[thepossumwrites]

SourSkittles

Pairing: Simon (Iron Lung) x Ryland Grace (Project Hail Mary)

Word Count: 4,073

Type: One-Shot

Summary: After Simon gets stood up trying to meet his best friend (and love of his life) in person for the first time, he comes across a man sobbing in the park on his way home. He stops to make sure the man is okay, only to discover they have a lot in common.

Warnings: Hurt/Comfort, slight angst, happy ending (SFW lmao)

A/N: Originally posted on AO3.

The little coffee shop is bustling around Simon, filled with life. Friends are chattering, people are plucking away on laptops, baristas are filling orders. It’s a nice, relaxed, happy atmosphere. One that Simon does not belong in. He’s been nursing the same black coffee for an hour now, watching the ice melt in the drink across from him. He shouldn’t have gotten it at the same time, he’d just been excited to finally meet him in person.

Simon taps the screen of his phone for the hundredth time, seeing no new messages. It’s a herculean effort, not picking it up and sending off another message. He’s already sent four since about fifteen minutes after 1:00 pm, asking if everything is okay, if he got lost, if they need to reschedule. Nothing since a text at noon that simply read ‘See you soon :)’

God, he feels pathetic. Why did he suggest meeting up? They had an incredible thing going for the last year, he should have let that be enough. But Simon has always been greedy, it was one of his biggest sins, and when they found out they lived in the same city he just couldn’t stop himself from asking to meet up. 

Simon met him in a gaming Discord server he’d joined on a whim. Ava had been trying to get him to talk with more people after they defected from Eden, and he’d figured that would be a low stakes way. The server had a bunch of different channels, everything from gaming specifics to a proof of touching grass channel. He didn’t say much, at first, content to just watch the messages roll in. But then one day he opened a channel titled ‘info-dump’ and was greeted with a massive text about the Tau-Ceti star and its role in Science Fiction media by a user called SourSkittleEarth. 

Curious, Simon clicked on the profile. Their photo was a drawing of a fox jumping over the earth, he wondered if SourSkittleEarth drew it themselves or had it commissioned. The roles they’d selected for themselves were ‘he/him, ask to dm, game watcher, queer’. Simon swipes over to his own role profile, comparing, ‘he/him, no dm, game player, gay’, a picture of a blood moon as his profile photo. It’d taken him a while to come up with his Discord name, whether or not he should use his gamer tag. In the end he decided to keep it simple, it had taken him longer to settle on a gamer tag, why would he do extra work for this? BloodyFoxglove worked just fine. 

He remembers reading through what was basically an essay, each message at word limit before another one pops through. SourSkittleEarth really knows what he’s talking about, he’s clearly passionate about it. The way he types makes Simon think he must be a professor or something, maybe he works for NASA, actually. He has questions, wants to know more, but remembers an earlier warning from a mod about clogging up channels so he just reads. Finally it comes to a conclusion and he just can’t stop himself.

BloodyFoxglove: @SourSkittleEarth can I dm you? I have a lot of questions about Tau Ceti

SourSkittleEarth: sure! Always up to talk about the stars!! ✨

They’d spoken every day since. At first it started out just talking about space or botany, sending articles or interesting things back and forth. About three months in Skittles (what he’d taken to calling SourSkittleEarth because they just hadn’t decided to share government names yet) had made and invited him to a private Discord server for just the two of them, with channels dedicated to space and plants and memes and video games. He’d called it ‘Besties 5Ever’ and to Simon it felt like everything, because yeah, Skittles was his best friend. One of his only friends, but even if he had a thousand he’d consider Skittles his best friend. Then a AAA space game came out and Skittles was bemoaning the fact that he couldn’t afford it. Simon had pre-ordered it, so he offered to stream it over a call. 

The first time he heard Skittles' voice he knew he was in trouble. He didn’t even know the man's name and yet he was blushing so hard from the moment Skittles greeted him. God, who knew he had a thing for voices?

“Hi Fox!” His voice was light, airy, excited, “I’m so excited to watch you play this! Thank you for doing this!” 

“Sure thing,” Simon’s voice sounded a bit strained to his ears, but he cleared his throat and started sharing his screen, “Any time, Skittles.”

That ‘any time, Skittles’ turned into almost nightly calls. Sometimes Simon would play, sometimes they would just talk. Simon got to learn all about Skittles’ research, how he’d just graduated with a degree in molecular biology and he was trying to apply for a phd. In turn, Simon spoke about his job at the florist shop, how he was trying to finish a GED so he could apply to a college for botany. By the time Skittles had mentioned he was moving to San Francisco because he’d been accepted to a program Simon was in love with him. 

Simon thought Skittles was excited to meet him too, nothing in their conversation about it leaned to hesitancy.

Now though, an hour and half of sitting alone in this fuckass coffee shop filled with happy people who aren’t having to re-evaluate their whole lives because they were stood up by a guy they’d stupidly fallen in love with without even knowing his government name, he’s wondering where it went wrong.

He opens his phone and checks Discord one more time, hoping to see a message or even an online status from Skittles. Nothing. All right then. There goes a year of his life and his heart. It’s fine, he didn’t need those anyways. 

The sound of the iced coffee hitting the inside of the trashcan isn’t as satisfying as he would have liked. He was hoping for a more final sound, like the closing of a book, or the end credits of a movie. Instead it just sounds like wet plastic hitting more wet plastic. 

Shrugging on his jacket, he starts heading home, deciding to take the scenic route through the park. It’s a nice day, if a little chilly. Maybe the fresh air will clear his head, will make him feel like the world isn’t ending around him. 

