#catalyst kiddos

[marmolady]

Grandchildren: Beatriz

Summary: Endless Ending timeline. Middle-aged Taylor and Estela are entering a new phase of their life together, welcoming their grandchildren into the family. In four parts; this is PART THREE.

Word Count: 3496

Tagging: @saivilo, @edgydepressedchoicesthot, @sceptilemasterr, ​@mauvecatfic @rhemenway888

Thanks for reading!

__________________________

2060

Taylor placed down a plate of cookies on the coffee table, and sat alongside her heavily pregnant daughter.

“I know it sucks for you to not be able to fix everything,” Liv said, looking up to her mother with a grateful smile, “but don’t think your tending to my cravings isn’t appreciated.”

Liv was some seven months along, her belly huge and rounded. Heavy bags under her eyes gave away her lack of sleep, the worrying that had kept her awake long into the night. Her unborn baby, a daughter, had long passed the danger period where a miscarriage was a high risk, but she would not truly relax before the infant was in her arms. After all, the last time… the baby had been four months along, she should have been okay…. Most days Liv felt she was barely functioning, even with all the support her family, and Jeimy, could offer.

“I’ve felt so awful,” Liv admitted. “I let the blonde fade out… I’m sorry.”

“What do you mean--?” Then Taylor realised. The blonde streak Liv had always dyed into her hair… making the point of having at least a bit of her look like the mom she had no biological link to. “God, Livi, you don’t have to keep doing your hair a certain way to prove our relationship to me!”

Liv winced. “See, I know that logically, but it’s not about logic, it’s about feeling. It’s been since I was so little, it feels like I’m throwing something away… something important.” She sniffed and looked away, lost in a dark place. Was there anyone she didn’t feel she’d let down?

“You’re carrying a lot, sweetheart. Let that one go.” She tenderly stroked her daughter’s short hair. “If it makes you happy, keep in the blonde, but do it for you, not out of any fear of hurting me. I’m secure in myself, and in my role as your mom… so take that load off, all right?”

“I’m just… finding it hard. Harder than I expected, which is stupid, I should’ve known I wasn’t ready for this….”

Taylor kept stroking her fingers through Liv’s hair. There was nothing she could say that would take away the fear, or the grief that still lingered.

“Some people believe,” she said quietly, “that the soul doesn’t fully attach itself to the body until the moment of birth. If the baby’s born sleeping, the soul waits for another little life. I don’t know if it might help… to imagine a piece of Avis might be with you and Beatriz now.”

Liv’s eyes grew wide and watery. “I want her with us,” she whispered. “More than anything.” She sniffed and wiped her eyes. “I feel… I feel guilty sometimes even just for being excited about Bea coming. And I feel guilty that I’ve got this far carrying Bea when Jeimy had to go through that loss….”

“Sweetheart,” Taylor said, clutching her daughter’s hand. “You both went through it. It’s different, but your grief is real. Jeimy loves you, and they love Bea.”

Liv wept and snuggled into her mom’s shoulder, taking comfort there until her tears slowed.

“Mom… there’s something else. I need to check you’re okay with something….”

“I’m listening.”

“Well,” Liv wiped her face, righting herself a little, so she could look her mother in the face and read her. “We’d really like to use ‘Estela’ as Bea’s middle name.”

“Beatriz Estela Montoya? That’s pretty. That’s really pretty, swetheart. You were worried I’d be hurt?”

“I know we named Andi after you, but ‘Andromeda’ isn’t your actual name….”

Taylor laughed, and kissed Liv’s head. “Is this to get out of naming a dog ‘Draco’? You silly goose, didn’t I just tell you I’m secure in what we’ve got? Bea’s name is beautiful.”

Liv breathed a little sigh of relief. “Thanks-- we really like it.”

“She’s going to be really touched.” Taylor stroked the side of Liv’s face, adoring her. She could be a worrywart, her girl, but with what life had thrown at her in recent years, Taylor couldn’t blame her. Through it all, Liv was strong and kind, giving more of herself than she probably should, but somehow retaining her joie-de-vivre, her sparkle, dulled though it was on the darkest of days. “I love you, Livi,” she said. “I love you so much.”

And she hugged her, willing herself to somehow lend strength and courage where her daughter needed it-- if only it were that simple.

“It’s going to be okay.”

_________________________

It was pointless to keep checking her phone-- the message and ring tones had been set to blaringly loud so nothing could possibly be missed-- but that didn’t stop Taylor.

“Who you talking to, Grandma?” Andi asked, peering over Taylor’s shoulder.

Taylor hastily put it beside her on the floor. “No one, no one! Promise.”

Young Sol belly-crawled along the rug towards his grandma, then put himself in her lap.

“Hey, kiddo-- don’t worry, you’ve got my attention.”

“How many hours does it take for a baby to be born? They’ve been at the hospital all day!”

“Well, it depends. Sometimes, a baby will be in a big hurry to get out and it can happen in a couple of hours. Sometimes… it could even be a couple of days.”

“Days!” the two kids said in unison. It always tickled both Taylor and Estela that the two had an almost twin-like connection, their births only two days apart and inseparable since. Andi had often said ‘we basically are twins’ and no one could convince her otherwise.

How would another child fit into this dynamic? From the early days, Andi had been fascinated by her unborn sibling, talking about her constantly, while Sol barely seemed to register that a mammoth change was afoot. Until now, with his mom and nanay in the hospital, and not coming back until they had a baby to bring home.

“But,” Taylor added quickly, “last time your mom had a baby it was only five hours after she got to the hospital that Andi was born, and usually it’s faster once the mom’s already had a baby.”

“So, baby Bea could be being born right now?” Andi asked, reaching for her grandma’s phone. “And then they’ll ring and tell us?”

“She could be. And yes, they will. We’re just going to have to be patient.”

Andi huffed out a frustrated exhale. “Being patient is so hard! I wish we knew what was happening.”

“I know, mija,” Estela said as she came into the room with a plate of cocadas-- just how her mom used to make them. “Trust me, we’re all going a little crazy waiting for news. It’s just something we’ve gotta deal with.”

A tasty treat easily placated the easy-going Sol, who hummed to himself as he chewed, still sat in Taylor’s lap. Andi, though, wolfed hers down in what felt like seconds, and went straight back to asking after her mom and nanay. It was a challenge and a half, Taylor had to admit, to entertain two five-year-olds when one was completely incapable of thinking about anything other than the imminent arrival themselves.

Estela gave her wife a look. An understanding, ‘it’s driving me crazy too’ look. An ‘I’m with you’ look.

“Solito,” Estela said, determined to be distracted from worrying, and to have the kids distracted from worrying, “go and grab some paper and pens-- we can make some ‘welcome home’ posters for baby Bea-- good practice for your writing.”

Sol jumped up immediately, almost clocking his grandma in the chin as he got to his feet as was his enthusiasm. Reading and writing was a new skill, and one he was mighty proud of. He ran off, and as was typical, Andi was not far behind him.

It was hard not to be brought back to the kids’ mom learning to read and write. Liv had started a bit earlier, keen as she’d been to keep up with the older Reggie-- with whom she was inseperable. Liv would forever play with her alphabet fridge magnets; she took them with her from La Huerta, to San Trobida, to the States. Estela didn’t have any regrets about that rather fast-changing period in her daughter’s life… they’d given what stability they could, but it had never been possible to have a single true ‘home’. For these kids, though, home was San Trobida, a vastly different place to that the young Liv had known, and for Estela, it was barely recognisable as the war-torn country she grew up in. For baby Beatriz as well, the civil war and the horrors that came with it would just be a story told by her abuela, and a history lesson as she went through her schooling, as distant and irrelevent as the 2020 pandemic and dial-up internet.

Good for her.

Then Estela perched herself on the edge of the couch, only half-relaxing, for she could need to spring to action at a moment’s notice.

As if it had been waiting for the kids to leave the room, Estela’s phone rang, and she was up on her feet in an instant.

“Jeimy?” she asked too loudly. You’re gonna have to calm down…. She put the phone on speaker, though Taylor was right up by her ear so it probably wasn’t even necessary.

“She’s here-- they’re both doing great!” Jeimy cried down the phone, almost garbled in their excitement.

“The baby’s here? The baby--” Of course, the baby. Estela just laughed as relief and flooded her body. “Congratulations, Lorito,” she managed to get out. “Oh my god….”

“Pretty much what I said!” Jeimy laughed, ecstatic. “Beatriz is here, and she’s just divine.”

“Oh, Jeimy,” Taylor said, “you know it’s torture I can’t send you a hug down the phone, right?”

But even with the distance she could feel the happiness that radiated forth, and knew the same would be received. Then, the inevitable happened, and Taylor had to contend with tears streaming down her face. Her baby’s baby was here-- there was no way she wasn’t crying.

“H-how was it? Quicker than last time at least.”

“Everything went smoothly; I almost can’t believe it. It’s like… it’s like all the tension’s gone now… the scariest part is over. Liv’s feeling a bit wrecked for talking right now, but she’s happy. So, so happy.”

“Can we… can we tell the kids?”

Jeimy laughed, giddy. “Yeah, go ahead! We’ll get you to bring them down to the hospital soon-- we can’t wait to see them, just want to make sure Livi rests a little first.”

“Just… enjoy the peace and quiet with your little baby, okay?”

“And kisses for everyone from us, all right, mijo?”

“I’ll see to it-- I’ll see to it. You’ll give the kids a big squeeze from us as well! Love you-- love you-- bye!”

Estela hung up the phone and squealed, pulling a laughing Taylor into her arms for the tightest of hugs.

“We’ve got another granddaughter!” Taylor wept.

________________________

Liv’s eyelids were heavy as she watched the babe’s chest rise and fall. Their little Beatriz had made it earthside. There was no doubt in Liv’s mind; there would be no more babies for her and Jeimy. She couldn’t handle the rollercoaster. It would be her, and Jeimy, and Andi and Sol, and Beatriz… and that was all she’d ever need.

Safe and swaddled in her crib, an arm’s reach away from her exhausted mother, Beatriz had drifted off easily. Even bruised and swollen from the delivery, there was so much character in her little face.

“She looks like Sol did,” Liv whispered. “Not quite as much hair.”

At Liv’s other side, Jeimy was serene, sat up against their pillow. “I feel like I’ve been holding my breath for nine months,” they admitted. “It’s nice to breathe again.”

“I know the feeling,” Liv said. “At this point I’ll welcome the sleepless nights with open arms-- I’m just so relieved to have her here.”

Jeimy scooched closer and stroked Liv’s face. “How are you feeling? Physically, I mean.”

Liv looked up at them with a loving smile. “Very sore, very tired.”

Worth it, she thought, and she turned back to once again admire the little life she’d brought into the world. Oh my god, you are worth it.

____________________________

“Surely, no parent of a newborn in history has ever thought ‘oh, let’s have a party-- I could use some further disruption of my sleep patterns!” Aleister proclaimed. “And yet,” he added, “here we are.”

“I think ‘party’ is a strong word,” Taylor said. “Just a little get-together; good company, barbecue, and some fruit punch.”

