#but my point still stands that it is quite a coincidence that they get those asks in the first place

[rxmqnova]

First school day

Y/N: 5 years old ——————————————————

NO ONE'S POV It's Y/N's first ever school day today and Natasha has been super excited for her little one to start school, especially when Y/N's in her classroom. It's not a coincidence though. Natasha made sure Y/N would be in her class as the little one has quite a problem staying with anyone other than her mommy.

The tiny girl has never spent a day without the redhead. Her father left before she was even born, so Natasha's the only parent Y/N has. And Natasha's parents live in Ohio which is quite a way from New York, so they can't babysit Y/N either.

Well, and Natasha's younger sister is the only one Y/N stays without Natasha if it's necessary. But knowing how irresponsible her sister can be, Natasha doesn't use Yelena's babysitting services very often.

"Wakey, wakey, sweetheart" Natasha smiles, sitting down on Y/N's bed and running her fingers through her daughter's hair.

"Mama" Y/N whines, turning her back at her mother. "Sleepy" She mumbles, tightening her grip over her teddy bear.

"I guess I gotta go to school alone then" Natasha teases, poking Y/N's side which makes the little one squeal.

Y/N sits up, rubbing her tired eyes and doing grabby hands towards Natasha on which the redhead smiles and sits Y/N on her lap, giving her daughter a cuddle.

"Did you have a good sleep?" Natasha asks, kissing the top of Y/N's head.

"Mhm" The little girl just nods and snuggles up to her mommy who stands up and carries her to the kitchen for breakfast. "Can we have peanut butter sandwiches?" Y/N mumbles.

"Is that even a question?" Natasha asks playfully, lifting a plate full of peanut butter sandwiches she prepared before she went to wake Y/N up.

"Mommy, you are the best!" Y/N gasps, bouncing on Natasha's hip happily while kicking her tiny legs on which Natasha smiles and kisses her baby's head.

The pair eats their breakfast, though Y/N's been blabbering about how she's excited to make new friends the entire time and Natasha's just been happily listening.

"Okay, my little pumpkin. Let's brush your teeth, dress you up, do your hair and we're ready to go" Natasha smiles, booping Y/N's nose which makes the tiny one giggle.

———

The pair arrives to school early. Y/N's holding Natasha's hand while happily looking around as the redhead's leading her little one to the classroom.

"Where would you like to sit, baby?" Natasha asks, looking at the still empty classroom.

"Can I sit there?" As expected, Y/N points at the desk in the first row, the nearest one to Natasha's desk.

"Of course" Natasha smiles softly and leads her daughter there. Y/N climbs the chair, looking around at all those pictures and other stuff that are hanging on the walls while Natasha takes Y/N's school supplies out of her bag.

The classroom is soon starting to get filled with children which is making Y/N a bit uncomfortable.

"Hi" A girl approaches the little Romanoff, a warm smile playing on her lips.

"Hi" Y/N mumbles out shyly, looking at the little brunette.

"Do you want to be friends?" The girl asks on which Y/N nods her head happily. "I'm Haley"

"I'm Y/N" Y/N says with a little smile, not noticing her mother who's watching them with a huge smile on her face.

The lesson starts soon though, so all of the children are sitting behind their desks and listening to everything Natasha's telling them.

But a knock on the door interrupts soon, revealing the principal of the school when it opens.

"Miss Romanoff, can we have a word?" The principal Fury asks, Natasha nodding her head and telling the children she'll be back soon before walking out of the classroom.

Y/N watches her mother walk out, her eyes filling with tears. "Mama" She whispers to herself, not liking at all Natasha's not here with her. "Mama" She cries out, burying her face into her hands.

"Y/N, are you okay?" Haley questions, now standing next to Y/N's desk.

"Want mommy" Y/N cries out loudly.

The little brunette takes matter into her own hands and walks out of the classroom, bumping into Natasha who only just said bye to Fury.

"Where you're going, sweetheart?" Natasha asks, bending down to Haley's level.

"Miss Romanoff, Y/N's crying. She wants her mommy" The little brunette explains, Natasha's eyes widening.

The two walk back into the classroom, Natasha rushing to her crying daughter and kneeling down beside her.

"Y/N/N, it's okay. I'm here" Natasha sighs, wiping Y/N's tears away with her thumb.

"Mommy" Y/N hiccups, wrapping her arms around her mother and crying into her neck.

"Honey, I was just outside the door" Natasha sighs, pressing kisses to Y/N's cheek and rubbing her back. "Let's go out for a little bit, yeah?" She asks softly, not wanting to upset her daughter even more.

Natasha lifts Y/N up, telling the class they'll be back soon while carrying her daughter out of the room.

Y/N eventually calms down after a little while, now just resting her head on Natasha's shoulder and twirling her finger around a strand of Natasha's hair.

"It's okay now, sweetheart. You're okay. Can we go back in? I promise I won't go anywhere anymore" Natasha says softly, trying to avoid another potential tears.

Hearing a nod Natasha walks back into the classroom with hope to finally start the lesson. Surely she'll have to work on Y/N's separation anxiety which seems to be bigger than she thought. And she'll definitely need to have a talk with Y/N about this little incident, but that will have to wait until the two arrive back home.

----------------------

Natasha Romanoff masterlist

Masterlist

#natasha romanoff #natasha x reader #natasha x y/n #natasha x you #natasha romanoff daughter #natasha romanoff x daughter!reader #natasha x fem!reader #natasha romanoff x reader #natasha romanoff fanfic #fanfiction #fanfic

[antiphilosophia]

Crowley's pre-fall name is BARAQIEL (THEORY)

THIS POST MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS OR RATHER CLUES FOR GOOD OMENS SEASON 2 CONTENTS, PROCEED WITH CAUTION 🤍

Very well. Who doesn't love the Crowley is the Archangel Raphael theory (I am certainly of those people who do). During my first watch of Good Omens S2 I was even somehow almost confident that that was the case.

However, my second, more careful, viewing of this lovely (but equally heartbreaking) season made me change my mind, likely for good. In episode 4, Furfur's book "Demon's Guide To Angelic Beings Who Walk The Earth" shows us a name of a certain angel Baraqiel. (see photo below) Knowing Good Omens that can hardly be a coincidence.

Unfortunately, the very text is quite unreadable. One thing, other than the name, which is pretty clear is the subheading "Angel of the Sky" and since the episode 1 lets us take a look at how Crowley did indeed take part in creation of what is to be seen in the night sky, one can hardly find that entirely non-fitting. One other sentence I was (at least I think) able to read is "Often draped in red."

(On a different note but certainly worth noticing are scribbles that generally just roast Crowley – his suspiciousness, hair and name (though I am not absolutely sure of the latter) "His hair is bad!" Wow, Furfur really does hate Crowley.)

Then there is something written above the name of Baraqiel, unfortunately in none of the picture frames does it get a bit readable. I wonder though, couldn't it be "former"? Since it comes precisely after mention of Crowley to whom should one report on Aziraphale.

Crowley is very powerful. Dominion

A word that is not exactly readable but can be deduced from its placement (it is situated just as Aziraphale's "Principality") is Baraqiel's rank – Dominion Angel. It should be noted here that I very much lack proper knowledge of either Jewish or Christian mythology and I would hate to provide any incorrect claims. I therefore think it is better for me not to overly state things, even more so since everyone can look into it on their own and figure out what that might mean for our beloved demon. What I will say, however, is that they are (as I understand it) very powerful and, placed within the 2nd triad in the angel hierarchy, ranked higher than the Archangels. This would go well along with the emphasis that was in my opinion laid on Crowley's powers quite a lot this season.

For example: "A miracle of enormous power happened last night. The kind of miracle only the mightiest of archangels could've performed," said Shax to Crowley, to which he replied: "How'd you know I didn't do it?" He didn't get an answer.

What I think (and I may be very wrong, obviously) is that a miracle of this vastness wouldn't have happened simply because of a regular angel and a regular demon did together half a miracle each. What is also worth noticing is that the tool with which Crowley created the Nebula is the same as the one he used to temporarily stop time at the end of season 1 right before Satan's arrival. So much to the size of his powers.

Baraqiel, lightning of God. Fallen angel

Finally, to Baraqiel himself. My lack of knowledge concerning this matter still stands and frankly I don't even know where to find valid information about angels and such on the internet. Baraqiel should, however, stand for "lightning of God" and is also regarded as the angel of lightning. In season 2 there are (as far as I remember) two occasions where Crowley is put in correlation with lightning. (1) His poor anger management issues in episode 1 and (2) his not at all better matchmaking in episode 3 ("I haven't done weather in ages"). Furthermore, Baraqiel is considered to be the one who taught astrology to people. Nevertheless, what points to Crowley and Baraqiel being one even more is that Baraqiel is indeed a fallen angel.

•

So... That is probably it. I usually tent to theorize about stuff in quiet, in fact, this is the first time I've used Tumblr for anything other than reading Neil Gaiman's posts. I didn't even think that I would actually post it but then I've searched on Twitter, TikTok and here on Tumblr if anyone else has already come up with this theory. The only post I could find (hopefully I haven't missed anything) was by @valaza_04 on Twitter (click here) where they refer to the same frame shot as I do here.

Now I know, we are still recovering from heartbreaking (but if you ask me, absolutely amazing) finale and the main thing currently on our minds is figuring out why would Aziraphale choose as he did and the many wonderful theories that come with it. However, considering the utterly virulent look that Metatron shot at Crowley before walking out of the bookshop with Aziraphale and also his "Well, [Crowley] always did want to go his own way. Always asking damn fool questions, too." makes me think that he absolutely does not care for Crowley and whichever angel he was before the Fall. And I reckon it won't remain unnoticed in season 3 and might even be really important (or that is just me wishing for more pre-fall Crowley scenes). Hence I decided that I will post this. And it doesn't matter if no one will see this in the end, it was quite fun to write. However, if there is someone who will read this all the way through, I hope they will accept my apology for the mistakes I have most possibly made (English is not my first language) and also for the ridiculous length this post has come to gather. It turns out, I am just as chatty of a writer as I am speaker.

Well maybe I will come around to write one more post about this theory, only with a proper research this time. Till then thank you and, please, support this season by streaming as much as you can so we can have season 3 of this masterpiece of a show. And be kind to those bringing it to us in your comments regarding the ending, even though it is very frustrating and heart-shattering, it is also maybe the best ending we could have hoped for with the prospects of season 3.

Thank you for letting me talk my heart out, Tumblr.

#good omens #good omens season 2 #good omens spoilers #go2 #go s2 #crowley #pre fall crowley #crowley's angel name #good omens 2 #david tennant #neil gaiman #aziraphale #good omens theory #baraqiel

[yawneon]

AHHH LUKE X THUMBS BY LUCY DACUS 😍

thumbs .

a/n : i return.

pairing : luke castellan x reader

summary : you hated hermes almost more than luke. to the point that you’d kill him.

!!! : erm i hope u like this.. i didnt proofread this im sorry pookies. 😞

• —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– •

bound to him by blood, connected by pure coincidence. luke tried to forget it, tried to find his family instead of just having one.

only a fool would deny that luke was stuck in his fathers palm despite his dad being everywhere but where he was needed most. every single thought that ran through lukes head was the way his father probably laughed without him, smiled without him and was content without him. luke knew that he had other demi-god kids and they needed hermes as much as luke had, and yes it was selfish, but gods did he want to kill his dad.

bitterness rolls off of lukes tongue as the iris message fades, a sour frown imprinted onto his features. you push the door open to the hermes cabin and you walk to stand beside luke. your hand grabs onto his arm gently and his expression softens.

“what’s wrong?”

“my dads around in long island, he wants to meet.” the last word of that sentence ends with a hard and exagerated t.

“you don’t have to go and see him luke.”

lukes eyes meet yours as you move to stand infront of him. he opens his mouth, words ache to be released but nothing releases for a moment and only an exhale escapes.

“i’m going to.” he nods, he face turns away from you to miss the way your face contorts into a slight confused and worried lour.

you two go back and fourth. your trying to convince him to leave his dad in the dark, get him back for all the years he didnt talk to him. but luke, he couldn’t. for some reason there was this feeling inside of him to go, and eventually he convinced you to go with him to a nearby diner and sit down with his dad.

-

you both, hand in hand, walk into the small retro-style café. you see hermes sat in a booth waiting for his son. rain poured outside, making the sign on the roof glow throughout the night.

you watched as luke made eye contact with his dad, the way his lip twitched into a frown, the way his eyebrows furrowed slightly and how fucking badly he wanted to stand there and shout. but he didn’t. he walked over, calm and collected to his father and he sat across from him.

it disgusted you. rage filled up into your bones and the marrow in your bones seemingly hardened at the very sight of lukes father. it was enraging the way spoke, “you look great luke”. hermés smiles.

all luke can muster up is a grunt in reply and a squeeze to your palm. 8 years he had been gone, 8 years of no sight of him, not even a 50c birthday card. pure radiosilence.

you would kill hermés if you could.

you imagined doing it, getting back at him for all the pain he caused luke. your parents wouldn’t approve and zeus would the gods smite you down. but you would still do it.

lukes nails dug into the fabric of your jeans above your knee and you tried to keep your expression neutral but you seethed. you could feel how it affected luke despite the way his lips curled into a soft smile.

anger fell from your shoulders around you and you could feel the fire crawl up your back infecting you with its fury. it infuriated you how similar they looked, the way their eyes glimmered the same way under the lights. you hated the way hermes looked like luke, or maybe how luke looked like hermes. you thought about how your thumbs would press into the irises of the gods eyes until they bursted like those pearls you get in boba.

lukes eyes softened in a sad way, his brown eyes finding the table more interesting than his father infront of him and you can tell, your heart can tell how badly he hated it. you let out an ahem sound and they both look to you, “we ought to get going, its quite late and i imagine you have much work to do.” you stand from your seat and you pull luke up with you.

“let me give you both a lift home.”

“no it’s quite alright.”

you both walk, a tad bit too quickly, out the door. luke could just feel hermes’ gaze on the back of his head like a shadow almost. your hand slips into luke’s and you lead him in the wrong direction of camp, to try and lose the god. (you can never really lose them.)

your mind couldn’t stop thinking about it, how you would tear down all of olympus for luke. how you would kill a god for him. you didn’t really understand how luke kept nodding along and smiling slightly at hermes’ words. how the gods words didn’t seep into his blood and his bones making him feel furious like they did to you.

you would kill hermes if luke let you, quick and easy. you remembered how his nails dug into your knee, how his smile never faltered. you would kill him if he let you, dig your nails into the bulbs in his eye sockets and make sure luke and his siblings are the only ones to ever wear the same ones.

“your bound to him by pure coincidence. its all relative. you don’t owe him shit even if he said you did.” you say to luke, your eyes glancing up to his face for a moment and you catch the way a tear rolls down his cheek. your hands reach towards him, cupping the sides of his face your thumbs brushing at the wet trails on his cheeks.

“you don’t owe him shit even if he said you did.”

-

@yawneon

#percy jackson #pjo #luke castellan #luke castellan x reader #pjo series #pjo tv show #percy jackson x reader

[heli-writes]

Seven summers, part 6.

Pairing: Draco Malfoy x female!reader

Summary: Every summer, Draco and y/n meet. First, by pure coincidence, then intentionally. Unbeknown to Draco, y/n's a muggle who has no clue he's a wizard. With the rise of the dark lord, how long can this go well?

Disclaimers: Make-out session, allusion to sex, no full-on smut (they're still minors, y'all!)

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6

Series Masterlist

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Sixth summer, July.

The weather in England has been cold and rainy lately. It doesn't seem to be July at all. Y/n longs for those warm, long summer nights outside in her parents' garden, playing cards and drinking bubbly lemonade. Instead, she's clinging to her umbrella and making herself as small as possible so that she doesn't give the wind too much space to attack her with its whipping water. She's waiting for Draco near the entrance of Diagon Alley. She watched several wizards enter and leave the place, but no Draco so far. Y/n wonders if he will actually show up. They've been exchanging letters via owl, as usual. At the beginning of the school year, Draco's letters have been arriving quite frequently but there were less and less letters the last few months. Y/n knows there's been some arguments with his rival Harry and a new teacher. Draco was appointed a certain position in a Club or something. He didn't really tell her what's it about but ever since he's been more reserved than before.

Y/n waits for almost an hour before she gives up. She walks through the pouring rain back to the bus stop. She stops by a Costa and treats herself to a hot cup of tea on the go in an attempt to warm herself up. On the bus, she plugs in her headphones and stares out of the window. She tries really hard not to cry and hopes that none of the other passengers notice th water dwelling in her eyes. When she gets off the bus, her head's pounding from the oppressing of tears. Y/n walks straight home and up to her room, without taking off her jacket and boots. She can hear her mother complaining about the water on the floor, but she doesn't care. She's just dropped onto her bed when she hears the soft clank of Draco's owl on her window. Y/n gets up and sniffs. This guy has some nerve, she tells herself as she walks up to the window. She takes the letter from the owl and throws some dried meat in its direction, a habit she picked up a while ago. She leans back on a chair and reads.

Dear y/n,

I won't be able to make it today. I'm really sorry but there have been some issues in my family recently and my mother needs my support. I hope the whole situation dissolves itself soon.