He’s about halfway through his trek home when he sees a man sitting on one of the benches, head in his hands, absolutely sobbing. He’s shaking a bit and rocking back and forth, maybe trying to self sooth? Simon stops a little down the path, weighing his options. He could continue walking, pass by the man, and keep going home, or he could stop and see if he was all right or needed help in any way. The man seemed to be around his age, with unruly blond hair that reached to his ears. He was holding a pair of gold wired glasses in one hand, wearing a yellow rainjacket, and light washed jeans. He didn’t seem hurt from where Simon was standing, but who knows. 

Ultimately he decides to approach, not getting too close, coming to a stop at the other end of the bench, “Hey man . . . you okay?”

The guy shakes his head, voice muffled by his hands, “No, I fucked it up, I fucked it up! I’m such an idiot, so fucking stupid.”

Simon takes a step closer, the guy sounds distraught, like the world was caving in on him. He knew the feeling, “I bet it’s not that bad.”

“I’m a coward, a stupid fucking coward,” The guy moans, lifting his head and looking at Simon, his voice husky from how much it looks like he’s been crying, “Who just . . . stands someone up like that?? Because I can’t get over my own anxiety?? Because I knew if I saw him I wouldn’t be able to stop myself from blurting out that I loved him??”

The first thing Simon thinks when he makes eye contact with the man is that he has the bluest, prettiest eyes he’s ever seen. Like the ocean on a calm day. Next he thinks that in fact, all of this man was the prettiest thing he’d ever seen. The light stubble on his face, the curve of his pink lips. The tears on his face were even pretty. 

“You uh . . . stood someone up?” He asks, taking a seat next to the guy. For some reason he seems familiar, but he just can’t put his finger on it right now. Maybe it was because he was so pretty, he looked like a movie star. Get it together, Simon, now is not the time. Worry about attractive men later, when you can piece your heart back together and get over Skittles. Well, at least try and get over him. Hopefully. 

The question brings a fresh wave of tears to his eyes as he nods, “Yeah, my best friend. We were supposed to meet for the first time in person today, but I . . . how do you tell someone you love them and you don’t even know their real name?” 

“Kinda sounds like my situation honestly,” Simon sighs, looking up at the sky, thinking about how he felt in that coffee shop, the way he was so happy and excited when he first walked in and purchased the coffees, the way it felt like his chest was tightening as the minutes dragged on, as his phone stayed silent, as he came to terms with being forgotten, “I was supposed to meet this guy for the first time in person too . . . he stood me up. I waited for like, an hour and a half and he doesn’t even text me or anything to give me a heads up or an explanation. I would have even taken a lie as long as it was something.” 

“I’m Ryland, by the way,” The guy sniffles, starting to pull a messenger bag up from where it’d been stashed between his legs, “Sorry for . . . I don’t know, being in your path.”

“Simon, and you’re good. I think I needed to talk to another human being for a moment.” Simon shrugs, glancing at his phone. Still nothing from Skittles. Should he send another message? Was it worth it? What if he did only to find out that he deleted their private Discord server and blocked him? Then it would be his turn to sob next to a stranger in a park. 

He’s so pre-occupied with the beginning of the spiral that he doesn’t register the green wrapper in front of him until its contents are shaken gently. It takes him a moment to figure out what it is as he instinctually opens his hand, watching the little dusted, multicolored candies drop into his palm. They were sour skittles. His heart clenches in his chest painfully and he just lets the skittles sit there in his palm.

“These are my favorite,” Ryland says, voice still a bit watery, but starting to lighten in tone and pitch, “they help when I’m spiraling. Unfortunately I was too far gone earlier, but I think it’s okay to break into my stash.”

Simon doesn’t say anything, just nods and stares. He’d never been a big fan of sour skittles before, but he’d taken to collecting items that featured the green bag in hopes of one day giving them to Skittles. He actually had some of them with him now in his backpack: a keychain, some stickers, a big bag of them. Maybe he should give them to Ryland, be done with them. He’s not sure he can look at that color green ever again.

“You uh . . . wanna talk about your? Thing?” Ryland prompts, shaking a couple more skittles into his palm and tossing them in his mouth, “It might help.”

“Not really,” Simon sighs, closing his hand around the candy, “I just . . . I don’t know, there wasn’t any indication he didn’t want to meet me.” 

“Is this like . . . a like like situation? Or just a friend situation?” Ryland asks. Simon feels the other man freeze next to him, when did he get so close he could feel Ryland’s shoulder press up to his? He continues, “You obviously don’t have to tell me anything.”

Simon glances at Ryland from the corner of his eye, “Nah it’s okay. I realized I was in love with him about six months ago. We’ve been friends for about a year now.”

“How did you meet?” Ryland asks, digging back through his bag and pulling out a phone. He looks at it like it’s going to explode in his hands.

“Gaming discord server.” Simon tries not to eye the phone, but he can’t help but watch as Ryland turns it over in his hands a couple times. The phone case is star themed, but there’s a sticker of a fox on the back, weathered from the length of time it’s spent affixed.

“That’s how I met my Fox, too.” Ryland sighs next to him, it’s a weary sound, a heartbroken sound, “I just really hope he doesn’t hate me. I’m honestly afraid to check my messages. I just . . . I didn’t want to mess it up, you know? I can’t lose him . . . But I think my inability to get my shit together might have cost me the love of my life, which sounds dramatic I know but I really think he’s my soulmate.”

“His name is Fox?” Simon asks, brows furrowing, turning fully to Ryland now. The sour skittles, the phone case, the sound of his voice. Could it be . . . ?

“Oh, uh, well his discord handle is actually BloodyFoxglove but-”

Simon’s moving before his brain can rationalize what he’s doing, grabbing Ryland by the face and smashing their lips together. Ryland makes a shocked noise against his mouth, hands on his shoulders, trying to push him away. Simon quickly pulls back, realizing his mistake.

