#I’ve been holding a grudge about her death for so long

[ellecdc]

can i request a poly!marauders where the reader just tends to wonder off, like she’s suspended to be in class but she just talking to one of the portraits or just outside staring at the sky and sometimes james and/or sirius follow her so remus has to round them up

so stinkin' cute - thanks for your request lovie!

~please note: my requests are currently closed as I work through some of my older requests~

poly!marauders x fem whimsical!reader

“I don’t mean to alarm you boys,” Marlene started, not looking at all concerned about alarming them in the slightest. “But I think you might be missing a member of your group.”

Sirius and James looked to each other in horror as Remus let out an exasperated sigh.

“Where is she?” Remus asked impatiently.

“I swear she was just behind me...” James admitted, awkwardly scratching the back of his neck. 

“She cannot miss lunch, she hardly sat down long enough for breakfast this morning.” Remus commented mostly to himself as he headed back the way he came, hoping to quickly find wherever you’d wandered off to.

Although your whimsy and excitement in life was one of the things the boys most admired about you, it did make Remus worry from time to time that you’d forget to look after yourself.

It shouldn’t be that big of a deal, however, seeing as you had three boyfriends here to help you out on that end. Though, it didn’t speak very highly of them when they kept losing you.

There were very few moments in his life he was particularly grateful for his lycanthropy, but this was perhaps one of them.

He could smell you before he heard you, and he heard you before he saw you. 

He rounded a corner which was disturbingly far from the Great Hall, meaning they’d lost you quite some time ago, and saw you conversing with a portrait of the Fat Friar. 

“From what I’ve learned both in life and in death, forgiveness is not only for the other person, but also for yourself.” The Fat Friar said to you. Remus paused in his steps to enjoy the uninhibited smile that graced your face. 

“Have you ever met someone unworthy of forgiveness, Friar?” You asked, your serene voice drifting down the hallway and gracing Remus’ ears.

“Not in my nearly 1000 years.” He answered.

Your smile grew impossibly wider at that. “Me either.”

Remus couldn’t take it anymore, he resumed his trek towards you, and though he’d been going for stern, he knew his face looked impossibly lovesick as you turned your beaming smile onto him.

“Hi Rem.” You called softly, turning away from the portrait and towards your boyfriend.

“We thought we lost you, dovey.” He reprimanded as he reached for your face, resting one hand on either cheek and tilting your face up towards him.

“I’m never very far.” You answered. Remus was torn between wanting to roll his eyes fondly and thanking you for ensuring that this was true.

“Any amount of space is too far, my love.” He said instead, placing a lingering kiss to your forehead. Your eyes closed and you let out a pleased hum. 

“Why’d you wander off, dove?” He asked as he pulled back, keeping your face secured in his hands and rubbing your cheekbones with his thumbs. 

“I saw a dedalian key fly by, but as I was following it, I saw the portrait of Ferdinand Octavius Pratt who was very upset because the Fat Friar’s ghost insisted that he let go of old grudges. So, I figured I’d ask the Friar his side of the story. And, well, here we are.” You finished, smiling up at him like having him find you here had been your master plan all along.

“Here we are.” He murmured back, wondering how on earth he and his boyfriends managed to land something as impossibly sweet as you. 

Speaking of said boyfriends, Remus’ thoughts were interrupted by the sound of two heavy footfalls as the sods came running up to the two of you.

“There you are dollface! We were worried sick.” Sirius proclaimed as he all but shoved Remus out of the way and took his place, holding your face in his hands and peppering your head with kisses.

You giggled and pulled back slightly, which Sirius allowed but kept you safe within his grasp.

“You needn’t worry, Sirius. I was in wonderful company.”

Sirius raised an eyebrow and Remus translated for him.

“She was busy talking to the Fat Friar when I found her.”

Sirius nodded in understanding before he narrowed his eyes at you. “He wasn’t making moves on you, was he?”

You laughed as if Sirius had made some very funny joke, and Remus laughed along with you even though he could tell Sirius wasn’t  entirely convinced. 

“I’m sorry we lost you, angel.” James said somewhat meekly. Remus knew though that he was mostly apologizing to Remus and less to you.

“That’s quite alright Jamie.” You assured him. “I would have found you later.”

Some tension left James’ shoulders as he smiled at you, sharing a shy glance with Remus before continuing. “You didn’t eat much for breakfast since you were so excited about the Grindylow’s hatching, so...” He said as he pulled out a tote bag from behind his back. “Pads and I ran to the kitchens and packed a picnic. Would you like to head down to the Black Lake now?”

If Remus’ heart grew two sizes at the sentiment, yours must have grown three.

“Oh, Jamie!” You nearly squealed, pulling him into a hug that he eagerly reciprocated. 

“I’d love that! Thank you!” You cheered, stepping back towards Sirius who quickly hooked your arm in his – a guarantee that he wouldn’t lose you this time.

“After you then, m’lady.” Sirius said seductively with a wink, causing you to giggle again as the two of you turned and headed towards the school grounds. 

Remus quickly pulled James up against his side and pressed a kiss into his hair.

“You’re such a sweet boy, James Potter.” He murmured, feeling the fondness ooze right out of his being for this man he somehow got to call his. 

“Yeah?” James asked, sending Remus a beaming smile.

Remus smiled and accepted a searing kiss from the quidditch chaser.

James let out a pleased sigh as he pulled out of the kiss and walked in step with Remus, looking ahead to watch you and Sirius nearly skip down the hall. It was incredibly lighthearted, though Remus noticed Sirius possessively pull you into his side as you two walked past the ghost of the Fat Friar who exchanged nothing more than a polite head nod with you.

“We’re so lucky.” James commented.

Remus couldn’t help but agree.

#ask elle #marauders era #marauders au #marauders fanfiction #reader insert #self insert #sirius black #remus lupin #james potter #poly!marauders #poly!marauders x reader #poly!marauders x you #sirius black x reader #sirius black x you #remus lupin x reader #remus lupin x you #james potter x reader #james potter x you #remuscentric #poly!marauders fluff #poly!marauders imagine #poly!marauders blurb #whimsical!reader #ellecdc fics

[em1e]

baby fever | seeing shin w a little baby

⿻ mini series ft. you dating shinichiro and whatever chaos that comes from that !! ✕ cute fluff !! to make up for the heartbreak from the last one ♡ series m.list

shinichiro wants to be impressed, honestly, with how quickly his day can go downhill. 

first, he woke up to mikey and emma arguing about who’d get to take the spiderman lunch box and who would get to take the batman one to the dojo with their grandpa (shinichiro was the deciding factor, and it turns out neither of them would get either – which could’ve been a mistake on his part, since the choice just made them whine and complain more at having to take brown bags).

then the clothes he threw in the dryer for his day with you weren’t completely dry, so he had to make the decision to wear slightly damp (and sour? was that smell coming from the clothes?) or be the disgusting human he knows he is deep down and wear the clothes he’s been wearing for the past week . . . 

he goes for the latter, because surely he can just douse himself in cologne and that’ll get rid of any underlying smells the clothes have accumulated . . . right . . ?

there’s no time to dwell on it, because now he’s late picking you up! 

you were going to kill him. he prays it’s a sweet, painless death as he knocks on your door. 

and of course the universe is against him. he doesn’t know what he’s done to deserve this bad luck, but god. he might have to start repenting. 

you pull the door open, and there’s a baby bouncing on your hip. you look tired, hair a mess and still in your pjs despite it being a little past the start of lunch, and the baby doesn’t look any better, crying despite your constant movement and shh’s that it’s okay. 

“uh . . hi?” he offers, brows furrowing, “something you wanna tell me?” 

“saw this one on the street, and thought ‘wow i’ve always wanted one of those’.” you joke humorlessly, opening the door wider so he can walk through, “my sister dropped her off because her stupid boyfriend got in trouble with the cops and her sitter canceled.” 

“so no date?” he concludes, and the way you whirl around to glare at him has him holding his hands defensively, clicking his tongue, “i’ll take that as a no . . want me to take her for a sec? how long have you had her?” 

you don’t hesitate to offer the baby to him, “since six this morning. she’s been fussy because her mom left.” you run a hand through your hair,  clearly exhausted, but the second she’s in shinichiro’s arms, she quiets down. your eyes narrow, “how’d you do that?” 

he moves to sit on the couch, and you scramble to sit beside him, passing the baby blanket he points to from her diaper bag and laying it gently over her. 

“do what?” he asks, voice a thousand times softer with her in his arms, “mikey was a fusser when he was a baby, wouldn’t stop crying unless you held ‘im like this.” 

it’s . . really fucking cute, admittedly, the way he gazes down at your niece and slowly rocks her to sleep. you would be upset at how easily she relaxes in his arms if it didn’t make your heart clench. 

and you’re honestly too worn out to hold a grudge over something so silly. 

your head finds itself on shinichiro’s shoulder, toying with a loose thread on the blanket. 

“you wore that shirt yesterday.” you comment off-handedly, when your niece has been rocked to sleep and you’re ready to follow her down that same path if your eyes fighting to stay open is anything to go by. 

“how do you know?” he asks, the hint of a smile teasing its way to his lips. 

“grease stain from your bike,” you pause with a yawn, then continue while snuggling into his side, “saw ‘em when you drove me home from work.” 

“and you didn’t tell me?” he sounds offended, but really, how does he expect you to take him seriously with the lilt in his voice like he’s still talking nonsense to your niece? 

it’s soft; a side of him you’ve never seen, and it makes you ache at the prospect of having him all to yourself. your own family, your own house with a picket fence. so domestic. 

“can’t wait for us to have our own.” you mumble in favor of answering his question, sleep edging its way into your voice. 

“yeah?” you can still hear the way he’s smiling as he speaks, relaxing further into the couch for the impromptu nap. you only hum in response, and he knows then you’re too far gone to provide a real reply. 

looking down at you, holding this baby in his arms . . . he thinks he can’t wait either. 

#salmon rowe #sano shinichiro x reader #shinichiro x reader #shinichiro sano x reader #sano x reader #sano shinichiro #shinichiro sano #tokyo revengers x reader #tokyo revengers #x reader

[gay-dorito-dust]

Well for a part two I was thinking it could happen a few years later or something like that. Daemon and reader are married, she is pregnant but she doesn't know that yet. I was thinking it would be sweet for Daemon to figure that out. Maybe Caraxes gets extremely overprotective of reader. They could have a small argument wholr caring for Caraxes and it would turn in the dragon growling at Daemon when he would rise his voice at the reader. It all becomes real when she faints one morning after getting out of bed so Daemon calls the maesters and they confirm that she's pregnant. and maybe the moment of the birth, Daemon holding his first child and getting to place a dragon egg inside the crib. Just general sweetness. I would be very pleased if you'd like to write this ! If not it's perfectly fine ! Thank you !

I love your brain! It’s filled with fascinating ideas. Also I love protective Caraxes. It’s just perfect.

Newsflash: I’m shit at writing birth scenes cuz I’ve never done it by I tried my best despite some possible inaccuracies.

Reader is female per request. Just letting ppl know beforehand before I forget.

Here’s part 1 for those who haven’t read it.

Your love for your Daemon has often left you blindsided to his darker impulses that you had soon became repulsed by your sudden faux ignorance to his crimes you’ve long kept silent about. Yet you found yourself still in love with him as the day you understood the word and shown said love in a multitude of ways that you probably shouldn’t have; so when news of Rhea Royce -Daemon’s bronze bitch of a Lady wife before you- having passed away on a hunting trip, the cause having that been of her horse being frightened by some means, crushing and as an result paralysing the poor woman. Those minor details didn’t catch your eye but what was added onto it oh most definitely did; apparently it was said that her head had been caved in and along with the apt timing of Daemon’s visitation at the Vale almost corresponded perfectly to the time of Rhea Royce’s death also too perfectly to be ignored by the public.

It fell together so seamlessly that it was no longer thought to be an outlandish accusation to assume that Daemon Targaryen, your husband, had killed Rhea Royce out of cold blood. You found yourself at a loss for words, torn between creating a false narrative to save face and protect Daemon’s ‘innocence’ and going mad within your denial of the truth presented before you as clear as day. It was obvious that to live someone was one thing but to defend their unjust cruelty towards others was another. Maegor was called ‘the cruel’ for good reason, given the how history written him to be; as it seemed history held an eternal grudge against house Targaryen and was willing to bury those who bore the name as repercussions for the wars they’ve waged and the homes, families and kingdoms that now laid to ruins because of them. It was only a matter of time before Daemon received similar treatment long after his passing, have his history written through venomous words and accounts from those who only ever spoke ill of him in life and death. It was also a matter of time before history treated you just as equally horrid as it would Daemon, Rhaenyra and Viserys.

Unfortunately you knew that many of the cousin members and even the king would already be privy to whom the most likely culprit was, given how eagerly Daemon was of disgracing Rhea’s name and insulting her beauty by claiming that the sheep of the Vale were prettier then her in front of an audience. You also knew that you’d sooner be caught in the crossfire unwillingly as a means of tarnishing your name along with his for keeping dark secrets concerning the kings brother for as long as you have in hopes of toppling you both and be done with it once and for all. No matter how much you wished to fight by Daemon’s side you have found yourself unable in your current state as of late; you know naught of how or when it came about but it is believed that it had started the first morning after you and Daemon consummated the marriage. Only then did it seem to linger longer then you had hoped days prior and have yet to speak a word of it to Daemon never less the Maesters but that could wait as there were more pressing matters to confront your beloved on firstly.

“Is it true?” Daemon’s ear picked up at your voice as he lowered himself from Caraxes back, “my spouse, you look as radiant as ev-“ “silence your silver tongue husband and answer me, is it true?” You cut him off venomously, not particularly in the mood for his honeyed words. “Why don’t you cease speaking in riddles and tell me what ales you so much to bare the vipers venom on your words.” Daemon began to hate the fact that slowly and surely enough your eyes were beginning to open and see him for whom the seven kingdoms truly saw him as. No longer were you carefree kids anymore and sooner or later uncomfortable realisations would have inevitably been made. Yet Daemon didn’t think that they’d poisoned your mind so quickly as they have and for which he would have their tongues for so they would never speak a word within your presence to doubt his character ever again; because to Daemon you were merely voicing the accusations that the kingdom have made against him, that it was the Seven kingdoms and his own brother that were forcing you into thinking him, your beloved, a villain in means of causing a rift between you too.

Daemon has fought tooth and nail to have you and he wasn’t planning on letting you slip over to their side so easily. Yet when the words flew from your lips and into his skin, Daemon could feel the prickling feeling of ice flooding his once fiery veins. “That you killed Rhea Royce as a means of selfishly securing yourself of the royalties of Runestone.” The air between you felt as though at a boiling pit and a subzero zone simultaneously as it only became increasingly difficult to breath in either conditions. Caraxes seemed to physically stiffen at your words as his eyes shifted from you to the back of Daemon’s head who’s silence didn’t help his case nor hinder; feeling as though you were in danger the Blood Wrym moved to shield you until he practically eclipsed the entrance to the cavern like stable of his. No matter how good natured his actions may have been they didn’t simmer the unease within your chest when Daemon looked at you like a stranger.

