#Wandering Vanguard

[m1d-45]

welcome to my masterlist!

if there’s anything you’d like to see, please send in an ask here!

here’s my original take on the logistics of sagau, as well as an update after some more information, and here’s my thoughts on how nations worship.

1k event m. list!

warnings [⏵] : yandere / heavy cultish || obsessive

genre [title] : angst || fluff || hurt/comfort

[ under maintenance ! might be a bit messy ]

traveller from afar — aether

‘I'm saying that I'm having a lot of fun traveling with you… It'd be nice if we could just go on like this forever.’

⏵ a new tomorrow

—⏵ my love, my god

the dark side of dawn — diluc

‘Diluc, of Mondstadt. Not interested in idle chit-chat. If you have things you want to get done, let me know.’

⏵ fallen through

⏵ a fault in the heart [red!]

⏵ tongue tied

windborne bard — venti

‘Perfect timing, Traveler! I was about to ask you — what is your greatest wish?’

⏵ unnamed poem, unnamed bard

⏵ in sickness and in health

⏵ (what about me?)

⏵ stella fortuna

beyond mortality — baizhu

‘Even though I'm the doctor, I've still had to trouble you with my health. How shameful... But don't worry. From this day on, I will take care of you.’

⏵ second chances

leonine vanguard — ga ming

‘If I can guard shipments, I can guard people. Since you seem to trust me, how 'bout I be your bodyguard from now on?‘

⏵ vanguard’s fortune

childe — tartaglia

‘Today was great. See you tomorrow, comrade!’

⏵ under duress

⏵ brainrot

⏵ duality of man

—⏵ inversion of fate

vigilant yaksha — xiao

‘I deal in death. If you cannot bring yourself to kill — speak my name.’

⏵ repentance

⏵ burden to bear

⏵ bird xiao things! (split links)

—⏵ and again, and fanart, and again, and again, and fanart, and fanart, and again

⏵ he who is without sin

—⏵ once more, and again, and again, and again, and again, and fanart, and again, and fanart, and fanart

⏵pari!reader tag

vago mundo — zhongli

‘The market is closed and the port has settled. Go get some rest.’

⏵ sagau!zhongli

⏵ a dragon’s gems

⏵ to dream of the divine

⏵ adorned

pillar of fortitude — ayato

‘Good morning. A little sword practice while the day is young is good for the body and mind. I tend to avoid having anything scheduled during these hours... What do you say? Fancy crossing blades with me?’

⏵ words left unsaid

analytical harmony — heizou

‘Ooh, my goodness, life's really put you through the wringer recently, hasn't it? I can tell. Here, why don't you take a seat, tell me the whole story.’

⏵ the scars, the wound

—⏵ (old) first encounters

⏵ upon a hair-thin wire

scarlet leaves pursue wild waves — kazuha

‘Ah, you'd like to learn the art of the sword? Let me see... Alright — here, take this. It's a bamboo blade I just made. With these, we can practice sparring without having to worry about getting injured.’

⏵ remorse

⏵ in a flash

⏵ the wind knows

⏵ judas

protector from afar — thoma

‘I've figured out what I want to do now. My strength is your shield, and I will always be here to protect you.’

⏵ rain or shine

admonishing instruction — alhaitham

’Don't be offended if you try to greet me on the street and I don't respond. It's simply because I'm wearing my soundproof earpieces, that's all.’

⏵ divine permanence

verdant strider — tighnari

‘What, so this sort of thing needs official documentation now? Okay then... Well, hand over your "friendship certificate." I assume it'll need my signature.’

⏵ opportunities arisen

—⏵ prime fortune

eons adrift — wanderer

’Ask me anything if you want. If a question is interesting enough, I may give you an answer.’

⏵ wandering

⏵ rest

ordainer of inexorable judgement — neuvillette

‘Good evening. I hope you have not encountered any unpleasantness today.’

⏵ for all to see

emissary if solitary antiquity — wriothesley

'Want a tip on how to escape from the Gardes? Just give yourself a name that's really long and difficult to pronounce. They'll be stumbling over your name as soon as they try to announce that you are under arrest.'

pankration

pantalone — regrator

‘Her Royal Highness the Tsaritsa is actually a gentle soul. Too gentle, in fact…’

⏵ ink, ink, ink

miscellaneous / multiple

⏵ in excess (ft. zhongli + xiao)

⏵ new hopes (ft. the arataki gang)

⏵ emotions (ft. mondstat)

⏵ the young (ft. your main!)

—⏵ still too young (ft… a lot of ppl)

⏵ plagued (ft. diluc + kaeya)

⏵ reverse isekai drabble (ft. your main!)

⏵ slapfight (ft. a lot of people-)

⏵ mea maxima culpa (ft. zhongli + barbara)

⏵ in the stars (ft mona + your main!)

⏵ replacement (ft. kaeya + venti + albedo + xiao)

⏵ discretion advised (ft. mondstat)

⏵ warmth (ft. every pyro character as of 3.4)

⏵ a soft place to land (ft. zhongli + kaeya + diluc + alhaitham + tighnari)

⏵ constellations (ft. barbara + thoma + heizou + collei + kujou sara + sucrose + candace +ganyu)

⏵ connection (ft. diluc + kaeya + kazuha + albedo + kaveh)

⏵ your shield, a sword (ft. thoma + tighnari + zhongli + alhaitham + cyno + albedo)

⏵ divine favor (ft. yae miko + itto + kazuha + kaeya + chongyun + noelle)

⏵ dead leaves (ft. ..people)

—⏵ new sprouts (ft. chongyun)

⏵ the rule of threes (ft. albedo + his brother)

⏵ darling, my dear (ft. diluc + tighnari + childe + xiao + kazuha)

⏵ sandy refuge (ft. nahida + wanderer)

⏵ dancing soldiers (ft. aether)

series!

⏵ dearly beloved — complete trilogy

—⏵ on broken bones

—⏵ death, rebirth, new life

—⏵ the scottish play

⏵ abiogenesis — complete duology

—⏵ from soil…

—⏵ …was birthed chalk

⏵ secret contributions — complete trilogy

—⏵ small miracles

—⏵ hidden blessings

—⏵ silent conclusions

⏵ spoken across stars — episodic

—⏵ kaeya, diluc, thoma ft. noelle + candace

—⏵ kazuha, wanderer ft. tighnari + baizhu

—⏵ zhongli, ayato, heizou ft. xinqiu + chongyun

that’s all for now! i hope you’ve enjoyed your stay, and wish you the best. if there’s something here you particularly liked, consider letting me know with a reblog or comment; i read every single one and they mean the world. whatever the case: i bid you farewell!

(p.s.: if you spot an error like a link leading somewhere it shouldn’t, a missing post entirely, etc., please leave a reply/ send in an ask to let me know as chances are i will not notice it. thank you!)

— midas

#genshin sagau #sagau #zhongli #sagau zhongli #zhongli x reader #kaedehara kazuha #sagau kazuha #sagau kaedehara kazuha #kazuha x reader #shikanoin heizou #sagau heizou #heizou x reader #tighnari #sagau tighnari #tighnari x reader #childe #sagau childe #childe x reader #xiao #sagau xiao #sagau kuki shinobu #sagau arataki itto #sagau thoma #thoma x reader #sagau kaeya #sagau ayato #sagau ayaka #kamisato ayato #kamisato ayaka #sagau venti

[essektheylyss]

I remembered I wrote this post about Orym's moral leanings almost two years ago during EXU Prime and briefly mentioned in the tags that he's actually very like Fjord, and honestly, that's actually very fun to revisit. Orym did spend a long time relying on leadership he could trust to make decisions, and then when he went wandering, used the ideology he'd passively absorbed from those experiences to guide his actions.

But between taking the Vanguard member's locket, and now leaving it with Bor'dor's remains, it seems like he's finally reached a point in which he does not have to fall back on ideology for every action, and has the capacity to make his own judgment calls based on the situation at hand, instead of painting every new scene with the same brush. It's the same kind of very resolute pragmatism that Fjord acquires by the time the last arc of c2 comes around, and it's borne of internal confidence in one's own judgment under pressure.

Orym spent two days after the Solstice grieving what they couldn't accomplish, and then was hurried into a murky situation that brought about further carnage and was proof of what impact they were able to have. I imagine that somewhere among that carnage, he decided that if he and his party would be pushed into action one way or another, those actions would be dictated on his own terms, and no longer left up to the manipulation of others.

(This is also, fwiw, intrinsically opposite of Ludinus, who seems to be incapable of re-assessing anything outside of his own internal ideology or absorbing new information except as a weapon to wield on behalf of those leanings, and he's so far past the point of no return because of it.)

By the time Bor'dor turns on them, Orym's already felt the push of other biases and ideologies from a lot of directions—from Abbadina, from their new companions (good, bad, and naive), from Ludinus's expanding reach—and it feels like he's decided that the time for indecision, or waiting for someone else to make a judgment call, is over.

#critical role #cr spoilers #orym of the air ashari #cr meta #I support him so much #snapping pics like 'you're doing great nancy' #this episode catering to me and my constant plea of 'SOMEONE please make a decision' :3 #(this is not a complaint that's just the narrative arc but I'm glad we've gotten to that point lmao)

[moostelid]

We need more harbinger fics with found family dynamics. Sure, it’s ooc af, but my god…

I cannot get over the idea of Childe being babied by the other harbingers because he is literal centuries younger then them. Sure, he’s the vanguard, and is a murder gremlin that needs no protection… but he joined the Fatui at 14, and in the eyes of the Harbingers, the Fatui practically raised him. They taught him to fight, to manipulate. They may have even babysat him to prevent international incidents. He’s a menace, yes, but he’s their menace.

Even Scaramouche’s tsundere ass might be fond of him, even if he won’t admit it. Imagine the newly dubbed Wanderer sending the traveler to keep an eye on our favorite abyss monster, only to find out Childe had his heart broken, or is being used as a model for fatui propaganda and advertisement. He would have a conniption! Scaramouche is overprotective and justifies it to himself as having put a lot of time and effort into training Childe, so of course he would care if all that effort went to waste. It’s not that he cares about Tartaglia, right? (How dare they put little Ajax in a dress for advertisement? Think of all the perverts!??)

Remember: Tartaglia is 20-something—basically a baby in the eyes of the harbingers, and when he starts showing interest in dating or gets his heart broken during one of Signora’s schemes (cough cough Zhongli cough cough) all hell will break loose.

#fatui #fatui harbingers #fatui harbingers found family dynamics #baby brother childe #scaramouche #tartaglia #columbina #signora #pierre #pantalone #sandrone #pulcinella #il dottore #capitano #arlecchino #la columbina #childe tartagalia #zhongchi #zhongli #genshin morax #found family #tsarista #wanderer #comments fuel me

[utilitycaster]

You mentioned previously that Bell's Hells going to Yios earlier in the story or starting from there (I don't remember which) would've fixed most of early campaign issues. Could you elaborate on that? Which issues would it have fixed and how?

Hi anon, sure! It was going to Yios before Bassuras, but I actually have two separate pitches after talking through this with some people: Either have them go to Yios, or, alternately, get rid of Yu (either to show up later or, frankly, Erika can and has played far better characters).

The issues to be addressed:

general lack of party interactions. I've covered this before but basically...bonding is a subjective and nebulous term so I'm deliberately not using it, but there is, objectively, a culture in this campaign of doing far fewer check-ins, group conversations that aren't "what do we do next" or rehashing the same theological discussion, taking watch together/having conversations before bed, or just...little moments, honestly, than compared to the past two. I think this is because the foundation was not laid earlier, and, indeed, may have been disrupted.

pacing. the Bassuras arc is an overstuffed slog with no real wins and two entirely externally driven missions, both of which go rather badly. I say this as a person who advises people to still watch the first 27 episodes of Campaign 1 and who refuses to give C1 and C2 abridged versions: I would happily put together a "what to watch and what to skip" for C3.

related to the above, infodumping. It is somewhat unavoidable in this campaign, but chunks of the Bassuras arc and then, much of the Yios arc, are just Grim Verity Wizard or Fey Says Things About The Apogee Solstice At Bells Hells.

The fact that Otohan Thull holds the dubious distinction of being the most deadly villain CR has had, while having said about 10 lines total of which zero were remotely interesting. Everything that is intriguing about her is, well, infodumping that has ultimately been entirely irrelevant to the plot.

