#(since it's not a super long story.. and i had a clear idea of almost all chapters)

[homosexualcitron]

END OF THE BREAK IT'S START TO WORK ON MY COMIC AGAIN YEAY i'm gonna write the chapter 8 today :3

[forestleavescat]

Moominvalley: Or Not at All

A long post about Moominvalley through the different seasons. Planning, potential, promises, and outcomes.

This won’t go super far into detail about season 4 but it will talk about a certain outcome as well as handling of characters and relationships. If you don’t want any spoilers or info on the fourth season steer clear

(I’m not the best with titles)

I watched season 4 of moominvalley last night and I was pretty dang disappointed in how certain things were handled. Don’t get me wrong. There was some nice stuff. But it still felt like it was largely missing what made me love the show so much from the start. As well as things I had been looking forward to from the books. Above all else, I feel like their handling of the fandom’s favorite pairing was bad. I can’t even begin to put into words how upset I am since gutsy and by extension moominvalley felt like a company that wouldn’t do this. I want to put my thoughts on paper so to speak. 

It’s insanely disappointing to know that this company has been queerbaiting since day one. This show is a huge comfort to me and it was nice to watch since it helped me feel more at ease with my own sexuality. But now that feeling has been largely reversed because I know that those moments were manufactured to sell the show only for them to drop them by the end. So let’s look at things

Queer coding has existed for a long time. It’s helped creators give hints and nods to a character’s identity or hints of a relationship when times and places don’t exactly allow for it. There are many stories that have queer coding and give this beautiful subtext that those in the community can enjoy. Even though it would remain ambiguous whether a character was gay or two men or women were dating, the coding allowed it to be suggested even when it wasn’t allowed given the time period. 

Queerbaiting is almost the opposite of this. Queerbaiting comes about more from existing in a time or place where it is accepted but instead of giving genuine representation, a person uses the desire to see that representation to sell a product. Moments between characters that are clearly more than friendship only to disappear - often replaced by a hetero pairing. (Tbf the character who was implied to have feelings for someone of the same gender would still be bi or pan but it stings when the idea of something between two people of the same gender was suggested but removed) Queerbaiting has been an extremely frustrating thing to experience in fandom spaces. Series like voltron, sherlock, supernatural, etc. You get invested in these characters. There’s a possibility and every moment that suggests it could be more gets you hooked. Similar to how miraculous viewers became invested in the romance that’s hinted since day one. If you put the time and effort into using that for a story and draw people in with it only to take it away it’s bordering false advertising. It sucks because you spent time caring about it and waiting to see how it would play out. 

I mean just look at this. The moominvalley team did this deliberately. I mean, they included that one scene in the teaser which made it seem like more snufmin. It felt like a taste of what the season would offer but in reality it was one of few crumbs. And I mean crumbs. Because compared to the other seasons there was hardly anything. Their moments didn’t have this underlying feeling that they usually did. Every other season felt like it had underlying feelings to be explored. But here it became hollow. And snufkin took a backseat to a lot of the action this season

 But they definitely knew that the fans were interested in this pairing. It’d be tough to get into the moomins without knowing about this part of the story and community. And they acknowledged this idea of moomin and snufkin multiple times in interviews and qnas. 

And voice actors aren’t the ones who decide but there were more than just vas discussing this.

This series started off with their relationship. Episode one ended with the first mention of snufkin who’d be returning to the valley in the very next episode. That entire second episode gave a clear look into how their relationship would develop throughout the series. Moomin waiting for snufkin longingly while snufkin took his time until showing up felt right all while missing moomintroll. This episode has a sort of sense that there could be something more to them. Especially seeing as moomin is more focused on snufkin than snorkmaiden, his love interest. The following episode gives us this:

And while moomin wants the dragon to be his loyal pet, we know that “And just promise me this, that you'll give me all your kisses Every winter, every summer, every fall”

is referring to somebody other than that. This leaned much heavier into the potential for something beyond friendship between them.

There are the usual moments that could go either way, with focus between them and close contact.

This is more similar to other adaptations where they have a clear, close relationship. But in most of those you could come to love the pairing but you generally know they won’t do something unambiguous. Just the occasional scene that could be read as potentially romantic.

Moominvalley doesn’t strictly stick to this though. It feels similar to the original works where there is something ambiguously there. Then it further implies that there will be something important between them storywise. You get Tooticky saying that there are other lost souls waiting to be heard before the camera cuts to Snufkin leaving the valley alone.

And this didn’t really get fulfilled in any real way. Yet it implies that the future of the series will go in a direction where moomin is the one to help snufkin in some way. That part isn’t even romantic, but it goes to show that they stopped focusing on this important connection between them.

Their relationship in season 2 continues very beautifully. Moomin immediately wants to go make sure snufkin is okay when the volcano’s gonna erupt. There’s an entire conversation that highlights their difference of perspective with loving vs possessing in regards to the ruby and the hobgoblin. Something that is linked to their relationship and things they need to figure out. Then when they have to leave the valley, moomin wonders if he’ll ever see snufkin again. On top of that, he and snorkmaiden have their break up.

Which I want to talk about their relationship a bit. A majority of the episodes that feature them as leads do it with a wedge between them. Their relationships is honestly not great going both ways. They clash and are generally unhappy. And usually moomin has to apologize for something that doesn’t exactly feel is entirely on him. Little My I get. I mean he didn’t think the note would get to mymble but this was still a genuine mess up on his part. But he ended up on a rock in the middle of the sea over the ghost episode. And snorkmaiden spends much of their time making a home together getting angry because he misses his family and hasn’t come to terms with saying goodbye to them. There are times they’re together where he’s selfish and she’s just angry at him. They don’t feel like a happy couple to cheer for. Back in 90s moomins I actually did like them. They were cute. I was a bit divided between that and snufmin because there were these moments that really did count for a lot and had such a wholesome feeling. But moominvalley honestly made me cheer for a break up. Meanwhile, he and snufkin have this relationship that they’re navigating in moominvalley. They don’t argue much even when they have different perspectives. Moomin admires snufkin and in some ways tries to emulate him. But all while still being his own moomin and figuring himself out.

The two are still given parallels in little moments such as zooming in when they take each other’s hands.

So back to season 2 and how it handled snufmin. When moomin leaves the valley we see snufkin dealing with that absence for a change. He begins to understand how moomin feels when he’s gone. While he’s at the moomin house he seems pretty in his element for the most part. He seems happy to play along and give toffle an idea of what the moomin family was like. But in that there are scenes where he’s looking for a note. We see bits of how much he misses moomin and wants to know where his friend has gone and when he’ll be back. This is the beginning of a shift in their relationship. Because snufkin gets to feel what moomin feels like. And when he hears that the moomins are coming his face lights up the way moomintroll’s would.

They’re often portrayed in a way that shows that they’re the most important person to the other. There’s this sort of soft undertone that seems to suggest feelings. And all while their relationships grows and changes and they become all the better for it.

Also there’s this

Season 3!

Season 3 felt like there was a change in direction. I feel at this point that there was deliberate queerbaiting but I also know that there was a shift somewhere around season 3. We got the music cut. The voice actor for moomin changed. There were some adjustments with the writing team. But they still deliberately put in scenes with this duo. And with romantic framing. I could be convinced that season 1 and 2 were made with the idea of them as endgame in some capacity. That the queerbaiting wasn’t from day 1 and that it began here. There were really great moments with them. But it feels like they shoehorn snorkmaiden in as a romantic interest again. A lot of episodes with her here don’t exactly make it explicit but there are some that nail it in. They reunite and it almost feels like they’re back together again without a full conversation. Especially with the final episode. I feel like the narrative would’ve been richer if they hadn’t done that considering the way they’ve been building snufmin up.

But I’ll focus on moomin and snufkin for now. When snufkin sees moomin again moomin goes for the greeting he’s been used to but snufkin gives him a hug. That description alone won’t do it justice though. The music rises as it zooms in on their eyes as they make their way to each other. When snufkin hugs moomin you can see the joy from both of them. It shows how their greetings and by extension their relationship has evolved over the seasons.

And then it cuts to snorkmaiden.

This becomes a notable pattern in season 3. It’ll give a really meaningful scene that pushes snufkin and moomin in a more romantic light only to undercut it by reminding you that snorkmaiden is here. It’s at this point where it feels like they know a ton of fans are here for snufmin. They include the pairing. But they also seem to be reminding us that snorkmaiden is here to stay and in a more romantic way. But there’s still this hope, especially if you recall everything from seasons 1 and 2 and the way that they felt. Especially if you rewatch them right before watching season 3. And the show very clearly uses that and makes it feel like there’s a chance. Makes the viewers hope and stick around to find out.

So let’s go through season 2. Moomin and snufkin make some progress on their relationship. They’ve switched positions now and have more of an idea of how the other feels when one of them leaves. And from there they communicate that. Especially moomin. This is shown to a degree in the episode with the fairgrounds. Again in lonely mountain. There are also little nods here and there about their relationship. But again. Lonely mountain is the big one. It starts with little my getting on moomin’s case for worrying over his ‘precious snufkin’

As usual moominmama also seems to act like she knows there’s something more to his relationship with snufkin. Papa remains oblivious though. There’s a parallel between the parents and snufmin too. But the most well known part is this

look. there’s nothing remotely platonic about this. This is one of those things that someone straight and homophobic could detect. The point where they’d stop arguing ‘they’re just friends’ because there’s no way that’s all. I mean just listen to moomin’s “yes” when snufkin goes to add something. There’s so much hope and feeling in that word that I would love to get my hands on the script to find the voice direction for that. I mean come on

And better yet it ends with an interruption so we know they’ll have a whole heart to heart later. A conversation where they lay out their feelings. The feelings that were clearly present here.

Except they don’t

Anyway the season goes on. Moomin, snufkin, and obligatory third wheel sniff go on a journey to take the sun back after it was stolen. They get it back and the season ends with a beautifully queer scene that promises more to come from these two.

Except that a few minutes prior snorkmaiden calls moomin her soulmate and they have their usual thing. And even after snorkmyden really did get some good content this season.

Look, I know that snorkmyden was probably not on their minds throughout production. There’s a difference between the way they handle snufmin and the way they handle snorkmyden. Both duos get great development in their relationships but while there are a ton of cute moments between snorkmaiden and little my, it never feels like there’s a focus on making that endgame. It feels more like snufmin did in some of the other adaptations - something with cute moments and a genuine bond that could be seen as romantic but it’s highly unlikely it won’t be. I want to say this since this series didn’t feel that way for snufmin. It felt like the first chance of it working out fully. I put a lot of scenes in here showing it but the first two season really show it in a way clips and gifs can’t. There’s just so much there and it’s beautiful and sweet. It feels hopeful for them.

Until season 4. Season 4 feels like the team shrugged off all of it. They step even further away. It’s like season 3 but without any of the scenes between them. Suddenly, you’re looking at scenes between them where they talk and have physical contact but the deeper feelings are completely gone. It’s like the anime. Where you can smile about it and think ‘aw them’ but you know it won’t happen. They heavily lean to snorkmaiden and moomin instead. This is the final season. They know people will watch to see if moomin and snufkin go anywhere romantically. And even if people don’t finish it, they’ve got people paying for memberships just to see if it happens. So it doesn’t matter if it doesn’t happen. Because they’ve secured the views and the money.

I do want to say that when I refer to it as becoming canon I don’t know if they’d call each other boyfriends or even kiss. But I would expect them to acknowledge it as there being something more. Like the series ending with them having a discussion about how much they mean to each other. Something that shows they’ll go into the future and continue to get close. Physical closeness like a hug or one putting his hand on the others or even just leaning against each other. Whatever it would be I’d expect more than this. Because they very clearly built these two to be inseparable in that one required the other to undergo their full arc. The show starts with a promise that their relationship will be close to the story. But then season 4 hardly shows snufkin at all

This is what queerbaiting is. And I never expected it to happen with this series. Not after the team talked about it with care. It’s such a gut punch after waiting for five years to see how it’d turn out. I don’t know if they always intended it to be a way to bring in customers. Maybe it was initially going to work out but they changed it between season 2 and 3. I don’t know. But this. This really is queerbaiting. We live in a time where gay relationships are more accepted. They show up in the media more. We’re finally at a time where this relationship could be made more explicit instead of having this ambiguously romantic subtext. And if someone made a new adaptation of moomins and didn’t do that, that would be perfectly and completely fair and okay. If they didn’t consistently imply that there could and even would be something more. But here they used a very old and well loved pairing to gather fans and make money only to never have it come to fruition. Season 4 of moominvalley felt like companies on july 1st. I literally can’t think of a better comparison for how it feels. The first video starts with the quote “The Spring Tune is where we say that this series is going to be different. That you’re going to have to wait and give it time and just be patient. And wait for the story to unfold.”

And so many people did. But then it turned out like this. And I don’t know if that was always the intention. Because it feels like that interview was suggesting that it would go in that direction. But heck. The whole series up until season 3 felt like it would go in that direction. And then it didn’t.

Gay representation is something that has a huge positive impact on the lgbtq community. Even more so on the world overall since it allows people to see these relationships and shows that it’s okay for people to be gay. And it would be even nicer for a series that started off with that subtext got the full representation now that we’re in more accepting times. And it felt like it would be even more meaningful with recent treatment of gay stories.

Our flag means death was cancelled, shadow and bone, the owl house had its final season drastically shortened, good omens is only getting a single episode for their finale

Many are just getting dropped and in a time where this community needs them more than ever. These are shows that make people feel seen. Shows that bring a feeling of joy and comfort and acceptance. And it’s even worse to see that there’s still queerbaiting now. This could’ve had such a beautiful ending and likely would’ve been loved for many years to come if they committed to what they’d built up all this time. How could someone take a series created by a woman who not only added subtext in her original stories but was bi, and use it to build up a romantic story just to bring in money and then toss all that development away. I don’t know what else to say other than this is queerbaiting. And the gay community deserves better. I really did believe that moominvalley would do better by us.

[belladonazeppole]

What if?... Husk knew his harem when alive.

(Using the Harem!Husk idea of @dealwithadeer also I propose that the harem could be called "Strong Suit")

It would make sense with Husk be one who live the longest.

The thing is that they meet Husk in a high point of his life so they only saw the good side and nobody make the connection that they're the same person.

Problem? Husk does remember them.

Lucifer? One doesn't forget that summoned the devil and survive no matter how much you drink.

Alastor? It was quite clear and more since Alastor doesn't hide who he was when alive.

Angel? He tells him a story when they're alone in the bar and Angel is a bit drunk so he gave a lot of details and Husk make the connection pretty easily later.

Vox? He told him in one of their "dates" that he make him remember the one who got away (in a way to look more sincere and Husk gave him info)

How they meet?