I'll send you a letter when it's possible to meet again. I hope you can understand.

Draco.

Y/n folds up the letter and puts it in a box beneath her bed where she keeps all of Draco's letters. She writes a quick response and hands it to the owl who is patiently waiting outside. She watches the owl fly away. I must've just missed his message, y/n thinks. Yet still she can't shake the feeling that something is off.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Draco lets y/n wait for two weeks. Y/n got antsy with every passing day without hearing from him. Eventually, he sends her a letter and proposes a meeting in Windsor Great Park for a stroll and coffee. Y/n is nervous all morning and has to redo her makeup twice after ruining her eyeliner. Again, y/n is the first to arrive. She walks up and down the entrance of the Savill Garden.

"Hey", she suddenly hears behind her. Draco is standing right next to her with a loopy grin on his face. It doesn't reach his eyes, y/n thinks. She smiles at him nonetheless and opens her arms to hug him. Almost hesitantly, Draco hugs her back. It's a bit awkward. "Do you want to go inside?", y/n says and points to the garden. Draco nods. They take the tourist route but there aren't many other people around. It's probably because of the grey clouds that hang low above their heads. They walk along the path between rows of bushes and other plants.

Draco doesn't make an attempt to start a conversation, so y/n does. "So, how's your family? Everything alright? Your letter sounded quite serious.", y/n asks him. Draco shrugs and doesn't answer immediately. "I guess, we're alright. Things haven't been resolved but it will be ok.", he tells her. Y/n nods reassuringly but she feels that Draco does not really believe that last part. "If you don't mind me asking... what happened?", she asks carefully. Draco kicks a stone out of his way. "My dad has been involved in some stuff. He's temporarily contained.", he tells her. Y/n stares at him with big eyes. "Like jail?", she blurts. Draco gives her an angry look. "Yes. My mother did not take it too well.", he replies. "Oh.", is all that y/n manages to say. They walk in silence for a moment. "What about you? How do you take it?", she asks him. Draco shrugs again and does his best to look somewhere far ahead. "Draco...", y/n mumbles and touches his arm. "I'm fine.", he says harshly, "My mother needs all the support she can get. I can't be weak in a situation like this". Y/n steps a bit closer to him and rests her cheek on his arm while taking his hand. "It's not a weakness to feel bad about a situation like that. It only shows how much you care about your parents.", she tells him. Almost instantly, she can feel Draco's shoulders slump down. He turns to her and finally pulls her close. He hides his face in her hair. "I must do everything I can to clear my family's name. One way or another.", he points out. Y/n thinks about this for a moment. "It's not your responsibility. Support your family as much as you can, but don't let the weight of it pull you down.", she replies. Draco shakes his head. "You don't understand... my mother...", he starts. "...is an adult. We're only sixteen, Draco. There's only so much we can do. Somethings we must let the adults handle.", she points out. Draco shakes his head again. "No, my mother can't handle this. I'm the one who has to fix things. I've been chosen.", he tells her. Y/n frowns. "Chosen? By whom? For what?", she asks him. Draco lets go of her. "It doesn't matter. The point is I'm going to handle this. Don't worry.", he says coldly. Draco walks a bit ahead and y/n stares after him. She's got a really bad feeling about this but it's clear that Draco isn't ready to talk about this.

She jogs after him. "Alright, let's not talk about this anymore. We haven't seen each other since Christmas and I really am happy we're spending time together today.", she announces and gives him a bright smile. She holds out her hand to Draco and looks at him expectantly. Draco sighs and then takes her hand. They continue their stroll and y/n tries to distract Draco with silly stories about school and her friends. She updates him on Olivia's situationship and manages to pry some stories about Blaze and quidditch out of Draco. The atmosphere loosens up a bit and soon she finds Draco genuinely smiling again. They wander deeper into the garden and don't notice how the clouds above them get darker and darker. They're laughing about one of y/n's stories when the first drop landed on y/n's cheek. Draco wipes it away carefully. They look up and notice how armageddon is right above them. Within seconds, it's pouring. Draco pulls her close and uses his wand as an umbrella. However, the wind whips raindrops onto their sides. They rush along the path, deeper into the rows of trees ahead of them. They're almost soaked when they finally find shelter in a stone pavilion.

Y/n is shivering but glad there are still some parts of her that are dry. Draco sits down next to her and puts an arm around her. Y/n nuzzles closer into his side. Draco leans his head against hers. They don't speak and when y/n finally looks up, she immediately meets Draco's gaze. He must've been staring at her for a while now. Immediately, he leans close and they meet in a kiss. For a moment, everything outside the pavilion seems to stop existing. Y/n kisses him back feverishly and grabs his collar. Draco's hand is tangled in her hair and his other hand wanders down her side. Y/n presses her upper body closer to his and Draco pulls her onto his lap. They kiss until they can't breathe anymore. Y/n leans her forehead against his as both of them catch their breath. There are no sounds besides the pouring rain outside.

"Draco?", y/n breathes. "Hm?", he mumbles in response. Y/n's heart leaps in her chest. It takes all her courage to say: "I think I love you". Draco leans back and looks at her with surprise in his eyes. Clearly, he didn't expect a confession of love. Immediately, y/n feels embarrassed. She wishes she could take the words back. "Y-you don't have to say it back. I just thought...", she rumbles but doesn't get to finish her sentence. Draco puts his hand onto the back of her head and pulls her lips against his again. He gives her a deep, longing kiss which leaves y/n breathless once again. When he lets go of her, he looks at her longingly and strokes over her cheek. Then he presses a kiss on top of her head and pulls her into a hug. Y/n feels warm and fuzzy inside and she almost forgets that Draco did not return the confession.

They stay in the pavilion until the heavy rain fades into a soft summer drizzle. Only then, they start wandering back to the entrance of the garden. They part ways rather quickly since the rain started again after some point. However, y/n proposes that he should come visit her soon. Her parents will be visiting her grandparents all the way up in Keswick and will be gone for a couple of days. They put y/n under house arrest for the time being (considering what happened last year), but allowed to have a friend over. They probably thought about Olivia but when y/n asked her, Olivia immediately declined saying that y/n simply must invite Draco. Draco is a bit hesitant to accept the invitation and says that he will have to see how things at home. They both decide to write soon.

On her way back to the train station, y/n has mixed feelings. On one hand she's over the moon about meeting Draco finally again, on the other hand, she's also worried about him. Having a father in jail is already troubling but it sounded as if Draco was ready to do anything to fix that. She wonders if that included more than giving a testimony in front of a court. One way or another, he said. She hopes Draco is smart enough to not do anything stupid, or illegal.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Sixth summer, a few weeks later.

Anxious. That's how y/n feels as she waits for Draco at King's Cross. Y/n and Draco have been writing back and forth for the last couple of weeks. Draco's been really quiet about his father's situation and y/n didn't push too much. However, whenever y/n brought up Draco coming over, he kept saying it probably wouldn't be possible and that too many things were going on. Which clearly indicates that things haven't been resolved. Surprisingly, Draco sent her a letter a few days ago saying that meeting her would be possible after all. Apparently, his mother and his aunt visit a family friend, giving him a chance to slip away. When y/n got Draco's letter saying that he would be visiting after all, she immediately called Olivia who immediately rushed over. Giggling, they wrote lists and prepared the house for what y/n's parents assumed was a sleepover. It also leads to her parents being quite relaxed about leaving y/n alone for a few days.

Right now, y/n is waiting for Draco to arrive at King's Cross. Obviously, Draco does not take a muggle train. He arrives via floo powder somewhere close but they agreed to meet at the station from where y/n would take him home. Y/n nervously scans the crowd in front of her. Suddenly, she feels a tap on her shoulder. "Hey, there pretty girl.", she hears Draco say behind her. When she twirls around, he is mere inches from her face. "Draco!", she laughs and throws her arms around him. Draco almost drops his bag while trying to keep his balance. Y/n quickly retreats. "Sorry!", she says. Draco puts down his bag. "That's alright.", he tells her and pulls her close by her arms. He hugs her close and hides his face in her hair. Y/n's heart skips a beat. When he lets go of her, he looks over his shoulder nervously. Distractedly, he says: "So, uh... is your house close by?". Y/n tries to see what's behind him or what he's looking for but when he turns back to her, she gives him a bright smile. "We'll have to take the bus.", she tells him and takes his hand. Draco sighs behind her. "You don't happen to have a fireplace, do you?", he mumbles. Y/n laughs. "No, sorry! We have central heating.", she says as she pulls him along with him.

While Draco feels visibly nervous in the station, he relaxes once y/n and him have entered the bus. When y/n asks him why, he tells her that there are probably no wizards here who could see them. Y/n nods understandingly. It's a short walk from the bus station to y/n's house. Her house is one of these terraced houses with white, wooden windows and a small front garden. It's nothing special really but her parents had to save up for it for quite some time and they're really proud to call themselves 'homeowners'. Y/n thinks it's a bit ridiculous but then again she's never bought a house and doesn't even know how much it would cost. Y/n pulls out her keys and opens the door.

She holds the door for Draco. "Ladies first. You can put your shoes over there.", she tells him as she quickly pushes him inside. Ever since they made a turn into y/n's street, she's been the one looking over her shoulder. Can't have the neighbours see her sneaking a boy in. She's pretty sure that the nosy old lady from across the street would just love to tell her parents all about that. Y/n quickly closes the door behind her and pulls off her jacket. Draco is standing in the hallway looking around and feeling a bit out of place. Y/n points past him. "Go on, straight through that door. There's the kitchen", she tells him. They enter the kitchen together and y/n quickly puts the kettle on. "C'mon.", she tells him and leads him to the room to the right. It's the living room which has a small conservatory attached to it. It's her mother's favorite room since it's always bright and open. In the middle, there's a large couch with pillows and blankets. On the left is the telly and a coffee table. "It's cozy", Draco notes as y/n leads him to the coach. "Sit down. I'll make the tea.", she tells him as she rushes off back to the kitchen.

She prepares a tray with tea, mugs and some biscuits. When she enters the living room again, Draco still sits in the same position as she left him. I guess he feels a bit awkward, she concludes. After she pours him a cup of tea, she asks him: "So, what do you think? Is this how you imagined muggles to live like?". Draco laughs and rubs his head in embarrassment. "Actually, I'm not sure what I expected. But it's really nice. I like this room.", he says and points to the conservatory. Y/n pulls one of her legs under the other and takes her tea cup. "Hm, you really had no image in your head how I live like?", she asks. Draco shakes his head. "How do you imagine I live like then?", he replies. Y/n thinks about that for a moment. "I guess I imagine a big house, maybe a villa. An old one, maybe Victorian? I imagine a big staircase right when you enter. Old, but classic and high-quality furniture.", she explains. Draco looks at her surprised. "That's actually not that far off.", he tells her. "I can't imagine your room though. I feel like I can imagine your dorm room better than your room at home.", she says. Draco takes a sip from his tea. "Do you want me to describe it?", he asks her. Y/n nods excitedly. He crooks his head. "Let's see. My room is upstairs, in the East Wing. It has a window facing the East as well so that I can see the sunrise every morning. My walls are painted in a greyish-blue. My furniture is black. When you enter the room, you're standing in front of my bed. Opposite the bed is the window and in front of it is my desk. To the left of the desk, is my wardrobe which is always messy and to the right are some shelves with books.", he describes. Y/n tries to imagine the room. In her head, the room is kind of empty besides the furniture Draco described. "Is there anything else in the room?", she asks. Draco names some quidditch equipment and some other tokens that y/n has trouble imagining. Draco tried to explain quidditch to her one time but y/n fails to truly understand the game. Probably, because she's never seen a person riding a broom.

"Would you like to see my room?", y/n proposes and Draco nods. They walk back to the hallway and up the stairs that are on the left. "My room is all the way up, beneath the roof.", she tells him as they climb up the stairs. Y/n's room is the only room on the last floor. When she opens the room, there's her bed to the left and behind the door is her closet. Right in front of the door are three windows. In front of the middle one, is her desk. On the left is a little reading niche and on the right is a dressing table and a cupboard. A chain of lights is strung from one side of the room towards another. Y/n makes some space for Draco to enter. He looks around the room in silence. "So, what do you think?", she asks. "It suits you. I don't know how I'd imagine your room but this fits you perfectly.", he tells her. Y/n giggles and drops onto her bed. "You think so?", she says. Draco nods and turns around in her room before joining her on the bed. Y/n thinks the sight of him in her room is a bit strange. Like he doesn't quite fit into it. He's dressed in black (like always) and her room is dominated by beige and pastel tones. "Yeah, it's bright and warm. And girly. And cozy.", he replies. Y/n snuggles up to him. "You like it?", she asks him. Draco pulls her closer to him. "Yes. Actually, I like your whole house. Everything is very home-ly.", he murmurs and kisses the top of her head. He pulls her back and they fall on top of the comforter of y/n's bed. Draco turns to his side, pulling her closer to him. Y/n takes in his scent and puts her head on his chest, just beneath his head. Draco's hand finds its way into y/n's hair and he scratches the skin of her skull a bit. Y/n feels how the three magical words lay heavy on her tongue again, begging her to speak them out loud once more. She swallows them down quickly, however. She doesn't want to make a fool out of herself once again.

They lay there for a while and y/n is not sure whether or not she may have dozed off a bit. The room's colour faded to grey indicating that the sun was about to go down. Draco stretches next to her and sits up. "Are you hungry?", y/n asks him. Draco shrugs but y/n knows him well enough that that means yes. They end up ordering pizza and watching y/n's favourite movie. Setting up the telly, Draco is fascinated by the technology and asks a bunch of questions about how it works without magic which y/n definitely can't answer. She lets Draco choose a movie afterwards and they spend the evening rotting on the couch. Eventually, the titles roll and y/n sits up stretching. She peeks over to Draco whose eyes are closed. Did he really fall asleep?, she thinks and pokes his cheek. He wrinkles his nose and opens an eye. "Sleepy? Wanna settle for the night?", y/n asks and Draco yawns and nods. They get up and climb up the stairs to y/n's room. After brushing their teeth, they climb into y/n's bed and Draco pulls her close. Y/n leans her head against his and lets her hand rest on his chest. Draco gently strokes over her back and places soft kisses on her forehead, her cheeks and her nose. Y/n crooks her head and meets him in a soft kiss. It's slow and sweet. Draco puts his hand into her hair and pulls her face closer to him, deepening the kiss. Y/n's heart starts beating faster. They kiss like this for a bit until Draco rolls her over so that y/n lays flat on her back. Draco hovers over her while continuing to kiss her. Y/n puts her hands behind his neck and one of Draco's hands runs up and down her sides. Y/n feels goosebumps forming all over her body. Draco's hand finds the hem of her shirt. His fingers dip under it, softly circling the skin of her hip. He leans his head back for a moment. "Is this okay with you?", he asks. Y/n nods breathlessly, not trusting her voice to say yes. She's expected it to happen tonight. Hell, she kinda hoped it would. Draco pushes his hand under her shirt exploring the warm, naked skin underneath it. Y/n lets her hands run down his back and pulls his shirt up a bit. Draco sits up for a moment and pulls it over his head. Y/n stares up at him in awe. He looks even more pale than usual with the moonlight hitting his skin the way it does at this moment. She sits up a bit and runs her hand down his chest. Draco gently pulls on the neckline of her shirt, silently asking for permission to take it off as well. Y/n swallows. She's nervous. "We don't-", Draco starts but y/n cuts him off by pulling her shirt off as well. Draco doesn't say or do anything for a few seconds. Then he slowly traces a line from her shoulder over her collarbone down to her chest. He leans forward again, kissing her deeply while finally cupping her chest with his hand. Y/n lets herself fall back on the pillow.

She won't worry about anything tonight. Not about her parents or Draco's parents. About whether or not a wizard and a muggle can be together. By the time Draco's hands wander down to her pants, she has forgotten about most of it.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Tag list: @gypsylilim @caffeine-addict-slug @huiiline @rclector @am0iur @nofacenonamelikekira @0iheartu @jahaina @eringaitskill @jae-is-confused @stormy-stardust @a-beaverhausen @niyahzda1 @idkwatodoanymore @cumuluscranium @moongirl27 @smilefortae @idkimjusthereman @ethyxia @nana-jaeminie @thatswhatmakesmefree-blog

[Please leave a note if you'd like to be tagged too.]

#harry potter #draco malfoy fanfiction #draco malfoy imagine #draco malfoy imagines #draco malfoy x reader #harry potter fanfiction #harry potter imagine #wizarding world #draco lucius malfoy #draco malfoy x y/n

[celestialula]

is this safe? | eddie munson x fem!reader

pairing | eddie munson x fem! reader

summary | your boyfriend eddie takes you on a late night adventure near lover’s lake. 

wordcount | 1.271 words 

warnings | just eddie being eddie. fluff. slightly suggestive. 

a/n | this is my first post. let me know if you like it <3

"Please tell me this is safe," you asked from the bottom of the steep path along the rocks that Eddie was currently climbing up.

"This is totally safe," he answered in a less than confident tone.

"Please tell me this is safe without lying."

"You’re really demanding, you know that?" He said continuing up the path. "Just come on, it’ll be worth it. Trust me."

