#and my hands are fucking freezing cuz I only had one of the two heaters on and I can't plug in my heated blanket with my laptop plugged in

[cesium-sheep]

dear ao3

sorry for marking fics for later so rapidly you have to stop me occasionally for fear of ddos, I appreciate you looking out for everyone and I promise I'm neither a robot nor acting maliciously but I'll wait anyway

love sheepy

#I've been keeping all my ao3 bookmarks as internet shortcuts on my laptop for. ever. #all my other fanfic bookmarks too #though the ffn ones got cleared out when I scraped them all a few years ago #(yes I saved the link to each fic in the word documents) #so I'm pulling them all up to mark for later to reread and bookmark through ao3's system #since it's so nicely searchable and all #and all the bookmarks on my computer have is title fandom and author name #so I can't search very easily #I'll still hold onto them for a while just in case #it's a whole Process #there's less than 500 of them in total #but I have to stop every like 10-20 because ao3 is like 'woah now slow down there' #which. fair. #but since the wifi on my computer where the shortcuts are stored is broken #I have to type the work number into the url on a different device (my ipad) #for every single one #and my hands are fucking freezing cuz I only had one of the two heaters on and I can't plug in my heated blanket with my laptop plugged in #(both heaters are on now) #another reason to save the offline bookmarks: some of the works have been orphaned since I made the shortcuts #so if I end up archiving the ao3 fics similarly I can add that data back in

[kaebedom-me]

You ask and you shall receive lmao

Can I request nsfw poly!Ch💙ya with childe and Kaeya both being mermaids. Reader being male or gn, whichever is easier for you. If this is too specific or you have any like questions or smth, just DM me!

if nobody got me in my inbox, at least i can count on tumblr user 0 miles away [crying emoji]

forgive me, if i ever seem like im repeating myself a lot because i forget what i've written but here goes!

they're mermaids from different waters,,,

childe's from the colder or freezing regions of waters since he's from snezhnaya

kaeya's from the abyss waters. he'd be the most beautiful most fucking terrifying mermaid you've ever seen because he comes from the really deep seas. so yes, his fins look like those nightmare-ish deep sea creatures

hhh FUCK it's so scary and sharp and long!! but when the moonlight hits it juuust right, his tail looks like the night sky and it's so pretty it could bring you to tears

kaeya's tail is so long, much longer than childe's but childe's is stronger and faster

mermaids from the snezhnaya waters are known for their strength and speed but since childe enjoys fighting and all he's extra stronks

kaeya moves slower, isn't as strong but that's ok because he usually blinds prey with his beauty. that and i also feel like he can paralyse and poison his preys

if you could leisurely explore the deep sea, you still wouldnt be able to see kaeya a lot because he hides himself away from other creatures, if he needs to hunt, his tail would be out and that's pretty much all you'd see

so people think he's a serpent or a really long kind of creature

childe hunts with his bare teeth and hands lmao why use weapons and be classy when you can tear thru your prey amirite

childe is friends with kaeya because one time he swam down so deep he happens across kaeya who was chilling out of his hiding spot for once

hh I'll do your request before i get carried away because hdsdfdh chxxya???? MERMAIDS?????

i think childe is a little bit like Ariel, curious about humans (curious to see if he can fight them) (spoilers: yes and he'd win)

kaeya's more indifferent to them. they're not particularly fascinating creatures, nor are they nutritious to him. they don't offer him anything but he won't harm them

so i like to think childe's the one that introduces you to kaeya

it takes forever to convince kaeya because kaeya doesn't care for humans shdffdfh

but when he does meet you, he enjoys your company :)

i was never a monster fucker but something about kaeya and childe just,,,,,, [eyes emoji]

so anyway it doesn't matter your gender, i just want you to know that being in a sexual poly relationship with them can be summed up as "Too Many Dicks"

they each have two like sharks :)

childe's is thicker and sturdier but kaeya's longer :)

that's four fucking dicks dude tf

there's also a lot of tail, there's only two but because kaeya's so long it feels like a lot

kaeya wrapping his tail around you while he's fucking you [eyes emoji]

for my breeding kink fans out there, i like to think when they ejaculate it's like a slimy substance but when they want to breed they'd pump eggs into you for you to incubate

they're also bigger,,,,

cuz my size kink said so. they're bigger, not quite foul legacy big but they're almost as big as a shark uwu

this is MY AU I DO WHAT I WANT

but right, poly relationship

being in a relationship with two mermaids is sometimes a struggle since not being able to breathe underwater and all but that's ok because they can come hang with you on the shore

reverse little mermaid where you become a mermaid at the end because you love they [bottom emoji]

oooo but say you're a marine biologist or a marine researcher or someone that just likes the sea and is around the sea a lot, so you'd stay near the water so they can come visit you whenever they want

