#〘 starter call 〙 ⸻ ➥ and you won't have to move you just sit still

[sworn-in-blood]

❯ ❯ ❯ STARTER CALL — JESSICA DEVEREAUX

Like this for a starter from Jessica Devereaux ! Specify muse if you're a multimuse , and specify verse if relevant . If you want an AU , please specify !

[justabeatingheart]

WE ARE THE TIGERS ( sentence starters from the musical )

WORST TEAM EVER

"There's only one more year."

"We were meant to make a spark."

"I had these great big dreams I pared down."

"But do you want to settle?"

"Do you want to sit back and watch life go by?"

"Do you want to wonder or do you want to win?"

"We could still go back to your place."

"You'll make things happen."

"After three years of rejection, I would've given up."

DON'T EVEN

"I don't want to stay here."

"Don't you know they won't believe you?"

"I'm not always trapped in my head."

"Is it too late to leave?"

"Please just breathe."

"This night's gonna be far too long."

"I'm doing everything wrong."

"Oh thank god that everything's easy."

SKYPE TOMORROW

"I know you don't think you're lying."

"I'll come for the weekend and sleep on your couch."

"It'll be like I'm not even gone."

"We're gonna be fine."

"You think this hasn't happened to me?"

"The first thing about friends is they leave in the end."

"Don't get too attached."

"There isn't any point in trying to find something we can save."

"You're so happy to be with people who aren't me."

"I know just how this ends, you'll forget we were ever friends."

BEFORE THE BREAKDOWN

"You don't know who you are until you hate yourself."

"I don't know how much more I can take."

"This can't be my life."

"If you keep running, you'll escape it."

FOREVER

"I need a second to breathe."

"I want to be with you."

"What's wrong with me?"

"I would hold you 'til the end of the world."

"If you want me to leave, I'll go."

"I don't want you to leave!"

"Could the right time be right now?"

CAPTAIN OF THE TEAM

"I'm a joke to all of my friends."

"I could be better than any of them."

"I gave too much to let this all go."

"I could be someone that they would admire."

WALLFLOWER

"If I never saved you, what would you have done?"

"So forgive me for doing what's best for you."

"I'll always be on your team."

"You have nothing without me."

DEFENSE

"Everyone is counting on you."

MATTIE'S LAMENT

"I'm not shivved so that's something."

"There's always something you can do."

"You're stuck wondering why the fuck this would happen to you."

"I don't think that I can do this anymore."

"I want to claw my way back in time."

"I need a better life."

PHOENIX

"Second chances don't come 'round each day."

"If you're gonna have a mental breakdown, this is not the place."

"All lies have an expiration date."

MOVE ON

"Now all your promises are lies you couldn't keep."

"Sometimes I call your voicemail, just to hear you speak."

"You're the only person in the world I want to see."

"Promise that you won't forget me."

SHUT UP

"I may be the stupidest one here."

"I swore that lightning won't strike twice."

"Surely this is all under control."

"I'm afraid I sold my soul."

IDK

"If I killed someone, it would've been you."

"I don't know if we should trust you."

"If I was the killer, I would never tell you anyway."

"You've been together this whole time!"

THE BREAKDOWN

"If you're gonna have a dream, you have to chase it."

FINALE

"I'm sick of happy endings, I don't think they exist."

"I think we're always gonna be a little pissed."

"We find a way, if maybe not easily."

[just-mary-ann]

Sneak peek of my newest showtime fanfic about TADC Harlequin AU.

Sequel to my other work on ao3 "Purple"

TADC Harlequin AU BY @tadc-harlequin-au

Lilac

⚠️WARNING ⚠️ A liiiiiiitle suggestive talk between two personalities.

____________________________________

Caine and Pomni were cuddling in the Puppetmaster's bedroom. Since Pomni's mind had short-circuited, causing her to behave like the Performer Harlequin for a while, they had grown closer. However, Pomni still struggled to accept her feminine side. And now, she was dreaming of her dark subconscious.

"This... is Caine's office." Harlequin looked around.

"It's comfortable here. And there's something to read." The voice from the sofa reached Pomni's ears.

Harlequin drew her sword and pointed it at the source of the sound. Performer Pomni lay on the sofa, reading a book.

"You? B-but how? I killed you!" Pomni shook her head in denial.

"You dispelled me, yes." Pomni closed the book and stood up. "But no matter how you look at it, I'm a part of you. From now on and forever. So..." She awkwardly spread her arms and smiled.

Combat Pomni's right eye twitched, and a yellow light flared up in it.

"GO TO HELL!" She lunged at the second personality with her sword. Performer Pomni easily and gracefully dodged. "What? How did you dodge?"

"We share skills and motor memory." Pomni began examining her left hand. "So predicting your moves isn't hard. Plus, I have access to your memories."

"I already know that last part," Combat Pomni sheathed her sword. "You showed me a memory of a battle in the smoke back then."

"Yup. I love playing with the past." Performer Pomni placed her hands on her red cheeks and wiggled her hips. "And I have a special fondness for how gently Caine hugs us."

Combat Pomni blushed, trembling with rage.

"WHY THE HELL ARE YOU DIGGING THROUGH MY MEMORIES?"

"Oh, cut me some slack." Performer Harlequin put one hand on her hip and waved the other dismissively. "You won't let me enjoy his touches. Let me at least drool over them."

Combat Harlequin cooled down a bit. The angry grimace left her face.

"So if I give you access to the body, you'll stop rifling through my memory card?"

A purple eye sparkled. Performer Pomni playfully ran her hand through her hair, letting it flutter.

"Oh. Is a deal in the making?"

"I haven't promised you anything!" Combat Harlequin pointed a finger in Performer Harlequin's face. "But I'm willing to listen to you. By the way," Combat Pomni crossed her arms. "what should I call you? Just 'slut' isn't an option."

"WHY DID YOU GIVE ME SUCH A NICKNAME?!" Performer Pomni's turn to get angry came. But she took a deep breath and exhaled, pressing a finger to her cheek. "How about Lilac? A shade of purple, like my eye."

Pomni nodded.

"Alright, Lilac, I'm listening."

"Okay. For starters," Lilac thought, her cheeks burning bright red. "I want to spend hot nights with Mr. Puppetmaster."

"Go to hell. Any other requests?" Pomni said absolutely neutrally.

"Oh, come on. It's the same body! He won't notice the switch!" Lilac stomped her foot in frustration. "Well. Either you let me have fun with him once in a while, or I'll keep digging through your shared memories and enjoying the view." She haughtily raised her nose.

"Argh. Fine. One night in one lunar cycle." Pomni showed one finger.

"Not fair. That's too little. I want once a phase." Lilac showed four fingers.

"Deal." Pomni agreed through gritted teeth. The two personalities shook hands. "Then sit tight and don't bother me until the new phase starts."

"Actually," Lilac covered her mouth with her fingers, "tonight is the new moon."

Pomni's mind short-circuited. Right. How could she forget?

"Well, it's already started, so it doesn't count. Wait until the end of the first quarter." Pomni felt something between fear and awkwardness for the first time.

"Nuh-uh." Lilac wagged her finger side to side. "Don't you dare refuse me. We agreed. So tonight, I'll be enjoying the Puppetmaster's warm and pleasant touches."

Silence hung between Pomni and Lilac.

"Fucking nympho." Pomni broke the silence.

"Look who's talking!" Lilac retorted indignantly.

to be continued

[ollyissleepy]

𝟎𝟓 '𝐩𝐮𝐭 𝐚 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐧 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐩𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐭'

summary: you meet up with Rafayel and show him parts of your book, while he makes a promise. a/n: this took a while, anyway last chapter for act 1 should come out later tomorrow cw: mentions of being executed and puking, reblogs, comments and like are greatly appreciated!

← prev. | m.list | next →

You look around the cafe, trying to distract yourself from your laptop's screen since looking at it makes your anxiety worse. You took your time last night, trying to decide what is worthy of showing to Rafayel. And, after a long debate and some encouragement from Caleb, you decided to just show him everything you currently have and lie about it being nothing more than snippets, parts of the stuff you already managed to finish. You hope that the stuff you have will be enough to satisfy him and he won't ask for more. Not yet at least.

The couple next to you bursts out laughing, one of them telling a joke while the game Kitty Cards is scattered on the table. You watch them for a bit, envy growing in a pit of your stomach, wishing you were in this cafe for such a trivial reason. Instead, you sit there, feeling like you're waiting for your execution. When you move your sight away from the couple, not wanting to look like some sort of creep, you notice a man sitting in front of you. You recognise him as Rafayel, thanks to the photos of him you saw on social media. He watches the same couple you did just a moment ago.

"I still don't get the appeal of this game," Rafayel speaks up, finally turning to face you. "It's just a card game."

"The little drawings of cats are cute, I guess." You shrug your shoulders. "It's nice to meet you, Rafayel." You extend your hand, an awkward smile plastered on your face.

