#HELLO MOTIVATION! WELCOME BACK FROM THE DEAD

[missdarhk]

GUESS WHOS FINALLY WRITING AGAIN GUESS WHO GUESS WHO

[yearningagain]

it's enough (to make a girl blush): chapter two

HELLO!!! welcome to chapter two! i'm amazed at the traction that this has gained with just the first chapter, and it's giving me so much motivation to continue this!

i've also decided to open up my ask box for suggestions for rambles and ficlets, so please shoot me a message if you feel so inclined!

and of course a huge thank you to @kayleeofcamelot for betaing and helping me so much!! without further ado!

also on ao3!

total wc: 2.6k | wc: 1.4k | rating: e (18+) | pairing: steddie | cw: none | tags: a/b/o, alpha eddie munson, omega steve harrington, modern au, baker steve, famous eddie, getting together, gay eddie, bi steve, soulmates/true mates/scent mates, side buckingham

part one | part three

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

Steve loved Robin more than he thought he could love anyone. She was the peanut butter to his jelly, the rock to his roll, the yin to his yang. He doesn't know how he managed as long as he did before meeting her, and he frankly doesn't know what he would do without her now. 

That being said, sometimes she does make Steve want to give himself another concussion. 

Lunch at the deli had been uneventful. They had eaten their sandwiches while nestled in the window booth in the back corner, turned to look out onto the streets of Chicago. Most of their conversation was driven by judgmental comments about passerby’s, ranging from jabs about interesting color choices on someone's tracksuit to monologues about wearing a faux fur coat with cheetah print leggings (“It’s the principle, Rob! You wouldn’t get it”).

After finishing their meals, the pair made their way across the street to the record store. Upon entry, Steve was surrounded by deep earthy scents, old vinyl and incense mingled with the fresh flowers growing in pots littered about. And that brought them to their current situation.

Robin was making a complete and utter fool out of herself. She was bright red in the face, and Steve couldn’t tell if it was from pure mortification or her complete lack of breathing for the past five minutes. As soon as a little blonde omega, introduced as Chrissy, emerged from the shelves to greet them and show them around, the alpha had not been able to stop her mouth from running and running. Now, normally in these situations, Steve would insert himself into Robin's one sided conversation and slow her down, purely to rescue the other person from being roped into a woven tale of at least six subjects at once. But after one look at Chrissy, and the adoration and attentiveness in her expression, he decided to leave it be. 

At the back corner of the shop was a small gathering of armchairs, a loveseat, and a small wooden coffee table. Plopping down into the comfiest looking chair, leaving the girls to their own devices, Steve pulled out his phone to start tackling the sea of messages he had received during the night. 

Dusty

12:58 AM: STEVE

STEVEN

12:59 AM: STEVEN HARRINGTON

STEVEN LOUISE HARRINGTON

1:01 AM: do you even love me anymore

1:08 AM: if i were dying i'd be dead by now

1:14 AM: ☠️☠️🩸🩸

1:27 AM: okay whatever goodnight steven text me when you’re  alive again ig 🙄

11:39 AM: Jesus Christ kid

That’s not even my name

11:40 AM: Did you die?

11:41 AM: no

11:41 AM: So what was so important?

11:43 AM: before i say anything i want to remind you that  i know all of your secrets and also you love me sooo much  and you’re the best babysitter ever and you owe me for  letting my mom hire you at the shop

11:44 AM: Dustin. What did you do.

11:44 AM: nothing!

i didn’t do anything i swear on my mother

11:45 AM: Okay…

So…?

11:46 AM: my favorite band is playing here next month but its an 18+ show

mom would never come with me, she’d have a heart attack i think

so i need you to take me

11:48 AM: i can pay for your ticket if you want!

11:50 AM: steve?

A loud crash echoed from within the shop, followed by an extremely disheveled Robin popping her head into the nook. "I need your help."

—

Leaving the girls was both the best and worst decision Steve could have made. 

In the ten minutes of inattentiveness, the alpha had managed to talk for seven of them consecutively. After realizing she had been talking herself in circles, she tried to reign it in, which ultimately ended in her accidental confession of attraction towards Chrissy. That then led to a kiss-turned-make-out, in which Robin had tried to push the shorter girl against a wall for more leverage. However, blinded by her circumstances, she pushed the omega into one of the shelves, effectively knocking it and its contents to the ground. They were old antique shelves that had been modified with basket-drawers to store records and other miscellaneous objects, they were heavy . 

Steve would be upset, but the dark blush and lovesick smile never quite left Robin's face. 

With that mess dealt with, he was finally able to respond to Dustin. He shot a quick 'Sure. Just LMK the deets ' text and slid his phone back into his pocket. Chrissy led them both back to the nook, bustling about and making sure they were comfortable.

"Steve, I am so incredibly sorry about that! Please sit here, let me go grab something and I'll be right back!" She dashed off down a small hallway towards the back of the building.

Steve shook his head at Robin, sighing loudly. "Couldn't keep it in your pants?"

The alpha huffed and looked away. She huffed again, this time more of a sniff. And then again. 

"Steve, are you fucking with me or something?"

Furrowing his eyebrows, he followed suit in her actions by taking his own sniff of the air. "What? What's going on?"

She continues sniffing, seemingly following the scent. Standing from her spot on the loveseat, laser focused on tracking, she walks right over to Steve.

"Your scent, it's changing. I knew it was different this morning! I know what you smell like, dingus. And you don't smell like you anymore. Well, okay, you still smell like you! But it's like you're roasting apples in the woods on a camping trip. And you've always smelled like apples, so I'm glad that's the same, but now it's different. Has anything weird happened lately? Have you felt different at all? Do you have a fever?" Her curiosity morphs into concern and she starts placing her hands over the omegas face, seeing if she can tell the temperature. "I've never been good at this. Should we go to the doctor? Do we need an ambulance? Shit, did you get poisoned?"

Steve grabbed her hands firmly, guiding them to his chest and taking a deep breath. "Breathe. I'm not dying, Robs. I think I'd know if I was." He takes a few more measured breaths, pulling her down into his lap for a hug. 

After he was sure she was calm, he relaxed his grip, but didn't let go. "I was actually meaning to ask you about something. Nothing bad, I promise! I just... I had this really weird dream last night and I woke up convinced it had actually happened. I was so convinced there would be physical proof, but there wasn't any. But I could smell the alpha in my dream. Have you ever had a dream where you could smell the other people?"

Robin looked at him calculatingly, a crease forming in her brow at the thought. "No, never. I didn't think it was a thing that happened."

"Exactly. I could smell him, birdie. I could feel him. It was real . Until it wasn't. I woke up heartbroken. For no real reason." He sighed once more, lowering his gaze to his fingers rested in his lap.

"Okay, I am so sorry once again, and I had no intention to eavesdrop whatsoever, but I want to help." Chrissy emerged from the hallway with a plate of mini cupcakes, a sheepish expression. 

Steve waved her off. "It's all good. If you don't think I'm crazy, I don't mind suggestions."

She set the plate of cupcakes onto the coffee table and sat down on the loveseat. Robin quickly scrambled off of Steve to sit next to the other omega, shooting him an apologetic glance. 

"So, basically, I read this book once, out of pure curiosity, that was about fate and the universe and all that. It had a whole section about how, years and years ago, alphas and omegas were randomly going through what seemed to be second presentations. It started with scent changes, and apparently a lot of people experienced some sort of initial mental connection. These changes were way less severe, and oftentimes not noticeable until a random heat or rut was triggered. When that would happen, it was always a pair at a time, one alpha and one omega. The moment they would smell the other for the first time is the moment their respective presentations would complete. They'd come out the other side bonded and, most often, pupped. Their bodies were preparing."

Steve stared at Chrissy, mouth agape. "Preparing for what, exactly?"

"Their soulmate!"

[lady-pug]

Anything For You

Summary: 5 times Crosshair protects you and 1 time you do the same for him.

Pairing: Crosshair x Reader

Word count: 5k

Warnings: canon-typical violence, one dude being kinda creepy at 79's

Notes: Hello hello everyone! It's been a hot minute since this series has seen an update, but after season 3 I had some inspiration (I know it has been a while since season 3 actually come out, but some things had happened that needed my sole attention, I didn’t have the time nor the energy and motivation to write for quite a while). But now I’m back!

I really hope you, dear reader, enjoy this and have fun while reading it. If you spot any mistakes, please feel free to warn me and I'll correct it right away, and feedback is always welcome and appreciated. I hope you truly enjoy this story.

Reader is female, but no physical descriptions provided. Also, when describing the formal attire in topic 3 I tried to keep descriptions to a minimum so you can imagine what the reader is wearing in this scene (I’m a sucker for women in suits, but it’s up to you to imagine)

Next part | Previous part | Masterlist | Read on AO3

1.

The Batch’s mission on Taanab had gone south very quickly. The Separatists had aimed to cut the commercial lines the planet held with Coruscant, which would pose a major problem as it could possibly throw the entire Republic into starvation. So Clone Force 99 had been sent to scout the planet and possibly find Separatists spies stationed there. What they didn’t count on was being ambushed by Norulac pirates almost as soon as they tried to leave the planet.

Tech and Hunter had gone inside a facility suspected of housing the spies they were looking for, while Wrecker kept watch by the entrance, and you and Crosshair covered their shebs from a hill a few klicks away. What you didn’t expect was for Tech to take a major hit as soon as they walked out the door with the spy. In order not to compromise the mission, Wrecker pushed the cuffed nautolan back inside the compound and closed the doors behind them. 

As soon as the first blaster bolt was fired, you leaped to your feet, much to Crosshair’s protests, and started running towards Tech, medkit clutched tightly under your arm. Crosshair, ever the marksman, kept shooting his Firepunch, trying to get rid of as many pirates while you pushed forward. As you approached the place where Tech had gone down you skidded to a halt, keeping your head down as to avoid the blaster fire. Slipping your hand under his armpits you dragged him across the pebbled ground (and mentally apologized for any scratches he might find on his backplate later on), taking cover behind a short wall and starting to patch him up.

What you didn’t notice, however, was the pirate approaching from behind you and Tech while you assessed his injuries, who must have either slipped unnoticed by Wrecker and Hunter or come up all the way from behind the facility. You only seemed to notice him once Tech, coming back to his senses after a stim shot, pointed over your shoulder and told you to look out. By then it was already too late, as the pirate had his vibroblade raised and ready to strike.

As you fumbled with your blaster to at least try and protect the two of you a long blaster bolt came scorching through the air, hitting the man right on his temple and sending him tumbling sideways, dead. You glanced back towards the hill you had just climbed down from, sending a nod in Crosshair’s general direction, knowing he could see you with his scope.

“Thanks for having my back, Cross.” you spoke into your commlink before resuming your work on Tech’s wound, barely catching Crosshair’s reply.

“Anything for you, Copikla.” he mumbled, going back to firing his rifle in order to help his brothers take out the remaining pirates.

2.

The woman was definitely moving too fast for someone who allegedly had nothing to hide. And Clone Force 99 was hellsbent (more like ordered to) figure out why.

Your current mission, issued by Commander Fox of all people, albeit a stealth mission of sorts, wasn’t like anything you had ever done before. A Gran representative of Malastare, acting as a temporary substitute for Senator Ainlee Teem while the senator went back to his home planet to help calm the nerves and appease the public opinion of the citizens of Malastare about the rampage caused by the Zillo Beast, was suspected to be working for the Separatists. Afraid that an investigation lead directly by the Coruscant Guard would be too on the nose and she might try to cover her tracks, Commander Fox had surprisingly, as him and the Batch often didn't see eye to eye, requested that the Bad Batch be the ones to follow her around and figure out her intentions.

So here you and Crosshair were, following the woman a few paces behind her all throughout Coruscant busy streets. The plan of action had been to split up, Hunter and Wrecker taking the two parallel streets to the one where the woman was currently speed-walking while you and Crosshair followed behind her. Tech had stayed behind at the Guard’s headquarters, tracking the woman’s movements using the surveillance system. 

As the teams were being separated Crosshair had demanded that you go with him (although ‘demand’ might be too strong of a word, as he knew Hunter, as his commanding officer, could very well tell him to shut up and take a step back, which he thankfully didn’t), internally reasoning with himself that you could very well get lost and compromise the mission, even though the knowing smirk the Sergeant had sent his way after agreeing with his suggestion told him he might have other reasons. And now he was glad he insisted on that.