“Your believing them too now?“ he says eerily, lingering in the air to further build upon the unsettling feeling within your stomach as everything within you screamed, urged you to run from the one person who sworn to keep you safe since a young age. So when you didn’t and his hand laid upon your cheek felt as cold as ice as your breath hitched at the contact and instinctively pulled yourself away from his grasp and in the the broad front of Caraxes who towered over you silently in thought. “They’re poisoning your mind my beloved, they’ll say anything to cause conflict between use because they are jealous that what we have is real in comparison to them. We made our own choice whilst they did not in they wanted to spend their putrid lives with; they want to see us fight, the want to see us collapse so they may move in and claim whatever they want as their own. What evidence do they even hold over me to stake their claim?” Daemon’s eyes searched your tearful ones only to find that deep down you were at war with your heart. “Your visitation to the Vale is enough evidence, you snide comments is enough evidence, your eagerness to bed another whilst still in relations with her is enough evidence to be made against you Daemon. They have everything you have ever said against Rhea Royce and had it engraved in their memory for moments like this. Your carelessness has brought about your own end my beloved and in due time everyone will know. If they don’t already.”

You felt yourself fighting hard to remain able to withhold your ground during your squabble as your consciousness wavered in and out of focus as Daemon’s words only sounded muffled in your ears as though you’ve been held underwater; yet it didn’t take a fool to not notice the enraged look upon his face as he closed the distance between you two, gripping your wrist a tad too tightly for your liking and along with the anger in his eyes made you all the more fearful that in your moment of weakness, Daemon would take the life of his second victim, his sweet childhood friend, out of fear that you’d betray him like everyone else did. It scared you to think that the one person you’ve loved more then anything held the ability to kill you right then and there without any witness nearby to oversee the curfuffle nor come to your defence. Instead you closed your eyes and awaited the worst when Caraxes leaned his long next over you to shove Daemon away, causing his hand to loose grip of your wrist as he fell on his backside harshly. “Caraxes! What is your issue! You’ve been like this for awhile now!” Daemon yelled up at his dragon who merely roared in his face, silencing the Targaryen quickly.

Neither you nor Daemon were quite certain what had caused Caraxes sudden change in personality because in recent memory the dragon had always been seen more so by your side then Daemon which raised some rumours that have long since been forgotten by mostly everyone. In reality however Caraxes was merely protecting you and the unborn babe within your womb and in turn had be growing protective of you ever since he could sense the additional life next to yours. So when Daemon exuded a threatening presence towards you and in extension his kin, was Caraxes final straw. Daemon had ruined everything in his life thus far and the dragon didn’t want the only consistent in his life since he was a babe himself to face because of his human’s impulsiveness; To Caraxes you were just as much apart of him as Daemon was and to be apart from you was akin to loosing a limb, all though it maybe gone, you can still feel it’s presence episodically.

Whenever moments like the one between you and Daemon were to ever arise, Caraxes felt the need to protect you, his mother, and going against his Targaryen counter part to ensure your safety even if it means harming another to achieve it. “Caraxes.” You whispered faintly before allowing the dragon to encouragingly nudge you out of the stables, allowing you to rest your full weight against him as he escorted you back to the castle, where he’d await to see you from the windows of your chambers before clambering back to the stables to whack Daemon upside the head with his tail for good measure before forcefully shoving him out also. Still angry at him for threatening yours and your child’s safety.

The next morning became a struggle for you in particular. The mere act of getting out of bed had become a difficult task as you heaved with all your strength to push yourself in to a sitting position before trying your luck once more to push yourself to you feet when all suddenly became black and your body slumped to the floor; causing a great thud that alerted Daemon, who had long since calmed down from your argument, to quickly take to his sword and rush up to your chambers in perpetration to fight off whoever sneaked into your room whilst you were in your most vulnerable state. Only to find your body pressed uncomfortably against the cold chamber floor, unmoving, fearing the worst; Daemon threw away his sword to one side as he rushed to your aid, cradling you in his arms, his face a mere contrition of all the emotions he was feeling in that moment. Guilt over never apologising to you for his heinous actions against you, anger over his own need to protect his pride when he swore to protect and defend you just as much, sadness for how your dream life seemed to have taken for the worse then he promised you and an overwhelming feeling of being lost without you guiding him like the light he knew you were.

Daemon wasn’t the only one who heard your fall as several servants rushed not too long after the prince to check upon you but not out of your safety but only out of fear of what Daemon would do to them if they had left you in such a state. However as much as they prayed to be spared of any punishment, it seemed to have gone unheard as when they opened the door to witness Daemon hold you in his arms so crushingly tight; they were met with fierce violet eyes that pierced through them and into their souls in hopes of sparking a fire that would kill them from the inside out. “What are you idiots standing there gawking like seagulls?! Fetch the Maesters!” Daemon roared in anger, watching as they scrambled, shoved, pulled one another behind the other as they raced to get out of the room to evade Daemon’s wrath. The prince scoffed in disgust but his features quickly soften as he looked down at you with all the regret one man could ever bare upon his face; the day of your argument haunts him so but nothing haunted him more then the look of fright within your eyes at his sudden outburst, almost as though you were anticipating a repeat of his actions at the Vale.

He didn’t care what anybody thought about him, he couldn’t care less if in their eyes they see a monster but he couldn’t stand to be viewed the same in yours. As children he swore to protect you from all those who’d dare chase you harm but he didn’t know that there would come a day where he’d be the one bringing harm to your front doorstep. Now he wasn’t certain he was going to be given the time to repent for his actions as he held you close against his chest, refusing to let go even as the maesters came through the doors, tried their might to pry you from his arms only for him to tighten his hold before giving in to their pleas to check you over under the circumstances that he were to stay by your side. “My prince,” the Maester began after checking you over thoroughly before coming to a resolution, “it seems that your spouse is with child and has fainted but luckily has not sustained any injury that would cause her highness nor your child any prolonging issues.” Daemon’s eyes never left you face as the news struck him. All this time you’ve been with child and he has the nerve to place you in a stressful situation where your emotions would be tested to their limitations; He grasped your hand tightly in his, “thank you, you may leave us.” He dismissed the Maesters who bowed and left your chambers so the prince could shed his tears in peace. “We’re going to have a child.” Daemon muttered to himself, resting his head gently against your stomach, “we’re going to have a child. Oh gods bless this day and the many more to come until their arrival. I promise to better myself not only for you my love but for myself, Caraxes and our unborn child.” He promised.

The day of your child birth came swift and soon though not without excruciating pain. Though it was all the more rewarding when you got to hold your child within your arms with Daemon by your side. “Healthy as a horse your highness.” The midwife claimed before handing you the child that clutched to your fingers, cooing. You looked to Daemon who only stared down at the child with love, reaching a finger out to stroke his cheek and smiling when the child’s smaller fingers grasped onto his longer nimble one like a life line. “Have any thoughts on what we should name them my love.” You asked softly as to not disrupt the baby form their slumber. “I believe it is in your right to name the child as only one of us had bled to give them life my beloved.” Daemon said, kissing your slightly sweaty forehead gingerly, never breaking his gaze from the babe bundled in the blooded cloth. “Rhaenar.” You concluded post haste, smiling when the child cooed at the chosen name, giving their incoherent approval. “Rhaenar it shall be.” Daemon replied, holding you tightly against him as you both looked at your child, taking in the features they inherited from the both of you from Daemon’s facial features to your eyes and so forth. The silence lingered for as long as you allowed until Daemon removed himself from your side to elsewhere in the room, leaving you albeit confused until you saw him return with a pitch black dragon egg within his hands. You were aware of the Targaryen customs for when a new child under their house is born, they are gifted an dragon egg that will hatch into their bonded dragon; So to bare witness to it for your own child left a warmth within your chest knowing that for good or for bad, you were a Targaryen as much as your child was.

“I handpicked this myself,” Daemon explained as he placed the dragon egg into the crib with care, “may I?” He asked, gesturing to the child. “Of course they are your child as well Daemon.” You chuckled as you handed Rhaenar over to him, watching with love and adoration in your eyes as he cradled the child to his chest, smiling brightly when the child reached for his face to which he leaned down for the child to poke and pull lightly at his platinum locks. “I shall protect you and your mother from all harm but that also means that when you get older you must uphold that same promise also.” Dameon spoke softly to the child before angling them so they were facing you on the bed, “your mother is the most beautiful in all the seven kingdoms, even if she does bite my head off from time to time.” You scoffed playfully, “I do no such thing Rhaenar, don’t listen to your fool of a father. He tripped over his one feet when I said yes to being his.” Daemon covered the child’s ears as he glared at you playfully, “don’t want you ruining my reputation in front of our child now or else he’ll think I’m soft.” “You are soft though Daemon, hate to break it to you.” He chuckled in response as he placed the baby down in the crib though not before pressing a kiss to their forehead and a quick ‘I love you’ to join you in bed. “Such a tragic fate to befall a man to unconditionally love his child and lady.” He joked, stealing a kiss from your lips. “Yes how unfortunate indeed.” You joined in, snuggling against his side as you both watched over your child protectively.

Bonus:

Caraxes strained his long neck to the window of your chambers to get a look at the child, cooing softly as he watched the two newly made parents snuggle up in bed whilst watching over their child. The babe would grow into someone extraordinary under you and Daemon’s parentage the dragon concluded. Though he’d soon smack Daemon once more for claiming that he chose the dragon egg when in actual fact it was Caraxes who had chosen the egg. Daemon was going to gift an ugly mishmash of a brownish-red egg before his dragon pointed him to a more suitable egg. If one squinted however not only would you be able to see that while it was an entirely pitch black egg there was hints of fiery red here and there. Caraxes was happy to see his family grow slightly larger, though more so he was happy that his Targaryen decided to grow up for the sake of you and the family. He couldn’t be more prouder…now how was he going to explain that he practically demolished some architectural structures just to bare witness to the childbirth…

#daemon targaryen x you #daemon targaryen fanfic #daemon targaryen fic #daemon targaryen imagine #daemon targaryen imagines #hotd fic #hotd x you #hotd fanfic #hotd x reader #hotd imagine #hotd imagines #house of the dragon x you #house of the dragon fic #house of the dragon fanfic #house of the dragon x reader #house of the dragon imagine #house of the dragon imagines #fem reader #daemon Targaryen x fem reader #HOTD x fem reader #house of the dragon xfem reader

[circuscountdowns]

Hello! I’ve sent messages before (such as asking about the bishops’ fate much later in the timeline) but this is my first time asking something off of anonymous!

During the 1000 years or so they lived as mortals, did your lamb and the bishops eventually consider each other friends?* Playing Knucklebones together makes me guess “yes”, but well

Your comment about the lamb slowly waiting for them to request natural deaths made me curious

*In what I assume is a complicated sort of way for obvious reasons

oh yes I loved that ask! I thought about it the whole time i was working on that comic! (And to answer that second half oops) Aym and Baal got whatever Forneus got going on that keeps her alive, and traveled overseas after their explorations of the land of Old Faith. After that contact was lost, and Lamb and Narinder were never really sure what happened to them. They Empty Nest Narinder’s ass in a whole new way asdfghjkl he’d never have to grieve their death really just their departure (if they ever do die idk I’ll leave that open. Makes me sad to think of kitties dying :( skdjsksj)

Friends is a fun word. I think the idea of friends implies choice, and for the Lamb there really was no choice. Complete in-laws situations. The bishops are more than just ex-gods they wish to punish, they’re their catboy’s siblings. And though for a while Narinder tried to cold-shoulder the Bishops, that’s still he family and the cult is only so big. At one point you cross paths on the way to the outhouse yknow. Does the Lamb feel a kinship with these last few people to experience Godhood? Yes. Do they see themself a lot in Shamura and hate them with every fiber of their being? Yes. Are they going to make sure their injury is treated seriously and they get whatever they need? Yes. Are they a little sad when the day comes they ask for death? Sad for Narinder’s sake.

At the very least they were all comfortable together and it brought entertainment. With how long the bishops have been alive, they bring a lot of funny stories to the table.

Heket to the day she dies remains Lamb Hater #1. They may have introduced her to her wife (who IS actually friends with the Lamb. Go figure), but she can hold a grudge like no ones business. It is on sight insult the moment Lamb’s in the room. But also if the knucklebones tournament taking too long, she’s taking the lamb’s bed for herself everyone else get da floor.

leshy has chronic youngest brother disease and it works on the lamb begrudgingly. As long as he stays funny, he can probably get away with a lot. Kallamar is just content to be alive and will push at Lamb’s patience as far as it can go. Shamura sometimes forgets why they should hate the lamb and sees only the thing that makes Narinder happy.

leshy dies once on a mission and it is to the lamb’s delight when the bishops look at them with clenched fists and a blasphemous (to the Old Faith’s beliefs) demand on the tip of their tongues.

this is longer than it needed to be I just love complicated dynamics. I can talk about it for hours. Thanks for the asks!!! <3

#Sorry I forced you off anon! #I’m white knuckling my desk while thinking about all of them I’m normal. It’s so complicated I’m normal.

[legally-allowed-to-slime]

Fic about Scar after Secret Life? I noticed that he got the same task again after winning and it got me thinking. Apparently Martyn had the same idea but I swear I didn’t get it from him it was just me

I did get the idea of going insane from him but the rest is me

***

Scar normally detested routine, but now he was craving it and there was nothing to be done.

It had been five days. Five days since he’d pressed that succeed button, five days since the last ghost had left the game.

He’d tried to leave, just after pressing.

He couldn’t. It was as if there was some virtual barrier that was stopping him from disconnecting every time he tried.

Then, he’d tried dying.

Just as he’d thought of it, the fail button was no longer there.

He’d grabbed at the thin air where it used to be, then pounded his fist onto the hard stone beneath it and screamed until his hand bled and his throat was sore.

He jumped into the ravine. He stood in lava. He plunged underwater and didn’t hold his breath.

What had happened was that there was all the pain that came with dying but none of the final relief, of seeing that death screen and the pressure lift up. He’d looted some golden apples, devoured them just to stop the pain.

His hearts just wouldn’t go down.

Normally he couldn’t stop them from going, but now, just when what he wanted to do most was to die, the Secret Keeper wouldn’t let him. It was a cruel joke.

“I’ve already won!” He yelled at it. “I’ve already won, let me leave!”

He’d pressed the reroll for hard, but he just got the same “Win Secret Life.” book over and over again. The succeed button merely gave him more hearts and flashed “You have succeeded.” at him, as if taunting him.

Now, on the fifth day, he didn’t know what to do. He hadn’t eaten at all, and his hunger bar stayed empty, but his hearts wouldn’t go down.

He leaned against the side of the Keeper, his stomach hollow and his head aching.

The sun was particularly piercing today, but he stared at it stubbornly, not caring if it would make him go blind. It hung in the air, resolutely staying but not helping at all.

He wondered what it would be like if everyone else was here.