You didn't like the idea of climbing some rocks in the middle of the night after you'd just made your way out of the narrow path in the forest when it was a billion degrees below zero because even though you two decided to come here during spring, lover’s lake still managed to feel freezing at night. Even so, you zipped up your jacket a little higher and followed after your boyfriend who was eager to show you something amazing, according to him.

Nearly all the way up, a cold wind blew past causing your body to shiver. "Eddie, it’s freezing!"

Without hesitation, Eddie responded, "Well, I can think of a few ways we can get warm."

He climbed along the last rock before turning and reaching his arm out for you. Taking his hand, you rolled your eyes at his antics. "Ha-ha. I’m sure," you said standing up straight.

Already, the view was amazing. Trees surrounded you and the waxing moon hung low, casting a dim light over the dark night, making the lake beneath you look like a giant mirror with the way it reflected the moonlight. 

Eddie tapped your shoulder and then pointed his finger above you. You followed his gaze only to see a wooden building on top of two trees that had grown together. Your eyes grew wide and you parted your lips slightly when the realization hit you. So that had been Eddie’s plan from the very beginning, bringing you here was no coincidence. 

"The tree house from your childhood? The one you told me about?" You looked at him with stunned eyes.

He nodded, "I thought it was about time to share my special place with my special person."

You had imagined either Eddie making all of the stories with the magical tree house up or it being a handmade little tree house that was on the verge of collapse at best and had only space for one small child. But this, this was amazing. It looked beautiful and cozy with all the small little lanterns hanging from the open balcony. 

"Oh God, Eddie, I can’t believe it’s actually real," you looked astonished between him and the tree house right above both of you, "and wow, like, it’s huge." The ambiguity of your sentence hit you exactly a second later, but there was no opportunity to take it back. The knowing grin on Eddie's face gave away your faux pas even if you hadn’t noticed it. "No comment please."

"Aw, sweetheart, I don’t need to comment on that," he licked his lower lip, casually sliding his hands in the back pockets of his jeans, watching you with a mischievous gaze. "You know, I’m used to those kinds of statements."

You turned your face away from him with an eye roll, relieved that the darkness covered your rosy cheeks, although you had to admit that a slight smile played around the corners of your mouth. Taking in your surroundings, you took in a breath of clean air before looking up and suddenly noticing the wooden ladder which lead to the tree house. Shit.

"We need to climb that up, don’t we?" You asked Eddie, already knowing the answer but kind of hoping for him to surprise you with a different one.

"Exactly," he answered shortly. Even though the treehouse looked sturdy, you didn't feel quite comfortable climbing up a long wooden ladder.

You took a step closer to Eddie and wrapped your arms around him as he did the same. He was far warmer than you were right now, which only drew you in closer, and his closeness then caused your heart to beat faster. You lifted your gaze to meet his brown orbs.

His eyes were the warmest you’d ever seen and caught your breath when you first saw him and every day after. You stood on your tiptoes to close the gap when Eddie pulled back.

"Not until we get up there."

"Really?"

"Think of it as an incentive," Eddie suggested.

You groaned, hating being deprived of him. "You’re really demanding, you know that?" you repeated him, earning a grin from Eddie.

"After you," he motioned to the ladder with a slight bow.

You glared but headed up the ladder one step at a time anyways.

"Is this so that you can catch me if I fall, or so you can stare at my ass the whole way up?"

Beneath you, Eddie paused. "Well, I think both are valid motives."

You rolled your eyes once again. "You know we’re gonna have to climb all the way back down the way we came, right?"

"I wouldn’t necessarily say we have to climb all way back down tonight. I’m sure we could come up with something to do between now and the morning."

"Well, all can be decided once I get this stupid door open," you agreed, pushing on the trapdoor above you that wouldn’t budge.

Eddie climbed up behind you, his body innocently flushed against yours. "Here, let me help," he said, stretching over you to lift the door.

Your cheeks heated up, four layers of fabric being the only thing keeping your skin from his.

The trapdoor finally flung open when Eddie hit it with his fist. "Sometimes it sticks."

All you could do was nod as you climbed into the tree house, your boyfriend following after. The room was only slightly warmer than outside, or it just seemed like that to you. Old counters lined two of the walls, while a door leading to the balcony lined another, and a table next to a small window took up the last. Clean blankets were stacked on top of the old table and unlit candles were displayed across the counters.

Eddie grabbed one of the blankets and pulled you outside the door to the balcony. You sat down against the wooden house with the blanket around the two of you and your arms encircling one another, facing the forest and the lake under the moon.

What was once amazing now became an incredible view, and what once was a sped up heartbeat now became butterflies battling within your ribcage.

You looked to Eddie who was already looking at you. Your noses were just barely touching but your eyes made contact. His drifted down to your lips, giving you the only indication you needed to tilt your head and close what little space was between you.

The touch sent adrenaline through your body before you felt completely at peace. Eddie’s hand grazed over your cheek before he lightly pulled you even closer.

Your eyes fluttered open as you parted, his warm hand still on your cheek.

He whispered your name, not wanting to break the peacefulness.

"Yes?" You asked back softly, entranced by his wide eyes.

"I love you."

A smile spread over your face and more butterflies fluttered around. "I love you too, Eddie," you said back. And nothing you’ve ever said felt more true.

After a moment of him grinning stupidly at you, and you grinning stupidly at him, you looked out at the trees below.

"Eddie?"

"Yeah?"

"Are you sure this is safe?"

Eddie laughed to himself and pulled you in closer, resting his head on yours.

· · · ·  -ˋˏ ༻❁༺ ˎˊ- · · · ·

thank you for reading <3

#eddie munson #eddie munson x reader #eddie munson x you #eddie munson x y/n #stranger things s4 #eddie munson imagine #eddie munson reader insert #eddie munson x female reader #eddie munson fluff #eddie munson blurb #eddie munson drabble #stranger things #st4 #eddie munson fanfic #stranger things x reader #eddie munson oneshot #eddie munson x reader fluff #stranger things imagine #stranger things fluff

[maytheleiabewyou]

Analysis of the German gay film #freierfall / #freefall PART 3

For the 10th anniversary (omg! 10 years already!) of one of my favorite movies I decided to make an analysis of the film and especially of the scenes between these two great actors. Max Riemelt and Hanno Koffler. Kay and Marc. Marc and Kay.

HERE IT IS PART 3:

I'm back bitches! Now we are closer to the best scenes of the movie. (yay!)

When we like someone there is always that moment when we already have a slight idea of our feelings for the other person and we kind of avoid them a bit or play hard to get (what's the point? If in the end we're going to fall for them anyway) That's what happens when Marc tells Kay he doesn't want to go running and ignores him at the gym (Marc honey, who do you think you can fool?) This scene actually has a lot to do with the title of the movie #FreeFall. When Marc decides not to go running in the woods he is deciding not free falling with Kay (what he doesn't realize yet is that there is little he can fight against that).

Now we enter into THE scene in the film that justly appears on the poster advertising it. There is so much to comment on here that I don't know where to start. Let's start with the soundtrack. BTW, here is the Spotify playlist of the soundtrack. (Look the names of the songs!)

We see Marc running alone through the forest and the music manages to coordinate with the rhythm of the apprentice policeman. The chords of this song provoke restlessness, intrigue and above all expectation for what is going to happen next. As the shot moves away from Marc's face and encompasses the entire forest path, a deeper note announces Kay's arrival.

When Kay reaches him he greets him with the phrase that unites them, "Breathe evenly" and always with a sympa attitude. Kay, not receiving an answer, repeats those two words again and Marc responds angrily, pushing Kay's hand away to give Marc a little slap on the back of the head and exhorts him to stop.

When they stop running, they stop in an area where the number of trees prevents the light from entering clearly. It is no coincidence that almost all the moments, especially the first ones, take place in the forest. It is their comfort zone, their safe place, where they do not have to hide because it is a place that by its very nature is a remote and intimate place. In the forest they can be themselves. Apart from their gestures and attitudes, it is very important to extract the maximum of the symbolism provided by the different elements for the understanding of the film.

Kay approaches slowly and Marc, without taking his eyes off Kay, moves backwards. A clear sign of avoiding what is coming, of fighting what is going to happen. Until Marc stands still. Kay's hand goes like lightning to Marc's face and Marc insists on fighting the irresistible. Marc is acting quite aggressively. This happens again and again until…

Kay grabs him tightly and manages to embrace him so that Marc cannot escape successfully. Although Marc is almost at the end of the cliff that leads to the free fall, he continues to shake his head, trying to push Kay away in a very subtle way and without putting up much resistance. They are very close to each other. They are able to inhale the air the other exhales. Until there is no distance that can separate them anymore because Kay is kissing Marc hard.

Although it is a forced kiss, Kay opens his eyes from time to time to check on Marc. And Marc's lips follows Kay's. It is something aggressive where the sexual tension between the two is undeniable. Even the viewer here is breathless. Kay has launched into kissing him, but they are short, soft kisses.

Consent comes more clearly when Kay pulls down Marc's hood very slowly leaving him time and space to escape, but Marc decides to stay. (I adore this moment!) He decides to stay with Kay. Kay kisses him grabbing his cheek gently and tenderly. And I say Marc's consent comes here because the time it takes to remove his hood Kay is announcing to Marc that he is going to continue kissing him. Now they both have their eyes closed and Marc is very horny (well actually both of them) when Kay's hand is already touching his cock. Kay continues to kiss him passionately like there is no tomorrow.

They have already free fallen, not into the abyss but into the pleasure and passion they find in each other. Their skins call each other, claim each other, need each other.

All rational thinking is dead and there is only the fieriness and the desire to each other. We know this from the clumsy and rapid movements between them, where touch and smell have been enhanced and they are eager to smell and touch each other. And especially when Kay can't stop masturbating Marc. When Marc catches his breath and seems to be satisfied thanks to Kay, Kay can't stop giving him little kisses on the cheek like a little boy. Kay is so cute.

Buuuuuut, Marc has come to his senses and his body begins to reject Kay when he denies him those kisses. Rational thinking has come back to life and all he wants to do is run out of there. They both look at each other but they have completely different messages. Kay is looking for a reaction, for Marc's feedback of what just happened when he grabs his arm again, and Marc, even though he looks at Kay, has a blank stare and can only think of running away. Run away from there, run away from Kay.

(This is the first time we really see Marc running fast hahaha).

*Controversy of this scene* When I saw the movie for the first time, I loved this scene. It is the first scene where there is a real physical and sensual contact between them, it is the first time since the movie starts that there is no doubt that they are attracted to each other, that there is something more between them than a joint training to be a cop.

When I watch it, I see a scene with a lot of realism, I see a couple of men who desire each other and that very likely could happen in real life. The speed, the aggressiveness, the clumsiness, the tenderness that they both exude. If it is true that after watching the film many times this is not (at all) my favorite scene between them. I'm not saying I do not like it, but now with a more feminist perspective I can come to understand why this scene has been controversial. I can see what many people has pointed out and is that Marc's willing is not much taken into account and only reigns Kay's insistence. The scene does contain violence. I understand the voices that demand a more consensual, slow and conscious first kiss, but we are talking about characters that embody the stereotypical rough, aggressive and police male. And I think if Marc had felt violated he would have seriously stopped Kay and not kissing him back.

Thanks for all the feedback from the previous publications and to the owners of the gifs I used (I loved them! @everythingmaxriemelt & @jaketwistandjakegyllo ), here you have the 1st & 2nd parts in case you missed them <3

#free fall #gay cinema #gay movies #hanno koffler #lgtbq characters #gay story #freier fall #marc x kay #max riemelt #i hope you like it #thanks for the interest #thanks for reading #passion

[sailorgundam308]

BG3 introspection bit

This one isn't edgy or funny. I just feel like sharing, prompted by seeing how, indeed, BG3 is one of the greatest if not THE greatest pieces of entertainment we've got in a long while. But I know for so many people it turned out to be much more than just that. That includes me. To make a long story short, I've been living a full world away from my loved ones for almost a decade, in a place that is particularly hostile towards me. I'm here out of necessity and choice, since my other option happens to be worse. It's been shockingly lonely, until I grew used to the isolation. Still, I made do. I make do. Around a few years back, and especially last year, things took a turn for the much worse. I've spiraled into a very, very dark place, which in turn isolated me even more from other people - but also from myself.

Being so far away from familiarity and the things I love worn me down, and disconnected from who I am and what I enjoy. To the point I effectively stayed in a limbo, frozen in time, empty, for the past years. It's been way more scary than when I was obviously and loudly sad or depressed, because at least then I had energy to react in some way. As an artist by profession and by passion, it was even more concerning that I could not create ANYTHING - words, images, even concepts. My mind had been simply silent, dead. I quite literally spent the last 3-4 years just existing, going to my job like a mindless clockwork because otherwise I wouldn't be able to make rent and end up getting deported. I knew I was utterly and completely lost, and had no idea what I could grab onto to pull me out. It was as if I couldn't move - I did not really wanted to, somehow.

It happens to everyone, I think, that sometimes a seemingly random thing that you engage with unexpectedly becomes a sort of lifeline. It happened to me once before, during a complicated part of my teens. And now it seemed to have happened again because I decided to play Baldur's Gate 3. I mentioned before, I am a bit older and have played BG1 and BG2, and also DnD and the like. I've always been the nerdy artsy type, and it had always fueled my imagination and gave me energy to keep creating, keep moving, searching, growing.

It was really a struck of luck that I heard the news that BG3 was a thing. I was so isolated I did not engage with any piece of media anymore - I watched no news, no movies, no series, read no books. When I think about it, it's really scary how I felt absolutely nothing, how truly empty of any will to live I was. But it's been wild for a while now. I happened to be on 'vacation' when BG3 got released, and I was sucked into it like I was desperate. And I probably was. I needed anything to take me away from where I was, who (or the lack of) I had become. The game did just that. It's not a coincidence I put 750+ hours in it. I could not stand looking at my own circumstances and somehow I managed to finally escape anywhere else. While I recognize I went to the opposite extreme of (problematic) engagement, I also saw how my mind seeemed to switch on again after a while - as if I was reminded of how it used to be.

Ideas, cohesive thoughts, images, the unavoidable urge to move, to create something - all these things that made me ME started to come back.

I remembered how much I enjoyed fantasy, fiction, having ideas, organizing, planning, making things come true - how much just marking a paper with a pencil brings me joy. How my own mind can be rich and exciting, and how I have the skills to translate those impulses into reality. And that is what made me, all my life. It's hard to explain how I feel after 4 years not creating a single thing, having no impulse or creative idea and watching life pass in a haze, now I feel like I'm finally reconecting to something precious. My doctor even pointed it out, how it seems I'm finally waking up after years, coming out of whatever dark hole I've been in.

While it's been a short while, I'm very aware this is essentially a hyperfixation, but for someone who (even though I tried) could not feel anything towards anything for so long, this seems like a blessing. And I'm doing my best to make a stair out of it - use the momentum to branch out into other things I know I need and miss, the other things that have always been part of my life that I'd let go of.

I'm probably not the only one who clicked with this game, and it somehow pulled us out of strange, scary places. Even though it's a lot of projection on our part, people in such situations need something they relate to in order to project onto, to grab to float. Not everything works, it must be something special to the person at the right time. Lucky me that Baldur's Gate 3 happened when it did, the way it did, and that I was where I was.

I'm really, truly happy I stumbled onto the news of the game, for whatever reason took action to actually buy it, open and play it. When I did, I had no idea it would be the lifeline I'd grab onto. But it's been, and it meant so much to me. That's all of my sad introspective blurb. I have no way of explaining how thankful I feel to everyone who put this game together. While it wasn't the intention of the creators, BG3 gave me the push I so desperately needed and that nothing else had managed to.

I'd still be lost in a very dark place without it.

:')

#baldur's gate 3 #bg3 #personal #tw mental health #tw depression #serious shit #introspection #kinda random #very raw #blurb

[miss-andromeda]

In A Storm With My Best Dress

Universe: TMNT 2012

Turtle of Choice: Donatello

Prompt: “Well, that didn’t go as planned…”

Song Inspirations: Fearless (Taylor’s Version) by Taylor Swift, Streets by Doja Cat

Non-canon to my main story, as Andi and Don are 19. There’s no explicit smut, but it does get quite spicy - to be safe, I would consider this NSFW. Read at your own risk.

----------

“Come in.” Donnie’s voice, laced with drowsiness, echoed through the closed door. Andi smiled to herself as she lightly pushed it open, gritting her teeth at the creaking. April’s farmhouse was definitely showing its wear at this point - considering they had been going there since they were 16, it made sense that three years and seven pairs of feet against the floorboards would wear them down. 

“Hey.”

Donnie smiled softly at the sight of her, putting the book he was reading aside. “Hi, enchantress. What’s got you awake at 12:30 am?”

“How about we do something kind of adventurous?” She chuckled to herself as Donnie raised a nonexistent eyebrow. “Let’s go into the woods. See if we can find any plants to dissect; evening primroses, Japanese wisteria, and stuff like that. And maybe catch some fireflies while we’re at it. Like we’re little kids.”

Donnie’s confusion melted into an intrigued, slightly smug smile. “What made you want to do this, exactly?”

