Tumgik
#in which the numbers kept growing and growing and I was struggling to keep up with the amount of kids
frankoceanluvrr · 1 year
Text
𝐍𝐄𝐂𝐊𝐋𝐀𝐂𝐄 — 𝐏𝐄𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐊𝐄𝐑
pairing : fem!reader x peter parker, reunited childhood friends to lovers 😫, college!au
warnings : english isn’t my first language, so there could be a couple of grammatical mistakes! plz lmk if u see them! This is so long btw I’m sorry 😭
summary : before he moved away, he gave her a necklace to remember him by. she hasn’t taken it off since.
a/n : you can imagine any peter for this, not specifically tasm i just like the gif -> mj will be included, u can imagine mary or michelle it’s up to you😊 also tysm for 19 followers!!!!!!!!
Tumblr media
“Take this,” the young boy sighed, passing the necklace, “it’ll be a reminder of me or whatever. I know I’m not dying or anything but I don’t think we’ll see each other again in person.”
“You really think so?” You sniffled.
“Hey, don’t start crying now you big baby, we can still email and call each other” Peter smiled, nudging your arm.
“You’re the baby, not me, I just had something in my eye.”
“Yeah right [Name], you’re like totally miserable I’m going.”
“You’re the one who got me the necklace! It’s really pretty by the way, I love it,” You said, “I can’t believe you’re leaving me before high school though”
“Look, just promise me we’ll keep in touch?” He asked, eyes meeting yours, “and even if we don’t, take care of the necklace for me?”
“Promise.”
And you hadn’t seen him since that day. It wasn’t like you didn’t try to keep in touch though, it was just a matter of life getting in the way. You had been good friends ever since you were little kids, you had always felt it was a shame you never got to see each other grow up properly. He never forgot you either.
But let’s not dwell on the past. First day of college and you were a wreck. You had always hated change, and you were nervous going somewhere and not knowing anyone except your extremely antisocial roommate, Mj.
You fiddled with your necklace as you struggled to find the room you were in.
“Um, sorry to bother you, but do you know where Professor Browne would be?” You asked, tapping the tall boy on the shoulder.
He turned around, soft eyes looking down at yours, then to your necklace. He smiled, waiting to see your reaction after seeing your childhood friend after years, only to be met with your polite smile. In your defence, he looked completely different. Being bit by a radioactive spider changes a person, including their physique, but it especially changes them while they’re still growing into their bodies. When you knew Peter, he was around about the same height as you and a little chubby. He was now tall and lean, the only thing that hadn’t changed were his brown eyes.
“It’s just down the hall.” He pointed, directing you toward where you were meant to be.
In reality, he was slightly hurt you didn’t recognise him.
“I’m Peter, by the way.” He said, in hopes you’d remember him by his name.
“I’m [Name], thank you for helping me! It was really nice to meet you, but I really need to get going. Thank you again!” You smiled as you walked off.
He felt the urge to call after you, then it dawned on him you probably forgot about your friendship with him. Which obviously wasn’t true, you just didn’t recognise him, but he kept convincing himself it was because you forgot.
“Wait, Peter?” You turned around, “like the Peter from middle school?”
“Took you long enough to realise.” He laughed.
“Shut up no way! You’re kidding right? You look so different! We really need to catch up, what’s your number?” You said, eyes bright and wide.
“Oh, hitting on me already [Name]?” He smirked playfully.
He ended up giving his number as you hurriedly walked to your class, even though you were barely late.
After your class, you decided to meet up with Peter at a nearby cafe. You’d be lying if you said you weren’t nervous, but you were excited regardless.
“Hey,” you smiled sheepishly, “what are the chances, right?”
“Your necklace,” he said, completely ignoring what you said, “you kept it?”
“I promised, remember? It’s beautiful.”
He could only blush at what you said, the fact you kept it after all these years meant so much to him. He remembers the day he picked the necklace for you so vividly, because it was the day he was going to confess his feelings for you. He never did, but he doesn’t regret it since it wouldn’t have worked out anyway, you were both young and he was moving away. Relationship set up for failure.
“How did you even recognise me?” He asked, looking at you with curiosity.
“Your eyes.” you smiled warmly.
“Stop flirting with me, [Name]. I know I’m incredibly handsome and all-”
“You’re still a major geek, by the way.” You cut him off, “biophysics, really? I knew you had a thing for science but wow.”
“Hey! No need for that honestly, we both used to like science” He raised his hands in defence.
“Yeah, used to. Past tense.” You rolled your eyes playfully.
The conversation flowed so easily. It was as if he never left, you talked till cafe closed which was around 10pm.
“Hey, let me walk you to your dorm. I’m sure mine nearby anyway.” He shrugged.
“So chivalrous, Parker. Really, I’m impressed.” You teased, walking beside him, “oh, that totally reminds me, you know spiderman right?”
“Uh, I’ve heard of him before”
“Yeah okay right, you’ve never seen me and him in the same room before,” you started, “I’m definitely him, this is me telling you.”
“Wow, thank you so much [Name] for telling me this massive secret of yours, no idea how you could keep it to yourself honestly.”
“It’s about time I let the whole world know, don’t you think?”
You honestly didn’t mean anything by these comments, you were just joking around, but Peter could feel his heart tighten a bit. He felt like you knew he was Spiderman, which was impossible, but it still worried him.
“Anyways, thanks for dropping me off,” you smiled, “it was really sweet of you.”
He blushed, but you could barely see because it was so dark.
“Before you go,” He said, grabbing your hand as you turned around, “I just wanted to tell you I really missed you.”
You could feel yourself melt a little, “I missed you too.”
He waited for you to go into your dorm as you waved goodbye. His dorm was actually on the other side of campus, he just wanted to walk you.
He spent the whole night thinking about you, how pretty you’d become, how you were still kind. He could feel himself falling for you again already, your energy was just so attractive to him.
Chapter (?) 2 : Late Night Calls
It had been months since you guys had reunited, and you had grown closer than before. It was about 2am and you were still studying. You could feel yourself drowning in what felt like millions of topics, constantly feeling the need to check your phone. You had texted Peter and he hadn’t replied, so throwing yourself into your work was apparently the best option. You liked him so much. It felt silly to have such a big crush on him, but he treated you so well.
While you were studying, Peter was out on night patrol. Balancing education and heroism was always difficult, it left him feeling so overwhelmed he’d shut people out. During night patrol, he’d gotten into a pretty bad fight. He found himself swinging to campus, more specifically your dorm.
Your phone buzzed.
Incoming call..
You answered, squinting at the bright light coming from the device, “Hello?”
“[Name]? I’m so sorry to bother you, but can I come over?” His voice rushed and breathless.
You sat up, feeling way more awake, “Is everything okay? What’s happened? Are you out?”
Your questions were interrupted by a soft knock on the window.
Peter had gotten used to the quick clothes changing by now. He left his suit nearby outside, he was 99% sure no one would take it.
You walked to your window to see Peter, but he had several cuts and bruises across his face.
“Oh my God” you gasped under your breath, trying to stay quiet as you opened the window.
He came through the window as you sat him on your bed.
“Just stay here,” you whispered, “there’s a first aid kit in the other room.”
You came back with the first aid kit and began to help him, no questions asked yet.
“Thank you,” his voice inaudible, “I mean it, you’re so sweet [Name].”
“How did you get to the window?” You asked, placing a bandage on his head.
“Uh, adrenaline?”
You furrowed your eyebrows, “what happened?”
He sighed, avoiding eye contact with you. Was he really about to tell you his secret?
“I’m Spiderman.”
“What?” You said, forgetting all about mj sleeping in the other room.
You quickly brought a hand to your mouth, eyes still wide.
“I’m sorry, I know it’s a shock, I just haven’t told anyone before.” He started, “but um, I have something else to tell you.”
He reached for your hands, squeezing them slightly, “I really like you, [Name].”
Your eyes were practically about to pop out your head.
“You’re joking right?” You chuckled sheepishly.
“No, Im serious [Name]. I love everything about you. I love your smile, your laugh. God I love your laugh.”
Your brain was trying to process all of this without making too much of a scene.
Your hands reached for his cheek, “Can I?”
He answered your question by planting a soft kiss on your lips, smiling into it.
You pulled away, “I really like you too, Parker.”
All he could do was blush.
“I cant believe you’re Spiderman, though. I have a million questions.” You laughed.
“Shoot.”
a/n : so sorry this is so rushed 😭 i just wanted to finish it idk why this has taken me SO long to write
944 notes · View notes
spencerdaze · 8 months
Text
'Labyrinth' and how trauma makes us search for escapism
Welcome to 'Mikaela please log off' where i talk and overanalyze movies because i'm unemployed. In today's hell of a post, i'm going to talk about probably my favourite movie and one that has shaped me for my entire life: 1986 'Labyrinth', with musical numbers written and performed by none other than Miss David Bowie himself! SPOILERS AHEAD.
Now i've seen this movie more times than i've seen my own face in the mirror. It's a movie i enjoyed in my childhood and certainly one that has shaped me, with how the puppets have a certain uncanny feel to them almost and how crazy and whimsical the whole movie is. It trully is an amazing movie that can be enjoyed by children, but also by adults as well, with many of the movie's themes and meanings being hidden or something you find with experience or relate to later in life. Because the movie is a very clear reference to fairytales like Wizard of Oz and Alice in Wonderland, is no surprise to know there are many, many different readings that can be done to it. The firts reading i made of the movie when i rewatched it as an adult was that the movie was a very clear allegory for growing up and maturing, having to leave behind your childhood but also keeping in mind your inner child so that you don't lose yourself in the labyrinth that is life.
While the allegory reading is correct, and i think it's one of the meanings behind the movie and certainly the most obvious theme, it's definetly not the only one. One thing kept me wondering after watching the movie this time: Why is the phrase 'You have no power over me' so important? It's used in the beginning of the film, with Sarah forgetting this line in her book, and by the end, when she's facing Jareth, Sarah remembers the phrase by herself, clearly showing us as viewers the inner power Sarah has over her life. It's obvious this line is meant to represent Sarah's ambition and power, but why is it this phrase? Whi is it You have no power over me and not something else like 'My power lies within me' which could tie to the end of the film, with Bowie's Within you playing? Well, after rewatching it recently, i figured it out: Sarah isn't just talking to Jareth, she's talking to her stepmother.
At the beginning of the film Sarah seems to be, on the surface, a spoiled 15 year old girl who doesn't want to do her chores and just wants to play around, not even wanting to date, something her stepmom wants her to do. Her stepmother wants her to mature and grow, to find love, etc. And Sarah and her obviously do not get along a lot. Two important details appear when Sarah goes back to her room at the beginning after fighting with her stepmother over having to take care of her little brother: her stepmother talks to her dad, telling him 'She treats me like the wicked stepmother of a fairytale', and when Sarah goes to talk to her to her room, he doesn't even bother to open the door or make sure she's okay after the fight. To some people these details seem just normal parent behaviour, but it was very clear to me after the film that Sarah is being emotionally neglected by her father, and possibly made by her stepmother to grow up to fast. Sarah is fifteen and an older sister, and unfortunately is common for older sisters to act as parents for their siblings while also not being taken care of themselves. We see Sarah clinging to her childhood as an escapism from the fact she feels completely neglected, since her dad won't even open the door to talk to her.
When Sarah tells Toby her fairytale, it's a clear depiction of how she feels like: There once was a princess who was basically a slave to her stepmother and she was forced to take her of her baby brother. Sarah takes her rage out on her brother and sends him away with the goblins, and inmediatly regrets it. She's repeating patterns of abuse. She's realizing sending her brother away is the submitting him to the same neglectful behaviour she has struggled with. So she makes a deal with Jareth to get him back.
Jareth poses an interesting character in Sarah's healing journey from her trauma. He's in love with her, in very possessive, clingy way that makes him do anything she asks him too to try to manipulate her to love him, which doesn't work on her, because she's probably used to it. The fact Sarah has a lot of toys and costumes, which makes us feel like she's spoiled, while being simultaneously emotionally neglected, is a very common way a manipulator convinces the victim there's no reason to feel that way. So seeing as she's used to being gifted things, being given 'her dreams', instead of actual emotional support and availability, Sarah is basically inmune to Jareth's advances. This could be read as Sarah's first experience with love outside of her family life, which is also a common thing in the experiences of older sisters: they date men who aren't good for them, repeating the patterns they're used to and being once again emotionally hurt. By the end of the movie, after meeting new friends Sarah loves deeply and grows to appreciate, and by being shown there are people who do care about her and who do love her and respect her, Sarah is able to fight Jareth alone, because she might be phisically alone, but she knows her friends have her back always. The found family trope is used here even until the end when we think Sarah has grown and the people she met in the Labyrinth are gone, and Sarah tells Jareth he has no power over her because she finally has healed, and she knows she deserves better.
By the end, Sarah has matured and learned, not just about herself, but about love and relationships of all kinds. She gives Toby her plushie as a way of showing she doesn't need to desperately cling to her childhood anymore, because she now has people in her life who care about her for real, and also she tucks him in as a way to show she's going to break the cycle, and show him finally the emotional support she didn't get from her parents. She keeps many things in her room, but puts others away, and when her friends from the Labyrinth appear to tell her they'll be there if she needs them, they don't simply say this and go away, but she makes them stay. 'I need you', she tells them, because even if she's healed, her life might still be filled with the remnants of her trauma, and an escapism might be needed. But most importantly, 'I need you', because they're her friends, her found family, the people who have shown her what she deserves in her life.
The movie definetly shows us the many highs and lows in life, particularely in adolescence, and how the journey to being mature can be difficult. But these subtle themes of emotional neglect, trauma, and the struggles of a young girl forced to grow up a little too soon trully give the movie another layer of depth that maybe not everyone might see, but some of us, specially those of us who relate to these struggles, do see and aknowledge, reminding us that we're not alone and that we deserve better, for our trauma has no power over us.
269 notes · View notes
justabigassnerd · 8 months
Text
Night Scare
Tumblr media
Pairing - Jake 'Hangman' Seresin x daughter!reader
Word count - 1,275
Warnings - inaccurate medical scenes (I tried), worried Jake, fluff
Summary - a night time asthma attack turns a normal evening into a worry fest for Jake
A/N - wow... about two weeks later I'm finally posting a fic. I am so sorry for delays I've been struggling with writers block, it's still not fully gone but my guilt is catching up to me so I'm literally forcing myself to write. this was an anon request and I hope I did it justice. as per y'all please send in requests, feedback and enjoy!!!
