#[ thread: park bella ]

[silascody]

Silas couldn't help but observe her as the simple act of ordering a smoothie became a saga of sorts. He's not sure he had put that much thought into anything in his life, let alone a drink order.

When his was one and the cup was placed on the counter designated for picking up a finished order, he took a taste of it through the straw and remained loitering near the counter rather than taking a seat to see how it played out.

"That was my third choice, nice." With that, he left her to collect her drink and made his way over to the only free table in the joint, taking temporary claim of one of the seats at it.

arabella didn't respond to his comment; instead, she pressed her lips together in contemplation. honestly, she just wasn't sure what she wanted at the moment and she didn't want to make the wrong choice because then it would be a waste of money, which she didn't have a lot of.

scanning the menu again at the various fruit choices they have, she decided on getting something refreshing. with a nod of her head, she replied in a measured tone, " yeah, i'm just gonna get a mango kiwi mix. " although his choice seemed pretty good too, she didn't want him to think that she was copying his order.

[leikeliscomet]

Honestly, Ryan wasn't even a bad companion he just wasn't utilised properly. His YouTube channel should've been a central part of his character. Maybe have him been the one to record everything. Maybe have him actually know Two Girls Roaming in Praxeus because he watched their videos or gets filming tips from them. His relationship with his dad should've been threaded throughout s11 so his appearance in Resolution stuck. Maybe he shouldn't have forgiven him in the person-forgives-neglectful-parent-because-family-can-do-no-wrong trope but chosen Graham as his new father figure so that 'call me grandad' actually hits harder. Maybe have Thirteen be his father figure instead, building on the way Ryan tends to follow her instructions the most out of the fam. His feelings about Grace should've been in the spotlight. Maybe have him find Grace in the alt universe. Maybe have him be the one to try and kill Tim Shaw. Maybe have him be the one dream about Grace in Can You Hear Me. Maybe take the Graham scenes and replace him with Ryan.. y'know.. Grace's whole grandson...? Maybe also address the fact his mum died and bc his dad left he was left all alone as a child??? And that should've been his Can You Hear Me nightmare instead of throwing in the dregs unprovoked?? His mechanic skills should've been a key trait too. Maybe have him fix the ship with Thirteen in Tsuranga instead of Yaz. Maybe have him, Tesla, and Thirteen talk about the joy of building and fixing things. Maybe have him go with Nevi and Silas in Orphan 55 to work together on mechanic stuff but also show Ryan's longing for a father-son relationship like theirs. (And make Yaz fight the dregs instead bc wasn't she the one with police training...).

His feelings for Yaz and Bella could've been sorted out properly. Maybe have Ryasmin for a few eps but stop bc space-time travel overcomplicates things or to set things up for Yaz' coming out and Thasmin. Maybe address the fact Bella likely died on Orphan 55 and have it cause tension between Ryan and Thirteen bc she refused to help her. And Ryan's Blackness. Maybe have Ryan be the one to disagree with the plan and try to help Rosa instead. Maybe have him explain who she is to the others instead of having the only Black guy in the cast not know who Rosa Parks is.

There was so much potential man. So so so so much...

[realareturns]

A bunch of smaller/miscellaneous NiGHTS findings using the Free Look Camera under the read more

(Sorry if this is kind of disorganized— it was originally a thread on Twitter lol, also this might be part 1 of these because I forgot there’s a photo limit here lol)

The doors in the Dream Gate have little lions on them— kind of hard to see with the game’s usual quality lol

Bomamba’s boss area has some hidden cats that are hard to see normally. There are also fish bones on the ground 😟

The buildings in Bella’s boss area have eyes on them (???)

Chamelan’s boss area— not as interesting as I had hoped but still looks kinda cool from above

This sign in the background of Delight City seems to show some very very simplified pictures of NiGHTS and Reala along with Nightopians

Before the Nightopians appear in this cutscene, they bunch together off camera

If you zoom out during a loading screen, you can see that the regular purple void is contained inside of a larger black void

When NiGHTS gets a key, their hand doesn’t change to show them holding it. Instead it just pokes through their hand (FIRMLY GRASP IT)

Reala’s eyelids are black in cutscenes, but turn blue during his battles or in 2P mode

Most of Lost Park’s rides are very detailed, but you usually can’t see them through the clouds. You can also see inside the blimps for some reason

Also the roller coaster starts violently spinning after a few laps on the track

The 2P race mode has this cool color-changing Ideya icon (orange, purple, and pink Ideya confirmed 👀)

Not a camera thing but still kind of interesting: like the bosses, the enemies also have different file names. Most just state the animal the Nightmaren is based on, but there isn’t a bat enemy in the game, and its files correspond to attacks and features of the moth Nightmaren. Might be a remnant of an earlier idea?

Speaking of bats, the pattern on the train carts in Lost Park kind of look like bats… but the faces remind me of mandrills 😟 bat monkey Nightmaren confirmed

Also a Goodle jumpscare

When NiGHTS takes off their Persona in the intro cutscene for Crystal Castle, they remove it so hard that it goes underground twice

(Sorry this photo is really small) The glass patterns on the windows are probably just random but this one kind of looks like Jackle a little?

You can also mess with the camera to the point their eyelashes fall off :(

Icons from 2P battle mode (also used in JoD’s display at TGS 2007, with what might be a slightly earlier design)

And finally spinning 🫵 That’s all for now lol

[bellysoupset]

Some unlikely caretaker - Luke and Wendy.

-----------------------------------------------------------

Lucas pressed his eyes shut, fighting a wave of dizziness.

After quitting his meds for three weeks, he was giving them a try once more - due to a particularly prickly call to his father, that had left him feeling all sorts of shitty. He had, foolishly, expected this time around the meds would simply have him feeling like himself once again.

Pretending he had his usual amount of energy was exhausting and the worst part was that he wasn't even able to fake that well. Bella had been watching him like a hawk for the past week, squinting at him whenever Luke said something too out there.

Luke's hypothesis that the meds were making him sick was proven though, since he had been feeling fine that morning and now he felt like he was about to throw up in the middle of the park.

He had been in the gym, but soon it had started to feel suffocating, as if the ceiling was caving down on him... Luke wasn't dumb, his therapist had sat him through the symptoms of an anxiety attack and his father always used to have him sweating buckets, even before... Before.

It had seemed like a good idea to take the pills and go for a walk in the park.

He stumbled back and collapsed on a small hill, the leaves crunching under him. Luke let his head hang, taking shallow breaths through his mouth and trying to ignore the horrible tingling on his face and hands.

Lucas wasn't sure what was worse, feeling like he was threading waters with the depression or feeling this horrible, gut churning nausea and dizziness that accompanied the meds. Probably the depression, but still.

With blood ringing in his ears and trying valiantly to take a deep breath, Luke struggled to type on his phone. His fingers were sweaty, hands shaking.

Luke: Bell.

It wasn't much, he just hoped Bella would telephatically figure out what was wrong or call him back or- Her contact dot lit up, and he let out a relieved sigh.

Bella: sry, cant talk, client is chewing me up. call u in 1hr 🖤

Well that was just great. Lucas groaned, rubbing his face and falling on his back on the grass, staring at the dark clouds over his head. It was a chilly day, but it wasn't raining so there were people coming and going...

