#may the friendships you have crumble and betray you

[lee-lucius]

A New Kind of Affection

Summary: Izzy Hands accidentally reveals how touch-starved he is to Stede, who is more than happy to help.

Word Count: 2,765

Happy Holidays and Happy New Year @aaaxolotl I was your Secret Santa! This was super fun to get to make, and I hope you enjoy! 💙

He still wasn't quite sure how Stede had dragged him into any of this. 

It hadn't been long, only a week or two, since Stede called him into his room, oddly similar to tonight. He'd asked for them to dine together, and well, Izzy didn't see much of a reason not to indulge his captain in his strange request.

They met in Stede's room for a surprisingly pleasant dinner, though Izzy felt unsurprisingly underdressed compared to his host's garish outfits, and he was well aware his table manners left much to be desired, but neither of those had been quite necessary for a pirate's life, and Stede didn't seem to mind, not when he was seemingly so enthralled by the company. 

Through Izzy teaching him how to fight, they'd grown fairly comfortable with each other, building up a rapport that was considerably less antagonistic than it had been before. They fell back into it over dinner with ease, perhaps more amiable than they'd ever been, and Izzy found himself even laughing at a few of Stede's jokes, though he hid it behind a strategic cough or two.

Neither of them realized, or cared, just how much they were drinking until they were stumbling around the room, hiccuping around their laughter, for once a genuine smile on Izzy's face.

Memories of that night were fuzzy, and what happened next wasn't entirely clear, but he crumbled under Stede's inquisitive gaze, his warm smile, his soft whispers, and he'd admitted something he shouldn't have.

Something he'd hoped that they'd both forget come morning, even when Stede squeezed his hand before he left, promising something about him being more included, more appreciated, before Izzy stumbled back to his own quarters, flushed from more than just the booze. 

He wished he hadn't admitted it. His jealousy when he watched his crewmates, or his captains, and saw the easy air around them, the casual touches and comfort; something about them made envy stir in his chest, thinking about the kind of relationship he hadn't let himself have for years, or maybe ever when he really thought about it.

Now, on The Revenge, it seemed more of a possibility than it ever had before. After breaking down, being vulnerable, Izzy was welcomed; something had shifted; whether it was in him or his surroundings, he didn't know, but it was a good change, no matter how uncomfortable it had been.

His relationship with the crew was different now. Friendly, because he'd finally allowed himself to be open to their friendship, and the change was more gratifying than he ever would've thought.

It was the most relaxed, most relieved Izzy had been in a long time, but he still wanted more, even if he felt he didn't deserve it.

He never would've pursued it ordinarily, admitted it to anyone besides himself, if his drunken self hadn't betrayed him entirely.

But that change, the change Stede brought on, was a good change too.

When they'd met again the next morning, Izzy more pissy than usual with his aching head, he thought Stede may have forgotten it based on his aimless ramblings filled with pleasantries that Izzy had to bite his tongue to sit through. 

Stede asked him again to meet him later in his room, and Izzy agreed; he hadn't expected what happened. 

He supposed it would be like the previous night, a pleasant conversation, perhaps a shared meal, a drink or two, though certainly not as much as they'd indulged it before.

And it had started that way. There was something about Stede, something that used to make Izzy's skin crawl, his anger, his annoyance overpowering everything else he felt about it, but now it only filled him with warmth, an easy, familiar feeling that allowed him to unwind. That must've been why he didn't suspect anything, certainly not when he and Stede shared a drink, casually picking at a tray of assorted snacks he'd prepared.

Maybe he should've; when Stede sat next to him this time, instead of sitting across from on the other side of his long table. It could still be ignored whenever they bumped shoulders or when one of them shifted slightly, their knees accidentally touching, or when they both reached forward at the same time, hands colliding for the briefest second before Izzy pulled back.

Until their food was finished, abs the conversation lulled, a not uncomfortable silence enveloping them as they nursed their drinks, and Stede, seeming to muster all of his courage, leaned into him, curling into Izzy's side and resting his glass on his shoulder with a content sigh.

Izzy stiffened, and his muscles didn't relax again for a long time, but they both kept the silence, and Stede didn't move.

His breath was steady, ghosting against Izzy's cheek and leaving a faint trace of Stede's wine, fruity and rich. While his hair was soft, delicate strands brushing against and tickling his ear, but he couldn't be bothered at the proximity, at his hair that was too lovely and soft and clean to ever belong to a pirate, yet here Stede was. Izzy wondered if it was Stede's pulse or his own that he felt, drumming violently against his skin, wondered if it mattered.

Not long afterwards, Izzy excused himself, and they parted ways; this time, he had no excuse for his blush.

-

He didn't know why Stede kept inviting him, or why he kept coming.

It wasn't something he was familiar with. His family had never been awfully affectionate. And as he got older, as he became a pirate, the opportunities became fewer and fewer.

Most contact came during a fight, in the form of a sword or gun or swinging fist, where the only pleasure that could be found came from the adrenaline coursing through his body, the satisfaction of winning, of surviving. There were few other means that arose on a ship aside from boyish tussling, accidentally knocking shoulders with his crewmates, or the rare moments of intimacy when he let someone else, let Ed, tend to his wounds after a particularly bad fight.

But Stede Bonnet came along with his eccentric, unpirate-like ideals and continued to confuse Izzy the same way he had since the first day he met. Bringing that unnecessary frivolity with him and introducing everyone to lavish comforts they didn't want to forgo. 

That, he supposed, was why he continued to join Stede; he didn't want to give it up just yet.

Which was why he was sitting on his couch, thumbing through a book from Stede's library, which was still a horrible idea, even if it made for interesting entertainment, with Stede next to him, hand holding Izzy's as he thumbed through his own novel.

It was one of the more relaxing ways he'd spent an evening in quite awhile, or it would've been, if there wasn't one thing nagging him, making his mouth twitch as the uncomfortable feeling spread. "Stop that?"

"What?"

"The hand," he murmured, gesturing with his neck as he struggled to insert his bookmark with only one hand.

"Oh," he let go, a slight frown tugging at his face as he leaned away a touch. "Sorry."

"Not you. Just tickled a bit."

Stede paused, the smile returning with a playful twist, "You're ticklish?"

He grunted, eyeing him warily. "Guess so. Never really been before."

"I've gotten into a few good-natured scuffles in my time. It can be quite fun!"

"You like it?" He couldn't help asking, surprised at the sudden admission. 

"Well, I've certainly always enjoyed it."

Izzy huffed out a laugh. He supposed it wasn't that surprising; Stede always had been odd, and it was just like him to like that kind of thing, something so strangely cute.

Leaning back, his eyes raked over Stede, cautiously debating in his head. It was clear as day that Stede was comfortable with him; the only limiting factor seemed to be Izzy's own hesitance, his lack of familiarity with the casual touches Stede so readily gave. He was being quite open about his fondness for tickling, almost suspiciously so. And while Izzy had never even dreamed of tickling someone before, had never even been the one to initiate contact between him and Stede in a non-violent manner, he supposed that here, now, wouldn't be a bad time to start.

"Let's see it then," he shifted, angling his body as he leaned closer to Stede, searching his eyes for any tinge of desire, of excitement.

"Go right ahead!"

His smile grew, eyes brightening at the prospect, but there was an undercurrent of shyness there, weighing down his cheerful expression, matching Izzy's own nerves. 

Slowly, he reached his hand out, touch and hesitant as he dragged in along Stede's arm, grazing his silken shirt. While Izzy had never been tickled directly, he'd experienced it plenty of times through accidental touches brushing against his own sensitive spots, so he had a fair idea where Stede would be ticklish; he just didn't know how much he could handle, yet.

Keeping his touch light, Izzy placed a hand in his stomach, unable to help a smile at his small gasp, and gently dug his fingers in, scratching at him through the cloth. 

At his deep breath, Izzy's eyes flitted back up to Stede's face, taking in his widening smile, perhaps brighter than he'd ever seen it before, as a giggle erupted from his lips, more pushing through in a steady stream of laughter as Izzy brought his other hand up to squeeze Stede's sides.

"Pretty sensitive, aren't you, Bonnet?"

"I suhuhppohose!" He huffed out, hands clenching and unclenching in his lap, trying to stay still for Izzy.

"I wonder where else…" he hummed, fingers dragging up towards his ribs, lightly pinching the crevices as Stede huffed. He was less ticklish there, but it was worth it to see the way his eyes crinkled, squeezing shut with a whine at Izzy's relentless pokes and prods to the area.

He continued exploring, marveling at how his armpits made Stede shoot his arms down, his resolve not to impede Izzy crumbling at the overwhelming sensations, while his neck made him scrunch up, looking oddly reminiscent of a turtle. Even his ears were ticklish, and quite sensitive to gentle scratches and traces, even more so when Izzy blew gentle puffs of air on them, making him squeal.

But his knees were probably his favorite spot. If only for the fact that when he squeezed it, the most adorably obnoxious snort burst from Stede, forcing him to bury his face in Izzy's shoulder in shame, while the other desperately tried and succeeded to produce the noise again. 

Gentle tickling seemed to get to him worse, if the way he shrieked when Izzy's nails glided against the backs of knees were anything to go off of. Even if it only produced quieter giggles compared to the full-bellied laughter Izzy knew he could force, it was better for watching Stede, seeing the miniscule changes in his expression, in his voice, and for allowing Stede to focus on Izzy's occasional teasing.

"Still having fun, Bonnet?" 

"Of… cohohuhurse!" He exclaimed, a tired sheen to his eye at how long it'd been, but his joy was much more prominent. 

Izzy opened his mouth but quickly snapped it shut, head swiveling around at the sound of the door opening,only to find Ed standing there, a confused grin hanging on his face.

"Is this what you two are always doing in here?" He laughed, stepping inside and shutting the door behind him.

"Ed!" Stede breathed out, face brightening again at the sight of his as he sat up straight, trying to smooth out his clothes, his hair, all while keeping his eyes locked on his partner.

Izzy stood up, taking a step away from Stede as his gaze flickered between the two. Would Ed mind him touching Stede like this? Stede had said it was fine, but he wouldn't want to overstep more than he already had, wouldn't want to take anything more from Ed.

"Well come on, mate," Ed faced Izzy, smile shifting into something devious as he walked closer, "why stop now?"

"You… don't mind?" He couldn't help asking, still not sure how he fit into a situation like this.

"Stede, you mind?"

"Nahat at all… I was just showing Izzy how fun tickling could be. He was much better than I would've thought!"

"Is that so?" Ed smiled, walking past Izzy to sit down next to Stede. "Think he's shown you enough yet, Iz?"

"Not quite. I think he still has a bit more to show us," he sat down on the other side of Stede, accepting Ed's acceptance of his role there. If it didn't bother Ed, then he wouldn't let it bother him anymore, even if he was sure everything between them wasn't exactly resolved yet.

Stede laughed nervously, glancing between them, "What else is it you want to see?"

"Mostly…" Ed hummed, grabbing one of his arms to wrench it above his head, waiting for Stede's nod of approval before digging into his underarm, "to see you laugh your ass off."

"Ehehehed!" He cackled, helplessly flailing, and Izzy took that as his cue, bringing his hands back down to squeeze at his thighs and knees.

If Ed wanted to push him, he could do that. And, judging from looking at them, Izzy guessed this wasn't the first time something like this had transpired between Ed and Stede. He only wondered if Stede had realized how awfully ticklish Ed was too, a secret Izzy had long since learned and guarded, but didn't seem inappropriate to reveal later, after they'd finished with Stede.

"Ihihizzy!"

"C'mon Stede, you keep saying our names like that. Just spit it out. What's on your mind?" Ed cooed, lightening up on his tickling to give him a moment to breathe.

"Ihihit's a lohot," he panted, grinning from ear to ear, "buhut it's fuhuhun."

"'Course it is. We're just getting started," Ed purred, delighting in how Stede's flush grew at his words, heart skipping a beat.

Izzy watched Ed kiss Stede's forehead, an uncomfortable pang shooting through him, until Ed turned back to him with a grin and wink, and together they resumed tickling Ed to bits.

-

"Good time, love?" Ed smiled afterwards, helping Stede to his bed.

"Yes, it was all quite lovely," he sighed dreamily, pulling him into a quick kiss. "But I do like it more when you're the one under me."

Ed reddened at that, laughing away his nerves as he glanced back at Izzy, who was awkwardly trailing towards the door.

"Where are you going, mate?"

"I thought it was time to excuse myself," he cleared his throat, averting his eyes. 

"No, no. Come here," Stede beckoned, and Izzy supposed he never really could say no to him that easily, certainly not now, so he swallowed and stepped closer and closer until he was standing by Stede's bedside.

Stede took a breath, reaching out for him, cupping his face, bringing his own closer, as he whispered, "May I?"

Izzy's eyes flickered to Ed's face, seeing only a smile and the slightest nod, not a hint of jealousy or resentment to be found. And so, he allowed himself to once again indulge in the luxuries that came along with Stede Bonnet, closing the distance between them to capture his lips in a gentle kiss.

Stede beamed at him when they pulled back, and he could only wonder if his face was as hot as it felt, practically petrified until Ed grabbed his hand, tugging him forward. "Come on, Iz. Get comfortable," he said, shrugging off his own leather jacket and slipping off his boots before he slid into bed beside Stede.

Even Stede's large bed was a bit cramped with the three of them, but Izzy thought it may have just been the best sleep he'd ever had. 

It was only affirmed by what he considered the best morning of his life as he woke up in the early hours, watching the sun stream in through Stede's windows, illuminating the two beside him that made it all feel so divine.

A faint breeze blew in, the cold weather penetrating the peace of their haven as he curled further into bed, into Ed and Stede, suddenly reminded on what day it was. As he stared at them, he could only smile, feeling at peace. He didn't know what the future would hold, but as long as he had them, he could feel secure and welcome the new year, whatever it brought.

#my writing #squealing santa 2k23 #tickling #tickle fic #ofmd #ofmd tickle #stede bonnet #ed teach #izzy hands #blackbeard #blackbonnet #gentlebeard #steddyhands #lee!stede #ler!izzy #ler!ed

[shinystarfishmoon]

What you need to know right now ?!

Pile 1,2,3👉

Hello everyone! Tara🌟 here

Take 3 deep breaths and choose a plie it's also OK if you choose more then one ☺

Disclaimer : This is a general reading, take what resonates leave what doesn't

If you like this PAC please follow my blog

and reblog this post 🙏

Please take a look at my new pac

Plie 1

Hello pile one welcome to your reading 🦄

Cards : knight of wands, justice, page of cups, 8 of cups, 5 of wands, seven super of wands, six of swords, ten of cups now let's get into it 👀

So with the knight of cups , I think anyone who has chosen plie 1 has a lot of ambition, dreams and desires they want to be fulfilled. A lot of ideas that can turn onto great opportunity. The message is not sleep 😴 on those ideas. Dreams are dreams untill you take a practical step to make them come true . With the justice card you need a practical approach to the dreams that you have for yourself, it does not mean to limit your dreams but to actually have a practical plan to make them work. An equal and non biased approach is necessary. With 6 of swords.. I think some of you might travel / move to different country or city for work. or this might even mean cutting off toxic people in your life. Feeling bit sad but doing this a necessary. With 5 of wands I think it might be some times over bearing and hard but your dreams are worth it. Do not give up on them. A big message to follow your dreams here. Your ideas are not as stupid as you think.. They are worth giving a try 💗

This is all I have for you plie 1 . Thank you and see you again 🦄

Plie 2 🐦

Hello pile 2 welcome to your reading 🐈

Cards : two of swords ( reverse) , nine of swords, emperor , Ace of cup, one of wands, king of cups, the sun. Let's get into your reading 👀

Plie 2 may have been caught between two choices, or two things that they are not able to choose between, or a conflict that does not even involve them but still are stuck in it . Advice is sometimes it's better to walk out then to stay 🚶. Whatever it is this might have taken toll on you, brough out the deepest of your fears with nine of swords here . The emperor in reverse also talks about someone in leadership position misusing their power. If it's you be careful of misusing your power. Or it might be some else who is doing that. Ace of cups and ace of wands with this card I think that you need to focus on your self fill your cup before you fill others. You need to focus on your self at this time. Focus on opportunity coming your way. This will lead you to have more place to grow emotionally. By focusing on your self you would create new non toxic cycle in life.

