#I haven't done any story missions either

[arthursfuckinghat]

I don't know how to explain to you guys that this is the fifth time that Bill has come looking for me since last time when he found me just a few days ago. The fifth time.

[chaoticwriting]

YOU ARE MARRIED!!??3

Part 2

It's been a week since Ellie arrived at the manor. All the guests from the night of Ellie's arrival had already returned by that night. And so far, they haven't managed to pry open any more information about their brother-in-law from Ellie that they already didn't know of.

Currently, Ellie is sitting in the living room drawing on her green notebook while eating fruit snacks that Alfred prepares. Cass is watching over her, occasionally asking her what she is drawing.

Except for Cass and Alfred, everyone else is either at work or at school. Suddenly, a portal opens and comes out Cujo with a bag that has Ellie's name on it. So far, Cujo has been delivering Ellie's essential almost everyday for the past week. Whenever Ellie or Cass ask him about Danny, Cujo just shakes his head meaning either he doesn't know or he can't tell them.

Cujo also never stays for long and just jumps away whenever his delivery is done. But to their surprise, Cujo is not alone today. A woman in punk clothing and blue flaming hair follows after Cujo holding a guitar in her hand. Ellie perks up when she sees Ember coming out of the portal.

Ellie: Aunt Ember!

Ember: Hey Ellie. How are you doing? I assume you have been eating well.

Ellie: Yes! Everyone is so nice. Alfred always brings me snacks if I want to and grandpa Bruce buys me a lot of things.

Ember: Good good. I'm just here to say hi and check up on you. Your papa has been worrying a lot since he sent you here.

Ellie: Aunt Ember, when will papa finish his job? I miss him.

Ember: I don't know but for now you stay with your mama, okay? I will tell your papa to deal with his job quicker.

Ellie: Okay. :(

Ember then turns towards Cass and smiles at her.

Ember: Hey Cass. I'm Ember. Danny's friend. Sorry about the late greetings.

Cass: It's fine. About Danny, can I know what his job actually is?

Ember: Errmm, it's not that I don't want to tell. It's just I feel like you should ask him directly since even I don't know what his actual job is. Usually, Clockwork just calls him and off him go to wherever or whenever he sends him.

Cass: I see. But can I know if he is okay?

Ember: As far as I can tell, he is fine. Clockwork hasn't asked any of us for back up yet, so his mission is probably going well.

Suddenly, Bruce enters the living room seeing Ember and Cass talking.

Bruce: Why hello there miss. How can I help you?

Ember: *Stares*

Bruce: Errmm, miss?

Ember: You are that guy that got sent back and forth in time wasn't it? I remember your face from one of Danny's missions.

Bruce: What?

Ember: Yeah. You are Bruce Wayne, right? The Batman.

Bruce: How do you know about me?

Ember: It's not hard when your bestfriend is the one that helps one of his favorite heroes to escape forced time travel.

Bruce: Danny helps me back then?

Ember: Yeah. But at that time, he was mostly chasing after Plasmius. It is a coincidence he met you so he sent you back home first before he continued chasing Plasmius.

Cass: This Plasmius guy, how dangerous is he?

Ember: Ehh, depends on his sanity to be honest. One day, he might come to just fight you, another day he might try to release an interdimensional tyrant from his long slumber. So it's really random.

Cass: And this time?

Ember: Oh did Ellie tell you they are chasing Plasmius? I don't actually know what he is planning this time. Clockwork is being his cryptid ass again and not telling the whole story.

Bruce: Is this Clockwork safe?

Ember: Well, he is okay. I think he adopted Danny at one point so you could call him his adopted parents. But Danny also has real parents so there is that. Overall, he wouldn't allow any significant harm to fall onto Danny or anyone close to him unless he knows that is the best solution possible.

Ember: Oh well, I need to go now. Have a concert to attend to. Bye Ellie.

Ellie: Bye Aunt Ember! Bye Cujo!

Cujo gives out a bark and opens a portal. Both of them enter the portal and disappear from the living room. Bruce has that serious calculating look on his face while Cass just takes everything and processes them. She trusts his husband's judgement. And since she is with Cujo and Danny trusts Cujo, that means whoever Ember is, she is probably a friend.

Bruce goes to his study to enter the Batcave, while Cass and Ellie continue playing in the living room.

-Somewhere else-

A young man with white hair and black and white hazmat suit is flying across an urban city as he chases after a vampire-like older man that is holding a bracelet giving off a green light.

Danny: Give me the bracelet, Plasmius!

Plasmius: You gotta take it from my own hand, little badger!

Danny shoots an ecto beam towards Plasmius as he dodges the attack coming from Danny. Danny being agitated, tries to fly faster but he is already going as fast as he can.

'I wish I could just appear in front of him.'

Suddenly, Danny's vision goes black and when his vision comes again, he sees Plasmius rushing to him. Plasmius is shocked to see Danny suddenly in front of him and tries to maneuver away from him, but at such close distance, there is no way for him to outrun Danny.

Catching his wrist, Danny puts a collar that Clockwork specifically made for Plasmius. Plasmius turns back into a human and if not for Danny holding his wrist, would have fallen down from the sky.

Danny, seeing Plasmius unconscious, processes what just happened. Did he just teleport? How? He doesn't even know how to open a portal. He kind of just wishes it and it happened.

A green portal appears in front of him, cutting off his thoughts. Danny sighs as he doesn't even know what is going on. He should probably return first and ask Clockwork what is happening.

Part 4

[impactedfates]

Okay I have this idea but yes yes anyway [might be long I'm so sorry]

So basically Wanderer practically joined Traveller to journey out to the last 3 regions of Teyvat. But but bUUUUT right now they're at Fontaine and doing some stuff [aka the current available quests]

Once he and the Traveller are taking a massive break over things, him checking out some places to hang out when he saw someone— another puppet, basically

When he approached them, surprise its his younger sibling [aka reader], and they still remember him despite the Irminsul incident one region ago

How would the interaction go from there? I want moar genshin-sibling-platonicness help

— 🫶🏻 Anon with another gift! A Neuvilette An otter with some things! 🦦🐚🪸🪷

A/N: THAT'S SUCH A CREATIVE IDEA ACTUALLY ANOIFENI. More genshin sibling platonic storys yes >:D AND THANK YOU FOR THE MINI NEUVI

W.C: 1237

Genre/Trope: Platonic + Familial

Format: Fic

Warnings: None (I think?)

Extra: Traveller Lumine because she needs more love, also I prefer Traveller Lumine ngl // Scaras a mean but caring older brother // Reader is a young adult // Sorry if this wasn't as long as you hoped, I haven't done any of the side quests in Fontaine :sob: willing to write a pt 2 though // I did not proof read this, I relied solely on my proofreader

Just Like Me - Platonic Scaramouche x Sibling! Reader

“Ahhh…it feels so good to relax”

Lumine sighed tiredly as she plopped herself on a bench. Scaramouche raised an eyebrow at the blonde and rolled his eyes as he stared at the traveller practically melting onto the bench. Paimon doing the same.

“You two are tired already? It’s only 12pm”

“AND we’ve been doing commissions and helping others since MIDNIGHT”

Lumine countered, now laying atop of the bench like it was the most comfiest bed in the world, Paimon nodded in agreement, going to fly over and lay down too but was knocked back a bit by Lumine.

“Go away Paimon…all you did was float around…”

“Hey!! Paimon makes great emotional support”

And all Lumine could respond with was a tired yet sarcastic ‘sure you are’. Scara watched the scene unfold in front of him and shook his head a bit. Perhaps it was because he was a puppet and didn’t get tired as fast as regular humans, but he wanted to continue their mission in Fontaine before they went to the next 2 nations.

He sat on the ground next to the blonde and after half an hour he was bored once again. Groaning a bit as he tipped his head back.

“When are we continuing our little ‘adventure’?”

“If you’re so up for it, you can go explore…look for people to help or ideally…a place to better relax and/or a place to dump Paimon”

“Hey! What’s with you and leaving me alone”

Scara shook his head as the two travelling companions began to playfully bicker, deciding to take the proposal Lumine suggested, he stood up again and began walking around Fontaine for a place to hang out or just someone in trouble. If he’d actually help them? He didn’t know either.

“GET THE HELL AWAY FROM ME”

Scara covered his ears at the sudden loud screech, turning to the source of the sound, he saw someone being cornered by some guys, eyes narrowing a bit he quietly walked over.

“Just give us the mora, and we’ll be on our way”

“I’ve told you, I don’t have it. Nor do I have any debt to even be paid”

“Debt or not, we want the money”

Scara rolled his eyes, classical treasure hoarders. Using his vision he floated above them and slashed some anemo at them, pushing them to the ground. The person he saved looked up and tilted their head.

The treasure hoarders attempted to get up but the person quickly slashed them down with geo, knocking them fully unconscious.

“If you had a vision yourself, you should’ve used it”

Scara said, floating down and crossing his arms at the person who just shrugged.

“I was going too, until you came here. Are you a god or something?”

“Ha, could’ve been if my mom hadn’t betrayed me”

He mumbled under his breath, earning a confused look as the person didn’t know what he said. Quickly coughing into a fist he extended his hand.

“You can call me Wanderer, nice to meet you”

“Oh right, I’m [Name]”

They replied, a bit hesitant, taking his hand and shaking it. A bit quickly realising that the hand they shook didn’t feel the same as the others. And as creepy as it sounds, a puppet's hand is quite different to a human's hand.

Puppet?

Both Scara and [Name] looked at eachother, realising that well, both their hands felt like a puppets one.

“A puppet?”

“Seems so, wow I never met another puppet before”

“Don’t get used to it”

[Name] laughed a bit, before eyeing Scara up and down. Something about him felt familiar…perhaps too familiar. Before long they were pretty much staring and Scara was glaring at them as no words had been spoken during this time.

“Ah, sorry…but…Kuni?”

“...What?”

Scaras eyes widened at the name before narrowing again.

“How do you know that name?”

“My mom told me about Kunikuzushi or well…Kuni…he’s my older brother…well I see him as well, I’m not sure what my mom thinks”

“Older…brother…? Wait wait…you’re telling me your mother is Raiden Ei AND that you remember that?”

“Yes and yes…why is there a problem?”

Scara shook his head, this was quite the surprise for him. He had a younger sibling and they remembered him? Or the stories anyways. Thinking for a bit he decided to explain to [Name] about the incident with the ____ Tree.

Before long, he was walking them back to where he last left Lumine.

“Wow, so you erased yourself from this tree and now history has forgotten about you? Like you never existed”

“For the nth time…y e s”

“Sorry not sorry. But that’s just so cool”

[Name] explained, laughing a bit at their brother's tired look from explaining why he’s been pretty much deleted from history. Lumine was up by now and no longer bickering with Paimon, rather she was talking to someone with a smile. A smile that both Scara and [Name] recognised as a fake one.

“I’ll get right on that…yes yes bye”

Traveller waved off the Fontainian and as soon as they were out of sight their smiles dropped and buried their heads in their heads, proceeding to silently scream in them as Paimon attempted to comfort her.

“What have I told you about accepting everyone's request”

“...Not to do it”

“And you did it anyways”

Scara sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose but he had no bad feelings towards Lumine. He knew it could be hard to refuse after being known as such a helpful adventurer.

“Oh! It’s the famous traveller! Hello!”

A voice called out, Lumine turned her head to look at Scara and noticed [Name] raising a brow. Before either Lumine or Paimon could answer, Scara quickly explained.

“Wow so…Ei really made a 3rd puppet?”

“I believe they’re older then the Shogun puppet Paimon”

Lumine answered before turning back to [Name], holding her hand out for them to shake which they happily did. Scara rolled his eyes a bit at the interaction but shrugged it off. Not like it’s bad or anything.

“Hey! Since you two seem to want to hang out together, how about you join the commission Traveller just got?”

“Oh! That would be ni-”

“No”

Scara interrupted, coughing into his fist before looking at [Name] who stared back with a slight pout and a raised brow. Lumine and Paimon sighed a bit, they both internally knew that this was going to be awhile.

