#(though i did still click the map - it's quite a map)

[anton-luvr]

hiiiiii!! if you don’t mind could you write about ex boyfriend!anton who gets jealous of wonbin because he keeps making fem!reader laugh (they are having a staycation tgt after finishing finals). wonbin and her are currently cooking dinner at the kitchen while anton just sits on the sofa with the other friends (could be anyone tho). they look very close and comfortable with each other so anton chooses to go out to get some fresh air. he eventually decided to swim as it might help him to calm down a bit. not long after that, she comes to him to tell him that the dinner is ready but it turns out differently (anton drags her into pool with him lol and they have a long overdue convo there.)

thank youuuu no pressure tho ❤️❤️❤️

# ALWAYS WAIT FOR YOU.

𖦹 ex bf!anton x fem!reader | fluff & angst 𖦹 note ; im so sorry anon i felt like this could be better but my brain is just not.. braining. IM SORRY I HOPE YOU LIKE IT + reqs closing soon!!

"Here comes the choo choo train!" Wonbin coos, steering a spoon full of mashed potatoes towards you.

"Stop it!" you shriek, laughing as you whack his arm away from you. "I hate potatoes!"

Wonbin giggles, setting the spoon back into the pot.

"You didn't seem to hate potatoes when we were at the dining hall the other day," he jokes, poking you in the shoulder playfully.

You click your tongue, stepping away to look for parsley. "It was free food, 'Bin," you reason. "Who doesn't like free food?"

The glass jar of green herbs catches your attention, resting on the top shelf of the cupboard.

"Can you help me get the parsley? It's up there." you ask, tugging at his jacket.

"What would you do without me?" Wonbin laughs, ruffling your hair before easily reaching up for the jar.

Anton wonders the same thing as he watches the entire thing from the living room, shifting uncomfortably on the sofa.

The wound of your breakup from several weeks ago was still fresh, even though he was the one who called it quits.

Just because of one stupid misunderstanding over you coming home late, everything had blown out of proportion.

Amongst the tired shouting, confusing accusations, and tears shed, Anton had called it off in the heat of the moment.

He was really regretting it as he continued eyeing the both of you.

Did you really need to be so affectionate while making dinner?

Were mashed potatoes even that funny?

Why did you seem so much happier with Wonbin than you had been with him?

He feels his head spin from the jealousy and anger bubbling in his chest, and he stands up abruptly.

"I'm going out," the Boston-born boy mumbles. "Gonna get some fresh air."

Your other friends, Eunseok and Sohee, hum in response; they were too busy playing the PS4 to notice the discomfort in Anton's voice.

Frustrated, Anton ran his hands through his hair as he sat down by the pool.

How could he mess up so badly?

His mind mapped out a million different scenarios if he hadn't broken up with you, plagiarizing the poor boy's mind. If only he had just communicated with you.

"God, I hate this." he mumbles to himself.

Shaking his head, Anton yanks his tank top off and tosses it aside. Maybe a quick swim would help him clear his mind.

The serenity of the water calmed the thoughts in his head, and Anton tried to logically think of a way to solve the issue.

Maybe he could just talk to you? But if so, when and where? What was he even going to say?

Anton barely got to think of anything else when he heard someone calling for him.

"Hey, dinner's gonna be ready soon," you say, standing close by the pool. "Do you wanna go take a shower first?"

He grips on to the end of the pool, supporting his body as he caught his breath and stared at you.

"Are you okay?" you asked slowly, feeling flustered by his all-too-familiar stare.

Without another word, Anton pulls you right into the water with him.

"What are you doing?" you spluttered when you resurfaced, wiping the water off your face.

"I need to talk to you about something," Anton pleaded, his hands holding onto your waist.

"But here? Right before dinner?" you questioned, dumbfounded.

He nods, praying that you'd stay.

"Okay, fine. But make it quick." you mumble.

Anton feels his hands clam up as he clears his throat. He can't mess this up.

"Well, I'm... sorry." he mumbles, voice closing up.

A tense moment of silence passes by, only interrupted by the sound of water sloshing around as you treaded in the pool.

"That's all you have to say?" you ask. "Because if that's all, then I'm gonna head back inside."

"N-No, there's more." he hurriedly assures you.

Staring at him as if to say 'go on', Anton gulps.

"This is all my fault. I didn't mean to shout at you and accuse you of those things that night, I was just... I was worried. And jealous. And scared. I know it makes me sound like a shit person, and I kind of am a shit person, but I really didn't mean it." he starts.

"I didn't mean to break up with you, I was just so stupidly scared that you were out with someone else. I should've listened to you and given you a chance to explain your side of the story, and I'm just.. I'm just so sorry, Y/N. This is all my fault."

Tears start rolling down his cheeks, but he doesn't let that stop him.

"If you've already moved on and you're interested in... someone else, then I won't interfere," he sniffles. "But if you're not, then can we get back together?" he asks, so quiet that you can barely hear him.

Anton's hands slip into yours, and he holds on to them tightly. "I promise I'll change. I'll be the best boyfriend that you deserve."

His eyes gaze into yours sincerely, sparkly with tears and vulnerability.

"Anton, I don't know." you sigh.

"I'm not interested in anyone else right now, but you really hurt me that night." you whisper, voice laced with pain.

"Like, why would you even think I was out cheating on you? Don't you know that I love you too much to even think of doing that?"

Anton feels his heart shatter into a million pieces at your words, guilt crashing down even heavier on him.

"I know, I'm so sorry." he mumbles, hiding his face in his hands. "But can you give me another chance?"

If this was with any of your other ex-boyfriends, you'd say no immediately and shove them away, but Anton was different.

He was the only one who actually treated you right; giving you his jacket when you're cold, trying his best to cook your favorite meals for you even if it's two in the morning, and helping you study when you couldn't understand a single question.

But of course, he wasn't perfect. He was still human after all.

And deep down, a part of you really wanted to stay and love him more, working together through his flaws to make the best out of your relationship.

So you sigh, gently cupping his face.

"Okay, I'll give you another chance." you whisper, smiling softly. Anton bursts into tears as he throws himself around you, wrapping his arms around you tightly.

"Thank you," he repeats over and over again, pressing kisses all over your face.

You laugh at his sudden outburst of affection, gently pushing him away. "Okay, now let's go eat dinner first before we starve in this pool."

Anton nods, and with lightning speed, he's out of the pool and helping you out too. He grabs the tank top he had tossed aside earlier and drapes it around you as a towel. Then with one easy lift, he picks you up in bridal style.

"Thank you so much," he sighs, pressing another kiss to your cheek. "I love you."

"I love you too." you giggle.

With that, Anton carries the both of you inside, ignoring the surprised shouts coming from your friends as he rushes you into his room, both of you laughing and squealing.

You grunt when he drops you onto the bed, still laughing.

Anton beams, loving the sound of your laughter and swearing to himself to never make you unhappy again.

"Alright, I'll go shower and then you can shower, and we'll go eat dinner." you chirp, getting up.

A mischievous light sparks in Anton's eyes. "Why not we shower together? We can save time and water that way, you know." he suggests, smirking.

You scoff at the boy, chuckling. "Since when were you so concerned about the environment?" you teased, knowing what his true intentions were.

"You just stay out here and wait, I'll be done real quick." you scolded lightly.

Anton smiles, nodding readily.

He'll always wait for you.

© anton-luvr, 2023.

#riize #riize anton #riize fics #riize fluff #riize icons #riize angst #kpop fics #kpop fluff #riize eunseok #riize seunghan #riize sohee #riize sungchan #riize shotaro #riize wonbin

[saphirered]

Hi! This is my first time requesting so I hope I'm doing this right :) Could I please request a prequel to Helion's newly mated fic? Maybe how Helion and reader (his mate) met and how their bond clicked? Thank you so so much!

Hello deary! Thank you for requesting and sorry this took a hot minute but finally here it is! 😘

Helion is not a jealous fae. Never has been. Never will be. Selfish at times maybe but only when those selfish desires align with the bigger picture. Perhaps it was a burning selfish desire that irked him on when he saw the most beautiful creature he’d ever seen in the arms of another. He did not wish to act but could not help but imagine himself in the lucky fae’s spot and an intrusive thought in the back of his head saying perhaps he could be. Perhaps he could be his charming self and you’d wrap him around your finger. Perhaps you’d put him in that spot. Perhaps you’d have him right then and there and he would not utter a single complaint. Instead your lips are interlocked with the individual of your desire like so many others around. Hands trace the path of scantily clad skin and you certainly seem to have no objections. Helion wonders how soft your skin must be, what it must feel like to graze his fingertips along your curves and map out every single detail. That’s all it is; imagination because here he is, unable to takes his eyes off you, unable to feel anything but a brewing resentment for that fae you pay so much careful attention to. 

You’re having a damn good time. A getaway. An escape. Unrestricted liberty. You’re enjoying all you find good in life with good company. From the moment you walked into that party you knew this one would make for easy company and you were right. He’s keen on the eyes but a bit simpleminded. Not that it matters. He’s good with his hands and lips. That’s all you care about right now. A lovely escapade and sating of lewd unashamed desire. The mere thought brings a grin to your face. Your companion’s affections turn from your lips, kissing down your jaw and neck, leaving little bites and sucks and soothing them with kisses and a pass of the tongue until you’re gasping and your lips part. Quite satisfying. You make one mistake though. You open your eyes and meet the most intricate of amber gazes on the other side of the room. Those eyes will be haunting your mind, even when they turn away. 

Those amber eyes ruined your night. What felt good before albeit still perfectly satisfying feels lacking a spark of true fulfilment, of true satisfaction. Even when you run away with your eye candy. Even when that companion delivers on every single expectation and then some, something is amiss because whenever you close your eyes, you feel that gaze meet yours. When you run your fingers through your companion’s hair, your mind wanders to what those black strands must feel like. When you trail your fingers along toned muscle the touch seems cold as if you’d expect to feel the warmth of a midday sun under that skin but it simply isn’t there. Those amber eyes, that black hair and that perfect body have forever ruined you in a single gaze. A single gaze. No matter how many nights follow, how much company you enjoy, it’s always lacking that one final piece you cannot place. Without laying a hand on you, from that distance ever too far he’d taken a part of you without even knowing. You’d not seen him since so not even does he grant you the satisfaction of claiming back what is yours. Not even once do you have the pleasure of charming words and perhaps something more should he be willing to indulge. 

It doesn’t stop you from trying to find completion. A desperate attempt perhaps. You dance and sing and play around with any consenting party. No matter what you do, always that one bastard haunts your mind. Even when your lovers take to the raven hair and golden eyes, they’re never truly the same shades, they never hold the same warmth and radiance. Always there is something amiss. The puzzle pieces don’t fit. It might have been days or weeks before finally he graces you with his presence…

Helion was grateful to be whisked away after that fateful night. Any waking moment, any space of mind he found himself daydreaming about you, the way you looked and moved, those passing seconds where you looked him in the eye, where your bliss changed and your lips parted not from the dedication of your lover but simply by noticing him. Helion might find it a stroke to his ego, to have someone turn starstruck at a mere glance but that was not the case, that was not you. You could not place him. In that gaze, that connection from across the room he felt the rays of the sun within his chest, burning and vibrant. Were you just some object of desire he’d have no trouble to occupy his mind and body otherwise. At first he thought this was simply the case but then the feeling did not subside, did not go away at all. It remained strong no matter the passage of time, the warmth faded and he found himself cold in a way no embrace, no hot bath or piles of blankets could banish. 

In the early hours of morning, when all the creatures of the day found their peace he found none. He found only you. He found your beauty in his mind for it could not be present in reality no matter how much he might desire. And then it hit him; this may not be a simple obsession. A curious theory but a theory still. One he would have to test at that. He’d just have to find you…

Another dusk. Another revel. When night takes over, these people of Day must bring their own radiance until the sun takes over once more, until dawn beckons. Until the reality of life makes them regret their decisions or glimmer at the mere thought of them. These are the revels you had enjoyed quite thoroughly and with little regrets or so Helion found out. He’d find you there. Something within him told him that would be a simple truth as if you had told him yourself. It only went to further prove his theory. That feeling was right. 

You dance among the bodies, spin and twirl, and move so graciously, so beautifully. There’s not a single dance partner, the floor shifts time and time again and when couples meet, the share their time; choose to stay or twirl away be that for a lack of interest or with a seductive glance over the shoulder and the invite for something more intimate. It is easy. It is intriguing. You’ve caught many eyes, invited and been invited, snuck off to one of the countless spaces to enjoy some of that hollow affection and touch of a bed partner. The circle has repeated many times over. It’s no surprise when you think you spot him on the edge of the crowd; that ace, that body. Your mind seems to torture you even at times but you’ve always been mistaken; at second glance the face is never the same as the one you both loath and long to see in this crowd. But then you change partners. You feel within your bones the presence of a thousand suns burning bright, that cold that set within your veins suddenly banished and overtaken by the glow of day so bright and raw, yet so inviting and intriguing. 

Helion didn’t know it’d be this bad. He didn’t know that distant hollow, that missing piece could so easily be filled by your sheer presence. He didn’t know he could lack the impulse control when he felt his feet moving and join the dancers. He didn’t know how right of a decision it was until his hand locked with yours only to be parted again at the beat of the music, like steel right from the forge, leaving not but burning. He saw the look in your eyes, those gorgeous eyes that could drown him like the dark depths of the seas; simply mesmerising. He’s at loss for words. He didn’t think beyond this point. He did not think at all if he’s honest but here he is and there you are. You step in again, place that hand in his and spin. The world is but background noise to your presence. The two of you might as well have been the only one’s in the room. An intrusive thought in the back of his mind tells him you could be. He’s the high lord after all. He won’t. He fears his voice might break should he try to speak. He fears he might not get the words out. Thank the Mother you are just as conflicted as he is. Thank the Cauldron both of you are as graceful as you are to not miss a beat. 

“Why have you been haunting me?” You couldn’t stop yourself from uttering the words. Your thoughts spoken out loud like so. You did not intend to do so but something about his presence, it compelled that thought from your lips and you are left feeling a fool. Why is it this amber eyed devil haunts you day and night? You do want answers because if your suspicions are right, and with every passing second they seem to be, then you need to know it to be true. Only he cans et you free. Only he can confirm the suspicions you’ve been trying to deny. 

“Some people start with a simple hello. An introduction maybe.” Helion is glad to find his wit has not failed him. You certainly did not see that reply coming given your soft chuckle, oh how it rushes through his very soul like the winds at the tallest peaks of the palace; a sweet and gentle comfort. 

“I know who you are.” Now that makes him both feel two things. Pride for his reputation precedes him and fear for what you might think of him. Even if another voice in the back of his head tells him not to worry, banishes that insecurity instantly. 

“Then you have caught me at a disadvantage.” You step in close, so close, as do many of the others not nearly ready to for the dance to end, for the partners to switch. You’re but a hair’s breath from him and you feel that touch, that longing finally satisfied as if the world is right once more. What a curse. What a blessing. You just wait for him to disappear into the crowd of people, to not see him again for weeks. Helion. You should call him by the name you know him to carry. You’d refused to name the radiant fae in the hopes the memory would not linger but failed. There’s no escape. But then when he time to switch comes, you feel his hand on the small of your back and you twist a half step out of the way where the two dancers behind you meet instead and you remain with him. You suck in a breath when that touch disappears. You don’t want it to go. 

“You have haunted me for weeks.” Something within your gaze sparks. That spark turns to flame when your palm dances across his cheek. “Excuse me if I make you earn my name.” You have no doubt he has the resources to find out, or already has but you take great satisfaction in the way his jaw slacks and his lips part. You nearly shudder when you feel that breath against the skin of your wrist ever so lightly, and even more so when he cups your hand and brings your palm to his lips, placing a gentle kiss against it. 

“Then I will do whatever it takes to earn your name. I would much desire to use it should you allow me.” The implication is enough to make you melt and you’re surprised how well composed you remain, despite the blood rushing to your head, and the urge to tremble at sheer excitement. It’s an invitation and that’s when you decide this payback is mutually beneficial. When the next switch comes along you’ve guided him away from the dancers. You offer him your hand.

Helion’s head pounds in his ears. He was right. So right. You are the one. He’s truly met his match. You are beyond what he expected. Perhaps he should fear for himself given that look in your eyes that is not but mischief and sweet sweet justice. Then again, he won’t complain. If anything he will take great pleasure in earning the right of your name and once he has, once he’s had you moaning his, he will make sure to use yours like a prayer for you are truly divine and he will worship you to the end of his days if that’s what it takes. He’ll take great pleasure in doing so. He places his hand in yours and like a siren’s call you lead him to his doom, his doom and salvation.

#acotar x reader #helion x reader #acotar #high lord helion #helion acotar #helion spell cleaver #helion x you #acotar x you #acotar fanfiction #acotar fic

[birdantlers]

(Click to enlarge—tumblr kinda nuked these ngl)

Finished the second book the other day. Dreamworks please puss in boots this shit I'll give you a million dollars I regret to inform you that my smekday moment is turning into a smekday hyperfixation (⁠~⁠_⁠~⁠;⁠) oops. Sorry to all my followers who are probably Very confused dw I'm right there with you.

More below 👇 art + lots of meta bc spec bio and making shit up is my fav

Funsize wasn't in it as much as I hoped he'd be, but I liked him a lot. I wanted to see how he'd look in the Dreamworks style. I also made him look a bit more roughed up and grimy than he is in the book, for character design as well as adding oomph to his arc even if it's short. Since this takes place 2 years later, I gave J.LOh the hoodie he had in at the end of TMOS. it's cute.

One day he took the wrong tunnel coming back to the trash pit, which ended with him getting sucked into a paper shredder. Even though he managed to hear it and slow down, he was going headfirst, and one of his siphons got caught in the blades. His arm also got caught when he instinctively reached out to stop his fall.

Like most adaptations, Home included, I did not so much headcanons or fic as a slightly alternate take on Funsize.

The idea was that after Bish left, he got cocky with his excursions. He quit using/making his maps under the assumption that he knew the ducts well enough, but you only have to be unlucky once.

The blades were short and they don't have arteries in their arms (headcanon that in a nutshell, boov can't bleed out unless an artery is hit. Their veins contract reflexively when exposed to dry air, but their arteries can't are you feeling the autism yet), so it wasn't fatal, but FS did get cut up pretty bad. He was blinded in one eye, and his siphon is unable to grow back due to his generally poor health living in an underground landfill. Even if FS improved his health somehow, he'd still have to remove the scar tissue, which is extremely painful without surgery especially for wounds this extensive.

Funsize's siphon has its own slew of problems. His balance is terrible, and since it's basically torn down the middle, clipping it shut isn't really an option. Mostly, he just steals various antiseptic/saline products from people's houses if he can find any, but he still gets sick from time to time.

FS learned his lesson though, he's very careful when venturing out, and he built the little hover stools as a safeguard if he does fall down the wrong way again. He’s still bitter abt everything (and maybe a little unstable tbh) but thankfully, he’s an optimist.

Bonus little post-book comic:

i would want him to be voiced by richard horvitz tbh

Sorry for the lengthy explanation, I love speculative bio & I happen to have a cephalopod special interest too so . Autism ley lines yk how it is

#the true meaning of smekday #smek for president #Adam Rex #oh the boov #j.lo #j.lo the boov #smekday #funsize #bish #home 2015 #dreamworks home #home dreamworks #boov #dreamworks #oh home #home (2015) #speculative biology #alien #alien biology #skart #funsize the boov #bish the boov #these are tags that probably do not even exist but my eye twitches if I don't get them all #does this count as fanfic lmao why did I write a whole college application essay

[melloween-candie]

Sparked [P.P]

Peter Pan x Regina's daughter Reader

Requested // Request Rules (Via Message)

"Hii so idk I’d you are still taking request for oust but is you are could you maybe do one of Peter Pan and that the reader is really powerful. The reader is Regina’s daughter and she is 3 years older than Henry. Henry and the reader get along really well she thought of him as her real brother and he thought of her as his real sister.