Surely, they would all love him and congratulate him on his win. He’d wake up with a smile on his face, pop around to the Mounders and have a chaotic breakfast, then maybe go off to practice archery at Grian’s base, probably have some joking banter with Scott. Then…

It hurt to think about it.

He’d already buried them all.

Jimmy and Mumbo had long been buried, and Lizzie’s final resting place was the void, of course, but he’d gathered up everyone else.

He’d cleared the leaves at the Heart and laid Skizz, Tango, and Bigb to rest. The Scotts and Tots were likewise given a simple grave at their base, and Etho and Cleo at theirs. Mum and Dad.

He’d killed them, laughing, all towards the goal of winning, and in the end he was left alone in an empty world filled with dead bodies. All his previous grudges seemed unimportant now.

He’d buried Grian at Sunflower Valley, near the mess of blocks that used to be Trader Scar’s.

It seemed selfish but there was no one around to judge, and he still recalled the whisper of his ghost that day.

She’s dead, Scar. You won.

It was just words. He hadn’t won.

Winners were supposed to be happy.

He’d found Mumbo’s grave by the patch of fresh grass by the man’s own mound, and put Bdubs and Joel next to him. He couldn’t bring himself to bury Pearl at first, but leaving her in the ravine seemed like letting the Keeper win, so he’d done it as well.

Letting the Keeper win. As if there was still a game to play.

It had felt weird at first, burying his friends. But after a while he didn’t feel any sorrow when burying them. They were all dead anyway.

He was going to be dead anyway, if not by the Keeper’s hand then by his own. He anticipated the day the Secret Keeper would get bored and just kill him off.

But there was nothing to do now.

And sitting by the Keeper, on the brink of death yet forbidden to tip over, Scar laughed.

He laughed and laughed, unsure if it was the heat of the sun, or the unrelenting silence of the Secret Keeper, or maybe the despair of his own mind that was making him do it.

Win Secret Life. Win Secret Life. Win Secret Life.

He hadn’t won. He never would, and he would never finish this last task, left to rot, alone, in the world that he had created for himself by killing and killing until there was no one left to kill but himself and he couldn’t even give himself that mercy—

It occurred to him that he might go insane. Or maybe he already was.

What did it matter? He was alone anyway.

#secret life #secret life smp #trafficblr #life series #traffic series #traffic life #traffic life series #life smp #life series smp #slsmp #goodtimeswithscar #gtws #traffic life smp #traffic smp

[sparklecryptid]

Thinking a bit more about brokenice!Luche as the reincarnation of Miriel, and - well. Even to the Elder, who have long memories, the remembrance of Miriel has probably been - sanitized over time. Idealized. The woman who can do no wrong, the wife and mother perfected by death. It comes as a *very* great shock for them to realize/remember that she is *just* as petty and willing to hold a grudge as - well, as *Feanor himself*.

“No.” A short sentence. A single word. A refusal to look back to the past. A refusal to return.

Indis looks crestfallen. Luche remembers Indis. They had been friends once, back when the only light was that of the stars and there weren’t pressures of Crown and people to appease. Perhaps Indis had hoped Luche - Miriel once - would return to Tirion, perhaps Indis hoped ancient friendship would would sway Luche.

Luche will not return to Tirion. She will stay in a land that watched her die, she will stay in a land whose people gave her up so easily.

Luche will not stay in a land that blamed her child for her death.

“You belong here, your family-“

“-Is dead,” Luche finishes Varda’s sentence, “My family - save for a single grandson that is not here - is dead. My son is dead, my grandsons are dead or lost. Why should I stay in a place with nothing to tie me here?”

“Your family will be reborn,” Indis tries.

Luche laughs.

“And when will that be? In another age? My soul may be that of an Eldar but my body is very much that of a Man. I will have lives several different lives before they come back.” Luche’s eyes harden. “Why should I leave the family I have, the life I’ve fought and bled for, just to wait in a pretty garden with nothing to do? Why should I return to Tirion when it has never done anything for me?”

“I have people I love back home, I have a husband that is willing to set the world on fire should I ask him to do so. I will not exchange that for empty pleasantries and the expectation of shame where there is none.”

“I love my son,” Luche finishes, “I love my grandsons, but I will not sit here, wait, and do nothing while waiting for them to reborn. I’ve done enough waiting.”

#a darkness born in youth verse

[callunavulgari]

"The kingdom come, the rise, the fall The setting sun above it all I just wanna be somebody to you"

Heather’s Top 50 Songs of 2023

thumbs — sabrina carpenter // dragostea din tei — feuerschwanz // edge of midnight — miley cyrus & stevie nicks // warrior of the mind — jorge rivera-herrans // happier than ever — kelly clarkson // flowers — miley cyrus // see you again — miley cyrus // six — six cast // fairytale — joel sunny // middle of the night — elley duhe // our light — lyn // it's terror time again — sesamoid // eat your young — hozier // step into darkness — dubkiller // got you — ga eun // just a man — jorge rivera-herrans // labour — paris paloma // the tornado — owl city // green green grass — george ezra // suzume — radwimps // can't take my eyes off you — boys town gang // survive — jorge rivera-herrans // mermaids— florence & the machine // unknown/Nth — hozier // we didn't start the fire — fall out boy // hold me like a grudge — fall out boy // where is the justice — death note musical // 30/90 — andrew garfield // everyday — buddy holly // i'm just ken — ryan gosling // what was i made for? — billie eilish // speechless — naomi scott // son of nyx — hozier // damage gets done — hozier & brandi carlile // paradise valley — honey and the sting // stand by me — florence & the machine //  my prayer — the platters // baby don't hurt me — david guetta // quietly yours — birdy // someone to you  — banners // one more time — blink 182 // adelaide — ramblewood // i'm just your problem — lur // you're gonna be okay — ashh blackwood // mr lonely  — angel olsen // now and then — the beatles // vois sur ton chemin — bennett // history is now — natalie holt // purpose is glorious — natalie holt // the power — borislav slavov

short version | long version | spotify wrapped

short version is the link to what you see here, my helpfully abridged version. long version will lead you to the 141 song, 8 hour and 17 minute supercut playlist which i’ve been slowly cultivating since early january. spotify wrapped will lead you to a mixture of the long and the short version, which is honestly pretty accurate but does not helpfully represent my ear worms of the week. i also skewed my data for it by listening to the spiritfarer and hollow knight soundtracks on repeat to ease the wedding anxieties.

also fun fact, the cover for this year's mix is actually a picture of the tree outside our room during our wedding day.

under the cut are the lyrics that really resonated with me and only a little personal tidbits from this year, because let's be real, nobody cares.

i. thumbs || sabrina carpenter 'cause that's just the way of the world it never ends 'til the end and then you start again

This one was playing as we left the florence concert late last year and dogged me all through january and february last winter. ii. dragostea din tei || feuerschwanz Alo, salut, sunt eu un haiduc Si te rog iubirea mea primeste fericirea

Yes, it's a metal cover. Yes, I found it on tiktok. Yes, I love it unconditionally.

iii. edge of midnight || miley cyrus & stevie nicks The midnight sky is the road I'm takin' Head high up in the clouds (oh, oh)

There's THREE Miley Cyrus songs on here this year. Nuts. I really loved cranking this while driving home from Newark back when I was still hybrid. Much serotonin in those gray winter months. iv. warrior of the mind || jorge rivera-herrans & teagan earley Maybe one day they'll follow me and we'll Make a greater tomorrow, then they'll see Is it REALLY a surprise that Epic grabbed me by the throat this year?

v. happier than ever || kelly clarkson You ruined everything good Always said you were misunderstood Made all my moments your own Just fucking leave me alone I actually ended up hearing the Billie Eilish version of this first, but I ended up reading a post about how Billie's version was for the shitty boyfriend's of the world but Kelly's was to her mom and just. That resonated SO so much that it's stuck with me ever since. I have a complicated relationship with mine. She didn't come to my wedding this year. Anyway, definitely screamed this in my car on long drives. vi. flowers || miley cyrus i can buy myself flowers write my name in the sand

I need to preface this with the fact that my partner and I have a wonderful relationship that I wouldn't trade for the world. This song is still a fucking banger. vii. see you again || miley cyrus I got my sights set on you and I'm ready to aim I have a heart that will never be tamed

Third Miley song of the year, I believe all ear worms before March. I ended up getting in a Tiktok loop of body transformations set to this song while I was really getting into working with weights. It was great inspiration that I DEARLY needed that early into things. The song is also incredibly catchy. viii. six || six cast we're one of a kind, no category too many years lost in his story I honestly feel like we saw this musical last year but this song in particular dogged me into this one. ix. fairytale || joel sunny *instrumental*

Found this instrumental version of a much beloved song due to a random discover weekly and loved it so much that I seriously considered using it in my wedding. x. middle of the night || elley duhe Come, lay me down 'Cause you know this 'Cause you know this sound

Shh, it's the horny booktok song. I won't be shamed. xi. our light || lyn 夢を夢と気づいた夜 君を見つめ瞼を閉じる 温もりも重ねた手も声も 目覚めれば微睡みへと消えて

I have been trying to finish persona 5 royal since 2020. this year, i finally beat it. xii. it's terror time again || sesamoid Oh, you just might die of fright, It's a terrifying time.

Yes, it's a Scooby Doo remix. yes, I love it. xiii. eat your young || hozier I'm starving, darling Let me put my lips to something Let me wrap my teeth around the world The horniest Hozier song since Take Me to Church in my humble opinion. I adored it immediately. xiv. step into darkness || dubkiller Blood on your hands, maybe you're dreaming? Do you believe, nightmares you're seeing?

Tiktok? xv. got you || ga eun Will you promise you’ll rescue me Take me from eternal loneliness

This was the theme song (I think?) to a Korean drama we were obsessed with for a little bit and I don't think we ever finished? Song is interesting though and sticks with you. xvi. just a man || jorge rivera-herrans When does a ripple become a tidal wave? When does the reason become the blame? When does a man become a monster? More Epic, because I am a mythology loving twelve year old at heart. The many, MANY tiktoks to this particular song did not help.

xvii. labour || paris paloma The capillaries in my eyes are bursting If our love died, would that be the worst thing?

It's catchy. I had more typed out but tumblr fucking ate it, so fuck it.

xviii. the tornado || owl city A little rain never hurt no one, so I kept pressin' on And I tried to tell myself it's always darkest before the dawn

Another song I played very loudly while driving home.

xix. green green grass || george ezra Green, green grass, blue, blue sky You better throw a party on the day that I die

Dancy song!

xx. suzume || radwimps ル・ル・ルルルルル・ルルル・ルルルルルル ル・ル・ルルルルル・ルルル・ルルルルルル We saw this in theaters! I really loved it! xxi. can't take my eyes off you || boys town gang You're just too good to be true Can't take my eyes off of you The Tiktok dances got me. More serotonin when I really needed it. xxii. survive || jorge rivera-herrans Six hundred lives I'll take Six hundred lives I'll break And when I kill you, then my deed is over

More Epic! xxiii. mermaids || florence & the machine You only get one night upon the shore So dance like you've never danced before

I love Florence. That is all. xxiv. unknown / nth || hozier You know the distance never made a difference to me I swam a lake of fire, I'd have walked across the floor of any sea

Hozier was honestly the artist that kept me the most company this year if I'm not counting Spiritfarer or Hollow Knight. xxv. we didn't start the fire || fall out boy Mars rover, Avatar, self-driving electric cars SSRI's, Prince and The Queen die World trade, second plane, what else do I have to say?

I know it won't happen, but I hope every generation does a remake/remix of this song. Also, I saw Billy Joel himself in concert this year! xxvi. hold me like a grudge || fall out boy Hold me, hold me like a grudge The world is always spinning, and I can't keep up, whoa Honestly, I was a fan. xxvii. where is the justice || death note cast isn't everybody sick to death of all this stuff can't we all stand up and say enough?

This song gets stuck in my head like no one's business. xxviii. 30/90 || tick tick boom cast making choices, wicked witches poppy fields, or men behind the curtain tiger lilies, ruby slippers clock is ticking, that's for certain I still think that if Stranger Things did a musical episode Steve Harrington would have Andrew Garfield from Tick Tick Boom energy. xxix. everyday || buddy holly Every day seems a little longer Every way, love's a little stronger

Good Omens 2 dropped! I loved it! I also didn't love it! But mostly I was just happy. xxx. i'm just ken || ryan gosling I wanna know what's like to love, to be the real thing Is it a crime? Am I not hot when I'm in my feelings? And is my moment finally here, or am I dreaming?

I went to see this movie by myself because I was sick of waiting for someone to go with me and honestly had a great time. It was silly and fun and I loved the fact that so many dudes got so incredibly butt-hurt about it. xxxi. what was i made for || billie eilish 'Cause I, I I don't know how to feel But I wanna try

God, this song. It made me cry at the end of Barbie and I've been getting up in my feelings about it ever since. xxxii. speechless — naomi scott I will take these broken wings And watch me burn across the sky Apparently this is from the Aladdin live action? I haven't seen it so I can't confirm, but I DID hear this song this summer and fall in love with it. xxxiii. son of nyx || hozier *instrumental* This one might be my favorite? xxxiv. damage gets done || hozier And, darling, I haven't felt it since then I don't know how the feeling ended But I know being reckless and young Is not how the damage gets done

Another Hozier!!!!!! xxxv. paradise valley || honey and the sting Take what you want from me I bring it willingly

I may have done these next three out of order, but hey! I got married this year! As some of you may know, paradise valley has been the song that I have been obsessed with since I first heard it on Wolf 359 back in 2018/2019. I couldn't figure out a way to make it work in a traditional sense for the wedding, so I ended up using it as a private last dance. As the clock was hitting ten o'clock we had our dj gently shoo the stragglers out the door and just crooned this to each other in the dark. It was probably my favorite part of the entire night. xxxvi. stand by me || florence & the machine So darlin', darlin', stand by me Oh, stand by me

This was our first dance. As it should be. We timed our few spins around the 'darlins' and it honestly went great. 10 out of 10, would dance again. xxxvii. my prayer || the platters My prayer is to linger with you At the end of the day I did a sneaky thing. It was Nick's grandparents 65th wedding anniversary a few days before our wedding, so I quietly found out "their song" and had our DJ play it as the first official couples/slow dance of the night after wishing them a happy anniversary. They cried. I cried. The photographer cried. It was great. xxxviii. baby don't hurt me || david guetta What is love? Baby, don't hurt me

Yeah, it's just a catchy cover. xxxix. quietly yours || birdy I've always been yours Only yours This was from the Persuasion soundtrack and god, it's just so achingly haunting. xl. someone to you || banners I don't wanna die or fade away I just wanna be someone Well, doesn't everyone?

Look. I just wanna be someone. xli. one more time — blink 182 Do I have to die to hear you miss me? Do I have to die to hear you say goodbye? I don't wanna act like there's tomorrow I don't wanna wait to do this one more time One more time. I got tickets to their concert next year. We'll see if they cancel this one. xlii. adelaide || ramblewood Wish you could lay those shadows down And find your way back home

I think this is a local artist? I fell in love with the song though. xliii. i'm just your problem || lur Sorry I don't treat you like a goddess Is that what you want me to do?

