#anyone who says otherwise can kick rocks

[gatheredfates]

Also related but I can't be bothered adding it to the original post: we should be allowed to make 'ugly' work. Don't treat your creative process like a content farm, I'm begging you.

#｡･ﾟﾟ･ — sea speaks #i'm very passionate about this as someone who is very like #'happy' with who they are #both in body #creative process #etc. #it took me a long time to get where i am #and part of that is just being like #i do not exist for other people's approval #it's so so so important trust #trust!!!!!!!!!!! #there's a difference between uplifting yourself #and being confident in YOUR ability #and egotism #anyone who says otherwise can kick rocks #you cannot bring me down!! #my brain could do better than you and she's a whipped bitch!

[betweenlands]

It takes exactly two seconds between Impulse looking up at the top of the Secret Keeper and him realizing what he's actually seeing up there to decide he is officially sick and tired of seeing ghosts.

There are seven entire ghosts around the thing today -- a couple appear to be tinkering with the secret delivery mechanisms. Impulse squints at them.

"What are you doing?" he says.

"Trying to figure out how to load more tasks into this thing," one of them replies, kicking one of the blocks with buttons on them. He's got a full beard and some weird green glowing mushrooms poking out of cracks in his face. It's definitely... a look, Impulse will give him that. Very Mycelium Resistance. "But whoever designed it used freakin' command blocks, and you can't even see the randomizer run."

"How many times did your randomizer break again?" one of the other ghosts calls from up on top of the Secret Keeper.

"Never!" the mushroom ghost protests, causing at least two other ghosts to crack up laughing. "It worked completely flawlessly except for user error."

One of the ghosts, someone who appears to have a floating cactus block for a head, snorts. "And programmer error."

"You shut it," the mushroom ghost responds.

"He's not wrong," the more normal-looking brown-haired ghost over by the command blocks says absently, purple eyes clearly focused on trying to trace the wiring back to the actual command blocks.

Impulse just stands there, bewildered -- both because the ghosts are actually talking to him, and also because these are extremely weird ghosts to be talking to who look nothing like anyone he's even vaguely heard of.

"Fine," he says, "you know what, I'll bite. Why are you guys here?"

"Checking in," a ghost sitting on one of the lower rocks says. He's wearing blue and yellow, looks to be a little more transparent than the others. "Y'know, new season and all that?"

Impulse squints at him. "No, I meant, why are you following me?"

"Ohhhh!" The ghost laughs. "Hadn't looked into what you were doing yet, and these guys wanted to see if they could get some of their tasks into the machine, so I just brought everyone along."

"That's not really a good answer," a ghost leaning inside the alcove under the Secret Keeper says. He's got a mask pulled up over his face, though his voice doesn't really sound muffled at all.

"What," the blue and yellow ghost says, "am I supposed to say something like it's because you're one of the people with no hard-and-fast thematic associations to stick to and therefore easier to facilitate a meeting with and freak him out more?"

Impulse squints harder. "Are you guys Watchers?"

The blue-and-yellow ghost snorts. "Hah! That's Martyn's lore, bud, not yours. Nope, nothing to do with the Watchers."

"Aren't you technically--" the ghost in the alcove starts.

"Tsssssshhhhhh," the other ghost replies by way of shushing him aggressively, "spoilers!"

"Alright," the alcove ghost says, spreading his hands in mock defeat, "fine, have it your way. He's right though. Not Watchers."

"Lowercase-w maybe," the brown-haired ghost still inspecting the redstone with the mushroom ghost says, "but otherwise, no."

Impulse is starting to feel like he's wandered into something way above his pay grade.

The alcove ghost snaps his fingers. Impulse notes somewhat absent-mindedly that he has, like, a lot of piercings on one ear. "Hey," he says, "come to think of it, we might be able to help you out with some stuff."

"I swear to God," another ghost says from on top of the Secret Keeper, "if you try to sell another person on your weird coffee god thing again-"

"I wasn't going to!" he responds. "Honest! I was just gonna say, it looks like there's a plains biome here, that means oxeye daisies, that means suspicious stew with regen if you can get a good source of mushrooms."

"Unfortunately," the mushroom ghost says, looking up from where he and the other ghost appear to now be trying to cram books into the ground, "the space for the hearts seems like it just kinda vanishes when people get hit. At least, if I'm not misunderstanding the programming."

"If you're misunderstanding the programming then we're both reading this code wrong," the brown-haired ghost says. "And I'm pretty sure I used something similar here for Dark Path stuff, so probably not?"

"Dang," the alcove ghost says, then tilts his head back towards Impulse. "Maybe make splash poison potions, then? That'll take out a good chunk of someone's health if they can't regen."

"He is green," the cactus-headed ghost says. "Why's he gotta make poison potions right now?"

A shrug in response. "Never hurts to prep early."

The blue-and-yellow ghost leans forward, squinting at him. "Alright," he says, "one of my wisps give you that idea or what?"

Another shrug. "I mean, what if they did?"

"Last time you started listening to his wisps," the brown-haired ghost says, "they told you to try and kill everyone just because I beefed it before the dragon fight."

"It would've worked if you hadn't warned them," the ghost in the alcove replies. "I can't believe you tried to sabotage my attempt at avenging you."

"I can't believe you listened to them in the first place," the blue-and-yellow ghost says. "They're bloodthirsty, they don't really give good advice."

"And I," Impulse says, having inched his way over towards the new task button, "am going to take my task and leave, because you guys are weird."

He hits the button and flips through the taskbook.

"End every sentence said to another player in a question?" he says, squinting down at it.

"You're already doing better than some of us were!" one of the ghosts on top of the Secret Keeper yells down.

"Oh my god, shut up!" the mushroom ghost yells back, and then turns to Impulse. "Hey, by the way, have you considered getting a pet parrot?"

"That's still a bad loophole and you know it," the blue-and-yellow ghost cuts in.

"I heard him just fine," the brown-haired ghost says. "Hey, hang on -- that's one of ours! It worked!"

Impulse decides he's not even going to bother trying to be polite about leaving. He has had entirely enough of these ghosts in particular.

#secret life #secret life smp #impulsesv #gilded hardcore #vikingpilot #this minific brought to you by: gilded is good go watch it #unlike last impulse fic i will not bother with a pretense of it being symbolism. this one is fully because it is funny to me #there's SOME stuff in there if you squint but it doesn't actually have anything to do with impulse #anyway sorting tags time: #yt #txt #solar scraps #solar scrawls #slsmp #gilded #you may have noticed i tagged the blue and yellow ghost. this is because i fear no man. or pronoun stealer for that matter #oh dunk wait i should also tag the others #devonsdesk #thefoolnse #avidmc #and then whimzee and trog are in the background (sorry guys i didn't have the voices down yet) #oh and fun fact about this one. the identity of one of these ghosts is Really Questionable #like just a little bit... it could be him acting weird or it could be something else entirely yknow? something more aware of certain things #but ehhhhhhhhhhhnnnn that's spoilers so who am i to blow up its spot #update josh got a new username so #codeneon

[likedovesinthewindd]

was rewatching itsv, and i love this loser—this is just nonsense i came up with. this takes place just before he's transported to miles' universe.

peter b. parker x reader

You didn't consider yourself the most neighborly person, but you were nice enough to the few people who lived around you in the busy New York apartment complex. In return, they were nice to you as well. The old lady to your left would invite you over every other Sunday for lunch. The guy to your right once fixed a leak in your bathroom and a broken cupboard door, and in return you had helped him fix up the extra room in his apartment so that his daughter could move in with him. Every other week you babysat for the couple who lived down the hallway, three apartments from yours.

You've formed somewhat of a friendship with most of the people you lived around, except for one.

The gentleman that lived in the apartment across from yours was somewhat of a loner. You hardly saw him; you only knew of his existence because you had come home from work one evening at the same moment he had opened his door to accept a pizza delivery.

You had given him a friendly smile, paired with a "Good evening," in a voice sweeter than honey itself, and he only answered with a rise of his brows and small smile.

He was never mean per say, but he also didn't seem like he wanted to be talking to you (or anyone) whenever you'd see him. He looked like he was going through one hell of a slump as well. He was always rocking a scruff, hair wild and unstyled and looking like he wore whatever he could find in his laundry. Sometimes you'd see him wear the same outfit two or three days in a row.

You were a little curious about him, as well as a bit concerned, so you devised a plan to go and start conversation in the hopes of finding out a little more about your mystery neighbor.

✮˚｡⋆

You gave two quick knocks to your neighbor's door before your hand quickly retreated back to the container of fresh baked cookies you had decided to bake him. Maybe this was coming on to strong, you thought, looking down at the bowl, the smell of the freshly baked batch filling your nose. You considered turning around and going back to your apartment, but just as you turned your back to his door, it opened with an unceremonious grunt.

"Can I help you?" you heard from behind you, and you turned back around slowly to face him, feeling like a deer caught in headlights. "Hi," you smiled awkwardly, suddenly forgetting the little conversation starter you had planned out when you were baking the cookies. "I'm Y/N. I uh, I live across from you," you started, pointing to the apartment behind you.

"Yeah, I know," he said. Of course he knew, he's seen me! you thought, wanting to kick yourself. "Of course, well I just wanted to formally introduce myself, so I made you these. Hope you like gingerbread," you said, almost shoving the container at him, which he accepted gladly, albeit with a bit of confusion.

"Thanks," he said, eyes glued to the container's content, "they smell good." You gave him a tight-lipped smile, nervously rocking on the balls of your feet. "Alright well, I'll see you around," you turned around to make your way back to your apartment, but you were stopped by his gruff voice once again.

"I'm Peter, by the way. Don't think I've introduced myself," he said as you turned around once again. You gave him another small smile, finally knowing the identity of the ghost of a man that lived across from you.

"It's nice to meet you, Peter," you said before finally making your way into your apartment.

✮˚｡⋆

Night shift was weirdly one of your favorite times to clock into work. There was something oddly soothing about getting ready for work when most people were asleep, the sound of the otherwise sleepless city serving as white noise as you mutely moved around the apartment.

You were getting the last of your things together, preparing for the long night ahead of you. Just as you unlocked the door, bag messily draped over one arm while the other held onto a half eaten muffin, you were met with Peter as he quietly made his way inside his apartment. You wanted to great him, when his choice of attire caught your eye, causing the words to get caught in your throat. The blue and red attire wasn't hard to identify as a Spider-man suit, and your first thought was to laugh at it. It's not Halloween yet, is it? was what you wanted to say, but the terrified look on his face told you he wouldn't appreciate the joke at the moment. What also stood out to you was how realistic the suit itself looked, paired with the mask gripped tightly in his left hand, as the right was still placed on the doorknob. It definitely didn't look like the ones you could buy at the dollar store.

Noticing the long stretch of silence was what prompted you to finally say something about whatever this situation was. "Long night?" you asked quietly, turning around to lock your door and give him a way out. "Uh, yeah," he answered, obviously not understanding that you were trying to give him a way out. You hummed in understanding, and when you turned around, he was still standing in front of his door. "Listen—" he started.

"You should probably go inside, Peter," you interrupted him, and he finally understood what you were doing. "Right, you're right I, yeah." and he quietly slipped into his apartment without another word. You decided to not dwell on it for now. It wasn't your business anyway, even if the idea of Spider-Man being your neighbor intrigued you a bit. Besides, why on Earth would Spider-Man use the front door?

a/n: this is real stupid but i don't want it in my drafts.

#peter b parker #peter b parker x reader #peter b parker imagine #peter b parker x you #peter b parker x y/n #spiderman itsv #spiderman atsv #peter parker x reader #likedovesinthewindd

[doodle-pops]

House of Fingolfin | Getting Into a Fight For Their S/O

A/N: Finally decided to continue more headcanons for the other elves.

˖ ࣪ . ࿐♡˚. Fingolfin

He’s proper and never one for engaging in any physical altercations even if the situation escalated. Fingolfin is someone who would allow his men to dispose of the individual who dared to step to his level.

However, when the unknown situation arises and the need to become violent is necessary, I’m not sure who’s the one to put a leash on this terror of an elf, but it’s definitely more than five guards to hold him back from damaging the elf who spat absurdities at his family or you.

He’s made up of pure strength so brute force he required to drag him away from lunging at the ellon. Your appearance would assist in diluting his temper, drawing his focus to you and not the pulp of an elf lying on the floor.

Fingolfin would have landed hits to the elf, so his knuckles would be bruised, this you would nurse back to health while silently brooding and muttering under his breath at the speed of light.

You don’t pick up on anything he’s cursing on and on about, but you know it’s based on the situation. Just give him some kisses on his face and lead him far away to blow some steam off.

Take him for a long walk away from the kingdom and have him kick some rocks like a child. He’ll surely calm down after a week. “Have you calmed down yet?” “I’ve always been calm,” he says as his eye twitches.

˖ ࣪ . ࿐♡˚. Fingon

Can appear impulsive when he isn’t thinking right, but like his father, Fingon’s a composed individual and refuses to throw the first fist for something that can be solved otherwise. His solution is to walk away or laugh it off, which probably provokes the other person to take insulting jabs at those precious to him.

It’s gonna take a lot to make him lunge at the individual, preferably, the latter being the one to throw the first hit leaving him with no choice but to defend himself. In that moment, you can bet all his frustration would come pouring out.

The entire scene is unusual, watching Fingon engage in a physical altercation with a random elf which leads to everyone knowing it’s something serious and rushing to pull him away. It’ll take just Maedhros or Turgon to tug Fingon off the battered ellon.

To you, the scene is horrifying after watching a gentle–natured elf engaged in a fight. You know he’s not thinking straight with fury in his mind, so it’s for you to step in and dissolve his temper with soothing words and touches to his face. His siblings would stand guard, unsure of whether he’d break away.

For starters, he’s ashamed that you witnessed him so unhinged and would rather disappear for days into weeks before confronting you. It’s for you to ensure him that you don’t hate him for it. You have to hold him down and tend to his wounds while listening to his endless apologies.