When she found out that henry got kidnapped she was really angry so when Emma and the rest where going to go to neverland she told them she was going with them and that she would sink the boat if they didn’t let her help.

When everyone built camp and where asleep she woke up and so did Emma they started walking together in the forest to look for who or what the sound was that they woke up for. They saw Peter Pan and the reader got angry when he said his name so she grabbed Emma’s sword and pinned him to a tree.

When they looked into each others eyes it was like something clicked in them like some sort of connection well in one of their eyes(peters).Emma told her to back down. When she did he gave Emma the map and explained how to find Henry but kept looking at the reader. She was looking at him like if she wanted to stab him.

When he was about to leave he grabbed the reader and took her with him."

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

A/n - I don't remember ever detail about the beginning when they were saving Henry, but I got the jest of it. Hope you like it! 💕

(Sorry if some of the stuff didn't add up to the show... It's been a hot minute since I've seen that scene)

Submitted by @hpstuariverdalequeen

Warning! SPOILERS (SEASON 3), violence, cussing, kidnapping, traumatic events, slight yandere behavior

Word Count: 2,150

Once Upon A Time Masterlist

Fandom Masterlists

/"Talking"//Thinking//Muttering-Whispering/

***Y/n's Pov***

I couldn't hold in my anger any longer.

"I'M GOING WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT!" You yelled. "HE'S MY BROTHER!!!"

"But Y/n..." Regina started- "I know you mean well, but it would be easier for all of us if you just stayed."

Regina spoke in a soft tone. You could tell she was really worried this time.

"Yes. You can trust us, Y/n. Will bring your brother back!" Said David.

"I can't risk the possibility that you might not... I'm his older sister. I promised him that I'd protect him, and I failed. So, I have to do this..." You took a pause before stating your next claim. "If you don't let me on board, then I'll sink this ship!" You said it with such force, and your face was so focused it was clear that you weren't joking.

Everyone looked at each other, questioning what to do next.

"Well, we don't have all day. Is she in or out?" Asked Killian.

Emma looked at you for a few moments longer and finally decided. "Fine. She can join, BUT you have to stay out of the fight. I don't care how strong you are. I don't want to see you getting hurt or worse. Do you understand?"

You paused for a moment, giving yourself time to think. "Fine. Sure, whatever."

"Good." She stated.

Then everyone went on the ship.

Time Skip!~

"Stupid mermaids! I hate mermaids!" I muttered under my breath as I tried squeezing the water out of my hair.

We finally made it onto land. Thankfully, we arrived in one piece. I took a moment to look around... they weren't lying when they said this island was huge, that's for sure.

Once everyone finally got onto their feet, we all started walking. As we got deeper into the forest, I saw something green fly by. It was odd, but I didn't question it further... After all, this is neverland.

A couple of hours later!~

We finally decided to take a rest somewhere. I of course was against it, but the majority ruled over me. To be fair, I am quite tired too...

Soon enough, everyone fell asleep, and I was the last one. I had a strange dream. I couldn't remember all of the details, though. All I remember was that it was dark and empty, and someone was screaming my name. It kind of sounded like Henry. I ended up waking up in the middle of the night with cold sweat. The dream just felt so real even though it clearly wasn't. It was freaky but I couldn't go back to sleep now even if I tried.

Then I heard something. I assumed it was just an animal, so I brushed it off, but I heard it again right after. Then I saw Emma get up. I sat up too when I realized she was looking around. She saw me and placed a finger on her mouth signaling me to stay quiet. I nodded as I got up.

We both started walking towards the noise, trying not to wake everyone up. We started making small talk to ease our minds. We talked about what it could be, and that we prayed it was nothing. The best outcome would be that it was Henry, and he managed to escape by himself without getting caught... sadly it wasn't him.

When we got close to the sound Emma spotted someone. Quickly she rushed me towards a tree as quietly as she could. She told me to stay hidden and to stay quiet as she walked closer to the being. I stayed in the shadows and watched.

"Well, well. If it isn't Emma Swan. It's so nice to finally meet you." The boy made a devious smirk.

Emma scrunched her eyes in suspicion- "Who are you?"

"Oh, my apologies. I'm Peter. Peter Pan." He smirked.

P-Peter!? My anger grew, and before I knew it- I held Emma's blade against his neck. The tip of the blade was stuck in a tree from the sheer force of my swing as I forced the edge upon his neck. Pushing him against that tree, I yelled- "WERE IS HE!"

He chuckled as if this was funny. My rage only grew. "You got fire; I like fire!" Right then and there I wanted to slice that stupid smirk of his face.

But then I saw something... in his eyes. Something sparked in his eyes. I wasn't sure what, but I knew it wasn't good. It was a tinge of red, blood deep you could barely tell it was there due to the darkness that surrounded us.

I pushed the sword further. Blood prickled his neck. "MY BROTHER! WHAT DID YOU DO TO HIM! WHERE DID YOU PUT HIM!"

I yelled even louder. I could feel my face scrunching up even more as I gritted my teeth, waiting for his response.

"Ohhh... You must be Y/n, then. Yeah, Henry talked about you quite a bit. But frankly, I didn't intend to wake you too, so sorry about that."

Peter pushed the edge of the blade so slightly, away from his neck, with his fingertips. As Emma grabbed my shoulder, I looked at her, and her face was clear. It was as if she was trying to say the word- don't.

Begrudgingly, I let him slide away. However, I kept giving him the death glare as I stomped my foot onto the tree, pulling the sword out as hard as I could. It slung out.

Peter patted his body and whipped the dripping blood away as if it was nothing. "Now, where was I? Oh yes, Henry."

Emma and I both perked up when he said the name. As Emma listened, she yanked her sword away giving me the 'adult look.' I just rolled my eyes.

"In order to find him, you must become who you really are." He said with that stupid smirk on his face. He was clearly talking to Emma, but she seemed confused about what he was saying.

"Wha-what are you talking about? I had already become what I had to be. I saved Storybrooke. I became the savior! What more is there?!"

"You're overthinking this." He said it bluntly. "If you really want to find your son. You have to be honest with yourself." He then grabbed something out of his pocket. "Here. This map will show you the way, but only if you know who and what you are. Until then, it'll only lead you nowhere." He then disappeared.

***Peter's Pan***

I stood in the shadows, watching them quietly. They thought I left, but I didn't. There was something about that girl that I couldn't get out of my head.

The moment our eyes meant. It felt as if I had fallen into a pit of hot, boiling lava. It made my stomach turn. And the odd part was I got cold chills throughout my body, especially when I felt the blade against my neck. I didn't even realize it cut my neck until the blood started sliding down towards my collarbone.

I kept staring at her through the corners of my eyes. I made sure not to make it obvious. I just couldn't understand what it was about her. I wasn't sure if she felt this too, but I know I wasn't the only one who felt that burning sensation.

I know this because there was a glint in her eyes. It was small and barely visible, but I knew it was there. No good soul would ever get that red shine in their eyes. So, I knew it wasn't a lie when they said she was the daughter of the evil queen. The question is, is she just as powerful as her too? That's something I'd like to find out..." I smirked as I finally left them to bicker about the map.

A couple of hours later!~

The battle was slowly fizzling out. I only stood there and watched. I saw how Emma gave mercy to my lost boy and how David got hit with a poisoned arrow. Honestly, I couldn't help but smile at that. The idea of his struggling to tell his wife and child the poor news. I'll use it to my advantage later...

But the real star of the show was the girl who forced my hand into a duel. Y/n Mills. I didn't intend to fight anyone. I wanted to see how far my lost boys have gotten with their training... But it couldn't be helped. I wasn't too irritated about it. After all, I did want to test her abilities.

So, I pushed her around a bit. I made it a little harder for her to hit me this time. Though, it wasn't entirely fair. She was using her magic, and I was babying her. She clearly noticed it and did the girlish thing any girl would do in this situation- she screamed about it. I rolled my eyes at the thought.

She was all like- "How dare you go easy on me!" As if she could SURVIVE my full power. And that's when I realized... she hit me. With an arrow.

It hit deep into my thigh. It was painful. I almost forgotten the feeling of pain. All I ever felt until now was numbness. I wasn't even mad I was more surprised. She took that moment as a victory. She was breathing heavily and sweating profoundly. But yet she thought she had won. I stood there laughing.

"You don't honestly think you've won? Have you?" I pulled the arrow out of my thigh without hesitation. I didn't even flinch. "Just because this was covered in nightshade doesn't mean I'll die." I threw away the arrow as I quickly pushed her against the tree.

"I am Peter Pan! The king of Neverland! The leader of the lost boys AND THE FOUNDER OF NIGHTSHADE!" She looked at me in my eyes. There it was again. That feeling in my stomach. I tightened my grip on her shoulders. I leaned in towards her face- "Do you honestly think the very poison that I created could possibly kill me?" I whispered in her ear.

She couldn't even breathe out a word. She was clearly exhausted. Her eyes were closed, and her breath was heavy. She couldn't even hold her head up. She was powerful. I'll give her that. Each fireball she threw was so hot it turned blue... If I wasn't fast enough, she could have burned a hole right through me.

But then, of course, someone had to destroy our little moment-

I quickly grabbed onto the arrow just in time before it hit me.

"Y/N!!" A woman screamed as she fired another arrow. That skin... pale as snow... She must be Snow White. However, before her arrow even got a foot close to Y/n and I, I disappeared, taking Y/n with me.

I teleported back into my tent. Placing her on my bed.

It was a good thing that she already fainted. She fainted right after I whispered what I wanted to say in her ear.

She fainted due to the fact that she used too much magic. Her energy was already drained enough from her movements, but the fact that she tried going beyond her magical limits, she overestimated her body and power. But still, she had more than what most people got to show for it.

I thought as I rubbed my leg wound.

***Narrator's Pov***

The battle went quiet. Before the battle happened, he made sure to tell Felix that if he disappeared, he wanted the lost boys to come home. This order was strange, to say the least. Normally Pan would let the lost boys finish their fights, but Felix wasn't in the position to question Pan. So, he did what he was told.

The moment he saw Pan disappear with that strange girl was the moment he grabbed his two fingers, placed them in his mouth, and made a loud whistle. Signaling all the lost boys to gather and leave. Leaving Emma and her crew befuddled.

Snow was quick to tell Regina what happened, and as a mother should, she felt pain. The same pain she felt when she realized Henry was kidnapped and now this.

"That son of a bi*ch will PAY!" She yelled.

"Regina..." Emma tried to calm her down but was quickly shut down by her-

"NO!" Regina tried holding in her tears as she yelled. "I'M DONE DOING THIS YOUR WAY! We tried, and it only got Y/n taken. I KNEW it was a bad idea to take her... but- BUT YOU LET HER COME ANYWAYS! So now I'm going to do this my way, and you are not stopping me!"

Then she walked off. To find and save her children.

A/n

NOT GONNA LIE- I'm really proud of this one!! 😍

I think it turned out really good and I hope y'all agree. 💞

#once upon a time #once upon a time peter pan #once upon a time felix #ouat peter pan #emma swan #ouat peter pan x reader #regina mills #snow white #ouat david #once upon a time spoilers #once upon a time fanfiction #fanfic #fanfiction #once upon a time fandom #season 3 spoiler #peter pan x reader #female reader #powerful reader #big sister reader #ouat henry #once upon a time killian #ouat emma swan

[sysakiddo]

I can't stop thinking about Max and his maps. This drabble is completely self-indulgent and a love letter to Håkan's secretary, the baddest bitch.

Max is in the middle of writing an email when his assistant calls. Max doesn't like how the light from the window reflects on his computer screen and thinks about moving his table again. His office is way too big for him to have problems like this. The tall leafy plant in the corner seems to be thriving, even though he has never watered it. His assistant probably deserves a raise. 

“You have the Australian Ambassador on line two, sir.” 

He subconsciously sighs and rubs his right ear, a habit he has never gotten rid of. “Thank you, Kristy. I have a package to send as well; please come pick it up.” He changes the line. 

“Your excellency?” he sneers, picking up the pain au chocolate Kristy left for him on the table this morning. 

“Why don't I have a direct line to your office?” 

Daniel's voice is distorted through the phone. Max can hear cars honking in the background. Kristy opens the door to his office, picking up the green Ladurée bag from the corner of his table. She eyes the post-it note he stuck on the top, Daniel scribbled in his neat handwriting. She doesn't react, just picks it up and closes the door quietly. Definitely deserves a raise. 

“Only the king has one.” 

Daniel snorts, like Max is being funny just by being rude. “Pick up your phone next time, okay? Even though I quite like making small talk with your assistant.” 

Max doesn't react. He can feel a headache growing behind his eyes. Out of the corner of his eye, he can see how the number of his emails in the red circle grows on the computer screen.

“What's this I hear about you having lunch with the Hungarians on Thursday?” 

Daniel gets right to the point and Max hums. He doesn't question how Daniel found out about that. On a bad day, he still manages to charm his way to confidential information regarding state security. 

“Take me with youu,” Dan sing-songs. 

“Nee,” he replies. Daniel is well acquainted with the word. Either way, Max opens his diary and flips the pages quietly until he reaches Thursday. He opens the drawer with his stationery and pulls out the small honey badger-shaped sticker. Sticks it to the slot right next to the 'La Rotonde with HU'. It was Daniel who bought him the stickers after noisily going through his diary. He did not like the way +D looked in the time slots. It just looks like you have a dick appointment.

The negotiations begin with Daniel clicking his tongue. He mainly does it because he knows it drives Max insane. 

“Come on, baby. I'll take you to Monaco if you do.” 

Max takes another bite of the pastry, reclining in his chair. “Snorting coke on a yacht was cute back when I was twenty.” 

Daniel doesn't back off, unaffected. “What are you eating?” 

“Pain au choc.” 

“From Mozart?” 

Max looks at the tissue covered by the crumbs, Mozart engraved on it in golden fond. “Yeah, I guess.” 

Daniel makes a silly gasping noise. “How could you?” 

Paris has more bakeries than residents, yet Daniel is weirdly obsessed with the one on the same street as the Dutch embassy. 

Before he can respond, there is a knock on his door. One of the interns come in without waiting for him to invite them in. “Your excellency-” she starts and he holds up his pointer finger to interrupt her, pointing to the phone in his other hand. He subtly looks at his Rolex while doing so, wondering what she could possibly want at 9 am. She nods but doesn't exit the room. 

“I have to hang up now, schatje.” 

“No, no- listen. We can even hold hands at the dinner, watch them have an aneurysm about it.” 

Max chuckles, shaking his head even though Daniel can't see. “Yeah, not good enough. I spent weeks persuading them to meet me.” As I know you did too. Did not really work, huh? he wants to add but doesn't want to look like an asshole in front of the intern who is still watching him with her big green eyes. His and Daniel's diplomatic styles are so different he learned a long time ago it's futile to compare them. 

“I'm having dinner with Amanda in two weeks.”

The number of unread emails reaches two hundred on Max's computer. “Getting warmer but no can do. You know how annoying I find the ENA graduates.” 

Dan himself has done his post-grad at ENA. He hears Daniel swear and he doesn't know if the reason is him or just the general despair of trying to walk down the street in Paris. “'kay, have a nice-” 

“Wait! Drinks with Håkan!” Max is silent for a second, that's how Daniel knows he lucked out. Sweden is hot shit right now.

“Make him bring the assistant, not his wife.” 

Everyone knows that the only opinion that matters to the Swedish ambassador is the one of his secretary. Daniel doesn't answer immediately, but Max knows him well enough to know he's smiling. 

“That goes without saying, Maxy.” 

Max, despite his best efforts, smiles. “Lovely. See you tonight.” 

“Rinaldi's at nine! Don't be late!” Daniel says before hanging up, even though it's usually him who is late for their little rendez-vous. 

He straightens up, raising his chin the intern's way. She has been watching him like a hawk this whole time. “Husband checking in on you?” 

She looks scared of him and not for the first time, he wonders what kind of stories about him are told to the newcomers. He doesn't have the heart to berate her for breaking the protocol.

“Yes. He doesn't want me to forget about him. Of course, I do not want him to worry.” he says. His mother tongue tastes sweet in his mouth. 

Second part!

#f1 rpf #f1 fic #my ficlets #maxiel #daniel ricciardo #max verstappen #max/daniel #diplomacy au

[toska-writes]

hello! i was reading your random clone headcanons and loved the little bit with tech where he teaches the reader game strategies and they end up beating him and everyone teases him, it was really cute and i was wondering if you could expand on that? (i’m grieving from the finale and need comfort 💔)

I couldn’t not do this one! I feel you ❤️

“Rematch”

Paring: Tech x GN padawan reader (PLATONIC WOO HOO)

Warning: no spoilers for season 2! Also it’s not proof read because I’m at Universal! But it will be later

Word count: 1437

Notes: Please please please enjoy! This one went better than I thought!

"Hmm that won't be very sufficient move on your part." You heard that phrase over and over again from the man that sat across the table for you.

Once again you let out a groan and slid back into your seat. "This is the stupidest game in the entire galaxy!" You threw your arms up.

"Now I would strongly disagree with that statement but I understand your frustration, Dejarik was quite the challenge when I first started." Tech pushed up his googles further up his nose as he tried to reassure you.

"Let me guess it only took you about a day to actually get good and win." You sat back trying to figure out another move to do.

"Well more like an hour but it's hardly the point." He mumbled to himself, his focus was put back to the holotable after you made a move.

With a few clicks of the buttons his characters seemed to completely wipe out your own.

He won once again.

"Tech I tried. Tried to learn your strategies, how to read the board, how to map out your choice and opponent but I still can't win!" You rambled on slumping down and resting your head on the table.

You heard him shuffle around the table before he sat down next to you, the seat definitely wasn't big enough and you felt him start to slip off multiple times.

"I'm sure you'll get it." He wrapped an arm around your shoulder but you still refused to look up. "Maybe a few practices games are in order."

You looked to him now, your face seemed very defeated. "Who did you have in mind? I'm assuming it's not going to be you."

Wrecker was more than happy to play.

Sure he need a reminder and a small nudge in the right direction but the game was underway.

Crosshair at one point even joined tech in walking the game, from the corner of your eye you could see some hand motions hinting at a move you should try next.

It's not cheating really.

Wrecker slammed his fist on the table making the holographs flicker for a second, but the smile never left his face.

Tech clapped you on the shoulder, his own smirk on his face. "That was quite adequate y/n"

"You think I'm ready to go back up against you?" You asked looking up to him as wrecked left his seat.

Tech put his other hand out quickly. "Maybe another gave would ready you more." He smiled a little.

You looked across the table once again about to ask Tech who else you'd go against but was met with Crosshair sitting across from you.

He sat with one knee bent on the chair and a tooth pick in his mouth. His smirk was the one he normally wore.

"I have my money of Y/N." Hunter came in now, since everyone else in the squad was transfixed by this game he assumed so should he.

"We'll see." Crosshair muttered resetting the table then tacking his first move.

The game played out like normal. Trying to recall everything Tech has tried to reach you over the last few days of your time off. You glanced at him a few times though out your moves.

He didn't give you any hints as 'those would not benefit you in the long run.' As he would put it, but you could see the nods he made as he calculated your own moves.

