouraging each other to talk even though their both bad at it; izuku mumbles and stutters and takes forever to get to the point and shouto takes a long time to say what hes thinking and form it all into words and sometimes he still cant find the right ones. but shouto is patient and so is izuku.  
Sunkissed - “  So slowly a sunlit dream pulls me out of sleep / Feel the morning through the blinds / I turn my head to meet your sunkissed face / In this quite place I can give you all my time “
the ooiest and gooiest and again with all the sunlight that always used as a lovely motif. izuku is always lit up like the sun and shoutos hair always catches the light just so. its about finding each other and falling into a home and comfort together and being disgustingly in love with each other. its about the comfort that comes after the hurt and being happy and being at peace with each other
I Do Adore - “ When you're near, I hide my blushing face / And trip on my shoelaces / Grace just isn't my forté / But it brings me to my knees when you say / Hello, how are you, my darling, today? / I fall into a pile on the floor / Puppy love is hard to ignore / When every little thing you do, I do adore  “
ah another cute to emphasize that both the boys are dorks and sometimes even when theyve established that they like each other they cant help but combust into blushing messes. its about how sometimes shouto still lights himself on fire when izuku has a rare bout of confidence and really zuku that was very bold and my heart cant take it and about how shouto can still shock izuku speechless with a few well timed kisses 
Pink in the Night - “  I could stare at your back all day / And I know I've kissed you before, but / I didn't do it right / Can I try again, try again, try again / Try again, and again, and again “
izukus got a nice strong back and so does shouto (theyre heroes of course they cut a nice figure) and sometimes shouto gets lost in daydreams and sometimes izuku does too and its about the soft soft kisses that neither can get enough of. its about the yearning despite finding each other bc sometimes it doesnt feel real and ya gotta kiss again and again just to make sure and honestly its a mitski song what more to you want from me
Laundry Room - “ Don't push me out / Just a little longer / Stall your mother / Disregard your father's words / Close the laundry door / Tiptoe across the floor / Keep your clothes on / I've got all that I can take / Teach me how to use / The love that people say you made “
theres just so many fics about laundry? what makes doing laundry together so intimate? sharing detergent and smelling like each others clothes? showing a part of yourself to someone else? anyway, its about love and being home with each other and wishing the love will last. its about sometimes things dont end so well and you want to turn back time and sometimes izuku leaves and sometimes shouto runs but most times one or the other comes back and it all hurts but the love again is worth it
Brand New Day - “ I'll be flicking stones at your window / I'll be waiting outside 'til you're ready to go / Won't you come down? Come away with me / Think of all the places we could be / I'll be waiting, waiting on a brand new day  “
its about running away together or just traveling the word together or going out on a journey (always together) its about izuku wanting to go to the states for hero work or about prince shouto needing to complete a quest to be free of his father and its about izuku not wanting to go without shouto and about prince shouto only loving the journey after picking up a stray green-haired adventurer. its about beginning something new together, its about ending one chapter and starting another. 
oh tha t took soooooo long . ..  anyway ! hope you enjoyed !!!
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ace-pervert · 4 years
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Ive finished watching eleven seasons of rupauls drag race and now feel I am ready to briefly review each season
S1: A good start though it must be said, ONGINA WAS ROBBED! Also there was favoritism.
S2: Not a bad season but at least somewhat ruined by Rupauls rather overt favoritism towards Tyra and dislike of Pandora. While I didnt like Tyra on the show his callout of the entire drag community after leaving drag has given me massive respect for him and feels like karma for RuPauls rather blatant self promotion and attempts to turn himself into some kind of rolemodel. But aside from the callout and Jujube, and Pandora the season is unmemorable.
S3: The top three were all highly skilled and the winner seemed to deserve it though that was later put into doubt after it came to light that Raja had worked with RuPaul before the show aired, and lets be honest Manilla Luzon was much more talented.
S4: One of the best seasons in drag race history, has the best music video, and Sharron Needles is hands down the most influential and versatile queen in drag race history. The only bad part, aside from the editing against phi phi, is Latrice Royal, who, and I feel this needs to be said, wouldnt have been in the top four had Willam stayed, and certainly wouldnt have made top five if Alaska had been allowed to join, mostly because she kept showing a similar outfit, her not being a particularly good actor, being thrown off really easily, and quickly relying on a shtick.
S5: Good season, but I feel that Roxxxy really did end up in the top three only because Visage and Ru love drama and the Jersey Shore look that was at the time Roxxxy Andrews trademark look, and the Coco Alyssa drama was really dull, neither deserved to be as high as ended up, and ultimately both queens are unmemorable.
S6: Not a bad season but i'm not a fan of Courtney Act or miss Lake, mostly because I think they both get away with looks that really they shouldnt have gotten away with, though arguable so did Bendelacreme. Though it was nice that there wasnt any drama, and Bianca del Rio is really funny.
S7: Ive tried to come up with words to describe this season, I cant, its just that bad. No not bad just dull, really dull and awkward, and the worst part is that its not the queens who drag the season down, the queens themselves are fine and Pearl stands out as being a particularly interresting person when not on drag race, its RuPaul being a tool off camera and coming up with challenges that play to the queens weaknesses rather strengths.
S8: Unfortunately I found Bob the Drag Queen so attractive out of drag that I stopped caring about what he looked like in drag with the end result being that I have no idea if hes a good drag queen. But ignoring the moments where I was drooling over Bob it was a good season with some truly great outfits,and a good Snatch Game, that wether for good or bad did very quickly become the Bob the drag queen and Kim Chi show, making it in hindsight the second most plann
S9: The season started off with an appearance by Lady Gaga , whose reviews of the outfits consisted of little more than name dropping and not much else, unintentionally setting the tone for a dull and awkward season with a cheerleading challenge that causes one person to crack a rib and another to almost permanently lose their ability to dance, a Reality Star Rusical that is well just dull, painfully bad lipsinks, uninterresting outfits, and perhaps the blandest wierd drag queen in the history of the competition. Its also in this season that introduced the lipsink for the crown format that I personally despise as it takes the power away from the viewers and puts it back in Rupauls hand.
S10: Solid season, mostly focused on returning contestant Eureka but the other contestants are given enough focus that it feels natural. The challenges are interresting to watch, the snatchgame is funny, and the dresses are well made. The top four are all stars in their right and the winner of that season could have easily been any of them, making this the only season where a lipsink for the crown made sense.
S11: Starts off strong with people like Miss Vanjie, Brooke Lynne Hytes, Nina West and Yvie Oddly revealing a high degree of skill both as actors and as dress makers. Unfortunately the blatant favoritism of Rupaul, the judges, and the producers towards Silky Nutmeg Ganache (honestly they seem like a nice person in real life, but on the show they just seem like a tool), unimaginative challenges, distracting and irritating cameos by former drag race contestants including by Bianca whos dull and unentertaining appearance shows exactly why contestants shouldnt return at all, a rusical so god cringeworthy you'll pray for death (Trump the Rusical), the worst snatch game in drag race history, and painfully predictable twists result in a terrible season, with the only interresting things being the romance between Vanjie and Brooke (they broke up four months after the last episode before the reunion due to conflicting schedules), Miss Vanjie being well himself, Nina Wests acting, and Yvie Oddly's outfits .
S12: Havent seen it, but lets be honest this season is the one where the star is a sex offender. By now many fans have analysed the season and its become clear that the person who was intended to be the focal point and possible winner was Sherry Pie, which means that editing them out for very well known reasons also makes them the focal point just in a different way than intended. Hell it wouldnt surprise me if this season becomes known as the one with Sherry Pie, not the one where the winner won. Though it might also be the last season that RuPauls on, as there are rumors that hes stopping with drag race.
The Christmass Special: To short for a christmass special, to much like the other episodes to be special, to blatantly commercial to be Christmass, and to scripted, even by drag race standards, to be drag race.
And now for a review of the Judges themselves
RuPaul: On the outside a warm, outspoken, well meaning person whose done things which are truly groundbreaking. But beneath that warm exterior beats the stone cold heart of a businessman. He's calculating, manipulative, greedy, has no qualms about setting queens up for failure, and ultimately hasnt done much that could be seen as groundbreaking. Perhaps the worst part is that its clear that in terms of humor , mentality and fashion hes never left the 70s, which combined with his callous way of treating the enviroment (as shown by his fracking empire) and his history of transpobia, makes him a liability to the show. Even if you manage to ignore all of that, the show is ultimately about the drag queens, not about Rupaul, and Rupauls attemps to make it about him really drag the show down
Michelle Visage: Shes a mother of two teenagers with a stay at home husband pretending to be a bitchy whore on a tv show about drag queens, yeah thats her career. Now in truth thats not the biggest issue, the biggest issue is that shes got hangups and makes the same jokes over over again and that after being on the show for ten years she hasnt developed as a judge so the routine, to paphrase miss Visage herself, has been done to death. In truth the show needs something other than the same damn shtick and same damn comments all the time, and if she cant do it then she should quite so someone else can do it for her. Ok maybe thats the second biggest issue, the biggest is that she kisses RuPaul's ass untill it shines brighter than a mirror.
Valentino Rice: Good judge, and had great chemistry with the other judges.
Ross Mathews: Cute guy, wierdly charming, and interacts well with the others.
Carson Kressley: He comes across as a very tired, very frail, very gay but very very very dull ninety year old man, which makes sense given the fact that his entire career is based on being gay, and hes, well old. Ok hes not really old, hes 50, but on camera he looks and acts closer to 150. And the issue isnt that hes gay, its that hes doing a shtick, a very dull and fairly offensive shtick. Possibly the worst choice for a judge, and the show jumps in quality whenever hes not there.
Now for a few things that just bug me.
Favoritism: Unfortunately one of the biggest issues of the show is that seasons tend to be structured around Queens who are intended to be the winner, or at least the hero, from the get go, which has the advantage of allowing the creators of the show to change the structure and challenges from season to season, but also makes it hard to watch if the season is blatant in its favoritism, if the intended winner isnt that good, or if the winner gets eliminated for one reason or another.