Luke squeezed his eyes shut when his vision went blurry with tears, the knot in his chest tightening even more. He wanted- He just wanted for things to feel normal again. For this horrible sensation that someone, the fucking universe, was out there to get him, to go away.

"Please just call her and stop bothering me, you dork," a familiar voice said and Luke breathed in deeply, hoping Wendy would simply not recognize him.

He wasn't an easy guy to miss, but surely she would be too enraptured by her friend to pay any attention to the fallen guy on the grass...

"Isn't that the captain?"

Oh great.

He flinched out of instinct, then suddenly Wendy's face appeared over his, her whole body blocking the grey sunlight that was being filtered by the dark clouds.

"Hi."

"Hey," Luke grimaced, squinting at her and then saying preemptively, "I'm fine."

"You're fine," she repeated, sounding skeptical, "so is this a thing you do often?"

Lucas rolled his eyes, forcing himself to sit up instead of lying on his back and immediately regretting it when the sudden movement made his head swim. He gulped down, fighting a gagging fit, his throat working against his consent.

"Here," Wendy crouched down next to him and pushed her pink water bottle before his eyes, "small sips," she fanned his face, "you're alright."

Lucas felt the furthest from alright. He took a small sip, trying to swallow, but there was a knot in his throat so tight that just this motion set off another gag.

Wendy snatched her water bottle back, shoving it on Barbie's direction, and grabbed his bicep, forcing Luke to lean forward slightly, "it's alright, are you gonna be sick?"

Lucas nodded, panting frantically. His mouth was filling up rapidly with saliva and he couldn't swallow without gagging and his head was swimming-

He let out a little, dainty burp and then coughed, with his whole body, and up came his breakfast, splashing between his spread legs and sinking on the grass, a little on the stone path of the park.

Wendy rubbed his back in circles, humming under her voice, "you're alright, get it up."

Luke let out a groan, his head hanging, trying to collect the scraps of his dignity, but his body had other ideas. His stomach was still flipping and his head hurt. He had no warning as another violent retch wrecked through him, puke stinging his nose and causing him to cough, more acidic liquid joining the mess.

He pulled back with a moan, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, still feeling weak and shaky, "sorry-" his voice was at least a note deeper, rumbling in his chest.

Lucas tried to take in his surroundings. Wendy was kneeling on the grass next to him, wearing her gym clothes, looking terribly concerned. Her brown hair was pulled up on a perky ponytail on the top of her head and she was wearing a turquoise set, that matched Barbie's pastel green one, who was standing a couple feet away from him and grimacing in sympathy and disgust.

"Sorry," Luke repeated and Wendy squeezed his arm.

"Nothing to be sorry for," she glared at the mess, "did you catch Vin's bug?"

"No," Luke groaned, closing his eyes to avoid looking at the puddle sipping in the grass. He still felt too weak to get up and walk away from it, "no, I-"

Wendy's hand met his forehead and Lucas instinctively leaned on her touch. He wanted Bella. Or Vince. Hell, his bed would be plenty.

"Yeah, you're not warm," Wendy pulled back, squeezing his nape, "what's wrong, Lucas?"

"Meds," he groaned, swallowing convulsively when his mouth started to get all wet again. He gulped down, his stomach souring and causing him to shudder violently, "fuck- Urgh-" Luke leaned forward again, breathing through his mouth.

"Get it up, sweetheart," Wendy cooed and Luke let out a pitiful whine, trying to focus on the sensation of her small hand on his back, grounding him.

His stomach clenched again and Lucas coughed, another mouthful of barf joining the mess. He felt disgusting and ready to be done with this.

After another gut churning burp, Luke straightened up, panting so much he felt dangerously close to tears.

"You're alright, just breathe," Wendy instructed him, pushing back his bangs, as if they were much closer than they actually were. Behind her, Barbie let out a sigh.

"Wen, he doesn't look fine..."

"He's alright," Wendy insisted, grabbing Luke's arm, "we're gonna pull you up, okay?"

He nodded, weakly, and his head swam as Barbie wrapped her hands around his opposite arm and together the girls pulled him to his feet. Luke swayed dangerously and Wendy hugged him by the middle, her face tinted red thanks to the strain.

"You good?" she gasped, still hugging him and Luke leaned on her a little more, causing Barbie to squeal and sink her nails on his bicep.

"I'm good..." Lucas closed his eyes, trying to steady his breath, "I wanna go home."

"I'm gonna drive you home," Wendy reassured him, her voice all breathy, "Babs, help me take him to my car."

The next couple of minutes were a blur, because next thing Luke knew Wendy was all but lying across his lap, trying to wrap the seatbelt around him.

"Uhmmm," Luke sighed, clumsy hands trying to grab the metal buckle of the seat belt and aid her, only for Wendy to slap his hand away.

"I got this," she said sharply, causing him to let out a weak chuckle. She sounded a whole lot like Jonah.

"You said meds?" Wendy asked, pushing her water bottle back in his hand, "you think your meds caused this?"

"Uh-hu," Luke pressed his forehead to the window, breathing deeply, "every time... Get all barfy."

"Lucas," Wendy scoffed, "sweetheart, that's not right."

"Doctor said-" he hiccupped suddenly and let out a whine, clutching his chest, "s-normal to feel sick."

"Nauseous for the first couple of weeks, sure, but not literally throwing up," Wendy glared ahead, "you're taking it with food?"

Luke gulped down at the thought, his breakfast flashing in front of his eyes and causing him to groan loudly, "Wendy..."

"I'm sorry, sorry," she squeaked, chewing on her lip, "sorry... But you really should try, it helps a lot."

"Uhm," Lucas leaned forward, all but resting his forehead to the dashboard and staring at his sneakers, "Bell'ssworking."

"Want me to drive you somewhere else?"

He shook his head, "nowhere else," Luke mumbled, his lips feeling numb, "thanks- Thanks for helping."

"You mean driving you home?" Wendy sounded incredulous, "you're my friend, was I supposed to just leave you there?"

He opened a small smile at her tone, turning his head slightly, forehead still pressed to the dashboard. Wendy's fingers were drumming on the steering wheel nervously and her cheeks turned pink as she caught his eyes, all but barking "what?"

"Nothing," Lucas sighed, wrapping an arm around his stomach, "you should come over more often."

Wendy's cheeks turned even redder, "sit down right, you'll make yourself dizzier like that," she bossed instead of answering and Luke snorted.

"Yes, ma'am," he replied, lying back against the seat.

[possum-quesadilla]

New Lonely Remnants chapter, “But you see, it’s not me, it’s not my family”, is here! Please read the warnings before proceeding!

Here are the extras!

- The lyrics for this chapter’s title are from “Zombie” by The Cranberries! Heheh, zombie. It is meant to be from the Shoggoth’s perspective as it sees all of these memories and is disoriented by them.

- “There were other various items as well; a few faded colorful thread friendship bracelets, a raggedy old plush cat, a few colorful rocks, and many more buried under the photos.” - The friendship bracelets were mostly from his twin sister, but one of them was one Lydia made for him when they first met. The plush cat is his favorite childhood stuffed animal (his name is Binx!), and the rocks are from all of the various national parks he’s visited.