You looked up to Cross as he stared at the table for a few seconds then his eyes darted to the button. You realized at this moment you made a huge mistake on your last turn.

You hoped Crosshair didn't see it. But hoping for that was like hoping that fish won't swim in water. He was the sniper for makers sake, designed for his amazing eyes.

His hands hovered for a moment before he made his decision and taped a button.

You threw your head back for the millionth time today, but staring down the board was completely different.

You looked to Crosshair as he shifted in his seat. He met your eyes then said. "Gonna make your move kid." Laced with a venomous sound but you knew better that this was all fun and games.

You glanced back to Tech where he was still looking at the board. He gave you a quick shrug and gestured for you to finish the game.

"WOOO." Wrecker sounded for behind you while clasping (a not very gentle) hand on to your shoulder.

You flashed a cheeky smile at the sniper and in return you got a eye roll, but the smirk still remained on his face.

"Unless Hunter wants to step in I think I'll go against you once again." Tech stepped to the side as Crosshair vacated the seat, checking for Hunter and earning a shake of his head he sat down.

You smiled at him as you cracked your fingers "Ready for the rematch for your life?" You asked.

Cheers broke out from Wrecker again and a animated sigh left Hunter as he came up to the table to watch just like the others.

"I'm not sure I can accurately say this will be 'the' rematch but I am ready none the less." He started up the table once again, just like he did for the past days. You were pretty sure the motion of him doing it would be in your nightmares.

The first moves of the game were pretty routinely, you remembered from the previous games that when playing you Tech normally took the defensive trying to pinch you from the middle.

You attacked and countered for the most part, coming down to the last few holograms left. Unfortunately Tech strategy was working as you normally could only put it off when you had more pieces on the board.

Two of Techs characters moved with his next run taking out one of your only few left. With the remaining two characters on your side you needed some sort of plan.

That's when you noticed Tech missed one detail when carefully looking over his move choices, looking up you could see the realization hit his face.

At this moment you knew that Tech wasn't going to go easy on you and just let you win.

"Ohhh yeahh. You got 'em now." Wrecker

You stared for a moment if this was really true, Tech has beat you in the same way every time but now you finally got him.

You quickly clicked the buttons in front of you before Tech tries to take back his move or something.

With that the two beast you had left walked over and completely clobbered the rest of Techs leaving you victorious.

You jumped up quickly with your hands up in the air. Looking around Hunters mouth was slightly open, Crosshair had a small smile on his face and Wrecker had an even bigger one.

Tech sat for a moment. His eyes scanned the empty table trying to do what he does best and calculate where you got the jump on him.

“That- that was well played Y/N” He started looking up to you.

For a moment you thought he was disappointed or even upset that he lost but a smile returned to his face as he said. “Of course now with that new information and tactic I just witnessed I think a rematch some other time will do nicely.”

“You got it Tech.” You jumped up from your seat and traveled around the table so you could rest your arm on Techs shoulder. “Of course I’ll beat you again but that’s not the point here.”

Tech and the rest of Clone Force 99 let out small laughs as they came around the two of you.

Tech would most likely beat you again but you had to hold this victory above his head as long as you could.

Update: Tech realized he made one of the biggest mistakes of his life and that if he doesn’t play you again soon he might explode.

In missions “oh yea the same strategy I used to beat you got it Tech” or in the ship. “Whatcha doing on that datapad Techy. Looking for ways to beat me I see.”

It didn’t end- it was also his brothers too. Tech couldn’t remember the days where this wasn’t constantly brought up.

Tech could last a few more days though- seeing the smile it brought you to boost about it made the pain worth it.

Maybe, just maybe you would beat him again.

—————————————————————

Taglist: @arctrooper69 @thereforepizza

#star wars clone wars #clone wars #the clone boys #star wars #the clone wars #my writing #toska-writes #clone boys #tech bad batch #tbb tech #tech x reader #reader insert

[alfhildr-the-word-weaver]

I must say, it's pretty poetic that I've gotten to season 6 of Vampire Diaries right before another solar eclipse happens in America. I certainly didn't plan it, but it does feel like my timing is very appropriate with this one. I do have questions about the accuracy of the eclipse portrayal in the show, though. I mean, a solar eclipse did in fact happen on May 10, 1994, and it was visible across much of the country, so that much is accurate. But I don't think Mystic Falls would've had quite as good of a view as they show it having. For reference, here's a map of the May 1994 eclipse path (credit: timeanddate.com):

And, if you'll remember, Mystic Falls is like two hours from my old hometown just a stone's throw north of Lynchburg, Virginia, as seen on the locator spell map (this one's all over tumblr, forgive me for not remembering what blog I grabbed it from):

So if you zoom in on the timeanddate map and pick somewhere closeish to there:

It looks like Mystic Falls would be getting a little over 77% coverage or so. It's also worth noting that the '94 eclipse was an annular eclipse, not a total eclipse like tomorrow's eclipse. That still means that the moon went directly in front of the sun, but it does mean that it was small enough/far enough from earth that you didn't quite get full coverage of the sun (thanks to weather.gov for the nifty graphic):

So, I'm not positive whether it would've looked quite as dark as was shown in the show:

Although, I must admit, in this video I found on youtube of the '94 eclipse, (part of me is shocked to find footage from then but I know I shouldn't be like yes they had cameras in the 90s) it actually looks more similar than I expected it to look, but I imagine it was most likely filmed within the path of totality:

But also, when Kai takes Bonnie to Portland, don't they see the eclipse again there? I couldn't find that clip on youtube just now, but Portland barely had any eclipse--only 42-43% coverage, so it would've been way milder of a visual effect, barely any dimming in the sky noticeable without eclipse glasses.

The funny thing is, the area where I live is going to be sitting right around 80% coverage tomorrow. I was lucky enough to get to travel to Missouri for the 2017 eclipse to get into the path of totality, but I'm afraid that it hasn't worked out for me to do so this year, which is immensely disappointing to me as an astronomy enjoyer, but I do still plan to go to an eclipse party and I'm going to start saving to try and get to Spain for the next total eclipse in 2026, which is going to be right around my 30th birthday (screaming). Anyways, it isn't great, but here's my best picture from the '17 eclipse:

I didn't even have a smartphone yet then, because despite it being 2017, I was somewhat of a luddite, so I had the purple flip phone I so stubbornly clung to and a point-and-click Nikon, but I still think this picture is pretty cool for what it is. Here's the zoom in so you can really see that ring of fire (and my shaking hands doubling the image):

Obviously you can find thousands of better eclipse pictures online, but that one's still special to me because it's mine. Anyways, I'll report back with smart phone pictures from whatever I see of the 80% total eclipse tomorrow to compare and contrast with Mystic Falls's 70% annular eclipse of the 90s, because from what I've heard it's going to be much less impressive than full totality was, but I've yet to watch a partial solar eclipse, so I'll just have to find out. Also, if you happen to have any vampiric loved ones trapped in a magical prison dimension who you need help freeing during the eclipse tomorrow, let me know and I'll see what I can do! ;) Hahaha. Anyways, happy eclipse everyone, and may we all possess sufficient self restraint to avoid eye damage (says the woman who has looked at the sun unprotected so many times and is probably going to go blind because of it some day. I know what I've done lol. Don't be me.)

#posts where I actually feel like I'm using my blog as a blog #Solar Eclipse #Solar Eclipse 2024 #Solar Eclipse 1994 #The Vampire Diaries #TVD 6x02 #is where the screenshot's from specifically #Damon Salvatore #Bonnie Bennett #Eclipse History #nerding out over the eclipse in the vampire show #it's also funny to me how two eclipses in my lifetime are so close to my birthday. I think it probably means I have magical powers ;) #May 10 1994 #that's two years and change before I was born #April 8 2024 #I'm so tempted to ditch all my responsibilities and drive south to totality but it's an 8 hour drive and I'd have to leave at like 4am #if it was a 4-5 hour drive to totality I'd do it. but I think a 16 hour round trip would kill me and I didn't have the good sense to plan #or book a hotel in advance or anything and everything in totality will be booked up for sure. and tonight is the night I would need to be #in a hotel anyways so. missed that boat. I mean I could go now and just drive through the night. but ugh. I just. ugh. I can but I can't yk #anyways everybody says that the Vampire Diaries writing quality drops off around here but I'm still loving it so far #it's incredibly frustrating sometimes but like. it knows how to give me The Feels(tm) and so I'll let it jerk me around all it wants #I would personally prolly want to stay in the prison world for at least a little bit to get to enjoy that eclipse from a bunch of angles th #like that's a rad as heck day to get trapped on imho. Love me a good eclipse #i ramble #even in the tags I ramble #Youtube

[penguinwithitsarseonfire]

I want you (bless my soul)

Pairing: River Song x Reader,

Word Count: 2,141

Warnings: PG+13, super fun and no angst for once!

Summary: River Song is bored, and decides to finally act on her crush on you. Her plan involves a fair amount of flirting and a show stopping dress.

The TARDIS was near quiet, save for the soft humming of the main console. You were curled into the step by the railing, a book perched against your knees. Your fingers wrapped against the pages, poised, careful, the spine cracking down the middle.

River Song was no stranger to this place, and she took languid steps inside. The TARDIS – bless her – softened the click of the door behind her. If there was one area River was never uncomfortable in, it was this.

She let her fingers glide against the railing, her gaze fixed on you. You, whose hair fell into your face, eyes glued to the page. You, whose eyes brightened as you trailed through a particular phrase, a particular moment in the story. You, whose breath caught as your eyes flickered up, locking onto her.

Now, River Song was no stranger to flirting, it was something she had grown quite good at. It was something that she lived – something that she breathed. For her, flirting was as innate to her as the curl of her hair, or the movement of her steps.

River weaved her voice into velvet, shaped it so the tones and decibels snaked around your frame. You shivered.

It was something she was good at.

“Hello darling.”

Flirting with you was fascinating. River’s skin itched when she saw you, the hairs on the back of her neck rising, her stomach curling. Your presence here was simple, wasn’t it. As natural as the steps you sat on, as inherent as the glow of the console, of the buttons and levers that lined its operation desk.

You belonged here.

So, River itched.

“Hey,” you smiled at her. “The Doctor’s out, getting some sort of…” your face screwed up slightly. “I’m not sure really, some sort of space supplies.”

River let herself smile – soft, coy – her cheeks barely stretching upwards. Flirting was easy when the person you were flirting with was attractive. There was more to complement, more she was willing to let her eyes linger on.

River mapped the way your nose wrinkled as you screwed up your face, sketched the structure of your smile into her mind. You were attractive, that much had always been easy for her to see.

But there was an ease about you. An action like that, the confusion, the “space supplies,” she knew it was the sort of thing the Doctor would find endearing. For a moment – only one, she wondered if you had said the same to him, if he had brightened, rambled through the opportunity to explain some new scientific thing.

That confusion, that naivety, was something River – more often than not – found boring. Sometimes sweet, perhaps, if she liked the person enough to give them that grace. For you, she found it neither sweet nor boring. River found you… peculiar.

It wasn’t unheard of – for River to be vexed. The Doctor did it to her all the time, as did that one Roman girl in Ancient Egypt. People where shapes, but they often fit. River could clearly sculpt the how’s and the why’s in the way people influenced her. But your little puzzle pieces didn’t slot into place, they weren’t neat, they chipped in the edges.

Fascinating.

“Well then,” River replied, letting the words roll like waves. “It’s a good thing I wasn’t looking for him then.”

And River watched. Your eyebrows folded together, a line creasing between them. Your hands ghosted over the book in your lap, bringing it to a close. Your eyes though – your eyes sparkled. Curious.

And that too, was interesting.

Because it was easy to flirt with someone when they were attractive. Easier still when River found them attractive. However, it was enjoyable – delicious – when they were curious. Lighting cracked through River’s frame, drawing her closer. Her smile grew, coy rising into smug, baring teeth. Your eyes widened a fraction, tracking the movement.

The lightning burned embers at Rivers feet.

“No, I’m perfectly happy spending time with you then, it’s…” her gaze moved to your lips, purposeful, before rising to your eyes. “…Interesting.”

You gave her a perplexed smile, the lines of it crooked, but the structure of it bright.

“Well,” you said, moving to stand. “It’s a nice surprise to see you too, River.”

River had always liked your voice. She liked how it sounded when it said her name. How your tongue wrapped around the vowels, how your teeth scraped against your bottom lip. There was such a personal way in which you held her name, not like it was grand, not like it was all important – or more important than you – which was something River could handle, something she knew. It wasn’t too intimate, accompanied by knowing eyes and an assessing hand.

It was simply… adoring. Like River was bright. Like if she did, she would be allowed to break.

The way you said her name was dangerous.

River flickered her gaze away from you, running her tongue over her upper lip. Her eyes found the walls behind you, marked with strange round things and soft orange lighting.

She itched.

Your voice coiled around River’s frame, pulling you back into focus.

“What’s the occasion?”

She hummed, turning back to you. River regarded you carefully the way your hair fell onto your shoulders, the way your eyes shone in the soft lights of the TARDIS’ interior. Your gaze was open, kind. It was curious.

Always bloody curious.

She lifted an eyebrow, schooling her features into a polished, charming smile. “Occasion?”

And you laughed. It was summer rain, dizzying and warm, showering over Rivers features. It was bright, sunlight peeling through the curtains and lining her skin. River’s smile cracked, went crooked in her delight.

River had always liked your voice – and she had always loved your laughter.

“Well normally,” you said, moving towards her when you spoke. “You’re not really the sort to appear for any old reason, and,” you gestured up and down her figure. “You’re in a very nice dress.”

Ah. The dress.

It would be a lie to say it wasn’t intentional.

River was proud of this find. She watched your eyes track the deep blue silk, the way it was wrapped tight around her frame. Your eyes moved over the skirt, which was long enough that it fell like water against River’s skin, making her look like she floated as she moved.

River wanted you to look, and revelled in the way your eyes widened as they fell onto the Moissanite crystals, each beaded against the sheer underlay on her torso, climbing against her arms and scattered across her chest.

River knew she looked good – elegant, even.

More importantly, she knew you liked what you saw.

Rivers eyes met yours, and she gave you a small smirk. A deep flush grew on your face, snaking down your neck.

You were caught.

“I had some event,” River waved a hand lazily, purposely skipping over the details. “I thought I’d have more fun here.”

And she was right. It was fun watching you like this. Your eyes were unfocused, flittering over everywhere except River – or at least, you attempted to. Your gaze kept falling back, lining over her figure, the folds of the dress, the curve of her skin.

You drummed an incomprehensible rhythm against your thigh, your other hand gripped tight on your book, knuckles white.

She liked holding your focus.

River wished you were easier to read, which was a testament, considering how open you were now. But it wasn’t true openness.

You were like the book you held deftly in your hand. Your surface – or cover, rather – was obvious. River could read the print on your skin, the thoughts you let bubble upwards, that you let mark you, that you let others see.

But the contents? The pages that laid out your thoughts, defined your personhood, lay trapped, twisted in your grasp. They weren’t for River to uncover, not yet.

Which was infuriating, in a way. Because there you were, so clearly flustered, mind short circuiting as you took in the fact that you found River attractive.

But then there were your eyes, the way they pierced into River’s skin, mixed into her blood and shattered her bones.

It was dangerous.

She opened her mouth to speak, toying with the way your eyes fell to her lips – ever so briefly. It was a terrible line. If she were anyone else, River would have groaned over the sheer arrogance of the question, cringed in the cliché.

But here, now, it felt apt.

“Like what you see?”

Your eyebrows flew to your hairline, face paling; your skin painted in the warm glow of your embarrassment. River wanted to see how deep she could get it to run. Wouldn’t it be fun to see your flushed collarbones.

You blinked, once. Twice. Processing the words.

And then, completely unexpectedly – you smiled. It twisted into a small, half-smirk, the kind of smile River would paint into her own features when she wanted to seem coy, when she wanted to seem falsely demure.

And there you were, smiling as you said, “Was I that obvious?”

Oh.

You were fascinating.

River brightened, truly, because wasn’t that delightful.

“Careful,” she warned, closing the space between you both. “You’re going to enable me.”

The orange lighting made you golden. River let herself memorise you, let herself really look at you – as if she hadn’t already.

It fractured out the why, the why she liked to look at you, the why she liked to tease you. The why she loved it when you pushed back.

The why was something River had never questioned. In her mind, it was obvious.  

You belonged.

Here, in the TARDIS, you belonged.

So casual, the sort that if you were anyone else, the small naïve, ignorant side of River, the side that was foolish enough to believe the Doctor actually loved her, would bubble on out in silent jealousy.

You, a pretty companion strolling on in, adored by both TARDIS and Doctor alike.

But River wasn’t jealous. She never really had been. Because this was the kicker.

Your kind eyes had mapped her, carved out a meaning that was nearly almost true.

Your smile caused lighting, and dazzled River as she itched to get closer.

You ran into adventure, and saw her, River song, with an earnest need to explore.

It was within River, that you also belonged.

It was you, your reciprocation of a bad joke with a witty, half-smug grin. It was you, your eyes curious, alight in interest under the soft light. It was you, defiant, dancing into a new adventure.

It was you, now standing less than a foot from River, eyes sparkling.

“Enable you?” You said, although it sounded like a challenge. “And what does enabling you cause?”

River itched.

Her hand ghosted toward you, and in silent response, you moved closer. In the orange glow, your face was so close to River’s that she could smell the mint of your gum, connect the faint freckles dusted on your nose.

River let her fingers graze against your face, she ran them against your jaw, settling for your chin. Your breathing hitched.

Touching you was magic. It was the whispers of old planets, of forgotten anthems of want and care and attraction.

Her thumb brushed your lower lip, a silent question.

You nodded.

If touching you was magic, kissing you restructured the Earth. A quiet gave way to a loud rush; wind on waves crashing into the cliffside. The ground trembled, the swaying skyscrapers crying as metal creaked and concrete cracked.

It was ringing, loud, vibrant. It forced the questioning, the danger, to fall away. And fall it did.

Your lips invited waves, crashing into Rivers own. It formed mountains. Rivers teeth pulled into your bottom lip and the earth climbed high with your sigh.

The wind wound into the currents, carving damns and mapping streams in hard earth. The waterways folded between you, your arm tracking it as it curled around River’s back, pulling her against you. The lakes pulled you undercurrent, taking your hand and weaving it into River’s hair.

Kissing you was passion. River’s head spun with the wind, floating into the atmosphere as the euphoria that was the soft whisper of her name fell from your parted lips. It was desperate, her fingers winding themselves to the base of your neck, her hand tight on your waist.

And so River kissed you again, then again, until her chest heaved and you were breathless.

Then, it was quiet. The sound of hers and your breath twirling between you both.

River eyed you carefully, at your mussed up hair, swollen lips, and bright – gleeful eyes. You grinned.

Your voice was light when you spoke. “Better than your event?”

River laughed, and in response, she kissed you again.

A/N^2: Let me know if you'd like to see more of River - this was fun!

#River Song x Reader #River x Reader #Doctor Who #DW

[trrickytickle]

Clima-Tactics 🍊⛈️

A/N: i am a 🧪💥 SCIENTIFIC 💥🧪 gal. me and my brother went to the science museum of Hong Kong (where we are vacationing + childhood home!) and we watched a demonstration of static electricity and how it works through cool experiments. And I felt like I wanted to share science to you guys because I thought it was cool. I think everything is cool. And I like tickle fanfic so it's the best way to be sciencing. Also scienTIFFICALLY🤓 i don't think electricity can work as a tk tool. But One Piece operates by One Piece rules.

