#First Time Actually Writing this Down
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Priest and Eldritch/Cleric and Paladin
So the story between these two doesn't come from a specific universe/fandom. They have names, but they rather go by their nicknames now bc they have no meaning in their old mortal names.
Priest and Eldritch were once siblings, Priest being a Cleric in the name of the Church, and Eldritch a Paladin for the same Church. They were loyal to the Religion, and loyal to each other. Some questioned about which loyalty was stronger, but in the end, they would learn. (For simplicity, Priest will be referred as Cleric and Eldritch as Paladin)
Cleric is the older sibling, a mortal woman who cared over her flock with gentleness. Paladin was a rather sickly human, but by becoming a Paladin, was made semi healthy by the power of the Church. They defended each other and the area until a religious war broke out. They demanded all Paladins to come to join the fight, to defend the religion and Church. Cleric begged to shield Paladin from the order, but despite her pull and pleas, Paladin was dragged off.
The next time Cleric saw her beloved younger sibling, Paladin was dying. A wound filled with fatal poison was slowly spreading through their body, and there was no cure.
Cleric could not lose the only person that she was loyal to, the only family she had left.
Clerics in this world are trained to fight against all demons and other religions, thus they are allowed access to dark scriptures and rituals. By studying them, they could fight against them, find weaknesses, bring the darkness to light.
Cleric knew of a ritual that would save her beloved sibling. It would cost everything. She would give everything.
The next morning, when her loyal flock came into their church, they expected a sermon and memorial for those lost to the war. The flock were quickly slaughtered, fuel for the dark ritual Cleric needed to give her sibling a chance of life. She dragged the bodies to the basement, where Paladin laid on a table, breathing heavily. The bodies piled up, the blood leaked everywhere. Cleric's face was a mess of tears and panic as she quickly set things in place.
"Sister?"
"Shh sweetheart... Save your strength."
"If this doesn't work-"
"Have faith-"
"I love you, sister."
"I love you more than anything."
Dagger in hand, Cleric raised up the blade, trembling and praying, chanting the scripture as she cut Paladin's wrist and drank from it. Garbled words of darkened faith split from bloody lips as she drank, before she cut her own wrists and fed it to Paladin. The dying being blindly trusted her older sister, drinking the blood fed from a trembling wrist. Once filled, Cleric let out a sob, summoning her strength once more.
"If this fails, I pray you forgive me, El." "If this fails, we will be together, Al."
With that, Cleric let out a scream and plunged the dagger into Paladin's chest, the area growing darker as she chanted a forbidden hymn. The air felt suffocating, the metallic smell filled the air. As she pulled out the dagger, she licked the blood, smearing it on her skin.
"Thus, I find new meaning and a new existence. Thus, I birth a new god. Thus, I become their Acolyte!"
With those words, she plunged the dagger into her own chest, and the world heard a gargled scream.
#mallowresponse#mallowoc#Priest OC#Lore#First Time Actually Writing this Down#Man I Am Melodramatic#Not As Much As Cleric/Priest Tho#Maybe Part 2?
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Part 1
Part 2 to my omegaverse au
MDNI!!!! Content warning: omegaverse, alpha Simon, omega reader, mentions of knotting and cock-warming, p in v, reader has a vagina, doggy style, unprotected sex (wrap it before you tap it, folks), return of the shitty ex (sorry if your name is Devin)
Your heat ends three days sooner than you had expected. Maybe it’s because you finally have an alpha to help take care of it. Maybe you’re pregnant. Who knows? These are thoughts for later. Right now, you’re just ecstatic to have an alpha, especially one as wonderful as Simon.
Speaking of the devil…
Simon groans softly, rocking his hips into yours. “What’s got you squeezin’ like that?” he mumbles into your ear, still a little groggy from sleep.
You must’ve fallen asleep last night with his knot still inside you, cockwarming him all night. The thought must make you clench around him again, because Simon’s groaning into your ear, rolling you onto your stomach.
“Hips up, love,” he commands. He doesn’t wait for you to follow the demand, already lifting your hips and shoving a pillow underneath them.
The pillow really doesn’t help much when Simon presses his body against yours, the weight of him pressing you into the mattress. His thrusts are slow, almost lazy, as if he’s got all the time in the world. Between his weight on top of you, and his cock rearranging your insides, it’s almost impossible to get out anything besides a whiney moan, struggling to get any air into your lungs. It makes your head spin, and Simon groans in your ear, dipping his head into the crook of your neck to trail kisses along your bare skin.
“Needy fuckin’ thing, ain’t ya?” he groans into your ear, his hips gradually picking up the pace. “Kept you full all night, and it still wasn’t enough.”
You whine in response, trying to push your hips back against his. You dig your hands into the sheets, hoping to find some leverage to help you, but Simon tuts softly, leaning back onto his knees. He grabs both of your wrists in one hand, twisting your arms back. The new position makes you arch your back, face pressed into the sheets. It also gives Simon a better angle to drive himself into you, each thrust hitting that spot that makes you see stars.
“S-simon,” you stutter out, eyes rolling into the back of your head. The pleasure is so good, the kind that has your toes curling, and that all too familiar feeling builds up in your abdomen.
Simon’s free hand snakes around your waist, the touch almost scorching as it trails down your stomach and between your thighs. You must still be sensitive from the previous night, because he just barely swipes his fingers over your clit and you’re cumming, pussy clamping down on his cock. Your whole body shakes, vision blank for a moment as you cry into the sheets.
Simon doesn’t slow down, hips rocking into yours, fucking you through your orgasm and into his own. His thrusting gets sloppy, until he lets go of your hands to drape himself over your back, his face buried into the crook of your neck once more, letting out a rough groan as his hips finally still, shooting his load into you.
It takes both of you a second to come down from that wonderful little high, chests heaving. Simon peppers kisses along your neck and shoulders, nipping teasingly across your bare shoulders. “So fuckin’ pretty, baby,” he murmurs into your skin.
You can’t help the whine that you let you, when he slips out of you. There’s an ache in your hips, one that’s been building up over the last few days. Simon just huffs a laugh, pressing a kiss between your shoulders before he leaves the bed.
He comes back a few minutes later with a towel, murmuring soft apologies as he carefully cleans you up. One hand gently rubs over your hips, and you scrunch your face up for a moment, muttering out, “You’re too fucking big, Si.”
��Don’t remember you complain’ yesterday,” he huffs out in response, but there’s amusement in his voice, and it makes you smile in response. “Think you can get up?”
You flop onto your back, eyes narrowing as you think about it for a moment. Technically, yes, you probably could. But walking is a whole different task, and with the ache in your hips and the jelly feeling in your legs, you highly doubt you’d make it out of the bedroom.
“Mmm… no. Carry me?”
Simon rolls his eyes, pretending to be annoyed with the request. But there’s no hiding the smug feeling in his chest, the smirk on his lips, when he scoops you out of the bed, carrying you bridal style out of the bedroom.
***
You’re in a good mood, as you step out of the apartment, wearing shorts and one of Simon’s shirts. It hangs loose on you, one shoulder visible as the neckline keeps trying to slip off. You have no idea how these shirts always look so tight on Simon, but are so loose on you.
You had been planning on going to the mailroom. A plan short lived, because your ex is stepping out of his apartment at the same time. You hadn’t really thought about Devin over the last week, far too occupied with your heat and Simon. And Simon’s hands, and tongue, and… well, you get the idea.
Devin stares at you, his eyes narrow for a moment. You can practically feel his gaze, as you turn, still planning on heading to the mailroom. Subconsciously, you pick up the pace, trying to get away from him as quickly as possible.
But Devin’s taller, and he easily catches up to you.
“What? No hello?” he asks, grabbing onto your arm to stop you.
You yank your arm away from him, hissing as if his touch physically pains you. There’s nothing you have to say to him, nothing meaningful at least. Really, if it were up to you, you’d never speak to your ex again. He’d been demeaning your entire relationship, and you had been ready to leave far earlier than now.
“I don’t have anything to say to you,” you reply curtly.
Devin steps closer to you, a dark look flashing on his face. “Is that any way to speak to your alpha?” he growls at you.
“You’re not my alpha,” you spit back.