First one Lucifer, they meet in the 20's and Husk was in his early twenties, maybe he was fucking around with a book and end up summoning by accident Lucifer and instead of be scare he ask him for money (a gambler to the the end) Lucifer was amuse by this odd and pretty (I headcanon that Husk was super pretty in his youth, sue me!)

So the deal was that Husk show him a night of entertainment and he would gave him the money, he actually hope to Husk to fail but was surprise for the magic shows of Husk, the glamour of Vegas, having somebody in his arms again (he and Lilith were divorce at that point since I refuse to write Luci as a cheater) it was the most fun he ever had in a long time.

Husk got the money and a King.

Next is Alastor, in the early 30's so Husk was in his early to mid thirties, Husk was the new bartender/sax player in his town at first he was suppose to be his newest victim, and I think that Alastor has a thing in having a "interview" with his victims. He expect to Husk to be like the other men he interview crude, boring and stupid.

He was surprise in how Husk break his expectentions, they actually got along so Alastor decide it would be a waste in killing him so soon, so he spare him, even deciding that if Husk end ups boring him that he could be a nice dessert.

Husk got to live longer and a Ace.

Now Angel Dust, this was in the 40's and Husk was in his mid forties, Angel was recently kick out of his family for be gay and was dealing with a lot of self-hate and drugs, it was his lowest point (so far) and he pass out one night in the snow.

He was shock of waking up in a warm bed while somebody was taking care of him. It was Husk with his boyfriend (Husk was dating a rich dude at the time) even if neither of them say out loud they were boyfriends they also never hide it.

This make Angel feel safe and Husk took care of Angel, in return Angel told him that he make sure that nobody will bother them, Husk didn't know that Angel was a mafioso just kind words of somebody he help.

Husk got protection and a Heart.

Finally is Vox, they meet a lot actually from the 20's to the 50's they had a lot of quick enconters. I headcanon that Husk did drag when he was alive and that is how they meet, Vox wanted to ask Husk for a date but he was already gone for traveling.

Each time they meet again Vox felt a sense of peace since times where changing, he was changing but the only person that maintain all his life was Husk that in the big picture he was still a total stranger but for Vox the only person who saw him since day one.

Vox was either was a cult leader or a CEO (almost the same) so he wanted Husk a his side since he was somebody that see pass his charm. Husk was like the wind pass his fingers and was unable to control him just go to wherever he desire.

Husk got to maintain his freedom and a Diamond.

[xaharadesert]

Super Chatty MC - Headcanon

Arcana Characters (Main 6) x MC

A/N: For another lovely anon! I wasn’t planning on writing 2 days in a row, but this was a super cute and simple one, so I had a lot of fun with it! Please let me know if there are any spelling or grammar mistakes (it’s 4am as I finish this, so I’m sure there’s plenty of errors) requests are open!

❤️Julian❤️

He’s undeniably verbose himself, so he’s in no position to judge

There may be moments where you’ll be in the middle of a rant and he’ll accidentally cut you off because you’ve reminded him of one of his own adventures

He will apologize of course, and encourage you to continue what you were saying, but he hopes he’ll get the chance to tell you the story later

Unfortunately he is prone to getting distracted while you’re talking, so while he would love to actively engage with all of your ideas, his mind is too busy making connections to other topics

But even if he struggles to pay attention, he’ll never grow tired of your boundless energy

🧡Portia🧡

As long as the topic is interesting, she doesn’t mind at all

She’s a big fan of gossip, so she’s always listening in to your latest rambles, even if they’re not directed at her

She has a way of needling her own thoughts into your rants and turning it into a proper conversation

You’ll hardly even notice since she matches your energy so well

It might be a bit of a pain for the people around you if you’re in public, but you two seem so happy in your own little world that no one has the heart to bother you

💛Lucio💛

This man has never been an active listener in his life, and as much as he loves you he is not about to start

He won’t stop you from rambling, but he’s definitely not paying attention to what you’re saying unless it’s directly related to him in some way

He’s mostly just thinking about all the things he’s gonna say when it’s his turn to talk again

It’s almost like a competition over who gets to speak; every time one of you pauses for too long, the other gets started on a topic that might not even be related

That being said, when you two are mutually interested in a topic (particularly drama), the conversation can last hours with full investment from both sides

💚Muriel💚

He’s really not a talker, so you’ll never be in competition with him for talking time

That being said, he’s not much of a listener either; he tries his best to pay attention to what you’re saying because he wants to show that he cares for you and your thoughts, but he gets tired quickly

He’s not really used to the constant noise, and it can stress him out sometimes, so he’ll not so subtly shoo you outside to go chat to the chickens

That does make him feel a little bad, and he hopes you understand that he doesn’t have any ill intentions

He just needs a bit of alone time to recharge so he can be the best version of himself for you

💙Asra💙

He loves to listen to the sound of your voice even if the topic isn’t interesting

After knowing you for years, he seems to have some sort of sixth sense that tells him when he actually needs to be paying attention to what you’re saying

You’ll never be able to tell if he’s actually listening though, because he always looks like he’s in dream land (whether he’s gazing at you with a dreamy look in his eyes, or staring off into the distance like he sees an entirely different world, Asra always looks like he’s got more going on in his head than he lets on)

Occasionally he’ll mention some obscure detail that you spoke of maybe once like a month ago just to throw you off track when you think you’ve got his listening patterns figured out

It’s really not something to stress over; he makes it clear that he loves you, and loves your chatty nature even if he seems distracted day to day

💜Nadia💜

She is perhaps the only person in Vesuvia with enough mental power to always pay active attention to what you’re saying

Being a politician has given her plenty of practice at effectively dividing her attention, so she can listen to you while still completing other tasks and even holding other conversations

Just when you think you’ve lost her, she’ll ask a relevant question to assure you that she’s invested in whatever you’ve been ranting about

It’s not always an easy task for her, and she does need a bit of quiet at the end of the day to recharge, but she understands that you have no ill will

In fact, she occasionally takes advantage of your chatty demeanour and sends you out to distract various important individuals who she doesn’t really want to talk to herself (with your knowledge and consent, of course)

[reverieblondie]

Dark Prince Rolan AU: Prologue

Pairing: Rolan x Fem!Tav Reader

Warnings: Violence, Pinning, and Smut. warnings will be more detailed as the story progresses.

A/N: I am so excited to be getting this story started! This will be my first long fic I have made for Rolan and I am super excited to share it! I want to give a huge shout out to my dear Sweet Anon! They have been such a big support on helping me so much with this story with helping me with ideas and plot and proofreading and helping with revisions. They are amazing! I hope you all become as obsessed with this story as we are!

Word count: 1,501

Chapter 1 -> The Union

Zevlor's lungs ache as he runs through the grand tapestried walls of the castle. Rolan's command was clear: Storm through the palace, gather every noble you can find and herd them into the throne room where Rolan waits. 

As Zevlor rushes past his fellow brothers and sisters in arms, he feels that slight flicker of hope, hope for justice, that all they have fought for and lost will have been worth it. Passing by each companion, he sees that though they have the upper hand in the fight, they have not yet won. Waldemar's guards desperately try to cut them down, but the tieflings are desperate, too. Though, unlike the guards, the tieflings' desperation had long since boiled into a rage, one just as powerful as any sense of duty, and it continues fueling them all to fight back. This isn't just them taking a castle; this is them taking back their lives. 

Zevlor skidded past Karlach as she cut down two guards in a scream. The fire within her calmed but was still burning as she swung down her axe. To the right, Larkessa provides defense for Alfria, and though the sound of her strumming could hardly be heard over the ensuing combat, the magic that resonated from each plucked cord was still felt as it bolstered and reverberated through her allies. Zevlor's burning eyes swept around the battle, on the lookout for any stranglers or escapees but spying none. A shrill cry of a scream catches his attention as he sees Tilses being overrun by two guards. With a smite and a swing of his long sword, their blood is spilled to the polished marble, staining it the blood red of Waldemar's flag. With a quick healing touch, Zevlor has her back on her feet, but gratitude will have to wait until this war ends: "Commander, we have swept the castle. All nobles are in the throne room. Rolan is waiting for you there."

The old paladin touches her shoulder and nods, "We are almost there. Just stay alive." With that, Zevlor took off again towards the throne room. The previous ache in his lungs dulled as the adrenaline cast a second wind over his body.

Towards the throne room, bodies line the floors, and the feeling of the Weave vibrates through as the air grows denser and more prevalent the closer he gets. At the doors of the closed throne room, Zevlor hears the harsh voices of the pinned-up nobles, cursing or promising anything to any soul that might listen. Their words fall on deaf ears as Cal and Rolan stand surrounded by the slain and the unconscious. When the two younger men noticed Zevlor, Cal smiled while Rolan kept his stern gaze. 

"Tilses says all the nobles we could find within the walls are in the throne room. So, what is the next step of your plan?"

Rolan hums as he looks down at his hands, making Zevlor's brow furrow. He had been told to get them here, but now he detects hesitation from Rolan. It's short-lived, however, and the wizard looks up to his younger brother with a new look of determination in his eyes.

"Cal, I want you to go find Lia. I will meet up with you two when this is over." 

Cal tried to protest but was quickly cut off, "Just do as I say, Cal. Please."

With a nod and a quick embrace, Cal is running down the blood-stained hall. 

Zevlor and Rolan watched him leave, and once he was out of view, Rolan turned toward the paladin, "Zevlor, I need you to guard this door. I need you to ensure nobody, friend or foe, enters this room until I exit."

Zevlor is taken by surprise for a moment, but he is all too compelled to give a nod. Rolan let out a quick sigh, placing a hand on Zevlor's armored shoulder before the young wizard turns away, lifting his head high as he approaches the doors.

"What are you going to do?"

Rolan turns his head, eyes serious and simmering with righteous fury. "What I must."

With a sharp gesture of his hands, Rolan loosed a spell, blasting through the heavy doors as if they were paper and allowing the wizard entry. Zevlor caught the sight of the shaken nobles for only a moment before another harsh gesture from Rolan summoned a thick wall of scorching flame, barricading the entrance and obscuring all beyond the threshold from sight.

Zevlor readied himself, his blade still unsheathed, when the first two armored guards approached, their weapons drawn, and demanded entry. Lifting his sword, the paladin refused; thus, the battle for the throne room ensued.

Zevlor parried and ducked as the two guards tried to overwhelm him, sending silent thanks to Dammon for the armor that now shielded him from their blades. The paladin became aware of more approaching footsteps before allies and enemies rounded the corner as both sides became aware of where their leaders were.

Tilses was the first to make it to her Commander's side, dispatching a third guard who had been advancing on the older tiefling, and soon the other two lay dead at the Hellriders' feet. Moments later, Zevlor sent her back down the hall, carrying Rolan's orders to the others while guard captains rallied what remained of their own men to reach the throne room at any cost.

The two sides continued to clash, and the air continued to grow thick with the metallic scent of blood. Karlach tipped over the long tables intermittently lined against the walls, creating makeshift barricades for the archers and marksmen like Lakrissa to use as cover; the objects previously on display crashed to the floor and were trampled underfoot as the hellfire warrior then turned her focus back to their foes. As more guards attempted to force their way down the hall, Alfira dashed from cover to cover, dragging wounded allies behind the heavy wood to heal them before they charged back into the fray. Whatever foes slipped through this gauntlet would have to contend with Zevlor. They never reached him unharmed, but the attack to breach the castle had been brutal; the battle throughout the palace had been long, and the paladin knew that, sooner or later, one side would eventually have to buckle under that strain.

Another pair of guards began to close in on Zevlor. He didn't give them the chance to gain the upper hand, driving his blade through one's armored shoulder before ducking to the side as the other attempted to charge him. From his peripherals, Zevlor caught sight of the second guard attempting to whirl back around to flank him. Without thinking and in one fluid motion, the paladin wrenched his sword free as he turned and kicked the charging guard into the roaring blaze at the threshold. The man's final agonized scream was brief as metal melted onto blistering skin, leaving nothing but a mass of charred flesh and slag.

Both men stood there for a moment, stunned by the brutality of the flames. Zevlor almost doesn't move aside in time when the remaining guard manages to tear his eyes away from the blaze. The guard's swing was clumsy, the wound on his arm having weakened the grip on his own sword—two things the paladin capitalized on. Guard and weapon clattered to the floor, and Zevlor quickly knocked the blade away from the man's reach with a boot. Before either could decide their next move, a new sound joined the din of battle, and his stomach dropped.

Screams. Panicked, pained, and utterly desperate screams from beyond the wall of flame began to swell and drown out everything. This time, it seemed as if the whole battle had halted, with friend and foe alike standing frozen as they heard the ensuing hell.

Zevlor's only source of comfort at that moment was the sight of the wall of flame, knowing that if it still remained, then that had to mean the same for its caster. Surely, it had to mean that Rolan still lived. It had to. The screams grew shrill and ragged, spilling from the throne room and echoing throughout the hall. Louder and louder, reaching a harrowing peak, until... silence.

Seconds later, the roaring wall of flame flickered, dimmed, and slowly began to disappear.

Once the flames had dissipated, Zevlor released the breath that he hadn't realized had been trapped in his chest. His eyes widened at the sight of Rolan standing completely unharmed in the middle of the throne room—alone.

The sound of shuddering breaths came from the wounded guard at Zevlor's feet, "The- The nobles... The King.. What- What did you do?". The man trembled, eyes unblinking and mortified.

"What your king swore to do," Rolan answered, head held high as he lifted a hand, revealing the gold and jeweled crown of the king dangling irreverently from the wizard's clawed fingers. "Purge the monsters from Waldemar.”

[natelia-aldelliz]

Imagine if Soap started seeing the ghosts of Tommy, Beth, Joseph, and maybe Simon’s mom? Like he has no idea who these people are but they are just like, ‘Oh my god…. That’s Simon’s boy’ and start hanging around

-Anon 🎧

Sadly in the official version of this AU, if they've ever been ghosts they have since moved on and disappeared, but this would be funny as an alternate universe of this alternate universe lmao

So I've written this, it's not really what you said but it's what came to me, maybe I'll write more later, as like a side story or something

"Who are you?"

Soap wakes up with a startle. There's a child standing next to the bed, frowning down at him. A dead child. For some reason he had almost forgotten that sometimes ghosts just come up to him on their own. Children especially, as if they were more discerning of his abilities than adults.

"Huh, hi, I'm Soap," he whispers back to not wake up Simon. Bug isn't anywhere to be seen, but that's not really unusual. His new found abilities to sleep don't work every night, and watching people sleep gets pretty boring. He's probably just roaming around the base.

The child frowns harder. He can't be more than four, with wavy dark blond hair and brown eyes, wearing a super-hero pyjama, blood dripping from the bullet wounds on his chest.

Fuckin hell... It never gets easier.

"You're not Uncle's boyfriend," the child pouts at him with all the might of a toddler.

