#(Hope this starter is okay! it’s lengthy my apologies)

[brokendreamscreation]

@hostradio liked for a starter!)

It is not everyday that an angel visits hell, especially outside of the Exterminations. But this particular seraphim has snuck his way out the back door, right out from under Heaven’s very nose, for a “scenic ride” around Hell. Lucid, disguised as a white and blue songbird, rides the warm air drafts above Pentagram City, mystified by the tall buildings and lights. Sure he has seen the grand central city of Heaven behind the Pearly Gates, but never has had the chance to truly see it. Explore, discover, converse with the Winners. Not when he is cooped up in the citadel that the majority of his Archangel siblings reside in.

Some of Hells native wildlife take notice to the pure white feathered anomaly, a murder of crows with sharp teeth and two sets of glowing red hues. They croak and hiss at the invader, taking wing. Lucid notices the on-coming assault, quickly dipping a wing to turn sharply in a new direction. With his focus on evading the blood thirsty flock, the disguised angel does not realize his flight takes him towards a large glassed radio tower. He scarcely avoids the window, clawed feet scratching against the glass as the white-blue bird hustles upwards with beating wings.

Several of the demonic crows collide into the glass, bouncing off and tail-spinning towards the ground. The rest screech and take off in different directions. Distracted by watching the others scatter, Lucid runs straight into one of the large megaphones at the top of the tower, knocking the angel dizzy. Falling to the roof, the bird bounces several times and over the edge. In a poof of golden glittering magic, Lucid turns back into his normal seraph form and scrambles his hands for anything to hold onto from falling.

“Oh Lord! Oh God! Oh fiddlesticks!”

[chxinsxwed]

Da Rules:

Hi, this is a bit lengthy - but first, thank you for checking out this post! It means a lot to me and I hope we can interact! <3

1. Themes might vary with this blog. I’m typically SFW, but keep in mind this is NEGADUCK. He’s not morally sound and will certainly not be nice to everyone who has the unfortunate opportunity to come across him. Be prepared for dark themes of that nature.

Things will be tagged! I’ll try my best, anyways. If you want something in particular tagged, please let me know. The format I use for tagging is, for example, tw: swearing.

I don’t have any triggers but I do ask you tag all of your NSFW content.

That said, I won’t do anything NSFW - gore is okay, though.

I’m of age.

2. I’m a little selective, so I might be a pretty picky when it comes to who I interact with. I’ll interact with anyone, including canon, AU, Crossover, and original characters - as long as they’re literate/write para.

If it’s a crossover, I have to know the fandom and be at least a little bit confident with it. This is so I’m able to work with you, our thread and have muse for it.

No godmodding or Mary-Sues, please.

This is bound to happen given Negaduck’s character, but this rule goes especially in fights. I will tread carefully in these and give partners fighting chances, so obviously I expect the same. i.e, don’t assume all attacks hit, keep dodging, etc; all that. Keep in mind Negs does not put up an easy fight, though.

Please don’t be offended if I don’t want to interact with you (and please don’t try to guilt me into doing so!).

As for following back, I usually take a week tops to do so - but if you’ve hit up my promo, I go through that eventually.

I’ve worked through a majority of Negs’ media, including his episodes, comics, and even small comics. That said, there are a couple I’ve missed (that are in another language) - so if I miss anything in reference to them, forgive me.

I haven’t completely finished Darkwing Duck, either, so as far as unrelated references ago, I might miss a few things.

3. Please don’t rush me for starters or responses.

I have a lot of blogs. Pretty much an understatement - so I’m pretty busy with stuff, and it’s all dependent on what muse I have. Motivation and life also exist.

Please note the mun deals with anxiety and depression - this might affect how frequently she roleplays.

Chances are, I’ve probably has seen that bit of interactivity and just haven’t gotten around to responding yet.

My roleplaying style being para/multi-para, I may take a while to respond. I hoard drafts like a dragon - it’s really just the motivation to write and ship those out.

Additionally, if I don’t end up responding to an ask or something, the case might just be I don’t have the muse for it, or I’m not interested in the thread. Apologies!

4. Shippings? Eeeeh, with Negaduck, I’m picky about them, depends on the muse and/or proposed relationship. Long story short: he’s an outright jerk so don’t expect much from him.

If I don’t happen to be interested, don’t force anything on my character.

I do not ship incestuous ships. Do NOT follow/interact if you do.

The ship has to have chemistry; I’m generally shipping trash, but if they don’t click, they don’t click, sorry.

This is a multi-ship blog, meaning there will be more than one ship without them conflicting with eachother.

If you want to ship and I already have a ship of your choosing going with a duplicate, please don’t hesitate to hmu! My ships aren’t exclusive and each character/relationship portrayal is unique to me!

Relationships are eternal until you deem otherwise.

5. Whilst I am of age, I’m not aiming for sexual content on this blog (and will not be dealing with fetishes). That stuff makes me uncomfortable, and I typically don’t recommend pulling it with my characters if you’re interacting with me. Nonetheless, should it arise, I will tag it appropriately.

6. About reblogs…

I am not a meme source, and reblogs clog up my activity. Please reblog any memes you find on this blog from their SOURCE. The exception to this rule is if there is no source; go ahead.

I don’t feel comfortable with Personals reblogging my IC posts, so please don’t do that.

A few times is fine, as it happens, but repeatedly breaking these rules will result in me soft blocking you.

I try to participate in reblog karma as much as I can, but always reblog from the source/a meme source.

If a post or ask is for you, you’re free to reblog it to save it though - but only if you’re an rp blog!

7. I’m a para / multi-para blog, novella if I’m adventurous and have time. Whilst I may roleplay crack threads with shorter responses, this does not apply to all threads I write. This means:

I write my replies as detailed as I can muster.

Short responses (such as one-liners) in more serious threads where I’ve written a decent deal can instantly kill my muse for that thread.

Whilst I’d prefer for partners to at least somewhat match my length, it’s entirely up to you - just try your best and make sure you give me enough to work with. ♡

If my muse happens to go nuts out of nowhere - like, overboard - don’t stress too much about matching them.

If para roleplays are not your forte at all, it’s not recommended you roleplay with me seriously. Anything else outside that is fine, though - we can still have fun outside of proper threads.

8. Threads typically happen naturally with me, but if you’re looking for interaction opportunities:

I’ll have a permanent starter call somewhere for you to hit up; honestly though, if you’re a mutual? Pls feel free to hit it up.

I reblogged a starter meme? Send something! If I’m interested, I’ll answer it!

If there’s a verse you’re interested in, please specify.

If you want to turn an ask into a thread, go ahead!

I may not roleplay with every starter I am given - I’ll do a ‘background check’ if you’re a new blog on the block. If I don’t feel your writing style/length matches mine, I might not respond. Apologies. ;__;

In that sense, I don’t recommend writing starters for me unless we’ve discussed something. I really don’t like to leave anyone hanging.

IMs are open to mutuals, if you want to do any in-depth plotting.

9. Guidelines on mains and relationships:

If we’re mutuals and we interact a lot, you’re welcome to ask me if I’d like to be your main!

Please don’t be offended if I deny, though; I typically want to pick those I trust to be my mains as well as people I can comfortably write with.

Not limited to them! I roleplay with duplicates galore so don’t be afraid to hit me up if you want to interact!

Pre-established relationships are a-okay in my book; if you have an idea for a relationship between our muses we can work towards, hit me up! I reblog those pre-established relationship memes every so often too. Romantic relationships link back to the shipping guidelines.

Also, friendship/family/rivalry relationships are EXTREMELY valid to me - Negaduck is generally a terrible person, but if you hmu, I’ll see what I can do.

10. If you have any issues, please let me know and hopefully we can resolve it!

Unlike the evil duck, Mun is actually super nice, so don’t be afraid to hit her up!

IM-ed me and I haven’t responded? Social anxiety is a jerk and it’s exhausting for me to communicate sometimes. Know that I’ve seen your message and will get around to it eventually!

Please leave me out of drama; I’m here to have a good time, as is everyone else, and it pains me to see people arguing.

11. It’s easier with a clean dash for me, so I’m more likely to follow people who:

Trim their posts.

Don’t spam reblog memes.

Have rules and about pages! I always read those before interacting or following!

12. On threads…

If you’re not interested in a thread anymore, and would like to drop it, please let me know! I’d feel terrible if we’re both not having fun with it or if partners feel overwhelmed with the amount of threads we have.

Honestly, unless I let you know, our threads have no expiry date - so no need to worry about me dropping them without telling you. I can just be quite slow sometimes.