Jeimy came over and hugged their uncle-in-law, welcoming him into the backyard, set up with lights and tables. “We’re not completely crazy; doing this at home means Liv and I can bolt upstairs with the baby and hide away at the drop of a hat. And if anyone was gonna disturb us, Mama ‘Stel would sort them out. Besides-- we’re not entertaining or anything, hence having everyone bring a plate and do their own dishes. Surrounding ourselves with love, but with as little of the hassle as possible.”

Aleister chuckled. “I can’t say I don’t still think you’re quite mad but… I see some of the appeal.”

Jeimy met his eye. “It means a lot Reggie coming home for us. I can’t say how much Liv’s missed him.”

“However all-singing-and-dancing the technology may get, it’s never the same as in person, is it? I hope it does Liv good,” he said sincerely. Aleister had been close to Liv all her life, for she and his own child Reggie had been something of a dynamic duo since before either could remember. She was his niece and he loved her, and through her mental health struggles he’d wished he could do more. It had been easier to be there for Estela, knowing that his support had helped her to be there for Liv. Reggie, he knew, was the healing balm that old Uncle Al could never be.

Thankfully, in the minds of the two parents of the new baby, the gathering had been able to be kept small and quiet-- certainly by the standards set by their ever-growing extended family. Naturally, Estela and Taylor were there, and Rosa with toddler Leo. Diego had made the trip from La Huerta a week prior, an additional support for Liv and Jeimy. Sean and Jake’s son Michael, proud donor uncle to baby Beatriz, as well as Liv’s older two children and Rosa’s unborn baby, was along for the fun; he’d taken up position as Chief of Fun and was keeping Andi and Sol out from their exhausted parents’ feet. His fiance and Michelle and Quinn’s youngest, Conor, was there to offer him assistance with the kids. Reggie was the guest of honour, the reason this whole thing was even happening-- and his sisters with their respective families, and Aleister and Grace rounded out the guestlist.

The back door swung open.

“Here she is!” Liv cried, stepping out with, cradled in her arms, a tiny bundle of baby in a puffy floral dress and a great big bow.

Michael turned to Jeimy and laughed. “What happened to the ‘gender neutral’ thing you were doing?”

“Hey. Flowers are for any and all genders.” Jeimy rolled their eyes teasingly. “Anyway, we gave up with the unisex name-- Spanish names are so damn gendered-- so thought ‘screw it, just put her in dresses if we like them’.”

“She looks cute,” Michael said, “but she’s gonna have to grow into that bow.” He held out his arms. “Cuddle with Uncle Michael?”

Liv chuckled, and carefully passed over the baby. As little Beatriz was placed in his arms, Michael absolutely beamed. There was no doubt he’d be as besotted over this kid as he was Andi and Sol.

“Damn, she’s cute!” he exclaimed. “You people are making me want a baby so bad. I’m pretty lucky to be a ‘donor uncle’ in the meantime, hey?”

“And we really appreciate it,” Liv was quick to say. Michael had basically given her the family she loved so much, and there were simply no words for what that meant. What was more, he’d given Liv’s Mama Taylor a genetic tie to her grandchildren-- a sort of link she’d once only dreamed of. Their family was unconventional, but in Liv’s eyes, it was all the more wonderful for what had been overcome to bring them to this moment, together. “It’s gonna be a pretty good excuse to get out to La Huerta regularly once Rosa’s bub’s here. We may have to tag along now and then-- I’m not having you usurp my position as ‘coolest visiting relative’.”

“I hate to break it to you, Liv,” Michael said, shaking his head in feigned sorrow, “but Jeimy sings, plays guitar, and has a talking parrot. You’ve never had the top spot to begin with.”

“Dude-- I can take my baby back---”

“Geez, touchy much! At least I know when I’m beat.”

“Just enjoy that cuddle, I’m pretty sure madam’s gonna be in high demand this evening.”

Content that her baby was in good hands, Liv felt comfortable enough to move a few feet away to check up on her older two. They’d blown her away with how they’d taken the new arrival in their stride; Sol was easy-going as usual, but Andi she’d been more concerned about, demanding as she was for fun and attention that simply was not in as high supply these days. But Andi doted on her baby sister, and was forever clamouring to be involved and help out. Now, the twosome had apparently roped Uncle Conor into a game of horsey-ride, with Andi was putting her newfound maternal side to use in steadying two-year-old Leonel with her hand as he had his turn, and Sol ripping up handfuls of grass to feed their new ‘pet’. Liv took an exhale and relaxed. Her little family was surrounded by love.

Then she turned, and there was the face she’d been desperately yearning to see.

“Reggie!”

“I told you, I’d be here, I’m not sure what all the fuss is abo--”

Liv flung her arms around her cousin, her best friend, and squeezed him with all her might.

“Steady on! You always have to be over-the-top about everything, don’t you,” he grumbled good-naturedly, but he kissed her the top of her head as she cried against his chest. He hugged her back, and gave a trembling exhale. “Now that I have you in person; congratulations.”

Liv came away to rub her teary eyes with the back of a hand. “I knew you were coming and everything, ‘m just a bit hormonal for this!”

She put her hands on her hips and took a few deep breaths, righting herself, then looked up at Reggie with a massive grin. He’d been with her through it all… both their spouses had been pregnant at the time, but she and Jeimy had lost their Avis, while Reggie and Mariama had brought home their healthy and bright Olivette-- named in tribute to their bond. Even struggling with parenting a newborn as well as his other two kids, Reggie had always found time for his old cousin, and it was a rare week that would pass without a call between London and San Trobida.

“How have you been?” he asked, “And don’t give me sass because I know childbirth can be godawful….”

“You really think I’d sass you?”

“Sure as bloody hell you would…. But are you doing all right? Other than obviously being touched in the head to have a blasted party of all things so soon after bringing a baby home. I just… I’d like to know you’re doing well.”

“We’re adjusting to the new normal,” she told him. “I’m adjusting… slowly but surely. And there’s grief that’s coming up, but I expected that. Mostly… I’m caught up in loving my baby girl, and so, so damn thankful that she’s here.” She grinned. It was as though she couldn’t think about her little Beatriz without doing so. “Do you wanna meet Bea? She’s having a cuddle with Uncle Michael right now.”

Reggie’s eyes lit up. “I did come all this way, I won’t not say ‘hi’. Actually, I may have promised Sammy and Ange that I send a few photographs-- it’s almost as though the need proof I’m actually here and taking meeting the new little cousin seriously.”

Liv laughed. “I’m sure we can manage that!” She took him by the elbow. “Come on-- you flew all the way from London, you get to skip the cuddle queue.”

And she took him to get acquainted with the baby, beaming as she walked him through a backyard filled with the smiling faces of the people she loved so much-- all there for her. Soon, they’d gather together, and raise a glass; to family, to good times, and to Beatriz Estela Montoya.

#endless summer #estela x mc #rosita montoya #es fanfic #montoya family #catalyst kiddos #playchoices

[highabovethecloudssomewhere]

kagehina haikyuu but make it genshin

behold: the dum dums

I love them

#I need to draw shenanigans #These kiddos probably have my favorite character dynamic across any media #cloud draws #fanart #haikyuu!! #hq #kagehina #In my head hinata uses a greatsword #because tiny character enormous weapon go brrr #but the thought of him hurling a book at ppl because he cant figure out how catalysts work #is also peak character brrrr

[soarrenbluejay]

Supervillains for a community. (Well, except those jerks over in Gotham, insular lot, but they’re they’re one problem) Of course they do- supervillains are a group defined by strong opinions and a willingness to see them through, often with a healthy dash of societal failures and trauma as a catalyst.

The fentons, while not active even on the online message boards, are well known and explosive when they do show up, full of fascinating insights and hours long rants on mad science on hair pin turns courtesy of that ADHD attention span. Bit of the cryptids you feel honored to bump into kind of deal. Besides, like a good quarter of the community as it aged, they’d settled down and had kids (not necessarily in that order) and taken it very seriously! Out in the middle of nowhere, where even the most fearsome government outpost members, the local branch of the IRS, quake before them in fear. Out of the way.

Reveal gone okay-ish, Danny moves to Gotham still to get some air bc now things are Akward and he landed that engineering scholarship which is loads better than any other college would give him with his track record. So- the mysterious Fenton children are finally crawling out of hiding! Everyone is psyched! And roll in to Gotham en masse to witness the fireworks!

Except Danny is Determined To Be Normal. He’s had enough of the throwing himself into harms way shit for a lifetime- he wants to be free to peacefully built Rube Goldberg machines and unintentional increasingly complex bombs to his hearts content. JAZZ, on the other hand- the coveted token Normal One, has finally snapped! She’s watched her baby brother she practically raised throw himself into danger over and over and could do nothing, and now that she’s exposed to this whole network of superheroes outside of small town Amnity, some of those uglier emotions are coming out. And boy is she pissed! And can’t afford to show it much while filing the paperwork to have Arkham legally razed to the ground!

See I love this idea of like, niches in superhero society. A villain the heroes know they can plop their kiddo down with for an exciting afternoon brawl while they take care of a particularly grisly case and come back to a few hours later ranting about some new life lesson and a new move they really want to try. A villain who has a functioning moral compass despite their somewhat batshit long term goal and you can contact to fuck with another villains’s plan so they can laugh at them and you can have an easy afternoon. One who pries up hostile architecture and fills in pot holes, idk man. Get creative here, there’s such potential!

So Jazz becomes a Training villain- someone the heroes know their sidekicks will walk away from in a fight 100% of the time, usually with some new lesson to ponder and only a couple of bruises. Sometimes even snacks!

She also absolutely ambushes mentors to check that they’re worth the kiddo, which they appreciate once they get over being jumped in a dark alley by a 7 foot Amazon trained force of nature. They are not used to being on that side of the jumping, it’s a little unnerving.

(Yes, she low key adopts Shazam upon checking in with him on cursory ‘is the main hero of this city and asshole’ checkin. Yes, the super clones get yoinked out from under Superman’s negligent thumb to go have a blast with Ellie. What about it?)

This however only encourages more assorted weirdos to crawl out of the woodwork. It’s not often one of their own forfeits their potential spot for the running of the coveted Most Normal I Swear prize, but when they do it’s bound to be good! But jazz is off hounding various heroes and punching the faces in of pedophiles and shit whenever there’s no cape within easy reach, and so is a mite bit harder to contact than Danny, who has innocently gotten an apprenticeship under a clockworker for access to their workshop and is gleefully going about doing nerdy shit with great abandon.

Plus this is Gotham. No one gives a shit if someone in the Mad Alchemist uniform and still smoking from their latest experiment pokes their head in a window to bother the local shrimp teen- none of the usual social rules apply, everyone’s crazy here! So everyone drops any and all attempts at masking and just acts their genuine unhinged selves, much to the alarm of the Bats and frustration of Danny.

Bc he cannot get these mfers to go. Away. Even liberal use of the creep stick has little effect when the interloper is calibrated for an opponent with super speed or laser vision or whatever, and he’s trying to maintain his guise as a Normal College Student Do No Investigate.

So he calls in the big guns. He’s not super active in the supervillain kids group chat ever since things in amnity calmed the fuck down post becoming King and then immediately using a loophole that says he will not take the throne until he is grown, as defined by finishing learning his trade a la the medieval standards Pariah set up. So he can just take his sweet ass time with his graduate degree and out of inter dimensional bull shit that much longer! Point is, he hasn’t taken the chance to rant over there in a while, so his Crazy friends are getting a lil worried.