"It's nice to meet you too!" Rafayel replied, shaking your hand. You can't help but notice that the smile on his face seems far less awkward than yours.

You can't think of any conversation starters, so you move your laptop towards Rafayel, showing him stuff you prepared. He stares at the screen for a bit before looking back at you, as if he's waiting for your permission.

"It's some snippets of the book. I prepared them for you to check them out," you explain, encouraging Rafayel to start reading. "I'm going to grab something to drink. Do you want anything?" You ask, standing up.

Rafayel lets you know what he wants, smiling. He focuses on the screen of your laptop; you assume he's reading part of a chapter you prepared. You silently go up to the counter, standing behind one of the customers. You looked up at the menu, trying to figure out what to get for yourself. You didn't plan on grabbing another drink, but the idea of sitting across from Rafayel, who's reading something that brought you so much stress and anxiety, makes you want to puke. So, instead of stressing yourself over the smallest changes in Rafayel's face, you decided to buy a drink. You decided on a drink just in time for it to be your turn. You tell the barista your order, pay, and move to the side to wait for it to be complete. You looked around the cafe to keep yourself busy when your eyes stopped at Rafayel. You watch him for a bit; you can't really read his expression due to his face being covered by the screen. You're about to move your eyes somewhere else when he suddenly looks up, his eyes locking onto you. You get nervous, unsure what your reaction should be. Then, Rafayel smiles, giving you a thumbs up to show his appreciation. You watch him return to reading, his face once again unreadable.

The barista finishes your order and calls out your name. You take it and return to the table. It's one of the very few times you wished it would take longer to complete the order so you could avoid speaking to Rafayel for longer. You slowly make your way back to the table, careful not to spill both of the drinks. You place down Rafayel's drink next to him and, without a word, you sit down across from him.

"It's pretty good. I really like the story you came up with." Rafayel speaks up, moving your laptop to the side so the two of you can see each other. "I just wish you showed more of your writing. Don't get me wrong, I loved the parts and the board of the general vibe of the book! It's just... I feel like your writing would show it so much better than random photos you found on social media." He explains, his hand pointing at your laptop. "If I could see a bit more, maybe we could start talking about cover art and stuff."

You look down at the cup you've been holding, ashamed. You have to tell him the truth; there's no point in lying.

"That's all I've got," you mumbled, still avoiding Rafayel's eyes. You're ashamed to even admit that to him.

"I'm sorry, what?" Rafayel asks you, his head tilted to the side. He studies your face carefully, saddened that he can't see your eyes so they can help him with reading you.

"That's all I've got," you repeat, this time much louder. The cat's out of the bag now. You almost can't believe that you managed to admit to that out loud.

"Oh…" Rafayel looks taken aback by your sudden confession. "Having a hard time writing?" He asks, taking a sip of his drink.

"Yeah..." you admit, finally having the guts to look Rafayel in the eyes.

"That's fine. All artists go through that." Rafayel seems understanding of your predicament. "I can help if you want. I know a thing or two about coming out of it." He offers as he smiles at you.

"I don't know." You once again look away, focusing fully on your drink. "I never had anyone help me with that." You take the last sip of your drink before settling it down on the table.

"That's fine; you don't have to tell me now." Rafayel finishes his drink as well. "Why don't we finish the meeting here? You go home and think about it, ask your friends, and then text me about your decision." He suggests, getting ready to leave.

You promise Rafayel to give his offer some thinking. The two of you exchange your goodbyes, and you watch Rafayel leave the cafe. After making sure he left, you start grabbing your own things, leaving.

@sashisuslover @withering-dream @lalaluch

taglist is open!

[tewwor]

sea creature affairs starter call — well, the folks have spoken. cracking this waterlogged bad boy back open for anyone that wants a bit of nautical horror. everyone listed below resides ( or at least calls ) harborview their home. totally a small coastal town that's 10000% normal and not inhabited by strange things from the nearby sea. creatures of which that were made or in the very least influenced by some lone god found beneath sea foam and abyssal depths.

More sea creature lore here & additional details here!

like and specify who you'd like from habrorview's very own! if you previously liked for a starter ( and/or i already made you one ) and you want another with a different character — please comment and let me know!!! i'm more than happy to have multiple threads with these silly strange creatures.

adal — werewolf / sea creature hybrid . carpenter that's just trying his best, so soft and guilt ridden he'll help thieves clear out his own home, designated scout for any trouble brewing on the horizon as he sails most often.

altan — basilisk . angry hermit trying desperately to live in solitude, keeper of a barely functioning lighthouse, usually the first point of contact for oram when he waddles his sea monster ass back to land, immediately beams super mean things into orams head to help him remember how to speak the human language before kicking him out.

amant taylor boudreaux — human . just a guy that's been obsessed with harborview's happenings, he's dedicated his life to accurately detail not only it's citizens but also the mysterious people that return from the sea, would 1000% try to get nasty with someone just to lowkey research them, brainrot on god ( oram, even if he doesn't know that weird soggy man is the sea god responsible for all sea creatures ).

dane — ??? sea creature . marine biology professor & totally not the son of the alleged sea god, oram, is known to throw the occasional hissy fit if a traveler starts to get too nosy, ignorance is the only thing keeping his father immortal.

danny — shark sea creature . pirate smoted humbled by another god's wrath, runs a pub and very uncanny valley if you look close enough, thinks sitting by him while he soaks in the tub counts as a romantic date, probably eats people.

hugh — seal sea creature . unofficial babysitter of newly turned sea creatures, just wants to run his restaurant in peace but is usually in pieces instead, don’t ask questions if you see him throwing things off the pier.

joel — human ( for now ) . ooooo the sea creatures want him so bad, retired saturation diver, plagued with trauma / #1 harborview conspiracy theorist, main character syndrome & literally at his wits end.

lior — siren / eel sea creature hybrid . prior criminal ties, current fashionista, embodiment of 'i told you so', weirdly misses needing souls as sustenance.

oram — sea god . hunters want him, joel fears him, he barely knows wtf is going on at any time of his unfortunately long life, often found as a wet and soggy man wandering the beach, eldritch vibes all around and does little to hide it.

tatsuro watanabe — figurehead come alive . the newest of harborview’s bestiary, still trying to grasp how humans act and why, will try anything once, underestimates his strength often, lowkey something intimidating about him.

vincent — imugi . founder & #1 fan of the oram hate club, town-locked against his will, would love nothing more than to never talk to anyone but they love to bug the hell out of him, only cares about joel because he's.. struggling pathetic.

barbara davies — crocodile sea creature . calling all milf enjoyers, she's tall, she's hot, she's so goddamn strong! fabulous radio talk show host that's part of the few that tries to keep peace between sea creatures and human civilians ( off the record, of course ).

ha aera — human (?) . just your everyday humble waffle house employee, no she won't confirm nor deny questions about why or how the building seems to move from area to area, no she won't dive into the parking lot fights but she will call security, she's just tired and wants to get her shift over with.

ini shaw — sea witch . sea witch that primarily sells knots and charms for sailors. most of the time they're filled with good luck. be nasty to her and you'll get a nasty surprise back amidst your stupid voyage. maybe a fanatic over oram, but who’s to say?

jinae 'jenny' cho — human . there's a new hot wife in town and she's married to the mayor ( that hasn't been eaten by the sea creatures finally )! does she know her high school sweetheart turned husband is a sea creature? no! so pretty and so scrappy. definitely has traits of a survivalist for reasons she'd rather leave in the dark.

natori kato — seagull shapeshifter . what's that in the sky? it's a bird — correct! and said bird is torpedoing in to snatch food right out of your grubby hands. she's a certified yapper and bubble of joy. just ignore how she's got that scrappy aura about her.

spencer aka suspenders — human (?) . local kelpie wrangler & sanctuary keeper. it is much and it is really fucking honest work. you try getting your teeth almost kicked in every month by these slippery, man-eating sea horses. but he wouldn't have it any other way.

[ace-does-stuff]

take one step forward (two steps back)

summary: guarding the Master Emerald gave him purpose when had nothing but corpses surrounding him, no wonder it's so hard to drop the urgency

tags: character study, angst

authors note: a gift for the wonderful @ohposhers because i missed their birthday by A Very Large Margin and wanted to write them a fic regardless, hope everyone enjoys

How long has it been since he started doing this?

...

. . .

.  .  .

Yeah, too long.

Knuckles shrugs just enough to return feeling to his arms. He doesn't stand up though. It's his resting day, where he allows himself to sit instead of pace circles around the Master Emerald.

He should go find food.

Or water.

It's been a while since he last did so.

Maybe he should've given himself breaks more often then once a day.

But what if it happens again?

Eggman, Robotnik, whatever the people call him now, what if he returns? Comes back for a second shot at getting the Master Emerald?

What if he succeeds?

No!

Fuck, no, bad thoughts. It won't happen again, he's better than that now. Nothing will ever touch the Master Emerald again unless it's his own two paws or someone who he dearly trusts.