13. Mun does not equal muse! Anything Negs might say does not reflect on how I think unless I explicitly say so. He’s a chainsaw crazy villain; mun is not.

14. The mun is TERRIBLE at breaking the ice. If she follows you, she’d like to interact - but she’s super nervous about approaching people.

15. These rules may be subject to change.

Please like this post if you’ve read the rules! You don’t have to, but it’s of personal reassurance to me if you have.

[ar-ray-of-muses]

Rules~

Updated: [06/05/2019]

Hi, this is a bit lengthy - but first, thank you for checking out this post! It means a lot to me and I hope we can interact! <3

1. Themes might vary with this blog. I’m usually SFW with this stuff, but there might be dark themes, swearing, and other things of that nature. Depends on the muse, sometimes, too.

Things will be tagged! I’ll try my best, anyways. If you want something in particular tagged, please let me know. The format I use for tagging is, for example, tw: swearing.

I don’t have any triggers but I do ask you tag all of your NSFW content.

That said, I won’t do anything NSFW - gore is okay, though.

I’m of age.

2. I’m a little selective, so I might be a pretty picky when it comes to who I interact with. I’ll interact with anyone, including canon, AU, Crossover, and original characters - as long as they’re literate/write para.

If it’s a crossover, I have to know the fandom and be at least a little bit confident with it. This is so I’m able to work with you, our thread and have muse for it.

No godmodding or Mary-Sues, please.

3. Please don’t rush me for starters or responses.

I have a lot of blogs. Pretty much an understatement - so I’m pretty busy with stuff, and it’s all dependent on what muse I have. Motivation and life also exist.

Please note the mun deals with anxiety and depression - this might affect how frequently she roleplays.

Chances are, I’ve probably has seen that bit of interactivity and just haven’t gotten around to responding yet.

My roleplaying style being para/multi-para, I may take a while to respond. I hoard drafts like a dragon - it’s really just the motivation to write and ship those out.

Additionally, if I don’t end up responding to an ask or something, the case might just be I don’t have the muse for it, or I’m not interested in the thread. Apologies!

4. Shippings? I’m down, if the muses are of a similar age.

If I don’t happen to be interested, don’t force anything on my character.

I do not ship incestuous ships. Do NOT follow/interact if you do.

The ship has to have chemistry; I’m generally shipping trash, but if they don’t click, they don’t click, sorry.

This is a multi-ship blog, meaning there will be more than one ship without them conflicting with eachother.

If you want to ship and I already have a ship of your choosing going with a duplicate, please don’t hesitate to hmu! My ships aren’t exclusive and each character/relationship portrayal is unique to me!

Relationships are eternal until you deem otherwise.

5. Whilst I am of age, I’m not aiming for sexual content on this blog (and will not be dealing with fetishes). That stuff makes me uncomfortable, and I typically don’t recommend pulling it with my characters if you’re interacting with me. Nonetheless, should it arise, I will tag it appropriately.

6. About reblogs…

I am not a meme source, and reblogs clog up my activity. Please reblog any memes you find on this blog from their SOURCE. The exception to this rule is if there is no source; go ahead.

I don’t feel comfortable with Personals reblogging my IC posts, so please don’t do that.

A few times is fine, as it happens, but repeatedly breaking these rules will result in me soft blocking you.

I try to participate in reblog karma as much as I can, but always reblog from the source/a meme source.

If a post or ask is for you, you’re free to reblog it to save it though - but only if you’re an rp blog!

7. I’m a para / multi-para blog, novella if I’m adventurous and have time. Whilst I may roleplay crack threads with shorter responses, this does not apply to all threads I write. This means:

I write my replies as detailed as I can muster.

Short responses (such as one-liners) in more serious threads where I’ve written a decent deal can instantly kill my muse for that thread.

Whilst I’d prefer for partners to at least somewhat match my length, it’s entirely up to you - just try your best and make sure you give me enough to work with. ♡

If my muse happens to go nuts out of nowhere - like, overboard - don’t stress too much about matching them.

If para roleplays are not your forte at all, it’s not recommended you roleplay with me seriously. Anything else outside that is fine, though - we can still have fun outside of proper threads.

8. Threads typically happen naturally with me, but if you’re looking for interaction opportunities:

Starter calls? I usually have one for each of my muses! I’m still adding links, but please check out my museroll for starter call links or the tag corresponding to them until you can find that muse!

Additionally - muses that are under the ‘researching’ section typically mean I’m not entirely confident about them yet or I am still bingeing their source material, so do keep that in mind, and be patient with me if I happen to miss a reference or two.

I reblogged a starter meme? Send something! If I’m interested, I’ll answer it!

PLEASE SPECIFY THE MUSE. I won’t know what to do if you send something in and there’s no muse attached to it. If these are general asks and my character is currently on the dash, I WILL assume you’re addressing them - and I don’t want to disappoint people!

This goes for verses, if you so desire - but there will ALWAYS be a default to the muses which is what I tend to go for.

If you’re unsure what muses I have, I have a mobile list up in the description.

If you want to turn an ask into a thread, go ahead!

I may not roleplay with every starter I am given - I’ll do a ‘background check’ if you’re a new blog on the block. If I don’t feel your writing style/length matches mine, I might not respond. Apologies. ;__;

In that sense, I don’t recommend writing starters for me unless we’ve discussed something. I don’t like to leave anyone hanging.

IMs are open to mutuals, if you want to do any in-depth plotting. 

JUST because I don’t use a muse often/you don’t see them on dash, doesn’t at all mean I don’t want to use them! If you’re interested in roleplaying with a slightly inactive muse, then honestly - shoot! Chances are they could use more threads and I’d be overjoyed if you gave them attention. (Although sometimes it can be a case of HAVING muse for the muse.)

9. Guidelines on mains and relationships:

If we’re mutuals and we interact a lot with particular characters, you’re welcome to ask me if I’d like to be your main!

Please don’t be offended if I deny, though; I typically want to pick those I trust to be my mains as well as people I can comfortably write with.

Not limited to them! I roleplay with duplicates galore so don’t be afraid to hit me up if you want to interact!

Pre-established relationships are a-okay in my book; if you have an idea for a relationship between our muses we can work towards, hit me up! I reblog those pre-established relationship memes every so often too. Romantic relationships link back to the shipping guidelines.

Also, friendship/family relationships are EXTREMELY valid to me so don’t feel scared about asking for them. Chances are, I’ll always be down!

10. If you have any issues, please let me know and hopefully we can resolve it!

Mun is actually super nice, so don’t be afraid to hit her up!

IM-ed me and I haven’t responded? Social anxiety is a jerk and it’s exhausting for me to communicate sometimes. Know that I’ve seen your message and will get around to it eventually!

Please leave me out of drama; I’m here to have a good time, as is everyone else, and it pains me to see people arguing.

11. It’s easier with a clean dash for me, so I’m more likely to follow people who:

Trim their posts.

Don’t spam reblog memes.

Have rules and about pages! I always read those before interacting or following!

12. On threads...

If you’re not interested in a thread anymore, and would like to drop it, please let me know! I’d feel terrible if we’re both not having fun with it or if partners feel overwhelmed with the amount of threads we have.

Honestly, unless I let you know, our threads have no expiry date - so no need to worry about me dropping them without telling you. I can just be quite slow sometimes.

13. Mun does not equal muse! Anything my characters might say does not reflect on how I think unless I explicitly say so.

14. The mun is TERRIBLE at breaking the ice. If she follows you, she’d like to interact - but she’s super nervous about approaching people.

15. These rules may be subject to change. I’m new to multimuse stuff.

Please like this post if you’ve read the rules! You don’t have to, but it’s of personal reassurance to me if you have.

[coolxnxblue-a]

Rules~

[ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇᴅ 26-02-2019]

Hi, this is a bit lengthy - but first, thank you for checking out this post! It means a lot to me and I hope we can interact! <3

1. Themes might vary with this blog. It’ll typically be SFW, but there will likely be dark themes, violence and swearing. Sonic doesn’t swear (though Skynic does), but the people he interacts with might.

Things will be tagged! I’ll try my best, anyways. If you want something in particular tagged, please let me know. The format I use for tagging is, for example, tw: swearing.

I don’t have any triggers but I do ask you tag all of your NSFW content.

That said, I won’t do anything NSFW - gore is okay, though.

I’m of age.

2. I’m a little selective, so I might be a pretty picky when it comes to who I interact with. I’ll interact with anyone, including canon, AU, Crossover, and original characters - as long as they’re literate/write para.