.

.

.

And it was! The pair had to listen to the two of them argue about [Name] joining the commission, and as harsh as Scaras words were to try to dissuade [Name] to join, Lumine could tell he just wanted to keep them safe. Unfortunately for Scara, he had been following Lumine to the commission area so…whether he liked it or not, looks like [Name] is joining.

He simply grumbled under his breath as he reluctantly grabbed his siblings arm and began dragging them around as Lumine started the commissions. If he couldn’t stop them from joining, the least he could do was protect them right?

That’s what siblings are for…and they’re also for

“THAT WAS MY SWEET MADAM [NAME]”

“NOT ANYMORE”

They’re also there to have silly arguments with after a long day of commissions, reminding both Paimon and Lumine what they must look like when they argue. Lumine simply laughed at their antics as she sipped her drink. (You wish that was you huh?)

If you want a pt 2 where I probably (hopefully) write Scara and [Name]s sibling dynamic better, please comment! I'll make one as soon as I finish my current requests :>>

[fernsnailz]

Not sure how much meat this question has to it but if back in 2006 you were the one that spearheaded the shadow the hedgehog game, how would you have done it?

i'd want ShTH 2005 to keep the same core energy its final form ended up with, but tbh there's a lot i would have done differently lol. here's my 3 step plan for how i would have directed it previously/would direct any sort of reboot or remaster

1. TIMELOOP!!!!!!

i'm not the first person to come up with this idea and i won't be the last to talk about it, but the gist of this point is that ShTH's story makes WAY more sense when you treat it like a timeloop. you finished a story path and end up back in westopolis? great job, you're at the beginning of the timeloop again. it's a smart way to make this wack story a little more cohesive.

i would LOVE to further utilize the timeloop concept for this game because it could be a very simple addition to add flavor OR it be the core of the game's story and gameplay. small things like shadow going "hey wait, have i seen this before?" when he's going through westopolis for the third time can hint at the narrative, and once shadow realizes he's in a loop he's motivated to find EVERY path in search of the full truth. every new story path could be treated as a new game+ as shadow starts to consistently remember more from previous timeloops, carrying over certain weapons, abilities, and memories from his previous experiences.

one really cool idea i saw a while ago on here (edit: FOUND IT! i'm talking about this post) is someone's ShTH timeloop pitch where after a few resets, silver starts to show up and tells shadow to stop messing with the timeline. this continues, and eventually silver becomes a final boss of some of the paths. this idea has never left my mind since i saw it and i need to find the person that came up with it they mean so much to me

i have more timeloop thoughts but i will move on for now

2. simplify or rework the morality system and levels

this is my big gameplay critique - there is A Lot to do in ShTH and very little of it is consistently fun. i have grievances with the morality system i talked about a while ago, the gist of my opinion boiling down to "the system removes agency from shadow and the story doesn't fit within the morals you choose anyway." i'd either MASSIVELY rework the morality system to make it feel worthwhile or just throw the whole thing away. unfortunately i don't have many pitches for what to replace it with since i haven't played that many games with branching stories - maybe the story paths you go down are based on BIG story decisions shadow makes during boss battles or in cutscenes (?) like choosing which boss to fight, which characters to save, what moves or weapons to use, stuff like that. i just want the stuff that leads to branching stories to be more impactful and a little simpler.

this also applies to the levels, of which there are... a lot. and maybe there should be less? i think it would be smart to cut down or combine some of the levels, then really flesh out the ones that matter. and given the non-linear nature of ShTH, i think a version with levels more focused on exploration and combat would fit the game better than the linear mission-based gameplay of the original.

3. MORE GUN

listen man. they advertised this as the sonic game with guns and in my opinion i think they could've done better. i mostly just want a more fleshed out weapons system with upgrades, a little customization, better controls, etc. just put the merchant from resident evil 4 in there and have him accept rings and i would be happy

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

those are the big points i would personally stick to, but i do have smaller points i would consider as well, including:

make black doom seem competent

explain who the chaotix are working for and fit it into the story

no more "kill this many enemies to progress" missions. please

super shadow can have a gun now

[pluto-supremacy]

Will there be a part three of the Vi dating femreader at Stillwater where the Reader gets out of Stillwater and Vi makes it up to the Reader after they reunite? Maybe either the Reader gets out on her own and they reunite in Zaun or Vi comes back to get her out like she promised and they are reunited that way and she makes up for all the lost time since she left her there and promises she will never leave her again, that she loves the Reader with all her mind, body and soul. If Caitlyn is there she apologizes to both Vi and the Reader for separating them once she sees them together and how they are with each other and that she should have fought harder to get the Reader out the first time before Vi and Reader have their life after Stillwater, then maybe a time skip or something where we see Vi and the Reader living together and after Stillwater. That part two was heart-wrenching and would love for Vi to make good on her promise of coming back for the Reader like she said she would, so they can be free and live a better life outside of Stillwater.

Vi Fic: Miss Me?

➼ I'm so glad everyone is liking the Vi series! This will likely be the last part, at least for Stillwater. Maybe I'll have little au's as to how the story ends. Have some fluff to make up for what I put y'all through last time

➼ Continuation of Vi Fic: Bye Bye Bun

➼ This definitely diverges from canon, so please keep that in mind. I didn't have it in me to give an angsty ending (this time). Consider this a little fix-it fic for the end of season 1

➼ No beta we die like some random enforcer (I've officially run out of people season 2 come faster)

➼ Warnings: None!

GIF does not belong to me! All credits to the owner

The days started to blur together. Each passing moment seemed more painful than the last. Vi left you. Left you with that enforcer to rot in Stillwater. Sure she promised to come back, and for a while you were hopeful. Vi had no reason to just leave you behind. That didn't make any sense. Even with the warden saying he could ‘only release one’. Bullshit. Vi should’ve fought harder. She could’ve gotten both of you out, you knew that. If this enforcer needed her so bad then she’s have to do what she asked, even against the warden’s wishes.

While it was hard to keep track of time behind bars, you were certain it had been at least a week. Or it at least felt like a week. Around day three you had lost all hope that your girlfriend was coming back for you. What could take her this long? Nothing. Absolutely nothing in your eyes at least. Vi didn’t even offer an explanation, just that she’d be back. Who does that? Certainly there had been enough time for her to at least say something like 'If I don't go they'll kill me'. Was that even what happened? Or was this the out Vi had been looking for? Had she ever even cared..?

Some days you went with no. Others it was yes. No was the more common answer now. Well hopefully that enforcer was happy with what she had done. What relationship she had torn apart. It was just after lunch when you had been returned back to your cell. Lately you haven't had much of an appetite, the prison uniform you wore hanging slightly looser than usual. It was hard to eat when all you could think about was what Vi could be doing. Fighting. Cheating. Running away. Dying. Of course you only imagined the worst. Never that she was currently racing towards Stillwater like a man on a mission.

Which she was.

The last few days had gone by so fast and so slow at the same time for Vi. Each time she closed her eyes she saw you, she saw Powder, she saw the both of you begging her not to leave. It haunted her, plagued her every waking thought. The guilt of leaving you behind was eating her alive. If it wasn't for how many times she had gotten her ass kicked lately she might've had time to really revel in the fact that she may have lost you forever. She would fix this though. Vi knew that she would. Part one of her plan was already complete.

She had Powder back. For the most part.

After the little dinner party ended with Silco dying, Vi pleaded with her younger sister. Pleaded with her to do the right thing for Milo, for Claggor, for Vander, for her. At the last second it seemed like her Jinx persona had began crumbling away. She dropped the weapon she had built and ran to her older sister, crying and hugging her tight. Catilyn, who had been tied up and gagged by a mask, was relieved to say the least.

After untying both of them Powder handed over the gemstone to Caitlyn. She hadn't wanted it anyways, not really. It was Silco who planted the seed in her head to build the weapon. Every now and then Vi could see Jinx trying to peak through, trying to take over Powder. Maybe one day Jinx would finally go away. Maybe she would always be a part of her, whispering in her ear to turn on those she loved. Either way Vi was keeping her close, not wanting to make the same mistake twice. She promised Powder it would be them again, but with just one new addition.

Now Vi, Powder, and Caitlyn were on the boat to Stillwater. Powder had been asking a million different questions about you. There was part of her, the Jinx part, that resented you. Like you took her sister away from her despite the pair of you meeting when Vi had already been in Stillwater for some time. But mostly she was just excited to see whoever made her sister this happy. The instant the boat was docked Vi ran off, clutching the release papers in her right hand. Caitlyn and Powder were right behind her, albeit a bit slower.

Vi slammed the papers down on the warden's desk with a smirk as soon as she made it up to his desk. "Orders from Councilor Talis to release prisoner 381. Immediately." She stated. The warden wasn't exactly pleased with the orders, but begrudgingly agreed. Mostly since he now had no choice with new orders. That and it would be three against one, and Vi had already put up a fight in the past when it was just her. The one with the blue hair also looked unstable, so best not to mess with that.

Confusion overwhelmed you as the doors to your cell opened. The first thought you had was that this was a trap. A guard opened the doors and was waiting for you to try and escape. That's the only thing it could be. At least until you saw pink hair peaking out from around the corner of your wall. "VI!" you yelled, your feet carrying you forward and before you even realized there was a familiar pair of strong arms around you. "I've got you bun, I've got you" she whispered as she pulled you close, hiding her face in your hair. For a while neither of you said a word, falling into a comfortable silence. At some point tears had began falling down your cheeks, you weren't too sure when. Only this time they weren't sad tears. They were tears of relief and happiness. Eventually you broke the silence. "You came back after all."

Those words hit Vi hard. You really didn't think she would keep her word? Though she couldn't find it in herself to blame you for that. After all, she did just up and leave without running you through what was happening. There just wasn't time in the moment. "Of course I did. I promised I'd come back and get you. I'd never lie to you." she whispered, her grip tightening. "I'm back and we're leaving this place for good. We'll never see Stillwater again."

When you finally pulled away you realized that you weren't alone. There was the enforcer from earlier, Catilyn, and..someone with blue hair? "Who is that?" "That's my little sister, Powder. You remember me talking about her right?" you did, Vi talked about her a lot. Though clearly she wasn't eleven anymore. "I do. You found her?" you asked, giving a small smile and wave towards Powder. She returned the gesture, moving to hold her elbows. "Yeah, that was a few years ago" Powder responded rocking slightly on her heels. "Vi told me a lot about you on the boat ride over. I have a lot to catch you up on." "We both do." Vi added on.

Caitlyn cleared her throat to gain everyone's attention before turning to you. "I wanted to apologize for taking Vi away from you. She had important information about something stolen from Piltover. I did try to get you both out, but-" "Caitlyn, right? As long as you didn't kiss Violet I'll say it's fine." that made her laugh a little, shaking her head. "I promise you I didn't. I wanted to say that both of you no longer have a criminal record, it has been wiped clean. And I wanted to give you this," Catilyn handed over a large pouch filled with money. You carefully took it, examining the pouch. It was a considerable sum, likely enough to rent an apartment in Piltover for a few months.

"Please take that as part of my apology. It should help the three of you find a good place to stay and keep food on the table. Whether you want to go back to the Undercity or move on to Piltover." "Thank you." You handed the pouch over to Vi who tucked the pouch into one of the pockets on her jacket. "Come on bun, we're going to find a place for the three of us. No one," she looked between you and Powder "is getting left behind ever again. Come on" she grabbed your hand and Powder's, walking towards the elevator. You followed along, pulling your hand away at the last second.

"Vi?" "Yes?" Vi responded, nervous for what may come next. "I love you." You said, pulling her in for a short, sweet kiss. Vi was quick to return it, pulling you onto the elevator where Powder was waiting.

"I love you too. Now let's go home"

[purplesoulcollection]

Unnatural Love

Part 13 Synopsis : Name has being transmigrated into the world of I'm Not That Kind Of Talent without ever reading the novel. She's not being reincarnated as a human but as a devil as well. Hi There! I want to let you know that this fanfiction story isn't solely my creation. I borrowed the concept from @quqiwo2. I haven't actually read the novel either, just some spoiler to the end.