As dusk fell over the city and rush hour approached, more and more people filled the streets eager to head home. This didn’t pose a problem for Crosshair as his height, greater than that of the regs (and quite greater than Hunter’s, as he often liked to tease his vod about) paired with his extraordinary eyesight allowed him to keep his eyes on the Gran woman at all times. You on the other hand weren’t so lucky, as people bumped into you and tried to squeeze their way past the both of you. Concerned you’d slip away, dragged by the sea of people, he snaked his arm around your waist, his hand lazily draped over your hip, keeping you close to his side and not letting you venture away from him.

You looked up at him, a tiny grin gracing your features.

“Thanks Cross.”

The only response you got was his grip on your hip. tightening almost imperceptibly.

3. 

“I don’t like it.” 

Hunter sighed for the umpteenth time in the past hour.

“I already told you, these are our orders.” he turned towards his brother, who scowled in return.

“Why can’t one of us go in?”

“As a matter of fact, that option has been brought up to Commander Cody,” Tech chimed in, not once taking his eyes off his holopad “but he has reminded us of a crucial fact: no matter how much our phenotype might differ from that of the regs, we’re still clones. If a single slightly more enlightened individual in that ballroom catches sight of our resemblance to our mandalorian progenitor, the mission would be compromised.”

Crosshair huffed, still not convinced.

“But why does it have to be her?” he argued “Why couldn’t they have brought another natborn specialist? Or, kriff, even a senator? Senators are good at these sorts of events.”

“Senators are public figures, they would be recognized in an instant.” Hunter promptly answered “And all other female natborns were unavailable.”

“And the Seppie likes pretty women!” Wrecker laughed “I mean who doesn’t? I’m sure none of us would be able to seduce him!”

“I still don’t like it.” unsatisfied, Crosshair picked up his Firepuncher to check the scope, even though he knew for a fact it was pristine as always. 

A beneficent gala was being held by the InterGalactic Banking Clan to members of the Confederacy of Independent Systems council in Cantonica. One Separatist senator, a sleazy old quacta of a man, was rumored to have information on the next course of action regarding a siege against Republic forces in Ansion. So, given the sensitivity of the mission ahead, Clone Force 99 was called in. However, none of them could go in without the risk of being recognized as members of the GAR, so they had to send in-

“How do I look?” he was buried so deep in his own thoughts he didn’t even hear the door to the fresher opening and you stepping out into the hull of the ship. As he looked up to glance at you, he thanked the maker he was already sitting down, otherwise his knees would have buckled and he would have been sent tumbling down.

You looked gorgeous. 

Your hair was styled in a completely different style than you normally wore it, a few delicate pins adorning it. Some light makeup covered your face, accentuating your natural beauty. And your outfit… Crosshair had only seen you in your uniform and armor in the battlefield, or in your GAR-issued blacks around the ship. He had never seen you wearing anything like this, so formal and fitting for your exact frame.

He couldn’t even speak. He just kept staring at you, his eyes moving up and down your frame.

“You look beautiful, baar’ur’ika!” Wrecker’s booming voice brought him out of his stupor, as he shook his head.

“You really think so?” you asked, feeling a little shy “I never usually wear something so nice, this is a bit out of my comfort zone.”

“You look amazing Doc.” Hunter chimed in, nudging his brother with his elbow, his lips pulled in a knowing smirk “Doesn’t she, Crosshair?”

He was still collecting his thoughts when you turned to face him, eyes gleaming with… hope? 

“Yeah,” he dared answer “yes, she does.”

You beamed at him, smiling so brightly he felt his heart skip a beat for being the reason for your happiness. He wasn’t even bothered when he heard Hunter chuckling under his breath, no doubt catching on his vod’s reaction to your presence. 

As your squad started diskimbarking to start the mission, Crosshair reached out to hold you in place, his fingers gently encircling your wrist, leaving just the two of you still on the ship.

“If-” he swallowed thickly, not knowing how to say what he was thinking. 

“What is it, Cross?” you turned towards him, giving him your full attention.

“I��ll be keeping watch on the roof the entire time.” he breathed out “If anything happens, if at any moment you feel like you might be in danger, comm me. I’ll find a way to get you out, Copikla.”

You smiled softly at him, turning your palm up and intertwining your fingers.

“I’ll be fine, Cross. Really. You don’t have to worry about me.” Impossible, he thought, and as if reading his mind you squeezed his hand gently “But thank you for keeping an eye out for me.”

He squeezed your hand back, lips turning up in the tiniest of smiles.

And if at a certain point during the gala, a glass of wine carefully balanced on a tray on a waiters hand spontaneously exploded, startling the waiter and making him drop the entire contents of the tray over the separatist senator as he started getting handsy with you, Hunter’s scolding for nearly compromising the mission was definitely worth it as you giggled at his antics behind the sergeants back.

4.

79’s was certainly more packed than usual for a standard Taungsday. It seemed like most battalions were on leave at once, hence the more chaotic atmosphere and the crowd forming around the bar. 

It had been forever since Clone Force 99 had shore leave scheduled on Coruscant instead of being called back to Kamino, so you intended to make the most of it. Wrecker was already a few drinks in, arm wrestling some of the boys of the 212th; Echo was catching up with some of the boys in blue, having spend so much time away from his old battalion; Tech had already gone back to the barracks to read some articles on his holopad, the weird neon green cocktail he had order right at the beginning of the night only half empty and long forgotten; and Hunter had already scurried off with a gorgeous orange Twi’lek. 

Only you and Crosshair remained at the table, chatting idly, your thigh pressed against the side of his and his arm slung over the back of the seat behind you. Your heads were tilted close together in order to hear each other over the beat of the music in the club. For a moment Crosshair thought it felt weirdly… intimate, even though you weren’t actually doing anything. He’d never been this close to anyone, where he felt he could just let himself be. It was nice.

“I’m going to get another drink.” you whispered-yelled at him at one point, gesturing at his own cup “Want anything?”

He pondered for a moment, before declining with a shake of his head.

“Someone has to keep a clear head in order to babysit the lot of you.” he motioned to where Wrecker, clearly a little more than tipsy, was celebrating another victory over a shiny.

You snorted, before quickly turning around and walking towards the bar. He couldn’t help but silently watch over you, always keeping you in his line of sight.

It had become second nature to him, watching you. At first he tried to argue that it was only to ensure you didn’t do anything stupid and risk one of his brothers, but it slowly ended up becoming something he just did naturally. He wanted, no, needed, to ensure you were safe at all times, and not just on the battlefield.

As he watched you lean over the bar and signal the bartender, your back turned to him, he noticed a devarionian man quickly glance over at you from a few seats away. For a few moments nothing happened, he kept his eyes trained on you, occasionally catching sight of the devarionian from the corner of his eye. 

And then the guy was moving.

He slid up next to you, standing way too close for your (and Crosshair’s comfort). The mirror above the shelfs in the bar let him see your face,  and you did not seem too happy with your new company. At first you tried ignoring the man, he noticed, giving him very clipped answers and only nodding along. The guy, it seemed, couldn’t seem to take a hint, as he kept rambling on and on about something the sniper couldn’t bother reading his lips for. And the moment his hand brushed against your arm, startling you and prompting you to take a step away from the man with ‘uncomfortable’ and ‘creeped out’ written all over your face, Crosshair was out of his seat and crossing the dancefloor towards you in quick strides.

Once he approached the pair of you, you noticed him over the man’s shoulder, your face relaxing slightly at the sight of him.

“Is everything all right?” he asked, to which the devarionian turned to him seemingly undisturbed. 

“Yeah, me and the lady over here were having a wonderful chat.” the devarionian dismissed him “ Now if you’ll excuse us.” 

Crosshair knew he was tall. He, along with Tech, was the second tallest amongst all clones, shorter only than Wrecker. It wasn’t something he usually cared for, unless when he got to tease Hunter about his own height, which was shorter than the regs, but he knew for a fact he was taller than most people. So he decided to use this to his advantage. As his face contorted into the deepest scowl he could muster, he crossed his arms over his chest, squaring his shoulders. This meant he was absolutely towering over the man. He didn’t even have to say anything and the devarionian was already cowering.

“A-actually, I think my buddy over there is calling me over.” and he rushed off without even looking at you again.

You looked at Crosshair as he relaxed, a mixture of gratitude and a sense of residual unease written in your face.

“Thanks Cross,” you started “but I could’ve handled him. You know I can take care of myself.” 

“Trust me, Copikla, I know.” he shrugged “But you shouldn’t have to.” 

Your face softened at his words, and you leaned your head against his arm. 

“Thank you anyway.” 

His response came in the form of a wordless hum, but which carried a whole lot of meaning to it.

‘Always’.

5.

Crosshair absolutely hated keeping watch. He would take Wrecker’s snoring and Tech’s endless tinkering over this any day. They were in hyperspace, for maker’s sake! What threat could be so dire that one of them had to stay awake and alert for hours, freezing cold as Tech refused to fix the cockpit’s heating system?

But Hunter insisted. And as their sergeant, Hunter was in charge and whatever he said goes. And so here Crosshair was, watching nothing go by bored out of his mind.

All of a sudden he heard the soft pattern of bare feet against the cold floor of the Marauder, approaching the cockpit. It couldn’t possibly be Wrecker, he could still hear his snoring from all the away from the bunks. It wasn’t Echo either, as the clanking of his mechanical legs against the durasteel floor would have given him away. It probably wasn’t Hunter, as the man was an incredibly deep sleeper, his slumber being one of the only one moments his heightened senses gave him a break. And Tech wasn’t supposed to come relieve him from watch duty for at least three more hours or so. So that left only you.

Because of this line of thought he was unsurprised when you joined him in the cockpit, dropping onto the co-pilot seat next to him.

For a moment neither of you uttered a word. He stayed silent as he took you in, noticing the way your shoulders trembled slightly and the soft sniffles you were trying to contain.

“What’s wrong?” he asked at last.

You startled, as if only now noticing his presence next to you. Once you calmed down you simply shrugged in response.

“Nightmare, ‘s all.” your voice wavered a tiny bit, but it was enough for him to notice.

Silence permeated the room once more as he thought about the situation. You clearly seemed shaken by whatever was plaguing your mind when sleeping, yet he didn’t really know how to help. He wasn’t the best with words, Hunter and even Wrecker were way better than him when it came to comforting people.

But then he paused. Thinking about Hunter reminded him of something his older brother would do whenever one of them had nightmares as cadets.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

As a kid Crosshair never took Hunter up on his offer to listen, but he would still sit with him in silence and let him wind down after the dream. Wrecker on the other hand often rambled about what had scared him and Hunter always found a solution for him. Tech often kept to himself, never mentioning when he had nightmares of his own, but he knew Hunter had his back should he ever wish to talk.

You chuckled, though it was humorless and heavy.

“You know I have worked with other clones, right?” he nodded, remembering the medical base you used to work at before joining Clone Force 99 as their field medic “I had a lot of patients there. Most we were able to treat, but… we lost a lot of them as well.” 

He could only imagine the kind of toll that took on someone.

“And it’s like they weren’t even people!” you whispered, frustrated tears collecting in your eyes “There wasn’t any family we could contact to deliver the bad news, at best one of his batchmates or another brother from the same battalion. But in the end it was just… crossing numbers out of a spreadsheet.” 

You took a deep breath in order to collect your thoughts.

“I see them when I fall asleep sometimes.” you smiled, but it was a sad smile, one that Crosshair didn’t think suited you at all “The ones I could save.” 

Crosshair didn’t know what to say to that. How much death had you witnessed before you met the Bad Batch? Before you met him? You had your own demons haunting you, and it served to show him that them, the soldiers fighting this war, weren’t the only ones affected by it.

“Come here.” he extended a hand to you.

“What?” you looked at him, confused.

He repeated himself, and when you stood up and stopped in front of him he gently grabbed your wrist and pulled you onto his lap, maneuvering you so your head was resting against his shoulder, your ear right above his heart.

“It’s not your fault.” he spoke into your hair “You cannot save everyone. All you can do is try.”

“What happens if I’m not able to save one of you?” he heard the terror in your voice and he couldn’t stand it.

“I won’t let that happen.”

“Cross…”

“I won’t.” he affirmed firmly “I watch over you so you can watch over us. Always.”

He could feel the tension in your body vanishing, as a comforting silence enveloped the both of you. Slowly, as your breathing slowed down and you fell back asleep, he tightened his grip on you, keeping you close to him. And you slept soundly and peacefully through the night, with Crosshair keeping guard of your dreams. 