"Uuuh," Soap hesitates, long enough for the arm around his stomach to tighten its grip, a clear sign that Simon is waking up.

"Wha's goin on?" The older man mumbles against his neck.

"There's a child," Soap answers, "I'm trying to understand what he wants."

"Hmm. Where's Bug?"

"I don't know-"

"Uncle Simon!" The child interrupts him gleefully, now beaming, his frown apparently completely forgotten.

Soap freezes. This man can't catch a break. How does he even go about this? A light thump coming from the door, followed by a "ow!" interrupts his panicking. The door opens right after and Roach comes in, rubbing at his forehead.

"Guys I know none of us know what's happening but I'm gonna need you to start researching, I can't keep becoming material randomly, it hurts and it's embarrassing when I'm spying on people - oh god."

"Uncle Bug!" The child yells again, bouncing on his heels.

Simon's breath quickens slightly behind him, probably still not used to seeing his dead lover, even after a couple weeks of this, which honestly Soap thinks is fair, before he tenses up.

"What are you both not telling me," he demands, sitting up in the bed.

"Are you a friend of my uncle, then?" The child turns back to Soap with less of a frown.

"Uh, no," Bug saves him from answering. "Well, yes, actually, but he's also his boyfriend, like me."

The little boy looks pensive, trying to understand. Simon grabs Soap's arm and turns him around, forcing him to look up at him.

"Johnny, talk to me." His voice is so gentle still, especially when he says his name, but Soap knows it's not a request. It's his officer's voice.

"Maybe ye should ask Bug...?" He tries.

"Bug isn't as easy to break as you."

And he's right. All it takes is for his eyebrows to start pointing up pleadingly and it's over. He's weak, what can he say.

"The child," he sighs, "he's calling ye Uncle Simon. He's basically a toddler, five at most, blond, with-"

"-Brown eyes," Simon interrupts him, looking like he was stabbed. "I know, I only have one nephew."

[captainsophiestark]

A Reverse Steve Rogers

Jack Thompson x Reader

Masterlist - Taglist

Requested by @hawaiianpizzaenjoyer !! Thanks for the request, and for being so patient while I got it done! I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it!

Fandom: Marvel

Summary: Y/N, an Avenger, friend of Tony Stark, and the one who helped Steve Rogers adjust to the 21st century after he came out of the ice, gets flung back into the 1940s when something goes wrong on a training mission. She has no idea how long her stay in the 40s might be, but one way or another, it's going to be interesting.

Word Count: 4,684

Category: Fluff, Humor

A/N: This doesn't follow any of the season 2 timeline lol, just some vague stuff put together for the sake of this story.

Putting work into an AI program without permission is illegal. You do not have my permission. Do not do it.

"We could always just find another ticket for her and make up a reason for her to be there on her own..."

"Yeah? Like what? At this event, anybody with the slightest hole in their story is gonna stick out like a sore thumb.”

I looked between Peggy Carter and Daniel Sousa as they talked, frantically trying to figure out what to do with me tonight. They were currently in the middle of breaking up a secret society in Los Angeles, and they had a mission disguised as a date tonight where they'd be infiltrating a fancy party being thrown by said society.

Unfortunately for them, I'd landed in their laps (pretty literally) this afternoon, and accidentally thrown a wrench into their whole operation.

One minute, I'd been doing a training mission with the Avengers. The next, I'd been falling on top of  a desk in the SSR in 1947. I still didn't know exactly what had thrown me back in time, but no matter what the cause, the fact didn't change that I was here, and would be for the foreseeable future.

I'd almost had a heart attack when I'd looked up to see THE Peggy Carter, founder of SHIELD and total badass, standing in front of me. I think I freaked her and Daniel out a little by fangirling the minute I got up off the floor, but a stranger landing in the middle of their super high-level organization probably would've landed me in the interrogation room anyway.

Thankfully, I knew Steve Rogers pretty well, and so did Peggy. I'd mentioned his name briefly when trying to explain how I knew who she was, but then I'd been able to use what I knew about Steve and the stories he'd shared with me to convince her I was telling the truth about time travel.

Since then, we'd done some brief introductions and I'd been let out of the interrogation room. I'd been given the bare minimum details of the mission to understand the conversation, and now I sat on the edge of a desk watching Daniel and Peggy talk as they tried to adjust their plans.

"Perhaps Mr. Jarvis would be available on short notice to take her as a date..." mused Peggy.

"Whoa, Jarvis? Oh my gosh, the real person Jarvis is alive and walking around right now. That makes sense," I said, mostly talking to myself.

"That still doesn't solve the problem of them not being on the guest list," continued Daniel, he and Peggy only briefly glancing my way at the outburst.

"Maybe Howard could help us secure another two."

"He already wore out his welcome with these guys to get you in there the first time."

"Did you just say Howard? As in Howard Stark?"

Peggy and Daniel groaned in unison.

"Don't tell me you're a big fan of him too?" groaned Daniel.

"His ego's already big enough as it is," Peggy agreed.

"No, it's not that, I- uh... nevermind." I pushed off the desk, waving off thoughts of Tony. I still wasn't clear on how this time travel stuff worked, and I didn't want to go telling people about Howard Stark's currently nonexistent son without more assurance it wouldn't have any crazy impact first. "Look, you guys clearly don't have space for me in this mission. The best path is a small team, specifically a couple, who can enjoy the night like a regular date while still gathering intel and handling the mission."

Peggy and Daniel shared a look, and I could see an entire conversation passing between them. I continued.

"I might not know much about the forties, but I'm still a capable adult. I'm an Av- I was on a team with Steve to take on missions around the world. I'll be fine handling myself for a bit while you guys take care of business."

"Are you sure?" asked Peggy with a frown.

"We don't want to completely abandon you. Disappearing from your own time and reappearing in another can't be easy," added Daniel.

I gave them a faint smile, momentarily overwhelmed with memories. I'd first met Steve when he'd shown up in the future and needed someone to help him adjust. I'd been a SHIELD agent at the time, responsible for liaising with Tony Stark, so they figured helping a living legend adjust would be nothing compared to that.

They'd been right, and we'd hit it off the bat. When Tony eventually formed the team, I'd been on the roster. And now, I was the one being faced with adjusting to another time.

"It's not easy," I said to Daniel, the smile still on my face. "But I also don't need babysitters when those babysitters have important, world-saving duties to attend to. I actually have a little bit of an advantage, going back in time. I took history classes and whatnot, so I at least have some idea of how this world works."

"Well, if you're sure-"

"Alright! Sousa, Marge, fear not! The cavalry is here."

I turned at the sound of a new voice, but not before I caught Peggy and Daniel rolling their eyes so far back into their heads I couldn't see the pupils. A tall, blond man in a suit was striding across the room towards us, and a second after I started sizing him up he noticed me and did the same.

"Who's this?" he asked, coming to a stop in front of us. Peggy and Daniel didn't answer right away, apparently working together to gather mental strength before entering the conversation with this guy. I just leaned back a bit against the desk and watched.

Peggy and Daniel took a second to make significant eye contact, then sighed as one. Daniel turned to Jack, and Peggy subtly shifted closer to me.

"She's somebody who does a job like ours, but from the future," said Daniel. Jack just stared at him for a minute, then looked to me, and then back at Daniel.

"Sousa, despite what you might think, I'm not stupid."

"Jack, I get that it's hard to believe, but if you actually listen for two seconds-"

Jack huffed and crossed his arms while Daniel kept talking. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught Peggy leaning in towards me, and I blocked out the boys' argument as she whispered to me.

"Y/N, I have a favor to ask of you."

"Hit me," I whispered back. Peggy sighed.

"Jack has recently had a moral epiphany," she started. I took half a second to give her a curious glance, and she just rolled her eyes in response. "It's been mostly nice, both to have him on our side and to finally have him respecting me and Daniel and anyone that's not an older man already in power.

"That said, we don't have space for him on this mission. All he's going to do is be a nuisance, and he's far less likely to agree to being benched than you."

"And I take it you have a solution for this?"

"Yes. But it would require throwing you under the bus to keep him occupied tonight."

I paused for a second, giving Jack another good look. He and Sousa were still in the middle of a heated argument while Sousa tried to convince him I was actually a time traveler, and even though they both seemed exasperated, Jack also seemed to be enjoying the back and forth. A smile tugged at the corner of my mouth.

"Peggy Carter, it would be an absolute honor to assist you on a mission," I said, turning to her with a smile. "Even if it means spending the evening learning about the forties from a slightly questionable teacher."

"You're a lifesaver," she said, giving me a smile back. She pushed off the desk, moving towards Daniel and Jack to interrupt them but shooting me a wink first. "And don't worry, I'll give you an actual introduction to the decade after this mission is over."

I nodded, then Peggy got Jack and Daniel's attention to put their argument to rest and explain the situation. Jack raised an eyebrow when Peggy told him his job would be keeping me company, but she phrased it well enough that it didn't quite sound like babysitting for either of us. Finally, he agreed, and Peggy and Daniel headed out for their event, leaving me and Jack Thompson alone in the bullpen of the LA SSR.

He stood by the windows, staring out at the traffic below as I spun around in a swivel chair. I kept looking at him, but he didn't look over at me once, at least not that I could catch. Finally, after a few more rotations, I huffed a sigh and pushed myself up. I put my hands on my hips, but Jack still didn't look over.

"Alright, I'm bored out of my mind, which should not be a possibility less than three hours after I suddenly appeared in a different time period," I said. Jack finally looked over at me, raising an unimpressed eyebrow as he did. I continued. "You're supposed to be helping me adjust to this place, since I don't know how long I'm gonna be here. Believe it or not, it didn't take me that long to adjust to this office."

He sighed heavily, but stepped away from the window anyway, stopping a few feet in front of me with his arms across his chest. He stared at me for a few seconds without saying anything, and I just stared right back. I crossed my arms to mirror him and he snorted and rolled his eyes.

"You're really from the future?" he finally asked.

"Did the twenty minutes Peggy and Daniel spent convincing you not settle this matter?"

He grunted, then finally dropped his arms back to his sides.

"Fine. What do you want to do then?"

I grinned. "Any good places to grab a drink and a dance around here?”

****************

"This is only my first week in LA, so if this place ends up being terrible, it's the city's fault and not mine," said Jack as we stepped out of the cab together. I'd taken a second to find a dress to steal from Peggy's emergency disguise stash at the SSR, since my 21st century mission clothes would probably cause a riot if I went out in them, and then Jack and I had jumped in a cab to a spot in town he'd heard about.

"Boooo," I teased as he paid the driver and we headed in together. "You can't consider the possibility of the night being a failure before it's even started! It's a jinx."

"A jinx?"

"Yeah, you know. Like bad luck."

"I know the definition of the word jinx," he scoffed. "I just think it's ridiculous you believe in them."

"Oh, yeah, of course. Actually, I didn't want to tell Peggy and Daniel this, but in the future we've discovered that a lot of things people dismissed as superstitions or bad luck are actually true. Like jinxes. Oh, and breaking a mirror? That actually will mess you up! We didn't realize it until science advanced a little further, I think in the seventies, but it's true."

Jack stared at me for a few seconds, and I stared back with a perfectly neutral expression on my face. Then, he broke into a grin and nudged me with his shoulder.

"You're messing with me."

"I definitely am."

He scoffed and shook his head, but the smile didn't drop off his face. He sighed dramatically, looking up at the club in front of us, then held out his arm for me to take.

"C'mon. You're the one who wanted to experience the time period."

I smiled up at him, then looped my arm through his. He pulled me a little closer, and I'd be lying if I said my heart didn't speed up a bit as we walked into the club together.

Immediately I got hit with the music I associated with the swinging jazz of the 1940s as we stepped into a world of men in suits and women in old-style dresses, all twirling across the dancefloor together.

"Whoa," I breathed. Suddenly, it started to sink in that I was actually in the 1940s, more than 80 years from everything and everyone I knew. A new surge of sympathy for Steve welled up in my chest.

"You alright?" asked Jack, nudging me a little as we stood in the doorway. I took a deep breath in and out, then slowly nodded. "Okay, good. Let's go get a drink.”

I huffed a laugh as he pulled me through the crowd and towards the bar. We managed to find two stools, and Jack pulled my seat out for me before I sat down. I couldn't help giving him a slightly bemused look, which he grunted about as he took the seat next to me.

"What?" he asked.

"Nothing," I said, waving him off. "Just, you know... forties."

He turned to stare at me, his eyebrows knit together, but the bartender appeared before he could question what I was talking about.

"What can I get the two of you?" asked the bartender. Jack turned to me, letting me go first.

"I'll have an old fashioned, please."

Both he and Jack looked at me for a second, but I looked right back at both of them like they were crazy for questioning it (because they were). After a second, Jack shrugged and turned back to the bartender.

"I'll do the same."

The bartender nodded, then moved away to make the drinks. I turned and gave Jack a smile.

"Thanks for buying," I said. "I didn't have my wallet on me when I got sucked back in time, and even if I did, I don't think the bartender would be able to accept the kind of bills I carry. I'm not trying to get arrested for counterfeiting a few hours into being in the past."

Jack chuckled. "Sure thing. So, an old fashion, huh?"

"Yeah. It's Ton- uh, it's my friend's favorite drink. He got me drinking them, too."

"Hm. Future sounds like a wild place."

"Honestly, I'd say 1940 is a little wilder."

The bartender set down our drinks, and Jack put a few bills on the table. Then, once he was out of earshot again, I turned to Jack with a smile.

"Cheers," I said, raising my glass in toast. "To new experiences and getting to know each other and this weird ass trip back to the past."

Jack smiled, although I could tell he was fighting it, and clinked his glass with mine before we both took a sip.

"So, Jack Thompson... tell me about the forties."

Jack and I spent the next hour talking about everything from foods that hadn't been invented yet (ranch dressing!) to the weird, national popularity of baseball and how I couldn't wait to see people start getting the memo about the NBA. Some of it was informative, even helpful, but for the most part we just... talked. Laughed. Joked around and enjoyed each other's company like people who'd known each other much longer than a few hours.

For some reason, it just felt easy. Going into this, heading out with someone who was clearly a confident, if not arrogant, man from the 1940s, with Peggy's warnings on top of everything else? Well, let's just say I didn't have the highest of hopes. But by some miracle, whether it was our equally loud and teasing personalities or that fact that I proudly didn't know anything about baseball beyond the fact that games took way too long, rather than the ignorance or indifference he had been expecting... Jack Thompson and I got on like wildfire.

"I'm just saying, when you're watching a legend play, that's the only part of the game that matters!" Jack continued, defending his baseball stance. "And DiMaggio's a legend."

"Yeah, no shit," I scoffed, rolling my eyes to go with it. Jack snorted at my language, but I caught him grinning at me all the same as he took a sip from his drink. "But, unlike in other sports, your legend's only playing for like fifteen minutes out of every hour. Still boring!"