Letting the party choose where to go next rather than sending them directly to Bassuras after the Heartmoor would likely have sent them either to Yios or to where the Gorgynei are, on their way to Yios; those were the two main hooks. (A third is the caravan for which Cyrus Wyvernwind was blamed for the robbery, and if the party followed that hook, one could very easily have the trail lead to Yios.) This would not have been on business for Eshteross, so it would have likely been slow travel. The party had already shown some promise in the Heartmoor and on their journey there so this would have kept up that momentum of taking watch together, sharing information with each other, and making decisions on their own steam, without a guiding patron. I think it would have laid that stronger foundation of a culture of, well, talking to each other, by giving that nascent 20s and 30s episode period far more time to breathe. Upon arriving in Yios, they already knew to seek out the Grim Verity and Kadija Sumal; the same exact outcome could have occurred. The one major wrinkle is Ludinus, but that could be set in Bassuras, with him coming to talk to Otohan (thus introducing him and giving a much richer insight into the Vanguard generals' dynamic). The party wandering around a city themselves and learning of Liliana and the Vanguard and perhaps getting hints of the Grey Assassins would set the groundwork of the core apogee solstice plot. You could even, and this is very much a hindsight is 20-20 situation, have Planerider Ryn give them some sort of favor a la J'mon Sa'Ord - use this sending stone and I'll come get you out of a sticky situation, with a price (the price being destroying the Feywild Malleus Key). You could also achieve the lore drops from Ira here; either move him here or have someone else show them a telescope that has been enchanted to see the city. And, of course, you could have Otohan in Imogen's dreams.

While in Yios, having had some time to get their bearings as a party and to more slowly lay out the moon plot, you could then have Eshteross have someone message them or send word via the airship that Treshi has escaped prison and fled to Bassuras, etc etc, please infiltrate the Paragon's Call. From there you could run it roughly as before, with the party having more information about the Vanguard and the Paragon's Call as a front for it and thus acting with more subtlety and caution and giving the party more time to interact with Otohan so that she possessed literally any interesting features that weren't just told to us out of character. Honestly I think saving Yu for later in the campaign would still be wise (or playing a different character but honestly, introducing Yu on the moon as a disgruntled Zathuda underling? could have been great) but I think the party and the plot would have been better able to accomodate them. It's worth keeping in mind that by the time Yu left (episode 29), there had been a guest in over half the campaign's episodes. No shade to Dorian, who I think was great, but the party needed some time to readjust and figure out who they were.

In Bassuras, the party could then have Ryn as their Otohan Fight Hail Mary should that come up, which would send them to the Feywild, and things would proceed from there roughly as they did before;

Which brings me to option 2, which is that actually, I think just not having Yu there would have done wonders. Think about how much time the party spent talking to them and their story instead of like...to each other. There were some good early conversations on the ship over and their first night in the city! And then they spent most of their time in Taste of Tal'Dorei talking about someone who, ultimately, served to introduce Fearne's parents and nothing else. Imagine if they'd just...talked with each other.

In this scenario, I'd have the party focus on FCG and Ashton's connections. I think you could have introduced the Calloways later, in the Feywild (in this scenario the Yios arc still unfolds roughly as it did, so just...have them there at Morri's the way they were there in episode 78), but if you did want to include that, you could have just had Imahara Joe notice that Fearne looked a lot like Birdie and say something, since going to Joe's would be easy to guide the party into doing. You also, by focusing more on FCG and Ashton, could explore the culture of Bassuras and the Stratos Throne and therefore actually get a sense of what "Legend of the Peaks" actually means.

As before, I really think having Yu show up either as the party made their way to the Feywild Malleus Key, or on the moon, would be a much better showcase for the character and would fit the story better. As is, we learned nothing about Zathuda from them other than that he exists; the Moontide Crown was yet another MacGuffin in The MacGuffin Slog and as discussed Ira's role could have been achieved in Yios (he also could have shown up causing problems at the Material Plane Malleus Key to establish the enemy of my enemy is my friend so that he could be in the same position as the moon mission); and the Calloways could easily have been introduced by Joe or when the party went to the Feywild.

I also really think you could just save all the infodumping for Yios; I think one giant lore drop would have been stronger than two decently sized ones. Naturally I still think going to Yios first would be more graceful, but truly, just a little more breathing room in Bassuras would have done so much.

As an aside: I think one thing that would have mitigated the pacing of Bassuras/Whitestone is, well, not going to Whitestone. In the Yios-first model, theoretically they would go to the Feywild (perhaps Morri could bring people back had that been necessary, which would have been fun as hell to explore) but in the Bassuras w/o Yu scenario, Whitestone would still be an option. Now, what's done is done. However, I do want to point out, if any Crown Keepers fans are in the audience, I strongly suspect that the Jiana Hexum connection not being leveraged in favor of going to Whitestone is a major factor in the Crown Keepers not coming into the story, because the hook for them was via Cyrus being sought after by Jiana and they went with Keyleth.

Obviously this is D&D! As mentioned above, hindsight is 20-20, Monday morning quarterbacks are a day too late, and so forth. I still think that a session zero would have also been very helpful (not the typical CR main campaign "play out a scenario with your pre-existing companions," but one like they showed for Daggerheart and for the various Candela seasons; I have separate thoughts about how the screen test strategy vs. a more traditional session zero has twice now had less than impressive results). But either of these changes would, I think, have made it a much stronger campaign.

#answered #Anonymous #cr tag #long post

[cerastes]

Doing some experimentation with routing and comps for Ending 2 N15. This run was N12 and involved no Reed, no Typhon, and no Vanguards, instead grabbing other powerhouses. DefenderSupporter squad, Jessica opener.

As expected, Ling is just damn godlike. I’d not used her before this run, not even on my N15 climb, but I gave her a go here and, yeah, given how important Block and bulk are in IS4, as well as early run hell in N15, being able to choose several extra melee dudes or ranged dudes to bring on just one squad slot is mental. Plus, Arts isn’t gimped by brain damaged “balancing” this tine around, so that helps.

Eben is Eben. Being able to shoot Ganon Cannons helps a LOT, especially if you get any damage increases for him due to how he scales. Necrosis Module has also been great! That ATK% debuff is quite potent.

Protectors are such an interesting class in AK. They went from Great in the early game to completely needless throughout most of the lifespan of the game after it turned into Tower Offense. And now? Their stock rise again, many non-OHKO-bulky-still-damaging enemies have ways to reach your lines now instead of enemies being “dies quickly and does no damage” or “breaks your entire line if not bursted”. IS4 really needs you to just Hold A Dude sometimes! Especially early map! Because IS4 maps are fast! Protectors being the Vanguards of Defenders, to me, is an interesting thing.

Warfarin S1 is a godsent. I’m so glad I m3’d it. It REALLY makes defense a lot stronger. Wanderers are godlike as usual what’s new. In Boss 2, you can cover two “checkpoints” for Eik with just one!

Pozy, to one’s surprise, also stupid good in IS4. Her damn typewriter summon is just too damn good.

[thequeenofmyownscreen]

Wait, so the Ruby Vanguard who searched and attacked Bells Hells upon arriving on Kreviris, and whom the Bells Hells promptly dispatched, were wandering with a super trapped box, with inside an ancient device that looks "beautiful and alien" ??

"beautiful and alien" !!!!

My first thought was : "that fucker Ludinus is pillaging Aeorian antiquities"

#critical role #cr spoilers #cr campaign 3 #CR3E88

[mehoymalloy]

Listen I know everyone is up in arms over "how dare Liliana say 'there are children here' to the daughter she abandoned."

And I get it.

But man.. this woman ran away from her own kid when she was barely an adult herself. Twenty odd years of wandering and she's now carved out a position of power for herself in the hopes of mitigating the harm caused by her colleagues. She takes care of the kids that follow that relentless pull and find their way to the Vanguard because maybe they never had anyone to tell them to run. And maybe she sees Imogen a little in every single one of them and wonders who she could've been, who she is.

And then that daughter pulls her from sleep and says "Maybe it's your turn to run."

#cr spoilers #critical role spoilers #again liliana tell me your secrets your motivations give me ANSWERS #i mean this is a step and the closest you've got but i need more dammit #also calling it now matt didn't have imogen roll a persuasion check during that conversation because that strike team aint coming back alive #cause ya know PLOT maybe idk #liliana temult #the woman that you are #also i'll clarify i am not endorsing her actions #i just find it fascinating that she believes she's doing what's best here and it's fun to try and view it from her perspective #i just adore the tragedy of it all

[averagewriter-inthedark]

I Want My MTV 🎤 | Jake Seresin Imagine

Takes place after the events of TGM

TGM Masterlist

Characters & Pairings: Jake Seresin x popstar!reader (romantic), dagger squad x reader (platonic)

Content Warnings: fluff, profanity, implied suggestive content if you squint | female!reader (she/her) | wc: 8.6k

Premise: glitter and writing love songs are her favorite things in the world…..and also music that gets people dancing and wishing they were a fictional character in a fan edit. When she meets Lt. Jake Seresin, he becomes not only the light of her life but also the source of her inspiration because every love song has to have a muse. And for international popstar Y/n L/n, the man they call Hangman is the muse that keeps her going.

Requested 📨 yes/no (by the lovely @avaleineandafryingpan w/ some suggestions from @gizmodear on this post)

Note: I’m so sorry this took a bit (forgive me, school has been crazy) but I really really enjoyed writing this and i hope its everything you imagined @avaleineandafryingpan 🥹♥️ I made sure to add all the little hc’s you sent in & added some things of my own I thought would be great so I hope you don’t mind! Please let me know what you think!

Songs headcanoned by popstar!reader: ‘34+35’, ‘Love Me Harder,’ ‘Break Free,’ & ‘Imagine,’ by Ariana Grande + ‘Rain On Me’ w/ Lady Gaga. ‘Summertime Sadness,’ ‘ Young & Beautiful,’ ‘Norman Fucking Rockwell,’ ‘Video Games,’ & ‘Love Song,’ by Lana Del Rey. ‘Last Friday Night,’ ‘Teenage Dream,’ & ‘Firework,’ by Katy Perry. ‘Power,’ ‘Secret Love Song,’ ‘ Between Us,’ & ‘Salute’ by Little Mix

———————————————

August 2026

“Deep breathes, darlin’,” his hands were smooth against her shoulders, instantly calming her nerves. Y/n took a deep inhale, nodding as she slowly let the air leave her lips. Jake beamed at her, “This ain’t the first time you’ve been on stage. You got this.”

“I know, but performing on live television for millions of people is different than a few thousand in a venue,” she reminded him, feeling the anxiety return causing her to close her eyes. “It’s been six years since my last VMA performance, Jake. Also,” she nervously laughs, “This is the Vanguard award they’re giving me—I’m, quite literally, shitting my pants. I want this to be amazing.” To be fair the reason for her not being invited back to the VMAs was a mini break from music she went on after they got married in 2021. The birth of their children was another factor so it wasn’t until late 2025 that Y/n had released the music she’d been working on.

The break was much needed, but she was missing the stage, the touring, the fans. It was what kept her going and made her career worth it. Music was her life, but so was her family which is why she took so long to release an album. Now here she was years later about to step foot on the VMA stage for the first time in six years. Another thing that made it worthwhile was she was being honored with the MTV Video Vanguard Award. Leading up news outlets were covering her return and on the red carpet reporters were eager to know what Y/n was cooking up.

“And it will be,” he told her, cupping her face in his hands, careful not to mess up the gemstones and glitter around her eyes. She could feel the cool metal of his wedding band against her skin. “You are one of the best vocalists of our generation—the High Note Princess. One of the best stage performers of all time—it’s gonna be an amazing show. You’ve been working so hard for months,” he gives a comforting squeeze to her shoulders. “So just breathe with me and then you’ll go out there and sing your pretty little heart out. And it’s gonna be the best performance of the night.”

As she mentally prepared while waiting for the stage manager, Y/n leaned more into Jake’s arms and let her mind wander. Memories started to appear, reeling back to when her career kicked off all the way to when she met her husband and finally to the present day.