Cameos by former contestants: Cameos are a great way to get people to say "I know that person" which is great in a tv show because you know that the cast wont change in the next episode, but not great in a competition where all it does is take away screentime from competitors and giving it to competitors who most likely did not do well enough to win in their own drag race, and even if they did, the show is not about them, but about the current contestants. As such if Ru wants them to return he should put them in All Stars.
Cameos by celebrities: Add nothing. Its drag race not the red carpet, i'm watching for the up and coming drag queens not famous people trying to boost their careers.
Adding politics to the show: No, just no. Dont do things like Trump the Rusical, dont have steven colbert do a voiceover, theres no way that can go well and it comes accross as virtue signaling. If Ru wants to do something good he should double the prize money and have half of the money go to a charity of the winners choosing, or stop fracking.
Adding politics outside of the Show: Drag queens are celebrities and entertainers, as such are constantly in the public eye and dependent on being in it for their income which means that anything they say in public, wether its gossiping, or discussing politics, needs to be viewed as being some form of self promotion. Now this might make things difficult for them, but it is a well known part of being an entertainer so it can be assumed that they were well aware of this before they joined Drag Race. If they do want to talk about politics without being viewed as self promoting, they are free to make an anonymous account on one of the many sites, like tumblr, where its assumed that no one knows who the other people are.
Family Friendly Drag: Lets be honest its men shoving their cocks up their own asses while dressing up as women, and naking refferences to sex, for the sake of entertainment. Thers nothing family friendly about it. Nor should there be as part of the appeal of drag is that its something that is restricted to adults. Likewise they arent heroes, they are entertainers, not doctors, not construction workers, entertainers no more worthy of praise then a person on a sitcom.
Drama outside of Drag Race: While drama on the show is to be expected and is part of what makes it entertaining, drama outside of the show is different its more personal and something that in truth should not be shared. However by presenting it as gossip on various shows they are saying its part of the show, which is unhealthy at best.
Final note.
While I am critising the Drag Race, I am not doing it because I dislike the show, I am infact a big fan of the show but at the same time I want to get my thoughts out there see how others view these topics.
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caddy-crystal-queen · 5 years
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GoT fans, we need to talk
Okay so it's been a while since the finale and I think it's okay to go ahead and rant about this. I am in agreement that the finale sucked, immensely. But I think that's where my agreement with you guys ends.
This fandom has become one of the most toxic, racist, and sexist things that I have ever seen, and I've been in many fandoms over the years, including star wars and the SCP Foundation fandom, and I'm personally sick of it. I quit caring about the MCU for the most part for almost the same reason, but it hasnt quite got to that point. Close but not quite.
I'm sick of you guys dragging race and gender into this crap. People complaining about how Dumb and Dumber are two white guys who cant write women/people of color, yeah those kinds of comments dont help your case. Quit. Dragging. Race. Into. Everything! Not everything is about skin color. We are not our skin, just as we are not our sexual orientations, or our genetalia. We are what is supposed to be between our ears, nothing more or less. Start using that.
As for the gender thing, I'm getting sick of that even more. If racism is racism, then sexism is sexism no matter who's doing it or why. Male authors have written female characters in the past and have done it exceedingly well. Off the top of my head I can list Stephen King, Tolkein, Dean Koontz, Christopher Paolini, Timothy Zahn, and many many others. Gender isnt the problem. And if you really want to go that route then women shouldnt write men. That's fair and equal, right? Not that any of you would care about what's fair or equal. If this was the case, then the romance genre of novels would die with the exception of romance novels in the LGBT community, which would be a problem as not everyone is into that. Sure we'd get more representation I guess but it shouldnt be all about that. Story should always come first.
Dan and Dave fucked up, badly. But it wasnt because of their gender or race. Stop thinking and saying that it was. HBO tried to offer them more seasons but they refused because they wanted to hop on the star wars money machine. So they rushed through the last season so they could do that. I dont agree with it but that's what happened. That being said, they did subvert expectations (god I hate that) by making a shitty season. But can we please just drop all this superficial shit like race and gender? I get it, they did all of Team Daenerys dirty, but theres no need to drag race and gender into it as the cause. Cant we just agree that these two cant write themselves out of a paper bag and move on? Theres real life racism and sexism in the world and that is more deserving of your ire than a show that isnt even based in reality (okay it was based on the War of the Roses, but it didnt follow history very well, of course). Thanks for reading
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huphilpuffs · 5 years
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flares
chapter: 25/? summary: Dan’s body has been broken for as long as he can remember, and he’s long since learned to deal with it. Sort of. But when his symptoms force him to leave uni and move into a new flat with a stranger named Phil, he finds that ignoring the pain isn’t the way to make himself happy. word count: 3065 rating: mature warnings: chronic illness, chronic pain, medicine a/n: a huge thanks goes to @obsessivelymoody for beta reading this for me!
Ao3 link || read from beginning
Dan wakes up on Thursday to a heaviness in his chest.
He groans before he even opens his eyes. His face is squished against a pillow, his ribs pressed too harshly against the mattress. Stabs of pain burst between them, make his muscles spasm and send his breath escaping in a stutter. He has to count, one, two, three, four to keep it from happening a second time.
It eases some when he rolls onto his back.
And he tries to comfort himself further by counting out how long it’s been since he’s been able to sleep on his stomach. Too long, probably.
He’s been getting better, though. Even staring at the bedroom ceiling through his tears, Dan knows that. Knows the he’s helped Phil with dinner the last few nights, and managed to handle the curtains being open for a few hours yesterday.
His hand smoothes across his sternum, and he pokes at the painful spots in his sides until the sharpness dulls.
It’s enough to let Dan sit up, then stand on shaky knees. He tosses Phil’s pillow back to where it belongs and tucks the duvet into place to prove the voice in his head, wondering why he’s suddenly worse again, that he’s fine.
And to ignore the second voice, telling him it’s anxiety that causes your pain, over and over again.
His appointment is in a day.
Dan’s hardly slept for three.
He tries to swallow back a sigh. Whatever rush of adrenaline had dragged him out of bed has faded, left fatigue settling heavy in his bones again. He could drag himself to the lounge, curl up in his blankets and continue his new daily routine of watching people on YouTube for hours.
But his body aches and his eyes burn, and he crawls back into bed instead.
The voice in his head grows louder.
Dan grabs Phil’s pillow, clutches it ot his chest and presses his face against the fabric, breathing deeply.
It smells like Phil.
He holds it until he falls back asleep.
---
The afternoon drags.
It’s past two when Dan wakes up again. The flat is still empty, the bed unmade again. He crawls out without bothering to fix it, makes himself a sandwich, and settles back on the sofa, where he can rest his head against the cushions and ignore the tightness around his heart.
Every time he turns on his phone, it’s too a notification reminding him he has an appointment tomorrow that has his muscles seizing, making it ache to breathe.
And to a reminder he half regrets setting, since he’s ignored it for days.
Call mum.
There’s only a few hours to follow through with it now.
He glances back at the clock that tells him it’s just ticking past three. Twenty-five hours left, says the voice in his head. It sounds like the last GP he saw, who looked him in the eyes and told him to try acting like he had more energy, who told him it would help.
You should try it, his mum had said afterwards. You never know unless you do.
Dan’s thumb swipes across the screen. He finds her contact, sucks in a breath, and hits the call button.
He doesn’t breathe again until she picks up on the third ring.
“Hi, Dan,” she says.
He hasn’t heard her voice since he decided to stay here. It feels like a lifetime ago, suddenly.
“Hi, mum.”
There’s silence for a long moment. He can hear her breathing over the line, low and steady, and wonders if she can hear the shakiness in his.
“How are you?” she asks
“I’m okay,” he says. “I, uh, have a doctor’s appointment tomorrow.”
“Oh?”
He swallows, nodding even though she can’t see him. “Just with my new GP, but I’m hoping he might be able to help me,” he says. “With, well, you know.”
“I hope he can.”
She sounds sad. It’s been a long time since Dan’s heard that.
“Me too,” he says. And then, because he can’t handle the silence: “But, uh, I was hoping you could maybe help me figure out my medical history, to prepare? I don’t remember all of it from when I first got sick.”
Back when she was responsible for it, he doesn’t say. Back when anyone could keep track of all of it.
“I’ll text it to you, okay?” she says. “I know your memory isn’t always the best, and your wrists tend to ache from writing.”
“Really?” He slams his mouth shut, the click of his teeth probably audible over the phone. “I mean, thanks.”
She chuckles, quiet, distant, like he can hear the miles between them. “I’m not always heartless, you know,” she says.
Dan’s breath comes out in a rush. Guilt bursts in its place, painful, bringing tears to his eyes. And he wants to tell her he never thought she was, but he can’t. She knows he can’t. He doesn’t even know what he thinks about her now, crying, hands shaking as he clutches his phone too tightly.
“Can I ask you something?” she says. “Without you getting mad?”
“Yeah.”
“How are you doing?” she says. “I know you don’t think your problems are with your mental health, and I’m not implying they are–” the not this time goes unspoken “–but I know you’ve had bad experiences with doctors and you’re my son.”
His breath catches. A tear rolls down his cheek, and he wipes it away with his hand.
This is his first appointment without her, he realizes. The first one in six years that she’s not driving him to, waiting outside or sitting next to him for the length of it. The first time she won’t smooth his hand over his knee in the waiting room, telling him it’ll be okay, that doctors can be trusted, even though they’d been proving otherwise for so long.
“I’m okay,” he says. “Phil’s coming with me.”
“That’s good,” she says, like she means it. “I am glad you have him, you know.”
He almost reminds her what she thought of him living with Phil last time they spoke, but his heart aches and his eyes are stinging and he doesn���t want to fight, not this time.
“Me too,” he says. “He’s the best, mum.”
She sounds like she’s smiling when she says: “I’d love to meet him, one day.”
Dan swallows. He can hardly picture it, bringing Phil back to a house filled with terrible memories and people he still doesn’t trust entirely. And yet there’s a tug in his chest, a bittersweet image forming in the back of his mind.
He doesn’t say anything.
Neither does she, for a while.
“I should get going,” is what she ends up saying. “As long as you’re okay? I’ll text you your medical information in a little bit.”
“Okay,” he says. “I’m okay. Thank you.”
She hums. “And Dan?”
“Yeah?”
“You should call your grandma. She misses her sofa buddy.”