I hope you'll excuse my spelling and grammar mistake, because English not my first language.

I can only stare at those notifications. My eyes and cheeks feel intensely burned because of the reason why I can complete these mission.

Finally I get it, all the skill finally be mine.

I feel like I am doing the biggest crime I ever done in my life. But I swear, this is only for the good use.

But, I actually didn't expect it be so good...

COUGH

So this is the good news for me. Yipee!

My love life with Deon finally get the smooth ride. I’m still shy about that fact, but finally I did it. Good job me!!!

And also after that,

Deon is actually being so needy for my affection. He practically begging me for my little smooch every time now.

He craves a warm hug, a kiss on the cheeks, a gentle peck on the forehead, and a sweet kiss on the lips every morning and evening. He'll pout until I provide him with the affection he desires.

He also sneakily kisses my neck to tickle me. So now, my daily way of getting back at him is to give his back a playful smack.

And he also no longer avoid my question, he finally proceed to answer my question.

"Is my look really strange for you? What's do you like? Human or devil form? I think you'll choose my human form right? "

"Adele, I didn't answer your question because I think you look beautiful in every side! "

"If that's your answer, why don't you answer me truthfully! I became to afraid to think that you only like my human who is more beautiful than devil so I have to use this camouflage continuously."

"I didn't answer because I think you look very conscious and insecure to your look. If I said I like the both form of you, you think I lied. Because you're practically obsessed with your human look. "

My mouth felt like it was sealed shut, and my heart ached as if it had been pierced by his heartfelt words. I lowered my gaze and shut my eyes, overwhelmed by the weight of my dark emotions.

He's correct. He doesn't misunderstand the situation. I feel the same way. I despise my demonic appearance more than anything. It's not a pleasant experience to feel like my soul is trapped in this devilish body. Looking in the mirror is something I can't quite put into words, so different.

So, my human form is truly my way out of my insecurities.

As I sink deeper into my endless cycle of overthinking, feeling completely overwhelmed, a gentle kiss on my nose brings me back to reality.

He leans his forehead against mine, and we gaze into each other's eyes from just a breath away. His face is so close to mine. His skin is flawless, free from any acne or blemishes. I can’t help but feel a twinge of envy; my skincare routine costs a fortune, while he has this natural glow.

Then, I find myself captivated by his bright red eyes, shining with a tender positivity that I desperately need. They are truly beautiful and so genuine, unlike those obvious colored contact lenses. Those unnatural colors are not what you’d expect to see on Earth.

And his lashes? They’re incredibly long—could he be the kind of slim, handsome prince straight out of a fairy tale? Because he is the one...

"You're done with your head? " The small question he ask make me snapped from my observation over him.

"Huh? " I blinked, not connected yet with his small question.

"Don't feel too insecure, Adele. You look beautiful no matter what. Even if you're having negative thoughts about yourself, I still see you as gorgeous woman"

I can sense the warmth of his breath as he speaks, making his words feel so sincere that they ground me in reality, make me thinking of myself in the earth.

"… What if I had a different appearance that you weren't aware of? Would you still think I'm pretty?" I'm grabbing his hand and he shifted our finger to be connected and then in the end he was grabbing it instead.

"Absolutely! Show me your other form, and I'll show you just how beautiful you are!" He said that confidently, his eyes stared right into me like he really want to prove it and didn't have a speck of lie.

"… I'm just joking, Deon. Do you really think I have the power to change into different shapes? But I get your point, Deon. Thanks for your kind words." In the end i have no courage to telling the truth now...

"So are you willing to pay my service, dear?"

Price, he's the one who has money between two of us.

"In what? "

"Your love?! "

"You already have my whole love. "

We giggled together and kiss in the end.

But

But there are the cons too after that.

Deon’s becoming more busy with his hero job, so we can't actually spend more time together.

Protect the kingdom from the devil's not so easy job.

But in the end, He finally tell the emperor about his decision to loyal to humanity. So I think the emperor is amused by Deon.

But that's not my concern right now.

My whole worry is after we did that, my worries clearly increased more than before. About Deon and my reluctant to leave him alone.

I... can't stay here.

I can't stay with Deon.

I also can't make Deon give up to side with human. It's the best for him only not to me...

I have to go home to my world too. The world I once knew and longed for.

But he himself also said it's because of me he try to became a good person... Is it will turn bad for him?

Is it possible that I can leave Deon here?

Leaving my love to return to my world? What if he jump right in tragedy again?

"Mrs. You're spacing out again." Someone's word make me realize that i only stare at the brown tea without drinking it. So aesthetic view to be lost in my thought.

"Remember?" I see him in the next to me. Standing graciously like the expert of etiquette.

"You didn't even drink your tea until it's already gone cold. " Remember make a gesture to let me see my cup of the tea again.

I look at my tea, didn't let out some smoke like earlier. Oh he's right. My tea already gone cold and became bitter. I put down my tea cup to the table before remember takes it.

"Are you worried about something?"

"No, I'm not worried about anything." Lie, obviously both he and I know it well.

But Remember having a suggestion for me, "Then don't you want to change your mood by going for a walk?"

"Going for a walk, without Deon?"

"Young master will coming back soon, I will send someone to be your tour guide temporarily." He convinced me in the end, I asked him who's his choice of his guide.

"He is a young man who has the ambition to become Young Master's assistant. He is very talented and works hard. I think he'll be match for your walk today. "

From his description, this young man really like a perfect example of the someone who will success and became rich in the future.

"There's a young man like that around Deon? Please send him. I want to meet him." I asked Remember and then change the clothes to be more casual.

"Let me introduce myself, my name is Dan." greeted a young man, who seemed quite serious and enthusiastic for his age. He's being brought to me after i changed my clothes.

"Miss, there's no need to be embarrassed with him, my impression of him is very good." Remember whispered to me. Probably to not to be heared by Dan.

Then I nodded before I finally stood in front of Dan.

"Nice to meet you, Dan. I'm Adele." I reached out my hand to shake his hand and he did the same.

"Nice to meet you, Miss."

"Let's go immediately." I finally lead the way to out from Deon's house to the carriage.

So the two of us went to town using a horse-drawn carriage. While waiting to get to town I asked Dan.

"Where do you come from."

"I come from a village not far from the empire."

"What's your village like?"

"My village is quite small, but everyone is quite familiar with each other."

"Why do you want to be Deon's assistant?"

"Because I admire Mr. Deon."

"Woah you're so cool, following someone and working hard to become great."

“This is nothing, madam.”

After we traveling to sightseeing, Finally we rest in the teahouse. I'll tell him to grab our tea before finally sit in the chair.

Pyuh, so tired to sightseeing. This world really need some technology to afford more sightseeing without required more energy.

And then Dan coming with the hot tea. He places the beautiful cup of tea in front of me. “Madam, did you the one whom make Mr. Deon stopped himself from being so ambitious to get the revenge?”

I'm a bit surprised to seeing his exceptional observation. Not everyone will notice it. I drink my tea first before answer that.

“You notice it? Is it that visible to you, Dan?"

“He didn't make the trouble and didn't get into the trouble, if he did he will stressed out already. His expression is also so stable and looks so happy with his life, opposite from his usual face who looks so dangerous and scary. And the most important point is his relationship with his brother is improved to be better, in the past if he see him he will have a bloodlust to him." He became a rapper to only finish that in one breath, so i applause him.

“Wow, Dan. You really have a good eyes to analyze everything. Yeah, you're right. He said himself that he want to change for me. I really glad if he can improve himself to be the better person. It's the sign that he wants to make a peace with his past and his mistake.”

And then his smiley face change to fast to a more angry one “So it's definitely you are the main reason of him not to becoming a disaster!"

Disaster, Why he mentions about disaster...

Thats the prophecy from spellcaster to Deon, why he know that?

Is that means, Dan wants to follow him as a disaster too?!

And then the chill of danger is stroking in my body, I have to get out from here...

But to late...

I already drink the tea he giving to me...

The effect had already done, I having a headache before i finally gone out in Dan eyes...

“What did you say?” Deon elevates his voice, conveying an even more frightening and suggestive anger. The intensity of his fury is unmistakable in Remember's eyes.

He cautiously said what he just said before. “Madam going with Dan at the morning earlier, young master.”

Deon press and scrape his face with his hands. He's so frustrated with this situation right now, is this his fault to not tell Remember about Dan? He didn't know his mistake could finally grow the fruit today.

“Remember, you make the wrong decision today. I will hold you accountable later!” And then he tells Remember to stay here and tell him to reflect his mistake.

“I understand, young master.”

After that he left Remember with his angry step, he was restless. Dan really believed that Deon would be a disaster, but Deon himself has decided to stop vengeful.

Dan who feels betrayed by his prophecy will certainly not miss the chance to disturb Deon's peace.

After all he's crazy himself to want to submit to disaster itself.

He have to find her as soon as possible. But he didn't have any clue where she is?

So who should he ask for help from?

To be Continued

[marvelavengerspovs1]

Winter Wolf Ch. 6

Winter Wolf Masterlist

Warnings: mentions of Y/N, mentions of violence

Length: 1130

A/N: Me posting a week later!? I honestly haven't had time to finish my other wip or write something else so I'm just posting something that's already done. Hope y'all enjoy!

I do not give consent for my work to be translated, copied, or sold!

“Does anyone know why we were attacked today?” Tony jumps right in.

Everyone stays silent before Bucky speaks up. “No.”

Tony rolls his eyes. “Very helpful metal arm.”

“Hey, you asked a question and I answered.”

“I know why.” Everyone turns their head to look at Wanda.

She is looking down, playing with the rings on her fingers.

“Well, would you like to share?” Sam asks.

“They were here for Y/N.” Wanda looks up at you and holds your gaze.

“Me? What would they want with me?” You ask.

Wanda shrugs. “I didn’t have a chance to access that far into their memories. All I know is that they wanted you.”

“Well, we have to protect Lady Y/N!” Thor looks at you with concern in his eyes.

“Thank you, Thor, but I can hold my own.”

“But how could we protect her?” Steve asks, ignoring what you told Thor.

“You guys, I’m right here.”

“Easy. Y/N has to stay in the compound.” Tony answers, also ignoring you.

“GUYS!” You yell. “I am sitting right here. I know how to take care of myself. There is no need for me to be on house arrest. I’m fine.”

“Y/N we can’t risk it. You’re already off missions right now, we’re just not letting you leave the compound. At least we know you would be safe here.” Tony says.

“They literally blew a hole through the wall, Tony. What makes you think you can keep me safe if they set off a literal bomb?” You furrow your eyebrows.

“I didn’t have Friday looking for any suspicious activity. Now that we know that you are being targeted, we can take the necessary precautions. You’re going to stay here, end of story.”

You were going to argue with Tony but you know that this is a fight you won’t win. The Avengers would do anything to keep you safe, even if it means making you a prisoner in your own home.

You don’t say anything as you get up from your chair and leave the room. Bruce and Wanda want to get up and defend you, but they know that is a war they wouldn’t win either.

As you head to your room, you can hear the Avengers coming up with a plan. They are making a babysitting schedule for you.

Once you reach your room, you close the door.

“Friday, put my room under lockdown.”

“Initiating lockdown in 3, 2, 1.” The door locks and panels begin to close over your windows. 

As soon as everything is locked, you let out a scream. You throw the pillows off of your bed and crumble to the floor.

You were a prisoner. Tears start to fall and that makes you angrier. You understand what the Avengers were trying to do, truly you do. But you’re 24. A grown woman who can take care of herself.

“Mr. Rogers is requesting permission to enter,” Friday announces.

“Tell him to give me a minute,” You tell Friday.

You pick yourself off the floor and quickly pick up the mess you made. You go to the bathroom and wipe the tears off of your face. You peel off your suit and put on a T-shirt and a pair of shorts.

“Friday, get out of lockdown.”