February 2008

Like any aspiring star, Y/n L/n made the rash decision to quit college and move to Los Angeles in hopes of achieving her goal of becoming a singer. Hollywood was calling her name, so she spent months applying to jobs in the area before finding a small studio apartment and packed up her little Honda and set sail for the city where dreams are made. Time would be the make or break factor if she stayed or retreated back home with her tail between her legs.

One year.

That was her deadline. One year to get a job at a label, get discovered, or possibly find something worth renewing her lease. Working as a singer at a jazz bar could possibly have one of the options come true. Again, it would take time before something happened.

Y/n wasn’t the only singer at the club. Another girl was on stage Monday’s, Wednesday’s, and Saturday’s whereas Y/n was booked Tuesday’s, Thursday’s, and Friday’s. The club was closed Sunday’s and the nights Y/n didn’t sing she was a server or bartender. The pay was good for the most part with her tips racking in more income than the biweekly check for singing and serving. Sometimes she’d get compliments from patrons, especially the older crowd saying, “You have such a unique voice—the way you have control and range makes me think you should be on the radio and not some little jazz club like this. Your talent shouldn’t be wasted, dear.”

The words and support always boosted Y/n’s confidence. Truly did it make her feel she could make it big. Actually break through into the industry. But that takes time and sometimes the opportunity arises when one least expects it.

Maybe she could audition for American Idol. Maybe she could upload videos on that new website YouTube. Maybe she could be bold and send some demos to labels, praying it would land on someone’s desk.

Or, someone important from said label would wander into the club.

That idea seemed like a far stretch. But just three months shy of Y/n’s deadlines she was approached by a gentleman after she finished her number one Friday night. A business card in his hand, he said, “Give me a call Monday morning, I’d like to set up a meeting to talk with you about your potential. Bring some demos if you have any.”

A notebook of songs in her hand and a CD of demos she spent the whole weekend working on, Y/n left Capitol Records that morning with a copy of her contract in hand and the promise of bringing forth the best music of her life. There were tears shed as she relayed the exciting news to her family back home. Her coworkers whom she adored threw her a party at the club in celebration that night. She wouldn’t leave the club just yet. Just because she had signed didn’t mean she would make it big in the long run. No, she decided to stay at the club until she at least was at the level where she could financially afford to.

The first time Y/n heard herself on the radio she broke into tears. It happened unexpectedly too. After packing up her car with two weeks worth of groceries that cost her entire paycheck Y/n switched the the radio to the pop station and was singing along to the tunes when she heard the beginning chords to her song, ‘Teenage Dream.’ Cars honked around after she slammed the brakes and abruptly pulled to the side of the road, eyes wide with her hands covering her mouth.

“You think I’m pretty without any makeup on. You think I’m funny when I tell the punchline wrong. I know you get me, so I let my walls come down, down.”

Y/n literally changed the channel just to change it back to make sure she wasn’t dreaming. That it was actually her song playing.

“Before you met, I was alright, but things were kinda heavy. You brought me to life, now every February, you’ll be Valentine. Valentine.”

“Let’s go all the way tonight. No regrets, just love. We can dance, until we die. You and I, will be young forever.”

“Oh my God!!!” She got out of her car just to scream while jumping up & down. People on the sidewalk were looking at her crazy but she didn’t care. Not when her own song was blasting from her car on the radio.

“You make me, feel like I’m living a Teenage Dream. The way you turn me on, I can’t sleep. Let's run away and don’t ever look back. Don’t ever look back.”

Y/n’s entire life took a 180 after that very day. Her talent agent and manager from Capital Records were calling her saying she was on the Billboard Hot 100. They were planning on releasing her second single earlier than planned in order to push up the release of her album. Every radio station was playing ‘Teenage Dream,’. There were days Y/n would be in a store and would hear in playing, causing her to break out in a grin.

Before long Y/n was getting calls left in right with her manager and publicist securing television appearances and interviews. Her second single ‘Firework’ was an instant hit, becoming a gold certified record in just a few weeks. People auditioning for X-Factor and American Idol were covering it. Videos being posted to YouTube. Then Y/n released ‘Last Friday Night,’, becoming a popular song for teenagers and young adults. The full album shot her off into stardom.

“SNL?” She dropped her muffin, staring wide eyed at her manager. “SNL wants me to perform?”

“I got Lorne Micheals on the phone—I literally have him on hold—and he’s awaiting your answer.”

“Tell him my answer is ‘fuck yeah!’”

“I’ll tell him…you said yes.”

The appearance on SNL only increased Y/n’s popularity. Following it was invitations to the Kids & Teen Choice Awards, the Billboard Music Awards and the MTV VMAS, in which she won Best New Artist at all shows and Song of The Summer at the TCA’s. The first time she won she was a stuttering mess, thanking the fans and people who voted for her and her family, managers, execs at Capitol Records all while trying not to cry on live television.

Then the 2009 Grammys happened. And she won Best Pop Album and Record of The Year for ‘Last Friday Night’. Her hands shook as she accepted the award from none other than Usher, trying not to fangirl as she approached the microphone. She was never gonna get used to meeting the people she admired.

“O-oh wow,” she stuttered over the screams, feeling the cool surface of the award in her hand. A Grammy. She was a Grammy Award winning recording artist. “This is the greatest honor I’ve ever received—bigger than when I graduated with high school honors,” she laughed nervously, causing people in the crowd to smile at her. “Huge thank you to the Recording Academy for this award. It’s an honor to be part of a group with so many artists I admire—some of whom I’ve listened to for years a-and I can’t believe I have the privilege of being in your presence. I-I wanna take a moment to thank everyone at Capitol Records, my managers Raven and Paul. To everyone who helped me on this album who put their heart and soul into it—this award is not just mine it’s yours. To my family watching at home, I know you’re all losing your minds in front of the tv,” she grinned at the laughs around her, “I love you all so so much and thank you for your support—helping me get to where I am. I’m sorry if I forgot anyone else—t-there telling me to wrap up—b-but thank you—thank you so much for this, I’m so blessed and honored—I can’t even put it into words. Thank you!”

All of 2009-2010 was dedicated to her second album. Y/n was in the studio, writing songs on napkins when she was out with friends, mentally hearing the tunes in her head. She presented and performed at award shows and she went on tour. The goal was to have the songs ready and written by the time the tour ended. Luckily she achieved that goal with at least twenty potential for an album. Anytime Y/n found inspiration she made sure to write it down as quickly as possible.

Now with two Grammys under her name, one of which was for her debut album, the pressure was on.

“This is totally different from what you’ve been doing,” her producer said to her after reading the songs.

“I know, that’s the whole point,” she gave a pointed look, “I don’t want everything to be or sound the same. This is gonna have a different sound than what we did last year. Trust me it’s gonna be big.”

Might as well call her psychic cause that’s exactly what she was.

“It’s been a great week for popstar Y/n L/n, her recent single ‘Summertime Sadness,’ has shot to the top spot of this week’s Billboard Hot 100. A new sound that’s more mellow than her previous work, it’s been well received by fans and critics. L/n is finishing up the American leg of her world tour and is set to release her second studio album in the fall. Just two years ago L/n became an international star after winning two Grammys for her debut album and appearing on television such as Saturday Night Live, Ellen Degeneres, and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. With her unique voice and style she’s been viewed as the next pop diva, joining that of Madonna, Britney Spears, and Lady Gaga.”

‘Video Games’ was released when the tour concluded and it became her best single to date. The music video was played on MTV early in the mornings and predicted to be nominated for every award one could think of. It was that single combined with the critical acclaim from her album in 2011 that had Baz Luhrmann calling Y/n to write a song for his upcoming 2013 movie ‘The Great Gatsby.’

“And the Oscar goes to….” Y/n’s hand clutched her manager’s, keeping a calm face since the camera was panned on her and the other nominees. In Halle Berry’s hand was the envelope with the winner of the 2014 Oscar for ‘Best Original Song.’ Heart pumping out of her chest, she barely registered her song and name leaving the actress's lips. “Young & Beautiful,’ by Y/n L/n.”

Baz jumped from his seat, as did her manager and producer, the latter of whom she was sharing the Oscar with. A hand flew to her mouth, feeling her arm tugged as they lifted her from her seat while the theater erupted in applause. It felt like she was floating when she approached the stairs, taking the arm of her producer when he offered her help.

“Congratulations,” Halle said, opening her arms for a congratulatory hug before handing the gold statue to the singer. Y/n let out a mix of a sob and laugh as she replied, “T-thank you.”

Another statue was presented to her producer, Y/n waiting for the applause to end until giving her speech.

“O-oh my God, I just met Halle Berry,” there were some chuckles, the singer pausing to hold a hand to her thumping heart while the other clutched the Oscar. “I-I don’t know how to start. First, thank you to the Academy foremost—it’s an honor to be receiving this recognition. Shout out to the other nominees and their incredible work—you all are amazing and we’re so lucky to be almost you all. We all have one major thing in common, and that’s music. Music and movies bring people together—it’s a universal language that we get to be a part of and I am so grateful everyday for being a part of it. Thank you to Baz for allowing us this opportunity—it was so fun working on this song for you and your spectacular film. This Oscar is for you, Baz,” she saw the director blow a kiss from his seat. “Thank you to my producer, Tim—who’s standing right next to me. The magic behind Young & Beautiful, Tim you are a genius and I love you so much. Lastly, to my family back home—ah!” She waved the trophy like a little kid, “Look! I love you all so so much—thank you and I can’t wait to celebrate with you when I come home. Thank you everyone!”

Each year came with more success. The rest of 2014 going all the way to 2016 was nonstop energy. She was working day and night, touring, performing on talk shows, collaborating with other artists—like Taylor Swift, Nicki Minaj, The Weekend, & Justin Bieber—and dabbling in acting jobs. Y/n secured roles in films like The Greatest Showman, The Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials & Death Cure, & The Shape of Water. Some television roles included MTV’s Teen Wolf, American Horror Story and guest appearances on Criminal Minds, Greys Anatomy, and Doctor Who. Her role on AHS garnered her an Emmy for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series. After the award show her manager told her with a wink, “All you need is a Tony and you’re part of the EGOT club.”

EGOT. The ‘grand slam’ in show business. Where only more than a dozen people have achieved the status in which they have won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony. The biggest awards in television, music, film, and theater.

After she heard that….well you could say Y/n was on a mission.

She continued to release music while pursuing acting. She leased her third and fourth studio albums in the span of eight months—a rare sighting for an artist. Both broke records in their own right. ‘Break Free,’ was playing in every club and ‘Imagine’ was used in Riverdale. She won the Grammy for best Pop album once again and performed ‘Imagine’ at the show. The second it was revealed she got the role of Christine in Broadway’s Phantom of the Opera, the buzz was already on if she would achieve EGOT status if she was nominated for the Tony.

The show opened in early 2017, selling out at a rapid rate with people coming from all over the country solely to watch Y/n perform. She already showed the world she was a brilliant singer and actress, now it was time to combine the two.

Never did she think she’d meet the love of her life at a show.

Jake Seresin wasn’t much of a musical man, but his sister and nieces were so he sucked it up and attended with them. Now Jake wasn’t living under a rock, he damn well knew who Y/n L/n was and frankly the man was a fan. A lot of his exes were fans of the popstar so he was quite familiar with her music and even enjoyed her acting. So of course he was more keen to the idea of going to a Broadway show if it meant he got to see her perform live.

What he didn’t expect was to—literally—run into her on his way back to the hotel. After telling his sister he’d pick food up since her daughters were too tired to go to a restaurant, Jake took a shortcut which happened to be the alley between the show venue. The bag in his hand dropped, the pilot falling to his ass when the door suddenly opened and hit smack in the face.

“Oh my God, I’m so sorry!” A voice shouted followed by a gasp. “Are you okay, sir? ‘Please don’t have blood-please don’t have blood.’

“I’m fine,” he moaned, shaking his head a bit and feeling for any sign of a wound. Thankfully he found none. “It’s alright, ma’am.”

“Here let me,” she helped him up, Jake stumbling a bit and apologizing when he bumped into her. “Are you sure you’re okay? Do you need me to call an ambulance in case you have a concussion?”

“No, no,” he insisted, finally looking up which only resulted in him freezing. The woman he watched on stage not even an hour ago was standing in front of him. “Oh wow.”

