#thanks y'all who told me how to do the readmores

[axewchao]

Thanks for the birthday wishes, frens.

I would've replied to them the moment I got them, but I was on vacation with my folks and the WiFi provided was... shitty, for lack of better word. To the point where all I could do both here and on dA was lurk.

There's another reason as to why I've been quiet here, and that's because I recently had to say goodbye to my dog.

I'll stick the full story under a readmore.

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I've been struggling with finding a way to say this without making it seem like I'm just... dumping it all on y'all. But it's not exactly something you can dance around, and it probably shouldn't be danced around.

And I didn't want to just pretend to be perfectly fine online, either. Even the idea of trying that just feels... wrong.

So... I will just say it.

I'm putting extra gaps here for emphasis that this is not pleasant talk. If you're uncomfortable with talk of lost pets, please scroll away/hit the back button/leave this post now. I'll add some squiggly lines to act as one last warning.

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I know I haven't mentioned her very much online, but Zira, my beloved poodle and dearest friend for the last 14 years... was put to sleep the day before my birthday.

It broke my heart, but it had to be done; she was old, she had health problems, and the vet said she wouldn't make it by the time I came home.

I wasn't even able to say goodbye to her. Unless a "be good, doggo." counts as I dropped her off for boarding about an hour before I was given the... news.

I was left unresponsive for the rest of the 8th and most of the 9th. It wasn't until my aunt (who previously owned one of Zira's littermates and lost him to similar circumstances a few years prior) took a moment to talk to me that I finally cracked, letting out everything I was bottling up. Had it not been for her reaching out, I probably would still be in a silent state even now, unable to do anything other than lie down and cry because Zira was gone and it felt as though no one else gave a shit beyond obligatory "I'm sorry"s.

I soon learned how wrong I was in that last regard, as I eventually talked about it with my mother who, much like her daughter, isn't one for crying regularly. To actually see her upset to the point of tears over Zira's fate despite almost never interacting with her... it... I'm not sure how to put it, but it was relieving to know that my mom really did care, both about how I felt and about Zira in the end.

Zira was... well, I didn't call her my "fuzzy baby child" for nothing. She meant everything to me, and to think that starting today, I'll be coming home without her there to greet me, to lie at the end of my couch while I sleep, curl up beside me while I draw, or even so much as hear those cute little snores she made while napping... it just hurts. More than I've ever felt in my life.

I can feel myself tearing up as I type, so... I guess I should finish this off. I'm home now, and have already visited the animal hospital to retrieve the collar and bandanna Zira was wearing, which the vet was kind enough to hold onto per my request. Alongside those were a card with Zira's paw print, and a picture of my girl.

I don't know when I'll start posting again, but I'll try not to take too long. And I'll continue to lurk and talk here and there, if only sparingly.

To those who read this to end, I thank you for for your time.

And to those who still have fuzzy (or scaly/feathery) baby children of their own... Cherish them. Give them as great a life as you can, and when the time comes for them to leave... Do what my aunt told me to do; hold onto the memories of them while they were alive. It still hurts, especially since I lost Zira so recently...

But my aunt's not wrong. Because after I cry over seeing Zira's stuff, I find myself remembering my fuzzy baby child fondly, and smile when I thought I no longer could.

#axewchao chitchat

[fates-theysband]

Fate with all the unique asks?

thank you for the blank check to be completely out of my gourd, it is much appreciated and this is going to be a lot of fun

readmored for length

Everyone always asks about the first kiss. What about your first make-out session?

oh you know. tfw you kiss your partner intending for it to just be one kiss before you leave his office but the two of you uh. don't stop kissing each other and it gets steadily more intense and before long you have him backed up against his desk and you plant your hands down to kind of steady the both of you...and then you accidentally knock his inkwell off his desk and, well, broken glass and a rapidly-spreading ink puddle can really kill the mood.

we got it cleaned up, shared a second (much more chaste, we were both too embarrassed to try that again) kiss goodbye, and then i actually went back downstairs to the emporium like i said i was going to the first time. mortimer spent a solid three days teasing me like an older brother who just found out their younger sibling has a crush after i told them why my hands were covered in ink stains

What are some ways in which you and your F/O don't mesh well? How do you overcome these differences?

well like. it is kind of difficult to convince them that destroying the world is not the answer to their depression. like they're pretty set on that. also it's hard to get them to be direct about their feelings which can be kind of stressful because come ON you don't have to carry all that hurt by yourself my ears are always open. but like, being patient and not trying to force it has done wonders.

What was your SECOND date like? Was it an improvement on the first in some way?

it's hard to really have varied dates when you're confined to an office building but on our second date we spent a day down in the archive and he taught me how to play go. he beat me literally every single game <3 (it was still fun though. and it was a lot less awkward than the first one because the first date was cerberus's den so there were a few reapers in there trying to pretend they weren't gawking because Holy Shit The Boss Came All The Way Down Here? And He Brought A DATE???)

What's the strangest gift your F/O has ever given you?

i'm usually the weird gifts guy but since they do occasionally venture out of the office (out of necessity more than desire) they'll occasionally pop into an antique store and buy something that reminds them of me. the most recent was a preserved squid specimen in formaldehyde (<- real thing i saw for sale at a con irl and only didn't buy because if it broke on the plane ride home i really would just have to throw away the whole suitcase)

What's your F/O's favorite type of kiss to receive? Slow, passionate, sloppy, quick, sweet? What about you?

he really likes those long passionate almost cinematic kisses. i think it's because he knows that one of those usually leads to more kissing. my answer is the same as the last ask: Kisses Are Kisses And I Want All Of Them So Bad

What kinds of kisses does your F/O give you? What kinds of kisses do you give your F/O?

they strike me as the kind of guy who will give a single very soft gentle kiss, pull back, pause for a few seconds, and then DIVE back in with a way more passionate kiss because like. for all their reserved nature i really do think they are full of emotional floodgates ready to be opened. i on the other hand would straight up dip kiss them on sight. and i have. (but more typically it's very sweet playful quick kisses)

If your F/O were a type of dog, what breed would they be? Maybe a mix?

i feel like he would be a mastiff of some sort. very imposing presence but not nearly as scary as he initially seems.

Where are your F/O's hands while y'all are walking side by side? Are you holding hands? Is their arm around your waist? Somewhere else?

their arm is definitely around my waist in a firm protective "i've got you" kind of way

What's your F/O's favorite cuddling position? Yours?

he's a very "face to face, arms wrapped around each other and legs intwined" kind of guy. suits me just fine lmao

Have you ever fallen asleep on your F/O's shoulder? How did they react? Have they fallen asleep on your shoulder?

the first time i fell asleep with my head on their shoulder i feel like they reacted in the most cat owner way possible which is by freezing in position until i woke up on my own. we both had pretty nasty kinks in our necks after that one. they've fallen asleep on my shoulder a few times and i just adjust slightly so we're both more comfortable and carry on with what i'm doing.