“Cancelling lockdown in 3, 2, 1.” The windows are the first to open.

You cringe at how bright it is and close the curtains. Your door unlocks and you open it. Steve is leaning on the door frame with a solemn expression.

“Can I come in Y/N?” He asks.

“I guess,” You widen the door more for him to enter.

You sit on your bed and he sits next to you.

“How are you feeling?” Steve asks and looks at you.

“Oh, I’m doing fantastic!” You smile and turn in his direction. “I get to stay in the compound for who knows how long and I have babysitters 24/7! Oh, and don’t forget that Hydra is after me.” You finish and stop smiling.

“I know how you must feel.” Steve starts.

“Steve, I love you, but you don’t know how I feel. You were never kept a prisoner in your life. Sure you were under ice, but that was your decision. So don’t try to give me that Captain America bull.”

Steve nods and looks forward.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it.” You apologize.

“You meant it but I know you’re upset right now.”

“You’re right. I meant it.” You laugh and so does Steve. “I didn’t want to hear one of your Captain America speeches.”

“What do you mean?”

“You would have said, ‘So you’re being hunted by Hydra.’” You laugh as you imitate him. “Like those stupid high school videos you do!”

“They’re not stupid! They are teaching kids how to be good, responsible people in their community!” You give him a look that says you don’t believe him.

“Hey, Steve?” You look down at your hands.

“Yeah?”

“Why do you think Hydra is after me?”

Steve takes a breath and is silent for a minute. “I honestly don’t have a clue. But what I do know is that it is Hydra.”

“Yeah, no shit Steve.”

“Language!” You laugh at him. “Anyway, you didn’t let me finish. Hydra has always been the enemy, there is no way we can know what they want with you until we take them down.”

You nod your head. “Do you think I can be alone for a little while?”

“Of course. If you need anything, let me know.” Steve kisses the top of your head and leaves your room.

You lay back on your bed and let out a sigh. Even after talking to Steve, you were still upset. You keep telling yourself that it’s out of love and they want to do nothing more than to protect you, but you could take care of yourself. You’re an Avenger! If you can fight bad guys almost every day, why can’t you be able to do the same if it’s Hydra?

You know that Hydra is no joke, you’ve seen what they could do. They corrupted so many people in S.H.I.E.L.D. and they turned Bucky into the Winter Solider.

“This is such a complicated mess,” You say to yourself as you rub your face.

You decide to take a shower now that you have some alone time. You wash off the blood, sweat, and dirt from your body. As soon as you get out, there’s a knock on your door.

“Give me a minute please!” You shout.

You quickly finish up and open the door with the towel on your head.

“Hey,” You say.

“Can we talk?” You open the door more for Bucky to come in.

Tagged Readers: @ordelixx @bellabarnes1378 @sukaibg @angel-xx-1 @spookydestinydonut @harperkenobi @mcira @yeehawbrothers @waywardhunter95 @blackbirdwitch22 @baw1066

[miaisocool]

Echoes of silence

Business man!Daemon Targaryen x College student reader!

𝐀𝐔𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐑𝐒 𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐄: A very short chapter but as the story progresses it will get longer and more exciting i promise and props to @kymopoleiak for making me this collage please go follow her she is also working with me as i write the chapters. This is a chapter two to Succession in the city so if you haven't read that please go do so!! check it out i will provide a link below!

Chapter one: Succession in the city

Chapter summary: You discover yourself entangled in the intricate dance of hesitation. Your Heartbeat resonating with echoes of silence and opportunity as you prepare to take the initiative. You cant help but ponder what will this engagement of communication lead to opportunities or a chapter in your life writing itself away.

At brunch:

As you walked and talked with Mia, there was a sense of comfort held within her presence as she was your childhood friend well, not technically since you only met her your freshman year of high school. she also moved to los angeles to pursue her dream of going to college in california but she wasn't sure what to study. You talked about everything from work to relationships, the conversations you guys usually held between each other flowed easily there was never any awkward silence being held or grudges against each other.

Only the feeling of each others presence comforting the two of you there was a sense of vulnerability in you whenever it came to mia she was the friend who you would come to whenever there was something that you couldn't reveal to others she was the only one that had ever seen tears flowing from your eyes which was all so new to you since sadness was the one emotion you never truly expressed to anybody, not even yourself it was a rare occurrence whenever you would break down either due to stress, sadness or just bottled up emotions of holding everything in for so long.

The streets were filled with horns honking, shoes clacking against the pavement the cool breeze swept your hair into your face, you tucked it behind your ear with a thoughtless, practiced motion, as if you'd done it a thousand times before. Your high heels clacked against the concrete as you and mia walked to your favorite brunch spot that remind you of a similar brunch spot in new york,

During your junior year of high school where your ex boyfriend took you out for a first date you were young, vulnerable and thoughtless. He was whom and what your whole world revolved around you pushed all of your friends away to make room for him causing your social skills to go down although you were very social and a great conversationalist and just a good people person in general. You felt like you were bound to him, the late night phone conversations, talking about wedding plannings and how many kids you guys would have, where you guys would settle down and his answer was usually italy which was a answer you didn't agree with since california was your mission ever since you were a young girl you felt as if he was the only guy you could ever put your trust in.

Even years after the breakup there was slight tinges of heartbreak pulling on your heart strings as you still remembered the contact of his touch the way his calloused fingers from playing guitar for you until you fell asleep would graze up and down against your soft thighs the skin to skin hard and soft contact felt comforting to you, you guys were complete opposites but there was something that spiritually connected you guys together you couldn't remember his face though it was hard to get it out when your heart yearned for him.. But you were alone now not hopeless, alone, broken but you were free, alone, still young and truly yourself.

The restaurant was your comfort spot the warmth of the sun glazed on your face bringing out your dilated pupils as you thought of the man that came up to you in the coffee shop last week. The outside fan blowing a slight coldness to your face fighting against the sunny heat of california, dishes were clanking against each other as waiters were scurrying around the restaurant as if they were rats from ratatouille helping to serve the rush of customers that came in. The modern black leathered chairs bringing out the restaurants not very vibrant atmosphere gave you a weird tinge of discomfort people walking near you and mia as you guys sat down outside listening to the birds chirp and cars pass by. You felt a knot slowly untangle in your throat as you let words flow out your mouth "I mean.. i dont know.. should i call him?" you asked under your breath as you fiddled with the glass you were holding the question hung in the air until, mia took a sip of her water. Ice clinking against the glass and then she brought back the glass down to the table "i mean whats the worse that could happen?" she said nonchalantly. Mia was somewhat right whats the worse that could happen but what could go right and if it did end up going up right what would happen?

"I dont know.. im just scared"

"Of?"

"I dont know.."

"See? you dont even know whats holding you back," mia shook her head at you as she scrolled through her phone before putting it facing down on the table again

"Sometimes, it's easier to do nothing rather than put yourself out there," you whispered the words catching the back of your throat.

"Sometimes it's ok to be the first to reach out" mia gritted her teeth in frustration as her eyes drooped low in dissatisfaction

you nodded your head cause you knew she was right

You take out the business card from your wallet, and carefully dial the number into your phone, trying to steady your somewhat shaking hand. The ringing sounds of the phone echoes in your ear as you look and make eye contact with mia as she takes a spliff of her cigarette between her cherry tinted lipstick staining thumbing the print left by her lipstick as she dusts the idle ash as her eyes connected with yours with a mere look. You feel your heart beating fast as you await to hear someone's voice on the other end.

After what felt like an eternity, the seconds seem to stretch on for an eternity before someone finally answers, and you can hear the relief wash over you as you hear, "Thank you for calling Targaryen Law and associates you’ve reached Alexa how can i assist you today?” Her voice resonated with assurance, triggering a vivid flashback to your own days in customer service. Memories flooded back from when you were just 18, working at a local grocery store. You remembered the feeling of dread each time the phone rang, the pressure to handle customer inquiries. Alexa's composed demeanor stirred those long-buried recollections, reminding you of the challenges you once faced in a similar role you didn’t enjoy it but your coworkers that got along with you made you enjoy it. you had to make a living if you wanted to end up successful or not homeless at least.

With a deep breath, you manage to clear your throat and free it from the tense knot that had formed there. The echoes of the impatient silence you heard on the phone still ring in your ears, causing a dull ache deep within your chest. You feel as if the silence itself had taken physical form.

“Yeah hi this is kiara i was hoping to speak with Mr Targaryen? is he available by any chance?”

"I understand your urgency. Let me see if I can arrange a brief moment for you. Please hold for a moment while I try to get Mr. Targaryen on the line."

You place the phone away from you as you fiddled with it in with your right hand waiting for what you assumed to be his assistant or one of his employees to say a response back quickly as if you knew the next words that were going to come out her mouth but that was a lie you didn't know her at all you wanted to, you longed for the mystery everyone had.. the mystery the people in Los Angeles held in his aura peaked your curiosity.. You take a few deep breaths to release the tension from your shoulders. As you look up, the light from the sun reflecting off the glass buildings surrounding you blinds you for a moment. A cool gust of wind blows past, bringing in the smell of flowers and city life. The sounds of honking cars, people chatting, and the hum of the city surround you, but you feel disconnected from it all being seconds or minutes away daemons presence as you were being transferred right there and on the phone with you knowing you had to take initiative.

“Daemon Targaryen speaking.”

As you heard Daemon Targaryen’s, dominant voice, a palpable sense of authority washed over you sending adrenaline throughtout your heart slowly beating at a faster tempo his words, deep and commanding, resonated through the phone, leaving no room for uncertainty. You couldn’t help but feel a mixture of respect and awe, tinged with a hint of intimidation. It was as though his voice had a magnetic pull, drawing you into his sphere of influence. His confident tone left an indelible impression.

You found yourself in shock by the way his voice flowed through your ears, each word dripping with authority and confidence. It wasn’t just the words he spoke, but the cadence, the resonance that seemed to echo in the very core of your being his words resonating with every chord coming from the music that was blasting in the restaurant. In that moment, you realized you were not just hearing a voice…

you were experiencing a commanding presence that stirred something deep within you.

“Yeah hi this is kiara… you gave me you’re Business card last week in the coffee shop i’m not sure if you remember” In a moment of panic, you found your voice, though it trembled slightly, breaking the silence that followed his powerful presence although he was over the phone and had no physical contact with you showed you how vulnerable you could be in his presence.

“Ah yes kiara i remember you, i gave you my card since i knew once how it was to be working on those weird marketing projects”

His voice had a magnetic pull, echoing into your ears It was a voice of empathy and softness, yet there was still an underlying intensity to it, as if it was trying to hold back the strength of his power. It was a voice that commanded attention and respect, yet it was also a voice that invited tenderness and compassion.

“yeah… studying marketing is weird.. it’s just that i’m struggling with it you know?”

You felt like there was barbed wires wrapped around your throat as words left your tongue when you made contact with the man who had higher power, held such a confident demeanor over you which is what possibly could’ve attracted you to call him he wasn’t ordinary like everyone else but he carried this mystery about his self and it felt like you had the opportunity to break his skin open and crawl inside his body confronting every secret he was hiding the mysteries or grudges he held against the strangers he would come across the interactions he had with a object or just a human in general made your mind wander with curiousity.

“Im available tomorrow since all my meetings were canceled due to.. god knows what.”

 his voice was like thunder sharp and commanding a touch of amusement in it, a glimmer of light that made you feel like you were the most important person in the world. His words held power, but there was a playful note in his voice, as if he were letting you in on a secret that nobody else ever had their ears opened to.

“My companys address is on the back of the card how does three pm work for you?” His deepened voice that sounded like silk against your touch intensified with curiosity that had peaked

“uh… yeah! i can meet that time at three pm tomorrow” You said overlapping the noise of the resturants music so mia could hear you. You couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement as mias eyes widened in surprise and her lips curves into a smile as she patted you on the forearm, her actions bringing back all of your senses as the man’s voice of authority and confidence had blocked out everything from the world and made you feel like there was nothing else in the world except his presence or yours. The thought made your heart race with anticipation. It was a feeling that was both exhilarating and terrifying at the same time

“I’m glad to hear that, tomorrow give me a call when you’re here” It was a voice that demanded attention, and you were powerless to resist.