This is all I have for you thank you and see you again 💗

Plie 3

Hello pile 3 welcome to your reading the 🐧

Cards : Tower, 5 of swords, two of pentacles, ace of wands, king of pentacles, 3 of cups, 6 of cups, lovers. Let's get into your reading 👀

Plie 3 may have suffered with some kind of betrayal and went through a tower moment . Where it felt like your foundation were crumbling. This may be romantic or friendship betrayal. Or some of you may have been betrayed by someone you held close to your heart. You may have been balancing a lot of things together at a time. But the message is to not take many things at a time rather to properly manage your time and find balance. New creative and financial opportunities may be coming be at look out for them. Through this you might be able to meet people with same frequency as you. Might be able to bulid friend ships that are mutuality benifical. You might have a realization that you actual forgot to enjoy the Lil things in life because your ambition took over, this is a very normal thing that happens to many of us, your feeling are valid 💗. With the lover card , I feel like for someone of you may even start something romantic...

That's all I have for you plie 3 . Thank you and see you again 💗

#foryou #ask game #tarot #spirituality #tarot reading #india #kpop astrology #kpop+predictions #tarotcommunity #agent twilight #tarorcards #tarot tips #tarot time #tarotdaily #spiritual development #pac #pic a photo #pick a card #btstarot #tarot tumblr

[viatagrinner]

Gilbert von Obsidian. The Prince is a bodyguard. Sweet End.

Chapter 3.

Part 3/1

MC: Please don't kill them!

I scream, and blood colored eyes stare at me.

Gilbert: If I don't kill them, they'll kill you. Or are you willing to risk your life to save those who sold you out?

Gilbert: Ahaha, you have a big heart, like a god. I can't compare to you.

(Maybe I was betrayed.)

(Maybe what I thought was friendship was actually very calculating.)

(But that doesn't mean I want them to get hurt.)

(It's true that I enjoyed the time I spent with Lady Louise, and it's also true that I consider her a friend.)

I put my head down and looked back at the Earl who couldn't focus.

MC: ...I'm begging you. Please let them go. Prince Gilbert is not a man who can take hostages like that.

MC: If you let them go, I won't let them kill me. So...

Earl: Oh... Shut up!

The blade of the knife scratched my throat.

(No... I think he lost his cool.)

Gilbert: Miss Bunny, are you all right?

MC: Not good!

Gilbert: Yeah, but time's up.

Gilbert: My only prey is mine. ...Hmm, who's the real villain for you?

The cheerful smile that had even given me a sense of calm was gone.

(..... No.)

Part 3/2

White smoke billowed from the cylindrical object that Prince Gilbert took out of his pocket. The little room was filled with smoke, as if it were covered with dew.

(I couldn't see anything!).

As soon as I got to my feet, my body fell on its side/my body was pushed to the side.

Luckily, I was picked up by something soft wrapped in linen cloth on the floor, but my arms and legs were still tied up and it was hard to even get up.

(........Disgusting.)

(I hate......)

MC: Prince Gilbert!

My screams were drowned out by the sound of something crumbling to the floor. My heart was pounding with a sickening feeling.

MC: ....Prince Gilbert.

As I crawled across the floor and moved forward a little, the smoke that was robbing me of my sight dissipated.

The first thing I saw was a charcoal-black cloak that didn't even show blood.

At Gilbert's feet lay the Earl with a knife in his hand, and behind him was Lady Louise, lying down on the floor, tears in her eyes.

Gilbert: .....Miss Bunny, what's wrong?

Prince Gilbert looked around; he seemed to hear a voice calling his name.

But his eyes didn't see me, and he was holding the sword he'd picked up from the floor.

MC: Stop it. ....Please.

Gilbert: I did terrible things to you, but I still had your back/protecting you.

MC: .....There are laws in Rhodolite that forbid murder.

Gilbert: If I invade this country, there will be no laws, no nothing, right?

Prince Gilbert raised his sword and knelt beside me, clumsily lying on the floor.

He took me by the chin and turned my face upward.

Gilbert: Ah, you seem to be misunderstanding something.

Part 3/3

Gilbert: Why should I listen to you?

MC: ...!

Gilbert: It's up to me whether I listen or not. Your "don't" isn't even begging for your life.

(I've been caught off guard lately.)

(I look at Prince Gilbert's kind face so often that my mind is stunned...)

(I may have almost forgotten that he's a "beast.")

Prince Gilbert let me go and tried to go to Lady Louise with sword in hand.

(But that doesn't mean I can give up..!)

Before the black figure could move away, I grabbed his cloak with all my might, continuing to curl up on the floor. Prince Gilbert didn't shake it off, but stopped again.

MC: ...... Friendship are difficult.

Gilbert: Friends? The one who sold you out?

Gilbert: Ahaha, interesting definition of a friend Miss Bunny has, isn't it?

MC: I can't speak for others, since you, Prince Gilbert, don't listen to the words of your... "friends"! / Prince Gilbert... You don't listen to what 'friends' say, so you can't talk about other people.

Gilbert: Isn't that a wilder/crazy definition than mine?

( "Wilder/crazy"...)

MC: ...You know, no one goes near a young lady who is favored by an Obsidian prince.

MC: I get cold stares, but no one ever really talks to me.

Gilbert: Yes, you poor thing!

Prince Gilbert smiles, as if it were someone else's problem.

MC: But Lady Louise treated me okay!

MC: I don't know what her intentions were behind it, but she was one of the few people who looked at "me".

(Obsidian's prince's favorite, or whatever...)

(She was the only one who shared hobbies with me and could talk without embarrassment.)

MC: I don't think all our time together was a lie.

MC: I want to believe her, even if she betrayed me, and I don't want her to be hurt...

MC: And like I said, I believe that friends start by believing in each other.

Louise: .....Ah.

MC: Please don't take any more away from me.

Part 3/4

The more I spoke, the colder the blood-colored eyes that stared at me grew. A chill crawled up my spine and my breathing was almost labored, but I had no intention of backing down.

MC: To put it crudely... Why should I listen to Prince Gilbert?

(If Prince Gilbert won't listen to me, I won't either.)

I clutched his cloak so tightly that it bit into my hand, unwilling to let go.

Gilbert: ....Well, you look more like an idiot than a naive one.

Gilbert: That's right, though... I can't help it if you're begging me so clumsily.

Gilbert: If you're willing to take responsibility for those two, I might not kill them.

MC: I'll take.

There was no hesitation at all.

(Even if the request was accompanied by hysteria, it was better than having a friend die in front of me.)

Prince Gilbert just laughed.

Gilbert: I will teach/show you that I am on a different level than a third-rate villain.

━━━━━━━༻❀✿❀༺━━━━━━━

Prince Gilbert carried me, with my hands and feet still bound, to an empty guest room.

With such speed that I suspect he's been to the mansion, he finds the first aid kit and silently treats my neck wound.

He was as adept as a doctor at applying medicine, bandaging, and performing the entire process.

MC: ....Thank you very much.

Gilbert: You're welcome.

(Gentle but cold, cold but gentle....)

I still don't know the true face of Prince Gilbert.

MC: By the way, these clamps/handcuffs.

Gilbert: I don't have a key.

MC: ....It looks like I'm in trouble.

Gilbert: Well, you don't need one to remove it.

You "can" take it off, but he "won't" do it, which means I'll have to stay with it for a while.

When I gave in, Prince Gilbert took me in his arms and sat me down in a chair.

He placed me in his lap, and his red eyes came close to mine.

MC: Prince Gilbert!?

The cold fingertips caress my cheeks with a terrible gentleness.

Gilbert: Well, miss Bunny....  How will you beg for your life?

Part 3/5

(I feel like this is a test...)

Prince Gilbert keeps his eyes on me.

(If I answer wrong, I'm immediately back to what I was before.)

(I need to think....)

MC: Prince Gilbert, you were going to hurt Lady Louise, weren't you?

Gilbert: To hurt her is very "nice" of me.

MC: ...I will accept the violence that was to be done to Lady Louise.

Gilbert: .... Huh?

MC: I say I will take her place.

Gilbert: The substitute...

MC: Boil me, burn me, do whatever you want to me!

(I don't know what he'll do to me, but that's all I can think of right now.)

"Do whatever you want" may not be enough for Prince Gilbert.

I am a Belle, and I may be offered terms that could be ruinous to my country.

However, since I didn't know exactly what Prince Gilbert wanted, I had no choice but to offer an equivalent exchange: corporal punishment.

Gilbert: ...Horrible.

MC: ...Horrible?

Gilbert: I can't believe you think I'm a maniac who takes pleasure in hurting people, whoever they are.

MC: I never said that!

MC: I just can't think of any other way to take responsibility.

Gilbert: Absolute obedience.

(I knew you were going to say that.)

I wanted to avoid that, but Prince Gilbert was relentless.

Gilbert: It's the price of life, isn't it obvious?

Gilbert: My orders are absolute. You must do what I say, even if it means betraying Rhodolite.

MC: ....Cannot be betrayed.

Gilbert: Then let's go and kill the lady who was just here.

MC: No way!

Gilbert: You're selfish.

He stroked my cheeks, tickled them, and pinched them lightly.

Gilbert: In Obsidian, we've made some concessions.

Gilbert: Whether or not you do or don't do what I ask, I'm listening to what you have to say.

MC: .......

Gilbert: You see, you have to think beyond absolute obedience.

(I'm in the position of "asking," so I can't expect equal negotiation.)

It seems difficult to ask for a third party's help in this house.

In other words...there is only one path to choose from the beginning.

MC: ...I can only appeal to Prince Gilbert's conscience.

Gilbert: There's no such thing.

MC: Yes, there is.

(If he really didn't have a conscience, Prince Gilbert wouldn't have helped me in the first place...)

(He would have killed everyone there.)

The mercenaries and the Earl were bleeding, but they all seemed to be alive.

Sure, there's a ruthless side to it, but there's also a gentle side.

(I don't believe in the enemy prince, but if you start by believing in my "friend"...)

(Prince Gilbert is no exception.)

MC: So.... How about this?

I pushed aside my shame and embraced the cold body with the handcuffs on my arms.

I hugged him without hesitation, hoping that I could feel some of his warmth.

MC: Are you always cold, Prince Gilbert?

Gilbert: Are you serious?

MC: I'm serious.

Gilbert: If so, I'm in trouble.

Sigh, his breath touching my skin.

Gilbert: .... Not bad.

My heart was beating loudly in spite of the situation.

Gilbert: But a hug is not enough. You have too little to lose.

(...... If you ask me, it's true.)

Gilbert: Well, how about this ...... addition?

I pull my body away slightly, Prince Gilbert kissing me on the lips.

(No way...)

Gilbert: Whether in front of a prince or a servant, you will always kiss me if I ask you to....

Gilbert: That's a good enough balance, if you ask me.

MC: ......

Gilbert: What do you do?

(Well, from the looks of it, a kiss on the cheek isn't all that charming, is it?)

Every time he gently presses his lips to my lips, I get more and more nervous...

(What should I do? ......)

(He's not my lover... I'm not even sure if he's my friend...)

But it's an equivalent exchange because I already have something.

I don't think there's any other trade-off.

(...If it's not too bloody...)

Gilbert points a finger at his lips.

Gilbert: Then hurry up/ Then, let's get on with it.

(First of all, why is compensation a kiss?)

(I know it's strange, but I do it to protect the people I care about.)

I slowly brought my face closer to his face....

???: Lady MC!

(...... Huh.)

All rights reserved by Cybird. Translation is not 100% accurate.

Gilbert's Masterlist

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

#ikemen prince #ikemen ouji #ikepri #ikepri translation #gilbert von obsidian masterlist #ikemen prince gilbert von obsidian #gilbert von obsidian #gilbert von obsidian events #ikepri gilbert #ikemen gilbert #ikemen prince gilbert

[voidbeans]

hi guys i apologize in advance but if you will allow me to be unhinged about characters for a moment. i have some. thoughts. about -you guessed it- tactical officer lieutenant felix gaeta of the battlestar galactica. 

i just. the mutiny arc gets me on so many levels because. it’s not a villain arc. i’ve seen in called that, but i respectfully disagree. it is simply a decision made- quite tactically may i add - by someone who has had to beg lie and kill his way out of every level of hell and is trying to prevent further disaster and despair. no, it is not perfectly executed. yes, there probably could have been another way. 

and here’s the thing: i don’t think it’s about the cylons. yes, they are a part of it; this is a man who witnessed the shitshow that was new caprica firsthand after all. but i think beyond that it is largely about faith and trust. think about it. gaeta has served in the colonial fleet for seven years. he has believed in it, he has lost everything to it because he has given everything to it. and that’s why he’s doing this! he believes in the idea still, but he can’t say the same about the people anymore. he trusted in baltar’s campaign, but he saw that crumble to dust within an instant. he was in charge of all that, probably did more in the political department than baltar ever did. and they blamed it all on him in the end. just look at Collaborators. they all agree that it was him handling things. he carries the weight of that. he put faith and hope in his Eight, only to find out much later that she had betrayed him. and she blamed it on him. she blamed it on his oh-so-human trust, his hope and his love. 

and now we get to the final five. there was too much going on for the show to truly explore how members of the fleet felt about that reveal, but... it’s tigh, who felix has served under for years, who has been something of a constant, part of the leadership duo he has followed for so long. it’s sam, who... well, shot him. not much else to say there. but it’s also the chief, who cut him some slack and was kind to him when no one else was after new caprica. these are people he has known, cared about, and trusted. he wants to trust them. and they give the fleet earth! which turns out to be a nuclear wasteland where home should have been. EARTH. KILLED. DEE. and yes, he could just go back to trusting that the leadership will take care of it, that they will find a way, but... the president has basically gone missing in action, and is not acting herself. there doesn’t seem to be anything left to hope for. and felix... he can’t put that kind of trust in someone else anymore. not after everything it’s done to him. he has only one thing left to give to this cause: himself. he has to at least try. trust in himself for once. do something himself. he could never do enough before, but maybe, maybe this time... 

his biggest crime, in the eyes of others, was that he didn’t simply break and die. that’s not who he is. 

im just. im so. im absolutely devastated by his character arc. 

OH AND I CAN’T GET OVER THINKING ABOUT WHAT IT MUST HAVE DONE TO EVERYONE WHO CARED ABOUT HIM. like. adama and tigh both cared about him a lot (adama calling him a good kid and worrying that he’ll never see him again with the demetrius mission, the way tigh says ‘so who shot gaeta??’ with such genuine accusation, and tries to get him to get some proper sleep in face of the enemy). helo, who had such a lovely friendship with him. HOSHI. don’t get me started on hoshi. i might cry. 