- “That stack seemed to be a bunch of family get-togethers. Dozens of kids and adults having cookouts, dressed in similar formal outfits. Photos inside and just outside churches, many people smiling brightly at the camera. Lydia found herself softly frowning as she and Barbara both leaned in close on either side of Adam to get a good look. “… is that… his family?” ” - Lawrence was part of a large extended family that met up often, and went to church together every Sunday.

- “The one on top seemed to be someone taking a picture with.. Lydia thought maybe an old Sony Cyber-shot in a mirror, their face primarily obscured by the camera. They seemed to be wearing dark baggy clothes, posing awkwardly with a peace sign from their free hand.” - Lawrence got that camera for his 13th birthday, most of the photos in the box from that point on were taken by him! It stopped working, but Emily insisted on keeping it for the memories. It’s in her office at Lydia’s house.

- “Bella. Her name is Bella.” - Readers of both my fics, yes his twin is this universe’s version of Bela! She is very fundamentally different in this fic. She and Lawrence were inseparable before he left. They never fought or anything, he just left without a word. She never really found out what happened to him.

- “It was a very young Lawrence, posing in front of a roadside sign that read “Now leaving Louisiana”. It was obvious he was the one holding the camera. His hair was cut horribly choppy and short, with random longer patches and a horrible purple dye job. His eyes were glassy, and he had deep bags and dark circles prominently under them. He had one small tattoo on his arm as opposed to the many he later had, his nails were painted black as per usual as he held up his free hand in the universal ‘rock on’ sign, and he was sticking his tongue out, revealing a tongue piercing.” - He is 16 here, the day of him running away! He cut and dyed his own hair, did his own stick-n-poke tattoo, and even pierced his own tongue. Don’t do all that, folks.

- “ “… Juno got loud. Belligerent. More so than usual.” It reached out to fidget with the end of it’s tail, wringing it in it’s hand. “I-.. he-… Lawrence always had a smart mouth. Knew it would get him in trouble, but I-… he did it anyways.” Lydia saw his shoulders begin to lightly shake. “She grabbed the clothes iron. It hurt… so bad.” ” - It won’t really be specified in story what happened, so I will say it here: Juno was drunk as per usual, but so was Lawrence. Juno was saying rude things and Lawrence kept talking back. Juno got angry and decided to burn him with a clothes iron. He immediately packed his bags and left.

- “… couldn’t stay another second after that. He knew he’d die if he did.” - GOTCHA WITH ANOTHER “I Saw The TV Glow” REFERENCE!

- “There were many of what seemed to be Lawrence on the road for a few years. Pictures of random roadside attractions, at the signs of various towns, of him at bars and concerts and even camping in national parks. His hair varied in style and color, and dark circles were always present under his eyes. A concerning number of the photos had him with a bottle of half-drunk cheap vodka in his free hand. His clothes were always raggedy, and he always looked at least a little bit grungy.” - He didn’t have very much money, but what he did spend was on hair dye, tattoos, and alcohol. Hence why he was always dirty and in old clothing. He briefly joined a band and toured with them, but ditched them after a year or so to keep drifting.

- “One photo had him proudly showing off a bright green binder in the middle of a crowd of colorfully dressed people, his smile more genuine than it had been in any of the previous photos.” - Baby’s first Pride!!! He was 20.

- “Someone who sounded rather… sassy, let’s say.” - It’s Otho. I don’t know how to politely describe the way that man talks. It’s movie Otho, btw, not musical Otho!

- “… always were the most… potent out of all of us, little brother.” - I wonder what this means? Hmmm. Also misgendering wtf Otho

- “With that, the man turned on his heel, clacking away in his pristine black dress shoes until he rounded a distant corner. The sounds of his footsteps suddenly halted then.” - Otho teleported away once out of sight. Our Shoggoth can do that too! If it had enough energy and harmony with it’s host, which it does not.

Tag list: @raineisinkless @c0zmo-writes @musical-fiend @katslitterbox

(Want to be tagged in future updates for CorpseJuice / LoopJuice? Let me know!)

[wilmingtoncrp]

Join us for Wilmington's vibrant Pride Festival, taking place in midtown from Saturday, June 22nd to Sunday, June 23rd. This colorful weekend will showcase our community's diversity and inclusivity while highlighting some of Wilmington's beloved local businesses.

Saturday, June 22nd:

The festivities kick off at 10 AM with a parade starting at Nash's Supermarket and proceeding down the main street. Floats, performers, and community groups will fill the streets with music, dance, and rainbow flags.

After the parade, head to Lincoln Park for the Pride Festival. Local vendors and food trucks will line the park, offering a variety of cuisines and merchandise. Don't miss the live performances on the main stage, featuring local musicians and drag performers.

As dusk appears, join us at Soundwave for the official Pride After-Party. Dance the night away to pulsing beats and enjoy specially crafted rainbow cocktails.

Sunday, June 23rd:

Start your day with a refreshing Pride Yoga session at Fit & Toned, open to all skill levels. 

Then, fuel up with a rainbow-themed coffee at The Cozy Cup, featuring colorful lattes and pastries.

For the music lovers, visit Vintage Records for a special Pride vinyl showcase, celebrating LGBTQ+ musicians through the decades.

Cinema will be hosting a Pride Film Festival, showcasing a selection of LGBTQ+ themed movies throughout the day.

As the weekend winds down, head on to Bella & Jenny's for a Pride Ice Cream Social, featuring special rainbow flavors and sundaes.

Throughout Pride Month, local businesses are showing their support with special offerings:

TRIC will be hosting a Pride Drag Weekend, where a plethora of drag queens will be performing and working the crowds. Attendees are encouraged to present their best amateur drag 

Handmade pride t shirts/socks/bandanas will be given to anyone who stops by Enchanted Gowns and donates toward the LGBTQ+ community.

Pearce Callahan will be offering free 30 minute therapy sessions to anyone in the LGBTQ+ community from 8AM-5PM, and will donate what he would’ve made to support the suicide prevention in the LGBTQ+ community

Sinful Ink will be doing a Pride Special on tattoos and piercings from 1pm - 6pm. Half off on any piercings or pride related tattoos. Special deals for a combo available. Must be 18 or older, and have ID on hand. 

Nirvana will host a Sapphic Saturday for Pride Weekend. It is a women only event and the first drink is free. The entire Pride Weekend at Nirvana will feature famous LGBTQ+ DJs spinning on each floor of the nightclub and a brand new specialty drink menu to support the rainbow.

Midtown Fire Station 2024 calendar sales throughout the month will be sent toward local LGBTQ+ organizations + station will be offering a choice of either Fire Station Pride tee or photo op with any of our firemen and firewomen for any donation made at the station (that will also be reverted toward local LGBTQ+ organizations) (edited)

Being one of the few athletes that's been out of the closet for over a decade, Amos de Leon will be hosting a very fun-filled Beach Tennis tournament by the name BIllie Jean King's Open (named after the very first pro-tennis female player who was outed in 1981). Everyone is encouraged to join the fun as it's an amateur tourney. All proceeds from tickets, player fees and merch will go to LGBTQ+ organizations and charities.

For every purchase made at Finishing Touches during Pride Month, a portion will be donated to local LGBTQ+ charities.

Drinks at Soundwave will be half off during Pride Month.