Devin snarls, reaching out for you, but he hesitates, his eyes drawn to your neck. To your bond mark. Something akin to anger flashes across his face, and he hisses at you, “Are you fucking kidding me? I knew you were fucking cheating on me, you little-”
He doesn’t get a chance to finish. Not when Simon scruffs him like a kitten, yanking him back by the back of his shirt. While your ex had been tall, Simon is practically a giant, towering over Devin with a dark look on his face. Simon leans down to snarl something into Devin’s ear, too quiet for you to hear. But based on the fear on Devin’s face, it’s probably a threat.
Simon shoves him away, sends him stumbling off down the hallway, back to his own apartment, before turning his attention to you. You’d just watch him get aggressive, but he’s so gentle with you, hands reaching out to cradle your face.
“You okay, lovie?” Simon asks, voice soft and gentle.
You nuzzle your face into his hands, smiling sweetly. Maybe you should be a little scared, with how easy it was for Simon to manhandle another person around. But you’re not scared of Simon, not when he looks at you with such a softness in his eyes.
“I’m okay.”
He nods, hands dropping away from your face, only for him to wrap an arm around you, tugging you closer to him. “Where we going?”
“To check the mail,” you reply, letting him tuck you into his side, feeling safe and sound.
#my writing#omegaverse au#cod omegaverse#alpha simon riley#simon ghost riley x reader#simon riley x reader#ghost x reader#yummy yummy smut#actually this is my first time writing smut so pls be gentle with me#had to take down a lot of mental hurdles to write this but I'm so proud of myself!!!
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you ever just have a lot, a LOT of feelings all at once about a character and not even remotely enough words or brainpower to FORM the words to describe everything you're feeling. so it feels like you may explode. yeah
#sorry i got really into my feelings about mark hoffman again#the very specific version of him in my brain that i really really wish i had the time and energy to properly share with you guys#saw#well until i muster the energy to explode all of my feelings out into a fic. if you want to TRY and understand#know that my three biggest hoffman fic insps right now are as follows#your best kept secret hoffman. a series of mistakes hoffman. and rushed like a dreadful wind hoffman.#there is a very clear throughline just know i am extremely emotionally compromised rn#thinking about theee fics vs the canon path hoffman spirals down#something something the absolute tragedy of watching a man's descent into madness#the transformation of a man into a monster#and what could have saved him from himself and kramer's corruption#sorry i'm rambling so much oh my god i was just having such a crying fit out of nowhere about this#do you think he could feel it happening. do you think he was aware he was losing his mind.#the script version of him fucks with me so bad. the crazed rankings and the longer hair and him not being well kept anymore#it's impossible to think he didn't know he was deteriorating#fuuuck okay i need to either chill or write a whole longfic rn#i project on that guy so much i truly don't know if i could properly write my vision of him#until i do something more substantial the full extent of my hoffman exists for me and my boyfriend only. they get me like no one else#well ginny and jenna also get me. please read best kept secret and a series of mistakes Oh My God#where am i going with this. i like tag rambling actually this is a nice way to do it without forcing EVERYONE to read my delirium#anyways if you've read all of this i think i love you? feel free to dm me about hoffman and my very specific headcanons and aus#maybe soon i'll try and start writing my fics about this tragic man#i could never say any of this on twitter btw they'd string me up for my opinions on him as a sad wet beast who could have been fixed#if only he hadn't been weaponized first#god i'm too tired to even be as embarrassed about this as i should be. thought i unlearned cringe already#but i've been spending way too much time on twitter and they HAAATE hoffman there#rip. i know it's not that serious but i'm sensitive rn and hate feeling lonely in my thoughts#ok bye for real otherwise i'll never shut up. i might tag ramble more often bc this was therapeutic in a way i needed badly#cat chat
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I drew this for a timeline thing for my original zelda story but TBH that's coming along pretty slowly and this is funny enough to post on its own.
#legend of zelda#the legend of zelda#a link to the past#legend of zelda a link to the past#link to the past#link#link (legend of zelda)#link (loz)#loz#the timeline thing is basically my covering of what happens between/after games in my OG story#filling in the blanks and going over how things went down (and how I might have changed things from canon)#I actually have most of the hero of legend's stuff fully drawn because I honestly didn't change that much for him LOL#i did draw him getting struck by lightning though. three times#the more interesting stuff is with the hero of hyrule (also writing a fic related to that) and the hero of time#because. this is the decline timeline. he died#not really spoilers but in my AU the point of divergence is basically that ganondorf took the triforce of wisdom from zelda#while link was fighting his way through the castle#and the resulting power boost meant that link exhausted himself fighting his first form#so he died to the second#there's a bit more to it than that but i'll leave that as a surprised :)#also yes this is supposed to emulate the piece of official art where lttp link is taking a nap in the shade :)#this happens like 2.5 seconds after that lol
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dazai and soft touches. his fingers are like feathers on your skin, ever so lightly brushing over the apple of your cheek as you ramble about your day. he's staring at you with a lovesick smile (one that would surely make kunikida vomit his heart out)(he is happy that dazai has you now though)(he just wishes he didn't have to see it).
he traces your freckles and birthmarks before pushing a strand of hair behind your ear. you're trying really hard to not show him how much of an effect he has on you but it's hard – you keep stumbling over your words and he thinks you're absolutely adorable.
whenever you have a bad headache, he makes you lay down on his lap. he tells you to close your eyes with a whisper and you do. he drags his slender fingers across your nose, massaging the skin so, so gently. he puts just a tad more pressure into the strokes as he moves down from between your furrowed brows. it works. he can see and feel you relax into him, your fingers loosening their grip on the hem of his sweater.
he then focuses solely on your brows. he pushes up and over them, quite literally smoothing away the pain. he listens to your soft breaths, he observes the way the corner of your lips twitch every once in a while. he loves it when you melt into him, when you allow yourself to relax in his hold. he takes pride in being able to make you feel better with the simplest touches.
ok but if we're talking about pre-relationship dazai... he's just a little more reserved. he's holding back. a lot. moving through a crowd, he doesn't hold your hand – he just links your fingers, or maybe even just your pinkies. and it somehow feels even more intimate than actually holding hands. neither of you comment on it though. he's holding onto you so gently, the tug is almost non-existent and it just feels right.
saw a post abt him fidgeting a lot and i haven't stopped thinking about it. he does it with yout hand, too. you're just standing in a line, waiting to order a cup of coffee when you suddenly feel him taking your smaller hand into his. you don't ask, only merely eyeing him quietly. he hums to himself as he holds it; he compares the sizes but his face doesn't change, doesn't show whether he liked the difference or not. he traces the lines on your palm and tries to count them all. he isn't startled when you take a step forward as the line moves up, he just steps alongside you without ever raising his eyes. you let him do his thing.
i also think he likes to twirl a strand of your hair between his fingers a lot. he seems to be doing this very mindlessly aswell. seems. he literally never says anything about it, he just does it.