Make him feel better with lots of cuddles and spending time with him away from everyone. “Come for some love, Finno,” you say as he wastes no time in running over to snuggle into your arms.

˖ ࣪ . ࿐♡˚. Turgon

Not the last person anyone would suspect to throw a fist, but the first person due to his cold temperament and judgemental persona. His temper is unmatched and will not hesitate to connect his fist with someone disrespecting him and his family.

I don’t believe anyone will survive his punches but let’s pretend this person does to receive a few more to create a brawl and you can witness Turgon becoming absolutely unhinged. It is quite easy to rile him up into becoming physically involved, yes, he would prefer to walk away but not when the disrespect is unspeakable.

Maybe his father has to pull him off or his brothers and cousins all together because like his father, he has the strength to match his stature. Turgon is a brute force of nature, so kudos to whoever is on the receiving end. However, what makes his attack dangerous is his stealth.

No one expects him to openly throw a hit because one minute he’s laughing and the next he’s on the floor beating someone up. Like?? It’s not a pleasant sight for you to witness though you’re aware of his sizzling temper and his bitter tongue. Plus, he probably got into fights as a child so it’s natural.

The only time you can approach him is when he’s already dragged off and in the healing wing being persecuted by his father (if he’s around). Your appearance would be the ice he needs to completely dissolve. He isn’t going to forget (this man holds grudges), but he’ll follow you as long as it’s far away from the altercation.

Take him on a random spur-of-the-moment holiday and pamper him like a baby. Of course, you will have to prepare yourself for hearing him complain about the incident. Every. Single. Day. “Are you finished Káno?” “...No.”

˖ ࣪ . ࿐♡˚. Argon

It physically pains me to imagine this beanstalk engaging in a physical altercation with someone, however, he is described as impudent, so there you have it. Argon will throw around his fist like his older brother to beat some fool to a pulp for insulting his friends and family, and you.

He doesn’t want to hear a reason for why he shouldn’t do what he did, all he knows is that the elf said disrespectful comments and deserved to be handled with extra care. There’s no stopping Argon when he starts, given his hunk of a structure which has muscles to accompany his frame.

Definitely get the family to separate him from the perpetrator because he isn’t budging from his spot. They can pry him off and he’d slip away to finish what he started because he’s fighting them to let him go. You got to stand between him and the bruised ellon on the floor to catch his attention.

Talk sweetly to him, call his name—slip in a nickname—to soothe his unhinged nature. Reach for his hands and tug him away from the scene, telling him everything will be alright, and his family will take care of the rest.

Spend the time cleaning his wounds and littering kisses to his bruises. Use this moment to incorporate a ton of affection; maybe every time he feels angry, give him a kiss and a hug. Don’t think you’re escaping his grasp once he becomes aware of the affections you’re bequeathing.

Like many others, shame becomes him, and he’ll endlessly apologise for the manner in which you saw him behaving, promising to never act impulsively like that again without gauging the situation firsthand.

“It’s alright, Káno. You were simply being my hero, defending me from those naysayers. Now come for some kisses.”

Masterlist

Taglist: @ranhanabi777 @lilmelily @mysticmoomin @rain-on-my-umbrella @asianbutnotjapanese @batsyforyou @sakurayaxd @involuntaryspasms @stormchaser819 @aconstructofamind @addaigio @zheiya @lamemaster

If you would like to be tagged, click the taglist link.

#house of fingolfin #silmarillion headcanons #silmarillion x reader #middle earth imagine #silmarillion imagine #middle earth x reader #middle earth headcanon #fingolfin x reader #fingon x reader #turgon x reader #argon x reader #fingolfin headcanon #fingon headcanon #turgon headcanon #argon headcanon #fingolfin imagine #fingon imagine #turgon imagine #argon imagine #nolofinweans #x reader fluff #x reader insert #silmarillion #doodlepops writings ✨

[luimagines]

Can I please ask for the chain with a s/o from their timeliness meeting the other links please? I just think that they all deserve a special somebody! Also happy anniversary!!

That sounds adorable! Of course you can! I hope I understand what you mean by this.   ^.^*

Masterlist

Part one will include Hyrule, Wind and Sky

Content under the cut!

Hyrule

It was a lull in the routine that day.

Hyrule was beginning to suspect that something was about to jump around the corner to shake things up but there was no way he prove his suspicions to anyone other than the Veteran, who was just arguably more paranoid than he was.

He hummed and kicked a rock down the road. Would it be too much to make it a bit more noticeable that they were traveling together? Just to get the attack over with.

Nothing comes out to ambush them. The path is just as silent as ever.

A scream rips through the air and Hyrule takes off running toward the sound. His adrenaline spikes, more so with the knowledge that he was correct at the end of the day.

By the time he reaches the source of the sound the others have half way taken care of the problem. But there’s one thing Hyrule didn’t account for.

His blood freezes at the sight of you and b-lines toward you. His attention is no longer on the monster. The others can handle it just fine he’s sure. Instead he sprints with all he has in your direction, picking you up and taking you out of the line of fire without a second thought.

“Link!” You cry with delight and hang onto him like a life line. “I found you!”

Hyrule jumps behind a boulder and his life spell explodes from his palms. The spell glows against you beautifully. In other circumstance, Hyrule would have paused to admire it. But the adrenaline makes it hard for him to focus on the finer details.

The spell only dances over your form. It sinks down in a patch by your elbow and a cut on your leg, but you are otherwise unharmed.

“What are you doing here?” Hyrule pulls your close, hugging you as tight as he can. “Not that I’m not happy to see you. Hi, hello, how have you been?”

You laugh and shake your head, hugging him back just as fiercely.  “Better now that I’ve seen you again.”

Hyrule relaxes. He can feel the strength of your heartbeat respond to his own with the passion he holds you with. You’re ok. You’re not even injured. And he has you in his arms again. “This isn’t safe...”

“I know.” You sigh. “I don’t even know how I got here. That monster was huge.”

“They’ve been getting worse.” Hyrule admits. “That’s why I’m here.”

You nod, letting yourself be held by him. It wasn’t everyday that you got to hold him as closely and as intimately as you wanted. You turn and lean into him more. “I missed you.”

“I missed you too.” Hyrule says with a small breathless laugh. “I still can’t believe that you’re here-”

“Hey Traveler!” He hears Wild call out. “Where’d you go with that person? Are they dead?”

Hyrule’s grip tightens on you only marginally before he relaxes again. “They’re fine!” He calls over your head. “All healed up!”

Hyrule pulls away, albeit regrettably. 

“Link, who are they?” You follow him with little resistance. “Why do they call you Traveler?”

“It’s a long story.” Hyrule takes your hand. “But they’re good friends of mine now and we’re all going to fix this problem...We’re also all named Link, so the name thing is a patch job at best because-”

“You stink at naming things.” You snort.

“If it’s any consolation, it wasn’t my idea. Nor did I name myself.” Hyrule deadpans.

“Well I’d love to meet them.”

“Good. Because they’d badger me endlessly if you didn’t.” Hyrule tugs you along, keeping you close. “I apologize in advance for anything they might say or do.”

“They can’t be that bad if you trust them.”

“I admire your trust in me, but believe me, that sentence is unfounded.” 

Wind (best friend/crush but no established relationship)

“Do you have any one you like, Sailor?”

“I like a lot of people.” Wind tilts his head at the Captain. “I have a lot of friends.”

“I- no. That’s not what I mean.” He laughs and shakes his head. “Although, I’m glad to hear it.”

Wind takes another moment to think about the other’s question. It was simple enough in nature, but he was certain that he answered it the correct way. “You might have to be more specific then. I mean, I like you guys and I like my family, my sister. There’s Tetra and the pirate crew. I like those guys and I like Linebeck too.”

Warrior nods along, happy to get the Sailor talking anyway. But this isn’t what he was talking about. Vaguely, there’s a voice in his head that this something he should ask the boy, but at the same time, he doesn’t think there’s any harm in it. Clearly, he didn’t understand it the first time around, so perhaps it’s non applicable to the young hero.

Still, he’s inclined to ask his questions differently. It’s fun to be nosey. “Is there someone you like more than anyone else?”

“Yeah.” A new voice speaks from their right. “Me.”

Wind gasp, yelling your name out excitedly before he sprits towards you. You both collide with enough force that the sound leaves the nearby heroes to wince, even if they’re relived to know that Wind knows you. And clearly trusts you enough to catch him is he all but threw himself towards you.

Wind begins to jump on his toes, hugging you with obvious enthusiasm. “I can’t believe you’re here! I was wondering when I would see you again!...Why are you here?”

Wind’s smile drops and he pulls away from your suddenly. Within the next second, he’s searching all over you for injuries of any kind. He needs to prove to himself that there’s nothing wrong. Because now you’re far from home... with questionable means of travel. Wind needs to make sure that everything is ok before he can continue on with his conversation.

The rushed check up leave you giggling and shaking your head. You stick your hands out at the sides and spin slowly to same him the work of going around you. “I’m fine, worrywart. I’m glad to see you’re ok too... Maybe.... Is that a new scar?” 

You point just below his chin and your eyebrows furrow when you look closer. It’s faint to be sure, but you were certain that it wasn’t there when he left the island.

Wind grins, looking proud of himself. Yes, the scar is new and there’s is clearly a story attached to it. Oh well, it’s not all that bad anyway. You grin. “Tell me about it later, yeah?”

“Of course.”

Warrior clears his throat and smiles back towards the duo. “Mind introducing us, Sailor?”

Wind perks up and takes your hand, holding you close simply because he can. “This is my best friend in the whole wide world! Hey-” He says your name, tugging on your hand as he gestures with the other. “These are the guys I’ve been traveling with. The ones that have my name.”

Your eyes widen and you nod in understanding. “Who’s this one then?”

“The Captain.”

“From that weird portal battle you had?” You whisper non too quietly.

Wind nods back and leans closer. “Don’t listen to him too much. He’s just as weird as before.”

“Hey!” Warrior’s metaphorical feathers puff as their ruffled from the idea. “I’m not that bad!″

Wind sticks his tongue out and turns to you again. “You have the meet the Veteran. He’s got more stories than me! This way!”

Warrior sticks his own tongue out, not bothering to hide his skin deep annoyance. He didn’t even get to question your answer about being Wind’s favorite. However, seeing the reaction your presence brought onto the boy’s face, Warrior smiles to himself. It’s just as well. It’s not like you were proven wrong anyway.

Sky

He felt as if the whole group walked ten extra miles today without any form of rest. No one was going to give it to him until they made camp.

When that moment arrived he was quick to collapsed next to the nearest tree and rest his head against it. His whole body seemed to be yelling at him.

Suddenly noises were all around him. None of which were threatening. They were just... loud... and confused.

“Link?” A familiar voice calls out softly. It wipes away any exhaustion he was feeling in that moment.

His eyes shoot open and he’s looking for where the source of the voice was.

He sees you and scrambles to his feet. His body is not happy about it. His legs nearly give out, sending Sky to catch himself on one knee before he pushes himself up again. Sky runs. And he hates running.

Luckily, you run towards him too. The speed and force in which you collide with each other sends a thick thump through the camp grounds.

 “I was wondering which Link they meant.” Wild whispers to himself, running his wrist over his forehead.

“What are you doing here?” Sky asks first, breathlessly placing little butterfly kisses over your face.

You laugh, unable to stop him. “I don’t know. I opened the door, left the house, turned around and found myself nearby. I’m glad I found your first.”

Sky nods, laughing breathlessly himself. “I’m happy for it.”

He dips his face into the crook of your neck and speaks softly, so that only you can hear it. “I missed you. There hasn’t been a day where you weren’t on my mind.”

“Oh for Din’s sake.” Sky hears Legend roll his eyes. “The rest of us are trying to eat and rest. Don’t you dare start that here.”

Sky snorts, placing another delicate kiss on the skin before him, reveling in the way you tense to hide the hitch in your breath. “I would gladly take you home. Where is it?”

“NOT WHAT I MEANT!”

You laugh some more. It’s a musical and magical sound. Sky prides himself in being able to invoke it so quickly out of you. You smack his chest slightly and he backs off only slightly.

“So I guess these are your friends from your letters.” You turn around and look at the group. Sky tightens his hold around you once more, letting his chin rest on your shoulder.

“Yes.” Sky answers. “I wonder if you can tell who’s who from interaction alone.”

“That’s almost impossible.” You raise an eyebrow at him, wondering if that challenge is even feasible. “Wouldn’t introduction be easier?”

Sky smirks. “Men, this is the love of my life. Beloved, meet Link.”

“You’re impossible.”

“You love me.”

“Well we’re honored to meet you.” Time sticks out his hand a proud smile on his face. He seems to be reminiscing about something. “The Knight of Skyloft, speaks highly of you.”

“And only of you.” Legend pretends to be annoyed, but he seems to have softened. “He’s a good one. Treat him right.”

“As if I’ll ever give him up.” You reply, turning to nudge your head against the man that holds you tenderly.

Sky smiles and closes his eyes. It feels good to hold you again. He doesn’t want to think about what this means. He’s not going to look a gift horse in the mouth (a phrase he learned from the Rancher). For now, he’ll enjoy taking you in after so long. He’s missed you.

Part 2

#linked universe #linkeduniverse #linked universe x reader #lu x reader

[linkemon]

Part of your world (Azul Ashengrotto x Reader)

Friendly reminder that English is not my first language. You can check my Masterlists both in English and Polish here. Consider supporting me on Ko-fi. You can also check out my commissions if you're interested.

Other oneshots can be found here.

"ʙᴜᴛ ᴀ ᴍᴇʀᴍᴀɪᴅ ʜᴀs ɴᴏ ᴛᴇᴀʀs, ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇʀᴇғᴏʀᴇ sʜᴇ sᴜғғᴇʀs sᴏ ᴍᴜᴄʜ ᴍᴏʀᴇ."