#r: curses #thanks for the ask!! #[absolutely melting into a puddle thinking about all this]

[lucifer-is-a-bag-of-dicks]

Part 2 baby, I'll put these up on my ao3 soon as well so they're in one place together

-------

"Dad... you're dead."

Jack laughed. He probably shouldn't have, Danny seemed to be very genuine in his assessment, and Jack recognised that he should probably take this more seriously. But still, dead?? It was laughable.

"Come on Danny be serious." Danny's face remained stoic, "I'm not dead, I'm right here."

"You're a ghost, dad." Danny's lips were pressed tight, his entire body tense. "You died."

Jack was feeling a little ill at this point, was Danny okay? Was there a ghost messing with his head? He leaned toward Danny and grabbed his hand, it was cold, Danny's hands were always cold.

"Listen to me son, you're not talking sense, there's probably a ghost somewhere tha-"

Danny stood up fast, impossibly fast, his chair skidded behind him and toppled over.

"No! Dad can you just- how did you get to bed last night?" He asked.

Jack hadn't been expecting the question, he'd gone to bed... the usual way right? Like he always did, took a shower, brushed his teeth, got into his pyjamas, kissed his wife goodnight, although for some reason the details felt a little fuzzy.

But before he could answer Danny continued.

"When did we leave the party?"

Party? Jack's brow furrowed, oh the party! It was his 50th, how could he forget his own party, had he had that much to drink?

Oh, oh of course. He'd gotten drunk and done something stupid, said something upsetting. That's why everyone was mad at him, that's why last night was foggy.

Danny kept going, he sounded frustrated, angry, but his voice cracked a little. He was upset, oh boy Jack must have done something truly awful.

"What happened after the toast?"

The toast... He had just blown out the candles on the enormous cake Vlad had bought for him, ah that's right, Vlad had been there! He'd hired the venue, planned the whole party, it had been a surprise.

He had handed him a drink...

Danny asked another question, Jack knew it was the last, it felt heavy and final, it didn't even sound like a question.

"What's the date today."

Jack knew the date, of course he knew the date, it was the day after his birthday why wouldn't he know? He'd never been particularly good with dates but not even he could forget his own birthdate.

He glanced over to the calendar on the wall, just in case, he had a sneaking suspicion this was some kind of a trick question.

Jazz was the one to mark off the days, she used it to keep track of her assignments and her tutoring sessions. Each day would be marked with a tidy little line, not an X because they had 'a negative association with failure' or... something. He didn't really understand a lot of Jazz's ideas.

The days were marked off up to June the 18th... the 18th, it should have been the 10th. His birthday was yesterday, on the 9th, today should be the 10th.

How could he have missed a whole week? Maybe this was a joke, a way to get back at him for getting drunk and embarrassing everyone.

But this... didn't feel like a joke.

Maddie's sobs hadn't felt like a joke, Jazz's silence hadn't felt like a joke.

Danny's eyes gouged into him. Danny had always been an awkward kid, he took after Jack in that way, he was shy when he was young, always had difficulty maintaining eye contact. He had no such difficulty right now. They were so bright, had they always been so bright?

It was unsettling.

Why couldn't Jack remember what happened after the toast...

The drink had tasted strange, bitter. He never particularly liked champagne, he assumed that it was normal. Vlad had been smiling, his teeth were sharp... his eyes...

Danny's hands were clasped together tightly, his knuckles bumping against his lower lip as they shook. His gaze had shifted from Jack's face to the gravy-stained tablecloth.

"You're dead. I'm sorry, I know this is hard, I know you still feel like everything is the same but it isn't. You... you're a ghost, dad. Not the kind you're used to, you're just a haunting spirit right now, nobody can see you, nobody can hear you. You can't interact with anything, not yet."

Danny dropped his hands away from his face and looked at him sadly. Jack felt as though there was more to his expression, but he'd never been particularly good at reading people. Vlad had always been better at that sort of thing, it often felt like Vlad could speak a whole other language Jack simply couldn't understand.

Vlad... something was tickling the back of his mind but he couldn't quite grasp it, like a word on the tip of his tongue.

Vlad had given him a drink. Vlad had smiled. It looked like a real smile, but Jack felt like... there had been something more to it, Jack had never been good at reading people... Vlad had smiled, his teeth were sharp, his eyes... red, they were red.

The champagne was bitter. He could almost still taste it.

Jack jumped to his feet, startling Danny as he balled his hands into fists.

"Vlad." he growled, Danny breathed a sad sigh.

"Yeah, it was Vlad, he-"

"He was overshadowed by a ghost!" Jack roared, "It's still got him doesn't it? Mads is out there looking for-"

"No! Fuck, dad- SIT. DOWN."

Jack sat. Without thought or question. Danny's command was loud, not deafening but loud in a different way, like he'd heard it through not just his ears but his entire body. It reminded him a little of the concerts he and Maddie used to frequent back in their college days, where the music was so loud it vibrated through them, head to toe.

It took him a moment to realise he was shaking, Jack always considered himself fearless, and that was generally true, so true that he almost didn't recognise the feeling as it swept coldly over him.

Danny closed his eyes and rubbed at them in frustration, Jack was almost certain he caught a flash of vibrant green beneath his fingers.

"I'm sorry I... I didn't want to use that- I didn't mean," he sighed heavily. "You just never listen."

He was listening now, if not simply because he felt too shaken to do anything else. His thoughts rattled around trying to piece themselves together, something within him was screaming like he'd just touched a hot surface or a live wire. Danger danger danger danger.

"Vlad wasn't being overshadowed," said Danny, leaning against the kitchen bench, his body almost sagging with exhaustion. "It's... a lot more complicated than that."

"I can't be a ghost." Jack muttered, indignant, "They're monsters, they don't even look human. They don't wake up and hug their wives, they don't want to sit down and eat breakfast with their daughters."

"Not all ghosts are the same." Danny's voice was quiet, it had none of that fierce intensity like before. What was that? It wasn't normal, it definitely wasn't human. Jack glared up at him as a hot flush of rage washed over him.

"How do I know you aren't the ghost. That you haven't done... something to my family, to make them think I'm dead!" Jack growled.

He wanted to stand up, but under Danny's icy stare he felt locked into his seat. His expression was mostly blank, but Jack could see a twitch in his brow and tilt to his lips. He could see it, but he couldn't read it. Ghosts were easier to read than this, ghosts weren't usually very subtle.

"Not all ghosts are the same." Danny repeated, his voice was so quiet now, tentative and fragile.

He walked over to the sink, Jack wanted to get up, wanted to keep his eyes on Danny and the ghost that might be controlling him, but he couldn't seem to make his legs work. The command still rang in his ears. Sit. Down.

"We aren't going to get anywhere like this." Danny filled up a glass of water and placed it in front of Jack. "Pick it up."

It wasn't a command, Danny's expression had softened once more.

"Please."

Jack narrowed his eyes in suspicion, but he did as requested. He could feel the cold glass in his hand, the condensation on his fingers, but as he tried to lift it... the glass remained as it was. His hands simply slipping over it.