Come celebrate love, diversity, and pride in the heart of Wilmington!

OOC

Everyone is encouraged to participate! But as it can be a hassle, please feel free to continue your previous threads.

The event will run from June 22nd at 12:00PM EST to June 29th at 12:00PM EST.

Do not create anymore event thread after June 29th, but you are more than welcomed to continue writing them.

You may tag the event under - event: pride festival 01

Have fun!

[yoificfinder]

I started building this thread two years ago but I always get so busy around his birthday, I could't finish collating everything. This has long been overdue but better late than never.

Happy birthday, JJ! 🤴🍁

Here are some JJ-centered fics to celebrate. Note the pairing for fics with romance for easy reference, otherwise it's JJ-centered.

after the fall by thankyouforexisting / @dragonagelesbian [T, 2K]

JJ isn't the first person to fall apart because of his anxiety.

“I just - I just heard something, and I thought maybe you needed some help?” Yuuri sounds like he’s a bit embarrassed, but he pulls through. “I’ve, uh, I’ve done my share of crying in bathroom stalls before, so don’t worry, I won’t judge.”

He doesn’t say anything, terrified. His knuckles are white against the porcelain. Yuuri can’t see him like this. Yuuri beat him. Yuuri broke a world record.

“If - I mean, if you want me to leave, that’s alright.” God, he’s still going. “But I won’t say anything, I swear. And Victor always makes me carry tissues and disinfectant cause he’s worried Yuri will get a cold, so I’m really good at clean up.”

Good Catholic Boy by Heavenly_Pearl / @kaleidodreams [M, 20K] JJ/Bella

Jean-Jacques Leroy always considered himself a good Catholic boy, but when he and Isabella give into temptation, his life is changed forever.

Irrepressible by tonberry [M, 8K] JJ/Otabek

For as long as he can remember, JJ has wanted to be liked.

(He's not very good at it.)

The First Cut by BoxWineConfessions [E, 27K] JJ/Yuri, Otabek/Bella

People made divorce seem like this long drawn out and ugly process, but it really wasn’t. He bought the town home for Isabella as a gift, and so it was hers. The flat down town would go to him, as it was closer to the rink. They paid off her medical school loans last fall, so that was done too. He had a few cars, which she unanimously agreed were his to keep, so long as she could keep her Corvette. She changed her vanity plate from Dr. Leroy to Dr. Yang. He saw it parked out front of the courthouse.

this is who i am baby, just follow me by kanoitrace [G, 3K] JJ/Bella

Theme of King JJ is his reminder to himself that he can do anything, but it has no meaning if she isn't by his side.

Timezones and Tricky Translations by ilien / @ili-here [T, 6K]

JJ gets a lot of texts from Yuri Plisetsky. He's aware that the ones that aren’t “Fuck you!” are actually meant for Otabek, but he answers them, anyway.

transatlanticism by copperwings [E, 11K] JJ/Yuri

It takes approximately two and a half minutes of video chat for Yuri to realize that JJ in public is completely different from JJ in a more private situation.

JJ in public is brash, loud and infuriating.

JJ in a private setting is still loud, but he’s also a huge blushing idiot who can’t sit still for more than thirty seconds and who stumbles over his words and chuckles nervously. His eyes are often lowered as if he doesn’t know where to look.

It would be annoying if it wasn’t so fucking cute.

-

...or: how Yuri and JJ cope with an ocean between them.

we can't always be trailblazers by @mrscalculation [G, 2K]

JJ never meant for Yuri to genuinely hate him, but he couldn't quite pinpoint the root of the problem until recently.

[kailoraurelius]

hey! i'm new here in tumblr but i've been following you for a while. i really admire your writing and the way you characterize them so well. especially how you write details and describe everything in a way that feels so alive, you know? like i can totally see Beca or Chloe, or even the rest of the Bellas clearly. i know you're a busy person so i wonder what your writing process looks like?

Heya! Welcome lol.

Thank you so much, I really appreciate you reaching out and your kind words! 🧡 I try really hard for all of that, so I'm thrilled it comes out well lol.

Very busy, sadly. So my writing process is a little uh, dysfunctional at times. I kinda write whenever I can lol. Most often, I have ideas at work, so I have a VERY long text thread with myself and a notes app full of bits of dialogue, scraps of scenes, shorthanded story or plot ideas. And I use music pretty heavily. Sometimes as inspiration (like Woke Up Late by Drax Project and Hailee Steinfeld leading me to write You and I) and sometimes as a way to clear my head of everything but the story I wanna work on.

I think the most prominent thing that helps me is driving, though. When I get too caught up overthinking my writing, can't focus, or just aren't sure what I want to do, I take a drive and crank the radio up and windows down and just try to visualize the story. I've been known to be pulled over in the nearest store parking lot, quickly jotting down notes lol.

I also bounce ideas off my sister and friends occasionally, though not as often. Just when I get really, really stuck.

But mainly, I try to fit a vibe. Whether it's something I'm feeling, something I want to feel, or just something I find interesting. I come home, put on whatever music fits the vibe I want to create, and I give myself small deadlines. Like I want to finish this page by this time, then I'll go make a croissant lol. And if I am not doing very good at keeping to my deadlines, I usually take a day to do something different lol. That's about it for me.

(I also do a TON of research, but that is a fully separate process lol.)

Thank you again, really 🧡

[plumbtales]

hello! i have recently started playing the gavigans in the house that you made for them, 105 bella park road, and for some reason despite the pictures in your previews, decor items that are stacked on top of one another/ 2 in the same place on the wall go black? and i looked at the recommended mods etc. on the post and couldn't see the mod that would stop that? i have the shift anything mod if that helps?

Hi! I can't seem to reproduce the issue in my game (but I noticed the hanging ferns and kitchen stove were positioned way too high because of CEP files I had in my game at the time of building).

I know that dark wall hangings is a common issue when shifting them up and down and I've had that issue with other houses.

I don't know any solutions unfortunately other than downloading mods that place all wall hangings on the ground so that you have to shift them up manually. If you google "sims 2 dark paintings" you'l find some MTS threads discussing the issue.

[hemlockspringsrpg]

Here’s what’s happening in Hemlock Springs during the month of September:

September 4-10: Back to School Sales @ Bella's Books, Mermaid's Closet, Audio Roulette, The Memory Box, White Dahlia, Afterlife Antiques

September 13: 1/2 off Friday the 13th themed flash tattoos @ Permanent Record

September 21-22: Oktoberfest celebration @ Lucky Penny Saloon

September 28: Fall cookie decorating @ Bon Appétreat

Every Weekend in September: Fall Farmer's Market @ Twilight Park

Holidays in September

Labor Day (9/2)

Hispanic Heritage Month (9/15-10/15)

Chuseok (9/16-9/18)

Talk Like A Pirate Day (9/19)

Oktoberfest (9/21-10/6)

Autumnal Equinox/First Day of Fall (9/22)

A note for writers: the community events listed above are not mandatory but may be used as settings for threads/interactions. Feel free to use them as you will. Note that though many of them have dates attached to them, you are not restricted to posting only on that date. Writers may post threads centered around this event for as long as they’d like.  As always, if you have any questions, please feel free to reach out.

[valpoupdates]

JANUARY CALENDAR POSTING...

