#man also just yesterday i was thinking to myself that i Need to reread in blackest night and i So do. i'm such a lantern girlie...

[damnation-if]

on today's episode of Hashing Out Concepts Theatre, i spent a while today while waiting for my new fridge/freezer to be installed after my previous one died and i lost all my food hashing out a bunch of concepts for another game idea i have. (rest assured i'm not actually working on it as a game yet i just like to bash out a framework for things every now and then to make my brain do happy chemicals lmao)

putting all of this stuff under a cut since it's a bunch of images and also in case people aren't interested XD

i am regrettably a huge fan of comic books (mostly DC) and i've seen a couple of comic book inspired IFs popping up lately, though when it comes to my own interest, i'm definitely more into a straight interpretation of a comic book universe than a more. the boys-style universe - i'm into the camp lol, not so much the grim and gritty stuff. (though that's just my own personal preference)

anyway the idea behind That's Just Super is something that i really like about certain comics - giving the villains more of a purpose and rounded existence than just existing to be in somebody's rogue's gallery. the joker's angry defence of the batfamily from various other DC evil forces, lex luthor's furious resistance against brainiac alongside superman because it's His planet, damn it, DOOM throwing in with the heroes in every second marvel event comic... i really like stories where villains and evil characters don't always make the Most Evil choice just Because, but have clear and explainable motivations that sometimes bring them into what we'd consider a 'good' alignment because unlike in d&d, there's no real such thing as a concrete moral alignment.

(this is my banner design for it)

the basic idea is that an inexplicable cosmic event removes all of the superheroes from the planet, leaving it vulnerable to attack by evil mindflayer style aliens - unless the supervillains who remain are able to band together despite their more unpredictable, less cooperative natures and save the planet in the heroes' absence. after all... if aliens take over the earth, the villains can't take it over themselves.

here's my fun little UI design idea lmao...

the other major thing about That's Just Super that i've been hashing out is the pc. the basic idea is that you pick your villain identity from a list but you get to customise their like. birth name and secret identity, while the villain identity comes with its own name, costume, and set history (including occasionally past romantic encounters). i like playing around with the way that IF works with the idea of mcs and customisable mcs so i just thought it'd be a fun twist... it also allows me to create nice drama by having set occurrences in the past lol.

so i did some profiles for the nine villain options - three each of the DC triad of tech/metahuman/magic origin. they're all based on a specific kind of villain archetype, and i really tried to limit myself to ones where i could definitely pin down more than one specific influence so it didn't end up like me just making too many analogues haha... even if some of the influences are probably pretty obvious.

weirdly i haven't even Thought about ROs yet since i've been so focussed on the pc... maybe i'll play around with the partially set background idea even more and only have 1 possible RO for each villain choice or something. maybe a couple that you can romance as anybody... not sure. (talionis could definitely have a messy broken romance with his superhero for example)

apologies that readability isn't great but these are mostly just made for me lmao

#posts from the mortal world #dc give me a job writing for you please... jk i'm not moving to the us (not that they'd have me anyway) #long post. #i think i'm so funny for that joke of labelling the reset button a joke about time manipulation lmfao #but isn't that perfectly on the nose for a comic book themed IF?? that's what i tell myself anyway #absolutely Could Not Stand the infinity saga honestly. for Many reasons. #but in regards to this stuff in particular. every villain just threw in with thanos or immediately got killed off... boring!!!! #the only person who is allowed to be Interesting is loki apparently #and the fact that they cut. Doom holding the gauntlet with all the fucking gems on it for as long as he did from the story??? Crime #All of the crimes. go to Story Jail marvel. doom will get his just rewards for you screwing him over like that some day!!!! doom is!!!!!!!! #man also just yesterday i was thinking to myself that i Need to reread in blackest night and i So do. i'm such a lantern girlie... #that's right i like d&d i like m:tg and i like comic books. bow before my supreme embarrassing taste #it has been a Chaotic couple of days if you can't tell. i haven't slept nearly enough and i. Cried when all my food got spoiled #at least the new fridge works fine so far though...

[rhoorl]

Week in Review | Dec. 24

Hi! Like the new addition above? I figured after doing these for so long I’d make a graphic (thanks to a trial of Canva Pro I got for myself). I did some maintenance to my masterlist this week too since I have more than just two fics going. Anyways enough about me, let’s get to the fic recs...

Fics I read this week:

Frankie Morales

Cold, Biting and No Need for Mistletoe by @undercoverpena - I adore the way Jo writes Frankie and I felt so spoiled to get to read two Frankie entries this week!

Common Thread by @wildemaven - Relationship Frankie just hits different. I loved all of the little glimpses we got into this relationship.

Javier Peña

Plaid Pajama Morning by @javierpena-inatacvest - I love everything and anything in this universe …a domestic Javi makes me melt.

Good Boy by @ramblers-lets-get-ramblin - This also features Dieter Bravo and is 🔥 Like I literally finished reading this and stared at the wall for who knows how long…

Joel Miller

Symphony by @maggiemayhemnj - This one is moving to the Compulsory Series section next week but had to pull it out and give a big shout-out to my friend for publishing her first fic!! How exciting!

Dieter Bravo

In Reality by @sin-djarin - If you’ve been around here for a while you know that a soft Dieter is just *it* for me. This fic does such a great job of getting inside of his head…I just love him.

O, Christmas Tree by @covetyou - This fic cracked me up and is so menace Dieter, I loved it!

Gift Wrapped by @sp00kymulder - This was so cute and silly and showed off one of the reasons why I love this menace of a man so much. 

Tim Rockford

Underwater by @secretelephanttattoo - This little extra in the Undercover universe (see below in my compulsory series section) was such a delight. Learning about how Tim found Cleo (his pet fish) was so damn endearing and sweet. This doesn't help the Tim brain rot … 😆

Marcus Pike

Make Me Like the Holidays by @undercoverpena I want this Marcus for Christmas, ok? Thank you! 😆

I've Got a Crush on You by @5oh5 - This has so many elements of Marcus that I love…a sweet, thoughtful man who is a little menace. Oh and he'll get you food.

Oberyn Martell

A Baker's Dozen - Four by @avastrasposts - Oberyn visits the bakery and oh boy, was I so into this! There’s just something about Oberyn … and Mel captured it beautifully in this.

Jack Whiskey Daniels

Dessert and Sugar Coated Kisses (both in AO3) by Ladybess (@ladybess-a03) - Some charming Jack in both of these 🫠

Dave York

The Things She Does to Please by @ramblers-lets-get-ramblin Some Dave York smut was very welcomed!

Ezra

A Baker's Dozen - Five by @avastrasposts - I read this yesterday and I’m still thinking about it. The Ezra in this is so layered but there’s still a very endearing and sincere part that comes through. I will be rereading this one.

Current Compulsory Series:

These are the series I am keeping up with at the moment.

Merry Fic-mas (Various) by @ladamedusoif - A great list that I need to work through, but I'm particularly fond of the Mr. Ben entry.

12 Days of XxxMas (Various) by @morallyinept - I’m behind on these but what I have read so far is 🔥

Holiday Prompts (Various) by @trulybetty

Delta Palms Tropical Resort (Frankie) by @linzels-blog 

Destiny & Deliverance (Dieter) by @mysterious-moonstruck-musings 

Paranoid Heat (Javi P) by @goodwithcheese 

Undercover (Tim Rockford) by @secretelephanttattoo 

It’s Never Too Late (Javi P) by @javierpena-inatacvest 

OTHER CHARACTERS

Will Miller

All I Want by @laurfilijames - The holidays aren't always rainbows and butterflies and this showed how it affects Will 

Posts from the week:

Check out these hilarious PPCU-inspired queue tags from @wannab-urs. Expect to start seeing Paddington Queue in a queue near you.

Check out these PPCU IDs and badges @morallyinept made!

A photo from Freaky Tales came out this week, but all I can see is older Joel.

Examples of what the Pedro boys’ Instagram profiles would look like!

I got tagged in a few Pinterest Moodboard things and they were all funny to me - mostly because of the random animals that showed up. Example 1, Example 2, Example 3

Feral corner:

Jose Pedro Balmaceda Pascal is out here with his hair grown out and the curls are CURLIN. This man is seriously a menace - LOOK AT HIM.

Thots about Steve and Javi. Pedro cosplaying as Joel. Speaking of Joel … obligatory Young Joel post coming at you. This Dieter-coded look from Pedro sent me into a tailspin. If you read Working Title, that is how I picture Dieter. Marcus Pike just being the finest-looking MFer in the FBI. Proof that the wardrobe department knew what they were doing with Frankie.

It’s been Charlie Hunnam week apparently for me but I watched this video more times than I care to admit. I can’t mention one Miller without the other…this Benny gifset gave me some thots (particularly the ones of him yelling, wtf is wrong with me).

Things I watched:

I watched Rebel Moon on Netflix. I know this movie didn’t get the best reviews, but I enjoyed it. Was it because Charlie Hunnam looked hot AF? Maaaaybe. 😆

I'm planning on watching it again with Mr. Rhoorl this week.

Personal Stuff

Tonight we are taking Baby Rhoorl to a holiday light display, which I’m pretty excited about. It’s just going to be the Rhoorl’s this year for Christmas since our families live in other states. We’ll keep it pretty low-key. I, unfortunately, have to work this week - although I will be able to work from home which is nice.  

Fic updates:

The Benny Miller brain rot is REAL y’all. As a result, I put out Are You Going to Be Quiet? this week.

I’m working on a few different things. I’m excited to be participating in the Pickled Peña writing challenge and will post something on Jan. 1. I’m also almost done with part two of Turbulence (a Frankie one-shot that’s now a two-parter). New updates for Delta Landscaping and Working Title are in the works too!

And to Wrap

If you are celebrating this week, I hope you have a great time. I know this can be a tough time of the year for a lot of us, so I’m sending you a Frankie hug and a Javi forehead kiss (consensually of course). As we approach the end of the year expect a sappy post (or two) from me. If you made it all the way to the end, hi, you're the best! 😘

Working Title (Dieter, series, ongoing) | AO3 

Delta Landscaping (Triple Frontier, series, ongoing) | AO3

Turbulence (Frankie, one-shot) | AO3

Are You? Masterlist (Benny Miller)

#rhoorl week in review #rhoorl fic rec #pedro pascal cinematic universe #pedro pascal characters

[rottingraisins]

what’s your favourite scp article?? or a few, if you have such

HELLO PUT TOGETHER A FUCKING. NO PARTICULAR ORDER TOP 15 sorry theres just so many of them.

SCP-3515 “Unearth”

Did you also have that one really specific childhood fear of falling asleep and waking up buried alive?? Yeah??? Then this one is so fucking scary! Its usually the one I recommend to people just looking for a good standalone horror story. Also love the odd sort of sense of nostalgia permeating the piece.

SCP-1958 “Starmobile”

This one really gets to me and i dont know why, sometimes I’ll just sit on the train to uni and think about it. The stars are so fucking beautiful out here man…

SCP-2006 “Too Spooky”

Hehehe I love the ones where the actual gimmicks in the containment procedures and this ones my fav one 4ever its so silly

SCP-5733 “Return of the Suburb Slasher”

This one is kind of hammy and melodramatic down to the twist ending that doesnt make any sense but its supposed to be a hommage to like 80s popcorn slasher flicks and it fits that sort of tone wonderfully, not every scp needs to take itself seriously I think. Also love how crazy the experiment logs get they straight up just teach her magic

SCP-3999 “I Am At The Center Of Everything That Happens To Me”

TALLORAN my friend Talloran… This one hits a lot harder if you’ve read a few other SCPs and especially if youve gotten somewhat entrenched in the community so if you read this one fairly early on and didn’t feel like you really got it I implore you to give it a reread. Normie pick but probably my favorite piece among all these if I had to pick just one it is that good

SCP-4205 “In The Eyes Of The Beholder”

To be fair its been a while since I read this one but I remember it making me really emotional the first time around, scps that are about like tragic little stories happening to people exposed to them are always gonna hit me harder than the most clever out there of concepts tbh

SCP-5320 “The People's Church Of The Fish That Just Goes On Forever “

THIS ONES LIKE THAT A BIT ALSO though its not tragic and more silly but so profoundly human. raddagher in general is rlly good at like. Immersing you in the workplace culture of a setting as inherently bizarre as the foundation and im such a sucker for it

SCP-166 “Just a Teenage Gaea”

LISTEN. LISTEN I wasn’t gonna put any scps on here just bc I like the characters attached to it but meri BARELY appears in anything else than her file tbh and also its a good fucking rewrite I absolutely love all the implied lore about the goc and procedure clockwork blackchild havilah and how they leaned more into the estranged familial relationship between her and clef which was always the emotional core of the piece to me

SCP-0166 “I Was A Teenage Succubus”

The other really good 166 rewrite. Manages to very thoroughly deconstruct the original piece and everything that was wrong with it without being weird abt it and even gets a little meta! I love one (1) tuberculosisgirl yes you should GET to feel righteous anger at how the narrative has treated you!!

