#but in his case it's grief because he couldn't do what he now wishes when sanada was alive

[delicious-p4ncakes]

Tsubasa Yamaguchi, you have done it yet again

#gosh this arc hurts so much #murai feels like he needs to move on but in the end yotasuke says he doesn't need to just when he sees a paintbrush that belonged to sanada #this hits so hard #like not even because it's similar to something I've experienced or anything #it's just #so touching #the art curator sucks btw I hope he dies #but still #both of the opinions shown have thought behind them #on one hand sanada's paintings are being appreciated just like she wanted when she was alive #but she's mostly gaining attention because she's dead #this is so sad to think about #people only care when what matters is gone #and this can be said for murai as well #but in his case it's grief because he couldn't do what he now wishes when sanada was alive #he even mentioned being married to her in the latest chapter #he loved her but only realized it when she was gone #blue period

[catsushizz]

My Belle

Pairing: Spencer Reid x Fem!reader

Warning: fluff at first then just angst, death, grief, major character death (do tell me if I miss something)

Summary: Spencer loves you like it was breathing but what would he do when that source of oxygen is gone?

a/n: first time writing Spencer, I'm a sucker for the angst I hope you like it!

Look how she lights up the sky...

Spencer heard it from a mile away which brought a small smile to his lips, he heard footsteps which isn't surprising that he knew it was yours because of the skip of your steps and that melody you kept humming.

He heard you open the door still humming the song as you took off your shoes. "Hey, Angel," he says lovingly as he greets you by the door.

You smile and kiss him on the cheek "Hello Dr. Handsome" he chuckled at the endearment and engulfed you in a tight hug.

You have been dating for 3 months and Spencer knew he was going too fast by telling you to share an apartment with him but that lingering doubt quickly disappeared as fast as it came when you suggested it yourself.

Spencer knew you were it for him. He knows your favorite movies to your favorite songs he knows almost everything about you actually.

You hummed the song and dragged Spencer to the living room "What got you in such a good mood?" Spencer chuckled.

"Having you all by myself today" you grinned, resting both of your hands on his shoulder. Spencer couldn't stop smiling, he was looking at you fondly, his hand on your waist as if it was meant to be there.

"Let's dance" you whispered, nuzzling your head to his chest "Explain how we are gonna dance with no music-"

"So far above me yet I...know his heart belongs to only me" You smile as you sing the song, you love changing the lyrics, Spencer specifically loves it when you change Evangeline to his name he remembered hearing it for the first time and he couldn't stop thinking about it for months.

"Je t'adore, Je t'aime Spencer" You chuckled at how off-key it was but it didn't matter when you saw that sweet smile of his. You started guiding him to move, your head resting near his heart and his finger stroking circles on your waist as he held you closer. Loving you was something he wished he had done a long time ago, he wished that he was there your whole life.

It became a routine, you dancing with him.

After a bad case, you'd sing for him, and if he was feeling down you'd urge him to stand and dance with him and that always made him forget why he was sad in the first place. He would never get tired of that song or your voice. Whenever you fight it always ends up with both of you in each other's arms and in tangled bed sheets in the morning.

3 months turned into a year and a year turned into 4 years and now you're engaged, his love never withered and neither did yours.

his team always asked him how he got so lucky he didn't know the answer to that and he just thanked whatever God that brought you to him.

But the gods were cruel. They give and they take.

He visited your grave every day with fresh flowers in his hands but they always ended up disheveled from how tight he was holding them. Everything changed after you left, he changed and he no longer rambled about his fun facts to the team, in fact, they hadn't heard him laugh or smile in a while.

He'd get snappy with them whenever they asked a simple question, his state wasn't any better too, he looked as if he needed to seek professional help.

"Spence?" JJ knocked on his apartment door but received no answer, she was about to try again but the door swung open. Spencer stood there annoyed and a frown displayed on his lips.

"What?" He asked, he didn't mean to sound so harsh but he was just having a hard time, he had a nightmare again, usually, it was you who would coax him until he calmed down but you were gone and it was a painful reminder every time he wakes up from a bad dream, he would much rather prefer to be stuck in that dream than face the truth.

"can I come in?" JJ's voice is gentle that was something he came to despise, everyone has been walking on eggshells whenever he's around and he hates it because it just makes him remember that you were gone.

Spencer let her in reluctantly, JJ's gaze darted everywhere in his apartment, it was a mess. She looked at Spencer with worry, a question hanging from the tip of her tongue.

As if sensing it, Spencer sighed and massaged his temple "No, I'm not using Dilaudid" he said harshly.

"That was not what I was gonna say-"

"Why are you here?" For the first time since she came in, he looked her in the eye. She freezes, she did not think this through.

"Spence, I know it has been hard for you, just let me help you- let us help you," she said with a hint of urgency in her voice.

Spencer clicked his tongue "I don't need help, get out" he calmly said but the way he said it begged to differ.

"I said get out!" He snapped making JJ flinch, she had never seen Spencer act like this but instead of backing out, she fought back.

"I know this is hard for you Spencer but didn't you stop and think that the whole team not only felt guilty because they couldn't save her but they lost her too? She was like family to them." She was crying now. Spencer was about to retort that they didn't know her like he did but she stopped him.

"I know she was your fiancé, Reid, but she was my sister, and losing her meant losing half of me so don't act like you're the only one grieving because we all are, let us help you and we can fix this, it might take a long- long time but let us do it together" she pleaded and fresh tears started to flow from Spencer's eyes.

It was quiet for a while nothing but broken sobs from both of them.

"I- I can't remember her voice" Spencer's voice trembled, his hands shaking making JJ engulf him in a hug. He held her tightly, his tears staining her clothes "I can't remember her voice" he repeated again like a broken record.

"shh, it's okay" JJ coed.

"I couldn't save her, I promised her I would protect her, s-she trusted me to protect her" he stutters, his breathing becoming labored "I don't know what to do, I love her too much to let her go"

"I know" JJ's voice broke. She remembered the night vividly, the night she lost you, she remembered how nothing could calm Spencer down, and she remembered how he cradled your blooded form from the comfort of your own bed, his sobbed mix with his overwhelming fast breathing, it tore her to shreds.

When you were at the hospital, she remembered the whole team was there, she remembered how Spencer couldn't sit still and how he had been crying for hours but when the doctor dropped the dreaded news, she could feel Spencer's heart drop, how his eyes became void of any emotions in just a second.

He dropped to the floor with his hand gripping his shirt near his heart where your head always rests when you're slow dancing, just remembering that made him let out a gut-wrenching cry, his shoulder shaking as he kept repeating the word 'no' over and over again.

When he felt like he couldn't breathe Morgan coaxed him to breathe with him but nothing could work. Losing someone special is like losing your purpose to function and having you gone was something he didn't realize he'd had to face.

--

"I have- uhm, I have a video of her," JJ said, pulling out a disc from her bag. Spencer had now calmed down, and seeing the disc from JJ's hand brought him an unfamiliar surge of emotions.

"She loved recording herself talking and singing, and she mentioned you here more than I can count" she chuckled holding back herself from crying.

She handed Spencer the disc with a tight-lipped smile "I'm gonna give you some privacy" she said taping his shoulder as she made her way out of his apartment.

Spencer didn't say anything nor did he move from his spot on the couch. The disc on his hand felt heavy as he stared at it.

He's scared, he's scared that maybe if he plays this video he won't ever move on and fall into a cycle where he can't stop watching the video for fear of forgetting your face and your voice.

He didn't even realize he had played the disc until he saw you and heard your voice in the video and when he heard it, it brought a new batch of tears pouring out from his eyes.

"Oh hi! Shit, how does this thing work?" You mumbled as you adjusted the camera. "JJ? Is this thing broken or am I just tweaking?" You called out, Spencer saw the camera shift to JJ her face contoured with annoyance.

"you're holding it wrong-" The video ended and for a few seconds it came back again but this time he was met with your beaming smile. Spencer choked on his tears, his heart clenching seeing your infectious smile.

"I met a guy" you giggled making Spencer smile despite the tears flowing down his cheeks "I'm gonna marry him someday, I just know it. He's my sister's colleague, he's smart and extremely handsome, and he likes reading as well, can you believe that?" You exhaled a disbelief sigh.

Hearing that brought a wave of nausea in his system, you never got to marry him.

The video then showed JJ looking at the camera with Emily on her side as JJ tells Emily to be quiet, and then the camera shifts to you and Spencer.

He remembers this, this was 2 years ago on New Year's Day, the both of you were at Rossi's mansion but decided to come out to have the time for both of yourselves.

You were singing but it was muffled because the camera was too far away "Move closer!" He heard Emily whisper "I can't, they'll see us" JJ rebutted but Emily grabbed the camera and the sound of her running with the camera violently shaking from her grasp made him chuckle.

He heard you clearly now, he had never been so thankful for Emily. You were humming and in between the humming, you told him that you love him and Spencer had to pause the video because he was having a hard time breathing again. He didn't finish the video and he fell asleep crying.

Spencer thinks he can't ever forget you, even if he settles down with someone else (which he doubts) he knows he can't ever forget you because loving you was different, different in a way where you'll yearn for it your entire life.

And when he played the tape again, the fleeting moment in which he genuinely smiles is then replaced by him crying again whenever you mention how much you really loved him.

Nothing feels light in grieving and when time passes it gets heavier it may be subtle but it's there. His future with you was forever gone in the wind, merely a whisper in his dreams and his heart ached for your warmth to be back again.

#Spotify #spencer reid x reader #dr spencer reid #criminal minds x reader #spencer reid fluff #spencer x reader #spencer reid angst #spencer reid x you #mgg x reader #mgg fanfiction #criminal minds #emily prentiss #x reader #spencer reid fanfiction

[iheartsebastianmichaelis]

Stress.

⚠️: minors dni, sensorial uncomfort and corporal pain description, AFAB but gender neutral reader, fingering, mirror sex.

you have been very tense the last few days. social gatherings among the aristocracy did nothing but put you in a bad mood and stress you out when you lost track of the insignificant and trivial conversations among the nobles. you only attended for education, potential business partners, and the luxurious and unusual food they served, which clearly did not compare to the art that Sebastian had the luxury of creating in the kitchen.

on this occasion you were returning from a party with a baron whose name you had already forgotten because it seemed so irrelevant to you. maybe you had wasted time, but at least you could cross off one more item on your to-do list.

when you got out of the carriage and entered the mansion you were a mess: your hair felt sweaty, your suit was worn out, and your shoes had gotten dirty because of a clumsy waiter who tripped on you at the party. you sighed heavily, walking up the stairs towards your room while Sebastian followed behind you.

"your grace, i will prepare the bathtub with hot water to help you relax your body, in the meantime please wait in your room."

"okay, don't take so long."

"as you wish."

you entered your room and lazily began to undress, the cold of the night gave you a chill due to the abrupt change in temperature, giving you goosebumps. even with good weather setting your night, you couldn't get the frustration out of your body. so unbearable it was that even a slight pain in your temple appeared without warning.

a gentle knock on the door brought you back to reality, you knew it was Sebastian and with that an idea came to your head.

"master, may I come in?"

you were almost naked, only wearing your underwear but that was just a part of what you had in mind. with your head clear of doubts you nodded at yourself.

"sure."

Sebastian opened the door and his eyes widened in surprise. he never had seen his authority figure in such detail before, so it was only natural for him to ask your reasoning.

"good grief", he sighed "although I came here to inform you that the bathtub is ready, i can notice you weren't. i apologize if that's the case, i think it would be better for me to leave the room to give you more privacy."

"no, stay here. i wanna ask you something."

"how can i help you now?"

"i read on a book that people use to release stress with their bodies, do you know something about it?"

"i've certainly heard of that, your grace, humans usually can find relieve stimulating their bodies."

you sighed heavily as you placed your hands on your hips.

"I want to try it."

"oh? may i ask why, your grace?"

"are you seriously that much worried about wasting the bathtub water, Sebastian?" you asked teasingly, playful smile on your face. "there's no need to explain such easy understanding things, don't you think?"

he only chuckled.

you cupped his face with your hands and looked at him seriously.

"it's an order, destress me."

"yes, my master."