He stands up and paces circles around the Master Emerald. He just needs to get it out of his head, doubts, fears, worries, he's better now.

The telltale sound of wings flapping alert him and he finds Rouge dropping down. In her arms is Shadow, being carried similarly to a cat with one hand under each of his arms. She places down Shadow and drops down beside him with a small flourish as usual.

"Knuckles, why are you still here?" Shadow asked.

Knuckles scoffed, "I'm doing my job, why aren't you doing yours?"

"We were supposed to meet up at one of the cafe's today for a drink, sweetheart," Rouge said.

Knuckles faltered.

That was today?

He should get a calendar, or a more accurate tell of time. He doesn't even know how old he is in an exact number these days, just the rough estimation from Tails' DNA test. There is no exact date of birth, so he chose January first, an easy one to remember.

"What's wrong with you?" Shadow questioned as he stepped closer.

"It slipped my mind," Knuckles said. He was lying through his teeth and everyone knew it.

Shadow quirked a brow.

So did Rouge.

"I have to guard the Master Emerald-"

Rouge bit back at his statement, "No you don't. Nobody wants to steal it anymore."

"You do, for starters."

"And? Who else?"

Again, Knuckles goes silent.

"That's what we thought," Shadow said rather curtly.

"Sorry for forgetting, it won't happen again."

He knows that's a lie.

He knows his mind is still full of worries about the emerald. That he'll never truly be able to empty it and leave behind the need to protect the emerald. He knows he's a dog in that aspect.

"You better not, we were all looking forward to hanging out with you sweetie," Rouge said with a bit of a pout.

"Don't forget that you have a mission with Sonic tomorrow," Shadow said.

Rouge elbowed him, "Ease up, don't be so snappy."

"I'll do better next time."

-/-/-/-

Knuckles doesn't do better.

He swears he tries too, but everything just sort of, falls out of his brain. There was one little scare, a stray degraded beebot made its way onto the island. It had no real directive or drive to move to obtain the Master Emerald but it sets off every single alarm inside of Knuckles' head.

He just reverts.

All of his knowledge remains but it's shoved aside and replaced by an instinct to hunt and herd and protect. He does laps of the entire island, scouring for anything that could be out of place. He knows logically he doesn't need to, that it was just a leftover stray badnik.

But deep in the recesses of a mind molded to one purpose since he was naught but a child, he needs to do this. And he can't deny his instinct, he never could.

-/-/-/-

Shadow finds him passed out by a creek in the Mushroom Hill's. It just looks like he collapsed. Face down on the mossy grass and body splayed out like he's dead.

"Rouge! I found him!" Shadow called out.

In mere moments Rouge came crashing down from between mushrooms that threatened to bounce her back. She brushes herself down before standing at attention. With a brief glance at Knuckles' her cockiness evaporates. "I think we should be worried."

"Our mission-"

"He's passed out on the ground something happened to him!" Rouge snapped, pressing a gloved paw to Shadow's chest to nudge him back, "He's your partner, start acting like it. Cut him some slack."

Shadow huffed, "Fine."

Rouge crouches down and shakes Knuckles' awake.

He's groggy and slow to gain his senses again. His body is strained. Fuck he didn't actually get any water before passing out, did he? He scrambles to the creeks edge on auto-pilot and near fully submerges his snout.

With a heady gasp he resurfaces.

"Finally awake?" Shadow asked.

Knuckles snaps over to face him.

"What happened, red?" Rouge asked. There's a near pitying look on her face, one of worry.

"Badnik, Master Emerald," Knuckles said. He was still hacking on taking in too much water. "You know how it is."

"One Badnik?"

"They're like bugs, if you see one there's bound to be a hundred."

"Was there a hundred?" Shadow asked before taking a seat on the dirt. Rouge followed suit.

Knuckles shook his head, "I still had lap Angel Island to be sure."

Rouge felt worry build faster in her stomach, "How many times did you lap it?"

Knuckles shrugged. "Enough."

"Until you passed out, is how many times," Shadow corrected, "You need a vacation."

"That Badnik only further proves why I can't leave my post even once," Knuckles said. He didn't know why he was arguing in favor of this awful cycle. He had to. He had duty. He had purpose. This was his existence. He can't abandon, not now, not after it's been proven it has a point again.

For a stagnant moment both Rouge and Shadow are silence, then Rouge speaks.

"We'll stay with you then." She speaks with finality to her tone, "If you can't visit us off island then we'll visit you on island and protect the emerald with you."

"You just want to steal it like you always do," Knuckles spat.

Rouge scoffed, "Please, there are far bigger fish to fry than a thing like The Master Emerald."

"Even if you kick her out, I'm still staying here to guard it with you," Shadow tacked on.

"It's not your job."

"It will be."

"It will never be your duty the way it's my duty."

-/-/-/-

They still come to pester him daily on his laps.

He still tries to ward them off out of an instinct then real conviction towards them. He loves them too much to actually want to get rid of them. He still can't kill the thing in his head that says that anyone with sentience stepping foot on the island wants the worst.

That won't stop them from bothering him non-stop regardless.

"We brought you some grape jello," Rouge stated as she handed the cling-wrapped bowl to Knuckles.

"And a blanket for your hammock hut you have set up out in the woods," Shadow tacked on as he tossed a crocheted blanket at Knuckles. It consisted of muted hues of reds, blacks, pinks, blues- nearly the entire rainbow really. "Everyone wanted to pitch in and cast a few rows of their own color."

Knuckles wrapped himself up in the blanket, "That's sweet."

"Do you think we could help you guard the Emerald yet?" Rouge asked, "Robotnik is back out."

Knuckles paused before nodding, "Yeah, you guys can help if you really want to."

Rouge grinned, "I hope your hut has room for two more hammocks then, cause if it doesn't we're all dogpiling."

[heroofshield]

Hi! 4 or 10 for the Laidir prompts, if you want!

Rook being recruited for a mission by a separate faction for their expertise in treasure hunting

@anderfels

The stacks of parchment had appeared overnight.

None of the wards had been tripped, so Zea had no idea how they had gotten there. The note on top had been handwritten with simple cursive script saying

If you're interested, go to the Cobbled Swan. Midday. Wear a blue scarf.

Glancing at a few pieces of parchment, Zea saw that they were maps and reports of treasure located somewhere. Intrigued, she spent the morning going through the stack- trying to learn as much as she could before the meeting.

She was so intrigued by the information that Zea was nearly late to the meeting at the pub, hurrying through the streets trying to not slip on the wet cobblestones, blue scarf tied in her hair. Rushing into the Cobbled Swan with a minute to spare, Zea grabbed a pint of the cheapest beer on tap before taking a seat in a corner- it was out of the way so no one could overhear them but still in view so the prospective client could spot her.

Pulling out the stack of parchment from where she'd hid them to keep safe from the ever-present rain, she drew the votive closer to illuminate the writing better.

"Hope you haven't been waiting long."

Zea looked up at the smooth voice to see a rather pretty woman sit down in the chair across from her. She took in the white and teal leathers and the black square fascinator with netting partially obscuring her face. "Not really..." she said, trailing off hoping that the other woman would give Zea her name.

But the woman just smiled and discreetly signaled for a drink, which arrived quickly- telling Zea that she was a regular at the pub and had a standard order. "I was hired as a go-between for the interested party." she nodded towards the stack while continuing, "What do you think? Can you get the treasure?"

Zea shrugged, "Depends on a lot of things, like who I'm working for for starters."

The other woman gave a coy smile and shook her head, "Sorry, but that's the one thing I can't answer. They need to keep their identity secret for...political reasons." There was a beat of silence before she continued, "But I can tell you that you'd have access to the Shadow Dragons, both in terms of resources and manpower. They have a stake in recovering this artifact."

Zea looked at the older woman's eyes, idly tapping a finger against the wooden tabletop as she turned it all over in her head.

"You came highly recommended from Isabela. Said that we couldn't find anyone better for the treasure hunt. That business with the Rivaini nobles aside that is."

Zea felt her stomach clench at the mention of the Lords of Fortune's leader. It had been over a year since she'd had to flee the country in order to keep her head, but she still considered herself part of the pirate group. "And Isabela sending them in my direction means she's been keeping tabs on me." she thought while straightening up.

"What's in it for me? Other than the whole 'gold and glory' bit."

"There'll probably be Venatori and they won't go without a fight. So there's that as well."

Zea knew the casualness of the comment was by design, she hadn't become a shrewd Wicked Grace player without being able to pick up on things like that, but it had the desired effect. Moving the stack of parchment to the side, she held out her hand, "I think we have a deal. Tell whomever it is that I'll do the treasure hunt, and they'll get whatever it is they're looking for."

"Good to hear." The woman took Zea's hand and gave it a firm shake. "I'll be in contact."

"Wait." Zea called out as the woman stood and took a few steps away from the table. "At least tell me your name."

"Neve. Neve Gallus." Neve threw Zea a wink before sauntering out of the pub. She'd send a note to The Viper that Laidir was onboard for the expedition-and if everything went well the Dragons might get a new recruit as well.