sometimes they take you away to nice caves so they can cuddle you and not be seen by other humans

childe likes to bring you things that he finds, like pearls or pretty shells

kaeya told him specifically to bring those because otherwise childe will 1000% bring you dead fish that has a bite out of it because he hunted it just for you LMAO

if you like seafood though it wouldn't be a problem

kaeya once he warms up to you is the clingiest mother fucker, he will not let you have alone time, he constantly has his tail around you so he can steal your body heat

since he's down in the depths a lot, heat sources are lesser to come by, so when you become his, you also unintentionally signed up to be his personal heater HAHAHAH

he's not cold he just enjoys feeling your warmth

but lmao since they're mermaids they don't know about human mating, you'd have to teach them

imagine very scary very intimidating mermen learning about foreplay and aftercare

luckily for you, they're perceptive and learn quick

also they care a lot for you uwu

imagine stripping for the first time, and they ask you why you only have 1 penis, where do they go?, isn't mating specifically for breeding? humans do this for fun?

childe gets addicted to sex after the first few times because you opened his eyes to something for pleasurable

he tells you after the first time y'all had sex, "I understand dolphins now" HAHHAHAHAH

kaeya's a little reluctant at first because just why? but he too lowkey gets addicted to sex uwu

but generally, it's a very sweet relationship, they try their best to take care of you

childe's usually very eager to bring you to cool places he's been so he can show you cool stuff

and kaeya just likes to be in your company

#can you tell this and bikes are my favourite things #sorry it's a bit general i just got carried away with the world building lMAO #you're free to ask for more! #you're also free!!!! to give me your headcanons and ideas!!! #0 miles away #shanna writes #childe x reader x kaeya #kaeya x reader #childe x reader #a little bit spicy

[writingforyourpleasure]

ON THE ROAD AGAIN

Characters: GERARD WAY x Reader 

 Link to chapter four :   https://writingforyourpleasure.tumblr.com/post/616411340391759872/on-the-road-again

Warnings : None 

 Author’s note: Hello ! Hope you’re all doing okay during those strange times ? Sorry for not posting but I had my en-of-the-year exam, but it’s now done and , I only got a few homework to hand-over now and my second year in college’ll be done !Here you go thank you to keep reading .

5.      “ Pun-master “

  You woke up, feeling something or someone moving in front of you . You started to groan at the uncomfortable feeling not wanting to get up just yet.

“And what owe me the pleasure to be assisted by your presence tonight sir Way?” You said while looking for plates.

The mass finally moved away , listening to your complains .

You woke up what felt just five minutes later but probably was in reality hours after it. Your eyes fluttered slowly as if they were disconnected from your brain. A light shine from the outside was peeking through your tinted window as soon as you truly started to wake up , you realized that Gerard wasn’t here anymore.

“Right…” You breathed out to yourself. Honestly you didn’t want to wake up. You were scared , scared of overthinking this , and because of that you actually was overthinking it . Your brain wasn’t playing on your favor . You didn’t knew how you were gonna survive today. The worst was, you didn’t knew how to act with Gerard , what happened yesterday night wasn’t that big of a deal, really , but again ; you were overthinking it . You just wanted to act normal with him , and was prying your brain to not let you down once you’ll see him. You felt so stupid for having a crush on one of your coworker and friends. You got up and hoped for the best.

You got out of your nest , only to find that you were alone in the bus and that you already had arrived into the next parking’s venue . You went directly to the kitchenette and groaned realized that you guys were short on coffee. You finally resigned yourself and went for the shower.

You got out of the bus a dozen of minutes later to find the parking lot empty except for the security that was already keeping everything on check. You checked your phone to see that it was 3pm . You had enough time, to get yourself a coffee somewhere and not stressing about when to comeback since you didn’t had to repeat with Dex or anything. You put back in your , old black Green Day’s hoodie, pocket your phone . You’ve dressed yourself as unfashionable as it is socially allowed , your laziness was clearly reflecting itself through most of your actions today. You put your headphones on , listening to the last Fever 333’s album and searched on google maps for the nearest Starbucks, once again a reflect of your laziness you figured.

You arrived to the welcoming smell of dirty beans being ground and hot milk.

Once you got your order you looked around for a seat since the place was pretty full, luckily you got one in front of the glass and on both sides what appeared to be two couples . Great. You hope that you’ll be lucky and won’t have to witness the same amount of smooshing in both of them. The teenage one , on your right , were the ones all over each other, with the boy groping at every part accessible of his what-you-presumed-to-be his girlfriend. The one on your left were two men in suits holding each other hands while talking , you sat facing the widow and the other empty seat. You got out of your backpack your sketch book and a pencil starting to draw people passing by while music took you in other world. A tap on your shoulder took you of guard , you got off your headphones .

“Yes ?” you turned around your head to see who was trying to get your attention.