...

after a passionate making out session with your butler, you sat on the edge of the bed in front of your mirror, him before you and caressing your cheek with his hand.

he suddenly positioned himself on his knees in front of you and asked permission, with his exploring hands Sebastian waited for your response. a slight nod of your head was enough to give him the green light to continue. he made his way to your intimate area, leaving a trail of wet kisses, stopping right at your mound and giving a light bite to your thigh before retiring your panties. now, his sinful tongue began to trace a slow and pleasant up and down pattern on your slit. your mind felt foggy, his tongue was slightly making you feel more and more impatient when he thrusted vaguely into you or sucked on your clit vehemently. as time passed by and your moans became more loud he knew you were close to your climax so he stopped dead, surprising you and making you pout.

"i don't remember telling you to stop, Sebastian." you said frustrated.

"and I won't, excellency." he said with a calm, smug face while removing his gloves.

Sebastian then moved behind you, cradling you in his arms and slowly sliding them to your wet, sweet spot. starting with two fingers, he massaged your clit, giving gentle strokes and moving it in circles. your head was now tilted back and resting on his shoulder, soft whines leaving your mouth.

"oya, oya. someone's acting so eager already, aren't you dear?"

"s-shut up."

the clear and humiliating expression reflected on your face in the mirror was enough to motivate sebastian to tease and mock you.

you hissed and bit your lips every time he increased the speed or his strength in his movements between your folds. the moans you let out did nothing but invite him to continue taking them out of your mouth.

two of his long, thin fingers made their presence felt inside your wet interior, he thrust into you with confidence and strength, but not to the point of being painful or overwhelming. Just like he had said, you were excited. your hips moved back and forth, seeking to bury his fingers to your sweetest spot if that was possible.

"please keep going like that, haah."

"understood." he placed a kiss on your neck, making you tremble.

when he could deduce that you were close again, he moved his fingers faster and his thumb got busy giving soft and pleasant half-moons on your clit. your breathing became faster and your mouth got rid of all shame, letting out loud, pleasurable moans into Sebastian's ear.

"that's it, just follow what your body leads you to." he whispered into your ear before kissing and licking it.

suddenly you felt a chill and an energizing spasm run through your entire body, your back arched and your tongue slightly stuck out of your mouth. your legs were shaking and your chest was rising and falling: you had reached your orgasm. with your face burning with embarrassment you looked down and noticed the mess that was dripping onto his fingers that were still inside you. He gently gave small thrusts trying to prolong your ecstasy, you only hummed and moaned his name in response.

when Sebastian considered it was enough, he took his fingers out of you, kissing your neck and jaw, trying to massage your chest and collarbones with his clean hand, in order to help you relax your body.

"and... did this help you, your grace?"

you nodded frantically, but then noticed he got up from your behind and your back was surprised with the messy and warm sheets.

you looked up at him, noticing how he started to unbuckle his belt.

"I can try another method to destress you, excellency. just say the word, say my name and allow me to do the rest."

A/N: hii sorry for dying lol but happy season 4 for everyone LMAO!! I literally screamed and fell to the ground seeing profesor Michaelis 🤭 anyway, listen: i TRIED so bad to write actually smut but i swear i need to go bit by bit cuz i just suck 😭😭 sorry if this is so messy 💀

#Kuroshitsuji #black butler #sebastian michaelis smut #sebastian x reader #sebastian black butler #sebastian kuroshitsuji #sebastian michaelis #sebastian x reader smut

[rosiesdisneydrama]

Funny thought I had at work:

What if Donald's family (mostly his sister/cousins) did notice him grieving after Uno was shut down?

Donald is upset about something but very tight-lipped about what and why. Up until one of them manages to get him to talk a little bit about it. (maybe Feathery? He seems like the sort who'd try to comfort someone without judging them or by promising to listen no matter what) And then they all extrapolate/misinterpret the reason from the crumbs they worm out of him.

Donald, obviously, doesn't want to tell them that Ducklair shut down his AI friend, and kicked him out of the tower without giving him the chance to say goodbye. And he doesn't know if he'll ever see them again (if Ducklair ever reactivates Uno). It's something that he really doesn't know how to fix it or make it better.

What his family gets out of him are:

There was a secret floor to Ducklair Tower that Donald had a friend living in.

The friend couldn't leave the tower, or even that specific floor. They could only see the world outside through windows and cameras.

Donald's friend had a lot of respect/a previously very good relationship with Ducklair himself.

His friend is now "gone" and Donald doesn't think he'll ever see them again.

Ducklair's comments/behavior were really out of character compared to the previous times Donald had seen or spoken to them. Shockingly harsh/cold.

And, considering the wildness of their family, these facts get twisted in a really interesting way.

Eventually, after the rest of the family (I'm mostly picturing Della, Gladstone, and Fethry. Maybe Abner, for funsies) do some serious debating to piece it all together without upsetting Donald even more, they make a loose frame of what they think the core issue is.

The end result?

They think Uno is a secret son that Ducklair was hiding because he had serious health issues that meant he couldn't leave the tower. Potentially because whatever health equipment he needed was there and couldn't be moved. The specific tower he'd lived in had potentially been sold by accident and when Donald was registered as the caretaker of the tower the security system let him onto the floor that Uno had lived in.

Potentially, Uno was also the reason Donald kept bailing on them while he worked there. Because the super-sick heir lived in a super high-tech building made by a mad genius, so there was a non-zero chance that their cousin was beating back crooks and wannabe villains who thought they could steal stuff to attack the city there. They wish he had brought them in on it to help more if that was the case.

And, finally, that friend had likely passed away and Ducklair's mood change was potentially due to poorly handled grief. There is a small chance that Ducklair had pulled a plug due to not being able to find a cure but it's hard to imagine because the man never seemed the sort.

(Also, since they have no idea if Ducklair has ever been married, there is the possibility that his son was actually a clone because the man was a Mad Scientist and anything was possible with those types. Which could also explain why no one knew the son existed in the first place.)

But this is the Duck family, so this also played like it's a soap opera/telenovela. It gets wild, especially when Gladstone's luck brings Layla in and she fights to keep her laughter internal as she watches the trainwreck of errors from the cousins trying to piece together Donald's secret life.

Oh, and they also think Uno was Donald's boyfriend and one of the reasons he never told them was to hide him from Scrooge.

#ducktales #donald duck #duck avenger #paperinik #disney duckverse #uno ducklair #everett ducklair #della duck #gladstone gander #fethry duck #lyla lay #duno

[cemeterything]

no but i do think about the parallels between fitzjames' death at crozier's hands and gibson's at hickey's in the terror. in both cases their deaths are a means to end their suffering, and yet they couldn't be more different. crozier and fitzjames' ranks as officers afford them a measure of discretion and access to resources that allow fitzjames' death to be a kind one, administered gently and lovingly. it's a slow, almost theatrical scene; a beautiful death, a fitting end, written and shot like a curtain call. likewise, crozier can afford to refuse fitzjames' dying request that he and the rest of the men cannibalize his corpse after he's gone. hickey and gibson, meanwhile, have no such luxury. gibson dies in broad daylight - a stark contrast to the darkness of the tent where fitzjames breathes his last - suddenly and without warning, brutally, and witnessed by goodsir, whose judgement and horror weighs over the whole affair. and there can be no burial for gibson, no time for grief, not when there's a camp of starving men whose loyalty hinges entirely on who and whatever can offer them the best hope of survival to consider. gibson is butchered and consumed because they simply have no other choice but to do so if they want to live.

and then, in the next episode, we see the idea that what crozier did for fitzjames was an act of love and what hickey did for gibson an act of mercenary pragmatism turned on its head. because hickey is wearing fitzjames' boots now, and crozier looks like a beaten ghost beside him, a dimly guttering and trodden thing eclipsed by hickey's manic vitality. if crozier had honored fitzjames' wishes, he would have granted him a truly meaningful, honorable death - to be able to further the lives of others, of the man and men he loved, even after he is gone. instead, his grave is desecrated, and he is rendered a literal footnote in someone else's story, shattering the illusion that anything crozier did for him made a difference in the end. and yet, despite it all, both crozier and hickey find themselves in the exact same place after it's all said and done - two exceedingly lonely men with blood on their hands, who must carry the weight of everything they've done alone for the rest of their days.

#🐉 #the terror #cannibalism #NOBODY WINS!!! LOVE LOSES!!!

[twoidiotwriters1]

The Curse of Oenone (Leo Valdez xFem!Oc)

A/N: I'm seeing Hozier tomorrow wish me safe travel! -Danny Words: 2,230 Series' Masterlist Previous Chapter // Next Chapter Listen to: 'Chronically Cautious' -by Braden Bales

XVI: I Hope Ya'll Were Paying Attention, 'Cause I'm Never Doing That Again

From now on, Ara won't think about anything else than taking the seven demigods to the ancient lands. Once there she'll save Nico, and after that... she'll do what she must to make sure her camp gets saved, and maybe break her curse in the process.

Annabeth sits her on the mattress. "I shouldn't have forced you to do three missions in a row—"

Ara groans. "That is the only reason I'm here. And one of the missions was a tea party where Aphrodite complimented my eyeliner." She touches her face in sudden realization. "Oh gods, my eyeliner! Do I look insane?"

Annabeth smiles a little. "The storm and your crying washed it all away—you should get a better brand."

"I like how easy to remove it is," she lies on her back. "And that brand has pretty colors..."

The ship is groaning and swaying from one side to another, but Ara isn't allowed on deck. She had a meltdown and Frank had to carry her to the sickbay, and now she's too weak to do anything.

Ara stepped into the role of daughter of Olympus so sure of herself, and now... Why couldn't all this happen when she had the option to step out? She remembers how harshly she judged Clarisse during the first war, but now she understands that sometimes being impartial is not an option.

When the storm gets more violent, Annabeth is forced to leave the room. "I have to go help..."

Ara says something before Annabeth leaves her cabin. "You don't have to worry about me bailing out after this. I'll help you defeat Gaea if it is the last thing that I do." She stares at the ceiling with a blank expression. "I'm sorry I freaked out, I suck at diplomatic stuff. Lily always took care of that part..."

Annabeth crosses her arms and sighs heavily. "Yeah, that was concerning. You used to hold your front just fine, what happened?"

Ara makes a face. "Aphrodite told me not to be rash and I didn't listen. I wonder why I ignore her when she's trying to help..."

"You always complained about being underestimated," Annabeth shrugs. "Maybe you're doing the same to her."

Ever since the gods stripped her of her Aphrodite identity and dressed her in General attire, Ara has done her best to hide who her godly parent originally was. She acted all offended when Leo didn't believe she was from Cabin Ten, but deep down, she'd been satisfied. The implications of that, of course, are terrible, so Ara decides to ignore it.

"Could you not..." she clears her throat and speaks with more authority. "Don't tell the others, I don't want them to freak out over nothing. Let them have peace before we reach Rome."

"I figured you'd say that," Annabeth sighs. "Fine."

Moving my stuff out of Cabin Ten isn't hard, I haven't kept much in there since I moved to New York. I choose a room on the second floor of the Big House, close to the stairs so I can get out fast in case of an emergency.

Nico takes the room across from mine, and Rachel the one in the middle. We go to Apollo's cabin, and the campers salute me as I enter. Nico and Lily stay outside to start the funeral rituals and I help where I can. I use my empath touch on the mourners until I can't hold more of their grief, I employ my charmspeak so the wounded rest. 

I stand next to Chiron and Mr D and we burn the shrouds, as that comes to an end, I introduce myself as the new head of camp. I promise to be there to help and protect them.

During dinner, Nico sits with me because he doesn't have a table. Tomorrow I'll see that he gets one. Lily will help him design his cabin, they'll leave tomorrow night and Lily will stay a few weeks in the Underworld to help Daedalus, I know she's hoping to catch a glimpse of Mike.

Campers approach our table to congratulate Nico, but they give me nervous glances as they move to me. Some of them, the Cabin Nine and Cabin Ten campers seem happy, although my siblings also look concerned about having Drew as their new counselor. I had to give up the spot for the bigger part, I was never a proper Aphrodite anyway, perhaps this is better.

The Stolls want me to change rules so they can go out on the weekends, but when I tell them that's out of my control, they lose interest in my title.

Most campers are anxious, Drew's spreading rumors about a curse, she says a child of Olympus and peace are mutually exclusive, and having me on camp taunts the fates. She tells everyone it's in my name: The bringer of curses.