Y/n was frozen too, for he was the most attractive man she’d ever laid eyes on. The glow from the street light shined down on him, illuminating his green eyes and blonde hair. His bone structure was what most Hollywood heartthrobs would die for. Come to think of it he could literally pass as a young James Dean.

“H-hi,” she smiled, feeling a bit flustered all of a sudden. It didn’t help that he was still holding onto her shoulders, and she was clutching his forearms.

“Hi.” Gosh even his voice was attractive. A southern accent could be made out with the simple word.

“I’m so sorry for not looking before pushing the door out like that. I—,” Y/n cut herself off when she spotted the discarded bag of what appeared to be food. Some of it spilled out causing guilt to fill her, “Oh gosh, I’m so sorry about your food.” Stepping away she reached into her bag to pull out her wallet. “How much was—.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Jake says, but the singer shakes her head.

“No I insist,” she takes out a random amount of bills which was likely triple what he had actually paid but she didn’t care. She extended her hand out with the cash, “I rammed a door into you and made you drop your food. Please let me make it up—otherwise I’m gonna have to drag you to the place you got it from and replace it myself.”

Jake couldn’t help but smile, taking the cash and examining it before only keeping the amount he had originally paid. “No need to give me more than what it was worth. Here,” he hands back the extra, making her frown but she takes it regardless. Her eyebrows then raise when he goes, “But you could make it up to me in another way?”

Tilting her head, she can’t help but say, “How so?”

“By having a drink with me. If you’re available.”

So that’s how Y/n L/n met her soulmate. By hitting him face first with a door. He literally fell for her if one thought about it—pun intended.

What made it even better was Broadway not only gifted her future husband, but her status as an EGOT winner.

“Last night was a record breaking night for popstar Y/n L/n. The 30-year-old singer and actress has become one of just over a dozen to join the prestigious EGOT Club after winning the Tony for her Leading Actress in a Musical for her role of Christine in Broadway’s Phantom Of The Opera. L/n won the Grammy for Best Pop Album and Record of The Year in 2009 followed by the Oscar for Best Original Song in 2014 for The Great Gatsby. She then went on to appear in several television series including the popular horror series American Horror Story in which she won the Emmy for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series. It was rumored L/n would venture into Broadway to possibly add a Tony to her collection of numerous awards, confirming this in mid-2016 when the cast for the 2017 run of Andrew Webber’s Phantom Of The Opera was released. Classically trained as a child, the popstar showed she can belt a lyric and hold a tune. It was a spectacular night for Y/n L/n, receiving a standing ovation when her name was called for the award and dedicating the Tony to her family, friends, cast members, and managers who’ve been with her since her debut in the music industry almost a decade ago. She is one of the youngest stars to ever achieve EGOT status and the fastest ever in a career.”

Many many songs were inspired by her relationship with Jake. Her entire album released a year after they got together was basically a love letter to him. ‘Love Song’ was regarded as her most beautiful record to date, a source for many fan-made videos for their favorite fictional characters and features in movie soundtracks. ‘Love Me Harder,’ & ‘34+35’ had fans go crazy with how frisky they were. Though their relationship was a secret it was obvious the popstar was in love. It only made fans want to know who was the special man to take her heart.

Jake learned pretty early on the price that came with dating a critically acclaimed songwriter: that if messed up there would be a song about it.

Immediately speculations arose that Y/n and her secret partner were broken up with the release of songs like ‘Woman Like Me,’ & ‘Power.’ She had to get on instagram one day to settle the rumors with a picture of their interlaced hands saying, “You drive me wild sometimes, but my love for you overpowers all.”

Their relationship was eventually exposed when Jake appeared in her music video for ‘Secret Love Song,’ released just shortly before he was set to return to Top Gun. People could easily tell the chemistry between Y/n and her ‘love interest’.

Maybe a little too much chemistry.

Dedicated fans were able to find out who Jake was in less than a week. Matching up his social media post locations and dates with hers, they didn’t even need them to confirm their suspicion to know they were together.

“I guess the cat’s out of the bag,” Jake chuckled, showing Y/n his phone screen with a picture that was just sent to TMZ of the two in San Francisco.

Y/n simply shrugged, “I’m fine with it if you are. I’m happy we got to keep it to ourselves for this long. And considering people are now asking about this—,” she held up her left hand, flashing the diamond engagement ring Jake spent his entire year’s paychecks on. “It was bound to happen sooner or later.”

Was Jake still the arrogant, egotistical pilot amongst his peers? Yes. But was he the type to boast about how he was engaged to one of the best musical artists of the century? Surprisingly no.

He actually enjoyed keeping that little detail a secret. To Jake his personal life was for him and him only. And he didn’t want people going around saying he was a gold-digger or wanting to be that guy who got to say he hooked up with a celebrity. Nah, he was in love with Y/n with his entire being. She was the gravity that kept him down to Earth. Sure they bickered like any couple but never once did either of them cross a line.

The only time they ever had a big argument was when he did get jealous over one of her former co-stars trying to have a shot at her. Y/n tried brushing it off saying it was nothing, but Jake could tell the signs and it upset him Y/n was not taking him seriously. “I just don’t see why you’re being so childish about a dinner party that’s gonna have multiple people.”

“Have you even asked who else is coming? Or wondered why he’s started texting you more when you guys finished filming ages ago? I’m not trying to be insecure or jealous, Y/n, but I know when a guy is trying to flirt. He didn’t even acknowledge me as your date when we were at the premier party. In fact I don’t think he said hello to me when he approached. All his eyes were was on you—which I don’t blame because you’re the most beautiful woman on the planet—but trust me, I know that look because I have it every second I’m with you.”

Needless to say you didn’t go to that dinner party and instead were doing what ‘Love Song’ was about the entire weekend.

When Jake goes to Top Gun for the special detachment, he’s still the arrogant asshole the others thought him to be. But if they were being honest they could see a difference in him. Maybe it was because he wasn’t flirting with anything with legs. Maybe it was the fact he rejected the drink from a pretty blonde. Maybe it was because they caught him smiling at his phone whenever he got a text. Whatever it was, they wanted to find out.

The only person in the detachment who knew of Y/n was Javy considering he was Jake’s best friend. She met him roughly eight months after she and Jake got together after much discussion. Their relationship was still a secret by then so they were hesitant to let anyone besides her team know, but Javy was an important person to Jake. He wanted his best friend to know the woman he loved.

Natasha being the amateur sleuth she was pretty much discovered Jake’s secret in a few days, “No fucking way.”

The evidence was presented to Jake during their lunch break the day after she found out, Nat holding the phone up for him to see. She literally watched the gears turn in his head, a sly smirk forming on his lips. “What about that, Trace?” The question caught the attention of their colleagues, who were trying not to show they were eavesdropping.

“Is that not you?” Nat looked at the screen to make sure it was on the zoomed in image of him and Y/n L/n. The entire music video Jake’s face was pretty much hidden from view, but briefly his face could be made out at certain angles.

“It is,” he shrugged, going back to his sandwich. A cluttered sound indicated Nat had dropped the phone on the table, scrambling to pick it up.

“So you just casually ended up in Y/n L/n’s music video for her iconic song?” By now heads turned, expressions of absolute shock. Well all except Coyote. He just raised his brows at Jake while holding back a laugh, wanting to see what he would say.

“No, I ended up in my fiancé’s music video for her iconic song.”

“You’re what?!”

“Babe, I got a favor to ask you,” Jake’s voice was tainted with exhaustion when he FaceTimed Y/n that night. She was at their Fresno home since he was stationed at NAS Lemoore and was planning to meet him in San Diego that weekend. Raising a brow at him through the screen she could tell he looked apologetic.

“What is it?”

“You think you could come down earlier than planned?” At her reaction he explained, “My detachment found out about us and well……they’re accusing me of photoshopping the photos of you and I—even though they literally saw us make out in your music video. And I want to prove to them I’m telling the truth.”

A moment passed and then Y/n burst into laughter to the point of tears. What got her was the photoshopping accusation.

“Stop laughing,” he pouted, “I’m fighting for me life out here—I could use some backup.”

“My goodness, Jake Seresin,” she calmed down, shaking her head at his butt hurt expression. “You’re something else you know?”

“So does that mean you’re coming?”

“I’ll book my flight for the morning as soon as we get off.”

One could envision the confusion on the pilots/WSOs when Jake prevented them from leaving the airstrip at the end of the work day. It was pushing five in the afternoon, they were tired and hungry, and honestly could care less about what Jake had to show them.

That was until the black SUV with tinted windows pulled up to the parking lot where they were standing. When the door opened jaws dropped to the floor with eyes bulging out at the person emerging from the vehicle. Who happened to jump into Jake’s awaiting arms. Fanboy had to rub his eyes to make sure he was seeing clearly. That it was Y/n L/n sharing a kiss with the resident asshole.

“Oh my God he wasn’t kidding,” Rooster said with a mix of awe and disbelief. Javy patted him on the chest, moving first to greet the popstar who shocked the pilots again with her warm welcome to them. None knew how to react when the couple approached hand in hand.

It’s not everyday someone meets a fucking EGOT winner.

“Hello,” Y/n smiled a dazzling grin, drifting her eyes over each of them and committing their callsign to memory. She could tell what they were likely thinking, ‘How the hell did Hangman manage to pull a fucking popstar?’ And ‘He must be brainwashing her, blink twice if you need help,’ kind of stuff.

Introductions were in store as well as explanations for how the couple came to be. In all the years they knew the pilot, none could’ve predicted that kind of secret. They quickly learned Y/n was not the typical celebrity—some of them were even ashamed to think she’d be stuck up, arrogant, snobbish. They were almost convinced the personality she had in interviews and fan interactions were fake, but Y/n was a truly genuine person. Not only did she come from humble beginnings, but she was a hard, driven worker who truly earned everything she’s gained.

And she was perfect for Jake. They were like two peas in a pod, with Y/n being the only one who could bring him back down to earth. Truly was an amazing thing to witness and the daggers were having trouble comprehending it at times. Hearing the story of how the two met brought tears to Rooster and Fanboy’s eyes by how funny it was, while Phoenix was covering her mouth to hide her smirk at how embarrassed her colleague was.

“In my defense,” he puts his hands on his chest when Bob asks why he thought to pass the side door, “I didn’t expect anyone to still be inside and potentially use that door.”

“He just hates when I tease him about how he literally fell for me,” Y/n winks, making them all smirk.

Later on in the night after going to the Hard Deck for drinks and pool, Rooster says, “You know I feel I won’t be able to use my karaoke song if we ever go cause I’ll be too flustered to sing a song in front of the person it’s written by.” Y/n couldn’t help but blush, giggling lightly.

“What is it?”

“Last Friday Night. Such a banger—really gets the crows going.”

Even after the Uranium mission happened, the daggers continued to remain in contact. Many were offered jobs of instructors but the real surprise came a couple months later from the Pentagon asking if they could remain a permanent team. Selling their San Francisco home, Jake and Y/n moved to San Diego, which was better since it was closer to L.A. The team hung out often with Friday nights reserved for the Hard Deck.

Y/n even found musical inspiration with them.

“So I have a proposal,” she hums to Nat and Callie one day while the guys are playing football on the beach. “Not a marriage one Jake claimed that one already,” she pauses when they all laugh at the joke, “but a ‘if you want to be a part of it I would love it if you did but I understand if you can't be’ kind of one.”

Nat tilts her head curiously, Callie mirroring her, “What is it?”

“I wrote a song….that you two helped inspire,” Y/n smiles at their expressions, “and I’d love for you both to be in the music video after I release it.”

Nat loses it, “OH MY GOD YOU WHAT?!!”

“Can we hear it!?” Callie blushes, “I’m so honored—oh my God I literally don’t know how to react to that.”

“Girl you cannot just drop that on us,” Nat playfully points with narrowed eyes, “If you weren’t Jake’s soon to be wife I would marry you right now.” Y/n just laughs, rummaging through her bag to find her notebook to show them the song.

“If he messes up you’ll be the first to know and we can head to the courthouse.”

“Don’t play with me now, Y/n,” Nat shakes her head. “No man has ever done something like that. Write a song inspired by me?” She gives a dramatic sigh. “Feels like I’m living in a romance novel.”

Both read the song, both fell in love with it and pretty much cried. It was empowering, motivational, a love letter to women, everything they wished they heard growing up in a field where men dominated and looked down upon them. Y/n made sure to keep them updated when she was in the studio, allowing them to hear it first before it was released.