He tried again, and again, it wasn't as though it was slippery, or heavy, or even that he couldn't grip it. The glass felt normal, his hands felt normal, the glass just wouldn't... move.

Gritting his teeth in frustration he grabbed the glass and squeezed with all his strength, it didn't break. The water didn't even ripple.

"This is a trick..." said Jack. "It's just a trick..."

Red eyes and a bitter drink, people stood around him, faces blurred. He was falling, someone screamed.

Danny started rooting around in a nearby drawer, he pulled out a ragged newspaper cutout. The ink had run in some spots, he placed it down in front of Jack.

It was an obituary. It was his obituary. Tear stained and rough around the edges, torn from the rest of the paper instead of cut, he skimmed over it, almost unable to take it in.

Jack Jonathan Fenton... age 50... survived by his wife Maddie and two children Danny and Jazz...

There was a list of his degrees, complete and incomplete, engineering, physics, mathematics, it listed the names of his high school and university, his reputation as a local ghost hunter, a blurb about his dedication to his work and his love for his family. Jazz had written it, he could tell. She was so good with words.

"Don't make this harder than it needs to be, please." Danny's voice cracked, his eyes were bright with tears as he righted the knocked over chair and sat back down across from Jack, gripping his hand tightly.

Vlad leaning over him, Vlad gripping his hand, he was smiling, his teeth were sharp. Glass smashed, he'd dropped the drink. It was bitter.

He could almost still taste it.

"No..."

Maddie running past him in the lab, like he wasn't even there, crying. Jazz at the breakfast table, not seeing not hearing, eyes red and puffy. They hadn't looked at him, not once had they looked at him. They couldn't see him, they really couldn't see him.

But Danny could.

"If... I'm a ghost," the words tasted foul and heavy on his tongue, "and you aren't... why can you see me?"

Danny sighed, still holding tight to Jack's hand.

"It's complicated." he said, staring down at the table.

"Vlad, he did this. I'm..." Jack whispered. "But his eyes were... he was overshadowed. It was a ghost that-."

"He wasn't overshadowed." Danny kept his gaze averted, his expression was hard and cold. "It was the accident with the proto-portal, it changed him. He-"

Danny choked up, tears were slipping from his eyes, he gasped a few unsteady breaths.

"He blamed you, he blamed you and wanted to kill you, he's been trying since the attack at the reunion. I tried to protect you dad I tried I tried I'm sorry, I didn't know about the poison until it was too late I'm sorry, I couldn't get there in time I couldn't-"

Danny's sobs shook his whole body, he buried his head in his arms, shaking hands still clasped around Jack's.

Red eyes, sharp teeth, the reunion...

"The Wisconsin Ghost," how had he not seen it? "He's the Wisconsin Ghost."

Then another thought struck him. He looked at his son like he'd never seen him before, sobbing loudly, painfully, his body wracked with spasms as he choked on every breath. He had been trying to protect him, all this time he had known and was protecting him, alone.

When Jack had been told to sit, compelled to sit, unable to move and paralysed with terror, had he imagined the glint of green in his son's eyes? He knew a ghost with green eyes, who could incapacitate someone with a single terrifying scream, who was mortal enemies with the Wisconsin Ghost, who claimed to be a protector, who looked just like a kid.

Danny had been in the lab that day, when the portal turned itself on.

Had the portal turned itself on?

Jack stood, his legs finally acting of his own accord once more, and he rounded the table to pull his son into a tight hug.

"Oh Danny, it was you, the ghost boy, it was you."

"I'm sorry dad, I'm so sorry." The words wouldn't stop pouring from his lips, tumbling over and over. Jack's chest grew tight from the pain in his voice.

He ran a hand over his son's hair and shushed him gently.

"It's okay Danny-boy, it's not your fault, you did your best. I'm so proud of you son, we should have realised, you did so much all on your own, I'm so proud of you." It was Jack's turn to start blubbering.

"I should have told you." said Danny, voice muffled against Jack's chest.

He and Maddie always talked about all of the things that they would do to Phantom if they had ever caught him, they'd talked about it during family dinners. Danny had sat there listening, the whole time he had been right there listening.

"I... understand why you didn't." said Jack.

Danny had stopped shaking, he pulled away from Jack and wiped his eyes.

"Vlad told mom that he'd been overshadowed, she's been out hunting for the Wisconsin Ghost all week." Danny sniffed, "I wanted to tell her the truth, I wanted to so badly but Vlad he... he said he'd go for Jazz next. Said if he got past me once he could do it again. I couldn't risk it."

Jack had never understood why a ghost would choose to remain tethered, why they couldn't just move on and leave the living to go about their business in peace. He always told himself that when he died he would never return, he would take what was to come with open arms.

But that wasn't what happened. He'd gotten up to start his day as usual, but he was already dead. There had been no choice, and were he given one now, he didn't think he could bring himself to take it.

His family still needed him, how could he leave them behind? It wasn't wrong if he stayed to protect his family, right?

Jack placed a heavy hand on Danny's shoulder, and gently knocked his chin with a large fist.

"Buck up kiddo, I might need to get a handle on this whole bein' a ghost thing but when I do," Jack's voice dropped into a low, dangerous growl and, for just a brief moment, his eyes flashed a vibrant green, "I'm not gonna let him hurt anyone else."

#lula's fanfics #danny phantom #Bitter #jack fenton #am I projecting my neurodivergant ass on this man absolutely not how dare you sir #I just find not being able to tell if people are lying to me super relatable #danny phantom fanfiction #thanks y'all who told me how to do the readmores

[sokkabeifong]

48 for tokka?

y'all know I'm a slut for height differences. tokka for number 48 (one person has to bend down in order to kiss their partner, who is standing on their tip-toes to reach their partner’s) here we go.

If there was an award for worst backseat driver, Toph would take home the gold.

"LEFT! I said take a left, you idiot!"

Sokka grips the steering wheel tightly as he turns right, into the airport parking lot. He lost his most of his patience about five lefts ago. "You're about one left turn away from death by strangulation, T."

She smirks, and he forces himself to look away. He knows if he catches a glimpse of her dimpled grin he won't be able to look away. He focuses on making a steady park job instead, craning his neck to and fro in order to straighten his car.

"My God, Snoozles, you just barely scraped that van next to us," comes Toph's bouce casually from his right.

"What?!" He whips his head around, thankfully sans the steering wheel, so that his eyes land frantically on the smooth, low-to-the-ground sport car that Toph is gesturing to. His eyes narrow.

"I hate you," he mutters, but she's too busy cracking up to hear him. Her laugh consists of a few short breathe followed by snorting through her nose, and it's one of the weirdest things he's ever heard.

He loves it so much.

"Are you ever going to not fall for that?" she says, making a show of wiping a tear from her eye.

"One of these days," he says, opening his door and hopping out. "And don't expect me to open that door for you!"

Her dramatic gasp is audible even from outside the car. He shakes his head, but he can't keep from grinning. She has that effect on him.

He goes to the back to unload her bags, and an all-too-familiar sense of dread overcomes him. Toph's throaty laugh is an easy and welcome distraction from the reason they're at the airport in the first place.