“Hey, is this seat taken ?” Dex was smiling down at you with a big smile.

You said nothing instead kicking the seat in front of you, back to the glass for them to seat.

“I feel like it’s been a while since we talked .” Dex said sitting and looking expectantly at you.

“What are you talking ‘bout we talked just yesterday.” You said not looking up from your sketch book.

“Don’t play dumb y/n , you know what I mean. Like just the two of us ?” Dex sighed , seeing that you decided to not play cooperative . This time you did look up to your friend with a blank expression . Watching their eyebrows furrowed in confusion. It’s true , lately you tried to somewhat distance yourself since you were trying to figure out what the hell was happening with Gerard and you knew that being close to Dex would not help one second . Your friend knew how to read you even when you tried to hide something as well as you could. You had thinked that if Dex was about to ask questions it would make it weird since you were all working together . If you fucked up at any moments , you’ll have nowhere to hide and sometimes it can be a great deal of pain . But apparently you didn’t succeed not to make it awkward since your friend was not so happy that you act a little colder than usual . You were already fucking cold to any strangers , so to be cold to them was shitty. You sighed and run a hand through your now greasy hair . You needed to take a shower quickly , maybe it could wait after the show .

“Hey earth to y/n, hellooo?”

“Huh yeah sorry I was gone for a few…”

“Yeah no shit .”

“Sorry… like for all of it it’s true I’ve been kinda avoiding you guys.”

“Meh it happens , I mean it’s okay we all got our own problems.”

Dex tried to stay warm inside of the Starbucks but you could sense that being against a cold ass window wasn’t helped them to get the warmth that provided the Starbucks.

“I’m so cold….” They whispered as they took a gulp from their drink.

“Well….then stand in a corner .” You replied taking a large gulp of your hot drink too.

“What-Why ?”

“Think..”

“No….. please tell me it’s not because of what I think dude.”

“Coz’ corners are 90 degrees.” You said with a smug smile.

“Ho god …. Ok you know what maybe it’s for the best to be socially distant haha. It is so bad please do not do that again?”

“You’re asking way to much to the pun master .”

“More like the master of fucking nothing y’mean .”

“What did you said peasant , I think I didn’t quite hear that ?”

“Ho nothing .” said your friend smiling like a fool.

“Y/N I’m still fucking cold !” Said your friend trying to warm themselves up by rubbing strongly their arms.

“And how is that my problem , my dear?”

“Someday I really am going to kill you , y’know?” Told Dex between their teeth, with a little grunt along the way.  

“Y/N , Can I borrow your scarf? I’m seriously freezing. ”

“Well I can’t turn into a heater for you now can I? So do you want me to set you on fire? Because, I mean it’s still an option? Like I have my lighter right here so….?” You joked while giving them your scarf.

They gave you a warning glance as if they believed you . Then on a very exasperate note they sighed and said :

“Why are you like this?”              

You both laughed at that getting some curious looks from other clients. Once both of calmed down you try to get serious talking about the elephant in the room .

“Hey , can I ask your advice on something?”

“Absolutely , but I only advise communication, homosexuality, or murder.” Answered your friend earning a smug know-it-all smile out of you.

You were about to start to get off of your chest the whole “Hey I think I may or may not like the lead singer of the band for which we’re working for.” They cut you off.

“WAIT!”

“Yeah ?”

“Are you absolutely positive this isn’t dangerous or something?” They looked very serious about this , which had the reflex to make you roll your eyes deep inside your skull.

“I’m 95% sure, but yeah, I’ve failed fourth grade math so…” You decided to answer her stupid question with a stupid answer.

“Ho okay then we’re good I failed second grade! So just before we start , how long will this take ? I got to pick up my dog at the salon. «You both laughed at that. «No but like seriously we’ll have to go back to the bus eventually . Maybe tell me along the way back?”

“Alright , alright” You both got up from your seats and finally got out of the Starbucks.

“So huh, you remember when we got the 1 week break , alright?”

“Right. “

“Well huh, me and Gerard started talking by text pretty often during this time.”

“Ho. Did you now ?” They said waving their eyebrows in a suggestive way.

“No not like that calm down, you demon fuck .”

“Always a pleasure to fill my responsibilities.”

“You weirdo….” You whispered under your breath.

“Ho do not act if you aren’t even weirder man ! “

“Anyway, I just , I don’t know . I think, I think I may like him y’know?”

“Well it’s pretty comprehensible , I mean he’s hot .”

“I’m not talking about this you twat!”

“Ho c’mon you can’t say he isn’t !”

“Haha ,He is , I ‘ve sight too I’d let you know. It’s just not the point here .”

“You do? Sorry it’s hard to tell when you dress yourself like that .

“You bitch!” You choked on your drink , coughing violently.