ᴛᴡɪsᴛᴇᴅ ᴠᴇʀsɪᴏɴ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ ғᴀᴍᴏᴜs sᴄᴇɴᴇ ᴡʜᴇʀᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ʟɪᴛᴛʟᴇ ᴍᴇʀᴍᴀɪᴅ sɪɴɢs ɪɴ ᴀ ᴄᴀᴠᴇ ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ʜᴜᴍᴀɴ ᴡᴏʀʟᴅ. ᴡʜᴀᴛ ɪғ ɪɴ ᴘᴜʀsᴜɪᴛ ᴏғ ᴀ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴇʀᴇ ᴛᴏ ʟᴇᴀᴠᴇ sᴏᴍᴇᴏɴᴇ ᴅᴇᴀʀ ᴛᴏ ʏᴏᴜ? ᴡʜᴀᴛ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ sᴏᴍᴇᴏɴᴇ ʟᴇғᴛ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴛᴏ ғᴀᴄᴇ? ᴀᴅᴅɪᴛɪᴏɴᴀʟ ɪɴғᴏʀᴍᴀᴛɪᴏɴ:

ᴛʜᴇ ǫᴜᴏᴛᴇ ᴜsᴇᴅ ɪs ᴀ ғʀᴀɢᴍᴇɴᴛ ᴏғ "ᴛʜᴇ ʟɪᴛᴛʟᴇ ᴍᴇʀᴍᴀɪᴅ" ʙʏ ʜᴀɴs ᴄʜʀɪsᴛɪᴀɴ ᴀɴᴅᴇʀsᴇɴ.

Azul looked around his workshop. He couldn't say he had made it but compared to what he started with, it was a step forward. The great cauldron glowed with a dark purple glow. The smell of the potion coming from inside was foreign. No matter how many times he prepared it, it was always the smell of something he had never experienced before. The books said that the potion should smell of earth. Not that Ashengrotto had a chance to tell what it really smelled like.

He carefully measured out the seaweed, poured in a few tears, and sprinkled some ground grains of sand from the surface. He grabbed a large ladle and began to mix carefully. The eight tentacles certainly made his work easier but the work still required his full concentration. It was one of the few times in his life that he didn't completely hate his arms. After all, they were useful.

He slowly poured the still shimmering liquid into the vial and capped it.

— A beautiful night to escape from home! — The loud voice startled him and he barely grabbed the vial before it could shatter against the rock.

He saw [Reader] at the entrance to the cave. Not that he expected anyone else. This was her haven. A place she discovered a few years ago. So far, the only person who visited it, apart from her, was him.

He set the potion aside next to the others and pulled out the carefully prepared box to put them all away.

— You're not saying anything, Azul. — The girl tilted her head in that unique way.

Ashengrotto never talked much. So her worry surprised him.

— What would you like to hear? — he replied calmly.

— It's not what I want to hear that matters, it's what you want to say — she said.

Azul didn't answer. He just curled his arms closer to himself.

What was he supposed to say? What was he thinking? People never wanted to hear what he actually had to say. That's why he preferred to stay silent. Otherwise he would end up bruised. Like because of the mean friends who teased him when he was younger. Although, now that he thought about it, he probably could have taken them out with one swipe of his tentacle back then. However, he preferred to curl up in a ball, cry and allow himself to be kicked mercilessly. Crybaby. That's what they called as he snaked through the old clump of seaweed behind the school. Salty tears mixed with the sea water. And with the crying came the ink. The dark, sticky goo that was his greatest embarrassment and appeared when he was too stressed and sad.

[Reader] wouldn't laugh at him. The logical thinking part of him knew this perfectly well. After all, she had already seen him in this ugliest form possible. The day he first appeared in this cave. As an uninvited guest. Splashing and spreading ink around. He saw a glow amidst the murky and dirty water. The first thing he saw were the scales, shimmering with all shades of gold. Seeming to catch the sunlight coming through the hole above his head. Then he saw the mermaid's tail. Something he himself would have died for at the time. Only at the very end did he see a face. A little scared but curious.

No, she wouldn't laugh if he told her. She would be sad though. And Azul couldn't stand that.

— I'm thinking about your trip up there — he confessed.

It wasn't a lie, just an avoidance of the truth. He slowly became a master at it.

— I'll miss you but at the same time I'm so excited! — [Reader] seemed to be beaming.

It all started with his experiments. If he hadn't been here that day, maybe his mermaid friend wouldn't have wanted to come up at all. She wanted to help him, so she lent a place for a workshop among her finds. And she had plenty of them. The Coral Sea often washed up things that people on the surface weren't necessarily interested in. Garbage for some, priceless treasures for others. Some were found, others were bought at auctions from people who had contact with the surface or still inhabited it. The latter, however, happened rarely. The costs (including shipping) were usually astronomical and exceeded the budget of many adults underwater, let alone a child.

Between all these treasures he was stuck, with the start of his magic potion business. It wasn't much. A board, a half-decaying shelf and a leaky cauldron. [Reader] somehow found the rest over time. They patched up what they could and he started creating potions, which until then he only knew from books in the underwater library. Sometimes he managed to sell something and for some change he bought ingredients that were inaccessible and difficult to obtain. He swam, cried and spread ink around. So on the surface, not much had changed but now he swam, cried and spread ink in the company. And [Reader] was very grateful company. With her shiny tail, beautiful hair and a wonderful voice that he could listen to for hours as she talked about the world above. He seemed to be an incongruous companion for her. A purple monster with eight tentacles.

Maybe it was this sort of inferiority complex created in his mind at that time that made him devote so much time to help her fulfill her dream. He tried to brew a potion of transformation into a human with one's own hand (or rather tentacle). And he succeeded. After many tries. He couldn't remember if he had been so proud of himself before. Probably not. It was the most expensive vial he had ever held in his life. And he gave it back to [Reader]. So that she could go to the surface and see with her own eyes everything she had only dreamed about before. But when she came back, there was hunger in her. She wanted desperately to go back upstairs for more. Especially after she met SOMEONE upstairs one time. Her father was not happy, not to mention furious. He tried at all costs to bring the dreamer down to earth. It was then that for the first time in their history, Azul stood over the worried mermaid and not the other way around. In a fit of determination, he promised that he would make a whole stock of potions for her if necessary. [Reader] took this promise very seriously. Since then, all their collaborative efforts have led to this moment. To get a sufficient supply of money and potion so that she could somehow arrange herself on the surface. Just enough for her to be sure that she will be able to find a job and save up to buy more vials of the magical potion. Eventually, she also had to rent an apartment and constantly pay the bills.

The help Azul gave her was an adventure of sorts. However, it was difficult for him to get used to the thought that it was coming to an end.

Sometimes, looking at HIS photo on Magicam, where the mermaid had set up an account, he had the impression that the boy from the surface was like a statue. Beautiful but empty. However, he stood proudly on the pedestal she had placed him on in her mind and he refused to come down. He might think so but he wouldn't say it out loud. He even caught himself going to his profile and comparing himself to him. But no matter how hard he stared at the screen flashing in the dark room, he could never see anything he was better at. He took off his glasses, looked in the mirror and used ink to cover his pimpled face that he didn't want to see. On nights like this, he was glad that the reception in the Coral Sea was rather poor. Otherwise, he would spend his days staring at people he considered prettier than himself.

When he thought about it later, it occurred to him that at least in potion-making he had surpassed this two-legged opponent. If he couldn't be beautiful, at least he had a chance to be rich. In a while. But with whom was he to enjoy the shiny thaumarks? What else could he spend it on apart from the workshop, if he wasn't interested in anything else in life? [Reader] wouldn't be around anymore so she could use them to buy a new statuette from the surface and he didn't need much of them. Azul, unlike the boy from above, helped her fulfill her dream. At least he could take that much credit for it.

Azul wasn't entirely sure what he and [Reader] talked about that night. The memories slowly faded away like waves crashing against the shores above their heads. Maybe they were remembering old times. Perhaps she also mentioned something about how to get rid of mean kids, even though he hadn't had problems with them in a long time. He vaguely noticed a round, purple shell being pressed into its tentacle. The last collectible from the surface for the collection here. The same one that he attached to his hat some time later and that he didn't have the heart to part with. He was the one who would take care of the cave from then on. At least until [Reader] can visit her father again after his anger has passed. And even though Azul sometimes felt like he didn't fit in the small cave with his grand, slowly growing ambitions, a lump rose in his throat. The thought of being alone. Without this ubiquitous warmth and laughter.

— I will miss you, so much. — These were the last words he heard from her underwater. The next ones were only by phone.

Azul handed her a casket decorated with shells. The purple glow of the vials shone between them. Without thinking much, the mermaid placed a gentle kiss on his cheek. It meant nothing, as he well knew. It was a form of thanks. The real one was reserved for the lucky guy on the surface.

Despite this awareness, his tentacle involuntarily moved to the place where her red coral lips had rested a moment ago. It was like payment for a contract, even though he hadn't signed any at the time.

— Stay. — Came out from his lips. However, it was silent. Too quiet. It sank somewhere in the depths as [Reader], clutching the box tightly, swam to the surface. The glow of the world above them that her scales reflected that night seemed to be what he remembered most. They stood out amidst the dark ink as on the day he met her. He was a crybaby again in a clump of seaweed.

He couldn't then see the pained look on the little mermaid's face as she left her friend.

"But a mermaid has no tears, and therefore she suffers so much more."

#azul ashengrotto x reader #azul ashengrotto #twisted wonderland x reader #little mermaid #little mermaid x reader #oneshot

[molabuddy]

please tell us all available info on ur 3s backstories and also your little buddy

yay !!! ok here's some little bits about them (apologies for how long this post got omg)

basic info:

Agents 3A and 3B are 16, little buddy is about 5?

A & B have real names, but they love having fun secret agent names very much (and i still need to come up with real names for them)

little buddy never had the chance to get named by his salmonid clan, and the two could never decide on what to name him, so his name is little buddy :]

3A is confident and self-assured, can be kinda lazy. always does what she wants and says what she feels. acts a little bit Creature just for fun

3B is more cautious, very quiet & aloof, mysteriously so. only really talks to their siblings. zones out a lot.

little buddy is waay smarter than he lets on, but lets people assume otherwise so he can be silly uninhibited and get free snacks from ppl who think hes cute. big fan of tech and weaponry, his dream is pilot robot.

some backstory bits:

all three of them are siblings as previously mentioned. they don't share any blood relation, but A and B have been by eachothers sides for as long as they can remember. lil buddy has been in their lives for less time, but they both love him like a baby brother :]

(B thought that they & A were blood siblings for a very long time, and A will never let them live it down)

i imagine A & B were raised and schooled in a weird, very mixed-species little town / community way north of splatsville before striking out on their own (at probably younger than they should have) (This means B has no connection at all to the octarian army & has No idea who dj octavio is)

met little buddy around the time they started travelling on their own - he's a salmonid that got seperated from his school during a migration.

(at one point the two tried returning little buddy to salmonid territory, hoping he'd be able to re-join their society, but he was quickly kicked out :[ )

before becoming agents they mainly did scavenging work, finding "treasure" (weird old human era scrap) and selling it. i like to imagine they tussled with deep cut over a piece of treasure at least once before meeting them in alterna.

also: they do a lot of shoplifting. and other crimes. dont tell anyone

^ i call this image "bugs when you lift up a rock"

#splatoon #agent neo 3 #neo agent 3 #emails

[artyandink]

𝖕𝖎𝖘𝖙𝖔𝖑𝖜𝖍𝖎𝖕 | 𝖉𝖊𝖆𝖓 𝖜𝖎𝖓𝖈𝖍𝖊𝖘𝖙𝖊𝖗 | 1

Summary: “She’s like you’ve been pistolwhipped.” He bit his lip angrily. “Hits you right in the head and makes it spin. I used to hate it. But now? I’ve turned out like every other guy; had one hit of her and… I’m addicted. So yeah, pretty much.”

MASTERLIST

A/N - Second book of the series! Feedback is much appreciated and it’s my fuel, so don’t hesitate to give any constructive criticism and/or feedback!

BAD DAY AT BLACK ROCK

ᴺᴼᵂ ᴾᴸᴬᵞᴵᴺᴳ : CYNICAL - EMEI

“Thanks for helping rebuild the roadhouse, sweetie.” Ellen smiled, taking my hand, and I glanced at the tribute to Ash in the centre of the largest wall there. “You’re a real help.”

“No problem.” I replied with a grin. “It’s the least I could do after you agreed to give me a job, especially when...” 

“Remind me to kill him when I next see him.” 

“I’ll do it myself, don’t you worry.” 

“Beer for the gentleman over there.” Jo nodded towards the other end of the bar, and I took the task up, quickly uncapping a beer and sliding it down the table. “So, you broke it off with James?” 

“Sadly.” 

“He was good for you, though. Real salt of the earth.” 

“Nowadays you don’t get salt of the earth, do you?” I chuckled, then went to the next patron. “What can I get you?” 

“Whiskey, sweetheart.” The man smirked. “Neat.” 

“Coming right up.” I poured a glass of whiskey, passing it to him. 

“Wait.” Jo smirked, turning me around. “Is that the corset you used to wear when your parents weren’t around? Y’know, when we’d have nights where we were just managing the roadhouse by ourselves?” The corset she was talking about was black and had hints of lace, while I wore an oversized plaid shirt over it with Jo’s abandoned and faded shorts, cause it always had looked better on me (with mutual agreement. In Jo’s words, ‘I had more legs to show off.’, but all girls are gorgeous in their own right. Jo has a more feminine body than mine.). I’d rolled up the sleeves of the plaid halfway up to my elbows for more practicality, of course, otherwise I wouldn’t be able to work.

“Ivonne Hazel Rainer, you wore things like that while I was gone?” Ellen snapped in her mother tone.

“It was for kicks!” I laughed, putting my hands up in mock surrender. “But I found it and I was like ‘why the hell not’.” 

“I still haven’t forgotten the time you came home with golden hair.” 