If it’s a crossover, I have to know the fandom and be at least a little bit confident with it. This is so I’m able to work with you, our thread and have muse for it.

No godmodding or Mary-Sues, please.

3. Please don’t rush me for starters or responses.

I have a lot of blogs. Pretty much an understatement - so I’m pretty busy with stuff, and it’s all dependent on what muse I have. Motivation and life also exist.

Please note the mun deals with anxiety and depression - this might affect how frequently she roleplays.

Chances are, I’ve probably has seen that bit of interactivity and just haven’t gotten around to responding yet.

Additionally, if I don’t end up responding to an ask or something, the case might just be I don’t have the muse for it, or I’m not interested in the thread. Apologies!

4. Shippings? Heck yeah, I’m shipping trash! My mains are SonAmy, Sonally, Sonaze, and Sonadow - but as long as they’re of similar age, have chemistry and development, I’m down for any ships you might have for my blue son.

If I don’t happen to be interested, don’t force anything on my character.

I do not ship incestuous ships. Do NOT follow/interact if you do.

The ship has to have chemistry; I’m generally shipping trash, but if they don’t click, they don’t click, sorry.

Ships like Sonic x Tails won’t be happening on this blog, sorry.

5. I’m not doing any sexual content on this blog - and that includes mature content and fetishes. It makes me uncomfortable. So please don’t ask.

6. About reblogs…

I am not a meme source, and reblogs clog up my activity. Please reblog any memes you find on this blog from their source. The exception to this rule is if there is no source; go ahead.

I don’t feel comfortable with Personals reblogging my IC posts, so please don’t do that.

A few times is fine, as it happens, but repeatedly breaking these rules will result in me soft blocking you.

I try to participate in reblog karma as much as I can, but always reblog from the source/a meme source.

If a post or ask is for you, you’re free to reblog it to save it though - but only if you’re an rp blog!

7. I’m a para / multi-para blog, novella if I’m adventurous and have time. Whilst I may roleplay crack threads with shorter responses, this does not apply to all threads I write. This means:

I write my replies as detailed as I can muster.

Short responses (such as one-liners) in more serious threads where I’ve written a decent deal can instantly kill my muse for that thread.

Whilst I’d prefer for partners to at least somewhat match my length, it’s entirely up to you - just try your best and make sure you give me enough to work with. ♡

If my muse happens to go nuts out of nowhere - like, overboard - don’t stress too much about matching him.

If para roleplays are not your forte at all, it’s not recommended you roleplay with me seriously. Anything else outside that is fine, though - we can still have fun outside of proper threads.

8. Threads typically happen naturally with me, but if you’re looking for interaction opportunities, you’re free to hit me up with any starter meme prompts I reblog.

You’re free to hit up any starter calls I might put up.

I reblogged a starter meme? Send something! If I’m interested, I’ll answer it!

There will ALWAYS be a default verse for Sonic I tend to go for - but if you have a particular one in mind, please let me know! Usually I’m excited to use them.

If you want to turn an ask into a thread, go ahead!

I may not roleplay with every starter I am given - I’ll do a ‘background check’ if you’re a new blog on the block. If I don’t feel your writing style/length matches mine, I might not respond. Apologies. ;__;

In that sense, I don’t recommend writing starters for me unless we’ve discussed something. I don’t like to leave anyone hanging.

IMs are open to mutuals, if you want to do any in-depth plotting.

9. If you have any issues, please let me know and hopefully we can resolve it!

Mun is actually super nice, so don’t be afraid to hit her up!

IM-ed me and I haven’t responded? Social anxiety is a jerk and it’s exhausting for me to communicate sometimes. Know that I’ve seen your message and will get around to it eventually!

10. It’s easier with a clean dash for me, so I’m more likely to follow people who:

Trim their posts.

Don’t spam reblog memes.

Have rules and about pages! I always read those before interacting or following!

11. Mun does not equal muse! Anything my character might say does not reflect on how I think unless I explicitly say so.

12. The mun is TERRIBLE at breaking the ice. If she follows you, she’d like to interact - but she’s super nervous about approaching people.

13. These rules may be subject to change.

Please like this post if you’ve read the rules! You don’t have to, but it’s of personal reassurance to me if you have.

[lollotl-blog]

Rules~

Hi, this is a bit lengthy - but first, thank you for checking out this post! It means a lot to me and I hope we can interact! <3

1. Themes might vary with this blog. I’m usually SFW with this stuff, but there might be dark themes, swearing, and other things of that nature.

Things will be tagged! I’ll try my best, anyways. If you want something in particular tagged, please let me know. The format I use for tagging is, for example, tw: swearing.

I don’t have any triggers but I do ask you tag all of your NSFW content.

That said, I won’t do anything NSFW - gore is okay, though.

I’m of age.

2. I’m a little selective, so I might be a pretty picky when it comes to who I interact with. I’ll interact with anyone, including canon, AU, Crossover, and original characters - as long as they’re literate/write para.

If it’s a crossover, I have to know the fandom and be at least a little bit confident with it. This is so I’m able to work with you, our thread and have muse for it.

No godmodding or Mary-Sues, please.

Please note that given the role Axolotl has in Gravity Falls, he may unexpectedly know certain things. I tread carefully around this knowledge, but please be aware of this. If you want me to tone it back to better fit our threads, please let me know!

3. Please don’t rush me for starters or responses.

I have a lot of blogs. Pretty much an understatement - so I’m pretty busy with stuff, and it’s all dependent on what muse I have. Motivation and life also exist.

Please note the mun deals with anxiety and depression - this might affect how frequently she roleplays.

Chances are, I’ve probably has seen that bit of interactivity and just haven’t gotten around to responding yet.

Additionally, if I don’t end up responding to an ask or something, the case might just be I don’t have the muse for it, or I’m not interested in the thread. Apologies!

4. Shippings? Not really looking for ships with this guy, tbh, so don’t expect anything. Platonic friendship and familial bonds tho?? I die for.

Please don’t force anything on my character if I’m not interested.

I do not ship incestuous ships. Do NOT follow/interact if you do.

Relationships are eternal until you deem otherwise.

5. Whilst I am of age, I’m not aiming for sexual content on this blog (and will not be dealing with fetishes). That stuff makes me uncomfortable, and I typically don’t recommend pulling it with my character if you’re interacting with me. Nonetheless, should it arise, I will tag it appropriately.

6. About reblogs…

I am not a meme source, and reblogs clog up my activity. Please reblog any memes you find on this blog from their SOURCE. The exception to this rule is if there is no source; go ahead.

I don’t feel comfortable with Personals reblogging my IC posts, so please don’t do that.

A few times is fine, as it happens, but repeatedly breaking these rules will result in me soft blocking you.

I try to participate in reblog karma as much as I can, but always reblog from the source/a meme source.

If a post or ask is for you, you’re free to reblog it to save it though - but only if you’re an rp blog!

7. I’m a para / multi-para blog, novella if I’m adventurous and have time. Whilst I may roleplay crack threads with shorter responses, this does not apply to all threads I write. This means:

I write my replies as detailed as I can muster.

Short responses (such as one-liners) in more serious threads where I’ve written a decent deal can instantly kill my muse for that thread.

Whilst I’d prefer for partners to at least somewhat match my length, it’s entirely up to you - just try your best and make sure you give me enough to work with. ♡

If my muse happens to go nuts out of nowhere - like, overboard - don’t stress too much about matching them.

If para roleplays are not your forte at all, it’s not recommended you roleplay with me seriously. Anything else outside that is fine, though - we can still have fun outside of proper threads.

8. Threads typically happen naturally with me, but if you’re looking for interaction opportunities:

You’re free to hit up any starter calls I might put up.

I reblogged a starter meme? Send something! If I’m interested, I’ll answer it!

This goes for verses, if you so desire - but there will ALWAYS be a default to the muse which is what I tend to go for.

If you want to turn an ask into a thread, go ahead!

I may not roleplay with every starter I am given - I’ll do a ‘background check’ if you’re a new blog on the block. If I don’t feel your writing style/length matches mine, I might not respond. Apologies. ;__;

In that sense, I don’t recommend writing starters for me unless we’ve discussed something. I don’t like to leave anyone hanging.

IMs are open to mutuals, if you want to do any in-depth plotting.

9. Guidelines on mains and relationships:

If we’re mutuals and we interact a lot with particular characters, you’re welcome to ask me if I’d like to be your main!

Please don’t be offended if I deny, though; I typically want to pick those I trust to be my mains as well as people I can comfortably write with.