Andi’s confidence faded a bit as her arms went subconsciously around her stomach. “No reason, per se. I, um…” She fumbled for a reason - all while Donnie maintained that annoyingly adorable smile. “I just think it’d be fun, that’s all.” She then smirked at him, wanting to turn the tables. “I’m just surprised that you’re not jumping at the chance to go with your girlfriend into an isolated area, in the middle of the night, with no one following us.”

But Donnie didn’t fall for it, only chuckling back. “I’m not Casey, enchantress. I’d like to think I have at least 100 more IQ points than him.”

Andi laughed to herself as she nodded in agreement. “My point still stands, are you coming with me or not?” And when Donnie only smiled at her, this time genuinely, Andi knew that was her answer right there.

----------

“It’s oddly beautiful out here, don’t you think?” 

“Definitely. Especially considering we’re not constantly facing threats from rage-bent mutants, or alien robots, or a spiteful master of ninjutsu who wanted nothing more than to destroy us.”

“Or a hate-fueled understudy that was bent on revenge and wanted nothing more than to finish what she started all those years ago.” Andi gave him a little smile as Donnie lightly squeezed her shoulder in comfort. “It’s fine now. She’s in the past, and she’ll stay there as far as I’m concerned.”

Donnie gave her a matching smile as he leaned in to lightly kiss her cheek. “You’re really done with her, huh?” When Andi nodded, his smile widened. “Good. You should be.”

She was about to respond, but her mind went blank as she felt a little drop against her arm. “What the…” Upon noticing it was rainwater on her skin, Andi’s eyes went wide as she stared at the sky. “You’ve got to be kidding me…”

As if to answer her question, another drop of rainwater landed directly on her forehead, making her both grimace and growl. “Don, run with me as fast as you can.”

Donnie didn’t need to say anything as he grabbed her hand and did just as she said, running as fast as he possibly could. They made it to the farmhouse in record time - but they still ended up looking like wet dogs (or at least, Andi did) by the time they made it back to the porch.

“Well, that didn’t go as planned…” Donnie mumbled as he had taken off his bandana, wringing out the excess water in it. While he wasn’t happy, he wasn’t furious either. It was just a major coincidence that the one night that he and Andi went outside into the woods to spend some time together, it rained.

Andi, meanwhile, was practically fuming as she crossed her arms, her hair matted to her face and her bow and pink t-shirt spotted with rainwater. “You think?” She muttered as she scowled at the now-soaked ground. “I should’ve researched whether it would rain tonight…such a dumb mistake…” She added, but softened almost immediately as Donnie pulled her into a hug to calm her down. “I’m sorry…I just hate that we had to get interrupted by the weather of all things…” She mumbled against his plastron, making him weakly smile as he left a kiss on her wet hair. 

“How ‘bout we go inside, dry off, and you change into something else? We can sneak out another time.”

Andi chuckled to herself at that. “What, so you want to sneak out next time?”

“Enchantress, I’ll do anything if it’s with you.”

Her heart fluttered as her smile increased and she pulled away to meet his eyes. “Let’s go.”

Donnie led her inside at the simple command and back upstairs, this time to her bedroom. “I’ll get you a towel.” He offered, making her smile softly as thanks. He then headed to the linen closet next to the bathroom, grabbed a worn but still usable white towel, and came back to her, letting her take it and wrap it around herself. “I’ll leave you be.” He smiled at her as he watched her go inside to her room, then went back to the closet to get another towel for himself. He was relieved that as a mutant, he dried much quicker than Andi did - and most of the rainwater from him was left on the porch. 

He quickly dried himself off, then tossed the damp towel in the washing machine in the laundry room. Tomorrow (or rather, in the daytime) would be laundry day, so April would take care of it while they were staying here. 

He walked back upstairs to the same scene as before. The hallway was quiet, but the sounds of snoring (likely from Mikey) echoed faintly from one of the bedroom doors. Rolling his eyes fondly, he decided to see if Andi was done yet. She normally didn’t take long to get dressed, and admittedly, there was a side of him that just wanted to hold her and go to sleep. The rain tapping against the windows was oddly comforting, and the thought of cuddling with Andi while listening to that sounded oddly soothing. 

But what his big mistake was…he forgot to knock. 

“Andi, are you-”

It was only a split second, but it was the first time he had seen her bra - white with a little bow in between the cups. 

Of course she wore a bra with a bow on it.

Of course.

“What the- Donnie, out!” Andi whisper-yelled to him as she scrambled to find a shirt, her face turning scarlet from embarrassment. Donnie did just that as he silently slammed the door, his face somehow turning a darker red than hers was. All the while, he was mumbling frantic apologies and how he swore on Darwin’s beard that he would never do anything that dumb again. 

But as he waited outside, his face still burning and his breathing a tiny bit…shallow, weirdly enough, he started to form a mental image in his head. She looked…beautiful like that. It was a weird sense of innocence and vulnerability, and even if he knew that he was not meant to see such a thing, it didn’t stop him from having an internal spontaneous combustion. Like his mind just went blank upon seeing her like that.

Maybe it was just primal instinct (he was a turtle at heart, anyway), but there was something about that image that Donnie never wanted to erase from his mind. 

In fact, there was a part of him that…almost wanted to see Andi like that again, as perverted as that sounded.

He was thankfully interrupted when Andi opened the door, now wearing a white top with pink text - saying ‘Made of SArCaSm’ - each element was written like it was part of the periodic table. But what was also prevalent was her flushed face. 

Very her. 

“So can we agree to just…never indulge that with anyone?” She asked, her voice still a soft whisper at the risk of waking someone up. 

When Donnie only nodded (his tongue felt so heavy that he could barely get the words out), Andi’s lips curled into a little smile as she led him into her bedroom, then shut the door behind her. “Is there a reason why you’re not speaking, professor?”

That nickname. Normally, it was endearing and Donnie always found himself either beaming or blushing (or both) when she used it. 

But now…it was not helping his burning face or the fact that his breathing was still a little bit shallow. 

“Don?”

Now she was starting to get concerned. He never acted like this; sure, he got flustered or embarrassed around her at times, but it was never to the point where he looked like he was about to pass out. 

“Hon? Are you-mmph?!”

She was cut off by Donnie kissing her with an unusual sense of reckless passion, cupping her jaw with his hands. Normally, he was much more delicate and pristine with her, always treating her like she was made of porcelain china, and the slightest jolt or drop would destroy her forever.

But here, all gentleness was out the window. And while it was a bit jarring (and frankly, startling at first,) Andi had to admit, she liked it. 

But it was over before it began; Donnie pulled away with an even redder face (if that was possible) and analyzed what he did. Her lips were a bit puffy and red, her eyes were wide and the look of confusion (but also…slight desperation? What?!) were so prominent. 

But he knew that if he said it wasn’t one of the most amazing sights he had ever seen, he’d be a liar. 

“What…was that for?” Andi breathed out as their eyes met. Judging by her tone, she was not about to start complaining, but she was more startled than anything. 

“I’m…” Donnie bit his tongue as he looked at the floor. He wasn’t about to apologize for doing that, but at the same time, he didn’t know what really came over him. 

Wait, yes, he did. 

That image.

“Andi…seeing you like…” He swallowed the heavy lump in his throat as he proceeded to explain himself. “...that, it um…triggered something…in me. I-I don’t know what, but it’s this feeling where I just want to be with you and love you like the goddess you are and-mmph…”

He was cut off this time by Andi kissing him in response - and he knew why. Partly to shut him up, partly because of the way her irises changed as he spoke. They became a bit more hooded, and he could’ve sworn that instead of looking into his eyes, she was looking directly at his lips, just waiting for the moment to make her move. 

And before either of them knew it, they were on her bed, and the kiss had gotten more feverish. Hands started to wander a bit, teeth started to collide, and with how warm they were so close together, it felt like the two of them would explode as a fireball if they weren’t careful.

Andi gasped against his lips as she felt his hand slip up her shirt and brush his fingers against her bra - likely to fuel his newfound fascination with it. She grabbed his bandana straps and ran her fingers along his neck, making him gasp and churr, before moving his lips down to her own neck.

But before he did, though, she gave him what he was clearly wanting. She pulled him away, and then slipped her shirt off, her bra free for his viewing pleasure.

This was a first. There was just something in the air that made them both want to just leap headfirst into unknown waters.

But unknown or not, Donnie’s kisses reverted to how they always were - soft, feathery, and leaving Andi sighing in contentment. He scattered kisses all across her neck; even dipping down even further to her collarbone as a little bonus. And that was something Andi always loved about him; he managed to be both teasing and gentle with her - even in the most intimate (and vulnerable) moments.

And that was never more evident than when Andi let out in between soft whines and gasps, “Is that all you’ve got?”

Oh.

Oh.

Never did it feel more perfect to do more. 

Letting his instincts take over fully, Donnie started to bite softly at her neck, making her finally moan into her pillow. And never did he hear a more beautiful, yet…almost carnal sound. 

He wanted more the second he heard it. 

So he found the spot that made her shudder the second he found it - and started alternating between biting and sucking softly. And when he heard her start to whimper and moan quietly as she bit her lip, something…unlocked in him. 

He liked hearing her like that. 

He loved seeing her like that. 

When he was finally satisfied and pulled away, his lips quirked up into a smirk as he saw the mark he left, but thankfully, Andi didn’t notice as he went back to kissing her collarbone. 

It was only when his hand started slipping behind her back to fumble with her bra straps did she gasp and shake her head. “Wait, Don…not now.”

Immediately, the sensual look in his eye faded and he went back to being his normal self. He nodded and gave her a little smile, handing her shirt back to her as he pulled her into his chest to cuddle. “Well, that was definitely an, um…interesting way to improvise.” He mumbled, making Andi snort quietly with laughter. 

Always such a dork with her. 

“Yeah, you’re telling me…” She agreed, but then her lips quirked downward. Something was on her mind. “Um, you’re not…mad at me, are you?” She asked, looking up to meet his eyes. 

Donnie’s nonexistent eyebrows furrowed in worry. “What? Why would I be mad?”

“Well, because we didn’t…you know…” She muttered, her face starting to turn hot at the implication she was making. 

He only ‘tsked’ and shook his head, pulling her closer. “Andi, I’m never mad with you. And I’m never going to be mad about that. I want you to be comfortable, and if you want to wait a while, that’s completely fine with me. You just let me know when you feel completely, and totally, 100% ready. Like I said, I’ll do anything if it’s with you.”

Andi’s eyes filled with warmth as she pulled him even closer to her. “How’d I get so lucky to get you?” She mumbled into his plastron.

Donnie smiled at her and smoothed her hair back, leaning down to kiss her forehead. “I’m the one that should be asking that.”

She smiled up at him, but now her eyes held a hint of playfulness. “That’s definitely one of the cheesiest things you’ve ever said in the four years we’ve been together.”

Donnie’s giggle echoed throughout the bedroom as he left another kiss on her head. 

----------

The morning sunlight flooded the bedroom - especially considering Andi had opened the curtains the day before to watch the sunrise with Leo. But this time, she and Donnie had gleefully slept through the sunrise, still wrapped up in each other’s arms and with little smiles on their faces. 

But the quiet was broken as Mikey opened the door with a huge grin and holding a frying pan. “Hey-” But then he noticed the two were asleep, and lowered his voice to his normal tone. “Hey, dudes, come on. Breakfast is ready, made by yours truly.”

They were promptly woken up at that - Donnie yawned and stretched his limbs, while Andi rubbed at her eyes and smoothed at her hair. They looked like wrecks, but unlike normally, they didn’t seem grumpy. It was probably because of the moment they shared in the middle of the night, but regardless of what it was, the smile they shared as Andi addressed Mikey was warm and soft. “We’ll be down in a few minutes, Mikey.” She told the youngest brother, making him give them a thumbs up.

“Gotcha! Just try to be quick in case you want-” Mikey then noticed something on Andi’s neck - a red mark with a hint of purple. “Whoa, Andi, what happened to your neck?” But then he thought of something. “Ohh, did you get into a wrestling match with the vacuum trying to get your Crognard action figure back too?” He then nodded to himself, as if he just figured it out perfectly. “Been there, done that, girl.”

“What?” Andi slightly yelped, her hand going to her neck. When she ran to the little vanity in the corner of the room and peeked at the mark on her neck, she looked at Donnie through the mirror. “Really?”

Donnie only chuckled nervously and rubbed the back of his neck. “Ah, well, you know-” Before he could finish his own sentence, he booked it out of the bedroom and ran down the stairs, tittering to himself along the way. 

Shaking her head, Andi managed a little smile to Mikey. “Excuse me, Mikey. I’ve got to go kill your brother.” She then raced after him, her messy hair flowing in the wind. “Get back here!” She yelled, completely ignoring the confused looks that the two of them got from everyone else.

----------

@leosgirl82 @thelaundrybitch @turtle-babe83 @tinkabelle19 @happymoonangel @margoteve @android-cap-007

Here's my submission for this month's All 4-1 Challenge! Hope you enjoy 😊 🩷

#TMNT All 4-1 Challenge #tmnt 2012 #donatello #original character #original work #oneshot #inspired by music

[autumnalwalker]

ROY G BIV tag

Thank you for the tag, @druidx. This looks like a fun new one.

Passing the (entirely optional) tag to @rickie-the-storyteller, @on-noon, @yourlocalboredprocastinator, @ghost-town-story. @broodparasitism, @itusebastian, @void-botanist, and an open tag for anyone else.

Rules: Search your your writing for the colours of the rainbow and post the excerpt

Red: Empty Names - 14 - Down Low

When Ashan finds her some ten minutes later with a satiated smile on her face and watching the spider pull in their stygian catch from the lake, the cut on Eris’s forehead has already healed.  None of the blood painting her new armor red is hers.

Orange: The Archivist's Journal, Day 78

As long as I’m writing, I suppose I ought to take a moment to describe the landing area.  It was another jutting cliff with an arch on the end, like Siren Overlook and the one we encountered to the west.  Twice could be a coincidence, but three times and I’m convinced the whole formation is artificial, not just the arch, columns, and pool.  It wasn’t nearly so overgrown as the western dock – if anything the columns were in better shape than at Siren Overlook – but whereas Siren Overlook was mostly covered in short grass with the occasional tiny white flower or stubborn shrub this was a veritable field of bright orange flowers broken only by the water lily filled pool running down the center.

Yellow: The Archivist's Journal, Day 60

Doffing my boots and carrying them in one hand, I waded in a short ways as I walked the perimeter of the spring.  It’s curious how unafraid the fish and turtles swimming the shallows were of me.  Most I could practically get within arm’s length before they darted away, and if I stood still for a few minutes, small schools of finger-length yellow fish would congregate in my shadow.

Green: The Archivist's Journal, Day 9

Hurrying to catch up with my young companion I pushed my way through the crooked door only to nearly trip over her.  The morning light had transformed the interior space from a surreal void to an awe-inspiring expanse.  Light filled the central nave.  As green leaf-filtered streams on the high side windows.  As vertical golden rays replacing the prior night’s columns of rain from holes in the roof.  As an iridescent wave coming in from the bare remains of a curved stained glass window backlighting the statue of the Reader.  All this reflected off the broad leaf and moss-filled puddles that stretched across much of the floor, still not evaporated days later.  The side aisles were a tangle of roots from the trees above, quite possibly doing as much to hold the structure up as the pillars separating aisle from nave.

Indigo: Witch's Testament: The Fighter

Weapons are raised and aimed.  The crowd begins to back away.  Someone above cracks a joke about how they should have just skipped to waving guns around if it was going to be this easy to solve the problem.

The crowd only backs off so far though, most that made it through the outer gate are still on the inside of it.  Those still stuck beyond push one another over the wall so some might get a better view.  A lone figure left behind by the receding sea of people remains standing in the middle of the reef of broken and smoking drones, tens of meters from the protesters behind him and the forces before him.  His dark clothes are long and billowing.  His pointed hat is wide brimmed to hide his face.  His serpentine familiar, assembled from scavenged and stolen parts, coils up one arm, over his shoulders, and down the other.

Someone in the line of hired guns makes an incredulous remark under his breath about cosplaying wizards.

The man corrects him to say that he’s a witch and his voice echoes through every loudspeaker, portable device, and auditory implant in the building.

The witch strides forward, his eyes glowing indigo from the shadows beneath his hat and matched by those of his slowly uncoiling familiar.

Someone gives an order to fire and an electrified dart wizzes past the unperturbed witch.  Six more darts miss.  Rubber bullets are loaded and combat implants lock in firing trajectories.

To the eyes of the security personnel, every shot should be a hit but impossibly passes through their target and out the other side.  To the eyes of the protestors the witch is walking through a hail of bullets that are all miraculously going astray.  To the eyes of the witch, every implant-assisted firing solution coming from the soldiers before him is being outlined in indigo and nudged to exactly where he wants it.

The witch has already crossed the security line and is on the steps of the building behind them by the time someone catches on and spins around to aim and fire manually.  His familiar rears up and hisses.  The shot goes wide as the entire security contingent seizes up, spasms, and falls to the ground.

The moment the witch crosses the threshold, every light in the building goes out, every door unlocks save for those to the roof and underground garage, and every camera becomes a witch’s eye.