+1 

Another mission, another success. Clone Force 99 was ordered to infiltrate a Separatist base on Agamar and retrieve some sensitive information regarding the former Separatist rule over Onderon. The mission was easy (at least by the Bad Batch’s standards) and Wrecker was overjoyed over getting to blow a droid tank up. But it was time to head back to Kamino, resupply and wait for new orders.

Wrecker practically barged out of the ship as soon as the Havoc Marauder touched the hangar on Tipoca City, claiming to be starving even though he had eaten not even an hour before. Tech, Echo and you followed him to the mess hall, and Hunter headed to the commander’s office to submit the several missions’ reports he was due, promising to join the four of you later. Similarly, Crosshair mentioned stopping by the armory to grab some more reflective disks as he was running out, shooting a wink your way as you promised to save him a seat next to you on the squad’s usual table.

On the way back to their quarters following his visit to the armory Crosshair bumped into Hunter and after a few words both decided to stop by their quarters in order to leave their equipment before heading to the mess hall to meet the others. As they wandered the sterile halls of the kaminoan facility, however, an incoming transmission from Hunter’s comm made them stop short.

“Hunter, where are you?” Tech’s usually calm and collected voice came through sounding a bit… panicky. Strange, Crosshair’s eyebrows furrowed as he looked at his brother; Tech didn’t panic.

“Crosshair and I are on our way to our quarters, why?”

“You might want to make a detour to the medbay.” Echo’s voice came in as well. “A fight broke out in the mess hall.”

Hunter pinched his nose as Crosshair sighed in annoyance. Typical. They’ve been back on Kamino for less than a standard hour and they were already in trouble.

“What did Wrecker get up to this time?” Crosshair spoke into his brother’s comm.

Echo and Tech paused, the silence on their end stretching for a moment.

“It wasn’t Wrecker.” Tech answered.

“This time.” Echo chimed in.

A distant ‘Hey!’ was heard as Hunter and Crosshair exchanged a confused yet concerned glance before rushing through the halls. Tech and Echo were waiting for them before the closed doors that lead to the medbay.

“What happened?” Hunter asked, his tone laced with tiredness, clearly fed up with his brothers’ antics. 

But before either of them could respond a pair of troopers, regs by the looks of it, walked out the doors. And they couldn’t look worse for wear; one of them had a busted lip and the other was sporting a broken nose, two large bruises already starting to climb up towards his eyes.

“Oh, look, the rest of the anomalies are here.” the one with the cut lip snickered, grimacing as the action pulled against the wound.

“How about you control your little shabuir next time, eh?” the other scoffed as they walked away “Crazy shebs medic and the genetic freaks, it’s like they were made for each other.”

As soon as the word ‘medic’ crossed the reg’s lips Crosshair was moving, busting through the doors of the medbay. What he saw made his heart clench with worry; you were sitting on a cot, holding Wrecker’s hand rather tightly as a medical droid worked on your face. Crosshair could see some caked blood on your hair as the droid cleaned the side of your forehead where it had dripped down. As the droid went over where the cut must have been you winced, to which Wrecker rubbed up and down your back.

“There, baar’ur’ika. It’s all better now.” Wrecker whispered, or at least tried to.

“Thanks, Wreck.” you smiled up at him “I’m just not used to being on the receiving end of medical care, that’s all. I’m always the one cleaning up your cuts, not the other way around.”

Crosshair was so engrossed in watching the exchange he barely heard his brothers follow him into the medbay.

“Some regs started provoking us as we were walking to our table in the mess hall.” Tech explained “She started getting agitated but we told her to just ignore it. But then… a pair of regs said something under their breaths only she could hear, and she…”

“She went ballistic.” Echo completed for Tech, who looked unsettled for once “It looked like she was out for their heads. So much so that Wrecker had to step in.”

Crosshair heard Hunter sigh behind him.

“Command is not gonna be happy with him for getting into a fight. Again.”

“Oh no,” Tech corrected “Wrecker intervened in order to pry her away from the regs. The two troopers who just walked out? That was all her doing.”

A strange sense of pride bloomed inside Crosshair’s chest and started crawling up his throat, his lips threatening to curl into a small smile. Not only were you always looking out for them on the battlefield, but also outside of it? The trust he had been building over time seemed to solidify at that very moment.

As the droid finished wrapping your injury and walked away, Wrecker finally seemed to notice them. 

“Look! Crosshair and Hunter are here!”

As your eyes finally found his, you seemed to light up entirely, akin to a little kid on Life Day.

“Come on, Wrecker, let’s get you some food.” Hunter called, a barely contained sigh escaping from his lips “From what I hear you didn’t get a chance to eat yet. And I have to go back to Command and report this incident.”

Your smile turned sheepish and Crosshair couldn’t tell if you were embarrassed over the slight reprimanding tone in the sergeant’s voice or because your shenanigans had caused everyone to miss dinner so far.

As the other’s left, he sat down on the foot of your cot next to your legs, his long fingers wrapping around your ankle.

“So” he drawled out, a small smirk pulling at his lips “I hear you got yourself in trouble?”

You chuckled, to which he squeezed your ankle playfully in return.

“Yeah, I guess your affinity for trouble is rubbing off on me.”

“I mean, you were assigned to us after all, you obviously aren’t the little angel Commander Cody made you out to be.” he joked, before letting his curiosity get the better of him “What did they say anyway to make you snap like that?”

He noticed the very moment your face fell, your smile slipping off your face and your eyes turning slightly dull.

“Oh, Cross.” there was something so sad in the way you said his name that he never wanted to hear again, even if it meant he never got to hear his name fall from your lips for the rest of his life “They were so vile. First they started talking about Tech, Wrecker and Echo and they just told me to ignore it, but then…” a very soft, almost unnoticeable sheen of tears brimmed in your eyes “They started talking about you, Cross.”

The grip he had on your leg grew even tighter as he physically recoiled, taken aback.

“They started saying these awful things about you and you weren’t even there.” you stammered “They were being cruel and mean to you behind your back and I couldn’t let that slide. I just remembered what you once told me, about how the regs treated you as cadets and I just… saw red. I didn’t even think, I just acted.”

Crosshair felt his heart skip a beat. You, their sweet medic, got into a physical altercation… because of him? Because you felt the need to protect not only him, but his vode as well? You, who baked cookies and was nice to him even when he pushed you away and insulted you, broke a soldier’s nose… for him?

“I-I’m sorry.” you sighed “I know I shouldn’t have, but-”

“Would you do it again?”

Now was your turn to be taken aback.

“What?”

“If a bunch of regs ever insulted me or my brothers again,” he said slowly, the words feeling heavy on his tongue “would you defend us again, even if it meant getting hurt?”

Your lips curled up in a gentle smile, one he came to realize was reserved for him and him alone.

“I’d do anything for you, Crosshair.”

In a moment he was by your side, not even realizing he was moving. He sat on the bed by your side as you scooted over, making space for him, and wrapped an arm around your shoulders. His lips pressed softly on the hair on the crown of your head as he spoke.

“I won’t let you get hurt, Copikla.” he whispered, the most vulnerable he had ever been “Not on my watch, you’re never getting hurt again.”

He sighed contently as you relaxed by his side, laying your head on his shoulder.

“I promise.”

[sonoftydeusthemusical]

My friend has never heard of Diomedes before; how would you describe him? Like his motivations, his way of thinking, his strengths and weaknesses, his relationships, major plot points?

(I would explain him myself but I'm still not that far in the Iliad.)

Hello, thank you soooo much for this ask and sorry for the late reply!

First of I want to say that we’re by no means experts on Diomedes. We’re still in the process of learning more about him and discovering and exploring him through this musical, so people with a background in ancient studies might have a more detailed/accurate analysis of him than we can provide at the moment. But we still try to answer you to the best of our abilities!

(You’re welcome to correct us in the comments/reblogs ^^” )

In the words of @holy_mother_of_whumpers:

Diomedes kicks ass more than anyone in the Iliad, is scolded more than anyone. Odysseus best friend (according to historians). Shitty childhood (incest, prophesies and and a lot of dead relatives, which is almost as ancient Greek backstories go), shitty post Troy (banished from his city, cursed by Aphrodite). Actually happy ending (founder of cities, immortalized by Athena).

He’s like Odysseus, but with an unbelievably tragic childhood and less disaster energy. He gets stuff done and slays doing it

But here’s our answer…sorry if this is turns out too long!

Starting out with your question about his motivations

Oath bound, Diomedes avenged his fathers death at the age of 14, sacking the city of Thebes (the epic surrounding it is called “Epigoni” but unfortunately it’s a story lost to history, also he was 4 when he took the oath, should that count rly? shouldn't there be an age of consent for oaths? anyway)

The story surrounding his fathers death is tragic and a bit disgusting (he ate brain and Athena who wanted to gift him immortality was too disgusted to do so)

Diomedes doesn’t remember his father, and he still gets compared a lot to him (just see Agamemnon low-key trash-talking him by stating how much of a better fighter his father was to motivate him for battle) so that kind of plays into his motivations

Additionally like so many other heroes, glory and honor are definitely also motivations of his. Often it is Athena who pushes or motivates him to many of his greatest deeds and other feats (like wounding Ares, throwing the spear at Dolon, beating everyone in the funeral games,…..yeah Athena HATES loosing)

What’s interesting that despite the fact that he was raised on war, later on – after Troy (and admittedly, even more warfare) – he’s said to have wanted to settle down more, founded his cities in peace (or as peaceful as life for kings was back then haha)

In the Iliad Diomedes is always the first to volunteer, and despite often getting treated rather badly (Nestor kicked him awake, my boy was even sleeping in his armour, Agamemnon calls him a coward) he tends to keep a cool head and doesn’t retaliate (…except that one time….or two?) BUT he also definitely doesn’t take BS, he calls out Agamemnon for being a bad leader when he suggests to leave (Diomedes insists they stay and fight until they won)

For his way of thinking…he’s rather pragmatic, a good strategist (mentored by athena), first to jump into the fray, trusts his own strength, knows when to back down/when to talk back, can get caught up in the heat of the moment in battles, doesn’t shy away from violence, lies & trickery…. (correct me on this if I'm wrong or missed something)

Strengths & Weaknesses

One thing that makes him stand out among the other heroes is that arguably, he’s one of the few greek heroes whose lives don’t end in a complete tragedy because of his hubris against the gods (…….wellll………..his wife betraying him after he injured aphrodite and being exiled for arogs is an instant where he still pays for his acts against the goddess, but its tame compared to many other heroes fates, who committed lesser crimes) and in the end he even gets deitified (or at least in some versions, like athena wanted to do with his father, but his father messed upppppp so…..)

He’s more level headed than many other heroes (cough Odysseus “i am in the infamous odysseus” King of Ithaca)

He’s one of the best fighters - or THE best fighter of the greeks next to Achilles, the trojans were more scared of him than of Achilles (….since Achilles didn’t fight) without him the Achaeans….would’ve probably lost the war

As for his weaknesses….one thing is something that’s not even within his own control: his young age (compared to the other kings), almost nobody realllyyyy respects him despite his badass deeds on the battlefield and good battle advice, his many ships he brought and his battle experience even before the war and two) the kind of lingering shame of his fathers final moments (nom nom brain, and failing to take Thebes), but also his fathers supposed greatness that he keeps getting compared to and has to live up to

Now…..his relationships…oh boy theres so many, I’ll try to sum up the most important ones I know in once sentence for each

His family:

His father: he doesn’t remember him, but people keep bringing him up and comparing him to him

We dont know much about his relationship with his mother

most…of his other (male) relatives die in his early youth (which is how he ends up as King of Argos) like his grandfathers, and his uncles…

The achaean kings:

Agamemnon: the boss who’s a bully, but Diomedes talks back to him sometimes at least (…unless he’s insulting him, he just accept that)

Ajax: Diomedes almost kills him during the funeral games….the acheans have to break up the fight

Achilles: Diomedes doesn’t like him, Dio is the only one who wants him punished for killing Diomedes cousin that everyone else hated

Odysseus: LOTS of tea to be found here (he seems to see Ody as a mentor figure and keeps picking him as companion for missions, they both have Athena as their patron goddess but while Odysseus leans a little bit more on the wisdom part, Diomedes leans more into the pure strength of battle, they work well together and have a bunch of missions together)

Comrades

Most noteable are Sthenelus (known him since early childhood) and Euryalus, who are with him in Troy, they were part of the Epigoni (its rly a long story)

His wife: is his cousin, he marries her to strengthen his rulership, in the end, its said that she betrayed him with a new lover and exiled him from his own kingdom (another long story)

Glaucus: they met on the battlefield and realized their grandfathers were bro’s so they didnt fight each other, and instead exchanged armours (but Diomedes got the better, golden armour, while Glaucus got the bronze armour..)