His voice combined with that sentence sent adrenaline to coarse throughout your veins. slowly coming back to your senses as you take a look at the brunch spot you guys had been at for the past hour and a half the aromas of cooked foods such as eggs, toast, sausages and variety’s of different lunch and breakfast sandwiches.

The not so vibrant interior comforting your skin as you made contact with it slowly turning into a cozy sense of home the home you had back in new york the warmth of the sunlight beaming off of the windows onto your face showing all of your features to your dilated pupils and exposed pores, porcelain skin.

Unfortunately the brunch spot wasn’t in a quiet neighborhood away from the city unlike the other spots you were used to in new york you could hear horns honking the sounds of people chattering and laughing somewhat muffling the conversation you held with mia and the conversation you held not too long ago with the man.. Daemon..

Daemon targaryen

You remembered from his card that he previously handed to you

The brunch spot was perfect for chatting and enjoying the presence of loved ones.

Perhaps even daemon.

if you dared to allow yourself the possibility. But deep down, you knew that was your delusions getting to you. It was best not to set yourself up for disappointment, to keep a clear head and enjoy the moment for what it was nothing more, nothing less. As you sat there, you let out a deep breath, watching the steam rise from your lips and melt into the air around you. For now, you were content to simply relax and let the world pass you by, taking comfort in the knowledge that, in this moment, everything was exactly where it should be.

[utilitycaster]

I haven't seen WBN, so I can't comment on the comparison, but on the subject of Liliana, one of my favorite parts of last night was how Matt anwsered Fearne's question about how Liliana got involved with Ludinus. The whole scene with Liliana was stellar, but that answer made it so clear that is she is in a cult. The way Ludinus found her while she was unsure and looking for answers, mentored her, and showed her the "truth" about Predathos is a classic cult recruitment story. And her reasonings for staying in the cult after having recognizing some of its faults also rang true. She needs to "protect the children", the methods are wrong but the "truth" at the heart of their mission is right, the us vs. them mentality and fear of the exandrian authorities, etc. And I can see how that can make her sympathetic. She was taken in and conditioned by a charismatic, powerful leader. But Matt and the others have also made it clear, including in that scene, that she is complicit, and that the pcs at least recognize that her guilt does not absolve her. The members of the Manson Family who committed the Tate Murders may have been indoctrinated by Charles Manson, but they still killed 5 people in an incredibly grusome manner. The fact that they were following orders doesn't absolve them of their crime. And historically, cult leadership (which Liliana seems to be) who attempt to "fix" a cult either don't make any meanful change, or actually make it worse. I, at least, am very curious to see what will have happened in that regard when she next shows up. In short, people need to learn about nuance, and maybe sociology, and the Liliana scene was fantastic.

Hello anon. Are you spying on my Discord messages. This is not an accusation but I literally brought up the Manson Family there in discussion of how a lot of the WBN fandom in that like, people see wizards of the citadel (rightfully) as The War-Mongering Establishment, but forget that actually, there exist plenty of counterculture groups that also suck and just bc the US Government does horrible things doesn't mean the Manson Family doesn't. What if the Citadel AND a lot of Witches fucking sucked.*

To get back to Critical Role though, YEAH the Vanguard has been hitting every single aspect of a cult, and look. I get that the best way to get people irl out of a cult is to just be present for them when they decide to leave and not cut them off (the same is true for how to help people in abusive relationships) but also once they start murdering I feel that is no longer the move. The Liliana scene made me deeply uncomfortable and unsettled in the best way, namely, I knew they were talking to a cult member who is in too deep for them to get her out right now, and who has done terrible things to innocent people in service to that cult. Which brings me back to the first paragraph: a very true twist on "what if both sides of a conflict sucked" is "what if the victim of a system can still perpetuate the harm of a system onto others". (Also, if we want to throw Midst into the list of things where people have no-nuance no-sociology takes, and talk more about Steel? "what if someone with power within a system can still be a victim thereof."

Like, that is a really consistent set of issues in media analysis, actually. There's a lot of "this is the good side, and this is the bad side," and "this is a victim, and this is a perpetrator" and no understanding of "both sides are bad (or even complicated)" and "wow it's almost like the way systems and especially cults keep running is because everyone except the very top is to an extent a victim, but also everyone is a perpetrator." Very few people are unfettered evildoers doing it just for kicks. You can have sympathy for Liliana and also acknowledge that it's pretty valid for Orym to have no room for that sympathy. Traumatized and manipulated people can still be shitty people.

*I'm neutral-to-faint-positive on Suvi/Ame as a ship but actually "wow both our establishments really suck, how can we make something better together" is a great basis for a ship and "oh my god no witches are perfect and right and wizards are Bad and Wrong you're so correct about everything" is a dogshit basis for a ship which I think is worth highlighting given that we are in fandom spaces here although I may come to regret this when I'm sober.

[the-blissful-one]

Moana 2

Watched moana 2 with my friend today, and it was better than I expected. Also, in Europe, it's called Viana.

It was rather fast paced and the songs weren't as good as the first one- not bad by any means. But the start of the movie have songs pretty close to each other and then after that- barely anything.

But I did like the direction the movie went with the moral and the importance of family and relationship. Because hollywood and disney have focused so much on strong, independent women but they make them either 1) just having the toxic traits of what is stereotypical fictional male behavior 2) they always choose a path that leaves them distances from their close ones.

I love movies that are more of the found family trope and shows the character go through some shit, but they end up with a bunch of rag-tag people that cares about each other.

It was nice to see that she see needed to solve the main problem, but couldn't do it without her friend and family. I really liked to see that. And it was a surprised to see it come from disney- since we all know that disney haven't been the best in a few years. This just shows that they can make watchable movies if they just put their hearts into it.

It was fast paced, but I think that is kind of the usual thing with sequels. They need to fit characters from the first movie into the new story all the same when they are introducing new characters and plot lines.

I generally didn't think the little sister needed to be there...she's ok as a comic relief in my book. But I felt they just added her, so it would be a bigger internal struggle for viana to leave again. I mean, she did leave her island in the first movie and making her having his struggle in the second movie wouldn't have worked if she had the same amount of family members. But the lil sis wasn't that much of character in the movie...it was more a replacement for the grandmother in terms of emotional well being for viana and again, internal struggle.

I also felt like each small situation our main cast was put through got solved a little to quick. It kind of reminded me of that Gravity movie with Sandra Bullock. Like, she gets out through small situation that needs to be solved before she can do the most important thing- the mission. In Viana- it was finding a crew, then the clam (but that got solved by that bat lady) and then it was the storm and building a new boat (which she didn't even participate in) and then it the final battle. I guess it was a little bit too on the nose for me...since they used it as tool for Viana's and the others growth through the movie. Nothing was between the lines (which I tend to like more). Like, she gets started on a deserted island. One team mate almost dies...but viana doesn't 't talk directly to him about it. She talks to Maui about how she can't complete the mission and be a leader, but when it's over....they have built up the raft, the dude that almost got killed is just fine and she hasn't really done anything for them. I kind of wished we could see her grow thought interaction with them all and bonding more through their shared experience while it was happening.

They did have funny moments, but the jokes were a again, a little too one the nose. But hey, its a family movie..not going to be too critical here. You can also watch it without having seen the first one.

Recommend to watch. Good to see Disney putting out some good suff, because god has it been a long time. I had a good time, but of course there are things i wished could be different. They did also tease a number three, but well....im not as excited for that one right now. I'll probs see it, but i hope they don't stretch the story too far. It's a limit with what they can do with the characters and it still be good.

[mecharose]

8 for the end of year ask game!

8. what are three things you're looking forward to next year?

honestly I sort of make writing goals month-to-month so I don't know!

probably finishing draft 1 of Court of Ruination. It ended up a lot more multi layered and complicated of a story than I was anticipating! I thought I could get it done in 3-4 months, over the summer. I'm now 84k into the book, 76k into the sequel, and 33k into the prequel, and not even close to done with any of them haha

I'm also looking forward to revisiting an old project! I haven't decided yet which one that will be, either nDOT or Mixtape Ghost most likely.

and lastly looking forward to finishing one of the RCU stories. I cannot even count how many words I have in that world, but since I write so piecemeal and out of order I actually don't have a whole story written all the way through yet aha... the closest are the Cosmic Horror Sky Eyeball™ story and the time loop story! (ngl I should have finished those for this december... they take place this time of year sooo)

ok. I thought of 3 things. mission accomplished baybeeee

[studentinpursuitofclouds]

I need to insert my rsv pookies everywhere and since you can finish the main storyline with the spirit world and stuff pretty early in the game, in my mind farmer gets them to collaborate with the expanded adventurers and vice versa. I'm sure there would be ways to convince the heads of each organization, be it Belinda and Rae, Camilla and Magnus, or Marlon and Lance. Magnus has already worked with the ninjas in the past so it's not like they don't know of each other's presence. It could be done since they all want to defeat the evil forces threatening the balance, only maybe using different means. Farmer could act as a mediator, perhaps, and everyone could participate in different kinds of missions depending on what they are.

I know the two storylines will never intersect but a girl can dream 😭😭 In my mind they could be curious about each other and end up with some interesting fun group and even couple dynamics.

Imagine Jio stuck with Isaac on outpost duty. The vibes would be so rancid I just know it lmao. Those two grumpy idiots do NOT trust each other despite their bosses telling them to work together and collaborate. And Daia would love the Highlands, she'd sneak into the diamond cave and take samples for her geology studies, yes, but if she sneaks a couple of diamonds here and there to gift to her besties at Ridgeside... no one's going to stop her 😘✨️ I can also imagine Alesia shocked over the fact that one member of the cult is a trained assassin and a literal CHILD. When she sees her skills on the battlefield she's impressed but still can't help but worry.

Idk Mouse I'm going crazy lmao. Hades2 updated a couple days ago and I haven't even touched it because these idiots have me in a chokehold 😂

Yes, yes, yes! YES!

I've definitely written previously about the relationship between adventurers and mages with cult members, but it's mostly been either an unspoken truce/unwillingness to provoke conflict, or the two groups distrusting each other. As for the almost official co-operation, that's a cool idea, and has huge potential to be both serious fic and crack, hee hee~ 😁 Especially if Isaac and Jio are in the same place, you're so right.

Camilla and Belinda definitely had a past together, and I like to think of them as frenemies - different views on "best for the world" but both very strong, stubborn, and respectful of each other. Daia, with her interest in rocks and gems, would definitely be happy to travel with Lance and do some territory training (and teasing, heh). Alesia would begin to doubt that co-operating with the cult was a good idea, because... a child assassin... was beyond her comprehension. Though has a deep respect for Helen, even if she doesn't always agree with the Cult's methods. Jadu will run after a squeaky Kiwi in order to question the unusual Junimo (until shurikens fly in his direction, lol).

And then there's Jio and Isaac... Oh, that's a separate story. Constant arguments, reaching serious fights, when both sides need to separate these hotheads, complaints that each of them "coped with problems on their own, without outside help". Well, and then - my favorite part - there's the unforeseen circumstances that still made the noxious elf and the equally noxious adventurer work together, and they made a pretty good team. I even thought about starting some sort of romantic relationship, but I don't think it's going to go any further than a crack ship. Buuuuut, I said the same thing for Lance/Isaac... 👀

[blackfemmecharacterdependency]

Update on the Arcane mission. I haven't had anybody really step up and say "I wanna habe Arcane friends," and so I decided to try to give this show another go, to figure out where I would personally land in fandom business.

I didn't fall asleep this time and have currently made it about half way through episode 5. So far, I don't give a shit about any of these people. It was sad when the lil' crew of bottom down people died, but I haven't had any attachments formed, though the wee baby Ekko is probably currently the only one in the running for my emotions.

Actually, I'm liking that skinny one-eyed fella. This is my kinda "villain." One with both rage and also some sense. Sevika is my close third.