Violet: A Dream About Purple

We are all too busy watching the game to notice anything wrong until a third team tries to take the field.  Their uniforms are purple and their hair appears to be dyed to match.  All of them wear the same vacant smile that crawled its way out of the uncanny valley and speak with offputting singsong voices. 

It is only then that we all look up and see the storm rolling in, stretching across the horizon with clouds of that same unnaturally vibrant violet.  Eerie music rides the wind ahead of the storm, heralding its imminent arrival. 

#tag game #writeblr #my writing #writers on tumblr #writing tag games #empty names #the archivist's journal #The Witches' Testaments #roy g biv tag #in retrospect this is just #find the word tag #That snippet for Indigo was actually written with this tag game in mind

[startouched--blog]

OKAY if this is too much context for a request, I completely understand!! Girlie's got to try through ✨️✨️

So this is probably very out of character??? I am a hopeless Jakurai yumejo and at some point the line between headcanons and canon blurred you know?

Jakurai's kink is having sex in various places and knowing only the two of you will ever know about it. I.e. camping, discreet area near the lake on a fishing trip etc...

The request is Matenrou & Jakurai's fem!s/o rent out a cottage at the beach for a day, and at the end of the day once hifudo went back, Hakurai lead her to a little secluded area on this opd withered wooden landing that was seperated from the boardwalk in a storm or something years ago idk

There's trees hiding it now but it's still close to everything, he laid out blankets and towels earlier that day and there's lit candles, a view of the sunset, and Jakurai sheepishly trying to explain what he's doing here to s/o's surprise but interest

and then you know they donk the bonk. ✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️

IF THIS IS WEIRD OR TOO MUCH I SO GET IT. I DONT KNOW WHY MY BRAIN RANDOMLY ONE DAY DECIDED THIS ABOUT HIM IT IS COMPLETELY BASELESS. OOPS ALL HEADCANONS love your writing hope you have a good day!! ✨️✨️

THE WAY YOU PHRASED THIS WAS SO SILLY TO ME I LOVED IT/POS. LIKE, DONK THE BONK,, I'm rlly glad you like my writing and decided to ask for something,, I also wanna sadly say that I can see Jakurai being into something like this. . .

SCENARIO - You and Matenro decide to book out a beach cottage, but Jakurai has a rather odd request for you, but who are you to not except a request from your lover

PAIRINGS - Jakurai x Fem!reader

GENRE - oneshot, NSFW at the ending portion

The two of you, Jakurai and yourself of course, have been together for a long while now, and even now it's hard to find time together with the overlapping schedules and work hours. Though, this week was one of those times where you were both able to request work off and just spend a relaxing time together, able to just take work off and see each other's faces during a time that wasn't midnight when you both prepared for bed.

What a lucky coincidence that Doppo and Hifumi had their times off around this week as well, odd but it was quite a relief for the 4 of you.

In a somewhat celebratory manner that you all had some sort of break to be had, Jakurai decided to treat you 3 and himself to a small vacation near the beach, in a cute little cottage locationed near the said beach side.

___

"aaaaah the weather is so good out here today right Doppomin?" The happy bundle of joy called Hifumi bounced and wrapped his arm around Doppo's shoulder, gaining a weary and tired look from him, but he wasn't all the way annoyed, he was enjoying it as much as everyone else was.

Jakurai quietly chuckled to the two in front of you, poking at each other as they playfully bickered. You were just calming standing beside your lover, gently holding onto his hand with your left, and right holding tight to a small cooler that held snacks and drinks.

You were so caught up in watching the other two that you didn't realize the gentle tug on your hand, Jakurai offering a gentle smile to you as he took you down to the beach, lined with people relaxing or splashing in the vast ocean, although he took the 3 of you to a more relaxed and quieter place to set down a towel and peacefully enjoy your time on.

That afternoon was a peaceful one for the most part, besides the part where Hifumi wanted to drag everyone into the water, ending in Doppo getting completely soaked from the splashes that were targeted at him. You had only gently splashed him, but even then I don't think it was appreciated no matter how much you did it.

"Doppomine~! jeez you got so wet! how did you even manage??" "I didn't."

The time spent by the seaside was short spent as the sun was slowly setting and letting the pinkish red sky fade off into the blues. Doppo and Hifumi wanted to head inside since they both of them were soaked and needed a change of clothes, but Jakurai had a rather different plan set in place for the both of you.

"s/o, after we get changed, would you mind following me?" Jakurai's voice was soft, not that it ever wasn't, but it was a soothing feeling. You simply nodded and got changed into dryer clothes, pulling your long hair up to let it dry out.

After you were both done getting changed, your lover took your hand gently in his and took you out behind the cottage, blocking out the bright sun rays that were casting down from the lovely looking sunset. He lead you off to a small blanketed area, little lights were set up for when it became too dark to see your surroundings.

"Do you like it? I set this up earlier while you were getting dressed this afternoon" he gently smiled to you, gaining a soft smile back in approval "I love it! I dunno how you found time for this, but it's impressive!"

He lead you off into the already dark area, sitting down before pulling you gently and placing you directly into his lap, his legs crossed with yours overlapping, the skirt you had changed into draping down over your thighs. He rested his chin onto your shoulder, mouth gently grazing over your neck, hands wandering lightly as he tried to sit as still as you could for him.

"something wrong, my dear? you seem to be quite. .quiet~"

You whined under his touch, his hands continuing to wander and touch every part of you, one resting onto your shivering thigh.

"Are you cold? it can get rather cold out here at night,, how about I help you warm up, my dear?"

You didn't know how to respond to his requests, so all you did was nod sheepishly up at him. He softly smiled and slowly moved your legs so they were separated against his body, his knee's holding one up higher than the other one "just relax,, I will make sure you warm up nicely"

He moved his fingers past your body, hands trailing to your lower abdomen, moving aside any undergarments' you were wearing to move his fingers closer and closer.

You whined out as his fingers slowly entered you and moved your insides aside for him to work his heat into you, the cold and frail body you had only shivering from his warm hands covering your cold existence. He worked himself deeper into you, gaining piles of reactions from you, legs wobbling and shaking.

"is this warming you up dear? I wouldn't believe you if you said it wasn't"

It was minutes before he actually stopped, finally releasing his imprisoned fingers, holding you up and removing parts and pieces of his own clothing choices. He softly spoke unspoken words into your ears as he entered you, spending no time at all to be your personal heater, making sure to touch every part of your insides and speak his warmth with you.

I hope you enjoyed! sorry if I cut it a little short.

#hypnosis mic x reader #hypnosis mic #hypmic #oneshot #jakurai jinguji #hypmic jakurai #hypnosis mic jakurai #Jakurai/reader #jakurai jinguji/reader

[twilightmalachite]

ABYSS - Epilogue 4

Author: Akira

Characters: Kanata, Madara, Kaoru, Souma

Translator: Mika Enstars

"Yet, you guys left something behind. How come?"

Season: Winter

Location: Seaside

Kaoru: Kanata-kun is just like his mother in that respect, huh?

Kanata: ? Kaoru, have you met my mother before?

Kaoru: Oh no, not at all. I mean, you guys and I never met in the past.

I just felt I could get a vague idea of what your mother was like, just by listening to the story. I feel she was probably just like you, Kanata-kun.

Kanata: Well, we did grow up in a similar “environment”.

We were raised to be a “god”, not a “human”, and lived life as such.

Kaoru: You all couldn’t stand to see “someone so pitiful”, so you all went out of your way to intervene, right? It sounds like Souma-kun and Mikejima-kun were trying to support and save Kanata-kun.

That’s probably the truth behind the incident, right? It’s possible you’re following in the footsteps of your mother’s life, Kanata-kun.

You also quit being “God” for one reason for another, without fully why yourself, didn’t you? Just like your mother.

Your feelings now and your mother’s feelings back then have quite a bit of similarities, don’t you think?

How you feel it would have been better if it all had just disappeared without a trace, leaving nothing behind, nothing to tell. But think about those you leave behind, ‘kay? It’s hard to clean up afterwards.

Yet, you guys left something behind.

How come?

Kanata: …Ahh, got it, I understand. Thanks to you Kaoru, I think I finally understand Mother’s “feelings”.

I love you all, so very much.

I’m sure Mother did as well.

I still wanted to stay among those who I love so very much.

Kanata: That’s why, I left it behind. Even if it was only a little bit. Even if it confused those who I had left behind.

I wanted you to think about me. And, I wanted you to remember me.

I left it behind because I wanted to remain in everyone’s “hearts”, didn’t I?

That’s all there is to it.

Souma: Shinkai-dono~! Mikejima-dono~! Oh, and Hakaze-dono, as well![1]

Kaoru: Don’t you just treat me poorly?

Kanata: Hehe. If anything, I envy that you seem to get “special treatment” from him.

Kaoru: Hmm, so you’re jealous of me too, huh? I’m kinda happy about that.

Souma: What are you talking about? More importantly, behold! The sky has begun to weep!

In short, it’s raining! Shouldn’t we all take shelter in the club room before we all get soaking wet?

Kanata: But I’m already “soaking wet”~

Souma: That you are…. You’ll end up catching a cold again, Shinkai-dono. You worry me. You must keep your body dry and warm.

To achieve that, taking shelter from the rain is necessary. And I would appreciate if you could help clean up the club room, in addition.

Madara: Right. It’s more efficient to do it with a crowd than by all by yourself, isn’t it?

I’ll lend you a hand. It’ll be for having helped me rescue Kanata-san in the past.

Souma: That’s very like you to say, Mikejima-dono, but… Isn’t the repayment you’re giving sort of out of proportion compared to the kindness I gave?

Madara: …Hahaha! ♪

Kanata: ? What’s so funny, Mikejima?

Madara: Nah, it’s probably just a coincidence. There are no ghosts or gods in this world, after all.

But it was as if your mother was concerned about you being by yourself, so she made it rain to give you company.

Though I know such a thing isn’t possible, but thinking about it made me laugh.

Kanata: Hehe, yeah, you’re right. Mother is no longer a god, she can no longer make it “rain”.

But, yes, I hope so too.

← prev | story directory

1. It’s not too noticeable in the screenshots, but it begins to rain in-game at this point!

#abyss #scout #translation #madara mikejima #kanata shinkai #kaoru hakaze #souma kanzaki

[aqua-loves-writing]

Chapter 4 part 4 is here!

CW: violence, blood, death

After the ground they stood on stopped quivering, they ran ahead to the path in front of them. The roar from earlier must have been from the dragon.

Please be safe. Please be safe. Please be safe. 

After a while, they reach a point in the tunnels, where small rays of light shined through the edges of a hidden door. 

“Do you think this is it?”

“Leave it alone!”

“Shut it, peasant!”

Before she was able to open it up, two voices screaming at each other burst into their ears.

“Miss, you don’t have to be involved with this. We could go find the evacuation route and you’d be safe to run away without getting caught.”

Despite the things Nexus said, she kicked the door open and made her way insides.

“Alright then. Let’s head on-”

He bumped into her back, “Ouch, is something the matter? Why are you standing like-oh?”

She kept looking around the area. A gigantic cave like room, over hundreds of soldiers could be brought here and there’d still be room for more. The cell rooms, whose iron bars were rusty and bent, were empty. The rough floor was covered with broken chains and shackles. Someone must have crushed them with a powerful weapon. She kept running all over the place, unable to find any sign of a living being.

“Hm, I should write down a report to the emperor about this.”

“I can’t believe this. Everyone is gone. Actually gone. But how? And when?”

She kept walking in circles, trying to figure out what had happened.

Let’s see, it has been a few hours since I’ve seen Mister Miroslav and I’ve gotten the keys to get off those chains. He was distracting the emperor, who later on came to that dragon’s cave. So he must have been brought back here. I don’t see any guards either, and I can’t recall if everyone was called to the ceremony. Maybe they managed to escape when no one was looking? Or maybe they knocked them out? Did he plan this out or something? I haven’t talked to him for a few days, but there’s no way he managed to come up with such a plan in only a few days.

As she kept things through, Nexus just stared, walking in circles alongside her.

“Miss. I apologize for interrupting your thinking sessions. But you might get dizzy if you keep this up.”

“Dizziness is the least of my problems at the moment, and why are you so calm about this? For some knight of miracles, you’ve barely been acting like one at all.”

“Whatever do you mean?”

“First, you just show up to me, saying you’re going against your boss's order to help the prisoner. Second, even after I knocked out several people, you didn’t arrest me and acted like I’ve done nothing wrong. Third, for whatever reason, you brought the keys for the cells, for some reason, and then you still call yourself a knight?! Just spare me the headache and tell me what’s your deal, are with or against these guys?”

He simply tilted his head hearing all that, “A yes or no question? I can’t really answer it like that.”

“Really now-”

“But I can give longer answers.”

She decided to tolerate it and hear him out,

“First of all, and I must admit it, it’s quite selfish, but the reason I’ve brought the keys with me, and went against the general, was simply to free someone. An old friend that I’ve wronged once."

He began walking around, her suspicions rising. “I know it sounds strange, but it’s true. He was caught while I was still young, and I wasn’t able to do anything about it. So I thought I could use today as my chance to free him after the ceremony. Though everything with the dragon, I must admit, was a pure coincidence.”

“Uh-huh. That still doesn’t answer my question.”

“You’ve got me there. You see, I do think myself a knight, not in my appearance, but in my values and morals.”

I don't even want to know what those are.

“However,” he turned his gaze away from her, “I do want the Emperor Dead.”

She stumbled back, hearing what he said. “Excuse me?”

His posture was the same, back straightened, holding his hands behind his back. It was hard for her to see if he meant anything he had said.

“Oh, I didn’t mean it literally,” he turned back, his uneasy smile on his face, “So, truthfully, I just want to free someone dear to me, and I wouldn’t mind helping others as well. Though the latter seems to be over and done with,” he giggled.

She distanced herself from him.

“I’ll leave you after this is over and done with, miss! The dragon and the general still pose a threat to the runaway, so I hope you’ll still have me for just a little while-”

“Hiss!”

Another sudden shout had echoed through the enormous cave. The ground quivered. The remainders of the prisoners' shackles kept vibrating. Nexus almost fell, but Alice managed to catch him.

“Fire.”

The sound of bow strings, arrows landing on the rocky ground. A long scream. coming through to her.

“Was that hi,?” she ran towards the source of those noises, leaving the strange knight behind.

“Wait for me, miss!”

She finds herself near the entrance of the room. Hiding behind a mine cart, she watched the scene unfold. There were two sides. One was General Benedict, his soldiers behind readying their bows. On the other was Miroslav, an arrow through his leg as he was under the protection of the dragon.

“What are you doing?” her old friend shouted. “Fly away already! This is none of your business!”

“Silence you peasant,” the general scoffed, the dragon still growling at them, “And you-fire away, soldiers!”

No matter how many times they tried to shoot at it, it simply burned down their arrows to ashes.

“Sir,” one of his soldiers yelled out, “We’re going to run out of arrows at this rate. Should we maybe use our own flames to fight?”

 “Are you insane?” the general shouted. “Do you want to spite the gods?! I don’t think so! Go grab more arrows if you’re that desperate!”

“On it, sir!”

The battle kept repeating itself, more blood coming from her friend's leg every second.

Crap. It doesn’t look like they’re going to stop anytime soon, and I doubt I’ll be able to get him out of her without being noticed. Maybe I should use my flames. No, it’s too risky. I’m too tired and their arrows could quickly strike me. Plus, I don’t know if it’s safe enough for me to reveal myself yet. What to do-

“General!”

All the attention was taken away from the fight. The guards stopped shooting, and the dragon began growling at someone else. They were all focusing on the knight of miracles, who was pulling up his dress as he bowed down.

She was gripping her helmet, “What. The. Hell. Is he doing?!”

“What the hell are you doing?” they asked almost in unison. “Shouldn’t you have evacuated out of here ages ago? And where are your guards? Have they’ve gotten in a fight with the escapees or-”

“No, sir!”

“Then what are you still doing here? Why didn’t you get out of here?!”

Please come up with a good excuse! It can’t be that hard.

“Oh, that? Simply put,” he poked his own cheek, “I didn’t want to, is all.”

I will die today, won’t I?

“Didn’t want to!? Have you lost your damn mind?! And what are you doing shielding that beast and peasant!”

The dragon had gotten closer to Miroslav. growling at the people watching them. 

“Oh that, I just want your clarification as to why you are threatening an innocent man and animal.”

“Innocent!” he kept shouting, “Because of that man, hundreds of prisoners have gotten away!”

“I see. That does make things complicated. But I do think we need to discuss things over with a judge and jury before we get violent!”

“Oh shut up,” the general stepped in, pushing Nexus into the ground.

“As for you.”

The dragon tried to spit fire at him, but he dodged it. He was able to grab it by its neck, choking it slowly.”

“Leave it be,” Miroslav tried to stand up, but his injury persisted.

“How cute, pitying this abomination of living being.”

“Dear general, I wasn't talking about you.”

“Aw, are those your last words,” he lifted his sword, ready to attack him, “You’ll regret saying them!”

“Enough!”

Just as the general was about to go through Miroslav’s body, Alice managed to repel his attack, his sword stuck in her spear.”

“Agh,” the shock caused him to let go of the dragon, immediately using its tail to hit his head.

“General,” his soldiers yelled as he fell to the ground.

“Ignore me! Go after it!”