There is sooooo much more to say about him, all the stories of the Iliad, the events before AND after it, his relationship with Athena, etc. I barely scratched the surface here so maybe we have to make a whole series of posts about this one day so we can get more into detail because its so much! (Let us know if we should???)

I hope this answered some of your questions, though! And again thank you so much for your interest and apologies for the late reply!

[belit0]

Hello!♡

So this is my first request ever on tumblr, so I hope this makes sense and is coherent! But I really love your writing so much and am happy to have discovered you today!<33

But to my request, could I maybe ask for a Yandere Itachi and Shisui with a fem!Reader? Like, both of them having an extremely obsessive crush on her at the same time, type of deal. Whether they get along during this or not is up to you, including if you want it to be nsfw or not. I just really want to see more Yandere content of the two together and your writing style is just perfect for it.

I hope this is alright and makes sense to you!<3

-bunni Anon

Hi!!!!! I'm so honored to be your first request!! Welcome to this beautiful hell hole, where it's impossible to escape 🤠

I hope you get a positive experience out of this one, and feel motivated to leave more requests in the future!💕🤗💫

Sooo, with no further a do, here's your piece!

TW: kidnapping, Yandere!Shisui Yandere!Itachi, alcohol Pairing: Uchiha Shisui / Reader - Uchiha Itachi / Reader

"There's no way she'll choose you, you know."

"Why would you say that?"

"Just look at you, Itachi. You're not competing against an ordinary ninja, you're up against the Uchiha prodigy personified. Do you really think she would choose you over me? Come on!"

"There comes great pride in your words, but little clarity in your movements. I have not seen you make a single gesture to get her to notice you, other than grinning like an idiot when she walks past you. Sit back and relax, she'll be mine soon enough."

"We'll see."

Thus began the personal challenge between the two men, deciding to fight over who would conquer (Y/N) first.

Knowing both men's personalities and determination, it would not be a fair battle, both greedy to be the winner and finally claim the woman they desired so much.

Their challenge began quietly, with small gestures that seemed casual and spontaneous. Itachi chose to study (Y/N)'s schedule thoroughly, knowing exactly where and when she would be, what streets she would take to get to and from her usual destinations, what hours she would use as free time to relax and meet up with friends.

He would show up feigning surprise, crossing paths with her by chance as if their paths met by fate, and not by his obsession. Still, he never had the courage to invite her to do anything on the spot or later. He would always see her, greet her, and continue on his way, blithely believing he would remain in her mind all day.

Meanwhile, Shisui would take a more aggressive approach. He became involved in all of her personal activities, both work and hobbies, infiltrating all of her environments without leaving her space. Whatever activity she had, he would be there, trying to do it alongside or be part of her team. At the end of each day, he would ask her out for a drink, or a snack, or go home for a chat, only to be turned down time and time again.

"How's progress, Tachi?"

"Slow. Yours?"

"Getting somewhere, we could say..."

"We know that's a lie. You still have time to give up, you know?"

"Over my dead body, dude. We both know I'll be the winner."

"As you say. Just sip."

The two would get together to drink and chat about their challenge, for regardless of the ferocity with which they lusted after (Y/N), an unbreakable bond continued to exist between them.

What Shisui never noticed, in his relaxation towards his best friend, was that the other wasn't ingesting his drink at all. Every time they emptied a new glass, Itachi would throw its contents over his shoulder, pretending to drink at the same pace as him.

Quickly, Shisui found himself inebriated, while Itachi continued to be in a perfect state.

That same night, after countless bottles and gulps of sake, Shisui made up his mind. He would go to (Y/N)'s door, confess his love, win the damn challenge, and keep the wonderful prize. Never mind his blurred vision and confused thoughts, he knew she was as much in love with him as he was with her, it was mutual. (Y/N) was just having trouble acknowledging her feelings.

He didn't even bother knocking on the door, entering the living room with unsteady steps and staggering in all directions. His breath reeked of alcohol, but he could only think of her.

"(Y/N)! I'm home love! Come and greet me properly!" He exclaimed almost losing his balance, using the table for support and kicking furniture in his advance.

"Shisui...? But what are you doing here? Are you drunk? Do you need help? Let me call..."

"Nonono! All I need is you... your gaze, your kisses, your words saying you love me... yes, the only thing I need right now..." He came dangerously close to her, trapping her between the wall and his arms, with no room for escape.

"I think you are unaccountably confused Shisui, I would never..."

"Shhh, there is nothing to explain. I know your feelings, I know you want this as much as I do..."

He attempted to kiss her, finding his lips against the cold wall when (Y/N) took advantage of his lack of coordination to slip out from under his arms. She ran quickly to the door, knowing she had to be clever. Shisui's reputation was world-renowned for his speed, accuracy, and persistence. If she failed to act quickly, she would be caught again.

She had the advantage of him being highly intoxicated, having more alcohol than blood in his body at this point. That would be her strategy, hoping his momentary lack of senses would give her enough room to get to safety.

In her frenzy, she was unable to slow down before colliding with an object and falling to the ground. As concentration returned, she noticed the object had arms and legs, a long ponytail, and onyx eyes staring at her sharply.

"I-Itachi! Thank heavens you're here! I need your help at this very moment! It's Shisui, he..."

"Hold on a moment (Y/N), relax, breathe, walk me through what happened."

With his strategy executed to perfection, Itachi took it upon himself to fill his partner with alchol, intoxicating him to the point of not recognizing his impulses and completely messing up his situation with (Y/N). He waited patiently, hiding in the shadows of the alleys where he knew she would run in an attempt to escape from him.

Shisui might be one of the most respected and feared shinobi, setting a new precedent among young ninjas, but he never knew how to tolerate alcohol. Something Itachi managed to take advantage of to perfection.

His plan was working out wonderfully, and now all that was left was to execute the last part, (Y/N) she anxiously explained the situation, between tears and sobs, believing Shisui to be her friend and feeling betrayed. He held her during the entirety of her monologue, listening attentively and pretending indignation at his best friend's terrible attitude.

"Come on (Y/N), I'll take you to my house. You'll be safe there, no one will be able to do anything to you."

"I appreciate it very much Itachi, I really do, but I think the right thing to do would be to go to the police, explain what happened.... A ninja of that caliber can't be running around loose and intoxicated, who knows what he could do to whoever crosses his path!"

"I insist, (Y/N). we'll go to my place, you'll relax, and then we'll figure out what to do."

Itachi's grip became tighter on her, feeling frustrated at having to deal with an unplanned inconvenience. She just had to agree, say yes, go home and close the pact. Why couldn't she act as she should?!

"Itachi, I need you to let me go..."

"I'm not asking you, I'm stating it. Come on."

"Itachi! Let go of me now!"

They both started to struggle, the ninja trying not to hurt her at any point. (Y/N) managed to get free, and that was the moment when everything got out of control. While running in the opposite direction, Itachi appeared in front of her, shining his terrifying red eyes and making her fall into a terrible illusion.

Prey to his Genjutsu, she could not move anymore. The shinobi advanced, lifting her over his shoulder and hiding again in the shadows of the night, trying not to be seen or detected by anyone.

He did not take her to his home, being a location too obvious and dangerous, with his family around and aware of him. He opted for a remote place in the forest, a small and abandoned cabin, where he kept her since their arrival.

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

"Itachi, I can't understand the rush of showing me a stupid spot in the forest when we have more important things to do. (Y/N) has been missing for two weeks, and you're still messing around here like nothing happened!"

"Take a look, and stop talking nonsense."

Both ninjas entered the abandoned place, where in the center, lying on a destroyed mattress, was (Y/N), still under Itachi's powerful genjutsu.

"Fuck, Itachi! It was you… I should have seen it coming, with you always scheming big things and whatever… I see... so you want me to admit you won the bet and have her all to yourself? Are you even feeding her? Taking care of her mind? Looking after her or anything?"

"Every day. On the contrary, it seemed selfish not to share such a beautiful trophy with my best friend."

"Always knew I could trust you forever Tachi. All right then, let's have fun."

[evita-shelby]

Ava

aka the what if Eva had a blonde evil twin?

cw: magic, demons, murder, some violence, Christianity

thanks @zablife for the idea

evacore taglist: @justrainandcoffee @thegreatdragonfruta @peakyswritings @vivianleighwishesshewasme

Once upon a time in a land far away ---in a mental state about two or three more drinks away from the sweet release of death--- Eva had not only gone blonde but fucked around with magic with equally high and drunk magical people and set loose her own reflection.

Ave, or better known by her new name, Ava Smith.

A demon of sorts who had taken the appearance of how Eva had looked when she said the words and produced her mirror image. No freckles, picture perfect looks and…a natural blonde.

Her twin.

And now Ava was here.

“Hello, sister.” She smiled with her dark pink lips dressed in, God help them, pastels.

“I thought you said you didn’t have a sister?” her husband asks observing her caution in welcoming the blonde woman who arrived at Arrow House’s front door.

“I don’t.”

They were the same person, even if Ava was merely the meatsuit of a demon or ghost, she can’t remember. The witch supposed this was why that thing was here instead in the ruins of the old temple they lured her in to kill her.

She explains as best as she can to her husband and his aunt who at least do believe in her magical abilities and all pretend Ava is truly her twin sister who is Eva’s complete opposite. So far so good. Only Polly knows she tried and failed to kill the demon, and only because she guessed correctly.

“You have a beautiful family.” Ava looks at it all with an ulterior motive and settled her greedy eyes on the family portrait. “I could’ve had one if you hadn’t treated me so badly.”

So this was it. Ava was here for revenge.

“Leave and I won’t try again.” The witch warns the demon eying everything Eva and Tommy built with their own hands.

“Oh, silly, you can’t kill an immortal.” The blonde laughed it off. “I’ll be out of your hair soon, don’t worry.”

It goes on for weeks, she doesn’t stay with her and stays in the hotel they have completely under their control. Ava lives like a lady of leisure does, fucks who she wants, shops till she drops and comes to visit like a sibling would.

Eva is not stupid enough to trust her, any second the demon would bare her fangs and they’ll be back at where they had ended in Mexico.

This time Eva will make sure she is truly dead.

And yet, Eva wakes up in a paralyzed body dressed in the same pink outfit the demon had worn at dinner and reeking of peroxide.

“When you try to kill me, make sure you finish the job, Evita.” The demon coos at her as she has the orderlies set her up in a guest room at Arrow House.

So this was what she was after, just like then, Ava wanted Eva’s life.

Ava who plays the part well, after all they were more or less the same person, and fools everyone into believing she is Eva.

“And the best part, Tommy doesn’t even suspect a damn thing.” Ava laughs as she reapplied her pink lipstick. “You have terrible style, so little color in your wardrobe. Even your lingerie is black.”

Days turn to weeks and only when Tommy and Polly finally come to visit her ---for the demon denied visits to keep her ruse going. Tommy is frantic, wearing a rosary when the man would rather set himself on fire than wear a crucifix.

It is hell, if she could talk Eva would scream, if she could move, she would kill the fucking demon with her bare hands. Her life she didn’t give a shit, her husband and child hurt like hell, but her style? That was unforgivable.

Polly carefully did all that a Welsh relative had instructed her to do and her first act is to slap her husband for falling for the demon’s bullshit. They had to have fucked, Tommy has the soul of a whore and cannot last much without sating his carnal desires.

“I didn’t fuck her! I knew she wasn’t you.” Tommy held his cheek and winced.

 “How?” Eva asks with a voice rusty from almost a month stuck inside her own mind.

“You never wear pink and even Alfie could probably smell the hair dye all the way in London.”  Her husband answered and Eva was rather touched that he knew she had been replaced. He took his sweet time rescuing her, but at least Eva knows he has not gotten his soul stolen through his cock.

“He knows you so well, I couldn’t piece it together until her roots began to show, thought he’d lost his fucking mind.” Polly chuckles as they help her out of the frilly pink nightgown and into Eva’s wonderful black outfit. “But don’t worry, sweetheart, Aunt Polly will be there to make sure we send it back to hell. Charlie is at Arthur’s, who knew Linda’s religion would be useful to us for once.”