“I’m just kind of dreading to really assuming the whole ‘hey by the way I’m hitting on you’ I don’t want to make it weird during the tour , when we’re not even at the half of it. And I don’t wish for everyone to see that I am hitting on him. I’m not ready.” You explained to Dex , not really wanting to expose everything you and Gerard said or do , foremost because there’s not that much to say

“Maybe not hitting on him is a good call since if you do I’m pretty sure he’s gonna freak out hearing your lame puns.”

“May I recall to you that I’m the pun-master AND the master of pickup lines ?”

“You completely suck at pickup lines, bro.”

“No I don’t !”

“The last time you tried one of you’re pickup lines was on this poor cute girl in Louisiana when you said ‘Are you Google –“

“CUZ YOU’RE EVERYTHING I’M SEARCHING FOR !!!”

“Yeah no wonder it didn’t worked !”

“I’m a genius , you’ll miss me when I’m gone.”

“You wish . So why are you’re feeling attracted to the guy ?”

“Well you see my kink is when people actually care about my feelings and what I have to say. And Since I know him he seems to correspond to this criteria , so I find it pretty attractive and hot since it’s my main kink.”

“Yeah , too unrealistic. Settle for bondage like the rest of us.”

“Where you ever nice Dex ?”

“2012, worst year of my life.” You laughed at what your friend said . “No but more seriously y/n, just let it happen y’know? And when you have the feeling that both of you are having a moment then maybe hit on him but stay subtle y’know?”

“I just want him to take me out…”

“Like, on a date or with a sniper ?”

“He’ll have to surprise me .” You both laughed before changing the subject to the little surprise you’ve both had planned for Max, since he was spending all of his nights and days working on your band , you wanted to do something nice for him. You bought a cookbook a few weeks ago for him as a present for the occasion, he often baked pastries as a distressful way to exhale from work time. Even though the bus condition made it hard to cook anything big it already was a good start. And you bought some bottle of Irish hard cider, since he had said it was the best thing he ever tasted when you all took a vacation to Dex family house there. After getting back to the bus everything went pretty fast , but the talk with Dex about Gerard was still playing in your mind. Ames saw that you were lost in your thoughts most of the time and ask you several times if everything was okay, you tried to act like you didn’t knew what he was talking about and you all moved on with your day . Mikey, Frank , Gerard and Ray were already in your bus when you had come back from your coffee session, and they yelled at you for not texting them and taking them with you. You brushed it off saying that next time you would. Gerard had tried to share looks with you during the day but you were too much caught up into your head to notice.

The show this night was nice and almost too short even if you guys took a ten minutes on My chemical romance planning since you played a special song. Once you were backstage Ames and Billy started their routines taking everything off stage to let place for the boys. To go faster Max offered to help them. It gave you and Dex a chance to run to the bus to prepare your little plan. You took any cushions , pillow and anything fluffy you could find , when you were done the bunks were quite a mess but you didn’t want to think of it since you still had to prepare the hard cider and the cake you brought from the Mark & Spencer’s not having too much time to find anything else. By the time everything was served , you knew that My chem was done with their show too , so you decided to prepare them a part too , you made a point to serve a apple juice instead of the cider for Gerard , not wanting him to feel excluded or anything. Max had been held backstage by Billy and Ames who were your dearest allies as ever.

You installed yourself with every plates and drinks giggling between the two of you alone in the bus to stupid jokes.

A knock made itself hear through the bus and Billy appeared into the kitchenette area before being followed by Ames and Max , who where looking at you with huge smiles spread across their face and a snort from the three of them.

“What the fuck did you do with our beds ?” Asked Max between a laugh.

“Well we did a pillow fort !” Answered Dex.

“Isn’t that a little childish ? “

“Does it means you don’t want to join us ?” You asked Max.

A silence swept through the bus.

“…Move over .” Said Max entering your huge pillow fort and already going for the cake and drink.

“Wait there’s a party and you guys didn’t told us about?! “Said Frank entering your bus.

You handed a plate in his direction , earning a smile from him before he arrived by your side as well as everyone else too.

Frank was on your right while Gerard was on your right and all of you were in a cercle eating and joking about stupid stuff.

“Hey you look better than this morning it’s good to see.” Whispered at your side Gerard offering a sweet smile before readjusting a few locks behind his ear.

“Well It’s because in the end we migrate towards comfort , and I realized that I am most comfortable around you , all of you.” You said returning a bright smile to the man.The night went along before Frank spoke up .

“Guys how are you gonna clean this mess to sleep tonight ?” Painful groans made themselves heard from all of you.