The first night though, they're willing to give me a shot. 

I go to bed completely exhausted, so I don't wake up when Rachel walks in and stares at me for Hades knows how long. I wake and jump out of my skin when I notice the girl at the foot of my bed. I reach for Almighty but then notice the bushy hair and the large T-shirt. 

"Rachel?" I speak hoarsely.

Her eyes snap open and illuminate the room with their green light.

"When the dove touches the smith

Almighty raises her myth

And the curse of love releases

By tearing earth into pieces."

Rachel stumbles forward and holds onto the bedframe.

"W-Wha..." she blinks, her eyes going back to normal. "Where am I?"

I gulp. "My room."

She looks at me. "How did I get here?" Understanding falls on her features. "Did I just..?"

"Go to bed, Rachel," I get up.

"What did I say?"

I guide her out of my room and back to hers. She sits on the bed and I hand her the glass of water she had on the nightstand. "Can you please keep this a secret?"

Rachel frowns. "Why? What did I say?"

"Something that has to do with me, and only me."

"Are you sure?"

"Well, the oracle took you to my room, so if I had to guess..."

"But what did I say?" She insists.

"I'll figure it out, Rachel."

"But—"

"Please," I press. "That's—er, an order."

"The Oracle doesn't answer to you, General," she gives me a grumpy look.

My shoulders fall. "Can't you do it as a friend?"

"What thing?" She teases me. "Keep the secret, or answering to you?"

"It wasn't a big deal, so I can take care of it on my own."

She doesn't believe me. Nothing was ever "not a big deal" if the Oracle was spitting out a prophecy about it. 

"Alright. But if you end up needing help, you have to ask for it."

I tense, not wanting to utter the words, but if I don't, Rachel will tell Chiron.

"I promise."

There are better ways to wake up from a nap than to turn your room sideways.

The nap worked though, so as she navigates the large corridors slamming against the walls, she manages not to throw up at all until she reaches the deck.

"Holy—!"

"What's going— Gah! Shrimpzilla!" Percy crashes against her.

"What is that?!" Ara screams, drawing out Almighty and almost crawling to reach the helm.

"Must be one of Keto's stupid monsters!" Annabeth yells. "How did it get so close?" 

"I don't know!" Hedge shouts.

"I'm stupid!" Leo cries out. "Stupid, stupid! I forgot the sonar!"

The ship tilts again, almost completely on one side. 

"Sonar?" Hedge growls. "Pan's pipes, Valdez! Maybe if you hadn't been staring into Hazel's eyes, holding hands for so long—"

"What?" Frank and Ara reply in shock.

"It wasn't like that!" Hazel argues.

"It doesn't matter!" Piper intervenes. "Jason, can you call some lightning?"

Jason is completely drained from their encounter with the Romans, and Percy isn't any better. The monster's thin wire-like legs slid over the deck and Ara barely ducks and presses herself against the railing.

"Stay away from my ship!" Ara slashes tendrils as she goes.

"Hazel!" Leo screams. "That box! Open it!"

Ara's eyes land on the box of Greek fire Leo keeps on deck. She knows what he's got in mind.

"Ara, go and help!" The boy continues to give out orders. "Coach, take the wheel! Turn us toward the monster, or we'll capsize!"

"Hope you got a plan!" The satyr runs up to him.

Ara has half a mind to think about what Hedge said about Leo and Hazel, the current monster threatening to sink them is far more important than whatever feelings she may have about it, if she has any at all. Janus came, and she chose duty. She mutes her emotions and does what Leo asks of her, running to Hazel and opening the wooden box. 

"You gotta be gentle with these," she warns her.

"Ara," Hazel starts. "What Hedge said—"

"I don't care!" She snaps at her impatiently. "Come on!"

"Frank!" Leo runs across the deck. "Buy us some time! Can you turn into a shark or something?"

Frank scowls at Leo, and the monster knocks him out of the ship when he gets distracted. Hazel cries out and almost drops the vials she's holding, but Leo catches them when he arrives at their side.

"Come on! We can kill the monster—and save Frank!" He glances at Ara, his expression telling her nothing at all. "Can you help us climb to the port rail?"

"Yes."

"What is this stuff?" Hazel pants as Ara drags them up the deck.

"Greek fire!" Leo shouts.

"Are you crazy? If these break, we'll burn the whole ship!"

"Its mouth!" Leo points as they reach the railing, he holds onto it to not slip back down. "Just chuck it down its—"

Once again, Ara is the only one fast enough to dodge the tendril. She slips back and watches in horror as Hazel and Leo get lifted. The girl glares at the monster, Lily's stygian dagger gets heavier on her belt. "You asked for it..."

Leo singes the creature so it loosens its grip. It feels like it happens in slow motion, Ara can tell what his plan is as it happens, and she only has a few seconds to help. She presses twice on the alpha of her sword, turning it into a BB gun.

She shoots at the same time Leo throws his vial of Greek fire at the monster. The pellet crashes against it and makes it explode directly into the monster's mouth. Hazel throws the second vial, and Ara shoots again. That one explodes in the monster's line of vision. 

Ara presses on the alpha twice, and Almighty turns into a grappling hook. It attaches to the main mast, and the girl jumps overboard drawing out Lily's dagger. She swings across the length of the monster, cutting through the creature's skin. 

It's not a deep cut, but the injury is long, and mixed with Leo's Greek fire weakens the beast enough so it loosens its grip on the ship. Ara's hand hurts from holding all of her weight, but she pays no attention to it as the tool yanks her back into the ship. She stumbles to a stop, then puts Lily's dagger away and her skin glows teal.

"Everyone hold onto the railing!" A wave pushes them away from the monster, and Ara forces the currents to keep pushing until they're out of reach. "Annabeth, the ballista!"

Her friend shoots twice, the creature shrieks, and then the sea swallows it leaving nothing on the surface. Ara slips to the floor, her face turning green.

"Ara," Piper approaches. "Leo and Hazel—"

"And Frank," Ara nods dryly. "Where is my brother?"

"The monster knocked him out," Jason gets closer too, eyeing her with concern. "We should check on you too."

"Feed him ambrosia and bring him up," she turns Almighty back into a compass and looks at it, the needle moves speedily over the symbols without stopping and makes her dizzier, so she looks away. "We gotta search the sea."

"Ara, we have a problem with the—"

"In a moment," she stops Annabeth and leans over the rail to talk to Percy. "What do you mean they're gone?!"

"I can't find them!" Percy shouts back, floating right next to the Argo II. "And no one here has seen them!"

"I saw them fall! Keep looking!" Ara looks back at Annabeth. "You were saying?"

Ara clings to her role and does her best, but Leo is the one who fixes what's in the engine room so that will have to wait until he comes back. If he comes back. In the meantime, Ara takes care of the rest with Annabeth's help and makes sure everyone patches up their wounds.

Percy comes back on board frustrated, this is the first time he's lost a battle against a sea monster, and he's deeply confused at the fact that he wasn't able to find any of their friends. Ara remains hopeful, if there are no bodies, then they didn't die.

Annabeth approaches and places a hand on Ara's shoulder. "We have to warn the camp about Octavian."

They call Chiron. Annabeth and Ara explain what happened. At least this she's familiar with, preparing the camp for attacks used to be her bread and butter.

"We'll be okay, Strategus," Chiron tells her. "Your job is to keep the seven in one piece until they finish the quest. Focus on nothing else."

"She's doing a great job," Annabeth informs him. "Last night she killed Shrimpzilla and made it look easy."

"Shrimpzilla took three of our crew," Ara points out sternly. "I gotta keep searching, Chiron, but... Tell everyone I'll return soon. I... I promise."

Chiron gives her a sympathetic look. Being a leader is nothing like she thought it'd be.

Next Chapter –>

Taglist.

@siriuslysirius1107 @ask-giggles1303 @asnyox-the-hoarder @im-planning-something-look @bandshirts-andbooks @coolninjapaper @thewaterlily @whenisthefall @1randomcomic @you-bloody-shank @sunflowergraves @owlalex44 @taylordaughter @typicalsolangelolover @writingmia @espressopatronum454 @slytherinnqueen @orbitingpolaris @obxstiles @ellipsisspelled @thepixiechicksh

#twoidiots writing #pjo fanfic #leo valdez fanfic #leo valdez x oc #doo #heroes of olympus #percy jackson and the olympians

[moriartyluver]

FALSE LOVERS CHAPTER XVI

"I ACCEPT YOUR REQUEST" A harmonious voice asked from the other side of the wooden grid in the abandoned chapel's confession stall. "Are you prepared for anything, even if it means losing your life?"

Another consultation.

"of course! Cough. In any case, my body's been taken over by illness, and I won't last much longer. I merely have one wish.." The middle aged man managed to cough out. "And if this'll make that man suffer and get a taste of hell on earth...then I'll gladly give up my life!"

"I'll send you word of the plan at a later time," William responded "until then, wait for my instructions."

"We found this man through Fred's information network but what do you think? Can we trust him?" Sebastian asked while they sat in the carriage with (name) sat beside William.

Ever since her parents visit, she had been acting strange. The other had seen her as a ticking time bomb. She had managed to put up a facade on the last day of her parents' visit of being completely fine and happy, even though the grand duke and duchess still felt guilty for bringing up such a topic at such a cheerful dinner. She was also avoiding the other members of the team (Fred and Moran had heard about the disastrous dinner from Josephine) and especially william after their encounter in the bedroom, which she had seen to be a mere mistake and on the day of their anniversary, she had stayed in her bedroom the entire day, planning her own schemes as of a spark had been relit in for her desire to dissolve the British empire.

Of course she would still interact with the others but it had seemed that all she was now was some sort of machine who only spoke of work or business related affairs. Even when William had told (name) he had recommended her to work at Durham university to cheer her up, after two year of trying to get a job as a professor and then giving up, she had only reacted plainly, thanking him as though he had meant nothing to her. To everyone this seemed reasonable but William was especially curious regarding the death of Arden, considering (name) had caused it yet was upset about it all the same.

(Name) couldn't have cared less about Arden's death though. She had massacred so many people during that time period that she had somehow numbed herself to the feeling of grief of guilt. She wouldn't have felt guilt anyways, this was all for the sake of avenging her deceased brother.

That particular evening, she wished her parents  hadn't mentioned anything. Of course, they were worried for her but all it had done was being back unpleasant memories and guilt she had tried to bury. William was the only person she knew who could distract her from such. Their not-quite-a-friendship in university had meant a lot to her despite not admitting it because whether it be heated Philosophical debates, study sessions or chess matches, the presence of the blond had always helped her forget whatever had troubled her.

"He has a rather powerful grudge against that noble. However the noble is so well guarded that he can't even get to him which is why he is despairing.." (name) spoke

Viscount Arden, Theodore Arden's father, wasn't as well guarded, she thought. Still, with her lack of experience at the time when it came to scheming and crime, (name) had used the man she was courting to her advantage.

Each night after every little rendezvous between the 'couple', (name) would, after she would cause Theodore to fall asleep and once she had slipped out of his arms, look around his manor. During the first of these few secret meetings, (name) had gathered enough blackmail, which she had prepared in case Scotland Yard, (or worse, the government) questioned her regarding the soon to be deaths of not only Viscount Arden, but his children and wife too. It was a small price to pay for her brother.

It's not like he would approve though. (Brother's name) was always a kind person, a pacifist, a boy who helped those in need and would never kill another or even think an unkind thought about anyone.

She clenched her fists.

It was unfair. It was so unjust that such a good person was removed from this world all because of this damn empire. If she could sacrifice herself to bring him back in her place, she would. (Brothers name) should have been the heir. (Brothers name) should have attended university. (Brothers name) should have lived instead of her.

Even after all the people she had killed, she still felt no satisfaction.

"Indeed...His death is so close and it's filling him with loneliness. He has no attachment to this world aside from his desire for revenge." William said as he looked over at (name), who looked back, almost as if they were non verbally communicating. It was as if he was wondering if (name) was in fact the same. He had found in his research that may have been the case. "we can trust those kinds of people."

"Is that so.." The dark haired man rested his arm on his seat "and that Holmes man or whatever he's called.. if it looks like he'll become a problem, tell me. I'll kill him any time."

(Name)'s face had a short flicker of a frown on it, but she promptly returned to her neutral expression as she tore her gaze away from William and back to the late night scenery outside the window.