“I need a gun.” Eva’s request surprised them, she has never liked the things, the sound alone took her back to the revolution that took everything from her and birthed the selfish and horrid creature they need to kill.

But close combat isn’t what she wants to do again, she barely survived the first time and wouldn’t the second time.

Tommy hesitates but gives her his gun. And with that, they set out to ambush the demon about to return home any second.

“I am home!” Ava greets the household with a smile, a garish pink dress and a fresh retouch to hide her blonde roots only to be greeted by Eva emptying all six rounds of Tommy’s revolver into her pretty head.

Gross and loud, but extremely necessary.

“Oh, that explains how she managed to make a good husband out of you.” Polly comments as Eva for good measure kicks the demon to make sure she is as dead as they need her to be.

“I didn’t even know she could do that.” Tommy admits as they help her get rid of the body by carefully wrapping her in the rug Ava died in.

They are to burn it, to have a priest say the incantations ---no need for a catholic one, so long as they were Christian it worked well enough--- and never speak of this again.

If suddenly all the new pastel-colored things were returned or destroyed by the mistress of the house, no one dared to ask why. It was not out of place for Mrs. Shelby to do something that odd, odd had been seeing her parade around in pink, if you asked all who knew her.

“Can you believe her? She said I had shitty style!” Eva tells her husband who after a month of abstinence was feeling like he too would die a horrible death in the foyer. He had learned a lesson, one that will stick around and resurface whenever a person looks at him with desire or sees the rosary his witch bound his wrists with for some of their usual games. “All else I can forgive, but that was the cruelest thing anyone has ever done to me!”

[lowkeyrobin]

this one is lowkey weird but can you please write edr platonic!ellie x reader where ellie plays more of a motherly role towards the reader and is cheering them up after they had a bad day 🙏🙏

sorry i lowkey only request evil dead but ur the only dude that writes them and you write them so well 😭 -🛒anon]

OMG HELLO WELCOME TO THE FAMILY 🛒 ANON (the shopping cart is my favorite emoji omg) ; and oh my lord thank you so much!! and yes I've never really drifted out of this fandom, I only got more attached to it LMAO, please spam me w edr reqs bc I love writing for it lol 🫶🫶🫶

ELLIE BIXLER ; motherly love

summary ; you had a bad day and retreat to the Bixler's apartment

warnings ; language, motherly type of affectionate nicknames (baby, sweetheart, & honey)

genre ; platonic fluff

word count ; 543

masterlist

You'd had a rough day at school, which you ranted about the whole rainy bus ride home with Danny. You'd already gotten confirmation that you could come over from the blonde, considering his mother loved you like you were her own, and also because your own mother couldn't love you like how she did.

You threw your things down in your apartment and immediately ran down to the Bixler's, knocking on their door. Kassie opens the door, welcoming you in as she informs you why Bridget wasn't in school today since she was sick. You quickly find Ellie, working at her desk.

Once Bridge scoops up Kassie to help her with the hot glue gun, you turn to the woman you viewed as your mother, tears welling in your eyes. She quickly looks to you, and stands up, wrapping you in a hug.

"Oh, baby, what happened? Are you okay?" She asks, knowing that you got off the bus with Danny no more than ten minutes ago. "What's wrong?"

"I don't know what I'm gonna do with my life, and my fucking guidance counselor was like 'you're gonna be a senior soon, you need to make something of yourself' and I don't know what I'm good at! And fucking no one knows how to shut their mouths and I have no friends other than Danny, and it fucking sucks and I hate this stupid shit!" You rant, crying into her arms. Her red hair slightly drapes over your shoulders and your head, wrapping you in a sort of protection, in a way.

She hugs you a little tighter and rocks you a bit, comforting you by listening and rubbing circles into your back. She listens calmly, holding you tight to give you a sense of protection from the world so nothing could hurt you.

"You're okay, honey, it's okay. I can help you"

"I'm tired of feeling like a fucking loser! I want to do shit with my life, I don't wanna be a deadbeat like my stupid parents!"

"It's okay, you're okay." She strokes a hand through your hair, listening to your weeping, your tears temporarily staining her shirt. "I'll help you, honey, it's okay"

You look up at her, your arms wrapped around her midsection tightly. "Please help me, I can't do this anymore"

"I will, baby, you're gonna be alright. You're gonna get through this. " She lightly smiles with a nod, reassuring you.

You loved that she didn't dumb down your problems or tell you it wasn't a big deal, or that you needed to grow up. Ellie understood you, she understood you more than nearly anyone else in this world, she was your favorite human. You started calling her mom long ago.

She made you dinner and brought over leftovers for you frequently. She bought and brought you old clothes, she was there to comfort you when you were down, and there to help motivate you when you got so depressed that you couldn't function.

"I need help, Mom. I'm scared" You sob, clinging onto her.

"You're gonna be okay, I promise you, I swear to you. Just calm down, okay?" She whispers, noticing you beginning to hyperventilate and hiccup.

"I love you"

"I love you too, sweetheart"

[veesbees]

HEY GUYS WELCOME TO ME CRASHING OUT. 

…So I just watched this youtube video about how Beth's character from the Walking Dead was wasted potential, and I completely agree.

Her death was rushed, and none of the main characters (other than Magie and Daryl) "gained" anything from it. I dunno, just after watching the youtube video and just thinking about Beth's death just feels so unfulfilling and wrong.

She had so much potential, and I just feel like the writers got lazy with her character. Especially since her death was around the mid-season finale, so there's gotta be a "big bang" in their eyes. But this was such a wrong big bang. All it did was set back a lot of character development, just to drive forward one character--Daryl.

And I'm not saying that Beth's death didn't mean anything to anyone else in the series, but...I might be.

Because, no one else mentions Beth after her death! Like, during Tyresse's death, yes, but what about Maggie? Rick? Carl? Or Carol?? Like hello??? They're all friends? And I get that everyone dies in the end, but didn't she mean at least something to them? Didn't she mean anything to them?

Beth is the only character outside of Rick's immediate family to wear his sheriff's hat.

Beth took care of Judith, like she was her own.

JUDITH WON'T EVEN KNOW WHO BETH IS BECAUSE NO ONE TELLS HER?? UM, HELLO?

Like, THAT feels so wrong to her memory. To her character.

And I get that some characters just grow numb and expect for some people to die, but you really were expecting Beth to die? And you...just move on?

Because, personally, I would not be able to move on from her death. (and you guys are seeing it now LMAO i'm crashing out.) Like, yes Daryl did have a moment, where he secluded himself and grieved. But Maggie? Her damn sister? Was she expecting her sister to die, break down a bit after her death, and then become so numb that she moves on? And I understand that Maggie threw herself into other things to maybe forget about her sister's death, but that just feels so wrong.

Like please tell me that there's some deleted footage of Maggie talking about her sister's death at least.

But back to moving forward with other character's development. Specifically how in modern media it's common for female characters to die, and "motivate" close male characters. Daryl. (Sorry Daryl.)

So, what I'm trying to say outside of the whole storyline and plot line, observing Beth's death was just a shock factor to drive another character. specifically male. I've seen this happen so many times before in other tv shows and movies. Like Natasha Romanoff drying, sacrificing herself for the greater good. Now I'm not digging into that now, but it's just such a recurring theme that needs to stop in modern media. A woman close to a man does not need to die to add more character development to the man. Why can't they both live and develop deeper, when the reason (in Beth's case) for their death doesn't make any sense?

Let's say that Beth survives. She wasn't shot in the head, then what would they do with her character? Because I feel that is the main reason why they killed her off. The writers got lazy, had no outcome for her, had no future already for her, since I read on Fandom Wiki that the writers or someone wanted to kill her off in early season 3 with Axel. So she was doomed from the start. They wanted her dead from the start.

And it makes sense, looking back to Beth's reaction in season 2 when she tried killing herself.

The writers never wanted Beth to survive, which is quite frankly sad. But they allowed her to develop slowly, get close with Daryl, have her own arc, only to kill her off? Which is so wrong. Because that's when, as a writer, you go back to the drawing board and shift some things around. Maybe it's not how you wanted it to be, how you wanted the plotline to go, but I think having Beth survive, and be present for the Saviors and Negan arc in seasons 6-9 would've been so horrifically brilliant.

Beth would've loved Alexandria, would've fought with Rick to make Alexandrai a better place. She would've carved out a place for herself. In season 6 when Negan comes around, she would've proved to herself, and her family that she's "not another dead girl". How she's become stronger.

Maggie would've had her sister after Glenn's death. Hershel Jr would've had an aunt. And her family would have a lot more hope than they did without Beth being there. Because she clearly gave Daryl hope that there are good people still left in the world. So what says she couldnt've shown her family how there's still good left in the world?

God. So much missed potential.

And I feel like reading fanfictions isn't doing her enough justice with her death. Don't get me wrong, some of them are phenomenal, but we (I) need to physically see her with my own eyes in the Walking Dead, going through each season and carving out her own story next to everyone else.

Welp. Thanks for listening to my Ted Talk.(thanks again to the AMC writers for killing Beth off, too. I dunno if you could see how utterly grateful I am that you killed her. NOT.)

(ps. here's the link to the video that made me crash out and think about Beth's death too much....https://youtu.be/-tRCucHpZVs?si=uXVfj5Lxtf01wTN_)

[mmmichyyy]

Hello 🤗 if you're still taking prompts, numbers 30 and 65 please

#30: "be you. no one else can." #65: "i don't want you to stop."

welcome to the company! happy to help if you have any questions or need my assistance with anything :) -ian

mickey stares at the bright yellow sticky note on his keyboard, then looks over his cubicle. the tall ginger is chatting with some of the other employees by the water cooler, all sunshine and smiles like a bright light in the dull, grey office.

he crumples up the note and debates whether to toss it in the bin. he's not here to make friends - especially not the office assistant who looks like a walking motivational poster. the guy probably gets off on cheesy quotes like dream big! or live laugh love! or be you, no one else can! hell no. he's here to collect a paycheck so he can pay rent. that's it.

but, for some unexplainable reason, mickey can't bring himself to throw the note away. so before he can think too much about it, he opens the empty drawer in his desk and sweeps the piece of paper inside. whatever. it doesn't mean anything. nope.

-

the collection of neon sticky notes in his drawer grow as the weeks go by.

hope your first week of work went well!

going on a coffee run, let me know if you need anything :)

noticed you were asking around for a pen, so i just grabbed you a whole pack from the supply closet :)

we're all going to the taco truck on the block for lunch today, come with if you want!

just a heads up, avoid martha unless you want to listen to her talk about her cats for an hour lol

restocked the pantry with a bunch of snacks, if you're hungry :)

hey do you think robert will be offended if i tell him his toupee is crooked??

mickey hadn't replied to any of the messages at this point. he knows he's not special - ian probably leaves hundreds of notes for everyone, the attentive dork that he is. but the last note catches him off guard and he can't help but let out a loud snort.

without overthinking it, he scribbles a reply on a notepad and sticks it on ian's desk.

you should tell him the thing on his head looks like a dead raccoon. -m

later in the afternoon, mickey holds back a grin when he bumps into robert in the washroom, muttering under his breath while vigorously adjusting his hair.

-

it takes him a few more weeks to realize that not a lot of people in the office communicate via sticky notes. in fact, he's the only one who gets daily notes on his desk, so much so his drawer is nearly filled to the brim. he's really not sure what to make of it, actually. he's barely spoken ten words to ian in person, yet he has an entire physical collection of the guy's random thoughts and musings.

curiosity and intrigue (or perhaps his inexplicable attraction to redheaded alien-looking guys) get the better of him - so finally, he breaks all his rules and marches up to ian's desk.

"what's with all the notes, red?"

ian looks up, surprised, all wide-eyed and flushed cheeks. mickey thinks this is the first time they've been this close in each other's personal space, so close that he can see the light freckles smattered across ian's face. he resists the urge to trace the dots with his fingers - because that would be weird and not something coworkers do, right?

"sorry for bombarding you... you just seem so cool, but i noticed you don't really talk much and i guess i was too intimidated to approach you in person," ian says, looking sheepish. "i can stop if you think it's annoying..."

"no," mickey cuts in quickly. "um. i don't want... you don't have to stop. the notes are... nice." they're the highlight of my day, he thinks, but he doesn't say that out loud. not yet.

ian's entire face lights up and mickey has never seen anyone look more like the personification of an eager puppy. honestly, mickey doesn't think anyone has ever shown so much interest in him, ever, and it's kind of... endearing?

so, he takes a deep breath and decides to take the plunge.