Tumblr media
Living with asthma is something you had just learned to deal with growing up. Always had to make sure your inhaler was on hand and learned to know when you could be on the verge of an asthma attack.
One evening, while your dad and Bradley were downstairs watching a sports match, you remained in your room, relaxing and scrolling through your phone. As you sit on your bed, scrolling through your phone, you began to cough occasionally but you shook it off, assuming it was just the ending of the cold you had just recovered from. Then your chest began to feel tight, like it was slowly being squeezed. You instinctively grabbed the inhaler that sat on your bedside table and took a puff of the medicine, settling back against the pillows and waiting for the medicine to do its job. After half an hour, you realise the inhaler isn’t working so you take another puff of the medicine and fight back a coughing fit that suddenly attacks you, taking your breath away from you as you struggle to recover it. Not wanting to risk losing your footing in your panic to get downstairs and risk hurting yourself, you open your phone and find your dad’s number, opening your messages and typing out a text.
Jake raised an eyebrow when he felt his phone buzz and saw your name above the text. He debated calling up to you but something in his gut was screaming at him to open the text, so he did.
‘I think I’m having an asthma attack’
“Call 9-1-1.” Jake says, leaping to his feet and heading for the stairs, leaving Bradley confused in the living room.
“What?!” Bradley calls up to Jake just as he disappears up the stairs.
“Call 9-1-1, y/n is having an asthma attack and I’m not taking any risks.” Jake calls down to Bradley who immediately pulls his phone out of his pocket and dials 9-1-1 while Jake bursts into your room to find you sat bolt upright and struggling to breathe. He could tell you were trying to keep calm so you could control your breaths a little better, but he could see the panic in your eyes.
“I’m here, sweetheart. Take another puff of your inhaler for me, okay? Rooster’s calling the ambulance now they’ll get here as quick as they can.” Jake says, sitting next to you on the bed and taking the small inhaler from your hands and holding it to your mouth so you could take a puff, he kept a close eye on you, seeing how you were doing.
Before too long, you heard the front door opening and Bradley talking downstairs before you heard footsteps heading up the stairs and you see two paramedics enter the room, equipment in hand as they approached.
“We’re going to need you to step back, sir.” One of the paramedics says, making Jake press a kiss to the top of your head and whisper reassuringly before he gets up from the bed, allowing the paramedics to assess you. The paramedics ask Jake for your name and what medication you are on which he gives, grabbing the medical information card he had and handing it to the paramedic, so they knew everything they needed to in order to help you. The paramedics help you downstairs to where a stretcher was waiting after assessing and concluding that you need to go to the ER for some medicine and observation. Jake is given permission to ride in the ambulance with you and just as he goes to follow you, Bradley stops him.
“I’m going to head home and get out of your hair. Keep me updated and I’ll come by when I can.” Bradley says and Jake nods, clapping Bradley on the shoulder.
“Thanks for calling the ambulance. I’ll see you around.” Jake says as the two walk out of the house, closing the door behind them. Bradley nods in acknowledgement before crossing to his Bronco while Jake gets in the back of the ambulance with you as the paramedic did what he needed to do. You were given an oxygen tube and some medicine, and your attack was seeming to wane thanks to it.
When the ambulance pulled up outside the hospital, the paramedics eased the stretcher out and wheeled you into the ER and one of the paramedics and Jake eased you onto a bed while the other paramedic filled in the nurse on what had happened. When you’re settled on the bed, the paramedics head back out to their ambulance while the nurse comes to your bedside.
“Hi, y/n. I’ve been informed that you’ve received some treatment and oxygen on the way over here and you seem to be doing better but we just want to keep you in for a few hours just in case you have another attack, okay?” The nurse says cheerfully as she inputs some final things on the tablet in her hand. You nod at her words as does your dad and the nurse then excuses herself to continue her rounds.
“You feeling okay?” Jake asks softly as he watches you.
“Feeling a lot better than I was earlier.” You say with a smile, making Jake smile gently and finally let himself relax.
“It was a little scary though.” You admit, looking away from your dad who softens at your words, reaching out and taking your hand gently in his own.
“I bet it was sweetheart. I thought it was scary just from my perspective I can’t imagine what it was like for you.” Jake says, watching you carefully as you shift your gaze to look back at him briefly.
“The important thing is you’re okay now. We’ll stay here for as long as the nurses want us to and then we’ll head home, and you can get some sleep and you can rest as much as you want tomorrow as well. We’ll take it easy.” Jake says reassuringly, giving your hand a small squeeze as well.
After almost three hours of lying on the hospital bed with constant check-ups, the nurses allow you to go home for the rest of the night, confident that you won’t have any more attacks for the night. They urge Jake to book you a doctor’s appointment as soon as possible to check how everything is going with your lungs and then you are cleared to go. As you exit the hospital, Jake is checking on the status of the Uber he booked and before too long it pulls up and the two of you get in the back seats and begin the journey home. By the time you get home, you’re just about ready to collapse into your bed. You immediately head up to your room and get into your pyjamas, quickly burying yourself under your duvet and curling up. It didn’t take your dad long to knock on the door and enter with your permission. He crossed to your bed and bent over to kiss the top of your head.
“Sleep well, sweetheart. If you need me, I’m just next door.” He whispers as you nod, eyes slipping shut instantly and Jake lets out a soft chuckle, pulling the duvet over you a bit more and leaving the room, turning the light off as he goes.
Jake returns to his own room, getting in his bed and lying on his back, staring up at the ceiling. He had just been through a scare that may taunt him for a while, but he knew you were just next door sleeping peacefully and he’d look after you as best he can.
356 notes · View notes
bitchinbarzal · 1 year
Note
Definitely argument while Mama is pregers 🥺😭
Jack had past flings and girlfriends, you knew that.
He pursued you, he begged you to go out with him in the beginning and you made it so clear to him that his dating history made you uncomfortable and unwilling to go out with him.
He promised you that he wouldn’t hurt you, not like that.
Which is why you were left confused when Jack’s iPad kept dinging in the middle of the night while he was away on a roadie.
Your sleep was already disturbed due to the almost eight month old baby you were growing so the noise was less than impressive.
“Shut up” you grumbled, rolling out of the bed and into the living room where the iPad lay.
You pulled the iPad out of the charger and the screen lights up, you look at the notifications all from instagram.
messages from a @laurenkaytee
hey I’m the one you spoke to at the bar tonight? I think lol I found you from your friend!
yes that’s me! those shots were such a bad idea you didn’t drink much tho?
yeah babies will do that… BORING! well if you ever want a break from that life hit me up! you’re always welcome in cali 😘
aha, well here’s my number ***-****-*** when you need it
You felt sick. You couldn’t even see his replies, but he was obviously replying.
Tears were in your eyes and tears our hands were shaking with the iPad in your grip.
The tears angrily fell down your face and you felt the baby kick you
Your hand gingerly pressed onto the skin of your bump “I’m okay Stevie, I’m ok babygirl”
You didn’t go back to sleep that night, sitting on the couch and watching re-runs of sitcoms.
It wasn’t until you heard the front door unlock the next morning that you realised time had passed.
“Hey sexy lady! I’m home!”
You didn’t even flinch. Didn’t turn around.
“y/n? Babe? Did you hear me?” He frowns, walking to the couch and you don’t move.
Jack reaches out and touches you, you flinch “don’t touch me”
“What’s up with you? Why didn’t you answer me?”
He then notices the red rims around your eyes
“Baby, have you slept?”
You croak out “No”
“Why not? Stevie girl been keeping you up?”
“No, her dad”
He frowns “What?”
“You, your stupid iPad and your stupid messages to stupid models!”
He’s taken aback “What?!”
You look right into his eyes and choke out “If you want to go fuck models in California, don’t leave your instagram logged in on your iPad in New Jersey”
He’s shaking his head, confused “Fuck — what?”
Standing up you scoff “Just leave me alone Jack, I’m so tired and I can’t be bothered with this”
He watches you struggle to get up and waddle off to your bedroom, finally laying down after not sleeping.
Jack uses that time to grab his aforementioned iPad. He clicks it on and looks through the notifications, scrolling until he lands on instagram
His mouth drops open in an O shape and he hums in understanding
“that girl of mine, always getting herself all worked up” he mumbles and heads off to your room.
He slips in past the door and into your bed, you’re asleep and he knows it’s because you’re exhausted from your mind moving at a million miles a minute.
He gets under the blanket and pulls you into his arms, fingers carding through your hair. You have a frown etched into your features even in your sleep.
“Oh pretty girl, I wish I could take all of your stress”
You groan, tossing and turning. Jack’s hands reach around your back and press into your sore point.
You all but moan in relief, the change in pressure waking you up “J-Jack”
“I’m here princess, is it sore?”
You nod, wincing in pain and before long you remember you’re mad at him and attempt to push him away
“No, no baby don’t do that-“
“Jack get off me! I told you-“
He shushes you “Listen to me, let me show you!”
One hand is still on your back and the other now grabs his phone and pulls up his Instagram DM’s, tilting the phone for you to see
hey I'm the one you spoke to at the bar tonight? I think lol I found you from your friend!
hey, you’re shots of sambucca girl right? you didn’t look to good when we left. hope you’re ok?
yes that's me! those shots were such a bad idea you didn't drink much tho?
yeah we’re in LA for work plus my girlfriend is pregnant with our first baby back home in jersey so I’m not a party animal as I once was.
yeah babies will do that... BORING! well if you ever want a break from that life hit me up! you're always welcome in cali
appreciate it but I won’t be doing that. hope you got home safe.
aha, well here's my number *******-*** when you need it
You look up at him, pouting
“I’m so sorry J… I feel like an idiot”
“You are an idiot. My idiot! I love You, I love stevie and I’m not going anywhere” he says and kisses the tip of your nose “Now turn over and I’ll hold the bump so you can get some sleep”
352 notes · View notes
lokisprettygirl · 1 year
Text
Under his influence (Post Avengers! Loki x female reader)
Read chapter 3 here // Series Masterlist
Chapter 4
Summary : Disastrous Dinner with your parents leads to a small quarrel between you two.
Warning: Smoking, mention of recreational drug use, insecurities, a bit of angst, not so great parenting , 4.5 k words
Tumblr media
After your mom left you immediately took a shower to cool down a little bit, it was 10 am and you had plenty of time to prepare for the evening.
He went to the bathroom after you and when he came out you could feel him staring at you but he wasn't saying anything.
"What?" You looked at him so he averted his gaze and pretended to read his book. "Gotta call my boss, i don't think I can go to work today"
You mumbled as you dialed the manager's number and put it on speaker phone because you wanted to paint your toenails.
"Hiii Mark it's y/n" you said cheerfully and you heard him grumbling in response. Just great
"I just ..uhh wanted to tell you that I won't be able to make it today, sooo"
"Whyyyyy?"
"Uhhh it's a family emergency"
"You can't just take a leave out of nowhere, you have to inform way beforehand, " he said, clearly sounding upset. Did he understand the meaning of emergency? Doofus
"Yeah I would have but it's umm I don't think you heard me right. I said that my family's car was hit by a bulldozer and some of them were still in it. And now they're in an emergency ward so I have to go see them..see you tomorrow byee" you tapped on your head in frustration as you hung up "Argggghh I hate this day already"
Also, why did you have to keep the phone on the speaker?
"So your mother seem ..a bit ahhh –" you found him to struggling to form a complete sentence which wasn't like him at all.
"Overbearing?"
"That. Yes. That"
"She is like that, but she means well"
His brows furrowed as you said that. He was finding it a tad harder to believe.
"Okay, we need to make a man, asap" you said to him as you tightly closed the bottle of the nail paint after you were done using it. He laughed in response because he thought you were joking.
"Darling, I promise it can not be Asap. I mean it would take months for him to grow in your womb before he's birthed and–" he stopped talking as you gave him the look that he had learned to understand as a sign for Stop right now. You sighed as you stood up and went down on your knees in front of him, you placed your hands on his thighs and the position made him gulp.
"I want you to be my boyfriend" his eyes flickered as you said that.
"Ohhhhh?"
"Just for the evening" you clarified it immediately. God you hoped he didn't think of you as some midgardian desperate creep.
"Oh"
"Will you do it for me please?"
"I uhhh–"
"Pleaseee please do it .. please I'm begging you Loki please I'll do anything you'd ask please " you joined your palms together and begged him to just help you out. You didn't really have to beg he thought, you saved his arse, he would walk right into the sun if you'd ask him to.
"I just..never have been a boyfriend before "
"You said you had relationships "
"What is the correlation here?"
"Huh?" He sighed as you failed to understand him.
"I just don't want to ruin this evening which I am sensing- is already a very stressful affair for you" he mumbled as he placed his elbows down on his thighs to rest his chin in the palms of his hand.
"You won't ruin it, oh no please. I'd love to have a friend while we eat dinner..a friend who actually likes me..you know" your eyes teared up so he cupped your cheeks and leaned forward to press a soft kiss on your forehead. That gesture made you feel so warm but you wished you had more time to relish in this feeling.
"I am very fond of you my darling" he mumbled softly. The words made the butterflies go crazy in your stomach. Okay so you were attracted to him which you had already figured by the intense feeling you kept having where you wanted to fuck him all the time, there was the bubbling scorching heat between you two and you also wanted to cuddle him all the time now, all of these things combined together looked bad when you considered how he was literally unattainable. A fucking prince, he was a god that you couldn't even dream of having. He probably wouldn't even look twice at you if you were in a crowded room full of all the beautiful women in the world, women that he probably deserved to have.
Everyone kept telling you that you had higher standards for yourself but then he must have them too right? You weren't it unfortunately.
"Is that a yes?"
"Yess" you stood up and jumped around a little in excitement.
"Oh wait butt oh no.. they can't see you..my mom will recognise you, she's obsessed with you..but in a very bad way"
"She is?"
"Yeah she hates you "
"I figured that..umm do not worry about that. I'll take care of this" he pointed towards his face so you went down on your knees again. You had to stop doing this in front of him because one of these times he'd forget to enchant his cock to not get hard in a jiffy.