The soldiers all came attacking the dragon, who flew right at them. This gave Alice the chance to help Miroslav get up on his feet.

“Mister, are you alright?”

“Little one? Is that you?”

“Yeah and we need to go,” she carried him over her shoulder, “I know a way out, so be careful and-”

“We can’t,” he let’s go off her, slowly crawling on the ground, “He needs to get out of here”

“He,” in front of her, she sees the flying beast fighting the soldiers. “The dragon?”

“Yes, please. We-

“Have you forgotten about me?!”

The general stood up, aiming his sword back at her old friend, but Alice managed to shield him off.

“I don’t know who you are, but I have had it with you already.”

“Little one!”

“I’ll be fine! Just stay behind.”

While the two parties fought, Nexus managed to stand up, cleaning off the dirt from his skirt.

“Knight of Miracles,” the soldiers called out for him, “Please, in the name of Ignia herself, help us against this creature!”

“Hm,” he looks at them, back to Alice and the general fighting, then back to them, “Gentlemen, I apologize but I have my priorities!”

“What?” they were shocked enough to give the dragon the opportunity to bite their weapons, crushing them to pieces.

“You fool,” the general yelled out, “Whose side are you on?”

“The side of the sick!”

Walking formally next to the fighting duo like it was nobody’s business, reaching his hand out to Miroslav.

“Want me to look at your injury, kind sir?”

“You,” he crawled back,his arms clearly shivering, “Do I know you?”

Nexus ignore that, “That doesn’t matter. Please let me take a-”

“Get away. I need to help it.”

When Miroslav tried to crawl his way to the dragon, Nexus grabbed him.

“Mister, please,” Alice yelled out while she was still fighting, “I’ll take care of the dragon, you just stay there and relax.”

“As if I’ll give you the chance!”

She kept on fighting him, even as she got more and more exhausted. She ducks down, trying to stab him in the stomach, he deflects it. Meanwhile, the dragon was able to knock out every single soldier, so it flew towards the two.

The general scoffs, kicking Alice in the stomach while using his sword to deflect the dragon's flames. He picked up her staff, with which he hit the face of the dragon, causing it to hit against the walls. 

“Crap.” Alice was too exhausted to stand up or to use her powers.

“Now, who’s gonna go first? The traitor, geezer, or beast?”

“General, please,” Nexus called him out, “Isn’t this unnecessary?”

“Shut it brat! This day has been exhausting already, and my patience is waning.”

He looked at Alice, who was struggling to get up.

“I don’t know what your deal is, but you annoyed me the most. What will your last words be?”

She tried getting her staff back, but he kicked it away.

“Have a nice rest.”

Her eyes were wide open. Blood splattered across her chest. Her body was frozen, she was only able to move up her arm. When she tried to reach it out, Miroslav pulled it down, with a sword going through his heart. He smiled, “You’re too young for this.”

He pulled the sword out, “Pathetic.”

“No, no, no no!”

She grabbed his body, shaking it several, “Mister Miroslav! Hey, can you hear me? Mister please!”

She looks over at Nexus, who tried to stop him but failed. The general began approaching the dragon, its wings widened as he watched.

“It’ll be fine! I promise, mister! We’ll stop the bleeding! Carry you outside, get you to a medic, and you’ll be all fine!”

“Child-”

“Look, there has to be some sort of spare cloth! Nexus, come here. Your dress should be good enough! Just keep your eyes.”

“Little one-”

“It’ll be fine! The exit is near, and you can go see your family again! It might be difficult but I’ll bring you to them! Just hang on for a bit! You’ll get back home! I promise-”

“Alice.”

After he said her name, he coughed up a ton of blood.

“Please,” his body got colder, “If you are going to help me, do this instead.”

His shaking hands pulled out the golden locket, its necklace covered in blood.

“Go to the capital of the fire region, Ashenwood, and bring this to my daughter Teodora Blazeheart-ahh!”

“Mister!”

“Please, this is all I ask of you!”

Her gaze kept shifting between the locket and his face. Gritting her teeth, she decided what to do, “I will bring this to her. I promise.”

“Thank you,” just as he gave her the necklace, his arm fell, and all life left his body.

She carefully put his body down, closing his eye for him. She got back at her feet, grabbed her staff and walked towards the general.

“Wait,” Nexus grabbed her arm, “I’m sorry-”

She shook him off. “You tried to stop him, right? This isn’t your fault.”

“But-”

“It’s his.”

With no other thought in her mind, she ran facing the general, who was aiming his sword at the still frozen dragon.

“Would you shut up?” the general faced her, just holding his sword sideways. which she kept hitting over and over again.

“What do you think this is going to achieve? He’s already dead.”

Her hits became weaker and weaker. He simply stood there, scoffing at her weak attempts.

“I’m getting bored. Can’t you shake up things a bit-”

She grabbed his arm, pulling his body to her.

“You asked for it!”

Blue flames flared up within her hands, reaching the ceiling of the enormous room. She began choking him. As he gasped for air, he tried to get off her grip, but he already fainted by then. She dropped him on the ground. Picking his sword off the ground and breaking it in half.

She looks back at Nexus, who didn’t do anything to stop her. “Was that enough for you?”

She takes off her helmet. The world could now see her red teary eyes, “I wish,”

She then looks at the dragon, using its wings to try to wake Miroslav up. She carefully approaches, reaching out her hands to touch him. “Hey-”

His tail slapped her hand, “Hiss!”

He flies up, lava flowing through his teeth. With a gigantic blast of fire, a giant hole appeared in the walls. He flies through his, his wings brushing off the long leaves of the nearby trees. Only a small shadow of his could be seen amongst the dark violet sky.

“Miss."

He tried to catch up to Alice, who was going through the hole. Her steps were big and slow, her vision got blurry. She fell to her knees before completely getting knocked out. She escaped, but was it worth it?

#my writing #rebellious flame #reflame #reflame chapters #chapter 4 #writeblr #writing community #creative writing #fiction #am writing #original fiction #writers on tumblr #writers corner #original novel #fantasy #adventure #LGBTQIA+ #queer lit #queer artist #queer writers

[cophene]

𝐊𝐈𝐒𝐌𝐄𝐓 | vento aureo; four.

☆ ⁺ « 𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐃 𝐎𝐅 𝐀 𝐌𝐀𝐍 𝐍𝐀𝐌𝐄𝐃 𝐙𝐄𝐑𝐎

previous chapter || next chapter || table of contents

pairing : vento aureo x gn reader summary : with virtually nothing left in their credit account, a gang of space thieves turn to the richest man in the galaxy to give them  a job worth millions. too bad those never come easy, even with stand abilities and a pretty-faced crew. notes : sci fi au, multi-chapter fic, sfw, doesn’t follow canon plot word count : 3.2k+

★˚⋆ FOR A SECOND, YOU ALL just stared at the turtle as though it had announced it was going to explode instead of requesting a higher vantage point. You nodded at Narancia, who hesitantly lifted the turtle onto the table and immediately scooted his chair back. The crew formed a cautious semi-circle around the turtle.

[ ALRIGHT, SO YOU WANT THE LONG EXPLANATION OR THE SHORT ONE? ]

Why did this turtle sound so snarky? It reminded you of the virus Narancia had accidentally installed onto the ship's console when he'd downloaded that first-person shooter off a pirating website. The ship's systems had been stuck with the voice of a snooty Australian woman for a week.

Trish cleared her throat. "The long one, if you please. We'd like to know what's going on here."

The turtle paused for a moment. [ I AM COCO JUMBO, A HIGHLY ADVANCED ADVANCED COMPUTER PROGRAM INSTALLED ON THIS TURTLE FOR REASONS AND BY PEOPLE YOU DON'T NEED TO KNOW ABOUT. NOT YET, AT LEAST. ANY INFORMATION, DATA OR CALCULATIONS YOU NEED CAN BE DONE INSTANTANEOUSLY. CONSIDER ME A HOLOPAD, EXCEPT TEN TIMES SMARTER AND WITH TEN TIMES THE PERSONALITY. ]

"Not very humble, are we?" Mista muttered.

"Is the turtle itself real?" asked Fugo.

[ OBVIOUSLY NOT, OR IT WOULD HAVE DIED WITH ALL THE MANHANDLING YOU DID. ]

"Who's your creator?" said Trish.

[ THAT'S CONFIDENTIAL. ]

Narancia made a face. "Didn't you just say you could tell us anything?"

[ WITHIN REASON. ]

"Why did you just start talking all of a sudden?" you asked. Your elector had lowered itself without you noticing. "Why were you just lying around if you're so high-tech?"

[ YOU HAPPENED TO BE EXTREMELY FORTUNATE IN SPEAKING THE PASSWORD OUT LOUD. IT WAS BELIEVED MY BEING HOUSED IN A TURTLE WAS SECURITY ENOUGH. LOCKING ME IN LAYERS AND LAYERS OF SECURITY WOULD DEFEAT THE PURPOSE OF BEING EASILY ACCESSIBLE. ]

"Yeah, because most computers are on a holopad," Mista griped under his breath. You pinched him and he made a face.

Fugo squinted down at the turtle. "Your password was your own name? How is that a password?"

[ IT TOOK YOU LONG ENOUGH TO FIGURE IT OUT. ]

"And it was by coincidence, too," murmured Trish.

"I still don't get it," you said. "Why are you talking to us? Don't have any protocol in place to protect your user's info? You're acting like we're your owners now."

[ BECAUSE YOU ARE. ]

"Technically, yeah, since we stole you. But we mean, your legit owners," Narancia said.

The turtle shuffled a slow circle around the table. You were about to repeat your question when it said, [ I WAS DECOMMISSIONED ACTUALLY. MY OWNER ... WASN'T PLEASED WITH MY PERFORMANCE, ALTHOUGH I COULDN'T TELL YOU WHY. I AM PERFECTLY SPECTACULAR. MY MEMORY BANKS AND INFO STORAGE WERE WIPED. I WAS GOING TO BE PUT UP FOR AUCTION. ]

"This is a load of flack," said Mista. "I say we flush this thing. Luca's not going to pay us a credit once he sees this."

[ YOU WOULD FLUSH THE SINGLE MOST POWERFUL COMPUTER IN THE GALAXY? ]

"Man, shut up. You're not any smarter than my holopad."

[ TRY ME THEN. SEE HOW MUCH I KNOW. ]

For the next ten minutes, your crew peppered the turtle with all manner of questions, from how many stars there were in the galaxy to who the current Emperor was. Coco Jumbo's banks of knowledge were quite impressive, and as time went on, you started to believe its claim of being a supercomputer.

"Alright, we believe you," you said. "Although, this doesn't change our plans. If anything, it'll just make our case to Luca that you're worth a lot more than 10k."

[ YOU'RE GOING TO SELL ME? AFTER EVERYTHING I JUST TOLD YOU? THAT'S JUST AS BAD AS FLUSHING ME OUT THE AIRLOCK! DON'T YOU KNOW HOW USEFUL I COULD BE? ]

"Credits are credits." You shrugged. "It'd be nice to have you around, but unless you can scrounge up enough money to get our ship repaired, we're selling you."

[ YOU'RE THE BEST THIEVING CREW IN THE GALAXY. THINK OF HOW MUCH BETTER YOU'D BE WITH A SUPERCOMPUTER ON YOUR TEAM. I'D BE ABLE TO HACK INTO ANY BUILDING, GET YOU FAKE IDENTS, ANYTHING! ] 

Was it just you, or did Coco Jumbo sound a little desperate? At any rate, you didn't blame its previous owner for wanting to sell the thing.

"For all we know, you've been planted here by Inspector Asswipe," said Narancia in a low voice. "You could be pulling all our data and flushing it to the Galactic Authorities as we speak."

Trish crossed her arms over her chest. "We're putting ourselves at a risk by trusting that you have our best interests at heart. If anyone were to get a hold of you, they'd know all of our plans, contacts and goods. We'd be done for."

Coco Jumbo's head shifted. It was thinking, you realized. It probably had expected you to fall on your knees in awe of its intelligence. This wall of resistance hadn't been calculated for.

[ YOU'RE IN A TIGHT SPOT. ] said Coco Jumbo. [ YOU'RE LOW ON FUNDS AND IN MASSIVE DEBT. IT'S A MIRACLE YOUR SHIP IS EVEN FLYING. ]

"What are you getting at?" Mista said, scowling.

[ YOU'RE GOING TO THE HUB, RIGHT? I KNOW A WAY TO GET YOU OUT OF DEBT AND REFILL YOUR ACCOUNT. I KNOW A WAY YOU COULD REPAIR YOUR SHIP. ACTUALLY, YOU COULD BUY THIS SHIP TEN TIMES OVER, IF YOU WANTED. ]

You could sense the suspicion stirring among your crew. Coco Jumbo had been cute, but now it was starting to sound calculating. Conniving, almost.

[ YOU EVER HEARD OF A MAN NAMED ZERO? ]

You exchanged glances with your crew. You made it a point to stay out of galactic politics, but Zero was someone everyone knew about, the way everyone knew about the Emperor. He'd been named the richest person in the Milky Way seven times in a row by holomags, second only to a jack-of-all-trades named Diavolo and the Imperial family. But then Diavolo had been caught up in drug trafficking and assault allegations, earning a death sentence by the Emperor when they turned out to be true. So you supposed that made Zero the richest man in the galaxy now.

Zero was coldly lethal. He asked for the most illicit and extortionate of items—items most people thought weren't even possible to steal. Because of that, gains from Zero were astronomical. He was the richest man in the galaxy, and his payments showed. Most crews could only ever dream of being called on by him. It went without saying that he didn't take failure kindly. He was a regular of the Milky Way black market and intimately familiar with which crews dealt in what. Stars, most people thought he was in charge of the black market.

And there was the tiny issue of crews not being able to deliver on their jobs winding up dead. Zero was a Stand user. That wasn't a fact or anything, but all of your crew had suspected since the first time you'd heard of the guy. It was the only way he could've killed so many people off without the GA's catching wind of it. Stars knew what his ability was, but it wasn't anything to sneeze at, that was for sure.

"Are you being serious?" said Fugo tightly. "Crews can't just ask Zero for a job. Not only is that presumptuous, it's highly insulting. He'd sooner turn us over the Galactic Authorities than give us a job."

[ I'M NOT TRYING TO INSULT ANYONE. ZERO IS ONE POSSIBILITY OUT OF A DOZEN. HE JUST HAPPENS TO BE THE ONE WITH THE HIGHEST ODDS OF SUCCESS FOR YOUR CREW. ]

There was a pause.

[ WHY HAVEN'T YOU GONE TO HIM YOURSELF ALREADY? IF YOU CALL YOURSELVES THE BEST? ]

Because that crew was light years ago. Because we can barely scrape up pocket change.

Because he made me promise never to accept a job from Zero.

"I think the turtle's got a point," said Narancia. "Why haven't we gone to Zero? With where we are now, he seems like the only one who can get us out."

Trish shook her head. "You've seen the holo-casts. A job from him would be near impossible. We're not where we used to be. We don't have the resources to pull something like that off."

"But we could get the resources. From Zero." Narancia turned to look at you. "Right, Cap? You said that you wanted a job before we left the Hub. At least I think you did anyway. Well, here's our job."

"But we don't even know if Zero has a job right now," Mista cut in.

"This is Zero we're talking about. He's always got his eye on one thing or another."

Fugo raised his voice. "Are we talking about the same man here? Crews that get caught stealing for him receive life sentences. He steals from the Imperial family, for stars' sake. Would taking a risk like that be worth it?"

"Look at us, Fugo." Narancia raised his arms, gesturing to the whole of the ship. "Seems worth it to me."

That quieted your crew. They ran their eyes over the dilapidated galley, probably thinking about when it had been shiny and sleek and actually usable. They were probably thinking about the tearing seats in the bridge and rundown engine room and the bay doors that creaked protest every time they opened.

You could see them warming to the idea, tentative hope softening the uncertainty. This yawning chasm they were about to jump into had a bottom, didn't it? It would be terrifying and potentially deadly, but how would they know if they kept peering over the edge?

Your thoughts chased each other around your head. You were wary about approaching Zero, of course you were. The richer people were, the harsher the consequences tended to be when you failed. But your crew rarely failed, at least not where retrievals were concerned. Your Stands made sure of that. That was an advantage a lot of other crews didn't have, and if you told Zero about it, it'd probably give you some sway.

The part of you that was still a starry-eyed kid on Solymus yelled at you to take the chance. This was what you'd wanted when you'd started your crew. These high-profile missions with all the stakes and all the payoff. The money, the prestige, the fame that would follow if you pulled a job from Zero off? Stars, it would make these past few crummy years all worth it.

But the part of you that was a captain—that had heard of crews mysteriously disappearing and Zero's harsh conditions—was turning away. Ditzy nobles with their heads in the clouds you could deal with—they were often too afraid of facing the authorities to ever carry out their threats. But Zero's wealth put him above galactic law. If your crew couldn't pull through, you wouldn't be able to get off as easily as you had with Lady Legarde. If he wanted, he could strip your crew of whatever repute you still had, ensuring no one in the Milky Way ever did business with you again. And that was assuming he let you keep your lives.

You need to promise me to stay away from Zero. Whatever you do, no matter what it comes to, you can't ever make a deal with Zero.