"Thank you, Moran but wait a little bit longer. I have a plan."

As William and (name) had expected, the plan was indeed a success in revealing the sort of man Sherlock Holmes, the worlds only consulting detective, was.

William turned to his wife as she kept her hand on his arm "Our audition has definitely borne fruit, hasn't it (name)?"

(Name) gave william a curt nod as they walked through Baker Street, watching as a crowd surrounded 221B where sherock Holmes resided and was currently standing outside of wearing a deerstalker hat and cloak alongside another man she couldn't recognise but knew of as Arthur Conan Doyle, or John Watson.

"An expected success.." she whispered

William titled his top hat "The test we had set up to see he had the certain qualities needed whether or not he was the type of man who would stop at nothing to reach his success."

"Even with the promise of information on all of us, he still didn't go along with Hope's preposition." Moran sighed in confusion

"Based on your calculations of Holme's commitment to satisfy his curiosity, there was a 60% chance he would kill Hope." Louis said as they all walked down a mysterious alleyway.

"And yet he didn't go through with it..." Josephine muttered under her breath

"we don't shy away from doing anything to get what we want but he does," uttered Fred quietly "So does that mean he's the person we're looking for?"

"His deduction skills are definitely irreproachable but surely, your plan didn't account for him turning into 'master detective Sherlock Holmes' overnight, did it (nickname), Will?" Although the smog and mist seemed to be enveloping the group, (name) could sense Albert's smirk.

"From now on we shall be the ones to put an end to the evil demons of the privileged classes that cannot be handled by the yard or our justice system..." William lifted his hat off his head with a swoop "..And mr holmes will solve the incidents and convey to the world the depravity of those nobles..He is just a man who will bring light onto the shadows of the world..

..Sherlock Holmes."

"(Name)? You've been here all day.." a soft voice called out to her.

"I found this one book on Pythagoras' most influential mathematics theories..I've been distracted since." A small (name) responded as the boy sat beside her. "Besides, I've been terribly bored as of late."

The older boy chuckled as he sat beside his sister, leaning against the bookshelf in the largest library of the grand dukedom. There were multiple others, but this one was alway both of their favourites

He took the book out of her hand with a gentle smile, but (name) couldn’t see his face. It was a blur.

"Hey! I was reading that!" (Name) frowned

(Brothers name) flipped through the pages, skimming them as his fading face managed to hold various different expressions, some of confusion, others of understanding.

"Mother and father did tell you that you should rest, didn't they? In fact, to quote mother, I should 'take whatever book you're reading and eat a page in front of you' if that's what it takes for you to rest for the first time in your life."  He said, shutting the book then handing it back to her, patting her head whilst she glared at him "Of course, I could never do that to my little sister, but they are right, you know. You're only 8 years old and you've already read all the fiction books in all 4 of the libraries and father caught you sneaking into his office to read some ancient political documents for (home country)"

The (hair colour)-ette pouted childishly. Only with (brothers name) did she ever feel the freedom to act in such a manner.

"But I like reading!"

"So do I, but you don't catch me reading books 24/7," her brother looked at her irritated expression with a smile "Then again, you're probably the smartest (last name) there is, and that's certainly saying something. You're bound to get bored at some point. I do wish you would use that brain for good."

"You're intelligent too, idiot." (Name) said as she rested her head on his shoulder

"That's quite the contradictory statement"

"That's quite the contradictory facial structure."

The brunette gasped dramatically and placed a hand to his chest "I'll have you know there are multiple girls waiting in line to court me!" They were both joking as siblings do, though. The 18 year old was actually well sought after in (home country) and even other countries.

(Name) rolled her (eye colour) eyes"I think they should all see optometrists."

(Brothers name) couldn't even bring himself to be upset at that point. He let out a strange sort of choked laugh that sounded as though he were a hyena, or like someone was rubbing two balloons together.

"Touché, touché," he managed to say as he wiped a tear from his eye.

"Did mother send you after me?" (Name) asked curiously. She had skipped an etiquette lesson that day and she hoped her mother would allow her to brush it off. It's not like she was impolite anyways. Her mentality was that if she smiled and used big words, her etiquette would be fine.

"Nope. Your governess didn't mention anything to her. I think she might be sick of you," (brothers name) said as he stood up and placed a fallen book back in its designated place. "They are right when they say you should use your intellect for good, you know. You just seem to absorb it all and then hoard it like a goblin."

"Look who's talking..!"

"You know what I mean though," he said, stifling another laugh "Mother and father don't want to boost your ego to become larger than it already is but you are their pride and joy. The little gem of (home country). I saw a letter coming from the United Kingdom make its way into fathers office the other day. It had their Queen's seal on it. I wouldn't be surprised if it was a request to make you into a Princess there."

(Name) grimaced "Ew no! I'm only 8! I cant even tie my shoelaces!" She made an obnoxious gaging noise "How would I even marry a prince who's probably wayyy older than me. The nerve of that queen! Her husband died only a few years ago and now she wants to arrange me to marry one of her sons!"

"Father would never allow it. Mother would much rather burn down Buckingham palace than sell you off to them." He continued "After all they've done to (home country)..."

She saw her brother clench his fist. She had never seen him angry before. To (name), he was a peaceful boy, she was always a bit more of the problem child. He could occasionally be protective of her, but that was because she was her older brother. Unknown to her, 9 year old (brother's name) had promised from the day (name) was born, to protect his little sister no matter what.

"Aren't you off to study there in a few months?" (Name) asked

He nodded "Next month is your birthday and then three months afterwards, I'm taking a ship there to study at Oxford. Study hard, (name). Then we can go together."

"But I'm a bit too young—"

He kneeled down to his sister, placing his hands on her shoulders and looking her in the eye "(name), for you, age won't matter in getting into university. Nor will your gender..it may be difficult but knowing you, you get everything you put your mind to. Besides, I over heard mother speaking to your mathematics tutor, he said he thinks you'll be able to study alongside other university student by the time you're 16, and you'll finish in half the time needed. There's no need to worry...just study hard and use that brain to become great, if not for yourself then for me."

She nodded, a determined smile on her face.

"For you, brother."

"(Name)...wake up.."  She heard a soft voice call out to her as she was gently shook awake.

Her eyes slowly opened. She could feel a little teardrop fall onto the paper her face was rested again. She lifted her head up to see William sat beside her in the candle light along with the new unarmed kitten sleeping on her lap. (Name) rubbed at the small ink stain on her cheek.

"Has the morning come already..?"

He shook his head and then gestured to the door with a head tilt.

By the door frame, (name) could make out four people stood with only the lamp illuminating their features. She winced then rubbed her eyes again. Fred was there alongside Moran and Josephine and Louis who was holding the lamp behind them.

"I...I have information for you...Lord William, Lady (name).." Fred stuttered out

(Name) raised a brow. If it was a normal mission or request, Fred would usually arrive in the morning. From the sky that (name) could see in the overhead glass windows, it was still night. This must have been urgent and based on the expressions each of them held, it was.

"Fred," William smiled reassuringly "Take your time and start from the beginning."

The boy lifted his eyes from the floor and looked at the two at the desk. "Y-Yes, sir! From what I’ve heard, the children were taken to Dartmoor..I fear that the manhunts are still going on..!”

“Dartmoor? Enders’ old hunting ground..?” (Name) repeated. Ah, someone else must have started going on manhunts in his stead.

Fred nodded “What’s worse is that these monsters are kidnapping defenceless children from the slums for to murder for their own entertainment! The yard won’t care if a few of them disappeared, they’re only encouraging these blood thirsty nobles to continue their hunt..!”

(Name)’s eyes widened. This was possibly more extreme than most of the missions they had done. Most of the time, they would only target a single aristocrat at a time but this clearly involved more people. And from the way Fred, who was usually so calm and quiet, was getting heated, it showed the urgency of the situation.

“It’s not right!! They think of commoners as less than human…and decide they can do as they please with us!!”

William put a hand to his chin in thought then dropped it down to his lap “I see…thank you for the information, Fred.”

“So..someone is continuing Ender’s barbarous manhunt..?” (Name) thought aloud, still half asleep

“Fred..your role to cause a collapse of the class system,” William said “is to collect information and make sure I never do the same thing twice, correct?”

William had read him like a book.

“n-not at all, sir..I know this information is useless—“

“It’s not useless at all,” the blond interrupted “I have always been doing what I can to be of help to all of the people I meet. However, to eradicate all of these devils at once, we must destroy the foundation they’re standing on, the class system so that no more evil like them can take root. H the class system of britain is nothing but a curse. In order to destroy it, we must have the people question its very existence. The method we’ve chosen to reveal this wickedness is through crimes.” William clenched his fist “Yes indeed, to reach one’s goal, one must be prepared to make sacrifices. The evil we have committed in order to destroy this class system may never disappear, but that’s the price I’m willing to pay to eradicate these devils.”

“Lord William..”

“If the law and the police won’t judge that evil…then only another evil can do so..” a strange feeling of deja vu washed over (name) as William spoke. “We will be that evil, these manhunts need not to continue any longer.”

“S-sir!” Fred exclaimed in surprise

“The carriage will come at dawn, we will need to be quick if we want to catch it. I shall join you.”

(Name) finally spoke up “I’m coming too.” She insisted.

William gave her a hesitant nod as he continued “Go make preparations quickly if necessary.”

“Understood sir!”

As the four left the two in the office, Fred went ahead, almost excited, as he went to make preparations.

“We’re preparing for another job then,” Louis said

“Yeah..and right at dawn too..” Moran trailed off, looking down at Fred hurrying down the stairs. “Fred always thought of William as some sort of bigger than life existence..though, I suppose we all have quite an unusual relationship, don’t we?”

Louis and Josephine nodded simultaneously. The latter knew she would probably have to stay behind this time around. (Name) had forbidden her from going on missions that may be too visceral for her to handle. Josephine had easily figured out that it was because (name) seemed to worry about her so much, even though she thought (name) should be worrying about herself and her poor habits. It was likely because of her previous experiences in the poorer parts of london and her experience with Ashfordshire. She would never complain, but sometimes she felt the deep desire to be by her saviour’s side, just to be of use to her so she could repay her for all she had done for her.

“Yes..although William can be quite distant sometimes..”. Louis muttered “So I think I can understand how Fred was feeling..”

“That feeling of not being able to do repay your benefactor..” the brunette agreed “it’s familiar..”

Moran looked at the two in disbelief “come on, you two! You’re exaggerating!” The both looked at him with a serious look “Jesus! Every one of you!”

He looked at Louis “look, you’re not like Fred, you and William are brothers! You’ve no need to act reserved around him!” He then turned to Josephine “and you..! (Name) practically treats you like you’re her daughter or something..! Just tell ‘em both what you want to say..!”

Louis looked up in thought “Perhaps I should..”

Things didn’t seem as easy for Josephine though, she and (name) weren’t biologically related and she was still her subordinate . With the way (name) was acting recently, she felt it would be best if she kept her distance. She felt a little hurt that her mistress couldn’t turn to her now when she seemed so troubled. She nodded and left to her chambers to take care of the manor whilst the others were gone on their mission.

“Indeed! Well, see you in a bit then!”

A/N: icl this chapter was kinda dead. Deader than fls brother. Fl needs to stop self sabotaging ong. Also I hope the sibling dynamic between fl and her brother is actually realistic because I’m sick of siblings written by only children and they call each other “sis” or “bro” unironically. As someone with four siblings we just call each other insults lol

#moriarty the patriot #william james moriarty #william moriarty #william moriarty x reader #—false lovers 💋 #mtp william #yuukoku no moriarty #yuukoku no moriarty x reader #moriarty the patriot x reader

[zhongrin]

Rin rin, I got this idea when thinking of some imagines. So how about this?

You die.

Yes, you died.

And who is arranging your funeral? Well, of course, it's none other than the Wangsheng funeral parlor consultant, a.k.a your husband, Zhongli. The funeral hall is impeccable, Zhongli spared no expense when it comes to his spouse's funeral. Hu Tao is nothing but solemn as she tended to the funeral procession. Rare and exotic flowers from every corner of Teyvat, fragrant candles, expensive incense, and a beautifully crafted casket where your body was laid.