“What was that???” Ryland splutters, his whole face a pink tinged blush. His glasses askew now, and Simon thinks he’s so, so pretty.

“Skittles, it’s me!” Simon smiles wide, breathless, “I was waiting for you at the coffee shop, I thought you didn’t want me!” 

Ryland’s eyes grow wide and he puts his hands on top of Simon’s, which are still framing his face, “Fox???”

“Yeah, yeah Skittles it’s me, your Fox.” Tears are pooling in Simon’s dark eyes, and at least he isn’t crying in front of a stranger. At least his heart doesn’t have to stay shattered on the floor. At least he’s holding the man he loves in his hands. 

“What??” Ryland whispers, his eyes quickly roaming over Simon’s face in quick strokes, “Are you . . . are you messing with me??? Please don’t be messing with me . . .” 

Simon rubs his thumbs over Ryland’s cheeks, shaking his head, “I’m not, I swear it’s me. You’re favorite color is yellow, you love space because there’s always something new to learn and you love to learn, you like watching me play Resident Evil games even though they scare you and we talk for hours after I finish a session because you don’t want to go to bed and I would trade my life to hear you talk forever. I got art commissioned of a fox in foxglove because you said you were thinking about getting a new profile photo and I wanted it to have a piece of me in it because I love you so much. I love you, Skittles.”

It’s Simon’s turn to be surprised when Ryland rushes forward and kisses him, throwing his arms around Simon’s neck and almost knocking the two of them off the bench. Simon holds firm though, moving his hands from Ryland’s face to wrap around his midsection, holding him so close Ryland almost gets pulled into his lap. This kiss is no less frantic from before, but this time he can feel the love and desperation in it. Simon had thought often about what kissing Skittles would be like, it’s nothing compared to his imagination. Especially when Ryland swipes his tongue over Simon’s lips, begging for entrance, and Simon could taste the sour candy. 

They reluctantly come up for air, both breathing heavily, staring at each other. 

“Can we,” Ryland starts, swallows, then speaks again, “Can we try the coffee shop again? This time as a date?”

Simon gives him the biggest smile in response, “Yeah, I would really, really like that.”

—--------

One Year Later:

“One second, Ava.” Simon pulls one of his earphones to the side, listening. The front door shuts softly and he smiles, “Yeah, Ryland’s home. I gotta jump off, okay? Thanks for listening, wish me luck.”

He ends the call and pauses his game, waiting for Ryland to walk into the gaming room. Ryland has a routine when he comes back from classes, and Simon knows it well. He listens for the sound of the backpack to hit the floor, then his chucks, a soft sigh as the day's worries slide off his body and disappear in the comfort of their apartment. Then Ryland fills his water bottle, grabs them a snack, and heads into the gaming room.

Right on cue, Ryland walks in, a tired smile on his face, his water bottle under his arm, a bowl of grapes in his right hand, and a bowl of strawberries in his left. 

“Hey you,” Ryland smiles, setting the bowls down on Simon’s desk and giving him a kiss, “How was your day? You streaming tonight?” 

“Not tonight, I figured we could have some time for ourselves tonight.” Simon had gotten into streaming and recording Let’s Plays at Ryland’s insistence when they first got together, and Simon’s channels had blown up. It was still strange to him, the attention, the influx of money. He’d been able to quit his job at the flower shop and he was starting botany classes next semester at Ryland’s college. All in all it was the perfect life. But something was missing. 

“I like the sound of that,” Ryland smiles, wheeling over his comfy chair. They’d gotten it when Simon started to stream. Ryland didn’t like to be in the background of streams, preferring to keep total anonymity. Which was fine with Simon, he didn’t feel like sharing.

Simon switches out of the game he’d been playing while on the phone with Ava and loading up a new one he’d downloaded as soon as it was sent to him, “I got a new game for us.”

“Oh yeah?” Ryland asks, pulling a quilt around his shoulders, “What’s it called?”

“It’s called Sour Skittles, a developer sent it to me to try.” 

Ryland leans closer to the screen, watching the game boot up, “That’s really cool!”

He nods, mouth suddenly dry from nerves. He’s been working with a developer on this simple game for three months now, he’d played it through earlier in the day and had to call Ava to calm his nerves. It was perfect, exactly what he was hoping for, but there was always that small part of him that said this wouldn’t go the way he wanted it to, that Ryland would hate it. Ava had happily knocked some sense into him, but now as the neon green loading screen rains sour skittles they’re back in full force. 

“What’s the game about?” Ryland is settled back in his chair again, pulling a fidget out of his pocket and working it over. It’s one that’s comfortable in his hands, so his total focus is still on the screen in front of him.

“It’s a love/puzzle game, I think. You play as someone trying to find love and you have to answer questions and find the skittles.” The game starts, bringing him to a simple character creation screen. Whenever he plays games with this feature for just him and Ryland he always makes Ryland. It had been a joke, at first, when Simon had first started streaming games for just Ryland, but quickly became something they both just accepted as an immutable fact. 

Ryland watches with a wide smile on his face as Simon creates him, telling him which shirt to pick, delighted that there’s one with a science pun on it. It was secretly Simon’s favorite shirt, the one with the periodic table that said ‘I wear this shirt Periodic-aly’. It had been a gag gift originally, but it was just so damn endearing. To be fair, everything about Ryland was just so damn endearing. 

The game starts and it’s exactly what Simon was hoping for. He’d squirreled away enough extra cash from his streaming and videos that he was able to splurge on the developer, who had also been excited to work with him. It’s simple, but the art style is gorgeous, and the music created just for the game fits perfectly. Ryland is into it as well, excitedly giving him pointers and answers to questions and which way to go. 

“Wow the developers must really like science, there’s so many science questions in this game!” Ryland says at one point after helping Simon answer a question about elements. 