"I can take it from here, thanks," she says, coming around to stand beside him and grabbing the bags from off of the ground. They take up both of her hands, so he takes two from her right one and grasps it tightly.

She doesn't look at him, but she understands. "It's gonna be okay," she says, squeezing it. "I promise."

He sighs, not commenting. Instead he leads her by the hand up the walk and to the shuttle stop, where he leans against her like his life depends on it. He isn't sure why the full impact of her leaving for college isn't hitting him until now, but it is, right here in the breeze and the trees and the God-ugly shuttle stop.

He should have seen it coming. He had, he really had. Or at least he'd tried. When she told him she was leaving their small, suburban town and going to college in the city, part of him had thought she was joking. Which, in his defense, was what she was doing most of the time.

But the thing he admires most about his girlfriend is her determination, and so here they are, waiting for a shuttle that will take them to the airport, where she will get on a plane and be virtually gone from his life for the next four months.

Christmas, he tells himself. Just wait until she comes home for Christmas.

The shuttle arrives, and they clamber onto the bus, barely squeezing into the back, but close enough so that they no longer need to hold hands. He's practically on her lap.

She chuckles in her weird way, right in his ear, and her breath is cool on his cheek. "If you'd wanted sex, you should've said so earlier. It's a little late now."

The grin she always manages to pull out of him reappears. "There's always the bathroom," he tells her. "Don't hold your breath."

"Can't help it, the guy next to me absolutely reeks," she says, not bothering to lower her voice. The man turns, frowning, and she smiles innocently at him.

Luckily they pull into the shuttle stop at the airport, and everyone piles off. Sokka reclaims Toph's hand, and they head for security. She gets her bags checked after a surprisingly short wait, which only makes him more antsy. A long line would've given them time, the time he desperately needs. They grab a quick bite at a hamburger stand, and then before he knows it they're at that horrible point where he can no longer follow. He eyes the line to enter the waiting area and loading lines angrily.

"Hey," she says, pulling on his hand. He has no choice but to look at her, into her pale green eyes, so hazy that they're almost white.

"Yeah?" he says stupidly.

"It's only four months." She tilts her head, and he mirrors her. "I'll be back before long. Think you can keep yourself out of trouble until then?"

"I think so," he replies, and his attempt to keep his voice neutral fails. It cracks loudly and embarrassingly, but she doesn't wince or cringe.

"I love you," she says, standing on her tiptoes. Immediately he bends down so that their lips can meet, and they do. He cups her face gently in his hand, and she stands as far as she can, balancing on the tip of her converse. All too soon she breaks away.

"I love you, too," he breathes. She grins and neither of them speaks for a moment. Slowly she reaches up and begins touching his face, softly but surely, her tongue sticking out in concentration.

He doesn't pull away. This is her way of saying goodbye.

"There," she says, pulling away. "I've memorized your ugly face."

"Watch yourself, or I might not be here when you get back," he teases, and as a reward he earns one last laugh from her. It echoes around in his head, hurtling down paths and pushing through his ears, ringing and running and ringing. Toph is in his head, and she's not leaving anytime soon.

He smiles. Just how he likes it.

EDIT: I posted it and used the readmore thing, but unfortunately it didn't work as far as I know. Anon, I'm really sorry about that and will try and fix it when I get home.

EDIT AGAIN: I DID IT ON THE APP THSNK GOODNESS okay and thank you for your help @writebecauseyoucannotbreathe hehe

#tokka #atla #avatar the last airbender #sokka #toph #toph beifong #modern atla

[gooseking]

Y'all, so I need to point something out that I just realized

So this song really resonated with me because of my past relationship that ended and ultimately became Hiraeth:

I added it to the Hiraeth playlist because it reminded me of Percival (can't give context because of spoilers).

Long post under the cut:

:readmore:

So a little context for what I'm about to talk about: I was having a hard time mentally because of personal reasons, specifically with friends. I talked to my therapist, and to help me, I met up with 3 of my closest friends today to celebrate a little Christmas with them and to just hang out with them since school, work, and other life things have kept us all apart for a while. 2 of them I met through my ex and they still are somewhat connected with them (though they aren't fond of her anymore after knowing what they did to me, but one of their moms is best friends with my ex's mom, so it's inevitable). I just heard word that my ex is still talking shit about me more than a year after the breakup, complaining that I don't talk to her anymore, but am still best friends with my other ex (the other best friend I was hanging out with). First of all, phones work both ways. I don't have them blocked on anything, so if they really wanted to talk to me so bad, they would contact me first. That was one of the problems before the breakup; I would always message them first by sending a meme or a picture, but they wouldn't respond for days at a time. After the breakup, I didn't really message them because if they didn't want to message me back after days, why would I take the time out of my busy schedule to message them? Second of all, my other relationship didn't end on a bad note; it was a weird situation, and had we not been in that situation, we would most likely still be together.

Anyway, I already was over them. I was mopey in the shower a lot because my mind would wander and think of them. Not anymore. But they still shit talk me to my own friends who know their bullshit.

That's where the lyrics come in though; I do have to thank them for hating me, because if not for them, Hiraeth would likely not exist. Everything about Hiraeth is modeled after me in some way, but mostly the main characters (primarily Percy and Az for the relationship).

"I used to lose so much sleep after what you stole from me"- I couldn't sleep well after the breakup because I just kept thinking of them and the good times we had. At the time, they stole my heart.

"You turned my vulnerability on me like a weapon"- They often turned my own emotions against me, making me feel guilty for things that I didn't want to do and didn't care about when I was uncomfortable.

"But taking knives in the back really taught me a lesson"- I realized that I was being too nice in the relationship, that they were taking advantage of me, and I'm changing that about myself.

"I just wanna thank you for beating me down, for messing me up, for making me feel I'm not enough"- They honestly made me feel like a jerk by talking about what I'm passionate about

"For running your mouth, for showing no love, for setting me off like a loaded gun"- They obviously talk shit about me behind my back, they showed no care for me after the breakup, and it pissed me off the day I moved out of their house.

"Thank you for making me stronger than I thought I could ever be"- I took this relationship and turned it into something I'm actually proud of. Without Hiraeth, I don't know what would be keeping me going.

"You criticize to hide how much you hate yourself"- Bringing back the shit talking, we believe that they only shit talk to make themselves feel better and seem like the bigger person

"The world's gonna know my name, not yours, you're my stepping stone"- All my life, teachers have told me not to forget them when I'm famous with my art. I know that I'm going to be somebody one day, and with an attitude like what they have, they won't get anywhere in the art industry. Again, I'm using this experience to build myself up and Hiraeth is my stepping stone to be better.

"I'm moving on, I'm on the mend, because living well is the best revenge. Forever changed, I'm born again because living well's the best revenge!"- The best part of the song by far. I've moved on, I'm healing, I'm being a better person, and I'm living life the way I want to. I'm focusing on my life and what I'm doing in the future because living well is the best revenge. I've said it once, and I'll say it again; after starting Hiraeth, I feel like I opened a new chapter in my life. I was reborn in the best way possible.