"but you can talk to me too. in person. face to face. y'know, if you want. i'm fine with that."

ian nods enthusiastically. "maybe we can get to know each other over lunch today?" he asks in a hopeful tone. "the diner around the corner makes a really mean burger."

mickey smiles. "only if you're buying."

[theresattrpgforthat]

hi! firstly, i wanted to thank you for your blog :) its actually gotten me into ttrpgs and you run a great service! secondly! im in the market for a two player ttprg for people who… haven't exactly played ttrpgs ever before! we both like the genres horror and comedy. as for mechanics, we love character creation and coming up with lore / improv on the fly! any games that fit this would be great. thank you so much, mint!

THEME: Duet Games for Beginners

Hello, and thank you so much for your message! Welcome to the hobby, there’s oodles of fantastic games out there and I’m glad that you find my posts helpful. Let’s get started, shall we?

First of all, I’m also going to shout out @jeffstormer 's Party of One podcast, which was my jumping off point for looking for 2-player games that would work for you. I heavily recommend checking him out, as he has years of experience playing (and running) games for two, regardless of whether they’re designed to be played that way.

Second of all, I tried to recommend games that either come with a lot of tools or that are pretty short, because I wanted to give you options that either really guide you through the process or don't overwhelm you with instructions. Your mileage may vary, but I hope something here stands out!

Dead Friend: A Game of Necromancy, by Ghostly Rituals.

Dead Friend is a roleplaying game for a necromancer and a ghost. That is, it's a collaborative storytelling game for two players. You will each play the role of a friend, one living and one dead. You will ask and answer questions to develop the characters, their community, their history together, and the motivations leading up to their final conflict.

The script follows the dramatic structure of a necromancy ritual, and you will use the spellbook of instructions throughout the entire game like a witch reading spells from an ancient grimoire. The mood may be spooky or intimate, heartwrenching or hilarious — it is up to you as storytellers. Dead Friend requires 1 Tarot deck or 1 deck of mundane playing cards.

I think this game looks like a good combination of horror and comedy, as it carries horrific tones but allows you to choose the mood. You’ll be answering question prompts throughout the game using tarot cards, so this is another excellent method of creating lore as you play. This game has an actual play episode of it with Jeff Stormer and Dani Costello that you can listen to if you want an example of play as well!

Standoff, by Matthew R.F. Baloušek.

The necromancer shrieks with cruel laughter, plunging the glowing dagger into the warrior's heart. "Fool! All your struggle was for naught. Your soul will be but a tasty morsel for my dark master!"

He starts to pull the dagger out, but finds his wrist stopped cold by Francesca's iron grip. She stares back with an icy glare. A glint of light catches the necromancer's eye, and he looks down to see the talisman of protection.

Wresting the dagger from the necromancer's cold hands, Francesca grins. "I hid all my vital organs in a pocket dimension!" Taking a free hand to dip a finger in what appeared to be blood, she tastes it and chortles. "You wasted the ichor of Ag'tekk on nothing more than a large ketchup packet!"

Standoff is a game where everyone works together to tell a ridiculous story full of twists, ripostes, counter-feints, and triple-double-crosses.

This is a chance to take turns one-upping each-other in a world of your own design. You’ll need a number of index cards in order to write down what you introduce to the world, but little else. What I appreciate about this game is the structure it provides - I find that structured sections and examples help new players get used to coming up with pieces as they go.

This is improv comedy at its finest - and it can also play with a larger group! There aren’t specific characters assigned to each player, but if you want to take more responsibility for either the Protagonist or the Antagonist then you should still be able to do that. This game looks exceptional, and I hope you check it out!

What’s A Vapourwave, by fen slattery.

A two-player, 200 word RPG about explaining vaporwave to your grandpa. Based on a true story.

One player is Casey, who kinda knows what vaporwave is. Another is Grandpa, who loves Casey and wants to understand their life. Played via text message.

This is a simple game that can be played via text message that navigates a humorous attempt at a grandfather doing his best to understand his grandchild. I love the aesthetic of this game, and I can see how easy it is to let the conversation within this game devolve into hilarity.

Heart Full of Trash, by StarshineScribbles.

Heart Full Of Trash is a  2-player roleplaying game where you play as raccoons on a date! 

Sort your recycling as you create your characters and tell the story of their romantic endeavours. Will your date be a triumph or will your raccoons develop a deep and long-lasting friendship?

Either way, by the time the game is over, your recycling will be sorted and ready for correct disposal. 

This is an adorably cute game that leans much closer to the comedy side of your request. The two of you will actually sort your recycling as you role-play - so since you’re using something you already have in your house, you don’t need to go and buy any extra gaming materials! This game is a bit closer to an improve game as well, so it might be a good introduction for someone who is less familiar with traditional character sheets and rolling dice.

You’re in Space and Everything’s Fucked, by Nevyn Holmes.

You’re in Space and Everything’s Fucked is a love letter to sci-fi cosmic horror and gore-filled splatter films.

You're In Space And Everything's Fucked emulates the trappings of isolation space horror video games through the lens of a tabletop role-playing game and is inspired by similarly fucked-up situations found in the Dead Space, System Shock, and Alien franchises.

The Station takes on the role of monsters and setting; generating both as the Struggler explores. They take a bird's-eye-view of the story and throw obstacles and objectives at the Struggler.

The Struggler fills the boots of the hapless sap that ended up in this situation. They scavenge, sneak, and generally work to survive by any means necessary in the face of horrifying creatures and untrustworthy NPCs.

The Demo version of this game is designed for two players, although it looks like the Kickstarter that Dinoberry Press ran back in March is for a bigger game down the road. The game includes a character creation section, a hint of map generation, and a handful of generated Boss Monsters! Because you generate the map as you go, I think this gives you a chance to come up with lore as you go. If you want chilling horror and a constant struggle for survival, this is the game for you.

Games I've Recommended in the Past

My Duet Flirty Games Post.

My Epic Two-Player Games Post.

[that-starry-freak]

Welcome!!!!

Hello!!! I'm Echo, or Starry I don't mind! I am just a silly little guy here on Tumblr thinking about my silly guys and studying them! Don't mind me!

I have a side blog for my current main hyperfixation, for now being my Tsams side blog! Go check that out if you are interested in my Tsams content: @dont-hug-me-im-hyperfixating

DISCLAIMER: not all my art is Tsams/tsbs!! I draw a lot of Fnaf sb dca things, and ship Sun x Moon outside of the tsams fandom! I do not ship incest, and any of the ships you see will never be in the context of them being siblings!

Tags and Aus vvv

My Tags!

#art - this may be shocking, but its my art

#traditional art - my art, but its ~traditional~

#Astro Rants - chat I yap a lot

#oc stuff - its in the title hon

My Aus! (Needs to be updated and changed but I dont wanna)

Dca/fnaf

Mind over Matter au: You've known about fazbear ever since you were 3. You grew up with it, and started working there pretty early on. Now you're moving to their newest location, The Mega Pizzaplex. But you have ulterior motives, and you arnt just there to be a security guard.

You're told to stay out of the daycare, but you've never really cared about what Fazbear tells you to do. You meet the daycare attendant, and when the lights turn off, you have to think quick on your feet. But you end up taming and saving the viruses Moon, and start to slowly get closer to the prickly Sun. While slowly working on your own, personal and more important mission (left vague because I hope to write this story, so I'll keep the twist a suprise <3)

Tag - #MoM au

Rockstars and Romance: In a world with soulmate marks, its unsurprising that everyone wants to know what the back of your's looks like. You however wear a pair of gloves to hide the marks, not needing people claiming to be your soulmate. But when your manager Mr. Emily says you'll be working with Sun and Moon, two robot rockstars that work under the same manager as your rival Vanny, you begin to have sneaking suspicions of who they're for.

Sun and Moon were never made to be rockstars, they were created for the circus. But when fazbear decides to rebrand, they were the only robots that were spruced up and forced to sing. They enjoy it for the most part, but marks began showing up on their hands. They paint over them, but every time they wake up, it's there again. They can tell one set is supposed to be each other, the sun and moon marks were obvious, but the two red stars were not so much. They assume they were meant to represent their dead ex, but when they meet Red, they begin to have other theories.

Tag - #Rsr au

Companion: Sun was always very, very stressed. So they made him a companion: Moon. Thats it, that's the au.

Tag - #cau

Sams

The Dying Sun's Protostar au: When Eclipse (v2) died, the star wasn't destroyed with him. So Moon brought it back to his universe and hid it. Things went on as normal, and soon they forgot about it. But when Solar died, Moon was desperate to get him back. He attempted to use magic to use his lingering energy and revive him, but it didn't work. Instead, the star absorbed his eccense and became sentient. Leaving Moon, and the rest of the celestial family, to raise a small powerful semi-animatronic child named Star. Also Moon changed his name to Nexus to distinguish himself from Old Moon, not wanting to keep being compared to someone who he wasnt.

Tag - #tdsp au

Ask Blog

Relocation au: Eclipse (v4) secretly went to a universe with a lord Eclipse with the help of Spanard, convincing his Servant Sun to go against him and steal the star. He brought his family back, and they all thanked Eclipse. He went there every once and awhile, because it felt nice to have people care about him. Sure, Earth in his universe did, but that was about it. But when Nexus went insane trying to bring Solar back, he succeeded in killing his family. All but Eclipse. He attempted to go after him, but Eclipse ran to the universe he had helped before, bringing Spanard with him, now living with the ex servant Sun's family.

Tag - #relo au

Cotl

Rather than a Widow au: The Lamb didnt remember his own name at this point, so used to being called "The Lamb". They were so stressed with the cult at this point, but there was one good thing: they were married to Narinder, their God. However, when Narinder betrayed the Lamb and asked them to die permanently for his release, they refused. They fought, and the Lamb won. They let him live, but they're divorced. The Lamb is exhausted now, tired of their stupid cult members and their ex now living in their cult. Narinder is still in love with them, but The Lamb really doesn't want to marry him again. Guess we've got a lovers to enemies to lovers slowburn

Tag - #RtaW au

[seaofghouls]

Iplier Falls

Authors Note: 

Hello hello and welcome back! ( Or if you’re here for the first time, I’m glad you chose to check this fic out! Welcome! ) Never thought you’d see a rewrite of Gravity Falls x Iplier Inc in 2024, huh? The ALTRVerse comic has given me the motivation to get back into Markiplier Lore and hence I’m here!

This is the prologue and hence it's just a test to see how people react to it. If people react well, I'll put the story up on AO3 and make more chapters!

Some things to note about this fic: 

It’s an X Reader and the reader is indeed the District Attorney from Who Killed Markiplier! ( So, obviously, WKM spoilers ahead! ) 

This is a Dark x Reader specifically. 

This fic is in the second person and the reader is gender neutral! 

Genderfluid Dark is canon in this fic, so I’ll be using He/She/They for Dark. 

In Space With Markiplier will also be incorporated, so spoilers for that as well. 

This story will follow the Gravity Falls story, but there’ll be added story for episodes revolving around the Pines family specifically. 

This story contains things like profanity, blood, near death experiences, talk of mortality/death, and angst! 

Tag List: @a-frozen-bag-of-corn @crazy-obsessed-enby @lunariasilver ( Not sure if any of you remember this series, but I figured I’d keep up the tag list! ) 

Without further adieu, I hope you enjoy it! 

—-------------------------------------------------------

“What has he done to you?” 

They looked so familiar. Like a far away dream. 

“Captain, you can’t possibly listen to this monster! You can’t trust him!” Mark yelled.

“My little monster, I beg of you. Open your eyes. He takes away all that you love.” She begged. 

That name.. It was like a puzzle piece. Everything snapped back into place in an instant. You weren’t a captain! You went to school for law, not to be the captain of a spaceship. 

“.. Damien?” You whispered. 

“Ugh, you’re just impossible!” Mark snapped, “How am I supposed to make the perfect story if all you do is mess it up!” 

You couldn’t help but tense up at the sudden change in tone. That was right, this wasn’t your trusted second in command. This was a man long gone, a man permanently warped by the manor. 

He twirled his cane in a clean and swift motion, aiming it towards you. 

“I’ll just have to make sure you don’t remember any of this.” He threatened. 

Dark intercepted Mark’s attempt with his sword, pushing Mark back a few feet. 

“Not on my watch. Never again.” 

Mark simply laughed, “The hero always wins. It’s the only way the story can go.” 