[peachymilkandcream]

Someone To Love|Part 2|Reiner x Jealous Reader

(A/N: It's kind of nice and out of my normal style to write a much more wholesome romance, but I can't say I dislike it. You gotta have the fluff with your angst. And since this is going with yandere Levi it's good to have a bit of a change of pace. Comment to be added to the taglist!)

WARNINGS: implied nsfw, depression, attempted suicide, violence, general angst, slowburn, lowkey love triangle with a happy ending, not a warning but Reiner calls you nicknames instead of y/n (because I personally can't stand it)

==============================================

It felt like the air had been knocked out of her lungs.

"An Island Devil?"

"I know, it's crazy, trust me I already know that. Especially after everything they did to Bertholdt and Annie. I don't know, I just feel...good about myself and safe around her."

She clears her throat, trying to keep the wad of emotion down in her chest so it doesn't spill out all at once. "And you say her name is Evelyn? I..uhm- tell me about her-"

Reiner leans back with a shy smile. "Well for starters she's short, really short, but she's also fun, and super sweet, an impressive fighter, and pretty on top of that. Like the ultimate package."

"How did you meet her?"

"When I was under cover she was one of the Scout officers, I didn't get to see a whole lot of her since she was part of Captain Levi's squad, but still. As far as Island Devils go she's one of the sweetest people I've ever met."

"Does she know who you are?"

Now Reiner frowns, apparently a sore spot for him. "Yes she does, when we fled I exposed who I was to her...and she said she hated me."

She tries to hide her relief with a deep breath, it wouldn't help anything to outwardly show how glad she was of that.

"So you'll never see her again."

"Until we return to Paradis to reclaim the Founder it seems unlikely." His mood changed, his tone becoming more and more depressed.

"That's too bad. She sounds wonderful."

"Yeah...she was." Reiner rests his elbow on the table, staring into the wooden pattern. "By now she's probably married off to Captain Levi, no screw that, why should I respect him with a title, to Levi."

"Who's Levi?" She didn't know who he was but if he was able to give Reiner closure with this unattainable crush she'd be thankful to him.

"Selfish bastard. Captain of the Survey Corps and man does he abuse that. Always unfairly punishing everyone and demanding respect." He shakes his head. "Creep watched Evelyn like some kind of sick stalker. There were many times I got punished for being anywhere near her. Asshole."

"Maybe you just didn't understand their dynamic?"

"Impossible, it was so obvious he was sick in the head. But no one saw it but me."

Bravely she reaches out to touch his hand. "It'll be okay Reiner, you can move on now. Forget about what happened their and live the rest of your life in peace."

"The rest of my life." He scoffs. "What short time I have left."

The thought made her wince, but he had a point. If she didn't try harder he'd be killed and they'd never have that life she dreamed of, even if it was for a short time.

"That's why you need to make the most of it."

Reiner nods, taking in her words. "You're right, sitting here sulking over what could have been won't get me anything but wasted time." A smile comes to his face. "Thanks kid, you always make me believe in myself."

She blushed a little at the nickname, even after all of this he still saw her as the same girl from their childhood. "No problem, you're my friend and I want to help you."

Reiner's face turns solemn again but before he can speak his mind a soldier comes up to their table.

"Reiner Braun, Commander Magath has sent for you."

"Right now? Is it urgent?"

"He said to come right away."

Reiner offers an apologetic glance before standing and hurrying to follow the young soldier, leaving her alone.

She couldn't put her finger on it, but she had a bad feeling about all of this.

[oceansprompts]

Daredevil: Cutting Edge Quote Starters 3

quotes taken from the Marvel novel, Daredevil: The Cutting Edge (1999) by Madeleine E. Robins // adjust pronouns and lines as needed.

Come on, let's go hide from the painters.

Let me have five to get a cup of coffee, then I'll start returning calls, okay? I promise.

Nothing more than crushing piles of work. The usual. What's up?

I always like to know what I'm up against.

I wanted to play. Get a really tough problem and come up with an elegant solution.

You'll have to make this the "For Dummies" version.

Heartbreaking. You expect setbacks, but we were so close!

I mean, it worked ⸺ it just had this damned baggage with it.

Well, I'm over it. Grieved, moved on.

Turnabout and all that. I mean, I think it would be poetic justice, don't you?

Made me feel like I was thirteen years old, watching the senior prom queen in the hall in high school.

So you think because she's a babe that she's capable of planning murder?

Ow! Be careful! You don't know your own strength!

If I were afraid of you, would I be sitting here?

Let me uncomplicate things.

Let's talk about it before you do anything more like that.

No one is going to challenge me and get off easily. He taught me that.

We're walking a very fine line, don't upset the balance.

I promised: nothing unless we consult.

I was in the middle of a major negotiation, something that had really gotten bollixed up.

I was still in Big, Tough [name] mode when we meet, and I'm afraid I really wasn't very civil.

No, actually, I felt so bad about the way the meeting ended, I wanted to see if we could meet again.

Somewhere neutral, so I won't be tempted to bring my baggage along with me.

How about a cup of coffee in the Village, about five-thirty? Do you know the Coffeteria on 12th and Broadway?

Thank you so much, I really look forard to proving I'm not the monster I'm sure I seemed the other day.

Reduces me to a screaming hormonal pulp?

Partner, this whole business is so convoluted, it makes my head hurt.

Oh, that's right. Make it all about you, why don't you?

Well, I did it, didn't I? Walking around in the middle of the night with no more sense than a tennis shoe.

I don't want to hear you fretting about me getting in trouble.

It's my fault for not using the brains God gave me and letting you drive me all the way home.

Normal? How can things ever be normal when someone has played tic-tac-toe on your face with a Bowie knife?

Don't you think you ought to relax a little?

You were kind'a attacked by a very big guy with a knife. He's what you have to worry about.

I might as well get right up there on the bandwagon with her.

Garbagey talk show. Ouch. A sign of his interest in talking to the press? Tact, tact.

You really don't like being challenged at all, do you?

If I had my knife, you'd be down on your knees parying, you nobody, you nothing...

I have to do something, and this is what I can do.

My point is, I love you, and I don't want to have to bring you flowers at St. Clare's.

Be careful. That shiner is just beginning to fade; you don't need another, and I do need you. Okay?

Once again, it's all the fault of the guy in the tights, jeez.

You and your delicate sense of humor!

Too tired, too much to carry. I'll come back tomorrow and get them.

It's as tired as I am.

A quiet evening, thank God.

Okay, genius, what now?

If you promise not to shoot me, I'll tell you who did it.

If you try running, I'll catch you and we'll just play harder when we get where we're going.

Just crack the window an inch, please. Or I'm going to be sick all over you and the upholstery, and you can deal with the stench.

What are you gonna do, kill me?

That's it, that counts as your last wish. If you want to make a statement ⸺ I don't want to hear it.

Come on, I'm doing the best I can.

God, if ever you could hear what I was thinking, now would be a good time.

Stay alive, [name]. I'm here.

What are you, Iron Man?

Okay, so I can find you, but you're still made of spun adamantium or something. Why didn't that punch flatten you?

No wonder you like it ⸺ a very "you" kind'a statement

Look, I'm going to close my eyes and rest for a while, don't let anything exciting happen while I'm out, okay?

Are you sure you're supposed to be scolding me in your weakened condition?

I was just trying to distract you from telling me you were right about it.

I hadn't planned on scolding you about that until you were strong enough to fight back.

A man without fear, huh? You looked a little edgy there, last night.

A man without fear can dive off the Condorde into a damp paper cup without blinking... but not the thought of life without you.

You say the absolutely perfect thing sometimes. You really do.

I never know whether you're as clumsy as you seem, or just playing a very, very crafty part. Well, you're not dead yet.

It must be tied to the chromosomes, some elusive girl thing about ties.

Don't antagonize the big guy right now.

And if you had a brain in your head and hadn't kept going off on your own ⸺

If I go in now, I'll only attract attention and endanger you.

That the way you treat all your dates?

I'm going to have to keep hurting him, damaging him, until he stops, until I've done so much damage he can't go on. Can I fight that way?

Gotta stop this now. Tired, and I think I broke a rib. Okay, big boy!

Who did they think they were, Dr. Jekyll or something? Cripes!

Cosmic irony: man with no sympathy has a heart that beats sympathetically.

Hey... I'm one of the good guys, right?

Look at me. I look like... the Hulk's baby sister. And it's going to get worse.

It was grotesque. He looks like a monster. He used to be so beautiful.

I'm not stupid. I played a risky game and I lost. I lost it big and I'm going to wind up a monster.

Tell me about the colors.

Tell me what you hear.

I think they want us front and center to be thanked.

Anyone here ever ask you what the most beautiful word in the English language is, you can tell'em: home.

That's a couple of bad guys down.

Hey you, having a good time?

With you? Always.

We could rent a movie, then curl up on the couch together and ignore it.