The change to come over and shout at their batshit crazy but (mostly) well meaning parent AND see Danny? Score!

The bats, however, are getting awfully suspicious about this one kid that villains from all over the country are flocking to, especially young and upcoming ones as of recently! And he’s acting his engineering course- all the worst rogues are known to have flown through their PhD studies prior to Cracking. They seem to have a real problem on their hands with this Fenton guy.

#dp x dc #dc x dp #mad science #supervillain community #bonus points if you can pull out some super niche comic villain #justice for kite man #local child of a crazy chemist: so you know that trick you showed me with the soda and the reaction that could turn into just like all foam #Danny: yeah and also back the fuck up #lcoacc: so it’s been like my comfort food right but like I started wondering what you could do #danny: oh no (he says while making what amounts of an overachieving smoke bomb) #lcoacc: so I was like what if I add more of a base to it so it could be solid and then maybe just like a LIL acid to see what happens #Danny: oh ancients #lcoacc: but then the killjoy supes came in a ruined everything from where I was ruining lex Luther’s day #Danny:… did you get in on camera #lcoacc: OF COURSE. oh also like everyone ever if coming over for a sleepover lol #Danny: WHAT I CANT FEED YOU MONSTERS #lcoacc: no worrries we’ll rob a bulk store or something lol #Danny: nO

[jiarkives]

julia’s favorites ! (iii)

♡ - fluff ; ♤ - angst ; ☆ - series

marvel

☆ deception - mob!bucky barnes

↳ @avecra

☆ monet issues - natasha romanoff ft. tony stark, avengers

↳ @arlana-likes-to-write

☆ masterlist - bucky barnes, steve rogers

♤♡ flashing lights (i) - paramedic!bucky barnes

♡ convalescence (ii) - paramedic!bucky barnes

♤ when he’s away - bucky barnes

♤ voicemails to an unmanned inbox - bucky barnes

♤ divine retribution - bucky barnes

↳ @pellucid-constellations

☆ Cержант - bucky barnes

☆ alone - bucky barnes

☆ obey - bucky barnes

♡ the owl and the wolf - bucky barnes

↳ @waiting4inspiration

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jujutsu kaisen

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↳ @mysicklove (18+)

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↳ @riediaries

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↳ @justauthoring

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call of duty

♤ i see red (i) - simon ‘ghost’ riley

♡ i see red (ii) - simon ‘ghost’ riley

♤♡ wrong words - simon ‘ghost’ riley

↳ @milf-murdock

♡ hangry - simon ‘ghost’ riley

↳ @rileyslibrary

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♤♡ faking his own death - simon ‘ghost’ riley

↳ @cmncisspnandmore (18+)

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↳ @multi-fandom-imagine

~

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↳ @justauthoring

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tokyo revengers

♤ catalyst - manjiro ‘mikey’ sano

♡♤ serendipity - ken ‘draken’ ryuguji

↳ @justauthoring

♡ hidden relationship - manjiro ‘mikey’ sano

↳ @miniimight

♡ you’re too drunk to recognize your boyfriend - manjiro ‘mikey’ sano, ken ‘draken’ ryuguji, keisuke baji, takashi mitsuya, rindou haitani, ran haitani, shuji hanma

↳ @chalkscene

~

marauders / harry potter

☆ come back, be here - sirius black, marauders

↳ @ellecdc

♡ drabble - remus lupin

♡ james comes to your rescue when you call him (drunk) - james potter

♡ james puts his finger in your mouth - james potter

↳ @luveline

♕ divider — @bunnysrph

#⋆·˚ ༘ * julia’s favs ! #marvel x reader #jujutsu kaisen x reader #call of duty x reader #my hero academia x reader #tokyo revengers x reader #marauders x reader #harry potter x reader

[autistichalsin]

If you were Halsin’s writer (which you pretty much are for the fandom girlies) what’s a scenario/memory that he would have found himself in as a younger elf? Either a kiddo, or a cynical 150yo or right after the Shadow Curse began

care to throw together a bit of lore? 🙌🏼

YOU GUYS. You guys have to stop saying things that make me blush and kick my feet like this!!!! <333333

Hmm. So based on the ask I'm guessing you're wanting something angsty? I'm not sure how detailed I can think of on the fly without writing an entire fic, but here's how I see his little arc with outgrowing cynicism:

His descent definitely started with losing his family*. They were kind. They were loving. They taught him everything about nature. His older brothers always put up with him chasing after, and once his younger sisters arrived, they were glued to his side, always demanding stories and games, and he always pretended to be annoyed but secretly loved it. They were everything to him and he had to watch as, one by one, they got sick and died, or in two instances, had tragic accidents. Yes, he found the Druids soon after, but it didn't change that he was the only Silverbough left, the last of an ancient line of elves and they weren't there.(This was also his first brush with survivor guilt. Why him and not the oldest brother, or the youngest sister?)

Getting abducted as a young Druid was another catalyst. It took the pain of grief and survivor guilt and added something else. He knew cruelty- even wood elves weren't immune, let alone the Grove. And he'd certainly heard stories about the Drow, their raids of surface elf communities and the sadism of Lolth followers. But there was cruelty, and then there was cruelty. The kind of depravity that caused him to see decorations that were once elves, that caused him to be constantly degraded and mocked and used. (Not coincidentally, this brush with cynicism was marred with survivor guilt; the two are linked VERY closely for him.) It was one thing to lose his family to tragic twists of fate, but to see so much murder, to experience the pain of rape and abuse, was something else entirely.

That shook his faith for the longest time in the redeemability of sentient beings; it was years before he'd leave wildshape for anything not strictly necessary. It was then that he started thinking of himself more as a bear than as an elf. Bears weren't good or evil. They just were. And that was his refuge for years until he was ready to be a person again. A very cynical person, bitter but also unfailingly kind. The person who would say the world is an awful, doomed place while still doing everything in his power to make it less so for the people he cared for.

What caused him to break free? No one thing, but many things. Thaniel's continued friendship. Helping a sick, tired human deliver a baby. Rescuing a bear cub from a poacher and gaining a friendship that rested the rest of the bear's long, spoiled life. The quiet "I'm so proud of you, you'll go so far"s from the previous Archdruid as Halsin rose through the ranks at the Grove and became an unparalleled healer. The lovers he found through the years, never lasting long, but always full of warmth and intensity. Gaining the courage to start adventuring again, to the Nelanther Isles, to communities of other wood elves, and always learning something worthwhile. His books, even if his heart wasn't truly with scholarly pursuits, providing him the knowledge he couldn't always find in the real world. Finding a new, steady place for himself in the world, and growing strong on his own- and strong enough, like a sturdy oak, to provide shelter and protection for those he cared for. The more distance he put between himself and his captivity, the stronger he became. (Unfortunately, the distance also caused him to downplay the trauma increasingly; he opened up to few, deliberately, and with no one to remind him it was okay to have his feelings, he started displacing them.)

The Shadow Curse nearly caused him to relapse back into it. The combination of loss and fear and the addiction spiral he nearly fell into with the honey mead were a perfect storm. But by then, at 250 years old, Halsin knew himself well enough to see himself sinking, and he didn't want to be where he was back then. He still felt the pain. But the thing is that cynicism and optimism don't always have to be diametrically opposed. They both combine to form the basis for realism. Optimism is choosing to believe the best, pessimism is choosing the believe the worst, and realism is choosing to look at the two extremes and conclude the likeliest outcome is somewhere between them. And that was the approach Halsin took. Rather than writing the world off as a hopeless place, he acknowledged the suffering, then sought off in search of what he could change.

There is a note you can find in the game where he laments the Emerald Enclave refused to send help for the Curse, but adds that he would continue to try, and he might not have to face the darkness alone. That very much sums up Halsin's approach, even as he was hurting (to the point that some of his after-the-fact descriptions to the player sound remarkably like he was suffering clinical depression). Feel the pain, but hold on, because better is coming; wait through the Curse, because you will break it one day; hold on in the goblin pens, because you will be rescued; hold on in the Drow nobles' chamber, because your moment to escape will come. Halsin is remarkably strong and able to endure a lot of darkness as long as he doesn't lose sight of light at the end, and that's how he stopped from sliding into cynicism again after the Shadow Curse.

*I once had a headcanon that Halsin learned about his family's passing after the Underdark, but now I'm not so sure, especially since we know now it wasn't all at once. I definitely can see it, but I can also easily see him losing them before; it would explain his lack of fear venturing into the Underdark alone, I think. So for this post I went with that.

Not sure if this was what you were wanting, but I hope it was close, anyway!

#halsin #halsin silverbough #bg3 #baldur's gate 3

[ladykailitha]

Yesterday I had two ideas for a steddie fic, so you'll be getting two updates from me today...

The first one is a modern (ish it would be set in the 80s) day Pride & Prejudice with Steve as Darcy, Robin as Bingley, and Eddie as Lizzy. Chrissy as Jane. Probably Billy as Wickham.

Nancy as Lady Catherine, but in the way that she's the catalyst at the end that comes up to Steve and tells him he can't date Eddie. Not because Eddie isn't in love with him, but no, because she thinks Steve is straight.

Cue Steve rushing to Eddie to tell him he still loved him.

Not sure where the rest of the gang would filter through. But none of them are related to each other like they are in the book.

I think Vickie would be a great Charlotte though. Deciding to be with someone she doesn't love because she doesn't think she can be with the one she wants because they're (Robin) out of her league.

The scene that gets Eddie to hate him on sight is they're at a party and he overhears Robin and Steve talking and Steve's too embarrassed to go on to the dance floor so he keeps making excuses. Tells her that Chrissy is the only pretty one there. Which Robin calls him out on because Eddie is soooo his type.

Steve scoffs and calls him cute at best.

Now Eddie who has carefully constructed his image to metal thinks that cute is the antithesis of that and gets offended.

Then in comes Billy and starts bad mouthing Steve. Saying all sorts of bullshit that Eddie just eats right up. Flirted with a 14 year old girl (Max and Steve was protecting her from Billy), deliberately threw a basketball game (had gotten a concussion and instead of continuing to play like the coach wanted went to the ER instead), and the list goes on about how miserable Steve has made Billy's life.

Chrissy doesn't believe it because the guys on the basketball team the following year love Steve. But Eddie thinks they were tricked by the King Steve image.

Robin isn't any help regarding the rumors because she wasn't friends with Steve until after all that went down and she wasn't in marching band that year, her parents couldn't pay for the uniform.

I know I know Bingley is the rich one and Jane is the poor one, but work with me here, it's based on personality. Robin isn't naive enough to be Jane.

Anyway.

Steve is oblivious to the drama going on around him because he's trying keep Max out of Billy's hands, as he took custody of her after her mom was unable. And dorky as hell.

He accidentally breaks up Robin and Chrissy with a remark about how Chrissy didn't seem all that interested in her (she was being shy Robin being her first girlfriend and didn't know how to act).

So when Steve asks Eddie out (at party hosted by Nancy that Eddie was trying to duck out of when Steve spotted him), Eddie flips out on Steve throwing all sorts of allegations around and Steve is devastated. He leaves this long voice mail on Eddie's phone explaining his side of the story and Eddie is gutted.