"But .. I don't want anyone else there, I want you, I mean. I like this face..it's such a loki looking face that I like" he chuckled as you said that. Sometimes your words hardly made any sense and that's exactly why he adored them so much.
"How about I change my hair and the color of my eyes, maybe get a bit of facial hair, the face stays" you tilted your head as he said that.
"That could work besides there's no way she'd think that you're him with all those modifications you know..oh that's a great idea. Well I'm going to cook now..by the way can I paint your toenails afterwards? You have such pretty toes" you got up from the floor again so he looked down at his feet.
"Noooo" he yelled, making you giggle but now another thing was starting to bother you.
"Wait a second!! You don't have clothes, I need to get you earth people clothes"
"Yes I was troubled by that thought" He did have a suit he had stolen from a midgardian shop when he visited Thor a few years prior after he was banished but for some reason the idea of putting it on again disgusted him. And he couldn't have worn his famous Terrorist from Asgard terrorising Stuttgart overcoat either for obvious reasons.
"Oh no I have to go get it for you then ..it's 11 already and I have to make dinner, and dessert also and oh my god it's so dirty around here, what I'm gonna doooo??" he walked towards as you started to freak out again.
"Now let us pause for a moment here. Take a deep breath for me, can you?" He told you as he grabbed your shoulders to calm you down.
"Okayy..okay..i'm just freaking out" you took a deep breath in order to not pass out right this moment.
"You go purchase the attire for me and I will tidy up the space until then. That is alright?" He asked you so you hugged him tightly, his arms instantly wrapped around your waist as if it was the most natural state in the world, breathing in the scent of your hair he sighed deeply.
He really needed to get a grip. A woman like you deserved a man so noble and not a hideous looking frost giant like him whose moral compass has broken a long time ago. You have waited so long for the man of your dreams and he could never be it for you.
"I'll be back soon"
It took you two hours to find something decent for him to wear, you even had to buy a pair of shoes for him, you saw a bunch of cute t-shirts so you bought that as well. You heard the shower running when you came back from the mall, you couldn't even recognise your apartment. It looked beautiful. First of all it was clean, ofcourse. But he had done something with the lighting as well, it seemed fancier, like a classy restaurant, and it smelled really good too. He had also filled the space with a much needed furniture you didn't have.
There was an elegant looking table right in front of the kitchenette. Bonus point? It also had chairs, you had chairs in your apartment.
The bed was covered in a beautiful satin sheet. Asgardian sheet. He also had that sofa all cleaned up, it looked brand new.
You put the shopping bags down on the sofa as your eyes circled around again. When he entered the room you immediately ran towards him to hug him, momentarily forgetting that he was naked from the waist up and dripping wet.
"This is.. gorgeous..you're like a sorcerer" you mumbled as you pulled away from him and took a few steps back, he was freezing cold. He smiled as he walked closer and wiped the droplets of water from your cheeks, the ones you had gotten by hugging onto his naked wet chest so tightly.
"I'm a sorcerer " he giggled and it made your heart grow ten times larger.
"Thank you Loki, you have no idea what you have done for me" your eyes teared up and so did his, but then again you didn't have time to enjoy this moment, they would be here in like three hours, you also had to get ready.
He tried to help you in the kitchen as much as he could but he wasn't really helping plus the heat bothered him a lot so you made him sit down on the sofa, he had done enough already and you were very grateful for that.
After cooking and assembling the cutleries on the table which again was the courtesy of your alien friend, you put on a dress and finished your makeup. You looked good for a change, the black dress complimented your dark soul. It always did.
You looked at him as he got himself dressed too, you didn't want to go overboard with his attire, there was a dark green jacket because you remembered that to be his favorite color, a plain black t shirt underneath with a tight fitted trouser. For some reason you knew he wasn't the denim jeans type of alien god.
His tush looked extremely good in those pants but that's not what shocked you, it was the change in his appearance. He kept his face but his hair was no longer raven, it was light brown and shorter, you could finally see the back of his neck and it was as smooth as the rest of his skin, his eyes were hazel brown, light freckles adorned his nose and cheeks. The finishing touch was the golden tan on his skin and that I haven't shaved in a week stubble. Even though he had the same face he didn't look like himself. He actually reminded you of that guy from that one King Kong movie you couldn't remember the name of.
"This okay? Or do I resemble my oaf brother a little too much" He asked you so you smiled.
"You look very handsome mister" And hot, and sexy, delicious.
A nervous laughter escaped his throat at the compliment.
"And you my lady, you look–-" before he could finish his words you heard the buzzer going off so you hurriedly stepped towards the door and got them in. You felt anxious and awkward like always, having dinner with four people where you didn't really like the three of them was not your idea of fun. As you opened the door you saw your mom and her husband David first so you hugged her and your step father gave you a side hug.
"Welcome to my humble abode" you chuckled as they stepped in, then you met his daughters from hell, his perfect little princesses, the elder one was named Chelsea, she was a year younger than you and married. Ofcourse because she was just perfect like that. You weren't expecting her to bring her husband Shawn though.
"Wow i didn't know husbands were coming" you mumbled as you hugged her and your mom glared at you.
The younger sister Courtney gave you cheek kisses. Pretentious bitch. She was just 25 but obviously more accomplished and much more successful in her career according to your mother.
As they all stepped inside you noticed them looking around, they had never been here before.
"Wow, this is so tiny and adorable, you know when daddy said you were renting a studio apartment i thought it'd be bigger" Courtney said and you resisted the urge to poke her eyes out.
"It's actually bigger than most studio apartments, I'm actually not supposed to have that whole window area, default in their infrastructure, goodie goodie for me" you felt everyone's eyes on you so you stopped talking immediately, turned around and walked towards Loki, you grabbed his arm and decided to introduce him to everyone, most of them looked shocked but atleast your mother was smiling from ear to ear.
"This is uhh.." oh god you didn't think of a name. Ofcourse you didn't. You see Perfect Chelsea over there would have thought of a name.
"Mark, this is Mark Johnson..he's an auditor for the ..uhhh Marks and Spencers" they smiled at him as you introduced him. No, that name didn't sound fake at all. Nope.
"Hello Mrs. Umm –" he looked at your mother. Wow you two really should have discussed this part a little more. Like for real.
"Used to be something else now she's Mrs Jackson" you told him so he gave your mom a hug. She looked at you as she hugged him and mumbled a wow behind his back which made you want to die from embarrassment.
You didn't want to waste much time so you all sat down for dinner. The problem was he only made six chairs, and there were 7 of you. Gee, No thanks husband Shawn.
"You sit down okay?" You made Loki sit down so he grabbed your arm and scooted a little to the side, one of his buttocks was hanging in the air but he didn't care, he didn't want you to feel left out at your own family dinner.
As you sat down next to him, well almost onto him, everyone cooed. It's not as if you weren't getting used to being squished against him.
"So i noticed the accent, are you a London boy Mr. Mark" you wanted to hurl at the way Courtney was looking at him.
"Uhh yes, England" You took a sip of the wine you had in front of you, for the god of lies, he wasn't really good at living up to that status.
"So you're here on business? How did you two meet?" Your mom asked you so this time you answered instead.
"Ohh he's a member at the gym I work for" you smiled.
"Why do I feel like I have seen you somewhere?" Your mom squinted her eyes and it made you nervous.
"Ohh he looks like that guy from that movie.. I don't remember..the one with the big burly ape" you agreed as Shawn said that. Well thanks Shawn
"Ohhhh yeah..yeah you're right"
"So auditing? You like that job, son?" David asked him. Oh!! he's not your son David. No no considering his age, David was the son, his father was the son, his grandfather was the son. Why couldn't you just stop having thoughts for once?
"No. I don't know what that is actually" he chuckled and then you heard them all laughing in unison. You did too before you glared at him,
"Wow, good looking and funny. By the way, raise your glasses everyone.. I have an announcement" Courtney grabbed her glass of wine and took a deep breath before she proceeded to speak.
"I got the job in London..ahhhh" she squealed as she celebrated herself and everyone then squealed for her, she worked for an embassy or something, you never cared to find out. Your mother did remind you now and again as how it could have been you if you'd have been a little sincere about your life.
"Ohh honey congratulations, that's amazing, I'm sooo proud of you" your mom said to her so you smiled in disbelief.
"Okay okay..i have a news too. We have a news" Chelsea said as she smiled from ear to ear and looked at her husband "So I'm not drinking wine because I'm abstaining, I lied sorry.. hint hint" She pointed towards her belly and the whole world gasped for her.
"Call Odin and ask him if he heard the gasps" you mumbled in his ear and he bit on his cheek to stop himself from smiling. She was pregnant ofcourse. They all hugged her and congratulated the lovely couple, so did you, you had no other choice.
"Both of our daughters make me so happy sweetie" David's eyes teared up as he held your mother's hand.
"I am so proud of them"
After the happiness died down a little, Courtney looked at you.
"So y/n you're a trainer at the gym right..don't they like pay very less?"
"It actually depends on my competence and how many clients I can get in a month," you said to her. No you didn't miss the snark, you just wanted to ignore it.
"Oh.. so less huh"
God you hated her.
"Shoot i am out" David said as he opened the box of his cigarettes.
"Oh honey" your mom comforted him and then she glared at you as Courtney made another comment.
"Y/n smokes, just ask her for one dad"
"It was just that one time.."
You tried to defend yourself but your mom cut you off as she shook her head in disappointment.
"Look if you have it, just be a good hostess and give one to him" she said to you so you were about to get up but Loki stopped you.
"I'll get it darling. I found it while cleaning" he said to you so you smiled, as he walked towards the closet you wondered what he meant, what did he find? As he returned he passed the lighter to David along with that fucking joint you couldn't find yesterday.
"Uhhh this is not..is this weed?"
You stood up and snatched it from his hand. Loki felt mortified now, maybe he should have asked first if your stepfather wanted to smoke weed or something else. He really should have thought a little harder about it.
"It's not mine, it's a friend's" you mumbled so your mom looked at you.
"Oh sweetie, are you in the wrong company again?" She questioned and you immediately denied. You felt overwhelmed now, you just wanted to go cry in your bathroom.
"I apologise darling, i had no clue what he wanted" he whispered in your ear so you sighed. He just wanted to help.
"It's fine..it's okay " you told him, you didn't want him to feel bad about this even though you felt completely mortified now.
"So what are your plans for marriage?" The wine came out of your nose as your mom questioned Loki.
"Mommm" you glared at her and gestured to cut it out but ofcourse she ignored the cue.
"I'm just asking, you two make a cute couple..what do you guys think?" She looked around the table for approval.
"Ohhh yess hook him in y/n before you lose this one too" Courtney cackled like a witch. Loki felt awful, these people reminded him of those bilgesnipes, all ready to pounce and attack you for no reason. He felt something grazing over his shin so he looked under the table and saw a bunch of toes rubbing against him. It belonged to one of your sisters.
"She's touching me" he whispered in your ear so you looked under the table and she stopped immediately.
"Marriage is such a beautiful thing, it just makes me sad that y/n is going to be in her thirties now and she's still..so lonely" Chelsea gave you a sad look making you scoff in response.
"But I'm happy.. and I don't really care alright?"
"Well you should care honey, when you're sixty and alone with no-one to take care of you you'll regret this attitude" your eyes teared up as your mother chimed in. You saw your step sisters smiling and passing glances to each other.
"Didn't you marry twice?" Loki asked your mother so you glared at him and asked him to cut it out.
"Excuse me?" Your mom had the typical look of disapproval now. You could just tell she didn't really like him any longer.
"You married her father and it must not have worked very well since you are married to this gentleman here now?" He asked her again so you facepalmed.
"But that's life, that happens, sometimes things don't work out between two people, there are several different reasons why people get divorced" she raised her voice a little and you could feel everything getting out of your hand now.
"Well pardon my interference but perhaps she doesn't want that to happen to her as well, maybe she wants to spend her life with someone who would be there for every reason and not only for a season" your mom gave him a death glare as he said that and so did you. The tension in the room kept on piling up.
He could tell you were upset with him for opening his big mouth today.
After the dinner and dessert ended, you were hoping for them to just leave, you had no energy to take more insults.
"Sooo we are going to be here for two days, let's go somewhere tomorrow" your mom hugged you as she spoke so you hummed in agreement "And lose this one, he's not the type of man who is going to marry you" she said to you as she pulled away.
"Yeah? Why do you think that?" You chuckled but it was because of the frustration you were feeling in the moment.
"Look at him honey. Don't be such a fool, men like him don't settle for women like us, he's just having his fun I can tell" you nodded as she said that. Once they all left you shut the main door with a force and then you turned around to glare at him.
"Y/n i –"
"You could have just kept your mouth shut you know"
"I didn't intend to disrespect her, she just--"
"What were you trying to do then huh? Do you know how hard that divorce was on her? On me?" Your eyes welled up as you questioned him. That comment your mom made was the last nail in the coffin and unfortunately she wasn't here to bear the brunt of it so you took it out on him.
"I am sorry, please don't be upset darling" he mumbled softly but you were too angry to care right now.
"I'm not your darling, giving him the roll of weed wasn't enough for you huh? God I wish you weren't here today, it's all my fault" his eyes filled with tears as you said that. A part of you knew you were misdirecting your anger and frustration on him but you still couldn't stop, you wished you would have though because the look on his face bothered you a lot, you never wanted to see him look so sad and that too because of you.
You scurried towards the bathroom and then the tears couldn't stop coming, your step sisters were younger and better than you and they were living their best lives while nothing turned your life around no matter how much you worked for it, they were accomplishing everything they had dreamt of while several of your dreams had already been shattered, you had successfully wasted half of your life so far and accomplished nothing. Your mother probably wished for a daughter like them and that's why she found love in David again.
When you came out, he looked at you with a worried look on his face, he still had the same clothes on but he was back to looking like himself. Did you really just tell him that you wished he wasn't here after everything he had done for you today? God, you felt like a selfish asshole. No wonder you didn't have anyone in life that you could actually count on.
"Do you want me to disappear?" He asked you and you suddenly felt so anxious.
"No. I'm sorry..I'm so sorry Loki" as you started to sob he walked towards you and hugged you as tightly as he could, that was it for you in that moment, you broke down and cried until you couldn't cry any more.
"I'm sorry I didn't mean it, please don't go, i ..you're the only true friend I have..the best one i have ever had, and you were so good to me today, so sweet and I'm so sorry lo" you pulled away to look at him so he cupped your cheeks and kissed your forehead.