Not limited to them! I roleplay with duplicates galore so don’t be afraid to hit me up if you want to interact!

Pre-established relationships are a-okay in my book; if you have an idea for a relationship between our muses we can work towards, hit me up! I reblog those pre-established relationship memes every so often too. Romantic relationships link back to the shipping guidelines.

Also, friendship/family relationships are EXTREMELY valid to me so don’t feel scared about asking for them. Chances are, I’ll always be down!

10. If you have any issues, please let me know and hopefully we can resolve it!

Mun is actually super nice, so don’t be afraid to hit her up!

IM-ed me and I haven’t responded? Social anxiety is a jerk and it’s exhausting for me to communicate sometimes. Know that I’ve seen your message and will get around to it eventually!

Please leave me out of drama; I’m here to have a good time, as is everyone else, and it pains me to see people arguing.

11. It’s easier with a clean dash for me, so I’m more likely to follow people who:

Trim their posts.

Don’t spam reblog memes.

Have rules and about pages! I always read those before interacting or following!

12. On threads…

If you’re not interested in a thread anymore, and would like to drop it, please let me know! I’d feel terrible if we’re both not having fun with it or if partners feel overwhelmed with the amount of threads we have.

Honestly, unless I let you know, our threads have no expiry date - so no need to worry about me dropping them without telling you. I can just be quite slow sometimes.

13. Mun does not equal muse! Anything my character might say does not reflect on how I think unless I explicitly say so.

14. The mun is TERRIBLE at breaking the ice. If she follows you, she’d like to interact - but she’s super nervous about approaching people.

15. These rules may be subject to change.

Please like this post if you’ve read the rules! You don’t have to, but it’s of personal reassurance to me if you have.

[pokemonruby]

so i hear you have a fanmade pokemon region... 👀👀👀

this has been sitting in my ask box for… several weeks, and i apologize that it’s taken me so long to reply, love! i’ve been nervous about sharing my fan-made region simply because… well, i thought no one would be interested. but you know what? it’s important to me so i’m going to talk about it anyways! 

i won’t go… too into depth or else this will end up becoming a novel. but i will cover the basics! the region itself, gym leaders, the elite four, and most importantly: story! which i’ll briefly sum up, since it’s very lengthy and complex in comparison to the usual stories told in pokemon. except for like, b&w…. truly, that’s what i’m going for. those games were a masterpiece. 

the region has gone through several name changes, but right now it’s known as the “fairel region”! why? well, the region is inspired by popular fairytales and myths.. while the landscape is comparable to that of a studio ghibli film. vast, and needless to say – breathtaking the fairel region is known for its immeasurable species of pokemon, a majority of them ones that are considerably “rare”. i’m still working on the various towns, cities, and other locations… but i assure you, i’ll make them as unique as humanly possible. after all, the region itself is like magic – it’s even believed that it could be on another field of existence, due to the limitless phenomenons that occur on this, specific soil. but i’ll get more into that later… 

meanwhile, the… hypothetical player characters would be lydia and jack respectively – at least, those would be their canonical names. like x/y, they would be a tad older than your usual protagonists… around 16-17. their adventure begins in a seaside town known for its hospitality and love of the neighborhood pokemon, except for the player’s foster father… who, because of trauma, hasn’t allowed them to own one yet. in the meantime, however, they’re the assistant of the local professor, professor evergreen. her research lies in, you guessed it – the myths and legends surrounding the pokemon world, as well as the fairel region’s own unexplained phenomenons. one day, her research notes are stolen by whom the town considers a “delinquent”: finn, the rival, who’s basically a combination of silver and hugh… as finn also happens to be the player’s best friend. at the moment, it’s unknown why he took the professor’s notes … and he isn’t willing to give a straightforward answer, either. instead, after the player has obtained their starter (an eevee, since i’m not the best at creating fakemon & it’s a suitable starter imo) and defeated him, finn will simply leave, saying, “i hope you’ll understand one of these days, (insert name).” 

afterwards, the player’s guardian obviously learns that they obtained a starter… however, he’s not angered. instead, he apologizes… because it was wrong for him to have kept them from their long-awaited journey. once professor evergreen entrusts them with the pokedex, the player is tasked to unravel the mysteries that surround fairel… as well as record every rare pokemon living within it! of course, they’ll also take on the fairel region’s league… which is much more challenging in comparison to the norm. 

i’ll be brief with the plot from here on out, since it’s still in development! as the player travels throughout the region, collecting badges here and there… they eventually stumble into main conflict: a team, known as “team relic”, is attempting to reawaken perhaps… the most destructive, most powerful pokemon in history – you guessed it, the one and only “arceus”. how? well, in my world… which is different from the main series, i can already tell you… the azure flute can only be played with a specific melody, comprised of four tablets. the tablets, in which, are guarded by the members of the elite four… but as for the azure flute itself? i now introduce, the fairel region’s champion…  victor! a famous explorer/archaeologist who aids the player on their journey, all while trying to put a stop to team relic’s nefarious scheme. 

for now, i’ll hold off on explaining the rest of the plot… unless there’s people who are actually curious to know how everything plays out. let’s talk about the gym leaders now, instead! in order, it’s… grass, water, steel, ghost, ground, fire, dark, and flying. i’ll also put off describing the gyms themselves, or else this will become exceptionally long… perhaps i’ll make a seperate post about it! at the very least, i could give a bit of insight as to whom the gym leaders are. 

wisteria is the grass-type leader, a kindhearted, older woman who cares deeply for pokemon and is the caretaker of an immense garden. clarissa is the water-type leader, the youngest and a bit cocky, but has a soft spot for her fish companions. arthur (who’s my personal favorite) is the steel-type leader, who is passionate about theater and is quite literally, dramatic, but also strong-willed and mature. the ghost-type leader is geoffrey, a seemingly gruff, unsoicable older gentleman who not-so-secretly cares for the town’s children and even tells them folktales from time to time. the ground-type gym leader is nala, a headstrong and independent person who usually lets her fists do the talking. adrian is the fire-type leader, a hot-tempered and competitive, young man who’s always up for a challenge. pandora is the dark-type leader, a soft-spoken and somewhat aloof individual who is a good friend of victor’s, because of their shared love for myths. and finally, makani is the flying-type gym leader… who is a bit flighty, but also sweet and lovable. 

and now, the elite four! aka victor’s self-proclaimed “squad”. olivia is a psychic-type specialist who is fun-loving and a bit eccentric, but is very stragetic – making her a tough opponent. raymond, on the other hand, is a normal-type specialist that’s described as unwavering and tough, a fatherly figure, as the eldest there. juno is a fairy-type specialist, a bit socially awkward and isn’t taken seriously due to their “cutesy” team… but trust me, they’ll quickly have you in a tight spot. finally, there’s hawke – a dragon-type specialist and the son of johto’s very own champion, lance. now, his pokemon are simply brutal… when hawke himself is actually timid. hawke is also victor’s boyfriend so jot that down. 

okay, well! i’m going to end this explanation of my region here, for the meantime – but seriously, if anyone is interested, please feel free to ask more about it! it’s very dear to me & i’ve thought of a thousand things for it, trust me. 

[nightingiall]

plaid shirt days and nights (when you made me your own) // part 6

{previous parts here}

High school feels like it happened a hundred years ago, and so does that freshman year biology class. The memories of a simpler time lie behind a fog that grows thicker with time in Zoe’s mind, but somehow, those memories don’t matter all that much right now. Not when she’s got the opportunity to make newer and better ones.

Navigating her relationship with Niall hasn’t exactly been a smooth ride, but there’s a mutual understanding of what the other means to each of them, and on particularly challenging days, all they need to do is remember that. They both have their flaws, of course—sometimes Zoe finds herself holding back a bit too much, and that will in turn cause Niall to tread around her more cautiously until they both catch onto what’s happening and they fall into an easy rhythm again.

It’s been a learning process, too. Zoe has to constantly remind herself to not get too lost in her head, not to fall into that chasm of overthinking that always has her pushing everything around her away away away. She’s noticed that Niall’s slowly understanding that it’s okay to let go of her because she’ll always come back to him, but this only came after a lengthy conversation they’d had on Niall’s couch at four am when Zoe’d gone out with Jaya and hadn’t told Niall about it.