Jack opened his mouth, clearly ready with some other comeback that would do absolutely nothing to change my position, but before he could, the band started up with something I actually recognized.

"Oh my God!" I cried, setting down the now-empty glass that previously held my second old fashioned. "This song- we have to go dance!"

"You know this song?" asked Jack, only looking slightly bemused as he set down his glass and I dragged him towards the dance floor.

"Yeah. Steve plays it all. The damned. Time," I said, finally coming to a stop in the middle of the floor. I moved to drop Jack's hand now that I'd gotten him out here, but he just squeezed it tighter and pulled me closer. "It's one of the only songs from the forties he plays that I can actually stand."

Jack scoffed, wrapping an arm around my waist as we started twirling across the floor together. "You're actually friends with him? Sousa wasn't making that whole thing up?"

"What? No. Actually, I'm the one that helped him adjust to the future not long after he woke up in my time."

Jack nodded, looking thoughtful. "So that's why you recognized Carter? Sousa said you almost fainted from excitement when you first saw her."

"No. I mean, sort of, I guess. But I would've known her even without Steve. She's only the coolest, most badass woman and intelligence pioneer the world has ever known," I said. Jack snorted, and I scowled. "What? You disagree?"

He shrugged. "I mean, I'd probably argue there are some other intelligence pioneers that deserve mention. But... I guess no, I don't necessarily disagree. Just don't mention it to her, alright? I'll deny it, and I don't need her immortalization from a time traveler being thrown in my face every time I work a case with her for the rest of time."

I laughed, and Jack gave me a knowing smile before spinning me out and away from him. He twirled me across the floor before pulling me back to him quickly. We moved in perfect harmony, picking up our pace to match the band and putting the other couples to shame. We quickly got lost in our own little world, to the point that everyone and everything except the music disappeared. When Jack sped up, I sped up a little more, and we easily met each other's challenges, stupid smiles on our faces the whole time.

When a slower song started playing, Jack and I finally relaxed the pace, forgoing the elaborate dance moves to just sway in place and catch our breaths for a minute. I was still a little lost in our moment, enough so that I didn't notice someone else approaching us until he shoved himself part way between me and Jack.

"Hey doll. Mind if I cut in?" The guy leered over me, totally ignoring Jack as he reached for my hand without waiting for my answer. I scoffed, my tired-but-happy smile instantly turning into a scowl. Jack seemed equally frustrated and moved as if he was about to step in and do something about it, but I decided to just take care of it for the both of us.

"Actually, yeah, I do mind," I snapped, fixing the guy with an unimpressed look as I snatched my hand out of his reach. He seemed incredibly surprised by my response, but I plowed ahead anyway. "I'm dancing with someone already, and even if I weren't, I have no interest at all in dancing with you. So... scram. Or beat it. Or whatever people say now."

The man just stood there for a second, open-mouthed, blinking at me in stunned silence. Then, his expression shifted into a scowl and his face started to turn red.

"I- You- How dare you-!"

"Dude, get lost," I said, crossing my arms and staring him down as I talked over him. I glanced over his shoulder to Jack, who also looked shocked but in a pleasantly surprised way, and addressed him. "What's another good way to tell someone to go away?"

He shrugged, a delighted smile growing on his face. "Take a powder?"

"Really?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. Jack just nodded, so I looked back at the rude guy. "Alright, take a powder. Hit the bricks. Take a long walk off a short pier. Other creative ways to say leave. I want to dance to this lovely song with my dance partner here, who is not you, so... yeah. Take the blatant instructions."

The man whirled around to Jack, like he expected him to say or do something to reign me in. Jack just shrugged again.

"You heard the lady. I'm not gonna tell you anything she didn't already say."

The man scowled, whipping back to look at me again. I just met him with crossed arms and a look that told him I wouldn't be budging an inch. He spluttered a few more incoherent words in indignation, then stormed off the dance floor and out of sight. I sighed, then faced Jack again.

"How wildly out of place was that for the time period? Both him and me?" I asked. Jack grinned.

"Him? Not very. You? Insanely," he said, taking my hand again as we went back to gently swaying in place. He tugged me a little closer to his chest, and I smiled. "I gotta say though, I sure enjoyed watching it."

"Good. Because I don't actually care at all, and I had a lot of fun doing that."

Jack laughed, throwing his head back before fixing me with a brilliant smile. He twirled me out and away from him again, then pulled me right back into his chest. We swayed together, closer than we'd been all night, and to my surprise I started noticing more than a few butterflies squirming in my chest as I stared up at the SSR Chief. Hm, noted the more logical side of my brain as we moved across the crowded dance floor. Nice, my heart replied as Jack's strong hand laid firmly on my waist and my hand traveled to the collar of his shirt.

Jack and I spent the rest of the night at the club, enjoying the music, the dancing, and each other's company until the place turned on the lights and threw us out. A few times, other men came up to hit on me and "steal me away" from Jack. Each time, I dressed them down and sent them on their way, and each time Jack just grinned and watched me do it. I could still tell he was ready to jump in, that his instinct was to take care of it for me, but he seemed to enjoy watching the jerks splutter and babble in shock and surprise as much as I did.

Afterwards, when we wandered back out onto the LA street together, Jack insisted on escorting me back to Howard Stark's place, where I'd be staying with Peggy. It was going to be incredibly weird staying at Tony's dad's house, meeting him and the real-human Jarvis, but I could process that later. Right now, I wanted to focus on the amazing, less-weird parts of being in the 40s. Specifically Jack Thompson, who I'd just spent a wonderful night enjoying this new time period with.

Jack hailed us a cab, and I rested my head on his shoulder and watched the city go by as the taxi took us out of the city, to the massive Stark mansion. It was basically a 40s version of Tony's Malibu house, and a pang of sadness tightened in my chest when I realized I had no idea when–or if–I would see my friends again.

I took a deep breath and shook those thoughts out of my head as the car came to a stop. All of that was a problem for later, not now. Jack got out first, holding the door for me and offering a hand to help me out, which I took. Rather than dropping it once I stood, he wrapped it around his arm as he asked the cabbie to wait and escorted me towards the house. We stopped on the porch and turned to face each other, and I realized I actually really didn't want the night to end.

"Thanks for showing me around the forties," I said, giving Jack a small smile. "It was actually really fun."

"You don't have to sound so surprised," he griped, but a smile made its way onto his face all the same. "So... I don't know how long you're gonna be here, and obviously we've got a lot of other work to do with Carter and Sousa tomorrow, but... maybe I could take you out again sometime. There's still a lot of forties you haven't seen yet."

"I'd like that," I said, a warm feeling welling up in my chest. I hesitated a second as Jack and I stared at each other on the doorstep, then decided to say fuck it and keep doing what I'd been doing all night: following my impulses. "Quick question: in the forties, if I kiss you on the first date, is that going to scare you off or something?"

Jack grinned. "It might get a raised eyebrow from the cabbie, but I sure as shit won't be complaining."

"Good."

With that, I grabbed Jack's lapels and tugged him towards me, leaning up just a bit and giving him a kiss. It was short, really just a quick peck since we'd just met, but fireworks exploded in my chest at the sensation anyway.

Jack's grin stayed in place as we pulled apart, and his hand lingered on my waist an extra second before dropping to his side. He took a step backwards, towards the waiting car, even as his eyes stayed on mine. I rested my hand on the doorknob, watching Jack and trying to stay in the moment even as he walked away.

"Welcome to the forties, sweetheart," he called as he made it down the porch steps and into the driveway. "I'll see you at work tomorrow."

I waved, a smile on my own face to match his. "Can't wait."

Jack gave a short wave and one last grin before getting into the cab. I watched as he drove away, a smile still on my own face even after I knew he couldn't see it. Finally, after the lights of the cab faded back into the LA night, I turned on my heel and walked into the house.

I'd been in the 40s for less than twelve hours, and I knew for a fact that I hadn't even scratched the tip of the iceberg on exploring the time period, or what frustrations being eighty years removed from everything I knew would bring. But, despite all that, I'd had a blast tonight, and tomorrow I'd get to start working with THE Peggy Carter. Whether I was only here for another few hours or it turned into months or longer, I couldn't help being excited at the idea of everything that was yet to come for me, not least of all my next date with Jack Thompson.

[andthenshesaid-write]

Fathers and Sons Fic #3: Update 1

I thought it was time to do an update about the state of the third (and final) 'Fathers and Sons' fic. If I'm being honest, it hasn't been an easy time, which I wasn't prepared for because the first two fics were very easy to get through. It felt almost like they wrote themselves. That hasn't been the case with this one.

The draft I'm currently working on is actually the second draft. I started writing the first a few days after I posted No Legacy So Rich and worked on it for about a week before I finally acknowledged that it wasn't working. So then I took a couple of weeks off to think it through. After talking about it with a friend, I settled on a new angle to approach it from and I started again on what is now the second draft. I'm pleased to say that this one is coming along much better. As of tonight I have about 13,500 words, which is a lot, but at the same time, I feel like the story is only just getting started. I'm not sure how this progress compares to the second fic, but I know the first in the series was about 14k words at the halfway point. I'm nowhere near that currently so I have no idea how long this story is going to be.

I also don't have a super clear idea of how I'm going to get where I'm going. That in itself isn't unusual because I write using the flashlight method, which means I know largely where I'm going but I don't really know how I'm going to get there. I'm just writing scene by scene. My daily word counts are also lower on average than they were for the previous two fics. For the other two, I was writing between 800 and 1000 words per day, but for this third fic it's more normal for me to do between 500 and 800. That means that, unless I really hit my stride, it's probably going to take me longer to get through this one. I went into this hoping to have the third fic finished and released before the end of Lone Star S5 but I'm now resigned to the fact that that might not happen. There's still a chance, because I saw the other day that the last two episodes are slated to air in 2025, but I'm not holding my breath. I just really want to do the story justice and if that takes more time, it takes more time.

With that slightly disappointing update out of the way, I'll leave you with some info about the third fic.

I've had the idea for this fic since the day after I posted the first one and from that moment, I've referred to it as 'The Jonah Fic', because that's what it is. I wanted to write a trilogy that shifted the attention between each of the people in the Strand-Reyes-Morgan family, and now it's Jonah's turn. The third fic begins ten years after the end of the previous one, so we're reintroduced to Jonah in his teens. Some of his problems are typical for people his age, while others are specific to him, and he's just trying to work his way through it.

I've loved getting to write Jonah in this series. When talking to some friends I always called him the secret sauce of the series and I think that's still true. It's just a bit different seeing the world from his perspective, instead of viewing him through the eyes of TK or Carlos.

I've been in fandoms for a long time so I know that people will probably be disappointed about the shift away from TK, Carlos and Tarlos, and I don't expect Jonah's fic to be as popular as the previous two. Still, I hope that some people will give it a chance and that people who enjoyed the previous installments will come back to see how the story wraps up because it's been a monumental task for me to even get this far and I'm really proud of the story I'm telling.

[yandere--stuck]

As much as I love D'arce and want only the best for her, seeing her struggle with her love for her Obsession and her "love" for Le'garde would be so fucking funny fr

(Tbh I don't think she actually LOVES Le'garde(or maybe I just really hate him), it's more of a situation where she forces herself to have feelings for him. Anyways, D'arce is a girl boss and I love her)

No dw I agree Le'garde is so sucks </3 I think she probably likes the idea of the guy or the image of him she built up in her head but it turns out he's super shitty 😔

---

It would be difficult for D'arce, realizing that the further down she descends into darkness of the dungeons, so too does she delve deeper into her growing affection for you. Upon your first meeting, even, it was like sliding your hand into a specially made gauntlet. The perfect fit. The perfect pair.

Though she held the soul of domination and the rest of your allies saw her as team captain, D'arce found herself deferring to you. It was just so easy. As easy as breathing, even. Acting out your orders, shadowing your movements, heading your every word. Almost like how she felt with…

Le'garde. He was alive. Alive, but tortured and beaten and bloody, and with very little memory of himself and the life he lived. D'arce should be happy. Overjoyed. Falling to her knees and crying as she embraced her captain.

But, there was barely anything. As if whatever emotions she should have felt only barely sparked within her and fizzled out before they could burst. 

She met her captain's eyes, and there was recognition. And there it was - a small bit of warmth inside her. A smile made its way to her face. Maybe… Maybe she was overthrowing this. Or just in shock. And, well, the fact that in the time you spent down in the dungeons, D'arce had spoken with you much more than she ever had with Le'garde, at least in terms of personal matters. You spent downtime and guard shifts for your sleeping allies whispering anecdotes of times long passed, swapping rations over stories of your home and childhood and how you came to this place, holding back laughter as you shared some ale. 

It felt like she had known you for lifetimes. And now, it was as if it'd been lifetimes since she last saw Le'garde. And what shone blindingly in the sun now seemed a bit dim and dull in the dark.

"I… Th- there's something down there," Le'garde insisted, pointing to a door that was just visible behind a veil of shadow. "I must get it. Then, then we can leave."

"Le'garde, we must leave," she implored.

"Please," Le'garde grasped her hands in his own. "I need this."

D'arce couldn't look him in the eyes. Instead, she turned to you and the others. Cahara and the girl were clearly anxious to leave while Ragnvaldr and Enki showed clear signs of irritation. But, you…

Despite your fear and exhaustion, you told her, "Wherever you go, D'arce, I'll follow."

She felt as if she should be the one saying that to you. A smile lit up her face and it takes her a moment to realize she needed to make the choice.

"Real quick, right?" She hesitated before nodding to Le'garde. "And then we can go?"

"I… Believe so. I don't remember."

—

She fell back into her role as Le'garde's right hand - but now, it felt wrong. Suffocating. Unnatural. She let him lead her down further, she followed him through the ancient, impossible city underneath everything. Because of her, you found yourselves within a Grand Temple. And that's when Le'garde let his facade drop.

She had let Le'garde trick her.

You were all wounded, some starving, some missing limbs. D'arce had led you further and further into this hellhole. This was all his fault.

"You don't understand. You couldn't understand, this is so much bigger than you," Le'garde approached the Throne of Ascension. "I must do this."

"You said you couldn't remember…" The Knight mumbled.

"You fucking liar!" Ragnvaldr roared like an animal, both Cahara and Enki barely able to hold the Outlander back.

D'arce's gaze flitted to you, only to look away when your eyes met. Instead, she looked to the girl, who peeked out from behind you, clutching at the fabric of your shirt. She looked upon Le'garde with an unreadable expression.

"D'arce, I'm sorry." The man said.

"You lied to me."

"I don't expect you to understand," he sighed, then made his way for the throne.

D'arce couldn't move. The world felt as if it was breaking apart around her. Everything she knew to be truth was all lies. Le'garde, captain of The Knights of The Midnight Sun, noble and fair and strong and true. Like a god in man's skin.