ALSO!! seemingly random and accidental touches!!!! he hands you a cup of coffee and his fingers brush over yours, he swipes an eyelash from your cheek with a smile, he boops your nose as he teases you. and whenever he passes by you, his hands linger on your waist or on your lower back. he acts like all of these are not intentional, that they just happened but he knows exactly what he's doing. he's just a little touch starved, okay?? but he doesn't really know how to voice it yet:((((((((
#FIRST TIME FOR DAZAIII BEAR WITH MEE OKAYY#I DON'T ACTUALLY HAVE A BEAR IT'S OKAY YOU CAN CALM DOWN NOWW#but wahhhhhhdazaiii:((((((((((#my kitten#dazai#wtf mickey can write#dazai x reader#dazai drabble#dazai fluff#bsd dazai#dazai osamu x reader#dazai osamu fluff#bsd x reader#bsd fluff#bsd drabble#dazai osamu#osamu dazai
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one of my favourite aspects of supernatural that you very rarely see in paranormal shows is that sam and dean are already versed in the world they live in. there’s no sudden discovery of ghosts and demons and now they have to learn about them along with the audience; they are born into it and already know all about it. it allows the audience to follow their personal story instead of also trying to figure out this new world and its rules
the first season is full of knowledge we never see them learn; “w*ndigoes are in the minnesota woods or- or northern michigan. i’ve never even heard of one this far west.” […] “great. well then this [his gun] is useless.” (1x02), “you don’t break a curse. you get the hell out of its way.” (1x08), d: “it’s a god. a pagan god, anyway.” […] “the annual cycle of its killings? and the fact that the victims are always a man and a woman. like some kind of fertility right.” […] s: “the last meal. given to sacrificial victims. d: “yeah, i’m thinking a ritual sacrifice to appease some pagan god.” (1x11)
almost every episode in the first season is a monster they’ve faced before that they then explain to the audience in a way that should feel patronising; like it’s the same speech given over and over again but instead, the audience almost feels included in the knowledge. it’s stated with such an innate confidence and comfort in said knowledge that it feels like we already knew it too; “spirits and demons don't have to unlock doors. if they want inside, they just go through the walls.” […] “the claws, the speed that it moves; could be a skinwalker, maybe a black dog.” (1x02), “it's biblical numerology. you know noah's ark, it rained for forty days. the number means death.” (1x04), “no no no, not the reaper, a reaper. there's reaper lore in pretty much every culture on earth, it goes by 100 different names.” […] “you said it yourself that the clock stopped, right? reapers stop time. and you can only see 'em when they're coming at you which is why i could see it and you couldn't.” (1x12)
they already know and, at least in the first season, already have what they need to kill whatever they’re hunting; already know to salt and burn bones for spirits, fire for a w*ndigo, exorcisms for demons, a silver bullet to the heart for shapeshifters. there’s only three times in the entire first season that they run into something new to them; 1x14 when sam gets his first vision that leads him to another psychic, 1x16 when dean calls caleb for help on the sigil he put together and he tells him about daevas, and 1x20 when they find out vampires are real- and they only don’t know that bc john thought they were hunted to extinction and not worth mentioning
(there’s also technically two half instances if you count one of them knowing something the other doesn’t - sam figuring out the tulpa in 1x17 and dean already knowing about the shtriga in 1x18 - but those still rely on sam and dean having prior knowledge)
even when they’re uncertain about facing something, it’s not bc they don’t know what it is; it’s precisely bc they know what it is and acknowledge that it’ll be a difficult hunt (“i don't know, man. this isn't our normal gig. i mean, demons, they don't want anything, just death and destruction for its own sake. this is big. and i wish dad was here.” 1x04)
so much of the tension in paranormal shows typically comes from the main character(s) not knowing what is happening to them/the people around them and having to find out how to resolve it. supernatural is unique in that it operates more like a police procedural. the tension comes from solving the clues and identifying patterns to figure out who (what) the killer is and intercepting before they can take another victim
it’s such a different tone to go for when compared to other shows that came both before, during, and after its run. it sets sam and dean on even footing with each other since they both have the same knowledge going in, and it puts them in a place of authority usually reserved for an outside character
the shows i compare spn to most is charmed, buffy and teen wolf; every main character in those shows are brought into the paranormal world knowing nothing, putting them on the same level as the audience, and they have their mc interact with others already knowledgeable about that world in order to overcome their problem/monster of the week. the audience organically learns about this new world as the characters learn about it. it’s a sound writing strategy that prevents “as we already know”-style exposition but something that complicates it is if your world building isn’t unique or intriguing enough, this slow introduction can become boring
we’ve seen shows like these before; sitting through the same tropes of characters learning to use their powers, struggling with no longer feeling normal/relating to the regular world around them, and not knowing how much they can trust the people already involved in this new world gets repetitive. all three shows eventually reach the same level of comfort with their new world that spn starts with but if the characters aren’t enough to draw you in, you can end up dropping it before they reach that point (and often, before the overarching plot can really kick in and evolve the show beyond the villain of the week format)
it’s the superhero origin movie in tv format; dragged out and overplayed. dropping the audience into an established world of course comes with its own problems but you also have the benefit of pre-existing established character dynamics that let the audience slot in like they’ve always been there instead of just getting to know all the characters while the characters also get to know each other
sam and dean already knowing about the supernatural lets the audience immediately get to the core of the story; the conflict between sam and dean, the search for their father, and the mystery of what killed their mother
#i could go on forever theres literally so many examples#dean figuring the ‘two dark doubles’ is a shapeshifter sam figuring out the changing ghost is a tulpa#also peak how many of these examples come from dean despite them pushing so hard for sam to be the one knowing hunting theory#this format is why i cant stand watching the first season of charmed despite loving it so much#i just cant be bothered watching them have the same struggle ive seen a hundred times play out again#different genre but sons of anarchy does this well too; all the characters are already in the club life and already have inner conflict#spn having such a natural introduction makes me so glad they didnt go with the original plan of sam not knowing about hunting#that wouldve been Painful#watching spn so young has really shaped my view of media bc i legit cant stand things with a learning curve#give me an established world damnit#lord of the rings never stops to explain what a dwarf is! you just go with it! and it rules!#dean is just as theoretical and lore savvy as sam and id go as far to say he actually knows more#instead of trying to do this bullshit brains v brawn divide they shouldve done new tech vs analogue#sams laptop is famous and he also knows how to hack thing where the second dean doesnt know something he defaults to books#have dean be the one where if its written down he can find it almost like a proto bobby#they even kind of support that by him being the one to find the phoenix in s6 when they go through all their books#but this was 2005 and characters could only be so conplex and theyd already decided dean needed to be the hot one and sams the nerd one#side note how many of these metas am i going to write on this rewatch? tbd#side side note included all the quotes and episode numbers makes me feel so academic#coming out of my cage and ive been doing just fine.txt#carry on my wayward son#talk meta to me#meta#supernatural meta#spn#supernatural#dean winchester#sam winchester#save post
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do any of you ever lay awake at night thinking about how Kremy gifted Gideon a comb even though, obviously, lizardfolk don't have any hair.
because that means that Kremy went out of his way to get Gid this gift. A comb isn't just something an alligator would have or just collect somewhere to have it for later, Kremy likely never needed or thought of having anything of the sort.
But Kremy noticed how roughed up Gideon was, how he didn't have anything on him to take care of himself and Kremy came up with the idea and then spent time and possibly money (or he just swiped it but still) to find a nice comb just for Gideon and then gave it to him.
Nikkie described it so beautifully that it was the first time someone saw Gideom as his own man and that also makes my heart ache so much. But I just can't stop thinking about how freaking Kremy Lecroux, went out of his way, to get a thing he likely never even thought of getting, just to give it to his partner (in crime). Like yeah sure we can talk about how Kremy wouldn't want to travel with someone unkept but I don't think it's that. He'd get Gideom a bath and a haircut or something at an inn and done, issue solved. But no, Kremy specifically wanted to get a thing for Gideon, he wanted him to have something that's just for him, something to help him get his sense of self back, his looks and help him find his confidence.
It was thoughtful gift from Kremy who probably is the last person to do thoughtful gifts to just some people. But he made that gesture for Gideon.
like do you ever just lay there and think about all that and how they both must have felt almost an instant bond forming between them, doesn't matter if it's platonic or romantic, like do you just-- yeah.
#i do#this has been on my mind the whole day actually#i'm wide awake at night and it's all just coalecroux#Kremy probably helped Gideon to wash his hair and beard and comb it for the first time too#because it was so messy#and Gideon likely didn't know much better#so can you just imagine little frustrated Kremy cursing and trying to untangle Gid's messy firey hair#and i have so much more to say#i'm unwell#what if i just sit tf down and write this out#as a proper small fic#early coalecroux fluff#:) yeah#okay thats all#coalecroux my beloved#once upon a witchlight#ouaw#kremy lecroux#gideon coal#coalecroux#kremy x gideon#kremy ouaw#gideon ouaw#legends of avantris#textpost#ouaw headcanons#okay to reblog#please share in my brainrot#<3
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I have been so cooked for this man lately that I need to talk about him— I genuinely think that with a ADHD/autism/AuDHD partner Ford takes notes on your stims and quirks, even before any serious relationship. Just little things like “waves hands when excited :)” and “prefers baggy sweaters” just like a little way of understanding you better 🥺💖
yesss definitely! as an AuDHDer who stims a lot myself, this is everything!! jfskhfshsk
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"Aaaahhhhh oh myy-" the rest of what you were saying was incomprehensible because the words slurred together in an excited squeal. A gleeful expression upon your face, you waved and shook your hands in front of your body, then pressed them over your mouth, to stifle another squeal.
Ford smiled to himself as he watched you from the other side of the room, where he propped his notebook open to scribble something down.
"Heeyyyyy Grunkle Ford, watcha got there?" Mabel's voice rang out right beside him.
He snapped the book shut and whipped his head around.
"Mabel!"
"Waves hands when excited." she cited what she had just read, "Were you talking about-"
"No, I was certainly not!" Ford said, while his cheeks started to turn a deep red colour.