During the past few months, though, they’ve lived up to the decision they’d made that night in front of Zoe’s car, that they’d take this slow, and Zoe has to say that it’s a decision that’s had its pros and cons. For starters, she hasn’t kissed him since that night at his place—well, that might not be entirely true; Niall’s pressed a few fleeting kisses to her lips a handful of times when they knew real life would keep them away from each other for a while. But, on the other hand, it’s made other tiny gestures a bit more meaningful, like intertwined fingers when they’re walking down the street or preparing a meal together or getting the other person’s toothbrush ready when it’s time to go to bed. It’s been beyond anything Zoe’s ever dreamed of, and even if she wanted to, she really can’t complain.

They’re meant to go to Jade’s wedding today, and Zoe wakes up early just for the occasion. But, the past few nights have been a bit rough, and Zoe feels them catching up to her that morning with the dull throb in her temples. The headache hasn’t subsided despite her hearty breakfast, so she decides to take an aspirin and relax on the couch for an hour or so. After all, it’s still quite early, and she has many hours ahead of her before she can start to get dressed.

Time just flies by, though, as it always seems to do when Zoe’s not paying attention, and before she knows it there’s a familiar hand on her shoulder and someone murmuring her name and that “Zo, babe, you need to wake up now.”

Zoe didn’t even realize when she fell asleep, but when she opens her eyes, Niall’s there, smiling at her with his kind, sparkling eyes and she distantly wonders how she ever got so lucky. “Damnit,” she mutters, tossing off the throw blanket and nearly knocking Niall over as she shot up. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to fall asleep!” Before she knows it, Niall’s helping her fold the blanket before he gently pushes her in the direction of her bathroom. “How late am I?”

Niall hums, glancing at his nice, expensive-looking watch. “Well,” he shrugs, “we’re supposed to be leaving in twenty minutes.”

“Shit.” She catches the towel Niall tosses at her and scurries into her bathroom, mumbling another apology over her shoulder only for Niall to respond with a laugh. She can’t get over how much she loves the sound and how it echoes all over her apartment.

After a quick shower before she brushes the sleep away from her mouth, she slips into her dress for the wedding that she’d left hanging behind the door for the steam to soften the few wrinkles. She manages to get the zipper up about halfway before she gives up on struggling with it, instead reaching for her blow dryer to take care of her dripping hair.

As much as she would have liked, she didn’t have the time to get her hair as dry as she wanted, so she gives up when she’s just over the halfway mark in favor of doing her makeup instead. Her vanity is a mess. Her whole week was spent with hectic mornings of tossing makeup around before rushing off to work and she hasn’t had the time to tidy it up. She looks at all of her dirty makeup brushes and heaves an overwhelmed sigh.

“You okay, sunshine?” comes Niall’s voice from behind her. His hands smooth over her shoulders before his fingers follow the line of the back of her dress to pull the zipper the rest of the way up. He meets her eyes in the mirror and Zoe feels a tiny swoop in her belly at the bright bright bright blue. She hasn’t told him that she loves him since that night they had to have an intervention about his separation anxiety on his couch, but she feels the words creeping up her throat at the sight of him now. He looks good, having long ditched the bleach in favor of having his dark hair grow out. His eyes shine brighter and bluer and he absolutely glows more and more every time she looks at him. She thinks that some of his newfound happiness has rubbed off onto herself as well, because she finds that the circles under her eyes are no longer as dark, and smiles are no longer as difficult to come by.

Niall looks like he understands what she’s thinking and sends her a small, knowing smile. They’ve been having moments like this quite a bit recently, just sitting around in silence, not finding the words to express just how content they’ve been feeling and yet not really needing them to understand. She skims her fingers over his knuckles now, leaning her temple gently against his right wrist and sends him a smile of her own. “Getting ready just seems like so much work right now.”

At that, Niall chuckles, moving his fingers to smooth them down her hair instead. “Y’know, you can just go like this and I’m sure you’d still be the most beautiful girl there. Apart from Jade, obviously.”

Zoe rolls her eyes in response, blushing nonetheless. “Shut up,” she mumbles, her voice getting lost somewhere in the cuffs of his shirt sleeves as she shifts her face away from his gaze. His pulse is a steady thrum against her temple.

Niall leans down to press his lips to her cheek, his laughter seeping into her skin and warming her from the inside out. “Need any help then?”

She knows he might’ve been joking, but she also knows that if she wants to make it to this wedding on time, then she needs all the help she can get. “You know,” she starts, turning around to face him. His beauty strikes her for a moment and her words get stuck in her throat at the smile he gives her. She almost can’t believe this is real. “It would actually be a major help if you could help out with my hair.”

Niall grins, and something about it has her heart skipping a beat. “Sure,” he shrugs, “what do you need me to do?”

And that’s how she ends up trusting him to hold her straightener frighteningly close to her face as she attempts not to flinch too badly while doing her makeup. She’s putting on some lipstick when she realizes something, being transported back to all those months ago in his bedroom before the reunion when, in a crazy twist of fate, she was the one doing his hair and he was the one flinching. They’ve come so far since then, and it almost seems surreal how destiny seemed to bring them together again.

“You’re staring at me,” Niall says without looking at her, focused on trying to get a particularly stubborn section of her hair to cooperate with him. Zoe smiles at his reflection but doesn’t say anything. She can’t find the words to articulate how she’s feeling at the moment, so she settles for spritzing some setting spray over her makeup instead. “Okay,” he huffs after what seems to be an eternity. “I think I’m done.”

Zoe brings all her hair over her shoulder and surveys his work. “Huh.” She runs a bit of product through her ends to maintain some of the shine. “Looks good, babe. Thanks.” She gets up to give him an appreciative peck on his cheek and reaches behind her for her clutch.

“Ready to go, then?” His hands are warm on the small of her back, and Zoe nearly wishes for time to freeze right here, just so she can savor this moment for a bit longer. Instead, she nods, allowing Niall to slip her hand into his after she grabs Jade’s wedding gift and her keys.

And even if neither of them said it, Zoe hears the unspoken I love you in the way Niall stopped her to wipe away a bit of the lipstick on her face smeared from where her hair caught in it, and she knows he heard hers in the way she smiled in thanks.

~

Zoe holds Niall’s hand as they enter the venue and as soon as they step in, the screams are immediate.

She knows she should have expected it, really. Maura had the same reaction a few weeks ago when they finally broke the news to her that they’d been talking again. Even through the low-quality Skype stream, her elated tears were clear.

It’s not like they intended for it to be a secret, it’s just that they were intent on taking it slow, taking it day by day and hoping for the best. Five years is a long, long time, and only time can heal the toll that takes on a relationship.

“You sneaky bastards!” Perrie’s screeching into Zoe’s ear before she even lifts her eyes to see her, engulfing them in a hug before either of them has the chance to get a greeting out. “When did this happen and why didn’t you tell us?!”

Niall laughs, but before he can say anything, the rest of the gang are surrounding them, with Harry and Liam breaking out into some sort of celebratory dance and Louis miraculously producing a bottle of champagne from out of nowhere. Perrie, Jesy, and Leigh are all screaming as they jump around in their little group hug, the excitement coursing through all of them palpable. Zoe thinks Leigh actually cries at one point.

“Okay, okay,” Zoe laughs, but she’s screaming too and she doesn’t even really know why. “I’m excited too but we have a wedding to attend!”

“Oh my god, Jade is going to absolutely freak when she sees the two of you together!” Jesy is patting tears away as well and Zoe wonders how she ever forgot how emotional they all could be. “I can’t believe I’m crying and the wedding hasn’t even started yet.”

“I know!” Perrie gives Zoe a light smack on the shoulder. “Way to keep us out of the loop, Zoe, what a great friend you are.”

Zoe knows Perrie’s just being sarcastic but she can’t help the way her words pull at her for a moment. She hasn’t been the greatest at keeping them aware of what’s happening in her life and she truly feels terrible for it. But since the reunion, she’s been better with keeping in touch, and this, like her relationship with Niall, is a work in progress that is one of her top priorities. “I know, I’m sorry,” she replies, and the atmosphere shifts to one that feels intimate in the way it can only be with close friends. “It was a lot happening and we’re still taking it day by day. But I promise to fill you guys in on everything after the wedding.”

They seem content with this answer because, once they’ve all taken a flute of champagne from Louis, they all walk together to their seats at the front of the venue. Zoe feels a wave of nostalgia, even with this simple action, and she remembers them walking together like this so many times before, in the halls of their high school and through the doors of Miss America. And like everything else, this is different too, because they’re all grown up and yet fate has found a way to keep them all together.