Steve really was a cool guy. But it's too late. Steve has gone back to Indy with Robin as they both nurse their broken hearts.

Chrissy goes to stay with her brother in Bloomington and the band takes Eddie to Indy not realizing that's where Steve's gone.

Their van breaks down near Steve's place and while they're stuck in town waiting until it gets fixed Steve and Eddie get thrown together a lot and Eddie falls head over heels.

Just as things are getting good between them, Eddie's van is fixed and Wayne tells him to haul ass because Billy has been threatening the Hellfire kiddos about Max's location.

Steve comes rushing to the rescue and gets a plate to the head for his trouble, but because of all the witnesses, Billy is forced to run, leaving everyone safe at last.

But Steve tells the kiddos not tell Eddie it was him that rescued Lucas and Max, thinking that Eddie still hated him.

Steve helps get Robin and Chrissy back together and now Eddie done for. He's in love with this man.

Cue the Nancy scene and Steve and Eddie finally getting together.

#my writing #stranger things #steddie #ladykailtiha writes #pride and prejudice au

[darklordofthesimp]

Solace (Din Djarin x Reader)

The Mandalorian had been missing for three days, leaving you with a 50-year-old baby and an unreliable ship. You've had days to think about your feelings for your employer, his absence was the catalyst for a terrifying realization.

Requested by Anon: #3 I thought you were dead!

A/N: dont mind the low quality, just a lil fluff to brighten your day as I try to get back into the groove of writing again after a huge course and interstate Army fuckery.

Category: Fluff - Hurt/Comfort - Mutual Pining

Your heart was lodged firmly in your throat.

You couldn't breathe.

Din was late.

He wasn't late by an hour or two, nothing as trivial as missing dinner when it's called. No, the Mandalorian was three days late. It started off okay, the type of delay that seemed like a minor inconvenience at first. Now, you were at a loss.

It was supposed to be an easy task, a light job that'd get you the credits you needed for parts, something small just to get the ship back up and running again. There wasn't much you could do on the move, you just needed to get the Crest and its occupants back to Tatooine so you could use Peli and her workshop.

"Shit," you hissed, dropping the spanner and cradling your hand to your chest.

You were becoming sloppy with your work, your mind working a million miles an hour but not focusing on the task at hand. There was a light gurgle from beside you and you sucked your teeth, guiltily glancing down at your companion.

"Sorry," you muttered, "bad language. Don't tell your dad."

The kid muttered something to himself in a language you could never hope to understand. He was always so vocal, the complete opposite of his found father, and the comparison was comical. Grogu would yammer for hours on end, forcing the usually reserved hunter into a conversation that had you on the outs.

But you didn't mind.

It was heartwarming, watching the both of them interact always tugged at something in your chest. You tried to ignore it on the best of days, but sometimes, in the quiet of your mind, you held onto that feeling tightly.

"You got any idea where dad is, kiddo?" You prod smilingly, cheeks twinging from the falsity of it all. Keeping it together was the main priority, Grogu could sense your inner turmoil and the last thing you wanted to do was panic him.

A small sigh was your only response and you didn't push.

Fear pooled in your stomach at the sheer longing you felt. You actually missed him. Genuinely. It was a feeling that surprised you, to begin with. Sinful thoughts of your employer had always been suppressed into the deepest parts of your mind, but this one was so glaringly obvious that you couldn't stow it anywhere.

You missed Din, you were worried for him and his safety and you had come to terms with that realization hesitantly.

The sun's were setting over the long stretch of sand and you knew that the kid would start whinging soon. Din had fallen into the accidental tradition of taking his son outside to watch the sun set. The little thing had never let it go, you supposed he thought you were good enough company in the absence of his father.

Sure enough, you heard the beginnings of light grumbling from below you.

"If you give me two seconds to just close up this job," you strained against the spanner, "we can go watch the sunset together, sweetheart."

There was an excited squeal in response and the patter of his feet against durasteel.

"I would like that."

You spun on your heels, tripping backward into the panel you'd been working out of. Instinctively, you launched your spanner as hard as you could at the source of the noise, terror gripping your lungs tightly.

There was no chance for it to strike true before it was snatched out of it's trajectory. Your chest heaved against the racing pace of your heart as you tried to recover.

"Din!" You gasped, drinking in the sight of the Mandalorian from your crumpled position. He was as glorious as ever, standing tall in the entrance, beskar reflecting the floodlight across the bay.

He was here.

The hunter said nothing, leaning down to tenderly pick up the kid that whined at his feet. You reached for the light switch dumbly, unable to tear your eyes away.

He was back. Thank the fucking Maker.

There was no more dialogue between the both of you, his attention entirely on the bundle of cloth and giggles resting in his arms. You couldn't believe your eyes. It was logical that he'd eventually make his way back to you but you hadn't exactly planned what you'd do when he finally showed.

Finally, the hunter seemed ready to acknowledge you, placing the Child down just as gently as he had collected him. The kid snatched the spanner from Din's fingers, moving to entertain himself with the usually forbidden new toy.

When he stood straight again, you sucked in a breath.

"You run into any issues?" He murmured, his visor running along the length of your body. Your heart dropped at his impassioned question- but your core tightened at what his gaze implied. Heat flushed through your system and you couldn't tell whether it was anger or longing that had you by the throat.

"Is that all you can say?" You sneered, pushing off from the wall behind you. Correcting your form and swiping imaginary dust from your pants, you glared at him. "That's what you want to start with?"

"What would you suggest?" Din's words were painfully calm.

The Mandalorian had a temper, you had seen it over and over throughout your time with him, but there was something about the way he spoke that had you on edge.

You weren't sure whether it was really his fault. Nothing had truly changed. He spoke to you the same way he always had: detached, professional, and always just beyond reach. It was only now that you expected anything more and it was because your feelings had shifted- not his.

To him, you were the same.

His employee.

"You were gone," you spat.

"I was busy."

You needed to step away. Becoming emotional over something like this was a sure way to expose yourself. This job was critical, the money was good and you had nowhere else to go.

"Whatever," you snapped, crouching to stuff your tools into their weathered canvas bag. "The least you could do is let me know when you're going to go AWOL on me. I didn't sign up to be a babysitter."

There was the familiar silence of Din deliberating his next sentence, and you welcomed it graciously. You didn't want to talk to him, you didn't want to look at him- a cold shower and a drink was the only solution you could scrape up.

You stood to your full height and your heart stuttered in your chest. The hunter now stood before you, so close that your nose skimmed the beskar plating. You could smell smoke and pine, it was overpowering but not unpleasant.

Where had he been?

"What's your problem?" The words were tight and confused, and you knew your shift in attitude had him frustrated.

You raised a brow, pointing the end of your spanner to rest against his chest plate. "You're telling me that you don't see an issue with you disappearing for three days?"

"It's part of the job," Din said thinly, almost instinctive in reaction. "It's not unexpected."

You ground your teeth, the tool you held pressing harder into his armour. "You don't say."

"You're being unreasonable," the hunter huffed, resting his hands against his hips.

"I thought you were dead!" You snapped, adrenaline flooding your system and prickling your skin. "What would I have done?"

There was a long pause as you processed what you'd just blurted. You wanted to hide, you wanted to crawl into a hole and die- saved from an eternity of embarrassment.

Din tilted his head, the smallest of sounds slipping from beneath the beskar. He rocked back on his heels once, then twice, a slow nod being the only dialogue he offered.

"What am I supposed to do with a green baby and a bunch of guys in carbonite-" you tried to recover the situation, throwing the lie of self-preservation at the hunter as hard as you could.

"You were worried," he murmured, interrupting your rambling. The words died in your mouth and turned to ash, trailing off until you fell silent. You blinked dumbly at his words. He was waiting for your confirmation, but the way he stood told you that he already knew he was right.

Would it be so bad if you said that you were? People can platonically worry for others, after all, it's not uncommon to become friends with colleagues.

But the way his hands fell from his belt, the way they rested at his side and twitched against his thighs- platonic was never part of the equation.

"You're upset because you were..." the Mandalorian began slowly, "worried about me?"

Your stomach fluttered and you cast your gaze to the floor, running your sights over every dent and scuff.

"Yeah," you rasped, the word weak and shaky.

Your heart stopped at the sensation of his gloves against your skin.

You didn't dare move, you couldn't even breathe, nothing to startle him or yourself from whatever was happening. The touch was innocent, shy even. Grazing his hand against the length of your forearm with a feather-light brush.

To some, it would have been child's-play.

To you, it was everything.

Disappointingly, but not surprising, his hand fell back to his side as subtly as he could manage, as if he were pretending it had never happened at all.

"I," he cleared his throat, "I was worried about you too."

Your mouth parted, then closed again, swaying back onto your heels lightly. Before you could think of something to say, anything to break the ice or continue further down that road, there was a small squeal from below you.

The Mandalorian stepped away from you so quick you had barely seen him move, his chest heaving against the beskar plate. His hands shook lightly as he reached to pick up the kid now tugging at his boot.

"I missed you too," he said with an uneasy chuckle.

You cleared your throat, the spell broken between you both. A cold sweat trickled down the length of your spine and you only then noticed how tense your whole body had been. Every joint was locked, every muscle tightened, you had to force yourself to breathe normally again.

"I'm going to go for a shower," you murmured to no-one, rubbing your sweaty palms against your pants lightly. Even the feel of the fabric beneath your skin wasn't enough to ground you from whatever emotion had you in it's hold.

"You, uh, you want to get something to eat?" Din offered quickly, his tone clearly uncomfortable.

You blinked at him.

"After your shower," he clarified, turning his gaze back towards the child.

"Yeah," you nodded, swallowing tightly. "If you'd like."

You hadn't expected a response when you turned around, you never really knew what to expect when it came to the Mandalorian. When someone was as predictably unpredictable as the hunter you lived with, you discovered that suprise was an ever-evolving emotion.

But, as you made your way toward the refresher on shaky legs, Din spoke.

"I'd like that."

Words that were so insignificant to most.

Those same words were everything to you.