That sounds good. We could even forget the movie.

Even better, I love you a lot.

That is what keeps me going.

[sworn-in-blood]

❯ ❯ ❯ STARTER CALL — JESSICA BARLOWE

Like this for a starter from Jessica Barlowe ! Specify muse if you're a multimuse , and specify verse if relevant . If you want an AU , specify !

[fazfacts]

TYKE & SONS LUMBER CO. SENTENCE STARTERS!

feel free to change these as needed.

❝ Well, little [___], the day has come! ❞

❝ No, not the beginning of summer or your coming of age, but me throwing you out on your ear! ❞

❝ That's what my father said to me when I was your age. ❞

❝ No one knows where [they] went. Really weird, if you ask me. ❞

❝ You'll soon be let free from this prison you call "home." ❞

❝ It's time for you to explore the world. ❞

❝ I'm going to be watching you from a safe distance. ❞

❝ I am a professional. ❞

❝ Now, get lost. ❞

❝ This is your time to shine! ❞

❝ Promise to make me a proud [parent], will ya? ❞

❝ This is as important as me teaching you how to walk on two legs. ❞

❝ I need a Mixchiato to-go, quick! ❞

❝ I ordered a Mixchiato, not a regular coffee. You really need to listen closely. ❞

❝ I expected more of you. ❞

❝ For real, if you fail this, I will ground you forever. ❞

❝ I would help, but I'm waaay too busy complaining over the simple things in life. Like weird-tasting coffee. ❞

❝ Now go! Go and make me proud! ❞

❝ The moral of the story is that you can make cocktails, even without the ice. ❞

❝ [___] is going to ruin the whole thing for me. [They] will expose me. ❞

❝ I can't let that happen. ❞

❝ I have to get rid of [them]. ❞

❝ That won't be too much of a problem. I've done similar things before. ❞

❝ I will continue to take care of those who find out more than they need to know. ❞

❝ I'm a mastermind. I can't fail. ❞

❝ Did I just have a stroke? I actually forgot my name. ❞

❝ I'm gonna get you, [___]! ❞

❝ I'm always ahead of you, you little brat! ❞

❝ Tomorrow is another day, where I hope nothing unexpected happens. ❞

❝ Please don't make this difficult. ❞

❝ What's a car? ❞

❝ Move now or I will take out the taser. ❞

❝ [___], do something! ❞

❝ Don't drag your [child] into this. ❞

❝ And that, [son], is how you avoid the cops. ❞

❝ Something isn't right. I really don't recall doing something illegal this time. ❞

❝ We need to get to the bottom of this. ❞

❝ YOU need to get to the bottom of this. Because I'm old. ❞

❝ Who told you that I would actually pay you with money? ❞

❝ Bad things happen from time to time. I'm just happy that I'm still alive. ❞

❝ Go take a look. You will like what's down there. ❞

❝ Listen, I need your help again. ❞

❝ You still owe me one after the coffee incident yesterday. ❞

❝ Go fight the robot. Or make it go away. I don't care. ❞

❝ Something happened that really upset me. ❞

❝ I was supposed to get trashed, yet I am working perfectly fine. ❞

❝ I woke up here in the dump this morning. ❞

❝ You animals wanted to trash me. ❞

❝ Look at my six-pack. I'm ripped. RIPPED! ❞

❝ I am going to crush you. I'm going to smash you to the ground, sit on you, tear you apart, and make lumber out of you. ❞

❝ You think you can stop me? ❞

❝ I knew you could do it! ❞

❝ Overall, a pretty neat battle. I give it a seven out of ten. ❞

❝ I was young once, too. I know what's hip. ❞

❝ I would strangle you if I could. ❞

❝ Nobody can ever know what my deal is. ❞

❝ Ahahahahahaha! I'm so evil! ❞

❝ Where have you been!? I was slightly worried. ❞

❝ I have something interesting to show you. ❞

❝ That's it! You're under arrest for sleep disturbance and murder! ❞

❝ Murder? Since when is that a topic? ❞

❝ Man, we really need a television. ❞

❝ Oh, [___]. Violence isn't always the solution. ❞

❝ That's what your mother would say. ❞

❝ That was a sick move. Good [boy]. ❞

❝ What. ❞

❝ ...they all died...blah blah blah...screams...blah blah blah...magic creatures and all that stuff...blah... ❞

❝ And then I sold them on the black market because the company wasn't paying off. ❞

❝ I don't like unannounced visitors in here. Get out! ❞

❝ I didn't know who was the right person to turn to. ❞

❝ I was tricked, I tell you. ❞

❝ The day would come where I would have my revenge. ❞

❝ That's what actually happened, for real! ❞

❝ We had a fight afterwards and [they] THREW me out of the window. ❞

❝ I landed on my head and they had to give me a new body because I would have died. ❞

❝ I look like a Minecraft Creeper now. ❞

❝ He looks like something that died under my bed and was stored in my fridge. ❞

❝ Agh, I'm just not a bad person. ❞

❝ Oh, boy. I think we're in for a treat. ❞

❝ I do have an answer. Yes, I really do. The answer is very interesting, [___]. The answer is complex. However, I'm not gonna tell you what it is. ❞

❝ We know that we're the good guys, and that counts, I guess. ❞

❝ Good night, and don't let the monsters get you. Hahaha. ❞

❝ Seriously!? How dumb are you? ❞

❝ I came to the conclusion that the best solution was to just lure you down here, and that was easier than I thought. ❞

❝ Don't worry, I won't just kill you off. ❞

❝ You're trapped, after all. What can you do? ❞

❝ I just wanted to experience what it felt like to be the star, for at least a moment. ❞

❝ I've had it with you!!! ❞

❝ Wow! You need to teach me that! ❞

❝ Sorry for being such a weirdo. ❞

❝ It's not like there has been any lore, ever, that took more than five years to solve. ❞

❝ If anyone needs me, I'll be in the underground disco. ❞

[pleasantspark]

Ok so you are anti proshippers and zoophiles while also referring to chai as both. Chai literally likes chub stuff. And ‘the person who had evidence of Chai being creepy also is creepy so it cancels out!’ Isn’t a valid argument. Just cause u personally like someone cause they liked a few of ur posts doesn’t mean anything. There’s plenty of evidence of Chai being a gross person, don’t fuck yourself over trying to defend some internet loser so hard ok?

Being a victim of stuff doesn’t make ur claims any more or less valid btw stop using CSA and ‘I was accused once’ as pity points. Chai has been a dick to people and gets off to the idea of baby furries being molested, you don’t need to be a victim of anything to have an opinion on that. but since you are doing that, I’ll just say, I’m an actual victim and I personally find it disgusting. Maybe get offline once in a while, these people aren’t your friends. Not gonna check your reply just think you need some perspective ❤️

Just because I find them a friend doesn't mean I condone any actions, guilty by association my ass. You do realize how horrid it is to be fucking accused right?

Well you wouldn't because you don't understand. When I was 15 I was falsely accused of being a pedophile. No evidence. Had people send revenge porn of me, doxxed me, send Guro.

The reason why I don't see the chibi art as cub is because for starters no one has given the actual base. Just because I'm skeptical of the fuckin claims doesn't mean I support it.

Okay so the fucking accusations is. "Orion supports pedophilia and his claims of finding false accusations are no an excuse UWU."

I don't support shit like that. I find it funny af that you invalidate my experience like that. Saying it was invalid. Idgaf.

If you don't understand how harmful it was to b falsely accused you understand that being skeptical is fine. Since you wanna sit here and victim blame then by my guest.

I told y'all that I see someone as a friend. Doesn't mean they are my friend. Internet friends are not real. I don't support shit everyone does. Because why would I?

Oh that's right you believe in this fuckass mentality of "Guilty by association." Riiiight.

If you think my shrugging off of a base that seems wte raisy is signs of me being in support of it. Then bring me to the original base, because the proportions of the base seem to hint at chibi which is WHY I said it.

Then take in the account of the artist style.

Coupled with the trauma of false allegations then you'll understand. You haven't been accuses as severely and with no evidence.

So yea. Final message.

No I don't concern myself with this shit. I don't care about whatever fucking shit people say. I don't look into people. Getting into fucking retarded debates over virtually nothingburgers is retarded I prefer everyone block and move on.

And before someone speegs about me saying the dreaded retarded word. Fuck off I'm mentally ill. Maybe you can say my views and opinions are skewed here but I'm tired of baseless allegations and being lumped in a category of degens because of "guilty by association" but if you insist then fine. Chaifootsteos is baaaad, report them to the FBI then. No this isn't a sarcasm if you want to help do it.

I'm under the belief is "Idgaf." Also stop calling that shit CP. It's CSEM.

Final message: even after my mental breakdown here you still think I support material like that get the fuck off my page. EPI is not cool, invalidating someone's trauma just to say you have been SA isnt cool because you don't understand the actual legal ramifications of being accused heavily. It hasn't happened and I don't want further reports. But even after all this and you find this okay. Then I won't speak to Chai anymore. People gotta understand that interacting doesn't mean endorsing.