The false prophet. The false god.

D'arce gritted her teeth, shaking with rage. She white-knuckled the sword in her grip. She-

"No!" Your voice cried and D'arce gasped as she watched you fly across her vision. She whipped her head to follow, body as tense as wound-spring as you made a mad grap for Le'garde. Scrambling for a hold, you tugged the man away.

Le'garde nearly fell, before righting himself as he swiveled around to sneer at you, lips pulled back to bear his teeth. His hands fumbled for his sword. 

"I won't let you take this from me!" He screamed, raising his sword with a flourish. D'arce watched, eyes wide and unblinking as you panicked and went still in shock.

She didn't even realize what had happened. It was instantaneous. Instinctual. One second she was watching you, and in the next, her sword was sticking through her former captain's neck. Droplets of blood began to coat and run down the metal of her sword. The man's eyes were wide and scared, sparkling with betrayal. Gurgle escaped his throat, either attempting to speak or already beginning to slowly drown in his own blood.

And she felt nothing. Just another casualty in this place. In the name of her leader. Her savior. Her living god. You.

In a flash, she swiftly pulled the sword from Le'garde, letting him fall to the ground as blood shot from neck. D'arce simply stepped away as blood began to pool at her feet. She turned to your group.

Meeting Ragnvaldr's eyes, she crossed one arm across her chest and gestured to the man on the floor. "You can take care of the rest, if you desire."

The Outlander was still for a moment, before shaking himself out of his shock, approaching the man as he shook with barely restrained rage, moving to straddle him and making Le'garde wheeze and bubble with pain and pressure.

D'arce turned away. Sounds of pain and fist meeting flesh echoed in the temple. But she didn't look away because the idea pained her, no. Le'garde simply was nothing to her now. She'd get nothing, not even pleasure, out of his painful death.

The others… Enki seemed slightly amused, a smirk on his lips as he ogled the beating. Cahara was across the room, shielding the girl's eyes and ears as best he could as he waited to depart. Apparently, the money wasn't worth it anymore. And you…

"D'arce!" You surged forward to embrace her. 

You embraced her. Your arms around her, face pressing against her chest plate. If not for her armor, you could hear her heartbeat. She was euphoric. Filled with light. If this wasn't proof of your holiness, what could be?

"You saved me. You saved my life."

Of course. Of course she did. She is your knight, after all. Your knight. Your right hand. Your most devoted soldier. She loved you. She'd do anything, everything for you.

"I want to go home," you admitted. Tears collected within your eyes, stinging your cheeks.

D'arce nodded. She parted from you, only to slowly, with shaky hands, raise up to cup your face. She held you gently, like you were the precious, most fragile treasure in the world.

"Wherever you go, I'll follow." She promised.

[sleepy-steve]

Steddie sw au. I needs it. For the WIP title game.

🤩🤩🤩🤩

from the wip title game!!

ohoho my little secret project!! my steddie sex worker au!!

i've had this one on the backburner for A While. basically since before i even started posting fic this year. i'm so passionate about this idea but i really want to be able to do it justice so i'm letting it cook.

while i don't have anything solidly written, i have close to 4k in notes. everything from conflicts to soundtracks to various looks the boys will have bc this one is gonna span years of their lives.

basically it's a 90s AU about stripper steve and metal singer eddie who meet right before eddie's band takes off and becomes famous. they have an instant connection but steve is wary of falling for a customer and eddie is travelling a fair bit with the band. they keep meeting on and off between eddie's tours and continue to fall for each other but due to a variety of reasons they can't be together.

unfortunately i don't have a proper snippet for this one, but i do have some silly notes and a very very drafted scene from chapter 1!

eddie comes into the club after his band’s first big show in chicago

eddie is shouting a night for the band and small crew using a healthy chunk of the money they earned from their gig bc holy shit they actually made good money from it and had a sold out venue even! 

eddie is gay but still enjoys going to a strip club, he enjoys the stage shows and finds that strippers always have the most interesting stories to tell, plus he loves to shout for his friends to get dances 

the last thing he expects is a male dancer to grace the stage in a pale yellow lingerie set and platform heels with tanned muscly legs for days, swoopy soft hair, and the cheekiest smile he’s ever seen

it takes literally every ounce of his restraint to not hand over the entire amount the band made that night to that man the second he flashes a smile at eddie, but he does throw a decent stack of cash onto the stage

steve comes around after his stage set to thank eddie for tipping and to hustle his way into some more cash (part of the job babey!!) but actually finds this sweet little punk with big doe eyes, a huge smile, and a slutty little waist to be really super charming and actually fun to talk to

it’s to a point where he’s almost sad that the club is closing, but he won’t complain about the stack of cash he made that night (now he and robin won’t worry about making rent that month at least)

MAYBE the first night eddie is a bit drunk and accidentally asks steve to go out with him, or even worse, to marry him. lmao.

“i’m drunk” the voice croons. the beat kicks in. the spot lights flash on. the dancer’s head flicks back, hair jumping softly, long neck exposed, and holy shit?? that’s a Man. “but right now i’m so in love with you” the song continues. the dancer brings a hand to his face, slowly dragging it down his jaw, his neck, his chest, across a soft yellow lace bra. his body is rolling effortlessly with the sound of the music. the rolls start at his chest, travelling down his toned stomach, down his hips, all the way down to his clear platform heel. “and i don’t wanna think too much about what we should or, shouldn’t do” he takes his extended leg, dragging it underneath his bent leg, turning his body around, pole dragging across the back of his shoulder lazily until he’s facing the pole, back arched, ass sticking out, endlessly long legs stretched. his hips swivel back and forth in turn, and he brings a hand slowly up the pole, wry smile on his face. eddie is fully losing his mind and it’s like 15 sec into the song.

[yanderes-galore]

Request a scenario where romantic yandere master chief somehow ends up in our world and finally meets the reader.

I can try! This is a continuation of the fic with the same name. I hope I didn't make it too short since I was struggling how to make it... realistic? (I have to have a certain amount of realism in my fics even if I'm bending rules, lol.)

Bigger Picture

Yandere! Self-Aware! Master Chief Scenario Part 2

Pairing: Romantic

Possible Trigger Warnings: Gender-Neutral Darling, Obsession, Invasion of privacy, Size difference between John and darling, Dubious companionship/relationship, I tried making it yandere but it may have been butchered, Manipulation, Stalking mention, Tamer compared to my usual stuff.

Halo had been one of your special interests for awhile. Be it for years or only a couple months, you've enjoyed the series. Even to the point of buying the books and playing all the campaigns.

You have fun putting together the lore and looking for collectibles. You like to play with friends despite the toxic online community. It's one of your favorite past times.

Unfortunately, your MCC disc had been acting funny lately. Whenever you tried to play inputs didn't register at times. The screen often glitched and sometimes the game was unplayable. As a result you've been spending less time on the game.

Even if you wanted to play it through yet again... it felt so invigorating to play as a super soldier fighting a space war against all sorts of foes.

To satiate your growing Halo urge you take a book you bought from your shelf and begin to read on your bed. The room is quiet, your xbox softly playing music while you immerse yourself in your story. You smile as you read through to lengthy story...

Then your Xbox begins to glitch.

A groan leaves your lips when you realize the issue may not be your disc. The idea of your hardware failing you worries you and you begin to get up to turn it off. However, you end up stumbling back when a loud popping noise occurs... a blinding light from your TV blinding you.

In response you turn around and bury your face into a pillow. You try to calm your worry as a ringing greets your ears. You have no idea what to do... you freeze and hope something changes enough to allow you to do something.

Then there's silence.

You pause, standing up slowly to turn around. Only to do a double take as something strange graces your vision. Your breathing stops momentarily as you take in your surroundings.

Once your vision clears you see a hulking figure in front of you. They're wearing armor similar to the Halo game you love and adore. In fact... they almost exactly resembled Master Chief himself.

You find yourself unable to move. You're overcome with fear and confusion as the hulking soldier stares down at you. You begin to wonder if the silence will ever end before the soldier looks over to the book you long discarded.

You flinch when he reaches over and picks up the books. You see him read through it, his visor concealing any thoughts or emotions. You don't think you want to draw attention to yourself....

Meanwhile John is just starting to learn more about you, his player. The book you were reading caught his attention. Inside were stories of his own missions and events... even his origins.

It surprises him that you know so much about him... yet he knows so little about you.

John's attention is only torn from the book when he notices you try to slip past him. A tightness in his chest urges him to act, quickly dropping the book and cutting you off. He sees how quickly you squeak before backing off... almost feeling bad.

"Where am I?" A simple question, he knows it's your world but he isn't quite sure where this is.

"Earth? My home? Who even are you!" You cry, John only responding with silence as he looks around the room. It's exactly as he saw it looking like.... His gaze then transitions back to you. He's never really been one for words.

Looking at how small you are compared to him, John can't help the fondness bubbling in him. It's just like all civilians compared to him yet he still feels a strong connection between you. Even though any sort of sexual desire is driven out of him due to the concoction of drugs he was fed when he was young... he still felt an urge to keep you close.

"There's no way you're actually Master Chief. He's a fictional character, that's impossible. You have to be some sort of alien or deity taking the form of something I enjoy to send me a message or something. I have to be rational...." John hears you mumbling to yourself. You're overcome with fearful worry and John wants to help you through it. He doesn't understand what you mean.

"What are you talking about?" He asks, only for you to shoot your head up from your hands.

"Me!? Oh, pardon me if this isn't a rare occurrence! I'm saying you're not supposed to be real! Yet here you are in front of me...." You panic, cautiously reaching out to touch his armor. John takes the chance to reach for your hand, holding it in his gloved one. As a result you freeze... silence overtaking both of you.

"I'm real."

"I'm crazy...."

"No you aren't."

"How...?"

"I'm not sure."

"...."

"Let's talk."

"Do I even have much of a choice?"

It's then the large soldier sits on your bed, nearly flinging you off due to the weight of the armor. You two then begin to discuss your situation and experiences. John is careful not to reveal too much on his desires but does mention that you two are connected somehow.

He can see as you talk you struggle to put things together but begin to accept certain things as fact. The fact he's here right now is shocking enough, at this point you'd accept anything as fact. Including him saying you two are bonded in a way.

Your fear is still deep in you but most of it ebbs away, curiosity and even a sense of respect taking its place. You're essentially meeting your long time hero. A video game character in the flesh.

The feeling is similar for John. He respects you for being his player and showing such interest in him. He's curious about how you know so much about him. In fact, he promises to answer questions you ask about him if he can ask about you.

Soon he plans to erase all fear you have for him.

If anything he'll protect you, not harm you.

----

Hiding a super soldier in your house is a difficult task. Even though you're still trying to get over the fact Master Chief is in your home, you still promised to hide him. If anything maybe he'll find out a way to return to his world.

Meanwhile you did your best to accomadate for him. You let him borrow exercise equipment and keep in shape outside when it was night. You even tried talking to him when you could, although he didn't answer much.

You weren't sure if you should feel safe, lucky, or terrified? It really does feel like the equivalent of hiding an alien from the government. In fact daily life became strange.

It's not like you could just disguise him. He's in literal power armor. You doubt you could even convince him to take it off?

The good thing you guess you could say is John likes to talk to you. He likes hearing about you and your past. If anything he's about as interested in you as you are him.

In fact you began picking up some sort of fondness towards you. He often expresses concern when you leave the house and doesn't appear to like those around you. Plus, you've caught him reaching out to put a gloved hand on your skin or offering to hold you for comfort.

At first it put you off. Any attempt to be closer to you was met by your shifting away, which upset John at times. Although... with time... you accepted it.

In a way he brought you a new sense of comfort. You began to believe the insanity of the situation and decided to make the best of it. You offered him to help him get back, the response you got was silence but you assume he appreciated it?

Not quite.

John didn't quite like the idea of going back to a fake and chaotic world. Even if he was supposed to hide he liked being around you. He liked holding you... he liked feeling like he could protect you.

He belongs in his world, but he can't go back to just watching you. He likes being a genuine part of your life while you gush about your adoration for his missions. It makes him feel... nice.

Even if you found a way to bring him back, he probably wouldn't accept it. He wants you to continue to adore him. Maybe even fall for him like he has you... just him and his player whom he swears to protect.

He'd give up everything if it meant he kept you in his lap. He'd do anything you order if it meant he served you. His old purpose is obsolete now.

Now... John dedicates himself to you.

If you or anyone tried to change that he won't allow it...

He'd sacrifice it all for you... no matter the amount of blood or pain, just so he can stay with his player.

[salstray]

Luck of the Draw - part 2

Ghost x fem!Reader - Left 4 Dead/Cod AU

This story is written in first person. I understand that some people don't like first person reader inserts, so if you are one of them, please just keep on scrolling! And if the thought of a left 4 dead/cod au sounds fun, but this one doesn't appeal to you? Feel free to write your own! Or request it from a favorite author, as long as they are open for requests and au ideas~

--

Warnings: A little bit of angst, I suppose, but not really. Just a vague mention of past abuse and a lack of trust on the MC's part pointed towards the boys. Also no zombies yet, but I PROMISE they will be there in the next part- This won't just be an apocalypse au, I swear it!

Words: 2.4K!

--

Part 1 // part 3 will be linked here when its posted!

--

We moved in a line. Soap up front, me in the middle, Ghost behind us. I wasn’t a super fan of having tall, dark, and British behind me at all times, but I convinced myself through an internal argument that it was better than being exposed. At least if a Jockey or something managed to sneak up on us that meant it would jump on his back instead of mine. 

Our trip lasted all day. Heading almost directly southeast, keeping the steadily setting sun just to the right of our path. Soap and Ghost were dead silent the entire time and I didn’t try to take up the mantle of conversationalist in their absence. Ghost probably would have yelled at me that I was distracting them and I didn't want to see if Soap had a mean streak hidden behind that smile. 

It was only once the sun started to slip down over the tops of the distant trees, out of sight, that the guys decided it was time to stop for the night. 

“Better not to get caught outside after dark,” Soap muttered as Ghost took the lead of our pack, nudging open the door to a little pizza place. It was completely silent inside, with no broken windows and no visible corpses. Looked like it had probably been closed when everything went down. 

“Seems pretty untouched,” I whispered, glancing down the street, in the one direction we’d seen some infected about twenty minutes ago. It was surprisingly empty of them down this road, which set me on edge. “Think we’ll find food inside?” 

“Might. If not Ghost and I will share what we got,” Soap replied quietly, his eyes trained on Ghost’s back as he slipped into the kitchen with his gun raised. 

“Clear,” he called. “Soap, check the bathrooms. There’s a freezer door back ‘ere I’ll poke into.” He turned to pin me with his eyes. “You, keep back.” 

He didn’t have to tell me twice. 