#hii guys im normal #and by that i mean sobbing crying #anyway this man has me writing fic for the first time in a long while. #i am emotionally devastated alexa play poor isaac the airborne toxic event #felix gaeta #bsg #battlestar galactica #gaius baltar #saul tigh #bill adama #sam anders #galen tyrol #louis hoshi #battlestar galactica 2003 #battlestar galactica season 4

[seasurfacefullofclouds1]

https://www.tumblr.com/seasurfacefullofclouds1/735512517858803713/little-observations-from-aotv-since-larries-like

Thisss!!!

All of this.. i saw movie as a larrie and when I’ve observed how louis has shown his relationship with harry in a subtle yet blatant way who wants to look into what he was saying.. he is smart enough not to call out directly and be seen as bitter for eternity when people are not willing to understand how cruel it was to betray a friend like that and brush it off by saying that’s how it is and boy bands always split and that’s just business.. may be it is, but there is always a right way to do it…and when i tried to say or ask questions related to this as i was still under the impression that may be just may be there was some other explanation or may be i did not read into it correctly.. UAs either never posted my asks or gave sarcastic reply or tried to twist entire thing to make harry the perfect angel that he is and was being under the shackles of Azoffs the real antagonists in Larry universe..

And believe my shock how i felt when ppl were cancelling louis on his recent chicken parmesan tweet.. i mean why would you blame the person who has tried nothing but be as truthful as possible than the person who uses larries,Haylors and all sides fandom.. and suddenly wear 1d shirt around AOTV release so that ppl think about his undying love for his band and not realise that AOTV has underlying truth and thanks his bandmates for the first time only to save himself from the debacle at Grammy…

I forgot about Harry wearing the One Direction shirt during AOTV release 😂😂😂 If that didn’t tell you about: 1. The insecurity of that man, 2. The truth of his guilt, 3. Harry’s constant reliance on PR smoke-and-mirrors to manipulate his fans.

And of course, as you said, the smoke-and-mirrors ALWAYS works.

Fans who have been invested in TPWK-Harry-Styles for years (more than a decade) can’t admit they’ve been gaslit. Their entire basis for stanning him, for having friendships in the fandom, for their fics and art and edits, for having thousands of followers, would crumble. And these fans obviously value their status more than the truth.

Why do we look the other way when bad things happen in the world? Because it is inconvenient to us.

One last question for you, anon. After AOTV, are you still a Larrie? I’m curious.

Here’s the AOTV post. Thank you again to my anon for breaking down the scenes.

[traumasurvivorshelpingsurvivors]

seeking advice and support

what should i do if my support system is suddenly crumbling and I have no one to turn to? i have bpd and cptsd among other things and lately there's been a bunch of shit happening in my friend group that tore the group in half. another friend and I were complaining about feeling isolated and ignored in the group, especially around one person, and we waned to leave, but the toxic isolating person wouldn't let us without spreading lies that we were threatening her.

eventually the situation started to cool down so I sent a message to a neutral friend just stating what I felt as I hadn't actually expressed what I wanted or how I felt, I had just stuck by my other friend's side as they were being harassed. i explained that I didn't want to stop hanging out with everyone, just the toxic person, and that I didn't want to talk with the toxic person unless she apologized for the harm she caused and started to make a genuine change.

that neutral friend passed along that message to the toxic person and I received a very long, very nasty text essentially stating that she wasn't sorry and calling me things like a pick-me, manipulative, attention-seeking, etc., mostly for. mundane things such as... crying a few times at lunch and asking my friend group for a bit of support while going through rough patches.

i immediately shared the message with my best friend who got pissed at the toxic person but then this morning sent a copy-pasted text to the 4 of us most involved in it telling us he wasn't taking sides, that everyone's messages were reasonable, and that everyone needs to stop talking about it because it was making it worse.

he told me several times earlier that I'm not a bad person and she was lying, and he said this morning that the message wasn't meant to be an attack, but I still feel a bit hurt and betrayed. i didn't actually do anything; I hate drama and never fought or tried to escalate things. i was done with the situation and just wanted to tell the neutral friend what I felt and that I wanted to maintain a friendship with them.

i just don't know what to do. i went from having a loving, secure friend group of like 7 to now maybe 2 friends. one of them being the one I was defending - who I love to death but isn't great at support - and my best friend who sent that message this morning. i feel like I can't show my emotions or ask if he believes that I'm manipulative because what if that's being manipulative? but I can't hide my emotions because not only is that. incredibly unhealthy but that also might be manipulative. I've been spiraling as a result of what that toxic person said as being abusive and as horrid as my abusers is one of my biggest fears and something I regularly panic about (ableism towards bpd from people doesn't help at all). i don't know how to reach out or if I even can, and I can't just make new friends as I find that extremely difficult and it also takes months or even years for me to be able to trust and open up to someone and get past "polite acquaintance conversation" mode.

please tag as "vulture anon"

Hi vulture,

I'm so sorry about what you've been going through. Especially when you have BPD or CPTSD, needing to cut ties with toxic friends can be especially challenging. It may help to remember that you deserve to have friends that respect and support you, and it's better to have no friends than toxic ones that enable or defend each other for things they're being rightfully called out for. It sounds like the things you communicated were reasonable, and the friend you thought you could confide in was merely an informant to the toxic friend, who responded very poorly.

Honestly this is not a situation you deserve to be in. Not only being around the toxic friend, but the friends who defend them. Your toxic friend can say it wasn't meant as an attack, but if they genuinely meant no harm then they would've understood that their intent doesn't change the impact, and they would've taken accountability for how it affected you anyways. Instead, by saying it wasn't meant as an attack, what they mean is they don't feel like you have the right to be hurt, but you do. Personally, if a friend passed along our conversation to a toxic friend, not caring about how I would be retaliated against, I would cut off both friends, as hard as that is when you struggle with a fear of abandonment. But it's important not to let your fear of abandonment be taken advantage of.

It doesn't sound like you're in the wrong whatsoever here. If you chose to cut off these friends they make you feel like you're making the wrong choice, but at the end of the day, you don't deserve to be around people who mistreat, guilt, and manipulate you.

I hope I could help and please let us know if you need anything.

-Bun

#mod bun #trauma talks #vulture anon #tw abuse #tw emotional abuse

[titlemewickedwonderland]

Mr. Sandman (Chapter 7)

Summary: Felicity Burgess, the adopted daughter of Alex Burgess and Paul McGuire lived a sheltered life from the dark secret that lay beneath her feet. But what happens when that secret is now her's to keep? Will her love for her family keep her from doing the right thing or will Mr. Sandman bring her a dream worth sacrificing everything?

Chapter Triggers: None

"There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve; the fear of failure - Paulo Coelho

Click here for chapter 6

Wonderland's Workshop

She could feel the utter suffocation his presence gave off as he stood looming over her. She felt it at that moment. The feeling of being so small in the universe the longer she stared up into his abyssal eyes. A part of her wanted to shrink away from the immense power he was radiating but the feeble, kind, human side of her wanted to find some sort of rational explanation for this. He wouldn't hurt her. He wouldn't. They may not have a strong friendship but she would like to think they shared some sort of bond after she'd helped free him right? Right? She swallowed the lump in her throat as her hands shook in her lap and her head slowly shook from side to side as she tried to fight the rock lodged in her throat to speak.

"I-I don't k-know what you're talking about. M-Morpheus, please! You have to b-believe me..." her chest heaved as she desperately sought his features for any signs that he believed her words.

But the sinking feeling in her chest told her one thing. The man standing in front of her was not her sandman. But it was Lord Morpheus, Dream of the Endless. King of Dreams and Ruler of the Nightmare realm. This being in front of her was the Dreaming personified and it was angry. Angry and vengeful as it stood in front of her daring her to lie to him and betray whatever they had. He wanted her to cave and to tell her the information she did not have. Even in the wrathful protectiveness of his realm Morpheus was hauntingly beautiful but in the most horrifying way.

"Do not lie to me." he seethed

Up close now she could see the mist of unshed tears in his eyes and the clench of his jaw; the faintest of trembles of his lips were the first things she noticed that gave away the humanity within him. Felicity craved to reach out and stroke the tension from his features but her hands clasped knuckle white in her lap too afraid of the consequences of those actions would be. She could see nothing but him and the darkness of the shadows in every corner of her guest room as if the pair of them were sunken into the abyss his cloak and magic has engulfed them in.

"I don't...I can't tell you things I do not know Morpheus," she stated lowering her gaze.

There was silence between them until a caw broke through the inkiness of the darkness and the lord of dreams pulled back to see Matthew perched on a crumbled stone. The bird had the gull to speak directly to his master in such a way that Morpheus had every right to punish him but his words stopped him and forced him to think instead.

"Boss, listen to me. The girls telling the truth! She wasn't born a Burgess. Use your head, man! She'd been adopted, maybe she doesn't exist because that's not her birth name!"

Felicity's head snapped over to the bird with wide eyes as she stared up at him. "How'd you know I was adopted, Matthew?"

"Girl, Alex Burgess is gay; always had been. There's no way he'd slip up and sleep with some woman to accidentally have you." there was slight scorn in the raven's voice making him sound far too human.

Morpheus turned away from them and stalked across the room. "We will have words, Felicity. But until then, you are to stay out of my way."

"Stay out of your way? You brought me into the Dreaming Morpheus! If you don't want me here then take me back home, damn you!" Felicity called standing hastily to her feet.

The tall frame spun around to look at her with blazing eyes she had not seen before on him. "You will not leave my realm until I know you are not a threat to the Dreaming or the Waking World."

"So I'm suddenly a prisoner? What happened to my human body not meant to be here in the Dreaming long?" she demanded taking a step towards him.

He studied her a moment before cocking his head to his raven. "Gaurd her, Matthew." was all he said before he was gone in search of Lucienne, no doubt.

Felicity sat back on the bed feeling her knees grow weak after his overpowering presence left the room and yet still she could feel it lingering behind like smoke from a candle. She shuddered and wrapped her arms around herself and pulling her legs up to her chest.

"Hey," the sound of wings flapping made the raven's landing beside her on the bed silent as he hopped into her view. "Don't be upset with Dream. He's just not used to things flying under his radar you know?"

Felicity choked on a teary laugh. "Does he think I'm a threat? Just because I'm adopted? Is that how things work in this world?" she shook her head and tucked her face into her knees. "I did nothing wrong."

The bird sighed and hopped up into the air to land on her updrawn knees; even with her head tucked away he tried to ease her worries by pecking lightly at her auburn locks as if trying to gain her attention.

"Look at this from his point of view Ms. Felicity. The man just escaped from imprisonment that lasted over a century. He returns to his world empty-handed to find his realm in shambles; with barely anything left to salvage he has to rebuild but first has to find the tools to do so. He has a lot of work on his hands and then to come to find out his friend may be a threat to his already weakened realm is…"

Felicity raised her head slightly to peer at the raven and into his dark beady black eyes. "I am not a threat Matthew. I don't know what he is talking about that I don't exist…i-if I am a threat I don't mean to be. I just don't understand…" she swallowed and lifted her head entirely to rub at the tear streak on her pale cheeks.

"Kid…" Matthew cocked his head feeling his small birdy heart break a little at the sight of those tears. "Maybe if you show him you want to understand and help…perhaps he'll rethink things." he offered in an attempt at soothing her.

"How am I supposed to do that? I'm scared…so scared to even leave this damned room anymore without fear of being targetted or cornered by him again." then there was the fact that she didn't know Morpheus as well as she thought she had.

In the end, the King of Dreams and Ruler of Nightmares was more than a child's bedtime story and so very different; complex, and hard to understand in the end. He was a being all of his own and nothing in books or long past stories would shine any more light onto who Morpheus was. She was a fool to think that there was anything special between the two of them. That much was clear. But Matthew the raven was right. Maybe if she at least showed interest to learn more about what was troubling the Lord of Dreams then he might have the good graces to allow her back into her world at the least.

"Try the library maybe? Lucienne may be of help even if reluctant at first." the raven answered before hopping up onto the girl's shoulder. "Dream won't hurt you. It's never in his nature to physically harm anyone."

The redheaded girl rose to her feet and let out a bit of a huff. "I'm not worried about him harming me physically Matthew. Sometimes the worse thing isn't physical pain but the cold hard truth that we cannot run from our own minds," she stated softly as she headed for the large door to her shambled chambers.

~

She wasn't sure what she was looking for. She was and never would be one who could figure out a library whether in her world or this one. It was clear the more she trailed down one aisle and then the next. She didn't know what was what and how the books were organized since she had yet to find Lucienne and those stupid shelves had no labels to speak of. What, did the librarian know every book on every shelf by heart? Of course, she did. Lucienne was the Dreaming Library just as Morpheus was the Dreaming. Matthew of course was no help as he idly hopped from the perch on her shoulders to the tops of the shelves depending on where the mortal paused to check something out; keeping an eye on her was rather easy for the bird and quite pleasing too as not only was she easy on the eyes but her company, despite the cloud above her that troubled her mind, was actually a breath of fresh air in comparison to the company of his master who always resembled the Waking world's version of a sulking emo boy or a half-drowned wet cat.

Little did the pair know that they were not alone. While Felicity strolled along the walls of shelving; above them on the upper level were Lucienne and her lord. The woman started noticing the lack of attention the King of Dreams was giving the volume in front of him as the soft feminine voice drifted from below to grace their ears and the muffled cawing laughter of the raven sent to guard her.

"Do you think I was too harsh on her?" Morpheus spoke up as his eyes betrayed his feelings; casting over the grand railing towards the movement below still unaware of onlookers from above.

"I think you did what you thought was right at the moment. Why, if I may ask my lord. Are you questioning yourself and your judgment?" the librarian cocked her head as she peered over the rim of her glasses.

"Is it the claim of bond you two seem to share over your imprisonment?" the words were spoken boldly but not unkindly as she stared across the table at the raven-haired man.

"I think perhaps, there is more than I first believed of this girl. Have you not noticed?" blue eyes lifted to meet brown.

"Whatever do you mean sir?"

"The Dreaming. I felt it as if it was taking a breath of fresh air after a long wait in the dust. The energy here has shifted without my doing; since the moment her feet landed in the sand." Morpheus murmured seriously.

One dark brow lifted as Lucienne gently placed down her book. "Do you think it has something to do with her being a waking soul in the Dreaming?"

"I do not know."

They fell silent then; realizing too late that the voices below had begun to grow louder as if the people responsible drew near the elder beings both looked over as Felicity paused at the top of the staircase; a bright smile on her face as she laughed at something Matthew was telling her. But the smile fell as soon as her green eyes landed on the pair by the railings where a table stood for those who wished to sit and read.

"O-Oh, I'm sorry." the girl swallowed and her eyes cast down to her feet as she took a step back down. "I didn't mean to interrupt."

Morpheus did not like the look that crossed her face the second her eyes landed on him for the briefest of moments. There was fear lurking in those eyes and he felt his chest grow heavy. He had taken it too far with his intimidation. He had not meant to cause her permanent fear of his presence. But he looked like he had. He admitted at that moment he had been overly angry at the thought of losing more of his world because he allowed a human to get too close to him and cloud his judgment.

"It is alright. Are you looking for something in particular?" Lucienne spoke up when her lord did not and her voice although cautious did hold a bit of curiosity behind it.

Felicity glanced up at Matthew who let out a wordless caw and a hop on her shoulder. Well, he was of no help. Tentatively, she placed her feet back on the floor; hands clasped in front of her.

"Actually, I was hoping I could speak with you Lucienne...I could use your help..." she glanced at the dream lord who had bowed his head pretending to read the volume in front of him. "If you had some spare time?"