So much to see, so much to do, so little time ! Lucky for you, here at Santa Moneda we keep track of it just for you ! Unless stated otherwise by our management team, all of these activities are optional. Residents do not have to take part in these if they don't wish to ! These can be used for threads throughout the month but new threads can't be started for these activities once the month is up. Please track the smhqcalendar tag to stay updated month to month ( ©️ )

Valparaíso Activities:

January 6th: Valparaíso City Hall is hosting a New Year, New Me concert at Quintil Valparaíso Park from 6 PM - 2 AM, no admission fee. Expect to see food stalls, face paintings, mini shops and wares, lawn games, and merchandise from your favorite artists. (If you’d like your muse to be a vendor or a performer, please message the main!)

January 7th: La Universidad de Bellas Artes is holding an open house from 8 AM - 3 PM. Parents, prospective / incoming students, and alums are encouraged to attend. You can tour the university, meet the professors, see what courses and events are going to be hosted for the 2024 year, and see the student organizations.

January 13th: La Cocina de los Años 30 is hosting a Reggaeton Night from 8 PM - 12 AM. There will be live music, a curated menu just for the night, and a raffle, where one lucky person may win a cooking class for themselves and up to 10 friends. For those of you that know the password, the event continues underground in the secret speakeasy, where you can enjoy a separate, curated food and drink menu, and an exclusive performance by Bad Bunny.

January 20th-21st: Valparaíso City Hall is hosting a football (soccer) tournament at Quintil Valparaíso Park from 8 AM - 8 PM to raise money for charity. The top three winning teams will receive gift baskets and have their photos taken for an exclusive spread in La Revista de Valparaíso for the February edition; the first place team will also have their team photo featured in the 2025 calendar. Register your team at <municipalidaddevalpo.cl>!

Santa Moneda Activities:

January 1st: SM Management will be coordinating travel and stay in Arica, Chile, for residents who want to attend El Carnaval Andino con la Fuerza del Sol, Chile’s largest festival and one of the biggest in South America. It is a three-day festival (January 26-28) held in Arica in northern Chile. 10,000 dancers and musicians turn the city into their stage; you can expect to see colorful parades, shows, dances, and cuisines in food stalls from all over. You don’t want to miss this event! Speak to the front desk to sign up.

January 1st-31st: To help you reach those New Year New Me fitness goals, the Santa Moneda Indoor Gym will be adding 4 classes that residents can attend.

Hot Yoga Class - Saturdays, and Sundays at 9 AM and 6 PM. Barre Class - Mondays and Thursdays at 11 AM and 6 PM. Bootcamp - Sundays and Wednesdays at 8 AM and 6 PM. Kickboxing - Tuesdays and Fridays at 8 AM and 6 PM.

January 4th: La Galería Navarro reopens at 8 PM with an entirely new exhibit for the new year curated by our very own Sariyah Carter. There will be several local artists presenting their works; champagne and hor’dourves will be provided during the event.  Cocktail attire is required. Many of the art pieces are for sale; if you’re interested in purchasing, please talk to the curator for more information on pricing and pieces.

Mateo Valenzuela is a painter specializing in art nouveau; they will be discussing their most recent collection, titled, El diablo en los detalles. Emilia Fuentes is a versatile sculpturist who dabbles in various styles and materials; they will be discussing their sculpting methods, techniques, and inspirations. Ángel Altamirano is a painter specializing in hyperrealism; she will be discussing her most recent collection, titled, Transparente.

January 18th: Santa Moneda is hosting a Chilean Movie Marathon in the Movie Theatre on the 13th floor.  Feel free to bring your own snacks and pillows, but management will provide buttered popcorn (plain or dressed up with cotija, chili, and lime), soda, and SM-engraved blankets.

5 PM - El Chacotero Sentimental (1999) : El Chacotero Sentimental (The Sentimental Teaser) is a titillating film inspired by the stories of romance, love, and sexual encounters from the real-life radio program of Chilean DJ el Rumpy. A multitude of Chileans tuned in to el Rumpy’s legendary program, making it an ideal subject for this entertaining film about passion and storytelling. 7 PM - Tarde Para Morir Joven (2018) : Tarde Para Morir Joven (Too Late to Die Young) is a coming-of-age movie that follows a young girl that must navigate the difficulties of adolescence. It uses one’s family’s experiences as the foundation for a dreamily absorbing drama with a poignant, lingering warmth. 9:30 PM - El Cielo, la Tierra y la Lluvia (2008) : El Cielo, la Tierra y la Lluvia (The Sky, the Earth, and the Rain) is a film about lonely lives in the Chilean south. This movie is a beautiful rendition of loneliness and the vast Chilean south; The landscape submerges us in a hazy, thoughtful state, and inspires us to slow down and admire the charm and elegance of routine. 12 AM - La Casa Lobo (2018) : La Casa Lobo (The Wolf House) is an adult stop motion animated art film inspired by the actual case of Colonia Dignidad, an infamous and isolated colony established post-WWII. The movie uses elements of avant-garde cinema, dark fantasy, adult animation, psychological drama, surrealism, and supernatural horror.

January 23rd: We will be running an upgrade on the internet connection and speed, as well as doing virus scans on all SM equipment. To ensure this all runs smoothly, internet access will be out between the hours of 10 AM - 2 PM.  We apologize for the inconvenience it may pose, but were unable to schedule it at another time.  As an apology, residents may bring in one (1) laptop each for IT help with our onsite technicians.

[fourfears]

anyone want to jump into plotting in a shared discord 1x1 server? after we chat a little and see if we vibe ofc. 21+ only pls as i am over 25. my main blog is haziest but i'm shadowbanned so i am posting here. check out my guidelines/some fcs i want under the read more and feel free to message me on discord at iranoveroprah, just tell me your url first please!

i'm called nine

he/him

cst

25+

queer

i generally like playing face claims of color, and i prefer if you do too

i play any gender including nonbinary & trans muses & fcs, and i prefer if you do too

ask for my discord where (if we vibe) we can plot and make a server and headcanon and thread and stuff (i can make it if you want me to no pressure lol)

will not rp: pregnancy, anything involving babies or parenting including parents with grown children, military, historical, royal, cops, generally “taboo” topics (inc*st, r*pe, etc. but just ask if you’re unsure), fcs or muses under 20, or celebrities as themselves

i now have a list of banned fcs (sorry it keeps growing):

anyone under age 20. no exceptions. benedict cumberbatch, bts members, choi jongho, choi seungcheol (s.coups), chonnasorn sajakul (sorn), chris evans, chris pratt, colton haynes, david harbour, ezra miller, henry cavill, holland roden, jackson wang, jacob elordi, jennifer lawrence, jeon soyeon, kardashians/jenners, kim woojin, kim youngjo (ravn), kj apa, lim jaebeom (jay b), matthew gray gubler, miley cyrus, oliver sykes, park jaehyung (jae/eaJ), ryan gosling, taylor swift, tom holland, won kunhang (hendery), wong yukhei (lucas). this may be subject to change over time.

i generally like fast-moving threads, and i find <300 word threads are easiest to reply to, but i don’t mind long threads too! usually i’ll recommend doing a rapid fire thread alongside a longer thread to keep the inspo going

anything else just ask!

wanted plot dynamics/tropes:

addiction ᝰ affairs ᝰ angels & demons ᝰ codependent & toxic relationships ᝰ dumb stoners in love ᝰ grief & comfort ᝰ hauntings ᝰ impulsive confessions ᝰ long-distance & online relationships ᝰ musicians ᝰ opposites attract ᝰ poly ships ᝰ post-apocalyptic rebuilding of society ᝰ religious differences ᝰ spooky things !!! ᝰ unrequited pining ᝰ urban fantasy elements/settings.