(post Alabasta. lee!Usopp, ler!Nami)

Nami uses her wiles to get even with Usopp after another loss thanks to the Clima-Tact's many built in party tricks.

tagging @duckymcdoorknob bc lee usopp

Again.

Nami had lost yet another fight. The cat burglar was particularly flimsy when it came to using brute force to get herself out of tough situations– now, however, she knew why she had walked away from a group of muscular small-time bandits broken and bruised, and it certainly wasn't because of her own incapabilities.

It was all thanks to the Clima-Tact.

Usopp's invention was intended to be a weapon tailored specifically to Nami's strengths. But unlike the maps she made, the directions were unclear and resulted in flashy theatrics and bitty little bubbles rather than the flashes of blinding sunlight and flashing, crackling thunder that the liar promised. Sure, she earned a victory with it during a small skirmish in Alabasta (somehow, Nami still didn't believe that she managed to take down such a powerful Baroque Works agent), but she was still a novice, mostly due in part to her tendency to back out.

Huffing and grumbling, she decided to alleviate this affliction in the only way she thought she could- which was taking it up with the inventor himself. Getting even, she called it.

"Usopp."

With Nami's scowl of a siren scorned, the door to the male sleeping quarters of the Going Merry creaked open, startling said long-nosed man with a jolt and causing him to jump up quickly from where he was working on a new trinket alone.

"Wh-wh-wh-what is it!?" Usopp's eyes just about popped out of his skull as he was met with the glare of a battered and enraged Nami, expecting a brutal knuckle sandwich.

"How come your huge blue party-popper keeps making sparkles and fireworks whenever I want to beat the tar out of someone!? I thought this was supposed to be a weapon!" Nami ranted, shaking Usopp by the straps of his brown overalls.

"Hey! Like I said, t-the Clima-Tact is a different kind of weapon... it plays to your strengths!" Usopp continued backing away from the quite-literally-fiery redhead, fearing the worst as usual.

"Last time I checked, the new instructions you gave me the other day did not create an "army of fierce lightning clouds that would leave people stunned with bright thunder". You know what they did, though? You know what they did!?"

"Wh-"

"Glitter! Why, you- The "Firebolt Tempo".... made glitter!" Nami yelled, brandishing the very weapon she was tearing to shreds. Usopp whimpered in fear, stammering and attempting to come up with an amicable way of wording his intentions.

"Those were instructions for a new party trick!" he squeaked out.

"You're damn right they were..." Nami brandished the Clima-Tact in a way Usopp didn't like. Rearranging the pieces and clicking them in place, she began to strike with a sly grimace.

"Thunderbolt Tempo!"

Cool Balls and Heat Balls floated around in the quarters, accumulating into a cloud from their combined chain reaction of condensation. However, as soon as a singular Thunder Ball barely kissed the small cloud, not a single lick of roaring thunder was produced from it.

The liar sighed in relief. Due to a misplacement of one of the three weather batons, there was a meager amount of Cool Balls produced compared to the concentration of Heat Balls which were just hot enough to cause them to evaporate into clouds. Less precipitation lingered than usual, and as a result there was but a tiny zap of lightning coming out of the cute little cloud.

Usopp blinked in confusion, giving Nami a nervous smirk in both his relief and fear. Dusting himself off, he rubbed his hands on the dusty brown fabric of his clothing, and as he was attempting to walk out of the room, the kzzzt of an electric shock caused him to double over.

There was a charge– almost like a force field surrounding him, worsening as he tried to swat it off his overalls. They didn't hurt- but they certainly felt agonizing. Not quite as painful as a bug's bite, though– they almost tickled.

They really tickled.

"Ggk! Ng-hh-HA!" Usopp mustered out through every lick of electricity, now laying flat on the floor and trying to avoid the inevitable small shocks by kicking his legs and flailing around. What was this irritating technique!?

Pull yourself together! You're the great Captain Usopp!! he thought to himself, as if he was physically fighting bolts of lightning.

Nami could only smile coyly at the sight.

Static electricity. That was what it was. The small amount of lightning caused by the failed Thunderbolt Tempo resulted in a static charge being imparted onto Usopp, who had spread it further through the friction between his hand and his overalls. The zaps of static now blitzed across his body, causing him to coil, flinch and titter around pathetically as he spreads the charge further.

Oh, this was going to be sweet.

"Hghk! kkKEEE-yihahahahaha! Ahaha-hahaha! Ny-yeee! EEEahaha! Wha-ha-nNy-NAMI!! Whahat is this!? GEHE-hettitoff! PLEASE!! I'll make better instructions, I'd do anything!!"

"Alright then. 500 Berries. Hand 'em over." Nami deadpanned.

"KHAHAHA! Zoro was right, you're a wi-hitch! I said I'm sohOhORRY!!!" Usopp flailed, jolts of lightning crawling across every tickly crevice. The more he moved, the more the sparks would spread, causing his laughter to become more and more erratic.

"Well, if you're not gonna give me any money, then I guess I won't do a thing about it." There was a smug and haughty grin square on Nami's face as she looked down at him. "I think I'll lay back on the deck and watch."

As the pathetic noodling continued, some of the other Straw Hats were drawn to the scene, to Nami's delight. Luffy scampered over, Robin was politely laughing in the comfort of her deck chair with a book by her side, and Zoro only turned in annoyance, the situation interrupting his training.

"You look stupid!" Luffy snickered at his sniper, commenting on him in a matter-of-fact way.

"LUFFY! LU-HUHU-FFY! HELP ME!" Usopp pleaded, curling himself up in a ball as the begging and crying for help didn't help matters– not that it did, but the contortion had only made matters worse as it packed the charges further together, causing them to tickle a hell of a lot more. He of course did not realize, continuing to squeal, thrash and cry out.

"Don't help him, Luffy. He deserves this." Nami stated.

"Okay." Simple-minded as he was, he followed his navigator's order.

Amidst the sparks of static, Nami couldn't help but notice a couple of things. One- Usopp looked like a total idiot. Two- The electricity spread to almost every crevice of his body. It was obviously mildly irritating in some areas, varying in frequency and strength, but when it sparked across ticklish flesh, the feathery pins-and-needles feeling was too much for him to bear. And three- The two spots that were safe from the shocking assault were only protected by his shoes.

And so, Nami bent down to the sniper's level just to tease him some more.

"Oh, boy. You do realize this wouldn't have happened if your stupid weapon didn't make me lose all the time!" she ranted. "Hm, I wonder..."

She looked down at Usopp's footwear, as the sniper gulped in fear, just knowing what deed was about to be done. Enough mischievous glares and wiggling fingers from Kaya since after a risky fib about how "Captain Usopp was not, in any capacity, ticklish" and tag-team attacks from the Usopp Pirates were all that he needed to know to decipher Nami's intention as she held his calf in one hand, feeling the tingle of the tact's discharge of electricity on her fingertips– and yanked his shoe off with a clatter onto the deck.

"N-NO!!!" he squeaked out. Nami's touch was deft– not even the slight shock she received upon her left hand's contact with his skin could stop her. At the mercy of her diligent thieving fingers, Usopp attempted to feign strength– that, he did often, but rarely succeeded at, and at this rate this would be an example of his many failures. He gritted his teeth. He thrashed his head around hiding involuntary laughter with a grimace. He moved about as much as he could, then resorted to not showing any movement at all. But even with the effort to show all that bravado, the sniper soon sang like a bird.

"Please! PLEE-HEEASE!"

"What." Nami said snidely.

"PLEASE STO-HO-HOP!!!"

"Please... pay me first." She gave a small wink, smirking as she skittered fingers across tan flesh. Luffy, who was stretching his neck out to observe the situation, careened from down the crow's nest as he inched too close to the two weaklings, did what he felt like doing– as he did, and grabbed Usopp's other foot for Nami's convenience, whistling innocently.

"NYA-haha! LUFFY! SHE DIDN'T SAY TO HEE-HEHELP!" On the liar's part, this was the truth. Luffy tended to ignore the truth and live his own– so Usopp was completely ignored, and as a result, Nami continued to exploit the amount of freedom she had over his karmic retribution, smiling the whole way through tickling him to pieces. Both of her hands tickled away on his now-flushed soles, one foot kicking in hysterics. The captain also helped from time to time, randomly stretching out a rubber arm to poke and prod, finding fun in the situation. Even while the electricity subsided, she still kept at it sadistically.

"Heehee! You're so funny!" Luffy giggled, poking Usopp's nose while he caught his breath through silent laughter, then continuing to coil around him and make conversation as if he wasn't basically choking on his own laughter.

However what the two other crew members failed to realize in the moment was that Usopp was quite the jack of all trades– artistic talent, marksmanship and a surprising tolerance for insects were some he sported. While cackling from the touch of wayward sparks and graceful mapmaking fingers, the clattering of silver coins came from the two jean pockets at the sides of his overalls. Nami felt merciful for only a moment, eyes shining bright as Berries when she saw the currency on the floor, hoarding each coin with a girlish glee.

Usopp heaved, falling flat in a position akin to a starfish as he hyperventilated from silent laughter and wheezes, feeling the numbness of his limbs and ghostly swipes of electricity across his skin.

"You're forgiven."

There was a pause in Nami's short sentence.

"But counting the loss at the island yesterday, and the Mirage Tempo failure... and the 10 other prior losses... you actually owe me 6000 Berries."

She finished her explanation with a snide wink. A comical drop of sweat fell down Luffy's forehead, and Usopp's jaw dropped in shock.

"Pay up."

#tickling #tickle community #t-word #tfb community #tickle #tword #lee #ler #tickle fic #one piece tickling

[shuttershocky]

As an avid (?) Dota player, what's your opinion on other games in the genre such as HoTs, LoL, HoN etc?

I'm an avid Dota fan, but only a casual player as evidenced by my playtime

Anyway to answer your question, I've tried quite a few in my time!

Heroes of Newerth - This was Dota 2 before Dota 2. Had many old heroes from Dota but with a ridiculously fast turn rate and overall game speed. I didn't get to play it much, but a ton of the current pros in Dota 2 came from the HoN scene. I'm still hoping Icefrog ports some HoN heroes over (though some abilities like Puppet Master's Crazy Puppet have already made their way into Dota through skills like Winter's Curse) now that HoN is, you know, dead.

League of Legends - I had a lot of fun with it as a more action based take on the genre, but i disliked the general streamlining of strategy. Replacing trees and high ground for vision breaking with tall grass that just makes you invis while inside didn't really sit right with me, as well as how tame skills and items were compared to Dota (an ultimate stun in League is about the length of a regular stun in Dota, as League does not have an equivalent to BKB. Something like Flash moved you only a tiny hop compared to Blink Dagger's screen wide teleport, because of how busted introducing Dota-style mobility would be in League of Legends). Loved certain members of the cast though. My faves were Leona, Orianna, Lux, and Ezreal. The last time I played, they had just newly introduced Yasuo (I think this was in 2013?) so I'm sure a lot has changed since then.

Heroes of the Storm - It was a party game. I don't know how else to describe it. Way too gimmicky and casual for my taste, though I thought its talent tree was really cool (and Icefrog did as well apparently, patch 7.00 brought HotS talent tree into Dota). They also had some ridiculously cool ideas for character skillsets, Abathur was completely insane, and the Lost Vikings were a very unique take on one hero who is many (such as Meepo).

Smite - I played Smite in the beta and didn't play it anymore after it actually released. the 3D angle felt novel, but I really didn't see the point of switching to a 3rd person action control scheme vs isometric point and click when the map was just as flat with no verticality whatsoever. You can't make a classic MOBA map and then make someone run around it in 3D, without verticality it feels very boring and stale. I'm sure they improved it post launch though. It was also really fun to have main menu animations in the beta where the gods of various pantheons would be palling around. If I remember correctly, the Play button was a Norse deity (i forgot who) giving Ra a bearhug and ruffling his head while they smile at the player. So cute.

Battleborn - Every day I have to contend with the knowledge that Overwatch lived and Battleborn died. I liked Battleborn. i will never get to play Marquis or Phoebe again because the servers are deactivated. Fuck.

Super Monday Night Combat - Yes it was flawed. Yes making your level act as a multiplier of your stats (meaning being just 1 level above the enemy gave you an insane advantage) was really bad for game pacing and made games stompy. Yes every character having a grab attack meant that every character in the game had a channeled stun. I don't care. It had Captain Spark, a weird Rocketeer- Shark Boy fusion, and the most fun blink in the history of PVP games. This dude could teleport through walls and floors, letting knowledgeable players potentially get the drop on people from ANYWHERE (if they dont teleport to their deaths anyway) and that 360 degrees of possible angles was so fun I still daydream about getting to play Spark again. I can't. They deactivated the servers. I loved this game so dearly I wrote up character guides and posted on the forums every day. SMNC is where i got the name of this blog; my username used to be Camerashy, then it became Shuttershy, then people playing against me in SMNC thought this was a my little pony reference, so Shuttershocky it was.

Gigantic - They killed the perfect video game. I was there since Alpha testing. I have a shirt from the developers. Gigantic had some of the best character art in the history of video games. Playing it felt amazing, like someone finally figured out how to do a 3D MOBA, and it was to flip the whole concept on its head. Rather than defend a base, you had a massive kaiju on your team that kicked ass, and your objective was taking down the enemy kaiju while yours literally tore the battlefield apart. God. It was everything. I loved it so much. It had so much life left to live, but nobody played it, another victim of being a cartoon 3D team game that dared to be around when Overwatch arrived. Players who came in during beta or release never even got to play my favorite character of the Alpha test: Roland, because they took Roland away for some reworking and promised he'd come back, only for Gigantic to die before Roland ever returned. Tyto. Tripp. Mozi. Especially Beckett and Imani. I miss all of you every day. This was as close a PVP game could get to perfection in my eyes and it's gone. I will forever grieve what could have been

[the-cult-of-russo]

Just Beneath The Flames (Part 10)

Pairing: Billy Russo x Reader

Warnings: cursing, smut at some point probably lmao, zombie shit, typical canon violence. You know the drill.

A/N: I’ve been itching to write some Billy POV in this story for so long lmao I didn’t do a whole ass chapter with it, although I could have done. I want to keep some mystery alive in not knowing fully what’s going on in that complicated head of his. But I couldn't help myself with the start of this chapter looool

Fun fact; When I started this story, I didn’t really know where I was going with it and it’s all free written, but as I went on, I did get some ideas of things I wanted to do. What happens in this one was going to be the end of this series, but as you know if you’re reading this, Billy and Reader haven’t even gotten anywhere yet lmao So it’s going to continue for god knows how long and I have no idea where the fuck it’s going from here once again loooool

—-----------------

Billy stared off into the fire, his ears and eyes not able to focus on the map in Frank’s hands as he talked strategy with everyone. He was wearing a far away look on his face, the same one Micro was wearing as he sat in the mouth of his tent. He was starting to wonder if he’d made a real big mistake in sending you off the way he had. His first instinct after that asshole had been in his camp was to get you as far away from Rawlins and his bullshit as possible, being here put you in danger. But what if that was the plan? What if Rawlins wanted to split the group up so you’d all be easier to pick off one by one? He was damned if he did and damned if he didn’t and in his impulsive need to get you to safety, he’d sent you off with no one to protect you. He couldn't shake the dull ache in his chest when he remembered how hurt and sad you’d looked when he asked you to go, how your voice trembled lightly when you asked him to come with you. He wanted to, lord knows he fucking wanted to, but he couldn’t until this shit was done. He couldn’t lose anyone else to Rawlins, he thought he’d lose his damn mind if he did and he certainly couldn't lose you. He was incredibly protective of the people he cared about and while you were a newer addition to his little group, he was protective of you too. Maybe even more so than the others and he wasn’t sure why. He knew you weren’t some damsel in distress that needed saving and you’d told him that right to his face a fair few times. He knew you could handle yourself, yet he couldn't help the deep need to look after you, to keep you safe. And he thought sending you away to the safe house had been the answer. He hadn’t been able to think straight after the man came here, pointing a gun at Leo like that. He’d seen red, watching as one of Rawlins’ men threatened one of his own like that and a kid no less. But then the asshole threatened Karen and then he threatened you. He couldn’t take it, couldn't have stopped himself from pulling that trigger even if he’d tried. Frank was still salty over that and Billy wasn’t sure just when Frank was the patient one and the voice of reason. He didn’t regret it though. He knew that piece of shit would have never told them any information about Rawlins and if anything, he might have even led them into a trap knowing how desperate they were. It still didn’t change the fact that now they had nothing to go off and now he felt more panicked and rushed to get this shit over with than before because you were getting further and further away from him as he sat there staring into the fire. It was like he could physically feel it the more miles you put between you both and it made his chest burn with a searing hot pain. He wasn’t quite sure what had you both clicking so well but he couldn’t deny that you did, fitting together perfectly like two jigsaw pieces. Maybe he saw a little of himself in you sometimes. Or maybe it was the melancholy that seemed to follow you wherever you went that seemed to draw him in, wanting to help. He really didn’t know. It usually took him a while to warm up to people, after he sussed them out. It had taken a while for him to accept the ragtag group of his but he’d known them for years now. The only exceptions being Frank and Curtis but he’d met them in extreme situations and that usually made you form bonds quicker or learned that you couldn't trust someone. Wasn’t that what this whole world was now though? An extreme situation? Yet he couldn't shake the fact you were different. They’d come across people on their travels, not all of them bad, but no one had inspired such feelings in him as you had. No one had touched him so deeply that he needed them to join the group and be with him no matter what. 

He heaved a sigh and wiped a hand down his face and Frank seemed to get the memo that he wasn’t really present as he spoke more to the others than to Billy. He was in no state to help make plans or anything with his head like this and he needed to get a handle on it. The quicker they dealt with Rawlins, the quicker he could be on his way to you. But this awful tugging in his gut made him tense and he tried to quell the voice in the back of his head that asked him what he would do if you weren’t there. He was a fool. He’d stayed behind out of the sheer need for revenge for his fallen family and for his loyalty to Frank and it might cost you your life because of it. He might not have been able to go himself, needing closure to that chapter in his life, but he could have sent someone else with you. Curtis or Matt, someone he knew he could count on to keep you safe. But no, he’d been desperate to get rid of you before Rawlins attempted to take your life for the fucking millionth time and he hadn’t thought his plan through. This was all his fault. Rawlins somehow seemed to know way more than he should about everything and he knew from the way the man who turned up to camp had looked at him when he’d said your name that Rawlins was after you to get to him. If you died simply for being around him, because he cared about you, he didn’t think he could live with himself. When the world fell, they’d all thought Rawlins had died. He was never good at looking after himself, always needing people to do his dirty work. Billy had been so sure that the fucker hadn’t made it out that he’d allowed himself to start to move on and he knew Frank had felt the same. It wasn’t exactly the revenge they had planned and he’d admit it was slightly unsatisfying, but he was gone and that was all that mattered. But he wasn’t gone and he was still trying to hurt the people he and Frank cared about, he was still fucking with them even after all this time. He just wanted this whole thing over with. He wanted to be somewhere safe with his family, somewhere they could all build a life together without having to worry about Rawlins on top of everything. He’d already taken so much from Billy. His family, his company, his honor, his goddamn time. He’d wasted so much time being sucked in by Rawlins, not seeing before it was too late just what was happening. And when he did finally claw his way out of Rawlins’ grasp with bloody hands, everything was already too far gone. He’d carry the guilt for not getting to the Castle’s in time for the rest of his life, it was his burden to bear and he’d spend the rest of his life making up for it. But if he lost anyone else, if he lost you, he knew it would break him completely. There would be nothing left of him to pick up and glue back together. Your only crime here was being associated with him and he needed to take care of Rawlins before anything else happened. He just had to hope that they found him soon.