Watched Fionna and Cake in like a day and a half and fell all the way back in love with Bonnie and Marceline. xliv. you're gonna be okay || ashh blackwood puff out your chest, take a deep breath you're gonna be okay

This showed up on an anxiety mix and now I literally sing it to myself if I'm having a fast day. It is VERY short, but impactful. xlv. mr lonely || angel olsen Now, I am a soldier A lonely soldier Away from home Through no wish of my own My Yuletide fic that has not yet been revealed was about [REDACTED]. I listened to this and a handful of other sad, lonely songs while writing it. xlvi. now and then || the beatles Oh, now and then I want you to be there for me This song has DEVASTATED me since it came out. I will not be the same again. xlvii. vois sur ton chemin || bennett Vois sur ton chemin Gamins oubliés, égarés

Another tiktok ear worm. I'm not much for techno, but I love this one. xlviii. history is now || natalie holt *instrumental*

Loki fucked me all the way up, guys. I know everyone is crying about it, and I'm crying too! It's beautiful and tragic and one of the most fantastic endings for a character arc that I have EVER seen out of Marvel. I HOPE they leave it alone. I hope they leave it as is so we get to keep the beautiful ending and they don't fuck it up. xlix. purpose is glorious || natalie holt *instrumental*

Again, fucked me ALL the way up. I wept. And watched it three times in a row. These two songs will be on my writing playlist for the rest of time. l. the power || borislav slavov I found you too soon Shining star of mine, hold tight Don't fight the power

I have not officially finished Baldur's Gate. However, every iteration of this song is haunting me.

#heather says what #fanmixes #2023 #year in review #year in music #new year's memes #music makes the world go round

[beneathashadytree]

Hiiii! It's been a while I really missed your writing and hope you're doing well! May I request a Levi x reader where the reader is Erwin's sister? It takes place during No Regrets after Farlan and Isabel died and the reader holds a grudge against him for trying to kill Erwin. But as time goes on she sees how Levi actually is and as a person and later on falls for him. You can go about this however you want! Thank you!! :]]

REBEL REBEL - LEVI ACKERMAN X READER

Warnings : a few curse words, mentions of death, reader uses she/her pronouns!

Genre : fluff, enemies to lovers!!

Word count : 4.0K words (I’m not even sorry)

Additional notes : Holy shit, I got so carried away while writing this??? Thank you so much for requesting! It feels so good to be back, and especially good to get back to writing for this incredible man 💗 I absolutely ADORED this idea, so I really ran with it as you can see😭 I’m sorry it took me so long to get to it, but I’ve got finals these weeks, and I didn’t want this to come out sloppy. Really hope you enjoy this as much as I did while writing it!!

Tip jar if you’d like to buy me a Ko-Fi!

Masterlist

Seeing him made her sick. Watching him cross the halls and slam the door shut behind him had her scowling at the wood, and she wondered, fury boiling within her, why someone as vile as him still lingered in their headquarters. If he was going to overstay his welcome, then she was going to despise him from the sidelines as much as she wished.

Though, apparently, she wasn’t nearly as discreet enough about her hatred as she thought she was, seeing as Erwin sighed exasperatedly at her.

“You could at least try being a little more subtle with your glaring.”

“And he could’ve not planned to assassinate you right in front of my bloody eyes, and yet here we are,” she snapped back, brushing his comment off as they walked down the hallway with him.

Her older brother quirked his eyebrow, “I thought we’ve agreed to put that behind us?”

“You have, I most certainly haven’t,” she snorted, walking into the commander’s office and setting down the heavy stack of papers they’d been carrying, “It’s not like I caught him stealing food from the cellars; he was plotting murder right underneath our noses.”

As he settled down behind his desk, the look in Erwin’s eyes had her stilling in place as he asked, “And you thought his attempts would’ve been anything but futile?”

She stiffened, her shoulders tensing, “Perhaps I did,” a cross look made its way onto her brother’s face, but before he could interrupt, she went on, “But that’s not just the problem. I’m appalled that you thought traitorous scum like him wouldn’t be a threat to us and our safety anymore.”

“You’re reading far too into this—“

“And you’re underestimating him far too much,” she spoke with finality, indicating that she wasn’t welcome to listening to anything he had to say, “His skills are only a testimony to how capable he is of stabbing us in the back once again. And I won’t be having that.”

She walked out without giving Erwin so much a chance to get a word in, and he slumped back against his chair. It was exhausting how similar Levi and his sister acted; both so stubborn and willful. Perhaps their similarities were exactly what made her despise the other man so much—whatever reason it was, he couldn’t afford to entertain her doubts and concerns. He’d found a new, shiny blade, and he’d be damned if he let him go.

***

The first time they’d been forced to interact directly with each other was nothing short of disastrous, though anyone could’ve foreseen that.

Levi, as nonplussed as ever, had been forced to relay his status report to her instead of Erwin, something she both detested and preferred. On one hand, she couldn’t stand staring at his uninterested face for a full ten minutes, droning on as he read from a paper, and on the other hand she’d rather have him bore her to death than have him interact with her brother whom he’d almost slaughtered.

With him standing in front of her, however, her annoyance seemed to be winning over, a perpetual look of disgust in her eyes as she regarded him. The ebony-haired man paused in his tracks, his eyes flicking back to her.

“Well?” she snapped, very pointedly looking at the blades to her left, “I don’t have all day.”

“No, though you seem to be quite satisfied with spending it wishing you could skewer me with that sword,” he replied, a barely amused look on his face.

“Mutinous,” she hissed, rage filling her chest at his daring response, “You’ve got some nerve—!”

“Doing my shitty job?” he scoffed, leering at her, “I’ve only done what was asked of me.”

She was positively seething now as she gripped the edge of her desk, “You know that’s not what I meant, scum.”

“An insult loses its meaning when you’ve been hearing it your entire life,” he slowly said, watching as her face morphed into a slightly stunned expression, before setting his papers down, “If seeing my face spoils your meals that much, have it your way then, officer.”

And though he hadn’t been particularly rude, his enunciation of the last word—her title—showed just how little care he had for positions. She could only sit back, papers now in hand, but mind racing at the last reply he’d given her.

***

For the entirety of the following months, Levi’s status reports were relayed to her and only her. She didn’t trust him to be locked in a room with Erwin, and much to her frustrated confusion, it didn’t seem like Levi himself cared much whom he was serving under. She only saw a flash of light in those grey eyes whenever he’d been drenched in blood and his boots settled on a titan’s mangled body after he’d dealt with them—and in all honesty, his viciousness when it came to dealing with the terrors was rather alarming.

She voiced her thoughts to her brother one cold winter night, and the only advice he offered her was that she take it up to the man himself. Put off by the sudden secrecy, it only made her more pissed off as she knocked on his door.

Following his drawl of permission, she folded her arms in front of her chest and stood in front of his desk, behind which Levi sat nursing a cup of tea and yet another pile of paperwork.

“Anything you need, officer?” his politeness was nothing but a front, and she knew that damn well.

Rearranging her annoyed thoughts, she said, “You’re wasting too much gas.”

He raised an eyebrow at her, looking a bit like her brother often did, and that further pissed her off, so she went on, “Your recklessness outside of the walls is ridiculous. And don’t give me any bullshit excuses as to why you’re so violent, because I know damn well you could take down a fifteen-meter class in one strike.”

“Now, how much did it kill you to admit that?” Levi sounded awfully provocative when he replied, and she could barely believe her eyes when she took notice of the quirk of his lips in what seemed to be self-satisfaction.

“Don’t get cheeky with me,” she bit back, her patience wearing thin, “You tried to murder my brother—the commander might I add, you’ve been wasteful of our limited resources, and you talk back like you haven’t got an ounce of respect for your superiors,” with every accusation she flung at him, she took a step closer, until her thunderous expression was towering on top of him, still looking unabashedly nonchalant in his chair, “And you’ve got the nerve to prance around headquarters like it’s your god-given right.”

Cold eyes remained trained on her, and he gave no sign that he was going to talk. Her chest heaving with fury and the effort of lashing out, she stood still in her place for a few seconds, trying to rein her emotions back in.

“Have you said everything you have to say to me?”

“No. I forgot to add that your handwriting’s god-awful too.”

Now that she finally got a proper look at him, she could tell he was far from amused. His rather intimidating expression sent a chill down her spine, something she would rather die than admit.

“I swore my life to serve the commander,” he started, eyes sharp and almost cutting as they looked up at her, “By dedicating my heart and soul to his cause, I dedicate them to him by extension. The question of my loyalty is non-negotiable.”

Levi folded his hands in front of him, his eyes never wavering for a second as he went on, “I owe no one loyalty but him. As much as I dislike the fact, he’s saved my life, and I owe him much for that. You haven’t done shit to earn my admiration, nor are you my direct superior. I can respect you as an officer, but I do not respond to your calls. Don’t ask more of me than my duties.”

Indignation rose inside her, and she opened her mouth to curse him out, but his sharp voice interrupted her.

“As for how I use my ODM gear, that is none of your business,” cruelty hardened his expression, “I personally recompense the regiment out of my own salary, because I will not be compromising on how I deal with titans. Those pieces of shit deserve to rot in their own filth and blood, for taking what little I had.”

They sharply inhaled, realization dawning on them. The two that had been with him. Isabel and Farlan. It had slipped her mind how brutally they’d been been slaughtered, and how he’d seen the horrific scene with his own eyes.

Levi seemed to notice her epiphany, and the corner of his lips quirked up bitterly, leaning forward as he said, “I am a child of the underground. If I strut,” he spoke the last word with disdain, “Then it’s because I’ve earned my damn place here now. And if my handwriting’s shit, then it’s because I was forced to learn to write here within the span of two weeks, without any complaint.”

The woman stood there, quite frankly stunned. She’d never heard him talk so much, nor had she ever heard such vitriol directed towards her. Blame her hot-headedness, and curse her self-righteousness that had her lashing out at a man whom she knew next to nothing about. His mere existence in front of her eluded her now, and she didn’t know what to do with that.

Levi looked away, his eyes turning dispassionate once again, as though she’d merely imagined the entire interaction, and he began to turn back to his files without so much as a glance back, his last words brimming with emotions she couldn’t pin down, completely contradicting the empty gaze in his eyes.

“Do not mistake my silence for complacency, officer.”

***

Weeks of minimal interactions had passed, without any indication of remembering their previous encounter. It still hung heavy in her heart, however often she tried to force herself to forget about the knot of what felt suspiciously like guilt that resided in her stomach every time he walked past her. Far too proud to apologize, she could only let the opportunities to resolve things slip by. After all, things were relatively back to normal—if that had been normal.

Levi only managed to pleasantly surprise her with the arrival of spring.

She’d been on headquarters duty, making sure that they’d been restocked with enough materials with the new shipments of ODM gears and blades. Though it wasn’t her job to check on the quality, she found it rather rewarding to know she’d gone the extra mile. With a self-satisfied smile on her face as he walked back to her quarters, she found a huff of annoyance coming from the direction of room before hers.

Furrowing her eyebrows, she walked in to find Levi sitting with his legs crossed, significant frustration etched onto his face as he sat fiddling with a needle and thread on a chair in the middle of the room—the room which, she was quite certain, had never been this clean.

Admiring the spotless window panes, she asked, “Whose turn was it this year?”

“No one’s,” he replied, not even bothering to look up from the tattered cloth in his hand, and a surprised look made its way onto her face.

“So you volunteered to help out?”

“No. It was filthy, and it bothered me.”

Odd. His words and vexed expression only further confirmed that he’d done it because he must’ve heard them bickering in the hallways the night before over whose turn it was to clean the largest room in headquarters. Perhaps it was the feeling of standing in a sunny, clean room that smelled nice, but the atmosphere had her in a much better mood than she’d anticipated.

Only then did she notice what he’d been doing when she’d walked in.

“Is that your cravat?” she asked, curiosity getting the best of her as she saw him fumble with another loose thread.

“Supposed to be,” he grumbled, “Some brat accidentally shredded it during training. Don’t even know how it got there.”

With a snort, she walked up to him, leaning in close, a small noise of appreciation escaping them, “You’re actually pretty good at this.”

“Had to,” he mumbled to himself, a dark shadow crossing his face, and for a moment she wondered what he meant—until she remembered his upbringing; the very same upbringing she’d indirectly shamed.

And before she knew it, she was offering her help, “Here, you could try cross-stitching,” she pointed out, leaning even closer over him, “It’ll look better.”

“Fancy shit doesn’t matter, practicality does,” Levi scoffed, though it didn’t sound particularly unkind to her, and she watched as his deft fingers followed the thread carefully. His actions were surprisingly graceful, and the flex of his hand muscles was rather fascinating.

A little entraced, their close proximity hadn’t quite registered in her mind—at least, until she was so close to him that a soft, clean smell invaded her senses. A small part of her egged her on, enticing her to lean in closer and revel in his oddly comforting scent.

But that wouldn’t do. With self-restraint she never thought she’d need, she pulled away without so much as another word. If not out of embarrassment, then out of common sense. She shouldn’t let her thoughts venture into dangerous territory—especially not ones concerning a man as infuriating as him. No; it was best to walk away, and so she did.

***

Her efforts to stay away were futile, because the moments they shared seemed to only increase in number the more adamant she was to ignore him.

On their way back from their latest expedition, the heartbroken visages of people losing their loved ones haunted them from every direction—them, the survivors. The ones who lucked out.

A little taken aback by the glares directed towards them, she could never get used to this routine procession. In her daze, she failed to noticed the child that bumped into her horse, and she gasped a little in alarm at his tiny wail.

“I’m sorry—“

But before she could carry on with her weak apology, a sigh came from behind her, and she saw Levi steering to a stop and hopping off his horse, making his way over to the kid. Momentarily stunned, she watched as he went down on one knee, a tired, almost-imperceptible smile on his lips.

“Be more careful next time,” he admonished the child, though his eyes were gentle as he wrapped a handkerchief around their scratched arm, “You might hurt yourself badly.”

“Sorry,” the kid sniffled, only to have the older man ruffle his hair, a melancholic look flashing in his eyes before he got up and pulled his horse along the rest of the way.

Perhaps he was gentler than his rough edges made him seem. And perhaps that only became more apparent that very same day, after she’d had another nightmare that kept her awake deep into the night. She’d gotten up for a drink; something to keep her distracted from the horrific scenes that replayed in their mind, and had stumbled blearily into the kitchen to find him already standing there, boiling some water in the kettle. As soon as she entered, he looked up.

“Can’t sleep?”

She furrowed her eyebrows a little at that, “No better than you can. Came here for a drink.”

“Even the cheap alcohol’s out. Tea’s all we got,” he spoke as he began making another mug next to his own, unprompted.

After he’d poured and stirred, she graciously took the steaming mug from him, taking a whiff of the incredibly soothing aroma.

“What’s this?” she asked, feeling curious, before taking a sip that had her humming in satisfaction, “That tastes incredible. I’ve never had anything like it before.”