I am definitely not a Jinx girlie. It makes no sense for smart people to keep bringing her bumbling ass to missions that need precision. She need to take a page outta that one dude on the statue book and just show folk how to do stuff.

And so far, Mel might be lovely, but nothing has happened that I care about her neither. At this current place in the journey, I could see why she hasn't gotten much fans. The creators gave us nothing but an impeccable design. I'm waiting to be gagged.

Vi is the most relatable person for me, but that's not to say that I like her or care about her necessarily. More like I think she's had the most opportunity for us to see different sides of herself and understand her more than a lot of these others who don't have as much story at this point.

Jayce is alright. Victor is mid. I have not yet seen whatever it is the girlies see in either or both of them.

RIP to ol'boy from the bar. Vance? Van? Chile, whatever they daddy name was. He was nice. You knew he'd die from the moment he showed up though. It was simply right there that this would happen.

Who else I done seen... Caitlin. Snoring boring. Actually around where I paused my watch mission to go to bed. Idk if I'm resuming when I get off work in the morning, but I'll resume at some point. This is the furthest I've ever gotten watching this, but now I think that I get why: because nobody grabbed my attention or appreciation and that's one of my things.

[xenonsreturn]

In Another Life

A short story of Garrus Vakarian and Commander Shepard

I need to do . . . something. I need to get out of here. If I stay in the battery any longer, I think I'm going to explode. Why does this room have to be so damn small?

But where the hell am I going to go? No matter where I go, I have to bring my head with me. What I really need is to get out of my head.

Where is this coming from? I've been doing fine . . . well, as fine as any turian on a suicide mission can do. But now, I can't seem to think straight. I'm nervous. Which is new for me. I can't concentrate on my calibrations and they seem to go on forever. I find myself pacing. There's a buzzing all over my skin. Maybe I'm sick. I could go see Dr Chakwas . . . no. Bad idea. She'd remove me from duty – or worse, give me medicine.

I'm heading for the mess. Maybe just having something in my stomachs will help me settle down.

When did this start, anyway? Hmm. Illium. No, it was after that. Hell, I don't know. I know I was fine when Shepard and I tracked down Sedonis. I still wonder whether I could have taken the shot. Is that what's bothering me?

No, that's not it. Even if I could have, I saw what Shepard was doing. She didn't want me to take it. Saving me from myself, she said. Hmm. She's done that a couple times now. She's always trying to pull me back. I don't know why she cares so much. It's really irritating.

Still, I have to admit, I make better choices when she's around. And when she's not – well, I turn into Archangel. It's a lot easier to be Archangel, but . . . well, I feel stronger, somehow, here on the Normandy. And it's good to have some familiar faces around sometimes. Joker. Tali. Even Liara for a bit there. Shepard, of course. I probably have more in common with her than anyone else on the ship. Hell, than anyone else in my life. I liked it when she used to come down and talk, before Liara came back. Somehow, she made the battery feel a little larger, even though there were two of us in that tiny space. But now, she and Liara are back together, and she hasn't been around since, and I -

Oh.

Oh, damnation.

How did I not see this happening? And now it's too late, isn't it?

I thought – I guess I thought . . . that she . . . maybe . . . ah, hell.

Can I go back to not knowing what's bothering me? That was better than this.

Great. Now I'm talking to myself. Or hearing voices in my head. Whatever. But I'm right. I can't go into hiding – not from myself. I turn around and get a seat at the end of an empty table.

I'm going back to the battery. I need . . . cover. I do not want company right now. No, Garrus, dammit, you're going to the mess!

I'm not alone long, however. Tali shows up. Great.

"Is this seat taken?" She asks – then, without waiting for a reply, she sits down anyway.

"Uhh . . ." I look the length of the empty table. "Doesn't look like it." None of the other seats are taken, either – why don't you try that one way over there?

She just looks at me. Well, at least I think that's what she's doing. That damn mask makes her hard to read. Actually, come to think of it, I wish I had a mask. Lucky lady.

"What are you having?" She asks.

I pretend to be relaxed. I am sure I suck at it. "I don't know. Whatever Rupert's serving that won't kill me, I guess."

Tali chuckles. "Well, whatever won't kill you, won't kill me, either. Let's split an order."

So much for no company. Back to the battery, I guess. "Actually, I'm not hungry after all," I say, and start to get up.

With surprising speed, Tali reaches across the table and grabs my wrist. Not only is she fast, she's strong. In spite of my shock, I have to admit, I'm impressed.

"Don't. Go. Anywhere. Garrus."

Well, this is . . . unwelcome. I slowly sit back down. I have a bad feeling about this.

"You've been acting . . . strange, Garrus. Distracted."

This is worse than I thought. People can tell.

"Ah, I don't think – "

Tali cuts me off. "Don't deny it. You haven't been yourself since we left Hagalaz."

"Well – "

"I've seen you pacing."

"No, I – "

"Your aim was off on the last mission."

Okay, that's too much. "Now, wait just one goddamn minute – "

She sighs. "Garrus, calm down. It's obvious you've got some knot you're trying to untie, and we feel – "

"WE?" This day just keeps getting worse and worse. "Who's we?"

"Oh, you know, Miranda, Jack, Samara, Chakwas, Gabby."

Just when I think I've hit bottom. At least Shepard's not on the list. And -

"Not Kelly?"

"No, not Kelly. I know it's her job, but . . . well, quite frankly, none of us can stand her."

I don't understand that at all, but I'm really beyond caring at this point.

"Look, Garrus, we just want to help."

Help. Fantastic. Not only can people tell, not only are they talking about it, now they want to help. I'm Archangel, goddamn it.

"Tali. Go hack some other project. Right. Now."

I stare into that mask. She seems to stare back for a moment, then shrugs and stands up. "Fine. I tried. Chakwas said you'd do this." She turns away, but then turns back and says, "Take care of it yourself, then, Garrus. Good luck with that. You need it."

I just look at her until she's gone. I wish I could take some satisfaction in hurting her feelings, but it's clear that she's not hurt. She's just pissed. And also, well, I don't want to hurt her, not really. She's a good person on the team. I like her. It's just . . . don't go trying to get under my skin like that! You're not invited!

"So – " A voice right next to me. I look up and Rupert is standing there.

"What do you want?" I growl. I am kind of pleased that he backs up a step.

"Uh, that's what I was going to ask you, Garrus," he says, a little breathlessly. He holds out the day's menu. "What do you want?"

I take it out of his hands. "Just . . . give me something that will kill me."

It has not been a good day.

Back in the battery. I am, in fact, hiding. I don't want to go out there. Where they know. I just wish, in here, I didn't know. I must have been blind. And now, I wish I still was.

I look around the little space. I don't have much of mine here. Because I don't have much that's mine. I never thought about it, never thought I was missing anything, but right now, I do. Damn, do I.

At my terminal, there's my dad's old insignia from the fleet. I wonder, did dad ever have to deal with this sort of thing? I can't imagine it. But then, we were always so different. He had discipline. I have . . . what? Lack thereof, I guess. I can't help but rush in . . . and maybe that's why I feel this way. If he could have felt something like this, Dad would have damped it down. But I can't. Not anymore.

The only other time . . . well, there she is. Her dog tags hang next to Dad's insignia. Scout Lidia Misuraca. I wish I didn't have these tags. Because that would mean she'd still be alive. She might have been halfway across the galaxy – hell, she might even be fighting us; we are with Cerberus, after all – but she'd be living. I've run it through my head a thousand times and I still don't know if there was anything different I could have done during that raid, something that might have saved her life – but I still wonder. And maybe that's why I'm out here now.

And maybe she's not all. I take off my visor and run my finger over the ten names carved in the frame. Yeah. I had a team. Good people. And now they're all dead. Because of me. Maybe that's another reason I'm in here – because everyone I touch, dies. It's safer. For them. For me.

I look at the message on the terminal screen. Took me nearly an hour to write it.

Commander,

When you have a moment, I have something I need to discuss with you.

- Garrus

Am I giving too much away? My finger hovers over the 'send' key. Do I dare? And then I realize, it's the only way through this. I hit the key.

I am surprised by the fact that I actually feel some small measure of relief. We're out of the holding pattern now, I guess. I took action – just a little, but enough to set . . . something . . . in motion. I don't know if it's the best thing, but at least it's something. And what the hell am I hoping for anyway? I know she's with Liara. There's nothing that will change that. Maybe if I'd said something earlier, before Illium . . . ah, but I didn't know then, did I? Dammit. And anyway, Liara makes Shepard happy. Who am I to stand in the way of that?

But don't you deserve some happiness, too, Garrus? It's odd, but I hear Shepard's voice asking this question. Do I? I don't know. Ask me most days, I'd say…no. I don't deserve it. But when we're together, maybe I feel like I do. Maybe because she's always seen the best in me. So maybe I do deserve some happiness – but just because I might deserve it, doesn't mean I get it. The galaxy is a cold, cold place. It doesn't care what we deserve. It doesn't care for justice. It's just dark. And I guess it's up to us to be the stars, to hold against the darkness. That's what I strive for. And in a different way, so does Shepard. Different, but . . . well, I guess I had an idea that maybe we were just same enough to have some overlap, maybe enough common ground to build . . . something more than this.

And now she could be on her way down here. Right now.

The reality of this hits me like a . . . well, like a missile to the face. Suddenly, I need to get out again. Cursing my stupid finger that sent the message, I make for the door, but before I get there, it opens.

Shepard.

Ah, hell. Here we go. "Ah, Shepard. Guess you, ah, got my message."

Her eyebrows arch. "What message?"

She came down here just to see me, just to talk with me. I feel torn between two emotions – elation, and it's about fucking time.

"Ah, never mind," I say, hoping my voice sounds steady. I'm surprised that it does. "Just something I wanted to talk to you about, but it can wait. What brings you down here?" Because it's been awhile.

"Okay, yeah," she says. "I want to know if you have any contacts that can keep an eye on Hagalaz for me. I know Liara's capable, but . . ." She trails off, and I can see the concern on her face.

"You want a couple extra eyes watching her back," I say, without even thinking about it. Of course she does.

She smiles. "Yeah, something like that."

I love her smile. I hate how much I love her smile. "I know of three guys off the top of my head – one from my days at C-Sec who became a freelance mercenary, and two I know from Omega. All three will do the job for money. But they're good. And once they commit, they'll see it through." I see the relief in her face, in her posture. "I'll send their contact information to your terminal." I want to throw myself out the nearest airlock. But really, what the hell else am I going to do? Deny her help? That's not in me, not for her.

"Thanks, Garrus." She pauses. "How you been? I feel like I haven't been down here in ages."

That's because you haven't. "Well," I say, "you've been pretty busy. No problem, though – you always know where to find me."

She leans up against the door jamb. "Yeah, but I've missed you, Garrus. Things have been . . . well, crazier than usual, but I miss coming down here, hanging out with you."

She is actually killing me.

"I mean, hell," she goes on. "With almost everyone else, I'm Commander Shepard – Savior of the Citadel. It's really . . . annoying." She smirks. "But you know, we've worked together for a while now. It's good talking to someone I know. Someone I trust. There's a hell of a lot less of that in the galaxy than there ought to be."

"Yeah," I say, because I can't think of anything else to say. And then, I find myself saying, "Shepard, you know what we need? We need a bar on this goddamn ship."

She laughs. "Hell, yes! That's a great idea, Garrus!" She looks towards my footlocker. "Hey, that reminds me, you got any of that Batarian ale left?"

I grin. I'm actually starting to relax a bit. She always does that to me. And she's the only one. "Yeah, I might have a couple bottles left."

I get out the bottles and pop the tops with my talon. She was so impressed the first time I did that.

"Cheers," she says as I hand her one. She tips the bottle back in my direction.

I return the gesture. "Cheers to you, Shepard," I say.

"Garrus, when we're off duty, just call me Hera. We've known each other long enough for that." I do not show how much what she just said means to me.