SCP-2721 ”Eli and Lyris”

...I used to have really bad internalized cringe @ myself and my dumb fandom shit when I was younger so theres something very very sweet to me about homestuckposting saving the world. Also love the implicit character development in Eli going on to become bones gaw. Whenever its in anything I’m like. Points at it

SCP-2508 “The Long Wait”

Listen I don’t know what’s really going on in this one either but the tone and concept of it never quite let me go

SCP-3001 “Red Reality”

Robert :(

SCP-2000 “Deus Ex Machina”

WHO KNEW A FUCKING THAUMIEL COULD HIDE ONE OF THE WIKIS MOST DEVASTATING COSMIC HORROR CONCEPTS HUH. In a lot of ways feels like a thematic predecessor to yesterday and resurrection as a whole which. I dont know if youve noticed but im not normal about that canon whatsoever. Also shoutout to clef for making a cameo as a decomposing mummy you go girl!!!

SCP-3309 “Where We Go When We Fade, Fade Away “

Leans really heavily on its meta twist but its really a very clever idea to be fair and the emotional writing hits just hard enough to make this another one i like. Sit and think about sometimes

SCP-3002 “Attempt To Assasinate Thought”

Kind of long and all over the place but it somewhat needs to be to keep you from figuring out whats really going on until the end. YES OK this gets bonus points for the author having revealed on reddit that this is an au version of iris/scp-105 on her posthumous final revenge campaign against the foundation which adds another layer of emotional depth to it that it probably wouldnt have made it on here without but its my list. I can do what I want

#JUST NOTICED THESE ARE ALL LIKE SERIES 3-5 SORRY I HAVE A BIAS #anyway if you want to send me recs based on these feel free to do so its been forever since i actually read any scps and i kind of miss it #OH and i deliberately left off 001 proposals cause otherwise theyd make up a third of the list ask me abt my fav 001 proposal another time #not art

[heleneplays]

shaking sobbing crying over SOOOO many good demos ive just had the pleasure of reading and like. AUTHORS PLS KNOW IM GOING STUPID FERAL OVER YOUR WORKS AAAAAAAA

the wars we wage by mah_sanogo (cog forum) - when I was browsing the dashingdon page I got intrigued by the summary (lmao i am currently looking for more isekai IFs >< if yall have a rec aside kingdoms & empires my inbox is OPEN <3) and while technical wise there's still a lot to correct (esp typos), the idea is VERY solid + as a fellow fan of Youjo Senki, i am SO thrilled to play, getting into a very oblivious MC and hopefully reach my goals. ALSO GOD????? CAN I FIGHT & ROMANCE GOD???? i wish 2 know bc i KNOW we can fight (technically) and im 👉🏻👈🏻

Before we are Ghosts by @anjiefiction - HELP HELP HELPPPPPPPPPPP FROM CRACK I IMMEDIATE GO TO SHAKING SOBBING THROWING UP— author i am. *clenches my fist* SO in love with this heartbreaking concept and i'm literally honest to God sobbing into my teddy bear wishing I could hug MC rn. and everyone else honestly, they need all the hugs SO bad 😭😭😭 Anyways to anyone who wants to plays this game, fucking get your tissues ready bc you'll sob with the pain and angst and. the tenderness that's still abt to come 🥺🥺🥺

Vendetta by @vendetta-if - IT'S BEEN SOOOOO LONG since i actually played through the demo, and replaying it now......... GETTING BACK INTO MY VILLAIN ERA HEE HEE HEE <3

Sinners by @sinners-if - if villain bad why hot??? <- literally the only thought in my mind EVER!!! anyway, reading the update to ch 2 on itch.io was SO unexpected, i remember only reading it on dashingdon and then. yeah. twine has never looked so good. ANYWAYS WE'RE COMING ALONG SOOOO NICELY <3 and i cannot WAIT to see what happens next!!!!!!! (also sidenote i am reading allnthe drabbles available and im. 🤡🚩over here.)

The Price of Emeralds by @thournewrites - currently scream laughing @ my MC in this one bc WOW bestie your shit out of luck!!!!!! and KDHDJDKDK HELP HELPPPPP not me getting clowned on by the og ro :((( welp! wishing them a very yess get u in that funky crew and get that money bby girl <3

Replica: between universes by @replicabetweenblogs - i see multiverse and i immediately think abt helene-verse and DEAR GOD this wip!!!!! im biting myself soooo bad rn im being absolutely INSANE abt the whole thing!!!!!!!!!! im 7 ways enamored with everyone but most especially to the bestest little sister i am going to love and cherish now and forever 🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺

The Eye of Eikshal by atlas7 (CoG forum) - :3c :3c :3c intrigue??? WITH A BUNCH OF FOUND FAMILY BESTIES??????? oh boy, not to mention a benefactor turned adoptive father who's wish is for the kids to actually be happy???? man. investing rn on it <3

Through Broken Lenses by Interestedparty (CoG forum) - ok on a more serious note, this story was actually one of the first ever wips i've read in dashingdon and rereading it today had me. well. feeling a lot of 😔😔😔 anyways Vi, you're so fucking mecore and much as MC is traumatized in this one, all I can say is that I she can't help but watch you :)

I actually have several more tabs left to go through but it's literally 2 am and I have been writing this on my phone since 5 pm yesterday so. yeet!!!

#so many wonderful WIPs and so little time to go through them all #honestly this IF bend is making my brain juices go wild let me all tell you that much #2 days ago I was in a fantasy/romance mood and then now im in a mystery/angst/crime mood and i think thats v sexy of me #anyways. MWAH thank you authors for your brilliant works <3 <3 <3 #if recs #lee plays dashingdon demos #personal.txt #mod lee speaks stuff

[bellascarousel]

So, there's a fic idea that's been rattling around in my head for a while. It essentially consists of plopping the Bridgertons into Valdemar. Yesterday, my brain spent most of the day mentally plotting and writing this thing. And then... I ordered myself a copy of the Valdemar Companion as reference material. So, apparently I'm really gonna do this. So! Now I'm gonna tell you guys all about this idea I have. Below the Read More so as not to spam anyone who doesn't care about my fanfiction.

So, let me start off by explaining a bit of the setting for those of you that aren't familiar with the Valdemar series by Mercedes Lackey. It's a fantasy setting, first of all. So, magic is real and all of that. The kingdom of Valdemar was founded by a man named Baron Valdemar (I have not read the prequel that tells his story, so I don't know his first name) who was fleeing from a place we only ever know as the Eastern Empire. When he and his people finally found a place to settle down, the people decided to make him their king, and they named the kingdom after him. Well, having seen first hand how power can corrupt people, our newly minted King was worried about the long term future of his kingdom. So, he prayed to every God he could think of for a way to keep his descendants from ever turning Valdemar into a place like the Eastern Empire. His prayers were answered in the form of magical beings called Companions that took the form of horses. The Companions could, for lack of a better explanation, see inside people's souls. And each Companion would Choose one person to bond with. The people Chosen by Companions became known as Heralds, and it was made law that the Monarch and the Heir had to also be Heralds. They had to have a Companion vouching for them that they were good people.

As time went on, eventually Companions started being conceived and born like normal horses (it eventually is learned that they are in fact reincarnated Heralds) instead of just magically appearing fully grown in the Grove where the first Companions appeared - with one exception. The Gods, taking the adage "heavy is the head that wears the crown" to heart, decided that there needed to be a special Herald. One that could be the monarch's confidant and chief advisor. That Herald was chosen by the Gods themselves by being Chosen by a special Companion - a stallion that magically appears in the Grove rather than being born. That herald was called the Monarch's Own, and there are a lot of rights and responsibilities that go with that title. (And I am totally going to have to reread the Arrows trilogy where all of this is explained to Talia, because I'm a bit fuzzy on most of it.)

Which brings us to the plot of my fic. Anthony is the king. Violet had been Edmund's Monarch's Own, and was now Anthony's. Which... is not actually working out so well. Violet's Companion dies (not sure how, but since that's backstory I'll deal with it later). Everyone expects the new Grove-born to Choose her, again (except Benedict who can see how strained Anthony's and Violet's relationship is and thinks it might be him who is Chosen instead. (Yes, a grove-born CAN Choose someone who is already a Herald. I don't know what happens to their first Companion in those cases. It doesn't matter for my story.)) Instead, Newton goes on Search and comes back with none other than Kate Sharma. Kate, for her part, assumes the Companion is there for Edwina and is quite surprised when he Chooses her, instead.

I'm really looking forward to exploring all the family and relationship dynamics as they play out in this setting. I think it's going to be quite interesting.

Now I get to decide what everybody's Gifts are. And decide who among the spouses and other characters we know are Heralds, and what they do if they are not. This is going to be fun.

#bella talks writing #kanthony #kathony #fanfic #monarch's own

[daincrediblegg]

2, 9, 11, 12, 22?

2. Do you read/reread your own fics? It really honestly kindof depends on the fandom on this one. Generally speaking when I put some creative thing out there of any kind I am loathe to re-watch or re-read it (with the exception of looking at my own fanart- unless it was especially bad I love looking back at some of my old stuff just for the sheer thrill of seeing how much progress I’ve made) BUtT!!!! There is the exception of when it’s like. I’m either in a fandom in which the character I like gets character assassinated in fics a lot of the time and I need enrichment from outside sources or my own. OR when I’m just in a fandom where people don’t write x reader fics that much for the character and I’m the only one writing them and I have to re-read myself bc that’s the only content out there (current predicament re; everything Jared Harris has been in and it’s a crime that I’ve spent the whole year trying to remedy lmao).

9. Do you write every day? If you wrote today, share a sentence of what you’ve written!

OK SO!!!! This was actually a couple of paragraphs I got down yesterday and it’s some of the more solid stuff I’ve put out in recent months, but I’m very proud of how it turned out:

Sinclair was never particularly fussy when it came to her appearance, which made changing for dinner a fairly brief affair. She had learned from an early age that there was certainly no room for such attentions on a ship, and in fact had great fun in witnessing first-time sea-faring ladies, passengers of course on The Demeter, who tried to keep their appearances in spite of the swell and sway of the high seas. She remembered fondly then, the laugh of Mrs. Rose Anthony. How she’d wished to hear it now and all these months gone past. She would have laughed to see Fitzjames on the deck this morning, with that ridiculous cloak flowing behind him like a peacock with his feathers at half mast. None of the men would see it as she did. Not that she was in too much want of friends among them. But fewer still would understand her sense of humor as Rose had.  Pondering this, Sinclair forewent her shirt and waistcoat- both of which were custom tailored, as it wouldn’t do for the navy to commission such a garment. But her father had, for her sake. One of his many parting gifts. The very same man whose picture Sinclair’s gaze drifted to as she buttoned the deep blue bodice that had also been part of the set he had purchased for her, this one long sleeved to match the deep blue flannel day skirt she kept on, and which had served her so well in the chilly climate. She’d missed too how well he’d been able to do her hair for an occasion like this, where Sinclair now only managed a bun tied fairly neatly to the back of her head (more than she’d dare to manage for her daily duties, she might add), but it suited her all the same for the impression Sir John, and indeed, most of the men had of her. Neat as a pin. Diligent. A fixture of a plain sort of beauty in the corner. Never the center of their attentions, but never quite ignored.

12. Do you have a playlist for your current WIP(s)? Share it!

As I said in the other ask I have like. Just so many. None of them coherent- but THIS ONE has been my instrumental inspiration for a little while so there you have it. Someday I will consolidate all my fave lady terror vibes into a proper playlist... but that is not today...

22. Do you know how your fic will end before you start writing?

I mean… sort of. Like in general I do like to have some kind of sense where something is going before I start it- if it’s anything I’ve learned from commercial failures like GOT and the Star Wars Sequels it’s that poor planning will fucking kill you because actually as it turns out narrative structure is important. But at the same time- I think this was a quote from George R.R. Martin that some writers are “builders” who have everything pre-conceived before they put anything down (in reference to Stephen King), and some are “gardeners” (like George) who let stories just grow as they go. For me personally I’ve never felt too tied to either camp, so I put forth my secret third option being: “chef”. I know what I want the end-product to be. I have a general sense of what it should taste like and how I should cook it-thematically speaking. But things still come up as I go. Sometimes it needs a bit more of one spice than another and I try to listen to those instincts when they tell me to add something to what I’m making. 

11 ANSWERED HERE

#ask games #PHEW. quite a bit but there you have it #also yes. rose anthony is heavily inspired by fiona shaw's character in true detective. I have a problem #anyway have fun with all this jesus christ #lady terror #egg's oc's

[cinnamon-bunni]

Day 4: Overthinking

HEY UHHH DEFINETELY DIDN'T FORGET TO POST THIS YESTERDAY LMAO ANYWAYS HERE HAVE SOME SHORT LUISLEY FLUFF Read it on Ao3! Word count: 1.6k

Peasley did not consider himself to be an overthinker. He was just a careful thinker, was all. He didn’t like the idea of going into something without a plan–though, that idea had been something his mother and advisor repeated time and time again, so it came to him like second nature. Planning out everything helped, especially when the Beanstar ended up being taken by the witch Cackletta and her minion. Yes, having a plan on how to get it back was useful, especially with the Mario Brothers there to help.