Dark simply grit their teeth in response, slashing the sword against Mark’s chest. Although it barely grazed, it was enough to catch him off guard. 

You watched as the two went head to head, being able to do nothing to stop either side. Even if you were willing to get in the way of the two, you had no weapon or no powers to do anything. 

Actor sputtered as Dark tore open a gash across his chest. His blood was red, but not the usual type of red. Bright red, instead of crimson. Actor was caught off guard for just a second until he scrambled back, unsheathing his cane. 

You’re sorry. Unsheathing his cane? That was insane! What was even more insane was the fact that the bottom of the cane was a dark red double sided axe. Dark seemed just as caught off guard as you were, as Mark obtained a window to slash her in the chest.

“Dark!” You called out. 

He only spared a moment to look your way, with a look in their eyes signaling that they were alright before attacking Mark once again. SImilar to Mark, her blood was an inky black. Something inspired Dark to go full force, you weren’t sure if it was you or the entire revenge pledge. 

He pierced Mark in the heart with their sword as Mark sputtered, that sickly red spilling out of his chest. He didn’t say anything after that, only heavy and labored breathing being heard from the previously lively body. 

“We best be going. The Snake never stays dead for long.” Dark said. 

You didn’t say anything as she opened a portal similar to the ones you’d seen as the captain of The Invincible. Except, it looked a bit like the Noir universe. A combination of black, white, and grey. You simply followed him inside the portal. What other choice did you have? Stay in this void until Mark’s body inevitably rose from the dead? The old Homo Necrosis didn’t sound like a fun route to go down. 

Which led you to where you are now. A sleepy town named Gravity Falls. Dark had said that the laws of the town would cover up the tracks of you two, making it harder for Mark to find you again. You still had quite a few strong words for Dark, considering he trapped you in a mirror for decades, but that was the thing. It had been decades. You didn’t know what else to do other than follow them. Mark was obviously a no-go. 

“Please, call me Dark.” He had said, “Damien and Celine are both.. Long dead. I have an apartment set up in the town, we can stay there until we know how to deal with The Snake properly.” 

“Okay.” You said, “In that case, call me Captain. The person I used to be died in that house.”

She simply nodded, “As you wish.” 

The two of you had been wandering around the town when you spotted a hiring sign for a tourist attraction. 

“We could work here.” You said, “We need some way of paying rent, right?” 

Dark hummed in thought, “It couldn’t hurt, I suppose.” 

You strolled into the attraction with Dark following close behind. You spotted an older man shuffling money while standing at the cash register. He was probably the owner, right?

“Excuse me, are you the owner?” You asked. 

He nodded, “What’s it to ya? You’re not the government, are you?” 

“No, no, nothing like that.” You said. A little like that, but you weren’t going to tell him that.

“My friend and I heard you were hiring.” 

“Great! You’re hired. Call me Mr. Pines.” He said, “You start tomorrow.”

“We’ll be there!” You smiled, as you walked back outside to talk to Dark in semi private. 

“Have you learned nothing from your district attorney days?” He teased, “Truly, though, that man was a bit too eager.” 

“Hey, it’s a job, isn’t it?” You shrugged, “Times have changed.”

“That they have.” She nodded, “Would you like to get some champagne? As a little celebration.”

“Really? Just like we used to? Even after everything that’s happened?” You raised an eyebrow. 

“Especially after everything that’s happened.” Dark said. 

You simply smiled in response as the two of you walked down the road to a nearby bar. You weren’t sure if he had said anything else to you, you were too consumed in your own thoughts. This seemed too easy, after everything that had happened. 

You were a district attorney. One that got shot at a party held by Mark himself. You didn’t blame William. Mark set everything up. A bitter man who fell victim to insanity. You had considered resenting Dark for what they did, but at the same time.. 

You knew deep down that this was a best scenario, as shitty as it was. You wouldn’t have survived. Of course Damien would pick his sister over you, even if you were close. You would’ve done the same. You did die, after all. Your time was up. 

Mark just couldn’t let you stay dead, could he? Pulling you into his games, forcing you to be his partner, his love interest. That was the thing. Dark had tried to reach you so many times, but you never remembered. Until now. What was different? Was the space adventure a finale of sorts? Was Mark’s grasp on you finally slipping? You didn’t know. 

“... Captain..”

“Captain.”

“Captain!”

You snapped back into reality, as Dark held you by the shoulders, attempting to ground you.

“Are you alright?” She asked, eyebrows knitted together.

“Yeah.. Yeah, I’m okay.” You sighed, “Just.. thinking.”

“Yeah? About what?” They raised an eyebrow. 

“He.. He really did take away everything from us. What’s the point of it all?” You asked.

He didn’t respond at first, hugging you tightly. 

“Making sure that bastard stays dead.”

[petit-etoile]

　　　　　HELLO .ᐟ  welcome  to  PETIT-ÉTOILE  ♡   a  sideblog  dedicated  to  writing  fics  dedicated  to  &  sharing  headcanons  about  ASTARION  ANCUNÍN  from  BALDUR'S  GATE  3 .  penned  with  care  &  adoration  by  CARCOSA / ALUNE  ( 21+,  they/them,  cst . )  fic  ratings  will  range  from  GENERAL  AUDIENCES  to  EXPLICIT ;  there  will  be  no  dead  dove  content  on  this  blog,  however  there  will  be  canon-compliant  allusions  to  violence.  because  smut  will  be  present  on  this  blog,  NO  MINORS .  please  have  your  age  somewhere  visible  in  your  bio  or  you  will  be  blocked .ᐟ

　𝐈. ﹕masterlist  .  ⊱   a  list  of  all  my  fics  for  easy  accessibility .  please  consider  reblogging  &  commenting  if  you  enjoyed  my  work .ᐟ 　𝐈𝐈. ﹕ask box  .  ⊱   REQUESTS  OPEN .ᐟ  please  try  to  be  specific  when  requesting .  i  fill  requests  based  on  work  load,  interest  &  availability .  please  note  that  i  will  only  write  astarion  x  tav  requests,  with  emphasis  on  gender-neutral  tav  unless  otherwise  specified .  as  of  right  now,  i  do  not  take  fic  writing  commissions . 　𝐈𝐈𝐈. ﹕ ao3  .  ⊱   my  ao3  account  where  i  crosspost  my  fics .  please  do  not  reupload  my  fics  on  your  own  or  claim  my  fics  as  yours .  if  you  see  my  fics  being  reuploaded,  please  tell  me . 　𝐈𝐕. ﹕icon / banner credit  .  ⊱  my  icon  &  header  art  was  drawn  by the incredible  長崎　犬太 .  this  is  artwork  i  commissioned  for  my  personal  usage ,  so  please  do  not  reupload  this  artwork  or  claim  this  artwork  as  yours. 　𝐕.﹕art credit  .  ⊱  my  artwork  featured  in  my  pinned  post  was  drawn  by the incredible  長崎　犬太 .  this  is  artwork  i  commissioned  for  my  personal  usage ,  so  please  do  not  reupload  this  artwork  or  claim  this  artwork  as  yours. 　𝐕𝐈.﹕my  tav / astarion  .  ⊱  you  can  view  more  of  the  artwork  featuring  my  dark  urge  tav  x  astarion  using  this  tag .  everything  compiled  here  will  very  likely  just  be  artwork,  but  i  may  be  tempted  to  write  fic  for  them  eventually . 　𝐕𝐈𝐈. ﹕ taglist  .  ⊱  want  immediate  knowledge  of  when  i  post  my  fics ?  like  my  tag  list  or  subscribe  to  my  ao3  account  to  be  pinged  per  upload.  please  make  sure  your  blog  allows  for  tagging ,  otherwise  you  won't  be  notified  &  i  can't  tag  you . 　𝐕𝐈𝐈𝐈. ﹕ keepsakes  .  ⊱  sometimes  i  get  sent  very  motivating  &  sweet  asks  regarding  my  writing ,  so  i've  created  a  little  tag  where  all  the  nice  things  you  all  send  me  can  be  saved  so  i  can  look  back  on  them .  thank  you  for  your  support !!  without  you  &  your  prompts  &  likes / reblogs ,  i  wouldn't  know  what  to  do  with  all  this  inspiration.

𝐒𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐒   ⊱

　⤷  basorexia  —  a  canon-complaint  series  of  drabbles  about  kissing .  astarion  x  dark  urge  tav 　⤷  a thousand lives, and one  —  a  canon-complaint  series  of  drabbles .  astarion x human tav 　⤷  et toi, et moi  —  an alternate-universe known as royalty au .  king astarion x knight-protector tav. 　⤷  say what you want，even if it's bad  —  a canon-compliant series, pre-vampirism to canon.  magistrate astarion x tav

𝐌𝐈𝐋𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐍𝐄 𝐂𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐁𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒 𝐁𝐄𝐍𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐇 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐔𝐓 .ᐟ

  𝟐𝐊 𝐌𝐈𝐋𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐍𝐄 𝐀𝐂𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐏𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐇𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐒   ⊱

　⤷  in the moonlight (my darling, do not fear)

  𝟏𝐊 𝐌𝐈𝐋𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐍𝐄 𝐀𝐂𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐏𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐇𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐒   ⊱

  𝟓𝟎𝟎 𝐌𝐈𝐋𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐍𝐄 𝐀𝐂𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐏𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐇𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐒   ⊱

　⤷  everything i see, everything i feel (you are my universe) 　⤷ your heart understood mine

[darkx-the-dragon-kn1ght]

Pokémon Reborn Screenshot Let's Play: Chapter 44

Time is still not on my side, but not for the same reasons as last time! Hello everyone, welcome back to my humble Let’s Play- were the holidays good for you all? I hope so, we’ve still got several to go and a few more weeks left in 2024, so the holiday vibes aren’t quite done yet.

Regardless of whatever you celebrate, I’m celebrating getting this chapter out! Yeah, the thing is, I was actually able to finish prep work for my Fire Emblem TTRPG adventure in a very timely manner- and then I had to cancel the session for Reasons. Both of these circumstances gave me a lot of time to do the play session for this chapter and start writing for it- and yet, it still took me more time than usual to get this chapter posted. I think it’s because I got an extended weekend from work because of Thanksgiving, and the following week was me just trying to get back into the groove of things, so that probably tanked my writing motivation and productivity.

Luckily, my motivation couldn’t hide from me forever, and so here we are. Now then, before we get into the main festivities, it’s that time for the recap! Although last chapter was very eventful, given how long it’s been since I posted it, a few reminders will probably do all of us some good.

Xera travels across the Reborn and Chrysolia Regions to catch some new Pokémon, namely: Charge the Blitzle, Neon the (Shiny) Tynamo, Carnation the Corsola, Nekko the Hoppip, Fuwa the Drifloon, Pan the Nuzleaf, Midnight the Murkrow, Guava the Tropius, Apollo the Helioptile, and Poly the Porygon.

Xera catches Pan after defeating a Shiftry, who was the leader of the Nuzleaf tribe causing mischief in Rhodochrine Jungle. She catches Fuwa while helping a little boy return to his home in Lapis Ward, saving him a second time from a Venipede swarm in the process.

While Laura and Charlotte are still gone, Xera and Noel decide to go ahead with their Gym battle. With Shelly as the referee and Anna’s encouragement, Xera faces off against the Normal-type prodigy.

After a very, very, VERY hard-fought battle, Xera is finally able to defeat Noel and earn the Standard Badge. Just as they finish, Laura returns, though Charlotte has gone off on her own for some alone time. 

Laura explains that her and her sisters’ parents were killed years ago in a house fire caused when Charlotte snuck outside to play with her Vulpix- all the plants and grass around, it was all too easy for fire to spread. She goes on to explain how Saphira has looked after them ever since, and she grows tearful at the thought of anything happening to either of her sisters.

At Anna’s insistence, the group heads back inside to help Laura calm down. Noel takes Xera aside to tell her about his doubts regarding Saphira surviving that fall from Tanzan Mountain. He believes someone needs to go out and look for her, alive or dead- and since Anna won’t let him leave, it falls to Xera.

Suddenly, another tremor shakes the area. Noel and Xera return to the living room to hear the others discussing an explosion that just took place at the top of Tanzan Mountain, where the Meteor base was. Additionally, Charlotte has yet to return.

So yeah, a lot of stuff from last chapter, even if the actual summary is actually pretty short. Thanks to the weathermod password, I won’t be held back from catching event Pokémon anymore (I think), so that’ll be nice. Less nice is how much trouble the Noel fight gave me, by far the most difficult boss battle I’ve had to deal with in this game so far- does that bode well, considering it took me until the seventh Badge to get truly stuck like that? Or is it a terrible omen of the fact that the difficulty is going to continue ramping up in such a way? 