—--

Your brain woke before your body did, eyes heavy and shut as you heard faint groaning. As if turning up the volume dial, the groaning seemed to get louder and louder until it was right down your ear. Your eyes flew open and you gasped, crying out at the pain in your ribs as you tried to get a grip on what was happening. You were upside down, your seat belt the only thing keeping you in your seat and as you looked to the left, a dead one was pawing at you through the broken window. With a shaky hand, you grabbed your knife from your thigh sheath, your head spinning and being upside down not helping with your bearings, before you plunged it right into its eye. 

“Sarah?! Leo?! Zach?!” you called out, glancing to your other side and seeing the seat empty and the door open. You felt sick and it wasn’t just from the probable concussion you had. You looked behind you, seeing the back of the van empty too and a pained noise left your lips. You unclipped the seatbelt, falling to the roof of the car with a painful thud to your head and you winced as you climbed out the shattered window. You barely registered that you’d cut your arm but the pain felt like nothing compared to what you felt on the inside. You used the van to help you stand up, your leg and ribs injuries seemed to be aggravated if the pain was anything to go by but you didn’t think you’d re-broken anything. Your head whipped around the dark and desolate road, finding no signs of anything and the silence was deafening. 

“No… no, no, no,” you muttered frantically, cradling your head as you swayed a little. They were gone. A painful sob ripped from your lips and you slid down the van, the cold of the icy road biting through your jeans but you paid it no mind as you cried. They’d trusted you. They’d all trusted you to keep the most vulnerable members of the group safe and they were just gone. You heaved, leaning over to the side before your stomach emptied its contents on the road. How could you fail again? You could barely breathe through your gut wrenching sobs, your head too jumbled to think straight. You glanced around again, only this time you saw something pinned to the van by a knife. You blinked your tearful eyes to try and clear them as you once again stood on trembling legs. You wiped your eyes angrily, seeing it was a map. There was a circle around part of it, coordinates on the top. You yanked the knife out of the van with a snarl, the tears still rolling down your cheeks and you turned the map in your hands and saw writing on the back.

Castle and Russo for the Liebermans. 

Tomorrow - 9 pm

Your jaw clenched, your eyes dark and fiery as you glared at the writing. A hostage exchange. And you knew well without even knowing the man what he would do with Frank and Billy. And you knew damn well that they would go anyway. Your breathing was coming in short and sharp, partly from pain and partly from the pure panic seizing you tightly in its clutches and you started to make your way back. It would take longer by foot, especially since you were slightly limping and in a lot of pain. The idea of having to go back to camp and tell the others how badly you failed made you want to crawl in a hole and die, but you wouldn't be a coward. You’d fucked up and you’d own it. You had to or the Liebermans were as good as dead. Halfway through your journey, you realized your head wasn’t just hurt, but it was bleeding. The blood had trickled down your face, neck and some of your chest but you didn’t care about your injuries. As long as you made it back with enough time to hand the message over to the others then you really didn't care what happened to you. You didn’t deserve anything after what you’d done. This was exactly why you’d avoided being part of a group. By the time you were slowly weaving through the trees, your tears hadn’t dried up as you’d hoped. You looked a mess, you knew that much. Covered in your own blood, limping a little, a tear stained face with wide shell shocked eyes. You could see the glow from the fire, telling you most of the camp must still be awake. You weren’t quite sure how long you’d been gone but it was still dark outside. You stumbled through the trees and Frank was the first to see you. He stood up, a horrified look crossing your face like he couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

“Y/N,” he whispered, blinking rapidly at you. At your name, Billy stood up, head snapping over to you at breakneck speed. You were too far gone to dissect the look on his face but he almost looked like he’d seen a ghost. But before anyone could say anything as they all started to notice you, Micro was rushing over.

“Where are they?!” he asked frantically, his voice cracking with emotion that had your painfully loud sobs ripping from your throat again. You opened your mouth but nothing came out other than the cries of someone completely broken and it only made him panic more. He grabbed the tops of your arms, shaking you fiercely. It sent white hot pain through your body and made your head spin but you didn’t protest as you tried to calm yourself. He was suddenly ripped from you, being shoved away by a thunderous looking Billy.

“She can’t tell you shit with you manhandlin’ her like that,” he growled, standing protectively in front of you.

“That's my family, man. My wife… kids,” Micro whimpered. Billy’s face softened but only slightly before he turned his bright and concerned eyes to you.

“Y/N… Sweetheart, what happened?” he asked with a voice so soft you barely heard it. Your eyes were unseeing, chest heaving as you tried to get a grip and he moved closer, tilting his head as he stared at you worriedly. You knew you were worrying them more though, for all they knew, Sarah and the kids were dead so you fought hard to make words leave your mouth, even if they were broken up by your sobs.

“We… we were driving and… a car came behind us… It was icy and I-I … I tried to keep control of the van… But they were… I… They had spikes in the road… the-the tires popped and I… the van… we went off road and it-it flipped a few times… When I woke up… they were gone and they left this,” you sobbed, holding out the map you’d been clutching tightly. Frank took it quickly, looking over the front and then the message on the back, sharing a dark look with Billy. Micro snatched it, a whimper leaving his lips as he read it and you squeezed your eyes shut and shook your head. 

Curtis came over then with some first aid supplies. Your mind was in and out of it and Billy hovered next to you, asking him a bunch of questions. You heard something about you not needing stitches, about your old injuries being aggravated. You couldn’t focus enough to pay attention. Curtis cleaned you up though, bandaging your head and the cut on your arm. By the time he was done, your sobbing had stopped but you felt an odd mix of numb and pure self loathing. Billy took your hand, moving you away from the others who were all having a panicked discussion that wasn't really doing you any favors. You’d done this. 

“This ain’t on you,” Billy said firmly once you were nearer the tents, his dark eyes imploring. You shouldn’t have been surprised he knew what was going on in your head but you scoffed and shook your head, the motion making you feel sick.

“How is this not my fault? You… you trusted me to protect them and I failed! I always fucking fail!” you lamented, tears once again pricking your eyes. His face fell at your words, looking almost like he was physically pained by them as he shook his head vehemently. 

“No… No, you didn’t. You wanna blame anyone, you blame me,” he argued, eyes aflame and not wavering. 

“How is this on you? I was the one with them, I was the one who was supposed to keep them safe,” you frowned. A frown of his own marred his face and he shook his head once more as he looked away from you, rolling his shoulder. When his eyes turned back to you, the pain behind them made your chest ache.

“I… I didn’t send you with ‘em to keep ‘em safe, Y/N… I knew it was better than ‘em goin’ alone but I… I sent you there ‘cause… ‘cause I wanted you safe,” he admitted quietly. You blinked through teary eyes for a moment as his words sunk in. You’d partly suspected it but it was another thing to hear him say it. 

“That still doesn’t make it your fault. I should have done better, I should have-” you started arguing hotly, but he interrupted you, taking a looming step towards you.

“I was scared and I let it cloud my judgment. I didn’t… I didn’t think about what I was doin’, I just… We shoulda planned it better, made sure there were enough of you to keep an eye on each other.  Sarah and the kids… they ain’t fighters. You had no one to watch your back, the only one capable of fightin’ back. It was all on you and I shouldn’t have…” he trailed off, his face haunted as he shook his head. You still didn’t believe him. It didn’t matter what he said, you knew this was on you. Before you had a chance to keep arguing with him though, Frank walked over.

“We’re gonna head out soon,” he muttered to Billy and you drew your eyes to him then.

“You’re going tonight?” you asked curiously and he nodded.

“Ain’t waitin’ until tomorrow. Ain’t leavin’ Sarah and the kids with him any more than we need to. We go tonight, use the element of surprise and we end this,” he said darkly and you nodded. He gave you a sympathetic look before sharing one you couldn't read with Billy, then he was off to speak to Karen. 

“I’m gonna kill ‘em. Every fucker that had a hand in doin’ this… hurtin’ you… They’re dead,” BIlly muttered darkly, a cold and sharp look in his eyes that told you he meant it. 

“I’m coming with you,” you said firmly. His jaw tensed, his eyes blazing, but he almost had a look on his face that told you he knew this was coming.

“Like hell you are,” he bit out and you narrowed your red rimmed eyes at him.

“I’m not asking for permission,” you huffed.

“If this is ‘cause you feel guilty-” he started.

“I do feel guilty and I need to do this. I need to… I need to fix this, okay? You know I can be helpful, you know I can help you,” you implored. You weren’t sure if it was your desperate tone or the frantic look in your eyes but Billy sighed, nodding but not looking happy about it. You were just glad he wasn’t still fighting you with this.

“Fine, but you’re gonna listen to me and Frankie, do what we say,” he said firmly, raising his brow that told you this was non negotiable. You nodded and he watched you for a moment, sniffing and cracking his neck.

“Get your shit ready, we’ll roll out soon,” he commanded before going over to Frank. You had no idea who would be going with you but you didn’t care. You went over to the tent you normally shared with Billy, grabbing his bow and arrows out of it. You hadn’t asked but you knew he wouldn't mind and yours was still in the overturned van. Someone would have to go find it after all this and get all the supplies out of it.

 

You were exhausted and you moved over to sit by a tree while you waited. You were running on fumes but you wouldn’t be sitting this one out, not when you had no idea what the hell was happening to Sarah or the kids. You glanced up when you saw someone approach you, thinking it would be Frank or Billy telling you it was time, but instead, you found Micro. Your chest constricted, a lump lodging itself deep in your throat as you looked away from him quickly. He moved to sit beside you and you felt like you couldn’t breathe.

“I’m… I’m sorry,” you breathed, trying and failing to keep the tears at bay. You thought you’d wind up dehydrated at this rate. 

“This isn’t your fault, Y/N,” he frowned and his words took you off guard, making you look to your side at him. You opened your mouth but he continued before you had the chance. 

“I know you blame yourself and I know Billy blames himself and I’m so sick of it. I’m sick of everyone feeling bad for shit they didn’t do. The only one to blame right now is Rawlins. Him and his men. You can sit there dissecting every choice you made or trying to figure out what went wrong, but all roads lead back to him. None of this would be happening if it wasn’t for him. And I know you won’t listen to me and I know you’ll still feel guilty ‘cause you’re a lot like Billy that way… but I don’t blame you Y/N,” he murmured softly. It made the lump in your throat expand and you looked away from his heavy gaze, unable to take the weight of it. It did ease you somewhat that he didn’t blame you but it had been far too long since you felt this crushing weight of failure and worry and it was overwhelming. He gave you a small pat to the back before he got up and walked away, leaving you to your thoughts. Luckily, Billy came over only moments later, before you had a chance to spiral again.

“Come on,” he held his hand out to you and you took it, allowing him to help you up and you swayed slightly. His concerned eyes roamed over you, his tongue darting out and wetting his lower lip.

“You sure about this?” he asked warily, maybe worried you’d snap at him.

“I’m sure,” you murmured with a nod. He stared at you for a long moment, almost like he was considering stuffing you into a tent and leaving you there. He didn’t though, in the end he nodded, still looking apprehensive before he led you away, your hand still in his. 

It turned out to be just you, Billy and Frank going and you were curious given the fact that more hands would help, but you knew it was most likely them not wanting anyone else getting hurt so you didn’t bother asking. You ended up squashed between the men in the truck and as Frank drove, the map in Billy’s hands, you felt lightheaded. You didn’t say anything though, not wanting to give them an excuse to tell you to go back. You just clenched your jaw and tried to will yourself not to throw up or pass out. You were pretty sure you had a concussion. The ride was uncomfortably silent but you were in no position to try and break it so the three of you rode in silence until Frank finally pulled over. You weren’t too sure what to expect, the three of you climbing out of the truck on the road. You hadn’t really looked at the map to see where had been circled. But as you walked a little down the road, you saw the building not too far into the trees. To call it a log cabin would be misleading. It was more like a log mansion, three stories high and looking well made. It reminded you of the kind of log cabin a very rich person would have had built for them and then barely use. The three of you crouched behind some bushes, Frank and Billy looking at each other like they were communicating without words. But once they got their guns ready, you finally spoke, keeping your tone low.

“You can’t just go right in there,” you muttered with a frown, drawing two sets of eyes to you.

“Why?” Frank asked, a slightly frustrated edge to his tone. 

“We have no idea what’s in there. We have no idea how many there are, if the Liebermans are even there, if Rawlin is,” you explained carefully.

“What d’you suggest then?” Billy asked. He wasn’t snarky, more curious and as you turned to him, he was watching you carefully and you didn’t miss how his eyes flit to the bandage on your head. 

“We wait, see if we can gauge who's in there. Or if one comes out, I can get him with my bow, subdue him and you guys can get info out of him,” you shrugged. It felt like a better plan than storming the place blind and you were grateful as Billy nodded in agreement, his eyes going over your head to Frank. Frank was quiet for a long moment and you knew he was anxious to just get this done but you didn’t want his impatience to be his undoing.

“Alright,” he muttered finally and you felt yourself relax. The three of you spied through the bushes, trying to see any movement through the windows and get a feel of what you were up against. And then, as if the gods who loved to torment you finally wanted to give you a break, a lone man slipped out of the cabin, walking over to the side of it as he lit up a cigarette. You felt both men stiffen beside you and you glanced to them.

“I’ll get him, but you guys need to be over there ready so he doesn't scream,” you whispered seriously. They both nodded at you and you felt Billy’s hand smooth over your back briefly before they crept off into the trees out of sight. You waited a few beats, not really knowing if they were in place or not but you had to strike before the man went back inside or someone else came out. You got your bow ready, eyes trained on the man before you let your arrow go. It got him in the shoulder, a wound that wouldn't kill him but would hurt like a bitch. He flew back and before any noise could leave his lips, Billy was on him, hand over his mouth with Frank crouching on the other side, his cold gun pressed to the man's forehead. You quickly rushed out from the bush and over to them, the man on the floor shaking and writhing with the pain. He only looked about 20 and you had no idea how he got tangled in this mess.

“One peep and your brain’s gonna be all over this floor. Got it?” Billy growled at the man. He looked terrified, eyes flitting from Billy to Frank and it was clear he knew who they were. You might have felt sorry for him if he hadn’t chosen to side with Rawlins. There was no way this guy didn’t know what he was doing, who he’d sided with. He’d chosen the wrong team to play for. 

“He asked you a question,” Frank hissed, pressing the gun harder against the man’s head and making him nod vigorously. Billy and Frank looked at each other before Billy removed his hand. You waited on bated breath to see what happened. You knew Frank and Billy would keep their promise if he decided to start screaming, but it meant it would give their cover away. The man seemed to be more scared of Frank and Billy than he was of Rawlins though as he didn’t make a noise. 

“How many are in there?” Frank asked roughly. The man’s eyes darted from Frank to Billy and then back to Frank, his whole body trembling.

“Seven… eight including me,” he explained in a shaky voice. No matter how scared he seemed, you really couldn't muster up any guilt for him, for what would happen to him. Despite how hard you’d fought it, these people were your family now and you knew it down to your bones with how hard this had hit you. You didn’t take too kindly to people fucking with your family. 

“The Liebermans, where are they?” Billy asked, his dark eyes seeming even darker as he glared at the man. 

“In-In the basement,” he muttered.

“And Rawlins?” Frank asked, his voice taking on a dangerous edge. 

“He was in the basement last I checked with them… if not then he’d be on the top floor,” the man rushed out. You knew he was probably hoping that giving the information would spare him, but you weren't stupid. Leaving loose ends would only come back to bite you in the ass and you wouldn't be taking that chance. You watched as Billy and Frank shared a look before they both stood up, Frank’s gun still trained on him and you grabbed an arrow from the quiver on your shoulder, getting it ready. The movement drew the attention of all three men and the man on the floor widened his eyes once you aimed right at his head.

“What? No, no, no! I helped you! I-” he didn’t finish his pleading as your arrow whooshed right to him, getting him through the eye socket at an angle. It did the job as he went limp and you sniffed, looking to Frank and Billy who were wearing odd looks you couldn't place.

“Let’s go then,” you muttered, turning to go to the house. Billy grabbed your wrist, halting you for a moment and you turned to face him. He gave Frank a look and Frank nodded, creeping over to the front of the cabin and leaving you and Billy there and you were confused.

“What?” you asked after he stared at you for a moment.

“You need to go wait in the van,” he said softly and a deep frown graced your face.

“Is that a joke? I came here to help, not sit with my thumb up my ass,” you bit out with a glower. 

“What’s gonna go down in there… You don’t need to see that, you don’t need to see me like that,” he frowned and you pursed your lips.

“You think I give a shit about that? Sarah and the kids are in there, Billy. You need all the help you can get, I’m not just gonna-” your words were abruptly cut off when his large hands grabbed either side of your face and before you could ask him what the hell he was doing, he was firmly pressing his lips to yours. The shock of it hit you like a train and you stood stock still as you tried to understand what was happening. But then he moved even closer, pressing his mouth to yours more insistently as his lips moved against yours. You found yourself responding to him and you felt his hands flex against your cheeks as your hands bunched into his sweater. When he pulled away, he rested his forehead on yours and you could feel how his hands shook against your face.

“Please,” he pleaded in a whisper, his dark eyes imploring and you nodded dumbly. He’d rendered you mute and stupid with that kiss and you still hadn’t wrapped your head around it. You couldn't deny him anything when he was looking at you like that. He looked relieved at your acquiescence, closing his eyes as his thumbs stroked your cheeks. He placed a soft kiss to your forehead before he moved away, giving you a meaningful look before he moved to follow after Frank who you presumed was waiting for him since you didn’t hear any gunfire or shouting. You felt strange as you made your way back over to the truck and you wasted no time in putting into drive and pulling it right outside the house in case you were needed. Despite Billy’s words, you climbed back out, bow at the ready and an arrow nocked as you leaned against the driver’s door. Something in your gut was telling you to be ready and you jumped when the sound of gunfire started. It wasn’t as loud as you knew it should be, telling you Billy and Frank weren’t the only ones using silencers and you felt tense as you fought the urge to go in there and check they were okay. You knew they could handle it. Frank was the goddamn Punisher and you knew Billy was just as lethal. The gut feeling you had was proven right as the front door flew open and a man started to make a run for it. You aimed your bow and fired without hesitation, getting him right through the neck and he hit the floor with a thud. You were anxious as you stood there for a while and then the gunfire stopped. You wound up opening the driver’s door and sitting sideways on the seat, legs dangling out as you waited. As you had nothing better to do, your mind drifted to the kiss. You could hardly believe he’d actually kissed you but any elatedness you’d felt when it happened seemed to drain right out of you as self doubt crept in. What if he hadn’t kissed you because he felt the same? What if he only kissed you to get you to leave like he wanted? Maybe he knew how you felt for him, maybe you hadn’t hidden it as well as you’d thought. The idea that he’d use your feelings against you like that made a bitter taste hit the back of your throat. You knew he cared, that much was obvious. He cared enough to want you safe no matter the cost and that’s what worried you. He saw you as family now and you had a feeling he wouldn’t be above kissing you like that just to get you to get out of harm's way. You started to feel sick. 

Movement at the front door drew you from your morbid thoughts and as you looked over, you stood up quickly as you saw Sarah and the kids coming out. Your eyes darted to each of them, trying to see if they were injured but they seemed fine. The kids ran over to you and you were surprised as they both wrapped their arms around you. You felt your lower lip wobble a little as you hugged them back, your eyes drifting to Sarah as she approached. 