"I'm sorry I ruined the feast with my callousness" you smiled as he said that. He wasn't being callous, he just wanted to defend you. What a sweet sweet man.
"Well it's not as if it was going any better before..so I'm not really sorry about it" he kissed your forehead again and you just wanted to kiss him, it took everything to not clash your lips against his in that moment.
"You don't deserve to be treated in such a manner, you went through such pain today to make this enjoyable for them and you don't deserve anyone hurting you like that, none of the things they said hold true whatsoever" he said to you softly.
"You don't either Loki, I'm sorry it was me who hurt you today but I never want to be such a jerk to you again" he smiled at the statement.
"I understand, I have had my fair share of outbursts to comprehend that it didn't come from a place of malice but mere frustration and it wasn't intended for me" he mumbled and it made you smile. God he really was a dreamboat.
"Thank you Loki for everything you did today. You have no idea how much I appreciate you being here for me right now, i really do"
You hugged him again and took a deep breath, his hugs and sweet words really made you feel better than before. He was your friend, you loved having him as your friend. You looked up at him and the look in his eyes made you aware of the close proximity so you stepped away a little, he placed his hands inside the pocket of his pants to avoid the awkwardness but he had something in there so he took it out.
"What is it?"
"Something one of your sisters shoved into the pocket when we greeted each other" he said as he passed the slip to you. It was her phone number. What a bitch.
"Burn it down"
"Yes madam" you smiled as he said that.
"Umm..I'll go sleep, I'm tired" you mumbled as turned around and stepped towards the closet to take your pyjamas out.
"Uhh..What can I do to make you feel better?" he asked you, so you sighed.
"Nothing i– " Well actually "There's something you can do" you gave him a mischievous smile and he sighed as he understood what you wanted from him.
That's how he ended up on the sofa with you sitting on the floor with his feet resting on your thighs while you painted his toenails the same colour as yours.
"So pretty" you giggled as you finished the one leg and it warmed his heart. It was unbearable for him to see that hurt look on your face throughout the evening, knowing that there were people in the world who hurt you like that made his heart clench, he just wanted you to not feel that way like ever. He wanted to keep you protected.
"Maybe tomorrow we can do your makeup" you said nonchalantly making him tilt his head in response.
"How about no?" He responded and you feigned a look of disappointment.
At night he slept in that bed of yours, his sad brows were faster than your resistance today. You couldn't sleep though. You kept wondering if he'd come cuddle you but it has been an hour and he seemed asleep now. Wow this really bothered you, him not cuddling you by force like he had done in the last two days really really bothered you.
You sat up and got off from his princely bed then you took a few steps towards yours, you thought about what you were going to do for a moment. When he cuddled you, it was circumstancial, he had a nightmare the first night and then his body ached the other, you had no choice in that matter, you could have always pretended that you didn't love his cuddles but getting in the bed now would affirm that you indeed enjoyed sleeping with him like that and wanted it as much as he did.
Fuck it your cursed in your head before crawling into the bed. He was asleep but he did feel your body next to him, maybe he'd think that he was dreaming. Goddss he smelled divine.
He was lying on his side facing towards you so you sneaked your hand in the space between his neck and the pillow, he felt the invasion and instead of opening his eyes and calling you out for it he scooted closer to you instead and pressed his head down on your chest like he had done before. One of his arms went under your waist to pull you even closer while the other wrapped around you.
He embraced you as intimately as he could without it turning too sexual, this was the most intimate you had ever been with a man. Sure you had sex but even then you had several inches of distance between your bodies somehow. You hooked your legs around his waist in the usual position.
"Thank you" you mumbled softly in his ears and he hummed in response. You were thankful for him, you had known him for mere few weeks but you had never felt so strongly understood by someone.
"I'm overjoyed that you came. I just figured you needed your personal space tonight, perhaps I was mistaken " you smiled as he mumbled against your chest.
"Perhaps"
You knew it won't take you long enough to fall asleep now, you wondered if this was appropriate or not but you no longer cared for it. You also knew that you were only digging a deeper hole for yourself. Getting addicted to the feeling of cuddling him like this will only hurt you later when he won't be here with you. Your mother wasn't wrong, men like him didn't choose women like you for life but then you knew that already, didn't you?
Nothing so good could ever last forever, nothing so sweet and gentle could ever be wholly yours. Maybe you can press the stop button on this tomorrow but tonight you just wanted to indulge a little. Tonight you just wanted to live a little. Something that you haven't done for as long as you could remember.
🥶🥶🥶🥶🥶🥶🥶🥶🥶🥶🥶🥶🥶🥶
Tag list (if you want to be tagged or removed let me know.. also I’m not able to tag some of you, please check your settings)
@annoyingsweetsstranger @mcufan72
@nixymarvelkins @stupidthoughtsinwriting @fictive-sl0th @huntress-artemiss @eleniblue @violethaze @anukulee @ladymischief11 @12-pm-510 @wolfsmom1 @whylokiissocute @hyperlokilover @vickie5446 @pics-and-fanfics @daddylokisqueen @tallseaweed @olivertwistrabbit @blog-the-lilly @prettylittlepluviophile @flashhxn-lights @vanilla-daydreaming @somewiseguy @yaaamadaa-blog @dragonmurray @nyxxharmonia @elthreetimes @grufteila
394 notes · View notes
pandorasword · 11 months
Text
Chaeri as the 8th and youngest member of BTS.
Chaeri's Masterlist
Take it too far
❒ words: 1.1k+
❒ summary: In which Namjoon is concerned about Chaeri's health
❒ prompts requested: 29 "When was the last time you ate something?"
❒ warnings: Weight loss; neglecting
Tumblr media
Early 2021
Chaeri stepped off the scale, pleased with her results. She had never been fixated on being very thin; she had always eaten healthily and exercised often to achieve a body that she was proud of. But due to her role as the lead in the TV series 'My Name,' producers asked her to lose a few pounds. 'Our leading character neglects herself and is obsessed with revenge. Her physical appearance should reflect this idea' they said. Chaeri thought it was fair; actors frequently take drastic measures to best portray their characters, such as shaving their heads, gaining weight, slimming down or growing beards. Shedding some pounds wouldn't hurt her.
But as the filming began, she realized that losing weight wasn't the only thing she had to sacrifice for the role. Long hours on set coupled with her busy schedule as an idol left her with little time to eat. She often forgot to have meals or skipped them altogether, and it wasn't long before she started feeling the effects of it.
Yet, she refused to acknowledge the impacts of her actions as if ignoring them would make them go away.
She had lost count of the number of times they had rehearsed Butter's choreography, but it didn't matter because they still weren't perfect. Sweat poured down her face and stuck to her neck as she took a swig from her water bottle in the corner of the practice room. She couldn't believe how tired she was, and they hadn't even been there for two hours yet. 
"Let's break for lunch and then try again" Hobi suggested as he picked up his gym bag from the floor and grabbed a towel to wipe the sweat from his face.
Chaeri nodded, her stomach growling as if in agreement. At that moment she would've eaten anything.
"I just hope all this sweat doesn't fall into the bowl" she joked, taking a playful swipe at Taehyung, who was walking past her.
Taehyung playfully dodged Chaeri's swipe, laughing. "Don't worry, we'll get you a bib" he said, grinning. 
As they made their way to the cafeteria, Namjoon walked up beside Chaeri. "Hey, you okay?" he asked, noticing the tiredness in her eyes and the way her hand rested protectively over her stomach. 
Chaeri offered him a smile "Yeah, just a little hungry." 
Namjoon raised an eyebrow, "That's all?" he asked skeptically, knowing that there was more to Chaeri's exhaustion than just hunger "You have been working very hard lately. Don't tire yourself out"
"I'm fine, really. Just need some food and I'll be good to go"
Namjoon didn't look convinced, but he didn't push her further. Instead, he decided to keep a closer eye on her from then on.
By then, Chaeri’s meals were often interrupted by someone from the staff reminding her of her obligations. She would apologize to everyone at the table for having to leave, insist they save her plate, only for it to be thrown away the next day. This became a frequent occurrence, as did being woken up at all hours by her manager since most of her TV series filming started before sunrise due to her grueling idol schedule that kept her active until late into the night.
"How long have I been asleep?" he had heard her say sleepily to her manager.
"Forty minutes sweetie. I'm so sorry to wake you up, but we have to go."
"Don't worry, just give me a couple of minutes."
Namjoon watched as Chaeri struggled to keep up with the demands of her busy schedule. He noticed how she had lost weight since filming began, and her energy levels seemed to be at an all-time low. He had to help her.
As they rehearsed their routine, Chaeri stumbled and nearly tumbled to the ground. Namjoon caught her in time, and her frame leaned into his body. "I'm sorry," she spoke weakly. As he clasped her arm to hold her upright, Namjoon felt a deep sensation in his gut upon feeling how light she was.
"Let's take a break, ok?" 
Chaeri nodded, following him as everyone dispersed to make the most of those minutes of break time.
She sat on the floor, resting her back against the huge mirrors in the room, her breathing laboured. Namjoon crouched beside her, his hand resting on her leg. "Chaeri, have you been eating well?" he asked gently. "Because if you're only eating what I see, I'd say you're really not"
Chaeri bit her lip and nodded slowly, her eyes cast downward. "I have been trying to," she admitted in a voice barely above a whisper, "but it's hard with everything going on."
"When was the last time you ate something?" he asked gently
Chaeri furrowed her brows, trying to remember. "I had half a sandwich yesterday morning" she said after a few moments.
Namjoon frowned, concern etched into his face. He opened his mouth to speak, but stopped himself as he watched Chaeri’s fatigue deepen with each passing moment. In that moment, he knew what he had to do "That's not enough" he began, squeezing her leg reassuringly "You need to take care of yourself, Chaeri. You can't keep going like this"
Chaeri sighed, leaning her head back against the mirror. "I know, but it's difficult. I don't always have time to sit down and eat a full meal. And when I do, it's usually something quick and easy, like a protein bar or cup noodles."
Namjoon took a deep breath, watching as Chaeri's eyes began to droop and her body grew even more tired. He knew he had to do something to help her before things got worse. 
“I’m going to make sure you’re eating better, okay? I’ll bring you food and make sure you have time to eat properly. You can't keep going like this. It's not good for you." He spoke with a firmness that belied the warmth of his gaze as he made his way towards the door. "I'll bring you something to eat right now," he promised, "and after we finish rehearsing, we'll sit down and have a proper meal together."
Right as Namjoon was about to leave the room, a man from Chaeri's staff came barging in. Without skipping a beat, Namjoon turned and pointed his finger at him, "Don't you dare try and bother her. She's on a break."
The man seemed startled at first, but then regained his composure. "I apologize, Namjoon-ssi, however we must speak with Chaeri urgently."
Namjoon's eyes narrowed as he took a step closer to the man. "Whatever it is, it can wait. Chaeri needs some time to rest and eat."
The man hesitated for a moment, but then nodded reluctantly before leaving the room.
Namjoon slowly shifted his gaze to Chaeri. Her face was tired, her eyes were rimmed in a deep red, and there was a look of deep appreciation in her expression. "Thank you, Namjoon," she said softly. "I'm not sure what I would do without you."
He smiled reassuringly at her "You won't ever have to find out, I'm here for you now and always"
taglist @alixnsuperstxr | @bts-dream | @ycuvi
279 notes · View notes
fernsnailz · 7 months
Note
hi fernsnailz, if you don’t mind me asking: how do I get over jealously as an artist? I try to go by the two cake principle but I always get jealous when I see more people eat someone else’s cake.
I was hoping you would have some advice cause you’re more experienced as an artist than I am
honestly, i'm not really sure if i have a solid answer for you because i also struggle a lot with jealousy as an artist and the two cakes principle. i mostly get jealous of other people's skill, and there are small things that help me - i use an extension that completely blocks all number analytics (likes, retweets, etc) on twitter so i don't focus on how "good" my art is doing compared to other artists. i save art i love from creators i admire into an inspiration tag here so i remember why i want to keep making stuff. i'm remembering how to make art for myself, not just for social media - not just a second cake.
envy is something that i'm learning to control and turn into inspiration, but personally i've never really found a way to get over it. for example i look up to so, so many storyboard artists, but often their incredible work makes me feel like i'll never be at that level and makes it hard to keep going - which is rough because. storyboarding is my job lol. my jealousy of other people's skill has kept me from creating stuff or joining projects that i'm really passionate about - which sucks! and it's not something i really know how to fix.
so while unfortunately i don't have much of a solution for you, i hope that i can give you this: every single artist i know has struggled with jealousy, and you're not alone. any artist you find yourself envious of is a person who is still learning and growing, same as you and same as me - no matter the skill gap or like count, they've also probably had problems with envy and self-worth at some point. and while the two cakes principle can help with this stuff, you shouldn't treat your work just as content for people to consume. that's your art! you made it, and that rules!! there's value in the mere act of creating something, no matter its quality or popularity. i don't know if the jealousy will ever go away, but you'll keep growing as an artist in spite of it.
59 notes · View notes
poppylovestowrite · 10 months
Note
Can I request karma x reader cuddling while it's raining? Mostly pure fluff
Tumblr media
Homework Can Wait
The weekends were meant for you and Karma. It was a deal you made with him when the two of started dating. You see, you're quite a busy bee, especially on the weekdays. You have school to worry about, club activities, and cram school. But, on the weekend, you make time to see Karma. 
You wanted to make that happen, but today you had to bend that deal a bit. Because your nightmare of a math teacher decided it would be fun to ruin everyone's weekend by dumping mountains of assignments.
This brings you here, sitting on your living floor, doing your homework on a Sunday afternoon. 
If only you weren't busy yesterday, then maybe you would have had your Sunday off. You could have used your free time to be with your boyfriend. Then the two of you could have gone to that food festival.
You furrowed your brows and glance up to see the rain coming down through your window. Er. Actually, that wouldn't have happened regardless. Not with all this rain going on. Still, the two of you could have been spending time together.
You sighed and moved your attention back to your homework. What a shitty day. 
No, that's not entirely true. Karma came over, even in this weather just to be with you. You felt a little bad when you told him that you were too busy, but that wasn't enough to turn him away. Your parents were out at work so Karma figured he keeps you company as you worked. 