Lucienne glanced between the pair with an almost amused look in her chocolate eyes as she tapped her fingertips on the table. "Of course, what can I help you with?"

Taking a breath, Felicity cautiously walked over to them; keeping in mind to not get close to Morpheus, the man himself noticed this small development as he glanced up slowly without moving his head.

"You said that there is a book for every soul from the waking world and the Dreaming ever created right?" she licked her lips as she looked around. "But you spoke with Mor-" she coughed. "Lord Morpheus about the fact that I do not have a book within your library...is there any way we can find something on me? O-Or my birth parents that may give us a clue to my real identity."

The Librarian's brows rose sharply as she pondered this. "Are you asking me if there is a chance that your book is on my shelves under a different name?"

Felicity nodded as she reached up mindlessly to stroke Matthew's feathers. "I do not mean to deceive either of you. Especially...after everything and bringing me here. I can assure you I am no threat...the idea that I do not have a place within this library makes me question my own identity." she murmured truthfully; the slump of her shoulders making the raven shift on his perch.

"We may not have the means to find out...unless you perhaps have clues to how we may pursue this new mission?" there was a kinder tone to Lucienne's voice as she pulled one of the chairs from the table as a peace offering.

The girl hesitated but in the end rested herself against the polished wood; her body shifting to turn away from the dream lord next to her in favor of looking up at the still-standing librarian who began to idly browse through her ledger again.

"I can tell you my story. From what I remember...Perhaps, there we can figure something out. If not...I do not know what to do." Felicity sighed.

"That's alright. Please, tell us." Lucienne placed her book down and perched herself carefully on the edge of the table giving the younger female an encouraging look.

Taking a breath Felicity began her tale. All the while staring at the patterns of the natural wood; fingertips lightly tracing the swirling patterns and tree rings naturally to the wood's creation.

"I grew up as the adopted daughter of Alex Burgess and his husband Paul McGuire. I have always known I was adopted for the clearest of reasons. For some reason though, my fathers did not wish to talk about how they came to have me in their care. Anytime when I was younger I would ask one or the other about my birthparents or any information that they had about how they came to be my family. They were always tight-lipped about it all which at first I thought was normal. It's not unusual for parents with adopted children to stay mum about the child's origin if it did not come from good lines. Drunks, murderers, drug addicts. That sort of thing. So I too, thought that was my origin; something about bad parents who could not take care of me." she mused softly, drawn into her own memories as she spoke unaware of the raft attention she had from her peers.

"I let it go the more I grew up because I didn't want to anger my parents or make them doubt me, you know? But sometimes I often wonder about my birth parents. The Children's home that I was adopted from no longer stands though, so I would not be able to find answers there; trust me I tried when I was younger."

The scratchy scratch of a pen on paper caught the girl's attention and made her look over at Lucienne who was writing stuff down in the book. When the girl did not continue the woman waved her pen at her politely asking her to continue in silence.

"So you were unable to search for any signs of birth parents then? What about any workers that used to work there that may have known you?" she questioned.

"Um, I was an unnamed baby when I was brought there. Alex and Paul named me upon adoption." the girl looked sheepish but that look turned downcasted when she realized they really didn't have a clue.

"Hey hey let's not have a long face! You got something with you that you might be able to be identified by?" Matthew questioned lightly pecking at her stray hairs in an attempt to ease her discontent.

Morpheus watched from the corner of his eye and listened with keen ears realizing how comfortable his subjects were getting around the girl and for a moment he wondered for the briefest of seconds if Felicity would be able to visit more often if not permanently move in. But that was selfish and out of the question.

"Just a baby blanket but it wasn't anything special. Whatever the Children's home had for me." she shrugged lightly.

"Hmm, anything else?" Lucienne tried encouragingly.

The girl thought it over for a moment before her eyes sparked with a memory. "There was...Paul had said that there was a chain with a ring hanging off of my neck whenever I was brought to the Children's home. Although, I never got to see it because Alex took it from me before I had a chance and it completely slipped my mind."

"Where is this ring now?" Felicity jumped at the sudden sound of Morpheus's voice for the first time since she'd entered the library.

Licking her lips a moment she finally met his gaze and there went that gravitational pull that thrummed through her. No, she was supposed to be upset that he'd scared the hell out of her but she knew that anger was long gone; she could not find it in herself to be angry for the being simply being concerned for his realm's safety.

"I don't know. I could ask Paul when I get home to see where it went. I bet they probably have it in a safe somewhere with their other valuables." she replied softly before looking up at Lucienne "Is there some sort of magic you can do to track the original owner maybe?"

"We could but that would be a lot of work." the elder mused before looking over at her master with a look. "But it would be easier to tap into the memory residue left behind by the owner. Would you be able to do that sir?"

Felicity's head snapped over to him and he was met with hopeful green eyes. Leaning back against his chair he stared back at her before his gaze left to travel away. "I cannot. Not without my tools."

The hope within her deflated and she slumped in her chair. The upper level of the library was in dead silence for a moment before suddenly Matthew cawed regaining their attention.

"What if you took Ms. Felicity with you in search of your tools boss?"

"No. That is out of the question." Morpheus rose from his seat in a flurry and snapped the volume closed on the table. "It is far too dangerous for a mortal to travel with me."

"That's rather rude." Felicity grumbled, "You say such things like that almost as you care Morpheus."

The dream king paused by her chair and glared straight ahead; refusing to look at her as he spoke. "You are mortal. The places I go cannot sustain you. It is for your own good."

She scoffed and rose to her feet. Poking him on the shoulder as she passed. "You're the one who took me to the Dreaming! This is your fault." she pointed out

"A mistake I am attempting to rectify am I not Burgess?" Morpheus stared down at her and she couldn't help but huff.

"You know what? If you're going to leave me like some caged animal the least you can do is send me back home. I'm sure Johanna is worried sick that I haven't come back yet." she crossed her arms thinking she had won this one but she caught that little smirk tug at the corners of the man's mouth as he leaned closer to her

"You will not be going anywhere until we sort this little problem." and with that, the tall being left the library silently in his victory.

Felicity glared back as he left before she threw her hands up in the air. "Insufferable! Utterly insufferable!" she huffed before she caught the look Lucienne and Matthew shared and she pointed a finger at them

"What?!"

The librarian hid a smile and ducked her head back to her ledger. "Nothing miss." she fought a smile. "Nothing at all."

Click here for Chapter 8

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#the sandman netflix #netflix the sandman #the sandman #the sandman fic #the sandman fandom #morpheus the sandman #morpheus dream of the endless #morpheus dream #lord morpheus #dream #dream of the endless #dream lord #the sandman dream #dream x original character #morpheus x original character #morpheus fic #dream fic #tags open

[kerrileighv]

Hey there,

I know you’re probably thinking I’ve lost my mind in wanting to reach out to you. You probably haven’t even read this far into the letter, probably shredded or crumbled or even burned this letter by now. But in the case that you didn’t, this letter is to say, I’m sorry— it’s quite alright to hate me now. I don’t want to rehash the past or dwell on it. I know I fucked up with you. In more than one way. Hence why you don’t talk to me, even blocked me from being able to contact you. I betrayed you, aired out the truth to people you didn’t want to hear it. Or not sure what your actual perception is on what I did, but that’s my guess at least. I just want to address it. And speak my peace a little.

I don’t think you understood my perception of what transpired between us, our friendship or whatever you may have considered it, and that left me real fucked up. I loved you too much, too long, and too late. That’s my bad. You moved on before I even had chance to realize. I took that too hard. I couldn’t see past the pain. But still, I told my perception of the truth. To someone you didn’t want to know. And I told them, knowing how you felt about that. I’m sorry for that. I’m not looking for you to forgive me, I just want to say it to you.

I miss our friendship, more than you’d even believe. I’ve hit mile stones and done things I wish I could call you and tell you about. That’s my loss. No matter how hard I try to erase you from my brain and my heart, there’s still that missing piece that you once held. I know that sounds weird. I wish I could have felt differently, and that we could have made it through to continue our friendship. You were one of the best friends I’ve ever known, I know I’ll never know it again, I’m sorry about that. If you ever change your mind though, I’m always a phone call away.

Best wishes,

An old friend

#a letter to you #late night confession #old friends #apology #writing #journal

[professorthaddeus]

Mother, Father. This will be my final letter.

You know, I used to find the two of you everywhere. I would see the love I betrayed in the faces of families who are whole. I would hear your terrified screams in laughter. I would see your bodies twisted in agony in the flickering of a campfire. I would feel your blood on my hands every time I cast a spell.

I would find you everywhere, and so I held fast to the possibility that I would bring you back.

Today, I relinquished the chance of it ever becoming a reality.

I could have gone back and saved you. It would have worked. There were puzzle pieces in that chamber that I would have clicked into place; there was magic buried in those relics that I would have unlocked and unleashed.

I would have joined the ranks of mages of myth. I could have unraveled everything.

The chamber is nothing but ashes now.

I still find the two of you everywhere. Your dreams for my potential are in the spells I learned from Essek. Your hope for the Empire is in Beauregard’s pen as she fights for our people, stroke by stroke. Your love is in the grin that Veth shines on her son when he fires a toy crossbow at the ass of a local shopkeeper.

I miss you. I love you. I am sorry.

I hope I can still make you proud.

~

Caleb closes that worn, leather-bound book for the last time. Tucks it back beneath his arm, stands, walks to the entryway of his tower. His hand shakes as he reaches for the handle.

Well, you and the Nein got me to the door. Now I have to walk through it.

He takes a deep breath, then takes his first step outside.

He arrives in Blumenthal alone, visits their graves, leaves his letters in the ground.

And he gets to work. But in this, he is not alone.

Beauregard is there, matching every armload of books he carries with two of her own. They spend their days compiling records and narratives, wielding the truth both in court and behind the scenes—children of the Empire leaving their home better than they found it for the children who will come after them, just as they always vowed.

What wasn’t planned is this: a couple times every week, Beauregard drags Caleb out of the library. They teleport to a remote cottage in a location that few are privy to, where Yasha will have started preparing the ingredients for a new recipe from Caduceus. The instructions are often passed through a jumbled chain of Jester’s messages, and there always seem to be a suspicious number of bugs included for supposedly vegetarian dishes, but they make it work all the same. On more than a few occasions, Caleb plays referee while Beauregard and Yasha spar, safe in the knowledge that their attacks are of their own free will and they will never truly harm each other again.

Jester and Fjord spend much of their time on the open sea, but Jester’s voice is never far from Caleb’s ear. She tells him of everything from her newest tattoo victim to an encounter with a dragon turtle with a grudge, from a shanty about dicks she came up with on the fly to an update on a young half-orc girl Fjord has taken under his wing. Every once in a while, Jester will demand a reunion, too. Some of them are out of necessity—such as when Uk’otoa finally comes knocking and Fjord can no longer sail the other away—but many are not. They meet in Nicodranas when the Nein Heroez docks for a pastry run, they meet in Hupperdook for a night packed with drinking contests and celebone sticks and hugs for Kiri, they meet on Rumblecusp when life becomes too much and the nine of them sorely need to fuck off to a vacation. Soon, even Darktow is open to them, once Kingsley has unseated the Plank King and lifted their ban from the island. His reign is long, and it is magnificent. Until he grows bored.

Caduceus joins them for every mandated reunion, but for the most part, he tends to his garden or explores the world on his own. But he is never out of reach, and when he does not come to the rest of them, they go to him. It is not uncommon for Caleb to arrive in the Blooming Grove to see Beauregard already meditating by the pond. Other times, Fjord will be there drinking tea with Caduceus, and the three of them will share a quiet conversation, each far more secure in their words than they’d been over fish and chips all those years ago. Often it is just Caduceus and his parents and siblings, and Caleb will be invited to a family dinner in a home that Ikithon could not burn down.

Veth remains a constant in Caleb’s life. Of course she does. Sometimes, when the two of them are teaching the neighborhood kids how to point a copper wire, or reminiscing over a glass of sherry, or simply talking while she weaves flowers into his hair on the beaches of Nicodranas, he’ll think back to his old fears of losing her to her family and laugh. After all, how could such a thing be possible when he is a part of her family himself?

There are others, too.

Countless students who pass under his tutelage and grow into young mages who know that power should be used to protect, not to manipulate. A cat—well, there are many cats, but there is one in particular that Caleb does not own, a snowy white fey cat who slinks in and out of his classroom as he pleases, whose eyes seem to flash when the Martinet arrives to have a word, who settles into place around Caleb’s shoulders with a purr when the rare nightmare returns.

An unexpected kinship with Yeza, forged at first through mutual respect and an understanding in their love for Veth, but eventually growing into a friendship in its own right. It is one that unfolds in quiet nights by stacks of books, in gleeful debates when comparing notes on magic and alchemy, in exhausted evenings watching over Luc together while Veth takes a girls’ night out to cause some chaos with Jester, Beauregard, and Yasha.

His old friends, who, try as they might, never seem able to sever the threads that have always tangled their fates together. It is Eadwulf who comes around first, with the silent offering of a bottle and a grim smile as he and Caleb crumble the bricks of Vergesson to dust. Astrid takes time. It makes sense—she has always been a fantastic dancer, and for a while, it appears they will be trapped in a precarious political tango forever, stepping around each other in their roles as the Archmage of Civil Influence and a simple teacher who may or may not be practicing treason in his classroom. But in the shadows, Astrid pulls a few strings to keep Caleb out of prison. Caleb hears a rumor and sends the might of the Cobalt Soul after a colleague who wants Astrid dead. And eventually, she begins joining him and Wulf on their evening walks through the streets of Rexxentrum. They return to the dance hall. They get lunch. They share memories, relearn each other’s old scars, and discover that solace can still be found in each other the way it was when they were children. It will always be complicated. It starts to become beautiful.

And of course, floating by Caleb’s side every step of the way is Essek, a drow who has learned to curb his ambition and care for others, who has decided to make his own amends. The former Shadowhand to the Bright Queen, who now spends his days picking up cupcakes for Jester in Uthodurn, planting seeds in the Blooming Grove. Sitting in on Caleb’s lessons with a different face each week, sketching runes into the floor of Caleb’s home amongst scattered papers and spell components, curling up on a couch beside Caleb and begrudgingly getting through Tusk Love because he promised. A traitor, a hero, a lifelong friend. A steadfast love.

So when Caleb Widogast arrives at the final page of his story, he is no longer shrouded in guilt, or grief, or regret. No, he is surrounded by the warmth of his chosen family when he takes his last breath, when time has run its course and he is finally ready to meet his parents again.

(And even before he sees their faces, he knows. He knows he made them proud.)

—————

also on ao3 | my other cr fics

#critical role #caleb widogast #mighty nein #empire siblings #shadowgast #blumendrei #cr spoilers #c2e141 #this is very delayed because i've been too busy to sit down and finish it until now and it's kind of a mess #buuut here tumblr have half my feelings about the finale and the nein crammed into one fic #my writing #my ramblings #c2 epilogue #cr fic

[van-zieksy]

Hello, Zieksy! I came here to deliver something worth of thought perhaps by yours truly! I hope you don’t mind :D

Here’s your typical sorta angst thought coming up: It really saddens me to think that Barok as a result of his infamy as the “Reaper” and his isolation for 10 long years, is more than likely touch-starved! poor man is probably secretly craving hugs but refrains from acting upon it or asking for it to uphold his image and to control himself.

I think he wouldn’t really oppose to hugging in private, though... but you’ll have to earn his trust first, which is fair. Please, let this man feel safe :’(

Hello, my lovely mutual!