“I guess,” Simon shrugs, trying not to give anything away. They were nearing the end of the game now, the most important part of all of this. 

His eyes flick to a lego chest that’s always sat on his desk, from even before he met Ryland. It was the first thing he’d bought with his own money he’d earned after leaving Eden, the lego set. It was an impulse buy, he’d simply wanted it and had the money. One of those little prized possessions that meant more than the plastic it was made out of could have ever hoped to mean one day. And now, for the last six months, it has held the entirety of his future inside. 

Together they watch as the pc finds the last skittle, creating a package of them to seal. The game prompts Simon to knock on a door leading to a house. Simon wipes his palms on his jeans, then clicks the door.

The door opens to reveal himself, causing Ryland to gasp softly in surprise and confusion. Dialogue flashes across the screen, the pc explaining that they looked all over for these skittles to give to Simon, and Simon responds that he has a gift for the pc as well. 

The real Simon waits a moment, letting Ryland absorb it, before grabbing the lego chest and pushing his chair back, just as the game Simon pulls out a ring from behind his back. 

“What??” Ryland breathes, eyes immediately starting to water as they dart back and forth between game Simon and his Simon. 

Sinking to one knee, Simon clears his throat and opens the chest, pulling out a simple gold band, “Ryland Grace, Skittles, I’ve been in love with you since the first time I heard your voice. I never thought I would find someone that I could listen to for hours and hours about anything, someone who loved me enough to let me listen. I spent a lot of my life feeling trapped, alone, forgotten. But you make me feel like I never experienced any of that, you and your smile and your love are the best thing that has ever happened to me. I want to spend the rest of my life waking up to your kisses and hearing your science jokes and basking in your light. Will you please make me the luckiest man in the universe and marry me?”

Halfway through the speech Ryland slid off the chair, crashing to his knees in front of Simon, tears streaming down his face, and the biggest smile on his lips. He’s nodding already, frantically, joyfully, “Yes, oh my god yes!! Of course I’ll marry you, Simon. My Fox, my heart, my love.” 

They crash their lips together, much like that first time they met in person. What before was desperate, is now just pure, unfiltered love. Simon pulls back and slips the ring on Ryland’s finger, unable to stop his own tears from falling down his face. 

“I love you so much, Skittles.” Simon smiles, running his thumb over the ring that sits perfectly on Ryland’s finger, like it was always meant to be there, put there by him. 

“I love you too, Fox.” Ryland kisses him again. 

[voidsetup1]

and out of the darkness - you you you you you

[monsterhunter04]

[hurrakka]

The aftermath

[lalabarinaking]

EVERYONE SHUT UP AND LOOK AT ERIK

[tigeradjacent]

THIS GIF IS SO FUCKING FUNNYYYYYYY WHAT IS WITH STARSCREAMS FACE

[lovelyshiz]

[sweetsugarsassafras]

What if na'vi babies weren't born with their stripes but were just little blue blobs, like blueberries and as they grow they're stripes come in.

Imagine So'lek reflecting on his meditation mat when he barely catches the rapid patter of Tamtey's feet before she's essentially tackles him. He's stunned, a little worried and his sight is taken up by the chunky leg of his first born and his ears are filled with his mates excitement.

"Look, ma So'lek, look!!" She keeps saying before changing tones to coo at their baby.

He's rightfully confused as he taken his mate and infant in his arms and sits back up.

"Ma muntxate, what's wrong are they hurt are you hurt?" He's already taking the little one from her arms making sure to check her over first since their baby isn't crying and there's no blood but his worry is met with an inpatient hiss from Tamtey as she again urges him to look at their baby.

It takes him a while and honestly it takes Tamtey gently maneuvering said baby around in his arms to get what she's so excitedly talking about. There on their babies chunky little thigh is the smallest dot it's almost unnoticeable and before he can stop himself he's already turning to his mate and saying.

"That is just their tanhi." Tamtey's reaction is to pull at his ear it's a quick movement and as many mother's would says justified it also earns her high pitched giggle from their baby.

"I know what my baby's tanhi looks like, I birthed them." She pouts and shows him the leg again, "He didn't have it last week and Kin said that they are around the age that their stripes come in."

So'lek looks closer at his baby's leg and then proceeds to do all over check and he ends up finding more little dots every single one he shows to Tamtey who gets even more excited cooing at them and making them laugh. By the end of it as happy as she is Tamtey ends up crying a bit because she's realizing that her baby is growing up and even he sheds a few tears which ends up with her holding their baby and So'lek holding them both baby none the wiser of their parents feelings.

The next day however Their showing the dots off to their clan and friends who all coo and praise their baby for growing and even Nor tells them to grow into cool stripes which is a hit an miss because the dots do grow into stripes they're just currently all over and look like a patchwork baby.

Just chunky blueberry na'vi babies and their patchwork stripes. Also I imagine Tamtey calling her babies blueberries and it just confuses their dad because he doesn't know that those are.

[sweetsugarsassafras]

I like to think that Tamtey takes the others to the area where the memory paintings are, she doesn't show them exactly where it is but she does give them rough directions so they can have the experience of finding them themselves.

I also think that So'lek gets somewhat overstimulated during the Great Games because of the amount of people around and all the bs with Harding there wouldn't be much time for him to meditate like he normally would, so after things calm down she take So'lek to the sights in the area so he has a more private place to meditate and reflect.

When they go back home she tells him about the areas where the other monuments are so he can also find them and have more places where he can meditate.

Then after the events of the Spires she asks Rasi to teach her and the other how to make them so they can build some of their own. People can tell who built which monument because they all have their own style and like to incorporate the things they like so each monument reflects the builder a little.

After the Mangkwan and Rda are chased off again the Sarentu come together and rebuild the burned sites but this time they incorporate parts of the burned ones as well at bits and pieces of the clans, they use the memory painting to not only give others a place to get inspiration but also as a way to tell a part of their story during that time.