He can stay here, under the condition he doesn't distract you. You let him play with your video games so at least one of you guys won't die of boredom. 
Somewhere half through an assignment, Karma paused the game, walked over to you and sat down. He didn't say anything and just watched you work for a few seconds. 
"Need help?" Karma offers. 
You still didn't look at him and shook your head.
"No, these questions are easy. Just tedious."
As a response, Karma poked your side causing you to squeak. 
"I meant if you need help to relax?" Karma chuckles. "You're so stressed." He says it so lightly, almost playfully, but you can pick up his concern. And because he was concerned, you choose not to scold him for poking you like that.
"I'll take a break when I'm done," you assured him with a smile.
Before going back to work, you lovingly tapped the bottom of his chin.
Karma hummed passively at you, then scanned his eyes at the other assignments you still have to do. It looks like it's going to be hours before you're going to give yourself a break. He could help you. In math, at least. His best subject, so he can definitely help you breeze by these questions.  
Karma doesn't say anything else and lets you get back to work. He knows how stubborn you are and knows you won't accept his help. So no use in arguing with you.
He goes back to your couch to continue playing video games. You don't get distracted that easily, but he still kept the volume pretty low for you regardless. 
While Karma was killing zombies, you were trying to kill this math question. 
Yes, some of these questions were easy and tedious, but when you got to the ones you struggled with, you wished Karma were to help you. It's not too late to ask him for his help. 
You shook your head and stubbornly kept quiet. 
You sighed, growing more and more frustrated over time. Your legs were falling asleep, your wrist was cramping up, and you were beginning to see numbers every time you blinked. 
Maybe you could use a break right now. 
For the first time in hours, you put your pencil down, closed your textbook and got up to sit with Karma on the couch.
Karma kept his attention on the game but did acknowledge you by speaking up. 
"Finally realized your sanity was breaking?"
"Yeah." You sighed tiredly. "Sorry that I'm using our time together to study."
"If anyone has to apologize to me, it would have to be your teacher," Karma says. It didn't sound like he wasn't going to hold this against you, which is good, but you still felt bad. You know he's been looking forward to spending some time with you this weekend.
You scooted closer to him and tugged his shirt, causing Karma to pause the game to look at you with a questioning hum.
"C'mon, let's do something together." You said. "I really could use a break."
"Oh~" A devilish smirk made its way across his face. "So now you want my attention?"
You frowned. "C'mon on, don't be like that. I want to hang out with you."
"Hm~ how badly?" Karma taunts, wanting to beg, and you knew that. 
"Very badly."
"You sure?"
"Yes!" You huffed. 
Karma's mischievous side started to fade as he chuckled fondly at you. 
"You're cute." He began to lean in. "Come here."
The soft whisper he used was enough to get your cheeks to turn pink, but what got you to go completely red was when he pressed his lips against yours. 
The sound of the raindrops tapping against the window and the faint sound of Karma's video games was all you heard as you kissed your boyfriend back. Your homework and just school, in general, have been completely wiped from your mind. The only thing on your mind was Karma.
Karma pulled away far too quickly than he usually does when he wants to make out with you, only because he wants to see you pout. And when you did, he softly chuckles but continues to kiss you since your lips were too addictive to him.
This time Karma had no intentions of pulling back. He kept his lips on yours until you became too shy and flustered to continue. He stopped and suggested watching a movie.  
You went back to worrying about your homework for a second there, but the soft reassuring touch Karma gave you was enough to get you to convince yourself that your homework can wait. 
You let Karma pick the movie since you were too tired to debate which movie is better to watch on a rainy day. And whenever you let Karma pick, he would always choose Sonic Ninja. The first one, since none of the sequels appeal to him as much.
You found yourself pressed up against Karma, arms wrapped around his torso and watching the movie with some interest. You wouldn't say you enjoyed Sonic Ninja as much as your boyfriend, but the movie was a good distraction from your work. The fight scenes were at least fun to watch, and some of the characters provided you with enough entertainment so that you can sit through it whenever you and Karma watch the movie.
Admittedly though, whenever the boring parts came, you did think about all the assignments you still had to do.
When the movie did end, Karma thought you would quickly leave his grasp and get back to work as soon as the credits began to roll. Karma expects you to jump out of his arms and head back to work as if you have some sort of timer built into you. 
Karma glances down at you.
"Do you want to get back to work?"
You lazily shook your head. No. No work right now. Sure, you got a good 2-hour break, but it wasn't enough for you. You didn't want to leave Karma's side.
To put you in a more comfortable position, Karma laid down on the couch, letting you rest on his chest. You smiled and appreciated the comfort he gave you as he wraps his arms around your waist.
"Play with my hair." You mumbled. 
"Hm... Sure, but what do I get out of it~?"
Ah, he loves to bargain with you, doesn't he? Well, considering all he wants is a kiss, you don't really argue with him.
You lifted your upper body and planted a soft kiss on his lip. When you went back to rest your head against his chest, you felt your boyfriend gently run his fingers through your head. A satisfying smile formed against your lips.
As the rain continues to fall, Karma kept playing with your hair with no complaint. He knows how much you've been working and just wants to help you relax now.
"I don't want to go to school tomorrow," you mumbled. 
As studious as you were, even you get burnt out from all this work. 
Karma chuckled. "You and me both. But, unlike you, I have the balls to skip class."
You huffed, slightly jealous of his "lazy but brilliant" persona. He does little of the work yet has one of the best scores. 
"I would skip if the school didn't contact our parents when a student is absent," you confessed, then groaned and nuzzled your face against his chest. "What a pain."
Karma gently patted your back, sensing how tense you were getting over the thought of school tomorrow.
"Okay, okay, enough school talk." He shushes in his honey-coated voice. Just focus on your cute boyfriend."
"Cute and annoying boyfriend." You bluntly reminded him.
As punishment for that comment, Karma ran his fingers down your side to tickle you. You squirm and laughed at this action.
"Hey--"
Before you can push yourself off to get away from him, Karma was merciful and stopped tickling you. He laughs playfully at your reaction, and as annoyed as you were, you couldn't help but chuckle. 
Instead of tickling you, Karma chooses to gently stroke your back. You smiled and snuggled closer to his neck. 
You only meant to shut your eyes for a couple of seconds, but Karma's scent and warmth were putting you to sleep.
"(Y/n)?" Karma said when he heard a light snore from you. He gently patted your back, and when you didn't respond, Karma knew that you must have fallen asleep.
The redhead cranes his neck to the side and spots the clock hanging on the wall. Normally, at this time, you would be sending Karma home by now. Even on a weekend, you like to keep a schedule and follow through with it. But, he doesn't have the heart to wake you up. You deserve some rest.
Karma relaxes his head, trying not to move so much to avoid waking you up. The only sound he would allow was the raindrops hitting the window outside.
He would let you sleep here as long as you want, then he would insist on helping you with your homework, no matter how much you refuse his help. But not before taking out his phone and taking a picture of the two of you. 
97 notes · View notes
mrsnancywheeler · 1 month
Note
Okay I think tumblr ate this (b/c it went red :( )but we fr need to talk about how young Billys muse is. 19 is young to be swept up in this world. Like imagine after they meet for the second time they’re making out or something and Billy kinda just pulls away and is like “hold up how old are you?” And she’s like “19.” And goes back to making out.
Also being that young adds to her being shy about media (I liked the shy Drabble) so like Billy even more thinks she just wants attention cause she’s just a young brat
tumblr has been eating up my asks recently like I keep getting double messages so ik some things are getting lost 😭
but like yes, by the time it's all over she's only like 22 and billy is like around 30 when the band breaks up, even eddie is probably around 27 or so, like she's really naive to all of this. like being in a situationship with billy dunne, the lead singer of a famous band at 19, who's struggling with addiction, like that's so, so much. but like she's young and it's probably one of her first serious relationships and his allure is so new and exciting
but like totally, weeks later when she's showing up to another show and he's finally able to get his lips on hers, the thought crosses his mind about how sometimes girls definitely too young to be here sneak in and he doesn't want to be one of those guys, so he's pulling away. "wait, wait, wait, how old are you?"
and you're chasing his lips as he's pulling away because he's so intense and passionate, you've never had something like that before and it's addictive. "19" and he's nodding before his lips are back on yours. and like so quickly he's got your number and is asking you to come over all the time. so you do, and so fast it becomes what feels like a relationship but to billy is more situationship, which you don't realize until he cheats on you
going back to that blurb too, it adds a layer to how she responds and he talks to her. like he's suddenly talking down to her and laying it down and she feels like there's nothing she can do, she's young and stupid. and then she's leaving and pissed. but he's going on and on explaining to her that this is what it's like to be a groupie as she's new at this, that she's just a pretty face, that she can't be entitled and throw fits to get him back, but like then not long after he's showing up.
she's at a diner with friends and he's "accidentally" bumping into her and asks her to step outside to talk for a second. and when you do, he's instantly saying how, "need my girl with me at the studio, just been so stressful recently and need my pretty girl back at the studio. missed having you around, baby."
and no one's ever said something like that so you're falling for it with little resistance, "missed you too, billy, wanna be around you." his lips back on yours and he makes you feel like putty in his hands. and he's taking you out on dates that wow you. and writing songs about you that have your jaw dropping, so you're back in the fantasy of billy dunne.
yes and with the shy addition it just makes it so much harder.
"your daddy's fucking rich, you're in the papers all the damn time. can't throw a tantrum because I don't portray you as perfect"
you're shaking your head, "no, only if I show up with my dad somewhere, or you, or they like my clothes. this is things I said billy, people can't know that. my dad-"
"your dad, what? time to grow up, baby, you're an adult, act like one. daddy can't come and fix everything for you, sometimes there's consequences for our actions" he's so condescending, so demeaning
"what actions?" you're crying
"you knew exactly what you were getting into when you showed up to that show, you wanted to fuck the lead singer and you kept coming back. if you're a whiny and entitled, then I can write about it, it's my job."
you're shaking your head, "wanna go home. I'm going home, fuck you, billy"
"such a goddamn child, don't come back here. there's no room for spoiled little girls who want me to spoon feed them from a silver fucking platter"
he does bring you back and still releases a song about how turbulent your relationship is
26 notes · View notes
ofliterarynature · 1 month
Text
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
FEBRUARY 2024 WRAP UP
[loved liked ok nope dnf (reread) book club*]
The Djinn Waits a Hundred Years • The Memory Librarian • Pixels of You* • Arch-Enemies • Moby Dyke • Pip Bartlett’s Guide to Magical Creatures • A Sinister Revenge • Lud in the Mist • Crying in H Mart • Something Close to Magic • Hula • (Renegades) • The Divorce Colony • Foundryside • Earthlings • A Far Wilder Magic
total: 13 books (12 audiobook, 1 print)
Not as many books this month! And not just because February has fewer days, I was really in a funk this month and struggling to pay attention to my audiobooks (and enjoy them). You wouldn't think there's such a thing as too many books, but I think the overtime hours at work are hitting their peak mental health destruction. Here's to hoping things improve in March!
The Divorce Colony (4.5 stars) - genuinely can't believe this was my 3rd nonfic of the year already! I picked a print copy of this up at a library sale in December after hearing about divorce colonies in the early 20th century on a recent episode of the 99% Invisible podcast. Turns out this book was actually about the beginning of the moment that took place in Sioux Falls, South Dakota in the 1800's. Western states had shorter residency periods and less strict divorce laws, so women (and the occasional man) would travel west and live there for several months in order to obtain a divorce. This book tracks the movement through the stories of 4 of the more infamous cases to make the papers, and does an incredible job of weaving in the surrounding political and religious discussions. Would recommend, and has a great cover to boot!
Renegades (3 stars) - a reread, and for some reason it was torture. I originally read this back in 2018 and loved it, and wanted to tackle it again and actually finish the rest of the series. But I kept getting worked up and frustrated this time around! It kept trying to take itself seriously while also being very YA and kind of superhero-camp, and I was absolutely overthinking it lol. I found the strength to press on into book two, Archenemies (3.5 stars). I liked it a bit more! Something about it being new, the story being a bit more settled and maybe getting a better grasp on its message/politics, the characters growing more, me figuring out that I shouldn't listen to the audiobook for more than an hour or so at a time, lmao. Not great, but fun, and possibly worth reading? I'll keep y'all updated when I finish book 3.
Hula (5 stars) - incredible. Part generational family story, part history, part discussion of what it means to be Hawaiian, culturally and legally. Not always the easiest of reads, but it was so so worth it. It was also doing something very interesting with parts of the narration voiced by a collective "we" (culture/community?) that I would love to get a look at in print. Highly recommend, I'll definitely be getting myself a copy.
Something Close to Magic (4.5 stars) - an absolute delight! The Gail Carson Levine comp on this one is not entirely unearned, anyone who's a fan of fairy tale type fantasies will enjoy this, I had a great time! Very interestingly, it has characters who are in their mid to late teens, but is written in a way where they're still allowed to be young, to the point I'm surprised it didn't get shoehorned into MG instead of YA. If the author writes any more of these I'd be happy to read them.
Crying in H Mart (3.5 stars) - nonfic number 4! I'm sure everyone's heard of this one by now, which is why I finally picked it up. It's fine (which is why it got an extra .5 star), but on the scale of take it or leave it, I'd leave it. It just wasn't for me and I kind of wish I'd dnf'd it. A great cover though.
Lud-in-the-Mist (3.5 stars) - this one seems to be considered a sort of early precursor to fantasy and fairy tale type stories from the early 20th century, and I was eager to try it! While I definitely don't think it would feel out of place amongst it's more recent fellows (think the Last Unicorn, Robin McKinley, DWJ, etc), I absolutely could not get into it. Probably the chief recipient of "my brain doesn't want to cooperate, sorry," so maybe I'll give it another shot someday.
A Sinister Revenge (4 stars) - enjoyable as always! Not to hide this deep in my reviews or anything, but have the Emily Wilde people tried Veronica Speedwell yet?
Pip Bartlett's Guide to Magical Creatures (3 stars) - This one's been sitting unread on my shelf for a while, and since I was on a bit of a Maggie Stiefvater run, I figured it was perfect! Well. Unless you are like 7, this was so bad. Not good. Having previously read and not liked a book by Maggie's co-author Jackson Pearce, I think it would not be unreasonable for me to assume she did most of the writing while Maggie did the illustrations - if the audiobook had been any longer than 4 hours I'd have absolutely DNF'd it, and I have no intention of continuing the series.