He chuckles. It aches. Suddenly, he’s exhausted again. “Okay. I will,” he promises. “And mum?”
“Yeah?”
“No news is good news, okay? If I don’t call you after the appointment, I mean.”
“Okay,” she says. “Bye.”
“Bye.”
The line goes dead.
His head falls back against the cushion and his phone drops onto the sofa. Tears are rolling down his cheeks, and he’s not entirely sure he knows why.
Or maybe he just can’t untangle all the many, many reasons.
---
Phil’s quiet when he gets home.
He takes the smoothie Dan didn’t touch and sets it on the coffee table before dropping onto the empty cushion. His arm is draped across the back of the cushion, his hip just inches from Dan’s, as he turns his gaze to the open laptop, lit up with another Smosh video.
Dan’s been watching them mindlessly since his tears dried on his cheeks.
“This is a good one,” says Phil.
It’s an older one, the production value a little cheaper and humour a tad outdated. Probably more similar to what Phil had watched back at uni, Dan thinks. He tries to imagine it, a younger version of Phil, one with longer hair and a slightly narrower frame, sitting in a uni room like the one Dan moved out of before coming here.
He hardly can. Maybe because his mind is still muddled, hanging onto words he said during the phone call, onto all the things he should have said but didn’t.
“It is,” he says, just as the video ends.
He doesn’t start a new one.
Phil’s fingers sweep across his shoulder. In Dan’s peripheral, he can see Phil turn to look at him, but he doesn’t look back.
“Are you okay?” asks Phil.
Dan swallows. There’s a lump in his throat, a pressure behind his eyes so harsh it aches.
“Didn’t sleep very well,” he says.
Phil squeezes his shoulder. “I know.”
That makes the corner of his mouth quirk up. Of course Phil knows. He was there, arms wrapped around Dan as he fidgeted, tossed, and turned. His hands had combed through Dan’s hair, and his quiet questions about if Dan was okay were mumbled against his shoulder, his reassurance felt in his touch.
Phil usually falls asleep pretty quickly, Dan’s learned. Last night, he didn’t.
The hand at his shoulder tightens. Dan finally turns to face Phil.
“Is that all that’s bothering you?”
His eyes are soft, almost sad, as his hand rubs gentle circles against Dan’s skin. He knows. He must know something’s up. Dan has to remind himself that Phil’s seen him after countless sleepless nights, curled up in soft blankets on the sofa and dozing when his mind gets too tired to keep racing.
Today isn’t like that.
Dan reaches out to rest a hand on Phil’s knee, needing to feel grounded, as the first tear rolls down his cheek. Phil draws him closer, so Dan’s head is by his shoulder, his tears dripping down onto the fabric of Phil’s shirt.
There’s no pressure, none but the weight of Phil’s hand on his shoulder, when Dan says:
“I called my mum.”
Phil goes tense. “Oh,” he say. “How did that go?”
Dan swallows. “I don’t know.”
He really doesn’t. His chest feels too full with contradictions, the weight of past accusations crashing up against her understanding tone and he doesn’t know what to think anymore. He’s never been sure how to exist around her, not since pain first settled in his bones and she told him it was growing pains, it would pass, it would get better.
And it never did.
“I haven’t talked to her since I told her I was staying in Manchester,” he says, maybe as an afterthought, maybe because it’s felt heavy on his shoulders since he answered the phone.
“Was she nicer this time?”
He nods. Another tear falls. “She’s texting me my medical history,” says Dan. “She offered, because she– she knew I had trouble writing and remembering.”
Phil hums. His breath has gone even again. His mouth is close to the top of Dan’s head. He sounds hesitant when he speaks. “It sounds like she cares.”
Dan feels that, sharp and painful in his gut. Another tear rolls down his cheek, and his breath catches, and Phil holds him tighter like he’s scared Dan will fall apart.
Maybe he will.
It’s been so long,
He’s been so that sure she doesn’t actually care.
Now, he doesn’t know what to think.
---
His mum texts him.
Dan almost cries. His teeth dig into his lip and his ribs ache and he stares, wide-eyed, at the list of diagnoses and unexplained symptoms he’s had over the years. There’s the migraines they never treated at the beginning, the lightheadedness it took them four years to explain, the instructions to do more exercise that dot the whole six years that he’s been ill.
The first time he went to therapy, and the antidepressants they put him on, and the second time he went to therapy.
And every time he told his doctor he was still sick after that.
Phil’s hand lands on his wrist, gently pushing the phone from Dan’s line of sight. His voice is barely a whisper when he says: “Are you okay?”
Dan swallows. His throat aches.
Laid out like this, it doesn’t look that bad, a distant voice in his head that’s haunted him for too long tries to remind him that maybe he’s just making it all up. Maybe it wasn’t that bad. But Dan can remember the A&E doctor who turned him away because it was growing pains. Can remember the so many times his blood pressure was low before anyone bothered to point it out.
The time his doctor looked at him and said–
“Can we do something?” says Dan. “I want to– I need a distraction.”
Phil nods. In Dan’s peripheral, his phone screen goes black. The knot in his chest loosens, just a bit.
“Wanna play video games?” says Phil.
He shakes his head. “Wanna go out. It’s been too long.”
Phil’s brows furrow, like he’s about to point out that there’s a reason it’s been so long, about to warn Dan that he doesn’t want to make himself sick before such an important day.
Except part of Dan does. He’s done it before, forced himself to be in pain because maybe that way the doctors would actually see that he wasn’t lying. Not that it’s ever worked.
“Please?” he says.
Phil squeezes his wrist. “Okay.” His thumb drifts across Dan’s, careful and comforting. “Where do you want to go?”
---
Dan squeezes into his skinny jeans, even though the fabric burns his legs. He pulls a shirt over his head for what feels like the first time in forever. Though his knees are shaky, he bends down to tie his own laces, as Phil watches from where he’s leaning against the door.
“Are you sure about this?”
He reaches out, without a word, to help Dan stand again.
“I’m sure,” says Dan. “And don’t worry, you won’t need to take me to A&E this time.”
The corner of Phil’s mouth quirks up, and Dan knows he’s forcing it. He can feel his worry in the too-tight clench of Phil’s hand around his, the way his gaze trips over Dan legs when he wobbles as he stands.
He squeezes Phil’s fingers, forcing a smile of his own, as he opens the door.
It’s warm outside. The sky’s going purple as the sun sinks below the city. Dan realizes, staring up at it, that he hasn’t left the flat since he trip to A&E, hasn’t enjoyed being outside in far too long.
If his joints would let him, he’d suggest they walk around a bit. Instead, he stares up at the clouds and reminds himself to spend more evenings, when the sun won’t burn his eyes, on their little balcony, just to feel the wind against his cheeks again.
Phil tugs on his hand when the cab pulls up in front of them. They pile in, side by side in the back seat. Dan doesn’t put on his seatbelt. He can’t be bothered to deal with the harsh rub of fabric against his ribs.
His chest is still tight, the quiet buzz of anxiety at the back of his mind growing louder. He can still feel his phone, heavy in his pocket, can still imagine the text he hasn’t yet responded to. He can remember their last movie night, laughing and gasping and falling asleep with Phil’s hands trying to massage the pain away.
They hadn’t even gone out last time.
Dan stares out the window and hopes he can keep his promise that it’ll be okay this time.
They slip out of the car at the cinema. Phil pays the driver. Dan leans against the wall as he waits, wondering if the lines inside are long. It’s been so long since he’s been to the cinema, he can hardly imagine it anymore. The screens usually hurt his eyes and the audio gives him a headache and he doesn’t care today.
“You okay?”
Phil’s smiling at him, standing by the door. He holds it open for Dan, and buys their tickets for a random comedy neither of them particularly wanted to see. He lets Dan go find a seat as he buys them popcorn, soda, and a chocolate bar to share. He hands it over, in the darkness of the theatre, with a smile.
Between them, their knees bump together as the film starts.
---
They’re holding hands when it ends.
Dan’s eyes are starting to burn and his chest aches from laughing, but the voices in his head have dulled just enough that he can breathe a little easier. He doesn’t think about the appointment he needs to show up to tomorrow, or the doctor he hasn’t met yet who might dash his hopes all over again.
He stares at their joined hands as the cinema empties, smiling.
“You ready to go home?” says Phil.
Dan shrugs. He probably should give his spine a break by sinking into the sofa again, close his eyes against the bright lights of the city before a headache wells in his temples. But he doesn’t want to sit in the dark and wait until tomorrow, letting his fears return.
“Can we get pizza?”
“You up to walk?”
He nods. Phil helps him to his feet and leads him out of the cinema. He knows Manchester better than Dan does, and tells a story about coming to watch movies with Ian when he was younger as they find the nearest pizza place. Dan listens, maybe more attentively than he needs to, to keep his mind from going hazy as the city moves around him.
There’s still a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.
Dan wonders if him of a few years ago would have believed that he’d end up here.
The restaurant they end up in is small and quiet, and they slide into a booth in the corner of the room. Dan sinks back against the cushion, realizing that Phil’s smiling, too.
His chest feels warm. His fingers twist in the tablecloth, because part of him misses holding Phil’s hand.
“Thanks for tonight,” says Dan. “I had fun.”
Under the table, Phil knocks their feet together.
“I did too,” he says.
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SV ch.57
one can’t even study in peace that chapters just pop out of wherever 
*fails to appear angry*
THIS CHAPTER IS FINALLY HERE and we are still in the mausoleum uuuuuh
EDIT: it’s snakey-snakey-zhuzhuzhuz, i think i was right
EDIT 2:
Shen Qingqiu said, “The person who stole the corpse from the Palace Hall vault really was you.”
(AAAAAND I WAS RIGHT, we all were right. What I want now is for father-in-law to appear.)
Zhuzhi-Lang said, “The situation happened too quickly. I had no choice but to continue on to the next stage of the plan. I hope Master Shen will be magnanimous enough to forgive me.”
wait, so there’s a plan? WHAT PLAN? i believe there’s also another next stage beside that, so i wanna knoooooooooow
EDIT 3:
Zhuzhi-Lang said, “Reason number one, I’ve already explained to Master Shen. Since you’ve helped me, I will repay the favor many times over. As for the second reason, Master Shen wasn’t exactly summoned by the humble me… it’s better to ask Junshang directly.”