Niall slips his hand into hers once again when they take their seats in their row. Now that she gets a chance to look around and take in the space, she finds that the venue is absolutely gorgeous. She can see where Jade’s put her creative touches; they’re in the flower arrangements—pink and white roses and hydrangeas—and in the ribbons and bows decorating the rows. Zoe leans her head onto Niall’s shoulder, feeling a bit sentimental for a moment.

Niall gives her hand a squeeze and Zoe looks up to give him a smile, and in this moment, everything feels perfect.

~

“You sneaky bastards!” screeches Jade as she runs towards them as best as she can with her gown. Zoe can’t help but laugh at this apparent phrase of the day. “Imagine how I felt when I looked out after just getting married to see my two estranged best friends holding hands in the audience?! Like, I was already crying but you two just about gave me a heart attack!”

Jade pulls her into a hug and before Zoe knows it, she’s being engulfed by the girls again, each of them chattering away happily and excitedly as they try not to cry any more than they already have. This time, the boys join in the hug as well, and Zoe’s heart feels full to the point of spilling over.

When they pull away, Zoe’s the first to speak. “Jade, you look gorgeous. I’m really happy for you.”

Jade sniffles, patting away a tear so she doesn’t smear her makeup. “Well I hope I still do after all the tears I’ve just shed.”

At that, they all laugh, and in a flurry of movement, Jade is being ushered to the back of the reception hall where she’ll be walking in with her husband shortly and the rest of them are sent to their tables. The ceremony was elegant and beautiful, just like Jade, and everything from the vows to the way the happy couple looked at each other with so much love had everyone in the venue reaching for a tissue.

Now, as they welcome the newly married couple into their reception space where they’re about to have their first dance as husband and wife, Zoe leans her head onto Niall chest, his arms slipping easily around her, and as someone snaps a photo of them Zoe gets the feeling that she will remember this moment for a long, long time.

~

Zoe feels very, very happy and a little too buzzed.

“I can’t believe you didn’t at least text us,” Jade slurred. They’re taking a break from dancing at the moment. Zoe’s feet hurt and the dance floor started to get a bit too stuffy for her liking. They’re all sitting in the gardens and it feels like a fancier version of sitting in one of their backyards back in the day because they’re all slightly drunk and high off excitement. “I mean, what happened to our code red Skype sessions?! I feel very blindsided right now.”

Zoe shrugs, taking a swig from the champagne bottle they’d grabbed from one of the tables inside and passing it on to Perrie, who takes an even bigger gulp. “I didn’t think it was a code red.”

Jesy scoffs. “A code yellow maybe? This is important stuff, Zo, you’ve gotta keep us in the loop.”

“I’m sorry.” Zoe leans her head onto Perrie’s shoulder. “I was feeling a lot of things that I needed to sort through. And Niall and I needed to have a very lengthy conversation about everything that happened and everything we saw happening in the future.”

At that, Leigh is the one that scoffs. “How did you even get Niall to agree to that? He’s like, allergic to talking about his feelings.”

Zoe shrugs again, leaning back into her chaise. “We’re on the same page. Neither of us wants to get hurt again. Nor do we want to hurt each other.”

They grow silent at her words, but it’s a comfortable one, an understood one. And it stays that way until it’s interrupted by the boys barreling down the back patio and making their way onto the grass towards them.

“Are we talking about Zoe and Niall?” Louis asks as he slumps down near a bush of flowers by Jesy’s feet, “Because Niall won’t give us the gossip and I think we deserve it since we’re at least semi-responsible for this.”

Zoe snorts, amused. “What?” In front of her, Niall is giving Louis a dirty look.

Harry chimes in. “What Louis means to say is that we are very curious to know how this happened since you two didn’t exactly leave the reunion on the best terms.”

Liam raises a finger. “Also, we broke into the gym just so we could force the two of you together to dance your song so we definitely do deserve some of the credit.”

At that, Zoe chips in. “How were you guys able to break into the building that easily though? I couldn’t have been the only one that was slightly concerned.”

Everyone murmurs their assent and Louis rolls his eyes. “He didn’t break in, he went earlier on in the day to ask the janitor to leave the door open for us.”

Liam at least has the guts to look sheepish. “The breaking-in story sounded so much cooler.”

Their laughter echoes throughout the gardens. Zoe holds her hand out for Niall to join her on the chaise, and when he does, she leans into him.

“Okay,” she breathes out, glancing at Niall for reassurance. When he smiles at her, she continues on. “Here’s what happened…”

~

The party is winding down but Zoe's having too much fun to even think about leaving.

She’s had way too many glasses of champagne but she can’t help herself because it tastes like the best champagne she’s ever had. She feels like she hasn’t felt this happy and full of life in a long, long time, so she savors it. But despite that, something in her tells her that this is only the beginning of many more happy days, and for once, she chooses to believe it.

She catches Niall’s eye from the other side of the room and that’s when it happens. Amy Winehouse’s voice starts to surround the room through the speakers and everything feels like it’s stopped around them. Time stands still for a moment, and it’s just Zoe and Niall watching each other from opposite sides of the room, their feet thinking for themselves as they move towards each other like they’re in a trance.

The world whirrs to life around them again when their hands meet as Niall pulls her arms around so her wrists lock at the back of his neck, his own wrapping around her waist, hands resting at the small of her back. “Hi,” he says, and Zoe grins.

She can’t help how absolutely enamored he makes her. Suddenly, all the words that she’s kept inside since this morning come flowing out effortlessly. “I love you like crazy,” she murmurs, and this time, Niall’s the one grinning.

He leans down to rest his forehead on hers, arms tightening around her. Amy Winehouse croons: Will you still love me tomorrow? Niall replies, “I love you forever.”

Zoe kisses him, finally, and it feels like the first time, feels like a beginning of a new chapter that she’s so very excited to watch unfold. She rests her head in the crook of his neck, lets the song wash over her as they sway gently to the music. Like so many times tonight, she’s distinctly aware of how different things are from the last time they did this, danced to this very song surrounded by the same people. It’s strange how life can flip so quickly and so effortlessly and yet feel so right.

The song winds down and the DJ transitions into something by Adele. Zoe would have been content with swaying the night away with Niall but he takes the moment to lean down and bring his lips to her ear. “Wanna get a drink?”

She gets a flash of the reunion, how she pulled apart from Niall after that dance just to reach for a bottle of vodka instead. “Yeah,” she responds, this time taking his hand and letting him lead her to the bar for something lighter. She doesn’t need to feel numb anymore.

Niall gets her a drink from the bar and they head back out to the gardens to sit under a weeping willow. The night is quiet around them, save for the distant sounds of the party, and the breeze is gentle and warm over her skin. She leans into Niall and closes her eyes, savoring the moment for what it is, perfect.

Niall pulls her into him with an arm around her, one hand resting along her hip and the other holding his glass. “You know,” he starts, skimming his lips along her forehead, “if you told me a few months ago that we’d end up here I would’ve laughed.”

Zoe smiles, chuckling against him. Niall’s skin is warm along her face. “Almost feels like a dream, doesn’t it?”

Around them, crickets are chirping, singing a song only they know. Beside her, Niall hums. “Yeah well,” he shrugs, “thankfully it’s not a dream.” As if for good measure, he pokes her hard with the hand that’s on her hip, and when she yelps, spilling a bit of what’s left of her drink, he laughs. She scowls up at him, but it’s all banter, because when he leans down to kiss her, she smiles again.

“I love you,” she says, because she can’t help it; the words just flow out of her.

This time, Niall doesn’t reply. Instead, he puts his glass down so he can caress her face properly and kiss her like he’s never kissed her before.

And Zoe understands, because sometimes words just aren’t necessary.

~

Zoe kicks her shoes off as soon as she walks through her front door. Her feet ache, and she thinks back to all the times throughout the night Niall offered to carry her. She should’ve taken him up on his offers. She knows she’s probably drunk because Niall gave her strict orders not to walk too far from him as they made the trip from the car to her apartment, but she doesn’t feel drunk. She just feels really, very happy.

“God, I need to get all this shit off my face,” she grumbles, heading straight to the bathroom, Niall’s laugh echoing behind her. Sometime during the night the wedding cake was cut and icing ended up on everyone’s faces and she feels like she can still feel the sugar sitting on her skin.

She goes through her nightly cleansing routine, taking her time to make sure every bit of makeup has been removed. Niall appears in the doorway and she watches him through the mirror as he tugs on his tie and musses up his hair with his fingers at the same time. “I told ya you don’t need to put all that stuff on. You’re still breathtaking without it.”

Zoe shoots him an unimpressed look but she can’t help the way her stomach flutters at the way he grins at her. “You flatter me, Ni, but how about you help me unzip this dress instead.”