Moby Dyke: An Obsessive Quest to Track Down the Last Remaining Lesbian Bars in the Country (4.5 stars) - part of me was wondering what I was doing trying this lol, not being someone who drinks or goes to bars, OR, as previously mentioned, is not the biggest fan of memoirs. It was not, as I hoped, also part research project, but it is a travelogue, and as a consequence has a strong narrative thread. It also has a lot of discussions about issues in the LGBTQ+ community, and overall I really liked it once I figured out what it was doing!
Pixels of You (3.5 stars) - a very short sapphic rivals-to friends-to lovers graphic novel about a human-form AI and a human with an android eye competing for a photography internship at an art gallery. The creators clearly put SO much thought into their characters and worldbuilding, but sadly there is nowhere near enough length here to do it all justice, and a number of elements felt very odd or under explored. The relationship parts are great! I just think this needed to be twice as long to really given everything its due, or maybe explored in prose instead.
The Memory Librarian (3.5 stars) - to start, I know nothing about the musical album this is related to, so I don't know how much that might have affected my reading. Overall I wasn't super impressed - when I discovered that the first story was cowritten by Alaya Dawn Johnson - no shade to her - I almost dropped it then, I just really didn't like her writing style in the one book I've read. But I stuck through it. Of the five stories, only one really stuck in my mind - Nevermind, cowritten by Danny Lore, which I could have read an entire novel about. I wish I could recommend it on its own, but overall I just don't quite understand the world Monae has created.
The Djinn Waits a Hundred Years (3.5 stars) - I probably should say more about the book, it was fine, I was surprised to find that it's set in relatively current day, I found myself a lot more interested in the second narrative about the house's history, which did make me cry a bit. Mostly though, I really just want to let you know how MUCH of a non-entity the djinn was in this story, I have no idea why it was there and why it was included in the title of the book. All the author had to do was make the house a little more sentient and haunted and it would be fine, idk. Read it if you want, but it's not one I would rec.
DNF'S
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
Foundryside - I was so ready. I had the first two audiobooks checked out, I had the third one on hold. I started this but oh, the writing. bleh. I was looking thought reviews and someone referred to it as something like "21st century internet speak." In a high fantasy novel. I noped out at just 10%.
Earthlings - I've considered the author's other book before but haven't read it, but thought maybe a sci-fic book would work better for me? The beginning was odd but not uninteresting, and I might have continued if it had stayed that way. But then the main character was in school(?) and her teacher started getting handsy after class and I wasn't invested enough to stick it out.
A Far Wilder Magic - the success of Something Close to Magic made me a little too hopeful I think, bc while I'm still a little leery around YA, I know people have liked this. And it sounded interesting, truly, and I love the cover. But first it was the religion stuff. And I didn't really like the characters. Then it's like, oh, this is the same plot as The Scorpio Races, but nowhere near it's quality in any shape or form. I decided to stop while I was ahead, before I started to actually dislike it. (anyway here's your PSA to go read The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater, I recommend doing it in October if you can).
17 notes · View notes
honeybeefae · 1 year
Note
Let's start off with a bang! 69 😏
(The first number I got was 69, and while I know we all hoped it was spicy, y’all got FLUFF AND ANGST INSTEAD. And yes, this is the song from Encanto and yes it is one of my faves. I sing it to my daughter almost every night 🥹)
#69 - Two Oruguitas by Sebastian Yatra (Encanto Soundtrack)
Tumblr media
Life Finds A Way (Eris Vanserra x Reader)
Summary// Growing up together, Eris was your closest friend. The two of you went through everything together and more often than not if one of you were somewhere, the other wasn’t far behind. However, when Amarantha comes to your court and begins to ensnare everyone, Eris forces you back and tells you to run and never look back. Now, after fifty-odd years, you have tracked back to your home, hoping to find him.
WARNINGS: Mentions of fighting, blood
“I can’t decide on which one to wear…” You mused to yourself, switching between two different outfits for dinner tonight. They both looked amazing on you, both beautiful in their own way, but it was impossible to choose. “If I do this one I could wear that necklace but this one-”
“Oh for Cauldron’s sake Y/N, are you still deciding?” A teasing voice groaned from the doorway, your eyes rolling at your best friend’s question. “It’s just a dinner, there’s no need to act like you are getting betrothed.”
You smirked, setting down the outfits on your bed, before turning around with your head cocked to the side. “At least if I were, my fiance wouldn’t have to worry about me showing up with my laces undone.” You snarked back, laughing when Eris’s eyes widened, and he fumbled with the top of his pants. 
It was a lie, of course, but you snatched one of the outfits and ran to the bathroom before he could grab you to torment you. The door slammed shut on him, and he playfully hit it with his fist, fighting the urge to smile at your antics. “You think you’re so funny, little fox.”
After a couple of minutes, you opened the door, dressed and ready for the night, and patted his cheek condescendingly. “No, I know I am funny.”
He shook his head and offered you his arm, leading the two of you out of your room and towards the dining hall. “You keep fidgeting. Are you nervous?”
“For Amarantha? No. She’s harmless and is actually doing well opening up the trade routes. I’m just wondering if the other dress would’ve looked better…” You sigh as you fiddled with the lace of your sleeve, missing the look that flashed in Eris’s eyes.
Both of you stopped just outside of the door and before you could take another step, he pulled you back by his side. The action caused you to look up at him, startled, only to immediately melt at his words.
“You look beautiful, Y/N. Anything would look good on you.”
Your cheeks warmed at the compliment and you had to look away so that he didn’t catch you trying to calm your breathing, mumbling a quiet “Thank you.” before leading the way inside.
The music was soft and melodic as you both parted ways to opposite ends of the dining table, smiling and acknowledging the other high members of the court as you took your seat. Amarantha was at the head with Lord Beron, Lady of the Autumn Court, and the rest of their family. 
Dinner was served promptly and it looked delicious, everyone digging in as the conversations kept moving from subject to subject. Eris kept sending you glances, which you returned shyly, as the night went on. It was almost time for dessert when the Emissary of Hybern stood abruptly, raising her glass and toasting to the Lord of Autumn.
“To your lord, who serves his court pridefully as well as his interests. May we have many more years of trade and peace.” Amarantha said sweetly, her hooded eyes watching Beron carefully as he savoured the ego stroke with a long sip of wine.
Everyone toasted but before you could even let the wine hit your tongue, you noticed your Lord struggling to speak. His glass fell from his grip, shattering on the floor, as he felt his power slipping away from him. You watched his skin change to a cooler tone, his body sagging as if it couldn’t even hold his own weight, while Amarantha laughed gleefully.
“What’s wrong, Beron? Choking on your own ambition? Or is it mine?” She snarled as Eris and his brothers immediately went to attack. Beron tried to send out a flame but all that came from his hand was a small tuft of smoke, his mouth agape in horror as well as everyone else’s.
She had stolen his power.
“Now boys, you know you are no match for me,” Amarantha chided as she sent them flying back with a wave of her hand, the doors to the dining hall bursting open to reveal a massive army of fae who were armed to the teeth. “Or my army. I would surrender now if I were you, Lord Beron.”
Beron stared at her with a gaze that could kill, his mouth tight as he used what was left of his strength to grab a nearby knife and slice her arm. She hissed, watching the blood stream down her dress, before the wound healed quickly.
“You retched whore, I will have your head for this.” Beron swore as he lunged again. Amarantha was faster though, dodging his attack and pinning his arm behind his head so that the knife was now pressed to his neck.
“Take the Lord and his family, kill the rest.” She ordered her army, not even sparing a glance to the innocent faes that were now running to escape. The armoured fae were quick to the slaughter, blood splattering across the walls as your brain tried to catch up with what was happening. 
“Run!” Eris’s voice cut through the chaos, your eyes meeting his in utter fear. You swiftly rose from your seat and looked to one of the windows, your heart pounding in your chest as you began to weave and dodge through the mass of bodies and swords. 
The air was burning in your lungs as adrenaline pumped through your body. You ducked down as one of her men tried to take your head, sliding underneath his legs as the window became closer and closer. It was becoming quieter and quieter as all of your family and friends became collateral to whatever Amarantha was starting, and you knew your window of opportunity was closing rapidly.
You used all your strength to break through the balcony windows, not even noticing the sting of the glass against your skin as you grabbed onto the ledge to try and swing out over the roaring waterfall below you. 
Time seemed to slow down as you turned to cast one last look of the massacare behind you, stomach churning violently before you saw Eris being hoisted up by one of the men. His eyes were panicked, searching the bodies for yours, until he landed on your shadowy figure hanging on by a thread. 
Every fiber of your being wanted to help him, to try and free him for whatever hell was about to endure, but Eris shook his head and mouthed, “Go. Now.” as the guard turned to follow his gaze.
It felt as if your very soul was being snatched from your heart as you blinked away the tears, closing your eyes and whispering, “I’ll find you, Eris.” before you let your hand open and you fell into the rigid waters below. Two of her men barely missed you, watching your body hit the water forcefully, before deciding you good as dead and turning back inside. 
As your body became swallowed by the falls, you were going in and out of consciousness. The impact had hurt you greatly. It felt like you had been slammed into a wall of cement and as you continued to struggle against the waves and churning of it, your air was beginning to run out.
You could feel the seconds tick by as you desperately tried to break to the surface, your muscles screaming in protest, and a small part of you wondered if you should just let it end here. Whatever was happening in Pyrthian was just the beginning and with everything you had just lost, what was the point? Where could you go?
The thoughts had you pulling back your strength, your eyes closing in acceptance, before Eris’s face flashed vividly in your mind. He was still alive, being marched to Cauldron knows where, but he was alive.
And as long as he was, you were too.
Your eyes opened in fierce determintation as you reached out for the surface once more, your hand wrapping around the branch of a tree as you pulled yourself up and onto the river bank with your last, gasping breath.
The river roaring behind you seemed to be all you could hear as you took in as much air as you could, laying face down in the sharp pebbles while regaining your strength.
Time was an illusion as you rolled onto your back, staring into the night sky as small shivers started to shake your body. The moon was high in the sky and you realized that you were in the middle of the forest, with no supplies, and close to freezing to death.
Pushing yourself up on unsteady legs you began to make your trek through the forest, finding a small cave where you hunkered down for the night as you lit a fire to keep you warm. The forest was alive with sound, crickets chirping and foxes hunting, as if it had no knowledge of what was happening around it.
You took comfort in that, in how life survived even in times like these. The Earth was resilient and as of now, you would have to be too. You needed to become more than a pretty fae in court. 
You had to become a weapon if you were going to survive.
51 Years Later
Every night you thought about Eris, your family and friends, and that hateful witch who had taken over. You could never stay in a place too long, disgusing yourself as a mercenary in the mortal lands to avoid getting caught by one of Amarantha’s henchmen, but you never forget where you came from. 
At first you had planned to attack her and her men in the middle of the nights, spying on them like Eris had taught you when he took you on hunting trips, but it fell apart when you realized the gravity of the situation. 
She hadn’t just taken Beron’s powers…she had taken everyones. Within a few weeks she had control over all of Pyrthian and had taken refuge Under The Mountain where the horrors of her court were whispered in taverns and castles. 
You had quickly realized you could not take her down, not alone, and the one time you had tried to organzie a rebellion they had turned on each other and almost caused you to be caught. 
So you became normal, doing menial tasks for poor pay in order to survive in hopes of one day avenging your court and family. It was what kept you going. Hope was all you had left.
It wasn’t until a few months ago you heard that some human girl, Feyre, had bravely gone and beaten Amarantha and her entire group of vermin. She had died in the battle but with the newly returned powers of all of the High Lords, she had been Made again as a faerie. 
Most of the mortals scoffed at the idea of it, seeing her as a traitor more than a martyr, but what little fae you knew in the mortal lands regarded her as a saviour. 
Feyre Cursebreaker was what they called her, a fitting name for her deeds. Some of your aquantinces had started to make their trip back to the wall to see if it was true, something you hadn’t had the guts to do, only to never be heard from again.
That could only mean two things and with all the hell you had been through, you assumed the worst. Until one night, while drinking cheap wine, you heard his name.
“Eris is sure to fit in for his father when the time comes. Beron already showed his weakness when everything happened, it was the reason Amarantha chose him to start with, and his sons pridefulness is just like his.” One of the dark haired fae stated beside you, scoffing. 
“What did you say?” You turned to ask, voice low and slightly desperate. “Are they back in the Autumn Court?”
The two fae gave you a long stare, probably taking note of your autumnesque features, before chuckling. “They’ve been back, kid. Have you not heard about Feyre Cursebreaker? She-”
“Of course I’ve heard of her. I just didn’t know if it was mere gossip or if she actually freed them.” You retorted snarkily, frowning at them as they shook their heads at your words. “But it is true?”
“Yes, as is our words about Beron and his bastard sons.” The dark hair oned huffed, sneering at the thought of them. “I would keep your distance from the Autumn Court, girl, even if it is where you hail from. That mountain changed everyone.”
You looked down at your wine, the dark scarlet swirling around just like it had that night. The screams of your friends, Eris’s deseperate plea, it was like the glass was taunting you into reliving it over again. It seemed to know you were too scared to go back and face what happened.
But as you looked out the window and into the warm, sunny day, you thought back to that first night in the cave. Everything around you had adapted to life but that didn’t mean it stopped there, it changed every day and sometimes…sometimes it took leaps of faith.
The two fae watched as you slammed money down and headed outside, shrugging their shoulders at your stubbornness. You brushed past everyone with little regard, eyes dead set on the wall that was growing closer with each step.
It was as ominous as you remembered, vibrating with magical energy. Your bravery faltered in the fear of the unknown but you pushed past it, steeling yourself as you walked through and into the warm air of the Spring Court. You braced yourself for someone to strike you down, for your throat to be slashed or stomach slit, but it never came.
Instead all you heard was peace. The birds were singing, the sun warm on your skin, and it was like the land was welcoming you back. You couldn’t stop the laugh that bubbled in your chest as you sank to the ground and buried your fingers into the earth. 
You could feel it healing, could feel it singing in praise as the past became the past. It made you giddy with excitement and without a moment to lose, you threw off your tattered cloak and began your trek to the Autumn Court. 