"Are you suuuure? Because to me it looks like you diiiid." she said, a cheeky grin on her face and dragging some of the vowels.
"You are mistaken, dear child. Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got work to do." he excused himself and stood up, holding the notebook close to him.
Without letting her get another word in, he moved past her and made his way into his study.
There, he propped open the notebook to the page he'd just added a new note onto.
- likes to hum when no one is around - seems to prefer more loose fitting clothes. possibly because the don't restrict movement as much - will subconsciously play and fidget with any jewellery they're wearing - sorts and eats their food in a particular order - would rather not eat at all than something not appealing - skin irritating clothing causes great discomfort. remove tags!! - wants to talk but holds back. encouraging them has positive effect - avoids eye contact but will look at faces when the person isn't looking at them - do not touch without warning and do not force contact! expressed great discomfort to me after being forced to physical contact by someone else - repeating phrases and noises (quite endearing) - easily startled by sudden and loud noises, as well as irritated by high pitched ones, almost too quiet to hear - shows behaviours similar to felines. has stated that they would be delighted to posses the ability to purr (he would be delighted too)
Ford smiled as he looked up and leaned back. He really hoped Mabel hadn't seen too much, otherwise she might figure out how interested in you he really was. And we wasn't sure if he was ready for that.
For now he would be very much content continuing to dreamily gaze over at you and notice all the little things, so he could understand you better.
Maybe one day he could work up the courage to ask you out.
-------------------------------------------------- thank you for reading <3 reblogs are appreciated
#i'm sorry if this is too ooc - i haven't read journal 3 or tbob#his notes are in no particular order#he didn't necessarily notice or wrote them down in this order#is it unconsciously or subconsciously? english isn't my first language so please pardon any mistakes#did anyone ever knew about the word 'interlocutor'? because this is the first time i'm seeing it#asks#anon ask#requests#stanford pines#ford pines#stanford pines x reader#stanford x reader#ford pines x reader#gravity falls#gf#my writing#stimming#stims#adhd#autism#audhd#actually autistic#maybe i went a bit overboard... anyywaayyy#not proofread#it's late#i need to go to sleep but i wanted to post smth today#requested
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Actually I don’t think you are actually fr an adult author if you can’t write something without a s*x scene in it
#<-trying to avoid our ancient enemy the evil bots#but literally. i will pick a book off the general fiction side and every time completely unnecessarily there will be such a scene where it#has no business being for the story#I’m about ready to fight over this#there’s been exactly one book out of the dozen or so I’ve done from that side that did not have it and it was Patron Saint of Second Chance#by Christine Simon#and I don’t think Road to Roswell my belovedest did either#but listen I think it’s a sign that something in society is fundamentally broken when I can pick too random books#and one is a cozy bookstore romance thing#and one is a weird travel fantasy that has nothing to do with romance#as a plot#and then both of them as soon as the girl comes across a guy and is like he’s likable#the next step is randomly try to sleep with him#evil evil evil evil#let’s not.#stop using sex scenes as shortcut for romance! it doesn’t work! you won’t have any!#this is wisdom and you should listen to it!!#I’m also gonna include the use of f-bombs in this post because if you can’t write a fantastical Victorian travel novel in fairy tale#style language without randomly using f bombs like do you even have a grasp of the language#those don’t belong in this story’s word set use your vocabulary!!#(there are times it makes sense in the story and the language catalog for the story and/or character for both of these but if you can’t do#story without them when they don’t belong that’s lazy I think#I’m throwing down the glove to adult authors I think they should try#this also goes for Jodi Picoult for whom the first thing did fall into the subject material but should not have been like the whole bull an#meat of that story at the expense of the actually interesting material#(couldn’t finish By Any Other Name between that the anachronistic feminism and the massive chip on her shoulder that seemed to be her subje#material
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I am genuinely really enjoying seeing people who have clearly never read the Odyssey before reacting to EPIC's Ithaca saga. I haven't listened to EPIC myself (yet) but people keep saying stuff like "Odyseeus built their palace around an olive tree he carved into his and Penelope's marriage bed that's so symbolic" and "He really just murdered all the suitors wouldn't that piss off their parents?" Which are observations and questions that the Odyssey makes incredibly blatantly clear as to the symbolism or the answer because it's a really old poem and subtlety wasn't really Homer's strong suit.
There's something really endearing about seeing people interact with the Odyssey through the same way the Ancient Greeks did - a bard singing the story of Odyseus' nostos.
(I gather the details have changed a little, but that's what happens with oral storytelling, and that's how the Odyssey got created in the first place)
Also as congratulations have my favourite ancient depiction of Odysseus surfing with two amphemorae having stolen Poseidon's trident, being sped along by Boreas, stark naked except for a cloak he's holding onto.
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#epic the musical#epic the ithaca saga#in answer to the question “what about the suitors parents being pissed” what happens is they all storm the palace gates#odysseus and laertes go out to meet them#and athena appears and goes#“no. my boy has suffered enough to get here. go home and have new#better sons who arent creepy dicks#also re: oral storytelling#its facinating actually because the odyssey wasnt written by Homer he was just the guy who wrote it down#the story existed since at least 1450 BCE#(fall of troy)#and because we know the very basic rundown of what was happening at a) the Bronze Age collapse and Mycenaean Greece#(when the story is set and it first began circulating)#b) the Greek Dark Ages which werent all that dark they just forgot writing for a bit but did a lot of cultural shifting#and c) the Archaic period which is when Homer wrote it down#we can (roughly) figure out what parts of the Odyssey are probably the oldest#what may have been introduced during the Dark Ages to reflect that cultural shift away from Mycenaean civilisation and towards Archaic#and what was introduced in the Archaic period when Homer got ahold of it#which i think is amazing and facinating#and is (very loosely) what is happening with EPIC#(its not the same because modern people are not the cultural inheritors of a story of our relatively recent ancestors' war and returns)#but the changes being made to reflect the modern audience and fit our time better are#kinda#if it was like the changes made in Ancient Greece it would be like the mentioned places to have their modern names#and the monsters changed slightly to relfect current cultural anxieties which i dont think has happened with EPIC#fel free to corect me though because like i said i havent listened to it yet#the odyssey#homeric epics#tagamemnon#technically
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SEL MY SEL …….. crawling over here for the ask game …………… you already know . who i’m going to ask for phdkdjdkdb IN MY DEFENSE I WILL NEVER GET OVER YOUR VERSION OF HIM !!!!!!!
….. sugu ….. with ’sun’ ……. maybe 👉👈
(🍵 <- a little matcha for your troubles … good luck with the writing exercises my loveee <33 i’m cheering you on!!!)
ARI 🥹🥹🥹🥹 hehe ofc i shall write sugu for u! writing him is always so fun 🥹 thank you for the prompt, and for the matcha!! i will be sipping it as i write this 🥹 it is not a trouble at alllll!! esp if it's for youuuuu 🫶
contains: beautiful, gorgeous, sexy neighbor suguru, mood can be a bit unsettling... honestly a little stockholm syndrome-y (does this count as dark? idk 😭), skewed concept of reality and time
suguru + sun
you move into a new neighborhood on your 24th birthday.
it's a quaint house, fully furnished with wooden panels lining its contemporary build. you consider yourself lucky for finding a place this well-kept at the price point you offered. you're honestly surprised that suguru, your now landlord, accepted your application.
the area sits a few kilometers on the outskirts of the city, but it feels neither too quiet nor too busy; a perfect balance with an impressive view of the rising sun this early in the morning. that, and the people seem friendly, greeting you as they pass by. they even offer to help you haul things out of your car and into the house.
to the right of your house is one that holds the same design elements at yours, although a bit darker in its tones. it's sleek and modern, befitting of a bachelor.
"you must be the new tenant," a voice speaks from behind you, syrupy and smooth. you didn't even hear his footsteps.
when you turn around, you're met with a tall man who greets you with his arms held behind his back as he tilts his head low. there's a calmness that radiates off him, a sort of gentleness that signals he’s someone you can trust.
you nod, introducing yourself with your hand outstretched towards him.
"suguru," he replies as his fingers grab yours delicately. your eyes widen in surprise, recognizing the name, and he merely chuckles in return, a soft laugh that brings out kindness in his eyes.
"i should greet you properly," he lets go of your hand, placing it back behind him. "hello, new neighbor."