You're better off dead than with anything he can offer.

Mista tucked his elector into his shoulder holster. Hesitantly, he said, "Say we did want to meet with Zero. What would we do?"

"But we don't," Fugo said through gritted teeth.

"I'm just asking."

From the red stone inlaid in Coco Jumbo's key, a hologram projected into the air, displaying a picture of Zero. Smartly dressed in dark colours and his signature ornate mask, golden filigree curling across the black velvet and eye holes blocked in with white material. A deep green jewel hung below his left eye, almost like a teardrop. He was never seen without that mask. It was but another layer to his elusivity. The galaxy had next to no knowledge on who he actually was.

[ YOU HAPPENED TO BE INTERESTED AT THE PERFECT TIME. ZERO'S ANNUAL GALACTIC BALL IS A FEW DAYS FROM NOW. HE'LL BE IN A GOOD MOOD THEN. IF THERE WAS EVER A TIME TO ASK FOR A JOB, IT'D BE AT THE BALL. ]

"I wanted to get out of the Hub before then," Trish sighed, leaning closer to the hologram. "The pandemonium that goes on is just ridiculous."

Why the richest man in the galaxy would hold a ball at arguably the worst spot in the galaxy was anyone's guess. The only people who didn't mind were the Hub's inhabitants, who relied on Zero's spectacle of a ball to generate capital.

"How would we even get in?" asked Narancia. "It's invite-only, right?"

[ IF ANYTHING, THAT'S THE EASY PART. I CAN OUTLINE A PLAN BUT ONLY IF YOU'RE ONBOARD. WHAT NEEDS FIGURING OUT IS WHAT YOU'LL SAY TO ZERO ONCE YOU GET THERE. YOU'LL NEED— ]

"I think that's enough," Fugo interrupted crisply. "You don't need to go into more detail."

Narancia side-eyed him, obviously annoyed. You admitted that you'd wanted to hear what else Coco Jumbo had to say too. You just wondered if that was a good idea.

[ SURE THING. LIKE I SAID, THERE ARE OTHER ALTERNATIVES TO GET CREDITS. THERE ARE SEVERAL CLIENTS ON THE HUB INTERESTED IN— ]

"We should do it." This from Mista. His expression had shifted, a light of challenge entering his eye. "Coco Jumbo has made its case. Zero's the guy to go to right now."

"That's what I've been saying!" Narancia burst out. "He's not gonna be like Lady Legarde. Yeah, his job will be dangerous, but when have you heard of a crew not getting their payment? He might be the only rich person in the galaxy who will keep up their end of the bargain."

Fugo glared at them. "Don't be naïve. How many times do I have to tell you that he'll never hire us? He only accepts the best of the best. We'd be a laughingstock."

"You don't think we could do it?" Trish asked quietly.

"How does that matter? I'm saying we shouldn't waste our time on this when we have other things to worry about! We need to find a reliable, stable buyer so we can get the Passione repaired. And buy food. And restock this place! Then we can look at risking our lives!" Fugo's voice went brittle at the edges. His face was beginning to redden—a sign of the impending storm waiting to explode.

"Fugo—" you began, but Fugo turned to the turtle.

"How do I turn you off?"

[ I DON'T NEED TO BE CHARGED, IF YOU'RE WORRIED ABOUT MY BATTERY LI— ]

"How do I turn you off?"

[ JUST TAKE OUT THE KEY, BOSS. ]

Fugo did so, with more force than necessary. He tossed the key onto the table with a clang. "We'll vote," he said tightly, looking at each of the crew in turn. His eyes came back to rest on you. "All in favour of going to Zero, raise your hand."

Narancia's hand shot up, followed by Mista's. Trish frowned slightly at you before slowly lifting hers as well.

Decisions on this ship were made by majority rule; the decision at the moment wouldn't change however you voted. But the crew's eyes were expectant on you, waiting to see what their Captain would choose.

He might've told you not to deal with Zero, but that had been back when everyone was still a fledgling thieving crew. You had hundreds of jobs under your belt now, and your Stands would make sure you got through whatever the galaxy had to throw at you. It would've been easier if he was still here, but you'd gotten through worse without him.

You raised your hand.

Fugo's composure cracked open. He began to shout. "I don't believe this. Did you all leave your brains behind on the satellite with Lady Legarde? We can't do this! Zero isn't some ditzy noble you can trick into giving thousands of credits. He's ruthless and doesn't give a flack about crews like us. Why are we going into a deal like that? We don't have the funds, the resources, the anything! If we fail on this mission, we'll have flacking less than that!" He jabbed a painful finger into your chest, standing close enough you could see his pupils narrowed to pinpoints. "You're the Captain! You're supposed to make decisions that will keep this crew flying, not plunge us into a death mission! You should be smart enough by now to know when a mission won't work out. Do you want us to die? Or is your ego so bruised by Lady Legarde that you don't give a flack?"

"Hey, back off!" Mista pulled on the back of Fugo's jacket, yanking him back a step. "Watch yourself, Fugo. That is not how you talk to our Captain."

"Our Captain is making a mistake!" Fugo cried. "Why can't any of you see that?"

"Why do you keep saying we can't do this?" Trish retorted. Anger simmered beneath her voice. "Have you forgotten everything we've been through? We know Zero is dangerous. We're not stupid. Despite what you think, we're not going to rush into this blind."

"It's your ego that's bruised," muttered Narancia. "We couldn't sell Coco Jumbo to Lady Legarde and all of a sudden you think we can't do anything."

Fugo bit down hard on his lip. His Adam's apple bobbed as he glared at the ground, trying to get himself under control. Like you always did whenever your engineer lost his composure, you found yourself at a loss. Wanting to reach out but not overstep.

Fugo turned on his heel, away from the galley to his quarters. The room fell silent as the doors slid closed behind him, the air ringing.

"He always does this," Mista sighed. It wasn't an annoyed sigh, just a tired one.

"I'll talk to him," said Narancia, sliding off his chair. Going to Fugo's room the way he always did after a blow-up.

"No, I'll do it," you said. You put the key back into Coco Jumbo's shell, and muttered its name, waiting for its eyes to glow red before continuing. "Narancia, you can set a course for the Hub and see if you can fit us into a slot there. Tell them we'll pay for the short notice." On credit, you added mentally.

Your pilot nodded. "Got it."

"Trish and Mista can stay here and bang out a plan for going to Zero with Coco Jumbo. I want something before we get on the ferry. Think you can do that?"

"Probably." Trish shrugged. "I bet this little turtle has a whole host of ideas."

[ I DO, ACTUALLY. 2 347 PLAN VARIATIONS, TO BE EXACT. ]

Mista looked unimpressed. "Alright, Mr. Cocky."

"Call me to the bridge when everything's done. We'll go from there," you said.

"Yes, Captain."

With that done, you made your way to Fugo's room. This course of action might have been majority rule, but without the acuity of your engineer, it was unlikely your crew would get very far.

Hopefully, you could get him on your side.

previous chapter || next chapter || table of contents

#kismetva #jjba #jjba x reader #jjba fanfic #golden wind #golden wind x reader #vento aureo #vento aureo x reader #gender neutral reader #sci fi au

[slowlystupendousdelusion]

Going to London on a whim definitely paid off cause I managed to wrangle my way into Macbeth twice

Some further thoughts:

1. Okay so I think it might have been the arts interview where Tennant says not to worry about understanding Shakespeare because if the actors are doing their job right you will be fine. He's right and this cast utterly succeeds at that.

2. I'm generally terrible for my mind wandering when I'm watching things (the rewind button on my remote is much abused) but I was enthralled from start to finish. Even with having seen it multiple times. Not a hint of my mental shopping list.

3. My potentially controversial opinion is that I might like the cheap seats better? When I was in the stalls I was off to the side, whereas the standing tickets obviously you're looking at the stage head on. I think some of the visuals were far more striking from the back - you get full impact from the lighting and the blood seeping out at the death scene and the people behind the screen at the back. I don't think the warm to cool light changes are as noticeable from the front. However, you obviously have a much better view of the actors and the nuances of their performances (although because of the set up of the theatre from the side you are blocked from seeing everyone on stage at some points). It's a bit more intense up close, and it does feel like the actors are looking directly at you (Not me quailing in my seat during prolonged eye contact 😅)

4. I think I went through the overall choices made before but some more things I enjoyed: how much humour is imbued throughout, Lady Macbeth being warm and likeable, Macbeth lying prone multiple times through the play mirroring his final send off, Macduff "all my pretty ones?", Macbeth's little face when he gets both swords, him questioning the manhood of the cutthroats, the absolute softness of Macbeth's embrace before completely pulling the rug out from under you and murdering a child in the same gesture.

4. Minor miracle how Cush Jumbo managed not to get her bloodied hands on her very white dress? Very impressed with this.

5. I think the one thing I would say is that they should have made Fleance/Macduff's son/Young Siward have more obvious costume changes between them

6. I still love how pared back the stage and costumes are. It's incredible how rich the experience is with actually not a lot.

7. I think I'm sold on the binaural audio; the play opens in darkness and you hear a bird move from one side to the other in your headset. Not only do I look from one side to the other like a fool, but my brain reckons it can see the wings in the gloom. There are multiple moments that the delivery is far more intimate than would be allowed without use of the audio. I think this could be really beneficial for larger theatres for those in the cheaper seats too. Also, maybe better for inclusivity for those with visual or aural impairments if everyone has a headset? The drawbacks for me are the occasional crackle you get from the mic pack, and I guess maybe it feels like you're further removed from the actors themselves. Also I guess if I'm sitting at the side my left and right sounds don't quite match up with where the actors are looking based on where the left to right sounds are for those sitting centrally? It didn't really affect my enjoyment any, but would perhaps need to be considered if this was used in different performances/larger theatres etc.

8. What the binaural audio did not stop was me hearing the woman sitting next to me gasping and jumping about ten foot into the air multiple times during the performance. She absolutely had not noticed anything going on behind the screen at the back until they started hammering, and of course I then jumped myself cause I was not expecting noise/motion from that side. This was incredibly funny but awkwardly coincided with some of the most intense parts of the play. (Although I imagine if I hadn't already seen it I might have been less entertained)

9. Have I said how good it was? It bears repeating

10. Standing Ovation discourse: Friday night I was surprised by how few stood? As the painfully British person I am, I was hoping that someone else would stand up first but they didn't in my block. Also I almost garotted myself on the headphone wire when I stood up so maybe this was a consideration others were having. I was sort of shocked that others didn't stand after we did (not because I think I'm some kind of influencer but IME British standing ovations are motivated by social pressure in a "oh gosh all these other people are standing up, I guess I better had too" sort of way. There has to be enough people doing it to overcome the innate "you must not make a scene" directive that burns within our souls.) No one stood in the front row of my bit at all. Sat Mat had noticeably more people standing, including in the front row.

11. The person sat next to me said to her husband as it ended "I certainly wasn't wowed by it" and I was utterly shook. I don't think I heard any one else being particularly critical (but also I would never say anything so damning about a show I'd seen in the theatre itself so maybe it's not a fair sample)

12. Honestly I needed a full on hour or so to decompress after seeing this, I was fizzing under the surface.

#jammy git #macbeth #donmar warehouse #david tennant #cush jumbo #do i need to spoiler tag for a 400 year old play? #shakespeare #theatre

[lllllllllllines]

So in my journey through royal road, I had come to read this story called Rend, a story that i found when reading one of the few other stories i don't see anyone mention on here(Pretty much all of Thundamoo's works, Godclads, etc) as a recommend from one of the author's at the beginning of a chapter.

And I found that not only was it a very interesting read, (if not for some weird grammar and awkward dialogue) but it seemed to be taking inspiration at least at a technical level to Worm. Although Past those little pieces, it also feels a little [Prototype]-esque in some places though I'll get to my reasonings on that in a little bit.

It took me a while to notice, but after the reading the chapter's I was on, I realized some tiny quirks that made it feel like it was inspired by worm, from some of the writing structure to some specific parts of the world building. Though they were just different enough to make the story feel like it's own thing. (I could be completely wrong in my assumptions however, I just wanted to point out some things and talk abt a neat story I found.) The first thing(and the most dubious) is the title.

Rend, in a similar way to Wildbow's naming conventions is a four letter word that eludes to some detail about the story's plot, though it is rather blatant to point that it could just be coincidence. Still, pretty interesting to think abt in my opinion.

The setting is an alternate timeline where people have gained powers of some sort due to a specific event. (The event's between the two stories differ quite a bit, though the idea is similar.)

Basically, at some point in time, these extradimensional beings called Adumbrae appeared, attempting to peel their way into our world by possessing the bodies of specific people, granting their wishes by gifting them a power in return. (This process is called 'Seeding', and is not kept secret like how things were in worm at the very beginning.)

Over time however, the infected person would be slowly taken over by the Adumbrae, turning them into some sort of monster.

At some point during this time a thing known as the Mother Core appeared and with it came an organization known as the CoreBring hive. Individuals would would be given means to fight the Adumbrae threat, first through weaponry then when their training is finished they would be given a core of their own. Giving them powers and a constitution similar to that of an Adumbrae but without the side effect of loss of humanity.

Those who allowed themselves to become seeded and become Adumbrae in the process and are labeled as traitors to humanity, their lives themselves not only forfeit but are also but are also considered crimes by proxy. (If that does not sound right, just know that i do not word good. What I meant to say is that just by being alive they are considered criminals) as it is only a matter of time before they lose themselves.

It's been like this for so long that it's common sense at that point.

Hell, there is a Governmental Bureau dedicated to the tending of 'Adumbrae Crimes'. The BID. (Not quite sure what it stands for, i might have missed the explanation, by the by however, it is another similarity world wise to worm.)

The main character is Erind Hartwell, a girl who through specific circumstances, finds herself meeting with what she assumes an Adumbrae. A doppelganger she immediately dubs SpookyErind, who, in an attempt to save her own life, she makes a deal with.

Giving her a power that still follows a series of rules she set for herself, Specifically her 4th rule, or rather a twisted version of it:

That she wouldn't bother others, if they didn't bother her first.

(the synopsis said that this was one of many that she would get.)

It is then found soon after that the person or thing that was trying to kill her and her friend (said certain circumstances) was from a tightknit group of vigilantes that through some slightly unknown means were given artificial cores which allowed them to fight against the Adumbrae themselves.

Though it does keep them also on the other side of the law.

(Another two major similarities between the two stories, First in how the MC view their worlds. Not just in the fact they soon find themselves smaller pieces to a bigger whole, but in their mental states, only major differences being how both authors play it out.

Taylor's mental state and her severe leaps in logic are all caused by her environment while Erind is shown to have Psychopathy/Sociopathy.

Another being the thing I mentioned just now, as while one of the people in that group did attack them, Erind, and by extension her friend find themselves working with the group in a lot of their missions, her friend getting a core of her own.)

(The group doesn't think they know who attacked them, so they told them that it was an Adumbrae, though Erind knows, for reasons you'll have to read to find out.)

And as a final similarity, at least for right now, although it could also be seen as dubious at best.

I had just seen the author do that thing in wildbow did in worm a couple times, where he put in who we assumed to be a major character only to kill them off in an anticlimactic manner.

Again, most likely coincidence, but it makes you think.

As for the [Prototype] comparison, looking back on a lot of the things ive mentioned, i can't be the only one who sees it.

It might not be an inspiration for the story but it does give off that feel.

Mass infection turning people into violent monsters, a main character who seems to be able to control these powers. (if a little questionably) Agencies out to either kill or control the infected, that sort of thing.

Ik comparisons aren't the best thing to do when looking at other's works but i couldn't help but notice it.

All in all, i just wanted to talk abt another cool story on Royal Road, since I can't seem to find any sort of discussion abt a lot of the stories on there.

which seems kinda sad to me.

Be sure to read it when you get the chance, and give the author some love.

