#She's unsure of whether or not to call him out on it but ultimately decided watching Tim go feral trying to be top 3 is the funnier

[weareallgonnaliveforawhile]

Damian has favorites

Damian absolutely has favorite siblings, he actually goes out of his way to rank them using a method that lets their rank change depending on several different factors.

The first time Dick saw the list he left Gotham for a week to cry because he wasn't even on it and thought Damian was somehow disowning him until Barbara dragged him back to Gotham and made them actually communicate (terrifying, I know.) (It turned out it was just as simple as Dick was that much of a dad to Damian that it genuinely didn't occur to him to lump him in with his siblings)

As of current, the list goes;

Duke

Stephanie

Cass

Jason

Tim

Jarro

The placement of Jason, Cass, Tim and Jarro changes based on what they've done for him that week, how often he's seen them, if they've upset Father or Richard, any failings vigilante-wise, and mainly the idea of 'If they saw this ranking, would I be embarrassed about it?'.

Duke and Steph are permanently in the top two spots, with their spots only swapping depending on how much Damian has seen and talked to them that day.

Patroled with Duke but Steph took him out for milkshakes and to annoy Bruce? Number one spot goes to her.

Duke takes him out for a ride on his motorcycle during his lunch period at school? Number one spot goes to him.

It's very notable that the list dictates his behavior to his siblings. Whoever's in the top spot? He'll let them carry him as if he's a fucked up cat with barely a complaint if they want to. They earned that. Five and below? He is actively pouring sand into their beds.

Steph is vaguely aware of the list but honestly thinks she's near the bottom or something. Tim is hyper-aware of it but doesn't know what the criteria are and keeps getting really competitive trying to get into the top 2 at least once, and he keeps failing miserably.

[pjsk-story-summaries]

Where Does This Path of Thorns Lead To? Event Story Summary

TL;DR: After watching Mafuyu begin to move forward, Mizuki resolves to finally tell the others their secret. Still, they're incredibly nervous to do so, and struggle to actually send a message to Ena.

The Kamikou Cultural Festival is soon approaching. After realizing Ena will be attending this year, Mizuki decides to tell her then. MEIKO and KAITO both notice hesitation and anxiety within them, though. KAITO wants to force them to do something, but MEIKO begins to argue with him. The two end up visiting Mizuki together- KAITO to say that Mizuki needs to make a choice, and MEIKO that she'll always be watching over them no matter what happens.

Mizuki runs into Rui after they finish setting up for the festival the next day. Rui can tell something is bothering them, so the two chat. Mizuki reveals that they want to tell the others, but they're scared things will change if they do. They don't want to lose what they currently have. Rui sympathizes with them, and though he can't do much to help, wishes for Mizuki's happiness. With the courage from MEIKO, KAITO, and Rui, Mizuki tells Ena she wants to talk about their secret after the festival.

Mafuyu and Kanade join Ena and Mizuki for the daytime festival. They visit many of the stalls, including the escape room Mizuki and Toya created. During the escape room, they try solving the final puzzle by thinking about where Mizuki would have hidden the key. Though they ultimately failed, Mizuki was impressed and touched. The spot they chose was where they had initially hidden the key- Toya made the last minute change.

Mafuyu and Kanade go home after the festival, so Ena and Mizuki go up to the rooftop. On the way, though, a classmate asks for Mizuki's help with something, so Ena decides to meet them up there. Two of Mizuki's bullies end up going up to the roof, too, recognizing Ena as Mizuki's friend. They ask her if she's "actually a boy", too. Their comments lead Ena to realize Mizuki's secret is that they are transgender. They turn to find a terrified Mizuki staring in horror. Mizuki runs away.

Ena chases after Mizuki. When she catches them, though, she's at a loss for words. Mizuki apologizes for not being able to say anything. They know Ena and the others would accept them, and that they'd try and make it so nothing would change, but they can't bring themself to accept that kindness. Mizuki apologizes again for not being able to say it and runs away. Ena cries out in self-frustration for not being able to say anything back.

Fan translation (Puroeng) / Song (Ghost Flower) 2DMV

Chapter 1: After Mafuyu was finally able to tell her father her true feelings, Mizuki resolves to move forward themself and finally tell their secret. With shaking hands, they go to message Ena, but flashbacks of others calling them "weird" and "doing it for attention" make them freeze. Mizuki knows the others won't reject them, but still can't send the message.

A few days later, Nightcord all meet in the SEKAI to discuss the current demo. They end up talking about the upcoming Kamikou Cultural Festival. Ena's class is going to do a squid grill (though she's unsure if she'll actually go or not), and Mizuki's class an escape room. KAITO and MEIKO notice something change in Mizuki when they realize Ena could be coming to the festival. Mizuki's scared Ena will hear rumors about them, but decides, no matter what, they'll tell Ena during the cultural festival.

Chapter 2: MEIKO realizes Mizuki might be about to share their secret and move forward. KAITO approaches and demands information on Mizuki. He wants Mizuki to be okay because Mizuku can help Mafuyu. MEIKO tells him about Mizuki wanting to stop running away, but refuses to tell what the secret may be. The two fight about whether or not to interfere, and KAITO storms off.

KAITO goes to talk to Mizuki, but is interrupted by MEIKO. KAITO ends up telling Mizuki to stop hesitating and make a choice for survival. MEIKO promises to keep watching over Mizuki, no matter what happens.

Chapter 3: It's the day before the cultural festival, and Mizuki still hasn't been able to send the message. They had been helping Toya create the puzzle challenge, so the two finished setting it all up. Mizuki is clearly nervous about telling Ena, but tries to hide it.

Rui ends up running into Mizuki in the hall. He sees through their facade and asks to talk. Mizuki reveals their decision to tell the others the truth, but they're scared. They know the others will accept them for who they are, but their relationship will still most likely change. They don't want the others to think any differently of them, even if it's well-intentioned. Rui sympathizes with their fear of change; though he can't help alleviate it, he wishes for their happiness.

Mizuki thinks of KAITO, MEIKO, and Rui's support. They get a message from Ena saying she'd decided to attend the festival tomorrow. Mizuki finally asks if they can talk, tomorrow after the festival.

Chapter 4: Mizuki greets Kanade and Mafuyu at the school gate. Ena runs over from her class's stall, having just finished up her shift. Ena hates the T-shirt she has to wear. Kanade tries to cheer her up, which flusters her. The group decides to wander around and see the stalls. Ena notices that Mizuki seems off, but resolves to wait.

An, Akito, and Nene's class put on a photo booth, and Rui and Tsukasa's put on a play about reaching the moon. They decide to visit Mizuki's class next.

Chapter 5: Mizuki is nervous about what might happen with whatever classmate is on reception, but it ends up just being Toya. Mizuki acts as the guide for the escape room, since they helped create the puzzle. Kanade, Mafuyu, and Ena breeze through most of the puzzle.

They only have a few minutes to find the key with the last clue, so rather than actually solve the riddle, they try and think of where Mizuki would hide the key. Rather than something simple like under a desk, they check something surprising, like the pile of stuffed animals. One has a zipper on its back. They use the remaining time to open the zipper, but it ends up being a decoy. Mizuki reveals the true key was hidden in a stuffed animal hanging on the ceiling. (Still, they're shocked. That was the original place they were going to hide it- Toya was the one to make the last minute change.) They're happy, to be known so well.

Chapter 6: After the festival, Kanade and Mafuyu head home. Before they leave, Mizuki asks to tell them something later. Mizuki then asks Ena if they can go up to the rooftop to talk (even though they're so anxious it makes them nauseous). Ena chats about music video ideas to help calm down Mizuki, something they greatly appreciate.

Suddenly, a classmate runs up to Mizuki, asking for help. Apparently, another student had gotten hurt, but they need help finding the school nurse. Ena offers to meet Mizuki on the roof when they're done.

Chapter 7: Two students end up walking up to the rooftop while Ena waits. They recognize her as Mizuki's friend and ask if she's "also a guy". Ena doesn't know what they mean. The guy apologizes, knowing Ena's "a normal girl". Ena presses, and the two realize Ena doesn't know "his" secret. Ena realizes that Mizuki is transgender. She turns to find Mizuki staring at her, terrified.

Chapter 8: Flashbacks of Mizuki's memories with Nightcord flash by the screen. They can't say anything and sprint away. Ena chases after them.

When Ena finally catches up, she's at a loss for words. Through shaking breaths, Mizuki apologizes for not being able to say anything sooner. They know Ena was just surprised, not hurt, but can't find it in themself to accept it. They know they'll try and make it so nothing will change, and they'll all accept them for who they are and keep making videos. They know it's from all their kindness, and they want to accept it so badly, but they can't help but hate it.

Ena tries to reassure Mizuki, but she still can't find the words. Mizuki turns their back to her, apologizes for not being able to face her, and runs away. Ena starts crying.

The chapter ends with a monologue from Mizuki. "You reap what you sow, huh? Running, and running, always running away. I had hoped that someone would just say it for me. Guess it turned out just as I hoped. Ah... I want to disappear."

After reading the final chapter of this event, Mizuki's menu lines and live2D model are changed to a hollow, lightless version of themself, similar to Mafuyu when not masking. They also will only appear in the Empty SEKAI for area conversations, if at all.

[sharpfamily]

Aesop On the Job

How will a former Auror and former professor Aesop Sharp fare, when faced with the responsibilty to take care of the house and his four chidren for the day after his wife is called away?

Pretty much just 5.5k words of family fluff and Aesop Sharp being a great dad. You can get more acquainted with the kids in their brief summary. Brought to you by @tea-withjamandbread and @aesopsharpmybeloved ❤

word count: 5.5k

tw: tooth-rotting fluff

Aesop didn't mind taking care of everything for the day. Of course he did not, his wife more than deserved this little day off. After all, she was handling the house and the children, and oftentimes assisted him in the shop as well. A renowned magizoologist reached out to her via Owl post, after Ellie Peck recommended her as the person to go to when it comes to graphorns. MC would be helping secure a little sanctuary for the beasts, so that they stayed away from muggles, and muggles stayed well away from them.

The younger woman was unsure whether she should leave Aesop and their children by themselves, but Aesop knew that she wanted to go, he saw it in her eyes. She always had an affinity for these beasts, for some reason Aesop did not understand. So, after some convincing and reassuring her that, while he could never compare to her level of efficiency, he was more than capable of handling the home responsibilities on his own for the day.

The shop stayed closed that morning, and the few orders he had he sent out the previous day using the post office owls.

Aesop kissed his wife goodbye as she slipped out before the children awoke. He of course gave her plenty of Wiggenweld, Skele-Gro, and some other healing concoctions, despite her protests she would be absolutely fine. Aesop wouldn’t take no for an answer, however, unable to keep himself from worrying. ‘Better to have them and not need them, than to need them and not have them’ he insisted to her, and she finally accepted. With one last wave, and a loud pop, she disapparated from their front garden. Aesop spent a minute or two looking at the spot she stood at a while ago, taking in the cool spring air. It had rained the previous day, and the scent of damp earth filled his nostrils, making him relax slightly. As always, it felt like time stood still in the small village of Willow Creek. Droplets of water were glistening upon the evergreen grass and leaves, the light wind made the trees around sing a soft song, and nobody seemed to be up and about yet. One of the neighbourhood cats walked around slowly, looking at him curiously for a moment, before deeming him entirely uninteresting and continuing its route.

It was quite earlier than Aesop usually got up, even when he did wake up to go to work. He considered catching a couple more minutes, maybe even an hour, of sleep, but ultimately decided to begin going about his day. He wanted to make his wife proud, after all.

The former professor made his way into the kitchen to begin preparing breakfast for himself and the children. He got himself a cup of tea first, his eyes skimming over the crisp pages of the Daily Prophet one of the newspapers’ owls brought in soon after he returned inside. He rolled his eyes several times at yet another attempt of David Spavin, son of the former minister Farris, to prove he was a better choice for the office than Venusia Crickerly, simply because his father was the longest working minister. Unbelievable. Venusia was a former Auror, and Aesop worked with her on multiple occasions. She was driven, hard-working, and completely dedicated to her job, while David Farris was the subject of several scandals throughout the years. Best keep that one as far away from the minister chair as possible, Aesop mused.

In a matter of a few minutes later, a pan was sitting upon the stove, and a couple of sunny side up eggs and slices of ham were sizzling away, filling the cosy kitchen with a mouth-watering smell. With a wave of Aesop’s wand, fresh vegetables floated off to the sink and washed themselves, before neatly arranging themselves upon a cutting board, just in time for a large knife to begin slicing them. Popps the Kneazle, lured in by the irresistible scent, began rubbing against his legs, and Aesop took mercy on the family pet and fed her two slices of the ham, before waving his wand to replenish the beast feed in her bowl in the hallway. Popps seemed quite happy with this kind of deal, and with a few more loops around his legs, she disappeared from the kitchen, presumably going to eat some more food, before going to curl up close to one of the fireplaces.

"Dad?" Came from the door, making Aesop turn. His oldest daughter was standing there in her long nightshirt and dressing gown, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes slowly. Aesop couldn’t hold back his smile. His daughter’s hair was sticking out in all directions, there was a bit of drool dried upon her cheek, and her dressing gown was inside out - something the eleven year old failed to notice. "Good morning, love. Have you slept well?" he asked softly, waiting for the girl to reach him, before kneeling momentarily to press a kiss upon her pink cheek and stroke her messy hair.

"I have, thank you," the girl replied. 

Aesop couldn't believe his little girl would be starting Hogwarts in just a few months. It felt like it was only yesterday he first held her in his arms, like no longer than 24 hours had passed since he first saw his wife nurse their beautiful newborn. He didn’t admit so to anyone, but he had no idea how he was going to fare with Magdala leaving to spend 70% of the following seven years at Hogwarts. He might have to take on more orders from the Hospital wing, just so he can catch a glimpse of his daughter outside summer and Christmas.

"Where's mum?" She asked curiously, oblivious to her father’s tiny emotional whirlwind. Aesop gave a chuckle, glad for the distraction: "Is it really so rare for me to be the one making breakfast? Quite the cad I am, I really ought to try to be better." "You cook dinner quite often. And help mum a lot," she said, shrugging her shoulders shortly before jumping up to sit on the counter, her small bare feet swinging slightly. "Watch for the knife, my sweet," Aesop warned, even though the knife was nowhere near the child.  

He pressed a slice of apple into her hand, and his daughter immediately took a bite of the juicy fruit. "Your mum went to help set up a Graphorn sanctuary," Aesop said, carefully flipping the ham and eggs over one by one.Not a second after he said it did Magdala's big brown eyes light up, and her mouth parted, revealing a small piece of the apple inside. 