2020 was a year no one could’ve expected.

It started off great with the singer releasing ‘Salute,’ shortly after the New Year and filing the music video in February. The song was well received from fans and critics, with people already calling it the ‘anthem of the year.’ Jake loved it and would send clips of him in the car to Y/n belting the lyrics. The guys all loved it too and loved that their colleagues were the source of inspiration.

Halo and Phoenix were part of the MV as well as women who in real life were doctors, nurses, lawyers, teachers, athletes, students, astronauts, & scientists from all ages, races/ethnicities, genders, etc. Not all of them were in the armed forces, but a couple were along with Nat and Callie. Special permission from the Navy & Top Gun was needed to put cameras in the F-18’s on the exterior and interior to capture footage of the two flying. Halo was Nat’s backseater for that day and the guys came out just to watch and support.

Released just before March, the music video hit 100 million views in less than 12 hours. It only grew from there with people praising Y/n and the women included in the project. There was talk of ‘Salute’ being nominated for the upcoming awards, Team USA asked permission to use the song for promotion for their women athletes for the upcoming Games. Y/n was over the moon, really looking forward for what the year held. Especially with her wedding around the corner.

Then the world shut down. Literally.

A global pandemic altered everything and everyone. Anything that required a group of people ranging from small to stadium level was banned. States were on curfew and not letting people cross borders, international traveling was restricted. Lockdown was mandated for pretty much everywhere to the point Jake was working from home for a couple months.

In that time Y/n threw herself into writing songs to release her next album. Her reason: she was in need of a break. Not a ‘I’m retiring from music,’ but a ‘I’m drained and in dire need of taking time for myself and start the family I’ve always wanted.’ It was always her plan for after she and Jake got married, just to have a few years for themselves and see where life takes them.

Thankfully when the pandemic hit Y/n was already done with her collaboration with Lady Gaga. The fellow popstar had been her friend since she joined the industry and it was a long time coming for the two to work together. Not to mention they were on American Horror Story together. The Mother Monster approached the High Note Princess in late 2019, both sharing ideas and writing the song together before recording to release in 2020. Filming the music video, they combed both of their aesthetics and styles to create a pop masterpiece.

Fans went crazy. They loved the return to classic pop when both singers had gone off to pursue acting careers and change their sound a bit. Many felt deprived of being able to dance to ‘Rain On Me’ in a club since going out was restricted. And you can best believe the Daggers felt the same—especially Rooster who loved to dance his ass off, “I would be tearing it up right now if Rona wasn’t such a bitch.”

Surprisingly the 2020 VMAs still happened. It was roughly six months after the outbreak and very strict regulations were in place for the show to go on. With ‘Rain On Me,’ being so popular and popstars releasing albums, Y/n and Lady Gaga were invited to perform. After prepping for weeks and self-quarantining, the daggers all gathered around at the couple’s home to watch the live show. Lady Gaga was the first to perform solely when it was their turn, then Y/n joined causing the select few in the crowd to cheer—with her friends and loved ones going crazy in their living room. All were in awe when she hit a high note, killing it with the choreography and honestly being the best performers of the night. Finally Lady Gaga left the stage with her dancers allowing Y/n’s to appear in time for the popstar to sing ‘Salute.’ At the house, Halo and Nat were dancing along and belting the lyrics with the guys while recording the performance on their phones.

“Sisters, we are everywhere! Warriors, your country needs you! If you’re ready, ladies, better keep steady, ready, aim, shoot! Don’t need ammunition, on a mission—now we hit you with the truth! Divas, queen, we don’t need no man, SALUTE!!”

2021 came with hope and breaths of fresh air. A vaccination was developed, restrictions were lifted in most locations meaning Y/n and Jake could finally plan for their wedding. It took a few months to plan, desiring an intimate private wedding at their home with their close friends and family. The daggers were all there, including Maverick, Cyclone, Warlock, and Hondo. Their families were all there as well as Y/n’s managers & agents, some cast members from the shows/films she grew close to, as well as artists like Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga, Alicia Keys, David Guetta, and The Black Eyed Peas, the Jonas Brothers, & Miley Cyrus.

A sweet ceremony, Y/n squealed when Jake tipped her back to the cheers of their loved ones as he kissed her passionately. “I love you so much, Y/n. Or should I say, Mrs. Seresin.”

“I love you too, Mr. Seresin,” she kissed him again, “Now let’s show them we’re the life of the party.”

Rings on their fingers, grins plastered their faces when they ran through the Arch of Swords the guys of the Dagger Squad set up on the aisle. Then came time for the reception. Jake presented Y/n with a sword, per military tradition, to cut the cake and Y/n poured the champagne over the tower of glasses. They had their first dance, which Javy made sure to do his best man duties and record everything.

Which came in handy when it was time for Y/n’s surprise for Jake.

Seating him in a chair at the front of the dance floor, Y/n smirked at his confused expression as she took the mic from the DJ, calling everyone's attention. “All of you know I’m one for surprises. And tonight is no exception,” biting her lip she signaled for her maid of honor, who started rounding up the bridesmaids. “I thought it would be great to give Jake a little treat tonight—do not take that the wrong way, I can already see your minds going somewhere,” she pointed at the daggers who were hollering, giggling as she continued, “Stop it. Anyways, we’ve been cooking up this little number for the past month and now it’s time to let it shine. Baby, this is for you.”

Jake slapped a hand to his mouth containing his expression of glee when the opening chords to Y/n’s ‘Power’ echoed through the speakers. Her bridesmaids got into place, the singer discarding her veil and moving to the center. Everyone was on their feet hooting and hollering, capturing the performance on their phones for memory. Javy even put the phone right up in Jake’s face, Payback slapping the pilot on the back as the others whistled and danced. Just the expression of his mother and family sent Jake into tears of laughter.

She was flabbergasted. Unlike his sister and brother who were having the time of their lives witnessing the masterpiece that was Y/n practically seducing her husband live and singer her own song.

“I don’t think she’s heard this song until now!” He shouted over the music to the phone, blushing when Y/n winked at him. To be fair, the bridge of ‘Power’ was a little on the frisky side and Y/n was edging closer to Jake until she was basically in his lap.

“Don’t be fooled, I got you wrapped up. In the arms of an animal—get you thinking that I’m all innocent. But wait ‘til I get you home. If you don’t, baby, you should know. I’m the one who’s in control.”

Hell yeah she was in control when she got home that night….well at least for a few rounds she was.

Sadness came with the announcement of her break from music. The hot topic for media outlets, Y/n had released a statement on Twitter and Instagram confirming the suspicions many had after her wedding. Fans were understandably upset that their favorite artist wouldn’t be releasing new material until further notice, but they’d rather have Y/n at her best and not give half ass energy in her work. She was burnt out. It was time for a break after 13 years with six albums, each with their own tour. Don’t get her wrong, the popstar loved to be on the road, but after a while she was ready to just stay home for some time without planning for what was next.

In the meantime she sold songs for other people, collaborated on writing with artists, and acted when filming was either in L.A or San Diego. She and Jake were happily married, little to no financial stress or personal issues, and were ready to expand their family. By mid 2025 they had/adopted two kids, two dogs, and a cat. They were a full house with no dull days whatsoever.

“Are you going to get back in the studio like you mentioned the other week?” Jake asked at dinner, helping cut his son's food into smaller pieces.

Y/n nibbled on her floor while also assisting their daughter, “Yeah I think this weekend I’m gonna call Jack up and see what his schedule is like. I got some lyrics I’d like him to read.” Sipping on her drink briefly she then asks, “How long do you think this next mission is going to be?”

“Probably a week or two. Mav is working out the details and hopes to tell us Monday. I just pray I’ll make it in time for your birthday.”

Y/n feels her heart skip, giving a soft smile, “You know I understand if you can’t, honey. If the Pentagon is tasking you then you know it’s important. We’ll celebrate either before or after you get back,” she assured, reaching over to hold his hand when he frowned.

“I just hate the idea of missing it, you know? It’s your birthday and I missed our anniversary last year,” he pauses to sigh, “I just hate leaving you guys for so long. And I never wanna make you feel like you’re always alone.”

“I knew what I was getting into when we fell in love. Don’t feel like you’re missing out or I’m going to suddenly start giving ultimatums because you know I’m not that person. If it was our anniversary or another memorable date I would still feel the same. You have a job, Jake, you’re the best there is to do it. There will be plenty more birthdays for us to be together for.”

Being back in the studio felt like a whole new world. It had been nearly five years since her last single was in late 2020. When Jake was working the kids would come with her and be the stars of the crew, playing in the mini play area they had set up while Y/n was recording. Besides the people she worked with, only Jake knew she was releasing new music. Quite literally Y/n did not announce anything until the night before with a single Tweet and Instagram post with the art cover and the caption, “Tomorrow at midnight, Between Us.”

She broke the internet to put it lightly.

@ Y/ns_microphone: WE’RE GETTING NEW MUSIC OMFG PLEASE TELL ME IT’S A WHOLE ALBUM!!

@ livinginharryshouse: y’all the High Note Princess is back I’m gonna lose it.

@ a_teenage_dream: 2025 ending on a great note 🥹 five years and the wait is over!!!!

@ dylanobrien ✔️: crying, shitting, throwing up. Thank you @ Y/n

August 2026

18 years in the music industry and the rush before a live performance had Y/n pacing backstage during the commercial break of the VMAs. Their children were being occupied by her manager while Jake helped her mentally prepare. He was going to be the one to present her the award at the end of her set, so they were just waiting for the green light from the stage manager. The performance was going to be nearly ten minutes, the longest she’s ever done live on an award show since it was going to be a medley of some of her classic hits while also including ‘Between Us’. Lady Gaga, Y/n’s close friend and who collaborated with her again on her most recent album, was going to introduce her.

“Deep breaths with me, baby,” Jake held her in his arms, kissing her forehead. “I can feel you shaking. But once you get on stage it’s gonna be like you never left.” Taking a strong inhale, Y/n let it out slowly before repeating.

“I know it probably won’t happen,” she starts to laugh, “but I can’t help but dread the idea of me falling on my ass or forgetting my lyrics.” Jake laughs with her, shaking his head while pulling away to look at her.

“Knowing you, you’d fall gracefully and make it look like it was intentional. Also you mumble those lyrics in your sleep…you won’t forget them.”

She leans more into him just as the stage manager yells, “You’re on in five, Y/n!” The commercial break must have ended. Lady Gaga was already being pulled on stage after wishing the popstar good luck with a hug and friendly kiss to the cheek. “We need you over here please.”

“That’s your cue,” Jake grins, cupping his wife’s face before bringing her in for a passionate kiss. Y/n smiles into it, nuzzling their noses together causing him to chuckle. When they pull away he says, “Go out there and have fun. Bottom line, baby, have fun out there and sing your heart out. I’m so lucky and honored to be your husband and share this life with you. Don’t start crying,” he playfully scolds when her eyes tear up, “you’ll ruin your nice makeup your team worked so hard on.” That makes her laugh. Jake kisses her again, “I love you, baby. I’ll see you at the end.”

“I love you, Jake,” she hugs him tightly, feeling comfort in the smell of his cologne. “Thank you for being by my side everyday. You’re the light of my life—,” she nods to the stage manager who was waving frantically. “Fuck okay, I wanted to be more romantic but I got to go before they drag me.”

“Go, go,” he kisses her cheek, Y/n moving quickly to kiss her children and hug her managers before waving goodbye. “We love you!!”

Running to the nearly annoyed stage manager, she throws off her robe to reveal her stage outfit and takes the microphone. Heart pounding, she adjusts her earpiece as they escort her to the spot she was needed just as Lady Gaga finished her introduction speech, “Los Angeles and to everyone watching at home, it is my honor to present to you your recipient of this year’s MTV Video Vanguard Award. Get on your feet and make some noise for the one and only, Y/n L/n!!”

It was still dark on stage where Y/n was hidden from the audience as all attention went to the giant screens all around showing the pre-recorded video montage with her face in black and white and eyes closed. The crowd was already going crazy as the camera zoomed in toward Y/n’s face while audio played of her talking about her love for music and the thrill of performing. The camera continued to pan in, the popstar on stage thinking about everything that had led her to that moment. From starting out her days singing in a jazz club, to becoming one of only 19 EGOT winners, and now the recipient of the Video Vanguard award.