In the end, everything had gone according to plan, and everything was fine. Sure, Bowletta was a surprise, as was the brothers fighting what they described was Cackletta’s soul, but the Beanstar was safe, as were the brothers and the princess of the Mushroom Kingdom. A few things had gone astray from the plan, but nevertheless, they had prevailed. And the Mario Brothers had gone home, and Peasley clung onto the hope that maybe he would see Luigi again one day.

Thankfully, they still kept in touch via letters. Peasley at first was unsure if he would even answer, but the plumber seemed excited by the writing to one another.

And Peasley tried his best to not think too hard on his words. To just write genuinely, but also nothing that Luigi would read into. To not overthink every sentence he wrote, or think too hard about everything Luigi wrote. But Grambi, did he love to reread those letters. How he was just able to hear Luigi’s voice while he read them, and how he would just smile at them. He hoped Luigi did the same for his own letters.

Peasley was always so careful with his words. He didn’t want to say the wrong thing, or make Luigi needlessly worry over miscommunication on Peasley’s part. He was just so happy with his relationship that he had, one that was slowly but surely budding in a flower, that Peasley didn’t want to make a single mistake.

“I want to invite him over to the castle.” It was the first time he had said it aloud, the first time he even told another person his plan or thoughts. Princess Daisy of Sarasaland hummed at his words, while politely drank the tea in front of her. While she was originally there to talk about trading between the two kingdoms, Peasley had dragged her away to talk. He doubted that she minded, based on how she was dozing off during the meeting. 

“Really?” she asked. “What brought that up?”

“Well, I’ve been thinking about it for a while now,” he started, “and I can’t just get to know Luigi through letters. It would be more efficient to invite him over–so that we can actually talk to each other, face-to-face.”

Daisy nodded, leaning over to rest her elbows on the table. “So then what’s stopping you? Seems like a perfectly reasonable idea.”

Peasley frowned, and poured himself another cup of tea. “While it is mainly to get to know Luigi better, I also want to ask him if he would be interested in a courtship.”

“Ohhhhhhh.” Daisy gave a slow nod. “Still don’t see what’s stopping you.”

“I-” Peasley never was at a loss for words, and was never not composed. He took a deep breath as he gathered his thoughts. “I do not wish to scare him off. I’ve been planning everything down to the littlest of details, but I keep doubting myself. Everything needs to be perfect, and I fear if even one thing goes wrong, I’ll scare him off.”

“Well that’s the problem,” Daisy said. “I mean, since when did you ever overthink anything? I thought you confidently made plans and charged on?”

“Yes, but this is Luigi we’re talking about.”

“And that makes a difference because…?”

He sighed. “I feel as though if I asked him, he would feel pressured to say yes. Because of my status, he might feel as though he can’t say no to a date.”

Daisy rolled her eyes. “C’mon, can’t you give Weegee a little bit more credit? He’s not some spineless yes-man who won’t stick up for himself. Believe it or not, the man’s willing to stand up for himself from time-to-time.”

“Of course, and I’m not saying that’s the case. Nonetheless, the pressure will still be there because of me being the prince, no matter what I do. And everything needs to be perfect because of it. I can’t let anything go wrong.”

“Jeez, is that it?” In all honesty, it was. He needed everything to be perfect–down to the invite he wrote, the plane ride Luigi would have, where he would stay, and all the activities that were planned. Peasley couldn’t risk messing up, because if he wanted to ask the man out, then Peasley’s plan had to be flawless. Because if it wasn’t, then Luigi would have an unpleasant time in the Beanbean Kingdom, and he wouldn’t want to see him again, nor write any letters, and the two would just have their relationship stay stagnant in a weird limbo where Peasley would be too afraid to reach out.

“Man, Luigi’s got you good, huh?” Daisy laughed to herself. “Didn’t think you fell that hard for him.”

“Daisy…”

“Yeah yeah, I know, serious problem you got on your hands.” She gave a somewhat polite shrug. “I don’t see why you can’t just be you.”

“Are you telling me just to wing this whole thing? To go with no plan?”

“Of course not–maybe something I would do, but that’s not you. All I’m saying is don’t think too hard about it. Just go with what comes naturally, and I’m sure Luigi will be happy. He’s not the hardest man to please, y’know. I’m sure just going out to a park and talking would make him happy, as long as it’s with someone he enjoys being around.”

“Yes…yes, I suppose that you’re right.” Peasley nodded. “Of course! As long as I don’t overthink it, then surely everything will be fine! When hasn’t it?” He laughed, and got up out of his seat. “Thank you Daisy, truly. I shall keep your words in mind.”

“Hey! Where do you think you’re going? We still have to talk about more boring agreements and stuff!”

“Apologies, but I must get going if I want to write that letter. I wish you the best of luck with Lady Lima–she’s one tough cookie to crack!”

“Peasley!” But Peasley was already rushing through the large halls of the castle, weaving his way through bustling guards and staff members. He was quick to enter his bedroom, where a small study resided–a place where he mainly used for his own storage and personal use rather than it’s main purpose, which was paperwork for the kingdom (to which Lady Lima was insisting that he start doing, that he was going to be ruler sooner or later, but Peasley didn’t care much for those duties).