“I never will, either, trust me.” Ellen went to serve more patrons, but then Jo gave me a look. “What?” 

“Don’t think I don’t recognise that plaid.” She sighed. “That’s Dean’s.” 

“I didn’t notice.” 

“It reeks of his cologne.” 

“How do you know what it smells like?” 

“Because he’s literally the only one who wears it?” 

“Touché.” I sighed, then cracked open a beer for myself. “He hasn’t contacted me in two months.” 

“You sit back. I’m gonna kill him.”

”Dude.” Sam groaned, lying on the bed. “Bela stole that rabbit’s foot from  us. We need to get it back before I die.” 

“I’m working on it.” Dean snapped from his perch at the table. “But if she doesn’t want to be found, she’ll be damn hard to find.” 

“Then do you know anyone who could?” Dean but his lip, frowning. “Earth to Dean?” 

“Maybe…” He sighed, “definitely… Ivonne Rainer.” 

“Then call her.” 

“We haven’t spoken in two months, and we didn’t exactly end on good terms!” 

“Screw good terms, just do it.” Sam took out his phone, holding it out to Dean without managing to hurt himself. “Call her.”

”She’s not gonna pick up. And we can’t track her, cause the rules with Bela apply to her too.” 

“Call the roadhouse, then. They rebuilt it, and Ellen and Jo might be able to tell where she is.” 

“Ellen probably wants to kill me.” 

“So thank your lucky stars if Jo picks up.” Dean reluctantly took the phone, calling the Roadhouse.

The phone rang, and Jo picked it up while I chatted to a man who had apparently come from Britain. 

What can I say? I’m a sucker for a British accent. 

“So, are you free after your shift, darling?” He asked, white teeth glinting. 

“I could be.” I smirked, leaning forward on the counter. 

“How about I get your number, for starters?” He slid a napkin forward, and I took out a pen just as Jo cleared her throat. “Yeah?” 

“Code Red.” She whispered, and I nodded, turning to the guy with a smile. 

“Rain check on that number?” 

“‘Course, sweetheart.” 

I went over to the phone, winking to Jo as I took it. “Harvelle’s Roadhouse; this is Ivy speaking.” I heard a pause from the other end, so I frowned. “Hey, buddy, I’ve got customers waiting, so speak up before I hang up.” 

There was a sharp intake of breath. ‘Beanie.’

I’ll be damned if I didn’t recognise that voice. 

“Son of a…” I breathed, my hand tightening on the telephone. Remind me to kill Jo, please. “Dean.” 

‘Hey.’ 

“Don’t ‘hey’ me. What do you want?” 

‘Help.’ 

“Yeah, help with what?” 

‘We need to track down a girl named Bela. There’s a cursed rabbits foot that she stole from us, and Sam could die in a week. We need to get it back.’ 

“And you need me to help?” 

‘You’re the best tracker I know.’ 

“Sweet words, Dean. Use ‘em on someone else.” 

‘Please. I don’t care what I have to do to make it up, but help Sammy.’ 

I gritted my teeth, closing my eyes, and I could feel an anticipating silence on the other side. “Call Bobby, get whatever you can on her. I’m coming.” I put down my phone, then turned to the British guy. “Sorry, man, but you’re gonna have to catch me another day. Family troubles.” I held my hand out to Jo, who chucked me the keys to my Mustang. “And you’re in for a hell of a telling off when I come back.” I picked up my wallet, stored my gun in my waistband, put on gloves, saluted to Ash’s portrait and left, getting into my car and flooring it.

Hours later, I pulled up at the motel, getting out of the car and walking up to the room door that Dean had texted, and I knocked sharply. I heard clattering, and a couple of loud curses, then Sam opened the door, a grin appearing on his face when he saw me. 

“Ivy!” He laughed, pulling me into rather a clumsy hug. “Thank god you’re here.” 

“Thank god I’m here, yeah.” I walked in, throwing my satchel down. “This rabbit’s foot better be worth it, cause I just missed a hot date with a British guy-“ I came face to face with Dean, who was stood up and looking at me like he’d seen a ghost. 

“Ivy.” He nodded slightly. He looked me up and down, his eyes lingering on the red plaid I was wearing with a look in his eyes that I couldn’t place. Then they moved to the corset, then my shorts, and he bit his lip. I fought back a blush, instead staring straight into his eyes with what I hoped was indifference.

“Dean.��� I smiled a bit, then got straight to business, taking out a map. “Ok, so, Bela Talbot, born in 1979, shocker, and she’s everyone’s favourite black magic arms dealer. She takes valuable or dangerous items, like cursed objects and the works, selling them to the highest bidder. And the things she sells? Well, they rack up millions. I’ve tracked her scent to this apartment in Queens, but she’ll be booking it tomorrow evening. Best to hit her fast.” 

“How did you figure all this out?” Sam asked, peering at my map. 

“I know how she thinks. Bela and I have been frenemies since we first met on one of my hunts eight years ago. One’s out to destroy the bad and the other to sell it; it’s bound to cause rifts. Now I’m gonna go confront her, get the rabbit’s foot and get back to my job.” 

“And the hot date.” Dean scoffed. 

“And that.”

”With the British guy?” Sam chuckled. 

“What can I say? Girls are suckers for a British accent. As long as it’s not a chav accent, no, I don’t like those.”

Dean and I were walking towards the car after fixing Sam up so he wouldn’t break anything or hurt himself, but I could feel the tension like it burned my skin, especially as we got in the car. 

It actually started to feel claustrophobic after a few hours.

“Ivy, I just wanna-“ 

“This isn’t for you.” I cut in, staring straight ahead. “I’m doing this so Sam won’t die.” 

“And yeah, I’m thankful for that.” 

“Let’s leave it there, then.” 

“Ok.” His hands were gripping the steering wheel so hard his knuckles were turning white, and he looked like he was actively trying to keep his eyes off of me. “How have you been?” 

“As good as I can be.” 

“That’s fair.” 

“Ok.” 

“Can we at least try to talk normally while this is happening?”

”No.” 

“You don’t wanna fix this?” 

“Let’s just get the rabbit’s foot and then do the mushy discussion.” He tried to speak, but I held up a finger as we pulled up. “Capiche?” 

“Fine.” We got out of the car, taking out our guns as we broke into Bela’s room. Dean stuck a post-it note on the wall, and I gave him a look before dragging him back just as Bela came our way, holding a gun. Then she saw the post it note and turned around, spotting Dean. “You left without your tip.” She smirked, drawing her gun with a look I knew all too well. Then I tapped her shoulder with my gun, and she whipped around, gun now trained on me while mine was on her.

“Hi, Bela.” I waved, flicking my safety off. “Long time, no see.” 

“Ivy.” She smiled. “How long’s it been?” 

“One year, give or take.” 

“Long year, especially with your quick trip to tell.” 

“We’re not here to talk about that.” I snapped. “You’re gonna give it back.” 

“Sweetie. No I'm not.”

“It’s cursed, Bela. Lose it and you could die.” 

“You'd be surprised what some people would pay for something like that.” 

“Really?” Dean scoffed. 

“There's a lucrative market out there. A lot of money to be made.” Bela laughed. “You hunters with all those amulets and talismans you use to stop those big bad monsters. Any one of them could put your children's children through college.” 

“So you know the truth, about what's really going on out there, and this is what you decide to do with it? You become a thief?” 

“I procure valuable items for a select clientele.” 

“Yeah. A thief.” 

“No.” She smirked. “A great thief.”

”Bela, Dean’s brother touched the foot.” I reasoned. “And you know how it works.” 

“Take it, then.” Wait for it. “For 1.5 million.” 

“Sure, let me just call my banker.” I scoffed, then held up the rabbit’s foot in a gloved hand. “Or this. You know about my sticky fingers, Bela, you’re used to this by now.” Then I took the gun out of her hand, emptying the clip before running out, Dean following and taking the rabbit’s foot from me. I glared at him, sighing. “You do know that you have to keep that on you at all times, right?” 

“Yep.” He nodded, storing it in his jacket pocket and zipping it up. “I’m aware.” 

“If you lose it, I’m booking, it cause I don’t wanna deal with this.” I gestured to all of him, and he bristled. 

“You just gestured to all of me.” 

“That’s what I mean.” We got in the car, and he started it, driving back to the motel. 

“Where’d the tattoos come from?” 

“One I got seemingly in hell, the other I got about a month ago at a tattoo parlour.” The second was just above my waistband. It looked like this: 

𝖛𝖎𝖙𝖆 / 𝖒𝖔𝖗𝖘

“That’s life or death in Latin, right?” 

“You bet.” We stayed in silence for a while, until he spoke up again. 

“Good work with Bela back there.” 

“Thanks.” I found the courage to look at him, and smiled a bit. “You too.” Then I got a call, so I picked it up. “Talk to me.” 

‘Give it back.’ Bela demanded from the other end. 

“Sure, just hand over 1.5 million and we’ll call it quits.” 

‘I hate you.’ 

“Same here.” I grinned. “C’mon, you knew that the Winchesters had me in their arsenal. Why mess with them when you knew I was coming in?” 

‘I wasn’t expecting them to call you of all people.’ 

“Then you didn’t think outside the box. Sorry, Bela, but you know the rules. Finders, keepers, snoozers, losers.” I cut the call, then Dean spotted another tattoo. On my neck. It was the date I went to hell in Roman numerals, but it was mostly hidden by my hair.

“You have a hell of a lot of tattoos.” 

“Yeah? Well, hell does that to you. You’ll see what I mean when you get there.” 

“Don’t be like that.” 

“You know what? I will.” 

We reached the motel, but saw two hunters in there who had tied up Sam. I took my gun back out, and we went up to the door, hearing the last words of the guy. 

“That guy’s named Kubrick. Certified psycho.” I whispered, and Dean took out his gun too.

“It's God, Creedy.” Kubrick smirked, pointing a gun at Sam. “He led us here for one reason. To do His work. This... is destiny.” 

“Nope.” Dean shrugged, both of us entering and cocking our guns. “No destiny. Just a rabbit’s foot.” 

“Put the gun down, you two, or you're gonna be scraping brain off the wall.” 

“Oh, this thing?” Dean smirked. 

“Yeah, that thing.” 

Dean started to put his gun down and so did I, hoping that he had a good plan. “Okay. But you see, there's something about me that you don't know.” He picked up the pen next to his gun. 

“What’s that?” 

“It’s my lucky day.” He threw the pen, and it lodged perfectly into the barrel. The heck?! He laughed loudly, turning to me. “Oh my God, did you see that shot?!” 

“Yeah, I did!” I snapped back, my eyes glowing blue as I swept my hands to the side, taking the gun out of Kubrick’s hands. Creedy launched a punch at Dean, but he sidestepped and Creedy stumbled straight into me, and I took his head, slamming it straight into the wall, knocking him out. Dean picked up the remote, throwing it towards Kubrick and hitting him right in the gap between his eyes, knocking him out immediately. He turned to Sam with a childish grin, amazed by himself. 

“I’m Batman.” He chuckled. 

“Yeah. You're Batman.” Sam grimaced. I took out my knife, cutting him loose and checking him for serious injuries. 

“Ok, Batman,” I sighed, “we need to burn this rabbit’s foot.” 

“All right. Bone ash, cayenne pepper, that should do it.” I thought aloud, then held my hand out for the rabbit’s foot. 

“Hold on a sec.” Dean bit his lip, scratching some lottery tickets as fast as he could. 

Sam groaned. “Dean, you-“ 

“Hey, back off, Jinx. I'm bringing home the bacon.” He then stored the tickets in his jacket, and took out the rabbit’s foot. “All right, say goodbye, ‘wascawy wabbit’.” 

Then a gun cocked. 

“You have to be kidding me.” I sighed, looking up to see Bela holding a gun. 

“I think you'll find that belongs to me. Or, you know, whatever.” She smirked. “Put the foot down, honey.” 

“No. You're not going to shoot anybody.” Dean chuckled. “See, I happen to be able to read people. OK, you're a thief, fine, but you're not—“ Bela shot Sam’s shoulder, and he went down. “Son of a-“ 

“Yeah, you can read people.” I hissed, secretly taking the foot from Dean. 

“Back off, tiger. Back off. You make one more move and I'll pull the trigger.” She pointed it at Sam. “You’ve got the luck, Dean. You, I can’t hit. Him? I can’t miss.” 

“What the hell is wrong with you?!” Dean gasped. “You don't just go around shooting people like that!” 

“Relax. It's a shoulder hit, I can aim. Besides, who here hasn't shot a few people? Put the rabbit's foot on the ground now.” 

“Hey, Bela?” I called out with a grin. 

“What?” 

“Think fast.” I threw the foot at her, and she caught it, the luck transferring to her. Her eyes widened as she turned her gaze on me, and I winked. 

“Damn.” She cursed, and I laughed. 

“So, whaddya say we burn this thing and make sure that all three of you live, hm?” She reluctantly dropped the foot in the fire, rolling her eyes. 

“Thanks very much. I'm out one and a half million, and on the bad side of a very powerful, fairly psychotic buyer.” 

“Wow, I actually don’t feel bad about that. Sam?” Dean smirked. 

“Nope. Not even a little.” Sam agreed. 

“Maybe next time I'll hang you out to dry.” She hummed, leaning on the gravestone next to Dean. 

“Oh, don’t go away angry.” Dean pouted, then straightened his face. “Just go away.” 

“See you another time.” She smirked, then walked off. 

“You guys good?” I asked, checking the foot was ashes before extinguishing the fire. 

“We’ll live.” Sam smiled. “Thanks, Ivy.” 

“Yeah, we owe you one.” Dean nodded. 

“Don’t mention it.” I grinned. 

“I guess we're back to normal now, huh? No good luck, no bad luck. Oh! I forgot we're up $46000. I almost forgot about the... scratch tickets.” Dean checked his jacket, which had no scratch tickets. 

“Bela did a number.” I laughed. “Anyway, I have to get going. Tyler the Englishman awaits.” 