Zhongli already spent half of his fortune, his hard-earned mora, just to fund your funeral. He would have spent more, if not all, but Hu Tao stopped him from doing so. According to Liyuean custom, an elder should never show respect to someone younger, and since you died young, Zhongli would be lying if he said he was not hurt by the fact that you have to be buried in silence.

As the consultant gazed upon your body, he would've thought you were merely sleeping if not for the casket, Zhongli, your husband, the love of your life, the one you swore to spend an entire lifetime with, couldn't take his eyes away from his wife. Though in some cases, he would've broken a taboo about touching a dead person's body, but he doesn't care, this was his spouse we're talking about. And the funeral attendees couldn't help but feel pity at the sight of a husband losing his beloved wife.

"My dear, are you at peace up there in the heavens?" He whispered, using the back of his fingers to caress your pale cheeks.

"You have loved me until the end of your life," Zhongli grasped one of your folded hands, not minding the flowers faltering in your hold, placing a heartbroken kiss on the back of your hand, "Allow me to fulfill my end of the contract. I shall love you until my life perished."

The funeral attendants have finally left one by one until only a few stayed, including Zhongli and Hu Tao, the funeral director. Both of them had a silent conversation, Hu Tao knew that her employee wished to be the last to leave to pay respects, at least that is what Zhongli showed on the surface. The truth is, he doesn't want to leave, he wants to embrace you for as long as he could before you would be taken away from him. But, he can't. As much as painful that is, Zhongli has to accept reality.

...what's this? Did your hand just twitched? Oh!? Was that the colors returning to your once pale visage? No, that was just his imaginations. His mind playing tricks on him since he couldn't soothe his broken heart. Perhaps, the erosion will too eradicate his immortal soul so he could be reunited with you in the next world--

...wait, was that a scream? Why are the attendees screaming? Ah, so that's why.

You woke up.

It feels like you were having a long, long slumber. Your body may be tired but you still mustered the strength to rise and sit on the-- wait, why are you sitting inside a casket? That's not important, right now. What's more important is the first thing that you saw is the face of your husband-- oh wait, he looks mortified... and were those tears in his eyes?

"Lǎogōng, why are you crying?" Gently, you asked, wiping his tears with the sleeve of your burial robes, made from silk and the finest fabrics. Thank the archons more than half of the people left, if not, they would've seen the respectable gentleman known as Zhongli collapsing to his knees, half-wailing as he embraced you, thanking whatever higher being that brought you back from the dead that's a story for another day. Poor him, the staved off grief he felt because of your supposed death came pouring out at last. Even Hu Tao was speechless

But what came next out of your mouth was, "Alright, who's paying for my funeral?"

Hu Tao's face turned pale.

---

"So, technically, I am alive, right? I'm not dead, so can I get a refund?"

"No." Hu Tao deadpanned.

"A discount, maybe?"

"NO!"

Yeah, Zhongli tried to convince you to let it go since he already paid Hu Tao a whole ass mora for your funeral, but you decided to bitch about it because YOUR HUSBAND'S SPENDING IS OUT OF CONTROL, he wasted half of ya'll savings, Childe got dragged into it too.

Childe: Say sike right now

And no, Hu Tao isn't going to let go a big chunk of this month's income. Zhongli paid fair and square. Besides, that money is going back to him anyways some of it, maybe? in the form of his monthly wage.

Zhongli's lucky that you love him, he got away with only a bonk on his head

But, he couldn't help but smile. He doesn't regret spending the mora one bit. In fact, it's a bargain, he thought. Your life for half the price of his savings? It's free real estate /j 🤭

Just don't be surprised if half of Liyue Harbour pissed their pants when they saw your dead ass sliding down the neighborhood.

I'm sorry I tricked you to reading angst when it's actually crackhead content

For anyone asking how you came back to life... go figure, ehe~♡

HELLO????? NOHR?????? I NEED YOUR WRITING BLOG STAT OH MY GOD???? *grabby hands* URL PLEASE 🤲🏻

oh no zhongli’s silent grief and immense love in this are making me tear up… my bby. my beloved. my love. my darling. wo de xiang gong. wahhhhhhskdjsldjlsd

coincidentally, i am writing two others ‘reader is dead’ fics… is this some kind of a sign….. 👀

i just want to say 1) sorry for hoarding this ask i just needed to reread it like a hundred times before releasing this to the world, and 2) thank you for sending this in because i’ve been in a writing rut recently, but this made me write a little something! i hope you win all your 50/50s, your wanted character comes home at you within 10 pulls, and your genshin f/o visits you in your dream. take care, and don’t forget to drink water, eat your meals, and take breaks!!!

also i hope you like the little something i wrote in relation to this delicious delectable masterpiece <3

#rin answers #rin is having tea with: nohrenvia #hu tao pls even just a 10% discount will do cmon help yo home girl out- #sister am i not a vvip of your parlor can't you just do me a favor just this once-

[alolaamii]

Scrooge and Isabel "What If" Fanfiction

Recently watched the 2022 version of "A Christmas Carol", and quite enjoyed it. It was animated, it had some rather cute and catchy songs, and the voice acting was sublime.

In fact, it inspired me to write this little fanfiction about a "what if" scenario if you will. (This is the one thing I wished would have happened in the movie - having Isabel come back to Scrooge. I know that's not how it goes in the novel or in any movie adaptation, but considering how much this movie changed from the novel or other movies, I think this would have been a welcomed change).

Give it a read if you enjoyed said iteration of "A Christmas Carol". It's not much, (and probably something I won't elaborate on), but I enjoyed writing it. ______________________________________________________________

Isabel Fezziwig walked about the streets of London, toward a familiar establishment.

She had walked this path many times before…and she knew that she would continue to do so again and again.

She was set in her ways, and nothing would detour her from this tradition.

As the middle aged woman neared the shop front, she kept walking (slowly) - she knew it would never change. Forever, it would be known as "Scrooge and Marley". As with every passing, her heart skipped a beat or two. Inside, the love of her life sat, hating the world and everyone in it…including her, she knew.

Isabel couldn't blame Ebenezer for his feelings toward her - she had been the one to end their relationship after all. However, every time she passed by his place of work, she hoped that she'd once again see the man that she had fallen in love with…but, alas, that was never the case.

She frowned. How she wished that she could have moved on from him - she had intended to, and had had plenty of men who attempted to be her suitors, but she had never allowed them the luxury of her heart…because, she was in love with someone else.

She had come to know quite well the man that Ebenezer had become - a miser would be the kindest way to describe him. It had been Christmas time when her own actions had caused him grief, but she also knew that the season was hard for him for many other reasons - he lost his business partner, Jacob Marley, a little over seven years ago, and he had lost his sister, Jen, many years prior to that tragedy even.

Truly, while Christmas was a season of joy to so many, it was a time of strife for Ebenezer.

Isabel couldn't fault him for feeling ill of the holiday, as it had come and gone with many woes for him…but, how she hoped that a miracle would happen that would allow him to open his shut up heart, and embrace all the good it had to offer as well.

As the woman neared the shop, it looked…different somehow. It almost seemed…warmer? Ebenezer had never been affected by the cold, so his business was usually just as bristle, but now- As she glanced into the window, the place was brighter due to a giant fire being lit in the background. It appeared tidier as well - no longer were the desks stacked with bills or signed agreements for loans.

It hit Isabel, that perhaps this was no longer "Scrooge and Marley". Could it be that the love of her life had passed, and in doing so, the great establishment that he helped to build was no longer here?

She quickly glanced up at the sign atop the front doorway: "Scrooge and…Cratchit"? Old Marley's name had been taken down and replaced! Never in her wildest dreams would she have thought that someone could have replaced Ebenezer's partner! He had valued Jacob Marley more so than anyone in the world…including her!

Isabel once again glanced inside…but, Ebenezer was no where to be found at the moment. Instead, a younger man - probably about the age Ebenezer had been when training under Marley - sat at a desk, quill in hand, and jotting down something or other. Could this person be the "Cratchit" that she had seen upon the sign? She wasn't certain, but she did know Ebenezer wasn't one to employ more than he needed at his business, as it would be a "…waste of money". As such, this was the only conclusion that she could come to.

She approached the front door, made to grasp the handle…but, stopped. She was nervous - too nervous to enter. There were too many "what if's" in her mind. What if Ebenezer had truly passed, and this new person merely kept his name upon the door in "fond" remembrance, (much like her love had done with Marley's name). Even if things seemed different, what if Ebenezer hadn't changed at all? What if-

"Pardon me, please."

That voice was very familiar to Isabel.

The woman rotated slowly around, and was met with the eyes of her true love. And the same could perhaps be said for the man before her, as his eyes went wide at the sight of her. "Isabel?"

Her voice got caught in her throat. There stood the love of her life, and he was seemingly…different, (just like his business). She couldn't place what exactly at the moment, but she could just feel that he was not the man that he had been for many, many years.

"Hello, Ebenezer…"

#ebenezer scrooge #isabel fezziwig #scrooge 2022 #netflix scrooge #scrooge a christmas carol

[enjomo-arch]

a  bunch  of  ace  study  covering  the  traditions  and  habits  inherited  from  his  mother  as  a  texan.

disclaimer  ;  all  of  these  headcanons  are  made  with  the  help  of  @godthread  and  his  educational  shared  experience  as  a  native  texan.  thank  you  thunder  for  sharing  this  with  me  < 3

001. ace  obviously  wanted  to  teach  himself  manners  to  properly  thank  shanks  for  taking  care  of  luffy  but  this  wasn't  the  only  case.  he  was  very  rude  as  a  child  and  at  some  point  the  responsibility  to  take  his  culture  and  manners  on  a  higher  level  was  tied  to  the  fact  of  rouge  raising  him  before  entrusting  ace  to  garp  and  then  later  on  him  being  under  the  care  of  dadan.  rouge  always  wanted  ace  to  be  properly  mannered  as  this  was  a  standard  for  her  child  to  properly  speak  to  strangers  and  introduce  himself.  she  cared  about  his  speaking  etiquette  as  it  was  important.  ace  however  was  too  young  to  really  understand  this  and  how  much  it  meant  until  he  grew  old  enough  to  understand  the  responsibility.  talking  to  shanks  was  the  cold  shower  he  needed  to  see  the  value  how  manners  are  important.  his  memory  of  his  mother  is  a  little  foggy  but  deep  within  his  heart  ace  understood  that  his  decision  of  asking  makino  to  teach  him  proper  manners  was  indeed  what  his  mother  tried  to  achieve.

002. family  for  ace  is  above  all.  which  shows  how  ace  took  his  mother's  surname  after  growing  up.  his  birth  name  was  gol  d.  ace  but  since  ace  grew  with  bitter  grief  in  his  mouth  towards  roger,  caused  by  the  uneasy  environment  he  was  growing  with  he  ultimately  wished  to  disown  his  own  father.  which  is,  a  big  thing  when  family  matters  was  this  important  for  him.  it  wasn't  roger's  fault  as  he  couldn't  be  present  to  raise  his  son  but  the  more  ace  had  to  suffer  because  of  other  people  who  planted  in  his  head  the  anger  he  felt  when  growing  up  it  boiled  down  to  ace  reaching  his  breaking  point.  however,  it  wasn't  always  the  case.  ace  was  getting  furious  about  other  people  disrespecting  roger's  name  in  front  of  him.  even  now  ace  wouldn't  dare  to  disrespect  the  dead  (  as  he  believes  roger  is  dead  from  the  rumours  he  had  heard  ).  no  matter  how  much  he  started  to  feel  grief  and  bitterness  and  anger  towards  his  father  he  wouldn't  dare  to  disrespect  him  especially  after  passing  away  and  strangers  doing  exactly  that  made  his  blood  boil  to  the  point  of  causing  massive  fights  with  adults.  but  as  he  grew  up  more  and  more  in  this  endless  hole  of  having  poison  in  his  mouth  this  is  something  as  he  said  to  garp  while  inprisoned  that  :

'  but  i  never  wanted  to  have  my  father's  blood.  because  i  don't  have ��any  memory  of  him.  i  don't  own  him  anything  '

ace  felt  abandoned  and  because  he  couldn't  have  any  actual  fond  memory  of  his  father  he  felt  like  it's  the  right  thing  to  cut  that  tie  loose.  he  never  believed  or  beliefs  that  he  owed  roger  anything  especially  after  how  much  mental  suffering  ace  had  to  go  through  as  a  child  solely  because  of  carrying  his  name  and  blood.  everyone  labeled  the  child  of  the  ex  -  pirate  king  as  a  devil  and  monster  to  the  point  ace  started  to  believe  that  he  really  is  a  good  -  for  -  nothing  monster.  there's  a  saying  that  goes  '  if  the  lie  is  repeated  100  times  it'll  become  the  truth  '  and  for  ace,  it  seemed  just  like  it.