He hurried to find a pen. The sooner he wrote the letter, the sooner he could see Luigi.

~~~

“Thank you again for inviting me here, Peasley.” 

Peasley couldn’t help but beam, while Luigi did a nervous shuffle of his feet. 

“Of course! You are welcomed into this kingdom any time or day my friend–just say the word, and I’ll personally come and pick you up from the airport.”

“Oh! You really don’t have to do that, I-”

“Nonsense!” Peasley interrupted with a smile. “For everything that you have done for me and my kingdom, it’s the least I can do.”

Luigi gave a nervous chuckle, his face a faint pink color. “If you say so. But really, it was no trouble at all. And besides, I would never want to bother you or get in the way of your princely duties.”

Peasley fought off the scoff that built up in his throat. “You could never bother me, Luigi,” he offered, and Luigi turned into a brighter hue. “And with that, may I ask a question?”

“Oh, I–yeah? What is it?”

It was now or never. Too many thoughts had been plaguing Peasley’s thoughts all day; too many what if’s, too many needless worries. He just needed to take a breath, and just ask. Not overthink it and just do it.

“I was wondering if, next to you come to visit, if you would be interested in going on a date instead.” There. It was out in the open now, and for some reason, it sent fear through his heart. It felt like back when the Beanstar had been taken, when the castle and its town was destroyed. Which was dumb, because all he was doing was asking Luigi out, not dealing with a stolen or broken protector of the kingdom. And yet he felt terrified, because he worked so hard on this, and thought through every single thing, and he couldn’t help but think of every single thing that Luigi could possibly say-

“O-oh! Oh, yes, I would love to! I mean, well, next time I’m free, I could come back, or, I suppose you could come to the Mushroom Kingdom if you wanted, but uh–yes! Yes.” Luigi just seemed almost as flustered and nervous as Peasley was by the idea, if not more so.

Peasley stared, and he felt his heart flutter, and then smiled and laughed. He pounced, and gave Luigi a tight hug–a small “oof!” coming from the plumber.

“Wonderful! It’s decided then; next time, we shall go on a date.” He hugged even tighter when he felt the other man return it. His face, he was sure, was just as bright as Luigi’s, but he didn’t care. He even gave a small chuckle to himself, feeling the nerves in him melt away by the plumber’s touch.

Why had he even been worried in the first place?

#super mario #superstar saga #mario and luigi #mario and luigi superstar saga #prince peasley #luigi #super mario luigi #luisley #comfortember #comfortember 2022

[eddiediazes]

okay for fic writer appreciation day i’d like to shoutout both some friends and some writers i just admire, and particularly some fics i haven’t had a chance to rec yet but that i truly love!!! this is gonna be long-winded so i’ll put some under a cut

my evergreen by my beloved pal @colonoscopys - this fic!!!!!! god this fic. there are a few truly beautiful fics in this fandom where buck and eddie coparent more than one kid but there is really just. something about this one. rain has such a beautiful way with words, that’s true in all of their fics, and here it’s JUST. there are so many parts of this i think about all the time. eddie’s shoulders, mostly. if you know you know. this fic is so gentle, so domestic, so kind, all my favorite things in one big bundle!!! as a big softie i cannot recommend it enough. but also i truly love everything rain has written so honestly go read all of it.

honestly everything @sibylsleaves has ever written is wonderful and gorgeous but i’d like to give a shoutout to all i know since yesterday! this fic builds tension so well, and it has such a great twist with such a great setup up for this kind of misunderstanding. it takes a couple of different tropes i really love and weaves them together in a totally new way, but also has the benefit of being written by @sibylsleaves, who has such a fantastic understanding of the characters that i’m always so happy to read anything she writes so - combine those things and you end up with a truly delicious fic. i’ve reread this one a couple of times lately!

don’t take the money by @hmslusitania - MAN WHEN I. okay so i fucking love time loops man do i ever. and this was the first one i read for this fandom because i read it when i was still fairly on in watching the show and trying not to overspoil like kmsadf EVERYTHING for myself so i would look for fic that was set around where i was - and i found this fic!!!! and i am so glad i did. this fic is fun and sad and heartwrenching and clever and just! it’s everything i love about time loops, it’s got buck trying different things and getting exhausted and figuring out why he’s really stuck, trying things just because he knows there’s no consequences - it really ticks all the boxes for me and it’s so very well-written besides, as basically everything @hmslusitania writes is, all their aus are so amazing and well-crafted, i’ve enjoyed every fic of theirs that i have read and i’m so happy this was the first one i found.

while i’m talking about time loops!! the persistence of memory by @anxieteandbiscuits is definitely due for a shoutout. this one really is gut-wrenching because it’s not even based on a canon emergency but instead on a totally new nightmare BUT! i also love all the tenderness in this fic. there’s some very sweet interactions here between eddie and christopher, and the overall moral that eddie needs to learn to ask for help and rely on the people around him means there’s just such a sense of sinking into the comfort and trust of found family. i love the way buck and eddie interact here, i love the loops where you really get to see just buck’s trust in eddie, for a time loop fic this one really is just so kind which can be hard to find in this trope and i was so happy to see it in the tag and to follow it as it finished and i think it is absolutely worth a read if you too love a good time loop.

@buckactuallys honestly has so many fics i love but i’d love to give a special shoutout to just to help him see (what he’s been missing) because it is. SO fun and original and just an absolute delight to read. i think it was one of the earlier things i read in the fandom, and i was kind of surprised to find a bodyswap fic that also like - does not involve the bodyswap you would expect! but god oh my god it is so much fun. it makes me so happy that this fic exists and pia just executed it all so well - i never stop being impressed by writers who not only come up with an incredible concept but then who also make it just. exceed every expectation, and i feel like pia is always doing that, so. read this fic! and her other fics! treat yourself.

darling, the future’s better than yesterday by @hoediaz - this fic is sOOOOOO good. i’m really outing myself here as someone deeply obsessed with like ilkmasfd time shenanigans but there’s just something SO delicious about buck being there for eddie in some of his most vulnerable moments through some quirk of the universe that really just reached right into my chest and grabbed me by the heart. it’s all so very written in the stars and destined to be together and perfectly complimentary and. Man. truly honestly zoe just writes some of the best stuff in this fandom like the actors au is also obviously so incredible but i just wanted to give a shoutout to this fic because it really just. Hit Me when i read it and i think about it all the damn time - talk about a killer concept and execution

there are honestly so many @fallingthorns fics i could write an entire essay about, but today i will choose shower me with good times because buck’s journey as a father is something that can be SO personal and this fic is. such a lovely little representation of that, the way it moves through time, and buck being cherished and refusing to accept it or recognize it for so long but he IS!!! and he’s a dad. meg just has such a wonderful way of delving into difficult and vulnerable emotional journeys and this fic is no exception - if you love to suffer but be happy about she has really just some truly beautiful fics for that, and this one is a little lighter, but it made me so happy and on FATHER’S DAY no less, so really like. she’s a miracle worker for this one specifically

the definition of love and all things ineffable by @elvensorceress - i feel like the other trend here which is my desperate love for parenting fic is also shining through but kamsdf OH WELL! but anyways this fic is also about like buck just figuring out what love means to him and what it should look like and that journey is so, so beautiful - i read this once and then came back to reread it recently and it really just kind of took my breath away all over again - it finds so many ways to talk about how special what buck and eddie and chris have actually is and i’m so like. invested in that, it’s so much of what i love about this pairing, this fic is a perfect representative of that. so - in summary if you like me cry every day about how buck is chris’ dad and the concept of buck learning to recognize all the love he’s already received, this may be the fic for you!

I FEEL LIKE. there are so many other fics and authors i could wax poetic about but i have to cut myself off somewhere so - i’ll stop here for now but! to all of these authors, i appreciate you deeply, and to anybody looking for more fic to read - here’s some suggestions!

#fic rec

[djmousewife]

i really am despairing and just hopeless in a way that i genuinely dont think ive been before and its rlly fucking with me. like, by all acounts, i am More supported than i have been before, and thats almost part of the problem? i feel ungrateful for feeling So Bad. i don't do Anything, i dont attend uni, i dont write my essays, i dont have a job, i dont clean my flat, i dont rlly cook a lot. of the things that Have to happen so we can continue to live in this flat, or i can continue to access medical services so my life doesnt get worse: those things are often put off way past the last minute and i need a lot of support to do at all. also, rn my life is mostly just calling A Service TM, getting a bullshit response, complaining, calling again, finally getting through to someone who knows whats going on, complaining, rinse repeat. ITS EXHAUSTING! not only that but sitting every day in bed or at my desk refreshing tumblr or staring at my screen saver thinking to myself 'what am i going to do?' and coming to the conclusion of nothing because i have nothing to do, i enjoy nothing, i want nothing, i cant concentrate long enough on anything or process information well enough to do things Anyway. ykw its not even true i dont Want to do anything. i do. i Want to write my essays, on some level i am genuinely interested in the topics. i just Cant. i want to read. i've been pretty keen on reading complaint by sarah ahmed for a while now or maybe rereading whipping girl or even giving notes on suicide another go? but i cant make myself start because i Know that i wont get far and its so fucking depressing. im getting so high, the come down is genuinely distressing because of how scrambled and disorganised my brain becomes and i become so afraid i will be like that forever. and yet i do it EVERY DAY! im struggling extremely badly with some interpersonal shit that has completely destroyed any self esteem or confidence i had in my appearance and my worth. add onto that that i am a massive Massive financial drain and even if i wasnt our finances are just.. Bad? so i was like, ok, fssw time again, that wont be too bad, i can do that. and then i fucking set up by whore phone and downloaded the grindr apk (and it was fucking horrible and evil to do and i hate that evil horrible useless phone) (also did u know u need to send in id for age verification on google now? 101 internet safety says to not do that are u crazy?) and started getting dms and i wanted to cry i got so overwhelmed. like idk if i can do it, but like.. i kinda gotta? idk man. im trying to see things positively? like, i got the form for the work capability assessment and spent all of yesterday photocopying medical letters which detail diagnoses and assessments and reference hospitilisations, etc but also the dwp are evil so who knows if its enough? im trying to get my pip reevaluated but they havent even sent me the Form for that yet? so again! who! knows! i feel like im in beurocracy hell and i cant leave? my uni are trying to work with me, but multuple medical professionals have told me to interrupt or drop out and like if people who are meant to be like have something in your life to keep you going dont think i can do it, what chance do i have of Actually doing it? i dont know what to do anymore.

#kankum #brain tag

[ocean-anchored]

Dear future self... February 17, 23

Well it’s friday and I’m only getting to writing about last week now. I’m not sure how I’ve been keeping up with life honestly. I mean I’m barely keeping a float haha. I went from ITCHING to go out when trav and I were together. Always feeling like I wasn’t doing enough, seeing people, enjoying life etc. The year that I left I feel like I started to finally go out a bit but it mostly revolved around my mental health and growth, so attending groups that would help me get through the emotions I was having. Last year was pretty great in getting out and doing a lot of different things, but again still revolving around “dating” so most things I did was just with who I was seeing but now it’s like I’m living a whole new world and new life. I’m finally focused on God and “myself”. Building foundations and putting efforts into things that are going to last long term. Investing deeper into my relationship with my brother and sister in law, investing into new girl friends that I’ve felt I needed for far too long etc.  I’m basically at a point of being a yes man. When I get invited out to something, within reason and if it still aligns with my values and I’m not already booked then I will say yes and it’s led to some really enjoyable events and outings. I’m honestly so excited for what this year has. Like last week I think I was home one night and this current past week I think Wednesday was my only night to myself and I have the weekend packed and all of next weekend booked up. I know I need to make sure I’m taking time for myself too, but getting into a routine of going for a walk every morning before work and taking Nova out after work as well has been good. I was thinking about it the other night that I feel truly happy. I was remembering saying I was happy like a year ago ish and even up to a year and a half ago with where I was at in life and it was just so interesting to see how “happiness” and my definition and feeling of it has changed and the circumstances of it. But thinking about it now, like I’m genuinely the happiest I’ve ever been. I have an amazing growing relationship with the important people in my family, I have friend that I love, old and new that I’m building into and see as friends for a long time. I’m planning trips with these people. I’m working hard but also thoroughly enjoying life, going to different events and plans that some are taking me out of my comfort zones.  

Additional writing February 19th - because I meant to come back to my post and wrap it up but never did. I want to recap on some people and what I’ve done so I can remember these times. I feel like a year from now like I felt when I reread back on my postings of last year that I vaguely remembers the majority of what I did but not the moments or the intricate details so I want to remember those.

So last weekend I spent a gaming day with Dustin which is really great, I feel like I need more of those this year & I know I’ll have more. I hung out with meliss for dinner. Sunday I had Steven & Amanda over to my place to hang out before I went to Jeremiah’s. Which I’ve said to meliss and even Amanda yesterday that I was so anxious about going. I always get so in my head when someone new asks me to hang out & I forget that they asked me & so I get to thinking like oh do they really want to, is this a pitty hang out, did they feel like they had to invite me etc but Jeremiah genuinely asked me out of nowhere so it was nice. It was good, watched last of us. The one guy there Troy was an absolute babe haha but again I’m not focused on men so it was just nice to be In community & hang out. Plus I’m supposed to meet up with Jeremiah tomorrow or Tuesday so our pups can meet so I can watch Theo sometimes.