With that, she gets a waggle of his brows as his grin grows impossibly wider. “Don’t mind if I do.”

Zoe blushes. They haven’t been physically intimate with each other yet, and she’s not sure if she wants to change that tonight. She’s not certain how slow is too slow, and she gets a wave of panic for a split second when Niall’s fingers close around her zip because she doesn’t want to come across as too cautious. It’s just that she can’t help being vigilant about them and their relationship because she doesn’t want anything to go wrong. If she lost him again she doesn’t know what she’d do with herself.

Niall doesn’t try anything though. Instead, he tugs her zipper all the way down and then wraps his arms around her, tucking his chin into the curve of her neck, and Zoe shifts her head to allow him more room. He presses the lightest kiss to her cheek before shifting to watch her through the mirror, and his smile makes her heart flutter. Like so many times tonight, she has to wonder how she got so lucky.

“It’s not a lie, you know.” Niall’s voice is a soft murmur but Zoe feels like she can feel the gentleness of it wash over her entire body. The feeling is unexplainable.

She smiles. “What?”

Niall presses his lips to her cheek again. “That you’re beautiful.”

This time, the flush is a bit too intense, and Zoe can feel the color fill her cheeks before she has the time to cover her face with her hands. “Shut up.”

Niall laughs softly, leaning back on the sink counter so he can pull her into his chest instead. They stay like that for a while, with his arms around her and her face buried in his collar, just breathing and savoring the moment. When Zoe thinks that the overwhelming burn of her blush has left her skin, she looks up at him only to find his eyes closed. Without thinking, she presses her lips to his nose, and then again to his chin, and then again to his chest, just over his heart, and when she makes it back up to his lips, they’re curved up in a smile.

“You know,” she starts, “as much as I’d like to stay with you like this, I really need to shower.”

Niall huffs out a chuckle. “Yeah, you do. You stink.”

Zoe scoffs, smacking his chest with the back of her hand and pushing him away. “Get out!”

Niall’s laugh bounces off her bathroom tiles and echoes all around her, even when she shuts the door behind him, and she has to press her forehead to the cool exterior of it to bite back the giggle that’s sitting in the back of her throat.

They take their turns in the bathroom, and by the time Niall’s about done, Zoe feels the exhaustion kicking in as she’s re-organizing her makeup from the disaster she left it in. It’s about three in the morning, and she feels fresh and clean and ready for bed. Her feet are still throbbing a bit, and she smiles as she thinks back at the way the rest of the group couldn’t seem to leave each other back at the reception. She held her girls tight in the group hug before leaving, and even if it’s only been a few hours, she already misses them.

She gives up on trying to deal with the mess she left behind on her vanity and makes herself comfortable in bed before Niall even gets out. By the time he joins her under the blanket, she’s dozing off. She waits until he’s settled in before she shifts closer, tangling her fingers with his and pressing her head to his shoulder.

Niall’s fingers are warm as they gently skim across hers, and he fiddles with them for a brief moment before taking a deep breath. “Can I tell you a secret?” he says softly. Zoe’s tired, but even through her blurry vision as she cracks her eyes open to look at him, his eyes sparkle. She grins, nodding. The day has made her overwhelmed with emotion, and words will not be able to explain how full her heart feels. “We weren’t supposed to have a reunion.”

This time, Zoe opens her eyes fully, and she can’t help but laugh. “What?”

Niall smiles, completely holding her hand this time. “Pez and Jade were adamant that we should have it after ten years. Thought five was too short of a time for it to make sense.” Niall’s words take a bit to fully register to her, but once she’s processed the gravity of them, he gets her full attention. “But apparently Harry convinced them to change their mind.”

Zoe’s heart stutters in her chest. “What?” Apparently, it’s the only word she’s capable of producing at the moment. Niall’s eyes grow impossibly wide and puppy-like, and Zoe realizes her face must look incredulous. “Alright,” she sighs, shifting to sit up against the headboard so she doesn’t fall asleep listening to this because she genuinely wants to know what he’s going on about. “Get talking.”

She watches as he nibbles on his lower lip before sitting up as well. He makes a point not to look at her. “Well,” he starts, tangling and untangling his fingers in the hem of the sheet. “It was Harry’s idea, and I didn’t know about it until I got there and he told me about it when we all met up at Miss America. Basically, they tried to parent trap us.” At that, Zoe snorts, leaning her head on his shoulder. She finds his hand under the sheet and tangles her fingers within his, and at her touch, Niall physically relaxes. “At the time, I didn’t really care because I didn’t think you’d show up.”

Zoe smiles. “I wasn’t going to.”

She gets a squeeze of her hand in response, and she doesn’t have to look at Niall to know he’s smiling too. “But then I saw you at the diner the next day and—I dunno, I didn’t know what to do with myself. I’d spent the past few years suppressing my feelings and my memories of you that I didn’t really realize how angry I was until I saw you again.”

“Ah,” she says, nodding, “that explains why the milkshake was spilled over my lap and not over my head.”

He huffs out a laugh and she glances up at him to see the shadow of a smile ghost over his face. “I was gonna tell you about it that day I was leaving but I knew you’d try and stop me so we could talk about it and I really just couldn’t handle reliving the hurt again.” Something heavy settles over them now, just like every time they talk about this, but there’s something different about it this time. It feels honest in a way it hasn’t been, and Zoe gets the feeling that this will be the last time they have this conversation for a while. “Zo.” Niall shifts so his lips press against her hairline. “I’m really sorry. And I know I keep saying it but I hate the way I treated things and the way I let my assumptions get the best of me. I hate that I accepted you leaving and didn’t try harder to come after you.”

“Niall—”

“Zo, please let me finish.” He shifts so they’re eye to eye, and Zoe can see all of his remorse in the bright blue. She recognizes the look. She used to see it in her own eyes, that guilt, that self-deprecation, and she felt something sink in her stomach at the sight of it now. “I can’t stop thinking about that day you came to me, soaked from the rain because you couldn’t lose me again, and I can’t help but wonder why I didn’t try to do that for you, why I didn’t try to find you.” He sighs, closing his eyes, and Zoe runs her fingers over his cheek. His skin is hot against her hand. “I can’t stop thinking of the way you said you hated yourself because—because I feel like it’s all my fault.”

Zoe frowns, shifting closer to him. “But it’s not. It never was.” When Niall opens his eyes, she smiles at him. “And honestly does it even matter? We both messed up, we were both victims of circumstances.” She holds his hand tight in hers. “But we’re here now, and I love you, and you love me, and we’ve talked, and we’re so, so happy.” This time, Niall smiles too. “You make me so happy. And I know we’re taking it day by day but I don’t even care because I’m here with you and nothing else matters.”

Niall is quiet for a long time, and Zoe takes the opportunity to settle back under the blanket and wait for him to do the same. When he does, he’s the one that presses his head to her shoulder this time. “You’re the only one for me.” His voice is barely a whisper, but when his words register in her head, she’s transported back to another moment, back in her childhood room with the windows open, back to a drunken night where all she felt was shame and sadness, back to a bed that only had her in it, but also had a warm side that was empty in the morning.

Zoe’s breath catches in her throat. It’s very dark in her room, the only light being from the glow of the clock on her nightstand and the small nightlight she has in the far corner. She sits up in a rush, fumbling blindly through the top drawer of her nightstand, and then, finding nothing, through the second.

“Zo?” comes Niall’s voice from behind her. He sounds confused, and Zoe understands because she feels confused. Suddenly, a lot of things are clicking into place, and everything Niall’s done and said and written is making a lot more sense.

When her fingers close around the box, her heartbeat slows down, and she feels a sort of calm wash over her. She pops it open, and whatever light is in the room immediately catches on the reflective material of the ring.

“You’re the only one for me.”

Zoe speaks without looking at Niall. “You came back that night, didn’t you?”

She listens as Niall sighs. “Yeah.” It’s the only thing he says for a while, and when she finally looks at him, he’s biting his lips. “I didn’t really think you’d remember.” Zoe nearly laughs because she understands. She had a lot to drink that night.

“Why?” she breathes out. She realizes that could mean a lot of things: Why did you come back? Why didn’t you stay? Why didn’t you remind me?