“I’m sorry,” you whispered, pain and shame coating your words. She frowned deeply, moving to hug you once the kids had moved. 

“It wasn’t your fault,” she soothed as she rubbed your back. You knew you’d still carry this guilt for a long while, just adding to your ever growing list it seemed. She moved away, giving you a smile and you smiled back although it was weak.

“Are they okay?” you asked, gesturing with your head to the cabin. You had a feeling they would be or Sarah wouldn't have come out here smiling like she was, but you still felt the need to ask.

“Yeah… they’re taking care of Rawlins,” she murmured with a nod. You had no idea how long that would take, if you were them, you wouldn’t make it quick or easy. You nodded and let them get inside the truck since it was cold but you chose to stay out for a bit. You couldn't settle yourself now after the kiss, worry gnawing at you so badly your head was spinning all over again. You ended up sitting in the bed on the truck, bow by your feet on the off chance you needed it. You were keeping an ear out for the dead after the gunfire but you hoped there wouldn't be any, hoped that they would have been far enough away not to be drawn by the sound. You weren’t sure how long you waited there as your mind tormented you, it felt like forever but it probably wasn’t more than an hour. But Billy and Frank finally made their way outside. They were smiling and you didn’t think you'd ever seen them look lighter and you knew this was something they’d wanted for the longest time. You hopped over the side of the truck bed, boots landing in the mud with a dull thud as you watched them approach. Frank made a beeline for you, the most genuine smile on his face you’d ever seen. He looked exhausted though and you couldn't tell if it was physical or emotional, maybe both. 

“We did it,” he beamed, grabbing you in for a hug you hadn’t expected. You smiled though at the sheer relief in his voice as you hugged him back. He moved away, patting your arm, his eyes shining brightly. You looked to Billy then, expecting a hug from him too since he liked to do it over anything. Instead, he stuffed his hands into his pockets and while he still wore the same relieved smile Frank had, you could see his eyes were closed off as he looked at you and it made a stab of dread hit you in the stomach. 

“Me and Frankie were talkin’... this place is a pretty good set up. We think we should stay here for a while, see how long it lasts before we head off to the safe house,” he said softly. You nodded, feeling unsure of yourself with how he was distancing himself from you. You tried to tell yourself he’d just been through a lot. Sure this was what they wanted, but it didn’t mean it wasn’t overwhelming. They’d finally gotten the revenge they’d wanted for years, it had to feel immense. 

“It’s got solar panels, electricity… even runnin’ water,” Frank grinned and you couldn't help the smile that stretched onto your lips despite it all as you looked at him.

“Seriously?” you asked excitedly and he nodded with a chuckle. 

“Guess you’re gonna get that cabin in the woods with a rigged up water system after all,” Billy smirked and as you turned to him, hoping he was maybe coming back to himself, he still seemed so far away. Frank moved over to speak to Sarah in the van and you couldn’t remember the last time you felt so uncomfortable or awkward around Billy.

“We need you to take 'em back, tell the others to pack up their shit and bring ‘em here. Me and Frank are gonna clean house,” he murmured, eyes looking at you yet feeling like they weren’t really seeing you.

“Okay,” you nodded, your voice sounding unsure. He looked away before back at you, his mouth opening and closing for a moment like wanted to say something and his hands were still deep in his pockets. Nothing came though and he gave you a nod before he made his way back to the cabin and all you could do was watch with a frown. You didn’t want to jump to conclusions, didn’t want to believe the treacherous thoughts from before that he hadn’t wanted to kiss you but he’d done it so you’d do as he told you. But you really couldn't deny the cold you felt that was coming from Billy and not the winter air, making you feel like that was exactly why he’d done it and now he felt awkward with you. Disappointment settled like a stone in your stomach as you blew out a sigh, deciding to focus on the task at hand and not the way his lips had felt against yours or how it stung when he looked at you so vacantly now. This was your own fault. You’d gotten way too attached, you’d gotten feelings for him. He couldn’t have used your feelings against you if you didn’t have them to begin with and it wouldn't have ruined the friendship you’d forged because he felt uncomfortable with you now knowing how you felt. You shook your head as you moved over to the van, ignoring the weird look Frank was giving you as you got into the driver’s side. You had no one but yourself to blame for this. 

Taglist: (if you’ve been asked to be tagged and aren’t here, it wouldn’t let me tag some people.)

@firexfate

@blanchedelioncourt

@ariesbutalibra

@sunshinedaisies-anddeath

@snowkestrel

@music-indie-tv

@idaofinfinity

@sweetserendipity65

@ramadiiiisme

@k-marzolf

@celestialams

@woowwwee

@noortsshift

#billy russo imagine #billy russo fanfic #billy russo x reader #billy russo

[ghosts-and-blue-sweaters]

ghostbur and limbobur interaction, no interaction, whatever. just mmmm the parallels and then coexisting in different realms is enough. you can see I am very normal about my bois yes.

They take up 90% of my brain space

VERY GOOD IDEA YES YES!!! I’ve actually been wanting to write about Ghostbur and Wilbur, specifically set in Limbo, so this was a good motivator to actually write that :D

~~~

I seem to be inside a train station, Ghostbur thought, taking in the worn signs and maps posted to the walls and the flickering schedule fixed to the ceiling, pixelated words reading: do you remember what the sun feels like?

As Ghostbur stared, pondering this strange question—of course he remembered what the sun felt like! He felt it on his skin everyday, and he loved to sit and watch it move lazily across the sky, and he quite enjoyed the feeling of warmth on his closed eyelids—a voice broke his thoughts, scattering them like smoke. 

“What are you?”

Ghostbur blinked, turning around.

Across the train tracks, on a platform identical to Ghostbur’s own, stood a man wearing a long brown coat. His eyes were wide, and they were brown.

Brown…

Ghostbur wanted to say hello, and wave, and perhaps talk about the sun, but he did not. 

Instead, he was quiet. 

Strangely, he felt very afraid. 

He felt very afraid. 

“What are you?” The man repeated, voice quivering like leaves in autumn that just barely clung to their branches, always being blown away in the end. He took a step—though forward or backward, Ghostbur couldn’t tell. “Are you a mirage? A vision?”

There was a pause.

“Like a- like an illusion? Like a magic trick?” The man snapped his fingers. “Is a bloody rabbit going to jump out of your hat?”

“I’m not wearing a hat,” Ghostbur murmured, before he could remember that he wanted to stay quiet. 

The man shut his mouth with a snap. 

It seemed as if a chasm greater than train tracks was settled between them. 

Ghostbur still felt very afraid, but he didn’t run. 

“You look- you sound like me. Why do you sound like me?” The man sounded panicked, eyes growing wider and exposing more of the whites inside them. “Why do you look like me? Why do you have my face? Why do you have my freaking face?”

Ghostbur took a small step backwards. 

The man stared at him. His stare was very sharp, almost piercing. Like a sword, or the tip of a knife. 

A thought drifted into Ghostbur’s mind, quiet and heavy and instantaneously right. “Are you Alivebur?”

“What… what’s an Alivebur?”

Ghostbur gazed at the man, tilting his head to the side. 

Wilbur gazed back, swallowing. His forehead was growing shiny with sweat. 

“Is this where you live now?” Ghostbur asked, taking another look around. “In a train station?”

Wilbur paused. “I- yes, in a… train station.”

“Is this what death looks like?” Ghostbur stopped looking around, turning his attention back to Wilbur. Wilbur, the dead man, who died on November sixteenth, which was two and a half weeks ago. 

Wilbur blinked. “You didn’t answer my bloody question.”

“Oh.” Then it was Ghostbur who blinked. “What was-“

“What are you? Are you me? Are you my doppelgänger, my clone? A trick?” Wilbur began to pace, back and forth across his platform. Ghostbur watched him. 

Wilbur’s shoes made very loud clicks against the floor. 

“I think I’m your ghost!” Ghostbur supplied. 

Wilbur’s gait faltered. “My ghost?”

“Yes!” Ghostbur nodded, trying to be excited even though he felt mostly scared. “I’m like you except I don’t do bad things or blow up nations! I don’t start fires!”

Wilbur continued pacing, wringing his hands together. “You don’t start fires?”

“No! I don’t start fires that I can’t put out.” He paused. “I think you did that a lot.”

Wilbur chuckled, though it sounded much more like a choke. “Brilliant. Just brilliant.”

“What is?”

Wilbur stopped walking so suddenly that his coat rushed forward and his hair flopped. He glared at Ghostbur with eyes that were far more dangerous than lightning. “You. Me, this.”

He gestured at the train station, and his sharp hands struck Ghostbur as if he’d been physically hit. Ghostbur flinched.

~~~

There’s actually quite a bit more that I’ve written for this :0 But this was the section that made the most sense, I felt like. Still working on the rest!

This has become a full on fic alsgaksgkafsjs and I’m not too sure when I’ll finish it, so I wanted to go ahead and share at least a bit of what I have :D

#EXCITINGGGGG #I could ramble so much about this but I need to get off tumblr and go to a pizza restaurant lol #BUT I MIGHT RAMBLE LATER HAHA #thank you so much for this prompt!! I hope you like :) #my stories #ask #story snippet #ghostbur #c!wilbur #wilbur soot #DSMP Wilbur #Wilbur DSMP #DSMP ghostbur #ghostbur dsmp

[valentineforlemonandcherry]

Foxtail & Wolfsbane 40

Summary: Your lifelong obsession to hunt down the Nine-Tailed Fox has not gone as expected, and seventeen years later, you find yourself coming back to the place where it all started: Hogwarts. However, with Sirius Black’s escape from Azkaban and Headmaster Dumbledore’s hire of a certain Professor R. J. Lupin, you suddenly find yourself intertwined in the fates of those with whom you thought you had parted ways with long ago.

[Multi-Post Story] [Rowan Scamander x Reader] [Remus Lupin x Reader] [Young Sirius Black x Reader] [Tristan Graves x Reader] [Severus Snape x Reader] *Note: Rowan Scamander, Tristan Graves, Susana Holmes, Cas Carneirus, Henrietta Weiss, Thomas Picquery, and Magdalene Clarke are OC characters.

Note: Part 40 does not contain any smut.

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Remus stood at the top of the hill, watching you. At long last, he had done what he’d always wanted to do, but never let himself – come after you.

As per usual, Remus was having the time of his life overthinking everything. What if this was overkill? What if it wasn’t my place to come after her like this? What did I mean by coming here, anyways? I mean, I know what I meant by coming after her. But what if she doesn’t wish for me to come after her like this?

Shut up, you, a rather wolfish voice snarled at Remus’ overthinking brain. Only she can tell you what she wants from you. Go to her. Go to her now.

Gathering his resolve, Remus finally made to step forward, to come down the hill towards you. It all would have made for a very romantic and heroic moment – except Remus had made the same mistake that you had of standing in one spot for too long. He tripped in the soft snow and lurched forward dramatically. Parchment sprayed into the air as Remus lost all sense of control over his own body and ended up tumbling magnificently down the snowy hill, in exactly the same path as you.

“Remus!” you cried out, suddenly breaking out of your nervous thoughts. For in that moment, seeing Remus rolling pathetically down the hill, you became quite certain that this was real life and that that was truly Remus. As Remus let out a loud “Oof!”, you recognized, yes, right, definitely not a hallucination rolling down the snow like that!

You ran up the snowy hill, but you couldn’t make it very far. Thankfully, since Remus followed the same line down the hill that you had, he rolled right to you. You caught him at the bottom of the hill. You hurriedly turned him over (you’d smushed him face-down into the snow a bit as you’d caught him) to check if he was all right. “Merlin, Remus! Are you okay?”

Remus blinked up at you. You saw his eyes wander up to the sky and he blinked even harder, shutting his eyes tightly before opening them. His mouth dropped open as he stared hazily up.

You urgently grabbed the front of his shirt. “Remus! Answer me – are you all right?”

“Er – to tell you the truth, I’m not quite sure,” Remus replied. “I’m – I’m somehow seeing four skies.”

“Oh.” You breathed out. “You’re fine.”

“I am?”

“Yes. Now sit up.” You helped Remus up. You brushed the snow from his face. You tucked his stray curl back up to join the rest of his hair (though it flopped right back out anyways). “Remus,” you said, still in disbelief, “what in the world are you doing here?”

Remus’ eyes flickered up to yours. He answered, in a steady, decided voice, “I came after you.”

“How did you know where to find me?” you asked. “I mean, how did you find this place?”

“You,” Remus replied.

“Huh?”  

“Back at Hogwarts, you told me stories about an ancient forest and how it was renamed in modern times as a Japanese forest.”

“I told you about that?”

Remus nodded. “I remember because you were very excited the day you made the connection. You made me look at all of your maps and you nearly swallowed your quill whole.”

You stared at Remus, awed by how much he recalled.  

Just then, Remus clarified, “Unfortunately, that was about all I could remember. I had to go to the library to do some research. See…” He began to rummage about in his pockets. Only, they were all empty.

You nodded at the stray pieces of parchment rolling merrily along the hills, going in every which way. “Was that your research?”

“Oh,” was all Remus said.

You laughed softly. “If it makes you feel any better, I tripped down exactly the same way you did.”

“I gathered that,” Remus replied. His eyes lingered on your face as he murmured, “You have snowflakes on your cheeks…” He reached out and hesitantly brushed the snow off your cheeks.

Oh, you thought.

“And your lips…”

The warmth of Remus’ fingers brushing over your lips made you stay very still, as you hoped that he would name another place on your face to touch.

“And your eyelashes…” Remus brought up both of his hands and gently cradled your face. You closed your eyes as Remus swept his thumbs over your eyelashes to brush your eyes free of snowflakes.

You breathed out slowly.

“There,” Remus murmured. He let go of you.

You opened your eyes. You were sure your cheeks were flushed, but so were Remus’.

“Ahem.” He coughed and turned his head away from you. “So this is the mythical realm?”

“Yes.”

“Why did you come back here?” Remus wondered. “Isn’t the Nine-Tailed Fox gone?”

“The Nine-Tailed Fox is gone,” you agreed. “Only I don’t understand. Why didn’t she take over my body? She evolves into her most powerful state when she receives her ninth tail. I know she did. I felt it. Her incredible surge of power. I even felt her immortality for a moment. She must be healthy and thriving, somewhere out there… But then, how am I alive? The bargain I struck with the Fox was that I would be the vessel through which she gained her ninth tail and she would grant your wish - ”

Remus made a sudden motion. But when you looked at him nervously, he immediately stilled. He watched you with an intense gaze, waiting for you to go on.

“But I woke up. I know I was asleep for a long time, but still, I’m awake. Then, I realized that Artemis was gone…” You gripped the hem of your jumper. “And the other day, Tonks told us about Rowan’s message: He said that he’d taken back all of his creatures, but there were other, new creatures. That’s when I began to wonder – to hope - ” Your hands turned into tight fists, bunching up the fabric.

Remus’ eyes flashed knowingly. “You think Artemis might be here.”

“Yes,” you confirmed in a fearful whisper. “But I can’t really explain why I think that and I don’t even know what to look for. It’s only an instinct.”

“It makes sense to me,” Remus said firmly. “Not everything that makes sense has to be logical. Clearly, just look at this place.”

“That’s true,” you murmured, feeling more hopeful since Remus seemed to understand what you were thinking.

You and Remus got to your feet. The two of you turned around uncertainly, taking in the vastness of the realm and the dizzying paradox of all four seasons existing in the same time-space all at once.

“I’m not sure where to begin,” you admitted.

“That’s all right,” Remus replied comfortingly. “This isn’t a bad place to take a walk, you know. Perhaps we’ll think of something along the way.” He made to step forward when -

“Ah, wait,” you said suddenly. “There’s something you should know. Time works differently here. When you leave, you may find that months or even years have passed in the real world. Maybe you should go back now.”

Remus’ brow furrowed. “Time skips?”

“Yes. So if you’re worried about that – if you have anyone waiting for you – you should go back.”

Remus shook his head lightly. “Never mind that. It’s all right.”

“But - ”

“I understand what you’re saying. I’m glad you told me, so I know. But the truth is, even if I went back to the real world right now, I’d spend my time worrying about you, anyways. So, it’s best if I stay with you.”

You fell silent. Isn’t Tonks waiting for him? Isn’t he worried about worrying her? A part of you – the narrow-hearted, jealous part – didn’t want to say anything, but your desire to do the right thing and your desire for Remus to be happy easily won out. You blurted out, “What about Tonks?”

Remus cocked his head at you. “What about her?”

“Is it all right to leave her?”

“Well, yes, I assume she’ll be busy with Auror exams.”

“Oh.” You felt yourself become even less certain of what to say. Finally, you decided to compromise. “Well, let’s do our best to be quick then. C’mon, Remus!” You grabbed his wrist and yanked him forward.

Surprised, Remus stumbled forward. Narrowly avoiding stepping on your heels, he tripped to the left. “W-Wait!”

Poof!

A muffled cry sounded out. You turned around frantically, only to find that you had tugged Remus right into another huge pile of snow.

“Hold on!” You hurriedly pawed at the snow, digging him out. When enough of the snow around him had disappeared, you grabbed his waist and yanked him out. You repeated, embarrassed, “Sorry, I’ll be more careful.”

While you were standing in front of him and apologizing for your short-sightedness, Remus suddenly recalled a previous time when this exact same thing happened. You’d dragged Remus out of Gryffindor Tower to celebrate the first major snowfall at Hogwarts. Overexcited, you’d pulled him right into a pile of snow. You’d done the same thing then as you had now – pulled him out and apologized. Afterwards, you’d gone to Hagrid’s to fetch Artemis and the two of you went racing off into the Forbidden Forest. Remus remembered being thankful for the snow because it tracked both of your prints so that he could follow you both into the woods. He couldn’t quite keep up with you and Artemis, as the two of you seemed to have an unspoken routine and easily bounded together over logs, rivers, and hills. You had only lost track of Artemis once, when you let her have a long head start to race off and hide from you. When that happened –

You caught Remus’ bright eyes at once. “What is it?”

Remus said excitedly, “I think I know a way for you to find Artemis.”

Your whole frame lit up with excitement. “How?”

Remus recounted, “Remember you put a little bell around Artemis’ neck? You used to call her whenever you couldn’t find her. You would lift your wand and say - ”

“Corusco!” you finished breathlessly.

“Exactly!”

But then, you wilted. “Oh… But I don’t have my wand anymore.”

Remus rummaged around in his pockets again. He let out a sigh of relief when he found his wand. He pulled it out and offered it to you. “Use mine.”

You took his wand with curiosity. Unfortunately, you could immediately feel that this wand rejected you. It did not consider you its owner, in any way. As you wrapped your fingers around it, a sharp sting ran up your hand.

“Ow!” You accidentally dropped the wand, as a stinging burn ran through your hand.

Remus started, surprised.

“Sorry,” you said. “But I don’t think your wand likes me, Remus. It zapped me.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

You made to pick it up, but Remus stopped you. Not wanting you to get hurt again, he grasped your wrist to halt you and he picked up the wand himself. The wand slid naturally into his hand, fitting gracefully in his large palm and sitting easily in his long, graceful fingers.

“Here, let’s try this.” Remus stepped around you, until he was standing behind you. He held his hand out and told you, “Grasp my wand. Lightly now – and carefully, mind you.”

You gingerly picked up Remus’ wand from his hand.

“I’m going to hold my wand with you, so it’ll sense me,” Remus explained. He slowly folded his hand over yours. His hand covered yours, and suddenly, your hand was so warm, with his fingers covering yours and his palm nestled against the back of your hand.