Aesop’s automatic ‘Close your mouth and swallow your food’ was almost too quiet for even him to hear, but it seemed Magdala did, and she did as he asked, swallowing her bite before speaking:

"What?! Why didn't you tell me?" She squealed, wildly swinging her legs, looking like she was ready to immediately go and teach herself Apparition, just so she could join her mother on the adventure. Aesop knew that if she could, she most definitely would. Wouldn’t even change out of her sleeping clothes... "Because if we did, you wouldn't let her leave without you,” he said kindly, not wanting to upset his daughter, “While I trust your skill to handle beasts completely, I think a Graphorn, not to mention a full herd of them, may still be a little out of your size category, dear. But don't worry, mum took a camera. She'll bring you pictures." 

Maggie’s eyes dropped for a little bit, but it seemed she accepted Aesop's explanation, as a few seconds later, the mischievous spark returned into them: "I should hope so!” she grinned. “Can I help you with anything?"

"As a matter of fact, you can! Open your mouth, I need to know if I didn't put too much salt on them.” Aesop plopped a small piece of one of the eggs into her mouth, and murmured happily when she gestured at him that the eggs were alright. Content, he and Maggie plated the breakfast, making sure the meal was well balanced.

"So. What are we going to do today?" Magdala asked as she dutifully arranged vegetables on her siblings’ plates, making sure everyone had enough. Aesop meanwhile spelled the pan and utensils away into the sink to wash, and had the kettle fill up to make more tea. The one children drank was considerably weaker.  "What do you usually do on a day like this?" he asked. Maggie thought for a while. "Well, mum teaches us until noon. I'll show you where each of us is right now. We should be doing Maths today, and Theo and (FN) practise their writing and reading too."

"Then we do that,” Aesop agreed softly, “School things first, then I'll fix you with some lunch, and maybe we could all take a nice walk outside after that, get some fresh air." Maggie quickly spoke: "The twins need to take a nap after lunch, though. They get grumpy if they don't. That is, (FN) just starts to tear up easily, and Theo starts plotting mischief."

"I can see that it's vital I've got you here, partner. I'd be utterly lost without you,” Aesop grinned at his daughter and ruffled her hair again.

Aesop with Maggie's help made gentle work of waking the rest of the Sharp children. He stood in silent vigil as the bathroom filled with the sound of brushing teeth. Theodore would make frothy-mouthed faces at his father and siblings, and his twin sister seemed greatly amused by them. They got dressed on their own, and all their father needed to do was to fix a wrongly done button, every now and then when it came to the youngest members of the family. After breakfast (during which Theo only fussed about his vegetables a little bit), Aesop decided to give his children an hour of free time, so that they could prepare for their schooling. 

Magdala was ever so helpful in showing him what each of them did, and Aesop often checked with the books his wife left out for him. He had to admit, it was very lovely to be able to witness his children's little successes, and see the joy and pride in their eyes when he graded their assignments. Eleazar's fractions, while correct in solution, were slightly more complicated than necessary, but with Aesop's aid, they were able to find a way for the young lad to make the process a bit neater and easier. 

The twins were still getting used to handling writing with a quill, but Aesop was pleased their hands were only slightly ink-stained once they were done. (FN)'s script was neater and the young girl took her time making sure her letters turned out legible (though Aesop had to remind her to put her tongue back into her mouth), while Theodore had more of a scrawl every time he got distracted, but it wasn't anything too drastic in their father's opinion. 

"Shall I help you with lunch?" Maggie asked after they wrapped up for the day. "Thank you for the offer, my sweet. Don't you want to go outside and play with your siblings?" Aesop asked gently, after setting Theo down from the sink, his small hands once more clean. Maggie's cheeks flushed slightly and she looked at him from under her eyelashes. Aesop’s heart sang. He knew all of his children loved him immensely, like he loved them, but Maggie was a very obvious example of a ‘daddy’s girl’. He found he didn’t mind at all.

"You can help me peel the potatoes if you'd like,” he agreed finally, smiling when the girl’s eyes lit up. “Eleazar,” he called towards the middle child, who was currently neatly stacking his textbooks into the proper shelf. Aesop knew his son loved to have his things nicely organised, even his quills were sorted by size. “Will you keep an eye on your brother and sister?"

"Of course, dad."

And so Maggie once more found her spot on top of the kitchen counter, her little hands carefully peeling the potatoes using a small knife. Her mother and him took the time to teach their children how to handle sharp objects properly, as it was best that they knew how to keep themselves safe before being handed a dagger in their first potions lesson at Hogwarts and told to cut a mandrake up. Aesop kept an eye on his other children outside, the onion in his pot getting aromatic and making his belly rumble. It seemed all was fine, Eleazar entertained his siblings by what looked like some sort of modified game of land-Quidditch. Maggie seemed content to just be with her father, and Aesop wasn't able to stop himself from caressing her shoulder or hair whenever he walked around her. When his hands were clean, that is.

After their lunch of pork and mashed potatoes, Aesop brought his two youngest to their beds. Theodore visibly tried to stay awake, but the hearty meal made his eyes close on their own even before her sister fell asleep. And speaking of (FN), she insisted on holding her father's hand as slumber claimed her. 

With a final look, Aesop closed the door of their room and descended the stairs into the living room. His older children seemed intent on also resting after their food - Eleazar was curled up on the sofa with a potions magazine Aesop subscribed to, seeming very invested in whatever he was reading, while Maggie sat by the ever burning fire in the fireplace, drawing into the sketchbook Aesop got her after she showed her interest in drawing.

It warmed his heart to know his children took up something he too held dear. Maggie's drawings were getting better and better every day, and Aesop had no doubt there would come a day when she'll have reached his own level, or even surpassed it entirely. "What's it going to be?" He asked softly, not wanting to break her focus. "A mooncalf," she replied, showing her father. It indeed began to resemble the large-eyed creature. Aesop gave an admiring whistle. "I can't wait to see it when it's done. Listen, I'll be going downstairs to check up on some brews, and attend to a few orders that came by the mail today. Will you two be alright here?"

A pair of softly said 'Yes, dad's echoed through the space, and Aesop smiled. Before he left, he pressed a kiss into both children's hair. The house was well warded, and so he wasn't worried about missing any of his children leaving the property, or, Merlin forbid, anyone unexpectedly coming in. Besides, he trusted them. The twins were still quite small, and Theodore could be a handful if he wanted, but Aesop knew he was a good lad. A little wild occasionally, but he never misbehaved too terribly, and has always been clever and kind. It was actually (FN) who worried the potions master a little more. She was a shy one, and rather quiet. Nevertheless, her love for her family shone through her words and actions each day. And Theo doted on her and protected her fiercely. 

A memory made Aesop smile as he checked and adjusted the heat underneath his cauldrons. (FN), a few years younger than now, was feeling a bit under the weather after they returned from Hogsmsade one day, a combination of tiredness, hunger and general stress from being around so many strangers, and was still crying softly even after they got home. Theo ran into the garden and returned moments later, holding a single honking daffodil (pinched from Mrs Pruitt's garden no doubt). 

He presented his sister with the flower, and kissed her damp cheek. It was enough for her to stop crying, looking at her twin brother with big eyes. And then, in a moment forever written into Aesop's memory, the flower honked quietly, and his youngest child actually let out a small chuckle.

(FN) would be fine, Aesop decided finally. She not only had her parents, but also her extremely loyal and loving siblings to make sure of that. 

An hour or so later, Aesop ladled one of the finished potions into small bottles, making sure to stopper them tightly and place the proper labels upon them. 

It was surreal, knowing that at this time ten years ago, he’d be standing in front of a dozen or so of students, explaining what the use of Fatigue infusion was, and warning that anyone falling asleep in his class, be it from boredom or potion fume inhalation, will automatically receive a T. He did sometimes miss seeing some of his colleagues every day, not to mention some of the mischief the students caused was undeniably funny, but every single day he was thankful to have been able to resign his post, and leave behind a competent teacher, in favour of being able to see his family only a short while after he closed the shop at half past four in the afternoon, as opposed as having to spend extra time at the school hosting detentions or grading essays. Not to mention it felt great to be his own boss - therefore having a boss who was not an utter imbecile like Headmaster dear.

After making sure everything was well put away and taken care of in his little workshop, he washed his hands one last time and exited the cellar in order to check up on the children. The twins were still sound asleep, Theodore’s small snores reverberating off the walls. The former professor grinned at the sleeping children before quietly retreating to find the older ones. Another hour ticked by quietly and Aesop found himself discussing the potions in his magazine with Eleazar, while Magdala carried on drawing. The young lad was greatly amused by some of the interesting names inventors gave their original brews. 

When (FN) joined them in the living room, Aesop decided it was time for them to go outside for a bit. He made sure his children were well dressed, insisted on all of them wearing a hat (though Maggie complained about having her hair all matted later), and together they set off on a little walk around the village. He held (FN)'s hand, while Theodore ran laps around them, very curious to see everything, despite walking down this trail nearly every other day. Every once in a while, he'd appear holding a twig and playing with it as it was a wand, or, occasionally, a sword. He lost interest in it every time a nicer one appeared. El was being helpful and asked his father every time they came upon some flower or herb whether he should pick them up, and Maggie indulged her little brother every now and then, playing pretend duels with her and Theo's 'wands' and 'swords'. The weather was quite nice, and Aesop thirstily took in gulps of the fresh air. 

After they arrived back home, El decided to play a game of cards with Theo, while Aesop helped fix his girls' hair, and braided it for them too. He'd usually come home around this time. While the kids seemed content to entertain themselves and each other, Aesop did some chores around the house.

He cleaned Diana's perch, and was rewarded by an affectionate peck to his fingers by the dark owl, he dusted the surfaces with a flick of his wand, and made quick work of the laundry. He carefully folded and put away the twins' clothing, and put the older children’s clean garments into their rooms for them to fold and put away themselves. Maggie and Eleazar were expected to take care of their own rooms, and they've been doing a good job of it, El perhaps a bit more so than Maggie. Still, Aesop wouldn't consider his oldest daughter's room overly messy, more like properly lived in. There were a few papers there, some drawing supplies here, the occasional book she left open somewhere, nothing too drastic.

And when the sun outside set, Aesop decided it was high time for him to start making dinner. He decided on chicken with rice, light yet filling. He usually either helped his wife with dinner, or he took it off her hands entirely. He thought about her while he worked, hoping wherever she was was that she was alright and would be joining them soon.

As he cooked, listening to his children play and talk in the other rooms, he thanked his lucky stars. There was a time he thought he was going to die alone, a bitter old man with a lame leg, and all those years ago, he wouldn't have believed that he'd ever have what he had now. A beautiful, kind, and thoughtful wife, and four amazing, healthy and clever children. He thought of the fifth, of their firstborn. He often wished the little one had been given a chance. He'd have a happy home, filled with people who loved him. Clarence was loved still, of course, even though he wasn't physically there. Aesop wondered whether he's somewhere out there, with his own dad and Ashley. He hoped it was the case, and that all of them knew no pain, no fear, and felt the love he held for them.

The former professor cast a heating charm on the pot containing MC's portion of dinner. Aesop didn't know if she'd be hungry when she arrived, but better to be ready.

Once the family was done eating, and Magdala and Eleazar kindly offered to take care of the dishes, they took turns in the bathroom, and Aesop supervised the twins' bath time. This too was one of the activities he and MC split. He knew that the youngest children would soon begin bathing on their own, so he was happy to indulge them in whatever game either of them decided to play in the tub. A collective teeth scrub later, Aesop went to put the small ones to bed. The two older were allowed to stay up a little longer, and both of them chose to use this extra time for some more reading and drawing.

He once again held (FN)'s hand as she slowly fell asleep, and Theo was not at all fussy about going to bed now. His hair sprawled on the pillow like a dark halo, and he was soon snoring quietly. 

When he was done with the twins, he made his way into Eleazar's room to find the middle child already in his bed, waiting for him to tuck him in patiently. 

"Dad?" Eleazar asked quietly. 

"What is it, dear?" Aesop kneed by the bed so that his son didn’t have to crane his head to look up at him.

"Can I help you with the batch of Blood replenishing potion tomorrow?"

"How do you know I'll be brewing that tomorrow?"

"You said so to mum, the day before yesterday."

Aesop laughed softly. Ever since he let Eleazar first assist him down at the potion cellar, the young lad tried to get himself included in his brewing as often as he could. Aesop didn’t know why exactly were potions this fascinating to a boy his age, but he hardly complained. After all, it seemed Eleazar was born with all the natural potioneer instincts and talent Aesop himself only gained through hard work and countless hours of practice: "Nothing escapes you, does it? Hm... I think you could assist me with that one."

"Really? Thank you,” Eleazar said with a soft little smile. The lad definitely took after his mother more, all soft features and gentle eyes.

"Now sleep,” Aesop rose again, squeezing his son's shoulder lightly before giving it a little pat, “I can't have you nodding off into a boiling hot cauldron, can I?"

Eleazar giggled tiredly: "Goodnight, dad."

"Goodnight, my dear lad."

After kissing his forehead, Aesop left the room, leaving his son to rest. Maggie was last. She wasn't in her bed when Aesop knocked on the door and entered her room. Instead, the young witch was still sitting at her desk, drawing. Her father stood in the doorway, leaning against the frame for a minute or two watching how hard his daughter concentrated. However, it truly was getting late now, and MC would hardly be pleased if she found out he let the children spend half the night awake.

"Come on, Maggs. Bedtime."

"Daddy, let me stay up a bit longer?"

Aesop looked at his daughter curiously. It was clear from her voice that she’s been fighting off yawns, and her eyes were small and sleepy in the light of her desk lamp. 

"Come now, dear, you’re tired. Why don't you want to go to bed?" He asked, stepping further into the room and coming to stand behind Magdala, looking at the various drawings she’s done throughout the evening. There were unicorns and mooncalves, but he also recognised Popps the Kneazle in one, as well as something that could’ve been a graphorn, if graphorns were known to look positively cute.

"I want to wait for mum! I would like to see the pictures..."

"Darling, I don't know when your mum will be back,” Aesop said calmly, stroking at his daughter’s back, “she could come back after midnight, or even in the early hours of the morning, you can't be awake the whole night waiting for her."

"Please..."

Aesop sighed. HHe didn’t want her to spend the next day completely exhausted, but he also hated disappointing his children. But then again, the young girl now looked like she was minutes away from falling asleep right there at her desk, and so perhaps he could coax her to at least retire to her cot while ‘allowing’ her to remain awake. He had no doubt the issue would then resolve itself quickly.

“But only a little longer, and I want you in bed. I'll wait with you, how does that sound?"

Maggie luckily agreed to these terms, and began putting her drawings and her tools away. Aesop waited until she settled in her bed, and then sat at the foot of it.