003. however  his  family  value  is  still  above  everything.  he  valued  and  continues  to  value  his  mother,  his  adopted  father,  his  caretaker,  his  brothers  above  all.  taking  the  portgas  name  was  important  to  him  as  he  wished  to  keep  his  mother  with  him  all  the  times  even  if  he  wasn't  physically  able  to  meet  her.  ace  will  do  everything  for  sabo  and  luffy.  no  matter  where  they're  he'd  go  to  hell  and  back  to  make  sure  his  family  is  protected  by  him.  even  if  it  costs  him  the  highest  price.  edward  is  another  case  where  ace  simply  will  do  all  in  his  power  to  make  him  the  pirate  king  and  believes  that  edward  is  his  only  father  because  he  has  any  memory  he  can  tie  to  him.  no  matter  is  bad  blood  or  not,  edward  accepted  ace  and  this  is  what  he  needed.  the  acceptance  he  seeked  for  so  long  and  found  it  with  sabo  and  then  luffy  and  then  with  edward.  this  is  why  ace  decided  to  sun  the  seas  under  the  whitebeard  flag  which  is  the  biggest  pride  for  him  in  his  life  and  forever  a  part  of  him  tattooed  on  his  back.

004. while  ace  could  spend  his  time  with  rouge  before  she  entrusted  him  to  garp  he  was  always  around  his  mom  when  she  was  cooking.  rouge  did  that  on  purpose  to  let  ace  see  and  memorize  the  recipes  she  used  to  gather  in  her  own  cookbook.  cooking  tradition  was  important  as  well  and  while  ace  isn't  the  most  skilled  cook  he  can  still  roughly  use  the  recipes  he  managed  to  learn  from  rouge.  of  course  ace  is  a  visual  learner  more  than  theoretical  because  of  him  struggling  to  understand  and  read  books  .  the  recipes  are  mostly  for  chilli,  stews.  all  his  mother  was  cooking  for  him  as  ace  was  leaning  on  the  counter  and  watching  he  can  do  as  an  adult.  the  recipes  she  wished  to  pass  to  him  mean  a  lot  and  ace  is  very,  very  much  firm  on  how  each  of  them  has  to  be  prepared.  even  if  others  are  willing  to  cook  this  for  him.  that's  why  he  always  kept  hanging  around  thatch  when  he  was  cooking  chilli  for  ace  on  the  moby  dick.  ace  was  silently  watching  if  thatch  follows  the  recipe  that  ace  shared  to  him.  whatever  rouge  taught  him  he  treats  very  very  seriously.

005. ace  treats  animals  like  friends.  he  is  a  hunter  but  he  would  never  disrespect  an  animal  or  be  cruel  to  them  as  a  person.  any  little  living  he  meets  he  wants  it  to  feel  like  a  friend  and  maybe  this  is  just  his  aura  but  animals  seem  to  have  a  very  special  connection  to  ace.  he  can  tame  them  very  quickly,  make  animals  comfortable  in  his  presence.  ace  loves  all  of  them,  and  treats  the  furry  friends  like  he  treats  his  family  or  important  people.  he  used  to  stop  by  islands  and  take  care  of  farm  animals  in  the  villages  he  went  through,  care  for  horses  or  ride  them  around.  you  want  to  piss  him  the  fuck  off  ?  try  to  hurt  or  disrespect  any  animal  in  front  of  him.  that'll  earn  you  a  burn  to  a  crisp.

006. ace  since  he  was  little  was  very  into  scrapbooking.  he  felt  like  this  is  a  great  way  to  keep  memories  stored  not  only  in  his  heart  but  a  book  he  wished  to  entrust  later  in  his  life  as  the  time  goes  on.  it  was  a  great  way  for  him  to  remember  some  minor  events  as  well,  since  ace  is  adhd  and  he  often  jumped  from  task  to  task  without  finishing  any  of  them.  he  felt  trapped  by  any  task  that  takes  longer  than  the  time  he's  able  to  maintain  focus  and  it  also  comes  with  very  short  memory.  ace  knew  he  can't  remember  everything  he  wished  to  remember  so  rouge  taught  him  scrapbooking  where  ace  started  to  slowly  store  memories.  he  got  the  little  book  from  his  mother  herself  with  already  small  details  decorating  the  first  few  pages  like  a  little  strand  of  ace's  first  grown  hair,  his  first  milky  tooth.  fond  memories  of  her  child  slowly  growing  up  and  ace  continued  it  since  he  got  brought  by  garp  to  the  goa  kingdom.  he  started  gathering  small  memories  not  only  about  his  first  hunts,  his  first  meeting  with  sabo  and  luffy  but  about  dadan  and  the  bandits  too.  everything  ace  managed  to  gather  as  a  memory  until  his  time  to  start  his  first  journey  came  around  the  corner,  before  leaving  he  left  the  book  with  makino  and  dadan.  he  didn't  need  it  because  he  felt  like  everything  he  wants  to  remember  is  already  sealed  in  his  heart.

007. it  also  comes  down  to  ace  being  a  person  tied  to  memoral  items.  like  his  red  bead  necklace  in  honor  of  dadan.  his  hunting  knife,  and  even  the  smileys  on  his  hat.  the  grin  and  frown  representing  two  different  emotions  that  ace  wants  to  remember.  because  feeling  sadness  just  like  happiness  makes  him  feel  like  he's  alive.

#「001」 𝗦𝗧𝗨𝗗𝗬 #「002」 𝗢𝗨𝗧 𝗢𝗙 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗥𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗘𝗥 #/ long post #i'd appreciate if you give it a read as this is important study < 3

[mrslittletall]

I have been in a situation that is close to yours, though in my case it was my mother, and it's not like I had the option of divorcing my mother, but there definitely were moments, especially when the weeks dragged into months, and she was getting more petulant rather than less. Always wanting attention and not letting us breath a single time away from her, where I wanted out.

But she got better and by getting better, she started calming down and being less irritating.

And I think a big reason for why she was acting out in the first place is that she felt like her life had stopped and that we were moving on without her and she needed a constant reminder that we were still there for her.

Once again, the situations a bit different since it's my mother and I never had the option to leave and I feel like even if I did leave I couldn't have left for good, because even when I felt like I hated her, hated how she was taking my life away from me, it's my mom, you know?

And now that she's better, I'm glad I didn't say something irreversible. I did snap at her and I did fight with her and at the worst of times, after weeks and weeks of no rest, I even found myself wishing for it all to end (and then felt guilty about it) but I'm glad I stayed, I'm glad I fought, for her and with her, until she started fighting again too.

And she did not come back the same. My mom from before her illness and now that she's living with it is a different person. But I think, maybe the me from before having taken care of her is also different. And we're still finding our balance and we fight way more than we did before but I also feel I'm closer to her than I was before.

I think you may need to accept that your husband may never be the same as he was before. Maybe he'll get better and he'll go back to being as close to the person you knew before as he can, but maybe he won't. Maybe he'll regain his full functions and still have changed and maybe he'll never go back to not needing assistance and that will change everything about your dynamics.

The fact of the matter is that something monumental changed for him, he had a brush with death and that makes it hard for people who never felt that to get what it feels to be made so aware of your mortality and then wake up and have to live with the reminder of that on your body while you watch it seemingly get worse and worse.

And I think, maybe for him right now, he can't see how it's affecting you too. How you've nearly lost him several times and then keep feeling like your still losing him, in a different way now. And all of the efforts you've put into holding on to him and helping him while also living your own life with your own responsibilities full time.

But I think, if you accept that there's a chance things won't go back to how they were but are still willing to try for something that may be just as good once you both find your balance again, then you should try talking about how you feel, let him talk about how he feels, have fights about it even, once he gets well enough to be able to fight back, and try to find a middle ground together.

The worst thing you can do to yourself is let your feelings fester. You'll only grow to resent him and then it'll be difficult to come back from that.

I'm sorry you're both going through all this. I hope your husband gets better and that he will be more appreciative of all you've done and are doing for him and that you get to take a breath soon and that you can both find each other again.

I read through your whole story, anon, and my heart broke while I read it, because I can fully understand it, but as you said, you can't just get rid of your mother. She will always be your mother. But... the feelings of wanting it all to end, I so much get that. During all that uncertainty, when his life was still on a silken thread, I sometimes wish that I would wake up and would be told of his death so I could finally start to properly grief. Those were the worst times and it was not made better by the fact that my husband was drugged out of his mind with morphium pain medicine so that he was acting like a toddler in an adult body... That time is over and my husband doesn't remember anything of it, but I do. It were two awful awful months and once they were over, I was looking so forward to have talks with him again, only to see him slip into depression... and then when we find out that he wasn't healthy yet, I thought it would get better after the next surgery, but then problem after problem occured and now it is October, the time where I thought he would finally be home and he was... for 24 hours. And now I am back at the beginning. And yes, I don't plan to let my feelings fester. I am also aware my husband won't be the same even if he comes back. But I have to tell him how hard it is on me. And that the least he could have done was say thanks when I helped him out after he made a big mess into the bed... and maybe ask if I am okay once I cut my finger, instead of... just lying there, watching TV and making me feel like I am nothing but his nurse. That really really got to me. Tomorrow it is time. Tomorrow I will tell him the whole truth about my feelings and we might scream at each other, but I plan to stand my ground. One thing I know... I don't want to leave him alone. I want to get through this together with him... but he has to understand that he has to work for it! I took so many burdens of him, but the burden of getting healthy and mobile again? That is on him and him alone...

#ask answered #thank you for the ask #husband hospital drama

[bug-the-chicken-nug]

i know this isn't really The Point they're going for in v9 but man i wish Alyx could just be like.

Genuinely a really sweet, caring, sensitive kind of girl, with the flaws that can come with that instead: Shy, naive, a crybaby, kind of a coward, scared to hurt anyone's feelings, etc.

With the theme of her original story being that it's about learning to stand up for yourself and others, while also staying true to yourself.

Because in the context of her being a black girl (girls typically read as more "naturally" mean and aggressive) and her being in a show about girls who are all supposed to be conventionally strong and brave and good at fighting, this *does* actually loop back to being subversive, and it could be used in some genuinely interesting ways.

Mainly I'm thinking of the girls like originally discussing the story in a way that indicates their culture sees it as a "babyish" story. In the early volume, Yang and Weiss keep taking cheap shots at it all and rolling their eyes at their memories of what a boring little goody-two-shoes Alyx was, and how trite and childish it all seemed even when they were little kids themselves.

Blake tries to defend it, but they don't take her defenses too seriously, while Ruby is too moody to have much input on it either way, but Yang mentions that even Ruby mostly only liked it for the bright colors.

And then a lot more denizens turn out to remember and miss Alyx, in the case of ruder or blunter ones often straight up making commentary about how the girls don't measure up to her.

This offends the group at first, because to be fair some of these comments really are pretty fuckin uncalled for, and plus, they just don't really... Get it.

Despite Alyx hating to fight and having been written as crying and shaking the one time the events of the book forced her to, despite her not even actually *winning* that fight, almost everyone here seems to regard her as more heroic and admirable than our mains.

And Ruby is the first to truly see why: Because for all of her faults, at least Alyx was always *careful* and *considerate*. Alyx always admitted it when she needed help, and didn't try to bite off more than she could chew. Alyx was patient and diplomatic, she *listened* to people, didn't make promises she couldn't keep, and didn't even have a Semblance, but still managed to make things *better* for each character she met, not *worse*.

Meanwhile, the group has still just been causing trouble everywhere they turn up, and they're starting to realize that they can't blame *all* of this on the Afterans just being weird.

This would also end up tying in well with the troubled reaction Ruby has to getting Crescent Rose back, although I would not have Jaune have it, and only have Ruby get it back after an epiphany about how she doesn't actually *need* it to do what's right, or to have a positive impact on others, but keep her conflicted emotions on finding it again, as the weapon reminds her of her own past overconfidence and recklessness, her own belief that she could both literally and metaphorically just cut right through anyone or anything that didn't agree with her.