“Or… you could stay.” Sam suggested, stepping forward. “C’mon, we’d be toast without you. Charred bread. The hot date can wait.” 

“Sam-“ 

“Please?” He flashed his puppy eyes, making me frown and close my eyes, pinching the bridge of my nose. 

“Ok, fine.”

#dean winchester #supernatural #dean winchester fanfiction #dean winchester x reader #dean x reader #spn #dean winchester x oc #spn masterlist #dean winchester x you #supernatural oc

[caffeine-clouds]

What Your Favourite Sonic Ship Says About you! (Part 2)

(Sonuckles, Sonaze, Sonilver) (Part 1 is here - yes, this is the one with Sonadow) FULL DISCLAIMER: Shipping is a hot topic of debate, but this post is lighthearted fun! I'm a multi-shipper, I love most of these ships - and I can see why some people like the dynamics that I might not. This is not a bashing post, this is fun time. So, without further ado-

Sonuckles

So you took Knuxouge off of the shelf, took it to the counter - and you said: "Hey, can I get this kind of dynamic but reduce the amount of fighting and sexual tension a bit to instead replace it with a more friendly rivalry... also make it gay and uhhhh... can you also throw in just a fuckton of bromance? Your entire stock of it?" The result was thusly - Sonuckles. The rivalry dynamic of Sonadow is also appealing to you, but you just prefer dynamics on the healthier side. But does that mean you don't like angst? Fuck no, you love angst. In fact, you won't shut up about how Knuckles is one of the most tragic characters in the series to literally anyone who will listen. You just want good things for the red boy, and that means giving him a boyfriend - and that's so valid. And it makes perfect sense to you, right? Opposites attract - Sonic the freedom-loving hero who's always running free, and Knuckles - the sturdy rock, chained to his island. They're good for each other, aren't they? Sonic encourages Knuckles to get out there and live, while Knuckles teaches Sonic to slow down sometimes and take more responsibility. They improve each other, just like any good ship does. As far as Ao3 goes... you're a hurt/comfort person, right? And honestly, angst and fluff - you can take both on. You're either new to this ship, or you've been here a while and you're just so fucking stunned at the amount of fuel 2022 ended up giving you, but you are so happy either way. For you, there's no greater time to be a Sonic fan.... Anyway, sun and moon symbolism - am I right? Sonaze

Honestly? I think you're fucking based. The more I look at this one, the more it just makes sense. I see you, I absolutely see where your headspace is at. You are a person with taste and class, okay? Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. This ship is like - the pistachio ice cream of Sonic ships. To an outsider - it might seem strange, but as they grow older and wiser - they'll have an appreciation for it. Again - Sonic, free as the wind - cocky and chaotic, paired with the more rigid and formal Blaze? Again, it's the similar appeal of opposites attract - and you prefer a ship where they don't beat each other up as a ritual. And just like Sonuckles - they bring out the best in each other, and encourage each other to try different lifestyles and values. A pair of mutual respect, both can kick ass - and that Blaze/Percival blush in Black Knight? That is all the source of your joy. You still aren't over the Rush series, and you keep returning to see the end of the first Rush game. I looked on Ao3 for tagged Sonaze fics for the sake of this post and you only have 77? Absolutely criminal, I say. You poor shippers are starved, especially with the lack of Blaze content you're getting in canon. You poor things. Let's hope things get better. But let's think about your favourite tropes for a second... destined/star-crossed lovers, is it? Forbidden romance too? You are a fluff enjoyer but you'll occassionally dabble in some bittersweet endings. Seriously, I'm not exactly a strong shipper of this one - but the fic potential this ship has that isn't acted upon baffles me. Like - Sonic and Blaze struggling to navigate a love across entire dimensions? Blaze being a princess, and despite loving her - Sonic wants nothing to do with the royal life? UGH! I came up with that in a literal minute, so the lack of fan content you have? Abysmal. We need to do better. Sonilver

I... apologise in advance because this one I'm not quite so familiar with. Like, I knew this ship existed but I wasn't so aware of it's popularity. Like, there are more Sonilver fics on Ao3 than there are Sonaze - that fascinates me. Although I do have to wonder how many of those are Sonic, Shadow, and Silver poly fics... I'm trying to figure out the appeal and my best guess is that rivalries are nice and all but just not your personal cup of tea - your cup of tea, when it comes to gay hedgehogs ships - is wholesome - and you need a lot of it. What's better than one dork? Two dorks - and that's what this ship gives you. It has everything you need to be happy - and I understand. I get you. But honestly, it's so hard to deduce what your Ao3 preferences are - I do feel as though you are a bit of a wild card. However I do feel as though you're a fluff, hurt/comfort kind of person - for the most part. Either way, you're probably a cool person irl. This ship has flew straight past my radar which means you probably aren't vocal in shipping debates - which means you're not obnoxious. So congratulations on being cool, and so dang self-assured in your preferences. As with Sonaze shippers, I would like to sincerely apologise - because you are also snubbed in the content department.

#sonic #sonic the hedgehog #sth #sonic discussion #sonic ships #sonuckles #soknux #sonaze #sonilver

[witchy-rook]

Gather Your Allies: An Inexhaustive List of a Lot (but not all) of the Allies you can Gather for the Final Boss of Baldur's Gate 3

I just finished Baldur's Gate 3 the other day, and having done literally every side quest I could get my hands on (aside from deciding to give up on Dribbles at the end because I couldn't be arsed), I had a metric fuckload of support to call on for the final battle. Mostly for fun, but partially for documentation purposes and in case it proves useful to anyone (as I know more than a few people who made it to the final boss with very little support), I've decided to record whose support I had and how I got it. This should represent a good swathe of the companions you can get for the final battle throughout the game by being vaguely Good aligned.

Major spoilers below the cut!

The advice on attaining these characters is likely not definitive, but it's what I did and I got them, so if you do the same you should get them as well! They're listed here in the order they said their piece in the cutscene.

Arabella:

(Although now that I think of it, I'm not sure what she did given you can't summon her in the battle. Presumably one of the myriad buffs)

Save her in Act 2, and presumably talk with her and Withers

Arabella is encounterable in a small section of the sewers in Act 3, off a side passage near the waypoint surrounded by a load of dead bodies. I don't know if meeting her is necessary, but I imagine so, since during that interaction she says she'll help you and 'Gather Your Allies' updates.

Dammon & The Armoured Owlbear:

I imagine not letting Dammon die at any point is a big thing here.

Acquire the owlbear cub in Act 1.

I talked with Dammon a lot through Karlach's story, but I doubt this is strictly necessary. I also met him again in Act 3, but again, I don't know if this is strictly necessary.

Counsellor Florrick & the Flaming Fist:

I imagine encountering her and Ulder Ravengard's entourage in Act 1 is something of a requirement for this.

Rescue Florrick from Wyrm's Rock Prison in Act 3 and then convince her not to lose heart through a series of checks.

Barcus Wroot & the Iron Hand Gnomes:

Absolute heart throb (that's not advice, it's just true)

Prevent him from dying at any point. Rescue him at every opportunity (ie the CORRECT way to play) etc etc so that he makes it to Act 3.

Importantly, after the Gyrmforge explicitly invite him to your camp, otherwise you may not see him again :(

Refuse to go along with Wulbren's plan to blow the Gondian's Sky High.

Save the Gondians (I did the Iron Throne first, causing the enslaved Gondians to rise up), destroy the Steelwatcher Foundry, and during the confrontation between Barcus and Wulbren, side with Barcus and get him instated as leader of the Ironhand Gnomes.

Isobel & Dame Aylin:

Prevent Isobel from being kidnapped by Ketheric Thorm in Act 2.

Save Dame Aylin from the Shadowfell in Act 2.

Do not give Dame Aylin over to Lorroakan (you monster).

Duke Ulder Ravengard:

(Like Arabella, I think Ravengard mainly gives you a buff. I think it might have been 'Inspired' or 'Rallied' or something like that.)

Save Duke Ulder Ravengard from the Iron Throne in Act 3, and prevent him and Wyll from having a falling out.

Note: I actually exchanged him for Wyll's freedom and then went and saved him.

I don't know if completing the rest of Wyll's story is necessary, but I did and you should too cause it kicks ass. It kicks ass so hard I'm not even going to say what's involved in this huge spoilery post. Let's just say it reveals some major things about the story, and gives Wyll great claim on 'main character' status.

Yurgir:

(This one I'm proudest of, because I was not expecting it and it seems pretty convoluted to get him.)

Fight him in the Sharran temple in Act 2 and win (obviously, because you'd be dead otherwise.)

Go to the House of Hope in Act 3, steal the Orphic Hammer.

Fight Raphael, but before the fight succeed the Persuasion check to convince Yurgir to fight with you instead of against you.

After the fight (ensuring that Yurgir lives, presumably), when Yurgir says that he has to go back to the Bloodwar, tell him you have your own fight coming and he could join you. The absolute chad he is, he'll be like 'fuck yeah let's do it.'

Rolan, Lord of Ramazith's Tower:

Convince Rolan to stay with the refuges in Act 1.

Save him from the Shadows near Reithwin (en route to Moonrise Towers) in Act 2.

Save his siblings from Moonrise Towers in Act 2.

Fight Lorroakan in Act 3 and beat his sorry ass. Convince Rolan to take over the tower and believe in himself.

Inspector Valeria & the City Watch:

Take on the investigation into the Open Hand Temple murders in Rivington in Act 3.

Convince Valeria that there is more going on here than they think. Solve said murders. I doubt keeping Valeria's little constable friend alive is strictly necessary, but I did.

Rescue Valeria from the Murder Tribunal, who are keeping them imprisoned in a sideroom. I think solving the murders is a prerequisite for this, because the impression I got is that Orin and Sarevok kidnap Valeria as revenge for foiling the murders.

Volo's Guide to Doing Fuck All:

(Again, not sure what material support Volo gives. In this case I actually think it might be nothing because. Well. It's Volo.)

Save him at the various opportunities in Acts 1 through 3. Most importantly, save him in Act 3 outside the Steelwatcher Foundary.

I don't think talking to him in camp afterwards is necessary but you should because he's great, and if you save him before fighting Orin he gives you a sick buff against the Slayerform.

Zevlor & The Hellriders:

Side with him in Act 1 and don't betray the tieflings/the Grove.

Rescue him in Act 2 in the flesh pits below Moonrise Towers (Easy to miss! He's in one of the pods in the Mindflayer Colony.)

Talk to him about his past, his failure to defend the refugees in Act 2 and convince him that he can still make up for his failings.

Nine-Fingers Keene & the Guild:

Search out the Guild in Act 3 and help them with their Stonelord problem.

After searching out the Stonelord, the Zhentarim will stage an attack on the Guild headquarters. Intervene on the side of the Guild and help defend them. Ensure Nine-Fingers lives (though this should be easy, because she kicks ass.)

The Gur:

Agree to help them rescue their people from Cazador in Act 3.

After freeing the captives in Cazador's Palace, convince Ulma not to hate your guts by revealing just who those captive thralls you freed are.

Unfortunately for all you Ascended Astarion stans out there, I imagine going down that road locks the Gur out.

Though notably, I did sideline that one Gur hunter in Act 1, and was still able to work with them in Act 3.

Halsin & Thaniel:

(Obviously Halsin can be in your party, this gives you a specific buff.)

Side with the Grove in Act 1, rescue Halsin, recruit him, etc.

In Act 2, complete the storyline with Halsin, Art Cullagh and Thaniel and successfully heal the Shadowcursed Lands.

The Harpers:

(Again, Jaheira can still be in your party, though this time you get an actual summon.)

Side with Jaheira and her Harpers in Act 2 and help them storm Moonrise Towers.

Recruit her to your party, and complete her various quests in Act 3 (rendezvousing with the Harpers and the stuff with Stonelord)

My approval with her was decently high, though by no means maxed out, so I reckon that so long as she's with you, this should trigger.

And that's that! This is by no means even all the 'Good' companions you can get, if I had to guess, but hopefully it might help you find some of them. As you can see, most of these require prep work in Act 1 or 2, but there's at least a few that can be attained, I'd imagine, soley through quests in Act 3. Good luck out there, and give them hell!

#baldur's gate 3 #baldurs gate 3 #bg3 #baldur's gate 3 spoilers #bg3 spoilers

[iridescentghoul]

Extinguished

Originally posted on my wattpad acc:PlaugedGhozt

Rain x G/N fire ghoul reader

Genre : Idk? more comfort ig

TWS: Mentions of burning, fire, ghouls are not humans. Tell me if i miss anything that may be triggering

A/N: I do not have a beta reader so i do everything myself, their are most likely spelling/grammar mistakes. So i apologize.

You seethed with anger as you watched the sister of sin skimper away. You watched her with dilated and rage filled eyes, watching as her face grew more fearful. You didn't even care about the pain that came with being Doused in water as a fire ghoul, you just simply couldn't care right now. The ghouls were near you and Sunshine was the only one who saw, she gently went to grab your shoulder, only for her to back away due to the shear heat radiating off your body.

Steam started rising die to the mixing of heat and water, making the entire room muggy and unbearable. Sunshine continued to stand near you, worry written all over her face, this time when  she went to try and calm you down, you grabbed her hand with your own burning one and left a burn mark on her hand. She yelped and moved away from you, the other Ghoulettes and mountain following suit. Sodo and Aether were the next to try and calm you, and even though sodo was a fire ghoul and Aether able to calm anyone , it still affected them and didn't work.