This last week, Tuesday I went to a wranglers game with John smith. That was interesting. I was very unsure of how that would go honestly because in the past whenever we all hung out I never really understood him or knew where his head was at. I feel like I only ever have been around drunk John with Jen so I never knew him but it honestly ended up being such a good night. I was fully surprised! I got to know him on a personal level & we had good conversation. It was enjoyable and nice. Thursday night I went to cocktails & creatives with Steven downtown where all these creators, photographers, content creators etc came together & hung out & essentially had a party & again I was so nervous for it but I know Steven knew that & he didn’t know that many people so we stuck together & it ended up being really fun. Met some nice people & chatted with this guy who I used to have a massive crush on when I was 15 cause he was in a band in the scene so it was funny to reminisce but just have a chill upbeat evening. Friday was games night at anneriekes which was really interesting. Meeting her new BF and his daughter. It was a tad off and awkward, I mean they’re like identical people so it was freaky and it was really fun but just a really weird dynamic. Just keeping her at arms length still. Yesterday went for breakfast with Amber and then for a dog walk. Have I mentioned how much I love this girl??? Like seriously we are so good & id like to think she loves me just as much. We really connect like I haven’t ever with anyone and it makes me so happy & so uplifted. Truly a gem iof a friend I’ve been looking for. Then went roller skating with Steven & Amanda & her sister & Dave and that was so much fun. Was super nervous cause I’ve never roller skated but it was so fun! I really want to go again it was a great night. This morning I met Abigail for breakfast & we totally hit it off. She’s SO easy to talk to, we just like dove into relationships & insecurities & what we put up with & what we’re looking for in friends etc. it was so good & I know she wants to hang again so that’s so reassuring. She’s young but fun and bright, I feel like she’s down for a lot of fun times but also can run deep with so I’m excited to see where that friendship leads. Then I went for a dog walk with Kamber the last of the girls I’m allowing myself to meet because I really need to just keep with these people cause I’m already overloaded. But Kamber was really sweet, her dog was a sweetheart but maybe not the best listener. I feel like we were able to have good conversation, maybe I’m not fully sure what friendship would look like as I don’t know a lot of what she likes to do & more of our conversation was more serious around family etc but it was still good & I think we’d hang out again as well.

I’m exhausted to say the least. Im glad I spent the evening to just chill because I need to recoup. It’s been such a crazy busy few weeks and next weekend is still going to be super full but im looking forward to continuing to put myself out there & go to new things or events I’ve never been to and just really focus on the people around me and God & just soak these moments in because im truly happy.

#personal #dear future self #dearfutureself #weekly reflection #monthly update

[vemuabhi]

One Piece Boys Valentines Special!

Soulmate + One Piece AU where whatever happens to your soulmate will appear on your wrist.

Pairing : One Piece Boys X GN! Reader

Happy Valentines Day Everyone!

A/N : I was listening to I need you by BTS (Clickable). It gives the love vibes. Do listen to it if you want to! You wont regret it. the feels are just everyting!

Note: in this Story it can be with any one piece boy you wish for. It can be Luffy, Zoro, Sanji, Ussop, Law, Sabo, Ace, Killer, Kidd, anyone you admire. anyone you like. for some charecters it maybe OOc but, I tried to make it as close to them as possible. It will be in his POV

“This is in His POV”

As the sun rays hit my eyes, I slowly open my eyes. I grunt as I rolled to the other side of the bed. I took a deep breath and as the usual morning routine I bring my wrist close to my eyes and see what is going to happen to my soulmate today. It said, “Falls down while taking a walk and takes the attention of the complete crowd”.

Most of the times it is small normal everyday life stuff. Once it was, “Studying for Test all night”, for which I felt Super proud and other time it was “Crying because messed the exam”, on that day I was also sad because they were crying and did hard work. Once it was “being called names” and other time was, “Moving away from that place”. Not gonna lie, I was furious because they had to go through bullying.

Most of my mood depends on how my soulmate is doing that day. If I see that they are happy and cosy, I feel happy. If they are sad because of someone, I get super angry. If they are depressed, I feel sad. But yes… I fell in love with them without even noticing. I know neither their name nor face. But I do know one thing for sure. I got one hell of a person. They are amazing and I’d love them no matter what. I’m pretty sure they also like me. Because sometimes I read that they were depressed and crying because of the injuries and problems I was having. Well they could also read what was happening to me because it’s how the world is. In those times I do feel relieved and happy because they do care about me and my heart fills with that fuzzy feeling.

I let out a chuckle as I read todays happening. I know it’s wrong to laugh when someone falls down but… I couldn’t help it. “So adorable”, I say to myself as I looked at my wrist and kiss the sentence. Then I lazily woke up from the bed and continued my routine for the day.

After lunch my buddy asked me, “Man… you sure are smiling today. Something happened?” I nodded and said, “It’s just that my soulmate will be super embarrassed today, so I can’t help but laugh”. He chuckled and we talk about the upcoming works to do. That night I go to my bed and plop myself on it. I think about how my soulmate is as I smile and sleep.

The next day I see that, “Getting a crush on the new boy next door”…. ‘Wait what? Did I read it correctly?’ I thought to myself as I reread the sentence for at least 10 times. ‘Oh lord… Imma kill that jerk’, I say to myself.

I know that crushes don’t last long and yeah I know that my soulmate loves me but…. what the hell?! I can’t allow that! “IF I SEE THAT JERK IMMA BEAT THE SHIT OUT OF HIM”, I scream out loud making the people around me give me the weird look. I am so much pissed today that even the smallest things are pissing me off… ‘Is he that handsome?’, I thought to myself as I run my fingers through my hair. ‘Oh lord this jealousy doesn’t suit me. I hate this feeing’, I thought as I continued being moody for the rest of the day. I couldn’t sleep properly that night so I just stare at the night sky and keep thinking about them as I pout. I look at my wrist and whisper, “I am the only one for you. Get it to your head you idiot”.

I kept looking at my wrist and then I feel a slight sting on my wrist and I continued looking at it. Then I see that a new sentence was being formed. I have seen it many times but every time this happens it makes me so excited like a small baby. It is so magical. I read the new sentence on the wrist and blush hard. ‘Damn it’, I think to myself as I cover my face with my hand. I then again open my eyes and look at my wrist and read the sentence. ‘Continuing to be super happy because Soulmate is jealous’. I chuckle reading that sentence as my cheeks still remained pink. ‘So happy that Im jealous huh.. you little... tsk... still cute though.... Well at least now I know that you are smiling because of me’. I say and plop onto my sheets and close my eyes with a smile still lingering on my face.

After some days of normal peaceful happy days, with me and my soulmate being cheerful, I go to a new island with my buddies. It was a bright beautiful day. We explore the island, eat food and drink alcohol. Just like that the day was close to over and I was alone, walking in a park with the night sky beautifully lit with stars. Then I felt a slight sting on my wrist. I look at it waiting for the words to appear. Then, I see the words that I never expected but was waiting for the most to show up on my skin. I almost forget to breathe when I look at those words. My eyes wide open and heart beating faster than ever.

‘Meeting Soulmate’, was written on it. My eyes couldn’t believe what they were seeing. I take deep breaths and sit on the bench beside me. I was speechless. I was amazed by this. ‘but.. how am I going to recognise them? how are they going to react when they see me? Would they even like a person like me, who always gets into fights? who has lots of scars.. would they accept me? what if they reject me?’, insecurities build up with in my heart. ‘Or worst… what would happen if we don’t even recognise each other?’, I couldn’t keep my thoughts in control. the only thing Mattered was them. ‘I'll search for you. I'll confess to you. no matter how you look, no matter what your gender or pronouns are, I will try my best to find you’, I say to myself and run around the island. That was a sleepless night. I ran around all the places to find them. Asked many peoples if they were meeting their soulmate that day, but every single time I got the same response.

“No, I’m sorry”, said the person whom I just asked.

‘Where are you?’, I thought and continue to search for them. it was already evening, but I couldn’t find them. The complete day, I didn’t feel like stopping for even a second. But now…. I got to the same park again after running around the island. I had no luck finding them. ‘Where are you?’, I thought as I again sit on the same bench as yesterday… all alone still... ‘Did you see me but didn’t like me? Do you like someone else? If you did I’d know by now… where can I find you? Where are you?’, I placed my hand on my head and my elbow on my knees. ‘Did I not notice you even though we met?’, I thought some of the worst case scenarios as my tears began to fall down my cheek. I couldn’t help but sob silently. I was immersed in my thoughts then I saw a person crouch down before me with a kerchief in their hand. “Sorry to ask this when you are crying but, are you by any chance looking for your soulmate?”, they asked. I.. I was speechless so, I just showed my wrist to them, and they smiled and showed me theirs, it said, ‘Meeting your fated in the park’.

I didn’t know what to say. It was the first time I saw those shiny bright eyes and beautiful face. That was my soulmate. They got up and wiped my tears then, they said, “I’ve been waiting to meet you for a long time.”

That moment, I lost my control. I swiftly got up and pulled them into my arms. I buried my head in the crook of their neck and nodded. I felt their arms wrap around me as they rubbed soothing circles on my back. “I love you”, I confessed as they gasped.

I continued, “I know… I don’t even know your name. But… I love you. I love every single thing about you. Your kindness, your nature, your behaviour. I love how you are passionate about small things. The way you jam to the music everyone thinks is weird. The way you still be strong even after being bullied. I admire them so much. Those little traits of yours are mesmerising.", I stop and snif, then continue, "I never saw the guy who lives next door to you but I hate him with all my heart”. Then for the first time, they let out a very adorable giggle. ‘Oh... music to my ears when you laugh’, I thought.

Then we slowly pull apart. I see that their cheeks are flushed pink which was also too cute. They slowly reach up to my hand and kiss the place where the writing was making me blush. Because.. I do that many times and now, they kisses my wrist. They look into my eyes and said, “I also love you”. this made my heart flutter with happiness.

They sat down on the bench and I too obliged. We talked about all the things that we wanted to talk about and trust me my heart was about to burst when they leaned on my shoulder and continued talking with me. Thank you for being my soulmate, Y/N.

XOXOXOXOXO

I hope you enjoyed it! Happy Valentines Day! Celebrate your valentine's day with One piece boys!

Did you like the story or the song. Tell me how you feel by giving me a Like, Comment and Reblog. Thanks for Reading!

#one piece #one piece x reader #ronoroa zoro x reader #zoro x reader #luffy x reader #monkey d luffy x reader #sanji x reader #vinsmoke sanji x reader #ussop x reader #god ussop #law x reader #trafalgar law x reader #eustass kid x reader #kid x reader #killer x reader #massacre soldier killer x reader #sabo x reader #one piece sabo #ace x reader #portgas d. ace x reader #one piece strawhats #kid pirates #heart pirates #one piece scenarios #one piece imagines #one piece headcanon #x reader #monster trio #captain trio #asl brothers

[fanmoose12]

What if in the time skip Hange had to travel during the timeskip to learn about technology or strategy with Yelena and Levihan keep on talking by letters during the time apart? Started with passionate ramblings and ended with both talking about the 104thkids, life and themselves🥺

Levi!

I'm writing you to inform that I've safely arrived to Marley. Yelena provided me with housing and food. She guarantees I'd be safe here. Tomorrow I'll meet with their engineers. They're all Paradis’ sympathetisers so I'm totally safe here. Besides, Yelena and Onyakopon are keeping an eye on me. So don't worry and take care of everything while I'm gone.

I promise to return as quick as possible. Say hi to the kids.

Take care, 

Hange 

_____________

Hange.

Is it safe for you to write letters? You're not using our code, so I guess no one is reading it, but you and me. Or did you just forget that someone can intercept our letters? Please, don't tell me that you did.

Also, do you understand that by writing that Yelena and Onyakopon are watching over you, you're making me worry even more? I know you want to trust them, but be cautious around them. Don't let your guard down.

We're doing just fine, the construction of railroad is going well.

How is your work going? How many death tools you've devised already?

Don't forget to eat and sleep, 

Levi

_____________

Levi!

Of course, sending letters is safe. Onyakopon is the one who takes care of my correspondence. I know you're still wary of them, I admit, I don't trust Yelena too, but Onyakopon is a good man, I can trust him on this. So don't you worry, I'm not accidentally endangering myself or the fate of our operation. I have everything under control.

Speaking of things under my control, the development of new weapons is going great! Using, the information and instruments I've been provided with, I was able to achieve a lot. I'm not going to tell you about it, I'll need more than one page for that, and I don't have a lot of time for letters, but I'm sure you're going to love our new weapons. Of course, I'll need to modify them a bit, to accommodate for scout's fighting style, but I'm feeling good about this.

How are you doing? How are the others? Did something peculiar happen? If so, please write to me about this. These Marleyans are boring as hell, I can use some laugh right now. Take care and be safe.

Lots of love, 

Hange

_____________

Hange.

So you're making lots of progress. That's good. Don't overwork yourself, though. Take all the time you need, we'll be fine without you.

You asked for a story about brats, and I do have something to tell. I’m sure you’ll love it. 

You've told me many times to stop checking on them during the night and I was following your advice. But yesterday I was heading to the kitchen to brew myself a cup of tea, and I heard some commotion upstairs. I hurried there, worried that something had happened, and you never guess what was going on. The brats were chasing each other through the hallway with pillows in their hands. Even Mikasa was involved in this, I expected better from her. They were so into their stupid game, it took them a full minute to notice me. Once they did, they had enough sense to look ashamed. I ordered them to go sleep, but even afterwards I heard their whisperings. They grew so tall, but, goddamn it, they're still little, annoying brats.

Hope this story is enough to make you cackle, Hange, because I can't remember anything else they've done. They're strangely calm without you. Makes me uneasy, to be honest.

Maybe, they'll be back to normal, once you return.

I hope you'll come home soon.

Until the next letter.

Levi

_____________

Levi!!!!

What did you cross out? I'm really curious! I've tried to use different sources of light to see through it, but you've done a good job of hiding it.

By the way, are you saying that the kids miss me? Tell them I miss them too.

I do have a question - are they the only ones who miss me? Feel free not to answer it, I know you're too shy to do it.

The work has been doing fine, maybe, I'll be able to finish in the next few weeks, but who knows how long I'm going to stay here. Yelena and Onyakopon can't just let me fly back home, they need to devise a safe route for me first. They say it may take another month or two, before I can return. Try not to forget about me in the meantime, yeah?

Sending you hugs!

Hange

_____________

Hange.

Two more months? What the fuck?

Everything is alright. There is nothing to report.

Levi

_____________

Dear Armin,

I hope you and Jean are doing everything in your power to keep your friends in line. I know you're busy as it is and I know I'm asking too much of you, but can you please keep an eye on Levi? I worry about him a bit, and it'll make feel better if you check up on him.

Thanks for all the hard work you do!