Thank you so much for your ask. I am always so happy to hear from you @angeaxil.

Your thoughts totally resonate with me! This poor man finds it hard to trust people, and it’s easy to see why. (The first paragraph will be slightly angsty - and this response will also contain spoilers for anyone who hasn't played the DGS games yet -, just to be aware.) Yes, his brother was taken from him; the sibling who helped raise him and played an integral part in who Barok is today. But it’s not so much that his brother was murdered; it’s by whose hands he was taken from him. The other older man who – according to Barok – had the same great eyes full of conviction and was very similar to Klint. The friend who Barok looked up to, admired, and trusted with every part of his soul. If someone like that is capable of such a cruel act, how can he trust anyone else ever again? When Klint and Genshin died, a part of Barok died with them. All the good he saw in humans evaporated in front of his own eyes. What he thought was true, his ideals, his aspirations, his desires, it all crumbled to pieces in just a few short weeks. How can he ever let anyone close to him again if one of the most significant people in his life up until that point betrayed his and his brother's trust? After what happened, he had to find himself again. But he wasn’t really afforded the opportunity and didn’t have time to regain trust in people because he soon became the victim of the Reaper plot. He accepted the persona because he was led to believe that it meant Klint was still around and because he realised that his curse caused a significant drop in heavy crimes. Barok’s beloved deceased brother taking the lives of people (albeit hardened criminals), forcing him to face his dear late brother over and over again in such a tragic way. How cruel do humans have to be to even come up with something like that? As you’ve already pointed out, the Reaper caused him a lot of suffering and loneliness. While he quickly made a name for himself as an outstanding, respectable and fearsome prosecutor (something to be proud of), he had to face the mistrust and prejudices of the public at the same time. He couldn’t save his brother, and now he’s also being held responsible for deaths that have nothing to do with him. How can he allow anyone near him if it may cause them suffering or even death? There just wasn’t any room for a romantic relationship or even deep friendships.

Now ten years later he is absolutely touch-starved! After the reveal of the Professor case, he now knows that the person he cherished most turned over to the dark side (Klint), the person he held in the highest regards took advantage of Klint's trust/despair and betrayed Barok (Genshin), and most other people who were close to him in one way or another betrayed him, too (Stronghart, Gregson, Sithe….even Kazuma - who he agreed to mentor despite having his reservations about someone who has supposedly lost his memory - wanted to see him dead). The thing is, he did have his doubts about some people in his life, but he just didn’t want to believe that those people would hurt him, so he must think of himself a fool for not trusting his intuition. But he also realises that he’s a better, stronger, more principled person than the likes of Stronghart, Klint, Gregson, Genshin and Sithe, so there’s still the possibility for him to venture into a brighter future. It will take some time for him to heal, but there’s no doubt in my mind that he’s looking forward to forming new relationships, which will also include physical contact. While initially his social life will most likely consist of Kazuma (who will eventually become a great friend; they have a lot in common and can share their respective pain), Iris and Sholmes, as well as Ryuunosuke and Susato (mostly exchanging letters), the time will come when he will want to form new relationships. If we allow him some time to slowly regain his trust in humans, I wholeheartedly believe that he will want to have his own family.

Barok is a person who believes that actions speak louder than words. Like you’ve said, anyone has to gain his trust first. But once you are able to form a relationship with him – whether it be friendship or love – this man is the kindest, most loyal, thoughtful, dedicated and protective human being you will ever know. The prosecutor we see in the games may appear to be non-approachable, but he only does so because he has no other choice. Why waste precious time on social niceties when there’s a great possibility that the person in front of you may stab you in the back? His true self does shine through on multiple occasions, which even Ryuu notices in 2-4, when he points out that he can tell that Barok is a good person based on how he treats people in court. His first physical contact will probably be with his niece. Yes, Iris will learn the truth about Barok shortly after the second game and will want to spend lots of time with him. She jumps into his arms once he opens the door to his countryside mansion to welcome her for the first time. They leisurely stroll through the garden hand-in-hand. She sits in his lap as he’s reading stories to her. He showers her with attention and praise and allows her to fulfill her dreams. Physical affection was not something Victorian adults/parents provided often – if at all -, especially not in the higher echelons of society, but Barok is different. Barok does not desire to have superficial relationships. His heart aches for deep relationships in which human souls form a connection. Relationships than can even be transcendental in nature. It is then that he realises that he longs to have a romantic partner in his life, someone who he can share anything with...a family.

The first time his partner and he share a touch is like a revelation to him. He hasn’t allowed anyone to brush against his cheeks, cup his jaw, touch his waist and stroke his hair in years. It sends sensations through his body he completely forgot were possible. Barok also forgot how good it can feel to kiss the person you love with all your heart. During the ten year of loneliness he could have given into his urges and sought out superficial „pleasure“, and while he did consider doing so a few times, he knew that that’s not who he truly is. It wouldn’t have fulfilled him. And the few attempts at romantic relationships were quickly abandoned because he was scared something bad may happen to his love interests. So he did have some physical contact in the privacy of his manor, but not as much as he desired. He enjoys being touched by his loved one and allows for that to happen quite often because he just can’t get enough of it, but even more so he enjoys giving his all to make his partner feel good. This man has always been selfless. He gains the greatest satisfaction from showing others that he deeply cares about them and their well-being. Barok will eventually become a father of adorable kids who have his fluffy, purplish hair and his deep, turquoise eyes that are a window to the soul. Those little bundles of joy are spending a lot of time around their sister Iris (yes, Iris found a second father in Barok lol). Finally this man has been able to achieve the live and the love he always deserved...with lots of touches, hugs, and other displays of phyiscal affection.

With my kindest regards,

Zieksy

P.S. I do hope my lengthy response does not offend.

#ask #ace attorney #the great ace attorney #tgaa #barok van zieks #van zieks #the great ace attorney chronicles #tgaac #dgs #dai gyakuten saiban #asks

[christinesficrecs]

Hi Christine! I was wondering if you have any fics similar to “lion among us” or “can’t rely on me” where Stiles is pushed out of the pack, either intentionally or otherwise? Thanks so much for the amazing work you do in keeping this fandom alive!

Sure!

Can’t rely on me by  Littleredridinghunter | 116.2K

The pack let him down, that’s not really a surprise lately.

When Danny finds Stiles nearly bleeding to death the next day it’s the start of a beautiful friendship.

Can the pack make amends before it’s too late? Will Stiles ever forgive them for not being there for him when he needed them the most?

Start Small, Like Oak Trees by  SmallBirds | 24.2K

The months following Allison’s death have passed Stiles by in a haze of monotony. He sleepwalks through days that seem to lose their color, an unwilling passenger in a body he no longer trusts. Eventually, he thinks, he’ll just fade away. He isn’t sure anyone would notice. Then, during a spur of the moment grocery run, he stumbles upon Derek Hale attempting to console a lost child, and for the first time in recent memory the world doesn’t seem so awful. He’s not sure what he’d been expecting when he eventually convinces Derek to move into the Stilinski’s spare bedroom, but a newfound passion for weeding and topsoil certainly isn’t it.

Fixer Upper by  Arsenic | 39.1K | Heavy Angst

After the events of 5a, Stiles is estranged from Scott–and by association, the pack. Derek is off finding himself, or, at least, Germany and some other places. There’s a lot of texting and post cards and then Derek comes back to find Stiles missing. Worse, nobody seems to remember Stiles existing.

Throw Me to the Wolves by  skoosiepants | 13.4K

Stiles accidentally gets bitten, and everything goes to hell.

I Wanna Let Go And Know That I’ll Be Alright | 21.9K | Mature

When Scott tells Stiles to ‘take a step back’ from pack life, Stiles takes it as an invitation to get his life back on track - sans the supernatural.

We’ll be Better Around the Second Time by Cantabo | 26.5K | Mature

Stiles gets pushed out of the pack, hits the road, makes new friends, learns how to grow up, and falls in love.

Lost on you by devilscut | 51.3K | Mature

A deadly encounter with an Alpha changes Stiles’ life forever - kicked out and betrayed by his best friend and brother, Scott McCall, he leaves Beacon Hills, but much to his surprise not alone. Ten years down the track, living a life he never dreamed possible, a chance meeting brings back memories of that night - the good and bad mixed with a whole lotta WTF that even now still has him scratching his head as to what happened.

It seems wasted now by DaaroMoltor | 48.5K

It’s been months. Months of lonely days and lonelier nights. And Stiles can’t understand what he did wrong.

The One You Choose by Livinginfictions | 13.4K | Mature

Stiles hadn’t seen Scott in over a week, except for glances he caught during school hours.

The Mating Privilege by Kikileduc | 35.3K | Mature

Stiles and Derek have been happily mated. The pack is doing well, but in hopes of creating alliances for it to do better, Derek accepts a neighboring pack's request to allow two wolves to join the Hale-McCall pack for a full moon cycle. They hope to form a blood-tie, or at least a long term friendship between the two packs. The issue is Kohona, the tribal leader's daughter, has her eyes set on an unavailable alpha wolf. This could have drastic consequences for their young emissary, however...

A Question of Pack by CawCawMF | 5.2K

Stiles had always been sure of his place in the pack. That place being the absolute lowest tier in the hierarchy of werewolf pack dynamics, but he was sure of it all the same. He wasn’t necessary exactly, since just about anyone could conduct research on supernatural mythology, but his job was still important to the pack and he felt good about that. At least, that’s what he always thought. That all came crumbling down one sunny afternoon in the form of Jackson’s big mouth.

Stiles of Leadership by  ConchyJoe | 153.7K

Stiles gets kicked out of the Pack. Let’s see what happens if Stiles fights back

Sparks and shadows by  Nival_Vixen | 21.5K

Stiles has to figure out a way to maintain a balance between his spark and the darkness inside of him.

The New Normal by midnightcas | 63.3K

After Stiles gets hurt...again, Derek puts him on the metaphorical supernatural bench. Meanwhile, Stiles tries to have a normal life and make normal friends. But when a new pack comes to town and the Hales start getting threats, things start to get a little....not normal.

A Healing Silence by  HelloWhyTheFuckAmIHere | 36.3K

Stiles is slowly pushed out of the pack following his fight with Scott about Donovan’s death. After receiving a phone number from an old friend, Stiles is surprised to find that it belongs to the one person who may be able to bring him back to himself.

Didn’t See That Coming by knittersrevolt | 83.8K | Explicit

Stiles leaves Beacon Hills in the dust after he catches his husband cheating on him.

He finds his way to New York where he starts working for the Hale House Nursery, accidentally adopts a werewolf baby (through no fault of his own thank-you-very-much), and somehow starts training to be an Exorcist Emissary. So, in general, life was going good.

Then he hears that demons have found their way into his hometown. Can he face his inner demons and go back to save the day?

Love So Hard, It Could Rip My Heart Out by  Lapin | 7.5K

Stiles is seventeen, and his best friend is drifting away, and his dad isn’t speaking to him, so he’s going to make some bad decisions. He’s seventeen and he needs bad decisions to look back on when he’s thirty, and nothing is a worse decision than Derek Hale. He’ll let the Big Bad Wolf in, let him press Stiles down into the couch and he’ll wrap his arms around him and he’ll know it’s a bad choice, but it’s his, and Derek is here when no one else is.

#asks #sterek fics #ficrecs #stiles is pushed out of the pack #oh the angst #scott is a bad friend #sh8deenthusiast

[captainkurosolaire]

~ Mass Update ~

Mainly going into future plans and intents alongside ideas below cut.

Ton's of things I've in store this will prove difficult to vent it all out. But here we go... First off rehashing and appropriately learning to tag and organize things better on my blog. Each category will have their own corresponding content, I seek to bring or share. [Tales of Goldbrand] -- I intend this to carry a Compendium of all my writes soon that'll have everything neatly in-order including a glossary, so it'll have highlights of stories that even matter or the best stuff. I've written here for a very, long time, there's been many shifts. I want to make it more accessible. While coloring what matters for people who want to learn Captain or his Crew with less chapters. While also giving choice to find it all easily. This is essentially a step-above master-lists. I'll be doing that after the Saga I have going on, right now is done. [Captain] -- Will provide you strictly with Captain screenshots, gifs, photo-sets. This is still his blog despite the Crew thing's will sort of make this a scuffed Multi-Muse blog. I've few more things to edit and tag fix to get all his stuff though. [The Wild Crew] -- Afterwards this story is done Immortal Age Saga, It's something that I mainly wrote as a passion project within three days to get my warm-up process fixed. It's to allow me to get a feel for all his Crewmates and casts, in combat, in-general, to feel their presences. While also giving a bit of their backstories. At any point, I can go back and polish or tweak things in. They're NPC's but... not entirely. All will have their own 'Dreams' and their own 'Disapproval's' they have their own missions even. These things will factor eventually, they might set seeds, to betray or disagree with something, but that's all angst and more stories to be created, but overall, they'll probably always be Crew, eventually. -- I plan on making character-profile sheets of them and putting them in this Tab, it'll have their screenshots, their likes/dislikes. Some RP partners or people can also be shipped with them, but they'll all be monogamous and originally start off probably Pan. This allows them to figure out what they like on their own stories. I've always been someone who likes organic-flow. Although this one story contain all 16 characters or more, the rest will probably be shortened to a Squad of 4 and dispersed when on adventuring missions. Until I do a War Arc, that's my main goal to build too. [Roster] -- Will contain this Crew in just screen-sets dedicated to them, I'll probably randomly produce those. I've PC players among this Crew too. I may not be done either adding more, but this Crew is mainly built around Quality. Most pirate crew's mainly, have hundreds, thousands. Even Fleets. This Crew has personalities, monsters, people who are living life's that exist with piracy. He's an particular leader that had PC players the same way, he's had split-personality serial killers aboard, tribal chieftains, succubus, all sorts of various people once on a Crew. It's often an outcast style, pirates default are chaotic in nature, so this really isn't any different, it's a Fantasy version of it. There's humanization characters aboard too though, so this cast is really decked, everything and person is vital, they matter because they remind or covet something that others can draw upon. If ever played (Three Houses or Mass Effect / Dragon Age Origins) A lot of things like that are relatable too this structure and format. Which, Is something I want to be able to give when RPing. I want a genuine feel of this new world someone else's muse will be the main-character too. Depending on what's interacting everything they'll be scale appropriately to follow the genre they're in and environment even. [Aesthetics] -- Already explainable what you'll find here. [Asks] -- Same thing. [Prompts] -- Trivial things I was tagged too, I plan on compiling later. [Writing] -- Another alternatively to randomly go-down and it works right now. [Logs] -- Will have more individualistic master-lists and posts there, my poems from Sheik Sphere the Bard, etc.