And we just think they were shit talking tonight because they were jealous that they wanted to hang out with me over them ;)

#vent #delete later #Spotify

[talesoftextposts]

Exactly! Crestoria is not the only game they don't really keep tabs with. A while ago i played a saint seiya game by them and it had many many issues. If you cannot have multiple games with quality than please don't. Is bad for us and the employees, those poor people must be going crazy :c

At first I liked kasque, quite different than what I would expect from a goddess, but I ended disliking her...

I feel kinda bad for aegis just being a punching bag for jokes and Yuna just being there to look pretty, they have a lot of potential for the story. Like you said Yuna had a great point and a good reflection moment but whatever eh? Aegis too, I felt his story like a punch on the gut because I tend to be like him and the queen, but again, whatever...

I do the arena for the free stuff too! I am not competitive at all XD

hello again anon!! im going to do another readmore gksghkeg

yeah i honestly...ugh. i have just a lot of issues w bamco in general but i also Do Not want them to pay attention to me jic they tell me to stop making memes or something stupid like that— like genuinely instead of making the game more functional or adding like...idk. any story or shit that makes Sense they just added things like the transcendence board which is just. for ppl who already maxed out their ascension boards?? after like 6 months??? Y'ALL... ik for a while too the phantom tower was Waaayyy too difficult but i think they nerfed it back to normal considering i can now clear thru level 40 at least :/ but overall the game is just. geared towards ppl who drop fucktons of cash on it. if you look at the ppl in the top 3 in arena rn? you KNOW they've spent hundreds if not thousands of dollars on this game. what the fuck.

also minor gripes are just...they don't add very many new units anyway, compared to like even asteria, and i get that there's effort for the whole models or w/e but...i mean if rays can do it... and i don't mean that in the rate that banners are released, bc those are...kind of annoyingly often as of late (looking @ all the crestoria cast alts) but the fact they're only for 1 or 2 charas who are Only ssrs, and it genuinely makes r and sr stones and sr charas just...obsolete and useless imo? like i genuinely have EVERY sr AND r full awakened/ascended which. is probs partly due to the drop rates being Absolute Garbage, but thank god they implemented a pity system, right? ...right? [tired sigh] i've saved enough for julius who has been in crestoria for 228 days, bamco, fucking release h—

i also want to add that i've contacted support MULTIPLE times abt issues w the game and they have legit just told me "hm sucks have u tried playing the game w all other apps closed" like yes, bamco, but that's not the problem??

SORRY for several paragraph rant abt the gameplay i just have some very strong opinions LMAO

i understand not liking kasque! tales antags...and characters in general, actually, are rather hit or miss. i personally just love evil women so im rlly in love w her GSKEHGESKHG

but as for the aegis and yuna things... YEAH. i rlly love them both and it's been extremely disappointing to see how they've been treated by the story :( like even if yuna's acting silly to cover her own feelings, it would be nice to get those scenes we get in other tales games (like...idk even the scenes in xillia like where alvin and elize sit and talk in the park, and leia talks w i think jude or milla depending on the route?) considering it's like...is penelope going to be okay? can she ever go back to her?? is she okay just crossing the sea and leaving her, even if there's really no choice??? sorry for the character introspect i just have a lot of thoughts—

aegis too, it's like. i don't mind teasing to an extent, but i really feel sometimes they go too far w it :( esp in like. events and the character episodes moreso than the main story (tho i could be remembering incorrectly) which makes me wonder if they just have different writers for each but even THEN like the main story still fails to act like yuna and aegis Exist half the time?? and JEEZ yeah i am constantly thinking abt aegis and queen rebecca, esp imo it's just a very... well first of all, that has to be Traumatizing As Hell but second of all i strongly headcanon he was unable to say it bc he didn't mean it and also i have a headcanon that the whole event has kept him from ever saying the words "i love you" ever again so that's that on THAT. (these are my headcanons pls don't send me hate over them they're not canon i promise—)

and honestly same!! i used to be sss rank and then i stopped caring abt arena for a bit and dropped a couple ranks...oops. i'm currently s-5 and had to FIGHT to keep myself there this season. it's not that i rlly care abt winning or being high ranking. or first, even, i just want the prizes from being at a certain rank/placing tbh. which is why.....................................oh im so tired of the ppl with lvl 120 fully awakened new ass units like i GET IT you have MONEY but i am not spending that much on a mobile game!!

ANYWAY thank u for coming to my ted talk omfg im so sorry this is so long (again)

#mod.txt #SSSSSSSSORRYYYYYYY #if u disagree w me pls don't yell at me im sensitive— #these are just my onions i pr #anyway i again apologize for a v long post where i just. bitch abt crestoria ig that's my life now

[petepepsi]

My First Fanfiction (AKA: Why Did I Think of This When I was Nine Years Old What the Heck)

A bit of background first:

When I was in like 3rd/4th/5th grade, Phineas and Ferb was the greatest thing in the entire world (followed by Smash Bros and pumpkin pie, respectively). I loved that show more than anything ever.

During this point in my life, I also discovered ~*~the internet~*~. Once on ~*~the internet~*~, it was rather inevitable that I would look up Phineas and Ferb on Google Image Search.

One glorious day, I found a picture I really liked. So, wanting to get a better look, I clicked on it. It was at that point that I discovered something that would change my life forever.

KictserAsh on Deviantart. AKA imaginashon on tumblr, but little wee baby Skyler didn’t know what Tumblr was (thank god). AKA: Literally the Biggest Inspiration in my Whole Damn Life. (and now they work on mml ain’t that neat)

I went through their ENTIRE Phineas and Ferb gallery, loving every single piece. I also found some of their written work, and oh boy you bet little Skyler LOVED that.

So I read like everything on their account. And those stories inspired me. They still do, actually (and so does their art everything they make is really good you should go look at their blog/gallery please).

So here’s where we get into the fanfiction (adding a readmore b/c this is about the get REALLY LONG)

TW: talk of death, and swearing.

To put this story into EXTREMELY simple terms, the plot goes as follows: (sidenote: characters are like 16 in this) Ferb dies, and Phineas’s friends help him get back on his feet afterwards (along with a more supernatural friend).

Now, you’re probably thinking: “Skyler, that’s not too weird of a fanfiction.”

That’s where you’re wrong, but I’ll get to that later.

You see, the story begins at Ferb’s funeral (loosely inspired by the fact that I had recently gone to a funeral, so this was pretty legit). Very well-described, from what I remember. The family gave little speeches, it was nice.

Then, the next chapter was Phineas at home (alone) in his room at like four in the morning. This was when we found out how Ferb died. It was some kind of industrial accident (a giant machine fell on him yikes). It was the “project of the day” that P and F were working on that caused Ferb to fuckin die. This part I remember the least about when it comes to the specifics, but I do remember reading it over again in 7th grade (before the computer I wrote this on became deader than Ferb) and thinking that the scene sounded “vaguely like someone contemplating suicide, but in a more child-friendly way.”