"Do you think I could ever go see the graphorns?" Maggie asked, her arms folded loosely on her chest. "I'm sure you will one day.,” her father replied, taking a gentle hold of one of her hands atop the blankets after making sure they were snug around her, “When you're a little bigger. I know your mum treats them like cats, but you must understand that graphorns aren’t really cats. They are incredibly dangerous."

"So are hippogriffs,” the girl tried to argue back, even though her voice was getting more and more sleepy by the second.

"Yes,” he agreed, “but the hippogriffs you and your siblings come into contact with have known you all of your lives. Wild hippogriffs would not be this friendly, and I doubt the wild graphorns at the sanctuary will take to your mum as easily as those she already tamed."

"...Will she be alright?"

"Oh, of course she will. She'll be right as rain. And tomorrow, she'll show you all the pictures and tell you all about her adventures."

"Why not today?” she argued still, even as her eyes were now more often closed than open.

"As I said, I don't know when your mum comes home. And even if she walked through the door right now, you're entirely too tired to be looking at graphorns right now, my sweet."

"I'm not - “ the girl yawned loudly, “-m not tired."

"Of course you're not."

"Have you ever touched a graphorn?"

"Oh I did. Several times, actually. The ones your mother used to keep. I was not too keen on them in the beginning, but they did grow on me over the years."

"Which other beasts did she keep? Any that she doesn't keep now?"

And so Aesop talked about all of the beasts he encountered in his wife's vivariums, and later in that chest he helped her transfigure into the perfect place for animals. Maggie would occasionally ask a question, her voice quieter and quieter each time, until she stopped asking entirely. Still, Aesop sat with her, looking at his precious little girl. Her face was still that of a child, but her more grown up features began appearing in it as well, and Aesop had no doubt she'd grow up to be a real beauty one day, just like her mother was. He actually saw in her bits of his own mother, Maggie’s namesake, like the gentle slope of her nose, or the expressive eyebrows.

Before he realised his eyes were even closing, the former professor nodded off.

A gentle hand on his cheek woke him and he looked around in the dim room. His eyes caught those of his wife. "Hello, you," she chirped quietly, mindful not to wake their daughter. Aesop stifled a groan - his poor back. It bothered him whenever he fell asleep somewhere that wasn't his bed. MC's other hand held out a vial he'd never fail to recognise.

"You'll be pleased to know that your crate worth of Wiggenweld potions was entirely unneeded. That is, until I came here and saw you. Was this your plan all along?" she asked teasingly, her eyes sparkling even in the dark. Aesop quickly gulped down the potion and welcomed the near instant relief. He gave one more look to his sleeping child before letting his wife pull him to his feet and lead him out of the bedroom.

Once they were outside and the door was shut, he gathered the woman into his arms and captured her lips with his own. It was not a short ‘welcome back’ kiss either, the former professor would not allow his woman to leave his arms until he deemed her sensibly snogged and breathless.

"Hello," he finally greeted, his voice slightly hoarse from both his impromptu nap and the heated kiss they just shared., "when did you get home?" "Just now,” she replied, still holding onto him for dear life, “It's half past midnight. Sorry I took so long, but the beasts are now safe in their new home."

"I'm happy to hear it. Have you eaten? There's chicken with rice in the kitchen."

"I have, thank you. I'll save it for tomorrow. But I could definitely use a bath. One gets sweaty chasing graphorns around."

Aesop chuckled, dipping his head into the crook of her neck, a very special place he considered his home just as much as his house.

"Hm... You smell amazing though."

"And you're a liar, Aesop Sharp."

"I'm not. You smell delectable. I could eat you up."

She laughed softly at his words, keeping her volume sensibly low so as not to wake up half the house. The palms of her hands made contact with his chest in what was st likely supposed to be a teasing smack, but was way too gentle to be seen as much.

"Oh you... Come, let's have a quick bath before bed, she decided, leading her husband away by the hand from their eldest daughter’s room and towards their own bedroom, "How was your day?" "Definitely less thrilling than yours, but I enjoyed it very much” said Aesop honestly, sitting on their shared bed as his wife began pulling off her rather dirty clothes. “The children were lovely and very well behaved the entire day, did their school work without any fuss, (FN) writes very nicely, and Eleazar’s fractions are getting better and better with each exercise. And Maggie helped me cook lunch today."

"Would you look at that. You lot have been busy. I'm very glad to hear it."

"What about you?” Aesop asked, aiding his wife at removing the last bits of her clothing while beginning to work on his own garment. Their clothes immediately floated off to the hamper to be dealt with later. !I can see you’ve been rolling around a bit."

"I had to dodge quickly, some of the males were a little fussy. I've still got it though, only broke a little sweat,” the younger woman gave him a little grin, and Aesop felt himself fall in love with her all over again. It’s been over fifteen years since they shared their first kiss, their first embrace, since they first lay together, and yet a single look and a single smile made Aesop’s heart pick up pace and his knees go a little weaker.

"I'd never dare even mention the possibility of you not having it,” He said finally. Aesop knew she saw right past him, he was hyper aware that she was able to read him like an open book now. She knew all of his secrets, the entirety of his past, she knew where he was vulnerable the most.

He couldn’t wish for a person he’d trust more with this knowledge.

“So, about the bath…”

Hello, and thank you for reading! If you enjoyed this story, we'll be very thankful for any and all feedback, and you can also check this fic out over at AO3, where all of the other Sharp family fics are as well 🥰

[yankstrash]

what if meels missed an important event or game that she promised to be at and it starts a fight between them

she wanted to be at his game, she really did. however, she had an important exam monday morning and despite her studying for it all week, amelia was still unsure she understood the material. so as much as she didn't want to, she stayed home from the game vs boston university to study.

it was a very last minute decision. she fully intended on putting her studies aside for a few hours to go to gabes game, which she knew was extremely important because they were playing their rival, but when 4 o'clock came and her head was still buried in her books, she ultimately made the decision to stay home.

she hadn't seen her boyfriend yet today, intending to meetup with him at the arena right after the game. gabe was already at the arena for warm ups, so there wasn't much else she could do besides send him a text that she wasn't coming and hoped he'd see it before taking the ice so when he looked up in the stands and didn't see her, no panic would occur.

from: meels 💗

"hi baby, i'm really sorry but i need to stay back tonight and study :( i know you really wanted me at this game, i know it's important but i'm in a crunch. i'll be cheering you on from my desk with the game on my phone, kick ass!!!! i love you, see you later ❤️"

she waited for a reply, but never got one. that made her anxious because gabe was already nervous about the game seeing as it's so important, and she did not want to add to his anxiety by him not seeing her in the stands. unfortunately, there was nothing else she could do. she texted him, and whether or not he sees it before taking the ice is out of her control.

hours went by and suddenly it was 10 pm when amelia finally decided to call it a night on studying.

wait.

it was 10 pm.

shit.

she hadn't looked at the time since she put her phone down after texting gabe

gabe..

the game...

shit....

she completely forgot to even turn it on and watch it.

any of it.

she missed the entire game after blowing off going.

she quickly reached for her phone and opened her espn app to check the score.

boston college lost 5-1.

shittttttt.

gabe never responded to her text earlier. amelias heart sunk at the thought of this all. she was about to send him another text when there was a knock on her bedroom door.

she voiced a "come in" and in walked her boyfriend with messy, wet shower hair and a less than pleased look on his face.

she weakly smiled when she saw him and got up to give him a hug.

"hi baby." she said as she wrapped her arms around his torso.

even in his worst moments, gabe always gave her a tight hug back. however, she could barely feel his arms around her as he hugged her back, if you could even call it a hug.

she rested her chin on his chest and looked up at him. "tough game?" she asked, trying to keep light of the situation.

gabes face showed zero emotion as he said, "not at all. we only got our asses kicked by our rivals in the most important game so far this season and my girlfriend blew off coming barely 2 hours before puck drop after she promised me she'd be there. but no, it was a great game meels!"

amelia did not miss the sarcasm laced in his voice. but there was something else there too.

hurt.

amelia sighed as she kept her lips in a tight line.

"baby, i'm sorry. i am sorry, i really wanted to be there, i did and i was planning on going but-"

"but you just couldn't put anything else aside for a mere 3 hours to come support me in a big moment. i get it." gabe said as he released his arms from around her and sat down on her bed.

she knew he was upset, and he had every right to be, but the cheap shots he was taking were not gonna slide with amelia. he's acting like she didn't care one bit and-

"please tell me you at least watched the game here?" gabe interrupted her thoughts.

amelia went stiff at his question, and her reddening cheeks and lack of response was gabes answer.

he pursed his lips and nodded his head before shaking it.

"so you couldn't even watch it either? seriously amelia?"

oh he was upset.

the use of her full name was a dead give away.

"gabe, baby, i'm sorry, okay? i intended to go to the game and when i decided i couldn't i intended on watching it but-"

"you mean decided what your priorities were."

this comment made amelias blood boil.

yes, her priority was school. her priority will always be school. that's why she's here in the first place, isn't it? amelia has always done her very best at prioritizing school, the reason she is here, while also making time for gabe and being in a healthy, thriving relationship.

she has one slip up and suddenly he's eating away at her for it?

not fair.

"okay, i let you get away with quite a few jabs there but that one i'm not gonna let slide." amelia said as she went and stood right in front of gabe with her hands on her hips.

"yes, school is my priority, gabe, but that does not mean you aren't also one. unfortunately tonight i had to put one in front of the other and ultimately it had to be the one that you don't like and i apologize if that hurts you but it is what it is, honey."

the couple stared at each other for a few moments before someone spoke up.

"i can deal with my girlfriend missing a game and i can deal with her not being upfront about it to my face even though she knows how important it is, but i am very upset that you still made no effort to even turn it on while you were here and all i get is a lousy text 2 fucking hours beforehand saying you won't be there. that made me feel like shit, meels."

amelia threw her hands up as she said, "at least i told you! i could've blown you off completely. and as i was trying to say earlier before you cut me off, i had every intention to turn it on while i was studying but i got caught up and it just didn't happen and i'm sorry! but it's one game, gabe! one! you can't punish me for that when this is literally the first game of yours i have missed since we started dating!!"

gabe sighed heavily at her words, turning his head to not look at her before pinching the bride of his nose in frustration.

"i texted you early enough so you could at least see it before you took the ice. did you not see my text until after the game?" she asked in a calmer tone.

gabe chuckled slightly and crossed his arms over his chest as he said, "oh i saw it before the game."

that made amelias head spin with frustration.

"so you just decided not to answer and leave me here worrying that you'd panic right before your game about not seeing me in the stands?"

"i decided not to answer because i was pissed off." he says bluntly.

she was about to respond when gabe spoke up again. "and i know it was only one game and i know it's the first one you've ever missed, that's not why i'm upset. it was the game. if you had missed every other game this year and only came to this one i would've been less upset than i am now. but amelia you know how big of a game this was and how badly i wanted- no, how badly i needed you there! and you promised me you'd come! i'm trying so fucking hard not to sound like a selfish asshole right now because i know school is your priority, but fuck baby i really needed you there for me tonight and you weren't and the whole game was shit and the very last thing i was hoping for to make this whole thing not as bad was that you would've at least watched the game, but you didn't! the very least you could've done after breaking your promise and blowing me off! at least then i would've felt like you didn't completely not care."

at this point amelia was on the verge of tears at how upset her boyfriend was.

he wasn't mad.

he wasn't annoyed.

he was upset. really, really upset.

upset because he felt like he was completely placed on the back burner tonight despite voicing the importance of tonight and how badly he wanted his girlfriends support.

and he would've accepted the bare minimum, and she couldn't even deliver that.

would gabe have been this upset if the game had gone their way and they would have won? probably not, he probably would be going a little easier on her, but considering they got crushed by their rivals at home on top of everything else, she understood his meltdown.

amelia sighed as she put her head in her hands, trying so hard not to cry.

she didn't want gabe to think she was crying so he would crumble and comfort her at the sight of her tears, because if anything she should be the one comforting him right now.

she went and sat next to him on the bed. he let out a sigh as he looked over at her.

"i'm gonna get this out of the way and say i'm not gonna apologize for staying back to study. sorry, but i'm never going to apologize for putting school first. however, i do apologize for how upset i made you and i understand that you feel like i let you down and that i couldn't even give you the bare minimum for something i did promise to do and knew how important it was to you. you're right, i should've at least watched and i should've been more on top of that instead of getting distracted. and yes, i could've taken a break and driven the 10 minutes to the arena to tell you face to face because i know how important tonight was to you, but i didn't and i let you down and i am sorry."

for the first time since he got here, gabe tightly wrapped his arm around amelias shoulder and pulled her into him. she couldn't hold herself together anymore as she began to let tears slip out and fall onto his sweatshirt.

"i am never gonna be so selfish and sink as low as to ask you to prioritize me over school. i don't blame you for not apologizing for that, i would never expect you to. however, i do feel a bit let down that you didn't give me minimum effort for something so important and something that is my priority."

amelia nodded her head on gabes shoulder, understanding his point of view.

"i'm sorry i let you down and broke my promise. i never intended to do either of those things, but everything just got overwhelming and you ended up getting hurt by it and i'm so sorry, baby." amelia said, finally looking at gabe.

gabe pursed his lips as he said, "it's okay, princess. the game happened and now it's over and it's time to move past it. however, i am going to be selfish here and plead for your presence at the rest of our home games because genuinely, i need you there. i don't care how pathetic it sounds, i need your support with me meels. i am not my best without you."

amelia smiled and nodded her head, agreeing to that.

"i can make that work. and to make it up to you, i will be at the game when you play BU away. no matter what's going on, i will be there. i promise, and i'm not breaking it this time, or ever again."

amelia thought about that statement before revising it.

"well, if i have to break it i promise to put more than bare minimum effort in to make up for it."

gabe smiled at her, pulling her in closer to place a kiss on her head.

"works for me, baby."

[kenzirr]

Part two to this hotch imagine

Several days after Halloween, Aaron Hotchner found himself standing in front of the local coffee shop, holding a steaming cup of black coffee. It was a routine he followed religiously every morning, a moment of calm before diving into the chaos of the day. Today, however, his thoughts kept drifting back to that Halloween night.

As he stirred his coffee absentmindedly, he caught sight of a familiar figure approaching from across the street. It was Emily Prentiss, her stride purposeful as she crossed over to join him at the outdoor seating area.

"Morning, Hotch," Emily greeted cheerfully, sliding into the chair opposite him.

"Morning, Emily," Hotch replied, nodding in acknowledgment. He took a sip of his coffee, savoring the bitter warmth.

Emily arched an eyebrow, her gaze keen. "You seem distracted. Something on your mind?"

Hotch hesitated for a moment, debating whether to share his thoughts. Ultimately, he decided on honesty. "Do you remember that woman from Halloween night? The one with Jack?"

Emily's eyes widened slightly in recognition. "Oh, yeah, she was really nice."

Hotch nodded, surprised that Emily remembered her. "I can't stop thinking about her."