Hours flew by and for the first time in forever, you couldn’t feel it. The only emotion that was occurring was hope as the border got closer. Trees started to turn orange and red, the familiar wind of Autumn wrapping around you like a warm hug. 
And when you made the final step into the forest…you felt tranquility. After fifty one years, you were home. You were where you belonged. It was a feeling you wish you could bottle up and keep forever.
A twig snapped behind you and you whipped around to see an Autumn Court sentry, his arrow pointed directly at you. “Who are you and what are you doing here?” He yelled, eyes as cold as stone.
Before you could explain yourself, instinct took over and you took off. The arrow flew past your head but from your time in the woods, you knew exactly where to go. People were shouting behind you, hounds howling as they started to track you, but you were running on utter impulse.
No one could catch you, not even their trained dogs, as you slid down to the river bank and leapt across the roaring waters. The logical part of your brain was begging you to stop and explain but you couldn’t risk it, weaving between the trees until you were sure you had lost them.
Your back hit the large oak behind you with a thud as you caught your breath, listening for any sounds. It was quiet though, not even the hounds barking, and when you turned to peak around the trunk you felt a burning fire wrap around your legs and drag you out of your hiding spot.
“No! No! Let me go!” You screamed, thrashing erratically as you came to a stop and a large, warm hand hoisted you up roughly by your shoulders. “I swear on the Mother I will-”
“Y/N?” Eris said in disbelief, eyebrows furrowed in shock as you stared into those eyes that had kept you company all these years. 
He was alive and standing before you, his grip unbelievably tight as you felt hot tears well in your eyes. Your mouth opened and closed for a moment, relief and disbelief mixing in a confusing cocktail.
“Eris…” You breathed, the tears now flowing freely. “It is you.”
The binds of fire vanished around your legs as he pulled you into a crushing hug, breathing in the scent of your hair as you broke down in his arms. You tried to touch every part of him, feeling the muscles in his back before moving to grasp his hair. 
Words could not describe what you were feeling, what he was feeling, but they were not needed. The wind picked up around the two of you, leaves twirling around in a dance of harmony as you both sunk to your knees and held each other for who knows how long.
Any questions either of you had were on the back burner. For now, you wanted to stay in this moment with him forever. 
226 notes · View notes
alixennial · 10 months
Text
🌱 Indie Von Galen ⭐️ Seeker Of Hidden Truths
Tumblr media
The only things I'd decided up front for Indie was (1) that she'd have A Past (not necessarily traumatic, but definitely a learning experience that she'd carry into ARR - oops sorry Indie, I did intend to be gentle) and (2) some basic stuff about her character--she's positive, optimistic, and kind. She may not be the prettiest, smartest or most talented in the room, but she's resourceful and adaptable and she always tries her best.
I didn't know much about naming conventions when I created her, but the 'Von' thing gave me a fun opportunity to invent some backstory about how she might have had some Garlean involvements whilst ticking the 'Has A Past' box.
Indie was born and raised on a small crop farm in a quiet backwater outside of Ala Mhigo. She grew up in isolation; a home-schooled only-child of ageing parents. For the first few years of her life her family was pretty much self sufficient, but then the Garlean invasion brought about an end to their way of life. With no strength in numbers, Indie's family submitted to Garlean rule in the hope that they could somehow peacefully retain their livelihood.
"'Tis better to bend with the wind than stand tall and be broken. Therein lies… hope. Therein lies freedom."
Before long, Indie's father was removed from the farm and forced to work in an imperial factory. Indie's mother continued to home-school her and work the farm, but this increasingly became a struggle, especially in times when soldiers would regularly pay them a visit to claim their lot.
Indie had to step up at a very young age to ensure the farm covered enough for them to survive as her mother's health deteriorated. What she lacked in knowledge, in education, she made up for in strength, practicality and resourcefulness. This continued for many years until her mother passed away when Indie was a young adult, her father following just a few weeks later.
"People are pragmatic creatures at heart. They hold on to hope only until they taste true hardship. Then comes fear and regret. Safer not to dream, they conclude at last. They learn to abide the indignities and injustices, the pain and shame."
The farm was taken from her, and with few neighbours remaining, she turned to allies her father had made - a faction of imperial soldiers that had been ensuring the dignity of Ala Mhigan factory workers as well as keeping her village suitably stocked with provisions - one of which, the ringleader Christos van Galen, she later married. (Indie's title of Von was a gift from her husband which he claimed meant Princess - a position earned rather than born into)
Indie continued her endeavours to provide for the ever diminishing community whilst her husband worked on rallying like-minded Garleans and ~whatever else he was doing that he kept Indie firmly away from~, but when the group's activities were discovered, Christos was executed by way of an example. As conditions became less safe for Indie, she journeyed to Ul'dah in search of Ala Mhigan refugees and to find out what became of the Resistance.
She carries the title "Warrior of Light" with some trepidation. She doesn’t feel special but while it gives people hope she will embrace it. She has certainly struggled with imposter syndrome in the past.
As Indie learns more about her abilities and blessing of light, she wonders how much her late husband knew of them and whether he was protecting her, or protecting everyone else from her.
Age: 27 when she travelled to Ul'dah, 29 now.
Race: Highlander Hyur
Home world: Seraph, Dynamis
Hair: Red with highlights of Red
Eyes: Dark
Height: 5 fulms 11 ilms
Distinguishing marks: None?
Common Accessories: HAT
Profession: Monk
Hobbies: A very keen gatherer and crafter, allowing her to make good use of her more practical skills. She also enjoys having a small garden plot to grow crops, it reminds her of home in less complicated times.
Birthplace: Arse end of nowhere, Gyr Abania
Religion: Spiritual but not religious
Fears: A return to isolation
Spouse: Deceased
Parents: Deceased
Siblings: None
Other relatives: Unknown
Indie's Tag
25 notes · View notes
daytaker · 4 months
Note
Hopefully this doesn't come off as a weird request. But can you do headcannons of reader looking up to Solomon as a father figure, then Solomons just a terrible influence for them. Thanks if you do this.
I won't lie, this is a kind of weird request, but that's alright! We can do weird. For the sake of my own comfort, I'm going to say ahead of time that the relationship between Solomon and the reader is purely platonic.
Hey, it's me again, three hours in the future relative to the above paragraph. I did my best, though I'm struggling to portray Solomon as an actual father figure. But these are some disjointed thoughts about you, Reader, and your somewhat toxic mentor-pupil relationship with your fellow human, Solomon the Sorcerer. (Fair warning, it gets a little silly at the end.)
CW: Manipulative Reader/MC, Bullying the Brothers
-------------
Wow, the greatest sorcerer to ever live? You didn't even know sorcerers were a thing outside books and movies before you got here. Not only that, this guy is functionally immortal? You could probably learn a thing or two from him.
When you unexpectedly arrive in the Devildom for the RAD exchange program, you're more than a little uneasy about the number of jokes people have been making about eating you. (Those were jokes, right?)
So when you meet a friendly human face on your first day of classes, you're relieved. How is this guy so calm in this situation? Isn't he an exchange student too? Isn't he at least a little bit confused about the world? Will sticking to him like glue keep you from dying by demon?
Answers in order: He's been doing this for thousands of years, yes, no, and probably.
Solomon is aware of your dependence on him, and he quickly grows fond of you too, albeit in the way you might become fond of the local stray cat. You're friendly and easy to manipulate and best of all, you're a human. Solomon hasn't had any actual humans to interact with in years.
And who better to recruit to the cause of the betterment of humankind in the eyes of the other two realms than a fellow human? Someone with a stake in the underdog team?
He encourages your attempts to make pacts with the brothers. What could be more useful than a binding agreement to do whatever you tell them to, anyway? Soon enough, you have five pacts under your belt. It was surprisingly easy to get them to agree to sign their autonomy over.
"Don't you find it interesting that you're the only member of the exchange program who didn't know such a program existed until you were dragged here? I mean, there's no delegation in our world that manages relationships with the Devildom or the Celestial Realm. Both of those places just do as they please with the human world, only kept in check by each other."
He's making a good point. Why are humans so disrespected? Hell, those brothers view you as so unintimidating that they agreed to pacts with you more or less on the fly, just because. Is it just because you don't live as long?
"Hey, can you come over after classes? I need your help with something."
You become Solomon's willing guinea pig, and the brothers soon become guinea pigs by proxy. Solomon teaches you how to summon them, how to command them, and how to make sure they don't say a word to their oldest brother about it.
"I find it interesting that humans are so much more dynamic and inventive than demons or angels. I'm of the opinion that it's because the natural human lifespan is so short, relatively speaking, that it encourages people to be more ambitious. If we had eternity to solve our problems, would we even bother trying?"
Thank goodness for Solomon. If he wasn't here to impart these teachings on you, you might have ended up becoming emotionally entangled with those demons instead; demons who thought of you as a novelty and an easy target.
Lucifer stops you on your way to your room at the House of Lamentation.
"I think we need to have a talk about my brothers. Why are they afraid of you?"
To which you storm past him, flip him the bird, stick your tongue out, and snap, "None of your business! Get out of my life!" The door SLAMS shut, and you shout through it: "YOU'RE NOT EVEN MY REAL DAD."
And so, without even meaning to do it, Solomon has gone from an ally to a guide to a mentor to the person who transformed you into a demon-disrespecting teenager.
18 notes · View notes
makethatelevenrings · 6 months
Note
You and this person brought up a lot of thoughts about what's going on with the Palestinians for me and many others.
I try to keep my Tumblr a safe no stressful place but this is important. It's necessary for others to know and see what's happening. Thank you for teaching me.
https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZPR7t812v/
It is so, so important to me that you willingly are taking the steps to get educated and I appreciate it so much.
The way she mentioned the Iran-Contra affair made me instantly nod along because I spent a whole semester researching American foreign policy in Nicaragua. Believe me, it’s a mess.
American government officials want to keep Israel going because they want a strong position in the Middle East. As the Zionist in my DMs argued, “Britain gave us [Israel] the land fairly” which is laughable when you look at the sheer number of lands that Britain has colonized and the number of lives lost at the hands of colonial powers. Britain “gave” Israel that land in 1918 with the British Mandate but it wasn’t until the Holocaust that many Jewish persons fled to Israel for refuge. Note: the Holocaust was fucking horrific. There is no excuse, justification, etc. for the absolute devastation the Holocaust has done to the Jewish, rRoma, and many more communities. There is no justification for genocide. Ever.
In 1948, the Nakba happened. 750k Palestinians became refugees as Israeli forces pushed them out of their homes. As the Zionist explained to me “we were defending ourselves” and “we only expelled the people who would prove to be a threat”. Hear me out; 750k people are a threat including the babies carried by their mothers? Who determined they were a threat? Why were the people of Palestine so angry that they fought against the encroaching Israelis?
After 1948, Israel was recognized by the UN as a nation and a rapidly growing country in the Middle East. But how? How were they developing so quickly? The West needed a stronghold in the region to “combat” the USSR’s presence in the region. WWII decimated Britain’s finances and manpower so the United States’ Marshall Plan came in to save the day. We basically said “we’ll give you money to rebuild, you give us your loyalty and promise to not become a communist”.
That’s it. That’s the Cold War. America and the USSR were two sides of an ideological and military struggle that spread through every region imaginable in the Global South. Nicaragua, Cuba, China, Vietnam, Afghanistan, and Israel all can tie their roots back to the Cold War policies that we enacted. The United States is so intent on continuing funds to Israel because we want a strong hold in the region to keep an eye on every nation that surrounds Israel. Apparently, Joe Biden doesn’t care if Palestinians are murdered to achieve his goal.
I used this analogy to explain to the Zionist in my DMs and they kept skirting around it so I want others to read it:
A person walks into your house, points a gun at you and your family, and says get out, this is now someone else’s home. If you fight, you’ll probably die. If you win the fight, more people will come after you. If you concede and move out, you lose your home and have to leave in untenable conditions.
You live on the streets and try to support your family but the people that moved into your home have decided that they don’t want to look at you. They set up blockades and barriers. They take control of your water and gas and borders so they can monitor what food comes in. They treat you like a caged animal.
The person who stole your home walks by one day and sees you sitting on the street, hungry and scared and lost, and they decide to take pity on you and hand you one dollar. Look at that, they’re alleviating the struggle your life has become. The struggle they caused.
If someone did that to you, wouldn’t you be angry? Would you ever trust them again?
18 notes · View notes
often-obsessed · 2 years
Text
Yandere!Lysandre x reader Oneshot
AU Lysandre won
Lysandre surveyed his victory, the ultimate weapon was a success. Soon the world would forever keep its true beauty. The sky was a vibrant red, as if telling the world of the new change to come. If only someone else had seen it his way as well.
Rubble covered the once beautiful city. Houses turned over and inside out, with unfortunate victims inside.
He hoped you weren't among the greedy.
Team flare grunts ran to and fro in search of his lost treasure. He walked among the ruins, scattered glass cracking under his polished shoes.
Surprised cries and pleas for mercy rang out every now and then, soon cut short seconds later.
He wondered what you hoped to accomplish running away. Even if you did leave Kalos it was only a matter of time before team flare's influence spread to other regions. Still, he admired your stubbornness, it was one of your attractive qualities.
"Mr. Lysandre," a grunt swerved around the debris, careful to dodge any grime on the way. "we've found a lead on where our missing person might be!"
Lysandre grinned, he had thought it would take at least a few more days to find you. It seemed your bleeding heart wasn't  able to leave the citizens of Kalos in ruin. A pure heart indeed.
It was good to hear you were still nearby.
The sounds of struggle met his ears, souring his mood. Ah, now to deal with the person responsible for your disappearance.
She was covered in dust, the ugliness of her heart showing through in physical form. With every step his grunts took, dragging the thief closer, his blood boiled.
She had finally stopped squirming like the worm she was the second she caught sight of him. Instead putting on a false display of bravery.
He turned his nose up at her, not that it did much considering his height.
"You know why you're here, if you cooperate I'll spare you the fate of everyone else in kalos."
The woman glared at him, bearing her teeth like a wild pokemon. The hard way it was, not that he cared either way.
"As if I'd tell a monster like you!" She spat. "I'd die happy knowing you didn't get your disgusting hands on my friend! So go ahead do your worst!"