I also think that as they rebuild Tamtey takes inspiration from the Trr'ong reflection mats and re-does the sitting area. When she's asked as to why she simply says.

"Because the Trr'ong are a part of us just like the others, this clan is one that welcomes all and we will show that with pride."

I think that after that she and the others join So'lek at the spots and meditate with him or do their own thing as he meditate. Just the same he will join them too and do the same.

Sometimes they won't even do that they'll just sit and talk or enjoy the scenery, sometimes it's all as a group or one on one.

I just like thinking how these areas are rebuilt by the Sarentu back to their former glory but also letting them become something different in the process. Because just like their stories may change the lessons and feelings will always remain and inspire.

[valky-uniguri]

6th generation ✨

[the-mangkwans-delight]

coffee shop au

LMAOOO I AM DERANGED i wrote this all in one day (along with p1&2) i just love fluff sm omg i love cliches im not even ashamed of it these are my roots so bad ☆ fun fact i wrote most of the recom scenes here first than the 2nd part of the coffee shop au but i just wanted a little buffer before i dive in with the recoms theyre such fun barbie dolls

edit: i forgot to upload this yesterday bcs i was so atlapilled sorry yall 😭 part one | part two

"Deja Blu?" Varang asks as she ties her apron, quite shocked at the amount of orders they have early in the morning, knowing how they aren't that well-known in the area, these types of orders are rare.

"Yeah," Wukula confirms, reading from their shop phone, "they are by the building two streets away."

Rakx, who was busy preparing the cups, scoffs, "are we going mainstream now? Please do not tell me we are about to be mainstream now."

Wukula hunches over, stifling an obvious cackle.

"We are so much better lowkey!" She justifies, Varang shakes her head to appease her, gesturing her to continue preparing. "And thirteen, really?"

"Well, it is not a Thursday—"

Rakx cuts off Riku's reasoning, "shush it!"

Riku shuts his mouth and proceeds to walk to Wukula and check some of the ordered drinks, seeing the Strawberry Coffee x 1 is already enough hint for him.

Wukula didn't notice Riku roll his eyes as he starts to work.

"What name is it under?" Varang asks.

"Zdinarsik." Wukula answers, Riku internally sighs, wanting to see Varang stiffen in front of Wukula if he said Quaritch's name because the latter won't believe that someone's caught her attention.

Varang was about to help when a number of customers come in, Riku nods to her to tell her that the three of them will work on it so that she and Zari can concentrate on the others.

—

"But I thought the Ocean Cafe is already open again?" Warren asks while Fike takes their orders.

"Let it go, Warren, our beloved Chief suggested a change." Zdinarsik counters, giving Miles a suspecting look, "which is surprising—"

Miles pretends to be busy even if everyone already knows when he's faking movements, "I just happened to like their coffee."

"Sir, respectfully, you never happen to like things," Zhang quipped, Lyle stifles a laugh, Miles shoots him a look and Lyle hides his lips, "the one time we tried a different cafe and you liked their... well, black coffee—"

Laughter spread to the room and Zhang stutters, embarrassed, "well! You insisted we still go back to the Metka— Ocean Cafe."

"Tried. Past tense." Miles pointed.

Prager muses, "who's the woman?"

Zdinarsik cackled out loud and Miles shot her a look, like Lyle, she hid her lips but not before turning her back on him to hide an obvious laugh.

"You forgot my order that day, colonel, I'll never get over it." Prager says dramatically.

Lyle, this time, shoots Miles a look. He pointedly ignores it.

"Are you guys done ordering or not?"

"Done, sir." They answer in chorus like they're in a kindergarten classroom. Fike brings back Zdinarsik's phone to her to place the order.

—

Few days later...

Varang feels herself being waken up, it's a Wednesday afternoon and their customers usually flock at night, "babe, there are customers."

She groans, turning her head to the other side, "handle it," she murmurs, why is Riku even disturbing her? He actually does handle it whenever she naps.

"But it's your Quaritch."

Varang snaps just in time for Riku to retract, his heart almost leaping out of his chest. "You should have said that earlier."

"While you were fucking sleeping?"

Varang pointedly looks at him and he scoffs, "not even a thank you..." he audibly mutters as she walks out to the counter, pretending to busy herself.

"Guys, be on your best self." Riku teases.

"Can you fuck off?"

"I should not have woken you up."

Varang groans, "Riku, please."

Riku's brows raise, eyes widening as a further tease to her, she whines, making Riku and Rakx cackle while Wukula stares in confusion. Riku gestures the latter to just observe.

Varang watches as Quaritch and six others choose the long table across the door, a number of them admiring the view and even taking their phones out to take pictures.

"This is sick." She hears one woman covered with tattoos say.

Rakx smirks which makes Varang look at her, "there are just two women, Rakx, calm down."

The latter's smirk just grows, "I know one of them."

Varang's eyes widened as she gaped, not knowing whether to feel betrayed or not.

"Calm down!" Rakx returns the phrase, panicking at the look Varang is giving her, "I did not know they were connected with him, okay!"

"When?"

"The day after we got the 13 orders."

Varang's brows furrow slightly, then she looks at Quaritch's group, counting them again, seven out of thirteen... "Deja Blu..." She recalls.

She hides a smile, of course, biting her lower lip in the process.

Rakx side-eyes her, "okay."

Varang feigns a whimper, "Rakx..." reaching to her who jokingly avoids her touch.

Wukula watches in confusion.

"So this is where you went?" Lyle asks as he walks with Miles towards the counter, noticing that his boss straightens his posture a bit more. Then the woman at the counter catches his eyes, "oh." He muses, "I see why."

Miles halts his steps, his forehead creased at what he just heard, "what?"