The next chapter took place about a week later, from the perspective of Phineas’s friends (Baljeet, Buford, Isabella, and Django i don’t know why Django was there instead of any other character shut up) They were all going to visit Phineas, because “he hadn’t left his house in over a week” and, apparently, that was very unlike him. So they go up to the house, and there’s a tiny little description of the backyard, where, I shit you not, I wrote: “There was still blood on the grass.”

So cut to later that chapter, and Phin’s pals are trying to help him out, but he’s having none of it. He locked himself in his room, and won’t talk to anyone (except in depressed sighs).

Here comes the best scene of the whole story.

So during this part, Baljeet is very quiet, and I certainly made sure everyone was aware of that (I was never subtle, but then again I was eight). Eventually, Isabella and them give up, and Baljeet gets fucking piiiiissed. In a shocking display of strength, Baljeet BREAKS DOWN THE DOOR IN A FIT OF RAGE. And that’s where the chapter ends.

I can’t remember what happened in the next chapter (I believe it was some silly ghostly shenanigans with Ferb  even back then, i was a “master of comedy”), but the one after that was where the plot happened.

So, being a fourth grader, I had at this point in my life discovered “Ouija Boards.” And little Skyler thought that was so cool, until her mom told her a really spooky story about Ouija Boards, which deeply traumatized little Skyler. Little Skyler, having no way to express her emotions other than writing, decided to use this terrifying experience and turn it into something “nice.”

So the gang uses a Ouija Board to chat with ghost Ferb (never thought I’d write that sentence), and things go all right for a bit.

Key words: a bit.

So Django and Co. leave, and Phineas is home alone once again. Well… he’s not really alone.

Phin grabs the Ouija Board, and (breaking the ONLY RULE GOD DAMMIT PHIN) uses it alone.

Here is where we meet the coolest motherfucker ever. His name?

I have no idea.

I wrote this a long time ago, and his name must’ve been pretty dumb for me to push it out of my mind like that.

For the sake of convenience, his name is Todd (b/c why not).

Now Todd was my first ever OC. He's a ghost who wishes to return to the human realm. I remember him looking like "a strange eight-foot tall vaguely humanoid figure with four ribbon-like appendages protruding from his back. His body was completely black, aside from his eyes which took on the appearance of glittering rubies. Aside from the eyes, his entire body looked to be made of pen scribbles, like someone had scribbled over a picture of someone they disliked and then transformed it into a 3-D image.“

Now, you’re probably thinking, “How the heck was Todd going to return to the human realm?” Well, according to my made-up ghost rules, all he needed was a willing host. The “host" offers you their soul, and you take it, giving you not only a physical form, but a slave for all of eternity! It’s a pretty swell deal, tbh.

So Todd, posing as Ferb (reminder that poor lil Phin can’t see the Eldritch monstrosity that he’s communicating with), tries to convince Phineas to give him his soul (using very different terms).

It’s sorta like “Oh hey yeah, you’re sad, but you can fix everything. You can save me. Then everything will be normal again.” And Phineas, being the “uwu innocent naïve cinnamon roll” totally believes him.

Phineas is about to accept “Ferb”’s deal, when suddenly - WHOOSH! The lil Ouija disk thing flies out of his hand (and out the window), and the board flies up and slams down against the floor (as if someone threw it down there hint hint), shattering on impact.

Now, Phineas is fucking distraught over this, but instead of exploring that shit, I zoomed on over to the next chapter.

Chapter six seven who gives a fuck, begins before the previous chapter, and takes place from Ferb’s perspective (because I remembered that he was a character who existed).

So Ghost Ferb (Gerb? Fost?) is chillin and thinkin about ghost shit, when he “senses the Ouija Board being activated” (b/c that’s a thing ghosts can do). Ferb, thinking “Phineas what the shit you broke the only fucking rule goddammit,” goes to make sure no other spirits are fucking shit up, when lo and behold…

IT’S TODD

So Ferb doesn’t immediately rush in, he stands outside the door thinking, “Who’s this bloke and what does he think he’s doing? I’m gonna go all medieval on his metaphysical ass.”

Ferb listens to his plan (which he is saying out loud because he’s the bad guy), and thinks “Phineas isn’t gonna fall for this.” Then, he hears Phineas agree and he’s like “WHAT THE FUCK, PHINEAS” and then runs in and using his extremely inconsistent influence on the material world, throws the Ouija disk out the window and smashes the board on the floor.

As one could assume, this makes Todd fuckin pissed. However, instead of beating the shit out of Ghost Ferb (b/c really, what would that accomplish?), he leaves, warning Ferb that “he’d be back.”

then i never continued the story the end

Just kidding. Well, not really.

I never actually continued the story (it was at this point I got kinda out of the PnF fandom and more into video game and stuff), but I did have more stuff planned out. But I literally can’t remember any of that shit. And since the computer I wrote this work of art on died, I can’t exactly look it up. But I don’t wanna leave you like this.

So here we have…

the extra shit that i didn’t put into that long-ass description

Django’s speech on the importance of art. This was just kind of a thing that randomly occurred while the gang was on their way to Phineas’s house.

Ferb’s very inconsistent power over the material realm. I’m not exactly sure where I was trying to go wih this, but basically Ferb had some magic powers that let him interact with the physical world (i.e. knocking over stuff, levitation sometimes, etc.). This is sort of a regular ghost thing, but my story had a neat little twist. Ferb could only use this power at the Flynn-Fletcher household, because it only works at the place the ghost considers “home.”

the stuff i never actually wrote in the story itself

So, before I get started on the story parts of this, I should tell you Todd’s Backstory.

Todd was alive back in modern day. He was like one or two years older than Ferb. When he was younger, he was in some sort of academic competition against Ferb and Ferb won. This caused Todd to hate Ferb with a burning passion, and basically create a grudge so strong that only an extremely stubborn crazy determined teenager could hold it.

About a year or so before the story takes place, Todd died in a car accident after a distracting “beam from the sky” caused him to drive into oncoming traffic (It was highly implied that the beam was from one of Phineas and Ferb’s machines can’t believe phineas has a fuckin body count). It is revealed that (using the powers of “evil ghostly revenge”) HE caused the machine to fall on Ferb, and now he plans on getting revenge for Ferb beating him in all those academic competitions.

And yeah, that’s it. My first fanfiction. Hope y'all enjoyed this trip through my eight/ten year old psyche.

#shut up icarus #that first fanfic #you can reblog this if you want idc #written/edited at one in the morning so I'm sorry if this don't make sense #this has been in my drafts for forever so uh might as well post it now #my eight/ten year old self was Wild #tbh i'm not sure how old i was when I wrote this #under ten i'm sure #think i might sleep now #gnight

[wetwareproblem]

EDIT: Well. I screwed up here. In addition to an opening line that played into existing issues I was unaware of and caused a lot of hurt feelings, I’ve been told that the first paragraph plays into the “we killed all the Natives” trope. That wasn’t my intent; rather, I was trying to play on the war fought over the foundation of my city, and the fact that I am... well, whether I like it or not, a member of an illegal occupation.