Since Remus was quite a bit taller than you, he had to hunch over somewhat to keep the wand at a comfortable height for you to hold. He naturally shifted closer to you, until his chest pressed lightly against your back. You jolted slightly, nervous to have him so close to you.

Remus misunderstood; he thought that you were still nervous about his wand rejecting you. “Relax,” he whispered. His chin slid softly over your shoulder and he murmured into your ear, “If you trust me, the wand will lend you its strength.”

You breathed out, willing yourself to calm down.

“That’s right,” Remus encouraged you, speaking very softly. “You can do it. Channel your magic through me.”

You closed your eyes and leaned back a little against Remus.

Remus’ eyes flickered down to you. When he saw you leaning against him, he couldn’t help but think, Lovely, you’re still the same, aren’t you? You look just as you did when I first taught you the Patronus… You trusted me then. You trust me now – even after everything. I’ll give you my magic, Lovely. I’d give all of it to you, if I could.

In a quiet whisper, Remus told you, “Say the spell now.”

You took a deep breath and then you whispered fervently, “Corusco!”

Ring! Ring, ring, ring!

You gasped.

Ring, ring, ring!

“Where’s the sound coming from?” Remus wondered, looking this way and that.

You furiously scanned the many landscapes, too, until – “There!” you cried, punching your other hand into the air to point. Far out in the winter terrain, a silvery little figure came dashing forward. You had to squint to catch it at first, as it was quite a small figure. Once you caught a glimpse of it, though, you could follow its figure was it wove through the trees, flashing through the dark forest that covered most of the winter horizon. It had quite a ways to run – but that was all right, you could meet it halfway, because you were running towards it, too.

You sprinted forward as fast as you could. With each step, your heart became increasingly full of anticipation – until you cried out in a desperate, aching voice, “Artemis! I’m coming!”

All of a sudden, you came across a huge river which blocked your path. No! Please! Let me find a way to cross! Please, please, please! To your dismay, the river had no obvious crossing point and the current looked very fast. Worse still, since the riverbank was covered with tall flowers, you lost sight of Artemis.

Meanwhile, Remus was fighting against the same, tall flowers, trying desperately to find you. “Lovely! Where’ve you gone?”

“Here, Remus!” you called out.

Remus reached you. Instantly, he realized what the situation was and how distressed you were. “Oh no. He held out his wand again. “Do you want try once mo - ?”

Ring! Ring, ring, ring!

Remus cut off. Both of you lifted your heads and tried to peer through the thick meadow of flowers as the bright, clear sound of a bell rang out nearby.  

“Art?” you called uncertainly, unsure of which direction the sound was coming from.

Ring! The sound was even clearer – meaning it was quite close.

Then – “Arf! Arf, arf!” A lithe, full-grown, yet still slightly small fox burst out of the flowers and tackled you to the ground.

“Artemis!” you shouted, recognizing her at once. Her fur was silver now, but there was no doubt that this was Artemis.

Remus started, flustered by how you’d been tackled to the ground. Only, you were too busy shouting with joy and rubbing your beloved fox all over her head and tummy, just how she liked it. “Art, it’s you! Oh Merlin, it’s you!” You sat up and threw your arms around her. Burying your face against her fur, you cried, “You’re alive!”

Artemis barked joyfully, happy to hear the sound of your voice, too. However, when she heard you say the word “alive,” she suddenly quieted.

You stilled, too, immediately noticing her reaction. You lifted your head.

Artemis turned her head and she looked at you knowingly. She looked as if she were waiting for you to catch on…  

“You’re not alive, are you?” you realized. “That is, you’re not alive in the way you once were, the way I am…”

Artemis gave you a slow nod.

“You can’t leave this realm,” you recognized. “You’re a mythical creature now. You’re like the fox, before she got her ninth tail. You’re immortal, but you’re a creature of this realm.”

Artemis nodded again.

You breathed out. “How did this happen to you?”

Instead of answering, Artemis nuzzled you again, rubbing her now-silver little snout against your shoulder. You brought your hand up and petted her lovingly. But this time, you realized how cold she was and how she didn’t seem to have the same weight as she did before.

“Are you all right?” you whispered to her.

Artemis’ eyes turned into pleased little crescents as she smiled, in her own, mischievous fox way.

“Yeah? You’re happy here?” you confirmed.

Artemis let out a bright bark.

Your heart panged. You felt happy for Artemis, but you also felt sad because you realized that she wasn’t coming back with you. Still, you tried to be grateful just for this moment of reunion and for the fact that she was all right. “Okay, then,” you said softly. “That’s the only important thing, anyways.”

You slid your arms around her and hugged her again. “I missed you so much. Did you know that? I was so worried when I couldn’t find you.”

Artemis let out a small bark. You noticed how her bark was much more clear, even melodic, now. She truly is a creature of this realm. You whispered to her, “Guess you’re not my earthly fox anymore, huh? You’re my mythical fox now.”

Artemis wrapped her tail around your waist. She let out a happy purr.

“Oh,” you remembered, “that’s right. You always wanted to be magical. You used to chew at my wand all the time. It was basically a fox pacifier.”

Artemis grinned again – and she looked rather smug.

You laughed softly, finally sure that Artemis was truly all right. “So, you got your wish, after all. Good for you, Art.”

Just then, a harsh, unexpected bark sounded out from some distance away. “Woof!”

You started. Artemis bounded jubilantly to her feet and she replied with a welcoming bark of her own.

“Who is she calling to?” Remus asked you.

You shook your head, unsure. I expected Artemis to be here, but what other creature could possibly be here? you thought, surprised. Rowan said that he took all of his creatures back. So, what creature could it be?

Then, you saw it – a spry, but quite sizeable wolf was making its way deftly through the flowers. The wolf pushed its way past the final row of flowers and joined you, Remus, and Artemis.

Remus hurriedly pushed you behind him and held out his wand. But Artemis walked forward and nuzzled the wolf. Friend, Artemis was saying clearly, and she was right, for the wolf nuzzled her back. He was very gentle with her, pushing his snout lightly and affectionately against her small frame.  

You stuck your head out and peered around Remus. What is that creature? Is it really a wolf? But why is it all silver? Is it a mythical creature, too? But it’s a different kind of silver from Art. Art’s a grey-silver and the wolf is a pure silver. You peered even more closely at the wolf. What’s that on it’s chest? Like an emblem… Hm, it’s a perfect circle. Is it just a coincidental mark?

Right at that moment, the wolf stopped nuzzling Artemis. He straightened up to his full height and looked at Remus.

“What? What do you want?” Remus said apprehensively.

The wolf let out a single, gruff bark.

Your eyes widened. A perfect circle – it’s a moon! A full moon!

“Remus!” you gasped, shocking him. He nearly stumbled back. You caught him, as you said breathlessly, “That’s you!”

Remus turned his head so fast he nearly bumped your head. “What?”

“That’s your werewolf spirit! Look! There’s a full moon on its chest!”

Remus whipped his head back around and he looked closely at at the wolf’s chest. When he saw the symbol and recognized it as the full moon, his breath caught. “You’re saying that’s me?”

“Yes,” you said, certain of it now. “That’s your werewolf spirit, Remus. So, this is where he came to, after he left your being.”

Remus knelt down, peering at the wolf. In a trembling voice, he whispered, “You’re me…?”

The wolf walked up to him.

Remus shivered, but he stood his ground and remained crouching, so he could come face-to-face with the wolf. The wolf was quite an impressive size, and when he moved, his strength could be felt and seen in his movements. Soon, the wolf was face-to-face with Remus.

Remus put his wand down and lifted his hand.

The wolf slowly pressed his snout against Remus’ hand.

When the wolf’s nose touched Remus’ palm, Remus breathed out suddenly. “Merlin, it’s really you. I can feel the energy of the full moon coursing through me.”

The wolf blinked up at Remus. Their eyes met.

Remus swallowed hard. Then, he whispered darkly, “But you’re a monster.”

Offended, the wolf let out a harsh breath and immediately turned its head away from Remus.

You held your breath, suddenly afraid.

“You made my life so difficult,” Remus continued in a harsh, bitter whisper. “You were the reason why I was always ill, why my family broke apart, why I could never get a job, why I’m a burden to all my friends, why I could never allow myself to love someone, why I questioned whether life was worth living, why I hated myself…” Tears slowly dripped down Remus’ face. He whispered, in an utterly broken voice, “But seeing you like this, as a true wolf, all I can do is pity you. I denied every instinct and craving you ever had and I blamed so much of my own failures on you. I’m sorry for our miserable existence. Still, I couldn’t give into you. Don’t you see? I had to resent you.” Remus broke down, sobbing.

You fell to your knees beside Remus and you hugged him tightly. “Sh, Rem,” you whispered kindly. “It’s all right. It’s okay to hurt. God knows how long you’ve held this all in.”

The wolf let out a displeased snort. He made a sudden motion, as if to take off. However, Artemis let out a low whine. She nodded her head at you. The wolf stared at Artemis, then at you, and then back to Artemis. Artemis nodded again. The wolf’s curiosity got the better of him, and he began to sniff at you.

Hearing the wolf, Remus lifted his head. When he saw the wolf coming closer to you, Remus quickly wiped away his tears and pulled you close to him.

“It’s all right,” you reassured him. “He’s not going to hurt me.”

“Are you sure?” Remus asked you, his voice cracking even in that short phrase.

You nodded. It was your turn to gently put your hands on his cheeks and to cradle his face. You assured Remus, “You’re not going to hurt me.”

The wolf was now sniffing at the hem of your cloak. You turned your head towards him. “Hello,” you said pleasantly. “We’ve never met.” You paused and amended, “Not properly, anyways.”

Remus shamefully looked away from you. You tightened your hug on Remus, but you kept talking to the wolf. “You’re friends with Art, I see. I’m glad. I was forever trying to teach Art to like you when you were with Remus, but I’m not sure Art ever really took to Rem. Now we know for sure that it was Remus that Artemis didn’t like and not you, huh?” You laughed, finding the thought quite funny.

The wolf looked at you skeptically. Clearly, he didn’t trust easily. Still, he seemed satisfied enough with you as he made his way back to Artemis. When Artemis saw him coming back, she bounded forward happily to meet him. The wolf tried not to appear too pleased at first, but when Artemis managed to lick his face, the wolf clearly softened. He laid down on his tummy so Artemis could lick his face without having to jump up.

You smiled. “Look, Remus. They really are friends.”

Remus didn’t say anything, but his eyes softened as he watched Artemis and the wolf together.

After a moment, the wolf stood up. He let out a soft, but quite low grumble. Artemis’ ears and tail perked up. Then, with a merry yelp, Artemis took off. The wolf waited patiently for about ten seconds and then, with a powerful leap off of his hind legs, he was off, too. Artemis’ barking got louder and louder the closer he got to catching up, until she was barking furiously, clearly laughing in her own way, as he managed to catch him to her.

Then, the most incredible thing happened. As Artemis and the wolf (Lupin, you thought in your head) ran through the field together, the flowers immediately around them began to light up with a silvery glow and to ring.

You gasped when you realized that the flowers were snowdrops. The Nine-Tailed Fox’s crystal-clear melodic voice, Artemis’ old bell sound, the snowdrops… All of it has come together.

You and Remus got up onto your feet and both of you in the magical sight of the field of snowdrops lighting up and ringing its merry winter bells as the two forever-mythical spirits ran off into the wintery forest. Though you didn’t know it, they were running back home, to a small, warm cave at the foot of the mountains. The entrance to the cave was framed with tiny, white foxtail ferns and a single, sturdy wolfsbane plant guarding the door.

*     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *

Neither you nor Remus were quite yourselves as you headed for the door leading back to the real world. However, when you neared the doorway, you caught sight of something that shocked you back to your senses. You grabbed Remus’ arm and squeezed hard.

“Is something wrong?”

You nodded up ahead. “Look at that.”

Incredibly, where there used to be only a silver glimmer – all but undetectable unless one knew to look for it – there was now a proper doorway. It was floating in the air, but it was very clearly a metal doorway. What was more, it was framed with white and pink flowers. It looked like the flowers had grown up and around the metal doorframe.

Oh, you realized, so that’s why there were white and pink flowers framing Remus when he first appeared. He was stepping out of the door.

“A doorway,” you said, awed. “That wasn’t there before.”

“It wasn’t?”

You shook your head. “I wonder if that means…” You hesitated. “Remus, will you hold onto my hand? I want to try something, but please pull me out if I ask you to of if I scream.”

“Scream? Why? What are you planning to do?”

“I just want to test this door.”

“Are you sure it’s all right for you to do this?” Remus said nervously, following you to the door. “Can’t we throw a branch through it? Or can’t I do it instead?”

“No, no, I’m sure it’ll be all right,” you said. “Now, please hold my hand.”

Remus took your hand in both of his and clutched onto your hand tightly.

You stood before the doorway and then you carefully put your hand through the door.

Whoosh! You gasped when you suddenly felt a rush of wind hit your hand.

Taking no chances, Remus immediately yanked your hand as hard as he could. You were yanked right into his arms. “Oh!” you breathed out.

“Are you all right?” Remus said urgently. “You’re not hurt, are you?”

“No, I’m fine.” You laughed. “Sorry I made you nervous.”

“But what was all that about?” Remus asked you. He didn’t seem aware of the fact that he was all but crushing you in his arms, even though he had to look down far enough that his chin almost touched his chest as he peered down at you.

“I wanted to check if that doorway was a stable doorway to the real world,” you informed him. You put your hand on Remus’ chest and he instinctively relaxed, letting you go a little.

“And is it?” he asked.

You nodded. “Yes. There’s no doubt about it. The wind I felt was wind from the real world. Even more incredible, it’s stable enough that people can come and go as they please.” You frowned slightly, though, as you wondered, “But how could a door be built here? I thought it was condition of a time crystal that it be totally independent of all other notions of time.” You looked up at the sky. Remus followed your gaze, tilting his head up to the sky too.

“It must have something to do with how there are four seasons here now,” you guessed.

“What do you mean?”

“It used to be only winter here. And there were no creatures. Well, Rowan’s creatures were here, but they weren’t of here, strictly speaking.” When you mentioned Rowan, you suddenly had an idea of what might have happened.

You stared once more at the doorway. This time, instead of paying attention to its structure or the beautiful flowers gracing it, you looked closely at the metal. It looks like the same metal that Tristan’s watch was made of, you thought. Hm…

Remus’ voice broke into your musings. “Shouldn’t we get out of here? I don’t mean to rush you, but now that we know Artemis is all right and if we’re worried about time skips…”

Ah, right. Remus has to get back – to his real life and to Tonks, you remembered. “Right.” You stepped away from Remus, slipping out of his warms. With a small sigh, you murmured, “Back to the real world we go.”

I shouldn’t be sad, you reminded yourself. I’ve found Artemis and Remus has found his happiness. This is what I wished for, after all. It’s all right if I’m going back alone. Even if Artemis can’t come back with me, even if the Nine-Tailed Fox is no longer in my soul, and even if Remus is with somebody else, I know I’m strong enough to find my own way.

Standing in front of the doorway, you reached out to Remus and said warmly, “Thank you, Remus, for coming after me.”

Remus slid his hand into yours. Grasping his hand, you stepped through the doorway, and the both of you returned to the real world.  

*     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *

As it was, Tristan’s watch, which Rowan had planted in the ground near the doorway, had grown to create the metal doorway.

The fundamental principle empowering the Graves’ metal magic was fate. Fate is a stable concept of time because it constitutes a prior determination. However, fate is also a flexible concept because it can accept the notion of ‘progress’ within it without losing its original meaning. Fate is the confines within which humans exert free will. As such, the metal of Tristan’s watch introduced a notion of determined progress, of circularity, without breaking the notion of ‘eternity’ that the ice phoenix’s heart was underholding (and which underpins the very existence of this realm). In this way, progress is accepted as a ‘part’ of eternity so long as it remains pre-determined and circular – in other words, so long as it does not introduce change into the environment. Thus, the four seasons occur all at once here.

And where did the seasons come from, you may wonder? Well, just as the mythical realm influenced Rowan’s creatures, so those creatures influenced the mythical realm. As Newt and Rowan always said, magical creatures are more powerful than wizards and witches in the magic that they produce. Frank had forged a summer for the mythical realm – a summer full of dazzling thunderstorms, but with an even brighter sun. Nula had offered the colors of her lovely, exuberant ruffles to create the autumn foliage of the mythical realm. And Sil had given his iridescence, playfulness, and adaptability to craft a blessed, twinkling, though slightly mischievous spring. They had left something of themselves here in this mythical realm: seeds of their spirits. However, it was only after Rowan planted Tristan’s watch into the ground that those seeds sprouted into the full being of four different seasons.

‘Infinity’ now took on a new meaning in the mythical realm. That was how the mythical realm, created by the ice phoenix and protected by the Nine-Tailed Fox, was not only restored and taken back from the succubus, but revived and reinvented into a much livelier place, where myth was invited to explore and grow itself, rather than simply being frozen for the sake of being preserved.

 As for the Nine-Tailed Fox, she had in fact returned briefly to guide Artemis’ spirit here. When she arrived, she felt the ice phoenix speak to her soul. My, my. Look how you’ve grown. A full Nine-Tailed Fox. Your family would have been very proud of you.

The Nine-Tailed Fox held her head up proudly and swished her gorgeous, full tails. She playfully showed off before the ice phoenix, who laughed merrily. But then, the Nine-Tailed Fox noticed the four seasons, and she gasped aloud. Seasons! There are seasons in the mythical world?

Yes, there are.

How your heart has grown, my friend, the Fox whispered, almost afraid of her happiness. You don’t even need me to be a guardian of this world anymore, do you?

No, the ice phoenix agreed. You are free to wander wherever you’d like without having to worry about this realm anymore. He sighed. I’m sorry, my old friend, I never meant for this realm to become a burden for you. I’m glad you’ve found your true freedom now.

Please don’t, the Nine-Tailed Fox replied. You kept me alive by giving me a home, both in life and in sacrifice. When I had no mother or father to run to, no tails to hide in, you lent me your wings for comfort. You wrapped them around me as though I were your own. That was how I survived those long years. I may be free but my heart is always with you, in this wonderful realm that you’ve created and hold steady. That’s why this little fox, Artemis, will be able to live there.

At this, the ice phoenix chuckled. So, you brought her here.

The Nine-Tailed Fox blinked. That’s how it worked out.

The ice phoenix observed, She’s quite a young spirit.

Yes.

And she’s in love.

Is she?

Yes. A wolf spirit came after her, you know. He arrived just now, on the other side of the mountains. They’ve just met, and yet they’re clearly in love.

The Nine-Tailed Fox smiled an elusive, mysterious smile. Well, well, imagine that.

Yes, just imagine.

The Fox’s tails swirled in the air. Her paws itched. She was ready to take the many universes out there by storm.

Go, the ice phoenix urged. Live your destiny. You’ve earned every right to be the true Nine-Tailed Fox that you are.

I’ll come back soon, the Fox promised.

Don’t. Be happy. Be free, the ice phoenix said decidedly. Besides, you’re immortal and I’m eternal. We will meet again someday. Until then, I’m happy to wait. I’m happy imagining your freedom. It’s how I’ve always wanted to spend my eternity.

The Nine-Tailed Fox lifted her head and howled. It was a powerful sound. The force of her howl caused a gush of wind to rush over the mythical world. Lightning crackled in the summer world; new flowers burst into bloom in the spring world; the variegated foliage shivered mightily, all at once, in the autumn world; and out in the icy, winter world, a small fox and a weary wolf howled together in reply, the way they might howl at a moon.