Shen Qingqiu said, “Alright. Where is Tianlang-Jun, then?”
(wait, what, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN OMG TOO FAST, HE IS GOING TO MEET HIM RIGHT NOW???? *heart pounding loudly*
well, it makes sense, but a bit of warning next time-)
EDIT 4:
Zhuzhi-Lang stared blankly, before saying, “I thought that Master Shen and Junshang had already met.”
Already met?
(E X C U S E    M E    WHAT
WHEN
WHERE WAS I????
ARE YOU SERIOUS OMGGGGG OWIERJGIOVWJROIKROPSK)
EDIT 5:
Could it be that the corpse inside… was Tianlang-Jun?
(IS THIS FOR REAL?)
EDIT 6:
This person set an elbow against the edge of the coffin, a faint smile appearing on his face. He said, “Qing Jing Peak Lord, I’ve looked forward to meeting you for a long time.”
(this... 
i honestly wanna laugh, i think, but i am also incredibly bewildered so it’d come out more like... a nervous, exasperated laugh? 
btw i am loving every second of this)
Shen Qingqiu was stunned.
…….This whole family’s interests were wide and extensive, but it seemed eventually all of their hobbies were the same kind of eccentric. The son enjoyed hugging corpses, the father enjoyed lying inside a coffin.
(EXACTLY. THANK YOU FOR SAYING THAT!!!! but it’s actually a very cute thing, like, they don’t really know each other but share this father-son bond over death, it’s kinda charming!)
EDIT 7: i didn’t know i needed sqq compare father.in-law to lbh until it happened. shizun talking about lbh’s smile and eyes and posture has this funny side that makes one think about how he can’t help but drag lbh in every situation -which is kinda normal in this current situation, but also... well, cute xD
EDIT 8: FATHER-IN-LAW LOST AN ARM??? IS THAT YOU, RASPUTIN????
EDIT 9: 
This was like the flap of a butterfly’s wings causing a tsunami. He had guessed earlier that Zhuzhi-Lang had taken the Sun and Moon Flower Seed to create a new body for Tianlang-Jun, a conjecture that now appeared to be correct. It was just that Tianlang-Jun did not seem to be very compatible with this new body.
okay, things are starting to make sense, i guess. all my head can think about, tho, is “when is lbh gonna show up? can someone tell him his shizun is alive, ‘cause i don’t think i can do this... whatever it is sqq and father-in-law are doing without lbh dragged into it. which is probably what makes it all feel so dangerously hilarious? i feel conflicted.
EDIT 10: 
Shen Qingqiu paused, then asked, “Is the next step extinguishing all of humanity?”
Tianlang-Jun seemed confused. “Why would you think like that? Of course not. I like humans, just not the four great sects.”
He smiled, then continued: “In contrary, I have a gift to give to the human race.”
Although he didn’t know what this so-called gift was, it definitely wasn’t some ribbon-wrapped object that would bring humanity great joy! Shen Qingqiu had just begun to spit out a rather out-of-practice “f**k” when suddenly, the mausoleum began to shake.
this novel really knows how to mix humor and angst, and i need more. like, are they threatening each other or are they becoming friends? should i feel trilled or scared? WHAT’S GOING ON? DO THEY HAVE THE KEY TO MAKE LBH DO WHATEVER THEY WANT?
EDIT 11:
Tianlang-Jun listened carefully for a moment. “They’ve arrived a lot faster than I thought.” He turned towards Zhuzhi-Lang. “How many?”
Zhuzhi-Lang said, “At least two hundred.”
IS LUO BINGHE HERE? IS HE?   I S   H E ?????
EDIT 12: 
Shen Qingqiu’s heart lurched. He blurted out: “The Jinlan City sowers. Was that part of your plan to make me leave Cang Qiong Mountain sect?”
so wait, father-in-law has always been there plotting against... with... well, behind the scene of sqq’s moves? wow, that’s intriguing!! i need more sqq/father.in-law talks! though i’m still trying to understand whether they are trying to kill shizun or not?
EDIT 13:
Tianlang-Jun calmly replied, “Summoning Peak Lord Shen here was also because of my own selfishness.”
He sighed. “That son of mine, to raise him for so many years really has been an inconvenience for Peak Lord Shen.”
Although he had long suspected that this matter had to do with Luo Binghe, hearing his name still made Shen Qingqiu’s heart tremble. He begrudgingly tried to pump himself up, before asking: “Luo Binghe? What does this have to do with him?”
Tianlang-Jun snorted, lowering his head. “How do I say this? I’ve noticed that towards Peak Lord Shen, he’s extremely…”
THEEEEERE WE GO, THE MAIN DISH!!! AAAAAAH I’VE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS. are they going to talk about lbh being in love with shizun or what? though i don’t think that’ll be the case, but he finally said his son’s name! aaaaah tell me more!
EDIT 14: E X C U S E  M E  2.0 WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK????? HE WANTS LBH’S BODY????? I WAS JOKING, I DON’T WANNA READ ANYTHING ANYMORE, DON’T EVEN MENTION YOUR SON’S NAME AGAIN OR I SWEAR TO GOD- 
EDIT 15: okay, i actually feel like we need to thank father-in-law? shizun’s brain had a big revelation and he is probably not only in the right path to realise this is not the novel he knew or believed to be anymore, but that lbh is not the atrociously bad character he remembers -he is a person, and one he unjustly hurt, too. AND MY HEART IS TROBBING IN RELIEF. PLS
EDIT 16: DO I OR DO I NOT HAVE A LBH RADAR IN ME? HE HAS ARRIVED.
Luo Binghe stood on the head of a pitch-black giant beast, his black robes billowing wildly in the dust. The Xin Mo sword lay unsheathed on his back. A pair of eyes glinted red in the light, overlooking the scene with ferocious killing intent.
AND HE IS SO FREAKING COOL
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spoopyghostgirl · 5 years
Text
Oblivion Fanfic I have started prologue
Pairing: Lucien Lachance X oc X Martin Septim
Rating: Teen +
Word count: 3598
A tragedy. That's what many who had laid witness to the massacre dubbed it. The snow elves had come in the dead of the night, slaying all that laid in their wake. The small human settlement didnt last long against their advanced and skilled advisories. Bodies were scattered around the snow covered landscaped, children and women alike laying in the cowering positions they were slaughtered in. A lone woman made her way through the terrain, away from her brethren and father, who had dubbed the evening a success.
"Those foolish mortals will never come back to our home!" Arenbelle's jaw clenched, her violet eyes hardening. Her father would feed lies to their people, knowing that the 'common folk' wouldnt support his or the elder councils true motives for killing off the mortals that had invaded part of their home land. 'The eye of Magnus,' she noted, stepping over the upper half of a dark haired mans body. 'Father believes it will give us power over the other races,' thinking that the slaughter of these people to be worth the continued growth of her people. Reaching up to adjust the pendent that marked her as a priestess of Auriel and not a warrior, she froze, hearing the softest sound of foot steps. Crouching, she kept to the wall of the domicile to her right, violet eyes searching for whatever was still creeping around. 'Men,' her silvery brows shot into her hair line, spotting a trio of mortals. 'Siblings, likely,' she noted, spotting their shared sandy blond hair and similar builds.
"Yngol, we must keep him quiet!" The oldest of the trio hissed, blue eyes flickering quickly over their surroundings. "We cant risk them catching us and sealing our fates," Yngol looked to his younger brother, eyes burning with concern. Ylgar had been struck by one of the Mer, his elven blade tearing through the younger mans shirt, leaving a deep wound across his chest. Yngol had done what he could, wrapping the mans wound while their father kept watch for the enemy. 'But it likely won't keep him alive,' Ylgar having turned sheet white in the time they had been trying to escape.
"I am doing my best, father, but his wound-," the brunette tensed, blue eyes snapping up to where the white haired woman was hidden, her back pressed firmly against the cold stone behind her. "Did you see tha-," Arenbelle tensed, violet eyes moving quickly, searching for a way to hide from the trio of men she was sure had found her. 'Think, Belle, think!' Gasping, a tan hand gripped her wrist tightly, yanking her from her hiding place to stand before them. "Its one of them," 'oh, Auriel, protect me,' she pleaded, panic gripping her pounding heart. Moving her violet eyes from her captor to their leader, she found the face of a slightly aged man with hard blue eyes and thick long blind hair that matched his equally thick beard. Gasping, she found herself stumbling forward, violet eyes moving back to her captor, his steel grey eyes hardening as he produced a sharp steel blade. "Were you stalking us," he demanded, "waiting in the shadows to slaughter us before returning to your your kin!" Violet eyes searched frantically for an escape as his blades tip dragged lightly up the hollow of her throat, a chain of quicksilver sliding down the length of his blade. "Ah, a pendent for one of you deities?" Arenbelle hissed, being forced even closer to the dark man.
"Please! I-I wasnt stalking you with the intent to kill you, I swear! I-I am a priestess of Auriel, a healer!" Yngols eyes hardened in disbelief, his blade hitting the simple pendent that hung from her chain.
"And you think that we would be foolish enough to trust you!? After everything you Mer did to us!"
"Yngol, that's enough!" The older man whispered sharply, hand closing tightly around his son's shoulder. "She speaks the truth," Yngol's sharp eyes moved from the snow elves panicked face to his father, his lips twisting into a scowl.
"Oh really? And what makes you so sure? Her beautiful face-," Yngol hissed, his fathers hand on his shoulder tightening painfully.
"Just because the mer was blessed by Diabella does not mean I hold my blade to save her beauty. You can see it in her eyes, she is no warrior. Come, Elf, you claim to have a healing touch. Heal my son and I shall allow you to keep your head," Arenbelle grimaced but stepped forward nonetheless, violet eyes running over the blade still clutched in the younger mans hand. Crouching down Arenbelle moved the bandages wrapped around the young mans torso, fingers moving gently through the fabric.
"You are quite lucky," she spoke softly, her hands glowing, warm magicka bubbling out of her hands and flowing over the groaning man. "If you had waited much longer infection would have set in and...," she paused, focusing on the wound as flesh knit back together.