But intent isn’t magic, and it’s not up to my white ass to make this call. (And I can see how that doesn’t convey without the surrounding history.) I hurt people with this post, and I’m sorry. I’m keeping it below the readmore because I believe in transparency and accountability, but I don’t want it circulating further.

I am sorry to anyone and everyone I hurt, and I will work to do better in the future.

birdsbeesandbelief reblogged your post “Instructions for a walk in the woods”

#Every time I see this shit I just#What kind of disrespectful mistreatment of your woods have y'all been up to#Because they aren't malevolent#Like you gotta teach woods to be malevolent#That's on you#A properly respected wood gives exactly 0 percent of a fuck what you're up to#And worth spent care can even be made friendly#Seriously what the hell#It's like reading a post about a very mean dog#Except everyone is like 'low key stab the dog' instead of 'the fuck did you do to piss it off'#h o n e s t l y

Well that might be nice in whatever Disney movie you live in, but... when I said I live in a horror movie, I meant it.

This land was stolen from its rightful keepers centuries ago. (Technically, it still belongs to them.) Much blood was shed over it in the process. Poisons have been left behind by those who were gone before I was ever born. And the woods? The woods remember.

I know the basic rules of respect, as does any child old enough to venture out on their own here - take nothing, leave nothing, damage nothing. Use only fallen wood, should you need to make a fire, and offer a word of thanks to the forest for it. Stick to the trails whenever possible. Recognize and avoid the signs of predators lurking nearby. Never force your way through, should the trees prove too thick. And never, ever venture into the woods at night.

But no matter how well one cleaves to the rules of hospitality, those ancient debts and past wrongs still stack against you, and there’s only so much you can do.

Oh, the woods will protect you, if you stay away from them - they even protected my home from the hurricane, when they were in a position to damage or destroy it. But that doesn’t mean they like us; just that they want to encourage us to recognize our place, to keep out.

There are no real trails to speak of, in the woods around my home - just animal paths and hiker’s orange tags on the trees. I was confident enough in my normally-keen sense of direction - foolish enough - to think that would be enough, once.

I ventured out on what was supposed to be a short half-hour walk, carefully watching and following the orange markers... until suddenly there was none, and when I retraced my steps the last one I’d seen was gone.

It took me three hours to find my way out of the woods, emerging at dusk in near panic in a completely unfamiliar place. According to all available evidence, I was never more than a kilometer from my home, never more than half that from the edge of the woods. But I know better.

I haven’t ventured off the trails since.

Every year, the woods claim a few victims, or at least toy with a few people - someone who logically shouldn’t have gets hopelessly lost, requiring days of search and rescue efforts until it’s clear the easiest way to be left alone is to release them. Hunters suffer accidents. Beloved pets and the occasional human who live on the forest’s edge run afoul of increasingly bold predators.

And then there’s the fogs - chokingly thick, unnatural, easy to lose yourself - or your reality - in. When they happen, even the regular rules of respect are not enough - do not venture off the roads, and stay indoors if you can, lest you find yourself the latest victim.

You tell me that I need to respect the woods, and I say that I do; I respect them in the way one respects a hungry predator. I recognize that they are ancient, and hostile, and that hostility is justified in their history, and I give them a wide berth in the hopes that they won’t see me as another threat - or more prey. I wish that I could have a better relationship with them - show them that I mean no harm, and could be a friend if allowed - but I do my wishful thinking from as much distance as I can manage.

#birdsbeesandbelief #Ashlyn #wonders if her own otherworldly nature might be part of the problem #creative writing #though every word is true #wetwareproblem screws up

[axewchao]

Found by the Fighter

Imma warn y'all now: The story under the readmore has creepy vibes through mentions of death and violence. I know y'all are used to cute n' harmless stuff from me, so the shift from that to this might be a bit jarring. This is Danganronpa after all, and Ultra Despair Girls is more intense than the three main games. Which is saying something considering the main three consist of literal Killing Games.

The moment that sweet, cheery voice called out from behind her, Dallie knew she was screwed.

Why did all of this happen? Why'd the whole town suddenly go apocalypse mode with the kids of Towa City waging war against all adults? How were the so-called "Warriors of Hope" even able to do all of this?

Dallie and Koukai saw the announcement those five kids made right before everything went to hell. It didn't make any sense to Dallie at the time, but all Koukai need to hear were the words "riots" and "refuge" before he began barricading the apartment and calling Dallie's parents, who had remained in the US while Dallie visited her grandpa.

The voices of her mom and dad were still fresh in Dallie's mind, even now. In the moments before the phone went out of service, both of them expressed their love for their daughter for what felt like the final time. Told her to listen to Koukai, and no matter what, stay safe. Even if she never sees them again, she had to promise that she'd stay alive, for their sake.

Thankfully, she was able to say "I promise" before the phone cut off.

Not too long after, robot bears came clawing into Koukai's apartment, ready to kill the two just like how that news reporter was killed on TV. The old man didn't have a fighting bone in his body, but Koukai still told Dallie to run while he held them off. She escaped, but never saw Koukai again.

She didn't dare go back to that apartment, as part of her already knew what she'd find there.

Those five sure loved calling adults Demons, but if anyone was acting demonic, it was them. Because of them and their murder bearbots, Koukai was dead now. Dallie was forced to wander the city alone and terrified, and even after the kids claimed to have "saved" her, not once did she feel safe. Not even with their weird, white-haired Servant, who did little beyond bring Dallie food and tell her that she must "never give in to despair, no matter how tempting it may be," whatever the fuck that meant.

If he was trying to encourage her to be strong, it didn't work. What did work was his offer to escort her back into the city, along with giving directions on how to leave Towa entirely.

Dallie always hated stealth games. Especially when the characters you have to avoid know the routes better than you do.

Not only had she blown the Servant's generous act of sneaking her out of the Warriors of Hope's headquarters, but now she was definitely going to be forced to wear a creepy bear helmet as punishment for running away.

When the pink-haired "Fighter" ran up to her and grabbed her hand, Dallie refused to look at her. Half from disgust and half from terror.

"I was so worried about you! Do you have any idea how dangerous it is out here?! What if a Demon found you?"

I've already been caught by one. Rather fitting that you're even wearing demon horns.

The girl paused, as if waiting for a response from Dallie, then sighed. "...Right. You still can't talk. Well, that's okay! I can still keep you safe as we head back home!"

That's not my home. You destroyed the town and killed my grandpa and smiled like nothing was wrong. You're a monster. Let go of me.

Dallie didn't voice any of this. She couldn't bring herself to utter a single word, even before she was captured by the Warriors of Hope. When the red-haired "Hero" began to question Dallie's silence, the Servant played it off as her being "too stunned by her newfound freedom from the Demons to give thanks." Only part of that was correct, as Dallie was struggling to process what was going on, but if Dallie could say anything...