Levi’s eyes flickered with what could only be described as smugness, clearly taking pride in his fine taste in beverages as she settled down on the small kitchen table and he took a seat right across from her, “Chamomile tea. Doesn’t taste bitter.”

Though few words were exchanged after that, a certain warmth pooled in her belly and made her eyelids feel heavier. She didn’t quite know whether it was because of the soothing tea or the oddy serene company of the man who’d brewed it, but she’d soon enough found herself being tugged into a deep slumber. Hunched over the table with the mug in her hands, she wasn’t conscious to hear him sigh helplessly to himself.

“Dummy.”

And perhaps Erwin himself had walked past the burning kitchen lamps and saw two figures slumped at opposite angles on the table, and found himself smiling despite himself, before retreating back to his room.

***

Every time they’d ventured past the walls, Levi would linger behind without fail. She’d come up with some sort of excuse or the other, but she always made sure to stay back and quietly observe. There hadn’t been a single time when he hadn’t reverently carried a dead body back to the carriage when they’d been short on hands, no matter how mutilated his late colleague was. He was quiet about it, never fussed too much—not even when blood seeped into his skin and clung to his clothes.

In a way, it seemed like he respected death, and greeted it like an old friend, without ever offering himself up. That came hand-in-hand with how much he valued life, and how precious it seemed to him. He wasn’t quite as good at hiding how he felt as he thought he was. Or maybe she just prided herself in being able to read the expressions flitting on his face. She had a faint inkling as to why that might be the case, but she squashed the heat in her chest down with every time it returned.

***

The weeks bled into months and morphed into years, which slowly gave way to more moments between them. Time sped by, and disaster struck and left the scouting regiment in shambles for what felt like the umpteenth time. And somehow, miraculously, they’d both seen it through; they’d both managed to outlive their comrades and find themselves in each other’s company more often than not.

Still, whatever it is that was brewing, neither of them dared to comment on it. It felt far too fragile; the circumstances seemed far too sensitive to broach the topic. It was too risky, and they had far too much to lose—solace, company, peace of mind; to ruin things would bring that normalcy and comfort all tumbling down.

“Did you wait for me too long?” she asked, a little breathless after she’d been forced to scale down the side of the headquarters’ building to avoid prying eyes and security.

Levi shook his head, the night breeze toying with the raven strands of his hair, as he tugged her horse along to her, his own faithful steed obediently waiting in his other hand.

“Let’s go somewhere where there’s less noisy brats around,” he sounded a little grumpy, and she chuckled lowly at that.

“Erwin’s still dealing with Hange’s shenanigans, even at this time,” she shook her head, a fond look making its way on her face as she nudged her horse into a steady trot across the fields and into the safe sector of the wild.

“They’ve got a few screws loose. I don’t know why Erwin entertains them,” he grumbles, rolling his eyes.

She could see the reflection of the moonlight as he glanced back at her, and for a moment she almost forgot what she had to say.

“The same reason he entertains you,” she gave him a half-smile, “Because you’re his friends and the people he trusts the most.”

He looks slightly put out by her words, “Don’t compare me to shitty glasses. At least I’ve got my damn sanity intact,” he paused before he eyed her carefully, “Besides, you’re his sister. Don’t exclude yourself just because you’re feeling extra shitty tonight.”

Her grip on her reins tightened, “How…”

He didn’t respond, but he spared her a glance that seemed uncommonly soft in the moonlight. Maybe it was that, but her stomach flipped for some reason. And for some reason, Levi himself looked away from her, instead watching the terrain slowly bleed into a cliff.

“Look down.”

She slyly grinned, “Trying to get rid of your superior, Ackerman?”

“Wouldn’t be the first time I’ve tried with this family,” he gave her a dry look, “Not that it would work. Just look down.”

His words made her realize just how long it had been and how far they’ve come, and how they still somehow haven’t moved from where they stood. Daring to listen to him, she looked at where the cliff dropped, and nearly gasped in surprise. A beautiful babbling brook twined between the tree trunks, and fauna she had nearly forgotten existed sat by the banks, half-hidden by the overgrown grass and mossy trees.

“Levi, this is breathtaking,” she inhaled sharply, eyes wide and taking the view in with so much wonder that the man almost winced at the bright look on her face.

He jumped off expertly, patting his beloved horse before taking a seat at the edge and waiting for her to follow suit. And so she did, still a little dazed and sitting down much closer than they ever had, knees knocking into each other and shoulders nestled against the other.

“Anything feels small when you look at this,” his voice was quiet the next time he spoke, and she stilled at his words, “Shit happens, but then it’s all part of something bigger. Or at least, it might be.”

With his windswept hair, gentle gaze outwards, and his regal features, for a moment she almost stopped breathing. He’d well and truly gone out of his way to make her feel better. He’d picked up on her doubts and frustrations, the ones that she’d never voice out loud for fear of seeming ridiculous, and he’d sought to comfort her in the way he knew best. Clumsy as it was, it certainly was part of him—the Levi she’d grown to know, the Levi she’d caught glimpses of when he’d thought no one else was watching, the Levi she—

Her heart sputtered and her stomach dropped. The feeling only intensified when she returned to her senses and saw that he’d been regarding her intently with a certain look in his eyes that she couldn’t decipher. It had her face flushing reflexively, and try as she might, she couldn’t will herself to go back to normal. At least, not when the man looked at her like that.

Maria, Rose, and Sina help her, he was handsome.

The admission to herself only sent her heart into a frenzy. It grew worse when his calloused hand tentatively reached out and settled atop of hers, and she prayed he couldn’t feel how clammy they’d gotten. It was ridiculous, honestly, how this proximity made her feel. And it was even more ridiculous how badly her chest constricted as she curled her fingers around his.

The question he quietly asked was one that struck her heart, rendering her speechless for a good minute as he very slowly leaned in.

“Can I be selfish?”

Grey eyes were anything but cold as they flickered to her lips, and the sheer vulnerability of his stance had her nearly keeling over. With their hands entwined, she could feel his own racing pulse too. The moment felt so sacred, she whispered her next words in hopes of not shattering it.

“I’d probably kill you if you won’t be.”

Inch by inch, she began to close the distance between them, his warm breath on her skin a little ticklish as he chuckled. Gods, if she could hear that rare sound every day, she’d never complain again.

“Can’t have you being the one with murderous tendencies this time,” he breathed out, before soft lips met eager ones, and for a moment—just a very short, brief moment that lasted less than fifteen seconds but felt so infinite—it felt like in a world that had long given up on them, they were the only two people in the world.

And even if they really weren’t, they’d hold it in their grasp and shield its eyes for a few more minutes of blissful borrowed time.

Taglist: @blondeboyfriend @mrsgiovanna @thispersoniscrazy @cloroxisadelectabletreat

#imagine #oneshot #fluff #anime #attack on titan #aot #shingeki no kyojin #snk #enemies to lovers #levi #levi ackerman #levi ackerman x reader #levi ackerman oneshot #levi ackerman fluff #levi x reader #levi oneshot #levi fluff #slow burn #aot levi #levi aot #snk levi #levi snk #attack on titan levi #shingeki no kyojin levi #survey corps

[imtooscaredforthis]

Antagonist

Chapter Six: Revenge

Mentions of: Knives, Stabbing, Wounds, Homicidal Thoughts, Death, Abuse, Suicide, Neglect, etc.

A/N: Believe it or not, I’ve actually started to work on my requests again lmao so just get prepared for some of those to come out

Tags: @autisticpickle @dead-bxxxtch-walking @prettycutebunny @moonshineinasippycup @froegis

Ignoring the low ominous humming sound from the shrine, you cautiously crept through the Yamaoka estate, searching for a generator. You found one quickly, and once you reached it, you got to work, not wasting any time.

The Entity hasn’t been merciful lately, putting you through lots and lots of trials. So many that you lost count. You’re exhausted, and you want nothing more than to be at your cabin, listening to music and pretending that you’re back at home. Your real home.

You never thought you would miss it so much. And deep down, there’s a part of you that believes somehow, some way, you’ll get out of here. But for now, you’re focusing on getting through this trial as fast as you can.

You were about three-fourths of the way done with the generator when your heart rate began to pick up, hearing the sound of panting in the distance. Looking over your shoulder, you spotted Meg, sprinting down the stairs to the shrine, and away from the Killer.

The killer in question looked very familiar. She doesn’t seem as intimidating as others, considering her stature’s much smaller, and she seemed young, or at least dressed that way, with the hoodie and skirt she was wearing. But what you found the most familiar was her mask. It was made in a similar style to Frank’s and…

That’s when you realized. You had heard that “The Legion” is a whole group of people around your age who like to start trouble.

Well, fuck her then.

You thought to yourself hatefully, focusing back on the generator. While you despise all of the killers, you have a special hatred for The Legion. And yeah, maybe your little grudge against Frank might contribute to that, but you don’t care.

They’re all a bunch of punks who think they can do whatever they want. Those are the kinds of people you hate the most. You would totally beat their asses if it weren’t for the extra strength they gained from The Entity.

By the time you finished the generator, Meg was being carried over to the hook. So, you followed the killer carefully, waiting until she left to save her.

After pulling her off, you walked her over to a corner so you could fix her up. Halfway through the process, your heart rate began to pick up, and you spotted the killer charging full speed at you.

“Go, I’ll distract her.” You told Meg. She nodded, running off while you stood your ground, preparing for whatever this girl was going to throw at you.

You managed to dodge her first attempt of harming you, vaulting through a window, unfortunately, she managed to jump it after you, slicing your leg. Letting out a small cry of pain, you doubled over, watching as the girl ran past.

A small determined part of you didn’t want that to happen. Didn’t want you to let her go and hurt Meg after she had just been freed from the hook. So, you took off after the girl, shouting at her. “Over here, you bitch! Come get me!”

As she turned to face you, she suddenly stopped, grabbing her head and letting out a cry of pain. You used that brief moment as a head start in the chase that pursued, limping into a sprint.

You tried to hold her off for as long as you could, but the pain from your wound was becoming unbearable. It eventually got to the point where you had to go slower, and she caught up with you.

That same feeling of determination, anger, and hatred lingered on from before, and you knew you wanted to fight. She seems weaker than the other killers so who knows? Maybe you do have a chance.

So, when she lunged at you to finish you, you grabbed her hand, stopping her and trying to pry the knife out of it. You two struggled over it, before you tackled her to the ground, knocking the mask off of her face in the process.

Grabbing the knife from her hand, you straddled her, raising the blade above you and preparing to kill her, the only thought of making her and all those other killers pay for what they’ve done. For everything that’s been done to you. You’re going to make them sorry.

But just before you could, you looked down, staring at her face. And you didn’t see a ruthless killer anymore, no. You just saw a girl. A frightened girl. She looked just like Allison.

You dropped the knife and what happened next happened fast.

Claws broke from the ground, grabbing you and the girl, pulling you down, and everything went black.

–

Darkness. It was everywhere, surrounding you, covering you. You were practically engulfed in it. You could barely see anything. You felt like you were floating. And then, you spotted a small, gleaming light.

It was followed by a bearded man, holding that light inside what seemed like a spinning metal eye. It began to spin faster and faster, until the next thing you knew, your surroundings completely changed.

Now, you were in the kitchen at your old house, on that one, fateful night. It was strange, watching yourself… gave you a completely different perspective.

________ was furious. Her mother had just been taken from her, murdered by her father. And he had to pay. He didn’t even have to worry about the consequences of his actions, considering how he had the sheriff’s department wrapped around his finger, how he managed to get them all to believe it was a suicide.

But she knew what truly happened that night, and she was going to make him pay. She pulled the knife from the cutter’s block, preparing herself before her sister stepped in the way.

“What are you doing with that knife?”

It’s so strange, hearing your sister’s voice, and seeing her like this. You want to call out to her, apologize to her, and hug her.

“Something I should’ve done a long time ago.” _______ hissed, turning towards the room, but her sister stepped in the way, trying to stop her desperately.

“Please, you’re scaring me. You don’t have to do this. I know you’re angry, I am too, but this won’t solve anything.” She pleaded.

“You have no idea how I feel! You’re the younger one, the favorite. You’re not a mistake like me. I’ve had to take all his shit for years and years. They never loved me. But they loved you. And I’m going to make him pay.”

But her sister stepped in the way, yet again stopping her. “If you do this, ______. You’ll never see me again. You know that right? Think about the consequences…please. Please, I can’t lose you. You’re the last person I have left.”

She stared at the door, before shifting her gaze to her sister, who was now trembling and on the verge of tears. Allison was right. She dropped the knife and walked over to her, wrapping her arms around her.

Soft sobs escaped the girl as she held her sister closely. “I’m so sorry.”

The scene continued with you two holding each other and crying, and you can’t bear watching the rest of it. You tried shutting your eyes, struggling in the darkness, before you felt something strong grip onto you.

You recognized it as The Entity’s claw, grabbing you tight and stabbing you through the stomach, making you cry out before it all went black once again.

#dead by deadlight #dbd #dbd killer #dbd x reader #dbd legion #legion frank #frank morrison #legion dbd #frank morrison x reader #frank legion #frank dbd #legion susie #dbd susie #killer x you #killer x reader #dbd survivor #meg dbd #dbd meg #meg thomas #dbd fanfic

[bereft-of-frogs]

catacomb saints | whumptober 2022

i. forget me not | 3. Hair’s Breadth From Death (Say Goodbye)

...C— doesn’t say anything. She’s afraid M— will stop her. So she says it inside, says it quietly, like a prayer. Goodbye, my friend. Don’t be afraid. I’m going to help us...

...Augustine is angry for a long time. He holds quite a few grudges, over what happened that night in the House of the First. He has many more regrets. His biggest is that he had not answered his brother’s goodbye...

...The last time they meet, after everything is over, there is already something of the sepulcher about Anastasia and Cassiopeia knows they will never see each other again.

Nine goodbyes.

ii. make me an ossuary | 5. Blood Loss / 27. Pushed to the Limit / 4. Dead On Your Feet (Can’t Pass Out)

With shaking hands she picks through the rubble and gathers up every fragment she can find. Her movements grow desperate as she claws through the rock. Her already stained hands are further bloodied as she shreds her nails and scrapes her fingers raw searching through cracked stone and broken glass. What pieces she finds, she clutches to her chest, gathering them carefully in a scrap of grey cloth.

Camilla Hect guards the bones, despite everything.

iii. found footage | 6. Proof of Life (Ransom Video)

Something crunches underfoot. The camera drops down to show the remains of a skull, turning to powder under a booted foot. The cameraman moans, makes a choking, nauseous sound, then spins the camera dizzyingly away. He keeps it focused on the center of the hallway as he moves from the landing pad down the hall, deeper into the tower.

Transcript of the video made by the organization known as the Blood of Eden, upon infiltrating Canaan House and the acquisition of several House assets.

Banner: The Osteology Lesson of Dr. Sebastiaen Egbertsz (1619), Nicolaes Eliaszoon Pickenoy. Banner and title inspiration come from Death: A Graveside Companion, edited by Joanna Ebenstein.