[perspectivestarters]

Perspective's Sentence Starters; Speak Now (Taylor's Version) by Taylor Swift (Part III)

ELECTRIC TOUCH

"Just breathe, just relax, it'll be okay."

"I've got my money on things goin' badly."

"Got a history of stories ending sadly."

"Still hoping that the fire won't burn me."

"All I know is this could either break my heart or bring it back to life"

"Got a feelin' your electric touch could fill this ghost town up with life."

"I want you now."

"Wanna need you forever."

"I've been left in the rain lost and pining."

"I'm tryin' hard not to look like I'm trying."

"Every time I tried hard for love, it fell apart."

"I've gotten used to no one callin' my phone."

"I've grown accustomed to sleepin' alone."

"I know that all it takes is to get it right."

"I was thinking just one time."

"Maybe the stars align and maybe I call you mine."

"Maybe the moment's right."

WHEN EMMA FALLS IN LOVE

"When (Name) falls in love, she paces the floor."

"The ways that this one could go wrong."

"Little Miss Sunshine always thinks it's gonna rain."

"I know that boy will never be the same."

"She's the kind of book that you can't put down."

"All the bad boys would be good boys if they only had a chance to love her."

"To tell you the truth, sometimes I wish I was her."

"When (Name) falls in love, it's all on her face."

"When (Name) falls in love, she disappears."

"We all just laugh after seein' it all these years."

"When (Name) falls apart, it's when she's alone."

"She takes on the pain and bears it on her own."

"When (Name) falls in love, she's in it for keeps."

"She won't walk away unless she knows she absolutely has to leave."

"She'll call you out."

"She'll put you in your place."

"(Name) met a boy with eyes like a man."

"Turns out her heart fits right in the palm of his hand."

"Now he'll be her shelter when it rains."

"His whole world's about to change."

I CAN SEE YOU

"You don't think I can see ya?"

"I’ve been watchin' you for ages."

"I spend my time tryin' not to feel it."

"But what would you do if I went to touch you now?"

"What would you do if they never found us out?"

"What would you do if we never made a sound?"

"I can see you waitin' down the hall from me."

"I could see you up against the wall with me."

"What would you do?"

"Baby, if you only knew."

"We kept everything professional."

"They keep watchful eyes on us."

"It's best that we move fast and keep quiet."

"You won't believe half the things I see inside my head."

"Wait 'til you see half the things that haven’t happened yet."

"I could see you throw your jacket on the floor."

"Make me want you even more."

"You know I won’t ever tell."

"I could see you being my addiction."

"You can see me as a secret mission."

"Hide away and I will start behaving myself."

CASTLES CRUMBLING

"I had an empire in a golden age."

"I was held up so high."

"I used to be great."

"They used to cheer when they saw my face."

"I fear I have fallen from grace."

"I feel like my castle's crumbling down."

"I watch all my bridges burn to the ground."

"You don't want to know me."

"I will just let you down."

"I was the great hope for a dynasty."

"Crowds would hang on my words."

"They trusted me."

"Their faith was strong, but I pushed it too far."

"I held that grudge 'til it tore me apart."

"Power went to my head and I couldn't stop."

"Ones I loved tried to help, so I ran them off."

"Here I sit alone behind walls of regret."

"Falling down like promises that I never kept."

"My foes and friends watch my reign end."

"I don't know how it could've ended this way."

"People look at me like I'm a monster."

"They're screaming that they hate me."

"Never wanted you to hate me."

FOOLISH ONE

"Chances are, tonight, you've already got plans."

"Chances are I will talk myself to sleep again."

"You give me just enough attention to keep my hopes too high."

"Wishful thoughts forget to mention when something's really not right."

"You are not the exception."

"You will never learn your lesson."

"Stop checkin' your mailbox for confessions of love that ain't never gonna come.""

"You will take the long way down."

"You know how to keep me waitin'."

"I know how to act like I'm fine."

"Don't know what to call this situation."

"I know I can't call you mine."

"I will do my best to seem bulletproof."

"Maybe, someday, when we're older, this is something we'll laugh about."

"You will learn the hard way instead of just walkin' out."

"How could I not see the signs?"

"You haven't written me or called."

"You got her on your arm and me in the wings."

"I'll get your longing glances, but she'll get your ring."

"Maybe I will finally learn my lesson."

"They ain't never gonna come."

"The day is gonna come for your confessions of love."

"When all is said and done, he just wasn't the one."

TIMELESS

"Down the block, there's an antique shop."

"The kinda love that you only find once in a lifetime."

"The kind you don't put down."

"In those photos, I saw us instead."

"Somehow, I know that you and I would've found each other."

"In another life, you still would've turned my head even if wе'd met."

"You still would've been mine."

"We would have been timeless."

"I would've read your love letters every single night."

"Prayed to God you'd be comin' home all right."

"I believe that we were supposed to find this."

"I had to smile when it caught my eye."

"Brought me back to the first time I saw you."

"Time stood still like somethin' in this old shop."

"I thought about it as I started lookin' 'round."

"Hundreds of years ago, they fell in love, like we did."

"I'd die for you in the same way if I first saw your face."

"Run away and left it all behind."

"Time breaks down your mind and body."

"Don't you let it touch your soul."

"It was like an age-old classic the first time that you saw me."

"Sometimes there's no proof, you just know."

"I'm gonna love you when our hair is turnin' grey."

"We'll have a cardboard box of photos of the life we've made."

"Oh my, we really were timeless."

[uselesslexbian]

speak now from the vault sentence starters

i've got my money on things going badly.

i'm still hoping that the fire won't burn me.

all i know is this could either break my heart or bring it back to life.

i'm trying hard not to look like i'm trying.

i've grown accustomed to sleeping alone.

and maybe i call you mine.

'cause she's the kind of book that you can't put down.

and to tell you the truth, sometimes i wish i was her.

she won't lose herself in love the way that i did.

little does he know, his whole world's about to change.

i've been watching you for ages.

i spend my time trying not to feel it.

what would you do if i went to touch you now?

i could see you up against the wall with me.

i can see you.

and we kept everything professional, but something's changed.

it's best that we move fast and keep quiet.

you won't believe half the things i see inside my head.

you know i won't ever tell.

i could see you being my addiction.

you can see me as a secret mission.

i will start behaving myself.

i used to be great.

they used to cheer when they saw my face.

now i fear, i have fallen from grace.

i watch all my bridges burn to the ground.

you don't want to know me. i will just let you down.

you don't want to know me now.

i held that grudge, til it tore me apart.

power went to my head and i couldn't stop.

ones i loved tried to help, so i ran them off.

and here i sit alone, behind walls of regret.

i don't know how it could've ended this way.

people look at me like i'm a monster.

now they're screaming that they hate me.

never wanted you to hate me.

chances are tonight you've already got plans.

chances are i will talk myself to sleep again.

you give me just enough attention to keep my hopes too high.

you are not the exception.

you will never learn your lesson.

stop checking your mailbox for confessions of love that ain't never gonna come.

you know how to keep me waiting.

i know how to act like i'm fine.

don't know what to call this situation, but i know i can't call you mine.

i will do my best to seem bulletproof.

when my head is on your shoulder, it starts thinking you'll come around.

maybe someday when we're older, this is something we'll laugh about.

how could i not see the signs?

you haven't written me or called.

i'll get your longing glances, but they'll get your ring.

you should've been walking out.

he just wasn't the one.

in those photos, i saw us instead.

in another life, you still would've turned my head.

you still would've been mine.

we would've been timeless.

'cause i believe that we were supposed to find this.

you're always gonna be mine.

i'm gonna love you when our hair is turning gray.

[clumsiestgiantess]

The sixth chapter of the Other-world Universe; Erica finally gets the chance to be rightfully pissed off. (A bit more bad language than usual, just a warning)

all chapters linked here

[The truth comes out]

I spent the day in my own world, afraid to go back to the awful scene I’d left.  Did Erica call the government after me?  I don’t want to go through that again.  If I end up in the hospital like last time, I won't be able to explain what happened without revealing the other-world.  After a night of almost no sleep and the constant press of thoughts and pain, I could barely function.  Thankfully the weekend started tomorrow, so I could spare a day for my trauma.  

How did she know I was there?  I sat buried in bed, refusing to acknowledge the rest of the world.  Did Erica know I was controlling her the whole time?  What if she's been trying to get away from me since day one and I just never knew?  I groaned into a pillow and rolled over, forgetting about my recent injuries.  The second my back hit the bed, searing pain tensed through me.  It felt like knives were repeatedly jabbing into my back.  Cursing, I sat upright, trying to ease my agonizing wounds.  I popped another pain reliever and carefully sat back down, exhausted.