"And he would have died." Ysgramor surmised, blue eyes moving over his oldest son, finding neither remorse nor gratefulness. Arenbelle nodded affirmatively, pulling her bloodied hands from the young man.
"He should be good to travel but you must keep him warm and well nourished. He lost a lot of blood and theres only so much I can do without the proper equipment." Arenbelle was about to offer to assist them in their escape when Yngol's hand closed around her throat, blue eyes burning with anger.
"Good, then there is no longer a reason to let you live," again, a large hand closed around Yngol, his fathers long fingers wrapping around his shoulder.
"Yngol," he whisper yelled, blue eyes flashing with rage, "I said she could keep her life! Are you going to make me a liar?" Ripping his arm away, Yngol whirled on his heels, moving towards the docks they would need to use to slip away. Ysgramor frowned, moving towards the startled elf, her left hand reaching up to stroke the spot where Yngol had grabbed her. "I'm so sorry, Yngol has never been like this before but this betrayal and... and the eradication of our people. I'm not sure if he'll ever recover," shaking her head, Arenbelle looked to where the young man had slipped off to.
"I'm so sorry, I know this apology won't fix what my people have done or make my fath- our kings actions excusable but... please, know this. There are many who do not support this, my self, and the other acolytes of Auriel, are some of them." Ysgamor released a shaky breath, his eyes showing the agony he was in.
"Do not fret, elf, we will leave this place, return to our people, and... make this right." Arenbelle gave a nod of understanding, believing that the man would return back to his people with his sons, and be thankful to be alive. Glancing back in the direction she had come from, she sighed, violet eyes searching Ysgamors face.
"You should be safe here until nightfall. I was sent to send off any of my brethren who have been slaid. No one else should come this way,"
"Thank you, elf," Arenbelle gave another nod, wanting to wait for the blond to leave, only to find him watching her intently. 'Its likely he doesnt want me to know where they're hiding.'
"Of course, safe travels, may Auriel watch over you." With that, Arenbelle turned and strode away, hoping to leave the man with the impression that she had no idea why her father had ordered their people to turn against the men. 'The eye of Magnus,' she frowned, having been told of tales of ancient and powerful relic. 'Father and the high council believe the men found it and were hiding it under their city...,' breaking from her thoughts, Arenbelle found herself standing before her older brother, who had been ordered to lead the purge by their father.
"Nethég," Aragon spoke in greeting, offering his baby sister a warm smile. "Did you have any luck finding any signs that those uanui lamanwa's have the stone?" Shaking her head, Aragon sighed, reaching out to affectionately touch her cheek, drawing her eyes from the snow covered floor. "Do not fret, Nethég, we will find it yet and all of this death will be worth it." Arenbelle nodded, seeing in his violet eyes that he truly believed in their father and the goals of the high council.
"Of course, brother, and maybe then, Auriel will smile upon our people once more."
15 years later
They had come out of nowhere, first stomping out the small colonies of elves that had taken up the remains of the human settlement, before they spread. First, they had only come for those that could be tied directly to the pillaging of their settlement but when all the council members had been slain, they'd come for her family. Arenbelle had been hidden away within the pantheon when the kings castle had been raided. Her siblings and parents were dragged out of their home and lined up before those who had remained in what they had called the golden city, the heart of the snow elfs kingdom. Ysgramor, the man she had spared, and his youngest son, who's life she had saved, executed her family one by one before their men turned on her people. Her people who had been proved innocent, who had no say in what the king nor his council decided, and slain each and every one of them.
"No elf shall be safe as long as I live," Arenbelle's violet eyes were pinched shut, the soft voices of those who remained within the pantheon bouncing off the walls around her. Sending a silent prayer to Auriel, a prayer she knew the God would not answer, Arenbelle stood, turning to find a small group of survivors huddled before Knight Gelebor, his dark blue eyes moving to her. Nostrials flaring, she tore her gaze from the man, already knowing what he would say to the refugees.
"Our dwarven brethren have offered to aid any refugees. Have you not thought to go to them for aid?" Arenbelle bit down on her tongue, wondering how many of their kin had been desperate enough to get aid from their so called allies.
"Have you not heard the rumors?" One elf stepped forward, his grey eyes flickering between his small group and the knight. "The dwarves offer aid but... at a steep price," Gelebor opened his mouth to ask but Arenbelle was not about to have it.
"Their sight, dear brother, the dwarves are demanding our people give up their sight! It is either become enslaved and eradicated by men or become sightless caves dwellers that serve the dwemer!" Gelebor whirled on her, nostrils flaring.
"And how, dear sister, would you have heard of this? Are you venturing out of the chantry to aid our people?" Arenbelle opened her mouth to bite back but found the elf who had spoken before beating her to it.
"It is true! My mother-," he shouted, his voice breaking at the mention of his loved one. "She- She gave up her sight for their protection and tried to convince us to give up ours as well but...," a younger elf placed her hand upon his shoulder.
"You do not have to continue," Gelebor spoke up, surprise written across his face. "It would seem that even I was living in denial. You may all stay as long as you need to. We do not have much but we have each other and the blessing of our lord." Scoffing, Arenbelle turned on her heel and tore out of the small chapel she had been praying in. 'Gelebor, you fool, we have lost our lord favor, and with his favor, our lives.'
10 years later
Gelebor stood before her, blue eyes searching her face.
"You dont have to go," violet eyes moved from Gelebor, several other acolytes stood behind him, watching their interaction silently. "Auriel may still shine his light upon us and-," Arenbelle held up her hand to silence him.
"Please, brother, you know by now that I do not worship our lord as I once did." And he did, Arenbelle had turned her back on their lord and had, at least from what gossip he had heard, started praying to dark lord's.
"That still does not mean you need to leave. You are princess of our people, with your life, their is hope for our people. We can rally behind you, we can-," stepping forward, Arenbelle interrupted the elf, gripping his by the collar of his robes and pulling him to her. Gelebor flushed, blue eyes pinching shut as her warm lips moved against his own. Leaning back, Gelebor raised his hands to run up her throat and up her cheek, his blue eyes filling with a sadness that made her chest ache.
"Maybe, in a different life, I could be the leader our people need but I have lost too much and seen too little. Auriel does not shine his light upon me like he did my predecessors. Maybe it is a sign that I am not meant to lead," Gelebor closed his eyes to hold back warm tears. They had found their Faith's together, joined the knighthood, and completed their journeys together and yet, it was not enough to stop her from losing her faith.
"Please stay safe, dearest Nethég, and may Auriel guide you."
5 years later
"Yngol was right, Diabella really did bless you," Arenbelle gasped, violet eyes snapping up to where the voice had come from. 'A man,' smirking, said man crept closer to her, grey eyes running over her disheveled appearance.
"Who are you," she demanded, forcing the fear that crawled up her spine down. Pausing, the dark haired man paused, turning to fully face her. "And how did I end up here? Last thing I remember I was...," her brows cinched in confusion.
"You were...?" He prompted, leaning against the stone wall behind him. Arenbelle narrowed her eyes at the floor before looking up at him once more.
"Where am i?" 'This structure is clearly man made, meaning we must be in one of the cities they successfully built using my people before killing them. Grimacing, her mind absently moved back to the chantry, hoping that Gelebor was still safe.
"Windhelm, or at least, that's what they think we're going to call it. Ysgramor tends to come up with these things on the fly." 'Theres that name again,' "not a fan? I'm not surprised, especially now that he's made it all but his lives goal to eradicate you and all of your people."
"Is that why I'm here? So you all can enjoy the thrill of killing another one of my people?" Smirking, the dark haired man crept closer, the elven blade, a weapon her people had created to protect her, ran lightly up the side of her face.
"You really think they went through the work of capturing you and keeping you in one piece just so they could properly kill you? No no, my superiors definitely have other plans for a pretty little thing like you." Violet eyes hardened, the man offering her a shit eating grin. "I know, I know, it doesnt seem very honorable or noble but men have needs and when they realized that we found a beautiful lunar floor... they decided they needed a taste. Dont worry though, I'm sure once they're through with you, one of them will want to keep you as a... sort of trophy. You get to live a life of luxury and spoils after showing my superiors some elven hospitality."
"No," she shrieked, suddenly thrashing against her binds. "You cant do this!" Rolling his eyes, the atmoran moved closer once more.
"Beg all you want, my sweet mer, but I'm sure that'll only make this more enjoyable for them." Arenbelle shivered violently, hot tears filling her eyes. "Dont cry now! They will be arriving any moment now and we can't have them thinking I was mistreating their new toy." He purred, running the tip of the blade gently up the side of her face.
"Please," she repeated weakly, violet eyes snapping to the wooden door across the room.
"That's them now," the atmoran spoke as if she hadn't, turning to the door at the sound of approaching footsteps. Strolling across the stone floor, he extended his hand toward the handle, only for the door to come flying open. "Watch it," he shouted, stumbling back as the door slammed into him. Rubbing his face, he whipped around the door to growl at whoever had entered, only to find a blade piercing his throat.
"Sorry, love, but you have something that belongs to my master. Youd been warned not to take something that isnt yours," blood trickled down his chin, mangled gurgling sounds slipping past his lips before he collapsed, dead. Shrinking back, Arenbelles wild eyes ran over the atmoran, finding herself surprised when they turned, revealing themselves to be a young woman. Opening her mouth, she moved to speak, only to find herself interrupted.
"Well well well, what do we have here," a dark haired man entered the room, deep gold eyes meeting her own violet pair.
"Varick," the young woman warned, blue eyes moving from her smirking companion to the bound woman. "She has nothing to do with them, there is no need to involve her in this." Varick rolled his gold eyes, moving across the room to stand before her. "Var-,"
"Ignore my sister, shes not the friendliest woman," the blue eyed woman scoffed, moving over to the deceased man, tapping him down. "The name is Varick Corbeau, and you are?" Pursing her lips, Arenbelle looked past him to his companion, finding the blue eyed woman still occupied.
"Arenbelle Agarwen," this peeked the mans interest, honey colored eyes moving to his sister.
"Agarwen... wasnt that the last name of the late royal snow elf line?" Gulping, Arenbelle leaned away, finding the look in his eyes discerning. "How interesting that we would stumble upon someone like you."