He balled his fists, challenge accepted.
________________________________________
The small resistance in Kalos steadily grew. Organized by the few gym leaders left, kept a bit of hope that team flare could be beaten. Though this sentiment was among very few. With Lysandre's betrayal, less people were likely to trust any leadership. The desperation to stay alive and safety in numbers was the only thing keeping people from going at each others throats.
Furthermore with the size growth, food for all the survivors was becoming hard to find. There were too few pokemon to speed up growth the small garden your group had growing.
Between foraging berries to grow and fighting other pokemon for said berries, the worn out pokemon didn't have much energy left.
You and a few small groups were in charge of bringing food back to the base.
Which was what you were doing now.
You carefully maneuvered around the unstable rubble, slipping inside a crack in the wall in hopes of finding food.
"Find anything edible yet?" You nearly jumped out of your skin. You glared at your partner in crime. Hugo, known for his expertise in sneaking past the most observant of flare agents, sheepishly grinned at you.
"I was about to find out now."
You stared in into the darkness of the once beautiful home. Hopefully no pokemon resided inside. Ghost pokemon were becoming the norm for Kalos. No one spoke of it though.
You squeezed your way passed what would have been the living room to the kitchen. A few rattata hissed at you before scurrying into the darkness.
A few pieces of untouched bread and bruised berries. It wasn't much but at least the rattatas hadn't got to it.
"I found a few things to eat Hugo, we should head back now, not much sun left."
Hugo made a noise of approval.
You carefully crawled back through the opening, noticing Zoe, a middle-aged woman, had now rejoined you and Hugo.
She held a unnaturally small yamask to her chest in one hand, the other a small bag of hopefully food.
"Hey Zoe...found anything useful?"
Zoe graced you with an acknowledgement of your presence.
"Just found some empty water bottles, I'm pretty sure thats useful."
Hugo laughed.
"Well you guys did better than me, only found a bag of chips. I had to fight a skiddo for this."
Zoe sniffed "Yes, well lets go back, I'd prefer not to fight off hoards of ghost pokemon tonight."
__________________________________________
"Looks like I'm eating grass again. Foraging didn't go to well for anyone else." Hugo sighed, haphazardly throwing his bag in the small pile of collected goods.
"Come on Hugo, kids gotta eat too." You chirped.
"Well yeah but can't they go without food for one day? I'm risking my life everytime I go outside."
"If I find out you're stealing from children I'll break your arm. Eat some bark next time, maybe that will last longer."
"Well look who's gracing us with her words."
"You three!"
Ah Helena, an ex-secretary used to bossing everyone around, pointed a accusing finger at your group.
What now?
"The gym leaders would like a word with you guys." Helena held up a hand. " No I don't know what the subject is, but I expect it's important so hurry up."
You looked at Hugo who gave you a confused look. You shrugged, you were most likely getting in trouble for not meeting your quota. Zoe zipped past the two of you making a beedrill line for headquarters.
You trudged after her, you just wanted to lie in your bed and forget about today.
The headquarters was nothing fancy, just a small room located in the middle of the camp. You entered the cramped space, seeing what was left of the Kalos' league.
Grant, Korrina and Valerie sat at a small table, not one of them spoke.
It was still strange seeing so few gym leaders. Especially so solemn. The weight of their responsibility weighting down on them.
You cleared your throat, snapping the gym leaders out of their thoughts.
"You...wanted to see us?"
The three exchanged glances, their silent conversation going on a moment longer before they answered.
Grant spoke up.
"As you know, food has been getting harder to find."
Hugo snorted.
Grant continued.
"We can no longer sustain all the refugees we've been finding. But we do have some hope, we managed to contact the authorities in Hoenn. They're willing to help but they don't want to risk gaining Lysandre's attention. So we have come up with a plan."
Valerie spoke up this time.
"We decided to move small groups of people out of the camp just under the radar of team flare. Small boats have already begun to make their way here."
You brightened up, this was the best news you've heard since this hell started.
"So you want us to escort survivors to these boats?"
Grant closed his eyes.
"Not quite, we know of Lysandre's... Fixation with you. We realized we can use that to our advantage, to be blunt."
No this couldn't be, they weren't serious.
"So you just intend to use them as bait?! With everything they've done for you?! What kind of thanks is that!"
Hugo spoke up, fists balled at the gym leaders.
"This wasn't an option we wanted to use, but it's the only one we have. You all know what would happen if team flare found this place. We need to think of the civilians. We're not going to force you, but please think of what will happen if this war continues any longer."
"He has a point, how many people have to lose their lives to team flare."
Zoe muttered.
Your head spun, you wanted to yell at the gym leaders, the world and fate for all of this. But they were in the right, too many people were suffering. It would be selfish to think of yourself when you could do something to help.
You looked at the floor, you'd have to see Lysandre again.
"What is your plan?"
_______________________________________
The plan was simple, just lead team flare away from where the boats would land.
Drawing Lysandre's attention to you.
Zoe and Hugo insisted they accompany you, but with so few pokemon trainers they were needed to escort civilians.
It took you days to get in position, let it be known Kalos wasn't small.
The gravel crunched under your boots, as you sprinted across the rubble. You already set off the distraction, alerting a few team flare grunts in the area.
The chase had already began, shouts behind you got closer.
"They're over there!"
You slid down an incline. You should be able to lose them in the forest. Stay a day then you could circle back and jump on a boat. So far only grunts were chasing you, but it wouldn't be long before an admin was on your trail too.
Or worse.
You began to wheeze, your legs stumbled a bit. You must've been running on and off for an hour. You were too tired to even climb a tree. You slowed to a walk, you hadn't heard your pursuers in a while. There had to be some kind of inconspicuous shelter somewhere.
When had it gotten so quiet?
A twig snapped.
You whirled your head towards where you thought the noise came from.
Was it Lysandre? Your stomach flipped.
Nothing.
Well there was no way you were sticking around to find out. You began your jog again, legs wobbly on the rocky road.
Just think of the future, it will all be over soon.
 Suddenly the world turned upside down, literally. It soon registered that you were rolling down a hill. Pain shot up your leg. How had you not noticed? Were you really so tired you couldn't see straight?
You rolled, painful rocks hitting your body with every impact. You covered your face as best you could. Finally coming to a stop.
No one heard that right? You looked up as the steep, rocky edge stared back. It was a miracle you survived.
Your eyes strained to see any sign of life at the top of the incline. You thankfully did see any, but the dust disturbed from your fall floated lightly in the sky.
You slowly pushed yourself up ignoring the sharp pains all over. A searing pain shot up your hand causing you to fall on your butt. A long gash was cut on your palm covered in packed dirt.
You frowned, that obviously wasn't good. You'd have to find a river quick, it wasn't like you had any alcohol to wash it off with, or any healing pokemon.
You continued your escape.
_______________________________________
It was the middle of the night now, you  could hear team flare grunts in the distance. Most likely dealing with vengeful ghost pokemon. You shivered in the cold night air, at least you hoped it was cold air. Your hand burned as signs of infection started to show. You still hadn't found a source of water to wash your cut.
You had gently pulled off debris, flinching at the embedded pieces. Maybe it was best to turn back now. You had been out here long enough. You weren't about to die out here when freedom was so close.
Crap which way had you come? Climbing a tree would help.
Ah right, you hurt your hand. You watched a fireball in the distance.
Silver glinted in your peripheral vision, you gasped the rush of air burning in your lungs. You fell back whipping your head towards the danger. Your brain felt like it was a second behind.
Had they found you already? You didn't have any pokemon to aid you. Damn it! If only pokeballs were easy to come by!
"OOF!"
You lay on your back staring up at the bipedal pokemon, sharp blades shone in the moonlight. Yellow eyes watched your every move, daring you to try and stand.
You froze in terror, where had it come from? Was it wild? You moved your hand, only to stop short when it raised its hackles. Crap what could you do?
The thing had blades on its arms, you couldn't fight it off!
"H-hey I'm no threat to you buddy, just passing through."
Maybe it had babies somewhere?
Footsteps soon made there way over to you. Oh arceus was there more?
Bright green hair and glasses entered your vision. Oh great one of the fashion disaster sisters. Bryony stood above you, smirk and all.
"I have to say I really didn't think you would make it this far. Do you know my sisters and I made a bet on who could catch you first? Can't wait to rub this in their faces."
She slapped her hands on her thighs leaning over you with a cheshire grin.
"Wow you look awful," she glanced at your cut. "Yeah, that's probably infected. Bisharp carry our captive!"
Bisharp obeyed, you couldn't manage the strength to fight it off.
"You made Lysandre pretty upset when you ran off, leaving him all by his lonesome. If he didn't want you back alive I would have had bisharp slit your throat. No one upsets the boss."
You gulped. You watched Bryony speak into a device most likely calling backup.
You shivered again much violently than the last time, bisharp's cold metal body wasn't helping.
"Hey don't pass out on me now!"
_______________________________________
The feeling of your hand being rubbed soon woke you up, it felt nice, like a soothing balm after everything that happened.
Oh arceus.
Who was touching you?
"Calm down my heart you're causing the monitor to sky rocket."
You slowly opened your eyes, your vision too blurry the make out anything. One bright orange blob sat to the side of you, it didn't take a genius to guess who it was.
Lysandre rubbed your injured hand, you suddenly wished you could cut it off.
The blobs slowly started to turn into definable shapes. Showing off a pristine white room, as if a speck of dust had never touched it. You looked at the heart monitor then the IV hooked to your arm. Soft blankets touched your skin, you never realized how much you missed soft blankets. You felt a bit guilty using all of this equipment, it could have saved so many lives.
So many lives that had been taken.
Your hand was given a small squeeze, grounding you back to reality. You stared at your uninjured hand instead, whatever rebellion you could do, you would. You refused to look at the man who ruined your life. Ruined all of Kalos' life.
Lysandre sighed.
You felt him peck your hand, a little longer than you liked.
"My heart please, this rebellion has gone far enough. Look what has happened to you out there."
You grit your teeth as you slowly gained your sight. Lysandre looked at you with concern, tears threaten to leave his eyes. To watch this man act as if he was actually suffering was nauseating. How many people had you watch suffer from starvation and injury because of him.
"It was better for me out there, my friends had my back."
"Yet you came to me half dead, what would have happened if Bryony hadn't found you? She told me no one was around, some friends."
Lysandre rose, towering over you like the giant he was, eyes blazing.
"Don't talk about them that way! They've helped me out more than you ever have!"
Lysandre bared his teeth staring you down like an angry pyroar.
"Well one of your 'friends' spilled everything after only a day dear."
Your breath hitched, that couldn't be true. No it couldn't he was just trying to break you down that's all.
"You lie."
"Pomace Mountain, with the greedy people you were staying with dug tunnels throughout the rock. I wasn't expecting to find so many survivors."
Your stomach dropped, no that wasn't possible. It felt as if the world was spinning. You failed, all those people were dead because of you. Hugo and Zoe.
You heard a sigh before Lysandre held your hand again, Soothing motions resuming.
"It was a necessary evil, for a better future."
You ignored the man next to you as numbness washed over you.
In the distance two yamask floated across the horizon.
67 notes · View notes
talentlesshuman · 1 year
Note
Can I ask how you design your ocs? Your designs are so pretty and show so much of their personality! I would love to know the thoughts behind how you design your ocs if not thats totally ok!
Thanks so much for the love!! I actually talked about this in my server recently even though no one asked for it LOL
I accidentally answered this question as if you asked about adopts instead of my OCs! Things are mostly the same except I decide certain things about the character BEFORE I go forth to design their appearance :P
anyway, under the cut is a big long ramble about how I design my adopts LOL
First thing I do is consider different themes or combinations of themes. These are normally objects (eg: candle, mushroom, bear+honey), but they can also be concepts (eg: lovecore)
Tumblr media
In this set of adopts, I used emojis as the themes!
Second is I decide the bodytype and skintone. It's important to me that there are more diversity in the community around me, so I try my best to have an even amount of light-skinned vs dark-skinned designs and light vs heavy set designs. Here's the message I sent to myself when planning the most recent set of adopts :)
Tumblr media
I don't consider gender or nationality- my drawings aren't particularly detailed enough to portray meaningful ethnic features, so that is something that writers have the freedom to decide on their own. As for gender, even though I normally draw feminine bodytypes/fashion, appearance doesn't have bearing on gender or sex, so that is also for the writer to determine.
Sometimes I will also pre-plan the fashion style of the design, but more often than not I just make it up as I go along. For inspiration, I may look at google or refer to some tags I keep on my main blog: https://talentlessmainblog.tumblr.com/tagged/fashion, https://talentlessmainblog.tumblr.com/tagged/g .
Inspiration is always always always good! But it's not a good idea to lift an entire outfit from pinterest when you're selling a design. When I find something I really like, I try to add the aspect I like as a part of the design. Instead of taking a whole dress, maybe I will just take the collar, or maybe the style of the folds, changing colors and themes- taking aspects from many different sources to make something new!
The final steps are to draw the designs and color them. I try to make their silhouettes interesting, which is easy to do with feminine designs with long hair and dresses, but more difficult with masculine designs. I may end up swapping around some of the pre-planned details depending on what I feel like is working or not. Often I will reach out to friends for a second opinion when I'm struggling with color palettes. When designing the hair I keep in mind different hair textures, especially for darker skinned designs. Growing up on anime, it's easy to forget about coiled hairstyles!
To me, designs are more successful when you are able to abbreviate them to a very basic form. This is why I choose simple concepts to base my designs off of, and why I try to minimize the number of colors used.
I try to keep a maximum of 3 colors in the palette (omitting skin tone, black/white, and similar values of the same hue). There are different coloring rules, but one that I remember is the 60-30-10 rule and the 70-30 rule. Both of these rules basically say that you should keep this ratio for your main color, supporting color, and accent color in a design. (They're called rules, but they're more like suggestions; you can see me breaking them all the time).
Tumblr media
These two designs are good examples, where the main colors (brown/beige) take up a majority of the design and the accent color (blue/gold) take up about 10% of the design.
I normally try to keep a nice variety of colors, but you don't have to :3 For this valentines set from last year, I kept an all-pink bear theme!
Tumblr media
And that's how I go about designing characters! Hope this was helpful/interesting! Keep in mind there's no wrong way to do this, and the first rule is to have fun :)
24 notes · View notes