.
over shared breakfasts by your porch and impromptu dinners over at his, you grow a liking to suguru. he's polite and thoughtful, often knocking at your door in the mornings to offer you a cup of tea to watch the sunrise.
"you'll only find sunrises like this here," he leans back on the wooden chair you set out as outdoor furniture. his head tilts towards you slightly, impossibly close as you notice the corner of his lips curl up into a small grin.
hues of pinks, purples, and orange blend to illuminate his face perfectly. the sun is beautiful in front you, peeking between clouds as it inches away from the horizon, but something about him is infinitely more magnetic. your stare is immediately drawn to his lips, smooth and supple, before it meets his gaze.
you don't know what's worse―wanting to lean in or be pulled by the look in his eyes.
he fixes things that break in your home, always somehow knowing just when to show up. at first, it was your windows, the one by the attic, too high and dangerous for you to climb; then, it was your kitchen sink, its pipes regurgitating the water going down the drain. he's begun to bring you your groceries too, often asking for a list of what you need when he makes trips out of town.
your days blur easily when you're with suguru, and time passes almost fleetingly as you find your hours filled with soft laughs and touches so delicate you sometimes wonder whether they're real.
it should be noted, you think, how much time has passed since you first met him―an anniversary of some sort.
.
you learn that he owns both houses―his and the one you're currently renting. it once belonged to a friend who had to move for bigger, greater responsibilities elsewhere, he'd said.
"why did you decide on renting?" you ask him one night, over wine and candlelight.
your fingers fiddle with his as he sits you on his lap, this thing between you growing more intimate lately. he rubs his thumb along your thigh, resting his chin by your shoulder.
"you could have sold it or something."
he presses his lips gently on your collarbone.
"i could've," his fingers trail up to your waist, crossing your chest before landing on your chin, cupping it lightly to face him. your heart is hammering in your chest, senses on fire as his nose kisses yours. you think you can count every mole that dots his face beautiful. then, he inches closer, lips grazing yours as he whispers, "but i was waiting for you."
.
you mark each day at sunrise.
your digital clocks and calendars stopped working after some time, but you don't mind. suguru always tells you what date it is when you ask.
this morning, you wake up in his bed, and the sun is still as breathtaking as you remember it, the same pink, purple, and orange hues streaming through his window. when you look closely, the clouds―
"good morning," he brings you tea in bed, his hair topped off with a bun, a half-up-half-down.
your stomach fills itself with something warm and fuzzy as you smile at him, "morning."
"slept well?" his hand reaches for your waist under the duvet, and you giggle, ticklish.
"very," you crane your neck to land a soft kiss on his lips. "what date is it today?"
"october 28," he supplies.
your eyebrows shoot up as you realize, "i have to bring my car to the mechanic."
it's been 6 months now since your last check, right before you moved, and though you barely use your car anyway, it's best to be safe.
you quickly move to get up but suguru's hand keeps you in place, firmly pressed on your waist.
"i'll do it," he says with a smile on his face, "you rest here."
.
you barely see your other neighbors except for the girl who smokes a pack of cigarettes a day and the twins down the street.
when you ask suguru about it, he dismisses the question quickly, saying, "must have moved," as he urges you to take another sip of your tea.
you dream of them that night, on bare streets; it wakes you in a cold sweat, the image of your neighborhood reduced to just your house and suguru's.
.
this is the 200th sunrise since you started counting, which means this is the 200th day since you and suguru officially got together. kind of.
your gift for him is a painting of the sunrise, because it reminds you of him; and because it's become your favorite thing to look forward to, too.
the pinks and purples blend together beautifully as it contrasts with the orange hues, and the sun continues to peak above the horizon as it settles between clouds.
suguru kisses you when you give it to him, the taste of tea right on his tongue.
he frames it on his bedside, and when you wake in his room the next morning, it greets you along with the back of his head, fast asleep.
your eyes flit to the view outside his window, the same pinks, purples, and orange hues. you tilt your head curiously, brows furrowing. the sun stays at the same spot above the horizon, and when you look at the painting again, the clouds hold the same position and shape.
a chill washes over you, your hearbeat pounding.
.
"what date is it today?" you ask suguru as you wash the potatoes in the sink.
another bag of groceries from suguru. now that you think about it, you don't think you've ever gone to the grocery store since moving.
"is it important?" he responds, slightly snappy. you've begun to notice that he hates it when you ask lately.
you eye him from the side.
"i was thinking of preparing a menu of what we'll eat during the holidays, if it's near."
the furrow on his brows smooths out as you give your answer, and so he says, "december 5."
and you know something is wrong, because that can't be it. it doesn't make sense with the sunrises you've counted.
.
you dream again, more and more as the days go by―dirt roads and your house and suguru's, run-down and empty. more things start breaking in your apartment, and suguru always knows when they need to be fixed.
there's a deep, twisting feeling in your stomach that intensifies, festering under your skin; it worsens in the mornings, when you sit with suguru at your porch and you think you see a crack in the sunrise.
.
sunrise valley the place where the sun never sets! ─── beautiful, bright, and destined for people who live just like you! find your new home here.
[DISCONTINUED] — FOR DEMOLITION ON DECEMBER 7. under investigation for suspicious spiritual activity and missing persons.
#suguru x reader#jjk x reader#shotorus.workbook#waaah i hope u like this ari!! its a little bit (really) different from the genre i typically write#but i was talking to niku abt it and she urged me to push for this kinda strange kinda spooky one#its not fwb sugu like how i normally write him but i hope it's still /him/ yk ? sAWB#some stuff about the blurb: he's not human ! he's a spirit ! not necessarily evil but i think definitely a little bit possessive#he lures people in and builds that 'neighbourhood' around them; kind of like a simulation ? the tea he serves is meant to keep#the people hallucinating !#and also in real life before all of this went down reader was looking for a home and saw the listing#reader sent an application without visiting bc desperate ! (idt u should ever do that irl tho haha) but yeah#so when reader drove up the first time to the location it was actually just a dirt road#but theres some magic juju at a border that makes reader pass out ! and he feeds them the tea and thats how reader thinks that#they drove all the way to the house and everything . basically believes in whatever suguru makes them see#there are lots of details i included that kind of mean smth more later on but i wont list them here anymore ! i hope u catch them eheh#the lore of the neighborhood is that satoru and suguru were gonna build it together but they had a falling out (haha)#bc of difference in opinion hahah and so the plan never really went thru and suguru got hella stressed by it and so on and on and on#which is why his spirit is here !#i had to cut it short ! bc it would have been hella long 😭 but i would have added more stuff in between if ever#if u have any questions abt this lmk ! whbshfbash i hope u like it wahhh its really different from what im used to writing!#ari.🦔#ask#rep#twentyfivemiceinatrenchcoat
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When a test of a prince's taste backfires horribly. Or, how Alisaie gave herself psychic damage for not realizing this man may not act like how she imagines and she's suddenly being thanked for giving the worst food on the star to him.
(or, even, indirectly giving Meteor and Tsukiko psychic damage as Meteor refuses to let Zenos eat that god forsaken bread and has to hold him back like a misbehaving cat away from it.)
#ffxiv#sketch#comic#zenos yae galvus#alisaie leveilleur#alphinaud leveilleur#adventurer zenos#zenos- who undoubtably hasn't had a lovingly cooked meal in ages- tastes tataru's (HQ) cooking for the first time and inhales it#and alisaie- having to watch this man scarf down THE affront to the gods not realizing he was -very hungry- and -very drained-#im excited to write more about zenos' relationship with food (mainly him not eating anything unless he has to for any reason)#the concept that this man is a two legged apex predator has always stood out to me#so I wanted the first thing in terms of change for him to be him losing his numbness- food being the beginning of it#but also the struggle of Tsukiko and Kukuti trying to prevent the giant depressed super soldier from taking the easy way out of a meal#I also just enjoy writing the dissonance Alisaie has over how she views zenos and how zenos actually is#(also hehe I like the concept that Zenos can stomach archon loaf and the WoL cant)#I love being an omnicrafter LMAO#this also takes place not long after the return comic just for reference
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You know what I love about Binghe's character? His role in the story and the way it changes our perception of him through the narrative.
We first meet him as this poor boy and we, just like Shen Qingqiu, get swept by the image of the white lotus. He's a teenager, and we're told that at this age he didn't have any of the darkness that would reign over his life after the Abyss. We're only shown an obedient and sweet Luo Binghe. He is the "young and innocent protagonist".