#fanfict mcr #frank iero imagine #frank iero x reader #gerard way imagine #gerard way x reader #mikey way imagine #mikey way x reader #ray toro imagine #ray toro x reader #gerard way fanfic #gerard way fanfiction

[somewhereawrite]

Happy Birthday

Original Fiction

Word Count: 2,268

Warnings: Mentioned Abuse, Brief Suicidal Ideation

TC: Happy birthday dude! 🎂 🎉

IC: thanks

TC: Are you working?

IC: No. I missed my shift

TC: That sucks. Everything ok?

IC: yeah i just got locked out

TC: Of your house?

IC: yeah. I think my dad changed the locks cuz my key doesn’t fit anymore

And he’s not home so

TC: You’re outside right now? Are you okay?

IC: yeah 

Just fucking cold

There’s snow everywhere

I went over to that one corner store but they kicked me out for loitering so

Ngl i kinda wanna die right now lol

TC: where are you?

IC: the park across from my house

TC: me and my mom are pretty close by. We’re going to come pick you up

IC: ok

~~~

Ian couldn’t feel his fingers anymore.

They’d skated past the miserably cold stage about an hour ago, and settled into the slightly numb and painful stage. Now he couldn’t feel them at all, and they were like clumsy icicles stuck to his hands than actual digits as he used them to scroll through his texts and see if Taylor had responded to him.

Nothing yet. Ian clicked the lock button and shoved his phone and his hand back into his coat pocket. The battery was at 12%. Probably a good idea not to waste it. 

At least the wind had stopped blowing. Ian had swept the snow off of the park bench he’d taken shelter on before sitting down on it, but he could still feel his jeans and the back of his coat getting soaked through. He’d pulled his legs up to his chest to conserve warmth, but at this point it was no longer doing any good.

Maybe his dad really did want him to freeze to death.

Today was Ian’s birthday, but that did not change in the slightest the fact that it was a bad fucking day.

It hadn’t even started out right. He’d woken up this morning (or rather, dragged himself out of bed, semi-conscious and uncertain if he’d gotten anything restful enough to be called “sleep”) feeling sick, but gotten ready for school anyways and jogged out the door barely on time. He hadn’t ridden his bike, because he could hear Dad talking to someone out in the garage from the hallway, and he really didn’t want to go in there and interrupt whatever was going on, so he grabbed his coat and his earbuds and resigned himself to being late.

One of his fucking ear buds broke on the walk there, so there was that. So much for carefully arranging the balance settings in stereo for the best amount of bass versus treble versus mids, because all he could fucking hear now was treble.

He walked in to find out he had enough tardies to equal an unexcused absence, and that admin would be sending his dad a letter and a request to schedule a parent-teacher meeting about attendance. Fan-fucking-tastic.

He missed a quiz first period, used fourth period to scribble down homework he’d completely forgotten, and spent lunch sleeping in the corner of the shop classroom. By the time he headed home to grab his bike for work, his head was throbbing and his sore throat and sniffles were definitely turning into a full-blown cold.

And then he was locked out. He called his dad twice, then texted him a few times after that, but no response. It wasn’t like he was expecting one anyways. He found his manager’s number on his phone and called out.

Then he wandered around for a bit, got kicked out of the corner store, and ended up on the park bench with his school backpack and a dying phone, freezing to death in slow motion. 

He felt like his organs were going to rattle apart with how violently he was shivering now. He should probably stand up a bit, move around, get his blood pumping and stomp his feet a little to ward the frostbite off his toes. He didn’t want to. Instead, he buried himself a little deeper into his coat, rested his forehead on his knees, and closed his eyes. 

He didn’t want to go home. He didn’t want to go to school tomorrow. He didn’t want to try to explain to his manager why he called out again, and he didn’t want to have to deal with his dad. He didn’t want to think anymore. He just wanted everything to stop.

Everything was bullshit and he was so, so tired.

His phone buzzed and he pulled it out to glance at the screen. 

TC: You still there? 

We’re right in front, by your house

Ian tapped back a quick “k” and uncurled himself, pushing to his feet and grabbing his bag. The movement and a gust of cold air made his stomach lurch and sent fresh stabs through his skull, but he closed his eyes for a second until it passed, then shouldered his bag and headed toward the front of the park.

Lauren Conroy drove a small silver SUV that was just old enough to look like a mom car. Ian saw the puff of exhaust from the tailpipe and the glow of the headlights cutting through the dimness the second he crested the hill, and something in him gave a little sigh, collapsing into tired relief.

He shuffled down toward them, shoes scuffing and sliding against the icy sidewalk, and then he was there, frigid fingers bumping clumsily against the handle of the back passenger side door, pulling it open, shoving his backpack and then himself inside. Lauren was in the driver’s seat and Taylor was in the back, pulling his backpack out of the way, stabbing the buttons that turned up the heat.