The next day, though my back still ached, I worked up the stamina and courage to visit the mansion.  I can’t just leave.  I had to find out if Erica had known all along, for starters, and apologize for scaring the shit out of her the night before.  As soon as I got into the other-world, I checked and double checked that I was invisible before going anywhere.  Dodging the usual traffic and housing, I made it there in quick time.  However, as I approached the cliffside, I stopped dead in my tracks.  Is this really a good idea?  What if the government set traps for me?  I stood at a distance, trying to spot anything unusual.  

Even when I finally deemed it safe, I decided to wait until the darkest part of night to visit.  It would be the least likely time for someone to spot me.  On the ground below the mansion, I carefully rested my back on the cliff face like the back of a chair, wary of my recent injuries.  I sat feeling more alone than usual, watching and waiting for the sun to set completely.  I was determined to tell Erica the truth, or at least part of it.  She didn’t have to know about the fake version of everything that I see in my world, or that her city is a plaything of both me and my brother.  Oh boy, that’s definitely not something I want to bring up.  Finally, when the sky was completely dark, I stood and turned to face the mansion, still invisible.

Erica was sitting at the kitchen counter, slumped over next to a bottle of something that was probably alcoholic.  Maybe I should come back another night, when she hasn't been drinking.  Just as the thought occurred to me, Erica sat up and looked around warily.  It seemed like she could tell I was watching her.  Staying under my control for months must’ve heightened some sense of me being here, just like I gained a keener sense of where she was wherever I went to control her.  

That’s not creepy at all, I thought sarcastically, feeling something huge and invisible watching you from who knows where.  No wonder she ran from me.  Not knowing what else to do, I reached out and tentatively knocked on the wall beside her.  Erica flinched and slowly crept to the glass door nearby, looking cautiously out from a few feet back.  I slid it open, ridding myself of invisibility in the process.  She gasped and stumbled backwards slightly as I returned my arm to my side.  Erica now froze where she was, understandably too scared to move.  “I.. um” I stuttered, unsure what to say.  “I won’t hurt you, you can come out.”  I retreated to the cliff edge, giving her space to step onto the lawn.

An awkward silence hung in the air as neither of us moved.  “What are you?” Erica finally asked me from inside the house.  “What are you doing here?”  "I'm just a person," I answered, ducking down to see her from the outside.  "And I.. I came to show you the truth about things."  Erica hesitantly stepped into the doorway, looking out and up at me.  "But you're not.  You- you can't be just a person," she gestured vaguely at me, towering above her.  "And I sure as hell hope you're here to tell me the truth, because I've been dying to know what the fuck you thought you were doing!"  I flinched at the sudden shift in her voice.  "For the last eight months I've been living without a single shred of free will.  You're the one who was controlling me, right?  And giving me money, this house.  I suspected someone was behind all of it but I…  How are you even real?"

Erica shuttered, glancing down at the cliff edge.  "I mean, you're standing at ground level right now and I still have to look up at you.  Nevermind the fact that you can control my fucking life, and apparently generate an infinite supply of money."  So she did know I was behind everything.  That's not going to make this very easy.  

"Well," I explained cautiously, "I saw you needed help so I gave you the money, but you spent it all on crap so-"  "I did not!" Erica interrupted, "How the hell did you even get that much money in the first place?"  She stormed out onto the lawn, then abruptly stopped, eyes going wide in realization.  "Wait, when I came out to the balcony of my apartment and I asked if this was a test, did you hear me?  You did, didn't you?  Because then you started making me go to those dumbass therapy sessions!  Which I did NOT need, by the way."

Despite Erica's furious protests against me, I sneered.  "Yeah, right.  Every time I left you with enough cash to help you out, you always managed to end up in bigger debt than you started with."  Huffing, I leaned down over the cliffside to get closer, trying to read the expressions of someone so small from a distance.  It didn't occur to me that I was then looming over her.  "If it weren't for me, you would've been kicked out of your apartment, living on the side of the road somewhere, or with your awful ex.  You're lucky I stepped in when I did.  In fact, you should be thanking me."

Erica gawked, looking up at my looming form in slight terror.  "What- How-  How do you know about John?  Have you been watching me for that long!?  What else do you know about me!?”  She paused, glancing around at the mansion’s long open windows that were basically just walls of glass.  It was designed so you could have a panoramic view of the scenery beyond the cliff — too high up for anyone to see into.  Anyone besides me.  

“You- You weren’t watching me every second, were you?"  Erica backpedaled quickly, tripping on the threshold into the house.  I shrugged, "Your little breakup was the first night I found you, actually," I told her matter-of-factly.  "Yes, I have been watching you for that long.  Think back through everything that's happened since then, I was there.  I watched you wreck your life over and over again.  Finally I just couldn't take it anymore!  Every time I tried to help you, you only made things worse.  How is it that you can't live a normal life without me there forcing you to?"  I practically spat the last words in frustration while I glared down at Erica, who now stood in the doorway, appalled.

"You fucking psycopath!   Are you listening to yourself!?  What the hell do you mean 'force me to live a normal life'?  I HAD A LIFE, YOU SCREWED IT UP!  YOU TOOK IT FROM ME!  IT'S MY GODDAMN LIFE, NOT YOURS!  WHO THE HELL PUT YOU IN CHARGE OF WHAT I CAN OR CAN'T DO?!  YOU SICK BITCH, I-  AHH!"  Seething, I slammed my hand down in front of her, snatching her up by the back of her shirt.  In one swift movement, I dragged her through the air up to my face.  

"WHAT DID YOU JUST CALL ME?!"  Erica threw her hands over her ears, legs kicking at the open space beneath her.  Being so small, it was a long — and likely deadly — drop down.  "I COULD END YOU RIGHT NOW IF I WANTED TO!" I threatened.  "DON'T TALK TO ME LIKE THAT OR I'LL-"  "ALRIGHT, ALRIGHT, FINE!" she managed to yell over me, "Please, just put me down!  I- I'll do whatever you want, please!"  

Erica desperately grasped at my fingers, trying to secure herself without falling to her death.  The lights of the house reflected off her tear-streaked face.  Noticing this, I felt a sudden pang of guilt.  What am I doing?  I came here to apologize, not threaten her.  Carefully, I lowered Erica to the ground, tucking a few fingers beneath her so she wouldn't fall.  Shit.  I took it too far.  She scrambled out of my hand the second it touched the ground and raced into the house, flinging the glass door closed so violently it shattered.  I stood there stunned, a pit forming in my stomach as I watched her disappear inside.  "I'm sorry," I murmured solemnly, "I shouldn't have done that.  I didn't-  I wouldn't have hurt you."  There was no response.  Erica was nowhere to be seen.

I backed away from the house and looked down at the hand I’d just grabbed her with.  It was shaking so badly, I could barely steady it without pressing it flat against myself.  With that same hand, I'd crushed someone to death.  Just then, I'd almost condemned Erica to a similar fate.  That was the first time I'd really contemplated just how small they were.  Erica was only a bit taller than the length of my palm.  She'd been doing everything in her power to stop me from controlling her for the last several months, and I had been ignoring her.  I had the audacity to think she was toying with me when she was just trying to get away.

Guiltily, I glanced back over at the mansion.  I got so pissed at her for yelling at me, but she's right.  I've been denying her everything she wanted since day one, forcing her to make decisions that weren't her own.  Why did I even think that was a good idea?  Didn't I have a rule about not controlling people unless it was absolutely necessary?  Aren’t these people supposed to be toys?  Why are they so.. life-like?  I sighed, desperately wanting to go back to the mansion and apologize.  However, I doubted Erica would want to listen to anything I said after that.  Later, after I returned home, I tried to remember how everything had even started.  Maybe it's best if I don't go back, or just leave Erica alone.  It's the least I could do to make up for tonight.  For everything, really.

That evening, I slept with the grim satisfaction that I'd finally made the right decision.  When I woke up the next day, I went on an early morning jog to clear my head, forcing out all thoughts of the other-world.  I won’t be drawn back there anymore, no matter what.  Not a single good thing has come out of me being there.  

However, as I was eating lunch that same day, a thought struck me out of the blue.  Me, a giant invisible monster, must have given Erica so much paranoia.  At first I shook off the thought.  She doesn't need to worry about me anymore, so she'll be fine now.  Though, for all she knows I could still be lurking around invisibly, waiting for her to let her guard down again.  It took a few seconds for me to process the thought; I choked on the sandwich I was eating at that last notion.

No!  That's true!  I facepalmed in realization.  I can't just leave without saying anything!  If some giant who could become invisible at will threatened MY life and then disappeared, I would be terrified they'd be back to finish the job.  As much as I wanted to avoid a situation like last night, I knew I had to go back.  If only to convince Erica that I wasn't a threat anymore, and save her the stress of believing I would one day come back to either control her again or finish her off.  