The place ended up being empty. Not even a blood stain to be seen. The freezer was broken, clearly, and everything that was perishable had long since perished, but there were a few canned things that had lasted through the apocalypse that we shared between the three of us. Ghost didn’t take his mask off to eat. Just lifted it up so it didn’t block his mouth and stared right back at me as I stared at the scar that cut through his lips. Maybe before all this I’d have cared more about how that made me look, how that made him think I was, but the end of the world had a funny way of reshuffling your fears and anxieties. 

Once our lovely dinner was done and over with, the remaining food slipped away for the future, Ghost told Soap and I to get some sleep, then stepped out into the dining room to keep watch for the night. Soap propped himself up against the wall by the freezer door, his gun in his lap, and leaned his head back and closed his eyes. I chose to curl up in the corner along the same wall as him, with my knees tucked into my chest and my hands folded under my head. 

My eyes didn’t close, however. Instead they kept staring out into the darkness, towards the dining room door. Towards where Ghost was. It sounded like Soap was asleep. He was breathing deeply and hadn’t moved in a while, but I still didn’t really trust these two. 

Neither of them had shown any signs of possible betrayal and everything they had done only reinforced the idea that they were actual military men. Yet there was still that little hint of doubt at the back of my mind. That one instinct that told me to keep my guard up, my mind active, my eyes open. I trusted them to keep me safe from the zombies, but I knew the only thing that would keep me safe from them was myself. 

I dozed off a few times. Never fully fell asleep, jerked awake at every rush of wind or creak of the building, but still. It was better than nothing. I probably would have gotten better sleep if I’d still been in that attic. My plan had been to stay there for a few days. Deal with the hunger for as long as I could, rest up, then search the suburbs for anything that might have been left behind by the families there. 

Halfway through the night, Ghost stepped back through the door and I instantly pushed myself up so I was sitting, my eyes wide, fearing that something had gone wrong. 

He didn’t say anything though. Not to me. His eyes danced over to me in the darkness, but he just walked right over to Soap and nudged him in the leg with his boot. Soap breathed deep, his eyes opening easily as he tilted his head back to look up at his partner.

“My turn?” he asked softly. Ghost nodded and Soap nodded back before he pushed himself to his feet. He also spared me a glance, smiling when he spotted me sitting up and staring at them. “Go back to sleep. Just switching the watch, is all.” 

Soap stalked out of the room, looking completely awake, and Ghost slid down the wall to take the same position as Soap. 

After a moment of hesitation, I curled back up on my side, falling back into the silence of the night.

Ghost didn’t let it linger between us long.

“Haven’t slept a wink, have you?” He whispered. His voice carried through the room with ease, making me flinch as it hit my ears. I shifted a bit on the floor. The urge to roll to my other side was strong, but I wasn’t willing to put my back to the room to relieve the ache in my limbs. 

“No.” 

He grunted. Then spoke again. “Should try to.” 

“Have been.” 

“Try harder.” 

I lifted my head, just enough so he could turn and see how my face was twisted in annoyance. 

“Bastard,” I hissed.

To my surprise, his eyes scrunched and his shoulders shook and I heard him chuckle. He didn’t seem the kind to laugh easily, but of course getting a rise out of me would do it. Ghost didn’t say anything else and I settled back on the floor a few seconds later. The urge to snap at him again was strong, yet I managed to ignore it. 

--

“So how long have you been out here alone, lass?” Soap asked, his fingers idly drumming against the handguard of his rifle. 

We were walking along a road. One side was lined sparsely with trees and the other was nothing but a rotting cornfield. It was open and windy and apparently the perfect time to start interrogating me about my past. Soap was to my left and Ghost was a few paces behind us both, his eyes scanning the fields around us. Every now and then we passed an empty car, but besides that it was completely barren. 

“Pretty much since the beginning of all this,” I replied with a shrug. “My family always liked to talk a big game about what we’d do if zombies ever hit, but the second they did, it all fell apart. I was home alone. Everyone else was at work… I said they were dead, but honestly, I have no idea what happened to any of them… I stayed home for a few days after everything went wrong, though, so I figure if they didn’t try to come get me…,” I shrugged again and Soap’s face looked grim. “Went out on my own when looters turned up and started threatening me.” 

“Sorry, lass,” he muttered.

“Don’t be, they were an abusive bunch of assholes anyway.” Soap’s brows raised suddenly and he glanced at Ghost over his shoulder. “I don’t miss any of them.” 

“Not one?”

“Not. One.” 

“Well… guess that’s a bright side, then,” he said, scoffing.

“Mhm. What about you? What’s your sob story?”

Soap shook his head at me. “No story to sob over. My family’s tucked away on base in the UK. I wasn’t working when this all went down, but was called up pretty fast once things got rollin’. Got 'em safe, then got called in.” I nodded a few times, a smile curling at my lips. 

“That’s good to hear. What about you, Ghost?” I asked, turning to walk backwards a few paces so I could look at him while I spoke. “What’s your whole deal?”

Soap’s brows raised again and he glanced back towards Ghost yet again as his dark eyes turned on me. No one spoke for a short while. I kept walking backwards, thankful that this road was smooth and there weren’t any cracks or bumps for me to trip and eat shit over. 

“Don’t have one.” 

“A deal or…?”

“Family.” 

“Because of the zombies?”

“No.” 

“Why the mask?”

“Lass-” Soap started, the warning clear in his tone. “Don’t.” 

Ghost didn’t offer anything else but a set of narrowed eyes, so I took Soap’s advice and turned back around to continue our walk in silence.

--

We were still on the road when night fell. There were no buildings in sight and no signs of any zombies, but Ghost and Soap still didn’t want to be out in the open, so we stopped just after the sun fell below the horizon, when we found a big van that could fit us all while keeping us out of sight. 

It had a big enough space in the back to fit us all on the floor. Not comfortably. However comfort wasn’t the worry, at least not for the guys. 

It wasn’t what I was worried about either, to be fair. What I was worried about was the fact that they wanted to keep me in the middle of our sleep pile. 

“Why?” 

“You’ll be safer there and I don’t think I’d survive too much longer if I woke up snuggled up on Ghost,” Soap said with a laugh. 

“And what makes you think I want you snuggled up on me?” I almost snarled, snapping him out of his humorous mood. His eyes flickered down to my hands, where I was gripping my gun like a lifeline, then over to Ghost, a frown pulling at his lips. 

“I didn’t mean anything by it, lass,” he said, sounding serious for the first time since I’d met him. “Swear it. All hands will be kept to themselves.” My eyes narrowed at him. “It’s just to keep you safe. Ghost and I are used to this sort of thing, even before the outbreak, we’ve done this a thousand times with people we’ve been tasked to keep out of the line of fire.” 

I still wasn’t convinced.

“How ‘bout this,” Ghost said, stepping up beside me. I flinched when he reached forward and my eyes widened when I realized he was offering me a knife. “You keep this close. In hand. Guns won’t be any use in such close quarters, so if we do anything that makes you feel threatened, give us a new hole, alright?”

That was a little more reassuring… I still wasn’t completely happy about the set up, but the sun was gone and the light was fading fast and the closing darkness felt more like it was pressuring me about my choice than anything else. So, with a quiet sigh, I nodded and took the knife from Ghost. 

Then I crawled into the back of the van and was quickly squished between the both of them. 

Neither of them planned on keeping watch that night. Since we were in such an open space with no threats in sight, they figured it was best for them to both catch up on sleep while things were clear. I had hoped to do the same, since I hadn’t slept even a little bit the night before. I was finding it difficult to drift off, however.

It was just fear keeping me awake. Pure fear. 

The knife Ghost gave me was clutched in my left hand, which was resting against my chest. On my back, I had Soap’s back pressed into my left arm and Ghost’s shoulder touching the right, giving me no room to worm away. Maybe I would have if Ghost wasn’t on his back, but he seemed to like sleeping like a vampire with his hands folded over his stomach, so…

“Relax.” I flinched at the sound of his voice and turned to stare at Ghost through the shadows, my grip tightening on the hilt of his knife. “I know you don’t trust us, but we aren’t gonna hurt you. Aren’t gonna touch you.” 

He could say whatever he wanted, but words were words. They didn’t mean jack shit in the end of it all. 

“Why didn’t you just let me go to the base myself?” I whispered back to him. 

“Told you why.” 

“I survived fine enough on my own up until then.”

“Couldn’t risk lettin’ your luck run out.”

“Thought it was just luck that kept me alive this long?”

“It's just luck that’s kept any of us alive through all this.” I couldn’t really argue with that. Zombies were bad enough. The rapid mutations only made it worse. Luck really was a big part of it, that was just a fact. “Try and get some sleep. We move out at sunrise.” 

Ghost turned away from me after that, facing the roof of the van as his eyes fell closed. Less than a minute later he was breathing deeply and evenly and I allowed myself to loosen my grip on the knife. Just a little. 

Neither of them moved in their sleep. All they did was breathe. They didn’t even snore, which was almost weird, but then I thought about how they were military. Probably used to falling asleep whenever they could, wherever they could. Having to be quick and quiet about resting in dangerous places. It was a skill I wish I’d gained through all this. I’d always had trouble falling asleep, even when I was exhausted, like I was now. If I didn’t manage to calm myself down and let myself rest for at least a little while tonight, I’d be a walking liability and luck would get us nowhere. 

I took a deep breath, letting my eyes close lightly. Then I took another and risked rolling over onto my right side, putting my back against Soap’s and facing Ghost. I kept the knife in my hand and rested my fist next to my head, trying to keep my breathing steady, trying to relax myself enough that I could sleep.

--

thank you for reading :3

have a lovely day!

[your-local-hoemie]

ꕥgenshin impactꕥ boyfriend head-canons. Number 2 Liyue boogaloo~

The first one I did got so much attention like thank you so much, I’d die for you all ^^

No I didn’t put xiao first because I was too excited to write him and no I didn’t get carried away with his scenario. Shut up.

I’m still super busy, I kid you fucking not I’ve been trying to get fired but it isn’t working for some god damn reason and I’ve had like four hours sleep in total since my last request so I apologise if this is completely incoherent, I am rapidly becoming very unhinged <33

This was just for funsies and to keep me sane so I still apologise for not get to any requests at the moment :(

Summary: Just the Liyue boys as your S/O uwu

Warnings: fluff, swearing, established relationship, gn!reader, a little suggestive (childe), not proof-read.

Characters: Xiao, Zhongli, Childe (I know he’s from that Russian place I can’t spell for the life of me but shush).

I really wanted to do baizhu but I just pulled him and I wanna go through his story so I can really get his character traits, I’ll be doing my fruity baby in the future~

Xiao~

Oh my sweet baby

My boy

The man, the myth :(, the legend~

He’s the reason my standards are too high

Curse his pretty face

Absolutely oblivious before confessing

Everyone around him could tell how different he was around you

But no matter how much they mentioned it he’d just be like

“Adepti have no need for such feelings, you mortals have such foolish ideas and no respect”

Meanwhile he’s trying his best to stomach the cake you made him just because you made it for him

At first he genuinely thought you were kinda annoying lmao

Always being so nice to him and wouldn’t leave him alone

Only when you went away to Inazuma did he realise how much he grew accustomed to your strange daily rituals of bringing him qingxings that you picked yourself just to follow him around like a puppy

I actually don’t think he’d appreciate being given too much almond tofu

Even though he likes it better than any other food can you imagine being fed the same thing everyday non stop :/

Proceeded to ask his dad Zhongli for advice

He doesn’t understand why he feels all weird and tingly

Genuinely thinks it’s his karmic debt

Zhongli proceeds to be a shit and tell’s him to “find out on his own” for some kind of moral lesson or something idfk

When he accidentally brings it up with Goldet, things get fun

Well not really for him but for everyone else’s entertainment, yes

Even with exTREME reluctance he somehow gets roped into “how to express emotions 101” lessons

Has to practice having a full conversation with a scarecrow that Goldet ever so kindly dragged in for him :)

Embarrassed, Humiliated, overwhelmed

And yet still he persists for reasons unbeknownst to him

It isn’t until he overhears some rumours about a show down between the electro archon and a mortal that he realises he might like like you

That and the constant teasing and encouragement from Zhongli and Goldet

Boys distraught

First of all he can’t have feelings for someone

He’s just going to hurt you!

He has a duty to uphold!

Only after brooding to himself for a few days does he accept it

Take it slow with him please, he may be a demon killing yaksha but he’s so scared and paranoid

Red flags? Nah we colour blind here

When you get back from Inazuma it’s very clear that your patience is thin and energy being nonexistent

Fuck you tsurimi island I hope you burn

So seeing when returning to Wangsheng Inn to find the one person you’d be holding out to see after so long, not there and a letter left to you telling you to head to the top of gingyun peak

You were not happy to say the least

Thought it was another commission and almost didn’t go

Curiosity got the better tho and that’s where he awkwardly gave you his own qingxing flowers and a amusingly bad attempt at making your favourite food

Tries to hide how red he is

Seeing you cloaked in the moonlight, leaves and fireflies framing your pretty face~

Boys a mess~

He doesn’t even have to say anything, you just pull him in for a hug and after the initial shock of it he decides then and there that you’re now bound together <3

Rarely openly admits he loves you

Too scary

At least for the moment

He is a bird

So you know what that means?

Bird behaviour goobery activated~

Brings you flowers, pebbles, crystals and anything “pretty” he comes across during his day

Pda is a no unless you want him teleporting away and pouting for a good 48 hours because he got flustered

When you’re alone though he’s more open

Hand holding, forehead kisses, sometimes even cuddling if the planets align and his karma isn’t bothering him as much that day!

He’s so touch starved he just needs to get used to affection ;-;

Stalks you romantically

He just wants to keep you safe, he’s lost so much and gone through unimaginable pain

It took some time for him to be ok with you being so close to him since he’s scared of his karmic debt hurting you

Gets super red when talking about you~

“Hm? Y/N? Well they’re..um..very important to me I suppose”

Poof. he’s suddenly “needed” somewhere else

Even if it doesn’t seem like he cares too much I can assure you that he treasures you

You’ve given his life filled with pain and loss so much meaning and even though he’s bad with expressing his emotions he’ll always find some way to make sure you know how special you are to him <3

I don’t think he’d use much pet names

Either calls you by your first name/Qingxing/sweetheart/love.