Also as much as a ton of people hate Jaune right now I honestly think he would've been a cool "villain" to illustrate the flipside of these messages. Like. Neo's great and all but she feels really superfluous and not exactly compelling enough to be the primary villain of the volume at this point.

I'm imagining Jaune being the same age, but the one with Penny's sword now, physically unable to let go of it, in some sort of daze of grief and self-loathing that's being further amplified by some aspect of the Ever After.

He is driven chiefly by a belief by if he'd only been "stronger", everything would've been better.

And in a twisted way, he gets his wish.

It turns out his Semblance can actually resonate with and empower a lingering "imprint" of Aura in Penny's sword to both make it stronger and to give him a sort of bastardized shadow of the Winter Maiden powers.

(Winter still has the "real" version, this is like explicitly a twisted, harmful bootleg version that would also be animated differently from any other usage of Maiden abilities.)

Using it harms him as well, and it's noted that Jaune seriously might eventually freeze himself to death just by continuing to hold on to the sword. His presence is also always preceded by a sudden chill.

Ruby quickly realizes and begins to have a crisis over the implication of Jaune being able to tap into a lingering fragment of Penny's Aura.

Namely, does that mean Penny is in some way... *actually still there?* And potentially *suffering*?

You could use the blacksmith lady to like foreshadow and then kinda explain how all of this is even a thing, so it's less confusing.

And then we get an actual answer to this question! 'Cause the big climax of the volume is now Jaune smacking the group around, they just barely get the upper hand again, and then Jaune uses the last of his strength, shifts the sword into MAXIMUM OVERDRIVE, everything looks Real Bad, but then...

The sword just... Explodes?

And out comes Penny's glowy green Aura ghost, who Jaune inadvertantly powered up enough for her to materialize herself, and whose first order of business is to turn around and briefly apologize before slapping the shit out of Jaune... Which goes right through him physically, but DOES seem to be able to immediately exorcize whatever horseshit was corrupting him.

Her second order of business is to be like "FINALLY! NOW maybe you'll LISTEN to me, Jaune!"

While Ruby is just standing there gaping like "A."

Before anyone (including the audience) can get their hopes up, Penny quickly explains that this is likely only a temporary affair brought about by how much Jaune has strengthened her, and that she can "already feel herself fading", but then smiles and adds on that she's super excited to see Ruby (likely followed by trying and failing to tackle-hug her because that just makes Penny fly straight through her)

Ruby, still, except this time she's clearly tearing up: "A,,,"

Followed by a conversation where Ruby gets closure and Jaune comes clean, but then Ruby confesses that honestly, even with Penny trying to tell her that she asked to be sacrificed and that Ruby should forgive Jaune... Ruby can't. At least not yet.

Ruby ruefully adds "No wonder nobody here really likes me..." to that, to which Penny immediately replies

"But *I* like you!"

And Ruby just scoffs and goes "Do you? Even though your death is my fault too?"

And Penny just sadly replies "Of course. Do you really have so little faith in me?", which kinda gets to Ruby, as it reminds her that her funk is negatively affecting others too. And that in a way, insisting that she's the worst person in the world is still a form of self-centeredness, just as it was to believe that she had all the answers.

She's silent until Penny begins noticeably fading away and dissolving into particles of light, which has Ruby going "Wait! Don't go! Jaune! Jaune, do something!"

But Jaune is of course Spent As Fuck and also probably has lowkey been struggling to stay conscious through this whole conversation, so they have no choice but to make this quick.

Penny gives Ruby one last fond, sorrowful look and says "I'm sorry not everything can go like it does in this story, Ruby. But you? You're still *writing* your story. And I for one can't wait to see how it ends! "

"You're not going to, though! You're never going to, because you-because you're-"

"Once again, Ruby: Do you really have so little faith in me?" Penny says with a teasing grin, before disappearing completely.

Aaand thats a wrap.

Yes it's weird and kind of cheesy, but your honor, my defense is that this whole show is weird and kind of cheesy.

#rwde #very slight nuts and dolts but i intentionally didnt lean into it #its not the point #this should be able to stand perfectly fine platonically

[sandinthemachine]

Chasing Cars

König x gn!reader

Yeah, it's after the snow patrol song

Words: 1930

Warnings: This is an exploration of grief centered around the holidays. It's not written to be beautiful, it's not written to have wonderful characterization, it's written because I needed something to pour my emotions into.

I couldn't bring myself to post it on Christmas, and I almost didn't post it at all, but just in case there's someone out there going through the same thing, and happens to read this, I want this to tell you it's okay. I want this to tell you you're not alone. It's okay to cry, no matter how long it's been. Everyone around you is celebrating and having a beautiful time and there's a hole inside you that you feel like you have to ignore so you don't bring everyone else down. I see you. I love you. And you deserve the world.

All that being said, please only read this if you have the emotional capacity to do so right now. I won't be offended at all if you need to skip over it.

-

“Yeah, right there, that looks perfect.” You smile softly as König places the shimmering ornament far higher than you can reach. “Just a few more now.”

A rustling comes from the kitchen before your mother walks in, arms wrapped around a giant mixing bowl. “It’s looking really good, guys!” She grins. “Can you taste this, see if it’s any good?”

You chuckle as she holds the batter out to you, nudging König. “All yours, babe, you’re the star baker.”

He bites back a smile, shaking his head at you. “I am really not that good.”

“Lies,” you scoff.

König leans over the bowl, hovering a hand over it. “May I?”

Your mother nods, holding it out for him to dip a finger into. He pops it into his mouth, eyebrows furrowing in concentration before he nods. “Hmm, I think…” He clicks his tongue, humming. “It’s perfect.”

Your mother laughs, patting you on the shoulder. “Keep him.”

“I’ll do my best.”

You turn back to the tree, regarding it with hands clasped. You feel König press into your back as he points to an empty spot. “How about there?”

“Yeah, that’s a good spot.” You turn as König leans into the ornament box. “What do you want to put…there?” 

You trail off as he straightens, holding out a tiny green piece. A corvette. “This one?”

You nod quickly, swallowing. “Mmm-hmm, yeah, umm…” you clamp your jaw shut as the sound cracks. Without another word you turn and storm into the kitchen, your hands catching on the side door as you try to shut it behind you as quietly as possible, as normally as you can. You pause on the porch, feeling the freezing air biting through your clothes and gasp, slapping your palm over your mouth.

You drop into a crouch, inhaling through your hand and squeezing your eyes shut, holding the breath. It’s ok, it’s ok, you’re ok. You move your hand up to cover your eyes, letting out a trembling exhale. In…out. In…out. See? You’re ok. It’s alright.

The door opens.

A sob bursts from your throat. You shove your face into your knees, arms wrapping tightly around yourself, but it’s too late. The tears are coming faster than your lungs can keep up, and you pitch forward, rolling onto your shins and forearms and wishing you could sink into the boards you were now soaking.

A hand brushes against your back and you flinch, the fingers jumping back with a rushed apology. You shove yourself up a bit, wiping wildly at your face. “It’s,” you sniffle, sobbing again, “it’s ok.”

You look sideways to where König kneels next to you, his hands hovering in the air and his mouth twisted in an expression that wrenches your heart even further. He has no idea what to do.

You try to smile but it sours on your face, morphing into an ugly grimace. You don’t dare open your mouth again, not like this, not when you’re trying so hard to swallow down all the sounds in your throat. So you open your own shaky arms, and in an instant he’s pulling you into his chest, holding your head and shoulders as you break all over again.

-

You don’t know how long it takes you to calm down. All you know is the grounding feeling of one of his hands drifting slowly up and down your back as he holds you through…this. 

He doesn’t know. 

You never told him.

“König?”

“Hm?”

“There’s…somewhere I need to go.”

-

He doesn’t say a word as you lead him to your car. He stops you with a hand on your shoulder, holding out his palm until you get the hint and drop your keys into it. It’s a good idea. You’re in no state to drive.

You curl up in the passenger seat, staring out the window and only acknowledging his presence when you tell him where to turn. He lets the silence hang there, reaching over to hold your knee, his big hand engulfing it entirely. You place your hand over it and immediately he twists his wrist, fingers lacing with yours.

He holds his tongue as you guide him through the old iron gates and up the long lane to park beneath the old oak tree in the back. 

You get out without even checking to see if he’s following. 

He is.

He hovers just a pace behind as you walk through the rows of stones, counting. 6 from the edge, 5 in.

You stop in the middle of the row, dropping to your knees in front of a simple stone, reaching forward to pull a leaf off of it.

You hear König’s sharp inhale behind you and know he’s read the words. And the death date. A week before Christmas.

You sniffle, digging your hands into the cold grass in front of you. “I’m sorry I never told you, I, how could I-”

A warm hand falls to your shoulders and you look up, his outline dancing in your watery vision as he kneels. “I’m sorry.”

You nod, turning back to the grave, reaching a hand up to trace over the letters as you feel your cheeks moisten all over again.

“Hey, Papa,” you say, your words coming out wet and slimy. “It’s been awhile.”

-

“What was he like?”

You try to smile through tight lips. “He was…warm. I know everyone talks about how great people are once they die, but for him, everything they said really was true. He made dinners for the food pantry, and he’d sit down and talk with everyone that came in, get to know their life story. He’d take them out for coffee sometimes. He…” You pinch your nose, huffing a laugh through the tears. “He’d get us cards for every holiday. Not just the big ones, I’d get a silly card for something like the spring equinox or Groundhog Day, I’d get separate cards for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day…” you laugh, a real one this time. “I always thought it was so stupid, but…” you trail off, shaking your head.

With a shaky inhale you pick it up again. “He volunteered with the local youth group, too. Dozens and dozens of kids, and he remembered every one of their names, he remembered their favorite lollipop flavors and made sure they always got them. When he…” you pause, swiping at your eyes. “When he was sick we got letters, an entire box full of letters all the kids wrote, telling him how much they missed him, telling him to get…to get…get well soon.”

You pitch forward again, slamming your hands into your eyes as another round of sobs wracks your body. “We couldn’t…we couldn’t t-t-tell them, he wasn’t gonna get better, he…he…he was supposed to have months. The doctors said months, but the day after we got those letters he…”

“Hey, hey, you don’t have to say it.” König leans over you, tucking your face into his neck and pulling you into his lap. “He seems…really nice.”

You laugh, the sound chopped. “Yeah. Yeah, he was.” You inhale, breathing in the comforting smell of his cologne. “He would’ve really liked you, you know.”

His arms tighten around you, and you feel his chest expand with a stuttering breath of his own.

“You know what the worst part is?” You breathe the words against his neck, feeling the muscles tighten as he shakes his head. “He was perfect. He was just…a genuinely good person and…he was so much better than I could ever be. I feel like no matter what I do I don’t live up to that memory because how do you live up to someone like that? Everything I do just stains his legacy so much because I’ll never be-”

“No. No.” He pulls back, holding your face. “I don’t-” he sighs, his head falling forward into yours. “How can you say that? How can you tell yourself that…right after telling me how much he loves you?”

Loves. Present-tense.

You don’t even have the words to reply, so you just let yourself go limp, letting him hold you up for a little while while everything else drags you down.

-

It becomes a tradition, between you and him. Every time he comes home with you for the holidays he drives you to the grave. He brings a blanket the next times, and the pair of you sit with you leaning into him, cheeks soaking.

You tell him about the bones you sit above, all the things they’d done, everything you remember, all the things you wish could have been.

And he listens.

-

But this year is different. This year König arrives alone, a day before you two usually come. Hesitantly he sits next to the stone, leaning a shoulder on it and staring at the ground. And this time, he is the one who speaks, who opens his mouth and stutters out all the words he’s held close to his chest all this time.

"Hi, I guess. I’m…König. I don’t know if you’re watching me from somewhere or if you know who I am, but…” he sighs. “I don’t know how to do this. I never knew you but…I know someone who did. I know how much they love you, and I know how...I know how much I love them.” He rubs his forehead. “This is so stupid, but…Ah…I guess I wanted to tell you how they’re doing. Something like that.” He huffs. “The world is...well, I guess I better not swear in front of you...but the world is not so good all the time. You know that already.”