Things of that nature, I'll probably add still. It's where a lot of my creative writing is summed. [Gems of Hydaelyn] -- My main #tag for other characters and artists, creationist. Lot of amazing people easily to find their zones or follow them optionally if you like. Ton's I intend to support and bolster, be a lot less unspoken. I'm never the type who's been strictly inclusive. But I'll do that when I've time to even explore the dash, I'm always still planning ahead with things and projects. [CKS] My original character-sheet it's outdated on something's but not too terrible. I'll give him polishing someday, I swear? [21+F-List] -- Just purely degenerate stuff of Captain. I'm a pirate blog. I will represent that with openness and furthermore. I'm never projecting you some false-image. I started off a smut-writer by stripping that, I no-longer represent the same aura and identity. But those are strictly his stuff and kinks, I'm effective in executing them but they're not all relatable to me OOC. This blog will always be 18+ containing crude or dark material sometimes, romantic things, this Captain is blunt, will literally put his cock on the table in conversations. Swearing and being censored would be too uncommon and displace most of him, but there's more about him then all this. [Other] -- I pay homage to a lot of characters, I originally am a Concept Designer. Which mean's I make characters and ideas like my addiction. Bad characters / villains or other little things I like to share in designs, I'll put there. Some villains might get little photo-sets, even if they died. Just cause I like their design, or maybe I'll give them an AU, where they won. When I've wrapped up things. [Collabs + Ships] -- Is a new project idea. This isn't going to be something limited too romantic only ships. It'll contain, platonic, romantic, friendships, rivals, frenemies, family, PC Crew, all ships. I am desperately working on improving my gif, screenshot, posing game so I can supply 'Screen Stories' this is not only a way to RP that's accessible with even people who are upon time-crunches from work, It gives visual-representation. To impactful stories shared with others and establish bonds. That are all-valid and impactful matter. Lot of people take a lot of their characters attributes into them and are them dialed up, I work with that and bit more, differently. I'm disconnected from my characters and they'll get hurt and injured and killed by me, that's my duty as their Author to give them conflicts and struggles. I'm their major antagonist, but that doesn't mean at-all, it's always SET that way. The characters I like to make have their own life, they live in this setting and are abide by it, they're often nothing, nobodies, and by the interacting with others, they slowly gradually building, more... Through emotional impacts, they alter, these are REAL people by all their beliefs. Each person they come in-contact with are legitimate and treated like that too. They've always impacted or given them insights to grow, or represent more. Otherwise it'd be criminally disrespectful if I allowed any emotional I felt OOC be the grudge to something IC. Captain in-particular is set on defying me. I cannot have that. ...But I can't stop him. He's met and encountered so many people and lived so many scenarios based on the actions of others, he's giving a chance right now to actually do things a lot further than impossible. The more people he meets and encounters, experiences, the more I lose. These stories are emotionally interactive where everything is a factor and adds to the dice, where the other people are the one who get to roll the dice for him, not me. That's something I want to color in. People range in emotions, they have their down's, ups, their own wholesome-grounding people, spending time with your favorite people, there's nothing more cherishing than that, being in your own comfort-zone or 'safe-space' these are all treasures that we live under, today. Contrary if what people assume of me, I'm not another 'blogger' that's came

before, who's wanting to force a harem, then constantly is bewildered when that falls to pieces cause of selfishness or a lack of communication, or the skeletons they have in their closets and beliefs they hid behind and swindled fooled everyone. I'm not looking to be popular or anything really, I just create stories and want to share in those, and I want to also boost others included, upward with me, especially those who make me. There's no ego in anything I do, this is purely love. I've never cared about being replicated or duplicated, I've had stalkers, I've gone through more then anyone would imagine, I've been used OOC and abused, just for my writing and cold-harshly told, i'd never amount to anything other then that or vice-versa. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Passion. That's all I got and am anymore. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Passion is the hardest thing to keep. It's something that can be stolen, quite effortlessly. Few words of discouragement, a bad negative representation, a lack of confidence, or small amount of time, there's many thing's that can put that flame out. Once you lose it. The difficulty to reattain is hundred-times harder than climbing any mountain for real. I've watched the greatest creators crumble from under the pressure, from beaten down by others. I watched many of them do it to themselves because they put a grand vision of needing validation of another and once lost, felt uncompelling to press onward. But passion also can be given BACK and drawn. It can be shown and encourage others, with a soft-triggering, that pushes them. That motivates, that constantly sticks to it. There are many that fuel me. If I ever quit, I let them down, I spit in the faces of people who're better than me in every-way. Or people who've came and given me their precious Time. That have given their character's or dedication to the abundant stories and community-driven things I've done. There's ONLY things you can do, create, give and provide. It cannot ever come to life without YOU. This is a fact. ...I swear, If you let your creativity soar, you'll be amazed by the heights you get. Constantly polish and learn and hone the best you, challenge yourself day after painstaking day, to draw better improvement on something, no matter how trivial or unfamiliar you are. You'll find a confidence only you can give yourself. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Future Plans --------------------------------------------------------------------- For me, I've got so much more stories to give and also explore, I might be taking up soon some other artists and more skilled people from community and hire them for some of my future writes, to up my game or cause something thing's can't be done in-game cause no background carries it. I also got a lot of-set up things and more angst stuff I want to practice, plus I'm adamantly on that grind to produce screen-sets with the intent's to some sort of improving daily. Additionally more people I'll be reaching out too soon for these collab's ideas and things. I look forward to shaking your hands, giving some hugs, show you my respect and admiration, then creating some enchanting stories and giving plots light. Feel free to reach out to me, I get scattered-brain but I'm working on getting better about it. Eventually will get to you though, my goals, if uninterested just say so when I poke, no bites, unless you kinky. Anyways, cheers hearties.

#ooc #update #future plans stuffz #ToG #Work on thinking of daily practice now

[renegadeontherunn]

hello fiona my love, hope you are doing amazing - i am so excited you are doing prompts!!! AAAAHHHH could you do 29. "you're a really bad liar." with obi & soka?? or really whoever you want!!! ily queen

SAM MY LOVE!!!!! AHHHH THANK YOU FOR THIS ASK AND FOR YOUR KIND WORDS I HOPE YOU'RE DOING WONDERFULLY TOO ILY!!!!!! and thank you for being my first EVER prompt fill!!!!! 

29. “you’re a really bad liar.” // from these prompts! // read it on ao3!

Ahsoka doesn’t look at the Temple.

She can still feel it—that gentle warmth and familiar glow—wherever she goes, but she doesn’t look at it. And it’s fine. She doesn’t need to see it to still feel the gaping hole where the Jedi used to reside and she shoves the Force away at every opportunity.

Ahsoka pulls her cloak tighter. The nights have been getting colder and colder and she finds herself missing the Temple (and its inhabitants) more and more.

She looks over her shoulder again on instinct, half expecting to see Anakin or Master Yoda, or even Rex. But there’s just the usual blank, dark faces of the Coruscant nightlife and Ahsoka breathes a sigh of sad relief. If she can just get off Coruscant, get to a new planet, maybe somewhere Mid-Rim, then she can actually relax. Then she’ll be free. Ahsoka shakes her head, arms wrapping around herself.

She shouldn’t have to worry about being free.

The diner she steps in is nicer than most of the ones she’s frequented in the weeks she’s been exiled, and it’s late enough to not be crawling with too many sketchy figures. The Force simmers as the little bell dings to announce her entrance, and so Ahsoka keeps her senses sharp. A quick reaction can be the difference between life and death. She’s learned that enough times.

“Ahsoka.”

There. Ahsoka’s shoulders tense up immediately, her whole body freezing, and she squeezes her eyes shut. Of course. Of course. Ahsoka thought she wasn’t sure if she wanted to see anyone—each check behind herself was bittersweet, would it be better to reconnect or is complete isolation the safest option?—but as soon as the quiet, surprised word drifts into the air, an anvil slams down on Ahsoka’s chest and she wishes she was anywhere else.

She could leave. She could just turn around and walk—run—away, hide back in her seedy apartment with the moldy ceiling and rusty door. But something, be it obligation or pride or just plain shock, forces Ahsoka’s head to her left and she locks eyes with Master Kenobi.

He’s dressed exactly as she remembers: a few thousand layers of robes with no doubt the hundredth brown cloak wrapped loosely around his shoulders. There’s a full cup of what looks like cold caf nestled between his hands. Ahsoka tries not to walk too woodenly over to him, screaming against her own body for betraying her.

Not now, not him, not this.

His face is paler, a bit more sunken than it used to be, or so Ahsoka thinks, but his face is all pleasant surprise and familiar, if a bit hesitant, warmth.

“Please, sit down.” He gestures to the seat across from him.

Ahsoka’s heart lurches. “I’m good.”

A beat of silence. She sits.

His eyes scan her face. “How are you?”

“Fine,” she answers automatically. Oh, this is not going to go well.

Obi-Wan doesn’t seem fazed. He nods. “That’s great.”

More silence. Ahsoka tries not to fidget, fails; tries not to stare, fails at that too. And her flailing attempts to squash the surging anger inside herself—well, you can probably guess.

“What brings you to a place like this at such an hour?”

Ahsoka nearly huffs. He hasn’t changed a bit. She can’t decide if that’s comforting or . . . disappointing. “I could ask you the same thing.”

Obi-Wan nods again. “You could.”

She doesn’t.

“Would you like something to eat?”

Ahsoka’s mind goes on the defensive immediately, though she knows that’s completely off the mark. Does she not look like she can support herself? She doesn’t want—or need—his help, his charity. Ahsoka is perfectly fine on her own, thanks (for nothing), and has no desire for unsolicited aid.

“No.”

Obi-Wan doesn’t flinch, but Ahsoka feels like he wants to. Like this conversation is somehow pricking his chest with bitter pain. Well, that makes two of them.

“I’m glad to see you’re alright.”

Ahsoka bites her tongue hard, fangs digging in deep enough to make her head pound.

Obi-Wan’s brow twitches, lips pulling down into a pretty good impression of concern. “Ahsoka?”

“What do you think you’re doing?”

He blinks at her. “I’m sorry?”

Ahsoka’s eyes widen and she huffs in near-incredulous mocking. “Are you?”

His face darkens a touch. “Ahsoka—”

“Stop.” Force, why hadn’t she just walked out? “Whatever you’re about to say—don’t.”

But Obi-Wan has always loved talking, and Ahsoka should know that. “Ahsoka, please. I understand your feelings toward—”

“No you don’t.”

Obi-Wan’s jaw clicks shut.

Ahsoka’s face grows warm. “You can’t possibly imagine what I’m feeling, what I went through, other than your own part in it.”

“You’re right.” Obi-Wan’s hand is out and Ahsoka can’t remember if it always used to shake like that. “I misspoke. But I do know that you’re hurt and you have every right to be. I am so sorry.”

If this conversation doesn’t end soon, Ahsoka is either going to start throwing punches or sobbing and neither is a great look for her. “Okay.”

“If I could go back—”

“Well you can’t. And neither can I, but I guess that’s life.”

She’s purposely trying to goad him; fighting has always been easier than talking and maybe if they’re both angry, then Ahsoka won’t have to deal with the regret and guilt and fear and homesickness. But Obi-Wan is not so easily led.

“I only wish to explain, though I know it can never fully alleviate the pain of what happened. May I?”

Ahsoka can’t think of anything she wants less than to hear what he has to say. She wants—she wants Obi-Wan to stop talking, wants him to feel her devastation, she wants him to see how she is crumbling beneath the weight of what his Council has done to her.

“You all expelled me. You lost faith in me the second you got the chance to jump ship.” She chokes back tears. “The Jedi were supposed to be there for me—you were supposed to be there for me. Like family, right?”

Obi-Wan looks half on the verge of tears too.

“Ahsoka, I never lost faith in you, you must believe me.” He reaches for her. “I promise you, I tried everything in my power to speak for you in the Council, to try to prove your innocence.”

Ahsoka scoffs, feeling more bitter by the moment. “Fantastic job. Do you want applause?” She’s not sure where all this pent-up rage is coming from; she’s spent enough time meditating, considering the situation, her decision, trying to look at every angle. It’s been months. She thought she was past it. Or, at least, mostly past it.

“I understand your anger at me, I feel it myself. I completely failed you in your trial, Ahsoka, don’t think I’m unaware of that.” Ahsoka’s nails cut crescents in her palms. “I wish I could’ve done more—I should’ve done more.”

“You know what? Yeah, you should’ve. But this isn’t about you, Obi-Wan.” The name is sour on her tongue. “If forcing all this guilt on yourself somehow makes you feel better, be my guest, but you don’t have to burden me with the guilt of not absolving you from it.”

Because Ahsoka does feel guilty. She wants to forgive him and have everything go right back to the way it was, she a Jedi, he her partial Master, the three of them more like family than anything else. Her own stinging words churn in her stomach, half her brain raging against the other half: accept what’s probably your last chance at that old happiness or fuel the retribution you’re convinced you deserve. And she doesn’t know if she actually deserves it. And more importantly, she’s not sure Obi-Wan deserves this.

Haven’t they all been through enough?

But Ahsoka has never been good at thinking before speaking. And it’s a hell of a lot easier to feed the wolf craving vengeance than to scale the high road.

“Ahsoka, I am so sorry—”

Tears stinging her eyes, Ahsoka grabs her cloak, nearly knocking her chair over, her eyes never leaving Obi-Wan’s. “You’re a really bad liar.”

Obi-Wan flinches like he’s been struck.

Ahsoka lets the festering rage in her chest slither up to her tongue, lashing out in the empty air. “You’d think you’ve had enough practice.” Her voice is rough, harsh with stifled tears, words ripping holes where affection and warmth used to rest. All Ahsoka feels now, though, is scraped raw, and frustrated, angry confusion, and . . . and something else she doesn’t have time for. The door handle is cold on her blazing skin.

“Ahsoka!” Obi-Wan grabs her arm. She tries to shake him off, but his grip is too strong in its desperation. “Please, listen.”

Tears are dotting the greasy floor now and Ahsoka doesn’t know if they’re hers or Obi-Wan’s. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean that, I—” She’s still pulling away. The bell on the door is ringing.

“Ahsoka—”

“Just let go!”

The Coruscant air is freezing on Ahsoka’s face and she wrenches her arm away as they burst out of the diner.

They turn to face each other, blue eyes to blue eyes, two strangers with far too many memories.

“Ahsoka.”

And his voice is home and friendship and comfort and Anakin and the past.

“I’m sorry.”

The air is too stuffy, her chest too tight. There’s no room for the past in the scathing pieces of her heart.

She bolts off into the darkness.

“Ahsoka!”

#fiona speaks #AHHHHHHHHHHHH #AM I WRITING/POSTING FIC LITERALLY FIVE MINUTES BEFORE I LEAVE FOR COLLEGE? MA Y B E #anyway! #thank you so much for this ask sam!!!! #oh MAN this prompt was so fun to write #i've been feeling the angst the past few days so this is what you get akljsdkljask #or should i say mwahahahaha #i hope you like it!!!! #AHHHHH #answered #my writing #sam tag! #star wars #obi k & soka #yikes...YIKES #obi wan kenobi #ahsoka tano

[ramblingguy54]

True Colors: An Emotionally Fantastic Serious Game Changer.

If we’re to look back at Reunion as Season 1′s dramatic pay off for Amphibia’s message of toxic friendships, as Anne & Sasha’s conflicting dynamic showed us, then True Colors is a colossal expansive note on this big theme of the series. True Colors makes Season 1′s finale look like a walk in the park for what angst goes down between our three main heroins in Season 2′s climatic resolution. Everything that can go wrong does go oh so painfully wrong for these three kids. Anne, to no one’s surprise, gets double crossed by Sasha leaving things between them a Hell of a lot more bitter than they were previously, as if that couldn’t already be topped when Sasha tried to kill the Plantars before. Anne has had enough of her lies and manipulation not being afraid to tell Sasha straight up how awful of a friend she’s been in general, even hitting her where it hurts most of all saying, “No, I’m done listening to you! I’m done trusting you! You’re a horrible person and I am done being FRIENDS with you!”, going so far as to get a shaken reaction out of Sasha dropping her brave face act, making this girl try to wipe away the frog family.