Take care,

Commander Hange

_____________

Commander!

Please, don't worry about us, you have enough on your plate as it is. Captain is a bit melancholic, it's true, but I'm sure he'll get better once you return.

In the meantime, I'll think of a way to cheer up our Captain! You can count on me!

The others had asked to pass their best wishes to you. We're eagerly awaiting your return.

Armin

P.S. Sasha just told me that she convinced Niccolo to prepare a celebratory dinner for you. So, as you can see, everyone misses you. The corps are not the same without you. I'm hoping for your swift return.

_____________

Hey,

What the fuck? Why do you send letters to the brat, while I received no response to my last one?

And what was in that letter, by the way? Armin refused to show me. Are you keeping secrets from me, Hange?

Hopefully, you'll answer this letter.

Levi

_____________

My dearest Captain Grump,

I'm so sorry if I hurt your feelings, but there was something I needed to discuss with Armin. It's boring stuff, you wouldn't like it. Do tell me how you're doing, I'm very curious about it. Are you sleeping well? I hope the nightmares don't bring you too much trouble. If they do, then I'm sorry that I can't be by your side to help.

If something bothers you, please tell me about it. I'll try to help in whatever way I can.

Sincerely yours,

Hange

_____________

Hange,

Everything is fine, don't worry. You have more important stuff right now.

The brats act really weird. Today they asked me to accompany them to a trip into town. I can't even imagine their reason for it, but they practically begged me to join, I had no other choice than to agree.

The walk through town was... Nice. The weather was good, sunny but not too hot, just as you like it. Something was wrong with the brats, however. They kept staring at me, Iike I've grown a second head. It annoyed me, although I do have to admit I was feeling strangely too. During the whole day, I kept looking back as though something was missing. Maybe, I'm just exhausted.

We visited my favorite café and then went to a marketplace. The cleaning supplies were running low, so it was fortunate that the brats were with me, they helped me carry everything I needed. I bought something for you too, it already waits for you at your table. I hope it won't be covered in dust by the time you come back.

Take care,

Your Levi

_____________

Dear Levi,

Oh nooo, you went for a walk with kids? I'm so envious! I'm cooped up here all the time, Onyakopon doesn't even let me leave my room during daytime. I'm feeling like a wilted flower. The sun here is so bleak, I can't figure the reason for it, but it's nearly not as bright as in Paradis. It's too cold there as well.

On the bright side, they have lots of meat here, (see, I'm eating healthily). Although, it's a bit dry for my taste. You're going to laugh at me, but I'm actually missing the broth from our cafeteria. Maybe, I'm just going crazy with boredom.

I'm finished with the work, and now I'm waiting for the signal from Yelena. Onyakopon says it could take a few weeks, but I'm getting impatient. I can't wait to be back home. Hopefully, you're waiting for me too.

Sincerely yours,

Hange

P.S. I just reread your letter and what? You bought me a gift? What is it, Levi? Tell me what is it! You know me, I won't be able to sleep until you tell me.

_____________

Hange,

If I find out that you're not getting enough sleep, I'll kick Yelena's and Onyakopon's asses. Then I'll kick yours.

You'll see it when you get home. So quell your curiosity.

Wish you all the best, miss you so much

Levi

_____________

Levi!!!!!!!

Yelena just came back, she told that everything is ready for my departure! I'm so excited! I can't wait to see all of you, I missed you so much!

I'm going to warn you, though, once I return, I'm going to hug you, and no, you can't refuse or run away from me. It's commander's orders.

Lots of love,

Your Hange

P.S. there is a second part of this letter. It describes the details of my trip. For safety reasons, I've used our code to write it. See? I do take precautions.

_____________

Hange

Thanks for your letter. I showed it to Jean and Armin (only the coded part), they're getting ready for your arrival.

Have a safe trip.

The brats and I are waiting.

Hopefully this is the last letter I ever write to you, don’t leave me alone again

Levi.

#sorry for turning your ask into whatever this is lmao #but i was so inspired #writing that was actually fun because it's just dialogues (i love writing dialogues) #levihan

[thelastspeecher]

Egg Stan Origins

In my notes earlier today, I saw that someone had liked one of my Egg Stan ficlets, and I decided to reread said ficlet.  And then before I knew it, I was writing stuff for the Egg Stan AU, because I can’t control myself.  So here, have...whatever this is.

——————————————————————————————

              Ford slowly drifted back to wakefulness.  As he opened his eyes, a fish darted across his field of vision.

              Shit!  I’m underwater!  Panicking, Ford began to swim for the surface, before realizing that he wasn’t drowning.  He let himself sink back to the ocean floor.  Why can I breathe underwater?  He held out his hands to inspect them.  His mouth went dry.  Thin, red webbing stretched between his twelve fingers.  He looked down at his legs.  Or rather, where his legs used to be.  In their place was a large, extravagant tail with golden scales and red fins.

              “Fuck,” he whispered.  He ran a hand through his hair.

              I’m- I’m a merman?  How did that happen?  He racked his brain, desperate for answers.  The creature!  The last thing he remembered was being on the ship, with a massive sea serpent bearing down upon them.  When the serpent opened its mouth to spray venom at him, Stan had jumped in front of him to act as a shield.  Stanley!

              “Oh no, oh no, oh no,” Ford muttered, frantically looking around for his twin.  There weren’t any other mermen in the vicinity.

              Maybe he avoided this fate?  Doubtful.  Ford’s eyes landed on what looked like a large fish egg, partially buried in the sand. He swam over, rendered clumsy by his new tail, and gently lifted the egg from the sand.  The egg was red but transparent, allowing him to see the very young mer curled up within.  Is this- is this Stan?

              “No.  That’s not possible.”  Ford spoke aloud in an attempt to convince himself.  The mer in the egg suddenly twisted around, revealing its face.  Ford’s heart plummeted.  The mer had a face he recognized well.  No one outside their family had that large, ruddy nose.  “Stanley…”  Ford held the egg close to his chest, panic rising.

              Stan’s been turned into a mer child still in utero. I’m fully grown, but a merman. What am I supposed to do? Suddenly, his ears picked up the sound of voices in the distance.  He swallowed nervously.  I’m not one to typically ask for help, but I don’t really have a choice, do I? Ford swam towards the voices.  As he got closer, he saw the source – a young merman and mermaid, probably related, judging by their similar features.

              “Excuse me,” Ford called.  The merman and mermaid changed course, swimming over to him.  “I- I need some help.”

              “Why aren’t ya speakin’ Mermish?” the merman asked in thickly accented English.  His tail was a burnt orange, contrasting with his dark hair.

              “I wasn’t aware that merfolk had their own language,” Ford said.  The merman and mermaid looked doubtfully at each other.  “I- I’m human, you see, and-”

              “Uh, if you were a former human, you’d have a belly button,” said the merman, sounding suspicious.  Ford looked down.  His jaw dropped.

              “What the-”  He stared at the completely smooth skin where his belly button had previously been located.  “I don’t- I don’t know how that happened.”

              “Who’s this lil feller?” the mermaid cooed, peering at the egg Stan was in.  Her accent was just as thick as the merman’s.  She and the merman had the same large nose, but her hair was caramel-colored, matching her pale yellow tail.

              “My twin brother.  What happened to make me like this, it- somehow it affected him more severely and-”

              “What’s a twin?” the merman asked.

              “A sibling born at the same time as you.”

              “Yer claimin’ this cutie is from the same clutch you hatched from?” the mermaid asked.

              “Yes?  No? Look, I don’t understand your mer terminology, I’m human!” Ford burst out.  The merman and mermaid exchanged a concerned look.

              “It’s okay,” the mermaid said soothingly.  She held out her hands.  “I can take yer brother so’s ya can swim better.”

              “No!”  Ford held Stan’s egg even tighter.  Stan swirled around in the egg.  Alarm flashed in the mermaid’s eyes.

              “Okay, okay,” she said.  “I won’t take ‘im.  But I think that it might be best if ya come with us to our house, at least fer the night. It’ll get dark soon.  The guppy eels come out when the light fades.”

              “G-guppy eels?” Ford stammered.

              “They eat eggs ‘n guppies,” the merman said. Ford’s heart leapt into his throat. “Are ya goin’ to come with us, stranger?”  Ford swallowed.

              “I don’t really have any other choice,” he mumbled.  The merman patted him on the back.

              “That’s the spirit.  Don’t worry, we’ve got plenty of room fer the both of ya.”

-----

              By the time Ford and the merfolk arrived at their destination, a large underwater cliff face, he was exhausted.  Not just physically, though the swim had been more taxing than he expected.  He was also mentally weary from the immense amount of information he’d learned from the merfolk.  Apparently, humans did turn into mers on rare occasions, but when they did, they kept their belly buttons.  In addition, mer eggs were laid in massive clutches and kept in something called a “guppy basket”.  His hosts had assured him that they had a guppy basket where Stan could go.

              But he’s not leaving my sight.  The merman, whose name was Lute, looked at Ford with some amusement.

              “Yer a bit out of shape, ain’t ya?” he asked. The mermaid, who was named Angie, punched him.

              “Be nice,” she chided.  Ford’s initial assessment of the two being related was correct; they were siblings.

              Not just siblings.  Clutch-mates.  From what Lute and Angie had told him, clutch-mate seemed to be the closest mer analog to a twin.  Clutch-mates were siblings that hatched from the same clutch of eggs, though they sometimes hatched days apart.  

              “I’ll go alert the folks we’ve got a guest,” Lute said.  He opened a door into the cliff that Ford hadn’t seen and ducked inside.  Ford looked askance at Angie.

              “It’s an optical illusion thing,” she said with a shrug.  “Unless ya know where the entrance is, ya can’t find it.”  Of the two siblings, she seemed the kinder and gentler, taking what Ford said at face value.  Unlike her brother.

              Though she could just be humoring me.  I’m fairly certain they think I’m having some sort of nervous breakdown.  Angie smiled at Ford, then opened the door.  I’ll take humoring me over mocking me.

              “C’mon on in,” she said.  Ford reluctantly swam inside.  He was in a pleasantly homey living room that, if it weren’t underwater, could be mistaken for belonging to a human family.  Potted plants lazily swayed from small currents.  A middle-aged merman and mermaid sat on a couch, speaking with Lute.

              Presumably, these are Angie and Lute’s parents. One of the many things he’d been told during the swim was that merfolk lived with their parents until they had a mate, after which they would find their own place to live.  As unmated merfolk, Angie and Lute had yet to move out. Lute was a carbon copy of his father, with the exception of his tail color; his father’s tail was blue.  Angie looked exactly like her mother, down to her tail color, but had her father’s large nose.

              “This must be the poor young man you found,” said their mother, catching sight of Ford.  She got up from the couch and swam over to him.  “Hmm…”  She looked him up and down.  “What’s your name, son?”

              “S-Stanford Pines.”

              “That’s not a mer surname,” the mother commented idly, still looking at Ford with a thoughtful gaze.  “But it is a human one.”  She smiled. “Let me introduce myself.  My name is Sally MerGucket, but if ya like, ya can call me Mrs. MerGucket.”

              “Mrs. MerGucket,” Ford mumbled.  Mrs. MerGucket nodded.

              “My mate Mearl is on the couch.”  Mr. MerGucket smiled warmly at Ford.  “It looks like you could use a guppy basket fer that egg.”

              “No, he’s going to stay with me,” Ford said firmly.

              “Of course he will,” Mrs. MerGucket said, sounding surprised.  “The basket will go in the same room ya sleep in.”

              “…Oh.”

              “Come with me, dear.  I’ll show you to yer room fer the night.”  Mrs. MerGucket took Ford’s hand and led him out of the living room, down a hall, and into what was clearly a guest bedroom of sorts.  Under normal circumstances, Ford would ask a million questions about the furniture in the room, particularly the bed, with a frame made of what appeared to be living coral.

              I don’t feel much like asking questions right now, though.  Ford looked down at Stan’s egg.  Through the membrane, he could see Stan sucking his thumb.  Mom always hated when he did that.

              “Stanford.”  Ford looked up.  Mrs. MerGucket sat on the edge of the bed.  She patted the bed.  “Sit with me.”  Reluctantly, Ford swam over and sat next to her.  “May I?”  Mrs. MerGucket held out her hands.  Ford shook his head, keeping Stan close.  “That’s quite all right.”

              “You don’t believe me, do you?” Ford asked quietly. “That I used to be human.  Your children certainly don’t.”

              “Yes, they’re convinced that ya hit yer head,” Mrs. MerGucket said.  “They were worried fer yer health, as well as the health of the egg, since a confused guardian ain’t a safe one.”

              “You’re dodging the question.”

              “I didn’t mean to.”  Mrs. MerGucket sighed.  “Stanford, I believe ya.”  Ford’s head whipped up.  He stared at her.  “I suspect my children would, too, if they weren’t used to human behaviors.”  Ford frowned.

              “What do you mean?” he asked.  Mrs. MerGucket gestured to her torso.  Ford’s eyes widened.  Unlike her mate and children, Mrs. MerGucket had a belly button.  “You’re…”

              “Yes.  I used to be human.  Since I helped to raise my children, they don’t realize yer behaviors ‘n tendencies ‘re human through ‘n through.  But I’ve spent enough time among merfolk to tell ya used to be human, too.”  Mrs. MerGucket looked at Ford thoughtfully.  “Well.  Either that, or ya were raised by humans.  But I suspect you’d be a tad more traumatized, were that the case.”

              “I’m feeling fairly traumatized at the moment,” Ford mumbled.  Mrs. MerGucket put her hand on his shoulder.

              “Son, you can stay here as long as ya like, okay?”

              “I just want things to be the way they were yesterday,” Ford whispered.

              “I understand.  Unfortunately, I ain’t sure whether there’s a way to do that.  But we’ll do our best to help.  Once we hear yer story from ya, rather than from Lute, we’ll have a better idea of what happened to ya.  But that can wait until you’ve had some rest.  You ‘n that lil egg have been through a lot today.”

              “Yes,” Ford said, his voice breaking.  “We have.”

              “I’ll bring ya the guppy basket to put the egg in, okay?  And once that’s done, ya can get some sleep.”  Ford nodded woodenly.  Mrs. MerGucket left the room.

              “Stanley,” Ford whispered helplessly to the egg that had been his brother.  “What- what are we going to do?”  Stan offered no answers, merely curling up tightly within his egg.

-----

              Stan’s egg rocked back and forth within the guppy basket.

              “Be patient,” Ford chided as he combed his hair. He’d learned the hard way that if he didn’t comb regularly, small crustaceans would take up residence in his thick curls.  After spending a few months with the MerGuckets, he felt more or less settled as a merman.

              At the very least, I feel less like a fish out of water.  Ford managed a small smile at the almost pun.  Every day, he learned more about merfolk and mer society from the MerGuckets.  They had yet to determine what sea creature had transformed him and Stan, however, and as a result, were no closer to reversing the process.  I suspect Mrs. MerGucket was right.  What happened to us can’t be remedied.  His good mood evaporated.  Stanley and I are stuck.  Said stuck egg abruptly rolled in the basket.