#the mandalorian x reader #din djarin x reader #mandalorian x reader #din djarin #star wars #the mandalorian #din djarin x y/n #din djarin x you #baby yoda #grogu #mandalorian

[fluffypotatey]

also. i was thinking abt ur analysis on soysauce duo’s relationship, and how macaroni and mk’s relationship has that more direct progression in terms of caring about each other/mentorship, and also that it gives me a very nice opening to talk about my favorite line in s4: “Nice tail, kid,” from macaque in 4x09.

just. like. that’s the first nice thing anybody’s said about this terrifying new monkey form, and it’s so important that macaque says it. in a past season, that would’ve been a taunt, but here it’s about as close to sincere as macaque ever gets, and how it shows that the character development from s3 has stuck, that he isn’t just here to be a dick. yaknow??? <- frantically gesturing at a red string board with the clown wig firmly fitted on

*nods at board and takes her own red strings from her pocket* yeah, yeah exactly

they're relationship is literally "hey kiddo" (derogatory) to "hey kiddo" (affectionate). every insult that Macky threw at MK in the past (which was really just a backhanded compliment), now hold sincerity and geniune compliments to it. and you know what? THEY'RE DYNAMIC ALSO FLIPPED!!!

like, if you think about it, both MK & SWK's dynamic and MK & Macky's dynamic have flipped. it's Macky now who's trying to reach out and be friendly with MK still distrustful and throwing barbs (which Makcy takes in stride bc....fair is fair tbh) and yeah 100% agree that Macadoo's comment on MK's monkey form being the 1st positive one is a big deal and super important.

the previous ones coming from:

Ink!MK, who used that form to highlight how dangerous MK is to his friends and the world and will be the catalyst to its end;

Sun Wukong, who ignored the issue and was trying to placate MK. which, to be fair, was needed because Mk was not in the right mind, but SWK's mitigation (i think is a better word bc Wukong did acknowledge but was trying not to make a big deal out of it) ended up aggravating MK further because, once again, he feels like his pain and issues are being deflected.

and MK's friends, Pigsy, Sandy, Tang, and Mei, who were also overwhelmed by the events but weren't even sure how to react to MK's new burst of power.

and then you have Macaroni, who, if we remember, was unaware of the events that just transpired (at least, i think he was unaware bc he made a joke about Wukong being a lazy ass, which would be a low blow if Macartney was aware of everything in 4x08). all Macackle gets is MK pleading at him to stop with the taunting and THEN JUST GIVES UP ON WHAT HE WAS SAYING BECAUSE HE'S EXHAUSTED AND FEELS USED AND BROKEN AND CONFUSED AND MAYBE IF MAC DOES TAUNT HIM AT LEAST ONE THING OF HIS LIFE IS TYPICAL AND-*gets taken off the stage*

*comes back but now covered in scratches and blood* sorry, uh, what was i saying?

ah yes,

the fact that it is Macandy who comments on it (he is shown to be shocked about it and knows that something is up) and just a simple "uh, you have a tail now," it's "nice tail by the way."

no questions about how it happened, no concern over what transpired. just an acknowledgment of it and a positive one which is the complete opposite of what MK's been shown because it is the part of him that is supposed to be bad and chaotic and the Harbinger. it can't bring good or be something hopeful....can it?

also, ISN'T INTERESTING HOW MACAQUE'S COMMENT ON THE TAIL IS POSITIVE AND NOT WHAT SHOULD BE ASSUMED OF MONKEY!MK'S PURPOSE JUST LIKE HOW MK'S PERSISTENCE FOR MACKY'S HELP FURTHER LED TO MACKY REALIZING THAT FATE IS WHAT YOU MAKE IT AND SCREW THE THREADS DESTINY AND THE WORLD GIVES YOU AND-*gets dog-piled*

#bestie i am so sorry this response took me so long T^T #i wanted to give you a good and proper answer when my mind wasn't muddled by midterms and then it just sat here in my inbox and my guilt #BUT IT'S HERE NOW #also i was worried that i wouldn't be able to share all my thoughts on this bc it's been so long but nope #LONG POST AGAIN BITCHES MWAHAHAHAHAHAHA #semi-long but still #bone apple teeth #aka #bone appetite #or however it's spelled #lmk #lmk soysauce duo #soysauce duo #lmk mk #lmk qi xiaotian #lmk macaque #lmk six eared macaque #lmk meta #lmk analysis #maybe idk #opinion? #asks

[omegasmileyface]

The Forest, the Trees, the Fire I: CATALYST

Chapter 1

Let's get it started! This is the phic that @ectolemonades and @attackradish and I put together for Invisobang 2023! Our wonderful artist was @crunchysart, and you can see part of their work in this chapter! :3

For the full characters list, word count, content warning, and a directory to all the currently available chapters and related content, see the Table of Contents!

full summary: The world outside of Amity Park has learned about the existence of ghosts, and the time for first impressions has arrived. The delicate public consciousness could be disrupted by the slightest ripple. Danny Fenton is being ripped apart from all sides, and when he finally breaks, the ripples will be very big indeed.

warnings: none for this chapter

words: 1001

AO3 link

next chapter

===

There is no forest without its trees

and though the roots bind together

in ways you could never see

until no one tree is distinct from the others,

each green needle is a letter in the story.

And when they are blown off, one by one,

they become tinder.

One needle becomes one spark,

the spark becomes a fire,

the trees are gone,

and the forest is gone

because one needle caught too soon.

It is the work of historians

(and naturalists, and readers, and gods)

to trace the fire back to the needle

and to the tree that dropped it.

===

September 28, 2006

Danny Phantom stumbled a landing on the gravelly roof of a building. He bent over and put his hands on his knees, catching his breath.

Danny had enjoyed fighting Ember for all of five minutes. She took control of a little gig at the record store, he showed up to save the day (with the Fenton Fones in, of course. He learned his lesson with her), witty banter, blah blah blah, now she'd end up in the Fenton Thermos.

It was almost a relief having someone to fight. Something to distract him and keep him from being crushed under the pressure of his reality. Something to make his life feel normal. Or— it was, until he spotted a clock and realized he was officially late for a history lesson with Frostbite. The Observants would no doubt be on him for it. He could practically hear them; he can’t even make it to a history lesson on time, how is he qualified to be King of the Infinite Realms?

“Look. You’ve had your fun, you got your attention… if you let these people go, I won’t put you in the Thermos today.” Danny tried to keep his stance somewhere between non-threatening and ready to pounce, just in case Ember wasn’t willing to back down.

Ember rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest with a huff. “Fine. You’re off your game, anyway. There’s no satisfaction when your heart’s not in it.”

“Wow," said Danny, "you’re so thoughtful.”

“Hey, I may be a ghost, but I do have a little human decency left.”

Danny snorted. “Tell that to the media right now. Anti-ecto propaganda is making a comeback.” He cringed a little as soon as it came out. Why did he say that? He didn’t need to vent about his problems to Ember, and it’s not like she cared anyway.

“Hasn’t that… always been a thing?” Ember cocked her head and raised an eyebrow.

“Just go give those people their free will again,” Danny said with a dismissive wave.

“They’ll be fine for a few more minutes. Tell me what’s going on, kiddo.”

“I mean… in a nutshell, the ‘all ghosts are crap’ stuff stopped around the time I stopped being actively hunted every time I did anything,” Danny explained.

“Wow. Public opinion changed that much in the last— what, year?”

“I thought so, but there’s been all this talk lately about how ghosts and humans aren't 'supposed' to interact, and how ghosts are, like, 'scientifically unable to behave themselves' or whatever. They make it so it doesn't sound evil, but… it’s just a lot to deal with right now.” Danny ran a hand through his hair. He was exhausted, his body ached, and he really just wanted this conversation to be over so he could get to his last scheduled task of the day before he could go home and maybe get some sleep. “Look, I’m late for a meeting right now, appreciate the heart-to-heart, but if you’ll just work with me here I really need to get going.”

Ember stood back up, brushing herself off as if she’d actually been sitting on the roof and not hovering a few inches above it. “Alright, I’ll get outta here then. Thanks for not putting me in your stupid soup container.”

“Yeah, whatever. You might not get so lucky next time.” Danny gave her a half-smile.

They both made a move to go their separate ways when flashing lights in the distance caught their attention.

“What’s going on over there?” Ember asked, squinting.

“Uh, hopefully something that won’t be my problem,” Danny responded.

White vehicles had surrounded what looked to be the Dairy King on the edge of town. There was a moment of chaos as people in body armor rushed into the building and others ran out.

The pair glanced at each other, silently deciding that this wasn’t something they should get involved in.

“See ya, babypop,” Ember said with a mocking salute to Danny. She headed back in the direction of the record store while Danny gave the Dairy King one last, lingering look before leaving.

===

===

Four in custody following Dairy King raid

Tiffany Snow | Staff Reporter

The Garrison Irving Walker Commission took four ghostly employees into custody following a raid at the Amity Park Dairy King Thursday.

The GIW discovered the four ghosts employed at Dairy King during routine patrols of Amity Park. GIW operatives raided the restaurant Thursday evening and took them into custody.

“By incorporating themselves into human society, ectoplasmic entities give the public a false idea that they can trust them like humans. They are posing as employees at businesses around town, high school students and who knows what else,” Operative Q, a senior operative with the GIW, said.

No current law explicitly forbids ghosts from working in customer service, but given that they are unable to legally obtain the required paperwork to be employed, the situation at the Dairy King is being investigated. There is currently no policy in place defining ghosts and their relation to living things. In addition, the GIW deemed their employment unsafe to the public. A GIW representative said the entities will be used for research and disposed of.

Dairy King management offered no comment regarding awareness of the employees being ghosts during the hiring process. The restaurant will be closed temporarily due to short staffing.

#invisobang 2023 #danny phantom #my writing #hehe dairy queen ghosts cameo :)c #the forest the trees the fire #ftf catalyst

[marmolady]

Grandchildren: Leonel

Summary: Endless Ending timeline. Middle-aged Taylor and Estela are entering a new phase of their life together, welcoming their grandchildren into the family. In four parts; this is PART TWO.

Word Count: 3208

Tagging: @saivilo, @edgydepressedchoicesthot, @sceptilemasterr, ​@mauvecatfic @rhemenway888

Thanks for reading!

________________________

2058

Rosa was trembling as she hung up the phone, the news taking several moments to sink in.

It was a ‘yes’. It was happening. She was going to be bringing home her baby boy.

The whole story went back several years-- or to Rosa’s birth if we’re talking the real beginning. Raised in one of Santa Juana’s children’s homes after being abandoned on the doorstep as an infant, she’d found herself drawn back there, initially to help process her own traumas but then to lend a hand where she could in helping others through the system. The home wasn’t far from Rosa’s university, so it was easy enough to volunteer an hour or two most days, just being there as a friendly face. Even after graduating, she kept up her commitment, and then… Leonel arrived.

Rosa had actually been at the home when the baby was discovered upon the doorstep. Foundlings were not unusual in San Trobida; taking into account the small population, baby abandonment could even be considered commonplace, especially around the two main cities. The tiny country had found stability in the decades since the civil war, but the knock-on effects remained. Leonel, like Rosa, was a casualty, presumably, of that ongoing trauma. She’d jumped in to assist, not knowing that as soon as she took the infant in her arms, she would feel a pull to him as if by a chain through her very heart. Leo didn’t have to spend years in the system, bouncing between orphanages and foster homes; Rosa wouldn’t let it be. She would be his mom.

Months had passed. There was a lot to be arranged. Rosa was ready to be a mom, and began nesting. Her home was also her mothers’. A lot of San Trobidans lived in multi-generational households, so it wasn’t a concern; Rosa talked with Mama Taylor and Mama Estela about the possibility of her moving on to her own place, but they were undaunted by the prospect of a live-in grandchild… and Rosa just simply preferred her family close. It was no longer the separation anxiety that had plagued her in years gone by-- she could leave, she just didn’t want to.

Leo wouldn’t have that problem, she’d make sure of it. He’d never know a day where he’d wonder if someone, anywhere, wanted him. Rosa would ease him through his feelings about his background, and he’d know she was on his side, always, even when she wasn’t physically by his side.

Tears began to roll down her cheeks. You’re coming home, baby.

With shaky steps, Rosa entered the kitchen; her moms were putting a simple dinner together, and were engaged in conversation that halted as they saw their daughter’s dazed state.

“Rosa?” Estela straightened her back, as if bringing herself to her full height to intimidate some invisible threat. Ready for action should Rosa need her.