“Good god. Taylor, grab that blanket in the back and give it to him.”

Before he could react, Taylor was reaching past him and dragging the lengths of a soft, heavy comforter from behind the seats. Lauren twisted in her seat, dragging it around and over him as far as she could reach, and directing Taylor to do the same.

“How long have you been out there?” she asked, an edge in her voice.

Ian pulled the rest of the blanket over him so that it covered everything but his head. “Since four-ish.”

Lauren froze and stared back at him. “Since four?”

Ian nodded.

Lauren muttered something under her breath that he couldn’t hear. “Have you eaten?” she asked, louder.

“Not yet.” The words slurred a little, Ian’s lips and tongue stiff from the cold.

“Christ.” Lauren’s expression was lethal. She took the car out of park and pulled into the street, heading towards the edge of the neighborhood. “Taylor, my phone. Look up an Ihop or something. Someplace we can eat inside.”

“Got it.”

The car was so warm it almost hurt. The heater was blowing at full strength now, deafening, and the seat warmers were on full blast. Ian sank into the seat and pulled the blanket as tightly around him as he could, still shivering and sniffling so that his nose wouldn’t start running from the heat.

Lauren glanced back through the rearview mirror. “Are you sick?”

“Yeah. A little.”

“You look awful. Taylor, there’s some Tylenol in my purse, and there should be an extra water bottle back there still.”

“Yeah, got it.”

Taylor handed over the water and Tylenol, and Ian took two of them, then enveloped himself in the blanket again. Lauren glanced back at him once, then again.

Then finally, “I can not believe he left you out there.”

Ian half-shrugged. “It’s fine. It’s happened before.”

Wrong thing to say. Lauren looked furious. “This has happened before?”

Ian dropped his gaze, not in the mood to meet her angry stare. “Yeah, once. Wasn’t this cold though.”

“Of course not, because you would have--” she cut herself off and huffed out a breath, tugging on her ponytail.

Would have frozen to death. Ian knew. They all knew.

Lauren didn’t say it, though. When he looked up, there was a misty sheen in her eyes and the muted anger on her face was mixed with regret. “Sorry, kiddo. I’m just--” she broke off again. “Let’s just go get some food in you.”

The car fell silent, and for a moment, the only sound was the gps’s electronic monotone spitting out directions.

Ian didn’t speak up again until the feeling came back into his fingers with a rush of tingling and pain. “Thanks for picking me up,” he said.

“It’s the least I could do, kiddo. The very, very least.”

No one said anything else until they arrived at the restaurant. Lauren sent them both inside to find a booth, saying she had to make a call, so they went ahead without her.

“What even happened?” Taylor asked over his menu, once they’d gotten in and sat down. “Was there a fight or something?”

Ian shrugged. “No. Don’t think so. Guess he was just done.”

“That’s…” Taylor shook his head, struggling for words. “That’s so crazy.”

“Yeah.” Ian didn’t really want to think about it anymore. “Does your mom care what we get?”

“No, get whatever you want.” Taylor watched him over the menu. “You know you can stay at our house if you want to, right?”

Something inside him twisted. “We already talked about that. You guys live too far away from my school.”

“My mom says she might be able to make the drive before work. Me and Fletcher are almost finished saving for a car, so she wouldn’t have to bring us and Jackie to school.”

Ian hesitated, looking at him. He wanted it. He wanted it so badly. Living someplace where he knew he wouldn’t get screamed at for no reason or locked out without warning, where he liked people he lived with and they didn’t wish he was dead--living someplace normal. It sounded good. Too good to be something within his reach. “I… my dad--”

“Hey, boys! We order yet?” Lauren’s voice, bright and cheery, interrupted him as she swept into view. Taylor scooted to the side and she dropped into the booth next to him, picking up the third menu. Her eyes were rimmed in red, but her smile was genuine and almost defiant.

“Not yet,” Taylor said.

“Well? Come on! Ian, order whatever you want, I’m paying. Are we getting milkshakes? I’m getting a milkshake.”

Ian did get a milkshake. And a breakfast skillet. And hashbrowns. And crepes slathered with fruit and whipped cream. And Lauren didn’t so much as raise an eyebrow, just slapped on an order of birthday pancakes and handed back her menu.

Taylor ordered just as much as he did, and Lauren sat back with her milkshake and strawberry French Toast, watching them converse with a satisfied look on her face.

After they’d finished devouring the last of the dessert pancakes, Lauren glanced at her phone. “Sorry to break up the party, but we have to get going if we’re gonna pick you up a toothbrush before we head home. I told your dad you were staying over.”

Ian narrowed his eyes, wary. “What did he say?”

“He said it was fine, of course. You’re staying for the rest of the week, at least.”

The rest of the week? “Wait, really? He was fine with that?”

“Oh, he was more than fine,” Lauren said, glibly. 

Ian stared at her, disbelieving. “He was more than fine?”

“I’m guessing he wants me to go easy once the court proceedings are underway.”

Wait. What? “What court proceedings?”

Lauren looked at Taylor. “You didn’t tell him?”

Taylor shrugged. “Didn’t get the chance.”