Zhongli~

Mmm fancy gentleman

British but if British people weren’t a mistake

Sighs in being British

He’s such a gentle dude ;-;

Always pulling chairs out for you or kissing your hand while holding a door open

Don’t be mistaken though

He’s an absolute smug little shit

He just hides it very well

Teases you in the most unholy of ways only to look at you with confused innocent eyes

Impossible to be mad at istg

Sliced fruit dad™️

Teaches you how to traditionally make tea after he noticed you using tea bags

Genuinely mortified him

Likes to take you on walks around Liyue and tells you stories from his life as a archon

Speaking of which I’m 100% sure he was completely unhinged when he was younger

When he first realised he was falling for you he was the sweetest person

He’d take time to somehow “accidentally” cross paths with you and just so happened to be there if you needed help

Brings you the prettiest bouquets of flowers all personally arranged by him

He has experience to a certain degree

We all know the back story and if you don’t I’m not spoiling uwu

When he decided he had dragged it on for long enough he decided to finally confess

Surprisingly nervous

Man had to keep adjusting his collar and tie and absolutely wasn’t sweating just a little

Made casual conversation while walking with you to that big crystal tree where he kept his traumatised dog

Held both of your hands right as the sun spilled golden sunlight across the mountains and probably end up cupping your cheek with the softest smile ;-;

“I have witnessed many beauties in my time but the warmth of your smile truly is the most awe inspiring sight I ever have and ever will lay eyes upon”

Xiao gets so tired of hearing him brag about you

Even Hu Tao is wearing thin 💀

Doesn’t get jealous

He knows he has nothing to worry about between his trust for you and his not very subtle ego

Tries to be better at earning and holding money just because he wants to treat you!

Doesn’t want to give Childe the luxury of knowing his money is the cause of your happiness

Not that it necessarily is anyway

It’s just the experience of seeing how your face lights up when you try that really expensive food you always wanted or find that adorable plush you’d been eyeing up, on your bed

But of course that being said it’s truly the small things you both enjoy the most

The walks and stories

Teaching him how to be more accustomed to mortal life

He loves to hold your hands or pet your head!

Also loved it when you randomly peck his cheek or nose when he’s being adorably oblivious

Good luck to anyone who tries to hurt you btw

Man will summon his pillar so far up their ass they’d legally be a lollipop

That’s a threat I swear

If you come home hurt he’ll immediately roll his sleeve up and grab the first aid

Probably scolding you for not being careful enough but he really can’t keep the act up for long

He’s just worried ;-;

He’s lived for so long

You don’t even begin to understand how much he adores and admires you for bringing excitement and warmth back to his life~

Pet names are darling/dear/love/sweetheart/jewel.

Childe~

Someone slap him please

I love him but good god

Clingy™️

I know deep down he’s a really nice boy and very soft very caring yes very nice 10/10 boyfriend

But you need to housetrain him

Dead ass would sit on the couch covered in blood and put his feet on the coffee table and get so confused to why you were mad 💀

Do not flirt back

Don’t even attempt it

Not unless you want to encourage him and make it 20x worse

You will nEVER live it down

Is actually very sweet though, if not a little dumb sometimes

Immediately knew he liked you the second you met

How did he go about showing he liked you?

Pestering you constantly

Buys you lots of things too

Have to literally threaten him to stop

Which ofc turns him on hardly works

There’s really no winning with him

That is until you realise you can bring the mighty Tartaglia, 11th of the Fatui Harbingers to his knees by just kissing his cheek or holding his hand

He’s so immune to his own teasing that he forgot to consider that affection is a pretty good way to get people to warm up to you

Jealous boy

Well sort of

He trusts you but he gets easily insecure under his cronchy ego front

Casually talks about the most fucked up shit and then laugh it off

Indirectly asked Zhongli for help confessing

Reluctantly Zhongli finds out your favourite food/hobbies/Ect.

Yeah help him but not Xiao, betrayer

I’m not getting salty at my own headcanons shut up

When he invited you to dinner, you already knew why

He’s not subtle

Quiet is the last thing he can do well without cracking up every now and then

Either that or it was the candlelit table surrounded by roses that had been set up for you near the harbour and a very nervous ginger waiting for you with the biggest, goofiest grin imaginable

He’d be on his very best behaviour ;)

Stares at you in the candlelight before you ask him what’s up in hopes to make the tension a little less overwhelming

“I have won countless battles but none have meant quite as much to me as winning your heart does”

Congrats on become Liyues new power couple

He’d be lying if he didn’t feel at least a little smug seeing people gawk at you both

You’re so pretty together, how can they not?

Some dude tried to hit on you one time while he was drunk

Somehow Dottore magically ended up with a new play thing

When he introduced you to his family he was so happy!!

Tonia, Teucer, and Anthon all adore you!!

He does get a little jealous though when you play house with Teucer and you tease him by purposefully refusing to be his spouse

Good job keeping that act up for too long

Has absolutely sent piles of letters to his family telling them all about you!

His parents probably know pretty much everything there is by now

Though if you have boundaries he’ll respect them :)

He loves to show his affection to you no matter where you are!

Teasing kisses, hand holding, hugging

He’ll often barge into your room and plop his head down on your lap just so you can play with his hair while he talks~

If you fall asleep then he’ll wrap you all up and cuddle you uwu

Had to decide if he should tell you about his occupation

He was so scared that you’d leave him or become scared ;-;

Sure, you and the fatui aren’t exactly on close terms but it’s different with him

When you asked to have some time to think he was terrified

Please give him hugs and reassure him when you return

He’s even seemed to calm down a little since you got together

Of course he’s still a battle crazed maniac that gets hard just off the thought of being challenged

But he’s devoting more of his time to cherishing you and spending time together <3

Gets so excited when you ask to spar him

Does the whole thing where he’ll stand behind you while he shows you how to hold his bow

All steamy and shit

Elbow him

You also have to admit his status has its plus points

You never have to worry about being in danger while on commissions or having enough mora to survive

Romantic idiots 3.0

Though you’re probably a little less unhinged

Probably not by much if you’re dating him tho~

When you’re tired or don’t have the time to deal with his neediness he’ll go full pout mode

All whiny and touchy

Give him a head pat and a kiss that lasts maybe a little longer than it should and he’ll satisfied

Expect for the times he carries you back home to enjoy your attention a little more~

Honestly a 50/50

He always makes sure to tell you how much he loves you and how much happier you’ve made his life~

If you look close enough you might even see a slight sparkle in his deep blue eyes that never used to be there <3

Pet names areeee: cutie/babe/baby/honey/droplet/spark/love

I know xiaos was long enough to be it’s own post but let me have my silly little obsession with my silly little traumatised men!

[samobservessonic]

Next we return to Knuckles, who’s stuck in the never-ending Marxio Bros story

So we’re just not going to talk about that clown in the ticket booth?

DOn’t forGET … you’RE HEEERRREEeee foreeevvveEEEEeerrrr ! ! !! ! ! !!

The Marxios are convinced that Knuckles won’t try to attack the park while there’s people inside it and that, even if Knuckles does get in, he’ll have to deal with more badniks on the inside anyway. But Knuckles knows his island better than anyone, right down to every fault line…

…And he smashes the whole zone off the end of the island! That is incredible! Like damn, he’s literally willing to knock off a massive chunk of land to get rid of these intruders. I love how Knuckles isn’t messing about here. Bye, losers!

Also, one of the background Mobians has been coloured to look like Johnny, but since they’re just a random civilian, I really doubt that it’s him. Unless Johnny landed that bi-plane in the last story and decided he needed a Carnival Zone break

For the sake of having Knuckles not commit murder in this story, they say the Floating Island can still remain floating for a little while without the Emeralds’ power. But that doesn’t mean that the Marxio Bros are in for a comfortable landing

You have no idea how satisfying this retribution is to watch after enduring this whole story. I also like how Knuckles isn’t certain they’ll survive, he just thinks they probably will and that’s good enough for him. Yet, despite not putting these people at risk, he’s equally not going to let them stay on the island longer than necessary. Not even Discount Johnny or Porker-in-a-suit

I think we know where this is going

Get Flamingo Land’d, kid! Theme park right on your doorstep!

Also, these guys survived. I know we see them again, but for now I’m going to take their return to Super Marxio World as a victory. Let’s hope Budget Bowser keeps them occupied for quite some time

…Huh. Y’know, if these guys are like the Anti-World Mario bros, then does that make Budget Bowser a hero? …Nope, I’m not gonna devote more thought to them than they deserve

It’s over! It’s finally over!

And you can bet that those kids did write in to see more Knuckles stories, because he’s certainly not going anywhere. I’m looking forward to riding that wave of 90s Knuckles popularity

Now, I know I’ve been pretty blunt about my feelings on the Marxio Bros, but I just want to be clear that’s not a slight to Kitching’s writing. The guy has almost exclusively written stories I love. Him and Stringer are the strong backbone of the StC lore. I just don’t enjoy these particular villains, nor find their gimmick funny. “But it was the 90s console wars!” Yeah, but I read these comics during said console wars and I didn’t even care for them back then. And I was in the trenches on the SEGA team - I even owned a Saturn. Your mileage will vary for this, but I just feel I would’ve gotten more out of this story if it had been any other villain besides these guys. It also didn’t need to be six parts long. Hell, I don’t even think it needed to be three parts long. I know this gave Elson’s art room to flourish, but there were also a lot of scenes I cut out of the Marxios talking to each other that basically amounted to “I sure hope Knuckles doesn’t realise we’re evil”

But I don’t want to end this on a downer, so I will say that the ending sequence was so badass that it made up for everything else! Knuckles literally snapping a piece off his own island to get rid of the intruders! This was absolutely a scene that deserved Elson’s art to make it look so epic!

[bumblebeehug]

Foggy Baths

Summary: Prompt: *Fogs up mirror and writes a message* As Natsu once again finds himself suffocating in the scented air, he leaves a secret message on Lucy's mirror. Notes: This is a fic on the shorter side that was inspired by a Tumblr prompt I found but can't remember the creator of. "*Fogs up mirror and writes a message*" just screamed NaLu to me, so in two days I scrambled together this fic. I hope you like it! Ao3 - FF.net

***

Lucy took a deep breath through her nose. The air around her was magical. Not literally, but she could definitely feel the eternano enter her body through the calming aura she was in. Light floral scents were steaming out of Lucy’s scalding hot bath, almost making her a bit dizzy, and with her moisturising face mask on and her lavender scented candles lit, she was in heaven. She had even been wise enough to bring a book and put on some of her favourite classical music pieces, because now she was in her own amazing world, diving into the romantic story that hid in those old pages.

Natsu was so bored. The team had just gotten home from a long and hard mission, and Lucy had immediately forbidden him and Happy to enter her apartment. He truly couldn’t wrap his head around why - even she knew that they were impossible to keep out. They basically lived together! Well, not according to Lucy, but Natsu knew better. He did half of their chores and slept in her bed - not even Lucy was dense enough to believe they were only friends, right?

To be honest, Natsu wasn’t too sure. He thought he had been super clear with his feelings for the celestial mage, promising to be together forever in the future and making sure to always keep her safe, but he suspected Lucy wanted something else - something more, as a confession. She was, after all, an avid and passionate reader of romantic novels. He could bet 10 years of food money on that she was nose deep in one of those books right now.

But Natsu isn’t a prince. He doesn’t know what to say or do to make the woman he loves feel special. It’s an unknown world. So instead he does what he does best. He brings Happy along to break into Lucy’s apartment.

As he stood outside the pink building on Strawberry Street he could already sense that Lucy’s taking one of those “relaxing days” that mostly fried Natsu’s nose more than they made Lucy relax. The sound of multiple violins made him understand that she was listening to her mother’s favourite classical music. That was to Natsu that was a relief, since it meant that he easily could sneak in through her bedroom window. Happy was immediately off to raid the fridge, and Natsu was tempted to do the same before he heard a soft humming, slightly out of tempo, from the bathroom. While Happy was distracted, Natsu took his chance to sneak away. He was already thinking up multiple pranks as he gently opened the usually creaky bathroom door.

He was met with a thick puff of steam and heavy artificial scents. Natsu almost let out a cough but kept it in as he studied the room Lucy had decorated. He was trying to find one of those face sharpies… Lucy called them eyelid liner or something, Natsu wasn’t paying too much attention back then, when his eyes came across the mirror. It was so fogged up that he could barely make out his own figure in the reflecting glass. He smiled slightly at the sight, because only Lucy could be so drawn to the heat that it almost made a fire dragon slayer sweaty. And then he wondered, could he maybe find a way to prank her with the mirror in some way, while also not getting caught? His first idea was to scare her by placing his palm against the glass and pretend that it was some ghost, but he knew that Lucy immediately would recognise his hand size. He mindlessly glanced at the drape, where her shadow seemed to be dancing in the flickering light that probably came from some of her oh so loved candles. She seemed peaceful right now, probably completely calm and relaxed in this steamy room.

The longer he stood in the room, the dizzier he got. Honestly, it felt as if a sauna and a perfume shop had been fused, and according to Natsu, that is a mix that should never be made. Though, the longer he stood in the room, the more of Lucy’s laughter, gasps and small exclamations he could hear as she progressed with her novel, flipping pages faster than Natsu could understand. How could she read so fast? He felt incredibly calm near this presence. Her presence. He wanted to stay and listen to her vocalising her emotions forever, but these scents were really getting to his head and he could already feel a really bad headache coming up. So he swiftly moved over to the mirror and started doodling. He tried to stay focused as he painted out a poor portrait of Plue, and then a small fire dragon, which he labled "Igneel" to make sure she got the refrence, and then a little paw mark to frame Happy, even if he wasn’t the partner in crime this time. And then, as Lucy once again started with her humming to the melody, Natsu found his hands writing out a small “I love you” in the corner of the mirror. As he realised what he was doing, he started blushing profusely. Yes, by now he definitely thought that Lucy already should know this, but he had a feeling she didn’t. And with this being the most obvious confession, Natsu naturally felt embarrassed.

But he didn’t wipe it out. Instead he used his best ninja-skills in order to get out of the place as quietly as he had gotten there. When he came out of the bathroom his head immediately felt clearer - and with that, so did his embarrassment. So he hastily made his way to her bed where Happy had already fallen asleep while cuddling a fishbone. And as he lied there under her soft covers, he could for once not fall asleep. His eyelids felt heavy while his ears listened to Lucy as she blew out the candles, drained the bath, started drying her body, and then, the dreaded moment when she pushed her drapes aside. Natsu could swear on his life that his heartbeat was detectable for every dragon slayer on the continent right now, because he knew that Lucy would see what he had written. He could hear a defeated sigh, and then a small giggle as Lucy loudly showcased her emotions through her voice. If he wasn’t so nervous right now he’d fall in love all over again - she was just too cute.

Natsu put all his focus into breathing steadily and keeping his face relaxed as he feigned his sleep. Lucy opened the bathroom door, and he heard her shuffle her feet across the floor. She was walking straight towards him.

The closer she came, the more obvious it was to him that her heart was beating a bit harder than before. With just a few inches apart, Lucy raised her hand and cupped Natsu’s cheek.