But we know about his future. Shen Qingqiu tells us so many times that the Abyss will corrupt him irreversebly, that he will come back and take his revenge on the scum villain. The problem is that we see the story through Shen Qingqiu's point of view, he is our protagonist, making Binghe our villain. So we read about the disciple days with the constant thought that this boy will one day become the antagonist.
And see, there's a slight difference between villain and antagonist. A villain is perceived as someone with bad intentions, while an antagonist is just someone who opposes the protagonist.
When Luo Binghe comes back from the Abyss, he is both villain and antagonist. He goes against Shen Qingqiu (antagonist), and the story tells us he wants to kill him like the original PIDW (villain).
Then it's revealed that it may not be exactly like that. First, we're shown that Binghe has romantic feelings for Shen Qingqiu (which, yeah, it's obvious to everyone but him, but still), giving Binghe a new possible role in the story: love interest. This immediately reduces the perceived danger of his actions. It brings him closer, it makes him a safer character.
Yes, there are stories with villainous love interests that do horrible shit, but we're dealing with the most common way narratives treat this type of character: generally, the love interest is good. And so, the moment this role is put upon Luo Binghe by the narrative itself, it also influences the reader.
But Shen Qingqiu, and consequently we, don't lower our guard. Despite being the love interest now, we also know that Luo Binghe has conspired to take down his master and organized the sower plague. He's attacked Huan Hua Palace, killed Gongyi Xiao and many others, putting the blame on Shen Qingqiu. By the end of book 2 he's villain, antagonist and love interest.
But it all gets proven wrong. That almost everything that happened to Shen Qingqiu was not because of Luo Binghe. We discover that there are other villains in the shadows.
The sower plague and the the attack at Huan Hua Palace was caused by Tianlang-Jun and Zhuzhi-Lang. Qiu Haitang's involvement and Shen Qingqiu's imprisonment was one of the Old Palace Master's schemes. All of this destroys Binghe's role as villain and antagonist.
This is the moment Shen Qingqiu decides to trust Binghe, pushing the reader to do the same. Because he's just "love interest" now and by the standard conventions, he's good. We trust him to be. Shen Qingqiu himself starts to project onto him that same image of white lotus. Since our image of Luo Binghe was so bad previously, this makes it jump way higher. It lulls us into this much better perception of his character.
The Old Palace Master was a villain and he died, as villains are often destined to. The only obstacle remains Tianlang-Jun, who doesn't harm Shen Qingqiu because of Zhuzhi-Lang's wishes (not an antagonist), but also wants to merge the realms (villain).
So our protagonist and love interest move toward the action, the big battle against the final boss. The villains get defeated easily and after the truth of what happened to Su Xiyan, Tianlang-Jun gives up his plan. His role as villain ends there. But the story has more antagonists to reveal.
Luo Binghe has never stopped being one. The narrative only hid his real motivations and let him cover himself with the role of love interest. And at this moment, he drops the mask and lets all of his feelings out, everything he didn't tell Shen Qingqiu nor the readers. He becomes the final antagonist, the one we've had since the very beginning.
The thing that saves him is his status as love interest, because no, he's not the only one to blame for what is happening. There's Xin Mo, who has fed on his insecurities and negative feelings, and Shen Qingqiu himself. He is the one who has constantly pushed Binghe to the side, believing himself to do the right thing, first by giving Binghe his death and then by trying to keep him "protected" from his father.
In the end, Luo Binghe wasn't a villain. Shen Qingqiu was, and he dies. But since he's not a real villain, he's allowed to come back.
When everything is over, their story comes to an end. The narrative itself leaves them free, to be whoever they want to be.
#the first time we got to the final battle and lbh revealed he was the one to actually control xin mo#i got chills#it was so unexpected#but i also felt vindicated#because for all of book 3 there is this suspense around lbh's character#it feels like something is missing#despite sqq and lbh's relationship being much better after the events of the mausoleum there is something unsaid there#and it leaves the reader with this sense of non closure#but we don't have the time to dwell on it#because the whole thing with tlj is going down#(and the reveals of sxy and tlj's relationship plus sj's past)#until we come to the finale and lbh is the final antagonist#and that's when everything finally comes into place#svsss#why do i have to write my uni thesis#can't i just spend all my days thinking of svsss#scum villain#scum villain's self saving system#luo binghe#shen qingqiu#bingqiu
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there might be a spider somewhere and that’s enough for me to be paranoid
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#HOME INVASIONS GOT MY BROTHERS DYING/ref#I don’t think ppl understand me when I say I’m paranoid#I cant go to sleep in my room. I can’t sit down. I can’t eat. I can’t pick up anything. I can’t move. I cry.#I need to be in an open space in case I feel like running. I can’t be near my bed. I can’t open or close doors.#I dont even feel safe when I’m not moving but I also don’t feel safe when I’m moving and ceilings scare me#I’m actually so scared as I write this bc I’m sitting down at my desk trying to eat but what if the spider is under my desk or on my chair#Or literally anywhere possible. Maybe it’s behind my pc or iPad. Or on the shelves. It could be anywhere close to me.#This is the typa behaviour I be showing and my parents still don’t take me to the psychologist man#My ma doesn’t believe in phobias or mental illness#Jesus Christ this is all because of a spider that was in my bathroom this morning#Also I’m eating spaghetti with cheese for the first time
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– Beginnings.
Characters >> Lily Castellanos, Nathan Dixon (oc), Sebastian Castellanos Total >> 3.5k words Warnings >> Alcohol mention Context >> The first chapter of my own TEW3, taking place some months after the conclusion of the in-game events of TEW2! You can read more about it all here!
It snowed in Krimson City.
The sky had been the same dull gray color since sunrise, snowflakes slowly cascading down and covering the street in a thick blanket of snow. A heavy fog held the city tightly in its grasp– an eerie atmosphere hanging in the thin afternoon air and low-hanging clouds swallowing entire buildings whole– and with only limited visibility on the road, traffic was forced to crawl by in slow motion.
While not an unseen phenomenon, it was far from a common sight for early January, only days after Nathan’s birthday. He had spent that day snowed in in his little apartment, had celebrated it alone; not as if it mattered much, he doubted Kid even knew and besides his ex-colleague from MOBIUS he severely lacked other friends to hang out with those days.
He stood motionless at the fence of the small playground located in Krimson City’s public park, gloved hands stuffed deep in the pockets of his long, black coat with the collar popped up to shield the lower half of his face from the occasional sharp gust of wind. He had not moved in a while, shoulders and tousled black hair covered in a thin layer of fine white powder, frost nipping away at the tip of his nose as his eyes followed a group of kids excitedly running around.
It did not take a genius to notice Lily was significantly older than the others there, but none of the kids seemed to mind. It came as no surprise to Nathan to see her there– she had not once lost her playfulness even after everything MOBIUS had put her through, and without a proper outlet for it in all her years trapped in the shadow organization it only made sense for her to want to have a chance at spending the remainder of her childhood like she had always been supposed to.
He watched in silence as she scooped up some snow in her pink and orange mittens, wincing when one of the other kids threw a snowball directly at her face; she was smiling, though, and quickly pressed the snow together to then hurl it back, the surprisingly well-aimed attempt hitting someone else on the back of their coat.
‘You’re startin’ to freak out the other parents, standing there like that.’
The corners of Nathan’s mouth lightly curled up upon hearing the familiar, low voice, not needing to turn his head to know who joined him on the other side of the fence.
‘Was starting to wonder how long it’d take for you to notice me,’ he said, his own voice a little rougher than usual on account of the cold, and his severe lack of proper rest in the past few weeks. ‘Was gonna give you another five minutes before I’d walk over to introduce myself. You’re getting slow.’
‘I’m getting comfortable,’ Sebastian Castellanos corrected him with a scoff, returning Lily’s little wave as she ran by the both of them– Nathan merely greeted her with a single nod of his head– before quickly shoving his hand back in the pocket of his green jacket.
‘No need to keep my eyes up anymore, Nate. Threat’s gone, MOBIUS’ gone. Life’s improving day by day.’
‘Good.’
Nathan wished he shared Sebastian’s sentiment.
If anything, life had turned rather sour for him after they had successfully gotten rid of a large chunk of MOBIUS several months ago. He had never expected to walk away from it alive to begin with– and now, without the steady income the organization had provided him with for years, he found himself struggling to get by.