Scarfing down the last of my lunch, I rushed downstairs only to realize that it would also be midday in the other-world like it was in my own world.  Damn, I can't go back now.  Surely, Erica would rather have me be visible so she won’t freak out, and I can't do that in broad daylight.  I sat around doing homework and chores, waiting for night to fall, impatiently doing random tasks to keep me busy while I waited.  It seemed like days before the sun finally set and I could safely return.  I made it all the way to the doorway of the basement before my dad stopped me.  “Alexis, come join your brother in the family room.  We’re watching that new movie you wanted to see,” he told me.  “But I-“  “Whatever you want to do can wait till tomorrow.  Come spend some quality time with your family.”  I reluctantly followed him into another room, knowing I couldn’t win that argument.  The other-world can wait until tomorrow, I guess.

By the same time the next day, I was already doubting my plan to return.  I decided it was best to go straight there, assure Erica I was leaving her alone, and go quickly before I screwed up again.  Taking the most direct route I could, again checking that I was invisible, I made it to the mansion.  Peering through the back, I noticed a few boxes stacked in corners.  The house was almost barren inside.  What's going on in there?  

Again, it was like Erica could sense my arrival.  She nervously glanced outside before drawing all the blinds closed so I couldn't see in.  I became visible again, deciding the best thing to do was knock like I had the first time.  I'd barely tapped once on the now duct taped door before she shouted, "Leave me alone!"  I was taken aback by the aggression in her tiny voice, but I knew I had to get this final message out of the way.  

"I just want to talk to you," I responded, trying not to sound too threatening.  "That's what you said last time before you almost threw me off a cliff!" Erica retorted.  Sighing, I tried again.  "Alright, fair point.  You can stay inside if you want, but could you at least open the blinds?"  "I don't have to do shit.  I'm leaving tomorrow and you won't be able to find me."  So that's what the boxes were for.  "Fuck, forget I said anything!  Do NOT follow me when I leave."

"But you don't have to leave!” I called, words tumbling out faster than I wanted.  “I came back to tell you that I'm sorry for, well, a lot of things, but I'm sorry about yesterday and I came to tell you that I’m the one who's leaving.  You don't have to worry about me ever again.  Keep the mansion.  Hell, keep the box of infinite money.  I’m giving it up.  You win."  Everything was silent, then the duct taped door opened slightly.  Erica peered around it.  She scrutinized my face for a while, squinting up at me.  “After everything you've done to me, why should I believe you?"  

I thought it over, trying to come up with something logical.  "Well, you seem to be able to tell when I'm nearby, so I guess you'll believe me when you don't sense me around anymore."  Erica still looked at me dubiously, so I added, "I really am sorry about this.  About everything.  You were right, I was taking over your life and I'm so sorry.  But I'm done now, you don't need to worry."  Erica slid the door all the way open and took one tentative step onto the back lawn.  "If you really are sorry, then you'll leave me alone and you won't come back."  I nodded, "I guess this is goodbye then."  I turned to leave, finally doing the right thing.  Why did it take me this long to do something decently good?

"Wait!" Erica called after me.  I turned around, surprised.  "I thought you said you wanted me to leave."  "I did.  I do, but I.. don't even know who you are.  Or what you are for that matter."  Pacing a few steps back to the mansion, I stopped just short of the cliff face.  Carefully, I lowered myself closer to Erica's height, trying to make myself seem a bit less threatening.  Erica retreated only slightly, her curiosity outweighing her fear.  "And.. I really need to know how closely you were actually watching me.  Did you see-"  I shook my head, cutting her off before she could bring up anything embarrassing.  Even before the moment I thought to control her, I never considered watching her very closely.  Most of the time, I’d left her on her own with nothing but my vague commands to get her work done and whatnot.  

“I wasn’t watching you that closely,” I assured her.  “Don’t worry about me seeing anything too important.  All I did was chauffeur you from one place to another with instructions on what to do.  Half the time I was miles away from you.”  I couldn’t tell from Erica's stony expression whether or not she believed me.  It made me worried that despite my efforts here, she would still be stuck believing that she wasn’t safe from me.  The thought made my stomach queasy.  “Please don’t work yourself up about it.  I’m done messing with your life, I swear.”  

My explanation must’ve sounded suspiciously like a string of excuses, because Erica’s expression only darkened.  I just wanted her to understand that I hadn’t meant to hurt her.  Then again, could I honestly look at what I’d done to her and believe she was happy living like that?  Yes.  Yes, I can.  She’s fake.  That’s the whole reason I can do that to her in the first place… right?

“Ok, well even if you weren’t stalking me at all hours, what about everything you did for me before you controlled my life?  Where did all that money come from?  Was it all just some sick experiment on me?”  "No!" I interjected a bit too loudly, making her flinch.  "Of course it wasn't!  I- I honestly don't know how it escalated to this."  Sighing, I thought back to my original intentions.  "When I first saw you, you were complaining about how you needed money, so I gave you all that cash.  Then, well, I guess I overreacted a bit when I came back and found out you spent it all on frivolous things."  Erica looked as if she wanted to correct my last statement, but she held her tongue, likely remembering what happened the night before last.  "So I tried a bunch of different ways to get you to use the money I gave you the way I wanted you to use it.  Now I realize how stupid I was to try and change you so much I had to.. you know.."  "Take over my life?" Erica finished.  I nodded solemnly.

"I really am sorry," I said yet again, "I promise I was genuinely just trying to help you.  I just.. got carried away with using my stupid powers."  Erica stepped out of the doorway a little further and considered what I'd said.  "So.. one more question before you leave forever."  I nodded expectantly.  "Why do you have powers?  How can you be invisible and control people and be so.. big?"  

I had wanted to give her answers.  Also, I felt like knowing my side of things might help Erica understand me a bit better.  "Well, it all started with a giant storm.."  I began to relay everything that happened to me since I arrived, starting with my horrific first day, and ending with when I first decided to control her, conveniently leaving out the crushed house, multiple destroyed cars, and the origin of her world.  I didn’t think she was quite ready to hear about those things.  "So wait.  The government is after you?" Erica asked after listening to my story.  "Yeah, they were; I don't know if they are anymore."  "And you.. killed someone.  By accident?"  She was referring to the first time I came here — the man in the mountains on my first night.  I looked away guiltily, suddenly doubting whether I should’ve told Erica any of that story.  But if I wanted her to trust me, I needed to tell her the truth.  Your world’s a plastic toy in my world.  Ok, most of the truth.  

"Y- yeah.  I grabbed him a bit too tightly.  Oh, and I've definitely amassed a decent amount of property damage walking around."  "You mean like the parking garage?"  My mind briefly went blank in fear.  "Shit!  I left my blood on that thing!" I shot to my full height in alarm, making Erica practically fall over, terrified.  "The government's going to start looking for me again when they see that!"  I started towards the city in a panic.  "No, it's fine!  Don't go barge into the city, it's fine!"  I stopped abruptly, "What do you mean?"  Erica shakily stood back up, and I mumbled an apology for moving so quickly.  "When you disappeared that night, the blood disappeared too."  "Really?" I asked incredulously, turning back in disbelief.  “It probably had something to do with me returning to my own world.”  I wish the cuts on my back had disappeared too.   "That's a relief.  But either way, I really should be going.  You have your own life now, I should leave you to it."  Erica nodded, staring thoughtfully up at me for a long moment before waving a hand as if to shoo me away.  That time, I left without a call to return.  A strange melancholy feeling rested in my gut when I realized that I hadn’t even spoken to Erica in about a year — not even once since the day I first saw her.  It was crazy enough that it had been that long since I’d found the other-world.  13 months to be exact.  I vanished into the night hoping that Erica believed me, or at the very least would eventually believe me.  At last I was returning to my own world for good.

I know this looks like the end, but there is so much more coming y’all can’t even imagine.

[shinrascomputer]

Starter for @axnewxera

Lucas took a deep breath as he stopped in front of Rufus' office door. His arm was still stuck in a sling, immobilized and not able to be felt, much less moved at all. Hojo had at least made sure he was steady and able to handle himself before letting him leave- Lucas had never been happier that he was left handed until this.

He lifted his hand, knocking briefly and waiting for the call to enter before he loked his head in. "Sorry... I know I'm a little late." He said awkwardly as he stepped fully into the room. The usual high ponytail was replaced with a half up half down style- Lucas had had one of the staff help pin at least some of it out of the way before he'd gone to meet with Rufus.

It was... Intimidating, to say the least. The Turks were falling apart, Shinra had marked them as wanted people. And Lucas had been removed from duty and labelled as not a threat, returned to Hojo's custody without a second glance. It made his so angry, and he wasn't going down that easy. So he'd turned to the one person he thought might be able to help.

"I was taken off duty- I was actually told I'm no longer a Turk, I'm just an experiment. Professor Hojo gave me permission to leave the labs and come here" He explained, taking a deep breath. "I know I can't offer a lot, but I don't want to just sit on the sidelines. I won't. I can break into Shinra's systems and get you back online."

Was it a long shot? Maybe. But Rufus was the only chance he had to get back at the President for brushing him off like he was nothing. Lucas may not have the combat skills others did, but he didn't need them to be useful or a threat. And if the president didn't see that, maybe his son would.