- - -

Happy Halloween, my spooky friends! Yes this is all I’ve been able to think about for the last two months, so it’s fic time.

I had a little bit more that I didn’t quite pull together in time, but I might post at some point in November. True to form, really, I usually post these in November anyways, but I figured given the subject matter it was appropriate to just toss these three up on Halloween, before digging into the candy corn and pumpkin beer.

So that’s what I’m off to do. As always, likes/replies/reblogs/frogs appreciated. Have a good Halloween ;-)

#whumptober2022 #no. 3 #say goodbye #no. 5 #blood loss #no. 27 #magical exhaustion #no. 4 #can't pass out #no. 6 #ransom video #masterpost #the locked tomb #canon typical violence #canonical character death #suicide cw #fic #harold they're necromancers

[lycheesodas]

Sumeru Storyline Predictions

omg Sumeru trailer was so intense i can’t believe it’s only the first look at the new quest?? I’ve had these theories for a long time but now with the trailer they seem more and more plausible, here we go!!

Disclaimer: not trying to pose anything as confirmed canon or whatever, these are just my thoughts.

I think this Archon Quest is gonna be so interesting because we’ll see someone who’s not of the original Seven publicly trying to step up to their predecessor’s legacy.

Kusanali is not Acknowledged as the new Dendro Archon

“Maybe they see Lesser Lord Kusanali’s birth as confirmation of Greater Lord Rukkhadevata’s death.” -> The people of Sumeru, or at least the Great Sages who basically run things there, are not willing to accept Kusanali as the new Archon. They’re still clinging to the old ways.

“Yes, well, Sumeru is the land of the God of Wisdom, where the quest for wisdom and knowledge is never-ending. But their obsession gives rise to some truly inexplicable things, for example... In Sumeru, knowledge is holistically managed as a resource. [...] I don't know whether it was the sages or Lesser Lord Kusanali who came up with the idea” -Yae Miko at the end of Inazuma Archon Quest

“Having personally witnessed raving-mad scholars in the forests of Sumeru and powerful sages sitting underutilized on advisory councils, Lisa realized what uninhibited erudition can really do to a person.It seemed such a high price to pay... How much did one have to sacrifice to attain the profoundest knowledge of all?“ -Lisa’s Character Story 5

Rather than knowledge, I think the Sages are more concerned with maintaining the status quo, acting as if things are still the same as before the Cataclysm.

The Conflict Between the Rainforest and Desert

There’s also the matter of the Withering... Here’s where things get more theoretical/headcanon-based.

We know that Sumeru is divided into two large regions, the rain forest and the desert. In one of the early trailers (I can’t find the link sorry) Kusanali’s voice says something about “If only the desert sand and the jungle ring can get along like this” hinting at... yet another civil war.

Thanks to the Withering, the desert area is slowly expanding into the rainforest. This causes a lot of misunderstanding which led to conflict between the two factions. The rainforest dwellers believe that the desert people are deliberately enroaching on their territory and killing all the plants. While the desert people might feel like they’ve been abandoned by the Dendro Archon, especially after the Cataclysm, and therefore hold a grudge against them. Because they are located further away from the Akademiya, they might not know that Kusanali pretty much has her hands tied by the Sages.

They might also end up following another leader (like the Abyss Order) who promised them resources and power, hence that scene in the trailer where a Ruin device is seen corrupting(?) one of the Eremite commanders.

Other stuff that might be connected but I don’t know how exactly they’re connected:

Someone is definitely trying to extract information from the Ley Lines and then destroy them afterwards. The giant burning tree at the end of the animated PV is confirmed to be an Irminsul tree. Presumably, this means all the knowledge stored in the tree will be destroyed too. But who is doing this? What are they looking for? Why are they burning the evidence?

EDIT 14/8/2022: Saw some posts on Twitter and Hoyolab that suggested that whoever they are (The Sages, with support from either the Abyss or Fatui), they’re trying to reincarnate Greater Lord Rukkhadevata, which I think is super interesting and plausible!

The Akasha Terminal is probably a brainwashing device. I got no canon evidence for this but I read a fantasy book with brainwashing plants once and that was a cool concept xD I’d like to see how Genshin pulls it off.

The grown ups in Sumeru don’t dream, only children do. This is also probably why Kusanali is so interested in the subject of dreams when she talks to the Traveler on the Golden Apple Archipelago. One of the devs in Preview Teaser 02 also mentioned “cute forest spirits that can only be seen by children”. Probably also something to do with the Akasha Terminal. But also probably because the Sages discourage imagination and creativity (they don’t want anyone questioning their status).

#genshin impact #genshin spoilers #ver 3.0 spoilers #sumeru #sumeru theory

[misty-caligula]

Disorganised thoughts about s2e7. I’m away from home sadly and so these are just what I’ve had popping into my head:

I was right! Hallucinated psychiatrist crossed off my bingo card.

Also... oh no. Hallucinated psychiatrist!

---

Big question: what precisely was Walter texting Misty about? Its assumed it’s like “Oh I love you Misty oh no” but what if it’s been him trying to warn her about something? Like, if he’s not part of the cult conspiracy angle.

---

Also, Misty being SO PROUD about her perfect body cover up and then having it just be found... Did she make a mistake, or did someone figure out what she did... maybe someone who is also a citizen detective? Maybe someone who thinks like her?? Maybe someone who she just broke the heart of and responded with... a vendetta??? Hmmmm?????? I mean what would be most fitting for poor Misty in this moment but a taste of her own medicine from a scorned Walter?

---

I knew that Shauna would hold a huge grudge about the baby, I didn’t expect Lott to just do.... that. Holy SHIT. And Shauna’s look at her handiwork was like... so cold. And the way the others just stood by. Oof...

---

The way that Shauna would not let the baby go, the way she still talked to it after she buried it, she has such trouble letting go. I half expected Jackie to answer her, it was worse that she didn’t...

---

The mental clusterfuck for Van though... going through SO MUCH and like, even she said as much in the cabin that she became convinced it had to be for SOMETHING. And then now to have a death sentence which is so... undramatic. It’s not fire, not wolves, not freezing to death in the wilderness. Just a quiet, private thing... I dunno it’s getting to me. The way that she lost her faith in Lott just as Tai built hers, which was based on Vans to begin with. The way that she can’t buy into Lottie’s cult now, can’t handle the false hope. I’m wondering if she ends up having some miraculous recovery, how that’ll affect her. How it’ll affect her if she doesn’t. How her lack of money management looked like poor planning and suddenly took a turn. Given that Van was never meant to make it out of the wilderness I wonder if they’re going to actually let adult Van die. Then again, the whole show has only taken quite a short time in the adult timeline, it might be left ambiguous by the end of the show, with Van facing an uncertain future and just having to take it day by day.

As we all do, in the end, whether we like to admit it to ourselves or not.

---

Misty’s adorable stage show. Of all the opening theme moments the one I least expected to actually end up in the show as is was the red curtain. Very cute. Walter’s morse code heart.... I don’t like the guy but even I softened a little at that. Even though it’s all in Misty’s head. anthro Caligula is someone I didn’t know I needed and oh my god I loved.

---

Tai admitting to herself that she can’t be there for her family, giving up the ring. I wonder to what extent she thought that doing so would involve pursuing Van. I wonder whether she even considered that she might not be available. Does she REALLY want to follow through with this now?

---

I never considered that they’d remix the theme, or that it’d work so well to be so unsettling. The whole episode was so interesting with the way they changed all these standard conventions they’d set up for so long. Yellowjackets consistently manages to play with expectations and go off in really cool directions.

---

More to come.

#yellowjackets #spoilers

[intensitystoner]

Scribble for @sifkiweek

Day 2 - Time

~1600 words

-

His return goes unnoticed by Earth's defence mechanisms – it’s about the third time, after all. Sif alone is allowed the knowledge. And her curiosity – so she names it – quite swiftly wins over her desire to keep an angered distance. She manages no longer than a day in New Asgard, then she’s on the way to London with a morning flight. 

He waits for her outside the airport leaning on a sleek dark vehicle, sporting a rich man’s attire and sunglasses, his hair only carelessly swept backwards, winding dark and shiny behind his ears. She keeps a straight face, like she had long been used to his capricious jumps between life and death. Her breaths are bent on betraying her as she walks up to the spot in a strictly regulated pace and taps the car’s engine hood as a greeting. 

“A fine illusion,” she notes. “Did you obtain it in a local junk yard?” 

“I can’t believe you hold me that cheap,” he complains. 

She shrugs. 

“It’s how most of us started out here, no need to be ashamed of it.” 

Loki opens the front door for her and then hops in behind the wheel, meanwhile admitting somewhat bashfully: 

“To tell the truth, I’ve been here for a while.”

The note makes her blood heat up a notch. She gazes out at the streets rushing by to hide any traitorous signs of insult. She shall remain as detached as she was left in the past two decades while he was busy destroying himself and some realms in numerous attempts. She was clearly indicated to be of no priority any more, her rather self-humbling attempts to contact him met firm rejection when he reappeared in Asgard as a convict. She can read a message well, and what reason would she have to forget it just now? 

“Would you be interested in a late breakfast, or perhaps an early lunch?” he inquires breaking the stretching silence. 

“I’ll get my own meal, thank you.” 

“Understood. Street hot dog it is.” 

“I hate that,” she breathes to the window with her thickest disinterest. 

“Thank you,” Loki mutters with genuine relief in his tone, which steals an undesired smile onto her lips. 

Giving up the sulk that she knows he’d easily counter and is only letting her keep up to appease her, she steals a glance at him from the corner of her eyes. He’s guiding the soft-humming earthen vehicle with the knack he has for any machines of the Universe, rolling the wheel with a loose palm like it’s unworthy of his touch. It’s his way of touching anything while in public, really. Sif remembers, even though she’d have plenty of reasons to forget. She is desperate to forget, in fact, especially now, while locked in a small space with the subject of her increasingly detailed memories, at least one for each knuckle on those long fingers. 

She all but flees from the metal box when the car stops in a parking lot. 

“Is this where you’ve been lurking around?” she asks to prevent the conversation from slipping out of her control. 

“Indeed. Not the most appealing location, but a tad better than those huts in… New Asgard.” He utters the name with a short chuckle. 

He guides her up to a loft with a view over the river: quite pleasant indeed. 

"And yet," she notes with a glass of wine in her hand and a purposefully nurtured grudge in her eyes, "it's not the kind of grandeur that’s rightfully expectable from you. Where are the servants? The garages? The library wing?" 

"Well, this complex does belong to me," he admits humbly, "as does 6 Chesterfield and Maughan Library. But you noted well that I'm trying to lay low; it's not my intention to stir the defence squads of Midgard just yet." 

"What makes you assume they don't know you're here?" she inquires. 

"I don't." He walks up to her and places his own glass on the windowsill. He speaks huskily, his eyes searching her face. "Would I have informed you if I did?" 

She makes effort not to turn her gaze away: not to give in to the welling up shame that she has helped SHIELD out a few times, and that he knows. It was her rightful choice, as she doesn’t owe anyone anything. 

He speaks through the silence while they face each other up close like this. 

“I wish to stay.” 

“Alas,” she fakes soft surprise. “the God of Mischief wasn’t welcome anywhere?” 

“It’s not that. I’d want to be where you are.” 

“Big words,” she breathes through her turmoil of doubt, sarcasm, joy, and some unnamed things. 

“No, they aren’t. You’ve always been the world for me, Sif. You’re the wisdom that I lack. You’re a haven for my rampant mind. However, I've never been able to tell what truly resides in your heart. It’s terrifying… But I don’t want to… " His lips tighten as he falters for a moment. "I don’t want to run from it any longer. It’s high time to face you.” 

She watches Silvertongue rummage through words. She interrupts before she’d think to stop herself. 

“You had clear priorities. Remember? You’re the one who refused to see me. You went out of your way, Loki, to avoid having to talk with me.” 

“Because, my dearest Sif, how would it fit your greatness to be the widowed mourner of a criminal, a fugitive, a usurper?” His hands move to hold her by the shoulders but cower halfway. 

“What has changed now?” She demands mercilessly, with the torn-up ache of her heart. 

“The Universe.” 

She sees the Universe light up in his eyes while he utters the answer. And she knows what he means, as she has always known; unlike others, she's had a knack for deciphering the tangled half-truths forged by his clever tongue. It may have been, she guessed, due to her pinpointed attention on his slightest moves. He made her addicted very early on, to the feeling of having him in a way no one else did. 

“I would have been there,” the words escape her on their own, her tone bends into accusation. “You should have trusted in me while you had the chance. Haven’t you seen me stand my ground through centuries of your self-abasement? Was I not worthy of being by your side at those times?” 

His eyes close for the moment at the cruel word. There is no place for regret, however: she knows her case is lost since the dam broke. He has gained insight, into her very core, and he's going to play it as he likes. He'll use her before leaving her behind once again, and she'll feel rewarded. 

"I did not honestly think you still had me in your heart after all this," he admits softly. "You serve Midgard now."

"To build relations, to earn a place here for our disheartened people." 

"Have you never been asked to help them entrap me?" 

Her suppressed breath is an attempt to contain her anger and pain. 

"They wouldn't dare," she tells him in a tone low, and for once, he’s clueless about whether her contempt is for him or for the humans. It daunts him, as she does whenever something else obscures her from him. Because he is exposed to her, free for grazing or clawing or cutting in, whether she’s aware of it or not. 

“How many times have I let you go?" she whispers into his silence. "How many times have I mourned you? Can you tell, or have you lost count by now?” 

He doesn't answer, unless the vast world in his eyes counts as one, while he takes a last look before he retreats to the couch. He's got nothing else to offer. It's up to her now, and she lingers by the window in futile hope that her stirred emotions settle into something tangible. 

After a lengthy silence, she leaves her glass as well and sits next to his comfortably settled form, seeking his reaction from the corner of his eyes, to see if this is all right. She knows she’s struggling with her own broken trust, but so does he. How long he will stay on this planet, she burns to know, but she also knows it will never be asked, let alone answered. So she scoots over and cuddles up to him wordlessly, unsmiling, legs hung over one of his thighs without requesting affordance. She feels an arm slide across her back in response, a hand ends up on her waist. Looks rest against each other, both questioning. He leans in then, his lips reach her hair around the temple, he remains like that for a while, breathing in her scent, listening inwards to the stir settling down from the contact. Their hands meet, her fingers softly hook into his palm atop her knees, their warmth is equal.

He lifts her hand, places a languid kiss on each of her fingernails. 

“Would you marry me if I asked?” he asks them in a very personal whisper. 

They say love is different for everyone. For her, it’s him, with a big, empty void all around him in the rest of the entire Universe. She has experienced sufficient time of both having and lacking, to learn by now which one is her path. So yes, she would. If he could ever prove he knew what he was asking. But only then. So she refuses to answer, braving the greatest menace she’s ever encountered: letting this coward slip away for good. (One more time couldn't hurt any bigger, could it?) 

And it eases him visibly. 

"I will earn your answer," he says into her eyes. 