              “I told you to calm down,” Ford said, swimming over.  He wasn’t sure how much Stan was aware of in the egg, nor how much he would recall when hatched, but couldn’t shake the habit of talking to the egg like nothing had changed.  Like Stan was still his stubborn, adult self.  “I’ll put you in the sling in a moment.”  The egg rolled again.  “Fine!” Ford grabbed the egg sling off his dresser and put it on.  While it was impossible to carry an entire clutch in an egg sling, merfolk used them to keep close eggs they were concerned about.

              Luckily, I only have one egg, so transporting the full clutch isn’t an issue.  Ford froze. No.  Did I just- did I just think of Stan as being my child?

              “Everything all right in here?” a voice asked.  Ford looked over his shoulder.  Fiddleford treaded water in the doorway, smiling at him. A few days after Ford came to the MerGucket home, Fiddleford, Angie and Lute’s older brother, had returned home from an internship.  Very quickly, Fiddleford had become Ford’s favorite of the MerGucket children. Angie was kind and quite brilliant, but rambunctious in a way that reminded Ford of Stan and was thus painful to be around for long.  Lute was abrasive and curt, and still didn’t seem convinced Ford was telling the truth.

              Fiddleford, however, was gentle and warm, with an intellect to rival Ford’s.  The fact that Fiddleford was obsessed with human culture, and thus fascinated by Ford’s stories, only served to deepen their connection.

              “Yes, everything’s quite all right,” Ford said. He carefully placed Stan’s egg in the sling.  “Stan’s just being difficult this morning.”  Fiddleford swam over, frowning.

              “He’s just an egg.  How could he be difficult?”

              “Oh, he’s been moving around a lot.”

              “He…”  Fiddleford’s eyes widened.  “How long has this been goin’ on?”

              “A couple of days.  Why?”

              “Stanford, eggs start movin’ when they’re gettin’ ready to hatch,” Fiddleford said gently.  Ford’s mouth dropped open.  “I reckon ya might want to put the egg back in the basket.”  Numb, Ford did as he was told, removing Stan’s egg from the sling and gently setting it inside the guppy basket.  The egg began to rock and roll in earnest.  Finally, a tiny hand punched through the egg’s membrane.

              “He’s…” Ford whispered.  His voice failed him as he watched a newborn mer crawl through the hole.  “He’s…”

              “Quite the looker,” Fiddleford said quietly. The newborn mer, with fins and scales a drab green color, scrunched up his face and began to cry.

              “What- what do I-” Ford asked desperately. Fiddleford scooped up the newborn mer and gently placed him in the egg sling Ford still wore.

              “Newborn guppies like to be held,” Fiddleford said.

              Right.  Mer children are referred to as guppies.  And they don’t get their mature scale and fin colors until adolescence.  Ford stared down at the guppy curled up in the sling.  He was the spitting image of old family pictures of Stan.  Which makes sense, given that he is Stan.  Ford hesitantly stroked the guppy’s cheek. The guppy leaned into the movement with a soft crooning sound.  …Is he?

              “Is somethin’ wrong?” Fiddleford asked hesitantly.

              “I…”  Ford swam over to his bed and sat down.  Fiddleford followed, sitting next to him.  “I think that some part of me expected the Stan I knew to hatch from the egg. That he would be himself, with all his memories and quirks, but…a child.”  His voice began to quiver.  “That obviously isn’t the case.  He’s my brother, but not- not really.  Despite my best attempts, I’ve lost him.”

              “Don’t think of it that way,” Fiddleford said. He placed his hand on Ford’s shoulder. “Think of it as him gettin’ a fresh start.  Ya told me how yer pa wasn’t kind.”

              “No, he wasn’t.”

              “Well then, this is a chance fer him to get the kind of father he didn’t get the first time,” Fiddleford said gently. Ford swallowed.

              “…Yes.  I- I suppose you’re right.”  He removed the guppy from the sling to nestle in his arms.  The guppy looked up at him with curious brown eyes.  Ford carefully removed stray bits of egg from the guppy’s thick, brown curls.  “Hello.” The guppy cocked his head, interested. Ford held him close.  “It’s good-” he started.  His voice gave out.  He took a deep breath and tried again.  “It’s good to see you again, Stanley.”

#I haven't written MerGucket content in a hot minute! it's nice to write it again lol #even if it is for this unnecessarily complicated variation lmaoooo #but at least this is the intro for the AU so I don't have to explain it lol #Egg Stan AU #MerGucket AU #Stanford Pines #Lute McGucket #Angie McGucket #Ma McGucket #Fiddleford McGucket #McGucket Family #ficlet #my writing #my stuff #speecher speaks

[ashintheairlikesnow]

Christmas Specials: Fishcake

CW: Some hint of dehumanization and references to Bahram’s depression/past breakdown at the end, some brief emeto references, but really this is just fluff. Oh, also brief unintentional ableism that Miah calls out.

Introduction | Siren Song | Cries | Here | Not Sure | Draw Blood | Fish | Signs | Stop | Something New | Help | Please Don’t Let Me Drown  | Fish Food | Squeaky Toy | Fading | Fishcake

---

BAHRAM’S NOTES

December 24th, 20XX 11:15 pm Mer in Residence: 71 Days

Miah showed up tonight with a Christmas present for me, and now I feel like a giant dick for not having anything to give her. 

Christmas just isn’t a thing in my family. I mean, I have cousins who go overboard with it, kind of a fitting in thing, but my family never did. Baba does some kind of fast, but for Maman it’s just another day and for me it’s always meant mostly a day where I played video games all day because I didn’t have to be at school or work. 

Oh, I need to call Baba and Maman tomorrow, note to self. She always gets worried about me right around the end of the year, what with how they figured out I was quitting school and everything.

I guess getting a phone call from a hospital leaves a bloody impression.

Anyway, Miah comes in with this big shopping bag in her hand, waving at me all bright and sunny and cheerful. She set the bag down long enough to berate me for - she assumed - having not taken my medicine on time. 

For the record, she was right, but I didn’t tell her that.

Nearly drowning in saltwater made my lungs apparently terribly angry with me, so for the next eight days I’m on a run of antibiotics to handle a lovely case of bacterial pneumonia. Would’ve been far handier to get pneumonia right away, but instead I ended up in Urgent Care yesterday, paying 200 dollars and waiting two hours to see a doctor for less than ten minutes. 

Dr. L says she’ll reimburse me the cost, but still. 

Miah asked me how I was feeling, I said I felt fine, really, and then of course I had an awful coughing fit just to prove myself a wonderful liar. The coughing’s the worst part - every time I really get going, it’s like being underwater all over again. I can feel my lungs fighting to inflate, to take the air in, and I can hear how hard I’m working to get enough air to stop coughing at all. Miah can’t hear it, but she can see it all right, and she looked worried.

I signed, “I’m fine, it’ll stop, the doctor says it will,” and she frowned at me, but let it go, I guess. While she had her face turned away to greet the mer, I opened the pill bottle and dry-swallowed the meds really fast. Sometimes there are benefits to Miah not being able to hear things.

The mer - Kima, I can call him by his name in these notes, the ones only I see - was already at the side of the tank, watching us. He’s perked up a bit lately, since I started giving him live fish on the days Dr. L isn’t around and Miah brought him all these enrichment things. We’re doing what we can, but I know it’s still not enough.

Enough would be figuring out where his bloody family is and getting him back to them, but I just… I can’t even begin to explain, even to myself, the logistical nightmare of hauling a six-foot-long mer back to the ocean and finding someone who would take him back up north where his family likely is in the middle of bloody fucking December.

It’s the right thing to do, yeah.

But it’d just be too hard to pull off, not without losing… my whole taped-together life, yeah? Plus I’m still dealing with trying to figure out who exactly is my real employer at this point - who’s paying Dr. L - and what they want from the mer’s… thing he can do.

Miah glanced over at him and signed, “Don’t worry, I have something for you, too,” and Kima just looked back at her, head cocked to the side. She looked over at me and signed, “It’s a fish-cake.”

I have to admit, it took me a second to even begin to respond. My hands just… hung in mid-air, before finally I asked, “A what?”

“A fishcake. It’s like a fruitcake, but so much worse.” She leaned down to dig around in the big bag and pulled out a box, pausing to add, “I had to wrap it and box it or the car would have smelled horrible for days,” before she picked up and laid the box on my desk, opened it, took out something wrapped in layers of plastic, and unwrapped that, painstakingly slowly.

I glanced over at the mer, who watched with total fascination. Maybe he’d caught the sign for fish, he’s incredibly food-motivated. Which makes sense, of course, probably with his pod he’d spend a lot of his day eating and hunting for more, but

Bahram. Focus.

She was right - as soon as the plastic came off, I could smell it. 

“How can you handle that? Isn’t your sense of smell… really good?” Ah, yes, I am always so proud of myself when I forget a sign for a word I want to say and have to sort of cobble together the spirit of it with other signs.

She looked at me with this sort of dry are you kidding me expression, then signed, “I’m deaf, B, not a superhero,” in a way that made me feel about ten inches tall.

“Sorry. That’s an awful smell, though.”

And it was. I like fish as much as the next man, but this was foul. She grinned at me and picked up the tupperware the fishcake was in using towels to protect her hands from picking the smell up too, I guess, and went over to the ladder up to the platform. Her back was already to me, so I couldn’t ask her the question I had, or tell her not to do that one-handed. Instead, I just sort of… got up and hovered uselessly while she climbed up without looking back, and then followed her up there.

The platform makes me… nervous, now. I stay closer to the ladder, farther from the water. I hope the mer, that Kima doesn’t think I don’t want to be close to him or something.

Miah took the lid off the tupperware and waited. Soon enough the mer popped up near us, interested in what we were doing on the platform. 

I watched those nasal slits open wide when he smelled the fish. And I watched how his eyes went big and shiny with excitement. Whatever Miah had put in the foul thing, he wanted it.

She dumped it into the water - I didn’t see much, other than a sort of loaf-shape and a sense of texture I never want to think about again - and Kima tore into it. It was the grossest thing I’ve ever seen, and I have actually watched Kima eat raw fish that was living seconds before. I had to look away - and so did Miah, but she was laughing. She can’t hear herself, only feel the vibration in her own throat. Her laughs kind of sound almost honking, choked-off, just totally un-self-conscious noises she’s barely aware of.

I should tell her that I like the way she laughs.

Oh, I absolutely should not do that.

Maybe I should, though.

She grinned at me, still laughing, and signed, “This is disgusting!”

“It is,” I signed back, “And it’s your fault, don’t forget that!”

She was still laughing when Kima looked back up at us, fish bits smeared around his mouth, and she signed, “Merry Christmas, K-I-M-A,” to him. He stared back, signed yes, and then dove back under the water, present utterly devoured, leaving only gross little particles I will probably have to hose off the sides of the tank on cleaning day when the filters can’t quite pick them up.

Miah looked at me, and I just thought, you know, she’s really pretty even under the sun lamps, and nobody is pretty in that light. Then she signed, after this moment of stillness, “I bought you a present, too.”

“Me?” I pointed back at myself, blinking, surprised. “I don’t do Christmas, M, I’m sorry.”

She shook her head. “I know. But I still bought a present. Can I show you?”

“Um, sure.” I get nauseous when I’m nervous. For a second, climbing back down the ladder, I thought I’d just get sick all over myself. I was badly designed, my defense mechanism is just to vomit on myself to scare predators away, clearly my body thinks pretty women are dangerous and I have to embarrass myself until they stop looking at me.

Finally, though, we were back at my desk. The smell… lingered. I’ve since burned the candle Miah got me, and the sulfur from the matches and the scent of the candle itself have largely done away with it, but when we got back, it was still powerful. 

She didn’t pull anything out of the bag, instead she just took a small card out of her back pocket and handed it to me. 

I looked down at it. “Alborz?” I realized I’d spoken out loud, looking down, and looked back up quickly so I could repeat it in sign, so she could see. “A-L-B-O-R-Z? A gift card to a restaurant?”

She nodded, quickly, signing so fast I was having trouble keeping up. I guess… was she nervous, too? “It’s food like you grew up with, yes?”

“Yeah, more or less. I mean nothing is better than my mother’s food. But why-”

She reached out and grabbed my arm with one hand to stop me, leaned in so close that the smell of this super subtle perfume she wears was stronger, for a second, than the smell of fish. “B,” She signed, with heavy, slow emphasis, “Think about why I bought you this.”

I just looked at her. I didn’t get it at all, and told her so.

I’m so bloody dense.

She sighed, throwing her hands up in the air with an eye-roll and a smile, and then signed, “When are you taking me there?”

She had to repeat the signs three times before I realized she was asking me on a date.

So anyway, I don’t think I’ll sleep a wink tonight, and also I think I celebrate Christmas now.

Date-mas.

That was an awful joke. I’m leaving it there just to properly shame myself if I ever reread this.

---

@astrobly  @burtlederp   @finder-of-rings   @slaintetowhump   @moose-teeth   @misspelledwitch   @whumpfigure   @whumptywhumpdump   @boxboysandotherwhump   @whumpywhumpwhump   @yet-another-heathen   @fanmanga1357-blog @justabitofwhump  

#mer whump #christmas specials #signs of the sea #depression tw #breakdown mention tw #emeto references #mer whumpee #fluff #angst and fluff #all comfort no hurt #referenced drowning #bahram anvari #miah kirsse

[spockandawe]

What are your favorite chinese webnovels? What are some of the differences youve noticed between cnovels and other types of novels?

That second question is really, REALLY interesting, and I really want to answer it well, and I am REALLY sure I’m going to do a bad job of answering it, so let me just noodle about that first question for a minute while I try to think XD

I went through some of my TOP-top favorite novels in more detail yesterday, but generally speaking, mxtx and meatbun are both at the top of the pack. They’re really good at writing compelling main characters and balancing piles of angst with plenty of humor and pulling everything together into a very satisfying ending (which is something I don’t alwaysssss see, even in some of the novels I really like). After them, The Disabled Tyrant’s Pet Palm Fish (transmigration, ancient chinese prince falls in love with pet fish) and Golden Stage (ancient chinese gay arranged marriage between bitter enemies(?)) are two novels that I love a lot, which both have very cute romances and go a bit lighter on the main character suffering front, and which I broadly recommend to anyone who’s interested in the genre. They didn’t end stick the landing QUITE as hard as an svsss or tgcf, but they still were very nice.

Then, let me see. I’m trying to remember which books I’ve read in the last year, and am doing a terrible job, haha. I will say that a book I enjoyed for like... eighty percent of it and then the ending let me down terribly was The Dreamer In The Spring Boudoir (modern day career woman transmigrates into barely-fantasy ancient china novel as the disliked primary wife of a nobleman), which is also the only straight webnovel I’ve read so far. The main character and romance were delightful, but that ending... haha, wow, I felt betrayed. But I did like the first half very much!! I’m idly contemplating a deliberately-partial reread. Then I’m currently like two chapters away from catching up with the current translation of The Wife Is First (ancient chinese prince lives out time travel fixit fic, determined to treat his spouse better this time around). I’m also catching up on Heroic Death System (transmigration, across MANY universes, where the goal is to die heroically in each one, and also maybeeeee to find his boyfriend in each one. this shit gets fucking bananas. in one of them, he emotionally seduces his boyfriend while he’s a dolphin. in another one, he’s a sentient mushroom. i’m in the middle of a section titled ‘I Am An Evil Pen’. yes, like a writing utensil type of pen. this is the weirdest book I’ve read so far). Oh, and Thousand Autumns (righteous sect leader gets sabotaged and loses a fight, wakes up blind and amnesiac, demonic sect leader is like ‘lol i bet i can turn him evil’ and accidentally catches feelings along the way).