I guess we’ll find out in this chapter, because arson is also real! Not sure what the deal with the Meteor base is, but that’s what we gotta go investigate I suppose, in addition to investigating what became of Saphira. Heck, maybe they’re related, maybe Saphira went back and finished the job! Or maybe that’s where Charlotte ran off to, she went to take out her tragic backstory turmoil on the Meteors- honestly, I can see it go either way.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Part 6

Part 7

Part 8

Part 9

Part 10

Part 11

Part 12

Part 13

Part 14

Part 15

Part 16

[chattegeorgiana]

Hello Chatte, it’s me again! Just read chapter 13 and it was great! The chapter really sets up what you wanted to do story wise. Each characters pov drives the plot and their motivations makes sense from the OG canon. I love Sakura and Naruto drives and motivation. Naruto acknowledges the challenges of his philosophy such as his feelings on Pein and the Raikage, his personal feelings and how he’ll have to adjust if he wants to be Hokage. Sakura driving the plot forward with her plans to deal with the aftermath with war and her own personal project and the potential consequences of that is great. I’m assuming that’s why Sakura is wearing black? To symbolize her maturity and death of innocence due to the war and the potential consequences of what she wants with bringing back the dead. Also Tsunade taking care of business is great, shows how her character coming full circle from her walking away from Konoha to coming back and to making sure the next generation doesn’t have to deal with it. I read it on AOE, and I think you dealt with dark subject matter well. People often justify horrific actions behind “good” intentions. Both in literature and in real life

Anyway I’m glad that you’re taking a break to plot out the rest story I’m sure that will be easier going forward!

Hiii dear!

First of all welcome to my inbox again. My heart skips a beat whenever I see a message from you because you're one of the few people that truly does go such in depth with the way I create this story from so various angles. You and another great person I talk to about Kaika have a way to see right through my writing like no other!

Not to take from the others who enjoy Kaika, far from me, I appreciate each and every person who does it, but it's something about you two that tickles my writing senses, so to speak, haha.

It like y'all see right through me, and not in a bad way, but a great one. To be honest, I have to admit that ever since I started writing Kaika, it gave me perhaps another angle to look at Kishimoto and understand his predicament - especially in terms of Sakura's character.

It's so nice when one (or multiple) of your readers understand these layers of your writing and what you're trying to do with a character, because it creates a bond between the two of you, an understanding in an off itself, a knowing, a belonging; like a (not so) secret/coded language where you as the writer leave the coded messages, and the reader interprets and deciphers the message.

And when someone deciphers and understands the message it's absolutely incredible. It's like a feedback loop where both parts are in absolute sync feeding each other information and keeping the "motor running", if I may say like that.

Such an incredible feeling! Which is why, like I said, offered me another opportunity to understand Kishi's predicament with Sakura - for example. He did say he was trying to do things with her, but sadly the message wasn't getting across to so many.

But for me, back then, it did. It's just that I didn't have any means to reach out to him and tell him all those things. Sometimes I wish I could have been able to, to make him understand that hey, look, there's someone out there who sees it, keep pushing it, keep doing it, I SEE YOU!

But alas, it didn't happen.

Which is why I'm writing Kaika today to be honest. Well, not the sole reason but one of them.

It's my way of saying back after all these years to Kishi (methaphorically speaking of course, cuz it's not like I could reach him or anything lol) - I see you. I always did. And for as much as I didn't agree with many parts of his story, especially the ending, and how mad I was with him back in the day, I still appreciate him for giving me Naruto and especially Sakura Haruno, a character that I'll greatly cherish.

Anyway, I went so much on a tangeeeent! Let me get back to the actual subject of your message here, haha.

So, for the story and the plot... I'm finally so happy I'm slowly getting to these parts of it and I am slowly but surely starting to move the plot forward, you have no idea. I've been meaning to do this for such a long time, and while I planted the seeds in the initial chapters, with all the things that were going in my personal life that prevented me from attending to the story as I wished, it's such a big relief to be able to finally get here.

And not only that, but do it in a natural and organic way, that stays true to its canon counterpart. Because one of my worries was, I have to admit, that after being gone for so long, I would loose that touch, if I may say so, when it came to my writing. That flavor I try to bring it.

I have to admit, it's still kind of on and off, because I've been away from it for a long time. Took me almost an year from chapter 11 to 12, for example. I felt terrible and I worried that it was going to affect my writing, as well as that natural and organic feeling I tried to give to the story when mirrored to OG material. Partially my writing was affected as I do see things I would've written differently every time I reread the chapters after publishing myself.

But at the same time if I would edit over and over and over again, I would've never publish them, so for now it's like move forward, and you'll get back to your groove as you get to writing it.

That's why I've written this chapter only and then I want to take a break to plan story arcs. Because I want to be done with that side so that then, I can go full steam ahead and only focus on improving my writing.

As for Naruto and Sakura, what I'm trying to do with them is actually have them move the plot forward, not just be pawns that witness how everything moves around them, but have them be the agents of change. And to do that, I wanted to delve deep into their psychological and emotional attributes - like you said, for Naruto being the Pein and Raikage storylines, which are one of the biggest antithesis to Naruto's idealistic self, and with Sakura I went from two angles - from a relationship with self POV and with others. With self it's the greatly missed opportunity with inner Sakura, and with others is through how she connects with the others and brings about real change, rather than staying back and feeling sorry for herself that she cannot do more than that.

I love exploring these aspects to be honest, because that's one of Kishi's trademark signature when it comes to his writing style - the way he delves into the deep pits of the human psyche and manages to engage both the heart and the minds of his readers.

Like I said in one many of my other posts and talks with people - the reason Naruto is successful as a story and so popular is because of emotional manipulation, actually. I know it may sound like a negative thing I'm saying, but it doesn't have to be.

I mean, it is and it isn't at the same time. Depends from what angle you decide to look at it. From one angle can be good, from another can be bad.

But as a standalone fact, that's the truth. Kishimoto was remarkably crafty at manipulating his reader's emotions and getting them attached to the story to this degree. For that, I applaud him, even if I don't agree with him on everything he did, I can still recognize this remarkable skill of his.

And for better or for worse, I learned a lot from him, storytelling-wise. So for that, I'll always be grateful. And so I found my way to do that - through Kaika.

As for Sakura wearing black - YAS! That's exactly why it is, haha. That's exactly why both of them are having more black than other colors in their designs. Because it's meant to represent the depths of their psyche, going into the deep end face whatever they find there on that path.

I know Kishi already did it with Naruto in OG, but that was more on a personal level. It was from a standalone POV. So I thought, ok, how can I put a spin to this, add my own touch while still being faithful to OG? So then, that's when the opportunity presented itself - in his vastly unexplored Hokage dream that neither the franchise didn't go too much in depth.

Or at least, not in the way I've seen it, because from what I saw, they did something, but too surface level if you ask me.

Personally, I like to go deep and drill in the darkest depths of the being, if I may say so, haha.

Which is precisely what I'm doing with Sakura on the other hand. Sakura is a goldmine! An unexplored, uncharted territory with whom you can do so much with. It's incredible, really. Like I said on my Twitter on a post, it baffles me that Kishi didn't do so much with her because the potential. Dear God, the potential!

But oh well, I guess that leaves me more room to play with, haha.

As for my dear Tsunade, when I started Kaika I have to admit I didn’t exactly knew what to do with her other than tying her with some plots regarding the whole medical advancements. But those are built to bring forth Sakura's development, so I can't have Tsunade outshine Sakura. In this case Tsunade's function as a character in the story is very limited. This would prevent properly portraying the exposition with the new generation surpassing the old one.

And as we know, due to the way Kishi developed Sakura, it's rarely truly noticeable who's the better medic and he often put Tsunade in even scenes that impact-wise imo, would've fit Sakura better from a writing pov.

But then I ADORE Tsunade, so then the issue rose - what do I do with her character, in such a way that while yes, in Sakura's story she doesn't outshine her and provides support, but still leaves a great impact and mark on the plot as a standalone character, outside of Sakura's influence? Because as I said, this story will be mainly Sakura Haruno centric. Buuuut, I want it to be a balanced story, still.

And upon analyzing the character better - that's when the opportunity presented itself that fit all that criteria - is a supporting character in terms of Sakura's medical ninja development, however, she's also standing her her own as a standalone character by being a cog in one of the wheels of the old system that I work on reforming to bring the new one, and all done nicely wrapped in the the theme of the old generation vs the new one.

And given that this story is going to be mostly a story that focuses on the female counterparts - Sakura, Tsunade, Hinata, Karin, Ino (it's like I literally did a flip of the OG story that focused on the male cast lol, now I realized it), and females being the nurturers and live givers, I found it perfectly to have Tsunade the one that takes matter into her own hands in the problem of the Uchiha genocide. Because at her core she's a nurturer, a life giver. Despite being so incredibly strong, she represents perfectly the very principle of the traditional woman.

Because you see, I believe there's nothing wrong in portraying women in their traditional views of nurturers, life givers and all those other attributes that are associated with the female gender.

It's a matter of how you do it. You can have a character that's both a girl boss and a tender nurturing lover, for example. Like Tsunade is.

After all, the symbol that is associated with the divine feminine principle is the circle (which also happens to be the Haruno symbol *winkwink*). A circle has 360 degrees which encompasses 360 angles from which you can view a particular subject.

A woman encompasses all those 360 ways you can look at her in ONE. One circle.

It's just a matter of male authors rarely being able to portray that.

But since I'm a woman, I guess it's easier for me to do it.

And I will. Through Kaika.

Thank you once again for your incredibly insightful message.

Like you see, I love talking about these things, since this message turned out to be incredibly long.

It's been quite a while since I've written such a long response to an ask I receive, haha. But you surely know how to pull out those things in me haha.

Thank you, once again, as I said.

Wish you nothing but the best.

Chatte

[esper-game]

I love Esper so much so far, and I'm so excited to see what you do with it in the future! Genuinely, I'm obsessed.

Also, I was wondering how the ROs would react if MC went missing for an extended period of time like 2-5 years, maybe, without a trace, or saying anything beforehand and ended up reappearing in a 'Winter Soldier' situation? (Metal/Vibranium arm included)

Since the ROs are kinda authority figures, I feel like they would know quite a bit of info about the situation, but it would hurt/hit even harder once they learned it was MC

Hope you have a good day :)

Hello there! I am infinitely sorry about the wait on this, I've been busy, overwhelmed and just not very motivated!

Thank you for the kind words! I'm equally as excited to share the story with you all!!!

(Sorry if this isn't super accurate, I had to look up what that was!!!)

L: They'd done their best to move on. To be a 'good' agent. To forget. But part of them always hoped MC was still out there. They didn't blame MC for leaving, they just prayed they were still alive. But they never expected this. All this bloodshed, all this fighting. All of this for it to be MC. They must be dreaming. But in all their other dreams MC welcomed them with open, loving arms. In this, the only welcome the got was a strike from MC's new arm, cold and unforgiving where there was once warm flesh. This is frigid, harsh reality.

S: Never, not even once had considered MC was dead. They hadn't allowed themself to even think of that as a possibility. Never did they give up hope, never did they stop searching where they could. But life went on, and there were only so many stones they could turn without losing anything else. But maybe if they had poured everything into finding MC this wouldn't have happened. Maybe then they wouldn't be standing in front of someone half the person they once knew and loved. Maybe then they wouldn't have to fight against someone they should be protecting.

I: It hadn't been easy. Not at all. But they had accepted MC was dead. They had mourned. They had tried their hardest to move on. So to find out they were alive after all this time? A shadow of their former self, missing an arm, no more than a weapon to be used against them, but alive. It crushes them. Deeper than the knowledge of their death. They feel so many emotions they'd repressed over the years. Relief, heartbreak, grief and guilt. But they must remain detached. They can learn to accept this new reality as they accepted MC's death.

V: They'd never been the same. Giving up hope for MC's return felt like giving up on MC. But holding out for the impossible only hurt them. They were torn. Every night they lay awake, mind running back over the day MC went missing, searching endlessly for closure, or a clue as to what really happened. But for all that ruminating, they never once envisioned this. MC's arm wasn't the only thing they'd lost. When their eyes met, there was no spark of love, not even a flicker of recognition. Their gaze was cool and empty. And that hurt much more than anything else.

Again, thank you for waiting xx