Ian frowned. “The chance to tell me what?”

Lauren reached into her purse and pulled out a stack of neatly stapled papers, set them on the table, and slid them over. “The reason we were in town.”

Ian picked them up and read the lettering at the top. He suddenly couldn’t breathe. “Petition for... guardianship?” he read aloud, voice tight. “What are-- are you serious?”

Lauren nodded solemnly. “We’ve talked about it enough. You’ve said plenty of times that you wanted to go ahead.”

“Is that why you called me yesterday?”

Lauren’s face softened. “Yeah. And you told me that it was just your--”

“--my dad,” Ian finished. “He’d never agree. How did you…?”

Lauren grinned slightly. “I talked to him last week. I was very convincing. And he knows we have a case. Seems like he doesn’t want trouble.”

Ian stared down at the papers again, clenching his teeth against the lump growing in his throat. “So that’s it? He’s giving me up?”

“That’s what he’s saying right now. But if he changes his mind and we have to fight for it, we will. If you still want it.” 

It was all suddenly too much. Ian’s vision blurred and his breath shuddered, and he pressed the heels of his palms into his eyes to block the tears that had sprung from nowhere, but then he was gasping and he felt arms around him, holding him tight and warm.

“Do you still want it?” He heard Lauren ask him, voice quiet and full of emotion he couldn’t quantify.

He felt everything inside of him unravel as he nodded, letting her hug him and leaning into the embrace. “Yes,” he said. His voice sounded choked, but he didn’t care. “I want to.”

Her arms tightened around him, every so slightly. “I guess that’s it then. Happy birthday, Ian.”

Taylor’s hand squeezed his shoulder from wherever he was, still across the table. His voice sounded shaky when he spoke too. “Happy birthday, Ian. Welcome home.”

#original fiction #original characters #hurt/comfort #happy birthday #ian carpenter #taylor conroy #lauren conroy

[d20-eggroll]

Sunday game, we entered a dungeon, and everything is fucked up. This is a thorough write-up, so it is lengthy.

Mango dragged the whole party out in to the jungle because she heard there were other aarakocra there, and when they found them it turned out that it was a tribe of elemental aarakocra- these ones were focused on air. She learned a lot about her own lost culture and that a lot of what she was taught while it still stood was wrong, which is especially absurd considering she was heir to the throne. Most importantly, she found out there were to be four total, one for fire, air, earth and water, and that all of them were founded to protect their own temples with a sacred elemental bird.

The phoenix her bloodline is from was supposedly being protected by the Eternal Flame aarakocra, and she doesn’t know if the temple is untouched or if the phoenix has been slain and reborn in the wrong hands. The elemental birds are all connected and she gains permission to enter the temple trial to speak to the sacred bird of the Howling Winds to ask him if the phoenix is alive and where they might be. Thing is, this temple trial is incredibly dangerous. Most who go in don’t come back out. The aarakocra don’t do trade in gold so we can’t even supply ourselves before heading in. We do it anyway even though Mango is super fucking guilty and terrified to be bringing what is essentially her family in to something they’re being repeatedly told is a death trap, and that the last to succeed went in with the same number of people, was in there for a week and was the only one to emerge.

WE HAD A PC FAIL TWO DEATH SAVING THROWS BEFORE WE ALL TURNED THE FIRST FUCKING CORNER.

There was some weird trap that made it so you couldn’t breath until you had a successful con. saving throw and he went down there to look at the corpses, FAILED FOR A SECOND, hurried back to tell us it was trapped, TOOK A DEEP BREATH AND WENT DOWN THERE AGAIN?! He made it back to the party but he was failing his saves this time, and he went unconscious. We were all throwing whatever we could at him and none of it was working. Last second someone stabilized him w/a nat 20 medicine check. We were all standing in the fucking hall we entered from the doorway. NOT A GREAT START.

There was a ravine spitting lightning, which we dispelled. Then we tried to send the wizard’s owl over it to scout the other side. He hit a magic barrier and died instantly with his 1hp. COOL. Guess we have to go through the room ahead!

The first room had intense wind and cold, and the floor was a frozen over pond. The wind was too strong to fly against. If Mango did any fire magic it would suddenly become intensely hot and the frozen point would instead become boiling water, which it was incredibly lucky that I tried that before anyone went in, bc you can guess what the first impulse would have been when we had people get stuck in the ice! The same PC (Thirk, a half-orc barbarian so he’s heavy) fell through in to the freezing water. We had to drag him out after throwing him a rope which he luckily caught. Mango did her best to make herself a little space heater and warm all the chilly folks up and at this point she’s freaking the fuck out because this is all my fault everyone is going to die because of me why why why.

Then we had a choice between a room full of big weird mushrooms or... a blood spattered gore-heavy room with mini tornadoes flashing about in it, throwing limbs and body parts all hither and yon. MUSHROOMS PLEASE, NO BLOODNADOS THANKS. The mushrooms were completely harmless to just be around, which was refreshing.