"Like me," Arenbelle repeated, eyes burning with tears at the mention of her family.
"Yes, you see, Valerica and I worship a... prince of sorts. Someone that your God wouldn't be very fond of." Her brows cinched in confusion, "you worship Auriel. And-," Arenbelle growled then, surprising the overly confident man.
"You are mistaken, atmoran, I no longer pray to that... man. If he cared for my people my family would be alive and my people...," sorrow pooled in her chest. "He is nothing to me now," Varicks brows shot into his hair in surprise, her sorrow morphing into a burning rage.
"Varick," her tone was meant to serve as a warning but he was undeterred, tapping his right pointer finger on his bottom lip.
"You say that you no longer serve Auriel which makes me wonder... have you sworn your allegiance to another?" Valericas blue eyes narrowed at her, Arenbelle breaking eye contact.
"No, I have not. I have yet to find one who is worthy of my undying devotion." Varick chuckled softly, stepping closer, an elven blade slipping from his sleeve.
"What a.... peculiar choice of words for you see, my dearest sister and I belong to a sort of family, who worships a daedric prince. His domain is over night walkers," her brows cinched in confusion before her eyes widened, a cat like grin crawling across Varicks face. "You know his name?" Arenbelle nodded, an expectant expression appearing on his Varicks lightly tanned face. "Say it," she gulped at his sudden proximity, his golden blade trailing up her arms that were still bound above her. "Say his name,"
"Molag Bal!" She gasped, his blade flickering up to slice the binds that held her, causing her to stumble forward. Valerica surged forward, expecting her older brother to just let the young woman fall flat on her face. Instead, he caught her in his arms, cradling her small frame close to him.
"His name is what set you free, my sweet mer, and, if you choose to join us, will continue to do so. Join us, and be free of your binds, join us and seek the revenge that burns in your heart. Be loyal to our lord and he will give you the power to kill those who took your family from you." Arenbelle stared silently up at her savior, his golden eyes holding an adoration that she had only found in one other mans eyes. 'Gelebor,' her mind moved traitorously to the fair haired elf. 'Auriel was meant to give me peace and the ability to help others. Molag Bal on the other hand...,' she weighed her options silently. 'On the other hand, Molag will give me strength and the power to conquer those who stand against me. He will free me from my binds and... and maybe I'll be able to avenge all that I've lost...' Looking to Valerica she found nothing, her face blank despite the rousing speech her brother had given. "Will you join us?" Pushing down her thoughts of Gelebor and the knowledge of what her family would think of her, she offered a silent nod.
"Yes."
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theolddarkmachine · 5 years
Text
baby, it’s cold inside
“Voltron Heating & AC, what can we do for you?” A smoke filled voice answers. There’s a pleasant rasp to it that reminds Shiro of a crackling fire.
“I need help,” he says, mentally kicking himself before he’s even finished speaking when he realizes how stupid he must sound. There’s a pause, filled only with a quiet huffing sound that he’s certain is the technician swallowing a laugh.
“What’s your name?” The man asks, key clicks providing a quiet backdrop for his question.
“Shiro,” he answers quickly, biting his tongue when he thinks that the man is probably looking for a full name.
“Takashi Shirogane,” he rectifies, noting the pause in the typing as he speaks. “My friends call me Shiro.”
Because that’s helpful, he thinks to himself, sharpening his glare at his heater. This is all your fault.
“Alright, Shiro,” the man says, and Shiro wonders if he’s imagining the way his name sounds like silk the way it’s wrapped in his voice. “How can I help you?”
Tags: Christmas Meet Cute, Fluff, Duel Flustered Disasters
AO3
A/N: It’s the holidays, and ya know what, we deserve some fluff. Shoutout to @smartcookie727 who saved me from just naming this Pilot Light XD also let’s pretend that this sounds like i know anything about heaters
************************
It’s Christmas day, and Keith is cold.
Really fucking cold.
Which is just cosmically hilarious given he’s a heating repairman working in a shop without heating. Keith is certain he’d laugh about it if his teeth weren’t chattering violently enough to chip them.
“You should go home, Pidge. Go hang out with your family,” he says through the click, praying he doesn’t catch his tongue between them.
“And leave my favorite Grinch alone on this sacred day?” Pidge says, popping her gum for dramatic effect as she flashes her bright stare up over the top of her computer. “Never.”
“I’m not a Grinch,” Keith replies, almost defiantly as he pulls a foot up into his seat and tucks his knee against his chest.
He really isn’t. It’s a common misconception that he doesn’t like Christmas. He likes it well enough.
In fact, he finds a sort of solace in it. The holidays slowed the town down, and allowed him to breathe.
They were just quiet, and always had been.
For him, at least.
I can take this Christmas off, honey, his mother had offered the week prior, as she always did.
No, the station can’t function without you, Keith had laughed, waving her off, as he always did.
Fires didn’t take holidays, and as the captain of the Garrison Fire Department, Krolia knew that better than anyone. They were used to it by now, and always celebrated their Christmas the night before. It was tradition by now, just like Pidge and her show of holiday solidarity.
And if that wasn’t enough, it also meant he got to make a monopoly on any heating disasters that might come up while everyone else was off.
Of course, it’s a decision he’s deeply regretting this Christmas with it’s record lows. He really needed to speak with whoever decided the cheaper warehouse price was worth the lack of heating.
“You have no one to blame but yourself, you know,” Pidge hums, breaking through his train of thought as she continues to click away at her keyboard. He isn’t sure if she means his reputation or the frostbite he’s certain is turning his toes black, but he elects to ignore her since he doesn’t really have an argument either way.
Solidarity be damned, he thinks as he breathes a hot puff of air between his palms. Pidge is Jewish anyways.
Quiet settles over the room, only disrupted by Pidge’s quick keystrokes and the ivory click of his teeth for what seems like an eternity before the phone rings.
Sharp and shrill, it makes him jump, the sudden motion of it shoving his shin into his desk hard enough to make him yipe.
This had been their fifth Christmas with the business, and the first time anyone had actually called during it.
“Are you going to answer that?” Pidge asks, tone curious as she flicks her look between him and the phone that’s still ringing at the edge of his desk as if he needs help finding where the sound is coming from.
Which, is valid given the way he’s gaping over to her, but she didn’t need to know that.
Nodding curtly, Keith reaches for it, pressing the answer button before he has it halfway to his ear as he rubs at his throbbing shin.
“Voltron Heating & AC,” he says, trying his best to not chop up his words through his chatter, “what can we do for you?”
***
It’s Christmas day, and Shiro is cold.
Really fucking cold.
He’d known he had bad luck, what with the career ending accident and the semi-newness of singledom that had left a little dark rain cloud over his holidays, but he hadn’t thought he’d be so unlucky for his heat to crap out on him on Christmas.
Ho ho freaking ho, he thinks bitterly as he stares at his lifeless heating system. The large metal rectangle didn’t even have enough in it to give one last death rattle as it just sat silently before him.
It looks more like a gravestone than a heater.
To make matters worse, Shiro doesn’t even know where to start with the damn thing to try and fix it himself.
He knew all the intricacies of various space crafts, and yet in the face of a heating system, he was rendered useless. Which, honestly just felt like the cherry on top of the shit sundae that had been his year.
Typical.
Heaving a sigh, Shiro kicks halfheartedly at the heating system before pulling his phone from his front pocket.
Pulling up Google, he searches ‘heating repair open christmas day,’ accepting Google’s oh so helpful suggestion of tacking on ‘near me’ at the end before pressing enter. There seems to be a momentary pause that’s just long enough for Shiro to imagine the search engine returning his inquiry with a big middle finger before it brings up a list of all the HVAC technicians in the area.
All in which have CLOSED plastered right beside their names in bold.
All, except one.
Boasting five stars from enough reviewers to make the rating seem legit, Shiro clicks the number beneath the name, not bothering to check their website for pricing.
Desperate times called for desperate measures and he was willing to pay what he needed to to regain feeling in his toes.
“Voltron Heating & AC, what can we do for you?” A smoke filled voice answers. There’s a pleasant rasp to it that reminds Shiro of a crackling fire.
“I need help,” he says, mentally kicking himself before he’s even finished speaking when he realizes how stupid he must sound. There’s a pause, filled only with a quiet huffing sound that he’s certain is the technician swallowing a laugh.
“What’s your name?” The man asks, key clicks providing a quiet backdrop for his question.
“Shiro,” he answers quickly, biting his tongue when he thinks that the man is probably looking for a full name.
“Takashi Shirogane,” he rectifies, noting the pause in the typing as he speaks. “My friends call me Shiro.”
Because that’s helpful, he thinks to himself, sharpening his glare at his heater. This is all your fault.
“Alright, Shiro,” the man says, and Shiro wonders if he’s imagining the way his name sounds like silk the way it’s wrapped in his voice. “How can I help you?”
***
Standing in front of the crimson door, Keith thinks he knows what to expect.
While their town isn’t necessarily small, it is small enough for him to know about the the newcomer that had moved there in the past month.
He’s a veteran, so they say, fresh out of rehab from an accident and taking up a position at Allura’s family practice. Kind, even though life has given him enough reason not to be, Takashi Shirogane— My friends call me Shiro— unwittingly became the talk of the town.
Well, the talk of the housewives who had happened by the clinic since he’d started there.
It gave him a certain allure, one that’s left Keith’s heart racing as he raps his knuckles against the door.
He’s also supposed to be very handsome, he thinks as he hears the shuffle of footsteps on the other side.
So they say.
With that in mind, he thinks he knows what to expect up until the exact moment that the door swings open.
Shiro’s eyes catch the sunlight, sparking like a sterling flare, as his lips part around a welcoming smile. He’s younger than he’d been led to believe from the whispers of his achievements and white hair.
“Hey, Keith?” He asks, or at least, Keith thinks he asks. Caught tracking the strong straight of his jaw, it’s honestly lost on him.
Handsome, as it turned out, was an understatement.
“Hi,” Keith manages, shifting his gaze over the soft grey hoodie that is pulled taut across Shiro’s chest. Moving further still, he notes the way it’s tied just above where the elbow of his right arm should be.