The microphone went to her mouth, Y/n putting on the show of the year when the video ended with her eyes opening and voice echoing the music channel’s iconic phrase in the stadium, “I want my MTV!!”

…………

TGM Tag List: @avaleineandafryingpan, @caitsymichelle13, @poppyalice2001, @cutelittlepotatofry, @luckyladycreator2, @americaarse, @elenavampire21, @back-tooo-black

#Spotify #jake seresin imagine #jake seresin x reader #Jake seresin #hangman x you #hangman x reader #hangman imagine #lt jake seresin #jake hangman seresin #jake seresin x you #glen powell #top gun maverick imagine #top gun maverick fanfiction #top gun imagine #tgm imagine #dagger squad #dagger squad x reader #dagger squad imagine #popstar!reader #singer!reader #tgm x reader #jake seresin fluff #tgm fluff #hangman fluff

[autumnmobile12]

New Comic Coming Soon

We're back to Ambush Simulation, people!

You know, it's understandable one would get lost wandering around in the woods at night. It's just a little embarrassing to be the only one who got lost in a group that also includes someone as chaotic as Twice.

If you missed Part 1 and want to check out an Alternate Universe comic where the Vanguard are running a villain attack simulation on behalf of UA, click the link above.

Stayed tuned.

#my hero academia #ambush simulation #league of villains #dabi #mr compress #spinner #toga himiko #magne #twice #vanguard action squad #summer camp arc #my hero academy fanart #alternate universe #comic #fanart comic #alternate universe comic #boku no hero academia #bnha #mha #boku no hero academia fanart

[22jjajangmyeon]

happy half-anniversary tempus vanguard! it's a tempest night, you guys are wandering~

#art #digital art #illustration #ibis paint x #hololive #holostars #holotempus #tempus vanguard #gavis bettel #machina x flayon #banzoin hakka #josuiji shinri #ensemble stars #almost forgot to post this #im giving ten bucks to all my followers #if tempus ends up covering tempest night one day

[strawberrylabs]

Whumptober day 7 with Kokomi!

Prompt: "can you hear me?"

Whumptober masterlist

Summary: Even a master strategist fails sometimes. What a pity that this time her failure cost more than usual.

Warnings: war, corpses, death, injury, blood, drowning

The strategy was flawless.

Gorou was leading the Vanguard, while you lead the second force around the island the day before the battle to cut off the enemy supplies.

It was a great plan, as expected of the high priestess of Sangonomiya.

It was noon the day before the battle, and it was time for your team to leave so you'd get to the beach in time.

"Good luck. Please be safe my pearl." Kokomi held your face as she looked into your eyes.

You smiled at her, before leaning in to give her a gentle kiss.

"Everything will be fine. It is your plan after all!"

You waved her off as your team moved out of the camp.

Kokomi was always worried whe you went off into battle.

As the strategist, she was never present during battles, she simply saw the outcome.

You often likened her to a chess player.

Watching over her pieces on the board, but never actually being the one in the battle.

She had joked that you meant she would sacrifice people for the greater good.

You corrected her by saying

"Actually, you more remind me of a kid who started learning chess and still gets upset when losing pieces, even if there was no way around it."

You had meant it in a teasing way, but it meant more to her than it should have.

It meant you knew she would always try to save everyone with her strategies. Including this one.

The strategy was flawless.

Gorou was leading the Vanguard, while you lead the second force around the island the day before the battle to cut off the enemy supplies.

It was a great plan, as expected of the high priestess of Sangonomiya.

So then why

Why was Kokomi standing on the beach that served as a battlefield, mere hours after the Resistance's devasting loss, looking at her fallen comrades.

The plan ended up a disaster. The enemy managed to get reinforcements and supplies through their line- something your team was supposed to stop.

Which begs the question...

...what happened to your team?

As much as Kokomi wanted to run to your supposed location, she had duties here-

"Go. I can handle this." Gorou looked at Kokomi with sympathy and understanding.

"I..." Kokomi looked around at her comrades. So much blood. So much death. So many corpses. She knew she had to be here.

And yet...

"Thank you"

She ran.

Many had not seen the Divine Priestess run, and those who had would say she ran as gracefully as her title suggested.

If people were to compare her every movement as being as graceful as water, then her movements now were a storm.

Tripping over bodies in a morose display of failure.

She would not cry. Crying was as good as admitting you were dead.

But Kokomi was smart

She knew the odds were stacked against her, as if the archon's themselves had turned their backs on her.

She made it where your squad should be.

Another sea of corpses awaited her. Enemies and friends alike skewed across the sand, as if someone had dug out graveyard.

Your team was overwhelmed. By the looks of it, the enemy predicted what Kokomi planned, and had set a trap for you.

Kokomi began to slowly wander around the lifeless mounds of flesh, praying to whatever god, archon or even curse was listening.

She called you name

"Can you hear me?"

She almost felt tendrils of hope wrap themselves around her heart

Until the claws of despair sink themselves in instead.

She sees you, face down in the shallow water of the shore.

If it weren't for the multiple arrows in your back, she would have worried about you drowning.

Kokomi fell to her knees

The blood of her friends, enemies, and most of all her lover mixed sickeningly in the water beneath her, staining her robs and skin.

She knows that she'll never be able to wash the feeling of the viscous solution off her skin.

She pulls you into her lap.

"I'm sorry.."

"Everything will be fine. It is your plan after all!"

"I'm so sorry..."

In the solitude of the seaside execution sight

The Divine Priestess of Watatsumi island allowed herself to weep.

#whumptober2023 #no. 7 #kokomi x reader #death tw #war tw #blood tw #drowning tw #kokomi x reader angst #genshin impact

[armoredisopod]

New Event PV

New Operators

Lutonada, 4* Juggernaut Defender

Stopping strife is a better consolation than mourning.

Odda, 5* Welfare 撼地者 Guard (new branch, translates to "Earthshaker")

Don't get too close. The flames will spatter.

Aroma, 5* Blast Caster

Just in time, i'd also like to test out a new foam formula.

Ascalon, 6* Ambusher Specialist

Fate, i've chased it, faced it, killed it.

And so have you.

Operator Skins Update

4 new additions for the Epoque brand

Pinecone's Season of Travel

Cement's New Business

Corroserum's Leisure

Qiubai's Courtesy

Announced skin reruns

Series XXIV Epoque skins (Horn, Heidi, Harmonie)

Series II Raythean Striker skins (Siege, Indra, Scavenger)

Heavyrain's Tranquil Moss

Skadi's The Next Afternoon Tea

Operator Modules Update

Lutonada, Aroma and Ascalon being part of branches with modules immediately get their modules

UNY-X module base effect makes Lutonada take 15% less damage from enemies she's blocking

BLA-X module base effect increases Aroma's ATK when attacking enemies further away from her position

AMB-X module base effect reduces the movement speed of enemies inside Ascalon's range by 20%

Tactician Vanguard branch gets 2 module types

Module 1 given to Beanstalk

Module 2 given to Muelsyse, Vigil and Blacknight

Ho'olheyak gets her second module

CCR-Y module base effect grants Ho'olheyak 1 SP when attacking Elite or Leader type enemies

Events and Stories

Babel, a side story event

O wandering one, how should i tell you this past event?

People walk together in unity of purpose, but are separated by difference in beliefs.

Go on, remember, remember—

Witness how people love, betray and die.

Remember this, and don't forget it.

Operator Archives update for Penance, Spuria, Lunacub and Verdant

Record Restore update for Stultifera Navis

Misc Stuff

Annihilation #25 - "Eccentricity" Lab, annihilation mission set in Columbia

SSS New Season #5, Clamour Zone Security Service - The Noise Correction Band & Box Inc.

#arknights #arknights CN news

[lambsouvlaki]

For the Hell of it - Coming Home

Character: Jason Todd x civilian! Fem!oc

Rating and Warnings: SFW

Word Count: 1257

Summary: Jason comes home from a long trip away from Gotham and visits Andy. Both of them try very hard to pretend they're not yearning.

Masterlist

Jason arrived back to Gotham after two months in space.

He was sore, tired, and annoyed. He hated space. There was never enough room, the food was terrible, and no matter how much you liked your fellow voyagers, the close quarters and endless hours with nothing to do meant he spent the whole time in endless petty arguments. 

He was pretty sure he owed half the Outlaws apologies for the stupid shit he said on the ride home. 

He dumped his bag of gear in the doorway of his cold apartment. The lights took a second to come on and bathed the rooms in bleak white light. He pulled out his phone and saw the backlog of messages and calls. He scrolled past and deleted most of them. 

Andy had sent him a backlog of memes. A tired smile tugged at his mouth. 

He had thought giving her some space while he was in actual space would probably be good for both of them. He hadn’t had this much to do with someone outside of the hero scene since before his death. It wasn’t fair to her when she didn’t know the danger inherent with his company. 

He chuckled at a hideous meme about Nicholas Nickleby. Damn, he had missed her. 

He’d forgotten just how stabilising it was to have civilian friends. How relaxing it was. It kind of weirded him out sometimes. No wonder Dick was always hassling Bruce to go socialise. 

He flipped her a message, letting her know he was back. 

He shucked off his shirt and took a shower. He rewrapped his bandages but couldn’t be bothered shaving. His stubble was really just a beard by now. Tomorrow’s problem.

In a towel and slippers he wandered back through his apartment. Was it always so draughty? He’d forgotten to turn the heating on or close the curtains. He pulled the fridge open. 

It was completely empty. 

He tipped his head back and sighed for about a million years. 

Of course he’d cleared everything out before he left. He wasn’t an idiot. And there was plenty of shelf stable food in the pantry, he could technically feed every bat in the city for a year, but he was not eating rehydrated food from a packet tonight. He refused. 

His phone buzzed on the counter. He flipped it over. Andy’s face glowed next to a message asking if he wanted to come over for dinner. 

‘Got a giant pot pie in the oven,’ she said. 

He grinned. He wasn’t going to say yes, all he needed was a quiet night decompressing. Still. The thought counted. 

He opened a delivery app.

Andy sent him a photo. Her giant dog’s soulful eyes and fluffy snout took over the screen. 

‘Marlow doesn’t want you to eat sad take out in a sad empty apartment.’

‘My apartment isn’t sad,’ he replied.

‘But it doesn’t have Marlow. Who’s begging will you cave to and give the scraps from your plate?’

‘Marlow makes a compelling case.’

He flicked back to the delivery app. He scrolled by pizza and stir fry and curry. He opened the fridge again. Still empty.  

He opened the chat. 

‘What kind of pot pie?’

‘Beef burgundy.’

He leaned his head against the fridge door. 

‘I’ll be there in twenty

‘😀’

He threw some pants and an old shirt on and grabbed a bottle of wine from the depths of his pantry. 

Shortly after he climbed the stairs to Andy’s apartment. It was a nice enough spot for Crime Alley, a corner apartment on the top level. The elevator didn’t work, the paint was peeling, and the balcony was technically condemned, but the landlord hadn’t put the rent up in five years. A steal. 

He heard excited dog noises from behind the door before he even knocked. His shoulders relaxed.

The door swung open a moment later and Andy grinned up at him, the vanguard of a wave of wave air that enveloped him. He was holding a bottle of wine, she was holding a potato peeler. He folded her into a hug. She squeezed him happily. 

She took the wine, and he soon found himself sitting on the living room floor, his back against the couch, with a giant happy dog sitting on his legs. He was warm and sank into a puddle of golden afternoon light. Delicious smells wafted in from the kitchen and MASH reruns played quietly on the tv. He had somehow ended up holding the potato peeler.

“Can I help?” he called, even though he suspected if he had to stand up again he might just cry. 

Andy laughed from the kitchen. “Absolutely not.” 

He draped his arms over Marlow’s back, and let his head fall back against the couch. A contented huff came from the dog. Jason closed his eyes. 

When next he opened them the light had changed. 

The curtains were closed. A reading lamp off to the side cast diffuse orange light across the room. The opening credits for a later season of MASH played quietly on the tv. 

He turned his head, groggy and unconcerned. Andy sat curled up on the couch behind him and to the side. He spied a scraped empty plate next to her and an open book on the arm rest. The dog had dragged over his bed and was sleeping next to both of them. 