He glanced to his right, gaze briefly meeting that of the ex-detective before he quickly averted his eyes and let them wander back to the playground, trailing over the various snow-covered playground sets.
Sebastian looked good, healthy– much better than the state he’d been in when Nathan had last seen him all those months ago. Part of him regretted not reaching out sooner, the sudden reconnection now an obvious sign that something was wrong; though the wiser part of him knew that had he stuck around the Castellanos family they would not have been able to move on and heal, which was the last thing he would have wanted to be responsible for.
‘What about you?’ Sebastian quietly asked, as if he’d been able to sense Nathan’s melancholy. ‘You look like you haven’t slept in days.’
Nathan scoffed, slightly tilting his head to look at his feet and he absently kicked some snow off his boots. ‘That obvious? Sure feels like it.’
He had teamed up with Juli Kidman to deal with the remainder of MOBIUS, after the Union incident. Of course the destruction of the STEM environment hadn’t led to the fall of the whole organization– it would’ve been stupid of them to link all of their employees directly to the mainframe of a single STEM device, despite the Superiors’ obvious lack of knowledge concerning the technology– and while MOBIUS had suffered massive losses, it would only be a matter of time before they would regroup.
But he was not there to talk to Sebastian about how their hunt was going.
Something else had come up.
Nathan’s silence did not go unnoticed and Sebastian turned toward him, leaning sideways against the fence with a concerned look in his eyes. He did not need to say anything– and neither did Nathan, as he slowly pulled his hands out of his pockets and removed one of his black, leather gloves.
The pale top of his left hand had a burned appearance, as if fire had scorched away skin and flesh– the wound only partially healed leaving it broken and torn clinging closely to his veins and bones. Though despite how recent he had received the scar, its appearance instead implied years long possession, and despite its severity it did not hurt at all.
He could tell by the look on Sebastian’s face the scar reminded him of someone.
‘Now, I know what you’re gonna say–’ Nathan started, but Sebastian cut him off.
‘I can’t do this, Nathan. I have a daughter–’
‘–I know.’
His voice came out a lot sharper than he had meant for.
‘I’m not asking anything of you,’ he said, his heartbeat pounding in the back of his throat.
‘Not this time.’
It had started as police radio chatter.
Late in the afternoon, Nathan had already been getting ready to go home. Kid had picked up a mention of Beacon– its doors long closed for the public yet the building remained in the heart of Krimson City, left to rot and wither away– supposed ghostly activity reported within its decaying walls, and she had wanted to investigate.
Nathan sharply exhaled and put his glove back on, exposed fingers growing numb in the freezing winter air. He leaned forward with his arms on the fence, to move a little closer to Sebastian; as if he was afraid someone would overhear them, as if they could make sense out of any of it to begin with.
‘He’s back, Sebastian,’ he defeatedly stated, and the other man lowered his gaze. ‘I saw him. He did this to me.’
‘Impossible.’
‘Wish it was.’
Despite hearing many tales, and having worked on his project for years as developer within the MOBIUS branch he had been part of, Nathan had never seen or met Ruvik face to face. The brilliant mind behind the STEM technology had always remained in the shadows; up until his death, after which his brain had become the core of MOBIUS’ very first STEM device.
Naturally so, when Nathan had run into the man while wandering the abandoned hallways of Beacon, his first assumption had been that he was asleep– followed by a brief moment of panic in which he had believed he was dead, or somehow back in STEM.
But Ruvik had touched him– had forcefully grabbed his hand to make him drop his gun and had left a burn similar to his own scars– and had then vanished the second Kidman had yelled out Nathan’s name, the old and presumed broken STEM device in the room next door whirring and humming as if it had never been deactivated in the first place.
‘I’m here to warn you,’ Nathan softly continued, eyes fixed on a random spot in the bright snow covering the playground and thumb absently running over the gloved back of his scarred hand.
‘We don’t know yet what exactly he’s here for, what exactly he’s tryin’ to do. Investigating as we speak, but– shit’s looking serious. Somehow reverse engineered the STEM signal to reach outward, expand into reality. Push itself out rather than draw people in.’
‘Meaning?’
‘Similar to the wireless connection that pulled you into STEM the first time round, but– without being pulled in.’ Nathan had to bite his tongue to stop himself from getting too technical. ‘An– An active environment in our world, if you follow, rather than on the device’s mainframe. Signal seems to be inactive still, but we’re gettin’ the readings. No idea how he’s planning to activate it yet.’
They had moved the device to their own headquarters, on the outskirts of town. Had needed to connect it to the second prototype– the device that had supported the Union environment, which they had taken from MOBIUS’ headquarters after wiping out its agents– in order to gain access to the mainframe, get any data extracted from it in the first place.
Their initial hope had been that it was nothing more than echoes– malfunctions in the STEM device caused by neglect promptly activating the wireless signal allowing shades from within to wander the Beacon hallways– anything but Ruvik’s actual return, however that was even possible–
‘Daddy!’
Nathan blinked, drawn out of his thoughts by Lily’s voice. He watched her run over to the two of them– the front of her coat, face, and hair completely covered in snow and a bright smile on her face as she attempted to wipe some of it from her forehead, but if anything her mittens just further spread it out.
‘I’m getting cold,’ she said, squinting when Sebastian reached out to help her with the snow. ‘Can we go back home soon?’
‘Of course honey,’ he replied, barely able to mask the exhaustion in his voice now that Nathan had explained the situation to him– and for a brief moment it was as if they were back in Union, radioing back to Kidman from the momentary safety of one of their established safehouses. ‘Don’t want you catching a cold.’
Lily looked up at Nathan and smiled at him– but she was a smart kid, and he watched her expression change as she looked back up at her father, head slightly tilting before she shook it to get some strands of her ink black hair out of her face, the single white strand in her bangs– matching Nathan’s own– a grim and constant reminder of her mother’s fate.
‘Is everything alright?’ she asked, and Nathan couldn’t help but wonder if she still associated him with MOBIUS, if she still associated him with the tests and experiments they put her through and if she still associated him with the STEM device, meeting one another within in some facility in the Marrow where he was forced to watch over her like a vulture at all times, all to keep the system stable.
‘Nothing to worry about,’ he simply answered her, unsure if she would fall for his lie, but knowing it would give her infinitely more comfort than the truth ever could. ‘Just came to say hi.’
The breeze picked up, howling loudly in Nathan’s ears as if the whole city softly cried for him; the cold boring its way through his clothes and eating away at his skin, exposed or not, freezing him all the way down to the bone. He lowered his head– a futile attempt at shielding his face from the biting wind and snow, individual snowflakes cutting like knives across his forehead and cheekbones.
He watched Lily smile at both him and Sebastian again before running off to get back to the snowball fight for just a bit longer, diving behind the slide to get cover. His gaze was pulled back toward Sebastian– but said man appeared deep in thought, eyes pointedly fixed on something in the distance, head anywhere but in the present.
‘I gotta go back in,’ Nathan quietly continued; an unnecessary statement, the gravity of the situation like static in the air between the two of them, though to put it into words was to accept the harsh reality of it all– acknowledgement of what had to happen, what was going to happen, something he had not been able to do before.
‘It’s nothing like Union,’ Sebastian bluntly replied with a shake of his head, turning his back to the playground and resting heavily with his elbows on the fence. ‘He’s nothing like Stefano– nothing like Theodore. He doesn’t need a weapon or a core to draw his powers from, you get too close and it’s over. You understand?’
Nathan didn’t know what else to say.
He had never thought he’d have to go back into STEM after Union. He’d be alone this time round– no Sebastian by his side, no Kidman to radio back to. They had reconnected some old friends– Joseph, Yukiko, Esmeralda– but had no idea whether or not their consciousnesses would still be somewhere within STEM, and for all Nathan knew he would be diving into a world entirely of Ruvik’s creation, with the same horrifying creatures haunting it as last time, if not worse.
Of course he was terrified. All it took was one encounter with Anima and he would never see the light of day ever again.
‘You should go,’ Nathan said, pushing himself up from the fence and stuffing his hands back in the pockets of his coat, ‘get out of town while you still can. Grab a bag or two, grab Lily, take her on a– on a road trip up north or something, while we figure this out. Just in case he–’
He couldn’t finish his sentence. The thought of Ruvik succeeding and trapping the world in a constant state of STEM was something he would rather not think about.
‘–you know.’