(very niche) wanted fcs:

avan jogia ᝰ bae sumin ᝰ barry keoghan ᝰ bella poarch ᝰ brandon perea ᝰ chase sui wonders ᝰ choi beomgyu ᝰ choi in ᝰ choi yena ᝰ choi yoonah (doa) ᝰ conan gray ᝰ davika hoorne ᝰ dev patel ᝰ do hanse ᝰ dong sicheng (winwin) ᝰ evan mock ᝰ fukutomi tsuki ᝰ greta onieogou ᝰ han hyun min ᝰ hong siyoung (giriboy) ᝰ huh yunjin ᝰ hunter schafer ᝰ ivan rzhevsky ᝰ jang eunseong (dosie) ᝰ jeon somi ᝰ jeong jisu (albin) ᝰ jeremy allen white ᝰ jo gyehyeon ᝰ jonathan daviss ᝰ kai kamal huening (hueningkai) ᝰ kim gyunhak (leedo) ᝰ kim sunwoo ᝰ kim yongseung ᝰ kwak jiseok (gaon) ᝰ lee jooyeon ᝰ lee seoho ᝰ lee suyeon (sheon) ᝰ lee taeyeob (yoojung) ᝰ lights bokan ᝰ lily rose depp ᝰ lizeth selene ᝰ mae col ᝰ maggie lindemann ᝰ mat musto (blackbear) ᝰ na goeun ᝰ nicha yontararak (minnie) ᝰ oh seungmin (o.de) ᝰ osaki shotaro ᝰ park jihyo ᝰ rahul kohli ᝰ riz ahmed ᝰ tahliah barnett (fka twigs) ᝰ tati gabrielle ᝰ sen mitsuji ᝰ simone ashley ᝰ son dongju (xion) ᝰ song yuqi ᝰ thomas weatherall ᝰ xu minghao (the8) ᝰ yoo yongha ᝰ zhou xianxianye.

[sorrengael]

#SORRENGAEL.      private and highly selective headcanon based writing blog for   ( 𝚟𝚒𝚘𝚕𝚎𝚝 𝚜𝚘𝚛𝚛𝚎𝚗𝚐𝚊𝚒𝚕  ) of the empyrean series with verses in many different fandoms. 18+ only, minors dni. wridden   by   𝙰𝙽𝙽𝙰, 𝚃𝚆𝙴𝙽𝚃𝚈7, 𝚂𝙷𝙴/𝙷𝙴𝚁. *currently reading iron flame.

EXPLORING ( ... ) a pheonix rising from it's ashes, otherworldly and vaguely threatening, not the kind who needs saving, flowers growing back as thorns, you're a weapon and weapons don't weep, who's afraid of little old me?, work smarter not harder, she would make herself a reckoning, pain shapes a woman into a warrior, thunder and lightning, from a little s park may burst a flame.

you can also find me at : @legatium ( multi - muse ), @switzaerland ( bella swan ), @spiltsalt ( gillian owens ), @cardigaens ( swiftverse multi )  ©

PSA. this blog will contain sensitive / mature content (blood, death, gore, drugs etc ), these specific subjects will always be written with caution and tagged accordingly. nsfw will also be present from time to time, these subjects will only be written with those who are comfortable and of age (21+). all memes answered are available and encouraged to be turned into threads! memes are the easiest way for me to start new dynamics and test the waters, so please never hesitate to send me some! the most important thing to remember when interacting with me is that roleplaying is not a job, it is a hobby. i won’t tolerate any ooc drama what-so-ever (and neither should anyone else!) roleplaying is not worth the mental strain!

[rvsetum]

@shadowedsunshine

too good to be true - continued from here

His frustration is palpable. Gabriel paces away from Bella, exhaling a harsh breath. The last few weeks have been wonderful, but the constant vigilance over his being is beginning to drive him crazy. He’s never been with someone that’s so insistent on his protection, but he’s never been with someone that has such a dangerous line of work, either.

He needs balance, though. He needs room to breathe and stretch his wings.

“I’m not a child, Bella,” he says, turning to face her. Gabriel shakes his head. “I get it, don’t tell me that I don’t. I do! I’m not stupid, I know that what you do is dangerous! But that doesn’t mean I need you to - to hover every minute and to have me followed and - monitored! I can handle myself.”

bella is stunned into silence as soon as the words leave gabriel’s lips. this is the first time that he has raised his voice when speaking to her and it shakes the heiress to core. to her, his frustration comes as a shock because everything that she has been doing for him seems entirely normal for her. isn’t this what you do for people important to you? 

“i’m not doing all of this because i think you’re incapable,” she starts off, wanting to clear out her intentions first and foremost. “i was just doing what i think would be best for you.” confusion clouds bella thoughts because she doesn’t understand where his frustration is coming from. 

bella wants so badly to reach out to him, to have him hold her like how he always does but gabriel already seems so far away. “i didn’t know i was making things difficult for you.” she says, deflated. 

[thegreatimpersonator]

based on this thread, here is a list of famous people who have supported johnny depp and/or made fun of amber heard. fuck all of them:

Aly & AJ

Alissa Violet (Influencer)

Anitta

Ann Coulter

Ashley Benson

Ashley Park (actress from Emily in Paris)

Auli'i Cravalho (actress from Moana)

Bailey Muñoz

Bella Hadid

Ben Shapiro

Booboo Stewart

Chase Hudson (Lil Huddy)

Chase Stokes (actor from Outer Banks)

China McClaine

Chris Rock

Cierra Ramirez (actress from The Fosters/Good Trouble)

Cody Simpson

Connor Swindells (adam groff on sex education)

Cazzie David

Critical Role

Dakota Fanning

Dakota Johnson

Daniel Ricciardo

Diana Silvers

Dillion Francis (DJ)

Dominic Fike

Dove Cameron

Elle King

Emma Roberts

Florence Pugh

Gabby Douglas

Gemma Chan

Halle Bailey

Henry Golding

Ian Somerhalder

Jaime King

Jamie Campbell Bower

Javier Bardem

Jennifer Aniston

Jennifer Coolidge

Jeremy Renner

Jessie J

JK Rowling

Joe Perry (Aerosmith)

JoJo Siwa

Jordan Fisher

Julian Kostov (actor from Shadow & Bone)

Justin Long

Kali Uchis

Kat Von D

Kelly Osbourne

Kelsea Ballerini

Kyle Rittenhouse

LaKeith Stanfield

Lance Bass

Lennon Stella

Lewis Tan

Lucy Hale

Madelyn Cline (actress from Outer Banks)

Maren Morris

Matthias Schoenaerts

Michael Clifford (of 5 Seconds of Summer)

Molly Shanon

Nicholas Braun

Norman Reedus

Nyane (popular instagram model)

Olivia Jade

Paige (from WWE)