He looked up at her for a moment, studying her. The curl of her hand against her cheek. The little flyaway of her hair curling over her forehead. One shoulder of her cardigan slipping down her arm. Her toes tucked under a couch cushion. If he was a painter, he would want to paint her here, now. 

“Dinner’s in the oven for you,” she said quietly. 

His stomach reminded him of how pressing a concern that was. 

He clambered up with a groan. Marlow came along to the kitchen to see what he was doing, and then back again to sit optimistically at his feet. 

Jason sat next to Andy on the couch and ate his fill.

“I forgot how good a cook you are,” he moaned. 

She beamed. 

He pointed with his fork. “My turn, next time. I owe you.”

Her smile turned lazy. “Sure. Next time I fall off the map for two months and resurface with a beard and a full week of sleep debt, you can do the cooking.”

He narrowed his eyes while chewing his mashed potatoes. “Cute.” 

“You’re cute.” 

“Yeah I am. Fuckin’ adorable.” 

“Missed you, Jay.”

Something thick lodged in his throat. Too much, it was too much, if he opened his mouth something stupid would come out. 

Andy’s expression shuttered. She looked down at her book. 

“Too much peace and quiet without me?” he managed. He aimed for soft, and not sharp, and hoped like hell he succeeded. He was too rough and jagged for this kind woman. She didn’t deserve his bullshit. 

“Not enough peace and quiet,” she said like nothing had happened. “I can’t trick anyone else into walking Marlow for me. He’s taken to whining about it.” 

The dog sat up straighter at hearing his name.

“Really? Two whole months and nobody’s replaced me as his favourite?”

She shrugged and reached out to rub behind his ears. “No other contenders.”

“Well they’re missing out,” Jason said. He rubbed Marlow’s flank. 

They petted opposite sides of the dog, not making eye contact. Marlow, who had never hesitated to love anyone in his life, was perfectly happy to receive their affections.

Next>>

#jason todd #red hood #jason todd x fem!reader #jason todd x oc #jason todd x reader #red hood x oc #my fanfic #for the hell of it #dc #fluff #yearning #your honor they're in love #and useless idiots

[demdems]

Listen,

additional bullet points i could not fit</3 and spoilers for mostly every AQ up to 4.2 ->

wanderer & childe:

- manipulated/used by higher rank harbinger [childe by signora during liyue's AQ & arlecchino during fontaine's AQ, wanderer by dottore in sumeru's AQ]

- follow up: Being Dehumanized 101 [wanderer was crafted into an artificial god, childe is the tsaritsa's vanguard and lowest ranked harbinger used as a pawn by other harbingers]

- current status unknown at the end of AQ [wanderer left collapsed at the end of the fight w/ the traveler in sumeru, childe yeeted thru a rift in space by skirk and supposedly dropped off back home during fontaine]

- lost to traveler in a fight [see: weekly bosses]

- mr. worldwide [wanderer appeared in mondstadt, inazuma, and sumeru as the harbinger scaramouche; childe was in liyue, inazuma, fontaine; both most definitely have been in snezhnaya due to current/former harbinger status but unofficial in terms of an actual AQ in the nation as of now]

childe & furina:

- dragon acquaintance [see the funny thing is that we can count neuvillette twice]

- kept fontaine safe [childe's month long fight w/ the narwhal, furina's 500 year con as the hydro archon]

- follow up: Thanks, I'll See Myself Out [hoyoverse seemingly neglected writing any scene where childe or furina were ever acknowledged for their efforts during the final act of the AQ, I helped save fontaine and all I got was this dumb shirt]

- never ending performance, the façade of a lifetime [childe playing the part of the perfect older brother and the tsaritsa's vanguard and the 11th harbinger, furina playing the part of the hydro archon]

furina & wanderer:

- started a new life following the events of the sumeru/fontaine archon quests

- part of their self was killed/erased [focalors's death to fulfill the prophecy, wanderer's previous identities erased from teyvat to properly start over]

all three of them:

- degree of abandonment from parents/ parental-esque figure [ei effectively discarding wanderer for being human, childe's parents handing him over to the fatui following his return from the abyss, focalors dying and leaving furina to stumble thru the fall out by herself]

- unique gameplay [not a lore relevant analysis im just a meta nut lol, all three have some sort of "stance" change, childe's melee hydro swords, wanderer's levitation during his skill, furina's pneuma/ousia mechanic]

- god's favorite/has a favorite god [childe "nothing but respect for MY archon, long reign the tsaritsa" tartaglia, nahida and wanderer obviously, god loves/hates you enough to make u have the worst job for 500 yrs sorry furina]

- "you were Not supposed to do that" and other fun things these three did [childe fell into the abyss and intentionally or not ended up causing the flooding of fontaine, wanderer tried to become god and then later erased his former existence from teyvat, furina was The monumental player in focalors's plan to kill the hydro archon and trick celestia and kept the charade up for 500 yrs]

- my elaboration on eldest daughter syndrome is that i have no elaboration [childe and furina fit for it but i have no clue why i counted it for wanderer, see: never ending performance^]

#there are probably more points that could be added but this is all i could think of myself #genshin impact #furina genshin #wanderer genshin #childe genshin #demdems.txt #originally i thought of this trio bc i thought having the same gender hc for all three was funny #but then i realised i accidentally opened my third eye

[jate-kara]

*gentle yelling* Write something! If you need a prompt, maybe something fluffy or just soft in a fandom of your choice?

Tuesday felt like Tuesday. Which felt like Monday. Which felt like every other day before that. Sun rose. Sun set. The City carried on.

And Cayde watched it all from The Prison of Zavala.

"C'mon," Cayde groaned, draping himself across the back of the office chair he was supposed to be occupying. "Please tell me you’ve got something for me to do."

On the other side of his desk, Zavala was so immovable that he could give the sculptures in the courtyard a run for their money. Cayde waved a hand in front of him, just to test the theory. In the old days, he would have had to brace for a Titan Glare.

But now, just like every other time Cayde had spun in his chair, or rearranged the bookshelf, or paced with the very deliberate goal of actually wearing a hole in the floor, Zavala remained steadfast. All Cayde got for his efforts was a soft snort that might have passed for a laugh. Zavala's mouth twitched. Just barely. Possibly a smirk.

"Okay, that means I won this round." Cayde pulled his hand back and slumped down into his chair.

"I wasn't aware we were playing a game." Zavala, for the first time all morning, set aside his datapad. His tone betrayed no irritation or annoyance, though Cayde strained with every power he had to hear it. "However, if we were, I believe I would still be ahead, four to one."

It struck Cayde to silence. It wasn't like Zavala had never indulged his games before, or cracked the worst deadpan joke on the planet. But he, like most people, had a limit to his tolerance for interruptions, and more specifically, Cayde’s interruptions. He should have tossed him out on his ass two hours ago.

"All right, I give up," Cayde huffed. "Put me under constant surveillance if you have to. Have three fireteams tail me around the Tower. Just-"

"You'd lose them in the first five minutes."

"Not the point."

"That would defeat the entire purpose."

"The Young Wolf! Where's my favorite Guardian at? They've killed how many gods now? Sticking with me should be no problem."

"The Young Wolf has more important things to do."

Cayde slumped onto the desk and propped his chin on his arms. "And the Titan Vanguard doesn't?"

That unshakeable composure cracked, just a little. "You should continue reviewing the mission reports. You have a lot to catch up on."

Cayde was quiet for a beat. Zavala’s tone had been carefully pitched for a soft reproach, more like a gentle reminder. In fact, everything he’d said in the last three days had been said with that same gentle note. Not like it was unlike him; the big guy had a heart of gold. But three days was a long time to be stuck in the same room with anyone, let alone Cayde.

“Hey, Zavala,” Cayde started, pushing himself back upright. “You’re not keeping me here for surveillance, are you?”

Zavala arched an eyebrow. “Your reports,” he reminded, measured, but not quite even.

“Nah, I think I’ve read enough reports, thanks.”

Zavala met his gaze squarely. Cayde didn’t flinch. “You said it yourself: there’s no way to prove if I’m me or I’m a me the Witness made to act like me or - whatever. You’re not gonna learn anything keeping me locked up here. And I know you know that. And you know I know you know that.”

“Is there a point to this?”

“Yeah, I’m not gonna die if you let me wander around the Tower. Or - and brace yourself, this is a big one - go for a walk in the City.”

Cayde expected a denial or a dismissal. Not a sigh. Definitely not a half-hearted shrug. "I suppose you are correct," Zavala allowed. One of his hands curled into a fist.

"Also, Ikora just asks me if I want some tea or ramen when she wants me around. Or she just tells me. You should try that."

Zavala made a noise that was somewhere between a huff and a strangled laugh. "I'll take it into consideration."

Cayde shot to his feet. He got halfway to the door before Zavala spoke again, so soft he almost missed it: "Be careful."

"Hey, it's me."

"I know."

Ouch. Rude. Probably true. Cayde had the urge to press his hand to his heart, but spun around and marched back to the desk instead. He plucked Zavala’s communicator off the corner and dropped it unceremoniously into his hands. "Here. I'll check in every couple of hours."

"Since when do you follow protocols?"

"Since now. For now. We'll see how long it lasts." Cayde tossed off a salute. "See ya later, Commander."

It earned him half a smile, and that, Cayde decided, was the second win of the day

—--

#destiny #destiny 2 #cayde 6 #zavala #fic #destiny spoilers #my writing

[monstersandmaw]

Dragon Heart

Disclaimer which I’m including in all my works after plagiarism and theft has taken place: I do not give my consent for my works to be used, copied, published, or posted anywhere. They are copyrighted and belong to me.

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This is a bit different from my usual romance stories, and it came about because I saw a sponsored post on Ye Olde Instagram for a writing competition endorsed by Christopher Paolini (of Eragon fame). Unfortunately, it required a Vocal+ subscription and a Stripe account, neither of which I was prepared to set up for a writing competition, but I enjoyed the prompt and wanted to write it anyway. So, here it is.

Prompt: A grown dragon finds a lost — or abandoned — toddler in the forest. Write a fiction story about what happens next. Wordcount up to 5000 words.

It was not a morning for wandering about.

A choking mizzle shrouded the last fiery leaves of autumn, dousing their colour from bright copper to muddy brown, and gusts of wind chased the leaves from the branches like rabbits scattering before the snapping jaws of a wolf. Winter was getting ready to descend on the valley, and it was not a morning for taking a wander.

Still, he was hungry, and the deer would certainly be preoccupied at this time of year, forgetting all about their own safety in favour of all things amorous, so he had stretched his leathery, red-gold wings and beat at the air a few times before emerging from the warm belly of his mountain home to hunt in the valley below. Simply for the joy of it though, he flew up and up, pressing through the billowing layer of cloud until he broke through into he cold, clear blue of the aether above. An elegant barrel roll took him spearing back down through the fluffy, grey blanket wrapped around the world like sheep’s wool, and he left his ancient home behind.

The pillars of the dragon roost, the building that had been carved from the mountain itself by a people who no longer existed, could be seen from below on a fine day for fifty miles. His particular mountain was the vanguard in a battle-line of peaks that rose from the grassy river plain, with its slopes painted year round with oak and ash, beech, aspen, and birch which all set themselves ablaze each autumn with a riot of reds and gold that far outmatched the flames he was capable of creating.

Contrary to the ridiculous bards’ tales, he didn’t hunt with a great and gaudy gout of flame, and since he wasn’t as large as the dragons of legend, he could perfectly easily pluck a single deer from the grassy meadows beside the river, leaving only the ruffled grasses and an abruptly-ended trail of hoof prints as witness that he’d ever passed by.

That day of all days, he should simply have returned to his mountain after eating his fill of the local wildlife to curl into a cosy ball and sleep for at least a week, but he was a little thirsty, and the river was clear and the water sweet with eelgrass and late-blooming weeds.

Cupping his jaw through it like a beaker through a bowl of pale wine, he savoured the freshness. He could taste the last of the snow melt from his own mountain range in the valley’s clear water.

Just as the aspens and birch along the banks shivered at the thought of the snow that would soon be piling up in the foothills and mountains around the deciduous forest, he caught a soft mewling on the breeze.