Emily smiled knowingly. "That's understandable. She made quite an impression."

Hotch sighed, feeling a mix of uncertainty and intrigue. "I wish I knew more about her. I don't even know her name."

"Well, you won't find out more standing here," Emily pointed out gently. "Maybe it wouldn't hurt to swing by that neighborhood again. You never know."

Hotch considered her words, the practicality of them resonating with him. Perhaps it was worth a try. He finished his coffee in silence, mulling over the idea.

Later that afternoon, after a particularly intense briefing at the BAU, Hotch found himself driving through the neighborhood where they had trick-or-treated. The autumn sun cast long shadows across the streets, and the air held a crisp chill that hinted at winter's approach.

He parked his car a few blocks away from where he remembered the house to be and decided to walk. The familiar sights of Halloween decorations had mostly been taken down, replaced by the subdued elegance of everyday suburban life.

Hotch approached the street where the house stood, his heart beating a little faster with each step. As he turned the corner, he spotted the familiar porch with its warm glow. There, on the steps, stood Y/N.

She was arranging a display of potted plants, her movements graceful and unhurried. Hotch paused, suddenly unsure of how to approach her. Before he could decide on a course of action, fate intervened.

"Hey, isn't that Jack's dad?" a voice called out.

Hotch turned to see Jack racing down the sidewalk, Derek Morgan jogging after him with a sheepish grin. "Jack insisted we come back to see if she was here," Derek explained, breathless.

Hotch chuckled softly, feeling a mix of gratitude and embarrassment. "Thanks, Derek."

Derek clapped him on the shoulder. "No problem, man. Now go talk to her before I have to do it for you."

With a nod of thanks, Hotch took a deep breath and approached Y/N, who looked up from her plants with a smile that lit up her face.

"Hi," Hotch began, feeling awkward but determined. "I hope I'm not intruding. I just... wanted to say hello."

Y/N's smile widened, and she straightened up, brushing dirt from her hands. "Not at all. It's nice to see you again."

Hotch felt a rush of relief. "Likewise. I'm Aaron, by the way."

"I'm Y/N," she replied, extending her hand. They shook hands, their gazes locking for a moment that felt both fleeting and meaningful.

They exchanged introductions and small talk, their conversation flowing surprisingly smoothly. Hotch learned that she was a nurse at a nearby hospital and had lived in the neighborhood for several years. She was warm and engaging, her presence calming in a way that was both familiar and comforting.

As they spoke, Jack joined them, his excitement palpable. "Hello ma’am!" he greeted enthusiastically.

Y/N laughed, crouching down to his level. "Hey, its the adorable superhero! Did you come back for more candy?"

Jack nodded eagerly, showing her the half-empty pumpkin bucket he had brought along. Y/N chuckled and rummaged through a bowl on the porch, replenishing his stash with a wink.

Hotch watched them interact, a sense of contentment settling over him. Maybe Halloween had brought him more than just a night of laughter and candy. Maybe it had brought him a chance at something unexpected.

As they said their goodbyes and walked away, Hotch glanced back at Y/N, feeling a smile tug at his lips.

[briarridgerp]

BENNY HELLSTROM (Bill Skarsgard) is looking for their YOUNGER SISTER.

CONNECTION NAME:

UTP — Last name is Hellström (their mother's maiden name)

CONNECTION:

Younger sister

AGE:

28 - 32 (Benny is 34)

FACECLAIM:

This is ultimately not that important because, at the end of the day, I want you to choose the fc that inspires you! But here are some things I noticed when choosing these fcs!

For some fun FC reasons, we can say that Benny takes after his mom. If you want an FC that resembles the dad (as well as their cousins, who are also in the roleplay), check out Frida Gustavsson (31)*, Lucy Boynton (30), Grace Van Patten (27) [ blonde hair, pointed features ] If you want an FC that is closer to Benny and their mom, check out Alycia Debnam-Carey (31), Sarah Pidgeon (29), Danielle Campbell (29) [ dark hair, green eyes ]

* Swedish

BACKGROUND

ABUSE, MURDER, DEATH, BLOOD, ILLNESS, DRUGS TW I recommend reading up on his full bio here, but here's the TLDR:

At 16 years old, Benny killed their father after their mother failed to drug him correctly during dinner. He woke up like a zombie and tried to get his hands on her, but Benny got in between them and blacked out. The next thing he knew, he was being pushed out of the house by his mother, who gave him money and told him to run away. He and his best friend, Gabriel Vargas, ran away from Suffolk, Virginia, to Chicago and remained there for 10 years. [You are free to decide where his younger sister was during this and what happened for the next ten years between her and their mother!]

Benny never contacted his family after running away, but after hearing that their mother was ill, he decided that it was time to finally reunite with them.[You can decide whether the sister managed to tell him or their mother!]

SIBLINGSHIP: Growing up, I imagined their relationship to be very close. Benny sacrificed his childhood to protect his little sister from their father and wanted her to have the childhood he could not have. He was protective and was right by their mother's side, raising her. I didn't mention or have any headcannons as to what their father's relationship was like with his only daughter, so you're free to decide that as well! Benny has always steered clear of his father as he learned not being in his way or interacting with him always gave the safest result, but he could've been different with her!

Some questions to get the noggin going! If you're unsure where to start, here are some questions that can prompt some brainstorming! Was she at home when the incident happened? How long has she been in the dark before knowing the truth? Perhaps she witnessed everything and is now in fear of her older brother... Does she hold grudges for Benny never reaching out? Did she refuse to call him after they found his number, and so the mother did it instead? Maybe she went into immediate caretaker mode after learning their mom was sick... maybe she's not the one who needs protecting anymore!

EXTRA

This connection will automatically come with three connections! Their cousins, Weston and Holly Parker, and Benny's best friend, Gabriel Vargas. (Gabe visited their home often since they were kids. He was around a lot!)

I'm up for brainstorming any and all possibilities as long as the important parts that involve Benny remain the same!

CONTACT

Please contact the SYD on this blog.

[myrandomfandomramblings]

Chenford week 2023 Day 3: Something’s Missing Day (July 13)

Incorrect dialogue (tumblr posts, tweets, etc.) or scenes you wish we’d seen

Missing moment or underrated moment

Amnesia, missing pet/person, missing object/ring, etc.

When I first watched the 5x02 ending I was shocked that they actually acknowledged what almost happened between them and I loved that! However,  I found the scene somewhat hard to follow as we didn’t really know where either of their heads were at and although Eric and Melissa absolutely nailed it with the emotion they can only communicate so much with facial expressions and tone of voice. So I decided to write a fic of that underrated moment and include what was missing for me: Lucy’s thought process.

---

Lucy’s internal monologue during the 5x02 ending - A Chenford fanfic

“Hey. What are you doing here?” Lucy says as she answers the door, surprised to find Tim on the other side. She hasn’t seen him much since the end of their UC op when they found Chris, bleeding out on Lucy’s couch. She hasn’t been purposely avoiding him. No. Just spending lots of time with Chris, helping him recover.

“Just checking in.” Tim replies casually, “How are you feeling?” He continues addressing Chris, seated behind Lucy in the living room.

“Okay. Lucy's taking great care of me.”

“I have no doubt,” Tim smiles, “Hey, can we talk?” he continues, addressing Lucy, timidly.

“Uh, yeah, sure.” She stutters stepping into the hallway for a little bit more privacy, unsure why he is here.

“So, I, uh... I hear you're on the fence about going to U.C. school.” Tim offers.

This is true Lucy has been struggling with deciding whether or not to attend UC school since she received the offer a few days ago. But she’s surprised Tim knows and is even more surprised he’s here to talk to her about it. 

“Chris called you?” She reasons.

“Yeah, which was unexpected,” Tim voices her thoughts, “Um, he wanted me to talk to you.”

She knows UC is a great opportunity and she is definitely still interested in a career in undercover work, even if her last UC op stirred up some uncomfortable feelings. It’s just she feels guilty leaving Chris while he’s still recovering, and she has enough things to feel guilty about regarding this relationship. 

She keeps it short when she replies: “It's not the right time.”

“He's gonna be fine.” Tim reassures her, once again seemingly reading her mind. “You owe it to yourself to go.”

“I know, but…” Lucy stutters, once again blaming herself for Chris getting hurt and nearly dying. After all, Rosalind had targeted him specifically to hurt Lucy. 

“What happened to him isn't your fault,” Tim interrupts her thoughts, trying to provide reassurance. 

But it doesn’t work. Because what Lucy really feels guilty about is not that because of her, he became a target of a serial killer, but because he hadn’t even crossed her mind when she heard about Rosalind’s escape. She had worried about Tamara and insisted she be kept safe but didn’t so much as think about Chris until she found him bleeding out on her couch. Didn’t so much as think about him when she kissed another guy, twice, and ultimately invited him back to her apartment for a night cap. A night cap that was only interrupted because Chris was already at the apartment, on the edge of death. And that’s really what she feels guilty about. 

But should she? Did she really do anything wrong? She’s been asking herself that a lot lately. Running through it again and again in her mind. The kisses had been for work, for an undercover operation which took a lot of bad people and dangerous goods off the streets. They hadn’t been real, hadn’t mean’t anything. She’s told herself that a million times and every time it’s answered by Tim’s voice inside her head: “call me crazy but it just doesn’t feel like pretend.” She’s still sticking with her basic biology theory and blaming that along with high levels of adrenaline for her highly questionable decision of inviting Tim in that night. She still doesn’t know what she thought would happen or what she wanted to happen had they not found Chris. She tries to tell herself nothing. Maybe a friendly drink. And she’s finally told herself that enough times that she’s started to actually believe it. Nothing happened. It was an innocent act and she has nothing to feel guilty about. Right? Okay maybe she doesn’t fully believe that, but maybe she should. Then she realizes the answer is standing right in front of her. 

“We were about to…” Lucy starts, fully expecting Tim to jump in and rationalize their actions. Lift this burden from her mind. She can already hear Tim chuckling casually as he teases her, “We were about to what?- have a drink together. Oh no someone better call HR.” Or she can see him rolling his eyes getting ready to correct her like he used to as her TO. “We were about to what?- sleep together. We wouldn’t have let that happen. The stress and excitement of the day may have gone to our heads a little, that’s it, it happens, it’s not a big deal.” But in either scenario she pictures Tim as the world usually sees him: calm, steady, and slightly amused by her antics. His default. What she doesn’t expect is what comes next.

“But we didn’t.” he jumps in almost immediately, voice laced with emotions, Lucy can’t quite identify, but they give the sentence a feeling of heaviness. “We didn’t.” He repeats as if trying to convince himself of something. 

That’s when it hits her. She didn’t just potentially hurt Chris when she invited Tim in that night, she also hurt Tim. Made him feel uncomfortable, confused, used, disappointed in her? She wasn’t sure, but the thought that she has damaged the relationship between them, the most important relationship in her life, nearly breaks her.

“Uh, are you trying to get rid of me as your go-fer?” She asks, suddenly terrified.

“No,” Tim forces a small smile as his voice swells with more unidentifiable emotions, “No, I'm trying to look out for you.” And his eyes are shining like he’s holding back tears and it’s hard for Lucy to bear. “It’s time for you to move on.” 

Lucy just nods, struggling with all the emotions swirling around in her mind. Move on from what? From patrol, from Sergeant’s aide, from him?

“And some time away would be good.” She asks, begging him to explain, to understand, to address whatever this tension is that’s suddenly built between them.

But he doesn’t, “It's a great opportunity, Lucy,” he says and all she can do is murmur as she tries to hold back tears of her own. “You should go for it,” he finishes quickly then turns and walks away.

And then she’s alone, standing in the hallway, feeling like her heart has shattered. She would have preferred he yelled at her. She’s used to angry Tim. They’re good at arguing. But she doesn’t know what to do with a Tim that’s seemingly radiating pain caused by her. She fears anything she might try will only make it worse. So she decides to give him the last thing she wants to: space. And as she stands there, trying to pull herself together, she vows to never do anything that could jeopardize her relationship with Tim, ever again.

[3rddimension]

Here's a long boy all about the twitch stream angry moment, yes she is really upset at him and he instantly felt bad and got quite. But "yelling at him for two minutes straight" makes it sound more intense but yeah tensions were high for a bit. It's the 07/14/2021 stream (smosh showoff, confessions and meme review) specifically 12 mins from the end so at around 1h44min, I def recommend watching the full clip, Dept of Weird Sounds on YouTube didn't include it in the part 30 compilation but I think it should've been there since they were def dating by that point and it shows that they ultimately know how to deescalate things pretty quickly, stop pushing when the other is hurt and how theyre soft w each other after bickering, otherwise this could've been really bad because they were both hurt lol been wanting to talk about this one for a while but got the feeling that people haven't seen it since no one brings it up lol

They're playing Confessions and she comes up with a confessions and they have to guess whether it's true or false. C's decides her confession is "i regret not realizing my value when I was younger / having low self esteem in the past" and S jokingly goes "oh, fuck off!" and the room busts out in laughter but you can see the rest of cast is unsure whether to laugh or not because C wasn't laughing, so yeah she's scary and they don't wanna upset her aw. She didn't make it a big deal though and only asked him "do you regret that response?" when she saw he was laughing quietly in the back because he realized she wasn't amused.

The tension arises though when they're all unsure what to answer and S goes "I'm gonna be mad if you're gonna say that you don't regret your past becasue that was your journey and stuff" because he feels like that's a copout answer. And she doesn't like his response and almost threateningly (lol) goes "how would you feel about that?" he jokingly replies "I'm gonna be mad" which she ofc sees as condescending, technically she can feel however she wants to about her past and just because its a cliche answer doesn't make it untrue.

She reveals her answer and it's exactly as he predicted, so they lose. She doesn't regret how she felt in the past because it got her here, she yells "fuck you, I regret nothing bitch!" to everyone in the room (S knows her frustration is mainly directed at him and you can see him get flustered and red) then she specifically turns to S and says "and fuck you shayne! I am allowed to believe that" because it hurt her feelings that they were making fun of her potential answer before she said it esp s (her actual bf). But the rest of the "yelling" was really her talking to the room about why she answered that way and laughing about it w Damien, also crew and cast are laughing throughout so it doesn't feel as intense but those two were fighting for sure for a sec there. She was upset so she ignored him for a min as they cooled down and he was upset that she called him out like that in front of everyone and the stream, but very soon after you can see her looking at s through the stream monitor up top (since he was sitting at the top of the set behind her) and when she sees he has a pout on his face, she immediately feels bad, turns and says to him: "are you mad?", also because probably people in the chat were pointing out S is mad/embarassed. Anyway i love how as soon as she extended an olive branch to make peace he immediately is okay and laughingly explains why he thought she would answer differently and she understands that he wasn't trying to make fun of her and all is resolved, they go back to making each other laugh and be adorable for the rest of this very fun stream. Made me realize that's probably how they are, they get quiet when upset even after blowing up and then slowly reach out to apologize and they don't seem to hold the grudge for the rest of the stream, in fact they go out of their way to make each other laugh almost as a hidden "I'm sorry, I hated what just happened" in a way and that's so soft of them

HOLY SMOKE this is the most describe one out of all. lmao Here's also another one that anon sent in:

Omg the Confessions stream, tensions were high for a bit, but I love how after the bickering and before they made up, when C wins the game S is still the first to clap for her ever though he's livid and pouty. And you can see her briefly glance behind to see if he's clapping to check how upset he is lol And then for the rest of the last 10 mins of stream it's just them geving each other attention and making one another laugh

Just finished watching that part and I think it's not that bad like what another anon said at all. There's some tension behind it but they masking it like a lot.