Taylor was quicker to get a read on Rosa’s expression. This was good news. She put her hands to her face. “Rosi?”

“So, uh… I’m gonna be a mom.”

And the room erupted with joyous squeals and shouts.

____________________________

“Penny for yours?” Taylor asked, sitting down at the breakfast table. Estela looked as though she was miles away.

“Hng?” Estela brought herself back to the present. “Huh, sorry, I was just a little lost in thought there.”

“I mean, fair enough. It’s a lot to get your head around-- this time tomorrow, Rosa’s bringing baby home. Once things got moving, they got moving fast.”

Estela smiled gently. “Yeah… it hardly seems real. Reminds me of when we were doing this. Long… long time ago now.”

Rosa was their baby, but she was no baby anymore, but a twenty-three year old young woman. The years had flown by, far faster than they’d done with Liv. Just two years out of college, Rosa was stepping away from her fledgling teaching career to focus on the child she was taking as her son. Even sharing the same roof, there was only so much Estela and Taylor could do for her, that she’d accept from them.

“Just nerves, I guess,” Estela said. “A long time since we’ve had a baby at home.”

Taylor gave a little laugh. “Rosi’s going to be amazing… but we might have gotten a little too used to uninterrupted sleep.”

Then quiet fell between them.

 A smile quirked at Estela’s lips. “I’m not the only one overthinking?”

“Part of me worries…. It’s stupid.” Taylor looked to her wife. You know what I’m going to say, don’t you? “She’s pouring everything into Leonel, almost as if she could erase her own pain by preventing his. I’m scared for her realisation that you can’t protect your child from everything.”

Estela sighed. “Yeah. I’ve thought that too. But, mi amor,” she said calmy, taking Taylor’s hands, “she’s not any different to either of us when we had Livi. You’re gonna want your kid to have everything you wish you’d had. Sometimes, you overcompensate. And sometimes,” she sighed again, heavier, “the things that hurt the people you want to protect are the things you don’t see coming.”

“Yeah…. I see so much of me in her. It’s part of why I connected with her so hard in the beginning; she had no roots, and I could give her that. I could give her that… to a point.”

Estela’s caloused thumb traced along Taylor’s forefinger. “And you learned to live with your own limitations.”

“Of which I have many,” Taylor admitted with a sad laugh. She looked into her lover’s eyes, now lined with deep creases. The earnest tenderness there gave her strength, as it always did. “But Rosa will be better prepared for my own experiences. We’re so lucky we’re still as close as we are. You imagine your kids finding their wings and flying away… but I’m not remotely sorry Rosi’s taking her time with the ‘leaving’ part.”

Estela smiled. “No. I’m not sorry at all either. Poor kid spent too many years with no family; she can make up lost time as long as she wants, and we’ll always give it to her.”

Taylor leaned forward and kissed her wife’s lips, lingering just long enough to bring out a happy little sigh. She could be trepidatious for Rosa-- for all of them-- but her joy was far greater. Their family was perfect in all its scars and stories. Leo, like Rosa before him, would simply add to the tapestry, enriching her life in ways she couldn’t yet know. And Taylor was happy, for her Rosi damn well deserved that.

______________________________

Leonel was as he’d always been; bright, curious, his dark brown eyes following Rosa’s from the moment she came close. It was different this time. How far he’d come since she’d first met him, a newborn all alone in he world; it was just on her last visit with him that she’d heard his first giggle, his black hair was coming in thick, and he was reaching out for things he wanted. Today, he reached for Rosa.

“Come here, darling,” she cooed, and she scooped him up, bringing him to her chest. This time, there wouldn’t be a goodbye; Leo would belong in her arms for good.

“You’re going home, Leonito!” his foster carer, a sunny older woman by name of Elena, announced. She rubbed Rosa on the back, a supportive ‘over to you, now’.

“Oh….” Rosa wiped her face as well as she could while holding her precious baby, her son. “I knew I’d be a crying mess!”

Elena smiled a twinkling-eyed smile. “And so you should be. Today is a beautiful day. You don’t waste a beautiful day not feeling it!”

Rosa couldn’t not feel this. It was everything. It filled her up and left her weeping.

“I’ve got you, bebe… I got you….”

Holy shit… this whole little life was in her hands.

________________________

Rosa’s nerves were unbearable as she stepped forward to knock on the door of the pretty little hut just outside the bustling marketplace. Leonel was his usual easygoing self-- not a grumble out of him the whole journey there-- and as she held him, Rosa found herself wishing she had something of his knack for taking life in his stride. If he had a stride, anyway…. Taking a deep breath, she knocked on the wooden doorframe, and it was barely room for her exhale before the response came.

“Your son!” Homori exclaimed as he threw open his front door and thew open his arms. “I can’t believe it-- and he’s beautiful! I have never… never seen a baby like him-- his hair is so dark already!”

“Oh!” Rosa laughed, her nerves falling away in the face of her dearest friend’s pure exhilaration. He pulled her into the moment and out of her own stormy mind, as was his talent. “Human hair is a bit different to Vaanti; we can be one colour most of our lives, or start dark as a baby and go lighter.”

“I knew you go grey instead of brown, but I guess I’m still learning. I think his dark hair makes Leo look like he’s wise like an old man, and his face is bright and new.”

Homori’s yellow eyes were wide with wonderment as the three of them came through to the cosy sitting room of his hut, and within mere moments, it had filled Rosa with utter delight. His heart on his sleeve as per the norm. It was one of the things she loved about him; there was nothing hidden. When Homori loved, it filled every inch of him and couldn’t be denied. Rosa was shyer, insecure, but not for a second had she doubted what she shared with her starry-eyed young man from Colonnade Cove.

“Would you like to hold him?” she asked. “He’s pretty good with new people.”

“People who look like me, though?”

“Didn’t bat an eyelid when he met Varyyn. Anyway, Leony’s going to be spending a lot of time out here… best he gets accostomed to the fact that some people are blue or green.”

Homori tore his gaze from Leo’s curious one to look Rosa in the face, earnest and hopeful. “A lot of time out here? I’d like that. I know it’s hard… so much of what you love is far away, but there is much you can share with him here. I’d share with him too, if you wanted; even if I can’t be his dad, I will be s-someone who cares for him….”

He trailed off, his voice cracking with emotion. He’d be Homori’s dad. He’d love him, for he loved Rosa, and this was Rosa’s baby who found his way into their world through her kind heart. Baby Leonel was, however, another tie binding Rosa to a place Homori couldn’t belong to, a faraway place he could only know through stories else risk his life and the lives of his people.

A lump formed in Homori’s throat. He nodded. “I’d really love to hold him.”

“Yeah?” Rosa breathed. “Just… just make sure his head doesn’t flop forward. His neck’s getting stronger, but still a bit of help needed.”

She eased the little child into the Vaanti man’s arms, and was pleased but unsurprised when Leo took the transition all in his stride.

“Leonel, my sweet one! I’m so happy to meet you! I am! I am!” Homori cooed, exaggerating his adoring grin as the baby smiled back at him. “Look at that smile-- just like your mama!”

Rosa didn’t want to cry. Homori would feel guilt, and this was her decision, her fault. Several years had passed since their brief summer romance, but they hadn’t managed to keep the flame from rekindling, inconvenient though it was. If not for the pregnancy scare, maybe they’d have stayed caught in in the whirlwind of young love, but the reality was that their worlds were separate. Homori simply could not just waltz into the life Rosa lived in San Trobida, and even after weeks of soul-searching and feeling as though she might drown in her own tears, she knew that there was too much she couldn’t walk away from.

This was the best they could do. Rosa and Homori were in love, and they were honest about it. Their time together was never long enough. Should one find a relationship in the absence of the other, it would be with a blessing already spoken. Rosa didn’t want anyone else. She wanted to teach children-- it was what she’d studied for-- and she wanted to stay near to the family that she’d gleaned so much strength from. She wanted to make San Trobida better for kids like her, and kids like Leonel. The thing was, her heart remained with Homori as well.

They all sat down together, and Homori gently bounced the infant on his knee, all the while talking to him, delighting in each smile brought to the small round face.

When Homori looked back to Rosa, his eyes were sparkling with unwept tears, and he saw the emotion plain in her own. He wouldn’t have her hurt for him-- not on a day as special as this.

“You have everything to be happy about, sweet flower, and everything to be proud of. Look at this boy! He’s growing up loved, and that’s you.”

“Yes,” said Rosa, “I’m happy. I can’t believe he’s here right now; my son, discovering La Huerta for the first time. Meeting you.”

She was quiet for a few moments, then--

“I know what we agreed. I just… don’t see myself feeling this way for someone who isn’t you.”

“Me neither. So maybe… for now… we just accept where and what we are, trusting it won’t be forever.”

Homori dared look hopeful, and Rosa thought how beautiful he was like that, holding her little Leo like he was his own. She couldn’t let this not be what she was heading towards. What she saw there before her was everything she could ever want….

“I’d never ask you to wait for me,” she said, “I stand by that. I’ve just got so much to work out with my life….”

“That’s nothing to apologise for,” Homori said gently, and he clicked his tongue for Leo as he resumed the rolling bouncing of his knee. “You have a lot that you care about. It’s far better than to not care enough!”

Rosa sighed a laugh. “I can’t argue with that. It was kind of inescapable, the family I got adopted into… caring to the point of almost destroying yourself is kind of a Montoya family trait. I’m lucky I have you; you love big and proud... and somehow you’re just so cool about it?”

“Hey, I’m a cool guy!” Homori attempted a hair flip, which he didn’t pull off, but earned a big smile off both Leo and Rosa, so he took it as a win.

She didn’t want to lose this. She could hope no one else ever caught his eye while he waited for her to get a hold of her life, or…. But she was afraid, and words were never her strong point when she was afraid.

Homori’s expression quickly became serious, concerned. He edged closer to her on the sofa, so that baby Leo could happily snuggle against either or both of them, then let the silence be.

“Mo.”

“I hear you, Rosa.” Homori’s voice was smooth and warm… effortlessly comforting.

“I love you.”

Homori’s eyes had filled with tears. “Okay, maybe I’m not that cool….”

“You are to me,” Rosa choked out a laugh. “To me, you’re perfect.”

And Homori put his forehead to Rosa’s, her precious baby boy contentedly cuddled between their bodies.

“I love you too, sweet flower. And now your baby as well!” “The love we have could never steer is wrong-- I really believe that. Maybe it’ll change like it’s done before, but I know it’ll always be there.

Like the love she had for her Leonel. Trust in love came with difficulty, but this… this was impossible to deny. So, she and Leo, and Homori… they were going to be okay.

_______________________________

Rosa sat out on the hill overlooking The Celestial, baby Leonel slumbering in her lap, wearing a homemade onesie gifted from Aleister and Grace’s daughter, Erin, a little bobble hat knitted by his grandma, and swaddled in a blanket passed down from Andi and Sol that Rosa had made for them. The first baby born into the Catalyst extended family in several years, the little guy had enjoyed plenty of attention. It was small wonder he was exhausted, but still he took it all in his stride. Rosa, on the other hand, would be glad when the interest waned. The love was welcome, but it didn’t take much for her to become overwhelmed when it came from all sides.

“You’re a resilient little man, you know that?”