With a frown, he raised his head, water dripping from his spine-studded jaws to splash and sparkle into the fast trout stream that flowed on heedlessly around his submerged feet. He cocked his head and turned, trying to catch the sound again. It was the wrong time of year for younglings of any species: the deer would fill the meadows with their wobble-legged fawns in the spring, and the wolves and bears would whelp over the winter in the secure privacy of warm dens while insulating snow piled up outside, and yet, that had certainly been the cry of something small and vulnerable and… frightened.

He caught it again and honed in on the sound, raising his snout and snuffing the air.

Human. The tiny creature was… human?

The long grasses, now thatched and tired and leached of all their nutrients by the blasting summer sun, swayed around him while he stood motionless, listening. The drizzle turned to a steady, sheeting rain, and the child’s whimpering became a yowling that made his heart crack to hear.

Nothing on earth should sound so hurt and so afraid.

With the cold water sluicing around his legs, he waded through the wide, rocky stream and came out on the other side, mindful where he put his feet in case he stepped on the child. Swaying his head from side to side, he followed the scent and kept his golden eyes wide for it, rumbling softly the way a dragon would to its hatchlings.

There, on the very edge of the clearing, he found it.

Wet, bedraggled, mud-streaked, and terribly cold, the child was kneeling in a puddle where it had presumably toppled over, with muddy hands splayed wide and half its face caked in mud, and big, fat tears in its round eyes.

When it spotted him, those eyes somehow got even wider, and it stared transfixed at him with its tiny mouth softly open. He lay down on his belly, bringing his chin to the ground, and exhaled softly.

He had no idea how to comfort a human. He had no idea how to care for a human. He’d never met a human, and until then, had had no desire to.

The nearest settlement was a two-day flight across the forest, even for him, but the Great Road wound through these mountains, and it was not uncommon for travellers to get lost from time to time. Perhaps that was how this little one had come to be here. Had it bounced off the back of a waggon like a forgotten apple? Could humans really be so careless with their children?

The child — he really had no idea how old it was or how quickly humans grew — levered itself up on unsteady arms until it was standing like a dog on all fours, with its bottom towarrds the sky, and he tried not to laugh in case he scared it more. It did look funny though. Then, determinedly, it furrowed its little brows, straightened, wobbled, and then toddled towards him.

When it was standing right in front of his nose, it put impossibly tiny hands just below his nostrils, and, as he exhaled again, it laughed.

The dragon blinked. The sound was like the first notes of spring after a slumbering, cold winter. The last remnants of tears in its reddened eyes slid down through the mud on its fat little cheeks, and it giggled. It tugged and pulled harmlessly at his soft-scaled nostrils, and experimentally, he huffed a short, hot breath at it. With a shriek of delight that dissolved into more bubbling giggles, the child patted him and drummed its little palms against the pale gold scales of his snout until he did it again.

After a while, the child began to shake and grumble though, and even the short-lived amusement of its new discovery was not enough to keep the tears of discomfort away, and it began to cry again.

“You must be hungry too, little one,” he sighed, though to a human it would have sounded like little more than a growling rumble of senseless syllables.

The dragon frowned, pushed himself upright, and reached his hand out for the child. Holding his clawed fingers open, he let the child climb boldly into his palm, and he walked on three legs back towards the stream. It didn’t take very long to clean the mud off its face, and then he headed towards the stone road that snaked through the land from Caerlon in the north to White Haven in the south. Someone would come along soon, and if they didn’t skewer the dragon on sight, they might take the child and care for it.

Curling his body up in the grassy meadow at the side of the road, he raised one wing like a tent over the child and let it curl up in his hand, his claws cradling it. There was no safer place to rest than beneath the arching roof of ivory talons and leathery wing, and, with his breath and the radiating heat from his chest to keep it warm, the child slept.

He rested his head on the road and waited.

Somewhere behind the ceiling of grey cloud that masked the heavens and continued to lash rain down on the forest, an intangible sun wheeled slowly through the sky, but the only life that emerged from the forest all day was a dog fox who gave them a wide berth, and a small group of skittish deer.

The tip of his tail tapped a tattoo on the road, only matched by the drum of the rain and the boom of the thunder beyond, and still the child slept.

He wondered how long it had been out there alone, and how on earth it had reached that meadow in the first place.

Finally, late in the afternoon, he heard a distant, desperate shout. A woman’s voice, high and frantic and cracking with desperate grief, yelled a name.

She staggered around a curve in the stone road, out of a stand of pale birch some way off, and he blinked, focusing on her as he came out of his half-doze.

She had the same colours in her hair and skin as did the child, and she wore a patched and faded woollen dress that had once been brightly dyed in yellow and gold with weld and madder, and an undyed apron was tied around her middle that was stained and ripped. She had mud up the hem of the dress, and her boots looked sturdy but waterlogged. At her belt hung a long knife and a leather pouch, and keeping her hair out of her eyes was a small band of undyed cloth.

She covered her mouth with her hands when she saw the dragon lying across the road, and when he extended his hand, slowly so as not to disturb the child, and retracted his clawed fingers to reveal its sleeping form, she screamed.

Her knees went out from under her and she bowed her head, sobbing.

Was she not pleased to have found her child? He rumbled in confusion, the sound carrying along the road like a distant shock wave, and she snapped her head up. He nudged his hand a little further towards her and chuffed. The sound woke the child and it squirmed and sat up, rubbing its eyes.

She called a name, and even at that distance, the child recognised its mother’s call. Floundering in its exhaustion, the little one wriggled out between his fingers and tottered along the road for only a few steps before it staggered and tripped.

He sighed and with the flash of his hand, he caught it with a huge curved claw around its middle and steadied it, setting it upright again before it scuffed its knees and hands on the road. Deciding it would be easier if he just took the child to the mother, he scooped it up with that same, hooked talon, and the child dangled and laughed, beating its hands against the ivory claw in amusement. The mother looked on in horror, but she stayed where she was as the dragon lowered the child down in front of her.

She blinked and took the child with numb, cold hands, crooning its name and caressing it with her cheek the way all mothers from wolf to eagle would claim their child, and he couldn't help the happy rumble that left him.

“Thank you,” she rasped, child hooked securely on her hip. “Thank you. You saved him. I don’t know if you can understand me, but thank you.”

He inclined his head and the child reached grabbing hands for him once more. Nosing carefully towards the little one, he exhaled slowly, and the child laughed.

It was the unexpected touch from the mother that surprised him though.

She pressed her palm to his snout, right between his nostrils, and placed a tear-stained kiss there.

The world flashed white for just a moment, and he froze.

He knew the stories and the songs.

All dragons knew them.

For generations, dragonlings had listened to their parents speak ancient rhymes of former friendship, and warnings of the enmity which had come to lie between two species that had once been so close that dragon roosts had been incorporated into the very architecture of the ancient cities. His own home was testament to that. From coast to mountain, grassland to tundra, forest and marsh, those rare dragons had bonded to humans and together they had ruled the whole world.

In days long since, and days long past,

When human heart joined dragon fast;

No bond was closer than these two,

Who on wide wings together flew.

Through touch and mind they spoke as one,

But now those days are spent and done.

Beware the spear! Beware the bow!

Beware the death that lives below!

But those were only legends; songs and stories used to warn dragons to stay far away from the humans who had turned on them, and in so doing, had brought about the ruin of their once-great empire.

And yet��

He opened his eyes to find the woman staring at him aghast.

“What…? What just happened?” She looked so tired, but now her breath was coming in shallow, fast gasps, her body shaking. The child in her arms squirmed and fidgeted.

He rumbled quietly and opened his mouth, wondering if… “I mean you know harm,” he said, and she reeled back a pace or two.

“You can… talk?”

“All animals can talk,” he said. “Humans just cannot understand what they’re saying. And some have more interesting things to say than others. Crickets, for one, sing the most wonderful poetry, but eagles are far too full of themselves to have anything interesting to say.”

She covered her mouth with her spare hand and he thought she might pass out at any moment. “I never thought there would be… a dragon out here…” she hissed. “You’re supposed to be… extinct.”

“You are a long way from the nearest town,” he said, stretching out his wing to cover her, though it was already a little late for that. The forest had provided very little protection from the worsening weather during her search, and she was soaked through. “May I ask what you are doing all the way out here?”

She rolled her lovely eyes and her shoulders dropped, spine sagging. “I’ve lost everything,” she whispered. “I lost my job — I used to work as a scullery maid in the city, but when I had this little one —” she jostled the child gently and he burbled into her collar “— I was let go. I couldn’t even afford to rent a room, so I left Caerlon and travelled south before the winter set in. My sister’s married to a merchant in White Harbour. I was robbed for what little I had about ten miles back, and…” she finally broke down, head bowing under the weight of her strain. “I’ve got nothing,” she choked. “Then this one ran off while I was sleeping, and I’ve been looking for him for hours. Thank you for finding him. He’s… He’s the most precious thing in my life, and he’s all I’ve got left.”

“Now you have me,” the dragon said quietly and watched her face go from desperation to confusion.

“I… I don’t understand…”

He sighed. “When you touched me just then, did you feel something?”

Faintly, she nodded.

“Do you know the stories of the ones they called the Dragon Hearts?”

For a moment, she just continued to frown, but as some distant, long-forgotten kernel of memory unfurled in her mind, she laughed. “Those are just… fables…” she said. “No?”

“No. Dragon Hearts are as real as they ever were, though our two species almost never meet these days, and with good reason. We must be the first dragon and the first human to meet amicably in a thousand years.”

“I find out dragons are real on the same day I find out I’m some kind of mythical dragon rider?”

“You can understand me, can you not?” he said wryly, and when she simply stood there on the road in her sodden clothes beneath the shelter of his wing, he laughed quietly. “If there were another human here — aside from your young son of course — they would not be able to understand my speech. I am yours, human, as you are mine.”

“What… What does that mean?”

What did it mean?

A thousand years ago, it would have elevated her to a noble class of human and given her power and standing and wealth beyond the dreams of mortal men, but now, when dragons were still occasionally hunted for sport and working women who birthed children were dismissed from their posts…

“It means whatever you wish it to mean,” he said at last. “I have a warm home in the mountains. I guard an ancient hoard, as most of my remaining kin do, and you may find shelter and protection there for as long as you wish.” He blinked and watched that sink in. “I can fly you to the edge of the forest when you and your child have recovered your strength, and you may go about your life as if you had never met me.” Even saying it hurt him, but he would not let her think she had no choice.

She stood there and the child began to fuss and cry. “Shh, love,” she said, jogging him gently up and down, but it had little effect. “Do you… have food a human could eat?” she asked.

“If you don’t mind preparing it yourself,” he said. “Alas, my hands may be delicate enough to hold a child, but I fear I was not made for the careful preparation of food…”

She looked a little faint, but she nodded. “You swear we will be free to leave whenever we like?”

He sat back and brought his right hand to his heart, bowing his head. “I swear on my sacred fire,” he said, letting the scales on his belly and chest glow from the embers within him like a flame behind an alabaster carving. “On my life and on my soul. I will protect you and care for you both all the while you choose to stay with me, and when you wish to leave, I will take you safely wherever you wish to go.”

“Alright,” she nodded at last. “I’ll go with you.”

“We have no saddle or tack for me,” he said with a low, rumbling laugh. There was a dragon rider’s saddle among his hoard though, and his heart skipped a beat at the thought of perhaps wearing it one day with her. He chose to keep that to himself for the time being. “And I worry that you and your child are too tired to ride on my back. Will you let me carry you in my hands? The flight is not long, but I fear you will be cold.”

The child laughed all the way from meadow to mountaintop, and while the mother was quiet, he suspected she was not afraid.

She has a dragon’s heart after all, he mused as he glanced down.

He set them down on the stone promontory outside the carved entrance to his home and let them take it in. The rain had stopped and mist now raked its white fingers through the trees below, and she turned to look at him with a tiny spark in her eyes. “This is wonderful…”

His heart soared.

“I… I was expecting a cave, but…” she turned to take in the intricate patterns wrought in the stonework. “It’s like a city…”

“Wait til I show you the rest,” he said. “There are stairways and passages, small places I cannot go, but you are free to explore. Come…” and with that he folded his wings tightly against his body and walked through the archway, and for the first time in his life, he was not alone.

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#dragon #dragon rider #writing competition #christopher paolini #dragons #fantasy writing #fantasy short story #fantasy story