They backed away and that left two ghouls, Swiss and Rain. Swiss was a multi-ghoul so he would still be burned if he touched you, but rain stood there concerned. You hissed as the pain increased as the water seeped into your Clothes and touched your skin with it's icy needles. Your body heat radiated more out of anger and pain, the whole room being steamed up. Rain grabbed your hands, pulling them towards him to which you pushed him away and increased your heat. A little steam radiated off him, but other than that had no affect. He sighed and looked at You disappointed. He grabbed your hands and flipped you over so your hands were behind your back and pinned you to the ground. Your face was smushed into the floor as you snarled with anger, increasing the heat in a fit of rage. It didn't affect Rain one bit and he held you down, only saying he would let go when you began to calm down. You tried to break free and kick him off but he sat  there like a rock, unmoving and unfazed. Steam radiated off the two of you, him being a water ghoul and you a fire ghoul. He winced once when the steam got him In  the eyes but otherwise stayed unfazed. "Calm down [Name]" He said sternly, leaning  down to speak in your ears. You hissed at him, baring your teeth at him, he only sighed in return at this and lightly popped you in the mouth. "Calm Down" He said with even more stern voice than before, holding you by your jaw so you would look into his eyes.

You were starting to calm down slowly, but one half of you still stayed angry. Rain stayed on top of you into you finally returned to normal heat and the steam stopped coming off. Only then did he get off you and let your hands go. "You okay now [Name]?" He asked and you nodded and took the hand he offered and stood up. He grabbed you by the waist and pulled you into his chest. "M'sorry rain, where's sunshine....I need to apologize to her and Aether and Sodo..."  He shushed you and pushed your head into his neck. "Just be quiet for right now, they'll understand, you were angry and in pain.." You whimpered, disappointed in yourself. "I should've controlled myself better!" Rain shushed you, "And we'll work on that together, stuff like this takes time [Name]"You whimpered but nodded into his neck and he gently sat stayed combing through your hair. You started purring gently as he did, ever so often he ran his hands over your horns which felt nice. "See? We can get through this together. You ever feel angry, you come to me, got it?" You nodded and he held you tighter.

"Thank you, Rain. Thank you for being there, thank your for calming me  down  even though you get hurt, how can I repay you?" He chuckled, "no need to repay me, you don't even hurt me because I'm a water ghoul, remember?"  a noise of remembrance left your mouth and he nodded. "It's no big deal, you deserve this, it's not your fault after all. I'll find that sister of sin and let her apologize to you." You hummed in acknowledgment, "Seriously, thank your rain, I mean it" you Mumbled, rain just shushed you again and held you closer, muttering into your ears "It's the least I could do.."

#rain ghoul x reader #rain ghoul x g/n reader #rain ghoul #comfort #ghost the band #the band ghost #ghost band #g/n reader #fire ghoul reader #ghoul reader #mentions of other ghouls

[invisiblegarters]

Only Friends Character Ramblings and Relationship Rankings - Ep 9

Last week, Ray was out there doing the most (to piss both me and Sand off), Mew thought the best way to get over Top was to live out Tove Lo's "Habits (Stay High)" and it wasn't working out for anyone, Nick was trying to get back into Boston's good graces and Boston was having absolutely NONE of it despite the fact that he very definitely misses him, and Cheum got lines for once and boy howdy, did people have a lot to say about it.

I had a really hard time with this one, because for the first time - whether because I am just so happy the stupid RayMew thing is finally over or because they gave me a break from my angst and anxiety, or because I just chilled out finally - I am liking everyone in this bar. So instead of ranking them from most to least favorite, I'm just gonna ramble on about them as I think of things to say.

Character Ramblings:

Boston. Look, Boston did nothing wrong at all this ep, he was just out living his life. It's not his fault his dick is apparently magic. He made zero fucking promises to anyone at all, and I'm getting kind of sick of everyone out here slut shaming him. Fuck that, and fuck them. There is nothing wrong with living your best promiscuous life, okay, so long as you're up front about it and use protection. And while we can't know if Boston does the latter since it's never brought up, he is the only character who has so much as mentioned it so I'm going to assume so unless told otherwise.

Also I was really impressed with Neo's acting this ep. I'm impressed all the time, but I really liked the subtle changes that came over his face the more Nick talked in that this is my final goodbye scene. Like the way he fights so much of it and tries to act so aloof and done with the whole thing but then every time his eyes find Nick's face...it was so good. And okay, I know it wasn't supposed to be funny but him just being like "peace" to his hookup was hilarious to me. I really don't want some tragic backstory for Boston and I don't want him to do a 180 on his entire life, but I think it's been clear for a while that he needed to hear a lot of what Nick said.

I just love this dude, okay? No apologies, no justifications. Just 💖

Rock on, Boston.

Sand. Yeah, I know what people think of him. Whatever. I am just gonna respectfully disagree with the lot of you. I don't necessarily agree with his choices, but I can't say that he's not making them with his eyes wide open. And honestly I don't read him as being unable to walk away from Ray. I read him as simply not wanting to. That's his decision. It's an active choice he's making. I wish people would fucking let him have it.

I also find it kind of hilarious that he's so okay with helping Ray cheat on Mew, even if he makes a whole point about how fucked up it is. Sand, you hypocritical little shit. Finally you get to be messy again - I've been waiting for it to pop up since episode six. And yeah, that's about as far as it goes. Let me be utterly frank here: this man could go out and start kicking puppies and I would love him regardless. I can see where he goes wrong, but if you expect me to vilify him for it you might want to settle down with some food and drink, because you're gonna be hanging out a while.

Still think he really needs someone comforting him for once. Do not think that will happen. Am sad about it.

Mew. I'm so glad to see rational Mew return. I hope that he's a little less quick to judge now, but I missed the direct guy we saw in that last conversation with Ray. I liked that guy, and I was happy to get him back. I think that we'll see some changes in him, and that's okay - it's good even. Being young is all about figuring out who you are and what you're into, shaping yourself towards the kind of person you want to be. I can't tell you how many different personas I stuck on at Mew's age. But one of his core traits did always seem to be a frankness that has been missing - or worse, not missing but deliberately aimed to try and hurt. I appreciated the reflection he clearly had this episode. I always knew he'd boomerang back though. Whatever people say, I knew he was too steady at heart not to.

I'm eager to see what this hybrid Mew will be like. I don't want to say that it was good for him to have what happened happen, because no one deserves it, but I do think that we're going to see a looser, less rigid version of Mew, and that part is good, actually.

Top. I've liked him for a while, and the trend continues. He got a little pushy this ep, but nowhere near as pushy as certain others I could name, and if I am not planning on acting like they are beyond the pale for it (and for the record I'm not) then I won't do it to him ether. I'm also not buying that he's been fucking his ex, either. Not until the show tells me. I made that mistake last week with thinking Ray and Mew were gonna bone down this episode and then I was wrong, and anyway I want to believe in Top. So I am going to continue to do that.

Atom, Daddy (I keep wanting to say Dapper here and that's not it, guys) Dan, and Boeing. Welp. Was wrong about Daddy Dan but not about Atom - I knew that boy was gonna get clingy. I have a feeling he's going to be a real problem. I am both nervous and excited to see what he does next, and how it will ripple outward. As for Dan, we'll see. I just foresee bad things coming of sleeping with the boss, even if he is as cute as Papang. And Boeing...I am so ready for him to come in and mess things up. I want Jojo to make good on his promise and for that man to be kissing errbody. I especially want a flashback to a threesome with him, Sand, and Top if he is indeed the ex (and I have no reason to believe otherwise, it makes the most sense to have Boeing pulling double duty rather than have him be only there to mess with Mew and Top). l almost wonder if he isn't really there to mess with the Mew and Top dynamic quite as much as we think since they're putting such an emphasis on him doing so and I have well-earned Trailer Trust Issues.

Nick. Oh, Nick. Nicholas. Nikeroni. The love junkie. I swear I was so mad at him when he kept encouraging Sand in his pursuit of all things Ray at the beginning of the ep, but I guess one stalker recognizes another, because literally nothing he said about Ray was wrong. And I have to admit that his little speech to Boston was actually really sweet, even if he had to be himself and literally follow Boston and a hookup to the toilet to give it. I was also amused that he was the one who introduced "Daddy" into his dynamic with Bossman Dan, and yet Sand had to explain to him what masochism was. I am proud of him for trying to move on but question the wisdom of doing so with his literal boss. He did say he'd be willing to lick his ass, I guess.

Cheum. She's back to being Miss Barely Appearing in the Show, but I enjoyed her relief to get Mew acting like himself again. I actually believe that she really cares about Mew and has his best interests at heart, and that she was worried about him. Did she handle it the best way? Not at all, but I understand the impulse. I don't think that Mew had to apologize to her but I like that she at least seems resolved now to let him make his own damn choices.

Yo. The woman's love life might be a mess, but she speaks sense and apparently she was also happy to fill Mew's ear with exactly just how far gone his totally real and not a farce boyfriend he swears was for someone else. Not that Mew wasn't picking up on it anyway, but it gives me a kick to think about the two of them talking about it. Why? Because I imagine she basically told him that the fact he didn't give two shits proved her point about his own damn feelings.

Ray. I know I said I wasn't doing this in order but I did leave him for last deliberately, because I think I'm gonna have the most to say about him. It feels like he's been in the back of my head nonstop for the last two weeks, in fact, so prepare yourself for a long fucking essay of me trying to work out my own feelings about him. Also I'm gonna stick in a keep reading cut here because I am going to touch on self harm and possibly suicide. Also not all my thoughts about Ray are pretty or entirely sympathetic and are very probably also incoherent. I'm not apologizing for that but if it's not something you want to read it might be a good idea to stop now.

It should be no surprise that I have had a hard time with this dude. I have talked about it. I find him largely unlikeable, and I will maintain until I'm blue in the face that I am supposed to find him unlikable, and I think that it's only because of Khaotung that I never really crossed over into loathing. Before you start, no I don't mean because Khaotung is pretty (although he is) or because I have a bias (although I do), but because he's an excellent actor, and ninety percent of the time you can see beneath whatever selfish shit Ray's pulling to the desperation that drives most of his actions - the clawing need to be loved, to be wanted, and the constant compulsion to keep moving, to live in the here and now, right now, and not think either beyond or before the very second he's in at the very time he's in it, because to think of the past hurts too much and the future is unfathomable.

The other ten percent is pure twenty two year old rich asshole though. Which is - well, not fine exactly, but understandable. All these guys are twenty some year old assholes. That's normal.

The hard part is reconciling these two things, I think. Both because of my personal experiences with people like Ray (both the asshole and the addict, joy), and because there is a temptation to either ignore the addiction to vilify him or use it as an excuse for literally every shitty stunt he pulls. Does his addiction exacerbate the other issues he has in his life? Yes. Does it explain a lot of his more volatile behavior? Also yes. Does it give him free license to do and say whatever he wants with zero repercussions, or give a good reason to shift the blame onto the people he regularly mistreats because he can't help himself and they should help him more? That'll be a hearty fucking no from me.

Addiction is very, very hard to deal with, both for the people experiencing it and for the people around them who can see a person they care for destroying themselves and generally can't do much about it, because ultimately the addict is the one who has to decide to make a change. And one thing I respect about this show is that it isn't shying away from the difficulties and realities of Ray's situation, both for him and for his friends. I know that people are very frustrated with his friends for not helping him and for basically being checked out, but to me it just hurts because I've seen that. I've seen that from people decades older than these guys. I'm not trying to excuse them, either - honestly, I fully agree with @thewayuarent in their post where they say that if they can't deal, stepping away fully is in fact the best answer (and that there is no shame in having to do so) - but I do understand it. It's not pretty to watch when we all know that Ray is suffering and pretty much aiming not to reach his next birthday, but I have definitely seen this sort of thing go down in reality, and everyone's threshold is different. I think it's very possible we're going to see even Sand, with his apparently unlimited well of patience for Ray, struggle and possibly break in the coming episodes.

If Ray does intend to take this rehab thing seriously - personally, I do not think he will (at least at first), mostly because he is not (yet) doing it for himself, he's doing it for Sand and possibly for Mew even though he very obviously still does not think he needs it or has a problem (or, to be a little more accurate, he might suspect he has a problem but he's refusing to acknowledge it. Also, just as an aside, I am very curious about his bargaining chip to Sand regarding rehab - Ray's asked repeatedly about Sand's dad and I am very curious as to why he's so invested in this. My guess is it has to do with his own issues around his parents but I do hope the show gives us some insight because there's something about it that isn't sitting right with me)) - I do hope that we see his friends take steps to help him. Because while it is ultimately on him to get better, there are things that they can do to help. They won't know these things instinctively, but I'd like to see them take this as seriously as they want him to (my personal belief is that Mew and Sand will, but I can't be entirely sure. Mew cares about Ray, okay, you'll never convince me otherwise, he's just...up until recently he reminded me of one of those people in my life who does not struggle with depression asking me why I can't just stop being sad. Yeah. That's Mew. It just doesn't compute in his head because it's not a problem he personally faces and he doesn't necessarily mean to be dismissive but he is dismissive because again, it's not a struggle he is familiar with. In his brain, it's as simple as putting the bottle/drugs down. I'm really hoping his spiral makes him more understanding of Ray's issues but there is also a real danger that he will be worse about them because he stopped so easily. I am leaning more towards him being kind and making more of an effort to understand rather than condemn. Not to mention Sand makes and sells illegal hooch and that's uh, gonna be a problem. You can feel it, right? Because I can feel it).

I got a little sidetracked, but all this was to say that I've been really hard on Ray, harder than a lot of people. So much so that I've been accused of being a Ray hater, lol. And I do find it kind of hilarious that these last two episodes have been what have induced me to be kinder to him, when a lot of others are increasingly losing their patience with his whole deal. For the record, I don't see a problem with disliking or even hating Ray (or any character) any more than I see a problem with adoring him - people have their own reasons for it and I can hardly throw stones when at least a quarter of my ire at him was because he is such an epic SHIT to Sand, who is MY ride or die just leave him be unless you're offering him the hug he so desperately needs baby blorbo. He's going to continue to be an ass to him I'm sure, I just now have reasonable hope Sand's gonna give it back in spades (more on this later) so I've calmed down on that a bit, lol.