Well, it was good that her parents wouldn't be around to hear it. The swear jar would be filled to the point of being able to pay for a hypothetical college tuition.

"What were you even doing out here, anyway? The Children's Paradise isn't ready yet, y'know. You can come out and play with everyone once it's done, I promise!"

Right. "Paradise." Filled with murder-happy bearbots and creepy helmet-wearing kids that apparently killed their own parents and tons of other innocent adults. Truly a magical wonderland. I can't wait.

Dallie stared down at her feet as the "Fighter" started walking away, keeping a decent grip on her hand. Dallie's palm was starting to sweat, but the "Fighter" either didn't notice or didn't care.

She was so close. She was so damn close, and she blew it.

"Hey, is that a candy store over there? Is that what you wanted? You could've just asked our Servant to get you some sweets, instead of making us worry like that! You don't want Monaca to get upset, do you?"

Right. Monaca. The "Mage." While the "Hero" claimed to be the leader of the Warriors of Hope, Dallie could tell from a glance that this "Mage" was the real deal. The "Priest" had once called her "the princess," and given how the other kids treated her, it made sense, with them practically bending over backwards to keep her happy. The "Sage" liked her most of all, his crush on her obvious to the point of ridiculousness.

When the "Mage" first approached Dallie, she froze, as if by instinct. Those light green eyes and that small smile gave the impression of a cheerful, kind-hearted little girl, but nothing, not even the little "meow!" at the end of the "Mage's" sentences could make Dallie feel at ease. Maybe it was because she was the literal leader of these monsters, but every fiber in Dallie's being told her to stay the fuck away from this green-haired girl.

The "Mage" could tell how scared Dallie was, too. Just like the Servant. That's probably why, when she caught Dallie alone, she told Dallie about what the helmets were for in the first place. How they brainwash you into killing adults. How you can't fight them, no matter how hard you try, and they'll make you do whatever the "Mage" wants. How if Dallie makes one wrong move, she'll be wearing one too.

So, in order to avoid getting a helmet, Dallie had to play nice with the other Warriors of Hope. Keep them happy, do as they say, and don't do anything that'll make them question their blatantly wrong and evil actions. Just do these three simple things, and Dallie keeps her free will.

The face the "Mage" made as she threatened Dallie still haunts her, even now.

"But you know, speaking of Monaca, there was something I wanted to ask her... But since it involves you, and we're alone out here, I wanna ask you first!"

Dallie looked up as the "Fighter" let go of her hand and turned to face her. The pink-haired girl held her hands behind her back and started rocking back and forth, almost looking like a kid who was about to ask their crush to sit with them at the lunch table.

She hadn't even said anything yet and Dallie already didn't like where this was going.

"Sooo... I know that you haven't been with us for very long. And that it takes a while to get used to big changes, like being freed from a Demon. Trust me, I know what it's like!"

No you don't.

"I was pretty scared at first, y'know. You'd think that the rush of freedom would feel really good! Mind-blowingly good! But it took a bit longer than expect for me to feel that way. But until that feeling came, I was so nervous and afraid... And... I think that's what you're going through right now!"

No I'm not. I'm not free. I'm your prisoner. Something for you to toy with or else I get brainwashed.

"But I had the Warriors of Hope by my side when it happened. I had friends looking out for me, and cheering me on for my victory!"

Oh god. It's a "power of friendship" speech. If one of those bearbots could show up right now, that'd be great.

"But... you didn't have that, did you? Masaru told me that it took a few days just to find you after he defeated the Demon that was keeping you prisoner! You must've felt so lost and scared..."

I was. But not for the reasons you think.

"So... I wanted you to know that you don't have to feel that way anymore! You've got me, and Monaca, and the guys! We'll all be here for you! And... um..." The "Fighter" started twiddling her fingers, looking unusually nervous. "I was wondering... if... maybe... You'd like to join us?"

Dallie tilted her head, humming in confusion. What did she just say?

"You know... Be a Warrior of Hope, like us! It'd be great!" The "Fighter" grabbed Dallie's hand again, holding it between her own. "You'd get a neat title, your own battle robot, and a totally adorbs new outfit! Er, okay, the outfit's optional. Don't get me wrong, that pink sweater you're wearing already looks super cute on you! Buuuut if you're moving up the ranks, you gotta look the part! Like how I used to dress up before a performance!"

Dallie could only stare. Is this girl being serious right now??

"And you could hunt Demons with us! That'll help you realize your newfound freedom, I just know it!"

Oh cod. She was serious.

"And you could finally speak again! I mean, if you don't wanna say anything you don't have to, but it'd be nice to hear your voice! I've been wondering what you sound like. And what your name is, but I'm sure that goes without saying."

I'm not saying anything to the likes of you. Let alone my name.

"And we could finally even out the boy/girl split between us! Masaru's always going on about how boys are better, but we'll show him! I mean, you've gotta be super tough to have survived on your own for days! And that was back before so many Demons had gone into hiding, too!"

Please stop talking. I don't wanna join you.

"As for your title... well, I'm already the Fighter, so we'll have to pick something just as strong for you! No one found you at first so that must mean you're really good at sneaking around... Oh! How about Thief? I know you haven't stolen anything at home, but you probably raided a store or two before Masaru found you. And you were eyeballing that candy store a minute ago~" She giggled, "It's good to know that you have good taste when it comes to food! Don't let me catch you eating anything salty, now!"

Too bad. I like eating salt-and-vinegar chips and hard-boiled eggs with lots of salt. And if I ever find some, I'm gonna eat 'em whether you like it or not.

"Where was I? Oh, right, you joining us! Sooo, whaddya say?" The "Fighter" looked at her with sparkling eyes, eager for Dallie's answer.

Fuck. What should she do? If she says yes, they'll make her kill adults with them. If she says no, then... Well, she's not sure what'll happen, but chances are the "Mage" will put a helmet on her for daring to say no to a Warrior of Hope's request. Or worse, the "Fighter" will realize what Dallie was actually doing and rat her out.

There's no way out of this. She's done for. She's-

"...Ah. You look unsure... Maybe you just wanna think about it for a while? I know this was all pretty sudden..."

Wow, something I'm actually grateful to you for! A way out!!

Taking a second to complete the act, Dallie nodded, giving the "Fighter" a nervous smile, followed by a shy glance in a random direction. To further sell it, she began fiddling with her necklace, a motion that everyone had already seen her do dozens of times.

"Okay! Take your time and think it over, and when you're ready, let me know!" Smiling as Dallie nodded, the "Fighter" started walking once more, mumbling and giggling to herself at the thought of adding a new member to the party. She didn't turn to look at her purple-haired friend, not even once.

But if she did, she'd see the look of dread slowly cross Dallie's face with each step.

#danganronpa #danganronpa ultra despair girls #warriors of hope #Kotoko Utsugi #Dallie Rathmore #Dangan!Dallie #on one hand I'd rather just play it safe and not post this at all #but on the other hand I'm happy with how the pic and the story came out and I don't want it to rot in my drafts #axewchaoscribbles #hm... maybe i should make a writing tag one day o3o