An uncomfortable silence followed. And rightfully so– what else was there to say? The whole situation was ridiculous to begin with, and for Nathan to show up only now instead of at any other point in time, months of radio silence after nearly dying together in a simulation of reality lingering between real life and a dream–
He carefully watched as Sebastian shifted his weight from one foot to the other, able to study his face for longer now that the other man refused to make eye contact with him. He truly did look a lot better; Nathan could only assume the man had stopped drinking, and had been getting a much better night’s sleep.
Though despite the improvement in his appearance there was still that lingering sense of dread, the dark shadow that had washed over his face the second he had laid eyes on Nathan’s scarring and had realized what he had come to him for.
Nathan couldn’t blame him. But he’d had to let Sebastian know.
He licked his lips and nodded to no one in particular, ending the conversation himself by taking a small step back and turning back around to return to his car, drive home, drink himself blind and pass out to hopefully get some sleep in before he would have to dive back into his worst nightmare–
‘Hey.’
Sebastian’s hand on his upper arm was unexpected and Nathan hated how he could not stop himself from flinching, a reflex more than anything else, and he hated how it made Sebastian pull his hand away as if he’d touched fire, the tips of his fingers on Nathan’s body despite the layers he wore the first physical contact he had experienced in months.
‘Who is “we”?’ Sebastian quietly asked, briefly glancing behind him to see if Lily was still far enough away. A surprising question; though not out of character for the ex-detective, his curiosity piqued just enough for him to try and get a little more information out of Nathan before they would say goodbye and possibly never see each other again.
‘Me,’ Nathan plainly answered, ‘Juli. Used to be just us two but we gathered a team of old STEM developers to help us with this. They got moved on to other projects while we were working on Union– they removed their chips, came back for us.’
‘So all MOBIUS.’
Not even a question, simply a statement.
Nathan bit the inside of his cheek. ‘Ex MOBIUS.’
The atmosphere changed, a sharp tension bouncing between the two of them as Nathan straightened his back and lightly tilted up his chin. He couldn’t exactly place the look on the other man’s face, though by then knew him well enough to know his hesitation wasn’t caused by uncertainty, but moreso distrust.
‘Thought the program was meant to kill them all,’ Sebastian said, a somewhat hostile undertone in his voice that had not been there before.
‘Just our branch.’ Nathan paused, watching as Sebastian slowly nodded and mouthed a soundless “right”– not entirely sure what his reaction was supposed to mean, but he decided not to ask. ‘Already told you it runs a lot deeper than you thought.’
Myra's sacrifice had put an end to the Administrator's reign of terror– had destroyed his legacy, and all research and findings on the STEM system as designed by Ruvik and improved by MOBIUS. Whichever branches remained did not nearly have enough resources or knowledge to pull off something even remotely similar; and whatever scraps of code they could have gotten their hands on before Kidman and Nathan had wiped their systems clean would prove insufficient to provide them with a stable environment.
And even if they would make it that far– provided they’d be able to recreate the STEM device from written instructions alone, Ruvik's original blueprints lost to time and MOBIUS' own burned to a crisp in the aftermath of the Union incident's conclusion– the mental erosion Union's residents had suffered from and the Anima manifestations that had happened as a result had never been resolved, leaving any future STEM residents with the all but comforting promise of a similar fate.
'I'm diving in tomorrow,' Nathan said, knowing there was nothing else left to say. The breeze in the park was picking up again, sweeping snowflakes that were starting to feel more like hail than anything else into Nathan’s face with a lot more force than before, melting on collision and dripping into the collar of his shirt. 'First thing in the morning. Can’t waste any more time. In case you wanna come say goodbye–'
He reached into the pocket of his pants, then held out a note to Sebastian; handwritten, containing an address located on an abandoned warehouse site, not too far from Nathan's own home.
'–our headquarters.' He waited for Sebastian to take the note from him. 'No pressure, of course.'
No pressure.
The note was almost a blatant sign that Nathan wanted him to be there. He could not ask it of him directly– but gave him the option anyway, leaving the decision up to Sebastian instead.
But deep down Nathan knew that Sebastian knew that he really did not want to go back in alone– and if it had been up to him they had recruited Sebastian a week ago already, when things had first started to go wrong.
‘Do you have backup?’ Sebastian softly asked, as if he could look directly into Nathan’s head– asking the one question he had hoped for, with an answer to it that could easily enough change Sebastian’s mind about letting Nathan walk away if only he would play his cards right–
But despite how often he had practiced the entire conversation alone in his car, despite going over all the different things he could say at least a million times, just to get Sebastian to feel sorry for him– as selfish as it fucking was– Nathan found himself unable to speak.
He simply shook his head instead.
The other children and their parents were leaving, now. It was getting late, and colder, and Lily slowly wandered back to Sebastian to start dragging him back to the car if he were to take any longer than he already had.
Nathan looked up at the sky, eyes fluttering shut as he allowed more snow to drift down onto his ice cold skin, and he breathed in and out deeply before turning back to Sebastian.
‘They’re expecting more snowfall tonight,’ he said, locking eyes for only a split second and shooting a smile in his direction, as he began walking backwards into the direction of his car. ‘Don’t wait up. And– Drive safe, okay?’
Sebastian did not answer him.
It snowed in Krimson City, accompanied by a deafening silence weighing it down and choking it out, as if the whole city was expectantly holding its breath.
Nathan left.
taglist (opt in/out)
@nistarot, @deadrlngers, @euryalex, @ordinarymaine, @mojaves;
@shellibisshe, @dickytwister, @mnwlk, @rindemption, @ncytiri;
@calenhads, @noirapocalypto, @florbelles, @radioactiveshitstorm, @strafethesesinners;
@fashionablyfyrdraaca, @radioactive-synth, @katsigian, @estevnys, @devilbrakers;
@aezyrraesh, @carlosoliveiraa, @adelaidedrubman, @fromgotham, @wardenevka
#nuclearwriting#kinda nervous posting this and also genuinely don't know if i'll keep writing because i haven't actually written much more yet LOL#i do really wanna work more on this because it's just nice to have for myself. but i'm definitely not gonna do the one chapter a week#that i used to do for king of fools. i don't know how i managed to do that like genuinely don't ask me#but yeas hi =] nathan introduction <3 obviously he and sebastian have already worked together during tew2 but i didn't feel like#writing about all of that just because it's basically what happens in the game except nathan is there. commenting on everything#this is the first part of the story where he gets to actually lead a bit more himself rather than just following sebastian around#and most of it will be written from his perspective if i do end up writing more =]#if i did my math and timeline right nathan did in fact already work for mobius when ruvik was still alive. so logically they could have met#but they didn't... closest nathan got was when he led the operation to burn the victoriano estate down after ruvik was killed#and then he wasn't there for beacon so he didn't experience any of that. and obviously in union ruvik wasn't there#so him running into ruvik as described in this chapter is the very first time they came face to face with each other ^_^
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Blyke and John: the Followup
In my last entry, I pointed out the similarities between chapters 249 and 121, but I had hit the image limit and wasn’t able to embed screenshots. I got around this by linking the chapters, but this is probably my favorite parallel, and to do it justice I think I need to really put them next to each other.
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It’s the same fucking scene but backwards and in a different font.
They’re the SAAAAAAAAAAME!!!!!!!!
This was definitely on purpose. Shit like this ^^ doesn’t happen by accident.
#unordinary#blyke unordinary#john unordinary#you know you’re deep in when you think you’re editing your draft and you’re wondering why the pictures are formatted all weird#Then you scroll down and realize you’re looking at the actual episode#i clicked the wrongfucking tab#T_T#I’m actually insane because when I first realized how similar Blyke and John are I denied it#I was like “nah but they’re nothing alike”#what was I on#girl wtf#AND NOW IVE MADE FIVE WHOLE ENTRIES ABOUT IT#I don’t think i’ve ever made more than one entry about a topic before#The most boldfaced lie i ever did tell myself apparently#Analysis#Blyke and John parallels#i can’t believe i just made an actual tag for that#How many times am I gonna write about this?#this one better be the last#But Really I’ve got no idea what essays my future brain has in store#Speaking of which. Essays is apparently the proper term for what I make#I’ve been calling them “little literary analyses”#which is also true#but I was trying to find a term for fan-nonfiction#nonfiction fanwork#like this#meta#and my brother was like: “you mean an essay?”#Yeah i guess that is what I mean#I like fan-nonfiction better though
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