Where possible, she’d make it so he didn’t have to be, but inner strength would serve him well when she could not protect him from life’s challenges. Besides… some of the best things came out of hurt, and loss; her Mama ‘Stel had told her that.  It had been Rosa’s own pain that spurred her to be where she’d been to meet Leo in the first place, and now she was his mother.

She watched the usual beginning-of-reunion frivolities from her secluded spot; it had been the norm for her to retreat here when it all got overwhelming. That was something else she’d gotten from her mothers, for this was ‘their’ hill. Right now, they were in the thick of things, Mama Taylor with young Andi on her knee as they toasted marshmallows, Mama Estela sharing a drink with Jake and Craig. Both Reggie’s wife Mariama and Liv’s spouse Jeimy, Rosa had already quietly noticed, were off the alcohol, adding to her growing suspicion that there might be even more little kids around soon-- Isla was heavily pregnant with twins as well, so Leo would not be the baby of the bunch for long.

Leo breathed heavily in his sleep, completely at peace. Rosa had just been ready to go indoors and get him settled in his crib when he dropped off, and now couldn’t bring herself to risk disturbing him. But the night air was comfortable and slightly cool, and she was quite content to enjoy the feel of him snuggled against her, while taking in the sounds of family. She adjusted her position, bringing him further upright so she could lean down and kiss the top of his little head, his hair so soft to touch. To hold him and kiss him was to have warmth spread through her body, touch her very soul.

What would their future be? Rosa couldn’t see herself not returning to this place. Perhaps, when Leonel was that bit older, and she that bit more settled into motherhood, she’d find a way to balance her life in San Trobida with the home she had and would always have on La Huerta. Before Leo, she’d been on the verge of making that leap… but babies change things.

“We’ll work it out, Leonito, and it’ll be fun. I know you trust me.” She kissed him again. “Love you.”

#endless summer #estela x mc #rosita montoya #es fanfic #montoya family #catalyst kiddos #playchoices

[kingdoms-and-empires]

This might be spoilery, but will MC already be well known/have a reputation when we get to the Academy? Like, we’re just one of several royal children, but grandpa Remiel also made us show off our impressive skills (plus the execution that shall not be mentioned…)

Ohhhhh fuck yeah

Other kiddos will be known for musical talent or being smart or good with swords

MC will have literal battle experience, could have created or done something to a small town they visited, and could even been seen as the catalyst from where historians can say

"HERE! The V'era menace happened soon after the MC was attacked!"

Sooooo yeah, MC gonna be known, and thats not even accounting for their LOOKS

#kingdomsandempires #lore #interactive fiction #if wip

[decarabiandivorce]

(Evil adoption au) thinking about how nb would react for the first few days/weeks or so before he would get used to everything. The first day there’s an elaborate feast of food prepared for him and he refuses to eat any of it because he’s sure it must be poison. When he goes to bed he barricades the door because he doesn’t want to wake up with several stab wounds. He spends days mapping out the tower while simultaneously trying to keep as much distance from deca as possible. At some point he knocks something over and it breaks and he’s scared for his life because he knows deca (probably) has entire sections of the tower specifically dedicated for various torture methods, and instead he’s just sent to stand in a corner for 10 minutes. Nb hasn’t eaten in days and he decides that dying of poison will most likely be less painful than dying of starvation and it ends up that it is genuinely the best food he’s ever had, and he’s actually full for the first time in months. He tries to make himself a crude weapon from things he finds around the tower, deca notices and instead of retaliating lets nb choose from his vast arsenal of weapons.

Nb being confused that not once has anyone ever made an active attempt to cause him harm

YEAH YEAH YEAH

He's just WAITING for something to happen to him. He is so full of dread and stess he can't eat anything and its just making him more emotional.

He is burning himself out trying to protect himself, but then his body becomes so weak that Deca has to feed his kiddo :)

Its absolutely infantilizing but he is so tired he goes along with it 😔

I sooo agree with him trying to barricade the door, but its so ineffective he stops wasting energy doing that. He buddles himself up in blankets trying to sleep this nightmare away. That just makes him more tired 😔

He grabs some kitchen utensils and is about to construct something before Deca stops him. He is worried for his son boy lad and brings him to the armory. He didn't explain anything as they walked, so Carmen's eyes were wide with fear as they descended into a room full of weapons.

Using his anemo, Deca floats a couple of weapons to his side. NB tries to stand tall, but he is shaking. This is it. This is his end.

But then? He hands NB a lance? Says something about his height and needing the distance? He shows off catalysts of all sorts, from cities and ages long passed.

Before long, he is back in his room. He places the weapon on his desk, next to piles of blank pages.

...

He doesn't know what to make of this.

#steel text #found family deca au #decarabian #nameless bard

[shitpostingkats]

Mythological References in KH:DR (Pt.1)

All of the names, inspirations, and references to norse mythology I saw in the new dark road chapters, with a little bit of my own poetic license thrown in, because that’s half the fun with these roundups :D

This post WILL contain spoilers for the Dark Road finale.

PART ONE - The Characters

When the character designs for dr first dropped, featuring the key class that trained with Xehanort and Eraqus, a lot of people were quick to point out how they all take their names from norse gods/goddesses. They’ve already been covered in other excellent posts, plus, I’ll be talking about them more in my part two. But! With the update, we finally got to meet the eponymous upperclassmen, who also take their names from mythological figures

Vidar - The Silent God. Víðarr is the son of Odin, mostly attested as a god of vengeance, he killed Fenris wolf at ragnarok in response for the doggo devouring Odin. This fits the student leader we see in dr; broody, stern, and occupied with avenging the loss of his classmates. Some scholars propose his epithet of “silence” is specifically a part of his mourning, a part of the ritual retribution he takes part in. (More on that later)

Vala - Seer, sorceress. Not a god or goddess, Vala, or völva, is a northern germanic term for prophetess, which relates to Vala’s analytical predictions, as well as her references to her “vision” and it being unclear if she means her glasses, or a real ability to see the future. Interestingly, she is not named for the norn who sees the future. That honor goes to Skuld. So far, we’ve actually seen two norn names: Urd, meaning “That which has happened”, and Skuld, meaning “That which shall be”. I’ll let the Subject X = Skuld theorists do with that what they wish.

Vali - The Chosen. Not to be confused with Váli, the son of Loki. Váli is another son of Odin (Almost every male student is named after a god that, at some point or another, is attested as a son of Odin. The exceptions are Xehanort, Eraqus, and Helgi.) Váli, however, is a special kiddo, being born specifically to avenge the death of Baldr. According to the poetic edda, he grows to adulthood in a single day. “[He] will kill when one night old – he will not wash hand, nor comb head, before he bears to the pyre Baldr's adversary.” This not washing hand or hair is linked by some scholars to Víðarr’s silence, likely some lost ceremony of keeping a stoic lifestyle until one has delivered justice. He’s also described archer, which is probably where they got the ninja motif. An excellent marksman, he shoots the god who killed Baldr, killing them in return.

Hoder - The Battle Warrior. You may be wondering: who killed Baldr? Well, in the mythology, it’s his brother Hǫðr (Helped by Loki). In most myths said to be blind, (though this is disputed) Hǫðr unknowingly shot Baldr with the one thing that could kill him. And while she doesn’t cause his actual death in the game, it could be said that Hoder was the catalyst for Baldr being overcome by his darkness. They are said to both be reborn after ragnarock, finally free to live together in the peace they could not have in their first life. You know, like....

Ahem.

Heimdall - World-brightener. Now, sadly we’re starting to get to the three upperclassmen we know the least about.  From the few lines they have, Heimdall does seem to be cool, levelheaded, and forward thinking, which matches with the watchman of the gods. Also, Heimdall is often referred to as “the whitest of gods”, probably where the character designers came up with the silvery hair and pale outfit. Other than that, we sadly don’t have enough information to make many connections.

Sigrun and Helgi - The valkyrie and the hunter. I grouped these two together because, again, we don’t know much about them, but also, their mythological counterparts are a pair. They’re kind of of the odd ducks. First off, they’re the only upperclassmen not named after gods. Sigrun was a valkyrie who fell in love with a mortal, Helgi Hundingsbane. However, she was betrothed to another man, and Helgi ended up going to war over the whole mess and dying at the hand of her brother. Heartbroken, Sigrun curses her brother and spends the rest of her life mourning and tending Helgi’s tomb. The second interesting thing is their story doesn’t end there. The original editor of the poetic edda notes that Sigrun and Helgi are actually the second incarnation of this pair; before, they were a married couple by the names of Sváfa and.... Helgi. And then, after their second lifetime, are reborn as Kára and *pinches nose* Helgi. (Seriously man, how do you keep getting reborn with the same name?!?) These two are the only that don’t bear a very strong resemblance to their original counterparts. Aside from being a male and female fighter, I don’t think they even exchange a single line of dialogue. In the downtime where everyone’s napping in the clearing, Sigrun isn’t sitting with Helgi, she’s curled up with Vala (Which I WILL be interpreting for my own purposes, thank you very much. Harold, they’re lesbians) I think the real character inspirations here are meant to be these ideas of reincarnation and rebirth. The cycle of lives, over and over. The memories of past lives and past love. Important themes they start pushing in this game.

That’s the upperclassmen, though! I’ll be making a part two where I cover more general norse inspirations, as well as just little details I noticed, and some theories on what we could potentially see in Missing Link!

#kingdom hearts #kh #kingdom hearts dark road #kh dark road #dark road #khdr #khdr spoilers #khux #xehanort #eraqus #baldr #vor #urd #hermond #bragi #vidar #vala #vali #hoder #heimdall #sigrun #helgi #essays #If you're worried I didn't talk about Baldr in this one. Don't worry.

[xalicitie]

Something a Little More — Vance Hopper x Female OC Character

Navy DeHaan is a 16 year old working cop trainee, apart of the Denver Police Department—DPD—of Colorado. When called into a more ramshackle, downtrodden town hosting itself at the rim of Colorado, where an ongoing line of teenage boys have been allegedly “disappearing out of thin air”, Navy enters the investigation in pursuit of who has been the catalyst of these missing kids, as well as a rivalry yet friendship between a hostile teenage boy named Vance Hopper.

TW: Blood, cussing, perversion

AN: I probably won’t continue this story on for too long since I’m not too interested in the characters or the premise but whatevs

📞📞📞📞📞📞📞📞📞

CHAPTER 1: Kickstart

“Is it just me, or did the air just turn fuckin’ nasty?”

My dad’s raucous voice meshed with the Led Zeppelin song playing on the radio.

“We’re a long way from home.” I sighed, shuffling in the car seat that had likely numbed my entire body. “Honestly. Why’re these murders taking place in a hellhole like this?” My brown eyes treaded along the pastel horizon to meet with the stubby buildings building up decently far off into the distance. This sky felt empty, juxtaposed to the much chattier one in Denver which was encapsulated with the ends of skyscrapers reaching for the clouds. The sky drifting above this town was starkly silent, a feature I found somewhat..eerie. Maybe it was the dawning case I’d have to work on in this town for the extent of our stay here, which I found myself hoping would be a more..diminutive amount of time.

“That’s what we’re here to find out, kiddo.” I might’ve counted every swirl drowning in the clouds by now. Road trips were one of my least favorite things, although we did travel habitually.