What else... I’m keeping up with (but behind on) some others. First, there’s How To Survive As A Villain (modern terminally ill CEO transmigrates into stallion novel, wakes up as villain, accidentally seduces hero). Then, we’ve got Transmigrating Into The Body Of The Heartthrob’s Cannon Fodder Childhood Friend (only modern webnovel I’ve read, young man transmigrates into beginning of gratuitous whump book, back in high school, and is determined to protect the protagonist from all the canonical suffering). Then there’s Pulling Together A Villain Reformation Strategy (guy transmigrates into story as the hero’s childhood friend who will eventually become his enemy and get killed, successfully acts out his part and dies, completely fails to realize he’s broken his friend’s heart in the process... and then wakes up in another character’s body). And then there’s The Villain’s White Lotus Halo (a transmigrator keeps bouncing from universe to universe as a cannon fodder villain, who gets like half a line before being killed. he tries to purchase an upgrade package so he can be a COOL villain instead, but accidentally gets sold a ‘white lotus halo’ package instead, so that no matter what he does, everyone is just DEEPLY moved by his appearance and is positive he did nothing wrong). All of those are EXTREMELY delightful. You may notice a running transmigration theme, which....... yeah, I think there are a TON of delightful stories in the webnovel scene that deal with this genre, which seem so rare in English language media.

Which makes a good transition point to what’s different about the cnovel scene! I’ve seen hardly any transmigration stories in English, and I’ve got a couple go-to examples for when I’m trying to explain it, but like. Only a couple. Which is such a shame! Like, there’s the default idea of ‘I was reading this book and then I woke up inside the book!!’ but it’s clearly such an established genre that people are playing with it in all kinds of interesting ways, like in The Villain’s White Lotus Halo or Heroic Death System setups. It’s kind of wild to me, because it seems like such a gimme for a nice easy story structure? Whatever kind of world you want to present, there’s no need to introduce it to the reader from the ground up, or find a good way to hook them in. Either the main character read the book in question and can explain the premise and why we should care in pov, or the main character is new to the universe too, and trying to find their own footing. I enjoy it a lot! I’ve sampled transmigration books that didn’t grab me, but I’ve sampled way more that did. 

And then, the one semi-technical answer I thought of to this question was the way that these novels tend to handle pov. It’s not a hard-and-fast rule that regular novels are restricted to one pov, or that pov can only change at hard breaks in the story, but if I saw a bog-standard american novel glide from pov to pov the way these novels regularly do, I would tend to wonder if it was sloppiness or a mistake, or I would grump to myself about how I don’t like omniscient third person pov. And I still don’t know exactly what I think about this, or why it’s different in here, but I’m pretty sure I like it a lot, especially for stories where the romance tends to play a large part :V 

I used to read a lot of Books About Writing, and read plenty of stuff about why you don’t DO this, but.... I like it! In dtppf, Jing-wang can’t talk, and when Li Yu is a fish, he can’t talk, and drifting from one of their perspectives to the other gives me lots of useful information about how they’re both feeling. Could that be conveyed through restricted pov? Maybe! But I’m typesetting the svsss extras right now, and I’m in the bing-ge vs bing-mei section, and we get a few brief flashes of bing-ge’s thoughts, and it’s so NICE. It’s information I would not have otherwise received, because Shen Qingqiu sure wasn’t going to notice it. But early in the story, that pov was withheld from me, which also made sense (or hua cheng’s pov was withheld from me FOREVER, which makes me so sad ;u;). There don’t seem to be any hard and fast rules, which makes me really nervous about writing fic and trying to match the style, but I do like it a lot! 

And I’m definitely not able to articulate this in the way that I would like to, or speak with any real authority (I’m not that widely read in the cnovel scene, and i’m not very genre-adventurous in english), but there’s something about the role that the romances play in these stories that’s different from what I’m used to expecting, and it’s VERY tasty to me. I only rarely read romance novels, because I’m not often interested in the romance as a primary plot driver, but the romances in these books play a more substantial role than I’m used to expecting. And I’m into it! It’s a balance closer to what I’d expect from, like, a shippy longform fanfic. Which covers a lot of ground and is NOT a precise measure, but there’s more emotional weight given to the romance than I would expect, but without the romance carrying ALL of the emotional weight, and it strikes a perfect balance for me in a way I’m not used to encountering. Now, some of this could definitely be due to me not finding the right authors, or right subgenres, or whatever. But in the genres I inhabit, it’s a subtle difference, but one I find compelling.

Oh, one last thing. The cultural differences, duh :P I’m only familiar with things like, say, ancient chinese court etiquette through a lens of fan-translated novels like these, and I didn’t grow up steeped in the culture in a way I’m used to the trappings of something like medieval european courts. But there’s a distinct flavor to the social dynamics of these novels, from the formal levels down to the casual, and I know it’s super intricate and detailed and that authors play with differing degrees of historical accuracy vs fictional fun, and I wish I was better equipped to speak to the nature of any of this. But I find it really compelling! I recognize that it’s only new to ME because I didn’t seek out chinese media before now. And, the point that I originally wanted to get to before I got super distracted: the flirting. The flirting and teasing are a very different flavor from what I would expect in most english language media, and I love it, even if I can’t speak to how much of that is purely cultural, and how much of it is like... the conventions of How Fiction Is Written varying by culture, if that makes sense. I adore seeing what flirting and affection and indulgence and attentiveness look like in different settings, and these books, with their heavy romantic focus, absolutely deliver.

#spock replies #long post/ #i've read more novels than i thought :p #i thought it wasn't many #but then more kept occurring to me #i've only read a few that i don't recommend period but i've read a lot of good ones #Anonymous

[creamofweep]

Dear Steve

ooh she’s an angsty one

it was so hard for me to write the beginning and end of this I kept crying

mostly Post Endgame

Word count: 1876

“Don’t do anything stupid ‘til I get back,” Steve smiled.

“How can I? You’re taking all the stupid with you,” Bucky chuckled. I watched as the two men hugged. Nearly choking on his words, Bucky told Steve he would miss him. 

“It’s gonna be okay, Buck,” he reassured. Steve then turned to me. He had told me and Bucky what he planned to do and though it hurt me that I wanted to be with someone else, I understood. He made a promise. He never thought he’d get the chance to go back and be with her so who am I to stand in his way. 

“Y/N... I love you. I always will.” He held my hand tightly. We had already said our proper goodbyes earlier.

“I know. I love you too. I just want you to be happy.” I struggled to hold back my tears so I pulled him in for a tight hug so I could hide my reaction from Sam and Bruce. We stayed like that for just a moment more so I could compose myself. When I pulled back, he held my cheek and gave me one last loving kiss before turning to leave.

I stepped to stand next to Bucky as Steve picked up Thor’s hammer. Bucky put his arm over my shoulder to comfort me and I slipped your arm around his waist to do the same for him. I heard Bruce and Sam exchange words but couldn’t bring myself to listen, too focused on watching Steve. He looked at me and Bucky as his helmet came on. Knowing what would happen next, I turned to hug Bucky tightly and hide my face on his shoulder. I just couldn’t watch.

Suddenly, I heard the machine make a loud sound and I knew he was gone. I heard Bruce and Sam’s voices afterwards but couldn’t hear what they were saying past the sound of my heart pumping out of my chest. Bucky pried me off of him and turned me around. 

“Guys...” 

I saw what he saw. The back of an elderly man, sitting peacefully. Waiting. 

Sam, Bucky, and I walked towards him, stopping a few meters away. 

I still held on to Bucky’s waist tightly but lifted my other arm to give Sam a gentle pat on the back.

“Go ahead,” Bucky encouraged. We watched as they talked. As Sam picked up the shield. As the world got a new Captain America. Then, Sam looked over at me. He nodded his head for me to come over there. I exchanged a quick look with Bucky before he gently pushed me towards Steve. Sam began walking back and gave me a pat on the shoulder as he passed. 

“Hi Steve.” I sat down next to him and studied his face. It felt crazy how even though it had so many new little features, it was still the same face. The same Steve Rogers.

“Hi Y/N. I’ve missed you.” His voice was so soft and gentle. 

“That’s right... It’s been a long, long time for you huh? Did you enjoy it?”

“It was beautiful. Thank you for letting me have that,” He put his hand over mine and squeezed it with gratitude.

“I’m really happy for you. You deserve the world Steve.” 

“Before I forget, I wanted to give you my address. I know it sounds silly, but I don’t get much company these days. Keep in touch while I’m still around won’t you?” He handed me a folded piece of paper. 

“I will. I promise,” I gave a bittersweet smile and scooted over to give him a gentle hug. 

---

Dear Steve, 

I’ve realized I probably won’t get the chance to come visit you much so I figure I could write some letters. It just feels more personal than a phone call and you always said you loved letters because you could reread them and if I remember correctly you said, “after a while I can hear someone’s voice in their handwriting.”

Honestly, I thought that was the cheesiest thing ever but I loved it and it made me love you even more. So anyway, I’m in Chicago now. So many people here were left homeless when they came back from the blip. It’s the same situation everywhere but looks like the big cities have it worse. I’m working hard to find people homes. 

Big cities get a bad rap for being tough and cold and maybe it’s being gone for five years that made them nicer, but I don’t think that’s quite right. I think that the people that survived just learned to be kind and grateful and having more of that love in the world is changing things. It’s changing the people that came back and rewarding the people that had to change on their own. It’s really quite beautiful. 

Sorry for such a short letter but I figured I should write while I have any time at all. I’ll visit you as soon as I’m back in New York. Also, don’t write back! I’ve been at a different address basically every week and any response would probably just get lost. Also I know those hands don’t write or draw like they used to. 

I’ll see you soon. 

Love,

Y/N

---

Dear Steve, 

Nothing against the Avengers, but I’ve never felt more like a hero than I do these days. Sometimes I get scared that I’m doing all this good work just to feel good about myself and not because it’s the right thing to do. If you were here I bet you’d say, “Y/N you can’t be so hard on yourself. I know you’d be doing this even without any recognition or thanks.” 

And I know you’d be right. I know I’m a good person. You were the one that showed me that. You made me see myself how you saw me and it changed me. Practically saved me from my own self-destruction. 

Anyways, do you remember when you took me to meet Peggy? Gosh that must feel so long ago for you now. I still remember it like it was yesterday. I just want you to know that I already knew then that you belonged with her. Before you went back, you kept telling me you were sorry and that you’d stay if I asked. You should know that I really truly did want this for you. I hope you got over the guilt you had for me when you saw her. 

Also, maybe it’s weird thing to hope for but I hope you told her about me the way you told me about her. Not in a way that makes her jealous, but in a way that makes her think, “I’m glad you had someone like that in your life.” I hope I made enough of an impact on your life for that. 

Sorry for another short letter. I have a feeling that’s probably going to be pretty normal coming from me. I should be back in New York in a couple weeks though! I only have a couple days to spend there but I’ll be sure to see you.

 Love, 

Y/N

---

Dear Steve, 

It was great to see you. For an old man, you sure are witty. I guess you’ve had a lot of practice being old though. After all, I met you in your 90s and that was a solid few decades ago for you.

I’m down in DC now so I’m a little closer to you. I’ll definitely visit more often. I’m really happy and proud of the work I’m doing, but sometimes I wonder what my life would’ve been like if I had gone with Sam and Bucky. I certainly wouldn’t have any time to write to you that’s for sure. I hope they’ve visited you. I’m sure they’ve at least maintained contact. 

I won’t be the one to sugar coat it. You’re getting old. For real this time. You and I both know you don’t have a ton of time left. I just want you to know I’ll be there until the end though. I also want you to know that because of you, the world is okay. You don’t have to worry about us. It’s okay.

Maybe I shouldn’t have taken such a somber turn, but it had to be said and I don’t know that I would’ve been able to get the words out in person. Anyway, I’ll see you soon. 

Love, 

Y/N

---

Dear Y/N,

If you’re reading this, it means my time has come. I feel like there’s not much I could say to you that I’ve already said.

Thank you for looking out for me. Thank you for loving me so much you let me go. Thank you for inspiring me to keep my hopes high. Thank you for teaching me how to be unconditionally kind, how to give love to anyone that needs it, how to find a star in the darkest sky.

When I was young, someone told me that I was who I was because I was a good man and not a perfect soldier. I believed him for a long time but then I met you. I don’t think I was a truly good man until you came around and showed me how to be one. 

Even now, you’ve done your time helping the world out. I watched you fight Thanos’ army fearlessly with my own eyes. But in all the letters you send me, you tell me about how you’re still hard at work saving people. I think that’s what makes you not only a hero to the world, but a hero to me. You never stop finding ways to make the world a better place. You never hesitate to help someone in need. 

I just hope you know how proud I am to have met you. How proud I am to have been able to love you. You gave me this life and I will always be grateful. Thank you.

Love, 

Steve Rogers

---

Dear Bucky, 

Thank you for being there for me after the funeral. I feel like it should’ve been more like me being there for you considering your history with him being much bigger. Anyway, I hope you know that I am here for you still. Steve doesn’t have to be the only reason we know each other.

Every day I think about him. I continue doing the work I do for him. To make him proud. To make sure that all his work wasn’t for nothing. Do you feel that way too? Like every step you take, you take in honor of him? I’m sure Sam feels that way. By the way, tell him I think the shield looks great on him would you? I’m sure it hasn’t been easy for him to feel like it’s his. 

I don’t really know what else to say. I guess I really just wanted to say thank you. What’d you always say with him? That you were with him ‘til the end of the line? Well I know I’m no replacement and I’m not trying to be, but you the same goes for me. I’m with you ‘til the end of the line. 

Don’t be a stranger. He wouldn’t want that.

Love, 

Y/N

#Steve Rogers #steve rogers x reader #captain america #steve rogers fic #steve rogers fluff #bucky barnes #captain america tws #avengers endgame #chris evans #sebastian stan #chris evans fic #captain america fic #captain america fanfiction #steve rogers fanfiction #captain america trilogy #captain america tfa #endgame #mcu #mcu fic #marvel #marvel fic #marvel fanfiction