[steambot-shenanigans]

Steam Powered Giraffe Mechanisms crossover bulletfic

I had an idea for a Steam Powered Giraffe au where Commander Cosmo and the Steam Powered Giraffe heroes formed a crew of space adventurers to track down traces of the necrostar and thwart the tragedies it leaves behind. (Those tragedies of course would be the events of the Mechanisms albums)

But this idea got too big and I don’t know if I ever would have been able to write it. I enjoy thinking about this au, but I would not be able to do it justice with my current writing skill. So as a compromise with myself, here is the plot it would have had in bullet points.

WOW This got WAY LONGER than I thought it would so prepare yourself for that going in.

Beginning/setup

Commander Cosmo’s celebration of defeating the Astronaut is short lived when he realizes that the body of the Astronaut has been possessed by the Necrostar, creating the Necronaut

He decides to assemble a team of heroes (“all of them”) to follow the readings he picked up and try to defeat the necronaut. He feels it is his responsibility as he thinks it was his fault the necronaut exists

While he does this, though, he needs to keep Cosmica close by so he can teach her how to not kill everyone and also supervise her, which she resents a bit, but ultimately understands the purpose of

Cosmo, along with the crew of the SS Alexander go to earth. Cosmo meets with SPG and they tell him about all the heroes they know of, starting with Delilah Morreo who is still alive due to being a wraith

They know that in order to not mess with the timeline, they must take the older heroes out of their timelines after or right before they die. That presents the problem of keeping them alive

Delilah and Cosmo come up with devices to technologically augment the heroes with blue matter and a touch of green.

Delilah learned about some of this engineering technique from a fellow scientist she met a while back who she had to end her research fellowship with once she learned the scientist was a vampire

They rescue Captain Albert Alexander shortly after he sank to the bottom of the sea, using a stealth submarine and brought him back to life with mechanical lungs to replace the ones damaged by water intake

They rescue Rex Marksley in his own home as a disease that left him blind was about to kill him, and give him a new pair of mechanical eyes that can aim even better than his natural eyes. He opts to wear dark goggles over his eyes as he adjusts, and he can see just fine out of them. He didn’t want to be saved, but he was not going to turn down his world in a time of need

They rescue Lilly “Airheart” on the mountainside, leaving only Jimmy’s goggles behind. Lilly already had an engine for a heart, being half plane, and so all Cosmo and Delilah had to do was add a blue matter core to it. Lilly wished she could take Jimmy’s goggles with her as she learns to pilot a spaceship.

Without information on how Roller Skate King, Salgexicon, and Leopold Expiditus died, they cannot take them out of the timeline, and the Suspender man wasn’t much of a hero, so those four got left back on earth

Cosmo entrusts the safety of present day earth with Olly and the Equinox Band (they were already doing it anyway, because technically this timeline’s Cosmo is still in the star)

The rescued heroes freak out about being in space and in the future but eventually get used to it enough to do what they were brought to do

Once Upon a Time in Space

They track traces of the Necronaut to an old, dangerous sector of space in the far future, as well as traces of a matter type similar to red matter, but it’s frequency is slightly higher

They discover that King Cole is using a new thing called Orange Matter to keep himself alive and create Rose Red clones fueled by the war he eternally wages. It is unsure whether the war fuels the orange matter, or if the orange matter just makes everyone want to go to war

The Necronaut’s meddling would set this up to be a tragedy, so Cosmo’s team intervened

Because most of them cannot die, when the defense grid is brought down around New Constantinople, it is the crew of the SS Alexander that go into the caverns below the palace and confront King Cole.

Captain Albert Alexander fought off the Three Little Pigs with the help of Rav, and at the same time

Rex Marksley brought down King Cole with a single shot right through the heart.

Commander Cosmo breaks through the life pod containing Rose

Together they personally escort Rose back to Cinders, and meet Snow on the way

They collect the red matter and store it in a lead lined container for later study, but investigation reveals there used to be more.

Tales speak of a mysterious figure that talked to King Cole and showed him how to use a natural resource of New Constantinople to extend his life. Some people say the figure is the devil

Ulysses Dies at Dawn

Acheron run on purple matter, which symbolizes desire

There used to be some in the vault, and the radiation still remains, pulling in certain suits and olympians, making them sure they want what’s inside

The radiation itself manifested a seed’s simple desire to grow into a tree

Our heroes seek an audience with Hades who is very interested in their story and does not seem to be who they say they are

Though Hades won’t help, they did learn a bit about their plan and go to the vault before the suits

Gidget takes the trial of wits

Captain Albert Alexander took the trial of strenght

Cosmica passed the trial of song

Lily took the trial of love and came right back to life after the contraption killed her

They see it’s just a tree, and close the vault again

They tell the suits that it’s just a tree

Life in the City goes on

“Is that all? Is the tragedy averted?”

“This whole place is a living tragedy”

They confiscate the purple matter and help negotiate positive social change (it helps when you have two glowy people that could destroy the planet in an instant)

High Noon Over Camelot

Needless to say, both Rex and Rav are excited about the next destination

Though the latter is disappointed that the solution to this particular tragedy is not blowing up the sun before the station can fall into it

Scans of the station reveal broken communication systems as well as where the command center was and a life sign indicating someone in stasis, as well as a bunch of other life signs

Scans also reveal a Matter type that by process of elimination can be assumed to be yellow

To not startle the inhabitants, the human looking people (Lilly, Delilah, Captain, and Rex) go into the main station to talk to the people about finding a solution (Lilly and Delilah have to wear cloaks but at least they’re not green)

Rav, and cosmo go below to look for the person in stasis, leaving Cosmica alone with Booplax and Gidget as a test of her ability to not destroy things when left to her own devices

Cosmo destroys the gun turrets guarding the captain’s cabin and they find and talk to Captain David Robert Matthea, who tells them about the GRAIL and the problems with the station

Rex, Captain, Delilah, and Lilly meet Merlin, hear his prophecies (he is very confused that they are here. He did not Foresee that), and Lilly talks to the ghouls while Rex and Captain talk to the townsfolk

They reconvene and Delilah and Lilly talk about how Ghouls have their own culture and how they raised a human as their own

Rex and Captain talk about the townsfolk’s prejudice and the problems of living on the station

They try to educate each side about the other, and get noticed by Mordred and they work together to try for peace with the ghouls, but Gawain and the pendragons aren’t convinced

Delilah investigates the Siege seat and determines it’s purpose

About this time, Rav and Cosmo come back up through the saloon entrance, shocking a lot of people.

The commotion draws the rest of the team and Cosmo imputs the key and explains to the pendragon gang about what’s going on

They are inclined to believe a glowy person that just popped out of the floor, but that doesn’t mean they think he should declare himself captain

The pendragons eventually agree that Arthur should be captain and they get the station out of the decaying orbit around the sun

In celebration, Mordred reveals that he is Arthur’s son, and explains the whole being trans thing

Using the grail, they fix some of the problems with the station, and as people have less problems, they become more open to diplomacy

Having a son that’s living proof that Ghouls are not all bad also does not hurt

On the way out, Merlin asks for a ride in their spaceship, the crew is surprised he knows what a spaceship is until he reveals that he’s not from the station, nor is he actually named Merlin

Leaving the station they look for where the yellow matter radiation readings were coming from and find it was inside the sun.

As the sun radiated the station with heat, the yellow matter inside radiated the station with fear, turning beings who were exposed to long into things that elicited fear, and causing the townsfolk with less but still significant radiation to fear each other and fear those who were different

Cosmica and Cosmo enter the star together to take the yellow matter out and carefully contain it

The crew help Merlin Brian find his ship using readings from his own self regenerating technology which seems to run on green and blue matter as well

The crew get to know Brian a bit and they swap stories

Meeting with the Mechanisms

The SS Alexander is given permission to dock on the Aurora once Brian’s transmission goes through

Brian introduces them to each other

“So you’re the ones who have been ruining our perfectly good tragedies!”

Conflict, arguing

There’s plenty of tragedy in space, find something else is the general consensus, as well as, a story doesn’t have to be completely true for it to matter and be a good story

They did have one more story they were looking into though and when Cosmo hears about it, he knows it will be their final stand

The Bifrost Incident

The heroes go to Yggdrasil

The mechanisms don’t get involved because it could still go tragically

Cosmo and the Necronaut meet in a dream where the Necronaut brags about his final plan and ends up revealing that his plan involves Odin

The crew head to Asguard and try to convince Odin to not launch the train but she cannot be convinced, the Necrostar has been whispering to her, though she knows it by a different name.

The Necronaut was made of green matter.

It took blue matter energy from the conflict it orchestrated between SPG and the Space Gaint, as well as the Sky Sharks.

It got Red Matter from Commander Cosmo’s core when it tried to kill him

It got orange matter from New Constantinople, far in the future when it obtained some of the substance in return for teaching the king how to use the rest to live forever, though it did not tell him the affect it would have on his mind

It got purple matter from the City, buried amongst the roots of a tree, and once again showed an ambitious young man how to use it to get what he most desired

It got yellow matter from a burning orb of fear, and on the way out, pulled a space station just close enough that it would start to fall into the sun, gradually.

Now it had a whole rainbow, creation and destruction, fear and desire, passion and death, and it looked a bit different

And Odin intended to launch a train right into it

Nothing about the train or the ritual was what it wanted. What it really cared about was the people on the train, and the tragedy they could cause

One final tragedy, if done right, combined with the power of a rainbow of matter, would make the Necronaut unstoppable

Odin launches the train

The crew manage to get on the train but they don’t know how to stop it.

Relying on old faithful, they begin looking for signs of the beginnings of a tragedy.

It is difficult because they all look strange now, but they split up to do their best

Cosmica and Cosmo exit the train and are inside the swirling rainbow of the necronaut’s new form. They want to try talking to him

The rest of the crew talk to as many people as possible and poke around with Gidget hacking into things and they find Loki

A person with an orange streak in their hair and no memories sounds like it could lead to tragedies

Delilah tries to use an alchemical compound with blue matter to restore her memories but it is temporary, and what she says doesn’t make sense

See Thor outside of Loki’s cabin, Thor goes in, gets mad and asks them about it, they tell him what they learned

Thor goes to confront Odin, the others follow

The crew take out the guards to protect Thor but try to convince him to not kill Loki

They listen to him about Balder and explain about how the train is Very Bad and Loki was right for trying to stop it

Thor asks for proof and Rav just points out the window where cosmo and Cosmica are fighting a physical manifestation of the necronaut

Cosmica pulls a “he’s still in there” and tries to bring back the Astronaut by singing a bit of Soliton

For a moment, it seems like it worked, and the monstrous necrostar form turns into the Astronaut

Cosmica holds his face in her hands and tells him she missed him

The Astronaut smiles for a moment before his face falls

“You let me die.”

Cosmica pulls back, letting go of his hands but he grabs her and pulls her in with a look of rage on his face

“You let me DIE!” His sonic voice sends shockwaves that knock cosmo back a few feet and shake the train

Back on the train, Thor believes the crew but doesn’t know how to stop this from going badly, neither does anyone else

Out of ideas, they go back to Loki and find Sygn

They talk about the train stuff and Sygn comes with them to investigate the engine room and brings Loki

They see Kvasir and the altar but before they can panic, Gidget or Delilah warns that pulling him out would cause him to bleed out

They investigate the controls and try to gather first aid supplies

No one can make heads or tails of what the controls do so they decide to take Kvasir out

Surely messing with the system is the opposite of what the necronaut wants!

Things go wrong. They try to patch up kvasir but he’s loosing too much blood, thrashing, and he dies

The gears warp and the train goes weird

Squamous things appear on the train, caused by the rainbow Matter of the Necronaut seeping in either on purpose or on accident and everything is a blue of color and fear and destruction and desire and death and creation and passion

Back outside of the train, the astronaut shakes with rage as Cosmica tries to explain herself

He won’t listen, and ends up monologuing about how Cosmica betrayed him and the necrostar showed him how powerful he could be if he joined it, how he could get revenge on her and Cosmo for ruining his cosmic love, but how this final tragedy will once and for all achieve his goal, he and the necrostar will become one for good and he will always be the speed of light

The Crew on the train rush to save as many people as possible, leaving only Lilly behind with Loki and Sygn in the engine room. Now that the chaos of the train is unleashed, the energy of all the matter types in the train restores Loki’s memory

Thor continues through the train to confront Odin and Rav goes with him to help even the odds

In the engine, Loki and Sigyn realize that if the train doesn’t have blood, it will arrive in Midguard and could take the evil it’s passed through with it, and they go to unhitch the engine but just then, Cosmica is thrown into the engine car from above by the Necronaut, ripping the ceiling open a bit

Cosmica sees what Loki and Sigyn were about to do and warns them against it

“You shouldn’t have to sacrifice the person you love, not if there’s another way. And there’s always another way”

The Astronaut is surprised to hear this, it seems to get through to him, if even a little, though the Necrostar in him tries to fight it

Seeing an opening, Cosmica gives a good apology for letting him die and appeals to his humanity

He has another “what have I done” moment and lets Cosmica and Cosmo separate him from the Necrostar fragment which they contain

Without the Necrostar fragment keeping him alive, he finally perishes for good and Cosmica kisses him as he takes his final breaths. “I won’t leave you this time”

Epilogue

The bifrost/necrostar collapses without the core fragment to keep it together

Thor and Rav defeat Odin with the power of the explosives that Rav always seems to have on him, but it shatters the windows of the observation deck and they are holding on for dear life

Cosmo and Cosmica bring the train back to ground

They go back to earth to share the good news and figure out what to do with a handful of immortal people

[vanilla-blessing]

Record of Lodoss War - Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth -: Legacies

Record of Lodoss War - Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth - is an action role-playing game developed by Team Ladybug and released in 2021. Based on the Record of Lodoss War franchise and written by series creator Ryo Mizuno, Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth is a prequel to 2019’s Diadem of the Covenant, the first new Record of Lodoss War novel released in over a decade. The game tells the story of Deedlit, a high elf who finds herself lost in a mysterious labyrinth, forced to relive her past adventures as she tries to uncover the truth behind her predicament. Despite its place in the greater arc of the Record of Lodoss War franchise, many reviews dismissed its plot, describing it as an inessential part of the game due to its brevity and self-referential nature. However, Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth explicitly calls back to earlier Record of Lodoss War stories in order to speak to the nature of legacy. Ryo Mizuno uses Deedlit’s nostalgic journey in order to tell a personal narrative about how stories and people affect others, and how they carry that influence with them throughout the rest of their lives. It also allows Mizuno to reflect on how Record of Lodoss War has influenced the landscape of Japanese fantasy media through its characters and tropes for over three decades. Although its writing is sparse, Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth has something beautiful to say within its narrative about the nature of life and remembrance, and to ignore the story does a disservice to the work as a whole.