Though she feigns nonchalant routine while leaning in for a kiss, her smile eventually spreads against his captured lips. 

#sifkiweek #sifki #da orky writing

[grewlikefancyflowers]

Hi I want to ask whether you have a meta analysis towards yzy's abuse towards wwx? Ppl keep using the "But, apart from this, yzy had never done anything harm to him" omniscient line as a pass card for yzy's abuse and ignore the part where wwx have scars

i don't think i ever wrote meta on this specifically, it's already been talked about to death hasn't it? tbh, i don't think this line was intended to tell us anything about yzy's treatment of wwx, what is interesting about it is what it reveals in wwx's character.

wwx doesn't think the way she treated him is ok, because he comments on the unfairness of it a few times throughout chapter 125. he never takes out his resentment on any of his ducklings, and he doesn't go around hurting the juniors with his own weapons — chenqing or suibian — so it's clear that he doesn't think this is an acceptable way to treat a child.

he doesn't completely dismiss the way she treated him either, but the thing he notes is how he was always unfairly targeted by her lashing out her temper at him. this is the thing that affected him much more than just physical pain inflicted with zidian.

'Wei WuXian, “I’ve never seen a second woman whose temper was as bad as Madam Yu’s. She told me to go to the ancestral hall and kneel no matter how small the matter was. Hahaha…”

But, apart from this, Madam Yu had never really done anything to harm him.'

in my opinion, the reason wwx notes that yzy had never really done anything to harm him is because, after the woman is long-dead, and wwx no longer even has any ties to lotus pier, he truly does not feel any lasting harm from her actions. he's at peace with it & his childhood.

people may feel like he should resent what happened to him & hold a grudge about it, but that isn't wwx. he lives happily & freely, and im so glad mxtx gave him this peace in his life with lwj <3

#mdzs

[autumnalwalker]

Empty Names - 4 - Prince In Gold

Author's Note: The last of the four character intro chapters, although Sullivan technically showed up in Chapter 2. Previous chapter here. Masterpost here. Word Count: 4,447 Content Warnings: Some brief allusions to violence that occurred in the past, but no details about it.

<-Previous Chapter Masterpost Next Chapter->

Sullivan examines the riesling resting in its glass on the table before him.  He’d always thought white wines were misnamed.  Yellow, or even better, gold, would be a far more fitting description.  Alas, he can no better change that ill-fitting naming convention than he can get drunk off the beverage before him, as much as he’d like to do both right now.  Either one would make this reunion easier.  

But since buying up vineyards and restaurants just to change the terminology on menus would be a waste of resources and taking a drink before his friend arrives would be poor form, he contents himself with leaning back into the richly upholstered chair and gazing into the chandelier above while he listens to the music from the band behind him.  It is a lovely little piece; a sonata that some two-centuries dead Frenchman left unfinished until the restaurant’s owner conjured up his ghost to complete it.

The band’s just reached the fourth movement where the stylistic shift from the composer’s death becomes obvious when Sullivan catches a glimpse of purple and green out of the corner of his eye approaching the table.

“You look comfortable,” a voice he’d recognize anywhere says.  

“An ambience such as this is worth basking in,” he replies before turning to look at his friend standing next to the table wearing a sleek purple and green dress.  “You look nice.  Been a long time since I’ve seen you in a dress.”

“It’s been a long time since I’ve had both the desire and the occasion,” his friend says as they - no, it’s she tonight - takes her seat across from him.  More than the dress or her words - less reliable indicators than most would think - it’s her voice that clues Sullivan in.  A subtle brightness of resonance and twisting of inflection that he doubts most others would pick up on.  

“And I see you still insist on wearing that same hideous vest as always,” she continues.  

“No, this one’s gold.  You’re thinking of the dandelion one.  Or maybe the ochre.”

“It’s all the same pattern though, just different shades.”

“And it’s a lovely pattern, isn’t it.  I’m considering wallpapering one of the guest bedrooms with it.  What do you think?”

His friend laughs.  “Only if you want to drive whoever tries sleeping there mad.”

“I’ll take that as your seal of approval then.”

“Don’t you dare,” his friend says, suddenly serious and glaring at him from across the table.  

“Oh, I dare,” Sullivan says as he meets her gaze.  

The two of them stare in silence for a solid minute before bursting into laughter in near unison.  Not that any of the other restaurant patrons can hear.  Privacy is part of the service here.  

The laughter dies down and Sullivan wipes a nonexistent tear from his eye before saying “It’s truly been too long, my friend.”

“It really has,” she says.  Her smile fades and her gaze wanders off for a moment before continuing, “But really though, I’m glad you agreed to meet with me.  I hate to say it, but with how we left things off, a part of me worried you wouldn’t.”

Sullivan leans back in his chair and shrugs with a practiced nonchalance.  She doesn’t need to know that stung.  “Eh, you always were the one person I could never hold a grudge against.  And besides, I said some shit that night I shouldn’t have either.  Innocent’s not something I’ve ever claimed to be, so no point in starting now.”

His friend lets out a breath that sounds like it’s been held for years.  “That means a lot.  Thanks.”

“That’s not to say you weren’t way more out of line than I was that night, but that’s water under our bridge now.  You made your apology already when you said you wanted to meet and this,” he gestures to the table and their surroundings, “is mine, so I don’t want to hear any more about it tonight.”

“Fine by me.  I’ll admit, this place is decadent even by your standards.  I’m almost afraid to see the menu.”

“I’ve taken the liberty of already ordering for the both of us, so that’s one fear you can lay to rest.”

“So you have,” she says as she reaches for her drink.  She takes a sip and looks up.  “Water in a wine glass.  My favorite,” she says without a trace of irony.  

“I trust that the rest of the meal will be to your liking as well, if a bit exotic.”

“So it won’t still be wriggling when it arrives.”

“Yours won’t,” Sullivan says with a toothsome grin.

“Apology accepted then.”  

The conversation trails off as his friend takes his earlier advice and basks in the ambience.  The band members’ hair has collectively lit on fire and their instruments have all turned into smoke, but none of them seem particularly perturbed by this.  At the next table over, a couple with blurred out faces are plucking star-filled black orbs from a porcelain tree and popping them into what are presumably their mouths, causing another glimmering mote to appear in their shadows with each fruit consumed.  A waiter golem trundles over to Sullivan’s table and lays out soups served on glyph-inscribed plates whose liquid hangs suspended above in shifting geometric shapes.

“I can see you spared no expense with these reservations,” his friend says while spooning off a corner of her soup.

“What can I say?” Sullivan replies.  “When I said to get out of my sight I wasn’t expecting you to go off-world for years.  So now we’re celebrating your return.”

“Didn’t you just say-”

“You know I’m a hypocrite.”

“Utterly incorrigible.”

“Thank you.  Also, the owner’s a close acquaintance of mine so I’m not paying for any of this.”

His friend raises an eyebrow.  “Another ex?”

“Ex’s brother.”

“Not mutually exclusive for you.”

“Touché.  But enough of me,”  Sullivan leans forward resting his chin on interlaced fingers.  “You finally find anyone while you were gallivanting about the cosmos?”

His friend answers with a short syllable of a laugh and a dismissive wave of the hand.  “You already know the answer to that one.  No, I just did the usual while hopping worlds every time I felt like I needed to clear my head.  The variety was nice though.  Picked up a few souvenirs.  Eventually I wound up on Dorbreith for most of my travels.  It was… refreshing… to be back somewhere ‘adventurer’ is an acknowledged profession.  I even signed up with a local guild for a stint.”

“My, my.  Finally thinking of putting down roots are you?”

“Well actually…” his friend stretches out the word while making a face somewhere between playful and embarrassed.

“Nooo.  Really?  Congratulations!  You always did seem more at home on worlds like that.”

His friend laughs, more genuinely this time.  “Close, but not quite.  After spending time with the guild, getting to know everyone, seeing the camaraderie, learning how they organized, witnessing the good they were doing, it got me thinking.  Why not set up my own adventurers’ guild here?”

Sullivan stares at his friend for a moment before collapsing back into his chair, arms at his sides.  “I take back my congratulations.  You’re insane.  That or you’re joking.”

“Oh, come now, I’m serious.  It could work.”

“There are so many reasons it can’t.  Social, economic, logistical, cultural, oh and as you alluded to yourself, ‘adventurer’ isn’t a real job here.”

“I’d argue it’s an unmet need.  An untapped market if you’d prefer that term.  I don’t but,” she gestures to the opulence around them.

“Void Without, you really mean it, don’t you?”

“Of course.  This might be an anchor world, but it’s a relatively loose one and there’s all sorts of things going bump in the night that would normally be handled by adventurers - whether they’re called that or not - elsewhere.  Gods know it’s been enough to keep me busy in the past.  The real difference here is the various powers that be are content to let things sort themselves out so long as it’s not technically a Masquerade breach.  But you and I both know how much room that leaves for innocent people to get hurt.”

“Nice speech.  Practice it long?”

“Sullivan!” His friend pauses and takes a breath.  “Look, what I’m proposing has precedent here.  I can think of three different witch covens that provide similar protection for their local local regions, and while most monster hunters are a bunch of rugged individualists even they tend to have a loose social network and a couple formal orders.  Not to mention most major cities having at least one paranormal detective agency.  This would just be a little wider reaching and recruit a more diverse skillset than those organizations.”

“All fine in theory, but how are you going to pay for it all?  Where are you going to operate out of?  How are you going to find jobs?  Hells, how are you going to find recruits?  No one around here signs up for dangerous work for the sake of adventure or heroism, and it’s not like there’s much chance of fame and glory with the Masquerade.”

“Crossherd has a theoretically infinite number of perfectly good empty buildings we can set up in.  As for finding jobs and payment, I figure the same way as any other adventurers guild does.  If anything it’ll be even easier with this world’s internet.”

“Bullshit.  You and I both know you’ll refuse to take payment from the first sap that shows up at your door with a half-convincing sob story and you’re too nice to take money off a normie who won’t even remember you saving them the next day.”

“We could always make a deal for funding from Backstage organizations.  Convince them that this will be better in the long run for anchoring.”

“Did you want to protect people or do you want to start a normalcy org?  Because that’s how you start a normalcy org.  We’d be better off with me bankrolling it, classifying the venture as a charity group, and filing the investment as a tax write off for my on set holdings.”

“We?”

“There’s no reality you don’t try to recruit me for a big scheme of yours.”

“I’ll admit, you were at the top of my list.”

Sullivan leans forward once more and smugly raises his eyebrows.

“But I wasn’t going to ask for your money.  I can make this work without it.  I just want you.”

“I know you weren’t going to.  And if you were anyone else I’d call this an obvious ploy to guilt me into volunteering.  But here’s the thing,” Sullivan puts up a finger.  “One, you’re not anyone else.  Two, I’ve always made a habit of indulging your whims like a spoiled princess.  Three, since I married Carnette I’ve had more money than I know what to do with.  Four, I’ve been terribly bored lately.  And five, it’s going to be much more entertaining for me to see what you get up to with proper funding than to watch you struggle to manage a business.  So,” he flourishes the now fully-open hand, “you’re getting me, and my money, whether you want it or not.”

His friend smiles and shakes her head in long-suffering exasperation.  “I can’t argue with that now, can I?”

“I literally won’t let you.”

“Oh rea-”

“Nuh-nuh-nuh,” Sullivan cuts her off, “I said ‘literally’ and I meant it.”

This gets a chuckle out of her.  It’s been too long since Sullivan’s heard that sound.  A sound of old times.  Perhaps the past few years apart for them both to cool down truly was for the best.

“Fine, you win this round you, old rogue,” she says.

“I always do.”

“Only because you cheat.”

“And I say again, touché.  But anywho, who else is on that list you mentioned?”

“A monster hunter I’ve worked with in the past a couple of times.  Goes by Eris.  We worked fairly well together and she seems to be in it for the thrills rather than the money, so I’m expecting she’ll be a good fit so long as she doesn’t go off the deep end with the danger seeking.  She’s got one of the most dramatic cases of autogenesis I’ve seen going on too.  Practically superhuman strength and durability.”

“Sounds fun.  Who else?”

“That’s all I’ve got so far.”

“Short list.”

“Shush, you.  I’m thinking two more for this founding proof of concept party.  So, five counting us.  I want to keep the number prime, and while three and seven are plenty auspicious, three’s too few for” she pauses ever so slightly, “what I have in mind, and seven’s more than I feel comfortable trying to lead just yet.  I do want to keep anyone we bring in local though”

“And what do you have in mind?”  Sullivan cocks his head.  Realization dawns.  “You have a job already lined up don’t you?”

“Maybe.  Not quite.” His friend looks around the room and leans in.  “I’ve got a potential lead on something that I tracked back here before losing the trail,” she whispers.  “It might be nothing, but if it’s not, it could be big.”

“How big?”  Sullivan whispers back.

“The sort of thing we always talked about as kids.  A proper quest.  Real world saving stuff.” She glances over her shoulder again.  “I know this table’s got a privacy ward, but I trust the ones at your place more.”

“So, that’s the real reason for all of this,”  Sullivan says as he sits upright.

“More the impetus than the reason,” his friend says, no longer whispering.  “I was sincere about everything else I said - about the guild and about wanting to make up with you - regardless of whether that particular subject turns out to be anything or not.”

Sullivan suppresses the urge to sigh.  The urge to comment about how she’s always endearingly, infuriatingly sincere about everything.  Everything outside of certain topics.

“Do you want my advice?” he asks instead.

“You’d give it even if I said no, but yes, go ahead.”

“For those other two recruits, you’re obviously going to want a proper spellslinger for one, but for the other, get a tech guy.”

“Like a hacker?”

“Sure, if you want to call it that.  Doesn’t have to be anyone with combat experience, just someone who’s at least moderately computer literate so that I don’t have to hold your hand again like that time I had to set up an email and forum account for you so you could track that hate group whacko passing out defective demon summoning rituals to normies.  Seriously, it’s embarrassing how bad you are with that stuff.”

His friend makes noncommittal noise at that last comment before saying “It shouldn’t be too hard to find someone like that in Crossherd with all the paratech companies these days.  The mage will be harder to come by if we want to stay local.  You know how anchor world mages are.  Either their part of a coven or order and don’t want to leave their insular group, they can barely make spark, or…”

“Or they’re arrogant pricks powered by sheer ego who take it as their due that reality itself bends to their whim,” Sullivan finishes for her.

“Yes.  That.”

“I think I might have you covered there.  There’s this wizard that showed up around the same time you left who was born here but trained off-world.  I haven’t met him myself, but he sounds like your type with the wandering hero bit and no-killing policy.”

“Color me intrigued.  What’s his name?”

“Ashan Glassheart.  I’ll track him down in a few days and tell him you’re recruiting.”

“Wonderful.”

The conversation trails off into silence.  It suddenly hits Sullivan that his smile right now isn’t a mask for once.  When was the last time that happened?  Probably back before Carnette was gone.

“I really am happy you’re on board with this,” his friend says, interrupting his train of thought.  “It wouldn’t be the same without you.  I was worried… No, we agreed not to talk about that anymore tonight, didn’t we?”