"Okay, Hera," I say, trying the name out. We both tip the ale back. It burns a bit, but man, the flavor is fantastic. It really lingers.

And then, as she lowers the bottle, I catch a . . . tightening in her face. Like a shadow passing over. And I'm not the smartest man alive, but I know where it came from. I could ignore it . . . ah, hell, no I can't. "So, Comm- ah, Hera. You and Liara? You've . . . worked things out?"

She looks at me, the smirk reappearing from the shadow. "You know me too well. You know that, Garrus?"

If it wasn't for the smirk, I'd change the subject. "Well, maybe I do," I say instead.

"Yeah. Yes," she says. "We have worked things out. Very . . . thoroughly."

I kind of want to die right now.

She sighs. "But it just means I'm going to miss her all over again."

And for a moment, my heart breaks a little – not for me, but for her. I don't know what to say, but I come up with, "Yeah, but it's good to have someone to miss. Someone you know you'll be coming back to. It's a good thing . . . a good thing to see."

I glance at my terminal, and I think of the only other one who ever was close to me. And now . . .

She clears her throat. "Yeah, Garrus. You're right. You're right. It is good. Thanks." I turn to see her smiling at me, but her eyes, well, human eyes, you can tell when there's something going on behind them. And I realize, I've just seen her, hurting for Liara, and she's just seen me, hurting for Lidia. The fact that we saw each other in this moment lightens my heart. I feel . . . bold.

"Anyway, Garrus," she says, breaking our gaze. "You said you sent me a message?"

Ah, crap.

"It's nothing, really, I'm just . . ." I set my bottle down and look at her. "You know, I work pretty well alone. I can go where I want, do what I want, when I want – I have focus. No distractions. Just the job. I don't need much. And it's good - I think, working that way, I make some small difference in the Galaxy."

"A lot more than that, Garrus."

I shrug, even though I'm touched by the compliment. "Maybe. But sometimes . . . well, I like to see what you and Liara have. And sometimes, I think, maybe I'd like something like that, too."

She smiles. "Thanks, Garrus. It's good. It is. But you know, it's also . . . complicated." She takes a breath. "Boy, that word doesn't even cover it. I died. She almost became . . . someone else. And both of us thought the other had moved on. When I think about it, I'm amazed we managed to find the space together." She chuckles. "It's really a mess!" She looks at me. "Who knows, maybe you're the lucky one."

"Huh, maybe." I don't feel lucky.

She raises her eyebrows.

I suddenly can't face her and turn away. "I'm glad for you, though. It's a . . . good mess. I never thought I'd say this, but maybe sometimes a mess is better. But for me, well . . . there's no one . . . available. And that's my fault. I don't really know how . . . I spend so much energy keeping people at arm's length – "

She interrupts. "Well, that's certainly saying something."

I turn back see her looking at my arms. I can't help but feel a little thrill go up my spine. "Yeah, I guess it is." I chuckle. How does she do this, make me talk when I just want to shut up? "But maybe I don't do enough to let people in. I just – well, sometimes I feel like I'm alone in the whole damn galaxy. I've been thinking about it a lot lately – maybe I'm a poorer man for that . . . I don't know, maybe I'm just getting old, thinking of where I might be down the relay." I start to feel like I'm saying too much, like I've already said too much. I want to change the subject. "Hell, I don't know why I bother thinking about this. We're not likely to survive this mission anyway."

But – typical Shepard – she won't let it go. "But you are thinking about it."

"Yeah." Dammit. "Yeah, I am." And then I look at her, and I see her being, well, who she is. For me. "Thanks, Shepard. There isn't really anyone else I'd want to talk to about this." And then it hits me, and my boldness returns. She deserves to know the truth. I step right up to her. "You know what I was saying about arm's length? Well, there's not many who've managed to get beyond that. In fact, ah, there's just one. It's good to have someone I can . . . trust." I take a breath and look her right in the eye. "It's you, Shepard. I'm a better man because of you. And I . . . I just . . ."

The words fail me, right when I need them the most.

I see her face soften, suddenly, and I know she knows. She understands.

I can't stand it. I turn my back on her. "Ah, never mind."

I feel her hands on me as she turns me back around. "Hey."

I look right at her. I am certain everything I'm feeling is plain upon my scarred face.

She rests her hands on my shoulders, and I see a thousand emotions playing across her face. "Garrus, I want you to know something. I trust you, too. I don't make a habit of that. And I don't let people get close to me easily or often, either." She pauses. "In this life, you and I are . . . .what we are. And I'm thankful for that." She nods. "But in another life . . ." She looks right into my eyes. "Garrus, yes. Yes."

I can feel something loosen in my chest. I know what she's saying, and although it kills me, I feel a surge of warmth throughout my whole body. She cares, she really does. It's not perfect, it's not the same thing I feel, but . . . I am important to her. I nod, and then I feel a real smile cross my face. "Hearing you say that . . . in this life . . . is . . . almost as good. Almost as good as another life."

[bloodgulchblog]

WHAT HAPPENS IN HALO: OUTCASTS, ZITA?

Hot damn, I haven't done one of these in a while.

Let me get this written down for you while it's still fresh...

(As usual: I cannot guarantee I present events that are happening in the same time in different places in the order the book does, but I do promise the gist of the thing)

Outcasts happens in November of 2559, which is after the destruction of Doisac and before the events of Halo Infinite begin.

Cortana's forces are occupying Sanghelios and attempting to police the population, which makes the Arbiter's position suck out loud: he can't directly confront Cortana without winding up in the same position as Atriox with Doisac. The Sangheili have been trying to figure out what to do without Cortana finding out about any of their plans.

There are also some humans on Sanghelios, among them Spartan Olympia Vale. Vale has become a personal friend to the Arbiter in addition to an important diplomatic contact. (She is pre-emptively sad about how bad it's gonna turn out once the Arbiter finds out the extent to which ONI has fucked him over over the years, but also: Thel actually knows more than she thinks he does and that's kind of fun.)

Anyway.

After a very tense traffic stop by some of Cortana's troops on his way back from a big important Kaidon meeting (this is the part that N'tho 'Sraom and Usze 'Taham are around for), Thel has a vistor: an Oath Warden named Crei 'Ayomuu. Oath Wardens are hired guns who enforce contracts, either by scaring the noncompliant party into following through on their end, or by bringing back their head. This is considered highly dishonorable work and nobody likes Oath Wardens. Thel is not a fan either.

'Ayomuu, however, is here because he has some important information about the contract he is pursuing: a human xenoarchaeologist (Keely Iyuska) who specializes in pre-Forerunner civilizations (or, you know, what trace scraps of those exist) agreed, in exchange for funding, to give 'Ayomuu's client first pick of whatever she finds on a planet the Sangheili call N'ba.

To make a long story short, N'ba is what we would remember as Netherop from Halo: Oblivion. It is a miserable desert world that did have evidence of weird alien technology, but nothing too earth-shattering.

...But the evidence also suggests something far, far more important might be on Netherop: A weapon. A powerful, ancient weapon that once was used to kill a Guardian.

It is, obviously, very important that this not fall into the wrong hands. Cortana is also actively hunting for this human, and Cortana's hands would absolutely be the wrong ones.

It's time to get over working with an Oath Warden and get on the case.

Meanwhile, Vale is also finding out about this elsewhere. She's hearing it straight from the horse's mouth, because Iyuska is an old university acquaintance and is reaching out to Vale for help because ONI may be in fucking shambles after Cortana destroyed Bravo-6, but there are enough pieces still working and she knows Vale still has contacts. And they prrrrooooobably should not let Iyuska's client (or anyone) get their hands on this thing she is pretty sure she's discovered.

Vale agrees, and they set off to the one planet you know makes it a Troy Denning Halo novel: Gao.

In Oblivion the UNSC found a pack of feral children (the descendents of space pirates) on Netherop and those children wound up founding a settlement somewhere in the jungle on Gao. Vale wants to find someone who has been to Netherop before to advise on this mission. She and Iyuska make their way in by pretending to be medical researchers investigating a new prion disease that is infecting people on Gao. (That part is happening on Gao, by the way.) The cover falls apart pretty quick because the locals are deeply suspicious and because Vale is.... a Spartan-IV out of armor, and that shit is kind of obvious.

Luckily things don't turn to violence, though, because they are broken up by Rosa Fuertes. This is the character we knew in Oblivion as local Netherop feral youth leader Roselle. (She changed her name to try to avoid ONI tracking her or something and... honey... you are gonna have to try a lot harder than that.) She was like 20 in Oblivion so now she's like 50, and is herself wasting away from the prion disease. She agrees to go with Vale and Iyuska to help with whatever they're doing, but on the condition that ONI continues to leave her family the fuck alone.

Meanwhile, the Arbiter has snuck off Sanghelios (leaving his most trusted guys to cover for him and pretend he's home for as long as possible to throw Cortana's surveillance off the scent) and gone to Netherop. He has some help from two kaidons for this endeavor: 'Talot and Varo'dai. 'Talot is an old ally of 'Vadam and pretty traditional. Varo'dai is a lot more interesting: She (yes she) originally came from Saepon'kal.

This is some Shit No One Remembers Halo lore, so here's the tl;dr: The first time we ever heard of a NOVA bomb (you know, a planet cracker) was the time in First Strike where Admiral Whitcomb left one as bait for the Covenant to find. The Covenant, not knowing what it was, took it back with them to a fleet rally point. In Ghosts of Onyx, a Huragok accidentally set the bomb off by poking at it to trying to figure it out. This blew up most of that particular Covenant fleet, and there was much rejoicing.

...The planet this happened over was the Sangheili colony world of Saepon'kal. The damage from that big of an explosion shattered the moon and soon enough rendered the surface of the planet uninhabitable.

Varo'dai is kaidon of a new colony world, because she was instrumental to saving tens of thousands of Sangheili. She's a very cool character concept, I kinda wish we saw more of her, but by god if you want an excuse to think about cool Sangheili women you've got her and her handpicked all-female rangers who turn out to be some of the most competent people in the book. (Again, don't get your hopes up too much, they're just kinda there as set dressing. Varo'dai gets to be cool occasionally, but her rangers are the most characterless side characters and please do not buy this book just for the lacroix water flavor of Sangheili women being cool. I just... feel compelled to point out that this is the closest we are probably ever gonna get to Sangheili lesbians.)

Honestly, she's mostly there so we have an excuse to see the Arbiter tell off 'Talot for not treating her with respect because Thel 'Vadam confirmed feminist king.

The Arbiter's party makes it down onto Netherop first and encounters.... another returning Oblivion character: Lieutenant Commander Petrov.

Petrov and a handful of her soldiers were marooned on Netherop at the end of Oblivion because Roselle sabotaged her in order to ensure that Roselle and her gang of feral youths would get to leave the planet instead.

Petrov has, over the last thirty years, made this situation completely fucking insane and on the one hand it's so stupid that my disbelief can't handle it, but on the other hand it's kind of amazing? Petrov's people have continued to fight the war with the Covenant, but on Netherop "the Covenant" is just a literal handful of Sangheili holed up in the tel (ruins of an ancient alien underground city) with the ancient alien superweapon and an apparently infinite supply of food.

That's not the insane part.

The insane part is that the humans had a shit ton of kids expressly for the purpose of "making more soldiers" to fight the Covenant with.

And we thought the Spartan program was fucked up...

Thel manages to prevent his allies and Petrov's weird little unit/family from trying to kill one another and does enough diplomacy with Petrov to be on rough speaking terms.

...Meanwhile Vale, Iyuska, Rosa, and a shit ton of ODSTs try to insert onto Netherop. Most of the ODSTs are killed when their dropships are exploded by a MYSTERIOUS ALIEN SLIPSPACE DEATH BEAM, but the Owl with Vale and friends aboard is built for stealth so it manages to survive landing.

Vale doesn't expect the Arbiter to agree with her about what they're doing here, but he is an honorable man and figures if the UNSC finds the MYSTERIOUS ALIEN SLIPSPACE DEATH BEAM first he will, as a man of honor, let them have claim to it. But also, he's gonna do his damnedest.