"I—" Lyle stutters before exhaling through his mouth, "chillax, she's all yours. Jesus."

Miles continues walking, still glaring at him, not understanding why he felt so overprotective— possessive towards Varang.

"Nothing, boss." Lyle adds.

"You are also boss?" The woman in the counter asks.

Also? Lyle thinks, also? So he's been a regular here? What the fuck? He tries to keep a distance as if watching the two instead of helping Miles with the orders, realizing he's not needed at all.

Miles shrugs nonchalantly, "just a nickname."

Varang scoffs before it effortlessly turns to a grin, giving him a knowing look and he just grins, wiggling his eyebrows, confirming that he remembered what she said during their first meeting.

"Really now?" She flirts.

He squints his eyes jokingly, making her cheeks hurt from smiling, "yes, really now."

Lyle, horrified, immediately skedaddled away from him.

"What's with him?" Varang asks.

Quaritch waves his hand off, "don't mind him."

"You were Deja Blu." She confirms.

"Took you that long, cupcake? I'm hurt."

She hates that she's so affected by his feigned hurt expression that she couldn't help but to whine. God, Miles stares at her pout, that's so fucking adorable.

"I was not the one who handled it. Blame Riku."

"Say what now?" Riku, who's listening to everything from the pantry, reacts.

"Friend..." He feigns.

Varang's face automatically scrunches, irritated, "hey," she calls out in a voice that sounded like the sleeper agent in her got activated, it caught him off guard, and also, really, extremely turned on.

"That's my friend." She establishes.

Rakx covers her mouth to stifle what would've been the loudest laugh ever. That seemed to be really the only thing that won't ever change with Varang.

"That?" Riku scoffs, "like I am a thing?"

Varang shoos him away with a spare hand not on the screen as if she's already taking Quaritch's order.

"Unbelievable..."

Wukula, although still very much confused, is starting to get that this man in front of Varang is the one who caught her attention. He could not believe it, Riku is not a thing, that man is a thing.

"I didn't know you're possessive." Quaritch muses, finding an equal within her even if it were for platonic reasons, how much more a romantic one?

"Would you like to know?"

He licks his lips as if that stops him from smiling too widely.

"Are we ordering?" Wukula interferes and Riku turns around to silently laugh.

"Yeah!" Rakx piles on, "are you ordering?" She asks, chuckle evident in her voice.

Quaritch clears his throat and takes out a list. A physical list and the four of them stare at him like he's either crazy or ancient.

Varang scoffs, "you could have used your phone, or his," she nods to Lyle's direction, "more convenient."

He shrugs, "I like writing things by hand, much better to use it," he reasons, flicking his wrist.

"Hear that, Varang?" Rakx teases. Riku bursts laughing out loud in the pantry. She couldn't even retort anything when she would've made a threat to the Rakx already, her cheeks reddening but only her friends know that.

Seeing her embarrassed, Miles retract, "but yeah, phone's more convenient."

Varang frowns and he feels his knees weaken, god, just how much does she affect him?

"You are just pleasing me."

He smirks, that stupid smirk!

"So, you're pleased."

She blinks, embarrassed once more at getting caught, well yes, then she clears her throat to save face, "are you ordering or not?"

"Of course, ma'am."

Meanwhile, Lyle, who dashed to their table, reports in erratic breathing, "guys, you will not believe this."

"That he has the hots for Varang? Yeah, I know." Walker says while scrolling through her phone.

"Va— fucking how?"

Mansk asks, "who's Varang?"

Walker nods to the counter, "that woman with the fanciest headdress." They all turn to look and see the two clearly flirting and all smiling. She scoffs, "wow, guys, totally not obvious."

Lyle looks at her again.

"Went here with Ja the other day," she answers, nodding to the medic across the table, "she was making our drinks while another was taking our orders. She clearly is the only one who stood out."

Ja huffs, in apparent mockery, "is that why you asked for Rakx's number?"

They all snapped their heads to her, Walker stutters before telling him to "shut up! That's none of your business."

Ja just grinned while Lyle puts his head down against the table. He's supposed to be their chief's right hand! Why didn't he figure this one out?

Lopez, sitting beside him, caresses his back, "don't worry, you'll catch up one day."

Lyle retrieves and looks at him, "you knew about this?"

"No."

The five around the table laughed and Lyle felt much worse. He groans, but before he could smash his head against the table, Zdinarsik quips,

"You don't deserve to be happy."

Lyle snaps his head, ready to defend himself when he noticed they were looking at the man behind him. It was Miles. All smiling. Giggling. Again.

He sits beside Lyle and Lyle never felt more disgusted than he is right now.

"Why were you gatekeeping this shop, boss? It's so cozy and nice."

Miles scoffs, remembering his first impression of this shop too as cozy.

Mansk smirks, reading right through the obvious chief, "he isn't gatekeeping this shop," he nods to the counter, "he's gatekeeping her."

"Yeah, that's true."

The recoms still and look at him questioningly, at the same time not believing their ears, like he's not the Miles Quaritch they know and deeply respect.

He stills too, unknowingly mirroring them, "what?"

"You didn't deny it." Walker points out, being the first one to unfreeze.

"Deny what?" Miles scoffs, glancing at the receipt with a small red heart Varang drew discreetly under the scrutinizing gaze of the new man he saw. He licks his lips for another futile attempt to hide his smile, "don't be weird."

Walker's eyes widened, her jaw dropping as the recoms collectively let out an oof. "You never call me that— holy shit, oh god, guys," she dramatically says, "he's found the woman for him."

Miles did not resist the grin, but he's too giddy and too happy and too over the moon so he had to hunch over. "Stop."

Lyle scoffs, rolling his eyes, making Walker laugh way too loud, "you clearly want us to tease you more."