He pauses, tapping his hands along his thighs. “The world hurts…it hurts a lot...and somehow…they are still so hopeful and warm. And...knowing what they say about you I think that they're a lot like you. I wish I could have met you." 

He takes a deep breath, drawing it out in a slow exhale that wavers in his mouth. "I hope that you can hear me because I want you to know...I, uh, don't think I'm exactly what you had in mind, if you ever did, but, uhh...I want to make them feel safe and I want to make them laugh after they've had a long day and...I just want to hear them laugh and see them smile, I want those things so much I am terrified by them, but...what I want you to know..."

He pulls a little box out of his pocket, flicking it open to tilt the shiny jewel towards the gravestone's face. "If only you could talk to me, tell me their ring size, eh? Yeah...well, I probably got that wrong, I just...well, I'm not here to ask for permission, they'd kill me for that, but I am here to promise you that I'm going to...I want to be the best damned husband I can be for them. And I... I probably should not be swearing on your grave so I swear on my grave, and if I ever hurt them and there is a God up there you are sitting with, I want you to make him strike me down himself. That is...that is all."

A few days later, you find yourself crying for a very different reason than you're used to.

And in some far-off place, some in-between that is neither here nor there yet not quite nowhere, an old man pulls his green corvette to a stop. He looks at the strange sky. And he smiles.

-

-

-

I don't really believe in a heaven anymore, but if there is one I know you're there. I love you, Papa.

#könig x reader #könig

[genshinemblem564]

I am curious who is your favorite oc in feh.

I don't really think about favorites often, they just happen, so I'll list the ones that stand out and the reasons they do so. Sorry I couldn't answer your actual question, I hope this will suffice.

• Alfonse: His reason for remaining distant from summoned heroes was understandable. Just because they're here now doesn't mean anything. They will eventually have to return to their worlds and fulfill their roles. After learning about Zacharias however, my heart broke. He's self isolating due to trauma and grief, Anna and Sharena are hurt too, but he took it the hardest by a mile, and it's only made worse after the reveal. I never wanted a character to be real just to give them a hug more in my life, our boy needs that hug bad.

• Bruno: Man is loyal to the end. He fakes his death, takes on a new identity, and tries to get his best friend to kill him because of a curse on his family's blood where he's not in control of his own actions, all the while searching for a way to lift said curse for the sake of his sister.

• Veronica: I was always confused about how loneliness leads to wanting to destroy a nation, but after Bruno's explanation, I believe her actions may not be her own. This is only proven further by Brave Veronica since she holds no animosity towards the summoner, and now I just feel bad for her. Also, I love how Xander joins her willingly for the reason that she reminds him of Corrin. I think my teeth rotted from too much sweetness.

• Fjorm: Her story is a sad one from start to finish, and she still has the strength to press forward. Unless I missed an event, I'm fairly certain her contract with the summoner is the only thing keeping her alive, as I believe it's stated in game that Breidablik can revive heroes, even ones not summoned if I've interpreted the light's blessing mechanic correctly.

• Laegjarn: She is such a great character. She spent every day fighting to survive Muspell's cruelty using her smarts rather than her brawn. She was never as cruel as her father, only seeking combat because it's an order, wishing for peace between the nations of fire and ice. Even in her final moments, she thinks only of her sister's safety.

• Helbindi: Typical meat head, that's what I thought at first, I was DEAD WRONG. From his motivations for fighting to his betrayal of Surtr, he is a phenomenal and tragic character. I also headcanon that he acts as a second older brother to Ylgr, at least I think it's a headcanon, I can't remember if that's their in game dynamic or not.

• Lif: I haven't played book III yet, so I can't say much other than "I like his design." I mostly try to avoid spoilers unless I'm researching for my writing.

As for FEH original characters beyond book III, I know next to nothing about them, as I've been playing in a linear fashion, despite not needing to. I actually beat book II on my first account, but it wasn't linked to my Nintendo account, so it didn't carry over, but that's why I'm able to give my opinion on book II original characters, in case you were wondering after what I said for Lif.

Regarding Fjorm's section, FEH is honestly almost as bad as Genshin when events are involved. The only thing making them better is that you can rewatch event cutscenes, but only ones you unlocked or that occur naturally, such as openings and endings. I know Fjorm has one regarding the rite she underwent, but I forget its name and category.

#fire emblem heroes #feh #my first ask!

[scarletawitch]

hear you me

Content warning: major character death. Major spoilers for the season two finale of the Bad Batch!!

A rough drabble I couldn't get out of my head after the season two finale. Tech leaves behind a message for Phee. I've also posted this on AO3 under the same username. Please like/kudos <3

“I’m sorry, Phee. Tech’s gone.” Echo’s voice is rough with grief and exhaustion. “He saved us all.”

Of course he did. A few tears shoot from her eyes and down her cheeks before she can stop them and she has to take a breath before she can speak.

“I… I see. Thank you for telling me.” Phee looks up and blinks, trying to hold off on her grief til she’s alone.

“He left a message for you on the Marauder to be forwarded in case something happened. I’ll send it over now.” Echo’s hand moves over what she assumes is the control board.

“He did?” She had hoped they were close enough for something like this, but to hear it confirmed was a little surprising, especially given their last conversation.

“Can take the soldier out of the war, can’t take the war out of the soldier.” Echo smiles, but it’s hollow and laced with the memory of hundreds of other dead brothers. “It was something us regs did before every battle. We all swore to each other that if we made it back and they didn’t, we would send out the messages left behind, no matter what. Usually they were for other vode, sometimes for our Generals, but there were a few I had to send out of the GAR. I told Tech about it, once, a long time ago. Of course he remembered.”

Phee doesn’t trust herself to speak.

“Well, it’s sent over. I’m sorry again, Phee.” Echo says quietly.

“Yeah, me too. Thanks, Echo.” She ends the transmission without waiting for a goodbye or acknowledgement to Echo simply because she isn’t sure she can keep it together long enough to get through another goodbye.

Quickly, she navigates through the comm’s menu until she finds Tech’s message, then takes a deep breath before pressing play. It’s not enough to steady her against seeing his face again, even if only in the pale blue light of a holo.

He shifts, clearly nervous, and avoids looking into the camera directly.

“Hello, Phee.” He pauses, shifts again. “If you are seeing this, I am not returning to Pabu. I am likely dead, and Echo has passed this message on to you. I cannot tell you what we went to do, not because I wish to conceal it from you, but because you are far safer if you do not know. Please know that it is incredibly important to me, and I would not have left otherwise.

My brothers and I were made to be soldiers. We were made to fight and die and do no more than that. It is all I expected I would ever do, and it was enough. After meeting you and coming to Pabu, I wanted more. I wanted to live quietly for the first time in my life, and I would have liked to do it with you if you would have been amenable. I hope you would have been, otherwise this is all incredibly embarrassing, even post-mortem.

When I last left Pabu, you tried to talk to me, and if I’m not mistaken, express concern over my well-being as well a desire that I would return. I realized this, of course, after you walked away, and I am sorry I did not understand sooner. I am even more sorry that I have not returned like you hoped I would.”

He pauses and looks directly into the camera. “I care for you deeply, Phee, and it will be one of my foremost regrets that I did not tell you that. I am sorry to do it now when it will likely cause you great pain. It is selfish of me, but I do not want to die without saying it. You… you are wonderful, Phee, and I wish we would have had more time.” His eyes fall away from the camera lens.

“Selfishly, again, I do not want to say goodbye. When we were young, we were trained by Mandalorians, and as such, they taught us what they could of their culture. I did not understand it then – there was no strategic reason to do so, so I set aside those teachings for more useful lessons. It’s funny, then, that they have given me what I want to say to you now.

Nu kyr'adyc, shi taab'echaaj'la. It means, “not gone, merely marching far away.” They told us to say it to remember each other if one of us were to die in battle. It’s illogical – if someone is dead, they are gone. There is no denying that. Despite knowing this, I found comfort in this concept after someone I cared for deeply died. He died honorably and saved thousands, but it still hurt that he was gone. I hope it can give you a similar measure of ease if you are mourning my loss.” Tech’s eyes look up to the camera lens again, and then the message ends, leaving Phee alone.

#tbb spoilers #the bad batch spoilers #tbb s2 spoilers #drabble #tech #phee genoa #angst

[author-a-holmes]

Seven Snippets, Seven People

Thank you @wordsacrossemptypages for the tag!

I'm not going to be able to share Darkling content for this one, I don't think. I think seven snippets from a sequel might be more than I'm willing to put down right now.

But I can share seven snippets from Changeling instead.

Taggin forward, with no pressure, to; @afoolandathief, @oh-no-another-idea, @sleepyowlwrites, @sunset-a-story, @ashen-crest, @fictionalbullshitter, and @mr-writes <3

One.

"What, in the realm, are you doing?" Booker asked her on a heavy exhale, his sleep-coated voice rumbling quietly as he ran a weary hand through the tufts of bed-mussed blonde hair in a vain attempt at smoothing them into place.

"Nothing," Lizzy answered, wincing. It was too short, and too sharp, and she hoped he was still drowsy enough to miss her tells.

Her hope sank when Booker paused in his grooming to blink at her owlishly. It took a couple of seconds before her abrupt answer seemed to register, but when it did his frown deepened into an outright scowl.

"Lizzy, you're fully dressed in the middle of the night, with a bag packed, and the best you can come up with is 'nothing'?"

Two.

... he let himself concentrate on the conversation the two troublemakers at his back were trying to keep quiet.

The pair were doing a good job; they were staying several paces back and speaking in hushed tones. If he were human, or fey, he doubted he'd have noticed their murmured argument at all.

Unfortunately for them both, being a vampire gave him a distinct advantage.

"It's not my fault he's acting like a—"

"Please," Mr Reed breathed, pleading, and cutting off his companion's scathing comment. With Andric's back to them, he didn't bother smothering the amused grin that spread across his face.

Three.

"I just... I couldn't stand being in that house."

"I can't imagine how difficult—"

"No," Andric agreed, cutting Hilda off, his voice quiet, "you can't. Dad's near catatonic with grief, and when he's not he's destroying the house, or picking physical fights with anyone who can punch back harder than him. Mum's splitting her time between crying, and blaming me for—"

"Your brother's situation is not your fault, Andric," Thomas growled. The sound was primal, predatory, and it reminded Andric how much older Walcott was than the average vampire. Slowly, the breath that had caught in his throat released into a sigh and he shrugged.

Four.

"Why?" he asked, and Nameer shrugged one shoulder.

"Rumour is, he's on the warpath. Does it matter why?" he asked, sighing before uncapping their prescribed daily dose of animal blood and stirring it into his mashed potatoes, giving Andric the perfect excuse to grimace in disgust.

"We all know he's a prideful little shit," Nameer continued. "Just figured you might want to be on hand, in case someone needs to have their back."

"Yeah, thanks," Andric murmured, glancing away from the ruined mash and blood, and letting his eyes skip across the hall...

Five.

"You... you believe me?" Lizzy asked, blinking in shock.

"You've no reason to lie."

"Well, no. I don't, but— but everyone else—. Even with Cara's help, I—"

"I am not in the habit of deluding myself, just because the reality is something I don't wish to contemplate," Gladstone said, lowering her cup to the desk.

Six.

Even as the words spilt over his tongue and across his lips, Andric knew his tone was too hard, too harsh, and her shell-shocked expression only reinforced that.

Booker was glaring at him, and Andric sighed, "Lizzy—"

"Don't," she hissed. "I don't want to hear it."

She spun on her heel and stalked over to the door, yanking it open and disappearing into the hall before Andric was able to shake himself out of his shock.

Seven.

It was the growing silence that made him grind to a halt, Lizzy almost stumbling into him at his abrupt stillness. He could feel the weight of her gaze on his face and swiped his thumb across her hand again, but he couldn't spare her any additional reassurance, before tilting his head to listen to the forest.

His brow furrowed, as he strained his hearing to its limits, but there was nothing.

Not a bird ruffling its feathers, not a mosquito whining in the distance. Perfect stillness, and Andric felt nausea begin gathering in the pit of his stomach.

#Changeling #Changeling Snippets #Changeling Extracts #Changeling Excerpts #Writing #My Writing #Original Writing #Publish Work #Indie Published #Tag Game #Seven Snippets Seven People #7 snippets 7 People #Writeblr #Writeblr Community #Writing Community