“Hi,” he says again, snapping his attention back up to his face. “I’m Keith. From Voltron.”
It earns him a laugh, boastful and saccharine as Shiro leans against the doorframe and pushes his hand into the pocket of his sweats.
A stronger man might have been able to stop his gaze from watching the movement or letting his eyes linger on the comfortable black fabric.
Apparently, Keith is not a stronger man.
“I worked that out,” Shiro says around a smile.
Ever the eloquent type, Keith nods and offers a small, “right.”
Quiet, thick with warm anticipation drags a shiver down his spine that’s altogether different from the one brought on by the angry winter wind that’s been nipping at his skin. It’s weighted with the heavy metal of Shiro’s stare as he keeps it trained on him, as if expecting something more from him.
Which, right.
“So, where’s this heating unit?” Keith asks quickly, unhelpfully holding up his tool box as if there was anymore doubt as to why he was there.
Shifting slightly against the doorframe, Shiro cocks his head back towards his entryway.
“This way,” he says as he stands at his full height and turns toward the innards of his home.
Ignoring the heated twist in his gut that greedily curls around the knowledge that Shiro is a full head taller than him, Keith follows, letting the door shut quietly behind him.
It leads to an open living space, sparse and almost utilitarian with its couch, coffee table and TV set over the fireplace. The only excess comes in the form of three photos standing proud on the mantle. One, in a rich wood frame that features Shiro and a white haired woman that looks a lot like Allura from this distance, in black graduation caps.
Another boasts a group of men, dressed in uniform and posing in front of a jet.
The last, is older, and faded. Set in a golden frame, it stands out from the rest of the room if only because it has the presence of something sacred. In it, is a smiling child, held in the arms of what Keith can only assume is his grandfather.
“It’s just in here,” Shiro calls from ahead in the kitchen, the sound of his voice joined by the creak of another door opening.
Making his way through the kitchen, Keith follows Shiro out into the garage, his eyes zeroing in on the heating system that’s tucked in the corner.
It’s old.
Very, very old.
And covered in enough dust that he’s surprised Shiro hasn’t already started to display signs of black lung.
But most importantly, it’s really fucking old.
The silent assessment must play across his face, because as he’s searching his mental catalogue of heaters for the last time this style had even been made, he hears Shiro make a small, pained sound.
“That’s not a good look,” he says lowly, voice sounding dismayed. Keith shakes his head as he keeps his gaze on the silent metallic box.
“No, it’s okay.”
It’s a lie. From the looks of it, the unit is at least ten years past its replacement date. He honestly can’t even fathom how it’s made it this far, or at the very least, not set the place on fire.
“I should have known the price of this place was too good for there to not be some major fixes needed,” Shiro soliloquizes with a sigh as Keith kneels down, pulling his favorite screwdriver from his back pocket. Making quick work of the siding, it falls away with a sharp clang and a huff of dust to reveal—
Even more dust.
A small wheeze escapes him as he inhales some.
“It’s bad,” Shiro surmises from the sound, voice straining further as Keith pushes back on his haunches and shakes his head. Both at Shiro’s words, but also to clear it of dust.
“It’s not too bad,” he croaks, looking up over his shoulder and offering as much of a smile as he can with his lungs heaving and eyes watering.
“I can fix this.”
It’s another lie. He isn’t actually sure it’s fixable, but he can’t bring himself to say it. Not when Shiro is looking at him with that desperate shine in his eyes, and that jaw set by the gods themselves.
Sighing with relief, he watches as Shiro visibly deflates, his worried look softening into a mix of sheepish and thankful.
Given the circumstance, Keith is certain the first comparison his mind draws for the man shouldn’t be warmth, and yet it does as he watches him nod slowly.  
“Okay,” Shiro says finally. “I’ll leave it to you, then.”
Then, he smiles. A true smile that reaches his eyes and hits Keith with all the force of an 18-wheeler. It smashes his sternum and stops his heart for long enough that he has the time to worry it won’t start again before it kicks back to life in triple time.
“Yeah, leave it to me,” Keith sputters, mouth moving without the help of his still rebooting brain.
Which, is when tragedy strikes.
“I’ll get you warm.”
It’s not what he means to say. Is never what he would mean to say. Yet, he says it anyway.
Silence falls like heavy lead around them as red floods Shiro’s cheeks. Eyes widening, Keith opens his mouth then closes it again with a click, deciding instead to turn back to the heating unit.
Staring into the thick blanket of dust, he wonders for just a moment if he could possibly suffocate himself in it before he starts to get to work.
***
He isn’t checking Keith out.
That feels like a breach in some kind of unsigned contract between him and the white knight of a heating technician that had showed up at his doorstep hours ago.
So no, Shiro isn’t checking him out as he’s on his hands and knees, half shoved into the depths of his apparently unending heating unit.
What he’s doing, is appreciating him.
Appreciating him and his lean form, with his very capable hands and sense of dry humor that played perfectly against his own.
Even after he’d worn out small talk a little over an hour in, Shiro still found himself comfortable as he sat there filling the role of silent moral support.
Shiro would even argue that he was making himself useful, after the second hour when he’d picked up on the small grunt that Keith would make before extricating himself from the bowels of the unit to switch out tools. So now, he’s also filling the role of pseudo assistant.
One who is definitely not checking him out.
He repeats it like a mantra as Keith wiggles his hips, apparently having a tough time with whatever it is in there that he’s been wrestling with.
Soft sounds escape the heating unit as he continues to struggle with the innards of it, moving this way and that, unaware of the pink flush that is sweeping over Shiro’s skin. It makes him run hot in a way that makes him wonder if the heater was already back up and running.
When he’d opened the door, he hadn’t expected to find himself pinned beneath the weight of a stare painted the most intriguing mix of jeweled purple and steely blue. At most, he’d expected the usual, stock variety of heating technicians.
A little bit older, a little bit bigger, and with a little more facial hair.
Instead, Keith turned out to be the human incarnate of a firestorm. With a voice like smoke, and presence that had him filled with an aching burn, Keith seemed to be something other that couldn’t be contained.
Lost deep in the trenches of his thoughts, Shiro misses the Keith slowly pulls back out of the unit and begins reattaching the panel he’d removed. It isn’t until he hears the sharp sound of a palm against metal that he focuses back on the technician, who is looking up at him with a smile as the soft purr of life rolls through the heater.
For one, longstanding moment, Shiro wonders if it’d be too cheesy to consider this a Christmas miracle.
“I told you I could fix it,” Keith says, relief making his smile soft as he uses a hand to push himself up onto his feet before brushing off his knees.
With his hair disheveled, and a dark streak of dust that bridges his nose, he looks like he just returned from battle.
Beautiful, a stray thought says, sending his heart ricocheting through his chest and up into his throat.
“You did,” he replies, far softer than he’d intended and he feels the ever present flush deepen beneath his scar. The comfortable silence falls once more as Keith
“So,” he continues, scratching at the back of his neck as he laughs sheepishly, “what’s the damage?”
It’s a simple enough question. A joke, even, as Keith regards him closely. His look is thoughtful, like he’s searching for something as he cocks his head.
And then he smiles.
The arch of it is a curved blade that sinks deep into his chest as Keith finally looks away and starts to rummage through his toolbox, pulling out a receipt book just moments later.
“How about a hundred bucks?” He asks, flipping through the pages in search of an unused one. Making a small sound of triumph, he pulls a pen from his pocket and pulls the cap off with his teeth.
Shiro tries not to focus too hard on the way the blue cap presses against the full of his bottom lip.
He must fail, because then Keith looks up with a questioning brow pulled high at the strangled sound that apparently comes from deep in his own throat.
“Are you sure that’s all you want?” Shiro can’t help but ask. It’s an obscenely low price, he doesn’t need to know anything about heaters to know that, and he can’t quite wrap his mind around it. Mouth caught open, he watches as Keith just nods and starts writing on the pad, shifting the pen cap to the side.
This, Shiro thinks, is also obscene but for a whole other reason.
“Really?” It comes out choked as he reaches for the wallet in his pocket, pulling it open and eyeing the credit cards he no longer needs to ensure he can pay.
The weight of expectation sits on his shoulders as he pulls his debit card free from its pocket, waiting for the other shoe to drop.
It never does, as Keith just shrugs and holds out a hand, eyes still trained downward on the receipt book. Gently, Shiro presses the card to his waiting palm. Lightning buzzes in his fingertips where they brush against Keith’s skin. The feeling pulls a small, shuddering sound from his lips that pulls Keith’s strange grey amethyst gaze up to look at him as he pulls his hand quickly back.
The buzzing feeling remains as he flexes his hand, opening and closing it to see if it would fade.
It doesn’t.
Turning his attention back down, Keith places the card beneath the carbon paper and rubs the side of his pen against it, pressing the numbers into the yellow page. The sudden tear of the paper makes Shiro jump, its sound hanging in the air as Keith folds his copy around the card and hands it back to him.
His smile, seems to grow wider, and cuts deeper.
Shiro wonders if Keith knows just how close to his heart it’s cutting.
“Merry Christmas, Shiro,” he says smoothly as Shiro takes it.
“Yeah, you too.” Shiro wants to kick himself immediately for the stuttering breathlessness of his own voice.
Get it together, Shirogane, he chides silently as Keith dips his head and grabs his toolbox. Heat is already starting to spread through him as he tries to find anything else to say, though he isn’t even sure what he could say.
Want to stay for dinner, maybe?
Want to stay forever, a very unhelpful voice supplies.
It isn’t until he’s decided on maybe thanks, that he realizes Keith has already seen himself out. The sound of his front door clicking shut rocks down his spine, landing at the base of his stomach in the form of heavy disappointment.
Beside him, his heater continues to purr, and it almost sounds like a hissing laugh.
“Shut up,” he whispers as he unfolds the receipt, grabbing his card and immediately dropping it as if its shocked him.
It hasn’t, but the handwriting beneath it had.
Swallowing down the thrumming heart in his throat, Shiro rereads it.
It’s ten digits, and a whole name.
Keith Kogane, his Christmas miracle, had left his number.
***
“A hundred dollars, Keith,” Pidge mutters under her breath for the thousandth time as she presses her forehead down into her palms. “A hundred dollars.”