At this point, they’re both sitting up in the middle of the bed. Niall reaches out to smooth her hair out of her face, a tender smile on his face. “Because I still loved you.” Zoe’s lips wobble at his words, and she feels like this is a moment that should involve her crying. But no tears come out, because she’s not sad, or angry, or emotional. She just understands, and she feels like that is the most important feeling she’s had throughout this whole experience. Niall takes a deep breath and Zoe doesn’t take her eyes off him. “I was driving home and I realized there was still so much I had to say to you. I turned back around and went to your place, worked up the courage to ring the doorbell, but no one answered.”

He places his hand over hers holding the box. She hangs on to every single one of his words with bated breath.

“So I went around to your window to see if your lights were on and found that it was open so I climbed up the pipe like I used to. But then I found you on the floor with way too many bottles around you and I got worried so I nearly called your dad but then you woke up. And you started crying and apologizing and you were holding the ring and I—I realized that if I’m going to leave and never see you again then I should—I at least wanted to see how the ring would look on your finger, at least once.”

Niall’s voice trails off by the end, but Zoe pleads with him with her eyes to continue.

“And it was more perfect than I ever imagined it to look,” he murmurs. Once again, the glint of the ring catches her eye, but just like that night, Niall manages to slip it onto her finger without her noticing, and just like the first time, it takes her breath away. “You should keep it on.”

Zoe smiles, leaning forward so her head rests against his chest and he brings his arms around her, holding her close. “Maybe I’ll put it on the other hand for now, just so people don’t think we’re getting married. We did tell everyone we’re taking it slow.”

At that, Niall laughs, and Zoe closes her eyes against his chest and lets the sound wash over her. She holds up her hand to the light again, watching as the light dances over the facets of the ring, and she smiles. When she looks up at Niall, he’s already watching her, mirroring her fond look in his own eyes. “Hey,” she whispers, her fingers tracing the line of his jaw, and he hums. “You’re the only one for me, too.”

When Niall kisses her, it feels like the ultimate closure, something she didn’t think they both needed until now.

And they smile, because despite all they’ve been through, it feels like they have a long future ahead of them.

–

a/n: hey guys! it’s been a minute! i just want to thank everyone who’s supported and read and given feedback on this little story of mine. i know it took forever and a day to get all the parts up, but this story means so much to me and i didn’t realize how much of my heart and soul this took until i cried a little writing in the very last sentence of zoe and niall’s story. 

i want to thank so many people who’ve kept me going on this journey: kay for inspiring me to even write it because of her love for ‘all too well’; fran and natasha for their lovely and articulate reviews on 1dff that i used to go back and read whenever i was in a funk (even if they’re gone now *cries* i still remember them); kelly and el and everyone who consistently left me messages and feedback on my work. i appreciate you more than you can ever imagine. 

as always, let me know what you think! i’m unbelievably happy that this story is completed (i actually finished something can you believe this?!) and i hope you love it as much as i do. <3

[rincewitch]

The Secret Diary of Edith Runekill, Day 12 (part two)

[Infernal] FUCK TODAY

[Common]

Today was

I can’t believe this whole time I

After a lengthy rest we continued to proceed through Candlekeep. I’d prepared Major Image, so we could fool the puzzle door into thinking it was sunrise and opening up for us. And then I dozed off for a while.

After I woke up, the temperature in the air between Grim and Pepper seemed a little different, but I couldn’t quite put my finger on it.

Anyway. We go through the door. And we very quickly realize that we weren’t alone; we run into a dragonborn. She said she was a librarian and asked us what we were doing here.

There were several flaws in that story. Like the fact that the library was a mouldering wreck that had been locked up for the last 400 years, for starters.

So we were understandably pretty suspicious. I think right then it was warranted? She could’ve been an agent of Szass Tam for all we knew, or the one who brought down the wards.

(She’d actually just stumbled into a trap and gotten pulled to Candlekeep through the fae wilds, but that turned out to not really be important)

Anyway, once we’d finally lowered our weapons and introduced ourselves we found out she was a cleric named Capridi. (Capridi Ozu, it turned out).

She seemed very concerned over whether or not we were cops, or working for the cops. But other than that, we agreed to help one another get through the keep, since we were basically her only ticket out. 

Anyway. There was still some mutual distrust, but we helped one another, you know? When we went into another bookworld to fight another ink-for-blood-paper-for-skin-etc. monster to retrieve a key, she healed us. When we got what looked like a treasure hoard (and I was caught unawares examining coins whose designs were suspiciously unrecognizable) and walked right into a bunch of mimics and a great big coin worm she healed us some more. When the worm just rolled right over the party and left me a hair away from death, she saved my life. And not just mine, given how beat-up and sore everyone else was looking. Remember that, okay? That’s important for understanding what happens next.

Anyway, we solve some puzzles, we get to candlekeep’s inner sanctum, and find ourselves face to face with a lich.

Not our lich, though. They were a friendly baelnorn. Pepper addressed them in Elvish (and I learned Pepper’s full name, although outta respect for her privacy I won’t write it down here). Their name was Tharnis, and they’d come to Candlekeep ‘cause they thought Szass Tam would be headed that way, too. They’d lowered the wards in hopes of trapping him, but he didn’t take the bait.

So on the one hand it was good to know that somebody was minding Candlekeep, but on the other hand it meant we’d gone down something of a dead-end. And I still had a bunch of library books in my bag. I offered to hand ‘em back, even if that meant they’d be lost again until whenever the wards came down for good, which might’ve been never as far as I knew. But Grim put in a good word for me.

"Runekill's a vigil keeper too, in her own way. She's been real concerned about the books in here fallin' to waste, sittin' unread and all," she said.

“I vouch my honour you can trust Runekill with the importance of what you hold here. She's a good head on her," she said.

These were not only very kind things to say about me, but it felt like proof that Grim really got me, y’know? Like clearly I’ve led a pretty different life than her but it seemed like after just a couple weeks she could sort of see where I was coming from. And it felt like as much of an honor as meeting a baelnorn (who, by the way, might consider re-opening the library once all this is over with and the most dangerous items have been removed!)

Tharnis pointed us to a secret passage out of the keep, and we leave. And everything immediately falls apart.

Grim takes a good long look at Capridi. And pulls out a wanted poster with her face on it. Capridi Ozu, who had a bounty out on her in High Imasker (clear on the other side of the continet). And I don’t know what she did wrong, but it can’t be worse than Szass Tam’s done, or what he’s gonna do if we don’t stop him.

I reminded Grim that she helped us.

Capridi bolted.

I was halfway to casting a wind wall to stop her so we could all talk this out and then Grim shot her in the leg. Grim shot her. She shot Capridi, who helped us, who saved our lives.

I felt really torn, since I trusted Grim to make the right call about stuff, you know? But this just felt wrong. So sort of tried to get everyone to calm down so we could resolve this peacefully. But I did it in maybe kind of a wishy washy way. (Pepper was more forceful about it.) I was torn between my respect for the law and my respect for Grim and my respect for the values I have, and how important it is to stop Szass Tam. So I’m all like, well, I know this is important for you, like you knew exactly how it was with me and the books back at Candlekeep, but I don’t know--

And Grim just gives me this look and said that no, I don’t know.

And right off the bat I felt awful about that, about not having the same understanding of Grim she seemed to have for me, you know? I felt like I’d burned away everything that’d been slowly bringing us closer all this time in a stroke.

But

But I still couldn’t quite bring myself to go all like, oh, no, actually shooting Capridi was a good idea.

Anyway. Grim eventually agrees to turn the bounty over to Mal, and now Capridi is gonna help us. And we all limp back to the hotel. And I’d be so lucky if that were the end of things, but.

Okay. Grim just stalks off wherever since she hates us all again, now, or whatever. And I talk it over with Mal and Pepper. And Pepper was way nicer to me than before? And she apologized for the thing with the boggles and Mal. And I tried to say all that stuff I’d written above, and I wondered why I felt so messed up over Grim. And Mal asked Pepper to leave. And Pepper seemed like she knew exactly what he was gonna say next.

And then, slowly, embarrassingly slowly, he gradually gets me to realize that that intense admiration and such that I feel (or... felt?) for Grim was actually just me having a crush on her.

I didn’t think I was the sort to be interested in girls like that. But we’re all learning things on this adventure, and they aren’t all about Liches or ancient Thay.

So anyway since I’d been blundering along without even realizing that or processing it properly or anything I feel like everything just spun completely out of control and I feel like I had a wandering eye and was crappy to Mal without even knowing what I was doing and I’m still mad about what happened with Capridi and the more I think about it the madder I get and I feel like my feelings have all just slipped out of my control

There’s a lot more I wanted to talk to Mal about but we were both too exhausted.

In the morning, everyone is gonna get back together. And I don’t know what’s gonna happen then.