Paris Hilton

Patti Smith

Paul Bettany

Paul McCartney

Penelope Cruz

Perrie Edwards

Phillip Barantini (director of Boiling Point)

Pokimane (Twitch Streamer)

Reeve Carney

Robert Downey Jr

Rian Dawson (Drummer of All Time Low)

Riley Keough

Rita Ora

Ryan Adams

Sam Claflin

Samantha Hanratty (actress from Yellowjackets)

Samuel Larsen

Seth Savoy (Director)

Shannen Doherty

Sharon Stone

Sia

SNL cast and writers

Sofia Boutella

Sophie Turner

Stella Maxwell

Tammin Sursok

Taika Waititi

Tony Lopez

Upsahl

Vanessa Hudgens

Vanessa Morgan

Vanessa Paradis

Vincent Gallo

Yungblud

Zachary Levi

Zedd

Zoe Saldana

Zoey Deutch

People who publicly support Amber:

Aiysha Hart 

Alex Winter

Alexa Nikolas (actress from Zoey 101)

Amanda Seyfried

Amy Schumer

Anna Sophia Robb

Bianca Butti (Amber's ex)

Busy Philipps

Chace Crawford

Chloe Morello

Christina Ricci

Constance Wu

Contrapoints/Natalie Wynn

Corey Rae

Dana Schwartz (journalist and writer)

David Krumholtz

Dolph Lundgren

Edward Norton

Elizabeth Lail (actress who played Beck from you)

Elizabeth McGovern

Elizaberh Reaser (Esmé in Twilight)

Ellen Barkin

Emeraude Toubia (actress from Shadowhunters and With Love)

Emily Ratajkowski

Evan Rachel Wood

Finneas

Howard Stern

Ira Madison III

Jamelle Bouie (NYT columnist)

Jessica Taylor, Dr

Jon Lovett (podcaster & former White House speech writer & fiance of Ronan Farrow)

John Legend

Julia Fox

Julia Stiles

Julianne Moore

Kate Nash (singer, actress from Glow)

Kathy Griffin

Kristen Bell

Lauren Jauregui

Lena Headey

Lindsay Ellis (YouTuber)

Lindsay Lohan

Lindsey Gort

Mia Farrow

Michele Dauber (Stanford law professor)

Millie Brady (actress in The Last Kingdom)

Mel B

Melanie Lynskey

Melissa Benoist

Monica Lewinsky

Nathalie Emmanuel (actress on Game of Thrones)

Neil Gaiman (writer of Caroline, American Gods, Good Omens, etc.)

Nikki Glaser (comedian)

Patricia Arquette

Rachel Riley

Raphael Bob-Waksberg (creator of Bojack Horseman)

Robin Lord Taylor

Rian Johnson (director of Knives Out)

Ryn Weaver (singer)

Samantha Bee (comedian)

Sarah Paulson

Sarah Steele

Selma Blair 

Sophia Bush

Uzo Aduba

Willa Fitzgerald

Zach Kornfeld (from the Try Guys)

[randomwriting-misc]

Endangered | Chapter Nine

Paul Lahote x OFC

Chapter One | Chapter Two | Chapter Three | Chapter Four | Chapter Five | Chapter Six | Chapter Seven | Chapter Eight 

Summary: Vampires and wolves are not the only supernatural creatures to walk the earth, and they are certainly not the only ones in Forks, Washington when Charlotte Annabeth Swan, "Anna", moves in with her uncle after the unfortunate demise of her parents.

Some may misidentify her as a witch, but that’s fine, she would rather them think that anyway. But the Volturi know the truth, and they are closing in on her.

November

I take a deep breath as I sit on the beach. Closing my eyes to focus on the energy around me, setting my hands down on either side of me, I feel a low hum of the magic running through the sand. When I start to see light through my eyelids, I slowly open them.  

Little golden threads are everywhere, showing their connections. With so many pieces of sand on the beach, it just looks like a sea of gold. The threads in the water move with the waves. There are even gold threads coming from me, connecting myself to my surroundings. If I focus hard enough, I can pick these threads up. Twirling some around my fingers, I pull them towards me, creating a huge wave crashing on the beach.  

Another thread leaves me and leads behind me. I follow it with my eyes, all the way to Paul. This is probably how I can feel his emotions, and he can feel mine. I touch it lightly, and his head darts in my direction, meeting my eyes, panic sends its way through the thread, and I smile at him, reassuring him everything is fine. Nodding, he goes back to helping Sam bring out the food Emily made. 

I return to looking over the ocean. Usually doing this drains me, I had been going to local parks or the more common trails to explore the connections, but here, it energizes me. Like the waves welcome me with every break. I pull them closer and closer to me until the cold water touches my toes.  

“Anna?” A soft voice breaks me out of the spell, and I jump a bit despite myself.  

“Sorry,” I say, recognizing Paul’s presence behind me.  

“What were you doing?” He sits down next to me, and I instinctively lean into him.

“Just taking a moment, I haven’t been here in a bit.”

“Maybe you should stop working yourself so hard then,” he puts an arm around me, letting me lay my head on his shoulder.

“Paul...”

“Seriously Anna. In the last two months, I don’t think I’ve seen you take a break once.”

“I’m taking a break now, “I point out.

“This barely counts,” he says. He’s told me he can feel how tired I am. He’s started driving me to school again just so I can sleep a few extra minutes, and worried that I wasn’t able to focus on the road.

I don’t have a response, even though I can admit that Bella’s situation had worsened. Before, I had been concerned when she couldn’t make it through the night without screaming, but now, I was exasperated. There was nothing I could do. Countless hours of studying magic and I had come up with nothing for a broken soul. Paul sighs and pulls me closer.

“You don’t have to do this by yourself, you’re pushing yourself because you think you are vulnerable. You aren’t. You have us,” his tone is serious.

“You have bigger things to worry about,” I say, but he just shakes his head.

“You are the only thing I worry about.” There is a finality in his statement, and I don’t push back. We sit in silence for a few minutes, watching the waves crash onto the shore. Paul’s warmth keeps away the chill in the air, and I know I’ll be sad when the snow starts to sick. Even now, there was ice and slush everywhere.

Hearing Sam call our names, we head back to them, hand in hand. Emily, ever the caretaker she was, had started enforcing weekly dinners or hangouts as a pack. Giving the boys, and me, a reprieve for a small amount of time.

“Promise me for your birthday, you’ll really take a break? No reading, no studying, no practicing. Just for the day? And then get a full night of sleep?” Paul asks before getting closer to the group.

“The only way that’ll happen is if I’m not home,” I mention.

“Hm, well it’s a good thing you have a close friend with a whole house and extra bedrooms.”

“I can’t stay over at Emily’s house every weekend, plus it’s the day after a holiday. She might have plans.”

“Yeah, her plans are with us, everyone, including Charlie, is invited over to the Clearwater’s. And really, your birthday is the holiday.”

“Are you insinuating you have something planned?” I ask.

“Of course, I do,” he gives me an incredulous look, “You really think I wouldn’t?”

“No, I just think that maybe it’s unnecessary,” I say, shrugging, “With everything going on, it seems trivial.”

“Nothing about your birthday is trivial.”