“So it was just me who didn’t want to know. The end of the tale of Parn, Knight of Lodoss…”

As the story begins, Deedlit wakes up trapped inside a strange labyrinth, with no memory of how she arrived. As she begins to explore the new environment, she catches a glimpse of Parn, one of her old adventuring partners and her one true love. Deedlit chases after him, carefully navigating through twisting and dangerous areas within the winding maze but seemingly unable to catch up to him. During her journey, Deedlit encounters the rest of her old adventuring party, along with many of their former enemies. Though initially shocked to find herself facing off against familiar foes, Deedlit decides not to question the situation, instead appreciating the opportunity to once again relive her previous journeys alongside her friends.

However, as the story escalates and Deedlit closes in on the heart of the labyrinth, she recovers a repressed memory and begins to piece together the true nature of her imprisonment. As a high elf, her connection to the spirit world grants her immortality, but it comes at a cost as her friends begin to slowly pass away around her. After Parn, her last remaining companion, dies, Deedlit is overcome with loneliness and grief. In that moment, she wishes that she could forget the pain of losing Parn and travel with him one last time. Deedlit realizes now that the world before her is a projection of her memories, and that her wish has trapped her in the past to stop her from remembering the truth. She finally catches up to Parn at the center of the maze, who tells her they can now be together forever in her world. Deedlit is forced to decide whether she will surrender her soul and continue to live inside her memories alongside Parn and the rest of her friends, or if she will return to the real world and face the future on her own. Ultimately, she comes to the understanding that death is not the end for her companions, and she must let go of the past in order to move forward. Although her friends may no longer be with her in body, they continue to live on in spirit through her memories, and she will carry them forever in her heart. With this new resolve, Deedlit kills the projection of Parn and makes peace with his death, freeing herself from the labyrinth and her grief.

Deedlit reawakens back in her home, unsure if her journey has simply been a dream or something more tangible. As she steps out of her house, she is greeted by Leaf, another elf and friend from her village. Many years have passed since Deedlit entered isolation following Parn’s death, and she has come to check in on her. As Deedlit begins to recount her experiences in the labyrinth, she is cut short by Leaf, who believes she is simply retelling the stories of her original adventures. Leaf notes that no one has forgotten the tale of Parn and Deedlit, or the effect that they had on the world. Thinking further on their legacy, she then suggests Deedlit make a song about her journeys, so that people can pass it on through the generations and keep their story alive forever. Deedlit thinks this is a good idea, and Leaf runs off to fetch ink and parchment. Alone once again, Deedlit considers what Leaf said, and wonders if she was the only one afraid to see Parn’s story come to a close. With this in mind, she prepares to start the next chapter in her life, bidding a final farewell to Parn with the promise to sing his song.

“People do not live in the past. Knowing this, she can walk forward.”

Death in media is so often portrayed as a tragedy, but Ryo Mizuno is able to find a positive sentiment in it through Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth. By setting the game 100 years after the original Record of Lodoss War novels, Mizuno creates a version of Lodoss steeped in legacy, and one that Deedlit must learn to make peace with. Her journey through the Wonder Labyrinth is a projection of her memories, where she must tackle the fear of being alone. But by navigating through the complex emotions surrounding death, Deedlit comes to realize that her friends’ lives do not truly end when they pass away, and continue to live on within her. While it is sad to lose her companions, their passing does not change how much they have touched her life. The world around her has changed as well thanks to their adventures, and the result of their efforts can be seen throughout Lodoss in the longstanding peace the island has enjoyed. This new understanding of her friends’ legacies inspires Deedlit to find new ways to share her memories with the world and show how much her companions have given her. The same is true of everyone; the moments that people share with those they meet throughout life, both big and small, can have an effect on how they see the world. Everyone carries within themselves pieces of those who have had an impact on their lives, and that will not change even as those people pass away. They create their own personal legacies that are continued on through those close to them, who then inspire others to repeat this process. Deedlit’s tale is tied up in complicated feelings about grief and loss, and delivers an ultimately hopeful message about life and how people honor the memories of those they hold dear.

Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth’s story is not just a personal narrative, but also a way for Ryo Mizuno to reflect upon Record of Lodoss War’s legacy as a piece of media. Much how Parn and Deedlit’s adventures shaped the world of Lodoss, Record of Lodoss War has defined the high fantasy genre in Japan. While the franchise originated as a collection of Dungeons & Dragons campaign transcripts in a computer magazine, its popularity inspired Mizuno to turn the party’s adventures into a collection of light novels. Record of Lodoss War was one of the earliest pieces of Japanese pop culture to take such heavy inspiration from Western high fantasy like Lord of the Rings, and quickly became the template for the genre at large. Popular fantasy series that followed Record of Lodoss War, such as Fire Emblem and Slayers, would take inspiration from its general character and setting designs. But many of the franchise’s individual characters had a specific impact on the genre as well. In a 2018 interview with Japanese website DenFamiNicoGamer, Yutaka Izubuchi, illustrator for many of the original Record of Lodoss War novels, and Shigenori Soejima, character designer and art director for the Persona series, sat down to discuss the art of the fantasy genre. Soejima notes that many people of his generation, when asked about fantasy races like elves or dwarves, immediately think of the Record of Lodoss War cast as a reference. In particular, Izubuchi’s use of exaggeratedly elongated ears has been a constant reference for elven characters throughout Japanese media, and specific details of Deedlit’s appearance such as her green armor and blonde hair have informed numerous elf designs across anime and manga history. Record of Lodoss War is a franchise that has shaped Japanese high fantasy for over 30 years, and while it may no longer be the specific point of reference for modern authors, the series’ impact on the genre is apparent. Much like how Deedlit learns to look back fondly on the time she spent adventuring with her friends and the ways the world has changed since, Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth reads like a nostalgic reflection on the history of the Record of Lodoss War franchise, an opportunity for one more journey with the original cast before beginning a new story in Lodoss.

Center: Deedlit from Record of Lodoss War Left side, from top to bottom: Arshes Nei from Bastard!!, Puck from Berserk, Mare Bello Fiore from Overlord Right side, from top to bottom: Maricelle from Delicious in Dungeon, Leafa from Sword Art Online, Lapis from Detatoko Princess

“The tale of Parn, knight of Lodoss, and the Lady Deedlit… Nobody has forgotten that.”

Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth feels like Ryo Mizuno’s way of communicating why he felt inspired to write a new Record of Lodoss War novel. The narrative speaks to the lasting influence of its franchise, and explores this by placing Deedlit far into the future, where her adventures with Parn are now history. She struggles to accept Parn’s death and the changing world around her, but comes to understand the magnitude of his impact on both herself and the rest of the world. Parn’s unwavering resolve in the face of adversity provides him a second life, inspiring others to follow in his footsteps and share his goodness with those close to them. This sentiment goes beyond the narrative and speaks to the way in which people communicate with each other. The choices people make when engaging with others will last far longer than they will, and it is important to leave behind something positive for others to remember and carry with them. Mizuno also uses his story to examine the continued relevance of his work, and how it fits into a larger canon of media history. As Deedlit sees the effects her adventures have had on the world at large, so too does Mizuno reflect on the impression his stories have left on other franchises over 30 years. Record of Lodoss War started humbly as a feature column in a computer magazine, but its characters and worldbuilding continue to define Japanese fantasy tropes to this day. Each level of Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth’s narrative speaks to the way in which legacies manifest, and culminates in a very human story that stands on its own.

“This tale shall continue to be spun…”

-ChorpSaway

[traumasurvivorshelpingsurvivors]

Tw domestic violence

All of this sounds like a racist cliche, I try to be as vague as possible, to not strengthen this feeling, but it still does and I am sorry.

I don't want too much help from you, I rather need to get this off my chest.

I live with my mom in a house with several apartments and a new tenant moved into the apartment above ours. We don't know very much about him, he's in his 40s, has a great career and either he or his ancestors are from abroad. Some weeks after he moved in, he went back into his/his ancestors home country for 2 weeks, married and came back with his wife. She's in her early 20s. She doesn't speak our language (though she's learning it atm) and only very little English. Because of that, we (as, the house community who does meet for picnics etc) don't know her and don't see her very much. My mom talked to her a few times (she adores my moms dog) and said, she's a very nice woman (and my mom is racist, especially against that womans home country, so that means something).

For an uncommon long period of time, we heard noises we thought were "moving in" noises (though I doubt it in hindsight). But one day, we heard her screaming too. Our walls are very thick and it isn't always clear what is loud talking/arguing, and what's yelling. But she yelled, for several minutes, and she yelled "help" in my native language. Accompanied by the kind of noise you'd expect, given my tw and the context.

I asked my mom, what to do (since she's abusive towards me and I am not allowed to do anything without her ok) and she was undecided, until the noise stopped. I have heard that woman several times since (including this evening and yesterday) but again, I can't tell if she's arguing or yelling. It has never been nearly as bad as that one afternoon. But I don't feel good about it.

My issue is, that I have severe social anxiety and don't leave the house. Simply going upstairs and talking to her, introducing myself, is absolutely impossible.

And I feel bad about this whole situation. I feel like I should do something (given the language barrier, idk if she could even seek for help, if she decided to) but I don't know, what to do, that's not limited by my mom or my mental health. And on the other hand, I am unsure if I should do anything. Nobody asked me for and maybe she doesn't even want help. Is it my business before someone asks for my help?

Anyhow, I feel guilty for not helping.

Hi anon,

I'm so sorry about what you've been experiencing. That sounds incredibly distressing to witness.

If you hear someone yelling for help or in distress, you could consider calling the police or another emergency service if you feel comfortable doing so. They can investigate and ensure that the woman is safe. If you don't feel comfortable contacting the police, you could consider reaching out to a local organization or support group that works with victims of abuse. They may have more information and resources to assist you and the woman in question.

If you're not sure whether the woman is in danger, you could still try to reach out and offer your support. Perhaps you could write a note or leave a small gift on her doorstep, expressing your concern and offering help if needed. This may be less intimidating than speaking to her face-to-face, but this could result in backlash towards the victim if the abuser discovers the note or gift.

Remember that you are not responsible for someone else's problems, and it's important to prioritize your own safety and well-being. If you're feeling overwhelmed or unsure, it may be helpful to talk to a therapist or a trusted friend or family member. They can provide additional support and guidance.

Ultimately, please remember that you are not to blame for not knowing what to do. It's natural to feel guilty, but it's important to recognize that you're doing the best you can with the resources and information you have available.

If anyone has any comments or suggestions, feel free to add on. Otherwise, I hope I could help. Please let us know if you need anything.

-Bun

[justmanic03]

Sort of an author's diary entry, I guess??

I'm perilously close to reaching the end of my Pokemon: Amethyst AU fanfic (if you can call it that). I'm not entirely sure how many more chapters there will be, namely I'm unsure as to whether or not the number will exceed 40, because I'm currently working on the buildup to the climax; the final showdown with Flossi, and even after then it won't be over - there are a few more loose ends to tie up.

I'm not the type of person who usually just starts a clean slate of writing and thinks "let's see what comes to mind", I very much prefer to have the entire story and the direction of the plot all laid out in my head, and also built on to a significant extent in my head before I put pen to paper (or in this case, fingers to keyboard!) meaning, before I even wrote and published Chapter One, I already knew exactly how the ending was going to go.

Of course, not everything has gone the way I expected, but for the most part, everything has gone according to plan. However there have been some things that even I, myself, as the creator, did not foresee.

For instance, the biggest thing is that as I was scribbling down for Chapter One, and I added in Lisa and Mackenzie on a whim, they were only ever intended to be minor characters that turned up every now and then. For the main rival arc, I was going to work exclusively with Danny (and attempt to create a middle ground personality for him between the full on snarky asshole rivals in earlier games (Blue) and the new generations' "friendlier" rivals (Trace/Hop/Nemona). Lisa and Mackenzie weren't supposed to be reoccurring characters, but... they just kind of created themselves... and took on a life of their own! So, whoopee, I actually gave you three main rivals after all!

In terms of snotty rivals who always ridicule you, I originally had Flossi and Kossi lined up to take on those roles, but then I ultimately decided on putting Flossi as the main villain instead (spoiler alert) but she still retains that same obnoxious, narcissistic, elitist attitude that the earlier game rivals possess.

While we're on the subject of rivalry, the main reason I wanted to take a fifty-fifty approach with Danny (meaning he's half an asshole, half an adorable idiot) is that I wanted to work with a story arc involving toxic friendships. That one friend (or group of friends if you're ever unlucky enough to get in with a bad crowd like I was back in the day) who constantly berates you for your appearance, your jokes, everything you do and just makes you feel like shit but you have to laugh it off because it's just "banter" or "a joke" when in reality they're deliberately picking at your deepest insecurities? Yeah. Been there, done that, got the t-shirt for it. That's the sort of thing I was going with when it comes to Danny, obviously to a much less extreme degree than is typical in real life situations (for what it's worth, because the plot line of Amethyst is already pretty dark compared with your typical PC family-friendly game!)

On the whole, I've really enjoyed writing it, some parts more than others and I'm definitely going to have a lot of fun with the ending. It's already all mapped out in my head!

[abbyheilman]

The blonde wanted to scream at him a thousand times over about the differences. He knew what he was losing and he decided that it wasn't worth keeping in the end. He felt it was better all around that he would hurt her and push her away because of his own fear that something would happen to her. Ultimately, he had the club, his mother and sister. He'd gained an entire family while she had done nothing but lose throughout the years. Her family, her financial comfort, and everything else that mattered to her. Their loss could not be compared when he hadn't lost anything but willingly given it up and thrown it away. His choice had been made so his regret didn't hold much weight to her and part of her wondered if they counted for much given the number of years they'd been apart. If he was struggling so much, perhaps he would have made an effort to check in on her but that hadn't been the case. Throughout most of the years, she stared at his back while he ran. Not from missing her or wanting to care for her, but from his own decision.