Miles straightens his back, donning an expressionless yet serious one, "so?"

Zdinarsik cackles this time, "I can't believe this," she crosses her arms and leans back, "whenever we tease you to someone, you are sooo harshly denying it."

"That's true." Ja comments.

"But now? Now you want us to tease you to her? Boss, are you a highschooler?"

Expecting a scolding, Zdinarsik's lips parted in shock when Miles, with his full chest, answers a "yes."

Gasps filled the table, unknowing to them that it made Rakx and Wukula look.

"This is so unusual..." Lopez mutters, eliciting a pleased laugh from Miles.

Lyle, ever the dramatic, grips his shoulders, "colonel, is this still you?" Walker slaps a hand to her mouth, crying tears at what is happening.

"Tsk," Miles, annoyed, moved his shoulder away, "shut up."

"Right," Ja nods, "maybe you're under a spell— her spell!"

It only made Miles smile, or maybe smirk, or maybe a bit of both— just imagining that Varang would take the time out of her day to put him under her love spell. Now I wish she did.

"Ain't I lucky?"

Zdinarsik bursts out laughing, "Lyle!"

"Aw," Mansk teases, a very clear mockery in his face, "Lyle's boyfriend has a girlfriend now."

Miles blinks before remembering the running joke around the recoms of exactly that, he pats Lyle's shoulder, "don't worry, you're still my favorite."

Walker throws her head back, cackling, because she's the one who started that gag. Then Miles watches as she looks at the counter, her face immediately shifting to a flirting one as she waves her fingers.

He furrows his brows and looks back to see a smirking Rakx. He glances back to Walker, then to Rakx, then to Walker again. "Are you two...?"

"Boss," Walker starts with utter seriousness, "I respect you so, so much but," she sighs, "men are so slow." Zdinarsik cackles, nodding.

"Oh, I thought you women like a little push and pull."

"But she's a lesbian." Lopez points out.

"That's not helping." Ja says, chuckling.

Walker shrugs, "she looks the type."

Miles groans, here we go again with types, he props his elbows to the table and holds both sides of his head, stressing as he asks, "what type?"

Mansk stares at their chief who is usually prim and composed, "you're... actually stressed out... by her..."

"Aw," Zdinarsik teases, adding fuel to fire, "our boss is affected."

Miles takes a deep breath, running a hand through his face before looking at Walker, "Walker, what type?"

Walker leans back, amused at the spectacle, "I will not answer. You deserve to lose your mind over a woman." Lyle laughs and claps hands with her.

"Order for Quaritch."

The elbows simultaneously elbow each other. "Your girlfriend calls you."

Miles straightens, grinning, giddy, "stop." He says as he stands up. Then he walks away.

"Stop, but he'd think of it the whole night." Zdinarsik points out.

"Week." Walker corrects.

"Does she know she's in a schizo-autionship?" Mansk jokes.

Walker, confused, "a what?"

Zdinarsik cackles, "okay, Kathony," earning a loud laugh from Mansk.

At the counter, Miles counts the six drinks then he looks at Varang, "I hope you only did mine."

Varang gapes at the possessiveness she knows she likes; she's never more turned on than she is right now— especially with the most evident tone in his voice!

"Wukula and Rakx did." She teases, but she actually did only his drink, much to Wukula's dismay.

Quaritch raises a brow, "where were you?"

She shrugs, "pantry, with Riku." The said man let out the loudest huh?.

His jaw tightens, scoffing, and Varang grips the edge of the counter, now she knows what she'll do. "Stop making me jealous."

She discreetly bites her lower lip, "or what?"

"MILES," one of his woman co-workers, the one covered in tattoos, shouts, "what's taking so long?!"

The rest of the table erupted in laughter while the woman immediately covers her mouth, fear obvious in her body because they never called him by his first name.

Before Qua— Miles get irritated, Varang takes his attention, "Miles is your name?"

He faces her, "Miles Quaritch."

She rolls her eyes, "why give me your surname, then?"

"So you'd get used to it."

Varang blinks, still as a statue, then his other co-worker, the one who left him at the counter, helped with taking one of the two bags.

If only Miles could kiss her cheek goodbye...

"Bye, sugar." She looks at him, still bewildered with what was said to her. He winks and Varang never felt hotter in her face than ever.

He walks away with such a satisfied smile, carrying the other bag.

"You good?" Riku asks from behind, she turns around stiffly and leans on him like a fallen tree. He sighs at the dramatics, "what now?"

"Quaritch."

"Yes. Clearly."

"Is his surname."

Riku registers it, then, "oh. Oh! Ohh." He holds Varang's arms who still won't look at him, "please do not change your surname, it is much cooler."

That made her look up.

His eyes widened in disbelief, "VARANG."

Wukula and Rakx pretended they did not hear anything, knowing only Riku can put her in her place.

She grunts, "fine!"

As Miles and the others walk out of the shop, he double-checks the drinks again, then he saw a small paper sticking out. He blinks, stopping in his steps to fish it out.

Then, in the infamous red ink, her name and number are written.

He could bite his fist right now.

He looks back to Varang and raises the paper, she smirks and gestures with her hand a phone to her ear, then she mouths "call me".

Miles' lips part but he quickly recovers, smirking and copying her gesture and mouths back, "I'll call you, sugar."

Her smile is the sweetest of rewards.

[atokirinalover]

Is this what Grief feels like....?

Varang finding out her childhood friends and father figure died.

It was quiet....It always was, Quaritch usually got updates from, what was his name...? She never cared to remember, her headaches from that demon girl usually distracted her from listening, mostly Zari would update them as well, her excited demeanor ever since that other skyman have her a gun was slightly infectious...