Thel and his gang of fellow Sangheili have an advantage because the marooned Sangheili aren't automatically hostile to them, so they go in the obvious way while Vale and friends and ODSTs find a way to dig into the underground city instead.

The marooned Sangheili believe that this is the sanctum of the gods and Nizat 'Kvarosee, their leader, is the most strong of faith so he is the best at weilding the super weapon and used it to destroy those ENEMY HUMAN SHIPS.

Thel's team and Vale's team make their way through the tel, fighting the marooned Sangheili (Thel manages to recruit the former Silent Shadow Ra'ashai to his side, 'Talot and his warriors die) and investigating how the hell this place works. Iyuska determines that the whole place seems to run on extremely advanced nanotechnology, which the marooned Sangheili have become very attuned to (shown by how the place adapts to their desires and needs, creating food they can eat and clothing them and of course giving them control over the MYSTERIOUS ALIEN SLIPSPACE DEATH BEAM.)

Rosa gets separated from everyone (originally because the marooned Sangheili captured her) and has a weird moment with some mysterious voices that call themselve The Nothing and insist that she cannot tell anyone they exist, ever. As a prize for this, she wins having her prion disease magically cured somehow.

(Yeah, it's weird, I don't know either.)

Also, while all of this is going on, Atriox is in space overhead. The book thinks it's slick about Atriox secretly being the one who funded Iyuska's research, but it kind of plays that hand too strongly so you know it's Atriox and it's not a surprise. While the ground team is working on securing the weapon, Atriox is attacking everybody's ships. Nobody downstairs finds out for a long while due to comms blackout.

Thel and Vale's teams finally wrest control of the MYSTERIOUS ALIEN SLIPSPACE DEATH BEAM from the marooned Sangheili and one of them ('Kvarosee's lackey Tam 'Lakosee, did I mention he was also in this one?) shows Thel how to use it just in time for them all to figure out holy shit, the Banished are attacking! The beam detects what you think of as your "enemies" and smites them, basically, so Thel worries about whether his mixed feelings about human involvement here might imperil the human ship.

He shouldn't have worried about it. Thel zeroes in on the Banished and a Forerunner ship he knows is going to report to Cortana. 'Lakosee is horrified that he is attacking a SACRED FORERUNNER SHIP, and grabs for the controls in retaliation. End result: EVERYBODY'S big spaceships get blown up: human, Sangheili, and Banished.

Everyone is fucked, they have a matter of hours until Cortana's forces arrive and Banished insertion craft that weren't destroyed are already on the way down. The gang debate about what to do with 'Kvarosee and 'Lakosee, who are both in rough shape. When they refuse to re-integrate with the Sangheili because they believe that Thel and his entourage are clearly godless apostates, Thel and aforesaid entourage leave them to rot.

Iyuska disassembles the MYSTERIOUS ALIEN SLIPSPACE DEATH BEAM, which is unfortunate timing because that really would've helped with all these Banished.

They have to go out and meet/probably fight the Banished, and also figure out what the fuck to do with this superweapon. Thel kinda hates it and Varo'dai's suggestion of the humans and Sangheili each taking one of the two important pieces (a sample of self-propagating nanomachines, and the focusing lens) might be a good idea, but he is a man of his word: the humans did reach the weapon's chamber first when they were fighting their way in, so he will let them have it. Vale, despite it all, is genuinely surprised but okay sure.

....But then Vale gets an idea.

What if they just... give the Banished the weapon? The weapon seems to have pretty much destroyed Netherop's own civilization by being used here, and it would be difficult to impossible to set it up usefully as an offensive weapon. Give Atriox what he wants, and maybe everyone will be able to get off the planet.

(Because it turns out: there are some UNSC slipspace-capable craft that also survived the MYSTERIOUS ALIEN SLIPSPACE DEATH BEAM so it's fine.)

They parley with Atriox, blah blah blah shock and betrayal it turns out that Atriox was secretly employing 'Ayomuu through Atriox's Sangheili lackey this whole time yadda yadda, Atriox ends up leaving with space dust and a focusing lens he probably can't use but he hasn't figured that out yet, at least everyone gets to go home. (???) The most important thing here is that Rosa and Petrov have A Moment to resolve the fact that Rosa caused Petrov to be marooned. Petrov forgives her.

(There's also a chapter of how fucking bad Sloan is doing, you remember Sloan? AI? Meridian? Fenris Dragon Age voice? Anyway, he joined the Created in the hopes of integrating with the Domain and surviving Rampancy, but something about that... doesn't really work with his architecture. He's looping badly, and kind of AI dying. But not yet, not quite yet...)

A lot more stuff happens and there's lots of details scattered through here (some are fun, some are dumb, you know, it's Halo). It 100% does not advance the main universe plot at all, and what the fuck are the Nothing????

But... it was nice to see our guy Thel 'Vadam.

[aintgonnatakethis]

ask game!

#2, #5, #19, #29, #30

Hey @thestorieswesay thanks for the ask! ❤️️ I've actually delivered a response in less than 24 hours! 😲

fic writer ask game

2. a character whose POV you’re currently exploring

I'm currently battling through the final bit of a sex scene from Rush's POV that will complete the Beach Episode fic in the kink series that I started back in *checks* August. Which certainly isn't the longest it's taken me to finish a fic. There's that 6 month wait for an anon's request to be filled that we don't talk about.

It's been interesting moving through the kink series because I can approach the relationship between Rush and Telford from so many different points in their timeline (and I don't have to write everything in order!) I'm not 100% sure if the Beach Episode fits in before or after the First Fight mini-series with Rush's love confession and Telford's subsequent not-love confession, but it's set around that time period so they're a lot more comfortable with one another than if I finally finished the earliest WIP I have for that series which has been sitting around since April 2023…

5. first sentence of the fifth paragraph of an unpublished WIP

I looked through my WIP doc (over 100k words all squashed into one 😈) and picked two stories I think you'd be be into! #1 is a fic we discussed waaaay back when we first started talking in Tumblr DMs: all four of Rush, Young, Telford, and Destiny herself experiencing some form of sexual assault and how the recovery process would look different for each of them. I have 7 chapters written and ready to go (and might even start posting them next year as my completed doc is becoming a little sparse - over the last 2 years I've averaged 2.5k posted words per week on AO3 and I'd like to keep that going for as long as possible) but I have to be in the right mindset to work on it. I've written 2 paragraphs of it this year and the rest of the 32k was done in 2023.

Young is nursing a split lip from Rush's elbow, a bump is forming on his temple where he must have struck it on their way down, but it's his eyes that catch Rush's attention.

#2 was my first attempt at writing the 'Rush dominating Young' anon prompt I received on here last year, but unfortunately what my brain came up with was an 'aliens made them do it' scenario, where the 100% consensual stuff would have appeared in ch3 and ch1 would have some extremely dub-con/bordering on non-con if you weren't not in the know, and it didn't feel right giving that to someone without knowing if they were down with it. So they got ch3 of the 3some fic instead and I got to develop ch2 of 'aliens made them do it' into Telford being a rescue-mission-leading BAMF which was a great deal of fun. My notes say I haven't worked on this since 2023 either, but ch3's reasonably developed towards the point of dom!Rush which isn't where I left it back then.

Young snarled some very unpleasant things at the aliens that they gave no indication of understanding, though he was also wary of the sharpened bolts, not beginning to struggle in earnest until they attempted to remove his briefs.

29. how easy is it for you to come up with titles?

It's not too difficult! I've got a doc where I save any lyrics I come across that might make good titles/quotes-at-the-start-of-fics, and titles that aren't lyrics are usually pretty simple. Now, writing summaries? That's a while different ball game! They cause me so much emotional damage 😣

30. share a fic you’re especially proud of

It has to be a memory, a distant echo. I crafted that baby with my bare bloody hands and am incredibly pleased with the way it turned out!

19. the most interesting topic you’ve researched for a fic

During the pandemic, I researched pangaeas and continental drift and was planning the next bit of my 450k Lockdown fic to have an Ancient trap where if someone with a specific gene went to this one planet, magnetic forces would reform the pangaea, causing massive earthquakes and sickness in people with an active Ancient gene. Have 869 words below the cut!

Telford's eyes searched out Young, who was leaning heavily against the DHD but thankfully also on his feet. He was holding a clipboard and checking people off as they lined up to evacuate, several unaffected soldiers dotted along the path doing the same. Dozens of boxes of equipment were lying outside the buildings, obviously left when it became clear it would be all hands on deck just getting the people out. They'd put so many resources into this place; if they lost this planet to enemy forces it would be a disaster. He dragged himself over to Young; as he neared the gate his radio began to crackle and hiss, a word here or there audible in the mess. It sounded as if it was Command trying to contact them without success. "I sent Collins through with the sitrep," Young said, a slight slur to his words. "He was affected but not too bad. Needed Vala to help." He gestured towards the stretchers being carried to the gate, losing his balance the moment he took his hand off the DHD. Telford surreptitiously steadied him, watching as stretchers were laid at the base of the gate and then shoved through. There weren't enough people on their feet to carry them all through. "Look at this," Young continued quietly, half turning towards him and extending his wrist. The compass built into his watch was spinning wildly. Telford checked his own, feeling uneasy. "An EMP wouldn't do this." "Earthquakes," came from behind them, an out of breath Rush appearing out of fucking nowhere. "Localised around the ruins. One of your soldiers stood where he could feel it with one foot but not the other. Park said natural earthquakes don't act that way." There hadn't been any hint of seismic activity in the reports and they'd been occupying this planet for months. Telford didn't like the coincidental timing of its sudden appearance at all. "You should get through the gate," Telford told Rush, trying to make it an order without it sounding as such. "No, no." Rush shook his head and spread his hands in an obvious attempt at appearing reasonable. "I need to go back. There are enough of my team for us to keep working." Telford opened his mouth to impress on Rush just how very much that would not be fucking happening, but Young beat him to the punch. "You're fucking kidding me," he snapped, jerking his head towards the evacuation efforts. "Get back to it." Rush ground his teeth together audibly, the sound cutting violently through Telford's ears. "This is a unique opportunity. Who knows why the quakes are happening? We should be taking advantage of the situation."

There was a brief moment of silence that Telford could well recognise as Young biting his tongue against saying something he would later regret. "We are under attack," he finally gritted out. "I will not send civilians back into harm's way on your word." The glare on Rush's face could've stripped paint off a car it was so sharp. Hilariously, he looked to Telford, apparently thinking he might get some support, only for Young to raise his voice suddenly, "You don't look at him! You look at me!" Young always got loud when he was hurt in high stress situations. When it was someone else he was the steadiest commanding officer you could wish for, but Telford had a very vivid memory of having to pull a handful of shrapnel shards out of the man's thigh in the field and being called every name under the sun in the process. Rush took a decidedly aggressive step forwards, sneering. "You can hardly fucking stand. Who the fuck's gonna stop me?" Jesus fucking christ. Telford stepped between the two men, getting a good grip on Rush's vest and only now noticing he couldn't feel the arm he was using, which unfortunately made his attempt at shaking Rush rather unsatisfying. Even worse was the casual way Rush brushed him off as if it was nothing, causing him to lose his footing and stumble. He barely caught himself, hating the lack of strength in a body that was usually so reliable. A loud grunt informed him that Young's response on his behalf had been to barrel straight into Rush, though without any balance or finesse of his own it just ended with them in a tangled heap on the ground. Rush, possessing all his faculties, manoeuvred them so he was on top with so much ease it made Telford feel even sicker. Rush, also being a right fucking bastard, punched Young hard in the face and raised his fist again even as Young's eyes rolled in his head. Telford was still trying to get his legs in working order when Vala appeared and bodily hauled Rush up and away. It was funny in a way to watch as Rush turned in her grip, ready to fight, only for his enthusiasm for such an endeavour to flag when he realised it was a woman holding him. Vala didn't shake him, but her eyes were tight with the obvious desire to do so. "Relax," she told him, a fair deal more calmly than Telford would have managed.