“Me too,” she whispered, as if she knew that he was awake right now. And Natsu felt like flying, because two words had never sounded more heavenly to him. He loves Lucy and Lucy loves him back. The corners of his mouth twitched in pure happiness, and he had to use all the power in his mind and body to keep faking his sleep. One day he was going to get Lucy to say “I love you” to him, while looking him straight in his eyes, no more funny business. But today he allowed himself to just relish in the blessings he had been given for the day. Whatever was waiting in the future could wait a bit longer. They still had forever ahead of them after all.

[justannadahfanfictor]

The Queens successor: part 1

Hey there, so the last few days I’ve been hella into the movie Epic from 2013 and so I ofc came up with a reader Oc idea that I’m going to write. It’s going to be 3 parts. Tbh I can’t really see Ronin with anyone other than Tara but I love the sunshine x grumpy trope. I ofc wanted it to be in the Epic universe so this is what I’ve come up with. Hope you enjoy ❣️

*authors note: hey there I just wanted to apologize in the case I’m not using the correct tags to post this. I saw a post of someone ranting saying it makes the person super angry when the post should be y/n but it’s not. If I knew that I wouldn’t have started writing it the way I did. Now on that note I am going to continue writing at least the rest of this story the way it’s already being written especially because it’s an Oc, but yea, I hope y’all enjoy it as much as possible especially if you’re someone who gets angry when things aren’t written as y/n. Thanks for your understanding.

Word count for pt 1: 3k+

Reader: Oc named Elizabeth but everyone calls her Liz, Poppy, Princess or Princess Poppy

She is Queen Tara’s successor. Queen Tara and Ronin have looked after her since she was a baby.

Love interest: a leaf man named Michael. He is the reader’s personal guard as well as her best friend. He is 2nd in command. Though he is a few years older than Poppy, they grew up together.

Reader and Michael have a relationship very similar to Tara and Ronin (sunshine x grumpy).

This is just a cute fic in the universe of Epic and how Tara and Ronin helped bring the couple together.

There will be quite a bit of parallels in this story compared to Tara and Ronin

17 years prior: Queen Tara’s POV

Today had been a long day. Boggins had become relentless leading to lots and lots of meetings with officials trying to come up with a plan to keep them from crossing into Moonhaven territory. Of course there was also dealing with my feelings for a certain leafman I’ve known for years. I want to be more than friends with him, but I don’t want to ruin the friendship we have. He can be so hard to read sometimes. It made nights like these feel lonely, gloomy; which fit right in with the way the weather was tonight. I was getting ready for bed, listening to the rain as it was really coming down out there.

Thunder began to rumble in when I heard it, clear as day; a baby in distress. I took a second to look out my window where I saw it. There on the palace steps was what looked to be a basket. I extended some vines to bring the basket to me, wanting to get it out of the rain. The sounds of a baby crying became louder as the basket became closer. I pulled the basket up in through the window where I saw the most beautiful baby. She didn’t look to be wearing regular clothes but had an English poppy flower covering her almost like a blanket. I picked the baby up to console her and dry her off a bit when I saw there was a note in the basket. It seemed almost like a cryptic, prophetic message, written in beautiful calligraphy. “She is the secret to future peace; when the time comes and you are deceased.” There was no sign as to who had wrote this. As I went to turn the paper over to look for any answers to who this little girl was, I gave myself a paper cut, hissing out in pain. As I was holding the infant who was now quiet in my arms, she reached out to hold my pointer finger (the finger that was cut). I was going to try to give her a different finger when a soft, warm light shined bright from the palm of her hand. Within seconds, the cut and any evidence there was a cut there before was gone, all healed up. It seemed clear as day this was my sign from Mother Nature. This baby girl was to be the next Queen of Moonhaven. As I was admiring her little features (a tiny button nose, beautiful blue eyes, fiery red hair) she started to whine and cry. I held her close as I rubbed her back speaking sweetly to her. “Alright my little princess; you’re safe with me. What’s the matter hmm? Are you cold?”.

A knock was heard on my door a guard calling out to me; “Your majesty is everything alright in there? I hear crying.” I opened the door to speak with the soldier, holding my little girl close trying to get her to calm down. I told the soldier “everything is alright. I need one of you to go get commander Ronin and bring him back here. Tell him it’s urgent and I need another one of you to find some baby clothes and blankets as well as any other supplies you can find at this hour of night. We will get the rest tomorrow.” The guard was quick to follow orders and go get Ronin. Another guard was quick to come back maybe 10 minutes later with a few baby onsies, diapers and a nice warm blanket. As she handed over the supplies she explained she had had a baby about 2 years ago and these were all extra supplies she had that I could have. I thanked her for her generosity and told her she would be rewarded greatly in the near future. She told me it was not problem but I insisted. She thanked me and then was dismissed to head back home to her own little one.

Less than 30 minutes from my order, Ronin came running to my room looking panicked. He always worries too much. “Your highness I came as soon as I could. What seems to be the problem” He crouched at my side holding my waist lightly inspecting me to check for any wounds and to analyze my face for any giveaways from my mood. I blushed slightly but tried not to say anything about him holding me otherwise he would stop and make distance between us. I told him jokingly “Ronin how many times have I told you just to call me Tara. Everything’s fine, but I wanted you to be the first to know about this. Come sit.” I said making room on the bed next to me. Since it was just the two of us he seemed to have let his guard down sitting next to me holding my hand rubbing his thumb on the back for comfort. “Sorry, what is it you need to tell me” he asked giving me all his attention. He barely even acknowledged that there was a basket sitting near me on the bed as well. “Well,” I started, “I was getting ready for bed when I heard a baby crying from outside.” I pulled the basket towards us showing him there was a baby sleeping sound in that basket. Ronin being the overthinker he is started asking every and any question making sure the baby was not a set up from the Boggins. I stopped him quickly and told him “she’s a sign of the next Queen. Look” I said handing him the note written. He analyzed it quietly before saying “I’ve never seen writing or paper like this before. What do you wish to do with her?” I ran my finger softly over babygirl’s face smiling telling him “it looks like I’ve finally gotten my wish to become a mom in this lifetime.”

I could feel him looking at me and when I went to look back at him, I could feel it. There were no words that needed to be said to feel his love for me. He brought his hand up to my cheek to hold my face lovingly. I could feel the pull we had towards each other, the space between us becoming smaller and smaller when my sweet girl started to whine, wanting to be held. We both pulled away slightly blush and giggling a little. I loved seeing him smile. It was one of the most beautiful things to see/experience. I went to pick her up when Ronin asked if he could hold her instead. I nodded smiling. He picked her up holding her like he was afraid she was gonna break. She looked at him curiously before wrapping her hand around his finger, yawning and curling in closer to him, getting comfy in his arms. She looked so small in his arms. If I could fall even more in love with this man, in that moment, I did. “She’s so small” he said, holding her close. “Do you know what you want to name her?” He asked. I rubbed her nose to her forehead lightly trying to put her back to sleep while she was in his arms and nodded. “I think I am going to name her Elizabeth, but Liz for short or Poppy for a nickname since she came with a big poppy flower.” He smiled looking down at her. “Hello then Poppy. It’s nice to meet you. I promise to always protect you and your mother no matter what it takes.”

He gave her a kiss on the forehead before we put her back in her basket making her comfy. He stood up to go after that and told me “I should get going since it seems we’ll have a busy day tomorrow.” Before he could leave I quickly grabbed his hand. “Stay, please.” My confidence seemed to dwindle a bit so I added “she seems to like you, just in case I need help with her in the night”. He nodded and agreed taking off his shoes before getting under the covers as Liz was put on the ground in her basket next to his side of the bed. I got under the covers and turned off the light. Right before sleep over took me, I felt an arm curl around my waist and bring me closer. I fell asleep, smiling, content with being in the arms of the one I love.

A few months later:

Elizabeth was secretly a blessing for Ronin and i’s relationship. Over the last few months, we had fallen into a routine of taking care of her, him staying over most nights. The kingdom was very happy to hear of the new successor and although many didn’t say anything, I could see and feel they were happy for whatever was going on between Ronin and I.

Things however almost took a turn for the worst about a week ago. We were sitting having tea after a meeting about new procedures for Boggins at the border and how many leafmen had said they felt something big was about to happen. Ronin was holding Liz making faces at her trying to get her to smile and giggle. I looked at him smiling and without even thinking I told him quietly but confidently “I love you”. He stopped what he was doing and asked me “what did you say?” I was scared to tell him but I figured it was now or never. I took a deep breath and started “ I said I love you. I knew I loved you before, I’ve known for years, but seeing you with Poppy, seeing how good you are with her, the closer we’ve gotten since she came into our lives, I can’t avoid my feelings for you anymore. I love you Ronin. I want to wake up next to you every morning and go to sleep next to you every night. I want to work alongside you until my last breath, I want to make you smile as much as I possibly can because to see you smile is to see one of the most beautiful things on earth.”

He looked shocked at my confession with a little bit of fear as well. He didn’t say anything just put Liz back in her stroller and told me “sorry, I forgot I have to go. Meeting with the other leafmen about a possible ambush.” He couldn’t even look me in the eyes. Had I been reading the situation all wrong? A few tears rolled down my cheeks as I was left with my daughter alone.

It’s been about a week and I’ve had very little interaction with Ronin and it’s not from lack of trying. Any chance he gets to avoid me or not talk about what happened a week ago he does. It’s taking a toll on Elizabeth. She’s been extra fussy. In the night sometimes it takes hours to get her to sleep because I know she just wants him to hold her. I may be her mother, but along the way, Ronin became her father and she’s 100% a daddy’s girl. After another night of little to no sleep because of not being able to calm Poppy, I finally snapped.

It was late morning when Ronin came in to debrief with me on the training they were going to be doing today closer to the border, which would leave the village and palace heavily under protected but I figured it was alright. There had been no attacks in months, today hopefully would be no different. I had been nodding off a little towards the end when Ronin tried to get my attention. “Is everything alright Queen Tara? You seem really tired.” Wonder what gave it away. Maybe the eyebags I had from multiple sleepless nights, or the constant yawning. “No everything is not alright” I said with a deep sigh, trying not to explode. I continued on “I know you are upset with me about last week but that doesn’t give you the right to take it out on Elizabeth. Whether you like it or not she has become attached to you these last few months. I have stayed up the last week every single night because she won’t stop crying. She cries until she’s exhausted and then falls asleep for maybe 30 minutes and then cries some more. She wants you. She wants her father.” “Queen Tara-“ he went to speak when Poppy started to cry from the other room. With tears about to overflow from my eyes I took a deep breath and told him “have a good training, stay safe” and then headed to find my princess. I picked her up holding her close to me. “Shh, I know honey, I know, mama’s here. I know I’m not the one you want but please try to calm down for me” I said while rubbing circles on her back walking around the room a bit. What I didn’t see was Ronin standing in the doorway, with guilt taking over his facial features before he left for training.

Ronin’s POV:

Hearing Tara tell me she loves me just made me panic. I was so happy to hear what I feel is reciprocated, but I just had so many other things running through my mind. What if because I am a high ranking officer she is used as collateral damage. What if Princess Poppy was taken to get to me, to torture me? What if I’m a bad father, a bad husband? What if my serious nature weighs on Tara’s happiness? “You okay there Commander? You seem really in your head lately.” My best friend says to me as we start off the training. He was the only one who knew what happened last week and the only one I really talked to about my love for our Queen and childhood friend. “Yea, just got into it a bit with Tara about the princess before we left.” I said sadly looking down at the forces already working on their maneuvers and training. My friend nodded, putting a hand on my shoulder and just told me “dude you gotta apologize and tell her how you feel. You’ve wanted to be with her for forever, now’s your chance.”

Before I could respond, our forces were attacked by Boggins, a good amount of them but not nearly enough for this to be it after months of no attacks. Before killing one of the last ones that came to attack us I held my sword to his throat and said “where are the rest of you?” He smirked spitting out some blood before saying really arrogantly, “We heard there’s a new princess of Moonhaven. We just want to come and introduce ourselves to her. Btw, you’ll never make it back in time to protect her.” Before he could say anything else I killed him and yelled out to my 2nd in command. “The Queen and Princess are in danger. Keep 1/2 of the soldiers here in case this is a ploy and the other half come with me. Move like your life depends on it.” I called for my bird and took off before anyone else was even following behind. I had to get there before either of them got hurt. If I cant tell Tara how I feel, if I never get to hold Liz again, I will never forgive myself.

When we got back to the village, many were in lockdown as Boggins were wreaking havoc. I killed a few as I flew towards the palace. When I got to the palace, I saw dead leafmen on the ground. I hurried in, sword at the ready. A few more leafmen had finally arrived for backup. There were so many Boggins. I started killing on a frenzy once I heard my princess crying. I followed the crying to a room upstairs. It was coming from a room we created to be a safe room years ago, we just never thought we’d have to use it. “Tara” I called out frantically. “Are you in there?” “Yes we’re okay. Is it safe to come out yet?” She asked. It was so relieving to hear her voice. “Not yet” I told her. “I want to make sure theres no Boggins hiding anywhere” I added. Once we did a perimeter sweep and everything was cleared I knocked on the door telling her it was all clear. Tara opened the door and before she could say anything, I pulled her in by her waist with one hand and cupped her cheek gently with the other and kissed her. I put every emotion I had been feeling over the last week into that kiss. I pulled back when I needed air and put our foreheads together. “I love you too” I told her quietly.

“I thought I was never going to be able to say that to you.” I was wrapped up in some vines and lifted off my feet as she said to me “im not completely helpless yknow” which made Poppy giggle from her place on Tara’s hip. “I am aware” I said unamused. “You’re the life of the forest, looking after you is my duty. And Poppy my little princess must carry on your legacy when the time comes. She’s already full of life herself.” I felt the vines loosen and put me back down on the ground but one tickling the side of my face. “Say it again” she whispered, almost as if she were afraid this was all a dream. “I love you” I told her again as she got closer and kissed me again, this kiss full of passion and love. We broke the kiss when I started to hear whining coming from Liz who did not like not having our attention it seems. She was getting ready to start crying again when I picked her up and brought her into my arms.

Almost immediately the whining ceased as I brought her to my chest patting and rubbing circles on her back. “Aww, did someone miss me. I’m so sorry my baby, I’m right here. Daddy’s not going anywhere.” She was cradled in my arms and within minutes, she was knocked out. As I looked down at her lovingly Tara said sadly “she’s missed you so much” I held her closer telling her “I’m not going anywhere this time. I’m sorry I ran the last time. I just didn’t want to put you in danger and didn’t know if I was enough to be with an absolute queen both metaphorically and literally.” The rest of the day was spent together, just holding my princess in my arms and spending time with the love of my life. Things really had changed so much these last few months but I wouldn’t have it any other way. Poppy truly is a blessing.

Authors note: hey there I hope you enjoyed the first part! I wanted to add drawing I created of the oc characters Poppy and Michael 🙂 I’m also gonna add the edit of epic that has just had its claws dug into me these last few days. I want a love like this 😩