---------------------------

We finally are back to the group, ending our conversation. I give Kim a hug, sitting down next to her. She’s a quiet girl, but incredibly kind. Jared was in fact, head over heels for her. It was almost too sweet to poke fun at like he used to with Paul. Almost.

My birthday was the Friday after Thanksgiving, and personally, I did not have high hopes for the day. With Bella still in her depressive state, and Charlie so focused on her, I felt selfish to want to acknowledge it. It was the first birthday I would spend without my parents, and I would legally be an adult. Charlie really didn’t owe me anything after that.

Paul made it known he thought that that was absolutely out of the question, and I was to be ready by noon to go over to Emily’s. Charlie was already informed of the plans.

Thanksgiving was a tense affair. Paul had given me the rundown on Leah and Sam, and my heart broke for her. They couldn’t avoid each other, and as much as I wanted to be friends with Leah, I didn’t know how she would react to me.

What Paul failed to mention was that his father would be there as well.

“You can’t just spring meeting your dad on me!” I gaped at him from the passenger’s seat of my car.

“Anna, we are constantly together, eventually he was going to start asking about you. The only reason I haven’t brought you to my house is because I knew he would ask you a million questions,” he was surprisingly calm about this, not even looking away from the road.

“Does he know?”

“About the wolf thing? Yeah, I shifted in front of him the first time, and he knows that you’re my imprint. He already loves you, don’t worry.”

“I would have, I don’t know, looked nicer?” I looked down at my plain jeans and sweater, with just a simple long sleeve underneath. This was supposed to be a casual affair.

“You look gorgeous, stop worrying,” Paul says grabbing my hand, but I glared at him.

“Remind me to make Emily yell at you,” I said looking away from him, but not letting go of his hand. He chuckled lowly, promising to remind me.

His dad is the first person to greet us as we park in front of Sue and Harry’s house, cars already lined up in the driveway. He calls out our names, a smile brightening his face. One can definitely see the resemblance to his son. He was tall and muscular for a guy his age, probably mid-fifties, with the same sharp jaw and nose. His hair was long and pulled back into a braid, and he and Paul had the same color eyes. Walking over to us, he stops in front of me.

“Hi, I’m Anna.” I hold out my hand, but he ignores it, wrapping me in a hug.

“Anna! I’m so glad Paul finally brought you around!” he exclaims, “All I ever hear about is Anna this, Anna that, oh dad Anna is so amazing.” He laughs, letting me go, he is about to begin speaking when Paul interrupts.

“Okay! Thank you dad for that,” he says, and his dad gives him a hug as well.

“No, wait, I’d love to hear more about this Mr. Lahote,” I smirk, sticking my tongue out at Paul when he shoots me a glare, putting a hand on his dad’s shoulder

He slaps his son’s hand away, guiding me inside the house. Paul follows us with a heavy sigh.

“Please, call me Terrence, or Terry. Now Anna, tell me, is Paul being good to you? He may be six foot five now, but I can still teach him a lesson,” he whispers to me.

“I’m sure you could, but really, he’s amazing.”

“That’s good to hear. I’m so happy he has you. His attitude has been a complete 180. But enough about him, tell me about yourself, Anna.”

We fall into an easy conversation before he is pulled away by Billy Black, asking about a carburetor, which is mostly lost on me. I float around, saying my hellos to the myriad of people in the house.

Harry beckons me over when Leah appears out of her room, sulking in the corner.

“Leah, meet Anna, Charlie’s niece. You met when you were little before,” he says, trying to coax Leah away from the wall.

“Nice to see you again Leah,” I say, giving her a warm smile, but she is steadfast in her sour mood. Honestly, I can’t blame her entirely. Sam and Emily are sitting at the table, and while they are sure to keep their PDA to a minimum, it still must hurt.

“Hi,” she says stoically.

There’s an awkward silence, but Charlie finally makes an appearance, calling me from across the room, I politely excuse myself and make my way over to him.

“Hey, is it just you?” I already know the answer, but I ask anyway.

“Yeah,” Charlie says with a frustrated sigh. He gives me a side hug, and I notice how sallow and tired his face looks. It makes me feel even worse like I’m an added burden on top of his broken daughter. At least he came and can be around his friends for the day, not worrying about running upstairs to shake Bella out of yet another nightmare.

I find Paul standing next to Sam and make my way towards him, letting myself enjoy the rest of the day.

-----------------------------------

On the morning of my birthday, I am awakened by a familiar knock on the door. Sitting up in bed, Charlie enters the room, somewhat awkwardly as always.  

“Hey, happy birthday,” he says.

I force a smile, and he sits down on the edge of my bed, an envelope in his hands.

“I’m going to give you your gift later, but there’s something I figured you would want now,” his voice is hoarse like he is holding in sadness. I look at him in confusion as he hands me the letter, and a small gasp chokes me, my fingers ghosting over the familiar handwriting.

To Anna, on your 18th Birthday.

“It’s something your parent’s lawyer gave to me when you moved here. There’s some other stuff too, legal documents and things that now pass to you, but that can wait,” Charlie explains.

I’m still speechless on my bed.

“Paul and Emily have told me about their plans for today. So, don’t feel bad about not being here today. I’m sure it won’t be as much fun-“

I cut him off by throwing my arms around him in a hug.

“Thank you, for everything,” I say into his shoulders, tears threatening to fall.

“Of course, I know things have been rough around here, but I want you to know I love you, and I will always be here for you,” he says hugging me back tightly.

“I know, I love you.”

“I love you too kid, I’ll give you a moment,” he says, and I nod. I stare at the letter until I hear Charlie’s footsteps down the stairs.

Taking a deep breath, I brace myself as I open the letter.

My Dear Anna,

If you’re reading this, it means that unfortunately, we are gone. I am so sorry your dad and I are not there for your birthday, and for every accomplishment and holiday next. My greatest wish it that I had more time to prepare you for this. I know you are strong, but to put you through this is my deepest regret.

You are my pride and joy, Anna. We love you more than anything on this Earth. I hope that we have given you enough happy memories to hold close to you and to know that no matter what, we will always be proud of you and what path you choose in this life.

It may be sad that we are separated now, but we know that souls have ties that last over lifetimes, and I can only hope that one day we are reunited. Until then, find happiness, find love, and allow yourself to accept it. You deserve nothing less than the world.

I know you have questions, but there is one thing you need to know above all else: beware of the Volturi. Do not trust them. Their kind has run us off before, and I fear their bloodlust has been reignited.  

Someone got too close to us, and I’m trying my best to throw them off our trail, but they are many, and I am only one person. If I do not survive, know that they do not know about you, your dad and I agreed to protect you above all else. Forks should be safe for you, but I urge you to learn what you can and protect yourself in our absence.

We love you so much. Be brave my girl.

Love,

Mom and Dad

Tears fall down my face as I try to balance my emotions, careful to not trigger a reaction to alert Paul. Behind her letter is torn pages from a notebook, detailing information on who the Volturi were, their leader, and their powers. The trips my mother was taking were to lure them to a certain city before disappearing, throwing off their trail. Somehow, they found her anyway.

It hurts me to know that Forks wasn’t as safe as she thought, but at least I’m not alone. I think she would have loved the people I had learned to call family. She did her best to protect me, and I’m going to do my best to protect them.

Read Chapter Ten Here

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