The Nine-Tailed Fox’s eyes glimmered brightly. Her lips pulled back and she bared her teeth ferociously. A low, thrumming growl ran through from the tip of her nose down to each of her nine tails. Then, the Nine-Tailed Fox bounded up into the sky. There was a bright, silver flash and a busy flurry of nine tails swishing brightly in the four-colored sky – and she was gone, off to live the spiritual adventures befitting a true Nine-Tailed Fox.

#fanfic #fanfiction #harry potter imagine #foxtail and wolfsbane #remus lupin #remus lupin x reader #marauders #marauders era

[somethingclevermahogony]

Find the Word Tag

I was tagged by @willtheweaver , thank you! My words are: Wait, fate, state, irate

These will be coming from Book 1 and 2 of my WIP series, Testaments of the Green Sea.

Wait

Otilia and Shela consulted various bundles of wool and linen. Blues, reds, greens, yellows, a rainbow of various wools and linens, many of which were the booty from raids. As they argued about the merits of a light red cloth as opposed to a thicker blue one, the barn door opened, and Ninma stuck her head inside. “Is Jani here?” Shela looked up and chuckled. “ No, you just missed him. He’s helping Fasti and Zures gather firewood. They should be by the ravine.” “Oh, thanks anyway! See you!” “Ninma, wait. Come in here, please.” Otilia ordered. “Oh, do I have to right now?” Otilia crossed her arms and nodded, tapping her sandaled foot against the straw-covered floor. Kumad turned away from the goat he had been milking to watch the exchange with a bemused smirk. Ninma sighed and walked inside, shuffling her feet. “Um, what is it?” “I want to talk to you about this whole business with Jani.” “We’re just friends.” Ninma blurted quickly. Kumad snorted loudly, earning a glare from Ninma. “Ninma, it's okay that you like each other. That’s just part of growing up. Having a boyfriend is perfectly normal.” Shela smiled. Ninma’s face flushed a bright shade of red. “ Boyfriend? How did you know?” “You’re not subtle.” Otilia laughed.

Fate

“No, I won, I won you were helpless, you lost! And then you broke me with cheap trickery! I was meant to deliver you and her to my king, that was fate! That was fair! I would have been a hero in songs! I was young and strong I couldve rested laid in the tall grass and felt the cool breeze, found a woman had children of my own. Now when I move my body aches my bones click like an old man’s, I cannot sleep because when I close my eyes I feel my flesh and sinew and bone being broken and fixed and broken! I cannot lay in the grass without it stinging my skin, the cold breeze makes my bones burn. And now I am garbage once more, except now I am alone. Why couldn’t you have killed me?”

State

Akard tapped on the surface of the clay table with his index finger. The large clay slab had been made into a table nearly five hundred years previously under the reign of Queen Mosira. It was a great circle, wide enough that a man could lay across it, arms stretched above his head and yet he would still not quite touch the edge. Carved into the reddish brown surface was a map of the Great Lake and the lands surrounding it. At the southern edge where Akard sat was marked the edge of the Red Cedar mountains and Labisa, to the east were the city-states of Kem and Naloch, to west was the Aratshin River and the city of Sema, and to the north was Kepfis. All throughout various smaller villages were noted, though some had been lost to time, their names scratched away by former kings.

Irate

Akard roared over the babbling spearman. Never before had his men seen the king so irate, “ Commoners do not have the right to talk before the king without permission. Silence yourself. Guards, arrest him!” It was only the magic that poured into him from Zenit’s caring hand that kept him on the horse.

Your words are: Scorn, torn, thorn, and mourn

Tagging @illarian-rambling , @foyle-writes-things , @pluto-murphy-writes , @dyrewrites , @angie-j-kay , and anyone else!

#wip excerpt #find the word game #testamentsofthegreensea #writing #writeblr #fantasy

[papermatisse]

sandbox || J.CM (XII)

♘ pairing: gamer!changmin x f!gamer!reader

♘ genre: semi-smau, fluff, crack

♘ word count: 2.2k

♘ warnings: none

series masterlist | main masterlist

prev | next

"I need rice."

"Where are the steaks?"

"I tossed you one earlier!"

"Well, now I need another one!"

"There's no steak orders!"

"Then get me chicken!"

"The chicken is right next to you!"

"I need rice."

Chanhee screamed as the rice he had forgotten about burst into flames before his eyes. Once the fire had begun, so did the pandemonium among the three of them—as if it hadn't already been hectic enough for them. Scrambling around in a panicked fiasco, (y/n) snagged the fire extinguisher and rushed to the scene, Kevin gathered whatever materials he could to get out any last order they could possibly appease, and Chanhee ran about, still screaming in either frustration or panic, or perhaps both.

The timer dinged, and a collected sigh sounded out from the three exhausted chefs who sunk into their seats, defeated after such an abysmal service. Yet they still somehow managed to get the three stars they had strived for.

"Wasn't worth it," Kevin huffed, exiting to return to the main map.

"I lost more than I gained with that level," Chanhee added, downing the water bottle beside him and wiping off sweat as if he had completed a marathon.

"I'm actually quitting if we get another tortilla level, I can't do this again," (y/n) groaned, taking a moment to check her separate monitor where both the chat of their stream resided, though also where the other's first Raft stream played. It was on mute, so as to not disturb her current activities, though it was comforting nevertheless—to merely glance over and see her other friends enjoying themselves together.

As Kevin and Chanhee went through the dialogue of the game, discussing what was to be done with the Unbread wreaking havoc on the kingdom, (y/n) checked up on the boys.

She was watching Jinyoung's stream, and from what she could see, they had not improved much at all in the past hour. Still standing on a makeshift platform of weakened wooden slabs, most of their surface area taken up by chests of useless garbage. While muted, she could tell they were arguing with one another. Jinyoung himself was seated at the sidelines, mouth occasionally moving, but for the most part merely fishing for more material. When he'd glance over, she could see the boys' characters all gathered together facing one another. The argument seemed to be settled when Juyeon shoved Sunwoo off the raft, and they all unanimously began paddling away as quickly as possible.

With a hum of laughter, her eyes shifted to Changmin's avatar. Once again, much like when they first started playing together during Gang Beasts, he had taken time for his character, now with a shark head from when he presumably killed that shark tormenting the lot.

She hadn't forgotten Jinyoung's words, both in regards to her feelings towards Changmin, but also his feelings towards her. She attempted that essay he had assigned her, begrudgingly clicking onto Changmin's archived streams once more to analyze his behavior towards her versus others, though she couldn't help believing her initial stance on the matter.

It just seemed more reasonable to label it as him being kind to a new person as opposed to his familiar group of rowdy boys that requires some form of ruthlessness to survive. The discovery left her more disconcerted, to say the least, now the thought of her crush being unreciprocated plaguing her mind.

She wanted to avoid him. It was easier to write off his actions as being mere human kindness, but it was also easier to merely steer clear of him, thereby ignoring her very real and very present emotions. Feelings were a complicated matter she wanted nothing to do with, especially with a technical coworker. It'd just make everybody uncomfortable, knowing she had grown to like him, and when Changmin rejects her, it would grow awkward amongst the two groups.

But even if she ignored the soft thrum in her heart whenever she was with him, she couldn't deny the fond smile that would sprout on her face from looking at his streams.

She had to conceal her amused giggle as she saw Sunwoo come back with a vengeance, shoving Changmin off the raft next. But the moment Changmin climbed back up, Sunwoo was fleeing, voluntarily running off the raft to avoid Changmin's wrath.

With a grin on her face and a newfound surge of motivation, she turned back to her game, though that energy depleted almost immediately when she saw the next level, sighing tiredly when she saw clouds surrounding the level's entry.

"Okay, here's the game plan," Chanhee began, drawing his co-chefs closer to their monitors as if in a virtual huddle. "Fuck teamwork. Every man for themselves. We each do our own recipes, got it?"

"Yes." Some would say her response was too quick, but it had become clear that they were not good working together. They'd be helping each other more if they just kept to themselves the entire game.

And it somehow magically worked on their first try, each of them keeping to their own dishes as they cranked out orders to the point that they near doubled the required points for three stars.

"They've somehow managed to make a multiplayer game single player," Kevin read one of the comments aloud, earning laughs from the other two who were celebrating their victory. "I feel like we need to play another game to showcase our cooperation skills."

"We don't have any of that," Chanhee stated. "Well, you and I don't. (y/n) is good with co-op, that's why the guys wanted her on their raft."

"(y/n), you should've chosen the raft. This is hell."

"And you think the raft isn't?" Kevin burst into laughter at (y/n)'s words, Chanhee typing as Kevin was preoccupied.

"Let's see what hell on earth really means." As he said this, he began streaming the Raft game on his cam, moving it to take up his screen momentarily.

"I think we're going in circles," Juyeon noted, his character looking around at the vast expanse of ocean surrounding them.

"No we're not, I'm an expert navigator," Byounggon defended himself, continuing to row away without any care to Juyeon's words.

"Then I think we u-turned at some point because we passed by that island already." To their right, a large island obscured by fog rose above the horizon.

"Ah! The shark's back!" Sunwoo hollered, character narrowly leaping onto the raft just as the shark had lunged for him.

"We really need a grill, we have so much shark meat," Jinyoung whined, rifling through one of their chests for inventory.

"Okay yes, that's the same island we went to before, I think I turned us around at some point," Byounggon admitted, already beginning to rotate the small yet terribly bulky raft.

"Who forgot to refill the water?" Changmin's voice was full of disdain, practically dripping with venom as his character glowered at the others, the spear in his hand suddenly extremely imposing, enough to initiate the blame game between them all, pointing fingers and accusing each other to avoid Changmin's fury.

"Wait," Juyeon interrupted the bunch, halting everyone's movements. "My stream is saying that Chanhee is watching us."

It grew quiet for a moment in both streams. (y/n) glanced over at Kevin, his hand covering his mouth, as if attempting to silence his breathing.

The thing that broke their standstill was the familiar chime of someone joining their voice channel on discord, causing the three to all scream in a panic, Chanhee exiting their Raft stream to hide the evidence from the intruder.

"What's going on here? What are you guys up to?" Sunwoo casually asked, the smirk on his face audible through his tone.

"We're cooking!" Kevin explained, clicking onto the next level without consulting anyone, causing Chanhee to screech in protest.

"Your co-chef was on break!" He screamed, snatching up his controller and rushing forth into the level with them.

"Okay, well, you guys can manage the kitchen on your own, right? You'll be fine with me stealing (y/n) for a moment?"

(y/n) blinked at this, pausing her chopping to stare confoundedly at the voice channel upon the man's suggestion, as if staring directly at him.

"Yeah, we can deal with the dinner rush," Kevin agreed, causing (y/n) to turn around and look at his facecam instead with perhaps even more astonishment. And Chanhee had literally nothing else to say, aside from telling Kevin to get out of his way.

And so she was being escorted to the other voice channel alongside Sunwoo, popping in moments later once she had dismissed herself from her fellow chefs.

"(y/n)!" Byounggon exclaimed enthusiastically, prompting the others to follow suit.

"Hello," she greeted them softly, taken aback at the warm welcome. "What's up?"

"We're dying," Jinyoung stated simply. Juyeon quickly jumped in to salvage their reputation, dismissing Jinyoung's words almost instantaneously.

"We're not dying yet," he started. "We are struggling. There's a difference."

"Be more specific, please," (y/n) spoke, biting back her laughter at the sight of the crumbling crew before her.

"Well for starters, they have left me for dead like five times already," Sunwoo snapped.

"Byounggon has been taking us in circles," Juyeon added.

"Jinyoung keeps picking up garbage we don't need at the moment instead of wood which we desperately need," Byounggon joined.

"Sunwoo keeps trying to take revenge for us trying to kill him," Jinyoung's voice now chimed in.

"So you admit you were trying to kill me!"

"Well, yeah, I thought that was a given."

More arguing commenced, everyone shouting over the other in protest. Though as they all fought, (y/n) saw her phone light up with a notification. A text from Changmin.

"A+." The argument came to a halt at Jinyoung's sudden proclamation, a confused silence settling over the group.

"Either way," Juyeon continued, seemingly used to Jinyoung's nonsense at this point and choosing to ignore him. "You're all praying on my downfall, admit it."

"Jokes on you, I'm not religious," Byounggon snapped back, bringing yet another round of silence.

"That's not what praying—Okay, well." Juyeon sighed to himself, relenting at the moment and allowing Sunwoo an opportunity to jump in.

"We'd be doing great if I wasn't constantly in danger of dying by my own teammates."

"We'd be better if you didn't suck ass at this game," Jinyoung muttered, though before Sunwoo could begin arguing with him, Changmin's voice suddenly appeared.

"(y/n), please play with us." His voice was soft, as it always was whenever his words were directed to her.

Suddenly that damned essay of hers came to mind. That essay along with the hours of research she'd sunk into such a minuscule project. Hours of watching Changmin's old streams, laughing at his silly antics, marveling at his gaming expertise, finding herself sinking back into that pitiful state of hers where she'd fall asleep to his voice.

It was an activity that wasn't meant to be completed. Something she knew Jinyoung was merely joking about. But she wrote that essay anyways. And she knew why.

It was a way to convince herself of the falsity of it all. A way to write off his charming mannerisms and unending niceties as something else. As something not correlated to her own budding emotions for him. Because Jinyoung had a point. Changmin was kind. Especially so when she was involved. He was patient and attentive, never showed any form of anger towards her, even in the joking sense. There were his friends, and then there was (y/n). He made her feel like she was her own category to him. Not in an alienating manner, but instead in a reversed sort of respect. A special treatment for this specific person in his life.

And it was growing harder and harder to deny all of these excuses compiling in her fearful mind. Though perhaps she should finally just let go. Embrace her emotions. Neither push for nor neglect the budding emotions stirring in her, or him for that matter. Just see where life takes her.

"Okay," she quietly voiced out, tone displaying her hesitancy in the matter. Clearing her throat, she continued on. "I'll join in the next session."

Silence settled over the group of boys for a second, and she grew worried momentarily that this was not their intention in bringing her here and showing their disorder. Though before she could take back her words, a sudden cacophony of noise sounded through her headphones, all the boys cheering simultaneously at the news.

The dissonance grated on her ears, but she couldn't help but laugh at their ruckus. All of the hostility they once shared with one another now dissipated into nothing, each of them forgetting why they hated the other as they celebrated her arrival.

Returning to Chanhee and Kevin had been less ceremonious.

"You're abandoning us for them?" Chanhee asked, clear disgust laced in his voice. Glancing at his face cam proved her assumption correct that he had a repulsed scowl on his face.

"You can't call it abandoning if we're literally finishing this game tonight," she defended, getting back into the swing of things naturally.

"Uhh, what about Overcooked 1?" Kevin asked, as if it were the most obvious chain of events to play the second game and then the first.

"I didn't sign up for that, I signed up for Overcooked 2."

"Fine, understandable," he grumbled, continuing to cook as orders piled up.

All the while, (y/n) was silently glad she had her camera off, because otherwise everybody would see the permanent smile fixed on her face ever since she accepted the Raft invite.

taglist: @byuntrash101 @valewoos @yogurteume @archival-hogwash @kyufessions @tranquilpetrichor

(a/n): sorry for the delayed chapter! I got distracted w other things lol (finishing that 30k hoshi fic). but I'm back!

#changmin x reader #the boyz x reader #changmin smau #the boyz smau #changmin fanfic #the boyz fanfic #ji changmin fanfiction #ji changmin fanfic #ji changmin x reader #ji changmin social media au #ji changmin smau #the boyz social media au #the boyz fanfiction #changmin social media au #changmin fanfiction #tbz x reader #tbz social media au #tbz smau #tbz fanfiction #tbz fanfic #kpop x reader #kpop fanfiction #kpop smau #kpop fanfic

[segfaulteddreams]

Screenshot Saturday: 24th Feb. 2024

Trying to force myself to post updates more often, so here's a late #ScreenshotSaturday submission/devlog for y'alls viewing pleasure 🫡

This past week or so, I finally started work on the actual game part of my upcoming (and still untitled) CRPG project.

So far, all I've implement are the most basic core mechanics for the game--things like movement, "combat", etc.

I decided to build the game on top of the "Cogito" first-person controller/framework (which is intended for use in immersive sims) just cause I messed around with it for an hour or so and I kinda liked the feel of it so I decided it was probably best to start with a known-working system than redesigning everything from scratch. That all being said, I have already begun (and will continue to do throughout development) to heavily modify this framework to better suit the CRPG genre/my game specifically.

One such modification will be to the inventory system (which is why this "screenshot Saturday" post is a day late--I was hoping to finish it in time), just cause I'm a bit indifferent to how those things are handled in its current form.

Level Design

Normally, I design all my levels/game assets in blender, but I'm experimenting with using TrenchBroom as an alternative to level creation.

For those of you who aren't familiar with TrenchBroom, it's a tool whose intended use is for creating Quake maps (as well as maps for some other, similar engines).

Thanks to a nifty Godot plugin called Qodot though, these levels can now be easily imported into Godot with just a few clicks.

On one hand, TrenchBroom is great for quickly designing levels that already have that PSX vibe that I'm going for. On the other hand though, it does have its quirks which can be a tiny bit annoying at times. In particular, trying to make levels with angled geometry is an especially painful endeavor that I fought with TrenchBroom over for a day or two before giving up entirely.

I'm still not entirely sure whether or not I'll just stick to Blender for level design.

Dungeon Generation

Now when it comes to updates on the Dungeon Generator, this past week was one in which I actually did do a lot of work, but at the same time, I made no progress at all.

In all honesty, I'm at a bit of a crossroads with the project at the moment.

On one hand, the flood fill part of the generator is fully implemented and working properly. In theory, I should just need to implement spawners for enemies and loot and it should be complete.

On the other hand though, I'm not particularly happy with how it turned out.

I knew going into this project that I wasn't doing things the "correct" way when it came to dungeon generators (more on that later), but there was a particular style I was trying to mimic and while I do feel as though I hit the mark, I'm just not happy with how things look/feel.

Because of that, I took several detours this week.

I spent a good bit of time building a "proper" dungeon generator in Godot (using Delaunay graphs, MSTs, etc.), following along with some guides. Once more, however, I wasn't entirely thrilled with how it turned out.

This is big part to an old game that I've recently dumped way too many hours into: The Elder Scrolls: Daggerfall.

For those of you who don't know, Daggerfall is a CRPG/dungeon crawler from the 90s and it (along with games like TES: Arena and Ultima Underworld), was a big inspiration behind me wanting to create my own CRPG game.

If you haven't already, go download the game off of steam and give it a try--it's free!

I would argue that to this very day, it has one of the best dungeon generation systems in gaming. To make a very long story short, after messing about with my original dungeon generator and then the "proper" one, I decided that I'm probably going to scrap both of these in favor of a more Daggerfall-esque system.

To that end, I've been doing quite a bit of research on how Daggerfall's dungeon generator system worked and I'm preparing to spend quite a few hours creating some assets so that I can experiment with building a similar system in the coming few weeks.

And that brings me to today. If you somehow made it to the end of this blog post, thanks for reading! I really do appreciate it!

If any part of this post caught your eye, feel free to drop a follow to stay up to date on the project as things move forward of the coming few months.

No promises, but I'm really would like to make screenshot Saturdays a weekly routine of mine as I'm usually a bit hesitant to show off any progress when it comes to my game dev projects lol

#game dev #game development #devlog #indiegamedev #screenshotsaturday #indie dev #psx #godot engine #ps1 aesthetic #ps1 graphics #solodev