Right off the bat, True Colors makes it highly evident this isn’t just another story of stopping a bigger threat, but one hitting much closer to home, overall. Yes, King Andrias is certainly a dangerous villain, who makes his presence and intimidating nature known to the others by True Color’s final act, which despite this Amphibia isn’t entirely putting him at the forefront, rather focusing on a more intimate study of Anne, Sasha, and Marcy’s big emotional conflict. This finale knows exactly where to put its focus of importance on, so I love that instead of it being action packed we’re getting the spotlight shined on just how screwed up these three of a friendship have, in spite of Marcy claiming in The Dinner episode, “We’re supposed to be friends for life. We don’t split up!’ . Very ironic stuff right there, indeed.

True Colors’ most powerful strength it adds to Amphibia’s ongoing profound story about healthy friendships is the thorough deconstruction of these girls defined “ideal relationship” as people. Before Anne came to the world of Amphibia this kid was afraid to stand up for what she believed in, even knowing especially well that stealing the calamity box was morally questionable, but did it anyway. Sasha was super manipulative, abusive, and used her power to control people, like she did a lot of toward Anne in their lives. Marcy, while very smart, wasn’t the most competent physically, who soon grew into being more independent without needing to rely on Anne always having to be there for her. These three were changed immensely by the events of being thrust into this world of sentient amphibian creatures. Anne benefited morally most out out of all three in taking up the mantle of responsibility and ironing out her own issues. She’s become a much stronger person all around. 

This episode asks us an important question though in nutshell with, “Have Sasha & Marcy truly changed for the better?”, since Anne has reached a point in her arc feeling genuinely content with who she’s become and the bonds that have been made with the Plantar family shown most notably with Sprig Plantar. Hence the whole purpose behind the song, It’s No Big Deal, with Anne feeling proud for who she is, yet not noticing a bigger issue right underneath her nose. That previous episode was meant to bring Anne’s happiness up only to bring it all crashing down in a devastating display of new revelations in True Colors. Every dramatic emotional beat isn’t just earned. Each significant moment is completely knocked out of the park by terrific voice acting, beautiful animation, and music composition that gave me serious emotional goosebumps. True Colors did exactly as Not What He Seems accomplished for Gravity Falls in shaking up its own respective dramatic stakes just when you thought it couldn’t get any higher for these protagonists. Shit seriously hits the fan here.

Did it ever occur to you, Anne? Sasha? That one of you knew more, than she was letting on? That ONE of you might’ve gotten you stranded in Amphibia on purpose...?

The big bombshell twist of Marcy playing a part too in getting them into this whole debacle completely flips everything upside down. Sasha pushed Anne into taking the Calamity Box, yes, but if Marcy never sent that photo because of her desire to stay with them together forever, then they wouldn’t have been stranded in basically a world full of dangerous creatures and who knows what else. Easily my favorite part of the episode, considering it adds more nuance to a situation that defined Amphibia’s story. It wasn’t just one person’s fault at the end of the day. Sasha bullied Anne into taking the box, Anne didn’t put her foot down to make a stand for something morally questionable, and Marcy took advantage of them both to benefit her own selfish desires for supposedly a “happy ending” not involving them staying apart, due to her parents moving away for a new job. All three girls played an important part on why they got landed into Amphiba. It’s why Anne’s statement to King Andrias, “The three of us may have made some mistake, but you...You’re evil and I’m gonna stop you!”, holds such a real weight to it, as this story continues to solidify how genuinely fleshed out their dynamic is.

Marcy’s super desperate plea to be understood by Anne & Sasha when Andrias revealed her getting them thrown into Amphibia purposefully was hard to watch. On one hand, I felt for Marcy because she didn’t want real life circumstances to tear apart that close connection she had to Sasha & Anne. Sure, she could’ve just kept in touch with them over the phone or chatting online, too. However, Marcy had known them since very early childhood. When you’ve been so attached to someone it can be a devastating thing, depending on just how vulnerable you are emotionally, to start drifting apart. Marcy represents that embodiment of toxic need for togetherness and couldn’t bear to let a possibility, like moving away, throw a wrench into her happiness and friendship, as well.

Never mind Marcy wanting to stay permanently in a different reality, rather than face her’s, but it made this person feel like something more. It gave her a chance to feel truly special in being able to live out a fantasy dream of having such power and freedom that a kid, like herself, couldn’t have had. The freedom to know she is plenty capable of making it out there on her own without Anne having to watch this kid like a hawk. So, to have someone, or something, try taking it away from her terrified Marcy of facing a terrible truth. That she isn’t strong enough after all to live a life without Anne & Sasha by her side completely, where Marcy will never feel truly worthy enough to blossom into her own person. It’s why that line, “I just...didn’t want to be alone...”, carries such a deep pain to it all. Marcy just crumbles into pieces accepting her greatest weakness. As much as Marcy fumbled the ball big time, it’s so easy to empathize with her on the idea of feeling competent enough. Marcy never meant to hurt Anne or Sasha, but the sad crushing punchline is she very much did.

Speaking of which, Anne had every right to be upset and mad, obviously. Anne has been missing so many things from her life before everything went off the wall. Hopping Mall especially highlighted Anne’s emotional desire to give anything just to hear her mother’s singing again. This teenager has been really dealing with a lot of grief in general quite honestly. Anne got into a high stakes battle against Sasha to save new friends, who’d practically became like an adopted family, which left the poor girl traumatized and heartbroken over the end result. She thought finding Marcy would help compensate for it and eventually be able to mend those complications with Sasha to boot. It’s simply painful to see it all blow up in Anne’s face to know not only Sasha betrayed her trust yet again, but realizing Marcy also played a part of responsibility in getting them thrown here. Matt Braly really just decided to slap future trust issues onto Anne finding out Hop Pop, Sasha, and Marcy were all super dishonest in their intentions at one point or another. Damn, I feel so bad for her.

It makes their embracing hug back in Marcy At The Gates so much harder to watch. Anne was super glad to see her again. Anne had wondered what became of Marcy or even possibly started to think she could even be alive at all. Then come to find out later on Marcy having intentionally ripped her away from a normal life must’ve felt worse then what happened with Sasha. Anne, already done with all of Sasha’s bullshit, thought she could at least expect better from Marcy not letting her down, but that too wasn’t the case. Marcy is very much as flawed as Sasha in what she has done. To think, Anne wanted so badly to get back home, yet she’s staring the very person dead in the eye, who ripped her away from it to begin with. Marcy knew Sasha would talk Anne into taking the box from that thrift shop, even if she wasn’t completely certain it would successfully teleport them away. Regardless of whatever good intentions someone can have in why they did what they did, it still doesn’t absolve them of said mistake. Fact of the matter is, Marcy tragically made her own bed, by choosing to mess with forces she couldn’t begin to comprehend and now has to face consequences, in spite of her not deserving them.

What really got to me was when Marcy tried to spin around Anne’s personal growth and close friendship with the Plantars as all entirely thanks to her. When she said, “I gave you this! I gave you everything!”, I was like, “Nope, that couldn’t be any further from the truth.”, seeing everything that has culminated in Anne’s journey of bettering herself. Marcy didn’t give Anne anything, but a one way ticket to cutting the kid off from her family, presuming she’d be fine with this idea. It’s all kinds of messed up, however what it boils down to is Marcy undermining Anne’s independence and agency. Anne’s moral judgement in decision making was what allowed her to create this new life she made for herself in Amphibia. Anne’s honesty as a whole led her down a path of togetherness, while Marcy’s lying landed her in a result of not wanting to be alone, costing her so much.

“I don’t believe this. We were so focused on each other we couldn’t see what was right in front of us!”

True Colors excels at earning each of its emotional beats because they line up with character motivations down to the last letter. Anne doesn’t want to trust Sasha anymore because of their already rocky past, which leads to her helping King Andrias regain control of his kingdom. Sasha not keeping a lid on her temper, wanting to rule over Amphibia, and trying to reinforce that power dynamic with Anne & Marcy only made things worse for her image of a changed good friend. There wasn’t a chance in Hell Anne would hear Sasha’s reasoning after she flat out tried to take away her frog family, by attempting to use the Calamity Box a bit ago in the episode. Marcy wanted to believe there was a happily ever after in seeing this world traveling idea as their only chance for salvation as friends for life, but it turned out to be something much more sinister, when learning of Andrias’ backstory and his true scumbag nature. All three of their motivations come clashing together, blinding them from a much bigger danger. Something that effectively puts everyone at stake.

Amphibia’s Season 2 finale works so excellently, given it covers important dramatic elements it’s been stirring around since Season 1′s early rumblings. Amphibia is a story centered around people’s need for emotional connections. True Colors builds miraculously off what Reunion already did quite well in showing friendships can become rough and they are never easy to deal with. When you have to make a stand it can be a tough pill to swallow on the reality check of maybe this “good friend” of your’s isn’t as nice as you previously thought them to be. Anne having been hurt one too many times now by her former friend sends that message close to home, so much so even Sasha begins to question her morality as a human being. It poignantly encapsulates how this trio’s complex friendship is a serious growing issue needing to be reexamined, overall.

What if Anne’s right..? What if I am a horrible person...?

Something I absolutely love to pieces about True Colors, also a testament to Season 2′s darn good writing, is how much introspective we get from each character on what they’re feeling. We’ve seen plenty of Sasha’s vulnerability before in other episodes centered on her issues, but now we’re getting to the root of it. Sasha is really taking everything more to heart, little by little. Sasha’s understanding what kind of an effect she has on people, seeing the damage it has caused made evident by Percy and Braddock in Barrel’s Warhammer. Grime once told her, “Some dreams have a price and not everyone is willing to pay it.”, where she’s questioning that idealism every passing minute the invasion plan proceeds further into reaching success. Sasha isn’t sure what to do with herself anymore feeling aimless. Those previous episodes had a real impact on her priorities more than she cared to let on with Sasha’s typical tough girl act. This kid has let her guard down more, which scares and confuses Sasha. She’s always used to playing the role of protector it contradicts everything Sasha stands for when the roles are totally reversed because now Anne has made her feel the tremendous change in their growth as individuals.

Sasha’s lifestyle has been all about control that after somewhat learning to be more considerate to Anne & Marcy’s feelings she feels beyond conflicted about what truly matters to her. The most screwed up part of it all is Sasha didn’t want to fight anymore, taking up a pacifist approach after seeing what King Andrias had been hiding from everyone. It’s a fitting punishment for Sasha to try bringing Anne over to work together once more, but getting her pleas for companionship outright ignored. Anne was correct that Sasha had wasted all the chances to be reasonable. Boonchuy tried to hear out Sasha before at The Third Temple. One wanted to start things over again to iron out their serious issues, but the other was driven by bitterness, while only remorseful to a degree at best, of seeing their once weak friend become so independent, mature, and stronger that it drove her up wall. Sasha wanted to take away that “problem” being the Plantars, since in her eyes they’re the source of Anne’s strength, driving a wedge further between the two girls in their heated Reunion 2.0 battle.

True Colors demonstrates the horrific price of no trust, communication, nor teamwork from the three main girls that Andrias smoothly took advantage of, as if they were fiddles. 

“That’s the thing about friends isn’t it? The more you love them, the more it hurts when they go.”

King Andrias is quite literally what I wanted Lunaris to be, where DuckTales’ Season 2 finale didn’t impress me on doing. He’s a serious big baddie to the main cast, who follows through on his threats of violence to demonstrate his wide array of arsenal and power. Andrias doesn’t just emotionally manipulate characters, like poor Marcy, but utterly crush them without an ounce of remorse for his actions. When he dropped Sprig out that window after Anne willingly let him have the Calamity Box back I thought they were legit gonna kill this boy off. The way Anne’s flashback montage of her good times with Sprig were eerily shot really didn’t help either on that note. Anne’s Calamity power finally activating is easily up there among stuff, like Dewey risking his life for Della’s disappearance in Last Crash, where the cinematography is shot and animated brilliantly. You feel Anne’s blind raging sadness in every hit she landed on those robots and Andrias. If anyone didn’t believe Sprig was like a little brother to Anne, then I dunno how anyone couldn’t view their bond anymore as such after this hugely defining scene. Anne went bloodthirsty when she believed Sprig to be dead further evidenced when she hugged him in relief afterwards exclaiming, “Sprig!? You’re alive!? Oh, thank goodness...”, which cuts deep so damn much.

Anne was ready to fight every one of Andrias’ troops in that castle to the death, if need be. Before Sprig came back from falling, thanks to Marcy’s quick acting, to comfort Anne, her only goal was to slaughter every opponent in that throne room, along with making Andrias pay dearly for even daring to lay a single finger on anyone of the Plantars. I’m not gonna lie, this pivotal power up reminded me so much Gohan turning Super Saiyan 2 after Cell curb stomped Android 16 into pieces with a smirk on his face. Anne Boonchuy’s maddening outburst is a classic testament to the idea of, “Piss off the nicest person and they’ll make it their mission to instill the biggest kind of fear/terror into you.”. showing this kid at her most vulnerable mental state, yet. Sprig & Anne’s cathartic embrace really messed me up in reinforcing just how these two respect, love, and would go above any of their limitations to help the other out. Sprig’s “death” scene was a masterful bait by the writers into making us think someone was gonna die and it was gonna be a poor kid, no less.  

However, it was actually all just a bait and switch for the real, “Oh, shit. They really just did that”, moment with Marcy unexpectedly getting run through with Andrias’ gigantic sword. In a last ditch effort, Marcy wanted to atone for what she had a hand in getting them all into. Marcy was ironclad determined in making her own stand for what was right trying to save the people she endangered. Akin to what Sasha did in Reunion for saving Anne’s life, Marcy does the exact same here. Although, unfortunately this time, no one is here to protect Marcy from escaping death, like Grime catching Sasha from plummeting at Toad Tower. Marcy couldn’t react in time because she was so focused on helping her dear friends out. She wanted to prove to herself at least one time, “I’ve screwed up so much stuff with my friends. Maybe, just maybe. If I get my friends back home, it’ll prove I’m not an entirely crappy person for setting these events into motion.”. Marcy’s own deep seeded remorse is what saved Anne & the Plantars, while being the cause of her own untimely demise at Andrias’ hands.

This scene is what no doubt encouraged the warning sign for younger viewers Disney decided to make for them. It’s impressive how far Matt and his crew are willing to go for intense dramatic content. Andrias trying to crush Polly with his fist after destroying Frobo with casual ease, dropping Sprig out of the window from up sky high, and stabbing Marcy with his powerful sword displays his cold blooded brutality. Doesn’t matter who you are. If you get in the way of Andrias’ plans for multiverse domination, then he’ll throw anyone into their own grave, be it man, woman, or child. That’s the mark of a truly terrifying antagonist.

Andrias didn’t care who had to be hurt or manipulated to get back the box, so he could invade other worlds with Earth being his next prime target for invasion. Marcy’s fate is a horrifyingly poetic statement, since Sasha stated to Anne in a flashback from Marcy At The Gates, “One of these days, she’s gonna get herself killed.”, with True Colors tying back to this line in a disturbing manner. Something that sends chills down my spine is we get to see the full extent of how far Andrias shoved the sword through her body. We don’t just see the entry point of where it hit her, but it even zooms out to show the whole thing. Real talk, I got serious Avatar The Last Airbender vibes from this scene. Reminded me so much of Aang getting suddenly zapped with lightning by Azula when he tried to enter the Avatar state. Marcy didn’t want to be alone so badly she ended up inevitably dying alone trying to send Anne back home to their reality. One Hell of a way to close off Marcy’s last moments in Season 2, until her inevitable resurrection happens in Season 3 now that King Andrias has her in a tube tank that looks tied to his master.