Past the mushrooms was a room with what seemed like natural rock formations chiseled in to statues of people, all of whom we recognized were known to be dead. One PC, who is an orphan, saw an elven woman with features much like her own, so we took down a sketch. She was super upset at the idea of her mom being dead. There were no human men so we figured her dad is still out there somewhere. Mango found her parents shielding themselves from something, and her impulse is basically “firebolt anything you don’t like immediately.” They were the only ones in the pose of the moment of their deaths, everyone else looked peaceful. The bard found his parents and had our artist sketch them as well because his younger sister was too little to remember their faces and he wanted them to see. Tetra (an NPC who came in with us, the heir to the Howling Winds) saw her mother, who had died doing this trial.

Next hall actually seemed relatively pleasant, the first way we went. It was technically a dead end but it led to the peaceful grave of a legendary dragon slayer in the center of a calm pond. Mango probably had some blood vessels pop arguing with the party to not desecrate a grave in the Howling Wind’s most sacred of places looking for corpse-loot. Across the pond was another small room. In there were four cloaks made of aarakocra hide. Which, of course, one of the PCs wanted because it “wasn’t technically a grave.” Tetra came along while Mango was trying to explain how it wasn’t any better to literally wear the skins of her people, and pointed out that oh shit.

Those weren’t old cloaks. Those were the feathers of the guards who were supposed to be posted outside the temple.

Mango did end up going back for the cloaks, after we found the skinned bodies of the guards hanging from meat hooks in a nearby room, so they could be wrapped in them and laid to rest with at least some ceremony and dignity. We could tell the bodies were a week dead or less. At this point it is setting in hard that we’re not the only ones in here, and that the bird (who is the only one that can send us out of the temple) might have been slain.

In a room right past that was an entire murdered colony of deep gnomes. Would have laid them out politely as well, but there was something haunted going on in that chamber and we noped the fuck out. The wind started speaking as our enemies or our dead for awhile.

ANYWAY THEN WE HAD TO GET ACROSS ANOTHER RAVINE. REMEMBER HOW THE OWL JUST STRAIGHT UP PLUMMETED TO HIS DEATH? CUZ WE SURE DID.

Mango tied a rope around her waist and gave the other end to Thirk and was going to just try her damnedest, but then our fighter goliath tried to climb in to position to jump it and she rolled a fucking 1 and fell so teensy tiny 90lb Mango leaped after her, missed catching her friend, and ended up just kind of dangling helplessly. Her friend rolled well and caught a handhold. We have 7 party members at this point, and they crossed like so:

Valentino, human bard, and Seladi, dragonborn wizard: Dimension door.

Ashley, the goliath fighter: a much better athletics check for jumping.

Tetra, druid and Bark, half-elf druid/cleric: turned in to mountain goats and goated across.

Mango and Thirk: My dimension door cloak had already been used in the ice room, so she cast polymorph for the first time, turned in to a giant ridiculous rainbow ape, picked Thirk up like he was a toddler and aped across. And then a few more times when we realized there was another hall but YIKES there was a black pudding in there no thanks, but also because Mango was super in to being the Big Strong all of a sudden.

We get in to this room through the hall though, and find more dead aarakocra. These are specifically women with some symbol carved in to their forehead strung up on silk ropes and apparently bled dry there. While two of us (Mango being one) took them down, something invisible attacked. It hit Mango and was revealed to be a big fiend of some sort and YIKES that axe hit would have ko’d her if she hadn’t been polymorphed.

So she took his axe in the first round, and picked him up to throw him down the ravine in the second. Big Strong.

After laying the aarakocra dead to a more respectful position of rest we continued on to what turned out to be the last room on that floor. It was a gigantic waterfall pouring down a hole in the floor. There was blood all over and it all seemed to be exploding out from that point, but that was also where we NEEDED to go. We did manage to dispel the trap and while some of us climbed down a rope to the other floor, Mango polymorphed in to a huge ass shark and just dropped down swimming in the fall followed by the druids wildshaping in to smaller sharks.

We’re all down there now. There’s no land. There is a mostly submerged staircase behind the fall, but everything else is tunnels with 60ft deep dark water. That’s where we’re picking up in the next session but I’m already fucking dying bc we’re going to be juggling so many resources just figuring out how to move 5 folks without wings around on the one shark big enough to awkwardly ride, not even considering our priority right now is to find a safe place to camp and rest. Hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

#sunday game #mango #if we TPK doing something based on my character's story I'm gonna feel guilty forever