I feel like a weird person, because the worse Ray gets the more I see the self-destruction in it. It's his casual dismissal of other people's feelings and lack of care that gets to me and makes me want to throttle him, not his big rants (except the whore comments which I still haven't forgiven although Sand apparently has because he's a better person than me). His big rants, however, have the air of someone who is trying to get himself hurt. He wants Mew to tell him that Top is a thousand percent better than he is and that Ray can never measure up, wants Sand so mad that he knocks him to the floor, wants them to lash out and return cruelty for cruelty, because it will prove what Ray has always suspected (known) deep down: he is unlovable. Eventually, he will become too much and people will become tired of his shit and bail. And if they won't? If they stay over and over and over again? He'll find a way to make them. I still maintain that part of his whole deal with Mew was that Mew gave him what he wanted, the kind of love he thought he deserved: you can come this close and no farther, because you are Too Much and you are Not Good Enough. The fact that Mew didn't intend to do that hardly mattered - it was a way for Ray to reinforce his own beliefs about himself and as much as it hurt there's a sort of satisfaction in it, too.

Like, I am not smart enough to explain this right but it's self-harm. It's not done in the way people associate with self-harm but that's what it is. Ray self-sabotages because there's a sort of vicious, sick satisfaction in confirming that this thing that he's always believed about himself is true - he is an unlovable burden who will eventually drive any and everyone who has the bad luck of caring about him away. And it also lets him continue along his path of addiction because 1 - it's fine if he destroys himself because he's such a pain that no one cares anyway and they might even be better off if he does and 2 - alcohol makes it not matter as much.

Ray wants to be loved. Ray will also make sure that it is near impossible to do so because in a strange way it makes him feel better and because if he admits that if he can be then he has to change his whole way of thinking about himself - and about why his mom treated him the way she did.

So yeah. Episode 8 did the thing. It finally made me recognize patterns I've seen before and I was just like yeowch.

And it's hard for me to articulate about episode 9, because there was still that element in some of Ray's interactions, but I think it also showed us the opposite side, too - a Ray who is actually capable of communicating beyond simply reacting in the moment. We've seen this before with both Mew and Sand, but never quite to the extent we saw in this ep. I am not one who believes that we've ever seen an entirely sober Ray, but I do think the show has done a good job of giving us shades of what that man might look like.

Unfortunately, I think it's gonna take us until episode 12 to get there, if we do. Because while I do think that we might see a sober Ray before then, I also think he's gonna be a lot nastier than even the Ray we were given in episode 8 (disclaimer that I am not saying that I believe that sober Ray is nasty, I am saying that the Ray who will be dealing with stuff he has been burying beneath booze and drugs for a long time on top of withdrawal is very likely to lash out - if he even gets that far. It's entirely possible the whole thing falls apart before it even starts). I could be wrong. I'd like to be wrong, because I am also very worried that the person who is gonna bear the brunt of it is Sand and as we've established I adore Sand beyond all reason (and I'm not saying Sand might not earn a measure of it - I'd like it if he did actually earn it, as opposed to Ray just attacking him disproportionately to whatever crime he thinks he's committed, you know?).

I don't think he's hit that proverbial rock bottom. I've said before that Ray also frustrates me because he somehow manages to skirt any real consequences for his actions. Even his car accident was pretty papered over, and his near arrest was taken care of by Top and literally all Ray could do was sneer that his dad would have taken care of it. It gets to me, but here's the thing: I can also feel something coming for him. I could be wrong, but right now I can hear that train whistle in the distance, can feel the vibrations as it draws closer, and I worry that it's going to be really bad. I don't think it'll be death - I actually believe Jojo that no one is dying although I could have egg on my face by the end - but not dying doesn't mean that someone (my biggest fear is Sand but it could be anyone up to and including Ray himself) isn't going to get seriously hurt.

I hope I'm wrong. We've only got three episodes left and I really want an upward trajectory from Ray especially out of this show - I know Jojo is capable of realistic bleakness (3 Will Be Free), but I really hope we're not going there with this show. I don't think we are. But there's still that niggling fear that we might be. Second season or not (ugh, sorry but ugh), I really really want ep 12 to end on a decent note for him. I'm not asking for him to be a new man, I'm only asking for a little hope that he's on his way to healing.

If you've actually gotten this far without bailing, we're returning to our regularly scheduled programming now. Promise.

Relationships (Most to Least Fave atm)

Nick & Sand. I just love these two. They are my favorite relationship in the show and I want more scenes with them. Everything from them bonding over their love for men who don't love them back to their attempted hookup and then giggle was just pitch perfect this ep. I would honestly watch an entire episode of the Sand and Nick show, if not more. I love how they support each other but I am so curious what Nick has been telling Sand about Boston because wow, does Sand hate his guts. I mean it could just boil down to the fight in the apartment but he also likes to bring up how shitty Boston treats Nick so who the hell knows. But yeah, they click and I love it.

Mew & Ray. What? They were good this ep, and I really hope that we see more of a genuine, loving friendship spring between them now that Ray's not constantly trying for more and Mew doesn't have to watch everything he says or does with him lest Ray decide it means Mew is interested in a romantic relationship. I also liked the fight between them (even if I wasn't a fan of some of the Nice Guyish things coming out of Ray's mouth) because it marks the first time we've seen Ray do that with him. Look. I am not saying that I like watching Ray go off on Mew for the supreme sin of not wanting his dick. What I am saying is that the fact that he could go off on him at all is a marked change from how he has been treating him since episode 1. Mew is not the idol Ray wants him to be, and I really hope we see him treating him less like some savior who's going to reach down and pluck Ray out of the depths of his despair and more like a real friend. And I'm hoping that Ray doing that will let Mew be able to care for him the way he clearly does without worrying that his love will be taken the wrong way. Basically I'm just really here for their friendship era without all the extra. Also would like to say that Book and Khaotung's acting in that last scene with them really struck me - both of them are more relaxed, the stars are completely out of Ray's eyes and you can visibly see the moment when it clicks for Mew that the "I love you" Ray is giving him now is finally the kind he can reciprocate freely and fully. I just love it.

TopMew. My endgame prediction, and I ship it a lot. I think we all knew that we'd get to where this episode left us eventually - Mew was hurt and humiliated but at some point I just realized he was gonna try again. Whether it works out, I dunno (although I said they are my endgame prediction), but in the same way that Ray owed it to himself to try with Mew and Sand owes it to himself to try with Ray, Mew owes it to himself to see if he can move past what happened with Boston. I think it'll be interesting to watch - we'll see what Boeing throws into the mix but even without him it would be interesting, because Mew's gonna be twice as guarded and extremely gun shy. I can't pretend I'm not looking forward to where this is going, whether it winds up being back together, something open-ended, or a book firmly closed.

BostonNIck. My favorite disaster couple. I have shipped this from the very start because I'm like that you can't stop me, and I continue to ship it even though more and more I think it will go nowhere. That's okay I don't need it to, and in fact I think that their fundamental differences on love and sex would doom them even if they did try. I just want to see how they're going to navigate whatever is going on with them now. Are we gonna see Boston being flat footed and trying to get Nick's attention (like it's hard, lol)? Will they just sort of wind up talking and both pretend that everything else never happened? Will they form an actual friendship? I think I'd like to see that.

SandRay. Welp I said that their dynamic was close to what I like but not enough, and this episode tipped the scales. I'm never gonna be a die hard shipper and frankly I believe these two are doomed to break (although I am back on my hope that they will manage to salvage a friendship out of it train, so that's nice), but that music room scene not only hit a very specific button for me, it smashed the damn thing down hard. Also the cheek kiss. That whole scene actually was shot a very very specific way to convey a very very specific mood and I'm kind of in love with it and how very different it is when you compare it to the scene in ep 2. I am very curious to see how Ray acts with Sand now. Very curious. Also, I just used very so many times that it no longer feels like a word.

I also think that this might be Sand's relationship to break. I kinda hope so. It would at least get us out of the cycle of Ray screwing things up constantly and then running back to Sand to patch things up. Also, admittedly a tiny part of me just wants to see Ray in shambles over Sand for once. The heart wants what it wants, and all that.

I am also very curious to see if Boeing is going to wind up screwing with their dynamic in some way. I know he's busy causing friction with Mew and Top according to next episode's preview, but I don't trust those things and there's also no reason the man can't pull double duty. Maybe even triple duty. I believe in him.

NickDaddyDan. Never getting over Nick being the one to introduce that dynamic. And while I approve of his trying to move on from Boston, I do not necessarily think doing so with the boss is the best overall move. See, here's my thing. I will put up with a lot, but the second you screw with my money you've lost me. Not only no but hell no, and fucking the boss is a one way ticket to making that happen. Because chances are good that as soon as that relationship goes sour, so then does the job. Just a whole world of nope for me. And this feels like it will inevitably happen. How does this reconcile with my love of shows like Jun & Jun, The Director Who Buys Me Dinner, The New Employee, etc? Simple. In all of those the genre I was watching basically guaranteed that wouldn't be part of the equation. Although in The New Employee it sort of was, since Seung Hyun was absolutely not hired to get at Jong Chan. It's one of the things that I praised Step By Step for actually - the fact that it was Pat who suffered for what both he and Jeng were doing. Because in real life, the boss rarely gets it in the teeth when this kind of thing is found out. Not to mention what can happen if you break up with a boss prone to retaliation. And Only Friends definitely leans more towards reality than most. So I expect to wince a few times here.

I don't know if I think that Dan is prone to petty retaliation. He seems sweet, if awkward. But the worry is there. We'll see how it goes.

#only friends #only friends the series #rankings #well sort of #mostly me rambling #a lot

[breakfastteatime]

After peeling off his poncho and taking care of his injuries in the 'fresher, Cal decides he can't face food or company right now. Instead, he winds his way to the back of the ship where, to his almost tearful relief, he finds a bed.

Leaving himself open and vulnerable to these strangers might sound like a bad idea but the Force says otherwise. Cal has spent five long years barely letting himself consciously reach for the Force. Now he's done more in the past hour than he has in all that time and he is so, so, so tired and he is so cold and Prauf... Prauf is...

That woman. She put her lightsaber through... She killed... She...

Cal sits on the bed before he falls on it. He bends over double, trying to hold it all in. Tears, vomit, screaming, he can't let any of it out. He doesn't want those strangers coming back here and finding him like tht. He'd rather be numb right now than feel it all. He can't handle it, can't begin to comprehend the sheer insanity he has just survived.

The train had exploded around him, and somehow he's still here. A hysterical giggle breaks free before he can catch and crush it.

Teeth clenched, Cal jabs the heels of his hands into his eyes. His head pulses with a thick, nauseating headache. He is so tired, like he's been awake for every second in all the years he's been alive. All the years he was on Bracca at least. Those meticulously crafted shields of his, the ones sealing in all the grief, are coming undone.

Not now. Please, not yet. He can't handle any more. He moves, hand reaching for the pillow. He needs to switch off, needs to -

Feels weird to be making up this bed again. He only uses it when he's got a full passenger manifest. Not like he can charge anyone to sleep back here. And since Cere hired him, at his maximum rate too, he's had no need to sleep back here himself. Someone's going to have to eventually, probably some old Jedi Master who's going to save the galaxy from the Empire or whatever with a bunch of baby Jedi. Yeah, right, sure. They're gonna do that after five years of hiding out. Still, Cere's a paying customer and who is he to argue with someone with all those credits to their name. This charter is Greezy money, baby.

Cal slips out of the memory, too exhausted to care that he definitely wasn't the Jedi Master Greez or Cere had sought out. Prauf would be alive if he -

Stop. Stop it.

Cal indulges his exhaustion. He doesn't even have the energy to kick off his boots. He slumps against the mattress, hand grabbing the blanket and -

- at least this Jedi person will have a nice, freshly laundered blanket to sleep under. Might be the first time in years they had such a nice blanket. Maybe they've been under a rock or -

Cal falls into a deep, heavy sleep before the echo finishes its recollection.

#star wars jedi: fallen order #jfo minific #jfo headcanon #cal kestis #greez dritus #cere junda #this idea kept me up far too late last night #i found myself wondering what echoes cal got from the bed in the engine room #SO I WROTE IT

[ratkingdad]

MAJOR SPOILERS FOR NEVERAFTER FINALE

“If you were not fated by the hand of an author nor fated to suffer the endless times of shadow, how would you change your own story?”

Rosamund

“Once upon a time, there was a princess who decided to try speed dating.” Rosamund decides that she will learn what a spindle is and how to use one safely so she doesn’t prick herself at 18. When she encounters the wicked fairy on her 18th birthday, she meets her with expertise on spindles. The wicked fairy tries to stab her with it and Rosamund kicks her ass. Now she just has a cursed spindle and is otherwise an accomplished magical princess.

On an adventure with Gerard they come across a princess sleeping in a coffin. She smashes the glass coffin and performs CPR on Snow White. With no mouth mouth contact btw she uses all the like professional covers and shit. The apple isn’t even poison it’s just stuck in her throat. Rosamund lies and says it was poisoned. Snow White wakes up and doesn’t recognize them. Rosamund informs her that true love doesn’t exist. Snow White says that she likes all the dwarves, implying that she is now a polycule with the dwarves. Rock on.

Mother Goose

He is at home with Henry. He’s the guy in the village of Happily who is just always sitting in the shade who people can go to and ask question. He’s just a member of the community.

Jack in this world is a lightening fast messenger. He shows up one day and tells Henry he traded their cow for a jet black gander. The gander bashfully looks at Timothy. The gander tells Timothy that is he could have a wish, he would wish to wander with him. Henry builds a place on their property for the gander to live. The gander shakes off the will of its author and chooses to fly through the lands of fairy tale bearing a very wise witch on his back. Henry comes too btw. Jack is excited one of his schemes has panned out. Henry tells him sometimes his schemes are good and when they’re not, they’re just not. But he loves him both times.

Pinnochio

Surprising similar to his last one. Minus the conditional aspect and the pressure of needing to change into a real boy and the idea that that can only happen under the pretense of being perfect. He makes similar mistakes, just never with the punishment or the reprimand or the taking away that he experienced. He makes mistakes and learns just like a real boy.