Slow to find his words for once, the waiter golem arrives to serve their meal  - one entree fully cooked, the other still writhing - before Sullivan figures out what to say to that.

“And now the real reason for the evening,” he jokes instead.

His friend reaches for her glass instead of her fork.  “I was thinking we might make a toast first.”

“I do love a good toast,” he says.  “But shall the subject be?  To new starts?  To happy reunions?  To foolhardy ventures?”

She smiles and shakes her head.  “To spoiled princesses and incorrigible rogues!”

Sullivan laughs and clinks his glass to hers.  “And to the assholes they grow up into!”

*******

The labyrinthian halls of Bridgewood Manor are dimly lit at night by flickering blue-white flames bereft of both smoke and heat; tamed into regularly-spaced sconces and trained to ignite when approached and extinguish when left behind.  The result is a system delightful in its needless complexity, like so many of Carnette’s creations.  The lighting used to be brighter and more even but, like so many of Carnette’s creations, Sullivan still hasn’t figured out how to maintain it properly without her.

This is how he spends his nights, in lieu of sleep, in a bubble of light drifting through dark corridors.  Or at least, how he spends his nights when he’s at home and not out diving headfirst into whatever hedonistic pit he can find.  Some nights these walks have a purpose.  Mapping architecture that no longer shifts at its mistress’s command.  Identifying the hidden passages she never got around to showing him.  Finding ways into rooms she left locked.  Other nights the walking is an act of meditation.  Step after step, focusing on the void outside the bubble of light, and clearing his mind.  It’s not sleep, but it’s close enough.

Every so often he turns through a door and into a room and cuts through it to another hallway that geometry would have demanded intersect with the first had not the sorceress Bridgewood once said otherwise.  The portrait room.  The lesser library.  The skull room.  He’s halfway across the verdant drawing room (as opposed to the xanthous drawing room or the aquatic drawing room) when he notices his friend asleep on the moss-green couch.

Sullivan freezes, not wanting to wake them, but their eyes flutter open a moment later all the same.  Had he made more noise than he realized, or was it the glow of the fireplace coming to life with his entrance?

“Hey Su,” they mumble with a voice still groggy from sleep.

“Hey,” he whispers back.  “Didn’t mean to wake you.”

“Is fine.  Not that asleep anyway.”  An obvious lie.

“We have plenty of real beds around you’re welcome to use, you know.”

“Mhmmm.”  They slowly shake their head.  “Never could get used to ‘em.”

The corner of Sullivan’s mouth curls up into a faint smile at old memories.  “Right.  I’ll let you get back to sleep,” he says and then turns to leave.

“Su,” whispers the voice behind him.  He stops and turns back around.  “Since you’re here, can you tell me a story?  Please.”

“Sure thing.”  He takes a seat on the floor leaning against the couch, one leg outstretched while the other makes an arch to rest arm on knee.  He looks up at his friend and asks “One of the classics?”

They shake their head.  “Something I missed while I was away.”  Their voice still sounds half-asleep.

“I’m afraid there’s not much to tell there.  It’s been pretty quiet here lately.”

The light from the fireplace reflects off pleading eyes.

“Well, I suppose there was one thing,” Sullivan concedes.

“Oh?”

He takes a deep breath and closes his eyes.  He breathes out and stares into the fireplace.

“It was a couple weeks after you left,” Sullivan begins, “and with you and Carnette both gone I wasn’t taking it well.  No, don’t apologize, I’ve moved on.  Anywho, I hit a point where I needed something, anything, to get my mind off it, if only for a night.  So I called up Lucinda to see if she could set me up with a gig on short notice to blow off some steam.”

“Lucinda?”

“My old fixer.  Little old lady.  Hair looks like it used to be red.  Vampire.  I think you met her at the wedding.”

“Sounds familiar.”

“Thing is, I hadn’t seen her since the wedding either and she wasn’t answering my calls, so I decided to go drop in on her in person.  She shot me.”

“Rude.”

“Eh, I was in her house uninvited, and she’d just climbed out of her coffin for the night.”

“But what if it hadn’t been you?”

Sullivan shrugs.  “Guess they would have died.  But I just told her the bullets normally get shot at me after she gives me a job.  In light of my comedic genius - you had to be there for the full effect of the delivery - dear old Lucy graciously forgave my unannounced visit and presented me with the predicament that had kept her up all day.

“Apparently some punk kid of a mage got her hands on the staff of a long-dead wizard and was going around calling herself the second coming of Morgan le Fay or some shit.  The kid was a useless newbie, but the staff itself packed enough of a punch for her to set herself up as Crossherd’s newest cult leader and wannabe mob boss.  The powers that be wanted this nipped in the bud before it got to be a real problem - especially if the kid started buying her own con and autogenesis kicked in - and my lovely Lucinda of the immortal wrinkles had been running herself ragged the past week trying to find someone who could take care of the problem with minimal collateral damage.  It was exactly the sort of outlet I’d been looking for and I volunteered to do it that night without pay.”

“How heroic.”

“That’s me, a proper saint.  And saint that I am, I got straight to the miracle working.  You see, this kid and her punks were holed up on the outskirts of Crossherd proper, right around where the buildings start getting all fractal and distorted, and the warehouse they’d picked out had a ward around it.  Classic bubble shield, strong in its simplicity, but with no visible circle powering it and way bigger than even a veteran battle wizard could sustain for more than a few seconds, much less some rank amateur.  So, the staff was definitely legit, although Void knows where this kid found it.

“But, as I said, miracle working.  You know I’ve never been a mage myself, but I did pick up a few tricks from Carnette that I’d been itching to try out.”  A predatory grin creeps across Sullivan’s face at the memory.  “Melted a hole through that bubble like a lighter to plastic wrap.  After that I flipped my vest inside out on the off chance anyone inside saw me and stepped on through.”

“Vest?”

“One Carnette got me.  Has some xenocolor I can’t remember the name of sewn into the inner lining that screws with memory.”

“Know it.  Purple but not really.”

They would know it, but Sullivan continues on instead of commenting.  “Security was pretty light after that.  Rookie mistake relying on solely magic to keep unwanted guests out.  Still, I was in the mood for some fun and climbed up to the roof.  For once Lucy didn’t have any intel on the inside, so I figured if I started at the top and worked my way down I’d find this wizarding wannabe eventually.  Turns out the place had three levels of basement and she was at the very bottom, but I’m getting ahead of myself.

“So, there I am crouching on the rooftop, looking down through a malformed skylight at a crooked catwalk over a warehouse floor full of crates that probably came with the building when the first unlucky sap of the night walks under me with a gun in one hand and a phone in the other.  Just the sort of appetizer to get the fun part of the night started.  I cracked open the window, pulled out a knife, and waited for him to get in position.  I was about to do the dumbass a favor really, putting him out of his misery before he could accidentally shoot himself in the foot with that sloppy trigger discipline.

“But then I had one of those annoying little bouts of conscience you’ve worked so hard at giving me.  A real ‘what would my friend think?’ moment.  Irritating, but hey, it was a chance to test out another new trick.  My own concoction of venom to coat the blade with that’d be night night for anyone that got so much as a prick.  Let me know if you want it instead of a bedtime story sometime.  So, with henchman number one upgraded from victim to test subject I dropped down, gave him a little paper cut on the cheek, and he was falling over before he even finished turning around.  I caught him so he wouldn’t make too much of a ruckus tumbling off the catwalk and splattering on the floor below, laid him down, took his gun, and continued on my merry way.  After that…”

Sullivan trails off as he realizes his friend has fallen back to sleep.  That’s fine.  They didn’t really need to hear about how he spent the night stalking and picking off everyone in the building one by one when he could have easily snuck past them.  Maybe he could have spun it as giving them all a scare that would get them rethinking their life choices when they woke up the next day - and the thought of them all waking up to the terror of finding they’d all been knocked out by an unseen assailant did amuse him - but the truth was he did it because it was a fun power trip.  Nor did his friend need to hear about the cyborg in the basement he had to disassemble because the guy didn’t have enough meat left in him to poison.  And the less said of what happened in the end with the kid and the staff the better.

Sullivan never did like lying to his friend to give stories clean and happy endings.

Quietly, so as not to wake them, he gets up to continue his nocturnal pacing.

“Goodnight my friend,” he whispers from the doorway, “and may you sleep without dreams.”

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#writing #original fiction #urban fantasy #Writeblr #WIP #Empty Names #serial fiction #writing practice #writers on tumblr #creative writing #literature #prose #writers #web novel #novel #fantasy #fiction #my writing

[handelplayssims]

t’s day 2 of the catch-up days. Kiara’s awake and has a little time before school starts...and she wants to be inspired. Welp. Let’s just do some pre-school yoga then. And now everyone heads off to school and work, and Kiara gains a liking for wellness. Ahp, and Santiago has to go to work as well. Sorry dude, would remember to wake you up and hour beforehand to get needs taken care of but forgot. At least it’s just food and bathroom, things fulfilled at work.

Kids are back from school and Kiara has gotten her B-grade again. Nice nice! Santiago also returned from work. His whim? To crush the dreams of a toddler! Very rude. We’ve invited a friend over as a part of Zayne’s coming home from school though sooooo, we’re holding off on that. Instead, it’s time to write! Oh wait, can’t do that. So instead I’m going to do something I’ve long been thinking about. I’m going to upgrade the bathroom plumbing. Toilet, sink, bathtub. They all need to break less often so we’ll work on that this evening. Meanwhile, Ashlynn is crashing right into bed. She had little sleep thanks to that bar night so she’ll need it.

Oh huh. Santiago has a tense moodlet from the visiting kid but not the one of his own. I guess that’s a way to ensure that he’ll not be tense all the time. Zayne asks Santiago for advice on becoming a ninja and...I still don’t get how getting a ninja outfit affects empathy. ...I really should take away that positive sentiment. Hey, Santiago! Time to be an annoying git towards your kid! There we go! Festering grudge! Good for me! So next is solving hard problems, aka homework time for Zayne and Kiara...wishes to get to know Zayne. Huh. Well, let’s work on her homework as well. Alongside Zayne! Again, I do find this cute, the two siblings getting along together in a sort of “we are suffering under our annoying parents” solidarity. Oh he yelled at her because he’s now mad thanks to his dad. Aww. I had them take moments to themselves, had Zayne play with the cat and then had him apologise to her. And then I had her send him to bed.

Aww. She’s being the fun mom in the midsts of their parents being bad. Aww. To bed with her. And then time for-

Neighborhood Watch!

Windenburg: The Keves Team moved out.

FAREWELL MY XENOBLADE TEAM! Farewell and may the hands of death avoid ye!

Emilia Lucas in the Lucas household is now a Freelance Programmer in the Freelance Programmer career.

Britechester: The Allen household moved out.

Well that’s consistent at least. Anyway, another day! And the next day! SAVE! SAVE! SAVE! It’s 3AM and Ashlynn has finally woken up from her slumber, in massive need of the restroom and food. And one of her whims is asking for snack! Ha! Well, I’d be more of a “eat ice cream” gal but the whim in particular is about quick meals. But hey, after some yogurt, we’ll go and make some! Kiara’s up and energized. Let’s make a high-energy protein plate for breakfast. Good way to start the day, with asparagus, eggs and beef! Meanwhile, Santiago and Ashlynn are flirting. Good for them! And they had a -ahem- time before work. So now it’s just casual hang out before work begins. Hopefully it doesn’t break today and if it does, I do have saves. So let’s go on patrol.

We’re at Evergreen Harbor today at the apartments. Hooooo boy. At least it isn’t storming like last time. Because I mostly blame the crash on the stormy weather and staying out overtime. And we got some fights not long after settling in! Yes! Good! And no crashing! Woooooo! We’re in the clear! Next stage is catching a criminal! When we initially loaded in, we got info on clues for who committed the previous crime. Now it’s a matter of catching them.

So materialistic male. Got it! We got Jing Fen the professor and Karter Cain, former maid! Ohohohoho. I can just check the wiki for Jing’s info to help narrow this down! But I better do this properly. All of the men around here have long-sleeved shirts and slacks. Annnd there we go. It’s the teen I didn’t recognize. Got the materialistic trait off of him. Hooray! We ruined a teen’s life with a criminal record! Yaaay! Now we just get to hang out at the station.

Okay, you I understand a little bit more than Mio. Still disappointed in you Lanz. Anyway, time for that pre-made BLT. And then we fingerprint and search our suspect. Poor poor teen. Anyway, as soon as you get the work task day up to full, you can do whatever. Alas, it’s near time for the day to end though. I just decide to have Ashlynn spend these last few minutes boxing. And hey, job done! Now she’s an officer! A proper one!

Spice Festival is happening! It’s time for Kiara and her club to show up and show out! ...though it seems only she’s showing up. Man. What’s the point of having a club terrorize a festival if they won’t show up?! Anyway, let’s pig out on food! Kiara shall learn how to make Sweet and Sour Pork and a Chicken Burrito! Now let’s do what we’re meant to do! Being mischevious to adults! And the first person I find is...a landlord. Time to be mean instead! Also it’s past Kiara’s curfew. Which fine by me! I was meaning to lower her responsibility! Agh, Ali the Landlord left before I could get to disliked. Alas. So I guess it’s time to simply watch the street performers, which seems like Kiara’s thing. And then I had her try the free bubble blower. Didn’t work out well. All she got was uncomfortable moodlets.

This man just found the grills and made it his home and purpose to simply GRILL. Good on him. Anyway, festival is over but let’s hang out until everything despawns. By 3:30, it has! Let’s go home. Naturally everyone would be spawned awake but I wanted to see the energy levels for the parents. Because someone is going to tell Kiara off for being late! Might as well be Mom cop. Annd her responsibility is back up. Welp. Nothing for it but...skipping school! I immediately send Ashlynn to bed afterwards. Zayne needs a midnight snack and we do have ice cream for him. He...somehow managed to go to the restroom inspite of Kiara fixing up the bath that broke down. -shrug- And how he shall join in slumber. Kiara will also have some ice cream, clean out the toilet, because I noticed it, and then head to slumber as well. And after that long day, it’ll be time for-

Neighborhood Watch!

Yuki Behr in the Behr household has died. Shockingly, Yuki botched a repair and was electrocuted.

...n-no! No! Not my socially awkward vampire nerd Yuki! No! This is to the point of we’re going to go over and ensure an urn does spawn. She’s family. I played as her. And now she’s gone…

Maximiliano Miller in the Miller household has died. Maximiliano stuck a finger in a plug and electricity came out.

Jade Rosa in the Rosa household is now a Wave Watcher in the Lifeguard career.

...we’re taking a break to see if an urn spawns at Yuki’s home. And...no! No I’m not seeing anything at all… -sniff- It was more for Candy’s sake. Candy is still within a played household and all so… -sniff- Well, that’s a mood killer for this post. -sighs softly- I’ll see you all next time folks.

#sims 4 #liveblogging #kiara wallace #santiago wallace #zayne wallace #ashlynn wallace #man real sad about yuki #but that's how the neighborhood watch goes