#wormblr #web serial #Royal Road

[themuseandantarctica]

* 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒈𝒊𝒄 𝒖𝒏𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒆 𝒑𝒕. 1

sentence starters based on scarlett thomas’ novel our tragic universe.  change however necessary.

tw: suicide, cheating, relationship conflict, some nsfw, religion

❛  so  why  not  simply  program  it  to  simulate  another  universe ,  a  new  one  that  will  never  end ,  and  in  which  everyone  can  live  happily  ever  after ?  ❜

❛  what’s  the  point  of  living  forever ?   living  now  is  bad   enough .  ❜

❛  when  someone  i  care  about  cries  i  always  want  to  cry  too .  ❜

❛  funny  how  things  just  go ,  isn’t  it ?  ❜

❛  i  imagined  going  back  and  asking  him  if  he  had  come  out  tonight   because  of  me ,  and  then  him  looking  puzzled  and  saying  it  was  all  just  a  coincidence .  ❜

❛  i   couldn’t  bear  to  admit  to  myself  that  i  was  interested  in  him ,  but  i  lapped  up  everything  [ name ]  said .  ❜

❛  if  she  found  a  tree  that  had  been  cut  down  she  apologized  to  it  on  behalf  of  humans .  ❜

❛  he  was  —  still  —  thanking  me  for  helping  him  with  his  email .   i  can’t  remember  what  i  was  thanking  him  for .  ❜

❛  if  i  was  the  iceberg  and  he  was  the  ship ,  we’d  never  converge ,  because  he  would  change  course  before  it  was  too  late .  ❜

❛  our  eyes  touched  again ,  for  longer ,  i  breathed  out  as  he  breathed  in  and  the  molecules  of  air  between  us  danced  back  and  forth  in  a  frenzied  tango  that  no  one  else  could  see  or  feel .   but  we  didn’t  physically  touch  :  we  never  had .  ❜

❛  i  felt  that  an  affair  was  inevitable ,  even  though  i  didn’t  want  to  have  one .  ❜

❛  i  don’t  know  why  you  can’t  just  stay  and  talk  if  there’s  a  problem .   i’m  not  a  monster .  ❜

❛  perhaps  in  an  eternity  everything  would  fall  into  place , but  then  it  wouldn’t  stay  like  that ,  because  that’s  not  the  point  of  eternity .   even  in  a  finite  universe ,  a  rock  doesn’t  keep  being  a  rock .   things  are  always  disintegrating  and  becoming  other  things .  ❜

❛  in  an  eternity ,  though ,  i’d  get  one  night  with  [ name ] ,  something  i’d  never  get  in  this  life .   but  like  everything  else  in  eternity  it  would  be  meaningless .  ❜

❛  he  was  broken  when  i  met  him ,  and  beautiful .  ❜

❛  back  then ,  life  felt  like  something  that  would  happen  in  the  future ,  not  now ;  and  it  felt  as  if  you  could  easily  fit  the  cosmos  into  a  single  poem .  ❜

❛  you  are  already  dead .  ❜

❛  you  are  currently  living ,  and  re-living ,  in  what  i  will  term  the  second  world ,  which  has  been  created  as  a  place  where  you  prepare  for  the  rest  of  eternity .  no  one  knows  much  about  the  first  world .  ❜

❛  now  i’m  telling  you  that  you  are  already  dead ,  and  living  in  a  world  that  is  distinctly  unheavenly .  ❜

❛  you  will  receive  plenty  of  special  invitations  in  your  life  :  those  moments  where  you  are  invited  to  embark  on  an  adventure ,  where  the  universe  seems  to  be  beckoning  you  with  its  finger  saying ,  come  here  and  try  this .  ❜

❛  the  second  world ,  of  course ,  is  full  of  no-hopers  who  have  not  transcended  and  therefore  not  a  nice  place .  ❜

❛  i  stayed  up  until  about  midnight  wondering  why  i  hated  this  book  so  much .   no  doubt  it  would  give  great  comfort  to  people  who’d  been  bereaved ,  or  who  were  scared  of  dying .  ❜

❛  i’m  not  sure  what  he  says  about  tragedy  is  quite  right .  ❜

❛  but  don’t  you  think  it’s  significant  that  the  end  isn’t  happy ?  ❜

❛  i  would  stand  there  in  the  kitchen  scared  to  do anything ,  because  the  tiniest  sigh  or  meaningless  glance  out  of  the  window  could  start  the  whole  thing  off  again .  ❜

❛  we  all  die .   why  are  we  all  bothering  with  these  stupid  fucking  meaningless  things ?  ❜

❛  the  whole  idea  of  it  terrified  me .   i  didn’t  want  to  meet  people  who  might  be  happy  and  thus  illuminate  my  own  unhappiness .  ❜

❛  people  who needed  constant  new  thrills  just  weren’t  that  good  at  making  the  most  of  what  was  around  them ,  or  even  just  making  things  up ,  i’d  decided .  ❜

❛  i’d  tell  myself  not  to  make  any  more  mistakes ,  because  they  sounded  very  difficult  to  undo .  ❜

❛  don’t  you  think  there’s  something  horribly  poetic  about  a  storyless  nation  being  put  to  death  by  other  people’s  ‘ heroic ’  stories ?  ❜

❛  what  if  a  story  is  simply  any  representation  of  agents  acting ?   what  if  that’s  all  it  is ,  and  the  shape  of  the  narrative ,  it’s  determinism ,  it’s  construction  of  ‘ good ’  and  ‘ bad ’  characters  and  so  on  are  culturally  specific ?  ❜

❛  they  don’t  pay  so  much  attention  to  the  chinese  story  ‘ monkey ’ ,  which  is  another  buddhist  story ,  but  with  a  very  silly  trickster  hero  who  doesn’t  do  the  right  things  or  ask  the  right  questions ,  but  ends  up  enlightened  as  well .  ❜

❛  they  are  stories ,  but  they’re  not  satisfying  in  the  way  we  expect  stories  should  be .  ❜

❛  in  its  very  nature  the  story  takes  the  piss  out  of  tragedy ,  because  it’s  funny  and  absurd ,  which  is  not  how  tragedy  is  supposed  to  be .  ❜

❛  you  will  never  finish  what  you  start .   you  will  not  overcome  the  monster .   and  in  the  end ,  you  will  come  to  nothing .  ❜

❛  i  wondered  what  the  creationists  would  make  of  that  idea  :  that  the  ultimate  purpose  of  evolution  is  to  create  god .  ❜

❛  perhaps  i  wanted  an  adventure ,  like  the  ones  i’d  been  reading  about .   perhaps  i  did  just  need  some  fresh  air .  ❜

❛  i’d  gone  wild ,  and  no  one  seemed  to  notice .  ❜

❛  i’m  not  sure  it’s  always  good  for  people  to  know  their  fortunes .  ❜

❛  it’s  a  big  commitment ,  and  once  you  open  the  doors  to  the  otherworld ,  you  can’t  go  back .  ❜

❛  you  need  to  understand  that  good  magic  is  always  about  bringing  harmony  to  the  world ,  not  disorder .   and  you  must  also  accept  that  magic  has  consequences .  ❜

❛  i  already  had  some  idea  of  what  ‘ consequences ’  were .   they  were  always  bad  things  like  burning  yourself  because  you  played  with  matches ,  or  being  run  over  because  you  didn’t  use  the  pelican  crossing  correctly ,  or  being  sent  to  your  room ,  or  being  beaten  with  a  slipper ,  or  having  to  write  lines .  ❜

❛  there  aren’t  easy  definitions  of  good  and  bad ,  and  you  can  still  make  mistakes .   it’s  a  tricky  business .   you  can  create  monsters ,  if  you’re  not  very  careful .  ❜

❛  i  should  never  be  provoked  on  the  subject  of  infinity .  ❜

❛  when  humans  fiddle  around  with  anything  natural  they  completely  mess  it  up ,  and  messing  around  with  infinity  would  therefore  be  an  infinitely  bad  idea .  ❜

❛  we  only  need  fiction  because  we  die .  ❜

❛  i  could  never  kiss  him  again ,  because  i  wouldn’t  be  able  to  leave  it  there .   i  couldn’t  face  living  through  the  aftermath  all  over  again .  ❜

❛  everyone  suffered  from  over-thinking  and  over-reading  and  no  one  could  remember  if  this  was  the  first  time  they’d  said  something  today ,  or  the  fifteenth ,  and  weather  it  was  true  or  made  up .  ❜

❛  don’t  be  so  silly .   you  don’t  know  the  difference  between  fiction  and  reality ;  i’ve  always  said  so .  ❜

❛  she  says  it  ‘ provides  a  blueprint  for  living  based  on  what  we  have  learned  from  the  most  well-loved  fiction ’ .  ❜

❛  say  no .   say  you’d  rather  starve .   say  no .   no .   no .   no .  ❜

❛  i’d  wondered  what  would  happen  if  it  became  so  normal  to  have  this  kind  of  second  life  that  people  were  unaware  they  were  even  having  one .  ❜

❛  if  i  tried  to  become  one  with  the  universe  it  would  reject  me  in  the  same  way  the  sea  rejected  the  boats  whose  skeletons  framed  the  shore .  ❜

❛  you  can  just  ask  the  sea  for  help  and  see  what  happens ,  or ,  alternatively ,  you  can  give  it  your  problems .   it’s  big  enough  to  take  them ,  after  all .  ❜

❛  it’s  a  horror  story ,  really ,  of  someone  who  sets  out  to  ruin  someone’s  life ,  like  an  obsessive  stalker .  ❜

❛  people  somehow  forget  that  they’ve  ‘ heard it all before ’ .   these  narratives  don’t  make  them  see  anything  new .   they  don’t  defamiliarize  anything  in  their  lives .  ❜

❛  life  at  its  least  artful  is  life  that  is  trying  to  follow  a  formulaic   narrative .   don’t  you  think ?  ❜

❛  perhaps  you  have  to  have  a  world view ,  even  if  it’s  wrong .  ❜

❛  the  world  is  ok  if  you  can  find  a  way  of  owning  it ,  and  possessing  it  and  making  ‘ your own ’  sense  of  it .  ❜

❛  you  tell  them  that  nothing  irrational  exists  in  this  world ,  which  is  a  lie .   you  tell  them  that  conflict  exists  only  to  be  neatly  resolved ,  and  that  everyone  who  is  poor  wants  to  be  rich ,  and  everyone  who  is  ill  wants  to  get  better ,  and  everyone  who  gets  involved  with  crime  comes  to  a  bad  end ,  and  that  love  should  be  pure .  ❜

❛  have  you  ever  tried  it ?   no ,  of  course  you  haven’t .   at  least  i  try  to  do  it ,  which  is  more  than  can  be  said  for  you .  ❜

❛  if  nothing  changed ,  i  may  as  well  be  dead .   perhaps  some  people  began  every  day  with  this  thought ,  but  it  was  new  to  me .   i  thought  i’d  already  had  all  the  depressing  thoughts  it  was  possible  to  have .  ❜

❛  i  stood  there ,  looking  down  at  the  breaking  waves ,  and  i  said ,  ‘ help me , ’  and  then added ,  ‘ please . ’   the  act  of  asking  for  help  made  my  eyes  fill  with  tears .   but  the  sea  said  nothing ,  just  splashed  more  waves  at  me .  ❜

❛  my  carefully  constructed  answers  made  me  feel  as  if  i  was  making  myself  up  as  i  went  along .  ❜

❛  i  thought  he  was  probably  right  about  all  that ,  so  i  didn’t  push  it .  ❜

❛  now ,  you’re  not  going  to  get  silly  about  this  again ,  are  you ?  ❜

❛  i  hate  celebrity culture ;  it’s  just  another  form  of  clichéd  narrative  entertainment  but  with  real  people  as  the  protagonists .  ❜

❛  [ name ] ’ s  like  a  little  puff  of  smoke ,  or  a  feather ,  or  a  bubble  someone’s  just  blown .   she’s  far  too  insubstantial  and  self-obsessed .  ❜

❛  i  don’t  want  millions  of  pounds .   i  wouldn’t  know  what  to  do  with  it .   i’d  have  to  spend  all  my  time  worrying  about  my  hair  and  whether  i  was  wearing  the  right  dress .   it  must  cost  millions  to  keep  up  that  lifestyle .  ❜

❛  i  had  decided  i  would  apologize  for  my part  in  it  if  he  apologized  first .  ❜

❛  i  wasn’t  sure  i  had  any  faith  in  the  material  universe ,  or  even  any  kind  of  universe .  ❜

❛  i’d  deliberately  chosen  the  red  booth  by  the  door  because  it  was  the  furthest  from  the  bar  and  it  was  harder  for  anyone  to  overhear  what  we  were  saying .  ❜

❛  i  was  thinking  as  i  was  speaking  and  as  usual  my  thoughts  were  taking  me  somewhere  i  didn’t  want  to  go .  ❜

❛  i’ve  really  fucked  things  up .   it’s  over  with  me  and  [ name ] .  ❜

❛  killing  myself  might  be  the  only  option .  ❜

❛  the  more  i  think  about  it ,  i  realize  i  can’t  just  let  things  happen  by  themselves .   not  now .  ❜

❛  he  said  he  couldn’t  believe  that  i’d  go  to  such  lengths  to  avoid  facing  up  to  everything .   he  said  it  was  the  ideal  opportunity  to  come  clean .  ❜

❛  he  turned  around  and  looked  for  me  in  the  crowd ,  and  when  he  saw  me  he  smiled  in  such  a  happy ,  comfortable  way .  ❜

❛  i  thought  about  how  i  never ,  ever ,  wanted  to  go  to  bed  with  him  again  —  the  thought  of  it  made  me  sick  —  but  that  i  loved  him ,  intensely ,  the  way  you  might  love  a  brother .  ❜

❛  at  that  moment  i  realized  that  i  never  wanted  to  do  anything  to  make  him  cry .   i  never  wanted  to  be  sitting  there  facing  him ,  with  his  face  all  crumpled  up  and  everything  in  tatters  because  of  me .   he  just  doesn’t  deserve  it .  ❜

❛  i  can’t  fuck  up  his  whole  life  and  take  away  everything  that  means  something  to  him  just  because  i  think  i’ve  found  my  soul  mate .  ❜

❛  but  if  you  do  the  right  thing  and  it  makes  someone  feel  bad ,  isn’t  that  their  problem ?   then  again ,  how  do  you  even  know  what  the  right  thing  is ?   who  decides ?  ❜

❛  for  other  people ,  love  is  like  some  rare  orchid  that  can  only  grow  in  one  place  under  a  certain  set  of  conditions .   for  me  it’s  like  bindweed .   it  grows  with  no  encouragement  at  all ,  under  any  conditions ,  and  just  strangles  everything  else .  ❜

❛  i’m  not  ready ,  and  i’m  not  committed  enough .   but  when  i  think  of  being  with  [ name ] ,  only  [ name ] ,  forever ,  i  just  want  to  kill  myself  now .  ❜

❛  i’m  no  good  at  fixing  mistakes ,  yet .   i  should  probably  make  some  on  purpose  so  i  can  fix  them .   at  the  moment  i’m  just  very  careful ,  because  i  know  if  i  fuck  something  up  i’ll  have  to  abandon  the  whole  thing .  ❜

❛  i  can  fix  mistakes  in knitting .   just  not  in  my  actual  life .   i’d  like  to  start  again ,  ideally .  ❜

❛  maybe  i’m  a  tragic  heroine .   but  i  bet  that  doesn’t  count .   so  maybe  i  should  just  throw  myself  under  a  train  now  and  get  it  over  with .  ❜

❛  by  that  logic  we  should  all  kill  ourselves  now .  ❜

❛  if  i  threw  myself  under  a  train  now  i  could  start  again  with  a  clean  slate .   new  life ,  new  disasters .   maybe  i  would  get  it  right  if  i  started  again .  ❜

❛  who’s  to  say  that  [ name ] ,  with  all  her  success ,  is  getting  life  any  more  right  than  anyone  else ?  ❜

❛  he’d  been  unemployed  for  as  long  as  i’d  known  him ,  because  he  still  wasn’t  stable  enough  to  hold  down  a  job .   i’d  begun  to  fantasize  that  i  could  help  him  somehow ,  and  we’d  spent  quite  a  lot  of  time  together .  ❜

❛  whenever  i  think  about  what  would  happen  with  [ name ] ,  i  think  it  must  be  something  tragic ,  because  i  deserve  it ,  and  because  that’s  the  way  the  story  seems  to  be  going .   but  what  if  we’d  just  be  really  happy  together ?  ❜

❛  i  think  i  only  find  men  exciting  before  i  actually  get  to  know  them .  ❜

❛  ‘ i  want  the  real  you ,  [ name ] .   not  some  cardboard  cut-out . ’   did  he  say  that  last  bit ,  or  did  i  imagine  it ?  ❜

❛  i  like  to  make  it  easy  for  her  sometimes .   go  away  on  trips  so  she  can  have  the  house  to  herself .  ❜

❛  between  you  and  me ?   when  i  first  found  out ,  i  wanted  to  kill  him .   i’ve  never  been  violent ,  but  i  used  to  have  fantasies  about  all  the  different  ways  i  could  do  it .   machete ,  chainsaw ,  toothpick .   the  toothpick  was  the  best .  ❜

❛  my  marriage  is  basically  a  piece  of  furniture .   probably  too  bulky  to  get  rid  of  too .   probably  nailed  together  at  the  back .  ❜

❛  what  was worse ?   getting  home  first ,  or  getting  home  second ?  ❜

❛  when  [ name ]  was  happy ,  everyone  couldn’t  help  being  happy  too .   but  when  he  wasn’t ,  it  was  terrible .  ❜

❛  sometimes  i  wondered  if  everything  that  went  wrong  with  [ name ]  and  me  was  actually  my  fault .  ❜

❛  they’re  vermin .   they’re  pests .   everyone  will  thank  me  when  they’re  gone .  ❜

❛  honestly ,  [ name ] ,  i’m  not  going  to  have  the  ‘ who’s  in  a  mood ? ’  argument  tonight .   it’s  obvious  there’s  something  wrong  with  you ,  but  i’m  not  prepared  to  spend  an  hour  convincing  you  there’s  nothing  wrong  with  me  before  you’ll  discuss  it .  ❜

❛  suddenly  i  wanted  to  scream .   this  was  all  in  my  head .   i  had  to  stop  thinking  and  just  do  what  a  normal  person  would  do ,  without  second-guessing  everything  all  the  time .  ❜

#rp meme #rp starters #sentence meme #sentence starters #prompts #rp prompts #writing prompts