This continues until his 21st birthday, when with his maternal figure (the fairy with turquoise hair), and his father, he makes a cocktail of whiskey and bubblegum and is turned into a real 21 year old boy. He still has a tremendous amount of magic. He is a young warlock. Gepetto smiles at him and tells him that curses and magic are strange, sometimes you’re a real boy sometimes you are not, but you are always my son. Pinnochio replies that Gepetto is always his father in a very deep voice. Pinnochio goes on adventures with cricket. He also shuts down the donkey shit on toy island.

Pib

“Once upon a time there was a cat who already finished his journey.” He’s starting at the point of already having finished his old story. He lives a life where he doesn’t have to think so hard to get what he wants. He just sits there and fills his belly. But every few weeks he gets the Prince of Marianne to throw a big feast to see if anyone has any need of help from the trickster prince. He can choose his own adventures, he’s no longer desperate to have to regain something he lost.

At one of these banquets a beautiful older woman approaches and says she knows she is speaking to a true trickster. She’s trying to be different, and that often he has helped those who are confused and bewildered. She asks if he will consider helping someone who knew exactly what they wanted. It is the stepmother, Minerva. She asks for help getting her daughters married. He agrees. They go to a ball in Marriane. Minerva says that her stepdaughter is great, she got married all on her own. She introduces him to the Princess Cinderella. He goes off on another adventure.

Gerard

Gerard is also going to pick up his story where his original story finished. “Once upon a time all the frog prince shit happened, then a bunch of other crazy shit happened, then on the way out of divorce court with his great friend/ex wife Elody Gerard suddenly transforms into a handsome prince with all the powers of a frog.” He plans on continuing to adventure and live the single life. Just a divorced man getting ripped. He works out with Tom Thumb (who now wakes up at 8 AM). He tries to keep in contact with everyone. Him and Rosamund constantly send letters back and forth about their terrible dates and talk shit about being single. He visits Timothy and his family, he visits Pinnochio for weekends at Toy Island, he plays gin rummy and curses with Ylfa, and he asks for Pib to help him get his kingdom back from his parents who were just kind of cool with him being a frog for so long which is fucked up.

Ylfa

The moral of her story was to obey authority figures. With her freedom, in classic teen fashion, she’s gonna redo her story so she’s a total little rebel. She’s straying all the time. She strays so deep in the woods that she meets and Baba Yaga and they get into shit together. Ylfa stays true to the things she loves about grandma culture: gin rummy and cursing. But now she doesn’t listen to authority at all. At some point Timothy comes to visit and sees that Ylfa and Baba Yaga are playing cards with a mannequin wearing the orange hat. As they should.

She meets some more friends and has a crush on a boy named Nochi. This is clearly Pinnochio. Pinnochio comes over to play gin rummy a lot. Years later when they are both twenty one they get together because why the fuck not. She seems the big bad wolf, wearing the orange hat, giving her a big thumbs up out the window as they kiss.

#dimension 20 #d20 neverafter #rosamund du prix #mother timothy goose #d20 pib #d20 pinocchio #gerard of greenleigh #ylfa snorgelsson #that fucking orange hat #dimension 20 spoilers

[bbgtech-9000]

Apparently I have too good of a knack for finding other universes..

Uhh, hello, alternate universe Mikey here, please just call me Mike ✌️

Don't beat yourself up over what you needed to do. Anyone who says otherwise can kick rocks or get their asses kicked.

If you want to get your mind off of it, though, I'm willing and able to listen to project ideas - I've got plenty of time on my hands after being forced on bed rest, hah.

// Chuckles. //

Thanks for the encouragement, but...I'm going to leave the whole thing alone for a bit.

Not feeling too settled as of yet...

Getting there though.

#01-Analysis

[sambhavami]

The Lost Flute - Part 5 (Crashing Waves and a Necklace of Pearls)

The beaches of Dwarka, as Yashoda had found, were laden with rocks. The ocean threw itself relentlessly against the unwavering rocks, almost as if it wanted to swallow the pretty island whole. Still, she often came down there whenever the din of the palace became too overwhelming. Even though at first she had been somewhat afraid upon witnessing the apparent hostility of the sea god, the constant susurration of the ocean rising and falling had proved to be strangely comforting. Yashoda found herself spending more and more time sitting on the beach observing the citizens go about their day.

Even though she was technically a queen, Yashoda found greater comfort among the common people who frequented the beaches. She would watch, fascinated, as the fishermen would tug along their long boats over the rocks, into the sea, and disappear for the day. "Godspeed!" She would call out to the nearest man as they would wave out to her on their way out. Yashoda would sit on the rocks watching, as their boats swam up and down as the turbulent sea carried them away. Once the boats were gone, Yashoda would take a stroll along the beach, casually surfing the little shops nestled on one side.

One morning, she spotted a young woman sitting on the street under a makeshift canopy with jewellery of pearls laid out before her. A long single-strand necklace made of ivory pearls caught Yashoda's eye. She perched down beside the woman. Picking up the necklace, she held it against her neck, checking out her reflection in a small mirror that the woman had erected in one corner of her little shop.

"It suits you greatly, Madam!" The girl smiled encouragingly.

Yashoda smiled and nodded, "Say would you exchange that for this one?" She said as she unhooked and held out her gold necklace.

The girl took the necklace to inspect, but dropped it the next moment as if it were burning, "I cannot take this Madam, it's real gold!"

"So what?" Yashoda inquired, "Where I am from, your pearls are worth much more than that!"

"Might be true, but Madam, if I take this home, they'll call me a thief! They gave Lord Krishna a chance to explain himself, I might not be that lucky!"

Yashoda shook her head, cursing herself for not having considered the possibility. She said in a small voice, "Could you then put this aside for me, please? I don't have any money on me, but I promise I'll come and get this. I come here often, Niryama the sailor knows me!"

"I'll keep it till nightfall. Pay and get it if you like." The girl replied in a cautious tone.

---

That afternoon, as Yashoda walked lazily along the seashore her long gold necklace gleaming against the golden sun dawdling across the sky. A warm amber hue caressed her dark skin. The beach was empty for as far as the eye could see. Yashoda wondered if the shore was cleared out on account of the arrival of the princess who was now happily skipping away in front of her, kicking up a storm of dust over the sharp rocks with every footstep.

"Oi," She called out to the young princess, "Tell me, Dwarka is better or Mathura?"

Subhadra smiled as she turned back, "It's peaceful here. Truth be told, I do not miss Mathura." Her smile turned downcast, "Here, I don't wake up or go to bed with anxiety. Prayers for the safety of my brothers do not keep me up at night. Here, I can go to bed without a knife under my pillow. Oh God," She drew in a sharp breath, "Let me never go through such a war again! Here, everybody knows someone who lost something. I would literally die I ever lose anything or anyone."

"I apologize, my dear!" Yashoda looked down, "I did not realize you carried such weight in your heart. I would never have mentioned this otherwise!"

"There's no need for that." Subhadra shook her head, "How were you supposed to know? I try not to let it be obvious. Rama and Krishna worry if I am not happy. It's hard maintaining the cheer around here." A bright smile returned to her face, "Never mind me! How come you have never gone swimming in the ocean with the other ladies? Are you afraid?"

Yashoda grinned, "A little. The waves do seem to get pretty big at times-" She stopped. In the distance, a tall, dark man, wearing lemon yellow garments, approached. He was adorned in gold, peacock feathers fluttering slightly in the wind, tethered to strands of silky black locks. The man walked up to Yashoda and stopped right in front of her. She could feel Subhadra's gaze darting to and fro between her and the man's faces.

Turning to Subhadra he smiled warmly, "I just saw Father and Rama looking over a list of the Kings of our land. Go see if they fixed your marriage already!"

"If you want privacy, just say that," Subhadra made a face, "All you doing right now is getting sand mixed in your food!" She taunted.

"Get going!" He shooed her, chuckling.

As Subhadra's silhouette vanished towards the palace, Yashoda looked at Krishna more intently. The sun's rays had taken on a reddish hue, that made the jewels adorning his dark body gleam desperately. He slowly bent down to touch her feet.

"I must apologize," He whispered, his expression now grim, "I should have come sooner."

Yashoda drew a deep breath. She could feel her throat closing out of emotions that threatened to burst out right that second. She touched his shoulder, and then she let her fingers run down along a long-running scar. "This wasn't here before." She managed to say, "Last time I saw you, you were as tall as me, now look at you!"

"It has been a long time," Krishna smiled, but the hint of sadness remained.

"You grew up." She whispered.

"You, somehow, did not get old!" Said Krishna, causing them both to break into laughter. The apprehension on both sides seemed less apparent, although it remained, cowering behind their smiles.

"Maybe I was too hasty in saying that you grew up," She joked back.

With the tension somewhat broken, she took his arm as he led her along the beach to a bigger rock standing in the middle of the beach. Reaching in front of it, Krishna knelt before her. Yashoda looked at him somewhat incredulously, "You want me to climb that?"

"It's a good vantage point. That's where I go to sit when I crave a good sunset!" Krishna smiled.

"I am getting old, you know," she said as she clambered over the rock with some difficulty, "No! Keep your charms to yourself, I really am!"

Krishna, who had propped down beside her, put his arms around her neck. Almost like a child, he whispered, "No, you're not!"

Yashoda's face fell as her smile disappeared behind a thick film of tears forming in her eyes. Removing his hands from around her, she said, "Seventeen years, Kanha! For seventeen years you left me alone. Not even a single letter! All that doesn't go away with a cute face and a hug!"

"I had no choice," Krishna sighed.

"Why not? Your brother managed!" She said angrily. Now that the emotions from the first encounter had worn out, Yashoda felt a wave of anger and hurt wash over her. Several memories from the past couple of decades flooded her at once.

"You left, Kanha, casting not a single glance backwards! You killed Kamsa, then you moved on. We were the ones you left behind! I can even understand you not writing to us, but what about your friends? Girlfriends? You just left them, and never came back! Your friends cried their hearts out for weeks, and you never even wrote to them!"

"I couldn't," Krishna whispered.

"Why not, Krishna?" Yashoda pressed. Her anger wouldn't let her stop, even though her eyes recognized the hurt in Krishna's.

"Because, Maiya, it would've been as good as walking into my enemies' lairs and marking off Gokula in bright red ink! I couldn't put you, or Baba, or anyone else in harm's way just because I missed you!" Krishna drew a sharp breath, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have raised my voice." He whispered.

Yashoda gently touched his face, her anger dissipating at the sight of Krishna's sullen face, "I'm sorry too, I should've understood without you having to spell it out."

Krishna and Yashoda sat quietly staring at the blank horizon, their breaths rising and falling with the waves of the ocean.

After a long time, Krishna broke the silence, "We missed the sunset." Yashoda looked up at the horizon. The sun had long set, and now only a pale pinkish glow remained to tell the tale.

"We'll have another." She said.

"No, the rest of the week is going to be stormy, and then you go back." Krishna's face was inscrutable.

"Do you want me to stay longer?"

Krishna stared at her for a long time. "No," he said eventually, "I hope you understand."

Yashoda didn't say anything. Instead, she laid her head on his shoulder, caressing his arm gently as they both quietly stared into the darkening horizon.

Eventually, the stars came out. The waves glowed in the moonlight. Still unrelenting.

Yashoda sighed, "I hope you don't think that I only thought of those who were left behind. I also thought about you. How we at least had one another, but you, and Rama...you were all alone. Then the war started. I would stay awake all night, in case you called unto us. I remember the day when Akroora came again, this time asking us to come to Dwarka." She smiled fondly, "Your Baba then said that we had a duty to the land of Mathura. Someone had to stay back, and we chose us. Your Baba had called for a vote, I still remembered how every single person voted to stay. Even though they all had a chance to go with you, they all stayed. They said they wanted to protect your childhood knowing that you couldn't."

"I am forever indebted to them, Maiya, you know that I am!" Krishna said.

"I am not trying to convince you to return Krishna, you belong here!"

Krishna laughed derisively, "Is it bad that when you said I belonged here, I could immediately think of at least ten different reasons why I definitely do not?" He shook his head, "Only today, I spent three hours debating what colour we should paint the walls of the parliament! Seventeen years of non-stop battles, building a new kingdom from scratch, and I get to decide what colour we paint the freaking walls?!"

Yashoda stared at her son. She had suspected this from the day she had arrived in the city. Here it was, the crack beneath the plaster!

Krishna sat with his head held in his hands, his breathing heavy with emotion, "My wife will not speak to me because she thinks I abandoned the search for my missing son. When I ask the cabinet, they tell me that my son is not in their freaking budget! I give half my life to them, and this is the thanks!" On Krishna's face, there was a manic smirk, "I can't go back, and I can't stay here, so tell me, Maiya, then what the hell do I do?"

Before her eyes, Yashoda saw a sobbing little boy, who would come running into her arms, away from the groups of older boys teasing him, rather than the distressed young man who sat pressing his temple nursing an obvious headache. Alas, this time she could not just scare off everyone who had upset her son. Yashoda composed herself. She had always been good in crises.

Yashoda cupped Krishna's palms in hers, "Then, you get the hell out of here. No-" She stopped Krishna, "Not forever, but you need a break. You're no help to anyone in this state. So, here's what you're going to do: you will plan a trip out of here, and you will take your wife with you. When you're back, you will march into that parliament and make them hear you. If they don't like you, then you will make them fear you." She caressed his face illuminated slightly in the starlight, "And, when you are done with all that, for god's sake, get a friend!"

Yashoda jumped down from the rock. She looked up at her son, "I am extending my visit by a month whether you like it or not, and you will now walk me to that little shop over there and buy me the necklace I want."

Krishna sat dumbfounded for a second as he watched his mother walk away determinedly, before smiling to himself and hurrying down behind her.

#krishna #hindu mythology #balarama #fanfic #original writing #india #subhadra #vrindavan #mahabharata #the lost flute