But there was none today...No joyful voice...No Wukula on the glowing screen she is used to seeing, no Rakx reporting for useless things like an animal she tortured, and no Ka'sem calling her to tell her about the gifts he saved up like he always had....But she never got worried, a strong leader should not doubt on the warriors SHE picked....Her 4 heavy hitters, what Quaritch called them, but to her they were so much more....

She find her body starting to show signs of worry, her tail wanting to go under her, her ears pinned back, her fidgeting hands, it was embarrassing...She was supposed to be perfect, a perfect leader with no weaknesses....Yet here she was, shaking like an infant ikran without its mother....

Then she hears it, a screen clicking on, she has never ran faster in her life, who was it today, she thought briefly, was it Zari, excited due to a new kill?, was it Wukula being his serious self, a facade she only knew he had, he could be as un-serious as his baby sister with the right people....Was it Rakx showing an Ikrans dead body as Quaritch grimaces in disgust...Or was it what she hoped... Ka'sem only waiting for Varang to come into the screen to show her a new trinket he found for her...But only one voice ring out....

"Major Bukowski, a little banshee told me we're down 4 of Varangs heavy hitters...."

.... She paused...A pain in her chest feeling like an arrow in her heart....What...? Dead....All of them...All her actions slumped, her shoulders, ears, tail, she had waited for these few months after the demon girl made her a coward....She hadn't slept, her hair ripped out roughly in the now rough waves....She was crashing....And this was the final straw....

She could almost laugh to herself....Eywa finally shows herself...Gives her headaches...Nightmares and now took what she held most dear after the mountain....Killed by weak and small threats...

"I will meet your expectations Tsahik...."

She remembered Wukulas promise, all the ones he made, so confident....

"Oh do not be so serious...We are alone..."

She had said, smiling as she did when teasing him like she did as a small child, she nudges his shoulder, finally teasing him to a smile as they hug, she always loved his hugs, the best one was when they found eachother alive after the mountain

"Is there any gift you want me to find specific for you, little spark...?"

The voice shifted to Ka'sems, one that she truly smiled at, she had thought about it, then she remembered, some crystals by a dry edge of the frontier, opals with the light of fire, she remembered having some before her mother died...But they were destroyed after the fire, she had wanted them for a long time, but she decided to give the task to him...

"Those opals that I had....Crystals with the light of fire...Do you remember...?"

Ka'sem chuckles, rolling his eyes, remembering how excited his little girl was at showing him, her big yellow eyes, her sharp teeth shining brightly.

"How could I forget....Okay, I will ask this...Human if I can fly over there...."

He starts to walk away, but is stopped by a thump on her back, he turns around, to see Varang clinging to his back, hugging him, a rare soft moment, he turns around and hugs her back, his hand on the back of her head, minding her headress, he rests his face on the top of her head, hearing her words come out soft, a command, yet the softness of a little girl.

"Come back alive, sempu..."

He felt his old, wretched heart soften, realizing, she was always his little girl, having no mate nor child of his own, she filled the gap that he has never had, he was always there when her father was not, taught her how to fight....Shoot arrows when her mother was too busy doing her Tsahik duties...She was his daughter, and he treated her like one...

"I always will, little spark...."

Varang has never felt....Hopeless and weak in her entire life, she starts to breathe fast, her eyesight blurring, little whimpers of sadness coming out her mouth, she puts her hand on her forehead, the same headache she has been getting intensifying like none of the previous ones, she didn't even feel the tears sliding down her face, finally letting out hics....The Tsahik and Oloeykte of the Mangkwan, crying....Sobbing even...Quaritch hadn't even noticed, until he looked up...

Varang was in the Yurt, hearing everything he said, gripping the side of her head, her ash starting to wear off for how hard she was sobbing, the black circles around her eyes now dripping down her face like they were made of ink, she was sobbing like a child, coughing, snot, tears, eyes red, Quaritch has never gotten up so fast for anything...Or anyone, gripping her into an embrace as Varangs walls....Everything, clawing into her and bursting....

She lost half her warriors, almost lost the only mate she truly cared for, lost to a girl who made her run like a coward, and now...She has lost the 4 people she considered family...She wails loudly in Quaritch's arms, she didn't care if her clan heard her....They would know how much she has had enough...Her soul plunging deeper into the black abyss of the faithless life she turned to...

2 weeks after her breakdown, Quaritch had approached her with a pouch, it sounded like it had glass of some sort....Volcanic glass maybe?

"The major found this one the old birds Ikran before he died....Said it was for you..."

Quaritch said, handing it to her, Varang took it softly, her appearance much better after turning her grief into strength, she opens it as her walls she tried to build back up so bad come crashing down, she reaches down and takes out the glass she was hearing....

Opals With The Light Of Fire....

... I'm sorry, will you forgive me for this, lmao 😭, our girl is having a ROUGH TIME, looking worse than grieving Neytiri, right here in this fic, her hair is out her braids, ripped out due to another breakdown she had about Kiri, so I'll go more into her descent into insanity later.

[ursulaincorporated]

You know what I want more of? Non-sexual intimacy. In close moments between friends. The “I can’t do this alone”. The “I need help”. The wounds that need bandaged. The “I can’t change my clothes on my own”. The need for help with simple tasks for different reasons. Maybe a recent injury or disability means they don’t know how to shower yet and they need help.

I want that. Write me that. You say that they are as close as family so show me they are as close as family.

[ursulaincorporated]

This will find the right people, I trust.

[jaraniii]

Tamtey in mangkwan design!

[skoff-the-artist]

Don't piss me off

An old find from 2022 I don't think I ever posted here... hehe. Enjoy.

[voymiris]

The directors didn't add this scene to Prime, so I created it myself for us

Be careful!

this is a salty stone, do not touch your eyes with your hands!

Your repost will be a good reward for my work

[florang]

Arm wrestling 💪

Drawing idea by @umaia3aurart

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