His promises were exactly what she wanted but they were just words at the moment. Nothing but hopeful actions that she was left unsure about whether he would follow through with them or not. She watched him carefully and nodded her head. "I'll give you as much as you give me." And she had full intent on doing just that, without knowing that such words would likely be thrown out of the window mere seconds later when the confession completely unravelled her life. It was one thing to make a mistake and live with that regret but a whole other one to fabricate a lie with the intent on causing hurt. "It's not only one lie when you keep lying to me throughout the years. Even since the strip club, you kept up with it and made me believe all this shit. Had I never asked these questions, would you have even brought it up?" She couldn't trust anything now that she realized the many time she'd brought up his cheating and he'd done or said nothing to clear the record. It would have been easy for him to tell her the truth a few weeks after the break up as it would have ensured the same level of hatred. Though, if she were honest, she knew even back then that she would have forgiven such a big lie due to being completely blinded by love.

"Thinking and doing are two different things and you never tried to set it right. You knew where to find me." She worked at the hospital all the time and he could have easily told her anytime he wanted. "There isn't coming back from that. You're absolutely right. You cared more about yourself then you did me and I should have fucking known that was always the case." She said with a bitter laugh as she put her purse over her shoulder. "You didn't want to live with me being hurt so you decided to just push me out anyway, and I may as well have been dead to you." There had been many things in her life that happened and she was sure that none of which he was privy to since he went ahead and played the avoidance game, ensuring that he didn't have to see her and the consequences of the decision he'd made. Would he have even noticed if she moved away? Didn't return home for a few weeks? Her own tears had begun to fall and even as she looked at him, she hated the pull she felt towards him. A need to go there and ensure that he was okay but she stopped herself because those feelings would need to die. She had to care for herself as she had in the past. A hand reached for the doorknob, turning to look at him as he reached for his keys. They slid to her feet and she let her eyes wander on them and then back at him. "Keep them, Nash. Those are your prides and joy, right? After all, it's what you were so eager to pick over me. Your bikes, your lifestyle, the club that you call family. All of it was so important that you had to throw it all away." She turned the door knob, catching sight of the 'N' that was on her wrist. Abby hated the sight of it. "I hope it was worth it, that would life is all you wanted it to be, and I hope it keeps you warm at night." She wiped at her cheeks, stepping out of his apartment and slamming the door shut behind her.

"I know." Everything he had missed he was reminded of. Even before their most recent run ins. He couldn't escape her in any way. After all these years that passed, you would think it got easier. Time didn't heal wounds it only grew because the more time that passed, was more of the pain and things he had missed out on. He could distract himself with other things, with friends and family but when one willingly lets go of someone even if your motives were for prevention - you can't be content with something so tragic. With someone who was his whole world. It had revolved around her for so long it didn't make sense that she wasn't in it. He was the sole person behind it and the pain was something that just resonated within him and would last through a lifetime. Time is free, but it's priceless. Nash knew he wouldn't get it back ever but he had to try to make up for it. Or at least prove he would be willing to go to great lengths just for a minute of her time if he could still have a placement there. "That's where you're wrong. I know I pushed you away but I lost a part of myself as soon as I lost you. Not that it matters but it's the truth." Nash wasn't trying to justify what he did. He was just only trying to give her some knowledge no matter how much painful it was. He deserved to be ridiculed in every amount possible.

"All I can say is if you do make that choice I will show you every day how much I tend to right my wrongs, if you will allow it. If you allow for it I will never try to make any decisions for you. I will be upfront about everything. I know we will never return to normal, I poisoned that for you. I just want to be a part of your life even as little as an acquaintance. Someone you smile politely at passing." Effort only fully releases its reward after a person refuses to quit. He wasn't going to let her go unless she made that choice and he would have to respect it. Nash knew he wasn't past the point in begging but he didn't allow her that chance all that long ago. And he figured he most likely didn't deserve to be compensated with the prospect that he never allowed her from the start. But he had to try or that would be another regret he would suffer with and he couldn't go through that again even if it ended in failure. The truth - it will set you free, it wasn't what it was all cracked up to be. It cracked into her more he already knew before a reaction was gauged. A painful truth is better than a pleasant lie. She needed to get the answers, that is what she wanted so he only had one choice here. "My only and biggest one." Nash professed. It had strung on for all these years. That was the worst part he knew, it was no news to him. Her questions were all hypothetical. She was reminding him of what he caused her, how he broke her beyond repair. "I know, I did it on purpose and that eats me up every day. I don't want forgiveness." Nash didn't want to justify anything but he was only trying to give her his side of things. To get all the painful truths out there in the open. No more being fearful of what the consequences of this betrayal would bestow.

"Do you want to know if thought about coming to you sooner then just now? Absolutely. And hearing you say those things breaks me even more. I destroyed someone who would have done anything for me. But I didn't want to put you at risk. I'm a coward i didn't have any right to make that decision but I did. I am owning up to all the things I did wrong. I figured then if something were to have happened to you, I wouldn't be able to live with myself. So I made the selfish choice to cut ties and tell you the cruelest thing I could manage. I knew there was no back from that." Nash watched as she scrambled to get away. "You were always enough, it turns out that I was just the tragedy in your story. And I'm shattered that I ever made you question any of those things." He distanced himself from her, their conversation was filled with intense emotion but he wasn't yelling. Accepting what you cannot change makes the difference. Instead, he slid slowly down the opposite wall just watching her. "You have your answers. You can use it as the closure you need. I'm sorry. I forever will be sorry. The tables have turned now, like you said you can survive without me. I'm not quite sure I can do this again though." Nash was at the point that he was completely sobbing. There were tears falling and he wasn't trying to get a grip of it. This was him not being like a brick wall. His emotions were raw, unfiltered, and uncontrolled. He wasn't ashamed to weep because he was grieving. He was going to lose her a second time around. But at least, she had the control now. "You want your revenge take it, I deserve all the pain you can throw at me for payback." From the wall he was slouched against, his keys were hung above his head on a rack. Nash reached up and grabbed two sets. One was for his truck and the other was the Harley he built from scratch. The latter was his pride and joy. He slid them across the hardwood floor to where she currently was gathering her things. "Fuck them up. I know apologies are useless but maybe this will soothe your anger." He already started the fire, the least he could do was to give her a container of gasoline to set it ablaze. At least all hypothetically. But if she wanted to set them on fire then that was her choice too.

[cypressnmarigolds]

Here for another blurb if it's okay with you 👉🏼 👈🏼

Much like how your creep vincent headcanons have invaded my brain, pillow princess Vincent has been on my mind too. So excuse me while I throw you this.

3 words,

Service.

Dom.

Reader.

Maybe after opening up to Vincent and deeper into your relationship with him, both of you decide to do the big next step and figure out both your likes and dislikes 👀

But even though our boy might like to be pampered, he is extremely demanding and likes to have things go his way, having full control of the situation at all times. Picture this, both of you sitting on his bed, tension in the air, unsure who makes the first move, shy stares exchanged. Vincent thinks you're still really cute when flustered, he might as well help you ease down, right?

Him grabbing your wrist and making your hand touch him. He starts with sliding your hand from his neck, down to chest, stomach and down, down till he gets where he wants you touch him the most after all this time.

He constantly keeps an eye on you to see if you're doing okay, not feeling super uncomfortable about how forward he is and giving you enough space to pull your wrist away. The bastard is grinning at how focused you are on your hands, as if scared you might be doing something uncomfortable to him. How naive reader.

You can feel how hard and warm he is and it makes your heart hammer against your chest like crazy, pupils blown wide. Vincent guiding you gently on what HE likes first, making you fingers curl, grope, trace everywhere wants to have touched and you being so obedient during it (for now at least)

idk 🤷🏻‍♀️

(I think this is the horniest thing I've ever shared with someone so directly, I am ashamed 🙈)

@sending-love-letters 🫀💌

hehehehehehe I like this idea a lot , PLEASE don't be ashamed!

(full disclosure: I looked up a bit about service doms beforehand to make sure I was getting the right idea, and I found a beautiful tidbit some someone describing being a service dom as 'My submissive is like a piano, she tells me what keys to press to get a reaction, but I, as the Service Top, ultimately decide on the melody I want to play' and that is wonderful stuff right there)

I love the idea of Vincent being a slightly bratty, bossy sub and a pillow princess bottom. Of course he cares about you and making sure you're satisfied, but if we're still talking creepy golden child Vinny, he's gonna be a bit of a selfish brat to start off with, if for no other reason than to fluster you and get his thrills from being in charge. Buuuut, at the risk of getting angsty, he also wants someone to make him feel good when he's had to put up with abuse from Bo.

Anyhow, he will make sure you know, under no uncertain terms, exactly what he likes and exactly how he likes it. Little does he know he's about to create a ✨monster✨

Once you've got him figured out, he's done for. You may be at his service, but he still wants you to dom him, right? Vinny must get what he asked for!

Sweet dirty talk. One comment about how pretty his hands look clutching the sheets and he's red faced. Another about how cutely his stomach twitches when you touch his cock? Swooning. How sweet his nipples look? Dead.

Deepthroating. Greedy bastard he is, he will ask this of you, and will probably help you train your throat if you can't take him all. But when you whip this out of your bag of tricks, he's cumming in under three minutes. Eyes rolled back and one hand fisting either his hair or yours, the other in the grip of his teeth to keep from crying out.

Overstimulation. This is when when you know you've got him. He's just come, and he's twitching, shaking and whimpering, and you can see his eye glisten with tears, and he looks at you like he's begging you not to stop and he just keep going. Whether you're fucking, riding or blowing him, he takes over and starts moving his hips erratically until he finally cums again. With a wicked grin, you coo at him and call him a good boy and begin aftercare, knowing he's spent for the night. Upon hearing the nickname, his eye pops open and he knows he fucked up. (in the best way!~)

Whoops, got a little carried away. I hope I did your idea some justice!😅 I really like this idea! Seems to really fit Vincent. Thank you so much for the ask @sending-love-letters!

[becauseicantthinkwritings]

A Fire of Devotion

Billy Russo x female reader

A love letter to all the people who enjoy my work ❤

Warnings: mentions of violence and attempted sexual assault, a little bit of murder, smut (18+), mild degradation (just a little?)

Summary: Billy would do anything for you. He'd hurt anyone who dared to disrespect his wife.

Work today was nothing short of hell. Things were just not going to plan, and no one was taking responsibility for messing up. You had gotten a couple texts from Billy throughout the day, but ultimately, you were unable to reply because of your strenuous workload.

You’re typing at your desk when there’s a knock at your door.

“Yes?” you call out.

“Delivery for Mrs. Russo?” someone calls out.

“Uh, yes, come in.”

It’s a delivery man, with the most gorgeous bouquet of flowers in his arms.

“You’re kidding.” You murmur, a smile creeping onto your face.

Butterflies erupt in your stomach when you glance at the bouquet. Your receptionist follows behind the delivery man.

“Wow! These are for you?” Candice asks, no doubt ready to spread the word to the entire office. You catch a couple of women glancing into your office to catch a peek at the flowers.

“I guess so,” you say taking the clipboard and signing for the delivery before smiling and sending him on his way. “What’s all the fuss about?”

“Those are Juliet roses, they go for around five thousand a stem, and you have eight of them in there.” She squints “Are those diamonds?!”

Your eyes roam over the bouquet, sure enough, there are small gems at the centre of each rose, you can’t say for sure whether they are diamonds or not, but knowing Billy, you can make an educated guess.

“I’m gonna kill him.” You decide.

“Your husband sent this?”

She’s really annoying you now, no doubt with all the chatter she’s going to cause later.

You reach for the small envelope nestled between the roses. You slip the envelope open and pull out the card. It’s in his handwriting.

‘Please respond to my texts. -Billy’

“Can you push my next appointment back for a couple of minutes? I have to make a call.”

She murmurs an affirmative but doesn’t leave the room. You pick up your phone and you look at her.

“Anything else?” You ask.

“Oh! No…sorry!” she says backing out your office, the door closing with a resounding click.

Billy answers on the first ring. You can hear the smile in his voice, prompting yours in return.

“Mrs. Russo, to what do I owe this pleasure?”

When will the fluttering in your stomach go away?

“There are cheaper ways to get my attention.” You tease.

“Oh I’m sure there are,” his voice drops an octave, “but you know I like to spoil what’s mine.”

“You’re dumb.” You say affectionately.

“And?” he asks.

“And I wouldn’t want anyone else. Expensive flowers or not.”

He laughs, and you feel your chest fill with warmth.

“I have one more meeting and I’m done for the day. Will I see you later?”

You receive an email from Candice telling you that your next client is here. When you see the name, you give a loud sigh.

“What is it?”

“Sorry,” You say, feeling bad for cutting him off, “It’s just… my next appointment is, well, an ex.”

Billy hums, “Want me to call in an emergency?” which is what he sometimes does to get you out of work. Used only in extreme circumstances… like when he needs you to help him let off some steam and can’t wait.

You giggle, “Nah, I’ll be fine.” You say, unsure. “I’ll see you tonight?”

“It’s a date.” He says, the smile returning to his voice.

“I love you, byee.” You sing.

He says the same to you and with a click- he’s gone.

And you walk to open the door to greet the man who slept with your best friend… ex- best friend. Whatever.

You greet Liam with a smile, show him no unsavoury faces or expressions. You welcome him into your office and he sits in front of your desk.

When he spots the bouquet of roses, he gives a sharp whistle.

“You still sending yourself flowers? Or is someone trying to compensate for something?” He jokes.

You clench your jaw hard and smile at him.

“Why don’t we get right down to business.” You say.

You wish you could say that the unprofessional comments ended there, but that would be a lie.

When he spots the ring on your finger, he jokes about how you ‘managed to trap a man into marrying you.’ He keeps bringing up old stories about your relationship, trying to belittle you at any opportunity he can. Through all of this, you keep your calm demeanor. This is your place of work and you do your best to treat it as such.

Eventually, when you have a working draft, you tell him you’ll need time to come up with a functional plan and that you’ll send him the proposal as soon as you can.

You walk around your desk and extend your hand to shake. He takes your hand in his, but he doesn’t let go, moving himself closer instead.

“You know we had some good times back in college. We probably still can right now.”

You try to tug your wrist free.

“I’m not interested Liam. I’m married.”

He pulls you in closer, his breath hits your face. You keep trying to tug your hand free but his grip is too tight, almost bruising.

“Let go.” You say firmly.

He grabs the back of your head and moves his head in closer to yours.

“Stop!” you say loudly.

The door swings open.

Liam lets you go and you stumble back, holding on to the desk for support. Your breathing is shaky as you glance up at the door.

Billy is there. Shoulders squared aggressively. His face is a stony mask.

“Hey man,” Liam says, “You kind of interrupted a moment here.”

Billy glances at you, making sure you’re physically okay before looking at your ex.

“Your business with my wife is over. Get the fuck out. Now.”