True Colors ends on a deeply bittersweet cliffhanger leaving the fates of Sasha & Grime totally unknown if they’ll get away by the skin of their teeth, or get captured by Andrias’ soldiers and robots. Anne finally returned home with the Plantars, but at a deadly cost of leaving her other close friends behind in Amphibia. After all the isolation, heartbreak, and endurance she went through with her frog family Anne finds herself at a total loss for words. Once again, Anne is in a state of solitude of not knowing if her friends are really okay or not, mirroring the start of Season 1 when she landed into Amphibia’s world. It’s safe to say to say that, “Finally me and it’s no big deal.”, lyrics have aged terribly for Anne’s realization of finding her own identity came at the expense of getting separated from friends she’s known since kindergarten. Definitely see Anne becoming a lot more protective of the Plantars now more than ever after watching Marcy drop to the ground from being stabbed in front of her eyes.

Amphibia’s Season 2 finale is exactly how you capitalize on a winning story telling formula of dramatic writing, lovable characters with layered depth, and increasing the stakes of your story in an organic manner. True Colors is a finale that should be talked about for a long time to come, as it not only showed how worth the wait it was, but reinforces why Amphibia is a truly great series. It’s unafraid to take its characters to dark places in a way that feels totally earned.

Amphibia Season 2 is everything a sequel to a first film should be.

#amphibia true colors #amphibia spoilers #amphibia season 2 #anne boonchuy #marcy wu #sasha waybright #sprig plantar #polly plantar #hop pop plantar

[aphrodite-would-be-proud]

Could we possibly get a part two of the Armin having a crush on you while you are with ereH✨

Yep! I can't have enough of watching sweet Armin have the most conflicting feelings about ereH✨ his bestfriend betraying his trust and stealing his love what a wonderful lesson Armin will go through :)

Armin having a crush on you while you're with Eren Pt.2

{ Armin x reader, implied Eren x reader | rating: suggestive | tw:possessiveness, tw:unhealthy-friendships, tw:lowkey-toxic, tw:jealousy | angst, drama,.pinning | modern }

{ "Nocturne sur le Quai" by Henri Marius-Camille Bouvet 1859-1945 }

When mentioning love, it's normal to imagine the sort of love that's sweet, passionate and kind. The kind that could set fire that burns even brighter than the stars yet still be as soft as a feather.

The type of love that actually gets you places, moves you closer together, maybe a relationship and in the future maybe even more. The mutual type of love.

Which is why it's so hard to talk about the other more taboo and looked down upon type of love, the unrequited kind. Usually buried so deep in one's heart beneath mountains of shame.

Only emerging it's head to make itself known just before one falls asleep, adding to the list of growing daily anxieties that loom in the back of one's mind.

That's what Armin has been dealing with for the past 8 months, carrying the burden of his feelings on his shoulders. While you go about your day completely unconcerned and unaware of the longing his mind has spun for you.

And despite the piles of crumbled pages filled with poems of adoration and secret confessions currently spilling out of the trash can in his room, the earth still spins on, undisturbed and uncaring for each line he pulled from the depth of his soul on those papers.

It's almost like the world just doesn't care for his suffering, the trees only growing taller and the season only getting colder.

And you and Eren getting even more closer.

It's funny, you'd think after all this time his feelings for you would disappear or get sweeped under the rug and never spoken of again.

But only if.

Armin himself isn't sure how he not only managed to keep his feelings towards you, but how you managed to pull him in even more. With every little habit of yours he'd fall harder and harder, with every word you spoke his heart would melt more and more.

Crushes were supposed to disappear after you get to know the person, it's what these self help books he's been reading all say.

So why only knowing more about you just resulted in him wanting you even more than words can describe, despite seeing you in his bestfriend's arms on the daily his mind just won't accept it.

And yet, when he's alone at night he can't help but be hit with the cold truth that he's still alone, you're not with him. No matter how close he hugs the pillow to his chest it doesn't quite feel right...like how you'd feel against him.

The small voice in the back of his mind starts whispering again, about how he should just dismiss his unwanted love, how pathetic and childish he is, pinning after someone he can't have.

That maybe if he was a little more sane, he'd realise how he's the one who missed his shot and accept defeat. He had a whole month in advance and yet Eren didn't even wait for the weekend to ask you out on a date.

And yet, after his shame party ends and all his insecurites go to bed, he can't help but imagine what life would've been with you, countless 'what if's and endless scenarios swimming through his head.

What if he just kissed you that one time? You know the day when the two of you shared a drink under an umbrella while it rained, the sound of rain couldn't distract him from the way you'd lick your lips every now and then.

What if he drove you home that night instead of Eren? would you've invited him inside too? Maybe he'd get to see your room up close and the both of you would end up sharing childhood stories while cuddling under the blankets.

He'd tell you about the squirrels he befriended as a kid while you closed your eyes, falling asleep to the sound of his voice and the soft beating of his heart.

What if he actually spoke up when Eren began interrupting your conversations just to get your attention on him again, what if he said no and called Eren out for what he's doing.

He told Mikasa about it, he had to, otherwise he'd go crazy from overthinking alone. Not to mention she was getting worried about his unusual behaviour, after all there's only so much excuses he can come up with on why he can't hang out today.

So many lies he can fabricate about why he stopped going to Eren’s house since the day his mom mentioned you, till it starts getting suspicious.

He doesn't hate Eren...

Does he hate him?

No, he doesn't think so. He still considers him one of his bestfriends but then why does he so badly wish for Eren to disappear or go somewhere far away.

Simple, his mind would say to him, because you want him out of the way, so you can reclaim what's supposed to be yours, what you lost.

Did he lose you? You're not an object to be claimed, you chose Eren so why can't he just accept that fact.

His thoughts and Emotions are in complete chaos and conflict, he can't recognise which thoughts are actually his own and which are merely passing through.

He started daydreaming about you, a lot.

About someone he thought he'd have.

Someone he wished he could have.

Especially on early mornings when the sun shines brighter and the sane part of his mind hasn't woken up yet, he finds himself indulging in his own fantasies.

He can have boundless hope in the safety of his own mind, giving you endless love and telling himself that he's found an angel. Solely on the basis of how kind your eyes look or how lovely your laugh sounds.

Or maybe just how he melts a little everytime you touch his shoulder or hand, maybe it's the way you lean in whenever you tell him something or it's the way he can almost get high on your sweet smell alone.

He knows it's a denial of reality, but he doesn't know a better solution. He can't just barge into other's relationships with his own unfulfilled emotions.

Nor does he really want to start a proper love affair despite how alluring that idea sounds to him.

So daydreaming will do for now, where your life together is safely tucked away in the corner of his mind.

Maybe in the future, humanity is surrounded by a thought police that goes inside your brain and condemns any and every inappropriate thought you may have.

But for now he has the freedom to dream, think, hope, long and daydream about a life with you, about the way you'd feel sleeping in his arms or they way you'd smile whenever he kisses you good morning. And no future armed cyber-guards would ever know

#Armin🕯 #modern aot🕯 #aot🕯 #suggestive🕯 #angst🕯 #pinning🕯 #armin arlet x reader #armin x reader #armin x y/n #armin headcanons #armin arlert #aot #aot x reader #aot x y/n #snk #snk x reader #tw: possessive behavior #tw: jealousy #tw: pinning #tw: unhealthy relationship #Eren🕯

[crankynewt]

Chapter One - Losing Game

Another Love Series Masterlist

Pairing: Regulus Black x Fem!Reader, Young!Remus Lupin x Fem!Reader

Song: Arcade - Duncan Laurence

Warnings: Tons of Angst, Major Character Deaths, Pregnancy(?), and I definitely altered the timeline!

Word Count: 1.76k

Masterlist

Author’s Note: This is pretty angsty and was based on this song (which has always given me massive Reggie vibes), and I HIGHLY recommend listening to it when reading this!

Perhaps your love was doomed from the start. Maybe you were just another Shakesperian tale of forbidden romance destined to conclude in nothing but suffering. He was your light despite the darkness that had encompassed him his entire life and although the war was over, the pain still remained. 

You had begged Regulus not to leave that night, tears blurring your vision as he explained that he had to be the one to destroy the horcrux. “There is no other way,” he had said, his voice shaky with the knowledge that this would likely be his end. You were young, too young, to be fighting this war. A battle that neither of you had any business being involved in the first place. Yet there you were, children who had grown up too quickly.

When he hadn’t returned the next morning, it hadn’t come as any surprise. You mourned the loss of your husband the minute he’d walked out that door. You weren’t vapid and neither was he, you were both well aware of what would happen in that cave. Whether or not Regulus succeeded, however, still remained to be seen. 

The isolation following the death of Regulus Black was something you brought upon yourself. You couldn’t stand seeing muggles continuing to lead their lives as if nothing had happened. Your world crumbled out from beneath you as the universe became a much darker place, so why haven’t they stopped? A person - your person - had died, how could people continue to lead their normal lives?  We were still at war, how could they not sense that something was horribly wrong?

The loneliness made you ill after a month, so sick that you were constantly emptying the contents of your stomach into your toilet as you lay on the cool tile. What prompted you to eventually seek out another were the two little lines on the plastic test. Before long you had apparated to Godric’s hollow, the crisp snow of December crunching under your feet as you made your way up the steps of a quaint looking house. It felt much more homey than the Grimmauld flat you’d been residing in, a slight comfort that what laid behind the door you knocked on may be just as welcoming.

The face that answered the door was kind, warm eyes and a welcoming smile framed by ginger locks. You never spoke to her during your years at Hogwarts due to the two years she had on you, but you knew the girl to be Lily Evans. Judging by the slight furrowing of her brows she had recognized you as well, probably unsure as to why Regulus Black’s wife had shown up on her doorstep seemingly out of nowhere.

“Uhm, is Sirius Black here by any chance?” You asked quietly, your gloved hands rubbing your arms as you fought off the evening’s chill. She need not answer as a pair of brown orbs peered at you from behind her.

“What are you doing here, (Y/N)?” Sirius questioned, bitterness lacing his words as he took in your frail appearance. The elder Black did not think highly of his little brother - the Death Eater, or so he thought. Yet Regulus had relayed numerous stories from their childhood that revealed that in earlier years of their lives, the duo had been inseparable. You were just hoping that some of that affection still remained.

“Can we please talk? It’s about your brother.” You said, voice wavering as you shivered in the cold. Lily seemingly took notice of this and ushered you into the warmth of their home, closing the door behind you and leaving the in-laws to speak in the front entryway.

“If Regulus has something to say to me than the little shit can come tell me himself-”

“Sirius, what are you talking about?” You asked incredulously. “Regulus died two months ago.”

Sirius had not been speechless many times in his life, yet there he stood with his head reeling, heart broken, and tears slowly welling in his eyes. At the end of the day, Regulus would always be his baby brother. And in that silence he sat and listened, taking in all of what had happened the past year. From Regulus deciding to turn on Voldemort to the fateful night destroying his horcrux, Sirius felt both pride and guilt building underneath the grief. Regulus had been a good person who gave his life doing the right thing, all in belief of the same values that had gotten himself disowned.

When you mentioned the pregnancy, Sirius once again found himself dumbstruck. But that shock was quickly replaced with a sense of duty, it was as if he had the opportunity to make up for his brother’s broken relationship. He would help you raise this baby, and he would make damn sure that they did not have the same broken childhood he had suffered.

Within the week, Sirius had moved back into 12 Grimmauld Place with you. The baby he was dedicating himself to had quickly become babies after finding out that not one, but two baby Blacks were on the way. He was at your side through every step of the pregnancy, and slowly but surely his friends made their way into your life as well. James was always there to put a smile on your face and Lily gave great advice as to dealing with the pregnancy as she had delivered Harry only weeks before you showed up. Remus was always there to offer chocolate and a good book while Peter always had a hot cup of tea ready for you.

Before long, Arcturus and Cassiopeia Black were welcomed into the world and the light in your life had been restored. They were both the spitting image of their father, seeming to have barely inherited any (Y/L/N) genes and only reminded you of their father with every coming day. Little Harry was thrilled to have playmates, and you had finally found your family. Although far from perfect, it was everything to you. But all good things must come to an end, and this state of grace was no different.

Halloween came and went. James, Lily, and Peter were gone, no, murdered. Sirius could not have done it, not to his family! The man you read about in the papers was not the same gentle soul who would sing the twins to sleep almost every evening. But regardless of what you thought of the man he was guilty in the eyes of the Ministry, and thus he was sent to Azkaban to suffer a fate worse than death. This loss rocked you once more, but this time you had the twins to look after, and you weren’t alone.

Remus had stepped right up to fill the shoes that Sirius had been filling for Regulus without hesitation. He was grieving the same losses as you and found solace in caring for little Archie and Cassie. You mourned together and healed together, and before long Remus became your other half. 

That friendship didn’t last long, however, as it eventually blossomed into something bigger, a love that you fought tooth and nail. Guilt consumed you as you felt yourself falling for the werewolf, not being able to shake the feeling that you were betraying Regulus as you fell deeper and deeper in love. 

Right around the second anniversary of his death was when you heard the first words pass through either of the twins’ lips. Archie squealed a high-pitched “dada” to Remus who had been helping you prepare breakfast, and your eyes met his equally glassy. While the man stuttered out a mix of apologies in fear of overstepping, you just embraced him and allowed him to hold you in the way nobody had for a long time. The toddlers had accepted him as their father, and you had denied the desire to love him for too long.

Six months later the two of you had married in a small ceremony of only Order members gathering to celebrate your love. You did, however, keep the last name ‘Black’ as an homage both to Regulus and Sirius’ roles in both of your lives. At that same celebration you also announced that a baby Lupin would be making their way into the world six months later. And alas, Theodore Lupin was born shortly after, and your little family was complete.

When it was finally time for Archie and Cassie to begin their future at Hogwarts, you couldn’t help but weep as they waved out the window of the Hogwarts Express, the siblings excited to start the next stage in their lives. Your husband wrapped an arm around you as he fought tears himself, meanwhile Teddy tugged onto your hand and questioned when he would get the chance to attend the school as well, already missing his big brother and sister. 

Remus and you had debated what house the twins would be sorted into, him adamant that they showed Gryffindor courage while you were certain that they would follow in your footsteps and be sorted into (Y/H). Your questions were answered the next morning as you received letters from two very excited Slytherins, taking after their father just as they had done in appearance and personality. You and Remus were proud nonetheless, but your husband was always saddened that they had never grown close to Harry. The divide between houses had seemingly grown even stronger since you two had attended and a friendship between the former friends hadn’t formed.

Two years later, the twins were approaching their third year as Teddy prepared to begin his magical schooling, and you began to ponder what your life would look like following their departure. You and your husband didn’t have the finances to travel and feared a life without the light of your children, and your questions were answered following a letter from Dumbledore himself. He offered the two of you teaching positions at Hogwarts, Defence Against the Dark Arts for Remus and Astronomy for yourself.

The two of you were ecstatic to spend the year with your children teaching, and walking side by side with the castle in view made you feel like a young girl again. A broken heart was all that was left, but Remus had been there to pick up your broken pieces and carry you home. But the wreckage of your life would not stay in ruins forever, as old friends and old loves remained closer than you had ever known and were about to rejoin your losing game.

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#regulus black #regulus black x reader #regulus black imagine #remus lupin #remus lupin x reader #remus lupin imagine #harry potter #marauders #sirius black #sirius black x reader #lily evans #james potter #peter pettigrew #marauders era #marauders imagine #marauders x reader #slyterin #arcade #crankynewt #hogwarts #harry potter imagine #another love #another love series #another love chapter one