Admittedly, Keith knows that it’s a low price.
Even triple that would have been an obscenely low price for the miracle he had managed. There was no reason for the fix to work, and even now, near two hours after the fact, he still isn’t quite sure how he’d done it. Nor, was he planning on questioning it.
It’s a Christmas miracle, a small voice cooed at the back of his mind as he just shrugs at Pidge yet again.
On any other day, he’d try to explain himself.
Of course, on any other day, he wouldn’t charge a customer a tenth of the price for a fix. More importantly, he wouldn’t leave his phone number either.
God, he’d left his number.
Dropping his head down on his desk with a soft thunk!, he tries to pinpoint the exact moment his life had devolved into a Hallmark Christmas movie.
As if he could actually pass as some protagonist. Or love interest.
Groaning into the fake wood grain, Keith rubbed his forehead against its cool surface.
Was he the love interest?
“A hundred dollars, Keith,” Pidge moans again in reply.
A hundred dollars, and a phone number, he silently bites back.
Falling into a shared silence, the room goes almost painfully quiet as Keith considers the many ways he could possibly explain away the temporary lapse in his own judgement.
Maybe he could blame the amount of dust he’d inhaled, claiming momentary insanity. Maybe he could claim it was nothing more than a friendly offer for Shiro to reach out to him when his heater inevitably bit it again. Or maybe, he could blame it on a deranged twin.
Yorak, Keith thinks with a mental nod when he feels the sudden buzz of a text alert skitter across his desktop and against his forehead. It freezes him, stalling his breath as his eyes fly open to be filled with the light brown of the fake wood.
Rolling his head to the side, he presses his cheek flush to the desk as he eyes his phone. At this angle, all he can see is the light of his screen as it stays lit with its message.
It’s a coincidence, he’s sure, as he continues to hold his breath and lifts a hesitant hand toward the offending piece of technology that has lodges his heart in his throat. Just a coincidence.
With a gentle press of his fingers, Keith flips the phone onto his side, his eyes widening at the bold, unsaved number, and the single line of text that accompanies it.
How about coffee sometime?
And then, it buzzes against his palm as another joins it.
It’s Shiro btw.
The obviousness of it startles a snorting sound from him as he sits up.
yeah i kinda figured
Keith breathes, the air expanding his chest and grounding him as he continues to type, letting his fingers press the words into the screen before his mind can catch up.
coffee would be great
Cutting his gaze up from the screen, he finds Pidge still at her desk with her head in her hands. By the way her shoulders move, he wonders quietly if she’s fallen asleep as he waits for a reply.
Several minutes pass before it comes in the form of a tickling vibration in his palm.
How about today?
He must make a sound, because out of the corner of his eye, he sees the bounce of her tawny hair as she flicks her head upward. Worst of all, he can feel her stare cutting into him as he taps out his response.
something tells me it might be tough finding a place open today
Shiro’s next text comes in, almost instantaneous.
You could always come back to mine. I make a mean latte :)
Forty-seven seconds pass before Keith gets the next text. He knows, because he counts them in some vague attempt to slow the rapid fire stutter of his heart as he tries to come up with what to say.
Too forward. Ignore that.
Keith has only known Shiro for the three and a half hours that it took to fix his heater, but he can already imagine the pink that is probably spilling across his cheeks as he rubs a palm against the back of his neck. It makes him laugh. A real laugh that makes Pidge’s stare burn hotter against his skin.
no i think id like that
He sends the message, all too aware of the way his lips are stuck in an upward curl when Pidge clears her throat pointedly. Looking up, he catches the way her gaze shifts between the phone and his face, and the way her mouth opens around a comment.
Keith beats her to it.
“Pidge?” He says, smile growing wider as the phone buzzes in his hand again.
“Yes?” She replies, curiosity and confusion filling the word as she looks down at the phone again.
Excitement flutters through him as the buzz tickles his palm once more.
“Let’s close up for Christmas.”
*************************
31 notes · View notes
queen-of-hearts92 · 6 years
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Giant hands as imagery never mean anything good. The literal stage hands from episode 8 was scary enough but now theres this huge looking hand at the start of Maya's chapter of Overture. Due to this manga being a prequel to the anime I don’t think it’s a coincidence that a giant hand is featured here. Considering what hands like these usually mean, it gives quite unnerving implications, especially for Maya since this was in her chapter. Let me explain! About Maya Tendou and why I’m sad about her.
Quick note from the future: I wrote this post before episode 10 happened so while I would change somethings around I still stand by a lot of what I said here! I’ll probably do a follow up post to this one eventually! Ok thats all, enjoy the meta! owo/
Loom hands can represent danger from a powerful force, they often mean something is preying on someone else. Like a predator hunting down prey, the sharp claws add to the predator image hence the literal stage hands are also clawed. An example would be in the book/movie Coraline who is targeted by the Other Mother. Not only does Other Mother have creepy hands but on the posters and covers for the movie there is indeed a clawed hand above Coraline. 
Another thing looming hands can represent is a lack of control over yourself/your life like being directed by a puppet master. Remember when Maya was talking about the beauty of choice in episode 7? We can start to see why she views it so positively, cause she doesn’t often have that. To go with the theme of a lack of control, the controlling hand can also represent abuse of any kind. 
You see. The visual of an adult hand reaching towards a child who looks like her in the darkness has some, sad implications about Maya. I actually did wonder if that sort of thing happened during her childhood. I never put it in my write ups cause I didn't want to assume nor did I feel I had enough evidence but then this chapter happened. Now I’m suspecting abuse, physical and/or emotional most likely. I’ve said a few times in my write ups that you don’t get someone like Maya out of a happy childhood, and I know I’m right but what happened exactly we were only able to guess at for awhile but thanks to this chapter we have some idea of whats going on. 
Maya has had expectations thrown at her since she was born. Her parents it sounds like that they groomed her to be a stage girl. I’ve always been bothered that she's referred to as a thoroughbred. Yeah that word can be used at ppl but not normally, you call race horses that are born and bred to compete a thoroughbred. Maya has that word in every one of her descriptions, and that’s why. 
She was bred for the stage, nothing else was ever an option for her. Maya’s whole existence is the stage, the ghost story play in her chapter is really referring to her. She’s the ghost that gets swallowed up by the darkness. Two of the quotes from the play that stood out to me was “Aside from the heart of a stage, the position zero, there was nowhere else that I belonged.” and “The light of the spotlight is the only thing that reveals my existence at all”. To farther cement this parallel is that the ghost girl has Maya’s hair style therefore looks similar to her and only Maya is able to see her. Maya the performer is seen by others of course but Maya as a human being isn’t. That’s the invisible part, only being in the spotlight reveals her existence.
We can see this in the fact that Maya doesn’t have any close friends and while Claudine is easily the closest to Maya she’s still distant to the point that Kuro also sees Maya as a perfect embodiment of the stage. Kuro couldn’t even fathom that Tendou Maya was afraid of something silly like ghosts hence she thought Maya was acting instead. That’s a big relationship barrier here, Kuro needs to see Maya as a human being or their relationship just isn’t going to work.
Noticing that Maya has been dehumanized by everyone around her is extremely depressing honestly. From what I can tell her parents see her as a well trained prized pet, her peers see her as above them, and her crush sees her as this perfect stage girl to a point she cant recognize if Maya is acting or when she’s genuinely like scared in this case. Maya does do what she is expected to do but it seems like she’s created a coping mechanism of sorts. If her peers see her as this untouchable figure fine, she’ll be that to inspire them to progress. She wants to be the best so others do their best, this way it gives her a purpose besides just being a wind up toy on the stage. However this kind of coping won’t work forever cause at the end of the day she’s still treated like an object and not a person. Something will give, and it will hurt a lot. Like someone, please see her as a person! She needs that so so badly. God dammit...
On top of all this Maya being associated with birds has depressing implications as well. Birds can mean all sorts of shit, but one of the big ones is freedom. Ya know, caged birds still sing after all. If Maya is that bird, the one who can’t fly freely, then she’ll learn how to sing. However Maya isn’t associated with the traditional caged birds, she’s associated with swans. Swans can’t be contained like that, shouldn’t be contained like that. Just because a swan has accepted their cage doesn’t make the cage less smaller or tighter. Or feel less suffocating. Like I said in my episode 7 write up, Maya is trying hardcore to look only forward and never back but not facing the ghosts of your past can and will cause problems and eventually drag you down. Maya isn’t a lark or any kind of songbird, she’s a swan that learned how to sing and perform. And if that swan can’t or won’t break free, then its only gonna get worse from here.
All this shit ofc factors in kuromaya. I think one of the reasons why Maya has fallen for Claudine and seeks her out is while Kuro does see her as perfect, instead of backing down she fucking goes for it and thats exciting as hell for Maya. People just don’t do that around her nor succeed in truly challenge her like Kuro can. Plus unlike her, Kuro chose to go into the stage and acting. Maya must really admire that she chose this rough path and did it cause she wanted to. Hell maybe even envy her for being able to do that. She loves Kuro’s drive and passion, she loves being around her. But I do think that eventually Kuro also treating her as not human will get to Maya. And when that happens, that’s gonna hurt a lot man.
I honestly can’t imagine what it’s like to go your entire life being treated like a fancy animal at best and a thing at worst. The coping mechanism is probably the only reason why she hasn’t fucking lost her mind or her sense of self, but as I said that won’t solve anything in the long term. 
Maya is gonna break, everyone has their limits and I wouldn’t be surprised if she’ll be hitting hers soon. She, honestly needs to. You can’t bottle that shit up forever, its gonna explode. When the break happens I’m pretty sure Claudine will see it happen, cause she needs to see that Maya is human too. She’s probably the only one who can possibly understand since she also grew up in the spotlight. This will be a helpful and healing experience for both of them, Maya can finally let it all out and Kuro can learn a new way to look at her and even their rivalry over complicated lesbian mating dance. I’m hoping that’s what episode 10 will show us.
And I’m gonna cry a lot if it does go this way, ever since I noticed how everyone around her dehumanizes her I’ve been sad about it. I just want Maya to be happy god dammit. ;A;
Edit: I just gotta say, Green Finch and Linnet Bird now makes me think of Maya and now I’m sad. orz
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