“Wife? Look, she came on to me. Telling me how much she missed me and shit.” He smiles, “She’s definitely not a loyal girl if you know what I mean. Probably with you for the money.” He says, pointing at the roses.

Billy has already decided that this man isn’t living for another day when he smiles and steps to the side to let this walking piece of shit pass.

“I’m not asking again.”

Liam sighs, “Whatever man.” He says and leaves.

Billy closes the door behind him and walks up to you.

You take him into a hug almost immediately. You’re shaking so bad in his arms that his chest aches with worry and uncontrollable rage. No one touches his wife like that and lives.

He smoothes his hand over your hair.

“You’re okay” he soothes.

“Yeah I am.” You say, looking up at him, “Was two seconds away from kneeing him in the balls when you walked in.

He laughs, “I would have paid to see that.” He reaches for the beautiful flowers and places them in your arms. He gathers your things into your bag and wraps an arm around your waist.

“Come on, let’s go.”

He guides you out your office and you notice the number of eyes fixed on Billy. Both men and women alike slow down to eye him as he passes. You’re honestly glad that he’s taking the attention away from you. Anyone who looks at you too closely would notice your disheveled appearance.

 He takes you home and draws you a bath. He slips in behind you and you stay there together, relaxing in each other’s embrace. You tell him about the shit day you’d been having long before that fucker walked in. You even tell him about the relationship you had with Liam during college and the events that transpired that had you throwing his items out of your apartment at eight in the morning. He kisses your shoulders and holds you close, telling you that you’re safe and loved.

When the water gets cold, he carries you to your bedroom and helps you slip into one of your silk chemises. He holds you against his body as you fall asleep to the sound of his heart beating for you. Your legs are tangled together and his hands are warm against your skin. Billy manages to help you find peace in your chaos.

 A muffled crash rouses you from sleep, followed by a muttered curse. You glance at the clock, it's one in the morning and Billy’s not in bed. You slip out from under the blankets, shivering when your skin hits the frigid air for the first time. You make your way toward the sounds of fumbling followed by curses, to find your husband standing in your kitchen tugging at his shoes in the dark.

“Billy?” you call out as you flick on the lights.

Billy freezes and turns to you.

You gasp. He’s dressed in his tactical gear from head to toe. There are splashes of blood on his face, and darkened spots on his clothes that can only be more blood. His knuckles are bruised and bloody.

“Help?” he asks gently.

“What happened?” you ask, voice panicked as you reach him.

You help him out of his gear, pulling the retractable knife on his wrist over his bloody knuckles and helping him out of his shirt.

“Where did you go?” You try again.

He moves to clean his hands in the kitchen sink. The sound of water is the only thing you hear before he speaks.

“No one touches my wife.” Is all he says.

“You went after Liam? Is he- Did you-?”

Billy glances at you.

“He won’t bother you again. He won’t be bothering anyone again.”

“You didn’t have to-“ the words die in your throat.

"Yes. I did."

You grab a napkin and dampen it, holding his face in your hand and you wipe at the crimson droplets scattered on him.

"I don't want you getting into trouble for me." You plead.

"You're the only thing worth getting in trouble for." His hands move to grip at your hips, sliding the silky material up your body.

"But I won't be getting into any trouble, no one will notice him missing by the time they find him."

You swallow as he pins you against the kitchen counter and starts kissing at your neck.

"Doesn't feel right." You murmur, fighting a moan.

"Would you feel better if I told you that you weren't the first woman he did that to? Found a lot of evidence in his phone. Videos. Threats. You weren't the first person, but you were definitely the last."

You moan as he bites down on your collarbone. It actually did make you feel better, knowing that Liam wouldn't hurt anyone else.

"Doesn't matter that he hurt other women though. He was dead the moment he put his hands on you." Those words definitely shouldn't turn you on as much as they do.

Billy picks you up and plants your ass on the counter. You spread your legs invitingly for him and he wastes no time fitting his body into yours and claiming your mouth with a searing kiss.

"Nobody touches what's mine." He growls against your lips, "Do you understand?"

"Yes." You gasp, pulling his mouth back to yours.

The kiss is harsh and demanding. Billy holds nothing back as his rough hands travel over your body, squeezing at the flesh of your ass, short nails scraping at your scalp as he guides your head this way and that, while he commands your attention with his tongue.

"Ohh Billy." You moan, his mouth trailing down your neck and biting gently at the skin just above your chemise.

Your hands are also exploring his body, sinking your fingers into his hair and scratching at his shoulders when his bites get a bit too rough. He mouths at the material over your breast, wetting the silk with his saliva and watching your nipples harden under his torment.

You hear a dissatisfied grunt before he grabs your dress and tears it right down the middle. The sound of the fabric tearing has you clenching around nothing desperately.

"Mine." He groans, delivering a filthy lick from the base of your breast, over your nipple and up your neck. He bites at your jaw gently. His hands rip the remaining fabric right down the middle, and slips the ruined silk off your shoulders.

His mouth wraps around a nipple and you let out a choked gasp. You're fully nude against his half-dressed form. Your hands reach for his belt, you tug the gun from its holster and unbuckle it while Billy sucks marks onto your neck and collarbones.

You undo his belt next, and then the button of his pants. You manage to slip his boxers down and pull out his pulsing erection. He groans impatiently when you give him a few slow strokes.

"Can't wait. Need you right now. Are you ready?" He asks desperately.

You nod your head and guide him into your wet heat. You both let out simultaneous groans as he presses himself into you. He hits every spot just right as he fills you. Your toes curl as you try to fight off an orgasm so soon. But you're too hooked on him, the warmth of his skin, the metallic smell in the air that mixes with his cologne, his mindless moans of pleasure. When he finally stuffs all of his cock into you, you clench around him, crying out in bliss at your unprompted orgasm.

"You just cum baby? Couldn't wait a little?" He grips your throat and you whimper.

He gently glides his cock against your walls teasingly, "Filthy little girl, having her first orgasm as soon as I put my cock in?"

He growls, "Think anyone else can give you that?" You shake your head, his small movements turn into thrusts. "Think anyone can have you coming like a needy whore on their cock like this?"

He runs his tongue over your cheek

"No fucking way they can. That's why you took those vows right? That's why you wear my ring on that pretty finger of yours."

You nod your head, his words are only helping to throw you to the brink of another orgasm.

His hips slam into yours now, he's not holding anything back.

"Say them again," he grunts, "tell me those vows."

You're not sure how he really expects you to speak. One swift slap to your ass has your lips moving.

"For better or for worse," you gasp.

"For r-richer or... poorer."

His fingers move to play with your nipples.

"In sickness and in- ahh- health."

You make sure to look right into his heated gaze when you say the last line,

"Till death do us part."

He groans, his thrust become punishing, his hips slap into yours, filling the room with the filthiest noises.

His fingers ghost over your clit and you arch into him.

"You're fucking mine." Is all you hear him say as fireworks explode behind your eyes. You cling to him desperately, letting him anchor you to reality as your mind floats in bliss.

You're burning for him now, aching, and he knows it. He picks you up easily and starts moving, you don't know where he's going until he drops you gently onto the living room couch.

"Don't think I can make it to the bed." He confesses as he shucks the remainder of his clothes off and cover you with his body. He wants to bury his tongue in your pussy and feel you come on his tongue but you have other ideas.

You push him back until he's sitting on the couch. You straddle his hips and waste no time in pressing yourself back onto his cock.

He gasps, feeling the way your movements shift from needy to desperate. You're both covered in the marks of your lovemaking and it's not over yet.

You take your time bouncing on his cock, holding his face close to yours, crying out when the head of his cock grazes that special spot inside you. He watches your breasts bounce, he feels your pussy flutter around him. He gets taken with the way your hair looks- wild and messy.

"Say it again." He gasps, your eyes meet his. "Tell me those vows again." He begs.

You grip the back of his head and mesh his lips with yours.

"For better or for worse." You moan.

You pull on his hair and dig your nails into his shoulder.

"Richer.... or poorer."

His hands embrace you, holding you tight to his body as you rock yourself on his cock. He's so close.

"In... in sickness and in health."

Your fingers sink deeper into his skin and he knows you're there.

"Till death- ah!" You cry out as you come, clenching so tight that Billy's orgasm is triggered.

He holds you tightly to him, no space in between you two as you feel him cum inside you, his warm spend filling you up and spilling out around his cock.

You're both trembling, breathing erratic as you experience your highs together.

He kisses any open skin his mouth can reach, pecking at the marks he's left on your body. His hands hold you in place, not ready to slip his cock from inside you.

Your lovemaking doesn't end there. When you're both ready again, he takes you on the coffee table, whispering the filthiest words.

"Gonna fuck you on every inch of this apartment, till you can't look at a spot without imagining the ways I stuffed you with my cock on them."

When he presses your body into the floor length windows and slams into you with punishing thrusts of his hips.

"No one can see us all the way up here. But I know you wish they would. I know you wished they could see how well you take my cock, wish they'd see how much of a good girl you are for your husband. Fuck... that's it, cream all around me while I fill you up."

When you finally make it to the bed, it's because Billy has to carry you there. He's cum inside you way too many times to keep track. Your legs no longer function properly and you're covered in scratches, bites and hickies. Billy doesn't really look any better, he has long deep scratches marring his perfect back, hickies all over his chest and trailing lower to just above his cock.

You're tangled in each other once more, listening to his breathing as exhaustion takes over.

"I want you." You say into his chest, "I will always want you."

The only indication that he's heard you is a gentle squeeze of your shoulder before you sink into sleep.

Billy squeezes his eyes shut. He knows that no matter what he says- its really him that belongs to you.

[severidescigar]

She was my best friend - Stellaride

Fandom: One Chicago

Pairing: Kelly Severide, Stella Kidd & Leslie Shay

A/N : Pure heartbreak 🥲 my all time favorite one shot I ever wrote.

•••

After Casey moved out of the apartment, Kelly and Stella’s relationship only kept progressing so they decided to start looking for a new place to move in, that would feel more homey and cozy rather than the big industrial loft that still held so many of their memories for the past few years.

With moving came a lot of packing which was the least exciting part of the whole process. As Kelly was out all morning buying some more storage boxes, Stella was left emptying a few last drawers before being completely done. She quickly came across a stack of CDs and one in particular stood out as it had the words ‘The Contract’ written on it. While usually not being one to snoop around, she frowned debating whether she should play it or not, ultimately deciding for it as curiosity took the best of her.

“Is it on? It’s on!” Kelly’s voice echoed through the room as he appeared on the big screen. “The contract, rule number one” a womanly voice could be heard immediatly followed by Kelly’s again “We promise to never get in each other’s business…Rule number two, no matter how much work gets to us we promise to never bring it home.” The camera turned around revealing Shay holding a bottle of tequila and a smile immediatly appeared on Stella’s face. She had never heared Shay’s voice and the only picture she saw of her was the one hanging on the wall at the firehouse, as Kelly did a great job at burying old memories that brought him so much pain. “We should also say that no matter how much life gets to us, we should never bring it to work. Because what we do is so much more important than all this.”

“Is that it? Any other rules?” Kelly could be heard asking as she passed the bottle of tequila to him.

“Just one! That we…we promise to be there for each other…always, no matter what.”

“Always”

Hearing someone clearing his voice behind her Stella jumped at the sight of Kelly standing in the doorway. He’d been there a while watching most of the CD play out.

“I’m sorry I wasn’t trying to snoop through your stuff” she tried excusing herself just to be interrupted by him. “It’s fine, don’t sweat it.” Kelly sat down on the floor next to her, letting a deep breath out and pulling a box out of the drawer filled with pictures.

“You never told me much about her…” Stella said unsure, waiting to see how he’ll react so she’d know whether to drop it or not.

"She was my best friend…the purest soul I ever met, the only person I could trust for the longest time. On her first day at 51, my roommate had just moved out and she said she was looking for a new place to stay…so she moved in with me. We just clicked, like I never clicked with anyone before then…I can’t even explain it. We used to get on each other’s nerves sometimes but at the end of the day we only wanted the best for each other…we never fully respected this contract. When I injured my shoulder once on a call, she’d give me painkillers…took them from ambo and used to blame it on junkies stealing them during inventories. She’d went through so much trouble just because I was hiding an injury that would bench me for a few months…and I was so selfish because never once did I think about the possibility of her losing her job for what she was doing for me. At some point I wasn’t far from being addicted to them…I went cold turkey and in a matter of weeks I was clean…but just because she was there for me and never let me lose my focus. Then her ex showed up pregnant out of the blue, saying she still had feelings for her…which didn’t turn out too good but after that Shay kept saying she wanted a baby so bad and I thought it was some weird phase she was going through, but next thing I know we were at a fertility clinic talking about IVF and all these other procedures, but that fell through too…and that’s one of my biggest regrets, because now I’d still have a part of her here with me. Each time we fought it was because she wanted the very best for me and I didn’t want to listen and she kept pushing…man she was so stubborn. One time there was this bombing at Med, casualties everywhere and she stumbled, impaling herself in some kind of metal sticking out of the debris…she was losing so much blood but she patched herself up and kept working until she passed out…we barely kept her in bed, she wanted to go right back into the action. The days before her death we fought and we made up right before she went in that building…the building I carried her out of. Each morning after that I was waking up going to her room and hoping she’d be there…nagging me about eating her yogurt. You don’t realize how many useless fights you have with someone until they’re gone…you don’t appreciate them enough until they’re not there anymore one day. After her death I dissappeared for a while…I couldn’t go back home or to work, the thought of her was too painful and apparently it still is after all these years. When she died, I know a part of me went with her…something inside of me shifted and I wasn’t the same after that day. I wish you would’ve met her though…she would’ve loved you to the point where she would’ve tried to steal you from me.“ The two shared a laugh as Kelly’s voice slowly became more and more shaky and Stella gave his hand a comforting squeeze.

"I wish I’d met her too…I know we would’ve easily hit it off. ” Stella said looking at the pictures in front of her. “I’m sure if she was still here, she would be so proud of who you’ve become.”

“She would’ve kicked my ass so bad, each time the two of us had an argument…or each time I remotely made you upset.” He said as a small smile crept on his face at the thought of Shay scolding him when it came to relationships.

“Do you believe in soulmates Kelly?” Stella asked reciving a confused look from him in return “Because I think she was yours.”

“Then what are you?” He asked turning himself around to face Stella. “Hmm, I don’t know…but soulmates don’t have to be lovers, a soulmate is someone who gets you and connects to you on a level you can’t explain, it’s someone who inspires you to be a better person, someone you can carry with you forever and no matter what happens the love you have for them never dissappears…it’s you and Shay.”

Kelly thought after all these years he’d be able to say more than a few words about her without tears immediately appearing in his eyes, but oh boy he was so wrong. Shay will forever live on in his heart and he promised himself he’d never let her memory be forgotten.