“Hey. Even though this place seems harmless, you know I want you safe at all times. Curfew at 9, Navy.”

“The suspect, who we have no clues as to what this person may look like, is hunting boys.” I expressed with a gesture of the hand. “Plus you know I can take care of myself. If I get caught, you’ll know the suspect’ll able to handle a policeman’s daughter, one endeavoring for a spot maybe even higher than her father’s.”

“That’s the last thing I’d want, Navy—you know this isn’t a game, right?” His tone cut through the underlying electric guitar solo as his hostile gaze grazed mine. My lips stayed a thin line as my chest heaved heavenwards. “No messing around, not with something like this going on. You should’ve been taught that lesson long ago.”

“It was a joke.” The squeak rashly left my lips, my volition thrown out of the car window.

The rest of the car ride was filled with more boisterous metal songs before we’d finally arrived to the place. It was frankly worse than the semblance of the town I’d formed in my head. The buildings weren’t even reaching for the sky—they were holding their hands a few inches into the air, dangling their claws as far as a turtle could raise it’s fat head up. Pi-ti-ful.

God, how was I going to survive even a few damn months here? The smell was dehumanizing enough.

However, one of the likely only pros of living in this shithole was that I’d probably know everyone who’d walk these streets by, give it, two months. That was what I’d always heard of small towns; everyone was apparently connected—everyone knew every kid and their mom, that was just how it worked.

I found myself musing on what the minuscule set of pros might be as my dad and I pulled up to a gas station. By now we were starting to reach what I took was the center of the town.

“Could you get some snacks?” My dad spoke up as he parked the car, digging into his wallet before hovering his hand in the air. There was still an underlying bitterness lingering in my vindictive eyes as we shared a glare, but I snatched the card from his hand with a swipe before swinging the car door open.

Moments later I was stepping into the first place I’d ever walk into in this town.

Nosy eyes followed me everywhere I went as I roamed the various aisles. Everyone was in their own corners amidst their own friends, and they were clearly gossiping amongst themselves—the hushed tone of their voices told it’s tale. I grabbed a handful of snacks hastily and sauntered over to the counter.

My mien was of a I-don’t-want-to-be here—I-didn’t-even-fucking-sign-up-for-this—get-me-out type style, yet no matter how evident I desperately tried to make that seem, someone still decided to mess with me and my mood.

“You’re new here, huh?”

I hadn’t taken much notice of the cashier until that very moment. He was a middle aged man, who was seemingly going through his balding stage. But there I knew being more than just nice—he was interested in me, it was crystal clear in the sly lecherousness sporting his blue eyes, fixing them into a darker shade.

I’d dealt with people like this before. Only desiring walking back out of that doorway, I opted to keep the situation trivial.

“Mhm.” I murmured shortly, which surely gave off the underlying impression that I was definitely not into older men. But this man was relentless.

“So. You gonna tell me your name, pretty?”

A groan slithered from the crease of my dry lips. This was getting to be tedious.

“Oh, don’t be so pessimistic, babe! Tell me your name.”

The nickname “babe” nearly threw me off, but I stood my hard ground nevertheless. Anger began to bubble like hot molten lava underneath my shielded, tan skin.

“Navy.” I reluctantly but stubbornly replied.

“Ah! Navy, as in the army! You know, such a manly name shouldn’t be given to such a beautiful young lady-“

A scowl tore onto my face like a piece of leather that had been slashed through by a dagger’s blade.

“Okay, give me the bag, dipshit.”

And it was as if everyone had taken a screeching halt.

Albeit, the ringing engulfing the whole of my ears was almost deafening enough to block out the silence and the whispers, seconds later I’d came to the revelation that nearly everyone in the goddamn station was alerted of our discord. My face was fuming red—I just wanted to get to my new, awful home and get. The fuck. Out of here. As my twitching hand then hovered over the pocket of my military jeans, the man held a vexed glower.

“Okay, get over here, you little-“

And that was when another figure came swinging into action adjacent to me, all to my damn discombobulation and utter shock.

His hand had deftly gripped the man’s forearm—the boy who’d stepped into the fight—and then.. and then his other was wrapped around the cover of the tip jar. And-And that’s when suddenly his arm had smashed the jar onto the man’s fist with a deafening crash, eliciting an anguished cry of pain from the cashier’s throat.

“One thing to know about this town—“ As the figure turned onto his heel, I realized then that he was a teenage boy, definitely near or even of my age. But that wasn’t what had seized my attention—no, it was the disheveled, gaudy blonde hair that trickled to the muscle of his broad shoulders. At least that was three quarters of it, actually. The rest was drawn into the incandescent blue thriving in his driven eyes. Hubris shone off of him like a damn aura. “Perverts run the streets like mice, bitch. You should thank me: I just saved your ass.”

“Yeah, well, I didn’t need the saving, asshole.” I griped, fatigued by the second egotistical male I’d encountered today. God, this town really favored flamboyant men. Taking the grip of my trusty dagger between the mold of my fingers, I put my knife on display as if proving my worth. “My dad’s a police officer. And frankly, I would’ve handled the situation much better.”

“What, so you have a knife. Were you going to wave it around the guy’s head like a baby flashes his fucking toy? You’re half of his size, little girl!” My face puckered with utter and complete disdain as I rose up to retort another comeback.

“Navy! What the fuck!”

And then my eyes bulged promptly into two round circles as the voice zipped into my ears. I had discerned the holder of the words the moment one syllable had been perceived in my mind. Turning languidly, I twisted around to face the man: my father, whom stood with a boiling red face right in the middle of the store doorway. A wad of spit descended down my taut throat in that moment as our similar gazes crashed, and mine softened slightly in a diffidence. I could just hear his condescending comments rising in my ears like a cataclysmic wave.

Oh, this really had to be right after our fight. He was gonna get my ass for this one.

“Officer! Officer!” We were both simultaneously snapped out of our stare, having averted our eyes cautiously to the worker. His hand was dripping of crimson red. “Those two! Arrest them!”

“No. This wasn’t my daughter, she wasn’t taught this way.” He muttered in a raspy tone, stomping his feet against the station floor. He returned to his position beside me, eyes flickering between me and the worker and the boy behind manically. “Was it you, boy?!”

My gaze glided over to the teenage boy. It was obvious by how he held his breath that he—no matter how inflated his ego may be—was intimidated by my dad’s burly stance. I almost laughed aloud.

“He was hitting on your daughter. I had to do something about it.” A roll played on my eyes. “It wasn’t like I was crying for you help, blondie—“

“He was hittin’ on my daughter?!”

I turned to the damned cashier. It was as if his insolent life had flashed right before his tormented eyes. “Get over here! Now!”

“God almighty..” I muttered, rubbing the aches of my temples as my dad ran around and to the back the the counter.

Turns out that this town was so much worse than aforementioned. Per-Perfect.

“Why’d you even move here?”

My pupils, surrounded by a chocolate brown, drifted to the brazen boy once more. I had found myself shocked as to how sincerely interested those few words had been, compared to the tempestuous ones he’d been spitting at me before.

“No one who wears clothes that look that fucking expensive come over here.”

A breezy sigh fell from my lips. “It’s only temporary.” I confirmed with a tedious voice, wrapping my arms in a tight hold. “I’ll run out of this city if I’m forced to.”

“You should while you can, Navy.” The way his tongue played my name vexed me. “Well, you’ve stolen enough time from me, cunt, I have to get back to my game.”

“Could I at least have a name?” I poked once more, prying for information on the guy. His frizzy hair of blonde halted before the forefront of his face overturned the back of his head, bringing him to face my inquiring countenance.

“You’d probably figure it out without getting it from me, anyway.” The boy paused. “Vance Hopper.”

I was just about to comment about how stupid his name was before my dad called my name out in a yell. Before sauntering out of the store, I turned to the boy a last time.

“Stop fucking cussing, Vance Hopper.” I quipped before running off back to my father.

#vance hopper #Vance hopper smut #the black phone #Ethan Hawke #Eddie Munson #Vance hopper fanfiction #finney blake #finney Blake fanfiction #Eddie munson fanfiction #fanfic #fanfiction #Vance hopper fanfic #stranger things #horror #angsty #enemies to lovers

[hughjidiot]

New theory about Like Father, Like Libby!

Well okay it's not really a new theory, more of an amendment of my current one. I'm still convinced that Libby's dad is a deadbeat loser and that Libby will think maybe he's changing only to be heartbroken when she realizes he isn't and won't.

Adding onto this though, what if he's specifically one of those "always making excuses" type of deadbeat parents? You know, the kind who says they'll make it to your birthday party, only to call the morning of and be like "sorry kiddo something came up at work that needs my attention, I'm not gonna be able to make it. I'll for sure be home for the holidays though." And maybe follows it up by sending you a card with money or some other gift as an "apology." As for the upcoming episode itself, the plot will involve Libby spending time with her dad after receiving a late bat mitzvah gift. Maybe the catalyst for Libby thinking that her father is changing will be that he's actually showing up in person to deliver it.

Oh and also, remember way back in Scratch the Surface, when Libby was about to break off her friendship with Molly and said that it "wasn't the first time (she'd) been lied to"? What if she was referring to her father and his broken promises?

#hugh jidiot rambles #the ghost and molly mcgee #tgamm #libby stein torres

[nyaagolor]

As the one who sent that ask, I was specifically referring to the Nemona werewolf AU so I was so happy to see your reply about it!!! But both are SO good. Do you have any thoughts about the rest of the Scarvio kiddos finding out about werelycanroc Nemona? I’m curious how they react

YESSSS LFG. So when I started the AU it was mostly just bc I thought the concept was cool but the more I did with it the more it kinda became a metaphor? So honestly I see the other characters' reactions as a part of that metaphor

Protagonist: They take it in stride, naturally. They've always been able to handle Nemona at her most intense, plus they just watched their best friend's dad's robot clone go into a time machine, so a werewolf is nothing. Nemona actually tells the protagonist about it herself because she trusts them so deeply, and the protagonist is pretty unfazed. In the end, it actually makes everything more bearable because Nemona doesn't have to hide anything or bottle things up, both of which would otherwise make the transformation more intense and dangerous. Oftentimes the protagonist will follow Nemona around on the 'raidon during full moons to make sure she doesn't get herself into trouble

Arven: Unlike the protagonist, Arven finds out about the whole werewolf thing on accident. Actual event still pending, I didn't think that far ahead. He's been through a lot and this is just another headache to deal with, so he reacts pretty badly initially. Arven has a lot of preconceptions about Nemona and what she's like, but seeing this makes me him realize how long he's been jealous of a person he made up-- the real Nemona has so much more depth than the imagined version of her in his head. It gets him to reflect about the nature of their relationship and they end up better friends at the end of it because it's the catalyst for them understanding each other better. He's initially overwhelmed

Penny: She was always wary of Nemona, since she seemed so perfect and accomplished and in the same social status as a lot of her bullies. Finding out Nemona was a werewolf ironically improved their relationship significantly because it was a huge tell of how repressed she really was, and Team Star is like the ultimate enabler of being ur authentic self. You've never seen someone get adopted into a friend group so fast. Also Penny thinks it's kinda like this anime she's really into so that's a bonus

#werewolf au #mod vex #ask